Chapter Seven: On the Purification of the Soul and the Cleansing of the Spirit

Al-Bāb al-sābiʻ fī tazkiyah al-nafs wa-taṣfiyah al-rūḥ

Iʻlam ayyadaka Allāh anna nafs al-insān jamaʻa Allāh fīhā mā farraqahā fī al-nufūs bi-asrihā fa-fīhā min nafs al-malak waṣf wa-min nafs al-bahāyim wa-al-sibāʻ wa-al-ḥasharāt wa-al-hawāmm awṣāf fa-inna fīhā al-tamakkun min ṭāʻah Allāh wa-al-imkān min ʻibādah Allāh kamā fī nafs al-malāʼikah . thumma inna al-malāʼikah baʻḍuhum rukūʻ wa-baʻḍuhum sujūd wa-jamʻ minhum quʻūd wa-jamʻ wuqūf wa-ṭāʼifah yusabbiḥūn wa-jamāʻah yuhallilūn wa-minhum man wakkalahu Allāh taʻālá bi-al-arzāq wa-minhum man jaʻalahu ʻalá al-arwāḥ fa-jamaʻa Allāh fī al-nās hādhihi al-khayrāt fa-minhum al-rākiʻūn al-sājidūn al-ḥāmidūn al-dhākirūn al-munfiqūn al-muntaqimūn li-Allāh wa-fīhā ayḍ al-mumkinah min al-ishtighāl bi-al-ashghāl al-danīyah wa-al-iqbāl ʻalá al-aʻmāl al-badanīyah kamā fī nufūs al-bahāyim wa-al-sibāʻ wa-al-ṭuyūr wa-al-hawāmm wa-fīhā ḥirṣ al-juʻal wa-al-khinzīr wa-ifsād al-dhiʼb wa-al-namir wa-īdhāʼ al-ʻaqrab wa-al-ḥayah wa-shahwah al-dīk wa-al-ḥimār wa-ishtihāʼ al-ibil wa-al-baqar fī al-akl wa-yankabb ʻalá al-umūr al-khasīsah ka-al-hawāmm wa-al-ḥasharāt wa-yasʻá fī ṭalab mā ghāba ʻanhu ka-al-ṭayr al-ṭāʼir . thumma inna Allāh taʻālá lammā khalaqa al-bahāyim wa-al-malāʼikah jaʻala al-arḍ li-al-anʻām wa-al-samāʼ li-al-malāʼikah al-kirām wa-kamā jamaʻa mā fī al-insān mā-fī al-malāʼikah wa-al-anʻām jamaʻa li-al-insān bayna al-arḍ wa-al-samāʼ fa-jaʻala al-arḍ maskan badanihi wa-al-samāʼ maṣʻad rūḥihi fa-kamā jamaʻa al-insān bayna al-waṣfayn ka-dhālika jaʻala bayna al-mawḍiʻayn fa-in rajaḥa al-insān mā fīhi min ṣifāt al-malāʼikah ʻalá mā fīhi min ṣifāt al-bahāyim fāza wa-aflaḥa wa-inqaṭaʻa fī ākhir amrihi ilá al-manzil al-aʻlá wa-huwa fawq al-samawāt al-sabʻ wa-huwa al-jannah al-ʻulyā wa-in rajaḥa mā-fīhi min ṣifāt al-sibāʻ wa-al-bahāyim ʻalá mā-fīhi min ṣifāt al-malak khāba wa-khasira wa-inqaṭaʻa baʻda inqiḍāʼ ʻumrihi ilá al-darak al-asfal wa-huwa taḥta al-arḍīn wa-huwa al-nār .

Wa-idhā ʻalimta hādhā fa-lā shakk fī an al-ʻāqil lā yakhtār ḥāl al-kilāb wa-al-khinzīr ʻalá fiʻāl al-malāʼikah al-muqarrabīn wa-lā yakhtār al-darak al-asfal min al-nār ʻalá al-manzil al-aʻlá fī dār al-qarār .

