hairat

Haira (Perplexity)

Discussion    Join

From Farhang-eh Istilahat-eh Irfani (The Dictionary of Gnostic Terminologies) by Sajjadi, most of the text is comprised of Baqli's excerpts from Sharh-eh Shat-hiyat:

Haira (Perplexity) is what happens to the heart of the ‘Arif (Divine Cognoscente) which is of the form of thought, pondering and muse, and indeed a veil (blocking the Nur (Divine Light)).

All people are obligated to a contract, between the individual and Allah, that in return for ‘being’ they are to offer servitude for Allah. Most people are ignorant of this contract, thus they live in the shade of the Haira (Perplexity) of ‘Ubudiyat (Servitude). And even if a person wills to learn about the nature of what was entrusted to him by Allah, indeed burns up! The person who is seeking any knowledge about this contract chars and only Haira (Perplexity) remains (as psychological states).

This is so since the knowledge about the contract between the human beings and Allah is an infinite form of knowledge and there is no intellect in this world able to grasp all of it. There are three forms of Haira (Perplexity):

1.    Atheism: This is a form of Haira (Perplexity) that causes total ignorance about Allah.
2.    Acquisition of Knowledge: This is a form of Haira (Perplexity) when the person acquires some knowledge and becomes estranged from people; this is a form of a Najasa (Impurity and un-cleanliness). Dara: We see this in both secular scientists who learn a few approximate formulas about a tiny part of the nature and immediately deny/mock Allah and we also see the same amongst the religious zealot who learned how to wash a feet or wear a scarf and become arrogant against the rest of Allah’s servants often mock them and disown them and thus both groups estranged by knowledgeg from others by keeping a distance as a sign of false-purity.
3.    Waswasa: When the person is plagued with uneasy wicked suggestions for evil, doubts and anxieties. As if someone is whispering to them to instill evil within them. This drags the person with Haira (Perplexity) towards misguidance, ignorance and negligence. Dara: these are the old Sufi buffs ‘been there’ or ‘done that’ sort of folk who learned some good knowledge but only at the end they were plagued with incessant whisperings towards desires and negligence.

Acquisition of knowledge so far as the ‘Ubudiyat (Servitude) is concerned is a sure bet towards Haira (Perplexity).

Therefore Salik (The Traveler) should not be on the Path for the sake of gaining knowledge for his/her Divine Creator, that within such seeking there is much evil whispers, and if s/he attempts to find the true Ma’ref (Gnosis) of his/her Creator then the person chars and flares within the flames of Haira (Perplexity), lost wandering off the Path…

Some have said that Ghifla (Negligence and ignorance for Allah) is one of the self-awareness knowledge(s) of Haira (Perplexity); and Paradise is when/where the person develops full Ghifla (Ignorance) for the said Self-awareness of Ghifla, ignoring and heedless of his own Self.

There are three levels of Haira (Perplexity):

Dah-sha (Perplexity with dismay and alarm) is due to drowning within the sea of Realities (Haqayiq). And Haira (Perplexity) is a Hala (Temporary state of heart) antecedent to Dah-sha; Bahta (Perplexity with stupefaction and speechless-ness) is due to total ignoring of the Self, the cut-off of Haira (Perplexity) and cessation of Dah-sha.

Haira (Perplexity) are thoughts and feelings within the ‘Arif (Divine Cognoscente) that are accepted as truth without any process of due diligence of thoughts, logic and rationalizations, whereat the person is thrown into the tornado of thoughts and cognizance to the point that he ends up knowing nothing!

Haira (Perplexity) is the abating of the Sirr (Divine Observatory), thus causing the cessation of Idrak (Prehension) of Qidam (Space of all Actualities) and entering into the knowledge(s) of Qadar (Immutable Destinies); in other words everything was viewed and rationalized by means of the self-awareness and not by means of Haqiqat (Reality). These are all imaginations and creative thinking and not Ma’refa (Divine Gnosis). They are Dhauq (Artistic Taste) and not ‘Ilm (Divine Knowledge).

Appearance of knowledge within the ignorance and the appearance of ignorance within the knowledge is a form descending Haira (Perplexity) appearing within the heart of the ‘Arif (Divine Cognoscente), flip-flopping between despair and hope as felt by a prisoner yearning for freedom.

Said (Baqli qouting someone called Ja'far) if you make your (spiritual) thoughts expressed plain and clear you are an atheist. If you observe (Shahid) then you suffer from Haira (Perplexity), however like Haira (Perplexity) within Haira (Perplexity) or desert within desert.

Now that you have reached the realm of ‘Adam (Non-being) you find Haira (Perplexity) to the point that you no longer know who actually you are! Suddenly the rays of Qidam (Space of all Actualities) appear within you and make you subsist upon your Self. Then you are remaining by means of your own Self vis-à-vis the Haira (Perplexity) and yet have no Idrak (Prehension) of Haira (Perplexity) i.e. what it is or where it came from.

Abdallah Ansari
Kashful Asrar

My Lord everyone is sorrowing because of Haira (Perplexity) and yet I am joyous because of Haira (Perplexity).

Bika Labbaika (Only by You I can serve You) and thus opened the doors of all bitterness and misfortune for myself.

O! Woe if there is a day I cannot grasp at Your immaterial grace (Lutf).

My Lord I am that moth ablaze within the flames of the lamp; soul feels no torment and the heart feels no burning pain.

My Lord my head filled with water and my heart with fire.

Within feel needlessness for all beloveds and without want and yearn for all!

In a shoreless sea… within my soul and life an incurable ache…

My eyes glance upon what has no explanation while many claim these are the words of beauty!

Attar

Within this Haira (Perplexity) the stars and planets long lost as well
Orbiting and wandering stars, Alas!

That within this calamity the Path became my soul and life
This Path is definitely not an easy one, Alas!

I see a Path with no end at sight
See no beginning and see no end, Alas!

Stuck and stalled on this Path
Such sorrows and such Haira (Perplexity), Alas!