The station of Union, among the highest stages in the mystical journey outlined in the *Maqamat al-Sa'irin* (The Stations of the Wayfarers) by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, is a state in which the seeker achieves ontological unity between their essence, attributes, and actions with the Divine. This station, which embodies the peak of gnosis and annihilation, frees the wayfarer from dualities and the limitations of the self, guiding them toward the perception of the unique, singular truth of the Divine. In this article, invaluable lectures of , May His Soul Rest in Peace (Session 645), a detailed and comprehensive elucidation of the concept of union will be provided. The discussion focuses on the elevated qualities of the unified wayfarer, the elimination of selfhood and the perception of the self, and the attainment of the station of Resurrection of Purification and Cleansing.
The station of Union is a level where the seeker transcends the division between creation and the Divine, perceiving all existence as a manifestation of the Divine. In this station, where essential, attributive, and active unity between the servant and the Divine is realized, the wayfarer is freed from the limitations of the self and dualistic perceptions. , May His Soul Rest in Peace, emphasizes two prominent qualities of the unified seeker: the removal of the selfhood (ego) and the dissolution of the perception of the self. These two qualities, akin to the wings of the seekers flight in the realm of gnosis, guide them towards the summit of purity and cleansing.
The unified seeker, upon reaching the state of conformity (tamkin), becomes free from transformation (tawlin), which refers to the fluctuation and changes in their psychological states. Conformity, as an establishment in the secure shore of unity, saves the wayfarer from the tumultuous waves of duality and otherness. At this stage, they no longer perceive impurity or otherness within themselves and attain stability in the station of Union. This stability acts like a firm pillar, preserving the seeker against the psychological storms and guiding them towards the perception of the singular truth.
, May His Soul Rest in Peace, identifies two main obstacles in the path to reaching the station of Union: selfhood (ego) and the perception of the self. Selfhood refers to the material and psychological determinants that bind the seeker to worldly attachments. The perception of the self, on the other hand, is the sense that the seeker sees themselves as an independent agent, thereby obstructing the perception of the Divine. The removal of these two obstacles is akin to passing through two difficult stages, guiding the seeker towards complete ontological unity.
The station of Union is a level where the wayfarer attains essential and attributive unity with the Divine. Conformity, as a fundamental quality of this station, frees the seeker from transformation and duality. The removal of the obstacles of selfhood and the perception of the self acts as the removal of chains, leading the seeker toward the freedom of being in the Divine realm. These qualities lay the foundation for the attainment of higher levels of spiritual progress, such as the Resurrection of Purification and Cleansing.
One of the prominent expressions in elucidating the station of Union is the concept of The Dead on the Surface of the Earth (*Mayit Ala Wajh al-Ard*). In this state, the unified wayfarer is alive yet does not possess a material and bodily life. Before experiencing physical death, they have already died to their ego and the self, achieving a divine existence. This spiritual death, akin to a bird's liberation from the narrow confines of matter, propels the seeker toward the boundless skies of mystical knowledge. , May His Soul Rest in Peace, emphasizes that the wayfarer in this state appears to walk, yet they have no feet; they seem to breathe, yet they have no soul. This, in essence, is a symbol of the death of the ego and the persistence of divine life.
The seeker in the mystical journey undergoes stages where they first free themselves from material pleasures (huzuz), which refer to worldly and ego-driven indulgences. At a higher level, they reach a state where the self consumes itself, meaning their ego gradually fades away. Ultimately, even the ego is relinquished, and the seeker attains complete ontological unity. This process is akin to burning the ego in the fire of knowledge, until only the ash of unity remains.
, May His Soul Rest in Peace, uses an original metaphor to describe the ego in the various stages of the mystical path, comparing it to the eater (akil) and the eaten (makul). At the stage where the seeker still has egoism, the ego is the eater, and the pleasures of the self are the eaten. However, in a higher stage, when pleasures are no longer present, the ego becomes both the eater and the eaten, consuming itself. This self-consumption of the ego is akin to a serpent swallowing its own tail and ultimately annihilating itself. In the final stage, when the ego and selfhood are eradicated, neither the eater nor the eaten remains, and the seeker attains complete annihilation in the Divine.
The stages of annihilation in the station of Union free the seeker from material and egoistic determinations. The concept of The Dead on the Surface of the Earth symbolizes the death of the ego and the attainment of divine life. Liberation from material pleasures and egoism, as well as the process of self-consumption, guide the seeker towards complete ontological unity. These stages are like steps on a ladder leading the seeker to the summit of purity and cleansing.
