the Lectures of Nokounam, (Session 208)
The esteemed work Manzil al-S'irn authored by the venerable Khwaja Abdullah Ansari stands as one of the most distinguished treatises within Islamic mysticism, elucidating the stages of spiritual wayfaring with profound and penetrating discourse. The focal point of this session is the examination of the inaugural station of the journey namely, desire (raghbat) and its intrinsic linkage with the pivotal concepts of certainty (yaqn), action, and concession (rukhsat).
Desire, as the first station in the mystical journey, resembles a spark that ignites the flame of ardour within the seeker's heart. This station firmly implants unwavering conviction and certainty in the seekers being, shielding them from lethargy and negligence in their deeds. Desire is not merely a motivation to advance towards the Truth; it is also a bulwark against the temptations of seeking concessions and justifications for neglecting religious duties. Upon attaining certainty which shines like a luminous beacon within the darkness of the heart the seeker refrains from undue utilisation of concessions and proceeds with resolute determination to perform obligatory and recommended acts.
Certainty, akin to a steadfast pillar, constitutes the foundation of righteous deeds. When the seeker attains certainty, a profound belief in the injunctions of the Sharia and Divine promises is established within. This conviction prevents slackness in the fulfilment of religious duties.
"If you but knew with knowledge of certainty, you would surely see Hellfire."
These Quranic verses emphasise the central role of certainty in perceiving reality and its impact on action. The absence of certainty inclines the seeker towards seeking concessions and negligence in action, whereas certainty acts as a powerful impetus to abstain from sin and adhere steadfastly to righteous deeds. The lecture underscores that negligence and sin result from weakness in faith and certainty. A person imbued with certainty in the Sharia does not misuse concessions but remains diligent in religious obligations.
Concession-seeking, manifested as justifications for neglecting obligatory or recommended acts, indicates a deficiency in certainty. A seeker endowed with strong faith and conviction does not resort to religious permissions to forsake duties but engages resolutely in fulfilling them. For instance, one who abandons voluntary prayers or becomes lax in performing the dawn prayer due to weak faith is, in reality, afflicted by a lack of certainty. Such slackness may gradually lead to abandoning obligatory acts altogether.
The lecture elucidates this concept through illuminating analogies. For example, a person who stands for hours in a hospital to care for the sick, yet quickly grows weary in study or worship, reveals a frailty of certainty in spiritual domains. Conversely, a person with firm certainty perseveres even in adversity and refrains from indulgence in concessions.
The human being, like a precious gem ensconced within a shell, harbours immense potentialities that activate solely through certainty and willpower. The lecture employs exquisite metaphors to portray these capacities. For example, an individual confronted with danger such as fire or perilous creatures can endure for hours, whereas under normal circumstances, the same individual cannot sustain themselves for even a few minutes. This disparity arises from the certainty and resolve that emerge in critical situations.
Within the mystical path, these capacities serve Divine proximity. Certainty is the key that unlocks these latent potentials, steering the seeker towards righteous deeds. Without certainty, a person fails to harness these abilities and succumbs to negligence and concession-seeking.
According to a narration from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), a person who fails to repay a debt does so due to a lack of genuine willpower for repayment. Should a strong will and certainty be present, God facilitates the means for its fulfilment. This narration accentuates the pivotal role of willpower and certainty in realising goals. Along the path of spiritual wayfaring, a seeker who holds firm certainty in Divine promises proceeds with resolute will to discharge religious duties, eschewing excuses for neglect.
The lecture employs a novel metaphor likening a burnt engine to one whose outer layer is damaged while the majority remains intact. Similarly, a person in this worldly life does not utilise most of their capabilities; in the intermediate realm (barzakh), upon peeling back the layers of existence, these unused capacities become evident. This metaphor emphasises the crucial importance of exploiting worldly opportunities for spiritual journeying and righteous deeds.
In the barzakh, one must compensate for unfinished duties, rendering the intermediate life more arduous than the worldly existence. The world resembles fertile soil wherein the seeker must sow the seeds of righteous action before entering the barzakh a stage of review and recompense.