Thumma inna al-nafs in ghalabat al-bahīmīyah ʻalayhā kānat sharr min al-bahāyim fa-inna al-bahīmīyah idhā sarraḥtahā fī al-masraḥ saraḥat nahār wa-ʻādat ilá al-iṣṭabl layl wa-al-nafs idhā taraktahā tahijj hajj wa-lā tamujj al-sharr majj . wa-al-ʻaqrab wa-al-ḥayah wa-al-dhiʼb wa-al-namir lā yuʼdhī illā ʻinda al-liqāʼ wa-al-insān yuʼdhī al-qarīb bi-al-ḍarb wa-al-shatīmah wa-al-baʻīd bi-al-ghībah wa-al-namīmah fa-huwa sharr min al-bahāyim wa-al-sibāʻ .

Wa-hiya tārah ukhrá taʻbud Allāh maʻa al-jūʻ wa-al-ʻaṭash wa-tashtaghil bi-ṭāʻah Allāh taʻālá maʻa ḥājah al-ahl wa-al-walad . wa-al-malāʼikah laysū ka-dhāk fa-huwa khayr min al-malāʼikah tārah wa-sharr min al-bahāyim ukhrá .

Fa-idhā aradta an tuzakkī nafsaka fa-unẓur ilá al-amr al-ghālib fīka fa-mā raʼayta fīka min al-bahīmī ṭahhir nafsaka ʻanhu wa-mā raʼayta fīhi min al-malakī fa-thabbit nafsaka ʻalayhi .

Wa-iʻlam anna Allāh jamaʻa bayna al-ʻaql wa-al-nafs wa-humā lā yufāriqān aḥaduhumā ṣāḥibahu illā qalīl fa-idhā māla al-ʻaql ilá shayʼ khālafatʹhu al-nafs qalīl thumma taʻūd ilayhi .

Wa-idhā mālat al-nafs ilá amr khālafahā al-ʻaql qalīl thumma taʻūd ilayhi wa-al-ẓafar maʻa al-ṣabr fa-in kāna al-ʻaql aṣbar tabiʻatʹhu al-nafs wa-rāfaqatʹhu wa-in kānat al-nafs aṣbar tabiʻahu al-ʻaql wa-wāfaqahā fa-idhā ikhtāra al-insān ʻibādah Allāh bi-ʻaqlihi khālafatʹhu nafsuhu wa-daʻatʹhu ilá al-akl wa-al-shurb wa-al-lahw wa-al-laʻb fa-in thabata al-ʻaql ʻalayhā muddah rāfaqatʹhu al-nafs · wa-idhā māla ilá al-akl wa-al-shurb wa-al-lahw wa-al-laʻb khālafahu al-ʻaql fa-in istamarra ʻalayhi rāfaqahu al-ʻaql ḥattá ḥasuna lahu qaḍāʼ al-shahwah wa-aʻmāl al-ghaḍab fa-idhā arāda al-insān qahr nafsihi wa-jaʻalahā taḥta taṣarruf ʻaqlihi fa-ṭarīquhu al-tadrīj fī taqlīl muqtaḍá al-ʻādah wa-takthīr waẓāyif al-ʻibādah fa-idhā kāna yaʼkul fī yawm mudd yanquṣ minhu fī al-yawm al-awwal dirhamayn aw thalāthah wa-yastamirr ʻalayhi yawmayn aw thalāthah thumma yanquṣ min al-bāqī dirhamayn aw thalāthah wa-yastamirr ʻalayhi yawmayn aw thalāthah ilá an yaʻtād qillah al-akl · wa-idhā kāna ʻādatuhu libs al-nāʻim yalbas ayyām mā huwa akhshan minhu qalīl thumma yantaqil ilá al-adná ·

Wa-iʻlam anna manshaʼ al-awṣāf al-bahīmīyah al-jahl wa-al-ḥājah wa-manshaʼ al-awṣāf al-malakīyah al-ʻilm wa-al-ghiná fa-lā yūjad qabīḥ illā min jāhil bi-qubḥihi aw min muḥtāj ilayhi · wa-al-bahāyim lammā shamalahā al-jahl wa-ʻammahā al-faqr raʼaytuhā taʼtī bi-al-qabāyiḥ ka-al-wiqāʻ min ghayr sitr wa-akl māl Zayd wa-ʻAmr ·

