the lectures of Nokounam, may his sanctity be preserved (Session Fifty-Nine Chapter of Repentance Part Seven)
The chapter on repentance in the revered text Manzil al-Sirn, authored by Khwja Abdullah Ansr, represents a foundational stage within the mystical path, guiding the spiritual seeker from the darkness of heedlessness and sin towards the divine light. Lesson seven of this chapter, concentrating on the concept of al-Tawbah min al-Tawbah (repentance from repentance), unveils one of the profound mystical secrets. This concept introduces a transcendent and exceptional form of repentance that surpasses mere sincere repentance (tawbah nas) and repentance from sin, instead focusing on perpetual abasement and the eradication of egoism.
In Manzil al-Sirn, Khwja Abdullah Ansr presents repentance from repentance as one of the genuine secrets of repentance, stating: Al-Tawbah min al-Tawbah min Asrr al-Tawbah
(Repentance from repentance is among the secrets of repentance). This phrase serves as a key opening a gateway to profound mystical knowledge. Unlike sincere repentance, which is oriented towards deliverance from apparent sin, repentance from repentance denotes an ongoing abasement and the removal of any presence other than the Divine Reality. As elucidated in the lectures, due to its complexity and mystical depth, this concept demands precise and comprehensive explanation.
Although the original text of Manzil al-Sirn and its commentary acknowledge the notion of repentance from repentance, they fall short of providing a clear and thorough meaning. Khwja Abdullah Ansr states: Al-Tawbah min al-Tawbah abadan
(Repentance from repentance is eternal), which points to an everlasting continuity of repentance, yet this concept is not fully explicated. The commentator, stating that no sin remains for one to repent from, for he has repented
, reduces repentance from repentance merely to the absence of sin. This interpretation limits the mystical profundity of the concept and calls for reconsideration.
The fundamental question arises: what precisely is meant by repentance from repentance? Does it imply the abandonment of repentance or its continual practice? The lectures set forth this inquiry as the point of departure for analysis and identify two essential conditions for repentance from repentance: perpetual continuity of repentance and the removal of any non-divine presence. These two conditions distinguish repentance from repentance from ordinary repentance and elevate it to a transcendent rank.
The foremost condition of repentance from repentance is the perpetual continuity of repentance, or al-Inkisr al-Dim (constant abasement). This continuity signifies a perpetual state of humility and submission before the Divine, guiding the seeker from intermittent acts of repentance to an eternal repentance. Repentance from repentance resembles a flowing river that never ceases its course, safeguarding the seekers heart from any interruption.
The second condition of repentance from repentance is its disassociation from sin and its focus on the eradication of any non-divine presenceegoism and otherness. Contrary to sincere repentance, which aims at liberation from apparent sin, repentance from repentance concerns the obliteration of self-centeredness and attention to what is other than the Truth. This repentance elevates the seeker to a station wherein no entity other than the Divine Reality dwells in the heart, as if the mirror of the heart reflects only the manifestation of the Truth.
The commentator, by asserting that no sin remains for one to repent from
, limits repentance from repentance to the mere absence of sin. This interpretation, by overlooking the essential condition of egoisms removal, neglects the profound mystical dimension of repentance from repentance. Repentance from repentance is not merely concerned with external sin but fundamentally points to perpetual abasement and the eradication of otherness before the Divine Reality.
One of the most authoritative sources explicating repentance from repentance is the thirty-first supplication in the afah al-Sajjdiyyah. Imam al-Sajjd (peace be upon him) states:
اللَّهُمَّ أَيَّمَا عَبْدٍ تَابَ إِلَيْكَ وَ هُوَ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ، فَاسِخٌ لِتَوْبَتِهِ، وَ عَائِدٌ فِي ذَنْبِهِ وَ خَطِيئَتِهِ ... فَإِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَكُونَ كَذَلِكَ
(: O God, whichever servant repents to You while in Your unseen knowledge he breaks his repentance and returns to his sin and fault... I seek refuge in You that I be such.) This supplication emphatically seeks an unbreakable and everlasting repentance that is protected from returning to sin.
