The Types of Souls and some ways to purify and refine it by Ash-Shaykh Saalih al-Fouzaan may Allah preserve him.
Question: What types of souls are there? And what are some techniques to purify and cleanse it as Allah says: {Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself}91:9.
Answer: The types of souls that are mentioned in the Noble Quran are three: The soul that is inclined towards evil, the self-reproaching soul and the soul that is in complete rest and satisfication.
As for the Soul that is inclined to evil: It is the soul which incites its master with what it craves for from forbidden pleasures and following falsehood.
And as for the Self-reproaching soul: Then it is the one who scolds and reprimands its master upon that which it misses from good and it feels remorse because of that lost.
(Lastly) as for the Content soul: It is the soul that has found peace with its Lord, His obeidience, His command, His rememberance and does not find this in other than Him (Allah).
The Illustrious Scholar Ibn al-Qayyim may Allah have mercy upon him said: The fact that it (the soul) is Mutamainnah (Content) is a praiseworthy description for it, and the fact that it is Amaara bis Soo' (Gravitated towards evil) is a disgusting description for it and as for it being Lowwaamah (Self-reproaching) divides into either being something praiseworthy or blameworthy regarding what it is reproaching (the self) about*.
And some methods to purify the soul are: to coerce it upon the obeidience of Allah, prevent it from disobeying Him and ban it from its prohibited cravings and salacities.
Footnote:*Ar-Ruh by Ibn Qayyim al-Jowziyyah Taken from: Al-Muntaqa min Fataawah Fadilah Ash-Shaykh Saalih al-Fouzaan. (#430 Pg.424) Translated by: Abu Fouzaan Qaasim
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09-12-2009 @ 5:25 PM
