the Lectures of Nokounam, (Session 225)
The station of urmat constitutes one of the exalted abodes within the mystical progression, which guides the seeker towards sincerity in worship and reverence for the Essence of the Most High. This station resembles a sacred sanctuary, shielding the wayfarer from carnal motiveswhether the fear of torment or the desire for rewardand invites him to pure devotion solely for the sake of the Divine Reality. In the present treatise, derived from the twenty-second lecture of Nokounam, , the station of urmat is examined with profound depth and analytical rigor.
The sanctity of the Divine (urmat al-aqq) is akin to a sacred sanctuary that summons the seeker to venerate the Divine Essence devoid of any carnal incentive. At this station, the wayfarer must be entirely free from the two attributes of ukhdh (seeking recompense) and khif (fearful of punishment). The sanctity of the Divine entails worship performed neither out of fear of Divine chastisement nor out of covetousness for reward, but solely for the grandeur and majesty of the Divine Essence.
In Islamic mysticism, urmat denotes the respect and sanctification of the Divine Essence, inviting the seeker to absolute sincerity in worship. This station functions as a polished mirror, reflecting nothing but the Divine Beauty. The wayfarer at this abode worships not out of dread of hellfire nor expectation of heavenly blessings, but solely due to the magnificence of the Lord. Such sincerity is like a precious jewel that liberates the seeker from the fetters of the self and directs him toward unity with the Divine Reality.
One principal obstacle to the sanctity of the Divine is worship motivated by fear of Divine chastisement. Though worship performed out of fear of hellfire is valid within Islamic jurisprudence, it is regarded as a lower stage in mystical rank. This form of worship resembles the servitude of a bondman whose actions arise from dread of punishment and lack perfect sincerity.
"We only feed you for the sake of Allahs countenance."
(Al-Insn: 9; )
This verse emphasises sincerity in action and abstention from carnal incentives, as if inviting the seeker towards deeds performed solely for the Divine Presence.
The second impediment to the sanctity of the Divine is worship driven by the desire for reward (thawbah), such as heavenly blessings or worldly beneficence. A wayfarer who worships for wages resembles a mercenary who, having received payment, parts from the Lord. Although this worship is not nullified in jurisprudence, it is regarded as a lower degree in the mystical hierarchy.
"Say, I ask of you no reward for it."
(Ash-Shr: 23; )
This verse underscores disavowal of recompense for religious service, guiding the seeker toward pure servitude.
The third and most severe obstacle to the sanctity of the Divine is riythe ostentation of worship directed to entities other than God, thereby fabricating a semblance alongside the Divine Essence. Riy is like a dark veil obscuring the light of sincerity and nullifying worship. Due to its association with shirk (polytheism), it is considered the gravest defect on the path of urmat.
"Whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none in the worship of his Lord."
(Al-Kahf: 110; )
This verse mandates sincerity and warns against associating others with God in worship, cautioning the seeker against any attention diverted from the Divine Reality.
Fear, reward, and riy constitute the three primary hindrances along the path of the sanctity of the Divine, each indicating a degree of deficiency in sincerity. Fear and reward emanate from the selfcorresponding respectively to dread of punishment and desire for recompense. Riy, however, represents the most severe defect as it fabricates a likeness alongside God, thus introducing shirk into worship. Among these, worship motivated by reward is superior to that motivated by fear, because the latter restricts the seekers perception of God as merely a stern Punisher, whereas the former encompasses Divine mercy.
The servant of the Lord is one who remains inseparable from God; his worship is neither for receiving recompense nor for avoiding punishment, but solely for the sanctity of the Divine Essence. This servant is akin to a bird whose wings are spread solely to soar toward the Beloved, free from any expectation. Conversely, the servant of wages resembles a hired labourer who departs from the Lord after receiving his wage, his worship motivated by carnal interests.
"My reward is only with Allah."
(Yunus: 72; )
This verse exemplifies the prophetic model of refraining from mercenarism and embracing sincerity in religious service.
The sincerity of the servant of the Lord is like a pure stream, originating from the fountain of the Divine Essence, untainted by any carnal motive. This servant neither receives anything that alienates him from God, nor desires anything that separates him from the Lord. He preserves the sanctity of the Divine solely for the sake of the Divine Essence and is free from all forms of egotism.
Although the Matn and its commentator have addressed the delineation of the station of urmati (sanctity or reverence), they have not exercised sufficient precision in the sequencing and explication of the hierarchical obstacles, namely khawf (fear), matsbah (expectation of reward), and riy (ostentation). The proposed arrangement in this lectureplacing matsbah foremost, followed by khawf, and finally riyreflects a more refined hierarchy of deficiency within sincerity (ikhl).
This ordering, grounded in the emphasis on hope for Divine mercy inherent in matsbah and the polytheistic taint of riy, presents a more nuanced and spiritually authentic perspective from a mystical viewpoint.
The critique of the Matn and commentator underscores the imperative of meticulousness in the explication of mystical concepts. It serves as a beacon illuminating the path of the seeker, guarding against misapprehensions regarding the gradations of sincerity. An exact elucidation of the obstacles aids the seeker in cognisance of the inherent egoistic imperfections, thereby facilitating progression towards consummate sincerity.
The Divine Prophets, akin to resplendent stars in the celestial firmament of guidance, have invariably refrained from seeking recompense for their prophetic mission. The Noble Quran affirms this verity thus:
إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ
(Ynus: 72)
Translation : "My recompense is only incumbent upon Allah."
Such sincerity constitutes a paradigm for the religious scholars, who ought to serve the faith devoid of expectation for material reward. Eminent scholars such as Shaykh s, Shaykh Mufd, and Shaykh Kulayn attained spiritual perfections through eschewal of mercenarism, shining like gems throughout the annals of religious history.
While the religious scholar may legitimately benefit from Divine blessings, he must not regard himself as a mercenary of religion. He resembles a farmer sowing the seeds of knowledge within the soil of religion, whose harvest is received solely as a grace from the Lord, not as a wage. This distinction demarcates the line between benefiting from religious bounties and succumbing to the snare of mercenarism.
Key Point: The religious scholar must emulate the Prophets by serving the faith without expectation of reward, receiving Divine blessings as the grace of the Master, not as a wage.
The lecture references instances of pulpit preaching and propagation wherein the infiltration of material motives into religious acts is evident. Seeking remuneration for preaching religion acts as a toxin that extinguishes sincerity and steers the seeker towards mercenarism. The scholar must refrain from dealings that court any master other than the Divine, acting solely to magnify the Truth.
The sanctity of Divine command (the mandates and prohibitions of God) must be maintained for the sake of the Commanderthat is, the Master (moul)rather than for the mere obligation or recommendation embedded within the command. The seeker, like a loyal soldier, must execute all commands and prohibitions solely to honour the Master, without weighing or deliberating over the ordinances.
Key Point: The sanctity of command exists solely for the veneration of the Commander (Master), and the seeker must act for God alone, irrespective of the nature of the rulings.
In the station of venerating the Master, all categories of rulingswhether obligatory, recommended, disliked, or forbiddenare of a singular ruling essence. This unity acts as a gateway directing the seeker towards complete sincerity. The seeker must not differentiate the commands by their intensity or laxity but must perform them all for the sake of the Master.
This perspective acts like a gentle breeze that disperses the veils of egoic attachments, guiding the seeker towards pure servitude. Within this station, all ordinancesfrom the obligatory to the recommendedstand equal in reverence to the grandeur of the Master.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
