Here is the awe-inspiring teaching provided on the subject matter of the knowledge of the Soul (Ilmou Nafs) by the Hidden Pole, Our master, guide and educator, Abul Abbas Mawlana Ahmed ibn Muhammed Tijani, may Allah consecrate his precious secret.

Sidi Ali Harazim (raa) said:

"I asked Seidina Ahmed Tijani (may Allah consecrate his precious secret) about the soul (nafs), spirit (Rooh), heart (Qalb) and the Secret (Sirr). Was it different names for one or several entities? Assuming that these names refer to only one entity, so why do tire ourselves diversifying them? If we presume that each is separate from the other, however the Divine Speech is indeed addressed to the Spirit (Rooh), because it tastes the delights and pain of punishment? "

We were elucidated on the issue persuasively, peace be upon our master and teacher, along with the mercy of Allah the Almighty and His blessings.

  Seidina Ahmed Tijani (may Allah consecrate his precious secret) responded as follows:

"Know that these names are actually for one entity without plurality, nevertheless they are multiple in relations to the degrees of the spirit (Rooh).

What supports this is the fact that Allah (May He be Glorified and Exalted) created the human Spirit from the limpidness and purity of the Divine Light. Its foundation (the spirit) is from the lofty clouds of the Lord (Amma Rabbani). Then He made it reside at the location of the Vivifying Spirit (The Spirit that gives life).

There the Spirit continues to know Allah the Most High perfectly, being extinguished in His love and His Oneness, knowing His names and His qualities, without being concerned about other than Him. It continues to be so, in that state of complete purity, far from what the mind can comprehend.

Then the Spirit inhabited the human body. Thus, the body acquired Life and Understanding due to the establishment of the Spirit in it. The Spirit exists in the body as the "Spirit Nafs” (Rooh Nafs). It is a subtle vapor which contains the force of life, sensation, movement and understanding. Thus, the Nafs exits only as a reference and not as an essence since it is formed from the meeting of the Spirit with the body. If they ever come to split up (the Spirit and the body), the Nafs no longer exists as Nafs which is only a subtle vapor.

This thing we call Nafs is the source of bad morals as it imposes its authority on the person, because the Spirit is held prisoner within it. Hence, it only manifests to the agreement of the Nafs, thereby going astray, in complete exclusion of the Divine Presence. This derives from the luminous power of the spirit being reversed because of its establishment in the darkness of the body.

Thus, the Spirit is soiled by the impurities and grimes from the body and is confined by the Corrupt Nafs (Nafs Qabeetha). It subsequently became disobedient to the order of Allah. This reflects the influence of the unswerving body, its dark source originating from water and clay. Unlike to the body, the Spirit, it is the result of the clear purity of the Divine Light in a state of perfect wholesomeness and preciousness. It is the purest and highest quintessence. The spirit has been infused with darkness in the world of sense. As it tends to disobediences, sins and pursuit of passions, it is called in this station: "The Nafs that commands evil" (Nafs El Amara bi sou-i).

The Divine Light manifests within the Spirit allowing it to stride away from disobedience and sins by the means of repentance (Tawba). It begins to blame and discredit itself because of the Divine Laws it has been neglecting.

As the Nafs starts to turn away from evil and blame itself, it gets back to the Door of the Generous, the Beneficent, then it is called in the station "the self-blaming Nafs" (Nafs Lawwama) because it blames itself for what it failed to recognize as Commandments of Allah, the Most High.

The Divine Light manifests yet again and purifies it by chasing away the bulk of sin called Capital Sins (El Kaba-ir), but it remains the subtle and minor offenses. It is called in this station "a Heart" (Qalban). He smelled of the Holy Presence. Sometimes it is infatuated by the Sacred Smells so it feels nostalgia for what it was during it first existence.

From time to time, it is overcome by the dense darkness of its nature gained from its establishment in the body. At that time, it has nostalgia for its desires and following its passions. Being torn between these two states causes it to be called "Heart". It knows desires and attractions and tends to cling to them, which is why they call this station "heart" as a result of its permanent changes.

