Excerpted from the Lectures of Nekounam, (Session 497)
The Chapter of Love, akin to a grand portal within the path of mystical spiritual journeying, constitutes a pivotal station whereby the traveller (slik) is guided from self-centeredness (khud-bn) towards Divine-centric vision (khud-bn). This station, resembling a radiant beacon, illuminates the pathway of the Manzil al-Sirn, liberating the seeker from carnal attachments and steering them towards annihilation (fan') and dissolution within the Divine Essence.
Within this mystical framework, love is not merely an affective state but an ontological current that propels the heart and soul of the slik towards pure obedience and the manifestation of the Divine Attributes.
Fqah is akin to a profound root embedded within the essence of contingent existence (mumkin al-wujd), manifesting the intrinsic need of the slik for the Absolute Truth (al-aqq) through His existence, attributes, and actions. This need flows as an inexhaustible current within the reality of the slik, compelling them towards poverty and existential dependency upon the Most High Divine Essence.
In the words of Nekounam, , fqah is defined as al-ja al-lzimah lil-imknthe necessary need of contingencywhich begins in poverty and culminates in non-existence. This existential poverty summons the seeker to depend entirely upon the Truth in their being, attributes, and deeds, perceiving nothing except through Him.
Love, at this station, burgeons through the fulfilment of fqah. The response to fqah, like a flower blossoming in spring, purifies the sliks heart from carnal impurities and guides them towards annihilation in the Truth. This process, inseparable from pure obedience, transitions the slik from self-regard to God-regard, thereby augmenting their love for the Beloved daily.
Love, like a consuming flame, serves as the propulsive force behind pure obedience to the Truth. At this level, the slik attains perfect and unconditional obedience through the fervent faith ignited by love. Nekounam emphasises that sin is the consequence of weak love and the coldness of spiritual temperament. When the sliks heart is saturated with the warmth of love, no place remains for sin, for they see nothing but the Truth and seek nothing but obedience to Him.
This obedience, likened to a collar around the neck of the dove of spiritual journeying, keeps the slik steadfast on the path of truth-seeking and devotion. The example of the Commander of the Faithful (Amr al-Muminn), peace be upon himregarded as the epitome of zeal and divine lovedemonstrates the reality that genuine love detaches the slik from all attachment to anything other than the Truth and guides them to sincere and unblemished obedience.
If you love God, then follow me, so that God may love you.
(Al-Imrn 3:31 )
This noble verse of the Holy Qurn underscores the inseparable link between love and obedience. It serves as the Quranic foundation for the station of love, revealing that true love inclines the slik to follow the Messenger of God and the Divine saints.
Fqah, like a profound root, summons the slik to existential need and poverty before the Truth, while love flourishes in the heart through its fulfilment. This love, by generating the warmth of faith, directs the slik towards pure obedience, deterring them from sin and spiritual coldness. The sacred Qurnic verse affirms this process as a pathway to nearness to the Truth.
Obsession (wasws), casting a dark shadow upon the sliks heart, is the consequence of the weakness of the nafs (self) and the chill of faith. Upon reaching the receptacle of love, the heat of this love acts as a burning furnace, melting the carnal impurities and expelling obsession from the heart. This heat, arising from intimacy with the Truth, frees the sliks heart from doubt and wavering, preparing them for service and obedience.
Nekounam emphasises that obsession is a symptom of self-weakness, which love remedies by instilling spiritual vitality and exuberance. The slik at this station blossoms like a flower in spring, liberated from lethargy and weakness, and moves towards obedience and service to the Truth.
Love, by engendering spiritual heat and vitality, transforms the sliks perception of afflictions. Rather than complaining or lamenting hardships, the slik embraces them as a bitter yet healing medicine. This acceptance, tantamount to welcoming inevitable divine decrees, liberates the heart from sorrow and guides the seeker towards existential emancipation.
Afflictions, in this perspective, are likened to a furnace that burns away the impurities of the self, bringing the slik closer to purification and nearness to the Truth. This transformation is a hallmark of genuine love, leading the seeker from self-centeredness to Divine-centeredness.
Love, by generating the warmth of faith, cleanses the sliks heart of obsession and carnal impurities, freeing them from complaint and lamentation over afflictions. This station leads the slik towards spiritual vitality and the acceptance of divine providences, preparing their heart to receive manifestations of the Truth.
Love guides the slik to steadfastness in the Shariah, such that they embrace it precisely as it was revealed to the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. This steadfastness, like a solid pillar on the spiritual path, is accompanied by companionship with the Divine saints and avoidance of excess, negligence, or haste.
Nekounam stresses that the gnostic slik, by accepting the Shariah as the guide of the journey, distances themselves from vulgarity and recklessness, attaining pure obedience. This steadfastness is a sign of the perception of innate fqah, which drives the seeker to complete obedience to the Truth.
At this station, the slik resembles a dove with a collar of obedience around its neck, moving unwaveringly along the path of truth-seeking and avoiding every deviation.
Love liberates the slik from ostentation and self-centeredness in obedience. Obedience accompanied by pride and showmanship is a greater sin than transgression, for it strengthens the ego and diverts the slik from the path of Truth. Nekounam advises that the slik must first trample upon their own sins and then their acts of obedience, because obedience devoid of sincerity becomes itself a great sin.
This sincerity, like a clear mirror, cleanses the sliks heart of impurities, guiding them to pure obedience for the sake of nearness to the Truth. At this station, the slik distances themselves not only from sin but also from pride in obedience.
