
■ Is the Nafs Connected to Shaytaan?
You’ve probably heard this line in gatherings of the wise: ❝The Nafs is linked to Shaytaan.❞
But what does that even mean? Is your nafs (ego/self) evil? Is it the same as the devil? Or is there something deeper hiding beneath this one-liner that’s worth unraveling—slowly, like a secret whispered in the night?
Let’s start with a soft truth:
The nafs isn’t always your enemy… but it’s not your best friend either. It’s more like a wild animal inside you—untamed, reactive, and easily deceived. Shaytaan? Well, he’s the sly one who knows exactly how to whisper into that wild creature’s ear.
Imagine this:
You have a horse (nafs).
You are the rider (your soul ruh).
But someone is walking alongside, whispering into your horse’s ear, pulling it off the path. That’s Shaytaan.
So, is your nafs Shaytaan?
No. But it’s often his closest accomplice. His favorite listener. His most gullible friend.
In the Qur’an, Allah ﷻ describes 3 types of nafs:
1. Nafs al-Ammarah bis-Soo’ – the self that commands evil
2. Nafs al-Lawwamah – the self that blames and regrets
3. Nafs al-Mutma’innah – the self at peace, content with Allah ﷻ
That first one? Ammarah bis-soo’? That’s the one most tangled with Shaytaan. That’s the one that hears the whispers and runs toward them like a moth toward fire.
The Prophet Yusuf (عليه السلام) said it beautifully in the Qur’an:
وَمَآ أُبَرِّئُ نَفۡسِيٓۚ إِنَّ ٱلنَّفۡسَ لَأَمَّارَةُۢ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّيٓۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورࣱ رَّحِيمࣱ
❝Indeed, the soul is a persistent commander of evil, except those upon whom my Lord has mercy.❞
(Surah Yusuf, 12:53)
So yes, when people say “the nafs is connected to Shaytaan,” what they’re really saying is:
The nafs is the soil, and Shaytaan plants his seeds in it.
Let’s make it even more real…
Shaytaan whispers:
“Just one sin. Just this once.”
The nafs replies:
“Yes… why not? I deserve this pleasure.”
Shaytaan says:
“Don’t forgive them. Make them pay.”
The nafs flares up:
“Yes, how dare they! I won’t let it go.”
See how easily they dance together? Shaytaan leads. The nafs follows. Unless… unless your soul (the rider) is awake, alert, and anchored in Allah ﷻ.
But my dear readers, don’t despair. The nafs can be transformed. That wild horse can become obedient. The same nafs that once dragged you into darkness can become the nafs mutma’innah—the soul that Allah ﷻ will call back gently on the Day of Judgment:
Al-Fajr 89:27-28
يَآأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفۡسُ ٱلۡمُطۡمَئِنَّةُ
ٱرۡجِعِيٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةࣰ مَّرۡضِيَّةࣰ
❝O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, pleased and pleasing.❞
That’s the goal. That’s the journey.
To move from being a puppet of Shaytaan to a servant of the Most Merciful.
If you feel that inner tug… that craving, that anger, that ego-flare… pause. Smile gently. And say:
❝Oh nafs, I know you hear him. But I choose to hear my Lord instead.❞
And with that intention, my dear readers, you break the link. And you begin the beautiful, sacred journey… from self to soul.
اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلَىٰ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ




