Derived from the Lecture Series of Nokounam (Session 260)
This work constitutes a meticulous rewriting and profound analysis of the lecture on Manzil al-Sirn (Session 260, Solar Hijri calendar), which rigorously examines the distinctions among tawakkul (trust in God), tafw (absolute delegation), and taslm (submission) within the framework of the mystical path. It elucidates the station of these concepts in the spiritual conduct of the Prophets. Grounded in the Quranic verses and the Prophet Muhammads (peace be upon him and his family) supplication before sleep, this lecture underscores that the Prophets tawakkul, owing to its absolute delegation and complete self-surrender, exemplifies tafw and taslm rather than the tawakkul commonly considered in the affairs of ordinary people.
The terms tawakkul, tafw, and taslm signify three distinct gradations within the mystical itinerary. Tawakkul entails the partial entrustment of affairs to God Almighty while preserving personal interest; the seeker consigns some matters to God yet remains mindful of their own welfare. Tafw connotes an absolute delegation of all mattersbe they good or evilto the Divine Will, devoid of personal volition. Taslm represents the zenith of these ranks, wherein the seeker surrenders not only the matters but their very existence to God, perceiving themselves as a leaf in the wind before the Divine Decree. These terminological distinctions hold significance in the spiritual path of common believers; however, in the case of the Prophets, due to their epistemic perfection, these three stations essentially coalesce into one.
In the spiritual conduct of the Prophets, tawakkul, tafw, and taslm are intrinsically intertwined by virtue of their absoluteness and complete self-surrender. The Prophets entrusted their affairs entirely to God Almighty, without restriction to good or evil, and surrendered their existence before the Divine Will. The Holy Quran praises this self-surrender:
وَمَن يُسْلِمْ وَجْهَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَى
(Luqman 31:22, ): "And whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a doer of good has grasped the most trustworthy handhold."
This verse considers submission as the pinnacle of faith, manifest fully in the Prophets.
Prophet Hud (peace be upon him), when accused of madness by his people, who said:
إِن نَقُولُ إِلَّا اعْتَرَاكَ بَعْضُ آلِهَتِنَا بِسُوءٍ
(Ghafir 40:44, ): "We only say that some of our gods have harmed you."
responded by invoking mutual curse (mubahalah) and absolutely entrusting his affairs to God:
أَفَوَّضُ أَمْرِي إِلَى اللَّهِ
(Ghafir 40:44, ): "I entrust my affair to Allah."
He invited the people to bring all their gods to plot against him:
فَكِيدُونِي جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ لَا تُنْظِرُونَ
(Ghafir 40:44, ): "So plot against me all together; then do not give me respite."
This utter delegation is not partial tawakkul but rather absolute tafw, encompassing good and evil.
Prophet Yaqb (peace be upon him) instructed his children not to enter through a single gate:
يَا بَنِيَّ لَا تَدْخُلُوا مِنْ بَابٍ وَاحِدٍ وَادْخُلُوا مِنْ أَبْوَابٍ مُتَفَرِّقَةٍ
(Yusuf 12:67, ): "O my sons, do not enter from one gate but enter from different gates."
Acknowledging his incapacity against Divine decree, he said:
وَمَا أُغْنِي عَنْكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ
(Yusuf 12:67, ): "And I can avail you nothing against Allah; the decision is only for Allah. Upon Him I have relied."
This absolute delegation, accepting good and evil alike, is tafw, not mere partial tawakkul.
Faced with threats from their enemies, who said:
إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ
(Al-Imrn 3:173, ): "Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them."
The Prophet and his companions responded, their faith reinforced:
فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
(Al-Imrn 3:173, ): "But this increased them in faith, and they said, Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs."
This absolute delegation transformed fear into courage, embodying tafw. Psychologically, threat elicits courage in the believers, while it weakens the hypocrites:
إِنَّمَا ذَٰلِكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ
(Al-Imrn 3:175, ): "Indeed, it is only Satan who frightens his allies."
