the Lectures of Nekounam, May His Sacred Spirit be Honoured (Session 250)
The mystical path (sulk) represents a profound journey through which the seeker is guided from the external forms of deeds to the depths of states (awl), and from these states to the reality of the Divine Essence. Within this course, reliance (tawakkul) constitutes a foundational station that directs the wayfarer to complete surrender unto the Divine Presence. This treatise, drawn from the invaluable lectures of Nekounam, , in the 250th session of the series entitled Manzil al-Sirn, scientifically and rigorously elucidates this station. Tawakkul, as the entrusting of the burden of existence to the true Trustee, leads the seeker towards the unity of actions (tawd al-afl) and eventual union with the Divine Truth.
The Manzil al-Sirn are organised into three principal sections: Badayt (the First Section), Abwb (the Second Section), and Mumalt (the Third Section). Within the third section, following the stages of observance (riyah), vigilance (murqabah), sanctity (urmt), sincerity (ikhl), purification (tahdhb), and steadfastness (istiqqmah), the station of tawakkul emerges. Subsequent to tawakkul come the stations of delegation (tafw), trustworthiness (thiqah), and submission (taslm), after which the chapter on ethics (akhlaq) commences. This structure presents the path as a systematic progression from initiation to interaction with God, and thereafter to the embodiment of Divine attributes. Tawakkul stands as a pivotal stage within the dealings (mumalt), guiding the seeker to the entrusting of affairs entirely to God.
Tawakkul within the general populace (mmah) is exceedingly arduous, for the common seeker remains reliant upon causes such as power, wealth, or social status and the act of entrusting matters entirely to God proves challenging. The common individual perceives themselves as independent and self-sufficient, and fails to embrace the truth of the prophetic declaration:
By the power and strength of God, I rise and sit.
The veiling caused by reliance on causes forms a dense curtain preventing perception of the Divine origin. Tawakkul at this level necessitates faith in the Divine source of causes and total surrender to God.
Conversely, within the elect (khaw), tawakkul is exceedingly precise rather than weak. The special seeker recognises that all originates from God, yet must actively fulfill their role as the manifest trustee. This precision renders tawakkul a subtle and intricate relation between manifestation (uhr) the seeker and existence (wujd) God. The elect, through gnosis and attainment, maintain this delicate equilibrium, avoiding both fatalism and absolute autonomy. Tawakkul at this station resembles the fine tuning of a musical instrument, where each note must be played precisely in its place.
A certain commentator posits that since everything emanates from God and the seeker possesses nothing to entrust, tawakkul becomes weak and merely formal, inevitably leading to fatalism. This perspective denies the seekers role, rendering tawakkul meaningless. Fatalism, by negating the seekers manifest existence, renders them passive and reduces tawakkul to a futile illusion. Genuine mysticism admits no place for fatalism, recognising the seeker as endowed with will, knowledge, and a descending power, situated within the manifestation-existence nexus with God.
Tawakkul constitutes a bilateral relationship: God is both the intrinsic Trustee (wujd) and the delegated Trustee (tanzl), while the seeker is simultaneously the manifest Trustee (uhr) and the executor of duties (wakl al-taklf). This mutual exchange resembles a shared partnership, situating God and the seeker in active interaction. The seeker, exercising manifest volition, entrusts affairs to God whilst fulfilling their prescribed duties. This dynamic negates fatalism and manifests the precision of tawakkul among the elect. Tawakkul thus equates to entrusting a trust to a trustee who is simultaneously the Creator of that very trust.
Illusory mysticism, akin to certain views reducing all to mere imagination or fantasy, culminates in fatalism and passivity. Such mysticism, by denying the seekers manifest reality, absolves them from responsibility and spiritual striving. Scientific mysticism, in contrast, affirms the seekers manifest reality and negates fatalism. The seeker possesses will, knowledge, and a descending power and bears responsibility for their deeds, whether virtuous or sinful. This responsibility transforms tawakkul into a conscious, deliberate choice.
The commentator claims that the Quranic discourse is exoteric (hir) for the general populace and esoteric (bin) for the elect. This view unjustly separates the Qurans essence from its audience. The Quran, akin to a vast banquet for allfrom the prophets to the weakis inherently indivisible in its exoteric and esoteric dimensions. The exoteric and esoteric resemble flesh and boneinseparableand access to the esoteric is feasible through the exoteric. Neglecting the exoteric is tantamount to invalidating the covenant document.
