* lectures of Nekounam (May Allah sanctify his soul) - Session 342*
In the realm of mystical and theological knowledge, discussions of monotheism (Tawhid) and the relationship between the servant (Abd) and the Creator have always served as a pure, clarifying stream, calling truth-seekers towards themselves. This paper, reflecting on the 342nd lecture of the "Maqamat al-Sa'irin" series, delves deeply into the concepts of Tawhid, the position of the servant, and critiques common philosophical ideas rooted in the Aristotelian tradition. Central to these reflections is the rejection of philosophical divisions such as Necessary, Possible, and Impossible, alongside a focus on the concept of pure Tawhid, which posits God as the total existence and the servant as a manifestation and determination of the divine.
In this lecture, Nekounam (May Allah sanctify his soul) interprets the praise of the servant by God as a result of the mystic's awareness of their own intrinsic deficiency and their connection to the realm of possibility (lam al-Emkn). This perspective, rooted in mystical teachings, invites the mystic to humility before the divine perfection. The realm of possibility, as a world whose existence depends on its Creator, is philosophically linked to the principle of non-being. This non-being is not an independent entity but rather the absence of existence and a sign of the creatures dependence on the Divine Essence. With this understanding, the mystic becomes aware of their place within the system of existence and embarks on the path of servitude.
The mystics awareness of their own intrinsic deficiency is not meant to belittle them, but rather serves as an invitation to humility and an understanding of their existential dependence on the perfect Divine Essence.
One of the fundamental principles of this lecture is attributing all goodness and perfection to God and associating deficiency and evil with the servant. This principle, rooted in active Tawhid, states that all goodness and perfection found in the world originates from the Creator, while deficiency and evil are the result of the limitations of the servant's existence and their attachment to the world of possibility. This view leads the mystic towards an understanding of the distinction between the infinite perfection of the Divine and the limitations of the created being, guiding them back to the Source of all goodness.
The lecture presents a direct critique of the philosophical concept of evil as non-being, challenging the conventional philosophical view. According to this view, evil is not an independent entity but simply the absence of goodness. Nekounam (May Allah sanctify his soul) humorously mocks this concept, stating: "What sort of creature is this non-being?" This question encourages the mystic to reconsider philosophical concepts and return to the pure teachings of the Quran.
Evil is not an independent entity but the absence of goodness; this view frees the mystic from the illusion of the existence of evil and leads them towards pure Tawhid.
One of the central themes of this lecture is the critique of the Aristotelian and Islamic philosophical division of substances into three categories: Necessary Existence (Wjib al-Wujd), Possible Existence (Mumkin al-Wujd), and Impossible Existence (Mumtani al-Wujd). This categorization, which places God as the Necessary Existence, creatures as Possible Existences, and evil or the impossible as Impossible Existence, is critiqued for deviating from pure Tawhid. Nekounam (May Allah sanctify his soul) deems these concepts as fabricated and imitative, challenging them explicitly because they limit the concept of God and distance the creatures from their true position as manifestations of the Divine.
The threefold categorization, as an Aristotelian concept, is incompatible with the truth of Tawhid and prevents the mystic from understanding the completeness of divine existence.
In this lecture, God is introduced not only as the Necessary Existence but as the Total Existence (Kull al-Kaml) and the Source of all Perfection. This view, grounded in Islamic mysticism, transcends the limitations of philosophical divisions and presents God as the origin of all existence and perfection. The creatures, in this view, are manifestations and determinations of the Divine, with their existence dependent on God. This perspective invites the mystic to understand the unity of existence and liberates them from restrictive philosophical concepts.
God is the Total Existence and the Source of all Perfection; creatures are His manifestations and not independent entities with separate essences.
Nekounam (May Allah sanctify his soul), with a humorous analogy, likens the universe to "one and a half dimensions": God as the complete existence and creatures as His determinations. This analogy, rejecting the existence of a third dimension (such as the Impossible Existence), emphasizes the unity of existence. In this view, no independent entity exists besides God and His manifestations. This perspective leads the mystic to an understanding of pure Tawhid and liberates them from unnecessary philosophical complexities.
The universe consists only of God and His manifestations; there is no third dimension such as the Impossible Existence.
One of the significant points of this lecture is the critique of the concept of the servants intrinsic deficiency, which is presented as a conspiracy to belittle humanity and distance them from Tawhid. Nekounam (May Allah sanctify his soul) explicitly rejects this view and emphasizes that the servant, as a manifestation of the Divine, is inherently perfect. Their deficiency is not intrinsic but rather related to actions and environmental factors, such as sustenance, conception, and upbringing. This view calls the mystic to rectify their actions and environment to draw closer to perfection.
The deficiency of the servant is not intrinsic but a result of actions and environmental conditions; the servant, as a manifestation of the Divine, is inherently perfect.
