The Degrees of the Soul by Abd al-Khaliq al-Shabrawi

1. Book Context and Aim

“The Degrees of the Soul: Spiritual Stations on the Sufi Path,” Marātib al-nafs, was translated from Arabic by Mostafa al-Badawi and published by The Quilliam Press in 1997. The author, Shaykh Abd al-Khaliq al-Shabrawi, born in 1887 in a village north of Cairo, was a Sufi shaykh and Shafi’i scholar who received intense spiritual guidance from his father. A descendant of the second caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab through his father and Imam al-Husayn through his mother, Shaykh Abd al-Khaliq al-Shabrawi’s paternal grandfather, Shaykh ‘Umar al-Shabrawi, was an eminent scholar, lecturer at Al-Azhar University, saint, Sufi master, and founder of the Shabrawi off-shoot of the Khalwati Sufi order (tariqa). Shaykh ‘Umar al-Shabrawi was known for his great presence and charisma, attracting many disciples who became famous masters. Shaykh Abd al-Khaliq al-Shabrawi became the order’s master upon his brother ‘Abd al-Salam’s death in 1947. He was also an eminent scholar and held the office of deputy Grand-Mufti of Egypt, permitting the publication of this book in original Arabic and translation before his death in 1994.

The book aims to be an exposition of the stages of spiritual realization, intended to arouse a yearning for return to God in anyone with spiritual inclination. It offers a clear and detailed exposition of the path and its ultimate goal, making spiritual realization intelligible and highlighting its urgency and feasibility. The ultimate purpose of human existence, as presented, transcends mere survival or taking this world at face value; it posits that there must be meaning within every form and a human capacity to reach for the Absolute, allowing the journey towards infinite reality to gain substance in the mind. The book is particularly valuable for Sufi travellers due to its explicit description of certain important points previously left implicit by masters, drawing on deep insights of the Khalwati perspective, and providing a schematic organization of material otherwise gleaned from many older treatises. Masters write from inspiration, with each treatise responding to the needs of its times. The need to schematize knowledge arises from the deterioration of the Muslim nation’s powers of assimilation, requiring a balance between intelligibility and avoiding rigidity. Sufism is primarily an oral tradition, and a book alone cannot replace the need for oral teaching, guidance, and constant supervision of a master. The author provides precise definitions for terms such as ‘soul’ (nafs), ‘spirit’ (ruh), and ‘secret’ (sirr), recognizing that terminology can vary between schools. The book also describes the soul’s ‘ailments’ as veils preventing the Eye of the Heart from beholding the Unseen, offering devotional and self-disciplining remedies that remove these veils, allowing light to shine through and leading step by step towards human perfection. As the book progresses, the length of the chapters decreases, with the last three stages having chapters of only two or three pages, indicating that the author primarily addresses those concerned with earlier stages, giving novices an inkling of the higher reaches of spiritual realization. Subtle indications for higher levels are understood mainly by those approaching them.

2. The Aim of Religion and the Quest for Perfection

The aim of religion is to reunite man with his Creator, with reunion in Paradise and the supreme reward being the beatific vision of God’s Countenance. For the elite, reunion has more immediate implications, allowing them to experience the delight of direct knowledge in this world by entering the inward Garden, which is considered the highest purpose of man’s existence. The core of Islam, its most profound aspect, is called Sufism, which serves as the method of spiritual realization supported doctrinally and ritually by Islam. There is no true understanding of Islam without some understanding of Sufism, nor can Sufism exist outside Islam. Islam without Sufism is depicted as a body without a heart, deprived of life, while Sufism outside Islam is an organ without a body, deprived of material support; both depend entirely on each other for survival, like the body and heart. This interdependence is historically demonstrated by celebrated Sufis who were also reputable orthodox scholars. Attempts by orientalists to cast doubt on Sufism’s provenance and ascribe foreign origins are viewed as inevitable, as such individuals cannot grasp profound aspects of doctrine from an external perspective. Some Muslims also deny and combat Sufism, possibly due to a lack of spiritual aptitude, preferring a dry, unidimensional Islam focused on shallow understanding and superficial ritual, which, along with external assaults, leaves Islam as an empty shell.

