Winning the War Within
Chapter 3: The Untamed Self — Sickens & Kills The Heart while Empowering Shayṭān
Islamic Spirituality
Self-Discipline
Inner Struggle
The Qur'anic Call to Restrain the Self
"But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts — Verily, Paradise will be his abode." (Qur'an 79:40–41)
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) clarifies: one is not punished for merely having desires, but for following and acting upon them. If the self has desires and one restrains it, that very act of restraint is an act of worship to Allah and a righteous deed.
Allah also says: "He has succeeded who purifies it (the self), and indeed he fails who corrupts it." (Qur'an 91:9–10). The path to success is inseparable from the purification of the inner self.
The True Mujāhid: Struggling Against the Self
The Prophet's Definition
"The mujāhid is the one who struggles against his own self for the sake of Allah." — Reported by Faḍālah b. 'Ubayd
True Strength
"Indeed, the strong one is not the one who overcomes others, but the strong one is the one who overcomes his self." — Reported by Abū Hurayrah
Al-Ajurrī's Guidance (d. 360 AH)
You struggle with the self until you commit to performing the obligations of Allah and abstain from His disobedience. The self deserves to be hated for the sake of Allah — and whoever hates his self for Allah's sake, it is hoped Allah will keep him safe from His hatred.
Al-Māwardī (d. 450 AH) adds: "If your soul disobeys you in what it dislikes, then do not obey it in what it likes." One must take control of the soul, knowing its inclinations, rectifying its distortions, and guarding against deviance caused by heedlessness or negligence.
The Prophetic Supplication Against the Self
The Prophet ﷺ taught Ḥuṣayn b. 'Ubayd — both before and after his embrace of Islam — a comprehensive supplication that acknowledges the soul's danger:
"O Allah, protect me from the evils of my self, and guide me to the best of my affairs. O Allah, forgive what I have concealed and what I have declared, what I have done in error and what I have done deliberately, what I know and what I am ignorant of."
Notably, the Prophet ﷺ gave the same core supplication — "O Allah, protect me from the evils of my self" — to this man both before and after he accepted Islam, indicating that the danger of the untamed self is universal and lifelong.
All Heart Disease Originates from the Self
Imām Ibn al-Qayyim explains the root of spiritual sickness:
"Indeed, all of the heart's diseases originate from the self. All corrupt substances are poured to the self, and then they emerge from it to the body parts, and the first part that they reach is the heart."
Two Categories of People
- Those overcome by their self — dominated, destroyed, willingly following its commands
- Those who overcome their self — dominating it, with the soul obeying their commands
The Scholar's Summary
"The journey of the seekers ends when they overcome their souls. Whoever overcomes his soul is successful and prosperous, and whoever is overcome by his soul is a loser and perishes."
The soul calls to transgression and preferring this world. The Lord calls to fear of Him and restraining the soul. The heart is between these two callers — this is the place of trial.
Two Treatments for the Diseased Heart
Ibn al-Qayyim states: "The purpose here is to mention the treatment of heart disease when the insistent self takes control over it, and there are two treatments: holding it accountable and opposing it." Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597 AH) adds that the struggle against the self is greater than the struggle against enemies — because the soul is beloved, and what it calls for is beloved. Opposing what one loves is the hardest of struggles.
The Self: A Vessel to Either Paradise or Hell
"The self is the servant's mount on which he travels to Paradise or Hell, and patience for it is like the harness and the rein for the mount. If the mount does not have a harness or rein, it will stray in every direction." — Ibn al-Qayyim
Strength of Advancing
Direct this force toward what benefits you — acts of obedience and worship.
Strength of Withholding
Use this force to restrain yourself from what harms you — forbidden desires and sins.
The Best of People
Those most patient in both types — enduring the hardship of obedience and resisting forbidden desires.
Ibn al-Qayyim notes: "Patience is the steadiness of the drive of reason and religion in the face of the drive of one's lust and nature. The war is ongoing between them, and the battlefield of this war is the servant's heart."
"Do Not Leave Me to My Self for a Moment!"
Ibn al-Qayyim explains that tawfīq (divine guidance to success) means Allah does not leave you to your own devices, while khidhlān (divine forsaking) is when He leaves you alone with your self. The servant oscillates between both — sometimes in the same hour.
