the lecture series of Nokounam, (Session Sixty-Four Chapter on Repentance Section Twelve)
Lecture sixty-four of the venerable book Manzil al-Sirn, authored by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, dedicated to the subject of repentance within its second subtle section (lafah), delves profoundly into the esoteric secrets of repentance through a mystical and monotheistic perspective. This lecture, enriched by the erudite commentary of Nokounam, may his spirit rest in peace, examines the spiritual wayfarers station on the path of inner journeying and elucidates his relationship with concepts such as sin, divine decree, forgiveness, and the boundless grace of the Exalted Truth. Within this framework, repentance transcends mere external renunciation of sin to become an ontological voyage towards the Divine and a deep cognizance of human intrinsic poverty before the divine benevolence.
The second subtlety of repentance, as explicated in the discourse of Nokounam, , rests on the principle that a discerning and sincere seeker must attain the awareness that their pursuit is inherently intertwined with evil (sayyiah) and that no intrinsic good (asana) remains with them. This awareness guides the seeker toward two essential axes: firstly, the observation of Divine grace, whereby every good and virtue originates solely from the Exalted Truth, and secondly, the quest for faults within the self and action, which distances them from self-conceit and self-reliance. Khwaja Abdullah Ansari articulates this subtlety as follows: اللطيفة الثانية أن يعلمَ أنّ طلب البصير الصادق سيئته لم يبق له حسنة بحالٍ، لانَّهُ يسير بين مشاهدة المنّة و تطلُّب عيب النفس والعمل. This statement invites the seeker to contemplate their existential indigence and absolute dependence on divine grace, as if floating in a sea of Gods bounty, each wave drawing them closer to the shore of humility and surrender.
Key Insight: A discerning and sincere wayfarer must acknowledge that their pursuit is inherently mingled with evil and possesses no intrinsic good, for their journey oscillates between observing Divine grace and seeking faults of the self and deed.
This mystical principle cautions against self-conceit and presumptuous claims to deserving goodness, steering the seeker toward humility and submission before the Exalted Truth. Upon witnessing Divine grace, the wayfarer realizes that every apparent good or virtue is granted solely by God, with no independence whatsoever within themselves. This worldview is rooted in the doctrine of Tawd al-Afl (Unity of Divine Acts), which asserts that God alone is the true agent of all affairs and that humans are merely the locus of manifestation for these acts. The noble Quranic verse وَإِذَا مَسَّ الْإِنْسَانَ ضُرٌّ دَعَا رَبَّهُ مُنِيبًا إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلَهُ نِعْمَةً مِنْهُ نَسِيَ مَا كَانَ يَدْعُو إِلَيْهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ (Az-Zumar: 8), meaning And when adversity touches man, he calls upon his Lord, turning to Him; then when He bestows upon him a favour from Himself, he forgets what he used to call upon before , reinforces this concept. Humans return to God in times of hardship but often forget His grace when favours are bestowed. At this stage, repentance reminds the individual of divine bounty and guides them from heedlessness toward true knowledge.
Nokounam, , elucidates the secrets of repentance within three axes. The first concerns the seekers state positioned between sin (jinyah) and divine decree (qa). This position places the seeker in suspense between two destinies: divine forgiveness or retribution for deeds. He states: بين يدى الجناية والقضية, that is, the individual perceives themselves at the heart of transgression which may culminate either in Gods forgiveness or in the recompense of their action. This condition holds the seeker in a state of fear and hope, as if standing amid a tempest of sin and divine judgment, with repentance as the sole means to a secure haven in divine mercy.
Key Insight: The wayfarer, at the moment of repentance, finds themselves suspended between sin and divine decree, inhabiting a state of fear and hope that leads either to divine forgiveness or to the consequences of their actions.
This paradoxical state compels the seeker to contemplate the ultimate fate of their actions. Fear of divine punishment coupled with hope for forgiveness propels repentance forward. Without repentance, sin would engulf the individual, leading them to ruin. Yet repentance, like a divine rope, rescues the seeker from the whirlpool of transgression and guides them toward the light of forgiveness. This perspective presents repentance as a dynamic process that maintains the seeker in equilibrium between fear and hope, akin to standing on a balance scale with sin on one side and divine mercy on the other, repentance harmonising this delicate balance.
The second secret of repentance emphasises that the seeker must regard themselves as entirely indebted to divine kindness. Every good deed, every act of repentance, or abandonment of sin results solely from the infinite grace of the Exalted Truth. Nokounam states: The human being should perceive themselves as wholly indebted to divine grace, and all their actions ultimately pertain to God. This principle dissuades presumptuous claims to deserving goodness and directs the individual toward trust and submission. The seeker is likened to a flower blossoming in the garden of divine benevolence, each petal of goodness nourished by the breeze of Gods mercy.
Key Insight: The seeker must perceive themselves as indebted to divine grace, as every good and repentance is the result of Gods favour, leaving no intrinsic entitlement for the individual.
The third axis concentrates on the fact that the true agent of all good and evil is God. Even the apparent deficiencies and evils in the world originate from divine will and creation; human acts are merely vessels manifesting these realities. Nokounam asserts: The agent deserving entitlement is the Lord... Even the apparent evils and deficiencies manifesting in the world all arise from the creation by the Exalted Truth, not through the actions of servants. This stance is grounded in the doctrine of Tawd al-Afl, identifying God as the true agent of all affairs. The noble Quranic verse مَا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِنْ نَفْسِكَ (An-Nis: 79), meaning Whatever good befalls you is from God, and whatever evil befalls you is from yourself , clarifies this concept. Mystically, even evil traces back to divine will, though it is ascribed outwardly to the self.
Key Insight: God alone is the true agent of every good and evil, and human actions are merely the loci of these divine acts, a notion rooted deeply in the doctrine of Divine Agency.
One profound secret of repentance concerns the role of disobedience (iyn) within the cosmic order. Nokounam inquires: Why has the Exalted God created disobedience? Disobedience itself is a secret of repentance, for without disobedience, repentance would not exist. Disobedience is bifurcated into two levels: a general level indicating human power and free will, deemed a perfection; and a particular level revealing defect in human action. This distinction introduces disobedience as a vital existential necessity within creation, enabling repentance. It is as if disobedience is the shadow that accentuates the light of repentance, without which the radiance of repentance would be meaningless.
Key Insight: Disobedience, as the secret of repentance, forms the foundation for the manifestation of human virtues, since without the possibility of sin, repentance and justice would lose meaning.
The justice of the just, the infallibility of the infallible, and the repentance of the faithful all appear as manifestations of the tresses of disobedience. Nokounam remarks: The justice of the just, the infallibility of the infallible, and the believers repentance are all manifestations of the entanglement with disobedience. This perspective frames disobedience as the essential context that makes human virtues possible. Without the potential for sin, justice and infallibility would be devoid of meaning, as these virtues emerge in opposition to the possibility of disobedience. Disobedience is akin to the soil in which the seeds of justice and infallibility are sown, with repentance as the fruit borne by this garden.
Nokounam employs a poignant allegory to elucidate the role of repentance in liberation from disobedience: Imagine someone unconscious, and you are perplexed whether this person will regain consciousness or not. What transpires? They are between sin and decree. Repentance resembles the physician who awakens the patient lost in the stupor of sin, rescuing them from spiritual death. Without repentance, sin would suffocate the individual; yet repentance keeps them suspended between fear and hope, guiding them toward forgiveness.
Nokounam delivers a learned critique rejecting the notion of humans innate sinfulness: Their evil is not true evil; we are neither evil nor good by nature; this means there is no intrinsic goodness. Humans possess neither innate good nor innate evil; all originates from God. This critique counters viewpoints positing humans as inherently sinful. As divine manifestations, humans hold no independence regarding good or evil; their evils stem from the self and their deeds, not from their essence, which reflects the Divine. The individual is like a mirror reflecting the light of God; if tarnished, it reflects darkness, but it is not inherently dark.
Key Insight: Humans possess neither innate goodness nor innate evil; all qualities are derived from divine grace, emphasizing the complete dependence of human beings on Gods mercy.
Lecture sixty-four of Manzil al-Sirn as illuminated by Nokounam offers a profound and multifaceted exploration of repentance that transcends mere ritualism. It situates repentance within a sophisticated spiritual ontology, emphasizing human poverty, divine grace, and the unity of divine acts. The lecture invites the seeker to a deep awareness of their state between sin and divine decree, their complete indebtedness to divine favour, and the recognition of God as the sole agent of all affairs. It also affirms the indispensable role of disobedience in the cosmic order as the secret foundation of repentance, justice, and infallibility. This treatise remains a beacon for spiritual wayfarers seeking the path of truth illuminated by the mercy and justice of the Divine.
The human being is emphasised and portrayed as the manifestation of the Divine Truth inherently possessing a fair countenance rather than a dark one. It is as if humanity were a precious gem shaped within the divine mine, where any imperfection arises solely from the dust accumulated along the path, and not from the essence of the gem itself.
Nokounam critiques the erroneous perspective that regards humans as inherently dark-faced by referencing a problematic verse: سيه روئى ز ممكن در دو عالم / جدا نگردد مگر اللّه أعلم. This view, which considers the human being to be innately dark-faced, contradicts foundational mystical principles. He asserts: We are not dark-faced but fair-faced; we are all manifestations why then should we be dark-faced?
As the Divine manifestation, the human being possesses an intrinsic dignity, and any degradation hinders spiritual progress. This critique is grounded in mystical psychology, which holds that humiliation of the human obstructs his spiritual path. The human is likened to the sun, which, although sometimes veiled by clouds of the nafs (ego), remains essentially luminous.
