the Lectures of Nokounam, (Session 283)
The chapter of abr (patience, perseverance) in Manzil al-S'irn by Khwja Abdullah Ansr functions as a steadfast pillar within the edifice of practical mysticism, playing a fundamental role in the spiritual journey of the seeker. This station, meticulously examined in Session 283 of the lectures of Nokounam in the Persian calendar), delineates abr into three distinct degrees abr f al-bal (patience in affliction), abr an al-mayah (patience in abstaining from sin), and abr al al-ah (patience in performing acts of obedience) and correlates these with the noble verse Y ayyuh alladhna man isbir wa bir wa rbi (l Imrn: 200). This treatise, adopting a rigorous academic and scientific approach, integrates the lectures content with detailed analytical commentary, transforming it into a refined, coherent, and scholarly text. Herein, abr is understood not merely as endurance against hardships but as an alchemical agent that refines the seekers soul from the impurities of the nafs (lower self), guiding him toward the sublime stations of divine proximity.
In Manzil al-S'irn, abr is categorised into three distinguished stations: abr f al-bal (patience in the face of afflictions and calamities), abr an al-mayah (patience in refraining from sin), and abr al al-ah (patience in observance of worship). This classification, as elaborated in the lecture, portrays abr as a profound ocean, each degree encompassing a wave of steadfastness and self-purification. abr f al-bal fortifies the seeker against the tumultuous waves of tribulations; abr an al-mayah acts as a shield protecting the nafs from satanic insinuations; and abr al al-ah is like a radiant torch illuminating the path of worship for the traveller.
The original text presents the correlation as follows: Isbir corresponds to abr f al-bal, bir to abr an al-mayah, and Rbi to abr al al-ah. This alignment endeavours to bridge mystical concepts with Divine Speech; however, owing to the absence of robust linguistic derivation and contextual justification, it has attracted critical scrutiny.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا
l Imrn: 200, trans. by : O you who have believed, be patient and endure and remain stationed [at your posts].
The lecture critiques the correlation posited by Khwja Abdullah Ansr and his commentator, deeming it unsound and lacking in linguistic and contextual support. Khwja attributed Isbir to abr f al-bal, bir to abr an al-mayah, and Rbi to abr al al-ah, with the commentator affirming this on the basis of an apparent meaning. This approach, however, by restricting the verses scope to individual and mystical notions, diminishes the comprehensive scope of Divine Speech and is consequently accused of an isolationist, dervish-like interpretation. Such critique acts as a mirror reflecting inadvertent distortions in Qurnic exegesis and underscores the imperative of precision in deriving meanings.
The core of this criticism lies in the fact that the noble verse, besides addressing individual conduct, also encompasses interactive and societal dimensions. Limiting Isbir to affliction, bir to sin, and Rbi to obedience is tantamount to confining the vast bird of Qurnic meanings within the narrow cage of individual mysticism. This correlation neglects the verses militant and communal context and disregards its comprehensiveness.
The lecture offers a novel and more comprehensive interpretation that better accords with the linguistic derivation and the verses context. In this exegesis, Isbir denotes an inner patience (endurance in individual matters including affliction, sin, and obedience), bir signifies mubarah (steadfastness in interactions with others), and Rbi implies murbaah (preservation of the social order and connection with the Imam or community). This interpretation acts as a bridge connecting the individuals spiritual journey to social responsibilities, thereby manifesting the Qurns comprehensiveness in guiding believers.
Isbir embodies a personal patience inviting the seeker to self-restraint amid affliction, sin, and obedience. bir, derived from mubarah (mutual endurance), points to perseverance in dealings and relationships with others. Rbi, taken from murbaah, refers to maintaining social, cultural, and religious systems, as well as maintaining connection with the Imam or the Muslim community. This interpretation regards the verse as a prism casting guiding light in three dimensions: the personal, the interpersonal, and the societal.
The refined interpretation of the three degrees of abr and their relationship with the Qurnic verse Isbir wa bir wa Rbi enhances our understanding of patience as a multifaceted, multidimensional virtue. It transcends individual endurance, urging believers to practice steadfastness within their social and communal contexts. This integrated approach resonates profoundly with the holistic vision of Islamic spirituality, where personal piety is inseparable from social ethics and responsibility.
This analysis not only respects the linguistic and contextual integrity of the Divine Word but also revitalizes Manzil al-S'irns spiritual wisdom, making it accessible and relevant to contemporary seekers.
This lecture meticulously elucidates the distinctions among abr lillah (patience for God), abr billah (patience by God), and abr al Allah (patience upon God). abr lillah preserves the agentivity of the spiritual traveller (slik) and hinges upon his sincerity towards the Divine. In contrast, abr billah effaces the agentivity of the slik and relies entirely on the Divine power, much like a bird soaring upon the wings of God's mercy. abr al Allah is accompanied by doubt and a nascent quality, typically attributed to the novice slik who treads the path of spiritual journey with hesitation and uncertainty.