Thumma inna al-jahl qismān jahl bi-mā fī al-ḥāl wa-jahl bi-mā fī al-maʼāl · wa-al-ḥājah ka-dhālika qismān ḥājah nājizah maʻlūmah wa-ḥājah mutawaqqaʻah mawhūmah fa-al-dīk wa-al-ḥimār yajhalān mā fī fiʻlihimā min al-qabīḥ wa-yaḥtājān fī al-ḥāl ilá qaḍāʼ shahwah al-baṭn wa-al-farj fa-yaʼtiyān bi-fiʻlihimā ʻalá malaʼ min al-nās · wa-al-naml wa-al-jamal yatawahhamān al-ḥājah fī al-mustaqbal fa-yaddakhirān wa-humā yajhalān wa-lā yumayyizān bayna māl Zayd wa-Khālid wa-lā bayna najis wa-ṭāhir ·

Thumma inna al-ḥājah taḥmil ʻalá al-ghaḍab wa-al-ʻinād wa-ʻalá al-dhillah wa-al-inqiyād fa-inna al-muḥtāj idhā raʼá mā yaḥtāj ilayhi yaṭlubuhu ghayruhu yadfaʻuhu bi-al-qūwah in qawiya wa-bi-al-suʼāl wa-al-madhallah in ʻajaza fa-al-dhuʼb wa-al-namir yuʼdhiyān li-ṭalab mā yaḥtājān ilayhi fī al-ḥāl wa-al-ḥayah wa-al-ʻaqrab yuʼdhiyān li-mā yaḥtājān ilayhi tawahhum fī al-maʼāl li-annahumā yatawahhamān muʼdhī fa-yadfaʻānihi · fa-idhā ḥaṣala al-ʻilm bi-mā fī al-ḥāl min qubḥ al-tadhallul li-man huwa mithluhu aw dūnahu wa-qubḥ al-takabbur ʻalá man huwa mithluhu aw fawqahu wa-ʻalima mā fī al-maʼāl min sūʼ al-ḥisāb wa-alam al-ʻadhāb wa-ḥaṣala lahu al-ghiná ʻan al-ḥājah al-faḍlīyah bi-al-tark wa-ʻan al-ḥājah al-aṣlīyah bi-al-qanāʻah yastaḥīl an yaʼtī bi-al-qabīḥ fa-al-ʻālim al-ghanī lā yakdhib wa-innamā yakdhib al-kādhib idhā lam yaʻlam mā yukhbir ʻanhu aw ʻalima taḥmiluhu al-ḥājah ʻalá ikhfāʼ al-ḥaqq · wa-ammā alladhī yakdhib hazl fa-huwa yadfaʻ bihi ḥājah fa-inna al-jidd qatala al-nafs minhu fa-idhā dakhala fī al-hazl dafaʻa makrūh al-malāl ·

Idhā ʻalimta hādhā fa-al-tazkiyah bi-taḥṣīl al-ʻilm bi-mā fī al-umūr al-danīyah min al-qabāyiḥ al-ḥālīyah wa-fī al-ladhdhāt al-badanīyah min al-faḍāyiḥ al-mālīyah wa-al-ʻilm bi-mā ʻalá al-qabāyiḥ min al-ʻiqāb al-alīm wa-ʻalá tarkihā min al-thawāb al-ʻaẓīm thumma bi-taḥṣīl al-ghiná ʻan al-umūr al-faḍlīyah bi-iʻtibār tarkihā wa-ʻan al-aṣlīyah bi-al-qanāʻah ·

