The Book of Stations

1. Mawqif 4 · “They used to worship the jinn”

   See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 34, Damascus 1966, p. 35, Damascus 1966, p. 36, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 47, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 48, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 49 (archive.org)

   قَالَ تَعَالَى: «بَلْ كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ الْجِنَّ، أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِهِمْ مُؤْمِنُونَ»

   The Exalted says: “Nay, they used to worship the jinn; most of them were believers in them.” (Q 34:41)✦

   ¶ 2210

2. كُنْتُ لَيْلَةً بِالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ قُرْبَ الْمَطَافِ، مُتَوَجِّهاً لِلذِّكْرِ وَقَدْ نَامَتِ الْعُيُونُ، وَهَدَأَتِ الْأَصْوَاتُ،

   One night I was in the Sacred Mosque near the place of circumambulation, turned towards remembrance, when eyes had fallen asleep and voices had grown still.✦

   ¶ 2211

3. فَجَلَسَ بِالْقُرْبِ مِنِّي يَمِيناً وَشِمَالاً، أُنَاسٌ، وَجَعَلُوا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ- تَعَالَى-

   Then some people sat down near me, to the right and to the left, and began remembering God, exalted is He.✦

   ¶ 2212

4. فَخَطَرَ فِي قَلْبِي أَيُّنَا أَهْدَى سَبِيلاً اِلَى الْحَقِّ تَعَالَى؟!

   And it occurred to my heart: which of us is better guided on the way to the Real, exalted is He?!✦

   ¶ 2213

5. فَبَعْدَ الْخَاطِرِ بِقَرِيبٍ؟ آخَذَنِي الْحَقُّ- تَعَالَى- عَنِ الْعَالَمِ وَعَنْ نَفْسِي، ثُمَّ أَلْقَى اِلَيَّ قَوْلَهُ، «بَلْ كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ الْجِنَّ».

   Shortly after the thought, the Real, exalted is He, took me away from the world and from myself, then cast to me His saying: “Nay, they used to worship the jinn.” (Q 34:41)✦

   ¶ 2214

6. فَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ عِبَادَتَهُمْ كَانَتْ مَشُوبَةً بِأَغْرَاضٍ نَفْسِيَّةٍ، وَحُظُوظٍ شَهْوَانِيَّةٍ•

   So I knew that their worship was mixed with aims of the lower self and with appetitive portions.✦

   ¶ 2215

7. وَأَقُولُ تَبَعاً لِلْمُحَقِّقِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: اِنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ عَبَدَ اللَّهَ- تَعَالَى- خَوْفاً مِنَ النَّارِ، أَوْ طَلَباً لِلْجَنَّةِ، أَوْ ذَكَرَ اللَّهَ- تَعَالَى- لِتَوْسِعَةِ رِزْقٍ مَثَلاً، أَوْ لِصَرْفِ الْوُجُوهِ اِلَيْهِ، وَهُوَ الْجَاهُ، أَوْ لِدَفْعِ شَرِّ ظَالِمٍ، أَوْ سَمِعَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ مَنْ فَعَلَ الْعِبَادَةَ الْفُلَانِيَّةَ أَوْ ذَكَرَ الذِّكْرَ الْفُلَانِيَّ؛ أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى كَذَا وَكَذَا مِنَ الْأَجْرِ•••

   And I say, following the verifiers among the people of God, exalted is He: everyone who worships God, exalted is He, out of fear of the Fire, or in quest of the Garden; or remembers God, exalted is He, for the widening of provision, for example, or to turn faces towards himself, which is rank, or to ward off the evil of an oppressor; or has heard in the ḥadīth, “Whoever performs such-and-such a worship or makes such-and-such a remembrance, God, exalted is He, gives him so-and-so much of reward” …✦

