of Nokounam, may his sanctity be revered (Session 35 Introduction Section 35)
The thirty-fifth lesson from the Manzil al-Sirn series centres on the station of transactions, the third among the ten categories of mystical progression. Transactions represent the domain where the seeker, with his heart, embarks upon a divine yearning and, by entrusting affairs wholly to the Truth and forsaking carnal desires, advances towards surrender and the sanctity of the heart. This station constitutes a journey from the observance of outward deeds to the zenith of submission, wherein the seekers heart, akin to a polished mirror, reflects the divine light.
At the station of transactions, the seeker engages in a divine interaction with his heart, whereby the soul, under the influence of the hearts light, becomes obedient and responsive to the divine summons. As articulated in the original text:
وَ هَذِهِ كُلُّهَا انْفِعَالَاتٌ فِي النَّفْسِ وَ قُوَاهَا لِفَيْضَانِ نُورِ الْقَلْبِ عَلَيْهَا تَجْعَلُهَا مُطِيعَةً لَهُ، مُجِيبَةً لِدَوَاعِيهِ فِي (الْمُعَامَلَاتِ).
These psychic affections result from the effusion of the hearts light, rendering the soul obedient and severed in its attachment to the Truth. Transactions are akin to a divine longing, whereby the seeker, relinquishing avarice and carnal appetites, engages in a spiritual covenant with the Exalted Truth. The heart, like a pure vessel, freed from earthly attachments, inclines towards divine proximity.
Compared to the beginnings and gates, transactions represent a loftier stage in mystical progression. In the beginnings, actions may encounter opposition; in the gates, carnal desires might taint the act. Yet in transactions, the seeker meticulously observes divine rights, eschewing all disobedience. This station marks the transition from self-centeredness to God-centredness, where the heart, like a star in the firmament of gnosis, radiates solely towards divine light. This distinction elevates transactions to a threshold where the seeker consciously and scrupulously avoids opposition to the Truth.
Observation is the first station of transactions, wherein the seeker arranges his actions in accordance with divine satisfaction, thus pacifying and disciplining the soul. As expressed in the primary text:
وَ أَوَّلُ مَا يَبْتَدِي بِهِ الْقَلْبُ فِي الْمُعَامَلَةِ (رِعَايَةُ) الْأَعْمَالِ لِتَطْمَئِنَّ النَّفْسُ بِهَا مُطَوَّعَةً.
Observation functions as a key that unlocks the hearts door towards divine obedience. At this stage, the seeker avoids contravening the Truth and aligns his deeds with the divine will. Such observation arises not from carnal desire but solely for the sake of divine proximity, thus guiding the soul from self-centredness to God-centredness.
Following observation, vigilance is the phase where the seeker maintains his observation and guards against its breach. As stated in the original text:
ثُمَّ (مُرَاقَبَةُ) الْحَقِّ فِي السَّيْرِ إِلَيْهِ.
Vigilance operates like a sentinel along the path of spiritual journeying, protecting the seeker from deviation and error. This stage demands continuous awareness of divine supervision. God, as a vigilant rival, oversees the seekers deeds, urging him to preserve observation against the whispers of the soul. Vigilance embodies cautious movement along the path of Truth, preventing the seekers fall into the souls snares.
Vigilance culminates in sanctity, where the seeker accords a sacred precinct to the Exalted Truth, distinguishing between intimate and non-intimate in his heart. The original text declares:
تَعْظِيمُ (الْحُرْمَةِ) وَ إِيفَاءُ حَقِّ الْخَشْيَةِ.
Sanctity functions as a sacred veil shielding the seekers heart from contamination by the non-Truth. This phase invites the seeker to reverence and divine fear, as the Quran proclaims:
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ (Srah al-Baqarah, 2:165; translated by Fooladvand: And the believers have a stronger love for God.)
This love fortifies the sanctity of the Truth in the believers heart and propels him towards detachment in the direction of God.
Sincerity is the stage in which the seeker purifies his action from ostentation and carnal desires. According to the original text, sincerity denotes liberation from other than God, and even the intention of sincerity must remain uninvolved, as such intention itself implies otherness. Sincerity resembles crystal-clear water that cleanses the heart from all non-divine defilements. Ostentation is a hindrance that mars the sanctity of the Truth, whereby the seeker, focusing on the other, distances himself from divine proximity. This stage calls for actions performed solely for God and with the intention of nearness.
