of Nokounam, (Session 97 Chapter of Dhikr Part Three)
Within the path of mystical wayfaring, dhikr functions as a torch that guides the traveler's heart from the darkness of heedlessness to the illumination of divine presence. The ninety-seventh station of the venerable Manzil al-Sirn, authored by Khwajah Abdullah Ansari, which is examined here through the commentary of Nokounam, is devoted to the Chapter of Dhikr. This chapter delineates dhikr as an ontological and exalted station that surpasses tafakkur (reflection or thought), owing to the latter's seeking nature and its created quality. Dhikr serves as a gateway to the remembrance of the eternal truth and the connection to divine knowledge, emancipating the wayfarer from the fetters of the nafs and the delusions of the corporeal realm, and guiding them toward primordial innate nature.
وَلِهَذَا قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: التَّذَكُّرُ فَوْقَ التَّفَكُّرِ، فَإِنَّ التَّفَكُّرَ طَلَبٌ وَالتَّذَكُّرَ وُجُودٌ
In this statement, Khwajah Abdullah Ansari privileges dhikr due to its existential and present nature over tafakkur, which is characterized by a seeking and kinetic essence. Reflection (tafakkur) resembles a journey in pursuit of a goal amidst absence, whereas dhikr is akin to a direct presence before the truth that connects the wayfarer to the consciousness and actuality of being. This distinction establishes the station of dhikr in mystical progression as a loftier state. Thought is an acquired attribute operating within the realm of movement and desire toward the object, while dhikr encompasses both the Divine and created realms, unfolding in the sphere of presence and arrival. God, by virtue of His intrinsic perfection, is independent of reflection (إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ; Quran, Surah Yasin, 36:82, : When He intends a thing, His command is only that He says to it, Be, and it is). However, dhikr operates simultaneously at both the Divine and created levels. This differentiation elevates dhikr to a noble rank that transcends the limitations of created attributes.
The title Chapter of Dhikr has been critiqued in contrast to Chapter of Remembrance (Dhikr vs. Tadhakkur), as dhikr is a more comprehensive concept encompassing tadhakkur. Dhikr is analogous to an ocean that contains all degrees of attention and presence, whereas tadhakkur, as a branch of this majestic tree, refers solely to remembrance within a specific context. The preference of Chapter of Dhikr over Chapter of Tadhakkur highlights the conceptual inclusiveness of dhikr in mystical journeying and directs the wayfarer toward all facets of divine attention.
Instead of the verse وَمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ إِلَّا مَنْ يُنِيبُ (Quran, Surah Ghafir, 40:13, : None remember except those who return [to God]), the verse وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ (Quran, Surah l Imrn, 3:7, : Only those of understanding remember) is proposed. The former associates remembrance with the state of repentance and deprivation, entailing deficiency and otherness, while the latter frames dhikr from the perspective of intellect and spiritual health, which is a more exalted station.
The state of repentance (inbah) is linked to regret and multiplicity, contrasting with the intellectual and spiritual wellness (l al-albb). Remembrance in the repentant state stems from a sense of lack and returning to the Truth, whereas the dhikr of the intellectually endowed arises from insight and sound intellect, culminating in full presence before the Divine. This choice accentuates the distinctions between stages of mystical wayfaring and the quality of the mystics attention.
Thought is an acquired attribute operating within the realm of absence and striving towards the object. Due to its dependence on conception and affirmation, it is confined to the created realm and holds no place within the divine essence. God, in His sovereignty and omnipotence, is devoid of any need for thought, as the Quran states: إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ (Surah Yasin, 36:82). Thought resembles a journey across the desert of absence, guiding the wayfarer toward the goal, yet it remains incomplete and limited in the face of ultimate reality.
Remembrance is an attribute encompassing both the Divine and created realms. It functions as a bridge toward primordial innate nature, liberating the heart from carnal fetters and connecting it to divine presence. This process necessitates repetition and continuous engagement with remembrance for the wayfarer to attain full realization.
The exalted meaning of tadhakkur refers to recalling the presence in the sublime realm and divine knowledge experienced by the wayfarer in eternity. This type of remembrance reconnects the wayfarer to their existential roots the locus within the Divine Essence and the sphere of divine knowledge. Such recollection is akin to returning to the homeland of existence, freeing the wayfarer from corporeal constraints and guiding them to primordial nature. The beloved, due to their purity of heart, can effortlessly recollect their past existential states in prior realms, from the embryonic stage to divine knowledge, and traverse the ascending and descending arcs of mystical progression.
