Stations
SECTION I
- 001 Wakefulness - اليَقَظَةُ
- 002 Repentance - التَّوْبَةُ
- 003 Self-Reckoning - المُحَاسَبَةُ
- 004 Returning - الإنَابَةُ
- 005 Reflection - التَّفَكُّرُ
- 006 Remembrance - التَّذَكُّرُ
- 007 Taking Shelter - الاعْتِصَامُ
- 008 Fleeing - الفِرَارُ
- 009 Training - الرِّيَاضَةُ
- 010 Hearing - السَّمَاعُ
SECTION II
- 011 Grief - الْحُزْنُ
- 012 Fear - الْخَوْفُ
- 013 Concern - الإشْفَاقُ
- 014 Submissive Solemnity - الْخُشُوعُ
- 015 Serene Submissiveness - الإخْبَاتُ
- 016 Disinterest - الزُّهْدُ
- 017 Pious Conscientiousness - الْوَرَعُ
- 018 Dedication - التَّبَتُّلُ
- 019 Hope - الرَّجَاءُ
- 020 Desirous Quest - الرَّغْبَةُ
SECTION III
- 021 Caring - الرِّعَايَة
- 022 Observance - المُرَاقَبَةُ
- 023 Veneration - الحُرْمَةِ
- 024 Devotion - الإخْلَاصُ
- 025 Refinement - التَّهْذِيبِ
- 026 Straightness - الِاسْتِقَامَة
- 027 Reliance - التَوَكَّل
- 028 Delegation - التَّفْوِيضِ
- 029 Trust - الثِّقَةِ
- 030 Surrender - التَّسْلِيمِ
SECTION IV
- 031 Patience - الصَّبْرِ
- 032 Contentment - الرِّضَا
- 033 Gratefulness - الشُّكْرُ
- 034 Modesty - الْحَيَاءِ
- 035 Truthfulness - الصِّدْقِ
- 036 Altruism - الإيثَارِ
- 037 Character - الخُلُق
- 038 Humbleness - التَّواضُع
- 039 Pietistic Heroism - الْفُتُوَّةِ
- 040 Affability - الانْبِسَاط
SECTION V
- 041 Intent - الْقَصْدِ
- 042 Resolve - الْعَزْمِ
- 043 Willfulness - الْإِرَادَةِ
- 044 Propriety - الأدَبِ
- 045 Certainty - اليَقِين
- 046 Comforting Intimacy - الْأُنْسِ
- 047 Remembrance - الذِّكْرِ
- 048 Poverty - الْفَقْرِ
- 049 Richness - الْغِنَى
- 050 The Sought - الْمُرَاد
SECTION VI
- 051 Excellence - الْإِحْسَانِ
- 052 Knowledge - العِلْمِ
- 053 Wisdom - الحِكْمَةِ
- 054 Insight - الْبَصِيرَة
- 055 Astuteness - الْفِرَاسَةِ
- 056 Exaltation - التعظيم
- 057 Inspiration - الإلهام
- 058 Tranquility - السَّكِينَةُ
- 059 Serenity - الطُّمَأْنِينَة
- 060 Drive - الْهِمَّةِ
SECTION VII
- 061 Love - المَحَبَّةُ
- 062 Protectiveness - الْغَيْرَة
- 063 Yearning - الشَّوْقُ
- 064 Anxiety - الْقَلَقُ
- 065 Thirst - الْعَطَشُ
- 066 Ecstasy - الْوَجْدُ
- 067 Bewilderment - الدَّهَشُ
- 068 Mystification - الْهَيَمَان
- 069 Lightning - البَرْق
- 070 Taste - الذَّوْقِ
SECTION VIII
- 071 Noting - اللَّحْظ
- 072 Timeliness - الْوَقْتُ
- 073 Clarity - الصَّفَاءُ
- 074 Bliss - السُّرُورُ
- 075 Privacy - السِّرُّ
- 076 Breath - النَّفَسُ
- 077 Stranger-ness - الْغُرْبَةُ
- 078 Submersion - الغَرَق
- 079 Absence - الْغَيْبَةُ
- 080 Establishment - التَّمَكُّنِ
SECTION IX
- 081 Disclosure - الْمُكَاشَفَةِ
- 082 Witnessing - الْمُشَاهَدَةُ
- 083 Beholding - المُعَايَنَةُ
- 084 Life - الْحَيَاة
- 085 Constriction - الْقَبْضٌ
- 086 Expansion - الْبَسْطُ
- 087 Intoxication - السُّكْرُ
- 088 Sobriety - الصَّحْوُ
- 089 Connection - الِاتِّصَال
- 090 Detachment - الِانْفِصَال
SECTION X
Allah, the Almighty, said:
{It is He who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers…} [al-Fatḥ 48:4]
قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ:"هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ"
Sakeenah476 (tranquility) refers to three things:
The first is the sakeenah of Bani Isrâ’eel given to them in the chest (the Ark of the Covenant). The commentators of the Qur’an say that it is a smooth, good wind, and they spoke of its description. It had three characteristics; [it was]:
- a miracle for their prophets
- a karâmah477 for their kings
- a sign of victory whose sound made the hearts of the enemies tremble out of fear when the two rows collided in battle
The second sakeenah is that which:
- manifests on the tongues of the inspired; it is not acquirable, but rather a kind gesture of the doing of the True One
- casts wisdom on the tongue of the inspired, like the angels cast revelation into the hearts of the prophets
- makes the inspired speak the deepest truths, bringing life to the inner souls and removing all doubts
The third sakeenah is the one that descended onto the heart of the Prophet ﷺ and the believers,478 and it is something that brings together power and comfort;
- the fearful find comfort in it
- the grieving and the aggravated find solace in it
- the defiant, rebellious sinner humbles himself/herself to it
اسْمٌ السَّكِينَةُ لِثَلَاثَةِ أَشْيَاءَ.
