of Nokounam, may his sanctity remain (Session Seventy-Nine Chapter on Repentance Part Two)
Within the realm of Islamic mysticism, Repentance (Anbah), as a stage surpassing mere tawbah (repentance), guides the spiritual wayfarer towards rectification and compensation for past shortcomings. Session seventy-nine of the revered Manzil al-Sirn, authored by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, is herein rearticulated with a scholarly and refined perspective to elucidate this mystical stage. Repentance transcends the conventional notion of tawbah which is often confined to the renunciation of sin and verbal apology by calling the seeker to both inner and practical reform, restitution for prior deficits, and the restoration of relational bonds with God and His creation. This discourse, the teachings of Nokounam, may his sanctity remain, analyzes three fundamental pillars of repentance: liberation from particularities, heartfelt anguish over transgressions, and the compensation of missed obligations.
Session seventy-nine opens with the luminous phrase:
وَإِنَّمَا يَسْتَقِيمُ الرُّجُوعُ إِلَيْهِ إِصْلَاحًا بِثَلَاثَةِ أَشْيَاءَ: بِالْخُرُوجِ مِنَ التَّعَيُّنَاتِ، وَالْتَوَجُّعِ لِلْعَثَرَاتِ، وَاسْتِدْرَاكِ الْفَائِتَاتِ
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Repentance (Anbah), as a stage loftier than mere tawbah, not only restrains the seeker from sin but summons them to practical restitution and inner reformation. Unlike tawbah, which centres on apology and renouncing vice, repentance addresses the mending of the relationship with both the Divine and creation, as well as recompensing for damages resulting from sins. This stage acts as a bridge, leading the wayfarer beyond simple remorse towards the reconstruction of spiritual and social bonds.
Repentance rests upon three foundational pillars: liberation from particularities, anguish over transgressions, and compensation for what was missed. Liberation from particularities denotes purifying the self from the effects and consequences of sin, such as the implementation of Divine limits, restitution of injustices, or seeking the satisfaction of others. Anguish over transgressions is the soulful pain arising from profound remorse over past sins, which eradicates the sweetness of sin from the seekers being. Compensation for what was missed involves making up for neglected obligations such as prayers, fasting, and social and religious debts. These three pillars, like the columns of the edifice of repentance, support the wayfarer on the path of reformation and proximity to the Truth.
Unlike tawbah, which concentrates on apology, repentance requires the affirmation of three positions: rectification, anguish, and compensation. These positions serve as three steadfast steps in the journey of spiritual wayfaring, guiding the seeker from superficial remorse to active and conscious restitution. Rectification signifies the removal of sinful effects in relationships with God and creation; anguish represents the spiritual pain born from awareness of the ugliness of sin; and compensation comprises the making good of missed obligations and debts. These three positions distinguish repentance from tawbah, elevating it to a weightier and deeper station.
While tawbah revolves around apology and the intention to cease sinning, repentance necessitates practical reform and restitution for the damage caused by sins. This rectification resembles a gardener who not only refrains from sowing harmful seeds but also cleanses the soil of weeds and plants noble saplings. Rectification in repentance includes removing the consequences of sin in the relationship with God (through seeking forgiveness) and with creation (through restitution and obtaining satisfaction). This process leads the seeker toward reconstructing spiritual and social bonds.
Repentance requires the seeker to purge the pleasures derived from sin, which settle deceptively upon the souls palate like a sweet poison. This neutralisation is akin to detoxifying the body, necessitating profound awareness of the ugliness of sin and substituting sensual pleasures with spiritual and Divine delights. At this stage, the seeker, through deep remorse and anguish, eradicates the sweetness of sin from the depths of their being, preparing the heart for intimacy with the Truth.
Besides practical rectification, repentance demands loyalty to the covenant with God and the maintenance of the state of repentance within the seekers heart and soul. This loyalty acts like an anchorage, securing the ship of spiritual wayfaring amid the storms of the lower self. By preserving the state of repentance, the seeker affirms their commitment to the path of proximity and safeguards themselves from returning to sin. Such fidelity signifies steadfastness and continuity in the mystical journey.
Repentance is a spiritual and mystical quality that emerges within the soul of the seeker as a consequence of spiritual wayfaring. This state, analogous to a physical illness manifesting through external symptoms such as jaundice or coughing, reveals itself in the mystical path by inner signs such as remorse, anguish, and practical reform. The people of gnosis can discern this state in the seeker just as one recognises a student by their mannerisms and behaviour, even without their customary attire. Repentance thus acts as a mirror reflecting the seekers inner reality to enlightened guides.
