the Lectures of Nokounam, (Session 490)
Within the mystical journey of Manzil al-Sirn, the chapter concerning the states and the station of love shines forth like a resplendent gem, guiding the seeker's heart from the realm of acquired endeavour towards the domain of Divine grace. Love, akin to a blazing fire, liberates the seeker's being from coldness and lethargy, steering him towards unity and intimate communion with the Divine Beloved. This treatise endeavours to elucidate the station of love and the distinctive features of the chapter on mystical states.
The station of love is introduced as a sublime and elevated state, grounded upon a verse from Srah al-Midah in the Holy Quran:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَلاَ يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لآئِمٍ ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
(Srah al-Midah, 5:54; Translated by ):
O you who believe! Whoever of you turns back from his religion, Allah will bring forth a people whom He loves and who love Him, humble towards the believers, stern against the disbelievers, striving hard in the cause of Allah, and fearing not the blame of any blamer. That is the bounty of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.
This verse delineates a reciprocal relationship of love between the Truth and His special servants, describing the characteristics of the people of love as humility towards the faithful, honour in the face of disbelievers, striving in the way of God, and fearlessness of reproach. Within this framework, love transcends mere emotional sentiment to become an existential station that elevates the seeker to spiritual perfection and divine proximity.
The commentator, in expounding upon the station of love, employed only a portion of the verse from al-Midah and neglected a comprehensive exposition of the qualities of the people of love and the full correlation of these attributes with the mystical station. This partial usage fails to reveal the full dignity of the verse and omits its collective and practical dimensions. The verse portrays love not merely as a heartfelt state but as a communal and practical station manifesting in the attributes of the people of love, such as striving and courage. This critique highlights the essentiality of thorough Quranic analysis in mystical discourses to transmit the divine reality in its entirety, without omission.
The chapter of states (bb al-awl) represents a domain within mystical conduct where the seeker transitions from acquired exertions in the stations of Oudiyyah to the reception of divine favours. This chapter, like a fertile land, becomes the ground for the emergence of states such as warmth and fervour, indicators of the spiritual readiness of the seeker to enter loftier stations. The warmth here metaphorically signifies the intensity of desire and love for the Truth that frees the heart from lethargy and coldness, preparing it to receive divine lights.
Himmat (resolve) as the final station within the chapter of Oudiyyah embodies the seekers resolute will that overcomes the carnal obstacles. This will functions as a catalyst that revives the dead soul, bringing the seeker to the threshold of the chapter of states. Himmat signifies the power to control the soul and freely undertake or desist from actions; thus, a seeker with strong resolve easily rises from bed, whereas weak resolve binds others in lethargy. This contrast aptly reveals the strength and frailty of himmat.
Love, as the inaugural station of the chapter of states, manifests as a divine grace following himmat. While himmat is an acquired exertion, love emerges as a divine light illuminating the heart with warmth and fervour. This transition represents a pivotal turning point in the mystical journey, guiding the seeker from individual endeavours to the realm of divine receptions. Love is the intrinsic disposition of the believers heart, described metaphorically as the sweetness of dates, the pungency of pepper, and the coolness of cucumber, each illustrating its profound impact on the seekers being.
Love is the hearts attachment situated between himmat (acquired effort) and uns (intimate relationship with the Beloved). This attachment is not merely an emotional tie but an ontological relation that directs the heart toward the Divine. Love serves as a bridge that leads the seeker from the realm of acquisition to the domain of grace, where the heart, aflame with warmth, becomes ready to receive divine illumination.
Love begins with warmth and fervour and, as spiritual states intensifysuch as ecstasy, thirst, and raptureit transforms into ishq (intense love). Ishq, termed the strongest of loves, draws the seekers heart irresistibly toward the Beloved. This intensity is affirmed in the Holy Quran:
And the believers are stronger in love for Allah (Srah al-Baqarah, 2:165) ( translation), guiding the seeker toward annihilation and unity. Ishq is a fire that consumes the seekers being and elevates him to the station of wilyah (spiritual authority).
Love necessitates self-sacrifice in the way of the Truth and renunciation of all that is other than the Truth. Giving (badhl) is the complete surrender of ones existence to the Beloved, exemplified by the mystic Hafezs admonition: You yourself are your own veil, Hafezrise from between it. Withholding (man) entails distancing oneself from all that is not the Truth, so the heart does not turn its attention elsewhere. This giving and withholding coincide with afradiyyahtotal dedication to the Divineliberating the seekers heart from any duality.
The people of love, according to verse 54 of Srah al-Midah, are characterised by humility toward the believers, honour against disbelievers, striving in the cause of God, and disregard for blame from others. Humility denotes modesty and love for Gods servants, honour signifies the strength of faith, striving represents a practical commitment to religion, and indifference to blame demonstrates spiritual independence and focus on divine satisfaction. These traits delineate the spiritual perfection of the people of love.
