An Examination of the Ethical Values of Contentment (Riḍā), Trust (Tawakkul), and Delegation (Tafwīḍ) from the Mystical Perspective of Ruhollah Khomeini

Abstract

This applied study investigates the ethical values of contentment (riḍā), trust (tawakkul), and delegation (tafwīḍ) from the mystical perspective of Imam Khomeini. The comprehension and realization of mystical stations are contingent upon the understanding and actualization of underlying theoretical mystical foundations, a matter that has received considerable attention in the principal works of mystics interpreting the school of Ibn ʿArabī. Imam Khomeini, as a contemporary interpreter and mystic within this tradition, has also drawn upon certain ontological and anthropological theoretical foundations in explicating mystical stations. This research was conducted using a descriptive-analytical method and based on library resources, including books and scholarly articles. Initially, the concepts of spiritual wayfaring stations (manāzil al-sulūk) were examined in key works related to Imam Khomeini’s practical mysticism; subsequently, the position of these stations within mystical states and stations, and finally their degrees, were analyzed and justified. The findings indicate that mystical stations differ from one another in terms of depth and richness; moreover, mystical theoretical foundations are interrelated and deeply interconnected. In examining Imam Khomeini’s explanations of spiritual wayfaring stations, the influence and necessity of theoretical foundations for explicating mystical stations were confirmed. It was further demonstrated that the realization of each spiritual station depends on a combination of several theoretical principles, which themselves are interconnected and inseparable. In essence, the rationale for the necessity of attaining a given station for the spiritual wayfarer, as well as the explanation of how it is realized, becomes intelligible only through these theoretical principles, as demonstrated in this study. From a broader perspective, the fact that spiritual stations can be explained through mystical theoretical foundations—and that these foundations actively contribute to their realization—indicates a fundamental linkage between practical mysticism and theoretical mysticism. Imam Khomeini, as a contemporary mystic and commentator, has paid close attention to this relationship and mutual influence in his philosophical-mystical works, illustrating this connection throughout his discussions of spiritual wayfaring stations.