Before sleep, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) would recite:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْلَمْتُ نَفْسِي إِلَيْكَ وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ
This supplication manifests self-surrender (taslm) and delegation of affairs (tafw) at the vulnerable moment of sleep. The Prophet entrusts his existence to God, finding repose under Divine protection akin to a child cradled in its mothers arms. This prayer harmonises with the verse:
قُل لَنْ يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا
(At-Tawbah 9:51, ): "Say, Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us."
which affirms the absoluteness of delegation.
Because tafw encompasses both good and evil, as well as self-surrender, its meaning is broader than that of tawakkul, which is generally limited to good. Tafw is akin to the seeker casting themselves into the ocean of Divine Will. This semantic expansiveness coheres with taslm (complete submission) in the Prophets, as affirmed in the verse:
وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللّهُ
(Al-Insn 76:30, ): "And you do not will except that Allah wills."
The Prophets, through acceptance of Divine Will, actualised both tafw and taslm.
The tawakkul of the common people, related to transactions (the general path), is defined at various degreesgeneral, particular, and most particular. However, the Prophets tawakkul resides in the exclusive ranks of certainty, tranquility (saknah), and spiritual authority (<em{wilyah). Employing Prophetic verses concerning tawakkul for common transactional affairs confounds the foundational differences between mystical levels. The Prophets, due to their epistemic perfection, traversed the realms of certainty, ecstasy, and spiritual absorption, rather than mundane transactions. The verse:
أَل
Prophets Beyond Transactions
The Prophets traversed the exalted spheres of fundamental principles, the inner loci (awiyah), and spiritual domains (wilyt), rather than engaging in mundane transactions. Their reliance (tawakkul) is to be examined within the realms of certainty (yaqn), tranquility (saknah), and ecstatic presence (wajd), not in the limited, relative trust characteristic of the common folk. The Prophets, akin to celestial stars illuminating the firmament of gnosis, shone radiantly through the loftiest stages of spiritual wayfaring. To invoke their scriptural signs (yt) in the context of worldly transactions would be analogous to diminishing the resplendence of a star to that of a mere candle.
Indeed, the believers are those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned.
(Al-Anfl, 8:2; )This verse reveals the elevated stations of faith, delineating the profound trembling of the heart as a manifestation of genuine spiritual conviction.
Key Point: The Prophets inhabit the exalted ranks of certainty and spiritual domains; hence, their tawakkul must be assessed exclusively within these strata and not conflated with the transactions of the masses.Summary and Conclusion
This treatise, through a meticulous redaction of the lecture series Manzil al-Sirn (Session 260), elucidates the distinctions among tawakkul (reliance), tafw (absolute delegation), and taslm (total submission). It asserts that the tawakkul of the Prophets, owing to their absolute delegation and complete self-surrender, exemplifies the paradigms of tafw and taslm. The sacred verses of the Qurn, such as Afawwadu amr il Allh (Hud), Alayhi tawakkaltu (Yaqb), and asbun Allhu wa nimal wakl (the Prophet and his Companions), unequivocally manifest this comprehensive reliance. The supplication of the Prophet before retiring to sleep further epitomises complete self-surrender. This work critically examines the misapplication of prophetic verses in the context of the quotidian dealings of the general populace, underscoring the necessity of aligning these scriptural injunctions with the elevated states of certainty and spiritual domains. The conflation of mystical stages and the employment of inappropriate exemplifications lead to profound misunderstandings. Authentic mysticism (irfn) is discerned through the clear delineation of spiritual wayfaring stages and the judicious selection of examples, thereby guiding the seeker (slik) towards balanced gnosis. This treatise is an invitation to a profound reconsideration of mystical hierarchies and a call to refine spiritual texts to present a rational mysticism consonant with the Qurn.
Supervision: Sadegh Khademi
