رَسَائِلُ الْجُنَيْدِ الْبَغْدَادِيِّ

كِتَابُ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ

Kitāb al-Qaṣd ilā Allāh

The Book of Wayfaring to God

Traditionally attributed to

Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd al-Baghdādī

PART ONE • READING EDITION

Editorial Note

ATTRIBUTION

The treatise is transmitted under the name of Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd al-Baghdādī (d. 297 AH / 910 CE), but its attribution is disputed. The text itself dates a pledge to 395 AH, nearly a century after al-Junayd’s death. This edition therefore preserves the traditional heading while describing the work as attributed to him.

ARABIC TEXT

The Arabic follows the supplied Part One reading text. Its full vocalization has been retained and normalized, with clear typographical slips corrected conservatively. Ambiguous or damaged wording has not been silently rewritten; corresponding English passages identify material uncertainty where it affects meaning. This is a reading edition, not a critical reconstruction from manuscripts.

TRANSLITERATION

The transliteration follows a readable scholarly system: ā, ī, ū for long vowels; ḥ, ṣ, ḍ, ṭ, and ẓ for emphatic or pharyngeal consonants; ʿ for ʿayn; ʾ for hamzah; and kh, dh, sh, and gh for the corresponding digraphs. The definite article is normally written al- without solar-letter assimilation. Case vowels follow the vocalized Arabic.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The English is a fresh, modern rendering intended for close reading. Qurʾanic citations are translated directly for this volume and their references are retained. Repetition and technical Sufi imagery are preserved where they carry the argument, while English syntax is smoothed for clarity.

RELIGIOUS REPORTS

Non-Qurʾanic divine utterances, sayings attributed to the Prophet, visionary narratives, and devotional anecdotes are translated as reported material in the source. Their inclusion does not authenticate their transmission or establish their doctrinal status. Accounts containing self-injury or violence are historical narratives, not instructions.

READING ORDER

Every source unit is presented in the same sequence: vocalized Arabic, transliteration, then English. Long source sentences wrap naturally on the page but remain aligned as one sense-unit triplet.

Contents of the Treatise

مُقَدِّمَةٌ

Introduction

الْبَابُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَمَا يَسْتَقْبِلُهُ مِنْ الْعَقَبَاتِ

Chapter One Intending God Most High and the Obstacles That Confront the Seeker

الْبَابُ الثَّانِي فِي تَرْكِ الْوُقُوفِ مَعَ الْمَنَازِلِ وَالْمَقَامَاتِ عِنْدَ الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ

Chapter Two Not Halting at Spiritual Stages and Stations While Intending Him

الْبَابُ الثَّالِثُ فِي بَيَانِ نِدَاءِ الْحَقِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى إِلَى الْقَاصِدِينَ إلَيْهِ وَاسْتِمَاعِهِمْ لَهُ

Chapter Three The Call of the Real to Those Who Intend Him and Their Hearing of It

الْبَابُ الرَّابِعُ فِي إجَابَةِ الْقَاصِدِينَ نِدَاءَ الْحَقِّ بَعْدَ اسْتِمَاعِهِمْ لَهُ

Chapter Four How Those Who Intend God Answer the Call of the Real After Hearing It

الْبَابُ الْخَامِسُ فِيمَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْقَاصِدِينَ مِنْ التَّهَيُّؤِ حَتَّى يَكُونُوا لِلْمَقْصُودِ أَهْلًا

Chapter Five The Preparation Required of Those Who Intend God So That They Become Worthy of the One Intended

الْبَابُ السَّادِسُ فِيمَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْقَاصِدِينَ مِنْ رِعَايَةِ النَّفْسِ وَالرُّوحِ وَالْقَلْبِ

Chapter Six The Care Those Who Intend God Must Give to the Lower Self, Spirit, and Heart

الْبَابُ السَّابِعُ فِي مُشَاوَرَةِ النَّفْسِ وَالرُّوحِ وَالْقَلْبِ فِي أُمُورِ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى

Chapter Seven Consulting the Lower Self, Spirit, and Heart Concerning the Intention Toward God Most High

الْبَابُ الثَّامِنُ فِي نَعْتِ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَصِفَتِهِمْ وَعَلَامَتِهِمْ وَأَعْلَامِهِمْ، وَمَا فِيهِ مِنْ أَشْيَاءَ يَكِلُ الْوَصْفُ دُونَهَا وَلَكِنَّا نَأْتِي بِبَعْضِهَا

Chapter Eight The Description, Qualities, Signs, and Distinguishing Marks of Those Who Intend God—Matters That Description Cannot Fully Encompass, Though We Mention Some of Them

الْبَابُ التَّاسِعُ فِي رُؤْيَا أَبِي يَزِيدَ فِي الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَبَيَانِ قِصَّتِهِ

Chapter Nine Abū Yazīd’s Vision Concerning the Intention Toward God Most High, and an Account of Its Story

الْبَابُ الْعَاشِرُ فِي حِكَايَاتِ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَقَصَصِهِمْ

Chapter Ten Accounts and Stories of Those Who Intend God Most High

Source Text and Translation

Vocalized Arabic • transliteration • modern English

رَسَائِلُ الْجُنَيْدِ الْبَغْدَادِيِّ

Rasāʾilu al-Junaydi al-baghdādiyyi

The Epistles of al-Junayd al-Baghdādī

§ 002

أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ

ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu bnu Muḥammadin

Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd ibn Muḥammad

§ 003

النُّصُوصُ الْمَجْمُوعَةُ الْكَامِلَةُ مَعَ الضَّبْطِ بِالشَّكْلِ

Al-nuṣūṣu al-majmūʿatu al-kāmilatu maʿa al-ḍabṭi bi-al-shakli

The complete collected texts with full vocalization

§ 004

الْجُزْءُ الْأَوَّلُ
الْمُقَدِّمَاتُ وَكِتَابُ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ

Al-juzʾu al-ʾawwalu
al-muqaddimātu wakitābu al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi

Part One — Prefatory Material and The Book of Intending God

§ 005

نُسْخَةٌ قِرَائِيَّةٌ لِلدِّرَاسَةِ وَالْمُرَاجَعَةِ

Nuskhatun qirāʾiyyatun li-l-dirāsati wa-al-murājaʿati

A reading edition for study and review

§ 006

اعْتِمَادًا عَلَى طَبْعَةِ دَارِ اقْرَأْ سَنَةَ ١٤٢٥ هـ ٢٠٠٥ م

Iʿtimādan ʿalā ṭabʿati dāri iqraʾ sanata 1425 hـ 2005 m

Based on the Dār Iqraʾ edition of 1425 AH / 2005 CE

نِطَاقُ هٰذِهِ النُّسْخَةِ

Niṭāqu hādhihi al-nuskhati

Scope of This Edition

§ 008

هٰذِهِ نُسْخَةٌ قِرَائِيَّةٌ مُشَكَّلَةٌ لِنُصُوصِ أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدِ الْبَغْدَادِيِّ وَلِلْأَقْوَالِ الْمَنْقُولَةِ عَنْهُ. اُعْتُمِدَ فِي تَعْيِينِ نِطَاقِ الْمَادَّةِ وَتَرْتِيبِهَا عَلَى الطَّبْعَةِ الْأَشْمَلِ الَّتِي حَقَّقَهَا جَمَالُ رَجَبٍ سَيِّدْبِي، وَقُوبِلَتِ الرَّسَائِلُ الْأَسَاسِيَّةُ بِالطَّبْعَةِ الَّتِي قَدَّمَ لَهَا عَلِيٌّ حَسَنٌ عَبْدُ الْقَادِرِ. يَشْمَلُ الْمَتْنُ الْوَاحِدَ وَالثَّلَاثِينَ كِتَابًا وَرِسَالَةً الَّتِي جَمَعَتْهَا طَبْعَةُ سَيِّدْبِي، ثُمَّ قِسْمَ الْأَقْوَالِ فِي مُخْتَلِفِ الْمَوْضُوعَاتِ.

Hādhihi nuskhatun qirāʾiyyatun mushakkalatun linuṣūṣi ʾabī al-qāsimi al-Junaydi al-baghdādiyyi walilʾaqwāli al-manqūlati ʿanhu. ʾuʿtumida fī taʿyīni niṭāqi al-māddati watartībihā ʿalā al-ṭabʿati al-ʾashmali allatī ḥaqqaqahā jamālu rajabin sayyidbī, waqūbilati al-rasāʾilu al-ʾasāsiyyatu bi-al-ṭabʿati allatī qaddama lahā ʿaliyyun ḥasanun ʿabdu al-qādiri. yashmalu al-matnu al-wāḥida wa-al-thalāthīna kitāban warisālatan allatī jamaʿathā ṭabʿatu sayyidbī, thumma qisma al-ʾaqwāli fī mukhtalifi al-mawḍūʿāti.

This is a fully vocalized reading edition of the texts of Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd al-Baghdādī and the sayings transmitted from him. The scope and arrangement of the material follow the most comprehensive edition, edited by Jamāl Rajab Sayyidbī; the principal epistles were also compared with the edition introduced by ʿAlī Ḥasan ʿAbd al-Qādir. The text contains the thirty-one books and epistles gathered in Sayyidbī’s edition, followed by the section of sayings on various subjects.

§ 009

لَا تَشْمَلُ هٰذِهِ النُّسْخَةُ تَصْدِيرَ الطَّبْعَةِ الْحَدِيثَةِ، وَلَا مُقَدِّمَةَ مُحَقِّقِهَا، وَلَا حَوَاشِيَهُ النَّقْدِيَّةَ؛ بَلْ تُثْبِتُ الْمُتُونَ الْمَنْسُوبَةَ إِلَى الْجُنَيْدِ وَمَا نُقِلَ عَنْهُ فَقَطْ. وَهِيَ لِذٰلِكَ نُسْخَةُ قِرَاءَةٍ وَدِرَاسَةٍ، وَلَيْسَتْ تَحْقِيقًا نَقْدِيًّا جَدِيدًا. أُثْبِتَتْ أَرْقَامُ صَفَحَاتِ الطَّبْعَةِ الْمَصْدَرِ فِي الْمَتْنِ لِتَيْسِيرِ الْمُقَابَلَةِ وَالْمُرَاجَعَةِ.

Lā tashmalu hādhihi al-nuskhatu taṣdīra al-ṭabʿati al-ḥadīthati, walā muqaddimata muḥaqqiqihā, walā ḥawāshiyahu al-naqdiyyata; bal tuthbitu al-mutūna al-mansūbata ʾilā al-Junaydi wamā nuqila ʿanhu faqaṭ. wahiya lidhālika nuskhatu qirāʾatin wadirāsatin, walaysat taḥqīqan naqdiyyan jadīdan. ʾuthbitat ʾarqāmu ṣafaḥāti al-ṭabʿati al-maṣdari fī al-matni litaysīri al-muqābalati wa-al-murājaʿati.

This edition does not include the foreword to the modern printing, the editor’s introduction, or his critical notes. It presents only the texts attributed to al-Junayd and what has been transmitted from him. It is therefore an edition for reading and study, not a new critical edition. The page numbers of the source edition have been retained in the text to make comparison and review easier.

§ 010

أُضِيفَ الشَّكْلُ إِلَى النَّصِّ بِمُعَالَجَةٍ سِيَاقِيَّةٍ آلِيَّةٍ، ثُمَّ أُجْرِيَتْ مُرَاجَعَةٌ آلِيَّةٌ لِاكْتِمَالِ الْحُرُوفِ وَالْحَرَكَاتِ، وَمُقَابَلَةٌ بَصَرِيَّةٌ لِعَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْمَتْنِ مَعَ الصُّوَرِ. وَقَدْ تَحْتَمِلُ بَعْضُ الْمَوَاضِعِ، وَلَا سِيَّمَا أَوَاخِرُ الْكَلِمَاتِ وَالْأَلْفَاظُ الْمُشْكِلَةُ، وَجْهًا آخَرَ؛ فَيُرْجَعُ فِي الْبَحْثِ التَّحْقِيقِيِّ إِلَى الصُّورَةِ وَالْمَخْطُوطَاتِ. وَأُبْقِيَتِ الْقِرَاءَاتُ غَيْرُ الْوَاضِحَةِ فِي الْأَصْلِ كَمَا أَثْبَتَتْهَا الطَّبْعَةُ.

ʾuḍīfa al-shaklu ʾilā al-naṣṣi bimuʿālajatin siyāqiyyatin ʾāliyyatin, thumma ʾujriyat murājaʿatun ʾāliyyatun li-iktimāli al-ḥurūfi wa-al-ḥarakāti, wamuqābalatun baṣariyyatun liʿayyinātin mina al-matni maʿa al-ṣuwari. waqad taḥtamilu baʿḍu al-mawāḍiʿi, walā siyyamā ʾawākhiru al-kalimāti wa-al-ʾalfāẓu al-mushkilatu, wajhan ʾākhara; fayurjaʿu fī al-baḥthi al-taḥqīqiyyi ʾilā al-ṣūrati wa-al-makhṭūṭāti. waʾubqiyati al-qirāʾātu ghayru al-wāḍiḥati fī al-ʾaṣli kamā ʾathbatathā al-ṭabʿatu.

The vocalization was added through context-sensitive automated processing, followed by an automated check for the completeness of letters and diacritics and a visual comparison of selected passages against the page images. Some places—especially word endings and difficult expressions—may admit another reading; critical research should therefore return to the page images and manuscripts. Readings that were unclear in the original have been retained as printed in the source edition.

مُحْتَوَيَاتُ الرَّسَائِلِ

Muḥtawayātu al-rasāʾili

Contents of the Epistles

The following list reproduces the contents table of the complete source collection. Page numbers refer to the 2005 source edition.

CONTENTS 01 • SOURCE P. 41

كِتَابُ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ

Kitābu al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi

The Book of Intending God

CONTENTS 02 • SOURCE P. 89

كِتَابُ السِّرِّ فِي أَنْفَاسِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ

Kitābu al-sirri fī ʾanfāsi al-ṣūfiyyati

The Book of the Secret in the Breaths of the Sufis

CONTENTS 03 • SOURCE P. 105

كِتَابُ دَوَاءِ الْأَرْوَاحِ

Kitābu dawāʾi al-ʾarwāḥi

The Book of the Remedy of Spirits

CONTENTS 04 • SOURCE P. 119

كِتَابُ دَوَاءِ التَّفْرِيطِ

Kitābu dawāʾi al-tafrīṭi

The Book of the Remedy for Neglect

CONTENTS 05 • SOURCE P. 113

أَدَبُ الْمُفْتَقِرِ إِلَى اللَّهِ

ʾadabu al-muftaqiri ʾilā Allāhi

The Conduct of One in Need of God

CONTENTS 06 • SOURCE P. 127

الْفَرْقُ بَيْنَ الْإِخْلَاصِ وَالصِّدْقِ

Al-farqu bayna al-ʾikhlāṣi wa-al-ṣidqi

The Difference between Sincerity and Truthfulness

CONTENTS 07 • SOURCE P. 139

كِتَابُ الْفَنَاءِ

Kitābu al-fanāʾi

The Book of Annihilation

CONTENTS 08 • SOURCE P. 149

كِتَابُ الْمِيثَاقِ

Kitābu al-mīthāqi

The Book of the Covenant

CONTENTS 09 • SOURCE P. 155

فِي الْأُلُوهِيَّةِ

Fī al-ʾulūhiyyati

On Divinity

CONTENTS 10 • SOURCE P. 159

كِتَابُ الْجُنَيْدِ إِلَى عَمْرِو بْنِ عُثْمَانَ الْمَكِّيِّ

Kitābu al-Junaydi ʾilā ʿamriw bni ʿuthmāna al-makkiyyi

al-Junayd’s Letter to ʿAmr ibn ʿUthmān al-Makkī

CONTENTS 11 • SOURCE P. 175

كِتَابُ الْجُنَيْدِ إِلَى أَبِي يَعْقُوبَ يُوسُفَ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ الرَّازِيِّ

Kitābu al-Junaydi ʾilā ʾabī yaʿqūba yūsufa bni al-ḥusayni al-rāziyyi

al-Junayd’s Letter to Abū Yaʿqūb Yūsuf ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Rāzī

CONTENTS 12 • SOURCE P. 191

رِسَالَةُ أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدِ إِلَى يُوسُفَ بْنِ يَحْيَى

Risālatu ʾabī al-qāsimi al-Junaydi ʾilā yūsufa bni Yaḥyā

Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd’s Letter to Yūsuf ibn Yaḥyā

CONTENTS 13 • SOURCE P. 195

رِسَالَةُ أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدِ إِلَى يَحْيَى بْنِ مُعَاذٍ

Risālatu ʾabī al-qāsimi al-Junaydi ʾilā Yaḥyā bni muʿādhin

Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd’s Letter to Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh

CONTENTS 14 • SOURCE P. 196

رِسَالَةُ أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدِ إِلَى بَعْضِ إِخْوَانِهِ

Risālatu ʾabī al-qāsimi al-Junaydi ʾilā baʿḍi ʾikhwānihi

A Letter by Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd to One of His Brothers

CONTENTS 15 • SOURCE P. 197

كِتَابُ الْجُنَيْدِ إِلَى بَعْضِ إِخْوَانِهِ

Kitābu al-Junaydi ʾilā baʿḍi ʾikhwānihi

A Book by al-Junayd to One of His Brothers

CONTENTS 16 • SOURCE P. 198

رِسَالَةٌ أُخْرَى إِلَى بَعْضِ إِخْوَانِهِ

Risālatun ʾukhrā ʾilā baʿḍi ʾikhwānihi

Another Letter to One of His Brothers

CONTENTS 17 • SOURCE P. 203

رِسَالَةٌ إِلَى جَعْفَرٍ الْخُلْدِيِّ

Risālatun ʾilā jaʿfarin al-khuldiyyi

A Letter to Jaʿfar al-Khuldī

CONTENTS 18 • SOURCE P. 206

رِسَالَةٌ فِي الْمَعْرِفَةِ

Risālatun fī al-maʿrifati

A Treatise on Knowledge of God

CONTENTS 19 • SOURCE P. 208

رِسَالَةُ الْجُنَيْدِ إِلَى أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ الْمَارِسْتَانِيِّ

Risālatu al-Junaydi ʾilā ʾabī ʾisḥāqa al-māristāniyyi

al-Junayd’s Letter to Abū Isḥāq al-Māristānī

CONTENTS 20 • SOURCE P. 209

رِسَالَةٌ إِلَى بَعْضِ إِخْوَانِهِ

Risālatun ʾilā baʿḍi ʾikhwānihi

A Letter to One of His Brothers

CONTENTS 21 • SOURCE P. 210

رِسَالَةٌ إِلَى بَعْضِ إِخْوَانِهِ

Risālatun ʾilā baʿḍi ʾikhwānihi

A Letter to One of His Brothers

CONTENTS 22 • SOURCE P. 211

رِسَالَةٌ إِلَى بَعْضِ إِخْوَانِهِ

Risālatun ʾilā baʿḍi ʾikhwānihi

A Letter to One of His Brothers

CONTENTS 23 • SOURCE P. 212

النَّظَرُ الصَّحِيحُ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا

Al-naẓaru al-ṣaḥīḥu ʾilā al-dunyā

A Sound View of the World

CONTENTS 24 • SOURCE P. 213

رَأْيُ الْجُنَيْدِ فِي الذِّكْرِ الْخَفِيِّ

Raʾyu al-Junaydi fī al-dhikri al-khafiyyi

al-Junayd’s View on Silent Remembrance

CONTENTS 25 • SOURCE P. 214

كِتَابُهُ إِلَى أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ الدِّينَوَرِيِّ

Kitābuhu ʾilā ʾabī al-ʿabbāsi al-dīnawariyyi

His Letter to Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Dīnawarī

CONTENTS 26 • SOURCE P. 215

عَقَبَاتُ الْوِصَالِ

ʿaqabātu al-wiṣāli

Obstacles to Communion

CONTENTS 27 • SOURCE P. 216

رِسَالَةٌ فِي الْإِيمَانِ

Risālatun fī al-ʾīmāni

A Treatise on Faith

CONTENTS 28 • SOURCE P. 217

صِفَةُ الْعَاقِلِ

ṣifatu al-ʿāqili

The Description of the Rational Person

CONTENTS 29 • SOURCE P. 219

رِسَالَةٌ فِي التَّوْحِيدِ

Risālatun fī al-tawḥīdi

A Treatise on Divine Unity

CONTENTS 30 • SOURCE P. 220

رِسَالَةُ الْجُنَيْدِ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ الْكِسَائِيِّ

Risālatu al-Junaydi ʾilā ʾabī bakrin al-kisāʾiyyi

al-Junayd’s Letter to Abū Bakr al-Kisāʾī

CONTENTS 31 • SOURCE P. 221

رِسَالَةُ الْجُنَيْدِ إِلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ سَهْلٍ الْأَصْبَهَانِيِّ

Risālatu al-Junaydi ʾilā ʿaliyyi bni sahlin al-ʾaṣbahāniyyi

al-Junayd’s Letter to ʿAlī ibn Sahl al-Aṣbahānī

§ 012

يَلِي هٰذِهِ الرَّسَائِلَ قِسْمُ أَقْوَالِ الْجُنَيْدِ فِي مُخْتَلِفِ الْمَوْضُوعَاتِ، ابْتِدَاءً مِنْ صَفْحَةِ ٢٢٣ فِي الطَّبْعَةِ الْمَصْدَرِ.

Yalī hādhihi al-rasāʾila qismu ʾaqwāli al-Junaydi fī mukhtalifi al-mawḍūʿāti, ibtidāʾan min ṣafḥati 223 fī al-ṭabʿati al-maṣdari.

After these epistles comes a section containing al-Junayd’s sayings on various subjects, beginning on page 223 of the source edition.

الْقِسْمُ الْأَوَّلُ الرَّسَائِلُ وَالْكُتُبُ

Al-qismu al-ʾawwalu al-rasāʾilu wa-al-kutubu

Part One Epistles and Books

كِتَابُ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ

Kitābu al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi

The Book of Intending God

§ 015

كِتَابُ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ لِأَبِي الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدِ نَفَعَ اللَّهُ بِهِ

Kitābu al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi liʾabī al-qāsimi al-Junaydi nafaʿa Allāhu bihi

The Book of Intending God, by Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd—may God make it beneficial.

مُقَدِّمَةٌ

Muqaddimatun

Introduction

§ 017

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Bismi Allāhi al-raḥmāni al-raḥīmi

In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.

§ 018

رَبِّ يَسِّرْ يَا كَرِيمُ

Rabbi yassir yā karīmu

My Lord, make it easy, O Generous One.

§ 019

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ حَمْدُ مَنْ قَصَدَ إِلَى الْمَلِكِ الْوَادِ، وَاطَّلَعَ بِسِرِّهِ عَلَى الْبَحْرِ الْوِدَادِ وَنَظَرَ إِلَى الْمُرَادِ بِعَيْنِ الْفُؤَادِ، وَعَايَنَ لَهُ الْوَصْلَةَ إِلَى الْمُرَادِ بِالْمُرَادِ لِلْمُرَادِ، جَلَّ وَعَلَا، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ غَابَ عَنْهُ الرُّقَادُ، ثُمَّ الْعِبَادُ ثُمَّ الْبِلَادُ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، الَّذِي مَنْ تَوَكَّلَ عَلَيْهِ كَفَاهُ، وَمَنْ فَرَّ إلَيْهِ آوَاهُ، وَمَنْ قَصَدَ إلَيْهِ وَاعْتَصَمَ بِهِ هُدَاهُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ، وَدِينٍ قَوِيمٍ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ الْبَشِيرُ النَّذِيرُ السَّرَّاجُ الْمُنِيرُ، أَرْسَلَهُ بِالْكِتَابِ الْمَسْطُورِ وَالدِّينِ الْمَشْهُورِ، فَحَسُنَ فِعَالُهُ، وَصَدَقَ مَقَالُهُ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَسْلِيمًا كَثِيرًا، أَمَّا بَعْدُ.

Al-ḥamdu li-llāhi ḥamdu man qaṣada ʾilā al-maliki al-wādi, wa-iṭṭalaʿa bisirrihi ʿalā al-baḥri al-widādi wanaẓara ʾilā al-murādi biʿayni al-fuʾādi, waʿāyana lahu al-waṣlata ʾilā al-murādi bi-al-murādi li-l-murādi, jalla waʿalā, faʿinda dhalika ghāba ʿanhu al-ruqādu, thumma al-ʿibādu thumma al-bilādu, wanashhadu ʾan lā ʾilāha ʾillā Allāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lahu, alladhī man tawakkala ʿalayhi kafāhu, waman farra ʾlayhi ʾāwāhu, waman qaṣada ʾlayhi wa-iʿtaṣama bihi hudāhu ʾilā ṣirāṭin mustaqīmin, wadīnin qawīmin, wanashhadu ʾanna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu warasūluhu al-bashīru al-nadhīru al-sarrāju al-munīru, ʾarsalahu bi-al-kitābi al-masṭūri wa-al-dīni al-mashhūri, faḥasuna fiʿāluhu, waṣadaqa maqāluhu, ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi waʿalā ʾālihi wasallama taslīman kathīran, ʾammā baʿdu.

Praise belongs to God—a praise such as that of one who has set out toward the Loving King, looked with his innermost secret upon the ocean of loving-kindness, gazed upon the Desired One with the eye of the heart, and beheld union with the Desired through the Desired and for the Desired—majestic and exalted is He. At that point sleep vanished from him, then all servants, then all lands. We testify that there is no god but God alone, without partner: whoever trusts in Him, He suffices; whoever flees to Him, He shelters; and whoever turns toward Him and holds fast to Him, He guides to a straight path and an upright religion. We testify that Muḥammad is His servant and messenger, the bearer of good news and warning, the radiant lamp. He sent him with the inscribed Book and the manifest religion. His deeds were beautiful and his words true. May God bless him and his family and grant them abundant peace. To proceed:

§ 020

مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى مُوَاصَلَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَقُرْبِهِ، فَكُلُّ مَنْ قَصَدَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَقَصَدَ مُوَاصَلَتَهُ، فَلَا يَخْلُو مِنْ إحْدَى ثَلَاثٍ: إمَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ وَاصِلًا إِلَى مَحْبُوبِهِ، فَيَكُونَ مَعَهُ إِلَى الْأَبَدِ، مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يُلْتَفَتَ مِنْهُ إِلَى سِوَاهُ. وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَرْجِعَ عَنْ الطَّرِيقِ عَنْهُ، بِالْتِفَاتَةٍ مِنْهُ إِلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُ. وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَبْقَى فِي الطَّرِيقِ عَلَى الْغُرَّةِ وَالْحِسَابِ مُسْتَدْرَجًا حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَحْتَسِبُ.

Maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā muwāṣalati Allāhi taʿālā waqurbihi, fakullu man qaṣada Allāha taʿālā waqaṣada muwāṣalatahu, falā yakhlū min ʾḥdā thalāthin: ʾmmā ʾan yakūna wāṣilan ʾilā maḥbūbihi, fayakūna maʿahu ʾilā al-ʾabadi, min ghayri ʾan yultafata minhu ʾilā siwāhu. waʾimmā ʾan yarjiʿa ʿan al-ṭarīqi ʿanhu, bi-al-tifātatin minhu ʾilā man siwāhu. waʾimmā ʾan yabqā fī al-ṭarīqi ʿalā al-ghurrati wa-al-ḥisābi mustadrajan ḥattā yabduwa lahu mina Allāhi mā lam yakun yaḥtasibu.

O company of those who seek communion with God Most High and nearness to Him: everyone who sets out toward God and seeks communion with Him will meet one of three outcomes. He may reach his Beloved and remain with Him forever, never turning from Him toward anything else. He may turn back from the path through a glance toward someone other than Him. Or he may remain on the road, unsuspecting and subject to reckoning, being drawn on little by little until something comes to him from God that he never expected.

§ 021

فَإِنْ وَقَفْتُمْ مَعَاشِرَ الْإِخْوَانِ عَلَى عِرْفَانِ تَمْيِيزِ هَذِهِ الثَّلَاثَةِ، وَإِلَّا سَأُقْرِئُكُمْ بِعَوْنِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى شَرْحَهَا، وَأُبَيِّنُهَا فِي عَشَرَةِ أَبْوَابٍ فَإِنْ نَظَرْتُمْ، وَوَقَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى تَنْتَفِعُونَ بِهِ، فَرَحِمَ اللَّهُ عَبْدًا نَظَرَ فِي هَذَا الْكِتَابِ بِعَيْنِ الْحَقِيقَةِ، وَحِفْظِ الْحُرْمَةِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ فِطْنَةٌ وَرَوِيَّةٌ بِمَا ذَكَرْنَا فِي هَذَا الْكِتَابِ مِنْ مَرَاتِبِ أَهْلِ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَمَنَازِلِهِمْ، فَلْيَفْزَعْ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَلَا يَخُوضُ فِي أَهْلِ وِلَايَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَأَهْلِ قُرْبِهِ، وَلَا يُنْكِرُ كَلَامَهُمْ، لِأَنَّ الْإِنْكَارَ فِيهِ خَطَرٌ عَظِيمٌ.

Faʾin waqaftum maʿāshira al-ʾikhwāni ʿalā ʿirfāni tamyīzi hadhihi al-thalāthati, waʾillā saʾuqriʾukum biʿawni Allāhi taʿālā sharḥahā, waʾubayyinuhā fī ʿasharati ʾabwābin faʾin naẓartum, wawaqaftum ʿalayhi ʾin shāʾa Allāhu taʿālā tantafiʿūna bihi, faraḥima Allāhu ʿabdan naẓara fī hadhā al-kitābi biʿayni al-ḥaqīqati, waḥifẓi al-ḥurmati, waʾin lam takun lahu fiṭnatun warawiyyatun bimā dhakarnā fī hadhā al-kitābi min marātibi ʾahli al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā wamanāzilihim, falyafzaʿ ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā, walā yakhūḍu fī ʾahli wilāyati Allāhi taʿālā waʾahli qurbihi, walā yunkiru kalāmahum, liʾanna al-ʾinkāra fīhi khaṭarun ʿaẓīmun.

O brothers, if you already understand how to distinguish these three conditions, that is well. If not, then with God Most High’s help I shall recite their explanation to you and set it out in ten chapters. If you examine it and grasp it, God willing, you will benefit from it. May God have mercy on the servant who reads this book with the eye of spiritual reality and with due reverence. If someone lacks the discernment and reflection needed for what we have mentioned concerning the ranks and stations of those who intend God Most High, let him seek refuge in God Most High. Let him not speak presumptuously about the friends of God and those brought near to Him, nor reject their words, for rejection in this matter carries grave danger.

§ 022

بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَنَا وَلَكُمْ فِي تَأْلِيفِي هَذَا، وَبِهِ التَّوْفِيقُ عَلَى مَا يُحِبُّ وَيَرْضَى، وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ عَلَى الصِّدْقِ وَالصَّوَابِ، فَإِنَّهُ الْقَادِرُ الْوَهَّابُ.

Bāraka Allāhu lanā walakum fī taʾlīfī hadhā, wabihi al-tawfīqu ʿalā mā yuḥibbu wayarḍā, wanastaʿīnuhu ʿalā al-ṣidqi wa-al-ṣawābi, faʾinnahu al-qādiru al-wahhābu.

May God place blessing for us and for you in this work of mine. Through Him comes success in what He loves and approves. We ask His help in truthfulness and correctness, for He is the All-Powerful, the Bestower.

الْبَابُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَمَا يَسْتَقْبِلُهُ مِنْ الْعَقَبَاتِ

Al-bābu al-ʾawwalu fī al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā wamā yastaqbiluhu min al-ʿaqabāti

Chapter One Intending God Most High and the Obstacles That Confront the Seeker

§ 024

قَالَ شَيْخُ الطَّرِيقَيْنِ وَإِمَامُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَهْلُ الْحَقِيقَةِ وَالطَّرِيقَةِ الْعَارِفُ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى الْمُجْمَعُ عَلَى تَقْدِيمِهِ عَلَى الْأَكَابِرِ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: اعْلَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا قَصَدَ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِلَى مُوَاصَلَتِهِ بِطَيَرَانِ السِّرِّ وَصَفَاءِ النِّيَّةِ، عَلَى أَنْ يُقِيمَ مَعَهُ إِلَى الْأَبَدِ اسْتَقْبَلَهُ أَلْفَ عَقَبَةٍ، كُلُّ عَقَبَةٍ أَكْوَدُ وَأَطْوَلُ أَلْفِ مَرَّةً مِنْ الْعَرْشِ إِلَى الثَّرَى، وَلَا تَزَالُ هَذِهِ الْعَقَبَاتُ تَسْتَقْبِلُهُ عَقَبَةٌ بَعْدَ عَقَبَةٍ وَهُوَ يُجَوِّزُهَا وَاحِدَةً بَعْدَ وَاحِدَةٍ إِلَى أَنْ يَصِلَ إِلَى مَقْصُودِهِ وَمَحْبُوبِهِ.

Qāla shaykhu al-ṭarīqayni waʾimāmu al-farīqayni ʾahlu al-ḥaqīqati wa-al-ṭarīqati al-ʿārifu bi-llāhi taʿālā al-mujmaʿu ʿalā taqdīmihi ʿalā al-ʾakābiri ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu: iʿlamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā ʾanna al-ʿabda ʾidhā qaṣada ʾilā Allāhi waʾilā muwāṣalatihi biṭayarāni al-sirri waṣafāʾi al-niyyati, ʿalā ʾan yuqīma maʿahu ʾilā al-ʾabadi istaqbalahu ʾalfa ʿaqabatin, kullu ʿaqabatin ʾakwadu waʾaṭwalu ʾalfi marratan min al-ʿarshi ʾilā al-tharā, walā tazālu hadhihi al-ʿaqabātu tastaqbiluhu ʿaqabatun baʿda ʿaqabatin wahuwa yujawwizuhā wāḥidatan baʿda wāḥidatin ʾilā ʾan yaṣila ʾilā maqṣūdihi wamaḥbūbihi.

The master of the two paths, the leader of the two groups—the people of spiritual reality and the path—the knower of God Most High whose precedence over the great masters is acknowledged, Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd, may God be pleased with him, said: Know, O company of those who intend God Most High, that when the servant sets out toward God and communion with Him, through the flight of his innermost consciousness and the purity of his intention, resolved to abide with Him forever, a thousand obstacles confront him. Each obstacle is a thousand times steeper and longer than the distance from the Throne to the earth. These obstacles continue to meet him, one after another, while he crosses them one by one until he reaches the One he seeks and loves.

§ 025

فَأَوَّلُ الْعَقَبَاتِ الَّتِي تَسْتَقْبِلُهُ هِيَ عَقَبَةُ الدُّنْيَا بِكُلِّ مَا فِيهَا مِنْ زَهْرَتِهَا وَطِيبِ عَيْشِهَا وَالتَّمَتُّعِ بِأَنْوَاعِ نَعِيمِهَا وَرَاحَتِهَا، فَتَقُولُ لَهُ أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ أَنَا مَسْكَنُك وَمَأْوَاك خُلِقَتْ مِنِّي، وَوُلِدَتْ فِيَّ، وَعِشْت بِي، لَا بُدَّ لَك مِنِّي فَإِذَا نَظَرَ الْعَبْدُ إِلَى غَوَامِضِ آفَاتِهَا، وَكَمَالِ سِحْرِهَا وَأَنْوَاعِ مَكْرِهَا وَغُرُورِهَا وَكَثْرَةِ شَرِّهَا وَبَلَائِهَا وَسُرْعَةِ فَنَائِهَا وَتَقَلُّبِهَا بِأَهْلِهَا، وَيَرَى نَفْسَهُ مَائِلًا إِلَى رَاحَتِهَا وَشَهَوَاتِهَا وَحُسْنِ الْمُعَاشَرَةِ مَعَ أَهْلِهَا اعْتَصِمْ بِعَوْنِ اللَّهِ، وَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ إلَيْهَا، وَزَهِدَ فِيهَا، وَلَمْ يَشْتَغِلْ بِهَا، وَيَقُولُ لَهَا: يَا مَأْوَى كُلِّ بَلَاءٍ يَا غَدَارَةُ يَا عَدُوَّةَ اللَّهِ، كَمْ رَأَيْت مِنْ غَدْرِك.

Faʾawwalu al-ʿaqabāti allatī tastaqbiluhu hiya ʿaqabatu al-dunyā bikulli mā fīhā min zahratihā waṭībi ʿayshihā wa-al-tamattuʿi biʾanwāʿi naʿīmihā warāḥatihā, fataqūlu lahu ʾayna tadhhabu yā ʿabda Allāhi ʾanā maskanuk wamaʾwāk khuliqat minnī, wawulidat fiyya, waʿisht bī, lā budda lak minnī faʾidhā naẓara al-ʿabdu ʾilā ghawāmiḍi ʾāfātihā, wakamāli siḥrihā waʾanwāʿi makrihā waghurūrihā wakathrati sharrihā wabalāʾihā wasurʿati fanāʾihā wataqallubihā biʾahlihā, wayarā nafsahu māʾilan ʾilā rāḥatihā washahawātihā waḥusni al-muʿāsharati maʿa ʾahlihā iʿtaṣim biʿawni Allāhi, walam yaltafit ʾlayhā, wazahida fīhā, walam yashtaghil bihā, wayaqūlu lahā: yā maʾwā kulli balāʾin yā ghadāratu yā ʿaduwwata Allāhi, kam raʾayt min ghadrik.

The first obstacle to confront him is this world, with all its bloom, agreeable living, pleasures, comforts, and varieties of delight. It says to him: ‘Where are you going, servant of God? I am your dwelling and shelter. You were created from me, born within me, and have lived by me; you cannot do without me.’ The servant then considers its hidden afflictions, the perfection of its sorcery, its many deceptions and delusions, its abundant evil and tribulation, the speed with which it passes away, and the way it turns upon its people. He sees his own soul inclining toward its ease and appetites and toward pleasant companionship with its people. He therefore holds fast through God’s help, does not turn toward the world, renounces it, and refuses to become occupied with it. He says to it: ‘Dwelling place of every affliction! Treacherous one! Enemy of God! How much treachery I have seen from you.’

§ 026

وَقَوْلُهُ هَذَا وَفِعْلُهُ حُرْمَةٌ لِإِجْلَالِ رَبِّهِ، فَإِنَّ الْآفَاتِ كُلَّهَا رَاجِعَةٌ إِلَى حُبِّ الدُّنْيَا.

Waqawluhu hadhā wafiʿluhu ḥurmatun liʾijlāli rabbihi, faʾinna al-ʾāfāti kullahā rājiʿatun ʾilā ḥubbi al-dunyā.

His words and conduct express reverence born of magnifying his Lord, for every affliction ultimately returns to love of this world.

§ 027

وَيَقُولُ: يَا نَفْسُ أَمَّا هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا فَانِيَةٌ، وَاَلَّذِي لَا بُدَّ لِي مِنْهُ هُوَ مَقْسُومٌ لِي بِقِسْمَةِ اللَّهِ لَا يَزِيدُ وَلَا يَنْقُصُ، وَهُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَنْ يُغْنِيَنِي عَنْك.

Wayaqūlu: yā nafsu ʾammā hadhihi al-dunyā fāniyatun, wa-alladhī lā budda lī minhu huwa maqsūmun lī biqismati Allāhi lā yazīdu walā yanquṣu, wahuwa al-qādiru ʿalā ʾan yughniyanī ʿank.

He says: ‘My soul, this world is passing away. What I truly need has already been allotted to me by God’s apportionment; it neither increases nor decreases. He has the power to make me independent of you.’

§ 028

فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَ هَذِهِ الْعَقَبَةَ وَقَطَعَ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ حِبَالَ التَّعَالِيقِ، وَصَفَا سِرَّهُ مِنْ غُبَارِ التَّخَالِيطِ صَارَ مُنْفَرِدًا لِلْقَصْدِ إِلَى رَبِّهِ تَعَالَى، وَتَخَلَّصَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْعَقَبَةِ، وَاسْتَقَامَ لَهُ؟؟؟

Falammā jāwaza hadhihi al-ʿaqabata waqaṭaʿa ʿan qalbihi ḥibāla al-taʿālīqi, waṣafā sirrahu min ghubāri al-takhālīṭi ṣāra munfaridan li-l-qaṣdi ʾilā rabbihi taʿālā, watakhallaṣa min hadhihi al-ʿaqabati, wa-istaqāma lahu???

When he has crossed this obstacle, severed from his heart the cords of attachment, and cleansed his innermost consciousness of the dust of confusion, he becomes single-hearted in setting out toward his Lord Most High. He is delivered from this obstacle, and the sign of renunciation becomes firmly established in him [the source is unclear at this point].

§ 029

إمَارَةُ الزُّهْدِ فِي الدُّنْيَا بِعَوْنِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ اسْتَقْبَلَتْهُ عَقَبَةُ الْخَلْقِ بِكُلِّ مَا فِي عُرْفِهِمْ وَعَادَتِهِمْ، وَهِيَ أَصْعَبُ الْعَقَبَاتِ بَلِيَّةً وَأَشَدُّهَا مَشَقَّةً وَأَطْوَلُهَا نِهَايَةً، وَأَبْعَدُهَا مَسَافَةً، وَأَمَرُّهَا عَلَى الْقَلْبِ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا بِأَلْفِ أَلْفِ مَرَّةٍ، نَادَوْهُ وَقَالُوا لَهُ: أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ يَا وَلِيَّ اللَّهِ! نَحْنُ رُفَقَاؤُكَ وَنُدَمَاؤُكَ وَنُعِينُكَ عَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمُورِكَ، وَنُسَاعِدُكَ عَلَى مَا أَنْتَ فِيهِ، لَا بُدَّ لَكَ مِنَّا فِي الدَّارَيْنِ، وَفِي جَمِيعِ أُمُورِ الدِّينِ وَالدُّنْيَا.

ʾmāratu al-zuhdi fī al-dunyā biʿawni Allāhi ʿazza wajalla istaqbalathu ʿaqabatu al-khalqi bikulli mā fī ʿurfihim waʿādatihim, wahiya ʾaṣʿabu al-ʿaqabāti baliyyatan waʾashadduhā mashaqqatan waʾaṭwaluhā nihāyatan, waʾabʿaduhā masāfatan, waʾamarruhā ʿalā al-qalbi min ghayrihā biʾalfi ʾalfi marratin, nādawhu waqālū lahu: ʾayna tadhhabu yā waliyya Allāhi! naḥnu rufaqāʾuka wanudamāʾuka wanuʿīnuka ʿalā jamīʿi ʾumūrika, wanusāʿiduka ʿalā mā ʾanta fīhi, lā budda laka minnā fī al-dārayni, wafī jamīʿi ʾumūri al-dīni wa-al-dunyā.

Then, with the help of God Almighty and Majestic, the obstacle of created beings confronts him—with all that convention and custom invest in them. This is the hardest obstacle in affliction, the most severe in hardship, the longest in extent, the most distant in journey, and a million times more bitter to the heart than the others. They call to him: ‘Where are you going, friend of God? We are your companions and intimates. We shall help you in all your affairs and support you in what you are undertaking. You cannot do without us in either abode or in any matter of religion or worldly life.’

§ 030

فَيَنْظُرُ الْعَبْدُ إِلَى أَلْوَانِ طَبَائِعِهِمْ، وَسُوءِ أَخْلَاقِهِمْ وَقِلَّةِ وَفَائِهِمْ، وَغَوَامِضِ آفَاتِهِمْ، وَقُبْحِ بَوَاطِنِهِمْ وَفُنُونِ غَوَائِلِهِمْ، وَكَمَالِ غَدْرِهِمْ وَسُرْعَةِ إعْرَاضِهِمْ، وَخَسَاسَةِ هِمَمِهِمْ وَعِظَمِ انْقِلَابِهِمْ، وَأَلْوَانِ دَقَائِقِهِمْ، وَغَوَامِضِ مُهْلِكَاتِهِمْ، وَيَرَى نَفْسَهُ مَائِلَةً بِطَبْعِهَا إِلَى ثَنَائِهِمْ وَمَحْمَدَتِهِمْ، مَعَ مَحَبَّةِ الرِّئَاسَةِ وَالشَّرَفِ وَالْجَاهِ وَالْمَنْزِلَةِ عِنْدَهُمْ، فَحِينَئِذٍ يَعْتَصِمُ بِعَوْنِ اللَّهِ رَبِّهِ، وَيَقْطَعُ إيمَانَهُ مِنْهُمْ، وَلَمْ يَشْتَغِلْ بِهِمْ، وَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ إلَيْهِمْ، وَيَقُولُ: « يَا مَعَاشِرَ الرُّفَقَاءِ، الَّذِي لَا بُدَّ لِي مِنْهُ هُوَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، وَهُوَ قَادِرٌ أَنْ يُغْنِيَنِي عَنْكُمْ ». وَقَوْلُهُ هَذَا مَعَ فِعْلِهِ إِجْلَالٌ لِحُرْمَةِ مَحْبُوبِهِ وَمَقْصُودِهِ.

Fayanẓuru al-ʿabdu ʾilā ʾalwāni ṭabāʾiʿihim, wasūʾi ʾakhlāqihim waqillati wafāʾihim, waghawāmiḍi ʾāfātihim, waqubḥi bawāṭinihim wafunūni ghawāʾilihim, wakamāli ghadrihim wasurʿati ʾʿrāḍihim, wakhasāsati himamihim waʿiẓami inqilābihim, waʾalwāni daqāʾiqihim, waghawāmiḍi muhlikātihim, wayarā nafsahu māʾilatan biṭabʿihā ʾilā thanāʾihim wamaḥmadatihim, maʿa maḥabbati al-riʾāsati wa-al-sharafi wa-al-jāhi wa-al-manzilati ʿindahum, faḥīnaʾidhin yaʿtaṣimu biʿawni Allāhi rabbihi, wayaqṭaʿu ʾymānahu minhum, walam yashtaghil bihim, walam yaltafit ʾlayhim, wayaqūlu: « yā maʿāshira al-rufaqāʾi, alladhī lā budda lī minhu huwa Allāhu taʿālā, wahuwa qādirun ʾan yughniyanī ʿankum ». waqawluhu hadhā maʿa fiʿlihi ʾijlālun liḥurmati maḥbūbihi wamaqṣūdihi.

The servant considers the many forms of their temperaments, their bad character, their scant loyalty, their hidden afflictions, the ugliness of their inward states, the varieties of their snares, the fullness of their treachery, the speed with which they turn away, the meanness of their aspirations, the magnitude of their reversals, the subtle forms of their conduct, and their hidden causes of ruin. He sees his own soul naturally inclined toward their praise and approval, along with love of leadership, honor, standing, and rank among them. At that point he holds fast to the help of God, his Lord, cuts off his reliance upon them, and neither occupies himself with them nor turns toward them. He says: ‘O company of companions, the One I cannot do without is God Most High, and He is able to make me independent of you.’ These words, together with his conduct, express reverence for the sanctity of the One he loves and seeks.

§ 031

فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَ الْعَبْدُ هَذِهِ الْعَقَبَةَ، وَقَطَعَ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ حِبَالَ التَّعَالِيقِ، وَصَفَا سِرُّهُ مِنْ خِبَاطِ التَّخَالِيطِ، وَصَارَ مُنْفَرِدًا بِالْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى، تَخَلَّصَ مِنْ عَقَبَةِ الْخَلْقِ، وَاسْتَقَامَ لَهُ الِانْفِرَادُ بِالْفَرْدِ وَالِاسْتِئْنَاسِ بِرَبِّهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى، ثُمَّ يَسْتَعِينُهُ سُبْحَانَهُ، فَيُعِينُهُ بِإِعَانَتِهِ، فَيُدِيمُ هَذِهِ الْحَالَةَ لَهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى، اسْتَقْبَلَتْهُ عَقَبَةُ النَّفْسِ بِكُلِّ مَا فِيهَا مِنْ الْجَهْلِ وَالْغَفْلَةِ وَالنِّسْيَانِ وَالْفَتْرَةِ. الَّتِي هِيَ أَصْعَبُ الْعَقَبَاتِ بَلِيَّةً وَأَشَقُّهَا وَأَطْوَلُهَا نِهَايَةً وَأَطْوَلُهَا وَأَبْعَدُهَا مَسَافَةً وَهِيَ عَقَبَةٌ كَئُودٌ أَعْظَمُ الْعَقَبَاتِ وَأَصْعَبُهَا وَأَمَرُّهَا، فَتَقُولُ لَهُ: يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ؟ أَنَا نَفْسُكَ، بَقَاؤُكَ بِي، وَقِيَامُكَ بِي، وَأَنْتَ لَا تَقْوَى عَلَى جَمِيعِ مَا تَصْنَعُ إِلَّا بِي، وَلَا تَتَصَلَّحُ لَكَ أُمُورُ الدَّارَيْنِ إِلَّا بِي، وَلَا بُدَّ لَكَ مِنِّي فَإِذَا نَظَرَ الْعَبْدُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ وَتَرْكِيبِ أَسَاسِهَا وَتَطْبِيعِ بَشَرِيَّتِهَا وَأَسَاسِ خِلْقَتِهَا، فَإِذَا هِيَ مُمَلَّؤَةٌ بِكُلِّ هَوًى وَشَهْوَةٍ مَشُوبَةٌ بِكُلِّ الْعُيُوبِ وَكُلِّ عَثْرَةٍ، مَائِلَةٌ إِلَى كُلِّ بَلَاءٍ وَآفَةٍ أَمَارَةٍ بِكُلِّ خَطَأٍ وَزَلَّةٍ مُرَكَّبَةٍ بِكُلِّ فَسَادٍ وَفِتْنَةٍ مَرْبُوطَةٍ بِكُلِّ كَسَلٍ وَفَتْرَةٍ، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ يَرَى نَفْسَهُ عِنْدَ عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ كَسْلَانَةٍ وَفِي حَالَةِ الْكَسَلِ وَالْفَتْرَةِ كَأَنَّهَا مَيْتَةٌ جِيفَةٌ لَا تَتَحَرَّكُ، وَيَرَاهَا عِنْدَ الْحِرْصِ فِي الدُّنْيَا كَأَنَّهَا وِعَاءٌ لَا يُمْلَأُ، وَيَرَاهَا عِنْدَ الْحَسَدِ كَأَنَّهَا نَارٌ تَلْتَهِبُ، وَيَرَاهَا عِنْدَ الطَّمَعِ كَأَنَّهَا خِنْزِيرٌ تُحْرِقُ الْأَرْضَ عِنْدَ جُوعِهَا، وَيَرَاهَا عِنْدَ الْفَخْرِ وَالْعُلُوِّ كَأَنَّهَا تَدَّعِي الرُّبُوبِيَّةَ، وَمَعَ هَذَا يَرَى أَنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ قَدْ صَارَ وَاحِدًا مِنْهَا مَعَ كَيْدِهِ وَإِضْعَافِ مَكْرِهِ وَكَثْرَةِ حِيَلِهِ بِهَلَاكِهَا. فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَعْتَصِمُ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَيَسْتَعِينُ بِهِ عَلَى مَقْتِهَا وَمُخَالَفَتِهَا، وَلَمْ يَشْتَغِلْ بِهَوَاهَا وَمُرَادِهَا وَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ إلَيْهَا حُرْمَةً لِإِجْلَالِ رَبِّهِ، وَيَقُولُ لَهَا: يَا مَأْوَى كُلِّ شَرٍّ وَمَعْدِنُ كُلِّ بَلَاءٍ، إِنَّ الَّذِي لَا بُدَّ مِنْهُ هُوَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يُغْنِيَنِي عَنْك.

Falammā jāwaza al-ʿabdu hadhihi al-ʿaqabata, waqaṭaʿa ʿan qalbihi ḥibāla al-taʿālīqi, waṣafā sirruhu min khibāṭi al-takhālīṭi, waṣāra munfaridan bi-al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi subḥānahu wataʿālā, takhallaṣa min ʿaqabati al-khalqi, wa-istaqāma lahu al-infirādu bi-al-fardi wa-al-istiʾnāsi birabbihi min rabbihi tabāraka wataʿālā, thumma yastaʿīnuhu subḥānahu, fayuʿīnuhu biʾiʿānatihi, fayudīmu hadhihi al-ḥālata lahu tabāraka wataʿālā, istaqbalathu ʿaqabatu al-nafsi bikulli mā fīhā min al-jahli wa-al-ghaflati wa-al-nisyāni wa-al-fatrati. allatī hiya ʾaṣʿabu al-ʿaqabāti baliyyatan waʾashaqquhā waʾaṭwaluhā nihāyatan waʾaṭwaluhā waʾabʿaduhā masāfatan wahiya ʿaqabatun kaʾūdun ʾaʿẓamu al-ʿaqabāti waʾaṣʿabuhā waʾamarruhā, fataqūlu lahu: yā ʿabda Allāhi ʾayna tadhhabu? ʾanā nafsuka, baqāʾuka bī, waqiyāmuka bī, waʾanta lā taqwā ʿalā jamīʿi mā taṣnaʿu ʾillā bī, walā tataṣallaḥu laka ʾumūru al-dārayni ʾillā bī, walā budda laka minnī faʾidhā naẓara al-ʿabdu ʾilā nafsihi watarkībi ʾasāsihā wataṭbīʿi bashariyyatihā waʾasāsi khilqatihā, faʾidhā hiya mumallaʾatun bikulli hawanā washahwatin mashūbatun bikulli al-ʿuyūbi wakulli ʿathratin, māʾilatun ʾilā kulli balāʾin waʾāfatin ʾamāratin bikulli khaṭaʾin wazallatin murakkabatin bikulli fasādin wafitnatin marbūṭatin bikulli kasalin wafatratin, thumma ʾinnahu yarā nafsahu ʿinda ʿibādati Allāhi ʿazza wajalla kaslānatin wafī ḥālati al-kasali wa-al-fatrati kaʾannahā maytatun jīfatun lā tataḥarraku, wayarāhā ʿinda al-ḥirṣi fī al-dunyā kaʾannahā wiʿāʾun lā yumlaʾu, wayarāhā ʿinda al-ḥasadi kaʾannahā nārun taltahibu, wayarāhā ʿinda al-ṭamaʿi kaʾannahā khinzīrun tuḥriqu al-ʾarḍa ʿinda jūʿihā, wayarāhā ʿinda al-fakhri wa-al-ʿuluwwi kaʾannahā taddaʿī al-rubūbiyyata, wamaʿa hadhā yarā ʾanna al-shayṭāna qad ṣāra wāḥidan minhā maʿa kaydihi waʾiḍʿāfi makrihi wakathrati ḥiyalihi bihalākihā. faʿinda dhalika yaʿtaṣimu bi-llāhi taʿālā wayastaʿīnu bihi ʿalā maqtihā wamukhālafatihā, walam yashtaghil bihawāhā wamurādihā walam yaltafit ʾlayhā ḥurmatan liʾijlāli rabbihi, wayaqūlu lahā: yā maʾwā kulli sharrin wamaʿdinu kulli balāʾin, ʾinna alladhī lā budda minhu huwa Allāhu ʿazza wajalla, wahuwa al-wāḥidu al-qahhāru qādirun ʿalā ʾan yughniyanī ʿank.

When the servant has crossed this obstacle, severed the cords of attachment from his heart, purified his innermost consciousness from the disorder of confusion, and become single-hearted in setting out toward God—glory and exaltation be to Him—he is delivered from the obstacle of created beings. Solitude with the One and intimate companionship with his Lord, through his Lord—blessed and exalted is He—become firmly established for him. He then seeks His help, and God assists him with His aid and sustains this state for him. Next the obstacle of the lower self confronts him, with all its ignorance, heedlessness, forgetfulness, and weakness. This is the most arduous obstacle in affliction, the severest and longest in extent, the most distant in journey—a forbidding ascent, the greatest, hardest, and most bitter of all obstacles. It says to him: ‘Servant of God, where are you going? I am your soul. Your survival and subsistence depend upon me. You have no strength to do all that you do except through me, and the affairs of neither abode can be set right for you without me. You cannot dispense with me.’ The servant then considers his soul: the way its foundation is composed, the dispositions of its human nature, and the basis of its creation. He finds it filled with every passion and appetite, tainted by every defect and stumble, inclined toward every affliction and harm, commanding every fault and lapse, compounded of every corruption and temptation, and bound to every form of laziness and weakness. When worshipping God Almighty and Majestic, he sees it as sluggish; in laziness and weakness it lies like a dead carcass that does not move. In its greed for the world it is like a vessel that can never be filled; in envy, like a blazing fire; in covetousness, like a swine that scorches the ground when hungry; and in pride and self-exaltation, as though claiming lordship. Moreover, he sees Satan joined to it, with all his scheming, manifold deceit, and many devices for its ruin. He therefore holds fast to God Most High and asks His help in detesting and opposing it. He neither follows its desires and aims nor turns toward it, out of reverence for the majesty of his Lord. He says: ‘Dwelling place of every evil and mine of every affliction! The One who is indispensable is God Almighty and Majestic. He is the One, the All-Subduing, and He has power to make me independent of you.’

§ 032

فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَ الْعَبْدُ هَذِهِ الْعَقَبَةَ وَقَطَعَ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ حِبَالَ التَّعَالِيقِ وَصَفَا سِرُّهُ، مِنْ غُبَارِ التَّخَالِيطِ، فَصَارَ مُجَرَّدًا لِلْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ، وَتَخَلَّصَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْعَقَبَةِ وَاسْتَقَامَ لَهُ إمَارَةَ التَّقْوَى بِعَوْنِ اللَّهِ وَتَأْيِيدِهِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ اسْتَقْبَلَتْهُ عَقَبَةُ الْجَنَّةِ بِكُلِّ مَا فِيهَا مِنْ الثَّوَابِ وَالْعِقَابِ وَطَلَبَ الْعِوَضَ مِنْ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَى وَفَاءِ صِدْقِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ الَّتِي هِيَ أَصْعَبُ وَأَعْظَمُهَا بَلِيَّةً وَأَدَقُّهَا آفَةً وَأَعْظَمُهَا صُعُوبَةً لِأَهْلِ الْقُرَبِ وَالْمَحَبَّةُ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى غَيْرِهَا بِأَلْفِ أَلْفِ مَرَّةٍ، وَقَالَتْ لَهُ: أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ يَا وَلِيَّ اللَّهِ، أَنَا دَارُ الْخُلُودِ وَالْمَقَامِ، وَمَحَلُّ التَّحِيَّةِ وَالسَّلَامِ، أَنَا دَارُ النِّعْمَةِ وَالْجُودِ، وَمَعْدِنُ الْغِبْطَةِ وَالسُّرُورِ، أَنَا دَارُ الْجَلَالِ وَالْجَمَالِ، وَالنُّزْهَةِ وَالْكَمَالِ، أَنَا دَارُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْأَصْفِيَاءِ وَمَعْدِنُ الْأَتْقِيَاءِ وَالْأَوْلِيَاءِ، أَنَا أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ، وَجَزَاءِ الصَّابِرِينَ وَثَوَابِ الْمُطِيعِينَ، أَبَدَ الْآبِدِينَ، أَنَا خَلَقْتُ لَكَ وَزَيَّنْتُ لِأَجْلِكَ، لَيْسَ لَكَ دَارٌ غَيْرِي وَلَا مَنْزِلٌ سِوَايَ وَلَا مَأْوَى دُونِي، فَلَا بُدَّ لَكَ مِنِّي.

Falammā jāwaza al-ʿabdu hadhihi al-ʿaqabata waqaṭaʿa ʿan qalbihi ḥibāla al-taʿālīqi waṣafā sirruhu, min ghubāri al-takhālīṭi, faṣāra mujarradan li-l-qaṣdi ʾlayhi, watakhallaṣa min hadhihi al-ʿaqabati wa-istaqāma lahu ʾmārata al-taqwā biʿawni Allāhi wataʾyīdihi, faʿinda dhalika istaqbalathu ʿaqabatu al-jannati bikulli mā fīhā min al-thawābi wa-al-ʿiqābi waṭalaba al-ʿiwaḍa min Allāhi taʿālā ʿalā wafāʾi ṣidqi al-ʿubūdiyyati allatī hiya ʾaṣʿabu waʾaʿẓamuhā baliyyatan waʾadaqquhā ʾāfatan waʾaʿẓamuhā ṣuʿūbatan liʾahli al-qurabi wa-al-maḥabbatu bi-al-nisbati ʾilā ghayrihā biʾalfi ʾalfi marratin, waqālat lahu: ʾayna tadhhabu yā waliyya Allāhi, ʾanā dāru al-khulūdi wa-al-maqāmi, wamaḥallu al-taḥiyyati wa-al-salāmi, ʾanā dāru al-niʿmati wa-al-jūdi, wamaʿdinu al-ghibṭati wa-al-surūri, ʾanā dāru al-jalāli wa-al-jamāli, wa-al-nuzhati wa-al-kamāli, ʾanā dāru al-ʾanbiyāʾi wa-al-ʾaṣfiyāʾi wamaʿdinu al-ʾatqiyāʾi wa-al-ʾawliyāʾi, ʾanā ʾajru al-ʿāmilīna, wajazāʾi al-ṣābirīna wathawābi al-muṭīʿīna, ʾabada al-ʾābidīna, ʾanā khalaqtu laka wazayyantu liʾajlika, laysa laka dārun ghayrī walā manzilun siwāya walā maʾwā dūnī, falā budda laka minnī.

When the servant has crossed this obstacle, severed the cords of attachment from his heart, and purified his innermost consciousness from the dust of confusion, he becomes wholly devoted to intending Him. Delivered from this obstacle, the sign of God-consciousness is firmly established for him through God’s help and support. Then the obstacle of Paradise confronts him—with all its reward and recompense and the desire to receive a return from God Most High for faithfully fulfilling true servanthood. For the people of nearness and love, this obstacle is a million times more trying, subtle, and difficult than the others. Paradise says: ‘Where are you going, friend of God? I am the abode of everlasting life and abiding residence, the place of greeting and peace. I am the abode of blessing and generosity, the source of felicity and joy. I am the abode of majesty and beauty, delight and perfection. I am the abode of the prophets and the chosen, the home of the God-conscious and the friends of God. I am the reward of those who act, the recompense of the patient, and the reward of the obedient for ever and ever. I was created for you and adorned for your sake. You have no dwelling other than me, no resting place but me, and no shelter apart from me. You cannot do without me.’

