Excerpted from the lectures of Nokounam (Session 159)
The work Manzil al-Sirn by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, like a brilliant gem in the firmament of Islamic mysticism, meticulously elucidates the stages of spiritual progression. The chapter on Khush, a pivotal station within this text, explores an exalted state of faith which renders the seekers heart humble and submissive before the Divine Majesty. This treatise provides a profound and comprehensive analysis of this station. Khush, functioning as a gateway to divine gnosis, guides the seeker from self-centredness towards God-centredness, standing in direct opposition to the hardness of heart, a hallmark of estrangement from divine remembrance.
The chapter on Khush commences with reference to a verse from Srah al-add which calls upon the believers to cultivate heartfelt humility in the presence of the Divine remembrance and revealed truths:
أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَلَا يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ (الحدید: ۱۶)
: Has not the time come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humble at the remembrance of Allah and that which has been revealed of the truth, and that they not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long time passed over them, so their hearts hardened? And many of them are defiantly disobedient.
This verse shines like a luminous beacon, exhorting the faithful to reassess their spiritual condition. Khush, as a state deeper than mere faith, softens and humbles the heart before the Divine remembrance. The phrase ألم یأن serves as a warning to believers who have become sluggish in their spiritual journey, neglecting Khush, an indicator of the deepening of faith. By alluding to the hardness of heart among predecessors, the verse warns of the peril of distancing oneself from divine remembrance, introducing Khush as the antidote to such hardness.
Emphasis on direct recitation of the Qurn stands as a foundational principle in mystical methodology, preventing distortion of meanings and misinterpretations stemming from incomplete quotation of verses. Partial citations are akin to severing a branch from the robust tree of the Qurn, potentially diminishing the comprehensiveness of meaning. The Qurn, like a crystalline spring, is the primary source of divine knowledge; every interpretation or citation must therefore refer back directly to it. This insistence is rooted in respect for the sanctity of the Qurn, neglect of which leads to estrangement from truth and the consequent hardness of heart.
Within mystical progression, spiritual states function as rungs of a ladder towards divine gnosis, each holding a distinctive position. The primary text compares four statesuzn, awf, Ishfq, and Khashyahdelineating their differences according to temporal orientation and thematic focus:
These states, akin to the four seasons of nature, each manifest an aspect of spiritual anxiety; yet Khashyah, like a blooming spring, opens the heart to the Divine Majesty. This differentiation provides a psychological and mystical framework illuminating the stages of the spiritual journey.
Khashyah, like a radiance emanating from Divine Majesty, immerses the seeker in profound and reverential silence before the greatness of God. Conversely, Ishfq, akin to a vigilant guardian, concerns the preservation of the self from rebellion and defilement. Khashyah is fear directed at the Lord, preventing the seeker from faltering before the Divine station, whereas Ishfq is fear for the self, guarding against its deviation and corruption. This distinction, as stark as the separation of heaven and earth, accentuates Gods centrality in Khashyah and the selfs in Ishfq.
Khush, as a ripe fruit from the tree of Khashyah, is a state that renders the seekers heart submissive and tranquil before the Divine Majesty. This state resembles the silence that befalls one in the presence of a mighty sovereign, directing the seekers will and attention solely towards God, thus diverting them from worldly distractions. The primary text describes this state metaphorically as the loss of hands and feet, which signifies the loss of will and complete concentration upon Divine greatness. Khush is the fruit of earnest devotion to God, not a psychological breakdown or distraction-induced forgetfulness.
The verse from Srah al-add associates Khush with the remembrance of God and the revealed truths (the Qurn), rather than directly with the Divine Essence. This distinction, akin to the difference between seeing the sunlight and the sun itself, presents the stage of Khush in this verse as an initial station on the spiritual path. Khush to Dhikr Allh functions as a bridge leading the seeker towards Khush to God Himself, that is, direct humility before the Divine Essence. Dhikr Allh, in a general sense, encompasses all forms of divine remembrance, while m nazala min al-aqq (the Qurn) represents a particular and special manifestation of such remembrance.
