the Lectures of Nekounam, May His Sacred Spirit Be Sanctified (Session 251)
The path of mystical wayfaring (sulk) resembles a journey through the boundless expanse of Divine knowledge, wherein the seeker, relying on tawakkul (trust in God), steps onto the path of nearness to the Ultimate Truth. Tawakkul, akin to a steadfast pillar in the edifice of mysticism, liberates the spirit of the wayfarer from the captivity of material constraints and guides them towards absolute reality. This treatise, derived from the 251st session of Nekounams lectures, meticulously and profoundly examines the degrees of general tawakkul. These degrees, which, in contrast to the particular and the most exclusive forms of tawakkul, remain entangled with conditions such as desire and means, providedespite their apparent simplicitya fertile ground for profound mystical reflections. From a scientific and academic standpoint, this text elucidates the primary degree of general tawakkul, critiques deterministic perspectives, and underscores mysticism founded upon Divine love. Illuminating this discourse are Quranic verses, Prophetic traditions, and psychological analyses, which collectively serve as guiding lights.
General tawakkul constitutes a threshold inviting the wayfarer to place confidence in Divine providence. Yet, at this level, constraints such as desire (alab), means (asbb), and preoccupation of the self cast a shadow over the purity of tawakkul. These tripartite degreeseach uniquely linked to the notion of means and desirestand at a lower station compared to specific tawakkul, which is exclusively directed towards the Truth. The primary degree of general tawakkul, characterised by features such as seeking good, pursuing means, self-engagement, benefit to creation, and renunciation of claim, summons the wayfarer to a conscious striving along the Divine path.
The primary degree of general tawakkul, drawing upon the Quranic injunction And put your trust in Allah if you are believers (al-Midah 5:23), emphasises the inseparability of faith and tawakkul. This station encourages purposeful endeavour alongside trust, elegantly captured in the proverb Tie the camels leg, symbolising active effort paired with reliance.
The primary degree of general tawakkul resembles a sapling planted in the soil of means and nourished by the waters of desire and self-occupation. It possesses five prominent features:
These characteristics summon the seeker to an active and committed mode of wayfaring. The verse And whoever places his trust in Allah then He will suffice him (a-alq 65:3) underscores Divine sufficiency alongside personal endeavour. In this degree, the seeker partakes in means, yet by renouncing claim, remains safeguarded from falling into self-conceit.
The primary degree of general tawakkul invites the seeker to conscious striving concomitant with trust in God. With its defining traitsdesire, means, occupation, benefit to others, and renunciation of claimit lays the foundation for practical and earnest wayfaring. Quranic verses serve as illuminating beacons lighting this path.
General tawakkul resembles a river navigating its course amid stones of means and desire, whereas particular tawakkul flows like a pure stream directed solely towards the Truth. Due to its conditions of desire and means, general tawakkul involves a form of partnership with the self and worldly causes. By contrast, particular tawakkul, in the station of l yanur ill il Allh (looking solely to God), is free from any constraint. This distinction becomes manifest in the mystical witnessing of the annihilation of all acts in the Divine act (fan al-afl al-kull), where the particular wayfarer perceives causes not as independent but as manifestations of Divine action.
The verse And put your trust in the Ever-Living who does not die (al-Furqn 25:58) accentuates the purity of particular tawakkul. At this station, the seeker perceives all actions as annihilated within Divine action, beautifully illustrated by the Quranic verse And you did not throw when you threw, but it was Allah who threw (al-Anfl 8:17).
Views that regard the cosmos as captive to Divine power resemble chains shackling the feet of mystical knowledge. Such outlooks, metaphorically portraying God as a ruthless lion and the world as a powerless prisoner, contradict a mysticism grounded in Divine love, which perceives the cosmos as the manifestation of Divine grace and mercy. The verse The Most Merciful is firmly established on the Throne (T-H 20:5) highlights Divine mercy in cosmic governance.
Mysticism, as a precise and modern science, exposes all distortions and deterministic claims. The verse Everything will perish except His Face (al-Qasas 28:88) affirms the manifestation of the Divine Face in the world. This principle regards the cosmos not as a field of compulsion but as a domain for the unfolding of Divine love.
The distinction between general and particular tawakkul lies in the presence or absence of constraints and purity. Particular tawakkul, through witnessing the annihilation of all acts in the Divine act, guides the wayfarer towards unity, whereas general tawakkul, burdened with means and desire, remains at a lower degree. The critique of deterministic views reorients mysticism towards Divine love and mercy.
