What is Tazkiya, and how is the self actually purified?

Tazkiya is the cleansing of the carnal self from worldly evils, a cleansing of thoughts and deeds, of the heart and the soul. The heart is cleansed through remembrance, and the self is then rectified through rigor.

The exertion and worship of the seeker finally leads to a state that is the result of his exertion, and when that is firmly rooted it becomes a station for him, or it may show itself as an attribute affecting the soul, such as joy or calmness.

Shah Shabbir Ahmed Kakakhel explained Tazkiya e Nafs in this way: “The purification of the Qalb, the spiritual heart, is achieved through Dhikr or remembrance of Allah, as the heart is the abode of feelings and emotions and where spiritual states or stations are conserved. Once the darkness of the heart, created by sins, is cleansed through regular Dhikr or remembrance of Allah, then the incessant purity is to be attained through rectification of the Nafs, which is achieved through rigor.”

Once the Nafs surrenders, a complete sense of peace and rectitude is achieved, and the Nafs becomes Nafs e Mutmainna, completely absorbed by the love of Allah. When that is achieved through complete obedience to the command of Allah and by following the path of the Sunnah, a person disconnects from pride and surrenders to Allah.