the Lectures of Nokounam, May His Secret Remain Sacred (Session 174)
The chapter on asceticism in the mystical compendium Manzil al-Sirn by Khwja Abdullah Ansr denotes a station wherein the spiritual wayfarer is liberated from the fetters of worldly attachments and guided towards the realm of sincerity and divine proximity. This station, elucidated with unparalleled profundity in the lectures of Nokounam (may his secret remain sacred), unveils historical and cultural distortions of the concept of asceticism and redefines it as a soulful attribute. Asceticism, from this perspective, is neither destitution nor misery, nor is it comfort-seeking or passivity; rather, it signifies an enlightened and exalted disinterest in the non-divine, irrespective of yearning for Paradise or fear of Hell.
Within the mystical paradigm, asceticism is a soulful quality that liberates the heart of the seeker from attachment to the world and directs it towards pure devotion to God. Contrary to prevalent assumptions, asceticism is neither poverty, destitution, nor weakness or frailty. This attribute, akin to courage, knowledge, or purity, is an intrinsic disposition contingent upon the seekers intention and inner state rather than external conditions. As expressed in the lecture series, asceticism denotes disinterest in the world, not out of incapacity or ignorance, but out of awareness and soundness of the soul. Such disinterest frees the heart from craving food, drink, clothing, shelter, wealth, rank, praise, and even nearness to kings.
| Key Point: Asceticism is a soulful attribute that liberates the heart from attachment to anything but God, guiding it towards purity in divine devotion, rather than poverty or misery. |
The metaphor of the sea and the jewel elegantly explicates this concept: asceticism is like a diver who, rather than clinging to the surface waves of the sea, seeks the jewel of divine knowledge in its depths. External manifestations of asceticism, such as worn garments or simple living, are merely shadows of this soulful attribute, not its essence. The ascetic wayfarer, endowed with souls soundness, passes beyond worldly adornments and readies the heart to receive divine provision.
The common interpretation of asceticism, which equates it with poverty, misery, and even lice infestation, has for a millennium reduced the Muslims to despair and engendered passivity and comfort-seeking. The lecture, with learned irony, terms this distortion louse asceticism and references pilgrimage manuals that still mention lice, despite Mecca and Medina having been cleansed of such afflictions. This corruption has diminished asceticism from its lofty soulful station to misery and backwardness.
| Key Point: The prevalent association of asceticism with poverty and misery (louse asceticism) has driven Muslims towards passivity and regression. |
The analogy of lice in old schools vividly illustrates this critique: in past eras, lice were rampant in Tehrans schools, afflicting children; today, with advancements in hygiene, lice have vanished. Just as lice have disappeared from society, asceticism must be emancipated from its bonds with poverty and misery. This irony, referencing pilgrimage treatises that still speak of lice, underscores the necessity of redefining asceticism.
The lecture dissociates asceticism from comfort-seeking and passivity. The narration that links asceticism to a flight from affliction while clinging to ease (riban mina al-fah mutaiman bi-r-rah) conflicts with the conduct of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) and Imam Jafar al-diq (peace be upon him). Asceticism is a soulful struggle for pure devotion, not an escape from responsibility nor a pursuit of ease. This erroneous definition has driven Muslims into social and economic isolation and obstructed advancements such as the attainment of nuclear energy.
| Key Point: Asceticism is not synonymous with ease or passivity; it constitutes a soulful combat for sincere divine worship consistent with the conduct of the Infallibles. |
The metaphor of the warrior in the battlefield of knowledge clarifies this notion: the ascetic is like a combatant who, not fleeing the field, but striving to triumph over the self and worldly attachments, wields the sword of awareness and will. This warrior, instead of passivity, embraces responsibility and exertion on the path towards divine proximity.
Asceticism is a soulful quality that emancipates the heart from attachment to anything other than God. The critique of the common louse and comfort-seeking definitions accentuates the imperative of redefining asceticism as a conscious disinterest. The metaphors of the sea and jewel, lice in schools, and the warrior of knowledge compellingly elucidate these concepts.
For the chapter on asceticism, Khwja Abdullah Ansr selected the verse بَقِيَّةُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ (Srah Hd: 86), translated by as: What God has left for you is better for you, if you are believers. This verse refers to contentment with lawful profit in commerce; however, the lecture deems it unsuitable for asceticism, since asceticism is a soulful attribute whereas this verse pertains to fairness in trade.
| Key Point: The verse بَقِيَّةُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ addresses justice in commerce, not soulful asceticism, making it inappropriate for the chapter on asceticism. |
The metaphor of the merchant and the gem expert clarifies this critique: a merchant content with lawful profit is like a gemologist distinguishing genuine jewels from imitations, yet this fairness does not constitute asceticism. Asceticism is the disinterest in the jewel of the world itself, not merely the act of settling for it.