Imam al-Sajjd (peace be upon him) continues in the supplication:
فَاجْعَلْ تَوْبَتِي هَذِهِ تَوْبَةً لَا أَحْتَاجُ بَعْدَهَا إِلَى تَوْبَةٍ
(: Make this repentance of mine such that I require no repentance after it.) This passage beseeches a complete and perpetual repentance that prevents the seeker from any rupture or return to that which is other than the Truth.
In the Forty-Seventh Supplication of the Sahifa Sajjadiya, Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) exquisitely negates egoism:
وَ أَنَا بَعْدُ أَقَلُّ الْأَقَلِّينَ وَ أَذَلُّ الْأَذَلِّينَ وَ مِثْلَ الذَّرَّةِ أَوْ دُونَهَا
(s translation: And I am after all the least of the least, the most abject of the abject, like a particle or even less.).
The usage of the phrase أنا بعد instead of the mere أنا is a hallmark of mystical etiquette, indicating the complete negation of egoism. This linguistic subtlety introduces the concept of the Jalali repentance as a sublime station in spiritual progression.
The Holy Quran, in a luminous verse, states:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا
(al-Tahrim: 8, s translation: O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance.).
Tawbah Nasuh is a general form of repentance commanding deliverance from apparent sins and is attainable by all believers. However, repentance from repentance, owing to its focus on the eradication of egoism and alterity, is exclusive to the elect of God and the spiritually perfected.
Tawbah Nasuh constitutes the initial step in the path of spiritual wayfaring, liberating the seeker from sin and deprivation. Conversely, repentance from repentance is akin to a lofty summit, reserved for the elect of God, wherein no trace of ego or external presence remains. This distinction delineates the various spiritual stations and elevates repentance from repentance as a supreme spiritual rank.
Repentance from repentance bifurcates into two types: Jamali and Jalali. Jamali repentance transpires within the realm of Divine Beauty and involves the limited presence of egoism. At this stage, Divine Beauty casts such a shadow upon the seekers heart that no space remains for otherness. This repentance resembles a mirror reflecting the light of Divine Beauty, yet still bears a faint shadow of the أنا.
Jalali repentance represents a loftier station in which egoism is utterly annihilated. The seeker, immersed in the Divine Majesty, becomes entirely effaced in the Divine Essence, leaving no trace of selfhood. This repentance is like an ocean that dissolves every drop of أنا within itself, leading the seeker to the station of total annihilation and ultimate trust (Himan).
The Sahifa Sajjadiya, as an unparalleled source in mystical knowledge, explicates repentance from repentance with unparalleled depth. This noble book is not merely a compendium of supplications but a didactic manual for mystical wayfaring, presenting exalted concepts such as repentance from repentance in a refined and literary language. The emphasis on a rigorous and scholarly study of the Sahifa has been duly noted in the didactic lectures.
In the didactic lectures, mystical verses have been presented as a metaphorical representation of the seekers states during repentance from repentance:
My endeavour lies on the path of mysticism / I have become utterly selfless and detached from all My pain stems from the concealed gaze / My soul and heart have become entirely laden Page by page, my heart has become the Quran / My witness, although it was inwardly hidden
These verses eloquently articulate the seekers mystical experience of liberation from egoism, metaphorically portraying Jalali repentance. The seekers heart resembles a Quran upon which the verses of the Truth are inscribed, having cleansed all forms of otherness.
The fifty-ninth lesson from Manzil al-Sirn, regarding repentance, introduces the concept of التوبة من التوبة (repentance from repentance) as one of the profound mystical secrets. This concept, distinguished from Tawbah Nasuh by two conditionscontinuous and perpetual repentance and the removal of egoism and othernessis exclusive to Gods elect and the perfected. Repentance from repentance is divided into Jamali and Jalali types: Jamali repentance occurs within the sphere of Divine Beauty with limited ego presence, while Jalali repentance is situated within the sphere of Divine Majesty and is utterly devoid of any selfhood. Reference to the Sahifa Sajjadiya, especially the Thirty-First and Forty-Seventh supplications, elucidates this concept with exquisite subtlety and depth. The original text of Manzil al-Sirn, however, due to its incomplete explication of the conditions of repentance from repentance, falls short of providing a comprehensive understanding.