§ 033

فَإِذَا نَظَرَ الْعَبْدُ إِلَى أَوَّلِهَا وَأَوْسَطِهَا وَآخِرِهَا، فَإِذَا أَوَّلُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ شَيْئًا فَصَارَتْ مُكَوَّنَةً بِتَكْوِينِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَإِذَا نَظَرَ إِلَى أَوْسَطِهَا كَأَنَّهَا لَمْ تَزَلْ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى لَيْسَ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِيهَا شَيْءٌ، اُنْظُرْ إِلَى آدَمَ لَمَّا عَصَى اللَّهَ تَعَالَى تَبَرَّأَتْ مِنْهُ الْجَنَّةُ بِكُلِّ مَا فِيهَا، فَلَمْ يَصْحَبْهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا وَرَقَةٌ، وَتَبَرَّأَتْ مِنْهُ بِمَا فِيهَا وَأَذَاقَتْهُ الْهَوَانُ وَالْمَذَلَّةُ، وَأَمَّا آخِرُهَا فَشُغْلٌ شَاغِلٌ يَشْتَغِلُ بِهَا الْعِبَادُ عَنْ سَيِّدِهِمْ وَمَعْبُودِهِمْ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى:

Faʾidhā naẓara al-ʿabdu ʾilā ʾawwalihā waʾawsaṭihā waʾākhirihā, faʾidhā ʾawwaluhā lam takun shayʾan faṣārat mukawwanatan bitakwīni Allāhi taʿālā, waʾidhā naẓara ʾilā ʾawsaṭihā kaʾannahā lam tazal li-llāhi taʿālā laysa lighayri Allāhi taʿālā fīhā shayʾun, ʾunẓur ʾilā ʾādama lammā ʿaṣā Allāha taʿālā tabarraʾat minhu al-jannatu bikulli mā fīhā, falam yaṣḥabhu baʿda dhalika min al-jannati ʾillā waraqatun, watabarraʾat minhu bimā fīhā waʾadhāqathu al-hawānu wa-al-madhallatu, waʾammā ʾākhiruhā fashughlun shāghilun yashtaghilu bihā al-ʿibādu ʿan sayyidihim wamaʿbūdihim, qāla Allāhu taʿālā:

The servant considers its beginning, middle, and end. At its beginning it was nothing, then came into being through God Most High’s bringing it into being. Looking at its middle, he sees that it has always belonged to God Most High and that no one other than God Most High possesses anything in it. Consider Adam: when he disobeyed God Most High, Paradise, with everything within it, disowned him. Nothing accompanied him from it afterward except a leaf. It disowned him with all it contained and made him taste humiliation and abasement. As for its end, it is an engrossing preoccupation by which servants become occupied with it instead of their Master and the One they worship. God Most High says:

§ 034

إِنَّ أَصْحابَ الْجَنَّةِ الْيَوْمَ فِي شُغُلٍ فاكِهُونَ

ʾinna ʾaṣḥāba al-jannati al-yawma fī shughulin fākihūna

‘Indeed, on that Day the people of Paradise will be joyfully occupied.’

§ 035

[يس: 55] وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ فَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لاَ يَصِلُ إلَيْهَا إلاَّ بَعْدَ مُدَّةٍ طَوِيلَةٍ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يُخْلِفْ الْمَوْتَ وَالْقَبْرَ وَالْقِيَامَةَ، لاَ يَصِلُ إلَيْهَا، وَإِنَّهُ يَصِلُ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي كُلِّ نَفْسٍ بَلْ فِي كُلِّ طَرْفَةِ عَيْنٍ، بَلْ أَقَلُّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى:

[Ys: 55] wamaʿa dhalika faʾinna al-ʿabda lʾa yaṣilu ʾlayhā ʾlʾa baʿda muddatin ṭawīlatin, waʾin lam yukhlif al-mawta wa-al-qabra wa-al-qiyāmata, lʾa yaṣilu ʾlayhā, waʾinnahu yaṣilu ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā fī kulli nafsin bal fī kulli ṭarfati ʿaynin, bal ʾaqallu min dhalika, qāla Allāhu taʿālā:

[Yā Sīn 36:55] Yet the servant reaches it only after a long interval and only after passing through death, the grave, and the Resurrection; whereas he may reach God Most High with every breath, indeed in every blink of an eye—or in less than that. God Most High says:

§ 036

وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِبْ

Wa-isjud wa-iqtarib

‘Prostrate yourself and draw near.’

§ 037

[الْعَلَقِ: 19]، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَعْتَصِمُ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَيَسْتَعِينُ بِهِ عَلَى قَطْعِ عَلَائِقِ مَا دُونَهُ، وَلَمْ يَشْتَغِلْ بِهَا، وَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ إلَيْهَا، إِجْلَالًا لِحُرْمَةِ رَبِّهِ، وَيَقُولُ لَهَا: يَا مَحَلَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَمَعْدِنَ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ إِنَّ الَّذِي لَا بُدَّ مِنْهُ هُوَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَهُوَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يُغْنِيَنِي عَنْك لِأَنَّ الْحَاصِلَ مِنْ الدَّارَيْنِ هُوَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.

[Al-ʿalaqi: 19], faʿinda dhalika yaʿtaṣimu bi-llāhi taʿālā, wayastaʿīnu bihi ʿalā qaṭʿi ʿalāʾiqi mā dūnahu, walam yashtaghil bihā, walam yaltafit ʾlayhā, ʾijlālan liḥurmati rabbihi, wayaqūlu lahā: yā maḥalla al-ʾanbiyāʾi wamaʿdina al-ʾawliyāʾi ʾinna alladhī lā budda minhu huwa Allāhu ʿazza wajalla, wahuwa qādirun ʿalā ʾan yughniyanī ʿank liʾanna al-ḥāṣila min al-dārayni huwa Allāhu ʿazza wajalla.

[Al-ʿAlaq 96:19] At that point he holds fast to God Most High and asks His help in cutting every attachment to what is other than Him. He neither busies himself with Paradise nor turns toward it, out of reverence for the sanctity of his Lord. He says to it: ‘Dwelling of the prophets and home of the friends of God, the One who is indispensable is God Almighty and Majestic. He can make me independent of you, for the true gain in both abodes is God Almighty and Majestic.’

§ 038

فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَ الْعَبْدُ هَذِهِ الْعَقَبَةَ وَقَطَعَ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ حِبَالَ كُلِّ عَلَاقَةٍ بِهِ، وَصَفَا سِرُّهُ مِنْ غُبَارِ التَّخَالِيطِ، وَصَارَ قَلْبُهُ مُنْفَرِدًا لِلْوَاحِدِ الْفَرْدِ، وَاسْتَرَاحَ مِنْ تَعَبِ هَذِهِ الْعَقَبَاتِ، وَاسْتَقَامَتْ لَهُ إمَارَةُ التَّجْرِيدِ وَالتَّفْرِيدِ، فَحِينَئِذٍ يُوَاصِلُ مَحْبُوبَهُ، وَيَتَوَلَّاهُ مَنْ هُوَ لَا يَرَى خَيْرًا إِلَّا مِنْهُ، وَنِعْمَ مِنْ مَوْلًى وَمُعِينٍ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ، فَحِينَئِذٍ اسْتَقْبَلَتْهُ عَقَبَةُ الْعَطَايَا وَالْكَرَامَاتِ وَالْمَوَاهِبُ وَالْمَقَامَاتُ، وَهِيَ لَا تُحْصَى عَدَدًا، فَهَذَا أَوَانُ غَضِّ بَصَرِهِ عَنْهَا، وَأَنْ لَا يَلْتَفِتَ لَهَا وَلَا إِلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْهَا حُرْمَةً لِإِجْلَالِ رَبِّهِ، ثُمَّ يَبْسُطُ لَهُ مَا يَبْسُطُ مِنْ الْمِحَنِ وَالْبَلَايَا، نَوْعٌ بَعْدَ نَوْعٍ، وَغَيْرُ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا لَا يَصِفُهُ وَأَصِفُ غَيْرَهُ، فَفِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ: يَا حَبِيبِي وَقُرَّةَ عَيْنِي وَيَا غَايَةَ أَمَلِي، أَتَوَسَّلُ بِك عَلَيْك أَنْ لَا تَصْرِفَنِي عَنْكَ وَلا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى سِوَاكَ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ صَدَقَ الْقَصْدُ إِلَيْهِ وَانْقِطَاعُهُ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ، وَصَارَ فَرْدًا لِفَرْدٍ طَالِبًا مُوَاصَلَتَهُ قَاصِدًا قُرْبَهُ أَوْصَلَهُ إِلَيْهِ وَقَرَّبَهُ مِنْهُ أَقْرَبَ مِنَ الرُّوحِ إِلَى الْجَسَدِ، ثُمَّ بَقِيَ مَعَهُ إِلَى الأَبَدِ، وَتَوَلاهُ الْمَلِكُ الْعَزِيزُ الَّذِي جَلَّتْ صِفَاتُهُ وَتَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ، وَصَارَ لِسَانُ حَالِهِ يُنْشِدُ وَيَقُولُ (شِعْرٌ):

Falammā jāwaza al-ʿabdu hadhihi al-ʿaqabata waqaṭaʿa min qalbihi ḥibāla kulli ʿalāqatin bihi, waṣafā sirruhu min ghubāri al-takhālīṭi, waṣāra qalbuhu munfaridan li-l-wāḥidi al-fardi, wa-istarāḥa min taʿabi hadhihi al-ʿaqabāti, wa-istaqāmat lahu ʾmāratu al-tajrīdi wa-al-tafrīdi, faḥīnaʾidhin yuwāṣilu maḥbūbahu, wayatawallāhu man huwa lā yarā khayran ʾillā minhu, waniʿma min mawlanā wamuʿīnin jalla waʿazza, faḥīnaʾidhin istaqbalathu ʿaqabatu al-ʿaṭāyā wa-al-karāmāti wa-al-mawāhibu wa-al-maqāmātu, wahiya lā tuḥṣā ʿadadan, fahadhā ʾawānu ghaḍḍi baṣarihi ʿanhā, waʾan lā yaltafita lahā walā ʾilā shayʾin minhā ḥurmatan liʾijlāli rabbihi, thumma yabsuṭu lahu mā yabsuṭu min al-miḥani wa-al-balāyā, nawʿun baʿda nawʿin, waghayru dhalika mimmā lā yaṣifuhu waʾaṣifu ghayrahu, fafī kulli dhalika yaqūlu: yā ḥabībī waqurrata ʿaynī wayā ghāyata ʾamalī, ʾatawassalu bik ʿalayk ʾan lā taṣrifanī ʿanka walā takilnī ʾilā siwāka, falammā ʿalima Allāhu minhu ṣadaqa al-qaṣdu ʾilayhi wa-inqiṭāʿuhu bi-al-kulliyyati, waṣāra fardan lifardin ṭāliban muwāṣalatahu qāṣidan qurbahu ʾawṣalahu ʾilayhi waqarrabahu minhu ʾaqraba mina al-rūḥi ʾilā al-jasadi, thumma baqiya maʿahu ʾilā al-ʾabadi, watawalāhu al-maliku al-ʿazīzu alladhī jallat ṣifātuhu wataqaddasat ʾasmāʾuhu, waṣāra lisānu ḥālihi yunshidu wayaqūlu (shiʿrun):

When the servant has crossed this obstacle, severed from his heart the cords of every attachment to it, cleansed his innermost consciousness of the dust of confusion, and made his heart single for the One and Only, he rests from the fatigue of these obstacles. Divestment and singleness become firmly established in him. He then enters communion with his Beloved and is taken into the care of the One from whom alone he sees every good—how fine a Patron and Helper He is, majestic and mighty. At that point the obstacle of gifts, charisms, bestowals, and spiritual stations confronts him, beyond all counting. Now is the time for him to lower his gaze from them and turn neither toward them nor toward anything among them, out of reverence for the majesty of his Lord. God then unfolds for him trials and afflictions, one kind after another, together with things neither I nor anyone else could describe. Through all of this he says: ‘My Beloved, delight of my eye, and utmost hope, I plead with You by You: do not turn me away from You, and do not entrust me to anyone but You.’ When God knows the truthfulness of his intention toward Him and his complete severance from all else—when he has become a solitary one for the One, seeking communion with Him and intending His nearness—God brings him to Himself and draws him nearer than the spirit is to the body. He then abides with Him forever. The Mighty King, whose attributes are majestic and whose names are holy, assumes his care; and the tongue of his state recites these verses:

§ 039

طُرُقِي يَا نَفْسُ كَيْ أَقْصِدَ فَرْدًا صَمَدًا * وَذَرِينِي لَسْتُ أَبْغِي غَيْرَ رَبِّي أَحَدًا

ṭuruqī yā nafsu kay ʾaqṣida fardan ṣamadan * wadharīnī lastu ʾabghī ghayra rabbī ʾaḥadan

Make way, my soul, that I may seek the One, the Everlasting Refuge; / leave me, for I desire no one besides my Lord.

§ 040

فَهُوَ حَسْبِي وَأَنِيسِي فَاجْعَلِيهِ عَضُدًا * لِلْخَطَايَا غَافِرٌ مَنْ نَحَّاهُ سَعْدًا

Fahuwa ḥasbī waʾanīsī fa-ijʿalīhi ʿaḍudan * li-l-khaṭāyā ghāfirun man naḥḥāhu saʿdan

He is enough for me and my Intimate; make Him my support. / He forgives sins, and whoever chooses Him has found felicity.

§ 041

ابْكِ إِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ مَنْ دُونَهُ مُلْتَحَدًا * وَمَنْ تَوَلَّى عَنْهُ يَسْلُكْهُ عَذَابًا صَعْدًا

Ibki ʾin lam tajid man dūnahu multaḥadan * waman tawallā ʿanhu yaslukhu ʿadhāban ṣaʿdan

Weep if you find no refuge apart from Him; / whoever turns away from Him, He drives into an ever-mounting torment.

الْبَابُ الثَّانِي فِي تَرْكِ الْوُقُوفِ مَعَ الْمَنَازِلِ وَالْمَقَامَاتِ عِنْدَ الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ

Al-bābu al-thānī fī tarki al-wuqūfi maʿa al-manāzili wa-al-maqāmāti ʿinda al-qaṣdi ʾlayhi

Chapter Two Not Halting at Spiritual Stages and Stations While Intending Him

§ 043

قَالَ إمَامُ الشَّرِيعَةِ وَشَيْخُ الطَّرِيقَةِ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَنَفَعَنَا بِهِ:

Qāla ʾmāmu al-sharīʿati washaykhu al-ṭarīqati ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu wanafaʿanā bihi:

The leader in the Sacred Law and master of the spiritual path, Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd—may God be pleased with him and benefit us through him—said:

§ 044

« اعْلَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَا يَزَالُ مِنْ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَاللَّهُ مِنْهُ مَا لَمْ يَمِلْ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ، وَلَا يَقِفُ إِلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ دُونِهِ، وَلَا يَلْتَفِتُ مِنْهُ إِلَى شَيْءٍ سِوَاهُ، بَلْ هُوَ الْكَافِي، فَمَنْ اكْتَفَى بِهِ كَفَاهُ وَمِنْ مَالِ قَلْبِهِ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ سَقَطَ مِنْ عَيْنِهِ، وَصَارَ - وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ - مُبْعِدًا مَطْرُودًا مَحْجُوبًا عَنْهُ، وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَخْتَارَ عَبْدًا مِنْ عَبِيدِهِ وَأَنْ يَصْطَفِيَهُ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنْ بَيْنِهِمْ وَيَخُصَّهُ بِهِ قُرْبَهُ مِنْهُ، وَجَعَلَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ فَلَا يَدَعْهُ يَمِيلُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ أَوْ يَقِفُ مَعَ شَيْءٍ مِنْ الْمَنَازِلِ وَالْمَقَامَاتِ، وَمَنْ وَقَفَ مَعَ شَيْءٍ بَقِيَ مَعَهُ، بَلْ يَجْعَلُهُ فَرْدًا فِي الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ رَبَّانِي الْهِمَّةَ رُوحَانِي السِّرِّ، لَيْسَ لَهُ قَصْدٌ إِلَّا اللَّهُ فَكُلَّمَا قَصَدَهُ بِصِدْقِ الْإِرَادَةِ مَعَ هَيَجَانِ نَارِ الِاشْتِيَاقِ، وَعِلْمِ اللَّهِ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ صِدْقَ الْإِرَادَةِ أَجْلَسَهُ عَلَى مَرْكَبِ الْإِنَابَةِ إلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يُرَبِّيهِ بِكَمَالِ لُطْفِهِ وَيُتْحِفُهُ بِلَطَائِفِ بِرِّهِ وَإِحْسَانِهِ وَجَمِيلِ فَضْلِهِ وَامْتِنَانِهِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يُبْصِرُ الْعَبْدَ طُولَ غَفْلَتِهِ وَتَقْصِيرِهِ بِحُقُوقِهِ وَكَثْرَةِ إعْرَاضِهِ عَنْهُ، فَصَارَ مِنْ شِدَّةِ حَيَائِهِ مُتَحَيِّرًا مَدْهُوشًا مُرْتَحِلًا بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ عَنْ جَمِيعِ الْبَطَّالَاتِ وَالْغِوَايَاتِ إِلَى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، وَصَارَتْ النَّفْسُ مَقْهُورَةً تَحْتَ رُؤْيَةِ اطِّلَاعِهِ عَلَيْهِ فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَقُومُ هَذَا الْعَبْدُ بِقَدَمَيْ الْحَيَاءِ وَالْخَشْيَةِ عَلَى بِسَاطِ التَّوْبَةِ.

« Iʿlamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā ʾanna al-ʿabda lā yazālu min Allāhi taʿālā wa-llāhu minhu mā lam yamil ʾilā ghayrihi, walā yaqifu ʾilā shayʾin min dūnihi, walā yaltafitu minhu ʾilā shayʾin siwāhu, bal huwa al-kāfī, faman iktafā bihi kafāhu wamin māli qalbihi ʾilā ghayrihi saqaṭa min ʿaynihi, waṣāra - wa-al-ʿiyādhu bi-llāhi - mubʿidan maṭrūdan maḥjūban ʿanhu, waʾanna Allāha taʿālā ʾidhā ʾarāda ʾan yakhtāra ʿabdan min ʿabīdihi waʾan yaṣṭafiyahu linafsihi min baynihim wayakhuṣṣahu bihi qurbahu minhu, wajaʿalahu min ʾahlihi falā yadaʿhu yamīlu ʾilā ghayrihi ʾaw yaqifu maʿa shayʾin min al-manāzili wa-al-maqāmāti, waman waqafa maʿa shayʾin baqiya maʿahu, bal yajʿaluhu fardan fī al-qaṣdi ʾlayhi rabbānī al-himmata rūḥānī al-sirri, laysa lahu qaṣdun ʾillā Allāhu fakullamā qaṣadahu biṣidqi al-ʾirādati maʿa hayajāni nāri al-ishtiyāqi, waʿilmi Allāhi min qalbihi ṣidqa al-ʾirādati ʾajlasahu ʿalā markabi al-ʾinābati ʾlayhi, thumma yurabbīhi bikamāli luṭfihi wayutḥifuhu bilaṭāʾifi birrihi waʾiḥsānihi wajamīli faḍlihi wa-imtinānihi, faʿinda dhalika yubṣiru al-ʿabda ṭūla ghaflatihi wataqṣīrihi biḥuqūqihi wakathrati ʾʿrāḍihi ʿanhu, faṣāra min shiddati ḥayāʾihi mutaḥayyiran madhūshan murtaḥilan bi-al-kulliyyati ʿan jamīʿi al-baṭṭālāti wa-al-ghiwāyāti ʾilā Allāhu taʿālā, waṣārat al-nafsu maqhūratan taḥta ruʾyati iṭṭilāʿihi ʿalayhi faʿinda dhalika yaqūmu hadhā al-ʿabdu biqadamay al-ḥayāʾi wa-al-khashyati ʿalā bisāṭi al-tawbati.

Know, O company of those who intend God Most High, that the servant continues in his relation to God, with God caring for him, so long as he does not incline toward anyone else, halt at anything below Him, or turn from Him toward another. He alone is sufficient: whoever is content with Him, He suffices; but whoever inclines in heart toward another falls from His regard and becomes—God forbid—distant, rejected, and veiled from Him. When God Most High wills to choose one of His servants, select him for Himself from among them, distinguish him by nearness, and make him one of His own, He does not let him incline toward another or stop at any spiritual stage or station. Whoever stops with a thing remains confined to it. Rather, God makes him solitary in his intention toward Him, his aspiration centered upon the Lord and his innermost consciousness spiritual, with no aim but God. Whenever he turns toward Him with a truthful will while the fire of longing surges—and God knows the truthfulness of the will in his heart—God seats him upon the mount of returning to Him. He then nurtures him with the fullness of His gentleness and honors him with subtle gifts of kindness, beneficence, gracious favor, and generosity. The servant then sees how long he has been heedless, how much he has neglected God’s rights, and how often he has turned away from Him. Overcome by shame, bewildered, and astonished, he departs entirely from every vanity and error toward God Most High. The lower self is subdued beneath his awareness that God sees him, and the servant stands with the two feet of shame and awe upon the carpet of repentance.

§ 045

فَإِذَا اسْتَحْكَمَ لَهُ مَقَامَ التَّوْبَةِ وَكَادَ قَلْبُهُ أَنْ يَقِفَ عَلَيْهِ إِلَى الْمَوْتِ وَاكْتَفَى بِهَا وَسَكَنَ إلَيْهَا وَرَضِيَ مِنْ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِهَا أَتَى إِلَى سِرِّهِ نِدَاءُ الْحَقِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى:

Faʾidhā istaḥkama lahu maqāma al-tawbati wakāda qalbuhu ʾan yaqifa ʿalayhi ʾilā al-mawti wa-iktafā bihā wasakana ʾlayhā waraḍiya min Allāhi taʿālā bihā ʾatā ʾilā sirrihi nidāʾu al-ḥaqqi subḥānahu wataʿālā:

When the station of repentance has become firmly established for him, his heart may be on the point of stopping there until death—content with it, settled in it, and satisfied to receive only this from God Most High. Then the call of the Real—glory and exaltation be to Him—comes to his innermost consciousness:

§ 046

عَبْدِي مَالِكٌ تَقِفُ عَنِّي اكْتَفَيْت بِدُونِي وَمِلْت إِلَى غَيْرِي وَأَنَا مَحَلُّ آمَالِ كُلِّ مُؤَمَّلٍ، إِنِّي أَنَا الَّذِي تُبْت عَلَيْك حَتَّى تُبْت وَأَنْبَتَ، عَبْدِي إلَيَّ إلَيَّ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ تَهِيجُ مِنْ سِرِّهِ نَارُ الِاشْتِيَاقِ إِلَى قُرْبِهِ، وَيَطِيرُ سِرُّهُ بِأَجْنِحَةِ الْهِمَّةِ نَحْوَ نِدَائِهِ عَلَى صِدْقِ الْإِرَادَةِ قَاصِدًا إلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ صَدَقَ الْإِرَادَةَ أَجْلَسَهُ عَلَى مَرْكَبِ الْعِبَادَةِ، ثُمَّ يُرِيهِ جَمِيلَ عَطَائِهِ وَجَزِيلَ كَرَامَاتِهِ لِأَهْلِ خِدْمَتِهِ وَبَسَطَ لَهُ مَيْدَانَ طَاعَتِهِ، لِوَفَاءِ صِدْقِ عُبُودِيَّتِهِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يُبْصِرُ الْعَبْدُ عُيُوبَ نَفْسِهِ، وَكَثْرَةَ آفَاتِهَا حَتَّى يَتَّقِيَهَا وَيُخَالِفَهَا، وَيُنَزِّلَهَا مَنْزِلَةَ الذُّلِّ وَالْهَوَانِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَصِيرُ حُرًّا مِنْ عُبُودِيَّتِهَا، وَاسْتَرَاحَ مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ شُغْلِهَا، وَصَحَّتْ لَهُ الْعُبُودِيَّةُ لِمَوْلَاهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى، وَصَارَتْ النَّفْسُ مُنْقَادَةً تَحْتَ أَثْقَالِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ وَيَقُومُ هَذَا الْعَبْدُ عَلَى قَدَمَيْ الْفَقْرِ وَالْفَاقَةِ عَلَى بِسَاطِ الْعِبَادَةِ، فَعِنْدَ اسْتِحْكَامِهِ مَقَامَ الْعِبَادَةِ يَكَادُ قَلْبُهُ أَنْ يَقِفَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَى الْمَوْتِ، وَيَكْتَفِيَ بِهَا وَيَسْكُنُ إلَيْهَا وَيَرْضَى مِنْ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِهَذَا الْقَدَرِ، فَيَأْتِي مِنْ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى النِّدَاءُ إِلَى السِّرِّ، فَيَقُولُ: عَبْدِي أَوْقَفْت وَاكْتَفَيْت بِدُونِي، وَمِلْت إِلَى غَيْرِي، وَأَنَا مَحِلُّ آمَالِ كُلِّ مُؤَمَّلٍ، إلَيَّ إلَيَّ، عَبْدِي لَوْلَا تَوْفِيقِي لَمَا أَطَعْتنِي، لَا تَنْظُرُ إِلَى طَاعَتِك، أَنَا الْمَقْصُودُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ، فَحِينَئِذٍ تَهِيجُ مِنْ سِرِّهِ نَارَ الِاشْتِيَاقِ إِلَى الْقُرْبِ مِنْ الْمَوْلَى الْخَلَّاقِ، فَيَطِيرُ بِأَجْنِحَةٍ الْهِمَّةِ نَحْوَ نِدَائِهِ قَاصِدًا لِمُوَاصَلَتِهِ بِصِدْقِ الْإِرَادَةِ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ سَرَّهُ صِدْقُ الْإِرَادَةِ أَجْلَسَهُ عَلَى مَرْكَبِ الْخَوْفِ وَالْخَشْيَةِ، ثُمَّ يُرِيهِ خَفِيَّاتِ مَكْرِهِ تَحْتَ جَمِيلِ سِتْرِهِ، وَدَقَائِقِ اسْتِدْرَاجِهِ فِي جَزِيلِ نِعَمِهِ، وَإِظْهَارِ فَضْلِهِ لِأَهْلِ عَدْلِهِ وَإِظْهَارِ عَدْلِهِ لِأَهْلِ فَضْلِهِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يُبْصِرُ هَذَا الْعَبْدُ آفَاتِ رُؤْيَةِ الْأَعْمَالِ وَالِاغْتِرَارِ بِرُؤْيَةِ صَفَاءِ الْأَوْقَاتِ، فَحِينَئِذٍ يَفْزَعُ مِنْ مُكْرَهٍ وَيَخَافُ حَقَائِقَ مَعْلُومَةً فِي سَابِقِ عِلْمِهِ، وَيَطِيرُ فُؤَادُهُ وَيَشْتَدُّ كَمَدُّهُ وَحُزْنُهُ حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُ قَامَتْ قِيَامَتُهُ وَضَاقَتْ سُبُلُهُ وَدَامَ تَحَيُّرُهُ وَكُلُّ لِسَانِهِ وَدَهِشَ عَقْلُهُ، وَصَارَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ الرَّاحَاتِ بَعِيدًا وَعَنْ جَمِيعِ الْخَلَائِقِ فَرِيدًا.

ʿabdī mālikun taqifu ʿannī iktafayt bidūnī wamilt ʾilā ghayrī waʾanā maḥallu ʾāmāli kulli muʾammalin, ʾinnī ʾanā alladhī tubt ʿalayk ḥattā tubt waʾanbata, ʿabdī ʾlayya ʾlayya, faʿinda dhalika tahīju min sirrihi nāru al-ishtiyāqi ʾilā qurbihi, wayaṭīru sirruhu biʾajniḥati al-himmati naḥwa nidāʾihi ʿalā ṣidqi al-ʾirādati qāṣidan ʾlayhi, falammā ʿalima Allāhu min qalbihi ṣadaqa al-ʾirādata ʾajlasahu ʿalā markabi al-ʿibādati, thumma yurīhi jamīla ʿaṭāʾihi wajazīla karāmātihi liʾahli khidmatihi wabasaṭa lahu maydāna ṭāʿatihi, liwafāʾi ṣidqi ʿubūdiyyatihi, faʿinda dhalika yubṣiru al-ʿabdu ʿuyūba nafsihi, wakathrata ʾāfātihā ḥattā yattaqiyahā wayukhālifahā, wayunazzilahā manzilata al-dhulli wa-al-hawāni, faʿinda dhalika yaṣīru ḥurran min ʿubūdiyyatihā, wa-istarāḥa min ʾanwāʿi shughlihā, waṣaḥḥat lahu al-ʿubūdiyyatu limawlāhu tabāraka wataʿālā, waṣārat al-nafsu munqādatan taḥta ʾathqāli al-ʿubūdiyyati wayaqūmu hadhā al-ʿabdu ʿalā qadamay al-faqri wa-al-fāqati ʿalā bisāṭi al-ʿibādati, faʿinda istiḥkāmihi maqāma al-ʿibādati yakādu qalbuhu ʾan yaqifa ʿalayhā ʾilā al-mawti, wayaktafiya bihā wayaskunu ʾlayhā wayarḍā min Allāhi taʿālā bihadhā al-qadari, fayaʾtī min Allāhi taʿālā al-nidāʾu ʾilā al-sirri, fayaqūlu: ʿabdī ʾawqaft wa-iktafayt bidūnī, wamilt ʾilā ghayrī, waʾanā maḥillu ʾāmāli kulli muʾammalin, ʾlayya ʾlayya, ʿabdī lawlā tawfīqī lamā ʾaṭaʿtnī, lā tanẓuru ʾilā ṭāʿatik, ʾanā al-maqṣūdu wa-al-maṭlūbu, faḥīnaʾidhin tahīju min sirrihi nāra al-ishtiyāqi ʾilā al-qurbi min al-mawlā al-khallāqi, fayaṭīru biʾajniḥatin al-himmati naḥwa nidāʾihi qāṣidan limuwāṣalatihi biṣidqi al-ʾirādati, falammā ʿalima Allāhu man sarrahu ṣidqu al-ʾirādati ʾajlasahu ʿalā markabi al-khawfi wa-al-khashyati, thumma yurīhi khafiyyāti makrihi taḥta jamīli sitrihi, wadaqāʾiqi istidrājihi fī jazīli niʿamihi, waʾiẓhāri faḍlihi liʾahli ʿadlihi waʾiẓhāri ʿadlihi liʾahli faḍlihi, faʿinda dhalika yubṣiru hadhā al-ʿabdu ʾāfāti ruʾyati al-ʾaʿmāli wa-al-ightirāri biruʾyati ṣafāʾi al-ʾawqāti, faḥīnaʾidhin yafzaʿu min mukrahin wayakhāfu ḥaqāʾiqa maʿlūmatan fī sābiqi ʿilmihi, wayaṭīru fuʾāduhu wayashtaddu kamadduhu waḥuznuhu ḥattā kaʾannahu qāmat qiyāmatuhu waḍāqat subuluhu wadāma taḥayyuruhu wakullu lisānihi wadahisha ʿaqluhu, waṣāra min jamīʿi al-rāḥāti baʿīdan waʿan jamīʿi al-khalāʾiqi farīdan.

‘My servant, why do you stop short of Me? You have been content with what is less than Me and inclined toward another, while I am the place in which every hopeful person’s hope rests. I am the One who turned toward you in mercy so that you could repent and return. My servant, come to Me, come to Me.’ The fire of longing for His nearness then surges from the servant’s innermost consciousness, and that inner consciousness flies on the wings of aspiration toward His call, setting out for Him with a truthful will. When God knows the truthfulness of his will, He seats him upon the mount of worship. He shows him the beauty of His gifts and the abundance of His honors for those who serve Him, and opens before him the field of obedience so that he may fulfill true servanthood. The servant then sees the defects of his soul and its many afflictions, guards himself against it, opposes it, and assigns it the place of lowliness and abasement. He is freed from servitude to it, rests from its many distractions, and his servanthood to his Master—blessed and exalted is He—becomes sound. The soul submits beneath the burdens of servanthood, while the servant stands with the two feet of poverty and need upon the carpet of worship. When the station of worship becomes firmly established, his heart may again be on the point of stopping there until death—content with it, settled in it, and satisfied to receive only this measure from God Most High. The call from God then reaches the innermost consciousness: ‘My servant, you have stopped and been content with what is less than Me. You have inclined toward another, while I am the place in which every hopeful person’s hope rests. Come to Me, come to Me. My servant, had I not granted success, you would never have obeyed Me. Do not look at your obedience; I am the One intended and sought.’ The fire of longing for nearness to the Creator and Master then surges within him, and he flies on the wings of aspiration toward the call, seeking communion with Him through a truthful will. When God knows the truthfulness of his innermost will, He seats him upon the mount of fear and awe. He shows him the hidden workings of His testing beneath the beauty of His concealment, the subtle way He may draw a person on amid abundant blessings, His display of favor toward the people of His justice, and His display of justice toward the people of His favor. The servant now sees the dangers of contemplating one’s own deeds and of being deceived by apparently pure spiritual moments. He takes fright at the divine testing and fears realities already known in God’s timeless knowledge. His heart takes flight, grief and sorrow intensify, and it is as though his Resurrection has begun: every road has narrowed, bewilderment endures, his tongue grows weary, and his reason is stunned. He becomes far from every ease and solitary among all created beings.

§ 047

فَإِذَا اسْتَحْكَمَ لَهُ مَقَامَ الْخَوْفِ، يَكَادُ قَلْبُهُ أَنْ يَقِفَ عَلَيْهِ إِلَى الْمَوْتِ وَاكْتَفَى بِهِ وَسَكَنَ إلَيْهِ وَرَضِيَ مِنْ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِهَذَا الْقَدْرِ أَتَى إِلَى سِرِّهِ نِدَاءُ الْحَقِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى، وَيَقُولُ عَبْدِي مَالَك تَقِفُ وَتَكْتَفِي بِدُونِي، وَتَمِيلُ إِلَى غَيْرِي، وَأَنَا مَحَلُّ آمَالِ كُلِّ مُؤَمَّلٍ، إلَيَّ إلَيَّ، عَبْدِي لَا تُنَازِعُنِي فِي مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ، فَحِينَئِذٍ يَهِيجُ مِنْ سِرِّهِ نَارَ الِاشْتِيَاقِ إِلَى قُرْبِهِ، وَيَطِيرُ السِّرِّ بِأَجْنِحَةِ الْهِمَّةِ نَحْوَ نِدَائِهِ، قَاصِدًا إِلَى مُوَاصَلَتِهِ عَلَى صِدْقِ الْإِرَادَةِ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ سَرَّهُ صِدْقُ الْإِرَادَةِ أَجْلَسَهُ عَلَى مَرْكَبِ الْمَحَبَّةِ وَالشَّوْقِ إلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يُرِيهِ مَا تَقَرُّ بِهِ عَيْنُهُ، وَيُرْشِدُهُ إِلَى مَا يَطِيبُ بِهِ قَلْبُهُ، ثُمَّ أَقْعَدَهُ عَلَى مَوَائِدَ أُنْسِهِ، وَسَقَاهُ بِكَأْسِ مَوَدَّتِهِ شَرْبَةً بَعْدَ شَرْبَةٍ حَتَّى يَسْكُنَ بِهِ عَنْ غَيْرِهِ، ثُمَّ يَمْحِيَ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ كُلَّ تَمَنٍّ لِدُونِهِ، وَيَقْطَعَ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ يَشْغَلُهُ عَنْ مَقْصُودِهِ وَمَحْبُوبِهِ، حَتَّى لَا يَجِدَ أَلَمَ الْبَلَايَا مِنْ حَلَاوَةِ قُرْبِهِ، وَلَا يُؤَثِّرُ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ، وَلَا يَنْصَرِفُ عَنْهُ بِالْكَوْنَيْنِ وَلَا يُلْتَفَتُ مِنْهُ إِلَى الثَّقَلَيْنِ إِجْلَالًا لِحُرْمَتِهِ.

Faʾidhā istaḥkama lahu maqāma al-khawfi, yakādu qalbuhu ʾan yaqifa ʿalayhi ʾilā al-mawti wa-iktafā bihi wasakana ʾlayhi waraḍiya min Allāhi taʿālā bihadhā al-qadri ʾatā ʾilā sirrihi nidāʾu al-ḥaqqi subḥānahu wataʿālā, wayaqūlu ʿabdī mālak taqifu wataktafī bidūnī, watamīlu ʾilā ghayrī, waʾanā maḥallu ʾāmāli kulli muʾammalin, ʾlayya ʾlayya, ʿabdī lā tunāziʿunī fī mithli dhalika, faḥīnaʾidhin yahīju min sirrihi nāra al-ishtiyāqi ʾilā qurbihi, wayaṭīru al-sirri biʾajniḥati al-himmati naḥwa nidāʾihi, qāṣidan ʾilā muwāṣalatihi ʿalā ṣidqi al-ʾirādati, falammā ʿalima Allāhu man sarrahu ṣidqu al-ʾirādati ʾajlasahu ʿalā markabi al-maḥabbati wa-al-shawqi ʾlayhi, thumma yurīhi mā taqarru bihi ʿaynuhu, wayurshiduhu ʾilā mā yaṭību bihi qalbuhu, thumma ʾaqʿadahu ʿalā mawāʾida ʾunsihi, wasaqāhu bikaʾsi mawaddatihi sharbatan baʿda sharbatin ḥattā yaskuna bihi ʿan ghayrihi, thumma yamḥiya ʿan qalbihi kulla tamannin lidūnihi, wayaqṭaʿa ʿan qalbihi kulla shayʾin yashghaluhu ʿan maqṣūdihi wamaḥbūbihi, ḥattā lā yajida ʾalama al-balāyā min ḥalāwati qurbihi, walā yuʾaththiru ʿalayhi shayʾun fī al-dārayni, walā yanṣarifu ʿanhu bi-al-kawnayni walā yultafatu minhu ʾilā al-thaqalayni ʾijlālan liḥurmatihi.

When the station of fear has become firmly established, his heart may be on the point of stopping there until death—content with it, settled in it, and satisfied with this measure from God Most High. Then the call of the Real—glory and exaltation be to Him—comes to his innermost consciousness: ‘My servant, why do you stop and become content with what is less than Me? Why incline toward another, while I am the place in which every hopeful person’s hope rests? Come to Me, come to Me. My servant, do not contend with Me in such a matter.’ The fire of longing for His nearness then surges within him, and the innermost consciousness flies on the wings of aspiration toward His call, seeking communion with Him through a truthful will. When God knows the truthfulness of his innermost will, He seats him upon the mount of love and longing for Him. He shows him what delights his eye, guides him to what brings sweetness to his heart, seats him at the tables of intimate companionship, and gives him cup after cup of His affection to drink until he finds rest in Him from everything else. God then erases from his heart every wish for what is beneath Him and cuts away everything that distracts him from the One he seeks and loves. Because of the sweetness of His nearness, he no longer feels the pain of afflictions. Nothing in either abode overcomes him; neither of the two worlds turns him away, nor do humankind and jinn divert his gaze from Him, out of reverence for His sanctity.

§ 048

فَإِذَا أَقَامَ هَذَا الْعَبْدُ بِقَدَمَيْ الِاعْتِرَافِ عَلَى بِسَاطِ الْوِدَادِ وَاسْتَحْكَمَ لَهُ مَقَامَ الْمَحَبَّةِ، وَكَادَ قَلْبُهُ أَنْ يَقِفَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَى الْمَوْتِ وَاكْتَفَى بِهَا وَسَكَنَ إلَيْهَا أَتَى إِلَى سِرِّهِ نِدَاءَ الْحَقِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى يَقُولُ: عَبْدِي مَالَك تَقِفُ وَتَكْتَفِي بِدُونِي، وَتَمِيلُ إِلَى غَيْرِي وَأَنَا مَحَلُّ آمَالِك وَكُلُّ مُؤَمِّلٍ، عَبْدِي هَلُمَّ إِلَى لَا تُنَازِعْنِي فِي مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَهِيجُ مِنْ سِرِّهِ نَارٌ الِاشْتِيَاقِ إِلَى قُرْبِهِ، وَيَطِيرُ بِأَجْنِحَةِ الْهِمَّةِ نَحْوَ نِدَائِهِ قَاصِدًا إِلَى مُوَاصَلَتِهِ عَلَى صِدْقِ الْإِرَادَةِ، فَلَمَّا... أَجْلَسَهُ عَلَى مَرْكَبِ الْقُرْبِ مِنْ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَالْأُنْسِ بِهِ، ثُمَّ كَشَفَ عَنْ سِرِّهِ الْحَجْبَ وَالْأَسْتَارَ، حَتَّى يَنْظُرَ إلَيْهِ بِلَا كَيْفٍ بِعَيْنَيْ الْفُؤَادِ، وَيَسْمَعَ لَذَائِذَ كَلَامِهِ بِالتَّحِيَّةِ وَالسَّلَامِ، ثُمَّ يُصَفِّى كُلِّيَّتَهُ مِنْ غُبَارِ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ، وَيُطَرِّقُهُ إِلَى مُهَيْمِنَةِ الصِّدِّيقِينَ، وَيَجْعَلُهُ مِنْ الْعَدَدِ الْمُجَرَّدِينَ عَنْ عُبُودِيَّةِ مَنْ سِوَاهُ، وَيُشَاهِدُ مِنْ لَطَائِفِ قَدْرِهِ الْقَدِيرِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَدُورُ قَلْبُهُ حَوْلَ مُنْتَهَى عِزِّهِ وَيَرْتَعُ فِي رَوْضَاتِ قُدْسِهِ، وَيَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحِ الِاشْتِيَاقِ فِي سُرَادِقَاتِ غَيْبِهِ، ثُمَّ يُدْخِلُهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي دَارٍ وَصِلَتِهِ، وَيُغَشِّيهِ بِنُورِ افْتِخَارِهِ وَيُطْلِعُهُ عَلَى أَسْرَارِ مَكْنُونِهِ وَيُرْشِدُهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَيُشْرِفُهُ عَلَى كَمَالِ لُطْفِهِ، حَتَّى تَصِيرَ هِمَّتُهُ عُلْوِيَّةً وَأَحْوَالُهُ قُدْسِيَّةً، وَإِرَادَتُهُ رَبَّانِيَّةً، وَحَرَكَاتُهُ فَرْدَانِيَّةً وَأَنْفَاسُهُ نُورَانِيَّةً وَصِفَاتُهُ دَيْمُومِيَّةً، وَأَحْوَالُهُ غَيْرُ مَوْصُوفَةٍ، وَخِصَالُهُ غَيْرُ مُدْرَكَةٍ، لِأَنَّهَا وَدَايِعُ سِرِّهِ الَّذِي مِنْهُ بَدَا وَإِلَيْهِ يَعُودُ.

Faʾidhā ʾaqāma hadhā al-ʿabdu biqadamay al-iʿtirāfi ʿalā bisāṭi al-widādi wa-istaḥkama lahu maqāma al-maḥabbati, wakāda qalbuhu ʾan yaqifa ʿalayhā ʾilā al-mawti wa-iktafā bihā wasakana ʾlayhā ʾatā ʾilā sirrihi nidāʾa al-ḥaqqi subḥānahu wataʿālā yaqūlu: ʿabdī mālak taqifu wataktafī bidūnī, watamīlu ʾilā ghayrī waʾanā maḥallu ʾāmālik wakullu muʾammilin, ʿabdī halumma ʾilā lā tunāziʿnī fī mithli dhalika, faʿinda dhalika yahīju min sirrihi nārun al-ishtiyāqi ʾilā qurbihi, wayaṭīru biʾajniḥati al-himmati naḥwa nidāʾihi qāṣidan ʾilā muwāṣalatihi ʿalā ṣidqi al-ʾirādati, falammā... ʾajlasahu ʿalā markabi al-qurbi min Allāhi ʿazza wajalla wa-al-ʾunsi bihi, thumma kashafa ʿan sirrihi al-ḥajba wa-al-ʾastāra, ḥattā yanẓura ʾlayhi bilā kayfin biʿaynay al-fuʾādi, wayasmaʿa ladhāʾidha kalāmihi bi-al-taḥiyyati wa-al-salāmi, thumma yuṣaffiā kulliyyatahu min ghubāri al-bashariyyati, wayuṭarriquhu ʾilā muhayminati al-ṣiddīqīna, wayajʿaluhu min al-ʿadadi al-mujarradīna ʿan ʿubūdiyyati man siwāhu, wayushāhidu min laṭāʾifi qadrihi al-qadīri, faʿinda dhalika yadūru qalbuhu ḥawla muntahā ʿizzihi wayartaʿu fī rawḍāti qudsihi, wayaṭīru bijanāḥi al-ishtiyāqi fī surādiqāti ghaybihi, thumma yudkhiluhu Allāhu taʿālā fī dārin waṣilatihi, wayughashshīhi binūri iftikhārihi wayuṭliʿuhu ʿalā ʾasrāri maknūnihi wayurshiduhu ʾilā nafsihi, wayushrifuhu ʿalā kamāli luṭfihi, ḥattā taṣīra himmatuhu ʿulwiyyatan waʾaḥwāluhu qudsiyyatan, waʾirādatuhu rabbāniyyatan, waḥarakātuhu fardāniyyatan waʾanfāsuhu nūrāniyyatan waṣifātuhu daymūmiyyatan, waʾaḥwāluhu ghayru mawṣūfatin, wakhiṣāluhu ghayru mudrakatin, liʾannahā wadāyiʿu sirrihi alladhī minhu badā waʾilayhi yaʿūdu.

When the servant stands with the two feet of acknowledgment upon the carpet of loving affection and the station of love becomes firmly established, his heart may be on the point of stopping there until death—content and settled in it. Then the call of the Real—glory and exaltation be to Him—reaches his innermost consciousness: ‘My servant, why do you stop and become content with what is less than Me? Why incline toward another, while I am the resting place of your hope and of every hopeful person’s hope? My servant, come to Me; do not contend with Me in such a matter.’ The fire of longing for His nearness then surges within him, and he flies on the wings of aspiration toward the call, seeking communion with Him through a truthful will. When [God knows that truthfulness], He seats him upon the mount of nearness to God Almighty and Majestic and of intimate companionship with Him. He removes the veils and coverings from his innermost consciousness until, without asking how, he looks toward Him with the eyes of the heart and hears the delights of His speech in greeting and peace. God purifies his whole being from the dust of human nature, admits him to the sovereignty of the utterly truthful, and places him among those wholly freed from servitude to anything other than Him. He beholds subtle signs of the decree of the All-Powerful. His heart circles the furthest reach of divine might, grazes in the meadows of holiness, and flies on the wing of longing through the pavilions of the unseen. God Most High then admits him to the abode of communion, covers him in a light of honor, discloses to him His hidden secrets, directs him to Himself, and lets him look upon the perfection of His gentleness. His aspiration becomes heavenly, his states holy, his will centered upon the Lord, his movements singular, his breaths luminous, and his qualities enduring. His states cannot be described and his traits cannot be comprehended, for they are trusts placed in the secret that came from Him and returns to Him.

§ 049

فَإِذَا قَامَ هَذَا الْعَبْدُ عَلَى قَدَمَيْ الصِّدْقِ وَالْوَفَاءِ وَالصَّفَاءِ عَلَى بِسَاطِ الصِّدْقِ وَالْقُرْبِ وَالنَّجْوَى، وَكَادَ أَنْ يَقِفَ وَيَسْتَنِدَ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ الْوُقُوفِ فِي الْمَنَازِلِ وَالْمَقَامَاتِ عَنْ الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ وَاكْتَفَى بِهَا قَلْبَهُ وَسَكَنَ إلَيْهَا وَرَضِيَ بِالْوُقُوفِ عَلَيْهَا إِلَى الْمَوْتِ، وَرَضِيَ مِنْ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِهَذَا الْقَدْرِ أَتَى إِلَى سِرِّهِ نِدَاءَ الْحَقِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى:

Faʾidhā qāma hadhā al-ʿabdu ʿalā qadamay al-ṣidqi wa-al-wafāʾi wa-al-ṣafāʾi ʿalā bisāṭi al-ṣidqi wa-al-qurbi wa-al-najwā, wakāda ʾan yaqifa wayastanida ʿalā mā dhakarnā min al-wuqūfi fī al-manāzili wa-al-maqāmāti ʿan al-qaṣdi ʾlayhi wa-iktafā bihā qalbahu wasakana ʾlayhā waraḍiya bi-al-wuqūfi ʿalayhā ʾilā al-mawti, waraḍiya min Allāhi taʿālā bihadhā al-qadri ʾatā ʾilā sirrihi nidāʾa al-ḥaqqi subḥānahu wataʿālā:

When this servant stands with the two feet of truthfulness, fidelity, and purity upon the carpet of truth, nearness, and intimate converse, he may be on the point of halting and relying upon the stages and stations we have mentioned, thereby ceasing to intend Him. His heart may become content and settled in them, willing to remain there until death and satisfied to receive only this measure from God Most High. Then the call of the Real—glory and exaltation be to Him—comes to his innermost consciousness:

§ 050

عَبْدِي مَا لَك تَقِفُ وَتَكْتَفِي بِدُونِي، تَمِيلُ إِلَى غَيْرِي وَأَنَا مَحَلُّ آمَالِ كُلِّ مُؤَمِّلٍ، عَبْدِي هَلُمَّ إِلَى لَا تُنَازِعُنِي فِي مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ، فَحِينَئِذٍ يُهَيِّجُ مِنْ سِرِّهِ نَارَ الِاشْتِيَاقِ إِلَى قُرْبِهِ، وَيُطِيرُ السِّرَّ بِأَجْنِحَةِ الْهِمَّةِ نَحْوَ نِدَائِهِ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مِنْ سِرِّهِ صَدَّقَ الْإِرَادَةَ وَأَجْلَسَهُ بِقُرْبِهِ مِنْهُ أَقْرَبَ مِنْ الرُّوحِ إِلَى الْجَسَدِ، وَهِيَ حَالَةُ التَّجَلِّي وَالْمُشَاهَدَةِ، وَهِيَ الَّتِي تَفْنَى الْكُلِّيَّةُ فِي جَنْبِهَا، وَيَبْقَى الْحَقُّ كَمَا كَانَ هُوَ فِي الْأَزَلِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ التَّكْوِينُ وَالْمُكَوِّنَاتِ، ثُمَّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ تَأْتِيهِ أَحْوَالٌ وَأَوْقَاتٌ، تَكِلُّ الْأَلْسُنَ عَنْ نَعْتِهَا وَصِفَتِهَا سُبْحَانَهُ مِنْ مُنْعِمٍ مُتَفَضِّلٍ.

ʿabdī mā lak taqifu wataktafī bidūnī, tamīlu ʾilā ghayrī waʾanā maḥallu ʾāmāli kulli muʾammilin, ʿabdī halumma ʾilā lā tunāziʿunī fī mithli dhalika, faḥīnaʾidhin yuhayyiju min sirrihi nāra al-ishtiyāqi ʾilā qurbihi, wayuṭīru al-sirra biʾajniḥati al-himmati naḥwa nidāʾihi, falammā ʿalima Allāhu taʿālā min sirrihi ṣaddaqa al-ʾirādata waʾajlasahu biqurbihi minhu ʾaqraba min al-rūḥi ʾilā al-jasadi, wahiya ḥālatu al-tajallī wa-al-mushāhadati, wahiya allatī tafnā al-kulliyyatu fī janbihā, wayabqā al-ḥaqqu kamā kāna huwa fī al-ʾazali qabla ʾan yakūna al-takwīnu wa-al-mukawwināti, thumma baʿda dhalika taʾtīhi ʾaḥwālun waʾawqātun, takillu al-ʾalsuna ʿan naʿtihā waṣifatihā subḥānahu min munʿimin mutafaḍḍilin.

‘My servant, why do you stop and become content with what is less than Me? You incline toward another, while I am the resting place of every hopeful person’s hope. My servant, come to Me; do not contend with Me in this.’ The fire of longing for His nearness then surges within him, and God causes the innermost consciousness to fly on the wings of aspiration toward His call. When God Most High knows the truthfulness of his will, He seats him in a nearness closer than the spirit is to the body. This is the state of self-disclosure and witnessing: the whole self passes away beside it, while the Real remains as He was in pre-eternity, before created existence and created things came to be. After that, states and moments come to him that tongues grow weary of depicting or describing. Glory be to Him, the gracious and bountiful Bestower.

§ 051

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: قَدْ تَرَكْت الْإِشَارَةَ إِلَى تِلْكَ الْأَحْوَالِ غَيْرَةً أَنْ أَضَعَهَا فِي كِتَابِي، فَإِنَّ أَهْلَهَا قَلِيلٌ، وَكُلُّ مَنْ عَرَفَ إشَارَاتِنَا، وَوَقَفَ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ تَرْكِ الْوُقُوفِ فِي الْمَنَازِلِ وَالْمَقَامَاتِ عِنْدَ الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ قَبْخَ بَخٍ، وَإِلَّا سَأَذْكُرُ لَك نِدَاءَ الْحَقِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى وَاسْتِمَاعَ الْعَبْدِ لَهُ، فَإِنْ نَظَرْت فِيهِ وَوَقَفْت عَلَيْهَا، قَالَ شَاعِرُهُمْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ: (شِعْرَ)

Qāla al-shaykhu raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu: qad tarakt al-ʾishārata ʾilā tilka al-ʾaḥwāli ghayratan ʾan ʾaḍaʿahā fī kitābī, faʾinna ʾahlahā qalīlun, wakullu man ʿarafa ʾshārātinā, wawaqafa ʿalā mā dhakarnā min tarki al-wuqūfi fī al-manāzili wa-al-maqāmāti ʿinda al-qaṣdi ʾlayhi qabkha bakhin, waʾillā saʾadhkuru lak nidāʾa al-ḥaqqi subḥānahu wataʿālā wa-istimāʿa al-ʿabdi lahu, faʾin naẓart fīhi wawaqaft ʿalayhā, qāla shāʿiruhum raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum: (shiʿra)

The shaykh—may God be pleased with him—said: I have refrained, out of protective jealousy, from alluding to those states in my book, for their people are few. Whoever understands our allusions and grasps what we have said about not stopping at stages and stations while intending Him—what joy for him! Otherwise, I shall tell you of the call of the Real—glory and exaltation be to Him—and the servant’s hearing of it. If you examine and comprehend this, then, as their poet—may God be pleased with them—said:

§ 052

قُلُوبُ الْقَاصِدِينَ نَحْوَ الْحَقِّ طَائِرَةٌ * مَرَّتْ كَرَادِيسُهُمْ وَالنَّاسُ نُوَامُ

Qulūbu al-qāṣidīna naḥwa al-ḥaqqi ṭāʾiratun * marrat karādīsuhum wa-al-nāsu nuwāmu

The hearts of the seekers fly toward the Real; / their companies have passed while the people sleep.

الْبَابُ الثَّالِثُ فِي بَيَانِ نِدَاءِ الْحَقِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى إِلَى الْقَاصِدِينَ إلَيْهِ وَاسْتِمَاعِهِمْ لَهُ

Al-bābu al-thālithu fī bayāni nidāʾi al-ḥaqqi subḥānahu wataʿālā ʾilā al-qāṣidīna ʾlayhi wa-istimāʿihim lahu

Chapter Three The Call of the Real to Those Who Intend Him and Their Hearing of It

§ 054

قَالَ إمَامُ الشَّرِيعَةِ وَشَيْخُ الطَّرِيقَةِ: اعْلَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنَّ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى عِبَادًا اصْطَفَاهُمْ وَأَصْفَاهُمْ لِنَفْسِهِ، اخْتَصَّهُمْ لِصُحْبَتِهِ، وَاخْتَارَهُمْ لِأُنْسِهِ، وَأَكْرَمَهُمْ بِقُرْبِهِ، وَطَيَّبَهُمْ لِذِكْرِهِ وَمُنَاجَاتِهِ، وَأَعْطَاهُمْ قُلُوبًا كَشَفَ عَنْهَا حُجُبَ الْأَغْيَارِ، وَأَطْلَعَهَا عَلَى أَبْحَرِ الْأَنْوَارِ، وَأَشْرَفَهَا عَلَى خَزَائِنِ الْأَسْرَارِ، وَطَرَقَ لَهَا سُبُلَ سُنَنَ الْأَبْرَارِ، وَأَجْلَسَهَا عَلَى سُرَرِ الْأَحْرَارِ وَغَشِيَهَا بِنُورِ الِافْتِخَارِ، وَلِهَذِهِ الْقُلُوبِ سَاكِنَةٌ غَامِضَةٌ غَابَ عَنْهَا كُلُّ تَمَنٍّ بَلْ لَا يَخْطِرُ الْوَهْمُ بِدُونِهِ وَصَارَتْ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ مُطْمَئِنَّةً إلَيْهِ، مُسْتَأْنَسَةً بِهِ مُسْتَقِيمَةً مَعَهُ لَا تَلْتَفِتُ مِنْهُ إِلَى الدَّارَيْنِ وَلَا تَنْصَرِفُ عَنْهُ بِالْكَوْنَيْنِ هَيْبَةً لِإِجْلَالِهِ وَتَعْظِيمًا لِحُرْمَتِهِ، لِهَذِهِ الْقُلُوبِ وَالْأَسْرَارِ الَّتِي ذَكَرْنَاهَا أَبْصَارٌ يَنْظُرُونَ بِهَا إِلَى جَلَالِ اللَّهِ وَعَظَمَتِهِ وَكَمَالِ رُبُوبِيَّتِهِ وَلَطَائِفِ صُنَعَهُ، وَلَهَا أَسْمَاعٌ يَسْتَمِعُونَ بِهَا نِدَاءَ الْحَقِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى، وَحُسْنَ مُخَاطَبَتِهِ، وَلَطَائِفَ مُعَاتَبَتِهِ، وَصُنُوفَ دَعْوَتِهِ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَلَهَا أَلْسُنٌ يُجِيبُونَ بِهَا بِصِدْقِ التَّلْبِيَةِ وَحُسْنِ التَّنَاجِي مَعَ غَايَةِ الِاحْتِرَافِ إلَيْهِ، فَلَا اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى يَسْكُنُ سَاعَةً مِنْ نِدَائِهِ وَحُسْنِ مُخَاطَبَتِهِ فِيمَا يَدْعُو أَحِبَّائِهِ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَلَا هُمْ يَمَلُّونَ مِنْ الْإِجَابَةِ عِنْدَمَا يُنَاجُونَهُ بِالتَّلْبِيَةِ - سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى -، وَلَهُمْ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ، فَلَوْ أَنَّ عَبْدًا مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الْعِبَادِ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرْنَا نَعَتَهُمْ وَوَصَفَهُمْ الْتَفَتَ إِلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ الْمَنَازِلِ وَالْمَقَامَاتِ، أَوْ مَالَ إِلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ الْمَوَاهِبِ وَالْكَرَامَاتِ أَتَى إِلَى سِرِّهِ نِدَاءَ الْحَقِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى: عَبْدِي مَالِكٍ تَقِفُ مِنًى وَتَمِيلُ إِلَى غَيْرِي، وَأَنَا مَحَلُّ آمَالِ كُلِّ مُؤَمَّلٍ، وَأَنَا الَّذِي جَعَلْت آمَالَ أَحِبَّائِي مُتَّصِلَةً بِي، عَبْدِي هَلُمَّ إِلَى لَا تُنَازِعْنِي، عَبْدِي هَا أَنَا لَكَ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ سَيِّدًا وَافِيًا وَفَرْدًا وَحِيدًا مِنَ الشُّرَكَاءِ أَبَدَ الآبِدِينَ، فَكُنْ أَنْتَ لِي بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ عَبْدًا مُطِيعًا وَفَرْدًا وَحِيدًا مِنَ الأَغْيَارِ أَبَدَ الآبِدِينَ، عَبْدِي أَمَا تَذَكُّرُ كَمَالٍ تَوَدَّدِي بِكَ فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ وَحُسْنْ عِنَايَتِي مَعَكَ فِي قَدِيمِ الْأَزَلِ وَذِكْرِي لَكَ فِي الْأَزَلِ، عَبْدِي أَلَمْ أُكْرِمْكَ بِمَعْرِفَتِي وَرَبَّيْتُكَ بِمَحَبَّتِي وَأَرْشَدْتُكَ إِلَى نَفْسِي وَطَيَّبْتُك بِذِكْرِي حَتَّى صِرْت لِي بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ عَبْدًا، كَمَا كُنْت أَنَا فِي الْأَزَلِ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ لَك رِبَا، عَبْدِي اُدْنُ مِنِّي وَأَسْكِنْ مَعِي وَلَا تَبْعُدْ عَنِّى، وَلَا تَلْتَفِ مِنًى إِلَى غَيْرِي، فَتُسْقِطَ مِنْ عَيْنِي، عَبْدِي مَنْ أَوْصَلَكَ إِلَى غَيْرِي، أَلَيْسَ أَنَا الَّذِي تَلَطَّفْتُ بِك حَتَّى وَقَعَتْ الْوَصْلَةُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ؟، حَتَّى صِرْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ وِلَايَتِي لَوْلَا أَنِّي أَرَدْتُكَ وَشِئْتُ ذَلِكَ، مِنْ غَيْرِي يَقْدِرُ إِنْ لَمْ أُرِدْكَ لِي يَجْعَلُكَ مِنْ أَهْلِ قُرْبَى، أَحْبَبْتُكَ فَحَبَبْتَنِي، وَذَكَرْتُكَ فَذَكَرْتَنِي، أَعْلَيْتُ هِمَّتَكَ حَتَّى تَمَنَّيْتَ عَلَيَّ فَأَجَبْتُ دَعْوَتَكَ، وَرَبَّيَّتَكَ حَتَّى صِرْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ مُخَاطَبَتِي، عَبْدِي أَنَا خَلَقْتُكَ وَرَزَقْتُكَ، وَأَرَدْتُكَ بِي، وَقَبْلَ ذَلِكَ جَعَلْتُ لَكَ إِرَادَةً، لَيْسَ لَكَ حِيلَةٌ إِلَّا بِي، وَقَلْبُكَ بِيَدِي، وَكُلَّيْتُكَ لِي، فَإِنْ سَلَّمْتَ كُلِّيَّتُكَ لِي وَاكْتَفَيْت بِي عَمَّا لِي، كُنْت لَك بِكُلِّ مَا لِي أَبَدَ الْآبِدِينَ، وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكْتَفِ بِي عَمَّا لِي، بَقِيتُ مُنْقَطِعًا عَنِّي وَعَنْ كُلِّ مَا لِي فَلَمْ يَزَلْ الْمَوْلَى جَلَا وَعَلَا بِمِثْلِ ذَلِكَ يَدْعُوهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ حَتَّى صَيَّرَهُ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ لَهُ مُجَرَّدًا أَوْ قُرْبَهُ مِنْهُ أَقْرَبَ مِنْ الرُّوحِ إِلَى الْجَسَدِ، فَهَذَا بَيَانُ مَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ مِنْ نِدَاءِ الْحَقِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى إِلَى سِرِّ أَحْبَابِهِ وَأَصْفِيَائِهِ وَأَهْلِ قُرْبِهِ تَعَالَى.

