the lectures of Nekounam, (Session 177)
The chapter on asceticism in the mystical compendium Manzil al-Sirn by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari denotes a station that liberates the seeker from worldly attachments and directs them towards sincerity and divine proximity. In Session 177 of Nekounams lectures, this station is restored from historical and cultural distortions and redefined as a spiritual attribute of the self. Asceticism, from this perspective, is neither destitution nor misery, nor is it comfort-seeking or passivity, nor self-torment. Rather, it is a conscious and sublime dispassion towards all except God, free from desires for Paradise or fears of Hellfire. This text, consolidating two sessions, elucidates the concept of asceticism, critiques prevailing meanings, examines relevant Quranic verses, explores its gradations (proximity, necessity, disdain), and addresses satirical critiques thereof.
In the mystical viewpoint, asceticism is a spiritual attribute that liberates the seekers heart from attachment to anything other than God, guiding them towards pure devotion. Contrary to popular misconception, asceticism is neither destitution, poverty, nor weakness or frailty. This attribute, like courage, knowledge, or purity, is an inner quality dependent on intention and the seekers internal state, not external circumstances. As explained in the lectures, asceticism is dispassion towards the world, not out of incapacity or ignorance, but stemming from awareness and psychological soundness. Such dispassion frees the heart from craving sustenance, drink, clothing, shelter, wealth, status, praise, and even proximity to kings. The true ascetic does not covet the reward of Paradise nor fear Hells punishment; their worship is sincere and without ulterior motive.
The analogy of the sea and the pearl beautifully illustrates this concept: the ascetic is like a diver who, instead of clinging to the surface waves of the sea, seeks the pearl of divine knowledge in its depths. External manifestations of asceticism, such as worn clothes or simplicity of life, are but shadows of this spiritual attribute, not its essence. The ascetic traveller, with psychological soundness, relinquishes craving for worldly adornments and prepares the heart for divine sustenance.
The prevailing meaning of asceticism, associating it with destitution, poverty, misery, and even lice infestation, has for centuries led Muslims to passivity and backwardness. The lecture wittily terms this distortion lice asceticism, alluding to pilgrimage treatises that still mention lice despite Mecca and Medina being clean and lice eradicated. This corruption has reduced asceticism from a lofty spiritual station to misery and regression, impeding advancements such as the acquisition of nuclear energy.
The lice analogy from old schools makes this critique clear: in the past, lice infested Tehrans schools and afflicted children, yet today, with improved hygiene, lice have been eradicated from society. Just as lice have been removed, asceticism must be freed from association with destitution and misery. This humour, referencing pilgrimage texts still speaking of lice, underscores the necessity of revising the definition of asceticism.
The lectures dissociate asceticism from comfort-seeking and passivity. The narration which connects asceticism to fleeing from calamity, seeking ease contradicts the conduct of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him). Asceticism is an inner struggle for pure devotion to God, not escape from responsibility or pursuit of comfort. This erroneous definition has driven Muslims towards social and economic isolation.
The analogy of the warrior on the battlefield of knowledge clarifies this notion: the ascetic is like a warrior who draws the sword of awareness and will not to flee but to triumph in the battle against the self and worldly attachments. This warrior, with responsibility and effort, treads the path of divine proximity.
The lectures liken asceticism that results in self-torture to sadism. The example of the head-seller ascetic, who sold boiled sheep heads and tripe for thirty years without consuming them, is not true asceticism but self-abuse. Asceticism means detachment from the world, not showmanship or self-torment.
The analogy of the cat and the meat clarifies this critique: the head-seller ascetic is like a cat placing meat before itself but refraining from eating, not out of dispassion but to torment the self. Such conduct leads not to transcendence but to psychological illness. True asceticism entails confronting desire and overcoming it consciously.
The narration attributed to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) in Misbah al-Shariah, which regards asceticism as the key to the hereafter and salvation from Hellfire, is critiqued for weak chain of transmission and purposeful content. Asceticism is renunciation of whatever deters from God, without regret or ostentation. If asceticism is for salvation from fire or acquiring Paradise, it becomes desire, not true asceticism.
