the Lectures of Nekounam Session 499
Love, akin to a blazing fire at the very core of the mystical journey, illuminates the seekers path towards divine union. This concept, which holds a distinguished station within Islamic mysticism, is expounded with profound precision and eloquent depth in Bb al-Maabba (The Chapter of Love) from the venerable text Manzil al-Sirn by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari. The lectures of Nekounam , delivered in session 499, present this chapter as a meticulously crafted map for the spiritual progression of the mystics, delineating the degrees of love into three principal strata: actual, descriptive, and essential. The aim is to assist the seeker in apprehending the true reality of love, guiding him away from merely created exteriors towards the intrinsic, essential inner core.
Love, much like a light that shines in various tiers, is classified into three degrees: the actual (fal), the descriptive (waf), and the essential (dht). This hierarchical progression resembles a ladder ascending towards divine knowledge, commencing at the surface level accessible to reason and culminating at a sublime summit wherein the seeker becomes annihilated in the Divine Essence. The actual and descriptive degrees reside within the realm of manifestation and creation and are concomitant with human intellect and understanding, whereas the essential degree resembles a consuming fire that burns away all but the Truth itself transcending intellect and linguistic expression, manifesting solely in inner spiritual vision.
The actual and descriptive degrees, often termed the apparent or manifest levels, reside within the confines of human reason and understanding, accompanied by expression, argumentation, and tangible effects. These degrees resemble a mirror reflecting the images of creation, thus comprehensible and accessible to the generality. Conversely, the essential degree, denoted as the inner degree, is devoid of any form of linguistic expression and conceptual boundaries and manifests only within the heart of the mystic, and that too solely by divine grace. This distinction acts as a boundary separating intellect from love, guiding the seeker from mundane calculations towards incineration in the Divine fire.
Apparent love, which unfolds within the actual and descriptive degrees, encompasses a domain of perception, articulation, reasoning, and results. This degree functions as a warm, tangible current rooted in intellect and understanding, comprehended and pursued within the realm of creation through clear expression and language. At this level, love serves as an adornment, esteemed and praiseworthy both for the believer and the seeker. Due to its reliance upon intellect, it intertwines with both worldly and eschatological considerations and can lead either to the pleasures of this world or to the attainment of Paradise.
The third degree of love, termed inner or essential love, resembles a fire that consumes all except the Truth. This degree surpasses the language of intellect, calculation, and benefit, defying any descriptive capacity. Intellect, which shines as a lamp amidst the darkness of creation, is powerless before this divine fire and yields its place to love. This love is comprehended solely through inner spiritual vision and by divine grace; for those outside the circle of the Truth, it remains a secret accessible only to those mystics who have attained union.
Created love, manifest in the apparent degrees, is accompanied by worldly and otherworldly motivations. The Holy Quran states in Srat al-Takthur:
أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ
(: Your eagerness for more has distracted you). This verse censures excessive desire, which may divert the seeker from the path of Truth towards deviation. Nevertheless, worldly adornment, provided it is free from excessive craving, is like a flower blooming in the garden of the Shariah and is praiseworthy and valuable to both the believer and the seeker.
The Shariah endorses adornment as a manifestation of apparent love, considering it commendable for both men and women, believers and seekers alike. This adornment encompassing outward appearance, food, fragrance, and beauty is encapsulated in the Prophetic narration:
I have chosen from your world three things: women, perfume, and the delight of my eye in prayer.
This tradition introduces apparent love as a bridge between this world and the hereafter, wherein lawful adornment and pleasure form a component of the spiritual journey.
Created love, situated within the sphere of this world and the hereafter, is accompanied by rational calculations. At this degree, the seeker pursues nearness to God either to attain Paradise or to avoid Hellfire. Although valuable, this love remains at an apparent level. In contrast, inner love resembles a bird freed from the cage of intellect, soaring toward the Divine Essence, independent of any material or spiritual motive.
At the inner degree, intellect is like a lamp before the sun unable to comprehend or articulate the reality. The utterance of the Archangel Jibrl,
If I draw near even an inch, I shall be consumed,
exemplifies the limitations of angels before divine manifestation. This degree transforms love into an intuitive experience manifesting exclusively within the heart of the mystic and by the grace of God.
The essential degree is akin to a fire that burns the seeker within, driving him toward annihilation in the Divine Essence. The Holy Quran in Srat al-Najm states:
فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى
(: Until his distance was as close as two bows or nearer). This verse indicates the Prophets (peace be upon him) infinite proximity to the Divine Essence, achievable solely through essential love. At this degree, the seeker becomes emptied of selfhood and is annihilated in the Divine fire.
