On “Nafs-e-kul” - its Position and Activity

“Nafs-e-kul” is considered second because it is second in order after Aql-e-kul. None amongst the higher or lower principles (hudud) is higher than it. It possesses the numerical position of two, while the position of one belongs to Aql-e-kul.

Just as there is no number after two, in which two would not be contained, so there is nothing , neither man or angel ( jadd, fath, khayal) whose existence would not be due to “Nafs-e-kul.

Potentially Nafs-e-kul is complete like Aql-e-kul. But in actuality nafs-e-kul is incomplete because it is derived from the Word of God (kalima) through the instrumentality of Aql-e-kul. Whatever comes into existence with the help of an intermediary cannot be of the same status as the intermediary.

It can potentially attain similarity in one aspect. Just as a son, when grown up will at some time become like his father. But it is impossible that the child should be similar to his father from the very moment it is born. For this reason, it is said that Nafs-e-kul is potentially equal to Aql-e-kul. But in actuality it is not like that.

Nafs-e-kul is produced through the mediation of Aql-e-kul and anything produced through another must be nourished by its source, Aql-e-kul so that one day, it becomes like it.

For example, human sperm which falls into the womb of the mother and being nourished, one day becomes similar to the father with the help of that nourishment which it gets from the mother, and by the strength derived from the father. Thus both parents contribute to the childs existence.

As God Almighty has said in the Holy Quran ( surah 90,verse 1-3): “I shall not swear by this city, and you are at liberty to act as you please in it, nor by the parents with his offspring&quot.

Here, “the land” or “city” symbolizes the Natik who is the city of knowledge. As the holy prophet has said “I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate “. Then God Almighty says “ You live in this city, and you are free to do as you wish, that is, free to appoint the Asas.

Then God says “And I shall not swear by the father and the offspring born from him” Here the “father” refers to Aql-e-kul whose position in the higher world (alam-e-alvi) is that of the father and by Nafs-e-kul whose position is that of the offspring.

“Nafs-e-kul” came into existence from “Aql-e-kul” and has the potentiality of one day becoming perfect. It started trying and began to derive benefit from “Aql-e-kul” It is like a child who receives nourishment in the mother's womb by the force(quwwat) which has been laid in it and it is possible that one day the sperm will become a man capable of reproduction.

That fluid always absorbs nourshment (maida) in the womb of the mother. Similarly Nafs-e-kul derives instruction and nutrition (faida wa maida) from Aql-e-kul and strives to attain perfection.

“Nafs-e-kul” is the architect of the material world, and it is Nafs-e-kul that started the movement of this world. The purpose of this activity (jumbish) which it develops is the intense desire to attain perfection.

This (perfection) is attained in the great souls( Nafsehayi Buzurgwar) who appear in this world, such as the souls of prophets (Natiq), Asases, Imams, Hujjats, Dais, Madhuns and Mustajibs.

The objective of creating this world was to produce souls in order that in them, Nafs-e-kul would one day attain the status of Aql-e-kul and become complete (perfect). The reason for doing so is that Nafs-e-kul does not have the same status as Aql-e-kul. Its desire is to become instantaneously similar to Aql-e-kul.

However, Nafs-e-kul lacks the timeless power of Aql-e-kul and has failed in completely correcting its own deficiency, But it created an entity similar to itself.

When Nafs-e-kul moved to create an entity similar to itself, its movement resulted in the appearance of “Hayula” (prototype of the world), then the form (surat) of this world came into existence through it.

Nafs-e-kul put all its perfections that belonged to it into Hayula.

Yet, it did not act instantaneously to allow the world to take its form. It shaped the world from that Hayula, laying into it the power of the souls of the knowing (wise) left in a potential state, like a human sperm, which possessess the potentiality of producing many offspring in the course of time.

It has been left incomplete, as if it were a state of possibility, one day becoming a state of reality.

