Hal and Maqam (State And Station)

State denotes experiencing in one's inner world the 'breaths' blowing from the realms from beyond the world and feeling the difference between 'night' and 'day,' 'evening' and 'morning' that occur to the heart. Those who understand them as the alternate waves of rejoicing and grief and strain and distension invading the heart without the special effort of man himself, call the stable continuation of those waves as station and their disappearance as sensuality. It would not be wrong to describe state as a Divine gift and the breaths of nearness to God one feels in the heart, and station as man's continuous and stable experience of these breaths and acquiring a second nature through them. Like life, light and mercy, state is a direct gift of the Almighty and leads one to conviction of Divine Unity. By contrast, since station depends on one's purposeful effort, it cannot reflect the truth so manifestly. For this reason, without attributing them to his selfhood, a man's feeling the spiritual occurrences to his heart, and his opening at every moment a new way in his heart to the One Who is known by heart, means more appreciation of the Source of those occurrences, compared to shaping them according to one's own capacity and character, which may lead one to ostentation and conceit. The most truthful and confirmed one, upon him be peace and blessings, declared on an occasion: God considers not your bodily statures but your hearts. In that saying, he directs attention to that to which the Truth attaches importance, and shows people to the main target. The Tradition narrated through a less reliable channel is: God considers your hearts and actions. This is a reference to station reached after cycles of state. State consists in the Divine manifestations occurring at times determined by the absolute Will. These manifestations are reflected in the heart and man's perception and consciousness that pursue them cast them into a mould. For this reason, while station signifies a stability and subsidence after waves of state, state can be likened to packets of waves coming from the sun in different lengths and colors, appearing and then disappearing, being dependent on the absolutely dominant Will. Sensitive souls and those with consciousness alert or awakened to knowledge of God discern the waves of state upon their hearts as they see the reflections of the sun in the bubbles on water, and respond to these waves with perception of them at different levels and in different ways. Whereas the souls who have not been able to set right the balance of their hearts and live disconnected from the Almighty, may regard the waves of state as illusions and fancies. However, for those who see existence with the light of the Truth, they are manifest, experienced realities. The greatest hero of state, upon him be peace and blessings, who used to regard each preceding spiritual gift he received as less compared to the succeeding may God illuminate our hearts with the light of his gifts he regarded as less declared: I ask God's forgiveness seventy times a day. It was not possible for a perfectly pure soul who felt the need for an everlasting mount and an eternal light in an eternal journeying toward the Infinite Being, to have done otherwise.