the Lectures of Nokounam Session 252
Within the expansive domain of Islamic mysticism, Tawakkul (trust in God) shines as a resplendent jewel upon the pinnacle of the spiritual path, guiding the seeker safely through the perilous passes of the nafs (ego/self) and the world. This treatise, founded upon the 252nd lecture by Nokounam in the series Manzil al-Sirn, presents a rigorous, critical, and academic elucidation of the degrees of Tawakkul. Its purpose is to re-examine Tawakkul not merely as an esoteric virtue but as a practical and social principle integral to the life of the believer.
In its general degree, Tawakkul is a state wherein the seeker, relying upon divine power, advances towards their objectives. However, such advancement is accompanied by active striving, pursuit of means, engagement of the self, beneficence towards creation, and an absence of claims to perfection. This degree serves as a bridge that guides the seeker from passivity and inertia towards responsible and spiritual action. Tawakkul in this sense is neither abandonment of endeavour nor disregard for causality; rather, it constitutes a harmonious coordination between human effort and trust in divine providence.
At this stage, the seeker, invoking divine strength, asserts: "Bi-awli Allh aqmu wa aqudu" By the power of God, I rise and sit. This utterance not only signifies trust in God but also reflects conscious effort and alignment with divine means. Such a seeker preserves their self from catastrophic inaction and attains the station of Khayr al-Ns man yanfa al-Ns The best of people is he who benefits others.
The mystic who embodies Tawakkul in its general degree possesses five prominent attributes, each forming a firm pillar strengthening the edifice of their spiritual journey:
These attributes render Tawakkul from an abstract notion into a tangible, social practice. The devoted seeker not only places trust in God but, through exertion and beneficence, facilitates the realisation of divine will within society. This degree resembles a garden where the tree of seeking flourishes, bearing fruits of goodness and humility.
In the second degree of Tawakkul, a number erroneously interpret this virtue as abandonment of seeking and causality, inactivity, and passive expectancy of provision. This misconception is akin to a mirage, leading the seeker towards misery and ruin. Such individuals, forsaking means and effort, cast themselves into a wilderness of idleness and aimlessness, weaponising Tawakkul as a pretext for laziness and mendicancy.
This deviation is not only incompatible with the spirit of Islamic mysticism but also undermines society and demeans human dignity. The Holy Quran, with its emphasis on effort and endeavour, rejects this notion:
A seeker who interprets Tawakkul as inactivity resembles a bird who folds its wings, expecting the wind to carry it aloft. Such a person not only fails to reach the destination but also falls prey to misery and humiliation.
To criticise this misguided interpretation, a humorous parable is offered: a beggar who travels by airplane to various locations to beg. This analogy serves as a mirror reflecting the contradiction between professed poverty and exploitation of material resources. A beggar who flies by plane neither truly trusts God nor refrains from misappropriating religious concepts to justify laziness and exploitation.
From a social perspective, this parable condemns the professional begging culture that converts mystical concepts into justifications for inactivity. True Tawakkul is like a river flowing towards the sea through effort and movement, not a stagnant pond waiting for rain.
The culture of begging and Qalandari mysticism, promulgated under the guise of spirituality, has been criticised as a cause of Muslim decline. This culture, by distorting the concepts of Tawakkul and asceticism, drives the seeker towards inactivity, humiliation, and misery. Begging is a wound upon the body of the Islamic society, deepened by mystical justifications rather than healed.
The Holy Quran, exhorting action and endeavour, repudiates this culture:
The true seeker resembles a farmer who cultivates their land with effort and Tawakkul, not a beggar who waits passively with an alms-bowl in hand for the charity of others.
The second degree of tawakkul (trust in God), which has erroneously been interpreted as passivity and mendicancy, is not only incompatible with Islamic mysticism but also leads to societal misery and degradation. The metaphor of the beggar and the airplane, alongside the critique of mendicant and dervish cultures, lucidly reveals these distortions. The Holy Quran, emphasizing endeavour and action, invites the spiritual seeker towards a responsible and active trust, characterised by dignity and benevolence.
Asceticism (zuhd), defined as detachment from the worldly life, constitutes one of the paramount pillars of Islamic mysticism. The ascetic resembles a bird perched upon the branch of this world, whilst its heart remains bound to the heavens of knowledge. This virtue is not synonymous with destitution but rather signifies the absence of attachment to material possessions. Even if the seeker, like Solomon, were endowed with dominion over the entire universe, he may still be an ascetic, provided his heart remains unattached.
The Holy Quran, by emphasising the importance of inner intention and righteous deeds, distinguishes asceticism from mere outward appearances:
It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the east or the west (al-Baqarah 2:177, translated by ).
Asceticism is akin to a lamp that dispels the darkness of worldly attachments from the seekers heart, guiding him towards the divine light.
Contrary to asceticism, poverty understood as destitution and misery neither constitutes a virtue nor a praiseworthy state; rather, it can precipitate unbelief and deviation. This misconstruction, propagated by phrases such as al-far fakhri, is a pernicious seed sown within the soil of mysticism, whose fruits have been suffering and humiliation.
The Holy Quran warns of the dangers of poverty, stating:
Poverty is close to being disbelief (Hadith).
Poverty is a chain binding a person in humiliation and misery, whereas asceticism is the key to liberation from such fetters.
Distinguishing between asceticism and poverty is among the most crucial teachings of Islamic mysticism. Asceticism, through detachment from the world, grants the seeker spiritual freedom; whereas poverty, signifying destitution, leads to misery and deviation. The Quran, with verses such as لَيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ, emphasises inner intention and righteous action, rejecting any glorification of poverty.
Altruism (ithar) denotes the giving away of something that the seeker himself needs, whereas charity (infaq) signifies giving beyond ones necessities. Altruism stands as a summit accessible only to genuine lovers, while charity is a broad plain open to all believers.
The Holy Quran extols altruism with reference to the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them):
And they prefer others over themselves, even though they are in privation (al-Hashr 59:9, translated by ).
Altruism resembles a candle that consumes itself to illuminate darkness for others, whilst charity is like a lamp that facilitates others path by its light.
Altruism, as a virtue transcending charity, manifests the depth of mystical endeavour. This virtue, realised through the giving of ones own need to others, is praised in Quranic verses such as وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ. The genuine seeker attains spiritual perfection through altruism and simultaneously benefits society.
The use of designations such as slave (ghulam) or dog to describe believers is severely criticised and rejected as a humiliating distortion. The believer must be powerful, elevated, and dignifiednot reduced to the status of slaves or animals. Such titles stain the mirror of human dignity and contradict the spirit of Islamic mysticism.
The Holy Quran affirms the innate dignity of humankind:
And We have certainly honoured the children of Adam (al-Isra 17:70, translated by ).
The believer is like a tree whose roots of honour and faith reach skyward, not like chaff degrading himself beneath others feet.
The claim that the believer becomes ritually impure after death, a mistaken jurisprudential view, is refuted. The believer, alive or deceased, possesses intrinsic purity; the ritual washing of the deceased is an act of worship and respect, not a cleansing of impurity. This critique is like a gentle breeze removing the dust of distortions from the mirror of truth.
The Holy Quran underscores the purity and guidance of the believers:
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds their Lord will guide them by their faith (Yunus 10:9, translated by ).
The believer is like a flower whose fragrance of purity and faith perfumes the environment even after death.
The notions of servitude culture, being called dog, and impurity of the believer after death are distortions incompatible with the spirit of mysticism and human dignity. The believer is endowed with honour and innate purity, and should serve God and creation with dignity and humility. Quranic verses such as وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ and إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ affirm this truth.
This treatise, by elucidating the stages of tawakkul within the mystical stations of the wayfarers (manzil al-sirn), undertakes a scientific and mystical re-examination of this concept. Tawakkul in its general rank, through supplication, pursuit of means, engagement of the self, benevolence, and humility, guides the seeker towards spiritual and social perfection. In contrast, erroneous interpretationssuch as passivity, mendicancy, and dervish-like behaviourhave led to misery and humiliation. Asceticism, as detachment from the world, is distinct from poverty as destitution; altruism, as a virtue surpassing charity, reveals the depth of the seekers spiritual journey. Critiques of cultural and jurisprudential distortionssuch as servitude culture and impurity of the believerstress human dignity and innate purity.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
