the Lectures of Nokounam, (Session 212)

Introduction: Explicating the Concept of Ryah in Mystical Progression

Within the path of mystical progression (sulk), Ryahas one of the foundational pillars of spiritual transactionsplays a pivotal role in the safeguarding of the self and guiding the traveller towards divine proximity. This station, exhaustively elucidated in the noble treatise Manzil al-Sirn by Khwja Abdullah Ansr, signifies the protection of the self from contravening divine ordinances and preserving it from attention to what is other than the Truth. Ryah, instilled within the human essence by the eternal grace of the Lord, functions as a shield protecting the wayfarer from spiritual slips and corruptions. This treatise, relying on the detailed analyses drawn from the 212th lecture of Nokounam , examines the concept of ryah across its three ranks: deeds, states, and times.

Section One: The Concept of Ryah and the Safeguarding of the Self

Commencement with Bismillh al-Ramn al-Ram

This treatise commences with the invocation of God, the Merciful and Compassionate. This utterance signifies a pure and monotheistic intention within the mystical path that directs the wayfarer toward the utmost goal. Ryah, as the foremost gate of the categories of transactions, encompasses the safeguarding of the self from contravening divine laws and attending to that which is not the Truth, actualised by the eternal grace of the Lord.

Definition of Ryah and Its Relation to awn and Inyah

Ryah signifies the protection of the self from contravening divine injunctions, instilled within human nature by the eternal grace of God. awn, meaning immunity and preservation, manifests in varying degrees among different creatures. For instance, the onion, despite its benefits, swiftly decays and lacks immunity, whereas honey resists corruption. This disparity is also observable among humans, wherein some, by divine grace, possess immunity and are safeguarded from error and sin.

This immunity resembles a shield placed by God within the constitution of select individuals to protect them from spiritual lapses and defilements. This concept accords with the sublime Quranic verse:

And whoever fears Allah He will make for him a way out. (Talaq: 2)

This verse underscores Gods promise to protect the God-fearing, as if ryah constitutes a bridge leading the wayfarer from the darkness of the ego to the light of gnosis.

Differentiation of Immunity among Creatures and Humans

Immunity in creatures naturally varies: the onion, though beneficial, quickly succumbs to corruption, whereas honey withstands external defilements. Among humans too, some enjoy immunity through divine grace, protected from sin and error. This immunity is akin to a treasure God places within His chosen ones, as stated in the Quran:

Indeed, those for whom is the best [reward] from Us are the ones kept far from it [Hellfire]. (Anbiya: 101)

This immunity at the highest level culminates in the infallibility of the Prophets and Saints, and at the lower level prevents believers from falling into error. This spectrum of spiritual protection thus encompasses the elect of God down to ordinary faithful followers.

The Role of Ryah in the Protection of the Self

Ryah signifies the protection of the self against error and sin through adherence to divine laws and careful vigilance over deeds, states, and times. In its highest rank, this protection leads to infallibility, and at a lesser level to the safeguarding afforded to the friends of God. The wayfarer as r is like a cautious driver navigating the spiritual path with vigilance, avoiding the pitfalls of sin and slip.

This concept harmonises with the Quranic verse:

And fear Allah. And Allah teaches you. (Baqarah: 282)

This verse posits piety as the prerequisite for divine guidance, as if ryah is the key unlocking the gates of gnosis and divine nearness for the wayfarer.

Summary of Section One

Ryah, as the first gate of transactions in mystical progression, entails protecting the self from contravening divine laws and attention to the non-Truth. This safeguarding, endowed by the eternal grace of God, varies across creatures and manifests among humans from the infallibility of the elect to the safeguarding of ordinary believers. This sections exposition of the concept of ryah and its relation to immunity and divine care prepares the foundation for examining its ranks in the subsequent section, serving as a map outlining the path of the spiritual wayfarer.

Section Two: The Ranks of Ryah and Their Characteristics

Classification of the Ranks of Ryah

In the mystical path, ryah is categorised into three ranks: deeds (afl), states (awl), and times (awqt). Afl form the foundation, comprising the corpus of action; awl describe the qualitative attributes of the deeds; and awqt represent the temporal and spiritual context in which the former two are realised. The highest rank is the observance of times, connected to the Truth and Reality, wherein the wayfarer aligns with divine will within the temporal and spatial container.

This categorisation corresponds with the Quranic oath:

By time, indeed, mankind is in loss. (Asr: 1-2)

This verse emphasises the significance of time in spiritual progression and identifies the observance of times as the zenith of this station.

Characteristics of the Action of the R

The action of the r is pure, free from polytheism, egoism, otherness, malevolence, turbidity, and defilement. Such an act is accomplished by divine grace, devoid of ostentation and caprice. The wayfarer as r resembles a painter who, with the brush of sincerity, cleanses his canvas of any impurity.

This description harmonises with the Quranic verse:

Say, Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the Worlds. (Anm: 162)

This verse emphasises the purity of intention towards God and presents the action of the r as a sincerely dedicated act.

Types of Ryah: Political, Fearful, and Graceful

Ryah is divided into three types: political (conducted out of expediency), fearful (motivated by fear of harm), and graceful (originating from divine grace). Only graceful ryah is valuable and enduring, akin to a light emanating from the sun of divine grace shining upon the heart of the wayfarer.

This category corresponds to the Quranic verse:

And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion. (Bayyina: 5)

This verse underscores the importance of sincerity in worship and introduces graceful ryah as the essence of the spiritual path.

The Immunity of the Self in Action and Cognition

Ryah entails protecting the self from contravening in action and attending to what is other in cognition. This safeguarding is actualised through the eternal grace of God, as though He has placed within the creation of the wayfarer a mechanism that prevents lapse.

This concept is consonant with the Quranic exhortation:

O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared. (l Imrn: 102)

This verse asserts that true piety is the prerequisite for faith and presents ryah as a shield against polytheism and sin.

Eternal Grace and Divine Script

Eternal grace is the innate knowledge of God that implants the faculty of ryah within the essence and identity of man. This observance is described as divine script, as if God inscribed the safeguarding of the self on the tablet of creation.

This idea accords with the Quranic verse:

And He taught Adam the names all of them. (Baqarah: 31)

This verse indicates Gods direct endowment of knowledge and protection, symbolising the origin of ryah as divine inscription upon human nature.

Conclusion

In summary, ryah is the initial and fundamental rank in the mystical path, embodying the protection and safeguarding of the self through divine grace. Manifested across the ranks of deeds, states, and times, ryah guides the wayfarer away from error and sin, culminating in sincere devotion and proximity to God. This study based on Nokounams lecture highlights the integral role of ryah as a protective shield in spiritual progression, emphasizing the necessity of grace, sincerity, and divine imprint in its actualisation.

Execution of Deeds with Knowledge and Sincerity

1. The Deed of the Observer Must Be Performed with Jurisprudential Knowledge and Sincerity

The act of the spiritual observer must be executed with sound religious knowledge and pure sincerity, refraining entirely from any form of self-adornment or seeking the admiration of others. Such an act is void of vanity and ostentation, performed solely with a sincere intention to draw closer to the Divine Truth. This principle aligns explicitly with the following sacred verse of the Holy Qur'an:

قُلْ إِنِّىٓ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ ٱلدِّينَ (Surah Az-Zumar: 11)
"Say: Indeed, I have been commanded to worship Allah, being sincere to Him in religion."

This verse unequivocally establishes sincerity as the very essence of righteous deeds and disparages acts that are merely for show.

Key Point: The observers deed must be conducted with jurisprudential knowledge and pure sincerity, entirely free from self-decoration or seeking the attention of others.

2. Avoidance of Seeking the Approval of Others

The spiritual wayfarer must not perform deeds with the aim of attracting the gaze or admiration of others, as such conduct leads to ostentation and hypocrisy, thereby nullifying the spiritual merit of the deed. This principle finds direct correspondence in the sacred verse:

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ (Surah Al-Fatihah: 5)
"You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help."

This verse emphasises that worship must be purely for God alone and that seeking the approval of people constitutes a subtle form of shirk (polytheism).

Key Point: Seeking the admiration of others is a subtle form of shirk that destroys the value of the deed and distances the wayfarer from sincerity.

3. Observance of States and Times

Observance in states refers to attentiveness to the quality and description of the deed, while observance in times pertains to alignment with the Divine Will within the spiritual and chronological context of the deeds actualisation. These stages resemble steps guiding the seeker from the outward form of the act to its inner reality and subsequently to the Divine receptacle. This concept resonates with the following Quranic injunction:

إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَٰبًا مَّوْقُوتًا (Surah An-Nisa: 103)
"Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times."

