BEŞİNCİ BAB · ÜÇÜNCÜ FASIL · Altıncı Madde
Sixth Point
This section details the beautiful qualities and states of the *nafs-i mulhimena* in the third station, along with the particulars and expressions of abandoning customs (the state of stripping away; the abandonment of habits).
O esteemed one! Know that the friends of Allah have said: The sincere seeker in the third station has become a spiritual and compassionate lover. They have found the light of *irfan* within their heart, even the sun of *irfan*. The herald of perfection greets their soul, and winds of union blow. Most of the veils from their heart have been lifted, and the greatest and most foul pleasures of the self have vanished. For the third station is the station of the purified soul, and the soul is veiled from absolute witnessing. Because the soul gathers a collection of delights, these prevent it from attaining to its desire. However, those delights that are of light are acceptable and beneficial, for their veil and delight are the desire to witness Allah’s majesty, to seek union (union) with Him. They take pleasure in humiliation (*zull*) and revealing their poverty (*iftikar*), and they rejoice in it. As their longing and desire (*shawq*) intensifies, their patience and resolve diminish.
For the lover in this station, as their longing and desire (*shawq*) for their beloved intensifies, and as they listen to or recite the poems, hymns, and melodies written by the great masters of the Sufi path for those in this station, their patience and resolve fail due to the intensity of their love. They completely free themselves from the bonds that hold them (*hal‘-i izar*), and are no longer concerned with honor and reputation. They change their garments [into simple, worthless things] and give no value to the esteem of people. They behave in a way so as to be considered insignificant by everyone. [Because] the lover finds delight in such things. Through this avoidance of fame/reputation, ( *hubb-i humul*), they diminish themselves in the eyes of others, thus distinguishing the truthful from the false. For many claim love, but few are sincere in their claims. The heart of one who is sincere in his love contains nothing but the beloved. They forget people so completely that no one comes to mind. And people also forget them, and they remain in no one’s memory.
A condition of love is that the lover must inevitably obey and submit to the commands of the beloved. As explained more fully above in “The Chapter on Love.” [336/b]
Poem:
1-You rebel against Allah, yet you display your love.
2-If your love were sincere, you would obey Him.
For surely the lover is obedient to that which he loves.
Those godless (*malāhid*) and heretics in the world of nature who are ignorant of the science of truth have assumed that the purpose of abandoning customs (*hal‘-i izar*), is to abandon commands and commit prohibitions. Such people abandon prayer and fasting, obstruct the performance of pilgrimage and charity, and indulge their desires, committing all forbidden acts. Even while in this state, their claim is: “Our abandonment of commands and our commission of some forbidden acts are all so that we may free ourselves from every bond that holds us, to break the ego within ourselves, to destroy our reputation among people. We are the friends of Allah who have attained union with His oneness; for those like us, religious obligations have been lifted.”
However, they do not know that this is an impossible fantasy, a form of disbelief and misguidance, which will be a cause of wrath from the Most High. For their actions and words are neither in accordance with any religion nor with any school of thought. Satanic fantasies have overcome those who hold such beliefs, and they consider freeing themselves from the precepts and prohibitions of religion to be among the stations of the self. Their hearts have darkened due to committing sins, and they remain in darkness, weary of worship and asceticism.
As for the lovers, they know with certainty that the purpose of abandoning customs (*hal‘-i izar; hal‘-i adat*) is to avoid causing others to show respect and esteem, by acting in a manner contrary to the customs of the common people. They strictly adhere to the commands and rulings of religion, follow the way of the companions of the Prophet, emulate the practices of great saints. Their path consists entirely of following these.
Verse:
The splendor of the world belongs to those who are indifferent to it.
Happy is he who seeks neither value nor esteem.
These [those we mentioned in the second section, seeking to discipline their selves with proper methods] break their ego by abandoning all customs (their social status) and acting contrary to them, so as to be considered insignificant in the eyes of the people. They perform their personal needs themselves within their homes. They carry what they buy from the market on their shoulders. They carry the kneading trough and bread oven upon their shoulders to bake. They fetch water from the well and chop wood for the needs of their household and neighbors. If necessary, they sweep in front of their doors. They tend to horses, camels, cattle, and sheep; they perform the work in gardens, orchards, fields, workshops, and stores. They ride bareback on simple, old clothes, and walk barefoot, and engage in such other activities – not contrary to religion. Thus, they fall from the esteem of people and break their egos.
They abandon customs in this manner so as to reach union with the Beloved.
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