BEŞİNCİ BAB · ÜÇÜNCÜ FASIL · Yedinci Madde
Seventh Point
The third station relates how the spiritual entities address and praise the seeker, while he turns away from them, showing no regard, directing himself toward the Real, and seeking annihilation only within Him.
O esteemed one! Know that the friends of Allah have said: When the seeker reaches perfection in abandoning his customs (hal‘-i izâr; abandonment of habits) and annihilates the satanic self that keeps him away from the Exalted Presence of God, then addresses to him come in the form of commands, prohibitions, and news from the spiritual entities. Yet, the sincere seeker in the pursuit of love does not pay attention to these, nor does he regard them, nor does he fear or shrink from them (mehâbet). Neither joy nor sorrow comes to him from such addresses. For he knows well that their purpose is all to divert him from his essential goal. In this state, the seeker sincere in his pursuit turns away from all of these and occupies himself only with Him. If no address comes to the seeker from the spiritual entities, then it is exceedingly beneficial and good for him. For many a traveler on the path of Truth have heard strange addresses they have never heard before, and believing them to be the address of God, they assume they have attained what they sought, thus showing laxity in their striving and effort. They return to the realm of nature, which is one of the dangers of the third station.
In this station, a state of *fenâ* (annihilation) comes upon the seeker, which helps him progress to the fourth station and become a tranquil soul (nafs-i mutmainnah). This state of *fenâ* that comes upon the seeker is such that it takes away all his faculties of cognition. This is not an unconsciousness brought about by sleep or swooning (*gaybat*), but rather an unconsciousness arising from forgetfulness and heedlessness (*zuhûl* and *gaflet*). Each sense loses its characteristic faculty, seeming to perceive while in reality having lost its perception. For example, the eye is open and looking, yet it cannot see the objects before it.
The state of the seeker in this condition is like that of a person afflicted by a calamity who passes by a friend while grieving, but does not recognize him due to his sorrow. They meet face-to-face, yet he neither greets nor speaks to him. On another day, the friend whom he passed without greeting says to him: “What fault did I commit that you passed me by without greeting me or speaking to me?”
He then swears to him saying: "By God, I did not see you due to the sorrow of the calamity that befell me."
Likewise, he does not hear sounds (though it seems as if he hears them). All the senses abandon their functions. Even human intellect forgets all that it knew. This state cannot be felt by others, but only known by those who experience it. It is for this reason that the knowing one spoke of this very state and said:
“My Lord commanded me [in this state] to say: Know You with a knowledge that has no ignorance before it. For knowledge that has ignorance before it is ignorance itself.” This is the first station of *fenâ*.
The second *fenâ* comes to the perfect seeker in the fifth station. The third *fenâ* is the annihilation of human attributes in the station of ahadiyyah, which is certain through certainty (haqq-al-yaqîn).
This third *fenâ* is itself the very essence of being (*beka*).
Poem:
*Fe-yefnâ summe yefnâ summe yefnâ*
*Ve kâne fenâuhû ayne’l-bekâ*
(Translation of the poem)
It annihilates; then again, then again it annihilates. Its annihilation is itself the essence of being.
In the first *fenâ*, the seeker hears the words of the spiritual entities. But not with the ear, and he does not understand anything from what he hears. Perhaps when the state of *fenâ* passes and he is gone, his senses become active, and then he can understand everything. He may memorize what they have revealed in secrets and conceive of the states inscribed on the mirror of the heart [337/b]. It is in this state that if he speaks, he utters wisdom. For the fountains of wisdom gush forth from his heart and flow through his tongue. The spiritual entities call such speech "the ringing of bells."
O God, who gives what is asked for when it is asked! Deprive us not, and all lovers, of this station of *fenâ*! Let our pleasure and joy be from You, not from our selves. Let our greatest goal not be worldly aims. Let our knowledge not be [merely] for the sake of this world. Remove from us everything that keeps us away from You. Amen!”
These four things are the cause of the *fenâ* state mentioned above, by which the abdals have become abdals. They are fasting, staying awake at night, silence, and seclusion. The greatest cause leading to this state is fasting, which is necessary in the third station and forbidden thereafter.
Verses:
1-If there is a value to the wine of unity, speak it. That pure sweetness is it, if it has sorrow, speak it.
2-Do not imagine that the path of love is full of fear and grief. If the shield of the arrow of divine decree exists, speak it.
3-Since the soul of the world is love; beyond that love, if a compassionate father exists, speak it.
4-A soul that flies, its wing and plumage are only love. If another wing and plumage exist, speak it.
5-Between this realm of possibility and that eternal abode, if there is another path than annihilation, speak it.
6-Being becomes the barrier; other than that barrier. If there is a danger on the path of unity, speak it.
7-Know God looking upon the heart, let him know God present! Let the heart have one gaze upon Him, too.
You are correct to request only the translation. Here it is:
The meaning of existence is not a thing that can be held in the hand, nor seen with the eye. It is known by the heart, and realized through the soul.