Expedition Think: anNafs

The Content Souls

[The Quran, Surah al-Fajr, ayat 27]

Adam & wife were given residence in The Garden.

Adam & wife ate from the forbidden Tree.

Adam & wife lost the nur of their nafs. Their nafs became invisible.

Adam & wife lost their comfort, clothing, and residence.

Adam & wife got expelled from The Garden.

Adam and his family hope to return to The Garden.

Those who make it back, will have a 'nafs-e-mutmainna', that is, a content nafs.

The 'nafs' will return to her Lord, pleased and well-pleasing.

The 'nafs' will be told to re-enter Allah عزوجل 's slave.

The body (slave) with the reinstated soul (nafs) will be granted entry into The Garden.

So, the state of contentment of the soul precedes the entry to The Garden. It is a prerequisite. It means acknowledging all the favours that we are already blessed with, and to know that contentment stems from and with the Lord.

[The Quran, Surah az-Zumar, ayat 73]

When the slaves of Allah عزوجل will be entering The Garden, they will be greeted by its keepers with:

'Peace be unto you! Ye are good, ...'

The Arabic word for 'good' used in this ayat is (طِبۡتُمۡ).

Surah Aal-e-Imran informs that Allah عزوجل will separate the 'Tayyab' from the 'Khabees'.

Surah Al-Nur informs us that Tayyab men are for Tayyab women, and Khabees men are for Khabees women.

Surah al-Furqan informs us that Allah عزوجل has appointed our families and our in-laws.

Surah al-Furqan lists the three major sins: shirk, murder, and zina.

Surah Al-Nur prescribes punishment for 'zina', equally for both men and women, and forbids the believers from marrying adulterers and polytheists.

Surah al-Furqan includes an invocation for making 'our wives and offsprings coolness of our eyes, and making us all leaders of the muttaqi'.

Going back to الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ

Search result for 89:27:3:

The triliteral root ṭā mīm nūn (ط م ن) occurs 13 times in the Quran, in three derived forms:
nine times as the form XII verb iṭ'ma-anna (ٱطْمَأَنَّ)
twice as the form XII active participle muṭ'ma-inn (مُطْمَئِنّ)
twice as the form XII active participle muṭ'ma-innat (مُّطْمَئِنَّة)

The general meaning of words formed with root ṭā mīm nūn (ط م ن) are satisfaction, reassurance, and content.

Focusing on the two ayaat using the exact word مُّطْمَئِنَّة :

The Bee (16:112)

وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًۭا قَرْيَةًۭ كَانَتْ ءَامِنَةًۭ مُّطْمَئِنَّةًۭ يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًۭا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍۢ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ ٱللَّهِ فَأَذَٰقَهَا ٱللَّهُ لِبَاسَ ٱلْجُوعِ وَٱلْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَصْنَعُونَ ١١٢

Allah gives an example: There was a town, secure and content with its sustenance coming in plenty from every place. Then, it turned ungrateful to the bounties of Allah; so, Allah made it to taste hunger and terror (that covered it) like a garment, as recompense of what its people used to do.
— T. Usmani

Allah sets forth the parable of (the people of) a town who were secure and content and whose sustenance came in abundance from every quarter. But then the people of the town showed ingratitude towards Allah for His bounties, so Allah afflicted them with hunger and fear in punishment for their evil deeds.
— A. Maududi (Tafhim commentary)

Allah coineth a similitude: a township that dwelt secure and well content, its provision coming to it in abundance from every side, but it disbelieved in Allah's favours, so Allah made it experience the garb of dearth and fear because of what they used to do.
— M. Pickthall

Allah sets forth a Parable: a city enjoying security and quiet, abundantly supplied with sustenance from every place: Yet was it ungrateful for the favours of Allah: so Allah made it taste of hunger and terror (in extremes) (closing in on it) like a garment (from every side), because of the (evil) which (its people) wrought.
— A. Yusuf Ali

اور اللہ نے مثال بیان کی ہے ایک بستی کی جو بالکل امن و اطمینان کی حالت میں تھی آتا تھا اس کے پاس اس کا رزق با فراغت ہر طرف سے تو اس نے نا شکری کی اللہ کی نعمتوں کی تو اسے چکھا (پہنا) دیا اللہ نے لباس بھوک اور خوف کا ان کے کرتوتوں کی پاداش میں
— بیان القرآن (ڈاکٹر اسرار احمد)

اور اللہ ایک بستی والوں کی مثال بیان کرتا ہے کہ وہ امن و اطمینان میں تھے ان کو ان کا رزق فراغت کے ساتھ ہر طرف سے پہنچ رہا تھا پھر انھوں نے خدا کی نعمتوں کی ناشکری کی تو اللہ نے ان کو ان کے اعمال کے سبب سے بھوک اور خوف کا مزا چکھایا
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
[https://quran.com/an-nahl/112]

Surah an-Nahl begins with the information that Allah عزوجل 's command is coming, so do not be impatient about it.

Surah an-Nahl is about the many favours Allah عزوجل grants us to compensate for our fallen state: clothing, comfort, shelter, milk and honey. Honey bees are critical for pollination, which means that their ecological contributions are significant. The economy is affected by their work, and bee disappearance is a major climate issue, posing a threat to food security and biodiversity.

The first item on the list of contentment is food-security. It is a fundamental human need.

Gratitude is a key factor in retaining Allah's favours. Surah an-Nahl cites the example of Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) whose gratitude to Allah عزوجل was exemplary.

Surah an-Nahl concludes with the good news that Allah عزوجل is with those who have taqwa and do ihsaan.

The other ayat which mentions ٱلْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ is:

The Dawn (89:27-30)

89:27

يَـٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ٢٧

(As for an obedient man, it will be said to him,) “O content soul,

— T. Usmani

اے نفس ِمطمئنہ ! ّ

— بیان القرآن (ڈاکٹر اسرار احمد)

89:28

ٱرْجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةًۭ مَّرْضِيَّةًۭ ٢٨

come back to your Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing.

— T. Usmani

اب لوٹ جائو اپنے رب کی طرف اس حال میں کہ تم اس سے راضی وہ تم سے راضی۔

— بیان القرآن (ڈاکٹر اسرار احمد)

89:29

فَٱدْخُلِى فِى عِبَـٰدِى ٢٩

So, enter among My (special) servants,

— T. Usmani

تو داخل ہو جائو میرے (نیک) بندوں میں۔

— بیان القرآن (ڈاکٹر اسرار احمد)

89:30

وَٱدْخُلِى جَنَّتِى ٣٠

and enter My Paradise.”

— T. Usmani

اور داخل ہو جائو میری جنت میں !

— بیان القرآن (ڈاکٹر اسرار احمد)

[https://quran.com/al-fajr/27-30]

anNafs - alMutmainna ( ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ) represents the group of souls who are blessed with contentment. They are well-pleased with their Lord, and that is well-pleasing to their Lord. Such enlightened souls (no longer dark), will be reinstated in their reformed bodies (no longer fallen), and such people will dwell in the Gardens of Eternity. Greetings of peace will be upon those who have become good.

Such shall be the judgement and the blessing on Judgement Day.

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Related links

Links to posts about Nafs

atTayyabaatu (الطَّيِّبَاتُ) vs alKhabais (الْخَبَائِثَ)

Major Sins & True Repentance

Deen-e-Qayyimah (Q12:40)

The Will of Jacob (Israel)

Be Thankful

Prayers - The Need for Allah's Help

The Excellent Uswah in Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Gamma Rays, Visible Light & The Electromagnetic Spectrum