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The Book of Stations

المواقف

  1. Context: The mawqif turns on fanāʾ fī l-rasūl and the school's distinction between prophethood's office and the inner sainthood saints inherit. Ibn ʿArabī and al-Shaʿrānī read sayings like al-Jīlānī's as speech from the Muḥammadan station, not ranking saints above prophets. The Emir's 'I was only Muhammad' and two essences becoming one: defenders read identity within a station, Ibn Taymiyya's line ittiḥād.

    قَالَ تَعَالَى: «سَأُنَبِّئُكَ بِتَأْوِيلِ مَا لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ عَلَيْهِ صَبْراً (no الْآيَةَ)⁽²⁾»

    He, exalted is He, said: "I will tell you the interpretation of that which you could not bear with patience" (Q 18:78).

    In brief

    The Emir says that from his youth he read the Sufis and was shaken by some of their sayings that seem to set saints above prophets. Examples are al-Jīlānī's “you were given the title”, Abū l-Ghayth's sea “on whose shore the prophets stood”, and al-Shiblī's “I am Muhammad”. He believed in them in their intended sense, but no interpretation satisfied him. Then in Medina he was seized, passing away in the Prophet. He returned saying “Were Moses alive he would have to follow me” as his own utterance, because at that moment he was Muhammad. He offers this only as a sample of their state and disclaims equality with them. He backs it with al-Jīlī's doctrine of identity within a station, a vision of the Prophet's essence merged with his own, and divine confirmations. He tells it because God commanded him to speak of graces.

    See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 46 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 47 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 48 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 58 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 59 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 60 ↗ (archive.org)

  2. كُنْتُ مُغْرَماً بِمُطَالَعَةِ كُتُبِ الْقَوْمِ- رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ- مُنْذُ الصِّبَا، غَيْرَ سَالِكٍ طَرِيقَهُمْ،

    From my youth I was passionately fond of reading the books of the Folk (God be pleased with them), though I was not travelling their path;

  3. فَكُنْتُ فِي أَثْنَاءِ الْمُطَالَعَةِ أَعْثُرُ عَلَى كَلِمَاتٍ تَصْدُرُ مِنْ سَادَاتِ الْقَوْمِ وَأَكَابِرِهِمْ، يَقِفُ (أَيْ يَقُومُ مِنْهَا) شَعْرِي، وَتَتَقَبَّضُ مِنْهَا نَفْسِي،

    and in the course of reading I would come upon words issuing from the masters of the Folk and their greatest ones, at which my hair would stand (that is, rise up because of them) and my soul would shrink,

  4. مَعَ اِيمَانِي بِكَلَامِهِمْ، عَلَى مُرَادِهِمْ، لِاَنَّنِي عَلَى يَقِينٍ مِنْ آدَابِهِمُ الْكَامِلَةِ، وَأَخْلَاقِهِمُ الْفَاضِلَةِ،

    even though I believed in their words, according to what they meant by them, since I was certain of their perfect courtesy and their excellent character.

  5. وَذَلِكَ كَقَوْلِ عَبْدِ الْقَادِرِ الْجِيلِيِّ (رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ): «مَعَاشِرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، اُوتِيتُمُ اللَّقَبَ، وَاُتِينَا مَا لَمْ تُؤْتَوْهُ».

    Such as the saying of ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlī (God be pleased with him): "Company of prophets, you were given the title, and we were given what you were not given."

  6. وَقَوْلِ أَبِي الْغَيْثِ بْنِ جَمِيلٍ- رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ-: «خُضْنَا بَحْراً وَقَفَتِ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ بِسَاحِلِهِ»

    And the saying of Abū l-Ghayth ibn Jamīl (God be pleased with him): "We plunged into a sea on whose shore the prophets stood."

  7. وَقَوْلِ الشِّبْلِيِّ– رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ لِتِلْمِيذِهِ: «اَتَشْهَدُ أَنِّي مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ؟

    And the saying of al-Shiblī (God be pleased with him) to his disciple: "Do you bear witness that I am Muhammad, the Messenger of God?"

  8. فَقَالَ لَهُ التِّلْمِيذُ: «اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ»

    The disciple said to him: "I bear witness that you are Muhammad, the Messenger of God."

  9. •••وَمِثْلُ هَذَا كَثِيرٌ عَنْهُمْ•

    And there is much of this kind from them.

  10. وَكُلُّ مَا قَالَهُ الْقَائِلُونَ الْمُأَوِّلُونَ لِكَلَامِهِمْ، لَمْ تَسْكُنْ اِلَيْهِ النَّفْسُ، اِلَى أَنْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ– تَعَالَى– عَلَيَّ بِالْمُجَاوَرَةِ بِطَيْبَةَ الْمُبَارَكَةِ

    Nothing that those who interpreted their words said gave the soul rest, until God, exalted is He, favoured me with residing in blessed Ṭayba.

  11. فَكُنْتُ يَوْماً فِي الْخَلْوَةِ مُتَوَجِّهاً، أَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ– تَعَالَى– فَأَخَذَنِي الْحَقُّ– تَعَالَى– عَنِ الْعَالَمِ، وَعَنْ نَفْسِي،

    One day I was in retreat, turned [towards God], remembering God, exalted is He, and the Real, exalted is He, took me away from the world and from myself,

  12. ثُمَّ رَدَّنِي وَأَنَا أَقُولُ: «لَوْ كَانَ مُوسَى بْنُ عِمْرَانَ حَيّاً؛ مَا وَسِعَهُ اِلاّ اتِّبَاعِي» عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْاِنْشَاءِ، لَا عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْحِكَايَةِ،

    Quotes a hadith: not found in the Six Books or the Muwaṭṭaʾ (sunnah.com data, 11 Nov 2026) · grade not yet checked by a person

    then He returned me while I was saying: "If Moses son of ʿImrān were alive, he would have no option but to follow me," as an utterance of my own, not by way of quoting.

  13. فَعَلِمْتُ اَنَّ هَذِهِ الْقَوْلَةَ؛ مِنْ بَقَايَا تِلْكَ الْأَخْذَةِ، وَأَنِّي كُنْتُ فَانِياً فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ– صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ– وَلَمْ أَكُنْ فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ فُلَاناً، وَاِنَّمَا كُنْتُ مُحَمَّداً•

    Then I knew that this utterance was a remnant of that rapture, and that I had passed away in the Messenger of God (God bless him and grant him peace), and that at that moment I was not So-and-so; I was only Muhammad.

  14. وَاِلاّ لَمَا صَحَّ لِي قَوْلُ مَا قُلْتُ؛ اِلاّ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْحِكَايَةِ عَنْهُ– صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ–•

    Otherwise it would not have been valid for me to say what I said, except as a report from him (God bless him and grant him peace).

  15. وَكَذَا وَقَعَ لِي مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فِي قَوْلِهِ– صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ–: «اَنَا سَيِّدُ وَلَدِ آدَمَ وَلَا فَخْرَ»•

    Quotes a hadith: Ibn Mājah 4308, part of it · graded al-Albānī: sahih; Muḥammad Fuʾād ʿAbd al-Bāqī: sahih; Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ: sahih lighairihi; Zubayr ʿAlī Zaʾī: sahih (hadith-api open data) (grades ↗) · sunnah.com ↗

    The same happened to me another time with his saying (God bless him and grant him peace): "I am the master of the children of Adam, and no boast."

  16. وَحِينَئِـــذٍ تَبَيَّنَ لِي وَجْهُ مَا قَالَ هَـؤُلَاءِ السَّــادَةُ، أَعْنِي أَنَّ هَـذَا اُنْمُوذَجٌ وَمِثَالٌ، لِأَنِّي أُشَبِّـهُ حَالِي بِحَالِهِمْ•

    Then the meaning of what these masters said became clear to me. I mean that this is a sample and an example, because I liken my state to theirs.

  17. حَاشَـاهُمْ، ثُمَّ حَاشَـاهُمْ، ثُمَّ حَاشَـاهُمْ، فَاِنَّ مَقَامَهُمْ أَعْلَى وَأَجَلُّ، وَحَالَهُمْ أَتَمُّ وَأَكْمَلُ،

    Far be it from them, far be it from them, far be it from them! For their station is higher and more exalted, and their state more complete and more perfect.

