FIFTH CHAPTER · SEVENTH SECTION · Fourth Subsection
Fourth Subsection
It explains that the capable sālik (murīd, aspirant) has states of sorrow and constriction (ḥuzn and inkibāẓ) as well as states of expansion and relief (munshariḥ and munbasiṭ), and that in the state of constriction (qabḍ), he cultivates his inner world.
O dear one! It should be known that the friends of Allah (awliyāʾ) have said: One of the signs of a sālik capable of traversing the path (sulūk) is that all his desires, both hidden and manifest, are to purify his nafs (the lower self) from vile attributes. For he knows his nafs to be his greatest enemy and the source of dangerous (spiritual) diseases. For this reason, he strives to be rid of his nafs and is diligent in this. If he observes in his nafs any action contrary to his path, he complains of it to his murshid (spiritual guide). The murshid then instructs him to persist in opposing the nafs in those matters where it acts contrary.
For example, if the sālik complains of excess in eating, drinking, sleeping, or speaking, the murshid prescribes their opposites (i.e., restraint): hunger, wakefulness, and silence. Thus, the sālik’s nafs becomes content with the moderate state of eating little, sleeping little, and speaking little, and proceeds uprightly upon this way.
You will see that the capable sālik, most of the time—like one afflicted with an incurable ailment—has a sorrowful qalb (heart) and a bowed head. Even if he rejoices, his joy is incomplete, like the brief relief of a troubled person. The reality is that the affliction of the capable sālik is greater than every other affliction. For by the blessing of continually engaging in dhikr (remembrance) of the names of Allah, he comes to know the innate disposition of his nafs and the disgrace and filth it harbors within. Realizing that as long as these obstacles and highwaymen exist, he will not be able to reach his beloved or attain what he desires, he strives to be rid of them. However, since it is not possible to be rid of all the vile traits that prevent union with the beloved, he remains sorrowful and bewildered. For the evil traits of the nafs are extremely ugly and numerous, and since the nafs is intertwined with them, deliverance is difficult. Indeed, if he is freed from one, he becomes afflicted with another, worse than the first. Surely, the sālik whose state is thus has a qalb always sorrowful and eyes tearful, and in every state he complains of his own nafs.
When states of expansion (basṭ) and hope (rajāʾ) come to the capable sālik, he strives to guard himself from raising his head, raising his voice, abandoning proper decorum, laughing, joking, and openly displaying his joy, and instead seeks solitude to experience that state between himself and Allah. He asks the Exalted Truth (al-Ḥaqq) that this state be removed from him and that he be granted a state in which he will be preserved. He knows that the state of constriction (qabḍ) is certainly a means of salvation, and that with it, there is no fear upon the sālik. However, this is such a difficult state that it does not suit ignorant souls.
The sālik who is a knower (ʿārif) fears the state of expansion and abundance (basṭ) as one would fear a lion, and takes delight in the state of constriction (qabḍ) as the people of the world take delight in worldly things. For he has experienced that in the state of expansion (basṭ), there is the beautification of the outward and the corruption of the inner world, whereas in the state of constriction (qabḍ), there is the removal of the vile attributes of the nafs and, in return, the cultivation of the world of the heart.
If the sālik says [348/a]: “In the state of expansion (basṭ), I have vigilance (murāqaba), witnessing (mushāhada), and intimate supplication (munājāt) in the presence of my Lord (Hazrat-i Mawlā); but in the state of constriction (qabḍ), none of these virtues are present.” From this statement, it is understood that such a sālik has neither known the Truth (al-Ḥaqq), nor found His presence, nor tasted the delight of intimacy with Him. He is not truly of the people of his claim; he is mistaken. For attaining presence with the Exalted Truth is only possible by turning away from everything other than Him (mā siwā). Yet, one can only sever ties with mā siwā in the state of constriction (qabḍ).
It has been narrated: While a sālik was dancing with the joy brought by the state of expansion (basṭ), his murshid saw him and said: “Why do you display your joy openly?”
He replied: “How could I not be joyful, how could I not display my joy, when I have passed the night with Him as my Lord and myself as His servant?”
That wise one guided him, saying: “Rejoicing and delighting, even with Him, is considered blameworthy. Whereas the Exalted Truth loves every heart that is sorrowful.” Therefore, being in the state of qabḍ and being sorrowful is praiseworthy.
Poetry
1—O heart of our beloved, in the heart is sorrow and joy;
And O our cunning moon, in the heart is sorrow and joy.
2—O dear one, your sorrow in the heart is sweeter than honey and sugar;
O ocean of our thoughts, in the heart is sorrow and joy.
3—If you look at the heart with grace, the heart becomes full of delight;
O our sorrow and sorrow-bearer, in the heart is sorrow and joy.
4—If you look at the heart with wrath, the heart becomes full of grief;
O our chosen king, in the heart is sorrow and joy.
5—The heart takes joy from you, the soul finds peace in you;
O confidant of our secrets, in the heart is sorrow and joy.
6—Every word of yours is inspiration, the heart submits to your command;
O the tear of our confession, in the heart is sorrow and joy.
7—Let the heart be silent for the sake of the Truth; the word of the soul is sustenance for the heart;
O our amber cloud, in the heart is sorrow and joy.
In contemporary Turkish
1—O beloved of our hearts! In the heart, joy is in sorrow. O our shining moon! In the heart, joy is in sorrow.
2—O dear one, your sorrow in the heart is sweeter than honey and sugar. O ocean of our thoughts! In the heart, joy is in sorrow.
3—If you look at the heart with grace, this heart fills with delight. O our sorrow, our sorrow-bearer! In the heart, joy is in sorrow.
4—If you look at the heart with wrath, the heart fills with grief. O our chosen sovereign! In the heart, joy is in sorrow.
5—The heart takes joy from you, the soul finds peace in you. O confidant of our secrets! In the heart, joy is in sorrow.
6—Every word of yours is inspiration, the heart submits to your command. O the tear of our confession! In the heart, joy is in sorrow.
7—For the sake of the Truth! Let the heart now be silent. The word of the soul is nourishment for the heart. O our lightning-flashing cloud! In the heart, joy is in sorrow.