the Lectures of Nekounam (May his Sacred Spirit be Sanctified), Session 293
The station of Re (Contentment), within the mystical framework of the Manzil al-Sirn by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, holds a distinguished and pivotal position. It is regarded as one of the essential pillars within the ethical segment, serving as a cardinal guide for the seekers (sirn) traversing the path of gnosis (marifah). This station is delineated into three degrees Re al-mmah (general contentment), Re an Allh (contentment from God), and Re bi-Ri Allh (contentment with Gods pleasure). At its highest and third degree, namely Re bi-Ri Allh, the seeker attains the summit of perfection. Herein, the aspirant effaces the egoistic attributes within his/her being by the divine attributes, thereby annihilating the personal will into the divine Will and attaining an existential unity with the Divine Decree.
According to Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, Re bi-Ri Allh denotes the annihilation of the servants egoistic attributes within the divine attributes, in such a manner that the Will of the Almighty supplant the servants own will entirely. This degree, considered the most exalted station of contentment, guides the seeker to complete annihilation (fan) in the Divine Will. In this state, the seekers contentment and displeasure become entirely consonant with the Divine contentment and displeasure; no trace of egoistic selfhood remains. This effacement of attributes does not imply existential annihilation of the servant; rather, it connotes the manifestation of the Divine attributes within the servants existence, to the extent that the servants will is wholly dissolved into the Divine Will.
At the degree of Re bi-Ri Allh, the seekers self endures, but it ceases to be an autonomous, self-centred entity; it becomes an obedient and submissive self in absolute conformity to the Divine Will. This self, enfolded within the Divine reality, harbours no inclination except the Divine inclination, nor any displeasure save Divine displeasure. This perfect submission liberates the seeker from the bonds of egoistic love and hatred, enabling complete conformity with the Divine Decree.
A salient feature of the seeker at this station is the absence of egoistic love and hatred, replaced exclusively by love and hatred for God. The seeker, at this degree, loves or hates not for the self, but solely for God and in accordance with His Will. This characteristic evidences the complete effacement of the egoistic attributes and the manifestation of Divine attributes within the seekers being, bringing the seeker close to the station of nafsahu nafsi wa nafsi nafsahu (his self is himself and himself is his self).
At this station, the seeker attains a psychological unity with the Divine, whereby the seekers contentment and displeasure are equated with Divine contentment and displeasure. This unity is so profound that the seeker's suffering is regarded as Divine suffering. This expression indicates an ontological unity between the seeker and the Divine Will, wherein the seekers self manifests as the Divine Self.
In this station, the Almighty effaces the servants egoistic attributessuch as will, contentment, and displeasureand replaces them with Divine attributes. This effacement entails the annihilation of the servants ego and liberation from the autonomy of will, directing the seeker towards full submission to the Divine Will. At this stage, the Divine Will predominates over the servants will, and the seeker becomes wholly immersed in the Divine Decree.
And you do not will except that Allah wills.(Quran, Al-Insn 76:30)
This verse establishes the Quranic foundation for the annihilation of the servants will in the Divine Will, demonstrating that in Re bi-Ri Allh, the seekers will is wholly subordinate to the Divine Will.
And you do not will except that Allah wills. affirms the Quranic basis for the servants will being annihilated within the Divine Will.In this station, the seekers contentment and displeasure are entirely subordinate and derivative of Divine contentment and displeasure. All his/her attributes, from will to desire and aversion, manifest Divine attributes, leaving no trace of egoistic independence. This subordination leads the seeker to the unique rank of the mystics, where his/her existence becomes a perfect mirror of Divine Decree.
The Quran, in another verse, refers to the praise and glorification of all creatures before God:
Whatever is in the heavens and earth glorifies Allah.(Quran, Al-ashr 59:1)
This verse illustrates the natural contentment of all creatures within the simple (uncompounded) realm, whereby even the disbeliever, by virtue of being under the Divine Decree, participates in glorification and contentment. However, this contentment is natural and unconscious, lacking the acquired gnosis and awareness.
