Truth Of Torment in Mysticism (Based on Ibn Arabi Viewpoint)

Subject Areas : Islamic Mysticism

Mahnaz  Tavakoli ¹ (استادیار و عضو هیأت علمی دانشگاه شهید بهشتی)
Marziyeh  Peyvandi ² (کارشناس ارشد عرفان تطبیقی دانشگاه شهید بهشتی.)

Received: 2016-04-17 Accepted : 2018-08-04 Published : 2016-01-21

Keywords: mysticism, spiritual wayfaring, Ibn-Arabi, Torment,

Abstract :

In Spiritual wayfaring toward The Great Lord, any sin and disobedience from the order of the dearest -The Lord- in itself will be deemed a sin that will be followed by torment. The veil of divine revelation and closeness to God, in the mystics’ point of view, is the evidence of torment and so is hell with the same level and deprivation of divine closeness. Any kinds of sin include stages of the same dimension which per se is torment so that the punishment of hypocrites and infidels and the rest will be different according to their levels. In fact, Hell and Naar are general concepts which cover all different aspects of punishment by themselves. Ibn-Arabi believes that the nature of torment is changeable and unstable, therefore it is a relative issue that fits with talent and taste in different recipients. In fact, in Ibn-Arabi’s point of view it is the understanding, impression and knowledge of the suffering man that would evolve towards to the issue of torment and thereby feels no pain and agony, and his torment finally ends up. What comes out of mystical texts would be that the punishment is in fact a manifestation of divine mercy indeed, which is used by God to reduce the burden of his sin by tormenting the guilty ones by means of which this mercy clears the nature of the guilty ones from turpitude and vice. This study attempts to use the verses and the words of mystics in a descriptive and analytical way to make clear the different aspects of the idea of torment, its reality and different kinds.