The Book of Stations
المواقف
Context: The ghayn ḥadīth seems to ascribe a veil to the Prophet; al-Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ and al-Nawawī explain it as distraction by community affairs, ascending states or humility. The Emir reads it through union, second separation and He-ness, saying God qua god vanishes and sender, messenger and recipients become one. Ibn Taymiyya calls this ittiḥād; the school says it concerns relations in beholding.AI
وَرَدَ فِي صَحِيحِ مُسْلِمٍ أَنَّهُ ـ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ـ وَقَالَ: «اِنَّهُ لَيُغَانُ عَلَى قَلْبِي فَاَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ وَاَتُوبُ اِلَيْهِ فِي الْيَوْمِ اَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِائَةِ مَرَّةٍ»
Quotes a hadith: Muslim 2702a, in other words · in a Ṣaḥīḥ, no separate grade · sunnah.com ↗
It is reported in the Ṣaḥīḥ of Muslim that he (God bless him and give him peace) said: “Truly, a clouding comes over my heart, so I ask God's forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance more than a hundred times in a day.”
In briefAI
The Emir takes the ḥadīth in which the Prophet says a clouding (ghayn) comes over his heart, so he asks God's forgiveness and turns to Him. He reads both words by their roots. Istighfār is asking God to cover (ghafr) him from the wearying beholding of separation, with its countless conflicting duties; God then gives him the restful beholding of the Essence. Tawba is the return, which wisdom requires, from that pure union to the second separation, so that servanthood is upheld. The Emir notes that he has elsewhere interpreted the ḥadīth in the opposite way, by a contrary inspiration, and that both meanings are true.
See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 764 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 765 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 766 ↗ (archive.org)
وَوَرَدَ بِرِوَايَاتٍ أُخَرَ.
It is also reported in other versions.
اعْلَمْ اَنَّ الْغَيْنَ هُوَ التَّغْطِيَةُ وَاللَّبْسُ، كَانَتِ التَّغْطِيَةُ حِسِّيَّةً أَوْ مَعْنَوِيَّةً، كَمَا هُنَا،
Know that ghayn is covering and obscuring, whether the covering be sensory or a matter of meaning, as it is here;
وَذَلِكَ اَنَّهُ ـ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ـ كَانَ يَغْلِبُ عَلَيْهِ أَحْيَاناً شُهُودُ عَظَمَةِ الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ وَمَا تَقْتَضِيهِ الْأُلُوهَةُ مِنْ لَوَازِمِ الْعُبُودَةِ، بِاخْتِلَافِ آثَارِ أَسْمَاءِ الْأُلُوهَةِ، وَمَا تَطْلُبُهُ مِنَ الْقِيَامِ بِحُقُوقِ آثَارِهَا وَمَظَاهِرِهَا، مَعَ تَضَادِّ آثَارِهَا وَمَظَاهِرِهَا،
and that is because at times there would overcome him (God bless him and give him peace) the beholding of the majesty of Lordship and of what Godhood requires by way of the entailments of servanthood, according to the diversity of the effects of the names of Godhood, and of what they demand in fulfilling the rights of their effects and their loci of manifestation, despite the mutual opposition of those effects and loci;
ثُمَّ يَنْظُرُ ـ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ـ اِلَى ضَعْفِ الْعَبْدِ وَعَجْزِهِ وَعَدَمِ اقْتِدَارِهِ عَنْ أَدَاءِ جُزْءٍ مِمَّا لَانِهَايَةَ لَهُ مِمَّا يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ لِرَبِّهِ وَاِلَهِهِ.
then he (God bless him and give him peace) would look at the weakness of the servant, his incapacity, and his inability to perform even a part of that which has no end, of what is incumbent upon him towards his Lord and his God.
هَذَا مَعَ مُعَانَاةِ الْأَضْدَادِ، وَمُعَاشَرَةِ الْأَنْدَادِ، وَالْأَمْرِ بِالتَّأْلِيفِ بَيْنَهُمْ، وَجَلْبِ قُلُوبِهِمْ، مَعَ تَنَافُرِ طَبَائِعِهِمْ، وَتَبَايُنِ أَغْرَاضِهِمْ، وَاخْتِلَافِ مَرَامِيهِمْ، مُضَافاً اِلَى النَّظَرِ فِي مَصَالِحِ الْأَهْلِ وَتَدْبِيرِ النَّفْسِ؟
This, together with enduring opposites, keeping company with rivals, and the command to bring them together and win their hearts, despite the mutual aversion of their natures, the divergence of their aims and the differences in their purposes; and added to this, attending to the welfare of his family and the governance of his own self.
