on fana and the annihilation of the self (2012)
“The philosopher with his two eyes sees double, so is unable to see the unity of the Truth.”
Mahmud Shabistari, The Secret Rose Garden
Sufi mysticism was carried forward by those who felt that the rigid structure of Islamic scholars in reading the Koran and adhering to its every word was not enough. The mystics sought solitude for contemplation and individual self-discipline, which oftentimes brought conflict with the scholars – whose self-discipline was in adherence to common Religious law (as told by the word of God) rather than the Self. In Conference of the Birds, an inspirational parable is told of the human journey of pain and triumph in getting to know God. Through strict discipline and seven stages, few reach the summit – for very often near the end of a stage is a period of self-doubt and suffering. While in this tale the group of birds travels together under the guidance of a wise leader bird towards the land of the Simorgh*,* in Hayy ibn-Yaqzan the premise of an individual reaching the divine by the exercise of his own faculties is explored. Through different means, Conference of the Birds being a mystical allegory and Hayy Ibn-Yaqzan being a narrative as well as philosophical romance, the idea of crossing “Fana” (the annihilation of the self while still physically alive) for “Baqa” (a state of pure consciousness of, and abidance in, God) is masterfully unveiled as Truth.
In Conference of the Birds, the wisest of the birds leads the individual birds (each of whom represent a human fault preventing them from attaining annihilation of Self) towards finding the legendary mythical Simorgh bird. In order to find the Simorgh, the birds are led to cross the Seven Valleys of the Way, each representing a step in the purported journey towards realizing themselves as the true nature of God: The Valley of the Quest, the Valley of Love, The Valley of Insight into Mystery, The Valley of Detachment, The Valley of Unity, The Valley of Bewilderment, and The Valley of Poverty and Nothingness. Upon reaching the land of the Simorgh, the birds are told, “Till you reach nothingness you cannot see the Life you long for in eternity” (Birds, 237*)*. The glimpse of their reflection in the lake that they encounter at the dwelling place of the Simorgh assures them that their journey is not complete – they must once again turn inwards in order to reach fana and see themselves as God would see them. Upon reaching and dwelling in the state of Selflessness and oblivion in God (fana), the birds may then discover the summit of the mountain, which is subsistence in God (Baqa).
In Ibn Tufayl’s Hayy ibn-Yaqzan, the premise that man left to his own capabilities could come to the same point without the Koran or a prophet is explored. The child Hayy raised alone by a gazelle on a desert island without contact with other human beings discovers ultimate truth through his own systematic process of reasoned inquiry. After reaching fana, the child has the opportunity to come into contact with civilization and compare notes. The protagonist Hayy finds that “when he finally understood the true nature of people and that the majority are in a state similar to that of dumb animals, he realized that all wisdom and guidance and the only chance of success lies in what the messengers have conveyed and what the religious law has provided and that nothing more is possible” (Soul, 59). Thus, it is necessary for some individuals to be shown the Way, for their faculties of reason cannot grasp the depths of inquiry necessary to reach a state of divine nothingness. Upon reaching the state of nothingness, they may again be left alone for the will of the creator to benevolently draw them in. Tufayl is careful to warn against the pitfalls of religion, however, writing:
“Such material is part of the hidden knowledge, acceptable only to those who are aware of Allah and unacceptable to those who are unaware of Him. We have gone against the practice of our honourable ancestors in that we have revealed it and not retained it…A glimpse might induce them to become interested and lead to further interest, so we decided to offer them a glimpse of a part of one of these secrets in the hope that this may attract them to investigate and detach them from the other false way” (Soul, 61-62).
The value of religion is described as a tool to guide one on to the path, or even just to offer a glimpse of the path so that they may reach a state of pure consciousness by their own faculty thereafter. After their own reasoned inquiry, the denial of the self and realization of God occurs – but in the Sufi tradition is attainable only by constant internal purification and denunciation of “human” or material attributes. Thus, the individual loses himself in the love of God, and his individual will is passed away to live only in and with God. Hayy realizes that imagery as well as dependence on material goods, while necessary for the masses to have comfortable lives, are distractions from Truth - and their abandonment is necessary for those whose reason recognizes them to be so.
In Conference of the Birds, the birds discover that whatever it is that causes them to believe they have faith in their own individual will and self without God must be put aside. This faith and discipline to one’s own advancement can cause pride and become a hindrance to losing one’s Self. In putting aside their own tales and journeys, the individual birds find that God is present in all of them as the totality of all existence. In order to reach Him they must hold nothing – not even themselves and their reflections – as their own.
Both the tales of The Conference of the Birds and Hayy ibn-Yaqzan make clear that fana alone is not the ultimate Truth – in a sense this state can even be negative. Though adherence to common law and austerities may aid in ridding oneself of earthly desires and denouncing their human imperfections, which is a process necessary for every individual seeking Truth, this is not enough. The implication of individual striving in order to ironically overcome individual being is of prime importance: the journey to overcoming one’s own shortcomings, attachments, and pitfalls is what gives them the strength to embrace nothingness – and then after dwelling in this place they may at last be drawn in to baqa: subsistence and direct vision of God. The dependence on materiality is not necessarily pushed away or blindly ascribed to, but searched for and discovered based on reason and one’s own faculties.
In a sense there lies a contrast between the ideals of philosophy and religion, of ego and God - but moreover in overcoming both of these altogether. In embracing parts of reason, one is able to let go of that which they deem needs to be let go of in the name of non-materiality. The key, however, is not to let go for the sake of doing so and thereby accumulate pride or self-worth for having disciplined oneself, but rather to do so in annihilation of the individual self and surrender to the divinity of God. Once one has lost their dependence on materiality and their individual will has “passed away” (fana), they may “pass away from passing away” (fana’an al-fana) and be drawn into divine nature of subsistence in God (baqa). At this point, one may find that they have reentered earthly life in ways that they had previously denied – but the denial is no longer a necessary component, for they have embraced the totality and Oneness of creation and are living in God. After his long journey, the individual is at last drawn to behold the unity of Truth by surrendering his two eyes of reason.
