Excerpt from the lectures of Nokounam, (Session 153)
Manzil al-Sirn, the immortal work of Khwajah Abdullah Ansari, stands as one of the most distinguished masterpieces of Islamic mysticism, meticulously elucidating the stages of spiritual wayfaring. Within this profound treatise, the chapter on Khauf (Divine Fear) emerges as a pivotal station, addressing the profound and intricate topic of the Divine Vision, a theme regarded as among the most challenging epistemological discussions in Islamic theology and mysticism.
Unveiling (Mukaashafa), akin to a luminous window opening onto divine realities, represents one of the highest degrees of knowledge within Islamic mysticism, accessible solely to purified and worthy souls. This intuitive apprehension transcends sensory and rational cognition, manifesting within the heart of the mystical seeker, permitting access to the essence of Truth. As stated in the original text: For the unveiling in his case is of greater dignity than to be unveiled to by one who is in the utmost state of abasement.
Such unveiling possesses an exalted stature, attainable only by those who have been emancipated from spiritual abasement. This grandeur is rooted in the purity of the soul and divine piety, which prepare the seeker to receive this grace.
Functioning as a bridge between the outer and inner worlds, unveiling elevates the seeker beyond the confines of material perception, guiding him towards the direct witnessing of divine realities. This grade of knowledge, due to its sanctity and magnitude, precludes those who lack proper spiritual preparedness from attaining it.
The Divine manifestations, by virtue of the boundless majesty and grandeur of the Truth, compel the seeker into a silent state imbued with respect and solemnity. As elucidated in the primary source: And the seer guards himself from familiarity, for conviviality breeds familiarity; the majesty of awe compels him to preserve reverence.
This divine awe restrains the seeker from casualness and informality, compelling him to observe proper decorum before God. Here, familiarity (Adlal) implies excessive intimacy that may diminish respect and reverence toward the Truth. The majesty of awe functions as a steadfast guardian, sustaining the seeker in a state of concentration and dignity, and prevents the pursuit of direct inspection which, if undertaken prematurely, could lead to heedlessness.
One of the cardinal epistemological issues related to Khauf (Divine Fear) is the request of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) for Divine vision, articulated in the Noble Quran as follows:
Fooladvands translation: And when Moses came to Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said: My Lord, show Yourself to me that I may look upon You. He said: You will never see Me, but look at the mountain; if it remains firm in its place, then you will see Me.
This request manifests the profound yearning of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) to witness the Truth, yet the Divine reply You will never see Me reveals the inherent limitations of human perception. The phrase Show Yourself indicates a petition to unveil the Divine Essence, while Look upon You denotes the capacity to behold the Truth. This supplication thus comprises two aspects: the Divine manifestation and the capacity of the servant to perceive it. The Divine response acts as a clear mirror reflecting human existential limitations vis--vis the infinite grandeur of the Divine.
The Quran continues the narrative:
Fooladvands translation: Then when his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, He made it crumble and Moses fell down unconscious.
The Divine manifestation upon the mountain, due to the overwhelming magnitude and majesty of the Truth, caused the mountain to disintegrate and rendered Moses (peace be upon him) unconscious. This event serves as a grand display of the Divine Majesty, demonstrating the incapacity of material entities to endure the infinite glory of the Truth. The intensity of this manifestation profoundly affected even a prophet of Mosess stature, inducing a state of unconsciousness.
Following this event, the Quran states:
Fooladvands translation: Then, when he recovered, he said: Glory be to You! I repent unto You, and I am the first of the believers.
The repentance of Moses (peace be upon him) signifies his renunciation of the request for a corporeal vision and acceptance of its impossibility. His claim I am the first of the believers expresses his faith in the Divine Reality and his acknowledgment of the limitations of human perception. This repentance constitutes a momentous step in the epistemological journey, marking Mosess spiritual and cognitive maturation before the Divine Majesty.
The subject of Divine Vision, akin to a lofty summit within the hierarchy of mystical knowledge, stands as one of the most intricate and profound matters in Islamic theology and mysticism. As the primary text elucidates: the discussion in this domain may be considered among the most weighty epistemological debates; indeed, no discourse in the realm of knowledge surpasses this in gravity.
This complexity originates from the tension between the aspirants yearning to behold the Truth and the existential limitations confronting him before the Infinite Divine Essence. Given its direct relation to the Divine Reality, this matter possesses a distinct delicacy and formidable challenge.
The discourse on Divine Vision must be grounded upon rational criteria and transmitted evidences. As emphasized in the primary source: the vision of God, the true vision, and all that is said concerning vision must possess its own rational criterion.