Qāla ʾmāmu al-sharīʿati washaykhu al-ṭarīqati: iʿlamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā ʾanna li-llāhi taʿālā ʿibādan iṣṭafāhum waʾaṣfāhum linafsihi, ikhtaṣṣahum liṣuḥbatihi, wa-ikhtārahum liʾunsihi, waʾakramahum biqurbihi, waṭayyabahum lidhikrihi wamunājātihi, waʾaʿṭāhum qulūban kashafa ʿanhā ḥujuba al-ʾaghyāri, waʾaṭlaʿahā ʿalā ʾabḥari al-ʾanwāri, waʾashrafahā ʿalā khazāʾini al-ʾasrāri, waṭaraqa lahā subula sunana al-ʾabrāri, waʾajlasahā ʿalā surari al-ʾaḥrāri waghashiyahā binūri al-iftikhāri, walihadhihi al-qulūbi sākinatun ghāmiḍatun ghāba ʿanhā kullu tamannin bal lā yakhṭiru al-wahmu bidūnihi waṣārat bi-al-kulliyyati muṭmaʾinnatan ʾlayhi, mustaʾnasatan bihi mustaqīmatan maʿahu lā taltafitu minhu ʾilā al-dārayni walā tanṣarifu ʿanhu bi-al-kawnayni haybatan liʾijlālihi wataʿẓīman liḥurmatihi, lihadhihi al-qulūbi wa-al-ʾasrāri allatī dhakarnāhā ʾabṣārun yanẓurūna bihā ʾilā jalāli Allāhi waʿaẓamatihi wakamāli rubūbiyyatihi walaṭāʾifi ṣunaʿahu, walahā ʾasmāʿun yastamiʿūna bihā nidāʾa al-ḥaqqi subḥānahu wataʿālā, waḥusna mukhāṭabatihi, walaṭāʾifa muʿātabatihi, waṣunūfa daʿwatihi ʾilā nafsihi, walahā ʾalsunun yujībūna bihā biṣidqi al-talbiyati waḥusni al-tanājī maʿa ghāyati al-iḥtirāfi ʾlayhi, falā Allāhu subḥānahu wataʿālā yaskunu sāʿatan min nidāʾihi waḥusni mukhāṭabatihi fīmā yadʿū ʾaḥibbāʾihi ʾilā nafsihi, walā hum yamallūna min al-ʾijābati ʿindamā yunājūnahu bi-al-talbiyati - subḥānahu wataʿālā -, walahum mā yashtahūna, falaw ʾanna ʿabdan min haʾulāʾi al-ʿibādi alladhīna dhakarnā naʿatahum wawaṣafahum al-tafata ʾilā shayʾin min al-manāzili wa-al-maqāmāti, ʾaw māla ʾilā shayʾin min al-mawāhibi wa-al-karāmāti ʾatā ʾilā sirrihi nidāʾa al-ḥaqqi subḥānahu wataʿālā: ʿabdī mālikin taqifu minanā watamīlu ʾilā ghayrī, waʾanā maḥallu ʾāmāli kulli muʾammalin, waʾanā alladhī jaʿalt ʾāmāla ʾaḥibbāʾī muttaṣilatan bī, ʿabdī halumma ʾilā lā tunāziʿnī, ʿabdī hā ʾanā laka bi-al-kulliyyati sayyidan wāfiyan wafardan waḥīdan mina al-shurakāʾi ʾabada al-ʾābidīna, fakun ʾanta lī bi-al-kulliyyati ʿabdan muṭīʿan wafardan waḥīdan mina al-ʾaghyāri ʾabada al-ʾābidīna, ʿabdī ʾamā tadhakkuru kamālin tawaddadī bika fī kulli ḥālin waḥusn ʿināyatī maʿaka fī qadīmi al-ʾazali wadhikrī laka fī al-ʾazali, ʿabdī ʾalam ʾukrimka bimaʿrifatī warabbaytuka bimaḥabbatī waʾarshadtuka ʾilā nafsī waṭayyabtuk bidhikrī ḥattā ṣirt lī bi-al-kulliyyati ʿabdan, kamā kunt ʾanā fī al-ʾazali bi-al-kulliyyati lak ribā, ʿabdī ʾudnu minnī waʾaskin maʿī walā tabʿud ʿanniā, walā taltafi minanā ʾilā ghayrī, fatusqiṭa min ʿaynī, ʿabdī man ʾawṣalaka ʾilā ghayrī, ʾalaysa ʾanā alladhī talaṭṭaftu bik ḥattā waqaʿat al-waṣlatu baynī wabaynaka?, ḥattā ṣirtu min ʾahli wilāyatī lawlā ʾannī ʾaradtuka washiʾtu dhalika, min ghayrī yaqdiru ʾin lam ʾuridka lī yajʿaluka min ʾahli qurbā, ʾaḥbabtuka faḥababtanī, wadhakartuka fadhakartanī, ʾaʿlaytu himmataka ḥattā tamannayta ʿalayya faʾajabtu daʿwataka, warabbayyataka ḥattā ṣirtu min ʾahli mukhāṭabatī, ʿabdī ʾanā khalaqtuka warazaqtuka, waʾaradtuka bī, waqabla dhalika jaʿaltu laka ʾirādatan, laysa laka ḥīlatun ʾillā bī, waqalbuka biyadī, wakullaytuka lī, faʾin sallamta kulliyyatuka lī wa-iktafayt bī ʿammā lī, kunt lak bikulli mā lī ʾabada al-ʾābidīna, waʾin lam taktafi bī ʿammā lī, baqītu munqaṭiʿan ʿannī waʿan kulli mā lī falam yazal al-mawlā jalā waʿalā bimithli dhalika yadʿūhu ʾilā nafsihi ḥattā ṣayyarahu bi-al-kulliyyati lahu mujarradan ʾaw qurbahu minhu ʾaqraba min al-rūḥi ʾilā al-jasadi, fahadhā bayānu mā dhakarnāhu min nidāʾi al-ḥaqqi subḥānahu wataʿālā ʾilā sirri ʾaḥbābihi waʾaṣfiyāʾihi waʾahli qurbihi taʿālā.

The leader in the Sacred Law and master of the spiritual path said: Know, O company of those who intend God Most High, that God has servants whom He has chosen and purified for Himself. He has singled them out for His companionship, chosen them for intimate closeness, honored them with nearness, and made them fit for His remembrance and intimate converse. He has given them hearts from which He removed the veils of all that is other, opened them upon oceans of light, let them look upon treasuries of secrets, cleared for them the paths followed by the righteous, seated them upon the couches of the free, and covered them with the light of honor. Within these hearts is a subtle, hidden stillness from which every wish has vanished; no thought of what is less than Him even occurs to them. They have become wholly tranquil in Him, intimate with Him, and upright with Him. They do not turn from Him toward either abode or allow either world to divert them, in awe of His majesty and reverence for His sanctity. These hearts and inner mysteries have eyes by which they behold God’s majesty, greatness, perfect lordship, and subtle workmanship. They have ears by which they hear the call of the Real—glory and exaltation be to Him—His gracious address, His subtle reproaches, and His many summonses to Himself. They have tongues with which they answer in sincere response and beautiful intimate converse, with utter need for Him. God—glory and exaltation be to Him—never ceases calling and graciously addressing His beloved servants, inviting them to Himself; nor do they tire of answering Him when they converse with Him in response. They shall have whatever they desire. If one of the servants we have described turns toward a stage or station, or inclines toward a gift or charism, the call of the Real reaches his innermost consciousness: ‘My servant, why do you stop short of Me and incline toward another? I am the place in which every hopeful person’s hope rests, and I am the One who joined the hopes of My beloved servants to Me. My servant, come to Me and do not contend with Me. Here I am for you in My entirety: a faithful Master, One and without partner for ever and ever. Be for Me in your entirety: an obedient servant, alone and free of all others for ever and ever. My servant, do you not remember the fullness of My loving care for you in every state, My beautiful solicitude for you from beginningless eternity, and My remembrance of you there? Did I not honor you with knowledge of Me, nurture you through My love, guide you to Myself, and make you fragrant with My remembrance until you became wholly My servant, just as in pre-eternity I was wholly your Lord? My servant, draw near to Me, dwell with Me, do not go far from Me, and do not turn from Me toward another, lest you fall from My regard. My servant, who brought you to anyone other than Me? Was it not I who treated you gently until communion arose between Me and you and you became one of My friends? Had I not desired you and willed this, who besides Me could have made you one of those brought near? I loved you and caused you to love Me; I remembered you and caused you to remember Me. I raised your aspiration until you asked of Me, then I answered your prayer. I nurtured you until you became one of those whom I address. My servant, I created and sustained you. I desired you through Me, and even before that I created a will within you. You have no power except through Me; your heart is in My hand, and your entire being belongs to Me. If you surrender your whole being to Me and are content with Me instead of what belongs to Me, I shall be yours with all that is Mine for ever and ever. But if you are not content with Me instead of what is Mine, you will remain cut off from Me and from all that is Mine.’ The Master—majestic and exalted—continues calling him to Himself in this way until He makes him wholly divested for Him and brings him nearer than the spirit is to the body. This explains the call of the Real—glory and exaltation be to Him—to the inner mysteries of His beloved, chosen, and near servants.

§ 055

قَالَ الْمُؤَلِّفُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: فَمَنْ عَلِمَ هَذِهِ الْعِبَارَاتِ وَأَدْرَكَ هَذِهِ الْإِشَارَاتِ وَعَرَفَ مَعَانِيَ هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَاتِ فَبَخْ بَخٍ، وَإِلَّا سَأَذْكُرُ لَكُمْ مَا قَالَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى فِي الْكُتُبِ الْمُنَزَّلَةِ عَلَى أَنْبِيَائِهِ فِي نَعْتِ الْأَصْفِيَاءِ وَنِدَائِهِ لَهُمْ، فِيمَا يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى وَصْلِهِ وَقُرْبِهِ، وَفِيمَا يُخَاطِبُهُمْ وَيُعَاتِبُهُمْ حِينَ مَالَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ، فَهَذَا مَا رُوِيَ فِي الْأَخْبَارِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى يَقُولُ فِي بَعْضِ الْكُتُبِ الْمُنَزَّلَةِ: وَعِزَّتِي وَجَلَالِي وَكِبْرِيَائِي، وَارْتِفَاعِي فِي عَلَايَ أَنِّي لَا أَقْطَعُ أَمَلَ كُلِّ مُؤَمِّلٍ لِغَيْرِي بِالْإِيَاسِ مِنْهُ، يُؤَمِّلُ عَبْدِي غَيْرِي وَالْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ بِيَدِي، إِنِّي جَعَلْت آمَالَ خَلْقِي مُتَّصِلَةً بِي فَمَا لِعَبْدِي مُعْرِضًا عَنِّي، عَبْدِي تَنْعَمُ بِي وَتَسْتَأْنِسُ بِي فَإِنِّي لَك خَيْرٌ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا سِوَايَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، بَعْدِي أَلَمْ أَذْكُرْك قَبْلَ أَنْ تَذْكُرَنِي، وَأُحِبُّكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُحِبَّنِي وَأَرَدْتُكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُرِيدَنِي، عَبْدِي أَمَا تَسْتَحِي مِنِّي إِذْ أَعْرَضْتَ بِوَجْهِكَ عَنَى، أَيَلِيقُ بِكَ أَنْ تَلْتَفِتَ مِنِّي إِلَى غَيْرَى، أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ وَطَرِيقِ الْخَيْرِ وَالْفَلاحِ وَالنَّجاحِ وَالْوَصْلَةِ إِلَيَّ، عَبْدِي أَيْنَ مَنْ أَتَانِي فَلَمْ أَقْبَلْهُ، وَأَيْنَ مَنْ دَعَانِي فَلَمْ أُجِبْهُ، وَأَيْنَ مَنْ أَمَّلَنِي فَقَطَعْتُ أَمَلَهُ مِنِّي، عَبْدِي بَابِي لَكَ مَفْتُوحٌ، وَعَطَائِي لَكَ مَبْذُولٌ، وَأَنَا أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ.

Qāla al-muʾallifu raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu: faman ʿalima hadhihi al-ʿibārāti waʾadraka hadhihi al-ʾishārāti waʿarafa maʿāniya hadhihi al-kalimāti fabakh bakhin, waʾillā saʾadhkuru lakum mā qāla Allāhu subḥānahu wataʿālā fī al-kutubi al-munazzalati ʿalā ʾanbiyāʾihi fī naʿti al-ʾaṣfiyāʾi wanidāʾihi lahum, fīmā yadʿūhum ʾilā waṣlihi waqurbihi, wafīmā yukhāṭibuhum wayuʿātibuhum ḥīna mālat qulūbuhum ʾilā ghayrihi, fahadhā mā ruwiya fī al-ʾakhbāri ʾanna Allāha subḥānahu wataʿālā yaqūlu fī baʿḍi al-kutubi al-munazzalati: waʿizzatī wajalālī wakibriyāʾī, wa-irtifāʿī fī ʿalāya ʾannī lā ʾaqṭaʿu ʾamala kulli muʾammilin lighayrī bi-al-ʾiyāsi minhu, yuʾammilu ʿabdī ghayrī wa-al-khayru kulluhu biyadī, ʾinnī jaʿalt ʾāmāla khalqī muttaṣilatan bī famā liʿabdī muʿriḍan ʿannī, ʿabdī tanʿamu bī watastaʾnisu bī faʾinnī lak khayrun min kulli mā siwāya fī al-dunyā wa-al-ʾākhirati, baʿdī ʾalam ʾadhkurk qabla ʾan tadhkuranī, waʾuḥibbuka qabla ʾan tuḥibbanī waʾaradtuka qabla ʾan turīdanī, ʿabdī ʾamā tastaḥī minnī ʾidh ʾaʿraḍta biwajhika ʿanā, ʾayalīqu bika ʾan taltafita minnī ʾilā ghayrā, ʾayna tadhhabu waṭarīqi al-khayri wa-al-falāḥi wa-al-najāḥi wa-al-waṣlati ʾilayya, ʿabdī ʾayna man ʾatānī falam ʾaqbalhu, waʾayna man daʿānī falam ʾujibhu, waʾayna man ʾammalanī faqaṭaʿtu ʾamalahu minnī, ʿabdī bābī laka maftūḥun, waʿaṭāʾī laka mabdhūlun, waʾanā ʾarḥamu al-rāḥimīna.

The author—may God be pleased with him—said: Whoever understands these expressions, grasps these allusions, and knows the meanings of these words—what joy for him! Otherwise, I shall relate what is reported of God—glory and exaltation be to Him—in the books sent down to His prophets: descriptions of the chosen servants, His call to them as He summons them to communion and nearness, and His address and reproach when their hearts incline toward another. It is related in the transmitted reports that God—glory and exaltation be to Him—says in one of the revealed books: ‘By My might, majesty, greatness, and exalted height, I shall cut off with despair the hope of everyone who hopes in other than Me. Does My servant hope in another when all good is in My hand? I joined the hopes of My creatures to Me, so why does My servant turn away? My servant, take delight in Me and find intimacy in Me, for I am better for you than everything other than Me in this world and the Hereafter. My servant, did I not remember you before you remembered Me, love you before you loved Me, and desire you before you desired Me? My servant, are you not ashamed before Me when you turn your face away? Does it befit you to turn from Me toward another? Where would you go, when the road of goodness, flourishing, success, and communion leads to Me? My servant, where is the one who came to Me and whom I did not receive? Where is the one who called upon Me and whom I did not answer? Where is the one who placed hope in Me and whose hope I severed? My servant, My door is open to you, My gift is freely offered to you, and I am the Most Merciful of the merciful.’

§ 056

وَرَوَى أَيْضًا أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى يَحْيَى بْنِ زَكَرِيَّا، عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ:

Warawā ʾayḍan ʾanna Allāha subḥānahu wataʿālā ʾawḥā ʾilā Yaḥyā bni zakariyyā, ʿalayhimā al-salāmu:

It is also related that God—glory and exaltation be to Him—revealed to Yaḥyā son of Zakariyyā, peace be upon them both:

§ 057

يَا يَحْيَى إِنِّي قَضَيْت عَلَى نَفْسِي أَنْ يُحِبَّنِي عَبْدٌ مِنْ عِبَادِي، أَعْلَمُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ إِلَّا كُنْت سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ وَلِسَانَهُ، وَأَبْغَضُ إلَيْهِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ دُونِي وَأَمْنَعُ عَنْهُ شَهَوَاتِ الدُّنْيَا وَلَذَّاتِهَا، وَأَطَّلِعُ عَلَيْهِ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفَ مَرَّةٍ، وَأَزِيدُ لَهُ فِي كُلِّ سَاعَةٍ مِنْ لِذَائِذِ حُبِّي وَحَلَاوَةِ أُنْسِي وَأُشَدِّدُ شَوْقَهُ لِي وَأَمْلَأُ قَلْبَهُ نُورًا مِنْ نُورِي حَتَّى إِنَّهُ فِي كُلِّ سَاعَةٍ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى لَطَائِفَ صُنْعِي وَكَمَالِ تَوَدَّدِي، وَأَمْسَحُ بِرَأْسِهِ وَأَضَعُ يَدِي عَلَى أَلَمِهِ حَتَّى لَا يَشْكُوَ مِنِّي إِلَى غَيْرِي، وَكُلَّمَا أَسْمَعُ خَفَقَانَ قَلْبِهِ مِنْ الشَّوْقِ إِلَى لِقَائِي ازْدَدْتُ شَوْقًا إِلَى لِقَائِهِ، لِوَلَايَ لَمْ يَشْتَاقْنِي، فَقَالَ يَحْيَى: حَقِيقٌ عَلَيَّ أَنْ لَا يَسْكُنَ قَلْبِي حَتَّى أَصِلَ إِلَيْكَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّبُّ جَلَّ وَجَلالُهُ: يَا يَحْيَى وَكَيْفَ يَسْكُنُ قَلْبُ الْمُرِيدِ الْمُشْتَاقِ، وَأَنَا غَايَةُ مَنِيَّتِهِ، وَمُنْتَهَى أَمَلِهِ، وَأَنَا فِي كُلِّ سَاعَةٍ أَتَقَرَّبُ مِنْهُ حِينَ يَتَقَرَّبُ مِنِّي، وَأَسْمَعُ كَلامَهُ وَأَعْلَمُ أَسَفَهُ وَأُحِبُّ صَوْتَهُ، يَا يَحْيَى: فَبِعِزَّتِي وَجَلالِي لأَبْعَثَنَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مَبْعَثًا يَغْبِطُهُ بِهِ الأَوَّلُونَ وَالآخِرُونَ، ثُمَّ آمُرُ مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي تَحْتَ عَرْشِي هذَا فُلانُ بْنُ فُلانٍ، هذَا وَلِيِّي وَصْفِيِّي، أَنَا اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ غَيْرِي، دَعْوْتَهُ لِتَقَرَّ عَيْنُهُ بِالنَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِي، يَا مَلَائِكَتِي ارْفَعُوا الْحِجَابَ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ حَبِيبِي، حَتَّى يَنْظُرَ إِلَى وَجْهِي، كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ، وَأَنَا الَّذِي ابْتَدِئَهُ بِالسَّلَامِ أَقُولُ لَهُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا عَبْدِي أَبْشِرْ فَو عِزَّتِي وَجَلَالِي لِأَتَّخِذَكَ لِنَفْسِي، فَقَالَ يَحْيَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ سُبْحَانَكَ يَا رَبِّ ثُمَّ صَعِقَ صَعْقَةً عَظِيمَةً لَمْ يُفِقْ إِلَّا بَعْدَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ فَلَمَّا آفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَك يَا رَبِّ عَجَبًا لِمَنْ عَرَفَك كَيْفَ يَشْتَغِلُ بِغَيْرِك، سُبْحَانَك مَا أَكْثَرَ تَوَدُّدَك إِلَى أَوْلِيَاؤُك وَأَصْفِيَائِك يَا خَيْرَ مَأْمُولٍ وَخَيْرَ مَقْصُودٍ أَنْتَ أُنْسِي مَا بَقِيت، وَصَاحِبِي مَا حَيِيت، وَجَلِيسِي بِك اكْتَفَيْت، وَفِي بَعْضِ الْكُتُبِ الْمُنَزَّلَةِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى يَقُولُ وَإِذَا كَانَ الْغَالِبُ عَلَى عَبْدِي الِاشْتِغَالَ بِي عَنْ غَيْرِي، جَعَلْت لَذَّتَهُ فِي ذِكْرِي، وَهِمَّتَهُ فِي مَحَبَّتِي، وَالْأُنْسُ بِي، وَرَفَعْتُ الْحِجَابَ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ، وَكُنْتُ لَهُ سَمْعًا وَبَصَرًا، وَكُنْتُ مُمَثِلًا بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُ يَنْظُرُ إلَيَّ لَا يَسْهُو إِذَا سَهَى النَّاسُ، وَلَا يَغْفُلُ إِذَا غَفَلُوا أُولَئِكَ كَلَامُهُمْ كَلَامُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ بِهِمْ، أَصْرِفُ الزَّلَازِلَ وَالْعَذَابَ عَنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ، أُولَئِكَ أَوْلِيَائِي حَقًّا، حَقًّا لَهُمْ عِنْدِي مَا لَا عَيْنٌ رَأَتْ وَلَا أُذُنٌ سَمِعَتْ، وَلَا خَطَرَ عَلَى قَلْبِ بَشَرٍ، وَإِنِّي أَسْمَعُ أَنِينَهُمْ وَأَرَى بُكَاءَهُمْ مِنْ شَوْقِي، وَأَعْلَمُ خَفَقَانَ قُلُوبِهِمْ مِنْ أَجْلَى وَكُلَّ سَاعَةٍ أَنْظُرُ إلَيْهِمْ فَأَنِّي حَلَفْت لَأَرْفَعَنَّ الْحُزْنَ مِنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ حَتَّى يَسْتَرِيحُوا بِي وَيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّى لَهُمْ نِعْمَ الْمَوْلَّى فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ.

Yā Yaḥyā ʾinnī qaḍayt ʿalā nafsī ʾan yuḥibbanī ʿabdun min ʿibādī, ʾaʿlamu dhalika min qalbihi ʾillā kunt samʿahu alladhī yasmaʿu bihi, wabaṣarahu walisānahu, waʾabghaḍu ʾlayhi kulla shayʾin dūnī waʾamnaʿu ʿanhu shahawāti al-dunyā waladhdhātihā, waʾaṭṭaliʿu ʿalayhi fī kulli yawmin sabʿīna ʾalfa marratin, waʾazīdu lahu fī kulli sāʿatin min lidhāʾidhi ḥubbī waḥalāwati ʾunsī waʾushaddidu shawqahu lī waʾamlaʾu qalbahu nūran min nūrī ḥattā ʾinnahu fī kulli sāʿatin yanẓuru ʾilā laṭāʾifa ṣunʿī wakamāli tawaddadī, waʾamsaḥu biraʾsihi waʾaḍaʿu yadī ʿalā ʾalamihi ḥattā lā yashkuwa minnī ʾilā ghayrī, wakullamā ʾasmaʿu khafaqāna qalbihi min al-shawqi ʾilā liqāʾī izdadtu shawqan ʾilā liqāʾihi, liwalāya lam yashtāqnī, faqāla Yaḥyā: ḥaqīqun ʿalayya ʾan lā yaskuna qalbī ḥattā ʾaṣila ʾilayka. faqāla lahu al-rabbu jalla wajalāluhu: yā Yaḥyā wakayfa yaskunu qalbu al-murīdi al-mushtāqi, waʾanā ghāyatu maniyyatihi, wamuntahā ʾamalihi, waʾanā fī kulli sāʿatin ʾataqarrabu minhu ḥīna yataqarrabu minnī, waʾasmaʿu kalāmahu waʾaʿlamu ʾasafahu waʾuḥibbu ṣawtahu, yā Yaḥyā: fabiʿizzatī wajalālī lʾabʿathannahu yawma al-qiyāmati mabʿathan yaghbiṭuhu bihi al-ʾawwalūna wa-al-ʾākhirūna, thumma ʾāmuru munādiyan yunādī taḥta ʿarshī hdhā fulānu bnu fulānin, hdhā waliyyī waṣfiyyī, ʾanā Allāhu lā ʾilāha ghayrī, daʿwtahu litaqarra ʿaynuhu bi-al-naẓari ʾilā wajhī, yā malāʾikatī irfaʿū al-ḥijāba fīmā baynī wabayna ḥabībī, ḥattā yanẓura ʾilā wajhī, kayfa yashāʾu, waʾanā alladhī ibtadiʾahu bi-al-salāmi ʾaqūlu lahu al-salāmu ʿalayka yā ʿabdī ʾabshir faw ʿizzatī wajalālī liʾattakhidhaka linafsī, faqāla Yaḥyā ʿalayhi al-salāmu subḥānaka yā rabbi thumma ṣaʿiqa ṣaʿqatan ʿaẓīmatan lam yufiq ʾillā baʿda thalāthati ʾayyāmin falammā ʾāfāqa qāla subḥānak yā rabbi ʿajaban liman ʿarafak kayfa yashtaghilu bighayrik, subḥānak mā ʾakthara tawaddudak ʾilā ʾawliyāʾuk waʾaṣfiyāʾik yā khayra maʾmūlin wakhayra maqṣūdin ʾanta ʾunsī mā baqīt, waṣāḥibī mā ḥayīt, wajalīsī bik iktafayt, wafī baʿḍi al-kutubi al-munazzalati ʾanna Allāha subḥānahu wataʿālā yaqūlu waʾidhā kāna al-ghālibu ʿalā ʿabdī al-ishtighāla bī ʿan ghayrī, jaʿalt ladhdhatahu fī dhikrī, wahimmatahu fī maḥabbatī, wa-al-ʾunsu bī, warafaʿtu al-ḥijāba fīmā baynī wabaynahu, wakuntu lahu samʿan wabaṣaran, wakuntu mumathilan bayna ʿaynayhi ḥattā kaʾannahu yanẓuru ʾlayya lā yashū ʾidhā sahā al-nāsu, walā yaghfulu ʾidhā ghafalū ʾūlaʾika kalāmuhum kalāmu al-ʾanbiyāʾi bihim, ʾaṣrifu al-zalāzila wa-al-ʿadhāba ʿan ʾahli al-ʾarḍi, ʾūlaʾika ʾawliyāʾī ḥaqqan, ḥaqqan lahum ʿindī mā lā ʿaynun raʾat walā ʾudhunun samiʿat, walā khaṭara ʿalā qalbi basharin, waʾinnī ʾasmaʿu ʾanīnahum waʾarā bukāʾahum min shawqī, waʾaʿlamu khafaqāna qulūbihim min ʾajlā wakulla sāʿatin ʾanẓuru ʾlayhim faʾannī ḥalaft laʾarfaʿanna al-ḥuzna min qulūbihim ḥattā yastarīḥū bī wayaʿlamū ʾannā lahum niʿma al-mawllā fī al-dunyā wa-al-ʾākhirati.

‘Yaḥyā, I have decreed for Myself that whenever one of My servants loves Me and I know it from his heart, I become the hearing by which he hears, his sight, and his tongue. I make everything beneath Me hateful to him, keep the appetites and pleasures of the world away from him, and look upon him seventy thousand times each day. At every hour I increase for him the delights of My love and the sweetness of intimacy with Me, intensify his longing for Me, and fill his heart with light from My light, until at every hour he beholds the subtleties of My workmanship and the perfection of My loving care. I stroke his head and place My hand upon his pain so that he complains of Me to no one but Me. Whenever I hear his heart beating from longing to meet Me, My longing to meet him increases; were it not for My friendship, he could not long for Me.’ Yaḥyā said: ‘It is only right that my heart never rest until I reach You.’ The Lord—majestic is His glory—said: ‘Yaḥyā, how could the heart of the yearning seeker rest when I am his utmost desire and furthest hope? Every hour I draw near to him as he draws near to Me. I hear his words, know his sorrow, and love his voice. Yaḥyā, by My might and majesty, I shall raise him on the Day of Resurrection in a manner envied by the first and the last. Then I shall command a herald beneath My Throne to call: “This is so-and-so, son of so-and-so. This is My friend and chosen one. I am God; there is no god but Me. I called him so that his eye might be delighted by gazing upon My Face. My angels, lift the veil between Me and My beloved so that he may behold My Face as he wishes.” I shall be the One who first greets him, saying: “Peace be upon you, My servant. Rejoice! By My might and majesty, I shall take you for Myself.”’ Yaḥyā, peace be upon him, said, ‘Glory be to You, my Lord,’ and fell into a mighty swoon, from which he did not recover for three days. When he awoke, he said: ‘Glory be to You, my Lord! How astonishing that one who knows You could busy himself with another. Glory be to You! How abundant is Your loving approach to Your friends and chosen servants. O best of all hoped-for ones and best of all sought: You are my intimate as long as I remain, my companion as long as I live, and my table-companion; in You I am content.’ It is also related in one of the revealed books that God—glory and exaltation be to Him—says: ‘When occupation with Me rather than with another predominates in My servant, I place his delight in My remembrance, his aspiration in loving Me, and his intimacy in Me. I lift the veil between Me and him, become his hearing and sight, and remain present before his eyes so that it is as though he beholds Me. He is not distracted when people are distracted and is not heedless when they are heedless. Their speech is the speech of the prophets. Through them I turn earthquakes and punishment away from the people of the earth. They are truly My friends; with Me they have what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and what has never occurred to a human heart. I hear their groaning and see their tears of longing for Me. I know the beating of their hearts on My account. Every hour I look upon them, and I have sworn to lift sorrow from their hearts until they rest in Me and know what a fine Patron they have in this world and the Hereafter.’

§ 058

وَرُوِيَ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَخْبَارِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى دَاوُد النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ:

Waruwiya fī baʿḍi al-ʾakhbāri ʾanna Allāha subḥānahu wataʿālā ʾawḥā ʾilā dāwud al-nabiyya ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi waʾālihi wasallama ʾan:

It is related in some transmitted reports that God—glory and exaltation be to Him—revealed to the prophet David, may God bless him and his family and grant them peace:

§ 059

يَا دَاوُد أَخْبِرْ أَهْلَ الْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلِمْهُمْ أَنِّي ذَاكِرٌ مَنْ ذَكَرَنِي، وَحَبِيبٌ مَنْ أَحَبَّنِي، وَأُنَيْسٌ مِنْ أَنَسٍ بِي، وَمَوْجُودٌ لِمَنْ طَلَبَنِي، هَلُمُّوا إِلَى مُصَاحَبَتِي، وَتَسَارَعُوا إِلَى قُرْبِي، وَتَهَيَّئُوا إِلَى زِيَارَتِي، يَا دَاوُدُ إِنِّي جَعَلْتُ طَيَرَانَ قُلُوبِ الْمُشْتَاقِينَ نَحْوِي، وَجَعَلْتُهَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مَوْضِعَ نَظَرِي، وَأَطْلَعْتُهَا بِي (أَيْ جَعَلْتُهَا نَاظِرَةً إِلَيَّ) حَتَّى ازْدَادَ لَهَا شَوْقًا بِي إِلَى لِقَائِي، وَأُرِيهِمْ فِي كُلِّ سَاعَةٍ جَزِيلٍ كَرَامَتِي وَلَطَائِفُ صُنْعِي، وَحُسْنٌ امْتِنَانِي، حَتَّى لَا يَأْنَسُوا وَلَا يَمِيلُوا إِلَى غَيْرِي، وَلَا يَصْبِرُونَ عَنِّي سَاعَةً شَوْقًا إِلَى لِقَائِي، وَجَعَلْتُ آمَالَهُمْ مُتَّصِلَةً بِي، وَفُتِحَتُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابَ أُنْسِي وَمُنَاجَاتِي، يَا دَاوُد مَا لِعَبْدِي وَالْإِعْرَاضُ عَنِّي، وَأَنَا أَقُولُ إلَيَّ إلَيَّ، يَا دَاوُد وَأَنَا مَحَلُّ الْآمَالِ، فَمَا لِعَبْدِي أَنْ يَقْطَعَ الْآمَالَ مِنِّي، يَا دَاوُد إِذَا كَانَ الْغَالِبُ عَلَى عَبْدِي الِاشْتِغَالَ بِي عَنْ غَيْرِي، جَعَلْتُ رَاحَتَهُ وَلَذَّتَهُ فِي ذِكْرِي، وَكُنْت أَنَا مِثَالًا بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ حَتَّى لَا يَنْسَانِي، يَا دَاوُد أَلَا طَالَ شَوْقُ الْأَبْرَارِ إِلَى لِقَائِي، وَإِنِّي إلَيْهِمْ لَأَشَدُّ شَوْقًا، أَلَا مَنْ طَلَبَنِي وَجَدَنِي، وَمَنْ طَلَبَ غَيْرِي لَمْ يَجِدْنِي، بَلْ وَلَمْ يَجِدْ غَيْرِي، يَا دَاوُد حَبِيبٌ يُحِبُّ خَلْوَةَ حَبِيبِهِ، يَتَلَذَّذُ بِأُنْسِهِ، وَأَنَا مُطَّلِعٌ عَلَى قُلُوبِ أَحِبَّائِي، أَرَى تَلَذُّذَهُمْ بِأُنْسِي، وَانْفِرَادَهُمْ بِي عَنْ غَيْرِي، يَا دَاوُد قُلْ لِلْمُتَلَذِّذِينَ بِأُنْسِي هَلْ وَجَدْتُمْ طَبِيبًا أَكْبَرَ مِنِّي، يَا دَاوُد أَنَا خَبِيرٌ بِأَحْبَابِي، وَأَنَا مُطَّلِعٌ عَلَى خَفَقَانِ قُلُوبِهِمْ، فَإِذَا جَنُّهُمْ اللَّيْلُ جَعَلَتْ أَبْصَارَهُمْ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ، وَقُلُوبُهُمْ عِنْدِي، وَمَثَّلَتْ نَفْسِي بَيْنَ أَعْيُنِهِمْ، فَلَوْ لَا أَنِّي قَدْ رَبَطْتُ أَرْوَاحَ أَحِبَّائِي فِي أَبْدَانِهِمْ لَطَارَتْ شَوْقًا إلَيَّ وَسُرُورًا بِي، يَا دَاوُد احْذَرْ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ عَالِمًا سَكْرَانَ يَصُدُّكَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي، وَيَدْعُوكَ مِنِّي إِلَى غَيْرِي، وَيَقَطَعَ عَلَيْكَ طُرُقَ الْوَصْلَةِ وَالْقُرْبِ مِنِّي وَأَنْتَ لَا تَشْعُرْ، يَا دَاوُد أَكْثَرُ الْخَلْقِ قُطَّاعُ طَرِيقِ الْقُلُوبِ عَنْ طَرِيقِ الْأَبْرَارِ، يَا دَاوُد إِنَّ أَقَلَّ مَا أَنَا صَانِعٌ بِالْقَلْبِ الْمُحِبِّ لِلشَّهَوَاتِ أَنْ أَسْلُبَهُ حَلَاوَةً ذِكْرِي، وَلَذَائِذٍ مُنَاجَاتِي، لِأَنَّهُ مَحْجُوبٌ عَنِّي، يَا دَاوُد أَنَا حَبِيبُ الْقُلُوبِ، وَأَنَا عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ وَأَنَا نِعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ.

Yā dāwud ʾakhbir ʾahla al-ʾarḍi waʾaʿlimhum ʾannī dhākirun man dhakaranī, waḥabībun man ʾaḥabbanī, waʾunaysun min ʾanasin bī, wamawjūdun liman ṭalabanī, halummū ʾilā muṣāḥabatī, watasāraʿū ʾilā qurbī, watahayyaʾū ʾilā ziyāratī, yā dāwudu ʾinnī jaʿaltu ṭayarāna qulūbi al-mushtāqīna naḥwī, wajaʿaltuhā fī al-ʾarḍi mawḍiʿa naẓarī, waʾaṭlaʿtuhā bī (ʾay jaʿaltuhā nāẓiratan ʾilayya) ḥattā izdāda lahā shawqan bī ʾilā liqāʾī, waʾurīhim fī kulli sāʿatin jazīlin karāmatī walaṭāʾifu ṣunʿī, waḥusnun imtinānī, ḥattā lā yaʾnasū walā yamīlū ʾilā ghayrī, walā yaṣbirūna ʿannī sāʿatan shawqan ʾilā liqāʾī, wajaʿaltu ʾāmālahum muttaṣilatan bī, wafutiḥatu lahum ʾabwāba ʾunsī wamunājātī, yā dāwud mā liʿabdī wa-al-ʾiʿrāḍu ʿannī, waʾanā ʾaqūlu ʾlayya ʾlayya, yā dāwud waʾanā maḥallu al-ʾāmāli, famā liʿabdī ʾan yaqṭaʿa al-ʾāmāla minnī, yā dāwud ʾidhā kāna al-ghālibu ʿalā ʿabdī al-ishtighāla bī ʿan ghayrī, jaʿaltu rāḥatahu waladhdhatahu fī dhikrī, wakunt ʾanā mithālan bayna ʿaynayhi ḥattā lā yansānī, yā dāwud ʾalā ṭāla shawqu al-ʾabrāri ʾilā liqāʾī, waʾinnī ʾlayhim laʾashaddu shawqan, ʾalā man ṭalabanī wajadanī, waman ṭalaba ghayrī lam yajidnī, bal walam yajid ghayrī, yā dāwud ḥabībun yuḥibbu khalwata ḥabībihi, yataladhdhadhu biʾunsihi, waʾanā muṭṭaliʿun ʿalā qulūbi ʾaḥibbāʾī, ʾarā taladhdhudhahum biʾunsī, wa-infirādahum bī ʿan ghayrī, yā dāwud qul li-l-mutaladhdhidhīna biʾunsī hal wajadtum ṭabīban ʾakbara minnī, yā dāwud ʾanā khabīrun biʾaḥbābī, waʾanā muṭṭaliʿun ʿalā khafaqāni qulūbihim, faʾidhā jannuhum al-laylu jaʿalat ʾabṣārahum fī qulūbihim, waqulūbuhum ʿindī, wamaththalat nafsī bayna ʾaʿyunihim, falaw lā ʾannī qad rabaṭtu ʾarwāḥa ʾaḥibbāʾī fī ʾabdānihim laṭārat shawqan ʾlayya wasurūran bī, yā dāwud iḥdhar ʾan tajʿala baynī wabaynaka ʿāliman sakrāna yaṣudduka ʿan dhikrī, wayadʿūka minnī ʾilā ghayrī, wayaqaṭaʿa ʿalayka ṭuruqa al-waṣlati wa-al-qurbi minnī waʾanta lā tashʿur, yā dāwud ʾaktharu al-khalqi quṭṭāʿu ṭarīqi al-qulūbi ʿan ṭarīqi al-ʾabrāri, yā dāwud ʾinna ʾaqalla mā ʾanā ṣāniʿun bi-al-qalbi al-muḥibbi li-l-shahawāti ʾan ʾaslubahu ḥalāwatan dhikrī, waladhāʾidhin munājātī, liʾannahu maḥjūbun ʿannī, yā dāwud ʾanā ḥabību al-qulūbi, waʾanā ʿallāmu al-ghuyūbi waʾanā niʿma al-mawlā waniʿma al-naṣīru.

‘David, tell the people of the earth and make known to them that I remember whoever remembers Me, love whoever loves Me, am the intimate of whoever finds intimacy in Me, and am found by whoever seeks Me. Come to My companionship, hasten to My nearness, and prepare to visit Me. David, I have caused the hearts of those who long for Me to fly toward Me. I have made them the place of My regard upon earth and caused them to behold through Me—that is, I made them look toward Me—until their longing through Me to meet Me increased. Every hour I show them the abundance of My honor, the subtleties of My workmanship, and the beauty of My generosity, until they find intimacy in no one but Me, incline to no one else, and cannot bear separation from Me for even an hour because they long to meet Me. I joined their hopes to Me and opened for them the doors of intimacy and converse with Me. David, what has My servant to do with turning away from Me when I say, “Come to Me, come to Me”? David, I am the resting place of hopes; why should My servant sever his hopes of Me? David, when occupation with Me rather than with another predominates in My servant, I place his rest and delight in My remembrance and remain before his eyes so that he does not forget Me. David, how long the righteous have yearned to meet Me—and I yearn for them more intensely still. Whoever seeks Me finds Me; whoever seeks another neither finds Me nor truly finds the other. David, a beloved loves seclusion with his beloved and delights in intimacy with him. I look upon the hearts of My beloved and see how they delight in intimacy with Me and become solitary with Me apart from all others. David, say to those who delight in intimacy with Me: “Have you found any healer greater than Me?” David, I know My beloved and look upon the beating of their hearts. When night envelops them, their vision turns inward to their hearts, their hearts are with Me, and they set Me before their eyes. Had I not bound the spirits of My beloved within their bodies, those spirits would fly to Me from longing and joy in Me. David, beware of placing between Me and you an intoxicated scholar who bars you from My remembrance, calls you away from Me toward another, and cuts off the roads of communion and nearness without your noticing. David, most creatures are highway robbers who divert hearts from the path of the righteous. David, the least I do to a heart that loves its appetites is strip it of the sweetness of My remembrance and the delights of conversing with Me, for it is veiled from Me. David, I am the Beloved of hearts, the Knower of things unseen, and the finest Patron and Helper.’

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قَالَ إمَامُ الطَّرِيقَتَيْنِ وَشَيْخُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: لَوْ ذَكَرْنَا فِي كِتَابِنَا هَذَا مِنْ نَعْتِ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرَهُمْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِلْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالرُّسُلِ لَطَالَ الْبَابُ وَأَمْتَدَّ الْخِطَابُ، وَلَكِنَّ الْعَاقِلَ يَكْتَفِي بِدُونِ مَا بَيَّنْتَ، فَاقْتَصَرْتُ عَلَى هَذَا الْمِقْدَارِ وَاكْتَفَيْتُ، وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ عَلَى إجَابَةِ نِدَائِهِ لَنَا بِصِدْقِ الْإِرَادَةِ فِي الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ، وَعَلَى مَا يُحِبُّ وَيَرْضَى، فَإِنَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ وَالْمَنِّ الْعَظِيمِ

Qāla ʾmāmu al-ṭarīqatayni washaykhu al-farīqayni ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu: law dhakarnā fī kitābinā hadhā min naʿti al-ʾawliyāʾi alladhīna dhakarahum Allāhu taʿālā li-l-ʾanbiyāʾi wa-al-rusuli laṭāla al-bābu waʾamtadda al-khiṭābu, walakinna al-ʿāqila yaktafī bidūni mā bayyanta, fa-iqtaṣartu ʿalā hadhā al-miqdāri wa-iktafaytu, wa-bi-llāhi al-tawfīqu ʿalā ʾjābati nidāʾihi lanā biṣidqi al-ʾirādati fī al-qaṣdi ʾlayhi, waʿalā mā yuḥibbu wayarḍā, faʾinnahu dhū al-faḍli wa-al-manni al-ʿaẓīmi

The leader of the two paths and master of the two groups, Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd—may God be pleased with him—said: If we were to include in this book all the descriptions of the friends of God that God Most High related to the prophets and messengers, the chapter would grow long and the discourse would be greatly extended. A person of understanding, however, is satisfied with less than all that could be explained. I have therefore limited myself to this amount. Success comes from God in answering His call with a truthful will directed toward Him and in doing what He loves and approves, for He is the Possessor of immense favor and grace.

الْبَابُ الرَّابِعُ فِي إجَابَةِ الْقَاصِدِينَ نِدَاءَ الْحَقِّ بَعْدَ اسْتِمَاعِهِمْ لَهُ

Al-bābu al-rābiʿu fī ʾjābati al-qāṣidīna nidāʾa al-ḥaqqi baʿda istimāʿihim lahu

Chapter Four How Those Who Intend God Answer the Call of the Real After Hearing It

§ 062

قَالَ شَيْخُ الشُّيُوخِ شَرَفُ الدِّينِ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: اعْلَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إلَيْهِ أَنَّ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي كُلِّ سَاعَةٍ نَظْرَةً إِلَى قُلُوبِ الْأَصْفِيَاءِ وَأَهْلِ الْوِدَادِ، وَلَهُمْ فِي كُلِّ سَاعَةٍ نَظْرَةٌ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِعَيْنِ الْفُؤَادِ، وَلَا يَزَالُ الْمَوْلَّى يَدْعُو أَحِبَّاءَهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَيَقُولُ: أَصْفِيَائِي وَأَحِبَّائِي إِنِّي أَنَا اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا، هَلُمُّوا إِلَى مُصَاحَبَتِي، وَتَهَيَّئُوا إِلَى مُؤَانَسَتِي، وَبَادِرُوا إِلَى قُرْبِي وَصِلَتِي، فَإِنِّي لَكُمْ حَبِيبٌ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ جَلِيسًا وَأَنِيسًا وَهُمْ يُجِيبُونَهُ بِلِسَانِ الِافْتِقَارِ، وَيَقُولُونَ: لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ يَا مَنَّانَ الْقُلُوبِ، لَبَّيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ يَا سُرُورَ الْقُلُوبِ، لَبَّيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ مِنَ الدَّارَيْنِ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ بِدَعْوَتِكَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا سِوَاكَ لَبَّيْكَ، وَإِلَيْكَ بَلْ مِنْكَ إِلَيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ بِمُصَاحَبَتِكَ وَالْقُرْبُ مِنْكَ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ يَا دَلِيلَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إلَيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ، يَا مُرَادَ الْمُرِيدِينَ وَأَنِيسُ الْمُسْتَأْنِسِينَ إلَيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ يَا قُرَّةُ عَيْنِ الْعَارِفِينَ، وَثَمَرَةُ فُؤَادِ الْمُحِبِّينَ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ يَا سَيِّدَ السَّادَاتِ، وَمَوْلَايَ وَمُنْتَهَى رَغْبَتِي، وَغَايَةُ أَمْلِي لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ، أَبَدَ الْآبِدِينَ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ كَمَا أَنْتَ أَهْلُهُ لَبَّيْكَ، لَا مَلْجَأَ وَلَا مَنْجَا وَلَا مَفِرَّ مِنْك إِلَّا إلَيْكَ، أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْت عَلَى نَفْسِكَ، لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ، اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ شَفِيعِيٌّ مِنْكَ، وَأَنْتَ دَلِيلِي مِنْكَ إلَيْكَ، وَأَنْتَ مُعِينِي فِيكَ لَدَيْكَ، يَا حَبِيبَ الْقُلُوبِ وَالْأَنِيسُ الْأَكْبَرُ بِكَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ لَا تُحْجُبَنِي بِكَ عَنْكَ، يَا أَقْرَبُ مِنْ كُلِّ قَرِيبٍ، وَبِكَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ لَا تُبْعِدَنِي مِنْكَ، يَا غَايَةَ أُمَلِي سَلَامٌ عَلَى الدَّارَيْنِ بِمَا فِيهَا لِدَعْوَتِكَ، سُبْحَانَكَ سُبْحَانَكَ سُبْحَانَكَ عَجَبًا مِنِّي وَمِنْكَ مَا أَشَدَّ تُوَدِّدُكَ لِي مِنْكَ، وَمَا أَكْثَرَ الدَّلَّالُ مِنِّي إلَيْك، سُبْحَانَكَ سُبْحَانَكَ عَجَبًا لِلْخَلِيقَةِ كَيْفَ أَرَادُوا بِك بَدِيلًا؟ أَمْ كَيْفَ اخْتَارُوا عَلَيْكَ كَفِيلًا؟ أَمْ كَيْفَ أَثَّرُوا سِوَاكَ دَلِيلًا؟

Qāla shaykhu al-shuyūkhi sharafu al-dīni ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu: iʿlamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾlayhi ʾanna li-llāhi taʿālā fī kulli sāʿatin naẓratan ʾilā qulūbi al-ʾaṣfiyāʾi waʾahli al-widādi, walahum fī kulli sāʿatin naẓratun ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā biʿayni al-fuʾādi, walā yazālu al-mawllā yadʿū ʾaḥibbāʾahu ʾilā nafsihi, wayaqūlu: ʾaṣfiyāʾī waʾaḥibbāʾī ʾinnī ʾanā Allāhu lā ʾilāha ʾillā ʾanā, halummū ʾilā muṣāḥabatī, watahayyaʾū ʾilā muʾānasatī, wabādirū ʾilā qurbī waṣilatī, faʾinnī lakum ḥabībun fī al-dārayni jalīsan waʾanīsan wahum yujībūnahu bilisāni al-iftiqāri, wayaqūlūna: labbayka Allāhumma labbayka, labbayka yā mannāna al-qulūbi, labbayka labbayka labbayka yā surūra al-qulūbi, labbayka labbayka mina al-dārayni labbayka, labbayka bidaʿwatika ʾilayka min kulli mā siwāka labbayka, waʾilayka bal minka ʾilayka labbayka, labbayka bimuṣāḥabatika wa-al-qurbu minka labbayka, labbayka yā dalīla al-qāṣidīna ʾlayka labbayka, labbayka labbayka labbayka, yā murāda al-murīdīna waʾanīsu al-mustaʾnisīna ʾlayka labbayka, labbayka labbayka yā qurratu ʿayni al-ʿārifīna, wathamaratu fuʾādi al-muḥibbīna labbayka, labbayka yā sayyida al-sādāti, wamawlāya wamuntahā raghbatī, waghāyatu ʾamlī labbayka, labbayka, ʾabada al-ʾābidīna labbayka, labbayka kamā ʾanta ʾahluhu labbayka, lā maljaʾa walā manjā walā mafirra mink ʾillā ʾlayka, ʾanta kamā ʾathnayt ʿalā nafsika, lā ʾuḥṣī thanāʾan ʿalayka, Allāhumma ʾanta shafīʿiyyun minka, waʾanta dalīlī minka ʾlayka, waʾanta muʿīnī fīka ladayka, yā ḥabība al-qulūbi wa-al-ʾanīsu al-ʾakbaru bika ʿalayka ʾan lā tuḥjubanī bika ʿanka, yā ʾaqrabu min kulli qarībin, wabika ʿalayka ʾan lā tubʿidanī minka, yā ghāyata ʾumalī salāmun ʿalā al-dārayni bimā fīhā lidaʿwatika, subḥānaka subḥānaka subḥānaka ʿajaban minnī waminka mā ʾashadda tuwaddiduka lī minka, wamā ʾakthara al-dallālu minnī ʾlayk, subḥānaka subḥānaka ʿajaban li-l-khalīqati kayfa ʾarādū bik badīlan? ʾam kayfa ikhtārū ʿalayka kafīlan? ʾam kayfa ʾaththarū siwāka dalīlan?

The master of masters, Sharaf al-Dīn Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd—may God be pleased with him—said: Know, O company of those who intend Him, that at every hour God Most High looks upon the hearts of the chosen and the people of loving affection, while at every hour they look toward God Most High with the eye of the heart. The Master never ceases calling His beloved servants to Himself: ‘My chosen ones, My beloved, I am God; there is no god but Me. Come to My companionship, prepare for intimacy with Me, and hasten to My nearness and communion. I am your Beloved in both abodes, your table-companion and intimate.’ They answer Him with the tongue of utter need: ‘At Your service, O God, at Your service. At Your service, Bestower upon hearts. At Your service, at Your service, at Your service, Joy of hearts. At Your service from both abodes. At Your service: by Your call toward You, away from everything other than You. At Your service, toward You—indeed, from You to You. At Your service in Your companionship and nearness. At Your service, Guide of those who intend You. At Your service, at Your service, at Your service, Desire of those who desire and Intimate of those who seek intimacy in You. At Your service, Delight of the eyes of the knowers and fruit of the lovers’ hearts. At Your service, Master of masters, my Patron, furthest desire, and utmost hope. At Your service for ever and ever; at Your service as befits You. There is no refuge, rescue, or escape from You except to You. You are as You have praised Yourself; I cannot number Your praises. O God, You are my intercessor with You, my guide from You to You, and my helper in You before You. Beloved of hearts and Greatest Intimate, I plead with You by You not to veil me by You from You. O One nearer than every near one, I plead with You by You not to distance me from You. Utmost hope, farewell to both abodes and all they contain, because You have called. Glory be to You, glory be to You, glory be to You! How astonishing are You and I: how intensely Your loving approach comes to me from You, and how freely I behave toward You. Glory be to You! How astonishing that creatures seek a substitute for You, choose a guarantor in preference to You, or favor a guide other than You.’

§ 063

سُبْحَانَكَ سُبْحَانَكَ مَا أَطْيَبَ وَمَا أَلَذَّ اتِّفَاقَ الْإِلْهَامِ مِنْك عَلَى خَطَرَاتِ الْقُلُوبِ، وَمَا أَحْلَى الْمَشْيَ إِلَيْكَ بِالْأَوْهَامِ فِي طُرُقَاتِ الْغُيُوبِ سُبْحَانَكَ، سُبْحَانَكَ مَا أَدَقَّ مَا لَا يُمْكِنُ لِلْخَلْقِ وَصْفُهُ، وَمَا أَخْفَى مَا لَا يُمْكِنُ عَنِ الْخَلْقِ كَشَفَهُ، وَمَا أَظْهَرَ مَا لَا يُمْكِنْ عَنِ الْحَقِّ كَتْمُهُ، سُبْحَانَكَ سُبْحَانَكَ مَا أَطْوَلَ غَمَّ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لِلْوِصَالِ أَهْلًا وَمَا أَقَلَّ سُرُورٍ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مِنْ مَحَبَّتِكَ نَصِيبًا، إِلَٰهِي بِكَ أَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ لَا تَبْتَلِيَنِي بِغَمِّ الْإِبْعَادِ مِنْكَ بَعْدَ مَا زَيَّنْتَنِي بِسُرُورِ الْقُرْبِ مِنْكَ، وَلَا تَضْرِبْنِي بِسَيْفِ الْهِجْرَانِ بَعْدَ مَا أَحْيَيْتَنِي بِرُوحِ الْوِصَالِ إِلَيْكَ، إِلَٰهِي طُوبَى لِعَبْدٍ قَامَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ، وَانْقَطَعَ قَلْبُهُ إِلَيْكَ، وَاكْتَفِيَ بِكَ مِنْكَ لَدَيْكَ، طُوبَى لِبَدَنٍ انْتَصَبَ لَكَ لَدَيْكَ، وَقَصَدَ بِك إلَيْكَ، وَاعْتَمَدَ بِكَ عَلَيْكَ، طُوبَى لِعَيْنٍ نَظَرَتْ مِنْكَ إِلَيْكَ، وَبَكَتْ فِيكَ إِلَيْكَ، وَقَفَلْتُ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا سِوَاكَ إِلَيْكَ، إِلَٰهِي كَيْفَ تَبْكِي عَيْنٌ ضَحِكْتْ مِنْكَ إِلَيْكَ، أَمْ كَيْفَ لَا تَبْكِي خَشْيَةَ أَنْ تَكُونَ يَوْمًا حَسْرَةً عَلَيْكَ، إِلَٰهِي ضَحِكِي مِنْ حَيْثُ بُكَائِي، وَبُكَائِي مِنْ حَيْثُ ضَحِكِي، وَسُرُورِي مِنْ حَيْثُ غُمُومِي، وَغُمُومِي مِنْ حَيْثُ سُرُورِي، إِلهِي دَائِي مِنْ حَيْثُ دَوَائِي، وَدَوَائِي مِنْ حَيْثُ دَائِي، إِلَٰهِي كَيْفَ أَبْكِي وَقَدْ عَرَفْتُكَ؟ أَمْ كَيْفَ أَضْحَكُ وَقَدْ جَفَوْتُكَ؟ إِلَٰهِي كَيْفَ أَحْزَنُ وَأَنْتَ كَمَا أَنْتَ الْحَبِيبُ الْمَحْبُوبُ؟ أَمْ كَيْفَ أَفْرَحُ وَأَنَا كَمَا أَنَا الْخَسِيسُ الْمَعْيُوبُ؟ إِلَٰهِي كَيْفَ يَفْتَقِرُ مَنْ أَنْتَ مِنْ الدَّارَيْنِ حَظُّهُ؟ أَمْ كَيْفَ يَفْتَقِرُ مِنْ أَنْتِ غَايَةُ أَمَلِهِ؟ إِلَٰهِي كَيْفَ يَكُونُ غَرِيبًا مِنْ أَنْتَ غَايَةُ أَمَلِهِ، وَمِنْ الدَّارَيْنِ نَصِيبُهُ؟ إِلَٰهِي مِنْكَ ضَحِكِي وَمِنْكَ أَيْضًا بُكَائِي، أَنْتَ دَائِي وَأَنْتَ أَيْضًا دَوَائِي، إِلَٰهِي فِيكِ عُزَّى وَفِيكِ أَيْضًا هَوَانِي، حَسْبِي مِنْ سُؤَالِي عِلْمِكِ بِحَالِي، حَسْبِي مِنْ دَوَائِي عِلْمِكِ بِدَائِي، حَسْبِي مِنْ حَيَاتِي عِلْمُكِ بِجَفَائِي، حَسْبِي مِنْكَ وُدًّا أَنِّي لَمْ أَجِدْ مِنْكَ بُدًّا، حَسْبِي مِنْكَ حَسْرَةً إِنْ بَقِيتُ مِنْكَ مُنْفَرِدًا مَبْعَدًا مَطْرُودًا فَرَدَّا، إِلَٰهِي بِكَ أَنْتَ افْتِخَارِي، إِذَا نَظَرْتُ مِنْكَ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنْتَ أَنِيسِي، إِذًا نَزَلَتْ مِنْك عَلَيْك وَأَنْتَ سُرُورِيٌّ، إِذَا أَتَيْت مِنْك لَدَيْك، إِلَٰهِي لِسَانَك تَمَامَ مَا أَغْنَيْت وَتَحْقِيقَ مَا أَرْعَيْتَ وَتَدْوِيمَ مَا أَعْطَيْت وَأَعُوذُ بِك مِنْك.

Subḥānaka subḥānaka mā ʾaṭyaba wamā ʾaladhdha ittifāqa al-ʾilhāmi mink ʿalā khaṭarāti al-qulūbi, wamā ʾaḥlā al-mashya ʾilayka bi-al-ʾawhāmi fī ṭuruqāti al-ghuyūbi subḥānaka, subḥānaka mā ʾadaqqa mā lā yumkinu li-l-khalqi waṣfuhu, wamā ʾakhfā mā lā yumkinu ʿani al-khalqi kashafahu, wamā ʾaẓhara mā lā yumkin ʿani al-ḥaqqi katmuhu, subḥānaka subḥānaka mā ʾaṭwala ghamma mā lam yakun li-l-wiṣāli ʾahlan wamā ʾaqalla surūrin mā lam yakun lahu min maḥabbatika naṣīban, ʾilāhī bika ʾaqsamtu ʿalayka ʾan lā tabtaliyanī bighammi al-ʾibʿādi minka baʿda mā zayyantanī bisurūri al-qurbi minka, walā taḍribnī bisayfi al-hijrāni baʿda mā ʾaḥyaytanī birūḥi al-wiṣāli ʾilayka, ʾilāhī ṭūbā liʿabdin qāma bayna yadayka, wa-inqaṭaʿa qalbuhu ʾilayka, wa-iktafiya bika minka ladayka, ṭūbā libadanin intaṣaba laka ladayka, waqaṣada bik ʾlayka, wa-iʿtamada bika ʿalayka, ṭūbā liʿaynin naẓarat minka ʾilayka, wabakat fīka ʾilayka, waqafaltu ʿan kulli mā siwāka ʾilayka, ʾilāhī kayfa tabkī ʿaynun ḍaḥikt minka ʾilayka, ʾam kayfa lā tabkī khashyata ʾan takūna yawman ḥasratan ʿalayka, ʾilāhī ḍaḥikī min ḥaythu bukāʾī, wabukāʾī min ḥaythu ḍaḥikī, wasurūrī min ḥaythu ghumūmī, waghumūmī min ḥaythu surūrī, ʾilhī dāʾī min ḥaythu dawāʾī, wadawāʾī min ḥaythu dāʾī, ʾilāhī kayfa ʾabkī waqad ʿaraftuka? ʾam kayfa ʾaḍḥaku waqad jafawtuka? ʾilāhī kayfa ʾaḥzanu waʾanta kamā ʾanta al-ḥabību al-maḥbūbu? ʾam kayfa ʾafraḥu waʾanā kamā ʾanā al-khasīsu al-maʿyūbu? ʾilāhī kayfa yaftaqiru man ʾanta min al-dārayni ḥaẓẓuhu? ʾam kayfa yaftaqiru min ʾanti ghāyatu ʾamalihi? ʾilāhī kayfa yakūnu gharīban min ʾanta ghāyatu ʾamalihi, wamin al-dārayni naṣībuhu? ʾilāhī minka ḍaḥikī waminka ʾayḍan bukāʾī, ʾanta dāʾī waʾanta ʾayḍan dawāʾī, ʾilāhī fīki ʿuzzā wafīki ʾayḍan hawānī, ḥasbī min suʾālī ʿilmiki biḥālī, ḥasbī min dawāʾī ʿilmiki bidāʾī, ḥasbī min ḥayātī ʿilmuki bijafāʾī, ḥasbī minka wuddan ʾannī lam ʾajid minka buddan, ḥasbī minka ḥasratan ʾin baqītu minka munfaridan mabʿadan maṭrūdan faraddā, ʾilāhī bika ʾanta iftikhārī, ʾidhā naẓartu minka ʾilayka waʾanta ʾanīsī, ʾidhan nazalat mink ʿalayk waʾanta surūriyyun, ʾidhā ʾatayt mink ladayk, ʾilāhī lisānak tamāma mā ʾaghnayt wataḥqīqa mā ʾarʿayta watadwīma mā ʾaʿṭayt waʾaʿūdhu bik mink.

‘Glory be to You, glory be to You! How wholesome and delightful is the harmony of inspiration from You with the thoughts of hearts; how sweet it is to journey toward You in imagination along the roads of the unseen. Glory be to You! How subtle is what creatures cannot describe; how hidden is what they cannot disclose; and how manifest is what cannot be concealed of the Real. Glory be to You! How prolonged is the sorrow of one unfit for communion, and how slight is the joy of one who has no share in Your love. My God, I adjure You by You: do not afflict me with the sorrow of distance after You have adorned me with the joy of nearness. Do not strike me with the sword of separation after You have given me life through the spirit of communion with You. My God, blessed is the servant who stands before You, whose heart is severed unto You, and who is content with You, from You, before You. Blessed is the body that stands upright for You before You, intends You through You, and relies upon You through You. Blessed is the eye that looks from You toward You, weeps in You toward You, and closes itself to everything other than You as it returns to You. My God, how can an eye weep when it has laughed from You toward You? Yet how can it not weep for fear that one day it may become a source of regret before You? My God, my laughter arises where my weeping arises, and my weeping where my laughter arises; my joy arises where my sorrows arise, and my sorrows where my joy arises. My God, my illness arises where my cure arises, and my cure where my illness arises. My God, how can I weep when I have known You? Yet how can I laugh when I have treated You coldly? How can I grieve when You are as You are—the Beloved who is loved? Yet how can I rejoice when I am as I am—lowly and flawed? My God, how can one be poor when You are his share of both abodes? How can one be poor when You are his utmost hope? How can one be a stranger when You are his utmost hope and his share of both abodes? My God, from You comes my laughter and from You my weeping. You are my illness and You are my cure. In You lies my honor and in You my abasement. Your knowledge of my condition suffices in place of my asking; Your knowledge of my illness suffices as my cure; Your knowledge of my coldness suffices as my life. It is enough loving-kindness from You that I find no way to dispense with You. It is enough heartbreak from You if I remain cut off, distanced, rejected, and alone. My God, You are my pride when I look from You toward You; You are my Intimate when what comes from You descends upon me through You; and You are my joy when I come from You to Your presence. My God, I ask You for the completion of what You have enriched me with, the realization of what You have tended, and the lasting continuance of what You have given. I seek refuge in You from You.’