Khwja Nar al-s, in Awf al-Ashrf, deemed the verse وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى (Srah -H: 131) more appropriate for asceticism. translates it as: And do not extend your eyes to that which We have given to some groups among them, the splendour of the life of this world, that We might test them thereby; but the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting. This verse advises disinterest in worldly adornments and refraining from coveting them, aligning well with soulful asceticism.
| Key Point: The verse وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ emphasises disinterest in the allure of the world and the superiority of divine provision, thus better harmonising with soulful asceticism. |
The metaphor of the garden and the flower elucidates this verse: the world is like a garden replete with beguiling flowers, yet the ascetic seeker refrains from fixating upon them, instead pursuing the enduring divine provision which resembles a mighty, everlasting, and fruitful tree.
A similar verse appears in Srah ijr (15:88): وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ وَلَا تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ, translated by as: And do not extend your eyes to that which We have given to some of their groups, and grieve not over them, and lower your wing to the believers. Both verses commence identically, but their subsequent clauses diverge. Srah -H focuses on the trial of worldly allure and the superiority of divine provision, whereas Srah ijr emphasises refraining from grief and exercising humility towards the believers.
| Key Point: Due to its emphasis on the permanence of divine provision, the verse from Srah -H is more appropriate for asceticism than that of Srah ijr, which focuses on humility and refraining from sorrow. |
The parable of the crossroads elucidates this comparison: the verse from Surah Taha functions as a guide that directs the spiritual traveller away from the deceptive paths of the worldly life towards the enduring divine provision, whereas the verse from Surah Al-Hijr calls the traveller to humility and serenity in the face of the disbelievers.
The rendering of لا تمدن عینیک as do not look is erroneous. The term تمدن denotes staring intently, attachment, coveting, and comparisonnot merely the act of refraining from looking. The lecture, employing erudite irony, censures inaccurate translations of the Holy Quran that distort the meanings of the verses and deviate from scholarly precision.
| Key Point: In the verse وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ, تمدن signifies covetousness and attachment, not simply the abstention from looking, and erroneous translations thereby distort the concept of asceticism. |
The metaphor of the eye and the heart clarifies this critique: the eye of the spiritual traveller is akin to a mirror which, if fixated upon the adornments of the world, contaminates the heart with desire and attachment. Asceticism (zuhd) directs the gaze of the heart away from this mirror towards the divine light.
The critique of the verse attributed to Khwaja Abdullah, alongside the proposed verse by Khwaja Nasir, underscores the necessity of selecting Quranic verses commensurate with the souls ascetic disposition. The verse from Surah Taha, with its emphasis on disinterest in worldly embellishments and the superiority of divine provision, is more appropriate for asceticism. The criticism of flawed translations manifests the imperative for interpretive accuracy in Quranic exegesis. The metaphors of the merchant, the garden, and the eye and heart eloquently elucidate these concepts.
Khwaja Nasir al-Din Tusi defines asceticism as disinterest in everything other than God, encompassing food, drink, clothing, shelter, wealth, rank, praise, proximity to rulers, and even the desire for Paradise or fear of Hell. This disinterest is not born of incapacity or ignorance but rather stems from awareness and spiritual health. The true ascetic does not covet the reward of Paradise nor the deliverance from Hells punishment; rather, their worship is sincere and devoid of ulterior motives.
| Key Point: Asceticism is the disinterest in anything other than God, devoid of coveting Paradise or fearing Hell, arising from consciousness and spiritual soundness. |
The metaphor of the sun and the shadow clarifies this definition: the ascetic is like the sun who, by the light of the Divine, ignores the deceptive shadows of the world and looks only towards the Light of Truth. This purity liberates the heart from all ulterior motives and afflictions.
Khwaja Nasir relates the story of an ascetic who sold calfs head and tripe for thirty years but abstained from consuming them himself to discipline his soul and eradicate his inclination toward desires. The lecture compares this form of asceticism to sadism, wherein the soul is subjected to torment for thirty years. True asceticism is detachment of the heart, not self-inflicted pain or ostentation in abstention.
| Key Point: The calf-head asceticism, which tortures the soul for thirty years, resembles sadism and differs fundamentally from spiritual asceticism, which is detachment of the heart. |
The metaphor of the cat and the meat clarifies this critique: the calf-head ascetic resembles a cat who places meat before itself but does not eat itnot out of disinterest, but to torment its soul. This behaviour, rather than spiritual elevation, results in psychological affliction. True asceticism confronts desire consciously and overcomes it, rather than fleeing or inflicting torment.
