THE 4 "hearts" Of The Human Heart - taken from Chapter VII of Faouzi Skali's (Frenh!

"# VIE SO$FIE (The Suf%

&a%! ' En(lish trans-)ersion *% +uestor,ohnn%--- (all mistakes m% o.n /!
# - On The 0reast ' #s-Sa1r
The "Sa1r" (*reast - hest! represents an ima(e of the most e2terior part of the *ein( - In 3ur'ani lan(ua(e 4 a
1istintion is ma1e *et.een the *reast an1 the 1epth of the *reasts (5hat #sou1ur! 4 an1 this latter represents 4 in a
ertain manner 4 the anteham*er - one in .hih thou(hts remain hi11en - "5oes not 6o1 kno. .hat the% hi1e 7 He
kno.s the ontents of the 1epths of their hearts -" (3ur'an 4 8I 4 9! - It is into the *reast that flo.-florth (:as1uru!
thou(hts into imme1iate onsiousness an1 this ours at a le)el .here these thou(hts present themsel)es in their
most e2terior form 4 for 4 in realit% 4 the% take *irth at muh 1eeper le)els -
&ithout follo.in( a spiritual .a% 4 the Sa1r remains the seat of the 1espoti soul (#n ;afs #l #mmarah! < one of
.hose harateristis 4 as .e ha)e seen (Chapter III! 4 is pri1e ' "The% ha)e onl% pri1e in their *reasts" 4 sa%s the
3ur'an (8" 4 9=! 4 an1 4 else.here 4 1esri*in( the 1espoti soul 4 sa%s ' "the soul is an insti(ator of e)il 4 unless >%
"or1 has sho.n mer%" (3ur'an 4 8II 4 9?! -
In its ori(in 4 the Sa1r is the "plae" of Islam 4 meanin( 4 su*mission to 6o1 - "6o1 opens to su*mission (Islam! the
*reast of the one He .ishes to 1iret -" (3ur'an 4 VI 4 @A9! #n1 4 then 4 *e(ins the .hole proess of purifiation 4 "so
that 6o1 tests .hat is foun1 in %our *reasts an1 that He purifies the ontents -" (3ur'an 4 III 4 @94! This proess is 4 at
the same time 4 a 1i)ine therap% ' "&e ha)e uproote1 from their *reasts the hatre1 .hih still remaine1 -" (3ur'an 4
VII 4 4?!
0 - On The Heart ' #l-3al*
If 4 as .e ha)e seen 4 the Sa1r in its positi)e aspet is the plae of Islam --- the heart is the plae of Iman (faith! -
The terms Islam an1 Iman shoul1 *e un1erstoo1 here in the sense the% are emplo%e1 in the Ha1ith of ,i*ril (6a*riel!
.hih esta*lishe1 the follo.in( pro(ression ' Islam-Iman-Ihsan - "6o1 has insri*e1 faith in their hearts 4" (3ur'an 4
"VIII 4 AA! - "0ut 6o1 has ma1e %ou lo)e faith 4 He has ma1e it *eautiful to %our hearts -" (3ur'an 4 8"I8 4 B!
The heart 4 a Suf% tehnial term 4 represents the su*tle enter of *ein( 4 the a.akenin( of .hih *ein( the (oal of
spiritual e2periene - In (eneral aeptane 4 it is the plae of intuition 4 )ision an1 spiritual states - 0efore omin( to
si(nif% "Curispru1ene" 4 the .or1 Fi+h .as first use1 in the 3ur'an to onnote an "intelletual-+ualit%" 4 an intelli(ene
of the heart - &hih is .hat "a contrario" the follo.in( )erset illustrates ' "The% ha)e hearts .ith the .hih the%
un1erstan1 nothin( -" (3ur'an VII 4 @BD!
Or %et 4 onernin( the )ision of the heart 4 the follo.in( )erset ' "It is not their e%es .hih are *lin1 4 *ut it is the
hearts in their *reasts .hih are *lin1 -" (3ur'an 4 88II 4 4=!
