of Nokounam, (Session 272)
The mystical journey (sulk) represents a profound expedition into the depths of divine knowledge, guiding the seeker through various stations towards the summits of proximity to the Divine. Submission, as a resplendent jewel upon this path, embodies the highest station of the general seeker and serves as the gateway to mystical well-being. This station, wherein the seeker entrusts all affairs with inner satisfaction to the Divine Will and the judgment of the Prophet (peace be upon him), not only liberates from egotism and self-assertion but also reforms belief and directs the soul towards spiritual tranquillity.
The present treatise, the discourses of Nokounam , undertakes an analytical examination of the chapter of submission from scientific, mystical, and philosophical perspectives. The core of the discussion revolves around the exalted verse:
By your Lord, they will not truly believe until they appoint you as judge in all disputes between them, then find no resistance in their souls against your judgment and fully submit.(An-Nis: 65, )
This verse stipulates submission as a prerequisite for faith. Within the text, the initial degree of submission is explicated through three stages, whilst the notion of coercive submission is critically examined. The present exposition elucidates the status of submission, its gradations, critiques deterministic perspectives, and accentuates the divine wisdom and lawfulness governing the cosmos.
Submission, akin to a lofty peak within the hierarchical stations of mystical progression, constitutes the supreme station of the general seeker (rjel) and the final station of mumalt (transactions) prior to the entrance upon khalaq (creation) and akhlaq (ethics). The general seeker, having traversed the initial stationsnamely badyt, abwb, and mumalt (which include observance, vigilance, sincerity, refinement, perseverance, trust, delegation, and reliance)has thereby consolidated his steps firmly. Upon submission, the seeker attains the perfection of the ordinary path.
This station resembles the relentless stride of a weary pedestrian, whose blistered feet nonetheless reach the destination of divine wellness. The aforementioned verse
By your Lord, they will not truly believe until they appoint you as judge in all disputes between them, then find no resistance in their souls against your judgment and fully submit.(An-Nis: 65)
conditions faith upon acceptance of the Prophets (peace be upon him) arbitration in disputes and full submission to his judgment. Such submission is not borne of coercion, but stems from inner contentment and faith in the veracity of the divine decree.
Submission derives etymologically from salm, connoting health and wellness rather than coercion or force. At this station, the seeker, believing in divine wisdom and the legitimacy of the Prophets judgment, attains deliverance from cognitive and practical errors. This wellness resembles a gentle breeze that sweeps away the dust of egocentrism from the seekers heart, leading him to profound tranquillity vis--vis the Divine Will.
The Quranic phrase
And fully submit.(Al-Ahzb: 56, translation)
emphasises this wellness. Contrary to deterministic submissionwhich is borne of helplessness and resembles the submissiveness of a mouse to a sadistic cattrue submission originates from love and gnosis of divine action. It is akin to a lover who, with ardour and contentment, surrenders his heart to the Divine Beloved, proclaiming: Do unto me what You alone are worthy of, and do not do unto me what I am worthy of.
The first degree of submission encompasses three stages: non-accusation of God regarding events, non-denial of divine wisdom in worldly afflictions, and patience in the face of hardship without objection. The seeker, at this degree, refrains from blaming God for events that conflict with reason or carnal desires, assuming responsibility instead for the appraisal of his own deeds.
The verse
[God] is not unjust to the servants.(l Imrn: 182, translation)
emphasises that hardships arise from causes and circumstances beyond the seekers purview. Moreover, the seeker does not repudiate divine wisdom in cosmic events (earthquakes, floods, destruction), for the interests of the servants are organised according to the lawfulness of divine wisdom. Finally, the seeker adopts patience and accommodation towards hardships, affirming: Whatever befalls me is good, refraining from resentment or impatience.
Reliance (tawakkul), delegation (tafw), and trust (thiqah) constitute stages of the spiritual path that orient the seeker towards submission, yet each retains traces of imperfection. In reliance, the seeker regards God as his agent, yet egotism may persist within this agency. In delegation, affairs are consigned to God, though shadows of egotism endure. In trust, confidence in God is asserted, but egotism remains in the claim of certainty. Submission, however, like a limpid brook, is purer than these imperfections. Herein, the seeker expunges egotism, consigning all affairs with inner satisfaction to God and the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The verse
Whoever submits his face to God while doing good has grasped the most trustworthy handhold.(Luqmn: 22, translation)
underscores this purity.
Coercive submission, born of helplessness and force, stands in contradiction with spiritual mysticism. This form of submission resembles a mouse submitting to a sadistic cat out of incapacity. Such submission lacks mystical value and leads to inner rebellion and weakness. Some commentators have equated submission with passivity before force, likening it to stubbornness and oppression. This perspective, akin to pouring water into fine wine, distorts the essence of submission. Coercive submission is analogous to a servant who, out of fear of punishment, outwardly submits while inwardly saying: If I had power over God, I would uproot Him. Such submission is neither mystical nor compatible with divine wisdom and cosmic lawfulness.