Wa-alladhī qālahu ahl al-khalwah anna al-insān yanbaghī an yuḥarrik nafsahu bi-al-tawajjuh ilá Allāh thumma yajtahid fī tark ṭayyibāt al-dunyā bi-al-naẓar fī ʻawāqibihā fa-yaṣīr zāhid fīhā thumma yukthir min al-ʻibādāt maʻa al-tafakkur fī ʻaẓamah man lahu al-ʻibādah wa-sharaf mā li-ajlihi al-ʻibādah fa-inna bi-qadr ʻaẓamah al-makhdūm tustaṭāb al-khidmah wa-bi-qadār al-ujrah yaṭīb al-ʻamal fa-alladhī yakhdim man lā yaqdir ʻalá al-qatl wa-al-ḥabs in asāʼa al-khādim wa-innamā yaqdir ʻalá qaṭʻ al-ujrah thumma takūn al-ujrah shayʼ nazr yajiduhu al-khādim aynamā yakūn lā yubāligh fī riḍá al-makhdūm wa-lā yajtahid fī al-khidmah · wa-ammā idhā kāna al-makhdūm bi-ḥaythu yaqtul al-musīʼ wa-lā yakhshá darak wa-in qaṭaʻa al-maʻlūm lā yajid ghayrahu makhdūm yuʻṭīhi miʻshār mā kāna yuʻṭīhi wa-yakūn min ʻādatihi an yazīd al-ajr al-jazīl bi-qadr ziyādah al-ʻamal yubāligh fī al-khidmah wa-yajtahid fī irḍāʼ al-makhdūm wa-yajtanib masākhiṭahu

Fa-idhā ʻalima al-insān anna Allāh huwa al-qāhir fawq ʻibādihi wa-huwa al-qādir ʻalá an yabʻath ʻalayhim ʻadhāb min fawqihim wa-min taḥta arjulihim wa-annahu lā rādd li-mā arāda wa-lā dāfiʻ wa-lā mukhalliṣ mimmā qaḍá wa-lā shāfiʻ wa-annahu in amsaka al-khayr fa-lā yajid aḥad ayursiluhu ʻalayhi wa-yaʻlam annahu khabīr bi-kull mā yafʻaluhu samīʻ li-kull mā yaqūluhu wa-yaṣīr lahu hādhā al-ʻilm min qabīl ʻilm al-yaqīn lā yaʻṣī Allāh fa-inna al-malik idhā kāna al-ʻabd bi-maḥḍar minhu wa-al-ʻabd jāzim bi-an al-malik ʻaẓīm al-thawāb alīm al-ʻiqāb wa-yaʻlam annahu nāẓir ilayhi wa-muṭṭaliʻ ʻalayhi yastaḥī min mukhālafatihi wa-lā yaḥtamil an yaʻṣiyahu illā idhā kāna ghāfil aw muḍṭarr muḥtāj fa-idhā ʻalima anna ḥājātihi mundafiʻah lā yabqá hunāka imkān al-ʻiṣyān ·

Fa-ammā ahl al-khalawāt fa-hum yaʼmurūn al-mukallaf bi-al-julūs fī khalwah wa-al-inqiṭāʻ muddah wa-dhikr kalimah lā ilāh illā Allāh kathīr maʻa tawjīh al-dhikr ilá nafy al-khawāṭir ·

Wa-maʻná hādhā al-kalām anna al-mukhtalī bi-nafsihi yanẓur fī hawājis khāṭirihi fa-in dakhala fī nafsihi amr jamʻ al-māl yaqūl maʼāl al-māl ilá al-zawāl wa-yabqá al-amr maʻa al-Malik al-Mutaʻāl fa-yaqūl lā ilāh illā Allāh ay lā ḥāṣil li-al-māl wa-lā marjiʻ illā Allāh wa-idhā dakhala fī nafsihi amr al-jāh yaqūl ākhir al-amr zawāl man bihi al-jāh wa-fanāʼ man bihi al-jāh wa-lā yabqá illā Allāh fa-yaqūl lā ilāh illā Allāh qāṣid annahu lā jāh illā bi-Allāh · wa-idhā tafakkara fī amr al-walad yataʼammal fī al-mawt wa-al-fanāʼ wa-yaqūl lā ilāh illā Allāh fa-yakūn