Spiritual stations such as tawbah and repentance are neither imaginary nor purely psychological, but possess an objective and real existence. These stations leave their distinctive marks on the soul of the seeker, manifesting in their conduct and states. Wayfarers, particularly enlightened guides, identify these stations through knowledge and experience without the need for enquiry. This recognition is based upon external and internal signs indicating behavioural transformation, deep remorse, and efforts at restitution.
In tawbah, the seeker is content with merely ceasing sinning; however, repentance requires restitution for damages caused by sin and rectification of relationships with God and creation. Tawbah represents an initial step in the spiritual path that restrains the seeker from sin, while repentance is a difficult and ongoing journey compelling the restoration of spiritual and social bonds. The compensation inherent in repentance is a more complex process than mere cessation and imposes greater pressure and weight upon the seeker.
Enlightened guides, endowed with mystical knowledge and experience, are capable of discerning the seekers spiritual stationwhether it is tawbah or repentancethrough external and internal signs. This identification resembles recognising a student by their conduct and mannerisms, even in the absence of formal attire. The guide, observing the seekers states, perceives whether they remain at the stage of cessation (tawbah) or have progressed to active restitution (repentance); such insight arises from profound experience and deep spiritual perception.
Compensation in repentance encompasses the rectification of problems between the seeker, God, and creation. This process resembles reconstructing a ruined edifice, necessitating comprehensive and persistent effort to remove the effects of sin and rebuild spiritual and social bonds. The seeker must compensate for sins against God through seeking forgiveness, and for sins against creation through restitution and obtaining satisfaction. This process embraces all relational dimensionsindividual, social, and spiritual.
Compensation in repentance is arduous and heavy owing to the breadth and complexity of relations with God and creation. This endeavour is like attempting to extinguish a vast conflagration bare-handed, demanding sustained and strenuous effort from the seeker. Complete restitution surpasses human capacity; consequently, the seeker, conscious of their limitations, approaches the Divine Presence with humility and supplication, beseeching forgiveness and aid.
Ceasing sin, as the initial phase of tawbah, is comparatively easier than compensation in repentance. Ceasing sin resembles closing a floodgate to prevent ruin, whereas compensation is akin to rebuilding the ruins left by a flood, requiring a deeper and more complex effort. Compensation confronts the seeker with the consequences of sin and the necessity of mending relationships, thereby imposing heavier burden and pressure.
Compensation in repentance resembles the effort
Istighfar (seeking forgiveness) constitutes the primary instrument within the process of inbahthe spiritual returnserving to purify the sins that exist between the seeker and God and to attain the satisfaction of the created beings. Istighfar before God functions as a key that unlocks the chains of sins; however, seeking forgiveness from fellow beings proves to be more complex, due to the difficulties involved in locating and appeasing them. The seeker must, therefore, engage in istighfar ind al-aqq (in the presence of the Truth) to ask for pardon not only for sins against God but also for those against others, elevating the station of inbah beyond mere repentance (tawbah) into a more weighty and profound spiritual state.
In circumstances where practical restitution is unattainable, the seeker resorts to istif (petitioning for pardon) and istihll (requesting absolution). These two modalities function as sanctuaries that relieve the seeker from the burden of incapacity to fully compensate for the transgressions. Istif and istihll are only undertaken subsequent to exhaustive efforts at restitution and are emblematic of the humility and submissiveness of the seeker before both God and His creation. This process delineates inbah from superficial repentance and endows it with a deep spiritual dimension.
Tawajja denotes a profound inner pain that arises within the heart of the seeker upon recalling past sins. This pain resembles the searing anguish felt upon losing a precious possessionsuch as a child or a priceless antique vessel. The seeker, by revisiting these transgressions, experiences a torment akin to being cut by a blade into pieces. Unlike the sinners numbnesswhich stems from spiritual insensitivitytawajja indicates heightened spiritual awareness and sensitivity, compelling the seeker towards reformation and restitution.
The sinner, owing to spiritual insensitivity and apathy, is deprived of the experience of tawajja. This numbness resembles a limb deprived of sensation, impervious to pain. Due to negligence and lack of knowledge, the sinner is incapable of recognising the ugliness of sin or feeling the ensuing inner pain. Conversely, the seeker who attains the station of inbah comprehends the deformity of sin and experiences profound pain within the soul, which propels them towards correction and compensation.
Tawajja is analogous to the pain caused by the shattering of a precious porcelain bowl within the heart of the seeker. This deep regret and remorse detach the seeker from the allure of sin and incline them towards inward rectification. This metaphor illustrates the intensity and profundity of inner pain in inbah, which, unlike physical pain, is born of the cognizance of sins ugliness and its impact on the relationship with the Divine.
