1. Kitab Al Luma: Spotlights on Sufism Al Sarraj Part 1

كِتَابُ اللُّمَعِ فِي التَّصَوُّفِ

Kitābu al-Lumaʿi fī al-Taṣawwufi

The Book of Spotlights on Sufism

Abū Naṣr ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAlī al-Sarrāj al-Ṭūsī

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ.

Bismi Allāhi al-raḥmāni al-raḥīmi.

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

كَتَبَ إِلَيْنَا أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْإِمَامِ أَبِي الْفَرَجِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ ابْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْجَوْزِيِّ،

Kataba ilaynā Abū al-Qāsimi ʿAliyyu bnu al-imāmi Abī al-Faraji ʿAbdi al-Raḥmāni bni ʿAliyyi ibni Muḥammadi bni al-Jawziyyi,

Abū al-Qāsim ʿAlī, son of the imam Abū al-Faraj ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Jawzī, wrote to us,

وَأَبُو ... إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَاتْكِينَ الْجَوْهَرِيُّ، وَأَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْمُتَوَكِّلِ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَأَبُو الْمُنَجَّا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ زَيْدِ بْنِ اللَّيْثِيِّ، وَغَيْرُهُمْ مِنْ بَغْدَادَ.

Wa-Abū ... Ismāʿīlu bnu ʿAliyyi bni Bātkīna al-Jawhariyyu, wa-Abū ʿAbdi Allāhi Muḥammadu bnu ʿAbdi al-Wāḥidi bni Aḥmada bni al-Mutawakkili ʿalā Allāhi, wa-Abū al-Munajjā ʿAbdu Allāhi bnu ʿUmara bni ʿAliyyi bni Zaydi bni al-Laythiyyi, wa-ghayruhum min Baghdāda.

as did Abū … Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAlī ibn Bātkīn al-Jawharī, Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh, Abū al-Munajjā ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar ibn ʿAlī ibn Zayd ibn al-Laythī, and others from Baghdad.

وَكَتَبَتْ إِلَيْنَا أُمُّ الْفَضْلِ كَرِيمَةُ ابْنَةُ عَبْدِ الْوَهَّابِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْخَضِرِ الْقُرَشِيَّةُ مِنْ دِمَشْقَ،

Wa-katabat ilaynā Ummu al-Faḍli Karīmatu ibnatu ʿAbdi al-Wahhābi bni ʿAliyyi bni al-Khaḍiri al-Qurashiyyatu min Dimashqa,

Umm al-Faḍl Karīma al-Qurashiyya, daughter of ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn ʿAlī ibn al-Khaḍir, also wrote to us from Damascus.

كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ أَبِي الْوَقْتِ عَبْدِ الْأَوَّلِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ السِّجْزِيِّ الصُّوفِيِّ الْهَرَوِيِّ الْمَالِينِيِّ.

Kulluhum ʿan Abī al-Waqti ʿAbdi al-Awwali bni ʿĪsā bni Shuʿaybi bni Isḥāqa al-Sijziyyi al-Ṣūfiyyi al-Harawiyyi al-Mālīniyyi.

All transmitted from Abū al-Waqt ʿAbd al-Awwal ibn ʿĪsā ibn Shuʿayb ibn Isḥāq, the Sufi al-Sijzī al-Harawī al-Mālīnī.

قَالَ: أَنَا أَبُو نَصْرٍ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي نَصْرٍ الْكُوفَانِيُّ، قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ فِي شُهُورِ سَنَةِ خَمْسٍ وَسِتِّينَ وَأَرْبَعِمِائَةٍ.

Qāla: anā Abū Naṣrin Aḥmadu bnu Abī Naṣrin al-Kūfāniyyu, qirāʾatan ʿalayhi fī shuhūri sanati khamsin wa-sittīna wa-arbaʿimiʾatin.

He said: “Abū Naṣr Aḥmad ibn Abī Naṣr al-Kūfānī reported to us, through a reading before him during the year 465 AH.”

قَالَ: أَنَا أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْخَبُوشَانِيُّ، قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ. قَالَ: أَنَا أَبُو نَصْرٍ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الطُّوسِيُّ السَّرَّاجُ، قَالَ:

Qāla: anā Abū Muḥammadin al-Ḥasanu bnu Muḥammadin al-Khabūshāniyyu, qirāʾatan ʿalayhi. Qāla: anā Abū Naṣrin ʿAbdu Allāhi bnu ʿAliyyin al-Ṭūsiyyu al-Sarrāju, qāla:

He said: “Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad al-Khabūshānī reported to us, through a reading before him.” He said: Abū Naṣr ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAlī al-Ṭūsī al-Sarrāj reported to us, saying:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ بِقُدْرَتِهِ، وَدَلَّهُمْ عَلَى مَعْرِفَتِهِ بِآثَارِ صَنْعَتِهِ وَشَوَاهِدِ رُبُوبِيَّتِهِ،

Al-ḥamdu li-Allāhi alladhī khalaqa al-khalqa bi-qudratihi, wa-dallahum ʿalā maʿrifatihi bi-āthāri ṣanʿatihi wa-shawāhidi rubūbiyyatihi,

Praise belongs to God, who created all beings through His power and guided them to knowledge of Him through the traces of His handiwork and the signs of His lordship.

وَاخْتَارَ مِنْهُمْ صَفْوَةً مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَخِيرَةً مِنْ خَلْقِهِ. خَصَّ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ شَاءَ بِمَا شَاءَ كَيْفَ شَاءَ،

Wa-ikhtāra minhum ṣafwatan min ʿibādihi wa-khīratan min khalqihi. Khaṣṣa minhum man shāʾa bi-mā shāʾa kayfa shāʾa,

He chose from among them a select company of His servants, the finest of His creation. He singled out whomever He wished, with whatever He wished, in whatever way He wished,

وَقَسَمَ لَهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ بِهِ وَالْفَهْمِ عَنْهُ بِمَا قَسَمَ، وَحَكَمَ لَهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ بِمَا حَكَمَ، وَجَعَلَهُمْ فِيمَا مَنَحَ لَهُمْ مِنَ الْهِدَايَةِ وَالتَّوْفِيقِ مُتَفَاوِتِينَ

Wa-qasama lahum mina al-ʿilmi bihi wa-al-fahmi ʿanhu bi-mā qasama, wa-ḥakama lahum fī dhālika bi-mā ḥakama, wa-jaʿalahum fī-mā manaḥa lahum mina al-hidāyati wa-al-tawfīqi mutafāwitīna

and allotted to them knowledge of Him and understanding from Him as He determined, judging their portions as He determined. He gave them differing measures of guidance and enabling grace,

كَتَفَاوُتِهِمْ فِي الْأَخْلَاقِ وَالْأَرْزَاقِ وَالْآجَالِ وَالْأَعْمَالِ.

Ka-tafāwutihim fī al-akhlāqi wa-al-arzāqi wa-al-ājāli wa-al-aʿmāli.

just as they differ in character, provision, lifespans, and deeds.

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فَلَا عِلْمَ مَعْلُومٌ وَلَا شَيْءَ مَفْهُومٌ إِلَّا وَذَلِكَ مَوْجُودٌ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، أَوْ مَأْثُورٌ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، أَوْ فِيمَا فُتِحَ عَلَى قُلُوبِ أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ،

Fa-lā ʿilma maʿlūmun wa-lā shayʾa mafhūmun illā wa-dhālika mawjūdun fī kitābi Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla, aw maʾthūrun ʿan Rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama, aw fī-mā futiḥa ʿalā qulūbi awliyāʾi Allāhi,

Every truth known and every meaning understood is found in the Book of God, mighty and majestic, transmitted from God’s Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace—or disclosed to the hearts of God’s friends,

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لِيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَنْ بَيِّنَةٍ وَيَحْيَى مَنْ حَيِيَ عَنْ بَيِّنَةٍ، وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَسَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ.

Li-yahlika man halaka ʿan bayyinatin wa-yaḥyā man ḥayiya ʿan bayyinatin, wa-inna Allāha la-samīʿun ʿalīmun.

so that those who perish may perish upon clear evidence and those who live may live upon clear evidence. God is indeed All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

وَالصَّلَاةُ عَلَى الْمُقَدَّمِ الْمُعَظَّمِ [النَّبِيِّ] الْمُكَرَّمِ مِنْ أَنْبِيَائِهِ، شَمْسِ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ وَقَمَرِ الْأَصْفِيَاءِ، مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ، وَسَلَّمَ كَثِيرًا.

Wa-al-ṣalātu ʿalā al-muqaddami al-muʿaẓẓami [al-nabiyyi] al-mukarrami min anbiyāʾihi, shamsi al-awliyāʾi wa-qamari al-aṣfiyāʾi, Muḥammadin ʿabdihi wa-rasūlihi, wa-ʿalā ālihi, wa-sallama kathīran.

Blessings upon the foremost and revered [Prophet], honored among His prophets, the sun of God’s friends and the moon of His chosen ones: Muḥammad, His servant and Messenger, and upon his family. May God grant him abundant peace.

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنِّي قَدِ اسْتَخَرْتُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى، وَجَمَعْتُ أَبْوَابًا فِي مَعْنَى مَا ذَهَبَ إِلَيْهِ أَهْلُ التَّصَوُّفِ وَتَكَلَّمَ مَشَايِخُهُمُ الْمُتَقَدِّمُونَ فِي مَعَانِي عُلُومِهِمْ وَعُمْدَةِ أُصُولِهِمْ وَأَسَاسِ مَذْهَبِهِمْ،

Ammā baʿdu, fa-innī qadi istakhartu Allāha taʿālā, wa-jamaʿtu abwāban fī maʿnā mā dhahaba ilayhi ahlu al-taṣawwufi wa-takallama mashāyikhuhumu al-mutaqaddimūna fī maʿānī ʿulūmihim wa-ʿumdati uṣūlihim wa-asāsi madhhabihim,

To proceed: I sought guidance from God Most High and brought together chapters on the teachings of the Sufis and the discussions of their earlier masters: the meanings of their sciences, their central principles, and the foundations of their path,

وَأَخْبَارِهِمْ وَأَشْعَارِهِمْ وَمَسَائِلِهِمْ وَأَجْوِبَتِهِمْ وَمَقَامَاتِهِمْ وَأَحْوَالِهِمْ، وَمَا انْفَرَدُوا بِهَا مِنَ الْإِشَارَاتِ اللَّطِيفَةِ وَالْعِبَارَاتِ الْفَصِيحَةِ وَالْأَلْفَاظِ الْمُشْكِلَةِ الصَّحِيحَةِ عَلَى أُصُولِهِمْ وَحَقَائِقِهِمْ وَمَوَاجِيدِهِمْ وَفُصُولِهِمْ.

Wa-akhbārihim wa-ashʿārihim wa-masāʾilihim wa-ajwibatihim wa-maqāmātihim wa-aḥwālihim, wa-mā infaradū bi-hā mina al-ishārāti al-laṭīfati wa-al-ʿibārāti al-faṣīḥati wa-al-alfāẓi al-mushkilati al-ṣaḥīḥati ʿalā uṣūlihim wa-ḥaqāʾiqihim wa-mawājīdihim wa-fuṣūlihim.

their accounts, poems, questions and answers, spiritual stations and states, and the subtle allusions, eloquent expressions, and difficult terms distinctive to them, whose validity rests upon their principles, realized truths, spiritual experiences, and distinctions.

وَذَكَرْتُ مِنْ كُلِّ فَصْلٍ طَرَفًا، وَمِنْ كُلِّ أَصْلٍ طَرَفًا وَنُتَفًا، وَمِنْ كُلِّ بَابٍ لُمَعًا، عَلَى حَسَبِ مَا سَنَحَ بِهِ الْحَالُ وَمَكَّنَ مِنْهُ الْوَقْتُ وَجَادَ بِهِ الْحَقُّ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ، مُقْتَدِيًا بِالْأُسْوَةِ وَالْقُدْوَةِ وَالْبَيَانِ وَالْحُجَّةِ.

Wa-dhakartu min kulli faṣlin ṭarafan, wa-min kulli aṣlin ṭarafan wa-nutafan, wa-min kulli bābin lumaʿan, ʿalā ḥasabi mā sanaḥa bihi al-ḥālu wa-makkana minhu al-waqtu wa-jāda bihi al-Ḥaqqu jalla dhikruhu, muqtadiyan bi-al-uswati wa-al-qudwati wa-al-bayāni wa-al-ḥujjati.

From each subject I included a portion, from each principle a portion and a few fragments, and from each chapter some flashes of insight, as circumstances permitted, time allowed, and the Real—exalted be His mention—generously bestowed, following worthy examples and guided by clear explanation and proof.

فَيَنْظُرُ النَّاظِرُ فِيهِ عِنْدَ تَيَقُّظٍ وَتَنَبُّهٍ وَحُضُورِ قَلْبٍ وَفَرَاغِ نَفْسٍ، بِحُسْنِ التَّوَقُّفِ وَالتَّفَكُّرِ وَالتَّأَمُّلِ وَالتَّدَبُّرِ، بِخُلُوصِ النِّيَّةِ وَطَهَارَةِ الْقَلْبِ وَصِحَّةِ الْقَصْدِ، مُتَقَرِّبًا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ذِكْرُهُ،

Fa-yanẓuru al-nāẓiru fīhi ʿinda tayaqquẓin wa-tanabbuhin wa-ḥuḍūri qalbin wa-farāghi nafsin, bi-ḥusni al-tawaqqufi wa-al-tafakkuri wa-al-taʾammuli wa-al-tadabburi, bi-khulūṣi al-niyyati wa-ṭahārati al-qalbi wa-ṣiḥḥati al-qaṣdi, mutaqarriban ilā Allāhi taʿālā dhikruhu,

Let the reader approach it with alertness, attentiveness, a present heart, and a mind free of distractions, taking care to pause, think, reflect, and consider deeply, with sincere intention, a pure heart, and sound purpose, seeking closeness to God, exalted be His mention,

وَشَاكِرًا لَهُ عَلَى مَا مَنَحَهُ مِنْ تَسْدِيدِهِ وَتَوْفِيقِهِ وَهِدَايَتِهِ إِلَى مُوَالَاةِ هَذِهِ الْعِصَابَةِ وَمُنَاوَاةِ مَنْ بَسَطَ لِسَانَهُ فِيهَا بِالْوَقِيعَةِ فِيهِمْ وَالْإِنْكَارِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَعَلَى سَلَفِهِمُ الْمَاضِينَ. رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانُهُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ،

Wa-shākiran lahu ʿalā mā manaḥahu min tasdīdihi wa-tawfīqihi wa-hidāyatihi ilā muwālāti hādhihi al-ʿiṣābati wa-munāwāti man basaṭa lisānahu fīhā bi-al-waqīʿati fīhim wa-al-inkāri ʿalayhim wa-ʿalā salafihimu al-māḍīna. Raḥmatu Allāhi wa-riḍwānuhu ʿalayhim ajmaʿīna,

and thanking Him for the right direction, enabling grace, and guidance He has granted: to stand with this company and oppose those who attack them with slander and condemn them and their departed predecessors. May God’s mercy and good pleasure be upon them all,

لِأَنَّهُمُ الْعِصَابَةُ الْقَلِيلَةُ عَدَدُهَا، الْعَظِيمَةُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ قَدْرُهَا وَخَطَرُهَا.

Li-annahumu al-ʿiṣābatu al-qalīlatu ʿadaduhā, al-ʿaẓīmatu ʿinda Allāhi qadruhā wa-khaṭaruhā.

for theirs is a company small in number but great in worth and standing before God.

وَيَنْبَغِي لِلْعَاقِلِ فِي عَصْرِنَا هَذَا أَنْ يَعْرِفَ شَيْئًا مِنْ أُصُولِ هَذِهِ الْعِصَابَةِ وَقُصُودِهِمْ وَطَرِيقَةِ أَهْلِ الصِّحَّةِ وَالْفَضْلِ مِنْهُمْ، حَتَّى يُمَيِّزَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الْمُتَشَبِّهِينَ بِهِمْ وَالْمُتَلَبِّسِينَ بِلُبْسِهِمْ وَالْمُتَسَمِّينَ بِاسْمِهِمْ، حَتَّى لَا يَغْلَطَ وَلَا يَأْثَمَ.

Wa-yanbaghī li-al-ʿāqili fī ʿaṣrinā hādhā an yaʿrifa shayʾan min uṣūli hādhihi al-ʿiṣābati wa-quṣūdihim wa-ṭarīqati ahli al-ṣiḥḥati wa-al-faḍli minhum, ḥattā yumayyiza baynahum wa-bayna al-mutashabbihīna bihim wa-al-mutalabbisīna bi-lubsihim wa-al-mutasammīna bi-ismihim, ḥattā lā yaghlaṭa wa-lā yaʾthama.

A thoughtful person in our time should know something of this company’s principles and aims, and the way followed by those among them whose practice is sound and worthy. This will help distinguish them from people who imitate them, dress as they do, and assume their name, and so avoid error and wrongdoing.

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لِأَنَّ هَذِهِ الْعِصَابَةَ، أَعْنِي الصُّوفِيَّةَ، هُمْ أُمَنَاءُ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ فِي أَرْضِهِ، وَخَزَنَةُ أَسْرَارِهِ وَعِلْمِهِ وَصَفْوَتُهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ. فَهُمْ عِبَادُهُ الْمُخْلِصُونَ، وَأَوْلِيَاؤُهُ الْمُتَّقُونَ، وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ الصَّادِقُونَ.

Li-anna hādhihi al-ʿiṣābata, aʿnī al-ṣūfiyyata, hum umanāʾu Allāhi jalla wa-ʿazza fī arḍihi, wa-khazanatu asrārihi wa-ʿilmihi wa-ṣafwatuhu min khalqihi. Fa-hum ʿibāduhu al-mukhliṣūna, wa-awliyāʾuhu al-muttaqūna, wa-aḥibbāʾuhu al-ṣādiqūna.

For this company—I mean the Sufis—are God’s trusted ones upon His earth, majestic and mighty is He: the keepers of His secrets and knowledge, and His chosen ones among creation. They are His sincere servants, His God-conscious friends, and His faithful beloved ones.

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الصَّالِحُونَ مِنْهُمُ الْأَخْيَارُ وَالسَّابِقُونَ وَالْأَبْرَارُ وَالْمُقَرَّبُونَ وَالْبُدَلَاءُ وَالصِّدِّيقُونَ.

Al-ṣāliḥūna minhumu al-akhyāru wa-al-sābiqūna wa-al-abrāru wa-al-muqarrabūna wa-al-budalāʾu wa-al-ṣiddīqūna.

The righteous among them include the elect, the foremost, the virtuous, those drawn near to God, the substitutes, and the utterly truthful.

هُمُ الَّذِينَ أَحْيَا اللَّهُ بِمَعْرِفَتِهِ قُلُوبَهُمْ، [وَزَيَّنَ] بِخِدْمَتِهِ جَوَارِحَهُمْ، وَأَبْهَجَ بِذِكْرِهِ أَلْسِنَتَهُمْ، وَطَهَّرَ بِمُرَاقَبَتِهِ أَسْرَارَهُمْ.

Humu alladhīna aḥyā Allāhu bi-maʿrifatihi qulūbahum, [wa-zayyana] bi-khidmatihi jawāriḥahum, wa-abhaja bi-dhikrihi alsinatahum, wa-ṭahhara bi-murāqabatihi asrārahum.

They are those whose hearts God brought to life through knowledge of Him, whose limbs He [adorned] through service to Him, whose tongues He enlivened through remembrance of Him, and whose innermost hearts He purified through watchful awareness of Him.

سَبَقَ لَهُمْ مِنْهُ الْحُسْنَى بِحُسْنِ الرِّعَايَةِ وَدَوَامِ الْعِنَايَةِ، فَتَوَّجَهُمْ بِتَاجِ الْوِلَايَةِ، وَأَلْبَسَهُمْ حُلَلَ الْهِدَايَةِ، وَأَقْبَلَ بِقُلُوبِهِمْ عَلَيْهِ تَعَطُّفًا، وَجَمَعَهُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ تَلَطُّفًا.

Sabaqa lahum minhu al-ḥusnā bi-ḥusni al-riʿāyati wa-dawāmi al-ʿināyati, fa-tawwajahum bi-tāji al-wilāyati, wa-albasahum ḥulala al-hidāyati, wa-aqbala bi-qulūbihim ʿalayhi taʿaṭṭufan, wa-jamaʿahum bayna yadayhi talaṭṭufan.

His promise of the finest reward had already gone forth for them, through His tender care and constant attention. He crowned them with friendship with Him, clothed them in the robes of guidance, compassionately turned their hearts toward Himself, and gently gathered them into His presence.

فَاسْتَغْنَوْا بِهِ عَمَّا سِوَاهُ، وَآثَرُوهُ عَلَى مَا دُونَهُ، وَانْقَطَعُوا إِلَيْهِ، وَتَوَكَّلُوا عَلَيْهِ، وَعَكَفُوا بِبَابِهِ، وَرَضُوا بِقَضَائِهِ، وَصَبَرُوا عَلَى بَلَائِهِ.

Fa-istaghnaw bihi ʿammā siwāhu, wa-ātharūhu ʿalā mā dūnahu, wa-inqaṭaʿū ilayhi, wa-tawakkalū ʿalayhi, wa-ʿakafū bi-bābihi, wa-raḍū bi-qaḍāʾihi, wa-ṣabarū ʿalā balāʾihi.

Finding sufficiency in Him, they needed nothing besides Him. They preferred Him to everything else, devoted themselves wholly to Him, relied upon Him, remained at His door, accepted His decree, and patiently endured His trials.

وَفَارَقُوا فِيهِ الْأَوْطَانَ، وَهَجَرُوا لَهُ الْإِخْوَانَ، وَتَرَكُوا مِنْ أَجْلِهِ الْأَنْسَابَ [وَالْأَسْبَابَ]، وَقَطَعُوا فِيهِ الْعَلَائِقَ، وَهَرَبُوا مِنَ الْخَلَائِقِ، مُسْتَأْنِسِينَ بِهِ، مُسْتَوْحِشِينَ مِمَّا سِوَاهُ.

Wa-fāraqū fīhi al-awṭāna, wa-hajarū lahu al-ikhwāna, wa-tarakū min ajlihi al-ansāba [wa-al-asbāba], wa-qaṭaʿū fīhi al-ʿalāʾiqa, wa-harabū mina al-khalāʾiqi, mustaʾnisīna bihi, mustawḥishīna mimmā siwāhu.

For His sake they left their homelands, parted from companions, set aside ties of kinship [and worldly connections], severed attachments, and withdrew from people, finding intimate comfort in Him and feeling estranged from all besides Him.

ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ، وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ.

Dhālika faḍlu Allāhi yuʾtīhi man yashāʾu, wa-Allāhu dhū al-faḍli al-ʿaẓīmi.

That is God’s bounty, which He grants to whomever He wills. God is the possessor of immense bounty.

فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ، الْآيَةَ.

Fa-minhum ẓālimun li-nafsihi, al-āyata.

“Among them are those who wrong themselves”—and the remainder of the verse.

قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَى، الْآيَةَ.

Quli al-ḥamdu li-Allāhi wa-salāmun ʿalā ʿibādihi alladhīna iṣṭafā, al-āyata.

“Say: Praise belongs to God, and peace upon His servants whom He has chosen”—and the remainder of the verse.

وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ فِي زَمَانِنَا هَذَا قَدْ كَثُرَ الْخَائِضُونَ فِي عُلُومِ هَذِهِ الطَّائِفَةِ، وَقَدْ كَثُرَ أَيْضًا الْمُتَشَبِّهُونَ بِأَهْلِ التَّصَوُّفِ وَالْمُشِيرُونَ إِلَيْهَا وَالْمُجِيبُونَ عَنْهَا وَعَنْ مَسَائِلِهَا.

Wa-iʿlam anna fī zamāninā hādhā qad kathura al-khāʾiḍūna fī ʿulūmi hādhihi al-ṭāʾifati, wa-qad kathura ayḍan al-mutashabbihūna bi-ahli al-taṣawwufi wa-al-mushīrūna ilayhā wa-al-mujībūna ʿanhā wa-ʿan masāʾilihā.

Know that in our time many people have taken to discussing this company’s sciences. Many also imitate the Sufis, speak about these sciences, and offer explanations of them and answers to their questions.

وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ يُضِيفُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ كِتَابًا قَدْ زَخْرَفَهُ، وَكَلَامًا [قَدْ لَفَّهُ، وَجَوَابًا قَدْ] أَلَّفَهُ، وَلَيْسَ بِمُسْتَحْسَنٍ مِنْهُمْ ذَلِكَ،

Wa-kullu wāḥidin minhum yuḍīfu ilā nafsihi kitāban qad zakhrafahu, wa-kalāman [qad laffahu, wa-jawāban qad] allafahu, wa-laysa bi-mustaḥsanin minhum dhālika,

Each claims as his own a book he has ornamented, words [he has bundled together, or an answer he has] composed. Such conduct deserves no approval,

لِأَنَّ الْأَوَائِلَ وَالْمَشَايِخَ الَّذِينَ تَكَلَّمُوا فِي هَذِهِ الْمَسَائِلِ، وَأَشَارُوا إِلَى هَذِهِ الْإِشَارَاتِ، وَنَطَقُوا بِهَذِهِ الْحِكَمِ، إِنَّمَا تَكَلَّمُوا بَعْدَ قَطْعِ الْعَلَائِقِ

Li-anna al-awāʾila wa-al-mashāyikha alladhīna takallamū fī hādhihi al-masāʾili, wa-ashārū ilā hādhihi al-ishārāti, wa-naṭaqū bi-hādhihi al-ḥikami, innamā takallamū baʿda qaṭʿi al-ʿalāʾiqi

for the earlier masters who discussed these questions, offered these allusions, and uttered these words of wisdom spoke only after severing their attachments

وَإِمَاتَةِ النُّفُوسِ بِالْمُجَاهَدَاتِ وَالرِّيَاضَاتِ وَالْمُنَازَلَاتِ وَالْوَجْدِ وَالِاحْتِرَاقِ وَالْمُبَادَرَةِ وَالِاشْتِيَاقِ إِلَى قَطْعِ كُلِّ عَلَاقَةٍ قَطَعَتْهُمْ عَنِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ.

Wa-imātati al-nufūsi bi-al-mujāhadāti wa-al-riyāḍāti wa-al-munāzalāti wa-al-wajdi wa-al-iḥtirāqi wa-al-mubādarati wa-al-ishtiyāqi ilā qaṭʿi kulli ʿalāqatin qaṭaʿathum ʿan Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla ṭarfata ʿaynin.

and dying to the self through spiritual struggle, discipline, encounters with divine realities, ecstatic experience, burning ardor, and an eager longing to cut every tie that separated them from God, mighty and majestic, even for the blink of an eye.

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وَقَامُوا بِشَرْطِ الْعِلْمِ، ثُمَّ عَمِلُوا بِهِ، ثُمَّ تَحَقَّقُوا فِي الْعَمَلِ، فَجَمَعُوا بَيْنَ الْعِلْمِ وَالْحَقِيقَةِ وَالْعَمَلِ.

Wa-qāmū bi-sharṭi al-ʿilmi, thumma ʿamilū bihi, thumma taḥaqqaqū fī al-ʿamali, fa-jamaʿū bayna al-ʿilmi wa-al-ḥaqīqati wa-al-ʿamali.

They fulfilled the requirements of knowledge, then acted upon it, then made that practice a lived reality. Thus they united knowledge, realized truth, and action.

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قَالَ أَبُو نَصْرٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: وَقَدْ حَذَفْتُ الْأَسَانِيدَ عَنْ كَثِيرٍ مِمَّا ذَكَرْتُ فِي هَذَا الْكِتَابِ، وَاقْتَصَرْتُ عَلَى مُتُونِ الْأَخْبَارِ وَالْحِكَايَاتِ وَالْآثَارِ لِلِاخْتِصَارِ.

Qāla Abū Naṣrin raḥimahu Allāhu: wa-qad ḥadhaftu al-asānīda ʿan kathīrin mimmā dhakartu fī hādhā al-kitābi, wa-iqtaṣartu ʿalā mutūni al-akhbāri wa-al-ḥikāyāti wa-al-āthāri li-al-ikhtiṣāri.

Abū Naṣr—may God have mercy on him—said: For brevity, I have omitted the transmission chains from much of what I include in this book and confined myself to the texts of reports, accounts, and transmitted sayings.

فَمَا أَصَبْتُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَبِعِنَايَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ. وَمَا أَخْطَأْتُ فِي ذَلِكَ، وَوَقَعَ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الزِّيَادَةِ وَالنُّقْصَانِ، فَهُوَ لَازِمٌ لِي، وَأَنَا أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ.

Fa-mā aṣabtu min dhālika fa-bi-ʿināyati Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla, wa-al-ḥamdu li-Allāhi ʿalā dhālika. Wa-mā akhṭaʾtu fī dhālika, wa-waqaʿa fīhi shayʾun mina al-ziyādati wa-al-nuqṣāni, fa-huwa lāzimun lī, wa-anā astaghfiru Allāha min dhālika.

Whatever I have got right is through the care of God, mighty and majestic; for that, praise belongs to Him. Whatever I have got wrong, including any additions or omissions, is my responsibility, and I seek God’s forgiveness for it.

وَإِنَّمَا ذَكَرْتُ فِي كِتَابِي هَذَا أَجْوِبَةَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُتَقَدِّمِينَ وَأَلْفَاظَهُمْ، لِأَنَّ لِي فِيهَا غُنْيَةً عَنْ تَكَلُّفِي كَتَكَلُّفِ الْمُتَأَخِّرِينَ فِي زَمَانِنَا هَذَا،

Wa-innamā dhakartu fī kitābī hādhā ajwibata hāʾulāʾi al-mutaqaddimīna wa-alfāẓahum, li-anna lī fīhā ghunyatan ʿan takallufī ka-takallufi al-mutaʾakhkhirīna fī zamāninā hādhā,

I have included the answers and words of these earlier masters because they spare me the strained efforts made by people of our own later age,

إِذَا تَكَلَّمُوا فِي هَذِهِ الْمَعَانِي بِكَلَامٍ، أَوْ أَجَابُوا عَنْهَا بِجَوَابٍ، أَوْ أَضَافُوا ذَلِكَ إِلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ، وَهُمْ مُتَعَرُّونَ عَنْ حَقَائِقِهِمْ وَأَحْوَالِهِمْ.

Idhā takallamū fī hādhihi al-maʿānī bi-kalāmin, aw ajābū ʿanhā bi-jawābin, aw aḍāfū dhālika ilā anfusihim, wa-hum mutaʿarrūna ʿan ḥaqāʾiqihim wa-aḥwālihim.

when they speak about these meanings, supply answers about them, or claim them as their own, while lacking the masters’ realized truths and spiritual states.

وَكُلُّ مَنْ أَخَذَ مِنْ كَلَامِ الْمُتَقَدِّمِينَ الَّذِينَ وَصَفْنَاهُمْ مَعْنًى مِنْ مَعَانِيهِمُ الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْوَالُهُمْ وَوَجْدُهُمْ وَمُسْتَنْبَطَاتُهُمْ،

Wa-kullu man akhadha min kalāmi al-mutaqaddimīna alladhīna waṣafnāhum maʿnan min maʿānīhimu allatī hiya aḥwāluhum wa-wajduhum wa-mustanbaṭātuhum,

Anyone who takes from the words of the earlier masters we have described one of their meanings—their spiritual states, ecstatic experience, or insights—

وَحَلَّاهَا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ بِحِلْيَةٍ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، أَوْ كَسَاهَا عِبَارَةً أُخْرَى، أَوْ أَضَافَهَا إِلَى نَفْسِهِ حَتَّى يُشَارَ إِلَيْهِ بِذَلِكَ، أَوْ يَطْلُبَ بِذَلِكَ جَاهًا عِنْدَ الْعَامَّةِ،

Wa-ḥallāhā min ʿindihi bi-ḥilyatin ghayri dhālika, aw kasāhā ʿibāratan ukhrā, aw aḍāfahā ilā nafsihi ḥattā yushāra ilayhi bi-dhālika, aw yaṭluba bi-dhālika jāhan ʿinda al-ʿāmmati,

and dresses them up with embellishments of his own, recasts them in other language, or claims them as his own so that people will single him out, or so that he may gain standing among the public,

أَوْ يُرِيدَ أَنْ يَصْرِفَ بِذَلِكَ وُجُوهَ النَّاسِ إِلَيْهِ لِجَرِّ مَنْفَعَةٍ أَوْ لِدَفْعِ مَضَرَّةٍ، فَاللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خَصْمُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ وَهُوَ حَسِيبُهُ، لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ تَرَكَ الْأَمَانَةَ وَعَمِلَ بِالْخِيَانَةِ.

Aw yurīda an yaṣrifa bi-dhālika wujūha al-nāsi ilayhi li-jarri manfaʿatin aw li-dafʿi maḍarratin, fa-Allāhu ʿazza wa-jalla khaṣmuhu fī dhālika wa-huwa ḥasībuhu, li-annahu qad taraka al-amānata wa-ʿamila bi-al-khiyānati.

or wishes thereby to draw people’s attention to himself to secure a benefit or avert a harm: God, mighty and majestic, will be his adversary in this and call him to account, for he has abandoned trust and acted treacherously.

وَهَذِهِ أَعْظَمُ [وَأَكْبَرُ مِنْ] الْخِيَانَةِ الَّتِي فِي أَسْبَابِ الدُّنْيَا. وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي كَيْدَ الْخَائِنِينَ، وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ.

Wa-hādhihi aʿẓamu [wa-akbaru min] al-khiyānati allatī fī asbābi al-dunyā. Wa-Allāhu lā yahdī kayda al-khāʾinīna, wa-bi-Allāhi al-tawfīqu.

This is graver [and greater than] treachery in worldly affairs. God does not guide the schemes of the treacherous to success. All enabling grace comes through God.

[كِتَابٌ فِي الْمُقَدِّمَاتِ]

[Kitābun fī al-muqaddimāti]

[Book of introductory matters]

بَابُ الْبَيَانِ عَنْ عِلْمِ التَّصَوُّفِ وَمَذْهَبِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ وَمَنْزِلَتِهِمْ مِنْ أُولِي الْعِلْمِ الْقَائِمِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ.

Bābu al-bayāni ʿan ʿilmi al-taṣawwufi wa-madhhabi al-ṣūfiyyati wa-manzilatihim min ulī al-ʿilmi al-qāʾimīna bi-al-qisṭi.

Chapter explaining the science of Sufism, the Sufis’ path, and their standing among the people of knowledge who uphold justice.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو نَصْرٍ: سَأَلَنِي سَائِلٌ عَنِ الْبَيَانِ عَنْ عِلْمِ التَّصَوُّفِ وَمَذْهَبِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ، وَزَعَمَ أَنَّ النَّاسَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي ذَلِكَ،

Qāla al-shaykhu Abū Naṣrin: saʾalanī sāʾilun ʿani al-bayāni ʿan ʿilmi al-taṣawwufi wa-madhhabi al-ṣūfiyyati, wa-zaʿama anna al-nāsa ikhtalafū fī dhālika,

The shaykh Abū Naṣr said: Someone asked me to explain the science of Sufism and the Sufis’ path. He said that people disagreed about them,

فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَغْلُو فِي تَفْضِيلِهِ وَرَفْعِهِ فَوْقَ مَرْتَبَتِهِ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يُخْرِجُهُ عَنْ حَدِّ الْمَعْقُولِ وَالتَّحْصِيلِ،

Fa-minhum man yaghlū fī tafḍīlihi wa-rafʿihi fawqa martabatihi, wa-minhum man yukhrijuhu ʿan ḥaddi al-maʿqūli wa-al-taḥṣīli,

with some going too far in praising it and elevating it above its proper rank, while others place it outside the bounds of reason and rigorous understanding,

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وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَرَى أَنَّ ذَلِكَ ضَرْبٌ مِنَ اللَّهْوِ وَاللَّعِبِ وَقِلَّةِ الْمُبَالَاةِ بِالْجَهْلِ.

Wa-minhum man yarā anna dhālika ḍarbun mina al-lahwi wa-al-laʿibi wa-qillati al-mubālāti bi-al-jahli.

Some regard it as a kind of diversion and play, showing little concern for remaining ignorant.

Printed page 5

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْسُبُ ذَلِكَ إِلَى التَّقْوَى وَالتَّقَشُّفِ وَلُبْسِ الصُّوفِ وَالتَّكَلُّفِ فِي تَنَوُّقِ الْكَلَامِ وَاللِّبَاسِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ.

wa-minhum man yansubu dhālika ilā al-taqwā wa-al-taqashshufi wa-lubsi al-ṣūfi wa-al-takallufi fī tanawwuqi al-kalāmi wa-al-libāsi wa-ghayri dhālika.

Others associate it with piety, austere living, wearing wool, and affected refinement in speech, dress, and other things.

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يُسْرِفُ فِي الطَّعْنِ وَقُبْحِ الْمَقَالِ فِيهِمْ حَتَّى يَنْسُبَهُمْ إِلَى الزَّنْدَقَةِ وَالضَّلَالَةِ.

wa-minhum man yusrifu fī al-ṭaʿni wa-qubḥi al-maqāli fīhim ḥattā yansubahum ilā al-zandaqati wa-al-ḍalālati.

Others go so far in attacking them and speaking abusively of them that they accuse them of heresy and error.

فَسَأَلَنِي أَنْ أَشْرَحَ لَهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا صَحَّ عِنْدِي مِنْ أُصُولِ مَذْهَبِهِمُ الْمُؤَيَّدِ الْمَنُوطِ بِمُتَابَعَةِ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَالِاقْتِدَاءِ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَالتَّخَلُّقِ بِأَخْلَاقِ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ، وَالتَّأَدُّبِ بِآدَابِ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ.

fa-saʾalanī an ashraḥa lahu min dhālika mā ṣaḥḥa ʿindī min uṣūli madhhabihimu al-muʾayyadi al-manūṭi bi-mutābaʿati kitābi Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla, wa-al-iqtidāʾi bi-rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama, wa-al-takhalluqi bi-akhlāqi al-ṣaḥābati wa-al-tābiʿīna, wa-al-taʾaddubi bi-ādābi ʿibādi Allāhi al-ṣāliḥīna.

He therefore asked me to explain what I had found sound in the foundations of their well-supported path: its commitment to following the Book of God, mighty and majestic; taking God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, as a model; adopting the character of the Companions and their Successors; and learning the conduct of God’s righteous servants.

وَأُقَيِّدَ ذَلِكَ بِالْكِتَابِ وَالْأَثَرِ بِالْحُجَّةِ، لِيُحِقَّ الْحَقَّ وَيُبْطِلَ الْبَاطِلَ، وَيُعْرَفَ الْجِدُّ مِنَ الْهَزْلِ وَالصَّحِيحُ مِنَ السَّقِيمِ، وَيُرَتَّبَ كُلُّ نَوْعٍ مِنْهُ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ، إِذْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ عِلْمًا مِنْ عُلُومِ الدِّينِ.

wa-uqayyida dhālika bi-al-kitābi wa-al-athari bi-al-ḥujjati, li-yuḥiqqa al-ḥaqqa wa-yubṭila al-bāṭila, wa-yuʿrafa al-jiddu mina al-hazli wa-al-ṣaḥīḥu mina al-saqīmi, wa-yurattaba kullu nawʿin minhu fī mawḍiʿihi, idh kāna dhālika ʿilman min ʿulūmi al-dīni.

He also asked me to support this with evidence from the Book and transmitted reports, to establish what is true and reject what is false, so that seriousness could be distinguished from frivolity, sound teaching from error, and each part put in its proper place, since this is one of the religious sciences.

فَأَقُولُ، وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى أَحْكَمَ أَسَاسَ الدِّينِ، وَأَزَالَ الشُّبْهَةَ عَنْ قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِمَا أَمَرَهُمْ بِهِ مِنَ الِاعْتِصَامِ بِكِتَابِهِ وَالتَّمَسُّكِ بِمَا وَصَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ خِطَابِهِ.

fa-aqūlu, wa-bi-Allāhi al-tawfīqu: inna Allāha tabāraka wa-taʿālā aḥkama asāsa al-dīni, wa-azāla al-shubhata ʿan qulūbi al-muʾminīna bi-mā amarahum bihi mina al-iʿtiṣāmi bi-kitābihi wa-al-tamassuki bi-mā waṣala ilayhim min khiṭābihi.

I say, with God’s help: God, blessed and exalted, has made the foundation of religion secure and removed doubt from believers’ hearts by commanding them to hold fast to His Book and cling to the divine address that has reached them.

إِذْ يَقُولُ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ: «وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا»، الْآيَةَ. وَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: «وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى».

idh yaqūlu jalla jalāluhu: «wa-iʿtaṣimū bi-ḥabli Allāhi jamīʿan wa-lā tafarraqū», al-āyata. wa-qāla ʿazza wa-jalla: «wa-taʿāwanū ʿalā al-birri wa-al-taqwā».

He, glorious in His majesty, says: “Hold firmly together to God’s rope, and do not become divided”—and so the verse continues. He, mighty and majestic, also says: “Help one another in goodness and piety.”

ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَفْضَلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عِنْدَهُ دَرَجَةً وَأَعْلَاهُمْ فِي الدِّينِ رُتْبَةً، فَذَكَرَهُمْ بَعْدَ مَلَائِكَتِهِ، وَشَهِدَ عَلَى شَهَادَتِهِمْ لَهُ بِالْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ بَعْدَ مَا بَدَأَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَثَنَّى مَلَائِكَتَهُ.

thumma dhakara Allāhu taʿālā afḍala al-muʾminīna ʿindahu darajatan wa-aʿlāhum fī al-dīni rutbatan, fa-dhakarahum baʿda malāʾikatihi, wa-shahida ʿalā shahādatihim lahu bi-al-waḥdāniyyati baʿda mā badaʾa bi-nafsihi wa-thannā malāʾikatahu.

God Most High then mentions the believers who hold the highest standing with Him and the highest rank in religion. He names them after His angels and confirms their testimony to His oneness, having begun with Himself and mentioned His angels second.

فَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: «شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَأُولُوا الْعِلْمِ قَائِمًا بِالْقِسْطِ».

fa-qāla ʿazza wa-jalla: «shahida Allāhu annahu lā ilāha illā huwa wa-al-malāʾikatu wa-ulū al-ʿilmi qāʾiman bi-al-qisṭi».

He, mighty and majestic, says: “God bears witness that there is no god but Him—as do the angels and those endowed with knowledge—upholding justice.”

وَرُوِيَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «الْعُلَمَاءُ وَرَثَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ».

wa-ruwiya ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla: «al-ʿulamāʾu warathatu al-anbiyāʾi».

It is reported that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “Scholars are the heirs of the prophets.”

وَعِنْدِي، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، إِنَّ أُولِي الْعِلْمِ الْقَائِمِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ الَّذِينَ هُمْ وَرَثَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ هُمُ الْمُعْتَصِمُونَ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، الْمُجْتَهِدُونَ فِي مُتَابَعَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، الْمُقْتَدُونَ بِالصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ، السَّالِكُونَ سَبِيلَ أَوْلِيَائِهِ الْمُتَّقِينَ وَعِبَادِهِ الصَّالِحِينَ.

wa-ʿindī, wa-Allāhu aʿlamu, inna ulī al-ʿilmi al-qāʾimīna bi-al-qisṭi alladhīna hum warathatu al-anbiyāʾi humu al-muʿtaṣimūna bi-kitābi Allāhi taʿālā, al-mujtahidūna fī mutābaʿati rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama, al-muqtadūna bi-al-ṣaḥābati wa-al-tābiʿīna, al-sālikūna sabīla awliyāʾihi al-muttaqīna wa-ʿibādihi al-ṣāliḥīna.

In my view—and God knows best—those endowed with knowledge who uphold justice and inherit from the prophets are those who hold fast to God Most High’s Book, strive to follow His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, take the Companions and Successors as their models, and walk the path of His God-conscious friends and righteous servants.

هُمْ ثَلَاثَةُ أَصْنَافٍ: أَصْحَابُ الْحَدِيثِ وَالْفُقَهَاءُ وَالصُّوفِيَّةُ. فَهَؤُلَاءِ الثَّلَاثَةُ الْأَصْنَافُ مِنْ أُولِي الْعِلْمِ الْقَائِمِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ الَّذِينَ هُمْ وَرَثَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ.

hum thalāthatu aṣnāfin: aṣḥābu al-ḥadīthi wa-al-fuqahāʾu wa-al-ṣūfiyyatu. fa-hāʾulāʾi al-thalāthatu al-aṣnāfu min ulī al-ʿilmi al-qāʾimīna bi-al-qisṭi alladhīna hum warathatu al-anbiyāʾi.

They comprise three groups: hadith scholars, jurists, and Sufis. These three groups belong to those endowed with knowledge who uphold justice and are the heirs of the prophets.

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وَكَذَلِكَ أَنْوَاعُ الْعُلُومِ كَثِيرَةٌ، فَعِلْمُ الدِّينِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثَةُ عُلُومٍ: عِلْمُ الْقُرْآنِ، وَعِلْمُ السُّنَنِ وَالْبَيَانِ، وَعِلْمُ حَقَائِقِ الْإِيمَانِ.

wa-kadhālika anwāʿu al-ʿulūmi kathīratun, fa-ʿilmu al-dīni min dhālika thalāthatu ʿulūmin: ʿilmu al-qurʾāni, wa-ʿilmu al-sunani wa-al-bayāni, wa-ʿilmu ḥaqāʾiqi al-īmāni.

There are likewise many kinds of knowledge. Religious knowledge comprises three sciences: knowledge of the Qurʾan; knowledge of the prophetic traditions and their elucidation; and knowledge of the realities of faith.

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وَهِيَ الْعُلُومُ الْمُتَدَاوَلَةُ بَيْنَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْأَصْنَافِ الثَّلَاثَةِ. وَجُمْلَةُ عُلُومِ الدِّينِ لَا تَخْرُجُ مِنْ ثَلَاثٍ: آيَةٍ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، أَوْ خَبَرٍ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، أَوْ حِكْمَةٍ مُسْتَنْبَطَةٍ خَطَرَتْ عَلَى قَلْبِ وَلِيٍّ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى.

wa-hiya al-ʿulūmu al-mutadāwalatu bayna hāʾulāʾi al-aṣnāfi al-thalāthati. wa-jumlatu ʿulūmi al-dīni lā takhruju min thalāthin: āyatin min kitābi Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla, aw khabarin ʿan rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama, aw ḥikmatin mustanbaṭatin khaṭarat ʿalā qalbi waliyyin min awliyāʾi Allāhi taʿālā.

These are the sciences shared among the three groups. All religious knowledge falls within three sources: a verse from the Book of God, mighty and majestic; a report from God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace; or a discerned insight that has arisen in the heart of one of God Most High’s friends.

وَأَصْلُ ذَلِكَ حَدِيثُ الْإِيمَانِ، حَيْثُ سَأَلَ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ أُصُولٍ ثَلَاثٍ: عَنِ الْإِسْلَامِ وَالْإِيمَانِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ، الظَّاهِرِ وَالْبَاطِنِ وَالْحَقِيقَةِ.

wa-aṣlu dhālika ḥadīthu al-īmāni, ḥaythu saʾala jibrīlu ʿalayhi al-salāmu al-nabiyya ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama ʿan uṣūlin thalāthin: ʿani al-islāmi wa-al-īmāni wa-al-iḥsāni, al-ẓāhiri wa-al-bāṭini wa-al-ḥaqīqati.

The basis for this is the hadith of faith, in which Gabriel, peace be upon him, asked the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, about three foundations: islam, iman, and ihsan—the outward, the inward, and the reality.

فَالْإِسْلَامُ ظَاهِرٌ، وَالْإِيمَانُ ظَاهِرٌ وَبَاطِنٌ، وَالْإِحْسَانُ حَقِيقَةُ الظَّاهِرِ وَالْبَاطِنِ.

fa-al-islāmu ẓāhirun, wa-al-īmānu ẓāhirun wa-bāṭinun, wa-al-iḥsānu ḥaqīqatu al-ẓāhiri wa-al-bāṭini.

Islam is outward submission; iman, faith, is both outward and inward; and ihsan is the reality of both the outward and the inward.

وَهُوَ قَوْلُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «الْإِحْسَانُ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ». وَصَدَّقَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ جِبْرِيلُ.

wa-huwa qawlu al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: «al-iḥsānu an taʿbuda Allāha ka-annaka tarāhu, fa-in lam takun tarāhu fa-innahu yarāka». wa-ṣaddaqahu ʿalā dhālika jibrīlu.

This is what the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “Ihsan is to worship God as though you see Him; if you do not see Him, He certainly sees you.” Gabriel confirmed that he had spoken truly.

وَالْعِلْمُ مَقْرُونٌ بِالْعَمَلِ، وَالْعَمَلُ مَقْرُونٌ بِالْإِخْلَاصِ، وَالْإِخْلَاصُ أَنْ يُرِيدَ الْعَبْدُ بِعِلْمِهِ وَعَمَلِهِ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى.

wa-al-ʿilmu maqrūnun bi-al-ʿamali, wa-al-ʿamalu maqrūnun bi-al-ikhlāṣi, wa-al-ikhlāṣu an yurīda al-ʿabdu bi-ʿilmihi wa-ʿamalihi wajha Allāhi taʿālā.

Knowledge goes together with action, and action with sincerity. Sincerity means that through knowledge and action, the servant seeks God Most High Himself.

وَهَؤُلَاءِ الثَّلَاثَةُ الْأَصْنَافُ فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْعَمَلِ مُتَفَاوِتُونَ، وَفِي مَقَاصِدِهِمْ وَدَرَجَاتِهِمْ مُتَفَاضِلُونَ، وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى تَفَاضُلَهُمْ وَدَرَجَاتِهِمْ.

wa-hāʾulāʾi al-thalāthatu al-aṣnāfu fī al-ʿilmi wa-al-ʿamali mutafāwitūna, wa-fī maqāṣidihim wa-darajātihim mutafāḍilūna, wa-qad dhakara Allāhu taʿālā tafāḍulahum wa-darajātihim.

These three groups differ in knowledge and action, and their aims and degrees vary. God Most High has spoken of their differing merits and degrees.

فَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: «وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ»، وَقَالَ: «وَلِكُلٍّ دَرَجَاتٌ مِمَّا عَمِلُوا»، وَقَالَ: «انْظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ».

fa-qāla ʿazza wa-jalla: «wa-alladhīna ūtū al-ʿilma darajātin», wa-qāla: «wa-li-kullin darajātun mimmā ʿamilū», wa-qāla: «unẓur kayfa faḍḍalnā baʿḍahum ʿalā baʿḍin».

He, mighty and majestic, says: “And those who have been given knowledge, by degrees.” He also says: “Each has degrees according to what they have done,” and: “See how We have favored some over others.”

وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «النَّاسُ أَكْفَاءٌ مُتَسَاوُونَ كَأَسْنَانِ الْمُشْطِ، لَا فَضْلَ لِأَحَدٍ عَلَى أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِالْعِلْمِ وَالتُّقَى».

wa-qāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: «al-nāsu akfāʾun mutasāwūna ka-asnāni al-mushṭi, lā faḍla li-aḥadin ʿalā aḥadin illā bi-al-ʿilmi wa-al-tuqā».

The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “People are equals, as even as the teeth of a comb. No one has merit over another except through knowledge and piety.”

فَكُلُّ مَنْ أَشْكَلَ عَلَيْهِ أَصْلٌ مِنْ أُصُولِ الدِّينِ وَفُرُوعِهِ وَحُقُوقِهِ وَحَقَائِقِهِ وَحُدُودِهِ وَأَحْكَامِهِ، ظَاهِرًا وَبَاطِنًا، فَلَا بُدَّ لَهُ مِنَ الرُّجُوعِ إِلَى هَؤُلَاءِ الْأَصْنَافِ الثَّلَاثَةِ: أَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ وَالْفُقَهَاءِ وَالصُّوفِيَّةِ.

fa-kullu man ashkala ʿalayhi aṣlun min uṣūli al-dīni wa-furūʿihi wa-ḥuqūqihi wa-ḥaqāʾiqihi wa-ḥudūdihi wa-aḥkāmihi, ẓāhiran wa-bāṭinan, fa-lā budda lahu mina al-rujūʿi ilā hāʾulāʾi al-aṣnāfi al-thalāthati: aṣḥābi al-ḥadīthi wa-al-fuqahāʾi wa-al-ṣūfiyyati.

Anyone who finds a foundation of religion, its branches, obligations, realities, limits, or rulings unclear—in their outward or inward aspects—must turn to these three groups: hadith scholars, jurists, and Sufis.

وَكُلُّ صِنْفٍ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ مُتَرَسِّمٌ بِنَوْعٍ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ وَالْعَمَلِ وَالْحَقِيقَةِ وَالْحَالِ، وَلِكُلِّ صِنْفٍ مِنْهُمْ فِي مَعْنَاهُ عِلْمٌ وَعَمَلٌ وَمَقَامٌ وَمَقَالٌ وَفَهْمٌ وَمَكَانٌ وَفِقْهٌ وَبَيَانٌ.

wa-kullu ṣinfin min hāʾulāʾi mutarassimun bi-nawʿin mina al-ʿilmi wa-al-ʿamali wa-al-ḥaqīqati wa-al-ḥāli, wa-li-kulli ṣinfin minhum fī maʿnāhu ʿilmun wa-ʿamalun wa-maqāmun wa-maqālun wa-fahmun wa-makānun wa-fiqhun wa-bayānun.

Each group follows its own form of knowledge, practice, realization, and spiritual state. Within its particular field, each has knowledge and action, a station and a teaching, understanding and standing, discernment and exposition.

عَلِمَهُ مَنْ عَلِمَهُ وَجَهِلَهُ مَنْ جَهِلَهُ، وَلَا يَبْلُغُ أَحَدٌ إِلَى كَمَالٍ يَحْوِي جَمِيعَ الْعُلُومِ وَالْأَعْمَالِ وَالْأَحْوَالِ.

ʿalimahu man ʿalimahu wa-jahilahu man jahilahu, wa-lā yablughu aḥadun ilā kamālin yaḥwī jamīʿa al-ʿulūmi wa-al-aʿmāli wa-al-aḥwāli.

Some know this, and others remain unaware of it. No one reaches a perfection that encompasses all knowledge, actions, and spiritual states.

وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ فَمَقَامُهُ حَيْثُ أَوْقَفَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، وَمَحَلُّهُ حَيْثُ حَبَسَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.

wa-kullu wāḥidin fa-maqāmuhu ḥaythu awqafahu Allāhu taʿālā, wa-maḥalluhu ḥaythu ḥabasahu Allāhu ʿazza wa-jalla.

Each person’s station is where God Most High has placed them, and their position is where God, mighty and majestic, has kept them.

Printed pages 6 to 7

وَأَنَا أُبَيِّنُ لَكَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى حَسَبِ الطَّاقَةِ، أَنَّ كُلَّ صِنْفٍ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ بِأَيِّ نَوْعٍ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ وَالْعَمَلِ تَرَسَّمُوا، وَبِأَيِّ حَالٍ تَفَاضَلُوا، وَأَيُّهُمْ أَعْلَى طَبَقَةً، بِمَا لَا يَدْفَعُهُ عَقْلُكَ وَيُحِيطُ بِهِ فَهْمُكَ، إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى.

wa-anā ubayyinu laka min dhālika, in shāʾa Allāhu taʿālā ʿalā ḥasabi al-ṭāqati, anna kulla ṣinfin min hāʾulāʾi bi-ayyi nawʿin mina al-ʿilmi wa-al-ʿamali tarassamū, wa-bi-ayyi ḥālin tafāḍalū, wa-ayyuhum aʿlā ṭabaqatan, bi-mā lā yadfaʿuhu ʿaqluka wa-yuḥīṭu bihi fahmuka, in shāʾa Allāhu taʿālā.

I shall explain this to you, if God Most High wills, as far as I am able: the kinds of knowledge and practice that characterize each group, the spiritual states in which they differ in merit, and which of them holds the highest rank. I shall do so in a way that your reason cannot reject and your understanding can grasp, if God Most High wills.

Printed page 7

بَابٌ فِي نَعْتِ طَبَقَاتِ أَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ وَرَسْمِهِمْ فِي النَّقْلِ وَمَعْرِفَةِ الْحَدِيثِ وَتَخْصِيصِهِمْ بِعِلْمِهِ.

bābun fī naʿti ṭabaqāti aṣḥābi al-ḥadīthi wa-rasmihim fī al-naqli wa-maʿrifati al-ḥadīthi wa-takhṣīṣihim bi-ʿilmihi.

Chapter describing the ranks of hadith scholars, their practice in transmission and knowledge of hadith, and their distinctive expertise.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: فَأَمَّا أَصْحَابُ الْحَدِيثِ فَإِنَّهُمْ تَعَلَّقُوا بِظَاهِرِ حَدِيثِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَقَالُوا: هَذَا أَسَاسُ الدِّينِ، لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ:

qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu: fa-ammā aṣḥābu al-ḥadīthi fa-innahum taʿallaqū bi-ẓāhiri ḥadīthi rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama, wa-qālū: hādhā asāsu al-dīni, li-anna Allāha taʿālā yaqūlu:

The shaykh, may God have mercy on him, said: Hadith scholars devoted themselves to the outward wording of the reports of God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace. They said, “This is the foundation of religion,” because God Most High says:

«وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا».

«wa-mā ātākumu al-rasūlu fa-khudhūhu wa-mā nahākum ʿanhu fa-intahū».

“Take what the Messenger gives you, and refrain from what he forbids you.”

فَلَمَّا خُوطِبُوا بِذَلِكَ جَوَّلُوا الْبِلَادَ وَطَلَبُوا رُوَاةَ الْحَدِيثِ، فَلَزِمُوهُمْ حَتَّى نَقَلُوا عَنْهُمْ أَخْبَارَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

fa-lammā khūṭibū bi-dhālika jawwalū al-bilāda wa-ṭalabū ruwāta al-ḥadīthi, fa-lazimūhum ḥattā naqalū ʿanhum akhbāra rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama.

When this command was addressed to them, they traveled through the lands seeking transmitters of hadith. They stayed with them until they had received and transmitted their reports of God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace.

وَجَمَعُوا مَا رُوِيَ عَنِ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ، وَضَبَطُوا مَا وَصَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ سِيَرِهِمْ وَآثَارِهِمْ وَمَذَاهِبِهِمْ وَاخْتِلَافِهِمْ فِي أَحْكَامِهِمْ وَأَقْوَالِهِمْ وَأَفْعَالِهِمْ وَأَخْلَاقِهِمْ وَأَحْوَالِهِمْ.

wa-jamaʿū mā ruwiya ʿani al-ṣaḥābati wa-al-tābiʿīna, wa-ḍabaṭū mā waṣala ilayhim min siyarihim wa-āthārihim wa-madhāhibihim wa-ikhtilāfihim fī aḥkāmihim wa-aqwālihim wa-afʿālihim wa-akhlāqihim wa-aḥwālihim.

They collected what was reported from the Companions and Successors and carefully preserved what reached them about their lives, transmitted accounts, teachings, differing rulings, sayings, actions, character, and states.

وَصَحَّحُوا رِوَايَاتِهِمْ بِسَمَاعِ الْأُذُنِ وَحِفْظِ الْقَلْبِ وَالضَّبْطِ مِنْ أُصُولِ الثِّقَاتِ عَنِ الثِّقَاتِ، الْعُدُولِ عَنِ الْعُدُولِ.

wa-ṣaḥḥaḥū riwāyātihim bi-samāʿi al-udhuni wa-ḥifẓi al-qalbi wa-al-ḍabṭi min uṣūli al-thiqāti ʿani al-thiqāti, al-ʿudūli ʿani al-ʿudūli.

They verified their transmissions by hearing them directly, retaining them in memory, and accurately checking the original records of trustworthy transmitters reporting from trustworthy transmitters—upright people reporting from upright people.

فَأَتْقَنُوا ذَلِكَ، وَعَرَفُوا أَمَاكِنَ الرُّوَاةِ فِي النَّقْلِ وَالضَّبْطِ، وَدَوَّنُوا أَسْمَاءَهُمْ وَكُنَاهُمْ وَمَوَالِدَهُمْ وَوَفَاتَهُمْ، وَوَرَّخُوا ذَلِكَ.

fa-atqanū dhālika, wa-ʿarafū amākina al-ruwāti fī al-naqli wa-al-ḍabṭi, wa-dawwanū asmāʾahum wa-kunāhum wa-mawālidahum wa-wafātahum, wa-warrakhū dhālika.

They mastered this work and knew each transmitter’s standing in transmission and accuracy. They recorded their names, honorific names, births, and deaths, and established their dates.

حَتَّى عَرَفُوا أَنَّ كُلَّ رَجُلٍ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ كَمْ مِنْ حَدِيثٍ رَوَاهُ، وَعَمَّنْ رَوَاهُ، وَعَمَّنْ نَقَلَ إِلَيْهِ.

ḥattā ʿarafū anna kulla rajulin min hāʾulāʾi kam min ḥadīthin rawāhu, wa-ʿamman rawāhu, wa-ʿamman naqala ilayhi.

They came to know how many hadiths each of these men had transmitted, from whom he had transmitted them, and from whom they had reached him.

وَمَنْ أَخْطَأَ مِنْهُمْ فِي النَّقْلِ، وَمَنْ غَلِطَ مِنْهُمْ فِي زِيَادَةِ حَرْفٍ أَوْ نُقْصَانِ لَفْظَةٍ، وَمَنْ تَعَمَّدَ مِنْهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ، وَمَنْ سُومِحَ لَهُ بِغَلْطَةٍ أَوْ هَفْوَةٍ.

wa-man akhṭaʾa minhum fī al-naqli, wa-man ghaliṭa minhum fī ziyādati ḥarfin aw nuqṣāni lafẓatin, wa-man taʿammada minhum fī dhālika, wa-man sūmiḥa lahu bi-ghalṭatin aw hafwatin.

They knew who had erred in transmission, who had mistakenly added a letter or omitted a word, who had done so deliberately, and whose mistake or lapse could be excused.

حَتَّى عَرَفُوا أَسْمَاءَ الْمُتَّهَمِينَ مِنْهُمْ بِالْكَذِبِ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَعَرَفُوا مَنْ صَحَّ عَنْهُ الرِّوَايَةُ وَمَنْ لَا تَصِحُّ.

ḥattā ʿarafū asmāʾa al-muttahamīna minhum bi-al-kadhibi ʿalā rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama, wa-ʿarafū man ṣaḥḥa ʿanhu al-riwāyatu wa-man lā taṣiḥḥu.

They thus knew the names of those suspected of attributing lies to God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, and knew whose transmission was sound and whose was not.

وَمَنِ انْفَرَدَ مِنْهُمْ بِحَدِيثٍ لَا يَرْوِيهِ غَيْرُهُ، أَوِ انْفَرَدَ بِلَفْظَةٍ لَيْسَتْ عِنْدَ غَيْرِهِ.

wa-mani infarada minhum bi-ḥadīthin lā yarwīhi ghayruhu, awi infarada bi-lafẓatin laysat ʿinda ghayrihi.

They also knew who alone transmitted a hadith that no one else narrated, or transmitted a particular wording found with no one else.

فَحَفِظُوا أَنَّ كُلَّ حَدِيثٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ كَمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ رَوَاهُ، وَمَا الْعِلَّةُ فِي نَاقِلِهِ.

fa-ḥafiẓū anna kulla ḥadīthin min dhālika kam min nafsin rawāhu, wa-mā al-ʿillatu fī nāqilihi.

They kept track of how many people had transmitted each hadith and what defect there might be in its transmitter.

حَتَّى جَمَعُوا الْأَبْوَابَ وَبَوَّبُوا السُّنَنَ، وَمَيَّزُوا مَا يَدْخُلُ فِي الصَّحِيحِ وَمَا يُخْتَلَفُ فِي صِحَّتِهِ وَمَا كَانَ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ رَجُلٌ ضَعِيفٌ.

ḥattā jamaʿū al-abwāba wa-bawwabū al-sunana, wa-mayyazū mā yadkhulu fī al-ṣaḥīḥi wa-mā yukhtalafu fī ṣiḥḥatihi wa-mā kāna fī riwāyatihi rajulun ḍaʿīfun.

They compiled these subjects and arranged the prophetic traditions into chapters, distinguishing sound reports from those whose soundness was disputed and those transmitted through a weak narrator.

Printed pages 7 to 8

وَوَقَفُوا عَلَى رِوَايَةِ الْمُقِلِّينَ وَالْمُكْثِرِينَ، وَفَهِمُوا أَحَادِيثَ أَئِمَّةِ الْأَمْصَارِ وَطَبَقَاتِ الرُّوَاةِ، التَّابِعَ مِنَ الْمَتْبُوعِ وَالْكَبِيرَ مِنَ الصَّغِيرِ.

wa-waqafū ʿalā riwāyati al-muqillīna wa-al-mukthirīna, wa-fahimū aḥādītha aʾimmati al-amṣāri wa-ṭabaqāti al-ruwāti, al-tābiʿa mina al-matbūʿi wa-al-kabīra mina al-ṣaghīri.

They studied the transmissions of both occasional and prolific narrators and understood the hadiths of the leading scholars of the regional centers and the ranks of transmitters, distinguishing followers from those followed, and senior figures from junior ones.

Printed page 8

وَأَحَاطَ عِلْمُهُمْ بِعِلَلِ اخْتِلَافِ الرُّوَاةِ وَزِيَادَاتِهِمْ وَنُقْصَانِهِمْ وَأَمَاكِنِهِمْ فِي رِوَايَةِ السُّنَنِ وَالْآثَارِ، إِذْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ أَسَاسَ الدِّينِ.

wa-aḥāṭa ʿilmuhum bi-ʿilali ikhtilāfi al-ruwāti wa-ziyādātihim wa-nuqṣānihim wa-amākinihim fī riwāyati al-sunani wa-al-āthāri, idh kāna dhālika asāsa al-dīni.

Their knowledge encompassed the causes of differences among transmitters, their additions and omissions, and their standing in transmitting prophetic traditions and other reports, since this was the foundation of religion.

وَهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ مُتَفَاضِلُونَ، حَتَّى يَسْتَحِقَّ أَحَدُهُمْ بِزِيَادَةِ عِلْمِهِ وَإِتْقَانِهِ وَحِفْظِهِ قَبُولَ الشَّهَادَةِ عَلَى الْعُلَمَاءِ فِي الْعَدْلِ وَالتَّجْرِيحِ وَالرَّدِّ وَالْقَبُولِ.

wa-hum fī dhālika mutafāḍilūna, ḥattā yastaḥiqqa aḥaduhum bi-ziyādati ʿilmihi wa-itqānihi wa-ḥifẓihi qabūla al-shahādati ʿalā al-ʿulamāʾi fī al-ʿadli wa-al-tajrīḥi wa-al-raddi wa-al-qabūli.

They vary in their mastery of this work. Through greater knowledge, precision, and memory, a scholar may earn the right to have his testimony concerning other scholars accepted when assessing their integrity, criticizing them, rejecting their reports, or accepting them.

وَتَكُونُ شَهَادَتُهُ مَقْبُولَةً عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِيمَا قَالَ وَفَعَلَ وَأَمَرَ وَنَهَى وَنَدَبَ وَدَعَا.

wa-takūnu shahādatuhu maqbūlatan ʿalā rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama fīmā qāla wa-faʿala wa-amara wa-nahā wa-nadaba wa-daʿā.

His testimony is then accepted concerning what God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, did, commanded, forbade, recommended, and called people to do.

قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: «وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا»، أَيْ عَدْلًا، «لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا».

qāla Allāhu taʿālā: «wa-kadhālika jaʿalnākum ummatan wasaṭan», ay ʿadlan, «li-takūnū shuhadāʾa ʿalā al-nāsi wa-yakūna al-rasūlu ʿalaykum shahīdan».

God Most High says: “Thus We have made you a community of the middle”—that is, a just community—“so that you may bear witness over people and the Messenger may bear witness over you.”

يُقَالُ: إِنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْحَدِيثِ، يَشْهَدُونَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَعَلَى الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ فِيمَا قَالُوا وَفَعَلُوا.

yuqālu: innahum aṣḥābu al-ḥadīthi, yashhadūna ʿalā rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama wa-ʿalā al-ṣaḥābati wa-al-tābiʿīna fīmā qālū wa-faʿalū.

It is said that these are the hadith scholars: they bear witness concerning God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, and concerning what the Companions and Successors said and did.

«وَيَكُونُ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا» فِيمَا شَهِدُوا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَفْعَالِهِ وَأَقْوَالِهِ وَأَحْوَالِهِ وَأَخْلَاقِهِ.

«wa-yakūnu al-rasūlu ʿalaykum shahīdan» fīmā shahidū ʿalayhi min afʿālihi wa-aqwālihi wa-aḥwālihi wa-akhlāqihi.

“And the Messenger bears witness over you” concerning the testimony they give about his actions, sayings, states, and character.

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ».

qāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: «man kadhaba ʿalayya mutaʿammidan fa-l-yatabawwaʾ maqʿadahu mina al-nāri».

The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “Whoever deliberately attributes a lie to me should take his seat in the Fire.”

وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «نَضَّرَ اللَّهُ وَجْهَ امْرِئٍ سَمِعَ مِنِّي حَدِيثًا فَبَلَّغَهُ»، الْحَدِيثَ.

wa-qāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: «naḍḍara Allāhu wajha imriʾin samiʿa minnī ḥadīthan fa-ballaghahu», al-ḥadītha.

The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, also said: “May God make radiant the face of a person who hears a hadith from me and conveys it”—and so the hadith continues.

يُقَالُ: إِنَّهُ لَا يَكُونُ وَاحِدٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ إِلَّا وَفِي وَجْهِهِ نَضْرَةٌ لِمَوْضِعِ دُعَاءِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

yuqālu: innahu lā yakūnu wāḥidun min aṣḥābi al-ḥadīthi illā wa-fī wajhihi naḍratun li-mawḍiʿi duʿāʾi rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama.

It is said that every hadith scholar has a radiance in his face because of the supplication of God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace.

وَلِأَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ فِي مَعَانِي عُلُومِهِمْ وَرُسُومِهِمْ مُصَنَّفَاتٌ.

wa-li-aṣḥābi al-ḥadīthi fī maʿānī ʿulūmihim wa-rusūmihim muṣannafātun.

Hadith scholars have written works on the contents of their sciences and their established practices.

وَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةٌ مَشْهُورُونَ، [كُلٌّ مِنْهُمْ] قَدْ أَجْمَعَ أَهْلُ عَصْرِهِ عَلَى إِمَامَتِهِ لِفَضْلِ عِلْمِهِ وَزِيَادَةِ عَقْلِهِ وَفَهْمِهِ وَدِينِهِ وَأَمَانَتِهِ.

wa-lahum aʾimmatun mashhūrūna, [kullun minhum] qad ajmaʿa ahlu ʿaṣrihi ʿalā imāmatihi li-faḍli ʿilmihi wa-ziyādati ʿaqlihi wa-fahmihi wa-dīnihi wa-amānatihi.

They have well-known leading scholars, [each of whom] was recognized by the people of his age as an authority because of the merit of his knowledge and the depth of his reason, understanding, religious commitment, and trustworthiness.

وَشَرْحُ ذَلِكَ يَطُولُ، وَفِيمَا ذَكَرْتُ كِفَايَةٌ لِمَنْ عَلِمَ، وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ.

wa-sharḥu dhālika yaṭūlu, wa-fīmā dhakartu kifāyatun li-man ʿalima, wa-bi-Allāhi al-tawfīqu.

To explain this fully would take a long time. What I have mentioned is enough for someone with understanding. Success comes through God.

بَابُ ذِكْرِ طَبَقَاتِ الْفُقَهَاءِ وَتَخْصِيصِهِمْ بِمَا تَرَسَّمُوا بِهِ مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الْعُلُومِ.

bābu dhikri ṭabaqāti al-fuqahāʾi wa-takhṣīṣihim bi-mā tarassamū bihi min anwāʿi al-ʿulūmi.

Chapter on the ranks of the jurists and the kinds of knowledge that distinguish their practice.

Printed pages 8 to 9

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو نَصْرٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: وَأَمَّا طَبَقَاتُ الْفُقَهَاءِ فَإِنَّهُمْ فُضِّلُوا عَلَى أَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ [بِقَبُولِ عُلُومِ أَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ] وَالِاتِّفَاقِ مَعَهُمْ فِي مَعَانِي عُلُومِهِمْ وَرُسُومِهِمْ.

qāla al-shaykhu abū naṣrin raḥimahu Allāhu: wa-ammā ṭabaqātu al-fuqahāʾi fa-innahum fuḍḍilū ʿalā aṣḥābi al-ḥadīthi [bi-qabūli ʿulūmi aṣḥābi al-ḥadīthi] wa-al-ittifāqi maʿahum fī maʿānī ʿulūmihim wa-rusūmihim.

The shaykh Abū Naṣr, may God have mercy on him, said: As for the ranks of the jurists, they were given precedence over hadith scholars [by accepting the knowledge of hadith scholars] and agreeing with them in the substance of their sciences and methods.

Printed page 9

ثُمَّ خُصُّوا بِالْفَهْمِ وَالِاسْتِنْبَاطِ فِي فِقْهِ الْحَدِيثِ، وَالتَّعَمُّقِ بِدَقِيقِ النَّظَرِ فِي تَرْتِيبِ الْأَحْكَامِ وَحُدُودِ الدِّينِ وَأُصُولِ الشَّرْعِ. فَبَيَّنُوا ذَلِكَ، وَمَيَّزُوا النَّاسِخَ مِنَ الْمَنْسُوخِ، وَالْأُصُولَ مِنَ الْفُرُوعِ، وَالْخُصُوصَ مِنَ الْعُمُومِ بِالْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ وَالْإِجْمَاعِ وَالْقِيَاسِ.

thumma khuṣṣū bi-al-fahmi wa-al-istinbāṭi fī fiqhi al-ḥadīthi, wa-al-taʿammuqi bi-daqīqi al-naẓari fī tartībi al-aḥkāmi wa-ḥudūdi al-dīni wa-uṣūli al-sharʿi. Fa-bayyanū dhālika, wa-mayyazū al-nāsikha mina al-mansūkhi, wa-al-uṣūla mina al-furūʿi, wa-al-khuṣūṣa mina al-ʿumūmi bi-al-kitābi wa-al-sunnati wa-al-ijmāʿi wa-al-qiyāsi.

The jurists were further distinguished by their understanding of hadith and their ability to derive rulings from it, and by the depth and precision with which they examined the ordering of rulings, the limits of religion, and the foundations of the sacred law. They explained these matters and distinguished abrogating texts from abrogated ones, principles from their applications, and specific provisions from general ones, through the Qurʾan, the Sunna, consensus, and analogical reasoning.

وَبَيَّنُوا لِلْخَلْقِ فِي أَحْكَامِ دِينِهِمْ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَالْأَثَرِ مَا نُسِخَ حُكْمُهُ وَبَقِيَ كِتَابَتُهُ، وَمَا نُسِخَ كِتَابَتُهُ وَبَقِيَ حُكْمُهُ،

Wa-bayyanū li-al-khalqi fī aḥkāmi dīnihim mina al-Qurʾāni wa-al-athari mā nusikha ḥukmuhu wa-baqiya kitābatuhu, wa-mā nusikha kitābatuhu wa-baqiya ḥukmuhu,

They explained to people the religious rulings found in the Qurʾan and transmitted reports: passages whose ruling had been abrogated while their written text remained, and those whose written text had been abrogated while their ruling remained.

وَمَا كَانَ لَفْظُهُ عَامًّا الْمُرَادُ بِهِ خَاصٌّ، أَوْ كَانَ لَفْظُهُ خَاصًّا الْمُرَادُ بِهِ عَامٌّ، أَوْ كَانَ خِطَابَ جَمَاعَةٍ الْمُرَادُ بِهِ وَاحِدٌ، أَوْ خِطَابَ وَاحِدٍ الْمُرَادُ بِهِ جَمَاعَةٌ.

wa-mā kāna lafẓuhu ʿāmman al-murādu bihi khāṣṣun, aw kāna lafẓuhu khāṣṣan al-murādu bihi ʿāmmun, aw kāna khiṭāba jamāʿatin al-murādu bihi wāḥidun, aw khiṭāba wāḥidin al-murādu bihi jamāʿatun.

They distinguished statements worded generally but intended specifically, or worded specifically but intended generally; and addresses directed to a group but intended for one person, or directed to one person but intended for a group.

وَتَكَلَّمُوا بِالِاحْتِجَاجَاتِ الْعَقْلِيَّةِ عَلَى الْمُخَالِفِينَ، وَاسْتَدَلُّوا بِالْبَرَاهِينِ الْبَيِّنَةِ عَلَى أَهْلِ الضَّلَالَةِ نُصْرَةً لِلدِّينِ، وَتَمَسَّكُوا بِنَصِّ الْكِتَابِ أَوْ نَصِّ السُّنَّةِ أَوْ قِيَاسٍ عَلَى النَّصِّ أَوْ إِجْمَاعِ الْأُمَّةِ.

Wa-takallamū bi-al-iḥtijājāti al-ʿaqliyyati ʿalā al-mukhālifīna, wa-istadallū bi-al-barāhīni al-bayyinati ʿalā ahli al-ḍalālati nuṣratan li-al-dīni, wa-tamassakū bi-naṣṣi al-kitābi aw naṣṣi al-sunnati aw qiyāsin ʿalā al-naṣṣi aw ijmāʿi al-ummati.

They used rational arguments against those who opposed them and clear proofs against people in error, in support of religion. They held firmly to an explicit Qurʾanic text, an explicit text of the Sunna, an analogy based on a text, or the consensus of the Muslim community.

وَنَاظَرُوا مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ بِرَسْمِ النَّظَرِ، وَجَادَلُوا مَنْ جَادَلَهُمْ بِأَدَبِ الْجَدَلِ، وَعَارَضُوا خَصْمَهُمْ بِالْمُعَارَضَاتِ، وَاعْتَرَضُوا عَلَيْهِمْ بِرَدِّ الِاعْتِرَاضَاتِ وَاطِّرَادِ الْعِلَلِ فِي الْمَعْلُولَاتِ. فَوَضَعُوا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فِي مَوَاضِعِهِ، وَرَتَّبُوا كُلَّ حَدٍّ فِي مَرَاتِبِهِ، وَفَرَّقُوا بَيْنَ الْمُقَايَسَةِ وَالْمُشَاكَلَةِ وَالْمُجَانَسَةِ وَالْمُقَارَنَةِ.

Wa-nāẓarū man khālafahum bi-rasmi al-naẓari, wa-jādalū man jādalahum bi-adabi al-jadali, wa-ʿāraḍū khaṣmahum bi-al-muʿāraḍāti, wa-iʿtaraḍū ʿalayhim bi-raddi al-iʿtirāḍāti wa-iṭṭirādi al-ʿilali fī al-maʿlūlāti. Fa-waḍaʿū kulla shayʾin fī mawāḍiʿihi, wa-rattabū kulla ḥaddin fī marātibihi, wa-farraqū bayna al-muqāyasati wa-al-mushākalati wa-al-mujānasati wa-al-muqāranati.

They debated their opponents according to the rules of inquiry, and met those who argued with them according to the proper conduct of debate. They answered opposing arguments, refuted objections, and tested the consistent application of underlying causes to the cases they governed. They put everything in its proper place and assigned each boundary its appropriate level, distinguishing analogy, resemblance, similarity in kind, and comparison.

وَمَيَّزُوا فِي الْأَوَامِرِ وَالنَّوَاهِي مَا كَانَ مِنْهُ حَتْمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنْهُ نَدْبًا، وَمَا كَانَ مِنْهُ تَرْغِيبًا وَتَرْهِيبًا، وَمَا كَانَ [مِنْهُ] مَحْثُوثًا عَلَيْهِ وَمُدْعُوًّا إِلَيْهِ.

Wa-mayyazū fī al-awāmiri wa-al-nawāhī mā kāna minhu ḥatman wa-mā kāna minhu nadban, wa-mā kāna minhu targhīban wa-tarhīban, wa-mā kāna [minhu] maḥthūthan ʿalayhi wa-madʿuwwan ilayhi.

In commands and prohibitions, they distinguished what was binding from what was recommended, what offered encouragement or warning, and what people were urged and invited to undertake.

فَبَيَّنُوا الْمُشْكِلَ وَحَلُّوا الْعُقَدَ، وَأَوْضَحُوا الطُّرُقَ وَأَزَالُوا الشُّبُهَاتِ، وَفَرَّعُوا عَلَى الْأُصُولِ وَشَرَحُوا الْمُجْمَلَ وَبَسَطُوا الْمَجْمُوعَ، وَأَخَذُوا حُدُودَ الدِّينِ بِالِاحْتِيَاطِ،

Fa-bayyanū al-mushkila wa-ḥallū al-ʿuqada, wa-awḍaḥū al-ṭuruqa wa-azālū al-shubuhāti, wa-farraʿū ʿalā al-uṣūli wa-sharaḥū al-mujmala wa-basaṭū al-majmūʿa, wa-akhadhū ḥudūda al-dīni bi-al-iḥtiyāṭi,

They clarified difficulties and untied knots, made the paths clear and removed doubts, worked out applications from principles, explained condensed statements, and unfolded what had been gathered together. They treated the limits of religion with care,

حَتَّى لَا يُقَلِّدَ الْعَالِمُ عَالِمًا، وَلَا الْجَاهِلُ جَاهِلًا، وَلَا الْخَاصُّ خَاصًّا، وَلَا الْعَامُّ عَامًّا فِي ظَاهِرِ الْأَحْكَامِ وَحُدُودِ الشَّرِيعَةِ. بِهِمْ يُحْفَظُ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ حُدُودُهُمْ.

ḥattā lā yuqallida al-ʿālimu ʿāliman, wa-lā al-jāhilu jāhilan, wa-lā al-khāṣṣu khāṣṣan, wa-lā al-ʿāmmu ʿāmman fī ẓāhiri al-aḥkāmi wa-ḥudūdi al-sharīʿati. Bihim yuḥfaẓu ʿalā al-muslimīna ḥudūduhum.

so that neither scholar nor uninformed person, specialist nor ordinary believer, would merely follow someone like themselves in outward rulings and the boundaries of the sacred law. Through them, the religious boundaries of the Muslims are preserved.

وَقَدْ ذَكَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي كِتَابِهِ، فَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: «فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ» الْآيَةَ.

Wa-qad dhakarahumu Allāhu taʿālā fī kitābihi, fa-qāla ʿazza wa-jalla: “Fa-lawlā nafara min kulli firqatin minhum ṭāʾifatun li-yatafaqqahū fī al-dīni” al-āyata.

God Most High has mentioned them in His Book, saying: “Why should a group from every community among them not go forth to gain understanding of religion?”—and the rest of the verse.

[وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ».]

[Wa-qāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: “Man yuridi Allāhu bihi khayran yufaqqihhu fī al-dīni.”]

[The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “When God wills good for someone, He gives that person understanding of religion.”]

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وَلِلْفُقَهَاءِ فِي مَعَانِي عُلُومِهِمْ وَرُسُومِهِمْ أَيْضًا مُصَنَّفَاتٌ، وَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةٌ مَشْهُورُونَ قَدْ أَجْمَعَ أَهْلُ عَصْرِهِمْ عَلَى إِمَامَتِهِمْ لِزِيَادَةِ عِلْمِهِمْ وَفَهْمِهِمْ وَدِينِهِمْ وَأَمَانَتِهِمْ. وَشَرْحُ ذَلِكَ يَطُولُ، وَالْعَاقِلُ يَسْتَدِلُّ بِالْقَلِيلِ عَلَى الْكَثِيرِ، وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ.

Wa-li-al-fuqahāʾi fī maʿānī ʿulūmihim wa-rusūmihim ayḍan muṣannafātun, wa-lahum aʾimmatun mashhūrūna qad ajmaʿa ahlu ʿaṣrihim ʿalā imāmatihim li-ziyādati ʿilmihim wa-fahmihim wa-dīnihim wa-amānatihim. Wa-sharḥu dhālika yaṭūlu, wa-al-ʿāqilu yastadillu bi-al-qalīli ʿalā al-kathīri, wa-bi-Allāhi al-tawfīqu.

The jurists also have works on the subjects of their sciences and methods. They have renowned leading scholars whose contemporaries agreed on their authority because of their greater knowledge, understanding, religious commitment, and trustworthiness. A full explanation would be lengthy; an intelligent person can infer much from a little. Success comes through God.

Printed page 10

بَابُ ذِكْرِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ وَطَبَقَاتِهِمْ وَمَا تَرَسَّمُوا بِهِ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ وَالْعَمَلِ وَمَا خُصُّوا بِهِ مِنَ الْفَضَائِلِ وَحُسْنِ الشَّمَائِلِ.

Bābu dhikri al-ṣūfiyyati wa-ṭabaqātihim wa-mā tarassamū bihi mina al-ʿilmi wa-al-ʿamali wa-mā khuṣṣū bihi mina al-faḍāʾili wa-ḥusni al-shamāʾili.

Chapter on the Sufis and their ranks, the knowledge and practice that distinguish them, and their particular virtues and qualities of character.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو نَصْرٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: ثُمَّ إِنَّ طَبَقَاتِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ أَيْضًا اتَّفَقُوا مَعَ الْفُقَهَاءِ وَأَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ فِي مُعْتَقَدَاتِهِمْ، وَقَبِلُوا عُلُومَهُمْ،

Qāla al-shaykhu Abū Naṣrin raḥimahu Allāhu: Thumma inna ṭabaqāti al-ṣūfiyyati ayḍan ittafaqū maʿa al-fuqahāʾi wa-aṣḥābi al-ḥadīthi fī muʿtaqadātihim, wa-qabilū ʿulūmahum,

Shaykh Abū Naṣr, may God have mercy on him, said: The Sufis of the various ranks also agreed with the jurists and hadith scholars in their beliefs, and accepted their sciences.

وَلَمْ يُخَالِفُوهُمْ فِي مَعَانِيهِمْ وَرُسُومِهِمْ، إِذْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ مُجَانِبًا مِنَ الْبِدَعِ وَاتِّبَاعِ الْهَوَى وَمَنُوطًا بِالْأُسْوَةِ وَالِاقْتِدَاءِ. وَشَارَكُوهُمْ بِالْقَبُولِ وَالْمُوَافَقَةِ فِي جَمِيعِ عُلُومِهِمْ [وَلَمْ يُخَالِفُوهُمْ].

wa-lam yukhālifūhum fī maʿānīhim wa-rusūmihim, idh kāna dhālika mujāniban mina al-bidaʿi wa-ittibāʿi al-hawā wa-manūṭan bi-al-uswati wa-al-iqtidāʾi. Wa-shārakūhum bi-al-qabūli wa-al-muwāfaqati fī jamīʿi ʿulūmihim [wa-lam yukhālifūhum].

They did not oppose their teachings or methods, for these were free of religious innovations and the pursuit of desire, and grounded in following the proper example. They shared with them in accepting and agreeing with all these sciences [and did not oppose them].

وَمَنْ لَمْ يَبْلُغْ مِنَ الصُّوفِيَّةِ مَرَاتِبَ الْفُقَهَاءِ وَأَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ فِي الدِّرَايَةِ وَالْفَهْمِ، وَلَمْ يُحِطْ بِمَا أَحَاطُوا بِهِ عِلْمًا، فَإِنَّهُمْ رَاجِعُونَ إِلَيْهِمْ فِي الْوَقْتِ الَّذِي يُشْكِلُ عَلَيْهِمْ حُكْمٌ مِنَ الْأَحْكَامِ الشَّرْعِيَّةِ أَوْ حَدٌّ مِنْ حُدُودِ الدِّينِ.

Wa-man lam yablugh mina al-ṣūfiyyati marātiba al-fuqahāʾi wa-aṣḥābi al-ḥadīthi fī al-dirāyati wa-al-fahmi, wa-lam yuḥiṭ bi-mā aḥāṭū bihi ʿilman, fa-innahum rājiʿūna ilayhim fī al-waqti alladhī yushkilu ʿalayhim ḥukmun mina al-aḥkāmi al-sharʿiyyati aw ḥaddun min ḥudūdi al-dīni.

Those Sufis who have not attained the jurists’ and hadith scholars’ level of knowledge and understanding, and have not mastered what they know, turn to them whenever a ruling of the sacred law or a religious boundary is unclear to them.

فَإِذَا اجْتَمَعُوا فَهُمْ فِي جُمْلَتِهِمْ فِيمَا اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَيْهِ. فَإِذَا اخْتَلَفُوا فَاسْتِحْبَابُ الصُّوفِيَّةِ فِي مَذْهَبِهِمُ الْأَخْذُ بِالْأَحْسَنِ وَالْأَوْلَى وَالْأَتَمِّ، احْتِيَاطًا لِلدِّينِ وَتَعْظِيمًا لِمَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ عِبَادَهُ وَاجْتِنَابًا لِمَا نَهَاهُمُ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ.

Fa-idhā ijtamaʿū fa-hum fī jumlatihim fī-mā ijtamaʿū ʿalayhi. Fa-idhā ikhtalafū fa-istiḥbābu al-ṣūfiyyati fī madhhabihimu al-akhdhu bi-al-aḥsani wa-al-awlā wa-al-atammi, iḥtiyāṭan li-al-dīni wa-taʿẓīman li-mā amara Allāhu bihi ʿibādahu wa-ijtināban li-mā nahāhumu Allāhu ʿanhu.

When those scholars agree, the Sufis join them in that agreement. When they differ, the Sufis’ preferred practice is to take the better, more fitting, and more complete course, out of care for religion, reverence for what God has commanded His servants, and avoidance of what He has forbidden them.

وَلَيْسَ مِنْ مَذْهَبِهِمُ النُّزُولُ عَلَى الرُّخَصِ وَطَلَبُ التَّأْوِيلَاتِ [وَالْمَيْلُ إِلَى] التَّرَفُّهِ وَالسَّعَاتِ وَرُكُوبُ الشُّبُهَاتِ، لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ تَهَاوُنٌ بِالدِّينِ [وَتَخَلُّفٌ عَنِ الِاحْتِيَاطِ، وَإِنَّمَا مَذْهَبُهُمُ التَّمَسُّكُ بِالْأَوْلَى وَالْأَتَمِّ فِي أَمْرِ الدِّينِ].

Wa-laysa min madhhabihimu al-nuzūlu ʿalā al-rukhaṣi wa-ṭalabu al-taʾwīlāti [wa-al-maylu ilā] al-taraffuhi wa-al-saʿāti wa-rukūbu al-shubuhāti, li-anna dhālika tahāwunun bi-al-dīni [wa-takhallufun ʿani al-iḥtiyāṭi, wa-innamā madhhabuhumu al-tamassuku bi-al-awlā wa-al-atammi fī amri al-dīni].

Their way does not consist in settling for dispensations, seeking convenient interpretations, [inclining towards] comfort and ease, or entering doubtful matters. Such conduct shows carelessness towards religion [and a failure to exercise caution. Their way is to hold to what is more fitting and complete in religious matters].

فَهَذَا الَّذِي عَرَفْنَا مِنْ مَذَاهِبِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ وَرُسُومِهِمْ فِي اسْتِعْمَالِ الْعُلُومِ الظَّاهِرَةِ الْمَبْذُولَةِ الْمُتَدَاوَلَةِ بَيْنَ طَبَقَاتِ الْفُقَهَاءِ وَأَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ.

Fa-hādhā alladhī ʿarafnā min madhāhibi al-ṣūfiyyati wa-rusūmihim fī istiʿmāli al-ʿulūmi al-ẓāhirati al-mabdhūlati al-mutadāwalati bayna ṭabaqāti al-fuqahāʾi wa-aṣḥābi al-ḥadīthi.

This is what we have learned of the Sufis’ approaches and methods in applying the outward sciences that are openly available and shared among the various ranks of jurists and hadith scholars.

Printed pages 10 to 11

ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ [مِنْ] بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ ارْتَقَوْا إِلَى دَرَجَاتٍ عَالِيَةٍ وَتَعَلَّقُوا بِأَحْوَالٍ شَرِيفَةٍ وَمَنَازِلَ رَفِيعَةٍ مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الْعِبَادَاتِ وَحَقَائِقِ الطَّاعَاتِ وَالْأَخْلَاقِ الْجَمِيلَةِ.

Thumma innahum [min] baʿdi dhālika irtaqaw ilā darajātin ʿāliyatin wa-taʿallaqū bi-aḥwālin sharīfatin wa-manāzila rafīʿatin min anwāʿi al-ʿibādāti wa-ḥaqāʾiqi al-ṭāʿāti wa-al-akhlāqi al-jamīlati.

Beyond this, they rose to high degrees and attained noble spiritual states and lofty stations in forms of worship, the inward realities of obedience, and beautiful character.

Printed page 11

وَلَهُمْ فِي مَعَانِي ذَلِكَ تَخْصِيصٌ لَيْسَ لِغَيْرِهِمْ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ وَالْفُقَهَاءِ وَأَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ. وَشَرْحُ ذَلِكَ يَطُولُ، غَيْرَ أَنِّي أُبَيِّنُ لَكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ طَرَفًا، حَتَّى تَسْتَدِلَّ بِمَا أَذْكُرُهُ عَلَى مَا لَا أَذْكُرُهُ، إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى.

Wa-lahum fī maʿānī dhālika takhṣīṣun laysa li-ghayrihim mina al-ʿulamāʾi wa-al-fuqahāʾi wa-aṣḥābi al-ḥadīthi. Wa-sharḥu dhālika yaṭūlu, ghayra annī ubayyinu laka min kulli shayʾin ṭarafan, ḥattā tastadilla bi-mā adhkuruhu ʿalā mā lā adhkuruhu, in shāʾa Allāhu taʿālā.

In these matters they have a particular distinction not shared by the other scholars, jurists, and hadith specialists. A full explanation would be lengthy, but I will give you a glimpse of each subject, so that you may infer what I leave unmentioned from what I mention, if God Most High wills.

بَابُ ذِكْرِ تَخْصِيصِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ بِالْمَعَانِي الَّتِي قَدْ تَرَسَّمُوا بِهَا مِنَ الْآدَابِ وَالْأَحْوَالِ وَالْعُلُومِ الَّتِي تَفَرَّدُوا بِهَا مِنْ جُمْلَةِ الْعُلَمَاءِ.

Bābu dhikri takhṣīṣi al-ṣūfiyyati bi-al-maʿānī allatī qad tarassamū bihā mina al-ādābi wa-al-aḥwāli wa-al-ʿulūmi allatī tafarradū bihā min jumlati al-ʿulamāʾi.

Chapter on the Sufis’ particular distinction in the manners, spiritual states, and sciences that mark their way and set them apart among scholars.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو نَصْرٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: فَأَوَّلُ شَيْءٍ مِنَ التَّخْصِيصَاتِ لِلصُّوفِيَّةِ، وَمَا تَفَرَّدُوا بِهَا عَنْ جُمْلَةِ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرْتُهُمْ، مِنْ بَعْدِ أَدَاءِ الْفَرَائِضِ وَاجْتِنَابِ الْمَحَارِمِ،

Qāla al-shaykhu Abū Naṣrin raḥimahu Allāhu: Fa-awwalu shayʾin mina al-takhṣīṣāti li-al-ṣūfiyyati, wa-mā tafarradū bihā ʿan jumlati hāʾulāʾi alladhīna dhakartuhum, min baʿdi adāʾi al-farāʾiḍi wa-ijtinābi al-maḥārimi,

Shaykh Abū Naṣr, may God have mercy on him, said: The first particular distinction of the Sufis, setting them apart from all the groups I have mentioned—after fulfilling their obligatory duties and avoiding forbidden things—is this:

تَرْكُ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِمْ، وَقَطْعُ كُلِّ عَلَاقَةٍ تَحُولُ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَطْلُوبِهِمْ وَمَقْصُودِهِمْ؛ إِذْ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ مَطْلُوبٌ وَلَا مَقْصُودٌ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى.

tarku mā lā yaʿnīhim, wa-qaṭʿu kulli ʿalāqatin taḥūlu baynahum wa-bayna maṭlūbihim wa-maqṣūdihim; idh laysa lahum maṭlūbun wa-lā maqṣūdun ghayru Allāhi taʿālā.

They leave aside what does not concern them and sever every attachment that comes between them and the One they seek and intend. They seek and intend none but God Most High.

ثُمَّ لَهُمْ آدَابٌ وَأَحْوَالٌ شَتَّى؛ فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ الْقَنَاعَةُ بِقَلِيلِ الدُّنْيَا عَنْ كَثِيرِهَا، وَالِاكْتِفَاءُ بِالْقُوتِ الَّذِي لَا بُدَّ مِنْهُ، وَالِاخْتِصَارُ عَلَى مَا لَا بُدَّ مِنْهُ مِنْ مِهْنَةِ الدُّنْيَا، مِنَ الْمَلْبُوسِ وَالْمَفْرُوشِ وَالْمَأْكُولِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ.

Thumma lahum ādābun wa-aḥwālun shattā; fa-min dhālika al-qanāʿatu bi-qalīli al-dunyā ʿan kathīrihā, wa-al-iktifāʾu bi-al-qūti alladhī lā budda minhu, wa-al-ikhtiṣāru ʿalā mā lā budda minhu min mihnati al-dunyā, mina al-malbūsi wa-al-mafrūshi wa-al-maʾkūli wa-ghayri dhālika.

They also have many forms of conduct and spiritual states. These include being content with little of this world rather than much, making do with the sustenance they need, and limiting themselves to the necessities of worldly life: clothing, bedding, food, and other such things.

وَاخْتِيَارُ الْفَقْرِ عَلَى الْغِنَى اخْتِيَارًا، وَمُعَانَقَةُ الْقِلَّةِ وَمُجَانَبَةُ الْكَثْرَةِ، وَإِيثَارُ الْجُوعِ عَلَى الشِّبَعِ وَالْقَلِيلِ عَلَى الْكَثِيرِ، وَتَرْكُ الْعُلُوِّ وَالتَّرَفُّعِ، وَبَذْلُ الْجَاهِ، وَالشَّفَقَةُ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ، وَالتَّوَاضُعُ لِلصَّغِيرِ وَالْكَبِيرِ، وَالْإِيثَارُ فِي وَقْتِ الْحَاجَةِ إِلَيْهِ، وَأَنْ لَا يُبَالِيَ مَنْ أَكَلَ الدُّنْيَا.

Wa-ikhtiyāru al-faqri ʿalā al-ghinā ikhtiyāran, wa-muʿānaqatu al-qillati wa-mujānabatu al-kathrati, wa-īthāru al-jūʿi ʿalā al-shibaʿi wa-al-qalīli ʿalā al-kathīri, wa-tarku al-ʿuluwwi wa-al-taraffuʿi, wa-badhlu al-jāhi, wa-al-shafaqatu ʿalā al-khalqi, wa-al-tawāḍuʿu li-al-ṣaghīri wa-al-kabīri, wa-al-īthāru fī waqti al-ḥājati ilayhi, wa-an lā yubāliya man akala al-dunyā.

They freely choose poverty over wealth, embrace little and avoid abundance, prefer hunger to fullness and little to much, and give up superiority and self-importance. They use their standing to help others, show compassion towards people, humble themselves before young and old, put others first when they themselves are in need, and do not care who enjoys the world’s goods.

Printed pages 11 to 12

وَحُسْنُ الظَّنِّ بِاللَّهِ، وَالْإِخْلَاصُ فِي الْمُسَابَقَةِ إِلَى الطَّاعَاتِ، وَالْمُسَارَعَةُ إِلَى جَمِيعِ الْخَيْرَاتِ، وَالتَّوَجُّهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَالِانْقِطَاعُ إِلَيْهِ.

Wa-ḥusnu al-ẓanni bi-Allāhi, wa-al-ikhlāṣu fī al-musābaqati ilā al-ṭāʿāti, wa-al-musāraʿatu ilā jamīʿi al-khayrāti, wa-al-tawajjuhu ilā Allāhi taʿālā wa-al-inqiṭāʿu ilayhi.

They think well of God, act sincerely as they strive in obedience, hasten towards every good deed, turn towards God Most High, and devote themselves entirely to Him.

Printed page 12

وَالْعُكُوفُ عَلَى بَلَائِهِ، وَالرِّضَا عَنْ قَضَائِهِ، وَالصَّبْرُ عَلَى دَوَامِ الْمُجَاهَدَةِ وَمُخَالَفَةِ الْهَوَى وَمُجَانَبَةِ حُظُوظِ النَّفْسِ وَالْمُخَالَفَةِ لَهَا، إِذْ وَصَفَهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَمَّارَةً بِالسُّوءِ، وَالنَّظَرُ إِلَيْهَا بِأَنَّهَا أَعْدَى عَدُوِّكَ الَّتِي بَيْنَ جَنْبَيْكَ، كَمَا رُوِيَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

Wa-al-ʿukūfu ʿalā balāʾihi, wa-al-riḍā ʿan qaḍāʾihi, wa-al-ṣabru ʿalā dawāmi al-mujāhadati wa-mukhālafati al-hawā wa-mujānabati ḥuẓūẓi al-nafsi wa-al-mukhālafati lahā, idh waṣafahā Allāhu taʿālā ammāratan bi-al-sūʾi, wa-al-naẓaru ilayhā bi-annahā aʿdā ʿaduwwika allatī bayna janbayka, ka-mā ruwiya ʿan Rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama.

They remain steadfast under His trials, accept His decree, and persevere in spiritual struggle: resisting desire, avoiding the self’s claims to gratification, and opposing it, since God Most High has described it as inciting to evil. They regard this self within them as their fiercest enemy, as has been reported from the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace.

فَصْلٌ آخَرُ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ مِنْ آدَابِهِمْ وَشَمَائِلِهِمْ أَيْضًا مُرَاعَاةَ الْأَسْرَارِ وَمُرَاقَبَةَ الْمَلِكِ الْجَبَّارِ، وَمُدَاوَمَةَ الْمُحَافَظَةِ عَلَى الْقُلُوبِ بِنَفْيِ الْخَوَاطِرِ الْمَذْمُومَةِ وَمُسَاكَنَةِ الْأَفْكَارِ الشَّاغِلَةِ الَّتِي لَا يَعْلَمُهَا غَيْرُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.

Faṣlun ākharu. Thumma inna min ādābihim wa-shamāʾilihim ayḍan murāʿāta al-asrāri wa-murāqabata al-Maliki al-Jabbāri, wa-mudāwamata al-muḥāfaẓati ʿalā al-qulūbi bi-nafyi al-khawāṭiri al-madhmūmati wa-musākanati al-afkāri al-shāghilati allatī lā yaʿlamuhā ghayru Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla.

Another section. Their conduct and character also include tending their innermost selves, remaining mindful of the Sovereign, the All-Compelling, and constantly guarding their hearts by banishing blameworthy thoughts and the habit of dwelling on distracting ideas known only to God, mighty and majestic.

حَتَّى يَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ تَعَالَى بِقُلُوبٍ حَاضِرَةٍ وَهُمُومٍ جَامِعَةٍ وَنِيَّاتٍ صَادِقَةٍ وَقُصُودٍ خَالِصَةٍ؛ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَا يَقْبَلُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِمْ إِلَّا مَا كَانَ لِوَجْهِهِ خَالِصًا. قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: «أَلَا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ».

Ḥattā yaʿbudū Allāha taʿālā bi-qulūbin ḥāḍiratin wa-humūmin jāmiʿatin wa-niyyātin ṣādiqatin wa-quṣūdin khāliṣatin; li-anna Allāha ʿazza wa-jalla lā yaqbalu min ʿibādihi min aʿmālihim illā mā kāna li-wajhihi khāliṣan. Qāla Allāhu ʿazza wa-jalla: “Alā li-Allāhi al-dīnu al-khāliṣu.”

Thus they worship God Most High with attentive hearts, undivided concerns, true intentions, and sincere purposes. God, mighty and majestic, accepts from His servants only deeds done sincerely for His sake. God says: “Surely, sincere devotion belongs to God alone.”

[فَصْلٌ آخَرُ]. وَمِنْ آدَابِهِمْ وَشَمَائِلِهِمْ وَتَخْصِيصِهِمْ أَيْضًا الِاعْتِرَاضُ لِسُلُوكِ سُبُلِ أَوْلِيَائِهِ، وَالنُّزُولُ فِي مَنَازِلِ أَصْفِيَائِهِ، وَمُبَاشَرَةُ حَقِيقَةِ الْحُقُوقِ بِبَذْلِ الرُّوحِ وَتَلَفِ النَّفْسِ، وَاخْتِيَارُ الْمَوْتِ عَلَى الْحَيَاةِ، وَإِيثَارُ الذُّلِّ عَلَى الْعِزِّ، وَاسْتِحْبَابُ الشِّدَّةِ عَلَى الرَّخَاءِ، طَمَعًا فِي الْوُصُولِ إِلَى الْمُرَادِ.

[Faṣlun ākharu]. Wa-min ādābihim wa-shamāʾilihim wa-takhṣīṣihim ayḍan al-iʿtirāḍu li-sulūki subuli awliyāʾihi, wa-al-nuzūlu fī manāzili aṣfiyāʾihi, wa-mubāsharatu ḥaqīqati al-ḥuqūqi bi-badhli al-rūḥi wa-talafi al-nafsi, wa-ikhtiyāru al-mawti ʿalā al-ḥayāti, wa-īthāru al-dhulli ʿalā al-ʿizzi, wa-istiḥbābu al-shiddati ʿalā al-rakhāʾi, ṭamaʿan fī al-wuṣūli ilā al-murādi.

[Another section.] Their conduct, character, and particular distinction also include setting themselves to follow the paths of His friends, taking their place in the stations of His chosen ones, and directly living the reality of what is owed to Him, by giving their very spirit and letting the self perish. They choose death over life, lowliness over honour, and hardship over ease, in the hope of reaching the One they desire.

وَأَنْ لَا يُرِيدَ إِلَّا مَا يُرِيدُ. وَهَذَا فِي أَوَّلِ بَادٍ مِنْ بَوَادِي الْحَقَائِقِ وَحَقِيقَةِ الْحُقُوقِ.

Wa-an lā yurīda illā mā yurīdu. Wa-hādhā fī awwali bādin min bawādī al-ḥaqāʾiqi wa-ḥaqīqati al-ḥuqūqi.

And the seeker wills only what He wills. This belongs to the first dawning of spiritual realities and of the reality of what is owed to Him.

Printed pages 12 to 13

أَمَا تَرَى أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَيْثُ سَأَلَ حَارِثَةَ [فَقَالَ]: «لِكُلِّ حَقٍّ حَقِيقَةٌ، فَمَا حَقِيقَةُ إِيمَانِكَ؟» [بِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ أَجَابَهُ؟]

A-mā tarā anna al-nabiyya ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama ḥaythu saʾala Ḥārithata [fa-qāla]: «li-kulli ḥaqqin ḥaqīqatun, fa-mā ḥaqīqatu īmānika?» [bi-ayyi shayʾin ajābahu?]

Recall how the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, asked Ḥāritha [and said], “Every truth has a reality. What is the reality of your faith?” [How did he answer him?]

Printed page 13

فَقَالَ: «عَزَفَتْ نَفْسِي عَنِ الدُّنْيَا، فَأَسْهَرْتُ لَيْلِي وَأَظْمَأْتُ نَهَارِي،

fa-qāla: «ʿazafat nafsī ʿani al-dunyā, fa-as-hartu laylī wa-aẓmaʾtu nahārī,

He replied, “My soul has turned away from this world. I spend my nights awake and my days thirsty.

وَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى عَرْشِ رَبِّي بَارِزًا، وَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ كَيْفَ يَتَزَاوَرُونَ، وَإِلَى أَهْلِ النَّارِ فِي النَّارِ كَيْفَ يَتَعَاوَوْنَ».

wa-ka-annī anẓuru ilā ʿarshi rabbī bārizan, wa-ka-annī anẓuru ilā ahli al-jannati kayfa yatazāwarūna, wa-ilā ahli al-nāri fī al-nāri kayfa yataʿāwawna».

It is as though I see my Lord’s Throne laid bare, the people of Paradise visiting one another, and the people of the Fire howling to one another in the Fire.”

فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «عَرَفْتَ فَالْزَمْ»، أَوْ كَمَا رُوِيَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.

fa-qāla lahu al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: «ʿarafta fa-lzam», aw ka-mā ruwiya fī al-ḥadīthi, wa-Allāhu aʿlamu.

The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him, “You have come to know; hold firmly to it”—or words to that effect, as the report relates. God knows best.

بَابٌ فِي تَخْصِيصِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ مِنْ طَبَقَاتِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِي مَعَانٍ أُخَرَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ.

bābun fī takhṣīṣi al-ṣūfiyyati min ṭabaqāti ahli al-ʿilmi fī maʿānin ukhara mina al-ʿilmi.

Chapter: Other forms of knowledge that distinguish the Sufis among the ranks of scholars.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ [أَبُو نَصْرٍ] رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: وَلِلصُّوفِيَّةِ أَيْضًا تَخْصِيصٌ مِنْ طَبَقَاتِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ

qāla al-shaykhu [Abū Naṣrin] raḥimahu Allāhu: wa-li-l-ṣūfiyyati ayḍan takhṣīṣun min ṭabaqāti ahli al-ʿilmi

The shaykh [Abū Naṣr], may God have mercy on him, said: The Sufis are also distinguished among the ranks of scholars

بِاسْتِعْمَالِ آيَاتٍ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مَتْلُوَّةٍ، وَأَخْبَارٍ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَرْوِيَّةٍ، مَا نَسَخَتْهَا آيَةٌ وَمَا رَفَعَ حُكْمَهَا خَبَرٌ وَلَا أَثَرٌ.

bi-stiʿmāli āyātin min kitābi Allāhi taʿālā matluwwatin, wa-akhbārin ʿan rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama marwiyyatin, mā nasakhat-hā āyatun wa-mā rafaʿa ḥukmahā khabarun wa-lā atharun.

by putting into practice recited verses of God’s Book and transmitted reports from God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, which no verse has abrogated and whose ruling no report or transmitted tradition has set aside.

يَدْعُو ذَلِكَ إِلَى مَكَارِمِ الْأَخْلَاقِ، وَيَحُثُّ عَلَى مَعَالِي الْأَحْوَالِ وَفَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ، وَيُنَبِّئُ عَنْ مَقَامَاتٍ عَالِيَةٍ فِي الدِّينِ وَمَنَازِلَ رَفِيعَةٍ.

yadʿū dhālika ilā makārimi al-akhlāqi, wa-yaḥuththu ʿalā maʿālī al-aḥwāli wa-faḍāʾili al-aʿmāli, wa-yunabbiʾu ʿan maqāmātin ʿāliyatin fī al-dīni wa-manāzila rafīʿatin.

These call for noble character, encourage elevated spiritual states and virtuous deeds, and indicate high stations and lofty degrees in religion.

خُصَّ بِذَلِكَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَتَعَلَّقَ بِذَلِكَ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ،

khuṣṣa bi-dhālika ṭāʾifatun mina al-muʾminīna, wa-taʿallaqa bi-dhālika jamāʿatun mina al-ṣaḥābati wa-al-tābiʿīna,

A group of believers has been singled out for these qualities, and a number of the Companions and their successors embraced them.

وَذَلِكَ آدَابٌ مِنْ آدَابِ الرَّسُولِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَخُلُقٌ مِنْ أَخْلَاقِهِ، إِذْ يَقُولُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَدَّبَنِي فَأَحْسَنَ أَدَبِي»،

wa-dhālika ādābun min ādābi al-rasūli ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama wa-khuluqun min akhlāqihi, idh yaqūlu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: «inna Allāha addabanī fa-aḥsana adabī»,

They belong to the conduct of God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, and reflect his character. For he says, “God formed my conduct and made it beautiful,”

وَإِذْ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: «وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ».

wa-idh yaqūlu Allāhu ʿazza wa-jalla: «wa-innaka la-ʿalā khuluqin ʿaẓīmin».

and God, mighty and majestic, says, “You are surely of a mighty character.”

وَذَلِكَ مَوْجُودٌ فِي دَوَاوِينِ الْعُلَمَاءِ وَالْفُقَهَاءِ، وَلَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ تَفَقُّهٌ وَاسْتِنْبَاطٌ كَتَفَقُّهِهِمْ فِي سَائِرِ الْعُلُومِ،

wa-dhālika mawjūdun fī dawāwīni al-ʿulamāʾi wa-al-fuqahāʾi, wa-laysa lahum fī dhālika tafaqquhun wa-stinbāṭun ka-tafaqquhihim fī sāʾiri al-ʿulūmi,

These teachings are recorded in the collections of scholars and jurists. Yet they do not study and draw out their meanings as they do in other disciplines.

وَلَيْسَ لِغَيْرِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ مِنْ أُولِي الْعِلْمِ الْقَائِمِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ فِي ذَلِكَ نَصِيبٌ غَيْرَ الْإِقْرَارِ بِهِ وَالْإِيمَانِ بِأَنَّهُ حَقٌّ.

wa-laysa li-ghayri al-ṣūfiyyati min ulī al-ʿilmi al-qāʾimīna bi-al-qisṭi fī dhālika naṣībun ghayra al-iqrāri bihi wa-al-īmāni bi-annahu ḥaqqun.

Among the people of knowledge who uphold justice, those other than the Sufis have no share in this beyond acknowledging it and believing that it is true.

وَذَلِكَ مِثْلُ حَقَائِقِ التَّوْبَةِ وَصِفَاتِهَا، وَدَرَجَاتِ التَّائِبِينَ وَحَقَائِقِهِمْ، وَدَقَائِقِ الْوَرَعِ وَأَحْوَالِ الْوَرِعِينَ،

wa-dhālika mithlu ḥaqāʾiqi al-tawbati wa-ṣifātihā, wa-darajāti al-tāʾibīna wa-ḥaqāʾiqihim, wa-daqāʾiqi al-waraʿi wa-aḥwāli al-wariʿīna,

Such matters include the realities and qualities of repentance, the degrees and inner realities of the repentant, the subtleties of scrupulousness and the states of the scrupulous,

Printed pages 13 to 14

وَطَبَقَاتِ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ وَمَقَامَاتِ الرَّاضِينَ وَدَرَجَاتِ الصَّابِرِينَ،

wa-ṭabaqāti al-mutawakkilīna wa-maqāmāti al-rāḍīna wa-darajāti al-ṣābirīna,

the ranks of those who trust in God, the stations of the contented, and the degrees of the patient.

Printed page 14

وَكَذَلِكَ فِي بَابِ الْخَشْيَةِ وَالْخُشُوعِ وَالْمَحَبَّةِ وَالْخَوْفِ وَالرَّجَاءِ وَالشَّوْقِ وَالْمُشَاهَدَةِ [وَالْإِنَابَةِ] وَالطُّمَأْنِينَةِ وَالْيَقِينِ وَالْقَنَاعَةِ.

wa-ka-dhālika fī bābi al-khashyati wa-al-khushūʿi wa-al-maḥabbati wa-al-khawfi wa-al-rajāʾi wa-al-shawqi wa-al-mushāhadati [wa-al-inābati] wa-al-ṭumaʾnīnati wa-al-yaqīni wa-al-qanāʿati.

The same applies to reverent fear and humility, love, fear, hope, longing, witnessing, [turning back to God], tranquillity, certainty, and contentment with what one has.

وَهَذِهِ أَحْوَالٌ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ أَنْ يُحْصَى عَدَدُهَا، وَلِكُلِّ حَالٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَهْلٌ وَطَبَقَاتٌ،

wa-hādhihi aḥwālun aktharu min an yuḥṣā ʿadaduhā, wa-li-kulli ḥālin min dhālika ahlun wa-ṭabaqātun,

These states are too numerous to count. Each state has its own people and ranks.

وَلَهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ حَقَائِقُ [وَمُشَاهَدَاتٌ وَأَحْوَالٌ وَمُرَاقَبَاتٌ وَأَسْرَارٌ وَاجْتِهَادَاتٌ وَمَقَامَاتٌ وَدَرَجَاتٌ مُتَبَايِنَاتٌ]،

wa-lahum fī dhālika ḥaqāʾiqu [wa-mushāhadātun wa-aḥwālun wa-murāqabātun wa-asrārun wa-jtihādātun wa-maqāmātun wa-darajātun mutabāyinātun],

They have their inner realities, [experiences of witnessing, states, watchfulness, secrets, strenuous efforts, stations, and distinct degrees],

وَإِرَادَاتٌ مُتَفَاوِتَةٌ، وَتَفَاضُلٌ فِي قُوَّةِ الْإِرَادَةِ وَاعْتِرَاضِ الْفَتْرَةِ وَغَلَبَاتِ الْوَجْدِ.

wa-irādātun mutafāwitatun, wa-tafāḍulun fī quwwati al-irādati wa-ʿtirāḍi al-fatrati wa-ghalabāti al-wajdi.

differing aspirations, and differences in the strength of aspiration, the onset of lassitude, and the overpowering force of ecstasy.

وَلِكُلِّ أَحَدٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ حَدٌّ وَمَقَامٌ وَعِلْمٌ وَبَيَانٌ عَلَى مِقْدَارِ مَا قُسِمَ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.

wa-li-kulli aḥadin min dhālika ḥaddun wa-maqāmun wa-ʿilmun wa-bayānun ʿalā miqdāri mā qusima lahu mina Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla.

Each person has a limit, a station, knowledge, and an ability to explain, according to what God, mighty and majestic, has allotted him.

[فَصْلٌ]

[faṣlun]

[Section]

وَلِلصُّوفِيَّةِ أَيْضًا تَخْصِيصٌ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ الْحِرْصِ وَالْأَمَلِ وَدَقَائِقِهِمَا، وَمَعْرِفَةِ النَّفْسِ وَأَمَارَاتِهَا وَخَوَاطِرِهَا،

wa-li-l-ṣūfiyyati ayḍan takhṣīṣun fī maʿrifati al-ḥirṣi wa-al-amali wa-daqāʾiqihimā, wa-maʿrifati al-nafsi wa-amārātihā wa-khawāṭirihā,

The Sufis are also distinguished by their knowledge of greed, hope for worldly things, and their subtleties; of the self, its signs and passing thoughts;

وَدَقَائِقِ الرِّيَاءِ وَالشَّهْوَةِ الْخَفِيَّةِ وَالشِّرْكِ الْخَفِيِّ،

wa-daqāʾiqi al-riyāʾi wa-al-shahwati al-khafiyyati wa-al-shirki al-khafiyyi,

of subtle ostentation, hidden desire, and hidden association of partners with God;

وَكَيْفَ الْخَلَاصُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، وَكَيْفَ وَجْهُ الْإِنَابَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَصِدْقِ الِالْتِجَاءِ

wa-kayfa al-khalāṣu min dhālika, wa-kayfa wajhu al-inābati ilā Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla, wa-ṣidqi al-iltijāʾi

of how to be free of these; and of how to turn back to God, mighty and majestic, to seek refuge in Him sincerely,

وَدَوَامِ الِافْتِقَارِ وَالتَّسْلِيمِ وَالتَّفْوِيضِ وَالتَّبَرُّؤِ مِنَ الْحَوْلِ وَالْقُوَّةِ.

wa-dawāmi al-iftiqāri wa-al-taslīmi wa-al-tafwīḍi wa-al-tabarruʾi mina al-ḥawli wa-al-quwwati.

to remain in need of Him, to submit and entrust one’s affairs to Him, and to disclaim power and strength of one’s own.

فَصْلٌ آخَرُ.

faṣlun ākharu.

Another section.

وَلِلصُّوفِيَّةِ أَيْضًا مُسْتَنْبَطَاتٌ فِي عُلُومٍ مُشْكِلَةٍ عَلَى فُهُومِ الْفُقَهَاءِ وَالْعُلَمَاءِ،

wa-li-l-ṣūfiyyati ayḍan mustanbaṭātun fī ʿulūmin mushkilatin ʿalā fuhūmi al-fuqahāʾi wa-al-ʿulamāʾi,

The Sufis also draw out insights in disciplines that jurists and scholars find difficult to understand.

لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ لَطَائِفُ مُودَعَةٌ فِي إِشَارَاتٍ لَهُمْ تَخْفَى فِي الْعِبَارَةِ مِنْ دِقَّتِهَا وَلَطَافَتِهَا،

li-anna dhālika laṭāʾifu mūdaʿatun fī ishārātin lahum takhfā fī al-ʿibārati min diqqati-hā wa-laṭāfati-hā,

These are subtle meanings lodged in their allusions, which ordinary expression obscures because of their delicacy and subtlety.

وَذَلِكَ فِي مَعْنَى الْعَوَارِضِ وَالْعَوَائِقِ وَالْعَلَائِقِ وَالْحُجُبِ وَخَبَايَا السِّرِّ

wa-dhālika fī maʿnā al-ʿawāriḍi wa-al-ʿawāʾiqi wa-al-ʿalāʾiqi wa-al-ḥujubi wa-khabāyā al-sirri

They concern the meaning of intervening disturbances, obstacles, attachments, veils, the hidden depths of the innermost consciousness,

وَمَقَامَاتِ الْإِخْلَاصِ وَأَحْوَالِ الْمَعَارِفِ وَحَقَائِقِ الْأَذْكَارِ وَدَرَجَاتِ الْقُرْبِ

wa-maqāmāti al-ikhlāṣi wa-aḥwāli al-maʿārifi wa-ḥaqāʾiqi al-adhkāri wa-darajāti al-qurbi

the stations of sincerity, the states of spiritual knowing, the realities of remembrance, the degrees of nearness,

وَتَجْرِيدِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَمَنَازِلِ التَّفْرِيدِ وَحَقَائِقِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ

wa-tajrīdi al-tawḥīdi wa-manāzili al-tafrīdi wa-ḥaqāʾiqi al-ʿubūdiyyati

the purification of the affirmation of God’s oneness, the stages of singling Him out, the realities of servanthood,

وَمَحْوِ الْكَوْنِ بِالْأَزَلِ وَتَلَاشِي الْمُحْدَثِ إِذَا قُورِنَ بِالْقَدِيمِ،

wa-maḥwi al-kawni bi-al-azali wa-talāshī al-muḥdathi idhā qūrina bi-al-qadīmi,

the effacement of created existence before pre-eternity, and the vanishing of what has come into being when compared with the Eternal;

وَفَنَاءِ رُؤْيَةِ الْأَعْوَاضِ وَبَقَاءِ رُؤْيَةِ الْمُعْطِي [بِفَنَاءِ رُؤْيَةِ الْعَطَاءِ]،

wa-fanāʾi ruʾyati al-aʿwāḍi wa-baqāʾi ruʾyati al-muʿṭī [bi-fanāʾi ruʾyati al-ʿaṭāʾi],

the disappearance of awareness of rewards and the persistence of awareness of the Giver [as awareness of the gift disappears];

وَعُبُورِ الْأَحْوَالِ وَالْمَقَامَاتِ، وَجَمْعِ [الْأَشْخَاصِ] الْمُتَفَرِّقَاتِ،

wa-ʿubūri al-aḥwāli wa-al-maqāmāti, wa-jamʿi [al-ashkhāṣi] al-mutafarriqāti,

passing beyond states and stations; gathering the scattered [persons];

وَفَنَاءِ رُؤْيَةِ الْقَصْدِ بِبَقَاءِ رُؤْيَةِ الْمَقْصُودِ [وَالْإِعْرَاضِ عَنْ رُؤْيَةِ الْأَعْوَاضِ]،

wa-fanāʾi ruʾyati al-qaṣdi bi-baqāʾi ruʾyati al-maqṣūdi [wa-al-iʿrāḍi ʿan ruʾyati al-aʿwāḍi],

and the disappearance of awareness of one’s intention as awareness of the One intended remains, [and turning away from awareness of rewards];

Printed pages 14 to 15

وَتَرْكِ الِاعْتِرَاضِ، وَالْهُجُومِ عَلَى سُلُوكِ سُبُلٍ مُنْطَمِسَةٍ وَعُبُورِ مَفَاوِزَ مُهْلِكَةٍ.

wa-tarki al-iʿtirāḍi, wa-al-hujūmi ʿalā sulūki subulin munṭamisatin wa-ʿubūri mafāwiza muhlikatin.

abandoning objection; venturing along paths whose traces have disappeared; and crossing perilous deserts.

Printed page 15

فَالصُّوفِيَّةُ مَخْصُوصُونَ مِنْ أُولِي الْعِلْمِ الْقَائِمِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ بِحَلِّ هَذِهِ الْعُقَدِ وَالْوُقُوفِ عَلَى الْمُشْكِلِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ

fa-al-ṣūfiyyatu makhṣūṣūna min ulī al-ʿilmi al-qāʾimīna bi-al-qisṭi bi-ḥalli hādhihi al-ʿuqadi wa-al-wuqūfi ʿalā al-mushkili min dhālika

The Sufis are distinguished among the people of knowledge who uphold justice by untying these knots, grasping what is difficult in them,

وَالْمُمَارَسَةِ لَهَا بِالْمُنَازَلَةِ وَالْمُبَاشَرَةِ وَالْهُجُومِ عَلَيْهَا بِبَذْلِ الْمُهَجِ،

wa-al-mumārasati lahā bi-al-munāzalati wa-al-mubāsharati wa-al-hujūmi ʿalayhā bi-badhli al-muhaji,

and engaging with them through direct encounter and lived experience, venturing into them at the cost of their very lives.

حَتَّى يُخْبِرُونَ عَنْ طَعْمِهَا وَذَوْقِهَا وَنُقْصَانِهَا وَزِيَادَتِهَا،

ḥattā yukhbirūna ʿan ṭaʿmihā wa-dhawqihā wa-nuqṣānihā wa-ziyādati-hā,

They can therefore describe their flavour and taste, their diminution and increase;

وَيُطَالِبُونَ مَنْ يَدَّعِي حَالًا مِنْهَا بِدَلَائِلِهَا، وَيَتَكَلَّمُونَ فِي صَحِيحِهَا وَسَقِيمِهَا.

wa-yuṭālibūna man yaddaʿī ḥālan minhā bi-dalāʾilihā, wa-yatakallamūna fī ṣaḥīḥihā wa-saqīmihā.

require evidence from anyone who claims one of these states; and distinguish their sound forms from their unsound ones.

وَهَذَا أَكْثَرُ مِنْ أَنْ يَتَهَيَّأَ لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَذْكُرَ قَلِيلَهُ، إِذْ لَا سَبِيلَ إِلَى كَثِيرِهِ.

wa-hādhā aktharu min an yatahayyaʾa li-aḥadin an yadhkura qalīlahu, idh lā sabīla ilā kathīrihi.

All this is too extensive for anyone even to recount a small part of it, much less most of it.

وَجَمِيعُ ذَلِكَ مَوْجُودٌ عِلْمُهُ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَفِي أَخْبَارِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ،

wa-jamīʿu dhālika mawjūdun ʿilmuhu fī kitābi Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla wa-fī akhbāri rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama,

Knowledge of all these matters is found in the Book of God, mighty and majestic, and in reports from God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace.

مَفْهُومٌ عِنْدَ أَهْلِهِ، وَلَا يُنْكِرُهُ الْعُلَمَاءُ إِذَا اسْتَبْحَثُوا عَنْ ذَلِكَ.

mafhūmun ʿinda ahlihi, wa-lā yunkiruhu al-ʿulamāʾu idhā istabḥathū ʿan dhālika.

Those qualified to understand it do so, and scholars do not deny it when they investigate these matters closely.

وَإِنَّمَا أَنْكَرَ عِلْمَ التَّصَوُّفِ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنَ الْمُتَرَسِّمِينَ بِعِلْمِ الظَّاهِرِ،

wa-innamā ankara ʿilma al-taṣawwufi jamāʿatun mina al-mutarassimīna bi-ʿilmi al-ẓāhiri,

The knowledge of Sufism has been denied only by a group who lay claim to outward learning,

لِأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَعْرِفُوا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَلَا مِنْ أَخْبَارِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَّا مَا كَانَ فِي الْأَحْكَامِ الظَّاهِرَةِ وَمَا يَصْلُحُ لِلِاحْتِجَاجِ عَلَى الْمُخَالِفِينَ.

li-annahum lam yaʿrifū min kitābi Allāhi taʿālā wa-lā min akhbāri rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama illā mā kāna fī al-aḥkāmi al-ẓāhirati wa-mā yaṣluḥu li-al-iḥtijāji ʿalā al-mukhālifīna.

because all they know of God’s Book and the reports from God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, concerns outward rulings and material suitable for arguing against their opponents.

وَالنَّاسُ فِي زَمَانِنَا هَذَا إِلَى مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ أَمْيَلُ،

wa-al-nāsu fī zamāninā hādhā ilā mithli dhālika amyalu,

People in our time are more inclined to such pursuits,

لِأَنَّهُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى طَلَبِ الرِّيَاسَةِ وَاتِّخَاذِ الْجَاهِ عِنْدَ الْعَامَّةِ وَالْوُصُولِ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا.

li-annahu aqrabu ilā ṭalabi al-riyāsati wa-ttikhādhi al-jāhi ʿinda al-ʿāmmati wa-al-wuṣūli ilā al-dunyā.

because they offer an easier route to authority, standing among the public, and worldly gain.

وَقَلَّ مَنْ تَرَاهُ يَشْتَغِلُ بِهَذَا الْعِلْمِ الَّذِي ذَكَرْنَا،

wa-qalla man tarāhu yashtaghilu bi-hādhā al-ʿilmi alladhī dhakarnā,

You rarely see anyone occupied with the knowledge we have described,

لِأَنَّ هَذَا عِلْمُ الْخُصُوصِ، مَمْزُوجٌ بِالْمَرَارَةِ وَالْغُصَصِ،

li-anna hādhā ʿilmu al-khuṣūṣi, mamzūjun bi-al-marārati wa-al-ghuṣaṣi,

for this is the knowledge of a select few, mingled with bitterness and choking distress.

وَسَمَاعُهُ يُضْعِفُ الرُّكْبَتَيْنِ، وَيُحْزِنُ الْقَلْبَ، وَيُدْمِعُ الْعَيْنَ، وَيُصَغِّرُ الْعَظِيمَ، وَيُعَظِّمُ الصَّغِيرَ.

wa-samāʿuhu yuḍʿifu al-rukbatayni, wa-yuḥzinu al-qalba, wa-yudmiʿu al-ʿayna, wa-yuṣaghghiru al-ʿaẓīma, wa-yuʿaẓẓimu al-ṣaghīra.

Merely hearing it weakens the knees, saddens the heart, brings tears to the eyes, makes the great seem small, and makes the small seem great.

فَكَيْفَ اسْتِعْمَالُهُ وَمُبَاشَرَتُهُ وَذَوْقُهُ وَمُنَازَلَتُهُ؟

fa-kayfa istiʿmāluhu wa-mubāsharatuhu wa-dhawquhu wa-munāzalatuhu?

What, then, of putting it into practice, living it, tasting it, and meeting its demands?

وَلَيْسَ لِلنَّفْسِ فِي مُنَازَلَتِهِ حَظٌّ،

wa-laysa li-al-nafsi fī munāzalatihi ḥaẓẓun,

The self gains no gratification from engaging with it,

لِأَنَّهُ مَنُوطٌ بِ⟨إِمَاتَةِ⟩ النُّفُوسِ وَفَقْدِ الْحُسُوسِ وَمُجَانَبَةِ الْمُرَادِ.

li-annahu manūṭun bi-⟨imātati⟩ al-nufūsi wa-faqdi al-ḥusūsi wa-mujānabati al-murādi.

for it is bound up with mortifying the selves, losing sensory awareness, and turning away from what one desires.

فَمِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ تَرَكَ الْعُلَمَاءُ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ وَاشْتَغَلُوا بِاسْتِعْمَالِ عِلْمٍ يُخِفُّ عَلَيْهِمِ الْمُؤَنَ،

fa-min ajli dhālika taraka al-ʿulamāʾu hādhā al-ʿilma wa-shtaghalū bi-stiʿmāli ʿilmin yukhiffu ʿalayhimi al-muʾana,

For this reason, scholars have abandoned this knowledge and busied themselves with applying a kind of knowledge that lightens their burdens,

وَيَحُثُّهُمْ عَلَى التَّوْسِيعِ وَالرُّخَصِ وَالتَّأْوِيلَاتِ،

wa-yaḥuththuhum ʿalā al-tawsīʿi wa-al-rukhaṣi wa-al-taʾwīlāti,

encourages latitude, concessions, and interpretive allowances,

وَيَكُونُ أَقْرَبَ إِلَى حُظُوظِ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ وَأَخَفَّ تَحَمُّلًا عَلَى النُّفُوسِ الَّتِي جُبِلَتْ عَلَى مُتَابَعَةِ الْحُظُوظِ وَالْمُنَافَرَةِ عَنِ الْحُقُوقِ.

wa-yakūnu aqraba ilā ḥuẓūẓi al-bashariyyati wa-akhaffa taḥammulan ʿalā al-nufūsi allatī jubilat ʿalā mutābaʿati al-ḥuẓūẓi wa-al-munāfarati ʿani al-ḥuqūqi.

is closer to the gratifications of human nature, and is easier for selves naturally inclined to pursue their own satisfactions and recoil from their obligations.

وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ.

wa-Allāhu taʿālā aʿlamu.

God Most High knows best.

Printed page 16

بَابُ الرَّدِّ عَلَى مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ الصُّوفِيَّةَ قَوْمٌ جَهَلَةٌ وَلَيْسَ لِعِلْمِ التَّصَوُّفِ دَلَالَةٌ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَالْأَثَرِ.

bābu al-raddi ʿalā man zaʿama anna al-ṣūfiyyata qawmun jahalatun wa-laysa li-ʿilmi al-taṣawwufi dalālatun mina al-kitābi wa-al-athari.

Chapter: Answering those who claim that the Sufis are ignorant and that the knowledge of Sufism has no basis in the Book or transmitted tradition.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ [الْإِمَامُ أَبُو نَصْرٍ] رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: لَا خِلَافَ بَيْنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى ذَكَرَ فِي كِتَابِهِ

qāla al-shaykhu [al-imāmu Abū Naṣrin] raḥimahu Allāhu: lā khilāfa bayna al-aʾimmati anna Allāha tabāraka wa-taʿālā dhakara fī kitābihi

The shaykh [the imam Abū Naṣr], may God have mercy on him, said: The imams agree that God, blessed and exalted, has mentioned in His Book

الصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ، وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ، وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْمُوقِنِينَ وَالْمُخْلِصِينَ وَالْمُحْسِنِينَ

al-ṣādiqīna wa-al-ṣādiqāti, wa-al-qānitīna wa-al-qānitāti, wa-al-khāshiʿīna wa-al-mūqinīna wa-al-mukhliṣīna wa-al-muḥsinīna

truthful men and women, devoutly obedient men and women, the humble, those who are certain, the sincere, those who do good,

وَالْخَائِفِينَ وَالرَّاجِينَ وَالْوَجِلِينَ وَالْعَابِدِينَ وَالسَّائِحِينَ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالرَّاضِينَ

wa-al-khāʾifīna wa-al-rājīna wa-al-wajilīna wa-al-ʿābidīna wa-al-sāʾiḥīna wa-al-ṣābirīna wa-al-rāḍīna

the fearful, the hopeful, those whose hearts tremble, worshippers, devotional wayfarers, the patient, the contented,

وَالْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ وَالْمُخْبِتِينَ وَالْأَوْلِيَاءَ وَالْمُتَّقِينَ

wa-al-mutawakkilīna wa-al-mukhbitīna wa-al-awliyāʾa wa-al-muttaqīna

those who trust in Him, the meek, His friends, the God-fearing,

وَالْمُصْطَفَيْنَ [وَالْمُجْتَبَيْنَ] وَالْأَبْرَارَ وَالْمُقَرَّبِينَ.

wa-al-muṣṭafayna [wa-al-mujtabayna] wa-al-abrāra wa-al-muqarrabīna.

the chosen, [those selected], the righteous, and those brought near.

وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْمُشَاهِدِينَ فَقَالَ: «[أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ] وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ».

wa-qad dhakara Allāhu taʿālā al-mushāhidīna fa-qāla: «[aw alqā al-samʿa] wa-huwa shahīdun».

God Most High has also mentioned those who witness, saying: “[Or gives ear] while inwardly present.”

وَذَكَرَ اللَّهُ الْمُطْمَئِنِّينَ فَقَالَ: «أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ».

wa-dhakara Allāhu al-muṭmaʾinnīna fa-qāla: «alā bi-dhikri Allāhi taṭmaʾinnu al-qulūbu».

God has mentioned those whose hearts are at peace, saying, “Surely, in the remembrance of God hearts find peace.”

وَذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى السَّابِقِينَ وَالْمُقْتَصِدِينَ وَالْمُسَارِعِينَ إِلَى الْخَيْرَاتِ.

wa-dhakara Allāhu taʿālā al-sābiqīna wa-al-muqtaṣidīna wa-al-musāriʿīna ilā al-khayrāti.

God Most High has mentioned those who are foremost, those who take a middle course, and those who hasten to good deeds.

وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنْ مِنْ أُمَّتِي مُكَلَّمُونَ وَمُحَدَّثُونَ، وَإِنَّ عُمَرَ مِنْهُمْ».

wa-qāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: «in min ummatī mukallamūna wa-muḥaddathūna, wa-inna ʿUmara minhum».

The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, “Among my community are people who are addressed and inspired, and ʿUmar is one of them.”

وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «رُبَّ أَشْعَثَ أَغْبَرَ ذِي طِمْرَيْنِ لَوْ أَقْسَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ لَأَبَرَّهُ، وَإِنَّ الْبَرَاءَ مِنْهُمْ».

wa-qāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: «rubba ashʿatha aghbara dhī ṭimrayni law aqsama ʿalā Allāhi la-abarrahu, wa-inna al-Barāʾa minhum».

The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, also said: “Many a dishevelled, dust-covered person, dressed in two worn garments, would have his oath fulfilled by God if he swore an oath upon Him; al-Barāʾ is one of them.”

وَقَالَ لِوَابِصَةَ: «اسْتَفْتِ قَلْبَكَ»، وَلَمْ يَقُلْ لِأَحَدٍ غَيْرِهِ ذَلِكَ.

wa-qāla li-Wābiṣata: «istafti qalbaka», wa-lam yaqul li-aḥadin ghayrihi dhālika.

He said to Wābiṣa, “Consult your heart,” and did not say this to anyone else.

وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: يَدْخُلُ بِشَفَاعَةِ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أُمَّتِي الْجَنَّةَ مِثْلُ رَبِيعَةَ وَمُضَرَ، يُقَالُ لَهُ أُوَيْسٌ الْقَرَنِيُّ.

wa-qāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: yadkhulu bi-shafāʿati rajulin min ummatī al-jannata mithlu Rabīʿata wa-Muḍara, yuqālu lahu Uwaysun al-Qaraniyyu.

The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: There will enter Paradise, through the intercession of a man from my community, as many people as Rabīʿa and Muḍar together; he is called Uways al-Qaranī.

وَفِي الْحَدِيثِ: «إِنَّ فِي أُمَّتِي مَنْ إِذَا قَرَأَ أُرِيتَ أَنَّهُ يَخْشَى اللَّهَ تَعَالَى، وَأَنَّ طَلْقَ بْنَ حَبِيبٍ مِنْهُمْ».

wa-fī al-ḥadīthi: «inna fī ummatī man idhā qaraʾa urīta annahu yakhshā Allāha taʿālā, wa-anna Ṭalqa bna Ḥabībin minhum».

The report also says, “In my community there are people whose recitation makes you see that they fear God Most High, and Ṭalq ibn Ḥabīb is one of them.”

وَقَوْلُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: يَدْخُلُ مِنْ أُمَّتِي الْجَنَّةَ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفًا بِلَا حِسَابٍ.

wa-qawlu al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: yadkhulu min ummatī al-jannata sabʿūna alfan bi-lā ḥisābin.

