LETTER 83: CURBING THE LOWER SOUL

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate!

Brother Shamsuddin, God grant you a high position among the pious! Man's nature is refractory. It is a mixture of bad qualities and unbecoming behavior. It has come down to us in verses of the Quran and in Tradition that, when the effects of bad behavior, which are the fruit of the domination of the lower soul, gain the ascendance over the states of a man, he falls into much loss and disappointment. He remains far from the light of faith and at a distance from the divine threshold, for the lower soul is the enemy of the heart, and the opponent of the faith. It is always preoccupied with its own advantage. Never is it inclined to follow the Law. The calamity of the lower soul strikes more lethally and swiftly than an infidel, and more frequently than the deception of Satan and his cunning, for a man's soul is inside his own shirt! Hence it has been said that the worst enemies and the most difficult calamities are those of the lower soul. Similarly, it is extremely difficult to treat it. This is all the more true since it is an internal enemy. Look what effort is required to drive out a thief who lives in the house itself. Moreover, this enemy is loved by man, and man has become blind to the faults of his own beloved: He considers anything wicked in his lower soul to be praiseworthy. Since such is the state of affairs, it does not take long for man's lower soul to hurl him into disgrace and destruction, and yet he is completely unaware of what is transpiring. O brother, if you consider the matter closely, the root of all the discord, infamy, baseness, destruction, sin, and calamity with which mankind is afflicted, from the very origin of creation till the Day of Resurrection, is the lower soul. Whoever falls into calamity does so because of what his animal soul does, either by itself, or in association with others. Until the Day of Resurrection, you will not find among the people any discord, wickedness, infamy, or sin that does not owe its origin to man's lower soul and its inordinate desires. If it were not so, then everybody would be living happily and peacefully, Since it is the enemy of this Path, it is necessary for an intelligent man to rouse himself from its clutches. It is not possible for anyone to do this all of a sudden, as one could deal with other enemies, because it is the very mount and instrument of the seeker. It is difficult to lay it aside suddenly on account of the harm that would result. Here it is necessary for a disciple to follow the middle way. This means that the animal soul should be looked after and nourished as much as is needed to enable it to do its work, while it should be weakened and kept in check to the extent needed to prevent it from transgressing your commands. Whatever does not conform to this rule is wrong.

In a Tradition it is related that the Chosen One saw Masud, who had tormented his lower soul with such excessive austerities that he did not have strength even to move his hands or feet. When the Lord of the world saw his condition, he was displeased and said: O Abdullah, your animal soul too has some rights over you! If you intend to destroy it, you will be caught and fall into sin. It has been indicated that the subduing of one's lower soul must be undertaken in an intelligent manner, lest it be destroyed or gain ascendancy over a person, or become refractory. To what extent should I keep it under control? One has to adopt a strategy in the matter. First, one has to make it docile enough to bridle it. Those skilled in this matter enumerate three means by which the animal soul can be tamed. One is to keep it away from all lustful desires and pleasures, just as unruly cattle become docile once they are deprived of fodder. A religious scholar has said that the wickedness, ignorance, and rebelliousness of the animal soul is such that when it wishes to sin and gains a free rein then, even if you have the Apostle himself as intercessor before God, together with all the other prophets and sacred books and all former pious people, and remind it of death, the grave, judgment, paradise, and hell, still in no way would it stop, nor would it abandon that sin! When, however, you stop merely lamenting and restrain it, it is checked. The second is to place a heavy load of devotion upon it: Just as an ass, when it has a heavy load upon its back, becomes docile, so too will the lower soul, especially when its fodder has also been reduced. The third is to beg for help from Almighty God, and fly to Him for protection, otherwise, there is no escape from its wickedness. When you show some accomplishment in using these three approaches, your animal soul will change from revolting against you to being obedient to you. While it is in this state, hurry up and put the bridle of Godly fear upon its head, and you will gain peace from its wickedness. If you say, What is this 'Godly fear, so that I might utilize it to curb my lower soul? realize that it is an immense treasure and a vast grant of land wherein are gathered all the things from this world and the next. Something really special has been put here, and it is Godly fear.

Qatadah said: In the Torah it has been written: 'O sons of Adam, fear God, and sleep peacefully wherever you wish! This quality applies to all good things, and suffices for all matters of importance. It will carry a servant to every possible rank and favor. It is such an indispensable foundation that no one can be a disciple with- out it. For the present, know that in the Quranic commentary of Imam Zahid it is mentioned that Godly fear is of two kinds: one the root, and the other its branch. The root is abstinence from infidelity by accepting the faith, its branch means abstinence from sin by the practice of submission. The sheikhs have said that there are three stages in Godly fear. The first is a fear of associating anything with God, the next is a fear of heresy, while the third is a fear of sin.

