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:
{Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy¬¬¬¬—in that let them rejoice…} [Yoonus 10: 58]
قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ }قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا{
As-suroor (bliss) is a name for complete cheerfulness (istibshâr)615; it is purer than faraḥ (joy), because faraḥ may be mixed with some grief, and that is why the Qur’an mentions faraḥ on different occasions concerning the joy of this world. However, suroor (bliss) is mentioned on two occasions in the Qur’an in reference to the state of (bliss in) the hereafter. 616In this respect, it is of three levels:
والسُّرُورُ اسْمٌ لِاسْتِبْشَارٍ جَامِعٍ، وَهُوَ أَصْفَى مِنَ الْفَرَحِ، لِأَنَّ الْأَفْرَاحَ رُبَّمَا شَابَهَا الْأَحْزَانُ، وَلِذَلِكَ نَزَلَ الْقُرْآنُ بِاسْمِهِ فِي أَفْرَاحِ الدُّنْيَا فِي مَوَاضِعَ، وَوَرَدَ اسْمُ السُّرُورِ فِي المَوْضِعَيْنِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ فِي حَالِ الْآخِرَةِ. وَهُوَ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ عَلَى ثَلَاثِ دَرَجَات:
The first level is the bliss of taste (of faith), which removes three types of grief:
الدَّرَجَةُ الْأُولَى سُرُورُ ذَوْقٍ ذَهَبَ بِثَلَاثَةِ أَحْزَانٍ:
- حُزْنٌ أَوْرَثَهُ خَوْفُ الِانْقِطَاعِ
- وَحُزْنٌ هَاجَتْهُ ظُلْمَةُ الْجَهْلِ
- وَحُزْنٌ أَغْشَتْهُ وَحْشَةُ التَّفَرُّقِ
The second level is the bliss of shuhood,619 which:
والدَّرَجَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ سُرُورُ شُهُودٍ:
- كَشَفَ حِجَابَ الْعِلْمِ
- وَفَكَّ رِقَّ التَّكْلِيفِ
- وَنَفَى صَغَارَ الِاخْتِيَارِ
The third level is the bliss of hearing by the receptive, which:
والدَّرَجَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ سُرُورُ سَمَاعِ الْإِجَابَةِ، وَهُوَ سُرُورٌ:
- يَمْحُو آثَارَ الْوَحْشَةِ
- وَيَقْرَعُ بَابَ الْمُشَاهَدَةِ
- وَيُضْحِكُ الرُّوحَ
615 Istibshâr comes from the same root as bushrâ (glad tiding), so this bliss is mixed with optimism, positivity, and confidence about the future. It is felicity without worries. The source of confidence is our trust in Allah’s graciousness, not our reliance on our deeds.
616 Both faraḥ and suroor are mentioned in negative and positive contexts in the Qur’an.
617 Being left behind the caravan and cut off from God.
618 Wholeness is achieved only in togetherness with the True and Holy One; any separation from Him and distraction by as-siwâ (anything else) causes the fragmentation of the soul and its diaspora.
619 Beholding the Divine acts and graciousness.
620 Knowledge of technicalities that is not accompanied by a good ḥâl can be an obstacle.
621 They are not burdens anymore, but rather sources of joy and energy.
622 In this ranking, one gives up their choice. Allah says:
{It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair…} (al-Aḥzâb 33: 36)
623 Unlike the previous level, the beholding here is of the Divine appearance (tajalli) through the manifestation of His names and attributes while in togetherness with Him.
624 The laughing of the soul is an indication of its final and ultimate bliss. Allah said:
{[Some] faces, that day, will be bright—laughing, rejoicing at good news.} (‘Abasa 80: 38-39)