In contrast to natural contentment, which is inherent to the entire universe, acquired contentment is peculiar to seekers who reach this station through gnosis and awareness. The seeker, at this degree, comprehends and enacts the truth of Divine contentment consciously, aligning his/her will with the Divine Will. This distinction corresponds to the difference between the simple realm (nature) and the compounded realm (acquisition), wherein the seeker arrives at conscious gnosis and submission.
In the simple context, the kafir is also regarded as a believer due to their submission under Divine Will, for all entities within this context are engaged in glorification and acceptance of the Divine decree. However, in the composite context, their disbelief is attributed to conscious and acquired denial. This analysis elucidates the ontological unity inherent in the simple context, where all beings even the kafir are entirely subjugated to the Divine Will, though the spiritual wayfarer apprehends this truth through knowledge and perception.
At the station of contentment with the Divine Will (ri bi-i Allh), the seeker relinquishes all forms of arrogance and judgements founded on passion and desire, judging solely according to the Divine command. This renunciation of arrogance signifies the effacement of the nafss volition and the complete submission to Divine Will, liberating the wayfarer from egocentric judgements. No longer does the seeker proclaim, I desire this and reject that, but rather affirms, Contentment with Your Will, obedient to Your command.
Within the station of contentment, the Divine taste prevails over the nafss inclination such that good and evil, bitterness and sweetness, become equalised in the face of Divine satisfaction. This psychological transformation reflects the seekers perceptual change, where through the ascendancy of Divine Will, all actions are perceived as sweet by virtue of contentment with the Truth. Just as honey is sweet, yet the sweetness of Divine contentment surpasses it; similarly, Divine wrath does not culminate in bitterness for the seeker but rather transforms into sweetness through contentment.
To elucidate this station, a beautiful allegory is presented: a child lying ill suddenly awakens and breaks a water pitcher. At that moment, the wayfarer neither regards the broken pitcher nor the spilled water, but only the childs life, rejoicing in it. This allegory demonstrates the dominance of the Agent (Divine Contentment) over the act (good or evil). In the wayfarers perception, the sweetness of Divine contentment is so dominant that the bitterness of the act is rendered insignificant.
At this station, the seeker effaces their personal volition, which becomes utterly dissolved within Divine volition. Not only does the seeker relinquish their own volition, but they also abrogate their nafsic discrimination such that whatever the Truth chooses for them appears beautiful and sweet, even if it be fire. This abrogation of discrimination signals the triumph of the Divine taste over the nafss taste, where good and evil, Paradise and Hell, become equivalent before Divine contentment.
Contentment with the Divine Will is attainable solely by those endowed with Divine love. This love purifies the seekers heart from all nafsic attachments, guiding them toward the annihilation of the nafs and the manifestation of Divine attributes. This love so completely captivates the heart that the seeker sees nothing but the Truth and seeks nothing but His contentment.
The station of contentment with the Divine Will, as the highest rank of satisfaction in the Manzil al-Sirn, guides the wayfarer toward complete annihilation in Divine volition and the manifestation of Divine attributes within the self. At this station, the seekers nafs is obedient and submissive to the Will of the Truth; their love and hatred belong solely to God, and their contentment and discontentment are conformed to Divine contentment and discontentment. The Quranic verses such as You do not will except that Allah wills
(Quran 76:30) and Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorify Allah
(Quran 62:1) confirm the Quranic foundation of this station, where all existence is naturally under Divine contentment, but the seeker reaches this reality through acquired and cognitive contentment. Renunciation of arrogance, effacement of volition, and abrogation of discrimination lead the wayfarer to absolute submission and annihilation of the nafs. The allegory of the child and the broken pitcher beautifully illustrates the dominance of the Agent (Divine contentment) over the act. This station is attainable only through Divine love, which purifies the heart from nafsic attachments and manifests Divine attributes.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi