the Lectures of Nokounam, may his secret be sanctified (Session 503)
The Chapter of Longing, as one of the foundational stages in the mystical journey delineated within the noble treatise Manzil al-Sirn, represents a spiritual station wherein the seeker, having traversed the phases of love and zeal, is stirred into a restless yearning for the Divine Beloved. This stage, intimately intertwined with the absence of the desired and the ardent aspiration for the Divine Encounter, is akin to a gentle breeze guiding the heart of the seeker towards the eternal absent One.
The Chapter of Longing commences with reference to the sacred fifth verse of Srah Al-Ankabt, which illuminates the path of the seeker like a beacon:
مَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ لَآتٍ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
(Al-Ankabt, 29:5)
Translation: Whoever hopes to meet Allah, then surely Allahs appointed time will come; and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. This verse portrays longing as a dynamic hope for the Divine Encounter, irrevocably linked to the certainty of the Divine term. Within this context, the term appointed time (ajal) denotes not merely natural death but also the annihilation of the ego in the course of reaching the Truth. Longing, succeeding love and zeal, constitutes a station that directs the seeker toward an active pursuit and progression toward the Divine Object of Desire. Whereas love kindles the hearts fire and zeal propels it to defend the sanctity of the Beloved, longing functions as the sail of the souls vessel, steering the seeker toward the shore of the Divine Meeting.
Longing operates as a dual vessel that simultaneously contains the absence of the desired and the consciousness of yearning. This duality renders longing a dynamic and complex station within the mystical path. Absence exposes the seekers deficiency, for he is deprived of the Beloveds presence; yet desire reflects his perfection, as it impels him toward union. According to Nokounam, may his secret be sanctified, this vessel embodies multiplicity and complexity, as the seeker wrestles with the paradoxical reality of absence and presence. The yearning seeker, owing to the absence of the desired, is termed a striver. He resembles a child who, in the darkness of night, searches for his lost possession. This absence drives him onward, yet until he attains the Divine Encounter, he remains in the state of absence. This dynamic distinguishes longing from other stages; the seeker is neither in the repose of union nor in the languor of indifference.
Within the mystical path, love and longing represent two distinct ranks. Love is akin to the guardian of the Beloveds treasure, who has attained and endeavours to preserve it. Longing, conversely, is like the seeker pursuing his lost possession. Nokounam, may his secret be sanctified, elucidates this distinction thus: Love is the preservation of what is possessed; longing is the pursuit of what is lost. The yearning seeker endures anguish and separation due to absence, whereas the lover rests in the repose and union with the Beloved. This distinction characterises longing as a stage preceding love. The yearning seeker resembles a bird whose wings are spread towards the sky of the Beloved, yet has not reached its destination. This journey is accompanied by suffering and anxiety; nonetheless, this very suffering refines the soul and prepares it for union.
Longing propels the seeker towards asceticism and the endurance of separation. This separation is like a fire that burns away the impurities of the self and purifies the spirit to become clear and lucid for the Divine Encounter. Nokounam, may his secret be sanctified, states: The yearning seeker must endure separation, be broken, distressed, and bear sorrow and grief in order to emerge from absence. These sufferings act as a hammer upon the heated iron of the self, shaping it into the desired form. The sorrow and anxiety borne from separation resemble a breeze that cleanses the ashes of the self and guides the seeker toward presence. These sufferings not only expose the seekers deficiency but also lead him toward perfection. In this stage, the yearning seeker is akin to iron in the furnace; with every strike, impurities are removed, and he draws nearer to perfection.
Yearning constitutes the very vessel of the aspirants exertion and endeavour. The seeker, in the state of absence from the Beloved and indeed from his own self experiences a profound state of privation, which propels him towards movement and rigorous spiritual discipline. Nokoonam, may his sanctity be revered, characterises yearning as the hearts gust towards the absent, a breeze that drives the seekers heart towards the Eternal Beloved. This movement is invariably accompanied by endurance of hardships and afflictions, guiding the aspirant from absence towards divine presence.
Altruistic zeal (ghayrat), as a prerequisite to yearning, rescues the seeker from indifference. The zealous seeker resembles a father anxiously and ardently searching for his lost child in the pitch-black night. This zeal impels him to ardent yearning and quest, transforming the torment of separation into an instrument for the purification of the soul.