There is also the Prophet’s saying, may God bless him and grant him peace: There will enter Paradise seventy thousand people from my community without being called to account.

قِيلَ: «مَنْ هُمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟» قَالَ: «هُمُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَكْتَوُونَ وَلَا يَسْتَرْقُونَ وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ».

qīla: «man hum yā rasūla Allāhi?» qāla: «humu alladhīna lā yaktawūna wa-lā yastarqūna wa-ʿalā rabbihim yatawakkalūna».

He was asked, “Who are they, Messenger of God?” He answered, “They are those who do not seek cauterization or ask others to recite healing invocations for them, and who put their trust in their Lord.”

وَالْآثَارُ وَالْأَخْبَارُ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا تَكْثُرُ،

wa-al-āthāru wa-al-akhbāru fī mithli hādhā takthuru,

Transmitted traditions and reports of this kind are numerous.

وَلَا خِلَافَ أَنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ كُلَّهُمْ فِي أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

wa-lā khilāfa anna hāʾulāʾi kullahum fī ummati Muḥammadin ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama.

There is no dispute that all these people belong to Muḥammad’s community, may God bless him and grant him peace.

وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُونُوا فِي الْأُمَّةِ مَوْجُودِينَ، وَاسْتَحَالَ كَوْنُهُمْ فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ،

wa-law lam yakūnū fī al-ummati mawjūdīna, wa-staḥāla kawnuhum fī kulli waqtin,

If they did not exist in the community, and their existence at any time were impossible,

لَمْ يَذْكُرْهُمِ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي كِتَابِهِ وَلَمْ يَصِفْهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

lam yadhkurhumi Allāhu taʿālā fī kitābihi wa-lam yaṣifhum rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama.

God Most High would not have mentioned them in His Book, nor would God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, have described them.

Printed pages 16 to 17

وَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَا أَنَّ اسْمَ الْإِيمَانِ قَدْ شَمِلَ جَمِيعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَفْرَدُوا هَؤُلَاءِ بِأَسْمَاءٍ مُخْتَصَّةٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، دَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى تَخْصِيصِهِمْ مِنْ عَامَّةِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ شَمِلَهُمُ اسْمُ الْإِيمَانِ.

wa-lammā raʾaynā anna isma al-īmāni qad shamila jamīʿa al-muʾminīna Wa-afradū hāʾulāʾi bi-asmāʾin mukhtaṣṣatin min dhālika, dalla dhālika ʿalā takhṣīṣihim min ʿāmmati al-muʾminīna alladhīna shamilahumu ismu al-īmāni.

Since we see that the designation of faith embraces all believers, while these people were singled out by particular names, this shows that they have a distinction within the wider body of believers, all of whom are included under the name of faith.

Printed page 17

وَلَا يَخْتَلِفُ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ أَنَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ، الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَعْلَى دَرَجَةً مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ وَأَقْرَبُ مَنْزِلَةً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنْهُمْ، أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا بَشَرًا يُجْرَى عَلَيْهِمْ مَا يُجْرَى عَلَى سَائِرِ الْبَشَرِ مِنَ الْأَكْلِ وَالنَّوْمِ وَالْحَوَادِثِ.

Wa-lā yakhtalifu aḥadun mina al-aʾimmati anna al-anbiyāʾa ʿalayhimu al-salāmu, alladhīna hum aʿlā darajatan min hāʾulāʾi wa-aqrabu manzilatan ʿinda Allāhi taʿālā minhum, annahum kānū basharan yujrā ʿalayhim mā yujrā ʿalā sāʾiri al-bashari mina al-akli wa-al-nawmi wa-al-ḥawādithi.

The recognized authorities agree that the prophets—peace be upon them—were human, although they stand higher than these people and enjoy greater nearness to God Most High. Like other human beings, they ate, slept, and experienced the events of life.

وَإِنَّمَا وَقَعَ التَّخْصِيصُ لِلْأَنْبِيَاءِ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَلِسَائِرِ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرْتُهُمْ، لِسِرٍّ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَعْبُودِهِمْ، وَلِزِيَادَةِ يَقِينِهِمْ وَإِيمَانِهِمْ بِمَا خَاطَبَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ وَنَدَبَهُمْ إِلَيْهِ.

Wa-innamā waqaʿa al-takhṣīṣu li-al-anbiyāʾi ṣalawātu Allāhi ʿalayhim ajmaʿīna, wa-li-sāʾiri hāʾulāʾi alladhīna dhakartuhum, li-sirrin baynahum wa-bayna maʿbūdihim, wa-li-ziyādati yaqīnihim wa-īmānihim bi-mā khāṭabahumu Allāhu taʿālā bihi wa-nadabahum ilayhi.

The prophets—may God bless them all—and the others I have mentioned were distinguished through an inward secret between them and the One they worship, and through their greater certainty and faith in what God Most High addressed to them and called them to do.

إِلَّا الْأَنْبِيَاءَ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ، فَإِنَّهُمْ يَنْفَرِدُونَ عَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ بِتَخْصِيصِ الْوَحْيِ وَالرِّسَالَةِ وَدَلَائِلِ النُّبُوَّةِ، فَلَا يَجُوزُ لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يُزَاحِمَهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ.

Illā al-anbiyāʾa ʿalayhimu al-salāmu, fa-innahum yanfaridūna ʿan hāʾulāʾi bi-takhṣīṣi al-waḥyi wa-al-risālati wa-dalāʾili al-nubuwwati, fa-lā yajūzu li-aḥadin an yuzāḥimahum fī dhālika.

The prophets, however—peace be upon them—are uniquely distinguished from the others by revelation, their prophetic mission, and the signs of prophethood. No one may claim a share in that distinction.

وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.

Wa-Allāhu aʿlamu.

God knows best.

بَابٌ فِي ذِكْرِ اعْتِرَاضِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ عَلَى الْمُتَفَقِّهَةِ وَبَيَانِ الْفِقْهِ فِي الدِّينِ وَوَجْهِ ذَلِكَ بِالْحُجَّةِ.

Bābun fī dhikri iʿtirāḍi al-ṣūfiyyati ʿalā al-mutafaqqihati wa-bayāni al-fiqhi fī al-dīni wa-wajhi dhālika bi-al-ḥujjati.

Chapter on the Sufis’ criticism of students of jurisprudence, the meaning of understanding religion, and the evidence for it.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ [أَبُو نَصْرٍ] رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: رُوِيَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ».

Qāla al-shaykhu [Abū Naṣrin] raḥimahu Allāhu: ruwiya ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla: «Man yuridi Allāhu bihi khayran yufaqqihhu fī al-dīni».

The shaykh [Abū Naṣr], may God have mercy on him, said: It is reported that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, “When God intends good for someone, He gives that person understanding of religion.”

وَبَلَغَنِي عَنِ الْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قِيلَ لَهُ: فُلَانٌ فَقِيهٌ. فَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ: «وَهَلْ رَأَيْتَ فَقِيهًا قَطُّ؟ إِنَّمَا الْفَقِيهُ الزَّاهِدُ فِي الدُّنْيَا، الرَّاغِبُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ، الْبَصِيرُ بِأَمْرِ دِينِهِ».

Wa-balaghanī ʿani al-Ḥasani al-Baṣriyyi raḥimahu Allāhu annahu qīla lahu: fulānun faqīhun. Fa-qāla al-Ḥasanu: «Wa-hal raʾayta faqīhan qaṭṭu? Innamā al-faqīhu al-zāhidu fī al-dunyā, al-rāghibu fī al-ākhirati, al-baṣīru bi-amri dīnihi».

I have also heard that someone told al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, may God have mercy on him, “So-and-so is a jurist.” Al-Ḥasan replied, “Have you ever actually seen a person who understands religion? Such a person turns away from worldly attachment, desires the Hereafter, and sees clearly what religion requires.”

وَقَوْلُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: «لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ»، فَالدِّينُ اسْمٌ يَشْتَمِلُ عَلَى جَمِيعِ الْأَحْكَامِ ظَاهِرًا وَبَاطِنًا.

Wa-qawlu Allāhi taʿālā: «Li-yatafaqqahū fī al-dīni», fa-al-dīnu ismun yashtamilu ʿalā jamīʿi al-aḥkāmi ẓāhiran wa-bāṭinan.

Consider also God Most High’s words, “So that they may gain understanding of religion.” Religion is a term that encompasses every requirement, outward and inward.

وَلَيْسَ التَّفَقُّهُ فِي أَحْكَامِ هَذِهِ الْأَحْوَالِ وَمَعَانِي هَذِهِ الْمَقَامَاتِ الَّتِي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُهَا بِأَقَلِّ فَائِدَةٍ مِنَ التَّفَقُّهِ فِي أَحْكَامِ الطَّلَاقِ وَالْعَتَاقِ وَالظِّهَارِ وَالْقِصَاصِ وَالْقَسَامَةِ وَالْحُدُودِ.

Wa-laysa al-tafaqquhu fī aḥkāmi hādhihi al-aḥwāli wa-maʿānī hādhihi al-maqāmāti allatī taqaddama dhikruhā bi-aqalli fāʾidatin mina al-tafaqquhi fī aḥkāmi al-ṭalāqi wa-al-ʿatāqi wa-al-ẓihāri wa-al-qiṣāṣi wa-al-qasāmati wa-al-ḥudūdi.

Understanding the requirements of these spiritual states and the meanings of the stations already mentioned is no less useful than understanding the laws of divorce, emancipation, ẓihār, retaliation, the collective oaths used in homicide cases, and prescribed penalties.

Printed pages 17 to 18

لِأَنَّ تِلْكَ أَحْكَامٌ رُبَّمَا لَا تَقَعُ فِي الْعُمُرِ حَادِثَةٌ تَحْتَاجُ إِلَى عِلْمِ ذَلِكَ. فَإِذَا وَقَعَتْ تِلْكَ الْحَادِثَةُ، فَمَنْ سَأَلَ عَنْهَا قَلَّدَ فِي ذَلِكَ وَأَخَذَ بِقَوْلِ بَعْضِ الْفُقَهَاءِ، فَقَدْ سَقَطَ عَنْهُ فَرْضُ ذَلِكَ إِلَى أَنْ تَقَعَ بِهِ حَادِثَةٌ أُخْرَى.

Li-anna tilka aḥkāmun rubbamā lā taqaʿu fī al-ʿumri ḥādithatun taḥtāju ilā ʿilmi dhālika. Fa-idhā waqaʿat tilka al-ḥādithatu, fa-man saʾala ʿanhā qallada fī dhālika wa-akhadha bi-qawli baʿḍi al-fuqahāʾi, fa-qad saqaṭa ʿanhu farḍu dhālika ilā an taqaʿa bihi ḥādithatun ukhrā.

A person may never face a situation in life that requires knowledge of those rulings. If such a situation does arise, someone who asks about it and relies on a jurist’s answer has fulfilled the obligation until another situation occurs.

Printed page 18

وَهَذِهِ الْأَحْوَالُ وَالْمَقَامَاتُ وَالْمُجَاهَدَاتُ الَّتِي يَتَفَقَّهُونَ فِيهَا الصُّوفِيَّةُ وَيَتَكَلَّمُونَ فِي حَقَائِقِهَا، فَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ مُفْتَقِرُونَ إِلَى ذَلِكَ، وَمَعْرِفَةُ ذَلِكَ وَاجِبٌ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَلَيْسَ لِذَلِكَ وَقْتٌ مَخْصُوصٌ دُونَ وَقْتٍ.

Wa-hādhihi al-aḥwālu wa-al-maqāmātu wa-al-mujāhadātu allatī yatafaqqahūna fīhā al-ṣūfiyyatu wa-yatakallamūna fī ḥaqāʾiqihā, fa-al-muʾminūna muftaqirūna ilā dhālika, wa-maʿrifatu dhālika wājibun ʿalayhim, wa-laysa li-dhālika waqtun makhṣūṣun dūna waqtin.

Believers, however, need these states, stations, and spiritual struggles that the Sufis study and whose realities they explain. Knowing about them is a duty, and that duty is not confined to one particular time.

وَذَلِكَ مِثْلُ الصِّدْقِ وَالْإِخْلَاصِ وَالذِّكْرِ وَمُجَانَبَةِ الْغَفْلَةِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، لَيْسَ لَهَا وَقْتٌ مَعْلُومٌ، بَلْ يَجِبُ عَلَى الْعَبْدِ فِي كُلِّ لَحْظَةٍ وَخَطْرَةٍ أَنْ يَعْلَمَ أَيْشْ قَصْدُهُ وَإِرَادَتُهُ وَخَاطِرُهُ.

Wa-dhālika mithlu al-ṣidqi wa-al-ikhlāṣi wa-al-dhikri wa-mujānabati al-ghaflati wa-ghayri dhālika, laysa lahā waqtun maʿlūmun, bal yajibu ʿalā al-ʿabdi fī kulli laḥẓatin wa-khaṭratin an yaʿlama aysh qaṣduhu wa-irādatuhu wa-khāṭiruhu.

Truthfulness, purity of intention, remembrance, freedom from heedlessness, and similar qualities have no fixed time. At every moment, whenever a thought arises, the servant must understand the intention, desire, and prompting within.

فَإِنْ كَانَ حَقًّا مِنَ الْحُقُوقِ فَوَاجِبٌ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَلْزَمَهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ حَظًّا مِنَ الْحُظُوظِ فَوَاجِبٌ عَلَيْهِ مُجَانَبَتُهُ.

Fa-in kāna ḥaqqan mina al-ḥuqūqi fa-wājibun ʿalayhi an yalzamahu, wa-in kāna ḥaẓẓan mina al-ḥuẓūẓi fa-wājibun ʿalayhi mujānabatuhu.

If it concerns a rightful duty, the servant must adhere to it. If it is merely a claim of self-interest, the servant must turn away from it.

قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِنَبِيِّهِ وَصَفِيِّهِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا».

Qāla Allāhu taʿālā li-nabiyyihi wa-ṣafiyyihi Muḥammadin ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: «Wa-lā tuṭiʿ man aghfalnā qalbahu ʿan dhikrinā wa-ittabaʿa hawāhu wa-kāna amruhu furuṭan».

God Most High said to His Prophet and chosen one, Muḥammad, may God bless him and grant him peace: “Do not obey someone whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who follows his own desire and whose conduct has passed all bounds.”

فَمَنْ تَرَكَ حَالًا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَحْوَالِ مَا تَرَكَهَا إِلَّا مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الْغَفْلَةِ عَلَى قَلْبِهِ.

Fa-man taraka ḥālan min hādhihi al-aḥwāli mā tarakahā illā min ghalabati al-ghaflati ʿalā qalbihi.

Anyone who neglects one of these states does so only because heedlessness has gained the upper hand over the heart.

وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ مُسْتَنْبَطَاتِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ فِي مَعَانِي هَذِهِ الْعُلُومِ وَمَعْرِفَةِ دَقَائِقِهَا وَحَقَائِقِهَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ تَكُونَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مُسْتَنْبَطَاتِ الْفُقَهَاءِ فِي مَعَانِي أَحْكَامِ الظَّاهِرِ.

Wa-iʿlam anna mustanbaṭāti al-ṣūfiyyati fī maʿānī hādhihi al-ʿulūmi wa-maʿrifati daqāʾiqihā wa-ḥaqāʾiqihā yanbaghī an takūna akthara min mustanbaṭāti al-fuqahāʾi fī maʿānī aḥkāmi al-ẓāhiri.

Know that the Sufis should draw more insights from the meanings, subtleties, and realities of these disciplines than jurists draw from the meanings of outward legal rulings.

لِأَنَّ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ لَيْسَ لَهُ نِهَايَةٌ، لِأَنَّهُ إِشَارَاتٌ وَبَوَادٍ وَخَوَاطِرُ وَعَطَايَا وَهَبَاتٌ يَغْرِفُهَا أَهْلُهَا مِنْ بَحْرِ الْعَطَاءِ، وَسَائِرُ الْعُلُومِ لَهَا حَدٌّ مَحْدُودٌ.

Li-anna hādhā al-ʿilma laysa lahu nihāyatun, li-annahu ishārātun wa-bawādin wa-khawāṭiru wa-ʿaṭāyā wa-habātun yaghrifuhā ahluhā min baḥri al-ʿaṭāʾi, wa-sāʾiru al-ʿulūmi lahā ḥaddun maḥdūdun.

This knowledge has no end. It consists of intimations, sudden illuminations, inward promptings, gifts, and blessings that its people draw from the ocean of divine giving. Other disciplines have a defined limit.

وَجَمِيعُ الْعُلُومِ يُؤَدَّى إِلَى عِلْمِ التَّصَوُّفِ، [وَعِلْمُ التَّصَوُّفِ لَا يُؤَدَّى إِلَّا إِلَى نَوْعٍ مِنْ عِلْمِ التَّصَوُّفِ]، وَلَيْسَ لَهُ نِهَايَةٌ، لِأَنَّ الْمَقْصُودَ لَيْسَ لَهُ غَايَةٌ.

Wa-jamīʿu al-ʿulūmi yuʾaddā ilā ʿilmi al-taṣawwufi, [wa-ʿilmu al-taṣawwufi lā yuʾaddā illā ilā nawʿin min ʿilmi al-taṣawwufi], wa-laysa lahu nihāyatun, li-anna al-maqṣūda laysa lahu ghāyatun.

All disciplines lead into the knowledge of Sufism, [while the knowledge of Sufism leads only into another form of that same knowledge]. It has no end, because the One who is sought has no limit.

وَهُوَ عِلْمُ الْفُتُوحِ، يَفْتَحُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى قُلُوبِ أَوْلِيَائِهِ فِي فَهْمِ كَلَامِهِ وَمُسْتَنْبَطَاتِ خِطَابِهِ مَا شَاءَ كَيْفَ شَاءَ.

Wa-huwa ʿilmu al-futūḥi, yaftaḥu Allāhu taʿālā ʿalā qulūbi awliyāʾihi fī fahmi kalāmihi wa-mustanbaṭāti khiṭābihi mā shāʾa kayfa shāʾa.

It is the knowledge of spiritual openings. God Most High opens the hearts of His friends to understand His words and draw insights from His address, granting whatever He wills, however He wills.

قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: «قُلْ لَوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْفَدَ كَلِمَاتُ رَبِّي وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِ مَدَدًا».

Qāla Allāhu ʿazza wa-jalla: «Qul law kāna al-baḥru midādan li-kalimāti rabbī la-nafida al-baḥru qabla an tanfada kalimātu rabbī wa-law jiʾnā bi-mithlihi madadan».

God, mighty and majestic, said: “Say: If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would run dry before my Lord’s words were exhausted, even if We brought another sea like it to replenish it.”

وَقَالَ: «لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ». وَالزِّيَادَةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لَا نِهَايَةَ لَهَا، وَالشُّكْرُ نِعْمَةٌ تَسْتَوْجِبُ شُكْرًا مُسْتَوْجِبًا لِمَزِيدٍ لَا نِهَايَةَ لَهُ.

Wa-qāla: «La-in shakartum la-azīdannakum». Wa-al-ziyādatu mina Allāhi taʿālā lā nihāyata lahā, wa-al-shukru niʿmatun tastawjibu shukran mustawjiban li-mazīdin lā nihāyata lahu.

He also said, “If you are grateful, I will surely give you more.” What God Most High adds has no end. Gratitude itself is a blessing that calls for further gratitude, which in turn brings further gifts without end.

وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ.

Wa-bi-Allāhi al-tawfīqu.

Success comes through God.

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بَابُ ذِكْرِ جَوَازِ التَّخْصِيصِ فِي عُلُومِ الدِّينِ وَتَخْصِيصِ كُلِّ عِلْمٍ بِأَهْلِهِ وَالرَّدِّ عَلَى مَنْ أَنْكَرَ عِلْمًا بِرَأْيِهِ وَلَمْ يَدْفَعْ ذَلِكَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ وَإِلَى مَنْ يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ شَأْنِهِ.

Bābu dhikri jawāzi al-takhṣīṣi fī ʿulūmi al-dīni wa-takhṣīṣi kulli ʿilmin bi-ahlihi wa-al-raddi ʿalā man ankara ʿilman bi-raʾyihi wa-lam yadfaʿ dhālika ilā ahlihi wa-ilā man yakūnu dhālika min shaʾnihi.

Chapter on the legitimacy of specialized knowledge in religion, each discipline’s proper experts, and a response to those who reject a discipline on their own judgment without referring it to people whose expertise it is.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: أَنْكَرَتْ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي عِلْمِ الشَّرِيعَةِ تَخْصِيصٌ.

Qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu: ankarat jamāʿatun mina al-ʿulamāʾi an yakūna fī ʿilmi al-sharīʿati takhṣīṣun.

The shaykh, may God have mercy on him, said: A group of scholars have denied that knowledge of the sacred law can be reserved for particular people.

وَلَا خِلَافَ بَيْنَ [هَذِهِ] الْأُمَّةِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَمَرَ رَسُولَهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِإِبْلَاغِ مَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: «يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ [مِنْ رَبِّكَ]».

Wa-lā khilāfa bayna [hādhihi] al-ummati anna Allāha taʿālā amara rasūlahu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama bi-iblāghi mā unzila ʿalayhi, fa-qāla: «Yā ayyuhā al-rasūlu balligh mā unzila ilayka [min rabbika]».

[This] community agrees that God Most High commanded His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, to convey what had been revealed to him. He said, “Messenger, convey what has been sent down to you [from your Lord].”

وَرُوِيَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلًا وَلَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا».

Wa-ruwiya ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla: «Law taʿlamūna mā aʿlamu la-ḍaḥiktum qalīlan wa-la-bakaytum kathīran».

It is also reported that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, “If you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much.”

فَلَوْ كَانَ الَّذِي عَلِمَ مِمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِنَ الْعُلُومِ الَّتِي أَمَرَهُ بِالْإِبْلَاغِ لَأَبْلَغَ، وَلَوْ جَازَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ أَنْ يَسْأَلُوهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ الْعِلْمِ لَسَأَلُوهُ.

Fa-law kāna alladhī ʿalima mimmā lā yaʿlamūna mina al-ʿulūmi allatī amarahu bi-al-iblāghi la-ablagha, wa-law jāza li-aṣḥābihi an yasʾalūhu ʿan dhālika al-ʿilmi la-saʾalūhu.

If the knowledge he possessed and they lacked had belonged to what God commanded him to convey, he would have conveyed it. If his companions had been permitted to ask him about that knowledge, they would have asked.

وَلَا خِلَافَ بَيْنَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَنَّ فِي أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ كَانَ مَخْصُوصًا بِنَوْعٍ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ، كَمَا كَانَ حُذَيْفَةُ مَخْصُوصًا بِعِلْمِ أَسْمَاءِ الْمُنَافِقِينَ، كَانَ قَدْ أَسَرَّهُ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

Wa-lā khilāfa bayna ahli al-ʿilmi anna fī aṣḥābi rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama man kāna makhṣūṣan bi-nawʿin mina al-ʿilmi, ka-mā kāna Ḥudhayfatu makhṣūṣan bi-ʿilmi asmāʾi al-munāfiqīna, kāna qad asarrahu ilayhi rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama.

Scholars agree that some companions of God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, were singled out for particular kinds of knowledge. Ḥudhayfa, for example, knew the hypocrites’ names, which the Messenger had confided to him.

حَتَّى كَانَ يَسْأَلُهُ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَيَقُولُ: «هَلْ أَنَا مِنْهُمْ؟».

Ḥattā kāna yasʾaluhu ʿUmaru raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu fa-yaqūlu: «Hal anā minhum?».

Indeed, ʿUmar, may God be pleased with him, would ask him, “Am I one of them?”

وَرُوِيَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «عَلَّمَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَبْعِينَ بَابًا مِنَ الْعِلْمِ، لَمْ يُعَلِّمْ ذَلِكَ أَحَدًا غَيْرِي».

Wa-ruwiya ʿan ʿAliyyi bni Abī Ṭālibin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu annahu qāla: «ʿAllamanī rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama sabʿīna bāban mina al-ʿilmi, lam yuʿallim dhālika aḥadan ghayrī».

It is reported that ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, may God be pleased with him, said, “God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, taught me seventy branches of knowledge that he taught to no one else.”

وَقَدْ ذُكِرَ هَذَا الْبَابُ بِتَمَامِهِ فِي آخِرِ الْكِتَابِ، وَالْمُرَادُ مِنْ تَكْرَارِهِ هَا هُنَا أَنَّ الْعِلْمَ الْمَبْثُوثَ بَيْنَ أَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ وَالْفُقَهَاءِ وَالصُّوفِيَّةِ هُوَ عِلْمُ الدِّينِ.

Wa-qad dhukira hādhā al-bābu bi-tamāmihi fī ākhiri al-kitābi, wa-al-murādu min takrārihi hā hunā anna al-ʿilma al-mabthūtha bayna aṣḥābi al-ḥadīthi wa-al-fuqahāʾi wa-al-ṣūfiyyati huwa ʿilmu al-dīni.

This subject is discussed in full at the end of the book. It is repeated here to show that the knowledge shared among hadith scholars, jurists, and Sufis is knowledge of religion.

وَلِكُلِّ صِنْفٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِي عِلْمِهِ دَوَاوِينُ وَمُصَنَّفَاتٌ [وَكُتُبٌ] وَأَقَاوِيلُ، وَلِكُلِّ صِنْفٍ مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةٌ مَشْهُورُونَ قَدْ أَجْمَعَ أَهْلُ عَصْرِهِمْ عَلَى إِمَامَتِهِمْ لِزِيَادَةِ عِلْمِهِمْ وَفَهْمِهِمْ.

Wa-li-kulli ṣinfin min ahli al-ʿilmi fī ʿilmihi dawāwīnu wa-muṣannafātun [wa-kutubun] wa-aqāwīlu, wa-li-kulli ṣinfin minhum aʾimmatun mashhūrūna qad ajmaʿa ahlu ʿaṣrihim ʿalā imāmatihim li-ziyādati ʿilmihim wa-fahmihim.

Each group of scholars has collections, treatises, [books], and recorded teachings in its discipline. Each also has recognized leaders whose contemporaries acknowledged their authority because of their greater knowledge and understanding.

Printed pages 19 to 20

وَلَا خِلَافَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْحَدِيثِ إِذَا أَشْكَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ عِلْمٌ مِنْ عُلُومِ الْحَدِيثِ وَعِلَلُ الْأَخْبَارِ وَمَعْرِفَةُ الرِّجَالِ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ فِي ذَلِكَ إِلَى الْفُقَهَاءِ.

Wa-lā khilāfa anna aṣḥāba al-ḥadīthi idhā ashkala ʿalayhim ʿilmun min ʿulūmi al-ḥadīthi wa-ʿilalu al-akhbāri wa-maʿrifatu al-rijāli lā yarjiʿūna fī dhālika ilā al-fuqahāʾi.

It is agreed that when hadith scholars face difficulties in hadith studies, in identifying defects in reports, or in assessing narrators, they do not refer those questions to jurists.

Printed page 20

كَمَا أَنَّ الْفُقَهَاءَ لَوْ أَشْكَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَسْأَلَةٌ فِي الْخَلِيَّةِ وَالْبَرِيَّةِ وَالدَّوْرِ وَالْوَصَايَا لَا يَرْجِعُونَ فِي ذَلِكَ إِلَى أَصْحَابِ الْحَدِيثِ.

Ka-mā anna al-fuqahāʾa law ashkala ʿalayhim masʾalatun fī al-khaliyyati wa-al-bariyyati wa-al-dawri wa-al-waṣāyā lā yarjiʿūna fī dhālika ilā aṣḥābi al-ḥadīthi.

Similarly, when jurists face a difficult question about the indirect divorce expressions “released” and “free,” or about circular legal problems and bequests, they do not refer it to hadith scholars.

وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ أَشْكَلَ عَلَيْهِ عِلْمٌ مِنْ عُلُومِ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ تَكَلَّمُوا فِي مَوَاجِيدِ الْقُلُوبِ وَمَوَارِيثِ الْأَسْرَارِ وَمُعَامَلَاتِ الْقُلُوبِ وَوَصَفُوا الْعُلُومَ وَاسْتَنْبَطُوا فِي ذَلِكَ بِإِشَارَاتٍ لَطِيفَةٍ وَمَعَانٍ جَلِيلَةٍ؛

Wa-kadhālika man ashkala ʿalayhi ʿilmun min ʿulūmi hāʾulāʾi alladhīna takallamū fī mawājīdi al-qulūbi wa-mawārīthi al-asrāri wa-muʿāmalāti al-qulūbi wa-waṣafū al-ʿulūma wa-istanbaṭū fī dhālika bi-ishārātin laṭīfatin wa-maʿānin jalīlatin;

The same applies to anyone who struggles to understand the knowledge of those who speak of the heart’s spiritual experiences, the inherited gifts of inward secrets, and the heart’s dealings with God, and who explain these disciplines through subtle intimations and profound meanings.

فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ فِي ذَلِكَ إِلَّا إِلَى عَالِمٍ مِمَّنْ يَكُونُ هَذَا شَأْنُهُ، وَيَكُونُ مِمَّنْ قَدْ مَارَسَ هَذِهِ الْأَحْوَالَ وَنَازَلَهَا وَاسْتَبْحَثَ عَنْ عُلُومِهَا وَدَقَائِقِهَا.

Fa-laysa lahu an yarjiʿa fī dhālika illā ilā ʿālimin mimman yakūnu hādhā shaʾnuhu, wa-yakūnu mimman qad mārasa hādhihi al-aḥwāla wa-nāzalahā wa-istabḥatha ʿan ʿulūmihā wa-daqāʾiqihā.

Such a person should turn only to a scholar whose expertise lies here: someone who has practiced and directly encountered these states and has investigated their knowledge and subtleties in depth.

فَمَنْ فَعَلَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ أَخْطَأَ. وَلَيْسَ لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَبْسُطَ لِسَانَهُ بِالْوَقِيعَةِ فِي قَوْمٍ لَا يَعْرِفُ حَالَهُمْ، وَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ عِلْمَهُمْ، وَلَمْ يَقِفْ عَلَى مَقَاصِدِهِمْ وَمَرَاتِبِهِمْ، فَيَهْلِكَ وَيَظُنَّ أَنَّهُ مِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ.

Fa-man faʿala ghayra dhālika fa-qad akhṭaʾa. Wa-laysa li-aḥadin an yabsuṭa lisānahu bi-al-waqīʿati fī qawmin lā yaʿrifu ḥālahum, wa-lam yaʿlam ʿilmahum, wa-lam yaqif ʿalā maqāṣidihim wa-marātibihim, fa-yahlika wa-yaẓunna annahu mina al-nāṣiḥīna.

Anyone who does otherwise has made a mistake. No one should speak abusively about people whose condition, knowledge, purposes, and spiritual standing they do not understand. They may bring ruin upon themselves while imagining they are offering sincere counsel.

أَعَاذَنَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَإِيَّاكُمْ.

Aʿādhanā Allāhu taʿālā wa-iyyākum.

May God Most High protect us and you.

بَابُ الْكَشْفِ عَنِ اسْمِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ وَلِمَ سُمُّوا بِهَذَا الِاسْمِ وَلِمَ نُسِبُوا إِلَى [هَذِهِ] اللُّبْسَةِ.

Bābu al-kashfi ʿan ismi al-ṣūfiyyati wa-li-ma summū bi-hādhā al-ismi wa-li-ma nusibū ilā [hādhihi] al-lubsati.

Chapter explaining the name “Sufis,” why they were given this name, and why they were identified by [this] form of dress.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: إِنْ سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ فَقَالَ: قَدْ نَسَبْتَ أَصْحَابَ الْحَدِيثِ إِلَى الْحَدِيثِ وَنَسَبْتَ الْفُقَهَاءَ إِلَى الْفِقْهِ، فَلِمَ قُلْتَ الصُّوفِيَّةُ وَلَمْ تَنْسُبْهُمْ إِلَى حَالٍ وَلَا إِلَى عِلْمٍ؟

Qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu: in saʾala sāʾilun fa-qāla: qad nasabta aṣḥāba al-ḥadīthi ilā al-ḥadīthi wa-nasabta al-fuqahāʾa ilā al-fiqhi, fa-li-ma qulta al-ṣūfiyyatu wa-lam tansubhum ilā ḥālin wa-lā ilā ʿilmin?

The shaykh, may God have mercy on him, said: Suppose someone asks, “You identify hadith scholars with hadith and jurists with jurisprudence. Why, then, do you say ‘Sufis,’ rather than identify them with a spiritual state or a discipline?”

وَلَمْ تُضِفْ إِلَيْهِمْ حَالًا كَمَا أَضَفْتَ الزُّهْدَ إِلَى الزُّهَّادِ وَالتَّوَكُّلَ إِلَى الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ وَالصَّبْرَ إِلَى الصَّابِرِينَ؟

Wa-lam tuḍif ilayhim ḥālan ka-mā aḍafta al-zuhda ilā al-zuhhādi wa-al-tawakkula ilā al-mutawakkilīna wa-al-ṣabra ilā al-ṣābirīna?

“Why do you not associate a particular state with them, as you associate renunciation with ascetics, trust with those who trust in God, and patience with the patient?”

فَيُقَالُ لَهُ: لِأَنَّ الصُّوفِيَّةَ لَمْ يَنْفَرِدُوا بِنَوْعٍ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ دُونَ نَوْعٍ، وَلَمْ يَتَرَسَّمُوا بِرَسْمٍ مِنَ الْأَحْوَالِ وَالْمَقَامَاتِ دُونَ رَسْمٍ.

Fa-yuqālu lahu: li-anna al-ṣūfiyyata lam yanfaridū bi-nawʿin mina al-ʿilmi dūna nawʿin, wa-lam yatarassamū bi-rasmin mina al-aḥwāli wa-al-maqāmāti dūna rasmin.

The answer is: The Sufis do not confine themselves to one kind of knowledge rather than another. Nor do they define themselves by one particular state or station to the exclusion of others.

وَذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُمْ مَعْدِنُ جَمِيعِ الْعُلُومِ وَمَحَلُّ جَمِيعِ الْأَحْوَالِ الْمَحْمُودَةِ وَالْأَخْلَاقِ الشَّرِيفَةِ سَالِفًا وَمُسْتَأْنَفًا، وَهُمْ مَعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي الِانْتِقَالِ مِنْ حَالٍ إِلَى حَالٍ مُسْتَجْلِبِينَ لِلزِّيَادَةِ.

Wa-dhālika li-annahum maʿdinu jamīʿi al-ʿulūmi wa-maḥallu jamīʿi al-aḥwāli al-maḥmūdati wa-al-akhlāqi al-sharīfati sālifan wa-mustaʾnafan, wa-hum maʿa Allāhi taʿālā fī al-intiqāli min ḥālin ilā ḥālin mustajlibīna li-al-ziyādati.

They are a source of all these disciplines and a home for every praiseworthy state and noble quality, both those already attained and those still to come. With God Most High, they move from state to state, seeking further growth.

فَلَمَّا كَانُوا فِي الْحَقِيقَةِ كَذَلِكَ لَمْ يَكُونُوا مُسْتَحِقِّينَ اسْمًا دُونَ اسْمٍ، فَلِأَجْلِ ذَلِكَ مَا أَضَفْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ حَالًا دُونَ حَالٍ، وَلَا أَضَفْتُهُمْ إِلَى عِلْمٍ دُونَ عِلْمٍ.

Fa-lammā kānū fī al-ḥaqīqati kadhālika lam yakūnū mustaḥiqqīna isman dūna ismin, fa-li-ajli dhālika mā aḍaftu ilayhim ḥālan dūna ḥālin, wa-lā aḍaftuhum ilā ʿilmin dūna ʿilmin.

Since this is what they truly are, no single name belongs to them to the exclusion of others. For that reason I have not associated them with one particular state rather than another, or identified them with one discipline rather than another.

Printed page 21

لِأَنِّي لَوْ أَضَفْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ حَالًا مَا وَجَدْتُ الْأَغْلَبَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الْأَحْوَالِ وَالْأَخْلَاقِ وَالْعُلُومِ وَالْأَعْمَالِ،

Li-annī law aḍaftu ilayhim fī kulli waqtin ḥālan mā wajadtu al-aghlaba ʿalayhim mina al-aḥwāli wa-al-akhlāqi wa-al-ʿulūmi wa-al-aʿmāli,

For if, at each moment, I attributed to them whatever state I found predominant among their spiritual states, character, knowledge, and deeds,

وَسَمَّيْتُهُمْ بِذَلِكَ، لَكَانَ يَلْزَمُ أَنْ أُسَمِّيَهُمْ فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ بِاسْمٍ آخَرَ، وَكُنْتُ أُضِيفُ إِلَيْهِمْ فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ حَالًا دُونَ حَالٍ عَلَى حَسَبِ مَا يَكُونُ الْأَغْلَبُ عَلَيْهِمْ.

Wa-sammaytuhum bi-dhālika, la-kāna yalzamu an usammiyahum fī kulli waqtin bi-ismin ākhara, wa-kuntu uḍīfu ilayhim fī kulli waqtin ḥālan dūna ḥālin ʿalā ḥasabi mā yakūnu al-aghlabu ʿalayhim.

and named them accordingly, I would have to give them a different name at every moment. I would be attributing one state to them rather than another, according to whichever was then predominant.

فَلَمَّا لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ، نَسَبْتُهُمْ إِلَى ظَاهِرِ اللُّبْسَةِ، لِأَنَّ لُبْسَةَ الصُّوفِ دَأْبُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ، وَشِعَارُ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ وَالْأَصْفِيَاءِ، وَيَكْثُرُ فِي ذَلِكَ الرِّوَايَاتُ وَالْأَخْبَارُ.

Fa-lammā lam yakun dhālika, nasabtuhum ilā ẓāhiri al-lubsati, li-anna lubsata al-ṣūfi daʾbu al-anbiyāʾi ʿalayhimu al-salāmu, wa-shiʿāru al-awliyāʾi wa-al-aṣfiyāʾi, wa-yakthuru fī dhālika al-riwāyātu wa-al-akhbāru.

Since that would not do, I associated them with their outward dress. Wearing wool is the practice of the prophets—peace be upon them—and the distinguishing dress of God’s friends and chosen ones. Numerous transmitted accounts bear upon this.

فَلَمَّا أَضَفْتُهُمْ إِلَى ظَاهِرِ اللُّبْسَةِ، كَانَ ذَلِكَ اسْمًا مُجْمَلًا عَامًّا مُخْبِرًا عَنْ جَمِيعِ الْعُلُومِ وَالْأَعْمَالِ وَالْأَخْلَاقِ وَالْأَحْوَالِ الشَّرِيفَةِ الْمَحْمُودَةِ.

Fa-lammā aḍaftuhum ilā ẓāhiri al-lubsati, kāna dhālika isman mujmalan ʿāmman mukhbiran ʿan jamīʿi al-ʿulūmi wa-al-aʿmāli wa-al-akhlāqi wa-al-aḥwāli al-sharīfati al-maḥmūdati.

Associating them with their outward dress thus provided a comprehensive, general name encompassing all their knowledge, deeds, character, and noble, praiseworthy spiritual states.

أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى ذَكَرَ طَائِفَةً مِنْ خَوَاصِّ أَصْحَابِ عِيسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فَنَسَبَهُمْ إِلَى ظَاهِرِ اللُّبْسَةِ، فَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: وَإِذْ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ، [الْآيَةَ]،

Alā tarā anna Allāha taʿālā dhakara ṭāʾifatan min khawāṣṣi aṣḥābi ʿĪsā ʿalayhi al-salāmu, fa-nasabahum ilā ẓāhiri al-lubsati, fa-qāla ʿazza wa-jalla: wa-idh qāla al-ḥawāriyyūna, [al-āyata],

Do you not see that God Most High mentions a select group of Jesus’ companions—peace be upon him—and associates them with their outward dress? He says, mighty and majestic: “And when the disciples said”—[and the remainder of the verse].

وَكَانُوا قَوْمًا يَلْبَسُونَ الْبَيَاضَ، فَنَسَبَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِلَى ذَلِكَ، وَلَمْ يَنْسُبْهُمْ إِلَى نَوْعٍ مِنَ الْعُلُومِ وَالْأَعْمَالِ وَالْأَحْوَالِ الَّتِي كَانُوا بِهَا مُتَرَسِّمِينَ.

Wa-kānū qawman yalbasūna al-bayāḍa, fa-nasabahumu Allāhu taʿālā ilā dhālika, wa-lam yansubhum ilā nawʿin mina al-ʿulūmi wa-al-aʿmāli wa-al-aḥwāli allatī kānū bi-hā mutarassimīna.

They were people who wore white. God Most High therefore associated them with this, rather than with any particular kind of knowledge, deed, or spiritual state by which they were distinguished.

فَكَذَلِكَ الصُّوفِيَّةُ عِنْدِي، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، نُسِبُوا إِلَى ظَاهِرِ اللِّبَاسِ، وَلَمْ يُنْسَبُوا إِلَى نَوْعٍ مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الْعُلُومِ وَالْأَحْوَالِ الَّتِي هُمْ بِهَا مُتَرَسِّمُونَ، لِأَنَّ لُبْسَ الصُّوفِ كَانَ دَأْبَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ، وَشِعَارَ [الْمَسَاكِينِ] الْمُتَنَسِّكِينَ.

Fa-kadhālika al-ṣūfiyyatu ʿindī, wa-Allāhu aʿlamu, nusibū ilā ẓāhiri al-libāsi, wa-lam yunsabū ilā nawʿin min anwāʿi al-ʿulūmi wa-al-aḥwāli allatī hum bi-hā mutarassimūna, li-anna lubsa al-ṣūfi kāna daʾba al-anbiyāʾi ʿalayhimu al-salāmu wa-al-ṣiddīqīna, wa-shiʿāra [al-masākīni] al-mutanassikīna.

In my understanding—and God knows best—the Sufis were likewise associated with their outward clothing, rather than any one of the kinds of knowledge or spiritual states that characterize them. Wearing wool was the practice of the prophets—peace be upon them—and the utterly truthful, and the distinguishing dress of devout [poor people].

بَابُ الرَّدِّ عَلَى مَنْ قَالَ: لَمْ نَسْمَعْ بِذِكْرِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ فِي الْقَدِيمِ، وَهُوَ اسْمٌ مُحْدَثٌ.

Bābu al-raddi ʿalā man qāla: lam nasmaʿ bi-dhikri al-ṣūfiyyati fī al-qadīmi, wa-huwa ismun muḥdathun.

Chapter answering those who say: “We have not heard the Sufis mentioned in earlier times; the name is a recent invention.”

إِنْ سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ فَقَالَ: لَمْ نَسْمَعْ بِذِكْرِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ فِي أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَلَا فِيمَنْ كَانَ بَعْدَهُمْ،

In saʾala sāʾilun fa-qāla: lam nasmaʿ bi-dhikri al-ṣūfiyyati fī aṣḥābi Rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama, wa-raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum ajmaʿīna, wa-lā fī-man kāna baʿdahum,

If someone asks: “We have not heard the Sufis mentioned among the companions of God’s Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace, and may He be pleased with them all—or among those who came after them.

وَلَا نَعْرِفُ إِلَّا الْعُبَّادَ وَالزُّهَّادَ وَالسَّيَّاحِينَ وَالْفُقَرَاءَ، وَمَا قِيلَ لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: صُوفِيٌّ،

Wa-lā naʿrifu illā al-ʿubbāda wa-al-zuhhāda wa-al-sayyāḥīna wa-al-fuqarāʾa, wa-mā qīla li-aḥadin min aṣḥābi Rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama: ṣūfiyyun,

We know only devout worshippers, ascetics, wandering devotees, and the poor. None of the companions of God’s Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace—was called a Sufi,”

Printed pages 21 to 22

فَنَقُولُ، وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ: الصُّحْبَةُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَهَا حُرْمَةٌ وَتَخْصِيصٌ. مَنْ شَمِلَهُ ذَلِكَ فَلَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُعَلَّقَ عَلَيْهِ اسْمٌ عَلَى أَنَّهُ أَشْرَفُ مِنَ الصُّحْبَةِ، وَذَلِكَ لِشَرَفِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَحُرْمَتِهِ.

Fa-naqūlu, wa-bi-Allāhi al-tawfīqu: al-ṣuḥbatu maʿa Rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama lahā ḥurmatun wa-takhṣīṣun. Man shamilahu dhālika fa-lā yajūzu an yuʿallaqa ʿalayhi ismun ʿalā annahu ashrafu mina al-ṣuḥbati, wa-dhālika li-sharafi Rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama wa-ḥurmatihi.

we answer, with God’s enabling grace: Companionship with God’s Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace—has its own sanctity and distinction. Anyone who enjoyed it cannot be given another title as though it were more honorable than companionship. This follows from the honor and sanctity of God’s Messenger.

Printed page 22

أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّهُمْ أَئِمَّةُ الزُّهَّادِ وَالْعُبَّادِ وَالْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ وَالْفُقَرَاءِ وَالرَّاضِينَ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالْمُخْبِتِينَ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَمَا نَالُوا جَمِيعَ مَا نَالُوا إِلَّا بِبَرَكَةِ الصُّحْبَةِ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟

Alā tarā annahum aʾimmatu al-zuhhādi wa-al-ʿubbādi wa-al-mutawakkilīna wa-al-fuqarāʾi wa-al-rāḍīna wa-al-ṣābirīna wa-al-mukhbitīna wa-ghayri dhālika, wa-mā nālū jamīʿa mā nālū illā bi-barakati al-ṣuḥbati maʿa Rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama?

Do you not see that they are the leaders of the ascetics, worshippers, those who trust in God, the poor, the contented, the patient, the humble-hearted, and others? All that they attained came through the blessing of companionship with God’s Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace.

فَلَمَّا نُسِبُوا إِلَى الصُّحْبَةِ الَّتِي هِيَ أَجَلُّ الْأَحْوَالِ، اسْتَحَالَ أَنْ يُفَضَّلُوا بِفَضِيلَةٍ غَيْرِ الصُّحْبَةِ الَّتِي هِيَ أَجَلُّ الْأَحْوَالِ، وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ.

Fa-lammā nusibū ilā al-ṣuḥbati allatī hiya ajallu al-aḥwāli, istaḥāla an yufaḍḍalū bi-faḍīlatin ghayri al-ṣuḥbati allatī hiya ajallu al-aḥwāli, wa-bi-Allāhi al-tawfīqu.

Since they were identified by companionship, the loftiest of states, it would be impossible to honor them through any distinction other than companionship itself, the loftiest of states. Enabling grace comes through God.

وَأَمَّا قَوْلُ الْقَائِلِ: إِنَّهُ اسْمٌ مُحْدَثٌ أَحْدَثَهُ الْبَغْدَادِيُّونَ، فَمُحَالٌ، لِأَنَّ فِي وَقْتِ الْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ كَانَ يُعْرَفُ هَذَا الِاسْمُ،

Wa-ammā qawlu al-qāʾili: innahu ismun muḥdathun aḥdathahu al-Baghdādiyyūna, fa-muḥālun, li-anna fī waqti al-Ḥasani al-Baṣriyyi raḥimahu Allāhu kāna yuʿrafu hādhā al-ismu,

As for the assertion that the name is a recent invention introduced by the people of Baghdad, that is untenable: the name was already known in the time of al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī—may God have mercy on him.

وَكَانَ الْحَسَنُ قَدْ أَدْرَكَ جَمَاعَةً مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَرَضِيَ عَنْهُمْ. وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ:

Wa-kāna al-Ḥasanu qad adraka jamāʿatan min aṣḥābi Rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama wa-raḍiya ʿanhum. Wa-qad ruwiya ʿanhu annahu qāla:

Al-Ḥasan had lived to meet a number of the companions of God’s Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace, and be pleased with them. It is reported that al-Ḥasan said:

رَأَيْتُ صُوفِيًّا فِي الطَّوَافِ فَأَعْطَيْتُهُ شَيْئًا فَلَمْ يَأْخُذْهُ، وَقَالَ: مَعِي أَرْبَعَةُ دَوَانِيقَ، فَيَكْفِينِي مَا مَعِي.

Raʾaytu ṣūfiyyan fī al-ṭawāfi fa-aʿṭaytuhu shayʾan fa-lam yaʾkhudhhu, wa-qāla: maʿī arbaʿatu dawānīqa, fa-yakfīnī mā maʿī.

“I saw a Sufi circumambulating the Kaʿba and offered him something, but he did not take it. He said: ‘I have four dāniqs; what I have is enough for me.’”

وَرُوِيَ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: لَوْلَا أَبُو هَاشِمٍ الصُّوفِيُّ مَا عَرَفْتُ دَقِيقَ الرِّيَاءِ.

Wa-ruwiya ʿan Sufyāna al-Thawriyyi raḥimahu Allāhu annahu qāla: lawlā Abū Hāshimin al-Ṣūfiyyu mā ʿaraftu daqīqa al-riyāʾi.

It is also reported that Sufyān al-Thawrī—may God have mercy on him—said: “Were it not for Abū Hāshim the Sufi, I would not have recognized the subtleties of showing off.”

وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ فِي الْكِتَابِ الَّذِي جَمَعَ فِيهِ أَخْبَارَ مَكَّةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ وَعَنْ غَيْرِهِ، يَذْكُرُ فِيهِ حَدِيثًا أَنَّ قَبْلَ الْإِسْلَامِ قَدْ خَلَتْ مَكَّةُ فِي وَقْتٍ مِنَ الْأَوْقَاتِ،

Wa-qad dhakara fī al-kitābi alladhī jamaʿa fīhi akhbāra Makkata ʿan Muḥammadi bni Isḥāqa bni Yasārin wa-ʿan ghayrihi, yadhkuru fīhi ḥadīthan anna qabla al-islāmi qad khalat Makkatu fī waqtin mina al-awqāti,

The compiler of the book collecting accounts of Mecca, transmitted from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Yasār and others, also mentions a report there: before Islam, Mecca once became deserted,

حَتَّى كَانَ لَا يَطُوفُ بِالْبَيْتِ أَحَدٌ، وَكَانَ يَجِيءُ مِنْ بَلَدٍ بَعِيدٍ رَجُلٌ صُوفِيٌّ، فَيَطُوفُ بِالْبَيْتِ وَيَنْصَرِفُ.

Ḥattā kāna lā yaṭūfu bi-al-bayti aḥadun, wa-kāna yajīʾu min baladin baʿīdin rajulun ṣūfiyyun, fa-yaṭūfu bi-al-bayti wa-yanṣarifu.

to the point that no one circumambulated the Sacred House. A Sufi man would come from a distant land, circumambulate the House, and leave.

فَإِنْ صَحَّ ذَلِكَ، يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّ قَبْلَ الْإِسْلَامِ كَانَ يُعْرَفُ هَذَا الِاسْمُ، وَكَانَ يُنْسَبُ إِلَيْهِ أَهْلُ الْفَضْلِ وَالصَّلَاحِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.

Fa-in ṣaḥḥa dhālika, yadullu ʿalā anna qabla al-islāmi kāna yuʿrafu hādhā al-ismu, wa-kāna yunsabu ilayhi ahlu al-faḍli wa-al-ṣalāḥi, wa-Allāhu aʿlamu.

If this account is sound, it indicates that the name was known before Islam and that people of virtue and righteousness were associated with it. God knows best.

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بَابُ إِثْبَاتِ عِلْمِ الْبَاطِنِ وَالْبَيَانِ عَنْ صِحَّةِ ذَلِكَ بِالْحُجَّةِ.

Bābu ithbāti ʿilmi al-bāṭini wa-al-bayāni ʿan ṣiḥḥati dhālika bi-al-ḥujjati.

Chapter establishing inward knowledge and demonstrating its validity through proof.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: أَنْكَرَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الظَّاهِرِ، وَقَالُوا: لَا نَعْرِفُ إِلَّا عِلْمَ الشَّرِيعَةِ الظَّاهِرَةِ الَّتِي جَاءَ بِهَا الْكِتَابُ وَالسُّنَّةُ. وَقَالُوا: لَا مَعْنَى لِقَوْلِكُمْ: عِلْمُ الْبَاطِنِ وَعِلْمُ التَّصَوُّفِ.

Qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu: ankarat ṭāʾifatun min ahli al-ẓāhiri, wa-qālū: lā naʿrifu illā ʿilma al-sharīʿati al-ẓāhirati allatī jāʾa bi-hā al-kitābu wa-al-sunnatu. Wa-qālū: lā maʿnā li-qawlikum: ʿilmu al-bāṭini wa-ʿilmu al-taṣawwufi.

The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: A group among the people of outward knowledge objected: “We recognize only knowledge of the outward Sacred Law, conveyed by the Book and the Sunna.” They also said: “Your expressions ‘inward knowledge’ and ‘the science of Sufism’ have no meaning.”

فَنَقُولُ، وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ: إِنَّ عِلْمَ الشَّرِيعَةِ عِلْمٌ وَاحِدٌ، وَهُوَ اسْمٌ وَاحِدٌ يَجْمَعُ مَعْنَيَيْنِ: الرِّوَايَةَ وَالدِّرَايَةَ. فَإِذَا جَمَعْتَهُمَا فَهُوَ عِلْمُ الشَّرِيعَةِ الدَّاعِيَةِ إِلَى الْأَعْمَالِ الظَّاهِرَةِ وَالْبَاطِنَةِ.

Fa-naqūlu, wa-bi-Allāhi al-tawfīqu: inna ʿilma al-sharīʿati ʿilmun wāḥidun, wa-huwa ismun wāḥidun yajmaʿu maʿnayayni: al-riwāyata wa-al-dirāyata. Fa-idhā jamaʿtahumā fa-huwa ʿilmu al-sharīʿati al-dāʿiyati ilā al-aʿmāli al-ẓāhirati wa-al-bāṭinati.

We answer, with God’s enabling grace: Knowledge of the Sacred Law is one science. Its single name encompasses two aspects: transmission and understanding. When you bring these together, you have knowledge of the Sacred Law that calls for both outward and inward deeds.

وَلَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُجَرَّدَ الْقَوْلُ فِي الْعِلْمِ أَنَّهُ ظَاهِرٌ أَوْ بَاطِنٌ، لِأَنَّ الْعِلْمَ مَتَى مَا كَانَ فِي الْقَلْبِ فَهُوَ بَاطِنٌ فِيهِ إِلَى أَنْ يَجْرِيَ وَيَظْهَرَ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ.

Wa-lā yajūzu an yujarrada al-qawlu fī al-ʿilmi annahu ẓāhirun aw bāṭinun, li-anna al-ʿilma matā mā kāna fī al-qalbi fa-huwa bāṭinun fīhi ilā an yajriya wa-yaẓhara ʿalā al-lisāni.

It is not right to describe knowledge simply as outward or inward. While knowledge remains within the heart, it is inward there, until it flows onto the tongue and becomes manifest.

فَإِذَا جَرَى عَلَى اللِّسَانِ فَهُوَ ظَاهِرٌ. غَيْرَ أَنَّا نَقُولُ: إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ ظَاهِرٌ وَبَاطِنٌ، وَهُوَ عِلْمُ الشَّرِيعَةِ الَّذِي يَدُلُّ وَيَدْعُو إِلَى الْأَعْمَالِ الظَّاهِرَةِ وَالْبَاطِنَةِ.

Fa-idhā jarā ʿalā al-lisāni fa-huwa ẓāhirun. Ghayra annā naqūlu: inna al-ʿilma ẓāhirun wa-bāṭinun, wa-huwa ʿilmu al-sharīʿati alladhī yadullu wa-yadʿū ilā al-aʿmāli al-ẓāhirati wa-al-bāṭinati.

Once it flows onto the tongue, it is outward. Nevertheless, we say that knowledge has both an outward and an inward aspect: it is knowledge of the Sacred Law that directs and calls us to outward and inward deeds.

وَالْأَعْمَالُ الظَّاهِرَةُ كَأَعْمَالِ الْجَوَارِحِ الظَّاهِرَةِ، وَهِيَ الْعِبَادَاتُ وَالْأَحْكَامُ، مِثْلُ الطَّهَارَةِ وَالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ وَالصَّوْمِ وَالْحَجِّ وَالْجِهَادِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، فَهَذِهِ الْعِبَادَاتُ.

Wa-al-aʿmālu al-ẓāhiratu ka-aʿmāli al-jawāriḥi al-ẓāhirati, wa-hiya al-ʿibādātu wa-al-aḥkāmu, mithlu al-ṭahārati wa-al-ṣalāti wa-al-zakāti wa-al-ṣawmi wa-al-ḥajji wa-al-jihādi wa-ghayri dhālika, fa-hādhihi al-ʿibādātu.

Outward deeds include the actions of the visible bodily faculties: acts of worship and matters governed by legal rulings. Purification, prayer, obligatory almsgiving, fasting, pilgrimage, jihad, and similar duties are acts of worship.

وَأَمَّا الْأَحْكَامُ، فَالْحُدُودُ وَالطَّلَاقُ وَالْعَتَاقُ وَالْبُيُوعُ وَالْفَرَائِضُ وَالْقِصَاصُ وَغَيْرُهَا. فَهَذَا كُلُّهُ عَلَى الْجَوَارِحِ الظَّاهِرَةِ الَّتِي هِيَ الْأَعْضَاءُ، وَهِيَ الْجَوَارِحُ.

Wa-ammā al-aḥkāmu, fa-al-ḥudūdu wa-al-ṭalāqu wa-al-ʿatāqu wa-al-buyūʿu wa-al-farāʾiḍu wa-al-qiṣāṣu wa-ghayruhā. Fa-hādhā kulluhu ʿalā al-jawāriḥi al-ẓāhirati allatī hiya al-aʿḍāʾu, wa-hiya al-jawāriḥu.

As for matters governed by legal rulings, these include prescribed penalties, divorce, manumission, sales, inheritance shares, retaliation, and others. All concern the outward faculties: the bodily organs that act.

وَأَمَّا الْأَعْمَالُ الْبَاطِنَةُ، فَكَأَعْمَالِ الْقُلُوبِ، وَهِيَ الْمَقَامَاتُ وَالْأَحْوَالُ، مِثْلُ التَّصْدِيقِ وَالْإِيمَانِ وَالْيَقِينِ وَالصِّدْقِ وَالْإِخْلَاصِ وَالْمَعْرِفَةِ وَالتَّوَكُّلِ وَالْمَحَبَّةِ،

Wa-ammā al-aʿmālu al-bāṭinatu, fa-ka-aʿmāli al-qulūbi, wa-hiya al-maqāmātu wa-al-aḥwālu, mithlu al-taṣdīqi wa-al-īmāni wa-al-yaqīni wa-al-ṣidqi wa-al-ikhlāṣi wa-al-maʿrifati wa-al-tawakkuli wa-al-maḥabbati,

Inward deeds include the actions of the heart: the spiritual stations and states, such as assent to the truth, faith, certainty, truthfulness, sincerity, knowledge of God, reliance upon Him, and love;

وَالرِّضَا وَالذِّكْرِ وَالشُّكْرِ وَالْإِنَابَةِ وَالْخَشْيَةِ وَالتَّقْوَى وَالْمُرَاقَبَةِ وَالْفِكْرَةِ وَالِاعْتِبَارِ وَالْخَوْفِ وَالرَّجَاءِ وَالصَّبْرِ وَالْقَنَاعَةِ وَالتَّسْلِيمِ،

Wa-al-riḍā wa-al-dhikri wa-al-shukri wa-al-inābati wa-al-khashyati wa-al-taqwā wa-al-murāqabati wa-al-fikrati wa-al-iʿtibāri wa-al-khawfi wa-al-rajāʾi wa-al-ṣabri wa-al-qanāʿati wa-al-taslīmi,

contentment, remembrance, gratitude, turning back to God, reverent fear, God-consciousness, watchful awareness, reflection, drawing lessons, fear, hope, patience, sufficiency, and surrender;

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وَالتَّفْوِيضِ وَالْقُرْبِ وَالشَّوْقِ وَالْوَجْدِ وَالْوَجَلِ وَالْحُزْنِ وَالنَّدَمِ وَالْحَيَاءِ وَالْخَجَلِ وَالتَّعْظِيمِ وَالْإِجْلَالِ وَالْهَيْبَةِ.

Wa-al-tafwīḍi wa-al-qurbi wa-al-shawqi wa-al-wajdi wa-al-wajali wa-al-ḥuzni wa-al-nadami wa-al-ḥayāʾi wa-al-khajali wa-al-taʿẓīmi wa-al-ijlāli wa-al-haybati.

entrusting one’s affairs to God, nearness, longing, ecstatic experience, trepidation, sorrow, remorse, modesty, bashfulness, reverence, veneration, and awe.

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وَلِكُلِّ عَمَلٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَعْمَالِ الظَّاهِرَةِ وَالْبَاطِنَةِ عِلْمٌ وَفِقْهٌ وَبَيَانٌ وَفَهْمٌ وَحَقِيقَةٌ وَوَجْدٌ.

Wa-li-kulli ʿamalin min hādhihi al-aʿmāli al-ẓāhirati wa-al-bāṭinati ʿilmun wa-fiqhun wa-bayānun wa-fahmun wa-ḥaqīqatun wa-wajdun.

Each of these outward and inward deeds has its own knowledge, discernment, explanation, understanding, realized truth, and spiritual experience.

وَيَدُلُّ عَلَى صِحَّةِ كُلِّ عَمَلٍ مِنْهَا مِنَ الظَّاهِرِ وَالْبَاطِنِ آيَاتٌ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَأَخْبَارٌ عَنِ الرَّسُولِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، عَلِمَهُ مَنْ عَلِمَهُ، وَجَهِلَهُ مَنْ جَهِلَهُ.

Wa-yadullu ʿalā ṣiḥḥati kulli ʿamalin minhā mina al-ẓāhiri wa-al-bāṭini āyātun mina al-Qurʾāni wa-akhbārun ʿan al-rasūli ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama, ʿalimahu man ʿalimahu, wa-jahilahu man jahilahu.

Qur’anic verses and reports from the Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace—establish the validity of every such deed, whether outward or inward. Some know this, while others remain unaware of it.

فَإِذَا قُلْنَا: عِلْمُ الْبَاطِنِ، أَرَدْنَا بِذَلِكَ عِلْمَ أَعْمَالِ الْبَاطِنِ الَّتِي هِيَ عَلَى الْجَارِحَةِ الْبَاطِنَةِ، وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ،

Fa-idhā qulnā: ʿilmu al-bāṭini, aradnā bi-dhālika ʿilma aʿmāli al-bāṭini allatī hiya ʿalā al-jāriḥati al-bāṭinati, wa-hiya al-qalbu,

When we say “inward knowledge,” we mean knowledge of inward deeds performed by the inward faculty, which is the heart,

كَمَا أَنَّا إِذَا قُلْنَا: عِلْمُ الظَّاهِرِ، أَشَرْنَا إِلَى عِلْمِ الْأَعْمَالِ الظَّاهِرَةِ الَّتِي هِيَ عَلَى الْجَوَارِحِ الظَّاهِرَةِ، وَهِيَ الْأَعْضَاءُ.

Ka-mā annā idhā qulnā: ʿilmu al-ẓāhiri, asharnā ilā ʿilmi al-aʿmāli al-ẓāhirati allatī hiya ʿalā al-jawāriḥi al-ẓāhirati, wa-hiya al-aʿḍāʾu.

just as when we say “outward knowledge,” we mean knowledge of outward deeds performed by the outward faculties, which are the bodily organs.

وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظَاهِرَةً وَبَاطِنَةً.

Wa-qad qāla Allāhu taʿālā: wa-asbagha ʿalaykum niʿamahu ẓāhiratan wa-bāṭinatan.

God Most High has said: “He has bestowed His blessings upon you in abundance, outwardly and inwardly.”

فَالنِّعْمَةُ الظَّاهِرَةُ مَا أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهَا عَلَى الْجَوَارِحِ الظَّاهِرَةِ مِنْ فِعْلِ الطَّاعَاتِ، وَالنِّعْمَةُ الْبَاطِنَةُ مَا أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهَا عَلَى الْقَلْبِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْحَالَاتِ.

Fa-al-niʿmatu al-ẓāhiratu mā anʿama Allāhu taʿālā bi-hā ʿalā al-jawāriḥi al-ẓāhirati min fiʿli al-ṭāʿāti, wa-al-niʿmatu al-bāṭinatu mā anʿama Allāhu taʿālā bi-hā ʿalā al-qalbi min hādhihi al-ḥālāti.

The outward blessing is what God Most High grants the outward faculties through acts of obedience. The inward blessing is what He grants the heart through these spiritual states.

وَلَا يَسْتَغْنِي الظَّاهِرُ عَنِ الْبَاطِنِ، وَلَا الْبَاطِنُ عَنِ الظَّاهِرِ.

Wa-lā yastaghnī al-ẓāhiru ʿan al-bāṭini, wa-lā al-bāṭinu ʿan al-ẓāhiri.

The outward cannot dispense with the inward, nor can the inward dispense with the outward.

وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: وَلَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَإِلَى أُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنْبِطُونَهُ مِنْهُمْ.

Wa-qad qāla Allāhu ʿazza wa-jalla: wa-law raddūhu ilā al-rasūli wa-ilā ulī al-amri minhum la-ʿalimahu alladhīna yastanbiṭūnahu minhum.

God, mighty and majestic, has said: “Had they referred it to the Messenger and those entrusted with authority among them, those able to draw out its meaning would have understood it.”

فَالْعِلْمُ الْمُسْتَنْبَطُ هُوَ الْعِلْمُ الْبَاطِنُ، وَهُوَ عِلْمُ أَهْلِ التَّصَوُّفِ، لِأَنَّ لَهُمْ مُسْتَنْبَطَاتٍ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَالْحَدِيثِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَنَحْنُ نَذْكُرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ طَرَفًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ.

Fa-al-ʿilmu al-mustanbaṭu huwa al-ʿilmu al-bāṭinu, wa-huwa ʿilmu ahli al-taṣawwufi, li-anna lahum mustanbaṭātin mina al-Qurʾāni wa-al-ḥadīthi wa-ghayri dhālika, wa-naḥnu nadhkuru in shāʾa Allāhu ṭarafan min dhālika.

Knowledge drawn out in this way is inward knowledge, the knowledge of the Sufis. They have insights derived from the Qur’an, the hadith, and other sources. God willing, we shall mention some of them.

فَالْعِلْمُ ظَاهِرٌ وَبَاطِنٌ، وَالْقُرْآنُ ظَاهِرٌ وَبَاطِنٌ، وَحَدِيثُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ظَاهِرٌ وَبَاطِنٌ، وَالْإِسْلَامُ ظَاهِرٌ وَبَاطِنٌ.

Fa-al-ʿilmu ẓāhirun wa-bāṭinun, wa-al-Qurʾānu ẓāhirun wa-bāṭinun, wa-ḥadīthu Rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama ẓāhirun wa-bāṭinun, wa-al-islāmu ẓāhirun wa-bāṭinun.

Knowledge has an outward and an inward aspect; so do the Qur’an, the hadith of God’s Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace—and Islam itself.

وَلِأَصْحَابِنَا فِي مَعْنَى ذَلِكَ اسْتِدْلَالَاتٌ وَاحْتِجَاجَاتٌ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ وَالْعَقْلِ، وَشَرْحُهُ يَطُولُ وَيَخْرُجُ عَنْ حَدِّ الِاخْتِصَارِ إِلَى حَدِّ الْإِكْثَارِ، وَفِيمَا قُلْنَا كِفَايَةٌ، وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ.

Wa-li-aṣḥābinā fī maʿnā dhālika istidlālātun wa-iḥtijājātun mina al-kitābi wa-al-sunnati wa-al-ʿaqli, wa-sharḥuhu yaṭūlu wa-yakhruju ʿan ḥaddi al-ikhtiṣāri ilā ḥaddi al-ikthāri, wa-fī-mā qulnā kifāyatun, wa-bi-Allāhi al-tawfīqu.

Our companions support this understanding with deductions and arguments from the Book, the Sunna, and reason. Explaining them would take us beyond brevity into lengthy discussion. What we have said is sufficient. Enabling grace comes through God.

بَابُ التَّصَوُّفِ: مَا هُوَ، وَنَعْتُهُ وَمَاهِيَّتُهُ.

Bābu al-taṣawwufi: mā huwa, wa-naʿtuhu wa-māhiyyatuhu.

Chapter on Sufism: what it is, its description, and its essential nature.

Printed pages 24 to 25

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: فَأَمَّا التَّصَوُّفُ وَنَعْتُهُ وَمَاهِيَّتُهُ، فَقَدْ سُئِلَ مُحَمَّدُ ابْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْقَصَّابُ، وَهُوَ أُسْتَاذُ الْجُنَيْدِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، عَنِ التَّصَوُّفِ مَا هُوَ.

Qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu: fa-ammā al-taṣawwufu wa-naʿtuhu wa-māhiyyatuhu, fa-qad suʾila Muḥammadu ibnu ʿAliyyin al-Qaṣṣābu, wa-huwa ustādhu al-Junaydi raḥimahu Allāhu, ʿani al-taṣawwufi mā huwa.

The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: As for Sufism, its description, and its essential nature, Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Qaṣṣāb—al-Junayd’s teacher, may God have mercy on him—was asked what Sufism is.

Printed page 25

قَالَ: أَخْلَاقٌ كَرِيمَةٌ ظَهَرَتْ فِي زَمَانٍ كَرِيمٍ مِنْ رَجُلٍ كَرِيمٍ مَعَ قَوْمٍ كِرَامٍ.

qāla: akhlāqun karīmatun ẓaharat fī zamānin karīmin min rajulin karīmin maʿa qawmin kirāmin.

He said: Noble character that appeared in a noble age, through a noble man, among noble people.

وَسُئِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّصَوُّفِ فَقَالَ: أَنْ تَكُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِلَا عَلَاقَةٍ.

wa-suʾila al-Junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-taṣawwufi fa-qāla: an takūna maʿa Allāhi taʿālā bi-lā ʿalāqatin.

Al-Junayd, may God have mercy on him, was asked about Sufism. He said: To be with God Most High without any attachment.

