Bismillah.
يَـٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ, ٱرْجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةًۭ مَّرْضِيَّةًۭ
O Soul at Peace, return to your Lord, pleased and pleasing
(Sūrat Al-Fajr, No.89, Āyat 27-28)
This verse is a direct address from the Almighty to an extraordinary soul, one that is exceptional due to its being tranquil. The scholars of Arabic dictionary point out that the word mutma’in is derived from it’minān which means to come to a rest or to be tranquil. A soul which is mutma’in has a level of faith whereby the heart is tranquil and at rest. According to Tafsīr al-Mīzān, the tranquil soul is one that finds peace with its Lord as it is content with the decree of its Lord. It wholeheartedly accepts what the Almighty has willed for it. ‘Allāmah Tabātabā’ī further explains that such a soul does not become arrogant upon receiving God’s mercy, nor does it become ungrateful during times of hardship and difficulty.
According to many narrations, the best example of nafs al-mutmainnah is the tranquil soul of Imam al-Husayn ‘alayhis-salām. Even during the most difficult of times, he demonstrated total submission to the will of the Almighty. This was best exemplified when he held the lifeless body of Ali al-Asghar in his hand, and said: This hardship has become tolerable for me, for it is under the sight of Allah subhānahu wata‘ālā. (Majlisī, Bihār al-Anwār, 45:26)
The status of the Tranquil Soul compared to an ordinary soul
a) An honourable address. Being addressed by the Almighty is a great honour. There are verses in the Quran where Allah ‘azza wajall addresses groups of people such as: O you who believe or O people. In this verse, not only is the tranquil soul given the honour of being addressed by the Almighty, but it is also given the additional honour of being individually addressed.
b) A content return. Every soul will return to its Lord at the time of death. Some souls will meet their Lord while He is angry with them, others will meet Him while He is merciful towards them. The tranquil soul will meet Allah subhānahu wata‘ālā, content (rādiyatan) with the abundant rewards that were promised by Him. More importantly, it will meet Allah (swt) while He is satisfied with it for displaying true servitude towards Him (mardiyyātan).
Ways of Developing a Tranquil Soul.
The goal for a believer is to become a tranquil soul. This is the highest stage of perfection for a soul. It is achieved by nurturing a firm faith in the core beliefs of religion. Along with faith, it is equally important to cultivate the habit of being continuously in the remembrance of Allah (swt). This is explicitly mentioned in Surat al-Ra‘d:
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
Those who have faith and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah. Behold! The hearts find rest in Allah’s remembrance! (Q 13:28)
This remembrance is not just confined to the tongue, but it is the remembrance of the heart as well. It means that the heart remembers Allah (swt) during good times and during moments when it is tempted to sin.
The similarity of a person who constantly remembers the Almighty, is that of a container of water that is connected to an ocean. Its connection to a large reservoir ensures that it is always filled with water. Similarly, a believer who is connected to Allah (swt), is confident and controlled during times of hardship or temptation to sin. He is certain that he will always have divine support from Allah (swt), who is the source of power. (Dr. Shomali, Lessons on Islamic Morals, p 135)
This can be observed in the struggle of Imam al-Husayn (a) on the Day of Ashura. He was constantly in the remembrance of Allah through his supplications and his verbal dhikr. It is for this reason that he is known as the best example of nafs al-mutma’innah.
In this week, millions around the globe have gone to pay their respects to Imam al-Husayn on the day of Arbaeen. One of the five signs of a believer is to recite Ziyārat Arbaeen on this day. (Wasā’il al-Shī‘ah). We pray to the Almighty to enable us to become amongst those that exert effort to achieve a tranquil soul and for the safety of all pilgrims to Karbala.
Resources: ‘Allāmah Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’ī, Tafsīr al-Mīzān, Agha Muhsin Qarā’atī, Tafsīr Nūr, Doctor Mohammed Ali Shomali, Lessons on Islamic Morals.