The unified seeker, upon removing selfhood and egoism, attains the Resurrection of Distance (*Qiyamat al-Bu'd*), meaning the ultimate separation from selfhood. Contradiction (*Tanafi*), in this context, refers to the complete negation of any sense of affliction (spiritual illness) and selfhood, guiding the wayfarer towards perfect purity and cleansing. This contradiction, akin to the fierce desert wind, sweeps away the dust of determinations from the mirror of the seekers heart, leading them to complete transparency and purity.
In the state of "gathering", the traveller (Slik) is liberated from even his own perception of selfhood, meaning the view of himself as an independent agent. He perceives only the Divine Truth. With the eye of Truth, he beholds the Divine, and does not attribute any vision to himself. This stage is akin to a droplet merging into the boundless Divine Ocean, where no trace of the droplet remains, and it becomes the entire ocean.
The "Resurrection of Purity and Cleansing" is a stage wherein the Slik is purified of all forms of identification and ego. He sees nothing but the Divine Truth, and even attributes his own vision to the Divine. This purity is like a mirror that reflects only the Beauty of the Divine, with every trace of selfhood removed from it.
The Slik in the highest state of gathering sees the Divine only with the Divine, and does not attribute any vision to himself. This witnessing of the Divine with the Divine signifies the complete removal of ego and the attainment of absolute unity. It is as though the Slik, like a candle in the presence of the sun, melts away and is left with nothing but the light of the Divine.
In the state of gathering, whatever comes towards the Slik is seen as good, for he perceives everything as a manifestation of the Divine. This goodness does not belong to the Slik but to the Divine, which reveals itself through the vessel of the Slik's being. This perception is like observing the world from the peak of unity, where no evil can be seen and everything is pure goodness.
The Slik in the gathering state embodies the Divine existence, and his attributes and actions are those of the Divine. He sees himself as the manifestation of the Divine and does not attribute any independence to himself. This unity is akin to a river joining the sea, where no trace of the river remains except the name of the sea.
The unaware sees himself as an independent agent and attributes actions to himself, while the aware attributes actions to the Divine and sees himself only as a manifestation of the Divine. This difference is like the contrast between someone wandering in the darkness of heedlessness and someone walking in the light of knowledge.
Sweets, meaning the sweetness of knowledge, arise in various stages of the spiritual journey, either from testimony (witnessing) or from the witness (the Divine). At a lower stage, the sweetness belongs to the martyr (Slik), but at a higher stage, it belongs to the witness (the Divine). This difference is like the distinction between someone who is still looking at the light of his own candle and someone who is immersed in the light of the sun of truth.
Exaggeration in purity refers to the complete removal of the perception of selfhood. In this stage, the Slik attributes even the sweetness of testimony to the Divine and does not attribute any vision to himself. This exaggeration is like a strong wind that blows away the last remnants of selfhood from the heart of the Slik.
Martyrs at various stages attribute the sweetness either to the martyr, the witness, or the observed. At the highest stage, the sweetness belongs to the witness (the Divine), and the Slik sees no independence left in himself. This stage is like a peak where the Slik sees nothing but the Divine and desires nothing but the Divine.
The friends of God, contrary to the general perception that they endure hardship and asceticism, experience divine pleasure and love in the state of gathering. Through the witnessing of the Divine, they reach the highest degrees of pleasure and perfection. This pleasure is like wine poured from the cupbearer of truth into the hearts of the friends of God, intoxicating them with the love of the Divine.
The masses, due to their inability to understand the witnessing of the friends of God, feel pity for them, perceiving their martyrdom as suffering. However, the friends of God, in their witnessing, perceive the Divine and derive pleasure from this vision. This difference is akin to the contrast between someone who only sees the skin of a fruit and someone who tastes its essence and sweetness.
The state of gathering, as one of the highest stages of spiritual journey, leads the Slik to complete unity with the Divine. In this state, the Slik is freed from ego, self-perception, and duality, seeing everything as a manifestation of the Divine. The transcendent qualities of this state, including Resurrection of Purity, and Witnessing of the Divine with the Divine, guide the Slik to a state where no duality remains. The friends of God, in this state, experience divine pleasure and love, surpassing common perceptions of suffering and asceticism.
