From Polarity to Oneness in Sufi Psychology

8/17/2019 From Polarity to Oneness in Sufi Psychology

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Iungian

Sandplay

The

Wonderful

TberaPY

Ioel

R;rce-Menuhin

.{nalysis

.{nalysed

Fred Plaut

Jung

and

Searles

A

ComParative

StudY

David

Sedgwick

Jung

and

FhenomenologY

Roger

Brooke

ln

Searctr

of

lung

J.

J.

Clarke

Chaos

and

Order

in the

Vorld

of

the

Psyche

loanne

\Tieland-Burston

Changemakers

A

Depth

Psychological

Study

oftbe

Indiaidual,

Family

and Society

Louis

H.

Stewart

JUP{G

AtriD',T',F{E:

MOTNOT'HEIShifS

judaisrn,

Christra;ei.ty

and

nslain

Edired

by

ioe{.

Nyae-.Mereruhtrc

EB

=p

H\

n-ondon

and

hT

/1t

Y

ew

Jlon-k



Son.retimes

tsXe

shovzs

Himself

in

one

vzay

Sometimes

in

the

oppos

rt'e

way

-

the

vrork

c,f

religion

is

naught

but

bewilderlil,l*0,

IMYSTE'IF:"

.I

AND

PARADOX

Scpa.rai:eness

and

affi

niq'

.€rom

tirre

immemorial

human

beings

have

longed

to

tuild

a

bridge

over-

i:he abvss

-n

hich

,.prrrr.r

tfr.i,

inai""ia"^l

exisiences

{rom

the

totaliiy

of

Being.

The

momen,

";L;;;;es

avrakened'

even

to a

lesser

degree'

to this

ionging

underlying

or-,"',

"*i"tt'ce)

one

has

already

tairen

the

frrst

step

r:o.,,zarcls

oridging

o,r".

1u.-ruyrr.

Y.t

at

the

same

time

one

has

entered'

."r'lre,.,s r,.rith no

-urry

of

-.arrarr,

ia,'o

the

realm

of

mysteries

and

paradoxes:

t;;i,f",*.,,}

.rl;;h";;;;t

impossibitities,

which,

on

rhe

one

hand.

intei:si{y the

longing,t

iJ'*irr.,";t

aiso

the

quest-energy-and

the

degtee

o[

r,,akefu1n,:ss,

but

on

,u.

ltfttt

i'"d,

make

th"

go'i

""*

ft"th"t

and

{urther

a-w'l.y)

incre

a.nd

more

elusive

a-nd evanescent'

.tn

the

tirst

instance

"rr.'r"rr'the

following

paradox:

the

object

clc

one's

i.*fi"g,:n

the

partic,ri,.

lfo'*'by

which

trt

ihoo'et

to manifesr:

ltself'

has

cerrain

siinilarities

.r,irh

oneseli{

-

,h...

i-s

a

certain

affiniry

which

aliows

one

,-o

iecogr:ize

in

k

a

t;;;i;r

aspect

of

oneself;

y"t

",t1.1tTetime

It

is

-u'hclly

<1.'{{erent.

It it

f"*lft'r."o

o''tt't

deepest

experience

o{

oneself

and

,,rnii1.ê

an

y

knovzn

e:<peiience'

I n

Tbo

Conference'of

the

Bi'ds,

the

great

symbolic

Sufi

eprc

of- tjre

Quest'

/:i:i-.r.r,

thr.

'rrvel{th-cerri',r.f f"ttl'rr

poei'

describes

how

the

Great

Being'

the

192

-t

i,

'Tli-{E

,4'{

)('Sif

E

F"[

[.,r

/V[

C(-IAI,I#AIC7/

O}d/S

AND

THE,

'1:

ri,ll-

liao

sYltiDRCivlE,':

FROiVI

F'rl,,tLAlR.nT)a

"il

O

ONTE,NE'SS

ilJ

S1$,F'n

PSYCI-{OtOGY

,lav'a

Slpirt

FROi,t POLARITY

TO

OlgilNESS

Il.,l

9iJF'i

I]SY(,HOLlG-f

Simorgh

(literail;., siliz-murgh:

Sii,-er

Bir,J, I)ersiai-:),

fiis;

:evealed itseif

the

vrorld:

k

v,ras

in

Ci\ina, la-re one mccnless

iright

Tire

Simorgh

first

appea.red to

mcrta.l sielrt

-

I{e

ier a

feather fioai. dov,.n

ihi:ough

che

,rir.

And

nrmours

of

il i:ame

sp:,:ea-d

glrs;:;,o;l-9'-,'.?

This

feather is recognized

by

the raultitude

o,:

i-rird,s,

r.,,hr ;i:e tire

s'.mbcii:

seekers,

a.s

'a

sign

of Him', theii:

Supericr

Lr.ing,

bec,-use ihe1,

;6o ,-r.

featlrered creatures.

,P,nd

at

tire

same

time

il

is

a

ieathe:r

s-.',;niike

1s1'

6"i1e--

feather,

so magnificent,

so undescribable,

that'che pcet

r'eels

cbligec'i :c

vrithdraq,

frorrr

iris creative eloquence into a. reverent

sii..:rce:

Eut since no words

s,.iffice,

r.,rhat

ust: a;rr,

line

Tc

represent or to describe this sigr,i'

/_

_rtr\

\li.

-J

/

It

is the

recognition

of sometliing

ceepll. familiai: yet txaliy

otirr::

i;.i

iir

r:uminosity

which ignites

in the hearts

of

the'birds"ti-ie a:piraticn,:o set

c'f,:

on

a

journey

in

quest

of the Simorgh,

their

l-Iigirel. Self.

TL is :.s an ar-chetypal

longing vrhich

is

echoed in ma-ny a ti'aditicn:

Arjuna,

the

i1l-.istr:ious ai-cliei:

of

the

Hinciu epicTbe

fulahabbarata,

calls

out

1o

Krsna,

i-r's

r:hai-iotee

r,

v,,ho

is none

other

than the

earthly incernation of

Vishnu:'i

lo:rg

:c

1:ehcii

i,our

Divine

Forrn.'3

And

ivioses on

J,4otint

Horeb,

afcei:

being

l

pakerr

tc

ry

God

'as

a

man speaketh

unto his friend'

(E:tod.

j3:

i1.), says:

'I

beseech

Ti-iee,

show

me Thy

Giory'(33:

iB). trn the Isiamic ti:aditicn

at.Larqe,

and

rr-r

St-fi

tradition

in

particuiar,

Moses has

l:e.:ome

the archet;rpe

:f

the

proJ-iiiet,

a

highly

evolved

aspirant, a mediator between God

and.

riari,

i'riio {ra-Enot

content himself with

the

gift

of

conv:rsing r',,ith God,

br

t

is d:i-,,en bj, an

unquenched

thirst to'see'eye

to

eye,

to harre;.'visuai'ercounr-er

v.r;tli

r:he

divine.

Yet this encounter

is a shatte::ing expe:-ience.

The

6ery

ionging

cf

the spirit

cannot

be

matched

by

the frailt;,

and

densitl,

of

tl::e

physical,

emotionai

and mental vessels.

Thus

Arjuna,

shocked

an

i

sha.:len

i,), th.

'vision

of God

in

its

LlniversaL Form', cries:

I

have

seen

vrhat

no

man

ever

savr l)efor:e rne:

Deep

is

my delight, but still m),

dread is

g;reate,:

Shov, me nour your

other

frcrm,

C

Lord, be gi:,:ious

.

. .

^

Show

me

nor{ the

shape

I

knev, of

old.-l

Anci lt4oses,

in

lViicirashic elaborations

of

the

bibiical

storyr.

'i,hen

:onfr:irteci

with the heavenLy

host,

v,rith

thousands

upon thotrsancis

of

angels

-

r-'lc

angels

oia

storms, and the angels

of

ha"il,

and the

angels

c

siro'zr,

an'i

tne

angels

of

6re

-

all a.ssailing

him and artacking

him

for: his humzn avci.acity

-

shouts at the

end of

his tether: enough Let

go of me

I i'elinquisr

.ny

request I

191t



iSLA.}d

The

mysiical

journey,

iike

indeed

the

journey

towards

individuation'

'*Lo',

ruU.r,

sincerely,

*ilt'dt'

from

the

outset

to

this

mystery:

one

seems

to

travel,

asray

[ro*

or,"'t

ot;i"'f

l-"-t*'"uelf

into

the

reaim

of

the

Numinous'

ilre

Extra.or'<ii.rr.y,

,f,"-

ir"l,i'i"g,

ot'ly.

to

realize

"g?i1

.Td

again

that

ultiraatel;,

the

journey"i'-**"d'it'e's

deepest

sense

of

Selihood'

At

the

encl

of

"

Iif.t";;;;;t"tf

t"*t

o{

tire

'birds'

in

Attar's

poem

arrive

,.,r

ihe

simcrgh,s

court.

iliot

the-moldrude

which

had

been

so

eager

to set

of-r(,

tut

only

a.*rfi'"**U"t -

thi"y

birds'

to

be

sure'

Afrcr

a

long

;;n;;;;;'',t;.,

;hi.;;-k*

"P

;;';.of

the epic'

in

vrhich

their

guide'

rhe

l:{oopoe,

,nrrr,,.'-'t'"*

ntl

the

knowledge

o{

the

obstacles

a-n<i

*1'r*.;".

of th"

'r"""t'

valleys

of

the

Path"

They

saw

the

bovz

of

this

great

enterprise

Could

not

be

drawn

by

weakness'

sloth

or

lies'

Arrd

so*"

were

so

t"i

do"n

that

then

and

there

They

turned

aside

and

perished

in

despair'

The

remnant

rose

uP

ready

to

depart'

They

tta"elled

ot'

f"r

years;

a

li{etime

passecl

Before

the

ionged-for

goal

vras

reached

at last'

What

happened

as

they-flew

n

cannot

say'

But

if

You lourneY

on

ihe

narrow

\flaY'

Then

you

will

act

as

they

once

did

and

know

The

miseries

cheY

had

to

undergo'

O[

all

the

^tt"Y

ih"

set

out'

how

few

Survived

the

V/ay;

of

that

great

retlnue

A

handful

lived

until

the

voyage

was

done

-

Of

e'zery

thousand

there

remained

but

one

'

'

'

'

A

worli

o{

birds

set

out'

and

there

remained

B,rt

thirty

when

the

promised

goal

was

gained'

Thirty

tnh"'ttd,

wretched'

broken

things'

flith

hopeless

hearts

and

tattered'

trailing

wings

Who

"*

that

nameless

Glory

which

the

mind

Acknowledges

as

ever-undefined'

(PP'

213-ts)

Aird

here,

rr.t

iast,

when

these'thirry

birds'^(in

Fersian:

srmurgb)

are

allowed

entry

into

,h"

irrrr"r,i-,ot'

ti"*Utt

"f

the

Simurgh'

the

mystery

of

Oneness

and

Separateness

unfolds:

Then,

as by

shame

their

spirits

were

refined

Of

'11

ti-t"

iotld"

weight'

they

began-

to

nd.

A

nevr

life

flow

towards

them

from

that

brtght

Celestial

and

ever-living

Light

'

'

'

'

Their

life

came

from

that

close'

insistent

sun

And

in

its

vivid

rays

they

shone

as

one'

194

FROM POLARITY

TO OI*iEI'TESS tr}tr SUI;I PSYCF

O:OGY

There

in

the

Simorgh's

ra.ci-iant

f2qs

rfis;r

ssyrr

Themseh,es,

the

Simorgh

cf

the

v"orld

-

q,ith

:q,e

The1.

gazed,

and

dared

at

last

to

comprehend

THEY

\yERE

THE SIMORGH

AND

THE

JOURNEY,S

E]'IIi.