Mansur al-allj, in a will addressed to Ahmad ibn Ftik, instructs: Keep your self occupied, lest it occupy you. This utterance, a radiant jewel in the treasury of mysticism, emphasises the necessity of engaging the self in virtuous deeds. Idleness acts as a pernicious poison, directing the self towards deviation and corruption. The verse And whoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Merciful We appoint for him a devil (Az-Zukhruf 43:36) underscores the peril of idleness and neglect of Divine remembrance.
This counsel is rooted in mystical psychology, which regards idleness as fertile ground for satanic temptation. By engrossing the self in goodness and righteousness, the wayfarer is safeguarded from falling into the abyss of evil.
Idleness resembles a latent fire: in youth, it leads to deviation; in old age, to greed and delusion. The idle youth becomes ensnared by carnal desires and sin, while the idle elder falls prey to regret and avarice. The proverb Al-fargh wa-sh-shabb wa-l-jiddah mufsidat li-l-mar (Idleness, youth, and old age corrupt the person) accentuates this danger, with the addition of resources (jiddah) exacerbating it. The verse And do not follow your desires, lest they mislead you from the path of Allah (d 38:26) highlights the peril inherent in following ones desires.
The psychological interpretation of the text harmonises profoundly with contemporary understandings regarding the role of purposeful activity in preserving mental well-being. Youth, owing to their inherent immaturity, and the elderly, due to the frailty of their faculties, are particularly vulnerable to the deleterious effects of idleness. Engagement in occupation serves as a steadfast shield, preserving the soul from deviation and moral waywardness.
The narration Almat quwwat al-aql al-wada al-Kf elucidates that those endowed with a robust intellect benefit from solitude, reaching states of profound contemplation and self-perfection. Conversely, individuals possessing a weak self succumb to satanic whispers when left in isolation. The Quranic verse
O you who have believed, fear Allah and let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow (al-ashr: 18, translated by )
emphatically underscores the imperative of self-reformation during moments of solitude.
This distinction accentuates the differing psychological and spiritual necessities in the journey of self-discipline. Persons of weaker selves must occupy themselves with virtuous deeds as a bulwark against temptation and inner corruption.
The wisdom inherent in creation resembles a tableau meticulously painted with the brush of causative means (asbb). The elimination of such meanswhether it be teeth, death, or predationwould precipitate the corruption of the cosmos. Similarly, general reliance (tawakkul) devoid of means remains incomplete and deficient. The analogy of the forest and its predators elegantly demonstrates the essential balance of these means: removing the predator leads to the unchecked proliferation of animals and eventual devastation of the forest ecosystem. The Quranic verse
And He created everything and determined it precisely (al-Furqn: 2, translated by )
emphatically affirms the divine wisdom governing cosmic order.
This principle reinforces the intrinsic link between common reliance (tawakkul mmah) and the utilisation of means. The common spiritual seeker, by attentively pursuing means, advances along the pathway of divine wisdom.
Deterministic metaphors such as the bloodthirsty lion or the captivity of the world cloud the mirror of mysticism and distort reality. The cosmos is not a realm of coercion but rather a stage for the manifestation of divine love. The Quranic verse
And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in truth (al-Anm: 73, translated by )
underscores that creation is founded upon ultimate truth.
Mysticism, as a precise and rigorous science, exposes such distortions and guides the seeker towards the intuitive witnessing of the Divine Essence within creation.
This treatise, through reflection upon the levels of common reliance (tawakkul mmah), opens a pathway to a deeper comprehension of the mystical journey. The initial stage of common reliance, characterised by supplication, means, engagement, beneficence to others, and relinquishment of claims, summons the seeker to a committed endeavour upon the divine path. The differentiation between common and special reliance (tawakkul kh) highlights the centrality of sincerity and direct witnessing in spiritual practice. The critique of deterministic perspectives perceives the cosmos not as enslaved, but as a revelation of divine love. Mansur al-Hallajs exhortation towards soul engagement and the psychological analysis of idleness jointly affirm the necessity of constructive activity. The Quranic verses shine like illuminating beacons along this path. These contemplations guide the seeker toward profound knowledge and conscious spiritual progression.
Supervised by: Sadegh Khademi
