In mystical terminology, Fanaa refers to the annihilation of the attributes and characteristics of created beings within the realm of the divine truth. This station represents the liberation from the chains of ego and worldly attachments, such that the wayfarer, like a candle in the dark, loses its light in the presence of the sun of truth. This metaphor beautifully indicates that Fanaa is not about destruction or obliteration, but rather the voluntary and conscious dissolution of one's created attributes in the presence of the boundless light of the Divine. As Nekounam states, Fanaa is a feature of creation because it pertains to human attributes in relation to the Divine.
In contrast to Fanaa, Baqaa refers to the establishment in the divine attributes and the embodiment of the divine qualities. This station, like a calm shore after the storm of Fanaa, stabilizes the wayfarer in the unity of being. Baqaa is an attribute of the Divine, for only that which is connected to the Divine remains impervious to annihilation. Nekounam emphasizes that in this station, the wayfarer perceives nothing but the Divine and regards everything they witness as originating from and leading back to the Divine. This vision is a sign of the complete embodiment of the divine attributes.
Fanaa and Baqaa are two sides of the same coin in the mystical journey. Fanaa is the precursor to the liberation from ego and attachment, and Baqaa is its result, which establishes the wayfarer in the divine truth. As Nekounam describes, Fanaa is the end of the first journey (the journey of creation), while Baqaa is the beginning of the second journey (the journey of the truth). This division clearly maps out the stages of the spiritual path: the first journey is the dissolution of the qualities of creation, while the second journey is the establishment in the unity of being and the witnessing of the truth.
In his lecture, Nekounam cites the verse وَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ (Surah Ta-Ha, 20:73) as an introductory verse to the chapter on Baqaa. The translation of this verse by Fouladand reads: *And Allah is better and more lasting.* However, this verse, which compares Allah to worldly and mundane matters, is not suitable for explaining the mystical station of Baqaa. In mysticism, Baqaa goes beyond mere worldly permanence and refers to the complete dissolution of the attributes of creation and the establishment in the divine truth. Nekounam delicately notes that this verse, with its comparative perspective, speaks of the general idea of the permanence of God, but does not align with the depth of the mystical concept of Baqaa.
Nekounam suggests two other verses that are much more aligned with the mystical concept of Baqaa: وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ (Surah Ar-Rahman, 55:27): *And the face of your Lord, full of majesty and honor, remains.* مَا عِنْدَكُمْ يَنْفَدُ ۖ وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ بَاقٍ (Surah An-Nahl, 16:96): *What is with you will be exhausted, and what is with Allah will remain.* These verses emphasize the eternity of the divine face and the qualities of majesty and beauty, thus more accurately conveying the mystical meaning of Baqaa. The first verse refers to the everlasting nature of the divine presence, while the second makes a distinction between the transient nature of creation and the permanence of the divine.
