A comparative map of the spiritual families: it helps to situate the vocabulary of the way, without being confused with the 100 squares of the board.
A reading guide
These dwellings are not a second board.
They offer a classical vocabulary of the way: beginnings, gates, transactions, virtues,
sources, remedies, states, presences, realities and ends. The Chessboard, for its part, places the traveller in a
constrained progression: he encounters ascents, falls, returns and illusions.
Read a family to understand its inner climate.
Return to the board to see how a concrete square embodies, corrects or distorts that climate.
Do not fill it in artificially: the last family is kept here with the 9 entries present in the working document.
1البداياتal-bidāyāt
The beginnings (10)
اليقظةawakening (yaqaẓa)
التوبةrepentance (tawba)
المحاسبةself-examination (muḥāsaba)
الإنابةturning back to God (ināba)
التفكرreflection (tafakkur)
التذكرremembrance (tadhakkur)
الاعتصامthe seeking of refuge (iʿtiṣām)
الفرارflight towards God (firār)
الرياضةspiritual discipline (riyāḍa)
السماعspiritual listening (samāʿ)
2الأبوابal-abwāb
The gates (10)
الحزنlonging sorrow (ḥuzn)
الخوفfear (khawf)
الإشفاقtender concern for oneself (ishfāq)
الخشوعreverent humility (khushūʿ)
الإخباتhumble obedience (ikhbāt)
الزهدasceticism (zuhd)
الورعscrupulous delicacy (waraʿ)
التبتلexclusive devotion to God (tabattul)
الرجاءhope (rajāʾ)
الرغبةlonging for divine favours (raghba)
3المعاملاتal-muʿāmalāt
The transactions (10)
الرعايةobservance of the precepts (riʿāya)
المراقبةwatchfulness (murāqaba)
الحرمةchastity (ḥurma)
الإخلاصabsolute sincerity (ikhlāṣ)
التهذيبthe refining of oneself (tahdhīb)
الاستقامةuprightness (istiqāma)
التوكلsurrender to God (tawakkul)
التفويضentrusting all to God (tafwīḍ)
الثقةtrust in God (thiqa)
التسليمsubmission (taslīm)
4الأخلاقal-akhlāq
The virtues (10)
الصبرpatience (ṣabr)
الرضاcontentment (riḍā)
الشكرgratitude (shukr)
الحياءmodesty (ḥayāʾ)
الصدقtruthfulness (ṣidq)
الإيثارaltruism (īthār)
الخلقnoble character (khuluq)
التواضعhumility (tawāḍuʿ)
الفتوةgreatness of soul (futuwwa)
الانبساطgracious affability (inbisāṭ)
5الأصولal-uṣūl
The sources (10)
القصدintention (qaṣd)
العزمresolve (ʿazm)
الإرادةthe will (irāda)
الأدبright conduct (adab)
اليقينcertitude (yaqīn)
الأنسintimacy (uns)
الذكرremembrance (dhikr)
الفقرspiritual poverty (faqr)
الغنىspiritual richness (ghinā)
مقام المرادthe station of the one willed by God (maqām al-murād)
6الأدويةal-adwiya
The remedies (10)
الإحسانperfect virtue (iḥsān)
العلمknowledge (ʿilm)
الحكمةwisdom (ḥikma)
البصيرةinsight (baṣīra)
الفراسةintuition (firāsa)
التعظيمglorification (taʿẓīm)
الإلهامinspiration (ilhām)
السكينةdeep peace (sakīna)
الطمأنينةserene tranquillity (tumaʾnīna)
الهمةspiritual aspiration (himma)
7الأحوالal-aḥwāl
The spiritual states (10)
المحبةdivine love (maḥabba)
الغيرةjealous zeal (ghayra)
الشوقardent longing (shawq)
القلقrestless yearning (qalaq)
العطشthirst (ʿaṭash)
الوجدecstatic rapture (wajd)
الدهشastonishment (dahash)
الهيمانbewildered wandering (hayamān)
البرقthe lightning flash (barq)
الذوقspiritual tasting (dhawq)
8الولاياتal-wilāyāt
The principalities (10)
اللحظthe glance (laḥẓ)
الوقتthe present moment (waqt)
الصفاءpurity (ṣafāʾ)
السرورthe secrets (surūr)
السرthe innermost (sirr)
النفسthe breath (nafas)
الغربةestrangement (ghurba)
الغرقsubmersion (gharaq)
الغيبةabsence to the world (ghayba)
التمكنfirm establishment (tamakkun)
9الحقائقal-ḥaqāʾiq
The realities (10)
المكاشفةunveiling (mukāshafa)
المشاهدةcontemplation (mushāhada)
المعاينةessential vision (muʿāyana)
الحياةlife (ḥayāt)
القبضcontraction (qabḍ)
البسطexpansion (basṭ)
السكرspiritual intoxication (sukr)
الصحوsober lucidity (ṣaḥw)
الاتصالunion (ittiṣāl)
الانفصالseparation (infiṣāl)
10النهاياتal-nihāyāt
The final ends (9 kept)
المعرفةgnosis (maʿrifa)
الفناءextinction (fanāʾ)
التحقيقrealization (taḥqīq)
التلبيسveiling confusion (talbīs)
الوجودexistence (wujūd)
التجريدdetachment (tajrīd)
التفريدsolitary singling-out (tafrīd)
الجمعintegration (jamʿ)
التوحيدOneness (tawḥīd)
These stations are drawn close to the Manāzil al-sāʾirin of Khwāja ʿAbd Allāh al-Anṣārī al-Harawī
(d. 481 AH / 1088), in the translation by Jean-Louis Michon (Le Consolateur des craintifs et le compagnon
des solitaires, ARChè, 1998, pp. 101-103). The commentator of the Chessboard reminds us that the hundred
squares of the board are not to be confused with these hundred stations: the passage through the squares is
"far more constrained" (ijbārī) than left to the free choice of the traveller.