True submission, etymologically rooted in salm (peace and wellness), arises from love and gnosis of divine action. At this station, the seeker resembles a lover who surrenders to the Beloved, declaring: Whatever God wills is most beautiful and best. This submission flows like a spring sourced from the fountain of gnosis, guiding the seeker to annihilation in the Divine Will.
The verse
Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for God, the Lord of all worlds.(Al-Anm: 162, translation)
illustrates this loving submission. The seeker at this station, with eagerness and contentment, says: Do unto me what You alone are worthy of and even if God were hypothetically imagined without perfect attributes, still lovingly utters: Holy, holy is our Lord, the Lord of the angels and the Spirit.
The narrative of Zuleikha and Joseph beautifully exemplifies loving submission. Zuleikha, enduring hardships and sacrifice, attains salutary submission emanating from love and gnosis, not from force or helplessness. This submission resembles a flower blossoming amid the thorns of hardship, possessing lofty mystical value. Contrary to coercive submission, which stems from weakness and passivity, Zuleikhas submission is imbued with eagerness and contentment, guiding the seeker to spiritual perfection.
Faith is contingent upon acceptance of the Prophets (peace be upon him) arbitration in all spheres of lifesocial, political, ethical, and devotional. The verse
By your Lord, they will not truly believe until they appoint you as judge in all disputes between them.(An-Nis: 65)
mandates this arbitration in conflicts. This verse, like a blazing torch, underscores the comprehensiveness of the Prophets authority, which transcends worship and encompasses the entire system of life. The tradition Whoever obeys me has obeyed God (Bihr al-Anwr, vol. 17, p. 1) equates obedience to the Prophet with obedience to God, emphasising the necessity of accepting his governance in all lifes domains.
Faith is fundamentally contingent upon acceptance of the Prophets arbitration in all dimensions of life, thereby binding religion intrinsically to the entire framework of human existence.
Religion and politics function as the two wings of a bird, converging within the parameters of justice and expertise to form a cohesive unity. The separation of religion from politics constitutes a reaction to the tyranny of unjust rulersexemplified by the Umayyads and Abbasidswho promulgated despotism under the guise of religion. The Quranic injunction:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ
(An-Nis 4:135, trans. : "O believers, stand firm for justice")
unequivocally establishes justice as a precondition for arbitration. The unity of religion and politics is actualised solely in the presence of a just and learned authority; absent such, governance in the name of religion becomes a cage that constricts the very breath of the subjects.
The division of jurists, mystics, philosophers, and rulersakin to the partitioning of sacrificial meathas fractured religious unity and curtailed the Prophets arbitration. The Quranic exhortation:
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا
(l Imrn 3:103, trans. : "Hold fast, all together, to the rope of God and do not become divided")
emphatically underscores the imperative of unity. This segmentation, comparable to dismantling a grand edifice, has transformed religious cohesion into dispersion.
The cosmos operates in accordance with Divine wisdom and a strict causal system, whereby good and evil arise as consequences of human actions. Phenomena such as earthquakes and floods depend on factors like structural integrity rather than Divine injustice. This orderly system functions like a precise mechanism, in which every action yields a commensurate outcome. The spiritual traveller, by submitting to this wisdom, relinquishes objection and affirms, "Whatever God wills is for the good." The Quranic assertion:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ
(An-Nis 4:40, trans. : "God does not wrong even as much as an atoms weight")
underscores Divine justice and wisdom.
Certain commentators erroneously claim: God is the absolute owner and does as He wills. This deterministic viewpoint portrays God as an arbitrary tyrant, contradicting the verse:
لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ
(l Imrn 3:182)
which unequivocally denies injustice on the part of God. God acts with wisdom and justice, not capriciously. This conception is analogous to likening God to an autocratic monarch, incompatible with the systematic order of the cosmos.
The defeat of the Commander of the Faithful (Al, peace be upon him) stemmed from the weakness of the community, not a deficiency in Divine wisdom. Muwiyas success, facilitated by cunning and popular support, exemplifies the causal order governing history. This example functions as a mirror reflecting the collective influence on historical outcomes. The communitys frailty is analogous to ash settling upon the fire of truth, hindering its radiance.
Submission, regarded as the pinnacle in the stations of spiritual progression, guides the seeker towards acceptance of the Prophets arbitration and acquiescence to Divine wisdom. The initial stage of submissionmarked by the absence of accusation against God, recognition of Divine wisdom, and patience amidst adversityushers the seeker into spiritual safety. A submission borne of love and knowledge stands in contrast to deterministic submission, which arises from helplessness and weakness. The Prophets arbitration manifests religion throughout all aspects of life and affirms the unity of religion and politics within the parameters of justice and expertise. The universe, governed by Divine wisdom, operates through causal laws wherein outcomes reflect human deeds. This treatise, through precise elucidation of these principles, steers the spiritual traveller toward Divine knowledge and nearness.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