The quest for perfection is a most noble quality, with ‘perfection’ meaning divesting oneself of blameworthy attributes and adorning oneself with praiseworthy ones. Blameworthy attributes include ignorance, irascibility, rancour, resentful envy, avarice, pride, arrogance, conceit, illusion, ostentation, love of prestige and power, excessive volubility and jesting affectation, boastfulness, levity, disruption of social bonds, prying into others’ privacy, long hopes, greed, and bad character. Conversely, praiseworthy attributes include knowledge, forbearance, inward purity, generosity, meekness, gentleness, humility, patience, gratitude, renunciation, reliance on God, love, yearning, modesty, contentment, sincerity, truthfulness, vigilance, self-scrutiny, reflection, concern and compassion for others, loving or detesting solely for God, deliberation, weeping and feeling grieved, wishing for obscurity and seclusion, guilelessness, good counsel, few words, awe and submission, and possessing a broken heart and good character. The purpose of travelling the Sufi path is to acquire perfection and freedom from repulsive traits, a process required by Shari’a.

Specific blameworthy attributes are detailed:

• Irascibility (ghadab): Freeing oneself from irascibility is required. The Prophet stated that the strongest person is one who controls himself when angry. The outward ugliness of an angry person is surpassed by the inner ugliness. Irascibility stems from agitation of blood in the heart due to revenge, and its opposite, forbearance, must be imposed until it becomes habitual. The Prophet taught that knowledge is gained by learning and forbearance by imposing it. Ridding oneself of blameworthy anger and acquiring praiseworthy forbearance is possible only through the Sufi path, leading to being under the sovereignty of reason and law when the power of anger is broken. Getting angry solely for God is an exalted rank.
• Arrogance (kibr): This is blameworthy, as God turns away from those who wax proud on earth without right. Arrogance arises from one’s perception of oneself.
• Conceit (‘ujb): This blameworthy inward pride occurs when a person imagines possessing some perfection. A wayfarer experiencing conceit should reflect on disbelievers who were once fervent worshippers (like Balaam) and think of Satan, avoiding satisfaction with their work until certain God has accepted it.
• Delusion (ghurur): This is a cause of ruin, involving believing something different from reality and accepting whatever one is attracted to. The states of the deluded are many, and a wayfarer must not be deceived, but rather pursue realization and certainty, abandon suspect and passional matters, and perceive things as they are, acknowledging the devil’s many machinations.
• Love of prestige and leadership (hubb al-jah wa’l-riyasa): This blameworthy trait obstructs the road to the Real. The Prophet stated that it is sufficient evil for a person to have others point fingers at them, except those protected by God. ‘Ali advised seeking modesty, not fame; not raising oneself, guarding secrets, and maintaining silence for safety. Ibrahim ibn Adham stated that a person who loves fame lacks sincerity, making love of fame itself blameworthy. Fame can be praiseworthy if the intention is to guide and benefit others, not to exalt oneself, with the renown of Prophets and Rightly-guided Caliphs being the highest form. Praiseworthy fame is perceived as a burden. As soon as the heart leans towards love of prestige, the path is barred. The seeker must relish obscurity and behave to prevent others from recognizing him, thinking little of himself, showing neither consideration nor expecting greetings, which is the state of the sincere seeker.
• Excessive talking (kathrat al-kalam): This is blameworthy as it leads to forbidden or discouraged things, such as mentioning past sins, discussing women, arguing, mixing with distracted people, rivalry, affected speech, rhymed prose, pretentiousness, insults, obscenity, cursing, levity, mocking, jeering, divulging secrets, lying, backbiting, and slandering. The peril of the tongue is fatal. The Prophet praised silence as wisdom, and Mu’adh ibn Jabal was told people are cast into the Fire due to their tongues. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq was anxious about slips of the tongue, and Ibn Mas’ud stated that nothing is more deserving of imprisonment than the tongue.
• Preoccupation with one’s appearance (al-tazayyun li’l-khalq): Improving appearance for others distracts the wayfarer, requiring the acquisition of clothes, perfume, etc., which divert attention from remembrance of God. A true wayfarer needs to be nothing in others’ sight, and embellishing appearance for others contradicts this.
• Bad character (su’ al-khuluq): This is blameworthy in the eyes of God and people, whereas good character is praiseworthy. The Prophet said no one shall enter Paradise save those whose character is good.

