بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
و الصلاة و السلام على أشرف المرسلين
و على اله و اصحابه أجمعين

The scission (fasl) and the junction (wasl)

The secret of divine knowledge (ma’rifa) is fine line (isthmus) between a thing and its shadow, negation and assertion, presence and absence, yes and no. Human being (insan) who accessed to this secret has certainly fulfilled the unification of what seems to be opposite, this is why the words “scission” (fasl) and “junction”(wasl) are used.

Allâh ﷻ says: “We have certainly created man in the best of stature; Then We return him to the lowest of the low” [1], “in the best of stature” refers to the absolute Junction whereas “to the lowest of the low” refers to the absolute scission. Thereby, scission indicates and refers to low and vile domain (sufli), and junction corresponds to the highest and holiest domain. They are closely related in such a way that junction can only happen after the scission, and vice versa.

So Allâh ﷻ breathed His spirit into human being, and He then tested him by giving him the nafs and by giving each of them two equipped and trained allies. In this way, ibn Ata Allâh said in his Hikam: “Light is the ally of heart, as well as darkness is the ally of the ego. When Allâh decides to help one of His servants, He gives him allies of Light and stops the influx of darkness and trivialities.”

Allâh ﷻ says: “Allâh is the ally of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into the light. And those who disbelieve – their allies are Taghut. They take them out of the light into darknesses. Those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein.” [2]

The divine Light is the secret of Junction (wasl) and the apparent form of sainthood (wilaya) given by Allâh to His servant. For darkness, it refers to the spiritual level of scission (fasl), the level of the Taghut and his allies.

Narrated on the authority of Hudhaifa: the messenger of Allâh ﷺ said: “Temptations will be presented to men’s hearts as reed mat is woven stick by stick and any heart which is impregnated by them will have a black mark put into it, but any heart which rejects them will have a white mark put in it. The result is that there will become two types of hearts: one white like a white stone which will not be harmed by any turmoil or temptation, so long as the heavens and the earth endure; and the other black and dust-coloured like a vessel which is upset, not recognizing what is good or rejecting what is abominable, but being impregnated with passion.” [3]

Each white mark leads to a junction (wasl) between the Lord and His servant. And if the Light is seen without interruption, then it will result to a pure and illuminated heart touched by truth. And as well as the Name al-Rahman (the Merciful) rose over the throne, the divine Name “Allâh” rose over the believer’s heart.

On the contrary, each black mark leads to scission (fasl) and it sends the servant away the Lord and if this black mark is persistent then it will make room for the zaqqum tree (one of hell tree). A repugnant tree that has fruits similar to demon heads.

And Allâh ﷻ says in the Quran: “And when Saul went forth (fassala [4]) with the soldiers, he said, “Indeed, Allâh will be testing you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me, excepting one who takes [from it] in the hollow of his hand.” But they drank from it, except a [very] few of them. Then when he had crossed it along with those who believed with him, they said, “There is no power for us today against Goliath and his soldiers.” But those who were certain that they would meet Allâh said, “How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allâh . And Allâh is with the patient.”And when they went forth to [face] Goliath and his soldiers, they said, “Our Lord, pour upon us patience and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people.” So they defeated them by permission of Allâh, and David killed Goliath, and Allâh gave him the kingship and prophethood and taught him from that which He willed. And if it were not for Allâh checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allâh is full of bounty to the worlds.” [5]

Before explaining those verses, I will lay down a general rule: if you apply it, you will access to the understanding of Allâh’s book, and you will be able to dive into the esoteric meanings and you will breathe the most precious secrets. This rule is: “Do not get out of your grave”. It means “from yourself” because in you has been gathered all the universe and Its secret, in you are gathered the divine Names and their secrets, you are the visible and manifested form of the opposite, you are the isthmus of the two seas, you are the Lord of this world and the hereafter so…do not think that you are insignificant because in you stays the highest world.

We say: When Talout went forth (fasala) with his soldiers spirit, Allâh tempted them with the river of the vile passions of scission. The spirit requested the soldiers and he told them “Allâh will be testing you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me”, “Not of me” means “not part of the spiritual world and the unveiling”.

“and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me” means “He is part of my universe, he will receive my Lights and my theophanies.”

“Excepting one who takes [from it] in the hollow of his hand” depending what can be tolerated by the following of the wisdom and the sunna which consists to make things step by step; “But they drank from it” people dominated by their nafs and those who were destined to scission (fasl). The heart and essence of this river is the human nature itself.

“Except a [very] few of them” The heart and the Intellect, and other physical senses which followed them crossed the Taghut River along and its darkness. And then the spirit breathed certainty (yaqin) into them and they said, “How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allâh. And Allâh is with the patient” when they stood facing their enemy Goliath who symbolizes the nafs that urges evil and its soldiers.

“Our Lord, pour upon us patience” the patience of the gnostics “and plant firmly our feet” among the righteous “So they defeated them by permission of Allâh” and David who symbolized the intellect killed the low passion of Goliath who symbolizes the nafs. The Intellect took possession of the body lands through the secret of spiritual heaven, and the heart took the soldiers linked to the senses and what occupies the thoughts, and through his own essence, he accessed to the knowledge of the Essence.

[1] Surah at-Tîn, verses 4 and 5.
[2] Surah al-Baqara, verse 257.
[3] Hadîth n°211, Sahih Muslim
[4] Fasala: refers to the scission (fasl).
[5] Surah al-Baqara, verses 249/251.