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:
{Whoever should hope for the meeting with Allah— indeed, the term decreed by Allah is coming…} [al-‘Ankaboot 29:5]
قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: "مَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ لَآتٍ."
Yearning is the gusting518 of the heart towards someone absent. To this community, the defect in yearning is enormous, because yearning is for someone absent, but the path of this community is based on beholding (Him). For this defect, the Qur’an did not mention ‘ash-shawq.’ 519It is of three levels:
الشَّوْقُ هُبُوبُ الْقَلْبِ إِلَى غَائِبٍ. وَفِي مَذْهَبِ هَذِهِ الطَّائِفَةِ، عِلَّةُ الشَّوْقِ عَظِيمَةٌ، فَإِنَّ الشَّوْقَ إِنَّمَا يَكُونُ إِلَى الْغَائِبِ. وَمَذْهَبُ هَذِهِ الطَّائِفَةِ إِنَّمَا قَامَ عَلَى الْمُشَاهَدَةِ. وَلِهَذِهِ الْعِلَّةِ لَمْ يَنْطِقِ الْقُرْآنُ بِاسْمِهِ. ثُمَّ هُوَ عَلَى ثَلَاثِ دَرَجَاتٍ.
The yearning of the servant for paradise, for:
- the fearful to find security
- the distressed to find joy
- the hopeful to find their goal
الدَّرَجَةُ الْأُولَى شَوْقُ الْعَابِدِ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ،:
- لِيَأْمَنَ الْخَائِفُ
- وَيَفْرَحَ الْحَزِينُ
- وَيَظْفَرَ الْآمِلُ
The yearning for Allah, which is sown by the love that grows on the banks of the bounties,520 so the heart clings to His holy attributes, then yearns for His kind generosity, the exhibitions of His bounteousness, and the garlands of His graciousness. It is a yearning that is:
والدَّرَجَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ شَوْقٌ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ زَرَعَهُ الْحُبُّ الَّذِي يَنْبُتُ عَلَى حَافَّاتِ الْمِنَنِ فَعَلِقَ قَلْبُهُ بِصِفَاتِهِ الْمُقَدَّسَةِ فَاشْتَاقَ إِلَى مُعَايَنَةِ لِطَائِفِ كَرَمِهِ وَآيَاتِ بِرِّهِ وَأَعْلَامِ فَضْلِهِ. وَهَذَا شَوْقٌ:
- تفثأه الْمَبَارُّ
- وَتُخَالِجُهُ الْمَسَارُّ
- ويقاويه الِاصْطِبَارُ
The third level is a fire that is kindled by the purity of love; it:
والدَّرَجَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ نَارٌ أَضْرَمَهَا صَفْوُ الْمَحَبَّةِ،:
- فَنَغَّصَتِ الْعَيْشَ
- وَسَلَبَتِ السَّلْوَةُ
- وَلَمْ يُنَهْنِهْهَا معز دُونَ اللِّقَاءِ
518 The following words could also be used: ‘rushing,’ ‘gushing,’ or ‘stirring.’
519 The sheikh differentiates between ash-shawq (yearning) and ar-rajâ’ (hope), which is why he says the Qur’an did not mention ash-shawq but started this station by quoting a verse about ar-rajâ’ (hope) instead. The Sunnah did mention ash-shawq. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to supplicate to Allah and say:
…I ask You for the sweetness of looking upon Your face and a longing to meet You in a manner that does not entail a calamity that will bring about harm, or a trial that will cause deviation… (an-Nasâ’i)
There is still a difference between beholding the Lord in this world and in the hereafter.
520 The bounties of Allah become like advance payments, thus easing the heat of yearning.
521 This mixing with the joys of Allah’s favors, although permissible, detracts from yearning and may cause distraction, so one must stay watchful.
522 One can still handle this longing with patience.
523 Sufyân ath-Thawri said that he welcomed death out of fear of fitnah, and Yoosuf ibn Asbâṭ remarked that he favored to live—perhaps he would be guided to sincere repentance. Wuhayb ibn al-Ward said, “Whatever is more beloved to Allah is more beloved to me.” If He chooses for us to live longer, we make the best of that opportunity to sow the seeds of goodness that we will harvest in the hereafter; if he chooses for us to depart earlier, then we should be ready and accepting.
524 The meeting with the Beloved (Exalted is He).