of Nokounam, (Session 444)
Bab al-Ghin stands as one of the exalted stations in the mystical spiritual journey detailed in Manzil al-Sirn by Khwajah Abdullah Ansari. This station guides the seeker, subsequent to attainment of the Wilyah, towards an absolute detachment from all instrumental causes and the realization of divine self-sufficiency (ghin) in unity (tawd). As elucidated in the 444th lecture of Nokounam (may his sanctified soul rest in peace), this station conceptualises ghin as the purification of the heart from attachment to causes and the exclusive reliance upon the Divine Truth. It is a station that transcends even annihilation (fan). Like a crystalline spring, ghin liberates the wayfarers heart from the fetters of causality and leads it to the boundless ocean of divine unity.
Ghin emerges as a station subsequent to the attainment of mystical Wilyah. Wilyah functions as a gateway that leads the seeker to union with the Truth and prepares him for self-sufficiency from the contingent and external means. At this rank, the wayfarer transcends the self and its attachments, becoming poised to perceive all phenomena solely through the perspective of the Divine Reality.
Ghin is the state wherein the seeker is freed from all needs and attachments to anything other than God, relying solely upon the Divine Truth. This self-sufficiency is the very essence of tawd in the mystical path, whereby the seeker resembles a bird freed from the cage of causes, soaring towards the infinite heavens of the Truth. The true ghan (self-sufficient) is the one who has become independent of causes and perceives all things through the Divine Truth, firmly negating any autonomous efficacy of causes within his heart.
In opposition to ghin lies the spiritual poverty (faqr), characterised by the feeling of dependency on the external, even if one possesses wealth, power, or knowledge. One who perceives himself as reliant upon causes is spiritually impoverished, notwithstanding the worldly treasures he may hold. Such poverty acts as a chain that binds the heart to causes and obstructs the attainment of divine self-sufficiency.
The initial degree of ghin is the detachment from causes. At this stage, the seeker views all phenomena as emanations of the Divine Will and regards causes merely as conduits of this will. This liberation functions as a key unlocking the shackles of attachment and prepares the heart for the Divine Presence.
Whoever experiences turmoil or instability of heart when causes are removed, or conversely finds comfort only in their presence, is spiritually poor. Such dependency distances the heart from the Divine Presence. For instance, reliance upon wealth or power manifests as spiritual poverty since the heart, instead of being attached to the Truth, becomes affixed to material means.
The true ghan rejoices in the cutting off of causes, for such severance draws him nearer to the Divine. This joy shines like a light in the darkness of confusion, marking complete reliance on God. In this state, the seeker removes the veil of causes and steps into the ocean of divine presence.
At the station of ghin, the seeker acknowledges that ultimate ownership and dominion belong solely to God. As expressed in the Noble Quran: Liman al-mulk? (Surah Ghafir, verse 16: To whom belongs the kingdom? ). This confession is a sign of divine self-sufficiency, liberating the wayfarer from the bonds of attachment.
The monotheist is likened to a file that becomes sharper and clearer with each strike, unlike a sheep which is destroyed by a single blow. This metaphor beautifully illustrates the steadfastness and spiritual refinement of the seeker through trials and afflictions.
The station of ghin emerges as a pinnacle in the mystical path, subsequent to wilyah. This station liberates the wayfarer from attachment to causes, guiding him towards divine self-sufficiency. The ghan, through confession of divine sovereignty and resilience in hardship, purifies his heart from all causes and relies solely on the Truth.
The ghin of the heart, the initial degree of ghin, manifests as the purification of the heart from attachment to causes. Here, the seeker transcends the realm of the nafs (lower self) and enters the realm of the qalb (heart), wherein egocentric notions such as I and my wealth are negated. This purity acts as a gentle breeze that sweeps away the dust of attachments from the heart.
At the station of the heart, the seeker perceives all as his own, being connected to the Truth. Every child becomes like his own child, and every home like his own abode. This universality signals the ghin of the heart that elevates the seeker from the narrowness of the ego to the expansiveness of tawd.
The ghan submits to Divine decree without any antagonism toward God. As Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) declared on the Day of Ashura: Rian bi-rik, muan li-amrak Content with Your content, obedient to Your command. This submission indicates complete satisfaction and mystical self-sufficiency. The seeker resembles a leaf in the wind of divine destiny, calmly yielding to Gods will.
The seeker attains a voluntary death prior to natural death, thereby freeing himself from hostility toward God. This death signifies negation of attachments, as the wayfarer holds himself accountable before the ultimate reckoning, and like a believer facing the qiblah, surrenders absolutely.
The believer firmly holds that causes possess no independent effect, being merely conduits of Divine Will. As the Quran states: M ramata idh ramata wa-lkinna-llha rama (Surah Al-Anfal, verse 17: You did not throw when you threw, but Allah threw ). This certainty forms the foundation of divine ghin that purifies the heart from attachment to causes.
Contentment, akin to an inexhaustible treasure, purifies the heart from greed and avarice, thereby bestowing upon it true richness. As articulated in the Prophetic tradition:
Al-qanatu mlٌ l yanfad
"Contentment is wealth that never diminishes." This wealth is an inner and spiritual richness that renders the seeker independent of reliance upon external causes.
The truly enriched individual neither clings to this world nor to the hereafter, for their sole pursuit is the Truth. It has been said:
Hum armn al Ahlillh
"Both (world and hereafter) are forbidden to the people of God." This prohibition signifies sincerity in the spiritual path, distinguishing the people of God from the Day of Mutual Deprivation (Yawm al-Taghbun).
The enriched soul fears neither death nor threats, for it relies exclusively upon the Truth. As the Commander of the Faithful (Al ibn Ab lib) (peace be upon him) declared:
Fztu wa rabbil-Kabah
("By the Lord of the Kabah, I have achieved success" ). This fearlessness is emblematic of the monotheistic richness that leads the seeker to ultimate triumph and salvation.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) due to his complete spiritual enrichment was free from any claims upon creation. His ethics serve as a mirror reflecting the splendour of mystical richness, establishing a paradigm for seekers on the path.
Greed and avarice, even if one controls the entire world, leave the heart impoverished. The enriched seeker, by embracing contentment and satisfaction, liberates themselves from this bondage and attains tranquillity through divine unity (tawd).
The Bb al-Ghin (The Gate of Enrichment) is a station that guides the seeker, subsequent to the station of Divine Guardianship (walyah), towards independence from causes and the realisation of monotheistic richness. The Holy Quranic verses, such as:
Y ayyuh an-nsu antum al-fuqar il Allh
(Surah Fir, 35:15: "O mankind, you are those in need of Allah") and Wa wajadaka faqran fa aghn
(Surah u, 93:8: "And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient")
expound the innate poverty of man and the possibility of attaining enrichment through God. The hearts enrichment, through detachment from causes and contentment, prepares the heart for union with the Truth. The seeker, like a finely polished mirror, is refined through hardships and even strengthens his adversary, for his reliance is solely upon the Truth. The people of God, by negating attachment to this world and the hereafter, are absolved from the Day of Mutual Deprivation, focusing exclusively upon the Truth.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
