of , (Session 580)
Within the path of mystical progression (sulk), the concept of life functions as a pivotal aperture through which the spiritual traveller is guided from the darkness of ignorance towards the illuminating light of gnosis. This concept, examined within the framework of Manzil al-Sirn as one of the most foundational stages succeeding the station of scrutiny (muyana), transcends mere corporeal and natural life, extending to intellectual and spiritual life. In this higher sense, life is not only an intrinsic Divine attribute and the mother of all other Divine attributes, but also the very vessel that actualises the entirety of existential and epistemological perfections. Life, like a clear, flowing stream, originates from the divine fountainhead of Being and suffuses the cosmos with its illuminating essence. This concept, depicted in mystical literature as a bridge between the natural existence and the spiritual reality, directs the seeker from the shores of mundane life to the boundless coast of ayt ayyiba (the pure, blessed life). Along this journey, the tripartite stages of ilm (knowledge), jam (union), and wujd (existence) serve as successive steps elevating the traveller toward the pinnacle of existential perfection.
In Islamic mysticism, life is introduced as a fundamental attribute and the progenitor of all other Divine Names and attributes. This attribute, from which knowledge and power emanate, is the vessel through which all Divine perfections are actualised. Metaphorically, life serves as the very substratum within which all other attributes flow; without it, no attribute can manifest. The entire cosmos is but a manifestation of the Life of the Almighty, representing a sublime station of perfection.
This perspective, deeply rooted in mystical wisdom, presents life not merely as natural existence but as the ontological and epistemological foundation of all being. In this sense, the Divine Life resembles a radiant sun, whose rays illuminate all creatures, granting them the possibility of manifestation and perfection.
The Quranic discourse on life embraces diverse degrees: from mundane, corporeal life to the pure life (ayt ayyiba) and the eternal life designated as al-ladh l yamt (He who does not die). Natural life, being the common form shared by all creatures, is not the object of the mystical journey. This life, common to both believers and non-believers, is excluded from the domain of spiritual progression due to its universality and lack of relation to nearness to the Divine. Conversely, epistemological life, realised through knowledge and gnosis of the Divine, constitutes the core axis of mystical progression.
This distinction functions as a delineating line drawn between the outer and inner realms of existence, guiding the seeker away from immersion in worldly appearances towards the profound meanings of spiritual reality. Natural life acts as a shell within which epistemological life forms the essential inner core.
Within the Manzil al-Sirn, life in the mystical path is categorised into three overarching stations: ilm (knowledge), jam (union), and wujd (existence). Each of these stations subdivides into three sub-stages, forming a comprehensive total of nine gradations of life. This systematic architecture functions as a map delineating the path for the seeker, guiding them from the origin of ignorance towards the ultimate goal of gnosis and unity with the Divine Reality. The station of knowledge, serving as the foundation of this hierarchy, marks the inception of the mystical journey. This stage, beginning with epistemological life, leads the traveller from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge. The stations of union and existence, which follow knowledge, represent progressively advanced stages of the journey, culminating in existential unity with the Almighty.
At the station of knowledge, life is differentiated into three souls (anfus): the soul of fear (nafs al-khawf), the soul of hope (nafs al-raj), and the soul of love (nafs al-maabba). These three souls represent three abodes on the path of spiritual progression, guiding the seeker from Divine fear towards hope in Divine mercy and ultimately to the boundless love of the Almighty.
At the outset of the path, the seeker confronts the divine signs and utterances and thereby attains a state of fear of God. This fear is not a dread of corporeal punishment, but a profound awareness of Divine grandeur and majesty that awakens the heart of the seeker. Verses of warning and threat function as a mirror revealing the existential distance between the seeker and the Divine, prompting the seeker towards self-purification and nearness to God.
Following fear, the seeker, unsettled by the recognition of Divine majesty, turns towards hope. This hope is an epistemological expectation, founded upon verses of Divine mercy and grace, which restores tranquility to the seekers heart. Hope acts like a gentle breeze that caresses the seekers heart after the storm of fear, preparing them to enter the station of love.
In the third stage, fear and hope give way to Divine love. This love, being reciprocal, is manifested in the Quranic verse:
He loves them and they love Him.
