{"podcast":{"title":"Wisdom of the Masters","slug":"wisdom-of-the-masters-2534212","podcast_index_feed_id":2534212,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/49a54198/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://vivekahermitage.com/","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded/12255670/12255670-1611627498895-d3757aae969eb.jpg","author":"Samaneri Jayasara","episode_count":458,"summary":"These podcasts are designed to provide listeners with teachings from great spiritual Masters & to create a meditative mood so that the meaning can go deep & enter your heart. These podcasts are not monetized & are purely for educational & spiritual purposes. If you enjoy & benefit from these recordings you are welcome to contribute to the daily running costs of our hermitage to support the nuns. Donations/gifts for this purpose can be made via PayPal: https://paypal.me/VivekaHermitage or WISE: wise.com/pay/me/margarets448 vivekahermitage.com www.youtube.com/c/SamaneriJayasara/featured","last_synced_at":"2026-06-25T10:17:14.163519+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/wisdom-of-the-masters-2534212"},"episode":{"title":"Al-Niffari ~ Stand in Bewilderment ~ Sufi Mystics","slug":"al-niffari-stand-in-bewilderment-sufi-mystics","published_at":"2026-02-24T09:51:16+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/wisdom-of-the-masters-2534212/al-niffari-stand-in-bewilderment-sufi-mystics","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/wisdom-of-the-masters-2534212","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jayasara0/episodes/Al-Niffari--Stand-in-Bewilderment--Sufi-Mystics-e3fhfue","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/49a54198/podcast/play/115965326/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-1-24%2F77f70703-58f5-8bdb-fae3-79b52f7d1b4c.mp3","summary":"Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Jabbār al-Niffarī (c. 10th century) was a little-known but profoundly influential early Sufi mystic, best known for his enigmatic work al-Mawāqif wa’l-Mukhāṭabāt (“The Standings and the Addresses”). Living during the formative period of Islamic mysticism, he left no biography of his own; what survives is his dense, visionary prose, which later mystics regarded as spiritually radical and difficult.Al-Niffarī’s spiritual insight centers on the experience of divine encounter beyond concepts and language. He describes mawqif (a “standing” before God) as a liminal state where the self dissolves and God directly “addresses” the seeker. His writings emphasize the paradox of divine proximity and incomprehensibility, insisting that true knowledge of God arises not through doctrine or reasoning but through annihilation of the ego (fanāʾ) in the overwhelming presence of the Real.He also explores the limits of language and consciousness, using cryptic, almost aphoristic statements to suggest that ultimate reality cannot be grasped by ordinary thought. In this sense, al-Niffarī anticipates later apophatic and nondual currents in Sufism, influencing thinkers such as Ibn ʿArabī and later mystical traditions.Today, al-Niffarī is regarded as a visionary mystic whose writings point to a direct, transformative encounter with the Absolute—beyond theology, beyond identity, and beyond the boundaries of speech itself.________________________________Music: Licensed music from Pixabay - 'No-Mad'Duduk whispers - Oud healing music - Louay AlAwam🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefit of all sentient beings.🔆 Thank you to everyone who has written to inquire about offering a donation or gift. You are welcome to do so, and all offerings w…","meta_description":"Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Jabbār al-Niffarī (c. 10th century) was a little-known but profoundly influential early Sufi mystic, best known for his enigmatic wor…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":592,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/wisdom-of-the-masters-2534212/episodes/al-niffari-stand-in-bewilderment-sufi-mystics/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/wisdom-of-the-masters-2534212/al-niffari-stand-in-bewilderment-sufi-mystics.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}