Negation Of Thoughts (Nafy al-Khawāţir ) in Islamic Mysticism : How and Why

Nafal-Khawāţir(negation of thoughts) means the purification of the mind and heart from any intrusion of thoughts and ideas for the purpose of preparing the inside of the mystic for the presence of God and the illumination of divine manifestations. Thus, it is one of the major beliefs in mysticism. The mystics must pay attention to it from the beginning of their journey until the end (when they reach God), so that in every stage they have in mind this removal ideas. This research deals with the quality and necessity of nafy al-khawāţir in the mystical journey. The ways of its fulfillment, its relationship with other mystical elements, and its results will be enumerated. As the removal of intrusive thoughts (khawāţir) requires an acquaintance with them, they will be introduced in the beginning. Furthermore, because of the pervasive character of this belief in different mystical orders, there is a brief review of its prevalence in other religions.