The Materialistic Foundation of Secular Spirituality
Secular spirituality has been formulated in diverse ways. According to one account, spirituality consists in attaining joy, hope, and peace of mind; others also append inner contentment and a sense of meaning to this definition. The animating spirit of such spirituality, however, is materialism and self-centeredness—rendering the designation “spirituality” fundamentally incongruous with its nature. In this ostensible spirituality, there is neither room for God nor a place for fellow human beings. The spiritual person in this paradigm thinks solely of the self, having neither a concern for serving humanity nor an inclination to serve God; the objective is merely to be cheerful and experience pleasure.
The Mystical Paradigm: Servitude and Service
To the mystic (‘arif), these psychological states are certainly desirable, and authentic mysticism indeed secures them; yet the mystic’s ultimate aim is never confined to such states. The mystic also seeks joy and peace of mind, but their fundamental concerns remain the worship of God and selfless service to creation. God is the ultimate source of joy, peace, hope, and contentment, while eternal life serves as the ontological ground for partaking in these divine gifts. In the absence of God, no source remains for these blessings; and without the Hereafter, there is neither an arena nor an opportunity to experience them. Mystical spirituality is thus grounded in faith in the Origin (God) and the Return (Eschaton).
Paradise in the Present and the Reality of Death
The mystic is joyful and fulfilled in this present earthly life and seeks “paradise in the present” (behesht-e naqd). Yet what guarantees this immediate paradise for the mystic is faith in God and a life lived in accordance with this conviction. As Sa’eb Tabrizi writes:
It is from the darkness of your own inner self that the world seems like hell;
If the heart remains untainted, the entire world is Paradise.
For the mystic, death is not the termination of joy, but the cessation of afflictions and the dawn of supreme joy. The mystic hastens toward death joyously, viewing the Angel of Death as the Angel of Life. This perspective distinguishes the mystic from the non-mystic; while the latter may resign themselves to death out of inevitability, the mystic desires it as the liberation of a bird from a cage or the lover’s attainment of union with the beloved.
Conclusion
The idea that the world is a prison does not contradict its being a garden. Despite all its vastness, the worldly realm is a prison and a narrow confinement compared with the Hereafter. Through death, the veil of separation is lifted, and the soul transfigures into ultimate union (wisal). As the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali —the son of Abu Talib— (peace be upon him) declared: “By God, the son of Abu Talib is more intimately familiar with death than an infant is with its mother’s breast.”
Abstract:
This article explores the fundamental differences between secular spirituality and authentic Islamic mysticism (‘Irfan). While secular spirituality aims for fleeting joy and peace through materialism and self-centeredness, Islamic mysticism finds these states through faith in God (the Origin) and the Afterlife (the Return). The author argues that without the ontological foundation of the Divine, secular spirituality lacks a rational basis for enduring peace. In contrast, the mystic experiences “paradise in the present” through servitude to God and selfless service to humanity, viewing death not as an end, but as a joyful liberation and union with the Beloved.
