Page 32 - Chapter
Three: "One of the terms often used in the classical texts to designate what
I call ‘Sufism’ is ma’rifa (or irfan), a term that literally
means ‘knowledge’ or ‘recognition’. However, the term connotes a
special, deeper knowledge of things that can only be achieved by personal transformation,
and hence it is often translated as ‘gnosis’. The goal and fruit of this type of
knowledge is commonly explained by citing the Prophet’s saying, ‘He who knows [arafa]
himself knows his Lord.’ As the Hadith suggests, this sort of knowledge demands a
simultaneous acquisition of both self-knowledge and God-knowledge. The texts tell us
repeatedly that it cannot be found in books. Rather, it is already present in the heart,
but it is hidden deep beneath the dross of ignorance, forgetfulness, outwardly oriented
activity, and rational articulation. Access to this knowledge comes only by following the
path that leads to human perfection."
Commentary:
Although ma’rifa or irfan may constitute a condition of fundamental importance on the
Sufi Path, nonetheless, contrary to the contention of the author of Sufism - A Short
Introduction, the latter cannot be reduced down to the former such that
ma’rifa "designates" Sufism. The Path consists of many issues,
difficulties, trials, questions, teachings, stages, states, stations, experiences, as well
as various modalities of unveiling - and ma’rifa is but one possibility ... albeit,
an important one.
In addition, one is not
quite certain why the author says that because ‘ma’rifa’ supposedly
"connotes a special, deeper knowledge of things that can only be achieved by personal
transformation" - " hence [my emphasis] it is often translated as
‘gnosis’." Ma’rifa, irfan, and gnosis are different ways of referring
to a knowledge of Divine mysteries which: (a) may be preceded by certain sorts of change
in the life of an individual; or; (b) the realization of such knowledge may be followed by
the sorts of change being alluded to; or, (c) the presence of this knowledge may itself
constitute the essential change in the life of a person, but the significance of
"hence" in conjunction with "gnosis" seems rather tenuous.
In any event, the Hadith
of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to which the author refers - namely, "He
who knows himself knows his Lord" - does not suggest - as the author seeks to
maintain - that "this sort of knowledge demands a simultaneous acquisition of both
self-knowledge and God-knowledge." There is only one kind of knowledge involved.
True knowledge of the
‘Self’ is God knowledge since the ‘Self’ is the locus of manifestation
for the disclosures of the Divine Names and Attributes which are expressed through
unveiling. When one knows the ‘Self’, one knows the mirror which reflects Divine
knowledge, and, consequently, one has direct, experiential access to, as well as - within
the limits of a given human capacity - veridical understanding of, that which is being
reflected as it is reflected.
Furthermore, there are
many mysteries of God to which an individual may be exposed through unveiling. While the
heart encompasses an array of modalities of knowing - such as the ‘fo’ad’
which sees, whereas the qalb knows in, yet another manner, nonetheless, not all Divine
mysteries can be known through the heart. The heart is but one of the instruments of
knowing which is contained, as a potential, within the fitra, or spiritual capacity of a
human being.
Conceivably, the author
may be thinking of, or alluding to, the Hadith Qudsi that came through the Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) in which Allah is reported to have said: "My heavens and
My earth do not contain Me, but the heart of My believing servant doth contain Me."
The author of Sufism - A Short Introduction may have interpreted this
tradition to mean that all knowledge of Divinity is contained in the heart of the
believing servant, but, in reality, God does not specify in what manner Divinity is
contained in the heart of a believing servant - God only indicates that whatever this way
may be, it involves something which cannot be achieved or duplicated by either the heavens
or the earth.
Moreover, whatever the
capacity of the heart is for knowing various mysteries of Divinity, gnostic knowledge is
not so much inherent in the heart, as much as the heart has a capacity for receiving,
being aware of, understanding, and reflecting the knowledge of whatever Divine mysteries
are disclosed to one, or another, of its facilities for knowing such mysteries. Therefore,
the author is incorrect in the previous excerpt when he claims that such knowledge
"is already present in the heart, but it is hidden deep beneath the dross of
ignorance, forgetfulness, outwardly oriented activity, and rational articulation."
To be sure, the
"dross of ignorance, forgetfulness", and so on - which constitute the rust of
the heart - must be removed through the polishing effect of practices such as zikr, or
remembrance of God. Nevertheless, the process of polishing, cleansing, or purifying the
heart as an instrument of knowledge is to enable it to serve as a properly working mirror
so that it may receive and reflect the Divine mysteries which give expression to that
knowledge.
Finally, when the author
asserts that "access to this knowledge comes only by following the path that leads to
human perfection" he is not quite correct. In truth, such knowledge is not a function
of "following the path that leads to human perfection" since not only is the
arrival of this knowledge by the Grace of God - rather than caused by following a given
Path, in and of itself - but, also, because such knowledge is a potential which is
activated through the realization of fitra, or spiritual capacity, as opposed to a pursuit
of human perfection.
Doing the best we can do
in accordance with what, by the Grace of Allah, our spiritual potential is capable, is not
necessarily the same thing as "human perfection". One can speak about the
possibility of realizing spiritual capacity without having to introduce a topic - namely,
‘perfection’ - which, probably, is most appropriately spoken of in relation to
Divinity.
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