The concept of jihd f sabl Allh in the verse is not confined to armed struggle but encompasses all efforts to elevate the word of Truth, including intellectual and cultural striving. Indifference to blame, especially in the end times, exemplifies the spiritual courage of scholars and the estranged among the community, who propagate truth without reliance on material instruments. This striving represents the pen of the scholars, which surpasses even the blood of martyrs, for knowledge is the cause of sacrifice and martyrdom.
The Verse of Al-Ma'idah refers explicitly to the strangers of the end timesthose who, armed not with weapons but with the pen of knowledge and the truth of speech, strive in the path of God. This group embodies the quintessential exemplars of the people of love, who, through courage, disregard for blame, and steadfast commitment to truth, sustain the living word of divine justice. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said of them: "Blessed are the strangers of my nation." They are those who illuminate the path of truth through knowledge and insight.
Contrary to the spiritual stations of acquisition that rely upon effort and attainment, love is a divine gracean unearned endowment bestowed upon whomever God wills. As stated in the Verse of Al-Ma'idah: That is the grace of God which He gives to whom He wills
, this exalted station depends entirely on divine will. The seeker can only receive it through full surrender and readiness of heart. Love is like a luminous radiance emanating from the Truth onto the seekers heart, guiding them toward intimacy and union.
Intimacy with the beauty of the Beloved is the fruit of divine manifestations that turn the seekers heart away from attention to anything other than the Truth. This intimacy resembles a gentle breeze directing the heart toward the beauty of the Truth, preventing distraction by worldly or otherworldly concerns. As the people of God have said: The world is forbidden to the people of the Hereafter, and the Hereafter is forbidden to the people of the world, and both are forbidden to the people of God.
This aphorism reveals the unity and singularity of the heart immersed in love.
Love necessitates self-sacrifice and annihilation before the Beloved. Fanaa is the extinction of the self in the Truth, realized through complete surrender of the spirit and the essence of existence. This giving is not corporeal but concerns the spirit of the seeker, as the poet expressed: For the beauty of her ruby mole, I surrender my head, hands, heart, and feet.
Such surrender leads the seeker to divine union and proximity, where nothing but the Truth remains.
Singularity means the hearts total dedication to the Truth, achieved through the annihilation of the seekers acts, attributes, and essence. This annihilation acts as a consuming fire that burns away all that is other than the Truth, leading the heart to the realm of unity. The seeker in this station is liberated from duality and perceives only the Truth, as embodied in the supplication: You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.
Here, there is nothing besides You.
The Mufradun are the saints of God whose hearts are solely devoted to the love of the Truth. They are the vanguards of the mystical path, having advanced before others: They have journeyed forth; the Mufradun lead the way.
Through complete annihilation of self in the Truth, they attain a station where nothing remains but divine love. This station represents the pinnacle of the mystical journey, guiding the seeker towards unity and complete proximity.
Remembrances such as O Lover, O Beloved
ignite the seekers heart with the fire of love, leading them toward annihilation and union. However, shirk (associating partners with God) is the principal obstacle to the acceptance of such invocations. Once shirk is removed from the heart, the remembrance O Lover, O Beloved
ignites such a consuming flame within the seeker that no obstacle can withstand it. This sincerity is the key to entering the realm of love and union.
O Lover, O Beloved, when uttered with absolute sincerity, inflames the seekers heart with the fire of divine love and guides them to union.Suffering, failure, and worldly and spiritual deprivation are divine mercies preparing the heart to receive love. Such hardships act as a polish upon the mirror of the heart, freeing it from attachment to anything but the Truth and rendering it ready for intimacy and union. As the poet declares: God closes a door out of wisdom, and by His grace He locks it with a stronger seal.
This grace keeps the heart confined within the prison of divine love.
The station of love is like a lane whose walls are shattered. Here, the seeker confronts the consuming fire of love that burns possessions, life, and beloveds. This breaking, akin to the tale of Layla and Majnun, signals total surrender, where the seekers empty cup breaks and desires nothing but the Truth. This fire reveals the brilliance of love and leads the seeker to the realms of contentment and union.
The station of love, within the Manazil al-Sairin, is a blazing fire liberating the seekers heart from coldness and inertia, guiding them toward unity and intimacy with the Beloved. Verse 54 of Surah Al-Ma'idah portrays this station through qualities such as humility, honour, striving, and disregard for reproach, introducing the strangers of the end times as perfect exemplars of the people of love. Love, as a divine grace, by way of self-offering, renunciation of the other, and singularity, leads the seeker to annihilation and union. The invocation O Lover, O Beloved
, with utmost sincerity, inflames the heart, and suffering and deprivation, as divine grace, prepare it for this station. This station not only elevates the seeker to divine proximity but, on a communal level, guides the nation with knowledge and striving towards the truth. The Mufradun are the pioneers of this path who, through self-annihilation in the Truth, attain complete unity.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi