of Nekoonam, May his soul rest in peace (Session 610)
The Chapter of Knowledge (باب المعرفة) is one of the foundational stages in the mystical path known as the Stages of the Wayfarers (منازل السائرین), a gateway that directs the seeker toward the understanding of divine truth through its attributes and qualities. This station, which belongs to the final stages, illuminates the heart of the wayfarer with the light of certainty, guiding them toward divine proximity. The first level of this station, which is the subject of this treatise, concerns the recognition of the divine attributes and qualities, and is built upon three essential pillars: the affirmation of attributes without analogy, the negation of analogy without annulment, and the despair of comprehending the essence of these attributes. These elements form the foundation of true knowledge.
The structure of the Chapter of Knowledge is more intricate compared to the other chapters in the Stages of the Wayfarers, which are divided into three parts. Each of the three levels of knowledge is further divided into three categories, resulting in a total of nine parts. This multilayered structure reflects the depth and breadth of this station, distinguishing it from the other stages. Knowledge, due to its direct connection with certainty and the recognition of divine truth, requires more precise and profound differentiation.
The first level of knowledge is dedicated to the recognition of the divine attributes and qualities, serving as the gateway to true knowledge. Without reaching this level, the seeker remains entangled in superficial knowledge, which, instead of providing insight, becomes a veil of ignorance. Certainty, which is the result of recognizing the divine attributes and qualities, frees the heart of the seeker from the darkness of ignorance and illuminates it with the light of knowledge.
The first pillar of the first level of knowledge involves the affirmation of divine attributes, as outlined in the Quran and the Sunnah, without drawing analogies to the attributes of created beings. For example, God is described as the All-Hearing and the All-Seeing, but not through ears and eyes; rather, He is free from any material limitations or instruments. This purification of thought frees the seeker from material and finite conceptions of the divine.
The intensity and weakness in recognizing divine attributes depend on the seeker's ability to negate material instruments and limitations. Some attributes, such as Knowledge and Life, are easily purified from material limitations because the human mind does not naturally conceive of instruments for them. However, attributes such as the All-Hearing and the All-Seeing, due to their apparent similarity to human senses, are more challenging and require a greater degree of sanctification.
Denial of resemblance without abrogation guides the seeker towards a balance between negation and the affirmation of the Attributes, like a scale that prevents both extremes in the knowledge of the Truth.
The Truth is the essence of all beings, but it is free from their determinative attributes. It is neither confined to forms nor bound by limitations, but is the very essence of existence, and apart from it, there is only absolute non-existence. This concept refers to the existential unity of the Truth in Islamic mysticism, which introduces the Truth as the essence of existence, upon which all things depend. It is as though the Truth is an infinite ocean, and all beings are but droplets within it, yet the Truth is free from any limitation or determination. This understanding directs the seeker away from limited and material conceptions and towards the existential reality of the Truth.
The Truth is the essence of all beings, yet free from their determinative attributes, much like an infinite ocean in which all things are contained, but the ocean itself remains unfettered by any limits.
The third principle of the first degree of knowledge is despair from comprehending the essence of the Divine Attributes and the pursuit of their interpretation. The essence of the Attributes can only be known by the Truth itself, and the seeker, in this degree, comes to realize the limitations of their own understanding in the face of the Divine Majesty. This despair is a sign of mystical humility, which guides the seeker towards understanding the outward attributes and their interpretation. This despair acts as a door, preventing the seeker from futile attempts to grasp the essence of the Divine Attributes, guiding them instead towards direct perception and interpretation. It is as if the seekers intellect, in the face of the grandeur of the Truth, is like a bird whose wings are rendered powerless in the storm of the Divine, bowing in humility.
Despair from comprehending the essence of the Attributes guides the seeker towards humility before the majesty of the Truth, as if a bird whose wings are rendered helpless in the divine storm.
In the second degree of knowledge, the seekers attributes are annihilated within the Divine Attributes, and this annihilation resolves the despair from comprehending the essence of the Divine Attributes. In this stage, the seeker attains direct perception of the manifestations of the Attributes in the presence of the Divine, and their understanding of the outward manifestations evolves into an insight into their inner reality. This annihilation is akin to a drop dissolving in the ocean, leaving no trace of the drop behind. In this state, the seeker, liberated from human attributes, connects with the divine light of the Attributes, attaining a deeper knowledge.
The annihilation of the seekers attributes within the Divine Attributes leads them to the direct perception of the divine manifestations, like a drop dissolving into the ocean of the Truths essence.
The Divine saints, such as the Imams (AS), have reached a station where they perceive the Divine Attributes without the need for material instruments. For instance, their bodies retain their life and insight after death, without the need for a heart or eyes. This demonstrates the complete realization of purity in them, as they transcend material limitations and connect with the Divine Attributes. It is as though the Divine saints are mirrors in which the light of the Divine Attributes is reflected without any material veil. This example directs the seeker towards liberation from material constraints and towards the attainment of true knowledge.
The Divine saints, by freeing themselves from material constraints, perceive the Divine Attributes without the need for material instruments, like mirrors reflecting the light of the Truth without obstruction.
The Portal of Knowledge in the "Mansel al-Sa'irin" (Stages of the Seeker) serves as one of the foundational stages in mystical ascent, guiding the seeker towards the understanding of the Divine Attributes and the attainment of certainty. The first degree of this station is based on three key principles: the affirmation of attributes without resemblance, the denial of resemblance without abrogation, and despair from comprehending the essence of the Divine Attributes. This stage, with an emphasis on the purity of Divine Attributes from material limitations and the avoidance of abrogation, guides the seeker from superficial knowledge to true, experiential understanding. The Divine saints, as models of this path, demonstrate that the true understanding of the Divine Attributes requires liberation from material constraints and connection to the existential reality of the Truth.
The Portal of Knowledge in the mystical journey leads the seeker towards true understanding of the Divine Attributes, with the Divine saints exemplifying the path to liberation from material limitations and realization of the Truth.
