to control the nafs
12:24
وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِۦ ۖ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلَآ أَن رَّءَا بُرْهَـٰنَ رَبِّهِۦ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ ٱلسُّوٓءَ وَٱلْفَحْشَآءَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ ٢٤
She advanced towards him, and he would have done likewise, had he not seen a sign from his Lord.[1] This is how We kept evil and indecency away from him, for he was truly one of Our chosen servants.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
[1] Joseph (ﷺ) received warning against fornication either through divine inspiration or a vision of his father.
And she certainly determined [to seduce] him, and he would have inclined to her had he not seen the proof [i.e., sign] of his Lord. And thus [it was] that We should avert from him evil and immorality. Indeed, he was of Our chosen servants.
— Saheeh International
...
12:26
قَالَ هِىَ رَٰوَدَتْنِى عَن نَّفْسِى ۚ وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌۭ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَآ إِن كَانَ قَمِيصُهُۥ قُدَّ مِن قُبُلٍۢ فَصَدَقَتْ وَهُوَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ ٢٦
Joseph responded, “It was she who tried to seduce me.” And a witness from her own family testified: “If his shirt is torn from the front, then she has told the truth and he is a liar.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
[Joseph] said, "It was she who sought to seduce me." And a witness from her family testified, "If his shirt is torn from the front, then she has told the truth, and he is of the liars.
— Saheeh International
...
12:36
وَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ ٱلسِّجْنَ فَتَيَانِ ۖ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَآ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰنِىٓ أَعْصِرُ خَمْرًۭا ۖ وَقَالَ ٱلْـَٔاخَرُ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰنِىٓ أَحْمِلُ فَوْقَ رَأْسِى خُبْزًۭا تَأْكُلُ ٱلطَّيْرُ مِنْهُ ۖ نَبِّئْنَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِۦٓ ۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ٣٦
And two other servants went to jail with Joseph. One of them said, “I dreamt I was pressing wine.” The other said, “I dreamt I was carrying ˹some˺ bread on my head, from which birds were eating.” ˹Then both said,˺ “Tell us their interpretation, for we surely see you as one of the good-doers.”
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
And there entered the prison with him two young men. One of them said, "Indeed, I have seen myself [in a dream] pressing [grapes for] wine." The other said, "Indeed, I have seen myself carrying upon my head [some] bread, from which the birds were eating. Inform us of its interpretation; indeed, we see you to be of those who do good."
— Saheeh International
12:37
قَالَ لَا يَأْتِيكُمَا طَعَامٌۭ تُرْزَقَانِهِۦٓ إِلَّا نَبَّأْتُكُمَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمَا مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِى رَبِّىٓ ۚ إِنِّى تَرَكْتُ مِلَّةَ قَوْمٍۢ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَهُم بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ هُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ ٣٧
Joseph replied, “I can even tell you what kind of meal you will be served before you receive it. This ˹knowledge˺ is from what my Lord has taught me. I have shunned the faith of a people who disbelieve in Allah and deny the Hereafter.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
He said, "You will not receive food that is provided to you except that I will inform you of its interpretation before it comes to you. That is from what my Lord has taught me. Indeed, I have left the religion of a people who do not believe in Allāh, and they, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers.
— Saheeh International
12:38
وَٱتَّبَعْتُ مِلَّةَ ءَابَآءِىٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ مَا كَانَ لَنَآ أَن نُّشْرِكَ بِٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍۢ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ ٣٨
I follow the faith of my fathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is not ˹right˺ for us to associate anything with Allah ˹in worship˺. This is part of Allah’s grace upon us and humanity, but most people are not grateful.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
And I have followed the religion of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And it was not for us to associate anything with Allāh. That is from the favor of Allāh upon us and upon the people, but most of the people are not grateful.
— Saheeh International
...
12:53
۞ وَمَآ أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلنَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌۢ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ ٥٣
And I do not seek to free myself nafs from blame, for indeed the soul is ever inclined to evil, except those shown mercy by my Lord. Surely my Lord is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
[edited in italics to retain the word nafs in both translations]
And I do not acquit myself nafs. Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful."[1]
— Saheeh International
[1]Although Ibn Katheer attributes the words of verses 52-53 to the wife of al-ʿAzeez, others have concluded that they were spoken by Joseph, thereby justifying his request for an inquiry and acknowledging Allāh's mercy to him.