Ho.e)er 4 .e shall later see that )ision is more speifiall% attahe1 to the Fu'a1 (the 1epths of the heart! -
The 3ur'an also mentions the spiritual states of the heart .hih the Suf% e2periene *rin(s to life an1 allo.s one to
"taste" to their fullness ' peae (Sakinah! 4 piet% (#l-Tu+.ah! 4 re)erential fear (of 6o1! (&aCal! 4 hum*leness (#l-
Ehushu! 4 ten1erness ("aiin! 4 relief-paifiation (Tama'ninah! 4 purifiation (#t-TamhFs! an1 purit% (#t-Taharat! -
If the Sa1r is the plae .here thou(hts take form an1 influene ations 4 the heart is the seat of intention (;i%%ah! ---
su*-Caent to these thou(hts an1 ations -
The 1eisi)e role intention pla%s is .ell-kno.n in Islam - Onl% this ounts - #n ation unaompanie1 *% orret
intention (;i%%ah! has 4 from the Islami point-of-)ie. 4 no )alue --- .hate)er the results - # Ha1ith states that 6o1
1oes not look at the ations of men 4 nor their e2terior forms (Su.ar! 4 *ut .athes their hearts -
#nother Ha1ith 1elares ' ">a% 6o1 for(i)e m% $mma (ommunit%! that .hih is su((este1 (to its mem*ers! *%
their souls -"
In (eneral 4 the Suf% 1eri)es another onse+uene from the et%molo(ial sense of the )er* 3ala*a - .hih means
"to return -"
"The hearts 4" sa%s another Ha1ith 4 "are *et.een t.o fin(ers of the #ll-Compassionate (#r-Gahman! < He turns
them a*out as He .ill -" In this sense the heart *eomes the plae of the inspire1 soul ' "0% a soul / --- Ho. .ell He
has mo1elle1 it an1 inspire1 it to kno. its free1oms an1 1uties -" (3ur'an 4 8CI 4 B!
#n1 one the in1i)i1ual is (ui1e1 in the &a% of 6o1 4 the siene .hih the heart reei)es is no lon(er that of
or1inar% e2terior siene as in the ase of #s-Sa1r - It ori(inates from 1i)ine inspiration (Ilham! - It is from Cust suh a
heart that the real *e(innin( on the initiati .a% of the Suf% *e(ins - The spiritual station is that in1iate1 in ,i*ril's
Ha1ith (mentione1 a*o)e! as that of Iman -
C - On The 5epths Of The Heart ' #l-Fu'a1
The Fu'a1 is a orrelati)e of )ision ' "The heart (Fu'a1! has not 1enie1 .hat it has seen -" (3ur'an 4 "III 4 @@!
#s the e%e of the heart 4 an or(an of )ision 4 the spiritual station of Fu'a1 is a*o)e all that of e2ellene (Ihsan! -
This station is 1esri*e1 in the Ha1ith of ,i*ril as follo.s ' "Ihsan 4 is to a1ore 6o1 as if %ou see Him 4 for if %ou 1o not
see Him 4 He sees %ou -"
In a11ition 4 the plae of Fu'a1 is that of the paifie1 soul - The term Itmi'nan 4 .hih .e translate as paifiation 4
in1iates for e2ample the relief one fin1s .hen at last one is re-assure1 of the on1ition of a person .ho is )er% 1ear
to us - This sentiment is *rou(ht to its ma2imum .hen one sees for oneself 1iretl% the on1ition of the person in
+uestion - In a (eneral manner then 4 it onsists thus of the paifiation of the heart after a perio1 of trou*les an1
a(itations -
It is this meanin( .e fin1 4 for e2ample 4 in the follo.in( )erset onernin( #*raham ' "#*raham sa%s 4 ">% "or1 /
Sho. me ho. %ou *rin( life to the 1ea1 -" 6o1 sa%s ' "5o %ou not *elie)e 7" He ans.ere1 4 ":es 4 i 1o *elie)e --- *ut
it's in or1er that m% heart *e appease1 -" (3ur'an 4 II 4 A=H!
Iaifiation is thus a orrelati)e of 1iret )ision 4 *ut at this sta(e .here the in1i)i1ual has not %et arri)e1 at the
supreme +uintessene -- to the "u** -- he still has his e%es fi2e1 on the ultimate o*stales .hih *eset him - There
remains in him 4 sa%s #l Sahili (1- @?9?! 4 somethin( like a sar 4 the ultimate )esti(e of his in1i)i1ualit% - From .hih
omes the possi*le 1enomination of a soul ha)in( its plae in the Fu'a1 as 4 in this ase 4 the ;afs #l "u..amah ---
the a1monishin( (ausin(! soul .hih is mentione1 4 as follo.s 4 in the 3ur'an ' ";o / --- I s.ear *% the soul .hih
a1monishes -" (3ur'an 4 "88V 4 A!
The heart "un1erstan1s" an1 is thus the link to the siene name1 'Ilm #l :a+in (the siene of ertitu1e! - The
Fu'a1 "sees" an1 thus *eomes the plae of the siene name1 '#%n #l :akin (the e%e of ertitu1e! - These t.o Suf%
tehnial terms 4 'Ilm an1 '#%n #l :a+in 4 are of 3ur'ani ori(in ' ";o / If onl% %ou kne. it .ith the siene of ertitu1e /
('Ilm #l :akin! %ou .oul1 surel% see the Hell-Fire < %ou .ill see it .ith the e%e of ertitu1e ('#%n #l-:akin! " - (3ur'an 4
CII 4 9-=-B!
