On mystical qabz and bast (=distress and bliss)

In simple words, qabz and bast refer to the inner state of the mystic at the very moment; it is called bast if he is blithe and happy, and qabz if he is in distress and gloom. Moreover, vaqt (=the present), according to mystics, is the very moment in which a human being is living and, thus, they liken it to a sword. Just as a sword cuts an object into halves, so vaqt separates whatever comes before and after it; that is, one half from the past and one half from the future. Consequently, vaqt is a moment and the very momentary state of a human being. Mystics have said much about the meaning and the how of these states and particularly of qabz and bast which are considered among the most fundamental concepts of Sufism. The present paper presents and examines some of the most important and completes definitions as well as the characteristics of qabz and bast which can be observed in the sayings of prominent mystics.