of Nokounam, May His Sacred Spirit Be Blessed (Session 205)
The venerable book Manzil al-S'irn, the immortal masterpiece of Khwja Abdullah Ansri, constitutes a spiritual blueprint that delineates the stages of mystical progression with unparalleled precision. Among its chapters, the section dedicated to rajj (hope) occupies a distinguished station as one of the pivotal stations. Rajj, or hope in Divine mercy, functions as wings that beckon the wayfarer towards the summits of Divine nearness. Lecture number 205, concentrating on the third degree of hopenamely, Rajj Arbb al-Qulb (Hope of the Lords of the Hearts)elucidates the yearning for the meeting with the Truth and the renunciation of creation.
In Manzil al-S'irn, hope is expounded in three exalted degrees: Firstly, hope for reward, which is accompanied by diligence and effort; secondly, hope grounded in imagination, which, within the realm of asceticism, purifies the heart from attachments; and thirdly, hope for the meeting or liq al-aqqthe encounter with the Truthexclusively reserved for the Arbb al-Qulb. This third degree stands as a summit upon which the wayfarer, having traversed arduous paths of discipline, stands and beholds the Light of the Truth from the horizon of his heart. This hope is not contingent upon the conception of God (imagination), but rather upon the direct witnessing of Him.
The Arbb al-Riyah (Lords of Discipline), by virtue of knowledge, adherence to Shariah, and purposeful striving, cleanse their hearts from non-divine attachments; whereas the Arbb al-Qulb, possessing a purified and prepared heart, have installed the Truth within it: afat qulbuhum bi-rriyah (Their hearts were purified by discipline). These latter do not seek mere purification of the heart but rather the meeting with the Beloved. If the Lords of Discipline are likened to gardeners preparing the soil for planting, the Lords of the Hearts are like lovers who have planted the flower of the Beloved in the garden of their heart and become intoxicated by its fragrance.
Yearning is a state accompanied by absence and separation. In the first and second degrees of hope, the wayfarer, akin to a thirsty one seeking water, pursues his desired goal. Yearning is like a sigh rising from the breast of the lover in separation from the Beloved. Within the domain of asceticism, this state propels the wayfarer towards heart purification and distancing from attachments, yet remains accompanied by longing and loss.
Contrary to yearning, longing is coupled with awareness and nearness to the Truth: wa huwa shiddat al-shaaf bi ziyadat al-qurb (It is the intensity of passion with an increase in proximity). The Lords of the Hearts resemble a thirsty one who has found water and placed it upon his parched lips, drinking from the Truth; yet the more they drink, the thirstier they become. This thirst does not lead to annihilation but to the expansion of the heart, much like the Divine Ocean that bestows increasing capacity upon the wayfarer the more it is consumed. This longing persists even after union, guiding the wayfarer towards the infinite manifestations of the Truth.
To clarify the distinction between yearning and longing, the text employs concrete analogies. Yearning is like a child who drinks milk hastily due to hunger but hiccups because of the presence of air (attachments). Conversely, the Lords of the Hearts drink water without disruption, for asceticism has expelled the air of attachments from their hearts. These analogies illuminate longing as an intuitive and emotional state that opens the heart towards the Truth.
Rajj Arbb al-Qulb is the hope for the meeting with the Truth: wa huwa raju liqi al-aqq azza wa jall. This meeting transcends outward vision and pertains to an inner touching and witnessing. The wayfarer, with a purified heart, encounters God in the manifold manifestations of Names and Attributes. This witnessing is like drinking from an inexhaustible spring, each drop of which leads the wayfarer to a new degree of nearness.
At the third degree, hope negates earthly pleasures and renders the wayfarer abstinent towards creation: al-munqadu lil-aysh wa al-muzhidu f al-khalq. This abstinence does not arise from coercion but from an intense yearning for the Truth. The wayfarer, by delighting in true life, becomes indifferent to the longing for creation. He is like one who, after residing in a magnificent palace, does not return to a humble hut, for his heart has been illuminated by the Light of the Truth.
The Lords of the Hearts, by consuming God or receiving Divine sustenance (rizq ramn), are freed from the longing for the world. This sustenancewitnessing and connection with the Truthquenches the heart. Unlike the world, whose excessive desire leads to ruin, Divine sustenance, akin to a boundless ocean, enlarges the hearts capacity. The wayfarer remains unaffected even if he loses the world, for his heart rests in the Light of the Truth.
The text, citing the verse wa m f al-khalq ashq min muibb wa in wajada al-haw ulw al-mazq, criticises the creatures who pursue pleasure and gratification. The creatures seek sweet delight (ulw al-mazq), yet religion, instead of directing this desire towards perfection, has alienated them by disparaging the world. Religion ought to channel pleasure within a Divine framework, rather than deny it, thereby guiding creatures towards the Truth.
The lover is the most miserable among creatures, for he weeps either in separation due to yearning or in union for fear of separation: tarhu bkyan f kull n makhfata firqah aw li-ishtiyq. This misery is not negative suffering but the ardent striving of the lover for proximity to the Beloved. The lover is like a bird which, whether in the cage of separation or in the sky of union, constantly beats its wings and finds no repose.
Hope is a dispositional quality of the heart that guides the wayfarer from the outer doors inward. This attribute is the prelude to desire, whereby the wayfarer turns toward righteous transactions such as prayer and fasting. Hope acts as a key that opens the door to desire, leading the wayfarer toward trading with God.
Following hope, the wayfarer attains desire and enters righteous dealings. These dealings are akin to commerce with God, wherein the wayfarer seeks the profit of Divine proximity through his acts of worship. This stage resembles a spiritual marketplace in which the wayfarer trades with the Truth using the capital of his heart.
Unlike yearning, longing persists after union: wa li-dhlik yabq bada al-wal. The Holy Quran states regarding this:
O you who have believed, believe.
(Quran, An-Nis, 4:136 Translated by )
This verse points to the continuity of faith and longing. The wayfarer, after union, continues to ascend to higher degrees of nearness and never grows weary of the Truth.
Discipline at the second degree purifies the heart from non-divine attachments and prepares it for the third degree. This purification resembles the removal of dust from a mirror that reflects the Light of the Truth. The Lords of the Hearts, with a purified heart, drink from the Truth without the disturbance of attachments and are free from the hiccups caused by the whims of the self.
The chapter on hope in lecture 205, focusing on the third degreeRajj Arbb al-Qulbis delineated as the longing for the meeting with the Truth and abstinence from creation. The Lords of the Hearts, with hearts purified through discipline, meet the Truth and, with a longing that endures after union, become independent of earthly pleasures. The distinction between yearning and longing plays a pivotal role in understanding this degree. The critique of worldly culture highlights the necessity of guiding the creatures desire towards perfection. Hope, as a dispositional attribute of the heart, serves as the prelude to desire and entry into righteous dealings.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