Love impels the spiritual seeker towards steadfastness in the Shariah and unalloyed obedience to the Divine Truth. This exalted station, marked by the renunciation of ostentation and show in acts of obedience, purifies the seeker's heart from impurities and guides them towards proximity to the Truth.
Love directs the seeker towards the annihilation of the self in their actions, attributes, and essence. At this station, the seeker is likened to a river that merges into the ocean, whereby their actions dissolve into the Divine action, their attributes into the Divine attributes, and their very essence into the Divine Essence. This annihilation resembles the melting of ice beneath the sun's rays, and it is the consummation of innate poverty (faqr) that transmutes the seeker from self-centredness to God-centredness.
Nekounam emphatically underscores that this annihilation is concomitant with the manifestation of the perfections of Divine actions and attributes. At this stage, the seeker perceives nothing but the Truth and beholds all the beauties and excellences of existence in the Absolute Beauty of the Divine.
Through the annihilation of the self, the Truth reveals itself with the splendours of its actions and attributes upon the seeker's heart. This manifestation, akin to a torrential light washing away the impurities of the heart, intensifies the seekers love progressively. Nekounam metaphorically likens this process to a flower blossoming in spring, increasing in beauty and flourishing with each passing day.
This divine manifestation is a hallmark of proximity to the Truth, liberating the seeker from all forms of self-centeredness and guiding them toward the vision of the Divine Beauty.
Key Insight: Love, through the annihilation of the self in actions, attributes, and essence, leads the seeker to the manifestation of Divine perfections, filling their heart with celestial beauty.
Annihilation of the self is the result of the fulfilment of innate poverty and love, transporting the seeker from egocentrism to God-consciousness. This annihilation is accompanied by the manifestation of Divine attributes and actions, which augment the seekers love and direct them towards proximity to the Divine Truth.
Love guides the seeker towards magnanimity and nobility of character, such that they refrain even from acts of injustice towards their enemies. Nekounam illustrates this magnanimity by referencing the behaviour of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) towards Talha, whereby despite the hostility, the Imam eschewed betrayal and censured such conduct.
This magnanimity, reflecting the truth of love like a flawless mirror, distances the seeker from deceit, cunning, and injustice, directing them instead towards noble conduct.
Within the embrace of love, the seeker neither betrays even their adversaries nor violates the principles of chivalry in warfare. This adherence signifies pure love that cleanses the heart from all egotism and selfish motives. Nekounam stresses that the true mystic, through love for the Truth, adopts Divine ethics and distances themselves from all deceit and guile.
Key Insight: Love leads the seeker to magnanimity and the avoidance of injustice, upholding noble principles even towards adversaries.
Love, by steering the seeker towards magnanimity and nobility, frees them from cunning and injustice. This station, characterised by noble conduct and adherence to Divine ethics, is indicative of pure love for the Divine Truth.
Love, through the amplification of innate poverty, progressively increases the seeker's obedience. Nekounam likens the believer to a fish thriving in the mosques ambience as though in water, whilst the hypocrite remains akin to a bird confined within a cage. This continual obedience flows within the seeker like a rushing current, preventing stagnation and regression.
At this station, the seeker savours the pleasure of obedience with every Divine command and gains vitality from its fulfilment. This dynamism signals the growth of love and intrinsic poverty towards the Divine, propelling the seeker towards perfection.
Proximity to the outward forms of the Shariah, such as the Holy Qur'an, knowledge, or mysticism, devoid of sincerity, may result in loss. Nekounam highlights the example of Muawiya, who exploited the Qur'an for selfish ends, underscoring the imperative of sincerity. The Noble Verse, And the wrongdoers increase nothing but loss (Al-Isra, 17:82), as translated by , confirms this reality.
The seeker must approach the Shariah with sincerity to avoid pride and loss. Without love and sincerity, the Shariah becomes merely a tool for self-interest.
Key Insight: Love enhances obedience and prevents stagnation; however, approaching the Shariah without sincerity leads to loss and pride.
Love, by intensifying obedience and the fulfilment of innate poverty, propels the seeker towards perfection and averts stagnation and regression. Nonetheless, approaching the Shariah without sincerity may lead to loss and pride, a danger warned against in the Holy Qur'an.
The Infallibles, notably the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) and Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), embody perfect manifestations of love, seeing not the self but only the Truth. Nekounam depicts the noble conduct of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), such as abstaining from the personal use of public treasury funds and exhibiting magnanimity towards enemies, as illustrations of this exalted station.
Imam Ali, as the epitome of divine chivalry and zeal, through pure love for the Truth, distanced himself from all forms of egocentrism and selfishness, attaining complete obedience.
Love impels the seeker to defend the Truth and steadfastly fulfil their duty, even at personal cost. Nekounam stresses that the seeker must uphold the Truth and relinquish personal interests. This defence, like a shield against base desires, signifies pure love and living faith.
Key Insight: The Infallibles, particularly Imam Ali (peace be upon him), exemplify perfect love by annihilating the self and defending the Truth, offering an unparalleled model for seekers.
The Infallibles, as perfect paradigms of love, through self-annihilation and pure obedience, guide seekers towards proximity to the Divine Truth. Love, by directing the seeker to defend the Truth and fulfil their duty, transitions them from egocentrism to living faith.
The gate of love within the stages of the spiritual wayfarers shines as a radiant torch, illuminating the path of mystical journey from innate poverty to Divine manifestations. This exalted station, marked by liberation from scruples, afflictions, and ostentation, guides the seeker towards pure obedience, magnanimity, and the annihilation of the self. The Infallibles, especially the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), as perfect exemplars of love, provide an unmatched model for seekers who, through self-annihilation and defence of the Truth, have attained the vision of Divine Beauty.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
