Allah, the Almighty, said:

{…Then you came [here] at the decreed time, O Moosâ.} [Ṭâ Hâ 20: 40] ⁵⁹⁶

Al-waqt (time)⁵⁹⁷ is a name for the temporal boundaries.⁵⁹⁸ In this respect, it is a name for three meanings at three levels:

The first meaning is (what takes place) during a true wajd (ecstasy/finding of spiritual rapture) resulting from experiencing:

1. the glow of grace brought by pure hope


2. or the blow (of might) brought by true fear


3. or the heat of yearning brought by blazing love⁵⁹⁹

The second meaning pertains to the path of a traveler moving between establishment and variability,⁶⁰⁰ but they are closer to establishment, walking down the road of ḥâl (spiritual state) and paying attention to knowledge. ⁶⁰¹The knowledge occupies them at times, and the ḥâl carries them at times. Their dilemma between them causes them to:

1. taste shuhood⁶⁰² at one phase


2. become engrossed in jealousy at another ⁶⁰³


3. see the smudge of dispersion at yet another phase21

The third meaning: they [the masters of taṣawwuf] said, “Time is the True One.” They meant by that the absorption of the form of time into the reality of the True One. To me, this meaning is too difficult to be applied to this name. However, in this third sense, it is a name for the vanishing of forms: not in reality, but in disclosure (perception).⁶⁰⁴ It is above lightning and wajd (ecstasy/finding of spiritual rapture). It would approach the station of union, if it were to continue. While it does not reach the valley of wujood (actuality),⁶⁰⁵ it:

1. spares one the burdens of service⁶⁰⁶


2. purifies the intimate dialogue⁶⁰⁷


3. lets one smell the fragrance of wujood (actuality) ⁶⁰⁸

⁵⁹⁶ The reason the sheikh chose this verse is that it denotes that everything has a right time decreed.
⁵⁹⁷ Waqt literally means ‘time.’ Here, it is about timeliness. It means many things in this regard: readiness and doing things at the right (most suitable) time; being true in living the present moment to the fullest extent, not allowing the past and future to distract you from it and capturing the most from it. In this path of tazkiyah, this is certainly not meant in a hedonistic sense, but rather in a devotional sense of excellence (iḥsân) in the service most suitable to that moment.
⁵⁹⁸ Just like a place is a vehicle for matter, time is a vehicle for events. It is the relationship between two events. In the usage of taṣawwuf, it pertains to the current moment or state or the Divine schemes.
⁵⁹⁹ Notice how he makes the moment of the seeker at this level subject to the feelings of hope, fear, and love.
⁶⁰⁰ Establishment refers to the state of togetherness with Allah and the beholding of the oneness of the Origin and the First Cause, the All-Powerful Controller of all things. The variability is the condition of one responding to the different requirements of the various times and the pertinent demands of those times.
⁶⁰¹ The sheikh means to say that the person destined to tamkeen cares more about their ḥâl. This meaning is valid. The ḥâl is the objective and ‘ilm is the tool. However, as Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) points out in Madârij, there is no need to create a conflict between the ḥâl and ‘ilm. While they are not synonymous or mutually inclusive, they are not in conflict either. Contrarily, the good ḥâl encourages the seeker to learn about their Lord and His pleasures, and the good ‘ilm motivates the seeker to watch their hearts, purify their interiors, and eagerly seek closeness to their Lord.
⁶⁰² The beholding of the Divine appearances through the tajalli (manifestation) of His attributes and actions.
⁶⁰³ Jealousy of those who surpassed them in the ḥâl.
⁶⁰⁴ At this phase that the sheikh usually dedicates to annihilation of the ego, the moment vanishes when perceived in context of the eternity of the True One.
⁶⁰⁵ A name for one of the higher stations where Reality is found in actuality.
⁶⁰⁶ The correct way to understand this is that it makes the service light and enjoyable, not requiring endurance but giving energy and joy.
⁶⁰⁷ Where one’s ongoing dialogue with their Lord is not corrupted by any distractions.
⁶⁰⁸ Wujood is Station 96 of this book.