For the Tranquil soul, is where I share Islamic books that help nurture the heart and refine the soul. Rooted in the concept of Tazkiyat an-Nafs—the purification of the soul—this journey is inspired by the words of Imam Al-Ghazali, who described it as freeing the soul from evil traits and adorning it with virtues.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Purification of the soul is that a person knows that Allah is with him wherever he is."(Al-Mu’jam As-Saghīr At-Tabarani 555; Sahih according to Al-Albani)

The Qur’an teaches us of three stages of the nafs:

• Nafs al-Ammarah – the inciting soul, driven by desire and ego

• Nafs al-Lawwamah – the reproaching soul, striving against its lower self

• Nafs al-Mutma’innah – the tranquil soul, at peace through purification and surrender to Allah

This last state is the one I long for—the soul that Allah addresses in Surah Al-Fajr:

‫یَـٰۤأَیَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفۡسُ ٱلۡمُطۡمَىِٕنَّةُ﴿ ٢٧ ﴾‬ ‫ٱرۡجِعِیۤ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِیَةࣰ مَّرۡضِیَّةࣰ﴿ ٢٨ ﴾‬ ‫فَٱدۡخُلِی فِی عِبَـٰدِی﴿ ٢٩ ﴾‬ ‫وَٱدۡخُلِی جَنَّتِی﴿ ٣٠ ﴾‬

˹Allah will say to the righteous,˺ “O tranquil soul! Return to your Lord, well pleased ˹with Him˺ and well pleasing ˹to Him˺. So join My servants, and enter My Paradise.” [89:27-30]

I pray that these books help guide me—and perhaps you—closer to that tranquil state, and that we may be among those who return to Allah well pleased with Him and well pleasing to Him.