the lecture series by Nekounam, (Session Sixty-Nine Chapter on Repentance Section Seventeen).
Within the domain of Islamic mysticism, repentance is envisaged as a bridge that guides the seeker from the darkness of heedlessness towards the illumination of Divine gnosis. Lesson sixty-nine of the venerable Manzil al-Sirn, authored by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, and herein revisited with profound and critical scrutiny, elucidates the concept of repentance and its gradations. This lecture, derived from the discourses of Nekounam, employs a scholarly and exalted approach to analyse the tripartite categorisation of repentance as articulated by Khwaja, offering critique and, through a novel redefinition, presenting repentance as a transformative return.
In Manzil al-Sirn, Khwaja Abdullah Ansari delineates repentance into three levels: the common repentance, intermediate repentance, and the exalted repentance. This taxonomy corresponds respectively to istikhthr al-ah (increasing acts of obedience), istiqll al-maiyah (minimising sin), and tay al-waqt (avoidance of time wastage), forming the foundational mystical itinerary within his framework. Each tier is tailored to the spiritual capacity of the seeker, spanning from novices to the elect of God. Nevertheless, this division has been subject to critical scrutiny from the vantage point of Shii mysticism and necessitates reconsideration.
The common repentance refers to the seekers endeavour to augment acts of worship and righteous deeds. Designed for the general populace, this stage encourages engagement in virtuous acts and abstention from sin. However, this approach, driven by avaricious motives such as the pursuit of reward or personal benefit, diverges from the essence of repentance as a sincere return to God. Greed, akin to a dark shadow, diminishes the spiritual value of this repentance, reducing it to a formalistic act.
At the intermediate level, the seeker trivialises their sins and attributes them to Divine decree and predestination. This perspective, known as istiqll al-maiyah, through justifying transgression and denying the servants responsibility, leads to transgression and disregard for Divine justice. Such a stance shifts repentance from a true turning to God into a mere rationalisation of error, incongruent with the mystical principles emphasising sincerity and accountability.
The exalted repentance emphasises avoidance of squandering time and optimal utilisation of temporal opportunities in the path of Divine progress. This stage, urging the seeker towards constant vigilance and consciousness of the spiritual value of moments, is redefined in Shii mysticism as the fundamental basis of repentance. Time wastage, analogous to heedlessness that obstructs proximity to God, constitutes a principal impediment to genuine return.
Though Khwajas tripartite division may appear coherent at face value, it lacks a sound foundation from the Shii mystical perspective. The common and intermediate repentances, due to the absence of true return and their emphasis on greed or justification of sin, are not genuine repentance but rather transgressions themselves. Repentance, in its essence, is a sincere turning from heedlessness to God, and any approach that compromises this return is estranged from the truth of repentance.
From the Shii mystical standpoint, repentance signifies return: a transformative turning from heedlessness towards Divine Reality. This return, whether in the Divine realm or the human realm, holds a singular meaning. The Glorious Quran affirms in a luminous verse:
إِنَّمَا ٱلتَّوْبَةُ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ (Srah Ar-Rad: 30, : Indeed, repentance rests with God alone). This verse presents Divine repentance as Gods grace and attention bestowed upon the servant, while human repentance is the servants turning towards God. Both, in essence, converge on the notion of return.
Return in repentance is a bilateral process involving withdrawal from something (such as sin or heedlessness) and approach towards another (such as God or His attributes). This process resembles a journey guiding the seeker from the darkness within towards the light of knowledge. The congruence between the point of departure and the destination of return constitutes a fundamental condition for repentance; the seeker cannot turn from multiple entities to one, or from one to many, but must maintain a coherent logical and spiritual unity between the two.
The stages of repentance, in this novel redefinition, are divided into three phases, each drawing the seeker nearer to an aspect of Divine truth:
Within the realm of Islamic mysticism, two principal spiritual paths are discernible: the path of the beloved (mabbn) and the path of the lovers (muibbn). The beloved are the Divine saints who, owing to their special proximity to God, occupy an exalted station. They connect to the Divine Reality through acceptance of calamities and hardships. Conversely, the lovers are seekers who, through personal exertion and spiritual discipline, advance towards Divine love. The mysticism articulated in Manzil al-Sirn belongs to the path of the lovers, which is comparatively a lower station than that of the beloved.
The mysticism of the lovers, as embodied in texts such as Manzil al-Sirn, is limited by its emphasis on the individual effort of the seeker. When contrasted with the mysticism of the beloved, which rests upon a special Divine grace, it is deemed a mysticism of the weak (uaf). Furthermore, ethical discussions based on weeping and tribulation, prevalent among the masses, are classified as a common vernacular ethics that is distinct from genuine mysticism. This form of ethics, akin to a dim shadow, lacks the profound spiritual depth characteristic of true mystical ethics.
The mysticism of the beloved, representing a lofty summit within Islamic mysticism, encompasses the Divine saints whose discourse is truth, whose school is truth, and whose sustenance is pain and affliction. This path, defined by the acceptance of hardship and a particular closeness to God, is distinct from the mysticism of the lovers and guides the seeker towards the highest spiritual stations.
Mysticism, understood as practical wisdom (ikmah amalyah), cannot attain perfection without its connection to theoretical wisdom (philosophy). Repentance, as a mystical concept, requires philosophical elucidation so that its return and proportionality may be properly comprehended. This integration functions as a light that illuminates the path of spiritual progression, rescuing the seeker from dispersion and confusion.
The return in repentance necessitates a proportionate relationship between origin and destination. This proportion acts as a thread that connects the components of the spiritual journey, preventing fragmentation along the path. At each stage of repentance, the seeker must return from something proportionate to something proportionate to ensure the completion of their spiritual progression.
Companionship with the Truth, understood as the perpetual accompaniment of God on the spiritual path, safeguards the seeker from heedlessness and deviation. The luminous phrase أنت الصاحب فى السّفر (You are the companion in the journey), as cited in authentic prayers, signifies this constant divine presence. At every stagefrom heedlessness to the Divine Essencethe seeker is accompanied by God, and this companionship constitutes the axis of repentance and spiritual progress.
The ultimate goal of the spiritual journey is the attainment of the Divine Essence and liberation from all non-Essence. Awe (ayrah), which seizes the seeker within the vessel of the Essence, is a state wherein they are freed from all created determinations and immersed in Divine unity. This awe resembles a boundless ocean in which the seeker is submerged, beholding nothing but the Essence of God.
The sixty-ninth lesson of Manzil al-Sirn, centred on the chapter of repentance, explicates the concept of return as the pivot of the mystical journey. This lecture, critiquing the tripartite classification of Khwja Abdullh Ansr, redefines repentance as a transformative return that unfolds in three stages: from heedlessness to Divine acts, from proximity to Divine attributes, and from the attributes to the Divine Essence. The distinctions between the mysticism of the beloved and the lovers, the necessity of uniting mysticism with philosophy, and the significance of companionship with the Truth form the core themes of this lesson. Repentance, in this perspective, is not merely a return from sin but a spiritual voyage guiding the seeker towards unity and awe within the Divine Essence.