Nokounam refers to the prayer الهى لا تكلنى الى نفسى طرفة عين أبدآ, meaning O God, do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye. This supplication epitomises the total dependence of the human being on Divine grace. Even in states of sin or deprivation, God does not abandon the human; rather, He diminishes success in order to prompt repentance and guidance. He states: It is impossible for Him to abandon us; if He did, that would mean nothing at all!
This abandonment signifies a reduction in divine favour or distance from guidance, not complete desertion. The human is thus akin to a child who, even when lost, holds the hand of the Divine Father and is never fully released.
He emphasises that God never fully abandons the human to his own devices: We have said that abandonment does not exist; God never leaves anyone to themselves.
Even in the worst circumstances, Divine grace guides the human. This abandonment means diminution of success or distancing from guidance, not total desertion. This principle underscores Gods infinite mercy, which holds even the denizens of Hell within His grasp. The human is likened to a bird which, even in falling, is encompassed by the wings of Divine mercy.
The commentator identifies the truthful seer as one endowed with insight, who perceives the realities of things as they truly are: البصير الصادق هو الذى لَه بصيرةٌ، يعرف بها حقائق الاشياء كما هى. Such insight protects the spiritual wayfarer from error in perceiving realities. Nokounam affirms this definition but stresses that the truthful seer should not regard humans as inherently evil. If the wayfarers good deeds are pure for God, they are regarded as a divine favour; if tainted with ostentation and showmanship, they arise from the faults of the nafs. The wayfarer is likened to a painter whose picture is radiant if his colours derive from Divine light, but darkened if sullied by the dust of the ego.
Drawing on the commentator, Nokounam states: If the wayfarer regards his good deeds as purely for God, he considers them a divine favour; if mixed with ostentation and desire for prestige, they are from the faults of the nafs.
This principle emphasises the importance of sincerity in action. Pure virtues are from God, whereas ostentatious deeds stem from the deficiencies of the self. In either case, the human does not possess an inherent virtue, for blessings are from God and sins from the nafs. The wayfarer resembles a river, clear and pure if sourced from the spring of Truth, but darkened if contaminated by the mud of the ego.
The commentator states: فعلى التقدرين لم يبق له حسنةٌ, meaning in both cases (pure or ostentatious deeds) no inherent virtue remains for the human. Nokounam concurs but insists this should not be interpreted as inherent evil in humanity. Humans have no independence in good or evil; all originates from God. Sins stem from the nafs and human actions, not from the essence that is the Divine manifestation. The human is like a vessel which, if filled with the wine of Truth, is sweet; if filled with the poison of the ego, bitter. Yet the vessel itself is neither sweet nor bitter.
Nokounam emphasises that all beings, including humans, are Divine manifestations: All creatures are manifestations from God; sometimes the manifestation is rebellious, and sometimes it is not.
Both good and evil are Divine manifestations, and the human is not intrinsically evil. This principle underscores the intrinsic dignity of humans as the Divines mirror. The human is likened to a mirror reflecting Divine light, where any darkness results from the dust of the ego rather than the mirrors essence.
He states: All deficiencies are manifestations of the self; they stem from the nafss shortcomings.
Defects and sins originate from the human ego, not from the essence that is a Divine manifestation. This distinction saves humans from inherent degradation and encourages self-purification and return to God. Referring to Imam al-Sadiqs words in Tawhid al-Mufaddal, he notes: When asked about these defects and shortcomings, he replied: They are the result of the deeds of their own hands.
These defects are consequences of human actions, not innate flaws. The human resembles a traveller upon whose essence settles dust and dirt along the way, yet remains fundamentally pure and radiant.
One of the secrets of repentance is the recognition of Divine favour: Thus, one of the mysteries of repentance is the Divine favours.
This awareness guides the wayfarer towards humility and submission before God. Every good deed and repentance is the fruit of Divine grace; the human has no entitlement thereto. The wayfarer is like a tree whose every fruit is nourished by the rain of Divine kindness, without which it would wither and bear no fruit.
The sixty-fourth lesson of Manzil al-Sirn, through the erudite commentary of Nokounam , presents repentance as an existential journey towards the Truth and a bridge between sin and Divine forgiveness. This lesson elucidates the threefold secrets of repentance (between guilt and destiny, indebtedness to Divine grace, and the actors deservingness to God), guiding the seeker towards recognition of existential poverty and absolute reliance on Divine grace. The critique of disparaging views, such as inherent human evil or a dark-faced nature, reflects the profundity of Islamic mysticism in preserving human dignity. As a Divine manifestation, the human possesses neither inherent virtue nor inherent vice; all good and evil emanate from God, and humans are mere vessels for their manifestation. In this perspective, repentance acts as a rope that carries the seeker from the whirlpool of sin to the shore of Divine mercy, sustaining him in states of fear and hope. Emphasising divine unity of action, humility, and submission, this lesson directs the seeker towards deeper gnosis and authentic spiritual conduct.
