Allah, the Almighty, said:

{…So, as soon as they saw him, they were greatly (amazed) at him…}⁵⁵⁴ [Yoosuf 12:31]

Bewilderment is a shock that seizes the servant upon a surprising incident that overwhelms his/her intellect, his/her patience, or his/her knowledge.⁵⁵⁵ It is of three levels:

The first level is the bewilderment of the mureed upon:

1. the state overpowering his or her knowledge⁵⁵⁶


2. the ecstasy overpowering his/her tolerance⁵⁵⁷


3. the disclosure overpowering his/her drive⁵⁵⁸

The second level is the bewilderment of the traveler upon:

1. the union overpowering his/her identity⁵⁵⁹


2. the antecedence overpowering his/her time⁵⁶⁰


3. the beholding overpowering his/her soul⁵⁶¹

The third level is the bewilderment of the lover upon:

1. the communion overpowering the favors⁵⁶²


2. the light of nearness overpowering the light of kindness⁵⁶³


3. the yearning of eyewitness overpowering the yearning that is a result of (hearing) reports⁵⁶⁴

⁵⁵⁴ ‘Dahash’ is the verbal noun of ‘dahisha’ in the active voice or ‘duhisha’ in the passive voice. Both mean that one became bewildered by the shock of an astonishing encounter. The word is not used in the Revelation. The sheikh cites this verse because the amazement of the women reported in this verse resulted in them cutting (wounding) their hands. The sheikh wants to address in this chapter the forceful impact of certain spiritual states that may lead to astonishment and bewilderment.
⁵⁵⁵ In Madârij, Ibn al-Qayyim contends that while this state may incidentally occur on the path of devotion, its occurrence and continuity are not to be sought, nor is it a virtue in itself to be desired. Immersion in the seerah of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions demonstrates beyond doubt their sobriety at all times and grounded-ness in reality without this detracting from their exaltation of their Lord or unwavering pursuit of His pleasure.
⁵⁵⁶ While the apparent implication may be problematic, we assume that the sheikh did not intend to create a conflict between knowledge and one’s spiritual state; they must complement rather than counter one another. The spiritual state may expose defective knowledge. However, the established Shari‘ah must rule over one’s interior and exterior and supersede one’s intuitions. Its sovereignty is the distinction between the genuine seekers and the misguided or corrupt ones. If the spiritual state overwhelms one’s knowledge— for instance, if they favor seclusion over the congregational prayer—the most that could be said about that person is that they may be excused, but the Revelation is the ultimate determinant of the rankings of deeds.
⁵⁵⁷ He or she may scream or exhibit agitation if he/she was unable to maintain his/her composure.
⁵⁵⁸ Because the disclosure brings near what was being sought by the drive.
⁵⁵⁹ His or her togetherness with Allah will leave him/her numb to his/her own presence.
⁵⁶⁰ The antecedence of the First without beginning will make his/her time fade out.
⁵⁶¹ The soul may not bear with the beholding of the Beloved.
⁵⁶² The communion with Allah obscures the favors of Allah.
⁵⁶³ Similar to the previous concept.
⁵⁶⁴ The yearning that was caused by exposure to the reports (of the Revelation) is now surpassed by that which is caused by his/her own spiritual experience of the Divine.