the lectures of Nokounam, (Session Forty-Six Chapter of Yaqzah Part One)
The chapter of Yaqzah (awakening), as the gateway to mystical wayfaring in the revered text Manzil al-Sirn authored by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, occupies a foundational status. Yaqzah, the awakening from the slumber of heedlessness and desire, constitutes the point of departure for the seeker towards gnosis and righteous action, without which no spiritual progress is conceivable. This chapter, situated within the section of beginnings (badyt), inaugurates a journey that guides the wayfarer from the darkness of heedlessness to the light of awareness. The book Manzil al-Sirn, with its systematic structure comprising ten sections, each containing ten chapters, and each chapter comprising no fewer than three parts, delineates mystical wayfaring in a gradual and logical manner. In the present treatise, relying on the lectures of Nokounam, , the chapter of Yaqzah is examined with a scientific and analytical approach; its position among other stations is clarified alongside a critique of diverse viewpoints regarding the point of commencement of wayfaring. Moreover, the Quranic verse chosen at the outset of this chapter (Srah Saba, verse 46) is critiqued in terms of its congruence with the concept of Yaqzah, and the key insights from the lectures are systematically presented.
The book Manzil al-Sirn, with its precise and systematic framework, portrays mystical wayfaring through ten sections, each encompassing ten chapters, and each chapter consisting of at least three parts. This division, which collectively amounts to a minimum of three hundred parts, offers a gradual and logical approach to the path. The section of beginnings (badyt), as the initial phase, comprises ten chapters namely: Yaqzah (Awakening), Repentance, Self-Accountability, Return, Reflection, Remembrance, Holding Fast, Flight, Asceticism, and Spiritual Listening (sam). This structure resembles a ladder that guides the wayfarer step by step from heedlessness toward gnosis and righteous action.
The beginnings constitute the stage wherein the seeker is roused from the slumber of heedlessness and prepared for progression through subsequent stages of wayfaring. Yaqzah, as the first chapter of this section, forms the foundation for all ensuing stages, for without awakening no spiritual motion is possible. This systematic framework functions like a map guiding the wayfarer through the intricate path, and Yaqzah is akin to a torch that cleaves through the darkness of heedlessness.
Yaqzah, meaning awakening from the slumber of heedlessness and desire, constitutes the point of departure for mystical wayfaring. This chapter propels the seeker from stagnation and oblivion toward awareness and spiritual movement. Just as a traveller asleep in the darkness of night awakens with the rising sun to seek his path, so too the wayfarer, through Yaqzah, steps forth from the obscurity of heedlessness to the light of gnosis. Without this awakening, subsequent stages of wayfaringfrom repentance to spiritual listeningstand like a building lacking a foundation, precariously established on unstable ground.
The lectures emphasize that Yaqzah is an indispensable prerequisite for wayfaring, for a person in the slumber of heedlessness lacks the capacity for any spiritual act. This awakening is not only the commencement of the path but also the condition for the realization of all subsequent stations. As Khwaja Abdullah Ansari has positioned Yaqzah at the forefront of the beginnings, this choice is both logical and foundational, since awakening is the gateway to the realm of gnosis and action.
The verse that Khwaja Abdullah Ansari places at the forefront of the chapter Yaqzah is verse 46 of Srah Saba in the Holy Quran:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَعِظُكُمْ بِوَاحِدَةٍ أَنْ تَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ مَثْنَىٰ وَفُرَادَىٰ ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُوا مَا بِصَاحِبِكُمْ مِنْ جِنَّةٍ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ لَكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ
's Translation: Say: I only admonish you to one thing, that you stand up for God, two by two or individually, then reflect; there is no madness in your companion. He is but a warner for you before a severe punishment.
The lecture critically examines the suitability of this verse with respect to the concept of Yaqzah, deeming it incongruent. The verse refers to admonition, standing up, and reflectionall stages that follow awakening. Admonition is an address delivered to those already awake, as a person asleep lacks the capacity to receive counsel. Standing up denotes a conscious movement toward truth that occurs post-awakening, and reflection is a deliberate act necessitating prior awareness. Accordingly, this verse alludes to later stages of the path and does not align with the involuntary awakening represented by Yaqzah.
This critique is analogous to a misguided signpost leading a traveller astray; rather than inviting the seeker to awaken, the verse summons him to stand and reflect, stages subsequent to awakening. This incongruity underscores the necessity for meticulous selection of Quranic evidences when explicating mystical concepts.
The lecture surveys the diverse perspectives of mystics and philosophers concerning the point of commencement of the spiritual path, affirming Yaqzah as the logical point of origin. Some of these viewpoints include:
This diversity of perspectives resembles multiple routes all leading to a destination; yet the path of Yaqzah, due to its involuntary nature and fundamental role, is the shortest and most logical route toward wayfaring.
The lecture critiques those views which do not designate Yaqzah as the beginning of the path, stressing the necessity of awakening as a prerequisite for all stages. Repentance, faith, Islam, asceticism, reflection, and divine unity are all stages that require awareness and volitionboth of which are only attainable through Yaqzah. For instance, repentance is an act unattainable by one asleep, as returning to truth demands recognition of error and awakening from heedlessness. Faith, as heartfelt acceptance of truth, and asceticism, as renunciation of the world, likewise cannot arise absent prior awakening.