These blameworthy traits are only some of the vices, and a sincere wayfarer will rid himself of all vices by uprooting them from their origin through applying remedies. Those who wish to rid themselves of vices without following the path of the People (al-qawm) seek the impossible. The benefit of taking this path is freeing oneself from vices and reaching degrees of nearness to the Lord. When the heart is turned towards the body and occupied with worldly pleasures, it becomes covered with seventy veils, at which point it is called the Inciting Soul, and following passions renders a person lowly.

3. The Degrees of the Soul (Maratib al-nafs)

The Sufi path is a journey to raise the soul step by step to its original degree through treatments and remedies. The Khalwatis count seven stations (degrees) that the wayfarer ascends through, while non-Khalwatis count three, starting with the second station (Reproachful) and ending with the fourth (Serene), which they consider naturally pure souls. Khalwatis include the first (Inciting) and the last (Perfect).

The Inciting Soul (al-nafs al-ammāra)

This is the lowest degree, where the soul is called Inciting. Its attributes include blameworthy anger, rancour, resentful envy, arrogance, pride, conceit, illusion, bad character, and other evil traits that distance it from God’s presence. It harbors some attraction to passional pleasures. When the heart is turned towards the body and worldly pleasures, it is covered with seventy veils and is called the Inciting Soul. It is also termed ‘nature’s prison’ and ‘the lowest of the low,’ with gaining release from it being the priority. The most important duty in this station is to free oneself from impurities like arrogance, greed, resentful envy, conceit, and hatred, which prevent the heart from reaching exalted degrees.

The remedy to ascend from the degree of Bestial Man and Inciting Soul to the degree of the Heart is the constant, loud, and forceful invocation of La ilaha illa’Llah, aimed at awakening oneself from distraction. The invoker must remove all objects of worship other than God from the heart. When uttering La ilaha, it should be done with force and intensity, hurled at the left side of the chest. The invoker must maintain presence and awe, keep eyes closed, and remain ritually pure, also taking care to avoid forbidden (haram) food. Purification, ablutions, removal of impurities, prayer, and understanding basic doctrine (knowledge of the Necessary Existent and His Attributes) are essential. Shaykhs recommend remembrance aloud, maintaining forceful remembrance, adhering to Shari’a limits, calling oneself to account, and instilling fear by remembering death, the grave’s torments, and hell. In this station, two states alternate: fear and hope.

The Reproachful Soul (al-nafs al-lawwāma)

This is the second station, where the soul is called Reproachful because it still harbors some attraction to passional pleasures. Even when sincere in conduct, one is never safe from perils in this station. Despite traces of the Inciting Soul, it acknowledges truth and falsehood and recognizes its attributes as blameworthy. Good actions, such as night vigils and fasts, are performed but may be contaminated with conceit and secret ostentation. The possessor conceals good actions for God but loves others to find out about them and loves to be praised, a tendency recognized and detested but difficult to entirely erase from the heart. The hidden idolatry of doing things to be seen by others is wholly condemned. Wayfaring in this station is ‘for’ God, its world is the Intermediate Realm (barzakh), its location is the heart, its state is love, and its warid (spiritual influx) is Shari’a. Its attributes are reproachfulness, reflection, conceit, objecting to other people, secret ostentation, and the love of fame and leadership. Non-Khalwatis teach the wayfarer La ilaha illa’Llah when the soul is Reproaching.

The remedy to ascend to the third station (Inspired) is to use the second Name, Allah, which signifies the Essence whose existence is necessary and deserving of all praise. When using this Name, the end letter h should be cut short, and the preceding a should be prolonged. It should be used in abundance while standing, sitting, and lying down, night and day. Specific times should be assigned to sit facing the qibla, with eyes shut, uttering it forcefully and loudly, raising the face up then bringing it down on the chest, and turning neither right nor left (contrary to the first Name). In this station, the wayfarer is full of thoughts and whisperings, especially when invoking quietly, but invoking loudly diminishes thoughts. The Name Allah acts as a fire burning thoughts and whisperings. Obstructions include depending on created beings, inclining towards them, and keeping their intimate company. To reach exalted stations, one must abandon creation and concentrate on God, feeling estranged from people until they consider one mad (meaning forgetful of worldly interests and concentrating on the afterlife). Failure to conform will lead to times spent in trouble and toil. One must be earnest, strive, not be content with trivia, test oneself, not be credulous with the soul, tell the shaykh about inner evil, and hide nothing, as sincerity and effort unveil wonders and secrets of the heart.

