tehayyur (Tasawwuf Glossary)

Tehayyur (perplexity) is a spiritual station attained by the hearts of the ʿārifūn (gnostics) as they oscillate between despair and longing in their pursuit of desire and purpose. However, at the moment of union (wuṣla), their hearts no longer yearn for those aims, but they still hope to attain them. They do not lose hope in what they seek and find tranquility. During this period, they remain indecisive. When someone was asked about the nature of maʿrifa (gnosis, experiential knowledge of God), he replied: "First comes tehayyur, then ittisāl (connection), then iftiqār (poverty, neediness), and then ḥayra (bewilderment)." (Lumaʿ, 421)