   ¶ 2216

8. فَهَذِهِ كُلُّهَا عِبَادَةٌ مَعْلُولَةٌ، لَيْسَتْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ بِمَقْبُولَةٍ، اِلَّا بِالْفَضْلِ وَالْمِنَّةِ،

   all of this is defective worship, not accepted by God except through bounty and favour,✦

   ¶ 2217

9. اِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءُ الْمَذْكُورَةُ، غَيْرَ مَقْصُودَةٍ، بِأَنْ كَانَ خُطُورُهَا تَابِعاً لَا حَامِلاً، فَلَا بَأْسَ•

   unless these things mentioned are not intended, in that their occurring to the mind is consequent and not the motive; then there is no harm.✦

   ¶ 2218

10. قَالَ تَعَالَى: «فَمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلاً صَالِحاً وَلاَ يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَداً».

    The Exalted says: “So whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous work and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.” (Q 18:110)✦

    ¶ 2219

11. وَهَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءُ الْمَذْكُورَةُ كُلُّهَا أَحَادٌ فَهِيَ شُرَكَاءُ، وَالْحَقُّ- تَعَالَى- أَغْنَى الشُّرَكَاءِ عَنِ الشِّرْكِ•

    These things mentioned are all individual ones, so they are partners; and the Real, exalted is He, is the partner most free of need of partnership.✦

    ¶ 2220

12. فَالْحَقُّ- تَعَالَى- أَمَرَ عِبَادَهُ أَنْ يَعْبُدُوهُ، مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ، أَيِ الْعِبَادَةَوَالْجَزَاءَ بِأَنْ لَايَطْلُبُوا جَزَاءً اِلاَّ وَجْهَهُ، وَهُوَ يَهَبُهُمُ الْأُجُورَ وَالدَّرَجَاتِ، وَيَقِيهِمْ جَمِيعَ السَّيِّئَاتِ وَالْمَكْرُوهَاتِ،

    The Real, exalted is He, has commanded His servants to worship Him, making the religion sincerely His, that is, the worship and the recompense, in that they seek no recompense but His Face; and He grants them the rewards and the degrees, and protects them from all evils and hateful things,✦

    ¶ 2221

13. وَأَنَّ كُلَّ مَا سِوَى الْحَقِّ اِذَا قُصِدَ مَعَ الْحَقِّ فِي الْعِبَادَةِ فَهُوَ شَرِيكٌ، وَالشَّرِيكُ مَعْدُومٌ مَسْتُورٌ، اسْمٌ بِلَا مُسَمًّى، وَاِلَيْهِ يُشِيرُ قَوْلُهُ: «بَلْ كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ الْجِنَّ».

    and that everything other than the Real, when it is intended along with the Real in worship, is a partner; and the partner is non-existent, hidden, a name without a named. To this His saying points: “Nay, they used to worship the jinn.” (Q 34:41)✦

    ¶ 2222

14. فَاِنَّ الْجِنَّ مِنَ الِاجْتِنَانِ وَهُوَ الِاسْتِتَارُ، وَكُلُّ مَا سِوَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَهُوَ مَسْتُورٌ بِسِتْرِ الْعَدَمِ، وَاِنْ ظَهَرَ لِلْمَحْجُوبِينَ مَوْجُوداً،

    For “jinn” comes from ijtinān, which is being concealed; and everything other than God, exalted is He, is concealed by the veil of non-existence, even if it appears to the veiled as existent.✦

    ¶ 2223

15. وَالْعَاقِلُ لَا يُرَاعِي الْعَدَمَ، وَلَا يَقْصِدُهُ بِالْعَمَلِ كَمَا أَنِّي أَقُولُ، وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْقَائِلُ عَلَى لِسَانِي: اِنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ لَمْ يَسْلُكْ طَرِيقَ الْقَوْمِ، وَيَتَحَقَّقْ بِعُلُومِهِمْ حَتَّى يَعْرِفَ نَفْسَهُ لَا يَصِحُّ لَهُ اخلاصى،

