of Nekounam, may his sacred secret remain illuminated (Session 154)
This treatise represents a comprehensive rewriting and in-depth analysis of Nekounams venerable lectures on the chapter of Bab al-Khawf from Manzil al-Sirn, which engage profoundly and mystically with the topic of Divine Vision and the inherent existential limitations of the human being in the presence of the grandeur of the Lord. The principal axis of discussion revolves around the request of the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) for Divine Vision ("أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ") and the sagacious response of the Almighty, which not only underscores mankinds incapacity to endure such a vision but also reveals the Divine wisdom in tailoring the response according to the recipients capacity.
Divine epiphany is an exalted station that transcends the ordinary existential capacity of the human being. As elucidated in Nekounams lecture:
"وَ إِنَّ الْمُكَاشَفَةَ عِنْدَهُ أَعْظَمُ قَدْرًا مِنْ أَنْ يُكَاشِفَ مَنْ هُوَ فِي غَايَةِ الْحَقَارَةِ".
This statement emphasizes the irrefutable truth that the servant, owing to his intrinsic limitation, lacks the ability to fully comprehend the manifestations of the Divine. Here, humility is not tantamount to degradation but rather points to the fragility and existential constraint of man when confronted with the infinitude of the Divine Essence. It is as if man were a bird whose wings cannot withstand the storm of Divine Majesty, and whose eyes cannot endure gazing upon the endless Light of Truth.
| Key Point: Divine epiphany is a station demanding boundless capacity, and due to mans existential limitations, he remains incapable of fully attaining it. |
At the Divine appointment, Moses (peace be upon him) implored his Lord:
وَلَمَّا جَاءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَاتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ
(Srah al-Arf, 7:143; translated by : "And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said: My Lord, show me so I may look upon You"). This supplication does not arise from ignorance but flows from an unquenchable yearning for proximity and Divine gnosis. The phrase "أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ" resonates like a passionate melody emanating from the heart of the mystic towards the Beloved. It encapsulates the desire for an immediate, unmediated experience of the Divine Essence. "أَرِنِي" is an invitation to unveiling, and "أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ" expresses the longing to behold the unparalleled Beauty of Truth.
Nekounam critically engages with Allameh Tabatabais exegesis, which construes Moses requested vision as a vision of the heart, emphasizing that Moses sought a direct and objective vision rather than a mere cognitive or spiritual perception. This critique draws a clear distinction between apparent and intrinsic vision: the vision of the heart denotes an epistemic perception occurring within the realm of the heart and insight, whereas Moses request sought an unmediated and tangible encounter with the Divine Essence. It resembles a lover whose yearning is not for the description of the Beloved but for the actual sight of Him.
| Key Point: Moses request for Divine Vision transcends cognitive heart-perception, aspiring toward a direct, unmediated experience of the Divine Essence. |
The people of Moses (peace be upon him) had previously articulated their desire to witness Gods manifestation explicitly:
وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً
(Srah al-Baqarah, 2:55; translated by : "And when you said: O Moses, we will not believe in you until we see Allah openly"). This communal demand profoundly influenced Moses, who echoed the same request during the Divine meeting, inspired by his peoples aspiration. Moses claim ("أَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ") testifies to his acceptance of this plea and his endeavour to pioneer in faith. This dynamic relationship resembles a mirror where prophet and people reflect one another and advance toward a deeper gnosis.
The people of Moses (peace be upon him), owing to their exceptional acumen and intelligence, posed audacious demands such as the explicit vision of God. This trait is observable in contemporary Zionism, which, through strategic planning and foresight, has attained global power. Nekounam warns that underestimating the adversary has historically led to the Islamic communitys defeat. This acumen is a double-edged sword: when aligned with the path of truth, it culminates in Divine knowledge; when diverted, it results in material domination.
The people of Moses request for the vision of God was met with a thunderbolt:
فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ
(Srah al-Baqarah, 2:55; translated by : "Then the thunderbolt struck you while you were looking on"). This thunderbolt symbolises the overwhelming majesty of God that stupefied or annihilated the people. However, with Moses, the Divine reply manifested as an epiphany upon the mountain:
فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا
(Srah al-Arf, 7:143; translated by : "And when his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, He made it crumble"). This distinction represents the two facets of Divine Majesty and Beauty, manifesting according to the recipients capacity.
| Key Point: The thunderbolt and manifestation are two Divine responses tailored to the capacities of the people and Moses respectively, demonstrating the Lords wisdom in calibrating His reply to the recipient. |
Subsequent to the thunderbolt, the Lord bestowed blessings such as manna, quails, and shade upon Moses people:
وَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ
(Srah al-Baqarah, 2:57; translated by : "And We caused to descend upon you manna and quails: eat of the good things We have provided for you"). These blessings represent a merciful rain that descends upon the parched earth of the community after the storm of Divine Majesty, illustrating the balance between Divine Majesty and Beauty.
