Stations
SECTION I
- 001 Wakefulness - اليَقَظَةُ
- 002 Repentance - التَّوْبَةُ
- 003 Self-Reckoning - المُحَاسَبَةُ
- 004 Returning - الإنَابَةُ
- 005 Reflection - التَّفَكُّرُ
- 006 Remembrance - التَّذَكُّرُ
- 007 Taking Shelter - الاعْتِصَامُ
- 008 Fleeing - الفِرَارُ
- 009 Training - الرِّيَاضَةُ
- 010 Hearing - السَّمَاعُ
SECTION II
- 011 Grief - الْحُزْنُ
- 012 Fear - الْخَوْفُ
- 013 Concern - الإشْفَاقُ
- 014 Submissive Solemnity - الْخُشُوعُ
- 015 Serene Submissiveness - الإخْبَاتُ
- 016 Disinterest - الزُّهْدُ
- 017 Pious Conscientiousness - الْوَرَعُ
- 018 Dedication - التَّبَتُّلُ
- 019 Hope - الرَّجَاءُ
- 020 Desirous Quest - الرَّغْبَةُ
SECTION III
- 021 Caring - الرِّعَايَة
- 022 Observance - المُرَاقَبَةُ
- 023 Veneration - الحُرْمَةِ
- 024 Devotion - الإخْلَاصُ
- 025 Refinement - التَّهْذِيبِ
- 026 Straightness - الِاسْتِقَامَة
- 027 Reliance - التَوَكَّل
- 028 Delegation - التَّفْوِيضِ
- 029 Trust - الثِّقَةِ
- 030 Surrender - التَّسْلِيمِ
SECTION IV
- 031 Patience - الصَّبْرِ
- 032 Contentment - الرِّضَا
- 033 Gratefulness - الشُّكْرُ
- 034 Modesty - الْحَيَاءِ
- 035 Truthfulness - الصِّدْقِ
- 036 Altruism - الإيثَارِ
- 037 Character - الخُلُق
- 038 Humbleness - التَّواضُع
- 039 Pietistic Heroism - الْفُتُوَّةِ
- 040 Affability - الانْبِسَاط
SECTION V
- 041 Intent - الْقَصْدِ
- 042 Resolve - الْعَزْمِ
- 043 Willfulness - الْإِرَادَةِ
- 044 Propriety - الأدَبِ
- 045 Certainty - اليَقِين
- 046 Comforting Intimacy - الْأُنْسِ
- 047 Remembrance - الذِّكْرِ
- 048 Poverty - الْفَقْرِ
- 049 Richness - الْغِنَى
- 050 The Sought - الْمُرَاد
SECTION VI
- 051 Excellence - الْإِحْسَانِ
- 052 Knowledge - العِلْمِ
- 053 Wisdom - الحِكْمَةِ
- 054 Insight - الْبَصِيرَة
- 055 Astuteness - الْفِرَاسَةِ
- 056 Exaltation - التعظيم
- 057 Inspiration - الإلهام
- 058 Tranquility - السَّكِينَةُ
- 059 Serenity - الطُّمَأْنِينَة
- 060 Drive - الْهِمَّةِ
SECTION VII
- 061 Love - المَحَبَّةُ
- 062 Protectiveness - الْغَيْرَة
- 063 Yearning - الشَّوْقُ
- 064 Anxiety - الْقَلَقُ
- 065 Thirst - الْعَطَشُ
- 066 Ecstasy - الْوَجْدُ
- 067 Bewilderment - الدَّهَشُ
- 068 Mystification - الْهَيَمَان
- 069 Lightning - البَرْق
- 070 Taste - الذَّوْقِ
SECTION VIII
- 071 Noting - اللَّحْظ
- 072 Timeliness - الْوَقْتُ
- 073 Clarity - الصَّفَاءُ
- 074 Bliss - السُّرُورُ
- 075 Privacy - السِّرُّ
- 076 Breath - النَّفَسُ
- 077 Stranger-ness - الْغُرْبَةُ
- 078 Submersion - الغَرَق
- 079 Absence - الْغَيْبَةُ
- 080 Establishment - التَّمَكُّنِ
SECTION IX
- 081 Disclosure - الْمُكَاشَفَةِ
- 082 Witnessing - الْمُشَاهَدَةُ
- 083 Beholding - المُعَايَنَةُ
- 084 Life - الْحَيَاة
- 085 Constriction - الْقَبْضٌ
- 086 Expansion - الْبَسْطُ
- 087 Intoxication - السُّكْرُ
- 088 Sobriety - الصَّحْوُ
- 089 Connection - الِاتِّصَال
- 090 Detachment - الِانْفِصَال
SECTION X
Allah, the Almighty, said:
{And you were not expecting that the Book would be conveyed to you…} [al-Qaṣaṣ 28:86]
قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: "وَمَا كُنْتَ تَرْجُو أَنْ يُلْقَى إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابُ"
Most of those who spoke about this discipline of knowledge made the mureed (seeker) and murâd(sought) two different things and considered the station of the murâd higher than that of the mureed. They used the term ‘al-murâd’ for the chosen ones mentioned in the report.421 There are three levels for the murâd:
أَكْثَرُ الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ فِي هَذَا الْعِلْمِ جَعَلُوا الْمُرِيدَ وَالْمُرَادَ اثْنَيْنِ وَجَعَلُوا مَقَامَ الْمُرَادِ فَوْقَ مَقَامِ الْمُرِيدِ وَإِنَّمَا أَشَارُوا بِاسْمِ الْمُرَادِ إِلَى الضَّنَائِنِ الَّذِينَ وَرَدَ فِيهِمُ الْخَبَرُ. وَلِلْمُرَادِ ثَلَاثُ دَرَجَاتٍ.
