Anwar-e Ma`rifat

The highest goal of Islamic mysticism is attaining the encounter with God. Islamic mystics have discussed the causes of encountering God; however, little or nothing has been said about the states and feelings experienced after the encounter, except for a few brief references. However, the Qur'an and the traditions of the Prophet's Household (PBUT)—which, in fact, present the true and authentic mysticism within Islam's educational system—reveal both the causes of encountering God and the states and feelings experienced by the wayfarer who attains this encounter. Using a descriptive-analytical method and library-based sources, the present study seeks to examine this subject in the light of the Qur'anic verses and the traditions of the Prophet's Household (PBUT). The findings of the study indicate that numerous causes of encountering God can be identified in the Qur'an and the traditions of the Prophet's Household (PBUT). The states and feelings following the encounter may also be classified into two categories: those experienced after the encounter in the Hereafter, such as extraordinary joy and delight, and those experienced after the encounter in this world, such as tenderness of heart and restlessness arising from the fear of separation.