(Quran, Surah Al-Maidah, 5:54; )
Love stands as the pinnacle that the seeker reaches after traversing the valleys of fear and hope, attaining in it existential unity with the Divine.
One of the pivotal verses examined in the lecture series is the Quranic verse: أَوَمَنْ كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ (Surah Al-Anam, 6:122, : Is he who was dead, and We gave him life and made for him a light by which he walks among the people?). This verse delineates the distinction between the mundane, corporeal life and the epistemological or spiritual life.
The initial phrase, Or is he who was dead, and We gave him life, refers to the common, physical life that is shared universally among all beings. Conversely, the latter phrase, and We made for him a light by which he walks among the people, pertains explicitly to the epistemological and spiritual life, exclusive to the seekers (salikn) upon the path of Truth.
This light, which is characterised as the guiding knowledge, functions as a lantern illuminating the travellers path amid the darkness of ignorance. The disbeliever, despite sharing in the corporeal life, remains deprived of this light and consequently persists in the darkness of heedlessness. This demarcation functions as a definitive boundary between the believer and the disbeliever, preventing the seeker from becoming ensnared in the superficial appearances of the material world.
True knowledge is a light that God implants within the heart of the seeker: Knowledge is a light cast by God into the heart of whomever He wills (العلم نور یقذفه الله فی قلب من یشاء). This knowledge guides the seeker amongst humanity, leading them from the darkness of ignorance toward the illumination of gnosis. Knowledge that does not guide is, according to the Noble Quran, not genuine knowledge but merely superficial or terminological information.
True knowledge is akin to a key which unlocks the shackles of ignorance and propels the heart of the seeker toward advancement along the path of Truth.
The soul of fear is a knowledge intimately connected with the divine warningsnamely threats, admonitions, and solemn warnings. This knowledge confronts the seeker with the prospect of punishment, estrangement from the Truth, and divine abandonment. Fear in this context is not a naive or superficial fright but a profound awareness of divine omnipotence that awakens the seeker from heedlessness.
This moral formation through divine warnings represents the embodiment of these truths within the seekers being, transcending mere rote memorisation of verses and traditions.
At this stage, the seeker resembles a traveller standing before the majestic heights of divine omnipotence, tremblingnot out of terrorbut from an enlightened awareness that compels self-reformation and nearness to the Truth.
The soul of hope is knowledge related to divine promisesthe paradisiacal bliss, blessings, and proximity to the Truth. Following the unrest stirred by fear, the seeker turns towards hope, attaining tranquillity by relying on the verses of mercy and divine benevolence.
This hope is an epistemological aspiration arising from a deep comprehension of divine promises. At this juncture, the seeker is like a tree that, after the storm, finds serenity beneath the sunlight of divine mercy, extending its branches towards the heavens of gnosis.
The soul of love is knowledge associated with verses and narrations pertaining to affection, longing, and the divine will. Verses such as يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ (Surah Al-Maidah, 5:54) and الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:165, : And those who have believed are stronger in love for God) elucidate this stage.
Love at this level is the consequence of divine permission (idhn) and leads the seeker to existential unity with the Truth.
Love is a gateway through which the seeker enters the boundless garden of divine pleasure. This love is reciprocal: God loves the seeker, and the seeker loves God. This relationship is the effect of divine permission that illuminates the seekers heart with the light of love.
The concept of life within the manzil al-sirn (stations of the spiritual travellers) resembles a torch illuminating the mystical path of spiritual progression. This life transcends mere physical existence, manifesting through successive levels of knowledge, gathering, and existential manifestation. It guides the seeker from the darkness of ignorance to the light of gnosis, from the unrest of fear to the tranquillity of hope, and ultimately to the summit of divine love.
The Quranic verses, notably أَوَمَنْ كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ and يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ, serve as illuminating beacons that accentuate the roles of the light of gnosis and divine love along this path.
The tripartite stations of fear, hope, and love function as successive abodes along the spiritual journey, leading the seeker from cognisance of divine majesty, through hope in mercy, to the infinite love of the Almighty Truth. This journey, actualised through embodiment of divine realities and internalisation of Quranic knowledge, guides the seeker towards existential perfection and union with the Truth.
This exposition, faithfully preserving the teachings of Nekounam , provides a clear and systematic pathway for researchers and seekers upon the path of Truth.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
