of Nokoonam, may his sacred secret be sanctified (Session Fifty-Four Chapter on Repentance Part Two)
Repentance, as a gateway towards Divine proximity, constitutes a fundamental station in the course of mystical wayfaring, guiding the seeker from the darkness of sin to the illumination of return to the Truth. The fifty-fourth lesson of the noble book Manzil al-Sirn, authored by Khwja Abdullah Ansr, elucidates the conditions for the realization of this spiritual station, presenting it as the second chapter among the beginnings (badyt), following awakening (yaqah). This lesson, through a profound and meticulous examination, identifies three principal conditions of repentance: heartfelt remorse, verbal apology, and practical cessation. It emphasises the necessity of preparing the self for embracing this spiritual transformation. Within this perspective, repentance is not merely a return from sin but a profound surgery of the soul, achieved through patience, resolve, and Divine grace.
Repentance, linguistically and within mystical terminology, denotes the turning back and returning from sin towards the Exalted Truth. This return is a spiritual movement which guides the seeker from the path of deviation onto the highway of Divine proximity. Just as a refreshing breeze revitalizes the weary spirit, repentance directs the soul from the darkness of sin towards the brightness of obedience. This process represents a pivotal juncture in mystical wayfaring, situated after awakening as the second station among the beginnings, and requires a suitable ground for its actualization.
Within the hierarchical stages of Manzil al-Sirn, repentance follows awakening, since awakening and awareness of heedlessness are prerequisites for returning to the Truth. Just as soil requires tillage before sowing seeds, the soul necessitates reckoning and vigilance for accepting repentance. Reckoning provides the seeker with awareness of sins, while vigilance prevents the addition of new sins. These two, like vigilant guardians, preserve repentance and guide the seeker towards perfection.
In technical terminology, a condition is that upon which the existence of a matter depends. In repentance, conditions serve as firm pillars establishing the edifice of return to the Truth. These conditions comprise heartfelt remorse, verbal apology, and practical cessation, each functioning as a link in the chain of repentance, drawing the soul towards perfection.
Remorse is a heartfelt regret which, like a flame within the seeker, distances them from the delight of sin. This state accompanies anxiety and concern over the sin and prepares the soul for return to the Truth. A wayfarer who is reminded of sin with pleasure resembles a patient not yet ready for surgery. The delight of sin, akin to forbidden food, engrosses the soul and obstructs the emergence of remorse. To actualize remorse, the wayfarer must avoid recalling the sin, as one would abstain from poisoned food in order to preserve life.
Certain sins have so deeply entrenched themselves in the soul that their remembrance provokes it. In such a case, immediate repentance is unattainable; rather, the wayfarer must, like a patient requiring nourishment before surgery, liberate the soul from its attachment to sin. Avoidance of recalling the sin, like clear water, cleanses the mind from contamination and prepares the ground for remorse.
Occasionally, God the Exalted afflicts His servant with Divine affliction to extinguish the desire for sin within them. This affliction, like a wise blow, frees the soul from the delight of sin and lays the groundwork for repentance. Just as the death of a beloved diminishes ones appetite for food, Divine affliction likewise eradicates the inclination towards sin. Nevertheless, patience in the face of affliction is a prerequisite for benefiting from this Divine grace. A wayfarer who resists affliction, like a patient refusing treatment, remains deprived of repentance.
Supplicating God for repentance indicates humility and dependence on Divine grace. The seeker must beseech the Exalted Truth to cultivate the grounds of remorse within, as though requesting the Divine gardener to water the sapling of repentance.
Apology constitutes a verbal expression of contrition which, through repeated supplication for forgiveness (istighfr), consolidates heartfelt remorse. This supplication, like a breeze cleansing the dust from the mirror of the heart, guides the soul towards return. Yet, supplication without remorse is like hollow speech, devoid of authenticity. Nokoonam, may his sacred secret be sanctified, emphasises that genuine supplication arises only when the heart is sincerely repentant and the senses especially hearing and sight apprehend it.
At elevated stages of the path, the senses attain a unity wherein the eye hears and the ear sees, as if the human faculties operate in their perfected state within paradise. This perspective reveals the profound impact of supplication, which directs not only the heart but the entire body towards repentance. However, false shame from apology, like a barrier to humility, obstructs repentance. Nokoonam critiques the hypocrisy in Pharaohs supplication and regards the Prophets apology as a paradigm for wayfarers.
Iqla, the practical renunciation of sin, functions like a sharp scissor severing the bonds of transgression from the limbs. This stage constitutes the definitive act of repentance, wherein sin is excised from the conduct of the seeker and places them firmly upon the path of complete return. Iqla necessitates volition and exertion, as if the seeker, with their own hands, uproots the sin from their soul. Repentance devoid of Iqla resembles a rootless treeunstable and incapable of attaining perfection.
Nokounam analogises repentance to surgery: regret acts as an analgesic soothing the pain; apology functions as preparation, readying the soul; and Iqla constitutes the final operation that removes sin from the faculties. This process resembles the closure of a wound, wherein the bleeding (the pleasure of sin) must first be arrested so that the adhesive of repentance (Iqla) may take effect efficaciously.
The pleasure derived from sin, akin to a deceptive bait, engrosses the commanding soul (nafs al-ammrah) and hinders the emergence of remorse. The seeker whose remembrance of sin engenders delight is like a patient habituated to the taste of poison. Certain sins have become so deeply entrenched within the soul that their recollection provokes the self and renders repentance impossible. Moreover, false shame in seeking forgiveness and resistance to divine affliction act as towering barriers that prevent the seeker from returning to the truth.
To overcome these obstacles, the seeker must avoid recalling the sin as one distances themselves from a consuming fire. Petitioning God for remorse acts like a merciful rain, preparing the heart for regret. Patience in the face of divine trial serves as a golden key, unlocking the doors of repentance. Likewise, self-accountability and vigilance function as illuminating lamps along the path, preventing dispersion and relapse into sin.
Repentance possesses dual dimensions: the moral (khuluq) and the divine (aqq). The moral dimension pertains to the inner transformation of the self and the seekers endeavour to return to the truth, whereas the divine dimension depends upon Gods acceptance of repentance and His gracious mercy. These two dimensions resemble the two wings of a bird, propelling repentance towards perfection. Full engagement in the path of return dispels defect and leads repentance to its consummation.
The fifty-fourth lesson of Manzil al-Sirn explicates repentance as the second station of beginnings, conditioned by three prerequisites: regret, apology, and abandonment (Iqla). Regret, like an analgesic, liberates the heart from the pleasure of sin; apology, through repeated supplication, consolidates this remorse; and Iqla, as the final surgical act, excises sin from the faculties. This process necessitates self-accountability, vigilance, and patience amid divine trials so that the soul may be directed towards proximity to the Divine. Repentance is akin to a sapling which, nourished by divine grace and tended by the seekers care, matures into a robust tree, guiding one towards perfection.
