الْفَصْلُ الثَّانِي فِي التَّحْذِيرِ مِنْ هَوَى النَّفْسِ
Chapter Two: Warnings about the Caprices of the Ego
A masterclass in spiritual purification and ascetic introspection. Al-Busiri warns against the deceitful desires of the lower self (Nafs), comparing the ego to an unweaned infant that craves base pleasures unless firmly disciplined with knowledge, fasting, and adherence to the Sunnah.
Chapter Two: Warnings about the Caprices of the Ego
الْفَصْلُ الثَّانِي فِي التَّحْذِيرِ مِنْ هَوَى النَّفْسِ
Theme & Spiritual Context • Disciplining the Ego (Nafs)
A masterclass in spiritual purification and ascetic introspection. Al-Busiri warns against the deceitful desires of the lower self (Nafs), comparing the ego to an unweaned infant that craves base pleasures unless firmly disciplined with knowledge, fasting, and adherence to the Sunnah.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
“Mawlāya ṣalli wa sallim dā'iman abadā 'Alā ḥabībika khayril khalqi kullihimi”
O my Master! Send blessings and peace continually and eternally Upon Your Beloved, the best of all creation.
The sacred refrain traditionally chanted between verses across the Muslim world.
فَإِنَّ أَمَّارَتيِ بِالسُّوءِ مَا اتَّعَظَتْ مِنْ جَهْلِهَا بِنَذِيرِ الشَّيْبِ وَالهَرَمِ
Transliteration
Fa inna ammāratī bis sūʾi mat taʿaẓat Min jahlihā bi nadhīrish shaybi wal harami
English Meaning
Because of its ignorance, my ill-commanding ego has paid no heed To the warner of grey hair and approaching old age;
وَلاَ أَعَدَّتْ مِنَ الفِعْلِ الجَمِيلِ قِرَى ضَيْفٍ أَلَمَّ بِرَأْسِي غَيْرَ مُحْتَشِمِ
Transliteration
Wa lā aʿaddat minal fiʿlil jamīli qirā Ḍayfin alamma bi raʾsī ghayra muḥtashimi
English Meaning
Nor has it prepared good deeds in welcome For an unannounced guest who has settled on my head.
لَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ أَنِّي مَا أُوَقِّرُهُ كَتَمْتُ سِرًّا بَدَاليِ مَنْهُ بِالكَتَمِ
Transliteration
Law kuntu aʿlamu annī mā uwaqqiruhu Katamtu sirran badālī minhu bil katami
English Meaning
Had I realised, I would not have honoured it; I would have used [black] katam-dye to hide what it showed
مَنْ لِي بِرَدِّ جِمَاحٍ مِنْ غَوَايَتِهَا كَمَا يُرَدُّ جِمَاحُ الخَيْلِ بِاللُّجُمِ
Transliteration
Man lī biraddi jimāḥin min ghiwāyatihā Kamā yuraddu jimāḥul khayli bil lujumi
English Meaning
Who will help me restrain my bolting ego from its wilfulness As a rebellious horse may be restrained with reins?
فَلاَ تَرُمْ بِالمَعَاصِي كَسْرَ شَهْوَتِهَا إِنَّ الطَّعَامَ يُقَوِّي شَهْوَةَ النَّهِمِ
Transliteration
Falā tarum bil maʿāṣī kasra shahwatihā Innaṭ ṭaʿāma yuqawwī shahwatan nahimi
English Meaning
Do not try to thwart unlawful desires by satisfying them, For food only increases a glutton’s desires.
وَالنَّفْسُ كَالطِّفِلِ إِنْ تُهْمِلْهُ شَبَّ عَلَى حُبِّ الرَّضَاعِ وَإِنْ تَفْطِمْهُ يَنْفَطِمِ
Transliteration
Wan nafsu kaṭṭifli in tuhmilhu shabba ʿalā Ḥubbir raḍāʿi wa in tafṭimhu yanfaṭimi
English Meaning
The ego is like a child: neglect it and it will grow up loving To suckle; but if you wean it, it will be weaned.
فَاصْرِفْ هَوَاهَا وَحَاذِرْ أَنْ تُوَلِّيَهُ إِنَّ الهَوَى مَا تَوَلَّى يُصْمِ أَوْ يَصِمِ
Transliteration
Faṣrif hawāhā wa ḥādhir an tuwalliyahu Innal hawā mā tawallā yuṣmi aw yaṣimi
English Meaning
Divert its vain desires and beware of giving it power, For vain desires pollute or destroy whatever they control.
