of Nokounam, may his sacred soul rest in peace (Session 555)
The station of estrangement is among the exalted stages of the mystical journey, which has been elucidated with unparalleled subtlety and profundity in the venerable book Manzil al-S'irn authored by Khwaja Abdullah Ansari. Among the tripartite ranks of estrangement, the second station, known as Ghorbat al-Haal (Estrangement of the State), occupies a particularly distinguished position, for it guides the seeker amidst a corrupt, ignorant, or hypocritical people towards an internal solitude and divine proximity. Lecture number 555 from the corpus of Nokounams discourses focuses on this station, presenting estrangement not merely as an indispensable prerequisite for spiritual progression but also as a means for the purification of the soul and attainment of purity and sincerity.
Ghorbat al-Haal constitutes the second of the three gradations of estrangement within mystical conduct, whereby the seeker, owing to possessing noble attributes of righteousness, knowledge, or sincerity, becomes isolated and estranged amidst a corrupt, ignorant, or hypocritical people. Contrary to the first rank (Ghorbat min al-Awtan), which refers to the outward emigration from ones homeland and material attachments, this estrangement fundamentally springs from the seekers internal dissociation from an environment incompatible with his truth. At this station, the seeker resembles an incongruous patch sewn upon a worn garment, alienated from his surroundings; such estrangement propels him towards solitude and divine proximity.
And be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, that is of the matters [requiring] determination. (Luqman: 17)
Fooladvands Translation: And endure patiently what befalls you, for this is one of the decisive affairs.
This Quranic verse underscores the necessity of patience in the face of the hardships of estrangement, since the seeker in Ghorbat al-Haal, by enduring the torment of isolation, achieves purification of the soul and divine proximity. Patience at this station acts like an alchemical agent that eradicates the impurities of the soul and guides the seeker towards sincerity.
Estrangement, alongside poverty, is considered one of the essential conditions for mystical progress. These two act as catalysts that ignite in the seekers heart the fire of yearning, grief, and separation, thereby impelling him to advance on the path of truth. Estrangement, by severing the seeker from material and worldly attachments such as homeland, kinship, and the burdens of life, prepares him for spiritual conduct. Poverty and estrangement free the heart from dependencies and provide the groundwork for embodying divine attributes.
O mankind, indeed you are laboring toward your Lord with [great] exertion and will meet it. (Al-Inshiqaq: 6)
Fooladvands Translation: O human, you strive arduously toward your Lord, and you will meet Him.
This verse alludes to the toil and hardship inherent in the spiritual journey, wherein estrangement, like a purifying fire, liberates the seeker from attachments and guides him toward the meeting with the Divine.
Despite the pain and suffering it entails, estrangement encompasses a deeper purity than many other mystical stations such as waqt (time), sirr (secret), surur (joy), and safa (purity). This purity is the fruit of the seekers solitude and separation from that which is other than the Truth. At this station, the seeker, like a gem amidst ashes, transcends multiplicity of creation to attain an inner unity, and through enduring the pangs of separation, attains sincerity and divine nearness. This purity acts as a gentle breeze that clears the dust of attachments from the heart and bestows spiritual tranquility upon the seeker.
Solitude is a state wherein the Almighty separates the seeker from all that is other than Himself, leaving him alone with the Divine Presence. This loneliness is not a social withdrawal but an inner detachment from multiplicity and polytheism. The solitary ones are the elect servants whom God has set apart for Himself, severing them from what is other than Him. Such solitude is like a light that cleaves the darkness of attachments and leads the seeker toward divine unity.
And if you turn away, He will substitute for you a people other than you. (Muhammad: 38)
Fooladvands Translation: And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people.
Taqiyya represents the esoteric strategy employed by the spiritual seeker (slik) to safeguard the Divine Truth amidst a corrupt or hypocritical community. This taqiyya is not a mundane prudential expedient but rather an inner etiquette designed to prevent the divulgence of sacred Divine secrets before the uninitiated or the unworthy. By observing taqiyya, the slik, like a precious gem ensconced within an oyster shell, preserves the sanctity of their truth from the noxious influences of a corrupt environment. The maxim Kun f al-ns wal takun maahum
(Be among the people but do not be with them) elegantly delineates this station. Together with migration (hijrah), taqiyya shields the seeker from environmental harm and guides them towards spiritual purity and proximity to the Divine.
In the state of estrangement (ghurba al-l), the slik possesses the qualities of righteousness (al), knowledge (ilm), and sincerity (idq). The phrase rajul li does not connote merely gender but signifies chivalry and spiritual nobility suffused with piety and benevolence. lim denotes one endowed with Divine gnosis, distinguishing the slik among the ignorant masses. adq describes an individual whose truthfulness is manifest both inwardly and outwardly, proceeding with candour on the path of righteousness. These attributes render the slik, amidst a corrupt, ignorant, or hypocritical community, a beacon akin to a star shining in a dark firmament.
