Ways to Combat the First Station of the Soul (Realm of Dominion) from the Perspective of Imam Khomeini

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to examine the ways of combating the first station of the soul, or the realm of dominion (manzil-i mulk), from the perspective of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified). The research method employed in this study is descriptive-analytical, and data has been gathered through library research. The investigations revealed that restraining the first station of the soul—which is predominantly under the dominance of the faculty of imagination (quwwa wahmiyyah)—manifests in the vigilant observation of one’s behavior and speech. One who consistently monitors their actions appears to have successfully restrained the self. According to Imam Khomeini, the methods of spiritual struggle (mujāhada) with the self and the levels of its realization include: contemplation (tafakkur), resolve (ʿazm), repentance (tawbah), conditioning (mushāraṭah), vigilance (murāqabah), self-accounting (muḥāsabah), censure (muʿātibah), punishment (muʿāqabah), and striving (mujāhada). Imam Khomeini regarded contemplation as the primary prerequisite for striving against the soul and progressing toward the Divine. He himself benefited greatly from reflection in ethical, political, and social matters. He emphasized the practices of conditioning, vigilance, and self-accounting, considering them to be among the most effective methods for purifying the soul. Imam Khomeini also invited others to engage in the purification of the soul and Islamic moral training through the application of conditioning, vigilance, and self-accounting. From his perspective, the element of remembrance (tadhakkur) in this context is the remembrance of God Almighty and those blessings that have been bestowed upon the human being. He stresses the awareness that among the innate matters to which human nature is drawn is the honoring of the benefactor. Every individual who pays close attention to their essential nature will exhibit the utmost gratitude and appreciation toward the one who has bestowed a blessing upon them.