of Nokounam Session 239
The Threefold Hierarchy of Purification
Purification (tahdhb), constituting one of the foundational stations in the mystical journey, is categorised into three sequential stages: action (the first stage), state (the second stage), and intention (the third stage). This tripartite classification serves as a ladder guiding the seeker from the exterior of deeds to the interior of intention, and thence to Divine proximity. The first stage, the purification of action, concerns the rectification of outward deeds and their cleansing from egotistic contaminations. The second stage, purification of the state, entails maintaining the spiritual state free from internal maladies and steering it towards Divine gnosis. The third stage, purification of intention, culminates in the sincerity of purpose and performing acts solely for the sake of God Almighty.
The purification of the state acts as a bridge between the apparent and the hidden, guiding the seeker from the superficiality of action to the profundity of gnosis. This stage is positioned after the correction of action and prior to the attainment of sincere intention, assuming a pivotal role in the dynamic progression of the path. The wayfarer at this juncture must purge their state of attachment to superficial knowledge, deceptive customs, and carnal pleasures, thereby reaching gnosis rooted in ultimate Truth.
Challenges Confronting the Seeker in the Stage of Action
At the initial stage of purification, namely the rectification of action, the seeker encounters challenges originating from the nafs (ego). These include performing acts driven by desire, anticipation of reward, pursuit of benefit, or even lack of resolve to perform the deed. Desire casts a veil over the deed, diverting it from sincerity. Expectation of results or seeking gain transmutes the act into a transactional endeavour. Lack of resolve impedes progress at the outset.
Summary of Part One
The tripartite hierarchy of purification delineates an evolutionary framework for mystical wayfaring. The purification of the state, as the intermediate stage, plays a central role in guiding the seeker from the exteriority of action to the interiority of gnosis. The impediments inherent to the stage of action such as desire, result-orientation, and lack of resolve obstruct the sincerity of deeds and must be surmounted before entering the purification of the state. This stage summons the seeker to cleanse the spiritual state from egotistic afflictions and progress towards Divine gnosis.
Definition and Characteristics of the Spiritual State
The state (l) is a transient, affective moment occurring within the broader container of a station (manzil). It resembles a breeze that passes through the seekers heart along the spiritual journey, directing them towards gnosis. Due to its ephemeral and impermanent nature, the state is distinct from the station and the rank. The station comprises an assemblage of multiple states and transitions within the journey, whereas the rank denotes a fixed and abiding destination.
Distinction Among State, Station, and Rank
Differentiating among the state, station, and rank provides a precise framework for comprehending the stages of the spiritual journey. The station, akin to a caravanserai along the travellers route, encompasses a collection of states. For example, the station of purification includes the three states (action, state, intention), each representing a transitional passage within that station. The state constitutes a smaller, discrete moment within this station, such as an instant of spiritual expansion during prayer.
The rank, however, represents the destination attained by the seeker upon traversing the stations. It resembles a city in which the caravan of the path rests and achieves permanence. This distinction prevents confusion in the spiritual stages and encourages the seekers dynamic progress.
Analogously, the state is like a droplet flowing within the river of the station, whereas the rank is the lake into which this river ultimately empties. The seeker must elevate the state towards gnosis to ascend from station to rank.
Summary of Part Two
As an ephemeral affective moment, the state plays a crucial role in the spiritual journey; however, it must be actualised in gnosis to avoid instability. Distinguishing among state, station, and rank provides a lucid structure for navigating the mystical path. The station serves as a container of multiple transitions, the state is a discrete moment therein, and the rank is the stable goal. The seeker, aware of this differentiation, must direct the state towards gnosis to prevent stagnation or regression.
Attributes of the Purification of the State
The purification of the state, defined as maintaining the spiritual state free from egotistic afflictions, is characterised by three essential attributes:
These qualities act as a shield, preserving the state from egotistic contaminations and guiding the seeker towards Divine gnosis.
The attraction of the state towards knowledge relegates it back to the lower level of action, impeding ascent to gnosis. Submission to convention denotes deception by external forms that distract the state from focusing upon God Almighty. Attention to gratification signifies indulgence in the state itself, leading to self-centeredness and egotistic addiction.
The Affliction of the States Inclination Towards Knowledge
A principal affliction of purification of the state is the states attraction to knowledge. Knowledge, due to its general and attribute-based nature, returns the seeker to the realm of action and impedes the ascent to gnosis. The state must culminate in gnosis, i.e., the recognition of the true essence of the Divine, to reach perfection. Should the state incline towards knowledge, it resembles a bird that, instead of soaring, returns to earth.
Submission to Convention
Submission to conventionentailing enchantment by outward appearancesis another affliction contaminating the state. Convention is likened to a beguiling nymph within prostration, diverting the seekers focus from God Almighty. The seeker must fixate solely upon God and abstain from yielding to outward forms, even when they appear spiritual.
