Ma'rifa (Sufism)

This is the state in which divine knowledge is revealed by God, arising in pure love of God and for God, and as a reward for love of God. There is direct knowledge of God, knowledge which cannot be revealed by the intellect, which is an indirect process depending on limited human knowledge, nor through theological knowledge, nor through inspiration, which is subjective, nor through intuition, which is still veiled by finite human nature; but which can only be experienced directly. The barrier of humanity is transcended in contemplative knowledge. In this vision of God all veils which would hinder sight are removed, the inner light being far beyond the light of faith. God's divine glory is revealed in a manner which precludes doubt. Awareness of attributes of the self such as awe, fear, hope and love ceases. Only the attributes of God are known. There is a passing away from the self into God. No further ascent is possible. The true meaning of the soul's unification with God comes to be known. According to Ibn al-'Arabi, in ignorance there might be belief that the soul is part of the divine soul; in true knowledge comes awareness that the individual soul is the divine soul.

Although knowledge of God arises only by revelation there are three ways in which He may be known. Observance of the law, shari'a, when the seeker observes the law, results in knowledge being attained from God. Following the mystical path or tariqa, the soul experiences a number of states leading to knowledge with God. Revelation of the truth, haqiqa, when the soul is illuminated and by God's grace sees a vision of God, brings knowledge of God. All three are linked in the same universal truth, so that genuine knowledge is attained when following the mystic path in observance of the law.

The doctrines of sabr, mahabbat and ma'rifa were elaborated by the Sufi scholar Abu Talib al-Makki and followed and interpreted by many others. According to Shaykh Abu Sa'id ibn Abi'l-Khayr, God is perceived through all creatures and all people. Kharraz indicates that when God has the desire to be united with His servant, He first opens the way to worship. If He takes delight in worship, He opens the way to proximity. Then he is raised to fellowship, then (tawhid) seated on the throne of unification. Then the veil is raised, God makes him enter into His own, unveils His glory. When the servant sees the glory and majesty he remains outside himself and, coming into the care of God, is freed for ever from the self. For Abu'l-Hasan Sumnun, love is the foundation and the principle of the way to God, all states and stations being stages of love. For Ahmad b Abu'l-Hasan al-Nuri, gnosis is a very high stage and the gnostic is one who speaks from this stage of annihilating the self in the ecstasy of love and knowledge of God. The knowledge of God is not rational knowledge, because there is then a veil between knower and known; it is revealed only in contemplation, mushahada, when the light of God's unicity is shed on reason. 'Amr b Uthman al-Makki regarded the inward experience of the real as absolutely personal and not possible to disclose.

Ma'rifa is the twelfth stage in a systematic account of various stations of the Sufi spiritual path. Also, according to Shaykh Abu Sa'id ibn Abi'l-Khayr, it is the 25th of 40 stations or maqamat the Sufi must possess for his journey on the path of Sufism to be acceptable.