The lecture beautifully contrasts true love with lust. True love, rooted in divine affection, is enduring and deepens with union, while lust fades after gratification. Nekounam (May Allah sanctify his soul), with an example from human relationships, invites the mystic to cultivate true love, which transcends carnal desires and leads to union with all of existence as manifestations of the Divine. This love, like a clear stream, guides the mystic toward unity with the entire cosmos.
True love, unlike lust, is enduring and deep, leading the mystic to union with all of existence as manifestations of the Divine.
In this lecture, true love is defined as union with all creatures, from inanimate objects to humans, as all of them are manifestations of the Divine. The loving mystic establishes a connection with stones, walls, mountains, and water, as all of these are reflections of the Divine. This view, which reflects the pure truth of Tawhid like a transparent mirror, calls the mystic to understand the unity of existence and to love all of creation.
True love is union with all of existence, as all creatures are manifestations of the Divine and reflections of the Truth.
Nekounam, may his soul rest in peace, explicitly critiques Aristotelian philosophy and its imitation in the works of Islamic philosophers such as Avicenna. This philosophy, through the creation of unnecessarily complex and convoluted concepts like the "three substances," deviates from pure monotheism and leads the seeker astray. This critique, sharp as a sword, unveils the philosophical distortions and calls the seeker to return to the Quranic and mystical teachings.
The lecture also touches on the role of colonialism in the distortion of religious and mystical knowledge. Colonialism, by promoting concepts such as the imperfection of the servant (abd) and the world of possibility (alam-i imkan), has diverted humanity from its lofty position and led it towards weakness and dependency. These distortions, sometimes appearing in the form of false religions such as the Baha'i Faith and Shaykhism, were designed with the intent to dominate human beings. This viewpoint invites the seeker to reassess religious teachings and return to the authentic Islamic principles.
This section discusses the historical role of the caliphs and certain scholars in promoting concepts such as predestination (jabr) and the imperfection of the servant, which have led people to accept oppression and humiliation. These distortions, which sometimes stemmed from the naivety and ignorance of scholars, are the result of colonial investments in the distortion of religious knowledge. Nekounam, may his soul rest in peace, explicitly exposes these distortions and emphasizes the need to return to the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).
One of the key concepts in this lecture is the definition of servitude (ubudiyyah) as the essence of lordship (rububiyyah). Both the servant and the messenger are divine manifestations, and servitude is not a sign of imperfection but a reflection of divine perfection. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who is introduced in the Quran as "His servant and His messenger," exemplifies this manifestation. This perspective invites the seeker to understand the exalted position of servitude and its connection to divine lordship.
Nekounam, may his soul rest in peace, emphasizes that the imperfection of the servant is not inherent in their essence but results from their actions and environmental conditions, such as their sustenance, sperm, and upbringing. This viewpoint, supported by the Quran, attributes evil to human actions, not to the essence of the created being. As the Quran states:
The lecture, referencing a prayer of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), stresses that all good is in God's hands and evil is not attributed to Him. The prayer states: "All good is in Your hands, and evil is not with You." This principle, rooted in the active monotheism (tawhid af'ali), attributes all good to God and assigns evil to the imperfect actions of humans. Nekounam, may his soul rest in peace, referring to the Tawhid al-Mufazzal, asserts that God did not create evil; rather, humans, through their actions, bring it about.
One of the notable points in this lecture is the logical contradiction inherent in the concept of the servant's imperfection. If the servant were inherently imperfect, this imperfection would, by extension, be attributed to the Creator (God), which contradicts divine perfection. Nekounam, may his soul rest in peace, logically argues that God, as the Absolute Perfection, cannot create something imperfect. Therefore, the servant, as a manifestation of God, is inherently complete, and their imperfection is a result of their actions and environmental conditions.
The lecture, through a humorous allegory, refers to the story of a seminary student who, due to his attention to the buttons on the teacher's robe, missed understanding the essence of his perfection. This story emphasizes the necessity of focusing on the profound mystical meanings rather than superficial appearances. The seeker must avoid formalism and, by concentrating on the inner essence, progress towards the truth.
Nekounam, may his soul rest in peace, emphasizes the importance of harmony between the outward appearance and inner essence of the seeker. The seeker must present themselves with an orderly appearance and a complete inner self, drawing others towards the truth. This view, which shines like a gem throughout the lecture, invites the seeker to reform both their outward appearance and inner self to increase their spiritual influence on society.
The lecture addresses the distortion of the image of revolutionaries and the Basij, which, due to the promotion of improper appearances, has diminished their spiritual appeal. These distortions, sometimes the result of ignorance and colonial influences, have hindered the positive impact of revolutionaries on society. Nekounam, may his soul rest in peace, emphasizes the need to reform this image and restore the spiritual appeal of revolutionaries.