The Divine Light manifests another time, completely purifying it from all disobedience, heavy and light, large and small, and thus its feet are rooted in the guidance and obedience to Allah, its agitation soothes. We call this degree "the peaceful Nafs (Nafs Moutma-ina), but there remains attraction to other than Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) even if it is lawful. These are traces of deviation from straightness and a kind of concern in the arrangement and choices of its own interests.

Then, if the Divine Light pours on it, it causes the destruction of all forms of choices and concerns. The Nafs comes back to Allah stripped of anything else but Allah. At this point, it is called the “Satisfied Nafs” (Nafs radiya) but there remains traces of what had been previously destroyed. Those are similar to scars after healing of wounds. For this reason, it is contorted in the face of the Divine Presence.

Afterward, the Nafs receives the illumination of the Holy Presence, which leads to the completion of its purity; it broke definitively with the trace of illusions and haze of the senses. Its knowledge disappears, its existence is annihilated. This stream, which is the greatest light, was expressed in the terminology of the knowledgeable as the "Supreme Opening” (Fath El A'dham).

The Spirit is called in this station "Satisfying Nafs" (Nafs Mardiya) because it has lost all sensitivity and understanding, he has neither knowledge, nor image, nor name left. It is down to contemplation of the Truth, in the Truth, for the Truth from the Truth. This is called "the annihilation of annihilation” (Fana-ou-l-Fana). Here, its Creator has complete satisfaction for it, which is why we called it the "Satisfying Nafs".

Then, if it receives the enlightenment of the Holy Presence, which leads to the annihilation of directions and tangible expressions, it is filled by this externally and internally. When irrigated by the Enlightenment of His Holy Presence, it found the original purity in the concealed degree at the example of sunlight during its appearance over the night.

It is called in this station "Hidden" (Ikhfa) as it moved away from the perception of reason and comprehensive thoughts.

After that, it is in a perpetual rise through the stations, endless, during its earthly existence as well as in the Barzakh, and in the eternity of Paradise without its elevation being terminated nor concluded.

At each station the attributes of Allah, His Names, His influx are revealed. Thus, the previous station in relation to that which is newly acquired is, proportionally, a drop compared to the ocean.

Therefore, whenever it acquires a station, it receives Influx (Fouyoudat), Manifestations (Tajaliyat), Knowledge (Ma'arif), Science ('Ulum), Secrets (Asrar), Openings (Foutouhat).

In this phase, it is located above the station “the hidden", it is called "the secret of Zeal (Ardor)" (Sirrou Shaddah).

To the question:

To who is the Divine Speech addressed to, is this in spirit, the nafs or the body?

The answer is:

The Divine Speech is indeed addressed to the spirit (Rooh) because, as we mentioned, it represents the Heart and Nafs in its progression. It is certainly not the body that it is addressed to as it is created as a container for the Spirit and serves as a mount enabling it to perform its duties vis-à-vis its Creator.

The spirit is responsible since it carries the pact, it will be rewarded or punished, living in delight or in torment. It receives punishment or blessing only through a body and a Divine decree. The spirit is introduced into the body and therefore it is punished through the punishment of the body and pardoned by the grace given to it.

After death, the Spirit in the world of Barzakh is introduced into another body. By the conveyance of the body, it tastes glee as well as punishment.

The proof of this is in the word of the Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) who said: "The spirits of the martyrs are introduced into the gizzards of green birds." As his words (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him): "When a believer dies, he is given half of Paradise."

The meaning of this hadith is that the Spirit separated from the body receives half of the bliss, the other half being reserved for the body. Since the Spirit is not introduced into the body in the world of Barzakh it tastes the delights of Paradise without its presence. Half of the Delights is represented as half of Paradise in the hadith.

This is exclusively reserved to the erudite believers and martyrs, the rest among the believers is veiled and lacks ability to sail to paradise, and they will only see their place morning and evening.

 By Medina International...