Ego: Our Greatest Enemy

As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum wa RaḥmatuLlāhi wa Barakātuh. A‘ūdhu BiLlāhi Minash-shayṭāni r-rajīm. BismiLlāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Wa ṣ-Salātu wa s-Salāmu ‘alá Rasūlinā Muḥammadin Sayyidi l-Awwalīna wa l-Akhirīn. Madad yā RasūlAllāh, Madad yā Sādāti Aṣḥābi RasūliLlāh, Madad yā Mashāyikhinā, Dastūr Mawlana Sheikh Abdullāh al-Fā’iz ad-Dāghistāni, Sheikh Muḥammad Nāẓim al- Ḥaqqānī. Madad. Ṭarīqatunā aṣ-Suḥbah wa l-Khayru fi l-Jam‘iyyah.

Grand Sheikh, Mawlana Sheikh ‘Abdu Llāh ad-Dāghestānī, used to say: “Mankind has four enemies.” Whether mankind generally or Muslims. If a person is not a Muslim, enemy or other doesn’t matter. These are spiritual enemies, not physical ones. These enemies are: ego (nafs), the world (dunyā), desires (hawa), and shayṭān. The shayṭān comes last. The shayṭān is the weakest of these enemies. The ego, however, is the greatest enemy; it comes first. Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says, “A‘dā ‘aduw nafsuka l-latī bayna janbayk.” “Your ego inside you is your greatest enemy.” One must not help the enemy. One must not do what the enemy wants. If you say, “You are my enemy, but I will serve you,” there will be no end to it. No matter what you give, it will never be satisfied. It will ask, “Is there more?” Just like Hell says: , “Hal min mazīd?” (Qur’ān 50:30). It will ask, “Is there more, is there more?” No matter how much you put into it, it will never be full. The ego is like this; as we said, the more you give, the more it wants. No matter how much badness you do, it will never be satisfied, saying, “Give more, give more.”

From the evils of our time are alcohol and drugs. Now they’re a lot; may Allāh ﷻ protect us from them. The ego wants, and if you compromise, it starts small, then it says, “Give more, give more,” and it never stops. So, what is the cure for this? You have to kill it while it’s still small. You have to crush its head. You must crush the enemy’s head. You must not give them what they want, you must not compromise with them. Sometimes people come and tell you: “My child has developed a bad habit, he’s addicted to these substances, he’s drinking. What should we do?” You must not give him money. If you don’t give him money, he can’t find it, he can’t buy it. But they say, “No, he’ll damage the house, he’ll beat us.” And he thinks, “They’re afraid of me anyway,” and he pressures them even more. Therefore, you must never compromise from the beginning. A person who wants to get rid of this affliction should tell their family: “No matter how much I cry, whine, or throw myself on the ground; never give me money.” Because this affliction doesn’t work without money. It constantly demands money. If you don’t give him money, this situation might stop him to some extent and save him.

Recently, someone addicted to gambling came to us. Gambling is worse than the others, may Allāh ﷻ protect us. A person who gambles should also tell their family, in order to get rid of it: “Never give me any money. Spread the word; say, ‘I am a gambler, I am addicted to these harmful substances.’ Say, ‘Absolutely do not give me money or anything else to help me get rid of these afflictions.” This will at least provide some benefit. Gradually, with the permission of Allāh ﷻ, Allāh ﷻ will save you according to your intention, in shā’a Llāh.

As we said, the ego is the primary enemy. Do not serve that enemy! Do not please the enemy! Don’t make it happy! Let the enemy fall into your hands, not you into its hands. If you control that enemy called the ego, you will rise to the highest ranks. You will rise to the rank of human. But if you serve it, you will become a creature lower than even the most despicable animal. May Allāh ﷻ protect us.

In this time, the opportunity to do evil is very huge; there weren’t such things in the past. For example, in the place where we lived, may Allāh ﷻ have mercy on him, there was only one addict; there was no one else who drank. He used to drink alcohol, but not use any other substances. Now, if you look around, everywhere is filled with things a thousand times worse than alcohol; drugs and other such substances have taken over everywhere. May Allāh ﷻ help them. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. And may He ﷻ save those who are afflicted, in shā’a Llāh.

Wa min Allāhi t-Tawfīq. Al-Fātiḥa.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 30 June 2026/ 15 Muharram 1448 Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul