Preface
In mystical and spiritual journeys, the station of submission shines like a lofty peak among the stages of mystical transactions. It guides the wayfarer to a threshold where the heart is purified of all doubt and skepticism, embracing the pure will of God. This station, which in the venerable book Manazil al-Sa'irin by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari is introduced as the highest station of spiritual dealings, invites the individual to a profound, loving pact with the Divine. In this pact, the wayfarer, with full assurance of the righteousness and health of God's actions, surrenders entirely to the divine will. Through the insightful teachings of , this chapter on submission is explored with deep academic precision. The threefold stages of submission, the concept of peace as the essence of this station, and a critique of mistaken interpretations of submissionparticularly the coercive culture that reduces it to chains and fearare examined through scholarly language. This work, like a bright lantern, serves as a guide for researchers and seekers of knowledge in the fields of theology, Islamic mysticism, and philosophy, to understand submission not as passivity, but as an affirmation of God's health and the rectification of His actions.
Key Insight: Submission represents the pinnacle of mystical transactions, purging the heart of doubt and leading the wayfarer to a loving oath with the Divine.
Part One: The Position of Submission in the Mystical Journey
Submission: The Pinnacle of Mystical Transactions
Submission, within the framework of the mystical stations as described in Manazil al-Sa'irin, is the ultimate station in the realm of mystical transactions, following the stations of reliance, delegation, and trust. This station guides the wayfarer from transactional states to moral stations, where the heart is purified of any accusations against the pure God, culminating in a loving oath with the Creator. Submission serves as a key that opens the doors to certainty and peace of heart, guiding the wayfarer to sincerity and practical monotheism. This position resonates with the verse from the Qur'an: Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to youonly pledge allegiance to God. The hand of God is above their hands. (Surah al-Fath, 48:10). This allegiance is the manifestation of submission, leading the wayfarer to complete obedience to the Divine will.
Key Insight: Submission is the highest point of mystical transactions, purging doubt and leading the wayfarer to a loving covenant with God.
Submission and the Rectification of Divine Actions
Submission, in its truest sense, means the certainty that every act of God is absolutely correct and wholesome. In this station, the wayfarer does not accuse God during hardships and adversities; instead, they attribute shortcomings to human causes and factors. This understanding is rooted in the principle of monotheism, as the wayfarer refrains from ignorance and accusations against the Creator. According to the theological treatise of Tawhid al-Mufaddal, God does not desire deficiency or misfortune for His servants: God does not approve of deficiency or affliction for His servants. Difficulties arise from the causal and gradual system of the material world, which stem from human actions, such as the sins of parents, the origin of the sperm, or unlawful sustenance. This concept aligns with the verse: Whatever good befalls you is from God, and whatever harm befalls you is from yourself. (Surah an-Nisa, 4:79). Submission, thus, reflects the Divine health and leads the wayfarer to certainty in God's wisdom.
Key Insight: Submission reflects God's health and perfection, preventing accusations against the Creator and leading to certainty in His wisdom.
Part Two: The Three Stages of Submission
First Stage: Submission to Matters Beyond Rational Understanding
The first stage of submission is surrender in the face of matters that challenge formal reasoning and do not align with its apparent judgments. These matters, much like complex puzzles, place the intellect in a quandary, such as the paralysis of an innocent child or natural disasters. In this stage, instead of accusing God, the wayfarer affirms God's health and attributes any imperfections to human causes. This submission is neither passivity nor coercion; it is the rectification of divine action and confidence in God's correctness. The intellect, much like an ignorant child, may sometimes be unable to grasp the divine wisdom, but submission leads the wayfarer to the light of knowledge.
Key Insight: Submission in matters that challenge rational understanding is a certainty in God's health, preventing accusations against Him.
Second Stage: Acknowledgement of Divine Wisdom in Matters Beyond Comparative Reasoning
The second stage of submission involves acknowledging divine wisdom in matters that defy comparative reasoning, such as political upheavals or divine distributions (i.e., fate). These events, like powerful waves, shatter intellectual comparisons, such as the destruction of a nation or the poverty of certain individuals. In this stage, the wayfarer affirms the perfect system of God's wisdom and believes that every event, even if contrary to rational predictions, is ultimately good. This acknowledgement acts as a bridge, guiding the wayfarer from limited reasoning to the boundless horizon of divine wisdom. The Quranic verse: Perhaps you dislike something, though it is good for you, or perhaps you love something, though it is bad for you. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:216) validates this truth.
Key Insight: The second stage is acknowledging divine wisdom in matters that transcend rational comparison, and believing that all events, even when they defy reason, are ultimately beneficial.
Third Stage: Active Acceptance of Trials and Terrifying Events
The third stage is actively embracing the hardships and fears that terrify the seeker, such as illness, poverty, or calamities. In this stage, the wayfarer, saying Blessed be my Lord, the Lord of the worlds, and I see nothing but beauty, sees these difficulties as good and welcomes them with confidence in God's wisdom. This acceptance is like a loving dance before the divine will, leading the wayfarer to the peak of sincerity. The story of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and the term sick (which ultimately led to his benefit) is an example of this station. The verse: And We will certainly test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives, and fruits. And give good tidings to the patient. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:155) expresses this truth.
Key Insight: The third stage is the active acceptance of hardships with certainty in their ultimate goodness, guiding the wayfarer to the peak of sincerity and practical monotheism.
The Essence of Submission in Mystical Thought
Section 3: Peace, the Essence of Submission
Peace, as an intrinsic name of God, according to (may his soul rest in peace), describes His life, knowledge, and power in terms of health and perfection. Contrary to some who view peace as a verbal name and place it at the end of divine attributes, he considers it as a core intrinsic attribute of the Almighty, which firmly links submission with the divine health. This perspective, like a brilliant jewel, frees submission from the chains of fear and transforms it into a certainty of divine correctness. The following verse confirms this truth:
He is Allah, there is no deity but Him, the King, the Most Holy, the Source of Peace. (Surah Al-Hashr, Ayah 23)
Translation : "He is the One God, besides whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Most Sacred, the Source of Peace."
Submission and Peace: Correcting the Divine Action
Submission, in essence, is the manifestation of peace; the seeker, through submission, perceives God as As-Salam and regards every action of His as the absolute right. This station purifies the heart from doubt and uncertainty, leading the seeker to serenity and assurance. The following verse reflects this truth:
Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured. (Surah Ar-Rad, Ayah 28)
Translation : "Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." Submission, like a refreshing breeze, leads the heart of the seeker to divine tranquility.
Key Point: Peace is an intrinsic name of God that connects submission with certainty in divine health and leads the seeker from doubt to tranquility.
Section 4: Critique of the Tyrannical Culture in the Interpretation of Submission
Submission is Not Chains, but Peace
One of the most prominent aspects of 's (may his soul rest in peace) discourses is his critique of the tyrannical interpretation that reduces submission to the notion of "being chained" or being afraid of God. This culture, rooted in the influence of tyrants and kings in Islamic societies, has transformed submission into passivity and limitation, contradicting the spirit of Islam, which is both "the submission" and "peace." True submission, he argues, means saying "your action is correct" and correcting the divine act, not fear or restraint. This critique, like a sword, cuts through the culture of oppression and restores submission to its true place. The following verse affirms this truth:
Indeed, I have directed my face toward Him who created the heavens and the earth, inclining toward truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah. (Surah Al-Anam, Ayah 79)
Translation : "Indeed, I have turned my face toward Him who created the heavens and the earth, inclining to truth, and I am not among the polytheists."
Submission and Freedom from Regression
Submission, contrary to tyrannical views, is not a limitation but a liberation from regression and decline. The seeker, through submission, is freed from the confines of limited reasoning and egotistical desires, arriving at divine wisdom. This freedom, like wings, elevates the seeker to the skies of knowledge. In his teachings, illustrates this through humorous examples, such as the "watermelon peel" that topples the strong, showing how God, through unexpected obstacles, restores balance to the system and prevents the domination of Pharaohs and Nimrods. This perspective calls reason to reflect on divine wisdom and warns against hasty judgments.
Key Point: Submission is not chains or fear, but freedom from regression and certainty in the divine wisdom that frees the seeker from the limitations of reason.
Section 5: The Divine System of Excellence and the Goodness of Hardships
The Divine System of Excellence: Goodness in Hardships
In the divine system of excellence, every event, even hardships and calamities, is good. Earthquakes, which renew the old city, and the cycles of states, which lead to the destruction of evil, are examples of this truth. Through submission, the seeker sees this goodness and embraces hardships. This perspective is strengthened by the story of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and the term saqm (which resulted in his well-being), and the verse:
Perhaps you dislike something while it is good for you, or you may love something while it is bad for you. (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 216)
Translation : "Perhaps you dislike something, while it is good for you, or perhaps you love something, while it is bad for you." Submission, like a lantern, reveals the hidden goodness within hardships.
Critique of Formal Logic in Judgment
Formal logic often misjudges goodness as bad and vice versa. illustrates this through examples such as "the good grapes are eaten by the jackal" and "the watermelon peel" that topples the strong, showing that the judgment of reason is limited, whereas submission is trust in divine wisdom that transcends logic. This view aligns with the verse:
And Allah knows, while you do not know. (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 216)
Translation : "And Allah knows, while you do not know." Submission invites reason to reflect on divine knowledge and prevents hasty judgments.
Key Point: In the divine system of excellence, hardships are good, and submission is certainty in this wisdom that prevents hasty judgments by the limited mind.
Section 6: The Difference Between Submission, Acknowledgment, and Acceptance
Clarifying the Differences Among the Three Stages
Submission, which challenges reasoning, is the epistemic foundation that ensures the seeker's trust in God's health. Acknowledgment, which overcomes reasoning, is the heartfelt belief in divine wisdom against the limitations of logic. Acceptance, which responds to the seeker's distress, is the practical embrace of hardships with certainty in their goodness. These three stages, like three steps, lead the seeker from knowledge to action, guiding him to the station of "I have seen nothing but beauty." The following verse underscores this:
Indeed, I have directed my face toward Him who created the heavens and the earth, inclining toward truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah. (Surah Al-Anam, Ayah 79)
Key Point: Submission, acknowledgment, and acceptance are three developmental stages that lead the seeker from knowledge to action, and from reasoning to divine wisdom.
Final Summary
The chapter on submission in the stages of the wayfarer is, like a brilliant gem, guiding the seeker to the pinnacle of mystical engagement. The three levels of submission (submission that challenges reasoning, acknowledgment overcoming logic, and acceptance responding to distress) lead the seeker from epistemic certainty to the practical embrace of hardships. Submission is the correction of divine action and the certainty in God's health, linked to the intrinsic name of As-Salam. The critique of tyrannical culture shows that submission is not chains or fear but freedom and trust in divine wisdom. The divine system of excellence sees even hardships as good, and submission entails abandoning the limited reasoning of the childlike mind, trusting in divine knowledge. This station is strengthened by verses from the Qur'an, such as "Perhaps you dislike something while it is good for you," and the saying "I have seen nothing but beauty," guiding the seeker towards sincerity, tranquility, and practical monotheism.
With the supervision of Sadiq Khadami.