The assertion that the Quran was revealed exclusively for the intellect of the general populace is erroneous. The exoteric dimension challenges both the general and the elect; even the elect find certain versessuch as the disjointed letters (alif-lm-mm) or references to the heavensenigmatic in their exoteric sense. The Quran resembles an ocean whose depths unveil increasing mysteries as one dives deeper.
Entry into the esoteric dimensions of the Quran requires first passage through its exoteric:
Let them come to its gates.
Destroying the exoteric undermines the esoteric, like invalidating a contract by striking out its text. The Qurans exoteric thus serves as the gateway to its inner truths; neglecting it results in denial of the esoteric and misguidance.
True faith entails certainty in ma inda Allah (that which is with God) beyond what is in the seekers possession. The seekers causes are perishable, whereas what is with God is eternal. Tawakkul is thus trust in an everlasting treasury impervious to any harm.
The seeker possesses manifest volition and may choose to appoint God as trustee or not. This volition negates fatalism and renders tawakkul a conscious decision. The seeker resembles a traveller who may entrust their burden to genuine carriers or bear it themselves.
Mystical texts within the scholarly tradition suffer from flawed construction, injecting fatalism and lacking coherence, thus leading to confusion. Like old houses without proper architectural design, these texts require scientific reconstruction. Mysticism must be as logical and reasoned as mathematics to cultivate capable scholars and practitioners.
Seminary texts, due to intrinsic structural deficienciessuch as determinism and contradictionfail to produce scholars and practitioners of requisite competence and merit. The reconstruction of these texts is imperative, akin to the renovation of non-engineered edifices, to transform mysticism into a precise and applicable science.
True reliance (tawakkul) denotes the belief in Divine preservation even amid an earthquake. Should the spiritual traveller rely solely on worldly means (the earth), they will inevitably collapse when the earth shakes. However, genuine reliance connects the seeker to the power and might of God. This analogy parallels the narrative of a ship caught in a storm, where only trust in the true helmsman ensures the passengers safe arrival ashore.
The determinism espoused by the commentator precipitated the abandonment of worldly affairs within Islamic societies, culminating in the relinquishment of resources to others. Reliance (tawakkul), however, implies active engagement in worldly responsibilities coupled with entrusting outcomes to God. Renouncing the world is analogous to forsaking a fertile field that then falls under the stewardship of others.
The commentator erroneously interprets the Qur'anic verse وَاسْأَلِ الْقَرْيَةَ (Ysuf, 12:82; ) as indicative of the absence of inhabitants and determinism. In fact, this verse explicitly denotes the evident state of devastation in the village, rather than serving as a metaphor. The accurate interpretation resembles the observation of ruins that narrate their own calamities from past afflictions.
Within the station of the unity of actions (tawd al-afl), reliance regards the action and power as manifestly emanating from the seeker, yet essentially originating from God. The distinguished seeker, upon perceiving the causes of reliance, ascends to a superior spiritual rank. This rank is analogous to the observation of stars, where a more precise gaze reveals an increasingly apparent divine order.
Reliance constitutes a spiritual station whereby the seeker is led from dependence on worldly causes to complete entrustment to God. This station is generally more difficult for the common populace, who remain attached to causes, and more subtle for the elect, who meticulously fulfill their manifest role. The critique of the commentators deterministic viewpoint demonstrates that reliance embodies a manifest-existential relationship between the seeker and God that negates determinism. The Quran presents a comprehensive and inseparable unity between its outward form and inward essence, accessible to all levels of knowledge. Deterministic mysticism results in withdrawal and passivity, whereas true reliance encourages responsible endeavour in the world with trust in God. Seminary mystical texts necessitate scientific reconstruction to develop competent scholars and practitioners.
The constancy of states (istiqaamat al-awaal) and reliance (tawakkul) are two pivotal stations in mystical progression that guide the seeker from superficial acts to the profundity of spiritual states and ultimately to total surrender to God. The constancy of states, characterised by non-acquisitive witnessing, renunciation of existential claims, and perpetual subsistence through the manifestation of the Divine, leads the seeker to purity from ego and dependency. Reliance, through a manifest-existential relationship, liberates the seeker from determinism and absolute independence, culminating in divine unity of actions (tawd al-afl). Criticism of the deterministic viewpoint of the commentator and illusory mysticism underscores the importance of scientific mysticism and the seekers responsibility. The Quran, as an expansive table, is profound for all levels of cognition with inseparable outward and inward dimensions. Seminary mystical texts require scientific reconstruction to cultivate worthy scholars and practitioners.