فَيَرَى– صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ– عِنْدَ هَذَا الشُّهُودِ شَيْئاً عَظِيماً لَا تُطِيقُهُ الْبَشَرُ، مِنْ حَيْثُ هِيَ، بِوَجْهٍ وَلَا حَالٍ،
So at this beholding he (God bless him and give him peace) sees something immense which humankind, as such, cannot bear in any respect or any state,
فَيَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ، أَيْ يَطْلُبُ مِنَ «اللَّهِ» الِاسْمِ الْجَامِعِ الْغَفْرَ، وَهُوَ السَّتْرُ مِنْ هَذَا الشُّهُودِ الْفَرْقِيِّ الْمُتْعِبِ الْمَعْنَى الَّذِي دَلَّ عَلَيْهِ الِاسْمُ «اللَّهُ»،
and so he asks forgiveness of God (yastaghfiru Llāh), that is, he asks of “Allāh”, the all-comprehending name, ghafr, which is veiling from this wearying beholding of separation, the meaning to which the name “Allāh” points;
فَاِنَّهُ اسْمٌ لِمَرْتَبَةِ الْأُلُوهَةِ الْمُقْتَضِيَةِ لِلْمَأْلُوهِ، فَاِنَّ الْمَعْبُودَ لَابُدَّ لَهُ مِنْ عَبْدٍ، فَهُمَا مُتَلَازِمَانِ تَلَازُمَ تَضَايُفٍ.
for it is a name for the rank of Godhood, which requires one who has a god; for the worshipped must have a worshipper, so the two are bound together with the mutual binding of correlatives.
فَاِذَا سَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ هَذَا الشُّهُودِ الْاِلَهِيِّ أَشْهَدَهُ الشُّهُودَ الذَّاتِيَّ الْجَمْعِيَّ الْمُرِيحَ، وَأَدْخَلَهُ حَضْرَةَ الْهُوِيَّةِ الْجَامِعَةِ، الَّتِي تَهْلِكُ فِيهَا الْأَسْمَاءُ وَالْآثَارُ، وَتَنْدَرِجُ فِيهَا النُّجُومُ وَالشُّمُوسُ وَالْأَقْمَارُ، يَتَّحِدُ فِيهَا الْمُرْسِلُ وَالرَّسُولُ وَالْمُرْسَلُ اِلَيْهِ، اِذْ لَا تَفْصِيلَ فِي الْهُوَ الذَّاتِ،
When God veils him from this divine beholding, He makes him behold the essential, unitive beholding that brings rest, and brings him into the presence of the all-comprehending He-ness, in which the names and the effects perish, and the stars, suns and moons are enfolded, and in which the sender, the messenger and the one sent to become one, since there is no differentiation in the “He”, the Essence;
وَلِذَا قَالَ– صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ– اِلَيْهِ، بِضَمِيرِ الْهُوَ، حَيْثُ لَا اِلَهَ وَلَا مَأْلُوهَ وَلَا رَبٌّ وَلَا عَبْدٌ،
That is why he (God bless him and give him peace) said “to Him” (ilayhi), with the pronoun of the “He”, where there is no god and no one who has a god, no lord and no servant;
اِذْ بِانْعِدَامِ الْمَأْلُوهِ يَنْعَدِمُ الْاِلَهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ هُوَ اِلَهٌ، فَاِنَّهُ اِذَا عُدِمَ الْمُضَافُ أنْعَدَمَ الْمُضَافُ اِلَيْهِ،
for with the vanishing of the one who has a god, the god, insofar as he is god, vanishes; for when the related term is annulled, the term to which it is related is annulled;
