SULUK: THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
By getting involved in the above-mentioned practices, a disciple gradually passes through a process of the purification of the soul that consists of three stages.
a) The Carnal soul or “Nafs al ammara”:
Nafs al-ammara is the tendency in man to disobey God, and to take pleasure in evil deeds and thoughts. A disciple gradually develops an attitude of indifference towards such temptations and attains purification of the body, tongue, mind and the heart.
b) The reproaching soul or “Nafs al lawwama”:
Once a disciple subjugates the carnal soul or “nafs al-ammara”, he enters into the second stage of purification in which his ‘conscience’ takes charge of his decision making process. As a result, he starts developing qualities that reflect the compassionate nature of God.
c) The contented soul or “Nafs al mutma’inna”
Once the second stage has become firmly established in him, he enters the third stage of the contented soul or “nafs al-mutma’inna”. In this stage, the Sufi lives in harmony with his divinity and his soul finds perfect satisfaction and contentment within and without. Here the Sufi becomes truly free from fear and grief. As it has been said in the Quran, “ Lo, indeed, the friends of God have no fear, nor are they grieved.”
MAQAM (Station) & HAAL (State):
The various stages of self-awareness on the Sufi path are known as ‘Maqamat’, or the ‘stations’, which are attainable through continuous spiritual practices and sincere efforts. However, ‘haal’ or ‘state’ can only happen by the Grace of God.
Rumi has described these stages poetically as: ‘Maqam’ is the (King’s) being alone with the bride while ‘haal’ is like unveiling of the beauteous bride.
To elaborate these stages further:
‘MAQAM’ represents a spiritual station, where the seeker finds him after sincerely treading the spiritual path for a while. With gradual polishing of the mirror of the heart through meditative exercises, he keeps on becoming aware of the spiritual subtleties behind the physical realm. With each breakthrough, he finds a new level of awareness. In this process, his previous level of awareness serves as the ‘Maqam’ where he becomes stationed till he moves on. Maqamat or Stations can also be perceived as the ascending rungs of the spiritual ladder. With continuous spiritual practices, a seeker ascends on this ladder. While moving from station to station, he may be touched by the special Grace or HAAL from time to time.
HAAL occurs spontaneously as a spiritual gift. While walking in the spiritual forest amidst pathways decorated with dancing trees and perfumed flowers, a soft cloud appears on the horizon, engulfs the seeker while quenching his spiritual thirst then moves on leaving him in a state of awe. In this state, a seeker neither expects what comes to him from the unseen world nor has the slightest idea about the nature of experience. He is simply taken over by an overwhelming compassionate power. It reflects a state, where a door opens out of nowhere and breeze from the garden of eternity surrounds the seeker and colours him with its perfume. A realm of ecstasy prevails due to unbearable display of beauty. This state of Hal comes and goes on its own. A seeker can never claim such a state due to its extraordinariness and his ordinariness. It always happens as a Grace.
Such stages are not some concrete milestones depicting progress on the Sufi path step by step rather reflects inner spiritual development. This is why; there exists no consensus among Sufis on the number and details of these stages.
FANA (Extinction) & BAQA (Subsistence) in ALLAH:
The ‘extinction of the self in Allah’ i.e. “fana fil-lah” is the transition to the state of “baqa bil-lah” or the ‘eternal life in union with Allah.’ By passing away from self, the individual does not cease to exist, but the individuality is absorbed into the Love of Allah which gives him an everlasting awareness of the all-pervading presence of Oneness. As Mevlana Rumi has said :
A certain man knocked at his friend’s door. His friend asked,‘Who’s there?’
‘I’ he answered.
‘Begone! there is no place for the raw in my home’ said his friend.
He turned sadly away and for a whole year, the flames of separation consumed him. Then one day, he again knocked at his friend’s door.
‘Who is there?’
‘You! O charmer of all hearts.’
‘Now, since you are I, come in! as there is no room for two I’s in this house.
Another event from the life of two Sufi Shaykhs reflects the same realm:
Shibli went to visit Junaid. The wife of Junaid was about to conceal herself modestly behind a screen. Junaid said,‘Stay where you are – Shibli is absent.’
At that moment, Shibli began to weep.
Junaid said to his wife,‘You must now be absent, for Shibli has returned.’