Another meaning of tadhakkur pertains to recalling corporeal and worldly affairs that have slipped from the wayfarer's mind due to heedlessness but are later recollected. This type of remembrance occurs at the level of daily matters and learned knowledge, such as recalling temporarily forgotten knowledge and experiences. This corporeal remembrance manifests across the physical, nafsani (egoistic), intellectual, and exalted ranks, each with distinct quality and depth.
The heart functions as the centre wherein dhikr actualizes. Thought is a movement directed toward the heart, but dhikr actualizes within the hearts receptacle. When the heart is purified from the fetters of the nafs, metaphorically referred to as the fats of the self, it becomes a vessel for remembrance. This process requires liberation from egoistic qualities and a return to primordial nature.
One of the pivotal stages in the actualisation of dhikr is the burial of the self (nafs). The seeker must liberate their nafs from anthropomorphic constraints through the invocation لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ and inter the false self within the graveyard of their own being. This process resembles the interment of a counterfeit identity of the nafs which guides the seeker towards a full presence before the Divine Reality. Such burial necessitates repetition and continuity; it is as though the seeker must repeatedly consign their nafs to this spiritual cemetery to forestall its return.
The impediments to remembrance comprise the constraints of the nafs and the ghawsh al-nashah namely, anthropomorphic afflictions that estrange the heart from purity and sincerity. These obstacles act as veils, preventing the light of dhikr from illuminating the seekers heart. Deliverance from these bonds requires the purification of the heart and a return to primordial nature (fitrah), achievable through sincere repentance and continuous remembrance.
Genuine remembrance demands purity and emancipation from the carapace of the nafs. When the heart is cleansed of carnal attributes, it returns to its primordial nature and recalls eternal knowledge. Purity functions like a polish that prepares the heart to receive the light of gnosis, guiding the seeker towards the Unity of God and eternal realities.
Divine, or ladun, knowledge is a bestowed gift that is implanted in the hearts of the beloved without reliance on sensory perception or acquired knowledge. These gnoses are akin to a divine jewel, emanating from the inventions of the Truth itself, rendering the seeker independent of material and sensory instruments. The beloved, by virtue of their proximity to the Divine, possess the capacity to observe antecedent and elevated realms and attain these knowledges through dhikr.
The beloved, due to the purity of their inner being, can effortlessly recall their existential past in previous realms. This ability shines like a light illuminating the path of the ascending and descending arcs of spiritual wayfaring. They can observe existence from the very point of conception to Divine knowledge, and through dhikr, ascend or descend towards the Truth. Such remembrance requires solitude and contemplation so the seeker may liberate themselves from the fetters of the nafs and return to their existential truth.
The gate of dhikr is the station of attention, grace, and nearness, functioning along two arcs: ascending (towards Resurrection) and descending (towards Divine knowledge and determinations). This journey elevates the seeker through the ranks of Divine Names and Attributesfrom active to essentialand ultimately towards the station of the Divine Essence and determination. This path resembles a voyage guiding the seeker from the corporeal realm (nast) towards the celestial spheres of dominion and power (malakt and jabart), yet it necessitates liberation from the bonds of the nafs.
The verse وَلَقَدْ عَهِدْنَا إِلَى آدَمَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَنَسِيَ (Holy Quran, Srah Th, 20:115, : And We had already taken a covenant from Adam before, but he forgot) refers to the primordial covenant of Adam, forgotten due to corporeal heedlessness. This verse introduces remembrance as the act of recalling this covenant, guiding the seeker back to their primordial nature.
Although acquired sciences serve as essential springboards within the mystical path, without connection to Divine (ladun) knowledge, they risk entrapping the seeker within the corporeal realm. These sciences function as instruments which, if severed from the Divine Reality, lead to deviation and heedlessness. By contrast, Divine knowledge, due to its bestowed and sacred nature, emancipates the seeker from dependence upon such sciences.
The recognition of spiritual passagesthe capacity to discern spiritual opportunities or waystationsis akin to heavenly gateways that enable spiritual ascent. The seeker must value these rare moments within the flow of quotidian life and utilise them for drawing nearer to the Truth.
The ninety-seventh station among the Manzil al-Sirn introduces dhikr as an existential and transcendent station that surpasses contemplation due to its desire-driven and affective nature. Dhikr, in both its primordial and corporeal senses, guides the seeker back to their original nature and Divine knowledges. The heart, as the principal receptacle of remembrance, requires liberation from the fetters of the nafs and anthropomorphic afflictions. The beloved, with their pure inner state, can observe antecedent realms and attain Divine proximity through continuous dhikr. Quranic verses, such as وَلَقَدْ عَهِدْنَا إِلَى آدَمَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَنَسِيَ (Th: 115), emphasise the necessity of recalling the primordial covenant. While acquired sciences are necessary, without Divine knowledge they culminate in heedlessness.