ثُمَّ بِاقْتِضَاءِ الْحِكْمَـةِ ، حَيْثُ اِنَّهُ – تَعَـالَى – مَا خَلَقَ الْجِنَّ وَالْاِنْسَ اِلاَّ لِيَعْرِفُوهُ فَيَعْبُدُوهُ ، فَلَوْ بَقُوا فِي حَضْرَةِ الْجَمْعِ الصِّرْفِ مَا كَانَ هُنَاكَ مَنْ يَعْبُدُهُ ،
فَمِـنَ الْحِكْمَةِ رُجُوعُهُ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – عَنْ شُهُودِ الْجَمْعِ الصِّرْفِ ، وَهُوَ تَوْبَتُهُ ، أَيْ رُجُوعُهُ اِلَى شُهُودِ الْفَرْقِ الثَّانِي ، وَهُوَ شُهُودُ اِلَهٍ وَمَأْلُوهٍ ، وَرَبٌّ وَعَبْدٌ ، وَحَقٌّ وَخَلْقٌ ،
وَشُهُودُ هَذِهِ الْحَضْرَةِ هُوَ الْمُمَيِّزُ بَيْنَ الرَّبِّ وَالْعَبْدِ ، اِذِ الْمَرَاتِبُ هِيَ الْمُمَيِّزَةُ وَالْمُفَرِّقَةُ ،
وَحِينَئِذٍ يَقُومُ بِوَاجِبَاتِ الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ وَحُقُوقِ الْأُلُوهِيَّةِ ، فَيُعْطِي الْمَـرَاتِبَ حَقَّهَا وَالْمَظَـاهِرَ وَالْآثَارَ مُسْتَحَقَّهَا حَسَبَ الطَّاقَةِ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ .
فَكَانَ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – تَارَةً وَتَارَةً بَيْنَ هَذَيْنِ الشُّهُودَيْنِ، يَتَرَدَّدُ بِحَسَبِ الْعَدَدِ الْوَارِدِ فِي الرِّوَايَاتِ .
وَهَذِهِ الْأَحْوَالُ كَانَتْ لَهُ فِي بِدَايَةِ الرِّسَالَةِ ،
وَقَدْ أَخْرَجَ ابْنُ قَانِعٍ أَنَّهُ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – قَالَ :
« اَرْسَلَنِي رَبِّي بِرِسَالَةٍ فَضِقْتُ بِهَا ذَرْعاً » .
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
وَلِغَلَبَةِ الشُّهُودِ الْفَرْقِيِّ ، وَمَا يَتَضَمَّنَّهُ مِنَ الْحُقُوقِ الْاِلَهِيَّةِ وَالْكَوْنِيَّةِ عَلَى بَعْضِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَأَكَابِرِ الصَّالِحِينَ تَمَنَّى أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُوجَدْ ، وَيَغِيبُ عَنْهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ الشُّهُودِ كَوْنُ الْوُجُودِ خَيْراً وَرَحْمَةً وَنِعْمَةً .
وَأَنَّ الْعَدَمَ شَرٌّ وَنِقْمَةٌ ،
وَقَدْ أَوَّلْنَا هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَوَاقِفِ ، بِنَقِيضِ هَذَا التَّأْوِيلِ بِوَارِدٍ مُنَاقِضٍ لِهَذَا الْوَارِدِ ،
فَاِنَّا بِحَسَبِ مَا يَرِدُ لَا بِمَا نُرِيدُ :
طَوْراً يَمَانٍ اِذَا لَقِيتُ ذَا يَمَنٍ
وَاِنْ لَقِيتُ مَعَدِّيّاً فَعَدْنَانُ
وَلَا غَرْوَ ، فَاِنَّهُمَا حَالَتَانِ كَانَتَا لَهُ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – أَخْبَرَ عَنْهُمَا بِلَفْظٍ وَاحِدٍ يُؤَدِّي الْمَعْنَيَيْنِ ،
فَاِنَّهُ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – أُعْطِيَ جَوَامِعَ الْكَلِمِ ، وَيَنَابِيعَ الْحِكَمِ ،
Quotes a hadith: Muslim 1733g, an allusion · in a Ṣaḥīḥ, no separate grade · sunnah.com ↗
وَكُلُّ أُنَاسٍ يَعْلَمُونَ مَشْرَبَهُمْ ، فَيَسْلُكُونَ مَذْهَبَهُمْ ،
وَرُبَّمَا فِي الْغَيْبِ مَعَانٍ أُخَرُ لِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ ، يُلْقِيهَا اللَّهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ .
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.