of Nokounam (may his sanctity be revered), Session 400
Mystical progression is a journey from the self towards the Divine Truth, wherein the traveller, with a steadfast will and an illuminated heart, traverses the gradations of existence to attain union with the Reality. Among mystical texts, Manaazil al-Saireen by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari holds a venerable status, and the chapter on will constitutes a pivotal section that elucidates the levels of the seeker's progression en route to the Divine. The present lecture, the four-hundredth session of Nokounam (may his sacred presence endure), undertakes an examination of the second degree of will, emphasising the concepts of taqattu bi-suhbat al-haal (intermittency in the company of the spiritual state), tarweej al-uns (cultivation of intimacy), and the traversal between qabd (contraction) and bast (expansion).
Will, akin to a blazing torch, guides the traveller along the path of mystical advancement. The seeker (mureed) is one who, with a resolute heart, wills the Truth and the Divine Attributes, turning away from egoistic and worldly attachments. The object of desire (murad), encompassing the Divine Essence, the cosmos, the spiritual mentor, the guide, and the Infallibles (peace be upon them), serves as a vessel of salvation (safinat al-najaah) and a lamp of guidance (misbah al-huda), aiding the seeker throughout this perilous journey. These sanctified individuals, through their intercession, facilitate access to the ultimate Truth, much like stars illuminating the path of travellers on a dark night.
The will of the seeker is defined in three exalted stations, each acting as a rung on the ladder of gnosis that draws the aspirant nearer to the Divine Presence. These stages depict the evolutionary trajectory of the seeker from the self towards the Divine and constitute mystical determinations the seeker must experientially traverse. In this progression, the seeker moves from egocentric and worldly wills toward the Divine Will, relinquishing multiplicity and attaining Divine Unity.
The first station of will requires the seeker to supplant the Divine Will by renouncing egoistic, corporeal, and multiplicity-based wills. This renunciation is realised through knowledge, meticulousness, and strict adherence to the sacred law (Shariah). At this level, the seeker frees themselves from lusts and egocentric determinations and, through intimacy with the Unseen, distances from corporeality. This liberation is analogous to a bird released from the cage of the body, soaring toward the heavens of meaning.
Renunciation of multiplicity signifies severing dependence on anything other than the Truth and turning exclusively to Divine Unity. The seeker at this stage relinquishes wills tied to corporeality, soul, and creation, embracing a purified heart that wills solely the Truth. This process resembles the cleansing of the hearts mirror from the dust of attachments, enabling the reflection of Divine Light within.
The second station of will, substantially more arduous than the first, summons the seeker to forsake the ql (exterior manifestation) and to turn towards the hl (interior state). This stage is accompanied by gnosis, visionary perception, and divine attraction. Here, the seeker transcends formal knowledge towards intuitive gnosis, moves from concept to exemplar, and from cognition to direct witnessing. This progression resembles passage from the husk to the core of the Truth, guiding the seeker to inner unveiling of the Divine Reality.
In this station, the seeker oscillates between contraction (psychic inwardness) and expansion (mystical openness). This fluctuation resembles the waves of the sea that draw the traveller to the shore of Truth. Contraction engenders self-awareness and humility, whereas expansion illumines the heart with the light of gnosis. This dynamic movement forms the foundation for the eventual attainment of vision and gnosis of the Divine.
At this stage, the seeker relinquishes all that is other than the Truth and, through divine gnosis, advances towards the Truth. This renunciation entails turning away from multiplicity and duality, much like a star vanishing at dawn in the light of the sun. Through this renunciation, the seeker is liberated from otherness and multiplicity, attaining Divine Unity.
In this station, the seeker abandons formal knowledge in favour of intuitive gnosis, a direct inner witnessing that transcends intellectual constructs. Furthermore, the seeker forsakes sensory and rational cognition, arriving instead at the inner vision of the Divine. Vision here denotes the mystical examination and unveiling that brings the seeker into contact with the unseen Reality. This process is akin to opening a window onto an infinite garden, whose fragrance of truth suffuses the soul.
At this station, the seeker is drawn by divine attraction towards the Truth and experiences mystical unveiling and inspection. This attraction resembles a breeze that stirs the branches of the seeker's being, liberating them from superficial perception. Unveiling acts as a mirror reflecting the beauty of the Divine, enabling the seeker to behold the Reality with the eye of the heart.
