the Lectures of Nekounam, may his sanctity be revered (Session 592)
The chapter of Ecstasy (Bab al-Sakr), as one of the exalted stages within the Manazil al-Sirn the spiritual stations of the wayfarers opens a profound gateway toward understanding the lofty spiritual states of the seeker. At this stage, the soul is liberated from the fetters of the corporeal realm and immersed in the boundless ocean of divine love and ardour. This station is where the seekers self-possession and equilibrium are suspended, and he is drawn into an overwhelming attraction, emptied of personal volition, yet simultaneously remains steadfast in knowledge and practice.
Ecstasy (sakr) denotes a state of profound delight and yearning that removes the seeker from his usual self-possession and balance. In this station, the seeker becomes engulfed in a spiritual rapture that strips away his control and equilibrium, submerging him in the sea of divine joy and love. This state neither stems from negligence nor results in deviation; rather, it signifies the intensity of intimacy and proximity to the Almighty. It is as if the seeker, like a bird, entrusts his wings to the breeze of divine attraction and soars through the infinite heavens of longing.
Ecstasy, by the removal of self-possession, places the seeker in a state of vulnerability and instability; however, this instability does not arise from weakness but from the forcefulness of love and ecstasy. The seeker in this station is so absorbed in the attraction of the Truth that he turns away from attention to anything but Him. This state resembles the Quranic verse:
And those who believe are stronger in love for God. (Al-Baqarah: 165)
This verse testifies to the intensity of the believers love for the Truth, which in the station of ecstasy reaches its zenith.
Contrary to popular misconception, ecstasy is not a state of heedlessness or inattentiveness but rather one that guides the seeker away from engagement with outward worldly phenomena toward the inner realities of Truth. This station is where the seeker, like iron in the furnace of divine love, is purified and the rust of corporeality is cleansed from his being. Ecstasy is an indication of perfect love, placing the seeker in a continuous intimacy with the Divine and diverting his attention from anything other than the Beloved.
The foremost sign of ecstasy is being restricted from engagement with external reports (ayqa an al-ishtighl bi al-khabar); that is, the seeker, immersed in acting upon divine meanings, refrains from listening to narratives and traditions. This restraint is not due to neglect but because the seeker has reached the station of actualising meanings. Instead of hearing a report, he is actively embodying its truth, as if the words of the Infallible manifest within his very being, obviating the need for external reception.
For example, one who is engaged in practising the utterances of the Prophet (peace be upon him) or the Imams (peace be upon them) feels almost wronged if such words are conveyed to him as mere reports, for he is himself the living manifestation of that speech. This condition resembles a bright mirror upon which no additional light needs to be cast; the mirror already reflects the light perfectly and requires no further illumination.
Nonetheless, the veneration due to the informant (the Infallible) remains intact. The seeker honours the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Imams (peace be upon them) as manifestations of divine grandeur, but due to preoccupation with enactment, he exhibits reluctance toward receiving external news.
The second sign of ecstasy is immersion in the abyss of longing coupled with enduring firmness. At this station, the seeker is submerged in the depths of the ocean of yearning, his being suffused with joy and melody. This yearning is so intense that it compels the seeker to sing and chant, as if his existence is transformed into a divine hymn. Yet, this immersion in rapture coexists with firm steadiness in knowledge and practice. Although submerged in the attraction of longing, the seeker does not abandon his religious duties and obligations.
This permanent firmness indicates the authenticity of the seekers yearning. Despite his ecstasy, he remains vigilant in both knowledge and action; indeed, this yearning fortifies his path toward the Truth. It is as though the seeker is a ship sailing amidst the tempest of longing, while the helm of knowledge and practice prevents him from being lost.
The third sign of ecstasy is drowning in the sea of divine delight alongside the suspension of patience. The seeker in this station is so overwhelmed by celestial joy that even pain and affliction become pleasurable. Separation and estrangement from the Beloved, which ordinarily cause suffering, turn into sweetness. The seeker reaches a point where he embraces pain with devotion and tastes bitterness as sweetness, as if affliction is transformed into a refreshing wine.
This state is reminiscent of the companions of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) on the night of Ashura, who, amid the pinnacle of tribulations, experienced joy and ecstasy. In the presence of the Infallible, they were immersed in the ecstasy of love such that even calamities became melodies of divine proximity.
Spiritual ecstasy, unlike psychological states such as sadism, does not lead to deviation. In sadism, an individual derives pleasure from inflicting or receiving pain, yet such pleasure is a form of psychological aberration. In spiritual ecstasy, the enjoyment of pain arises from yearning for the Beloved and proximity to the Truth. The seeker at this station accepts even separation and affliction as manifestations of divine love and derives pleasure from them.
