the lectures of Nekounam, (Session 76 Chapter of Self-Accountability Part Five).
The seventy-sixth lesson from the invaluable collection Manzil al-Sirn, authored by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, addresses the chapter of self-accountability in its fifth installment, elaborating on the second pillar of resolve in repentance namely, the discernment between Divine rights and human rights. This lesson concentrates on the concepts of hujjah (proof), grace, and free will, thoroughly examining the human position vis--vis God within the process of self-accountability and the persistence of repentance.
The second pillar of resolve in repentance entails differentiating what constitutes Gods right over the human (Divine rights, such as duties and commandments) from that which belongs to the human (human rights, such as permissible acts) or emanates from him (such as acts of worship). This distinction constitutes the most fundamental step in sustaining repentance and self-accountability, as it disabuses the seeker of any illusion of entitlement towards God, guiding him instead towards humility and submission before Divine rights.
This differentiation functions akin to a scale upon which the seeker weighs Divine rights against human rights, discerning that all he possesses is a grace from God, and that no right may be presumed against the Divine.
Key Point: The discernment between Divine and human rights frees the seeker from any delusion of demanding from God, leading him to precise self-accountability and the continuation of repentance.
Human transgressions and shortcomings, whether major sins, neglect of recommended acts, or commission of disliked deeds, constitute Divine proofs against the individual, since God has endowed man with intellect, free will, and obligation. The neglect of these obligations, despite these endowments, renders the human responsible with no excuse remaining.
These transgressions resemble shadows cast upon the heart of the seeker by the light of reason and choice, calling him to self-accountability and return to the truth.
Human obedience and worship confer no entitlement upon man vis--vis God; rather, they represent a grace bestowed by God, for the ability to perform obedience is itself a Divine favour. Even gratitude for this blessing is an additional blessing demanding further gratitude, perpetuating an endless cycle of Divine favours that always renders man indebted before God.
Obedience resembles a stream springing from the fountain of Divine benevolence; the deeper the seeker immerses himself within it, the more he recognises his dependence upon God.
Key Point: Obedience is not a right of man but a Divine grace whose attainment is granted by God, and gratitude for it necessitates further blessings.
Divine commandments, encompassing obligations, orders, and prohibitions, constitute Gods proof over man, leaving no excuse for transgressing them. God has perfected His proof over man by granting intellect (internal proof) and prophets (external proof).
These commandments stand as pillars strengthening the edifice of the seekers spiritual journey, preventing his fall into the abyss of error.
Divine obligations and commandments differentiate man from the animal realm. Without such obligations, man remains at the animalistic level; yet God, by bestowing intellect and free will, elevates him to loftier spiritual ranks.
Obligation functions as a ladder lifting man from the baseness of animality to the heights of humanity and spirituality.
Man must render gratitude for the blessing of Divine obligation and commandments, as these blessings preserve him from error and descent beneath the level of animals. The Holy Quran states:
بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا
(Surah Al-Furqan, 25:50) ( translation: "Indeed, they are further astray.")
This verse alludes to the misguidance of those who neglect Divine obligations, consequently descending from their human rank.
God, by granting free will to man, has perfected His proof over him. Any transgression of obligations due to human free will entails responsibility. This principle accords with verses such as "Indeed, Allah has a decisive proof." which emphasise the completeness of Divine proof.
Free will acts as a key opening the doors of responsibility to man; yet if misused, it becomes a lock upon his heart.
Key Point: Free will is a Divine favour completing God's proof over man, and any transgression of duties entails accountability.
Divine obligation and recompense are proportional to each individual's degree of free will. God holds each person accountable according to the measure of free will granted. This principle underscores Divine justice, wherein every individual is judged in accordance with his capacity and freedom.
This justice resembles a scale weighing each individual with his specific measure, holding none beyond his ability.
Faith and righteous deeds are blessings granted by God, conferring upon man the ability to perform them. These blessings are Divine favours rather than entitlements, for even the best human actions result from Divine facilitation.
Faith and righteous deeds resemble jewels bestowed from the treasury of Divine benevolence, calling the seeker to gratitude and humility before God.
God has perfected His proof by granting intellect (internal proof) and prophets (external proof). Human transgressions and shortcomings, given these blessings, constitute Gods proof against the individual, allowing no excuse for neglecting duties.
Intellect and prophets serve as two wings by which the seeker may soar toward Divine guidance; failure to utilize these wings leads to a fall into the chasm of error.