وَسُئِلَ رُوَيْمُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّصَوُّفِ فَقَالَ: اسْتِرْسَالُ النَّفْسِ مَعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَى مَا يُرِيدُهُ.

wa-suʾila Ruwaymu bnu Aḥmada raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-taṣawwufi fa-qāla: istirsālu al-nafsi maʿa Allāhi taʿālā ʿalā mā yurīduhu.

Ruwaym ibn Aḥmad, may God have mercy on him, was asked about Sufism. He said: Letting the self yield freely to God Most High, in accordance with what He wills.

وَسُئِلَ سُمْنُونُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّصَوُّفِ فَقَالَ: أَنْ لَا تَمْلِكَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَمْلِكَكَ شَيْءٌ.

wa-suʾila Sumnūnu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-taṣawwufi fa-qāla: an lā tamlika shayʾan wa-lā yamlikaka shayʾun.

Sumnūn, may God have mercy on him, was asked about Sufism. He said: To possess nothing, and to let nothing possess you.

وَسُئِلَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الْجُرَيْرِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّصَوُّفِ فَقَالَ: الدُّخُولُ فِي كُلِّ خُلُقٍ سَنِيٍّ وَالْخُرُوجُ مِنْ كُلِّ خُلُقٍ دَنِيٍّ.

wa-suʾila Abū Muḥammadin al-Jurayriyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-taṣawwufi fa-qāla: al-dukhūlu fī kulli khuluqin saniyyin wa-al-khurūju min kulli khuluqin daniyyin.

Abū Muḥammad al-Jurayrī, may God have mercy on him, was asked about Sufism. He said: Entering into every noble quality of character and leaving behind every base one.

وَسُئِلَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْمَكِّيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّصَوُّفِ فَقَالَ: أَنْ يَكُونَ الْعَبْدُ فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ بِمَا هُوَ أَوْلَى فِي الْوَقْتِ.

wa-suʾila ʿAmru bnu ʿUthmāna al-Makkiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-taṣawwufi fa-qāla: an yakūna al-ʿabdu fī kulli waqtin bi-mā huwa awlā fī al-waqti.

ʿAmr ibn ʿUthmān al-Makkī, may God have mercy on him, was asked about Sufism. He said: For the servant, at every moment, to be occupied with what is most fitting for that moment.

وَسُئِلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ الْقَنَّادُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّصَوُّفِ فَقَالَ: نَشْرُ مَقَامٍ وَاتِّصَالٌ بِدَوَامٍ.

wa-suʾila ʿAliyyu bnu ʿAbdi al-Raḥīmi al-Qannādu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-taṣawwufi fa-qāla: nashru maqāmin wa-ittiṣālun bi-dawāmin.

ʿAlī ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥīm al-Qannād, may God have mercy on him, was asked about Sufism. He said: The unfolding of a spiritual station, and a connection sustained without interruption.

بَابُ صِفَةِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ وَمَنْ هُمْ.

bābu ṣifati al-ṣūfiyyati wa-man hum.

Chapter describing the Sufis and who they are.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: وَأَمَّا صِفَةُ الصُّوفِيَّةِ وَمَنْ هُمْ، فَقَدْ قِيلَ لِعَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ ابْنِ زَيْدٍ، كَمَا بَلَغَنِي، وَكَانَ مِمَّنْ يَصْحَبُ الْحَسَنَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَكَانَ مِنْ أَجِلَّةِ أَصْحَابِهِ: مَنِ الصُّوفِيَّةُ عِنْدَكَ؟

qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu: wa-ammā ṣifatu al-ṣūfiyyati wa-man hum, fa-qad qīla li-ʿAbdi al-Wāḥidi ibni Zaydin, ka-mā balaghanī, wa-kāna mimman yaṣḥabu al-Ḥasana raḥimahu Allāhu wa-kāna min ajillati aṣḥābihi: mani al-ṣūfiyyatu ʿindaka?

The shaykh, may God have mercy on him, said: As for describing the Sufis and who they are, I have heard that ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Zayd was asked, “Who are the Sufis in your view?” He had kept company with al-Ḥasan, may God have mercy on him, and was one of his foremost companions.

فَقَالَ: الْقَائِمُونَ بِعُقُولِهِمْ عَلَى هُمُومِهِمْ، وَالْعَاكِفُونَ عَلَيْهَا بِقُلُوبِهِمْ، الْمُعْتَصِمُونَ بِسَيِّدِهِمْ مِنْ شَرِّ نُفُوسِهِمْ، هُمُ الصُّوفِيَّةُ.

fa-qāla: al-qāʾimūna bi-ʿuqūlihim ʿalā humūmihim, wa-al-ʿākifūna ʿalayhā bi-qulūbihim, al-muʿtaṣimūna bi-sayyidihim min sharri nufūsihim, humu al-ṣūfiyyatu.

He said: Those who watch over their concerns with their minds, devote their hearts to them, and seek refuge in their Master from the evil of their own selves—these are the Sufis.

وَسُئِلَ ذُو النُّونِ الْمِصْرِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الصُّوفِيِّ فَقَالَ: هُوَ الَّذِي لَا يُتْعِبُهُ طَلَبٌ وَلَا يُزْعِجُهُ سَلَبٌ.

wa-suʾila Dhū al-Nūni al-Miṣriyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-ṣūfiyyi fa-qāla: huwa alladhī lā yutʿibuhu ṭalabun wa-lā yuzʿijuhu salabun.

Dhū al-Nūn al-Miṣrī, may God have mercy on him, was asked about the Sufi. He said: Someone whom seeking does not weary and deprivation does not disturb.

وَقَالَ أَيْضًا: هُمْ قَوْمٌ آثَرُوا اللَّهَ تَعَالَى عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَآثَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ.

wa-qāla ayḍan: hum qawmun ātharū Allāha taʿālā ʿalā kulli shayʾin fa-ātharahumu Allāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin.

He also said: They are people who preferred God Most High over everything, so God preferred them over everything.

Printed pages 25 to 26

وَقِيلَ لِبَعْضِهِمْ: مَنْ أَصْحَبُ؟ فَقَالَ: اصْحَبِ الصُّوفِيَّةَ، فَإِنَّ لِلْقَبِيحِ عِنْدَهُمْ وُجُوهًا مِنَ الْمَعَاذِيرِ، وَلَيْسَ لِلْكَثِيرِ عِنْدَهُمْ مَوْقِعٌ فَيَرْفَعُوكَ بِهِ فَتَعْجَبَ نَفْسَكَ.

wa-qīla li-baʿḍihim: man aṣḥabu? fa-qāla: iṣḥabi al-ṣūfiyyata, fa-inna li-al-qabīḥi ʿindahum wujūhan mina al-maʿādhīri, wa-laysa li-al-kathīri ʿindahum mawqiʿun fa-yarfaʿūka bihi fa-taʿjaba nafsaka.

One of them was asked, “Whom should I keep company with?” He said: Keep company with the Sufis. They find many excuses for what is unbecoming, and even much good carries no such weight with them that they would raise you up for it and make you admire yourself.

Printed page 26

وَسُئِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ مَنْ هُمْ فَقَالَ: أُثْرَةُ اللَّهِ فِي خَلْقِهِ، يُخْفِيهَا إِذَا أَحَبَّ وَيُظْهِرُهَا إِذَا أَحَبَّ.

wa-suʾila al-Junaydu bnu Muḥammadin raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-ṣūfiyyati man hum fa-qāla: uthratu Allāhi fī khalqihi, yukhfīhā idhā aḥabba wa-yuẓhiruhā idhā aḥabba.

Al-Junayd ibn Muḥammad, may God have mercy on him, was asked who the Sufis are. He said: God’s chosen portion among His creation. He conceals it when He wishes and reveals it when He wishes.

وَقِيلَ لِأَبِي الْحُسَيْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ النُّورِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: مَنِ الصُّوفِيُّ؟ فَقَالَ: مَنْ سَمِعَ السَّمَاعَ وَآثَرَ بِالْأَسْبَابِ.

wa-qīla li-Abī al-Ḥusayni Aḥmada bni Muḥammadin al-Nūriyyi raḥimahu Allāhu: mani al-ṣūfiyyu? fa-qāla: man samiʿa al-samāʿa wa-āthara bi-al-asbābi.

Abū al-Ḥusayn Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Nūrī, may God have mercy on him, was asked, “Who is the Sufi?” He said: Someone who listens to spiritual audition and gives others preference in the use of worldly resources.

وَأَهْلُ الشَّأْمِ يُسَمُّونَ الصُّوفِيَّةَ فُقَرَاءَ، وَيَقُولُونَ: قَدْ سَمَّاهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فُقَرَاءَ فَقَالَ:

wa-ahlu al-Shaʾmi yusammūna al-ṣūfiyyata fuqarāʾa, wa-yaqūlūna: qad sammāhumu Allāhu taʿālā fuqarāʾa fa-qāla:

The people of Syria call the Sufis “the poor.” They say that God Most High Himself called them poor, for He said:

«لِلْفُقَرَاءِ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ»، الْآيَةَ.

«li-al-fuqarāʾi al-muhājirīna alladhīna ukhrijū min diyārihim», al-āyata.

“For the poor emigrants who were driven out of their homes”—and so the verse continues.

وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: «لِلْفُقَرَاءِ الَّذِينَ أُحْصِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ»، الْآيَةَ.

wa-qawluhu taʿālā: «li-al-fuqarāʾi alladhīna uḥṣirū fī sabīli Allāhi», al-āyata.

And His words, exalted is He: “For the poor who are constrained in God’s way”—and so the verse continues.

وَقِيلَ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ بْنِ يَحْيَى الْجَلَّاءِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: مَا مَعْنَى الصُّوفِيِّ؟ قَالَ: لَيْسَ نَعْرِفُهُ فِي شَرْطِ الْعِلْمِ،

wa-qīla li-Abī ʿAbdi Allāhi Aḥmada bni Muḥammadin bni Yaḥyā al-Jallāʾi raḥimahu Allāhu: mā maʿnā al-ṣūfiyyi? qāla: laysa naʿrifuhu fī sharṭi al-ʿilmi,

Abū ʿAbd Allāh Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā al-Jallāʾ, may God have mercy on him, was asked, “What does ‘Sufi’ mean?” He said: We do not know it as a formal definition within scholarly knowledge,

وَلَكِنْ نَعْرِفُ فَقِيرًا مُجَرَّدًا مِنَ الْأَسْبَابِ كَانَ مَعَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِلَا مَكَانٍ، وَلَا يَمْنَعُهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ عِلْمِ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ، سُمِّيَ صُوفِيًّا.

wa-lākin naʿrifu faqīran mujarradan mina al-asbābi kāna maʿa Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla bi-lā makānin, wa-lā yamnaʿuhu al-Ḥaqqu min ʿilmi kulli makānin, summiya ṣūfiyyan.

but we know a poor person stripped of worldly means, who is with God, mighty and majestic, without a place, and from whom the Real does not withhold knowledge of any place: such a person is called a Sufi.

وَقَدْ قِيلَ: كَانَ فِي الْأَصْلِ صَفْوِيًّا فَاسْتُثْقِلَ ذَلِكَ فَقِيلَ صُوفِيٌّ.

wa-qad qīla: kāna fī al-aṣli ṣafwiyyan fa-istuthqila dhālika fa-qīla ṣūfiyyun.

It has also been said that the word was originally ṣafwī, but this was considered awkward to pronounce, so it became ṣūfī.

وَسُئِلَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْقَنَّادُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ مَعْنَى الصُّوفِيِّ فَقَالَ: مَأْخُوذٌ مِنَ الصَّفَاءِ، وَهُوَ الْقِيَامُ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ بِشَرْطِ الْوَفَاءِ.

wa-suʾila Abū al-Ḥasani al-Qannādu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan maʿnā al-ṣūfiyyi fa-qāla: maʾkhūdhun mina al-ṣafāʾi, wa-huwa al-qiyāmu li-Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla fī kulli waqtin bi-sharṭi al-wafāʾi.

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Qannād, may God have mercy on him, was asked what “Sufi” means. He said: It is taken from ṣafāʾ, purity, and means standing in God’s service, mighty and majestic, at every moment, with complete faithfulness.

وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: مَنْ إِذَا اسْتَقْبَلَهُ حَالَانِ أَوْ خُلُقَانِ حَسَنَانِ فَيَكُونُ مَعَ الْأَحْسَنِ وَالْأَعْلَى.

wa-qāla baʿḍuhum: man idhā istaqbalahu ḥālāni aw khuluqāni ḥasanāni fa-yakūnu maʿa al-aḥsani wa-al-aʿlā.

One of them said: Someone who, when faced with two spiritual states or two good qualities of character, chooses the better and the higher.

وَسُئِلَ آخَرُ عَنْ مَعْنَى الصُّوفِيِّ فَقَالَ: مَعْنَاهُ أَنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا تَحَقَّقَ بِالْعُبُودِيَّةِ وَصَافَاهُ الْحَقُّ حَتَّى صَفَا مِنْ كَدَرِ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ،

wa-suʾila ākharu ʿan maʿnā al-ṣūfiyyi fa-qāla: maʿnāhu anna al-ʿabda idhā taḥaqqaqa bi-al-ʿubūdiyyati wa-ṣāfāhu al-Ḥaqqu ḥattā ṣafā min kadari al-bashariyyati,

Another was asked what “Sufi” means. He said: It means that when the servant fully realizes servanthood and the Real grants him pure intimacy until he is purified of the cloudiness of human nature,

نَازَلَ مَنَازِلَ الْحَقِيقَةِ وَقَارَنَ أَحْكَامَ الشَّرِيعَةِ، فَإِذَا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ صُوفِيٌّ لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ صُوفِيَ.

nāzala manāzila al-ḥaqīqati wa-qārana aḥkāma al-sharīʿati, fa-idhā faʿala dhālika fa-huwa ṣūfiyyun li-annahu qad ṣūfiya.

he enters the stations of spiritual reality while remaining in accord with the rulings of the sacred law. When he does this, he is a Sufi, because he has been met with pure intimacy.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: فَإِذَا قِيلَ لَكَ: الصُّوفِيَّةُ مَنْ هُمْ فِي الْحَقِيقَةِ؟ صِفْهُمْ لَنَا. فَقُلْ:

qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu: fa-idhā qīla laka: al-ṣūfiyyatu man hum fī al-ḥaqīqati? ṣifhum lanā. fa-qul:

The shaykh, may God have mercy on him, said: If someone asks you, “Who are the Sufis in reality? Describe them to us,” then say:

هُمُ الْعُلَمَاءُ بِاللَّهِ وَبِأَحْكَامِ اللَّهِ، الْعَامِلُونَ بِمَا عَلَّمَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، الْمُتَحَقِّقُونَ بِمَا اسْتَعْمَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ،

humu al-ʿulamāʾu bi-Allāhi wa-bi-aḥkāmi Allāhi, al-ʿāmilūna bi-mā ʿallamahumu Allāhu taʿālā, al-mutaḥaqqiqūna bi-mā istaʿmalahumu Allāhu ʿazza wa-jalla,

They are those who know God and His rulings, act on what God Most High has taught them, and fully realize the work to which God, mighty and majestic, has called them,

Printed pages 26 to 27

الْوَاجِدُونَ بِمَا تَحَقَّقُوا، الْفَانُونَ بِمَا وَجَدُوا، لِأَنَّ كُلَّ وَاجِدٍ قَدْ فَنِيَ بِمَا وَجَدَ.

al-wājidūna bi-mā taḥaqqaqū, al-fānūna bi-mā wajadū, li-anna kulla wājidin qad faniya bi-mā wajada.

those who experience spiritual ecstasy through what they have realized, and lose themselves in what they experience, for everyone who truly experiences it is effaced by what they experience.

Printed page 27

وَقَالَ الْقَنَّادُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: التَّصَوُّفُ اسْمٌ قَدْ وَقَعَ عَلَى ظَاهِرِ اللُّبْسَةِ، وَهُمْ مُتَفَاوِتُونَ فِي مَعَانِيهِمْ وَأَحْوَالِهِمْ.

wa-qāla al-Qannādu raḥimahu Allāhu: al-taṣawwufu ismun qad waqaʿa ʿalā ẓāhiri al-lubsati, wa-hum mutafāwitūna fī maʿānīhim wa-aḥwālihim.

Al-Qannād, may God have mercy on him, said: “Sufism” is a name applied to outward dress, but the people bearing it differ in their inward meanings and spiritual states.

وَسُئِلَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: لِمَ سُمِّيَتِ الصُّوفِيَّةُ بِهَذَا الِاسْمِ؟ فَقَالَ: ⟨لِبَقَايَا⟩ بَقِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ نُفُوسِهِمْ، وَلَوْلَا ذَلِكَ لَمَا لَاقَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْمَاءُ وَلَا تَعَلَّقَتْ بِهِمْ.

wa-suʾila al-Shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: li-ma summiyati al-ṣūfiyyatu bi-hādhā al-ismi? fa-qāla: ⟨li-baqāyā⟩ baqiyat ʿalayhim min nufūsihim, wa-lawlā dhālika la-mā lāqat bihimu al-asmāʾu wa-lā taʿallaqat bihim.

Al-Shiblī, may God have mercy on him, was asked, “Why were the Sufis given this name?” He said: Because ⟨traces⟩ of their own selves still remain upon them. Without that, names would neither fit them nor attach to them.

وَقَدْ قِيلَ أَيْضًا: إِنَّ الصُّوفِيَّةَ هُمْ بَقِيَّةٌ مِنْ بَقَايَا أَهْلِ الصُّفَّةِ.

wa-qad qīla ayḍan: inna al-ṣūfiyyata hum baqiyyatun min baqāyā Ahli al-Ṣuffati.

It has also been said that the Sufis are a surviving remnant of the People of the Portico.

وَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ إِنَّهُ اسْمٌ وَاقِعٌ عَلَى ظَاهِرِ اللُّبْسَةِ، فَقَدْ رُوِيَ فِي ذَلِكَ أَخْبَارٌ فِي ذِكْرِ مَنْ لَبِسَ الصُّوفَ وَاخْتَارَ لُبْسَهُ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ، وَذِكْرُهُ يَطُولُ.

wa-ammā man qāla innahu ismun wāqiʿun ʿalā ẓāhiri al-lubsati, fa-qad ruwiya fī dhālika akhbārun fī dhikri man labisa al-ṣūfa wa-ikhtāra lubsahu mina al-anbiyāʾi wa-al-ṣāliḥīna, wa-dhikruhu yaṭūlu.

As for the view that it is a name referring to outward dress, reports have been transmitted about prophets and righteous people who wore wool and chose to wear it. Recounting these would take a long time.

وَقَدْ أَجَابَ عَنِ التَّصَوُّفِ مَا هُوَ جَمَاعَةٌ بِأَجْوِبَةٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ، مِنْهُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمُوَلَّدِ الرَّقِّيُّ، قَدْ أَجَابَ عَنْهَا بِأَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِائَةِ جَوَابٍ، وَفِيمَا ذَكَرْنَا كِفَايَةٌ.

wa-qad ajāba ʿani al-taṣawwufi mā huwa jamāʿatun bi-ajwibatin mukhtalifatin, minhum Ibrāhīmu bnu al-Muwalladi al-Raqqiyyu, qad ajāba ʿanhā bi-akthara min miʾati jawābin, wa-fīmā dhakarnā kifāyatun.

A number of people have given different answers to the question of what Sufism is. Among them was Ibrāhīm ibn al-Muwallad al-Raqqī, who gave more than a hundred answers. What we have mentioned is sufficient.

وَقَدْ قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ الْقَنَّادُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِي التَّصَوُّفِ وَانْدِرَاسِ أَهْلِهِ شِعْرًا:

wa-qad qāla ʿAliyyu bnu ʿAbdi al-Raḥīmi al-Qannādu raḥimahu Allāhu fī al-taṣawwufi wa-indirāsi ahlihi shiʿran:

ʿAlī ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥīm al-Qannād, may God have mercy on him, spoke in verse about Sufism and the disappearance of its people:

أَهْلُ التَّصَوُّفِ قَدْ مَضَوْا، صَارَ التَّصَوُّفُ مَخْرَقَهْ.

Ahlu al-taṣawwufi qad maḍaw, ṣāra al-taṣawwufu makhraqah.

The people of Sufism have passed away; Sufism has become a sham.

صَارَ التَّصَوُّفُ صَيْحَةً وَتَوَاجُدًا وَمُطَبَّقَهْ.

ṣāra al-taṣawwufu ṣayḥatan wa-tawājudan wa-muṭabbaqah.

Sufism has become a shout, a show of ecstasy, and a layered cloak.

مَضَتِ الْعُلُومُ، فَلَا عُلُومَ وَلَا قُلُوبَ مُشْرِقَهْ.

maḍati al-ʿulūmu, fa-lā ʿulūma wa-lā qulūba mushriqah.

The sciences have gone; no knowledge remains, nor any radiant hearts.

كَذَبَتْكَ نَفْسُكَ، لَيْسَ ذِي سَنَنَ الطَّرِيقِ الْمُخْلَقَهْ.

kadhabatka nafsuka, laysa dhī sanana al-ṭarīqi al-mukhlaqah.

Your self has lied to you: this is not the course of the well-worn path.

حَتَّى تَكُونَ بِعَيْنِ مَنْ عَنْهُ الْعُيُونُ الْمُحْدِقَهْ.

ḥattā takūna bi-ʿayni man ʿanhu al-ʿuyūnu al-muḥdiqah.

Until you are under the eye of the One beyond the reach of gazing eyes.

تَجْرِي عَلَيْكَ صُرُوفُهُ وَهُمُومُ سِرِّكَ مُطْرِقَهْ.

tajrī ʿalayka ṣurūfuhu wa-humūmu sirrika muṭriqah.

His changing decrees pass over you, while the concerns of your innermost heart bow in silence.

وَلِبَعْضِ الْمَشَايِخِ فِي التَّصَوُّفِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَجْوِبَةٍ: جَوَابٌ بِشَرْطِ الْعِلْمِ،

wa-li-baʿḍi al-mashāyikhi fī al-taṣawwufi thalāthatu ajwibatin: jawābun bi-sharṭi al-ʿilmi,

One of the shaykhs gave three answers concerning Sufism. The first is according to the requirements of knowledge:

وَهِيَ تَصْفِيَةُ الْقُلُوبِ مِنَ الْأَكْدَارِ، وَاسْتِعْمَالُ الْخُلُقِ مَعَ الْخَلِيقَةِ، وَاتِّبَاعُ الرَّسُولِ فِي الشَّرِيعَةِ.

wa-hiya taṣfiyatu al-qulūbi mina al-akdāri, wa-istiʿmālu al-khuluqi maʿa al-khalīqati, wa-ittibāʿu al-rasūli fī al-sharīʿati.

It is purifying hearts of all that clouds them, practicing good character with people, and following the Messenger in the sacred law.

Printed pages 27 to 28

وَجَوَابٌ بِلِسَانِ الْحَقِيقَةِ، وَهُوَ عَدَمُ الْأَمْلَاكِ وَالْخُرُوجُ مِنْ رِقِّ الصِّفَاتِ وَالِاسْتِغْنَاءُ بِخَالِقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ.

wa-jawābun bi-lisāni al-ḥaqīqati, wa-huwa ʿadamu al-amlāki wa-al-khurūju min riqqi al-ṣifāti wa-al-istighnāʾu bi-khāliqi al-samāwāti.

The second is in the language of spiritual reality: possessing nothing, leaving the bondage of personal attributes, and finding all sufficiency in the Creator of the heavens.

Printed page 28

وَجَوَابٌ بِلِسَانِ الْحَقِّ: أَصْفَاهُمْ بِالصَّفَاءِ عَنْ صِفَاتِهِمْ وَصَفَّاهُمْ عَنْ صَفَائِهِمْ فَسُمُّوا صُوفِيَّةً.

wa-jawābun bi-lisāni al-Ḥaqqi: aṣfāhum bi-al-ṣafāʾi ʿan ṣifātihim wa-ṣaffāhum ʿan ṣafāʾihim fa-summū ṣūfiyyatan.

The third is in the language of the Real: He purified them of their attributes through purity, then purified them even of their own purity; thus they were called Sufis.

وَقُلْتُ لِلْحُصْرِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: مَنِ الصُّوفِيُّ عِنْدَكَ؟ قَالَ: الَّذِي لَا تُقِلُّهُ الْأَرْضُ وَلَا تُظِلُّهُ السَّمَاءُ.

wa-qultu li-al-Ḥuṣriyyi raḥimahu Allāhu: mani al-ṣūfiyyu ʿindaka? qāla: alladhī lā tuqilluhu al-arḍu wa-lā tuẓilluhu al-samāʾu.

I asked al-Ḥuṣrī, may God have mercy on him, “Who is the Sufi in your view?” He said: Someone whom the earth does not carry and the sky does not shelter.

مَعْنَاهُ أَنَّهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ وَتَحْتَ السَّمَاءِ، فَاللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الَّذِي يُقِلُّهُ بِالْأَرْضِ وَيُظِلُّهُ بِالسَّمَاءِ، لَا السَّمَاءُ وَلَا الْأَرْضُ.

maʿnāhu annahu wa-in kāna ʿalā al-arḍi wa-taḥta al-samāʾi, fa-Allāhu ʿazza wa-jalla alladhī yuqilluhu bi-al-arḍi wa-yuẓilluhu bi-al-samāʾi, lā al-samāʾu wa-lā al-arḍu.

This means that although he is on earth and beneath the sky, it is God, mighty and majestic, who carries him by means of the earth and shelters him by means of the sky; the sky and earth do not do so themselves.

وَعَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ: أَيُّ أَرْضٍ تُقِلُّنِي وَأَيُّ سَمَاءٍ يُظِلُّنِي إِذَا قُلْتُ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِرَأْيِي؟

wa-ʿan Abī Bakrin al-Ṣiddīqi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu annahu kāna yaqūlu: ayyu arḍin tuqillunī wa-ayyu samāʾin yuẓillunī idhā qultu fī kitābi Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla bi-raʾyī?

It is reported that Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, may God be pleased with him, used to say: What earth would carry me, and what sky would shelter me, if I spoke about the Book of God, mighty and majestic, on the basis of my own opinion?

بَابُ التَّوْحِيدِ وَصِفَةِ الْمُوَحِّدِ وَحَقِيقَتِهِ وَكَلَامِهِمْ فِي مَعْنَى ذَلِكَ.

bābu al-tawḥīdi wa-ṣifati al-muwaḥḥidi wa-ḥaqīqatihi wa-kalāmihim fī maʿnā dhālika.

Chapter on affirming God’s oneness, the character and reality of the person who affirms it, and the Sufis’ statements about this.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: بَلَغَنِي عَنْ يُوسُفَ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ الرَّازِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ:

qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu: balaghanī ʿan Yūsufa bni al-Ḥusayni al-Rāziyyi raḥimahu Allāhu annahu qāla:

The shaykh, may God have mercy on him, said: I heard from Yūsuf ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Rāzī, may God have mercy on him, that he said:

قَامَ رَجُلٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ ذِي النُّونِ الْمِصْرِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَقَالَ: خَبِّرْنِي عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ مَا هُوَ؟

qāma rajulun bayna yaday Dhī al-Nūni al-Miṣriyyi raḥimahu Allāhu fa-qāla: khabbirnī ʿani al-tawḥīdi mā huwa?

A man stood before Dhū al-Nūn al-Miṣrī, may God have mercy on him, and said, “Tell me about affirming God’s oneness. What is it?”

قَالَ: هُوَ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنَّ قُدْرَةَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي الْأَشْيَاءِ بِلَا مِزَاجٍ، وَصُنْعَهُ لِلْأَشْيَاءِ بِلَا عِلَاجٍ، وَعِلَّةَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ صُنْعُهُ، وَلَا عِلَّةَ لِصُنْعِهِ.

qāla: huwa an taʿlama anna qudrata Allāhi taʿālā fī al-ashyāʾi bi-lā mizājin, wa-ṣunʿahu li-al-ashyāʾi bi-lā ʿilājin, wa-ʿillata kulli shayʾin ṣunʿuhu, wa-lā ʿillata li-ṣunʿihi.

He said: To know that God Most High’s power is present in things without mingling with them; that He makes things without labor or manipulation; and that His making is the cause of everything, while His making has no cause.

وَلَيْسَ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ الْعُلَى وَلَا فِي الْأَرَضِينَ السُّفْلَى مُدَبِّرٌ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى.

wa-laysa fī al-samāwāti al-ʿulā wa-lā fī al-araḍīna al-suflā mudabbirun ghayru Allāhi taʿālā.

Neither in the highest heavens nor in the lowest earths is there any governor other than God Most High.

وَمَهْمَا تَصَوَّرَ فِي وَهْمِكَ فَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِخِلَافِ ذَلِكَ، أَوْ قَالَ: غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ.

wa-mahmā taṣawwara fī wahmika fa-Allāhu taʿālā bi-khilāfi dhālika, aw qāla: ghayru dhālika.

Whatever takes shape in your imagination, God Most High is other than that—or, as he may have said, “different from that.”

وَقَالَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، وَقَدْ سُئِلَ عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ، فَقَالَ: إِفْرَادُ الْمُوَحَّدِ بِتَحْقِيقِ وَحْدَانِيَّتِهِ بِكَمَالِ أَحَدِيَّتِهِ، أَنَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الَّذِي لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ،

wa-qāla al-Junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu, wa-qad suʾila ʿani al-tawḥīdi, fa-qāla: ifrādu al-muwaḥḥadi bi-taḥqīqi waḥdāniyyatihi bi-kamāli aḥadiyyatihi, annahu al-Wāḥidu alladhī lam yalid wa-lam yūlad,

Al-Junayd, may God have mercy on him, was asked about affirming God’s oneness. He said: Singling out the One whose oneness is affirmed, realizing His unity in the perfection of His absolute oneness: He is the One who neither begets nor is begotten,

Printed pages 28 to 29

بِنَفْيِ الْأَضْدَادِ وَالْأَنْدَادِ وَالْأَشْبَاهِ وَمَا عُبِدَ مِنْ دُونِهِ، بِلَا تَشْبِيهٍ وَلَا تَكْيِيفٍ وَلَا تَصْوِيرٍ وَلَا تَمْثِيلٍ؛ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا صَمَدًا فَرْدًا، لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ، وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ.

bi-nafyi al-aḍdādi wa-al-andādi wa-al-ashbāhi wa-mā ʿubida min dūnihi, bi-lā tashbīhin wa-lā takyīfin wa-lā taṣwīrin wa-lā tamthīlin; ilāhan wāḥidan ṣamadan fardan, laysa ka-mithlihi shayʾun, wa-huwa al-samīʿu al-baṣīru.

denying that He has opposites, rivals, or likenesses, and rejecting what is worshiped apart from Him, without likening Him to anything, assigning Him a manner of being, picturing Him, or representing Him: one God, the Self-Sufficient and unique. Nothing is like Him; He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Printed page 29

وَسُئِلَ جُنَيْدٌ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى، فَقَالَ: مَعْنًى تَضْمَحِلُّ فِيهِ الرُّسُومُ، وَتَنْدَرِجُ فِيهِ الْعُلُومُ، وَيَكُونُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى كَمَا لَمْ يَزَلْ.

Wa-suʾila Junaydun, raḥimahu Allāhu, ʿani al-tawḥīdi marratan ukhrā, fa-qāla: maʿnan taḍmaḥillu fīhi al-rusūmu, wa-tandariju fīhi al-ʿulūmu, wa-yakūnu Allāhu taʿālā ka-mā lam yazal.

Junayd, may God have mercy on him, was asked about the realization of God’s oneness on another occasion. He replied: “A reality in which outward forms fade away and the sciences are enfolded, while God Most High remains as He has always been.”

قَالَ أَبُو نَصْرٍ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: فَالْجَوَابَانِ اللَّذَانِ لِذِي النُّونِ وَالْجُنَيْدِ، رَحِمَهُمَا اللَّهُ، فِي التَّوْحِيدِ هُمَا ظَاهِرَانِ؛ أَجَابَا عَنْ تَوْحِيدِ الْعَامِّ.

Qāla Abū Naṣrin, raḥimahu Allāhu: fa-al-jawābāni alladhāni li-Dhī al-Nūni wa-al-Junaydi, raḥimahumā Allāhu, fī al-tawḥīdi humā ẓāhirāni; ajābā ʿan tawḥīdi al-ʿāmmi.

Abū Naṣr, may God have mercy on him, said: The two earlier answers on God’s oneness from Dhū al-Nūn and Junayd, may God have mercy on them both, concern its outward aspect: they answered about the oneness affirmed by ordinary believers.

وَهَذَا الْجَوَابُ الَّذِي ذَكَرْنَا أَشَارَ إِلَى تَوْحِيدِ الْخَاصِّ. وَقَدْ سُئِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، عَنْ تَوْحِيدِ الْخَاصِّ،

Wa-hādhā al-jawābu alladhī dhakarnā ashāra ilā tawḥīdi al-khāṣṣi. Wa-qad suʾila al-Junaydu, raḥimahu Allāhu, ʿan tawḥīdi al-khāṣṣi,

This latest answer points to the realization of oneness attained by the spiritual elect. Junayd, may God have mercy on him, was also asked specifically about their realization of oneness.

فَقَالَ: أَنْ يَكُونَ الْعَبْدُ شَبَحًا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، تُجْرَى عَلَيْهِ تَصَارِيفُ تَدْبِيرِهِ فِي مَجَارِي أَحْكَامِ قُدْرَتِهِ، فِي لُجَجِ بِحَارِ تَوْحِيدِهِ،

Fa-qāla: an yakūna al-ʿabdu shabaḥan bayna yadayi Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla, tujrā ʿalayhi taṣārīfu tadbīrihi fī majārī aḥkāmi qudratihi, fī lujaji biḥāri tawḥīdihi,

He replied: “The servant stands before God, mighty and majestic, as a mere figure. The changing dispositions of His governance pass over him along the channels of His powerful decrees, amid the depths of the seas of His oneness.”

بِالْفَنَاءِ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ، وَعَنْ دَعْوَةِ الْخَلْقِ لَهُ، وَعَنِ اسْتِجَابَتِهِ، بِحَقَائِقِ وُجُودِ وَحْدَانِيَّتِهِ فِي حَقِيقَةِ قُرْبِهِ، بِذَهَابِ حِسِّهِ وَحَرَكَتِهِ، لِقِيَامِ الْحَقِّ لَهُ فِيمَا أَرَادَ مِنْهُ.

Bi-al-fanāʾi ʿan nafsihi, wa-ʿan daʿwati al-khalqi lahu, wa-ʿan istijābatihi, bi-ḥaqāʾiqi wujūdi waḥdāniyyatihi fī ḥaqīqati qurbihi, bi-dhahābi ḥissihi wa-ḥarakatihi, li-qiyāmi al-ḥaqqi lahu fī-mā arāda minhu.

“He is effaced from awareness of himself, of creation’s call to him, and of his own response, through the realities of God’s oneness encountered in true nearness to Him. His sensation and movement disappear, as the Real acts for him in what He intends of him.”

وَهُوَ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ آخِرُ الْعَبْدِ إِلَى أَوَّلِهِ، فَيَكُونُ كَمَا كَانَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ.

Wa-huwa an yarjiʿa ākhiru al-ʿabdi ilā awwalihi, fa-yakūnu ka-mā kāna qabla an yakūna.

“This means that the servant’s end returns to his beginning, so that he is as he was before he came to be.”

وَقَالَ أَيْضًا: التَّوْحِيدُ هُوَ الْخُرُوجُ مِنْ ضِيقِ رُسُومِ الزَّمَانِيَّةِ إِلَى سَعَةِ فِنَاءِ السَّرْمَدِيَّةِ.

Wa-qāla ayḍan: al-tawḥīdu huwa al-khurūju min ḍīqi rusūmi al-zamāniyyati ilā saʿati fināʾi al-sarmadiyyati.

He also said: “Realizing God’s oneness means leaving the narrow confines of temporal forms for the spacious precincts of eternity.”

فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ: مَا مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ: يَرْجِعُ آخِرُ الْعَبْدِ إِلَى أَوَّلِهِ، فَيَكُونُ كَمَا كَانَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ؟ فَنَقُولُ: بَيَانُ ذَلِكَ فِيمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: «وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ مِنْ ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ»، الْآيَةَ.

Fa-in qāla qāʾilun: mā maʿnā qawlihi: yarjiʿu ākhiru al-ʿabdi ilā awwalihi, fa-yakūnu ka-mā kāna qabla an yakūna? Fa-naqūlu: bayānu dhālika fī-mā qāla Allāhu ʿazza wa-jalla: «wa-idh akhadha rabbuka min banī Ādama min ẓuhūrihim dhurriyyatahum», al-āyata.

If someone asks what he means by saying that the servant’s end returns to his beginning, so that he is as he was before he came to be, we answer: its explanation lies in God’s words: “When your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their backs, their descendants”—and the rest of the verse.

قَالَ الْجُنَيْدُ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، فِي مَعْنَى ذَلِكَ: فَمَنْ كَانَ، وَكَيْفَ كَانَ، قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ؟ وَهَلْ أَجَابَتْ إِلَّا الْأَرْوَاحُ الظَّاهِرَةُ بِإِقَامَةِ الْقُدْرَةِ وَإِنْفَاذِ الْمَشِيئَةِ؟

Qāla al-Junaydu, raḥimahu Allāhu, fī maʿnā dhālika: fa-man kāna, wa-kayfa kāna, qabla an yakūna? Wa-hal ajābat illā al-arwāḥu al-ẓāhiratu bi-iqāmati al-qudrati wa-infādhi al-mashīʾati?

Junayd, may God have mercy on him, said of this: “Who was he, and how was he, before he came to be? Was it anything but the spirits brought into manifestation by divine power and the execution of divine will that answered?”

Printed pages 29 to 30

فَهُوَ الْآنَ فِي الْحَقِيقَةِ كَمَا كَانَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ. وَهَذَا غَايَةُ حَقِيقَةِ التَّوْحِيدِ لِلْوَاحِدِ: أَنْ يَكُونَ الْعَبْدُ كَمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ، وَيَبْقَى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى كَمَا لَمْ يَزَلْ.

Fa-huwa al-āna fī al-ḥaqīqati ka-mā kāna qabla an yakūna. Wa-hādhā ghāyatu ḥaqīqati al-tawḥīdi li-al-wāḥidi: an yakūna al-ʿabdu ka-mā lam yakun, wa-yabqā Allāhu taʿālā ka-mā lam yazal.

“He is now, in reality, as he was before he came to be. This is the ultimate reality of realizing the oneness of the One: the servant is as though he had never existed, and God Most High remains as He has always been.”

Printed page 30

قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِلشِّبْلِيِّ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، وَاسْمُهُ دُلَفُ بْنُ جَحْدَرٍ: يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ تَوْحِيدٍ مُجَرَّدٍ بِلِسَانِ حَقٍّ مُفْرَدٍ. فَقَالَ: وَيْحَكَ!

Qāla rajulun li-al-Shiblīyi, raḥimahu Allāhu, wa-ismuhu Dulafu bnu Jaḥdarin: yā Abā Bakrin, akhbirnī ʿan tawḥīdin mujarradin bi-lisāni ḥaqqin mufradin. Fa-qāla: wayḥaka!

A man said to Shiblī, may God have mercy on him—whose name was Dulaf ibn Jaḥdar—“Abū Bakr, tell me about pure oneness in the language of truth alone.” He replied: “Alas for you!”

مَنْ أَجَابَ عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ بِالْعِبَارَةِ فَهُوَ مُلْحِدٌ، وَمَنْ أَشَارَ إِلَيْهِ فَهُوَ ثَنَوِيٌّ، وَمَنْ سَكَتَ عَنْهُ فَهُوَ جَاهِلٌ.

Man ajāba ʿani al-tawḥīdi bi-al-ʿibārati fa-huwa mulḥidun, wa-man ashāra ilayhi fa-huwa thanawīyun, wa-man sakata ʿanhu fa-huwa jāhilun.

“Whoever answers about oneness in verbal expressions departs from the truth; whoever points to it is a dualist; whoever remains silent about it is ignorant.”

وَمَنْ وَهِمَ أَنَّهُ وَاصِلٌ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ حَاصِلٌ، وَمَنْ أَوْمَى إِلَيْهِ فَهُوَ عَابِدُ وَثَنٍ، وَمَنْ نَطَقَ فِيهِ فَهُوَ غَافِلٌ، وَمَنْ ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ قَرِيبٌ فَهُوَ بَعِيدٌ.

Wa-man wahima annahu wāṣilun fa-laysa lahu ḥāṣilun, wa-man awmā ilayhi fa-huwa ʿābidu wathanin, wa-man naṭaqa fīhi fa-huwa ghāfilun, wa-man ẓanna annahu qarībun fa-huwa baʿīdun.

“Whoever imagines he has arrived has attained nothing; whoever gestures toward it worships an idol; whoever speaks of it is heedless; whoever thinks he is near is far away.”

وَمَنْ تَوَاجَدَ فَهُوَ فَاقِدٌ. وَكُلَّمَا مَيَّزْتُمُوهُ بِأَوْهَامِكُمْ وَأَدْرَكْتُمُوهُ بِعُقُولِكُمْ فِي أَتَمِّ مَعَانِيكُمْ، فَهُوَ مَصْرُوفٌ مَرْدُودٌ إِلَيْكُمْ، مُحْدَثٌ مَصْنُوعٌ مِثْلُكُمْ.

Wa-man tawājada fa-huwa fāqidun. Wa-kullamā mayyaztumūhu bi-awhāmikum wa-adraktumūhu bi-ʿuqūlikum fī atammi maʿānīkum, fa-huwa maṣrūfun mardūdun ilaykum, muḥdathun maṣnūʿun mithlukum.

“Whoever strains for ecstasy is bereft. Whatever you distinguish through your imaginings and grasp with your intellects, even in your fullest conceptions, is turned aside and returned to you: a newly made, fashioned thing like yourselves.”

وَإِنْ أَخَذْنَا فِي شَرْحِ مَا قَالَ الشِّبْلِيُّ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، كَمَا يَجِبُ، فَيَطُولُ ذَلِكَ؛ وَلَكِنْ عَلَى الْإِيجَازِ وَالِاخْتِصَارِ:

Wa-in akhadhnā fī sharḥi mā qāla al-Shiblīyu, raḥimahu Allāhu, ka-mā yajibu, fa-yaṭūlu dhālika; wa-lākin ʿalā al-ījāzi wa-al-ikhtiṣāri:

A full explanation of what Shiblī, may God have mercy on him, said would be lengthy. To put it briefly:

كَأَنَّهُ يُرِيدُ بِمَا أَجَابَ عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ إِفْرَادَ الْقَدِيمِ عَنِ الْمُحْدَثِ، وَأَنْ لَيْسَ لِلْخَلْقِ طَرِيقٌ إِلَّا إِلَى ذِكْرِهِ وَوَصْفِهِ وَنَعْتِهِ عَلَى مِقْدَارِ مَا أَبْدَى إِلَيْهِمْ وَرَسَمَ لَهُمْ.

Ka-annahu yurīdu bi-mā ajāba ʿani al-tawḥīdi ifrāda al-qadīmi ʿani al-muḥdathi, wa-an laysa li-al-khalqi ṭarīqun illā ilā dhikrihi wa-waṣfihi wa-naʿtihi ʿalā miqdāri mā abdā ilayhim wa-rasama lahum.

His answer seems intended to distinguish the Eternal from what is newly created, and to say that creatures have access only to remembering Him and describing His qualities, to the extent that He has disclosed Himself to them and prescribed for them.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: وَوَجَدْتُ لِيُوسُفَ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ فِي التَّوْحِيدِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَجْوِبَةٍ؛ جَوَابٌ مِنْهَا فِي تَوْحِيدِ الْعَامَّةِ،

Qāla al-shaykhu, raḥimahu Allāhu: wa-wajadtu li-Yūsufa bni al-Ḥusayni fī al-tawḥīdi thalāthata ajwibatin; jawābun minhā fī tawḥīdi al-ʿāmmati,

The shaykh, may God have mercy on him, said: I found three answers on God’s oneness from Yūsuf ibn al-Ḥusayn. One concerns the oneness affirmed by ordinary believers.

وَهُوَ الِانْفِرَادُ بِالْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ بِذَهَابِ رُؤْيَةِ الْأَضْدَادِ وَالْأَنْدَادِ وَالْأَشْبَاهِ وَالْأَشْكَالِ، مَعَ السُّكُونِ إِلَى مُعَارَضَةِ الرَّغْبَةِ وَالرَّهْبَةِ، بِذَهَابِ حَقِيقَةِ التَّصْدِيقِ بِبَقَاءِ الْإِقْرَارِ.

Wa-huwa al-infirādu bi-al-waḥdāniyyati bi-dhahābi ruʾyati al-aḍdādi wa-al-andādi wa-al-ashbāhi wa-al-ashkāli, maʿa al-sukūni ilā muʿāraḍati al-raghbati wa-al-rahbati, bi-dhahābi ḥaqīqati al-taṣdīqi bi-baqāʾi al-iqrāri.

It consists in singling out God in His oneness, no longer seeing opposites, rivals, likenesses, or counterparts to Him, while still resting in the competing pulls of desire and fear: true inward assent is absent, although verbal acknowledgment remains.

وَالْمَعْنَى فِي قَوْلِهِ: بِذَهَابِ حَقِيقَةِ التَّصْدِيقِ؛ لِأَنَّ بِبَقَاءِ حَقِيقَةِ التَّصْدِيقِ لَا يَسْكُنُ إِلَى مُعَارَضَةِ الرَّغْبَةِ وَالرَّهْبَةِ.

Wa-al-maʿnā fī qawlihi: bi-dhahābi ḥaqīqati al-taṣdīqi; li-anna bi-baqāʾi ḥaqīqati al-taṣdīqi lā yaskunu ilā muʿāraḍati al-raghbati wa-al-rahbati.

He says “true inward assent is absent” because, when true assent remains, a person does not rest in the competing pulls of desire and fear.

Printed pages 30 to 31

وَالْجَوَابُ الثَّانِي: تَوْحِيدُ أَهْلِ الْحَقَائِقِ عَلَى الظَّاهِرِ، وَهُوَ الْإِقْرَارُ بِالْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ بِذَهَابِ رُؤْيَةِ الْأَسْبَابِ وَالْأَشْبَاهِ، بِإِقَامَةِ الْأَمْرِ وَالنَّهْيِ فِي الظَّاهِرِ وَالْبَاطِنِ،

Wa-al-jawābu al-thānī: tawḥīdu ahli al-ḥaqāʾiqi ʿalā al-ẓāhiri, wa-huwa al-iqrāru bi-al-waḥdāniyyati bi-dhahābi ruʾyati al-asbābi wa-al-ashbāhi, bi-iqāmati al-amri wa-al-nahyi fī al-ẓāhiri wa-al-bāṭini,

The second answer concerns the outward realization of oneness by those who know spiritual realities: acknowledging God’s oneness while no longer seeing intermediary causes or likenesses, and upholding His commands and prohibitions outwardly and inwardly.

Printed page 31

بِإِزَالَةِ مُعَارَضَةِ الرَّهْبَةِ وَالرَّغْبَةِ مِمَّا سِوَاهُ، بِقِيَامِ شَوَاهِدِ الْحَقِّ مَعَ قِيَامِ شَوَاهِدِ الدَّعْوَةِ وَالِاسْتِجَابَةِ.

Bi-izālati muʿāraḍati al-rahbati wa-al-raghbati mimmā siwāhu, bi-qiyāmi shawāhidi al-ḥaqqi maʿa qiyāmi shawāhidi al-daʿwati wa-al-istijābati.

The competing claims of fear and desire concerning anything other than Him are removed. The signs of the Real stand manifest, while the signs of the call and the response also remain.

فَإِنْ قِيلَ: مَا مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ: إِزَالَةُ مُعَارَضَةِ الرَّهْبَةِ وَالرَّغْبَةِ، وَهُمَا حَقَّانِ؟ فَيُقَالُ: هُمَا حَقَّانِ، وَهُمَا فِي مَوْضِعِهِمَا كَمَا هُمَا، وَلَكِنْ قَهَرَهُمَا سُلْطَانُ الْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ،

Fa-in qīla: mā maʿnā qawlihi: izālatu muʿāraḍati al-rahbati wa-al-raghbati, wa-humā ḥaqqāni? Fa-yuqālu: humā ḥaqqāni, wa-humā fī mawḍiʿihimā ka-mā humā, wa-lākin qaharahumā sulṭānu al-waḥdāniyyati,

If someone asks, “What does he mean by removing the competing claims of fear and desire, when both are real?” we reply: Both are real, and remain as they are in their proper place, but the power of divine oneness overwhelms them,

كَمَا قَهَرَ سُلْطَانُ ضَوْءِ الشَّمْسِ ضَوْءَ الْكَوَاكِبِ وَهِيَ فِي مَوَاضِعِهَا.

Ka-mā qahara sulṭānu ḍawʾi al-shamsi ḍawʾa al-kawākibi wa-hiya fī mawāḍiʿihā.

just as the power of sunlight overwhelms the light of the stars, although they remain in their places.

وَالْجَوَابُ الثَّالِثُ: تَوْحِيدُ الْخَاصَّةِ، وَهُوَ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْعَبْدُ بِسِرِّهِ وَوَجْدِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ كَأَنَّهُ قَائِمٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، تُجْرَى عَلَيْهِ تَصَارِيفُ تَدْبِيرِهِ،

Wa-al-jawābu al-thālithu: tawḥīdu al-khāṣṣati, wa-huwa an yakūna al-ʿabdu bi-sirrihi wa-wajdihi wa-qalbihi ka-annahu qāʾimun bayna yadayi Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla, tujrā ʿalayhi taṣārīfu tadbīrihi,

The third answer concerns the realization of oneness by the spiritual elect: in his innermost being, his ecstasy, and his heart, the servant is as though standing before God, mighty and majestic. The changing dispositions of His governance pass over him.

وَتُجْرَى عَلَيْهِ أَحْكَامُ قُدْرَتِهِ فِي بِحَارِ تَوْحِيدِهِ، بِالْفَنَاءِ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ وَذَهَابِ حِسِّهِ، بِقِيَامِ الْحَقِّ لَهُ فِي مُرَادِهِ مِنْهُ،

Wa-tujrā ʿalayhi aḥkāmu qudratihi fī biḥāri tawḥīdihi, bi-al-fanāʾi ʿan nafsihi wa-dhahābi ḥissihi, bi-qiyāmi al-ḥaqqi lahu fī murādihi minhu,

The decrees of His power pass over him in the seas of His oneness. Awareness of himself is effaced and his sensation disappears, as the Real acts for him in what He intends of him.

فَيَكُونُ كَمَا كَانَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ؛ يَعْنِي فِي جَرَيَانِ أَحْكَامِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْفَاذِ مَشِيئَتِهِ فِيهِ.

Fa-yakūnu ka-mā kāna qabla an yakūna; yaʿnī fī jarayāni aḥkāmi Allāhi ʿalayhi wa-infādhi mashīʾatihi fīhi.

He is then as he was before he came to be—that is, with respect to God’s decrees passing over him and His will being executed in him.

وَبَيَانُ ذَلِكَ كَمَا قَالَ الْجُنَيْدُ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، فِي قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: «وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ»، الْآيَةَ؛ وَقَدْ ذَكَرْنَاهُ.

Wa-bayānu dhālika ka-mā qāla al-Junaydu, raḥimahu Allāhu, fī qawlihi ʿazza wa-jalla: «wa-idh akhadha rabbuka min banī Ādama», al-āyata; wa-qad dhakarnāhu.

This is explained by Junayd’s words about God’s verse, “When your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam”—and the rest of the verse—as we have already related.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: وَلَهُمْ فِي حَقِيقَةِ التَّوْحِيدِ لِسَانٌ آخَرُ، وَهُوَ لِسَانُ الْوَاجِدِينَ؛ وَإِشَارَتُهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ تَبْعُدُ عَنِ الْفَهْمِ. وَنَحْنُ نَذْكُرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ طَرَفًا كَمَا يُمْكِنُ شَرْحُهُ.

Qāla al-shaykhu, raḥimahu Allāhu: wa-lahum fī ḥaqīqati al-tawḥīdi lisānun ākharu, wa-huwa lisānu al-wājidīna; wa-ishāratuhum fī dhālika tabʿudu ʿani al-fahmi. Wa-naḥnu nadhkuru min dhālika ṭarafan ka-mā yumkinu sharḥuhu.

The shaykh, may God have mercy on him, said: They have another language for the reality of God’s oneness: the language of those who experience ecstasy. Their allusions here are difficult to understand. We will give a few examples, insofar as they can be explained.

وَهَذَا الْعِلْمُ أَكْثَرُهُ إِشَارَةٌ لَا تَخْفَى عَلَى مَنْ يَكُونُ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ؛ فَإِذَا صَارَ إِلَى الشَّرْحِ وَالْعِبَارَةِ، يَخْفَى وَيَذْهَبُ رَوْنَقُهُ.

Wa-hādhā al-ʿilmu aktharuhu ishāratun lā takhfā ʿalā man yakūnu min ahlihi; fa-idhā ṣāra ilā al-sharḥi wa-al-ʿibārati, yakhfā wa-yadhhabu rawnaquhu.

Most of this knowledge consists of allusions that are clear to those who belong to it. When reduced to explanation and verbal expression, it becomes obscure and loses its radiance.

وَإِنَّمَا دَعَانِي إِلَى شَرْحِهِ لِأَنِّي وَضَعْتُهُ فِي الْكِتَابِ، وَالْكِتَابُ رُبَّمَا يَنْظُرُ فِيهِ مَنْ يَفْهَمُ وَمَنْ لَا يَفْهَمُ فَيَهْلِكُ.

Wa-innamā daʿānī ilā sharḥihi li-annī waḍaʿtuhu fī al-kitābi, wa-al-kitābu rubbamā yanẓuru fīhi man yafhamu wa-man lā yafhamu fa-yahliku.

I have been prompted to explain it because I have put it in a book. A book may be read by someone who understands and by someone who does not, and who may consequently come to ruin.

وَهُوَ مِثْلُ قَوْلِ رُوَيْمِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ الْبَغْدَاذِيِّ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، حِينَ سُئِلَ عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ، فَقَالَ: مَحْوُ آثَارِ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ وَتَجَرُّدُ الْأُلُوهِيَّةِ.

Wa-huwa mithlu qawli Ruwaymi bni Aḥmada bni Yazīda al-Baghdādhīyi, raḥimahu Allāhu, ḥīna suʾila ʿani al-tawḥīdi, fa-qāla: maḥwu āthāri al-bashariyyati wa-tajarrudu al-ulūhiyyati.

An example is the saying of Ruwaym ibn Aḥmad ibn Yazīd of Baghdad, may God have mercy on him. When asked about God’s oneness, he replied: “The erasure of the traces of humanity, and divinity laid bare.”

Printed pages 31 to 32

وَإِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ بِقَوْلِهِ: مَحْوُ آثَارِ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ، تَبْدِيلَ أَخْلَاقِ النَّفْسِ؛ لِأَنَّهَا تَدَّعِي الرُّبُوبِيَّةَ بِنَظَرِهَا إِلَى أَفْعَالِهَا، كَقَوْلِ الْعَبْدِ: أَنَا وَأَنَا.

Wa-innamā yurīdu bi-qawlihi: maḥwu āthāri al-bashariyyati, tabdīla akhlāqi al-nafsi; li-annahā taddaʿī al-rubūbiyyata bi-naẓarihā ilā afʿālihā, ka-qawli al-ʿabdi: anā wa-anā.

By “the erasure of the traces of humanity,” he means changing the dispositions of the self. By looking at its own actions, the self claims lordship, as when the servant keeps saying, “I, I.”

Printed page 32

لَا يَقُولُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ؛ إِذِ الْأَنِيَّةُ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. فَهَذَا مَعْنَى مَحْوِ آثَارِ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ.

Lā yaqūlu illā Allāhu; idhi al-aniyyatu li-Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla. Fa-hādhā maʿnā maḥwi āthāri al-bashariyyati.

God alone may say this, for the true “I” belongs to God, mighty and majestic. This is the meaning of erasing the traces of humanity.

وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ: تَجَرُّدُ الْأُلُوهِيَّةِ، يَعْنِي إِفْرَادَ الْقَدِيمِ عَنِ الْمُحْدَثَاتِ.

Wa-maʿnā qawlihi: tajarrudu al-ulūhiyyati, yaʿnī ifrāda al-qadīmi ʿani al-muḥdathāti.

By “divinity laid bare,” he means distinguishing the Eternal from created things.

وَقَالَ آخَرُ: التَّوْحِيدُ نِسْيَانُ مَا سِوَى التَّوْحِيدِ بِالتَّوْحِيدِ؛ يَعْنِي فِيمَا يُوجِبُ حُكْمَ الْحَقِيقَةِ.

Wa-qāla ākharu: al-tawḥīdu nisyānu mā siwā al-tawḥīdi bi-al-tawḥīdi; yaʿnī fī-mā yūjibu ḥukma al-ḥaqīqati.

Another said: “Tawḥīd is forgetting everything other than tawḥīd through tawḥīd”—that is, where it brings the rule of spiritual reality into effect.

وَقَالَ: الْوَحْدَانِيَّةُ بَقَاءُ الْحَقِّ بِفَنَاءِ كُلِّ مَا دُونَهُ؛ يَعْنِي فَنَاءً يُوجِبُ حُكْمَ الْحَقِيقَةِ.

Wa-qāla: al-waḥdāniyyatu baqāʾu al-ḥaqqi bi-fanāʾi kulli mā dūnahu; yaʿnī fanāʾan yūjibu ḥukma al-ḥaqīqati.

He also said: “Oneness is the abiding of the Real through the passing away of everything beneath Him”—meaning a passing away that brings the rule of spiritual reality into effect.

وَقِيلَ: الْوَحْدَانِيَّةُ بَقَاءُ الْحَقِّ وَفَنَاءُ كُلِّ مَا دُونَهُ؛ يَعْنِي فَنَاءَ الْعَبْدِ عَنْ ذِكْرِ نَفْسِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ بِدَوَامِ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَتَعْظِيمِهِ.

Wa-qīla: al-waḥdāniyyatu baqāʾu al-ḥaqqi wa-fanāʾu kulli mā dūnahu; yaʿnī fanāʾa al-ʿabdi ʿan dhikri nafsihi wa-qalbihi bi-dawāmi dhikri Allāhi taʿālā wa-taʿẓīmihi.

It was also said: “Oneness is the abiding of the Real and the passing away of everything beneath Him”—meaning that the servant loses awareness of himself and his heart through unceasing remembrance and reverence of God Most High.

وَقَالَ آخَرُ: لَيْسَ فِي التَّوْحِيدِ خَلْقٌ، وَمَا وَحَّدَ اللَّهَ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ، وَالتَّوْحِيدُ لِلْحَقِّ، وَالْخَلْقُ طُفَيْلِيٌّ.

Wa-qāla ākharu: laysa fī al-tawḥīdi khalqun, wa-mā waḥḥada Allāha ghayru Allāhi, wa-al-tawḥīdu li-al-ḥaqqi, wa-al-khalqu ṭufaylīyun.

Another said: “In tawḥīd there is no creation. None affirms God’s oneness but God. Tawḥīd belongs to the Real, and creation is only a dependent guest.”

قُلْنَا: وَبَيَانُ ذَلِكَ وَمَا أَشَارَ إِلَيْهِ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: «شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَأُولُو الْعِلْمِ قَائِمًا بِالْقِسْطِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ».

Qulnā: wa-bayānu dhālika wa-mā ashāra ilayhi hāʾulāʾi, wa-Allāhu aʿlamu, fī qawli Allāhi taʿālā: «shahida Allāhu annahu lā ilāha illā huwa wa-al-malāʾikatu wa-ulū al-ʿilmi qāʾiman bi-al-qisṭi lā ilāha illā huwa al-ʿazīzu al-ḥakīmu».

We say: The explanation of this and of what these speakers allude to—God knows best—lies in God’s words: “God bears witness that there is no god but Him, as do the angels and those endowed with knowledge, upholding justice. There is no god but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise.”

فَقَدْ شَهِدَ لِنَفْسِهِ بِالْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ قَبْلَ الْخَلْقِ؛ فَحَقِيقَةُ التَّوْحِيدِ مِنْ حَيْثُ الْحَقُّ مَا شَهِدَ اللَّهُ لِنَفْسِهِ بِالْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ قَبْلَ الْخَلْقِ.

Fa-qad shahida li-nafsihi bi-al-waḥdāniyyati qabla al-khalqi; fa-ḥaqīqatu al-tawḥīdi min ḥaythu al-ḥaqqu mā shahida Allāhu li-nafsihi bi-al-waḥdāniyyati qabla al-khalqi.

He bore witness to His own oneness before creation. Thus, from the perspective of the Real, the reality of tawḥīd is God’s testimony to His own oneness before creation.

وَمِنْ حَيْثُ الْخَلْقُ، فَقَدْ وَحَّدُوهُ حَقِيقَةً وَوَجْدًا عَلَى مِقْدَارِ مَا قَسَمَ لَهُمْ وَأَرَادَهُمْ بِذَلِكَ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: «وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَأُولُو الْعِلْمِ».

Wa-min ḥaythu al-khalqu, fa-qad waḥḥadūhu ḥaqīqatan wa-wajdan ʿalā miqdāri mā qasama lahum wa-arādahum bi-dhālika, wa-huwa qawluhu taʿālā: «wa-al-malāʾikatu wa-ulū al-ʿilmi».

From the perspective of creation, they realize His oneness in truth and ecstasy to the extent that He has allotted to them and intended for them in this. This is His phrase, “as do the angels and those endowed with knowledge.”

وَأَمَّا مِنْ طَرِيقِ الْإِقْرَارِ، فَأَهْلُ الْقِبْلَةِ مُتَسَاوُونَ فِيهَا؛ وَالْمُعَوَّلُ عَلَى مَا فِي الْقَلْبِ، لَا عَلَى مَا فِي اللِّسَانِ.

Wa-ammā min ṭarīqi al-iqrāri, fa-ahlu al-qiblati mutasāwūna fīhā; wa-al-muʿawwalu ʿalā mā fī al-qalbi, lā ʿalā mā fī al-lisāni.

As for verbal acknowledgment, all who face the qibla are equal in it. What matters is what lies in the heart, rather than what is on the tongue.

وَقَدْ قَالَ الشِّبْلِيُّ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: مَا شَمَّ رَوَائِحَ التَّوْحِيدِ مَنْ تَصَوَّرَ عِنْدَهُ التَّوْحِيدُ، وَشَاهَدَ الْمَعَانِيَ، وَأَثْبَتَ الْأَسَامِيَ، وَأَضَافَ الصِّفَاتِ، وَأَلْزَمَ النُّعُوتَ.

Wa-qad qāla al-Shiblīyu, raḥimahu Allāhu: mā shamma rawāʾiḥa al-tawḥīdi man taṣawwara ʿindahu al-tawḥīdu, wa-shāhada al-maʿāniya, wa-athbata al-asāmiya, wa-aḍāfa al-ṣifāti, wa-alzama al-nuʿūta.

Shiblī, may God have mercy on him, said: “Someone for whom tawḥīd takes a conceptual form, who beholds meanings, establishes names, ascribes attributes, and imposes descriptions, has never smelled its fragrances.”

وَمَنْ أَثْبَتَ هَذَا كُلَّهُ وَنَفَى هَذَا كُلَّهُ، فَهُوَ مُوَحِّدٌ حُكْمًا وَرَسْمًا، لَا حَقِيقَةً وَوَجْدًا.

Wa-man athbata hādhā kullahu wa-nafā hādhā kullahu, fa-huwa muwaḥḥidun ḥukman wa-rasman, lā ḥaqīqatan wa-wajdan.

“Whoever affirms all this and denies all this affirms God’s oneness in judgment and outward form, rather than in reality and ecstasy.”

Printed pages 32 to 33

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: مَعْنَاهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، أَنَّهُ يُثْبِتُ الصِّفَاتِ وَالنُّعُوتُ عَلَى رَسْمِ مَا رُسِمَ لَهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَلَا يُثْبِتُهَا مِنْ حَيْثُ الْاِدْرَاكُ وَالْإِحَاطَةُ وَالتَّوَهُّمُ، وَقَالَ غَيْرُهُ

Qāla al-shaykhu, raḥimahu Allāhu: maʿnāhu, wa-Allāhu aʿlamu, annahu yuthbitu al-ṣifāti wa-al-nuʿūtu ʿalā rasmi mā rusima lahu min dhalika walā yuthbituhā min ḥaythu al-idrāku wa-al-iḥāṭatu wa-al-tawahhumu, waqāla ghayruhu

The shaykh, may God have mercy on him, said: Its meaning—God knows best—is that he affirms the attributes and descriptions according to the form laid down for him in this respect, yet does not affirm them through perception, comprehension, or imagining.

Printed page 33

مِنَ الْعَارِفِينَ أَمَّا التَّوْحِيدُ فَهُوَ الَّذِي يَعْمَّى الْبَصِيرَ وَيُحْيِّرُ الْعَاقِلَ وَيُدْهِشُ الثَّابِتَ، قُلْت لِأَنَّهُ مَنْ تَحَقَّقَ بِذَلِكَ

mina al-ʿārifīna ammā al-tawḥīdu fahuwa alladhī yaʿmmā al-baṣīra wa-yuḥayyiru al-ʿāqila wa-yudhishu al-thābita, qult liānnahu man taḥaqqaqa bidhalika

Another of those who knew God said, “As for divine unity, it blinds the keen-sighted, bewilders the rational, and astonishes the steadfast.”

وَجَدَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِنْ عَظَمَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَهَيْبَتِهِ مَا يُدْهِشُهُ وَيُحِيِّرُ عَقْلَهُ إِلَّا مَنْ يُثْبِتُهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى،

wajada fī qalbihi min ʿaẓamati Allāhi taʿālā wahaybatihi mā yudhishuhu wa-yuḥayyiru ʿaqlahu illā man yuthbituhu Allāhu taʿālā,

I say: this is because one who truly realizes it finds in his heart such a sense of God’s majesty and awe that it overwhelms him and bewilders his reason—except when God Most High makes him firm.

وَقَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عِيسَى الْخَرَّازُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَوَّلُ مَقَامٍ لِمَنْ وَجَدَ عِلْمَ التَّوْحِيدِ وَتَحَقَّقَ بِذَلِكَ فَنَاءُ ذِكْرِ الْأَشْيَاءِ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ وَانْفِرَادُهُ بِاللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ،

waqāla abū saʿīdin aḥmadu bnu ʿīsā al-Kharrāzu raḥimahu Allāhu awwalu maqāmin liman wajada ʿilma al-tawḥīdi wataḥaqqaqa bidhalika fanāʾu dhikri al-ashyāʾi ʿan qalbihi wa-anfirāduhu bi-Allāhi ʿazza wajalla,

Abū Saʿīd Aḥmad ibn ʿĪsā al-Kharrāz—may God have mercy on him—said, “The first station of one who attains knowledge of divine unity and truly realizes it is for the remembrance of created things to vanish from his heart, leaving him alone with God, mighty and majestic.”

وَقَالَ أَيْضًا أَوَّلُ عَلَامَةِ التَّوْحِيدِ خُرُوجُ الْعَبْدِ عَنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَرَدَّ جَمِيعِ الْأَشْيَاءِ إِلَى مُتَوَلِّيهَا حَتَّى يَكُونَ الْمُتَوَلَّى بِالْمُتَوَلَّى نَاظِرًا إِلَى الْأَشْيَاءِ قَائِمًا بِهَا مُتَمَكِّنًا فِيهَا ثُمَّ يُخْفِيهِمْ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَيُمِيتُ أَنْفُسَهُمْ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَيَصْطَنِعُهُمْ لِنَفْسِهِ فَهَذَا أَوَّلُ دُخُولٍ فِي التَّوْحِيدِ مِنْ حَيْثُ ظُهُورُ التَّوْحِيدِ بِالدَّيْمُومِيَّة، قَالَ وَبَيَانُ ذَلِكَ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ

waqāla ayḍan awwalu ʿalāmati al-tawḥīdi khurūju al-ʿabdi ʿan kulli shayʾin waradda jamīʿi al-ashyāʾi ilā mutawallīhā ḥattā yakūna al-mutawallā bi-al-mutawallā nāẓiran ilā al-ashyāʾi qāʾiman bihā mutamakkinan fīhā thumma yukhfīhim fī anfusihim min anfusihim wayumītu anfusahum fī anfusihim wayaṣṭaniʿuhum linafsihi fahadhā awwalu dukhūlin fī al-tawḥīdi min ḥaythu ẓuhūru al-tawḥīdi bi-al-daymūmiyyah, qāla wabayānu dhalika wa-Allāhu aʿlamu

He also said, “The first sign of divine unity is that the servant departs from every thing and returns all things to the One who governs them, until the governed one, through the Governor, looks upon things, subsists through them, and is firmly established in them. Then He hides them within themselves from themselves, causes their selves to die within themselves, and fashions them for Himself. This is the first entry into divine unity, where divine unity appears through permanence.”

فَنَآءُ ذِكْرِ الْأَشْيَاءِ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ وَأَنْ يَغْلِبَ عَلَى قَلْبِهِ ذِكْرُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَيَذْهَبَ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ ذِكْرُ الْأَشْيَاءِ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَمَعْنَى خُرُوجِهِ عَنْ كُلِّ شَئٍ يَعْنَى

fanāʾu dhikri al-ashyāʾi ʿan qalbihi waʾan yaghliba ʿalā qalbihi dhikru Allāhi taʿālā fayadhhaba ʿan qalbihi dhikru al-ashyāʾi bidhikri Allāhi taʿālā, wamaʿnā khurūjihi ʿan kulli shaʾin yaʿnā

He said: Its explanation—God knows best—is that the remembrance of things vanishes from the servant’s heart and the remembrance of God Most High so prevails there that remembrance of things leaves his heart through remembrance of God Most High.