Therefore, the world came into action by the power which Nafs-e-kul had put into it, in the form of Natiqs, Asases, Imams and others for the purpose of bringing those forces from potential possibilities into the state of realized realities.

As soon as the world became active in its activity, units of time (zaman), that is kalaps and yugas came into existence and the world itself became space due to the power of that motion and over time whatever Nafs-e-kul had stored in that space began to increase, and striving to be superior through its own activities. This process of creation from creation is continuous and increasing. Everything in the world is subject to this principle and nothing can escape it.

Great souls (nafs-ha-y-i-buzurgwar) are produced from it and one day they will overcome that defect of Nafs-e-kul. When that defect has been rectified, Nafs-e-kul will become similar to Aql-e-kul, thus attaining what it had aimed for, from the beginning.

However, the real difference between what Aql-e-kul has done and what Nafs-e-kul is doing is that Aql-e-kul has produced it outside of time and Nafs-e-kul can only achieve what it does, within the limits of time.

That is why we have said that Aql-e-kul is moving by offering thanks to God, while it is static or at peace in so far as it is self-sufficient ( beniyaz).

Similarly, Nafs-e-kul which came into existence from Aql-e-kul acquired both, movement and quiescent (stillness). Its movements (jumbish) actually started by its attempt to attain its own perfection, while its stillness lies in its connection to Aql-e-kul from which it draws benefit.

In the world created by Nafs-e-kul, both activity (jumbish) and quiescence (stillness) exist.

The earth (matter) is quiescent while the skies (planets etc) are in motion . No material body (jism) is free from either of these two states.

The function of Nafs-e-kul is two fold . One is potential perfection and the other imperfect in realization. Just as the creation of the world is potentially perfect but gradually comes into existence. It is like the human race. Individual beings are born and die while mankind (humanity) is spread all over the world and the world is the entire human creation.

The work (faal) of Nafs-e-kul continues until potential perfection becomes actual realization (ba faal hami aamd).

But on the other hand, Nafs-e-kul is perfect in its function both potentially and actually, as in the case of production of souls of Natiqs, Asases,and Imams who are the only real men (marduman-i-haqiqat), by the nature of their souls whose souls resemble Akl-e-kul.

The prophet (s.a.w.) said “ Do not debase your faces because God has created Adam after His own image, and breathed into him the growing force (namiya) from his spirit."

Therefore, you should know that the divine image (surat) is Nafs-e-kul.

And the divine spirit (Aql-e-kul )is the word (kalima).

And Adam,by the command of God, is the Natiq of his time.

In every period,by its own power, Adam manifests itself in different physical forms as the image of Nafs-e-kul while the “word of God” (kalima)(Aql-e-kul) is the spirit within it.

As God says in the Quran (surah 21:91) regarding the story of Hazrat Mariam (peace be upon her) “And remember her, Mary (daughter of Imran), who guarded her sexual organs. And we breathed into her our spirit.”

This means that Mariam did not turn her ear to the devils (iblisan) speeches.

This is because the sexual organ is like the ear and the ear symbolizes the sexual organ because through it comes the corporeal form-(surat-i-jismani), and through the ear the mental idea (form). (surat-i-nafsani).

‘she guarded her sexual organs” means she did not turn her ear (listen) to those who only taught the zaher (formal) side of religion disregarding the esoteric interpretation (tawil).

"And We, in the Word (kalima) have given her the fate of bringing up Hazrat Issa (Jesus), (peace be upon him), until he becomes prophet( Payghambar )."

In the hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) , when he says “Do not disgrace your faces”, he meant “Do not take your spiritual guides, Imams from amongst the enemies of the True Family (khandan-i-haqq) as doing so will make the images of your souls as horrid as the face of devils.“

The tawil of the “face” is the Imam, because the momin is recognized by his imam.

As Allah says in the Quran (surah 17:73) “The day when we will call all men by the name of their imam”

May Almighty God keep us steadfast in obedience to the imams and may he call us by His name on that day, by his generosity and mercy.

Ya Ali Madad.