Distinguishing Between Thoughts From The Devil And Ego

Thoughts which run through a person are either inspired by Allah, our accompanying angel, the devil or from the lowly self (nafs). Reading from the works of Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi, Shaykh mentions how the seeker can distinguish between the good thought, the deceptive thought and who has initiated that thought. The aim of the seeker is to weaken the desires of the nafs so that whenever he or she is prompted to do any good by the accompanying angel the meritorious deed is carried out. Three ways are then mentioned in which the desires of the lower self can be combated.