Attainment of the spiritual state of Truth is an arduous and weighty endeavour, necessitating liberation from sensory perception and egoistic habits. This challenge is comparable to ascending a lofty summit requiring steadfastness and faith. The seeker must disentangle from habitual sensory reliance to activate their mystical perception and behold the Truth.
To elucidate the distinction between the apparent (external) and inner (esoteric) senses, an allegory is presented concerning an individual who swims freely in the sea yet experiences constriction upon returning to land. This brave sea-farer is analogous to the spiritual seeker (salik) who, while immersed in the Divine Reality, moves with freedom and ease as a fish in water, but encounters the limitations imposed by the external senses (aw hirah) in the realm of the mundane (nst). This metaphor serves to demonstrate that the inner sense, operating at a transcendental level beyond the outer sense, guides the seeker towards ultimate truth.
The inner sense, akin to swimming in the vast sea, becomes sovereign within the seeker. This sovereignty liberates him from dependence upon the external senses and enables direct vision of the Truth. Just as a student who has mastered literature through rigorous study and practice attains mastery of language, so too does the seeker, through spiritual progression (salk), internalise and establish the inner sense within his being.
The Exalted Truth (al-aqq tal), through attraction (jadhbah) and mystical unveiling (mukshafah), draws the seeker toward Himself as one plays with a doll and a child. This interaction fosters intimacy and spiritual ecstasy (l), much like a child becomes increasingly joyful with every encounter with a cherished doll. At this stage, the seeker perceives the Beauty of the Truth with the eye of meaning (ayn al-man) in all things.
Authentic mysticism must culminate in direct vision and experiential witnessing. Mysticism devoid of embodiment and lived experience resembles lifeless discourse that leads only to confusion and futility. The seeker must, with sincerity and witnessing, behold the Truth; otherwise, claims of vision remain erroneous and misleading.
لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا
(Surah Al-Arf, 7:179)
Translation : They possess hearts with which they do not understand, eyes with which they do not see, and ears with which they do not hear.
This verse references the existence of inner hearts, eyes, and ears which, due to neglect, remain deprived of witnessing the Truth. Every human being is endowed with multiple inner senses that operate beyond the scope of the external senses and are activated in spiritual discipline (salk) to perceive the Divine Reality.
Man is like a treasury of inner senses, possessing thousands of eyes and ears with which he can witness the truths of existence. However, habitual reliance on the external senses has rendered these faculties dormant. The spiritual path serves as a key that unlocks this treasury and guides the seeker toward the vision of ultimate reality.
Perception and sensation belong to the mundane (nst) self and function at the level of the external senses. Mystical vision transcends these faculties and reaches the witnessing of Divine Truth within the vessel of gnosis (marifah). This vision is like a light that cleaves through the darkness of the self, revealing the truth clearly.
Language, like the senses, serves manifold functions. Just as language can articulate speech or punctuate, the inner senses hold various mystical capacities to perceive the Truth. The seeker must uncover these capacities and employ them in attaining the Divine Reality.
The inner senses function as a vehicle capable of various speeds, activated at different stages of the spiritual journey. The seeker must utilise these faculties to attain vision of the Truth, just as a vehicle, by accelerating, transcends terrestrial limitations and moves in air and water alike.
Speed in the spiritual path resembles the rotation of a spinning top, freeing the seeker from stagnation and ushering him into a stable spiritual state and vision of the Truth. This velocity is the mystical attraction (jadhbah) that enables the seeker to soar toward the celestial heights of reality like a light-winged bird.
The chapter on willpower (irdah) in Manzil al-Sirn invites the seeker on a mystical journey wherein, by relinquishing multiplicity, ego, and falsehood, he attains spiritual presence (l), gnosis, and Divine vision. The first station, through the abandonment of carnal wills and intimacy with the unseen, draws the seeker nearer to Divine Unity. The second station, by severance from the companion of the present state and movement between constriction and expansion, leads him to the inner witnessing of the Truth. The allegories of the brave sea-farer, the Divine doll, and the spinning top indicate the necessity of inner transformation and activation of the inner senses. The Noble Quranic verse They possess hearts with which they do not understand emphasises the presence of inner faculties which must be employed in the spiritual path to witness the Truth.
Under the supervision of Sdeq Khdemi