The analogy of the gardener and the weeds elucidates this critique: the ascetic is like a gardener removing the weeds of attachment from the garden of the heart, not for show or reward, but for the flourishing of the flower of divine knowledge.
Improper asceticism born of destitution or renouncing the world for ease renders the ascetic forced and worthless. True asceticism, like that of Solomon (peace be upon him), is devotion to God despite possessing the world. Asceticism is a conscious choice of the truth despite inclination towards the world, not forced renunciation out of incapacity.
The analogy of Solomon and his flock clarifies this concept: the ascetic is like Solomon who, despite having vast flocks, sacrifices all for the truth by proclaiming There is no god but God, not one who embraces asceticism from destitution.
Asceticism is a spiritual attribute freeing the heart from attachment to all but God. Critiques of common meanings (lice, comfort-seeking, sadism, forced) and the narration in Misbah al-Shariah highlight the necessity of redefining asceticism as conscious dispassion. Analogies of the sea, warrior, cat, gardener, and Solomon beautifully explicate these concepts.
Khwaja Abdullah Ansari selected the verse بَقِيَّةُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ (Surah Hud: 86), translated by as What God has left over for you is better for you, if you are believers. This verse refers to equity in commerce; however, the lecture considers it unsuitable for the chapter on asceticism because asceticism is a spiritual attribute, not mere contentment with lawful profit.
The analogy of a merchant and a sage clarifies this point: a merchant content with fair profit is not necessarily an ascetic; an ascetic is a sage detached from worldly gain altogether.
Verses that portray dispassion towards worldly desires and attachment to God, such as:
Such verses better express the spiritual essence of asceticism.
The first stage is detachment from all but God. The heart distances itself from love of the world and its adornments.
At this stage, the seeker experiences the necessity of complete reliance on God, feeling the inner poverty and need that awaken sincerity.
The final stage is disdain towards the world, whereby the heart not only detaches but disdains worldly things, finding them insignificant compared to divine proximity.
The lecture concludes by addressing critiques from the satirist Al-Farazdaq and others who mocked asceticism, emphasizing that true asceticism is an elevated spiritual state misunderstood by those with worldly attachments.
| Key Point: The term *tamaddun* in the verse وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ signifies covetousness and attachment, not merely refraining from looking; erroneous translations distort the true meaning of asceticism. |
The analogy of the eye and the heart elucidates this critique: the seekers eye resembles a mirror which, if fixated on the adornments of the world, contaminates the heart with greed and attachment. Asceticism directs the hearts gaze away from this mirror towards the divine light.
The critique of the verse from Khwaja Abdullah and the suggestion of the verse from Khwaja Nasir underscore the necessity of selecting Quranic verses appropriate to the condition of carnal asceticism. The verse from Surah Taha, by emphasising disinterest in worldly embellishments and the superiority of divine provision, is more suited to asceticism. The critique of erroneous translations highlights the paramount importance of precision in Quranic exegesis. The analogies of the merchant, the garden, the crossroads, and the eye and heart beautifully expound these concepts.
Within mystical progression, asceticism is categorised into three degrees defined by the spiritual state of the seeker: qurbah for the general public (beginners), darurah for the disciple (intermediate), and khasah or rifat for the elite (the perfected). These stages delineate the seekers journey from initial proximity to complete liberation from attachment to anything other than God.
| Key Point: Asceticism comprises three degrees: qurbah for beginners, darurah for disciples, and khasah or rifat for the elite, illustrating stages of spiritual progression. |
The metaphor of the stairway of knowledge clarifies these stages: asceticism is akin to steps elevating the seeker from the base of attachment towards the pinnacle of divine knowledge; yet halting at any step impedes further ascent.
For the beginner seeker (the general public), asceticism brings about divine proximity. The seeker attains this by the predominance of the desire for the Truth over the desire of the self, forsaking carnal pleasures. This process resembles the rolling of soil to compact it, whereby the self is stabilized. This stage is arduous, for the nafs (self) resists liberation from attachment like oil that seethes and bubbles when heated.
| Key Point: Beginners asceticism, through the predominance of the desire for Truth over the self, brings proximity and compacts the self like soil rolled by a roller. |
The metaphor of rolling soil elucidates this concept: asceticism is like the repeated rolling of loose soil which, by recurrent choices for the Truth (two, four, or ten times), hardens and prepares the self for proximity. Without this stabilization, the self collapses and the seeker returns to their initial state.