...
[Al-Quran, Surah Yusuf]
Surah Yusuf narrates some key events from the life of Joseph (Yusuf عليه السلام). In polytheistic Egypt, he resists the invitation to sin, and the temptation of his own nafs, suffered imprisonment for hanging on to his faith, states that he has reverted to the 'millat' of his fathers Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام), Isaac (Ishaq عليه السلام) and Jacob (Yaqub عليه السلام). When he is finally proved innocent, he declares that he does not acquit his own nafs, as the nafs is 'ever inclined towards evil' / 'persistent enjoiner of evil'.
Regarding the polytheism in Arabia, in Surah anNajm, we read:
53:23
إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءٌۭ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى ٱلْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ ٢٣
They are not but [mere] names you have named them - you and your forefathers - for which Allāh has sent down no authority. They follow not except assumption and what [their] souls desire, and there has already come to them from their Lord guidance.
— Saheeh International
[Al-Quran, Surah anNajm]
... تَهْوَى الْأَنْفُسُ (Q53:23)
Studying the words formed with the root (hwy) seems:
low desires (Q7:176) that incline (Q14:37) downwards (Q53:1, Q53:53) to perish (Q20:81) in the pit (Q101:9)
In Surah alFurqan and Surah alJathiya, we read:
25:43
أَرَءَيْتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا ٤٣
Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? Then would you be responsible for him?
— Saheeh International
[Al-Quran, Surah alFurqan]
45:23
أَفَرَءَيْتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍۢ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِۦ وَقَلْبِهِۦ وَجَعَلَ عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِۦ غِشَـٰوَةًۭ فَمَن يَهْدِيهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ٢٣
Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allāh has sent him astray due to knowledge[1] and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allāh? Then will you not be reminded?
— Saheeh International
[1]This can refer to Allāh's knowledge of that person and of his preference for his own inclinations or to that person's knowledge of the truth while he refuses it.
In Surah alBaqarah, we read about Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام), his being appointed Imam, his cleansing the House of Allah ﷻ , and raising its foundation, ..., praying for a Messenger to be raised among the people who dwell near the House of Allah ﷻ . Then we read:
2:130
وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُۥ ۚ وَلَقَدِ ٱصْطَفَيْنَـٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ١٣٠
And who would reject the faith of Abraham except a fool! We certainly chose him in this life, and in the Hereafter he will surely be among the righteous.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself. And We had chosen him in this world, and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among the righteous.
— Saheeh International
2:131
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥٓ أَسْلِمْ ۖ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ١٣١
When his Lord ordered him, “Submit ˹to My Will˺,” he responded, “I submit to the Lord of all worlds.”
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
When his Lord said to him, "Submit," he said, "I have submitted [in Islām][1] to the Lord of the worlds."
— Saheeh International
[1]The meaning of the word 'Islām' is 'submission to the will of Allāh.' This is the way of life ordained by Allāh and taught by all of the prophets from Adam to Muḥammad (ﷺ). A Muslim is one who submits himself to Allāh.
[Al-Quran, Surah alBaqarah]
Focussing on the phrase:
وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُۥ
The words formed from the root ر غ ب are all translated in shades of incline, hope, desire, attention, turn devoutly, except in two ayahs, where we find it translated as reject or be averse. Why? May be because we confuse our nafs with our self, and the confusion is reflected in the translation. Aren't we required to control our nafs, fooling it when necessary, in order to keep Allah's Laws and Hudood? When the nafs inclines to evil, and commands us to cross the boundaries, are we not supposed to curb desire and resist the temptation? Aren't we supposed to 'fool' our nafs instead of being 'fooled' by it? The nafs is like a child, of limited understanding, who needs to be taken care of, for its own good. We have already been informed that our nafs is in the state of zulm (darkness). Our nafs is an important component of our being, essential for an immortal life in the Gardens of the Hereafter. It is in pledge, and will not be returned to the people who are to spend the Hereafter in Hell. We need to take good care of our nafs, protecting it from foolish impulses that would cause legal proceedings against it, as per the Deen of Allah ﷻ . Only then will Allah ﷻ restore it its Nur (the special light it lost when Adam consumed the forbidden).