The verse from Surah al-Hadid demonstrates that faith, devoid of khushu (humble submissiveness), remains incomplete. Believers who lack khushu are likened to those who regard God as an ordinary matter, failing to observe His sanctity. Faith without reverential awe is comparable to a barren treebereft of spiritual depth and impact. Khushu, akin to a blossom upon the branch of faith, signifies the deepening of ones relationship with the Divine and respect for His majesty. The expression "ألم یأن" serves as a stern admonition to believers who have not consummated their faith through khushu.
The verse in Surah al-Hadid considers hardness of heart as the inevitable consequence of estrangement from Divine remembrance and prolonged duration without self-purification. This hardness, much like a stone hardened by the ceaseless flow of water, impedes the heart from receiving truth and embodying khushu. The Noble Quran, referencing the predecessors who received the Divine Scripture yet grew hardened in heart due to heedlessness, cautions believers against this peril. Hardness of heart acts like darkness overshadowing the light of faith, constituting the principal barrier to spiritual progression.
The verse in al-Hadid attributes hardness of heart to all predecessors, whereas fisq (transgression) is ascribed to many but not all. This distinction, analogous to the separation between root and branch, reveals that hardness is an internal, cardiac condition, while fisq pertains to external acts of disobedience. One might possess hardness of heart without being a transgressor, or vice versa. Hardness, like a poison within the soul, engenders cruelty and rigidity of the heart; conversely, fisq, resembling an error in conduct, relates to outward sins.
A salient point of the text is the possibility of hardness residing even within the believer. A believer may possess faith, yet due to absence of khushu, their heart hardens and becomes unmerciful. Such hardness, akin to a thorn embedded in the heart, hinders flexibility and empathy, even if the individual remains free from overt sins (fisq). This insight serves as a clear mirror reflecting the psychological complexities of the human soul and underscores the imperative of heart-purification.
The original text adopts a psychological perspective to analyse hardness and fisq, suggesting that these concepts can be employed comparatively in the study of faith-based and secular societies. Hardness resembles a silent disease within the heart, potentially present in any community, including among believers. This analysis, like a light illuminating the shadows of the human psyche, demonstrates that faith without khushu cannot shield the heart from hardness. Comparing prisons within faithful and faithless societies, like a precise scale, reveals the similarities of hardness in both groups, unless khushu softens and humbles the heart.
The original text portrays hardness of heart with tangible examples. The act of flogging a believer while partaking breakfast is depicted as a horrifying scene manifesting the darkness of the heart and exemplifying hardness. Conversely, a judge who reluctantly orders a death sentence, yet whose heart is pained by executing the ruling, illustrates the presence of softness of heart. These narratives, akin to historical anecdotes, render the distinction between hardness and fisq palpable. Shimars unbounded hardness in opposition to Husayns (peace be upon him) compassionate heart exemplify the dual facets of this opposition.
Hardness of heart, described as a silent storm, poses a greater danger than fisq because it engenders an internal cruelty that may occur despite the presence of faith. This peril, like a thorn growing within the garden of faith, distances the heart from khushu and connection with God. The original text warns believers to seek refuge in God from hardness, for faith without khushu resembles a roofless house vulnerable to such a storm.
The station of khushu in Manazil al-Sairin stands as a summit within the spiritual journey, inviting the travellers heart to humility and abasement before the Divine Majesty. Grounded in the verse of Surah al-Hadid, khushu is presented as a stage transcending faith and regarded as the antidote to hardness of heart. The distinction between sadness, fear, awe, and khawf (reverential fear), like a precise map, elucidates the spiritual gradations of the path. Khawf, focusing on Divine grandeur, guides the heart toward khushu, whereas hardness acts as an immovable barrier impeding this progression. Concrete examples such as the hardness of a flogger or the reluctance of a merciful judge make these concepts tangible. This analysis, with its emphasis on the direct recitation of the Quran and heart purification, calls believers to reconsider their faith and khushu. Khushu, like a light within the heart, guides the traveller from the darkness of hardness toward the illumination of Divine knowledge.