The wayfarer enters the World of Similitudes (‘alam al-mithal), a world other than the current one, which is the first station of the Ones Brought Near, where what the five senses cannot grasp is beheld. This is an intermediate state between sleep and wakefulness, and what is seen is discounted if not occurring with awareness of time, place, and state. This station is dangerous due to the wayfarer’s weak state, inability to differentiate between Majesty and Beauty or angelic suggestions from devilish insinuations, and not being free of lower nature. There is a danger of plummeting to the Lowest of the Low (back to the Inciting Soul) if one forgets oneself, leading to excessive eating, drinking, sleeping, careless mixing with people, potentially corrupted beliefs, abandoning devotions, committing sins, and pretending to be a contemplative man of tawhid. Once belief is corrupted, the fire of lower nature burns faith, effort is wasted, desires are unattained, and one becomes a devil leading others astray. Glimpses of devilish imaginations may be mistaken for Divine manifestations.

The Inspired Soul (al-nafs al-mulhama)

This is the third station, where the soul begins to receive inspirations. When the soul’s agitation quietens, the passional soul loses power and forgets its pleasures, it is sometimes termed Serene. When it ascends higher, it becomes Contented. In this third station, confusion occurs, and the wayfarer cannot distinguish inspiration from an angel versus Iblis. To help achieve desires in this station, the wayfarer recites the third Name, Hu! first with the vocative Ya, then without. This should be done at all times (standing, sitting, lying down, night and day) so that its baraka (blessing) helps escape the station’s danger, severing any remaining attachment to the first and second stations.

The wayfarer experiences the state of Extinction (fana’), which assists in ascending to the fourth station (Serene). This is the first extinction, where the wayfarer is unaware of sensory things due to absorption, meaning sensory perception is affected (e.g., the eye sees but is unaware of what it sees, the ear hears but it’s as though it doesn’t, the mind is unaware of its contents). This state is known only by those who experience it. Causes of extinction include remembrance (dhikr), reflection (fikr), hunger, night vigils, silence, and seclusion, with hunger being the most important. Perseverance in self-discipline and effort is crucial. One should not be deceived by gleams that appear if unable to identify them as satanic or divine, and should not abandon practices that have proven good and lead to the path. In this station, the speech of the ruhani (spirits) is heard but not understood through sensory hearing, with understanding of inspirations coming when extinction subsides. Whatever is spoken thereafter will be words of wisdom. The wayfarer also experiences passionate love with its transports and intoxication, where the lover is oblivious to himself and even his Beloved, busy uttering His Name and praising His Beauty in poems.

Alternate states of Constriction (qabd) and Expansion (basl) occur in this station. Constriction follows expansion, leading to tightness in the chest and heart, making one humble and quiet, while expansion leads to passionate love and delight. The difference from later stages is that one becomes impatient with constriction but not awe (which occurs in later stages), and expansion can lead to lack of courtesy. The station of passionate love is delightful, making the lover reluctant to ascend, as it forms a veil between him and the Beloved. He wishes the state to endure, despite the sorrow and grief it causes, and while acceptable for lovers, it is disparaged compared to higher states. Non-Khalwatis teach Allah! Allah! at the beginning of the Inspired stage and Hu! Hu! near its end, with Hu! leading the wayfarer into the Serene station.

The Serene Soul (al-nafs al-mutma’inna)

This is the fourth station, attained when the soul’s agitation quietens, the passional soul loses power and forgets its pleasures, and the soul is attracted to the World of Sanctity (‘alam al-quds). This station signifies happiness in the two abodes, as setting foot here saves the wayfarer from all soul diseases, representing the first degree of perfection. Upon reaching this station, souls are described as gentle, affable, and forbearing, having purified themselves. Such souls, if qualified and in the absence of a more perfected guide, may become guides for others, though some souls reaching this station still lack necessary conditions to be guides. Khalwatis count this as the fourth station, while non-Khalwatis count it as the first naturally pure soul, perfect and worthy of guiding. In this station, spiritual stations lose importance in the soul’s sight, and it becomes extinct to all its own wishes.

Alternate states of awe (hayba) and intimacy (uns) are acquired in this station, replacing constriction and expansion, and are known only by experience. In this station, these states are called ‘awe’ and ‘intimacy’, differing from earlier states in that one is not impatient with awe, and intimacy does not lead to discourtesy with God. After purifying the self of faults, the wayfarer will behold certain marvels and mysteries. Upon completing this station and the soul becoming Serene, one does not depart from the Book and Sunna, and one’s blood and flesh are permeated with Shari’a. Divine Mercy bestows a pull of perfection, different from the beginning, leading one to become forgetful of worldly things and the next, unless present; when absent, they are absent from the mind. This occurs because the heart continuously contemplates the Beauty and Majesty of the Real.

