Towards Satisfied Self (Nafasi Mutmaina)

Home – Towards Satisfied Self (Nafasi Mutmaina)

Stage 3

Towards Satisfied Self (Nafasi Mutmaina)

Objectives

To reach satisfied self is the highest point of one’s self-exploration. It expresses the finest achievement of human endeavours for a good life on earth. So the struggle for satisfied self doesn’t end anywhere. To mention it on this stage of training is to inform the students that their main goal is to achieve nafase Mutmaina: What is it? What are the different hurdles and how to remove them? This is an important reminder for them after they have gone through the process of uncovering the covers of self.

Workshop9: Enhance and Expand Your Pondering and Reasoning

Framework of Issues

Look at the vast universe around you and think about its splendid phenomena.
Note down that why is the universe and what is in it—son, stars, moon, mountains etc are no longer effected by time and place.
Find out the smallness of human life and the gigantic nature of universe, but every things remains conquered for human beings. Reflect again and again about the apparent paradoxes of human likfe (love and hatred, friendship and enmity, peace and violence, power and powerlessness etc) and universe (e.g, attraction and repulsion, light and darkness, motion and rest etc) and ask yourself why is that and what causes such paradoxes to be the source of life and regeneration?
Note down some other subjects in your knowledge which inspire your thinking and pondering.
Are you now able to find out a strong convincing ground in favour of your belief that the Lord of this universe is no one else but Allah the most Gracious?
Certainly, pondering about universe and its magnificence helps to consolidate the belief that Lord of this universe is one and alone.
This is where your belief is risen out of being a mere blind faith.

Exercise

Examine yourself entering into the vast horizon of a faith-based reasoning.
This is how, you learn your faith by means of arguments, reason and proofs.
Go on to develop this rational behaviour in different walks of everyday life.
This reasoning-based relationship with Allah becomes a shield in protecting you from the attractions, charms and short-term benefits of the worldly life.
This helps you to be the part of an environment based on an ever-increasing love and trust on Allah. Does this further make you view Noor and thus enriching your heart, brain and mind.

Workshop 10: Monotheism, Knowledge and Truth

Framework of Issues

The growth and utilization of faith-based reasoning gradually become the source of knowledge and truth in life.
This knowledge and truth is the direct outcome of monotheism which at the same time helps to understand the value and impact of monotheism in passing good life.
This monotheism is complete and clear in all of its dimensions
This is observable due to its intimate link with Noor or light of Allah spreading in the universe
This is intellectual and rational since it is based on proofs and evidence and arguments
This is This is practical since it is able to check one’s desires, lust and greed in everyday situations of life
This is truly spiritual since it sprouts from one’s heart, brain and mind and thus satisfies some of their core-urges.
So monotheism is knowledge and truth necessary to finally enabling a person to be an enlightened self.

Exercise

Shut down all the doors of longings and hopes in your life except those linked with Allah or allowed by Allah.
Does this help you to anchor each of your hope and expectation with Allah or what is given by Allah?
Let the knowledge have its strong grip in yourself that there is no friend, no supporter or intercessor except Allah
This occurs when monotheism is learned in the course of everyday beahviour i.e., by means of controlling the desires and the unruly behaviours in everyday life.

Workshop11: Mitigating the Difference Between Real Beauty and Facial Beaut

Framework of Issues

Real beauty is one that is an inner part of a personality—that is the beauty and innocence of one’s heart. The facial beauty is our appearance, which we want others to view and admire us.
Facial beauty is equally important since it enhances opportunities to seek interactions and to be progressive. What is bad that in arranging for facial beauty, one indulges in things harmful for protecting real beauty. In return, the gulf between the two increases to the extent that the real beauty gets tarnished making that person even forget that there exists something on the name of real beauty. This is when a person falls prey to the worldly attractions and charms and becomes negligent of the existence of the next world in which he or she is to be held accountable for his/ her actions and intentions before Allah.
This is the fundamental need of an enlightened self in us that our outer appearance and inner reality should be without any clash between each other.

Exercise

Never allow yourself to bear bad or ill intentions towards others—close relatives, colleagues, friends etc.
It doesn’t mean that you can get rid of all bad intentions at once; rather you need to reach at a decision in your mind that you you would never allow yourself to think wrong or to have suspicions about others.
Remember that if any one intends something bad for you, he or she is the first victim of what he or she intended for you.
Fair thinking or fair intentions about others isn’t easy; one needs to go through a strict training of mind that involves self-restraint or self-control, for the sake of which a favourable type of environment is must.
So in making your mind to the decisions of not engaging with others unless you have positive intentions, if you need to change your surrounding environment, you should not hesitate in this sacrifice.

Workshop 12: Sincerity with Allah and Sincerity with Your Near and Dear Ones

Framework of Issues

Sincerity is the great human value upon which all success depends. It is the difference between people of Paradise and people of Hell. Devil said to Allah, I will be helpless before those men and women who are sincere to you.
Sincere ones are those who do or undo things for the sake of the pleasure of Allah.
Those who are sincere to Allah, they are likewise sincere to others—their parents, siblings, kith and sins, friends, colleagues etc.

Exercise

Learning the verses of the Quran which teach trust in Allah.
Look at your desires and dreams and know the root cause of their formation: Simply, you possess them to be popular or win admiration?
If such problems are there, transform your behaviour by convincing yourself that a sincere action is better and more rewarding.
Analyze your intentions towards others—your near and dear ones and your associates and sub-ordinates. If your intentions aim at securing some undue benefit from them, you aren’t sincere to Allah or to these people.
So convince yourself that you must not go for more than what is just and fair.
Remember, without sincerity, you cannot enjoy proximity to Your Lord.
Remember, Allah is the light of Heavens and the earth
With this Light in your heart, each moment is the part of meditation
Say your prayers with the spirit of Ihsaan—as if you witness Allah.
On this highest stage of ecstasy, you watch yourself in the mirror of heart.
This is how you explore yourself
And can control many of the bad things which society or the surrounding environment inject in you.
This is the stage of “Tazkia tul Nafas or the cleanliness of self
An important milestone in character-building and personality formation as cherished by Allah the all powerful and the all knowing.