Subsequent to sincerity, refinement is the phase wherein the seeker perfects his sincerity. The original text defines refinement as purifying and beautifying sincerity. This stage is analogous to colouring a drawing, rendering sincerity worthy of presentation before the Divine Presence. Refinement cleanses the act of all deficiencies and impurities, enveloping it in clarity and the realm of the divine. Here, the seeker, armed with knowledge and awareness, refines his act for God, eschewing all forms of self-regard and carnal expectation.
Perseverance is a challenging phase wherein the seeker endures with steadfastness in pure action, resisting the hardships inherent in the mystical path. As per the original text:
وَ لَا عَمَلَ إِلَّا (بِالِاسْتِقَامَةِ) فِيهِ إِلَى الْحَقِّ... مُجَاهِدًا فِيهِ.
Perseverance resembles a jihad on the path of Truth, guiding the seeker towards stability and resilience. This stage demands lofty determination and autonomy, enabling the seeker to transcend lower stages and to establish his deeds solely for God.
Trust and delegation follow, leading the seeker from reliance on self to complete entrustment to the Truth. Trust is reliance upon God in moments of solitude, whereas delegation is total submission of affairs to the Truth, such that the seeker no longer considers himself responsible. As stated in the original text:
تَفْوِيضُ أَمْرِهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ and نَعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَ نَعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ.
Delegation surpasses trust because the seeker consigns all matters to God and frees himself from any form of self-centeredness.
Certainty and submission represent the final stages of transactions, wherein the seeker, confident in divine sufficiency, entrusts all affairs to God. Submission is bifurcated into coercive and gracious types. Coercive submission arises from fear and compulsion, often leading to conflict, whereas gracious submission flows from love and passion, culminating in peace and divine proximity. As per the original text:
ثُمَّ تَسْلِيمُ مَا يُزَاحِمُ الْعَقُولَ.
Submission is tantamount to surrendering oneself to the boundless ocean of divinity, guiding the seeker to the shore of hearts wellness.
Among the gravest impediments at the station of transactions are carnal desires and ostentation. The seeker may perform deeds with the intent of spiritual purity or personal benefit, which distances the act from divine proximity. The original text states that even the intention of purity in prayer constitutes shirk, since nearness must be solely for God. Ostentation, even manifesting as an aversion to criticism or opposition, obstructs sincerity. This critique is especially significant within religious communities, where external show is often expected. The seeker must eschew ostentation and hypocrisy, purifying his deeds solely for God.
Illusion and analogy also present obstacles that hinder submission. Illusion pertains to carnal particulars, while analogy relates to superficial calculations. The original text notes:
وَ يَشُقُّ عَلَى الْأَوْهَامِ وَ يُخَالِفُ الْقِيَاسِ.
Such impediments divert the seeker toward material and superficial concerns, such as anxieties about the future or apparent losses. The seeker must cleanse his intellect of illusion by the light of sacred law and be guided towards submission.
Knowledge is the fundamental prerequisite for action in spiritual progression. As the original text elucidates, Every deed we perform must be performed with knowledge. Knowledge functions as a beacon illuminating the path of spiritual journeying, safeguarding actions from ignorance and error. The seeker, through knowledge, eschews blind imitation and erroneous habits, regulating their deeds in accordance with Divine satisfaction.
Sharia complements reason within the spiritual path. As articulated in the source text: Reason is freed from the impurity of illusion only through the light of Sharia. Moreover, it is stated: Indeed, God has two proofs over mankind: an apparent proof and an inner proof. The apparent proof comprises the prophets and messengers, whereas the inner proof is reason itself. Reason alone, devoid of Sharia, is incapable of guiding the seeker. Sharia serves as a guide that purifies reason from the taint of illusion and directs it towards reality.
Transactions constitute the vessel for the purity of the heart, wherein the seeker submits their heart to the Truth and attains Divine peace. This purity, akin to a precious gem, prepares the heart for entry into the realm of ethics. As the original text expresses, When the heart attains the peace of the Truth, it truly enters the domain of ethics. This purity results from complete submission, which transforms the seeker from self-centeredness to Truth-centeredness.
Following transactions, the seeker enters the ethical station, where spiritual virtues such as contentment, gratitude, altruism, and chivalry manifest. As elucidated in the original text: To seek assistance through these virtues in affirming the noble qualities within the soul, which are ethics. These virtues are particular to the saints or believers possessing a unitive inner reality. Altruism and chivalry resemble the fruits of a tree that has grown in the soil of submission and flourished by the light of gnosis.