لَا يُضِيفُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ وَاسْتِطَاعَتِهِ شَيْئًا وَيَرَى قِوَامَ الْأَشْيَاءِ بِاللَّهِ فِي الْحَقِيقَةِ لَا بِهِمْ، وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ حَتَّى

lā yuḍīfu ilā nafsihi wa-astiṭāʿatihi shayʾan wayarā qiwāma al-ashyāʾi bi-Allāhi fī al-ḥaqīqati lā bihim, wamaʿnā qawlihi ḥattā

His ‘departure from every thing’ means that he attributes nothing to himself or to his own power, and sees that things truly subsist through God, not through themselves.

يَكُونَ الْمُتَوَلَّى بِالْمُتَوَلَّى نَاظِرًا إِلَى الْأَشْيَاءِ قَائِمًا بِهَا يُشِيرُ إِلَى تَوْلِيَةِ الْحَقِّ لَهُ وَمَا يُسْتَوْلَى عَلَيْهِ مِنْ حَقَائِقِ التَّوْحِيدِ حَتَّى يَرَى قِوَامَ الْأَشْيَاءِ بِاللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَا بِذَوَاتِهَا أَلَا تَرَى إِلَى قَوْلِ الْقَائِلِ، وَفِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ لَهُ شَاهِدٌ * يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ وَاحِدٌ،

yakūna al-mutawallā bi-al-mutawallā nāẓiran ilā al-ashyāʾi qāʾiman bihā yushīru ilā tawliyati al-ḥaqqi lahu wamā yustawlā ʿalayhi min ḥaqāʾiqi al-tawḥīdi ḥattā yarā qiwāma al-ashyāʾi bi-Allāhi ʿazza wajalla lā bidhawātihā alā tarā ilā qawli al-qāyili, wafī kulli shayʾin lahu shāhidun * yadullu ʿalā annahu wa-aḥidun,

His words ‘until the governed one, through the Governor, looks upon things and subsists through them’ point to the Real taking charge of him and to what comes over him of the realities of divine unity, until he sees that things subsist through God, mighty and majestic, not through their own essences. Do you not recall the poet’s words: ‘In every thing He has a witness / indicating that He is One’?”

Printed pages 33 to 34

وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ مُتَمَكِّنًا فِيهَا يُرِيدُ بِذَلِكَ أَنَّ التَّلْوِينَ لَا يُجْرَى عَلَيْهِ فِي نَظَرِهِ إِلَى الْأَشْيَاءِ فَإِنَّ قِوَامَهَا بِاللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، ثُمَّ قَالَ يُخْفِيهِمْ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَيُمِيتُ أَنْفُسَهُمْ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ يُعْنَى لَا يَحِسُّونَ حِسًّا وَلَا يُلَاحِظُونَ حَرَكَةً مِنْ حَرَكَاتِهِمُ الظَّاهِرَةِ وَالْبَاطِنَةِ يُوْمَى إِلَيْهَا فِي الْحَقِيقَةِ إِلَّا وَهِيَ مُنْطَمِسَةٌ تَحْتَ سُلْطَانِ الْقُدْرَةِ وَإِنْفَاذِ الْمَشِيئَةِ وَإِنْ أُضِيفَتْ إِلَى الْمُضَافِ اِلَيْهِ، وَقَالَ الشِّبْلِيُّ

wa-ammā qawluhu mutamakkinan fīhā yurīdu bidhalika anna al-talwīna lā yujrā ʿalayhi fī naẓarihi ilā al-ashyāʾi fa-inna qiwāmahā bi-Allāhi ʿazza wajalla, thumma qāla yukhfīhim fī anfusihim min anfusihim wayumītu anfusahum fī anfusihim yuʿnā lā yaḥissūna ḥissan walā yulāḥiẓūna ḥarakatan min ḥarakātihimu al-ẓāhirati wa-al-bāṭinati yūmā ilayhā fī al-ḥaqīqati illā wahiya munṭamisatun taḥta sulṭāni al-qudrati waʾinfādhi al-mashīʾati waʾin uḍīfat ilā al-muḍāfi ilayhi, waqāla al-Shiblī

As for the words ‘firmly established in them,’ he means that changefulness no longer overtakes him when he looks at things, since they subsist through God, mighty and majestic. Then he says that He ‘hides them within themselves from themselves and causes their selves to die within themselves’: that is, they sense no sensation and observe no outward or inward movement of their own that can truly be attributed to them without its being effaced beneath the sovereignty of power and the execution of the divine will—even if conventionally attributed to the person concerned.

Printed page 34

رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ تَدْرِي لِمَ لَا يَصِحُّ لَكَ التَّوْحِيدُ قَالَ لَا قَالَ لِأَنَّك تَطْلُبُهُ بِاِيَّاكَ، وَقَالَ أَيْضًا

raḥimahu Allāhu lirajulin tadrī lima lā yaṣiḥḥu laka al-tawḥīdu qāla lā qāla liʾannak taṭlubuhu bi-iyyāka, waqāla ayḍan

Al-Shiblī—may God have mercy on him—asked a man, “Do you know why divine unity is not sound in you?” He answered, “No.” Al-Shiblī said, “Because you seek it through yourself.”

لَا يَصِحُّ التَّوْحِيدُ إِلَّا لِمَنْ كَانَ جَحْدُهُ إِثْبَاتَهُ، فَسُئِلَ عَنِ الْإِثْبَاتِ فَقَالَ إِسْقَاطُ الْيَآءَاتِ، مَعْنَاهُ وَاللَّهُ

lā yaṣiḥḥu al-tawḥīdu illā liman kāna jaḥduhu ithbātahu, fa-suʾila ʿani al-ithbāti faqāla isqāṭu al-yāʾāti, maʿnāhu wa-Allāhu

He also said, “Divine unity is sound only for one whose denial is his affirmation.” Asked what affirmation meant, he replied, “Dropping the yāʾs.”

أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْمُوَحِّدَ فِي الْحَقِيقَةِ يَجْحَدُ إِثْبَاتَهُ إِيَّاهُ يَعْنَى إِثْبَاتَ نَفْسِهِ فِي جَمِيعِ الْأَشْيَاءِ بِسِرِّهِ كَقَوْلِهِ بِي وَلِي وَمِنِّي وَإِلَيَّ وَعَلَيَّ وَفِيَّ وَعَنِّي فَيُسْقِطُ هَذِهِ الْيَآءَاتِ وَيَجْحَدُهَا بِسِرِّهِ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ جَارِيَةً مِنْ حَيْثُ الرَّسْمُ عَلَى لِسَانِهِ

aʿlamu anna al-muwaḥḥida fī al-ḥaqīqati yajḥadu ithbātahu iyyāhu yaʿnā ithbāta nafsihi fī jamīʿi al-ashyāʾi bisirrihi kaqawlihi bī wa-lī wa-minnī wa-ilayya wa-ʿalayya wa-fiyya wa-ʿannī fayusqiṭu hadhihi al-yāʾāti wayajḥaduhā bisirrihi waʾin kānat jāriyatan min ḥaythu al-rasmu ʿalā lisānihi

Its meaning—God knows best—is that one who truly professes divine unity inwardly denies his own affirmation of it: he denies the assertion of self in every matter, expressed by such words as ‘through me,’ ‘from me,’ ‘to me,’ ‘upon me,’ ‘within me,’ and ‘away from me.’ He drops and inwardly disowns these possessive yāʾs, even though ordinary usage still brings them to his tongue.

، وَقَالَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ أَيْضًا تُوَحِّدُ تَوْحِيدَ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ أَوْ تَوْحِيدَ الْإِلَهِيَّةِ فَقَالَ بَيْنَهُمَا فَرْقٌ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ تَوْحِيدُ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ خَوْفُ الْعُقُوبَاتِ وَتَوْحِيدُ الْأُلُوهِيَّةِ تَوْحِيدُ التَّعْظِيمِ

, waqāla al-Shiblī raḥimahu Allāhu lirajulin ayḍan tuwaḥḥidu tawḥīda al-bashariyyati aw tawḥīda al-ilahiyyati faqāla baynahumā farqun faqāla naʿam tawḥīdu al-bashariyyati khawfu al-ʿuqūbāti watawḥīdu al-ulūhiyyati tawḥīdu al-taʿẓīmi

Al-Shiblī—may God have mercy on him—also asked a man, “Do you profess the unity of human nature or the unity of divinity?” The man asked, “Is there a difference between them?” He replied, “Yes. Human unity is fear of punishments; divine unity is the unity born of reverence.”

، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قُلْت إِنَّ مَعْنَاهُ أَنَّ مِنْ صِفَةِ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ طَلَبَ الْعِوَضِ وَرُؤْيَةَ الْفِعْلِ وَالطَّمَعِ فِي غَيْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلَيْسَ مَنْ وَحَّدَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى إِجْلَالًا لِلَّهِ كَمَنْ وَحَّدَهُ خَوْفًا مِنْ عُقُوبَتِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ الْخَوْفُ مِنْ عَذَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حَالَةً شَرِيفَةً،

, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu qult inna maʿnāhu anna min ṣifati al-bashariyyati ṭalaba al-ʿiwaḍi waruʾyata al-fiʿli wa-al-ṭamaʿi fī ghayri Allāhi ʿazza wajalla walaysa man waḥḥada Allāha taʿālā ijlālan lillāhi kaman waḥḥadahu khawfan min ʿuqūbatihi wa-in kāna al-khawfu min ʿadhābi Allāhi ʿazza wajalla ḥālatan sharīfatan,

The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: I say that he means that it belongs to human nature to seek recompense, to regard one’s own act, and to hope in something besides God, mighty and majestic. One who affirms God’s unity out of reverence for God is not like one who affirms it out of fear of His punishment, even though fear of God’s chastisement is a noble state.

وَقَالَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ مَنِ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ عِلْمِ التَّوْحِيدِ ضَعُفَ عَنْ حَمْلِ بَقَّةٍ لِثِقَلِ مَا حَمَلَ

waqāla al-Shiblī raḥimahu Allāhu mani aṭṭalaʿa ʿalā dharratin min ʿilmi al-tawḥīdi ḍaʿufa ʿan ḥamli baqqatin lithiqali mā ḥamala

Al-Shiblī—may God have mercy on him—said, “Whoever glimpses an atom of the knowledge of divine unity becomes too weak to carry a gnat, because of the weight he bears.”

Printed pages 34 to 35

، وَقَالَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى مَنِ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ عِلْمِ التَّوْحِيدِ حَمَلَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ عَلَى شَعْرَةٍ مِنْ جَفْنِ عَيْنَيْهِ، قَالَ مَعْنَاهُ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَجَمِيعَ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَتَصَاغَرُ فِي عَيْنِهِ عِنْدَمَا يُشَاهِدُ بِقَلْبِهِ بِأَنْوَارِ التَّوْحِيدِ مِنْ عَظَمَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَقَدْ رَوَى أَنَّ لِجِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ سِتِّمِائَةِ جَنَاحٍ جَنَاحَانِ مِنْهَا إِذَا نَشَرَهُمَا غَطَّى بِهِمَا الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ، وَقَدْ رَوَى أَيْضًا فِي الْحَدِيثِ

, waqāla marratan ukhrā mani aṭṭalaʿa ʿalā dharratin min ʿilmi al-tawḥīdi ḥamala al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍa ʿalā shaʿratin min jafni ʿaynayhi, qāla maʿnāhu wa-Allāhu aʿlamu anna al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍa wajamīʿa mā khalaqa Allāhu ʿazza wajalla yataṣāgharu fī ʿaynihi ʿindamā yushāhidu biqalbihi biʾanwāri al-tawḥīdi min ʿaẓamati Allāhi ʿazza wajalla, waqad rawā anna lijibrīla ʿalayhi al-salāmu sittimiʾati janāḥin janāḥāni minhā idhā nasharahumā ghaṭṭā bihimā al-mashriqu wa-al-maghribu, waqad rawā ayḍan fī al-ḥadīthi

On another occasion he said, “Whoever glimpses an atom of the knowledge of divine unity could carry the heavens and earth upon a single eyelash.” Its meaning—God knows best—is that the heavens, the earth, and everything God, mighty and majestic, created grow small in his eyes when his heart witnesses something of God’s majesty through the lights of divine unity. It is related that Gabriel—peace be upon him—has six hundred wings; when he spreads two of them, they cover the east and west.

Printed page 35

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ صُورَةَ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي قَايِمَةِ الْكُرْسِيِّ مِثْلُ الزَّرْدَةِ فِي الْجَوْشَنِ

ʿani abni ʿabbāsin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu anna ṣūrata jibrīla ʿalayhi al-salāmu fī qāʾimati al-kursiyyi mithlu al-zardati fī al-jawshani

It is also related in a report from Ibn ʿAbbās—may God be pleased with him—that Gabriel’s form beside one leg of the Footstool is like a single ring of chain mail in a coat of armour.

، وَيُقَالُ إِنَّ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ وَالْعَرْشُ وَالْكُرْسِيُّ كُلُّ هَذَا مَعَ الْمَلَكُوتِ الَّذِي ظَهَرَ لِأَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ بِاللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ كَرَمْلَةٍ فِيمَا وَرَاءَ الْمَلَكُوتِ بَلْ أَقَلُّ

, wayuqālu inna jibrīlā ʿalayhi al-salāmu wa-al-ʿarshu wa-al-kursiyyu kullu hadhā maʿa al-malakūti alladhī ẓahara liʾahli al-ʿilmi bi-Allāhi ʿazza wajalla fa-innamā hiya ka-ramlatin fīmā warāʾa al-malakūti bal aqallu

It is said that Gabriel—peace be upon him—the Throne, the Footstool, and all the dominion disclosed to those who know God, mighty and majestic, are no more than a grain of sand in comparison with what lies beyond that dominion—indeed, less than that.

مِنْ ذَلِكَ، وَقَالَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِي بَعْضِ كَلَامِهِ عَلَامَةُ حَقِيقَةِ التَّوْحِيدِ نِسْيَانُ التَّوْحِيدِ وَصِدْقُ التَّوْحِيدِ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْقَايِمُ بِهِ وَاحِدًا

min dhalika, waqāla abū al-ʿabbāsi aḥmadu bnu ʿaṭāʾin al-Baghdādiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu fī baʿḍi kalāmihi ʿalāmatu ḥaqīqati al-tawḥīdi nisyānu al-tawḥīdi waṣidqu al-tawḥīdi an yakūna al-qāyimu bihi wāḥidan

Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn ʿAṭāʾ al-Baghdādī—may God have mercy on him—said in one of his discourses, “The sign of the reality of divine unity is forgetting one’s own profession of unity; the truthfulness of divine unity is that the One who sustains it is one.”

، يُرِيدُ بِذَلِكَ أَنْ يَنْسَى الْعَبْدُ رُؤْيَةَ تَوْحِيدِهِ فِي تَوْحِيدِهِ بِرُؤْيَةِ قِيَامِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ قَبْلَ خَلْقِهِ لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ لَمْ يُرِدْهُمْ بِذَلِكَ مَا أَرَادُوهُ وَلَا وَحَّدُوهُ، وَلِمَشَايِخِنَا فِي التَّوْحِيدِ مُصَنَّفَاتٌ وَقَدْ قَصَدْنَا إِلَى

, yurīdu bidhalika an yansā al-ʿabdu ruʾyata tawḥīdihi fī tawḥīdihi biruʾyati qiyāmi Allāhi ʿazza wajalla lahu bidhalika qabla khalqihi liānnahu law lam yuridhum bidhalika mā arādūhu walā waḥḥadūhu, walimashāyikhinā fī al-tawḥīdi muṣannafātun waqad qaṣadnā ilā

He means that, in professing divine unity, the servant forgets the sight of his own profession through seeing that God, mighty and majestic, established it for him before creating him. Had God not willed it for them, they would neither have willed it nor affirmed His unity. Our shaykhs have written works on divine unity, and we have confined ourselves to

الْقَلِيلِ الْمُشْكِلِ مِنْ أَلْفَاظِهِمْ لِيُسْتَدْرَكَ بِهِ مَا لَمْ أَذْكُرْهُ

al-qalīli al-mushkili min alfāẓihim liyustadraka bihi mā lam adhkurhu

a few of their difficult expressions, so that what I have not mentioned may, God willing, be understood through them.

إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ، بَابُ مَا قَالُوا فِي الْمَعْرِفَةِ

in shāʾa Allāhu, bābu mā qālū fī al-maʿrifati

Chapter on what they said about knowledge of God,

وَصِفَةِ الْعَارِفِ وَحَقِيقَةِ ذَلِكَ بِبَيَانِهَا، سُئِلَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ فَقَالَ الْمَعْرِفَةُ تَأْتِي مِنْ وَجْهَيْنِ مِنْ عَيْنِ الْجُودِ وَبَذْلِ الْمَجْهُودِ، وَسُئِلَ أَبُو تُرَابٍ النَّخْشَبِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ صِفَةِ الْعَارِفِ فَقَالَ هُوَ الَّذِي لَا يُكَدِّرُهُ شَيْءٌ وَيَصْفُو بِهِ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ،

waṣifati al-ʿārifi waḥaqiyiqati dhalika bibayānihā, suʾila abū saʿīdin al-Kharrāzu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-maʿrifati faqāla al-maʿrifatu taʾtī min wajhayni min ʿayni al-jūdi wabadhli al-majhūdi, wasuʾila abū turābin al-Nakhshabiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan ṣifati al-ʿārifi faqāla huwa alladhī lā yukaddiruhu shaʾʾun wayaṣfū bihi kullu shayʾin,

the description of the knower, and the reality of this, with its explanation. Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz—may God have mercy on him—was asked about knowledge of God. He replied, “Knowledge comes by two paths: from the very source of generosity and through the utmost exertion of effort.” Abū Turāb al-Nakhshabī—may God have mercy on him—was asked to describe the knower. He replied, “Nothing disturbs his clarity, and through him every thing becomes clear.”

Printed pages 35 to 36

وَقَالَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ ⟨الْمَعْرِفَةُ⟩ مَعْرِفَتَانِ مَعْرِفَةُ حَقٍّ وَمَعْرِفَةُ حَقِيقَةٍ فَمَعْرِفَةُ الْحَقِّ مَعْرِفَةُ وَحْدَانِيَّتِهِ عَلَى مَا أُبْرِزَ لِلْخَلْقِ مِنَ الْأَسَامِي وَالصِّفَاتِ وَمَعْرِفَةُ الْحَقِيقَةِ عَلَى أَنْ لَا سَبِيلَ إِلَيْهَا لِامْتِنَاعِ الصَّمَدِيَّةِ وَتَحْقِيقُ الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ لِقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْمًا

waqāla aḥmadu bnu ʿaṭāʾin raḥimahu Allāhu ⟨al-maʿrifatu⟩ maʿrifatāni maʿrifatu ḥaqqin wamaʿrifatu ḥaqīqatin famaʿrifatu al-ḥaqqi maʿrifatu waḥdāniyyatihi ʿalā mā ubriza lilkhalqi mina al-asāmī wa-al-ṣifāti wamaʿrifatu al-ḥaqīqati ʿalā an lā sabīla ilayhā li-imtināʿi al-ṣamadiyyati wataḥqīqu al-rubūbiyyati liqawlihi ʿazza wajalla walā yuḥīṭūna bihi ʿilman

Aḥmad ibn ʿAṭāʾ—may God have mercy on him—said, “Knowledge is of two kinds: knowledge of the Real and knowledge of ultimate reality. Knowledge of the Real is knowledge of His oneness through the names and attributes disclosed to creation. As for knowledge of ultimate reality, there is no way to it, because the divine Self-Sufficiency bars access and lordship is absolute.” God, mighty and majestic, says: ‘They do not encompass Him in knowledge.’

Printed page 36

، قَالَ أَبُو نَصْرٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ لَا سَبِيلَ إِلَيْهَا يَعْنِي إِلَى الْمَعْرِفَةِ عَلَى الْحَقِيقَةِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَبْرَزَ لِخَلْقِهِ مِنْ أَسْمَائِهِ وَصِفَاتِهِ مَا عَلِمَ أَنَّهُمْ يُطِيقُونَهُ ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ حَقِيقَةَ مَعْرِفَتِهِ لَا يُطِيقُهَا الْخَلْقُ وَلَا ذَرَّةً مِنْهَا لِأَنَّ الْكَوْنَ بِمَا فِيهَا يَتَلَاشَى عِنْدَ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ أَوَّلِ بَادٍ يَبْدُو مِنْ بَوَادِي سَطَوَاتِ عَظَمَتِهِ فَمَنْ يُطِيقُ مَعْرِفَةَ مَنْ يَكُونُ هَذَا صِفَةً مِنْ صِفَاتِهِ،

, qāla abū naṣrin raḥimahu Allāhu maʿnā qawlihi lā sabīla ilayhā yaʿnī ilā al-maʿrifati ʿalā al-ḥaqīqati liānna Allāha taʿālā abraza likhalqihi min asmāyihi waṣifātihi mā ʿalima annahum yuṭīqūnahu dhalika liānna ḥaqīqata maʿrifatihi lā yuṭīquhā al-khalqi wa-lā dharratan minhā liānna al-kawna bimā fīhā yatalāshā ʿinda dharratin min awwali bādin yabdū min bawādī saṭawāti ʿaẓamatihi faman yuṭīqu maʿrifata man yakūnu hadhā ṣifatan min ṣifātihi,

Abū Naṣr—may God have mercy on him—said: His words ‘there is no way to it’ mean that there is no way to knowledge in its ultimate reality. God Most High disclosed to His creatures only those names and attributes which He knew they could bear. Created beings cannot bear the reality of knowing Him—not even an atom of it—for the whole cosmos and everything within it would dissolve before the first atom of the earliest manifestation of the assaults of His majesty. Who, then, could bear knowledge of One for whom this is but a single attribute?”

فَلِذَلِكَ قَالَ الْقَايِلُ مَا عَرَفَهُ غَيْرُهُ وَلَا أَحَبَّهُ سِوَاهُ لِأَنَّ الصَّمَدِيَّةَ مُمْتَنِعَةٌ عَنِ الْإِحَاطَةِ وَالْاِدْرَاكِ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ، وَقَدْ حَكَى

falidhalika qāla al-qāyilu mā ʿarafahu ghayruhu walā aḥabbahu siwāhu liānna al-ṣamadiyyata mumtaniʿatun ʿani al-iḥāṭati wa-al-idrāki qāla Allāhu ʿazza wajalla walā yuḥīṭūna bishayʾin min ʿilmihi, waqad ḥakā

Hence the saying, “None has known Him but He, and none has loved Him but He,” for the divine Self-Sufficiency cannot be encompassed or perceived. God, mighty and majestic, says: ‘They encompass nothing of His knowledge.’

فِي هَذَا الْمَعْنَى عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ لِلْخَلْقِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى مَعْرِفَتِهِ إِلَّا بِالْعَجْزِ عَنْ مَعْرِفَتِهِ، وَسُئِلَ الشِّبْلِيُّ مَتَى يَكُونُ الْعَارِفُ بِمَشْهَدٍ مِنَ الْحَقِّ قَالَ إِذَا بَدَا الشَّاهِدُ وَفَنَى الشَّوَاهِدَ وَذَهَبَ الْحَوَاسَّ وَاضْمَحَلَّ الْإِحْسَاسُ، وَسُئِلَ

fī hadhā al-maʿnā ʿan abī bakrin al-ṣiddīqi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu annahu qāla subḥāna man lam yajʿal lilkhalqi ṭarīqan ilā maʿrifatihi illā bi-al-ʿajzi ʿan maʿrifatihi, wasuʾila al-Shiblī matā yakūnu al-ʿārifu bimashhadin mina al-ḥaqqi qāla idhā badā al-shāhidu wafanā al-shawāhida wadhahaba al-ḥawāssa wa-aḍmaḥalla al-iḥsāsu, wasuʾila

In this connection it is related that Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq—may God be pleased with him—said, “Glory be to Him who has given creation no path to knowing Him except through inability to know Him.” Al-Shiblī was asked, “When does the knower stand in a scene of the Real?” He replied, “When the Witness appears, all other witnesses vanish, the senses depart, and sensation fades away.”

أَيْضًا مَا بَدْءُ هَذَا الشَّأْنِ وَمَا انْتِهَاؤُهُ قَالَ بَدْءُهُ مَعْرِفَتُهُ وَانْتِهَاؤُهُ تَوْحِيدُهُ، وَقَالَ مِنْ عَلَامَةِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ أَنْ يَرَى نَفْسَهُ فِي قَبْضَةِ الْعِزَّةِ وَيُجْرَى عَلَيْهِ تَصَارِيفُ الْقُدْرَةِ وَمِنْ عَلَامَةِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ الْمَحَبَّةُ لِأَنَّهُ مَنْ عَرَفَهُ أَحَبَّهُ،

ayḍan mā badʾu hadhā al-shaʾni wamā antihāʾuhu qāla badʾuhu maʿrifatuhu wa-antihāʾuhu tawḥīduhu, waqāla min ʿalāmati al-maʿrifati an yarā nafsahu fī qabḍati al-ʿizzati wayujrā ʿalayhi taṣārīfu al-qudrati wamin ʿalāmati al-maʿrifati al-maḥabbatu liānnahu man ʿarafahu aḥabbahu,

He was also asked, “What is the beginning of this affair, and what is its end?” He replied, “Its beginning is knowing Him, and its end is affirming His unity.” He said, “A sign of knowledge is that a person sees himself in the grasp of divine might, while the workings of power are carried out upon him. Another sign of knowledge is love, for whoever knows Him loves Him.”

Printed pages 36 to 37

وَبَلَغَنِي عَنْ أَبِي يَزِيدَ طَيْفُورِ بْنِ عِيسَى الْبِسْطَامِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ صِفَةِ الْعَارِفِ فَقَالَ لَوْنُ الْمَاءِ لَوْنُ إِنَائِهِ إِنْ صَبَبْتَهُ فِي إِنَاءٍ أَبْيَضَ خِلْتَهُ أَبْيَضَ وَإِنْ صَبَبْتَهُ فِي اِنَآءٍ أَسْوَدَ خِلْتَهُ أَسْوَدَ وَكَذَلِكَ الْأَصْفَرُ وَالْأَحْمَرُ وَغَيْرُ ذَلِكَ يَتَدَاوَلُهُ الْأَحْوَالُ وَوَلِيُّ الْأَحْوَالِ وَلِيُّهُ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ مَعْنَاهُ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْمَاءَ عَلَى قَدْرِ ⟨صَفَائِهِ⟩ بِصِفَةِ لَوْنِ إِنَائِهِ، وَلَا يُغَيِّرُهُ لَوْنُ إِنَائِهِ عَنْ صَفَائِهِ وَحَالِهِ.

wabalaghanī ʿan abī yazīda ṭayfūri bni ʿīsā al-bisṭāmiyyi raḥimahu Allāhu annahu suʾila ʿan ṣifati al-ʿārifi faqāla lawnu al-māʾi lawnu ināʾihi in ṣababtahu fī ināʾin abyaḍa khiltahu abyaḍa wa-in ṣababtahu fī ināʾin aswada khiltahu aswada wakadhalika al-aṣfaru wa-al-aḥmaru waghayru dhalika yatadāwaluhu al-aḥwālu wa-waliyyu al-aḥwāli waliyyuhu, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu maʿnāhu wa-Allāhu aʿlamu anna al-māʾa ʿalā qadri ⟨ṣafāʾihi⟩ Bi-ṣifati lawni ināʾihi, wa-lā yughayyiruhu lawnu ināʾihi ʿan ṣafāʾihi wa-ḥālihi.

It has reached me concerning Abū Yazīd Ṭayfūr ibn ʿĪsā al-Bisṭāmī—may God have mercy on him—that he was asked to describe the knower. He replied, “The colour of water is the colour of its vessel. If you pour it into a white vessel, you suppose it white; if into a black vessel, you suppose it black, and likewise with yellow, red, and other colours. Spiritual states pass successively over him, while the Patron of the states remains his patron.” The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: Its meaning—God knows best—is that water, in proportion to its clarity, takes on the colour of its vessel, yet the vessel’s colour does not change its clarity or its condition.

Printed page 37

وَيَخَالُ النَّاظِرُ إِلَيْهِ أَبْيَضَ أَوْ أَسْوَدَ، وَهُوَ فِي الْإِنَاءِ بِمَعْنًى وَاحِدٍ. وَكَذَلِكَ الْعَارِفُ وَصِفَتُهُ مَعَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فِيمَا يَتَدَاوَلُهُ الْأَحْوَالُ يَكُونُ سِرُّهُ مَعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِمَعْنًى وَاحِدٍ.

Wa-yakhālu al-nāẓiru ilayhi abyaḍa aw aswada, wa-huwa fī al-ināʾi bi-maʿnan wāḥidin. Wa-kadhālika al-ʿārifu wa-ṣifatuhu maʿa Allāhi ʿazza wa-jalla, fī-mā yatadāwaluhu al-aḥwālu yakūnu sirruhu maʿa Allāhi taʿālā bi-maʿnan wāḥidin.

Someone looking at it thinks it white or black, while its nature within the vessel remains the same. So it is with the person who knows God and that person’s relationship with God, mighty and majestic: as different states come and go, the inward self remains in the same relationship with God Most High.

وَسُئِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ مَعْقُولِ الْعَارِفِينَ، فَقَالَ: «ذَهَبُوا عَنْ وَصْفِ الْوَاصِفِينَ».

Wa-suʾila al-Junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan maʿqūli al-ʿārifīna, fa-qāla: «Dhahabū ʿan waṣfi al-wāṣifīna».

Al-Junayd, may God have mercy on him, was asked what the mind can grasp of those who know God. He replied, “They have passed beyond the descriptions of those who describe them.”

وَسُئِلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ، فَقَالَ: «مُطَالَعَةُ الْقُلُوبِ لِإِفْرَادِهِ عَلَى لَطَائِفِ تَعْرِيفِهِ».

Wa-suʾila baʿḍuhum ʿani al-maʿrifati, fa-qāla: «Muṭālaʿatu al-qulūbi li-ifrādihi ʿalā laṭāʾifi taʿrīfihi».

One of them was asked about knowing God. He replied, “The hearts’ contemplation of His uniqueness through the subtle ways in which He makes Himself known.”

وَسُئِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: «يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ، مَا حَاجَةُ الْعَارِفِينَ [إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى]؟» قَالَ: «حَاجَتُهُمْ إِلَيْهِ كِلَاءَتُهُ وَرِعَايَتُهُ لَهُمْ».

Wa-suʾila al-Junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu, fa-qīla lahu: «Yā Abā al-Qāsimi, mā ḥājatu al-ʿārifīna [ilā Allāhi taʿālā]?» Qāla: «Ḥājatuhum ilayhi kilāʾatuhu wa-riʿāyatuhu lahum».

Al-Junayd, may God have mercy on him, was asked, “Abū al-Qāsim, what do those who know God need [from God Most High]?” He replied, “They need His protection and care for them.”

وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ السَّمَرْقَنْدِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: «بَلْ لَا حَاجَةَ لَهُمْ وَلَا اخْتِيَارَ، إِذْ بِغَيْرِ الْحَاجَةِ وَالِاخْتِيَارِ نَالُوا مَا نَالُوا، لِأَنَّ قِيَامَ الْعَارِفِينَ بِوَاجِدِهِمْ وَبَقَاءَهُمْ بِوَاجِدِهِمْ وَفَنَاءَهُمْ بِوَاجِدِهِمْ».

Wa-qāla Muḥammadu bnu al-Faḍli al-Samarqandiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: «Bal lā ḥājata lahum wa-lā ikhtiyāra, idh bi-ghayri al-ḥājati wa-al-ikhtiyāri nālū mā nālū, li-anna qiyāma al-ʿārifīna bi-wājidihim wa-baqāʾahum bi-wājidihim wa-fanāʾahum bi-wājidihim».

Muḥammad ibn al-Faḍl al-Samarqandī, may God have mercy on him, said, “Rather, they have neither need nor choice, for they attained what they attained without need or choice. Those who know God subsist, remain, and pass away through the One who finds them.”

وَقِيلَ لِمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْفَضْلِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: «حَاجَةُ الْعَارِفِينَ إِلَى مَا ذِي؟» قَالَ: «حَاجَتُهُمْ إِلَى الْخَصْلَةِ الَّتِي كَمُلَتْ بِهَا الْمَحَاسِنُ كُلُّهَا، وَبِفَقْدِهَا قَبُحَتِ الْمَقَابِحُ كُلُّهَا، وَهِيَ الِاسْتِقَامَةُ».

Wa-qīla li-Muḥammadi bni al-Faḍli raḥimahu Allāhu: «Ḥājatu al-ʿārifīna ilā mā dhī?» Qāla: «Ḥājatuhum ilā al-khaṣlati allatī kamulat bihā al-maḥāsinu kulluhā, wa-bi-faqdihā qabuḥati al-maqābiḥu kulluhā, wa-hiya al-istiqāmatu».

Muḥammad ibn al-Faḍl, may God have mercy on him, was asked, “What do those who know God need?” He replied, “They need the quality through which every good quality becomes complete, and through whose absence every ugly quality becomes ugly: steadfast uprightness.”

وَسُئِلَ يَحْيَى بْنُ مُعَاذٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ صِفَةِ الْعَارِفِ، فَقَالَ: «دَاخِلٌ مَعَهُمْ بَائِنٌ مِنْهُمْ».

Wa-suʾila Yaḥyā bnu Muʿādhin raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan ṣifati al-ʿārifi, fa-qāla: «Dākhilun maʿahum bāʾinun minhum».

Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh, may God have mercy on him, was asked to describe the person who knows God. He replied, “Among them, yet apart from them.”

وَسُئِلَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى عَنِ الْعَارِفِ، فَقَالَ: «عَبْدٌ كَانَ فَبَانَ».

Wa-suʾila marratan ukhrā ʿani al-ʿārifi, fa-qāla: «ʿAbdun kāna fa-bāna».

Asked again about the person who knows God, he replied, “A servant who was, then became distinct.”

وَقِيلَ لِأَبِي الْحُسَيْنِ النُّورِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: «كَيْفَ لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْعُقُولُ وَلَا يُعْرَفُ إِلَّا بِالْعُقُولِ؟» فَقَالَ:

Wa-qīla li-Abī al-Ḥusayni al-Nūriyyi raḥimahu Allāhu: «Kayfa lā tudrikuhu al-ʿuqūlu wa-lā yuʿrafu illā bi-al-ʿuqūli?» Fa-qāla:

Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Nūrī, may God have mercy on him, was asked, “How is it that minds cannot comprehend Him, although He is known only through minds?” He replied:

«كَيْفَ يُدْرِكُ ذُو أَمَدٍ مَنْ لَا أَمَدَ لَهُ؟ أَمْ كَيْفَ يُدْرِكُ ذُو عَاهَةٍ مَنْ لَا عَاهَةَ لَهُ وَلَا آفَةَ؟

«Kayfa yudriku dhū amadin man lā amada lahu? Am kayfa yudriku dhū ʿāhatin man lā ʿāhata lahu wa-lā āfata?

“How can one whose span is limited comprehend the One who has no limit? How can one who is impaired comprehend the One who has neither impairment nor defect?

أَمْ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ مُكَيَّفًا مَنْ كَيَّفَ الْكَيْفَ؟ أَمْ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ مُحَيَّثًا مَنْ حَيَّثَ الْحَيْثَ فَسَمَّاهُ حَيْثًا؟

Am kayfa yakūnu mukayyafan man kayyafa al-kayfa? Am kayfa yakūnu muḥayyathan man ḥayyatha al-ḥaytha fa-sammāhu ḥaythan?

How can the One who established “how” be defined by a “how”? How can the One who established “where,” and named it “where,” be confined to a “where”?

وَكَذَلِكَ أَوَّلَ الْأَوَّلَ وَأَخَّرَ الْآخِرَ فَسَمَّاهُ أَوَّلًا وَآخِرًا، فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ أَوَّلَ الْأَوَّلَ وَأَخَّرَ الْآخِرَ مَا عُرِفَ مَا الْأَوَّلِيَّةُ وَمَا الْآخِرِيَّةُ».

Wa-kadhālika awwala al-awwala wa-akhkhara al-ākhira fa-sammāhu awwalan wa-ākhiran, fa-lawlā annahu awwala al-awwala wa-akhkhara al-ākhira mā ʿurifa mā al-awwaliyyatu wa-mā al-ākhiriyyatu».

Likewise, He made the first first and the last last, giving the names “first” and “last.” Had He not made the first first and the last last, neither firstness nor lastness would be known.”

ثُمَّ قَالَ: «وَمَا الْأَزَلِيَّةُ فِي الْحَقِيقَةِ إِلَّا الْأَبَدِيَّةُ، لَيْسَ بَيْنَهُمَا حَاجِزٌ، كَمَا أَنَّ الْأَوَّلِيَّةَ هِيَ الْآخِرِيَّةُ وَالْآخِرِيَّةَ هِيَ الْأَوَّلِيَّةُ، وَكَذَلِكَ الظَّاهِرِيَّةُ وَالْبَاطِنِيَّةُ،

Thumma qāla: «Wa-mā al-azaliyyatu fī al-ḥaqīqati illā al-abadiyyatu, laysa baynahumā ḥājizun, ka-mā anna al-awwaliyyata hiya al-ākhiriyyatu wa-al-ākhiriyyata hiya al-awwaliyyatu, wa-kadhālika al-ẓāhiriyyatu wa-al-bāṭiniyyatu,

He then said, “In reality, eternity without beginning is the same as eternity without end; no barrier lies between them. Likewise, firstness is lastness and lastness is firstness, and the same holds for outwardness and inwardness.

Printed pages 37 to 38

إِلَّا أَنَّهُ يُفْقِدُكَ وَقْتًا وَيُشْهِدُكَ وَقْتًا لِتَجْدِيدِ اللَّذَّةِ وَرُؤْيَةِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ.

Illā annahu yufqiduka waqtan wa-yushhiduka waqtan li-tajdīdi al-ladhdhati wa-ruʾyati al-ʿubūdiyyati.

Yet at one time He causes you to lose awareness, and at another He causes you to witness, renewing the delight and the awareness of servanthood.

Printed page 38

لِأَنَّ مَنْ عَرَفَهُ بِالْخِلْقَةِ لَمْ يَعْرِفْهُ بِالْمُبَاشَرَةِ، لِأَنَّ الْخِلْقَةَ عَلَى مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ: «كُنْ»، وَالْمُبَاشَرَةُ إِظْهَارُ حُرْمَةٍ لَا اسْتِهَانَةَ فِيهِ».

Li-anna man ʿarafahu bi-al-khilqati lam yaʿrifhu bi-al-mubāsharati, li-anna al-khilqata ʿalā maʿnā qawlihi: «Kun», wa-al-mubāsharatu iẓhāru ḥurmatin lā istihānata fīhi».

For someone who knows Him through creation has not known Him through direct encounter. Creation comes under the meaning of His command, “Be,” while direct encounter displays reverence, with no irreverence in it.”

قُلْتُ: مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ «مُبَاشَرَةً» يَعْنِي مُبَاشَرَةَ يَقِينٍ وَمُشَاهَدَةَ الْقَلْبِ بِحَقَائِقِ الْإِيمَانِ بِالْغَيْبِ.

Qultu: maʿnā qawlihi «mubāsharatan» yaʿnī mubāsharata yaqīnin wa-mushāhadata al-qalbi bi-ḥaqāʾiqi al-īmāni bi-al-ghaybi.

I say: By “direct encounter,” he means a direct encounter in certainty and the heart’s witnessing through the realities of faith in the unseen.

قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: وَالْمَعْنَى فِيمَا أَشَارَ إِلَيْهِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، أَنَّ التَّوْقِيتَ وَالتَّغْيِيرَ لَا يَجُوزُ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، فَهُوَ فِيمَا كَانَ كَهُوَ فِيمَا يَكُونُ، وَهُوَ فِيمَا قَالَ كَهُوَ فِيمَا يَقُولُ.

Qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu: wa-al-maʿnā fī-mā ashāra ilayhi, wa-Allāhu aʿlamu, anna al-tawqīta wa-al-taghyīra lā yajūzu ʿalā Allāhi taʿālā, fa-huwa fī-mā kāna ka-huwa fī-mā yakūnu, wa-huwa fī-mā qāla ka-huwa fī-mā yaqūlu.

The shaykh, may God have mercy on him, said: What he is pointing to—God knows best—is that God Most High cannot be subject to limits of time or change. He is the same in what has been as in what will be, and the same in what He has said as in what He says.

وَالْأَدْنَى عِنْدَهُ كَالْأَقْصَى، وَالْأَقْصَى عِنْدَهُ كَالْأَدْنَى، وَإِنَّمَا يَقَعُ التَّعَارُفُ لِلْخَلْقِ مِنْ حَيْثُ الْخَلْقُ، وَالتَّلْوِينُ فِي الْقُرْبِ وَالْبُعْدِ وَالسُّخْطِ وَالرِّضَا صِفَةٌ لِلْخَلْقِ، وَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ صِفَاتِ الْحَقِّ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.

Wa-al-adnā ʿindahu ka-al-aqṣā, wa-al-aqṣā ʿindahu ka-al-adnā, wa-innamā yaqaʿu al-taʿārufu li-al-khalqi min ḥaythu al-khalqu, wa-al-talwīnu fī al-qurbi wa-al-buʿdi wa-al-sukhṭi wa-al-riḍā ṣifatun li-al-khalqi, wa-laysa dhālika min ṣifāti al-Ḥaqqi. Wa-Allāhu aʿlamu.

For Him, the nearest is like the farthest and the farthest like the nearest. Coming to know belongs to creatures in their created condition. Changes in nearness and distance, displeasure and satisfaction are attributes of creatures, rather than attributes of the Real. God knows best.

وَقَالَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِي كَلَامٍ لَهُ فِي مَعْنَى الْمَعْرِفَةِ، وَيُحْكَى أَيْضًا عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الْوَاسِطِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، وَالصَّحِيحُ لِابْنِ عَطَاءٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، قَالَ:

Wa-qāla Aḥmadu bnu ʿAṭāʾin raḥimahu Allāhu fī kalāmin lahu fī maʿnā al-maʿrifati, wa-yuḥkā ayḍan ʿan Abī Bakrin al-Wāsiṭiyyi raḥimahu Allāhu, wa-al-ṣaḥīḥu li-ibni ʿAṭāʾin raḥimahu Allāhu, qāla:

Aḥmad ibn ʿAṭāʾ, may God have mercy on him, said in a discussion of knowing God—the statement is also attributed to Abū Bakr al-Wāsiṭī, may God have mercy on him, but its correct attribution is to Ibn ʿAṭāʾ:

«إِنَّمَا قَبُحَتِ الْمُسْتَقْبَحَاتُ بِاسْتِتَارِهِ وَحَسُنَتِ الْمُسْتَحْسَنَاتُ بِتَجَلِّيهِ، فَإِنَّهُمَا نَعْتَانِ يَجْرِيَانِ عَلَى الْأَبَدِ بِمَا جَرَيَا فِي الْأَزَلِ، يُظْهِرُ الْوَسْمَيْنِ عَلَى الْمَقْبُولِينَ وَالْمَطْرُودِينَ.

«Innamā qabuḥati al-mustaqbaḥātu bi-istitārihi wa-ḥasunati al-mustaḥsanātu bi-tajallīhi, fa-innahumā naʿtāni yajriyāni ʿalā al-abadi bi-mā jarayā fī al-azali, yuẓhiru al-wasmayni ʿalā al-maqbūlīna wa-al-maṭrūdīna.

“Things deemed ugly become ugly through His concealment, and things deemed beautiful become beautiful through His self-disclosure. These two qualities continue for all eternity as they proceeded in eternity without beginning. He displays the two marks upon those accepted and those cast out.

فَقَدْ بَانَ شَوَاهِدُ تَجَلِّيهِ عَلَى الْمَقْبُولِينَ بِضِيَائِهَا، كَمَا بَانَ شَوَاهِدُ اسْتِتَارِهِ عَلَى الْمَطْرُودِينَ بِظُلْمَتِهَا.

Fa-qad bāna shawāhidu tajallīhi ʿalā al-maqbūlīna bi-ḍiyāʾihā, ka-mā bāna shawāhidu istitārihi ʿalā al-maṭrūdīna bi-ẓulmatihā.

The signs of His self-disclosure have appeared upon those accepted through their light, just as the signs of His concealment have appeared upon those cast out through their darkness.

فَمَا يَنْفَعُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الْأَلْوَانُ الْمُصْفَرَّةُ وَلَا الْأَكْمَامُ الْمُقَصَّرَةُ وَلَا التَّدَرُّعُ بِالْمُطَبَّقَةِ وَالْمُرَقَّعَةِ».

Fa-mā yanfaʿu baʿda dhālika al-alwānu al-muṣfarratu wa-lā al-akmāmu al-muqaṣṣaratu wa-lā al-tadarruʿu bi-al-muṭabbaqati wa-al-muraqqaʿati».

After that, what benefit is there in pale complexions, shortened sleeves, or clothing oneself in layered and patched garments?”

قُلْتُ: وَهَذَا الَّذِي قَالَ ابْنُ عَطَاءٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ مَعْنَاهُ قَرِيبٌ مِنْ قَوْلِ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ الدَّارَانِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، حَيْثُ يَقُولُ:

Qultu: wa-hādhā alladhī qāla ibnu ʿAṭāʾin raḥimahu Allāhu maʿnāhu qarībun min qawli Abī Sulaymāna ʿAbdi al-Raḥmāni bni Aḥmada al-Dārāniyyi raḥimahu Allāhu, ḥaythu yaqūlu:

I say: Ibn ʿAṭāʾ’s statement, may God have mercy on him, is close in meaning to the saying of Abū Sulaymān ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Aḥmad al-Dārānī, may God have mercy on him:

«لَيْسَ أَعْمَالُ الْخَلْقِ بِالَّذِي يُسْخِطُهُ وَلَا بِالَّذِي يُرْضِيهِ، إِنَّمَا رَضِيَ عَنْ قَوْمٍ فَاسْتَعْمَلَهُمْ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الرِّضَا، وَسَخِطَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ فَاسْتَعْمَلَهُمْ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ السُّخْطِ».

«Laysa aʿmālu al-khalqi bi-alladhī yuskhiṭuhu wa-lā bi-alladhī yurḍīhi, innamā raḍiya ʿan qawmin fa-istaʿmalahum bi-ʿamali ahli al-riḍā, wa-sakhiṭa ʿalā qawmin fa-istaʿmalahum bi-ʿamali ahli al-sukhṭi».

“The deeds of creatures do not bring about His displeasure or His satisfaction. Rather, He was pleased with some people and set them to the deeds of those who enjoy His approval; He was displeased with others and set them to the deeds of those under His displeasure.”

Printed pages 38 to 39

وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِ ابْنِ عَطَاءٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: «قَبُحَتِ الْمُسْتَقْبَحَاتُ بِاسْتِتَارِهِ» يَعْنِي بِإِعْرَاضِهِ عَنْهَا، وَ«حَسُنَتِ الْمُسْتَحْسَنَاتُ بِتَجَلِّيهِ» يَعْنِي بِإِقْبَالِهِ عَلَيْهَا وَقَبُولِهِ لَهَا.

Wa-maʿnā qawli ibni ʿAṭāʾin raḥimahu Allāhu: «Qabuḥati al-mustaqbaḥātu bi-istitārihi» yaʿnī bi-iʿrāḍihi ʿanhā, wa-«ḥasunati al-mustaḥsanātu bi-tajallīhi» yaʿnī bi-iqbālihi ʿalayhā wa-qabūlihi lahā.

Ibn ʿAṭāʾ’s words, may God have mercy on him, “Things deemed ugly become ugly through His concealment,” mean through His turning away from them; “things deemed beautiful become beautiful through His self-disclosure” means through His turning toward them and accepting them.

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وَمَعْنَى ذَلِكَ كَمَا جَاءَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ: خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَبِيَدِهِ كِتَابَانِ، كِتَابٌ بِيَمِينِهِ وَكِتَابٌ بِشِمَالِهِ، فَقَالَ:

Wa-maʿnā dhālika ka-mā jāʾa fī al-ḥadīthi: kharaja rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama wa-bi-yadihi kitābāni, kitābun bi-yamīnihi wa-kitābun bi-shimālihi, fa-qāla:

The meaning of this is as related in the report: God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, came out holding two books, one in his right hand and one in his left, and said:

«هَذَا كِتَابُ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ وَأَسْمَاءِ آبَائِهِمْ، وَهَذَا كِتَابُ أَهْلِ النَّارِ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ وَأَسْمَاءِ آبَائِهِمْ»، الْحَدِيثَ.

«Hādhā kitābu ahli al-jannati bi-asmāʾihim wa-asmāʾi ābāʾihim, wa-hādhā kitābu ahli al-nāri bi-asmāʾihim wa-asmāʾi ābāʾihim», al-ḥadītha.

“This is the book of the people of Paradise, with their names and their fathers’ names, and this is the book of the people of the Fire, with their names and their fathers’ names”—and the report continues.

وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: «لَمَّا تَعَرَّفَ بِنَفْسِهِ إِلَى خَاصَّتِهِ امْتَحَقَتْ نُفُوسُهُمْ عَنْ نُفُوسِهِمْ، فَلَمْ يَشْهَدُوا وَحْشَةً بِشَوَاهِدِ الْأَوَّلِ مِمَّا يَبْدُو لَهُمْ مِنْ شَوَاهِدِ الْحُظُوظِ، وَكَذَلِكَ كُلُّ مَنْ أُعْقِبَ بِمَعْنًى».

Wa-qāla Abū Bakrin al-Wāsiṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: «Lammā taʿarrafa bi-nafsihi ilā khāṣṣatihi imtaḥaqat nufūsuhum ʿan nufūsihim, fa-lam yashhadū waḥshatan bi-shawāhidi al-Awwali mimmā yabdū lahum min shawāhidi al-ḥuẓūẓi, wa-kadhālika kullu man uʿqiba bi-maʿnan».

Abū Bakr al-Wāsiṭī, may God have mercy on him, said, “When He made Himself known to His chosen ones, their selves were effaced from their awareness. Through the signs of the First, they experienced no estrangement from the signs of personal interests that appeared to them. So it is with everyone who is granted such an insight.”

وَهَذَا مَعْنَاهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، أَنَّ مَنْ شَاهَدَ الْأَوَّلِيَّةَ فِيمَا عَرَفَ بِمَا تَعَرَّفَ إِلَيْهِ مَعْبُودُهُ لَمْ يَشْهَدْ وَحْشَةً مَعَ مَعْرِفَتِهِ بِذَلِكَ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ وَلَا أُنْسًا بِهِمْ.

Wa-hādhā maʿnāhu, wa-Allāhu aʿlamu, anna man shāhada al-awwaliyyata fī-mā ʿarafa bi-mā taʿarrafa ilayhi maʿbūduhu lam yashhad waḥshatan maʿa maʿrifatihi bi-dhālika fī-mā siwāhu wa-lā unsan bihim.

Its meaning—God knows best—is that someone who witnesses primordial precedence in what has become known through the worshipped One’s self-disclosure experiences, with that knowledge, neither estrangement from anything besides Him nor intimacy with others.

بَابٌ فِي صِفَةِ الْعَارِفِ وَمَا قَالُوا فِيهِ.

Bābun fī ṣifati al-ʿārifi wa-mā qālū fīhi.

Chapter on the person who knows God and what has been said about that person.

قَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الرَّازِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: «مَا دَامَ الْعَبْدُ يَتَعَرَّفُ فَيُقَالُ: لَا تَخْتَرْ شَيْئًا وَلَا تَكُنْ مَعَ اخْتِيَارِكَ حَتَّى تَعْرِفَ، فَإِذَا عَرَفَ وَصَارَ عَارِفًا فَيُقَالُ لَهُ:

Qāla Yaḥyā bnu Muʿādhin al-Rāziyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: «Mā dāma al-ʿabdu yataʿarrafu fa-yuqālu: lā takhtar shayʾan wa-lā takun maʿa ikhtiyārika ḥattā taʿrifa, fa-idhā ʿarafa wa-ṣāra ʿārifan fa-yuqālu lahu:

Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh al-Rāzī, may God have mercy on him, said, “As long as the servant is learning to know God, he is told: Choose nothing, and do not follow your own choice until you know. Once he knows and has become a knower of God, he is told:

إِنْ شِئْتَ اخْتَرْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ لَا تَخْتَرْ، لِأَنَّكَ إِنِ اخْتَرْتَ فَبِاخْتِيَارِنَا اخْتَرْتَ، وَإِنْ تَرَكْتَ الِاخْتِيَارَ فَبِاخْتِيَارِنَا تَرَكْتَ الِاخْتِيَارَ، فَإِنَّكَ بِنَا فِي الِاخْتِيَارِ وَفِي تَرْكِ الِاخْتِيَارِ».

In shiʾta ikhtar wa-in shiʾta lā takhtar, li-annaka ini ikhtarta fa-bi-ikhtiyārinā ikhtarta, wa-in tarakta al-ikhtiyāra fa-bi-ikhtiyārinā tarakta al-ikhtiyāra, fa-innaka bi-nā fī al-ikhtiyāri wa-fī tarki al-ikhtiyāri».

Choose if you wish, or refrain from choosing if you wish. For if you choose, it is through Our choice that you choose; if you give up choosing, it is through Our choice that you give it up. You act through Us both in choosing and in giving up choice.”

وَقَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ مُعَاذٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: «الدُّنْيَا عَرُوسٌ، وَمَنْ يَطْلُبُهَا مَاشِطَتُهَا، وَالزَّاهِدُ فِيهَا يُسَخِّمُ وَجْهَهَا وَيَنْتِفُ شَعْرَهَا وَيُخَرِّقُ ثَوْبَهَا، وَالْعَارِفُ بِاللَّهِ مُشْتَغِلٌ بِسَيِّدِهِ لَا يَلْتَفِتُ إِلَيْهَا».

Wa-qāla Yaḥyā bnu Muʿādhin raḥimahu Allāhu: «Al-dunyā ʿarūsun, wa-man yaṭlubuhā māshiṭatuhā, wa-al-zāhidu fīhā yusakhkhimu wajhahā wa-yantifu shaʿrahā wa-yukharriqu thawbahā, wa-al-ʿārifu bi-Allāhi mushtaghilun bi-sayyidihi lā yaltafitu ilayhā».

Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh, may God have mercy on him, said, “The world is a bride, and whoever pursues her is her hairdresser. The one who renounces her blackens her face, plucks out her hair, and tears her dress. The person who knows God is occupied with his Lord and pays her no attention.”

وَقَالَ: «إِذَا تَرَكَ الْعَارِفُ أَدَبَهُ عِنْدَ مَعْرِفَتِهِ فَقَدْ هَلَكَ مَعَ الْهَالِكِينَ».

Wa-qāla: «Idhā taraka al-ʿārifu adabahu ʿinda maʿrifatihi fa-qad halaka maʿa al-hālikīna».

He also said, “If the person who knows God abandons proper conduct upon attaining that knowledge, he has perished with those who perish.”

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وَقَالَ ذُو النُّونِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: «عَلَامَةُ الْعَارِفِ ثَلَاثَةٌ: لَا يُطْفِئُ نُورُ مَعْرِفَتِهِ نُورَ وَرَعِهِ، وَلَا يَعْتَقِدُ بَاطِنًا مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا يَنْقُضُ عَلَيْهِ ظَاهِرًا مِنَ الْحُكْمِ، وَلَا يَحْمِلُهُ كَثْرَةُ نِعَمِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَكَرَامَتُهُ عَلَى هَتْكِ أَسْتَارِ مَحَارِمِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى».

Wa-qāla Dhū al-Nūni raḥimahu Allāhu: «ʿAlāmatu al-ʿārifi thalāthatun: lā yuṭfiʾu nūru maʿrifatihi nūra waraʿihi, wa-lā yaʿtaqidu bāṭinan mina al-ʿilmi mā yanquḍu ʿalayhi ẓāhiran mina al-ḥukmi, wa-lā yaḥmiluhu kathratu niʿami Allāhi taʿālā ʿalayhi wa-karāmatuhu ʿalā hatki astāri maḥārimi Allāhi taʿālā».

Dhū al-Nūn, may God have mercy on him, said, “The person who knows God has three signs: the light of his knowledge does not extinguish the light of his scrupulousness; he holds no inward knowledge that overturns an outward ruling for him; and God Most High’s abundant blessings and honour do not lead him to violate the bounds of what God Most High has forbidden.”

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وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: «لَيْسَ بِعَارِفٍ مَنْ وَصَفَ الْمَعْرِفَةَ عِنْدَ أَبْنَاءِ الْآخِرَةِ، فَكَيْفَ عِنْدَ أَبْنَاءِ الدُّنْيَا؟»

Wa-qāla baʿḍuhum: «Laysa bi-ʿārifin man waṣafa al-maʿrifata ʿinda abnāʾi al-ākhirati, fa-kayfa ʿinda abnāʾi al-dunyā?»

One of them said, “Someone who describes this knowledge before people devoted to the Hereafter is no knower of God—how much more so before people devoted to this world!”

وَقَالَ: «إِنِ الْتَفَتَ الْعَارِفُ إِلَى الْخَلْقِ عَنْ مَعْرُوفِهِ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِهِ فَهُوَ مَخْذُولٌ بَيْنَ خَلْقِهِ».

Wa-qāla: «Ini iltafata al-ʿārifu ilā al-khalqi ʿan maʿrūfihi bi-ghayri idhnihi fa-huwa makhdhūlun bayna khalqihi».

He also said, “If the person who knows God turns toward creation and away from the One he knows, without His permission, he is left without support among His creatures.”

وَقَالَ: «كَيْفَ تَعْرِفُهُ وَلَيْسَ فِي قَلْبِكَ سُلْطَانُ هَيْبَتِهِ؟ وَكَيْفَ تَذْكُرُهُ وَتُحِبُّهُ وَلَيْسَ فِي قَلْبِكَ وُجُودُ أَلْطَافِهِ، وَأَنْتَ غَافِلٌ عَمَّا ذَكَّرَكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ خَلْقِهِ؟»

Wa-qāla: «Kayfa taʿrifuhu wa-laysa fī qalbika sulṭānu haybatihi? Wa-kayfa tadhkuruhu wa-tuḥibbuhu wa-laysa fī qalbika wujūdu alṭāfihi, wa-anta ghāfilun ʿammā dhakkaraka bihi qabla khalqihi?»

He said, “How can you know Him when the power of awe before Him is absent from your heart? How can you remember and love Him when His gentle favours are absent from your heart, and you are heedless of what He reminded you of before His act of creation?”

سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَمْدُونَ الْفَرَّاءَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ وَقَدْ سُئِلَ عَنْ كَمَالِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ، فَقَالَ: «إِذَا اجْتَمَعَتِ الْمُتَفَرِّقَاتُ وَاسْتَوَتِ الْأَحْوَالُ وَالْأَمَاكِنُ وَسَقَطَتْ رُؤْيَةُ التَّمْيِيزِ».

Samiʿtu Muḥammada bna Aḥmada bni Ḥamdūna al-Farrāʾa yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʿAbda al-Raḥmāni al-Fārisiyya wa-qad suʾila ʿan kamāli al-maʿrifati, fa-qāla: «Idhā ijtamaʿati al-mutafarriqātu wa-istawati al-aḥwālu wa-al-amākinu wa-saqaṭat ruʾyatu al-tamyīzi».

I heard Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Ḥamdūn al-Farrāʾ say: I heard ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Fārisī, when asked about the perfection of knowing God, reply, “When scattered things come together, states and places become equal, and the perception of distinctions falls away.”

وَقَالَ أَبُو نَصْرٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: مَعْنَى ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَكُونَ وَقْتُ الْعَبْدِ وَقْتًا وَاحِدًا بِلَا تَغْيِيرٍ، وَيَكُونَ الْعَبْدُ فِي جَمِيعِ أَحْوَالِهِ بِاللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ، مَأْخُوذًا عَمَّا سِوَى اللَّهِ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَكُونُ هَذَا حَالَهُ.

Wa-qāla Abū Naṣrin raḥimahu Allāhu: maʿnā dhālika an yakūna waqtu al-ʿabdi waqtan wāḥidan bi-lā taghyīrin, wa-yakūna al-ʿabdu fī jamīʿi aḥwālihi bi-Allāhi wa-li-Allāhi, maʾkhūdhan ʿammā siwā Allāhi, fa-ʿinda dhālika yakūnu hādhā ḥālahu.

Abū Naṣr, may God have mercy on him, said: This means that the servant’s moment becomes one unchanging moment, and that in every state the servant exists through God and for God, drawn away from everything besides God. Then this becomes his condition.

بَابٌ فِي قَوْلِ الْقَائِلِ: «بِمَ عَرَفْتَ اللَّهَ؟» وَالْفَرْقِ بَيْنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ وَالْعَارِفِ.

Bābun fī qawli al-qāʾili: «Bi-ma ʿarafta Allāha?» wa-al-farqi bayna al-muʾmini wa-al-ʿārifi.

Chapter on the question “Through what did you come to know God?” and the difference between the believer and the knower of God.

قِيلَ لِأَبِي الْحُسَيْنِ النُّورِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: «بِمَ عَرَفْتَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى؟» فَقَالَ: «بِاللَّهِ». قِيلَ: «فَمَا بَالُ الْعَقْلِ؟» قَالَ: «الْعَقْلُ عَاجِزٌ، لَا يَدُلُّ إِلَّا عَلَى عَاجِزٍ مِثْلِهِ.

Qīla li-Abī al-Ḥusayni al-Nūriyyi raḥimahu Allāhu: «Bi-ma ʿarafta Allāha taʿālā?» Fa-qāla: «Bi-Allāhi». Qīla: «Fa-mā bālu al-ʿaqli?» Qāla: «Al-ʿaqlu ʿājizun, lā yadullu illā ʿalā ʿājizin mithlihi.

Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Nūrī, may God have mercy on him, was asked, “Through what did you come to know God Most High?” He replied, “Through God.” He was asked, “Then what of reason?” He said, “Reason is powerless; it points only to something as powerless as itself.

لَمَّا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الْعَقْلَ قَالَ لَهُ: «مَنْ أَنَا؟» فَسَكَتَ، فَكَحَّلَهُ بِنُورِ الْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ فَقَالَ: «أَنْتَ اللَّهُ». فَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِلْعَقْلِ أَنْ يَعْرِفَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ».

Lammā khalaqa Allāhu al-ʿaqla qāla lahu: «Man anā?» Fa-sakata, fa-kaḥḥalahu bi-nūri al-waḥdāniyyati fa-qāla: «Anta Allāhu». Fa-lam yakun li-al-ʿaqli an yaʿrifa Allāha illā bi-Allāhi».

When God created reason, He asked it, ‘Who am I?’ It was silent. He then anointed its eyes with the light of oneness, and it said, ‘You are God.’ Reason could therefore know God only through God.”

وَسُئِلَ عَنْ أَوَّلِ فَرْضٍ افْتَرَضَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى عِبَادِهِ مَا هُوَ، فَقَالَ: «الْمَعْرِفَةُ، لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ». وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: «لِيَعْرِفُونِ».

Wa-suʾila ʿan awwali farḍin iftaraḍa Allāhu taʿālā ʿalā ʿibādihi mā huwa, fa-qāla: «Al-maʿrifatu, li-qawlihi taʿālā: wa-mā khalaqtu al-jinna wa-al-insa illā li-yaʿbudūni». Wa-qāla ibnu ʿAbbāsin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu: «Li-yaʿrifūni».

Asked what was the first duty God Most High imposed on His servants, he replied, “Knowing Him, because God Most High says, ‘I created jinn and humankind only to worship Me.’” Ibn ʿAbbās, may God be pleased with him, said, “To know Me.”