Dangers still exist even here. One must not be deceived by the tawhid that has appeared but use it to tear remaining veils of light. Distraction by flashes from higher worlds can be veils preventing approach to the Highest Essence and may cause a return to an animal level. It is crucial to adhere to practices that led to unveiling: continuing night vigils, fasts, isolation, silence, and holding firmly to a perfect shaykh. Thoughts should be communicated to the shaykh. Belief in the shaykh draws one closer to the World of Sanctity and weakens human nature’s pull. A particular danger is thinking one is more knowledgeable than the shaykh, as this cuts off spiritual assistance. This thought must be expelled by reading about perfect ones and recognizing the shaykh’s perfection. One should be with the shaykh as a corpse in the washer’s hands, avoiding criticism of his states; if objections arise, inform him and repent, understanding that perfect ones are not measured by the same yardstick.

The Contented Soul (al-nafs al-radiya)

This is the fifth station, attained when the state of being extinct to all one’s own wishes increases. It belongs to the Ones Brought Near. Its attributes include detachment from everything other than God, sincerity, scrupulousness, and contented acceptance of everything in the universe without objection. The soul is absorbed in the contemplation of absolute Beauty. This state does not prevent guiding and counselling people, and others benefit from the words of the possessor, even while the heart is occupied with the World of Divinity (Lahut) and the Secret of the Secret. The person is immersed in the ocean of courtesy with God, and prayers are never turned down, though they are not turned down out of modesty and courtesy unless forced.

The soul is honorable in God’s sight, having received the address of the Presence of Nearness: “Today you are established firmly in Our favour and in Our trust”. Created beings are obliged to respect them, but they do not rely on them. They are naturally inclined to love those who treat them well, but should not rely on others or shun them; instead, they should rely on God. The remedy for this station is to occupy oneself with the fifth Name, Hayy, repeating it abundantly to ensure extinction departs and subsistence replaces it. One can also occupy oneself with al-Fattah or al-Wahhab, together with al-Hayy, to ease progress to the sixth station. In this station, the second extinction occurs, which is the disappearance of all human attributes in the Unitary degree, meaning the slave’s attributes become extinct, not their existence. When the slave divests reprehensible attributes, God bestows praiseworthy ones, as God is the Able One and the slave is powerless.

The Soul Found Pleasing (al-nafs al-mardiya)

This is the sixth station, attained when the state of being Contented increases. In this station, the soul is found pleasing to both the Real and created beings and is commanded to return to created beings to guide and perfect them. It also belongs to the Ones Brought Near. Its attributes include goodness of character, forsaking everything other than God, gentleness with others, leading them to righteousness, forgiving their misdeeds, loving them, and inclining towards them to take them from their egoistic tendencies to illumined spirits. This soul is the essence of secrets and the exemplar of the best people, though outwardly indistinguishable from common people. Its wayfaring is ‘from’ God, its world is the visible world, its location is the Hidden, its state is perplexity (hayra) (though an acceptable perplexity, not blameworthy), and its warid is transcendence (tanzih). The soul called ‘Found Pleasing’ has obtained what it needed from the Divine presence. At the beginning and end of this station, the wayfarer shows the first signs of the Greater Vicegerency (al-khilafa al-kubra), where God becomes the eye with which he sees, the ear with which he hears, the hand with which he strikes, and the foot with which he walks. This station’s realization occurs when the wayfarer reaches the station of extinction, and reprehensible human qualities are annihilated due to seeking God’s nearness through supererogatory practices, leading God to bestow the opposite praiseworthy attributes.

The Perfect Soul (al-nafs al-kamila)

This is the seventh station, attained when the soul is commanded to return to created beings to guide and perfect them. This is the highest station mentioned in relation to the journey of the Ones Brought Near, and Khalwatis count this as the last station. Its state is Subsistence (baqa’), and its warid includes all the previously mentioned praiseworthy attributes of the soul. The possessor loves the seeker of truth more than their own child and is full of pains, weak in body and movements. There is no hatred in the heart for any creature, but aversion is shown where deserved. They fear no one when speaking for God, and their desire is that of the Real, with their Lord immediately answering all pleas. When the soul is Perfect, the alternate states of awe and intimacy are called Majesty and Beauty.

