Defeating the Nafs: With the Help of Saturn
The celestial taskmaster of the cosmos
I stood at the precipice of a decision. The alarm clock showed 4:30 AM. My bed, still warm from seven hours of deep sleep, beckoned me back with its siren call. My mind conjured perfectly reasonable excuses: "You deserve more rest," it whispered. "You worked hard yesterday," it reasoned. My hand hovered over the snooze button on my mobile screen.
In that moment of hesitation lies the ancient battlefield where every meaningful victory in life begins.
The Enemy Within and Saturn's Discipline
What stands between you and your greatest achievements isn't external obstacles but an internal adversary that the Islamic tradition identifies with perfect precision: the nafs ammara bi al-su – the soul that commands to evil.
In the 4th Moharrum waaz, Syedna al-Dai al-Ajal TUS taught us about Zohal (Saturn) – the celestial body whose defining attributes are discipline and jafaakashi (endurance through hardship). Known as the taskmaster of the cosmos, Saturn teaches through trials and perseverance. Those under its influence are drawn to labor-intensive tasks, embodying the farmer who tills, sows, and harvests with painstaking effort at the proper time.
I could relate this wisdom similar to what former Navy SEAL commander Jocko Willink writes in his book "Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual." Willink's core message – "Discipline equals freedom" – echoes the paradoxical truth that real liberation comes through structured constraint. As he bluntly puts it: "Don't count on motivation. Count on discipline."
Moula’s TUS Field Manual
While Jocko offers a military-style field manual for life discipline, Moula TUS provides Mumineen with something even more profound – a spiritual field manual for defeating the nafs. Both recognize an essential truth: freedom doesn't come from (impulsively) doing whatever you feel like but from mastering those feelings.
In the waaz, Syedna al-Dai al-Ajal TUS declared, "Discipline is the key to success," emphasizing that discipline and jafaakashi are essential qualities for every Mumin. Like Jocko's direct, no-excuses approach, Moula TUS clearly outlines actionable guidance – not just philosophical concepts.
When Jocko writes, "There is no shortcut. There is no hack. There's only one way: Get after it," he echoes the essence of Rasul Allah's SAW counsel to Usama: "To remain thirsty in the harshest of heat and to break the soul's inclination towards worldly pleasures." The only path forward is through it. Rasul Allah SAW gave this instructional advice 1400 years ago. Jocko writes it in 2017.
Saturn's Cold Logic vs. Fiery Desires
Saturn's nature, as Moula TUS explained, is defined by dryness and coldness – qualities directly opposed to the heat of impulsive desires. Sometimes, to bring about betterment, there is a need to break the existing order of things. Just as a seed must rupture for new growth to emerge, our comfortable patterns must sometimes be broken for discipline to take root. Some hardships come to break you so that a stronger you is born - a more intellectual and mindful person.
This cosmic symbolism gives us a powerful framework: when our nafs burns hot with immediate desires, we need Saturn's cooling discipline to temper the flame. When we feel the pull of comfort and ease, we need Saturn's hardening influence to strengthen our resolve.
The Masculine Path of Conquest
There exists a distinctly masculine energy in the confrontation with the nafs – one of direct combat and unwavering determination. This warrior spirit recognizes that desires must sometimes be conquered rather than accommodated.
Jocko embodies this approach with his famous 4:30 AM wake-ups and "get after it" mentality. His philosophy – "Default: Aggressive" – teaches that when in doubt, we should take immediate action rather than hesitate or procrastinate.
This mirrors what we see in Maulana Ali Akbar AS in Karbala, who, despite three days of terrible thirst, rejected the enemy's offer of water and safety. His discipline wasn't passive or comfortable – it was built through directly facing his physical needs and saying no to them.
The Feminine Wisdom of Transformation
Yet focusing only on this fighting approach gives us just half the picture. There exists equally powerful feminine wisdom in defeating the nafs – not through combat but through change.
The feminine way teaches us that long-lasting discipline doesn't come from constant fighting against ourselves. Instead, it comes from making our actions match our deepest values. This involves mindfully and deeply thinking about it. It shows us that our desires can be slowly reshaped rather than battled forever.
This reminds me of a respected mumina in our community whose discipline in FMB thaali khidmat surpasses many men I know. When I asked her secret, expecting tales of struggle and willpower, she offered unexpected wisdom: "I don't fight my desires".
Her discipline wasn't born from continuous struggle but from nurturing such deep muhabbat (love) for her service that it became what she truly wanted to do. Like a mother who doesn't see caring for her child as giving up comfort but as showing love, she had changed what she wanted through connection rather than conflict.
The Daily Sacrifice of Parents
This principle finds its most beautiful expression in the quiet heroism of parents – particularly in how a father or mother will silently sacrifice their own comforts for their family's needs.
I remember watching my own father, year after year, all the silent sacrifices he made. This wasn't just parental love – it was profound nafs-mastery under Saturn's influence. Like the farmer who endures backbreaking labor today for tomorrow's harvest, many fathers understand that delayed gratification produces the sweetest fruits.
Practical Discipline Through Saturn's Lens
The waaz relates the timeless narrative of Mulla Raja QR, who, having delayed his namaz to complete his weaving, rushed to draw water for wudu only to find the bucket filled with gold and silver coins. His response? He threw them back and drew again, only to find precious gemstones. Again, he rejected them. The third time, water emerged.
This story beautifully illustrates Saturn's disciplining influence – the ability to reject immediate rewards for greater purposes. As Jocko might say: "Discipline equals freedom" – Mulla Raja's discipline in rejecting worldly treasures freed him to fulfill his spiritual obligation.
Real Steps Forward
To harness Saturn's disciplining power against your nafs, you may try these straightforward practices:
1. Adopt Jocko's "Wake up early" principle – Start your day before dawn for fajr namaaz, giving yourself the quiet victory that sets the tone for all that follows
2. Create a "discipline ritual" – A specific set of daily actions that strengthen your ability to choose discomfort over ease when necessary. Giving up processed sugar for example.
3. Find meaningful service that initially feels challenging – Use Saturn's endurance quality to push through the initial resistance
4. Practice occasional fasting beyond Ramadan – As Moula TUS explained, remaining "thirsty in the harshest heat" trains the nafs to submit to higher purposes. Rajab ul Asab is a great opportunity to train your spirit.
5. Keep company with the disciplined – Their Saturn-like influence will naturally strengthen your own resolve
The Final Test
The true measure of discipline isn't found in occasional heroic efforts but in consistent small choices. As the waaz reminds us, Siraat-e-Mustaqeem is "narrower than a sword's blade" and "finer than a strand of hair." Our discipline must extend beyond dramatic moments to the small details of daily life.
Jocko writes: "There is no such thing as a minor lapse in discipline." This echoes the cosmic truth of Saturn – the planet whose influence demands consistency and order. Under Saturn's watchful eye, every small choice matters, every moment offers a chance to strengthen or weaken our discipline.
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I've come to see that defeating the nafs with Saturn's help isn't about destroying a part of ourselves but about putting things in their proper order. The nafs has its legitimate role – keeping us alive and well – but it must remain the servant rather than becoming the master.
And as for that 4:30 AM alarm? I've learned that the hardest part isn't getting my body out of bed – it's turning my mind away from all those reasonable-sounding excuses - sometimes all you need is 1 excuse to give up. But with each win in that internal battle, Saturn's disciplining influence grows stronger within you and me.
Moula TUS teaches us through the wisdom of Zohal: discipline is the key to success in both this world and the next.
Abdesyedna Moez