They see

the

Simorgh

-

at themselves rhey

sr:,i::,

And

see

a

second

Simorgh standing

:here;

They

look

at

bodr

and

see

the tvro are

one"

That

this is that,

that this,

the

goa.l ir; rron.

They

ask

. .

.

how

is

it

irue

That

'v,re'

is

not

distinguished

here fl'om

'),o,r'I

And

silently

their shining

l-ord

replies:

't

AM

A IvtIRRoR

sET BEFoRE

youR

E'aES,

AND ALL

ITHO

COME BEFOF,I]

MY

SPLENIDOUR Si

]:,

THEMSELVES,

THEIR O\#I\I

R,IALITY.,

(pp.218-1e)

nfle shall return to

the

image

of

the irti.rror and

the

reflecticn lacei:

or-..

Tim"ue,

spaee

arad

-Timaeless

Tinne

Before

one arrives

at

the

mystery of

the

reflection of one':' E,ssence

cn

the

mirror

of

total

Being,

one is

confronted

with yet

another

paradox:

che

rnystery

of time

and

space.

Time

and

space imply moveclent;

movement

implies

change; change

implies

growth.

This

is the

liirear,

the

progressi-,,e

aspect of

the

journey,

and it is essentlal

for the

'progress

one

expects to

make

on the path

of

transformation.

In

the

quest for

v,rholer

ess

orle

acts and

moves

within

the

boundaries

of time,

place and

circumstances;

and

irel

one becomes aware

that

Wholeness,

of

qrhich

one

can

o,:casionallt, i-rave

glimpses,

is beyond the boundaries of time, place and circr

mstances.

Sufi

tradition

is

keenly interested

in

the

progressive aspec:

of

the

jou":nei,,

and

therefore has elaborated

emphaticaliy

the

spatial image of

the

'jou::ney'

(sayr,

sulab) or

the

path (tariqa). Sufis are often

nicknalned

'r,ray[t.rers'

(si.'iril.n,

sa'ibun,

salikun),

and

their

jou.rney

is carefull;, ma:pe<i

in

the Sufi

manuals according

to

its various

stages

and stations

(maqanut).

The

seeker

moves

progressively

from one'station'to

the other. Each stzticn

is a

halting

place in

which

the way{arer

has

to

'work' on

a

certain aspe-x.

o{

rimself

in

order

to

be

able

to move

on

to the ne)rt. trn

fact, each

station desigiraies a

certain ethical

obstacle,

or

a

psychological

block. related tc

blincspots

ancl

unresolved

needs. These

have to be

overcome

in

order to

acliie.re

the et,ricai

stature and

the psychological maturity which is prerequisite

for

genuine

spirirual

life. The

Sufi masters

harre

recognized,

of.

course, tl-rat vrithir, tire

structured

outline

of

the

journey,

room should

[:e allov,,ed

fo

r

flexibiliry

and

variations in order

to

accommodate different types

and

indiviCuaiities

-

,rfter

all,

this

is

a

journey'of

the

alone

to

the

alone',

and it

r,rries

rcrom

one

1,95



ISLA"M

';i?.yfater

to

,rnother.

-T{ence

the well-know-n saying,

attributed

to a1-T1a11a-j,

a Sufi

iriartTi of the ninth to tenth centurl: 'The

Faths are

as

many

as the

souls of i:-rel and

'women

on

'che

surface

of the

earth.'

And

yet, from the

ei..ri;r

c6;npllations

of

the

tenth

century

to later

poetic

illustrations

such

as

'The

Coi'rference

of

tbe Birds, Sufi

authors

deemed

it

necessary

to

include

ln

ti.reir

.wori<s

a

detailed, albeit variegated, mapping

of

the

i'ourney's

stations,

io

be

usecl

a,;

a

guideline

and as a )Treans for

orientation.

Cbser.rinll the nature

of

these

'stations'

an eleventh-century Persian

:cmpiler

wi'ites:

'Sratioi, '

\maqam.)

denotes anyone's

'scanding'

in

the Way of God, and

his

fuifilrrent

of

the obligations appertaining to that

'statio,n'

and his

keeping

ir-

until he comprehends

its perfection

as

far

as

lies

in

a

man's

ocy.rer. .

. Thus, the

first

'station'

is

repentance

(tautba),

then comes

rcnversic n

fof

the

heart] (inaba), thea renunciation

(zwhd),

then

trust

rn

Go.J

(;:aua.lzk.u.l)

and so on"5

-lhe

'stations'

are

traversed

in

t-ime,

and are indicators

of

the progress

;.cbie.t ecl ti.ri'o,r€ih practices

and

effort (mwjab ada).

Aloagsid,:

this

tempoi:a-l-spatiai aspect cf

the

inner

jouirney,

hcvrever,

Srrfis reali:z:

anothertype c.{

psychological

occurrence:

they ce,ll it

bal

lstrrg.)/abzu,ii

(pl.), which

means

,:hanging,

or

fluctuating

'states',

and

they

iiescribe

ir

as

'flashes

of

lightning' vrhich'vanish

almost

as

soon

as theF

,:iescenci

cn

ti-Ie

ireart'.(' The bre.rity of

these inner

happenings corresponds

,Ji'iectly

to

,:heir

intensitl,, and

it is the

intensity,

not

the amount

cf

effort,

,:.v

vihich il,eir effect is rneas,,rrec1.

'States'

constitute

a

polar-complementary

aspect

cf

'slations'.

Inhis

l{ashf

al-Ma,ltjAb al-F1ujwrri

writes:

"State'll',at)...

is

sornething

that descencis

fi:om

God into

the

heart,

r,rithout

the recipient of it

ha.ring

any

con'rrol

within his power

to

either reoel

it when it

comes

or

attract

it wheir it

goes away.

Therefore,

vzlrerea-s

ntaqarn denotes

the

seeker's

journey,

and the progress

he

has

been

mai<ing on the le.zel of efforts,

and hence

the stage

he takes before

God ac<:ordidgly, hal

denotes

God's

grace

which He

bestows uporl

LIis senants, rega"rdless cf an,u

effort

on

their part. Maqamat

belcng

to

tlr'-. realn.r

of

activities

[:

practices];

abzaal

belong

to

the realm

of

boons.

(P'

181)

'The

a.l7ui"l,

srhich

are likened to

li3hming,

descend

suddenly

and unexpectediy

upon

the

i..eart with

'rioience

and

vigour, sweeping

away all perception of

ti'me.

'\X/hnn

the

ahutal

riescend upon

the

heart

they

cease to

exist

in

time',

.,,,i:ites

A1-,?ushairi,

one

of

the

rrrain Sufi compilers

of

the

eleventh

ceiltury

in|..is

Episile

on. Swfi.sm

(:

al-Risala

t5'ilm

al-ta5aw*rfl.'

And Na-jm

al-Din

Kubra,

a

great

.zisionary

o* the

thirteenth

century,

describes

in

these

urords

the

emoticnal intensity

and

con,plextry

of

avtsual

12al,

experienced

probabiy

in a-

sta.te

,ri:

.Jeep

meditation:

FB.oI\4

POL.A.RITY

To

C}JE].JiSS

IN

SL,iFi

PS?CH/)L.-)C].

szhen

the

'weil'

f=-1i''"

symbo,i

o{

ruuld-dime:rsioirai

exi:

rer.ir:el

re.tc-ais

itself

tc

yo,,

i,,

rh.

urrr"

"f

1;;;;:.,

fghaiba

_

io,,s

of

u,akins

onsciousnessl,

you,wiil

.*p*.;rr_,..

,rrol_,.oil",

L..

^ra

,.,

_*irir*,iirli

he

spirir

"f

i;f"

*ili

,."*'r"- l-1".-,*..,rg

from

;,6u.

.

.

F'on:

rhe

v.ell'

wondrous

images

a,d

visio,s

"rill

^r;r.

in

front

o.:you;

i..is.ic's

Jrou

v,rill

never

be

a.ble

to

fo.ger

l>e"rur.

.f th.]

*r,.*;r,-r"i,ufferiag

they

wiii

cause

vou

to

experiince.

.

.

.

Tl-ren

_gcrr

v,iil

rcioi:e

in

then_r

and

be

ierrifedi;,

rlr.*

I"i'-L,.

r","r.*a

ro

r:l:e:u,

2.,"nf,.,:1;,+,iii

i:aste

opposing

,srates,

in

one

state.8

Su6

psychology

thu-"

,Jiffereni:ia.tcs

berv.een-.to,,c

1:oiar

i:.rocie:

oi

r:l:.e

n-',;r31i62[

iourney:

the

ethical

and

the

ecsratic;

rt.,"

*;f,i-.t;.i;ii";.i,'{o-.o,t.,,ii"d,

physical\'

orientared,

an,.-

*a-...r'r.-u.r.a

ei:lic,i:t-";

and

rh:

fiuici,

er:h'reai,

ffective,

archetyDai,

rporrrr,.,"orr,-'n.-]J,i.,our,

.;irneiess

::,:a-lr_e;:p61.16n66s.

Some

later

Sufis'relate,j'the

fo.mer

t"-{"*"",,

t r;*.:irl,i),"-)aiaql,

nna

h

e latter

to'psych

ic

ti^..,

1r

o,ni)

)"rf*a

;

;

;;;

;;

":;,'inalrp"r.

r.ui.,

hey

balance

each

orher.

The

,o.o

nr"

r.L,nJir_*enra.ry

to

trre

:

rrtr-nr

rher

w-ire.

he

ego

has

reached

a

brearring

p"i"t

;,

i',1

nera

of

disciprine

and

.u,orrri,

a.nd

ts

efform

rease

(as

we

shalt;;

f.""il":^;),,.;;";;:;^t*:;;;,

\,ireir

:nr

nten-"ity

of

the 'sta-te,

.wanes

nnd

a,rrpor^

tes,

acti_,,it1,

.,r

ci

:r-,..criccs

are

ailed

for'

seeker'-discipt.,

*io

lrr'-5".*.-aeveioped

ln,:

mode

are

nstructed

by

their

m.asters

to

,wot-ir.,

on

its

cpj:osite,

iir

c

rcl,:r

::o

coirec{:

heii:

over-indul

gence.

Yet

in

spiie

of

this,complemenrari,lz,

Su6

my.*i

:C

psvcl:ci

rg1,

is

cie6r,itei;,

oloured

by

ahraai,

by

th"

i.,r;;;

h;;;r,,o".

oi

the

hea-ii

fronr

sraie

rc

tate'

'For

the

heart.fluctuates

fror,r

stats

to

state,

v.rire_.

.bii

.;l.rat:i.

iire

ell-known

Andalusian

mystic;f;l;";.;;,

rhir,."rth

.f.*

_,1,

.;".,

z.s

]or,,

-

ihe

Eeloved

-

is

,.ea,ch.,J.'^y

upon

ri..,r.f.,,({ltrr.

55:

2r.),.o

A

subtie

semanrics

links

the'myrr;.ri

1,r,"

ljiai

,v;th...l

,"r,.

(wa.jd)

atc

rith

the

mysrical

s,:;rs1

.of

,;*,

p)qr1,.'