This absorption in the love of Allah brings a Sufi not only in touch with the spring of beauty within his being but his “qalb” i.e. spiritual heart also moves into a realm of ecstasy. This is how, such a beautiful literature has been contributed by the Sufis to the humanity.
a) The Carnal soul or “Nafs al ammara”:
Nafs al-ammara is the tendency in man to disobey God, and to take pleasure in evil deeds and thoughts. A disciple gradually develops an attitude of indifference towards such temptations and attains purification of the body, tongue, mind and the heart.
b) The reproaching soul or “Nafs al lawwama”:
Once a disciple subjugates the carnal soul or “nafs al-ammara”, he enters into the second stage of purification in which his ‘conscience’ takes charge of his decision making process. As a result, he starts developing qualities that reflect the compassionate nature of God.
c) The contented soul or “Nafs al mutma’inna”
Once the second stage has become firmly established in him, he enters the third stage of the contented soul or “nafs al-mutma’inna”. In this stage, the Sufi lives in harmony with his divinity and his soul finds perfect satisfaction and contentment within and without. Here the Sufi becomes truly free from fear and grief. As it has been said in the Quran, “ Lo, indeed, the friends of God have no fear, nor are they grieved.”
MAQAM (Station) & HAAL (State):
The various stages of self-awareness on the Sufi path are known as ‘Maqamat’, or the ‘stations’, which are attainable through continuous spiritual practices and sincere efforts. However, ‘haal’ or ‘state’ can only happen by the Grace of God.
Rumi has described these stages poetically as: ‘Maqam’ is the (King’s) being alone with the bride while ‘haal’ is like unveiling of the beauteous bride.
To elaborate these stages further:
‘MAQAM’ represents a spiritual station, where the seeker finds him after sincerely treading the spiritual path for a while. With gradual polishing of the mirror of the heart through meditative exercises, he keeps on becoming aware of the spiritual subtleties behind the physical realm. With each breakthrough, he finds a new level of awareness. In this process, his previous level of awareness serves as the ‘Maqam’ where he becomes stationed till he moves on. Maqamat or Stations can also be perceived as the ascending rungs of the spiritual ladder. With continuous spiritual practices, a seeker ascends on this ladder. While moving from station to station, he may be touched by the special Grace or HAAL from time to time.
HAAL occurs spontaneously as a spiritual gift. While walking in the spiritual forest amidst pathways decorated with dancing trees and perfumed flowers, a soft cloud appears on the horizon, engulfs the seeker while quenching his spiritual thirst then moves on leaving him in a state of awe. In this state, a seeker neither expects what comes to him from the unseen world nor has the slightest idea about the nature of experience. He is simply taken over by an overwhelming compassionate power. It reflects a state, where a door opens out of nowhere and breeze from the garden of eternity surrounds the seeker and colours him with its perfume. A realm of ecstasy prevails due to unbearable display of beauty. This state of Hal comes and goes on its own. A seeker can never claim such a state due to its extraordinariness and his ordinariness. It always happens as a Grace.
Such stages are not some concrete milestones depicting progress on the Sufi path step by step rather reflects inner spiritual development. This is why; there exists no consensus among Sufis on the number and details of these stages.
FANA (Extinction) & BAQA (Subsistence) in ALLAH:
The ‘extinction of the self in Allah’ i.e. “fana fil-lah” is the transition to the state of “baqa bil-lah” or the ‘eternal life in union with Allah.’ By passing away from self, the individual does not cease to exist, but the individuality is absorbed into the Love of Allah which gives him an everlasting awareness of the all-pervading presence of Oneness. As Mevlana Rumi has said :
A certain man knocked at his friend’s door. His friend asked,‘Who’s there?’
‘I’ he answered.
‘Begone! there is no place for the raw in my home’ said his friend.
He turned sadly away and for a whole year, the flames of separation consumed him. Then one day, he again knocked at his friend’s door.
‘Who is there?’
‘You! O charmer of all hearts.’
‘Now, since you are I, come in! as there is no room for two I’s in this house.
Another event from the life of two Sufi Shaykhs reflects the same realm:
Shibli went to visit Junaid. The wife of Junaid was about to conceal herself modestly behind a screen. Junaid said,‘Stay where you are – Shibli is absent.’
At that moment, Shibli began to weep.
Junaid said to his wife,‘You must now be absent, for Shibli has returned.’
This absorption in the love of Allah brings a Sufi not only in touch with the spring of beauty within his being but his “qalb” i.e. spiritual heart also moves into a realm of ecstasy. This is how, such a beautiful literature has been contributed by the Sufis to the humanity.