وَسُئِلَ بَعْضُهُمْ: «مَا الْمَعْرِفَةُ؟» فَقَالَ: «تَحْقِيقُ الْقَلْبِ بِإِثْبَاتِ وَحْدَانِيَّتِهِ بِكَمَالِ صِفَاتِهِ وَأَسْمَائِهِ، فَإِنَّهُ الْمُتَفَرِّدُ بِالْعِزِّ وَالْقُدْرَةِ وَالسُّلْطَانِ وَالْعَظَمَةِ، الْحَيُّ…

Wa-suʾila baʿḍuhum: «Mā al-maʿrifatu?» Fa-qāla: «Taḥqīqu al-qalbi bi-ithbāti waḥdāniyyatihi bi-kamāli ṣifātihi wa-asmāʾihi, fa-innahu al-mutafarridu bi-al-ʿizzi wa-al-qudrati wa-al-sulṭāni wa-al-ʿaẓamati, al-Ḥayyu…

One of them was asked, “What is knowing God?” He replied, “The heart’s sure realization through affirming His oneness, with the perfection of His attributes and names. He alone possesses might, power, sovereignty, and greatness—the Ever-Living…

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الدَّائِمُ الَّذِي لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ بِلَا كَيْفٍ وَلَا شَبَهٍ وَلَا مُثْلٍ يَنْفَى الْأَضْدَادَ وَالْأَنْدَادَ وَالْأَسْبَابَ عَنِ الْقُلُوبِ، وَقَدْ قِيلَ أَيْضًا إِنَّ أَصْلَ الْمَعْرِفَةِ مَوْهِبَةٌ وَالْمَعْرِفَةُ نَارٌ وَالْإِيمَانُ نُورٌ وَالْمَعْرِفَةُ وَجْدٌ وَالْإِيمَانُ عَطَاءٌ، وَالْفَرْقُ بَيْنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ وَالْعَارِفِ الْمُؤْمِنُ يَنْظُرُ بِنُورِ اللَّهِ وَالْعَارِفُ يَنْظُرُ بِاللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِ قَلْبٌ وَلَيْسَ لِلْعَارِفِ قَلْبٌ وَقَلْبُ الْمُؤْمِنِ يَطْمَئِنُّ بِالذِّكْرِ وَلَا يَطْمَئِنُّ الْعَارِفُ بِسِوَاهُ، وَالْمَعْرِفَةُ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَوْجُهٍ مَعْرِفَةُ إِقْرَارٍ وَمَعْرِفَةُ حَقِيقَةٍ وَمَعْرِفَةُ مُشَاهَدَةٍ وَفِي مَعْرِفَةِ الْمُشَاهَدَةِ يَنْدَرِجُ الْفَهْمُ وَالْعِلْمُ وَالْعِبَارَةُ وَالْكَلَامُ، وَالْإِشَارَاتُ فِي الْمَعْرِفَةِ وَوَصْفُهَا كَثِيرٌ وَفِي الْقَلِيلِ كِفَايَةٌ وَغُنْيَةٌ لِلْمُسْتَدِلِّ وَالْمُسْتَرْشِدِ وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ، وَعَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَمَوَيْهِ الدَّامَغَانِيِّ قَالَ سُيِلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الزَّاهِرُاباذَى عَنِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ فَقَالَ الْمَعْرِفَةُ اسْمٌ وَمَعْنَاهُ وُجُودُ تَعْظِيمٍ فِي الْقَلْبِ يَمْنَعُكَ عَنْ التَّشْبِيهُ وَالتَّعْطِيلِ، كِتَابُ الْأَحْوَالِ وَالْمَقَامَاتِ، بَابٌ فِي الْمَقَامَاتِ وَحَقَايِقِهَا، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَاِنْ قِيلَ مَا مَعْنَى الْمَقَامَاتِ يُقَالُ مَعْنَاهُ مَقَامُ الْعَبْدِ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِيمَا يُقَامُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْعِبَادَاتِ وَالْمُجَاهَدَاتِ وَالرِّيَاضَاتِ وَالِانْقِطَاعِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَقَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ

al-dāyimu alladhī laysa kamithlihi shayʾun wahuwa al-samīʿu al-baṣīru bilā kayfin walā shabahin walā muthlin yanfā al-aḍdāda wa-al-andāda wa-al-asbāba ʿani al-qulūbi, waqad qīla ayḍan inna aṣla al-maʿrifati mawhibatun wa-al-maʿrifatu nārun wa-al-īmānu nūrun wa-al-maʿrifatu wajdun wa-al-īmānu ʿaṭāʾun, wa-al-farqu bayna al-muʾmini wa-al-ʿārifi al-muʾminu yanẓuru binūri Allāhi wa-al-ʿārifu yanẓuru bi-Allāhi ʿazza wajalla walilmuʾmini qalbun walaysa lilʿārifi qalbun waqalbu al-muʾmini yaṭmayinnu bi-al-dhikri walā yaṭmayinnu al-ʿārifu bisiwāhu, wa-al-maʿrifatu ʿalā thalāthati awjuhin maʿrifatu iqrārin wamaʿrifatu ḥaqīqatin wamaʿrifatu mushāhadatin wafī maʿrifati al-mushāhadati yandariju al-fahmu wa-al-ʿilmu wa-al-ʿibāratu wa-al-kalāmu, wa-al-ishārātu fī al-maʿrifati wawaṣfuhā kathīrun wafī al-qalīli kifāyatun waghunyatun lilmustadilli wa-al-mustarshidi wabiālllahi al-tawfīqu, waʿani al-ḥasani bni ʿaliyyi bni ḥamawayhi al-dāmaghāniyyi qāla suʾila abū bakrin al-zāhiruābādhā ʿani al-maʿrifati faqāla al-maʿrifatu asmun wamaʿnāhu wujūdu taʿẓīmin fī al-qalbi yamnaʿuka ʿan al-tashbīhu wa-al-taʿṭīli, kitābu al-aḥwāli wa-al-maqāmāti, bābun fī al-maqāmāti waḥaqāyiqihā, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu fa-in qīla mā maʿnā al-maqāmāti yuqālu maʿnāhu maqāmu al-ʿabdi bayna yadayi Allāhi ʿazza wajalla fīmā yuqāmu fīhi mina al-ʿibādāti wa-al-mujāhadāti wa-al-riyāḍāti wa-al-ānqiṭāʿi ilā Allāhi ʿazza wajalla, waqāla Allāhu taʿālā dhalika liman

the Everlasting, whom nothing resembles, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, without manner, likeness, or peer. Such realization removes opposites, rivals, and secondary causes from the heart. It has also been said: the root of knowledge is a gift; knowledge is fire and faith is light; knowledge is immediate finding and faith is a bestowal. The believer looks by God’s light, while the knower looks by God, mighty and majestic. The believer has a heart, while the knower has no heart of his own. The believer’s heart finds rest in remembrance, whereas the knower finds rest in nothing besides Him. Knowledge has three forms: acknowledgement, realization, and witnessing. Knowledge through witnessing encompasses understanding, knowledge, expression, and speech. The allusions that describe knowledge are many, but a little suffices for one seeking evidence and guidance. Success comes from God. Al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Ḥamawayh al-Dāmghānī related that Abū Bakr al-Zāhirābādhī was asked about knowledge. He replied, “Knowledge is a name whose meaning is the presence of reverence in the heart, preventing you from both likening God to creation and stripping Him of His attributes.” Book of Spiritual States and Stations. Chapter on the stations and their realities. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: If someone asks what the stations mean, the answer is: the servant’s standing before God, mighty and majestic, in the acts of worship, spiritual striving, discipline, and complete devotion to Him in which the servant is established. God Most High says, “That is for whoever fears My station and fears My warning,”

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خَافَ مَقَامِي وَخَافَ وَعِيدِ، وَقَالَ وَمَا مِنَّا إِلَّا لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَعْلُومٌ، وَقَالَ سُيِلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صَلْعَمَ الْأَرْوَاحُ جُنُودٌ مُجَنَّدَةٌ قَالَ مُجَنَّدَةٌ عَلَى قَدْرِ الْمَقَامَاتِ وَالْمَقَامَاتِ مِثْلُ التَّوْبَةِ وَالْوَرَعِ وَالزُّهْدِ وَالْفَقْرِ وَالصَّبْرِ وَالرِّضَا وَالتَّوَكُّلِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، بَابٌ فِي مَعْنَى الْأَحْوَالِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَأَمَّا مَعْنَى الْأَحْوَالِ فَهُوَ مَا يَحِلُّ بِالْقُلُوبِ أَوْ تَحِلُّ بِهِ الْقُلُوبُ مِنْ صَفَاءِ الْأَذْكَارِ، وَقَدْ حَكَى عَنِ الْجُنَيْدِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ الْحَالُ نَازِلَةٌ تَنْزِلُ بِالْقُلُوبِ فَلَا تَدُومُ، وَقَدْ قِيلَ أَيْضًا إِنَّ الْحَالَ هُوَ الذِّكْرُ الْخُفَىّ، وَقَدْ رَوَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ خَيْرُ الذِّكْرِ الْخُفَىّ، وَلَيْسَ الْحَالُ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الْمُجَاهَدَاتِ وَالْعِبَادَاتِ وَالرِّيَاضَاتِ كَالْمِقَامَاتِ الَّتِي ذَكَرْنَاهَا وَهِيَ مِثْلُ الْمُرَاقَبَةِ وَالْقُرْبِ وَالْمَحَبَّةِ وَالْخَوْفِ وَالرَّجَآءِ وَالشَّوْقِ وَالْأُنْسِ وَالْاُطْمَأْنِينَةِ وَالْمُشَاهَدَةِ وَالْيَقِينِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَقَدْ حَكَى عَنْ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ الدَّارَانِى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِذَا صَارَتِ الْمُعَامَلَةُ إِلَى الْقُلُوبِ اسْتَرَاحَتِ الْجَوَارِحُ، وَهَذَا الَّذِي قَالَ أَبُو سُلَيْمَانَ يَحْتَمِلُ مَعْنَيَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا أَنَّهُ أَرَادَ بِذَلِكَ اسْتَرَاحَتِ الْجَوَارِحُ مِنَ الْمُجَاهَدَاتِ وَالْمُكْاَبَدَاتِ مِنَ الْاَعْمَالِ إِذَا اشْتَغَلَ بِحِفْظِ قَلْبِهِ وَمُرَاعَاةِ سِرِّهِ مِنَ الْخَوَاطِرِ الْمُشْغِّلَةِ وَالْعَوَارِضِ الْمَذْمُومَةِ الَّتِي تَشْغَلُ قَلْبَهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَيُحْتَمَلُ أَيْضًا أَنَّهُ أَرَادَ بِذَلِكَ أَنْ يَتَمَكَّنَ مِنَ الْمُجَاهَدَةِ وَالْاَعْمَالِ وَالْعِبَادَاتِ وَتَصِيرَ وَطَنَهُ حَتَّى يَسْتَلِذَّهَا بِقَلْبِهِ وَيَجِدَ حَلَاوَتَهَا وَيَسْقُطَ

khāfa maqāmī wakhāfa waʿīdi, waqāla wamā minnā illā lahu maqāmun maʿlūmun, waqāla suʾila abū bakrin al-wāsiṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan qawli al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama al-arwāḥu junūdun mujannadatun qāla mujannadatun ʿalā qadri al-maqāmāti wa-al-maqāmāti mithlu al-tawbati wa-al-waraʿi wa-al-zuhdi wa-al-faqri wa-al-ṣabri wa-al-riḍā wa-al-tawakkuli waghayri dhalika, bābun fī maʿnā al-aḥwāli, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu wa-ammā maʿnā al-aḥwāli fahuwa mā yaḥillu bi-al-qulūbi aw taḥillu bihi al-qulūbu min ṣafāʾi al-adhkāri, waqad ḥakā ʿani al-junaydi raḥimahu Allāhu annahu qāla al-ḥālu nāzilatun tanzilu bi-al-qulūbi falā tadūmu, waqad qīla ayḍan inna al-ḥāla huwa al-dhikru al-khufā, waqad rawā ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla khayru al-dhikri al-khufā, walaysa al-ḥālu min ṭarīqi al-mujāhadāti wa-al-ʿibādāti wa-al-riyāḍāti ka-al-miqāmāti allatī dhakarnāhā wahiya mithlu al-murāqabati wa-al-qurbi wa-al-maḥabbati wa-al-khawfi wa-al-rajāʾi wa-al-shawqi wa-al-unsi wa-al-uṭmaʾnīnati wa-al-mushāhadati wa-al-yaqīni waghayri dhalika, waqad ḥakā ʿan abī sulaymāna al-dārānī raḥimahu Allāhu annahu qāla idhā ṣārati al-muʿāmalatu ilā al-qulūbi astarāḥati al-jawāriḥu, wahadhā alladhī qāla abū sulaymāna yaḥtamilu maʿnayayni aḥaduhumā annahu arāda bidhalika astarāḥati al-jawāriḥu mina al-mujāhadāti wa-al-mukābadāti mina al-aʿmāli idhā ashtaghala biḥifẓi qalbihi wamurāʿāti sirrihi mina al-khawāṭiri al-mushghghilati wa-al-ʿawāriḍi al-madhmūmati allatī tashghalu qalbahu ʿan dhikri Allāhi taʿālā wayuḥtamalu ayḍan annahu arāda bidhalika an yatamakkana mina al-mujāhadati wa-al-aʿmāli wa-al-ʿibādāti wataṣīra waṭanahu ḥattā yastalidhdhahā biqalbihi wayajida ḥalāwatahā wayasquṭa

and He says, “Each of us has a known station.” Abū Bakr al-Wāsiṭī—may God have mercy on him—was asked about the Prophet’s saying, “Souls are assembled hosts.” He replied, “They are assembled according to their stations.” These stations include repentance, scrupulousness, renunciation, poverty, patience, contentment, trust in God, and others. Chapter on the meaning of spiritual states. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: A state is what descends into hearts, or that into which hearts enter, through the purity of remembrance. Al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—is reported to have said, “A state is an occurrence that descends upon hearts but does not endure.” It has also been said that the state is hidden remembrance. It is related that the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “The best remembrance is hidden remembrance.” Unlike the stations already mentioned, a state is not acquired through striving, worship, and discipline. States include watchfulness, nearness, love, fear, hope, longing, intimacy, serenity, witnessing, certainty, and others. Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī—may God have mercy on him—said, “When one’s dealings pass into the heart, the limbs find rest.” His words allow two meanings. First, the limbs rest from the hardship of striving and laborious works when the servant attends to guarding the heart and protecting the inner consciousness from distracting thoughts and blameworthy intrusions that divert it from remembrance of God Most High. Second, striving, works, and worship become firmly established and habitual, until the servant savours them in the heart, tastes their sweetness, and is freed

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عَنْهُ التَّعَبُ وَوُجُودَ الْأَلَمِ الَّذِي كَانَ يَجِدُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ كَمَا قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ وَأَظُنُّهُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ وَاسِعٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قَالَ كَابَدْتُ اللَّيْلَ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً فَتَنَعَّمْتُ بِهِ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً، وَقَالَ آخَرُ وَأَظُنُّهُ مَلِكَ بْنَ دِينَارٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ مَضَغْتُ الْقُرَانَ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً ثُمَّ تَنَعَّمْتُ بِتِلَاوَتِهِ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً، وَقَالَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لَا يُوصَلُ إِلَى رِعَايَةِ الْحُقُوقِ إِلَّا بِحَرَاسَةِ الْقُلُوبِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ سِرٌّ فَهُوَ مِصْرٌّ وَالْمِصْرُّ لَا تَصْفُو لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ، وَأَجْوِبَةُ الشُّيُوخِ فِي الْمَقَامَاتِ تَكْثُرُ وَكَذَلِكَ فِي الْأَحْوَالِ وَقَدْ ذَكَرْتهُ عَلَى الِاخْتِصَارِ وَاللَّهُ الْمُوَفِّقُ، بَابُ مَقَامِ التَّوْبَةِ، قَالَ أَبُو يَعْقُوبَ يُوسُفُ بْنُ حَمْدَانَ السُّوسِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَوَّلُ مَقَامٍ مِنْ مَقَامَاتِ الْمُنْقَطِعِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى التَّوْبَةُ، وَسُيِلَ السُّوسِيُّ عَنِ التَّوْبَةِ فَقَالَ التَّوْبَةُ الرُّجُوعُ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ ذَمَّهُ الْعِلْمُ إِلَى مَا مَدَحَهُ الْعِلْمُ، وَسُيِلَ سَهْلُ ابْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ التَّوْبَةِ فَقَالَ أَنْ لَا تَنْسَى ذَنْبَك، وَسُيِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّوْبَةِ فَقَالَ هِيَ نِسْيَانُ ذَنْبِك، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَالَّذِي أَجَابَ السُّوسِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّوْبَةِ أَجَابَ عَنْ تَوْبَةِ الْمُرِيدِينَ وَالْمُتَعَرِّضِينَ وَالطَّالِبِينَ وَالْقَاصِدِينَ وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ تَارَةً لَهُمْ وَتَارَةً عَلَيْهِمْ، وَالَّذِي قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَيْضًا فَكَذَلِكَ، وَأَمَّا مَا أَجَابَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّوْبَةِ أَنْ يَنْسَى ذَنْبَهُ أَجَابَ عَنْ تَوْبَةِ الْمُتَحَقِّقِينَ لَا يَذْكُرُونَ ذُنُوبَهُمْ لِمَا غَلَبَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ مِنْ عَظَمَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَدَوَامِ ذِكْرِهِ، وَهُوَ مِثْلُ مَا سُيِلَ رُوَيْمُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّوْبَةِ فَقَالَ التَّوْبَةُ مِنَ التَّوْبَةِ، وَكَذَلِكَ سُيِلَ ذُو

ʿanhu al-taʿabu wawujūda al-alami alladhī kāna yajidu qabla dhalika kamā qāla baʿḍuhum waʾaẓunnuhu muḥammada bna wa-asiʿin raḥimahu Allāhu qāla kābadtu al-layla ʿishrīna sanatan fatanaʿʿamtu bihi ʿishrīna sanatan , waqāla ākharu waʾaẓunnuhu malika bna dīnārin raḥimahu Allāhu maḍaghtu al-qurāna ʿishrīna sanatan thumma tanaʿʿamtu bitilāwatihi ʿishrīna sanatan , waqāla al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu lā yūṣalu ilā riʿāyati al-ḥuqūqi illā biḥarāsati al-qulūbi waman lam yakun lahu sirrun fahuwa miṣrrun wa-al-miṣrru lā taṣfū lahu ḥasanatun, waʾajwibatu al-shuyūkhi fī al-maqāmāti takthuru wakadhalika fī al-aḥwāli waqad dhakarthu ʿalā al-ākhtiṣāri wa-Allāhu al-muwaffiqu, bābu maqāmi al-tawbati, qāla abū yaʿqūba yūsufu bnu ḥamdāna al-sūsiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu awwalu maqāmin min maqāmāti al-munqaṭiʿīna ilā Allāhi taʿālā al-tawbatu , wasuʾila al-sūsiyyu ʿani al-tawbati faqāla al-tawbatu al-rujūʿu min kulli shayʾin dhammahu al-ʿilmu ilā mā madaḥahu al-ʿilmu, wasuʾila sahlu abnu ʿabdi Allāhi ʿani al-tawbati faqāla an lā tansā dhanbak, wasuʾila al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-tawbati faqāla hiya nisyānu dhanbik, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu fa-alladhī ajāba al-sūsiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-tawbati ajāba ʿan tawbati al-murīdīna wa-al-mutaʿarriḍīna wa-al-ṭālibīna wa-al-qāṣidīna wahumu alladhīna tāratan lahum watāratan ʿalayhim, wa-alladhī qāla sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi ayḍan fakadhalika, wa-ammā mā ajāba al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-tawbati an yansā dhanbahu ajāba ʿan tawbati al-mutaḥaqqiqīna lā yadhkurūna dhunūbahum limā ghalaba ʿalā qulūbihim min ʿaẓamati Allāhi taʿālā wadawāmi dhikrihi, wahuwa mithlu mā suʾila ruwaymu bnu aḥmada raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-tawbati faqāla al-tawbatu mina al-tawbati, wakadhalika suʾila dhū

from the fatigue and pain formerly felt. Thus one of them—whom I believe to have been Muḥammad ibn Wāsiʿ—said, “I struggled with the night for twenty years, then enjoyed it for twenty years.” Another—whom I believe to have been Mālik ibn Dīnār—said, “I laboured over the Qur’an for twenty years, then enjoyed its recitation for twenty years.” Al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—said, “The rights owed to God cannot be observed except by guarding hearts. Whoever has no inner consciousness persists in sin, and no good deed of one who persists in sin remains pure.” The shaykhs gave many answers concerning the stations and states; I have mentioned them briefly. God grants success. Chapter on the station of repentance. Abū Yaʿqūb Yūsuf ibn Ḥamdān al-Sūsī—may God have mercy on him—said, “The first station of those wholly devoted to God Most High is repentance.” Asked about repentance, al-Sūsī replied, “It is returning from everything knowledge condemns to what knowledge praises.” Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh was asked and replied, “Do not forget your sin.” Al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—was asked and replied, “It is forgetting your sin.” The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: Al-Sūsī answered concerning the repentance of aspirants, seekers, and those setting out toward God, who are at times helped by their states and at times overcome by them. Sahl’s answer belongs to the same level. Al-Junayd’s statement that repentance is forgetting one’s sin concerns the repentance of those who have attained realization: they no longer remember their sins because their hearts are overwhelmed by God’s greatness and continual remembrance. This resembles Ruwaym ibn Aḥmad’s reply when asked about repentance: “Repentance from repentance itself.” Likewise, Dhū

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النُّونِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّوْبَةِ فَقَالَ تَوْبَةُ الْعَوَامّ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ وَتَوْبَةُ الْخَوَاصِّ مِنَ الْغَفْلَةِ، فَأَمَّا لِسَانُ أَهْلِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ وَالْوَاجِدِينَ وَخُصُوصُ الْخُصُوصِ فِي مَعْنَى التَّوْبَةِ فَهُوَ مَا قَالَهُ أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ النُّورِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ حِينَ سُيِلَ عَنِ التَّوْبَةِ فَقَالَ التَّوْبَةُ أَنْ تَتُوبَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سِوَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَإِلَى هَذَا أَشَارَ الَّذِي أَشَارَ بِقَوْلِهِ ذُنُوبُ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ حَسَنَاتُ الْأَبْرَارِ وَهُوَ ذُو النُّونِ وَالَّذِي قَالَ أَيْضًا رِيَاءُ الْعَارِفِينَ إِخْلَاصُ الْمُرِيدِينَ لِأَنَّ الَّذِي كَانَ يَتَقَرَّبُ بِهِ الْعَارِفُ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي وَقْتِ قَصْدِهِ وَابْتِدَآيِهِ وَتَعَرُّضِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُبَاتِ وَالطَّاعَاتِ فَلَمَّا تَمَكَّنَ وَتَحَقَّقَ بِذَلِكَ وَشَمِلَتْهُ أَنْوَارُ الْهِدَايَةِ وَأَتَتْهُ الْعِنَايَةُ وَحَوَتْهُ الرِّعَايَةُ وَشَاهَدَ مَا شَاهَدَهُ بِقَلْبِهِ مِنْ عَظَمَةِ سَيِّدِهِ وَالتَّفَكُّرِ فِي صُنْعِ صَانِعِهِ وَقَدِيمِ إِحْسَانِهِ تَابَ عَنِ الْمُلَاحَظَةِ وَالسُّكُونِ وَالِالْتِفَاتِ إِلَى مَا كَانَ مِنْ طَاعَاتِهِ وَأَعْمَالِهِ وَقَرُبَاتِهِ فِي حِينِ اِرَادَتِهِ وَبِدَايَاتِهِ فَشَتَّانَ بَيْنَ تَائِبٍ وَتَائِبٍ فَتَائِبٍ يَتُوبُ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ وَتَائِبٌ يَتُوبُ مِنَ الزَّلَلِ وَالْغَفَلَاتِ وَتَائِبٌ يَتُوبُ مِنْ رُؤْيَةِ الْحَسَنَاتِ وَالطَّاعَاتِ، وَالتَّوْبَةُ تَقْتَضِي الْوَرَعَ، بَابُ مَقَامِ الْوَرَعِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَمَقَامُ الْوَرَعِ مَقَامٌ شَرِيفٌ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلْعَمُ مِلَاكُ دِينِكُمُ الْوَرَعُ، وَأَهْلُ الْوَرَعِ عَلَى ثَلَاثِ طَبَقَاتٍ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ تَوَرَّعَ عَنِ الشُّبُهَاتِ الَّتِي اشْتَبَهَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَهِيَ مَا بَيْنَ الْحَرَامِ الْبَيِّنِ وَالْحَلَالِ الْبَيِّنِ، وَمَا لَا يَقَعُ عَلَيْهِ اسْمُ حَلَالٍ مُطْلَقٍ وَلَا اسْمُ حَرَامٍ مُطْلَقٍ فَيَكُونُ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ فَيَتَوَرَّعُ عَنْهُمَا، وَهُوَ كَمَا قَالَ ابْنُ سِيرِينَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ

al-nūni raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-tawbati faqāla tawbatu al-ʿawāmm mina al-dhunūbi watawbatu al-khawāṣṣi mina al-ghaflati, fa-ammā lisānu ahli al-maʿrifati wa-al-wājidīna wakhuṣūṣu al-khuṣūṣi fī maʿnā al-tawbati fahuwa mā qālahu abū al-ḥusayni al-nūriyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ḥīna suʾila ʿani al-tawbati faqāla al-tawbatu an tatūba min kulli shaʾin siwā Allāhi taʿālā, waʾilā hadhā ashāra alladhī ashāra biqawlihi dhunūbu al-muqarrabīna ḥasanātu al-abrāri wahuwa dhū al-nūni wa-alladhī qāla ayḍan riyāʾu al-ʿārifīna ikhlāṣu al-murīdīna liānna alladhī kāna yataqarrabu bihi al-ʿārifu ilā Allāhi ʿazza wajalla fī waqti qaṣdihi wa-abtidāyihi wataʿarruḍihi mina al-qurubāti wa-al-ṭāʿāti falammā tamakkana wataḥaqqaqa bidhalika washamilathu anwāru al-hidāyati waʾatathu al-ʿināyatu waḥawathu al-riʿāyatu washāhada mā shāhadahu biqalbihi min ʿaẓamati sayyidihi wa-al-tafakkuri fī ṣunʿi ṣāniʿihi waqadīmi iḥsānihi tāba ʿani al-mulāḥaẓati wa-al-sukūni wa-al-āltifāti ilā mā kāna min ṭāʿātihi waʾaʿmālihi waqarubātihi fī ḥīni irādatihi wabidāyātihi fashattāna bayna tāyibin watāyibin fatāyibin yatūbu mina al-dhunūbi wa-al-sayyiʾāti watāyibun yatūbu mina al-zalali wa-al-ghafalāti watāyibun yatūbu min ruʾyati al-ḥasanāti wa-al-ṭāʿāti, wa-al-tawbatu taqtaḍā al-waraʿa, bābu maqāmi al-waraʿi, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu wamaqāmu al-waraʿi maqāmun sharīfun, qāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama milāku dīnikumu al-waraʿu, waʾahlu al-waraʿi ʿalā thuluthi ṭabaqātin faminhum man tawarraʿa ʿani al-shubuhāti allatī ashtabahat ʿalayhi wahiya mā bayna al-ḥarāmi al-bayyini wa-al-ḥalāli al-bayyini, wamā lā yaqaʿu ʿalayhi asmu ḥalālin muṭlaqin walā asmu ḥarāmin muṭlaqin fayakūnu bayna dhalika fayatawarraʿu ʿanhumā, wahuwa kamā qāla abnu sīrīna raḥimahu Allāhu laysa shaʾun

al-Nūn—may God have mercy on him—said, “The repentance of ordinary people is from sins, while the repentance of the elect is from heedlessness.” As for the language of the knowers, those possessed of spiritual experience, and the elect of the elect, Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Nūrī—may God have mercy on him—said, “Repentance is to turn away from everything other than God Most High.” This is also the meaning of the saying, “The sins of those brought near are the good deeds of the righteous,” attributed to Dhū al-Nūn, and of the saying, “The ostentation of the knowers is the sincerity of the aspirants.” At the beginning of his journey, the knower drew near to God, mighty and majestic, through acts of devotion and obedience. Once firmly established, surrounded by the lights of guidance, reached by divine care, and held by divine protection, he witnesses in his heart his Master’s greatness, reflects on the work of his Maker and His timeless beneficence, and repents of attending to, resting in, or turning toward his former acts of obedience and nearness. How great the difference between one penitent and another: one repents of sins and evil deeds; another of slips and moments of heedlessness; another of seeing his own good deeds and acts of obedience. Repentance requires scrupulousness. Chapter on the station of scrupulousness. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: Scrupulousness is a noble station. The Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “The foundation of your religion is scrupulousness.” Its people fall into three classes. Some abstain from doubtful matters lying between what is clearly unlawful and clearly lawful, bearing neither designation without qualification. Ibn Sīrīn—may God have mercy on him—said, “Nothing is easier for me

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أَهْوَنُ عَلَىّ مِنَ الْوَرَعِ إِذَا رَابَنِي شَيْءٌ تَرَكْتُهُ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَتَوَرَّعُ عَمَّا يَقِفُ عَنْهُ قَلْبُهُ وَيُحْيِكُ فِي صَدْرِهِ عِنْدَ تَنَاوُلِهَا وَهَذَا لَا يَعْرِفُهُ إِلَّا أَرْبَابُ الْقُلُوبِ وَالْمُتَحَقِّقُونَ وَهُوَ كَمَا رَوَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ الْإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي صَدْرِكَ، وَقَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْوَرَعُ أَنْ تَتَبَرَّأَ مِنْ مَظَالِمِ الْخَلْقِ مِنْ مَثَاقِيلِ الذَّرِّ حَتَّى لَا يَكُونَ لِأَحَدِهِمْ قِبَلَك مَظْلِمَةٌ وَلَا دَعْوَى وَلَا طَلَبَةٌ، وَكَمَا حَكَى عَنِ الْحَارِثِ الْمُحَاسِبِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَا يَمُدُّ يَدَهُ إِلَى طَعَامٍ فِيهِ شُبْهَةٌ، وَقَالَ جَعْفَرٌ الْخُلْدَى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ كَانَ عَلَى طَرَفِ إِصْبَعِهِ الْوُسْطَى عِرْقٌ إِذَا مَدَّ يَدَهُ إِلَى طَعَامٍ فِيهِ شُبْهَةٌ ضُرِبَ عَلَيْهِ ذَلِكَ الْعَرْقُ، وَكَمَا حَكَى عَنْ بِشْرٍ الْحَافِي رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ حُمِلَ إِلَى دَعْوَةٍ فَوُضِعَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ طَعَامٌ فَجَهِدَ أَنْ يَمُدَّ يَدَهُ اِلَيْهِ فَلَمْ تَمْتَدَّ ثُمَّ جَهَدَ فَلَمْ تَمْتَدَّ ثُلُثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِمَّنْ كَانَ يَعْرِفُهُ إِنَّ يَدَهُ لَا تَمْتَدُّ إِلَى طَعَامٍ حَرَامٍ أَوْ فِيهِ شُبْهَةٌ مَا كَانَ أَغْنَى صَاحِبِ هَذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ أَنْ يَدْعُوَ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ، وَتَقْوَى هَذَا حِكَايَةُ سَهْلِ ابْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ سَمِعْت أَحْمَدَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ بِالْبَصْرَةِ يَقُولُ سُيِلَ سَهْلُ ابْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ الْحَلَالِ فَقَالَ الْحَلَالُ الَّذِي لَا يُعْصَى اللَّهُ فِيهِ، قَالَ أَبُو نَصْرٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَالَّذِي لَا يُعْصَى اللَّهُ فِيهِ لَا يَتَهَيَّأُ لِأَحَدٍ الْوُقُوفُ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا بِإِشَارَةِ الْقَلْبِ، فَاِنْ قَالَ قَايِلٌ هَلْ تَجِدُ لِذَلِكَ أَصْلًا يَتَعَلَّقُ بِهِ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَيُقَالُ نَعَمْ قَوْلُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِوَابِصَةَ اسْتَفْتِ قَلْبَكَ وَاِنْ أَفْتَاكَ الْمَفْتُونَ وَالَّذِي قَالَ أَيْضًا الْاِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي صَدْرِكَ، أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّهُ قَدْ رَدَّهُ إِلَى مَا يُشِيرُ بِهِ عَلَيْهِ قَلْبُهُ، وَأَمَّا الطَّبَقَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ فِي الْوَرَعِ فَهُمُ الْعَارِفُونَ وَالْوَاجِدُونَ وَهُوَ كَمَا قَالَ أَبُو سُلَيْمَانَ الدَّارَانَى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ كُلُّ مَا شَغَلَكَ عَنِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ مَشْئُومٌ عَلَيْكَ، وَكَمَا قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ حِينَ سُيِلَ عَنِ الْحَلَالِ الصَّافِي

ahwanu ʿalā mina al-waraʿi idhā rābanī shayʾun taraktuhu, waminhum man yatawarraʿu ʿammā yaqifu ʿanhu qalbuhu wayuḥyiku fī ṣadrihi ʿinda tanāwulihā wahadhā lā yaʿrifuhu illā arbābu al-qulūbi wa-al-mutaḥaqqiqūna wahuwa kamā rawā ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla al-ithmu mā ḥāka fī ṣadrika, waqāla abū saʿīdin al-kharrāzu raḥimahu Allāhu al-waraʿu an tatabarraʾa min maẓālimi al-khalqi min mathāqīli al-dharri ḥattā lā yakūna liʾaḥadihim qibalak maẓlimatun walā daʿwā walā ṭalabatun, wakamā ḥakā ʿani al-ḥārithi al-muḥāsibiyyi raḥimahu Allāhu annahu kāna lā yamuddu yadahu ilā ṭaʿāmin fīhi shubhatun, waqāla jaʿfarun al-khuldā raḥimahu Allāhu kāna ʿalā ṭarafi uṣbuʿihi al-wusṭā ʿirqun idhā madda yadahu ilā ṭaʿāmin fīhi shubhatun ḍuriba ʿalayhi dhalika al-ʿarqu, wakamā ḥakā ʿan bishrin al-ḥāfī raḥimahu Allāhu annahu ḥumila ilā daʿwatin fawuḍiʿa bayna yadayhi ṭaʿāmun fajahida an yamudda yadahu ilayhi falam tamtadda thumma jahada falam tamtadda thulutha marrātin faqāla rajulun mimman kāna yaʿrifuhu inna yadahu lā tamtaddu ilā ṭaʿāmin ḥarāmin aw fīhi shubhatun mā kāna aghnā ṣāḥibi hadhihi al-daʿwati an yadʿuwa hadhā al-rajula ilā baytihi, wataqwā hadhā ḥikāyatu sahli abni ʿabdi Allāhi samiʿt aḥmada bna muḥammadi bni sālimin bi-al-baṣrati yaqūlu suʾila sahlu abnu ʿabdi Allāhi ʿani al-ḥalāli faqāla al-ḥalālu alladhī lā yuʿṣā Allāhu fīhi, qāla abū naṣrin raḥimahu Allāhu wa-alladhī lā yuʿṣā Allāhu fīhi lā yatahayyaʾu liʾaḥadin al-wuqūfu ʿalayhi illā biʾishārati al-qalbi, fa-in qāla qāyilun hal tajidu lidhalika aṣlan yataʿallaqu bihi mina al-ʿilmi fayuqālu naʿam qawlu al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama liwābiṣata astafti qalbaka wa-in aftāka al-maftūna wa-alladhī qāla ayḍan al-ithmu mā ḥāka fī ṣadrika , alā tarā annahu qad raddahu ilā mā yushīru bihi ʿalayhi qalbuhu, wa-ammā al-ṭabaqatu al-thālithatu fī al-waraʿi fahumu al-ʿārifūna wa-al-wājidūna wahuwa kamā qāla abū sulaymāna al-dārānā raḥimahu Allāhu kullu mā shaghalaka ʿani Allāhi fahuwa mashʾūmun ʿalayka, wakamā qāla sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi ḥīna suʾila ʿani al-ḥalāli al-ṣāfī

than scrupulousness: whenever something makes me doubtful, I leave it.” Others abstain from whatever causes the heart to hesitate and stirs unease in the breast when approached. Only people of awakened hearts and established realization recognize this. It accords with the Prophet’s saying, “Sin is what troubles your breast.” Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz—may God have mercy on him—said, “Scrupulousness is to free yourself from every injustice done to creation, down to an atom’s weight, so that no one has a grievance, claim, or demand against you.” Al-Ḥārith al-Muḥāsibī—may God have mercy on him—would not extend his hand toward food containing doubt. Jaʿfar al-Khuldī—may God have mercy on him—said that a vein at the tip of al-Muḥāsibī’s middle finger would throb whenever he reached for doubtful food. Bishr al-Ḥāfī—may God have mercy on him—was once invited to a meal. Food was placed before him, but although he tried three times, his hand would not reach it. Someone who knew him said, “His hand will not reach unlawful or doubtful food. The host would have been better advised not to invite this man.” Stronger still is the account of Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh. I heard Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Sālim in Basra say that Sahl was asked about the lawful. He replied, “The lawful is that in which God is not disobeyed.” Abū Naṣr—may God have mercy on him—said: No one can discern this except through an indication from the heart. If asked whether this has a basis in transmitted knowledge, we answer: yes—the Prophet’s words to Wābiṣah, “Ask your heart for a ruling, even if those who issue rulings give you their verdict,” and his saying, “Sin is what troubles your breast.” He referred the matter to what the heart indicates. The third class of scrupulousness belongs to the knowers and those of spiritual experience. Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī—may God have mercy on him—said, “Everything that distracts you from God is ill-fated for you.” Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh was asked about the purely lawful

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فَقَالَ الْحَلَالُ الَّذِي لَا يُعْصَى اللَّهُ فِيهِ وَالْحَلَالُ الصَّافِي الَّذِي لَا يَنْسَى اللَّهُ فِيهِ، فَالْوَرَعُ فِيمَا لَا يَنْسَى اللَّهُ فِيهِ هُوَ الْوَرَعُ الَّذِي سُيِلَ عَنْهُ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَقِيلَ لَهُ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ مَا الْوَرَعُ فَقَالَ أَنْ تَتَوَرَّعَ أَنْ لَا يَتَشَتَّتَ قَلْبُك عَنِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ، فَالْأَوَّلُ وَرَعُ الْعُمُومِ وَالثَّانِي وَرَعُ الْخُصُوصِ وَالثَّالِثُ وَرَعُ خُصُوصِ الْخُصُوصِ، وَالْوَرَعُ يَقْتَضَى الزُّهْدَ، بَابُ مَقَامِ الزُّهْدِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَالزُّهْدُ مَقَامٌ شَرِيفٌ وَهُوَ أَسَاسُ الْأَحْوَالِ الرَّضِيَّةِ وَالْمَرَاتِبِ السُّنِيَّةِ وَهُوَ أَوَّلُ قِدَمِ الْقَاصِدِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَالْمُنْقَطِعِينَ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّاضِينَ عَنِ اللَّهِ وَالْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ أَسَاسَهُ فِي الزُّهْدِ لَمْ يَصِحَّ لَهُ شَيْءٌ مِمَّا بَعْدَهُ لِأَنَّ حُبَّ الدُّنْيَا رَأْسُ كُلِّ خَطِيَّةٍ وَالزُّهْدُ فِي الدُّنْيَا رَأْسُ كُلِّ خَيْرٍ وَطَاعَةٍ وَيُقَالُ إِنَّ مَنْ سَمَّى بِاسْمِ الزُّهْدِ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَقَدْ سَمَّى بِأَلْفِ اسْمٍ مَحْمُودٍ وَمَنْ سَمَّى بِاسْمِ الرَّغْبَةِ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَقَدْ سَمَّى بِأَلْفِ اسْمٍ مَذْمُومٍ، وَهُوَ مَا اخْتَارَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلْعَمُ لِنَفْسِهِ بِاخْتِيَارِ اللَّهِ لَهُ، وَالزُّهْدُ فِي الْحَلَالِ الْمَوْجُودِ وَأَمَّا الْحَرَامُ وَالشُّبْهَةُ فَتَرْكُهُ وَاجِبٌ، وَالزُّهَّادُ عَلَى ثَلَاثِ طَبَقَاتٍ فَمِنْهُمُ الْمُبْتَدِئُونَ وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ خَلَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ مِنَ الْاَمْلَاكِ وَخَلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ مِمَّا خَلَتْ مِنْهُ أَيْدِيهِمْ كَمَا سُيِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الزُّهْدِ فَقَالَ تُخَلَّى الْأَيْدِي مِنَ الْاَمْلَاكِ وَتُخْلَّى الْقُلُوبُ مِنَ الطَّمَعِ، وَسُيِلَ سَرَىّ السَّقْطَى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الزُّهْدِ فَقَالَ أَنْ يَخْلُوَ قَلْبُهُ مِمَّا خَلَتْ مِنْهُ يَدَاهُ، وَفِرْقَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مُتَحَقِّقُونَ فِي الزُّهْدِ وَوَصْفُهُمْ مَا أَجَابَ رُوَيْمُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ

faqāla al-ḥalālu alladhī lā yuʿṣā Allāhu fīhi wa-al-ḥalālu al-ṣāfī alladhī lā yansā Allāhu fīhi, fa-al-waraʿu fīmā lā yansā Allāhu fīhi huwa al-waraʿu alladhī suʾila ʿanhu al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu faqīla lahu yā abā bakrin mā al-waraʿu faqāla an tatawarraʿa an lā yatashattata qalbuk ʿani Allāhi ʿazza wajalla ṭarfata ʿaynin, fa-al-awwalu waraʿu al-ʿumūmi wa-al-thānī waraʿu al-khuṣūṣi wa-al-thālithu waraʿu khuṣūṣi al-khuṣūṣi, wa-al-waraʿu yaqtaḍā al-zuhda, bābu maqāmi al-zuhdi, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu wa-al-zuhdu maqāmun sharīfun wahuwa asāsu al-aḥwāli al-raḍiyyati wa-al-marātibi al-suniyyati wahuwa awwalu qidami al-qāṣidīna ilā Allāhi ʿazza wajalla wa-al-munqaṭiʿīna ilā Allāhi wa-al-rāḍīna ʿani Allāhi wa-al-mutawakkilīna ʿalā Allāhi taʿālā faman lam yaḥkum asāsahu fī al-zuhdi lam yaṣiḥḥa lahu shaʾun mimmā baʿdahu liānna ḥubba al-dunyā raʾsu kulli khaṭiyyatin wa-al-zuhdu fī al-dunyā raʾsu kulli khayrin waṭāʿatin wayuqālu inna man sammā biāsmi al-zuhdi fī al-dunyā faqad sammā biʾalfi asmin maḥmūdin waman sammā biāsmi al-raghbati fī al-dunyā faqad sammā biʾalfi asmin madhmūmin, wahuwa mā akhtāra rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama linafsihi biākhtiyāri Allāhi lahu, wa-al-zuhdu fī al-ḥalāli al-mawjūdi wa-ammā al-ḥarāmu wa-al-shubhatu fatarkuhu wa-ajibun, wa-al-zuhhādu ʿalā thuluthi ṭabaqātin faminhumu al-mubtadiʾūna wahumu alladhīna khalat aydīhim mina al-amlāki wakhalat qulūbuhum mimmā khalat minhu aydīhim kamā suʾila al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-zuhdi faqāla tukhallā al-aydī mina al-amlāki watukhllā al-qulūbu mina al-ṭamaʿi, wasuʾila sarā al-saqṭā raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-zuhdi faqāla an yakhluwa qalbuhu mimmā khalat minhu yadāhu, wafirqatun minhum mutaḥaqqiqūna fī al-zuhdi wawaṣfuhum mā ajāba ruwaymu bnu aḥmada

and replied, “The lawful is that in which God is not disobeyed; the purely lawful is that in which God is not forgotten.” Scrupulousness regarding whatever leads to forgetfulness of God is what al-Shiblī—may God have mercy on him—meant when asked, “Abū Bakr, what is scrupulousness?” He replied, “To guard yourself so that your heart is not scattered away from God, mighty and majestic, for the blink of an eye.” The first is the scrupulousness of ordinary people, the second that of the elect, and the third that of the elect of the elect. Scrupulousness requires renunciation. Chapter on the station of renunciation. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: Renunciation is a noble station, the foundation of pleasing states and lofty ranks, and the first step of those journeying toward God, wholly devoted to Him, content with Him, and trusting in Him. Whoever fails to make renunciation a firm foundation will not soundly possess what follows, for love of the world is the root of every fault, whereas renunciation of the world is the root of every good and obedient act. It is said that whoever is named by the name of worldly renunciation is named by a thousand praiseworthy names, while whoever is named by desire for the world is named by a thousand blameworthy names. This is what God chose for His Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace. Renunciation applies to lawful possessions that are available; unlawful and doubtful things must simply be abandoned. Renunciants fall into three classes. The beginners are those whose hands are empty of possessions and whose hearts are empty of what their hands have relinquished. Al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—defined renunciation as “emptying the hands of possessions and the hearts of desire.” Sarī al-Saqaṭī—may God have mercy on him—said, “It is for the heart to be empty of what the hands have relinquished.” Another group has realized renunciation more fully; their description appears in Ruwaym ibn Aḥmad’s answer

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رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ حِينَ سُيِلَ عَنِ الزُّهْدِ فَقَالَ تَرْكُ حُظُوظِ النَّفْسِ مِنْ جَمِيعِ مَا فِي الدُّنْيَا، فَهَذَا زُهْدُ الْمُتَحَقِّقِينَ لِأَنَّ فِي الزُّهْدِ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَظٌّ لِلنَّفْسِ لِمَا فِي الزُّهْدِ مِنَ الرَّاحَةِ وَالثَّنَاءِ وَالْمَحْمَدَةِ وَاتِّخَاذِ الْجَاهِ عِنْدَ النَّاسِ فَمَنْ زَهِدَ بِقَلْبِهِ فِي هَذِهِ الْحُظُوظِ فَهُوَ مُتَحَقِّقٌ فِي زُهْدِهِ، وَالْفِرْقَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ عَلِمُوا وَتَيَقَّنُوا أَنْ لَوْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا كُلُّهَا لَهُمْ مِلْكًا حَلَالًا وَلَا يُحَاسَبُونَ عَلَيْهَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَلَا يَنْقُصُ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا لَهُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا ثُمَّ زَهِدُوا فِيهَا لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَكَانَ زُهْدُهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ مُنْذُ خَلَقَهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مَا نَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا وَلَوْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا تَزْنُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةٍ مَا سَقَى الْكَافِرُ مِنْهَا شَرْبَةً مِنْ مَاءٍ فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ زَهِدُوا فِي زُهْدِهِمْ وَتَابُوا مِنْ زُهْدِهِمْ كَمَا سُيِلَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الزُّهْدِ فَقَالَ الزُّهْدُ غَفْلَةٌ لِأَنَّ الدُّنْيَا لَا شَيْءَ وَالزُّهْدُ فِي لَا شَيْءَ غَفْلَةٌ، وَقَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ مُعَاذٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الدُّنْيَا كَالْعَرُوسِ وَمَنْ يَطْلُبُهَا مَا شَطَّتْهَا وَالزَّاهِدُ فِيهَا يُسَخِّمُ وَجْهَهَا وَيَنْتِفُ شَعْرَهَا وَيُخْرِقُ ثَوْبَهَا وَالْعَارِفُ مُشْتَغِلٌ بِاللَّهِ لَا يَلْتَفِتُ إِلَيْهَا، وَالزُّهْدُ يَقْتَضَى مُعَانَقَةَ الْفَقْرِ وَاخْتِيَارَهُ، بَابُ مَقَامِ الْفَقْرِ وَصِفَةِ الْفُقَرَاءِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَالْفَقْرُ مَقَامٌ شَرِيفٌ وَقَدْ وَصَفَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْفُقَرَاءَ وَذَكَرَهُمْ فِي كِتَابِهِ فَقَالَ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ الَّذِينَ أُحْصِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الْآيَةَ، وَقَالَ صَلْعَمُ الْفَقْرُ أَزْيَنُ بِالْعَبْدِ الْمُؤْمِنِ مِنَ الْعِذَارِ الْجَيِّدِ عَلَى خَدِّ الْفَرَسِ، وَقَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْخَوَّاصُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْفَقْرُ رِدَآءُ الشَّرَفِ

raḥimahu Allāhu ḥīna suʾila ʿani al-zuhdi faqāla tarku ḥuẓūẓi al-nafsi min jamīʿi mā fī al-dunyā, fahadhā zuhdu al-mutaḥaqqiqīna liānna fī al-zuhdi fī al-dunyā ḥaẓẓun lilnnafsi limā fī al-zuhdi mina al-rāḥati wa-al-thanāʾi wa-al-maḥmadati wa-attikhādhi al-jāhi ʿinda al-nāsi faman zahida biqalbihi fī hadhihi al-ḥuẓūẓi fahuwa mutaḥaqqiqun fī zuhdihi, wa-al-firqatu al-thālithatu ʿalimū watayaqqanū an law kānati al-dunyā kulluhā lahum milkan ḥalālan walā yuḥāsabūna ʿalayhā fī al-ākhirati walā yanquṣu dhalika mimmā lahum ʿinda Allāhi shayʾan thumma zahidū fīhā lillāhi ʿazza wajalla lakāna zuhduhum fī shaʾin mundhu khalaqahā Allāhu taʿālā mā naẓara ilayhā walaw kānati al-dunyā taznu ʿinda Allāhi janāḥa baʿūḍatin mā saqā al-kāfiru minhā sharbatan min māʾin faʿinda dhalika zahidū fī zuhdihim watābū min zuhdihim kamā suʾila al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-zuhdi faqāla al-zuhdu ghaflatun liānna al-dunyā lā shaʾa wa-al-zuhdu fī lā shaʾa ghaflatun, waqāla yaḥyā bnu muʿādhin raḥimahu Allāhu al-dunyā ka-al-ʿarūsi waman yaṭlubuhā mā shaṭṭathā wa-al-zāhidu fīhā yusakhkhimu wajhahā wayantifu shaʿrahā wayukhriqu thawbahā wa-al-ʿārifu mushtaghilun bi-Allāhi lā yaltafitu ilayhā, wa-al-zuhdu yaqtaḍā muʿānaqata al-faqri wa-akhtiyārahu, bābu maqāmi al-faqri waṣifati al-fuqarāʾi , qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu wa-al-faqru maqāmun sharīfun waqad waṣafa Allāhu taʿālā al-fuqarāʾa wadhakarahum fī kitābihi faqāla lilfuqarāʾi alladhīna uḥṣirū fī sabīli Allāhi al-āyata, waqāla ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama al-faqru azyanu bi-al-ʿabdi al-muʾmini mina al-ʿidhāri al-jayyidi ʿalā khaddi al-farasi, waqāla ibrāhīmu bnu aḥmada al-khawwāṣu raḥimahu Allāhu al-faqru ridāʾu al-sharafi

when asked about renunciation: “Abandoning every share sought by the self in this world.” This is the renunciation of those who have attained realization, because even worldly renunciation can offer the self a share through comfort, praise, commendation, and social standing. Whoever inwardly renounces these benefits has realized renunciation. The third group knows with certainty that even if the whole world belonged to them lawfully, without reckoning in the hereafter or diminishing what God has for them, and they abandoned it for God, mighty and majestic, they would only have renounced something at which God has never looked since creating it. Had the world weighed with God as much as a mosquito’s wing, He would not have given an unbeliever a drink of its water. They therefore renounce their own renunciation and repent of it. Al-Shiblī—may God have mercy on him—said, “Renunciation is heedlessness, because the world is nothing, and renouncing nothing is heedlessness.” Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh—may God have mercy on him—said, “The world is like a bride: whoever seeks her acts as her hairdresser; the renunciant blackens her face, tears out her hair, and rips her dress; the knower is occupied with God and does not turn toward her.” Renunciation requires embracing and choosing poverty. Chapter on the station of poverty and the description of the poor. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: Poverty is a noble station. God Most High described and mentioned the poor in His Book: “For the poor who are constrained in God’s path…” The Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “Poverty adorns the believing servant more beautifully than a fine bridle-mark adorns a horse’s cheek.” Ibrāhīm ibn Aḥmad al-Khawwāṣ—may God have mercy on him—said, “Poverty is the cloak of honour

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وَلِبَاسُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَجِلْبَابُ الصَّالِحِينَ وَتَاجُ الْمُتَّقِينَ وَزَيْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَغَنِيمَةُ الْعَارِفِينَ وَمُنْيَةُ الْمُرِيدِينَ وَحِصْنُ الْمُطِيعِينَ وَسِجْنُ الْمُذْنِبِينَ وَمُكَفِّرٌ لِلسَّيِّئَاتِ وَمُعَظِّمٌ لِلْحَسَنَاتِ وَرَافِعٌ لِلدَّرَجَاتِ وَمُبَلِّغٌ إِلَى الْغَايَاتِ وَرِضَا الْجَبَّارِ وَكَرَامَةٌ لِأَهْلِ وِلَايَتِهِ مِنَ الْأَبْرَارِ وَالْفَقْرُ هُوَ شِعَارُ الصَّالِحِينَ وَدَأبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ، وَالْفُقَرَاءُ عَلَى ثَلَاثِ طَبَقَاتٍ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَا يَمْلِكُ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَطْلُبُ بِظَاهِرِهِ وَلَا بِبَاطِنِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَنْتَظِرُ مِنْ أَحَدٍ شَيْئًا وَاِنْ أَعْطَى شَيْئًا لَمْ يَأْخُذْ فَهَذَا مَقَامُهُ مَقَامُ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ كَمَا حَكَى عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سَهْلٍ الْأَصْبَهَانِيِّ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ حَرَامٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مَنْ يُسَمَّى أَصْحَابَنَا الْفُقَرَاءُ لِأَنَّهُمْ أَغْنَى خَلْقِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَكَمَا سُيِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْجَلَّاءِ عَنْ حَقِيقَةِ الْفَقْرِ فَقَالَ اضْرِبْ بِكَمَّيْك عَلَى الْحَايِطِ وَقُلْ رَبَّى اللَّهُ، وَكَمَا قَالَ أَبُو عَلِىٍّ الرُّوذْبَارِيُّ سَأَلَنِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ الزُّقَّاقُ فَقَالَ يَأبَا عَلَى لِمَ تَرْكِ الْفُقَرَاءِ أَخْذُ الْبُلْغَةِ فِي وَقْتِ الْحَاجَةِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لِأَنَّهُمْ مُسْتَغْنُونَ بِالْمُعْطَى عَنِ الْعَطَاءِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ وَلَكِنْ وَقَعَ لِي شَيْءٌ آخَرُ فَقُلْتُ هَاتِ أفْدِنَى مَا وَقَعَ لَكَ فَقَالَ لِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَا يَنْفَعُهُمُ الْوُجُودُ إِذِ اللَّهُ فَاقَتُهُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُّهُمُ الْفَاقَةُ إِذِ اللَّهُ وُجُودُهُمْ، وَسَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الْوَجِيهِى يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ اَبَا عَلِىٍّ يَقُولُ هَذَا، وَسَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الطُّوسِيَّ يَقُولُ كُنْتُ مُدَّةً طَوِيلَةً أَسْأَلُ عَنْ مَعْنَى اخْتِيَارِ أَصْحَابِنَا لِهَذَا الْفَقْرِ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْأَشْيَاءِ فَلَمْ يُجِبْنِي أَحَدٌ بِجَوَابٍ يُقْنِعُنِي حَتَّى سَأَلْتُ نَصْرَ بْنَ الْحَمَّامَى فَقَالَ لِي لِأَنَّهُ أَوَّلُ مَنْزِلَةٍ مِنْ مَنَازِلِ التَّوْحِيدِ فَقَنَعْتُ بِذَلِكَ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَا يَمْلِكُ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَسْأَلُ أَحَدًا وَلَا يَطْلُبُ وَلَا يُعْرِّضُ وَاِنْ أَعْطَى شَيْئًا مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسْأَلَةٍ أَخَذَ، وَقَدْ حَكَى عَنِ الْجُنَيْدِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ عَلَامَةُ الْفَقِيرِ الصَّادِقِ أَنْ لَا يَسْأَلَ وَلَا يُعَارِضَ وَاِنْ عُورِضَ سَكَتَ، وَكَمَا حَكَى عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ

walibāsu al-mursalīna wajilbābu al-ṣāliḥīna watāju al-muttaqīna wazaynu al-muʾminīna waghanīmatu al-ʿārifīna wamunyatu al-murīdīna waḥiṣnu al-muṭīʿīna wasijnu al-mudhnibīna wamukaffirun lilssayyiʾāti wamuʿaẓẓimun lilḥasanāti warāfiʿun lilddarajāti wamuballighun ilā al-ghāyāti wariḍā al-jabbāri wakarāmatun liʾahli wilāyatihi mina al-abrāri wa-al-faqru huwa shiʿāru al-ṣāliḥīna wadaʾbbu al-muttaqīna, wa-al-fuqarāʾu ʿalā thuluthi ṭabaqātin faminhum man lā yamliku shayʾan walā yaṭlubu biẓāhirihi walā bibāṭinihi min aḥadin shayʾan walā yantaẓiru min aḥadin shayʾan wa-in aʿṭā shayʾan lam yaʾkhudh fahadhā maqāmuhu maqāmu al-muqarrabīna kamā ḥakā ʿan sahli bni ʿaliyyi bni sahlin al-aṣbahāniyyi annahu kāna yaqūlu ḥarāmun ʿalā kulli man yusammā aṣḥābanā al-fuqarāʾu liānnahum aghnā khalqi Allāhi ʿazza wajalla , wakamā suʾila abū ʿabdi Allāhi bnu al-jallāʾi ʿan ḥaqīqati al-faqri faqāla aḍrib bikammayk ʿalā al-ḥāyiṭi waqul rabbā Allāhu, wakamā qāla abū ʿalī al-rūdhbāriyyu saʾalanī abū bakrin al-zuqqāqu faqāla yaʾbā ʿalā lima tarki al-fuqarāʾi akhdhu al-bulghati fī waqti al-ḥājati qāla faqultu liānnahum mustaghnūna bi-al-muʿṭā ʿani al-ʿaṭāʾi faqāla naʿam walakin waqaʿa lī shaʾun ākharu faqultu hāti ʾfdinā mā waqaʿa laka faqāla liānnahum qawmun lā yanfaʿuhumu al-wujūdu idhi Allāhu fa-aqatuhum walā taḍurruhumu al-fāqatu idhi Allāhu wujūduhum, wasamiʿtu abā bakrin al-wajīhī yaqūlu samiʿtu abā ʿalī yaqūlu hadhā, wasamiʿtu abā bakrin al-ṭūsiyya yaqūlu kuntu muddatan ṭawīlatan asʾalu ʿan maʿnā akhtiyāri aṣḥābinā lihadhā al-faqri ʿalā sāyiri al-ashyāʾi falam yujibnī aḥadun bijawābin yuqniʿunī ḥattā saʾaltu naṣra bna al-ḥammāmā faqāla lī liānnahu awwalu manzilatin min manāzili al-tawḥīdi faqanaʿtu bidhalika, waminhum man lā yamliku shayʾan walā yasʾalu aḥadan walā yaṭlubu walā yuʿrriḍu wa-in aʿṭā shayʾan min ghayri masiʾlatin akhadha, waqad ḥakā ʿani al-junaydi raḥimahu Allāhu annahu qāla ʿalāmatu al-faqīri al-ṣādiqi an lā yasʾala walā yuʿāriḍa wa-in ʿūriḍa sakata, wakamā ḥakā ʿan sahli bni ʿabdi Allāhi raḥimahu Allāhu

the garment of the messengers, the mantle of the righteous, the crown of the God-conscious, the adornment of believers, the treasure of knowers, the aspiration of seekers, the fortress of the obedient, the prison of sinners, an expiation of evil deeds, a magnifier of good deeds, an elevator of degrees, a means of reaching the goals, the pleasure of the Almighty, and an honour granted to the righteous among those devoted to Him. Poverty is the emblem of the righteous and the constant practice of the God-conscious.” The poor fall into three classes. Some possess nothing, ask nothing outwardly or inwardly from anyone, expect nothing from anyone, and decline what is offered. Their station is that of those brought near. Sahl ibn ʿAlī ibn Sahl al-Iṣbahānī used to say, “It is forbidden to call our companions ‘the poor,’ for they are the richest of God’s creatures.” Abū ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Jallāʾ, asked about the reality of poverty, said, “Strike your sleeves against the wall and say, ‘My Lord is God.’” Abū ʿAlī al-Rūdhbārī said: Abū Bakr al-Zuqāq asked me, “Abū ʿAlī, why do the poor refuse sufficient provision when they need it?” I replied, “Because the Giver makes them independent of the gift.” He said, “Yes, but another meaning occurred to me.” I asked him to explain. He replied, “They are a people whom abundance does not benefit when God is their need, and whom need does not harm when God is their abundance.” I heard Abū Bakr al-Wajīhī say that he heard Abū ʿAlī relate this. I also heard Abū Bakr al-Ṭūsī say, “For a long time I asked why our companions chose poverty over everything else. No answer satisfied me until I asked Naṣr ibn al-Ḥammāmī, who said, ‘Because it is the first dwelling among the dwellings of divine unity.’ That answer satisfied me.” Another class possesses nothing, asks no one, makes no request or indirect appeal, but accepts something offered without asking. Al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—is reported to have said, “The sign of the truthful poor person is that he does not ask, does not object, and remains silent when addressed.” Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh—may God have mercy on him—

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أَنَّهُ سُيِلَ عَنِ الْفَقِيرِ الصَّادِقِ فَقَالَ لَا يُسْأَلُ وَلَا يَرُدُّ وَلَا يُحْبَسُ، وَكَمَا سُيِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْجَلَّاءِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ حَقِيقَةِ الْفَقْرِ فَقَالَ هُوَ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ لَكَ فَإِذَا كَانَ لَكَ لَا يَكُونُ لَكَ وَمِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَكَ، وَكَمَا سُيِلَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْخَوَّاصُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ عَلَّامَةِ الْفَقِيرِ الصَّادِقِ فَقَالَ تَرْكُ الشَّكْوَى وَاِخْفَآءُ أَثَرِ الْبَلْوَى، وَهَذَا قَدْ قِيلَ إِنَّ هَذَا مَقَامُهُ مَقَامُ الصِّدِّيقِينَ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَا يَمْلِكُ شَيْئًا وَإِذَا احْتَاجَ انْبَسَطَ إِلَى بَعْضِ اِخْوَانِهِ مِمَّنْ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ يَفْرَحُ بِانْبِسَاطِهِ اِلَيْهِ فَكَفَّارَةُ مَسِئلَتِهِ صَدَقَةٌ، وَهَذَا كَمَا سُيِلَ الْجَرِيرِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ حَقِيقَةَ الْفَقْرِ فَقَالَ لَا يُطْلَبُ الْمَعْدُومُ حَتَّى يَفْقَدَ الْمَوْجُودُ، وَكَمَا سُيِلَ رُوَيْمٌ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْفَقْرِ فَقَالَ عَدَمُ كُلِّ مَوْجُودٍ وَيَكُونُ دُخُولُهُ فِي الْأَشْيَاءِ لِغَيْرِهِ لَا لَهُ وَهَذَا مَقَامُهُ مَقَامُ الصِّدِّيقِينَ فِي الْفَقْرِ، وَالْفَقْرُ يُقْتَضَى مَقَامَ الصَّبْرِ، بَابُ مَقَامِ الصَّبْرِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهِ وَالصَّبْرُ مَقَامٌ شَرِيفٌ وَقَدْ مَدَحَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الصَّابِرِينَ وَذَكَرَهُمْ فِي كِتَابِهِ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ، وَقَدْ سُيِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ عَنِ الصَّبْرِ فَقَالَ حَمْلُ الْمُؤَنِ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى حَتَّى تُنْقَضَى أَوْقَاتُ الْمَكْرُوهِ، وَقَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْخَوَّاصُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهِ هَرَبَ أَكْثَرُ الْخَلْقِ مِنْ حَمْلِ أَثْقَالِ الصَّبْرِ فَالْتَجُوا إِلَى الطَّلَبِ وَالْأَسْبَابِ وَاعْتَمَدُوا عَلَيْهَا كَأَنَّهَا لَهُمْ أَرْبَابٌ، قَالَ وَوَقَفَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى الشِّبْلِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَقَالَ

annahu suʾila ʿani al-faqīri al-ṣādiqi faqāla lā yusʾalu walā yaruddu walā yuḥbasu, wakamā suʾila abū ʿabdi Allāhi bnu al-jallāʾi raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan ḥaqīqati al-faqri faqāla huwa an lā yakūna laka faʾidhā kāna laka lā yakūnu laka wamin ḥaythu lam yakun laka lam yakun laka , wakamā suʾila ibrāhīmu al-khawwāṣu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan ʿallāmati al-faqīri al-ṣādiqi faqāla tarku al-shakwā wa-ikhfāʾu athari al-balwā, wahadhā qad qīla inna hadhā maqāmuhu maqāmu al-ṣiddīqīna, waminhum man lā yamliku shayʾan waʾidhā aḥtāja anbasaṭa ilā baʿḍi ikhwānihi mimman yaʿlamu annahu yafraḥu biānbisāṭihi ilayhi fakaffāratu masiʾlatihi ṣadaqatun, wahadhā kamā suʾila al-jarīriyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan ḥaqīqata al-faqri faqāla lā yuṭlabu al-maʿdūmu ḥattā yafqada al-mawjūdu, wakamā suʾila ruwaymun raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-faqri faqāla ʿadamu kulli mawjūdin wayakūnu dukhūluhu fī al-ashyāʾi lighayrihi lā lahu wahadhā maqāmuhu maqāmu al-ṣiddīqīna fī al-faqri, wa-al-faqru yuqtaḍā maqāma al-ṣabri, bābu maqāmi al-ṣabri, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhi wa-al-ṣabru maqāmun sharīfun waqad madaḥa Allāhu taʿālā al-ṣābirīna wadhakarahum fī kitābihi faqāla innamā yuwaffā al-ṣābirūna ajrahum bighayri ḥisābin, waqad suʾila al-junaydu ʿani al-ṣabri faqāla ḥamlu al-muʾani lillāhi taʿālā ḥattā tunqaḍā awqātu al-makrūhi, waqāla ibrāhīmu al-khawwāṣu raḥimahu Allāhi haraba aktharu al-khalqi min ḥamli athqāli al-ṣabri fa-al-tajū ilā al-ṭalabi wa-al-asbābi wa-aʿtamadū ʿalayhā kānnahā lahum arbābun, qāla wawaqafa rajulun ʿalā al-shibliyyi raḥimahu Allāhu faqāla

was asked about the truthful poor person and replied, “He does not ask, refuse, or hoard.” Abū ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Jallāʾ—may God have mercy on him—was asked about the reality of poverty and said, “It is that nothing belongs to you; and if something does belong to you, it still does not belong to you. Since it was not yours, it never became yours.” Ibrāhīm al-Khawwāṣ—may God have mercy on him—was asked for the sign of the truthful poor person. He replied, “Abandoning complaint and concealing the traces of affliction.” This is said to be the station of the utterly truthful. A third class possesses nothing but, when in need, speaks openly to a brother known to rejoice in such openness; the expiation for asking is charity. Al-Jarīrī—may God have mercy on him—was asked about the reality of poverty and replied, “Do not seek what is absent until what is present has been exhausted.” Ruwaym—may God have mercy on him—said, “It is the absence of every existent possession, and entering into things for another’s sake, not one’s own.” This is the station of the utterly truthful in poverty. Poverty requires the station of patience. Chapter on the station of patience. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: Patience is a noble station. God Most High praises the patient in His Book: “The patient will be paid their reward without measure.” Al-Junayd, asked about patience, replied, “Bearing burdens for God Most High until the times of adversity pass.” Ibrāhīm al-Khawwāṣ—may God have mercy on him—said, “Most people fled from bearing the burdens of patience, resorted to pursuit and secondary means, and relied upon them as though they were lords.” A man stood before al-Shiblī—may God have mercy on him—and asked

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لَهُ اَىُّ صَبْرٍ اَشَدُّ عَلَى الصَّابِرِينَ فَقَالَ الصَّبْرُ فِي اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَقَالَ لَا فَقَالَ الصَّبْرُ لِلَّهِ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ لَا فَقَالَ الصَّبْرُ مَعَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ لَا قَالَ فَغَضِبَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَالَ وَيْحَكَ فَأَيْشَ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ الصَّبْرُ عَنِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَالَ فَصَرَخَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ صَرْخَةً كَادَ أَنْ يَتْلَفَ رُوحُهُ، وَسَأَلْت ابْنَ سَالِمٍ بِالْبَصْرَةِ عَنِ الصَّبْرِ فَقَالَ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَوْجُهٍ مُتَصَبِّرٌ وَصَابِرٌ وَصَبَّارٌ فَالْمُتَصَبِّرُ مَنْ صَبَرَ فِي اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَمَرَّةً يَصْبِرُ عَلَى الْمَكَارِهِ وَمَرَّةً يَعْجِزُ، وَهَذَا كَمَا سُيِلَ الْقَنَّادُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الصَّبْرِ فَقَالَ مُلَازَمَةُ الْوَاجِبِ فِي الْإِعْرَاضِ عَنِ الْمُنْهَىّ عَنْهُ وَالْمُوَاظَبَةِ عَلَى الْمَأْمُورِ بِهِ، وَالصَّابِرُ مَنْ يَصْبِرُ فِي اللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ وَلَا يَجْزَعُ وَلَا يَتَمَكَّنُ مِنْهُ الْجَزَعُ وَيُتَوَقَّعُ مِنْهُ الشَّكْوَى، كَمَا حَكَى عَنْ ذِي النُّونِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى مَرِيضٍ أُعُودُهُ فَبَيْنَمَا كَانَ يُكَلَّمنِى أَنْ إِنَّةَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لَيْسَ بِصَادِقٍ فِي حُبِّهِ مَنْ لَمْ يَصْبِرْ عَلَى ضَرْبِهِ قَالَ فَقَالَ بَلْ لَيْسَ بِصَادِقٍ فِي حُبِّهِ مَنْ لَمْ يَتَلَذَّذْ بِضَرْبِهِ، وَكَمَا قَالَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لَمَّا أَدْخَلَ الْمَارِسْتَانَ وَقَيَّدَ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ بَعْضُ أَصْدِقَائِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ أَيْشٍ أَنْتُمْ فَقَالُوا نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ نُحِبُّك فَأَخَذَ يَرْمِيهِمْ بِالْآجُرِّ فَهَرَبُوا فَقَالَ يَا كَذَّابِينَ تَدّْعُونَ مَحَبَّتَى وَلَمْ تَصْبِرُوا عَلَى ضَرْبِي، وَأَمَّا الصَّبَّارُ فَذَاكَ الَّذِي صَبْرُهُ فِي اللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ وَبِاللَّهِ فَهَذَا لَوْ وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِ جَمِيعُ الْبَلَايَا لَا يَعْجَزُ وَلَا يَتَغَيَّرُ مِنْ جِهَةِ الْوُجُوبِ وَالْحَقِيقَةِ لَا مِنْ جِهَةِ الرَّسْمِ وَالْخِلْقَةِ، وَكَانَ يَتَمَثَّلُ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَذِهِ الْأَبْيَاتِ إِذَا سُيِلَ عَنِ الصَّبْرِ، عَبَرَاتٌ خَطَّطْنَ فِي الْخَدِّ سَطْرًا * * قَدْ قَرَاَهَا مَنْ لَيْسَ يُحْسِنُ يَقْرَا

lahu ā ṣabrin ashaddu ʿalā al-ṣābirīna faqāla al-ṣabru fī Allāhi taʿālā faqāla lā faqāla al-ṣabru lillāhi faqāla al-rajulu lā faqāla al-ṣabru maʿa Allāhi faqāla lā qāla faghaḍiba al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu waqāla wayḥaka faʾyishun faqāla al-rajulu al-ṣabru ʿani Allāhi ʿazza wajalla qāla faṣarakha al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ṣarkhatan kāda an yatlafa rūḥuhu, wasaʾalt abna sālimin bi-al-baṣrati ʿani al-ṣabri faqāla ʿalā thalāthati awjuhin mutaṣabbirun waṣābirun waṣabbārun fa-al-mutaṣabbiru man ṣabara fī Allāhi taʿālā famarratan yaṣbiru ʿalā al-makārihi wamarratan yaʿjizu, wahadhā kamā suʾila al-qannādu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-ṣabri faqāla mulāzamatu al-wājibi fī al-iʿrāḍi ʿani al-munhā ʿanhu wa-al-muwāẓabati ʿalā al-maʾmūri bihi, wa-al-ṣābiru man yaṣbiru fī Allāhi walillahi walā yajzaʿu walā yatamakkanu minhu al-jazaʿu wayutawaqqaʿu minhu al-shakwā, kamā ḥakā ʿan dhī al-nūni raḥimahu Allāhu annahu qāla dakhaltu ʿalā marīḍin uʿūduhu fabaynamā kāna yukallamnī an innata faqultu lahu laysa biṣādiqin fī ḥubbihi man lam yaṣbir ʿalā ḍarbihi qāla faqāla bal laysa biṣādiqin fī ḥubbihi man lam yataladhdhadh biḍarbihi, wakamā qāla al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu lammā adkhala al-māristāna waqayyada fadakhala ʿalayhi baʿḍu aṣdiqāyihi faqāla lahum ayshin antum faqālū naḥnu qawmun nuḥibbuk faʾakhadha yarmīhim bi-al-āajrri faharabū faqāla yā kadhdhābīna taddʿūna maḥabbatā walam taṣbirū ʿalā ḍarbī , wa-ammā al-ṣabbāru fadhāka alladhī ṣabruhu fī Allāhi walillahi wabiālllahi fahadhā law waqaʿa ʿalayhi jamīʿu al-balāyā lā yaʿjazu walā yataghayyaru min jihati al-wujūbi wa-al-ḥaqīqati lā min jihati al-rasmi wa-al-khilqati, wakāna yatamaththalu al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu bihadhihi al-abyāti idhā suʾila ʿani al-ṣabri, ʿabarātun khaṭṭaṭna fī al-khaddi saṭran * * qad qarāhā man laysa yuḥsinu yaqrā

him, “Which patience is hardest for the patient?” Al-Shiblī suggested patience in God, for God, and with God, but the man rejected each answer. Angered, al-Shiblī cried, “Then what is it?” The man replied, “Patience away from God, mighty and majestic.” Al-Shiblī gave a cry that nearly cost him his life. I asked Ibn Sālim in Basra about patience. He said it has three degrees: one who forces himself to endure, one who is patient, and one who is intensely patient. The first endures in God: sometimes he bears adversities and sometimes fails. Al-Qannād—may God have mercy on him—defined patience as “adhering to duty by turning away from what is forbidden and persevering in what is commanded.” The patient person is patient in God and for God; he neither panics nor is mastered by panic, though complaint may still be expected of him. Dhū al-Nūn—may God have mercy on him—related that while visiting a sick man, the man groaned. Dhū al-Nūn said, “One who cannot endure His blows is not truthful in loving Him.” The man replied, “Rather, one who does not delight in His blows is not truthful in loving Him.” When al-Shiblī was confined and chained in the hospital, some friends visited him. He asked who they were. They said, “People who love you.” He pelted them with bricks, and they fled. He called after them, “Liars! You claim to love me but cannot endure my blows.” The intensely patient person is patient in God, for God, and through God. Even if every affliction befell him, inwardly and truly he would neither fail nor change, though his outward human form might. When asked about patience, al-Shiblī used to recite these verses: “Tears have ruled lines upon the cheek, read by one who cannot read…”,