{;

'a;{

r;;;r'

;;'

...,,1,.r,

,,,rn,,

ispiklTafi

and

their

definirions,

-o;)

i,

iru.r,S,"g

,r..r.n

u,,,"rp..r.i"*.,,r-,t,iing

ll

3h.

her.l

upon

the

,.-.rnb.*r,..

of

,o-.ttr;ng

lost,.i,

Bi,

this

reriri

liufi-"

ornt

to

the

overnrhelmingly

inrensiiied

emot:ons

encc,-

nr,:rej,

on

rhe

ourney.

Wojd

is

rorn"ri-"r"rrro.;rr"I-ro;L a.u,r,.*n"u,

ir)t),,-";,r*"

"r,

apture

(*talah).

Etymolcgica)ly,

zaaja,.["rir,",

Irom

v/

J

l_,

a.n./ri-abic

ioct

hich

means'to

find,

o..io

"*irr,.

Wri),'

the

ininiri.e,

,,."rr-,.rirrelrce,)

being',

or

aiso

*

especiariy

i"

s;i

',"'rî."irr-,rr:

fi.d

ones,,rir

in ;

:,r,s:icaj

pace'which

t"'s.ends

seqrentiri

,';;';;*.y

is

rhris

c:rcei,,,qc,

c.f

as

,..

psychic

scate

which

is

experiencecl.

as

a

rh..r

r,.rr.

of

.,re:

ng,,.:

sratl

ofPresence'

in

a timeless

momenr.

Hence,

rn

S.ufi

,o..t

ut*.i

':il;,

(ot

qi),

s

a.

technica[

term,

rneans

,presenr,,

.*"r,-ranr,,

.i])ar,.

The;

r.,i

is

s;id

t,l

L,:

the

child

of

the

moment,..A.i-ershr;.i,

,h"'"l"rearh_cent,r.,

a*thoi:

oi. the

pistle

(=

Risala),

a

compirarion

*ilh

t;;;*e

the

cla..ssicai

,

ranr,.l

.;i

rrcs:

ufi

circles,

wrire_":

196

4

t)')



ISLAM

\i.rrts

(-r1a.4;)is

that

in

urhich

yoti

are'-'

','

Xf

vou

are

in

[a

statel

of

loy'

;;;;;;;

jov;;r

,:;;;;;;ist't"t."f

sadness'

vour

tirne

is

sadness

. . .

.

'Tirri*:'

means

d;;;;;

i"

*hitlt

one

is'

'

'

'

Thus

it

is

said:

The

Sufi

is

the

child;;;;"fi";

|"|-tafr;U"

al'ruaqt)'namelv

the

Sufi

i'"*"pl.,f

with

thai

which

is

most

appropriate

for

that

moment'

'

'

'

ti'{el

is

not

occupiedl;;;

o;t;

tt

by

hi'

fut"";

he

is

totally

occupied

il;

"i.

'tinre'

inihich

he

is'12

'Tr,me

is orecrous',

says

Junaid' the.great

ninth-century

Sufi

teacher

of

the

P'r.ehclaCi cenrre;

'or',""

ii t'^'

p"ttalt

cannot

be

captured"'

And

Abu

Nasr

;i:il.li;,

,i*';;;rh*;'*r*

'j*p;,er

in

whose

BooL

of

Shimrnering

Lights

Glitnb

nl.-Ltnta';

3,,"'i*"aiti"'i-'

i'

qt'ottd'

adds

a

cornmentary:

'he

means

i,crrt'

breach,

and

the

ti*"

-*f

i"n

pit'"'

b"t*een

Past

breath

and

future

i;r.,';iil;;;;'

,;i;;;

""

l"'i"r"r

of

the

remembrance

of

God

vou

"r;11

nr"r,r

cxch

it

agaiJ'1'

,

---L

^-r

,

r

/hat

is

this

'time'

*h"'u

duration

lasts

between

one

breath

and

another?

../,/hat

is

the

frigh

"l"t'*l';oi'

is

attached

to

the

conscious

remembering

of

t',:

.fivine

ar

,rvery

p^*l"g

b.rr,h,

trri-r"r

k

that

which

is

lost

{or

ever-when

rhr

desirecl

staie

o{

p,"""-"*

and

consciousnes.s

gives

way

to

an-unconscious'

hee.jless

state

o'f

f"r8";f,il;;'G;fl''t)t

This

is

t"t

*"t"'tt

-

signifi'cant

for

capturing

th.

'u*i.t"t'ti'il'n'""1,,

o{'*y'ti"i'*

in

the

Sufi

tradition

-

by

"'l-,ich

S,-,fi

teachers

t'^""

'fi"a"a

io

the

mystery

of

the eternal

'novr" of

a

iir.reless

;ime

'

i

"';-;;";;

;;esent

this

perc-eption

from

yet

another

PersPectlve'

mucrl

pondered

in

tiu,.c,li*r;.;;.-Th.

mystical

tradition

to

urhLh

one

is

af'liated

is

o.,.

dehniticn

a

historical

phenornenon;

and

yet

its.dme-bou1 -l1e'*"'

its

"'

:

i"

:;i-

;;;

;;;;

i,),]'il^'

;"'

x'

^t'i'),

ih'o"

gh

which

th

e

esoteric

te

achin

g

,-infoids

in

iinre,

rnd

*ii"h

is

passed

on

from"teacher

to

disciple

generation

:v

eeneratior,,

"t-"y'

it-;t';;

;;

'mythical

event'

beyond

time

and

space'

;J

"1;i;

,h."ffi'##.;;';

,.,,d

bod

was

est,blished

once

and

for

all,

anc

at

which

,t-,"

,t"J

oiio;;i;g;"t

planted

for

ever'

In

the

Sufi

tradition

tlris

'orimord;rl

.o.ri'

iuîlffi

"

''ht

D.'ay.of

the

Covenant'

(1tawm

al'

,rrtniii.ilu

f^t.a

on

a

Qur'lnic

verse

which

reads:

Ancl

when

th)'

Lord

took

{rom

the

children

of

Adam'

from

their loins'

their

seed,

,"d

*"d.

thern

testify

touching

themsel'res'

'Am

I not

your

I-ord?'

Th':i'

said,

'Yes, we

testify'"

e:,7?)1a

accorclingtoSuficommentaries'thisFrimordialCovenantinwhichthe

,Children

of

Adam"

i.e.

humanity

as

a

whole,

rcstify

and

accept

God',s

Lordship

rePresents;;;;

before

time"'an

existence

before

existence''

It

relates

to n.,

,,ndifie";;d

;*te

of

human

existence'

in

which

the

individual

exist".,ces

of

men

and

v/omen

are

Potentialities

only'

Juraici,

the

main

;ilil-

ol

n'gftaâ

i"

th"

ninth

century

maires

the

198

FROM POLARITY TO

ONENESS

IN $UFI PSI,CFI(}LOGY

'Covenant'

a

central'cheme

in

his

teaching.

i--{:s

unCerstardir,g of Llnity

(tau;bid)

and

mystical knowledge

(n'ra'rifa)

is

the utcome

oi

his rr.edim:ions

on

this verse.

In

one

of

his Epistles he

writes:

In

this

verse Gocl

tells

you

that

He

s,roke to tl,em at

a

tin,e

ahen

they

did

not exist, except

so

far

as they

existed in

l-{im.

'Xhil

e;ristence

is

not

the

same type

of

existence

as is

usualil,

attributt:d to

Go,C's

creatures;

it is a

type

of existence

which

only God

knorvs . .

.

embracing

them

he sees them in

the beginning

v,hen

tL.e;r 6se nor-

existent

and

unaware

of

their

future

existei:ice

in

the

world.

The

existence

of

these

is

timeless.ls

The Primordial Covenant

is

understood also

as a.n intirna-tion cf the

ultire;,te

proximiry

between

human beings anci God at

th.is Timeiess'l''irne.

i',:

aliudes

to

the

primordial

'union' between human beings

and

the

d.

vine.

It is

this

state

of nearness

(qu.rb) and intimacy ('uns) that tke mystic lc

ngs for

oui:ing

his

lifetime. The

journey

in

this

respect

is

nothing

bi-1t

a

"return

tc

the

beginning',

or

more precisely:

'return

to the

"Sorrce

oli Bei

rg'" (in

Ara,bic

-

al-ma'ad ila al-mabda'). The

ultimate

goai,

tire

arrival

(',r;rsu\

^t

o, s:,a.te

of

Oneness

with

the Beloved, is

tlie ret,.rrn to the state in vhi:h cne

er'zs

before

oile was.

Here

is

Junaid

again:

\[hat

is the

Unity (tazobrd)

of

the mystics?

that

the

senra.ni

[:

hr.,*rn

being]

be

as

a

lifeless

body

in front of God

.

.

. in a

state

of

z

nnihiiatioe

(fana')

from

the

[ower-]

sel{ (na"fs)

anci

frotn people's expe<'tations

.

.

.

devoid

of

sense perception and

bodiiy rlovement,

so

that

\:urbl:

a1-

Haqq,

one

of God's

names] may

fulill

what

It had

ra,ilie.l

for

hir'.,

namely: that HIS

END

\flILL RETUR]''I TO

HIS

BF.GININING,

hl\lD

Ti-iAT

HE BE AS HE

\irAS

BEFORE

HE

\flAS

. . .

.

XJnity

r-::Iea.ns

to

c( mtl out

c[

the confinement

of

temporality

into

th.e

spaciousness

and e

xpanses cf

Timelessness

(s

armadryy

a).1

6

But now,

if

the

'Day

of

Covenant'

(can

r,,e

not

see

in

it an a."chec;,pe

o;: a

universal initiation

into

the mystery of

the One

a.nd tire

rnany?) aud t:e

primordiai

state of being in Oneness

are indeed

drneless,

thei tire

iongei-

for

state of

intimate

prorjmity

belongs

to

an

eternzl

Nov-'

Here Sufi

psychology chalienges our

cieeply engrained

tenlporai-causal

perception,

which

insists

on

understanding

the 'Day

of

(lo.renant'

rs

belonging to some remote past,

and on envisaging

the

end

cf

the ouest

,r-s

an

evanescent

goal

hidden

in

some

distant lluture. it ;akes

a

F.ur:i

to :uddress

this paradox

from

the intuitive

vantage point of

poets-lovers*'x),stics.

F:li:

simpler than any speculation, his srords go straight

into

the irr'ari,

Lovers

don't

finally

meet

somewhere,

They're

in

each

other

all

along.li

t99



ISLA}I

Iu

mcomsci

oeas

kalovrlecXge

-,

1:e aci

6[

,;5r iying, the

explicii

accePtance

by

humanity

of

God

s Lord-

shi;*,

cci'rta,in.

r,r€t

,";;;';;tacic";:'the

rnysrcry

of

knowledge

which

i."i""rt.,-lr*,

at.,

;

;t;;;rily

betom"

conscious'

the

paradox

of

tnconscicus

'r"*.nlb.ttn."l.

Ot",

in

the

unconscious

all

human

beings

;;;;

i*,ri.,r'

.f

,t u':vtt;

-;'l''-hi"h

they

responded

toGod's

question:

'Arir

1 not

)/our

L".i?'-

Yet

this

imprint'

the

'mearory'

of

this

acr

ot

acl'"now1edg,:ment

-

a

Gnostic

act

Pat

excellence

-

is

bound

to

remain

bu.l-iecl,

dorinant

".d".,nton'"ious

during

their

wakeful

li{e'

Ibn

'Arabi'

v,hose

ieachiirg

U..r*.'"""

.f

,1'r*

".r'rrrî

theosophical

systems

within

tire

S,rii

t.udido,

{"rom

rhe

thirteenth

century

onwards'

writes:

Gc..-l

depcsited

v'nthin

man

knowledge

of

ail

things'

then

prevented

i-rin.r

rci:or..

p....i'rirrf

*h^t

trft

nad

clJposited

within

him

'

'

'

'

This

is

one

cf

the

divine

*?ti"titt

which

reason

denies

a-nd

considers

totaliy

i*p.*;U,.'

Th.

rr.r.n",s

o'f

this

mystery.

tc

ihose

ignorantof

it

is like

God"s

nea"rness

to

F{is

serr/a-nt'

as

rnentioned

in

His

words'

'T7e are

i.1e^ter tc

leii,,

thn*-f.,',

but

-cu

do

nct

see'(Q':r'

56:85).'

and

{-{is

.lqqsl5'\r/3

r."

t.^.i.

to

him'tran

the

jugular

vein'(50:

i5)'

In

spiie

c'f

this

ire2-rness,

the person

does

not

Derceive

and

does

not

know

'

'

' '

i.to

rn. irnovzs

*ir^,

l,

within

l:rimseif

until

it

is

uirveiled

to

him

instant

by

instarl.ls

.n

r-i,e

3u

r traditicn

the

hiclcle-:r

knowledge

unfolds

i".:h:

ttT:

of

myscic

recoilection'

which

is

brought

about

by

the

pt"ctice

of

.dh.i/er'

Dbikr

means

temembra-n,;.,

.."o11"",io"i""a

il

has'become

the

technical

term

for

Sufr

ineditation.

f.rorl.jl-y

?'t"t*f'

focusing

one's

attention

on

God

by

.;;;;;i;g

*

orally

o. i;t"*tly

-

God's

"'*""

in

panicular

the

most

sacred

iraine,

ALLI\H.

This

is

an'b'otbit'g

practice

in

whici-r

one's

consciousness

transcencis

,,h.

.og.riri*

b*"d-i"l'tf

i*"

and

space

and

one's

temporai

ittributes

,,.e

oblite.^t;.;;;il;;;acrice

of

dhikr

t1te

sufi

becomes

absorbed

.r.ithin

,n

u;rdifferenr;rt.a1tt'lty'

This

state

is said

to

be

a re-enactment

o{

..lr.'p.i*".,,;al

state

"i"U"l'y'

i'{

'h.:-:o"l,absorption

of

atl:ie:s

faculties

oile's

ego

..rru.rorrr.,.,'

U"t"*t'

cliffused'

The

ego

;ests

in.a

suspended

state

cf

non-being,-rn"iftln'ion,

for

which

the

Sufi

term

is

fana'"Yet

:i;nr-titanccrrsil'soinething

else

ta'hes

over'.a

di{ferent

state

of

consciousr'ess

cn

ale,tei-lr;.r,

,rnrri.;:,

;h;

*..rd

^r,d

,h"

,".,rory

perce,rions-

since

chis

'.)rDe

of

consciousness

is

beyond

a'ny

ternpotal

or

spatiai

points

of

re{erence'

,,he

S.-.-fi

is

sa.id

to

Lre

in

a

state

of

'permane"t

"*i"""t""

'for

which

Sufi

,:erininolog',

assigns

the

term

baqa|

'

Thrc,.rgh

,u,

,rripii";-;H;i;""'s

in<iividual

existence

in

time'

the

Sufi

ieturfls

to'ihe

rrrr"'ii"

tL'

bu{o'"

lte

was"

and

through

this-experience

the

jor.-irant

iz,emo{,

"}'rri,

plr,;rpation

_in

the

corlective

'yes'

is

re'rived.

.,le'rerrerb..r'

n,r"J

i;t;t

that

which

had

been'deposited

within'

his

FRO]\4

PCL/'RITY TO

Oi.illlNE,SS

INi

5l_,iri

PSYCI.i

Ji-OG1'

innermost

being.

This is

the irnorriectge

cf-

rae hear:r,

sir

:e rt

ts the

her.r'.

which

Sufis see as

the treasure-i:o,-ise

of the

6ii:,114:1irr1;1

:ries,

anC;.,s

rir:

locus

of

tire

mystical

journey^1e

'God

placed rhe hea;r: n,ir rii-,

'il-.e

ca.vit-y' oi{

the

chest', writes

al-Hakirn al-Tirmidhi, ihe ninrir-cenr.ur1i :zg?

cl

I.:h,;rasa.r,

in north-east

lran,'a-nd

it

belongs

ro God

alone.

. ..'7t/ti:'...i:

i-ire

liea::r Goo.

placed

the knowledge

of Him and i ie

iit

it

vziti-r

,.he

divine

i ght

,

"

.

^

E-i. this

light I{e

gave

the

hea-rt

eyes

ro

see.'20

The

mystical knowledge, rhe

Lr.o*,, edge ci

rt:'t,ezr',

il tr,;:

Gao.;,s.

-'

cannot

be

acquirecl

through

hoolr.s

and

theorei:ical

'Ir--i

nuiatlcirs.

It

is

prirnarily

experiential.

It cannot corne from

',r,itircr.lt,

bec,ruse

rt

h;rs

been

stored

ali

along

in the

j.nnermost

recesses

of one's hearr-.

-'

7hen rt

elrerF.?s

'from

the <iepths,

stirrecl b), ti-r" energy

,:f

tl-ie

'j<'g;:ne),'.

c,,:

r,:cre

prec

sei"-,

stirred

by the energT of the 'guide,' (tnu:rsbid.,

itir,

:iiei.hh\. i

Coes

ret

--cri:e

up as

abstract noiions,

but as tendei'insights,

cr

..s

i.i1-

e::::-r-.sicn of

:re':

horirons,

or

as eil-encornpassing exaerience:,

.,,hici:

bc:l: i;.r:iude ar,cl

transcend,

body, mind and psyche"

Here is Rrlmr

again, v,rith

poetic

im.z.ger,,:

Those who hate attzine-i

.tnic:r,

Lrave

ncthir-

s

but

tne invra.rd e1,e and

tire

di',

n:

it.rtl

-

the'7 have

i:een

deiivcre'-i

of

sig;rs

zni.

rs:'-:i.s'-1

The

path

of

ef.'fortis

amri

t-hr* effo.ititesr

pz.i:i;

Earlier

on

we

obsen-ed.

the

polaritT

a.n,-l

complernenta-ri.t1' c.{ iizaqamoi zr;t

a"hzaal..

I-et us look closer

at the dia,iec,-ics

between

thr-:se

t..ro

pt--les

c

'ii..e

mystical

journey

in relation to the d1,n2111ics

ol

ihe eso) tire

i.:u,er sei{

inc.is)

in

Sufi psychoiogy.

'the

nza"qami.t, as

v,re

ha.ve seen,

ref'.iect

the ar,Cuou..;

p:i'cess

by

-,,,i-ri.h

ituman

stfength

andperseverance

are

put

to

the t,,,st.

I'l-re

jct,:nzy,

{rom this

angle,

calLs

for tremendous

qrill

pov/er.

It

is

a-sso':iared u,irh

paiii,

sui:ferrng

tnd

sacrifrce.

On

dre path

of

sincer:t1, t-rrd

prt:ification tlie

-ta'/[zicr

ht:s

tc

give up most,

if not

ail, oir vrhat

he possesses

-

irot cnl;,

material,

possessrcns,

but

most importaady,

mental and psychologicai concitic,rrngs.

5o iruch

does he invest

in

it,

that

a certain amount of e>;pectaticn

a.n1

seif.a-ppr,risa'

*

a kind

of

'bargaining'* creeps iri:

I have

gii,en

up sc nir;,,ir

':h.a.t

I

dr:sii-e

to

see

progress ...

;

indeed, I can

see

in

mlrs,:i.{

a. trene,tdous

clrarge,

therefore. ...

These ego-centred calculations ar.r(,

una,r.roida.irie p:,rtn,".-rs t.:

a'ny

enterprise

achieve<l

by ego-u'iii. Flence,

scroncr or iz.T.er, rirfla.ticir

co

rrerl

in via the efforts.

The more ascei;c

thq

path of

e'fforts is. the gl a.,-er: th: ris,r

ol:

an inflated

ego.

This

is

a

la-v,

to'be

reckoned vrith

or

,.he

?a.t\'c''

transformation;

an extreraely

subtle

ia.w

v;hich

cr,,,aies

a, pa,ra.-1.oxical

ticiou:'

circle:

one

cannot

progress vrithout

rnaking effo::tr'; the

resr.r.lts cf

ti-rc

elff rrts

are the indication

of

the

progress;

when one

becr:i-r

es cot-,scir:r,.s

cf

the

e:,:.ei:t

cfone's progress,

one fails into the

trap set up b;.the'caicuiating'egc

200



ISLAM

ln

S,:fi

p,;ychology the

ego

-

;eafs

-

is the

psychic component

which

a"scribes

everything

to

itself.

It

is the centre

from

which

one

perceives

oneself

as a sepa.rate

entity. This

is

the

seat

of

the l-consciousness.

From this

psychic

centre

one

is

aware

of

one's

needs

-

instinctual,

sexual,

emotional

or

s,oiritual; hence

-

it

is

through

the

ego

that

one

feels

frustrated

or

gratified,

fa"iling

or

su{:cess.ful. When ego

consciousness

is directed towards

a certain

object

or gorl,

and the

object or goal is won, the ego is

gratified.

Even when

the

objec'i

ir;

self-monification,

one

of the

stations

on the

path, perhaps

especiaily

then,

the ego

is

gratified

when this

has been achieved.

The

identification

of

the

ego

w-ith the "cbject

of

the

quest

is

particularly

strong

in

the arena

o{ spiritual experiences.

No

experience, lofty

as it

may be, is

immune

frorn

being possessed

by

the nafs

which

always ascribes

it to

itself:

i-iiy

visions,

r-ly

dreams, my

intuition,

my perseverance, my

surrender .

.

.

Sufi

terminology

has

developed subtle differentiations between

various

osrrchologicr.] obstacles which are

bound up

with

the

ego:'ujb: inflation,

conceit,

auto-eroticism:

riya'

:

being

a'ware

of one's

merits and

achieve-

nrents;

iddi',="

:

arrogance,

presumption. These

terms

are

seldom

used

in a

a'roralistic context,

but

rather

in

candid psychological

observations

of

how

the sly, power-driven nafs

t:;nctions

in

many a cunning

and decepdve

way,

in

crder

to

undermine the

process

of the quest;

simply because

the

object

o'[ rhe

quest always

transcends the

ego,

while the ego,

by

definition, is

^'l\N

av

s

seif

-c

e

ntred.

The

point at which the sincere seeker encounters the fuli consequence of

this

i,icious

circle becomes

a

crucial turning

point:

he

encouniers

tne

impossibilitl

of extracting himself

from the

ego.

In

other words: he

sees

tha.t

it is impossible

to

achieve the

object

of

his

quest

through

his

own

will

ai"'.d

efforts.

Disillusionment,

bewilderment

and

humility

replace the

former

inflatory

elation.

This is

the point

when

his

sinceriry makes

him

see

tte

fr:tiliq,

of his

efforts,

because

whether

he

likes it or not,

it is

at this

point

thai he

inust

{ace

his human

limitations, those in the limelight and those

in

the shadovr

.

.

. F{ere is

the

main

psychologicai paradox encountered

by

countless

Suis in their various

centres: the

mystic

vray{arer

goes

in search

of the ioftiest

object

imaginable,

yet

his

sincere

efforts,

if

they

are

truly

sincere,

lead him right

into the

lowliest

components of his perscnality.