This distinction underscores the difference between faithful ecstasy and pathological psychological states. Spiritual ecstasy, while maintaining firmness in knowledge and practice, protects the seeker from egoistic deviations and sustains him on the path of the Truth.
Unlike mere psychological states, spiritual intoxication, by preserving both knowledge and practice, safeguards the wayfarer from deviation, transforming pain into a pleasure akin to the nearness of the Divine.
Affliction within the mystical journey serves a pedagogical and refining function. The phrase Al-Bal lil-Wilyah beautifully encapsulates this truth, denoting that affliction cleanses the rust of mundanity from the wayfarers heart, guiding them towards divine proximity and allegiance. Affliction is likened to a fire that melts the iron of the seekers being, transforming it into a sharp blade.
This concept is vividly manifest in the states of Imam usayn (peace be upon him) on the Day of shr. The more intense the calamities that befell him, the more radiant and sublime his visage became, as if the rust of the mundane had been thoroughly cleansed, allowing the Divine Truth to manifest within him. This illumination is a sign of the descent of the Truth and the transcendence of mundanity, bringing the wayfarer to existential perfection.
Despite the loss of self-possession in the state of intoxication, the wayfarer maintains competence in both knowledge and practice. This competence signals the soundness of their ardour and faith. Although immersed in the rapture of longing, the seeker does not neglect their religious duties and obligations. This preservation of competence protects them from the peril of misguidance and deviation.
For instance, the wayfarer in this station resembles a star shining brightly in the sky of yearning; however, the axis of knowledge and practice keeps them within the orbit of the Truth. This competence bears testimony to the soundness of their spiritual course and is indicative of their profound faith in the Almighty.
Within the state of intoxication, pain and pleasure are intertwined, whereby the wayfarer derives delight from the pain caused by longing and separation. This intermingling is a mark of the intensity of love for the Beloved. The seeker at this station embraces even affliction and separation as manifestations of Divine love and enjoys them, as if a bleeding wound has been transformed into a fragrant flower.
To endure pain with devotion, to savour poison with sweetness.
This state is beautifully reflected in this couplet, illustrating that the wayfarer not only bears pain but also accepts it as an integral part of the path of love and derives pleasure therefrom.
The spiritual guide in the mystical journey plays a vital role in maintaining the seekers equilibrium within the state of intoxication. By regulating the wayfarers conditions, the guide prevents excess or deficiency in intoxication. This regulation may sometimes involve creating turbulence to preserve intoxication, and at other times, increasing vigilance to avert misguidance.
The guide is like a gardener who meticulously waters the sapling of the spiritual journey, preventing its uneven growth. This role keeps the wayfarer on the correct path and safeguards against potential deviations.
The friends of God, unlike the people of the world who are submerged in the mire of mundanity and heedlessness, are polished through affliction, attaining illumination and purity. The worldly people resemble swine wallowing in the mud of heedlessness, whereas the friends of God resemble blades that are refined in the furnace of affliction.
This distinction is clearly exemplified in the states of Imam usayn (peace be upon him) on the Day of shr. The greater the affliction upon him, the more radiant his countenance became, as if the Divine Truth had manifested within him. This radiance signifies the transcendence of mundanity and the descent of the Truth.
Intoxication is the result of the intensity of love and spiritual ecstasy that detaches the wayfarer from attention to all except the Beloved, placing them in constant communion with the Divine. This station is where the seeker is led from the outward appearances of creation towards the inner realities of the Truth and becomes immersed in a sea of bliss.
This state resembles the noble Qurnic verse which states:
Say: If you love God, follow me, and God will love you. (l Imrn: 31)
This verse testifies that love of the Truth guides the seeker to obedience and continual intimacy with the Divine.
The Gate of Intoxication (Bb al-Sakr) in the stations of the wayfarers, as one of the highest degrees of the mystical journey, places the seeker in a state of profound rapture and longing, which strips away self-possession and balance, immersing them in the sea of joy and Divine love. The three key signs of intoxication constriction of news, the onrush of longing, and immersion in joy signify the existential transformation of the seeker from outward forms to inner realities. This station, while preserving competence in knowledge and practice, protects the seeker from psychological deviation and guides them through acceptance of affliction as pleasure towards proximity and loyalty.
The concept of Al-Bal lil-Wilyah eloquently illustrates the pedagogical role of affliction in the spiritual path, removing the rust of mundanity from the seekers heart and leading them to illumination and purity. This station resembles a furnace that melts the iron of the seekers being, fashioning it into a sharp blade. The discourses of Nekounam illuminate this path and offer invaluable guidance for researchers and seekers of truth.
Supervised by: Sadegh Khademii
