nevme (Sufism Glossary)

Nevme (drowsiness, dozing, taking a nap) is when the sālik (spiritual traveler) becomes absent from his nafs (the lower self), and when this state of self-absence ends, he does not abandon anything... For nevme is a bewilderment, an ʿadamī (related to non-existence). Unlike mushāhada (direct witnessing), its sign is also ʿadamī like itself. For mushāhada is wujūdī (related to being, existence). Its sign is likewise like itself. Therefore, since nevme is a bewilderment, the Shaykh (Ibn ʿArabī) has said: After this, there occurs wakefulness, istighfār (seeking forgiveness), and remorse. Because, due to the dominance of his love and affection, the one who traverses the path (sulūk) up to the level of the Divine Names and becomes heedless there, is also heedless at the level required by the perfection of consciousness. For that is the level of Ḥāḍira (the Divine Presence). When the time of heedlessness from the Maḥbūb (the Beloved) passes and the bewilderment ends, one must feel remorse. Thus, one seeks forgiveness (istighfār) from Allah for all of this. For this is a great sin. Do not think that bewilderment is only for those at the intermediate level! Surely, it also applies to those who have attained kamāl (spiritual perfection). (Asfār, 139)