The Right of Soul: Commentary on Imam Al-Sajjad’s (A.S) Treaties of Right By Mohammad Sobhanie.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَأَمَّا حَقُّ نَفْسِكَ عَلَيْكَ فَأَنْ تَسْتَوْفِيَهَا فِي طَاعَةِ اللهِ فَتُؤَدّي إلَى لِسَانِكَ حَقَّهُ وَإلَى سَمْعِك حَقَّهُ وَإلَى بَصَرِكَ حَقّهُ وَإلَى يَدِكَ حَقَّهَا وَإلَى رِجْلِك حَقَّهَا وَإلَى بَطْنِكَ حَقَّهُ وَإلَى فَرْجِكَ حَقَّهُ وَتَسْتَعِينَ باللهِ عَلَى ذَلِك
The Right of Soul
The right of your soul (Nafs) against you is that you employ it to obey Allah (SWT), and as a result of that, you fulfill the rights of your tongue, hearing, sight, hands, legs, and your private parts against you, and seek Allah’s help to perform these duties.
Commentary:
The statement suggests that the fulfillment of the soul’s right depends on realizing the rights of the body’s various organs, which will be explained soon. Now, what is the soul?
The essence and reality of the soul are not known to us. Philosophers have agreed that the soul is the source of the effects of life in the body, such as faculties of intellect, speaking, listening, seeing, hearing, strength, lust, desire, etc. With death, all traces of life disappear from the body.
Although the soul has a single identity, it nevertheless has different aspects and statuses. The Quran introduces the following aspects of the soul:
1) The Inspired Soul (An-Nafs Al-Mulhamah) [Arabic: (النفس الملهمه)]: This is the dimension of the soul that inspires a human being to distinguish good from evil and virtue from vice. In chapter Ash-Shams (91:8), the Quran states that Allah (SWT) has instituted the faculty of distinguishing right from wrong in our souls:
91:8 “I swear by the soul of man, and God who created it, and taught him to discern right from wrong[1].”
For instance, inspired souls praise the fulfillment of promises and rebuke the breaching of agreements. Inspired souls admire peace, justice, trustworthiness and condemns war, oppression, deception. This innate perception is the cause of human progress towards perfection.
2) The Inciting Soul (An-Nafs Al-ʾAmmārah) [Arabic: (النفس الاماره)]: The inciting soul urges human beings to do evil so they can satisfy their desires, passions, and lust. In chapter Yusuf, the Quran (12:53) says, “The (carnal) soul indeed prompts (men) to evil[2]”
The Quran and ahadith emphasize the restrain of the inciting soul. One tradition holds that the Prophet (SAWA) said after returning from a war, “We now return from the small struggle (Jihad Asghar) to the big struggle (Jihad Akbar).” His companions asked, “O Prophet of Allah, what is the big struggle?” He replied, “The struggle against the inciting soul[3].”
Those who yield to the inciting soul and consequently indulge in sin and wickedness will attain a lower position than a beast[4].
3) The self-accusing Soul (An-Nafs Al-Luwwāmah) [Arabic: (النفس اللوامة)]: The self-accusing soul is mentioned in chapter Al-Qiyama (75:2)[5]. We also know it as the conscience, which rebukes a human being for engaging in evil deeds and behaviors. Consequently, it encourages the soul to heal and restore itself through repentance and making up for past mistakes and shortcomings if it is not already entirely immersed in wickedness. There are many stories in this regard, one of which we narrate here:
Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) broke the Babylonian idols, and consequently, he was summoned to the court. The presiding judge asked him, “Have you done this to our gods, O Ibrahim?” Prophet Ibrahim (AS) replied, “Rather, this has been done by this great idol; so, question them if they can speak.” At this time, the conscience of the presiding judge and the jury awoke. So, they turned towards their own selves and (inwardly) admitted that they were wrong. They nodded their heads and said, “O Ibrahim! You know they cannot speak.”
It was expected for the judge and jury to listen to their conscience, renounce idolatry and take the side of Prophet Ibrahim. Unfortunately, they did not listen to the voices of their conscience and sentenced Ibrahim to death by being burnt alive[6].
4) The Confident Soul (An-Nafs Al-Muṭmaʾinnah) [Arabic: (النفس المطمئنه)] The confident soul has the highest status as it remains in peace and tranquillity by relying on Allah (SWT). Imam Hussain (A.S) epitomizes what it means to be a confident soul.
The confident soul holds firm faith in Allah’s (SWT) promises and is content with divine destiny. The world for him is a place of trial. Therefore, wealth and poverty, gains and loss, ups and downs in life do not affect his mindset. He would not be tempted even if he were immersed in worldly blessings and does not become ungrateful in times of difficulties and hardships. Such a person is in a state of incomplete servitude, does not deviate from the straight path, and seeks comfort with their continuous remembrance of Allah (SWT)[7],[8].
Trust and confidence in Allah (SWT) make the soul content and satisfied with divine destiny and decrees. This stage is called the pleased soul (An-Nafs Ar-raḍīyyah) [Arabic: (النفس الراضيه)]. Naturally, such a soul would be pleasing to Allah (SWT). The latter stage is called the pleasing soul (An-Nafs Al-Marḍīyyah) [Arabic: (النفس المرضیه)].
The Advice of Imam Baqir (AS) to Jabir bin Yazid Ja’fi[9]: And know that you will not be our friend unless when all your fellow citizens unite against you and say: You are an evil man, do not grieve, and if everyone says you are a good man, this word will not make you happy. But compare yourself against the Quran. If you find yourself a follower of its commands and instructions, avoiding what it has forbidden, interested in what it has encouraged you, afraid of what it has frightened you, so be steadfast and happy.
Because what has been said about you does not harm you. And if you see separation from the Qur’an, then why should you deceive yourself? Indeed, the believer is always in the process of fighting against his soul to overcome its whims and desires. In this fight, sometimes he straightens his soul from perversion and deviation, and another time his whim and desire knock him down; consequently, he follows his desires.
But Allah (SWT) takes his hand, raises him from the ground, and forgives his slip. Consequently, the believer comes to his senses and seeks refuge in repentance and fear (of God). As his fear (of God) increases, his insight and knowledge increase. The reason is explained in the Quran, which says: “Indeed, those who fear Allah – when an impulse touches them from Satan, they remember [Him] and at once they have insight[10].”
Acknowledgment:
The text is based on “Commentary on Imam al-Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right” by Grand Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani.
Appendix_1:
Verse of the Quran cited in the text
٧﴾ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا ﴿٨﴾وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا ﴿
91:8-9 And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it. And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness,
Appendix_2:
The Arabic Text of Ahadith Cited in the text
إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ بَعَثَ سَرِيَّةً فَلَمّا رَجَعُوا قالَ: مَرْحَباً بِقَوْمٍ قَضَوُا الْجِهادَ الْأَصْغَرَ وَ بَقِيَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْجِهادُ الْأَكْبَرُ قِيلَ: يا رَسُولَ اللهِ وَ مَا الْجِهادُ الْأَكْبَرُ؟ قالَ: جِهادُ النَّفْسِ ثُمَّ قالَ(ص): أَفْضَلُ الْجِهادِ مَنْ جاهَدَ نَفْسَهُ الَّتي بَيْنَ جَنْبَيْهِ.
The Prophet of God (SAWA) sent an army to war. When they returned, he said: Blessed is the group that passed the lesser jihad, but the greater jihad is still their responsibility. It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what is the Great Jihad? He said: Jihad with the soul. Then the Prophet (PBUH) said: The highest jihad is the jihad man does with his soul hidden between his two sides[11],[12],[13].
The Advice of Imam Baqir (AS) to Jabir bin Yazid Ja’fi[14]:
وَ اعْلَمْ بِأَنَّكَ لَا تَكُونُ لَنَا وَلِيّاً حَتَّى لَوِ اجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْكَ أَهْلُ مِصْرِكَ وَ قَالُوا إِنَّكَ رَجُلُ سَوْءٍ لَمْ يَحْزُنْكَ ذَلِكَ، وَ لَوْ قَالُوا إِنَّكَ رَجُلٌ صَالِحٌ لَمْ يَسُرَّكَ ذَلِكَ، وَ لَكِنِ اعْرِضْ نَفْسَكَ عَلَى مَا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ، فَإِنْ كُنْتَ سَالِكاً سَبِيلَهُ زَاهِداً فِي تَزْهِيدِهِ رَاغِباً فِي تَرْغِيبِهِ خَائِفاً مِنْ تَخْوِيفِهِ فَاثْبُتْ وَ أَبْشِرْ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَضُرُّكَ مَا قِيلَ فِيكَ، وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ مُبَايِناً لِلْقُرْآنِ فَمَا ذَا الَّذِي يَغُرُّكَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ، إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ مَعْنِيٌّ بِمُجَاهَدَةِ نَفْسِهِ لِيَغْلِبَهَا عَلَى هَوَاهَا، فَمَرَّةً يُقِيمُ أَوَدَهَا وَ يُخَالِفُ هَوَاهَا فِي مَحَبَّةِ اللَّهِ، وَ مَرَّةً تَصْرَعُهُ نَفْسُهُ فَيَتَّبِعُ هَوَاهَا فَيَنْعَشُهُ اللَّهُ فَيَنْتَعِشُ، وَ يُقِيلُ اللَّهُ عَثْرَتَهُ فَيَتَذَكَّرُ وَ يَفْزَعُ إِلَى التَّوْبَةِ وَ الْمَخَافَةِ فَيَزْدَادُ بَصِيرَةً وَ مَعْرِفَةً لِمَا زِيدَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ، وَ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ: ﴿ إِنَّ ﴾الَّذِينَ اتَّقَواْ إِذَا مَسَّهُمْ طَائِفٌ مِّنَ الشَّيْطَانِ تَذَكَّرُواْ فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْصِرُونَ
Notes:
[1] Ash-Shams, 91:8 (فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا) (وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا)
[2] Yusuf, 12:35 (إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّي ۚ)
[3] Bihar-al-Anwar, Vol 67, P. 65
[4] At-Tin 95:5 (ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَاهُ أَسْفَلَ سَافِلِينَ) Then We return him to the lowest of the low,
[5] (وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ )
[6] Al-Anbiya 21:62-65
[7] Ar-Ra’d, 13:28 (أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ)
[8] Al-Mizan, Vol. 20, P.477
[9] بحار الأنوار – العلامة المجلسي – ج ٧٥ – الصفحة ١٦٣ (shiaonlinelibrary.com)
[10] Al-A’raf, 7:201
[11] Bihar-al-Anwar, Vol 67, P. 65
[12] http://pajuhesh.irc.ir/product/note/show/id/616
[13] بحار الأنوار – العلامة المجلسي – ج ٦٧ – الصفحة ٦٥ (shiaonlinelibrary.com)
[14] بحار الأنوار – العلامة المجلسي – ج ٧٥ – الصفحة ١٦٣ (shiaonlinelibrary.com)
source:shafaqna