'llan

is clay', writes

al-Hujwrri in

Kashf

al-Mafijub,'and

clay

involves

impurity.

Therefore

purity

bears

no

likeness

to

acts,

nor

can human nature

oe destroyeci

by

means

of efforts.'22

The

'follovring

is

an

authentic description, most probably

carved

out

of

ii-,:si-hand e;rperiences, of this ps)rchologicai impasse, written by

al-Hakim

a"i-Tirmidhi,

a ninth-century mystic

known

for his

astute

analysis of the

os-,rchology

o:f

the mystical

journey:

And

q,hea

the

seeker

has

exhausted all

his sincere efforts, and has

fo,:nd that

his lower sel{

(nafs)

and

all its

features are

still

alive

and

weli, he fa.lls

into

.bewilderment, and

his

genuine

efforts cease.

20?

FROM

poLARrTy

TO

ONEI{ESS

INI

SLJFI

pS)aCI1()I_OGy

F{e

says:

how

can

I

prevent

my

lower

sehi

ji.om

fbeing

grarified]

l>y

rhe

sweetness

of

rhese

spirituar

.xperien..s?

Fie

rea'zes

r:at

be

ca'

cjo

ir

no

more

than

white

hair

can

turn

black.

-

I{e

says:

I

have

harnessed

my loq,er

serf

wirh

my

true

s

-rbrnissio.

:o

God'

but

it

has

brotr<en

off

and

gone

loose.

I-{ow

shari

i capture

it

again?

And

so

he

falls

into

the

wilderness

of

confusion.

There

ire

stra;rs

2len

3,

lonely

and

desoiate.

No longer

i,

h;

;i;r.

to irimself

.

. .

nor

is

he

:rs

yet

close

to

Goc[.

He

becomis

constrained

1,n,udto,.rj

r'a

bJ*;,.t"..a.

He

does

nor

know

whether

to

go

fo.*"rci

or

,:ackward.

Despairing

of

his

sinceriry

he

lries

,.r,

,o

God,

empt;,.iranried,

h:s

heart-empty

of

any

effort,

and

,tr*

t

"

,ry,

;r,

,ris

heart,s

,:ommunic;_

tion:

You

who

know

all

the

hidden

thi.,ir,

yct,

knov,,

rhei

there

is nct

:ven

one

step

in the

arena

of

true

"ffo.is

rer'r

fcr

*.,

ir-,r-i.rouz

ihi:t

rt

rs

nor

possible

for

me

to

wipe

out

tiee

lusts

and.

desires

,..,.:m

Ly

,eJf

and

from

my

heart.

you

rescue

me

Tlren

C.ompassion

(rahtna)

reaches

i-im

anci

Le

is

spa.rec.

From

rir,:

place

where

his

sincere.effo.t,

,topp"l'hi,

h.rr,

is

lifted

t

p

:n

e.

flash

to

the

platform

of

proximity

at

the

ai.r"

,rrr"r"

.

.

.

";;

,f*"

,or..,

of

Unity

he

"rpr'dr.

Thi;

is

,h.

o,.rnirrg

o:i

God,s

.F.;;;

ia;;

7:62):'He

who

ansq/ers

rhe

constrainii

<Zr*"iir]rj

,,i,*'i.,.

.r.*.

unto

Him,

and

remo'es

theevil, rnd

rppoiirts

you'ro

d.

r,,...rrrr,;,

the

earrh;

is

there

a god

with

G;Ji;

-"'

This

verse

informs

yiu

thut

rr,.

f^rrirr

of

yo:rr

irearr

for:incere

ser-I-

exertion

will

not

remove

the

evii

frorr,

yoo

"rrd

wiii

not

ar,s*er

rvhar

you

call

for,

untii

your

call

and

the

pr.riio'of

;,o,r.

i_r.rri'r"'ai'r..r.e

utterly

towards

God,

who

-ra.

,ct

I

i.r.r,

lrr.ri"nrrel;r

r

s.rr.r;r.,

and

reliant

on

FIim.23

The

Sufi

term

which

tr ,ave

renderei

here

as

,constra,inr.

(id'tirir)

or

constrained'

(inudtar';)

describes

,ir.

1..i"

in

p.-hich

rhe

,:s1-,1r11s6d

a

-_i

elpless

seeker

is

taken

over

by

,

b.n"ool#-r.rrrr..nd"n,

po\1,:r-.

rt

is a

.:;,te

of

total

surrender.

excepr

rhai

this

;;;;;

is

not

b;,

choice

since

choice

ihbtiyafi

is

related

,o

,h..go-

ri;";;;;ender

to

the

di.zir.e.,,,iii

is

ti.rus

complete,

rhe

path

.hangeJ

direction.

l,-o

n.,

rrodden

*li *...

by

t

re

ilful

I,

but

bv

the

F{ighe;

s.ir.-r1,""';i

;;;;;.f.f*i"rr,

^,la

li".'Z,.yfnr",

;'

Tgu:.d-b{

,

,r*r."id.";;;.;;.

T

r""r"lqu*

\^s

become

t

ttat.

Of

ail

Sufi

masrers

it

was

al_Ha'lllr_rf-f;#;afr,

*t"'r,

,'rr,,

r,,ii,.,*

,..,,"

n

the

developmenr

of

S,rfi

psycir"fr$,.

r"riy;.a'*,;r,rriiy

,fri-,J#rg

,",,r,-

n

the

parh.

He

laid

rhe

fornarr;"n"'f";

i;;a;;d;,.;;;r:;'i.,ii.,r",ri

'constraint'

and

,choice,

(id.tirar

*"_;pt'r;yiO.

.Th:

..co,sti:a;ned,,

s,ho:;e

provisions

and

suoolies

\r.,,e

e*pir"d;,

i"'_r;rr,

;"

t-rir-iir"'i:rli)*,

oi

,1,

riends

of

God

lJin.o,

ot

o*t;yi:j--

'

*

Y'1

and

who

has

stopped-bewildered

in

the

vrirderness,

nor

knc.v

ns

vzirich

/ay

ro

go,

is

spared

Iby

conrpa.ssion]

and

;,

a.i;,,",=a"t^#C;

,;;.ir.i;j

203



ISLAM

. . .

He v,'ho wanders

constrained

in

the wastelands of

the

roaci co l-{im

is the

one

vzho

trul.r

merits

divine compassion

and

relief .

. .

. He is

spareci

[l-:;;

compassion]

because his call

is

truly sincere.

IT

cANINIoT

BE

TRUI-Y

SIhTCF]RE UNIIL

HE

BECCMES

CONSTRAINED,

VTiTH

NOTHiNG

TC

HOLD OI.:

TO ANID

\I/ITH

NO

Ol.,lll TC

TURI\T

TO.

He

who

looirs

with one

e)/e

to

God and

vrith

the other eye

to

his efforts is not

truly

(:onsirained,

and his call is

nct truly

sincere.

l)(/hen

the

call cf

this

ccnst;:aineci

is answered, his

heart

is lifted in a

flash

to

the

abode

of

the r'ree :.nd

noble.2o

(l'ile

can

cl,:a.rly see

the delicate

balance which is

str,:ck

here

between

the

paih

of

e'f'fcrts and the

ef:fortless, selfless path.

In the

historical

experience

cf

Sufi

'c'raterr-rities

there has alwa.ys

iurked

the danger of confusing

the state

o'r

'cc:..sti:aint'

with

a

kind of apati-retic

passivity.

The

instructions tc

'let

go'

'surrencler',

'i:ut

your

trust in God

aione'

have been

often

misunderstood

as acl.iccating

the relinquishing

of efforts from the

outset,

and

as

a

call'for

:,

qr-rietistic

attitude.

ldothing

can be rnore vride

of

the mark than this

ilte'ipretation.

The

Sufi

teachers ha.re

emphatically

maintained

rrhat

tiue

::u-ri-.:ncei:

clnnot

be achieved befcre the

path of

effoits

has been

followec

tc

rhe

ultimatr.

The undrrsta.nding

that at

a

certain

_point

devotionai

acts may

become

effcrtiess

anci

transcendent is best illusrratedby a

divine

saying,

^n

exrra-

J),rr'anic

sryilg

a.tti'ibuted

to

God

l:

hadttb

qudsl, vzhich has

become

i:erhaps

i:he most

o,rten

qr-16.1ed

piece

of craciition in

Sufi

literature:

lvi-f/ ser.'an'r

does

nor

dravv ne:,r

r-o

me

by

per{olming

the obligatory

coromantlinents;

he clraws

rrear to

me

by

supererogatory

acts of

devoticn.

and then

tr

lo.re

him,

AnC

vrhen

I love

him

1 become

his

ears,

his eves, his tongue, his

hands, his feet

and iris

heart:

he hears by

Me,

he

sees

by

Me, he

speaks

by

iVle,

he handles by

Me,

he

*-alks

by

l./Ie

;rnc1

he

ci)mprehendsby

Me.25

ihe

.Jeep

irnplication

of

this

hadltb from

the

viev,rpoint

of

mystical life is

i:ei:en4

the

scope

cf

tl-ris essay.

It is

ailuded

to, however, in the following

t:,assage

,rroin the

l{asbf

al-mahjDb,

{rom which

tr

quoted

above.

The

true

Su6 is he

s.ho

leaves impurity

behind

.

.

.

purity

(safa')

is

the

,:hara.cteristic

of the

lo,zers of

God

. .

.

because purity

is the attribute

cf

r:hcse

rrho lo..,e, and

the

lover

is he who is iiead

to his

attributes

an"C living

in the

att':ibutes

of

his

Beioved.2r'

TN-XE, Y,O-YCI SYI\JDR.OME,

'-i'le

''.io-Yc

Syndrome'is a

term

coined in

a modern

Sufi group to describe

::ire

consta-ni'fluctuations

of rl-re ireart from

state

to

state'.

This flr-rctuation

-

ilie

5r-r'6

ierrn

foi:

it

is talunn (which

means

also '.rariegation',

changing

_luLl

trR.OM

POLAID.ITY

TO

ONEI.II,SS

I}.i

SU:.i

PSYCFIC

LOG,,

colours)

-

is

complementeci

by

a

state

oi:poise

a;r.c-

sri.line

ss

*

..artreln-

which

ay

come

as

a

remporarJ/

rerief

from

ih,:

iniens:c;.

or

th.

fry

rlri.

or.ir^

i",.,.

n

another

sense

talutn'd.;?,:;,i"

i;";"*,.s

oF

pclariry

iseif,

i,rcl.rcing

he

poiarity

between

man

and

divine,

,ltr.r"",

tarnietnnia.)r

1sf_e.

aiso

rc

tire

ultimate'

state

of

lJniq,

znd

C,,ilr;,";

v,hic'

tire

cliiuiri*i,on

betv,een

pposire

stares,

or

betw".r,

.t"""r;

,nJlgeloved,,

is

cblitera;ei.

su'

psychorogy

is

visual;r"a

,i.rglrr."iir.,

of

porariq,

ar

d

corrl:renren-

arrty'

Polarity

is

the

basic

ravr

of'",,;r,"n."

^r-

atly

JeveJ

t:rter.

I;.

can

:

:.:H[l"i

]T,

:T,::::':

r,,"

t

*x; ;;i:l

r

:i*i:i,_

jre

a,

h :,

r

3

i

e

in

an

uncompro-irirg

*ry.

y.,

;,

;,

,i.

,"ii;;,]ffi#;;

fl;,,;3;ii;ti

nd

the

other,

o*i-,J..t"r;u.

