of Nekounam, (Session 552)
The work Manzil al-Sirn authored by the renowned mystic, Khwja Abdullah Ansri, shines forth as a luminous beacon illuminating the path of divine wayfaring for seekers of truth. Among the myriad chapters of this invaluable treatise, the chapter on the nafs (self) holds a distinctive station, for the nafs is both the mirror reflecting divine manifestations and the locus of inner purification.
Lecture number 552 from the series of discourses by Nekounam, may his sanctity be blessed, provides a profound and mystical exposition on the second and third stations within the chapter of the nafs, which are, respectively, the Manifesting Self (al-nafs al-muharah, indicated as r al-manyah) and the Purified Self by the Water of Holiness (al-nafs al-muahharah bi-m al-quds, also known as adaf al-nr).
The second nafs guides the wayfarer from the realm of joy towards the breeze of divine inspection (muyanah) and the Presence of Unity (arat al-jam), while the third nafs, through the removal of otherness and multiplicity, brings the seeker to the direct witnessing of the Oneness (wadah) and the eternal subsistence (bq qadm). These stages, akin to the rungs of a celestial ladder, lead the wayfarer from the darkness of the nafs to the luminous existence of the Divine Being.
The chapter of the nafs in Manzil al-Sirn acts as a window onto the reality of existence, delineating the self across three distinct stations. The first station is the nafs in concealment, immersed in awe and estrangement, yet acting as a guiding lamp directing the wayfarer towards the light. The second station is the manifesting nafs, which ascends from the realm of joy to the r al-manyah and, like a heavenly ascension, leads the wayfarer to the Presence of Unity. The third station is the purified nafs by the Water of Holiness, which, through the elimination of otherness and origination, attains the rank of the adaf al-nr (the Pearl Shell of Light) and crowns the seeker with witnessing of the Oneness and eternal subsistence.
"God sets forth an example of a man who has partners contending with each other, and a man wholly devoted to a single man."
(Qur'an 39:29; )
This Quranic verse exemplifies the removal of polytheism and multiplicity as the ultimate goal of the spiritual journey, a process gradually actualised in the stations of the nafs.
The chapter of the nafs follows the chapter of joy (al-surr) and constitutes a passage from inner ecstasy towards annihilation and unification. The second nafs transports the wayfarer from the auditory acceptance (sam al-ijbah) and joy to the r al-manyah, where the breeze of inspection caresses the soul. The third nafs, transcending this, purifies the seeker from otherness and guides them to the witnessing of Oneness and eternal subsistence. This progression, resembling a journey from darkness to light, aligns harmoniously with the structure of Manzil al-Sirn and directs the wayfarer towards absolute unity.
The chapter of the nafs, with its tripartite classification, offers a comprehensive map of the spiritual journey. The first station frees the seeker from estrangement and dread; the second delivers them to the Presence of Unity and the breeze of inspection; and the third, through complete purification, grants attainment of the rank of Oneness and eternal subsistence. These stations function as celestial rungs guiding the wayfarer towards the ultimate goal of the spiritual path.
The second nafs is the self which, illuminated by the divine manifestation, transcends the realm of joy and advances towards the r al-manyah. This nafs, like a vessel filled with the light of existence, is positioned in the Presence of Unity and guides the wayfarer to the munqai al-ishrahthe cessation of all signs and intimationswhere the tokens of distance dissolve. At this station, the seeker senses the breeze of Truth, albeit without full visionary apprehension, akin to a person with closed eyes feeling an enlivening breeze yet unable to discern its source.
"God is the Light of the heavens and the earth."
(Qur'an 24:35; )
This verse relates to the station wherein the light of existence is recognised as the origin of divine manifestations that illuminate the second self.
The arat al-jam is the station occupied by the second nafs, replete with the light of existence rather than existence itself. At this station, the wayfarer attains the state of munqai al-ishrah, where duality and multiplicity are effaced, and the Truth is witnessed in pure Oneness. This station acts as a gate opening towards unified witnessing, although the full clarity of vision has yet to be achieved. Signs and allusions, which denote distance, cease here, and the seeker, like a bird liberated from the cage of multiplicity, spreads wings towards unity.