§ 064

إِلَٰهِي ارْحَمْ انْقِطَاعِي إلَيْكَ، وَانْفِرَادِي بِكَ، وَغُرْبَتِي فِي بِلَادِكَ، وَوَحْشَتِي بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ، إِلَٰهِي لَا لِي مِنْكَ وَلَا لِي فِيكَ حِيلَةٌ، وَلَا لِي مِنْ صَبْرٍ، وَلَا لِي مَعَ سِوَاكِ أُنَسٍ فَالْمُسْتَعَانُ مِنْكَ إلَيْكَ، إِلَٰهِي كَيْفَ يَنْسَاكَ مَنْ لَا يَغِيبُ عَنْكَ؟ أَمْ كَيْفَ يَغِيبُ عَنْك مَنْ لَا يَصْبِرُ سَاعَةً مِنْكَ؟ أَمْ كَيْفَ يَصْبِرُ عَنْك مَنْ قَدْ صَارَ مُحْتَرِقًا بِنَارِ حُبِّكٍ؟

ʾilāhī irḥam inqiṭāʿī ʾlayka, wa-infirādī bika, waghurbatī fī bilādika, wawaḥshatī bayna ʿibādika, ʾilāhī lā lī minka walā lī fīka ḥīlatun, walā lī min ṣabrin, walā lī maʿa siwāki ʾunasin fa-al-mustaʿānu minka ʾlayka, ʾilāhī kayfa yansāka man lā yaghību ʿanka? ʾam kayfa yaghību ʿank man lā yaṣbiru sāʿatan minka? ʾam kayfa yaṣbiru ʿank man qad ṣāra muḥtariqan bināri ḥubbikin?

‘My God, have mercy upon my total turning toward You, my solitude with You, my estrangement in Your lands, and my loneliness among Your servants. My God, I have no device apart from You or with You; I have no patience and no intimacy with anyone other than You. Help can be sought only from You toward You. My God, how could one forget You when he is never absent from Your sight? How could one be absent from You when he cannot endure an hour away from You? How could one bear separation from You when he has been set ablaze by the fire of Your love?’

§ 065

أَمْ كَيْفَ يَقْوَى عَلَى هَجْرِكَ مِنْ تَيْمِهِ حُبُّك؟ إِلَٰهِي أَنْتَ حَسْبِي مِنْ الدَّارَيْنِ، وَمِنْ جَمِيعِ الْخَلَائِقِ حَبِيبًا وَأَنِيسًا، يَا مُؤْنِسِيُّ وَأَنِيسِي، يَا صَاحِبِي وَجَلِيسِي، إِلَٰهِي مَا أَعْظَمَكَ وَأَجَلَكَ، إِلَٰهِي مَا أَلَذَّ ذِكْرَكَ وَالْأُنْسُ بِكَ، وَمَا أَحْلَى خِدْمَتَكَ وَالشُّغْلُ فِيكَ، إِلَٰهِي مَا أَوْحَشَ قَلْبٌ لَيْسَ فِيهِ أُنْسُكٌ، وَمَا أَخْرَبَ قَلْبٌ لَيْسَ فِيهِ ذِكْرُكَ، وَمَا أَقَلَّ سُرُورَ قَلْبٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِ حُبُّكَ، إِلَٰهِيٌّ هَذَا سُرُورِي بِكَ فِي حَالِ الْمُنَاجَاةِ، فَكَيْفَ سُرُورِي بِكَ فِي حَالِ الْمُلَاقَاةِ، إِلَٰهِي بِسُرُورِي بِكَ بَطَلَ عَنِّي الْغُمُومَ، وَبِشُغْلِي فِيكَ أَزَالَ عَنَى الْهُمُومَ، أَسْأَلُكَ سُؤَالَ مَنْ لَا يَعْرِفُ بِالرُّبُوبِيَّةِ غَيْرَكَ أَنْ تُعْتِقَنِي مِنْ عُبُودِيَّةِ مَا سِوَاكَ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَسِيرَ مِنْنِكَ وَرَهِينَ كَرْمِكَ وَغَرِيقَ إِنْعَامِكَ، إِلَٰهِي خَلَقْتَنِي فَأَحْسَنْتَ خَلْقِي، وَرَبَّيْتَنِي فَأَحْسَنْتَ تَرْبِيَتِي، وَدَعَوْتَنِي إِلَى نَفْسِكَ بِاللُّطْفِ دَعْوَةً، فَوَفِّقْنِي لِمَا تُحِبُّ وَتَرْضَى يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ، إِلَٰهِي لَكَ الْحَمْدُ كَمَا أَنْتَ أهْلُهُ وَكَمَا يَنْبَغِي لِكَرَمِ وَجْهِكَ، وَعِزِّ جَلالِكَ وَعَظِيمِ رُبُوبِيَّتِكَ يَا أَكْرَمَ الْأَكْرَمِينَ.

ʾam kayfa yaqwā ʿalā hajrika min taymihi ḥubbuk? ʾilāhī ʾanta ḥasbī min al-dārayni, wamin jamīʿi al-khalāʾiqi ḥabīban waʾanīsan, yā muʾnisiyyu waʾanīsī, yā ṣāḥibī wajalīsī, ʾilāhī mā ʾaʿẓamaka waʾajalaka, ʾilāhī mā ʾaladhdha dhikraka wa-al-ʾunsu bika, wamā ʾaḥlā khidmataka wa-al-shughlu fīka, ʾilāhī mā ʾawḥasha qalbun laysa fīhi ʾunsukun, wamā ʾakhraba qalbun laysa fīhi dhikruka, wamā ʾaqalla surūra qalbin laysa fīhi ḥubbuka, ʾilāhiyyun hadhā surūrī bika fī ḥāli al-munājāti, fakayfa surūrī bika fī ḥāli al-mulāqāti, ʾilāhī bisurūrī bika baṭala ʿannī al-ghumūma, wabishughlī fīka ʾazāla ʿanā al-humūma, ʾasʾaluka suʾāla man lā yaʿrifu bi-al-rubūbiyyati ghayraka ʾan tuʿtiqanī min ʿubūdiyyati mā siwāka ḥattā ʾakūna ʾasīra minnika warahīna karmika wagharīqa ʾinʿāmika, ʾilāhī khalaqtanī faʾaḥsanta khalqī, warabbaytanī faʾaḥsanta tarbiyatī, wadaʿawtanī ʾilā nafsika bi-al-luṭfi daʿwatan, fawaffiqnī limā tuḥibbu watarḍā yā ʾarḥama al-rāḥimīna, ʾilāhī laka al-ḥamdu kamā ʾanta ʾhluhu wakamā yanbaghī likarami wajhika, waʿizzi jalālika waʿaẓīmi rubūbiyyatika yā ʾakrama al-ʾakramīna.

‘How could one whom Your love has enthralled possess the strength to endure Your abandonment? My God, You are enough for me in place of both abodes and all creatures—my Beloved and Intimate. O my Consoler and Intimate, my Companion and Table-Companion! My God, how great and majestic You are. How delightful is Your remembrance and intimacy with You; how sweet Your service and occupation with You. How lonely is a heart without intimacy with You; how ruined a heart without Your remembrance; how little joy has a heart without Your love. My God, this is my joy in You during intimate converse—what, then, will my joy in You be at the meeting? Through joy in You my sorrows have fallen away, and through occupation with You my cares have vanished. I ask You, as one who acknowledges no lordship but Yours, to free me from servitude to everything other than You, until I am a captive of Your favor, a pledge of Your generosity, and immersed in Your beneficence. My God, You created me and made my form beautiful; You nurtured me and made my upbringing beautiful; You gently called me to Yourself. Grant me success in what You love and approve, Most Merciful of the merciful. My God, praise belongs to You as befits You, the generosity of Your Face, the might of Your majesty, and the greatness of Your lordship, Most Generous of the generous.’

§ 066

فَهَذَا بَيَانُ مَا ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ إجَابَةِ الْقَاصِدِينَ نِدَاءَ الْحَقِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى، فَإِنْ أَدْرَكْتُمْ هَذِهِ الْعِبَارَاتِ، وَوَقَفْتُمْ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْإِشَارَاتِ فَبَخٍ بَخٍ، وَإِلَّا فَسَأَذْكُرُ لَكُمْ بِعَوْنِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مُنَاجَاةَ الْمُحِبِّينَ مِمَّا حُكِيَ عَنْ أَجِلَّةِ أَهْلِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ، فَأَوَّلُ مَا نَبْتَدِئُ بِهِ مَا رَوَى عَنْ زَيْنِ الْقِيمَةِ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي مُنَاجَاتِهِ، إِلَٰهِي إِذَا قُرْت أَهْلَ الدُّنْيَا بِدُنْيَاهُمْ، فَأَقِرَّ عَيْنِي بِكَ، وَأَقْطِعْ عَنِّي لَذَائِذَ الدُّنْيَا بِأُنْسِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ.

Fahadhā bayānu mā dhakarnā min ʾjābati al-qāṣidīna nidāʾa al-ḥaqqi subḥānahu wataʿālā, faʾin ʾadraktum hadhihi al-ʿibārāti, wawaqaftum ʿalā hadhihi al-ʾishārāti fabakhin bakhin, waʾillā fasaʾadhkuru lakum biʿawni Allāhi taʿālā munājāta al-muḥibbīna mimmā ḥukiya ʿan ʾajillati ʾahli al-maʿrifati, faʾawwalu mā nabtadiʾu bihi mā rawā ʿan zayni al-qīmati Muḥammadun ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi waʾālihi wasallama ʾannahu qāla fī munājātihi, ʾilāhī ʾidhā qurt ʾahla al-dunyā bidunyāhum, faʾaqirra ʿaynī bika, waʾaqṭiʿ ʿannī ladhāʾidha al-dunyā biʾunsika wa-al-shawqa ʾilā liqāʾika.

This explains what we said about those who intend God answering the call of the Real—glory and exaltation be to Him. If you understand these expressions and grasp these allusions, then what joy! Otherwise, with God Most High’s help I shall relate for you the intimate prayers of the lovers that have been transmitted from eminent knowers. We begin with what is related from Muḥammad—the adornment of all value—may God bless him and his family and grant them peace: ‘My God, when You delight the people of the world with their world, delight my eye with You. Cut me off from worldly pleasures through intimacy with You and longing to meet You.’

§ 067

وَكَانَ مَنْصُورُ بْنُ عَمّارٍ يَقُولُ فِي بَعْضِ مُنَاجَاتِهِ: إِلَٰهِي إِنْ قَرّبْتنِي فَمَنَ الّذِي يُبْعِدُنِي، وَإِنْ عَزَّزْتَنِي فَمَنَ الّذِي يُذِلُّنِي، إِلَٰهِي كَيْفَ يُذِلّ مِنْ مَالِكِهِ عَزِيزٌ؟ أَمْ كَيْفَ يَفْتَقِرُ مِنْ مَالِكِهِ غَنِيٍّ سَيِّدِ السَّادَاتِ؟ إِلَٰهِي إِلَى مَنْ أَذْهَبُ وَأَنْتَ مَوْلَايَ، وَلِمَنْ أَرْجُو وَأَنْتَ مُنَايَ، وَبِمَنْ أَسْتَأْنِسُ وَأَنْتَ حَبِيبِي وَغَايَةُ أَمَلِي، وَأَسْأَلُك إتْمَامَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيَّ، يَا نِعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَيَا نِعْمَ النَّصِيرِ.

Wakāna manṣūru bnu ʿammārin yaqūlu fī baʿḍi munājātihi: ʾilāhī ʾin qarrbtnī famana alladhī yubʿidunī, waʾin ʿazzaztanī famana alladhī yudhillunī, ʾilāhī kayfa yudhill min mālikihi ʿazīzun? ʾam kayfa yaftaqiru min mālikihi ghaniyyin sayyidi al-sādāti? ʾilāhī ʾilā man ʾadhhabu waʾanta mawlāya, waliman ʾarjū waʾanta munāya, wabiman ʾastaʾnisu waʾanta ḥabībī waghāyatu ʾamalī, waʾasʾaluk ʾtmāma dhalika ʿalayya, yā niʿma al-mawlā wayā niʿma al-naṣīri.

Manṣūr ibn ʿAmmār used to say in one of his intimate prayers: ‘My God, if You draw me near, who can distance me? If You honor me, who can abase me? How can one whose sovereign is the Mighty be abased? How can one whose sovereign is the Self-Sufficient, the Master of masters, be poor? My God, to whom could I go when You are my Patron? In whom could I place hope when You are my desire? With whom could I find intimacy when You are my Beloved and utmost hope? I ask You to bring this to completion for me, finest Patron and finest Helper.’

§ 068

وَقَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الرَّازِيّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فِي بَعْضِ مُنَاجَاتِهِ: إِلَٰهِيٌّ سِرِّيٌّ مَكْشُوفٌ وَأَنَا إلَيْك مَلْهُوفٌ، وَأَنْتَ لَمْ تَزَلْ بِالْجُودِ مَوْصُوفٌ، إِلَٰهِي أَنْتَ أَنِيسُ الْمُسْتَأْنِسِينَ مِنْ أَحْبَابِك، وَجَلِيسُ الْمَلْهُوفِينَ مِنْ أَوْلِيَائِك وَسُرُورُ الْعَارِفِينَ مِنْ أَصْفِيَائِك، إِلَٰهِي أَنْتَ الَّذِي لَا يَخْفَى عَلَيْك أَحْوَالُ الْمُرِيدِينَ وَلَا يَبْطُلُ عِنْدَك أَمَلُ الْآمِلِينَ وَلَا يُخَيبُ لَدَيْك رَجَاءَ الْمُنِيبِينَ سُبْحَانَك سُبْحَانَك.

Waqāla Yaḥyā bnu muʿādhin al-rāziyy raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu fī baʿḍi munājātihi: ʾilāhiyyun sirriyyun makshūfun waʾanā ʾlayk malhūfun, waʾanta lam tazal bi-al-jūdi mawṣūfun, ʾilāhī ʾanta ʾanīsu al-mustaʾnisīna min ʾaḥbābik, wajalīsu al-malhūfīna min ʾawliyāʾik wasurūru al-ʿārifīna min ʾaṣfiyāʾik, ʾilāhī ʾanta alladhī lā yakhfā ʿalayk ʾaḥwālu al-murīdīna walā yabṭulu ʿindak ʾamalu al-ʾāmilīna walā yukhaybu ladayk rajāʾa al-munībīna subḥānak subḥānak.

Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh al-Rāzī—may God be pleased with him—said in one of his intimate prayers: ‘My God, my secret lies exposed, and I yearn desperately for You; You have always been described by generosity. My God, You are the Intimate of those among Your beloved who seek intimacy, the Companion of the grief-stricken among Your friends, and the joy of the knowers among Your chosen servants. My God, the states of the seekers are not hidden from You; the hope of those who hope is never lost with You; and the expectation of those who return is never disappointed before You. Glory be to You, glory be to You.’

§ 069

وَكَذَلِكَ كَانَتْ رَابِعَةُ الْعَدَوِيَّةُ الْبَصَرِيَّةُ تَقُولُ فِي بَعْضِ مُنَاجَاتِهَا: إِلَٰهِي أَجَلُّ الْعَطَايَا فِي قَلْبِي رَجَاؤُكَ، وَأُعَذِّبُ الْكَلَامَ عَلَى لِسَانِي كَلَامُكَ وَثَنَاؤُكَ، وَأُحَبُّ السَّاعَاتِ إِلَى سَاعَةٍ يَكُونُ فِيهَا لِقَاؤُكَ، إِلَٰهِي لَا صَبْرَ لِي فِي الدُّنْيَا عَنْ ذِكْرِكَ فَكَيْفَ أَصْبِرُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ عَنْ رُؤْيَتِكَ، إِلَٰهِي أَشْكُو إِلَيْكَ غُرْبَتِي فِي بِلَادِكَ، وَوَحْشَتِي بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ.

Wakadhalika kānat rābiʿatu al-ʿadawiyyatu al-baṣariyyatu taqūlu fī baʿḍi munājātihā: ʾilāhī ʾajallu al-ʿaṭāyā fī qalbī rajāʾuka, waʾuʿadhdhibu al-kalāma ʿalā lisānī kalāmuka wathanāʾuka, waʾuḥabbu al-sāʿāti ʾilā sāʿatin yakūnu fīhā liqāʾuka, ʾilāhī lā ṣabra lī fī al-dunyā ʿan dhikrika fakayfa ʾaṣbiru fī al-ʾākhirati ʿan ruʾyatika, ʾilāhī ʾashkū ʾilayka ghurbatī fī bilādika, wawaḥshatī bayna ʿibādika.

Rābiʿa al-ʿAdawiyya of Basra likewise used to say in one of her intimate prayers: ‘My God, the greatest of gifts in my heart is hope in You; the sweetest speech upon my tongue is Your speech and Your praise; and my dearest hour is the hour in which I meet You. My God, in this world I cannot bear to be without remembering You—how, then, could I bear in the Hereafter to be without seeing You? My God, to You I complain of my estrangement in Your lands and my loneliness among Your servants.’

§ 070

وَكَذَلِكَ كَانَ مَنْصُورُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ يَقُولُ فِي بَعْضِ مُنَاجَاتِهِ: إِلَٰهِي أُنْسِي بِكَ وَوَحْشَتِي مِنْ خَلْقِكَ وَمَعْرِفَتِي بِكَ تَمْنَعُنِي مِنْ مُنَاجَاةِ غَيْرِكَ، إِلَٰهِي حُبَّكَ عَطَشَ كَبِدِي وَأَوْحَشَنِي مِنْ وَلَدِي وَأَضَاقَ عَلَيَّ بَلَدِي، سُبْحَانَكَ سُبْحَانَكَ، عَجِبْتُ لِمَنْ يَعْرِفُكَ كَيْفَ لَا يَسْتَغْنِي عَنْ غَيْرِكَ بِكَ أَمْ كَيْفَ هُوَ يُرِيدُ سِوَاكَ، إِلَٰهِي مَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَسْرُورًا بِكَ فَمِنْ أَيْنَ لَهُ السُّرُورُ، إِلَٰهِي لَا تَجْعَلْنِي مِمَّنْ قَدْ صَرَفْتُ عَنْهُ وَجْهَكَ، وَحَجَبْتَ عَنْهُ عَفْوَك، وَغَلَقْتَ عَنْهُ بَابَكَ، وَقَطَعْتُكَ عَنْهُ عَظَمَتَكَ، وَوَكَلْتَهُ إِلَى غَيْرِكَ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَلَا أَقَلَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ.

Wakadhalika kāna manṣūru bnu ʿammārin yaqūlu fī baʿḍi munājātihi: ʾilāhī ʾunsī bika wawaḥshatī min khalqika wamaʿrifatī bika tamnaʿunī min munājāti ghayrika, ʾilāhī ḥubbaka ʿaṭasha kabidī waʾawḥashanī min waladī waʾaḍāqa ʿalayya baladī, subḥānaka subḥānaka, ʿajibtu liman yaʿrifuka kayfa lā yastaghnī ʿan ghayrika bika ʾam kayfa huwa yurīdu siwāka, ʾilāhī man lam yakun masrūran bika famin ʾayna lahu al-surūru, ʾilāhī lā tajʿalnī mimman qad ṣaraftu ʿanhu wajhaka, waḥajabta ʿanhu ʿafwak, waghalaqta ʿanhu bābaka, waqaṭaʿtuka ʿanhu ʿaẓamataka, wawakaltahu ʾilā ghayrika ṭarfata ʿaynin walā ʾaqalla min dhalika yā ʾarḥama al-rāḥimīna.

Manṣūr ibn ʿAmmār also used to say in one of his intimate prayers: ‘My God, my intimacy is with You and my estrangement is from Your creatures. My knowledge of You prevents me from conversing intimately with anyone but You. My God, Your love has made my heart thirst, estranged me from my child, and made my own land constrict around me. Glory be to You, glory be to You! I marvel at one who knows You: how can he fail to find freedom from all others through You, or how can he desire anyone but You? My God, if a person is not joyful in You, where could joy come from? Do not make me one of those from whom You have turned Your Face, whom You have veiled from Your pardon, against whom You have closed Your door, from whom Your greatness has been cut off, or whom You have entrusted to another for even the blink of an eye—or less than that—Most Merciful of the merciful.’

§ 071

وَحَكَى أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ كَعْبٍ الْقُرَظِيَّ قَالَ: كُنْت فِي مَسْجِدِ الْكُوفَةِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ اللَّيَالِي فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا فِي نِصْفِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِعَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ زَيْنِ الْعَابِدِينَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَدْ جَاءَ وَوَقَفَ بِبَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ فِي بَعْضِ مُنَاجَاتِهِ: يَا حَبِيبِي وَقُرَّةُ عَيْنِي غَلَّقَتْ الْمُلُوكُ أَبْوَابَهَا وَطَافَتْ عَلَيْهَا حُرَّاسُهَا وَبَابُك مَفْتُوحٌ، ثُمَّ دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ أَنْشَدَ يَقُولُ:

Waḥakā ʾanna Muḥammada bna kaʿbin al-quraẓiyya qāla: kunt fī masjidi al-kūfati fī laylatin min al-layālī fabaynamā ʾanā fī niṣfi al-layli faʾidhā ʾanā biʿaliyyi bni al-ḥusayni zayni al-ʿābidīna raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu qad jāʾa wawaqafa bibābi al-masjidi wahuwa yaqūlu fī baʿḍi munājātihi: yā ḥabībī waqurratu ʿaynī ghallaqat al-mulūku ʾabwābahā waṭāfat ʿalayhā ḥurrāsuhā wabābuk maftūḥun, thumma dakhala al-masjida waṣallā rakʿatayni, thumma ʾanshada yaqūlu:

It is related that Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb al-Quraẓī said: I was in the mosque of Kufa one night. At midnight I saw ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn, Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn—may God be pleased with him—come and stand at the mosque door, saying in an intimate prayer: ‘My Beloved and delight of my eye, kings have locked their doors and posted guards around them, but Your door stands open.’ He then entered the mosque, prayed two cycles, and recited:

§ 072

لَبَّيْكَ يَا مَنْ أَنْتَ مَوْلَاهُ * فَارْحَمْ عَبِيدًا إِلَيْكَ مَلْجَاهُ

Labbayka yā man ʾanta mawlāhu * fa-irḥam ʿabīdan ʾilayka maljāhu

At Your service, O You who are his Patron; / have mercy upon a little servant whose refuge is You.

§ 073

عَلَيْكَ يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ مُعْتَمَدِي * طُوبَى لِمَنْ كُنْتَ أَنْتَ مَوْلَاهُ

ʿalayka yā dhā al-jalāli muʿtamadī * ṭūbā liman kunta ʾanta mawlāhu

Upon You, Possessor of Majesty, I depend; / blessed is the one whose Patron You are.

§ 074

طُوبَى لِمَنْ كَانَ خَائِفًا وَجَلَا * يَشْكُو إِلَى ذِي الْجَلَالِ بِلْوَاهُ

ṭūbā liman kāna khāʾifan wajalā * yashkū ʾilā dhī al-jalāli bilwāhu

Blessed is the one who lives in reverent fear, / carrying his affliction to the Possessor of Majesty.

§ 075

وَمَا بِهِ عِلَّةٌ وَلَا سَقَمٌ * أَكْثَرُ مِنْ حُبِّهِ لِمَوْلَاهُ

Wamā bihi ʿillatun walā saqamun * ʾaktharu min ḥubbihi limawlāhu

No illness and no sickness afflicts him / more deeply than his love for his Patron.

§ 076

إِذَا خَلَا فِي الظَّلَامِ مُبْتَهِلًا * أَكْرَمَهُ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ لَبَّاهُ

ʾidhā khalā fī al-ẓalāmi mubtahilan * ʾakramahu Allāhu thumma labbāhu

When he withdraws into darkness and implores, / God honors him and answers his call.

§ 077

قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَعْبٍ: فَسَمِعْتُ هَاتِفًا مِنْ السَّمَاءِ يَقُولُ:

Qāla Muḥammadu bnu kaʿbin: fasamiʿtu hātifan min al-samāʾi yaqūlu:

Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb said: Then I heard an unseen voice from heaven saying:

§ 078

لَبَّيْكَ عَبْدِي فَأَنْتَ فِي كَنَفِي * وَكُلُّ مَا قُلْت قَدْ سَمِعْنَاهُ

Labbayka ʿabdī faʾanta fī kanafī * wakullu mā qult qad samiʿnāhu

At your service, My servant; you are in My protection. / Everything you have said, We have heard.

§ 079

دَعَاك عَبْدِي يَجُولُ فِي حَجْبِي * فَذَنْبُك الْيَوْمَ قَدْ غَفَرْنَاهُ صَوْتَكَ تَشْتَاقُهُ مَلائِكَتِي * فَحَسْبُكَ الصَّوْتُ قَدْ سَمِعْنَاهُ

Daʿāk ʿabdī yajūlu fī ḥajbī * fadhanbuk al-yawma qad ghafarnāhu ṣawtaka tashtāquhu malāʾikatī * faḥasbuka al-ṣawtu qad samiʿnāhu

My servant called upon You while moving through My veils; / today We have forgiven your sin. / My angels long to hear your voice; / let it suffice you that We have heard that voice.

§ 080

سَلْنِي بِلا حِشْمَةٍ وَلَا رَهَبٍ * وَلا تَخَفْ إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّهُ

Salnī bilā ḥishmatin walā rahabin * walā takhaf ʾinnanī ʾanā Allāhu

Ask Me without reserve or dread; / do not fear, for truly I am God.

§ 081

هَذَا يَرَى رَبَّهُ وَيَأْنَسُهُ * سُبْحَانَ مَنْ بِالسَّلامِ حَيَّاهُ

Hadhā yarā rabbahu wayaʾnasuhu * subḥāna man bi-al-salāmi ḥayyāhu

This one beholds his Lord and finds intimacy in Him; / glory be to the One who greeted him with peace.

§ 082

لَوْ هَبَّتِ الرِّيحُ مِنْ جَوَانِبِهَا * خَرَّ صَرِيعًا لِمَا تَغْشَّاهُ

Law habbati al-rīḥu min jawānibihā * kharra ṣarīʿan limā taghshshāhu

If the wind blew upon him from its sides, / he would fall senseless from what had overwhelmed him.

الْبَابُ الْخَامِسُ فِيمَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْقَاصِدِينَ مِنْ التَّهَيُّؤِ حَتَّى يَكُونُوا لِلْمَقْصُودِ أَهْلًا

Al-bābu al-khāmisu fīmā yanbaghī li-l-qāṣidīna min al-tahayyuʾi ḥattā yakūnū li-l-maqṣūdi ʾahlan

Chapter Five The Preparation Required of Those Who Intend God So That They Become Worthy of the One Intended

§ 084

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ الْأَجَلُّ الْعَارِفُ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى شَيْخُ الطَّرِيقَةِ وَالْحَقِيقَةِ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ:

Qāla al-shaykhu al-ʾajallu al-ʿārifu bi-llāhi taʿālā shaykhu al-ṭarīqati wa-al-ḥaqīqati ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu:

The eminent shaykh and knower of God Most High, master of the spiritual path and reality, Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd—may God be pleased with him—said:

§ 085

اعْلَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا قَصَدَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَمُوَاصَلَتَهُ وَقُرَّبَهُ مِنْهُ فَيَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَوَّلًا أَنْ يَتَطَهَّرَ، فَيُطَهِّرَ أَوَّلًا نَفْسَهُ مِنْ نَجَاسَةِ الشَّهَوَاتِ وَجَوَارِحِهِ مِنْ أَدْنَاسِ الزَّلَّاتِ وَقَلْبُهِ مِنْ رِينِ الْغَفَلَاتِ وَسِرِّهِ مِنْ كُدُورَاتِ الِالْتِفَاتِ عَنْ مَوْلَاهُ إِلَى الْمُكَوِّنَاتِ، حَتَّى تَصِيرَ كُلِّيَّتُهُ طَاهِرَةً مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْعُيُوبِ وَالْآفَاتِ حَتَّى أَنَّ جَمِيعَ ظَوَاهِرِهِ لَوْ وُضِعَتْ فِي طَبَقٍ، وَطَافُوا بِهَا بَيْنَ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ لَمْ يَجِدُوا فِيهَا عَيْبًا، وَحَتَّى أَنَّ جَمِيعَ بَوَاطِنِهِ لَوْ وُضِعَتْ فِي طَبَقٍ وَطَافُوا بِهَا بَيْنَ أَهْلِ السَّمَاءِ لَمْ يَجِدُوا فِيهَا عَيْبًا، وَحَتَّى أَنَّ طَيَرَانَ جَمِيعِ سِرِّهِ لَوْ وُضِعَ عَلَى طَبَقٍ وَقَدَّمُوهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ الْمَلِكِ الْجَلِيلِ لَمْ يَسْتَحْيِ مِنْهُ لِعَيْبٍ فِيهَا، وَاعْلَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَمُوَاصَلَتِهُ أَنَّ مَثَلَ مَنْ قَصَدَ أَنْ يَتَّصِلَ إِلَى مَلِكِ الْمُلُوكِ رَبُّ الْأَرْبَابِ مَعَ جَمِيعِ الْعُيُوبِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ وَقَعَ فِي كَنِيفٍ وَصَارَ مِنْ رَأْسِهِ إِلَى قَدَمِهِ قَذِرًا فَأَتَى إِلَى عَطَّارٍ، وَقَالَ لَهُ: أُرِيدُك تُطِيبُنِي بِأَطْيَبِ طَيِّبٍ عِنْدَك، فَيَقُولُ لَهُ الْعَطَّارُ: الطَّيِّبُ حَاضِرٌ، فَمَا مِنْ مَوْضِعٍ مِنْك إِلَّا وَهُوَ مُلَوَّثٌ بِالْقَذِرِ، فَيَقُولُ الرَّجُلُ:

Iʿlamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā ʾanna al-ʿabda ʾidhā qaṣada Allāha taʿālā wamuwāṣalatahu waqurrabahu minhu fayanbaghī lahu ʾawwalan ʾan yataṭahhara, fayuṭahhira ʾawwalan nafsahu min najāsati al-shahawāti wajawāriḥihi min ʾadnāsi al-zallāti waqalbuhi min rīni al-ghafalāti wasirrihi min kudūrāti al-iltifāti ʿan mawlāhu ʾilā al-mukawwināti, ḥattā taṣīra kulliyyatuhu ṭāhiratan min jamīʿi al-ʿuyūbi wa-al-ʾāfāti ḥattā ʾanna jamīʿa ẓawāhirihi law wuḍiʿat fī ṭabaqin, waṭāfū bihā bayna ʾahli al-ʾarḍi lam yajidū fīhā ʿayban, waḥattā ʾanna jamīʿa bawāṭinihi law wuḍiʿat fī ṭabaqin waṭāfū bihā bayna ʾahli al-samāʾi lam yajidū fīhā ʿayban, waḥattā ʾanna ṭayarāna jamīʿi sirrihi law wuḍiʿa ʿalā ṭabaqin waqaddamūhu bayna yaday al-maliki al-jalīli lam yastaḥyi minhu liʿaybin fīhā, wa-iʿlamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā wamuwāṣalatihu ʾanna mathala man qaṣada ʾan yattaṣila ʾilā maliki al-mulūki rabbu al-ʾarbābi maʿa jamīʿi al-ʿuyūbi kamathali rajulin waqaʿa fī kanīfin waṣāra min raʾsihi ʾilā qadamihi qadhiran faʾatā ʾilā ʿaṭṭārin, waqāla lahu: ʾurīduk tuṭībunī biʾaṭyabi ṭayyibin ʿindak, fayaqūlu lahu al-ʿaṭṭāru: al-ṭayyibu ḥāḍirun, famā min mawḍiʿin mink ʾillā wahuwa mulawwathun bi-al-qadhiri, fayaqūlu al-rajulu:

Know, O company of those who intend God Most High, that when the servant intends God Most High, communion with Him, and nearness to Him, he must first purify himself. He begins by purifying his lower self from the impurity of appetites, his limbs from the stains of lapses, his heart from the rust of heedlessness, and his innermost consciousness from the murk of turning away from his Master toward created things. His whole being must become pure of every defect and affliction—so pure that if all his outward acts were placed on a tray and carried among the people of the earth, they would find no fault in them; if all his inward states were placed on a tray and carried among the inhabitants of heaven, they would find no fault in them; and if the flight of his entire innermost consciousness were presented on a tray before the Majestic King, he would feel no shame because of any defect in it. Know, O company of those who intend God Most High and communion with Him, that one who seeks to reach the King of kings and Lord of lords while carrying every defect resembles a man who has fallen into a cesspit and become filthy from head to foot. He comes to a perfumer and says, ‘I want you to perfume me with the finest fragrance you possess.’ The perfumer replies, ‘The perfume is ready, but no part of you is free from filth.’ The man asks:

§ 086

فَأَيُّ شَيْءٌ أَصْنَعُ؟ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ الْعَطَّارُ: اذْهَبْ وَاشْتَرِ الْأُشْنَانَ، وَخُذْ مِنْ الطِّيبِ وَادْخُلْ الْحَمَّامَ، وَاغْسِلْ نَفْسَك وَلِبَاسَك، ثُمَّ ائْتِنِي حَتَّى أُطَيِّبَك مِنْ عِطْرِي، فَكَذَلِكَ الْعَبْدُ كُلَّمَا قَصَدَ إِلَى اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى فَيَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُشْتَرَى أَشْتَانُ الِانْتِبَاهِ وَصَابُونُ النَّدَامَةِ، ثُمَّ يَدُقُّهَا بِمِدَقَّةِ الْخَوْفِ وَالْخَشْيَةِ، ثُمَّ يُصْنَعُ طَسْتَ الِاسْتِقَامَةِ، ثُمَّ يُكَبَّ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ مَاءِ الْحَيَاءِ وَالتَّوْبَةِ، ثُمَّ يُغْسَلُ بِهِ قَمِيصٌ وَفَاءِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ مِنْ أَدْنَاسِ الْجَهْلِ وَالْغَفْلَةِ وَمِنْ جَمِيعِ التَّخَالِيطِ وَالْعَلَائِقِ بِأَيْدِي الْإِخْلَاصِ وَالْحُرْمَةِ، ثُمَّ يُلْبَسُهَا بِرُؤْيَةِ التَّوْفِيقِ وَالْعِصْمَةِ، ثُمَّ يُغَسِّلُ نَفْسَهُ بِمَاءِ الصِّدْقِ وَالصَّفْوَةِ، وَبِأَنْوَاعِ الرِّعَايَةِ وَالرِّيَاضَةِ مِنْ أَدْنَاسِ الْهَوَى وَالشَّهْوَةِ حَتَّى تَصِيرَ طَاهِرَةً مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْعُيُوبِ وَالْآفَاتِ، ثُمَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى إِذَا نَظَرَ إِلَى هَذَا الْعَبْدِ وَرَآهُ مَغْسُولًا بِمَاءِ الصِّدْقِ وَالصَّفْوَةِ مُزَيَّنًا بِلِسَانِ الْوَفَاءِ وَالصِّيَانَةِ، مُتَقَمِّصًا بِقَمِيصِ التَّقْوَى وَالدِّيَانَةِ مُعَمِّمًا بِعَمَائِمِ الْحُرْمَةِ وَالِاسْتِقَامَةِ، مُتَرَدِّيًا بِأَرْدِيَةِ الْخَشْيَةِ وَالْمَهَابَةِ مُتَسَرْبِلًا بِسَرَابِيلِ الْخُمُولِ وَالنِّسْيَانِ لِكُلِّ مَا دُونَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يُطَيِّبُ اللَّهُ قَلْبَهُ بِطِيبِ مَسْكِ الْهِدَايَةِ، ثُمَّ يُجْلِسُهُ عَلَى سَرِيرِ الْوِدَادِ مُرْتَقِيًا عَلَى بِسَاطِ الْقُدْسِ مُتَرَبِّعًا وَعَلَى نَمَارِقِ السَّكِينَةِ فِي أَرَائِكِ الْأُنْسِ مُتَّكِئًا إِلَى مُسْنَدِ الِاعْتِصَامِ فِي مَجْمَعِ حُسْنِ الْإِرَادَةِ وَلَطَائِفِ الْإِشَارَةِ عَلَى حَافَّاتِ أَنْهَارِ الزَّوَائِدِ فِي رِيَاضِ أَلْوَانِ الْعَجَائِبِ بَيْنَ خُدَّامِ الْفَوَائِدِ مُسْتَنِدًا وَعَلَى مَوَائِدِ التَّقَرُّبُ فِي بَسَاتِينِ الْأُلْفَةِ تَحْتَ أَشْجَارِ الْوَصْلَةِ بَيْنَ رَيَاحِينِ الشَّوْقِ وَالْمَحَبَّةِ قَاعِدًا، ثُمَّ إِذَا تَنَاوَلَ هَذَا الْقَاصِدُ أَطْعَمَهُ أَثْمَارَ الشَّفَقَةِ فِي كَاسَاتِ الرِّضَا بِأَيْدِي الصِّدْقِ وَالصَّفَا مَعَ شُكْرٍ جَاءَ فِي الْخِدْمَةِ وَالْوَفَاءِ وَقَلَيَّاتِ الشُّكْرِ وَالرِّضَا، ثُمَّ أَكَلَ مِنْهَا بِإِشَارَاتِ الشَّرِيعَةِ وَأَنَامِلِ اتِّبَاعِ السُّنَّةِ لُقَمُ الْيَقِينِ وَالْفِطْنَةِ، وَمَضْغُ فِنَاءِ النَّفْسِ وَالشَّهْوَةِ وَنِسْيَانِ الْخُلُقِ وَالْخَلِيقَةِ مَعَ طَيَرَانِ الْأَفْكَارِ وَالْهِمَّةِ فِي قِبَابِ رُؤْيَةِ الْمِنَّةِ تَحْتَ ظِلَالِ التَّعْظِيمِ وَالْهَيْبَةِ عَلَى رَايَةِ حِفْظِ الْأَدَبِ وَحُسْنِ الْمَوَدَّةِ، ثُمَّ إِذَا هَاجَ مِنْ سِرِّ هَذَا الْقَاصِدِ عَطِشَ الِاشْتِيَاقُ إِلَى مَحْبُوبِهِ وَمَقْصُودُهُ، مَدٌّ إِلَى كَاسَاتِ الِاسْتِينَاسِ بِأَيْدِي الِاحْتِرَاقِ مِنْ بَحْرِ الْوِدَادِ مِنْ شَرَابِ الْوَصْلَةِ إِلَى الْمُرَادِ، فَشَرِبَ مِنْهَا شَرْبَةً بَعْدَ شَرْبَةٍ وَكَأْسًا بَعْدَ كَأْسٍ حَتَّى سَكِرَ مِنْ كُلُّ مَا سِوَاهُ سَكْرَةٌ لَا يُفِيقُ مِنْهَا إِلَى أَبَدِ الْأَبَدِ، فَيَالَهُ مِنْ قَاصِدٍ وَمَقْصُودٍ! وَيَالِهِ مِنْ لِبَاسٍ وَمَلْبُوسٍ! وَيَالِهِ مِنْ حَبِيبٍ وَمَحْبُوبٍ، ! وَيَا لَهَا مِنْ عِنَايَةٍ وَوِلَايَةٍ! ثُمَّ يَا لَهَا مِنْ دَوْلَةٍ وَهِدَايَةٍ! ثُمَّ يَا لَهَا مِنْ بِدَايَةٍ وَبِلَا نِهَايَةٍ! ثُمَّ يَالُهُ مِنْ مَلِكٍ عَطُوفٍ وَمَعْبُودٌ شَرِيفٌ رَؤُوفٌ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ وَتَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ!.

Faʾayyu shayʾun ʾaṣnaʿu? fayaqūlu lahu al-ʿaṭṭāru: idhhab wa-ishtari al-ʾushnāna, wakhudh min al-ṭībi wa-idkhul al-ḥammāma, wa-ighsil nafsak walibāsak, thumma iʾtinī ḥattā ʾuṭayyibak min ʿiṭrī, fakadhalika al-ʿabdu kullamā qaṣada ʾilā Allāhi subḥānahu wataʿālā fayanbaghī ʾan yushtarā ʾashtānu al-intibāhi waṣābūnu al-nadāmati, thumma yaduqquhā bimidaqqati al-khawfi wa-al-khashyati, thumma yuṣnaʿu ṭasta al-istiqāmati, thumma yukabba ʿalayhi min māʾi al-ḥayāʾi wa-al-tawbati, thumma yughsalu bihi qamīṣun wafāʾi al-ʿubūdiyyati min ʾadnāsi al-jahli wa-al-ghaflati wamin jamīʿi al-takhālīṭi wa-al-ʿalāʾiqi biʾaydī al-ʾikhlāṣi wa-al-ḥurmati, thumma yulbasuhā biruʾyati al-tawfīqi wa-al-ʿiṣmati, thumma yughassilu nafsahu bimāʾi al-ṣidqi wa-al-ṣafwati, wabiʾanwāʿi al-riʿāyati wa-al-riyāḍati min ʾadnāsi al-hawā wa-al-shahwati ḥattā taṣīra ṭāhiratan min jamīʿi al-ʿuyūbi wa-al-ʾāfāti, thumma ʾinna Allāha taʿālā ʾidhā naẓara ʾilā hadhā al-ʿabdi waraʾāhu maghsūlan bimāʾi al-ṣidqi wa-al-ṣafwati muzayyanan bilisāni al-wafāʾi wa-al-ṣiyānati, mutaqammiṣan biqamīṣi al-taqwā wa-al-diyānati muʿammiman biʿamāʾimi al-ḥurmati wa-al-istiqāmati, mutaraddiyan biʾardiyati al-khashyati wa-al-mahābati mutasarbilan bisarābīli al-khumūli wa-al-nisyāni likulli mā dūna Allāhi taʿālā, faʿinda dhalika yuṭayyibu Allāhu qalbahu biṭībi maski al-hidāyati, thumma yujlisuhu ʿalā sarīri al-widādi murtaqiyan ʿalā bisāṭi al-qudsi mutarabbiʿan waʿalā namāriqi al-sakīnati fī ʾarāʾiki al-ʾunsi muttakiʾan ʾilā musnadi al-iʿtiṣāmi fī majmaʿi ḥusni al-ʾirādati walaṭāʾifi al-ʾishārati ʿalā ḥāffāti ʾanhāri al-zawāʾidi fī riyāḍi ʾalwāni al-ʿajāʾibi bayna khuddāmi al-fawāʾidi mustanidan waʿalā mawāʾidi al-taqarrubu fī basātīni al-ʾulfati taḥta ʾashjāri al-waṣlati bayna rayāḥīni al-shawqi wa-al-maḥabbati qāʿidan, thumma ʾidhā tanāwala hadhā al-qāṣidu ʾaṭʿamahu ʾathmāra al-shafaqati fī kāsāti al-riḍā biʾaydī al-ṣidqi wa-al-ṣafā maʿa shukrin jāʾa fī al-khidmati wa-al-wafāʾi waqalayyāti al-shukri wa-al-riḍā, thumma ʾakala minhā biʾishārāti al-sharīʿati waʾanāmili ittibāʿi al-sunnati luqamu al-yaqīni wa-al-fiṭnati, wamaḍghu fināʾi al-nafsi wa-al-shahwati wanisyāni al-khuluqi wa-al-khalīqati maʿa ṭayarāni al-ʾafkāri wa-al-himmati fī qibābi ruʾyati al-minnati taḥta ẓilāli al-taʿẓīmi wa-al-haybati ʿalā rāyati ḥifẓi al-ʾadabi waḥusni al-mawaddati, thumma ʾidhā hāja min sirri hadhā al-qāṣidi ʿaṭisha al-ishtiyāqu ʾilā maḥbūbihi wamaqṣūduhu, maddun ʾilā kāsāti al-istīnāsi biʾaydī al-iḥtirāqi min baḥri al-widādi min sharābi al-waṣlati ʾilā al-murādi, fashariba minhā sharbatan baʿda sharbatin wakaʾsan baʿda kaʾsin ḥattā sakira min kullu mā siwāhu sakratun lā yufīqu minhā ʾilā ʾabadi al-ʾabadi, fayālahu min qāṣidin wamaqṣūdin! wayālihi min libāsin wamalbūsin! wayālihi min ḥabībin wamaḥbūbin,! wayā lahā min ʿināyatin wawilāyatin! thumma yā lahā min dawlatin wahidāyatin! thumma yā lahā min bidāyatin wabilā nihāyatin! thumma yāluhu min malikin ʿaṭūfin wamaʿbūdun sharīfun raʾūfun jalla jalāluhu wataqaddasat ʾasmāʾuhu!.

‘What, then, should I do?’ The perfumer says: ‘Go and buy cleansing alkali, take some perfume, enter the bathhouse, and wash yourself and your clothing. Then return so that I may perfume you with my fragrance.’ In the same way, whenever the servant sets out toward God—glory and exaltation be to Him—he should obtain the cleansing alkali of wakefulness and the soap of remorse, grind them with the pestle of fear and awe, prepare the basin of uprightness, and pour over it the water of shame and repentance. With the hands of sincerity and reverence, he washes the shirt of faithful servanthood clean of the stains of ignorance, heedlessness, confusion, and attachment. He puts it on while recognizing God’s enabling grace and protection. He washes his lower self in the water of truthfulness and purity, using every form of careful observance and discipline to cleanse it of the stains of passion and appetite until it is pure of every defect and affliction. When God Most High looks upon this servant and sees him washed in the water of truthfulness and purity, adorned with fidelity and guardedness, clothed in the shirt of God-consciousness and religion, turbaned with reverence and uprightness, wrapped in the robes of awe and solemnity, and covered in garments of obscurity and forgetfulness of everything below God Most High, He perfumes his heart with the musk of guidance. He seats him upon the couch of loving affection, raised upon the carpet of holiness, resting on cushions of tranquility upon the couches of intimacy, leaning upon the support of holding fast to God. He places him amid beautiful resolve and subtle allusions, beside the rivers of increase in gardens of manifold wonders, among servants bearing spiritual benefits; and at the tables of approach in orchards of familiarity, beneath the trees of communion and among the fragrant plants of longing and love. When this seeker partakes, God feeds him the fruits of compassion in cups of contentment, offered by the hands of truthfulness and purity, with gratitude expressed in service and fidelity. Through the indications of the Sacred Law and the fingers of following the Prophetic way, he eats morsels of certainty and discernment, chewing upon the passing away of self and appetite and the forgetting of created character and creatures. His thoughts and aspiration fly beneath the canopies of recognizing divine grace, under the shade of magnification and awe, beneath the banner of preserving courtesy and beautiful affection. When thirst for his Beloved and Intended One surges from his innermost consciousness, hands burning with love extend the cups of intimacy into the ocean of affection and draw the wine of communion with the Desired. He drinks draught after draught and cup after cup until he is intoxicated away from everything other than Him with an intoxication from which he never awakens. What a seeker and what a Sought One! What clothing and what a wearer! What a lover and what a Beloved! What solicitude and friendship; what felicity and guidance; what a beginning without an end! What a compassionate King and noble, tenderly merciful Object of worship—majestic is His glory and holy are His names.

§ 087

وَاعْلَمُوا وَفَّقَكُمُ اللَّهُ أَنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْقَاصِدَ إِلَى هَذِهِ الرُّتْبَةِ الْعَلِيَّةِ إِذَا بَلَغَ هَذِهِ الْغَايَةَ وَوَصَلَ إِلَى هَذِهِ النِّهَايَةِ وَصَارَ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ سَالِمًا مِنْ جَمِيعِ أَشْغَالِ الدُّنْيَا وَأَهْلِهَا، وَآفَاتِ النَّفْسِ وَأَدْرَانِهَا، وَصَارَ حُرًّا مِنْ عُبُودِيَّةِ مَنْ سِوَاهُ، أَنْزَلَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى سَرِيرِ الِانْشِغَالِ بِهِ، وَأَجْلَسَهُ عَلَى نَمَارِقِ الِاتِّكَالِ عَلَيْهِ، وَأَتَاهُ عِيَانُ الْإِقْبَالِ إِلَيْهِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ صَارَ مُشَاهَدًا لِمَقْصُودِهِ وَمَحْبُوبِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَصَحَّ لَهُ الْقَصْدُ إلَيْهِ، فَحِينَئِذٍ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى قَلْبَهُ مَوْضِعَ نَظَرِهِ وَمَوْطِنَ بِرِّهِ، وَزَيَّنَهُ بِحُلَلِ جَمَالِهِ، وَأَدْخَلَهُ فِي دَارِ الْإِمَارَةِ دَارَ عِلْمِهِ وَحِكْمَتِهِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَزُورُ مُقِرَّ مَقْصِدِ الْقَاصِدِينَ بِالْفُؤَادِ، حَوْلَ مُنْتَهَى لُطْفِهِ، وَيَرْتَعُ فِي رَوْضَاتِ قُدْسِهِ، وَيَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ فِي سُرَادِقَاتِ غَيْبِهِ، وَيَجُولُ فِي مَيَادِينِ قُدْرَتِهِ وَحَجْبِ جَبَرُوتِهِ، حَتَّى يَصِيرَ الْقَاصِدِ مُكْتَفِيًا بِكِفَايَتِهِ عَنْ كِفَايَةِ غَيْرِهِ، وَمُعْتَصِمًا بِعِصْمَتِهِ عَنْ عِصْمَةِ غَيْرِهِ، ثُمَّ يَصِيرُ مُسْتَكْفِيًا بِهِ مُعْتَصِمًا مُطْمَئِنًّا بِهِ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا سِوَاهُ، ثُمَّ يَصِيرُ مَضْرُوبًا بِسَوْطِ اشْتِيَاقِهِ، مَقْتُولًا مِنْ أَلَمِ فِرَاقِهِ، مَطْرُوحًا عَلَى فُرُشِ وِدَادِهِ، حَتَّى إِذَا نَظَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِلَى مَقْتُولِهِ رَفَعَهُ بِأَيْدِي شَفَقَتِهِ وَغَسَلَهُ بِمَاءِ أُلْفْتِهِ، وَحَنَّطَهُ بِطِيبِ مَوَدَّتِهِ، وَكَفَّنَهُ فِي أَكْفَانٍ وَصْلَتِهِ، وَغَطَّاهُ بِإِزَارِ رَحْمَتِهِ، ثُمَّ وَضَعَهُ عَلَى سَرِيرِ فَضْلِهِ، وَسَلَّمَهُ إِلَى كَنَفِ لُطْفِهِ، وَحَمَلَهُ عَلَى عُنُقِ عِنَايَتِهِ، ثُمَّ أَسْرَعَ بِهِ إِلَى طَرِيقِ رُؤْيَةِ امْتِنَانِهِ بَيْنَ صُنُوفِ آلَائِهِ وَنَعْمَائِهِ، إِلَى أَنْ بَلَغَ إِلَى مُصَلَّى قُرْبِهِ وَوَصَلَتِهُ أَمَرَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ بِالتَّحِيَّةِ وَالصَّلَاةِ عَلَيْهِ، وَيُبَاهَى بِهِ مَعَهُمْ، ثُمَّ جَعَلَهُ عِنْدَ حَضْرَتِهِ مَقْبُورًا وَتَحْتَ حِجَابِ الْقُرْبِ مِنْهُ مَدْفُونًا، ثُمَّ صَيَّرَهُ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ فَانِيًا رَمِيمًا عَنْ كُلِّ مَا سِوَاهُ، ثُمَّ صَيَّرَهُ حَيًّا بَاقِيًا بِبَقَائِهِ فِي الْأَبَدِ مَعَ الْأَبَدِ إِلَى الْأَبَدِ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ، ثُمَّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ تَأْتِيهِ حَالَاتٌ وَمَقَامَاتٌ كَرِهْتُ شَرْحَهَا غَيْرَةً عَلَيْهَا حَتَّى أَجِدَ أَهْلَهَا.

Wa-iʿlamū waffaqakumu Allāhu ʾanna al-ʿabda al-qāṣida ʾilā hadhihi al-rutbati al-ʿaliyyati ʾidhā balagha hadhihi al-ghāyata wawaṣala ʾilā hadhihi al-nihāyati waṣāra bi-al-kulliyyati sāliman min jamīʿi ʾashghāli al-dunyā waʾahlihā, waʾāfāti al-nafsi waʾadrānihā, waṣāra ḥurran min ʿubūdiyyati man siwāhu, ʾanzalahu Allāhu ʿalā sarīri al-inshighāli bihi, waʾajlasahu ʿalā namāriqi al-itikāli ʿalayhi, waʾatāhu ʿiyānu al-ʾiqbāli ʾilayhi, faʿinda dhalika ṣāra mushāhadan limaqṣūdihi wamaḥbūbihi ʿazza wajalla, waṣaḥḥa lahu al-qaṣdu ʾlayhi, faḥīnaʾidhin jaʿala Allāhu taʿālā qalbahu mawḍiʿa naẓarihi wamawṭina birrihi, wazayyanahu biḥulali jamālihi, waʾadkhalahu fī dāri al-ʾimārati dāra ʿilmihi waḥikmatihi, faʿinda dhalika yazūru muqirra maqṣidi al-qāṣidīna bi-al-fuʾādi, ḥawla muntahā luṭfihi, wayartaʿu fī rawḍāti qudsihi, wayaṭīru bijanāḥi al-maʿrifati fī surādiqāti ghaybihi, wayajūlu fī mayādīni qudratihi waḥajbi jabarūtihi, ḥattā yaṣīra al-qāṣidi muktafiyan bikifāyatihi ʿan kifāyati ghayrihi, wamuʿtaṣiman biʿiṣmatihi ʿan ʿiṣmati ghayrihi, thumma yaṣīru mustakfiyan bihi muʿtaṣiman muṭmaʾinnan bihi ʿan kulli mā siwāhu, thumma yaṣīru maḍrūban bisawṭi ishtiyāqihi, maqtūlan min ʾalami firāqihi, maṭrūḥan ʿalā furushi widādihi, ḥattā ʾidhā naẓara Allāhu taʿālā ʾilā maqtūlihi rafaʿahu biʾaydī shafaqatihi waghasalahu bimāʾi ʾulftihi, waḥannaṭahu biṭībi mawaddatihi, wakaffanahu fī ʾakfānin waṣlatihi, waghaṭṭāhu biʾizāri raḥmatihi, thumma waḍaʿahu ʿalā sarīri faḍlihi, wasallamahu ʾilā kanafi luṭfihi, waḥamalahu ʿalā ʿunuqi ʿināyatihi, thumma ʾasraʿa bihi ʾilā ṭarīqi ruʾyati imtinānihi bayna ṣunūfi ʾālāʾihi wanaʿmāʾihi, ʾilā ʾan balagha ʾilā muṣallā qurbihi wawaṣalatihu ʾamara al-malāʾikata bi-al-taḥiyyati wa-al-ṣalāti ʿalayhi, wayubāhā bihi maʿahum, thumma jaʿalahu ʿinda ḥaḍratihi maqbūran wataḥta ḥijābi al-qurbi minhu madfūnan, thumma ṣayyarahu bi-al-kulliyyati fāniyan ramīman ʿan kulli mā siwāhu, thumma ṣayyarahu ḥayyan bāqiyan bibaqāʾihi fī al-ʾabadi maʿa al-ʾabadi ʾilā al-ʾabadi jalla jalāluhu, thumma baʿda dhalika taʾtīhi ḥālātun wamaqāmātun karihtu sharḥahā ghayratan ʿalayhā ḥattā ʾajida ʾahlahā.

Know—may God grant you success—that when the servant who seeks this exalted rank reaches this goal and furthest limit, becomes entirely free of every worldly distraction and of the world’s people, and is cleansed of the afflictions and stains of the lower self, he is liberated from servitude to everything other than God. God places him upon the couch of occupation with Him, seats him upon the cushions of reliance upon Him, and grants him direct awareness of turning toward Him. He then witnesses the One he seeks and loves—Almighty and Majestic—and his intention toward Him becomes sound. God Most High makes his heart the place of His regard and the home of His goodness, adorns it with the robes of His beauty, and admits him into the abode of authority—the abode of His knowledge and wisdom. With the heart he circles the dwelling of the seekers’ goal around the furthest reach of divine gentleness; he grazes in the meadows of holiness, flies on the wing of knowledge through the pavilions of the unseen, and ranges through the fields of divine power and the veils of omnipotence. He becomes content with God’s sufficiency instead of every other sufficiency, holds fast to His protection instead of every other protection, and rests securely in Him apart from all else. Then he is struck by the whip of longing, slain by the pain of separation, and cast upon the bedding of loving affection. When God Most High looks upon the one slain by His love, He raises him with the hands of compassion, washes him in the water of intimacy, embalms him with the fragrance of affection, shrouds him in the winding sheets of communion, and covers him with the mantle of mercy. He places him upon the bier of His favor, delivers him into the shelter of His gentleness, bears him upon the neck of His solicitude, and swiftly carries him along the road of beholding His gracious generosity, amid the varieties of His favors and blessings. When he reaches the place of prayer in God’s nearness and communion, God commands the angels to greet and bless him and takes pride in him before them. He then buries him in His Presence beneath the veil of nearness, makes him wholly pass away—crumbled to dust—from everything other than Him, and then gives him life that endures through His enduring, forever with the Everlasting, unto eternity—majestic is His glory. After this, states and stations come to him that I have declined to explain out of protective jealousy until I find those who are fit for them.

§ 088

وَفِيمَا ذَكَرْنَا إشَارَاتٌ وَعِبَارَاتٌ لَا تَصْلُحُ لِلْعَوَامِّ الَّذِينَ طُبِعُوا عَلَى طَبَائِعِ الْأَنْعَامِ وَلَا يَعْرِفُونَ مِنْ نِعَمِ الْمُنْعِمِ غَيْرَ الْمُطْعَمِ وَالْمَنَامِ، وَحُسْنِ الْمُعَاشَرَةِ مَعَ الْأَنَامِ، بَلْ هَذَا يَصْلُحُ لِمَنْ لَهُ سِرَاجُ الدَّيْمُومَةِ وَنُورُ الْأَبَدِيَّةِ،

Wafīmā dhakarnā ʾshārātun waʿibārātun lā taṣluḥu li-l-ʿawāmmi alladhīna ṭubiʿū ʿalā ṭabāʾiʿi al-ʾanʿāmi walā yaʿrifūna min niʿami al-munʿimi ghayra al-muṭʿami wa-al-manāmi, waḥusni al-muʿāsharati maʿa al-ʾanāmi, bal hadhā yaṣluḥu liman lahu sirāju al-daymūmati wanūru al-ʾabadiyyati,

What we have mentioned contains allusions and expressions unsuited to ordinary people whose dispositions resemble those of grazing animals and who recognize no blessing from the Bestower beyond food, sleep, and pleasant company with others. It is suited, rather, to one who possesses the lamp of enduring life and the light of eternity:

§ 089

وَمَنْ لَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُوراً فَما لَهُ مِنْ نُورٍ

Waman lam yajʿali Allāhu lahu nūrʾ famā lahu min nūrin

‘Whoever is not granted light by God has no light.’

§ 090

[النُّورُ: 40]،

[Al-nūru: 40],

[Al-Nūr 24:40]

§ 091

فَإِنَّها لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصارُ وَلكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ

Faʾinnahā lā taʿmā al-ʾabṣāru walkin taʿmā al-qulūbu allatī fī al-ṣudūri

‘It is not the eyes that become blind, but the hearts within the breasts that become blind.’

§ 092

[الْحَجُّ: 46].

[Al-ḥajju: 46].

[Al-Ḥajj 22:46]

§ 093

افْهَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مَا ذَكَرْنَا لَكُمْ مِنْ بَيَانِ التَّهَيُّؤِ لِلْقَصْدِ وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لَكُمْ فِيهَا إِنْ أَرَدْتُمْ أَنْ تَكُونُوا لِلْوَصْلِ أَهْلاً، وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ عَلَى مَا يُحِبُّ رَبُّنَا وَيَرْضَى فَإِنَّهُ الْمُوَفِّقُ لِمَا يَشَاءُ.

Ifhamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā mā dhakarnā lakum min bayāni al-tahayyuʾi li-l-qaṣdi wamā yanbaghī lakum fīhā ʾin ʾaradtum ʾan takūnū li-l-waṣli ʾahlʾ, wa-bi-llāhi al-tawfīqu ʿalā mā yuḥibbu rabbunā wayarḍā faʾinnahu al-muwaffiqu limā yashāʾu.

Understand, O company of those who intend God Most High, what we have explained concerning preparation for the journey and what is required if you wish to become fit for communion. Success in what our Lord loves and approves comes from God, for He grants success in whatever He wills.

الْبَابُ السَّادِسُ فِيمَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْقَاصِدِينَ مِنْ رِعَايَةِ النَّفْسِ وَالرُّوحِ وَالْقَلْبِ

Al-bābu al-sādisu fīmā yanbaghī li-l-qāṣidīna min riʿāyati al-nafsi wa-al-rūḥi wa-al-qalbi

Chapter Six The Care Those Who Intend God Must Give to the Lower Self, Spirit, and Heart

§ 095

قَالَ شَيْخُنَا إمَامُ الْمِلَّةِ الشَّيْخُ الْكَامِلُ أُسْتَاذُ الْأَكَابِرِ شَرَفُ الدِّينِ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ مُحَمَّدٌ الْجُنَيْدُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: اعْلَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنَّ هَذِهِ النَّفْسَ شَهْوَانِيَّةٌ خَسِيسَةٌ لَئِيمَةٌ سِيَرَانُهَا فِي مَلَكُوتِ الْفَنَاءِ، وَالرُّوحِ رُوحَانِيٌّ قُدْسَانِيٌّ نُورَانِيٌّ سُرْيَانُهُ فِي مَلَكُوتِ الْبَقَاءِ، وَالْقَلْبُ رَبَّانِيٌّ فَرْدَانِيٌّ صَمْدَانِيٌّ سَرْيَانُهُ فِي مَلَكُوتِ الْحَضْرَةِ وَاللِّقَاءِ، فَالنَّفْسُ مُرِيدَةُ الدُّنْيَا وَجَمِيعُ مَيْلِهَا إلَيْهَا وَأَكْثَرُ هِمَّتِهَا وَإِرَادَتُهَا فِي طَلَبِهَا، وَالرُّوحُ مُرِيدَةُ الْآخِرَةِ وَالْجَنَّةِ وَحُورُهَا وَقُصُورُهَا، وَأَكْثَرُ هِمَّتِهِ وَإِرَادَتُهُ وَمَيْلُهُ إِلَى طَلَبِهَا، وَالْقَلْبُ مُرِيدُ الْمَوْلَى، وَجَمِيعُ مَيْلِهِ إِلَى قُرْبِهِ وَأَكْثَرُ هِمَّتِهِ إِلَى وَصْلِهِ، فَأَمَّا سَبِيلُ النَّفْسِ إِلَى مُرَادِهَا الْحِرْصُ وَالرَّغْبَةُ، وَأَمَّا سَبِيلُ الرُّوحِ إِلَى مُرَادِهِ الْوَفَاءُ وَالْحُرْمَةُ، وَأَمَّا سَبِيلُ الْقَلْبِ إِلَى مُرَادِهِ فَالشَّوْقُ وَالْمَحَبَّةُ.

Qāla shaykhunā ʾmāmu al-millati al-shaykhu al-kāmilu ʾustādhu al-ʾakābiri sharafu al-dīni ʾabū al-qāsimi Muḥammadun al-Junaydu raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu: iʿlamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā ʾanna hadhihi al-nafsa shahwāniyyatun khasīsatun laʾīmatun siyarānuhā fī malakūti al-fanāʾi, wa-al-rūḥi rūḥāniyyun qudsāniyyun nūrāniyyun suryānuhu fī malakūti al-baqāʾi, wa-al-qalbu rabbāniyyun fardāniyyun ṣamdāniyyun saryānuhu fī malakūti al-ḥaḍrati wa-al-liqāʾi, fa-al-nafsu murīdatu al-dunyā wajamīʿu maylihā ʾlayhā waʾaktharu himmatihā waʾirādatuhā fī ṭalabihā, wa-al-rūḥu murīdatu al-ʾākhirati wa-al-jannati waḥūruhā waquṣūruhā, waʾaktharu himmatihi waʾirādatuhu wamayluhu ʾilā ṭalabihā, wa-al-qalbu murīdu al-mawlā, wajamīʿu maylihi ʾilā qurbihi waʾaktharu himmatihi ʾilā waṣlihi, faʾammā sabīlu al-nafsi ʾilā murādihā al-ḥirṣu wa-al-raghbatu, waʾammā sabīlu al-rūḥi ʾilā murādihi al-wafāʾu wa-al-ḥurmatu, waʾammā sabīlu al-qalbi ʾilā murādihi fa-al-shawqu wa-al-maḥabbatu.

Our shaykh, leader of the community, perfected master, teacher of the great ones, Sharaf al-Dīn Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad al-Junayd—may God be pleased with him—said: Know, O company of those who intend God Most High, that the lower self is appetitive, base, and mean; its movement runs through the dominion of passing existence. The spirit is spiritual, holy, and luminous; its movement runs through the dominion of abiding life. The heart is centered upon the Lord, singular, and directed toward the Eternal Refuge; its movement runs through the dominion of the Presence and the meeting. The lower self desires this world: all its inclination, most of its aspiration, and its will seek the world. The spirit desires the Hereafter—its Paradise, maidens, and palaces: most of its aspiration, will, and inclination seek these. The heart desires the Master: all its inclination is toward His nearness and most of its aspiration toward communion with Him. The lower self’s road to its desire is greed and appetite; the spirit’s road to its desire is fidelity and reverence; and the heart’s road to its desire is longing and love.

§ 096

وَالنَّفْسُ كُلَّمَا وَجَدَتْ السَّبِيلَ إِلَى مُرَادِهَا بِالْغَلَبَةِ اُضْطُرَّتْ الرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِطَلَبِ الدُّنْيَا، وَإِذَا أَصَابَتْ مَنِيَّتَهَا صَارَ الرُّوحُ فِيهَا مُنَغَّطًا وَمُظْلِمًا، مِنْ حَيْثُ وَجَدَتْ النَّفْسُ مَنِيَّتَهَا قَنَعَتْ بِخَسَاسَةِ هِمَّتِهَا، وَاطْمَئَنَّ الْقَلْبُ مَعَهَا بِطَلَبِ شَهَوَاتِهَا فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ تَصِيرُ هِمَّةُ هَذَا الْعَبْدِ شَهْوَانِيَّةً، وَيَصِيرُ لَهَا بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ أَسِيرًا مَغْلُوبًا، وَالرُّوحُ كُلَّمَا وَجَدَ السَّبِيلَ إِلَى مُرَادِهِ بِالْغَلَبَةِ اضْطُرَّتِ النَّفْسُ فِيهَا بِطَلَبِ الْعُقْبَى، وَإِذَا أَصَابَ الرُّوحُ مَنِيَّتَهُ صَارَتِ النَّفْسُ مُغَطَّاةً بِنُورِ صَفْوَتِهِ وَمَعَالِي هِمَّتِهِ، وَاطْمَئَنَّ الْقَلْبُ مَعَهُ بِطَلَبِ النَّجَاةِ مِنْ حَيْثُ رَهْبَتُهُ، فَحِينَئِذٍ تَصِيرُ هِمَّةُ هَذَا الْعَبْدِ رُوحَانِيَّةً، وَصَارَ لِلهِ تَعَالَى عَبْدًا مُطِيعًا. وَالْقَلْبُ كُلَّمَا وَجَدَ السَّبِيلَ إِلَى مُرَادِهِ بِالْغَلَبَةِ اُضْطُرَّتْ النَّفْسُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهِ بِطَلَبِ الْمَوْلَى عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَإِذَا صَارَ الْقَلْبُ مُنِيبًا صَارَتْ النَّفْسُ مُغَطَّاةً بِنُورِ قُرْبِهِ مِنْ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَاطْمَئَنَّ الرُّوحُ مَعَهُ بِطَلَبِ الْمَوْلَى عَلَى صِدْقِ وَفَاءِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ بِصِدْقِ انْفِرَادِهِ بِالْفَرْدِ لِلْفَرْدِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ تَصِيرُ هِمَّةُ هَذَا الْعَبْدِ رَبَّانِيَةً، وَيَصِيرُ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ عَبْدًا وَاصِلًا وَصْفِيًّا مُقَرَّبًا، لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ بَرَزَ إِلَى مَحْبُوبٍ، وَارْتَحَلَ عَنِ الْكُلِّيَّةِ إلَيْهِ فَيَطِيرُ بِالنَّفْسِ مِنْ طَاعَتِهِ إِلَى طَاعَتِهِ، وَيَطِيرُ بِالرُّوحِ مِنْ ذِكْرِهِ إِلَى ذِكْرِهِ، وَيَطِيرُ بِالْقَلْبِ مِنْهُ إلَيْهِ، فَصَارَتْ نَفْسُهُ مُقَيَّدَةً بِقَيْدِ الزُّهْدِ وَالتَّقْوَى، وَصَارَ رُوحُهُ مُقَيَّدًا بِقَيْدِ الصِّدْقِ وَالْوَفَاءِ، وَصَارَ قَلْبُهُ مُقَيَّدًا بِقَيْدِ الْقُرْبِ وَالنَّجْوَى، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَجُولُ هَذَا الْعَبْدُ بِالنَّفْسِ فِي مَيْدَانِ حُسْنِ الرِّيَاضَةِ وَالرِّعَايَةِ، وَيَجُولُ بِالرُّوحِ فِي مَيْدَانِ رُؤْيَةِ الْمِنَّةِ، وَيَجُولُ الْقَلْبُ فِي مَيْدَانِ الْقُرْبِ وَالْمُشَاهَدَةِ، فَصَارَتْ النَّفْسُ مَقْهُورَةً تَحْتَ سُلْطَانِ عَقْلِهِ وَصَارَ الرُّوحُ مَدْهُوشًا تَحْتَ جَلَالِ هَيْبَتِهِ، وَصَارَ الْقَلْبُ مُزَيَّنًا تَحْتَ جَمَالِ رُبُوبِيَّتِهِ، فَحِينَئِذٍ يَقُومُ هَذَا الْعَبْدِ بِشُكْرِهِ وَشُكْرِ شُكْرِهِ، وَيَصِيرُ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ مُسْتَغْرِقًا فِي أَبْحَرِ ذِكْرِهِ، وَيَجُولُ بِالسِّرِّ فِي مُنْتَهَى عِزِّهِ، وَيَرْتَعُ فِي رَوْضَاتِ قُدْسِهِ، وَيَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحِ الْهِمَّةِ فِي سُرَادِقَاتِ غَيْبِهِ، وَيَجُولُ فِي مَيَادِينِ قُدْرَتِهِ، وَيَسْبَحُ فِي بِحَارِ هُوِيَّتِهِ.

Wa-al-nafsu kullamā wajadat al-sabīla ʾilā murādihā bi-al-ghalabati ʾuḍṭurrat al-rūḥu fīhā biṭalabi al-dunyā, waʾidhā ʾaṣābat maniyyatahā ṣāra al-rūḥu fīhā munaghghaṭan wamuẓliman, min ḥaythu wajadat al-nafsu maniyyatahā qanaʿat bikhasāsati himmatihā, wa-iṭmaʾanna al-qalbu maʿahā biṭalabi shahawātihā faʿinda dhalika taṣīru himmatu hadhā al-ʿabdi shahwāniyyatan, wayaṣīru lahā bi-al-kulliyyati ʾasīran maghlūban, wa-al-rūḥu kullamā wajada al-sabīla ʾilā murādihi bi-al-ghalabati iḍṭurrati al-nafsu fīhā biṭalabi al-ʿuqbā, waʾidhā ʾaṣāba al-rūḥu maniyyatahu ṣārati al-nafsu mughaṭṭātan binūri ṣafwatihi wamaʿālī himmatihi, wa-iṭmaʾanna al-qalbu maʿahu biṭalabi al-najāti min ḥaythu rahbatuhu, faḥīnaʾidhin taṣīru himmatu hadhā al-ʿabdi rūḥāniyyatan, waṣāra li-llāhi taʿālā ʿabdan muṭīʿan. wa-al-qalbu kullamā wajada al-sabīla ʾilā murādihi bi-al-ghalabati ʾuḍṭurrat al-nafsu wa-al-rūḥu fīhi biṭalabi al-mawlā ʿazza wajalla, waʾidhā ṣāra al-qalbu munīban ṣārat al-nafsu mughaṭṭātan binūri qurbihi min Allāhi taʿālā, wa-iṭmaʾanna al-rūḥu maʿahu biṭalabi al-mawlā ʿalā ṣidqi wafāʾi al-ʿubūdiyyati biṣidqi infirādihi bi-al-fardi li-l-fardi, faʿinda dhalika taṣīru himmatu hadhā al-ʿabdi rabbāniyatan, wayaṣīru li-llāhi taʿālā bi-al-kulliyyati ʿabdan wāṣilan waṣfiyyan muqarraban, liʾannahu qad baraza ʾilā maḥbūbin, wa-irtaḥala ʿani al-kulliyyati ʾlayhi fayaṭīru bi-al-nafsi min ṭāʿatihi ʾilā ṭāʿatihi, wayaṭīru bi-al-rūḥi min dhikrihi ʾilā dhikrihi, wayaṭīru bi-al-qalbi minhu ʾlayhi, faṣārat nafsuhu muqayyadatan biqaydi al-zuhdi wa-al-taqwā, waṣāra rūḥuhu muqayyadan biqaydi al-ṣidqi wa-al-wafāʾi, waṣāra qalbuhu muqayyadan biqaydi al-qurbi wa-al-najwā, faʿinda dhalika yajūlu hadhā al-ʿabdu bi-al-nafsi fī maydāni ḥusni al-riyāḍati wa-al-riʿāyati, wayajūlu bi-al-rūḥi fī maydāni ruʾyati al-minnati, wayajūlu al-qalbu fī maydāni al-qurbi wa-al-mushāhadati, faṣārat al-nafsu maqhūratan taḥta sulṭāni ʿaqlihi waṣāra al-rūḥu madhūshan taḥta jalāli haybatihi, waṣāra al-qalbu muzayyanan taḥta jamāli rubūbiyyatihi, faḥīnaʾidhin yaqūmu hadhā al-ʿabdi bishukrihi washukri shukrihi, wayaṣīru bi-al-kulliyyati mustaghriqan fī ʾabḥari dhikrihi, wayajūlu bi-al-sirri fī muntahā ʿizzihi, wayartaʿu fī rawḍāti qudsihi, wayaṭīru bijanāḥi al-himmati fī surādiqāti ghaybihi, wayajūlu fī mayādīni qudratihi, wayasbaḥu fī biḥāri huwiyyatihi.

Whenever the lower self gains the upper hand and finds a road to its desire, it compels the spirit within the person to seek this world. Once it obtains its wish, the spirit becomes veiled and darkened. The lower self, having obtained its wish, settles for its low aspiration, and the heart joins it in seeking its appetites. The servant’s aspiration then becomes appetitive, and he becomes entirely its captive, overcome by it. Whenever the spirit gains the upper hand and finds a road to its desire, it compels the lower self to seek the final abode. When the spirit obtains its wish, the lower self is covered by the light of its purity and lofty aspiration, and the heart joins it in seeking salvation through reverent fear. The servant’s aspiration becomes spiritual, and he becomes an obedient servant of God Most High. Whenever the heart gains the upper hand and finds a road to its desire, it compels both lower self and spirit to seek the Master—Almighty and Majestic. When the heart turns back to God, the lower self is covered by the light of the heart’s nearness to God Most High, and the spirit joins it in seeking the Master through truthful fulfillment of servanthood and sincere solitude: the solitary servant for the One. The servant’s aspiration then becomes centered upon the Lord, and he becomes wholly God’s servant—one who has arrived, chosen and brought near—because he has emerged toward the Beloved and departed entirely toward Him. Through the lower self he flies from obedience granted by Him to obedience to Him; through the spirit, from His remembrance to His remembrance; and through the heart, from Him to Him. His lower self is bound by the bond of renunciation and God-consciousness, his spirit by the bond of truthfulness and fidelity, and his heart by the bond of nearness and intimate converse. With the lower self he ranges in the field of beautiful discipline and careful observance; with the spirit, in the field of recognizing divine grace; and with the heart, in the field of nearness and witnessing. The lower self is subdued beneath the authority of reason, the spirit stands bewildered beneath the majesty of divine awe, and the heart is adorned beneath the beauty of lordship. The servant gives thanks, then gives thanks for his very thanksgiving. His whole being becomes immersed in the oceans of God’s remembrance; his inner mystery travels to the furthest reach of divine might, grazes in the meadows of holiness, flies on the wing of aspiration through the pavilions of the unseen, ranges through the fields of divine power, and swims in the oceans of divine identity.

§ 097

وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْغَفْلَةِ اطَّلَعُوا عَلَى قُلُوبِ الْقَاصِدِينَ إلَيْهِ عِنْدَ أَوْقَاتِ جَوَلَانِهَا، فِي حُجُبِ الْغُيُوبِ وَعِنْدَ طَيَرَانِهَا فِي سُرَادِقَاتِ الْجَبَرُوتِ لَمَاتُوا حَسْرَةً مِنْ حِرْمَانِ هَذِهِ النِّعْمَةِ، وَإِنَّ جَمِيعَ الَّذِينَ وَقَعُوا فِي الضَّلَالَاتِ مَا وَقَعُوا إِلَّا لِتَوَهُّمِهِمْ فِي مَرَاتِبِ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ وَالْأَصْفِيَاءِ الَّذِينَ جَعَلَهُمْ اللَّهُ آيَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ، وَهُمْ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْرِفُهُمْ إِلَّا مَنْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى لَهُ نُورًا فِي سِرَاجِ الدَّيْمُومَةِ، فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ اللَّهُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ النُّورَ فَمَالُهُ مِنْ نُورٍ.

Walaw ʾanna ʾahla al-ghaflati iṭṭalaʿū ʿalā qulūbi al-qāṣidīna ʾlayhi ʿinda ʾawqāti jawalānihā, fī ḥujubi al-ghuyūbi waʿinda ṭayarānihā fī surādiqāti al-jabarūti lamātū ḥasratan min ḥirmāni hadhihi al-niʿmati, waʾinna jamīʿa alladhīna waqaʿū fī al-ḍalālāti mā waqaʿū ʾillā litawahhumihim fī marātibi al-ʾawliyāʾi wa-al-ʾaṣfiyāʾi alladhīna jaʿalahum Allāhu ʾāyatan li-l-ʿālamīna, wahum alladhīna lā yaʿrifuhum ʾillā man jaʿala Allāhu subḥānahu wataʿālā lahu nūran fī sirāji al-daymūmati, faman lam yajʿal Allāhu lahu dhalika al-nūra famāluhu min nūrin.

If the heedless were shown the hearts of those who intend Him as those hearts journey through the veils of the unseen and fly within the pavilions of omnipotence, they would die of grief at being deprived of this blessing. All who have fallen into error have done so only through their false imaginings about the ranks of the friends and chosen servants whom God has made a sign for the worlds. None knows them except one for whom God—glory and exaltation be to Him—has placed a light in the lamp of enduring life. Whoever is not given that light by God has no light.

§ 098

فَكُلُّ مَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَهْلًا لِمَقْصُودِهِ وَالْوُصُولِ إِلَى قُرْبِهِ، فَيَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يُرَاعِيَ نَفْسَهُ فِي مُرَاعَى الْقِيَامِ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى بِطَاعَتِهِ عَلَى مُتَابَعَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَفْتُرَ عَلَى ذِكْرِهِ وَخِدْمَتِهِ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَأَنْ يُرَاعَى رُوحُهُ فِي مُرَاعًى لَطَائِفِ الْحَضَرَاتِ، وَدَقَائِقِ الْفِكْرِ عَلَى مُتَابَعَةِ صِدْقِ الْإِرَادَاتِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَغْفُلَ عَنْ هَيْبَةِ اطِّلَاعِ رَبِّهِ عَلَيْهِ، وَدَوَامِ مُرَاقَبَتِهِ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَأَنْ يُرَاعَى قَلْبُهُ فِي مُرَاعَى حُجُبِ الْغُيُوبِ عَلَى مُتَابَعَةِ الْقُرْبِ مِنْ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَالْأُنْسِ بِهِ بِنُورِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَلْتَفِتَ مِنْهُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ.

Fakullu man ʾarāda ʾan yakūna ʾahlan limaqṣūdihi wa-al-wuṣūli ʾilā qurbihi, fayanbaghī lahu ʾan yurāʿiya nafsahu fī murāʿā al-qiyāmi li-llāhi taʿālā biṭāʿatihi ʿalā mutābaʿati al-kitābi wa-al-sunnati min ghayri ʾan yaftura ʿalā dhikrihi wakhidmatihi ṭarfata ʿaynin waʾan yurāʿā rūḥuhu fī murāʿanā laṭāʾifi al-ḥaḍarāti, wadaqāʾiqi al-fikri ʿalā mutābaʿati ṣidqi al-ʾirādāti min ghayri ʾan yaghfula ʿan haybati iṭṭilāʿi rabbihi ʿalayhi, wadawāmi murāqabatihi ṭarfata ʿaynin waʾan yurāʿā qalbuhu fī murāʿā ḥujubi al-ghuyūbi ʿalā mutābaʿati al-qurbi min Allāhi taʿālā wa-al-ʾunsi bihi binūri al-maʿrifati min ghayri ʾan yaltafita minhu ʾilā ghayrihi ṭarfata ʿaynin.

Everyone who wishes to become worthy of the One he seeks and to reach His nearness must carefully guard his lower self in the pasture of standing obediently before God Most High, following the Book and the Prophetic way, without growing weary of His remembrance and service for even the blink of an eye. He must carefully guard his spirit amid the subtleties of the divine presences and the refinements of reflection, faithfully following truthful intentions without neglecting for a blink of an eye the awe of his Lord’s watch over him and the constancy of vigilant awareness. He must carefully guard his heart amid the veils of the unseen, following the way of nearness to God Most High and intimacy with Him through the light of knowledge, without turning from Him toward another for even the blink of an eye.

§ 099

ثُمَّ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ ثَانِيًا أَنْ يَكُونَ بِالنَّفْسِ مُبْعِدًا عَنْ كُلِّ مَا يَشْغَلُهُ عَنْ خِدْمَةِ مَوْلَاهُ، وَأَنْ يَكُونَ بِالرُّوحِ مُبْعِدًا عَنْ كُلِّ مَا يَشْغَلُهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِ مَوْلَاهُ، وَأَنْ يَكُونَ بِالْقَلْبِ مُبْعِدًا عَنْ كُلِّ مَا يَشْغَلُهُ عَنْ أَنَسٍ مَوْلَاهُ.

Thumma yanbaghī lahu thāniyan ʾan yakūna bi-al-nafsi mubʿidan ʿan kulli mā yashghaluhu ʿan khidmati mawlāhu, waʾan yakūna bi-al-rūḥi mubʿidan ʿan kulli mā yashghaluhu ʿan dhikri mawlāhu, waʾan yakūna bi-al-qalbi mubʿidan ʿan kulli mā yashghaluhu ʿan ʾanasin mawlāhu.

Second, with his lower self he must distance himself from everything that distracts him from serving his Master; with his spirit, from everything that distracts him from remembering his Master; and with his heart, from everything that distracts him from intimacy with his Master.

§ 100

ثُمَّ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ ثَالِثًا أَنْ يَكُونَ بِالنَّفْسِ أَلِيفَ الْخَشْيَةِ وَالْأَحْزَانِ، وَبِالرُّوحِ أَلِيفَ الطَّاعَةِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ، وَبِالْقَلْبِ أَلِيفَ الْأُنْسِ بِالْمَلِكِ الدَّيَّانِ.

Thumma yanbaghī lahu thālithan ʾan yakūna bi-al-nafsi ʾalīfa al-khashyati wa-al-ʾaḥzāni, wa-bi-al-rūḥi ʾalīfa al-ṭāʿati wa-al-ʾiḥsāni, wa-bi-al-qalbi ʾalīfa al-ʾunsi bi-al-maliki al-dayyāni.

Third, his lower self should be a companion of awe and sorrow, his spirit a companion of obedience and beautiful conduct, and his heart a companion of intimacy with the King and Judge.

§ 101

ثُمَّ يَنْبَغِي رَابِعًا أَنْ يَكُونَ بِالنَّفْسِ وَافِيًا، وَبِالرُّوحِ ذَكِيًّا وَبِالْقَلْبِ صَافِيًا.

Thumma yanbaghī rābiʿan ʾan yakūna bi-al-nafsi wāfiyan, wa-bi-al-rūḥi dhakiyyan wa-bi-al-qalbi ṣāfiyan.

Fourth, he should be faithful in his lower self, perceptive in his spirit, and pure in his heart.

§ 102

ثُمَّ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ خَامِسًا أَنْ يَكُونَ نَفْسُهُ وَحْشِيًّا وَرُوحُهُ نَعْشِي وَقَلْبُهُ عَرْشِيٌّ.

Thumma yanbaghī lahu khāmisan ʾan yakūna nafsuhu waḥshiyyan warūḥuhu naʿshī waqalbuhu ʿarshiyyun.

Fifth, his lower self should be estranged, his spirit as though borne upon a bier [the reading is uncertain], and his heart throne-like.

§ 103

ثُمَّ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ سَادِسًا أَنْ يَكُونَ بِالنَّفْسِ مُتَشَمِّرًا عَلَى بَابِ الِاصْطِبَارِ، بِدَوَامِ الْأَذْكَارِ تَحْتَ كَمَالِ الِانْزِجَارِ، وَأَنْ يَكُونَ بِالْقَلْبِ مُسْتَبْشِرًا عَلَى بَابِ الِافْتِخَارِ بِدَوَامِ الِانْتِظَارِ نَحْوَ لِقَاءِ اللَّهِ الْمَلِكَ الْجَبَّارَ، مَعَ ثَبَاتِ النَّفْسِ فِيمَا يَرِدُ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ أَنَامِلِ الْعُقُودِ، وَرَزَانَةِ الرُّوحِ تَحْتَ مَا يَرِدُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ شَوَاهِدِ الْحَقِّ.

Thumma yanbaghī lahu sādisan ʾan yakūna bi-al-nafsi mutashammiran ʿalā bābi al-iṣṭibāri, bidawāmi al-ʾadhkāri taḥta kamāli al-inzijāri, waʾan yakūna bi-al-qalbi mustabshiran ʿalā bābi al-iftikhāri bidawāmi al-intiẓāri naḥwa liqāʾi Allāhi al-malika al-jabbāra, maʿa thabāti al-nafsi fīmā yaridu ʿalayhā min ʾanāmili al-ʿuqūdi, warazānati al-rūḥi taḥta mā yaridu ʿalayhi min shawāhidi al-ḥaqqi.

Sixth, with the lower self he should stand ready at the gate of patient endurance, constant in remembrance beneath complete restraint. With the heart he should rejoice at the gate of honor, continually awaiting the meeting with God, the King and All-Compelling—while the lower self remains steady under the constraints that come upon it and the spirit remains composed beneath the evidences of the Real that reach it.

§ 104

ثُمَّ يَنْبَغِي سَابِعًا أَنْ يُرَوِّضَ نَفْسَهُ بِسِيَاطِ الْجُوعِ وَالْأَحْزَانِ لِتَنْقَادَ لَهُ تَحْتَ أَثْقَالِ الطَّاعَةِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ بِلَا فَتْرَةٍ وَلَا طُغْيَانٍ، وَأَنْ يُرَوِّضَ رُوحَهُ بِسِيَاطِ خَوْفِ الْحِرْمَانِ وَالْخِذْلَانِ لِتَنْقَادَ لَهُ تَحْتَ ذِكْرِ رُؤْيَةِ الِامْتِنَانِ بِلَا غَفْلَةٍ وَلَا نِسْيَانٍ، وَأَنْ يُرَوِّضَ قَلْبَهُ بِسِيَاطِ ذِكْرِ الْقَطْعِ وَالْهِجْرَانِ، لِيَنْقَادَ لَهُ تَحْتَ اطِّلَاعِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ بِلَا عَلَاقَةٍ وَلَا حُسْبَانٍ، حَتَّى لَا تَلْحَقَ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ سِهَامَ الِاغْتِرَارِ وَلَا إِلَى رُوحِهِ آفَاتٌ خَفِيَّاتٌ الِاخْمَارُ، وَلَا إِلَى قَلْبِهِ غُبَارُ الِالْتِفَاتِ عَنْ الْمَوْلَى إِلَى الْمَوَاهِبِ وَالْأَنْوَارِ.

Thumma yanbaghī sābiʿan ʾan yurawwiḍa nafsahu bisiyāṭi al-jūʿi wa-al-ʾaḥzāni litanqāda lahu taḥta ʾathqāli al-ṭāʿati wa-al-ʾiḥsāni bilā fatratin walā ṭughyānin, waʾan yurawwiḍa rūḥahu bisiyāṭi khawfi al-ḥirmāni wa-al-khidhlāni litanqāda lahu taḥta dhikri ruʾyati al-imtināni bilā ghaflatin walā nisyānin, waʾan yurawwiḍa qalbahu bisiyāṭi dhikri al-qaṭʿi wa-al-hijrāni, liyanqāda lahu taḥta iṭṭilāʿi al-raḥmāni bilā ʿalāqatin walā ḥusbānin, ḥattā lā talḥaqa ʾilā nafsihi sihāma al-ightirāri walā ʾilā rūḥihi ʾāfātun khafiyyātun al-ikhmāru, walā ʾilā qalbihi ghubāru al-iltifāti ʿan al-mawlā ʾilā al-mawāhibi wa-al-ʾanwāri.

Seventh, he should discipline his lower self with the whips of hunger and sorrow so that it submits beneath the burdens of obedience and beautiful conduct without weakness or rebellion. He should discipline his spirit with the whips of fear of deprivation and abandonment so that it submits to remembering and recognizing divine grace without heedlessness or forgetfulness. He should discipline his heart with the whips of remembering severance and abandonment so that it submits beneath the All-Merciful’s watch without attachment or calculation. Then the arrows of self-deception will not strike his lower self, hidden veiling afflictions will not reach his spirit, and the dust of turning from the Master toward gifts and lights will not settle upon his heart.

§ 105

ثُمَّ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ ثَامِنًا أَنْ يَكُونَ بِالنَّفْسِ مُسْتَقِيمًا عَلَى وَفَاءِ صِدْقِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ فِي طَرِيقِ الْحَيَاءِ وَالْخِدْمَةِ عَلَى سَبِيلِ الْفَرَاغِ مِنْ شُغْلِهَا مَعَ تَفْوِيضِ الْأُمُورِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَأَنْ يَكُونَ بِالرُّوحِ مُسْتَقِيمًا عَلَى صِدْقِ الطُّمَأْنِينَةِ فِي طَرِيقِ الصِّدْقِ وَالصَّفْوَةِ عَلَى سَبِيلِ التَّجْرِيدِ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ مَعَ تَرْكِ الِاخْتِيَارِ وَالتَّفْوِيضِ إِلَيْهِ تَعَالَى، وَأَنْ يَكُونَ بِالْقَلْبِ مُسْتَقِيمًا عَلَى بِسَاطٍ الْحَضْرَةِ عَلَى سَبِيلِ الْمُجَاهَدَةِ بِالسِّرِّ مَعَ تَرْكِ الِالْتِفَاتِ مِنْهُ إِلَى مَا سِوَاهُ ثُمَّ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ تَاسِعًا أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ آثَرَ الْعُبُودِيَّةَ، وَعَلَى رُوحِهِ صِفَةَ الْفَرْدَانِيَّةِ، وَعَلَى قَلْبِهِ طَرَبَ الْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ.

Thumma yanbaghī lahu thāminan ʾan yakūna bi-al-nafsi mustaqīman ʿalā wafāʾi ṣidqi al-ʿubūdiyyati fī ṭarīqi al-ḥayāʾi wa-al-khidmati ʿalā sabīli al-farāghi min shughlihā maʿa tafwīḍi al-ʾumūri ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā waʾan yakūna bi-al-rūḥi mustaqīman ʿalā ṣidqi al-ṭumaʾnīnati fī ṭarīqi al-ṣidqi wa-al-ṣafwati ʿalā sabīli al-tajrīdi bi-al-kulliyyati maʿa tarki al-ikhtiyāri wa-al-tafwīḍi ʾilayhi taʿālā, waʾan yakūna bi-al-qalbi mustaqīman ʿalā bisāṭin al-ḥaḍrati ʿalā sabīli al-mujāhadati bi-al-sirri maʿa tarki al-iltifāti minhu ʾilā mā siwāhu thumma yanbaghī lahu tāsiʿan ʾan yakūna ʿalā nafsihi ʾāthara al-ʿubūdiyyata, waʿalā rūḥihi ṣifata al-fardāniyyati, waʿalā qalbihi ṭaraba al-waḥdāniyyati.

Eighth, in his lower self he should remain upright in the truthful fulfillment of servanthood along the road of shame and service, freed from its distractions while entrusting affairs to God Most High. In his spirit he should remain upright in true tranquility along the road of truthfulness and purity, wholly divested, abandoning personal choice and entrusting the matter to Him Most High. In his heart he should remain upright upon the carpet of the Presence, inwardly striving while abandoning every turn from Him toward another. Ninth, he should bear upon his lower self the trace of servanthood, upon his spirit the quality of singularity, and within his heart the rapture of unity.

§ 106

ثُمَّ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ عَاشِرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ مَعَ النَّفْسِ بِلَا نَفْسٍ بِنِسْيَانِ حَظِّهَا مِنْ الدُّنْيَا وَأَنْ يَكُونَ مَعَ الرُّوحِ بِلَا رُوحٍ بِنِسْيَانِ حَظِّهِ مِنْ الْعُقْبَى، وَأَنْ يَكُونَ مَعَ الْقَلْبِ بِلَا قَلْبٍ بِنِسْيَانِ حَظِّهِ مِنْ الْمَوْلَى، وَصَارَ كَمَا كَانَ فِي الْأَزَلِ حَيْثُ لَمْ تَكُنْ الْمُكَوِّنَاتُ، وَبَقِيَ الْحَقُّ كَمَا كَانَ فِي الْأَزَلِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى بِلَا كَوْنٍ وَلَا خُلْقٍ، وَلَا حَيْثُ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ وَتَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ وَلَا إِلَٰهَ غَيْرِهِ.

Thumma yanbaghī lahu ʿāshiran ʾan yakūna maʿa al-nafsi bilā nafsin binisyāni ḥaẓẓihā min al-dunyā waʾan yakūna maʿa al-rūḥi bilā rūḥin binisyāni ḥaẓẓihi min al-ʿuqbā, waʾan yakūna maʿa al-qalbi bilā qalbin binisyāni ḥaẓẓihi min al-mawlā, waṣāra kamā kāna fī al-ʾazali ḥaythu lam takun al-mukawwinātu, wabaqiya al-ḥaqqu kamā kāna fī al-ʾazali subḥānahu wataʿālā bilā kawnin walā khulqin, walā ḥaythu jalla jalāluhu wataqaddasat ʾasmāʾuhu walā ʾilāha ghayrihi.

Tenth, he should be with the lower self without lower self, forgetting its share of the world; with the spirit without spirit, forgetting its share of the final abode; and with the heart without heart, forgetting its share even of the Master. He becomes as he was in pre-eternity when created things did not exist, while the Real remains as He was in pre-eternity—glory and exaltation be to Him—without world, creation, or spatial ‘where.’ Majestic is His glory, holy are His names, and there is no god but Him.

§ 107

مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَمُوَاصَلَتُهُ، حَقٌّ لَكُمْ أَنْ لَا تَجْهَلُوا قَدْرَ أَنْفُسِكُمْ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَأَنْ لَا تُذِلُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ لِغَيْرِهِ، وَأَنْ لَا تَلْتَفِتُوا مِنْهُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ إِجْلَالًا لِحُرْمَتِهِ، وَحَقٌّ لِمَنْ أَقَامَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مَقَامَ أَصْفِيَائِهِ، وَأَهْلِ قُرْبِهِ أَنْ لَا يَصْحَبَ أَحَدًا مِنْ عَامَّةِ خَلْقِهِ، وَلَا يَعْمَلَ بِهَوَى نَفْسِهِ، هَيْبَةً لِجَلَالِ عَظَمَتِهِ، وَحَقٌّ لِمَنْ سَقَاهُ اللَّهُ بِكَأْسِ مَحَبَّتِهِ، وَوَجَدَ لِذَائِذِ أُنْسِهِ وَمُنَاجَاتِهِ أَنْ لَا يَشْتَغِلَ بِلَذَائِذِ غَيْرِهُ، وَلَا يَأْوِيَ إِلَى قُرْبِ غَيْرِهِ، اسْتِحْقَاقًا لِفَرْدَانِيَّتِهِ، وَحَقٌّ لِكُلِّ مَنْ أَلْبَسَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِبَاسَ أَصْفِيَائِهِ وَرَدَّاهُ بِرِدَاءِ أَحْبَابِهِ أَنْ لَا يُدَنِّسَهُ بِدَنَسِ هَوَاجِسِ نَفْسِهِ وَغُبَارِهَا وَيَطْلُبَ الْأَعْوَاضَ مِنْ مَحْبُوبِهِ وَمَعْبُودِهِ قِيَامًا بِاسْتِحْقَاقِ الْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ وَحُرْمَةِ جَلَالِهِ.

Maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā wamuwāṣalatuhu, ḥaqqun lakum ʾan lā tajhalū qadra ʾanfusikum fī kulli shayʾin, waʾan lā tudhillū ʾanfusakum lighayrihi, waʾan lā taltafitū minhu ʾilā ghayrihi ʾijlālan liḥurmatihi, waḥaqqun liman ʾaqāmahu Allāhu taʿālā maqāma ʾaṣfiyāʾihi, waʾahli qurbihi ʾan lā yaṣḥaba ʾaḥadan min ʿāmmati khalqihi, walā yaʿmala bihawā nafsihi, haybatan lijalāli ʿaẓamatihi, waḥaqqun liman saqāhu Allāhu bikaʾsi maḥabbatihi, wawajada lidhāʾidhi ʾunsihi wamunājātihi ʾan lā yashtaghila biladhāʾidhi ghayrihu, walā yaʾwiya ʾilā qurbi ghayrihi, istiḥqāqan lifardāniyyatihi, waḥaqqun likulli man ʾalbasahu Allāhu taʿālā libāsa ʾaṣfiyāʾihi waraddāhu biridāʾi ʾaḥbābihi ʾan lā yudannisahu bidanasi hawājisi nafsihi waghubārihā wayaṭluba al-ʾaʿwāḍa min maḥbūbihi wamaʿbūdihi qiyāman bi-istiḥqāqi al-waḥdāniyyati waḥurmati jalālihi.

O company of those who intend God Most High and communion with Him, it is your duty not to remain ignorant of the worth of your own souls in any matter, not to abase yourselves before anyone other than Him, and not to turn from Him toward another, out of reverence for His sanctity. Whoever is placed by God Most High in the station of His chosen and near servants should not keep company indiscriminately with ordinary people or act according to the caprice of his lower self, out of awe before divine greatness. Whoever is given to drink from the cup of God’s love and tastes the delights of intimacy and converse with Him should not occupy himself with the delights of another or seek shelter in another’s nearness, as demanded by divine singularity. Whoever is clothed by God Most High in the garment of His chosen servants and wrapped in the robe of His beloved should not soil it with the filth and dust of the lower self’s whisperings, nor seek compensation from his Beloved and Object of worship, thereby upholding the claim of divine unity and the sanctity of His majesty.

§ 108

وَحَقٌّ لِكُلِّ مَنْ خَصَّهُ اللَّهُ بِوِلاَيَةِ مَعْرِفَتِهِ، وَاصْطَفَاهُ لِأُنْسِهِ وَصُحْبَتِهِ، أَنْ لاَ يَأْنَسَ بِغَيْرِهِ وَيَنْسَى مَا دُونَهُ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ بِالإِيَاسِ مِمَّا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ وَالتَّوَكُّلِ عَلَى رَبِّ النَّاسِ، فَإِنَّ الإِيَاسَ عَنِ النَّاسِ هُوَ الْكِيمْيَاءُ اسْتِحْقَاقًا لِصِدْقِ الْقَصْدِ وَانْقِطَاعًا إلَيْهِ وَإِجْلاَلًاً لِحُرْمَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَافْهَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الإِخْوَانِ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مَا ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ الرِّعَايَةِ وَشَرَحْنَا لَكُمْ بَيَانَهَا لِأَنَّ فِيهَا أَمْرًا عَظِيمًا فَهِمَ مَنْ فَهِمَ تَحْقِيقًا.

Waḥaqqun likulli man khaṣṣahu Allāhu biwilʾayati maʿrifatihi, wa-iṣṭafāhu liʾunsihi waṣuḥbatihi, ʾan lʾa yaʾnasa bighayrihi wayansā mā dūnahu bi-al-kulliyyati bi-al-ʾiyāsi mimmā fī ʾaydī al-nāsi wa-al-tawakkuli ʿalā rabbi al-nāsi, faʾinna al-ʾiyāsa ʿani al-nāsi huwa al-kīmyāʾu istiḥqāqan liṣidqi al-qaṣdi wa-inqiṭāʿan ʾlayhi waʾijlʾalan liḥurmati Allāhi ʿazza wajalla, fa-ifhamū maʿāshira al-ʾikhwāni al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā mā dhakarnā min al-riʿāyati washaraḥnā lakum bayānahā liʾanna fīhā ʾamran ʿaẓīman fahima man fahima taḥqīqan.

Whoever is specially granted by God the friendship of knowing Him and chosen for intimacy and companionship with Him should find intimacy in no other and should forget everything beneath Him completely, despairing of what people possess and trusting in the Lord of all people. Freedom from expectation of people is the true alchemy. This is demanded by the truthfulness of one’s intention, complete turning toward Him, and reverence for the sanctity of God Almighty and Majestic. Understand, O brothers who intend God Most High, the careful observance we have described and explained, for it contains a tremendous matter. Whoever truly understands it, understands.

الْبَابُ السَّابِعُ فِي مُشَاوَرَةِ النَّفْسِ وَالرُّوحِ وَالْقَلْبِ فِي أُمُورِ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى

Al-bābu al-sābiʿu fī mushāwarati al-nafsi wa-al-rūḥi wa-al-qalbi fī ʾumūri al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā

Chapter Seven Consulting the Lower Self, Spirit, and Heart Concerning the Intention Toward God Most High

§ 110

قَالَ شَيْخُ الْإِسْلَامِ الْأُسْتَاذُ الْمُرَبَّى الْمُجْمَعُ عَلَى جَلَالَتِهِ شَرَفُ الدِّينِ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ شَيْخُ مَشَايِخِ أَهْلِ الْحَقِيقَةِ وَالطَّرِيقَةِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَعَنْهُمْ وَنَفَعَنَا بِهِ وَلَهُمْ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ: اعْلَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنَّى لَمَّا هَمَمْتُ بِالْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَنَوَيْتُ الْإِقْبَالَ إلَيْهِ وَالْأُنْسَ بِهِ إِلَى الْأَبَدِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ أَلْتَفِت مِنْهُ إِلَى مَا سِوَاهُ، فَفَكَّرْتُ فِي هَذِهِ الْأُمُورِ فَإِذَا هِيَ أَعْظَمُ الْأُمُورِ قَدْرًا وَأَكْمَلُهَا شَوْقًا وَأَعْلَاهَا مَنْزِلَةً، وَمَا رَأَيْتُ وَرَاءَ هَذِهِ الْأُمُورِ أَمْرًا، وَلَا فَوْقَ هَذِهِ الدَّرَجَةِ دَرَجَةً، وَلَا دُونَ هَذِهِ الْمَرَاتِبِ مُرَتَّبَةً، ثُمَّ إِنِّي فَكَّرْت فِي مَا يَنْبَغِي لِي أَنْ أَفْعَلَهُ مِنْ التَّهَيُّؤِ حَتَّى أَكُونَ إِلَى الْوَصْلَةِ مِنْ الْمَقْصُودِ أَهْلًا، فَإِذَا هُوَ فِي صِدْقِ الِانْفِرَادِ بِهِ وَتَرْكِ حَظِّ النَّفْسِ مِنْ الدُّنْيَا، ثُمَّ مِنْ الْعُقْبَى، ثُمَّ مِنْ الْمَوْلَى حَتَّى أَكُونَ لِلْفَرْدِ فَرْدًا بِلَا عَلَاقَةٍ بِدُونِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، ثُمَّ إِنَّ الرَّسُولَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَعَ عَقْلِهِ الْكَامِلِ وَعِلْمِهِ الرَّاسِخِ وَزُهْدِهِ الْوَافِرِ وَفِطْنَتِهِ الزَّاهِرَةِ كَانَ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الْمُشَاوَرَةِ فِي جَمِيعِ أُمُورِهِ دِينًا وَدُنْيَا فَكَيْفَ أَنَا؟ الْأُولَى بِي أَنْ أَسْتَشِيرَ فِي أَمْرِي هَذَا مَنْ يُسَاعِدُنِي فِيهِ إِذْ لَا أَجِدُ مَنْ يُسَاعِدُنِي فِيهِ، فَقُلْتُ: مَا أَعْظَمَ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ وَمَا أُعِزُّهُ وَأَجَلَّهُ، وَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ الْمَقْصُودَ وَالْمَطْلُوبَ كُلَّمَا عَظُمَ قَلَّ فِيهِ الْمُسَاعِدُ وَقَلَّ مَا يَكُونُ أَهْلًا لَهُ، ثُمَّ إِنِّي أَجْلَسْتُ النَّفْسَ وَالْهَوَى مَعَ جَمِيعِ أَعْوَانِهِمَا عَنْ يَسَارِي، وَأَجْلَسْتُ الرُّوحَ وَالْعَقْلَ عَنْ يَمِينِي مَعَ جَمِيعِ أَعْوَانِهَا وَأَجْلَسْتُ الْقَلْبَ مَعَ جَمِيعِ أَعْوَانُهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ، ثُمَّ قُلْت لَهُمْ مَا تَقُولُونَ فِي اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ؟ فَقَالُوا بِأَجْمَعِهِمْ: رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَمَلِيكُهُ لَيْسَ دُونَهُ آخَرُ يُلْجَأُ إِلَيْهِ وَلا سِوَاهُ مَلَكٌ يُرْتَجَى مِنْهُ وَلا غَيْرُهُ إِلَٰهٌ يُخْشَى مِنْهُ، أَنِيسُ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَسُرُورُ الْمُحِبِّينَ وَقُرَّةُ عَيْنُ الْعَارِفِينَ، طُوبَى لِمَنْ عَرَفَهُ وَقَصَدَهُ وَوَصَلَ إلَيْهِ وَاكْتَفَى بِهِ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا سِوَاهُ، ثُمَّ قُلْت لَهُمْ: مَا تَقُولُونَ إِنْ قَصَدْتَ إلَيْهِ وَآنَسْتَ بِهِ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا سِوَاهُ؟

Qāla shaykhu al-ʾislāmi al-ʾustādhu al-murabbā al-mujmaʿu ʿalā jalālatihi sharafu al-dīni ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu shaykhu mashāyikhi ʾahli al-ḥaqīqati wa-al-ṭarīqati raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu waʿanhum wanafaʿanā bihi walahum fī al-dārayni: iʿlamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā ʾannā lammā hamamtu bi-al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā, wanawaytu al-ʾiqbāla ʾlayhi wa-al-ʾunsa bihi ʾilā al-ʾabadi min ghayri ʾan ʾaltafit minhu ʾilā mā siwāhu, fafakkartu fī hadhihi al-ʾumūri faʾidhā hiya ʾaʿẓamu al-ʾumūri qadran waʾakmaluhā shawqan waʾaʿlāhā manzilatan, wamā raʾaytu warāʾa hadhihi al-ʾumūri ʾamran, walā fawqa hadhihi al-darajati darajatan, walā dūna hadhihi al-marātibi murattabatan, thumma ʾinnī fakkart fī mā yanbaghī lī ʾan ʾafʿalahu min al-tahayyuʾi ḥattā ʾakūna ʾilā al-waṣlati min al-maqṣūdi ʾahlan, faʾidhā huwa fī ṣidqi al-infirādi bihi watarki ḥaẓẓi al-nafsi min al-dunyā, thumma min al-ʿuqbā, thumma min al-mawlā ḥattā ʾakūna li-l-fardi fardan bilā ʿalāqatin bidūni Allāhi ʿazza wajalla, thumma ʾinna al-rasūla ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi waʾālihi wasallama maʿa ʿaqlihi al-kāmili waʿilmihi al-rāsikhi wazuhdihi al-wāfiri wafiṭnatihi al-zāhirati kāna yaḥtāju ʾilā al-mushāwarati fī jamīʿi ʾumūrihi dīnan wadunyā fakayfa ʾanā? al-ʾūlā bī ʾan ʾastashīra fī ʾamrī hadhā man yusāʿidunī fīhi ʾidh lā ʾajidu man yusāʿidunī fīhi, faqultu: mā ʾaʿẓama hadhā al-ʾamra wamā ʾuʿizzuhu waʾajallahu, waʿalimtu ʾanna al-maqṣūda wa-al-maṭlūba kullamā ʿaẓuma qalla fīhi al-musāʿidu waqalla mā yakūnu ʾahlan lahu, thumma ʾinnī ʾajlastu al-nafsa wa-al-hawā maʿa jamīʿi ʾaʿwānihimā ʿan yasārī, waʾajlastu al-rūḥa wa-al-ʿaqla ʿan yamīnī maʿa jamīʿi ʾaʿwānihā waʾajlastu al-qalba maʿa jamīʿi ʾaʿwānuhu bayna yadayya, thumma qult lahum mā taqūlūna fī Allāhi ʿazza wajalla? faqālū biʾajmaʿihim: rabbunā warabbu kulli shayʾin wamalīkuhu laysa dūnahu ʾākharu yuljaʾu ʾilayhi walā siwāhu malakun yurtajā minhu walā ghayruhu ʾilāhun yukhshā minhu, ʾanīsu al-muqarrabīna wasurūru al-muḥibbīna waqurratu ʿaynu al-ʿārifīna, ṭūbā liman ʿarafahu waqaṣadahu wawaṣala ʾlayhi wa-iktafā bihi ʿan kulli mā siwāhu, thumma qult lahum: mā taqūlūna ʾin qaṣadta ʾlayhi waʾānasta bihi ʿan kulli mā siwāhu?

The shaykh of Islam, nurturing teacher whose majesty is acknowledged, Sharaf al-Dīn Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd, master of the masters among the people of spiritual reality and the path—may God be pleased with him and them, and benefit us through him and them in both abodes—said: Know, O company of those who intend God Most High, that when I resolved to set out toward God Most High, intended to turn toward Him, and sought intimacy with Him forever without turning from Him toward anything else, I reflected upon these matters. I found them the greatest in worth, the most complete in longing, and the highest in station. I saw no matter beyond them, no degree above this degree, and no rank beneath these ranks that could compare with them. I then reflected upon the preparation I must undertake to become worthy of communion with the One intended. I found that it consists in truthful solitude with Him and abandoning the lower self’s claim upon the world, then upon the final abode, and then even upon the Master, until I become a solitary one for the One, without attachment to anything beneath God Almighty and Majestic. The Messenger—may God bless him and his family and grant them peace—despite his perfected reason, firmly rooted knowledge, abundant renunciation, and radiant discernment, needed consultation in all his religious and worldly affairs. What, then, of me? It is more fitting that I consult concerning this matter someone who will help me, yet I can find no one to do so. I said: How tremendous, rare, and majestic is this undertaking. I understood that the greater the One intended and sought, the fewer the helpers and the fewer those fit for Him. I therefore seated the lower self and passion, with all their assistants, on my left; seated the spirit and reason, with all their assistants, on my right; and seated the heart, with all its assistants, before me. I asked them: ‘What do you say of God Almighty and Majestic?’ They answered together: ‘He is our Lord and the Lord and Sovereign of everything. There is no other beneath Him to whom refuge may be sought, no sovereign apart from Him from whom favor may be hoped, and no god other than Him who is to be feared. He is the Intimate of those brought near, the joy of the lovers, and the delight of the knowers’ eyes. Blessed is the one who knows Him, intends Him, reaches Him, and is content with Him instead of everything else.’ I then asked them: ‘What do you say if I set out toward Him and find intimacy in Him apart from all else?’

§ 111

فَقَالُوا لِي بِأَجْمَعِهِمْ: وَهَلْ يَنْبَغِي لَك غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ؟ وَهَلْ خَلَقَكَ إِلَّا لِهَذَا؟ وَهَلْ أَمَرُك إِلَّا بِهَذَا؟ وَهَلْ يَنْبَغِي لَك شُغْلٌ أَحَقُّ مَا اشْتَغَلْتَ بِهِ سِوَى هَذَا؟ بُخ. بُخ! إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِ قُرْبِهِ وَأُنْسِهِ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الِانْفِرَادِ بِهِ، نِعْمَ مَا هَمَمْتَ بِهِ وَنِعْمَ مَا نَوَيْت، وَنِعْمَ مَحْبُوبًا إلَيْهِ أَتَيْتَ، وَنِعْمَ مَقْصُودًا وَمَطْلُوبًا إلَيْهِ دَنِيْتَ وَأَوَيْتَ، بَخْ. بُخ! إِنْ وَفَّقَكَ اللَّهُ لِهَذَا. فَقُلْت لَهُمْ: مِنْ أَيْنَ قُلْتُمْ هَذَا؟ قَالُوا: مِنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَزَّ وَجَلَّ:

Faqālū lī biʾajmaʿihim: wahal yanbaghī lak ghayru dhalika? wahal khalaqaka ʾillā lihadhā? wahal ʾamaruk ʾillā bihadhā? wahal yanbaghī lak shughlun ʾaḥaqqu mā ishtaghalta bihi siwā hadhā? bukh. bukh! ʾin kunta min ʾahli qurbihi waʾunsihi wamin ʾahli al-infirādi bihi, niʿma mā hamamta bihi waniʿma mā nawayt, waniʿma maḥbūban ʾlayhi ʾatayta, waniʿma maqṣūdan wamaṭlūban ʾlayhi danīta waʾawayta, bakh. bukh! ʾin waffaqaka Allāhu lihadhā. faqult lahum: min ʾayna qultum hadhā? qālū: min qawli Allāhi taʿālā ʿazza wajalla:

They all replied: ‘What else should you do? Were you created for anything but this? Were you commanded to do anything but this? Is there any occupation more worthy of you? What joy, if you are one of the people of His nearness and intimacy and one of those who are solitary with Him. How fine is what you have resolved and intended; how fine a Beloved you approach; how fine an Intended and Sought One to whom you draw near and take shelter. What joy, if God grants you success in this.’ I asked them: ‘From where do you say this?’ They answered: ‘From the words of God Most High and Almighty:’

§ 112

وَأَنِيبُوا إِلى رَبِّكُمْ وَأَسْلِمُوا لَهُ

Waʾanībū ʾilā rabbikum waʾaslimū lahu

‘Turn back to your Lord and submit to Him.’

§ 113

[الزُّمَرُ: 54] الْآيَةَ، وقَوْله تَعَالَى:

[Al-zumaru: 54] al-ʾāyata, wqawlh taʿālā:

[Al-Zumar 39:54] And His words, exalted is He:

§ 114

وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِاللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلاكُمْ فَنِعْمَ الْمَوْلى وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ

Wa-iʿtaṣimū bi-llāhi huwa mawlākum faniʿma al-mawlā waniʿma al-naṣīru

‘Hold fast to God; He is your Protector—what a fine Protector and what a fine Helper.’

§ 115

[الْحَجِّ: 78] وَغَيْرُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ الْآيَاتِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ كَثِيرَةٌ.

[Al-ḥajji: 78] waghayru dhalika min al-ʾāyāti fī al-qurʾāni kathīratun.

[Al-Ḥajj 22:78] Many other verses of the Qur’an convey the same meaning.

§ 116

قُلْتُ: فَإِنْ سُئِلْتُمْ عَنْ هَذَا أَلْفُ سَنَةٍ هَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ مِنْ جَوَابٍ غَيْرِ هَذَا؟ قَالُوا: لَا، ثُمَّ إِنِّي أَقْبَلْتُ عَلَى النَّفْسِ وَالْهَوَى وَجَمِيعِ أَعْوَانِهِمَا، وَقُلْتُ: إِنِّي إِنْ قَصَدْتُ إِلَى رَبِّي فَهَلْ تُسَاعِدُونِي، حَتَّى أَتَّخِذَهُ جَلِيسًا وَأَنِيسًا وَصَاحِبًا وَحَبِيبًا مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ أَلْتَفِتَ عَنْهُ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا؟ قَالُوا: لَا، قُلْت: لِمَاذَا وَهُوَ سَيِّدُنَا وَمَوْلَانَا الْحَاصِلُ مِنْهُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ، وَلَا بُدَّ لَنَا مِنْهُ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ؟ فَقَالُوا: إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى خَلَقَنَا مِنْ ظُلُمَاتِ الدُّنْيَا، وَرَبَّانَا بِهَا وَنَحْنُ مُحْتَاجُونَ إِلَى شَهَوَاتِهَا وَرَاحَاتِهَا وَلَذَائِذَ عِيشَتِهَا، وَأَنْوَاعِ زِينَتِهَا، وَالتَّمَتُّعِ بِطِيبِ نَعِيمِهَا، وَبَقَاؤُنَا بِهَا وَفَقْدِنَا مِنْ فُقْدَانِهَا، فَقُلْت: وَيْحْكُمْ! أَمَا تَرَوْنَ إِلَى زَوَالِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِنَائِهَا وَتَقَلُّبِهَا بِأَهْلِهَا، أَمَا تَعْتَبِرُونَ بِمَا مَضَى مِنْهَا عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَلَى مَنْ دُونَكُمْ كَيْفَ أَدْبَرَتْ عَنْكُمْ وَعَنْهُمْ وَصَارَتْ كَأَنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ قَطُّ وَبَقِيَتْ تَبِعَاتُهَا؟ أَمَّا تَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي وَعْدِ اللَّهِ وَوَعِيدِهِ وَأَمْرِهِ وَنَهْيِهِ وَإِلَى مَا دَعَاكُمْ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ وَحَذَّرَكُمْ عَنِ الِانْشِغَالِ بِهَا! فَقَالُوا: أَيُّهَا الْعَبْدُ الْقَاصِدُ إِلَى مَوْلَاكَ وَحَبِيبِك لَا تَشْتَغِلْ بِتَطْوِيلِ الْكَلَامِ.

Qultu: faʾin suʾiltum ʿan hadhā ʾalfu sanatin hal ʿindakum min jawābin ghayri hadhā? qālū: lā, thumma ʾinnī ʾaqbaltu ʿalā al-nafsi wa-al-hawā wajamīʿi ʾaʿwānihimā, waqultu: ʾinnī ʾin qaṣadtu ʾilā rabbī fahal tusāʿidūnī, ḥattā ʾattakhidhahu jalīsan waʾanīsan waṣāḥiban waḥabīban min ghayri ʾan ʾaltafita ʿanhu ʾilā al-dunyā? qālū: lā, qult: limādhā wahuwa sayyidunā wamawlānā al-ḥāṣilu minhu kullu shayʾin, walā budda lanā minhu fī al-dārayni? faqālū: ʾinna Allāha taʿālā khalaqanā min ẓulumāti al-dunyā, warabbānā bihā wanaḥnu muḥtājūna ʾilā shahawātihā warāḥātihā waladhāʾidha ʿīshatihā, waʾanwāʿi zīnatihā, wa-al-tamattuʿi biṭībi naʿīmihā, wabaqāʾunā bihā wafaqdinā min fuqdānihā, faqult: wayḥkum! ʾamā tarawna ʾilā zawāli al-dunyā wafināʾihā wataqallubihā biʾahlihā, ʾamā taʿtabirūna bimā maḍā minhā ʿalaykum waʿalā man dūnakum kayfa ʾadbarat ʿankum waʿanhum waṣārat kaʾan lam takun qaṭṭu wabaqiyat tabiʿātuhā? ʾammā tatafakkarūna fī waʿdi Allāhi wawaʿīdihi waʾamrihi wanahyihi waʾilā mā daʿākum ʾilā nafsihi waḥadhdharakum ʿani al-inshighāli bihā! faqālū: ʾayyuhā al-ʿabdu al-qāṣidu ʾilā mawlāka waḥabībik lā tashtaghil bitaṭwīli al-kalāmi.

I said: ‘If you were questioned about this for a thousand years, would you have any other answer?’ They said no. I then turned to the lower self, passion, and all their helpers and said: ‘If I set out toward my Lord, will you help me take Him as my companion, intimate, associate, and beloved, without turning from Him toward the world?’ They replied: ‘No.’ I asked: ‘Why, when He is our Master and Patron, from whom everything comes and whom we cannot do without in either abode?’ They answered: ‘God Most High created us from the darknesses of the world and nurtured us through it. We need its appetites, comforts, pleasures of life, many adornments, and the enjoyment of its fine delights. Our survival is through it, and its loss is our loss.’ I said: ‘Woe to you! Do you not see how the world passes away, how it perishes, and how it turns upon its people? Do you not take warning from what has already passed over you and those before you—how it turned away from you and them, became as though it had never existed, yet left its liabilities behind? Do you not reflect upon God’s promise and threat, His command and prohibition, His call to Himself, and His warning against becoming occupied with the world?’ They answered: ‘Servant who intends his Master and Beloved, do not occupy yourself by prolonging this discussion.’