The predominance of the desire for Truth over the self is analogous to detaching the heart from attachment, engendering internal tension and turmoil. The seeker may falter repeatedly and revert to their original position, akin to one who memorises a phrase but forgets it without repetition.
| Key Point: Beginners asceticism is accompanied by inner turmoil and requires repetition and perseverance to consolidate proximity. |
The metaphor of memorising a phrase clarifies this difficulty: asceticism is like memorising a phrase that fades without repetition. The seeker must continually repeat choices for the Truth in order to solidify proximity.
For the disciple (the intermediate seeker), asceticism becomes an imperative necessity. Having perceived the Desired, the disciple must renounce pleasures with which they have long been intimate; otherwise, their progress ceases. This stage resembles itikf (spiritual retreat), initially recommended but becoming obligatory and weighty on the third day.
| Key Point: Disciples asceticism is a compulsory necessity realised through release from deep-seated intimacies and unified resolve towards the Truth. |
The metaphor of sugar and salt illustrates this concept: renouncing carnal habits is as difficult for the disciple as eating food without sugar or salt, making the meal unpalatable. This renunciation is a spiritual necessity that advances the journey.
For the elite (the perfected seeker), asceticism that leads to attachment to the world is khasah (baseness). Having traversed proximity and necessity, the elite should not assign value to the world lest they become grounded. If asceticism is viewed as a passage, they attain exaltation and piety.
| Key Point: Elite asceticism, if considered a passage, leads to exaltation and piety; but if regarded as a station, it devolves into baseness and hypocrisy. |
The metaphor of examination and applause clarifies this: the perfected ascetic is like one who, having passed an exam, does not applaud but immediately takes the next book. Halting in asceticism is baseness; progression is exaltation.
If asceticism becomes a fixed station, it transforms into hypocrisy. The elite should neither idolise asceticism nor attribute intrinsic value to worldly renunciation; rather, they should perceive it as a conduit to piety. Giving primacy to the world, even through its renunciation, leads to duplicity and spiritual obscuration.
| Key Point: Asceticism fixed as a station leads to hypocrisy. It must be a conduit, not an idol, to culminate in piety. |
The metaphor of idol and conduit elucidates this critique: asceticism is a bridge guiding the seeker to piety; if it becomes an idol, it ensnares them and drags them towards baseness rather than exaltation.
If the elite considers the world as fundamental, they succumb to duplicity (changing hues) and spiritual obscuration, losing purity and exaltation. This bewilderment renders them losers in both this world and the hereafter, akin to a scholar who neither attains God nor finds satisfaction in the world.
| Key Point: Primacy given to the world causes duplicity and bewilderment, resulting in loss in both this world and the hereafter. |
The metaphor of the bewildered scholar illustrates this danger: the elite seeker resembles a scholar who neither binds their heart to God nor finds contentment in the world, becoming entrapped in bewilderment and duality, leading to spiritual ruin.
The elite do not consider the world fundamental; by preserving their time with God (eschewing distraction), they attain exaltation and piety. Asceticism is a passage guiding the seeker towards knowledge and piety.
| Key Point: Elite asceticism, through preservation of time with God and abstention from distraction, attains exaltation and piety. |
The allegory of the bird and the sky elucidates this path: the special ascetic is akin to a bird soaring in the celestial realm of divine gnosis, neither confined within the cage of the worldly realm nor bewildered in the tempest of perplexity.
The gradations of asceticism proceed from qurbah (the souls stabilization), through darurah (liberation from profound attachments), and ultimately reach khasah or rafat (humility or spiritual elevation). The critique of khasah and hypocrisy underscores the indispensability of asceticism as a transitional conduit. The allegories of the staircase, roller, sugar, trial, idol, and bird expound these concepts with exquisite clarity.
