Tazkiah
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Tazkiah or Tazkiah-i-nafs (purification of the soul) is the central aim of the Sufi Muslim path. It is the process of transforming the nafs (carnal self or desires) from its deplorable state of ego-centredness through various psychospiritual stages to the purity and submission to the will\shave Allah. Although some have considerably more, most Sufi orders have adopted seven maqamat (maqam pl. maqamat, refers to a station on the voyage towards spiritual transformation), the Sufi’s journey begins with Nafs-i-Ammare (self-accusing soul) and ends in Nafs-i-Mutma’inna (satisfied soul) - although some Sufis’s final stage is Nafs-i-Safiya wa Kamila (soul restful and perfected in Allah’s presence).
Another concept which is closely related but not identical is Tazkiah-I-Qalb, or cleansing of the heart, which is also a necessary spiritual discipline for travellers on the Sufi path. The aim is the erasure of everything that stands in the way of purifying Allah’s love (Ishq).
It must be remembered that tazkiah is not a hal (state), which is something that descends from Allah into a seeker's heart, without his being able to repel it when it comes or to attrackt it when it goes, by his own effort. Tazkiah is a continuous process of purification to maintain spiritual health. Similar to the process of maintaining physical health, any lapse in the regiment can cause one to loose their previous gains, and thus caution must always be used to not deviate from the path.
[edit] Sources
Nasr, SH, The Spiritual States in Sufism Allen & Unwin
