Within the mystical journey of spiritual progression, the chapter concerning the self functions as a crucible of purification, wherein the seeker is scorched and refined amidst the turbulence of love and separation. This chapter, situated within the section Al-Wilayat of Manaazil al-Sa'ireen, follows the stations of ecstasy and the secret, and denotes a locus wherein the travellers soul oscillates between suffering and repose, agitation and tranquility, absence and presence. The initial tier of this chapter, entitled Concealment (Al-Istitar), addresses the veiling of the Beloved following theophany or the cessation of the seekers sincere spiritual state. Concealment is not merely a curtain shielding the vision of the Beloved, but also a vessel of separation which impels the seeker to endure burning sorrow, sighs, and tears; yet concurrently, within this suffering, there lies a sweet and intimate delight. This station resembles a tumultuous sea in which the seeker is submerged, sometimes engulfed in the anguish of the Beloveds absence, and at other moments revived by the exhilaration of anticipated union. Nekounam elucidates this station with profound depth in his 551st lecture, critically engaging those mystics who regard concealment as mere darkness or an autonomous stage, affirming instead its elevated and honoured status as a consequence of proximity to the Beloved.
Concealment, in Islamic mysticism, refers to the veiling of the Beloved and His disappearance subsequent to a manifestation: Al-Istitar huwa ihtijab al-mahboob wa ikhtifauhu bada al-tajalli, aw mufaraqatu haal diq kna lahu wa zawluhu. This veiling does not emanate from the Beloveds volition but from the seekers incapacity to behold Him. It is as though a veil of light has descended upon the eyes of the traveller, depriving them of the vision of the Beloved, whilst knowledge of His existence continues to blaze in the heart. This station is akin to a dark night illuminated by a single star; the seeker recognises the Beloved but remains barred from His sight, and this state of having and not having agitates the seeker profoundly.
The self, at this station, is analogous to a vessel containing both distress and comfort: An-nafs arf al-karb wa ar-ra. This synthesis, like a blend of fire and water, immerses the seeker in oscillation between turmoil and serenity. Nekounam designates this station as the chapter of revolution, for the self undergoes profound transformations therein, which at times culminate in suffering and at others in exhilaration.
Separation is comparable to a wound inflicted upon the heart of the lover, eliciting moans and tears. The seeker, at this station, recognises the Beloved yet remains deprived of His presence: Al-hijrn yuadd il at-talum wa al-airb. This absence resembles a wave which tosses the vessel of the seekers existence upon the sea of yearning. In this state, the seeker not only endures pain but discovers within this very pain a sweet delight, as if the ache of separation is a wine intoxicating the heart of the lover with union. Nekounam beautifully depicts this ardour through reference to the states of Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him), who, in separation, would lay his head upon the ground and, repeating the invocation L ilha ill Allh aqqan aqqan thousands of times, uttered cries of love so copious that the earth was saturated with his tears. This remembrance did not arise from desire for reward but from the intensity of love and separation: the invocation of Imam al-Sajjad reflects the passion of separation.
Within the chapter of the self, distress and ease are like the twin wings of a bird that elevate the seeker in the heavens of spiritual progression. Nekounam states: Wa lil-azn f dhlik at-ta-naffus tarawwu m; in the breath of sorrow, there is a refreshment and repose latent within the core of separations anguish. This refreshment is like a breeze that blows through the storm of separation, guiding the seekers heart toward union. This duality signifies that the self is a vessel of transformation and integration: An-nafs arf al-inqlb wa at-tarkb. The seeker is alternately consumed by the fire of separation and consoled within the shadow of refreshment. This combination resembles a mirror reflecting the truth of the seekers existencea reality wherein suffering and ease, yearning and absence, are intricately interwoven.
One of the salient characteristics of the chapter of the self is the repression of wrath: Nafs mamluah min al-ghay al-makm. Repressing anger signifies the swallowing of the fury that ignites within the seekers heart due to the Beloveds separation. This anger does not arise from malice but from the intensity of yearning and loss; it is as though the lover, confronted by the veil of concealment, is a plaintive soul who has no recourse but patience and forbearance. Nekounam emphasises that repressing wrath is a supreme perfection attained solely by those patient and forbearing souls: Al-kim abr alm, wa laysa kull abr kim. This patience is akin to a shield that guards the lover against the storm of separation, and forbearance is like a torch that illuminates the path through the darkness of concealment.
The seekers, in the station of concealment (istitar), are classified into two categories: السَّالِكُونَ قِسْمَانِ: أَقْوِيَاءُ يَتَحَكَّمُونَ وَضُعَفَاءُ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ. The first category consists of the strong, who, by means of kazm al-ghayz (suppressing anger), maintain composure towards creation; as if they were a steadfast mountain standing firm against the storm of separation (hijran). The second category comprises the weak, who lose their self-restraint before this tempest and at times succumb to ill temper.
This dichotomy reflects the capacity of the nafs (the self) in terms of strength and weakness: النَّفْسُ ظَرْفُ الْقُوَّةِ وَالضَّعْفِ. The strong seeker, mastering his own nafs, transforms separation into an opportunity for divine proximity; whereas the weak seeker becomes ensnared in turbulence and perturbation.
