“By the Sun and it’s(glorious) splendour;by the Moon as it follows [the Sun]; by the Day as it shows up (the Sun’s) glory; by the Night as it conceals it; by the Firmament and its (wonderful) structure; by the Earth and its (wide) expanse: by the Soul, and the proportion and order given to it; and its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right.Truly he succeeds that purifies [the Soul], and he fails that corrupts it!”

(Shams, 91/1-10)

In the Holy Qur’ân, Allah swears by the nafs seven times in Surah Shams as a means to highlighting the significance of the role of our nafs our lives. According to the verses above, Allah has created the nafs and inspired it with what is right and what is wrong. This means that every nafs has the potential towards both what is right and what is wrong. Every nafs could choose the Truth if it is purified.

When a group of Muslims returned from battle, our beloved Prophet (pbuh) addressed them saying, “You have returned from the lesser struggle to the greater struggle.” And he was asked, “What is the greater struggle?” The Prophet (pbuh) answered, “The struggle against one’s self (nafs)”, thereby emphasizing the importance of striving against one’s self and the constant nature of this task, such that one can never be complacent with the nafs.

For this reason the current issue of Wisdom is dedicated to the “Purification of the Nafs.”

Our teacher Osman Nuri Efendi writes the second part of a four-part series entitled “Qur’ân and Contemplation”.  He explains the Holy Qur’ân is replete with such excellence of knowledge that it is the guide for every advancement of knowledge, from the past, the present, and until the Day of Judgment.  In addition to this, he writes that every new scientific discovery will help us to understand the miraculous nature of the Qur’ân. These miraculous aspects of the Qur’ân have been established within the limits of the Divine pledge.

Prof. Hasan Kamil Yilmaz writes on the oppression of the nafs that is the greatest obstacle standing between people and a sound heart. Prof. Yilmaz explains to us the way in which we may attain to a sound heart; one that is not easily offended, nor at all offending.

Prof. Mustafa Kara examines Surah Fajr from the aspect of religious education and religious psychology, three subjects come to the fore and he focuses on the ways to purify our nafs to reach nafs al mutma’inna.

We hope you enjoy reading this edition.

May Allah Almighty allow us to be of those servants who have purified their nafs and among those who will reach eternal happiness. Amen!