§ 117

ثُمَّ إِنِّي أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى الرُّوحِ وَالْعَقْلِ، مَعَ جَمِيعِ أَعْوَانِهِمَا وَقُلْتُ: إِنِّي إِنْ قَصَدْتُ إِلَى رَبِّي عَلَى أَنْ أَخْدُمَهُ عَلَى مَحَبَّتِهِ لَا لِجَنَّتِهِ، وَأَذْكُرُهُ تَقَرُّبًا لَا لِثَوَابِهِ، وَأَتَّخِذَهُ رَئِيسًا وَجَلِيسًا مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ أَلْتَفِتَ مِنْهُ إِلَى عَطَائِهِ وَمَوَاهِبِهِ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمَا تُسَاعِدَانِي فِيهَا وَتُوَافِقَانِي عَلَيْهَا؟ قَالَا: لَا. قُلْت: لِمَاذَا لَا تُسَاعِدَانِي فِيهَا وَتُوَفِّقَانِي عَلَيْهَا بَعْدُ أَنَّهُ سَيِّدُنَا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى وَأَجَلُّ وَأَعْلَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ؟ قَالَا:

Thumma ʾinnī ʾaqbaltu ʾilā al-rūḥi wa-al-ʿaqli, maʿa jamīʿi ʾaʿwānihimā waqultu: ʾinnī ʾin qaṣadtu ʾilā rabbī ʿalā ʾan ʾakhdumahu ʿalā maḥabbatihi lā lijannatihi, waʾadhkuruhu taqarruban lā lithawābihi, waʾattakhidhahu raʾīsan wajalīsan min ghayri ʾan ʾaltafita minhu ʾilā ʿaṭāʾihi wamawāhibihi fahal ʾantumā tusāʿidānī fīhā watuwāfiqānī ʿalayhā? qālā: lā. qult: limādhā lā tusāʿidānī fīhā watuwaffiqānī ʿalayhā baʿdu ʾannahu sayyidunā wahuwa khayrun waʾabqā waʾajallu waʾaʿlā min kulli shayʾin fī al-dārayni? qālā:

I then turned to the spirit and reason, together with all their helpers, and said: ‘If I set out toward my Lord in order to serve Him out of love for Him, not for His Paradise; remember Him to draw near, not for His reward; and take Him as leader and companion without turning from Him toward His gifts and bestowals—will you two help and agree with me?’ They said no. I asked: ‘Why will you not help and agree, when He is our Master and is better, more enduring, more majestic, and higher than everything in both abodes?’ They replied:

§ 118

لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى خَلَقَنَا مِنْ نُورِ الْآخِرَةِ وَرَبَّانَا بِهَا وَجَعَلْنَا مُحْتَاجِينَ إِلَى إبَاحَةِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَكَمَالِ سُرُورِهَا وَلَذَائِذَ عِيشَتُهَا وَأَنْوَاعُ نَعِيمِهَا، بَقَاؤُنَا بِهَا، وَفِقْدَانُنَا مِنْ فُقْدَانِهَا وَلَا بُدَّ لَنَا مِنْهَا. فَقُلْت: وَيَحْكُمُ أَمَا تَرَوْنَ أَنَّ الِاشْتِغَالَ بِالنَّعِيمِ يَحْجُبُ الْعَبْدَ عَنْ الْمُنْعِمِ، وَالِاشْتِغَالَ بِالْعَطَاءِ يَحْجُبُ الْعَبْدَ عَنْ الْمُعْطَى؟ أَمَا تَعْتَبِرُونَ بِآدَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، حِينَ اشْتَغَلَ بِالْجَنَّةِ وَاطْمَئَنَّ قَلْبُهُ فِيهَا وَطَمِعَ فِي خُلُودِهَا وَمُلْكِهَا وَتَعَلَّقَ قَلْبِهِ بِهَا وَاكْتَفَى مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى بِهَا كَيْفَ صَارَ مَحْرُومًا مُتَفَضِّحًا فِي جَمِيعِ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَالْآخِرِينَ، وَيَحَكُمُ أَمَّا تَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي كَمَالِ لُطْفِهِ وَشَفَقَتِهِ وَغَايَةِ تَوَدُّدِهِ فِيمَا يَدْعُوكُمْ بِهِ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ وَالِاسْتِئْنَاسِ بِهِ، وَإِلَى مَا حَذَّرَكُمْ عَنْ الِاشْتِغَالِ بِغَيْرِهِ؟ فَقَالُوا لِي: أَيُّهَا الْعَبْدُ الْقَاصِدُ إِلَى مَوْلَاهُ وَحَبِيبِهِ لَا تَشْتَغِلْ بِطُولِ الْكَلَامِ فَتَنْقَطِعُ عَنْ مَقْصُودِكَ وَمَطْلُوبِكَ، وَأَنْتَ لَا تَجِدُ مُؤْنِسًا وَمَحْبُوبًا غَيْرَهُ، فَإِنَّ الْأَمْرَ أَعْجَلُ مِنْ أَنْ تَشْتَغِلَ بِالْكَلَامِ، ثُمَّ إِنِّي أَقْبَلْتُ عَلَى الْقَلْبِ وَقُلْتَ: يَا قَلْبُ أَنْتَ مَلِكُ الْبَدَنِ وَأَنْتَ مَحَلُّ الْإِيقَانِ وَالْأَذْهَانِ، وَمَعْدِنُ النَّظَرِ إِلَى الْمَلِكِ الدَّيَّانِ، وَأَنْتَ الَّذِي عَظَّمَ اللَّهُ شَأْنَكَ، وَنَوَّرَ بُرْهَانَكَ وَأَجَلْ سُلْطَانَك، وَقَدْ جَعَلَكَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى مَعْدِنَ فِكْرٍ مَعْرِفَتِهِ، وَمَأْوَى ذِهْنِ فِطْنَتِهِ، إِنَّك إِنْ صَلَحْت صَلُحَتْ الْأَعْضَاءُ كُلُّهَا، وَإِنْ فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَتْ الْأَعْضَاءُ كُلُّهَا، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى دَعَانِي إِلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَأَمَرَنِي بِالْإِنَابَةِ إلَيْهِ فَأَنَا قَاصِدٌ إِلَى رَبِّي وَعَازِمٌ عَلَى أَنْ أُقِيمَ مَعَهُ إِلَى الْأَبَدِ، وَأَكْتَفِيَ بِهِ عَنْ غَيْرِهِ، وَلَا أَلْتَفِتُ إِلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُ، فَهَلْ أَنْتَ تُسَاعِدُنِي فِي ذَلِكَ، وَتَوَافَقُنِي عَلَيْهِ؟ فَقَالَ: بِالرَّأْسِ وَالْعَيْنِ هَكَذَا يَنْبَغِي لِي وَلَكَ أَنْ نَتَّخِذَهُ صَاحِبًا وَجَلِيسًا وَكَافِيًا وَأَنِيسًا، وَيْحَكَ فَهَلْ خُلِقْنَا إِلَّا لِهَذَا؟ وَهَلْ أَمَرَنَا اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِهَذَا؟ مَرْحَبًا بِمَقْصُودِنَا وَمَحْبُوبًا وَمَعْبُودِنَا وَقُرَّةِ أَعْيُنِنَا مَرْحَبًا بِقُرْبِهِ وَأُنْسِهِ وَصُحْبَتِهِ، فَهُوَ الْغِنَى الَّذِي لَا يَسَعُنَا إِلَّا فَضْلُهُ وُجُودُهُ، وَمَنْ الْتَفَتَ إِلَى سِوَاهُ فَمُفْتَقِرٌ لِمُفْتَقَرٍ.

Liʾanna Allāha taʿālā khalaqanā min nūri al-ʾākhirati warabbānā bihā wajaʿalnā muḥtājīna ʾilā ʾbāḥati al-jannati, wakamāli surūrihā waladhāʾidha ʿīshatuhā waʾanwāʿu naʿīmihā, baqāʾunā bihā, wafiqdānunā min fuqdānihā walā budda lanā minhā. faqult: wayaḥkumu ʾamā tarawna ʾanna al-ishtighāla bi-al-naʿīmi yaḥjubu al-ʿabda ʿan al-munʿimi, wa-al-ishtighāla bi-al-ʿaṭāʾi yaḥjubu al-ʿabda ʿan al-muʿṭā? ʾamā taʿtabirūna biʾādama ʿalayhi al-salāmu, ḥīna ishtaghala bi-al-jannati wa-iṭmaʾanna qalbuhu fīhā waṭamiʿa fī khulūdihā wamulkihā wataʿallaqa qalbihi bihā wa-iktafā min dūni Allāhi subḥānahu wataʿālā bihā kayfa ṣāra maḥrūman mutafaḍḍiḥan fī jamīʿi al-ʾawwalīna wa-al-ʾākhirīna, wayaḥakumu ʾammā tatafakkarūna fī kamāli luṭfihi washafaqatihi waghāyati tawaddudihi fīmā yadʿūkum bihi ʾilā nafsihi wa-al-istiʾnāsi bihi, waʾilā mā ḥadhdharakum ʿan al-ishtighāli bighayrihi? faqālū lī: ʾayyuhā al-ʿabdu al-qāṣidu ʾilā mawlāhu waḥabībihi lā tashtaghil biṭūli al-kalāmi fatanqaṭiʿu ʿan maqṣūdika wamaṭlūbika, waʾanta lā tajidu muʾnisan wamaḥbūban ghayrahu, faʾinna al-ʾamra ʾaʿjalu min ʾan tashtaghila bi-al-kalāmi, thumma ʾinnī ʾaqbaltu ʿalā al-qalbi waqulta: yā qalbu ʾanta maliku al-badani waʾanta maḥallu al-ʾīqāni wa-al-ʾadhhāni, wamaʿdinu al-naẓari ʾilā al-maliki al-dayyāni, waʾanta alladhī ʿaẓẓama Allāhu shaʾnaka, wanawwara burhānaka waʾajal sulṭānak, waqad jaʿalaka Allāhu subḥānahu wataʿālā maʿdina fikrin maʿrifatihi, wamaʾwā dhihni fiṭnatihi, ʾinnak ʾin ṣalaḥt ṣaluḥat al-ʾaʿḍāʾu kulluhā, waʾin fasadat fasadat al-ʾaʿḍāʾu kulluhā, wa-iʿlam ʾanna Allāha subḥānahu wataʿālā daʿānī ʾilā nafsihi, waʾamaranī bi-al-ʾinābati ʾlayhi faʾanā qāṣidun ʾilā rabbī waʿāzimun ʿalā ʾan ʾuqīma maʿahu ʾilā al-ʾabadi, waʾaktafiya bihi ʿan ghayrihi, walā ʾaltafitu ʾilā man siwāhu, fahal ʾanta tusāʿidunī fī dhalika, watawāfaqunī ʿalayhi? faqāla: bi-al-raʾsi wa-al-ʿayni hakadhā yanbaghī lī walaka ʾan nattakhidhahu ṣāḥiban wajalīsan wakāfiyan waʾanīsan, wayḥaka fahal khuliqnā ʾillā lihadhā? wahal ʾamaranā Allāhu ʾillā bihadhā? marḥaban bimaqṣūdinā wamaḥbūban wamaʿbūdinā waqurrati ʾaʿyuninā marḥaban biqurbihi waʾunsihi waṣuḥbatihi, fahuwa al-ghinā alladhī lā yasaʿunā ʾillā faḍluhu wujūduhu, waman al-tafata ʾilā siwāhu famuftaqirun limuftaqarin.

‘Because God Most High created us from the light of the Hereafter, nurtured us through it, and made us need the gift of Paradise, its perfect joy, the pleasures of its life, and its many delights. Our survival is through it, its loss is our loss, and we cannot do without it.’ I said: ‘Woe to you! Do you not see that occupation with the blessing veils the servant from the Bestower, and occupation with the gift veils him from the Giver? Do you not take warning from Adam, peace be upon him? When he became occupied with Paradise, his heart rested in it, he desired its immortality and kingdom, became attached to it, and settled for it instead of God—glory and exaltation be to Him—he became deprived and exposed before all the first and the last. Do you not reflect upon the fullness of God’s gentleness and compassion and the utmost loving care with which He calls you to Himself and to intimacy with Him, and upon His warning against occupation with another?’ They answered: ‘Servant who intends his Master and Beloved, do not become occupied with lengthy discussion and so be cut off from the One you intend and seek. You will find no other Intimate or Beloved. The matter is more urgent than discussion.’ I then turned to the heart and said: ‘Heart, you are the sovereign of the body, the place of certainty and understanding, and the mine from which one looks toward the King and Judge. God has magnified your affair, illuminated your proof, and exalted your authority. God—glory and exaltation be to Him—has made you the mine of reflection upon knowing Him and the home of discerning awareness of Him. If you are sound, all the limbs are sound; if you are corrupt, all the limbs are corrupt. Know that God—glory and exaltation be to Him—has called me to Himself and commanded me to return to Him. I am setting out toward my Lord, resolved to remain with Him forever, to be content with Him instead of another, and not to turn toward anyone else. Will you help and agree?’ The heart replied: ‘With glad obedience. This is exactly what you and I should do: take Him as companion, table-companion, sufficiency, and intimate. Woe to you—were we created for anything but this? Did God command us to do anything but this? Welcome to the One intended, our Beloved, our Object of worship, and delight of our eyes. Welcome to His nearness, intimacy, and companionship. He is the true Wealth; nothing encompasses us but His bounty and existence. Whoever turns toward another is a needy one turning to another needy one.’

§ 119

فَقُلْتُ: أَحْسَنْتَ هَذَا الَّذِي تَوَقَّعْت مِنْكَ، أَنْتَ رَفِيقِي وَصَاحِبِي فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ، ثُمَّ قُلْت: يَا قَلْبُ أَكْتُبُ عَلَيْكَ بِهَذَا كِتَابَ الْعَهْدِ وَآخُذُ عَلَيْكَ مِيثَاقَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَأَشْهَدُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ الشُّهُودَ؟ قَالَ: شَأْنُك. فَكَتَبَ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ: هَذَا مَا أُشْهِدُ عَلَيْهِ قَلْبِي، أُشْهِدُ عَلَيْهِ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ وَأَنْبِيَائَهُ وَرَسُولَهُ وَعِبَادَهُ الصَّالِحِينَ فِي هَذَا الْكِتَابُ، شَهِدُوا جَمِيعًا أَنَّ قَلْبِي الَّذِي جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ خَزَائِنَ عِلْمِهِ وَحِكْمَتِهِ وَمَحَلَّ سِرِّهِ وَمَقِرَّ إِلْهَامِهِ عَلَى الْمُبَايَعَةِ وَالْمُسَاعَدَةِ وَوَافَقَنِي عَلَى الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَأَنْ نُقِيمَ مَعَهُ إِلَى الْأَبَدِ وَنَنْفَرِدَ بِهِ طَائِعِينَ لَهُ غَيْرَ مُكْرَهِينَ، وَأَخَذْتُ عَلَى قَلْبِي عَهْدَ اللَّهِ وَمِيثَاقَهُ قَدْ قَبِلَ مِنِّي هَذِهِ الْبَيْعَةَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الشُّرُوطِ، وَإِنِّي قَبِلْتُ هَذِهِ الْبَيْعَةَ بِالْبَرَاءَةِ مِنْ الْإِعْرَاضُ عَنْ مَقْصُودِي وَمَحْبُوبِي بِالْعَطَايَا وَالنِّعَمِ، وَلَا بِالْبَلَايَا وَالْمِحَنُ أَبَدُ الْآبِدِينَ.

Faqultu: ʾaḥsanta hadhā alladhī tawaqqaʿt minka, ʾanta rafīqī waṣāḥibī fī hadhā al-ʾamri, thumma qult: yā qalbu ʾaktubu ʿalayka bihadhā kitāba al-ʿahdi waʾākhudhu ʿalayka mīthāqa Allāhi ʿazza wajalla, waʾashhadu ʿalā dhalika al-shuhūda? qāla: shaʾnuk. fakataba: bismi Allāhi al-raḥmāni al-raḥīmi: hadhā mā ʾushhidu ʿalayhi qalbī, ʾushhidu ʿalayhi Allāha wamalāʾikatahu waʾanbiyāʾahu warasūlahu waʿibādahu al-ṣāliḥīna fī hadhā al-kitābu, shahidū jamīʿan ʾanna qalbī alladhī jaʿalahu Allāhu khazāʾina ʿilmihi waḥikmatihi wamaḥalla sirrihi wamaqirra ʾilhāmihi ʿalā al-mubāyaʿati wa-al-musāʿadati wawāfaqanī ʿalā al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā waʾan nuqīma maʿahu ʾilā al-ʾabadi wananfarida bihi ṭāʾiʿīna lahu ghayra mukrahīna, waʾakhadhtu ʿalā qalbī ʿahda Allāhi wamīthāqahu qad qabila minnī hadhihi al-bayʿata ʿalā hadhihi al-shurūṭi, waʾinnī qabiltu hadhihi al-bayʿata bi-al-barāʾati min al-ʾiʿrāḍu ʿan maqṣūdī wamaḥbūbī bi-al-ʿaṭāyā wa-al-niʿami, walā bi-al-balāyā wa-al-miḥanu ʾabadu al-ʾābidīna.

I said: ‘You have spoken well. This is what I expected from you; you are my companion and associate in this matter.’ Then I said: ‘Heart, shall I write a covenant binding you to this, take from you God’s solemn pledge, and call witnesses?’ It replied: ‘Do as you will.’ So it was written: ‘In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. This is the covenant to which I call my heart to bear witness. I call God, His angels, His prophets, His Messenger, and His righteous servants to witness this writing. Let them all witness that my heart—which God has made a treasury of His knowledge and wisdom, the place of His secret, and the seat of His inspiration—has pledged allegiance and assistance and has agreed with me to intend God Most High, to remain with Him forever, and to be alone with Him in willing obedience, not under compulsion. I have taken from my heart God’s covenant and solemn pledge, and it has accepted this allegiance from me under these conditions. I accept this allegiance with complete disavowal of turning away from the One I intend and love, whether because of gifts and blessings or because of trials and tribulations, for ever and ever.’

§ 120

اسْتَحْكَمَتْ الْبَيْعَةُ بَيَّنَّا فِي هَذَا الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَمُوَاصَلَتِهِ عَلَى مَا بَيَّنْت، وَذَلِكَ فِي لَيْلَةِ صَكِّ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ سَنَةَ خَمْسٍ وَتِسْعِينَ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ. فَلَمَّا عَلِمْت النَّفْسَ وَالْهَوَى اسْتِحْكَامَ الْبَيْعَةِ بَيْنَنَا فِي الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَكَمَالِ مُسَاعِدَةِ الْقَلْبِ وَحُسْنِ مُوَافَقَتِهِ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ، وَإِنِّي قَدْ غَلَبْتهَا عَلَى مُرَادِهَا وَصِرْت لِلَّهِ عَبْدًا مُنْفَرِدًا عَلَى التَّحْقِيقِ وَفَرَغْت مِنْ شُغْلِي نَفْسِي، وَصِرْت مُنْقَطِعًا بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ مَعَ الْإِيَاسِ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا سِوَاهُ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ طَلَّقْت النَّفْسَ وَالْهَوَى وَجَعَلْتهمَا تَحْتَ أَمْرِ الْعَقْلِ وَسُلْطَانِهِ مَقْهُورِينَ، وَجُعِلَتْ الرُّوحُ وَالْعَقْلُ مَعَ أَعْوَانِهِمَا تَحْتَ مُرَادِ الْقَلْبِ وَأَمْرِهِ مَغْلُوبِينَ حَتَّى صَارُوا مُضْطَرِّينَ فِيهِ بِطَلَبِ الْمَوْلَى وَصَارُوا مَسْرُورِينَ بِنُورِ مَعْرِفَةِ الْقَلْبِ، وَاطْمَأَنُّوا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَخِدْمَتِهِ، وَصِرْتُ وَحْدِي إِلَى رَبِّي، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ مِنَى صَدَقَ الْإِقْبَالُ إلَيْهِ طُرَقَ لِقَلْبِي مَنْهَجَ الِانْتِقَالِ وَسَلَكَ بِهِ طَرِيقَ الِانْصِرَافِ إلَيْهِ، فَأَرَاهُ أَعْلَامَ الِاتِّصَالِ بِهِ وَأَنْزَلَهُ عَلَى مُنَزِلَ الِاتِّكَالِ عَلَيْهِ، وَآتَاهُ أَعْيَانُ الِاقْتِرَابِ مِنْهُ، وَسَهَّلَ لَهُ عَقَبَةَ الِاحْتِمَالِ فِيهِ، ثُمَّ أَدْخَلَهُ فِي قُصُورِ أُنْسِهِ آمِنًا، وَأَجْلَسَهُ عَلَى سَرِيرِ قُرْبِهِ مُطْمَئِنًّا، ثُمَّ سَقَاهُ كَأْسًا مِنْ مَحَبَّتِهِ شَرَابًا مَرِيئًا، وَأَطْعَمَهُ النَّجْوَى مِنْ كَاسَاتِ السَّكِينَةِ بِأَيْدِي الصَّفْوَةِ وَأَنَامِلِ الْحُرْمَةِ، وَمَضْغِ اللِّسَانِ الْمُوَاصَلَةِ مَا دُونَ الْحَقِّ أَكْلًا وَمِنْ أَطْيَبِ رَيَاحِينِ الْوَصْلَةِ وَيَاسَمِينِ الْقُرْبَةِ وَنَرْجِسُ الْمُوَاصَلَةِ نَسِيمًا وَمِسْكَ الْمُلَاطَفَةِ وَعَنْبَرَ التَّأْيِيدِ وَالزَّوَائِدِ رَائِحًا مَشْمُومًا، ثُمَّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَحْوَالًا وَأَوْقَاتًا لَا يَصِفُهُ وَاصِفٌ غَيْرُهُ، وَلَا يُدْرِكُهُ أَوْهَامُ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَهِيَ حَالَاتُ الْمُشَاهَدَةِ وَأَوْقَاتُ الرُّؤْيَةِ وَالْمُوَاصَلَةِ، فَيَالُهَا مِنْ حَالَاتِ مَا أَجَّلَّهَا وَأَعْظَمِهَا، وَيَا لَهَا مِنْ أَوْقَاتِ مَا أَعَزَّهَا وَأَشْرَفِهَا، يَخْتَصُّ بِهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ، وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ

Istaḥkamat al-bayʿatu bayyannā fī hadhā al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā wamuwāṣalatihi ʿalā mā bayyant, wadhalika fī laylati ṣakki al-niṣfi min shaʿbāna sanata khamsin watisʿīna wathalāthimiāʾatin. falammā ʿalimt al-nafsa wa-al-hawā istiḥkāma al-bayʿati baynanā fī al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā wakamāli musāʿidati al-qalbi waḥusni muwāfaqatihi fī hadhā al-ʾamri, waʾinnī qad ghalabthā ʿalā murādihā waṣirt li-llāhi ʿabdan munfaridan ʿalā al-taḥqīqi wafaraght min shughlī nafsī, waṣirt munqaṭiʿan bi-al-kulliyyati maʿa al-ʾiyāsi ʿan kulli mā siwāhu, faʿinda dhalika ṭallaqt al-nafsa wa-al-hawā wajaʿalthmā taḥta ʾamri al-ʿaqli wasulṭānihi maqhūrīna, wajuʿilat al-rūḥu wa-al-ʿaqlu maʿa ʾaʿwānihimā taḥta murādi al-qalbi waʾamrihi maghlūbīna ḥattā ṣārū muḍṭarrīna fīhi biṭalabi al-mawlā waṣārū masrūrīna binūri maʿrifati al-qalbi, wa-iṭmaʾannū bidhikri Allāhi wakhidmatihi, waṣirtu waḥdī ʾilā rabbī, falammā ʿalima Allāhu minā ṣadaqa al-ʾiqbālu ʾlayhi ṭuraqa liqalbī manhaja al-intiqāli wasalaka bihi ṭarīqa al-inṣirāfi ʾlayhi, faʾarāhu ʾaʿlāma al-itiṣāli bihi waʾanzalahu ʿalā munazila al-itikāli ʿalayhi, waʾātāhu ʾaʿyānu al-iqtirābi minhu, wasahhala lahu ʿaqabata al-iḥtimāli fīhi, thumma ʾadkhalahu fī quṣūri ʾunsihi ʾāminan, waʾajlasahu ʿalā sarīri qurbihi muṭmaʾinnan, thumma saqāhu kaʾsan min maḥabbatihi sharāban marīʾan, waʾaṭʿamahu al-najwā min kāsāti al-sakīnati biʾaydī al-ṣafwati waʾanāmili al-ḥurmati, wamaḍghi al-lisāni al-muwāṣalati mā dūna al-ḥaqqi ʾaklan wamin ʾaṭyabi rayāḥīni al-waṣlati wayāsamīni al-qurbati wanarjisu al-muwāṣalati nasīman wamiska al-mulāṭafati waʿanbara al-taʾyīdi wa-al-zawāʾidi rāʾiḥan mashmūman, thumma baʿda dhalika ʾaḥwālan waʾawqātan lā yaṣifuhu wāṣifun ghayruhu, walā yudrikuhu ʾawhāmu al-ʿālamīna, wahiya ḥālātu al-mushāhadati waʾawqātu al-ruʾyati wa-al-muwāṣalati, fayāluhā min ḥālāti mā ʾajjallahā waʾaʿẓamihā, wayā lahā min ʾawqāti mā ʾaʿazzahā waʾashrafihā, yakhtaṣṣu bihā man yashāʾu min ʿibādihi, wahuwa al-ḥakīmu al-ʿalīmu

This pledge concerning the intention toward God Most High and communion with Him was firmly concluded as I have explained, on the night of the document of mid-Shaʿbān in the year 395 AH. When the lower self and passion learned that the pledge between us to intend God Most High had been confirmed, that the heart had given perfect assistance and beautiful agreement, and that I had overcome them in what they desired; when I had truly become God’s solitary servant, finished with the preoccupations of my lower self, and become wholly severed from all else in despair of everything but Him—I divorced the lower self and passion and placed them, subdued, under the command and authority of reason. The spirit and reason, with their helpers, were placed under the heart’s desire and command until they were compelled within it to seek the Master. They rejoiced in the light of the heart’s knowledge, found tranquility in remembering and serving God, and I went alone toward my Lord. When God knew the truthfulness of my turning toward Him, He opened for my heart the road of passage and led it along the path of returning to Him. He showed it the landmarks of communion, lodged it at the station of reliance upon Him, granted it the realities of approach, and eased for it the steep ascent of bearing all for Him. He admitted it safely into the palaces of intimacy and seated it securely upon the couch of nearness. He gave it a wholesome cup of His love to drink and fed it intimate converse from cups of tranquility offered by the hands of purity and fingers of reverence. [Some wording in the following imagery is obscure in the source.] It savored the finest fragrant plants of communion, the jasmine of nearness, the narcissus of intimate connection, the musk of divine tenderness, and the ambergris of support and increase. After that came states and moments that none but God can describe and that the imaginations of the worlds cannot comprehend: states of witnessing and moments of vision and communion. How majestic and tremendous these states; how rare and noble these moments. He singles out for them whomever He wills among His servants, and He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.

الْبَابُ الثَّامِنُ فِي نَعْتِ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَصِفَتِهِمْ وَعَلَامَتِهِمْ وَأَعْلَامِهِمْ، وَمَا فِيهِ مِنْ أَشْيَاءَ يَكِلُ الْوَصْفُ دُونَهَا وَلَكِنَّا نَأْتِي بِبَعْضِهَا

Al-bābu al-thāminu fī naʿti al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā waṣifatihim waʿalāmatihim waʾaʿlāmihim, wamā fīhi min ʾashyāʾa yakilu al-waṣfu dūnahā walakinnā naʾtī bibaʿḍihā

Chapter Eight The Description, Qualities, Signs, and Distinguishing Marks of Those Who Intend God—Matters That Description Cannot Fully Encompass, Though We Mention Some of Them

§ 122

قَالَ الْمُؤَلِّفُ شَيْخُ الشُّيُوخِ الْعَارِفُ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ سِرَّهُ الْعَزِيزُ: اعْلَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنَّ الْعَبْدَ كُلَّمَا قَصَدَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَمُوَاصَلَتَهُ وَقُرْبِهِ فَأَوَّلُ مَا يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَنْطَلِقَ بِالسَّيْرِ عَلَى مَرْكَبِ الْمُنْطَلِقِينَ إلَيْهِ، وَيُبْرُزَ إِلَى مَحْبُوبِهِ وَيَرْتَحِلَ عَنْ الْكُلِّيَّةِ إلَيْهِ بِتَرْكِ إِرَادَةِ حَظِّهِ مِنْ الدَّارَيْنِ، ثُمَّ إِرَادَةِ تَرْكِ حَظَّهُ مِنْ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ثُمَّ مِنْ رُؤْيَتِهِ التَّرْكَ، حَتَّى لَمْ يَبْقَ لَهُ حَظٌّ فِي الْكَوْنَيْنِ، وَبَقِيَ الْمُكَوَّنُ كَمَا كَانَ فِي الْأَزَلِ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ وَتَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ وَصَارَ هَذَا الْعَبْدُ تَحْتَ سُلْطَانِ بَقَائِهِ كَمَا كَانَ فِي الْأَزَلِ، حَيْثُ لَمْ تَكُنْ الْمُكَوِّنَاتُ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَطُوفُ الْعَبْدُ بِالسِّرِّ حَوْلَ مُنْتَهَى عِزِّهِ، وَيَجُولُ بِالْفُؤَادِ فِي سُرَادِقَاتِ قُدْسِهِ، مَدْهُوشًا تَحْتَ كَمَالِ قُدْرَتِهِ، مُسْتَمْسِكًا بِقُوَّةِ عِصْمَتِهِ، مُسْتَقِيمًا عَلَى وَفَاءِ أَمْرِهِ وَنَهْيِهِ، مُكْتَفِيًا مِنْ غَيْرِهِ، مُسْتَسْلِمًا لِحِكْمَتِهِ وَتَقْدِيرِهِ، مُنْفَرِدًا بِأُنْسِهِ وَصُحْبَتِهِ، مُتَلَذِّذًا بِذِكْرِهِ وَمُنَاجَاتِهِ، وَقَدْ نَزَعَ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ ثَوْبَ النِّسْيَانِ، وَغَسْلَهُ بِمَاءِ الصَّفْوَةِ مِنْ غُبَارِ الْحُسْبَانِ، ثُمَّ يَتَزَيَّنُ بِزِيِّ الِافْتِقَارِ وَيُرْتَدَى بِأَرْدِيَةِ الِاضْطِرَارِ، وَيَحْرِمُ عَنْ جَمِيعِ التَّعَالِيقِ وَالِاخْتِيَارِ، وَيُلَبِّي بِتَلْبِيَةِ الِافْتِخَارِ، وَيَصْعَدُ عَلَى عَرَفَاتِ الِاعْتِذَارِ، وَيَطُوفُ بِقَدَمَيِ الصِّدْقِ وَالصَّفَا حَوْلَ الْقُرْبِ مِنَ الْمَلِكِ الْجَبَّارِ، فَمَثَلُ هَذَا الْعَبْدِ وَقَصْدُهُ إِلَى اللهِ تَعَالَى كَمَثَلِ الْحَجَّاجِ حِينَ قَصَدُوا إِلَى زِيَارَةِ بَيْتِ اللَّهِ الْحَرامِ حِينَ خَرَجُوا مِنْ أَوْطَانِهِمْ، وَتَرَكُوا أَهَالِيَهُمْ، وَوَدَّعُوا أَقْرِبَائَهُمْ وَرُفَقَائِهُمْ، فَتَرَى أَبْدَانَهُمْ مَنْهُوكَةً وَقُلُوبَهُمْ طَائِرَةً وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ طَامِحَةً نَحْوَ الْكَعْبَةِ فَمَرَّةً يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى أَنِينِ الأَهْلِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ، وَمَرَّةً يَتَوَلَّوْنَ عَنْهُمْ اشْتِيَاقًا إِلَى بَيْتِ اللَّهِ الْحَرَامِ، وَتَرَى الْأَحِبَّةَ وَالْأَخَوَانَ وَالْأَهْلَ وَالْوِلْدَانَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى آثِرِهِمْ، وَيَنْظُرُونَ خَلْفَهُمْ بِأَعْيُنٍ بَاكِيَةٍ، فَهَذَا صِفَةُ حُجَّاجِ بَيْتِ اللَّهِ الْحَرَامِ وَخُرُوجِهِمْ مِنَ الْمَسَاكِنِ وَالْأَوْطَانِ وَانْقِطَاعِهِمْ عَنِ الْأَهْلِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ.

Qāla al-muʾallifu shaykhu al-shuyūkhi al-ʿārifu bi-llāhi taʿālā ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu qaddasa Allāhu sirrahu al-ʿazīzu: iʿlamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā ʾanna al-ʿabda kullamā qaṣada ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā wamuwāṣalatahu waqurbihi faʾawwalu mā yajibu ʿalayhi ʾan yanṭaliqa bi-al-sayri ʿalā markabi al-munṭaliqīna ʾlayhi, wayubruza ʾilā maḥbūbihi wayartaḥila ʿan al-kulliyyati ʾlayhi bitarki ʾirādati ḥaẓẓihi min al-dārayni, thumma ʾirādati tarki ḥaẓẓahu min Allāhi taʿālā thumma min ruʾyatihi al-tarka, ḥattā lam yabqa lahu ḥaẓẓun fī al-kawnayni, wabaqiya al-mukawwanu kamā kāna fī al-ʾazali jalla jalāluhu wataqaddasat ʾasmāʾuhu waṣāra hadhā al-ʿabdu taḥta sulṭāni baqāʾihi kamā kāna fī al-ʾazali, ḥaythu lam takun al-mukawwinātu, faʿinda dhalika yaṭūfu al-ʿabdu bi-al-sirri ḥawla muntahā ʿizzihi, wayajūlu bi-al-fuʾādi fī surādiqāti qudsihi, madhūshan taḥta kamāli qudratihi, mustamsikan biquwwati ʿiṣmatihi, mustaqīman ʿalā wafāʾi ʾamrihi wanahyihi, muktafiyan min ghayrihi, mustasliman liḥikmatihi wataqdīrihi, munfaridan biʾunsihi waṣuḥbatihi, mutaladhdhidhan bidhikrihi wamunājātihi, waqad nazaʿa min qalbihi thawba al-nisyāni, waghaslahu bimāʾi al-ṣafwati min ghubāri al-ḥusbāni, thumma yatazayyanu biziyyi al-iftiqāri wayurtadā biʾardiyati al-iḍṭirāri, wayaḥrimu ʿan jamīʿi al-taʿālīqi wa-al-ikhtiyāri, wayulabbī bitalbiyati al-iftikhāri, wayaṣʿadu ʿalā ʿarafāti al-iʿtidhāri, wayaṭūfu biqadamayi al-ṣidqi wa-al-ṣafā ḥawla al-qurbi mina al-maliki al-jabbāri, famathalu hadhā al-ʿabdi waqaṣduhu ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā kamathali al-ḥajjāji ḥīna qaṣadū ʾilā ziyārati bayti Allāhi al-ḥarāmi ḥīna kharajū min ʾawṭānihim, watarakū ʾahāliyahum, wawaddaʿū ʾaqribāʾahum warufaqāʾihum, fatarā ʾabdānahum manhūkatan waqulūbahum ṭāʾiratan waʾabṣārahum ṭāmiḥatan naḥwa al-kaʿbati famarratan yanẓurūna ʾilā ʾanīni al-ʾahli wa-al-wildāni, wamarratan yatawallawna ʿanhum ishtiyāqan ʾilā bayti Allāhi al-ḥarāmi, watarā al-ʾaḥibbata wa-al-ʾakhawāna wa-al-ʾahla wa-al-wildāna yamshūna ʿalā ʾāthirihim, wayanẓurūna khalfahum biʾaʿyunin bākiyatin, fahadhā ṣifatu ḥujjāji bayti Allāhi al-ḥarāmi wakhurūjihim mina al-masākini wa-al-ʾawṭāni wa-inqiṭāʿihim ʿani al-ʾahli wa-al-wildāni.

The author, the shaykh of shaykhs and knower of God Most High, Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd—may God sanctify his precious secret—said: Know, O company of those who intend God Most High, that whenever a servant intends God, communion with Him, and nearness to Him, the first duty is to set out upon the mount of those who journey toward Him. He must emerge toward his Beloved and depart wholly for Him by renouncing his desire for a share in either abode, then his desire even for a share from God Most High, and finally his awareness that he has renounced it. Thus no share remains for him in either world, while the Creator remains as He was in pre-eternity—majestic is His glory and holy are His names—and the servant comes under the sovereignty of His abiding, as in pre-eternity when created things did not exist. Then the servant circles in his innermost consciousness around the furthest reach of divine might and ranges with his heart through the pavilions of holiness: bewildered beneath the perfection of God’s power, holding fast to the strength of His protection, upright in faithfully observing His command and prohibition, content with Him instead of all else, surrendered to His wisdom and decree, solitary in intimacy and companionship with Him, and taking delight in His remembrance and intimate converse. He strips the garment of forgetfulness from his heart and washes it with the water of purity, cleansing away the dust of calculation. He then adorns himself in the garb of poverty, wraps himself in the cloaks of utter need, enters consecration by renouncing every attachment and personal choice, answers with the pilgrim’s cry of glory, ascends the ʿArafāt of apology, and circles with the two feet of truthfulness and purity around nearness to the King, the All-Compelling. This servant and his intention toward God Most High resemble pilgrims setting out to visit God’s Sacred House: they leave their homelands, part from their families, and bid farewell to relatives and companions. You see their bodies worn thin, their hearts taking flight, and their eyes straining toward the Kaʿbah. At one moment they look back at the lament of family and children; at another they turn away from them in longing for the Sacred House of God. Loved ones, brothers, family, and children walk after them and watch them depart with tearful eyes. Such is the state of the pilgrims to God’s Sacred House as they leave home and homeland and separate from family and children.

§ 123

فَلَوْ رَأَيْتُمْ مَعَاشِرَ الإِخْوَانِ حُجَّاجَ أَهْلِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ حِينَ قَصَدُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَخَرَجُوا مِنْ أَوْطَانِ الدُّنْيَا وَزَهْرَتِهَا، وَوَدَّعُوا شَهَوَاتِ النَّفْسِ وَرَاحَاتِهَا، وَارْتَحَلُوا مِنْ إِرَادَةِ الدَّارَيْنِ وَلَذَائِذِهِمَا، ارْتِحَالًا لَا يَحُطُّونَ رِحَالَهُمْ إِلَّا بِقُرْبِهِ، فَهُمْ قَدْ نَزَعُوا ثَوْبَ الْغَفْلَةِ مِنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ يَتَّزِرُونَ بِمِئْرَزِ الرَّشَادِ، وَيَرْتَدُّونَ بِأَرْدِيَةِ الْوِدَادِ، وَيَحْرُمُونَ مِنْ صُحْبَةِ الْعِبَادِ، وَيُلَبُّونَ بِصُحْبَةِ الْفُؤَادِ، وَيَصْعَدُونَ عَلَى عَرَفَاتِ صَدْرِ الْمُرَادِ، وَيَطُوفُونَ بِقِدَمِ الصِّدْقِ وَالصَّفَا قُرْبُ الْمُلْكِ الْجَوَادِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ غَابَتْ عَنْهُمْ الْعِبَادُ ثُمَّ الْبِلَادُ ثُمَّ الرُّقَادُ، فَيَا لَهُمْ مِنْ قَوْمٍ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى بِسَاطِ التَّحْقِيقِ بِقِدَمِ الْإِخْلَاصِ وَالتَّصْدِيقِ مُنْفَرِدِينَ بِالْمَلِكِ الشَّفِيقِ بِلَا خَلْقٍ وَلَا نَفْسٍ وَلَا تَعَالِيقَ، ثُمَّ يَا لَهُمْ مِنْ قَوْمٍ قَصَدُوا مَحْبُوبَهُمْ وَمُرَادُهُمْ يَقْتُلُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِسَيْفِ اشْتِيَاقِهِ، ثُمَّ يَطْرَحُونَهَا عَلَى فُرُشِ وِدَادِهِ يَغْسِلُونَهَا بِمَاءِ حَيَائِهِ وَيُحَنِّطُونَهَا وَيُعَطِّرُونَهَا بِبَهَائِهِ ثُمَّ يُكَفِّنُونَهَا بِكَفَنِ لُطْفِهِ وَيَتَّزِرُونَهَا بِمِئْزَرِ شَفَقَتِهِ، ثُمَّ يَضَعُونَهَا عَلَى سَرِيرِ وِلَايَتِهِ، وَيَحْمِلُونَهَا عَلَى أَعْنَاقِ ذِكْرِ آلَائِهِ وَنَعْمَائِهِ، ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُونَهَا إِلَى أَيْدِي حُكْمِهِ وَقَضَائِهِ، ثُمَّ يَدْفِنُونَهَا فِي مَقَابِرِ قُرَبِهِ وَمُؤَانَسَتِهِ، ثُمَّ يَالِهِمْ مِنْ قَوْمٍ اتَّكَلُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ فِي جَمِيعِ الْحَالَاتِ وَاسْتَغْنَوْا بِهِ عَنْ الْخَلْقِ فِي جَمِيعِ الْأَوْقَاتِ وَافْتَقَرُوا إلَيْهِ فِي جَمِيعِ الْإِيرَادَاتِ، وَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتُوا مِنْهُ إِلَى الرَّاحَاتِ وَالشَّهَوَاتِ وَاللَّذَّاتِ وَعَلِمُوا أَنْ لَا مَلْجَأَ وَلَا مَنْجَى وَلَا مَفَرَّ مِنْهُ إِلَّا إلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يَالِهِمْ مِنْ قَوْمٍ قَصَدُوا إلَيْهِ لِشَوْقِهِمْ إلَيْهِ لَا لِعَطَائِهِ، وَقَرُبُوا مِنْهُ لِوَصْلَتِهِ لَا لِجَزَائِهِ، وَعَبَدُوهُ عَلَى مَحَبَّتِهِ لَا لِبِرِّهِ وَثَوَابِهِ، ثُمَّ يَا لَهُمْ مِنْ قَوْمٍ قَصَدُوا اللَّهَ بِقَدَمِ الْحَيَاءِ وَالْخَشْيَةِ وَالْحُرْمَةِ، وَاتَّزَرُوا بِمِئْزَرٍ دَوَامٍ الْخِدْمَةِ، وَارْتَدُّوا بِأَرْدِيَةِ ذِكْرِ الْمِنَّةِ وَأَحْرَمُوا مِنْ فِعَالِ أَهْلِ الْغُرَّةِ، وَلَبُّوا بِتَلْبِيَةِ الشَّوْقِ وَالْإِنَابَةِ، وَصَعِدُوا عَلَى عَرَفَاتِ الْفَقْرِ وَالْفَاقَةِ وَطَافُوا بِقِدَمِ الصِّدْقِ حَوْلَ وِصَالِ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ، فَهُمْ بِأَجْنِحَةِ الشَّوْقِ مِنْهُ إلَيْهِ طَائِرُونَ وَبِالْكُلِّيَّةِ مِنْهُ إلَيْهِ قَاصِدُونَ، وَبِنُورِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ مِنْهُ إلَيْهِ نَاظِرُونَ، وَمِنْ شَمَامَاتِ أُنْسِهِ يَشَمُّونَ، وَبِمَرَاوِحِ امْتِنَانِهِ يَتَرَوَّحُونَ، وَبِكَأْسِ الْوُدِّ مِنْ شَرَابِ الزُّلْفَى يَشْرَبُونَ، وَبِقُرْبِ الْقَرِيبِ وَبِمُنَاجَاةِ الْحَبِيبِ يَتَلَذَّذُونَ، فَأَلَمُ الْفِرَاقِ أَنْحَلَ أَبْدَانَهُمْ وَنَارُ الشَّوْقِ أُحْرِقَتْ أَكْبَادُهُمْ، وَمُلَاقَاةُ الْحَبِيبِ غَايَة مُرَادِهِمْ.

Falaw raʾaytum maʿāshira al-ʾikhwāni ḥujjāja ʾahli al-maʿrifati ḥīna qaṣadū ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā wakharajū min ʾawṭāni al-dunyā wazahratihā, wawaddaʿū shahawāti al-nafsi warāḥātihā, wa-irtaḥalū min ʾirādati al-dārayni waladhāʾidhihimā, irtiḥālan lā yaḥuṭṭūna riḥālahum ʾillā biqurbihi, fahum qad nazaʿū thawba al-ghaflati min qulūbihim, thumma ʾinnahum yattazirūna bimiʾrazi al-rashādi, wayartaddūna biʾardiyati al-widādi, wayaḥrumūna min ṣuḥbati al-ʿibādi, wayulabbūna biṣuḥbati al-fuʾādi, wayaṣʿadūna ʿalā ʿarafāti ṣadri al-murādi, wayaṭūfūna biqidami al-ṣidqi wa-al-ṣafā qurbu al-mulki al-jawādi, faʿinda dhalika ghābat ʿanhum al-ʿibādu thumma al-bilādu thumma al-ruqādu, fayā lahum min qawmin istaqāmū ʿalā bisāṭi al-taḥqīqi biqidami al-ʾikhlāṣi wa-al-taṣdīqi munfaridīna bi-al-maliki al-shafīqi bilā khalqin walā nafsin walā taʿālīqa, thumma yā lahum min qawmin qaṣadū maḥbūbahum wamurāduhum yaqtulūna ʾanfusahum bisayfi ishtiyāqihi, thumma yaṭraḥūnahā ʿalā furushi widādihi yaghsilūnahā bimāʾi ḥayāʾihi wayuḥanniṭūnahā wayuʿaṭṭirūnahā bibahāʾihi thumma yukaffinūnahā bikafani luṭfihi wayattazirūnahā bimiʾzari shafaqatihi, thumma yaḍaʿūnahā ʿalā sarīri wilāyatihi, wayaḥmilūnahā ʿalā ʾaʿnāqi dhikri ʾālāʾihi wanaʿmāʾihi, thumma yusallimūnahā ʾilā ʾaydī ḥukmihi waqaḍāʾihi, thumma yadfinūnahā fī maqābiri qurabihi wamuʾānasatihi, thumma yālihim min qawmin ittakalū ʿalā Allāhi fī jamīʿi al-ḥālāti wa-istaghnawā bihi ʿan al-khalqi fī jamīʿi al-ʾawqāti wa-iftaqarū ʾlayhi fī jamīʿi al-ʾīrādāti, walam yaltafitū minhu ʾilā al-rāḥāti wa-al-shahawāti wa-al-ladhdhāti waʿalimū ʾan lā maljaʾa walā manjā walā mafarra minhu ʾillā ʾlayhi, thumma yālihim min qawmin qaṣadū ʾlayhi lishawqihim ʾlayhi lā liʿaṭāʾihi, waqarubū minhu liwaṣlatihi lā lijazāʾihi, waʿabadūhu ʿalā maḥabbatihi lā libirrihi wathawābihi, thumma yā lahum min qawmin qaṣadū Allāha biqadami al-ḥayāʾi wa-al-khashyati wa-al-ḥurmati, wa-ittazarū bimiʾzarin dawāmin al-khidmati, wa-irtaddū biʾardiyati dhikri al-minnati waʾaḥramū min fiʿāli ʾahli al-ghurrati, walabbū bitalbiyati al-shawqi wa-al-ʾinābati, waṣaʿidū ʿalā ʿarafāti al-faqri wa-al-fāqati waṭāfū biqidami al-ṣidqi ḥawla wiṣāli rabbi al-ʿizzati, fahum biʾajniḥati al-shawqi minhu ʾlayhi ṭāʾirūna wa-bi-al-kulliyyati minhu ʾlayhi qāṣidūna, wabinūri al-maʿrifati minhu ʾlayhi nāẓirūna, wamin shamāmāti ʾunsihi yashammūna, wabimarāwiḥi imtinānihi yatarawwaḥūna, wabikaʾsi al-wuddi min sharābi al-zulfā yashrabūna, wabiqurbi al-qarībi wabimunājāti al-ḥabībi yataladhdhadhūna, faʾalamu al-firāqi ʾanḥala ʾabdānahum wanāru al-shawqi ʾuḥriqat ʾakbāduhum, wamulāqātu al-ḥabībi ghāyah murādihim.

If you could see, O brothers, the pilgrims among the people of knowledge when they intend God Most High: they leave the homeland and glitter of this world, bid farewell to the appetites and comforts of the lower self, and depart from desiring either abode and its pleasures. They journey without unloading their saddles until they reach His nearness. They strip the garment of heedlessness from their hearts, gird themselves with the loincloth of right guidance, wrap themselves in the robes of loving affection, enter consecration by leaving the companionship of creatures, answer the call in the companionship of the heart, ascend the ʿArafāt of the breast’s desire, and circle with the foot of truthfulness and purity near the Generous King. Then servants vanish from their awareness, followed by lands and even sleep. What a people they are: standing upright upon the carpet of realization with the foot of sincerity and trust, alone with the Compassionate King, without creature, self, or attachment. What a people they are: they intend their Beloved and Desired One, slay their souls with the sword of longing for Him, lay them upon the beds of His affection, wash them with the water of shame before Him, embalm and perfume them with His splendor, shroud them in His gentleness, and gird them in His compassion. Then they place them upon the bier of His friendship, carry them upon the shoulders of remembering His favors and blessings, surrender them into the hands of His judgment and decree, and bury them in the graves of His nearness and companionship. What a people they are: they rely upon God in every state, dispense through Him with creation at every moment, and remain in need of Him in every intention. They do not turn from Him toward comforts, appetites, or pleasures, knowing there is no refuge, escape, or flight from Him except to Him. What a people they are: they intend Him from longing for Him, not for His gifts; draw near for union with Him, not for His recompense; and worship Him out of love for Him, not for His beneficence and reward. What a people they are: they intend God with the foot of shame, fear, and reverence; gird themselves with the loincloth of constant service; wrap themselves in the robes of remembering His grace; enter consecration by abandoning the deeds of the deluded; answer with the pilgrim’s cry of longing and return; ascend the ʿArafāt of poverty and need; and circle with the foot of truthfulness around communion with the Lord of Might. On wings of longing they fly from Him to Him; wholly from Him they set out toward Him; by the light of knowledge from Him they gaze toward Him. They breathe the fragrances of intimacy with Him, find refreshment in the breezes of His gracious favor, drink from the wine of nearness in the cup of loving affection, and delight in the nearness of the Near One and intimate converse with the Beloved. The pain of separation has wasted their bodies, the fire of longing has burned their livers, and meeting the Beloved is their utmost desire.

§ 124

مَعَاشِرَ إِخْوَانِي لَيْسَ كُلُّ أَحَدٍ يَحْتَمِلُ صِفَةَ الْقَاصِدِينَ وَنَعْتَهُمْ، وَلَا كُلُّ قَلْبٍ يَسْتَحِقُّ مُوَاصَلَةَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَقُرْبَهُ، وَلَا كُلُّ بَشَرٍ يُؤْذَنُ لَهَا بِالدُّخُولِ عَلَيْهِ، فَلَوْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ اطَّلَعُوا عَلَى قُلُوبِ الْقَاصِدِينَ عِنْدَ هَيَجَانِ الِاشْتِيَاقِ لَعَايَنُوا مِنْ الْعَجَائِبِ مَا بُهِتُوا فَكَيْفَ لَوْ اطَّلَعُوا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ حِينَ يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ بِالدُّخُولِ عَلَيْهِ، وَتَرْفَعِ الْحُجُبِ وَالْأَسْتَارِ عَنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ، حَتَّى يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْهِ بِلَا كَيْفٍ هَذِهِ حَالَاتُهُمْ فِي عَاجِلِ الدُّنْيَا فَكَيْفَ غَدًا حِينَ يَقْدَمُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى يَوْمَ الزِّيَارَةِ وَالرُّؤْيَةِ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى:

Maʿāshira ʾikhwānī laysa kullu ʾaḥadin yaḥtamilu ṣifata al-qāṣidīna wanaʿtahum, walā kullu qalbin yastaḥiqqu muwāṣalata Allāhi taʿālā waqurbahu, walā kullu basharin yuʾdhanu lahā bi-al-dukhūli ʿalayhi, falaw ʾanna al-nāsa iṭṭalaʿū ʿalā qulūbi al-qāṣidīna ʿinda hayajāni al-ishtiyāqi laʿāyanū min al-ʿajāʾibi mā buhitū fakayfa law iṭṭalaʿū ʿalā qulūbihim ḥīna yuʾdhanu lahum bi-al-dukhūli ʿalayhi, watarfaʿi al-ḥujubi wa-al-ʾastāri ʿan qulūbihim, ḥattā yanẓurūna ʾilayhi bilā kayfin hadhihi ḥālātuhum fī ʿājili al-dunyā fakayfa ghadan ḥīna yaqdamūna ʿalā Allāhi taʿālā yawma al-ziyārati wa-al-ruʾyati, qāla Allāhu taʿālā:

My brothers, not everyone can bear the description and qualities of those who intend Him. Not every heart deserves communion with God Most High and nearness to Him, nor is every human being permitted to enter His presence. If people could look into the hearts of these seekers when longing surges, they would witness wonders that would leave them stunned. What, then, if they saw those hearts when permission to enter is granted and veils and coverings are lifted, so that they gaze toward Him without asking how? These are their states in the immediate world; what will they be tomorrow, when they come before God Most High on the Day of visitation and vision? God Most High says:

§ 125

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ ناضِرَةٌ (22) إِلى رَبِّها ناظِرَةٌ

Wujūhun yawmaʾidhin nāḍiratun (22) ʾilā rabbihā nāẓiratun

‘Faces on that Day will be radiant, gazing toward their Lord.’

§ 126

[الْقِيَامَةِ: 22 - 23] وَإِنَّ الَّذِي ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ نَعْتِ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَصِفَتِهِمْ وَأَعْلَامِهِمْ فِي جَنْبِ مَا لَمْ نَذْكُرْ أَقَلَّ مِنْ خَرْدَلَةٍ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ فَإِنْ قَدَرْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا فِي زُمْرَتِهِمْ، وَمَوْكِبِهِمْ فَبَخٍ بَخٍ وَإِلَّا فَفِي بَابِ قِصَّةِ رُؤْيَا أَبِي يَزِيدَ كِفَايَةً لَكُمْ أَنْ تَعْرِفُوا كَمَالَ شَوْقِ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَمَرَاتِبِهِمْ فَإِنْ نَظَرْتُمْ فِيهِ وَوَقَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجُلَّ (شِعْر)

[Al-qiyāmati: 22 - 23] waʾinna alladhī dhakarnā min naʿti al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā, waṣifatihim waʾaʿlāmihim fī janbi mā lam nadhkur ʾaqalla min khardalatin bayna al-samāʾi wa-al-ʾarḍi faʾin qadartum ʾan tadkhulū fī zumratihim, wamawkibihim fabakhin bakhin waʾillā fafī bābi qiṣṣati ruʾyā ʾabī yazīda kifāyatan lakum ʾan taʿrifū kamāla shawqi al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā wamarātibihim faʾin naẓartum fīhi wawaqaftum ʿalayhi ʾin shāʾa Allāhu ʿazza wajulla (shiʿr)

[Al-Qiyāmah 75:22–23] What we have mentioned of the qualities, description, and signs of those who intend God Most High, compared with what we have not mentioned, is smaller than a mustard seed between heaven and earth. If you are able to enter their company and procession, then joy upon joy! If not, the account of Abū Yazīd’s vision is enough to acquaint you with the perfection of their longing for God Most High and their ranks—if, God Almighty and Majestic willing, you examine and understand it. [Verse]

§ 127

قُلُوبَ الْقَاصِدِينَ حُشِيَتْ سُرُورًا * فَصَارَ أَنِيسُهُمْ مُلْكًا شَكُورًا

Qulūba al-qāṣidīna ḥushiyat surūran * faṣāra ʾanīsuhum mulkan shakūran

The seekers’ hearts have been filled with delight; / the Thankful King has become their intimate.

§ 128

وَوَجْهُ الْقَاصِدِينَ عَلَاهُ نُورٌ * وَمَعْدِنٌ جَمْعُهُمْ بَابُ الْغَفُورِ

Wawajhu al-qāṣidīna ʿalāhu nūrun * wamaʿdinun jamʿuhum bābu al-ghafūri

Light rises over the faces of the seekers; / their gathering is a treasure, the door of the All-Forgiving.

§ 129

فَيَا طُوبَى لَهُمْ فِي دَارِ خُلْدٍ * إِذَا نَالُوا الْكَرَامَةَ وَالْحُبُورَا

Fayā ṭūbā lahum fī dāri khuldin * ʾidhā nālū al-karāmata wa-al-ḥubūrā

What bliss is theirs in the abode of eternity / when they attain honor and gladness.

§ 130

فَإِنَّ الْقَصْدَ فِي الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ * وَقَدْ كَثُرَ الْعَطَاءُ مَعَ الْأُجُورَا

Faʾinna al-qaṣda fī al-dunyā qalīlun * waqad kathura al-ʿaṭāʾu maʿa al-ʾujūrā

Intending Him in this world is a little thing, / yet the gift has multiplied together with the rewards.

الْبَابُ التَّاسِعُ فِي رُؤْيَا أَبِي يَزِيدَ فِي الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَبَيَانِ قِصَّتِهِ

Al-bābu al-tāsiʿu fī ruʾyā ʾabī yazīda fī al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā wabayāni qiṣṣatihi

Chapter Nine Abū Yazīd’s Vision Concerning the Intention Toward God Most High, and an Account of Its Story

§ 132

قَالَ شَرَفُ الْإِسْلَامِ الْعَارِفُ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى شَرَفُ الدِّينِ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ سِرَّهُ وَأَعَادَ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ بَرَكَاتِهِ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ: وَاعْلَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَنَّ لِأَبِي يَزِيدَ حَالَاتٍ وَمَقَامَاتٍ لَا يَحْتَمِلُهَا قُلُوبُ أَهْلِ الْغَفْلَةِ وَعَامَّةُ النَّاسِ، وَلَهُ مَعَ اللَّهِ أَسْرَارٌ لَوْ أَطْلَعَ عَلَيْهَا أَهْلُ الْمَعْرِفَةِ فِيهَا، وَإِنِّي نَظَرْت فِي مَنَاقِبِ أَبِي يَزِيدَ، فَإِذًا فِيهِ أَشْيَاءُ مِنْ حَالَاتِهِ وَأَوْقَاتِهِ وَكَلَامِهِ مَا كُلَت بِهِ الْأَلْسُنُ عَنْ نَعْتِهِ وَصِفَتِهِ، فَكُلُّ مَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَعْرِفَ كَمَالَهُ وَمَنْزِلَتَهُ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى نَوْمِهِ وَرُؤْيَاهُ الَّتِي هِيَ أَصَحُّ فِي الْمَعْنَى وَأَقْرَبُ إِلَى التَّحْقِيقِ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ حَكَى خَادِمُ الشَّيْخِ الْأَجَلِّ أَبِي يَزِيدَ الْبِسْطَامِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ لِي أَبُو يَزِيدَ الْبِسْطَامِيُّ قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ سِرَّهُ: رَأَيْتُ فِي الْمَنَامِ كَأَنِّي قَاصِدٌ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى طَالِبًا مُوَاصَلَتَهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَلَى أَنْ أُقِيمَ مَعَهُ إِلَى الْأَبَدِ فَامْتَحَنْتُ بِامْتِحَانٍ لَا تَقُومُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَا فِيهِمَا لِأَنَّهُ بَسَطَ لِي بِسَاطَ الْعَطَايَا نَوْعًا بَعْدَ نَوْعٍ، وَعَرَضَ عَلَى مِلْكِ كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ فَفِي ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ أَغْضَضْت بَصَرِي عَنْهَا كُلِّهَا لِمَا عَلِمْت أَنَّهَا تَقْطَعُنِي وَإِنَّمَا هِيَ تَجْرِبَةٌ لِي فَكُنْت لَا أَلْتَفِت إلَيْهَا إِجْلَالًا لِحُرْمَةِ رَبِّي، كُنْت أَقُولُ فِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ: يَا عَزِيزِي مُرَادِي غَيْرُ مَا تَعَرَّضَ عَلَيَّ.

Qāla sharafu al-ʾislāmi al-ʿārifu bi-llāhi taʿālā sharafu al-dīni ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu qaddasa Allāhu sirrahu waʾaʿāda ʿalaynā min barakātihi wa-al-muslimīna: wa-iʿlamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi subḥānahu wataʿālā ʾanna liʾabī yazīda ḥālātin wamaqāmātin lā yaḥtamiluhā qulūbu ʾahli al-ghaflati waʿāmmatu al-nāsi, walahu maʿa Allāhi ʾasrārun law ʾaṭlaʿa ʿalayhā ʾahlu al-maʿrifati fīhā, waʾinnī naẓart fī manāqibi ʾabī yazīda, faʾidhan fīhi ʾashyāʾu min ḥālātihi waʾawqātihi wakalāmihi mā kulat bihi al-ʾalsunu ʿan naʿtihi waṣifatihi, fakullu man ʾarāda ʾan yaʿrifa kamālahu wamanzilatahu falyanẓur ʾilā nawmihi waruʾyāhu allatī hiya ʾaṣaḥḥu fī al-maʿnā waʾaqrabu ʾilā al-taḥqīqi min ghayrihi ḥakā khādimu al-shaykhi al-ʾajalli ʾabī yazīda al-bisṭāmiyyi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu qāla: qāla lī ʾabū yazīda al-bisṭāmiyyu qaddasa Allāhu sirrahu: raʾaytu fī al-manāmi kaʾannī qāṣidun ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā ṭāliban muwāṣalatahu subḥānahu wataʿālā ʿalā ʾan ʾuqīma maʿahu ʾilā al-ʾabadi fa-imtaḥantu bi-imtiḥānin lā taqūmu lahu al-samāwātu wa-al-ʾarḍu wamā fīhimā liʾannahu basaṭa lī bisāṭa al-ʿaṭāyā nawʿan baʿda nawʿin, waʿaraḍa ʿalā milki kulli samāʾin fafī dhalika kullihi ʾaghḍaḍt baṣarī ʿanhā kullihā limā ʿalimt ʾannahā taqṭaʿunī waʾinnamā hiya tajribatun lī fakunt lā ʾaltafit ʾlayhā ʾijlālan liḥurmati rabbī, kunt ʾaqūlu fī kulli dhalika kullihi: yā ʿazīzī murādī ghayru mā taʿarraḍa ʿalayya.

The glory of Islam and knower of God Most High, Sharaf al-Dīn Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd—may God sanctify his secret and renew his blessings upon us and all Muslims—said: Know, O company of those who intend God—glory and exaltation be to Him—that Abū Yazīd had states and stations which the hearts of the heedless and ordinary people cannot bear. He had secrets with God which, were the people of knowledge to behold them, [would overwhelm them]. I examined the virtues of Abū Yazīd and found among his states, moments, and sayings things that tongues grow weary of depicting and describing. Whoever wishes to know his perfection and rank should consider his sleep and vision, which in meaning are sounder and nearer to realization than anything else. The servant of the noble shaykh Abū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī—may God be pleased with him—related: Abū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī—may God sanctify his secret—said to me, ‘I saw in a dream that I was setting out toward God Most High, seeking communion with Him—glory and exaltation be to Him—and resolved to remain with Him forever. I was tested by a trial which the heavens, the earth, and all they contain could not bear. He spread before me the carpet of gifts, kind after kind, and offered me the dominion of every heaven. Throughout it all I lowered my gaze, for I knew those things would cut me off and that they were only a test. Out of reverence for my Lord’s sanctity, I paid them no heed. In every instance I said: “My Beloved, what I desire is other than what is being offered to me.”’

