Questions Archive(Thematic Category:Islamic gnosis: Irfan)
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What is meant by line, dot etc. in mysticism (irfan) and what does the narration “I am the dot under the “ba” signify”?
5008 2017/01/21 TheoreticalIn mysticism numbers letters shapes etc. are language codes signifying certain occult realities of the world. The dot signifies the real unity of God whose image is placed in man s heart mind and it i
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Why do jurisprudents and theologians oppose the notion of wahdat al-wujud?
12883 2012/12/23 Theoretical1. The notion of wahdat al-wujud [ Unity of Being ] is a monistic understanding of tawheed, the doctrine of oneness of God. It is considered one of the most fundamental concepts in mysticism and in my
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What does annihilation mean? Please explain the concept and station of annihilation.
8722 2012/11/01 TheoreticalAnnihilation is defined as total destruction or complete obliteration of an object. It is the opposite of permanence, subsistence and continuance. To explain further, God is from the category of perma
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Why do some people oppose mysticism and the mystics making reference to ahadith (traditions)?
7363 2012/07/14 TheoreticalIrfan ( mysticism/ Gnosticism ) has been defined as a special method to reach the realities of existence and to connect man to truth, which is done through vision and intuition. Such an understanding
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Why do some Shiite mystics and scholars renounce the world and divinely gifted halāl pleasures and bounties?
6301 2012/06/28 PracticalThe divine bounties and pleasures are not restricted to worldly and material things; rather they also include spiritualities which for many people entail greater pleasures. The mystics and pious ones
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How many spheres are there in the entire universe and what is the difference between a sphere and a sky?
12630 2012/06/17 TheoreticalAccording to an ancient opinion, sphere refers to the ethereal bodies which are made up of nine levels or layers seven of which are named as kawakib sab a ( the seven planets ) . The eighth sphere is
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What is the meaning of abjad letters, especially in relation to Imam Ali?
31323 2012/05/21 TheoreticalThe abjad letters are the alphabet ( الف ب ت... ) , which have been systemized based on a specific order, meaning: abjad, hūz, ḥatī, kalamn, sa afṣ, qarasht, thakhdh, ḍaẓgh. A number has been assigned
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When we say Almighty Allah, does it account for all attributes or only for the power and might of Allah?
6523 2012/05/21 TraditionalAt the level of His essence, when we say He is the Almighty, it accounts for all of His attributes. That is, there is no difference which attribute we use to refer to His essence. On the other hand ou
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Is seeing God with the heart what is meant by seeing God with discerning insight?
7563 2012/05/21 PracticalSeeing God with our discerning insight, which has been mentioned in Imam Ali s ( A.S. ) words falls under the theological discussion of seeing God. According to the sound assessment regarding this top
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Is Lordship confined to God Almighty?
8123 2012/05/21 Theoreticalربوبیت ( Lordship ) is derived from the word رب ( lord ) and is used in the Arabic language for the words owner, possessor and trainer. Given the fact that God is the owner of all existence, the manag
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Can knowledge, power and other qualities God has endowed the prophet and his progeny with limitless in every respect?
5739 2012/04/17 TraditionalIf what is meant by infiniteness is that it is not limited by any boundaries, even the boundary of createdness or being created and reliance and need , then it must be said that nothing other than All
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What is the meaning of the tradition attributed to Abu Basīr which mentions seeing God before the Day of Judgment?
6928 2012/04/14 TheoreticalThere is no way to see God for He is all encompassing and cannot be encompassed. Nonetheless, in a manifestational sense, He can be seen in every single being, as the Quran has mentioned the following
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What is Chelleh Neshini (worshipping for a forty day period)? What is the viewpoint of the Shia on this practice?
7759 2011/09/22 PracticalThe meaning behind Chelleh Neshini ( worshipping for a forty day period ) in the field of spiritual wayfaring is for one to be cautious in regards to one’s self for a period of forty days. Through t
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How can perfection be attained?
6312 2011/08/15 PracticalThis topic needs to be discussed in three parts.1. Definition of Kamal ( Perfection ) and How It Differs from Tamam ( Completion ) and ProgressCompletion applies when speaking about the parts of a thi
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The Qur`an mentions the fact that there is no fear or sadness for the friends of Allah (Surat Yunus (10), Verse 62). If this is the case, then why do we read the following prayer in the Du’a of Friday (addressing Imam al-Zaman (ع)): “Peace be upon you O Pure one who is afraid!”
8928 2011/08/15 PracticalFear is of two types: praiseworthy and blameworthy. Blameworthy fear, like fearing for ones’ life or fearing people and creatures is meaningless for the friends of Allah ( awj ) . This is why Imam Ja
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What is nearness to Allah (awj)? How many different kinds of nearness are there? How can we gain nearness to Allah (awj)?
8103 2011/08/15 PracticalIn lexicographical terms, “qurb” means the nearness of one thing to another. This can be in space or time. Of course in commonplace usage, “qurb” also applies to being the centre of attention and to
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Is it possible for one to possess self-awareness in their dreams? How is it that the visions of some dreams present themselves in reality?