This verse emphatically stresses the imperative of companionship with the truthful. The truthful slik remains solitary in the state of estrangement through sincerity and openness.
The hypocrite, due to lack of authenticity and inherent fear, manifests in multiple and contradictory wayskathr al-lughah. This multiplicity resembles mouse holes scattered in the earth, emblematic of hypocrisy and polytheism. In stark contrast, the truthful one proceeds on the path of Divine truth with clarity and unity. The hypocrite adorns a pleasing exterior while their interior remains hollow.
This verse highlights the superficial show of the hypocrites. The truthful slik, with candour and sincerity, distances themselves from such multiplicity.
The slik in the state of estrangement is equipped with righteousness, knowledge, and sincerity, which lead to inner solitude and the practice of taqiyya. Solitude elevates the seeker from the multiplicity of the people to Divine unity, while taqiyya preserves their truth from the harms of a corrupt environment. At this station, the slik, like a jewel in a shell, refrains from hypocrisy and the multiplicity of hypocrites, advancing openly and purely towards the Truth. The Qurnic verses affirm and elucidate these qualities with emphasis on sincerity and piety.
The noble hadiths Tb li-l-ghurab and Al-Islm gharb wa sayd gharban intimate the intrinsic estrangement of truth-seeking in this world. The ghurab are the servants who, amid a corrupt era, ascend to exalted stations through purity and pain. Tb signifies the paradise attained by these estranged righteous ones who endure the trials of estrangement. This estrangement functions as a bridge leading the slik from the world of multiplicity to the paradise of Divine unity.
This verse refers to the estranged righteous who, through enduring estrangement, attain lofty spiritual ranks.
The corrupt epoch is marked by a proliferation of tribulationsdisorder, murderand prohibitionssinfulness and indulgence. Within such an environment, enjoining good and forbidding evil diminishes, compelling the slik towards solitude and taqiyya. This period resembles a turbulent sea testing the seekers patience and sincerity.
This verse attributes the corruption of the era to human deeds. The slik, righteous and sincere, remains estranged in this milieu.
The pain and separation experienced in estrangement function as a precious gift, awakening the slik from heedlessness and leading to purity and proximity to the Divine. This pain is likened to a fire that consumes impurities and bestows clarity. The friends of God, by enduring this pain, attain the station of Fuztu wa rabbu al-Kabah
(I have succeeded, by the Lord of the Kabah).
This verse alludes to clarity and ease following hardship. The pain of estrangement lays the foundation for purity and nearness.
| Key Point | The pain of estrangement is akin to alchemy, liberating the slik from heedlessness and guiding them towards Divine purity and nearness. |
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Estrangement, with its purity and pain, guides the slik who turns to solitude and taqiyya in corrupt times towards a spiritual paradise. The hadith Tb li-l-ghurab and Qurnic verses depict this station as a bridge to Divine purity and proximity. The pain of estrangement acts as a purifying fire that eradicates impurities, bringing the seeker to clarity and inner unity.
Some commentators interpret the term l in ghurba al-l merely as a descriptive state (attribute), whereas the original text emphasises its mystic significance as the hearts turmoil and Divine character formation. Such interpretation diminishes the profound mystical depth of the station of estrangement.
The response is that ghurba al-l is a mystical state in which the slik reaches proximity through pain, separation, and hearts upheaval. This mystical l encompasses righteousness, knowledge, and sincerity, distinguishing the slik from the common populace.
This verse indicates the impact of the mystical state on spiritual conduct, transcending a mere literal description.
Certain commentators limit taqiyya solely as a tool for the sliks preservation, without thoroughly explicating its relation to purity and Divine proximity.
The response is that taqiyya is an inner etiquette that safeguards the truth, preventing the slik from revealing Divine secrets to the unworthy, and thereby facilitating purity and nearness. This station preserves the slik, like a jewel within an oyster shell, from the harm of a corrupt environment.
This critique and response highlight the necessity of an esoteric elucidation of ghurba al-l and taqiyya. The mystical state, with hearts turmoil and Divine character formation, draws the slik nearer to the Divine, while taqiyya, by preserving truth, supports their purity. These analyses fill interpretive lacunae and situate the station of estrangement in its authentic spiritual context.
Ghurba al-l represents a sublime station in the mystical journey whereby, through righteousness, knowledge, and sincerity, the slik is guided among a corrupt, ignorant, or hypocritical community to inner solitude and Divine proximity. This station is accompanied by pain and separation, yet the resulting purity and sincerity transport the seeker to inner unity and a spiritual paradise. Solitude, taqiyya, and patience serve as instruments protecting the slik from environmental corruption and guiding them toward the Truth. The hadith Tb li-l-ghurab and Qurnic verses elucidate this station as a bridge to Divine purity and nearness. The lecture by Nekounam, , lucidly and profoundly conveys these concepts, emphasising the role of estrangement in soul purification.