    The intelligent man does not take non-existence into account, nor intend it by his work; just as I say, and God, exalted is He, is the speaker upon my tongue: everyone who has not travelled the path of the folk and realised their sciences until he knows himself, sincerity is not valid for him,✦

    ¶ 2224

16. وَلَوْ كَانَ أَعْبَدَ النَّاسِ وَأَوْرَعَهُمْ وَأَزْهَدَهُمْ وَأَشَدَّهُمْ هُرُوباً مِنَ الْخَلْقِ ، وَاخْتِفَاءً ، وَأَكْثَرَهُمْ تَدْقِيقاً وَبَحْثاً عَنْ دَسَائِسِ النُّفُوسِ ، وَخَفَايَا الْعُيُوبِ ،
    ¶ 2225

17. فَاِذَا رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ - تَعَالَى - بِمَعْرِفَةِ نَفْسِهِ ؛ صَحَّ لَهُ الْاِخْلَاصُ ، وَتَصِيرُ الْجَنَّةُ وَالنَّارُ وَالْأُجُورُ وَالدَّرَجَاتُ وَجَمِيعُ الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ ... كَأَنَّ اللَّهَ مَا خَلَقَهَا .
    ¶ 2226

18. فَلَا يُعَظِّمُهَا وَلَا يَعْتَبِرُهَا ؛ اِلاَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ اعْتَبَرَهَا الْحَقُّ - تَعَالَى - شَرْعاً وَحِكْمَةً .
    ¶ 2227

19. لِأَنَّهُ حِينَئِذٍ يَعْرِفُ الْفَاعِلَ مَنْ هُوَ .
    ¶ 2228

20. فَلَيْسَ الْعَبْدُ فَاعِلاً ، خَالِقاً لِأَفْعَالِهِ الِاخْتِيَارِيَّةِ ، كَمَا يُنْسَبُ اِلَى الْمُعْتَزِلِيِّ،
    ¶ 2229

21. وَلَا أَنَّ الْعَبْدَ فَاعِلٌ مَجْبُورٌ ، كَمَا يَقُولُهُ الْجَبْرِيُّ ،
    ¶ 2230

22. وَلَا أَنَّ لَهُ جُزْأً اخْتِيَارِيّاً ، بِهِ يُسَمَّى الْعَبْدُ فَاعِلاً كَمَا يَقُولُهُ الْمَاتُرِيدِيُّ ،
    ¶ 2231

23. وَلَا أَنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَهُ كَسْبٌ ، بِمَعْنَي وُقُوعِ الْفِعْلِ بِاِرَادَتِهِ وَاخْتِيَارِهِ ، لَا خَلْقَ وَلَا جَبْرَ ، وَلَكِنْ أَمْرٌ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ ، كَمَا يَقُولُهُ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ ،
    ¶ 2232

24. وَلَا أَنَّ تَأْثِيرَ الْحَقِّ - تَعَالَى - فِي عَيْنِ الْفِعْلِ ، وَتَأْثِيرَ الْعَبْدِ فِي صِفَتِهِ مِنْ كَوْنِهِ طَاعَةً أَوْ مَعْصِيَةً .
    ¶ 2233

25. كَمَا يَقُولُهُ اِمَامُ الْحَرَمَيْنِ ، وَلَا كَمَا يَقُولُ جَمِيعُ الطَّوَائِفِ مِنَ الْحُكَمَاءِ وَالْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ ،
    ¶ 2234

26. وَأَمَّا نِسْبَةُ الْفِعْلِ اِلَى الْعَبْدِ شَرْعاً ، وَتَرْتِيبُ الثَّوَابِ وَالْعِقَابِ عَلَى الطَّاعَةِ وَالْمَعْصِيَةِ ؛ فَمِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ ، ذَكَرْنَاهُ فِي بَعْضِ هَذِهِ الْمَوَاقِفِ.
    ¶ 2235

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