the Lectures of Nokounam, may his secret be sanctified (Session 166)
The station of Akhbt constitutes one of the exalted stages of spiritual progression in the Manzil al-Sirn, guiding the seeker towards the realm of tranquillity, serenity, and absolute trust in the Divine Truth. This station, which emerges subsequent to faith (mn) and humility (khash), epitomises the consummation of faith and liberation from the perturbations of the nafs (lower self). Akhbt not only purifies the heart from the dregs of polytheism and material attachments, but also, relying upon divine yearning (shawq), leads the seeker to a domain of assurance and composure, wherein the heart, akin to a limpid sea, remains inviolate from all impurities and rancour.
Akhbt denotes the state of tranquillity and calmness arising from an intense attraction towards the Divine Truth, propelled by the force of yearning. This station manifests after faith and humility in the seekers journey and serves as an indicator of the perfection of his faith. The devoted wayfarer, relying upon the Truth, is emancipated from the disturbances of the nafs such as polytheism, ostentation, and fear of anything other than God, attaining a sphere of certainty and purity. Akhbt is like a divine breeze that dispels the dust of attachments from the heart of the seeker, guiding him to a spiritual sanctuary.
| Key Point: Akhbt is the tranquillity and serenity born from yearning for the Divine, which liberates the seeker from the restlessness of the nafs and directs him towards divine assurance. |
Faith marks the inception of the spiritual path, yet it may coexist with elements of polytheism, such as a believer who practices ostentation or fears entities other than God. Humility softens the heart and eradicates the sediments of polytheism, yet it does not attain complete serenity. Akhbt, through engendering calmness and reliance upon the Truth, elevates the seeker to the perfection of faith. This progression can be analogised as follows: the disbeliever resembles dry wood (khashab musinda); the believer resembles iron besmirched by polytheistic deposits; the humble one is akin to iron softened in the furnace of the Truth; and the devoted one, the akhbit, is like iron that is smooth and serene, no longer prone to fracture.
: Surely, those who have believed and performed righteous deeds and humbled themselves before their Lordthose are the companions of Paradise.
This verse regards Akhbt as the culmination of faith and righteous deeds, identifying the humble (mukhbitn) as the rightful possessors of Paradise (asb al-jannah), not merely as those who enter it.
The seekers heart resembles iron which, in its ordinary state, is cold, rigid, and tainted by the deposits of polytheism. Humility functions as a divine fire that melts and softens this iron, and with each blow of the hammer of refinement, the residues of polytheism are expelled. Akhbt represents the stage where this softened iron attains tranquillity and serenity, comparable to a flexible rod which bends without breaking. This analogy vividly illustrates the process of nafs purification: polytheism is akin to disturbance and sediment in the iron; humility softens it; and Akhbt brings it to purity and calmness.
| Key Point: Akhbt constitutes the hearts state of repose following the softening wrought by humility, cleansing the heart of polytheistic deposits and ushering it into divine serenity. |
Akhbt is likened to a spinning hammer that relentlessly strikes the heated iron, smoothing and refining itcontrasting with a sluggish, loose hammer which cools and hardens the iron. This metaphor underscores the necessity for perseverance in the spiritual path. Should the seeker falter in the purification process, his heart will cool and the deposits of polytheism will once more harden it. The Hud verse (23) emphasises continuity by omitting the particle then (thumma) in the phrase wa-akhbat, as if the stages of faith, righteous action, and Akhbt strike consecutively and without interruption, perfecting the heart like successive hammer blows.
A believer may harbour polytheism, not in the outright form of disbelief, but as a subtle form embedded within faith, such as ostentation in worship, fear of entities other than God, or deference to falsehood. This form of polytheism deprives the heart of serenity, for the believer relies not upon the Truth but upon worldly elements such as wealth, power, or status. The devoted seeker, through insightful recognition of these deficiencies, purifies his heart from such polytheism, relying solely upon the Divine Truth.
| Key Point: Polytheism within faith, such as ostentation and fear of other than God, robs the heart of tranquillity; Akhbt, by reliance on the Divine, eradicates this polytheism. |
Tranquillity derived from wealth, power, or health is illusory, for its loss breeds anxiety and unrest. Akhbt represents the enduring peace born of certainty in God. A tradition in this regard states: لَا يَدْخُلُ الإِيمَانُ فِي قَلْبِ امْرِئٍ حَتَّى يَكُونَ بِمَا عِنْدَ اللهِ أَيْقَنَ بِمَا فِي يَدِهِ
, meaning, True faith does not enter a persons heart until his certainty in what is with God surpasses his reliance on what is in his own possession. The devoted seeker, confident in the Truth, is thus freed from worldly anxieties.