The Holy Quran, in the verse preceding the Verse of Yearning, censures the sinners who presume to outstrip others by their evil deeds:
أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن يَسْبِقُونَا ۚ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ (Al-Ankabt: 4)
Translation: Do those who do evil deeds think they can outstrip Us? Evil is that which they judge.
This verse serves as an introduction to the Verse of Yearning, warning sinners against the delusion of superiority and laying the foundation for the discourse on divine meeting. The fifth verse of Surah Al-Ankabt introduces yearning as hope for divine encounter, inherently linked with the annihilation of the self and the divine decree of death.
The Divine Meeting, as elucidated by Nokoonam, , constitutes the supreme station within the mystical path. This station transcends preliminary stages such as secret communion (najw), appointed encounter (mqt), and meeting (muqbala), leading the aspirant into full presence before the Truth. The Verse of Yearning, by emphasising the inevitability of divine decree, alludes to the annihilation of the ego which is a requisite condition for attaining this station. Such annihilation is akin to a death that liberates the seeker from attachments of the nafs, ushering him into eternal life in the proximity of the Divine.
Nokoonam draws a critical distinction between true death and the death of the self. The death of the self (mt nafs) is the separation of the soul from the body, a natural phenomenon shared by all humans. True death (mt aqq), however, denotes the detachment of the soul from its own ego the liberation from self-attachments and the attainment of divine meeting. This true death resembles a sweet demise that leads the spiritually mature seeker to eternal life. In contrast, death to the immature seeker is a bitter ordeal, akin to removing an unripe scab, fraught with pain and suffering; yet for the spiritually ripe seeker, death is delightful and emancipatory.
The Holy Quran employs hope (raj) rather than yearning (shawq), precisely because yearning is accompanied by deficiency and absence, while hope connotes perfection and presence. Nokoonam remarks, The Quran did not say I long for the meeting with God (ishtq), but rather who hopes for the meeting with God (yarj). This nuanced lexical choice reveals the Qurans precision and elevates hope as a more complete spiritual state, while yearning is portrayed as an incomplete phase progressing towards presence and hope.
Yearning guides the seeker to endure trials and tribulations, which act as purifying flames cleansing the soul of impurities. Nokoonam states, The ardent aspirant must expect all calamities: worldly, otherworldly, egocentric, and alien. Such afflictions polish the seekers spirit and escort him from absence to divine presence. The suffering borne of yearning functions as a form of expiation that eradicates sins and humbles the aspirant.
Yearning compels the aspirant to sever earthly and corporeal attachments. This detachment resembles a birds liberation from its cage, enabling it to soar towards the Beloveds heavens. The spiritually mature seeker, having freed himself from attachments, perceives death not as a bitter agony but as a refreshing draught. Nokoonam states, When the seeker is spiritually mature, death becomes a delight. This maturity arises from rigorous spiritual training and endurance of separation, culminating in perfection.
Nokoonam illustrates yearning with the tangible metaphor of a father anxiously awaiting the return of his lost child amidst a dark and tumultuous night. This painful vigil, replete with anxiety and longing, mirrors the seekers yearning for divine meeting, accompanied by hardship and separation. The fathers zeal rescues him from apathy and incites his quest just as the seekers zeal propels him towards the Divine Beloved.
The Door of Yearning in the mystical journey is a pivotal station that propels the seeker from love and zeal to an active pursuit of divine meeting. This phase simultaneously reveals the seekers perfection in active pursuit and his deficiency in the state of absence from the Beloved. Yearning is accompanied by suffering, separation, and tribulations that function as a crucible purifying the soul and preparing the aspirant for divine presence. The Quranic verse (Al-Ankabt, 5) explicitly associates yearning with hope for divine meeting, inseparably linked to ego-annihilation and divine decree. The distinction between true death (ego-detachment) and death of the self (souls separation from body) accentuates the importance of spiritual maturity in enduring yearnings hardships. The Qurans lexical preference for hope over yearning emphasises the formers perfection, with yearning as an incomplete stage guiding the aspirant towards presence and hope. Supervised by: Sadegh Khademi
