Let me share with you what my learned friend told me of one riwayat. It is a dialogue between Allah and The Nafs. The conversation was in Arabic but I think all of us will understand:-
Allah: Man Anta?
Nafs: Anta,anta.Waana,ana.
For Nafs's arrogance,it was sent to Hell for afew years.
Then, Allah called The Nafs and asked it the same question.Allah got the same answer.
Then, Allah sent The Nafs to the Hell of Ju'(Hunger) for a few years.
When Allah summoned The Nafs back to answer the same question,here is The nafs reply:
Anta Rabbi.Waana abbduka.
That is THE POWER OF HUNGER over our nafs.
hmm.. macam faham. tapi takut salah faham. boleh translate?
Posted by: fixa | Sunday, October 24, 2004 at 09:59 AM
Allah:siapakah kamu?--i think shud be Man Ana(Aku)?
Nafs:Engkau,Engkau. Dan aku,aku
A few Hells later,
Allah:Siapakah kamu?
Nafs:Engkau Tuhanku,dan aku hambamu.
Should be correct..
Posted by: faiznur | Sunday, October 24, 2004 at 11:09 AM
You should put up the translation too.
Posted by: Adam | Sunday, October 24, 2004 at 02:00 PM
Dear Fellow Readers,
My apologies for not providing the translation.
The translation by Faiznur is correct.I also feel that Man Ana and NOT Man Anta should be the question.
Posted by: Adib | Monday, October 25, 2004 at 07:34 PM
'The Meaning of Nafs' by the erudite young Msian scholar Sheikh Muhd Afifi al-Akiti of Oxford Univ can be read at:
http://webmail.abc.se/~m9783/nafs.html
(a bit dated piece, written during his undergraduate years in Belfast)
Posted by: atok | Thursday, October 28, 2004 at 06:23 AM