Nafs al-Ammarah

The Nafs al-Ammarah is a term of Arabic origin 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 the 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 the Nafs al-Ammarah, but this situation continues unless the person disciplines their nafs. A person can escape from this state of self by passing through various stages of spiritual journey (suluk). Escaping from the Nafs al-Ammarah enables a person to mature morally and spiritually and to develop spiritually.