The view of certain mystics, such as Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, which regards human actions as contingent upon fixed entities (ayn thbita) and Divine knowledge, culminates in determinism, conflicting with human free will and responsibility. These fixed entities, as the immutable truths of man in Divine knowledge, cannot nullify human accountability.
This perspective acts as a chain binding human free will, precluding responsibility for self-accountability and repentance.
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Even a person endowed with adverse predispositions, such as one born out of wedlock, is capable, through exercise of free will and rationality, of attaining positive actualisations and ultimate felicity. This principle emphatically affirms the possibility of transformation and repentance for all human beings, negating any deterministic imposition of predispositions as an inexorable arbiter of human destiny.
This potentiality resembles a seed sown in unfavourable soil, which, through diligent care and effort, can grow into a robust and fruitful tree.
The petition for inheritance of Paradise in the Noble Quran signifies the possibility of righteous individuals supplanting those who, despite possessing positive predispositions, fail to attain felicity. The Quran states:
رَبِّ هَبْ لِي حُكْمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ * وَاجْعَلْ لِي لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ فِي الْآخِرِينَ * وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ وَرَثَةِ جَنَّةِ النَّعِيمِ
(Ash-Shuar: 8385) (: My Lord! Bestow upon me wisdom and unite me with the righteous; and grant me a truthful tongue among the later generations; and make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss.)
This verse underscores the dynamism and possibility of altering ones fate through volition and repentance. The inheritance of Paradise serves as a manifestation of Divine justice in rewarding human endeavour.
The deterministic perspective, which attributes human actions to fixed entities (ayn thbita), conflicts with Quranic logic and rationality, thereby absolving the spiritual wayfarer from the responsibility of self-accountability. Such a stance may incline the seeker towards negligence and complacency, deterring them from the path of repentance and mystical progression.
This critique functions as an awakening bell, rousing the wayfarer from the slumber of deterministic negligence and summoning them toward sincere self-assessment and repentance.
For the wayfarer to sustain repentance, they must reconcile their accounts with God, discerning where they stand indebted and where they are owed. Should a person regard themselves as a creditor of God, maintaining repentance becomes untenable. Distinguishing divine rights from human rights leads the seeker to the profound realisation of their perpetual indebtedness to the Divine.
Self-accounting serves as a mirror wherein the seeker beholds their indebtedness to God, liberating them from the illusion of being a creditor.
Obedience itself constitutes a divine blessing that begets further blessings. Even gratitude for this blessing generates another blessing, which in turn demands yet more gratitude. This interminable cycle of divine favours renders the human being ever indebted before God.
These blessings resemble continual rain nourishing the soil of the wayfarers heart, calling them persistently towards gratitude and submission to the Divine.
Sin, even in the form of neglecting recommended acts or committing disliked deeds, constitutes a divine proof against the human, for they possess reason and free will to avoid them. This responsibility encompasses all human actions, including those seemingly minor in appearance.
Sin acts as a thorn piercing the foot of the seeker, compelling them toward self-accounting and return to the truth.
Predispositions (ayn thbita) are akin to seeds sown within the soil of human existence; however, their actualisation results from the gardeners that is, the individuals reason and free will. The seeker is empowered to transmute negative predispositions into positive actualisations and thereby attain felicity.
This transformation resembles an alchemists art, converting the earth of the seekers being into the gold of bliss.
The seeker must emancipate themselves from deterministic views attributing their actions to fixed entities and embrace responsibility for their deeds. This acceptance guides them toward precise self-accounting and sincere repentance.
Liberation from determinism is comparable to breaking the chains that have bound the seekers heart, guiding them towards freedom through surrender to the truth.
Lesson seventy-six of Manzil al-Sirn, with a focus on the second pillar of departure in repentance, elucidates the critical importance of distinguishing divine rights from human rights. This lesson, emphasizing the concepts of proof, favour, and free will, demonstrates that divine obligations and rulings constitute blessings elevating humanity from the animalistic plane to the spiritual and human level. The sins and deficiencies of humans, owing to the reason and free will granted by God, serve as divine proofs against them, whereas acts of obedience represent divine favour. The critique of deterministic perspectives, which attribute human actions to fixed entities, underscores the necessity of preserving free will and responsibility within the mystical path. The possibility of transforming negative predispositions into positive actualisations illustrates the dynamism of the spiritual journey and the pivotal role of repentance in altering human destiny. This lesson invites the wayfarer to meticulous self-accounting and pure repentance, that through liberation from illusions of entitlement and determinism, they may progress toward submission and proximity to the Divine.
