Introduction

עמוד:8

Ibn al - ‘Arabī – On Five Influential Stations 8 For example, waraʿ ( scrupulousness ) applies to forbidden or doubtful things If one or more conditions do not exist, one does not need to use this station He adds to this criterion the stations that potentially remain till death and others that accompany one in the next world 4 In this book we intend to put forward another criterion or perspective relating to certain stations, namely, their influential nature on other stations or on acts, sayings, etc of the Sufi 5 To implement this program I shall discuss five stations : ikhlāṣ ( purification, or truthfulness, or sincerity ) , taqwā God - fearingness ) , tawba ( repentance ) , waraʿ ( scrupulousness ) , ( and mujāhada ( striving ) These five stations have different measures of influence on one’s deeds and performance of precepts Ikhlāṣ as truthfulness and negation of hypocrisy accompanies human acts and other stations Thus, one’s abstinence ( zuhd ) is worthless if it is not done for God’s sake This issue is connected to the relationships between the stations As we shall see, taqwā leads to waraʿ, 6 just as ikhlāṣ is responsible for the creation of waraʿ . 7 Al - Qushayrī regards waraʿ as the beginning of zuhd 8 Ibn al - ʿArabī opines that waraʿ accompanies the Sufi in all his actions 9 In like manner, the influence of taqwā on other stations and acts is discussed by the Sufis 10 Waraʿ accompanies the Sufi so long as he is obligated This notion applies to all Futūḥāt, IV, p . 23 . Chapter 3, p . 31 . In the chapter on waraʿ, Ibn al - 4 ʿArabī indicates only the criterion of doubtful things . Chapter I, pp 21 f 5 Chapter 4, pp . 110 f . 6 Ibid 7 Risāla , p 111 8 Chapte 5, pp . 133 f . 9 Chapater 2, p 42 10

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