At the station of inbah, the seekers remorse extends beyond their own sins to encompass a sense of pain and compassion for the transgressions of others. This compassion resembles an orphans empathy for the suffering of another orphan, rooted in personal experience. The seeker, having intimately tasted the pain of sin, is able to comprehend the suffering of others and intercedes in supplication for their forgiveness. Such compassion marks the breadth of the seekers heart and signifies progress along the spiritual path.
Through their own experience of orphanhood, the seeker understands the anguish of other orphans, much like one who has lost a father deeply feels the sorrow of another bereaved child. This comprehension stems from profound empathy born of personal spiritual journeying, leading the seeker towards intercession and mercy for others.
The supplication Allhumma-ghfir lil-muminn wal-mumint (O Allah, forgive the believing men and women) is an expression of the seekers compassion and mercy for the sins of others. This prayer flows forth like a stream from the seekers heart, seeking forgiveness and liberation for others from sin. It embodies the expansiveness of the seekers heart, which transcends self-concern and embraces the salvation and wellbeing of others.
The friends of God (awliy al-lh), having endured the rigours of the spiritual path, possess profound compassion and mercy towards the sins and sufferings of others. This compassion resembles a light that radiates from their experience of hardship and punishment, guiding them towards kindness and love for creation. With their deep knowledge and experiential insight, the saints apprehend the pain of others and pray for their deliverance from sin.
The compassion of the Commander of the Faithful, Al ibn Ab lib (peace be upon him), towards Ibn Muljam exemplifies the perfection of inbah. He manifested mercy and love even towards his adversary, viewing him as a wretched and afflicted servant. This compassion is akin to an ocean that harbours no resentment and cleanses the heart of every malice. This example manifests the pinnacle of spiritual perfection in inbah, which guides the seeker to unconditional love.
At the station of inbah, the seeker is impervious to harm caused by the faults of others and accepts their excuses. This immunity resembles a heart purified from all rancour and malice, which views others with love and compassion. Instead of harbouring resentment towards the misdeeds of others, the seeker pardons them and cleanses their own heart of all spiritual defilement.
Inbah elevates the seeker to a station where they not only accept the sinners excuse but extend benevolence towards them. This benevolence is like a stream flowing from the seekers heart that even quenches the thirst of the sinner. Guided by the dictates of wisdom, the seeker shows love to the sinner and purifies their heart from rancour, which is a hallmark of the perfection of inbah.
The friends of God purify their hearts from malice resulting from the faults of others. This purification resembles an ocean that holds no impurity within it. Through constant self-accounting and cleansing of the heart from resentment and rancour, the seeker in inbah directs themselves towards inner purity. This purity signifies the perfection of the spiritual journey and proximity to the Truth.
Istif and istihll are to be sought only after a thorough effort has been made to compensate for and rectify the consequences of sin. This effort resembles the labour a gardener undertakes to restore a devastated garden before petitioning the owner for pardon. The seeker must first cleanse the consequences of sin through istighfar and restitution of injustices, then turn to istif and istihll to seek forgiveness from God and fellow beings. This process distinguishes inbah from mere formal repentance.
Inbah is accompanied by tears and sighs, yet it transcends these external manifestations to effectuate inner and practical reform. Tears and sighs resemble rain that nourishes the earth of the seekers heart, but genuine inbah is manifested through behavioural change and purification of the inner self. These tears and sighs arise from spiritual pain and deep remorse that propel the seeker towards restitution and rectification.
The rectification of omissions (istidrk al-fitt) includes making up for missed religious obligationssuch as prayers, fasting, and almsgivingas well as repaying social debts owed to others. This process resembles the repayment of debts the seeker owes to God and His creation. By fulfilling these overdue duties and removing legal and social liabilities, the seeker cleanses the effects of sin from their being. This rectification constitutes an indispensable component of inbah that places the seeker firmly on the path of practical reform.
The seventy-ninth lesson from Manzil al-Sirn, focusing on the chapter of inbah, elucidates a spiritual station that transcends mere repentance, calling the seeker towards restitution and reform of the past. Inbah, with its three pillarsdisengagement from constraints, heartfelt remorse, and rectification of omissionsguides the seeker towards both practical and inner purification. Disengagement entails purifying the self from the consequences of sin through istighfar, implementation of divine limits, and restitution of injustices. Tawajja is a spiritual pain arising from profound remorse that purges the sweetness of sin from the seekers soul. Rectification encompasses compensating for missed obligatory acts and social debts. Inbah elevates the seeker to a station where they regret not only their own sins but also feel compassion and mercy for the sins of others, accepting their excuses and even showing benevolence towards them. This station, through humility, istighfar, and istihll, purifies the seekers heart from rancour and directs them towards inner purity and nearness to the Divine.