"O the Living, the Sustainer, O Originator of the heavens and the earth, O Possessor of majesty and honor — there is no deity except You. I seek refuge in Your mercy. Fix all my affairs, and do not leave me to myself for the blink of an eye, nor to any of Your creatures."
Ibn al-Qayyim: "If He neglects the servant for the blink of an eye, his throne will collapse and the sky of his faith will fall to the earth." Tawfīq is solely Allah's action — He enables the servant to love what pleases Him and hate what displeases Him. As Allah says: "But Allah has endeared the Faith to you, and has beautified it in your hearts." (49:7)
Shayṭān Preys on the Untamed Self
Iblīs Identified the Weakness
Anas b. Mālik reported the Prophet ﷺ said: "When Allah created Adam in Paradise, Iblīs circulated around him. When he saw that Adam was hollow, he said: 'I have mastered him — a creation that cannot control itself.'"
Despite identifying this vulnerability before Adam even had a soul, Allah granted Iblīs no authority over the children of Adam except in proportion to the authority they themselves cede to him.
The Shepherd and the Wolf
Ibn al-Qayyim uses a powerful parable: Shayṭān is the wolf of the human being. Allah has not given this cursed wolf authority over the weak sheep. But if the sheep willingly runs toward the wolf, leaves the shepherd's protection, and enters the wolf's territory — the blame falls entirely on the sheep.
"How else could it be when the shepherd has warned, frightened, admonished, and showed it the demise of other sheep who separated from the shepherd?"
Shayṭān Has No Authority Over the True Believer
"Indeed, He has no authority over those who have believed and rely upon their Lord." (Qur'an 16:99)
No Authority Over the Sincere
Shayṭān himself acknowledged: "By Your might, I will surely mislead them all — except Your chosen servants." He knew that whoever holds fast to Allah, sincerely worships Him, and relies upon Him cannot be seduced.
Authority Over Those Who Follow Him
His authority is only over those who take him as an ally. They are the ones who aided against their own selves — they gave themselves willingly, so he was unleashed upon them as a punishment.
The Key: Tawḥīd & Tawakkul
Monotheism, reliance on Allah, and sincerity prevent his authority. Shirk and its branches necessitate his authority. Whoever finds goodness, let them thank Allah; whoever finds otherwise, let them blame none but themselves.
Shayṭān's Three Points of Attack
Ibn al-Qayyim explains: "The enemy's point of entry upon the servant is from these three doors. Even if the servant takes precautions, he is inevitably prone to negligence, desires, and anger." Even Adam — the most forbearing and rational of creation — was persistently targeted until he fell. What then of those whose forbearance is like a butterfly and whose intellect compared to Adam's is like a droplet in the sea?
Ibn al-Qayyim adds a fourth avenue: involvement in matters that do not concern one. Excess and extravagance also open the door — giving the self more than it needs of food, sleep, pleasure, or comfort creates the surplus that Shayṭān exploits.
Three Types of Hearts
Ibn al-Qayyim illustrates with three houses: the king's house (guarded, impossible to rob), the servant's house (targeted by the thief), and the empty house (nothing to steal). Ibn Abbas said of the empty heart: "What would the devil do with a ruined heart?!" The believer's heart — filled with tawḥīd, love, and knowledge — is the king's house. Shayṭān can only snatch from it in rare moments of carelessness.
The Strong Believer Wears Out His Shayṭān
"Indeed, the believer exhausts his Shayṭān, just as one of you exhausts his camel during a journey." — The Prophet ﷺ (reported by Abū Hurayrah)
Al-Munāwī (d. 1031 AH) explains: the believer continuously humiliates Shayṭān, making him a captive under subjugation. Whoever honors Allah's authority in the heart, Allah empowers them over their enemy. When Shayṭān approaches the believer's heart, the believer restrains him through knowledge of his Lord; when Shayṭān approaches through passions, the believer defends through the remembrance of Allah.
The Believer's Shayṭān
Tormented, exhausted, standing off to the side like one scared away by a dog's bark — due to the believer's constant obedience and dhikr.
The Wicked Person's Shayṭān
At ease, comfortable, and therefore strong, fierce, and intense — growing more powerful with every sin.
The Inevitable Choice
Either you torment your Shayṭān in this world through dhikr and obedience — or your Shayṭān will torment you in the Hereafter with the punishment of the Fire.
Remembrance of Allah: The Greatest Weapon
Yaḥyā b. Zakariyā ﷺ commanded Banū Isrā'īl: "I command you to remember Allah, for verily its likeness is that of a man pursued by enemies who hastens until he reaches a fortified fortress and saves himself. Likewise, a servant does not save himself from Shayṭān except through the remembrance of Allah."
How Dhikr Works
Ibn al-Qayyim: "The remembrance of Allah suppresses Shayṭān, causing him pain and distress, similar to whips and maces." When one remembers Allah, the enemy retreats, diminishes, and becomes suppressed — until it becomes like a mosquito or a fly.
That is why Shayṭān is called al-waswās al-khannās — the persistent whisperer who retreats when Allah is remembered.
Gatherings of Angels vs. Devils
Ibn al-Qayyim: "The gatherings for remembrance of Allah are the gatherings of angels, and the gatherings for idle talk and negligence are the gatherings of devils. So let the servant choose what is more appealing to him — for he will be with those he aligns with, in this world and the Hereafter."
Ibn Abbas said: "Shayṭān sits upon the heart of the son of Adam, and when he becomes negligent and heedless, he whispers. But he retreats when Allah is remembered."
The Four Powers & the Nature of Devils
Angelic Power
Characterized by beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds. The highest of the four powers.
Animalistic Power
Characterized by desires such as eating, drinking, and physical pleasures.
Predatory Power
Characterized by anger — the defense against harm and perceived threats.
Demonic Power
Pure evil — neither brings benefit nor wards off harm. Devils find pleasure in evil and strife even when there is no benefit for them in it.
Ibn Taymiyyah explains: "Devils have an agenda in what Allah has forbidden of disbelief, immorality, and disobedience, and they find pleasure in evil and strife. They love this even if there is no benefit for them in it." The intelligent believer strengthens his alliance with the angelic power through obedience and constant remembrance of Allah.
Shayṭān's Six Categories of Evil
Ibn al-Qayyim: "It is impossible to enumerate all the types of his evil. However, his evil can be classified into six categories, and he continues to target the children of Adam until he achieves one or more of these." If the servant escapes all six levels, Shayṭān unleashes his troops of jinn and humans — accusing, labeling, and spreading harm. At that point, the believer clothes himself in the mantle of war and does not remove it until death.
The Morning & Evening Supplication
The Prophet ﷺ combined seeking refuge from both the self and Shayṭān in one supplication, teaching Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq to say morning, evening, and at bedtime:
"O Allah, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Lord of everything and its King — I bear witness that there is no god but You. I seek refuge in You from the evil of my soul, and from the evil of Shayṭān and his partnership, and that I commit evil against myself or drag it to a Muslim."
Ibn al-Qayyim notes: "All evil either comes from the self or from Shayṭān, and its ultimate end either falls back on the doer or on his Muslim brother." This supplication covers all four dimensions — both sources of evil and both destinations of harm.
The Path Forward: Winning the War Within
01
Fear Allah & Restrain the Self
Recognize that having desires is not punishable — but following them is. Every act of restraint is an act of worship.
02
Hold the Self Accountable (Muḥāsabah)
Know the self's inclinations, watch for deviance caused by heedlessness, and guard what is good and upright within you.
03
Oppose the Self (Mukhālafah)
Struggle against the self's commands. The self is more dangerous than an external enemy — its victory leads to destruction in both worlds.
04
Arm Yourself with Dhikr
Remembrance of Allah is the fortress. The enemy enters only through the door of heedlessness. Keep the tongue and heart engaged in Allah's remembrance.
05
Seek Allah's Tawfīq Constantly
Never rely on yourself for a single moment. Supplicate: "Do not leave me to myself for the blink of an eye." Tawfīq is entirely from Allah's grace and mercy.
"Whoever overcomes his soul is successful and prosperous, and whoever is overcome by his soul is a loser and perishes." — Ibn al-Qayyim