The request to behold God did not constitute an injustice towards God or Moses but rather an injustice towards the people themselves:
وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
(Srah al-Baqarah, 2:57; translated by : "They did not wrong Us, but they were wronging themselves"). This injustice is analogous to the demand for water by a vessel incapable of containing it, inevitably leading to the vessels rupture.
The People of the Book implored the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) for the descent of a scripture from the heavens:
يَسْأَلُكَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ أَنْ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ كِتَابًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ
(Srah An-Nis, 4:153; translated by : "The People of the Book ask you to bring down upon them a book from the heaven"). The Quran juxtaposes this request with the grander demand of Moses people for the vision of God, deeming it even more audacious. This comparison acts as a scale that measures the magnitude of the vision request vis--vis the request for a scripture.
The people of Moses, upon their failure to behold God, turned to the worship of the calf:
ثُمَّ اتَّخَذُوا الْعِجْلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ
(Surah An-Nisa, 4:153; translation by Fooladvand: Then, after clear signs had come to them, they took the calf [for worship]). This act represents a deviation that slipped from an ardent longing for divine vision into materialism, replacing the intangible divine essence with the tangible calf.
| Key Point: The calf worship by the people of Moses resulted from a deviation from monotheism and a turn towards materialism, manifesting as the substitution of the intangible divine essence with a tangible object. |
The Lord addressed Moses (peace be upon him):
قَالَ لَنْ تَرَانِي وَلَٰكِنِ انْظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي
(Surah Al-Araf, 7:143; translation by Fooladvand: He said: You will never see Me, but look at the mountain; if it remains firm in its place, then you shall see Me). The phrase لَنْ تَرَانِي does not denote Gods invisibility per se, rather it signifies Moses incapacity to endure the vision. The mountain test acts as a mirror reflecting the fragility of creation before divine grandeur.
When the Lord manifested Himself upon the mountain, He transformed it into dust:
فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا
(Surah Al-Araf, 7:143; translation by Fooladvand: Then when his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, He made it crumble and flatten). The primary agent of creation (جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا) is God, not the manifestation itself. This divine creation was carried out with utmost subtlety and precision, as if the Lord gently cradled the mountain like a child and softly laid it upon the earth.
Moses (peace be upon him), upon witnessing the manifestation and the mountains crumbling, was rendered unconscious:
وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقًا
(Surah Al-Araf, 7:143; translation by Fooladvand: And Moses fell down stunned). Unlike the mountain which God made crumble, Moses stupefaction is attributed to himself. This distinction resembles the contrast between stone and soul; the inanimate mountain was pulverised, while Moses, due to the fragility inherent in human existence, lost consciousness.
| Key Point: Moses stupefaction was a consequence of his existential incapacity before divine manifestation, whereas the mountain, being inanimate, was merely pulverised. |
Nokounam emphasises that the vision of God is not impossible; rather, it appears impossible due to the servants incapacity to endure it. The use of إِنْ instead of لَو in the verse (فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ) indicates the theoretical possibility of vision, conditional upon the existence of the capacity. This condition functions as a key unlocking the possibility of vision, yet the human existential vessel is unable to turn this key.
In this regard, the unity of divine actions (Tawhid Afali) is also stressed. The mountains crumbling (دَكًّا) is directly attributed to God rather than the manifestation, in order to prevent any form of associating partners (shirk) by ascribing action to anything other than God. Even the mountains collapse necessitates divine creation and aid, as if the Lord, like a sagacious architect, shapes every phenomenon with His own hands.
| Key Point: The vision of God is not impossible; however, the servants inability to endure it prevents its actualisation. The unity of divine actions places divine creation at the centre of all phenomena, from the mountains collapse to Moses stupefaction. |
The reinterpretation of Bab al-Khawf from Manazil al-Sairin, based upon the lectures of Nokounam , reveals that the request for divine vision by Moses (peace be upon him) and his people stemmed from an infinite yearning for knowledge and proximity to God. The Quranic verses, especially Show me, that I may look upon You and the divine response You will never see Me, emphasise the servants incapacity to endure the vision rather than its impossibility. The distinction between divine manifestation for Moses and the divine thunderbolt for the people discloses divine wisdom in tailoring the response to the recipients capacity. The unity of divine actions is the core of this discourse, manifesting divine creation in all aspects, from the mountains collapse to Moses stupefaction.
| Supervised by Sadegh Khademi |