Whereas the first nafs is engulfed in concealment and the terror of estrangement, the second nafs attains the r al-manyah through steadfastness in estrangement and the suppression of anger. This station is an intermediate realm between concealment and manifestation, where the seeker perceives the breeze of Truth but has not yet fully beheld it. This steadfastness resonates with the conduct of the saints, such as the patience exhibited by Imam usayn (peace be upon him) in Karbala, who, by enduring estrangement, achieved divine inspection.
The second nafs acts as a bridge between joy and witnessing, guiding the seeker from inner ecstasy to the Presence of Unity and the breeze of inspection. Illuminated by the light of existence and by severing signs and intimations, the wayfarer draws near to the unity of witnessing. Its distinction from the first nafs lies in the alleviation of dread and the establishment within estrangement, forming the groundwork for divine manifestations.
The third nafs is that which, purified by the Water of Holiness, is sanctified from multiplicity, otherness, origination, and creation, and has attained the rank of the adaf al-nr (Pearl Shell of Light). This nafs is dependent upon the eternal signs and serves as a protective enclosure for the divine light, manifesting nothing but pure unity. At this station, the seeker, having dispelled duality, attains the witnessing of Oneness and eternal subsistence, like a gem cleansed from all impurities, reflecting solely the Light of the Truth.
"If We had sent down this Qur'an upon a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbled and coming apart."
(Qur'an 59:21; )
This verse attests to the intensity of the manifestation of Oneness that purifies the self from all multiplicity.
Through the Water of Holiness, the third nafs is cleansed of contingency, origination, and otherness, reaching pure unity. This nafs is devoid of creation and reveals only the Truth. The adaf al-nr acts as a guardian preserving the light of existence and manifests nothing but unity. This purification resonates with the hadith, "Monotheism is to see all things in God", whereby the seeker perceives all in God and annihilates otherness.
Polytheism, understood as multiplicity and plurality within the Necessary Being (aqqah Wjibah), constitutes an intrinsic impurity that contaminates the Divine Reality. Contrary to outward impuritiessuch as urine or excrementpolytheism represents an essential impurity that the Third Self is purified from by the Water of the Holy Spirit (m al-quds). This perspective finds explicit confirmation in the Quranic verse 30 of Surah Zumar:
إِنَّ الْمُشْرِكِينَ نَجَسٌ
(: Verily, the polytheists are impure.)
Monotheism (Tawd) is thus an active endeavour aimed at removing this impurity, whereby the spiritual wayfarer is brought to absolute unity.
The Third Self is designated as adaf al-Nr (the Shell of Light), for it constitutes the protective shell enveloping the Divine Light of existence, within which only unity (Aadiyyah) is manifested. This self transcends the multiplicity inherent in divine names and attributes and attains the eternal subsistence and the everlasting influx of grace. This station is akin to a summit upon which the seeker perceives solely the Light of the Truth, imagining no otherness. The Quranic verse 35 of Surah An-Nr explicitly describes this Light as the origin of all manifestations:
اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
(: God is the Light of the heavens and the earth.)
Through purification by the Water of the Holy Spirit, the Third Self elevates the seeker to the station of adaf al-Nr, where otherness and multiplicity are effaced, and only unity is manifest. This station represents the ultimate destination of spiritual progression, whereby the obliteration of polytheism and impurity guides the seeker to the eternal subsistence and the vision of absolute unity.
Polytheism and disbelief (kufr) represent ontological impurities which, unlike physical impurities such as urine or excrement, contaminate the Divine Reality itself. In contrast to jurisprudential views that consider the impurity of the disbeliever as merely conventional, polytheism constitutes an essential impurity from which monotheism actively purifies the seeker. This viewpoint receives support from Quranic verse 28 of Surah At-Tawbah:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ نَجَسٌ
(: O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are impure.)
Key point: Polytheism is a genuine impurity that pollutes the Divine Reality. Monotheism is an active effort to cleanse this impurity, guiding the seeker towards pure unity.
