of Nekounam, may his sanctity be preserved (Session 160)
This treatise offers a comprehensive analysis of Nekounams sacred lectures concerning Khushu as delineated in the Manazil al-Sirin (Stations of the Wayfarers). It undertakes a profound mystical exegesis to explicate this spiritual station, distinguishing it rigorously from related concepts such as khud and khashyah. Grounded firmly in the primary lecture content and detailed analytical discourse, this work is crafted in an academic and scholarly register to convey esoteric knowledge with eloquence and coherence to a specialised readership. The focus is Khushu as a pivotal station within spiritual progression, emanating from the heart and manifesting outwardly.
Within the Manazil al-Sirin, Khushu is defined as "the quiescence of the soul and the calmness of the dispositions before the Magnificent or Awe-inspiring." This definition presents Khushu as a profound, intrinsic state wherein the seekers soul becomes silent before the majesty or the awe-inducing essence of the Divine, and the natural dispositions subside. Khushu is likened to the extinguishing of a fire that once blazed within the heart, which, in the presence of the divine majestys breeze, transforms into a tranquil ash. This state is the consummate submission of the self before the Lord, springing from the heart the locus where the wayfarer perceives their own insignificance in the face of Divine infinitude.
| Key Point: Khushu is the silencing of the soul and the calming of the natural dispositions before Divine Majesty or fear, originating from the heart, and signifying the wayfarers total submission. |
Although Khushu and Khud share proximate semantic fields, they bear essential distinctions. Khud denotes an external humility manifest in behaviour and physical demeanour, which may occur absent any heartfelt accompaniment. For instance, an individual may exhibit gentleness or deference verbally or bodily whilst their heart remains devoid of genuine humility. Conversely, Khushu is an inward state originating in the depths of the heart and radiating outward. It resembles a river that issues from the hearts spring to nourish the limbs, whereas Khud may only be a superficial layer of soil lacking profound inner substance. Nekounam stresses that transgressors might display external Khud, yet Khushu, given its cardiac roots, is reserved for the faithful and the pure.
| Key Point: Khud is an external humility that may lack spiritual depth, whereas Khushu is a heartfelt state flowing from the heart to the limbs, exclusive to the believers. |
Khashyah constitutes a stage superior to Khushu and Khud, inherently coupled with knowledge and awareness. Here, the fear of God arises not from mere dread, but from profound cognition of Divine Majesty. Nekounam underscores that Khashyah pertains specifically to scholars and those possessing certainty, whereas Khushu may be found even among inanimate entities such as mountains or sounds. Khashyah is akin to a light emanating from the hearts knowledge, guiding the seeker towards Divine proximity, whilst Khushu remains a humble heart-state which may occur without knowledge.
| Key Point: Khashyah is a conscious fear grounded in knowledge, reserved for the learned and those with certainty, distinct from Khushu and Khud. |
The Glorious Quran ascribes Khushu to creatures, limbs, and the heart, illustrating the concepts broad scope. Examples include:
Srah Th, 20:108, translated by Foldvand: "And the voices will be subdued for the Most Merciful."
This verse depicts the submission of sounds in reverence to Divine Majesty.
Srah Isr, 17:109, translated by Foldvand: "And they fall upon their faces weeping, and it increases them in humility."
This verse illustrates that Khushu is the fruit of tears and submission to the Divine Word.
Srah ashr, 59:21, translated by Foldvand: "Had We sent down this Quran upon a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbled."
This verse portrays the humility of a mountain in the face of the Quranic Majesty.
Srah Muminn, 23:2, translated by Foldvand: "Those who are humble in their prayers."
This verse describes the humility within the hearts of the faithful in prayer.
Srah Qalam, 68:43, translated by Foldvand: "Their eyes humbled."
This verse attributes Khushu to the eyes.
Srah Ghshiyah, 88:2, translated by Foldvand: "Faces humbled on that Day."
This verse ascribes Khushu to the faces.
These verses function as mirrors reflecting Khushu across all creationfrom mountains and earth to hearts and limbsdemonstrating the profound impact of Divine Majesty upon existence.
| Key Point: Khushu in the Quran is attributed to creatures, limbs, and the heart, signifying the profound influence of Divine Majesty or fear upon all existence. |
Khud in the Quran refers to outward behaviours and is mentioned less frequently than Khushu. Examples include:
Srah Azb, 33:32, translated by Foldvand: "Do not be soft in speech [to men]."
This verse prohibits softness in speech, warning against insincere humility motivated by base desires.
Srah Shuar, 26:4, translated by Foldvand: "So their necks humbled to it."
This verse attributes Khud to the external submission of the limbs.
Khud is akin to a garment which may only cover the exterior without embracing the heart, whereas Khushu emerges from the innermost depths of the being.
| Key Point: Khud in the Quran denotes external humility that may lack heartfelt sincerity, while Khushu signifies a deep, heartfelt state. |
Khashyah in the Quran denotes a fear intertwined with knowledge and awareness, reserved for the learned and those endowed with certainty. The following verses elucidate this concept:
Srah Nis, 4:25, translated by Foldvand: "That is for whoever fears hardship among you."
Srah Ysn, 36:11, translated by Foldvand: "And he fears the Most Merciful unseen."
