Excerpt from the Lectures of Nokounam, May His Sanctity be Honoured (Session 419)
In mystical discourse, intimacy signifies proximity to the Divine Truth, the hearts perfection, and the reality of spiritual arrival. This station elevates the seeker beyond the outward appearances of phenomena, guiding him towards the inner cognition and witnessing of truth. As Nokounam elucidates, intimacy is akin to a gentle breeze that polishes the heart and enables the soul to soar towards the true Beloved. This definition conceives intimacy not merely as an inner state, but as a path that connects the seeker with the Divine Unity.
Within mystical progression, intimacy manifests in three degrees, each constituting a step towards spiritual elevation:
These degrees resemble a ladder elevating the wayfarer from the external to the internal, and thence to ultimate truth. Each stage opens a window onto deeper comprehension and higher proximity.
Istihla adh-Dhikr represents the initial step on the path of intimacy, wherein the act of remembrance transforms from a vapid utterance into a sweet and soul-refreshing experience. As per Nokounams insight, remembrance previously resembled dry and lifeless speech; yet at this stage it becomes like a refreshing nectar that polishes the heart and elevates faith. This transformation is the sign of the hearts awakening, guiding the wayfarer from numbness towards Divine nearness.
Taghdhiyah bis-Sama is the degree whereby the wayfarers heart is nourished by hearing knowledge, blessings, and righteous deeds, much like the body is nourished by food. At this station, knowledge, gnosis, service, and love serve as spiritual sustenance, feeding and perfecting the heart. Nokounam analogises this degree to the nourishment of the body that removes hunger. In this stage, the seeker experiences spiritual satiation with every benevolent deed and act of service.
Wuqf al al-Ishrt constitutes the zenith of intimacy, wherein the wayfarer perceives the signs of phenomena with the heart and arrives at their reality. This degree demands subtlety of the hearts perception and the senses, guiding the seeker beyond the externalities of things towards their inner reality. Nokounam describes this stage thus: The heart hears the signs of things by the language of the present state with the subtlety of its perception (Sama al-Qalb Ishrt al-Ashy bi-Lisn al-Hl bi-Lutf Idrkih). At this level, the wayfarer not only sees phenomena but apprehends their effects and implications. Such witnessing acts as a key that opens the doors of truth before the seeker.
The subtlety of perception is the essential condition for Wuqf al al-Ishrt. Through purification and refinement, the heart and senses attain a delicacy that perceives beyond exteriors to the innermost reality of things. This subtlety guides the wayfarer from superficial cognition to profound witnessing. As Nokounam states, the subtle heart is like a mirror reflecting divine signs.
These analogies serve as mirrors reflecting the contrast between ordinary apprehension and mystical insight.
Wuqf al al-Ishrt also denotes witnessing the effects and consequences of phenomena, guiding the wayfarer to the reality of existence. Nokounam terms this witnessing as Shahdt Ilmul-Wujd, wherein the seeker perceives not only the object but also its properties and ramifications. This witnessing connects phenomena as divine signs and manifestations of the Ultimate Reality.
Nokounam, may his sanctity be preserved, citing the words of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) in Sermon 49 of Nahj al-Balagha, states:
فهو الذي تشهد له إعلام الوجود على إقرار قلب ذي الجهود
"It is He whose existence is testified to by the evidences of being, in affirmation of the heart of the diligent."
This statement elucidates that even the disbeliever, by the simple acknowledgment of the particles of his existence, bears testimony to the Truth.
This reference conceives the cosmos as a mirror in which the Divine Reality is manifested in every constituent part. The spiritual seeker, through intimate communion, hears this testimony with the heart and thus attains unification with Divine Oneness.
The disbeliever, through his composite declaration, denies the existence of God; yet the very particles of his being, by simple acknowledgment, testify to the Truth. Nokounam, may his sanctity be preserved, explicates this apparent contradiction as follows: Before uttering the phrase "God does not exist," the disbeliever first pronounces the word "God" itself, which in essence is an acknowledgment of the existence of the Truth. This simple recognition is intrinsically embedded within the nature of every entity, and the seeker, through spiritual intimacy, perceives it.
Nokounam, may his sanctity be preserved, elucidates the divine indications of objects as manifestations of the Divine Truth by citing a beautiful poem:
These verses portray the world as a magnificent garden where each part from flowers and leaves to spirit and water pools testifies to the Divine Beauty and Majesty. The spiritual traveller, through intimate communion, hears these hymns of glorification with the heart.
Another poem cited in the lecture describes the cosmos engaged in constant sam (listening/chanting of Divine Truth):
Creatures, akin to intoxicated lovers, are continuously immersed in Divine love and glorification. The seeker, through apprehension of these indications, discerns this perpetual sam.
Nokounam, may his sanctity be preserved, expounds the difference between the perception of the gnostic (rif) and the ignorant (jhil): The ignorant regards testimony as destruction, whereas the gnostic perceives it as an act of divine love. For example, the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) is, for the ignorant, utter ruin, but for the gnostic, it is a loving play with the Truth. This distinction originates from the inner perception of the gnostic who, through intimacy, apprehends the essence of things.
For instance, a person who only observes the outward appearance of old age at ninety perceives it as frailty and decay; yet the seeker, by spiritual intimacy, comprehends its concomitants and perceives strength and vitality therein.
The subtlety of perception is likened to a light illuminating the heart of the seeker, guiding him to the direct witnessing of truth. Nokounam, may his sanctity be preserved, emphasises that the delicacy of the heart and senses liberates the seeker from carnal veils, enabling the comprehension of the divine indications and effects of phenomena. This subtlety is the fruit of purification of the soul and refinement of the heart, which ultimately leads the seeker towards Divine Oneness and gnosis.
Manazil al-Sairin, in its four hundred and nineteenth session, by explicating intimacy and its degrees, guides the seeker towards Divine proximity and witnessing the reality of things. Intimacy acts as a portal opening the heart to the true Beloved. Through the graduated stages of spiritual refreshment of the remembrance, nourishment by sam, and discernment of divine indications, the seeker progresses from the sweetness of remembrance to the witnessing of existential signs. This path, complemented by subtle perception and inner witnessing, culminates in the attainment of Divine Unity and knowledge. Nokounams lecture, grounded in the words of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and inspired by mystical poetry, conceives the cosmos as a splendid garden where every element testifies to Divine Beauty and Majesty. The seeker, through intimacy, hears this testimony with the heart and ultimately arrives at truth.
Supervised by Sadegh Khadami
