The Complete / Pure / Perfect Self or Nafs Al Kamilah is known as the Self of Light (Nafs Al Nuraniyyah), the Muhammadan Self (Nafs Al Muhammadiyyah), and the Loving Self (Nafs Al Muhibbah).
Allah will bring folk whom He loves and who love Him; they will be humble toward the faithful and firm toward the deniers. They shall strive in the way of Allah and will not fear any blame from the blamers. This is the favour of Allah that He grants whomever He wishes among His servants. Allah is All-Encompassing and All-Knowing.”
-The Table Spread (Al – Ma’idah) Qur’an 5: 54
Then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive your sins. Allah is the Forgiving and Merciful.
-The Family of Imran (Al – Imran) Qur’an 3:31
Its outer remembrance is al – Qahhar (The Compelling) and its inner remembrance is al – Wadud (The Loving). This is the stage or station of the completeness of servanthood to Allah through the completeness of following the teachings of His beloved, Muhammad, peace be upon him. The one who reaches this station is blessed with knowing the complete love of Allah for him and for His Prophet.
This is the Station of Beauty (Maqam al Ihsan) and it is above all the stations of faith that preceded it. In this station the servant has completely attained the level of “…the most beautiful station.” And so enters into the light of His beloved, the Chosen, in the station of “Two bow’s lengths or nearer.” in the footsteps of the beloved, Muhammad, peace be upon him.
It is the final level in the stations of the self. This station has no end to its ascension and refinement. The people of this station have nothing in their hearts but the love of Allah and His Messenger and those who are loved by Allah and His Messenger.
At this level the Completed Self becomes the mirror of the light of the essential Prophetic Muhammadan self so that it attains the complete attributes of love and servanthood.
In this station the self enjoys the lights of manifestation of the Attributes and Essence of Allah (Tajaliyat Al Siffat wa Al Zhat Al Illahiyyah) so that it fluctuates in the lights of bliss in all its stations and states. It is an angelic self of light inside human bodies.
The truth is that it is selfless; it has no choice and if given a choice it would chose only what Allah loves and is pleased with. If it is asked whether it is receiving or deprived it would not know because love has overpowered it and so it is totally unoccupied with causes.
It is annihilated through love (Hubb), fascination (Walah), and passion (Ishq) into the light of the beauty of the essence of the Lord of causes who is its Beloved and Protector.
The people of this station are the people of Divine Love and Passion. They are the people who follow the true footsteps of Muhammad.
They are busy with their love and worship of the Truth and are not distracted by creation except to fulfill their obligations. And since they have become a mirror of the Muhammadan light they are constantly in the Prophetic Presence.
All their motions, stillness, words, and deeds are from Allah, through Him, to Him. All of their hearts follow the Beloved and Elect, peace be upon him because they have come to know through Allah that he (the Prophet) is the first beloved, the first light that prostrates, worships, and serves Him. Whoever of the lovers obeys him, and loves him, and models his example in character, deeds, and worship, gains the love of Allah.
The likes of these folk are the servants of Allah who have been brought near (Muqarrabun) and have been selected and have gained certainty that their first obligation, after servanthood, is to love Allah and His Messenger. This is while keeping the Law, and upholding its tenets.
They are leaders of religious knowledge and they are lights of gnosis in Truth. Through the lights of their hearts the hearts of those around them are illuminated, and through their remembrance mercy descends.
They have all they desire and they only desire love of Allah and His Messenger. They do not seek this world, nor are they occupied by the next world. All their concern is intimacy with Allah, to hear from Him, to be near Him for they regard even a moment of separation as torment greater than Hell.
Truly, the God-conscious ones are in gardens and rivers, in a place of truth in the presence of an Able Sovereign
-The Moon (Al-Qamar) Qur’an 54: 54-55
The person in this station (Maqam) never tires of worship with the body, the tongue, the heart, the hand, or the foot. He asks forgiveness in abundance. He is immensely humble.
His joy and delight are in seeing creation turn to the Haqq. His sorrow and anger are in seeing then turn their back to the Haqq. He loves the seekers of truth more than he loves his own children. He has no hatred for any creature even though he commands to good and forbids evil.
He expresses his love to those who deserve it and upholds the truth of Allah, regardless of blame. He puts everything in its place.
Whenever he turns his attention to anything, Allah makes it for him as he wills, because his will is inside the will of Allah. So if he wills something and he asks for it, Allah does not deny it because he is a slave by his Lord. His hearing is divine hearing, and it is so with his seeing and with his will. If he wills something, it becomes by the permission of Allah.
Allah is our support, and success is through Him, wa al-hamdulillahi rabbi-l- ‘alamin.
(The Attributes and Names of the Ranks and Stations of the Nafs in its Striving and Elevation – A Translation of a Classic Text by Mahmoud Mostafa)
Photo: Arabic Calligraphy by Fazel Shams, Iran
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