THE CONSCIENCE SELF AND THE INORDINATE SELF
(NAFS-E-AMMARA AND NAFS-E-LAWWAMA)

 

Study circle (thought provoking lecture) of Mr. Altaf Hussain to the members of MQM Landhi, Korangi and Liaquatabad

 

London – 6th December 2006

 

Nature has not only blessed man with innumerable qualities but has also provided man with a conscience. If any human being happens to err, commit a sin and does not want to admit his mistake, folly or sin in front of another human-being it will be his conscience which will definitely prick him for his wrongdoings. Let us take the example of a person who commits excesses on another person without any valid reason but just for a show of strength, this person is actually a subject of moral weakness rather than strength because he is devoid of the moral strength to admit the profligacy committed. This confession will badly hurt his ego but it will be the voice of this conscience which will time & again prick him for his uncalled for behaviour. The fact of the matter is that admission of ones guilt lightens the burden of the heart, broadens the horizon of the minds eye and especially if the admission of guilt is a whole hearted confession he not only saves himself from the torture of the pricking conscience but he will be in a position to see and follow the right path in the times to come or will be in a position to decipher the right path for himself in the future.

 

The so called religious leaders label the MQM as secular and atheist but the factual position is that the mission, aim and manifesto of the MQM is based on the Quranic injunctions and the teaching of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). It is but my Endeavour to read the Holy Quran with careful intellectual understanding and convey the intellectual research work to the members of the MQM. In this regard I hopefully pray that my companions have the same intellectual reciprocity to receive my message in its complete depth & totality. The so-called mullahs very vocally wail day in and day out that the west is incorrect, bad and evil. Whereas it is the westerners who constituted organized teams to do research work to understand the wisdom & philosophy of the verses of the Holy Quran which enabled them to explore the hidden bounties in the world (i.e. the earth and the skies above) & they reaped its wealth to be used for the benefit of mankind. The nations which qualified themselves to find the hidden natural resources are now in the category of powerful nations. Allah has revealed the Holy Quran and its messages with indications of the hidden bounties for the benefit of all mankind. Will blaming & cursing the west and non admittance of our lapses and non rectification place us in the ranks of strong powerful nations?

 

The clear inscription of Allah as revealed in the Holy Quran states “And hold fast, all together, by the Rope Which God (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves”[1] but the so-called religious leaders are creating a divide & strained relations within the ranks of the innocent masses by way of interpreting different schools of thought, the jurisprudence and the beliefs (or classifications) such that the Shiites, Sunnis, Baralvies, Wahabis and the followers of Hadith are being pitted one against the other, one sect labeling the other sect as non believers. One may be a follower of a certain school of thought or a certain sect and may worship in any form, the reality lies in the fact that all sects & factions are the believers of one Allah, the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the Holy Quran and each sect according to their beliefs bows in front of (or worships) the Allah Almighty alone. Attacking anyone’s place of worship because of the differences in the school of thought or interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence is blatantly defying the injunctions of Allah & the teachings of his Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) where as bridging the gap in the Islamic factions is actually in conformity with the teachings of Allah and his Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

 

 

THE SELF: Allah has blessed mankind with the Holy Quran which is a complete code of conduct for all times to come. The requirement now lies in reflecting and pondering on the philosophy of its verses which hold the hidden secrets of nature. A verse from the opening chapter, i.e. Sura-e-Fatiha of the Holy Quran states a prayer asking Allah to “Guide us or show us the right way or path”[2]; if we reflect on the objective pronoun ‘Us’ it clearly means mankind, thus meaning “guide us, i.e. mankind, on the straight or right path”. Allah has clearly shown man the right path to lead his life and has instructed, do not lie, do not steel, do not betray the trust of those who have entrusted you, then why do we still have to supplicate that may Allah show us the path of those on whom “Thou hast bestowed Thy graces?” The camouflaged philosophy of this specific verse lies in the fact that Allah has created a ‘SELF’ in man. Where there is ‘SELF’ there is life, where there is life there is a living being and a soul. When a person stops living we say that the person is dead instead of saying that the soul has departed from the being. As long as the soul stays in the person he is alive and it is this harmony of the being & soul which we term as ‘SELF’, where there is life the aspiration for the fulfilment of necessities exist, i.e. where ever there is life there is the self and aspirations exist and these aspirations can be both of negative and positive natures.

 

We can quote the example of a person who owns a 21” T.V. and cannot afford to buy a larger T.V. than a 21”, but the family members insist that they must have a 40” T.V. because the neighbours possess one or he may have a notion that somebody taunted at him for being poor and thus being unable to own one that size. If such a person despite the non-availability of financial resources subjects himself to his egoistic pressure of having to buy a larger screened T.V.; then this person will either take a loan or use some unfair means to acquire the money for the fulfilment of his desire or aspiration. In case he takes a loan he will be obliged to return the loan and in case of delayed loan payment he will embitter his relationship with the person he is indebted to and this may even lead to a dispute or altercation, i.e. a human being can be led astray for the fulfilment of his desire or want. Whosoever is led astray is subjected to the wrath of Allah & whosoever abstains from being led astray is the one on whom “Allah bestows His Graces”[3]. “The right path” as has been stated by Allah in the Holy Quran, is actually the path whereby man should be contented & satisfied with the financial provisions conferred on him by Allah & strive to live within his means.