أَوَّلُهَا: سَكِينَةُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الَّتِي أُعْطُوهَا فِي التَّابُوتِ . قَالَ أَهْلُ التَّفْسِيرِ : هِيَ رِيحٌ هَفَّافَةٌ . وَذَكَرُوا صِفَتَهَا.وَفِيهَا ثَلَاثَةُ أَشْيَاءَ هِيَ:
- لِأَنْبِيَائهم مُعْجِزَةٌ
- وَلِمُلُوكِهِمْ كَرَامَةٌ
- وَهِيَ آيَةُ النُّصْرَة تَخْلَعُ قُلُوبَ الْأَعْدَاءِ بِصَوْتِهَا رُعْبًا إِذَا الْتَقَى الصَّفَّانِ لِلْقِتَالِ
والسَّكِينَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ: هِيَ الَّتِي:
- تَنْطِقُ عَلَى لِسَانِ الْمُحَدَّثِينَ . لَيْسَتْ هِيَ شَيْئًا يُمْلَكُ . إِنَّمَا هِيَ شَيْءٌ مِنْ لَطَائِفِ صُنْعِ الْحَقِّ .
- تُلْقِي عَلَى لِسَانِ الْمُحَدَّثِ الْحِكْمَةَ كَمَا يُلْقِي الْمَلَكُ الْوَحْيَ عَلَى قُلُوبِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ.
- وَتَنْطِقُ الْمُحَدَّثِينَ بِنُكَتِ الْحَقَائِقِ مَعَ تَرْوِيحِ الْأَسْرَارِ ، وَكَشْفِ الشُّبَهِ .
والسَّكِينَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ : هِيَ الَّتِي نَزَلَتْ عَلَى قَلْبِ النَّبِيِّ ، وَقُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. وَهِيَ شَيْءٌ يَجْمَعُ قُوَّةً وَرُوحًا:
- يَسْكُنُ إِلَيْهِ الْخَائِفُ
- وَيَتَسَلَّى بِهِ الْحَزِينُ وَالضَّجِرُ
- وَيَسْتكينُ إِلَيْهِ الْعَصِيُّ وَالْجَرِئُ وَالْأَبِيُّ
As for the sakeenah of dignity479 that He brought down onto its people and made it one of their qualities, it is the resultant light of the third sakeenah that we just mentioned, and it is of three levels:
وَأَمَّا سَكِينَةُ الْوَقَارِ ، الَّتِي نَزَّلَهَا نَعْتًا لِأَرْبَابِهَا : فَإِنَّهَا ضِيَاءُ تِلْكَ السَّكِينَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ الَّتِي ذَكَرْنَاهَا. وَهِيَ عَلَى ثَلَاثِ دَرَجَاتٍ.
The first level is the sakeenah of the khushoo‘480 of service, done with:
- care
- exaltation
- attentiveness
الدَّرَجَةُ الْأُولَى سَكِينَةُ الْخُشُوعِ عِنْدَ الْقِيَامِ بالْخِدْمَةِ:
- رِعَايَةً
- وَتَعْظِيمًا
- وَحُضُورًا
The second level is the sakeenah of dealings, achieved by:
- self-reckoning
- gentleness with the creations
- watchfulness of the True One
والدَّرَجَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ السَّكِينَةُ عِنْدَ الْمُعَامَلَةِ :
- بِمُحَاسَبَةِ النَّفسِ
- وَمُلَاطَفَةِ الْخَلْقِ
- وَمُرَاقَبَةِ الْحَقِّ
The third level is the sakeenah that:
- brings about acceptance of the Divine allotment of shares
- prevents from excessive shaṭ-ḥ481
- stops its possessor at their ranking
Sakeenah descends only into the heart of a prophet or a waliy.
والدَّرَجَةُ الثَّالِثَةُالسَّكِينَةُ الَّتِي:
- تُثْبِتُ الرِّضَا بِالْقَسْمِ
- وَتَمْنَعُ مِنَ الشَّطْحِ الْفَاحِشِ
- وَتَقِفُ صَاحِبَهَا عَلَى حَدِّ الرُّتْبَةِ
وَالسَّكِينَةُ لَا تَنْزِلُ إِلَّا فِي قَلْبِ نَبِيٍّ أَوْ وَلِيٍّ .
476 Sakeenah means tranquility, and it is derived from the root word ‘sakana,’ which means ‘dwelled’ or ‘stayed still.’ Think of how someone feels when they enter their home after a long journey. Think of the assurance, security, rest, peace, calmness, quiescence, repose, etc.
477 ‘Karâmah’ (pl. karamât) refers to the supernatural wonders ascribed to the awliyâ’ (friends) of Allah. The word comes from the three-lettered root (كرم) and implies generosity and honoring. They are special gifts from Allah for the transformed souls of the most pious to honor them. Sometimes, they may be granted to the beginners to support them and motivate them.
478
Allah said:
{When those who disbelieved had put into their hearts chauvinism—the chauvinism of the time of ignorance. But Allah sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the believers…} (al-Fatḥ 48:26)
479 Dignity and grace will be the cloak of the people of this sakeenah.
480 Khushoo‘(submissive solemnity) is the combination of calmness and humility. There are other implications of the word khushoo‘ as well, such as shyness, attentiveness, fear, and reverence.
481 Shaṭaḥât are aberrant esoteric utterances made during trances of intense spiritual experiences; sh-ṭ-ḥ is the verbal noun. (See more about this in the Introduction.)