Godly fear implies abstinence from everything that you fear might be harmful to your faith. Do you not see that a sick person who abstains is called abstemious, for he abstains from all that harms him, whether it be food, drink, or fruits and so on? Two things, as far as faith is concerned, have to be feared, on account of the damage they can do. One is what is simply forbidden and sinful, while the other is an overabundance of lawful things, for it frequently happens that an overabundance of lawful things draws a man to what is forbidden and sinful. Everyone who wants to remain free from any damage to his faith simply abstains from what is unlawful and sinful, and protects himself from an overabundance of lawful things. Mature and complete fear of God implies abstinence from all that would harm the faith-in other words, both sin and an overabundance of lawful things

There is no room for negligence in this task, for opportunity is itself like gratuitous booty. It is also possible that you may seek but not find! Jesus said: The world consists of three days. The first is the day that has passed-you can expect nothing from it now! As for tomorrow, you do not even know if you will survive until it comes. You are now in the third day-do not expect anything more than that!

Abu Zarr said that there are no more than three hours in the world: the one that has passed, from which nothing can, be expected, the coming hour-but will you see it? The third hour is the one in which you are living. So your life is but an hour! A renowned investigator of Truth said that the world consists of three breaths: the irredeemable past, the uncertain future, and the one you are now drawing!

You are not the master of a single day, hour, or breath! It is fitting to expend this breath in repentance and submission. Do not be anxious about your support. Perhaps you will be dead and buried by the time real need arises. It would be ruinous if a man were to fret over what was happening any particular day or hour when he was destined to die at his next breath.

Remember also what the Apostle said concerning Usamah: Usamah has too much hope, for he delayed for a whole month in buying a slave girl. By God, when I have completed one step, I am uncertain whether I shall take another or not! I do not even know if I shall swallow the morsel I have picked up! A disciple should show himself to be assiduous in reflecting, night and day, over what his happened. Certainly his hope will become more sober! He will see his own animal soul and swiftly submit, repent, treat the world with indifference, and become wholly occupied with getting ready for death.

Peace!

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate!

Brother Shamsuddin, God grant you a high position among the pious! Man's nature is refractory. It is a mixture of bad qualities and unbecoming behavior. It has come down to us in verses of the Quran and in Tradition that, when the effects of bad behavior, which are the fruit of the domination of the lower soul, gain the ascendance over the states of a man, he falls into much loss and disappointment. He remains far from the light of faith and at a distance from the divine threshold, for the lower soul is the enemy of the heart, and the opponent of the faith. It is always preoccupied with its own advantage. Never is it inclined to follow the Law. The calamity of the lower soul strikes more lethally and swiftly than an infidel, and more frequently than the deception of Satan and his cunning, for a man's soul is inside his own shirt! Hence it has been said that the worst enemies and the most difficult calamities are those of the lower soul. Similarly, it is extremely difficult to treat it. This is all the more true since it is an internal enemy. Look what effort is required to drive out a thief who lives in the house itself. Moreover, this enemy is loved by man, and man has become blind to the faults of his own beloved: He considers anything wicked in his lower soul to be praiseworthy. Since such is the state of affairs, it does not take long for man's lower soul to hurl him into disgrace and destruction, and yet he is completely unaware of what is transpiring. O brother, if you consider the matter closely, the root of all the discord, infamy, baseness, destruction, sin, and calamity with which mankind is afflicted, from the very origin of creation till the Day of Resurrection, is the lower soul. Whoever falls into calamity does so because of what his animal soul does, either by itself, or in association with others. Until the Day of Resurrection, you will not find among the people any discord, wickedness, infamy, or sin that does not owe its origin to man's lower soul and its inordinate desires. If it were not so, then everybody would be living happily and peacefully, Since it is the enemy of this Path, it is necessary for an intelligent man to rouse himself from its clutches. It is not possible for anyone to do this all of a sudden, as one could deal with other enemies, because it is the very mount and instrument of the seeker. It is difficult to lay it aside suddenly on account of the harm that would result. Here it is necessary for a disciple to follow the middle way. This means that the animal soul should be looked after and nourished as much as is needed to enable it to do its work, while it should be weakened and kept in check to the extent needed to prevent it from transgressing your commands. Whatever does not conform to this rule is wrong.