Nekounam (may his sanctity be a beacon) incisively critiques those who seek ease and comfort, regarding them as incapable of enduring the pain of separation: الْعَافِيَةُ تَمْنَعُ تَحَمُّلَ دَرْدِ الْهِجْرَانِ. Comfort-seeking acts like a chain that prevents the seeker from soaring in the celestial realm of love. In contrast, afflictions and calamities resemble a furnace that renders the seekers heart both aching and susceptible to love: الْبَلَايَا تُهَيِّئُ الْقَلْبَ لِلْعِشْقِ وَالْهِجْرَانِ.
These afflictions are akin to a fire that consumes the impurities of the nafs, preparing it to endure separation. The afflicted seeker, like purified gold in a furnace, reaches a station where not only does he endure the pain of separation, but he also derives a sweet pleasure from it.
Some mystics regard concealment as darkness and an independent station: الصُّوفِيَّةُ سَمَّوْهَا ظُلْمَةً وَجَعَلُوهَا مَقَامًا. However, the commentator deems this view erroneous: لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِسَدِيدٍ. According to him, a station in spiritual progress should be one that brings the seeker closer to the Divine and illuminates the path, whereas concealment, owing to its detachment and dread, cannot be considered a legitimate station.
Nekounam (may his sanctity be a guiding light) critiques this perspective and, due to concealments relation to separation, asserts it as a noble and desirable station: الاستتارُ الْمُتَعَلِّقُ بِالْهِجْرَانِ مَقَامٌ مُقَرِّبٌ وَمَطْلُوبٌ. Concealment serves as a bridge guiding the seeker from vision to separation, and from separation to union. Although this station is accompanied by torment at the level of knowledge, it bears a sweet pleasure in the state (l) that springs from the beloveds grace.
Concealment at the level of knowledge is accompanied by pain and patience: فِي مَرْتَبَةِ الْعِلْمِ، الْكَرْبُ خَالِصٌ عَنِ اللَّذَّةِ. At this stage, the seeker, aware of the existence of the beloved, endures separation with patience, metaphorically grinding his teeth and suppressing the anger of absence. Yet, at the level of state, the torment of separation becomes a sweet pleasure: كَرْبُ الْمَحَبَّةِ لَذِيذٌ لِمُزُوجِهِ بِحَلَاوَةِ فِعْلِ الْمَحْبُوبِ. Concealment in this state is like the beloveds coquettishness that draws the seeker toward the passion of union.
This distinction demonstrates the superiority of the state over knowledge. In the state, the seeker perceives the beloveds action and even in separation enjoys the beloveds coyness, as if the beloved, behind the veil of concealment, invites the lover to the play of love.
The Quran, in numerous verses, refers to the conditions of separation and the yearning of lovers. One such verse is Ayah 32 of Surah Ar-Ra'd, which alludes to divine grace and the testing of servants:
وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فَأَمْلَيْتُ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهُمْ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ( translation): And indeed, messengers before you were mocked, but I granted respite to those who disbelieved; then I seized them. So how was My punishment?
This verse implicitly points to divine grace and granting respite to the servants, as if the beloveds concealment is a test that incites patience and yearning in the lover.
Additionally, Ayah 30 of Surah Ash-Shura highlights the role of afflictions in preparing the heart for closeness:
وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ( translation): And whatever misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your own hands have earned; yet He pardons much.
This verse indicates that afflictions act as a furnace, preparing the heart for enduring separation and love.
Traditions likewise refer to states of separation and the burning flame of love. The mention of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), cited in the discourse, exemplifies these states vividly. By repeatedly pronouncing l ilha ill-llh aqqan aqqan, he demonstrated the ardor of separation, as if his heart was ablaze with passion and his tears watered the earth.
This state is like a mirror reflecting the reality of divine love. The seeker in this station does not lament for reward, but from the intensity of longing and separation; his heart is molten in the furnace of love and soars toward the beloved.
The chapter on the nafs is akin to a vessel encompassing both torment and ease, longing and separation, strength and weakness. Concealment, as the first tier of this chapter, places the seeker amidst the turbulence of love and loss, yet within this turbulence lies a sweet and proximate delight. Suppressing anger is a supreme perfection guiding the patient and forbearing toward divine proximity. Nekounams (may his sanctity be a light) critique of some mystics views transforms concealment from darkness into a noble station that directs the seeker toward union.
The levels of knowledge and state delineate two aspects of this station: at the level of knowledge, the seeker confronts separation with patience and restraint; at the level of state, he enjoys the beloveds coyness and finds passion even in separation. Quranic verses and traditions affirm this station and show that separation and afflictions serve as a furnace refining the lovers heart for divine love.
The chapter of the nafs, focusing on concealment, constitutes a station where the seeker is refined in the furnace of separation and guided toward divine proximity. This station is not mere darkness; rather, it is like a torch illuminating the path of union in the darkness of separation. The seekers burning sorrow, sighs, and tears become the melodies of a lover serenading the beloved in this station. Nekounam (may his sanctity be a beacon) profoundly and precisely elucidates this station as a bridge to union, demonstrating that the pain of separation is a remedy culminating in the vision of the beloved.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