...
Surah alBaqarah goes on to quote the Will of Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) and Jacob (Yaqub عليه السلام):
2:132
وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَآ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَـٰبَنِىَّ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ١٣٢
This was the advice of Abraham—as well as Jacob—to his children, ˹saying˺, “Indeed, Allah has chosen for you this faith; so do not die except in ˹a state of full˺ submission.”
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
And Abraham instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Jacob, [saying], "O my sons, indeed Allāh has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims."
— Saheeh International
2:133
أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَآءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ ٱلْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِى قَالُوا۟ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـٰهَكَ وَإِلَـٰهَ ءَابَآئِكَ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ إِلَـٰهًۭا وَٰحِدًۭا وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ ١٣٣
Or did you witness when death came to Jacob? He asked his children, “Who will you worship after my passing?” They replied, “We will ˹continue to˺ worship your God, the God of your forefathers—Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac—the One God. And to Him we ˹all˺ submit.”
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac - one God.[1] And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."
— Saheeh International
[1]Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) alone.
2:134
تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌۭ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُسْـَٔلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ١٣٤
That was a community that had already gone before. For them is what they earned and for you is what you have earned. And you will not be accountable for what they have done.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
That was a nation which has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.
— Saheeh International
[Al-Quran, Surah alBaqarah]
Further on, in Surah alBaqarah, in the pilgrimage ayaat to the House of Allah, we find the description of various kinds of pilgrims. After describing their key characteristics, we read the command:
2:207
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشْرِى نَفْسَهُ ٱبْتِغَآءَ مَرْضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ رَءُوفٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ ٢٠٧
And there are those who would dedicate their lives to Allah’s pleasure. And Allah is Ever Gracious to ˹His˺ servants.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking means to the approval of Allāh. And Allāh is Kind to [His] servants.
— Saheeh International
And among men there is one who sells his very soul to seek the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is Very-Kind to His servants.
— T. Usmani
And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the Pleasure of Allâh. And Allâh is full of Kindness to (His) slaves.
— Al-Hilali & Khan
2:208
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ فِى ٱلسِّلْمِ كَآفَّةًۭ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۭ مُّبِينٌۭ ٢٠٨
O believers! Enter into Islam wholeheartedly and do not follow Satan’s footsteps. Surely he is your sworn enemy.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
O you who have believed, enter into Islām completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.
— Saheeh International
[Al-Quran, Surah alBaqarah]
... ____________________ ...
An excerpt from an earlier learning:
World Hunger & Slavery
Population Growth & Food Resources
Morality & Homicide
Abstract
Quran (6:151, 17:30-31) identifies poverty as the reason for hunger, and dismisses the notion that population growth leads to hunger, explicitly prohibiting the killing of children due to or out of fear of poverty. At another place, the Quran (Surah 90) exhorts the free citizens to reduce inequality by freeing slaves and feeding the hungry, stating that these are the difficult yet required things to do. Quran (2:177) lists giving of wealth to the needy and freeing of slaves among the righteous deeds.
...
...
...
Morality & Homicide
Killing is a major crime. Hence, where it forbids the killing of children, Quran 6:151 also stresses on: ‘And do not approach immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed.’ Quran 17:31 states that ‘‘…Indeed, their killing is ever a khiṭ'an kabīran’: a grave offence, a great disobedience, a monstrous error, a great sin! The Quran 4:1 warns us to keep our duty regarding the الْأَرْحَامَ (the wombs). This Arabic word is generally mistranslated as relations or ties of kinship. For more on this, please read Guarding the Womb.
A horrifying video of the torturous killing in an abortion:
The Silent Scream
Sex, and especially sex outside marriage, may lead to unwanted pregnancies. Scholars have differing opinions on whether contraception is permissible or not, or if only some methods are permissible.
Some cultures also value one gender over another, especially the girl child is generally unwanted and unwelcome. Consequently, a number of people resort to abortions, especially female foeticide / infanticide. Quran condemns it and will hold people accountable for it: [Al-Qur’an 81:8-9, translator: Sahih International] And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked For what sin she was killed?
... ____________________ ...
...
Last updated on: January 22, 2025