;;;;;;;;en

the

rN_hatario.,

.nd

:-[e

1;;1_

alation'

which

svmbolir.r

o;J;r.

ii""r.r.*"

e

of

Dhibr,s.ifi

meditaticn,

il:T:;,.f.

above,

is

abo,,rr

ri;;;;;,

.""1.,",,i,

potarii.y

ar,Lcn:ness

b'

The

'fluctuacions

cf

rire

heart

from

state

rc

.;rate'

refle:r

ir:

facr

:he

oiariq,

v,ithin

the

Divine

c";";;.

;.J

i,

,r;.i

to

be

.the

Fi:st

and

-he

ast'

rhe

outvrard

an,

tire

i";;:

ri,,,i.

sz,

1).

To

huma

r

t..i.,g,

co.i

eveais

Himself

via

two

poi*,

.o,.,.,pi";;;,;,1

,ro.cts

(ca,lled

a

so

.measures,

cr'powers')

:

beaury

U

;mat)

r.d

;;;;""rry

\,|rtut1

r hJ

.;;r;;,

;,:hese

pota.

'ttributes

and

rhe

innrr

uni.r,

t^ ;ry-

J;

lh.i. nrrr..

a.tte.r,e.t

iii

rrrc

rre,ri:,:

corresponding

po]ar

response.

'Fear"anc

Flope

have

cverrali:n

[the]

he,r.rr

Iof

the

seekerl

because.

of

t-r,,

,o,rio";ng

,"

Grd,,

r,,ord..,,

r,,r.itcs

;:l_vluhasibi,

on.

of

rhe

eariiest

Srfi;;;;;;;'3rfr.,

6[i-,.

,ir;;Jr;

i,

,rr.

At

times

it

is

as if

hjs

hean

woulc,

so2-r

up

v,,iti_r

joy

beca,:se

o.,

the

ope

and

exDecratior

srirred

*;rfrir-fr;*,

rhat

his

L.i";;;;;r:er

nra)r

ook

upon

him

with

conrenrmenr

"nJ

f*ou.t

a,d

a.r

times

iL is

as

ii

is

hearr

q.ould

meh

of

gri.f,';;;

I.*ri1rr.r".t

b;,

rerror,

, ,hen

i.ear.

aution,

anxietv

,nd

*I

b";;;;;;*ted

in

him

.

.

.

.

ThLrs

is

he

hrown

bat*"e,

these

two

states.r,

Fear

(bhaufl

and

hope,(raii,)

represent

che

two

poles

of

the

6r: r"

:r

tcr,,esi,

ung

on

the

ladder

of

devotionairr.""r;."-

irr"

I""rri, ; ;".:

,;

,r1.""r,",-,

('urui)

trom

the

ooinr.of

";"o,

of

,fr."r".rtr.iior,,

,h"

inrensific;:rioir,

of

the

mocional

energy

u,hich

proa,r.",

J"

;""?

rrrtes.

Tre

deepcr

c

ne

descencs

-

or

the

higher

or,"

rr..ni,

_

rn.*o*î"r"rr.

,ra

more

poiai-iz:d

tl,_e.states

ecome.

Thus

thev

have

ro

become,

,lr;;ir;

dy,arrric

p.o."r.

is

r:nvisage,i

s

a reflection

of

ih"..,.r..r"rriro-';;';;".

rrr".r"rr.';;;;;;..|i.om

(ou.t:1

he

Divine

presence'

In

the

srace

.f

;r#;ne

feers

i.toxicatec

airo

,:iarec,

ife

feels

vibrant

and

ful

;;;ffi:::ilr"

is

a

sense

oi{

purpor;e

an<r

irection,

hardships

seem

manageable,

obsracles

are

easii.z

cirerccirre,

ynchronicicies

come

in

ab,,ndr.r.i

r"J'or."g.,,

ins,ghrs

and

r-:r,e,ar:cas-.

heer

ecstasy,.

In

Sufi

,"r*i;,";;,frr']r.,",,

knoz,,rr

as

,e>rpa.,.;ion,

(ba.st)

hen

one's

inner

srare

.hrng.;;:;*;r;;;;;rn

no

a,)pareni

i.€e;oir:

i

o.er

205



ISLAM

ilepressioa

sets

in,

apa*ly

and

iner;ia,

there

is,no

light'

no

hgqt'

:o

comfort'

,-ro

,".r.iry,

.r"

g,-riir.r"",

no

God;

an

unexplained

anxiety

blocks

the

chest

anrl

the

r.t'trrtat,

a*nd

e',rerything

is

riark

and

gloomy'

Sufi

terininology

narnes

this

siate'c'>ntraction'

(q"bd).

The

follo*'ing

lu

n oi"ia

iescription

of

the

state

of

qabd'

(c.ontracticn)

.rf.ri".,"..{

^r,d"r".o.d"d

by

lrina

Tweedie,

a

modern

woman

who

has gone

,t-ri"rgl-,

a complete

Srrfi

t.ri.,i,,g

v'rith

an

Indian

Naqshbandi

[:

one

of the

Sufi fraternities]

teacher:

3o

mr-ich sorrow

in

me

that

there

is no

speech

left

to

express

it. F{ave

no

desire

to

spea,k

t"o

him.

Go

there

in the

morning

and

sit'

About

10

a.m.

he sends

me

home.

I

arn

sort

of

empty'

Everything

seems.

to be

dead"

No

desires

are

left,

on17

one'

'

'

'

Only

this

terrible'

deadly

longing.

But

there

,."*,

,"

be

no

hope'

It

is

a sort

of peace

made

of

Carirness.28

Qabct,

and

,lcas'9,

conttaction

ancl

expansion,

rePresent

the

polarity

of

the

second

run[i

on

the

ladder

of

ascension'

Thiu

.,rni, perhaps

better

than

any

other,

is

well

attested

in Su6

literature'

i'fu1r,

nl-Di,.,

if,rUra

@.

1221),*ho,t

Exhalations

of

Bea'wty

and

Peoelations

of

'lrlajesti,

{fau;A'ih'al-jamall'wa-iawatib

al-jalafi

alludes

in

its

titie

to

i-he

C.i.,,ine

polariiy,

writes

:

Contra,ctionandexpansionCOillefromtheFrimordialMight-.."Itis

ncr

bolin

with

tl,e

wa-r{arer',s

choice,

but

with

the

choice

of

the

one

and. Miglity.

It

is

experienced

(lit':

tas.ted)

by

both

heart

and

body'

v,rl-lerea-s

iear

and

hop.,...op.ri"rr."d

by

the

heartwithout

the

-'oody.

Itmaybeasked:itiswellknovznthatfearandhopecanoccu,ratone

and

the same

srare

.

.

. is this

also

the

case

vzith

expansion

and

.cntraction,

albeit

these

are

opposites

which

do not

concur?

This

is

our

answei:

ai the

first

rrrg..

ti

the

entrance

into

this

arena

the

heart

is

at

tin-res

expanded,

and

tire

face

bears

witness

to

it'

and

at

times

contracted,

,r'rd

,h.

face

bears

witness

to

i'c'

This

is

the stage

of

va.riegation

(ta.lutin).

.

. .

Eur

once one

becomes

established

in

it, he

is

.*p

î.i".i

-.o.rr.r",.01

fconcurrentll.J'-

To

the

i

gnorant

he loo.ks

simply

co'ntra,;te'd,

br-it

the

"*p"r,

vriltr

readfrom

his

visage

that

he.is

a

casket

of

contractior,

co.,trir,i.,g

a

gem

of

expansion,

for

he

has

arrived

q'here

he

nas

ai:-.i'red,

and

he

l-r"rt

t,tt"d

vrhit

he

has

tasted'2e

T'he

n:ystical

teaching

cannot

be

complete

without

experiencing

both

qabd

and

bast,

their

alterni'tions,

their

concurrence

and

their

complementatrty.

Lt

is

oniy

tl-rr",lrgh

.*p".i".r."r,

what

the

su6s

would

call

'tasting'

(dhauq),

rhat

one.an

learn

hovr

to

hold

the

opposites

and

ultimateiy

to reconciie

thern.

Su.fi masrers,

who

are

nicknan-red'ih".pi",

of

the

hearts'

(jawasts

al-qulub),

have

r-.,sed

their

intuitive

function

in

o.cler

to

assess

the

less-developed

pole

i;

,ch;;ry.f'r"

"f

th.i,

discipies,

and-teaching

experiences

wouid

be

given

lVO

FROM

POLARITY

TO

ONEI.IESS

Ii\

SUFI

pSyC],i()LOG'r

accordi,gly.

-Excess

of

'expansion',

q,hich

nTns

ihe

risk

:f

tu:ning

intc

uncontroiled

ecstasy

and

inflation,

is

baianced

by

experien:es

v,/h;ch

cause

contraction

and

self-restraint.

Excess

contractiorr,

on rhe

c.cher

hand,

rna.y

bring

about

stagnation,

impotence and

a ccntin*ing

depre;sion;

rherefore

in

rypes

of

the

more

depressive

or

'meiancholic'

narure,

er.par

sive

experiences

a-re

reckoned

beneficent.

Sometimes

He ma"kes

you

lea-rn in

the

night

cf contracti,_:n

vrha-t

;,6u

have

not

learnt

in

the

radiance

cf

the

day

o.f

expansion

'you-

do

not

know

which

of them

is near:er

ro

y61

in

beneit'.30

(Qur.'i:

1

)

These verses

were rvritren

by

Ibn

'Ata'-allah,

a

thirteenth-ce

1triry

Egyp,tia.i:

Sufi

Sheikh

of the

Shadhilirya. {raternity.

The psychologrcal

and

did.r.ctic

need for

the

fluctuation

of the

seeker

from

one

i:ole

to

the oche-r,

anc

rhe

ultimate

reconciliation

of

rhe

opposires end the

transcendencr

of

a-ii

pola:it-y,

are

described

by

the same

Sufi poe', rhus:

Fne

expanded

you

so as not Lo keep

1,ou

in contr;ction;

FIe coniracted

you

so as

i-rot to

keep

)rou

in expensioi-r;

And FIe

took you

out

of

both

so

that

you not

belong

rc

anTtfting

aparr

from

I.rim.3i

Qabd.

is said

to

reflect

divine

severiry, and bast,

divine

gentleness.

Rumi retells

the

biblical

story

of

Jcseph

aacl Eenjamir

. Berjamin

is

arrested and

detained

in Egypt b),

...i.r of

Joseph,

rhe

p:v,,erfui

vi:ziei:

whose

identity

is

as

yet

veiled

from liis

brothers.

Joseph,

it fact, p\a.1,s

e

trick

on

Benjamin,

his

beloved

)/ounger

brother:

he

has a

r

zitiabie

gobler

sneaked into

Benjamin's

bag,

so

tha-t

he v,rill be ar:ested

as a

:hi:f.

I-Ie

does

it out

of

his

special

love

for

Benjamin,

and out

of his vrish

tc re-real

iris

::eai

identity

to Benjamin

aione,

in

private intimac;,,

before

he rev:a.is himsei..

ro

ail the

other

brothers. But

Benjamin is anxious

and

bevrilder:d.

i-{e cannor

'see'

the true

meaning

behind rhese

unneruing

events.

Ri-1 ni

puts

these

words

in

the

mouth

of

joseph:

I

have seized you

as

a

thief

and rui:ned

you ro the

guar.ds,

for the

gobiet

of

my treasury

a,las found

iir

rrour

saddl,:bag.

You

are

bewildered

at

my severiry and

ha--re

no

chance

tc

sDealr.

