The struggle between the ego (nafs) and the spiritual intellect (‘aql)

The struggle between the ego (nafs) and the spiritual intellect (‘aql) is the central dynamic shaping the human soul, transforming it from a state of internal conflict into a polished mirror of Divine Reality. According to Rumi, the human being is a compound entity, situated between two opposing forces: the angelic nature, which consists of pure spiritual conscience and worship, and the animal nature, which is driven by sensuality and lust . We are described as "half angel, half beast," or "half snake, half fish," with the spiritual element drawing us toward the "water" of the Divine and the animal element pulling us toward the "earth" . The shaping of the soul depends entirely on which of these forces triumphs; if the spiritual conscience overcomes sensuality, the human rises higher than the angels, but if sensuality prevails, the human sinks lower than the beasts .

The Nature of the Combatants

The ego, or the "carnal soul" (nafs-e-ammara), is the primary antagonist in this struggle, often metaphorically described as a dragon or a snake that must be subdued. It is characterized as a "mother of idols," because while an external idol is merely a snake, the internal idol of the self is a dragon. The ego is driven by greed, the lust for power, and the desire for immediate gratification, acting as a veil that blinds the intellect. Rumi warns that the ego is a "great plotter" that will use piety, such as fasting and prayer, as a trick to generate more vanity. It commands to evil and leads the human being to create false realities and attachments to the material world ,.

Opposing the ego is the spiritual intellect, or reason. While the "partial intellect" (‘aql-i juzvi) can be enslaved by the senses and desire , the spiritual intellect serves as the "slayer of the cow" (the ego), similar to how the intellect guides the body . This higher intelligence seeks the "kernel" of truth rather than the "husk" of appearance. However, Rumi notes that the intellect alone is often insufficient to fully conquer the ego without the aid of Divine Love or a spiritual guide, for "intelligence is of Iblis [Satan], while love is of Adam".

The Process of Shaping: Pain and Alchemy

The struggle shapes the soul through a process of purification often likened to alchemy or the tanning of a hide. The soul is compared to a newly skinned hide that is "bloody and gross"; it must endure the "bitter tanning acid of grief" and harsh discipline to become "lovely and very strong" . This suffering is not accidental but essential; God creates pain and sorrow so that the soul may turn away from the material world and seek the Divine, just as "the cure for pain is in the pain". The afflictions sent by the "Friend" (God) are the very means of the soul's purification, designed to make the soul "pure, lovely, and very strong".

This internal warfare acts as a furnace that separates the dross from the gold. Rumi asserts that "the copper of your being has already been transmuted to gold" through the alchemy of this spiritual struggle. Just as steel must be tempered by fire, the carnal soul must be beaten until it becomes like "live coals" to lose its evil nature . Through this friction, the soul is polished like a mirror; if the mirror of the heart remains rusty with the "rust" of attachment and ego, it cannot reflect the Divine Light. The discipline of the path involves "polishing the mirror of the heart" through intensity of longing and abstinence, allowing the soul to reflect the "images outside of water and earth".

The Role of Love and Annihilation

While the intellect initiates the struggle, it is Love that ultimately shapes the soul by burning away the ego completely. Love is described as a flame that, when it blazes, "consumes everything else but the Beloved" . The spiritual way involves ruin before restoration; the house of the self must be ruined to find the "golden treasure" beneath it . This process is known as fana, or annihilation, where the seeker dies to their temporal self to live in the Divine.

Rumi emphasizes that one must "die before you die," a spiritual transformation where the ego's dominance is shattered, allowing the true spirit to be born. This "death" is the labor pain of the soul; the body is like a mother pregnant with the "spirit-child," and death to the ego is the necessary pangs of birth. When the ego is conquered, the soul realizes its identity not as a separate entity but as a reflection of God, moving from the illusion of "I" to the reality of the Divine.

The Result: The Universal Man

The culmination of this struggle is the emergence of the "Universal Man" or the perfected human being. In this state, the soul is no longer a slave to the "donkey" of the body but rides it; the sensory faculties are subordinated to the spiritual intellect . The soul that has successfully waged this "Greater Holy War" against the self becomes a place where the "light of God" perceives reality, rather than the "bat-like" senses. Ultimately, the struggle shapes the soul into a vessel capable of holding the ocean of Divine presence, transforming the individual from a drop into the sea itself.