Knowledge, Divine Will, and Acceptance of Destiny

“All is by God’s will and decree, and a person has only what God has apportioned for them.” This knowledge prevents the seeker from determinism and guides them toward active and conscious acceptance of divine destinies, as if the seeker stands firm like a rock against the waves of divine decree.

Endurance and Self-Management

Through endurance, the seeker guides the self toward patience to achieve contentment: “Thus, he endures the self with patience until reaching the limit of satisfaction with what has been decreed and determined.” Endurance refers to managing the self with wisdom and gentleness, as if the self were a playful child that must be guided with melody and leniency to prevent its escape. For instance, in performing the night prayer, the seeker should not suddenly recite eleven units, but should gradually lead the self to acquiesce to this act.

From Contentment to Gratitude

Contentment and Acceptance of Divine Decrees: Contentment is the outcome of patience and gradual acceptance of divine destinies: “Thus, he becomes content with what has been decreed and determined.” This acceptance is not forced but arises from expansion and love, as if the seeker rests in the embrace of divine destiny. God is loving, not coercive; therefore, contentment is a state of love that guides the seeker toward the heart.

Gratitude and Perceiving Affliction as a Blessing: At the stage of gratitude, the seeker even regards affliction as a blessing: “And considers it a blessing, even if it is a trial.” This perspective results from profound knowledge of divine wisdom, exemplified by the words of Lady Zainab: “I have seen nothing but beauty.” This state reflects the Qur’anic verse: “Few of My servants are grateful” (Saba: 13), indicating the seeker’s spiritual perfection.

Key point: Gratitude, as a stage of ethical sections, even regards affliction as a divine blessing, guiding the seeker to deep knowledge of divine wisdom.

Modesty, Truthfulness, and Altruism

Modesty and Awareness of God: The seeker attains modesty from God, which is the result of perceiving the truth: “He feels modest before God, not asking for more than what is due and without exceeding bounds.” Modesty indicates awareness of God’s presence, as if the seeker feels shame before divine light, seeking only what God has decreed. This modesty leads the seeker toward sincerity and devotion.

Truthfulness as the Core of Ethical Sections: Truthfulness is the central attribute of ethical sections, manifest in earnestness, effort, and commitment: “Thus, he becomes truthful in seriousness, exertion, and covenant.” Earnestness refers to steadfastness; exertion to practical effort; and covenant to divine commitment. Truthfulness shines like a gem at the center of ethical sections, guiding the self toward the heart.

Altruism and Liberation from Fear: By disciplining the self, the seeker attains altruism: “Thus, he prefers others despite his own scarcity.” Altruism results from liberation from self-centered fear, as the seeker gives to others even in hardship, like a tree bearing fruits of generosity and expansiveness.

Generosity, Good Character, and Humility

Generosity and Equality of Poverty and Wealth: The seeker, free from fear, sees poverty and wealth as equal: “So that wealth and poverty are equal.” Generosity arises from detachment from worldly possessions, like a calm lake unaffected by waves.

Good Character and Engagement with Others: Through good character, the seeker engages expansively with people: “And character accompanies him with others because he sees them within the secret of destiny.” This expansiveness results from seeing others in the light of divine decree, perceiving all as manifestations of truth, avoiding conflict.

Excusing the Faults of Others: The seeker excuses the misdeeds of others: “Rather, he excuses them in wrongdoing.” This trait indicates universal guardianship and love, replacing reproach with compassion, as if a nurturing parent justifies the mistakes of others. Narrations indicate that failure to excuse others reflects one’s own weakness, not theirs.

Key point: Excusing the faults of others signifies universal guardianship and love, steering the seeker away from reproach and towards correction and affection.

Universal Guardianship and Enjoining Good

Enjoining good and forbidding evil are based on universal guardianship and love: “Believers are but brothers, so reconcile between your brothers” (Al-Hujurat: 10). Without love and brotherhood, enjoining good lacks effectiveness; love acts as fertile soil for the seed of reform.

Humility and Bearing Harm: With humility, the seeker bestows benefits on others and bears harm: “Thus, he humbles himself with them for God, by giving goodness and enduring injury.” Humility resembles an ocean delivering blessings to others while holding harm within. Avicenna notes: “His sorrow is in his heart, and his cheerfulness is on his face.”

Chivalry and Return to Original Nature

Chivalry and Purity: Through chivalry, the seeker attains purity and complete assurance: “Thus, he reaches the station of chivalry with a heart purified from the attributes of the self.” Chivalry represents the pinnacle of ethical sections, with the heart cleansed of base traits, reflecting divine light like a polished mirror.

Expansiveness and Return to Original Nature: With full expansiveness, the seeker returns to their primordial nature: “Through purity of heart and removal of all obstacles, returning to the original nature.” This return follows complete removal of the self’s barriers, as expressed by Jesus: “Return your soul to purity as you received it from Me.”

Key point: Chivalry represents the apex of ethical sections, purifying the heart and returning the seeker to innate purity, akin to reaching the spring of divine sanctity.