8746 2011/06/12 TheoreticalSleep is a state in which a person gradually disconnects from the material world around them, leaving their inner senses in a heightened state of awareness. During sleep, one’s self disassociates from
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What is the purpose of dreaming? Why has Allah granted us dreams?
10886 2011/05/18 PracticalDreaming is one of the signs of Allah and a window to the unseen, a characteristic and natural trait that Allah has imparted to our bodies and souls.
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What does Fana mean in Irfan (Mysticism)?
8843 2011/04/20 TheoreticalFana’ is an Arabic word and literally means non existence and being annihilated. In the words of the Urafa’, it means for a servant to utterly abide in Allah in a way that the humanistic aspect of the
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Who is Abdul Qadir Gilani?
9243 2011/03/14 TheoreticalAbdul Qadir Gilani known as Ghaus-e-Azam was a sixth century mystic and a narrator who was born in the north of Iran and died in Baghdad. He was the figurehead of the Qadiri Sufi order. Historically,
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What is Sufism? Was Imam Khomeini (r.a) a Sufi?
13639 2011/01/27 PracticalThe lexical root of tasawwuf is variously traced to sūf wool , referring to the simple wool-made cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore and who claimed to purify their inner self from filth and stay aw
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What is the Islamic law concerning eating food with Hindus and eating foodstuffs like crab, different kinds of fish, Indian snack etc.?
20306 2010/11/09 PracticalAs per the fatwa of all grand jurists, all non-believers including Hindus are ritually impure. Supreme Leader, grand Ayatollah Khamenei and a few other prominent jurists are of the view that non-Musli
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Why does a person let someone-other than Allah- occupy his heart by marriage, while it is only Allah who is worthy of being loved?
7154 2010/09/05 TheoreticalIn man s course towards Allah, not only isn t marriage considered an obstacle, but in fact can be a means of help too, meaning that marriage is not in contradiction with the love of Allah. Marriage do
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Does man have the capacity to love Allah?
7006 2010/09/05 PracticalThe logic behind experiencing ‘metaphoric’ love is to reach true love and if it is accompanied with chastity, after causing fundamental changes and developments it will bring man very close to Godly l
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What is meant by “the presence of the heart in prayer (hudhur al-qalb)”? Is thinking about worldly matters that associate with things pertaining to the hereafter in contradiction of the heart being present in prayer?
7429 2010/08/21 PracticalHudhur al-qalb in prayer means to liberate the heart from everyone except the person you are speaking to, that is in the case of prayer to pay complete attention to it and the words that are being sai
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Are there any examples of Irfan in the Nahjul Balagha?
8391 2010/08/17 TheoreticalAccording to the Imams ( a ) , Irfan is not divided into practical and theoretical. In the language that they used and in their life history, they did not consider practical Irfan any different from t
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What does the phrase "المجاز قنطرة الحقیقة" refer to? Please explain Islam’s standpoint on “metaphoric love”.
8859 2010/08/17 Practical1. Islamic scholars believe that there is no more than one true love in this world and that being the love for God, the other types of love are considered to be metaphoric, unreal and illusory love. M
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What is the meaning behind the concept of Wilayah Takwini and what is its connection with the Infallible Imams (a)?
17829 2010/08/14 TheoreticalWilayah in lexicon means the coming of something right after another without any space existing in between them. This calls for the closeness and nearness of these two to each other. Wilayah has been
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When put in the grave what can we do to better our surroundings?
7106 2010/08/14 TraditionalThe feelings a person might experience when lying in his grave is completely contingent upon the environment he has arranged and prepared with his deeds and acts in this world, thus this feeling may d
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Please explain about the Mysticism of Imam Ali and the Household of the prophet. What does the Nahjul-Balaghah consist of regarding Mysticism and how much have the Imam's sayings had influence on Mystics throughout time?
12783 2010/07/21 TheoreticalThe Mysticism or irfan that Imam Ali and the Household of the prophet present does not contradict Islam or the Quran, it is rather the true essence of Islam and the core of Islamic law. From this view
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What are the right ways of fulfilling lust in Islam and according to Imam Khomeini?
25076 2010/07/20 PracticalAs one who is in pursuit of the truth regarding Islam’s laws and the viewpoints of the late leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, it is of dire importance that you rely only on authentic so
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By whom and how can teyyul-ard be achieved?
6294 2010/07/20 PracticalTeyyul-ard denotes the quick transportation from one point to another in an instant. Teyyul-ard is something extraordinary and above normal human power, and is only possible for those who have total c
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What is teyyul-ard?
6141 2010/07/20 TheoreticalThere are different views on the true essence of teyyul-ard. One would be the theory of “اعدام و ایجاد” or “Existentiation and Elimination” of the renowned mystic, Ibn Arabi. According to this theory,
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What does it mean to choose one’s death from the perspective of the Holy Quran and traditions?
12501 2010/05/27 PracticalIt is possible to say that the original source of the term ‘death by choice’ or ‘voluntary death’, which is used in Islamic Irfan ( gnosis ) , first came up in this tradition from the Holy Prophet ( s
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Please list some of the current arefs.
6644 2010/05/20 TheoreticalThis question doesn’t have a brief answer. Please click on the detailed answer.
