Jakarta, NU Online
There are several stations /stages (maqamat) which the Sufi travellers (salik) pass through as they advance on the path. In each station, the travellers will feel certain spiritual conditions.<>

General chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) KH Said Aqil Siroj made the remarks on the sidelines of a religious gathering at the NU's headquarters, Jakarta, Monday (28/01).

At the gathering attended by participants that are also board members of NU committees, institutions and autonomous bodies, kiai Said that the goal would be obtained when the Sufi travellers see God alone in all that they contemplate and at the same time feel a total and ecstatic sense of their presence.

"The first (station) is to repent or ask God for forgiveness. Repentance is not just saying astaghfirullah (literally it means I seek forgiveness from God), but a change in attitude. Astghafirullah is just a saying, " Kiai Said who was born in Cirebon 1953 said.

The alumnus of Lirboyo and Krapak Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) said that repentance itself is divided into three levels, the repentance of the layman (awam), by repenting for sins; the repentance of Islamic scholars (ulema), by repenting for negligence; and the repentance of sufis, by repenting from feeling that they exist.

"Anyone who thinks he "exists ", he could fall into idolatry," Kiai Said who earned a doctorate degree from the Department of Aqidah or Islamic Philosophy, Umm Al-Qura University, in 1994 said.

We are "maujud" (created beings). We living for 30, 50, or 100 years are "created". While the true wujud is God alone. He created us. We have to find our temporary existence for being created.

"None has the right to be worshipped but I (la ilaha illa Ana), none has the right to be worshipped but He (la ilala illa Huwa), none has the right to be worshipped but You (la ilaha illa Anta)," he said.

After repentance, the father of four children added, the next level is waro'i (abstinence of the desires of the world). "Those who pass through this station will see everything carefully. He will not take a position that is not his."

"If waro'i could be passed through, the next is asceticism / zuhud (which literally means renouncing worldly pleasures and resisting carnal desires," he said.

Said Kang emphasized asceticism was not meant to be destitute, but more on attitude.

"The rich could be ascetic, destitute people could be greedy. But zuhud is more on how the people see the world. It does not mean eating poor or inadequate foods as many think, or wearing a cheap gown or cloack."

The three levels are in the process of takhalli or the effort to clean the inner self from dependence character to world secular matter, this condition can be achieved by avoiding forms of violation and lose the bad encouragement. The psychological effect in this level is khauf, or fear of Allah. "All pious deeds are solely to worshp (lita'abud)."

Editor : Sudarto Murtaufiq
Writer : Abdullah Alawi