-

though

I

am mightily

severe,

a thousand

gentlenesses

are

hidden

in my severit;,.32

In metaphoric

descriptions

of

the

reconciiiat;on

of rhe

cpposires ;.

recurring

image

is that

o{

THE

BIRD: irs rvro

v,ings s),mbo,ize

bcth tl-re

polarity

of

the

states

and the need for equilibriurr.

and

ba.larce:'Fear aro

hope are

iike

the tv,ro

wings

of

a

bird: when rhe;,

a.rel>ala,nce<',

the,:ird

can

fly,

but

if

one of them

is weaker than the

other ih,:

bird is in

dange-r.'33

In Kubra"s

Exhalations

the

balanced

a.nd pois:d

bird s),mboli'zes

th.e

207



ISLAM

teacher,

the

Sheikh

[iit':

the

Old

Man]'

the

euide

who

has

reconciled

the

opposi.,es

v,ithin

t'i*'"ii''til'

i'

"l'"

ir'"

'y'ii"r'

or

the

reflection'

of

the

,iircipl.'s

I-ligher

saf'

n

sittiril"rt

[t

*n"'i"t

'ittinecl'

and

gone

beyond'

the

ti,ird

ru:ls

on

th"

hd;;;i"t'll"'ion'

'b";;;i';

rung

of

concraction

and

expansion

-

which

"o:"";;";;;:A

tf

'tht

*'tu"

i"n'

(hahl'

raiul)

-

.o*..

the

rung

"r,^'"i

1L)";ilj'^â.l.,ti*r.v-'

('uns),

the

state

of.the

\wise

lld

VIan'

I'he

pol'riry'h;

;;

q;;*"

''11.1

the

manifold

intensified

state

c{

{ear

which

deriv.r'f.orn

a

direct

numinous

experience

olllt^-"'tutt"

:-.sDec.L,

and

'intimacr','#Utf'-a"'i"t'.{to*

'

delp

experience

of

God's

;".rr

."a;;;;i";';"i"?"u'u't

description

tleere

are

two

more

rungs

,:o

ascend:

From

the

stage

of

awe

and

intimacy

ihe

Sheikh

ascends

the

double-

wi n

ge

d

s

t

a

ge

of

t,.,'i""

f*""'i)ii

n1

^1i

*y

ut,i

t

kno*

ledge

(rn

a'

r

if

a)'

and'

from

th:r.e

."

tn.

;;;i**i"g"a

,,ng.

o{

annihilation

(ana')

and

f

.,

*^.r.n'"

(b

aqa')')a

in

these

aititudes

all

differentiation

ceases'

The

process

of

growth

and

transformaiion

has

;"hJ;;;';t'

t*dd""

bird'

wings'

opposites

and

the

reccnciliaticn

thereof

disappear'

Vrh"

"*']"t

it

Oi*tii

o{

lover

and

tseloved

in

Pure

Love:

lX/hen

tiie

lover

is

annihtlated

in

I-ove

his

love

becomes

one

with

the

I-o,e

o'f

,r'"

sao"i";;;;;"

lh"::

','

.,t

t;'a

and

no

wings'

and

his

flight

and

ro"

'o

Coi'^tt

ly

cta's

love

to

him'3s

T'F{E,

/]4YS

TE

RTUM

CO]Vf

U]VC7'1O]\'/S

The

,ritimate

mystica'l

experience

is beyond

perception'

b5fo1d

visualization

and

beyond'"""'o::;i;;il;:;;

t;;i*

b"v9"t'

individuation

-1'

"""

E,ho

is

starlding

ut

th"

g""

of

the

mystety

of

'ht

Essence

is

stripped

of

all

a.,-tributes

,'''a

p"alill'f';'d";;"h^t';

b"

t'id

about

him

as

to

his

identitv,

qualities,

origins

or

destinatio'

f'll;;;"y'

He-becomes

'featureless'

and'colou

rie""

nit'ai"it'ctions

bet'n'e""

il;';j

any'other"

any

non-him'

clisappear:.

''"'

"*ptt[t;';;h-;;

'r'i'

uy'itn"i'iot'

t""'ot

be

described'

It

;;rJ;s.,o,h..",r'li;iil;;;ilAifr51:.*:X;J:::'iil:fl

"#:lilj

:;:

X::

:

;:

l'ff

:

;'":,'

};;

#":;l;:,';ffi::;:

;:

;";r'd

"'lh

"'

s

"""

or

secrets',

,r,.

'vry'it'i'L;'

;;'stl;1'c31,

'r*-'rtrothingness"

the

'Luminous

Darliness'.

the

'Black

Light"

the

'Void"

ti't

:Cit"i

3f

Ut'kt'o*ing'

which

is

the

cbiect

"f

*r"i*iquest'

whate"t''ht

t'aditiot'

to

which

it

adheres

and

f

rom

*hi.h

ir";;;;;;.'viyr.i.rt',rlii,i""r

have

the

reputation

.o[

being

esorer,.

,'i"::;:;;;'

?;;";ht'

aPPearance

is

upheld

not

necessartrv

because

o1:

a.

iaw

Jj*ii".iiaiir-,.

at.r""rre

of

,ecreti

to

non-initiates'

but

simplT

nnd

""tnffi;;;;;

*"

it'"r

of

the

Esserice

nothing

can

be

208

FROM

POLAR.ITY

TO

O}IF,}'I};SS

IN

SUFI PSYCHCILCG

T

said or

disclosed. It

is not

only non-initiates vrho

do not

and

cannct

'i<r:ovr';

the

mystic

himself,

he

q,ho

has

di'ved

into the

depth and iarkness

crr the

Essence,

cannot

'know',

and in truth could tell nothing,

evelr

had

he desired

to

do so.

How can

a

stare

of

being which

is pr-rre Essence

,

e-nd therefore

devoid

of

any

descriptive

elemenrs,

be

described?

Nor

eveir

in

similes and

parables.

\flhen

there

is

no

distincricn

between seer,

se:n and sceing,

between

knower,

known

and

trrnowing

-

what

can

be said end

b),

whcml

None

the

less, mystical

traditions

have

somehow

found

l v'ay to

allude

through

suggestive

and evocarive

ia.r,gvage

to

this

'totai'

e rperience.

It

is

therefore

an

experience

which is

within

human dimensic.r

and

capa,:it1r.

flhatever

references

to

it exist,

thelr

ays not meant as desciiptions, but a.s

allusions,

as pointers,

as

stimulants. They

may

auraken in th,r

inner

percep-

tion

of the

susceptible

reader

or listeoer

(in the case

of

a

verb: il),

rra-nsrni:ted

tradition)

a dim

sense

of recognirion,

an intuitive

empathy,

ol evell

a

srrange

feeling

of

being

overtaken,

overwhelmed,

silenced,

stupe

ied,

by hints

pointing to an

'experience'

the magnimde of

r,"'hich

the lisr,:ner

hes never

knowingly

tasted.

This

is an

indicatior, that the

Uni<nowable,

)ur-e

and

Total

Essence

may

lie

at

the

core of our

oq.n deprhs, and

therefore. in

some

urays

and to

some exrent,

can

be communicabie-

In

the

earliest

exrant

compiladon

of

S,rfi

traditions,

compiiec.

at

rhe

end

of the tenth

century

by

Abu Bakr

al-Kaiabedht

(d.

c.99a),

v.e

read:

Passing away

(fana' :

a.nnihilation)

is a state in which ail

p:

ssions

pass

away,

so that

the

mystic

experiences

no

feelings towarCs

a.nything

whatsoever,

and

loses

all

sense of

disc::imination:

he

has

prssed

awal.

from

all

things, and

is

wholly

absorbed wirh

that through v,, dch he has

passed away ..

.

. Fersistence

(baqa'),

which follows

pa-ssing-avra-y-,

means that

the

mystic

passes

away

froin what belongs tc h mself,

and

persists through

vzhat

is

God's . . . .

When

a rrran persists

aii

chings

become

for him

but one thing.r6

In

the

same compilation

al-Kalabadhi

quores a pcem by

a-r

anon;.msu5

Negro, who,

'whenever

he recollected

God his

colour changel to

.:i,irite':

So

we

remembered

-

yet oblivion

Was

not

our habit: but

a

radiance

slione,

A

magical

breeze

breathed,

and

Goe

was

near.

Then vanished

selfhood utterly,

and

tr

Remained

His only, Who $/ith tidings

clear

Attests

His Being, and

is known

thereby.-r7

The

Sufi tradition

is

deeply

commined

to the

'sta-te' of

fana'.

",,hich

poin

:s

to

che

annihilation

of all individual

traits

of

the

seeker

within rl:e

toralitl,

of

the

indivisible

Essence-of-All-Being.

Many

attempts

to

re'ier io

it anC

'describe'

it have

been

recorded

in

the

vast

and many-layered

Sr

6 iiteratur,:.

Unlike

the state

of

paradisial

bliss

promised to the righteous

in

he afrer-iif e

209



ISLAM

accor:ding

to Islamic

piety

and

eschatology'

chis

deepest

mystical

state

of

rnerging

with

the

Diri,,e

E'tse"ce

is

to

be

experienced

in

the

midst

o{

Iife'

This

is,

in

fact,

one

of

.h"

hJ;;;;r-or

*y*i"it*:.the

dualiry

between

this

life

and

the

after-life

ultimately;;il;;;

"

*"ff

as

the-dualiry

berween'creature'and

'Crearor'

1in

Sufi

,.r*i*1ogy

t

t'l'otq

i/ersus Flaqq;

nasut

versus

lahat)'

Junaid,

the

teacher

of

'sober'

Sufism'

says:

[The

third

stage

in

the

experien

ce

.o{

fana'

is]

the

obliteration

of

the

i"rrr.i.rr*.rr"of

hat'it'g

'tt'it'ed

the

"ision

of

God

at

the

final

stage

oir

ecsri'Lsy

.

. .

.

At;il"t;;t.u

ar.e

obliterated

and have eternal

life

-irh

Cod,

and

you

t"i"

L'iy

in

the

existence

o{

God

because

you

have

been

oblitlrated.

YouR

PHYSICAL

BEING

coNTINUES

BUT

YouR

JNDIVIi)UALITY

HAS

DEPARTED.38

Before

reaching

this

state

the

mystic

has

to

go

through.

successive

..;;;;;"r;i,yriu"il.

,deaths,

n,d

.."srrre.tions"

iince

these,

in

different

torms,

and

at

all

stages

of

the

path,

are

Part

o'f

the

process

of

shedding

the

il*r*rg

t.raits

of

indlviduality

in

the

quest

of

Oneness'

FROI\4

POLARITY

TO

O}',iE,NESS

il\i

SUFI

USYCHOLCGY

of

his

name)

and

al-Hallej

became

the archet:rpes

of

the

inroxicateci

myst:c

who,

in the

face

of Truth, is

driv--n

b), ecstasy

beyo

rd

inhibitions

anc

boundaries.

Here

are

some

lines from

trt'.rrni's

l[athr,avt

l\\r,

ZlOZ4gl

describing

Bays2r6'r

divine

ecstaslr:

That magnificent

dervish,

Bayazia

Bestami

came

to his disciples

and

said,

'X

am

God, .

.

.

Pure

Spirit

spoke

through

him.

Bayazid

s/as

nor

there.

The

'he'

of

his

persona.liq,

dissoived"

Like

the

T'urk

who

spoke

fluent

Ar-abic,

then

came

to,

and

didn't

know

a

.word.

The

Light

of

God

poured

into

the

empry

tsayazrd

and

i.ecame

wor.ds .

. . .

A

selfless

one

disappears

into Existence

and

is

sa.fe

there.