The devoted heart resembles a clear sea that no impuritybe it rancour, grudges, or polytheismcan contaminate. A small heart is like a cup or shallow basin, easily soiled by the slightest impurity and consequently afflicted by anxiety and maladies of the nafs (such as cancer or nervous weakness). The analogy of the sea dog, pure within the sea, underscores this point: the sea-like heart, vast and pure, is impervious to all defilement.
| Key Point: The devoted heart, like a clear sea, remains immune to the impurities of rancour and polytheism, guiding the seeker towards purity and tranquillity. |
A heart that harbours rancour and grudges (against neighbours or relatives) for years is like a narrow cup incapable of containing the tranquillity of Akhbt. Such a heart precipitates physical and spiritual maladies (such as cancer or spiritual death). The devoted seeker, by becoming sea-like in heart, is liberated from these grudges and connects his heart to the Divine realm.
To attain Akhbt, the seeker must alienate himself from all creation at nightmeaning he must forget rancour and discord and cleanse the heart from nafs impurities. In the morning, by uttering the greeting As-salmu alayka y Allh
, he connects his heart to God. This practice frees the heart from anxiety and unrest, ushering it into the serenity of Akhbt. The method resembles washing a contaminated vessel, cleansed solely by the pure water of the Divine Truth.
| Key Point: Nighttime purity by forsaking rancour and morning salutations to God lead the seeker to the tranquillity characteristic of Akhbt. |
Anxieties stemming from greed, avarice, and attachment to worldly matters (such as cancer, stroke, and nervous disorders) are consequences of estrangement from Akhbt. The devoted seeker, imbued with purity and trust in God, is safeguarded against these afflictions. This critique identifies the root of social maladies in the absence of Akhbts serenity and emphasises the imperative of nafs purification.
The Holy Quran declares in a verse:
وَإِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَلَهُ أَسْلِمُوا وَبَشِّرِ الْمُخْبِتِينَ (Al-ajj: 34)
s translation: And your God is One God; therefore submit to Him, and give glad tidings to the humble (mukhbiteen).
This verse delineates the mukhbiteen as transcending mere outward submission (aslimu), possessing an inner integrity and sincerity. They are those who, driven by an ardent yearning for the Truth, are deemed worthy of divine glad tidings.
| Key Insight: The mukhbiteen attain peace and divine glad tidings through heartfelt submission and ardent longing for the Truth. |
Another verse from the Holy Quran states:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَأَخْبَتُوا إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ (Hd: 23)
s translation: Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds and humbled themselves before their Lord those are the companions of Paradise.
The mukhbiteen not only enter Paradise but are described as its proprietors (ashb al-jannah). This proprietorship signifies their exalted spiritual station, attained through tranquillity and assurance in the Truth.
False courage, akin to addms recklessnesswho feared not execution yet gloried in his slaughterstands in stark contrast to the humility of the mukhbiteen. The courage of the mukhbiteen is born from reliance upon the Truth, not from arrogance or heedlessness. addm exemplifies those those (alladhna) devoid of faith and humility, ensnared by polytheism and unrest.
| Key Insight: The mukhbiteens courage arises from certainty in the Truth, unlike the false bravado rooted in polytheism and neglect. |
The world is a divine alchemy, whereby a fleeting moment surpasses hundreds of years in the Barzakh (intermediate realm), for in this world one may, through purity and humility (ikhbat), cleanse sins. The divine limit in this life is Gods grace, which purifies sins through hardship or affliction, unlike the protracted torment of Barzakh. The spiritual wayfarer of humility thus avails this opportunity to purify the heart of all defilement.
| Key Insight: The world offers a unique opportunity for purification through humility, whereby sins are cleansed by divine grace. |
The mukhbiteen wayfarer, by virtue of tranquillity and certainty in the Truth, is incapable of sinning or harbouring impurity. This station leads the wayfarer to an inner unity and the manifestation of the Divine Reality, as though their heart were a polished mirror reflecting solely the lights of the Truth.
Ikhbat is distinguished by ardent yearning for the Truth rather than fear. The God worshipped out of yearning, as the Beloved of the heart, differs fundamentally from the God worshipped out of fear. Yearning inspires movement and serenity, whereas fear agitates and disturbs the heart.
| Key Insight: Ikhbat liberates the wayfarer from fear and anxiety through yearning for the Truth, leading to divine tranquillity and love. |
The station of ikhbat, as explicated in Manzil al-Sirn, constitutes a sublime sphere of mystical progression guiding the wayfarer toward tranquillity, peace, and certainty in the Truth. This station is attained through divine longing and liberation from polytheism, subsequent to faith and humility. The heart of the mukhbit, like a crystal-clear ocean, remains protected from carnal defilements, achieving purity and proprietorship of Paradise through sincere reliance on the Truth. The Quranic verses, symbolic metaphors of iron, and incisive social critiques elucidate this station in a profound and captivating manner. The wayfarer, by practising purity in the night and morning salutation, bestows upon the heart the serenity of humility, emancipating it from worldly anxieties.
| Supervised by Sadegh Khademi |
