Fana (Islam)

As opposed to Sufism, which equates annihilation in God as the goal of the mystic journey, Islam in general frowns on the idea that man the created can become one with God the creator. Ibn al-Qayyim, for example, defined fana as the following three states: (1) Passing away from existence of that which is other than God. This is the mistaken ideal of the monists who attempt to free themselves from (as they see it) the illusion of God and man as duality. (2) Passing away from contemplation of that which is other than God, again an illusion, where the distinction between God and man and between obedience and disobedience is acknowledged but no longer perceived. (3) Passing away from worship or love of that which is other than God. This is legitimate and occurs simultaneously with perceiving the other, serving to increase the believer's love for God.