The lecture critiques the narrative attributed to Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) in Misbah al-Sharia, which describes asceticism as the key to the Hereafter and deliverance from the Fire, due to the weakness of its chain of transmission and its purposeful content. Asceticism is the abandonment of anything that deters one from God, without regret or ostentation. If asceticism is aimed at escaping the Fire or obtaining Paradise, it is desire, not asceticism.
| Key Point: Asceticism entails renouncing whatever distances one from God, without regret or ostentation. The narrative in Misbah al-Sharia is incompatible with true asceticism due to its weak transmission and intentional bias. |
The metaphor of the gardener and the weeds clarifies this critique: asceticism is like a gardener who removes the weeds of attachment from the garden of the heartnot for show or reward, but for the flourishing of the flower of divine knowledge.
Khwaja Nasirs definition links asceticism to purity in God-consciousness. The critique of the calf-head example and the Misbah al-Sharia narrative stresses the necessity of spiritual asceticism and avoidance of sadism or covetousness. The metaphors of the sun, the cat, and the gardener elegantly elucidate these concepts.
The misinterpretation of asceticism, equating it with poverty and passivity, has hindered the advancement of Muslims, including in fields such as nuclear energy, and reduced their standing to that of beggars in the eyes of others. The lecture, referencing the tribulations of system administrators, asserts the compatibility of asceticism with social responsibility.
| Key Point: Misguided asceticism impedes progress; however, true asceticism harmonises with social responsibility and the endeavour for excellence. |
The metaphor of the ship and the captain clarifies this concept: the ascetic is like a captain who steers the ship of society through the storms of the world with responsibility and awareness, rather than fleeing the sea or anchoring in the harbour of comfort-seeking.
The lecture, drawing on the conduct of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) and Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), distinguishes asceticism from comfort-seeking. The ascetic neither flees hardship nor seeks danger, but accepts whatever God wills, from difficulty to ease. This perspective links asceticism to submission to the Divine Will.
| Key Point: Asceticism is submission to the Divine Will, not comfort-seeking or cruelty, and accords with the conduct of the Imams. |
The allegory of the bird and the sky elucidates this concept: the ascetic (zhid) resembles a bird soaring in the firmament of Divine Will; he is neither ensnared within the cage of complacent ease nor lost amidst the tempest of aggressive worldly pursuit.
The lecture critically examines negative exemplifications such as aggressive pursuit (jafalab) and complacency (rat-talab). Poetry that links life with aggressive pursuit and recklessness stands in stark contradiction to genuine asceticism. The ascetic neither seeks peril nor comfort, but rather pursues purity before God.
| Key Insight: Asceticism is neither aggressive pursuit nor complacency; rather, it is purity before God, liberating the seeker from excess and deficiency alike. |
The allegory of the middle path further clarifies this critique: the ascetic is akin to a corridor advancing along the mean; he neither rushes towards the precipice of recklessness nor sinks into the quagmire of ease-seeking.
Asceticism harmonises with social responsibility and submission to Divine Will. The critique of asceticism as aggressive pursuit, complacency, or hypocrisy underscores the necessity to redefine asceticism as an intrinsic moral attribute. The allegories of the ship, the bird, and the middle path beautifully elucidate these concepts.
The verse وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى (Srah h: 131), as translated by , admonishes the seeker against fixating upon the adornments of this world and regards Divine provision as superior and everlasting. This verse connects asceticism to an intrinsic disinterest in all but God.
| Key Insight: The verse وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ links asceticism to detachment from worldly adornments and orientation towards Divine sustenance. |
The verse وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ وَلَا تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ (Srah ijr: 88), as translated by , stresses the absence of sorrow and the humility towards the believers. Although this verse reflects disinterest in worldly pleasures, its emphasis on humility renders it less congruent with intrinsic asceticism.
| Key Insight: The verse from Srah ijr, with its emphasis on humility, is less aligned with intrinsic asceticism. |
The verse from Srah h delineates a spiritual paradigm for asceticism through emphasis on detachment from worldly allurements and the superiority of Divine provision. Although the verse from Srah ijr shares similarities, its focus on humility makes it less compatible with the concept of intrinsic asceticism.
The chapter on asceticism in Manzil al-Sirn emancipates the seeker from attachment to anything but God, guiding him towards purity in divine worship. The critique of common conceptions of asceticismwhether hypocrisy, complacency, or sadismand Khwja Abdullhs verse highlight the necessity to redefine asceticism as an inherent moral quality. The suggested verse by Khwja Nar (وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ), with its emphasis on disinterest in worldly adornments and preference for Divine provision, aligns more congruently with asceticism. The allegories of the sea, the warrior, the garden, the eye and heart, the ship, and the bird elegantly expound these concepts. Critique of the potters head example and the narrative of Mib al-Sharah stress purity and distancing from greed and ostentation. Asceticism, coupled with social responsibility and submission to Divine Will, leads the seeker to Divine proximity.
| Under the supervision of SSadegh Khademii |
