Mystical wayfaring (sulk) constitutes a spiritual journey by which the traveller is guided from multiplicity to unity and from dispersion to integration. This path, akin to a river flowing towards the ocean of Truth, necessitates steadfast adherence to the Shariah, sincerity of intention, and abstention from the corruptions of the nafs and satanic influences. The twenty-third lesson of Manzil al-Sirn, authored by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, elucidates the afflictions of the spiritual path and distinguishes between the disciple (murd), the spiritual master (murd), and the claimants (muddayn).
The mystical wayfaring, like a firm edifice, is founded upon the Shariah. The Shariah, analogous to a clear-flowing river, directs the wayfarer towards the ocean of Truth. In the absence of unwavering commitment to the Book and the Sunnahwhich constitute the bedrock of obedience to the Divine and the abandonment of prohibited actsthe wayfarer is exposed to misguidance and negligence. This principle emphatically underscores the necessity for continual observance of the prescribed legal injunctions at every stage of the spiritual journey. The Shariah is indispensable not merely at the outset but throughout the entirety of the journey to Truth.
To venerate prohibitions (tazm al-nah) is to magnify the Divine interdictions, which requires an inner preparedness (tahayy) to renounce the forbidden. This preparedness functions as a spiritual shield, safeguarding the wayfarer from negligence towards sin. Just as the believer cultivates an inherent disposition towards obedience by accepting divine obligation, the wayfarer must similarly prepare oneself through tahayy to resist the temptations of the nafs. The absence of such readiness renders the wayfarer powerless before sin, as though suddenly ensnared in the snare of transgression.
Guarding the sanctity of the Divine presence is tantamount to protecting the sacred precinct of Truth and prevents ones proximity and love for the Divine from devolving into heedlessness. Proximity to the Divine, if not accompanied by reverence and modesty, results in ingratitude and neglect of the Divine ordinances. This principle stresses the necessity of maintaining equilibrium between love and decorum, so that the wayfarer remains restrained by modesty and refrains from violating the sanctity of the Divine.
The wayfarer, like a gardener who tenderly nurtures every plant in the garden, must embody compassion towards all creation, encompassing both human and non-human beings. Such compassion is a manifestation of mystical love, compelling the wayfarer to benevolence towards all existence, even inanimate objects. Counsel, whether verbal or practical, serves as a beacon illuminating the darkness of the world. The salvation of a broken branch or the preservation of a stone from being shattered exemplify practical counsel, reflecting the wayfarers sense of responsibility.
The wayfarer must be affable and approachable, embodying simplicity and reducing attachments in order to facilitate the spiritual journey. Material and carnal attachments are akin to a heavy burden impeding the wayfarers progress. Simplicity, like a light garment, enables the wayfarer to tread freely upon the path to Truth, whereas ostentation, resembling a heavy cloak, binds and constrains.
Time constitutes the very life of the wayfarer and is an irretrievable capital. Squandering time is one of the gravest afflictions of the spiritual journey. The wayfarer must respectfully eschew all companions and engagements that corrupt time. Furthermore, any cause that captivates, bewilders, or distracts the heart from the Truth must be renounced. The turmoil of the heart encompasses obsessive doubts, self-conceit, and preoccupation with the non-Divine, all of which obstruct the wayfarer from witnessing the Unity.
Along the spiritual journey, people are categorised into three groups: the disciple (murd), the guide or goal (murd), and the deluded claimants (muddayn). The murd is a wayfarer who advances towards the Truth with fear, hope, love, and modesty. The murd is a perfected human immersed in Unity, who annihilates the murd within themselves. The claimants form the majority, having succumbed to the deceit of the nafs and Satan, thereby deviating from the path of Truth.
The murd is like a traveller who walks the path balanced between fear and hope, empowered by Divine love and modesty. Fear and hope maintain equilibrium; love provides motivation; and modesty safeguards the sanctity of the Divine. The murd must be magnanimous, i.e., free and detached from all that is other than the Truth, in order to be liberated from carnal attachments.
The murd is akin to the boundless ocean of Unity in which the murd is immersed and annihilated. Having transcended the valley of dispersion, the murd enters the domain of integration and exemplifies the Perfect Human. His very existence reflects the cosmos, with each part manifesting a facet of the universe. The murd not only influences the world but simultaneously manifests the world within himself.
The claimants, devoid of sincerity and gnosis, are ensnared by false claims. Claiming without infallibility is tantamount to inviting the nafs to dominate in the presence of one more knowledgeable; it is innovation and misguidance. This group is more perilous than the outright leaders of disbelief, for their deception is concealed and thus more alluring.
The spiritual journey is akin to a voyage commencing with the Shariah, flowing through the path (arqah), and culminating in the ocean of Truth (aqqah). The Shariah is the river, the arqah the stream, and the aqqah the sea. Without the Shariah, arrival at the Truth is unattainable. This tripartite delineation presents the stages of spiritual wayfaring in a sequential and interconnected framework.
Mysticism, owing to its profound precision and depth, is akin to the meticulous craft of sculpting the wood of the Law a task both arduous and fraught with peril. The loftier the aspirational objective, the greater the propensity for deviation. Of the seventy-three sects, only one is salvific, and even within this salvific sect, the majority succumb to misguidance due to apostasy from spiritual guardianship (Wilayah).
Exhortation is akin to a beacon illuminating the path of righteousness. This Divine injunction, an integral part of enjoining good and forbidding evil, applies universallyextending from the least to the greatest, and vice versa. Exhortation is not solely verbal but also manifests in action, such as safeguarding a tree branch or stone from harm.
إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ (Surah Al-Qasas, 28:56 Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills.)
This sacred verse circumscribes the role of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) to the domain of admonition, while consigning guidance exclusively to the Divine Will. Accordingly, the spiritual wayfarer must confine themselves to benevolence and entrust the ultimate outcome to the Absolute Truth.
Sincerity is the root that stabilises the tree of spiritual progression. Without rectification of initial states and the establishment of conduct founded upon the observation of pure sincerity (mushhada al-ikhl), the spiritual journey is untenable. Outward acts devoid of sincerity resemble hollow shells, bereft of spiritual efficacy.
The wayfarer, like Ibn al-Waqt, renews each moment continuously, eschewing wastefulness of time. This attribute rescues them from stagnation and mundanity, bestowing full presence within the immediacy of the present.
Attachment to objects, even if ostensibly spiritual, functions as a fetter that preoccupies the heart. The wayfarer must be emancipated from all that is other than the Truth to preserve the integrity of both time and existence from corruption.
The twenty-third lesson of Manzil al-Sirn, akin to a precise cartography, elucidates the maladies afflicting the spiritual path alongside the characteristics of the disciple, the spiritual guide, and the pretenders. The path necessitates strict adherence to the Shariah, reverence for prohibitions, observance of the sanctity of the Truth, compassion for creation, simplicity, and abstention from wastage of time and disturbances of the heart. The disciple proceeds toward the Truth with a blend of fear, hope, love, and modesty; the spiritual guide, in perfect unity, immerses the disciple within themselves; whilst the pretenders, deceived by the ego and Satan, stray from the path of Truth. The Shariah, like a firm foundation, safeguards the wayfarer from misguidance, yet mysticism, by virtue of its depth and subtlety, presents augmented hazards. Exhortation, as a Divine duty, and sincerity, as the cornerstone of spiritual conduct, guide the wayfarer towards veracity. This lesson, emphasising liberty, simplicity, and commitment to guardianship (Wilayah), offers a comprehensive roadmap for wayfarers to attain unity and reach the Truth through sincerity and adherence to the Shariah.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
