Tazkiyyah tun Nafs Purifying and Maintaining the Self

The command to purify our hearts from sin is essential Islamic teaching ever since the early stages of the revelation in Makkah. This is known as ‘purification of the soul’ (tazkiyyat an-nafs).

Allah said: “He has succeeded who purifies the soul, and he has failed who corrupts the soul.” (Qur’an, 91:9-10)

Abu Huraira reported: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘Verily when the believer commits a sin, a black spot appears upon his heart. If he repents and abandons the sin and seeks forgiveness, his heart will be polished, but if he increases in sin, the blackness increases. That is the covering which Allah has mentioned in His Book: ‘Nay, but on their hearts is a covering because of what they have earned,’
(83:14)” (Sunan ibn Majah, 4244)