Nafs and Fitrah: Understanding the Inner Struggle in Ramadan

“Do what feels right”, “Do what you feel is good”, “Follow your feelings”, “Don’t feel guilty”.

These are common statements that we often read on Instagram, usually in the name of modern lifestyle. The feeling of guilt is discouraged, often seen as something that disturbs a person’s peace of mind. If one feels guilt and regret, he will fail to move on as it anchors him and drowns him in self - loath. Not dwelling in the past and moving on, makes sense.

So, we can say that modern psychology is correct here. But when we reflect deeply, in Islam, guilt is given importance. Following divine guidance is given more importance, even above what we feel. But why? The reason is not so random,

when we think about it,

Where does Taqwa come from? Guilt.

Where does Tawba come from? Guilt.

What did Yunus (AS) feel in the darkness of the whale? Guilt.

What did Adam (AS) feel when he was sent to the earth? Guilt.

What did the Sahabah feel when they left their position during the Battle of Uhud? Guilt.

Guilt is a feeling that we feel when we do something wrong, when we commit a sin, when we are unjust to our own innate default settings. Hence, Our Fitrah. When we are born, we are naturally pure, on the right path and given a moral compass placed inside every human by Allah.

 It is your inner true nature that already knows

1.    Allah is One

2.    Good is good

3.    Bad is bad

before life, desires and nurturing affects us.

A person desires many things, A big home, wealth, money, status, reputation in the society, power, respect etc. A person may also desire, The pleasure of Allah, the Forgiveness of Allah, Jannah, a journey of spiritual growth and tranquillity. It is the control on our desires that defines how closely we are connected to our own Fitrah, making it a differentiator between a believer and a disbeliever

Using our compass is how we train and control these desires because such desires are a part of our existence, and such desires may urge us to do good (seeking Allah's pleasure) or to do evil (committing since)

This is our Nafs: our urge to desire things, it controls us, depending on how we train it, just like how we train AI,

 Do we give in to our desires or do we control our desires?

Do we train ourselves to control our feelings or do we let it control us?

 Because a heart that is alive will never be comfortable in disobedience. And a soul that remembers its Creator will never find peace in running away from Him

If it is our responsibility to train our Nafs we need to understand, not just what Nafs means but also understand its depth, to attain the ultimate contentless and peace with Allah’s decree, no matter what calamity or test befalls us. And every human goes through three flow states of Nafs, and its ever changing and it’s not just attained and forget about it,

The three flow states are Nafs al-Ammarah, Nafs al-Lawwamah, Nafs al-Mutmaʾinnah

At glance -

Nafs al-Ammarah:

The soul that follows desire without resistance, feels little guilt, and forgets Allah, death, and its true purpose.

Nafs al-Lawwamah:

The soul that feels remorse after sinning, blames itself, and pushes the person toward repentance and self-improvement.

Nafs al-Muṭmaʾinnah:

The soul that is at peace with Allah, avoids sin, trusts His decree, and lives with contentment and inner tranquillity.

To lens it in:

Nafs al-Ammarah here, impulse = logic

●     This soul doesn’t argue with what's right or wrong, it normalizes it.

●     Guilt barely registers because remembrance has faded.

●     Allah becomes distant.

●     Life turns into appetite, habit, distraction.

●     Just chill without purpose

●     Nothing inside them is actively resisting evil.

Then there is Nafs al-Lawwamah - self awareness

●     This is the self that can no longer sin in peace.

●     The soul begins to object to its own behaviour, resisting evil builds up.

●     It blames itself, in a way that exposes truth to self,

●     Guilt appears not as punishment, but as proof that the heart is still alive.

●     This soul creates friction between desire and conscience.

●     It interrupts the cycle.

●     It pushes a person toward repentance, toward repair, toward the slow, uncomfortable process of becoming better than they were

And then there is Nafs al-Mutmaʾinnah,

●     The soul becomes calm with Allah, not because life is easy, but because now it trusts Allah

●     Sin is no longer attractive in the same way,

●     The heart is no longer negotiating its desires

●     Contentment grows, not from control over outcomes, but from acceptance of Allah’s decree.

●     There is tranquillity here.

●     A sense that the soul is finally facing the right direction

And the best time where we actively discipline our Nafs and return to our natural state of goodness is the month of Ramadan. During Ramadan, this sacred month is not just about fasting; it is a training ground for the Nafs.

We feel a renewed sense of inner control. Our goodness becomes stronger. And what better way to train our Nafs than by perfecting the very foundations of our faith,

The Five Pillars of Islam. Each pillar becomes not just an act of worship, but a tool that trains and purifies the Nafs.

Siyam (Fasting):We restrain our desires. We leave food, drink, and sin for the sake of Allah,teaching our Nafs that obedience is greater than desire.

Salah (Prayer); Five times a day, we step away from our routine and stand before our Creator, realigning our hearts with our fitrah and reminding our Nafs who it truly belongs to.

Zakat (Charity): We break our attachment to wealth, training our Nafs to choose generosity over greed, and the pleasure of Allah over worldly possession of wealth. Because what you give is yours

Hajj (Pilgrimage):

We leave behind the comfort of our homes, status of us lifeand stand equal before Allah, leaving our pride back home, even sleeping under the open sky in Muzdalifah, teaching our Nafs humility and submission.

Shahada (Faith) –We anchor ourselves in the truth of our Fitrah:that there is no God but Allah. It is the foundation that keeps our Nafs grounded and firm.

Through these pillars, we do more than perform acts of worship.We begin to reshape who we are. With every fast we control, every prayer we stand for, every charity we give, every sacrifice we make, we are teaching our Nafs who is in control.

At the end of it all, the question is not what do I feel like doing? The real question is what is my soul being called towards? 

Author: Aisha Alia Sha, GIO Anna Nagar, Chennai

Date: 17 March 2025

#AlFitrah

#RamadanSeries