This critique is akin to illuminating a torch in darkness, revealing that without the light of Yaqzah, none of the subsequent stages can lead the seeker to the destination. Yaqzah is the key that unlocks the gates of wayfaring.
Yaqzah, denoting the awakening from the slumber of heedlessness and desire, marks the inception of the spiritual journey (sulk). This awakening, akin to the dawns emergence within the heart of night, transports the seeker from the darkness of ignorance to the illumination of awareness. The lecture emphatically asserts that without yaqzah, no spiritual progression transpires, for the slumbering individual lacks the capacity for metaphysical movement. Yaqzah constitutes a pivotal juncture, guiding the seeker from stagnation towards motion, and from oblivion towards gnosis.
This awakening serves not merely as a necessary condition for the commencement of sulk but as the foundation underpinning all subsequent stages. Just as the lofty edifice of gnosis is firmly anchored upon the steadfast base of yaqzah, without such a foundation, no phase of the spiritual journey can be actualised.
A salient attribute of yaqzah is its involuntary nature. The lecture conceives yaqzah as a divine gift, bestowed suddenly and without the seekers volition. This involuntariness resembles a breeze that unexpectedly caresses the branches of the heart, rousing the seeker from heedless slumber. Unlike deliberate acts such as contemplation or repentance, yaqzah lacks a preceding cause, rendering it the logical and unconditional point of departure for sulk.
This feature dissuades the seeker from egocentrism and directs them towards practical monotheism (tawd), since the awakening arises not from personal capacity but from divine grace.
The lecture enumerates several causes of awakening, all functioning as divine intermediaries: the attention of saints (awliy), poverty, affliction, or providential favours. These factors resemble rain that moistens the thirsty soil of the heart and nurtures the sapling of gnosis. Sometimes, it is the care of a wali of God; at other times, a physical impediment, or poverty and need, which rouse the seeker from heedlessness. Remarkably, at the moment of awakening, the seeker remains unaware of who or what has roused them, and this anonymity renders yaqzah a divine bestowal.
The lecture advises the seeker to abstain from haste in action post-awakening and to engage instead in thoughtful reflection. Just as a traveller, upon waking, pauses momentarily to orient themselves towards their destination, so too must the seeker, following yaqzah, pause and comprehend the knowledge bestowed through awakening. Rashness after yaqzah signifies heedlessness, as it deprives the seeker of fully benefiting from this divine gift.
This reflection acts as a mirror, revealing the reality of awakening to the seeker and preparing them for the ensuing stages of the spiritual journey.
The lecture stresses the pivotal role of prayer and supplication to the saints in securing awakening. The seeker, resembling a child clinging to their mother, must entreat the saints and prophets for awakening. The custom of soliciting prayers, holding a distinguished place in our religious culture, manifests humility and trust in the efficacy of others prayers. Visiting the graves of the pious, acts of charity, and almsgiving serve as keys that open the gates of awakening to the seeker.
A central point of the lecture is the negation of egocentrism in awakening. Reliance on oneself for awakening constitutes shirk (polytheism), obstructing the seekers path to tawd. Just as a knife cannot sever its own handle, the seeker is incapable of awakening themselves unaided. This dependence on divine grace invites humility and supplication before the Divine.
Yaqzah, as the genesis of the spiritual journey, guides the seeker towards practical monotheism. This awakening, a divine gift, safeguards the seeker from self-centeredness and shirk in action. The lecture affirms that yaqzah is a divine remedy that cures the malady of heedlessness and directs the seeker towards true gnosis of the Divine. This linkage with tawd resembles a rivulet flowing from the spring of yaqzah into the vast ocean of gnosis.
By instilling awareness within the seekers heart, yaqzah rouses them from the sleep of heedlessness and desire, propelling them towards standing before God and reflecting upon the divine signs. This movement constitutes not only the commencement of sulk but also the foundation upon which all subsequent stages are established.
The chapter on yaqzah, as the initial station among the category of beginnings (Badayt) in Manzil al-Sirn, represents the point of departure for the mystical journey, guiding the seeker from the slumber of heedlessness towards the light of awareness. This awakening, both a divine and involuntary bestowal, is the prerequisite for all stages of sulk, from repentance to monotheism. The lecture by Nokounam critically examines various viewpoints, including those of Ibn Sina, Khwaja Nasir, Haji, Bahr al-Ulum, Qushayri, and Imam , underscoring the priority of yaqzah as the logical point of departure for the spiritual path. The introductory verse of the chapter (Sura Saba, verse 46), due to its reference to admonition, standing, and contemplation, does not correspond to the concept of yaqzah, as these stages presuppose a prior awakening.
Yaqzah, characterised by its involuntariness and dependence on divine grace, redirects the seeker from egocentrism towards practical tawd. The causes of awakening, ranging from the attention of saints to affliction and poverty, function as divine intermediaries preparing the seeker for sulk. The counsel to reflect after awakening restrains the seeker from precipitancy and guides them towards profound comprehension of the acquired knowledge.