Conclusion

The ethical sections are revered as a gem along the mystical path. Following the initial stages, doors, and transactions, they guide the seeker from the self to the heart. Ten moral traits—patience, contentment, gratitude, modesty, truthfulness, altruism, generosity, good character, humility, and chivalry—map the transformation of the self. Patience forms the foundation, leading to contentment and gratitude. Modesty and truthfulness guide the heart toward sincerity, while altruism and generosity dissolve fear. Good character and humility cultivate universal guardianship and love, and chivalry culminates the journey, returning the heart to innate purity. This process, illuminated by Sharia and self-management, guides the seeker to ultimate assurance and divine truth.

Transition from Self to Heart in Mystical Practice

In Manazil al-Sa’irin by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, a comprehensive framework for mystical progression is presented, guiding the seeker from heedlessness to divine proximity. The focus of this study is on the “Principles” chapter, the gateway to the heart’s stations. Here, the self, after refinement through initial stages, doors, transactions, and ethics, transforms from a hindrance to an assistant, activating the heart as the human interior. This transition acts as a bridge, guiding the seeker from the limitations of the self toward inner expansiveness and divine closeness.

Completion of Self-Stages and Commencement of Heart’s Journey

Role of the Self in Early Mystical Stages: Mystical practice begins with the initial stages and, through doors, transactions, and ethics, achieves refinement of the self. These stages are like a ladder leading the seeker from initial heedlessness to expansion and inner breadth. Initial stages awaken the seeker through repentance; doors identify and remove obstacles; transactions establish righteous acts; and ethics, through virtues like patience, contentment, gratitude, modesty, truthfulness, altruism, humility, chivalry, and expansiveness, perfect the self.

Key point: Initial stages, doors, transactions, and ethics are prerequisites for the self’s completion, preparing the seeker for the gateway to principles and the heart’s stations. These stages serve as fertile soil nurturing knowledge, readying the seeker for inner blossoming.

Expansiveness: Ultimate Perfection of the Self

Expansiveness, as the final stage in ethics, represents the self’s ultimate perfection. Accompanied by chivalry, it liberates the self from contraction and fear, leading to breadth and courage. Expansiveness is like a flower blooming from bud to full blossom, revealing the self’s complete capacities.

Key point: Expansiveness indicates the self’s perfection, liberating the seeker from fear and contraction, opening a gateway to the garden of knowledge. At this stage, the self reaches its inherent limitation.

Limitation and Decline of the Self

After reaching expansiveness, the self, due to intrinsic limitations, cannot grow further. Like a flower that wilts after blooming, the self declines. However, unlike the flower, by entering the gateway of the heart, the human continues inner growth.

Key point: The self declines after expansiveness due to inherent limitations, but entry into the heart allows continued inner growth. This limitation is like a riverbank stopping the river, while the heart is an infinite ocean guiding the seeker toward the boundless.

Transformation of the Self from Hindrance to Assistant

The self, formerly an obstacle due to rebellion and attachment, becomes the heart’s helper after ethical refinement. This turning point shifts the seeker from external to internal focus.

Key point: After ethical maturation, the self transforms from hindrance to assistant, supporting the heart, like a rebellious army becoming obedient to the king.

The Gateway of Principles: The Heart’s Portal

The gateway of principles, also called the gateway of the heart, initiates the heart’s stations in mystical practice. At this stage, the self has matured, and the heart becomes active. These stations include intention, determination, will, etiquette, certainty, intimacy, remembrance, poverty, richness, and protection, guiding the seeker toward divine proximity.

Key point: The gateway of principles activates the heart, guiding the seeker from self-focused stages toward inner stations, like a portal leading from the city of the self to the land of the heart.

The Heart and Its Inactivity in the Negligent

The Qur’an (Al-A’raf: 179) states: “They have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have ears with which they do not hear, and they have eyes with which they do not see. They are like cattle; rather, they are more astray.” This verse refers to hearts that remain potential, inactive, unable to perceive, hear, or see truth.

Key point: In the negligent, the heart is potential and cannot understand, hear, or see truth until activated. It is like a lamp awaiting a spark to illuminate.

Difference Between Self and Heart in Mystical Practice

The self engages in egocentric pleasures in early stages, while the heart, once activated, moves toward inner truth. The heart, as the human existential center, begins the journey to God through intention, determination, and will.

Key point: The self is limited by desires, whereas the heart, when active, progresses toward inner truth and divine proximity. The self is like a shadow dissipated by the heart’s light; the heart is the sun illuminating reality.

Psychology of the Self and Heart

Mystical approaches view the self and heart as two dimensions of human existence. Contemporary materialist perspectives often deny the soul, focusing only on behavioral aspects. This view fails to grasp the profound distinction between self and heart, highlighting the need to reconsider ethics and psychology.

Key point: Mystical thought emphasizes the difference between self and heart, whereas materialist approaches fail to perceive this distinction. This critique reflects the limitations of modern sciences against mystical wisdom.

Heart’s Stations and Progression Toward Divine Proximity

Intention, Determination, and Will: Initiation of Heart’s Movement: Upon activation, the heart first forms intention, meaning readiness to move. Determination follows as a firm decision, and will actualizes this decision. These three stages represent the gradual progression of the heart toward divine proximity.

Key point: Intention, determination, and will constitute the early stations of the heart, igniting the seeker’s journey toward divine closeness, like sparks setting the heart’s engine in motion.