A misconstrued understanding of asceticismequating it with destitution and passivityhas impeded the advancement of Muslims, notably in domains such as nuclear energy, reducing them in the eyes of others to supplicants. The lecture highlights, through reference to the tribulations endured by the systems officials, that true asceticism harmonizes with social responsibility.
| Key Point: Misguided asceticism obstructs progress, whereas genuine asceticism aligns with social responsibility and the endeavour for excellence. |
The metaphor of the ship and its captain elucidates this notion: the ascetic resembles a captain steering societys vessel through the stormy seas of the world with accountability and awareness, neither fleeing the ocean nor anchoring in the harbour of complacency.
The lecture, drawing upon the exemplary lives of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), distinguishes asceticism from complacency. The ascetic neither seeks escape from hardship nor actively pursues danger, but accepts whatever God wills, from hardship to ease. This perspective connects asceticism with submission to the Divine will.
| Key Point: Asceticism constitutes submission to the Divine will, not complacency or recklessness, congruent with the conduct of the Infallibles. |
The allegory of the bird and the sky illuminates this concept: the ascetic is like a bird flying in the sky of Divine will, neither trapped in the cage of complacency nor lost in the storm of recklessness.
The lecture censures negative examples such as recklessness or complacency. A poem that equates life with recklessness and the pursuit of danger conflicts with true asceticism. The ascetic seeks neither peril nor ease but pursues sincerity before God.
| Key Point: Asceticism is neither recklessness nor complacency; it is purity before God, liberating the seeker from excess and deficiency alike. |
The allegory of the middle path elucidates this critique: the ascetic is akin to a corridor that moves along the middle way, neither approaching the precipice of recklessness nor sinking into the swamp of complacency.
Asceticism aligns with social responsibility and submission to Divine will. The critique of superficial asceticism, complacency, and recklessness stresses the necessity of redefining asceticism as a spiritual attribute. The allegories of the ship, the bird, and the middle path elegantly clarify these notions.
Should the seeker become stationary within asceticism and perceive it as a fixed station, they succumb to khasah and hypocrisy. Asceticism is a dwelling place, not a fixed station. Stagnation therein leads the seeker to bewilderment and moral ambiguity, ultimately causing loss both in this world and the hereafter.
| Key Point: Stagnation in asceticism engenders khasah, hypocrisy, bewilderment, and loss in both worlds. |
The allegory of the bewildered traveller illustrates this peril: the seeker is like a traveller who, stranded mid-journey, reaches neither the Divine destination nor returns to the worldly abode, becoming lost in confusion and aimlessness.
Asceticism is a passage guiding the seeker towards piety and gnosis. Particularly through preserving ones time with God and refraining from distractions, one avoids attachment to the world and attains spiritual elevation.
| Key Point: Asceticism serves as a conduit to piety and gnosis, which, by safeguarding time with God, leads the seeker to spiritual elevation. |
The allegory of the bridge and river illuminates this path: asceticism is like a bridge carrying the seeker from the tumultuous river of the world to the secure shore of piety, provided the seeker does not halt midway on the bridge.
Stagnation in asceticism results in khasah, hypocrisy, and bewilderment, whereas progression through it as a passage culminates in spiritual elevation and piety. The allegories of the traveller and the bridge eloquently elucidate these principles.
The chapter on asceticism in Manzil al-Sirn liberates the seeker from attachment to anything but God and guides them to sincerity in divine devotion. Critiques of prevalent notions of asceticismnamely superficiality, complacency, sadism, and compulsionas well as the verse of Khwaja Abdullah underscore the necessity of redefining asceticism as a spiritual attribute. The recommended verse by Khwaja Nasir (وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ), emphasizing indifference to worldly adornment and the superiority of divine sustenance, aligns more fittingly with asceticism. The stages of asceticism (qurbah, darurah, khasah or rafat) signify the path of spiritual progress from soul stabilization to complete liberation. Stagnation in asceticism breeds hypocrisy and bewilderment, while its dynamic traversal yields piety and gnosis. The allegories of the sea, warrior, garden, eye and heart, staircase, roller, sugar, trial, idol, bird, ship, middle path, traveller, and bridge richly illuminate these concepts. Asceticism, coupled with social responsibility and submission to Divine will, ultimately leads the seeker to proximity and, ultimately, piety.
| Supervised by: Sadegh Khademi |
