the Lectures of Nikkounam, May His Soul Rest in Peace (Session 295)
Gratitude, like a radiant gem in the path of the mystic, occupies a lofty station in the Quran, where it is referenced with profound and eloquent expression:
"And few of My servants are grateful" (Saba: 13). This stage, not only occupies an exalted position in both knowledge and practice, but is also intricately linked with the bounties and the Benefactor, requiring a deep reflection and precise exposition. The present commentary, drawn from the lectures of Nikkounam, with both a scholarly and mystical approach, delves into the essence, position, and characteristics of gratitude. This work, synthesizing the lecture content and detailed analyses, presents gratitude as an act of the servant in response to the gift, grounded in knowledge, and strives to avoid any commonplace interpretations or deviations from the truth. The structure of the text, with specialized titles and sub-titles, is organized in a way that guides the reader through a spiritual journey into the depths of this mystical stage.
Gratitude, in the framework of the mystical journey, occupies a station that, due to its difficulty and greatness, only a select few servants attain. The Quran eloquently states:
"And few of My servants are grateful" (Saba: 13, translation by Fouladwand: "And few of My servants are grateful"). This verse emphasizes the rarity of the grateful ones, highlighting gratitude not only as a challenging act but also as a station reserved for the special few, requiring both profound knowledge and righteous action. Gratitude, like a bridge between the blessing and the Benefactor, guides the servant toward the recognition and praise of the Truth.
The commentator of "The Stages of the Seeker" elevates gratitude with the expression "fakhm al-shukr" (the grandeur of gratitude), associating it with the highest grandeur, a station only attained by a few servants. While this embellishment does reflect the exalted nature of gratitude, it sometimes leads to exaggeration and diverts the concept from its practical essence. Gratitude, like a sapling growing in the soil of the blessing, is connected with worldly needs (such as the stomach), whereas praise, like a flower that is independent of the soil, blossoms in the freedom of the noble ones. This distinction places gratitude in a lower station than praise, although it is still a high status in its own right.
Gratitude is a lofty station in the mystical journey, accessible only to a select few due to its difficulty and the necessity for knowledge and righteous action. However, excessive embellishment of gratitude sometimes leads to exaggeration, removing it from its practical essence. The distinction between gratitude and praise, which will be elaborated upon in subsequent sections, aids in a clearer understanding of this station.
The commentator of "The Stages of the Seeker" defines gratitude as "the name for the knowledge of the blessing," suggesting that it is the recognition of the blessing that leads to the recognition of the Benefactor. While this definition emphasizes the role of knowledge in gratitude, it is inaccurate, as gratitude is an action of the servant, not merely knowledge. Just as prayer requires purification, yet purification itself is not prayer, gratitude requires knowledge of the blessing, but knowledge itself is not gratitude. A clear example of this is thanking someone for receiving a glass of water: seeing the water (the blessing) and recognizing the giver (the Benefactor) are the prerequisites for saying "thank you" (gratitude), but these prerequisites themselves are not gratitude.
Gratitude, like a breeze blowing from the heart of knowledge towards the blessing, is an act of the servant in response to the blessing. This act may be expressed through speech (saying "thank you"), the heart (praise from the heart), or the limbs (righteous deeds), and is only realized in the presence of the blessing and the recognition of the Benefactor. For example, receiving a glass of water is the blessing; recognizing who gave it is the knowledge; and saying "thank you" is gratitude. Without either the blessing or the knowledge, gratitude cannot be realized, yet these prerequisites are not gratitude themselves.
Gratitude is an act of the servant in response to the blessing, which is realized through knowledge of the blessing and the Benefactor. Critiquing the definition of gratitude as knowledge of the blessing emphasizes the distinction between the prerequisites (the blessing and knowledge) and the act of gratitude itself. The blessing serves as a path to the knowledge of the Benefactor, but gratitude is the servant's response to this knowledge.
