On the Sufi path, seekers often encounter profound inner experiences—moments of vision, ecstasy, closeness to the Divine. But Sufi teachers have long emphasized a vital distinction: not all that glimmers is gold to hold.
Some experiences are fleeting gifts. Others become embodied truths.
In classical terminology, these are known as “states” (ḥāl) and “stations” (maqām).
🌬 States: The Winds of Grace
A state is a sudden descent of feeling, vision, or inner opening. You do not create it. It arrives—often unexpectedly—and may leave just as suddenly. You might feel overwhelmed by divine love, lost in tears of longing, gripped by joy, or see a vision during prayer or dream.
In Arabic, this is ḥāl—a passing weather of the soul. These states are precious. They lift the veil and show us what is possible. But they are not yet permanent. And without humility and guidance, they can lead to spiritual illusion.
🕊 Example: The Young Dervish and the Vision of Paradise
In the classical text Kashf al-Mahjūb, al-Hujwiri tells of a young dervish who had a vision of Paradise while praying. He was ecstatic. But when he told his master, the sheikh only said:
“Return to your practice.”
The vision was real—but it was not yet his station. It had come as a sign, not a proof. Only through perseverance, devotion, and humility could that experience become integrated.
🏔 Stations: The Landscapes of the Soul
A station is different. It is earned, not given. Formed through effort, endurance, and surrender, a station becomes a part of who you are. Patience is no longer something you try to practice—it lives in you. Gratitude is not a mood—it is the soil you walk on.
Stations endure.
They are the result of walking through many states without grasping, without pride. Where states dazzle, stations stabilize. Where states inspire, stations transform.
🌹 Example: Rābiʻa and the Station of Love
Rābiʻa al-Adawiyya, the great woman mystic of Basra, experienced intense visions of divine love. But over time, love ceased to be a passing state—it became her whole being. She once said:
“I want to burn down Paradise and extinguish Hell so that people will love God for God alone.”
This is not a passing emotional high—it is the station of pure love (maḥabba) untainted by fear or reward.
She no longer needed visions. Her heart had become the flame.
⚖️ Why the Distinction Matters
Many modern seekers chase peak experiences—mystical highs, plant medicine visions, or kundalini surges. But in the Sufi view, the real work begins after the vision fades.
- The vision shows you what is possible.
- The station shows you who you’ve become.
To dwell only in visions is to remain a guest. To walk into a station is to become a servant, a lover, a friend.
🌌 Example: Junayd of Baghdad — From Ecstasy to Sobriety
Junayd, one of the great early Sufis, spoke often of returning to sobriety (ṣaḥw) after ecstasy (sukr). He once had a powerful vision of the divine throne and heard celestial praises. But afterward, he wept.
When asked why, he said:
“Because I fear I was not worthy of what I was shown.”
Over time, he taught that the true sign of spiritual maturity is not how high you fly, but how gracefully you walk after you land. He became known for his balance—intoxicated by love, but sober in conduct. That balance was his station.
🔥 Vision Transformed: Bayazid and the Cry of Glory
Bayazid Bastami once cried out in a state of mystical absorption:
“Subḥānī! Subḥānī!—Glory be to me!”
It shocked listeners. But Bayazid later explained: in that moment, the ego had vanished and the Divine was speaking through him.
Still, Bayazid did not cling to that state. He retreated into seclusion, fasted, prayed, and worked in silence for many years. Over time, the lightning became light. What had been a flash of divine union became the steady lamp of fanā—self-effacement in God.
🌿 Becoming the Garden
The journey from state to station is like a seed becoming a tree. The seed has the vision of what it might become. But it must be buried, watered, tested by sun and storm. Only then does it root and rise.
In the same way:
- A moment of surrender becomes the station of trust (tawakkul)
- A glimpse of patience becomes the station of sabr
- A wave of love becomes the station of mahabba
The states are sacred winds. But the stations are your home.
✨ Final Reflection
If you are blessed with a vision, do not cling. Let it inspire you to practice, purify, and prepare.
If you are in the drylands, take heart—perhaps a station is forming in your silence.
And when you realize you have become the very quality you once glimpsed from afar—know that the path has begun to flower in you.
“Do not chase the lightning.
Become the sky where it lives.”