§ 133

قَالَ خَادِمُ الشَّيْخِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: فَقُلْت لَهُ: صِفْ لِي يَا أُسْتَاذُ مِمَّا عُرِضَ عَلَيْك مِنْ مَلَكِ كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ، فَقَالَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: رَأَيْت فِي الْمَنَامِ كَأَنِّي عَرَجْت إِلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ فَلَمَّا أَتَيْتُ السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا فَإِذَا أَنَا بِطَيْرٌ أَخْضَرَ فَنَشَرَ جَنَاحًا مِنْ أَجْنِحَتِهِ فَحَمَلَنِي عَلَيْهِ وَطَارَ بِي حَتَّى انْتَهَى بِي إِلَى صُفُوفِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَهُمْ قِيَامٌ مُنْحَرِفَةٌ أَقْدَامُهُمْ فِي التُّخُومِ، يُسَبِّحُونَ اللَّهَ بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا فَسَلَّمْت عَلَيْهِمْ، فَرَدُّوا عَلَى السَّلَامِ، فَوَضَعَنِي الطَّيْرُ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ مَضَى، فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أُسَبِّحَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى بَيْنَهُمْ وَأَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ بِلِسَانِهِمْ، وَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ هَذَا آدَمِيٌّ لَا نُورِيٌّ لَجَأَ إلَيْنَا، وَتَحَكَّمَ مَعَنَا، قَالَ: فَأَلْهَمْت كَلِمَاتٍ، قُلْت بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الْقَادِرِ عَلَى أَنْ يُغْنِيَنِي عَنْكُمْ، ثُمَّ لَمْ أَزَلْ يُعْرِضُ عَلَى الْمَلَكِ الْجَلِيلِ مِنْ الْمَلَكِ مَا كِلْتُ الْأَلْسُنَ عَنْ نَعْتِهِ وَصِفَتِهِ، فَعَلِمْت أَنَّهُ يُجَرِّبُنِي بِهَا، وَفِي ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ كُنْت أَقُولُ: يَا عَزِيزِي مُرَادِي غَيْرُ مَا تَعَرَّضَ عَلَيَّ، وَلَمْ أَلْتَفِتْ إلَيْهَا حُرْمَةً لِإِجْلَالِهِ، ثُمَّ رَأَيْت كَأَنِّي عَرَجْت إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الثَّانِيَةِ فَسَارَعُوا إِلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَوْجًا بَعْدَ فَوْجٍ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى كَمَا يَنْظُرُ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ إِلَى أَمِيرٍ يَدْخُلُهَا، ثُمَّ جَاءَنِي رَأْسُ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَاسْمُهُ لَاوِينَ، وَقَالَ: أَبَا يَزِيدَ إِنَّ رَبَّك يُقْرِئُك السَّلَامَ وَيَقُولُ: أَبَا يَزِيدَ أَحْبَبْتَنِي فَأَحْبَبْتُكَ، فَانْتَهَى بِي إِلَى رَوْضَةٍ خَضْرَاءَ فِيهَا نَهْرٌ يَجْرِي حَوْلَهُ مَلَائِكَةٌ طَيَّارَةٌ يَطِيرُونَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ مِائَةَ أَلْفِ مَرَّةٍ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ، وَوُجُوهِهِمْ كَضِيَاءِ الشَّمْسِ، وَقَدْ عَرَفُونِي بِمَعْرِفَتِهِمْ لِي فِي الْأَرْضِ فَجَاءُونِي وَحْيُّونِي وَأَنْزَلُونِي عَلَى شَطِّ ذَلِكَ النَّهْرِ وَإِذَا عَلَى حَافَّتَيْهِ أَشْجَارٌ مِنْ نُورٍ وَلَهَا أَغْصَانٌ كَثِيرَةٌ مُتَدَلِّيَةٌ فِي الْهَوَاءِ وَإِذَا عَلَى كُلِّ غُصْنٍ مِنْهَا وَكْرُ طَيْرٍ وَإِذَا فِي كُلِّ وَكْرٍ مَلَكٍ مِنْ الْمَلَائِكَةِ سَاجِدِ، وَكُنْت كُلَّمَا وَقَفْت عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَقُولُ: يَا عَزِيزِي مُرَادِي غَيْرُ مَا تَعَرَّضَ عَلَيَّ كُنْ لِي يَا عَزِيزِي جَارًا مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْمُسْتَجِيرِينَ وَجَلِيسًا عَنْ جَمِيعِ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ، ثُمَّ هَاجَ مِنْ سِرِّي شَيْءٍ مِنْ عَطَشِ نَارِ الِاشْتِيَاقِ حَتَّى أَنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ مَعَ هَذِهِ الْأَشْجَارِ صَارَتْ كَالْبَعُوضَةِ فِي جَنْبِ هِمَّتِي، وَكُلُّهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ إلَيَّ مُتَعَجِّبِينَ مَدْهُوشِينَ مِنْ عِظَمِ مَا يَرَوْنَ مِنِّي، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَزَلْ يَعْرِضُ عَلَيَّ مِنْ الْمَلِكِ مَا تَكِلَ الْأَلْسُنُ عَنْ نَعْتِهِ، وَفِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ عَلِمْت أَنَّهُ بِهَا يُجَرِّبُنِي، فَلَمْ أَلْتَفِت إِلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْهَا إِجْلَالًا لِحُرْمَةِ رَبِّي، وَكُنْت أَقُولُ يَا عَزِيزِي مُرَادِي غَيْرَ مَا تَعَرِضَ عَلَيَّ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مِنِّي صِدْقَ الْإِرَادَةِ فِي الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ، وَتَجْرِيدِي عَمَّا سِوَاهُ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِمَلَكٍ قَدْ مَدَّ يَدَهُ فَجَذَبَنِي، ثُمَّ رَأَيْت كَأَنِّي عَرَجْت إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَجَاءَنِي جَمِيعُ الْمَلَائِكَةِ الَّذِينَ هُمْ بِهَا وَسَلَّمُوا عَلَيَّ، فَإِذَا مَلَكَ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةُ أَوْجُهٍ يَلِي إلَيَّ وَهُوَ يَبْكِي دُمُوعَهُ لاَ تُسْكَنُ أَصْلاً، وَوَجْهٌ عَلَى الأَرْضِ يُنَادِي يَا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ اعْمَلُوا يَوْمَ الْفَرَاغِ لِيَوْمِ الأَخْذِ وَالْحِسَابِ وَوَجْهٌ يَلِي يَمِينَهُ يُكَلِّمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ بِلِسَانِهِ، وَوَجْهٍ يَلِي يَسَارَهُ قَدْ سَعَتْ جُنُودُهُ فِي أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ يُسَبِّحُونَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى فِيهَا فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ السَّلاَمَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: مَنْ أَنْتَ إِذْ فُضِّلْتَ عَلَيْنَا؟ فَقُلْتُ: عَبْدٌ قَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ، فَقَالَ لِي:

Qāla khādimu al-shaykhi raḥimahu Allāhu taʿālā: faqult lahu: ṣif lī yā ʾustādhu mimmā ʿuriḍa ʿalayk min malaki kulli samāʾin, faqāla raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu: raʾayt fī al-manāmi kaʾannī ʿarajt ʾilā al-samāwāti falammā ʾataytu al-samāʾa al-dunyā faʾidhā ʾanā biṭayrun ʾakhḍara fanashara janāḥan min ʾajniḥatihi faḥamalanī ʿalayhi waṭāra bī ḥattā intahā bī ʾilā ṣufūfi al-malāʾikati wahum qiyāmun munḥarifatun ʾaqdāmuhum fī al-tukhūmi, yusabbiḥūna Allāha bukratan waʿashiyyan fasallamt ʿalayhim, faraddū ʿalā al-salāmi, fawaḍaʿanī al-ṭayru baynahum thumma maḍā, falam ʾazal ʾusabbiḥa Allāha taʿālā baynahum waʾaḥmadu Allāha bilisānihim, wahum yaqūlūna hadhā ʾādamiyyun lā nūriyyun lajaʾa ʾlaynā, wataḥakkama maʿanā, qāla: faʾalhamt kalimātin, qult bismi Allāhi al-qādiri ʿalā ʾan yughniyanī ʿankum, thumma lam ʾazal yuʿriḍu ʿalā al-malaki al-jalīli min al-malaki mā kiltu al-ʾalsuna ʿan naʿtihi waṣifatihi, faʿalimt ʾannahu yujarribunī bihā, wafī dhalika kullihi kunt ʾaqūlu: yā ʿazīzī murādī ghayru mā taʿarraḍa ʿalayya, walam ʾaltafit ʾlayhā ḥurmatan liʾijlālihi, thumma raʾayt kaʾannī ʿarajt ʾilā al-samāʾi al-thāniyati fasāraʿū ʾilā al-malāʾikati fawjan baʿda fawjin yanẓurūna ʾilā kamā yanẓuru ʾahlu al-madīnati ʾilā ʾamīrin yadkhuluhā, thumma jāʾanī raʾsu al-malāʾikati wa-ismuhu lāwīna, waqāla: ʾabā yazīda ʾinna rabbak yuqriʾuk al-salāma wayaqūlu: ʾabā yazīda ʾaḥbabtanī faʾaḥbabtuka, fa-intahā bī ʾilā rawḍatin khaḍrāʾa fīhā nahrun yajrī ḥawlahu malāʾikatun ṭayyāratun yaṭīrūna kulla yawmin ʾilā al-ʾarḍi miāʾata ʾalfi marratin yanẓurūna ʾilā ʾawliyāʾi Allāhi, wawujūhihim kaḍiyāʾi al-shamsi, waqad ʿarafūnī bimaʿrifatihim lī fī al-ʾarḍi fajāʾūnī waḥyyūnī waʾanzalūnī ʿalā shaṭṭi dhalika al-nahri waʾidhā ʿalā ḥāffatayhi ʾashjārun min nūrin walahā ʾaghṣānun kathīratun mutadalliyatun fī al-hawāʾi waʾidhā ʿalā kulli ghuṣnin minhā wakru ṭayrin waʾidhā fī kulli wakrin malakin min al-malāʾikati sājidi, wakunt kullamā waqaft ʿalā shayʾin min dhalika ʾaqūlu: yā ʿazīzī murādī ghayru mā taʿarraḍa ʿalayya kun lī yā ʿazīzī jāran min jamīʿi al-mustajīrīna wajalīsan ʿan jamīʿi al-makhlūqīna, thumma hāja min sirrī shayʾin min ʿaṭashi nāri al-ishtiyāqi ḥattā ʾanna al-malāʾikata maʿa hadhihi al-ʾashjāri ṣārat ka-al-baʿūḍati fī janbi himmatī, wakulluhum yanẓurūna ʾlayya mutaʿajjibīna madhūshīna min ʿiẓami mā yarawna minnī, thumma lam yazal yaʿriḍu ʿalayya min al-maliki mā takila al-ʾalsunu ʿan naʿtihi, wafī kulli dhalika ʿalimt ʾannahu bihā yujarribunī, falam ʾaltafit ʾilā shayʾin minhā ʾijlālan liḥurmati rabbī, wakunt ʾaqūlu yā ʿazīzī murādī ghayra mā taʿariḍa ʿalayya, falammā ʿalima Allāhu taʿālā minnī ṣidqa al-ʾirādati fī al-qaṣdi ʾlayhi, watajrīdī ʿammā siwāhu faʾidhā ʾanā bimalakin qad madda yadahu fajadhabanī, thumma raʾayt kaʾannī ʿarajt ʾilā al-samāʾi al-thālithati fajāʾanī jamīʿu al-malāʾikati alladhīna hum bihā wasallamū ʿalayya, faʾidhā malaka minhum lahu ʾarbaʿatu ʾawjuhin yalī ʾlayya wahuwa yabkī dumūʿahu lʾa tuskanu ʾaṣlʾ, wawajhun ʿalā al-ʾarḍi yunādī yā ʿibāda Allāhi iʿmalū yawma al-farāghi liyawmi al-ʾakhdhi wa-al-ḥisābi wawajhun yalī yamīnahu yukallimu al-malʾaʾikata bilisānihi, wawajhin yalī yasārahu qad saʿat junūduhu fī ʾaqṭāri al-samāwāti yusabbiḥūna Allāha taʿālā fīhā fasallamtu ʿalayhi faradda ʿalayya al-salʾama, thumma qāla: man ʾanta ʾidh fuḍḍilta ʿalaynā? faqultu: ʿabdun qad manna Allāhu ʿalayhi min faḍlihi, faqāla lī:

The shaykh’s servant—may God Most High have mercy upon him—said: I asked, ‘Master, describe for me something of what was offered to you from the dominion of every heaven.’ He—may God be pleased with him—replied: ‘I saw in the dream that I ascended through the heavens. When I reached the lowest heaven, there was a green bird. It spread one of its wings, carried me upon it, and flew with me until it brought me to ranks of angels standing with their feet turned down into the lowest depths, glorifying God morning and evening. I greeted them and they returned the greeting. The bird set me among them and went on. I continued glorifying and praising God in their tongue, while they said, “This is a human being, not a creature of light; he has taken refuge with us and presumed to stand among us.” Words were then inspired in me, and I said, “In the name of God, who has power to make me independent of you.” The Majestic One continued to offer me dominion whose qualities tongues grow weary of depicting. I knew He was testing me through it, and throughout it all I said, “My Beloved, what I desire is other than what is being offered to me.” Out of reverence for His majesty, I paid it no heed. Then I saw myself ascend to the second heaven. The angels hastened toward me, troop after troop, looking at me as the people of a city look upon a prince entering it. Their chief, whose name was Lāwīn, came to me and said, “Abū Yazīd, your Lord sends you peace and says: ‘Abū Yazīd, you loved Me, so I loved you.’” He brought me to a green meadow with a river flowing through it. Around it were winged angels who flew to earth one hundred thousand times each day to look upon God’s friends. Their faces were like the radiance of the sun. They recognized me from their knowledge of me on earth, came to greet me, and set me down upon the riverbank. On both banks stood trees of light with many branches hanging in the air. On every branch was a bird’s nest, and in every nest an angel prostrating. Whenever I paused before any of this, I said, “My Beloved, what I desire is other than what is being offered to me. Be my shelter, my Beloved, beyond all those from whom shelter is sought, and my companion instead of every created being.” Then something of the thirst and fire of longing surged from my innermost consciousness until the angels and all these trees became like a gnat beside my aspiration. They all looked at me in wonder, stunned by the greatness of what they saw in me. The Majestic One continued to offer me dominion whose description wears tongues out. I knew throughout that He was testing me, and I paid none of it any heed, out of reverence for my Lord’s sanctity. I kept saying, “My Beloved, what I desire is other than what is being offered to me.” When God Most High knew the truthfulness of my will in intending Him and my detachment from all besides Him, an angel stretched out his hand and drew me upward. I then saw myself ascend to the third heaven, where all its angels came and greeted me. Among them was an angel with four faces: one faced me as he wept tears that never ceased; one faced the earth and cried, “Servants of God, work in the day of respite for the Day of seizure and reckoning”; one faced his right and spoke to the angels in their tongue; and one faced his left, while his hosts spread throughout the regions of the heavens glorifying God Most High. I greeted him and he returned the greeting. Then he asked, “Who are you, that you have been favored above us?” I replied, “A servant upon whom God has bestowed some of His bounty.” He said to me:’

§ 134

تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَنْظُرَ إِلَى عَجَائِبِ اللَّهِ، قُلْتُ: بَلَى. فَنَشَرَ جَنَاحًا مِنْ أَجْنِحَتِهِ فَإِذَا عَلَى كُلِّ رِيشَةٍ مِنْ رِيشِهِ قِنْدِيلٌ أَظْلَمَ ضِيَاءَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ ضَوْءِهَا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: تَعَالَ يَا أَبَا يَزِيدَ وَاسْتَظِلَّ فِي ظِلِّ جَنَاحِي تُسَبِّحُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَتَقَدَّسُهُ وَتُهَلِّلُهُ إِلَى الْمَوْتِ، فَقُلْت لَهُ: اللَّهُ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يُغْنِيَنِي عَنْك، ثُمَّ هَاجَ مِنْ سِرِيِّ نُورٍ مِنْ ضِيَاءِ مَعْرِفَتِي أَظْلَمَ ضَوْءَ تِلْكَ الْقَنَادِيلِ مِنْ ضَوْئِي فَصَارَ الْمَلْكُ كَالْبَعُوضَةِ فِي جَنْبٍ كَمَالِي، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَزُلْ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ وَعَزَّ كِبْرِيَاؤُهُ يَعْرِضُ عَلَيَّ مِنْ الْمَلْكِ مَا تَكِلَ الْأَلْسُنُ مِنْ نَعْتِهِ وَصِفَتِهِ، فَفِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ عَلِمْت أَنَّهُ بِهَا يُجَرِّبُنِي، فَلَمْ أَلْتَفِتْ إِلَى ذَلِكَ إِجْلَالًا لِحُرْمَتِهِ، فَكُنْت فِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ أَقُولُ يَا عَزِيزِي، مُرَادِي غَيْرَ مَا تَعْرِضَ عَلَيَّ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مِنِّي صِدْقَ الْإِرَادَةِ فِي الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ، فَإِذَا أَنَا بِمَلِكِ مَدَّ يَدَهُ فَرَفَعَنِي ثُمَّ رَأَيْت كَأَنِّي عَرَجْت إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَجَاءُوا بِي جَمِيعَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ بِصِفَاتِهِمْ وَهَيْأَتِهِمْ وَنُعُوَتِهِمْ، فَسَلَّمُوا عَلَيَّ وَنَاظِرِينَ إِلَى كَمَا يَنْظُرُ أَهْلُ الْبَلَدِ إِلَى أَمِيرِهِمْ فِي وَقْتِ دُخُولِهِ إلَيْهِمْ، يَرْفَعُونَ أَصْوَاتَهُمْ بِالتَّسْبِيحِ وَالتَّهْلِيلِ، لِعِظَمِ مَا يَرَوْنَ مِنْ انْقِطَاعِي إلَيْهِ وَقِلَّةِ الْتِفَاتِي إلَيْهِمْ فَاسْتَقْبَلَنِي مَلَكٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ يَنَائِيلُ فَمَدَّ يَدَهُ وَأَقْعَدَنِي عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ لَهُ مَوْضُوعٌ عَلَى شَطِّ بَحْرِ عَجَّاجٍ لَا تُرَى أَوَّلَهُ وَلَا آخِرِهِ فَأَلْهَمْتُ تَسْبِيحَهُ وَأَنْطَقْتُ بِلِسَانِهِ وَلَمْ أَلْتَفِت إلَيْهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَزَلْ الْجَلِيلُ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ يُعْرِضُ عَلَيَّ مِنْ الْمِلْكِ مَا كِلْت الْأَلْسُنَ عَنْ نَعْتِهِ فَفِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ عَلِمْت أَنَّهُ بِهَا يُجَرِّبُنِي فَلَمْ أَلْتَفِتْ إِلَى مَا رَأَيْت إِجْلَالًا لِحُرْمَتِهِ وَكُنْت أَقُولُ يَا عَزِيزِي مُرَادِي غَيْرَ مَا تَعَرَّضَ عَلَيَّ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى مِنِّي صِدْقَ الْإِرَادَةِ وَالِانْفِرَادِ بِهِ إِلَى الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ، فَإِذَا بِمِلِكٍ مَدَّ يَدَهُ فَرَفَعَنِي إلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ رَأَيْت كَأَنِّي عَرَجْت إِلَى السَّمَاءُ الْخَامِسَةُ فَإِذَا بِمَلَائِكَةِ قِيَامٌ فِي السَّمَاءِ الْخَامِسَةِ رُؤُوسُهُمْ فِي عَنَانِ السَّمَاءِ السَّادِسَةِ، يَقْطُرُ مِنْهُمْ نُورٌ تَبْرُقُ مِنْهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ فَسَلَّمُوا كُلُّهُمْ عَلَى بِأَنْوَاعِ اللُّغَاتِ فَرَدَدْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ السَّلَامَ بِكُلِّ لُغَةٍ فَتَعَجَّبُوا مِنْ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ قَالُوا: يَا أَبَا يَزِيدَ تَعَالَى حَتَّى تُسَبِّحَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَتُهَلِّلَهُ وَنُعِينَكَ عَلَى مَا تُرِيدُ، فَلَمْ أَلْتَفِتْ إلَيْهِمْ، إِجْلَالًا لِرَبِّي جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ وَعِزَّتِهِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ هَاجَ مِنْ سِرِي عُيُونًا مِنْ الشَّوْقِ فَصَارَ نُورِي لِعَظَمَتِهِ فِي نُورِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ كَالشَّمْسِ يُوضَعُ فِيهَا سِرَاجٌ وَعُرِضَ عَلَيَّ مِنْ الْمَلَائِكَةِ خُلُقٌ عَظِيمٌ، وَأَنَا لَمْ أَلْتَفِتْ إِلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْهَا مِمَّا رَأَيْت، وَذَلِكَ لِعِلْمِي إِنَّمَا هُوَ يُجَرِّبُنِي، وَكُنْت أَقُولُ يَا عَزِيزِي مُرَادِي غَيْرَ مَا تَعَرَّضَ عَلَيَّ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مِنِّي صَدْقَ الْإِرَادَةِ فِي الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِمَلْكٍ مَدَّ يَدَهُ فَرَفَعَنِي إلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ رَأَيْت كَأَنِّي عَرَجْت إِلَى السَّمَاءِ السَّادِسَةِ، فَإِذَا أَنَا بِالْمَلَائِكَةِ الْمُشْتَاقِينَ جَاءُونِي وَسَلَّمُوا عَلَيَّ، وَهُمْ يَفْتَخِرُونَ بِشَوْقِهِمْ عَلَيَّ فَفُتِحْتُ لَهُمْ شَيْءٌ مِنْ طَيَرَانِ سِرِّيٍّ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَزَلْ يَعْرِضُ عَلَيَّ الْجَلِيلُ مِنْ الْمَلِكِ مَا تَكِلُّ الْأَلْسُنُ عَنْ نَعْتِهِ، فَفِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ عَلِمْت أَنَّهُ بِهَا يُجَرِّبُنِي فَلَمْ أَلْتَفِتْ إلَيْهِمْ وَكُنْت أَقُولُ: يَا عَزِيزِي مُرَادِي غَيْرَ مَا تَعَرِضَ عَلَيَّ.

Turīdu ʾan tanẓura ʾilā ʿajāʾibi Allāhi, qultu: balā. fanashara janāḥan min ʾajniḥatihi faʾidhā ʿalā kulli rīshatin min rīshihi qindīlun ʾaẓlama ḍiyāʾa al-shamsi min ḍawʾihā, thumma qāla: taʿāla yā ʾabā yazīda wa-istaẓilla fī ẓilli janāḥī tusabbiḥu Allāha taʿālā wataqaddasuhu watuhalliluhu ʾilā al-mawti, faqult lahu: Allāhu qādirun ʿalā ʾan yughniyanī ʿank, thumma hāja min siriyyi nūrin min ḍiyāʾi maʿrifatī ʾaẓlama ḍawʾa tilka al-qanādīli min ḍawʾī faṣāra al-malku ka-al-baʿūḍati fī janbin kamālī, thumma lam yazul jalla jalāluhu waʿazza kibriyāʾuhu yaʿriḍu ʿalayya min al-malki mā takila al-ʾalsunu min naʿtihi waṣifatihi, fafī kulli dhalika ʿalimt ʾannahu bihā yujarribunī, falam ʾaltafit ʾilā dhalika ʾijlālan liḥurmatihi, fakunt fī kulli dhalika ʾaqūlu yā ʿazīzī, murādī ghayra mā taʿriḍa ʿalayya, falammā ʿalima Allāhu taʿālā minnī ṣidqa al-ʾirādati fī al-qaṣdi ʾlayhi, faʾidhā ʾanā bimaliki madda yadahu farafaʿanī thumma raʾayt kaʾannī ʿarajt ʾilā al-samāʾi al-rābiʿati fajāʾū bī jamīʿa al-malāʾikati biṣifātihim wahayʾatihim wanuʿuwatihim, fasallamū ʿalayya wanāẓirīna ʾilā kamā yanẓuru ʾahlu al-baladi ʾilā ʾamīrihim fī waqti dukhūlihi ʾlayhim, yarfaʿūna ʾaṣwātahum bi-al-tasbīḥi wa-al-tahlīli, liʿiẓami mā yarawna min inqiṭāʿī ʾlayhi waqillati al-tifātī ʾlayhim fa-istaqbalanī malakun yuqālu lahu yanāʾīlu famadda yadahu waʾaqʿadanī ʿalā kursiyyin lahu mawḍūʿun ʿalā shaṭṭi baḥri ʿajjājin lā turā ʾawwalahu walā ʾākhirihi faʾalhamtu tasbīḥahu waʾanṭaqtu bilisānihi walam ʾaltafit ʾlayhi thumma lam yazal al-jalīlu jalla jalāluhu yuʿriḍu ʿalayya min al-milki mā kilt al-ʾalsuna ʿan naʿtihi fafī kulli dhalika ʿalimt ʾannahu bihā yujarribunī falam ʾaltafit ʾilā mā raʾayt ʾijlālan liḥurmatihi wakunt ʾaqūlu yā ʿazīzī murādī ghayra mā taʿarraḍa ʿalayya, falammā ʿalima Allāhu subḥānahu wataʿālā minnī ṣidqa al-ʾirādati wa-al-infirādi bihi ʾilā al-qaṣdi ʾlayhi, faʾidhā bimilikin madda yadahu farafaʿanī ʾlayhi, thumma raʾayt kaʾannī ʿarajt ʾilā al-samāʾu al-khāmisatu faʾidhā bimalāʾikati qiyāmun fī al-samāʾi al-khāmisati ruʾūsuhum fī ʿanāni al-samāʾi al-sādisati, yaqṭuru minhum nūrun tabruqu minhu al-samāwātu fasallamū kulluhum ʿalā biʾanwāʿi al-lughāti faradadtu ʿalayhim al-salāma bikulli lughatin fataʿajjabū min dhalika, thumma qālū: yā ʾabā yazīda taʿālā ḥattā tusabbiḥa Allāha taʿālā watuhallilahu wanuʿīnaka ʿalā mā turīdu, falam ʾaltafit ʾlayhim, ʾijlālan lirabbī jalla jalāluhu waʿizzatihi, faʿinda dhalika hāja min sirī ʿuyūnan min al-shawqi faṣāra nūrī liʿaẓamatihi fī nūri al-malāʾikati ka-al-shamsi yūḍaʿu fīhā sirājun waʿuriḍa ʿalayya min al-malāʾikati khuluqun ʿaẓīmun, waʾanā lam ʾaltafit ʾilā shayʾin minhā mimmā raʾayt, wadhalika liʿilmī ʾinnamā huwa yujarribunī, wakunt ʾaqūlu yā ʿazīzī murādī ghayra mā taʿarraḍa ʿalayya, falammā ʿalima Allāhu taʿālā minnī ṣadqa al-ʾirādati fī al-qaṣdi ʾlayhi faʾidhā ʾanā bimalkin madda yadahu farafaʿanī ʾlayhi, thumma raʾayt kaʾannī ʿarajt ʾilā al-samāʾi al-sādisati, faʾidhā ʾanā bi-al-malāʾikati al-mushtāqīna jāʾūnī wasallamū ʿalayya, wahum yaftakhirūna bishawqihim ʿalayya fafutiḥtu lahum shayʾun min ṭayarāni sirriyyin, thumma lam yazal yaʿriḍu ʿalayya al-jalīlu min al-maliki mā takillu al-ʾalsunu ʿan naʿtihi, fafī kulli dhalika ʿalimt ʾannahu bihā yujarribunī falam ʾaltafit ʾlayhim wakunt ʾaqūlu: yā ʿazīzī murādī ghayra mā taʿariḍa ʿalayya.

‘“Would you like to behold some of God’s wonders?” I said yes. He spread one of his wings, and upon every feather was a lamp whose light eclipsed the sun’s radiance. He said, “Come, Abū Yazīd, take shade beneath my wing and glorify, sanctify, and proclaim God’s oneness until death.” I replied, “God has power to make me independent of you.” A light from the radiance of my knowledge then surged from my innermost consciousness and eclipsed the light of those lamps; beside the perfection of my aspiration, the angel became like a gnat. The Majestic One—majestic is His glory and mighty His grandeur—continued to offer me dominion whose qualities tongues grow weary of describing. In all of it I knew He was testing me. Out of reverence for His sanctity I paid no heed, but continued saying, “My Beloved, what I desire is other than what is being offered to me.” When God Most High knew the truthfulness of my will in intending Him, an angel stretched out his hand and lifted me. I then saw myself ascend to the fourth heaven. All its angels came to me in their forms, appearances, and qualities. They greeted me and looked at me as the people of a town look upon their prince when he enters. They raised their voices in glorification and the profession of divine oneness because they saw how completely I had turned toward Him and how little I regarded them. An angel called Yanāʾīl received me, extended his hand, and seated me upon a throne on the shore of a surging sea whose beginning and end could not be seen. I was inspired with his glorification and made to speak in his tongue, yet I paid him no heed. The Majestic One continued to offer me dominion whose qualities tongues grow weary of describing. I knew throughout that He was testing me, so I paid no heed to what I saw, out of reverence for His sanctity. I kept saying, “My Beloved, what I desire is other than what is being offered to me.” When God—glory and exaltation be to Him—knew the truthfulness of my will, my solitude with Him, and my intention toward Him, an angel stretched out his hand and raised me. I then saw myself ascend to the fifth heaven. There were angels standing there whose heads reached the clouds of the sixth heaven. Light dripped from them and made the heavens flash. They all greeted me in many languages, and I answered each greeting in its own language, at which they marveled. They said, “Abū Yazīd, come glorify God Most High and proclaim His oneness with us, and we shall help you in what you seek.” Out of reverence for my Lord—majestic is His glory and might—I paid them no heed. Then fountains of longing surged from my innermost consciousness. By its immensity my light among the angels’ lights was like the sun into which a lamp is placed. A vast creation of angels was shown to me, yet I paid no heed to anything I saw, for I knew it was only a test. I kept saying, “My Beloved, what I desire is other than what is being offered to me.” When God Most High knew the truthfulness of my will in intending Him, an angel stretched out his hand and lifted me. I then saw myself ascend to the sixth heaven. The angels of longing came and greeted me, boasting of their longing before me, so I opened for them something of the flight of my innermost consciousness. The Majestic One continued to offer me dominion whose description wears tongues out. I knew throughout that He was testing me through it. I paid them no heed and kept saying, “My Beloved, what I desire is other than what is being offered to me.”’

§ 135

فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مِنِّي صِدْقَ الْإِرَادَةِ فِي الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ، فَإِذَا أَنَا بِمَلَكٍ مَدَّ يَدَهُ فَرَفَعَنِي ثُمَّ رَأَيْت كَأَنِّي عَرَجْت إِلَى السَّمَاءِ السَّابِعَةِ، فَإِذَا أَنَا بِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ صَفٍّ مِنْ الْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْتَقْبَلَنِي كُلَّ صَفٍّ مِثْلَ الثَّقَلَيْنِ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ مَرَّةٍ مَعَ كُلِّ مَلَكٍ لِوَاءٌ مِنْ نُورٍ تَحْتَ كُلِّ لِوَاءٍ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ مَلَكٍ طُولَ كُلِّ مَلَكٍ مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِمِائَةِ عَامٍ وَعَلَى مُقَدِّمَتِهِمْ مَلَكٌ اسْمُهُ بِيرَابِيلُ فَسَلَّمُوا عَلَى بِلِسَانِهِمْ وَلُغَتِهِمْ، فَرَدَدْت عَلَيْهِمْ السَّلَامَ بِلِسَانِهِمْ فَتَعَجَّبُوا مِنْ ذَلِكَ، فَإِذَا بِمُنَادِي يُنَادِي: يَا أَبَا يَزِيدَ، قِفْ قِفْ، فَإِنَّك قَدْ وَصَلْت إِلَى الْمُنْتَهَى، فَلَمْ أَلْتَفِتْ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَزَلْ يَعْرِضُ عَلَيَّ مِنْ الْمَلِكِ مَا كِلْت الْأَلْسُنَ عَنْ نَعْتِهِ، وَفِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ لَمْ أَلْتَفِتْ لَهُ وَلَمْ أَقِفْ مَعَهُ، لِعِلْمِي أَنَّ الْجَلِيلَ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ يُجَرِّبُنِي بِهَا، وَكُنْت أَقُولُ يَا عَزِيزِي مُرَادِي فِي غَيْرِ مَا تَعَرَّضَ عَلَيَّ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ مِنِّي صَدَقَ الْإِرَادَةُ فِي الْقَصْدِ صَيَّرَنِي طَيْرًا كُلَّ رِيشَةٍ مِنْ جَنَاحِي أَبْعَدَ مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ مَرَّةٍ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَطِيرُ فِي الْمَلَكُوتِ، وَأَجُولُ فِي الْجَبَرُوتِ، وَأَقْطَعُ مَمْلَكَةً بَعْدَ مَمْلَكَةٍ، وَحِجَابًا بَعْدَ حِجَابٍ، وَمَيْدَانًا بَعْدَ مَيْدَانٍ، وَبِحَارًا بَعْدَ بِحَارٍ، وَأَسْتَارًا بَعْدَ أَسْتَارٍ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُ مَلِكَ الْكُرْسِيِّ فَاسْتَقْبَلَنِي وَمَعَهُ عَمُودٌ مِنْ نُورٍ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيَّ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: خُذِ الْعَمُودَ فَأَخَذْتُهُ فَإِذَا السَّمَاوَاتُ بِكُلِّ مَا فِيهَا قَدْ اسْتَظَلَّ بِظِلِّ مَعْرِفَتِي، وَاسْتَضَأْت كُلَّهَا بِضِيَاءٍ شَوْقِيٍّ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ صَارَتْ كَالْبَعُوضَةِ عِنْدَ كَمَالِ هِمَّتِي فِي الْقَصْدِ إِلَيْهِ فَفِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ كُنْت خَائِفًا مِنْ أَنْ أَلْتَفِتَ إِلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَاقِفٌ مَعَهُ، فَيُوقِفُنِي، وَأَنْقَطِعُ مَعَهُ لِعِلْمِي أَنَّهُ يُجَرِّبُنِي بِذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ، فَلَمْ أَلْتَفِتْ إِلَيْهِ إِجْلَالًا لِحُرْمَةِ رَبِّي جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ.

Falammā ʿalima Allāhu taʿālā minnī ṣidqa al-ʾirādati fī al-qaṣdi ʾlayhi, faʾidhā ʾanā bimalakin madda yadahu farafaʿanī thumma raʾayt kaʾannī ʿarajt ʾilā al-samāʾi al-sābiʿati, faʾidhā ʾanā bimiāʾati ʾalfi ṣaffin min al-malāʾikati istaqbalanī kulla ṣaffin mithla al-thaqalayni ʾalfa ʾalfi marratin maʿa kulli malakin liwāʾun min nūrin taḥta kulli liwāʾin ʾalfa ʾalfi malakin ṭūla kulli malakin masīratu khamsimiāʾati ʿāmin waʿalā muqaddimatihim malakun ismuhu bīrābīlu fasallamū ʿalā bilisānihim walughatihim, faradadt ʿalayhim al-salāma bilisānihim fataʿajjabū min dhalika, faʾidhā bimunādī yunādī: yā ʾabā yazīda, qif qif, faʾinnak qad waṣalt ʾilā al-muntahā, falam ʾaltafit ʾilā qawlihi, thumma lam yazal yaʿriḍu ʿalayya min al-maliki mā kilt al-ʾalsuna ʿan naʿtihi, wafī kulli dhalika lam ʾaltafit lahu walam ʾaqif maʿahu, liʿilmī ʾanna al-jalīla jalla jalāluhu yujarribunī bihā, wakunt ʾaqūlu yā ʿazīzī murādī fī ghayri mā taʿarraḍa ʿalayya, falammā ʿalima Allāhu minnī ṣadaqa al-ʾirādatu fī al-qaṣdi ṣayyaranī ṭayran kulla rīshatin min janāḥī ʾabʿada mā bayna al-mashriqi wa-al-maghribi ʾalfa ʾalfi marratin falam ʾazal ʾaṭīru fī al-malakūti, waʾajūlu fī al-jabarūti, waʾaqṭaʿu mamlakatan baʿda mamlakatin, waḥijāban baʿda ḥijābin, wamaydānan baʿda maydānin, wabiḥāran baʿda biḥārin, waʾastāran baʿda ʾastārin ḥattā ʾataytu malika al-kursiyyi fa-istaqbalanī wamaʿahu ʿamūdun min nūrin fasallama ʿalayya, thumma qāla: khudhi al-ʿamūda faʾakhadhtuhu faʾidhā al-samāwātu bikulli mā fīhā qad istaẓalla biẓilli maʿrifatī, wa-istaḍaʾt kullahā biḍiyāʾin shawqiyyin wa-al-malāʾikatu kulluhum ṣārat ka-al-baʿūḍati ʿinda kamāli himmatī fī al-qaṣdi ʾilayhi fafī kulli dhalika kunt khāʾifan min ʾan ʾaltafita ʾilā shayʾin min dhalika wāqifun maʿahu, fayūqifunī, waʾanqaṭiʿu maʿahu liʿilmī ʾannahu yujarribunī bidhalika kullihi, falam ʾaltafit ʾilayhi ʾijlālan liḥurmati rabbī jalla jalāluhu.

‘When God Most High knew the truthfulness of my will in intending Him, an angel stretched out his hand and raised me. I then saw myself ascend to the seventh heaven, where one hundred thousand ranks of angels received me. Each rank was a million times as numerous as humankind and jinn together. Every angel bore a banner of light, and beneath every banner were a million angels, each angel five hundred years’ journey in height. At their head was an angel named Bīrābīl. They greeted me in their tongue and language, and I answered them in it, at which they marveled. Then a herald cried, “Abū Yazīd, stop! Stop! You have reached the utmost limit.” I paid no heed to his words. Dominion beyond the power of tongues to describe continued to be offered to me, but I neither regarded nor halted with any of it, for I knew the Majestic One—majestic is His glory—was testing me. I kept saying, “My Beloved, what I desire lies beyond what is being offered to me.” When God knew the truthfulness of my will in intending Him, He made me a bird, every feather of whose wings spanned a million times the distance between east and west. I flew through the spiritual kingdom, ranged through the dominion of omnipotence, and crossed dominion after dominion, veil after veil, field after field, sea after sea, and covering after covering, until I reached the angel of the Footstool. He received me carrying a pillar of light, greeted me, and said, “Take the pillar.” When I took it, the heavens and all they contained were shaded beneath the shadow of my knowledge and all were illumined by the radiance of my longing. Beside the perfection of my aspiration to intend Him, all the angels became like gnats. Throughout this I feared that I might turn toward any part of it and halt there, so that it would stop and cut me off. Knowing that He was testing me through all of it, I paid it no heed, out of reverence for the sanctity of my Lord—majestic is His glory.’

§ 136

ثُمَّ لَمْ أَزَلْ أَطِيرُ وَأَجُوَلُ مِنْ مَمْلَكَةٍ إِلَى مَمْلَكَةٍ وَمِنْ حِجَابٍ إِلَى حِجَابٍ وَمِنْ سِتْرٍ إِلَى سِتْرٍ حَتَّى انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى الْكُرْسِيِّ، فَإِذَا اسْتَقْبَلَنِي مَلاَئِكَةٌ لَهُمْ عُيُونٌ بِعَدَدِ نُجُومِ السَّمَاوَاتِ يَبْرُقُ مِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ نُورٌ يَلْمَعُ مِنْهُ فَتَصِيرُ تِلْكَ الأَنْوَارُ قَنَادِيلَ، أَسْمَعُ مِنْ جَوْفِ كُلِّ قِنْدِيلٍ تَسْبِيحًا وَتَهْلِيلًاً، ثُمَّ لَمْ أَزَلْ أَطِيرُ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى بَحْرٍ مِنَ النُّورِ تَتَلاطَمُ أَمْوَاجُهُ يَظْلِمُ فِي جَنْبِهِ ضِيَاءَ الشَّمْسِ، فَإِذَا عَلَى الْبَحْرِ سَفَائِنُ مِنْ نُورِهِ يَظْلِمُ فِي جَنَّةِ نُوَارِهَا تِلْكَ الْأَبْحُرُ، فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَعْبُرُ مِنْ بَحْرٍ إِلَى بَحْرٍ حَتَّى انْتَهَيْت إِلَى الْبَحْرِ الْأَعْظَمِ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ عَرْشُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ، فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَسْبَحُ فِيهِ حَتَّى رَأَيْت مَا تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ إِلَى الثَّرَى مِنْ الْمَلَائِكَةِ الْكُرُوبِيِّينَ وَالرُّوحَانِيِّينَ وَحَمَلَةِ الْعَرْشِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ مِمَّنْ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَفِي الْأَرْضِ أَصْغَرُ مِنْ حَيْثُ طَيَرَانٌ سَرِّيٌّ فِي الْقَصْدِ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ خَرْدَلَةٍ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ.

Thumma lam ʾazal ʾaṭīru waʾajuwalu min mamlakatin ʾilā mamlakatin wamin ḥijābin ʾilā ḥijābin wamin sitrin ʾilā sitrin ḥattā intahaytu ʾilā al-kursiyyi, faʾidhā istaqbalanī malʾaʾikatun lahum ʿuyūnun biʿadadi nujūmi al-samāwāti yabruqu min kulli ʿaynin nūrun yalmaʿu minhu fataṣīru tilka al-ʾanwāru qanādīla, ʾasmaʿu min jawfi kulli qindīlin tasbīḥan watahlīlan, thumma lam ʾazal ʾaṭīru kadhalika ḥattā intahaytu ʾilā baḥrin mina al-nūri tatalāṭamu ʾamwājuhu yaẓlimu fī janbihi ḍiyāʾa al-shamsi, faʾidhā ʿalā al-baḥri safāʾinu min nūrihi yaẓlimu fī jannati nuwārihā tilka al-ʾabḥuru, falam ʾazal ʾaʿburu min baḥrin ʾilā baḥrin ḥattā intahayt ʾilā al-baḥri al-ʾaʿẓami alladhī ʿalayhi ʿarshu al-raḥmāni, falam ʾazal ʾasbaḥu fīhi ḥattā raʾayt mā taḥta al-ʿarshi ʾilā al-tharā min al-malāʾikati al-kurūbiyyīna wa-al-rūḥāniyyīna waḥamalati al-ʿarshi waghayrihim mimman khalaqa Allāhu subḥānahu wataʿālā fī al-samāwāti wafī al-ʾarḍi ʾaṣgharu min ḥaythu ṭayarānun sarriyyun fī al-qaṣdi ʾilayhi min khardalatin bayna al-samāʾi wa-al-ʾarḍi.

‘I continued to fly and range from dominion to dominion, veil to veil, and covering to covering, until I reached the Footstool. Angels received me there, each with as many eyes as the stars of the heavens. From every eye flashed a light, and those lights became lamps from within each of which I heard glorification and the profession of divine oneness. I continued flying until I reached an ocean of light whose waves struck one another and beside whose radiance the sunlight grew dark. Upon it were ships of light, and beside the brilliance of their lights those oceans grew dark. I crossed sea after sea until I reached the greatest ocean, above which is the Throne of the All-Merciful. I swam through it until I saw that all beneath the Throne down to the lowest earth—the cherubic and spiritual angels, the bearers of the Throne, and every other creature God—glory and exaltation be to Him—created in heaven and earth—was, beside the flight of my innermost consciousness in intending Him, smaller than a mustard seed between heaven and earth.’

§ 137

ثُمَّ لَمْ يَزَلْ الْجَلِيلُ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ يُعْرَضُ عَلَيَّ مِنْ لَطَائِفِ سِرِّهِ وَكَمَالِ قُدْرَتِهِ وَعَظِيمِ مَمْلَكَتِهِ مَا كُلْت الْأَلْسُنَ عَنْ نَعْتِهِ وَصِفَتِهِ، فَفِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ كُنْت أَقُولُ: يَا عَزِيزِي مُرَادِي فِي غَيْرِ مَا تُعْرَضَ عَلَيَّ، فَلَمْ أَلْتَفِتْ إلَيْهِ إِجْلَالًا لِحُرْمَتِهِ فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى مِنِّي صِدْقَ الْإِرَادَةِ فِي الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ نَادَانِي سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى: إلَيَّ إلَيَّ، وَقَالَ: يَا صَفِيُّ اُدْنُ مِنِّي وَاشْرُفْ عَلَى مُشْرِفَاتِ بِهَائِي وَمَيَادِينِ ضِيَائِيٍّ، وَاجْلِسْ عَلَى بِسَاطٍ قُدْسِيٍّ حَتَّى تَرَى لَطَائِفَ صُنْعِي أَنْتَ صَفِيٌّ وَحَبِيبِي وَخِيرَتِي مِنْ خُلْقِي فَكُنْتُ أَذُوبُ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ كَمَا يَذُوبُ الرَّصَاصُ ثُمَّ سَقَانِي شَرْبَةً مِنْ عَيْنِ اللُّطْفِ بِكَأْسِ الأُنْسِ ثُمَّ صَيَّرَنِي إِلَى حَالٍ لَمْ أَقْدِرْ عَلَى وَصْفِهِ ثُمَّ قَرَّبَنِي مِنْهُ وَقَرَّبَنِي حَتَّى صِرْتُ أَقْرَبَ مِنْ الرُّوحِ إِلَى الْجَسَدِ ثُمَّ اسْتَقْبَلَنِي رُوحُ كُلِّ نَبِيٍّ وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَيَّ وَعَظِّمُونِي وَكَلَّمُونِي وَكَلِمَتُهُمْ، ثُمَّ اسْتَقْبَلَنِي رُوحُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا يَزِيدَ مَرْحَبًا وَأَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا فَقَدْ فَضَّلَكَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ تَفْضِيلًا، إِذَا رَجَعْت إِلَى الْأَرْضِ فَأَقْرَأَ أُمَّتِي مِنِّي السَّلَامَ وَأَنْصَحْهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْت وَادْعُ لَهُمْ وَادْعُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. ثُمَّ لَمْ أَزَلْ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى صِرْت كَمَا كَانَ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَكُنْ التَّكْوِينُ وَبَقِيَ الْحَقُّ بِلَا كَوْنٍ وَلَا بَيِّنٍ وَلَا أَيْنٍ وَلَا حَيْثُ وَلَا كَيْفَ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ وَتَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ.

Thumma lam yazal al-jalīlu jalla jalāluhu yuʿraḍu ʿalayya min laṭāʾifi sirrihi wakamāli qudratihi waʿaẓīmi mamlakatihi mā kult al-ʾalsuna ʿan naʿtihi waṣifatihi, fafī kulli dhalika kunt ʾaqūlu: yā ʿazīzī murādī fī ghayri mā tuʿraḍa ʿalayya, falam ʾaltafit ʾlayhi ʾijlālan liḥurmatihi falammā ʿalima Allāhu subḥānahu wataʿālā minnī ṣidqa al-ʾirādati fī al-qaṣdi ʾlayhi nādānī subḥānahu wataʿālā: ʾlayya ʾlayya, waqāla: yā ṣafiyyu ʾudnu minnī wa-ishruf ʿalā mushrifāti bihāʾī wamayādīni ḍiyāʾiyyin, wa-ijlis ʿalā bisāṭin qudsiyyin ḥattā tarā laṭāʾifa ṣunʿī ʾanta ṣafiyyun waḥabībī wakhīratī min khulqī fakuntu ʾadhūbu ʿinda dhalika kamā yadhūbu al-raṣāṣu thumma saqānī sharbatan min ʿayni al-luṭfi bikaʾsi al-ʾunsi thumma ṣayyaranī ʾilā ḥālin lam ʾaqdir ʿalā waṣfihi thumma qarrabanī minhu waqarrabanī ḥattā ṣirtu ʾaqraba min al-rūḥi ʾilā al-jasadi thumma istaqbalanī rūḥu kulli nabiyyin wasallimū ʿalayya waʿaẓẓimūnī wakallamūnī wakalimatuhum, thumma istaqbalanī rūḥu Muḥammadin ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi waʾālihi wasallama waqāla: yā ʾabā yazīda marḥaban waʾahlan wasahlan faqad faḍḍalaka Allāhu ʿalā kathīrin min khalqihi tafḍīlan, ʾidhā rajaʿt ʾilā al-ʾarḍi faʾaqraʾa ʾummatī minnī al-salāma waʾanṣaḥhum mā istaṭaʿt wa-idʿu lahum wa-idʿuhum ʾilā Allāhi ʿazza wajalla. thumma lam ʾazal mithla dhalika ḥattā ṣirt kamā kāna min ḥaythu lam yakun al-takwīnu wabaqiya al-ḥaqqu bilā kawnin walā bayyinin walā ʾaynin walā ḥaythu walā kayfa jalla jalāluhu wataqaddasat ʾasmāʾuhu.

‘The Majestic One—majestic is His glory—continued to show me subtle mysteries of His secret, the perfection of His power, and the vastness of His dominion, beyond the power of tongues to depict. Throughout it all I said, “My Beloved, what I desire lies beyond what is being shown to me,” and out of reverence for His sanctity I paid it no heed. When God—glory and exaltation be to Him—knew the truthfulness of my will in intending Him, He called to me: “To Me! To Me!” He said, “My chosen one, draw near to Me. Look out upon the heights of My splendor and fields of My radiance, and sit upon the carpet of My holiness until you behold the subtleties of My workmanship. You are My chosen one, My beloved, and My elect from among My creation.” At this I melted as lead melts. Then He gave me a draught from the spring of gentleness in the cup of intimacy and transformed me into a state I cannot describe. He drew me nearer and nearer until I became closer than the spirit is to the body. Then the spirit of every prophet received me; they greeted and honored me, and I spoke with them. The spirit of Muḥammad—may God bless him and his family and grant them peace—then received me and said, “Welcome, Abū Yazīd—welcome indeed! God has favored you greatly above many of His creatures. When you return to earth, convey my greeting of peace to my community, counsel them as best you can, pray for them, and summon them to God Almighty and Majestic.” I remained in this way until I became as it was when created existence had not yet come to be and the Real remained without created being, separation, place, direction, or manner—majestic is His glory and holy are His names.’

§ 138

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ سِرَّهُ الْعَزِيزُ: مَعَاشِرَ إِخْوَانِي عُرِضَتْ هَذِهِ الرُّؤْيَةُ عَلَى أَجِلَّاءِ أَهْلِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ بِاللَّهِ فَكُلُّهُمْ يُصَدِّقُونَهَا وَلَا يُنْكِرُونَهَا بَلْ يَسْتَقْبِلُونَهَا عِنْدَ مَرَاتِبِ أَهْلِ الِانْفِرَادِ بِالْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ سُبْحَانه وَتَعَالَى ثُمَّ يَحْتَجُّونَ بِقَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَا يَزَالُ مِنْ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهِ مِنْهُ مَا لَمْ يَجْزَعْ فَإِذَا جَزَّعَ وَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ الْعِقَابُ وَالْحِسَابِ " وَرُوِيَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: " إِنَّ مِنْ الْعِلْمِ كَهَيْئَةِ الْمَخْزُونِ لَا يَعْرِفُهُ إِلَّا أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَلَا يُنْكِرُهُ إِلَّا أَهْلُ الْغُرَّةِ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى "، وَلَوْلَا كَرَاهِيَةُ التَّطْوِيلِ لَذَكَرْنَا احْتِجَاجَهُمْ عَلَى صِحَّتِهَا مِنْ الْأَخْبَارِ الصَّحِيحَةِ وَالْحِكَايَاتِ الْمَشْهُورَةِ الْمَعْرُوفَةِ، وَلَكِنْ مَعْرِفَتِي أَنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ جَهِلَ مَرَاتِبَ الْأَصْفِيَاءِ وَأَهْلِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ فَلَا يَعْرِفُ قَدْرَهُمْ وَشَرَفَهُمْ وَلَا تُغْنِي عَنْهُمْ كَثْرَةُ الدَّلَائِلِ وَالْبَيَانِ، وَلَا تَنْفَعُهُ كَثْرَةُ الْحُجَجِ وَالْبَرَاهِينِ، كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى:

Qāla al-shaykhu qaddasa Allāhu sirrahu al-ʿazīzu: maʿāshira ʾikhwānī ʿuriḍat hadhihi al-ruʾyatu ʿalā ʾajillāʾi ʾahli al-maʿrifati bi-llāhi fakulluhum yuṣaddiqūnahā walā yunkirūnahā bal yastaqbilūnahā ʿinda marātibi ʾahli al-infirādi bi-al-qaṣdi ʾlayhi subḥānh wataʿālā thumma yaḥtajjūna biqawli al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi waʾālihi wasallama: " ʾinna al-ʿabda lā yazālu min Allāhi wa-llāhi minhu mā lam yajzaʿ faʾidhā jazzaʿa wajaba ʿalayhi al-ʿiqābu wa-al-ḥisābi " waruwiya ʿan al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi waʾālihi wasallama ʾannahu qāla: " ʾinna min al-ʿilmi kahayʾati al-makhzūni lā yaʿrifuhu ʾillā ʾahlu al-ʿilmi bi-llāhi taʿālā walā yunkiruhu ʾillā ʾahlu al-ghurrati bi-llāhi taʿālā ", walawlā karāhiyatu al-taṭwīli ladhakarnā iḥtijājahum ʿalā ṣiḥḥatihā min al-ʾakhbāri al-ṣaḥīḥati wa-al-ḥikāyāti al-mashhūrati al-maʿrūfati, walakin maʿrifatī ʾanna kulla man jahila marātiba al-ʾaṣfiyāʾi waʾahli al-maʿrifati falā yaʿrifu qadrahum washarafahum walā tughnī ʿanhum kathratu al-dalāʾili wa-al-bayāni, walā tanfaʿuhu kathratu al-ḥujaji wa-al-barāhīni, kamā qāla Allāhu subḥānahu wataʿālā:

The shaykh—may God sanctify his precious secret—said: My brothers, this vision was presented to the foremost knowers of God. They all affirmed it and did not reject it; rather, they accepted it as belonging to the ranks of those wholly solitary in intending Him—glory and exaltation be to Him. They cited the saying attributed to the Prophet—may God bless him and his family and grant them peace—‘The servant remains with God and God with him so long as he does not panic; when he panics, punishment and reckoning become due.’ It is also related from the Prophet—may God bless him and his family and grant them peace—that he said, ‘Some knowledge resembles a hidden treasure: none recognizes it except those who know God Most High, and none rejects it except those deluded about God Most High.’ Were it not for our reluctance to prolong the discussion, we would cite their evidence for its soundness from authenticated reports and well-known accounts. But I know that whoever is ignorant of the ranks of the chosen and the people of knowledge will not recognize their worth and honor. A multitude of proofs and explanations will not suffice him, nor will an abundance of arguments and demonstrations benefit him, as God—glory and exaltation be to Him—says:

§ 139

وَما تُغْنِي الْآياتُ وَالنُّذُرُ عَنْ قَوْمٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

Wamā tughnī al-ʾāyātu wa-al-nudhuru ʿan qawmin lā yuʾminūna

‘Signs and warnings are of no avail to a people who will not believe.’

§ 140

[يُونُسُ: 101] وَقَالَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى:

[Yūnusu: 101] waqāla subḥānahu wataʿālā:

[Yūnus 10:101] And He—glory and exaltation be to Him—says:

§ 141

سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آياتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ

Saʾaṣrifu ʿan ʾāyātiya alladhīna yatakabbarūna fī al-ʾarḍi bighayri al-ḥaqqi

‘I shall turn away from My signs those who act arrogantly upon the earth without right.’

§ 142

[الْأَعْرَافِ: 146] الْآيَةَ، وَقَالَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى:

[Al-ʾaʿrāfi: 146] al-ʾāyata, waqāla subḥānahu wataʿālā:

[Al-Aʿrāf 7:146], continuing the verse. And He—glory and exaltation be to Him—says:

§ 143

بَلْ هُوَ آياتٌ بَيِّناتٌ فِي صُدُورِ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ وَما يَجْحَدُ بِآياتِنا إِلَّا الظَّالِمُونَ

Bal huwa ʾāyātun bayyinātun fī ṣudūri alladhīna ʾūtū al-ʿilma wamā yajḥadu biʾāyātinā ʾillā al-ẓālimūna

‘Rather, it is clear signs preserved in the breasts of those who have been given knowledge; none rejects Our signs except the wrongdoers.’

§ 144

[الْعَنْكَبُوتِ: 49] وقَوْله تَعَالَى:

[Al-ʿankabūti: 49] wqawlh taʿālā:

[Al-ʿAnkabūt 29:49] And His words, exalted is He:

§ 145

سَحابٌ ظُلُماتٌ بَعْضُها فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذا أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَراها وَمَنْ لَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُوراً فَما لَهُ مِنْ نُورٍ

Saḥābun ẓulumātun baʿḍuhā fawqa baʿḍin ʾidhā ʾakhraja yadahu lam yakad yarāhā waman lam yajʿali Allāhu lahu nūrʾ famā lahu min nūrin

‘Clouds—layers of darkness, one above another. When one stretches out a hand, one can scarcely see it. Whoever is not given light by God has no light.’

§ 146

[النُّورُ: 40]

[Al-nūru: 40]

[Al-Nūr 24:40]

الْبَابُ الْعَاشِرُ فِي حِكَايَاتِ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَقَصَصِهِمْ

Al-bābu al-ʿāshiru fī ḥikāyāti al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā waqaṣaṣihim

Chapter Ten Accounts and Stories of Those Who Intend God Most High

§ 148

قَالَ إمَامُ الْأَئِمَّةِ وَشَيْخُ الشُّيُوخِ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ سِرَّهُ الْعَزِيزُ:

Qāla ʾmāmu al-ʾaʾimmati washaykhu al-shuyūkhi ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu al-baghdādiyyu qaddasa Allāhu sirrahu al-ʿazīzu:

The imam of the imams and shaykh of shaykhs, Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd al-Baghdādī—may God sanctify his precious secret—said:

§ 149

اعْلَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنَّ لِلَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عِبَادًا قَصَدُوا إلَيْهِ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ، وَأَوْدَعَهُمْ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى وَدَائِعَ سِرِّهِ، وَعَمِلُوا لَهُ عَلَى مَحَبَّتِهِ، فَكَانَ لَهُمْ الْمَوْلَى وَلِيًّا مُوَالِيًا، وَدَامَتْ لَهُمْ الْمُؤَانَسَةُ وَأَعْطَاهُمْ السَّكِينَةَ مَعَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَتَجَرَّدُوا عَمَّا دُونَهُ فَرَفَعَ الْحَجُبَ عَنْهُمْ، فَلِذَلِكَ لَا تَزِنِ الدَّارَيْنِ بِكُلِّ مَا فِيهَا فِي جَنْبِ مَعْرِفَتِهِمْ وَوِجْدَانِهِمْ لِذَائِذِ أُنْسِهِمْ وَزْنَ خَرْدَلَةٍ، اُنْظُرْ مَا حَكَى عَنْ إبْرَاهِيمَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ حِينَ خَرَجَ مِنْ الْكُوفَةِ قَاصِدًا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَقِيلَ لَهُ: إِلَى أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ؟ فَقَالَ: إِنِّي ذَاهِبٌ إِلَى رَبِّي. فَقَالُوا لَهُ:

Iʿlamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā ʾanna li-llāhi subḥānahu wataʿālā ʿibādan qaṣadū ʾlayhi bi-al-kulliyyati, waʾawdaʿahum Allāhu subḥānahu wataʿālā wadāʾiʿa sirrihi, waʿamilū lahu ʿalā maḥabbatihi, fakāna lahum al-mawlā waliyyan muwāliyan, wadāmat lahum al-muʾānasatu waʾaʿṭāhum al-sakīnata maʿa Allāhi ʿazza wajalla, watajarradū ʿammā dūnahu farafaʿa al-ḥajuba ʿanhum, falidhalika lā tazini al-dārayni bikulli mā fīhā fī janbi maʿrifatihim wawijdānihim lidhāʾidhi ʾunsihim wazna khardalatin, ʾunẓur mā ḥakā ʿan ʾbrāhīma nabiyyi Allāhi ʿalayhi al-salāmu ḥīna kharaja min al-kūfati qāṣidan ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā faqīla lahu: ʾilā ʾayna tadhhabu? faqāla: ʾinnī dhāhibun ʾilā rabbī. faqālū lahu:

Know, O company of those who intend God Most High, that God—glory and exaltation be to Him—has servants who have turned wholly toward Him. God has entrusted them with the deposits of His secret, and they labor for Him out of love for Him. The Master is their protecting Friend; intimate companionship with Him endures for them, and He grants them tranquility with God Almighty and Majestic. They strip themselves of all beneath Him, and He lifts the veils from them. Therefore, beside their knowledge of Him and their experience of the delights of intimacy with Him, the two abodes and all they contain do not weigh even as much as a mustard seed. Consider what is related of Abraham, God’s prophet, peace be upon him, when he left Kūfah intending God Most High. He was asked, ‘Where are you going?’ He answered, ‘I am going to my Lord.’ They said to him:

§ 150

وَكَيْفَ تَذْهَبُ إِلَى رَبِّك، وَأَنْتَ لَا تَعْرِفُ الطَّرِيقَ؟ فَقَالَ: سَيَهْدِنِي رَبِّي، فَقَالُوا: حَرِّقُوهُ وَانْصُرُوا آلِهَتَكُمْ، فَقَالَ إبْرَاهِيمُ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ وَسَلَامُهُ عَلَيْهِ: وَحُرٌّ نَارِي أَشَدُّ مِنْ حُرِّ نَارِكُمْ، حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ، نِعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ.

Wakayfa tadhhabu ʾilā rabbik, waʾanta lā taʿrifu al-ṭarīqa? faqāla: sayahdinī rabbī, faqālū: ḥarriqūhu wa-inṣurū ʾālihatakum, faqāla ʾbrāhīmu ṣalawātu Allāhi wasalāmuhu ʿalayhi: waḥurrun nārī ʾashaddu min ḥurri nārikum, ḥasbiya Allāhu waniʿma al-wakīlu, niʿma al-mawlā waniʿma al-naṣīru.

‘How will you go to your Lord when you do not know the road?’ He replied, ‘My Lord will guide me.’ They said, ‘Burn him and support your gods!’ Abraham—God’s blessings and peace be upon him—said, ‘The heat of my own fire is fiercer than the heat of yours. God is enough for me, and what a fine Trustee; what a fine Protector and what a fine Helper.’

§ 151

وَحُكِيَ عَنْ إبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَدْهَمَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ فِي مُنَاجَاتِهِ: إِلَٰهِي إِنَّك تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا دُونَهَا لَا تَزْنُ عِنْدِي جَنَاحُ بَعُوضَةٍ بَعْدَ مَا وَهَبَتْ لِي مَعْرِفَتَك، وَآنَسَتَنِي بِك، وَفَرَّغَتْنِي بِالتَّفَكُّرِ لِعَظَمَتِك وَجَعَلَتْنِي فِي جِوَارِك بِالنَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِك الْكَرِيمِ.

Waḥukiya ʿan ʾbrāhīma bni ʾadhama raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu kāna yaqūlu fī munājātihi: ʾilāhī ʾinnak taʿlamu ʾanna al-jannata wamā dūnahā lā taznu ʿindī janāḥu baʿūḍatin baʿda mā wahabat lī maʿrifatak, waʾānasatanī bik, wafarraghatnī bi-al-tafakkuri liʿaẓamatik wajaʿalatnī fī jiwārik bi-al-naẓari ʾilā wajhik al-karīmi.

It is related that Ibrāhīm ibn Adham—may God be pleased with him—would say in his intimate prayer: ‘My God, You know that Paradise and everything beneath it weigh no more than a gnat’s wing to me, now that You have granted me knowledge of You, made me intimate with You, freed me to contemplate Your greatness, and brought me into Your nearness through gazing upon Your noble Face.’

§ 152

وَحُكِيَ أَنَّ ذَا النُّونِ الْمِصْرِيَّ قَالَ: لَوْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَبْدَى مِنْ طَيَرَانِ سِرِّ الْعُرْفِ ذَرَّةً عِنْدَ قَصْدِهِ إلَيْهِ لَاحْتَرَقَ مِنْ الْعَرْشِ إِلَى الثَّرَى، لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ أَعْلَى وَلَا أَعْظَمَ مِنْ طَيَرَانِ سِرِّ الْعَارِفِ نَحْوِ مَعْرُوفِهِ وَمَقْصُودِهِ.