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إِنَّ صَوْتَ الْمُحِبِّ مِنْ أَلَمِ الشَّوِّ * * ق وَخَوْفُ الْفِرَاقِ يُورِثُ ضُرًّا صَابَرَ الصَّبْرَ فَاسْتَغَاثَ بِهِ الصَّبْرُ * فَصَاحَ الْمُحِبُّ بِالصَّبْرِ صَبْرًا، وَحُجَّةُ هَذَا فِي الْعِلْمِ مَا رَوَى فِي الْخَبَرِ أَنَّ زَكَرِيَّا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَمُ لَمَّا وَضَعَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ الْمِنْشَارَ أَنَّ أَنَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الَيْهِ اِنْ صَعِدْتُ مِنْكَ اِلَىّ إِنَّةٍ أُخْرَى لَأُقَلِّبَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِينَ بَعْضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ، وَالصَّبْرُ يَقْتَضَى التَّوَكُّلَ، بَابُ مَقَامِ التَّوَكُّلِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَالتَّوَكُّلُ مَقَامٌ شَرِيفٌ وَقَدْ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِالتَّوَكُّلِ وَجَعَلَهُ مَقْرُونًا بِالْإِيمَانِ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ، وَقَالَ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ، وَقَالَ فِي مَوْضِعٍ آخَرَ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ، * فَخَصَّ تَوَكُّلَ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ مِنْ تَوَكُّلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ تَوَكُّلَ خُصُوصَ الْخُصُوصِ فَقَالَ وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ، لَمْ يَرُدَّهُمْ إِلَى شَيْءٍ سِوَاهُ كَمَا قَالَ لِسَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَاِمَامِ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْحَيِّ الَّذِي لَا يَمُوتُ وَكَفَى بِهِ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْعَزِيزِ الرَّحِيمِ الَّذِي يَرَاكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ الْآيَةُ، فَهُمْ عَلَى ثَلَاثِ طَبَقَاتٍ فَأَمَّا تَوَكُّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَشَرْطُهُ مَا قَالَ أَبُو تُرَابٍ النَّخْشَبِى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ حِينَ سُيِلَ عَنِ التَّوَكُّلِ فَقَالَ التَّوَكُّلُ

inna ṣawta al-muḥibbi min alami al-shawwi * * q wakhawfu al-firāqi yūrithu ḍurran ṣābara al-ṣabra fa-astaghātha bihi al-ṣabru * faṣāḥa al-muḥibbu bi-al-ṣabri ṣabran, waḥujjatu hadhā fī al-ʿilmi mā rawā fī al-khabari anna zakariyyā ʿalayhi al-salamu lammā waḍaʿa ʿalā raʾsihi al-minshāra anna annatan wa-aḥidatan faʾawḥā Allāhu taʿālā ilayhi in ṣaʿidtu minka ilā innatin ukhrā laʾuqallibanna al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍīna baʿḍahā ʿalā baʿḍin, wa-al-ṣabru yaqtaḍā al-tawakkula, bābu maqāmi al-tawakkuli, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu wa-al-tawakkulu maqāmun sharīfun waqad amara Allāhu taʿālā bi-al-tawakkuli wajaʿalahu maqrūnan bi-al-īmāni liqawlihi taʿālā waʿalā Allāhi fatawakkalū in kuntum muʾminīna, waqāla waʿalā Allāhi falyatawakkali al-mutawakkilūna, waqāla fī mawḍiʿin ākhara waʿalā Allāhi falyatawakkali al-muʾminūna, * fakhaṣṣa tawakkula al-mutawakkilīna min tawakkuli al-muʾminīna thumma dhakara tawakkula khuṣūṣa al-khuṣūṣi faqāla waman yatawakkal ʿalā Allāhi fahuwa ḥasbuhu, lam yaruddahum ilā shaʾin siwāhu kamā qāla lisayyidi al-mursalīna wa-imāmi al-mutawakkilīna watawakkal ʿalā al-ḥayyi alladhī lā yamūtu wakafā bihi watawakkal ʿalā al-ʿazīzi al-raḥīmi alladhī yarāka ḥīna taqūmu al-āyatu, fahum ʿalā thuluthi ṭabaqātin fa-ammā tawakkulu al-muʾminīna fasharṭuhu mā qāla abū turābin al-nakhshabī raḥimahu Allāhu ḥīna suʾila ʿani al-tawakkuli faqāla al-tawakkulu

“The lover’s voice arises from the pain of longing; fear of separation bequeaths harm. He outlasted patience itself until patience sought his aid, and the lover cried to patience: ‘Be patient!’” The basis of this in transmitted knowledge is the report that when the saw was placed upon the head of Zechariah—peace be upon him—he uttered a single groan. God Most High revealed to him: “If another groan rises from you to Me, I will overturn the heavens and earth upon one another.” Patience requires trust in God. Chapter on the station of trust. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: Trust is a noble station. God commands it and joins it to faith: “Put your trust in God, if you are believers”; “In God let those who trust place their trust”; and elsewhere, “In God let the believers place their trust.” He distinguishes the trust of those who trust from ordinary believers, then mentions the trust of the elect of the elect: “Whoever puts his trust in God, He is sufficient for him.” He refers them to nothing besides Himself. He says to the master of the messengers and imam of those who trust: “Trust in the Ever-Living who does not die”; “Trust in the Almighty, the Merciful, who sees you when you rise…” They fall into three classes. As for the trust of believers, its condition is what Abū Turāb al-Nakhshabī—may God have mercy on him—said when asked about trust:

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طَرْحُ الْبَدَنِ فِي الْعُبُودِيَّةِ وَتَعَلُّقُ الْقَلْبِ بِالرُّبُوبِيَّةِ وَالْاطْمْأْنِينَةِ إِلَى الْكِفَايَةِ فَاِنْ أَعْطَى شَكَرَ وَاِنْ مَنَعَ صَبَرَ رَاضِيًا مُوَافِقًا لِلْقَدَرِ، وَكَمَا سُيِلَ ذُو النُّونِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّوَكُّلِ فَقَالَ التَّوَكُّلُ تَرْكُ تَدْبِيرِ النَّفْسِ وَالِانْخِلَاعُ مِنَ الْحَوْلِ وَالْقُوَّةِ، وَكَمَا قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الزَّقَّاقُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ التَّوَكُّلُ رَدُّ الْعَيْشِ إِلَى يَوْمٍ وَاحِدٍ وَإِسْقَاطُ هَمِّ غَدٍ، وَسُيِلَ رُوَيْمٌ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّوَكُّلِ فَقَالَ الثِّقَةُ بِالْوَعْدِ، وَسُيِلَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّوَكُّلِ فَقَالَ الِاسْتِرْسَالُ مَعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَى مَا يُرِيدُ، وَأَمَّا تَوَكُّلُ أَهْلِ الْخُصُوصِ فَكَمَا قَالَ. أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ مَنْ تَوَكَّلَ عَلَى اللَّهِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَمْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فِي تَوَكُّلِهِ حَتَّى يَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِاللَّهِ لِلَّهِ وَيَكُونُ مُتَوَكِّلًا عَلَى اللَّهِ فِي تَوَكُّلِهِ لَا لِسَبَبٍ آخَرَ، أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ أَبُو يَعْقُوبَ النَّهْرَجُورَى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَدْ سُيِلَ عَنِ التَّوَكُّلِ فَقَالَ مَوْتٌ النَّفْسِ عِنْدَ ذَهَابِ حُظُوظِهَا مِنْ أَسْبَابِ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، وَقَدْ قَالَ أَيْضًا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ أَصْلُ التَّوَكُّلِ الْفَاقَةُ وَالِافْتِقَارُ وَأَنْ لَا يُفَارِقَ التَّوَكُّلَ فِي اَمَانِيِّهِ وَلَا يَلْتَفِتَ بِسِرِّهِ إِلَى تَوَكُّلِهِ لَحْظَةً فِي عُمُرِهِ، وَسُيِلَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَيْضًا عَنِ التَّوَكُّلِ فَقَالَ التَّوَكُّلُ وَجْهٌ كُلُّهُ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ قَفًا وَلَا يَصِحُّ إِلَّا لِأَهْلِ الْمَقَابِرِ، فَهَوُلَآءِ أَشَارُوا إِلَى حَقِيقَةِ تَوَكُّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ وَهُمُ الْخُصُوصُ، وَأَمَّا تَوَكُّلُ خُصُوصِ الْخُصُوصِ فَعَلَى مَا قَالَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ حِينَ سُيِلَ عَنِ التَّوَكُّلِ فَقَالَ أَنْ تَكُونَ لِلَّهِ كَمَا لَمْ تَكُنْ وَيَكُونَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لَكَ كَمَا لَمْ يَزُلْ، وَكَمَا قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ حَقِيقَةُ التَّوَكُّلِ لَا يَقُومُ لَهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ عَلَى الْكَمَالِ لِأَنَّ الْكَمَالَ

ṭarḥu al-badani fī al-ʿubūdiyyati wataʿalluqu al-qalbi bi-al-rubūbiyyati wa-al-āṭmʾnīnati ilā al-kifāyati fa-in aʿṭā shakara wa-in manaʿa ṣabara rāḍiyan muwāfiqan lilqadari, wakamā suʾila dhū al-nūni raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-tawakkuli faqāla al-tawakkulu tarku tadbīri al-nafsi wa-al-ānkhilāʿu mina al-ḥawli wa-al-quwwati, wakamā qāla abū bakrin al-zaqqāqu raḥimahu Allāhu al-tawakkulu raddu al-ʿayshi ilā yawmin wa-aḥidin waʾisqāṭu hammi ghadin, wasuʾila ruwaymun raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-tawakkuli faqāla al-thiqatu bi-al-waʿdi, wasuʾila sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-tawakkuli faqāla al-āstirsālu maʿa Allāhi taʿālā ʿalā mā yurīdu, wa-ammā tawakkulu ahli al-khuṣūṣi fakamā qāla . abū al-ʿabbāsi bnu ʿaṭāʾin raḥimahu Allāhu man tawakkala ʿalā Allāhi lighayri Allāhi lam yatawakkal ʿalā Allāhi fī tawakkulihi ḥattā yatawakkala ʿalā Allāhi bi-Allāhi lillāhi wayakūnu mutawakkilan ʿalā Allāhi fī tawakkulihi lā lisababin ākhara, aw kamā qāla abū yaʿqūba al-nahrajūrā raḥimahu Allāhu waqad suʾila ʿani al-tawakkuli faqāla mawtun al-nafsi ʿinda dhahābi ḥuẓūẓihā min asbābi al-dunyā wa-al-ākhirati, waqad qāla ayḍan abū bakrin al-wāsiṭiyyu aṣlu al-tawakkuli al-fāqatu wa-al-āftiqāru waʾan lā yufāriqa al-tawakkula fī amāniyyihi walā yaltafita bisirrihi ilā tawakkulihi laḥẓatan fī ʿumurihi, wasuʾila sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi raḥimahu Allāhu ayḍan ʿani al-tawakkuli faqāla al-tawakkulu wajhun kulluhu walaysa lahu qafan walā yaṣiḥḥu illā liʾahli al-maqābiri, fahawulāʾi ashārū ilā ḥaqīqati tawakkuli al-mutawakkilīna wahumu al-khuṣūṣu, wa-ammā tawakkulu khuṣūṣi al-khuṣūṣi faʿalā mā qāla al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ḥīna suʾila ʿani al-tawakkuli faqāla an takūna lillāhi kamā lam takun wayakūna Allāhu taʿālā laka kamā lam yazul, wakamā qāla baʿḍuhum ḥaqīqatu al-tawakkuli lā yaqūmu lahu aḥadun min khalqihi ʿalā al-kamāli liānna al-kamāla

“It is casting the body into servanthood, attaching the heart to lordship, and resting secure in divine sufficiency. If God gives, one is grateful; if He withholds, one patiently accepts and accords with the decree.” Dhū al-Nūn—may God have mercy on him—said, “Trust is abandoning self-management and divesting oneself of power and strength.” Abū Bakr al-Zuqāq—may God have mercy on him—said, “Trust is confining one’s livelihood to a single day and relinquishing concern for tomorrow.” Ruwaym said, “Confidence in the promise.” Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh—may God have mercy on him—said, “Surrendering oneself to God Most High in whatever He wills.” As for the trust of the elect, Abū al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAṭāʾ—may God have mercy on him—said, “Whoever trusts God for something other than God does not truly trust Him until he trusts God through God and for God, trusting God in the very act of trust, not for another cause.” Abū Yaʿqūb al-Nahrajūrī—may God have mercy on him—said, “It is the self’s death when its shares in the means of this world and the next disappear.” Abū Bakr al-Wāsiṭī said, “The root of trust is need and poverty: never depart from trust in your hopes, and never inwardly turn toward your own trust for a moment of your life.” Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh also said, “Trust is all face and has no back; it is sound only for the people of the graves.” These statements point to the reality of the trust of the elect. As for the elect of the elect, al-Shiblī—may God have mercy on him—said, “Be for God as though you had never been, and God Most High will be for you as He has never ceased to be.” Another said, “No created being can perfectly fulfil the reality of trust, for perfection

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بِالْكَمَالِ لَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ، وَسُيِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْجَلَّاءِ عَنِ التَّوَكُّلِ فَقَالَ الْإِيوَاءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ، وَسُيِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّوَكُّلِ فَقَالَ اعْتِمَادُ الْقَلْبِ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي جَمِيعِ الْأَحْوَالِ، وَقَدْ حَكَى عَنْ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ الدَّارَانَى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِأَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي الْحَوَّارَى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَا أَحْمَدُ إِنَّ طُرُقَ الْآخِرَةِ كَثِيرَةٌ وَشَيْخُكَ عَارِفٌ بِكَثِيرٍ مِنْهَا إِلَّا هَذَا التَّوَكُّلَ الْمُبَارَكَ فَإِنَّى مَا شَمَمْتُ مِنْهُ رَائِحَةً وَلَيْسَ لِي مِنْهُ مَشَامُّ الرِّيحِ، وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ مَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَقُومَ بِحَقِّ التَّوَكُّلِ فَلْيَحْفِرْ لِنَفْسِهِ قَبْرًا وَيَدْفِنْهَا فِيهِ وَيَنْسَى الدُّنْيَا وَأَهْلَهَا لِأَنَّ حَقِيقَةَ التَّوَكُّلِ لَا يَقُومُ لَهُ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ عَلَى كَمَالِهِ، وَالتَّوَكُّلُ يُقْتَضَى الرِّضَا، بَابُ مَقَامِ الرِّضَا وَصِفَةِ أَهْلِهِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الرِّضَا مَقَامٌ شَرِيفٌ وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الرِّضَا فِي كِتَابِهِ فَقَالَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ، وَقَالَ وَرِضْوَانٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ فَذَكَرَ أَنَّ رِضَا اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ أَكْبَرُ وَأَقْدَمُ مِنْ رِضَاهُمْ عَنْهُ، وَالرِّضَا بَابُ اللَّهِ الْأَعْظَمُ وَجَنَّةُ الدُّنْيَا وَهُوَ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَلْبُ الْعَبْدِ سَاكِنًا تَحْتَ حُكْمِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَسُيِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الرِّضَا فَقَالَ الرِّضَا رَفْعُ الِاخْتِيَارِ، وَسُيِلَ الْقَنَّادُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الرِّضَا فَقَالَ سُكُونُ الْقَلْبِ بِمَرِّ الْقَضَاءِ، وَسُيِلَ ذُو النُّونِ عَنِ الرِّضَا فَقَالَ سُرُورُ الْقَلْبِ بِمَرِّ الْقَضَاءِ، وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَطَاءٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الرِّضَا نَظَرٌ

bi-al-kamāli lā yakūnu illā lillāhi jalla jalāluhu, wasuʾila abū ʿabdi Allāhi bnu al-jallāʾi ʿani al-tawakkuli faqāla al-īwāʾu ilā Allāhi waḥdahu, wasuʾila al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-tawakkuli faqāla aʿtimādu al-qalbi ʿalā Allāhi taʿālā fī jamīʿi al-aḥwāli, waqad ḥakā ʿan abī sulaymāna al-dārānā raḥimahu Allāhu annahu qāla liʾaḥmada bni abī al-ḥawwārā raḥimahu Allāhu yā aḥmadu inna ṭuruqa al-ākhirati kathīratun washaykhuka ʿārifun bikathīrin minhā illā hadhā al-tawakkula al-mubāraka fa-innā mā shamamtu minhu rāyiḥatan walaysa lī minhu mashāmmu al-rīḥi, waqāla baʿḍuhum man arāda an yaqūma biḥaqqi al-tawakkuli falyaḥfir linafsihi qabran wayadfinhā fīhi wayansā al-dunyā waʾahlahā liānna ḥaqīqata al-tawakkuli lā yaqūmu lahu aḥadun mina al-khalqi ʿalā kamālihi, wa-al-tawakkulu yuqtaḍā al-riḍā, bābu maqāmi al-riḍā waṣifati ahlihi, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu al-riḍā maqāmun sharīfun waqad dhakara Allāhu ʿazza wajalla al-riḍā fī kitābihi faqāla raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum waraḍū ʿanhu, waqāla wariḍwānun mina Allāhi akbaru fadhakara anna riḍā Allāhi ʿazza wajalla ʿan ʿibādihi akbaru waʾaqdamu min riḍāhum ʿanhu, wa-al-riḍā bābu Allāhi al-aʿẓamu wajannatu al-dunyā wahuwa an yakūna qalbu al-ʿabdi sākinan taḥta ḥukmi Allāhi ʿazza wajalla, wasuʾila al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-riḍā faqāla al-riḍā rafʿu al-ākhtiyāri, wasuʾila al-qannādu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-riḍā faqāla sukūnu al-qalbi bimarri al-qaḍāʾi , wasuʾila dhū al-nūni ʿani al-riḍā faqāla surūru al-qalbi bimarri al-qaḍāʾi, waqāla abnu ʿaṭāʾin raḥimahu Allāhu al-riḍā naẓarun

in its fullness belongs only to God, majestic is His glory.” Abū ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Jallāʾ, asked about trust, replied, “Taking refuge in God alone.” Al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—said, “The heart’s reliance on God Most High in every state.” Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī—may God have mercy on him—said to Aḥmad ibn Abī al-Ḥawārī, “Aḥmad, the paths of the hereafter are many, and your shaykh knows many of them—except this blessed trust. I have not even smelled its fragrance and possess no faculty for detecting it.” One of them said, “Whoever wishes to fulfil trust’s claim should dig a grave for his self, bury it there, and forget the world and its people, for no created being can fulfil the reality of trust perfectly.” Trust requires contentment. Chapter on the station of contentment and the description of its people. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: Contentment is a noble station. God, mighty and majestic, says, “God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him,” and, “Pleasure from God is greater.” Thus God’s pleasure with His servants is greater and prior to their pleasure with Him. Contentment is God’s greatest gate and the garden of this world: the servant’s heart rests beneath God’s judgement. Al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—said, “Contentment is relinquishing choice.” Al-Qannād—may God have mercy on him—said, “The heart’s stillness as the decree passes.” Dhū al-Nūn said, “The heart’s joy as the decree passes.” Ibn ʿAṭāʾ—may God have mercy on him—said, “Contentment is the heart’s gaze

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الْقَلْبِ إِلَى قَدِيمِ اخْتِيَارِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لِلْعَبْدِ لِأَنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ اخْتَارَ لَهُ الْأَفْضَلَ فَيَرْضَى بِهِ وَيَتْرُكُ السُّخَطَ، وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ اسْتَعْمِلِ الرِّضَا جَهْدَكَ وَلَا تَدَعِ الرِّضَا يَسْتَعْمِلُكَ فَتَكُونَ مَحْجُوبًا بِلِذَّتِهِ وَرُؤْيَةِ حَقِيقَتِهِ، غَيْرَ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الرِّضَا فِي الرِّضَا عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَحْوَالٍ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ عَمِلَ فِي إِسْقَاطِ الْجَزَعِ حَتَّى يَكُونَ قَلْبُهُ مُسْتَوِيًا لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِيمَا يُجْرَى عَلَيْهِ مِنْ حُكْمِ اللَّهِ مِنَ الْمَكَارِهِ وَالشَّدَايِدِ وَالرَّاحَاتِ وَالْمَنَعِ وَالْعَطَاءِ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ ذَهَبَ عَنْ رُؤْيَةِ رِضَايِهِ عَنِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِرُؤْيَةِ رِضَا اللَّهِ عَنْهُ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ فَلَا يَثْبُتُ لِنَفْسِهِ قَدَمٌ فِي الرِّضَا وَاِنِ اسْتَوَى عِنْدَهُ الشِّدَّةُ وَالرَّخَآءُ وَالْمَنْعُ وَالْعَطَاءُ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ جَاوَزَ هَذَا وَذَهَبَ عَنْ رُؤْيَةِ رِضَا اللَّهِ عَنْهُ وَرِضَاهُ عَنِ اللَّهِ لِمَا سَبَقَ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لِخَلْقِهِ مِنَ الرِّضَا كَمَا قَالَ أَبُو سُلَيْمَانَ الدَّارَانَى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لَيْسَ اَعْمَالُ الْخَلْقِ بِالَّذِي يُرْضِيهِ وَلَا بِالَّذِي يَسْخَطُهُ وَلَكِنَّهُ رَضَى عَنْ قَوْمٍ فَاسْتَعْمَلَهُمْ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الرِّضَا وَسَخِطَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ فَاسْتَعْمَلَهُمْ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ السُّخَطِ، وَالرِّضَا آخِرُ الْمَقَامَاتِ ثُمَّ يُقْتَضَى مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ أَحْوَالُ أَرْبَابِ الْقُلُوبِ وَمُطَالَعَةُ الْغُيُوبِ وَتَهْذِيبُ الْاَسْرَارِ لِصَفَاءِ الْأَذْكَارِ وَحَقَايِقِ الْأَحْوَالِ، فَأَوَّلُ حَالٍ مِنْ أَحْوَالِ أَرْبَابِ الْقُلُوبِ حَالُ الْمُرَاقَبَةِ، بَابُ مُرَاقَبَةِ الْأَحْوَالِ وَحَقَايِقِهَا وَصِفَةِ أَهْلِهَا، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَالْمُرَاقَبَةُ حَالٌ شَرِيفٌ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى

al-qalbi ilā qadīmi akhtiyāri Allāhi taʿālā lilʿabdi liānnahu yaʿlamu annahu akhtāra lahu al-afḍala fayarḍā bihi wayatruku al-sukhaṭa, waqāla abū bakrin al-wāsiṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu astaʿmili al-riḍā jahdaka walā tadaʿi al-riḍā yastaʿmiluka fatakūna maḥjūban bilidhdhatihi waruʾyati ḥaqīqatihi , ghayra anna ahla al-riḍā fī al-riḍā ʿalā thalāthati aḥwālin faminhum man ʿamila fī isqāṭi al-jazaʿi ḥattā yakūna qalbuhu mustawiyan lillāhi ʿazza wajalla fīmā yujrā ʿalayhi min ḥukmi Allāhi mina al-makārihi wa-al-shadāyidi wa-al-rāḥāti wa-al-manaʿi wa-al-ʿaṭāʾi, waminhum man dhahaba ʿan ruʾyati riḍāyihi ʿani Allāhi ʿazza wajalla biruʾyati riḍā Allāhi ʿanhu liqawlihi taʿālā raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum waraḍū ʿanhu falā yathbutu linafsihi qadamun fī al-riḍā wa-ini astawā ʿindahu al-shiddatu wa-al-rakhāʾu wa-al-manʿu wa-al-ʿaṭāʾu, waminhum man jāwaza hadhā wadhahaba ʿan ruʾyati riḍā Allāhi ʿanhu wariḍāhu ʿani Allāhi limā sabaqa mina Allāhi taʿālā likhalqihi mina al-riḍā kamā qāla abū sulaymāna al-dārānā raḥimahu Allāhu laysa aʿmālu al-khalqi bi-alladhī yurḍīhi walā bi-alladhī yaskhaṭuhu walakinnahu raḍā ʿan qawmin fa-astaʿmalahum biʿamali ahli al-riḍā wasakhiṭa ʿalā qawmin fa-astaʿmalahum biʿamali ahli al-sukhaṭi, wa-al-riḍā ākhiru al-maqāmāti thumma yuqtaḍā min baʿdi dhalika aḥwālu arbābi al-qulūbi wamuṭālaʿatu al-ghuyūbi watahdhību al-asrāri liṣafāʾi al-adhkāri waḥaqāyiqi al-aḥwāli, fa-awwalu ḥālin min aḥwāli arbābi al-qulūbi ḥālu al-murāqabati, bābu murāqabati al-aḥwāli waḥaqāyiqihā waṣifati ahlihā, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu wa-al-murāqabatu ḥālun sharīfun qāla Allāhu taʿālā

upon God’s timeless choice for the servant, knowing that He chose what is best; thus one accepts it and abandons resentment.” Abū Bakr al-Wāsiṭī—may God have mercy on him—said, “Practise contentment with all your effort; do not let contentment employ you, lest you become veiled by its sweetness and by witnessing its reality.” The people of contentment have three states. Some work to remove panic until their hearts are equally disposed toward whatever God’s judgement brings—hardship or ease, withholding or giving. Others cease to see their own contentment with God because they see God’s pleasure with them: “God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.” They claim no standing of their own within contentment, even when hardship and ease, withholding and giving, become equal to them. Others pass beyond both their own contentment and the sight of God’s pleasure with them, because God’s pleasure toward creation precedes all. Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī—may God have mercy on him—said, “The deeds of creatures do not cause His pleasure or displeasure. Rather, He was pleased with some people and employed them in the deeds of the people of contentment; He was displeased with others and employed them in the deeds of the people of displeasure.” Contentment is the last of the stations. After it come the states of the people of hearts: disclosure of unseen realities, refinement of inner consciousness, purity of remembrance, and the realities of spiritual states. Their first state is watchfulness. Chapter on watchfulness, its realities, and the description of its people. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: Watchfulness is a noble state. God Most High says,

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وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ رَقِيبًا، وَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَا يَلْفِظُ مِنْ قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ، وَقَالَ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّكُمْ وَنَجْوَاكُمْ وَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ، وَمِثْلُهُ فِي الْقُرَانِ كَثِيرٌ، وَرَوَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلْعَمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ اعْبُدِ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَاِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ، وَالْمُرَاقَبَةُ لِعَبْدٍ قَدْ عَلِمَ وَتَيَقَّنَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى مُطَّلِعٌ عَلَى مَا فِي قَلْبِهِ وَضَمِيرِهِ وَعَالِمٌ بِذَلِكَ فَهُوَ يُرَاقِبُ الْخَوَاطِرَ الْمَذْمُومَةَ الْمُشْغِّلَةَ لِلْقَلْبِ عَنْ ذِكْرِ سَيِّدِهِ كَمَا قَالَ أَبُو سُلَيْمَانَ الدَّارَانِى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ كَيْفَ يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ مَا فِي الْقُلُوبِ وَلَا يَكُونُ فِي الْقُلُوبِ إِلَّا مَا يُلْقَى فِيهَا اَفَيْخَفَى عَلَيْهِ مَا هُوَ مِنْهُ، وَقَالَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قَالَ لِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْآجُرَّى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَا غُلَامُ لَأَنْ تَرُدَّ مِنْ هَمِّك إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ذَرَّةً خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِمَّا طَلَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ الشَّمْسُ، وَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الدَّامِغَانِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِحِفْظِ السَّرَايِرِ فَإِنَّهُ مُطَّلِعٌ عَلَى الضَّمَايِرِ، وَأَهْلُ الْمُرَاقَبَةِ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَحْوَالٍ فِي مُرَاقَبَتِهِمْ فَأَمَّا مَا قَالَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِى فَهَذَا حَالُ الِابْتِدَآءِ فِي الْمُرَاقَبَةِ، وَأَمَّا الْحَالُ الثَّانِي فِي الْمُرَاقَبَةِ فَكَمَا حَكَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَطَاءٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ رَاقَبَ الْحَقَّ بِالْحَقِّ فِي فَنَآءِ مَا دُونَ الْحَقِّ وَتَابَعَ الْمُصْطَفَى صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي اَفْعَالِهِ وَأَخْلَاقِهِ وَآدَابِهِ، وَأَمَّا الْحَالُ الثَّالِثُ فَحَالُ الْكُبَرَاءِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمُرَاقَبَةِ فَإِنَّهُمْ يُرَاقِبُونَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَيَسْأَلُونَهُ أَنْ يَرْعَاهُمْ فِيهَا لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ خَصَّ نُجَبَاءَهُ وَخَاصَّتِهِ بِأَنْ لَا يَكِلَهُمْ فِي جَمِيعِ أَحْوَالِهِمْ إِلَى نُفُوسِهِمْ وَلَا إِلَى أَحَدٍ وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَتَوَلَّى اَمْرَهُمْ فَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى الصَّالِحِينَ، وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَطَاءٍ رَحِمَهُ

wakāna Allāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin raqīban, waqāla ʿazza wajalla mā yalfiẓu min qawlin illā ladayhi raqībun ʿatīdun , waqāla yaʿlamu sirrakum wanajwākum wa yaʿlamu mā tusirrūna wamā tuʿlinūna, wamithluhu fī al-qurāni kathīrun, warawā ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla aʿbudi Allāha kānnaka tarāhu fa-in lam takun tarāhu fa-innahu yarāka, wa-al-murāqabatu liʿabdin qad ʿalima watayaqqana anna Allāha taʿālā muṭṭaliʿun ʿalā mā fī qalbihi waḍamīrihi waʿālimun bidhalika fahuwa yurāqibu al-khawāṭira al-madhmūmata al-mushghghilata lilqalbi ʿan dhikri sayyidihi kamā qāla abū sulaymāna al-dārānī raḥimahu Allāhu kayfa yakhfā ʿalayhi mā fī al-qulūbi walā yakūnu fī al-qulūbi illā mā yulqā fīhā afaykhafā ʿalayhi mā huwa minhu, waqāla al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu qāla lī ibrāhīmu al-ājurrā raḥimahu Allāhu yā ghulāmu laʾan tarudda min hammik ilā Allāhi taʿālā dharratan khayrun laka mimmā ṭalaʿat ʿalayhi al-shamsu, waqāla al-ḥasanu bnu ʿaliyyin al-dāmighāniyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿalaykum biḥifẓi al-sarāyiri fa-innahu muṭṭaliʿun ʿalā al-ḍamāyiri, waʾahlu al-murāqabati ʿalā thalāthati aḥwālin fī murāqabatihim fa-ammā mā qāla al-ḥasanu bnu ʿalī fahadhā ḥālu al-ābtidāʾi fī al-murāqabati, wa-ammā al-ḥālu al-thānī fī al-murāqabati fakamā ḥakā ʿan aḥmada bni ʿaṭāʾin raḥimahu Allāhu annahu qāla khayrukum man rāqaba al-ḥaqqa bi-al-ḥaqqi fī fanāʾi mā dūna al-ḥaqqi watābaʿa al-muṣṭafā ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama fī afʿālihi waʾakhlāqihi wādābihi, wa-ammā al-ḥālu al-thālithu faḥālu al-kubarāʾi min ahli al-murāqabati fa-innahum yurāqibūna Allāha taʿālā wayasʾalūnahu an yarʿāhum fīhā liānna Allāha ʿazza wajalla qad khaṣṣa nujabāʾahu wakhāṣṣatihi biʾan lā yakilahum fī jamīʿi aḥwālihim ilā nufūsihim walā ilā aḥadin wahuwa alladhī yatawallā amrahum faqāla ʿazza wajalla wahuwa yatawallā al-ṣāliḥīna , waqāla abnu ʿaṭāʾin raḥimahu

“God is watchful over everything”; “No word does one utter but a watcher stands ready beside him”; and, “He knows your secret and private counsel,” as well as, “He knows what you conceal and what you disclose.” There are many similar verses in the Qur’an. It is related that the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “Worship God as though you see Him; if you do not see Him, He sees you.” Watchfulness belongs to a servant who knows with certainty that God Most High observes what lies within his heart and conscience. He therefore watches for blameworthy thoughts that distract the heart from remembrance of its Master. Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī—may God have mercy on him—said, “How could what lies in hearts be hidden from Him, when nothing enters hearts except what is cast into them? Could what comes from Him be hidden from Him?” Al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—said: Ibrāhīm al-Ājurrī—may God have mercy on him—told me, “Young man, to return an atom of your concern to God Most High is better for you than everything upon which the sun has risen.” Al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī al-Dāmghānī—may God have mercy on him—said, “Guard your inner consciousness, for He watches over hidden thoughts, knows every inner impulse, and observes every conscience.” The people of watchfulness have three states. The first is that of beginners, whose watchfulness consists in knowing that God knows them. The second is that of the watchful, who behold the Real and are free from everything besides Him, follow the Chosen Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—in actions, character, and conduct. The third is that of the great among the people of watchfulness: they watch God Most High and ask Him to watch over them within it, for God, mighty and majestic, has singled out His noble elect by never entrusting them, in any state, to themselves or anyone else. He Himself undertakes their affairs: “He protects the righteous.” Ibn ʿAṭāʾ—may God have mercy on him—said

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اللَّهُ لِبَعْضِ حُكَمَآءِ خُرَاسَانَ مِمَّنْ قَدْ وَلِعَ بِالْجَهْلِ وَقَارَنَ التَّقَشُّفَ أَوْ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ مَا تُقَارَنُ بِبَدَنِكَ اَقْذَارٌ فِي جَنْبِ مَا تُطَالِعُ بِقَلْبِكَ وَمَا تُطَالِعُهُ بِقَلْبِكَ هَبَآءٌ فِي جَنْبِ مَا تُرَاقِبُ فِي سِرِّكَ فَرَاقِبِ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى فِي سِرِّكَ وَعَلَانِيَتِكَ فَإِنَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا تُقَارِنُ مِنْ عَمَلِكَ وَعِبَادَتِكَ، وَالْمُرَاقَبَةُ تُقْتَضَى حَالَ الْقُرْبِ، بَابُ حَالِ الْقُرْبِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ، وَقَالَ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ، وَقَالَ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْكُمْ وَلَكِنْ لَا تُبْصِرُونَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ فِي صِفَةِ مَلَائِكَتِهِ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ (، ) يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ، الْوَسِيلَةَ يَعْنِي الْقُرْبَ، وَقَالَ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْكُمْ وَلَكِنْ لَا تُبْصِرُونَ، فَذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى قُرْبَهُمْ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ قُرْبَهُمْ بِمَعْنَى تَوَسُّلِهِمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِالْقُرْبِ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ، وَحَالُ الْقُرْبِ لِعَبْدٍ شَاهِدٍ بِقَلْبِهِ قُرْبَ اللَّهِ مِنْهُ فَتَقَرَّبَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِطَاعَتِهِ وَجَمَعَ هَمَّهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِدَوَامِ ذِكْرِهِ فِي عَلَانِيَتِهِ وَسِرِّهِ، وَهُمْ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَحْوَالٍ فَمِنْهُمْ الْمُتَقَرِّبُونَ اِلَيْهِ بِأَنْوَاعِ الطَّاعَاتِ لِعِلْمِهِمْ بِعِلْمِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِهِمْ وَقُرْبِهِ مِنْهُمْ وَقُدْرَتِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ تَحَقَّقَ بِذَلِكَ كَمَا قَالَ عَامِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْقَيْسِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ مَا نَظَرْتُ إِلَى شَيْءٍ إِلَّا رَأَيْتُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَقْرَبَ اِلَيْهِ مِنِّى، وَهُوَ كَمَا قَالَ الْقَايِلُ،

Allāhu libaʿḍi ḥukamāʾi khurāsāna mimman qad waliʿa bi-al-jahli waqārana al-taqashshufa aw mā ʿalimta anna mā tuqāranu bibadanika aqdhārun fī janbi mā tuṭāliʿu biqalbika wamā tuṭāliʿuhu biqalbika habāʾun fī janbi mā turāqibu fī sirrika farāqibi Allāha taʿālā fī sirrika waʿalāniyatika faʾinnahu khayrun mimmā tuqārinu min ʿamalika waʿibādatika, wa-al-murāqabatu tuqtaḍā ḥāla al-qurbi, bābu ḥāli al-qurbi, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu qāla Allāhu taʿālā waʾidhā saʾalaka ʿibādī ʿannī faʾinnī qarībun, waqāla wanaḥnu aqrabu ilayhi min ḥabli al-warīdi, waqāla wanaḥnu aqrabu ilayhi minkum walakin lā tubṣirūna, thumma qāla fī ṣifati malāyikatihi ūlaʾika alladhīna (, ) yadʿūna yabtaghūna ilā rabbihimu al-wasīlata ayyuhum aqrabu, al-wasīlata yaʿnī al-qurba , waqāla wanaḥnu aqrabu ilayhi minkum walakin lā tubṣirūna , fadhakara Allāhu taʿālā qurbahum minhu thumma dhakara qurbahum bimaʿnā tawassulihim ilā Allāhi taʿālā bi-al-qurbi ayyuhum aqrabu, waḥālu al-qurbi liʿabdin shāhidin biqalbihi qurba Allāhi minhu fataqarraba ilā Allāhi taʿālā biṭāʿatihi wajamaʿa hammahu bayna yadayi Allāhi taʿālā bidawāmi dhikrihi fī ʿalāniyatihi wasirrihi, wahum ʿalā thalāthati aḥwālin faminhum al-mutaqarribūna ilayhi biʾanwāʿi al-ṭāʿāti liʿilmihim biʿilmi Allāhi taʿālā bihim waqurbihi minhum waqudratihi ʿalayhim, waminhum man taḥaqqaqa bidhalika kamā qāla ʿāmiru bnu ʿabdi al-qaysi raḥimahu Allāhu mā naẓartu ilā shaʾin illā raʾaytu Allāha taʿālā aqraba ilayhi minnī, wahuwa kamā qāla al-qāyilu,

to a sage of Khurasan who had become enamoured of ignorance and attached himself to outward austerity, “Do you not know that what you keep company with through your body is filth beside what your heart beholds; what your heart beholds is dust beside what you watch within your innermost consciousness? Watch God Most High inwardly and openly: this is better than the works and worship you accompany.” Watchfulness requires the state of nearness. Chapter on the state of nearness. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: God Most High says, “When My servants ask you about Me, I am near”; “We are nearer to him than his jugular vein”; and, “We are nearer to him than you are, though you do not perceive.” Describing His angels, He says, “Those whom they invoke seek the means of approach to their Lord—which of them will be nearest?” Here “the means” signifies nearness. God first mentions His nearness to them, then their nearness through seeking approach to Him. The state of nearness belongs to a servant whose heart witnesses God’s nearness, who draws near to God Most High through obedience, and gathers his concern before God by continually remembering Him outwardly and inwardly. Its people have three states. Some draw near through various acts of obedience because they know that God Most High knows them, is near them, and has power over them. Others attain realization of this, as ʿĀmir ibn ʿAbd al-Qays—may God have mercy on him—said, “I have never looked at anything without seeing God Most High nearer to it than I.” The poet said:

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وَتَحَقَّقْتُكَ فِي السِّرِّ فَنَاجَاكَ لِسَانِي * فَاجْتَمَعْنَا لِمَعَانٍ وَافْتَرَقْنَا لِمَعَانِي * إِنْ يَكُنْ غَيَّبَكَ التَّعْظِيمُ عَنْ لَحْظِ عَيَانَى * فَلَقَدْ صَيَّرَكَ الْوَجْدُ مِنَ الْأَحْشَاءِ دَانَى، وَقَالَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ يُقْرُبُ مِنْ قُلُوبِ عِبَادِهِ عَلَى حَسَبِ مَا يَرَى مِنْ قُرْبِ قُلُوبِ عِبَادِهِ مِنْهُ فَانْظُرْ مَا ذَا يَقْرُبُ مِنْ قَلْبِك، وَقَالَ آخَرُ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى عِبَادًا قَرَّبَهُمُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِمَا هُوَ بِهِ قَرِيبٌ مِنْهُمْ وَكَانُوا قَرِيبِينَ مِنْهُ بِمَا هُوَ بِهِ قَرِيبٌ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَهَذِهِ الدَّرَجَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ مِنْ حَالِ الْقُرْبِ، فَأَمَّا حَالُ الْكُبَرَاءِ وَأَهْلِ النِّهَايَاتِ فَهُوَ عَلَى مَا قَالَ أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ النُّورِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ قَالَ مِنْ بَغْدَادَ قَالَ مَنْ صَحِبْتَ بِهَا قَالَ اَبَا حَمْزَةَ قَالَ إِذَا رَجَعْتَ إِلَى بَغْدَادَ فَقُلْ لِأَبَى حَمْزَةَ قُرْبُ الْقُرْبِ فِي مَعْنَى مَا نَحْنُ نُشِيرُ اِلَيْهِ بَعْدَ الْبُعْدِ، وَكَمَا قَالَ أَبُو يَعْقُوبَ السُّوسِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ مَا دَامَ الْعَبْدُ يَكُونُ بِالْقُرْبِ لَمْ يَكُنْ قُرْبٍ حَتَّى يَغِيبَ عَنِ الْقُرْبِ بِالْقُرْبِ فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ عَنْ رُؤْيَةِ الْقُرْبِ بِالْقُرْبِ فَذَلِكَ قُرْبٌ يَعْنِي عَنْ رُؤْيَةِ قُرْبِهِ مِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِقُرْبِ اللَّهِ مِنْهُ، وَحَالُ الْقُرْبِ يَقْتَضَى حَالَ الْمَحَبَّةِ وَحَالَ الْخَوْفِ، بَابُ حَالِ الْمَحَبَّةِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَأَمَّا حَالُ الْمَحَبَّةِ فَقَدْ ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْمَحَبَّةَ فِي مَوَاضِعَ مِنْ كِتَابِهِ فَقَالَ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ

wataḥaqqaqtuka fī al-sirri fanājāka lisānī * fa-ajtamaʿnā limaʿānin wa-aftaraqnā limaʿānī * in yakun ghayyabaka al-taʿẓīmu ʿan laḥẓi ʿayānā * falaqad ṣayyaraka al-wajdu mina al-aḥshāʾi dānā, waqāla al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu wa-aʿlam annahu yuqrubu min qulūbi ʿibādihi ʿalā ḥasabi mā yarā min qurbi qulūbi ʿibādihi minhu fa-anẓur mā dhā yaqrubu min qalbik, waqāla ākharu inna lillāhi taʿālā ʿibādan qarrabahumu Allāhu ʿazza wajalla bimā huwa bihi qarībun minhum wakānū qarībīna minhu bimā huwa bihi qarībun ilayhim, wahadhihi al-darajatu al-thāniyatu min ḥāli al-qurbi, fa-ammā ḥālu al-kubarāʾi waʾahli al-nihāyāti fahuwa ʿalā mā qāla abū al-ḥusayni al-nūriyyu raḥimahu Allāhu lirajulin dakhala ʿalayhi faqāla min ayna anta qāla min baghdāda qāla man ṣaḥibta bihā qāla abā ḥamzata qāla idhā rajaʿta ilā baghdāda faqul liʾabā ḥamzata qurbu al-qurbi fī maʿnā mā naḥnu nushīru ilayhi baʿda al-buʿdi, wakamā qāla abū yaʿqūba al-sūsiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu mā dāma al-ʿabdu yakūnu bi-al-qurbi lam yakun qurbin ḥattā yaghība ʿani al-qurbi bi-al-qurbi faʾidhā dhahaba ʿan ruʾyati al-qurbi bi-al-qurbi fadhalika qurbun yaʿnī ʿan ruʾyati qurbihi mina Allāhi ʿazza wajalla biqurbi Allāhi minhu, waḥālu al-qurbi yaqtaḍā ḥāla al-maḥabbati waḥāla al-khawfi , bābu ḥāli al-maḥabbati, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu fa-ammā ḥālu al-maḥabbati faqad dhakara Allāhu taʿālā al-maḥabbata fī mawāḍiʿa min kitābihi faqāla fasawfa yaʾtī Allāhu biqawmin yuḥibbuhum

“I realized You within the secret, and my tongue conversed with You; we were joined for meanings and separated for meanings. Though reverence hid You from my direct sight, spiritual finding brought You nearer than my very entrails.” Al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—said, “Know that He draws near to His servants’ hearts according to the nearness He sees in their hearts toward Him; so consider what draws near to your heart.” Another said, “God Most High has servants whom He brings near through the very nearness by which He is near them; and they are near Him through the nearness by which He is near them.” This is the second degree of nearness. As for the state of the great and those at the end of the path, Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Nūrī—may God have mercy on him—asked a visitor where he came from. “Baghdad,” the man replied. “Whom did you accompany there?” “Abū Ḥamzah.” Al-Nūrī said, “When you return to Baghdad, tell Abū Ḥamzah: the nearness of nearness, in the meaning toward which we point, comes after distance.” Abū Yaʿqūb al-Sūsī—may God have mercy on him—said, “So long as the servant remains conscious of nearness, he has not attained nearness; only when nearness makes him absent from nearness is it true nearness.” That is, the servant ceases to see his own nearness to God, mighty and majestic, because of God’s nearness to him. The state of nearness requires the states of love and fear. Chapter on the state of love. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: God Most High mentions love in several places in His Book: “God will bring forth a people whom He loves

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وَيُحِبُّونَهُ، وَقَالَ قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَقَالَ فِي مَوْضِعٍ آخَرَ يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ، فَذَكَرَ فِي الْآيَةِ الْأُولَى مَحَبَّتَهُ قَبْلَ مَحَبَّتِهِمْ وَفِي الْآيَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ ذِكَرَ مَحَبَّتَهُمْ لَهُ وَمَحَبَّتَهِ لَهُمْ وَفِي الْآيَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ ذَكَرَ مَحَبَّتَهُمْ لَهُ، وَحَالُ الْمَحَبَّةِ لِعَبْدٍ نَظَرَ بِعَيْنِهِ إِلَى مَا أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ بِهِ عَلَيْهِ وَنَظَرَ بِقَلْبِهِ إِلَى قُرْبِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنْهُ وَعِنَايَتِهِ بِهِ وَحِفْظِهِ وَكِلَايَتِهِ لَهُ فَنَظَرَ بِإِيمَانِهِ وَحَقِيقَةِ يَقِينِهِ إِلَى مَا سَبَقَ لَهُ مِنْ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنَ الْعِنَايَةِ وَالْهِدَايَةِ وَقَدِيمِ حُبِّ اللَّهِ لَهُ فَأَحَبَّ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَأَهْلُ الْمَحَبَّةِ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَحْوَالٍ فَالْحَالُ الْأَوَّلُ مِنَ الْمَحَبَّةِ مَحَبَّةُ الْعَامَّةِ يَتَوَلَّدُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ إِحْسَانِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى إِلَيْهِمْ وَعَطْفِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَقَدْ رَوَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ جُبِلَتِ الْقُلُوبُ عَلَى حُبِّ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ إِلَيْهَا وَبُغْضِ مَنْ أَسَاءَ إِلَيْهَا الْحَدِيثَ، وَهَذَا الْحَالُ مِنَ الْمَحَبَّةِ شَرْطُهَا مَا سُيِلَ سَمْنُونُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمَحَبَّةِ فَقَالَ صَفَآءُ الْوُدِّ مَعَ دَوَامِ الذِّكْرِ لِأَنَّ مَنْ أَحَبَّ شَيْئًا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذِكْرِهِ، وَكَمَا سُيِلَ سَهْلُ ابْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمَحَبَّةِ فَقَالَ مُوَافَقَةٌ الْقُلُوبِ لِلَّهِ وَالْتِزَامِ الْمُوَافَقَةِ لِلَّهِ وَاتِّبَاعِ الرَّسُولِ صَلْعَمَ مَعَ دَوَامِ الِاسْتِهْتَارِ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَوُجُودِ حَلَاوَةِ الْمُنَاجَاةِ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَسُيِلَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِىٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنِ الْمَحَبَّةِ فَقَالَ بَذْلُ الْمَجْهُودِ وَالْحَبِيبُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ، وَكَمَا سُيِلَ بَعْضُ الْمَشَايِخِ عَنْ الْمَحَبَّةِ فَقَالَ اسْتِهْتَارُ الْقُلُوبِ بِالثَّنَاءِ عَلَى الْمَحْبُوبِ وَإِيثَارُ طَاعَتِهِ وَالْمُوَافَقَةُ لَهُ كَمَا قَالَ الْقَايِلُ، لَوْ كَانَ حُبُّكَ صَادِقًا لَأَطَعْتَهُ * * إِنَّ الْمُحِبَّ لِمَنْ يُحِبُّ مُطِيعٌ، وَالْحَالُ الثَّانِي مِنَ الْمَحَبَّةِ وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّدُ مِنْ نَظَرِ الْقَلْبِ إِلَى غِنَاءِ اللَّهِ وَجَلَالِهِ وَعَظَمَتِهِ وَعِلْمِهِ وَقُدْرَتُهُ وَهُوَ حُبُّ الصَّادِقِينَ وَالْمُتَحَقِّقِينَ وَشَرْطُهَا وَوَصْفُهَا

wayuḥibbūnahu, waqāla qul in kuntum tuḥibbūna Allāha fa-attabiʿūnī yuḥbibkumu Allāhu waqāla fī mawḍiʿin ākhara yuḥibbūnahum kaḥubbi Allāhi wa-alladhīna āmanū ashaddu ḥubban lillāhi, fadhakara fī al-āyati al-ūlā maḥabbatahu qabla maḥabbatihim wafī al-āyati al-thāniyati dhikara maḥabbatahum lahu wamaḥabbatahi lahum wafī al-āyati al-thālithati dhakara maḥabbatahum lahu , waḥālu al-maḥabbati liʿabdin naẓara biʿaynihi ilā mā anʿama Allāhu bihi ʿalayhi wanaẓara biqalbihi ilā qurbi Allāhi taʿālā minhu waʿināyatihi bihi waḥifẓihi wakilāyatihi lahu fanaẓara biāīmānihi waḥaqīqati yaqīnihi ilā mā sabaqa lahu min Allāhi taʿālā mina al-ʿināyati wa-al-hidāyati waqadīmi ḥubbi Allāhi lahu faʾaḥabba Allāhu ʿazza wajalla, waʾahlu al-maḥabbati ʿalā thalāthati aḥwālin fa-al-ḥālu al-awwalu mina al-maḥabbati maḥabbatu al-ʿāmmati yatawalladu dhalika min iḥsāni Allāhi taʿālā ilayhim waʿaṭfihi ʿalayhim, waqad rawā ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla jubilati al-qulūbu ʿalā ḥubbi man aḥsana ilayhā wabughḍi man asāʾa ilayhā al-ḥadītha, wahadhā al-ḥālu mina al-maḥabbati sharṭuhā mā suʾila samnūnu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-maḥabbati faqāla ṣafāʾu al-wuddi maʿa dawāmi al-dhikri liʾanna man aḥabba shayʾan akthara min dhikrihi, wakamā suʾila sahlu abnu ʿabdi Allāhi raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-maḥabbati faqāla muwāfaqatun al-qulūbi lillāhi wa-al-tizāmi al-muwāfaqati lillāhi wa-attibāʿi al-rasūli ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama maʿa dawāmi al-āstihtāri bidhikri Allāhi taʿālā wawujūdi ḥalāwati al-munājāti lillāhi ʿazza wajalla, wasuʾila al-ḥusaynu bnu ʿalī raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu ʿani al-maḥabbati faqāla badhlu al-majhūdi wa-al-ḥabību yafʿalu mā yashāʾu, wakamā suʾila baʿḍu al-mashāyikhi ʿan al-maḥabbati faqāla astihtāru al-qulūbi bi-al-thanāʾi ʿalā al-maḥbūbi wa-īthāru ṭāʿatihi wa-al-muwāfaqatu lahu kamā qāla al-qāyilu, law kāna ḥubbuka ṣādiqan laʾaṭaʿtahu * * inna al-muḥibba liman yuḥibbu muṭīʿun, wa-al-ḥālu al-thānī mina al-maḥabbati wahuwa yatawalladu min naẓari al-qalbi ilā ghināʾi Allāhi wajalālihi waʿaẓamatihi waʿilmihi waqudratuhu wahuwa ḥubbu al-ṣādiqīna wa-al-mutaḥaqqiqīna washarṭuhā wawaṣfuhā

and who love Him”; “Say: If you love God, follow me and God will love you”; and elsewhere, “They love them as they love God, but those who believe are stronger in love for God.” The first verse places His love before theirs; the second mentions their love for Him and His love for them; the third mentions their love for Him. The state of love belongs to a servant who sees with his eyes the blessings God has bestowed upon him; sees with his heart God’s nearness, care, protection, and guardianship; and sees through faith and realized certainty God’s prior care, guidance, and timeless love. He therefore loves God, mighty and majestic. The people of love have three states. The first is the love of ordinary believers, born of God’s beneficence and tenderness toward them. It is related that the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “Hearts are naturally disposed to love those who do them good and to dislike those who harm them.” Its condition is expressed by Samnūn—may God have mercy on him—who defined love as “purity of affection together with continual remembrance, for whoever loves something mentions it often.” Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh—may God have mercy on him—said, “It is hearts agreeing with God, holding fast to conformity with Him, following the Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace—remaining passionately absorbed in God’s remembrance, and tasting the sweetness of intimate conversation with God, mighty and majestic.” Al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī—may God be pleased with him—said, “Exerting one’s utmost—the Beloved does what He wills.” Another shaykh said, “Hearts passionately praising the Beloved, preferring obedience to Him, and conforming to Him.” As the poet said: “Had your love been sincere, you would have obeyed Him; the lover obeys the one he loves.” The second state of love arises from the heart’s contemplation of God’s independence, majesty, greatness, knowledge, and power. This is the love of the truthful and those of realization. Its condition and description are

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كَمَا حَكَى عَنْ أَبِي الْحُسَيْنِ النُّورِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ سُيِلَ عَنِ الْمَحَبَّةِ فَقَالَ هَتْكُ الْأَسْتَارِ وَكَشْفُ الْأَسْرَارِ، وَسُيِلَ أَيْضًا إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْخَوَّاصُ عَنِ الْمَحَبَّةِ فَقَالَ مَحْوُ الْإِرَادَاتِ وَاحْتِرَاقُ جَمِيعِ الصِّفَاتِ وَالْحَاجَاتِ، وَقَدْ سُيِلَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمَحَبَّةِ فَقَالَ طُوبَى لِمَنْ شَرِبَ كَأْسًا مِنْ مَحَبَّتِهِ وَذَاقَ نَعِيمًا مِنْ مُنَاجَاةِ الْجَلِيلِ وَقُرْبِهِ بِمَا وَجَدَ مِنَ اللَّذَّاتِ بِحُبِّهِ فَمَلِئَ قَلْبَهُ حُبًّا وَطَارَ بِاللَّهِ طَرَبًا وَهَامَ اِلَيْهِ اشْتِيَاقًا فَيَا لَهُ مِنْ وَامِقٍ أَسِفٍ بِرَبِّهِ كُلِّفَ دَنَفٍ لَيْسَ لَهُ سَكَنٌ غَيْرُهُ وَلَا مَأْلُوفٌ سِوَاهُ، وَأَمَّا الْحَالُ الثَّالِثُ مِنَ الْمَحَبَّةِ فَهُوَ مَحَبَّةُ الصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالْعَارِفِينَ تَوَلَّدَتْ مِنْ نَظَرِهِمْ وَمَعْرِفَتِهِمْ بِقَدِيمِ حُبِّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِلَا عِلَّةٍ فَكَذَلِكَ اَحَبُّوهُ بِلَا عِلَّةٍ، وَصِفَةُ هَذِهِ الْمَحَبَّةِ مَا سُيِلَ ذُو النُّونِ الْمِصْرِيُّ فَقِيلَ لَهُ مَا الْمَحَبَّةُ الصَّافِيَةُ الَّتِي لَا كَدْرَةَ فِيهَا قَالَ حُبُّ اللَّهِ الصَّافِي الَّذِي لَا كَدْرَةَ فِيهِ سُقُوطُ الْمَحَبَّةُ عَنِ الْقَلْبِ وَالْجَوَارِحِ حَتَّى لَا يَكُونَ فِيهَا الْمَحَبَّةُ وَتَكُونَ الْأَشْيَاءُ بِاللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ فَذَلِكَ الْمُحِبُّ لِلَّهِ، وَقَالَ أَبُو يَعْقُوبَ السُّوسِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لَا تَصِحُّ الْمَحَبَّةُ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ مِنْ رُؤْيَةِ الْمَحَبَّةِ إِلَى رُؤْيَةِ الْمَحْبُوبِ بِفِنَآءِ عِلْمِ الْمَحَبَّةِ مِنْ حَيْثُ كَانَ لَهُ الْمَحْبُوبُ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ هُوَ بِالْمَحَبَّةِ فَإِذَا خَرَجَ الْمُحِبُّ إِلَى هَذِهِ النِّسْبَةِ كَانَ مُحِبًّا مِنْ غَيْرِ مَحَبَّةٍ، وَسُيِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمَحَبَّةِ فَقَالَ دُخُولُ صِفَاتِ الْمَحْبُوبِ عَلَى الْبَدَلِ مِنْ صِفَاتِ الْمُحِبِّ، فَهَذَا عَلَى مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتَهُ كُنْتُ عَيْنَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ وَسَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ وَيَدُهُ الَّذِي يَبْطِشُ بِهِ،

kamā ḥakā ʿan abī al-ḥusayni al-nūriyyi raḥimahu Allāhu annahu suʾila ʿani al-maḥabbati faqāla hatku al-astāri wakashfu al-asrāri, wasuʾila ayḍan ibrāhīmu al-khawwāṣu ʿani al-maḥabbati faqāla maḥwu al-irādāti wa-aḥtirāqu jamīʿi al-ṣifāti wa-al-ḥājāti, waqad suʾila abū saʿīdin al-kharrāzu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-maḥabbati faqāla ṭūbā liman shariba kaʾsan min maḥabbatihi wadhāqa naʿīman min munājāti al-jalīli waqurbihi bimā wajada mina al-ladhdhāti biḥubbihi famaliʾa qalbahu ḥubban waṭāra bi-Allāhi ṭaraban wahāma ilayhi ashtiyāqan fayā lahu min wa-amiqin ʾsifin birabbihi kullifa danafin laysa lahu sakanun ghayruhu walā maʾlūfun siwāhu, wa-ammā al-ḥālu al-thālithu mina al-maḥabbati fahuwa maḥabbatu al-ṣiddīqīna wa-al-ʿārifīna tawalladat min naẓarihim wamaʿrifatihim biqadīmi ḥubbi Allāhi taʿālā bilā ʿillatin fakadhalika aḥabbūhu bilā ʿillatin, waṣifatu hadhihi al-maḥabbati mā suʾila dhū al-nūni al-miṣriyyu faqīla lahu mā al-maḥabbatu al-ṣāfiyatu allatī lā kadrata fīhā qāla ḥubbu Allāhi al-ṣāfī alladhī lā kadrata fīhi suqūṭu al-maḥabbatu ʿani al-qalbi wa-al-jawāriḥi ḥattā lā yakūna fīhā al-maḥabbatu watakūna al-ashyāʾu bi-Allāhi walillahi fadhalika al-muḥibbu lillāhi, waqāla abū yaʿqūba al-sūsiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu lā taṣiḥḥu al-maḥabbatu ḥattā yakhruja min ruʾyati al-maḥabbati ilā ruʾyati al-maḥbūbi bifināʾi ʿilmi al-maḥabbati min ḥaythu kāna lahu al-maḥbūbu fī al-ghaybi walam yakun huwa bi-al-maḥabbati faʾidhā kharaja al-muḥibbu ilā hadhihi al-nisbati kāna muḥibban min ghayri maḥabbatin, wasuʾila al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-maḥabbati faqāla dukhūlu ṣifāti al-maḥbūbi ʿalā al-badali min ṣifāti al-muḥibbi, fahadhā ʿalā maʿnā qawlihi ḥattā uḥibbahu faʾidhā aḥbabtahu kuntu ʿaynahu alladhī yubṣiru bihi wasamʿahu alladhī yasmaʿu bihi wayaduhu alladhī yabṭishu bihi,

as reported from Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Nūrī—may God have mercy on him. Asked about love, he replied, “Tearing away the veils and unveiling the secrets.” Ibrāhīm al-Khawwāṣ, asked about love, said, “The effacement of desires and the burning away of all attributes and needs.” Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz—may God have mercy on him—said, “Blessed is one who drinks a cup of His love, tastes the bliss of intimate conversation with the Majestic and of nearness to Him, and experiences the pleasures of loving Him. His heart fills with love, he soars in rapture through God, and wanders toward Him in longing. What a grieving lover he is—consumed, lovesick, with no repose other than Him and no familiar companion besides Him.” The third state is the love of the utterly truthful and the knowers. It arises from seeing and knowing God’s timeless, uncaused love; they therefore love Him without cause. Dhū al-Nūn al-Miṣrī, asked about pure love without cloudiness, replied, “God’s pure love, in which there is no cloudiness, is for the perception of love to fall away from heart and limbs, until love is no longer consciously present there and all things are through God and for God. Such a person is the lover of God.” Abū Yaʿqūb al-Sūsī—may God have mercy on him—said, “Love is not sound until one leaves the sight of love for the sight of the Beloved, as awareness of love passes away because the Beloved had been his while unseen, not through his love. When the lover reaches this relation, he is a lover without consciously possessed love.” Al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—said, “Love is the Beloved’s attributes replacing the lover’s attributes.” This accords with the divine saying: “Until I love him; and when I love him, I become the eye with which he sees, the hearing with which he hears, and the hand with which he grasps.”

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بَابُ حَالِ الْخَوْفِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَأَمَّا حَالُ الْخَوْفِ فَإِنَّمَا ذَكَرْنَا الْخَوْفَ وَالْمَحَبَّةَ لِأَنَّ حَالَ الْقُرْبِ يَقْتَضَى حَالَيْنِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَغْلِبُ عَلَى قَلْبِهِ الْخَوْفُ مِنْ نَظَرِهِ إِلَى قُرْبِ اللَّهِ مِنْهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَغْلِبُ عَلَى قَلْبِهِ الْمَحَبَّةُ وَذَلِكَ عَلَى حَسَبِ مَا قَسَمَ اللَّهُ لِلْقُلُوبِ مِنَ التَّصْدِيقِ وَحَقِيقَةُ الْيَقِينِ وَالْخَشْيَةِ وَذَلِكَ مِنْ كَشْفِ الْغُيُوبِ فَاِنْ شَاهَدَ قَلْبُهُ فِي قُرْبِهِ مِنْ سَيِّدِهِ عَظَمَتَهُ وَهَيْبَتَهُ وَقُدْرَتَهُ فَيُؤَدِّيهِ ذَلِكَ إِلَى الْخَوْفِ وَالْحَيَاءِ وَالْوَجَلِ وَاِنْ شَاهَدَ قَلْبُهُ فِي قُرْبِهِ لُطْفَ سَيِّدِهِ وَقَدِيمَ عَطْفِهِ وَإِحْسَانِهِ لَهُ وَمَحَبَّتِهِ اَدَّاهُ ذَلِكَ إِلَى الْمَحَبَّةِ وَالشَّوْقِ وَالْقَلَقِ وَالْحَرْقِ وَالتَّبَرُّمُ بِالْبَقَآءِ وَذَلِكَ بِعِلْمِهِ وَمُشْيَّتِهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ، وَالْخَوْفُ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَوْجُهٍ وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْخَوْفَ وَقَرَنَهُ بِالْإِيمَانِ بِقَوْلِهِ فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ فَهَذَا خَوْفُ الْأَجِلَّةِ، وَقَوْلُهُ وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ فَهَذَا خَوْفُ الْأَوْسَاطِ، وَقَالَ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَالْأَبْصَارُ فَهَذَا خَوْفُ الْعَامَّةِ، فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ خَافَ مِنْ سَخَطِهِ وَعِقَابِهِ كَمَا ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَالْأَبْصَارُ وَهُمْ الْعَامَّةُ فَخَوْفُهُمُ اضْطِرَابُ قُلُوبِهِمْ مِمَّا عَلِمُوا مِنْ سَطْوَةِ مَعْبُودِهِمْ، وَأَمَّا الْأَوْسَاطُ فَخَوْفُهُمْ مِنَ الْقَطِيعَةِ وَاعْتِرَاضِ الْكُدُورَةِ فِي صَفَاءِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ، وَسُيِلَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْخَوْفِ فَقَالَ تَخَافُ أَنْ لَا يُسَلِّمَكَ إِلَيْكَ كَمَا قَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِي كَلَامٍ لَهُ قَالَ شَكَوْتُ إِلَى بَعْضِ الْعَارِفِينَ الْخَوْفَ فَقَالَ لِي إِنِّي أَشْتَهِي أَنْ أَرَى رَجُلًا يَدْرِي أَيْشِ الْخَوْفُ مِنَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ أَكْثَرَ الْخَائِفِينَ خَافُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَفَقَةً مِنْهُمْ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَعَمَلًا

bābu ḥāli al-khawfi, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu fa-ammā ḥālu al-khawfi fa-innamā dhakarnā al-khawfa wa-al-maḥabbata liʾanna ḥāla al-qurbi yaqtaḍā ḥālayni faminhum man yaghlibu ʿalā qalbihi al-khawfu min naẓarihi ilā qurbi Allāhi minhu waminhum man yaghlibu ʿalā qalbihi al-maḥabbatu wadhalika ʿalā ḥasabi mā qasama Allāhu lilqulūbi mina al-taṣdīqi waḥaqīqatu al-yaqīni wa-al-khashyati wadhalika min kashfi al-ghuyūbi fa-in shāhada qalbuhu fī qurbihi min sayyidihi ʿaẓamatahu wahaybatahu waqudratahu fayuʾaddīhi dhalika ilā al-khawfi wa-al-ḥayāʾi wa-al-wajali wa-in shāhada qalbuhu fī qurbihi luṭfa sayyidihi waqadīma ʿaṭfihi wa-iḥsānihi lahu wamaḥabbatihi addāhu dhalika ilā al-maḥabbati wa-al-shawqi wa-al-qalaqi wa-al-ḥarqi wa-al-tabarrumu bi-al-baqāʾi wadhalika biʿilmihi wamushyyatihi waqudratihi dhalika taqdīru al-ʿazīzi al-ʿalīmi , wa-al-khawfu ʿalā thalāthati awjuhin waqad dhakara Allāhu taʿālā al-khawfa waqaranahu bi-al-īmāni biqawlihi falā takhāfūhum wakhāfūni in kuntum muʾminīna fahadhā khawfu al-ajillati, waqawluhu waliman khāfa maqāma rabbihi jannatāni fahadhā khawfu al-awsāṭi, waqāla yakhāfūna yawman tataqallabu fīhi al-qulūbu wa-al-abṣāru fahadhā khawfu al-ʿāmmati, faminhum man khāfa min sakhaṭihi waʿiqābihi kamā dhakara Allāhu taʿālā yakhāfūna yawman tataqallabu fīhi al-qulūbu wa-al-abṣāru wahum al-ʿāmmatu fakhawfuhumu aḍṭirābu qulūbihim mimmā ʿalimū min saṭwati maʿbūdihim, wa-ammā al-awsāṭu fakhawfuhum mina al-qaṭīʿati wa-aʿtirāḍi al-kudūrati fī ṣafāʾi al-maʿrifati , wasuʾila al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-khawfi faqāla takhāfu an lā yusallimaka ilayka kamā qāla abū saʿīdin al-kharrāzu raḥimahu Allāhu fī kalāmin lahu qāla shakawtu ilā baʿḍi al-ʿārifīna al-khawfa faqāla lī innī ashtahī an arā rajulan yadrī ayshi al-khawfu mina Allāhi thumma qāla inna akthara al-khāyifīna khāfū ʿalā anfusihim mina Allāhi shafaqatan minhum ʿalā anfusihim waʿamalan

Chapter on the state of fear. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: We mention fear and love because nearness gives rise to these two states. In some, contemplating God’s nearness makes fear predominate in the heart; in others, love predominates. This accords with what God apportions to hearts of faith, realized certainty, and awe through disclosure of unseen realities. If the heart, in its nearness to its Master, witnesses His greatness, majesty, and power, this leads to fear, modesty, and trembling. If it witnesses its Master’s gentleness, timeless tenderness, beneficence, and love, this leads to love, longing, restlessness, burning desire, and weariness with continued earthly life. All this occurs through His knowledge, will, and power: “That is the determination of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.” Fear has three forms. God joins fear to faith: “Do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are believers.” This is the fear of the eminent. “For whoever fears standing before his Lord are two gardens” describes the fear of the middle rank. “They fear a day when hearts and eyes will turn about” describes the fear of ordinary believers. The ordinary fear His displeasure and punishment; their hearts tremble because they know the irresistible might of the One they worship. The middle rank fears separation and the intrusion of cloudiness into the purity of knowledge. Al-Shiblī—may God have mercy on him—was asked about fear and said, “You fear that He may not surrender you to yourself.” Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz—may God have mercy on him—said, “I complained of fear to one of the knowers. He replied, ‘I long to see a man who knows what fear of God is.’ Most who fear do so for their own sake: they fear God out of concern for themselves and act…” The sentence continues on printed page 61.

