Evil lies hidden in the Nafs

Nafs that urges evil.. Nafs lexically means soul, the psyche, the ego,self, life, person, heart or mind. Evil lies hidden in the Nafs and it is this that leads it on to do wrong. This Nafs resides in the world of the senses and is dominated by earthly desires (Shahwat) and passions..



This is the Nafs that brings punishment itself. By its very nature it directs its owner towards every wrong action. No one can get rid of its evil without the help from Allah. As Allah refers to this Nafs in the story of the wife of al-Aziz (Zulaikha) and Prophet Yusuf (s):"The (human) soul is certainly prone to evil" (12:53

Allah also says:"And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure; but Allah purifies whomever He wishes, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing." (24:21)

لعن اللہ الناظر والمنظور الیھ
“May the curse of Allah be upon the one who casts evil glances and upon the one who presents him/herself to be looked at.”

If casting evil glances was a minor sin, then Nabi , being a mercy to mankind would not have cursed its perpetrator. The curse of Nabi is clear proof that this is a very despicable crime. The meaning of curse is to become distant from the mercy of Allah.Thus, he who has become distant from the mercy of Allah Ta’ala, cannot gain salvation from the evils of his Nafs. Only he who is under the shade of Allah’s mercy can attain salvation from the evils of the Nafs.

Allah Ta’ala says: ان النفس لامارة بالسوء
The Nafs abundantly commands evil.”(Sura Yousuf; Ayat 53, Juz 13)

So how is it possible to be saved from the evils of Nafs?

Allah Ta’ala further says:
الا مار حم ربی
“Except by the mercy of my Lord.”

From this, we understand that the only way to be saved from the evils of the Nafs is to come under the shade of Allah’s mercy. Allah Ta’ala who is the Creator of this Nafs Himself has proclaimed that those who are in His mercy will be saved. Therefore, the one who has come under the shade of الا مارحم ربی his Nafs did not remain امارة بالسوء (excessively commanding evil) rather it became امارة بالخیر (abundantly commanding good). This is why after the command of guarding the eyes, یغضوا من ابصارھم , Allah Ta’ala mentions, ویحفظوا فروجھم “Guard the private parts.”

Because through the blessings of fulfilling the divine command of Allah Ta’ala and saving oneself from the curse of Nabi one comes under the shade of Allah’s mercy. Now his private parts will also be safeguarded. Form this we conclude that the reward of guarding the eyes is that the private parts become safeguarded.
On the contrary, if a person does not guard his eyes then he cannot guard his private parts either and curses which descends upon him is a separate punishment on its own.



Once the sweetness of Imaan enters the heart, it will never be taken back. Thus by protecting the eyes, one is given grad tidings of a good death. Rasulullah (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said:

"Verily the evil glance is a poisonous arrow from the arrows of Iblees. He who abstains from casting evil glances, I will grant him such Imaan, that he will feel the sweetness of it in his heart".

(Narrated by Ibn Mas’ud in Tabarani and Kanzul-Ummaal; Vol. 5, pg. 228),(Ibn Katheer; Surra Nur, Ayat 30)

Hafiz Ibn Katheer (رحمۃ اللہ علیہ) mentions in his Tafseer:
من حفظ بصرہ اورثہ اللہ نورا فی بصیرتہ
"He who protects his eyes from unlawful gazes, Allah Ta'ala will grant him the light of the heart .

We ask Allah Ta'ala that He guides the entire Ummah from the darknesses of sin into the light of piety and obedience to Allah Ta'ala and Rasulullah (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم).

May He accept it out of His sheer Mercy. Ameen