Waḥukiya ʾanna dhā al-nūni al-miṣriyya qāla: law ʾanna Allāha subḥānahu wataʿālā ʾabdā min ṭayarāni sirri al-ʿurfi dharratan ʿinda qaṣdihi ʾlayhi li-iḥtaraqa min al-ʿarshi ʾilā al-tharā, liʾannahu laysa shayʾun fī al-dārayni ʾaʿlā walā ʾaʿẓama min ṭayarāni sirri al-ʿārifi naḥwi maʿrūfihi wamaqṣūdihi.

It is related that Dhū al-Nūn al-Miṣrī said: ‘If God—glory and exaltation be to Him—were to reveal a single particle of the flight of the innermost mystery of gnosis as it intends Him, everything from the Throne to the lowest earth would burn. Nothing in either abode is higher or greater than the flight of the knower’s innermost consciousness toward the One he knows and intends.’

§ 153

وَحُكِيَ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَخْبَارِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى إبْرَاهِيمَ الْخَلِيلِ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ وَسَلَامُهُ عَلَيْهِ حِينَ اتَّخَذَهُ خَلِيلًا: أَنْ يَا إبْرَاهِيمُ إِنَّك لِي خَلِيلٌ وَأَنَا لَك خَلِيلٌ فَانْظُرْ أَنْ لَا يَشْتَغِلَ قَلْبُك بِغَيْرِي فَتَقْطَعَ خِلَّتُك مِنِّي وَخَلَّتِي مِنْك لِأَنَّ الْقَاصِدَ الْمُصَدِّقَ بِخُلَّتِي لَوْ احْتَرَقَ بِالنَّارِ لَمْ يَتَحَوَّلْ قَلْبُهُ عَنِّي إِلَى غَيْرِي إِجْلَالًا لِحُرْمَتِي، وَذِكْرَ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى لَنَا وَصَفَ ذَلِكَ فِي كِتَابِهِ الْعَزِيزِ، بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى:

Waḥukiya fī baʿḍi al-ʾakhbāri ʾanna Allāha subḥānahu wataʿālā ʾawḥā ʾilā ʾbrāhīma al-khalīli ṣalawātu Allāhi wasalāmuhu ʿalayhi ḥīna ittakhadhahu khalīlan: ʾan yā ʾbrāhīmu ʾinnak lī khalīlun waʾanā lak khalīlun fa-inẓur ʾan lā yashtaghila qalbuk bighayrī fataqṭaʿa khillatuk minnī wakhallatī mink liʾanna al-qāṣida al-muṣaddiqa bikhullatī law iḥtaraqa bi-al-nāri lam yataḥawwal qalbuhu ʿannī ʾilā ghayrī ʾijlālan liḥurmatī, wadhikra Allāhi subḥānahu wataʿālā lanā waṣafa dhalika fī kitābihi al-ʿazīzi, biqawlihi taʿālā:

It is related in one of the reports that when God—glory and exaltation be to Him—took Abraham, the intimate friend—God’s blessings and peace be upon him—as His friend, He revealed to him: ‘Abraham, you are My intimate friend and I am yours. Take care that your heart not become occupied with anyone but Me, lest your friendship with Me and Mine with you be severed. One who truthfully intends My friendship, were he burned by fire, would not let his heart turn from Me toward another, out of reverence for My sanctity.’ God—glory and exaltation be to Him—has mentioned and described this for us in His Mighty Book, saying:

§ 154

إِذْ قالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ

ʾidh qāla lahu rabbuhu ʾaslim qāla ʾaslamtu lirabbi al-ʿālamīna

‘When his Lord said to him, “Submit,” he said, “I have submitted to the Lord of all worlds.”’

§ 155

[الْبَقَرَةِ: 131]، ثُمَّ ابْتَلَاهُ بِاسْتِقْبَالِ جِبْرِيلَ لَهُ فِي الْهَوَاءِ، حِينَ رَمَوْهُ فِي الْمَنْجَنِيقِ، وَقَالَ لَهُ: يَا خَلِيلَ اللَّهِ، الْجَلِيلُ يُقْرِئُك السَّلَامَ، فَقَالَ:

[Al-baqarati: 131], thumma ibtalāhu bi-istiqbāli Jibrīla lahu fī al-hawāʾi, ḥīna ramawhu fī al-manjanīqi, waqāla lahu: yā khalīla Allāhi, al-jalīlu yuqriʾuk al-salāma, faqāla:

[Al-Baqarah 2:131] Then He tested him by sending Gabriel to meet him in the air when they cast him from the catapult. Gabriel said, ‘Intimate friend of God, the Majestic One sends you peace.’ Abraham replied:

§ 156

هُوَ السَّلَامُ وَمِنْهُ السَّلَامُ، وَإِلَيْهِ يَعُودُ السَّلَامُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ جِبْرِيلُ: يَا خَلِيلَ اللَّهِ هَلْ لَك مِنْ حَاجَةٍ؟، فَقَالَ: أَمَّا إلَيْك فَلَا، وَأَمَّا إلَيْهِ فَحَسْبِي مِنْ سُؤَالِي عِلْمِهُ بِحَالِي، يَا جِبْرِيلُ مَا لَك أَنْ تَدْخُلَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ خَلِيلِي تَنَحَّ عَنِّي، فَإِنَّ حُرَّ نَارِي أَشَدُّ مِنْ حُرِّ نَارِ النُّمْرُودِ عَلَيْهِ اللَّعْنَةُ، حَسْبِي اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ، نِعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ. فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى صَدَقَ التَّسْلِيمِ قَالَ: يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَى إبْرَاهِيمَ.

Huwa al-salāmu waminhu al-salāmu, waʾilayhi yaʿūdu al-salāmu, thumma qāla lahu Jibrīlu: yā khalīla Allāhi hal lak min ḥājatin?, faqāla: ʾammā ʾlayk falā, waʾammā ʾlayhi faḥasbī min suʾālī ʿilmihu biḥālī, yā Jibrīlu mā lak ʾan tadkhula baynī wabayna khalīlī tanaḥḥa ʿannī, faʾinna ḥurra nārī ʾashaddu min ḥurri nāri al-numrūdi ʿalayhi al-laʿnatu, ḥasbī Allāhu waniʿma al-wakīlu, niʿma al-mawlā waniʿma al-naṣīru. falammā ʿalima Allāhu subḥānahu wataʿālā ṣadaqa al-taslīmi qāla: yā nāru kūnī bardan wasalāman ʿalā ʾbrāhīma.

‘He is Peace, from Him is peace, and to Him peace returns.’ Gabriel then asked, ‘Intimate friend of God, do you have any need?’ Abraham answered, ‘From you, no. As for Him, His knowledge of my state makes my asking unnecessary. Gabriel, what right have you to come between me and my Intimate? Step away from me, for the heat of my own fire is fiercer than the fire of Nimrod—upon him be the curse. God is enough for me, and what a fine Trustee; what a fine Protector and what a fine Helper.’ When God—glory and exaltation be to Him—knew the truthfulness of his surrender, He said, ‘Fire, be coolness and peace upon Abraham.’

§ 157

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ الْعَارِفُ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى شَرَفُ الدِّينِ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ سِرَّهُ: اعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى يُورِّي مُعَامَلَتَهُ مَعَ خَلِيلِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي النَّارِ لِجَمِيعِ الْعِبَادِ لِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى يُعَامِلُ كُلَّ مَنْ أَحَبَّهُ أَنْ لَا يَضُرَّهُ شَيْءٌ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ وَلِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْمَعْرِفَةِ فِي النَّارِ أَطْيَبُ عَيْشًا وَأَحْسَنُ حَالًا وَأَشَدُّ سُرُورًا مَعَ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَلِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ أَوْقَدَ نَارَ مَحَبَّتِهِ، فَلَا تُحْرِقُهُ نَارٌ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ، لِأَنَّ نَارَ الشَّوْقِ وَالْمَحَبَّةِ أَحْرَقَ مَا دُونَهُ، وَصَارَتْ النَّارُ بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا فِي جَنْبِهَا.

Qāla al-shaykhu al-ʿārifu bi-llāhi taʿālā sharafu al-dīni ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu al-baghdādiyyu qaddasa Allāhu sirrahu: iʿlam ʾanna Allāha subḥānahu wataʿālā yūrrī muʿāmalatahu maʿa khalīlihi ʿalayhi al-salāmu fī al-nāri lijamīʿi al-ʿibādi liyaʿlamū ʾanna Allāha subḥānahu wataʿālā yuʿāmilu kulla man ʾaḥabbahu ʾan lā yaḍurrahu shayʾun fī al-dārayni waliyaʿlamū ʾanna ʾahla al-maʿrifati fī al-nāri ʾaṭyabu ʿayshan waʾaḥsanu ḥālan waʾashaddu surūran maʿa Allāhi subḥānahu wataʿālā min ʾahli al-jannati fī al-jannati, waliyaʿlamū ʾanna kulla man ʾawqada nāra maḥabbatihi, falā tuḥriquhu nārun fī al-dārayni, liʾanna nāra al-shawqi wa-al-maḥabbati ʾaḥraqa mā dūnahu, waṣārat al-nāru bardan wasalāman fī janbihā.

The shaykh and knower of God Most High, Sharaf al-Dīn Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd al-Baghdādī—may God sanctify his secret—said: Know that God—glory and exaltation be to Him—displayed to all servants how He treated His intimate friend, peace be upon him, in the fire, so that they might know that God treats everyone who loves Him in such a way that nothing in either abode harms him. They should know that the people of knowledge, even in the fire, enjoy a sweeter life, a better state, and a greater joy with God—glory and exaltation be to Him—than the people of Paradise enjoy in Paradise. They should also know that no fire in either abode burns one who has kindled the fire of loving Him, for the fire of longing and love has already burned away everything beneath Him; beside it, ordinary fire becomes coolness and peace.

§ 158

وَحُكِيَ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ فِي بَعْضِ مُنَاجَاتِهِ:

Waḥukiya ʾanna ʿabda Allāhi bna Muḥammadi bni ʿabdi Allāhi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu kāna yaqūlu fī baʿḍi munājātihi:

It is related that ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh—may God be pleased with him—would say in one of his intimate prayers:

§ 159

إِلَٰهِي لَا تُدْخِلْنِي النَّارَ فَإِنَّك إِنْ أَدْخَلَتنِي النَّارَ صَارَتْ بَرْدًا مِنْ حُبِّي لَك.

ʾilāhī lā tudkhilnī al-nāra faʾinnak ʾin ʾadkhalatnī al-nāra ṣārat bardan min ḥubbī lak.

‘My God, do not admit me into the Fire; for if You admit me into it, my love for You will make it cool.’

§ 160

وَحُكِيَ أَنَّ ذَا النُّونِ الْمِصْرِيَّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: أَدْنَى مَنْزِلَةِ الْعَارِفِ هُوَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى لَوْ أَدْخَلَهُ النَّارَ وَأَحَاطَ بِهِ عَذَابُهُ لَا يَنْصَرِفُ قَلْبُهُ عَنْهُ، وَلَا يَزْدَادُ فِي قَلْبِهِ إِلَّا أُنْسًا بِهِ وَحُبًّا لَهُ وَشَوْقًا إلَيْهِ وَسُرُورًا بِهِ، وَلَوْ أَدْخَلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ لَذَائِذُهَا وَرَاحَاتُهَا، لَا يَشْتَغِلُ قَلْبُهُ بِهَا وَلَا يَلْتَفِتُ مِنْهُ إلَيْهَا إِجْلَالًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى وَعَظَمَتِهِ، وَلَا يَشْغَلُهُ مَا فِي الدَّارَيْنِ عَنْهُ.

Waḥukiya ʾanna dhā al-nūni al-miṣriyya raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu qāla: ʾadnā manzilati al-ʿārifi huwa ʾanna Allāha subḥānahu wataʿālā law ʾadkhalahu al-nāra waʾaḥāṭa bihi ʿadhābuhu lā yanṣarifu qalbuhu ʿanhu, walā yazdādu fī qalbihi ʾillā ʾunsan bihi waḥubban lahu washawqan ʾlayhi wasurūran bihi, walaw ʾadkhalahu al-jannata waʾaḥāṭat bihi ladhāʾidhuhā warāḥātuhā, lā yashtaghilu qalbuhu bihā walā yaltafitu minhu ʾlayhā ʾijlālan li-llāhi taʿālā waʿaẓamatihi, walā yashghaluhu mā fī al-dārayni ʿanhu.

It is related that Dhū al-Nūn al-Miṣrī—may God be pleased with him—said: ‘The lowest rank of the knower is this: were God—glory and exaltation be to Him—to admit him into the Fire and its torment to surround him, his heart would not turn away from God; rather, intimacy with Him, love for Him, longing for Him, and joy in Him would only increase. Were He to admit him into Paradise and its delights and comforts to surround him, his heart would not become occupied with them or turn from Him toward them, out of reverence for God Most High and His greatness. Nothing in either abode distracts him from God.’

§ 161

وَحُكِيَ أَنَّ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازَ قَالَ: رَأَيْت رَجُلًا عَلَى شَاطِئِ الْبَحْرِ جَالِسًا وَرَأَيْت عَلَيْهِ سِيمَاءَ الْعَارِفِينَ، فَسَلَّمْت عَلَيْهِ وَقُلْت: كَيْفَ الطَّرِيقُ إلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ: أَمَّا الطَّرِيقُ الْعَامُّ فَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ، وَأَمَّا الطَّرِيقُ الْخَاصُّ هُوَ أَنْ تَغِيبَ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا سِوَاهُ كَمَا رَأَيْتُكَ الْآنَ، ثُمَّ قَامَ وَمَشَى عَلَى الْمَاءِ وَغَابَ عَنِّي وَلَمْ أَرَاهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ. قَالَ: فَبَكَى أَبُو سَعِيدٍ ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ يَقُولُ:

Waḥukiya ʾanna ʾabā saʿīdin al-kharrāza qāla: raʾayt rajulan ʿalā shāṭiʾi al-baḥri jālisan waraʾayt ʿalayhi sīmāʾa al-ʿārifīna, fasallamt ʿalayhi waqult: kayfa al-ṭarīqu ʾlayhi? qāla: ʾammā al-ṭarīqu al-ʿāmmu fahuwa alladhī ʾanta ʿalayhi, waʾammā al-ṭarīqu al-khāṣṣu huwa ʾan taghība ʿan kulli mā siwāhu kamā raʾaytuka al-ʾāna, thumma qāma wamashā ʿalā al-māʾi waghāba ʿannī walam ʾarāhu baʿda dhalika. qāla: fabakā ʾabū saʿīdin thumma ʾanshaʾa yaqūlu:

It is related that Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz said: ‘I saw a man sitting on the seashore and recognized upon him the signs of the knowers. I greeted him and asked, “How is the road to Him?” He answered, “The common road is the one you are following. The special road is to become absent from everything other than Him, as you see me now.” Then he stood, walked upon the water, and vanished from my sight; I never saw him again.’ Abū Saʿīd wept, then recited:

§ 162

لَوْ كُنْت مِنْ أَهْلِ الْوِدَادِ حَقِيقَةً * لَغِبْت عَنْ الدُّنْيَا وَنِمْت عَنْ الْكُلِّ الْحَسَنِ

Law kunt min ʾahli al-widādi ḥaqīqatan * laghibt ʿan al-dunyā wanimt ʿan al-kulli al-ḥasani

Had you truly been one of the people of loving affection, / you would have vanished from this world and slept through every fair thing.

§ 163

وَكُنْت بِلَا حَالٍ مَعَ اللَّهِ وَاقِفًا * تُصَانُ عَنْ التَّذْكَارِ لِلْجِنِّ وَالْأُنْسِ

Wakunt bilā ḥālin maʿa Allāhi wāqifan * tuṣānu ʿan al-tadhkāri li-l-jinni wa-al-ʾunsi

You would have stood with God, possessing no state of your own, / protected from remembering either jinn or humankind.

§ 164

وَحُكِيَ أَنَّ ذَا النُّونِ رَأَى رَجُلًا يَبْكِي فِي سُجُودِهِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ اُرْزُقْنِي رِزْقًا حَلَالًا وَاسِعًا وَزَوِّجْنِي مِنْ حُورِ الْعَيْنِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ ذُو النُّونِ: يَا مِسْكِينُ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ تَبْكِي، تَبْكِي فِي الدُّنْيَا لِلْخُبْزِ وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ تَبْكِي عَلَى الْحُورِ الْعِينِ، فَمَتَى تَتَفَرَّغُ لِمَوْلَاك.

Waḥukiya ʾanna dhā al-nūni raʾā rajulan yabkī fī sujūdihi wahuwa yaqūlu: Allāhumma ʾurzuqnī rizqan ḥalālan wāsiʿan wazawwijnī min ḥūri al-ʿayni fī al-jannati, faqāla lahu dhū al-nūni: yā miskīnu fī al-dārayni tabkī, tabkī fī al-dunyā li-l-khubzi wafī al-ʾākhirati tabkī ʿalā al-ḥūri al-ʿīni, famatā tatafarraghu limawlāk.

It is related that Dhū al-Nūn saw a man weeping in prostration and saying, ‘O God, grant me abundant lawful provision and marry me to the wide-eyed maidens in Paradise.’ Dhū al-Nūn said to him, ‘Poor man in both abodes! In this world you weep for bread, and in the next you weep for the maidens. When will you ever free yourself for your Master?’

§ 165

وَرُوِيَ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَخْبَارِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى نَبِيٍّ مِنْ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ أَنْ قُلْ لِقَوْمِكَ: إِنْ أَعْطَيْتُكُمْ الدُّنْيَا اشْتَغَلْتُمْ بِإِمْسَاكِهَا وَإِنْ مَنَعْتَهَا عَنْكُمْ اشْتَغَلْتُمْ بِطَلَبِهَا فَإِلَى مَتَى هَذَا؟ مَتَى تَتَفَرَّغُونَ لِي!.

Waruwiya fī baʿḍi al-ʾakhbāri ʾanna Allāha subḥānahu wataʿālā ʾawḥā ʾilā nabiyyin min al-ʾanbiyāʾi ʾan qul liqawmika: ʾin ʾaʿṭaytukum al-dunyā ishtaghaltum biʾimsākihā waʾin manaʿtahā ʿankum ishtaghaltum biṭalabihā faʾilā matā hadhā? matā tatafarraghūna lī!.

It is related in one of the reports that God—glory and exaltation be to Him—revealed to one of the prophets: ‘Say to your people: If I give you the world, you become occupied with keeping it; if I withhold it from you, you become occupied with seeking it. How long will this continue? When will you free yourselves for Me?’

§ 166

قِيلَ: سَمِعَ بَعْضُ الْعَارِفِينَ قَائِلًا يَقُولُ: إِلَٰهِي فِي الدُّنْيَا الْغُمُومُ وَالْهُمُومُ وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ الْحِسَابُ وَالْعَذَابُ، فَمَتَى الرَّاحَةُ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْعَارِفُ: يَا هَذَا مَا بَلَغَك قَوْلُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ " لَا رَاحَةَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ دُونَ لِقَاءِ رَبِّهِ ".

Qīla: samiʿa baʿḍu al-ʿārifīna qāʾilan yaqūlu: ʾilāhī fī al-dunyā al-ghumūmu wa-al-humūmu wafī al-ʾākhirati al-ḥisābu wa-al-ʿadhābu, famatā al-rāḥatu? faqāla lahu al-ʿārifu: yā hadhā mā balaghak qawlu al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi waʾālihi wasallama " lā rāḥata li-l-muʾmini dūna liqāʾi rabbihi ".

It is said that one of the knowers heard someone say, ‘My God, in this world there is sorrow and anxiety, and in the next there are reckoning and punishment. When is there rest?’ The knower replied, ‘Have you not heard the saying attributed to the Prophet—may God bless him and his family and grant them peace—“There is no rest for the believer short of meeting his Lord”?’

§ 167

وَحُكِيَ أَنَّ الْخَوَاصَّ قَالَ مَرَرْت بِشَابٍّ فِي الْبَادِيَةِ جَالِسٌ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةِ أُمِّ غَيْلَانَ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: لَبَّيْكَ مِنْ الدَّارَيْنِ إلَيْك، لَبَّيْكَ تَلْبِيَةً مُنْقَطِعٌ إلَيْك عَمَّنْ سِوَاك لَبَّيْكَ، فَسَلَّمْت عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ السَّلَامَ، ثُمَّ رَمَى بِبَصَرِهِ نَحْوَ السَّمَاءِ، فَقَالَ: سُبْحَانَ مَنْ آنَسَ مَا دُونَهُ عَنْ قُلُوبِ أَصْفِيَائِهِ وَأَحْبَابِهِ فَنَظَرُوا بِقَوْلِهِمْ إلَيْهِ بِلَا كَيْفٍ! وَاللَّهِ لِلْمُحِبِّينَ مَا أَمَّلُوا، فَقُلْت:

Waḥukiya ʾanna al-khawāṣṣa qāla marart bishābbin fī al-bādiyati jālisun taḥta shajarati ʾummi ghaylāna wahuwa yaqūlu: labbayka min al-dārayni ʾlayk, labbayka talbiyatan munqaṭiʿun ʾlayk ʿamman siwāk labbayka, fasallamt ʿalayhi faradda ʿalayya al-salāma, thumma ramā bibaṣarihi naḥwa al-samāʾi, faqāla: subḥāna man ʾānasa mā dūnahu ʿan qulūbi ʾaṣfiyāʾihi waʾaḥbābihi fanaẓarū biqawlihim ʾlayhi bilā kayfin! wa-llāhi li-l-muḥibbīna mā ʾammalū, faqult:

It is related that al-Khawwāṣ said: ‘I passed a young man in the desert sitting beneath an umm ghaylān tree. He was saying, “At Your service—from both abodes to You! At Your service with the answer of one cut off from all but You! At Your service!” I greeted him and he returned my greeting. Then he cast his gaze toward heaven and said, “Glory be to the One who removed all beneath Him from the hearts of His chosen and beloved servants. With their hearts they gazed toward Him, without asking how. By God, the lovers shall have all for which they hope.” I asked:

§ 168

رَحِمَك اللَّهُ كَيْفَ الطَّرِيقُ إلَيْهِ؟ فَقَالَ: بِتَرْكِ الْخَلَائِقِ وَقَطْعِ الْعَلَائِقِ. قَالَ: مَعِي شَيْءٌ مِنَ الدَّنَانِيرِ فَوَضَعْتُهَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَقُلْتُ لَهُ: أَنْفِقْهَا عَلَى أَمْرِكَ، قَالَ: مُرْ بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ إِنَّ الَّذِي قَصَدْنَا إِلَيْهِ أَجْوَدُ مِنْكَ، ثُمَّ قَامَ وَمَضَى مُسْرِعًا. وَقَالَ: إِلَٰهِي أَكْثَرُ خَلْقِك مَشْغُولُونَ عَنْك وَأَنْتَ عِوَضٌ مِنْ كُلِّ فَائِتٍ، ثُمَّ غَابَ عَنْ بَصَرِي فَلَمْ أَرَهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ.

Raḥimak Allāhu kayfa al-ṭarīqu ʾlayhi? faqāla: bitarki al-khalāʾiqi waqaṭʿi al-ʿalāʾiqi. qāla: maʿī shayʾun mina al-danānīri fawaḍaʿtuhā bayna yadayhi waqultu lahu: ʾanfiqhā ʿalā ʾamrika, qāla: mur bāraka Allāhu fīka ʾinna alladhī qaṣadnā ʾilayhi ʾajwadu minka, thumma qāma wamaḍā musriʿan. waqāla: ʾilāhī ʾaktharu khalqik mashghūlūna ʿank waʾanta ʿiwaḍun min kulli fāʾitin, thumma ghāba ʿan baṣarī falam ʾarahu baʿda dhalika.

‘“May God have mercy upon you—how is the road to Him?” He said, “By leaving created beings and cutting attachments.” I had some gold coins with me, so I placed them before him and said, “Spend these on your needs.” He replied, “Go on—may God bless you. The One whom we intend is more generous than you.” Then he rose and hurried away, saying, “My God, most of Your creatures are occupied away from You, while You compensate for everything that is lost.” He vanished from my sight, and I never saw him again.’

§ 169

وَرُوِيَ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَخْبَارِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى قَالَ لِمُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: يَا مُوسَى إِذَا رَأَيْتَ لِي طَالِبًا فَكُنْ لَهُ خَادِمًا فَإِنَّك تَصِلُ بِذَلِكَ إِلَى قُرْبَى وَمُصَاحَبَتِي.

Waruwiya fī baʿḍi al-ʾakhbāri ʾanna Allāha subḥānahu wataʿālā qāla limūsā ʿalayhi al-salāmu: yā Mūsā ʾidhā raʾayta lī ṭāliban fakun lahu khādiman faʾinnak taṣilu bidhalika ʾilā qurbā wamuṣāḥabatī.

It is related in one of the reports that God—glory and exaltation be to Him—said to Moses, peace be upon him: ‘Moses, whenever you see someone seeking Me, become his servant; by doing so you will reach nearness to Me and companionship with Me.’

§ 170

فَقَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: إِلَٰهِي دُلَّنِي عَلَى وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ. فَقَالَ: اذْهَبْ إِلَى خَرَابَةِ كَذَا فَإِنَّ فِيهَا مُبْتَلًى، فَأَتَى مُوسَى الْخَرَابَةَ، فَإِذَا بِرَجُلٍ مَقْعَدٍ أَعْمَى أَصَمُّ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ:

Faqāla lahu Mūsā ʿalayhi al-salāmu: ʾilāhī dullanī ʿalā wāḥidin minhum. faqāla: idhhab ʾilā kharābati kadhā faʾinna fīhā mubtalanā, faʾatā Mūsā al-kharābata, faʾidhā birajulin maqʿadin ʾaʿmā ʾaṣammu wahuwa yaqūlu:

Moses, peace be upon him, said, ‘My God, direct me to one of them.’ He replied, ‘Go to such-and-such a ruin; there you will find one afflicted by trial.’ Moses went to the ruin and found a man who was crippled, blind, and deaf, saying:

§ 171

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ كَمَا هُوَ أَهْلُهُ، فَقَالَ مُوسَى: مُنْذُ كَمْ أَنْتَ هَا هُنَا؟ قَالَ: مُنْذُ كَذَا وَكَذَا سُنَّةً كُنْت مُوَاظِبُ مُؤَانَسَتَهُ وَمُوَاصَلَتَهُ فَأَمْتَحَنَنِي بِامْتِحَانٍ لَا تَقُومُ لَهُ الْجِبَالُ وَلَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضُ بِكُلِّ مَا فِيهَا! فَقَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: فَهَلْ تَشْتَهِي شَيْئًا؟

Al-ḥamdu li-llāhi rabbi al-ʿālamīna kamā huwa ʾahluhu, faqāla Mūsā: mundhu kam ʾanta hā hunā? qāla: mundhu kadhā wakadhā sunnatan kunt muwāẓibu muʾānasatahu wamuwāṣalatahu faʾamtaḥananī bi-imtiḥānin lā taqūmu lahu al-jibālu walā al-samāwāti wa-al-ʾarḍu bikulli mā fīhā! faqāla lahu Mūsā ʿalayhi al-salāmu: fahal tashtahī shayʾan?

‘Praise belongs to God, Lord of all worlds, as befits Him.’ Moses asked, ‘How long have you been here?’ He replied, ‘For so many years. I used to persevere in intimacy and communion with Him, and then He tested me with a trial which the mountains, the heavens, the earth, and all they contain could not bear.’ Moses, peace be upon him, asked, ‘Is there anything you desire?’

§ 172

قَالَ: شَرْبَةَ مَاءٍ. فَذَهَبَ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَأَتَى إلَيْهِ بِشَرْبَةِ مَاءٍ فَوَجَدَهُ مَيِّتًا فَحَزِنَ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْهِ حُزْنًا شَدِيدًا وَتَرَكَهُ وَمَضَى لِيَأْتِيَهُ بِكَفَنٍ، فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ فَإِذَا أَسَدٌ يَأْكُلُهُ فَطَرَحَ مُوسَى الْكَفَنَ، وَقَالَ: يَا رَبِّ زَعَمْتَ أَنَّهُ مِنْ أَوْلِيَائِك وَأَهْلِ قُرْبِك، فَلَمَّا فَعَلْت بِهِ ذَلِكَ بِهِ؟ قَالَ: يَا مُوسَى هَكَذَا فَعَلَيَّ بِكُلِّ مَنْ أَرَادَنِي وَانْقَطَعَ إلَيَّ ثُمَّ مَالَ قَلْبُهُ إِلَى غَيْرِي، وَإِنِّي غَيُورٌ عَلَى أَحْبَابِي، صَرَفْتُ عَنْهُ مَا سِوَايَ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ.

Qāla: sharbata māʾin. fadhahaba Mūsā ʿalayhi al-salāmu faʾatā ʾlayhi bisharbati māʾin fawajadahu mayyitan faḥazina Mūsā ʿalayhi al-salāmu ʿalayhi ḥuznan shadīdan watarakahu wamaḍā liyaʾtiyahu bikafanin, falammā rajaʿa faʾidhā ʾasadun yaʾkuluhu faṭaraḥa Mūsā al-kafana, waqāla: yā rabbi zaʿamta ʾannahu min ʾawliyāʾik waʾahli qurbik, falammā faʿalt bihi dhalika bihi? qāla: yā Mūsā hakadhā faʿalayya bikulli man ʾarādanī wa-inqaṭaʿa ʾlayya thumma māla qalbuhu ʾilā ghayrī, waʾinnī ghayūrun ʿalā ʾaḥbābī, ṣaraftu ʿanhu mā siwāya bi-al-kulliyyati.

He answered, ‘A drink of water.’ Moses, peace be upon him, went and brought him water, but found that he had died. Moses grieved deeply for him, left him, and went to fetch a shroud. When he returned, a lion was devouring the man. Moses dropped the shroud and said, ‘My Lord, You claimed that he was one of Your friends and among those near to You. Why, then, did You do this to him?’ He replied, ‘Moses, this is how I deal with anyone who desires Me and turns wholly toward Me, but then lets his heart incline to another. I am jealous for My beloved servants, and I removed from him everything other than Me.’

§ 173

وَحُكِيَ أَنَّ شَابًّا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ قَصَدَ زِيَارَةَ بَيْتِ اللَّهِ الْحَرَامِ وَمَعَهُ رَفِيقٌ، فَلَمَّا وَقَعَ نَظَرُهُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ اسْتَأْنَسَ بِهِ، وَجَعَلَ يَنْظُرُ إلَيْهِ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ يَضْرِبُ وَجْهَهُ بِيَدَيْهِ، حَتَّى خَرَجَتْ عَيْنَاهُ، وَسَقَطَتَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ، وَمَاتَ مَكَانَهُ، فَبَكَى عَلَيْهِ رَفِيقُهُ، وَحَزِنَ حُزْنًا شَدِيدًا، ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَقَالَ: إِلَٰهِي لِمَ صَنَعْت هَذَا بِصَاحِبِي وَرَفِيقِي؟ فَإِذَا بِهَاتِفٍ يَقُولُ: هَكَذَا فَعَلْنَا بِمَنْ أَقْبَلَ إلَيْنَا ثُمَّ نَظَرَ مِنَّا إِلَى غَيْرِنَا.

Waḥukiya ʾanna shābban min ʾahli al-maʿrifati qaṣada ziyārata bayti Allāhi al-ḥarāmi wamaʿahu rafīqun, falammā waqaʿa naẓaruhu ʾilā al-bayti istaʾnasa bihi, wajaʿala yanẓuru ʾlayhi thumma jaʿala yaḍribu wajhahu biyadayhi, ḥattā kharajat ʿaynāhu, wasaqaṭatā ʿalā al-ʾarḍi, wamāta makānahu, fabakā ʿalayhi rafīquhu, waḥazina ḥuznan shadīdan, thumma rafaʿa raʾsahu ʾilā al-samāʾi waqāla: ʾilāhī lima ṣanaʿt hadhā biṣāḥibī warafīqī? faʾidhā bihātifin yaqūlu: hakadhā faʿalnā biman ʾaqbala ʾlaynā thumma naẓara minnā ʾilā ghayrinā.

It is related that a young man among the people of knowledge set out to visit God’s Sacred House with a companion. When his gaze fell upon the House, he found intimacy in it and continued looking at it. Then he began striking his face with his hands until his eyes came out and fell to the ground, and he died where he stood. His companion wept and grieved intensely. Then he raised his head toward heaven and said, ‘My God, why did You do this to my companion and friend?’ A voice called out, ‘Thus do We deal with one who turns toward Us, then looks away from Us toward another.’

§ 174

وَكَانَ سِرِيُّ السَّقَطِيُّ كَثِيرًا مَا يَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ ذُلِّ الْحِجَابِ وَسُوءِ الْمُنْصَرِفِ عَنْكَ بَعْدَ الْقَصْدِ إِلَيْكَ، فَإِنَّكَ خَيْرُ جَلِيسٍ وَأَنِيسٌ.

Wakāna siriyyu al-saqaṭiyyu kathīran mā yaqūlu: Allāhumma ʾinnī ʾaʿūdhu bika min dhulli al-ḥijābi wasūʾi al-munṣarifi ʿanka baʿda al-qaṣdi ʾilayka, faʾinnaka khayru jalīsin waʾanīsun.

Sarī al-Saqaṭī would often say: ‘O God, I seek refuge in You from the abasement of being veiled and from the evil end of turning away from You after setting out toward You. You are the finest companion and intimate.’

§ 175

وَحُكِيَ أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى إِلَى بَابِ زُبَيْدَةَ، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي عَشِقْتهَا، فَأَخْبَرُوهَا بِقِصَّتِهِ.

Waḥukiya ʾanna rajulan ʾatā ʾilā bābi zubaydata, faqāla: ʾinnī ʿashiqthā, faʾakhbarūhā biqiṣṣatihi.

It is related that a man came to Zubaydah’s door and said, ‘I am in love with her.’ She was told his story.

§ 176

فَقَالَتْ: ائْتُونِي بِهِ، فَأُتِيَ بِهِ إلَيْهَا. فَقَالَتْ لَهُ: أُصَادِقٌ أَنْتَ فِيمَا تَزْعُمُ؟ فَقَالَ: إِنِّي عَشِقْتكَ. فَقَالَتْ: يَا هَذَا لَا تَقُلْ هَكَذَا فَإِنَّ لِي وَلَك فِيهَا مَلَامَةٌ أُعْطِيَكَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ وَلَا تَقُلْ. قَالَ: لاَ أُرِيدُ، فَقَالَتْ: أُعْطِيكَ أَلْفَيْنِ، فَقَالَ: لاَ أُرِيدُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ. حَتَّى بَلَغَتْ إِلَى عَشَرَةِ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ، فَقَبِلَ الرَّجُلُ تِلْكَ الدَّرَاهِمَ وَرَضِيَ بِهَا عَنْهَا، وَتَرَكَ مَقَالَتَهُ بِعِشْقِهَا، فَأَمَرَتْ زُبَيْدَةُ بِضَرْبِ قَفَاهُ، فَمَا زَالُوا يَضْرِبُوهُ عَلَى الْقَفَا حَتَّى قَتَلُوهُ. فَقَالَتْ: هَذَا جَزَاءُ مَنْ ادَّعَى عِشْقَنَا وَمَحَبَّتَنَا، وَلَمْ يَكْتَفِ بِنَا عُمَّالُنَا، فَمَا مِنْ عَارِفٍ سَمِعَ بِهَذِهِ الْقِصَّةِ فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ إِلَّا فَزِعٌ حَتَّى غَشَّى عَلَى بَعْضِهِمْ، وَقَالُوا: مَخْلُوقٌ ادَّعَى مَحَبَّةَ مَخْلُوقٍ، فَلَمَّا مَالَ مِنْهُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ حَلَّ بِهِ مَا حَلَّ فَكَيْفَ بِمَنْ ادَّعَى مَحَبَّةَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ.

Faqālat: iʾtūnī bihi, faʾutiya bihi ʾlayhā. faqālat lahu: ʾuṣādiqun ʾanta fīmā tazʿumu? faqāla: ʾinnī ʿashiqtka. faqālat: yā hadhā lā taqul hakadhā faʾinna lī walak fīhā malāmatun ʾuʿṭiyaka ʾalfa dirhamin walā taqul. qāla: lʾa ʾurīdu, faqālat: ʾuʿṭīka ʾalfayni, faqāla: lʾa ʾurīdu mithla dhalika. ḥattā balaghat ʾilā ʿasharati ʾālāfi dirhamin, faqabila al-rajulu tilka al-darāhima waraḍiya bihā ʿanhā, wataraka maqālatahu biʿishqihā, faʾamarat zubaydatu biḍarbi qafāhu, famā zālū yaḍribūhu ʿalā al-qafā ḥattā qatalūhu. faqālat: hadhā jazāʾu man iddaʿā ʿishqanā wamaḥabbatanā, walam yaktafi binā ʿummālunā, famā min ʿārifin samiʿa bihadhihi al-qiṣṣati fī dhalika al-waqti ʾillā faziʿun ḥattā ghashshā ʿalā baʿḍihim, waqālū: makhlūqun iddaʿā maḥabbata makhlūqin, falammā māla minhu ʾilā ghayrihi ḥalla bihi mā ḥalla fakayfa biman iddaʿā maḥabbata rabbi al-ʿizzati jalla jalāluhu.

She said, ‘Bring him to me,’ and he was brought before her. She asked, ‘Are you sincere in what you claim?’ He replied, ‘I am in love with you.’ She said, ‘Do not say that, for it brings blame upon both you and me. I shall give you one thousand dirhams if you cease saying it.’ He refused. She offered two thousand, but again he refused. She continued until she reached ten thousand dirhams. The man accepted the money, was satisfied with it instead of her, and abandoned his claim of love. Zubaydah ordered that he be struck on the back of the neck, and they continued striking him until he died. She said, ‘This is the recompense of one who claims love for us but is not content with us.’ Every knower who heard this story at the time was seized by terror; some even fainted. They said, ‘A creature claimed to love another creature, and when he inclined from the beloved toward something else, this befell him. What, then, of one who claims to love the Lord of Might—majestic is His glory?’

§ 177

وَحُكِيَ أَنَّ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ مَتَى يَصِلُ الْقَاصِدُ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى؟ قَالَ: لَقَدْ سَأَلْت عَنْ أَمْرٍ عَظِيمٍ، فَإِنَّمَا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ عُقْبَةٌ وَبِحَارٌ وَأَوْدِيَةٌ وَقِفَارٌ، فَمَتَى لَمْ تَقْطَعْهَا لَمْ تَصِلْ إلَيْهِ، وَهِيَ عَقَبَةُ الدُّنْيَا، وَبَحْرُ النَّفْسِ، وَأَوْدِيَةُ الْخَلْقِ، وَقِفَارٌ رُؤْيَةِ الْعَطَايَا وَالْكَرَامَاتِ، لِأَنَّ فِي قَطْعِهَا الْوُصُولَ إِلَى الرَّبِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى.

Waḥukiya ʾanna ʾabā saʿīdin qāla: saʾaltu rajulan min ʾahli al-maʿrifati matā yaṣilu al-qāṣidu ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā? qāla: laqad saʾalt ʿan ʾamrin ʿaẓīmin, faʾinnamā qabla dhalika ʿuqbatun wabiḥārun waʾawdiyatun waqifārun, famatā lam taqṭaʿhā lam taṣil ʾlayhi, wahiya ʿaqabatu al-dunyā, wabaḥru al-nafsi, waʾawdiyatu al-khalqi, waqifārun ruʾyati al-ʿaṭāyā wa-al-karāmāti, liʾanna fī qaṭʿihā al-wuṣūla ʾilā al-rabbi subḥānahu wataʿālā.

It is related that Abū Saʿīd said: ‘I asked a man among the people of knowledge, “When does the seeker arrive at God Most High?” He answered, “You have asked about a tremendous matter. Before that lies a steep ascent, seas, valleys, and deserts. Unless you cross them, you will not arrive: the steep ascent of the world, the sea of the lower self, the valleys of created beings, and the deserts of beholding gifts and charismatic favors. In crossing them lies arrival at the Lord—glory and exaltation be to Him.”’

§ 178

وَحُكِيَ أَنَّ بَعْضَ الْعَارِفِينَ حَجَّ، فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ مِنْ شَأْنِ الْحَجِّ أَحْرَمَ مِنْ النَّاسِ وَلَبَّى مَرَّةً أُخْرَى، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: يَا هَذَا مَضَتْ أَيَّامُ الْحَجِّ، فَمَا هَذَا؟ قَالَ: أَحْرَمْتُ أَوَّلًا، مِنْ الْوَطَنِ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ، الْآنَ أَحْرَمْتُ مِنْ الْبَيْتِ إِلَى صَاحِبِ الْبَيْتِ.

Waḥukiya ʾanna baʿḍa al-ʿārifīna ḥajja, falammā faragha min shaʾni al-ḥajji ʾaḥrama min al-nāsi walabbā marratan ʾukhrā, faqīla lahu: yā hadhā maḍat ʾayyāmu al-ḥajji, famā hadhā? qāla: ʾaḥramtu ʾawwalan, min al-waṭani ʾilā al-bayti, al-ʾāna ʾaḥramtu min al-bayti ʾilā ṣāḥibi al-bayti.

It is related that one of the knowers performed the pilgrimage. When he had completed its rites, he entered consecration from all people and answered the pilgrim’s call once more. He was asked, ‘The days of pilgrimage have passed—what is this?’ He replied, ‘The first time I entered consecration to journey from my homeland to the House. Now I enter consecration to journey from the House to the Owner of the House.’

§ 179

وَحُكِيَ أَنَّ بُهْلُولِ الْمَجْنُونِ دَخَلَ يَوْمًا بَيْتَ اللَّهِ الْحَرَامِ سَاكِنًا مَبْهُوتًا مَدْهُوشًا فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ: سَلْ مِنِّي حَاجَتَك؟ فَإِنَّكَ فِي بَيْتِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى. فَقَالَ: لَيْسَ مِنْ مُرُوءَةِ الرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ فِي بَيْتِ اللَّهِ غَيْرَ اللَّهِ، ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ يَقُولُ

Waḥukiya ʾanna buhlūli al-majnūni dakhala yawman bayta Allāhi al-ḥarāmi sākinan mabhūtan madhūshan faqāla lahu rajulun: sal minnī ḥājatak? faʾinnaka fī bayti Allāhi taʿālā. faqāla: laysa min murūʾati al-rajuli ʾan yasʾala fī bayti Allāhi ghayra Allāhi, thumma ʾanshaʾa yaqūlu

It is related that Buhlūl the Madman entered God’s Sacred House one day, still, stunned, and bewildered. A man said to him, ‘Ask me for what you need, for you are in the House of God Most High.’ He replied, ‘It is beneath a man’s honor to ask anyone but God while in God’s House.’ Then he recited:

§ 180

كُلَّمَا تَرَى صَيَّرَنِي * أَوْحَشَنِي أَفْرَدَنِي

Kullamā tarā ṣayyaranī * ʾawḥashanī ʾafradanī

Everything you see has transformed me— / made me desolate, left me alone.

§ 181

شَرَدَنِي فِي قَفْرِهَا * أَقْلَقَنِي فِي وَطَنِي

Sharadanī fī qafrihā * ʾaqlaqanī fī waṭanī

It drove me wandering through its wilderness / and made me restless in my homeland.

§ 182

إِذَا تَغَيَّبَ بَدَا * وَإِنْ بَدَا غَيَّبَنِي

ʾidhā taghayyaba badā * waʾin badā ghayyabanī

When He is hidden, He appears; / and when He appears, He hides me.

§ 183

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ بَرَكَةُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَإِلَى مُوَاصَلَتِهِ اعْرِفُوا مَرَاتِبَ الْقَاصِدِينَ وَسَيْرَهُمْ، وَاسْلُكُوا سَبِيلَهُمْ وَلَا تَسْتَوْحِشُوا مِنْ قَلَّهُ أَهْلُهَا، وَاجْتَهِدُوا إِخْوَانِي فِي السِّيَرِ فَإِنَّ الْمُدَّةَ قَلِيلَةٌ، وَقَدْ آنَ ذَهَابُ أَوَانِهَا، فَإِنَّ الْمَصِيرَ إِلَى اللَّهِ قَدْ دَنَا وَالْمُنْقَلَبُ قَدْ قَرُبَ، وَالرَّحِيلُ مِنْ هَذِهِ الدَّارِ كَثِيرَةٌ الْأَكْدَارِ إِلَى مَقْعَدٍ صِدْقٍ عِنْدَ مَلِيكٍ مُقْتَدِرٍ، يَا مُعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ يَا إِخْوَانِي وَفَّقَكُمْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، يَنْبَغِي لِكُلِّ حُرٍّ قَصْدُ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَنْ يَنْتَقِلَ إلَيْهِ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ وَيَسْتَسْلِمَ لَهُ وَيَنْقَطِعَ إلَيْهِ وَيُفَوِّضَ أَمْرَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ، وَأَنْ يَنْفَرِدَ وَيَرْتَحِلَ عَنْ الْكُلِّ إِلَى الْكُلِّ، وَيُفَرِّغَ قَلْبَهُ عَنْ شُغْلٍ لَا يُفِيدُهُ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ إِلَى شُغْلٍ لَا غِنَى لَهُ عَنْهُ، بَلْ إِلَى مَنْ لَا غِنَى لَهُ عَنْهُ أَصْلًا، إِخْوَانِي جَاءَ الْمَوْتُ وَذَهَبَتْ الدُّنْيَا بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ، وَفَاتَ الْمَقْصُودُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ، فَالسَّعِيدُ مَنْ دَاوَمَ بِالْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَخَرَجَ مِنْ الدُّنْيَا طَائِعًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ مِنْهَا كَارِهًا، فَهَذَا بَيَانُ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَمُوَاصَلَتِهِ، وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْقَاصِدِينَ مِنْ التَّهَيُّؤِ حَتَّى يَكُونُوا لِلْمَقْصُودِ أَهْلًا، فَإِذَا حَالَتْ وَفَاتَتْ مِنْ هَذِهِ حَالَةٌ أَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ صِدْقَ طَلَبِهِ وَقَاطِعَهُ أَوْ انْ أَجَلُهُ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ مَلَائِكَتَهُ بِالتَّحِيَّةِ وَالصَّلَاةِ عَلَيْهِ وَبَاهَى بِهِ الْمَلَائِكَةَ الْكِرَامَ، لِأَنَّهُ مُرَكَّبٌ مِنْ شَهْوَةٍ وَنَفْسٍ وَعَلَيْهِ أَعْدَاءٌ يَمْكُرُونَ بِهِ وَيُسَوِّلُونَ لَهُ دُنْيَا حَاضِرَةٌ وَبَلَايَا مُتَوَاصِلَةٍ، فَيَا لَهَا مِنْ هِمَّةٍ عَلَيْهِ وَنَفْسٌ زَكِيَّةٌ، يَجْعَلُهَا اللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ فِي حَضْرَتِهِ مَقْبُولًا وَتَحْتَ حِجَابٍ الْقُرْبُ مِنْهُ مَدْفُونًا، ثُمَّ صَيَّرَهُ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ فَانِيًا رَمِيمًا عَنْ كُلِّ مَا سِوَاهُ، ثُمَّ صَيَّرَهُ حَيًّا بَاقِيًا لِبَقَائِهِ فِي الْأَبَدِ مَعَ الْأَبَدِ إِلَى الْأَبَدِ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ، ثُمَّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ تَأْتِيهِ حَالَاتٌ وَمَقَامَاتٌ كَرِهْتُ شَرْحَهَا غَيْرَةً عَلَيْهَا حَتَّى أَجِدَ أَهْلَهَا، وَفِيمَا قَدْ ذَكَرْنَا إشَارَاتٌ وَعِبَارَاتٌ لَا تَصْلُحُ لِلْعَوَامِّ الَّذِينَ طُبِعُوا عَلَى طَبَائِعِ الْأَنْعَامِ، وَلَا يَعْرِفُونَ مِنْ نِعَمِ الْمُنْعِمِ غَيْرِ الطَّعَامِ وَالْمَنَامِ وَحُسْنُ الْمُعَاشَرَةِ مَعَ الْأَنَامِ، بَلْ هَذَا يَصْلُحُ لِمَنْ لَهُ سِرَاجُ الدَّيْمُومِيَّةِ وَنُورُ الْأَزَلِيَّةِ:

Qāla al-shaykhu barakatu al-muslimīna ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu: maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā waʾilā muwāṣalatihi iʿrifū marātiba al-qāṣidīna wasayrahum, wa-islukū sabīlahum walā tastawḥishū min qallahu ʾahluhā, wa-ijtahidū ʾikhwānī fī al-siyari faʾinna al-muddata qalīlatun, waqad ʾāna dhahābu ʾawānihā, faʾinna al-maṣīra ʾilā Allāhi qad danā wa-al-munqalabu qad qaruba, wa-al-raḥīlu min hadhihi al-dāri kathīratun al-ʾakdāri ʾilā maqʿadin ṣidqin ʿinda malīkin muqtadirin, yā muʿāshira al-qāṣidīna yā ʾikhwānī waffaqakum Allāhu taʿālā, yanbaghī likulli ḥurrin qaṣdu Allāhi subḥānahu wataʿālā ʾan yantaqila ʾlayhi bi-al-kulliyyati wayastaslima lahu wayanqaṭiʿa ʾlayhi wayufawwiḍa ʾamrahu ʾilā Allāhi bi-al-kulliyyati, waʾan yanfarida wayartaḥila ʿan al-kulli ʾilā al-kulli, wayufarrigha qalbahu ʿan shughlin lā yufīduhu bi-al-kulliyyati ʾilā shughlin lā ghinā lahu ʿanhu, bal ʾilā man lā ghinā lahu ʿanhu ʾaṣlan, ʾikhwānī jāʾa al-mawtu wadhahabat al-dunyā bi-al-kulliyyati, wafāta al-maqṣūdu wa-al-maṭlūbu bi-al-kulliyyati, fa-al-saʿīdu man dāwama bi-al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā wakharaja min al-dunyā ṭāʾiʿan qabla ʾan yakhruja minhā kārihan, fahadhā bayānu al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā wamuwāṣalatihi, wamā yanbaghī li-l-qāṣidīna min al-tahayyuʾi ḥattā yakūnū li-l-maqṣūdi ʾahlan, faʾidhā ḥālat wafātat min hadhihi ḥālatun ʾaw ʿalima Allāhu minhu ṣidqa ṭalabihi waqāṭiʿahu ʾaw in ʾajaluhu ʾamara Allāhu malāʾikatahu bi-al-taḥiyyati wa-al-ṣalāti ʿalayhi wabāhā bihi al-malāʾikata al-kirāma, liʾannahu murakkabun min shahwatin wanafsin waʿalayhi ʾaʿdāʾun yamkurūna bihi wayusawwilūna lahu dunyā ḥāḍiratun wabalāyā mutawāṣilatin, fayā lahā min himmatin ʿalayhi wanafsun zakiyyatun, yajʿaluhā Allāhu ʿindahu fī ḥaḍratihi maqbūlan wataḥta ḥijābin al-qurbu minhu madfūnan, thumma ṣayyarahu bi-al-kulliyyati fāniyan ramīman ʿan kulli mā siwāhu, thumma ṣayyarahu ḥayyan bāqiyan libaqāʾihi fī al-ʾabadi maʿa al-ʾabadi ʾilā al-ʾabadi jalla jalāluhu, thumma baʿda dhalika taʾtīhi ḥālātun wamaqāmātun karihtu sharḥahā ghayratan ʿalayhā ḥattā ʾajida ʾahlahā, wafīmā qad dhakarnā ʾshārātun waʿibārātun lā taṣluḥu li-l-ʿawāmmi alladhīna ṭubiʿū ʿalā ṭabāʾiʿi al-ʾanʿāmi, walā yaʿrifūna min niʿami al-munʿimi ghayri al-ṭaʿāmi wa-al-manāmi waḥusnu al-muʿāsharati maʿa al-ʾanāmi, bal hadhā yaṣluḥu liman lahu sirāju al-daymūmiyyati wanūru al-ʾazaliyyati:

The shaykh and blessing of the Muslims, Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd—may God be pleased with him—said: O company of those who intend God Most High and communion with Him, recognize the ranks and journey of the seekers and follow their path. Do not feel lonely because its people are few. My brothers, strive earnestly in the journey, for the allotted span is short and the time for its passing has come. The return to God has drawn near, the final destination is close, and departure approaches from this abode of many troubles toward a seat of truthfulness in the presence of an Omnipotent King. O company of seekers, my brothers—may God Most High grant you success—everyone who is free and intends God—glory and exaltation be to Him—should move wholly toward Him, surrender to Him, turn entirely toward Him, and entrust his affair wholly to God. He should become solitary, journey from everything to the All, and empty his heart of every occupation that gives him no benefit for the occupation he cannot do without—indeed, for the One without whom he can never do. My brothers, death has come and the world has entirely gone; the Intended and Sought One is being missed. Fortunate is the one who persists in intending God Most High and leaves this world willingly before being made to leave it unwillingly. This is the exposition of intending God Most High and communion with Him, and of the preparation required if seekers are to become worthy of the One intended. If one of these states eludes a servant, yet God knows the truthfulness of his seeking and death cuts him off when his term arrives [the syntax of the source is uncertain], God commands His angels to greet and bless him and boasts of him before the noble angels. For he is compounded of appetite and lower self; enemies scheme against him and make false things alluring; the present world surrounds him, and trials follow without cease. What tremendous aspiration, then, and what a purified soul! God receives it in His presence, buries it beneath the veil of nearness to Him, makes it wholly vanish and decay away from everything other than Him, and then makes it living and abiding through His everlastingness—for eternity, with eternity, unto eternity; majestic is His glory. After this, states and stations come to the servant which I have declined to explain, out of protective jealousy for them, until I find their people. What we have mentioned contains allusions and expressions unsuited to ordinary people whose natures have been stamped with the habits of grazing animals and who recognize no blessing of the Bestower beyond food, sleep, and pleasant company with people. Rather, this is fit for one who possesses the lamp of everlastingness and the light of pre-eternity:

§ 184

وَمَنْ لَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُوراً فَما لَهُ مِنْ نُورٍ

Waman lam yajʿali Allāhu lahu nūrʾ famā lahu min nūrin

‘Whoever is not given light by God has no light.’

§ 185

[النُّورُ: 40]

[Al-nūru: 40]

[Al-Nūr 24:40]

§ 186

فَإِنَّها لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصارُ وَلكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ

Faʾinnahā lā taʿmā al-ʾabṣāru walkin taʿmā al-qulūbu allatī fī al-ṣudūri

‘It is not the eyes that go blind, but the hearts within the breasts that go blind.’

§ 187

[الْحَجُّ: 46].

[Al-ḥajju: 46].

[Al-Ḥajj 22:46]

§ 188

افْهَمُوا مَعَاشِرَ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مَا ذَكَرْنَا لَكُمْ مِنْ بَيَانِ التَّهَيُّؤِ لِلْقَصْدِ، وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لَكُمْ فِيهِ إِنْ أَرَدْتُمْ أَنْ تَكُونُوا لِلْوَصْلِ أَهْلًا وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ عَلَى مَا يُحِبُّ رَبُّنَا وَيَرْضَى، فَإِنَّهُ الْمُوَفِّقُ لِمَا يَشَاءُ، فَإِنْ وَفَّقْتُمْ مَعَاشِرَ إِخْوَانِي عَلَى مَا ذَكَرْنَا فِي هَذِهِ الرِّسَالَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ فَبُخْ بَخْ، وَإِلَّا فَفِي كِتَابِ مَعَالِي الْهِمَمِ لَكُمْ كِفَايَةٌ إِنْ عَرَفْتُمْ مَا ذَكَرْنَا مِنْهُ مِنْ لَطَائِفِ الْإِشَارَاتِ وَجَوَاهِرِ مَكْنُونِ الْعِبَارَاتِ، فَإِنْ وَفَّقْتُمْ لِوِلَايَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَنَظَرْتُمْ فِيهِ بِعَيْنِ التَّحْقِيقِ وَفَّقْتُمْ لَهُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى (شِعْرَ)

Ifhamū maʿāshira al-qāṣidīna ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā mā dhakarnā lakum min bayāni al-tahayyuʾi li-l-qaṣdi, wamā yanbaghī lakum fīhi ʾin ʾaradtum ʾan takūnū li-l-waṣli ʾahlan wa-bi-llāhi al-tawfīqu ʿalā mā yuḥibbu rabbunā wayarḍā, faʾinnahu al-muwaffiqu limā yashāʾu, faʾin waffaqtum maʿāshira ʾikhwānī ʿalā mā dhakarnā fī hadhihi al-risālati al-mubārakati fabukh bakh, waʾillā fafī kitābi maʿālī al-himami lakum kifāyatun ʾin ʿaraftum mā dhakarnā minhu min laṭāʾifi al-ʾishārāti wajawāhiri maknūni al-ʿibārāti, faʾin waffaqtum liwilāyati Allāhi taʿālā wanaẓartum fīhi biʿayni al-taḥqīqi waffaqtum lahu ʾin shāʾa Allāhu taʿālā (shiʿra)

Understand, O company of those who intend God Most High, what we have explained concerning preparation for the intention and what is required of you if you wish to become worthy of communion. Success comes from God in what our Lord loves and approves, for He grants success in whatever He wills. O my brothers, if you are granted success in following what we have mentioned in this blessed treatise, then joy upon joy! If not, the Book of Lofty Aspirations will suffice you—provided that you understand the subtle allusions and the hidden jewels of expression we have cited from it. If you are granted the friendship of God Most High and examine it with the eye of realization, you will, God Most High willing, be guided to it. [Verse]

§ 189

قُلُوبُ الْعَارِفِينَ لَهَا عُيُونٌ * تَرَى مَا لَا يَرَاهُ النَّاظِرُونَ

Qulūbu al-ʿārifīna lahā ʿuyūnun * tarā mā lā yarāhu al-nāẓirūna

The hearts of the knowers possess eyes / that see what ordinary observers cannot see.

§ 190

وَأَجْنِحَةٌ تَطِيرُ بِغَيْرِ رِيشٍ * فَتَأْوِي عِنْدَ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَا

Waʾajniḥatun taṭīru bighayri rīshin * fataʾwī ʿinda rabbi al-ʿālamīnā

And wings that fly without feathers, / taking shelter with the Lord of all worlds.

§ 191

وَأَلْسِنَةٌ بِسِرٍّ قَدْ تُنَاجِي * بِغَيْبٍ عَنْ كِرَامٍ كَاتِبِينَا

Waʾalsinatun bisirrin qad tunājī * bighaybin ʿan kirāmin kātibīnā

And tongues that converse in secret, / unseen even by the noble recording angels.

§ 192

فَتَرْعَى فِي رِيَاضِ الْقُدْسِ طُورًا * وَتَشْرَبُ مِنْ بِحَارِ الْعَارِفِينَا

Fatarʿā fī riyāḍi al-qudsi ṭūran * watashrabu min biḥāri al-ʿārifīnā

At times they graze in the gardens of holiness / and drink from the oceans of the knowers.

§ 193

عِبَادٌ فَضَلُّوا بِالسِّرِّ حَتَّى * دَنُوْ مِنْهُ وَصَارُوا قَاصِدِينَا

ʿibādun faḍallū bi-al-sirri ḥattā * danū minhu waṣārū qāṣidīnā

Servants made eminent through the secret until / they drew near to Him and became true seekers.

§ 194

تَمَّ كِتَابُ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى تَأْلِيفُ الشَّيْخِ الْعَارِفِ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدُ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ سِرَّهُ وَنَوَّرَ ضَرِيحَهُ.

Tamma kitābu al-qaṣdi ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā taʾlīfu al-shaykhi al-ʿārifi bi-llāhi taʿālā ʾabū al-qāsimi al-Junaydu al-baghdādiyyu qaddasa Allāhu sirrahu wanawwara ḍarīḥahu.

Here ends The Book of Intending God Most High, attributed to the shaykh and knower of God Most High, Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd al-Baghdādī—may God sanctify his secret and illumine his resting place.

§ 195

فَرَغَ مِنْ زُبُرِهِ يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ لِسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ فِي شَهْرِ رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ أَحَدُ شُهُورِ سَنَةِ سِتٍّ وَمِائَةٍ بَعْدَ الْأَلْفِ

Faragha min zuburihi yawma al-ithnayni lisabʿin waʿishrīna fī shahri rabīʿin al-ʾawwali ʾaḥadu shuhūri sanati sittin wamiāʾatin baʿda al-ʾalfi

The copying of it was completed on Monday, the twenty-seventh of Rabīʿ al-Awwal, one of the months of the year 1106 AH.

END OF PART ONE

Some Sufi Works

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Epistles of al Junayd : Part 1

كِتَابُ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ

Editorial Note

Contents of the Treatise

Source Text and Translation

رَسَائِلُ الْجُنَيْدِ الْبَغْدَادِيِّ

نِطَاقُ هٰذِهِ النُّسْخَةِ

مُحْتَوَيَاتُ الرَّسَائِلِ

الْقِسْمُ الْأَوَّلُ الرَّسَائِلُ وَالْكُتُبُ

كِتَابُ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ

مُقَدِّمَةٌ

الْبَابُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَمَا يَسْتَقْبِلُهُ مِنْ الْعَقَبَاتِ

الْبَابُ الثَّانِي فِي تَرْكِ الْوُقُوفِ مَعَ الْمَنَازِلِ وَالْمَقَامَاتِ عِنْدَ الْقَصْدِ إلَيْهِ

الْبَابُ الثَّالِثُ فِي بَيَانِ نِدَاءِ الْحَقِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى إِلَى الْقَاصِدِينَ إلَيْهِ وَاسْتِمَاعِهِمْ لَهُ

الْبَابُ الرَّابِعُ فِي إجَابَةِ الْقَاصِدِينَ نِدَاءَ الْحَقِّ بَعْدَ اسْتِمَاعِهِمْ لَهُ

الْبَابُ الْخَامِسُ فِيمَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْقَاصِدِينَ مِنْ التَّهَيُّؤِ حَتَّى يَكُونُوا لِلْمَقْصُودِ أَهْلًا

الْبَابُ السَّادِسُ فِيمَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْقَاصِدِينَ مِنْ رِعَايَةِ النَّفْسِ وَالرُّوحِ وَالْقَلْبِ

الْبَابُ السَّابِعُ فِي مُشَاوَرَةِ النَّفْسِ وَالرُّوحِ وَالْقَلْبِ فِي أُمُورِ الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى

الْبَابُ التَّاسِعُ فِي رُؤْيَا أَبِي يَزِيدَ فِي الْقَصْدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَبَيَانِ قِصَّتِهِ

الْبَابُ الْعَاشِرُ فِي حِكَايَاتِ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَقَصَصِهِمْ

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Kitab Maʾiyyati al-Aql: The Nature and Meaning of Intellect by Al Muhasibi