  18. وَكَذَا قَالَ الشَّيْخُ عَبْدُ الْكَرِيمِ الْجِيلِيُّ :

  19. « كُلُّ مَنِ اجْتَمَعَ هُوَ وَآخَرُ فِي مَقَامٍ مِنَ الْمَقَامَاتِ الْكَمَالِيَّةِ ؛ كَانَ كُلُّ مِنْهُمَا عَيْنَ الْآخَرِ ، فِي ذَلِكَ الْمَقَامِ

  20. وَمَنْ عَرَفَ مَاقُلْنَاهُ عَلِمَ مَعْنَى قَوْلِ الْحَلَّاجِ وَغَيْرِهِ » •

  21. انْتَهَى كَلَامُ الْجِيلِيِّ رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ •

  22. وَقَبْلَ أَنْ تَصْدُرَ مِنِّي هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةُ : كُنْتُ ثَالِثَ لَـيْـلَةٍ مِنْ رَمَضَـــانَ مُتَوَجِّهاً لِلرَّوْضَةِ الشَّرِيفَةِ

  23. فَحَصَلَ لِي حَالٌ وَبُكَاءٌ فَأَلْقَى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِيقَلْبِي أَنَّهُ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – يَقُولُ لِي : « أَبْشِرْ بِفَتْحٍ » •

  24. فَبَعْدَ لَيْلَتَيْنِ : كُنْتُ أَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى فَغَلَبَنِي النَّوْمُ فَرَأَيْتُ ذَاتَهُ الشَّرِيفَةَ امْتَزَجَتْ مَعَ ذَاتِي ، وَصَارَتَا ذَاتاً وَاحِدَةً •

  25. أَنْظُرُ اِلَى ذَاتِي ؛ فَأَرَى ذَاتَهُ الشَّرِيفَةَ ذَاتِي •

  26. فَقُمْتُ فَزِعاً مَرْعُوباً فَرِحاً ، فَتَوَضَّأْتُ وَدَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ لِلسَّلَامِ عَلَيْهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - ثُمَّ رَجَعْتُ اِلَى الْخَلْوَةِ،

  27. وَجَعَلْتُ أَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ - تَعَالَى - فَأَخَذَنِي الْحَقُّ - تَعَالَى - عَنْ نَفْسِي وَعَنِ الْعَالَمِ ، ثُمَّ رَدَّنِي بَعْدَ أَنْ أَلْقَى اِلَيَّ قَوْلَهُ : « الْآنَ جِئْتَ بِالْحَقِّ » الْآيَةَ

  28. فَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ الْاِلْقَاءَ تَصْدِيقٌ لِلرُّؤْيَا •

  29. ثُمَّ بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ ، أَخَذَنِي الْحَقُّ - تَعَالَى - عَنْ نَفْسِي كَالْعَادَةِ ، فَسَمِعْتُ قَائِلاً يَقُولُ لِي : « انْظُرْ مَا أَكَنْتَهُ حَتَّى كُنْتَهُ » بِهَذِهِ السَّجْعَةِ الْجِنَاسِيَّةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ •

  30. فَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْقَوْلَةَ : تَصْدِيقٌ لِلرُّؤْيَا السَّابِقَةِ •

  31. وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى ،

  32. وَقَدْ أَمَرَنِي الْحَقُّ - تَعَالَى - بِالتَّحَدُّثِ بِالنِّعَمِ ، بِالْأَمْرِ الْعَامِّ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بِقَوْلِهِ : « وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ »

  33. لِأَنَّ الْأَمْرَ لَهُ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَمْرٌ لِأُمَّتِهِ ؛ اِلَّا مَا ثَبَتَ اخْتِصَاصُهُ بِهِ ،

  34. وَأَمَرَنِي بِالْخُصُوصِ مِرَاراً ، بِاِشَارَةِ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ الشَّرِيفَةِ : « وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ »

Translations, word glosses and term notes are AI-generated (Claude) and marked as such; no published translation is reproduced.Word analysis is automatic (CAMeL Tools), guided by the text's vowelling. How this text was established.

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