The Three Stages of the Nafs Sunday, April 6, 2008
Posted by Administrator 2 in Nafs.trackback
by Abu Abdullah Ibne Ismail
“The nafs can be at one of three stages. The lowest stage is when the nafs is classed as Ammarah. In this stage the nafs is like a toddler who has no understanding of what he is doing.
A person with such a nafs experiences neither shame nor remorse upon committing wrongdoing. Rather such a person finds pleasure in sin and becomes extremely upset when he is advised to stop his bad habits.
The second stage is when the nafs is classed as Lawamah. The similitude of the nafs in this stage is like that of a teenager who is able to understand the benefits and harms of what he does.
Akin to the situation of young people, every so often this nafs is overcome by the influence of peer pressure or the environment he is in and thus slips up and falls into sin.
However as such a nafs has understanding a person with such a nafs will realise what he has done and thus try to rectify his error.
The third stage is when the nafs is classed as Mutmainnah. In this stage the nafs is like an old experienced man.
A person with such a nafs will make the rare error, as he is still human, but he will not be deceived easily by temptation and Shaytan.”
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