In a Tradition it is related that the Chosen One saw Masud, who had tormented his lower soul with such excessive austerities that he did not have strength even to move his hands or feet. When the Lord of the world saw his condition, he was displeased and said: O Abdullah, your animal soul too has some rights over you! If you intend to destroy it, you will be caught and fall into sin. It has been indicated that the subduing of one's lower soul must be undertaken in an intelligent manner, lest it be destroyed or gain ascendancy over a person, or become refractory. To what extent should I keep it under control? One has to adopt a strategy in the matter. First, one has to make it docile enough to bridle it. Those skilled in this matter enumerate three means by which the animal soul can be tamed. One is to keep it away from all lustful desires and pleasures, just as unruly cattle become docile once they are deprived of fodder. A religious scholar has said that the wickedness, ignorance, and rebelliousness of the animal soul is such that when it wishes to sin and gains a free rein then, even if you have the Apostle himself as intercessor before God, together with all the other prophets and sacred books and all former pious people, and remind it of death, the grave, judgment, paradise, and hell, still in no way would it stop, nor would it abandon that sin! When, however, you stop merely lamenting and restrain it, it is checked. The second is to place a heavy load of devotion upon it: Just as an ass, when it has a heavy load upon its back, becomes docile, so too will the lower soul, especially when its fodder has also been reduced. The third is to beg for help from Almighty God, and fly to Him for protection, otherwise, there is no escape from its wickedness. When you show some accomplishment in using these three approaches, your animal soul will change from revolting against you to being obedient to you. While it is in this state, hurry up and put the bridle of Godly fear upon its head, and you will gain peace from its wickedness. If you say, What is this 'Godly fear, so that I might utilize it to curb my lower soul? realize that it is an immense treasure and a vast grant of land wherein are gathered all the things from this world and the next. Something really special has been put here, and it is Godly fear.

Qatadah said: In the Torah it has been written: 'O sons of Adam, fear God, and sleep peacefully wherever you wish! This quality applies to all good things, and suffices for all matters of importance. It will carry a servant to every possible rank and favor. It is such an indispensable foundation that no one can be a disciple with- out it. For the present, know that in the Quranic commentary of Imam Zahid it is mentioned that Godly fear is of two kinds: one the root, and the other its branch. The root is abstinence from infidelity by accepting the faith, its branch means abstinence from sin by the practice of submission. The sheikhs have said that there are three stages in Godly fear. The first is a fear of associating anything with God, the next is a fear of heresy, while the third is a fear of sin.

Godly fear implies abstinence from everything that you fear might be harmful to your faith. Do you not see that a sick person who abstains is called abstemious, for he abstains from all that harms him, whether it be food, drink, or fruits and so on? Two things, as far as faith is concerned, have to be feared, on account of the damage they can do. One is what is simply forbidden and sinful, while the other is an overabundance of lawful things, for it frequently happens that an overabundance of lawful things draws a man to what is forbidden and sinful. Everyone who wants to remain free from any damage to his faith simply abstains from what is unlawful and sinful, and protects himself from an overabundance of lawful things. Mature and complete fear of God implies abstinence from all that would harm the faith-in other words, both sin and an overabundance of lawful things

There is no room for negligence in this task, for opportunity is itself like gratuitous booty. It is also possible that you may seek but not find! Jesus said: The world consists of three days. The first is the day that has passed-you can expect nothing from it now! As for tomorrow, you do not even know if you will survive until it comes. You are now in the third day-do not expect anything more than that!

Abu Zarr said that there are no more than three hours in the world: the one that has passed, from which nothing can, be expected, the coming hour-but will you see it? The third hour is the one in which you are living. So your life is but an hour! A renowned investigator of Truth said that the world consists of three breaths: the irredeemable past, the uncertain future, and the one you are now drawing!

You are not the master of a single day, hour, or breath! It is fitting to expend this breath in repentance and submission. Do not be anxious about your support. Perhaps you will be dead and buried by the time real need arises. It would be ruinous if a man were to fret over what was happening any particular day or hour when he was destined to die at his next breath.

Remember also what the Apostle said concerning Usamah: Usamah has too much hope, for he delayed for a whole month in buying a slave girl. By God, when I have completed one step, I am uncertain whether I shall take another or not! I do not even know if I shall swallow the morsel I have picked up! A disciple should show himself to be assiduous in reflecting, night and day, over what his happened. Certainly his hope will become more sober! He will see his own animal soul and swiftly submit, repent, treat the world with indifference, and become wholly occupied with getting ready for death.

Peace!