the Lectures of Nokoonam, May His Sanctity Remain (Session 591)
Within the vast domain of Islamic mysticism, the treatise Manzil al-Sirn shines forth as a luminous beacon, illuminating the path of the spiritual wayfarers towards ultimate Reality. Rooted deeply in profound mystical teachings, this seminal work meticulously delineates the stages of the spiritual journey. Among these stations, the Bb al-Sakr occupies a distinctive and pivotal position; a threshold akin to an intermediary realm between knowledge and annihilation, wherein the seeker becomes immersed in the enthralling ecstasy of Divine love. This composition, relying on the erudite discourses of Nokoonam from session 591, presents a comprehensive and scholarly reinterpretation of the station of sakr.
The station of sakr functions as a bridge connecting the two vast oceans of ilm (knowledge) and fan (annihilation). It guides the spiritual seeker towards a realm of ecstatic spiritual intoxication. This state is neither situated at the initial ranks of the faithful, who remain bound by rational vigilance, nor at the exalted level of the beloved, who have attained complete annihilation. Rather, sakr denotes a condition wherein the seeker is divested of self-possession and autonomy, engulfed entirely by the magnetic attraction of Divine love. It is a particular state reserved for the loversthose who are neither shackled by intellectual calculation nor have wholly detached from their egoistic constraints.
In this state, the seeker resembles a bird liberated from the cage of knowledge, yet who has not yet spread its wings to the infinite heavens of annihilation. In this intermediary realm, the seeker lacks both patient intellectual endurance and total detachment from egoic selfhood. This state is akin to a wine distilled from the grape of Divine love, which immerses the wayfarer in spiritual intoxication.
This Quranic verse from Surah Al-Arf serves as a foundational indication of the station of sakr. It recounts the request of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) during his divine encounter, signifying a state of intoxication. Despite his prophethood and monotheistic knowledge, Moses invocation emerged from a condition dominated by ecstatic rapture and loss of self-possessionan entreaty that would have been impossible had his egoic restraint remained intact. This supplication ignited like a spark from the fire of love within the heart of the lover, ushering him towards the domain of sakr.
The station of sakr stands as a threshold where the seeker is liberated from the fetters of intellectual knowledge and immersed in the rapturous embrace of Divine love. This station neither corresponds to the level of the faithful, who are bound by patience and rational calculation, nor to that of the beloved, who have entirely relinquished selfhood. The verse "My Lord, show Yourself to me so that I may behold You" testifies to this state, reflecting how Moses (peace be upon him), under the sway of spiritual intoxication and rapture, articulated such a request. This section lays the conceptual framework for comprehending the station of sakr within the mystical path.
Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), notwithstanding his prophetic rank, divine favour, and possession of the White Hand (Yad Bay), occupies the station of the lovers when juxtaposed with the Seal of Prophethood, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). This station is distinct owing to the persistence of egoic self-possession within him, contrasting with the beloved who have traversed beyond return. After entrusting leadership to his brother Aaron and departing for the divine meeting, Moses demonstrated an intention to return to his community. This remaining egoic attachment cast a shadow over his cognizance of the impossibility of witnessing the Divine Essence with intact selfhood.
This condition resembles a traveller who, midway through his journey, has fixed his heart on the destination yet has not completed the voyage. At the divine encounter, Moses engaged in a dialogue that transported him into the realm of ecstatic spiritual delight. His request for Divine manifestation did not stem from ignorance, but from the overwhelming presence of love and spiritual intoxication.
This state resembles a tranquil sea guided by intellect under normal conditions but seized by a tempest of ecstasy that deprives the seeker of volition. At the divine appointment, Moses was caught in this stormforsaking self-possession and immersed in Divine love.
Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), in the station of lovers, is distinguished from the beloved by his retention of egoic self-possession. His request for witnessing the Divine, made during the encounter and in the state of sakr, indicates the dominance of rapture and the loss of self-control. This section clarifies Moses position in the mystical path and elucidates the role of egoic attachment within the station of sakr, demonstrating how the lover, suspended between knowledge and annihilation, falls into spiritual intoxication.
Within this station, sakr is a condition in which the seeker, overwhelmed by ecstatic delight, loses volitional control and patience, succumbing to spiritual intoxication. This intoxication resembles a wine distilled from the grape of Divine love, liberating the seeker from self-ownership. The seeker in this state is neither bound by scientific patience nor fully detached from egoic selfhood. He dwells in a liminal spacebetween awareness and annihilationengulfed in a unique divine attraction.
This definition uniquely distinguishes sukr from other spiritual states. The sukr of the lovers neither arises from carnal desire nor from heedlessness; rather, it is deeply rooted in the divine attraction (jazbah) that renders the spiritual seeker utterly selfless.
The lover is akin to a traveller at a midpoint: neither tethered to the point of origin nor arrived at the final destination. Within this purgatory, the lover is neither fully vigilant nor utterly annihilated, but rather caught in an attraction suspended between the two.
This condition is like a spring gushing forth from the mountainous source of truth, requiring no other waters. The people of annihilation, in the fullness of unveiling, are independent of any form of intoxication or ecstasy.
This treatise, grounded in the lectures of Nekounam, may his sanctity be preserved, elucidates the station of sukr within the mystical journey. Sukr, as a liminal state between knowledge and annihilation, immerses the seeker in the divine attraction of love. This station is exclusive to the lovers, who find themselves at the intersection of knowledge and unveiling, enveloped in amazement and ecstasy. The request of Moses, peace be upon him, to behold the Divine was an indication of his sukr in the station of the lovers, which was denied by God due to the persistence of self-possession. Sukr is distinctly separated from carnal states and is deeply rooted in divine love.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