This highlights the essential avoidance of irrational sentiments and fanciful imaginations, advocating steadfast adherence to intellectual reasoning and Qur'anic proofs. Rationality, akin to a guiding beacon, illuminates the path toward understanding this subject and prevents deviation toward poetic or unsupported interpretations.
The primary text critiques poetic and non-rational approaches concerning Divine Vision: we cannot simply recite poetry or ghazals and claim that people have heard God but have not seen Him.
This critique stresses the necessity of intellectual argumentation and legitimate scriptural proofs. While mystical poetry may be beautiful and impactful, it cannot substitute for sound rational and transmitted reasoning. The claim of vision, as a precious gem, demands a solid foundation grounded in reason and revelation.
A pivotal aspect of this discourse is the impossibility of apprehending Divine Vision through the external physical eye. As the text states: God is neither body nor matter.
From a philosophical and mystical standpoint, the Divine Essence is immaterial and transcends spatial constraints, rendering sensory instruments inadequate for its perception. This notion, like a clear mirror, reveals the limitations of corporeal perception vis--vis the immaterial Divine Reality.
The primary text emphasises the distinction between the external (sensory) eye and the internal (heart) eye: the eye of the heart, the eye of the inward these are not eyes in the literal sense but something altogether different.
The inward eye denotes the hearts insight, employed to behold divine realities. Heart vision functions as a portal to the realm of meaning, transcending sensory apparatus and permitting the seeker to apprehend divine truths with the heart.
Humans possess an inner consciousness of God that transcends theoretical and inferential knowledge. As the original text affirms: man has a consciousness of his Lord other than that which is known through reason and evidence.
This consciousness signifies presentational knowledge and heartly intuition, which the righteous and saints attain. Such knowledge, a radiant jewel within the seekers heart, guides him towards the Divine Truth.
The Holy Quran refers to heart vision in another verse:
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ (Al-Qiymah: 2223)
Translation : Faces on that Day shall be radiant, gazing towards their Lord.
This verse alludes to heart vision on the Day of Resurrection, which may be granted to the righteous. This vision resembles a light manifesting in the believers heart, signifying inward perception and presentational knowledge.
Allameh Tabatabai, in his exegesis of Al-Mizan, interprets Divine Vision neither as theoretical knowledge nor as visual sight but rather as heart vision: The late Allameh exerted considerable effort to reconcile this discourse in such a manner that it is neither knowledge nor vision with the eye.
This viewpoint highlights the distinction between theoretical knowledge, visual sight, and heart vision, defining vision as presentational knowledge which God affirms for Himself, termed as vision and meeting (liq).
If Moses (PBUH) request is for heart vision, the divine response You shall never see Me
(لَنْ تَرَانِي) appears illogical, since heart vision is attainable for Gods elect. The original text notes: if the intended meaning of Look upon You is with the heart, God ought not to have said You shall never see Me.
This apparent contradiction has led some to conclude that Moses request was mistakenly interpreted as physical vision. Moses repentance further signifies acceptance of the impossibility of physical perception.
Moses (PBUH), as a lover (ubb) of God and not the Beloved (mahbb) who has attained ultimate perfection, occupies a station between novice seekers and perfected saints: Moses is one of the lovers; he is not the Beloved, though he is not among the beginners either.
This distinction clarifies Moses exalted place within the mystical path and accentuates his yearning for divine vision.
The discourse on Divine Vision in Manzil al-Sirn is akin to a profound journey into the depths of mystical knowledge, exploring the possibility or impossibility of beholding the Divine Essence. This subject, with its unique complexity and difficulty, arises from the tension between the seekers yearning for the vision of Truth and his existential limitations. The analysis reveals that Divine Vision is neither theoretical knowledge nor visual sight but rather heart vision and presentational intuition accessible to Gods elect. Moses (PBUH) request for vision, juxtaposed with the divine response You shall never see Me, most probably alludes to physical vision, later amended through repentance and acceptance of human perceptual limits. Allameh Tabatabais perspective, emphasizing heart vision as presentational knowledge, elucidates this matter with clarity. This discourse, grounded in rationality and transmitted evidences, underscores the necessity of purity of soul and inner readiness for the vision of divine realities.
Revelation, the majesty of awe, and heart vision, like stars in the firmament of knowledge, guide the seeker towards the Divine Truth. This path requires abstention from spiritual humiliation, observance of reverence toward the Truth, and adherence to rationality and Quranic evidences. Moses (PBUH) request and the divine response serve as an eternal lesson portraying the limitations of human perception and the boundlessness of the Infinite Divine.
