Nafs al-Ammarah

Nafs al-Ammarah is an Arabic-derived term that represents the most basic and negative emotions within humans. In Sufism, the term 'nafs' is considered to encompass the desires, wishes, and inclinations within a person, while Nafs al-Ammarah expresses the worst and most rebellious of these inclinations. This type of self is the source of a person's bad behaviors and rebellions. A person must receive various spiritual methods and training to cope with this self. According to Sufi thought, every person is born with Nafs al-Ammarah, but this situation continues unless the person disciplines their self. A person can escape from this state of self by passing through various stages of spiritual journey (suluk). Overcoming Nafs al-Ammarah enables a person to mature morally and spiritually and facilitates their spiritual development.