4. Key Practices and the Sufi Path

The path of Sufism is a quest for inner purity and enlightenment, characterized by ardour and effort (jihad), primarily involving forsaking all habits. While habits are numerous, shaykhs have identified six indispensable pillars of the path: eating less, sleeping less, talking less, isolating oneself from people, constant remembrance, and effective reflection. Moderation is required in these practices; they should be diminished, not abandoned. Effective eating means only eating when hungry and less than satiety. Those who earnestly expend effort obtain what they desire, while those who delay or neglect are obstructed.

The Khalwati Tariqa derives its name from khalwa (seclusion in a spiritual retreat), which they practice more frequently than other orders due to the abundance of lights, knowledge, and gnosis found within it. The minimum period for khalwa is three days, with forty days being optimum. Conditions for khalwa include prior training in self-discipline, involving hunger, night vigils, isolation, and constant remembrance, which familiarizes them with these practices. The intention for entering khalwa is to detach from the world and concentrate solely on God. Participants must feel lower than the lowliest of people so God may accept them, as God is with the broken-hearted. Another condition is to refrain from asking anything from God during the retreat, worldly or otherworldly, but only to worship Him. The sign of the Khalwatis is investiture with the common Khirqa (spiritual garment), a round cap of white wool symbolizing wayfaring and heart whiteness, embroidered with four Jalalas (God’s name) indicating God surrounds the servant and independence through God. Some variations exist in the cap’s design, such as leaving the center blank (extinction), using ‘o’ (Essence encompassing world with knowledge, ability, sustenance), using a button (Tawhid), or using three buttons (Tawhid of Names, Attributes, Essence). Some draw four velvet circles beneath the button (black, red, green, white) indicating the four emblems of the Rifacis, Ahmadis, Qadirls, and Dasuqis, or the four deaths.

Sufism being an oral tradition means no book can replace the need for a master’s teaching, guidance, and supervision. The shaykh inculcates the wayfarer with a Divine Name, and constant occupation with this Name shortens the path, while neglecting it lengthens it. Holding firmly to a perfect shaykh is crucial, especially in the Serene station. Belief in the shaykh draws one closer to the World of Sanctity and weakens human nature. Thinking oneself more knowledgeable than the shaykh cuts off spiritual assistance. One must recognize the shaykh’s perfection and enter his fold with conviction that deliverance is in his hands, enduring harm from him and being with him “as a corpse in the hands of the washer”. Criticism of his states should be avoided.

Shaykhs inculcate the wayfarer with Divine Names to ascend stations.

• The first Name is La ilaha illa’Llah, used in the Inciting station. It is God’s fortress. Care must be taken in its articulation: prolong ‘la’, accentuate ’ of ‘illaha’, pronounce ‘ha’ lightly, cut short ‘h’ at the end of ‘Allah’, with no interval between ‘ha’ and ‘illa’Llah’. The ‘i’ in ‘ilaha’ must be articulated to avoid ‘layalaha’, and it must be done with presence and awe.
• The second Name is Allah, used in the Reproachful station. It signifies the Essence that is necessary and deserving of praise. The ‘h’ at the end should be cut short. Used in abundance, it brings profit and wonders, and should be uttered forcefully and loudly, with eyes shut, face raised then brought down to the chest.
• The third Name is Hu, used in the Inspired station. It helps escape danger and severs attachment to lower stations. Used with ‘Ya’ then without, at all times. Non-Khalwatis use Hu! Hu! near the end of the Inspired stage to enter the Serene.
• The fifth Name is Hayy, used in the Contented station. It is repeated abundantly for extinction to depart and subsistence to replace it. Al-Fattah or al-Wahhab can also be used with al-Hayy.
• Invocation with these Names and their subsidiaries should end with sukun (no vowel).

5. Other Important Concepts and Terminologies

Reunion with the Creator is the ultimate goal, with the beatific vision of His Countenance being the supreme reward in Paradise. The elite can experience an inward Garden of direct knowledge in this world. The ‘Eye of the Heart’ is prevented from beholding the Unseen when covered by veils (ailments).