This differentiation outlines the stages of spiritual progression as if ascending steps: from doubt (al Allah), through sincerity (lillah), culminating in complete reliance upon God (billah). Due to the effacement of personal agency, abr billah represents a superior stage attainable only by perfected sliks.
The lecture critiques the conventional ordering of patience stages as abr lillah (common folk), abr billah (disciple), and abr al Allah (slik), deeming it erroneous. Instead, it advocates that abr al Allah pertains to the novice, abr lillah to the intermediate practitioner, and abr billah to the perfected slik. The patience of the general populace (mmah) lies outside the realm of spiritual progression due to its lack of requisite sincerity.
This refined sequence offers a precise schematic of the spiritual path: from the hesitant beginner (al Allah) to the sincere intermediate (lillah), and finally to the perfected state of full Divine reliance (billah).
abr al Allah resembles the trembling steps of a child newly set on the path, faltering with doubt; abr lillah signals attained sincerity characteristic of the intermediate slik; and abr billah represents the zenith of spiritual flight, wherein the slik is utterly effaced in Divine power.
The lecture introduces patience as a psychological instrument for crisis management that, through awareness of the eventual cessation (inqi) of affliction, diminishes its severity. When the slik recognises the transient nature of hardship, he resembles a traveller enduring a tempest, moving forward with hope towards a tranquil shore. This cognisance diminishes the perceived magnitude of affliction and eases its endurance. Patience thus functions as a key unlocking the constraints of hardship, guiding the slik toward tranquillity.
This perspective portrays patience not merely as endurance but as a psychological transformative tool, altering the sliks attitude toward affliction. Awareness of termination shines as a light illuminating the darkness of calamity.
The lecture terms patience grounded in anticipation of material reward (such as "cool water after fasting") as abr shaklt and regards it as superficial and spiritually deficient. This form of patience resembles a sweetness pleasing to the ego yet deprives the spirit of nearness to the Divine. The slik must eschew such conditional patience, motivated by worldly incentives, and instead pursue sincere, unalloyed patience.
This critique emphasises the indispensability of sincerity in patience. Patience motivated by worldly reward cannot elevate the slik to the loftier stages of spiritual progress and ensnares him in self-interest.
The lecture criticises the absence of psychological analysis in mystical interpretations, affirming that authentic mysticism necessitates an understanding of the sliks behaviours and motivations through a psychological lens. Patience, as a psychological tool, requires intimate recognition of the nafs (self) and its impulses to genuinely guide the slik toward purification. Absent this insight, mystical interpretations risk becoming superficial and bereft of spiritual profundity.
This outlook presents mysticism as a science intertwined with psychology, analysing the sliks conduct within the framework of psychological motivations. Without such analysis, patience remains a jewel trapped within a harsh shell.
The lecture defines abr lillah as the patience exercised in refraining from sin and performing acts of obedience purely for God. This patience is likened to a golden robe of sincerity that shields the slik from the whisperings of the nafs and the hardships of worship. Abstaining from sin for God and fulfilling obedience with pure intention signify abr lillah, drawing the slik nearer to Divine proximity.
However, the lecture critiques the introduction of reward motivation into abr lillah. Patience performed for the sake of reward or Divine forgiveness transforms into transactional patience and diminishes sincerity toward God. abr lillah must be free from extrinsic motives to attain the essence of sincerity.
The lecture likens patience undertaken for reward or Divine pardon to a mercantile transaction in the worldly marketplace, diverting the slik from Divine proximity toward material or spiritual gains. This critique underscores the indispensability of sincerity in patience, introducing abr lillah as a pure form of patience devoid of any motive save God alone.
The verse إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي stands as a paradigmatic exemplar of perfect sincerity, providing a luminous beacon illuminating the path of sincere patience and liberating the slik from the snares of self-interest.
This work, by synthesising the lectures of (session 283) alongside detailed analyses of a secondary document, offers a thorough exposition of the chapter on patience (bb a-abr) in Manzil al-Sirn. It explores the threefold stages of patience (in affliction, in refraining from sin, and in obedience) framed by the verse يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا. The critique of Khwjas and the commentators interpretations highlights their isolation and neglect of the social and jihd dimensions of the verse. An alternative exegesis analyses ibir as personal patience, bir as interactive perseverance, and rbi as social steadfastness, thereby encapsulating the Qurns comprehensive guidance on individual and communal levels.
The levels of patience (lillah, billah, and al Allah) are also revised with the critique of Khwjas ordering, establishing al Allah for novices, lillah for intermediates, and billah for perfected sliks. The patience of the masses is excluded from the spiritual path due to self-interest. The verse إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي delineates the criterion of sincerity in abr lillah. Patience, accompanied by awareness of afflictions cessation and devoid of reward-driven motives, acts as an alchemical agent refining the sliks self and guiding him toward Divine proximity.
Supervised by SSadegh Khademi