5 - On The 3uintessene ' #l-"u**
This sta(e is that 1esi(nate1 *% the Suf%s as *ein( that of Ha++ #l :akin ' The truth of ertitu1e - It is also that of
Ihsan (e2ellene! 4 in a hi(her sense than that onernin( #l-Fu'a1 -
It is also 1esi(nate1 as the "Sirr" 4 the ine2pressa*le seret - "He (6o1! (i)es .is1om to .hom He .ills - He to
.hom this .is1om has *een (i)en *enefits from a (reat (oo1ness - Those .ho are (ifte1 .ith intelli(ene (literall% '
Those .ho possess the "u**! are the onl% ones to remem*er this -" (3ur'an 4 II 4 A=D!
#s the "summum" of kno.le1(e the "u** is the plae of the paifie1 soul (>utma'inah! 4 as .ell as the satisfie1-
please1 (Ga1i%%ah! an1 satisf%in( (>ur1i%%ah! souls - #ll of these terms ome from the follo.in( 3ur'ani )erset ' "O
%ou / --- paifie1 soul / --- return to.ar1s %our "or1 4 satisfie1 an1 satisf%in( -" (3ur'an 4 "888I8 4 AB-AJ!
The "u** is +uite often ite1 in the 3ur'an - It al.a%s represents an a*solute an1 positi)e +ualit% - &e mean to sa%
that it is ne)er su*Cet to ertains failin(s .hih an 4 on oaison 4 affet the other le)els -
#mon(st the literar% interpreters or the philosophers the term is in)aria*l% assoiate1 .ith the intellet ' #l '#+l - 0ut
4 e)en if this .ere the ase 4 this .or1 must *e taken in the sense of a transen1ent intellet ' The "(reat intelli(ene"
(Chapter III! an1 is not to *e taken as assimila*le to reason -
The relation *et.een reason 4 the little intelli(ene an1 the (reat intelli(ene is illustrate1 for us 4 aor1in( to
ertain Suf%s 4 throu(h the follo.in( metaphor '
-- The man (ifte1 .ith reason resem*les someone .alkin( in the ni(ht .ith onl% the star-li(ht as illumination -
&e an here 4 ini1entall% 4 remark that the fee*le luminosit% of the stars as .ell as their multipliit% illustrates .ell
the harateristis of reason as appl%in( essentiall% to the .orl1 of multipliit% < its mo1alities of kno.le1(e are
themsel)es foun1e1 upon 1istinti)eness -
-- The man (ifte1 .ith the little intelli(ene resem*les someone .alkin( in the ni(ht illuminate1 *% the full moon - #t
this sta(e there is alea1% a unifiation *ut this proess 1oes not operate 1iretl% *ut *% refletion < in the same
manner in .hih the moon onl% reflets the solar luminosit% -
-- The man (ifte1 .ith the (reat intelli(ene 4 .hih .e an here assimilate .ith the "u** 4 resem*les the one .ho
is illuminate1 *% the sun -
#ll thin(s appear to him .ith their true fae 4 *% 1iret )ision 4 .ithout ha)in( an% nee1 for ima(ination or an%
h%potheses at all -
If .e ompare the lassifiations of the soul esta*lishe1 in this present hapter 4 .hih are those a11opte1 *%
Hakim Tirmi1hi 4 .ith those (i)en *% >ula% '#*1 #l-3a1ir ,ilani --- .e onstate that the% are not i1ential - #tuall% 4 in
the hierarhial lassifiations 4 t.o terms are in)erse1 < that of the ;afs #l->ulhamah (the inspire1 soul! .hih 4 in
the or1er (i)en *% >ula% '#*1 #l-3a1ir 4 fin1s itself at a hi(her le)el than that of the ;afs #l-"u..amah (a1monishin(-
ausin( soul! -
That *ein( 4 the ontolo(ial le)els to .hih the t.o Sheikh(s! allu1e to are ri(orousl% the same - The ommentaries
.hih the% ha)e a11e1 .itness to this -
The% are 4 ne)er-the-less 4 "taste1" (5ha.+ 4 an important notion for the Suf% a*out .hih .e .ill return! in 1ifferent
manners throu(h 1ifferin( e2perienes < in these ases ertain 1i)er(enes of e2terior e2pressions utilisin( 1i)er(ent
terminolo(ies .ill our -
(en1 - hapter VII ' "a Voie Soufie par Fauozi Skali - #l*in >ihel 4 e1- @DD?!
Ham1-ullah ma% Some One fin1 this useful K inspirin( to.ar1s further stu1% < all errors inlu1e1 here-in 4 of ourse 4
entirel% m% o.n --- hLlas /
Gemainin( 4 sinerel% 4 %our
+uestor,ohnn%---
A= - ,anuar% 4 AHH=