Metaphorically, submission to convention is akin to the seeker, midway through prostration, enamoured not with God but with the glittering faade of the sanctuary. This deception nullifies the state and disrupts the spiritual journey. The commentator elucidates this with an apt parable: a seeker who, in prostration, loves a fanciful nymph instead of God, invalidates their prayer, just as abandoning the prescribed positions invalidates the prayer.
Attention to sensual pleasure, defined as the enjoyment derived from the state itself, constitutes the third malady afflicting the refinement of the spiritual state (tadhb al-l). This pleasure, resembling a carnal addiction, impedes the seeker (slik) from attaining true knowledge (marifah) and precipitates egocentrism and polytheism (shirk). The seeker must derive delight solely from the possessor of the state namely, the Exalted Divine rather than from the transient state itself.
For instance, a seeker who finds joy in the spiritual expansion experienced during prayer or while listening to a sermon, and becomes attached to this pleasure, resembles an individual addicted to the act of exercise itself rather than its ultimate objective. Such addiction transmutes the spiritual state into polytheism and heaviness (thiqal), ultimately annihilating even the initial act.
The differentiation between knowledge (ilm) and gnosis (marifah) is pivotal to the comprehension of the refinement of the spiritual state. Knowledge is general and descriptive, concerned with ascribing attributes, whereas gnosis is personal and ontological, leading to the direct cognition of the Divine Essence. Knowledge is akin to a general map of the destination; gnosis, in contrast, equates to the actual arrival at that destination.
In Arabic linguistic nuance, the phrase ilm-tuhu (I knew him) is incomplete and requires a qualifying attribute such as poet or physician, whereas arraftuhu (I recognised him) is complete and indicates knowledge of the essence itself. The Quranic verse فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ (Muhammad: 19) refers to knowledge and the Divine attribute, while the verse إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ (Al-Ftiah: 5) points towards gnosis and a personal relationship with the Divine Essence.
Due to its generality, knowledge often returns the spiritual state to mere action, hindering the ascent to gnosis. The seeker must liberate the state from its attachment to knowledge in order to attain gnosis. For example, a seeker experiencing spiritual expansion should avoid engaging in scientific or rational analysis, lest the state regress into deficiency and the path be halted.
The commentator emphasises that knowledge, by focusing on attributes, keeps the seeker at the level of action, whereas gnosis, concentrating on essence, elevates one towards Divine proximity.
Attention to sensual pleasure and addiction to the spiritual state culminate in heart hardening, one of the gravest impediments in the path. Heart hardening resembles a heaviness that deprives the heart of receiving Divine light. The commentator illustrates this by analogy to a butcher who becomes callous through repeated slaughter.
Moreover, speaking for others rather than oneself engenders heart hardening. The seeker must speak for oneself, akin to a river that flows towards the sea and incidentally nourishes the trees on its banks. Addressing others without gnosis leads to hardness and egocentrism.
Addiction to the spiritual state, such as recurrent pleasure in prayer or restful sleep, obstructs the seeker from gnosis and leads to egocentrism and polytheism. The state must be regarded as a means to gnosis, not an end in itself. For example, a person who repeatedly prays for the sake of spiritual pleasure is akin to an athlete addicted to the enjoyment of exercise rather than its health benefits.
The commentator warns that such addiction transforms the state into heaviness and destruction, even obliterating the initial act.
The spiritual path is dynamic and non-static. The seeker either ascends or declines; stasis is impossible. This principle is grounded in the noble tradition: Whoever equates his two days is indeed lost, indicating that no two days are alike in spiritual progress. The seeker must advance daily or risk decline.
This dynamism resembles a river flowing towards the sea or stagnating in a marsh. The seeker must vigilantly guide the spiritual state towards gnosis to avoid degradation.
Action is the spirit of the state, and the state is the spirit of gnosis. Action vivifies the state, which in turn animates gnosis. If the state fails to reach gnosis, it regresses to action, allowing the corporeal to dominate the spiritual, resulting in relapse and decline. This relationship forms a chain guiding the seeker from the outward to the inward, and from the inward to Divine proximity.
The commentator elucidates this through the analogy of a driving test: if the seeker fails the city-driving test (the spiritual state), their license (action) becomes void, necessitating a restart. This exemplifies the inseparability of spiritual stages.
The people of spiritual states refer to exoteric scholars as scholars of rites, because their knowledge is confined to external forms, divorced from truth and gnosis. Exoteric knowledge resembles a shell concealing the essence. The seeker must avoid dependence on this knowledge to attain gnosis of Divine reality.
The commentator stresses that scholars preoccupied with outward forms neglect Divine truth, underscoring the primacy of gnosis over exoteric knowledge.
Sincerity of proximity is realised when the seeker acts uniformly in hardship and ease. For example, whether eating chicken or dry bread, if one acts for God, their sincerity is genuine. Variation indicates desire for comfort and deviation from purity.
The commentator illustrates this with the analogy of a seeker who prays with delight in a cool mosque but merely symbolises prayer in a hot and cramped place, indicating insincere proximity. Genuine sincerity remains constant regardless of circumstance.