Contrary to passivity, monotheism represents the doorway of activation that requires exertion and the agency of the seeker. The seeker must strive diligently to eradicate otherness and multiplicity within themselves to arrive at unity. This approach resonates with the statement of Imam Ali (peace be upon him):
التَّوْحِيدُ لَيْسَ بِمُجَرَّدِ الْقَوْلِ بَلْ بِالْعَمَلِ
meaning Monotheism is not mere utterance but rather action. Monotheism is thus a praxis achieved through effort and struggle, much like a gardener who purifies the soil of the heart from weeds through cultivation.
In modern times, sensitivity towards the impurity of polytheism and disbelief has waned, and this impurity is often regarded as commonplace. Previously, scholars upon hearing statements of disbelief would acutely perceive impurity and condemn othernessakin to a jurist who would wash their vessel upon hearing blasphemy. Today, however, this sensitivity has diminished, and polytheism has settled like a dusty veil upon the souls. This critique aligns with the practice of the early scholars, who zealously guarded religious otherness with profound fervour.
The critique of the impurity of polytheism emphasises its ontological reality, which unlike physical impurity, contaminates the Divine Truth itself. Monotheism is an active endeavour of purification actualised through the seekers struggle. The declining sensitivity towards polytheism in the present age serves as a warning for reconsidering the spiritual path and returning to religious zeal.
The Third Self, through the manifestation of unity (Aadiyyah), abolishes contingency (udth) and attains eternal subsistence (bq qadm). This manifestation constitutes an eternal influx and connection that sustains all existence by the eternal self-subsistence of the Divine Essence. Nothing remains except the Truth, analogous to a vast ocean into which all rivers dissolve. This concept aligns with Quranic verse 11 of Surah Ash-Shr:
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ
(: There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him.)
adaf al-Nr is the self that safeguards the Divine Light of existence, a manifestation that is in itself the essence and the source of all. This self effaces otherness and manifests solely the Truth, akin to a mirror reflecting nothing but the sunlight. This view harmonises with the statement of Ibn Arabi in Fuss al-ikam:
النور الإلهي هو الوجود الذي يظهر الكل
meaning The Divine Light is the Being which manifests all. The Divine Light is the very existence that manifests the entirety.
Key point: adaf al-Nr acts as a protective shell preserving the Light of existence, manifesting nothing except unity. The manifestation of unity, coupled with the abolition of contingency, elevates the seeker to eternal subsistence.
Multiplicity of words indicates multiplicity of meanings, which can even lead unity into plurality. The Third Self, by removing multiplicity in language and meanings, attains absolute unity, like a river merging into the ocean leaving nothing but the oceans unity behind. This notion is consonant with Rumis words in the Masnavi:
از کثرت گفتار برون آی به وحدت / کاندر کثرت راه نباشد به سعادت
meaning From multiplicity of speech, emerge into unity, for in multiplicity there is no path to felicity. Unity is the ultimate goal of the spiritual journey.
The manifestation of unity is the ultimate station of the Third Self, whereby contingency and multiplicity are abolished, leading the seeker to eternal subsistence. adaf al-Nr, as a protective shell, preserves the Divine Light and manifests absolute unity. The removal of multiplicity in words and meanings consummates this spiritual journey.
The hierarchical stages of the Door of the Self in Manzil al-Sirn serve as a celestial map illuminating the path of spiritual progress from the darkness of the nafs (lower self) to the Light of Divine Existence. The Second Self, through Divine manifestation, guides the seeker to the Presence of Gathering and the breeze of direct witnessing. The Third Self, purified by the Water of the Holy Spirit, leads to the vision of unity and eternal subsistence. The critique of the impurity of polytheism and emphasis on monotheism conceptualise this path as an active endeavour for the removal of multiplicity. This treatise, grounded in Quranic verses and the conduct of the saints, guides the seeker toward purification and unity so that, like adaf al-Nr, nothing but the Light of Truth may be manifest.
Supervised by diq Khdami
