Development of human self, along with individual and collective transformation, has topped the interests of Emad Ahmad. Having an insightful and visionary approach to life, he firmly believes that individuals transform when they traverse across their own selves. This approach has nourished his interest in self-actualization, which he calls a vigorous journey starting from the realization of one’s identity; directed towards fulfilment and achievement of one’s absolute potential. Although this process is a solo trip inwards and each traveler has his own set of unique experiences yet it has many common threads. One who has experienced this journey to the core develops a keen understanding of its dynamics. His idea of developing a transformed collective existence further affirms his passion to work for human selves and their transformation.

In line with this, Emad Ahmad has demonstrated a deep interest in the concept of Nafs-e-Insani. He has worked on elaborating the three stages of Nafs, namely Nafs-e-ammara, Nafs-e-lawwama and Nafs-e-mutma’inna, and how they direct the human nature and behavior. In an extremely intricate manner, Emad has enlightened how an individual navigates from ammara, struggles with lawwama until he ultimately embraces the stage of mutma’inna, which reflects the pinnacle of transformation. From his literary compositions to his individual and collective training sessions, Emad Ahmad delicately yet comprehensively reflected on all the three stages of Nafs.

Emad Ahmad exhibits an appreciable understanding of the relationship of these three stages with the human self and its transformation. This understanding is nourished by his pragmatic experiences of life, both personal as well as professional. The very first stage, Nafs-e-ammara, is all about the internal demons that govern a human being. During the course of embracing maturity, an individual becomes increasingly vulnerable to being derived by Nafs-e-ammara. The internal evils of ammara, when worshipped by individuals, end up in clutching their intellectual, cognitive and emotional capabilities. Emad Ahmad further emphasizes that this complex and uncontrollable drive of Nafs-e-ammara results in reducing the control of an individual over his own self, thus making him driven by the demons of his nafs. The more a man tries to satisfy Ammara, the thirstier it becomes. As soon as an individual’s internal self recognizes and comprehends the control of Nafs-e-ammara, it enters into a complex fight with the external self. This fight takes an individual to the second stage of Nafs, Nafs-e-lawwama.

In essence, transformation of self begins when a man enters Nafs-e-lawwama, a stage of Nafs that instills an internal desire to change. The poetic content of Emad Ahmad has flawlessly acknowledged the way in which a man navigates from Nafs-e-ammara to lawwama, a transition that manifests the commencement of transformation. Nafs e lawwama is essentially characterized by the deep remorse an individual experiences because of being directed by nafs-e-ammara. The strongest pangs of guilt lead to the evident change in behavior of an individual going through this stage. From perspectives to attitudes, and from emotional foundations to intellectual and cognitive dogmas, lawwama changes the meaning of everything to an individual. This is what Emad Ahmad seeks to implant into people in order to nourish his drive to bring change. The conscience of the man enters a battlefield, where there is an upfront battle of the internal self with the assaultive attacks of Nafs-e-ammara. Those who succeed in trouncing the attacks of ammara embrace the success of their internal selves in the race of transformation. This is where a man enters Nafs-e-mutma’inna.

Nafs-e-mutma’inna is categorized by two things: contentment and serenity. An individual transforms by the constant struggles of nafs-e-lawwama until he reaches the ultimate stage of nafs; nafs-e-mutma’inna. Having a deep interest in human self, Emad Ahmad believes this stage as the most desirable climax of transformation. He teaches people the profound eminence of sailing across the first two stages of nafs in order to successfully embrace this last stage. The transition of an individual from ammara to lawwama results in altering his perspectives and thinking patterns, which can contribute to building a transformed collective existence. A person stepping into Nafs-e-mutma’inna uses his internal eye to perceive life events the way they actually are, instead of how they seemingly look to an external eye.

In his effort to translate his vision to thinking minds and building a revolutionized collective existence, Emad has shown a massive interest in human self and its transformation. The stages of Nafs add more meaning to it because the understanding of these stages can facilitate the individual growth, which can set the foundation for collective transformation.