Genealogy of Mystical Experiences in Al-Mawāqif wa al-Mukhātabāt of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-jabbar Neffari

Neffari, the lesser known yet important mystic of the fourth century have used a special and complicated language in his book  Al-Mawāqif  wa  al-Mukhātabāt which is about his pure mystical experiences. In this paper, we investigate his ideas about “the essence of mystical experience”, “ways to understand the experience”, “the variety of experiences and the characteristics of mystical experience”, “differentiating an experience from an interpretation” and “the characteristics of the receiver of the experience”. With regard to the essence, the mystical experience which is called “Waqfa” can be thought of as a spiritual ascent which results from a general intuition and determines eternity and at the same time, it is a means not an end. In order to understand this experience, paying attention to its foundation with regard to “paying attention to the origins” and “lack of knowledge and perception” and “knowledge without language” and “being gradual” and “causing a shake in the body” as effects and means is necessary. About the varieties of the experiences with regard to the person having such experience, Neffari believes that the most important cause of the varieties in mystical experience is the difference in the capacity of the people having such experience. The role of the person having the mystical experience is also determined in “gate of mystic union” and “the ability of the person” and results in his passivity and lack of will. With regard to the characteristics, there is an emphasis on “being beyond reason” and with regard to the logic being based on division on “the logic being an obstacle for knowledge” and with regard to epistemology on “the priority of silent knowledge over the verbal knowledge”.