Innate love constitutes the exalted station of the beloved and the perfect saints, wherein the seeker is entirely liberated from any created determinations or attributes. The hadith "All things were created for your sake, and you were created for My sake" delineates the supreme rank of the saints, such as the Prophet (peace be upon him), Imam Ali (peace be upon him), and Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), whose very existence is effaced within Divine Love. This station is analogous to a pinnacle attained solely by those who reach the ultimate spiritual consummation, leaving no trace of selfhood behind.
The third degree of love is termed Khifah, signifying a swift, seizing love, which, like a thunderbolt, abruptly interrupts expression and sharpens the spiritual indication. This love transcends all predicates and cannot be confined to any definition or description. Its speed surpasses any created or devotional motion, transporting the seeker instantaneously towards the Divine Essence.
Innate love guides the seeker from the dispersion of attributes (such as the Merciful, the Compassionate) towards the unity of the Divine Essence. At this station, reason and understanding are negated, and the seeker, like a moth consumed by flame, is absorbed within the light of the Divine Beauty. This station is one in which no trace of creation remains; only the Divine Reality manifests.
Divine indications in innate love resemble a cipher exchanged between the lover and the Beloved, surpassing the grasp of reason. These intimations are transmitted exclusively to the hearts of the people of Truth and remain a hidden treasure for those not spiritually accomplished. Reason, which in created love serves as an instrument of calculation and benefit, is impotent at this station; only Divine Grace opens the path.
Created reason is likened to a shepherd who grazes the camel for worldly profit and advantage. This reason is ensnared in the calculations of gain and loss, seeking love within the confines of this world and the hereafter. Mystical love, however, resembles a consuming fire that liberates the seeker from such calculations and leads towards annihilation and dissolution. This difference is akin to a line dividing rational spiritual journey from the mystical path of love.
Mysticism is a treasure passed from heart to heart and cannot be attained from books alone. This knowledge necessitates profound experiential insight and unveiling, attainable only through connection with the saints and Divine Grace. The mystic is like a traveller who endures the bitterness of the path to reach spiritual consummation.
The infallible saints, such as the Prophet (peace be upon him), Imam Ali (peace be upon him), and Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), embody the perfection of innate love. The hadith "Had you not existed, the heavens and the earth would not have been created" highlights the unparalleled status of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), whose existence was willed for Divine union. Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) is likened to a cosmic pole, without whose permission seekers cannot proceed towards the Truth.
Innate love transcends all predicates, and its knowledge is possible solely through direct existential witnessing. This station is like a gateway opening towards essential unity, freeing the seeker from every name and trace. The cognition here is not conceptual but a direct spiritual attainment realized only through immediate experience.
Innate love is the pivot of Divine spiritual journey and leads the seeker to union with the Truth. In contrast, created love, situated at the levels of actions and attributes, is describable and claimable by creatures. This love, being dependent on intellect and benefit, remains at a lower rank and cannot culminate in annihilation.
The true spiritual journey resembles a voyage wherein the seeker is emancipated from worldly desires and the compensations of the hereafter to reach the Face of God. This emancipation acts as a key unlocking the fetters of attachments and guides the seeker towards the station of innate love. Abandoning desires is the hallmark of sincerity, which leads from multiplicity towards unity.
Created love, owing to its reliance on intellect and benefit, is claimable by creatures, whether sincerely or falsely. This love, sometimes accompanied by purity of heart or subtlety of spirit, remains bound within rational calculations and may lead to hypocrisy or multiplicity. Nevertheless, some manifestations of such lovelike benevolence and charitypossess nobility, and reason deems them obligatory.
Innate love is like a light that subjugates the intellect and is supported by no proof except existence and witnessing. This station surpasses the law of reason and leads the seeker to annihilation and dissolution in the Truth. The mystic at this station resembles a moth consumed in the Divine fire, freed from all attachments.
Mysticism is like a current leading the seeker from multiplicity to unity. The verse of Hafez, "You yourself are your own veil, Hafez; arise from within it," reflects the truth that the seeker must be liberated from self and attachments to attain the Truth. This liberation entails relinquishing all created edifices and seeking ruin within the Divine Essence.
Innate love consumes the seeker in the Divine fire, liberating him from the fear of hell. A mystic who renounced his virtues and acts of worship demonstrated that even good deeds become obstacles at this station. The seeker is like a charcoal ember burnt in the fire of love, freed from any fear or attachment.