وَرَاعِهَا وَهِيَ فِي الأَعْمَالِ سَائِمَةٌ وَإِنْ هِيَ اسْتَحْلَتِ المَرْعَى فَلاَ تُسِمِ
Transliteration
Wa rāʿihā wa hiya fīl aʿmāli sāʾimatun Wa in hiyastaḥlatil marʿā falā tusimi
English Meaning
Guard it as it grazes in the field of actions; And should it find the grazing sweet, do not let it roam.
كَمْ حَسَّنَتْ لَذَّةً لِلْمَرْءِ قَاتِلَةً مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَدْرِ أَنَّ السُّمَّ فِي الدَّسَمِ
Transliteration
Kam ḥassanat ladhdhatan lil marʾi qātilatan Min ḥaythu lam yadri annas summa fid dasami
English Meaning
How often it has found delight in something fatal, For [one] cannot tell that there is poison in the fat!
وَاخْشَ الدَّسَائِسَ مِنْ جُوعٍ وَمِنْ شِبَعٍ فَرُبَّ مَخْمَصَةٍ شَرُّ مِنَ التُّخَمِ
Transliteration
Wakhshad dasāʾisa min jūʿin wa min shibaʿin Farubba makhmaṣatin sharrun minat tukhami
English Meaning
Beware of the snares of hunger and of satiety, being hungry at times can be worse than gorging oneself!
وَاسْتَفْرِغِ الدَّمْعَ مِنْ عَيْنٍ قَدِ امْتَلَأَتْ مِنَ المَحَارِمِ وَالْزَمْ حِمْيَةَ النَّدَمِ
Transliteration
Wastafrighid damʿa min ʿaynin qadimtalaʾat Minal maḥārimi walzam ḥimyatan nadami
English Meaning
Empty out the tears from an eye that has filled itself up with forbidden sights. Maintain a strict diet of remorse.
وَخَالِفِ النَّفْسَ وَالشَّيْطَانَ وَاعْصِهِمَا وَإِنْ هُمَا مَحَضَاكَ النُّصْحَ فَاتَّهِمِ
Transliteration
Wa khālifin nafsa wash shayṭāna waʿṣihimā Wa in humā maḥaḍākan nuṣḥa fat tahimi
English Meaning
Oppose the self and Satan and disobey them; If they offer you advice, be suspicious of them.
وَلاَ تُطِعْ مِنْهُمَا خَصْمًا وَلاَ حَكَمًا فَأَنْتَ تَعْرِفُ كَيْدَ الخَصْمِ وَالحَكَمِ
Transliteration
Wa lā tuṭiʿ minhumā khaṣman walā ḥakaman Fa anta taʿrifu kaydal khaṣmi wal ḥakami
English Meaning
Obey neither of them, whether they oppose or give judgment, For you know the wiles of opponent and judge.
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ مِنْ قَوْلٍ بِلاَ عَمَلٍ لَقَدْ نَسَبْتُ بِهِ نَسْلاً لِذِي عُقُمِ
Transliteration
AstaghfiruLlāha min qawlin bilā ʿamalin Laqad nasbtu bihi naslan lidhī ʿuqumi
English Meaning
I seek Allah’s forgiveness for words bereft of deeds, As by them I attributed progeny to a sterile man.
أَمَرْتُكَ الخَيْرَ لَكِنْ مَا ائْتَمَرْتُ بِهِ وَمَا اسْتَقَمْتُ فَمَا قَوْليِ لَكَ اسْتَقِمِ
Transliteration
Amartukal khayra lākin māʾtamartu bihi Wa māstaqamtu famā qawlī lakastaqimi
English Meaning
I enjoined goodness upon you while failing to heed the same. I was not upright, so what use is my enjoining uprightness?
وَلاَ تَزَوَّدْتُ قَبْلَ المَوْتِ نَافِلَةً وَلَمْ أُصَلِّ سِوَى فَرْضٍ وَلَمْ أَصُمِ
Transliteration
Wa lā tazawwadtu qablal mawti nāfīlatan Wa lam uṣalli siwā farḍin wa lam aṣumi
English Meaning
I have not gathered provisions of voluntary prayers before death, or prayed and fasted beyond what is obligatory.