F{e

becomes

a

mirror.

If you

spit at it,

You

spit

ar

your

own

face . . . .

Bayazid

became

nothing,

that

clear

and thar

empty.oo

In

a

'sacred

radition'

(badttb

qudsl,

reported

rn

the

n;,.me

of

God) efre;i

quoted

in

Sufi

literature,

Allah

sal.s:

I

was

a

hidden

rreasure, and

I

desired

ro

be knov,,n,

i:erefore

I created

creation.

creation

is thus

seen as

rhe

mirror rhrougir

vhic'le

God

becomes

'irnovu,a'

to

l*elf.

In

Attar's

conference

of

tbe

Birds,

with

wl-".ich

rhis

essay

began,

ir

is

through

the

reflection

in

the

mirroi"

of

the

simurgh

tha.t rhe

seekers

iezlize

their

own

true

identity.

To

quote

again

from Attri-'s

imzger:1,,

If

you would

glimpse

the beauty

Eve

rer./e(?

iook

in your heart

-

irs

image

vrill

appear.

l\4ake

of your

hearr a looking-glass

and

se:

reflecred

there

the

Friend's

nobility .

. . .

Search

for this

king

within

you;:

hearr;

I-{is

soui

reveals

itself

in

atoms

of

the

Wnole . . .

.

The Simorgh's

shadov.,

and

Himseha

are oiie;

seek them

rogether,

tvzinned

in

unison.al

In.the

experience

of oneness

who,

then,

is

qrhcse

mirror,'ltdirror

re'.lecting

mirror,

mirror reflected

in

mirror, vrhiist

there

is NorHrNG

in

beru,een

as

either

beholder

or beheld

-

rhis

is

perhaps the

subtlest

anrl mosr

mysterious

image

which the

Sufi

masters

have used

by

way

of

'allusicn,

(ishara\

in

the

attempt

to

'reflect'

the

Essence

o{ the

mysterium

coniunc.:ionis.

Flere,

in

conclusion,

is

another

of

Bayezid's

sayings:

For thirty

years

God

iVIost High

v,zas

mI

nrirror,

nov,

I am

my

rs.n

mirror,

and thar

which

I was

X

am

no

more, ior'I'

ano

'God'

represent

clied

as

minerai

and

became

a

plant

died

as

plant

and

rose

to

animal,

died

as

animal

and

I

was

man'

\(-hy

should

X

fear?

\(hen

was

tr

less

by

dying?

Yet

once

more

I

shali

die

as

man'

to

soar

*i,h

,.rg"lu

blest:

but

even

from

angelhood

I must

Pass

on:

atrl

except

God

perish'

rVhen

I

have

sacrificed

my

angel

sor-rl'

I

shall

become

what

no

mind

ever

conceived'

Oh,

let

me

not

exist

for

NTon-existence

Froclaims

i"

otg""

tones,

'To him

we

shall

return''3e

AbuYazidal-tsisiami(d.875)andF{usainibnN(ansural-I-Iallaj({l.922)

have

become

two Sufi

*od.l,

io,

th"

non-comPromising

seeker'

Perhaps

this

is

so

because

,fr.

,t'""'i"g

impact

of

their

innet

tealization

-

that

uitimateiy,

at

the

hidden";;;i

Enir*.,"",

all

distinctions

pass

away

-

could

nct

be

contained

by

them

and

became

explicit

in,

most.

controversial

utierancgs.

In

the

",..

of

At,u

Yazid

it

was

eop,"'.ed

in his

well.known

ecstatic

exclamation:'Praise

be

to

Me

Hovr

g'eat

is

my

Glory ',(sub$ant

,r)-;rr*)

sha'nt ).

This,

to be

sure'

*"

ttc,t

easily

swallowed

by

more

'sober".ir

restrained

S"gt,

ftt

nlot'"

Uy

lslamic

orthodoxy'

As

for'

al-$allaj'

he

was

crucified

,t

, h;;;;i;;"

n^gl'd'd

in

front

of

cheering

crowds

because'

;;;;;

orh".

pr."do"i.ri

tt""*J"ts,

he

gave

expression

to

-his

experience

of

Cneness

by

the

shocking

exclamation:-'I

am

Tiuth'

(: ona

al- {aqq)

(al-

linnn isone

of

rf,.

ai,ri.r."nr-"r,

*o.,

favoured

by Sufis)'.F{owever'

Sufi

,.rifi"". ,ii"l,

."t

without

apologetics,

has

not

obliterated

these

statements

[";.l,".]';;;;;';';i

;;;h

nai".ra'1,r'is

is the

Persian,

more

popular

version

210

211



ISLAM

duality

and

polytheism,

and

this

is

a denial

of His

Oneness.

Since

I

am no

more,

God most

High

is

His

own

mirror.

Behold,

now

I

say

rhat

God

is the

mirror of

myself,

for with

my

tongue

He

speaks and

tr ha.re

,rassed

away,o'

i\IOTES

Jalal

al-Din

F.uml,

Mathnawl, i, 312, trans.

\7.

C. Chittick, The Suf. Path

of

Loze (A.lbany:

State University of New York Press, 1983),

p,

227.

Farid

ud-Din

Attar, Tbe

Conference

of

tbe

Bird.s,

trans.

A.

Darbandi

and

D.

Davis, Penguin

Classics

(Harmondsworth:

Penguin,

1984),

p.

34.

Tbe Bhagaaad-Gita, trans.

Swami

Prabhavananda and C. Isherwood

(New

York:

hTew American Library,

1,972),

p.91.

ibid., p.

e6.

5

Al-Hujwiri,Kashfal-Mabj"b(:TheUnoeilingoftheVeiled,-TheOldestPersi.an

T'reatise

on

Safisrn,

trans. R. A.

Nicholson

(London:

Luzac &. Co., 1911

(revised

1936;

reprint

1,976)),

p.

181).

6 ibid.,

p. 182.

7

9ee

al-Risa,la

f

ilm al-tasazpuuf (: Epistle

on Sufsm)

(Beirut:

Dar

al-Kitab

al-

'Arabi,

il.d.),

p.

3?; my translation.

B

Faua'ih

al-Jamal wa-fautatih al-jakl (: Exbalations

of Beauty

and Reaelations

oJ' )ulajesty),

ed.

F.

lr'ieier

(lWiesbaden:

Franz

Steiner

Verlag,

1957, p. 8, para. 77)

(Arabic)

;

my transiation.

9

See

i-{.

Corbin, Tbe Man of Light

in

lraniân

Sufsm

(Boulder

and l-ondon:

Shambala,

1978),

p.

106.

10 A.

J.

Arberry, The

Quran

Interpreted

(Oxford:

Oxford University

Press,

1964),

p.164.

11

Abu

Nasr Al-Sarrai, K. al-Lurna'

(Cairo:

Dar al Kutub al-Haditha, 1960), p.

418;

my translation.

12 Al-Qushai11,

al-Risala

f

ilm al-tasauu,uf, p.31.; my

transiation.

13 Al-Sarraj, op. cit., p.

418;

my translation.

14 lbn

'Arabi,

al-Futuhdt al-mahiyya (:

Meccan Openings),

vol.

II,

113.33

(quoted

and translated

by

\[.

C. Chittick, The Sufi Path of Knouledge

(Albany:

State

University of

New York Press,

1989),

p.

109).

i5

A.

FI. Abdel-Kader,

The Life,

Personality and Writings of

Al-Junayd (London:

Luzac

&

Co.,

1976),

p.

76.

16 Al-Sarraj, op. cit.,

p.

49; my translation.

i7

J.

lloyne

and

C. Barks, Open

Seoet,

Versions of Rurni

(Putney, Vt:

Threshold

Books, i984),

p.

19 (1246).

18 Ibn

'Arabi,

al-Fwtahat al-makiyya,

vol. II,

686.4

(quoted

and translated by

Cl-rittick, The

Suf.

Patb of t{nowledge, pp. 154-5).

19 For more on

the'heart'as

the seat

of

mystical

knowledge, see my forthcoming

paper:'Daughter of

Fire

by

Irina

Tweedie: documentation and experiences

of

a

modern Nlaqshbandi

Su6',

in Women,

Disciplesbip

and

Pouter,

ed. E. Puttick and

P.

Clarke

(Aberystwyth

and New

York:

Edwin Mellen

Press, 1993), pp.77-89.

20 al-Hakirn al-Tirmidhi, I{itab

al-riyada ua-ad.ab al-nafs

(:

Tbe Booh of

Spiitual

Training and the

Etbics

of

the

Selfl

(Cairo,

Da7),

pp. 116-77; my translation.

21

Jalel

al-I)rn Rumr, Mathnaui,

II,

3313

(trans.

Chittick,

The

Sufi

Path

of

Looe,

p. 126).

22

Al-Hujvriri, op.

cit.,

p. 32.

23

al-Hakirn al-Tirmidhi,

Sirat

al-auliya',

ed.B. Radtke

(Beirut and Stuttgart: Franz

FROM POLARITY

TO

ONENESS

IN

S{-iIJi

PSYCH()LOGY

Steiner

Verlag,

1992),

pp.

Lt-15,

paras. 26-9

(;,.11

passages from

this

r,ource

translated by me).

24

tbid.,

pp. i5-i/, paras. 30-2.

25

See

ibid.,

p. 34,

para. 49.

26

Al-Hujwiri, op.

cit., p.

32.

27 Ai-Muhasibl, Masa'il

fi.

a'mal al-qulwb utal-jaqa:rib

(:

Qaestins

concerni,zg

lte

Duties of tbe

Helrts

and

tbe

Lirnbs)

(Cairo:

'Alarir

ai-I(utub, 1969), p.

111-

ny

translation.

28 Irina Tweedie, Daugbter oyrFlre

(Nevada

Ciry, Ca.lif.:

Blue

Dolphin

Pubiishing,

1986), p. 170.

29 Nafm al-Din

Kubri,

op.

cir.,

pp.414,

paras. 89-90.

30 Ibn Ati-'alleh, The Booh of Wisdom, trans. V. Danncr, The

Cla.ssics

of V,:ste:n

Spirituality

(London:

SPCK,

1979), p. 85, no.

i5(t.

31 ibid., p. 68, no. 80.

32 Rnmr, Dioan-i Shams-iTabrizi, no. i723

(trans.

Ciritticl<,

The .iuJi

Path of

Loae"

p.

3as).

33

Al-Qushairl,

al-Risila, p.63

(a

saying

attributed io Abu

'Ali

:l-Rudhabai;).

34 Najm al-Din

Kubra,

op. cit.,

p. 46, para.96.

35 ibid.,

p.

49,

para. 101.

36 Tbe

Doaine

of

the Sufis,

trans.

A.

J.

Arcerry

(Cambridge:

Canrbridge IJni.ersin'

Press, 1947), p.120.

17 ibid., p.97; elso

p.

'125.

38

Abdel-Kader,

op. cit.,

p,

81.

39 Rumi, quoted from R. A. Nicholson, T'he Mystics of

Islam (L,rncon: Rouiledge

Ec Kegan Paul,

reprinted

1975), p.

168.

40 Quoted

from Delicious Laughter,

versions

(ot

the

Matbnavl

Ly

Colcman

Barks

(Athens,

Ga.: Maypop Books, 1990), pp.

3S-1.

41

Attar,

p.

54.

42

Quoted

in M. Smith, Read.ings

from

the Mystics of [slanz

(I-.ondcn:

Luzac

& Co.,

1950),

p. 27.

212

1'1''

From Polarity to Oneness in Sufi Psychology

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