Extinction (Fana’) and Subsistence (Baqa’): These are states experienced on the path. The first extinction occurs in the Inspired station, rendering the wayfarer unaware of sensory things due to absorption, which is not fainting or sleep. The second extinction occurs in the Contented station, being the disappearance of all human attributes in the Unitary degree. The third extinction is also the disappearance of all human attributes in the Unitary degree, leading to God bestowing praiseworthy attributes, which is the state of the Ones Brought Near. Subsistence (baqa’) is the state of the Perfect Soul.

Rational Soul: Also termed the ‘heart’, the ‘subtle human faculty’, and the ‘reality of man’. It is aware and knows, and to it, legal and moral commandments are addressed. It has an outward aspect (passional soul) and an inward aspect (Spirit).

• Spirit (ruh): The inward aspect of the Rational Soul.
• Secret (sirr): The inward aspect of the Spirit. The Secret has its own inward aspect, the Secret of the Secret.
• Secret of the Secret (sirr al-sirr): The inward aspect of the Secret. It has its own inward aspect, the Hidden.
• Hidden (khafa): The inward aspect of the Secret of the Secret. It has its own inward aspect, the Most Hidden.
• Most Hidden (al-akhfa): The inward aspect of the Hidden; it is imperceptible. Descending one degree from the Most Hidden becomes Hidden, then Secret of the Secret, then Secret, then Spirit, then Heart/Rational Soul/Subtle Human Faculty/Man (which has four names in this last degree). Descending one further degree becomes Bestial Man, or the Inciting Soul.

The Four Deaths: Jurjani defines death as an existential attribute opposite to life, suppressing the ego’s whims.

• The ‘Red Death’ is opposing the ego.
• The ‘White Death’ is hunger, which illuminates the inward and whitens the heart; gluttony dying brings alive perspicacity.
• The ‘Green Death’ is wearing patched rags, being worthless and discarded by others; life is verdant with contentment.
• The ‘Black Death’ is enduring harm from others, involving being extinct in God and witnessing harm as coming from Him by perceiving all acts as the Act of the Beloved.
• Some Sufis view the four colours (black, red, green, white) as indicating four levels of existence and Tawhid.

Ones Brought Near (al-muqarrabun): These are individuals who travel the path from the second station onwards, seeking extinction (fana’) and subsistence (baqa’) by their Lord. They do not stop at the Reproachful station due to its dangers; their highest degree is sincerity. Salvation from peril is achieved by extinction to the sight of one’s sincerity through contemplative witnessing (shuhud) that only God causes movement. The World of Similitudes is described as the first station of the Ones Brought Near. The Contented and Found Pleasing souls belong to this group.

Righteous (al-abrar): Also known as the Companions of the Right Hand, their ultimate dwelling is their highest station. The good acts of the Righteous are considered the bad acts of the Ones Brought Near because the Righteous do not ascend beyond their highest station. They do not perceive their works as their own and are liable to complain about some, being subject to toil and weariness. Their nature causes conceit, arrogance, rancour, envy, bad character, hatred, enmity, and being engrossed in livelihood. An analogy given is cutting the branches (blameworthy attributes) of an evil tree (man’s stomach) without cutting the trunk or water supply, causing them to regrow. The Righteous forget creation and never think of worldly or next-worldly pleasures; harm cannot befall them. Hadiths referring to believers entering a lizard’s hole and God causing harm refer to the Righteous.

World of Similitudes (‘alam al-mithal): This is a world other than the current one, entered in the Reproachful station. Here, the wayfarer beholds what senses cannot grasp. Just as the Intermediary Realm is unveiled for the dead, so is the World of Similitudes unveiled for the wayfarer. What is seen varies by aptitude and disposition.

Khalwa: Refers to seclusion in a spiritual retreat, which is more specific than isolation. It requires total seclusion for a determined period under special conditions. ‘Uzla: Refers to isolation, keeping away from common people except for prayer.

Greater Vicegerency (al-khilafa al-kubra): This is the state reached at the beginning and end of the Found Pleasing station, where God becomes the wayfarer’s senses and limbs.

Barzakh: The Intermediate Realm, which is the world of the Reproachful soul. It is also unveiled for the dead.

Lahut: The World of Divinity, which is the world of the Contented soul.

Madad: Spiritual assistance from a shaykh.

Wilaya: Sainthood, where early blossoming can occur for those born with purity of soul. Hostility to a wali (saint/friend of God) prompts God to declare war.