 

The dawn invitation, i.e. Azan-e-Fajr, for prayers consists of an additional call, i.e. “prayer is better than sleep”. The so-called religious mullahs never bother to enlighten the in-depth philosophy of the teachings of Islam. The depth of the philosophy lies in the understanding of the message, i.e. invariably it is this very hour which is chosen by thieves and dacoits to carry out their subversive activities, a time when people are in a state of optimal sleep, consequently oblivious of their surroundings even offensive attacks during wars are carried out at this time because it is this time when sleep overpowers man and thus incapacitates his mind & body. Wartime terminology for such attacks is ‘Dawn Attack’. The essence of the additional call also conveys to man that when he is asleep the self wishes to stay in that state of sleep or may be to offer belated prayers. However, the Allah Almighty states that the offering of in time prayer is better than the state of sleep. How does it benefit Allah, if man awakens from slumber, offers prayers breathes in fresh air and feels invigorated to go to work? Who bears the brunt in the case of adherence to the negative desire of the SELF by not awakening and not being in time for work?   

 

 

SELFISHNESS: (Egocentric) “NAFS PARASTI”: Being egocentric is a negative trait; it simply means to satisfy ones negative (selfish) desires and lead a systematically selfish life.

 

ABSTINENCE: (Self-denial) “NAFS KASHI”: As has been stated before that where there is a ‘being’, soul and life, wants exist; these wants can both be lawful and unlawful, you must have often heard or read about self denial or abstinence. The controlling of unlawful desires which help man lead a sinful life is termed as abstinence or self-denial. Those who are virtuous or pious are the ones who abstain or exercise self-denial. 

 

For example a male commuter on a bus-stop near a girl’s school or college who happens to lay eyes on a beautiful girl and has the urge to befriend her because he is fully convinced that the girl is attracted towards him.  Soon, arises food for thought and he thinks of ways & means to communicate with the girl or hand over a love letter to her. On the other hand his own sister comes home complaining that a certain guy is following her from school and is making attempts to communicate with her and is trying to deliver a letter to her. It is now that his emotions rage in anger and he is prepared to pick-up a fight with the guy. Thus, clearly indicating that what was considered lawful for his own self becomes unlawful for the other person and it is the controlling of his former desires which can now be termed as self-denial. In the same way a man may have found some money on the road and this booty may also contain the address of the person to whom it belongs. The righteous path would be to abstain and return that money to the rightful owner. Citing yet another example a person happens to raise his voice before his parents or a teacher without even registering his mistake and this disrespectful attitude is brought to his notice, he accepts his fault and apologizes; this very act of apology is a clear indication of the fact that he has denied himself the satisfaction of his egoistic desire and has now chosen the right and positive path for himself.

 

‘EVIL GENIUS OR INORDINATE APPETITE “NAFS-E-AMMARA”: Inordinate appetite: The instinct which drives man to commit evil deeds is called ‘Nafs-e-Ammara’ or the ‘Evil Genius’. The cultivation of ones negative traits & desires such as lying, stealing, arriving late to office, dishonesty in the trust laid in him becomes subservient to the satisfaction of his (immoderate/inordinate) desires or (appetite) or (is a prey to his inordinate desires). For all practical purposes we can talk about a man who does not want to disturb his sleep even though he has to attend to innumerable chores, but is overcome by the desire to sleep longer and postpone his chores to the next day simply for the fulfilment of his negative desire or may be it was time for him to go to office but he chooses to neglect his duty and occupies himself in unnecessary activities. He thinks that on reaching late to office he can make the excuse that his mother or some other family member suddenly fell ill; such an attitude is also classified as “inordinate appetite”

 

CONSCIENCE OR ACCUSING SELF “NAFS-E-LAWAMA

CONSCIENCE: Ones accusing self or conscience can be so defined that if a person errs or commits a sinful act his conscience will impeach/censure him and the offender/sinne/transgressor is ashamed and regretful or remorseful for his wrongdoing or abhorrent/repulsive behaviour then such a person can be termed as having a ‘Conscience’ or an ‘accusing self’. Any human being who feels the strain/pressure of having erred sinned or of negligence and makes a whole hearted emendation can now doubtlessly be ranked as a person whose, egocentric conduct has been conquered by his conscience and this alone is  the right or straight path.

 

PSYCHOLOGY: From the word ‘NAFS’, i.e. the ‘conscience self’ or ‘psyche’, originates the word ‘Nafsiyat’ which is ‘psychology’ and we frequently hear or read about it. The term ‘psychology’ can be understood as being able to know about the process of the minds self, the learning of what lies in the sub-conscience and conscience mind. Psychology as a subject is defined as ‘The scientific study of all forms of human and animal behaviour’.  Psychology has given birth to the expression ‘psycho-path’ which is its component and defines it as a person  afflicted with a personality disorder’ i.e. a person with a disorderly or unruly behaviour.