The first level is where [Allah] protects His servant by force when he/she attempts an imprudence by:422
- spoiling desires
- barring pleasures
- closing the paths to ruin in their face by force
الْأُولَى أَنْ يَعْصِمَ الْعَبْدَ وَهُوَ مُسْتَشْرِفٌ لِلْجَفَاءِ اضْطِرَارًا:
- بِتَنْغِيصِ الشَّهَوَاتِ
- وَتَعْوِيقِ الْمَلَاذِ
- وَسَدِّ مَسَالِكِ الْمَعَاطِبِ عَلَيْهِ إِكْرَاهًا
The second level is to:423
- relieve the servant from the temporal outcomes of (his/her) shortcomings
- spare him/her from reproach
- give him/her control over the consequences of their errors,
as He did with Sulaymân (peace be upon him) when he killed the horses; He carried him on the wind—the gentle and the stormy—so he was given a substitute for the horses. He did likewise with Moosâ (peace be upon him) when he threw the tablets down and grabbed his brother’s head; He did not blame him like He did with Âdam, Dâwood, and Yoonus.
والدَّرَجَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ أَنْ:
- يَضَعَ عَنِ الْعَبْدِ عَوَارِضَ النَّقْصِ
- وَيُعَافِيَهُ مِنْ سِمَةِ اللَّائِمَةِ
- وَيُمَلِّكَهُ عَوَاقِبَ الْهَفَوَاتِ
كَمَا فَعَلَ بِسُلَيْمَانَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ حِينَ قَتَلَ الْخَيْلَ فَحَمَلَهُ عَلَى الرِّيحِ الرُّخَاءِ والعَاصِفِ، فَأَغْنَاهُ عَنِ الْخَيْلِ، وَفَعَلَ بِمُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ حِينَ أَلْقَى الْأَلْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ، وَلَمْ يَعْتِبْ عَلَيْهِ كَمَا عَتَبَ عَلَى آدَمَ وَنُوحٍ وَدَاوُدَ وَيُونُس.
The third level is for the True One to select His servant for (the favor of) ultimate devotion, like when He reached out to Moosâ when he went out for a torch; so He had him worked out for Himself, and left of him a loaned image.424
والدَّرَجَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ اجْتِبَاءُ الْحَقِّ عَبْدَهُ وَاسْتِخْلَاصُهُ إِيَّاهُ بِخَالِصَتِهِ، كَمَا ابْتَدَأَ مُوسَى وَهُوَ خَرَجَ يَقْتَبِسُ نَارًا، فَاصْطَنَعَهُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَأَبْقَى مِنْهُ رَسْمًا مُعَارًا.
421He (may Allah be pleased with him) is referring to a ḥadeeth reported by Ibn Abi ad-Dunyâ, from Anas, from the Prophet (ﷺ):
Allah has chosen certain ones from His creations (for His protection). He is too protective of them to subject them to trials. He causes them to live and die in a state of complete wellbeing, and to enter paradise in a state of complete wellbeing.” (This ḥadeeth is weak according to Ibn Ḥajar, al-Haythami, and al-Albâni.)
The concept of being sought by Allah is valid. You cannot seek Him in the first place unless He seeks you. However, it must be understood within the general framework of Divine justice and fairness. Allah said:
{But the Jews and the Christians say: We are the children of Allah and His beloved.Say: Then why does He punish you for your sins?Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created…} (al-Mâ’idah 5:18)
422Ibn ‘Aṭâ’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“If you wish to know your standing with Him, look at where He made you stand.”
Examine this level carefully to see your standing with Him. However, know that God may want to test the resolve of His servants, so He intensifies their trials. To have a difficulty in your struggle against sin may result in your elevation, but one who enjoys sin without remorse is far from Allah at that time.
423 In the first level, He protects them from error. However, when His most beloved ones commit errors, He may spare them of all negative outcomes. Instead, He may elevate them to higher rankings through their brokenness before Him, for instance, and their remorse.
424His name, body, and attributes—meaning his worldly existence through which he was identified and recognized by the rest of the creations.
Can we do something to be looked upon by Allah with His eye of mercy? The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“Seek the good throughout your lives and expose yourselves to the gentle breeze of your Lord’s mercy, for Allah will cause this breeze to touch whomever He wills.” (Reported by Abu Nu‘aym from Abu ad-Dardâ’)
Seek the times, places, and conditions where you may be touched by those blossoms of His mercy.