Srah Ftir, 35:28, translated by Foldvand: "Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, the scholars."
Divine reverence (khushyat) is akin to a precious gem nestled within the shell of gnosis; only the truly learned in the Divine Reality are capable of harboring it within their hearts.
| Key Insight: Khushyat is a conscious and knowledge-based fear, exclusive to the learned, who recognise God as the sole true locus of reverence. |
In the verse
إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ
(Surah Fatir, Ayah 28, Translation: "Of the servants of Allah, only those endowed with knowledge truly fear Him"), the term ibad denotes a particular class of servants in whom practical servitude has been actualised. The plural usage of both ibad and ulama indicates the abundance of such individuals who, through knowledge and certainty, have enshrined divine reverence in their hearts. This verse serves as an illuminating beacon for spiritual wayfarers, demonstrating that reverence is the fruit of true knowledge and authentic servitude. Nokounam (may his sanctity be preserved) emphasises that one who fears not God cannot be deemed a true scholar, since knowledge devoid of reverence resembles a rootless tree, barren of fruit.
| Key Insight: The servants of knowledge are a distinguished cohort who, through gnosis and practical servitude, have established divine reverence within their hearts. |
The propagation of God-worship by prophets and saints manifests inherent challenges in societal acceptance of this truth. Such difficulties may arise from defects in the preacher, the devotee, or misconceptions regarding the Divine, notwithstanding Gods absolute perfection. Nokounam (may his sanctity be preserved) employs the metaphor of football to illustrate worldly attractions, which, unlike spiritual reverence, magnetise people effortlessly and spontaneously. For instance, during a football match, crowds brave cold and rain enthusiastically, without solicitation or remuneration. This allure acts like a magnetic force drawing hearts, whereas God-worship demands extensive propagation, for many have yet to develop an innate sensitivity towards it.
| Key Insight: The extensive propagation of God-worship reflects underlying acceptance challenges, potentially due to preacher or devotee deficiencies, while God remains free from any imperfection. |
Nokounam (may his sanctity be preserved) likens the power of carnal attractions to passions such as football, narcotics, or wine. An individual habituated to wine or theft derives no pleasure from lawful things, as their sensibility is entangled with the impure. This metaphor functions as a mirror, revealing how potent worldly attractions divert the heart from spiritual beneficence by engendering overwhelming desires. In contrast, God-worship necessitates an inner sensibility, formed solely through knowledge and soul purification.
| Key Insight: Worldly attractions, by generating intense desires, alienate the heart from spiritual blessings; conversely, God-worship requires an inner sensibility grounded in gnosis. |
Obstacles impeding the cultivation of God-worship include illicit earnings, carnal desires, attachment to worldly life, and ignorance. These impediments function as veils that obscure the light of Divine knowledge from the heart. Illicit earnings darken the heart; carnal desires act as chains binding the soul; and ignorance precludes comprehension of Divine Majesty. Nokounam (may his sanctity be preserved) stresses that these barriers annihilate the sense of God-worship and inhibit the formation of humility and reverence within the heart.
| Key Insight: Illicit earnings, carnal desires, worldly attachments, and ignorance are principal obstacles that distance the heart from Divine knowledge, thereby obstructing God-worship. |
To nurture the sense of God-worship, Divine knowledge, soul purification, and diminution of arrogance within society must be institutionalised. Nokounam (may his sanctity be preserved) advocates that the sense of God-worship ought to be ignited within hearts with the same intensity as worldly fascinations, such as the passion for football. This sense resembles a flame kindled by knowledge and self-discipline, directing the heart towards servitude. Educating Divine knowledge and providing spiritual milieus resemble fertile soil wherein the seed of God-worship may be sown.
| Key Insight: Cultivating the sense of God-worship requires knowledge, soul refinement, and humility, guiding the seekers heart towards servitude. |
The Divine saints performed worship with complete and effortless submission, as their will was wholly aligned with the Divine Will. This submission resembles a stream flowing towards the boundless Divine Ocean, transforming worship into an act of pure spirituality. Nokounam (may his sanctity be preserved) emphasises that the worship of saints results from an intrinsic sense of God-worship originating in knowledge and absolute surrender.
| Key Insight: The worship of Divine saints is the fruit of complete submission and an inner sense of God-worship deriving from knowledge and surrender. |
This rearticulation of the chapter on Khushu (humble submission) from the spiritual stations of the wayfarers, drawn from the lectures of Nokounam (may his sanctity be preserved), has demonstrated that Khushu is a heartfelt state born from the quiescence of the nafs (ego) before Divine Majesty or fear, extending to the limbs. This station is distinct from mere outward humility (khudu) and from reverential fear accompanied by knowledge (khushyat). The Noble Quran attributes Khushu to creatures, limbs, and the heart, highlighting the breadth of this concept. Khushyat, inseparable from knowledge, is exclusive to the learned and certain, identifying God as the sole true vessel of reverence. Challenges to God-worship stem from carnal and social obstacles such as illicit earnings, passions, and ignorance, which must be remedied through knowledge and soul purification. The ultimate aim of spiritual progress is the cultivation of a sense of God-worship, requiring the generation of spiritual attraction within individual hearts and society at large.
| Supervised by Sadegh Khademi |