 

For instance a person could be in the habit of misbehaving, speaking loudly so much so that he conducts himself in an ill-bred manner with everybody and is not even aware of it. If such a person is told that the sun has risen he is fully capable of responding that it is not the sun but the moon, that you are mad and can’t see right. A person with personality disorder may also litter the chair he sits in or his bed with all sorts of paper whether it be in office or at home, upheaval in his room with a sordid bed sheet, unkempt unshaved face and is least concerned about his hygiene & health and all these idiosyncrasies are easily cognizable or discernable.

 

A dignified citizen who is a member of a civilized society can be identified by his worthy communication and courteous behaviour because he abstains from foul and offensive language. If any associate of the movement suffers from a personality disorder he will not only misbehave with his colleagues but will initiate his communication by using foul & discourteous language, irrespective of the fact that he belongs to a civilized society still chooses to be egregious. An ill-bred human being who is a prey of a ‘personality disorder’ will also show a negative trait of being a social antagonist and will not even deter from carrying out violent activities; he is devoid of repentance. “It is crystal clear that ‘a person afflicted with a personality disorder characterized by a tendency to commit anti-social behaviour and sometimes violent acts and failure to feel guilty for such acts.” Any person with a disorderly or disarrayed behaviour will not only be a social antagonist because of his personality disorder but also a psycho-path. Such psychopaths have cannot be accommodated in any visionary movement.

 

Concluding the entire discourse - the onus on each member of the organization lies in the accountability of his own conscience and reflection where necessary. It is for those of us who are striving so hard for the betterment of our society that it is not only essential but of paramount importance that individuals who are associated with the Movement have disciplined & orderly personalities. The absence of organizational discipline is the aftermath of not holding systematic sessions of study groups for the organizers of the movement which result in the enhancement of human weaknesses, such that the these companions become oblivious to the requirements of the struggle which is for the welfare & betterment of our future generations. Instead they involve themselves or follow the road for gains & benefits for themselves and their families. When the visionary approach recedes or ebbs and the selfish approach overpowers them, then the entire behavioural pattern of thought and action, i.e. social activities, eating drinking habits and the process of thought, invariably revolves around their selves alone. The above mentioned behavioural pattern not only makes an individual insensitive to the pain and suffering of his fellow beings, but he also distances himself from his visionary mission. Apparently an individual may be a member of the movement but for all practical purposes he is an absentee. When this individual promotes his selfish behaviour then he is instrumental in the destruction of the discipline of the organization all values which govern his behaviour, etiquette, culture, organizational & domestic worthiness are wiped off and the individual is restricted to his own being alone, i.e. I, me & myself.

 

It was in the year 1978 when I was a student of the University of Karachi that I founded the students’ wing of this organization. During that period that the terrorists of the Jamat-e-Islami also known as ‘Thunder Squad’ never missed any opportunity to grossly misbehave with me, used abusive language and even tried to grapple physically, but I never ever misbehaved or reciprocated in the same brazen manner. Afresh lie the memories of those days and I still see myself standing in the University of Karachi and the armed rouges of the Jamat-e-Islami students wing performing ‘the BHANGRA’ (a group dance) around me, making lewd gestures and cursing me while I would be smiling and thinking how ignorant they happen to be. On the one hand armed roughs dancing with such pride and arrogance and on the other a dismal poor loner Altaf Hussain watching and thinking had I, Altaf Hussain matched the number of these armed rouges around me then their behaviour would at least seem befitting to me; even at times like this I did not run out of patience I exercised it and my constant advice to the members of my organization is and has been never to run out of patience but to exercise total restraint. The giving of this advice to the members of my organization on June 19, 1992, fills me with great pleasure as they did concede it. When the operation against the MQM was carried out by the then government the petty minded unscrupulous elements made my photographs the victim of profanity, even at this point the companions of my movement behaved with utmost patience and forbearance. Lo! Their sighs reached ALLAH and those who had so behaved were debased, disgraced and dishonoured in this very world.

 

The purpose of the entire oration is to convey to you that ethics or righteousness, affection, love and truth are the strongest weapons of mankind. If an honest effort from the bottom of the heart is made to understand anyone then the process gives rise to selflessness, sacrifice, affection and love which are stronger than the mightiest of the atom bomb. The might of the atom bomb kills mankind but does not win their hearts. The members of the movement are required not only to propagate this message of the movement but are also required to bear in mind the training imparted by the movement to cultivate civilized, courteous ways of communication, behave respectfully and with esteem towards teachers, parents, females and elderly. The children must be dealt with affectionately and each one of you must necessarily reflect on your individual conducts for the purpose of self-accountability thus making utmost and maximal effort to rectify and remove your human weaknesses. 

 



[1] Para.4. Sura-Aale Imran, Aayat No.103.

[2] Para.1. Sura-1, Aayat No.6.

[3] Para.1. Sura-1, Aayat No.7.
 

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