Negligence in action and the tendency towards concession-seeking stem from frailty in belief and certainty. A person who seeks excuses or religious permissions to forsake deeds fails to utilise their immense potential. The lecture clarifies this concept through everyday analogies. For instance, one who withstands hardship in danger yet grows lax in worship or study exemplifies weak certainty.
"Most of them do not reason."
This Quranic verse highlights the heedlessness of the majority of humanity regarding their intellectual and spiritual capacities. Within mysticism, such heedlessness obstructs the attainment of certainty and righteous action, prompting concession-seeking behaviour.
The difference between a genius and a non-genius lies in the utilisation of mental and volitional capacities. A person who harnesses their faculties through certainty and will reaches the summits of perfection. The lecture cites Ibn Sina as an exemplar, who employed precise planning and triple shifts of work to maximise his abilities, producing enduring works such as Al-Shifa and Al-Isharat.
This example illustrates human potential when developed through certainty and resolve. Likewise, the mystical seeker, grounded in certainty, can utilise their capacities on the path to Divine proximity.
The Quran employs present tense verbs (e.g., l yaqiln, l yuminn) rather than nominal forms to underscore dynamism and action-orientation. This feature renders the Quran a meticulously engineered, dynamic scripture focused on human behaviour and deeds. The lecture interprets this characteristic as a sign of Divine wisdom and precision in Quranic composition.
This dynamism propels the seeker towards righteous deeds and utilising their capacities. Failure to do so results in greater hardship in the barzakh, where unfulfilled duties must be compensated.
Concession (rukhsat) divides into two types: of strength (qt) and of weakness (af). Concession of strength is a voluntary, purposeful rest that serves to prepare and reinforce ones capacities such as an athlete resting before competition or a student taking a brief nap before an exam. This concession resembles the calm before the storm, preparing the seeker to continue the spiritual journey.
Conversely, concession of weakness results from deficient belief and slackened willpower. A person who resorts to concessions due to lack of certainty fails to harness their capacities and halts on the path of wayfaring. The lecture clarifies this distinction through analogies, for example, the temporary rest of a caravan at a station.
The mystical seeker must maintain a balance between exertion and rest to avoid spiritual and physical exhaustion. Concession of strength serves as a tool to preserve this equilibrium. For instance, an athlete resting after intense training or a student taking a short nap before an exam utilise concession of strength to reinforce their capabilities.
The lecture stresses that concession of strength is voluntary and goal-oriented, differing fundamentally from concession of weakness which stems from indolence and lack of resolve. This balance safeguards the seeker from fatigue and prepares them to advance in the spiritual path.
The term manzil refers to a temporary resting place or a point of descent along the spiritual journey, whereas maqm denotes a stable and firmly established spiritual condition. Manzil al-S'irn (Stations of the Wayfarers) emphasises the movement and dynamism of the seekers progression, while maqmt al-rifn (States of the Gnostics) refer to the final and enduring stages of the mystical path. The lecture, by highlighting this differentiation, introduces raghbat (yearning) as the first stationthe initial point from which the seeker embarks on the path of spiritual progression.
The manzil functions akin to a station where the wayfarer pauses temporarily to restore strength and prepare for further advancement. Such a pause, if accompanied by a licence of strength (rukhsat quwwah), aids in fortifying the seeker; yet, if it devolves into a licence of weakness (rukhsat af), it deters him from the path.
The lecture employs analogies drawn from everyday lifesuch as the malfunctioning clock at the Faiziyah Schoolto criticise inefficient management and failure to utilise available resources. This critique implicitly underscores the importance of productivity and capacity utilisation in both the spiritual journey and worldly life. Just as poor management squanders material resources, indulgence in unwarranted spiritual dispensations (rukhsat) dissipates the seekers spiritual capacities.
This metaphor invites the seeker to reflect upon optimising the use of opportunities and faculties on the mystical path. A person who fails to harness their capacities is akin to a farmer who leaves fertile land fallow.
