Haqiqat, Marifat, Irfan

wa alaykum as salaam wa rahma!

Thank you for your questions! I don't know of any concepts of Haqiqa or Irfan according to our imams and scholars. Perhaps you can elaborate on what you mean. According to our imams (as), ma'rifa is the proper gnosis and knowledge of Allah that is the most important action. No other action is accepted without it. It is the freeing of Allah from the attributes of creation, the basis of the Shari'ah and the path to spirituality. [Ref. Majmu Kutub wa Rasaa`il Imam al-Qaasim bin Ibrahim and Al-Kaashif al-Ameen].

And Allah knows best!

IRS

Thank you for your question!

As for ma'rifa, or gnosis, of Allah, it is those beliefs that one has that comprises of the basics. Imam Ali (as) said: "The beginning of religion is gnosis of Him." Imam Zayn al-Abideen (as) said: "Know that the first act of worship to Allah is gnosis of him." Imam al-Qaasim ar-Rassi (as) said in his Usuul al-Adl wat-Tawheed that gnosis comprises of affirmation and negation. Affirmation is the acknowledgement of those unique attributes of Allah and negation refers to the negating the attributes of imperfection and creation to the Creator. Freeing Him from the attributes of creation is negating the attributes of creation from Him. For example, if one said that Allah is in a place, this would affirm a creative attribute to Him since creation is described by such.

Gnosis would also consist of acknowledging the attribute of Justice to Allah and negating the attributes of injustice and tyranny. This is because oppression and tyranny are attributes of the weak and Allah is above such descriptions. If a person attributed the creation of a slave's actions to Allah, this would subject Him to the base actions of creation and would thus affirm weakness to Allah.

Gnosis is also acknowledging the truthfulness of Allah's conveyances as lying is a defective attribute and Allah is above such. This would mean that the promise of Paradise to the believers and the threat of Hell to the disbelievers and disobedient are affirmed and not negated or subject to change. If it were subject to change, Allah would be guilty of lying and deceit which is not befitting of His majesty!

This gnosis would promote us to act upon the Shariah and fulfill those things with which we are commanded and refrain from those things with which we are prohibited. Our gnosis of Allah as Sovereign, Just and Truthful propels us to act in ways that are pleasing to Him and refrain from those things that displease Him.

Similarly, this gnosis of Allah encourages us to take upon ourselves those inner states of spiritual purity and remove from ourselves those blameworthy traits and inner states that are displeasing to Allah. By doing such, we acknowledge the majesty and sovereignty of Allah as well as His Justice and truthfulness. This would entail that we constantly strive against our corrupt egos until we achieve that perfect sincerity by which we worship Allah in the way He should be worshipped.

This is basically gnosis and the foundation of Islam.

And Allah knows best!

IRS