The verse highlights the paramount importance of timing in worship, designating the observance of times as the pinnacle of spiritual progression.

Key Point: Observance in states and times guides the seeker from the outward act to its inner essence and ultimately to the Divine receptacle.

Part Four: Acceptable Deeds and the Necessity of Sincerity in Spiritual Progress

1. Accepted Deeds at the Divine Court

Accepted deeds before the Divine Court are those performed with utmost endeavour, quality, and sincerity. Sluggish or hasty acts, undertaken without precision and commitment, are categorically rejected. This principle is firmly rooted in the divine verse:

إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ (Surah Al-Maidah: 27)
"Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous."

This verse makes acceptance contingent upon piety and stipulates that accepted deeds are those performed with sincerity and steadfastness.

Key Point: Accepted deeds are those executed with utmost endeavour and sincerity, free from laxity and haste.

2. The Necessity of Shedding Blood in Deed

The spiritual wayfarer must shed the blood of the heart for their deed, exerting the fullest effort and commitment in its performance. Careless and superficial deeds are likened to scraps of paper scattered in the wind, bearing no value in the Divine Presence. This principle corresponds to the Quranic verse:

لَن تَنَالُواْ ٱلْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ (Surah Aal-Imran: 92)
"Never will you attain righteousness until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love."

The verse underscores the significance of sacrifice and effort in deed, regarding shedding blood as an indication of profound commitment.

Key Point: Shedding blood in deed signifies deep commitment and sincerity that render the act acceptable in the Divine Presence.

3. Observance as Standing Firm in Deed

Standing firm in deed means maintaining it with utmost precision and sincerity. The seeker is likened to one bearing a heavy burden, striving with all their might to elevate the deed toward perfection. This idea harmonises with the Quranic command:

وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِذِكْرِىٓ (Surah Taha: 14)
"And establish prayer for My remembrance."

This verse regards the steadfast observance of prayer as a means of Divine remembrance, thereby positing observance as a precondition for the acceptance of deed.

Key Point: Standing firm in deed, upheld with precision and sincerity, directs the act toward acceptance by the Divine Presence.

4. The Peril of Self-Adornment and Vanity

The spiritual wayfarer must neither take pride in their deeds nor perform them for self-decoration or to attract others attention. Such conduct is like a veil obscuring the truth of the act, leading it toward hypocrisy and loss. This warning corresponds with the Quranic admonition:

وَلَا تَكُونُواْ كَٱلَّذِينَ خَرَجُواْ مِن دِيَٰرِهِم بَطَرًا وَرِئَآءَ ٱلنَّاسِ (Surah Al-Anfal: 47)
"And do not be like those who emerged from their homes boastfully and to be seen by people."

The verse censures ostentation and calls upon the seeker to eschew self-adornment.

Key Point: Self-adornment and vanity transform the deed into hypocrisy and loss, distancing the seeker from sincerity.

5. Observance and Its Relation to Tawhid (Divine Unity)

Divine observance guides the human being toward Tawhid and away from shirk (polytheism). Such observance is a consequence of Divine grace and the safeguarding of the self from error, as though the seeker is immersed in the ocean of Divine Unity and freed from multiplicity and otherness. This principle aligns with the Quranic verse:

فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱلطَّٰغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسْتَمْسَكَ بِٱلْعُرْوَةِ ٱلْوُثْقَىٰ (Surah Al-Baqarah: 256)
"Whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold."

This verse underscores the importance of shunning shirk and embracing pure faith, presenting Divine observance as the pathway to Tawhid.

Key Point: Divine observance leads the seeker to Tawhid and away from shirk, ensuring the selfs preservation from error.

Final Summary

Observance (Riayah), as one of the fundamental pillars of spiritual progression, entails the safeguarding of the self from contravening Divine ordinances and attending to what is not the Truth. This station, emanating from the eternal grace of the Lord, manifests across three levels: deeds, states, and times. The act of the observer is an earnest and pure deed, free from shirk and egotism, which through refinement and humility, preserves its spiritual value. Divine observance guides the seeker to Tawhid and the renunciation of shirk, and accepted deeds are those performed with utmost endeavour and sincerity.

Supervised by Sadegh Khademi