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فِي خَلَاصِهَا مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَقَالَ ابْنُ خُبَيْقٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْخَائِفُ عِنْدِي أَنْ يَكُونَ بِحُكْمِ الْوَقْتِ فَوَقْتٌ يَخَافُهُ الْمَخْلُوقُ وَوَقْتٌ يَأْمَنُهُ، وَقَالَ الْقَنَّادُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَامَةُ الْخَوْفِ أَنْ لَا يُعَلِّلَ نَفْسَهُ بِعِسَى وَسَوْفَ، وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَامَةُ خَوْفِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى هَيَجَانُ الْقُلُوبِ وَشِدَّةُ الذُّعْرُ مِنَ التَّرْهِيبِ، وَقَالَ ابْنُ خُبَيْقٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْخَائِفُ عِنْدِي مَنْ يَخَافُ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا يَخَافُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، وَأَمَّا أَهْلُ الْخُصُوصِ مِنَ الْخَائِفِينَ فَخَوْفُهُمْ عَلَى مَا قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لَوْ قَسَّمَ ذَرَّةً مِنْ خَوْفِ الْخَائِفِينَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ لَسَعِدُوا بِذَلِكَ أَجْمَعِينَ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ فَكَمْ يَكُونُ مَعَ الْخَائِفِينَ مِنْ هَذَا الْخَوْفِ قَالَ مِثْلُ الْجَبَلِ، وَقَالَ ابْنُ الْجَلَّآءِ الْخَائِفُ عِنْدِي الَّذِي لَا يَخَافُ غَيْرَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَقَالَ الْوَاسِطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْأَكَابِرُ يَخَافُونَ الْقَطْعَ وَالْأَصَاغِرُ يَخَافُونَ الْعُقُوبَةَ وَخَوْفُ الْأَكَابِرِ أَقْطَعُ لِأَنَّ مَا دَامَ لِلنَّفْسِ فِي النَّفْسِ مِنْ رُعُونَاتِهَا بَقِيَّةٌ فَلَيْسَ بِمُحْسَنٍ وَإِنْ اَتَى بِكُلِّ تَفْوِيضٍ وَتَسْلِيمٍ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ مَعْنَى رُعُونَاتِهَا تَدْبِيرُهَا وَدَعْوَاهَا وَنَظَرُهَا إِلَى طَاعَاتِهَا، وَالرَّجَاءُ مَقْرُونٌ بِالْخَوْفِ، بَابُ الرَّجَاءِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَالرَّجَاءُ حَالٌ شَرِيفٌ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُوا اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ، وَقَالَ فِي آيَةٍ أُخْرَى يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ، وَقَالَ فِي آيَةٍ أُخْرَى فَمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُوا لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا قَالُوا فِي التَّفْسِيرِ ثَوَابٌ

fī khalāṣihā min amri Allāhi ʿazza wajalla, waqāla abnu khubayqin raḥimahu Allāhu al-khāyifu ʿindī an yakūna biḥukmi al-waqti fawaqtun yakhāfuhu al-makhlūqu wawaqtun yaʾmanuhu, waqāla al-qannādu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿalāmatu al-khawfi an lā yuʿallila nafsahu biʿisā wasawfa, waqāla baʿḍuhum ʿalāmatu khawfi Allāhi taʿālā hayajānu al-qulūbi washiddatu al-dhuʿru mina al-tarhībi, waqāla abnu khubayqin raḥimahu Allāhu al-khāyifu ʿindī man yakhāfu min nafsihi akthara mimmā yakhāfu mina al-shayṭāni, wa-ammā ahlu al-khuṣūṣi mina al-khāyifīna fakhawfuhum ʿalā mā qāla sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi raḥimahu Allāhu law qassama dharratan min khawfi al-khāyifīna ʿalā ahli al-arḍi lasaʿidū bidhalika ajmaʿīna, faqīla lahu fakam yakūnu maʿa al-khāyifīna min hadhā al-khawfi qāla mithlu al-jabali , waqāla abnu al-jallāʾi al-khāyifu ʿindī alladhī lā yakhāfu ghayra Allāhi taʿālā, waqāla al-wāsiṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu al-akābiru yakhāfūna al-qaṭʿa wa-al-aṣāghiru yakhāfūna al-ʿuqūbata wakhawfu al-akābiri aqṭaʿu liʾanna mā dāma lilnnafsi fī al-nafsi min ruʿūnātihā baqiyyatun falaysa bimuḥsanin waʾin atā bikulli tafwīḍin wataslīmin, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu maʿnā ruʿūnātihā tadbīruhā wadaʿwāhā wanaẓaruhā ilā ṭāʿātihā, wa-al-rajāʾu maqrūnun bi-al-khawfi, bābu al-rajāʾi, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu wa-al-rajāʾu ḥālun sharīfun, qāla Allāhu taʿālā laqad kāna lakum fī rasūli Allāhi uswatun ḥasanatun liman kāna yarjū Allāha wa-al-yawma al-ākhira, waqāla fī āyatin ukhrā yarjūna raḥmatahu wayakhāfūna ʿadhābahu, waqāla fī āyatin ukhrā faman kāna yarjū liqāʾa rabbihi falyaʿmal ʿamalan ṣāliḥan qālū fī al-tafsīri thawābun

for their own deliverance from God’s command, mighty and majestic. Ibn Khubayq—may God have mercy on him—said, “For me, the truly fearful person lives under the ruling of each moment: at one moment a creature causes fear, and at another it brings security.” Al-Qannād—may God have mercy on him—said, “A sign of fear is that one does not console oneself with ‘perhaps’ and ‘later.’” Another said, “A sign of fearing God Most High is the agitation of the heart and intense alarm before His warnings.” Ibn Khubayq said, “The fearful person fears his own self more than Satan.” As for the elect among those who fear, Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh—may God have mercy on him—said, “If an atom of their fear were distributed among the people of earth, all would be blessed by it.” Asked how much of that fear they possess, he replied, “Like a mountain.” Ibn al-Jallāʾ said, “The fearful person fears none but God Most High.” Al-Wāsiṭī said, “The great fear being cut off; lesser people fear punishment. The fear of the great is more decisive, for while any remnant of the self’s presumption remains, a person is not truly surrendered, even if he displays complete delegation and submission.” The shaykh explained that presumption means the self’s planning, claims, and regard for its acts of obedience. Hope is joined to fear. Chapter on hope. Hope is a noble state. God Most High says: “In God’s Messenger you have a beautiful example—for whoever hopes for God and the Last Day”; “They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment”; and, “Whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do righteous work.” The commentators explain this as hope for the reward of his Lord.

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رَبِّهِ، وَقَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَوْ وُزِنَ خَوْفُ الْمُؤْمِنِ وَرِجَآؤُهُ لَاعْتَدَلَا، وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمُ الْخَوْفُ وَالرَّجَاءُ جَنَاحَا الْعَمَلِ لَا يَطِيرُ إِلَّا بِهِمَا، وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْوَرَّاقُ الرَّجَاءُ تَرْوِيحٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لِقُلُوبِ الْخَائِفِينَ وَلَوْلَا ذَلِكَ لَتَلِفَتْ نُفُوسُهُمْ وَذَهِلَتْ عُقُولُهُمْ، وَالرَّجَاءُ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ اَقْسَامٍ رَجَاءٌ فِي اللَّهِ وَرَجَاءٌ فِي سَعَةِ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ وَرَجَاءٌ فِي ثَوَابِ اللَّهِ، فَالرَّجَاءُ فِي ثَوَابِ اللَّهِ وَفِي سَعَةِ رَحْمَتِهِ لِعَبْدٍ مَرِيدٍ قَدْ سَمِعَ مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِكْرَ الْمِنَنِ فَرَجَاهُ وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ الْكَرَمَ وَالْفَضْلَ وَالْجُودَ مِنْ صِفَاتِ اللَّهِ فَارْتَاحَ قَلْبُهُ إِلَى الْمَرْجُوِّ مِنْ كَرْمِهِ وَفَضْلِهِ كَمَا حَكَى عَنْ ذِي النُّونِ الْمِصْرِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَدْعُو وَيَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ سَعَةَ رَحْمَتِكَ أَرْجَأُ لَنَا مِنْ أَعْمَالِنَا عِنْدَنَا وَاعْتِمَادَنَا عَلَى عَفْوِكَ اَرْجَأُ عِنْدَنَا مِنْ عِقَابِكَ لَنَا، وَكَمَا قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ الْهَى أَنْتَ لَطِيفٌ لِمَنْ قَصَدَكَ فِي اِرَادَتِهِ وَرَجَاكَ فِي مُلِمَّاتِهِ فَيَا مُنْتَهَى آمَالِ الرَّاجِينَ أَرْجِنَا رَاحَةً عَاجِلَةً تُورِدُنَا مَنَاهِلَ مَسَرَّتِكَ وَتُؤَدِّينَا إِلَى قُرْبِكَ، وَالرَّاجِي فِي اللَّهِ تَعَالَى هُوَ عَبْدٌ تَحَقَّقَ فِي الرَّجَاءِ فَلَا يَرْجُو مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا سِوَى اللَّهِ كَمَا سُيِلَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الرَّجَاءِ فَقَالَ الرَّجَاءُ أَنْ تَرْجُوَهُ أَنْ لَا يُقْطَعَ بِكَ دُونَهُ، وَقَالَ ذُو النُّونِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ بَيْنَا اَنَا أَسِيرُ فِي بَعْضِ الْبَوَادِي إِذْ لَقِيَتْنِي امْرَأَةٌ فَقَالَتْ لِي مَنْ أَنْتَ قُلْت رَجُلٌ غَرِيبٌ فَقَالَتْ وَهَلْ يُوجَدُ مَعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى اَحْزَانُ الْغُرْبَةِ، فَصْلٌ فِي مَعْنَى الْخَوْفِ وَالرَّجَاءِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَأَمَّا لِسَانُ أَهْلِ النِّهَايَاتِ وَالْمُتَحَقِّقِينَ فِي الْخَوْفِ وَالرَّجَاءِ فَالَّذِي يَقُولُ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ حِينَ سُيِلَ عَنْ الْخَوْفِ

rabbihi, waqāla ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama law wuzina khawfu al-muʾmini warijāʾuhu lāʿtadalā, waqāla baʿḍuhumu al-khawfu wa-al-rajāʾu janāḥā al-ʿamali lā yaṭīru illā bihimā, waqāla abū bakrin al-warrāqu al-rajāʾu tarwīḥun mina Allāhi taʿālā liqulūbi al-khāyifīna walawlā dhalika latalifat nufūsuhum wadhahilat ʿuqūluhum, wa-al-rajāʾu ʿalā thalāthati aqsāmin rajāʾun fī Allāhi warajāʾun fī saʿati raḥmati Allāhi warajāʾun fī thawābi Allāhi, fa-al-rajāʾu fī thawābi Allāhi wafī saʿati raḥmatihi liʿabdin marīdin qad samiʿa mina Allāhi dhikra al-minani farajāhu waʿalima anna al-karama wa-al-faḍla wa-al-jūda min ṣifāti Allāhi fa-artāḥa qalbuhu ilā al-marjuwwi min karmihi wafaḍlihi kamā ḥakā ʿan dhī al-nūni al-miṣriyyi raḥimahu Allāhu annahu kāna yadʿū wayaqūlu al-lahumma inna saʿata raḥmatika arjaʾu lanā min aʿmālinā ʿindanā wa-aʿtimādanā ʿalā ʿafwika arjaʾu ʿindanā min ʿiqābika lanā , wakamā qāla baʿḍuhum al-hā anta laṭīfun liman qaṣadaka fī irādatihi warajāka fī mulimmātihi fayā muntahā āmāli al-rājīna arjinā rāḥatan ʿājilatan tūridunā manāhila masarratika watuʾaddīnā ilā qurbika , wa-al-rājī fī Allāhi taʿālā huwa ʿabdun taḥaqqaqa fī al-rajāʾi falā yarjū mina Allāhi shayʾan siwā Allāhi kamā suʾila al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-rajāʾi faqāla al-rajāʾu an tarjuwahu an lā yuqṭaʿa bika dūnahu, waqāla dhū al-nūni raḥimahu Allāhu baynā anā asīru fī baʿḍi al-bawādī idh laqiyatnī amraʾatun faqālat lī man anta qult rajulun gharībun faqālat wahal yūjadu maʿa Allāhi taʿālā aḥzānu al-ghurbati , faṣlun fī maʿnā al-khawfi wa-al-rajāʾi, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu wa-ammā lisānu ahli al-nihāyāti wa-al-mutaḥaqqiqīna fī al-khawfi wa-al-rajāʾi fa-alladhī yaqūlu aḥmadu bnu ʿaṭāʾin raḥimahu Allāhu ḥīna suʾila ʿan al-khawfi

The Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “If a believer’s fear and hope were weighed, they would balance.” Fear and hope are the two wings of action; it cannot fly except by both. Abū Bakr al-Warrāq said, “Hope is relief from God for fearful hearts; without it their souls would perish and their minds become bewildered.” Hope has three forms: hope in God, hope in the breadth of His mercy, and hope for His reward. The seeker who hears God’s favours mentioned hopes for His reward and mercy, knowing generosity and bounty to be divine attributes. Dhū al-Nūn prayed, “O God, the breadth of Your mercy gives us greater hope than our deeds, and reliance on Your pardon gives us greater hope than fear of Your punishment.” Another prayed, “My God, You are gentle to those who seek You and hope in You amid affliction. Final hope of all who hope, show us an immediate relief that brings us to the springs of Your pleasure and to nearness to You.” The one whose hope is truly in God hopes for nothing from Him other than Him. Al-Shiblī said, “Hope is to hope in Him that you will not be cut off short of Him.” Dhū al-Nūn once met a woman in the desert. When he called himself a stranger, she asked, “Can the sorrow of estrangement exist with God Most High?” Section on fear and hope. Aḥmad ibn ʿAṭāʾ was asked about them.

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وَالرَّجَاءِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْخَلْقَ بِالرَّجَاءِ وَالْخَوْفِ مُؤَذِّنُونَ وَمَا دَامَ لَمْ يَتَرَقَّ الْعَبْدُ فِي طُرُقِهِمَا وَلَمْ يَتَرَقَّ مِنْ بَيْنِهِمَا لَمْ يَصِلْ إِلَى حَقِيقَةِ حَقِّهِمَا وَيَكُونُ مُرْتَبِطًا بِمَا لَا حَاصِلَ لَهُ فِيهِمَا عِنْدَ الْحَقِيقَةِ، قِيلَ فَمَا هُمَا يَعْنِى الْخَوْفَ وَالرَّجَاءَ قَالَ زِمَامَانِ لِلنَّفْسِ حَتَّى لَا تَخْرُجَ إِلَى رُعُونَاتِهَا مِنَ الْإِدْلَالِ وَالْأَمْنِ وَالْإِيَاسِ وَالْقَطْعِ، وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْخَوْفُ لَهُ ظُلْمٌ يَتَحَيَّرُ صَاحِبُهُ تَحْتَهُ يَطْلُبُ اَبَدًا الْمَخْرَجَ مِنْهُ فَإِذَا جَاءَ الرَّجَاءُ بِضِيَائِهِ خَرَجَ إِلَى مَوَاضِعِ الرَّاحَةِ فَغَلَبَ عَلَيْهِ التَّمَنَّى وَلَا يَنْفَعُ حُسْنُ النَّهَارِ إِلَّا بِظُلْمَةِ اللَّيْلِ وَفِيهِمَا صَلَاحِ الْكَوْنِ فَكَذَلِكَ الْقَلْبُ مَرَّةً فِي ظُلْمِ الْخَوْفِ أَسِيرُ فَإِذَا طَرَقَ طَوَارِقَ الرَّجَاءِ فَهُوَ أَمِيرٌ، وَالْمَحَبَّةُ وَالْخَوْفُ وَالرَّجَاءُ مُقُرُّونَ بَعْضُهَا بِبَعْضٍ قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ كُلُّ مَحَبَّةٍ لَا خَوْفَ مَعَهَا فَهِيَ مَأوُوفَةٌ وَكُلُّ خَوْفٍ لَا رَجَاءَ مَعَهُ فَهُوَ مَأوُوفٌ وَكُلُّ رَجَاءٍ لَا خَوْفَ مَعَهُ كَذَلِكَ، وَالرَّجَاءُ وَالْمَحَبَّةَ يَقْتَضِيَانِ الشَّوْقَ، بَابُ حَالِ الشَّوْقِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَحَالُ الشَّوْقِ حَالٌ شَرِيفٌ، رَوَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلْعَمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَلَا هَلْ مُشْتَاقٌ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ هِيَ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ رَيْحَانَةٌ تَهْتَزُّ وَنَهْرٌ مُطَّرِدٌ وَزَوْجَةٌ حَسْنَآءُ، وَرَوَى عَنْهُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَمُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ فِي دُعَائِهِ أَسْئَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَاءيِكَ، وَلَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَالشَّوْقِ إِلَى لِقَاءئِهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَقَدْ

wa-al-rajāʾi faqāla inna al-khalqa bi-al-rajāʾi wa-al-khawfi muʾadhdhinūna wamā dāma lam yataraqqa al-ʿabdu fī ṭuruqihimā walam yataraqqa min baynihimā lam yaṣil ilā ḥaqīqati ḥaqqihimā wayakūnu murtabiṭan bimā lā ḥāṣila lahu fīhimā ʿinda al-ḥaqīqati, qīla famā humā yaʿnī al-khawfa wa-al-rajāʾa qāla zimāmāni lilnnafsi ḥattā lā takhruja ilā ruʿūnātihā mina al-idlāli wa-al-amni wa-al-iyāsi wa-al-qaṭʿi, waqāla abū bakrin al-wāsiṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu al-khawfu lahu ẓulmun yataḥayyaru ṣāḥibuhu taḥtahu yaṭlubu abadan al-makhraja minhu faʾidhā jāʾa al-rajāʾu biḍiyāʾihi kharaja ilā mawāḍiʿi al-rāḥati faghalaba ʿalayhi al-tamannā walā yanfaʿu ḥusnu al-nahāri illā biẓulmati al-layli wafīhimā ṣalāḥi al-kawni fakadhalika al-qalbu marratan fī ẓulmi al-khawfi asīru faʾidhā ṭaraqa ṭawāriqa al-rajāʾi fahuwa amīrun, wa-al-maḥabbatu wa-al-khawfu wa-al-rajāʾu muqurrūna baʿḍuhā bibaʿḍin qāla baʿḍuhum kullu maḥabbatin lā khawfa maʿahā fahiya maʾwūfatun wakullu khawfin lā rajāʾa maʿahu fahuwa maʾwūfun wakullu rajāʾin lā khawfa maʿahu kadhalika, wa-al-rajāʾu wa-al-maḥabbata yaqtaḍiyāni al-shawqa, bābu ḥāli al-shawqi, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu taʿālā waḥālu al-shawqi ḥālun sharīfun, rawā ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla alā hal mushtāqun ilā al-jannati hiya warabbi al-kaʿbati rayḥānatun tahtazzu wanahrun muṭṭaridun wazawjatun ḥasnāʾu, warawā ʿanhu ʿalayhi al-salamu annahu kāna yaqūlu fī duʿāyihi asʾaluka ladhdhata al-naẓari ilā wajhika wa-al-shawqa ilā liqāyika, waladhdhata al-naẓari ilā wajhi Allāhi taʿālā fī al-ākhirati wa-al-shawqi ilā liqāʾihi fī al-dunyā, waqad

He replied, “Creation announces fear and hope, but until the servant rises through their paths and beyond the space between them, he does not attain their true reality and remains attached to what yields no real attainment.” Asked what they are, he said, “Two reins upon the self, preventing it from breaking out into presumptuous familiarity, false security, despair, and severance.” Abū Bakr al-Wāsiṭī said, “Fear has a darkness beneath which a person wanders, always seeking escape. When hope arrives with its radiance, he enters places of rest and longing overtakes him. Day’s beauty has no value without night’s darkness; together they sustain the world. Likewise, the heart is sometimes captive in fear’s darkness, but when the visitations of hope arrive, it becomes a prince.” Love, fear, and hope are joined: love without fear is impaired; fear without hope is impaired; and hope without fear is likewise impaired. Hope and love require longing. Chapter on longing. Longing is a noble state. It is related that the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “Is anyone longing for Paradise? By the Lord of the Kaʿbah, it is fragrant, its river flows, and its spouse is beautiful.” He also prayed, “I ask You for the delight of gazing upon Your face and longing to meet You”: the delight of gazing upon God’s face in the hereafter and longing to meet Him in this world.

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رَوَى أَيْضًا مَنِ اشْتَاقَ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ سَارَعَ إِلَى الْخَيْرَاتِ، وَقَدْ رَوَى أَيْضًا اشْتَاقَتِ الْجَنَّةُ إِلَى ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَى عَلِىٍّ وَعَمَّارٍ وَسَلْمَانَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَالشَّوْقُ هُوَ لِعَبْدٍ قَدْ تَبَرَّمَ بِبَقَاءيِهِ شَوْقًا إِلَى لِقَاءءِ مَحْبُوبِهِ، وَسُيِلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَنِ الشَّوْقِ فَقَالَ هُيْمَانُ الْقَلْبِ عِنْدَ ذِكْرِ الْمَحْبُوبِ، وَقَالَ آخَرُ الشَّوْقُ نَارُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَشْعَلَهَا فِي قُلُوبِ أَوْلِيَاءيِهِ حَتَّى يُحْرِقَ بِهَا مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مِنَ الْخَوَاطِرِ وَالْإِرَادَاتِ وَالْعَوَارِضِ وَالْحَاجَاتِ، وَقَالَ الْجَرِيْرِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لَوْلَا أَنَّ فِي الشَّوْقِ مُتْعَةً مَا حَمَلَ الضُّرَّ، وَقَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ مُلِئَتْ قُلُوبَهُمْ مِنَ الْمَحَبَّةِ فَطَارُوا بِاللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ طَرَبًا وَهَامُوا اِلَيْهِ اشْتِيَاقًا فَيَا لَهُمْ مِنْ قَلَقٍ مُشْتَاقٍ أسِفَ بِرَبِّهِ كُلِفَ دَنَفٌ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ سَكَنٌ غَيْرُهُ وَلَا مَأْلُوفٌ سِوَاهُ، وَأَهْلُ الشَّوْقِ فِي الشَّوْقِ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَحْوَالٍ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنِ اشْتَاقَ إِلَى مَا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِأَوْلِيَآيِهِ مِنَ الثَّوَابِ وَالْكَرَامَةِ وَالْفَضْلِ وَالرِّضْوَانِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنِ اشْتَاقَ إِلَى مَحْبُوبِهِ مِنْ شِدَّةِ مَحَبَّتِهِ وَتَبَرُّمِهِ بِبَقَاءيِهِ شَوْقًا إِلَى لِقَاءيِهِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ شَاهَدَ قُرْبَ سَيِّدِهِ أَنَّهُ حَاضِرٌ لَا يَغِيبُ فَتَنَعَّمَ قَلْبُهُ بِذِكْرِهِ وَقَالَ إِنَّمَا يَشْتَاقُ إِلَى غَايِبٍ وَهُوَ حَاضِرٌ لَا يَغِيبُ فَذَهَبَ بِالشَّوْقِ عَنْ رُؤْيَةِ الشَّوْقِ فَهُوَ مُشْتَاقٌ بِلَا شَوْقٍ وَدَلَائِلُهُ تَصِفُهُ عِنْدَ أَهْلِهِ بِالشَّوْقِ وَهُوَ لَا يَصِفُ نَفْسَهُ بِالشَّوْقِ، وَالشَّوْقُ يَقْتَضَى الْأُنْسَ، بَابُ حَالِ الْأُنْسِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَمَعْنَى الْأُنْسِ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى الِاعْتِمَادُ عَلَيْهِ وَالسُّكُونُ اِلَيْهِ وَالِاسْتِعَانَةُ بِهِ وَلَا يَتَهَيَّأُ أَنْ يُعَبَّرَ عَنْهُ بِأَكْثَرَ مِنْ هَذَا، وَقَدْ

rawā ayḍan mani ashtāqa ilā al-jannati sāraʿa ilā al-khayrāti , waqad rawā ayḍan ashtāqati al-jannatu ilā thalāthatin ilā ʿalī waʿammārin wasalmāna raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum ajmaʿīna, wa-al-shawqu huwa liʿabdin qad tabarrama bibaqāyihi shawqan ilā liqāʾi maḥbūbihi , wasuʾila baʿḍuhum ʿani al-shawqi faqāla huymānu al-qalbi ʿinda dhikri al-maḥbūbi, waqāla ākharu al-shawqu nāru Allāhi taʿālā ashʿalahā fī qulūbi awliyāyihi ḥattā yuḥriqa bihā mā fī qulūbihim mina al-khawāṭiri wa-al-irādāti wa-al-ʿawāriḍi wa-al-ḥājāti, waqāla al-jariyriyyu raḥimahu Allāhu taʿālā lawlā anna fī al-shawqi mutʿatan mā ḥamala al-ḍurra, waqāla abū saʿīdin al-kharrāzu raḥimahu Allāhu muliʾat qulūbahum mina al-maḥabbati faṭārū bi-Allāhi ʿazza wajalla ṭaraban wahāmū ilayhi ashtiyāqan fayā lahum min qalaqin mushtāqin ʾsifa birabbihi kulifa danafun laysa lahum sakanun ghayruhu walā maʾlūfun siwāhu, waʾahlu al-shawqi fī al-shawqi ʿalā thalāthati aḥwālin faminhum mani ashtāqa ilā mā waʿada Allāhu taʿālā liʾawliyāyihi mina al-thawābi wa-al-karāmati wa-al-faḍli wa-al-riḍwāni waminhum mani ashtāqa ilā maḥbūbihi min shiddati maḥabbatihi watabarrumihi bibaqāyihi shawqan ilā liqāyihi waminhum man shāhada qurba sayyidihi annahu ḥāḍirun lā yaghību fatanaʿʿama qalbuhu bidhikrihi waqāla innamā yashtāqu ilā ghāyibin wahuwa ḥāḍirun lā yaghību fadhahaba bi-al-shawqi ʿan ruʾyati al-shawqi fahuwa mushtāqun bilā shawqin wadalāyiluhu taṣifuhu ʿinda ahlihi bi-al-shawqi wahuwa lā yaṣifu nafsahu bi-al-shawqi, wa-al-shawqu yaqtaḍā al-unsa, bābu ḥāli al-unsi, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu taʿālā wamaʿnā al-unsi bi-Allāhi taʿālā al-āʿtimādu ʿalayhi wa-al-sukūnu ilayhi wa-al-āstiʿānatu bihi walā yatahayyaʾu an yuʿabbara ʿanhu biʾakthara min hadhā, waqad

It is also related: “Whoever longs for Paradise hastens to good deeds,” and, “Paradise longs for three: ʿAlī, ʿAmmār, and Salmān—may God be pleased with them all.” Longing belongs to a servant wearied by continued earthly life because he yearns to meet his Beloved. One shaykh defined it as “the heart’s rapt wandering when the Beloved is mentioned.” Another said, “Longing is God’s fire kindled in the hearts of His friends, burning away distracting thoughts, desires, intrusions, and needs.” Al-Jarīrī said, “Were there no delight in longing, one could not bear its pain.” Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz described hearts filled with love, soaring in rapture through God and wandering toward Him in yearning, grieved and lovesick, with no repose or familiar companion besides Him. The people of longing have three states. Some long for the reward, honour, bounty, and pleasure promised to God’s friends. Others long for the Beloved because of intense love and weariness with continued life. Others witness their Master’s nearness and presence, saying, “Only an absent one is longed for, but He is present and never absent.” Longing makes them absent from seeing longing itself: they long without consciously possessed longing. Its signs identify them to its people, though they do not describe themselves by it. Longing requires intimacy. Chapter on intimacy. Intimacy with God means relying upon Him, resting in Him, and seeking His aid; more than this can scarcely be expressed.

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رَوَى فِي الْخَبَرِ أَنَّ مُطَرِّفَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الشِّخِّيرِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ لِيَكُنْ أُنْسُكَ بِاللَّهِ وَانْقِطَاعُكَ اِلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى عِبَادًا اسْتَأْنَسُوا بِاللَّهِ فَكَانُوا فِي وُحْدَتِهِمْ أَشَدَّ اسْتِيْنَاسًا مِنَ النَّاسِ فِي كَثْرَتِهِمْ وَأَوْحَشَ مَا يَكُونُ النَّاسُ آِنَسَ مَا يَكُونُونَ وَآَنَسَ مَا يَكُونُ النَّاسُ أَوْحَشَ مَا يَكُونُونَ، وَمُطَرِّفُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مِنْ كِبَارِ التَّابِعِينَ وَكَذَلِكَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ الرَّاشِدِينَ، وَذَكَرَ عَنْ بَعْضِ الْعَارِفِينَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عِبَادًا أَرَادَهُمْ بِحَقِّ حَقَائِقِ الْأُنْسِ بِهِ فَأَخَذَهُمْ بِهِ عَنْ وَجَدَ طَعْمَ الْخَوْفِ مِمَّا سِوَاهُ، وَالْأُنْسُ بِاللَّهِ لِعَبْدٍ قَدْ كَمُلَتْ طَهَارَتُهُ وَصَفَاءءُ ذِكْرِهُ وَاسْتَوْحَشَ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا يَشْغَلُهُ عَنِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ آَنَسَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ، وَأَهْلُ الْأُنْسِ فِي الْأُنْسِ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَحْوَالٍ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَنِسَ بِالذِّكْرِ وَاسْتَوْحَشَ مِنَ الْغَفْلَةِ وَأَنِسَ بِالطَّاعَةِ وَاسْتَوْحَشَ مِنْ الذَّنْبِ كَمَا حَكَى عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَوَّلُ الْأِنْسِ مِنَ الْعَبْدِ أَنْ تَأْنَسَ النَّفْسُ وَالْجَوَارِحُ بِالْعَقْلِ وَيَأْنَسُ الْعَقْلُ وَالنَّفْسُ بِعِلْمِ الشَّرْعِ وَيَأْنَسُ الْعَقْلُ وَالنَّفْسُ وَالْجَوَارِحُ بِالْعَمَلِ لِلَّهِ خَالِصًا فَيَأْنَسُ الْعَبْدُ بِاللَّهِ اَى يَسْكُنُ اِلَيْهِ، وَالْحَالُ الثَّانِي مِنَ الْأِنْسِ فَهُوَ لَعَبْدٍ قَدِ اسْتَأْنَسَ بِاللَّهِ وَاسْتَوْحَشَ مِمَّا سِوَاهُ مِنَ الْعَوَارِضِ وَالْخَوَاطِرِ الْمُشْغِّلَةِ كَمَا ذُكِرَ عَنْ ذِي النُّونِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قِيلَ لَهُ مَا عَلَامَةُ الْأُنْسِ بِاللَّهِ قَالَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُ يُؤْنِسُكَ بِخُلُقِهِ فَإِنَّهُ هُوَ ذَا يُوَحِّشُكَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُ يُوَحِّشُكَ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ فَهُوَ ذَا يُؤْنِسُكَ بِنَفْسِهِ، وَسُيِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْأِنْسِ

rawā fī al-khabari anna muṭarrifa bna ʿabdi Allāhi bni al-shikhkhīri raḥimahu Allāhu kataba ilā ʿumara bni ʿabdi al-ʿazīzi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu liyakun unsuka bi-Allāhi wa-anqiṭāʿuka ilayhi fa-inna lillāhi taʿālā ʿibādan astaʾnasū bi-Allāhi fakānū fī wuḥdatihim ashadda astiynāsan mina al-nāsi fī kathratihim waʾawḥasha mā yakūnu al-nāsu āinasa mā yakūnūna wānasa mā yakūnu al-nāsu awḥasha mā yakūnūna, wamuṭarrifu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi min kibāri al-tābiʿīna wakadhalika ʿumaru bnu ʿabdi al-ʿazīzi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu mina al-ayimmati al-rāshidīna, wadhakara ʿan baʿḍi al-ʿārifīna annahu qāla inna lillāhi ʿazza wajalla ʿibādan arādahum biḥaqqi ḥaqāyiqi al-unsi bihi faʾakhadhahum bihi ʿan wajada ṭaʿma al-khawfi mimmā siwāhu , wa-al-unsu bi-Allāhi liʿabdin qad kamulat ṭahāratuhu waṣafāʾu dhikrihu wa-astawḥasha min kulli mā yashghaluhu ʿani Allāhi taʿālā faʿinda dhalika āanasahu Allāhu taʿālā bihi, waʾahlu al-unsi fī al-unsi ʿalā thalāthati aḥwālin faminhum man anisa bi-al-dhikri wa-astawḥasha mina al-ghaflati waʾanisa bi-al-ṭāʿati wa-astawḥasha min al-dhanbi kamā ḥakā ʿan sahli bni ʿabdi Allāhi raḥimahu Allāhu annahu qāla awwalu al-insi mina al-ʿabdi an taʾnasa al-nafsu wa-al-jawāriḥu bi-al-ʿaqli wayaʾnasu al-ʿaqlu wa-al-nafsu biʿilmi al-sharʿi wayaʾnasu al-ʿaqlu wa-al-nafsu wa-al-jawāriḥu bi-al-ʿamali lillāhi khāliṣan fayaʾnasu al-ʿabdu bi-Allāhi ā yaskunu ilayhi , wa-al-ḥālu al-thānī mina al-insi fahuwa laʿabdin qadi astaʾnasa bi-Allāhi wa-astawḥasha mimmā siwāhu mina al-ʿawāriḍi wa-al-khawāṭiri al-mushghghilati kamā dhukira ʿan dhī al-nūni raḥimahu Allāhu annahu qīla lahu mā ʿalāmatu al-unsi bi-Allāhi qāla idhā raʾaytahu yuʾnisuka bikhuluqihi fa-innahu huwa dhā yuwaḥḥishuka min nafsihi waʾidhā raʾaytahu yuwaḥḥishuka min khalqihi fahuwa dhā yuʾnisuka binafsihi, wasuʾila al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-insi

It is related that Muṭarrif ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Shikhkhīr wrote to ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz: “Let your intimacy be with God and your whole devotion toward Him. God has servants who find such intimacy with Him that in solitude they are more at ease than crowds are together; they feel most intimate when people feel most lonely, and most lonely when people feel most intimate.” Muṭarrif was a leading Successor, and ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz one of the rightly guided imams. A knower said, “God has servants whom He desired for the true realities of intimacy with Him; through Himself He takes them beyond tasting fear of anything besides Him.” Intimacy belongs to a servant whose purity and remembrance are complete and who feels estranged from everything distracting him from God; then God grants him intimacy with Himself. Its people have three states. The first finds intimacy in remembrance and estrangement in heedlessness, intimacy in obedience and estrangement in sin. Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh said, “The beginning is for self and limbs to become at ease with reason; for reason and self to become at ease with revealed law; and for reason, self, and limbs to become at ease with sincere action for God. Then the servant finds intimacy with God—that is, rests in Him.” The second state belongs to one intimate with God and estranged from every distracting thought and intrusion. Dhū al-Nūn said, “If you see God making a person intimate with His creatures, He is making him estranged from Himself; if you see Him making a person estranged from His creatures, He is making him intimate with Himself.” Al-Junayd was asked about intimacy

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بِاللَّهِ فَقَالَ ارْتِفَاعُ الْحِشْمَةِ مَعَ وُجُودِ الْهَيْبَةِ، وَقَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْمَارَسْتَانِى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَسُيِلَ عَنِ الْاُنْسِ قَالَ فَرَحُ الْقَلْبِ بِالْمَحْبُوبِ، وَالْحَالُ الثَّالِثُ مِنَ الْاُنْسِ هُوَ الذَّهَابُ عَنْ رُؤْيَةِ الْأُنْسِ بِوُجُودِ الْهَيْبَةِ وَالْقُرْبِ وَالتَّعْظِيمِ مَعَ الْاُنْسِ كَمَا ذُكِرَ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عِبَادًا اَوْجَدَهُمْ مِنَ الْهَيْبَةِ لَهُ مَا اَخَذَهُمْ بِهِ عَنِ الْاُنْسِ بِغَيْرِهِ، وَهَذَا كَمَا ذُكِرَ عَنْ ذِي النُّونِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّ رَجُلًا كَتَبَ اِلَيْهِ آَنْسَكَ اللَّهُ بِقُرْبِهِ فَكَتَبَ اِلَيْهِ ذُو النُّونِ أَوْحَشَكَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قُرْبِهِ فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا آَنَسَكَ بِقُرْبِهِ فَهُوَ قَدْرُكَ وَإِذَا أَوْحَشَكَ مِنْ قُرْبِهِ فَهُوَ قَدَرُهُ مَعْنًى قَوْلُهُ أَوْحَشَكَ مِنْ قُرْبِهِ يَعْنِى بِأَنْ يُوجِدَكَ هَيْبَةُ قُرْبِهِ، وَسُيِلَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْاُنْسِ فَقَالَ وَحَشَتُكَ مِنْكَ وَمِنْ نَفْسِكَ وَمِنَ الْكَوْنِ، وَالْأُنْسُ بِاللَّهِ يَقْتَضِى الطُّمَأْنِينَةَ، بَابُ حَالِ الْاطْمَأْنِينَةِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ وَفِي التَّفْسِيرِ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ بِالْإِيمَانِ، وَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ، وَقَالَ فِي قِصَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَمُ وَلَكِنْ لِيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي، وَقَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ إِذَا سَكَنَ قَلْبُ الْعَبْدِ إِلَى مَوْلَاهُ وَاطْمَأَنَّ اِلَيْهِ قَوِيَتْ حَالُ الْعَبْدِ فَإِذَا قَوِيَتْ أُنِسَ بِالْعَبْدِ

bi-Allāhi faqāla artifāʿu al-ḥishmati maʿa wujūdi al-haybati, waqāla ibrāhīmu al-mārastānī raḥimahu Allāhu wasuʾila ʿani al-unsi qāla faraḥu al-qalbi bi-al-maḥbūbi, wa-al-ḥālu al-thālithu mina al-unsi huwa al-dhahābu ʿan ruʾyati al-insi biwujūdi al-haybati wa-al-qurbi wa-al-taʿẓīmi maʿa al-unsi kamā dhukira ʿan baʿḍi ahli al-maʿrifati annahu qāla inna lillāhi ʿibādan awjadahum mina al-haybati lahu mā akhadhahum bihi ʿani al-unsi bighayrihi, wahadhā kamā dhukira ʿan dhī al-nūni raḥimahu Allāhu anna rajulan kataba ilayhi āansaka Allāhu biqurbihi fakataba ilayhi dhū al-nūni awḥashaka Allāhu min qurbihi fa-innahu idhā āanasaka biqurbihi fahuwa qadruka waʾidhā awḥashaka min qurbihi fahuwa qadaruhu maʿnanā qawluhu awḥashaka min qurbihi yaʿnī biʾan yūjidaka haybatu qurbihi, wasuʾila al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-unsi faqāla waḥashatuka minka wamin nafsika wamina al-kawni , wa-al-insu bi-Allāhi yaqtaḍī al-āṭmaʾanīnata, bābu ḥāli al-āṭmaʾnīnati , qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu waqad qāla Allāhu taʿālā yā ayyatuhā al-nafsu al-muṭmaʾinnatu wafī al-tafsīri al-muṭmaʾinnatu bi-al-īmāni, waqāla ʿazza wajalla alladhīna āmanū wataṭmaʾinnu qulūbuhum bidhikri Allāhi alā bidhikri Allāhi taṭmaʾinnu al-qulūbu, waqāla fī qiṣṣati ibrāhīma ʿalayhi al-salamu walakin liyaṭmaʾinna qalbī, waqāla sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi raḥimahu Allāhu idhā sakana qalbu al-ʿabdi ilā mawlāhu wa-aṭmaʾanna ilayhi qawiyat ḥālu al-ʿabdi faʾidhā qawiyat unisa bi-al-ʿabdi

with God and replied, “The removal of reserve while awe remains.” Ibrāhīm al-Māristānī defined it as “the heart’s joy in the Beloved.” The third state is absence from seeing intimacy because awe, nearness, and reverence are present with it. One knower said, “God has servants in whom He brings forth such awe that it removes them from intimacy with anything other than Him.” A man wrote to Dhū al-Nūn, “May God grant you intimacy through His nearness.” Dhū al-Nūn replied, “May God make you feel estranged through His nearness. If His nearness merely gives you intimacy, that reflects your measure; if its awe makes you estranged, that reflects His measure.” Al-Shiblī said intimacy is “your estrangement from yourself, your soul, and the cosmos.” Intimacy with God requires serenity. Chapter on serenity. God Most High says, “O tranquil soul,” interpreted as tranquil through faith; “Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in God’s remembrance—surely hearts find rest in God’s remembrance”; and, in Abraham’s story, “But so that my heart may be reassured.” Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh said, “When the servant’s heart rests in its Master and becomes serene in Him, the servant’s state grows strong; when it grows strong, everything becomes intimate with the servant.”

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كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَسُيِلَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الدَّامَغَانِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ الْآيَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْقُلُوبَ هَشَّتْ وَبَشَّتْ وَسَكَنَتْ وَاسْتَأْنَسَتْ ثُمَّ كُشِفَ عَنْهُ، قَالَ هَشَّتْ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ إِجْلَالِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَعَظَمَتِهِ وَبَشَّتْ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ وَفَضْلِهِ وَسَكَنْتُ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ كِفَايَةِ اللَّهِ وَصِدْقِهِ وَاسْتَأْنَسْتُ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ إِحْسَانِ اللَّهِ وَلُطْفِهِ، قَالَ وَسُيِلَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ مَعْنَى قَوْلِ أَبِى سُلَيْمَانَ الدَّارَانِىِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ النَّفْسُ إِذَا أَحْرَزَتْ قُوتَهَا اطْمَأَنَّتْ فَقَالَ إِذَا عَرَفَتْ مَنْ يَقُوتُهَا اطْمَأَنَّتْ، وَالْاطْمَأْنِينَةُ حَالٌ رَفِيعٌ وَهِيَ لِعَبْدٍ رَجَحَ عَقْلُهُ وَقَوَّى اِيمَانُهُ وَرَسَخَ عِلْمُهُ وَصَفَا ذِكْرُهُ وَثَبَتَتْ حَقِيقَتُهُ وَهِيَ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ ضُرُوبٍ فَضُرِبَ مِنْهَا لِلْعَامَّةِ لِأَنَّهُمْ إِذَا ذَكَرُوهُ اطْمَأَنُّوا إِلَى ذِكْرِهِمْ لَهُ فَحَظُّهُمْ مِنْهُ الْإِجَابَةُ لِلدَّعَوَاتِ بِاتِّسَاعِ الرِّزْقِ وَدَفْعِ الْآفَاتِ، وَهُوَ مَا قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ يَعْنَى بِالْإِيمَانِ بِأَنْ لَا دَافِعَ وَلَا مَانِعَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، قَالَ وَالضَّرْبُ الثَّانِي لِلْخُصُوصِ لِأَنَّهُمْ رَضُوا بِقَضَاءيِهِ وَصَبَرُوا عَلَى بَلَاءيِهِ وَأَخْلَصُوا وَاتَّقَوْا وَسَكَنُوا وَاطْمَأَنُّوا إِلَى قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مُحْسِنُونَ وَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ، فَاطْمَأنُّوا وَسَكَنُوا إِلَى قَوْلِهِ مَعَ فَكَانَتِ اطْمَأَنِيِنَتُهُمْ مَمْزُوجَةً بِرُؤْيَةِ طَاعَتِهِمْ، وَالضَّرْبُ الثَّالِثُ لِخُصُوصِ الْخُصُوصِ عَلِمُوا أَنَّ سَرَائِرَهُمْ لَا تَقْدِرُ أَنْ تَطْمَئِنَّ اِلَيْهِ وَلَا تَسْكُنَ مَعَهُ هَيْبَةً وَتَعْظِيمًا لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ غَايَةٌ تُدْرَكُ

kulli shayʾin, wasuʾila al-ḥasanu bnu ʿaliyyin al-dāmaghāniyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan qawlihi ʿazza wajalla alladhīna āmanū wataṭmaʾinnu qulūbuhum bidhikri Allāhi al-āyata faqāla inna al-qulūba hashshat wabashshat wasakanat wa-astaʾnasat thumma kushifa ʿanhu, qāla hashshat min maʿrifati ijlāli Allāhi taʿālā waʿaẓamatihi wabashshat min maʿrifati raḥmati Allāhi wafaḍlihi wasakantu min maʿrifati kifāyati Allāhi waṣidqihi wa-astaʾnastu min maʿrifati iḥsāni Allāhi waluṭfihi, qāla wasuʾila al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan maʿnā qawli abī sulaymāna al-dārānī raḥimahu Allāhu al-nafsu idhā aḥrazat qūtahā aṭmaʾannat faqāla idhā ʿarafat man yaqūtuhā aṭmaʾannat, wa-al-āṭmaʾnīnatu ḥālun rafīʿun wahiya liʿabdin rajaḥa ʿaqluhu waqawwā īmānuhu warasakha ʿilmuhu waṣafā dhikruhu wathabatat ḥaqīqatuhu wahiya ʿalā thalāthati ḍurūbin faḍuriba minhā lilʿāmmati liʾannahum idhā dhakarūhu aṭmaʾannū ilā dhikrihim lahu faḥaẓẓuhum minhu al-ijābatu lilddaʿawāti biāttisāʿi al-rizqi wadafʿi al-āfāti, wahuwa mā qāla Allāhu ʿazza wajalla al-nafsu al-muṭmaʾinnatu yaʿnā bi-al-īmāni biʾan lā dāfiʿa walā māniʿa illā Allāhu, qāla wa-al-ḍarbu al-thānī lilkhuṣūṣi liʾannahum raḍū biqaḍāyihi waṣabarū ʿalā balāyihi waʾakhlaṣū wa-attaqawā wasakanū wa-aṭmaʾannū ilā qawlihi ʿazza wajalla inna Allāha maʿa alladhīna attaqawā wa-alladhīna hum muḥsinūna wa inna Allāha maʿa al-ṣābirīna , fa-aṭmaʾnnū wasakanū ilā qawlihi maʿa fakānati aṭmaʾaniyinatuhum mamzūjatan biruʾyati ṭāʿatihim, wa-al-ḍarbu al-thālithu likhuṣūṣi al-khuṣūṣi ʿalimū anna sarāyirahum lā taqdiru an taṭmaʾinna ilayhi walā taskuna maʿahu haybatan wataʿẓīman liānnahu laysa lahu ghāyatun tudraku

Al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī al-Dāmghānī, asked about “those who believe and whose hearts find rest in God’s remembrance,” said: “Hearts stirred, rejoiced, became still, and found intimacy.” He explained: they stirred through knowledge of God’s majesty and greatness; rejoiced through knowledge of His mercy and bounty; became still through knowledge of His sufficiency and truthfulness; and found intimacy through knowledge of His beneficence and gentleness. Al-Shiblī was asked about Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī’s saying, “When the soul secures its nourishment, it becomes tranquil.” He replied, “When it knows who nourishes it, it becomes tranquil.” Serenity is a lofty state for a servant whose reason is sound, faith strong, knowledge firmly rooted, remembrance pure, and realization stable. It has three forms. Ordinary believers find serenity when they remember God, but their share is answered prayer, abundant provision, and protection from affliction. “The tranquil soul” means tranquil through faith that none repels or withholds except God. The elect are content with His decree, patient under His trials, sincere and God-conscious. They rest in “God is with those who are mindful and do good” and “God is with the patient”; their serenity is still mingled with seeing their own obedience. The elect of the elect know that their deepest consciousness cannot settle into Him or rest beside Him because of awe and reverence: He has no limit that can be grasped.

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وَ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ فَمَنْ كَانَتِ الْأَشْيَاءُ فِي سِرِّهِ كَذَلِكَ فَإِلَى مَا ذَا يَطْمَئِنُّ أَوْ يَسْكُنُ قَلْبُهُ وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي عَطَشِ التَّمَنَّى فِي طَلَبِ الزِّيَادَةِ وَقَعَ فِي الْبَحْرِ الَّذِي لَا تُجْرَى فِيهِ الْأَوْهَامُ، وَهَذَا كَلَامٌ قَدِ اخْتَصَرْتُه مِنْ كَلَامٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ، وَالْاطْمَأْنِينَةُ تَقْتَضِى حَالَ الْمُشَاهَدَةِ، بَابُ حَالِ الْمُشَاهَدَةِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَذِكْرَى لِمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ يَعْنِى حَاضِرَ الْقَلْبِ، وَقَالَ أَيْضًا وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ، وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَالشَّاهِدُ الرَّبُّ وَالْمَشْهُودُ الْكَوْنُ أَعْدَمَهُمْ ثُمَّ أَوْجَدَهُمْ، وَقَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَمَنْ شَاهَدَ اللَّهَ بِقَلْبِهِ خَنَسَ عَنْهُ مَا دُونَهُ وَتَلَاشَى كُلُّ شَيْءٍ وَغَابَ عِنْدَ وُجُودِ عَظَمَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَلَمْ يَبْقَ فِي الْقَلْبِ إِلَّا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَقَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عَثْمَنَ الْمُكَّى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْمُشَاهَدَةُ مَا لَاقَتِ الْقُلُوبَ مِنَ الْغَيْبِ بِالْغَيْبِ وَلَا يَجْعَلُهَا عِيَانًا وَلَا يَجْعَلُهَا وَجْدًا، وَقَالَ أَيْضًا الْمُشَاهَدَةُ وَصْلٌ بَيْنَ رُؤْيَةِ الْقُلُوبِ وَبَيْنَ رُؤْيَةِ الْعِيَانِ لِأَنَّ رُؤْيَةَ الْقُلُوبِ عِنْدَ كَشْفِ الْيَقِينِ فِي زِيَادَةِ تَوَهُّمٍ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُ النَّبِيِّ صَلْعَمٌ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ اعْبُدِ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ الْحَدِيثَ، وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ فَقَالُوا هُوَ مُشَاهَدَةُ الْأَشْيَاءِ بِعَيْنِ الْعِبَرِ وَمُعَايَنَتُهَا بِأَعْيُنِ الْفِكْرِ،

wa laysa kamithlihi shayʾun wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan aḥadun faman kānati al-ashyāʾu fī sirrihi kadhalika faʾilā mā dhā yaṭmaʾinnu aw yaskunu qalbuhu waman waqaʿa fī ʿaṭashi al-tamannā fī ṭalabi al-ziyādati waqaʿa fī al-baḥri alladhī lā tujrā fīhi al-awhāmu, wahadhā kalāmun qadi akhtaṣartuh min kalāmin al-wāsiṭiyyu, wa-al-āṭmaʾnīnatu taqtaḍī ḥāla al-mushāhadati, bābu ḥāli al-mushāhadati, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu waqad qāla Allāhu taʿālā inna fī dhalika ladhikrā liman kāna lahu qalbun aw alqā al-samʿa wahuwa shahīdun yaʿnī ḥāḍira al-qalbi , waqāla ayḍan washāhidin wamashhūdin, waqāla abū bakrin al-wāsiṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu fa-al-shāhidu al-rabbu wa-al-mashhūdu al-kawnu aʿdamahum thumma awjadahum, waqāla abū saʿīdin al-kharrāzu raḥimahu Allāhu faman shāhada Allāha biqalbihi khanasa ʿanhu mā dūnahu watalāshā kullu shayʾin waghāba ʿinda wujūdi ʿaẓamati Allāhi taʿālā walam yabqa fī al-qalbi illā Allāhu ʿazza wajalla, waqāla ʿamrū bnu ʿathmana al-mukkā raḥimahu Allāhu al-mushāhadatu mā lāqati al-qulūba mina al-ghaybi bi-al-ghaybi walā yajʿaluhā ʿiyānan walā yajʿaluhā wajdan , waqāla ayḍan al-mushāhadatu waṣlun bayna ruʾyati al-qulūbi wabayna ruʾyati al-ʿiyāni liānna ruʾyata al-qulūbi ʿinda kashfi al-yaqīni fī ziyādati tawahhumin, wahuwa qawlu al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama liʿabdi Allāhi bni ʿumara raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu aʿbudi Allāha kaʾannaka tarāhu al-ḥadītha, wa-ammā qawluhu ʿazza wajalla wahuwa shahīdun faqālū huwa mushāhadatu al-ashyāʾi biʿayni al-ʿibari wamuʿāyanatuhā biʾaʿyuni al-fikri,

“Nothing is like Him” and “None is comparable to Him.” When things are thus known inwardly, in what could the heart rest? Whoever thirsts for ever-increasing disclosure enters an ocean where imagination cannot sail. This is an abridgement of al-Wāsiṭī’s discourse. Serenity requires witnessing. Chapter on witnessing. God Most High says, “In that is a reminder for one who has a heart, or lends an ear while present”—that is, present in heart—and, “By the witness and the witnessed.” Abū Bakr al-Wāsiṭī said, “The Witness is the Lord and the witnessed is creation: He caused them not to be, then brought them into being.” Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz said, “Whoever witnesses God with the heart finds everything besides Him retreating and dissolving before God’s greatness, until nothing remains in the heart but God, mighty and majestic.” ʿAmr ibn ʿUthmān al-Makkī said, “Witnessing is what hearts encounter from the unseen through the unseen; it is neither direct ocular seeing nor merely spiritual finding.” He also called it a link between the heart’s vision and direct sight, for the heart’s vision arises when certainty is unveiled with an increase of inward apprehension. This is expressed in the Prophet’s instruction to ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar—may God be pleased with him—“Worship God as though you see Him.” The phrase “while present” was also explained as witnessing things with the eye of reflection and examining them through thoughtful insight.

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وَقَالَ عَمْرٌو الْمُكِّى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْمُشَاهَدَةُ يَعْنِى الْمُحَاضَرَةَ يَعْنِى الْمُدَانَاةَ كَمَا ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَسْئَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ يَعْنِى قَرِيبَةً مِنَ الْبَحْرِ شَاهِدَةَ الْبَحْرِ، وَقَالَ عَمْرٌو الْمُكِّى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْمُشَاهَدَةُ زَوَائِدُ الْيَقِينِ سَطَعَتْ بِكَوَاشِفِ الْحُضُورِ غَيْرِ خَارِجَةٍ مِنْ تَغْطِيَةِ الْقَلْبِ، وَقَالَ أَيْضًا الْمُشَاهَدَةُ حُضُورٌ بِمَعْنَى قُرْبٍ مَقْرُونٌ بِعِلْمِ الْيَقِينِ وَحَقَائِقِهَا، وَأَهْلُ الْمُشَاهَدَةِ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَحْوَالٍ فَالْأَوَّلُ مِنْهَا الْأَصَاغِرُ وَهُمُ الْمُرِيدُونَ وَهُوَ مَا قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يُشَاهِدُونَ الْأَشْيَاءَ بِعَيْنٍ الْعِبَرُ وَيُشَاهِدُونَهَا بِأَعْيُنِ الْفِكْرِ، وَالْحَالُ الثَّانِي مِنَ الْمُشَاهَدَةِ الْأَوْسَاطُ وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَشَارَ اِلَيْهِ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ حَيْثُ يَقُولُ الْخَلْقُ فِي قَبْضَةِ الْحَقِّ وَفِي مُلْكِهِ فَإِذَا وَقَعَتِ الْمُشَاهَدَةُ فِيمَا بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَبَيْنَ الْعَبْدِ لَا يَبْقَى فِي سِرِّهِ وَلَا فِي وَهْمِهِ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَالْحَالُ الثَّالِثُ مِنَ الْمُشَاهَدَةِ مَا أَشَارَ اِلَيْهِ عَمْرُو بْنُ عَثْمَنٍ الْمُكَّى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِ الْمُشَاهَدَةِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ قُلُوبَ الْعَارِفِينَ شَاهَدَتِ اللَّهَ مُشَاهَدَةَ تَثْبِيتٍ فَشَاهَدُوهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَشَاهَدُوا كُلَّ الْكَائِنَاتِ بِهِ فَكَانَتْ مُشَاهَدَتُهُمْ لَدَيْهِ وَلَهُمْ بِهِ فَكَانُوا غَايِبِينَ حَاضِرِينَ وَحَاضِرِينَ غَايِبِينَ عَلَى انْفِرَادِ الْحَقِّ فِي الْغَيْبَةِ وَالْحُضُورِ فَشَاهَدُوهُ ظَاهِرًا وَبَاطِنًا وَبَاطِنًا وَظَاهِرًا وَآخِرًا أَوَّلًا وَأَوَّلًا آخِرًا كَمَا قَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ، وَالْمُشَاهَدَةُ حَالٌ رَفِيعٌ وَهِيَ مِنْ لَوَائِحِ زِيَادَاتُ حَقَائِقِ الْيَقِينِ، وَتُقْتَضَى حَالَ الْيَقِينِ،

waqāla ʿamrunw al-mukkī raḥimahu Allāhu al-mushāhadatu yaʿnī al-muḥāḍarata yaʿnī al-mudānāta kamā dhakara Allāhu ʿazza wajalla wasʾalhum ʿani al-qaryati allatī kānat ḥāḍirata al-baḥri yaʿnī qarībatan mina al-baḥri shāhidata al-baḥri, waqāla ʿamrunw al-mukkī raḥimahu Allāhu al-mushāhadatu zawāyidu al-yaqīni saṭaʿat bikawāshifi al-ḥuḍūri ghayri khārijatin min taghṭiyati al-qalbi , waqāla ayḍan al-mushāhadatu ḥuḍūrun bimaʿnā qurbin maqrūnun biʿilmi al-yaqīni waḥaqāyiqihā, waʾahlu al-mushāhadati ʿalā thalāthati aḥwālin fa-al-awwalu minhā al-aṣāghiru wahumu al-murīdūna wahuwa mā qāla abū bakrin al-wāsiṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu yushāhidūna al-ashyāʾa biʿaynin al-ʿibaru wayushāhidūnahā biʾaʿyuni al-fikri, wa-al-ḥālu al-thānī mina al-mushāhadati al-awsāṭu wahuwa alladhī ashāra ilayhi abū saʿīdin al-kharrāzu raḥimahu Allāhu ḥaythu yaqūlu al-khalqu fī qabḍati al-ḥaqqi wafī mulkihi faʾidhā waqaʿati al-mushāhadatu fīmā bayna Allāhi wabayna al-ʿabdi lā yabqā fī sirrihi walā fī wahmihi ghayru Allāhi taʿālā, wa-al-ḥālu al-thālithu mina al-mushāhadati mā ashāra ilayhi ʿamrū bnu ʿathmanin al-mukkā raḥimahu Allāhu fī kitābi al-mushāhadati faqāla inna qulūba al-ʿārifīna shāhadati Allāha mushāhadata tathbītin fashāhadūhu bikulli shaʾin washāhadū kulla al-kāyināti bihi fakānat mushāhadatuhum ladayhi walahum bihi fakānū ghāyibīna ḥāḍirīna waḥāḍirīna ghāyibīna ʿalā anfirādi al-ḥaqqi fī al-ghaybati wa-al-khuṣūri fashāhadūhu ẓāhiran wabāṭinan wabāṭinan waẓāhiran wākhiran awwalan waʾawwalan ākhiran kamā qāla ʿazza wajalla huwa al-awwalu wa-al-ākhiru wa-al-ẓāhiru wa-al-bāṭinu wahuwa bikulli shayʾin ʿalīmun, wa-al-mushāhadatu ḥālun rafīʿun wahiya min lawāyiḥi ziyādātu ḥaqāyiqi al-yaqīni, watuqtaḍā ḥāla al-yaqīni,

ʿAmr al-Makkī said that witnessing means presence and nearness, as “the town present by the sea” means a town near and overlooking it. He also said, “Witnessing is the increase of certainty shining through disclosures of presence, though still covered by the heart.” It is presence in the sense of nearness, joined to the knowledge and realities of certainty. Its people have three states. Beginners and aspirants witness things as lessons and through reflective insight. The middle rank is described by Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz: creation is in the Real’s grasp and dominion; when witnessing occurs between God and the servant, nothing but God remains in the servant’s inner consciousness or imagination. The third state is described by ʿAmr ibn ʿUthmān al-Makkī: the knowers’ hearts witness God with stabilizing witnessing; they witness Him through every thing and every existent through Him. Their witnessing is before Him and for Him through Him. They are absent while present and present while absent, through the Real’s uniqueness in absence and presence. They witness Him outwardly and inwardly, inwardly and outwardly, last as first and first as last: “He is the First and Last, the Outward and Inward, and knows all things.” Witnessing is a lofty state, one of the flashes arising from increased realities of certainty, and it requires certainty.

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بَابُ حَالِ الْيَقِينِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْيَقِينَ فِي مَوَاضِعَ مِنْ كِتَابِهِ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَوْجُهٍ عِلْمِ الْيَقِينِ وَعَيْنِ الْيَقِينِ وَحَقِّ الْيَقِينِ، وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَلُوا اللَّهَ تَعَالَى الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ وَالْيَقِينَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، وَقَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ اَخِى عِيسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَمُ لَوِ ازْدَادَ يَقِينًا لَمَشَى فِي الْهَوَاءِ، وَقَالَ عَامِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ قَيْسٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لَوْ كُشِفَ الْغِطَاءُِ مَا ازْدَدْتُ يَقِينًا يَعْنِى عِنْدَ مُعَايَنَتِى لَمَا آمَنْتُ بِهِ مِنَ الْغَيْبِ، وَهَذَا كَلَامُ غَلَبَاتٍ وَوَجْدٍ وَتَحْقِيقٍ، وَقَدْ رَوَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلْعَمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ الْخَلْقُ يُبْعَثُونَ عَلَى مَا يَمُوتُونَ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَكُونُ الْخَبَرُ كَالْمُعَايَنَةِ فِي جَمِيعِ مَعَانِيهَا وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ وَجْهٌ آخَرُ وَهُوَ أَنْ يَعْنَى مَا ازْدَدْتَ عِلْمَ يَقِينٍ، وَقَالَ أَبُو يَعْقُوبَ النَّهْرَجُورَى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ إِذَا اسْتَكْمَلَ الْعَبْدُ حَقَائِقَ الْيَقِينِ صَارَ الْبَلَاءءُ عِنْدَهُ نِعْمَةً وَالرَّخَآءُ مُصِيبَةً، وَالْيَقِينُ هُوَ الْمُكَاشَفَةُ وَالْمُكَاشَفَةُ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَوْجُهٍ مُكَاشَفَةُ الْعِيَانِ بِالْأَبْصَارِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَمُكَاشَفَةُ الْقُلُوبِ بِحَقَائِقِ الْإِيمَانِ بِمُبَاشَرَةِ الْيَقِينِ بِلَا كَيْفٍ وَلَا حَدٍّ وَالْحَالَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ مُكَاشَفَةُ الْآيَاتِ بِإِظْهَارِ الْقُدْرَةِ لِلْأَنْبِيَآءِ عَلَيْهِمِ السَّلَمُ بِالْمُعْجِزَاتِ وَلِغَيْرِهِمْ بِالْكَرَامَاتِ وَالْإِجَابَاتِ، وَالْيَقِينُ حَالٌ رَفِيعٌ وَأَهْلُ الْيَقِينِ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَحْوَالٍ فَالْأَوَّلُ الْأَصَاغِرُ وَهُمُ الْمُرِيدُونَ وَالْعُمُومُ وَهُوَ كَمَا قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوَّلُ مَقَامِ الْيَقِينِ الثِّقَةُ بِمَا فِي يَدِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَالْإِيَاسُ مِمَّا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ، وَهُوَ مَا قَالَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ حَيْثُ سُيِلَ عَنِ الْيَقِينِ فَقَالَ الْيَقِينُ ارْتِفَاعُ الشَّكِّ، وَقَالَ أَبُو يَعْقُوبَ إِذَا وَجَدَ الْعَبْدُ الرِّضَا بِمَا قَسَمَ اللَّهُ لَهُ فَقَدْ تَكَامَلَ فِيهِ الْيَقِينُ، وَسُيِلَ رُوَيْمُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْيَقِينِ فَقَالَ

bābu ḥāli al-yaqīni, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu waqad dhakara Allāhu taʿālā al-yaqīna fī mawāḍiʿa min kitābihi ʿalā thalāthati awjuhin ʿilmi al-yaqīni waʿayni al-yaqīni waḥaqqi al-yaqīni, waqāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama salū Allāha taʿālā al-ʿafwa wa-al-ʿāfiyata wa-al-yaqīna fī al-dunyā wa-al-ākhirati, waqāla ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama raḥima Allāhu akhī ʿīsā ʿalayhi al-salamu lawi azdāda yaqīnan lamashā fī al-hawāʾi , waqāla ʿāmiru bnu ʿabdi qaysin raḥimahu Allāhu law kushifa al-ghiṭāʾu mā azdadtu yaqīnan yaʿnī ʿinda muʿāyanatī lamā āmantu bihi mina al-ghaybi, wahadhā kalāmu ghalabātin wawajdin wataḥqīqin, waqad rawā ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla al-khalqu yubʿathūna ʿalā mā yamūtūna ʿalayhi, walā yakūnu al-khabaru ka-al-muʿāyanati fī jamīʿi maʿānīhā wayajūzu an yakūna lahu wajhun ākharu wahuwa an yaʿnā mā azdadta ʿilma yaqīnin , waqāla abū yaʿqūba al-nahrajūrā raḥimahu Allāhu idhā astakmala al-ʿabdu ḥaqāyiqa al-yaqīni ṣāra al-balāʾu ʿindahu niʿmatan wa-al-rakhāʾu muṣībatan , wa-al-yaqīnu huwa al-mukāshafatu wa-al-mukāshafatu ʿalā thalāthati awjuhin mukāshafatu al-ʿiyāni bi-al-abṣāri yawma al-qīmati wamukāshafatu al-qulūbi biḥaqāyiqi al-īmāni bimubāsharati al-yaqīni bilā kayfin walā ḥaddin wa-al-ḥālatu al-thālithatu mukāshafatu al-āyāti biʾiẓhāri al-qudrati lilʾanbiyāʾi ʿalayhimi al-salamu bi-al-muʿjizāti walighayrihim bi-al-karāmāti wa-al-ijābāti, wa-al-yaqīnu ḥālun rafīʿun waʾahlu al-yaqīni ʿalā thalāthati aḥwālin fa-al-awwalu al-aṣāghiru wahumu al-murīdūna wa-al-ʿumūmu wahuwa kamā qāla baʿḍuhum awwalu maqāmi al-yaqīni al-thiqatu bimā fī yadi Allāhi taʿālā wa-al-iyāsu mimmā fī aydī al-nāsi, wahuwa mā qāla al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu ḥaythu suʾila ʿani al-yaqīni faqāla al-yaqīnu artifāʿu al-shakki, waqāla abū yaʿqūba idhā wajada al-ʿabdu al-riḍā bimā qasama Allāhu lahu faqad takāmala fīhi al-yaqīnu, wasuʾila ruwaymu bnu aḥmada raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-yaqīni faqāla

Chapter on the state of certainty. God Most High mentions three forms in His Book: knowledge of certainty, the eye of certainty, and the truth of certainty. The Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “Ask God for pardon, wellbeing, and certainty in this world and the next.” He said, “May God have mercy on my brother Jesus—peace be upon him. Had he increased in certainty, he would have walked through the air.” ʿĀmir ibn ʿAbd Qays said, “Were the veil removed, my certainty would not increase,” meaning when directly beholding what he already believed from the unseen. This is the speech of overpowering states, spiritual finding, and realization; report is not identical with direct sight. Another meaning is that his knowledge of certainty would not increase. Abū Yaʿqūb al-Nahrajūrī said, “When the servant perfects certainty, affliction becomes a blessing and ease an affliction.” Certainty is unveiling, which has three forms: ocular unveiling on Resurrection Day; the heart’s unveiling through the realities of faith and immediate certainty, without manner or limit; and the unveiling of divine signs through manifestations of power—miracles for prophets, and charisms and answered prayers for others. Certainty is a lofty state. Its people have three ranks. The first, beginners and ordinary believers, begin with confidence in what is in God’s hand and despair of what is in people’s hands. Al-Junayd defined certainty as “the removal of doubt.” Abū Yaʿqūb said that contentment with what God apportions completes certainty. Ruwaym ibn Aḥmad defined it as

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تَحْقِيقُ الْقَلْبِ بِالْمَعْنَى عَلَى مَا هُوَ بِهِ، وَالثَّانِي الْأَوْسَاطُ وَهُمُ الْخُصُوصِ وَهُوَ مَا سُيِلَ ابْنُ عَطَاءٍ عَنِ الْيَقِينِ فَقَالَ مَا زَالَتْ فِيهِ الْمُعَارَضَاتُ عَلَى دَوَامِ الْأَوْقَاتِ، وَكَمَا قَالَ أَبُو يَعْقُوبَ النَّهْرَجُورَى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْعَبْدُ إِذَا تَحَقَّقَ بِالْيَقِينِ تَرَحَّلَ مِنْ يَقِينٍ إِلَى يَقِينٍ حَتَّى يَصِيرَ الْيَقِينُ لَهُ وَطَنًا، وَسُيِلَ أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ النُّورِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْيَقِينِ فَقَالَ الْيَقِينُ الْمُشَاهَدَةُ، وَمَعْنَى الْمُشَاهَدَةِ قَدْ ذَكَرْنَاهُ، وَالثَّالِثُ الْأَكَابِرُ وَهُمْ خُصُوصُ الْخُصُوصِ وَهُوَ مَا قَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عَثْمَنَ الْمُكَّى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْيَقِينُ فِي جُمْلَتِهِ تَحْقِيقُ الْإِثْبَاتِ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِكُلِّ صِفَاتِهِ، وَقَالَ حَدُّ الْيَقِينِ دَوَامُ انْتِصَابِ الْقُلُوبِ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِمَا أَوْرَدَ عَلَيْهَا الْيَقِينَ مِنْ حَرَكَاتِ مَا لَاقَى بِهِ الْإِلْهَامَ، وَقَالَ أَبُو يَعْقُوبَ لَا يَسْتَحِقُّ الْعَبْدُ الْيَقِينَ حَتَّى يَقْطَعَ كُلَّ سَبَبٍ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنَ الْعَرْشِ إِلَى الثَّرَى حَتَّى يَكُونَ مُرَادُهُ اللَّهَ لَا غَيْرُ وَيُؤثِرُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سِوَاهُ، وَلَيْسَ لِزِيَادَاتِ الْيَقِينِ نِهَايَةٌ كُلَّمَا تَفَهَّمُوا وَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ ازْدَادُوا يَقِينًا عَلَى يَقِينٍ، وَالْيَقِينُ أَصْلُ جَمِيعِ الْأَحْوَالِ وَاِلَيْهِ تُنْتَهَى جَمِيعُ الْأَحْوَالِ وَهُوَ آخِرُ الْأَحْوَالِ وَبَاطِنُ جَمِيعِ الْأَحْوَالِ وَجَمِيعِ الْأَحْوَالِ ظَاهِرُ الْيَقِينِ وَنِهَايَةٌ الْيَقِينُ تَحْقِيقُ التَّصْدِيقِ بِالْغَيْبِ بِإِزَالَةِ كُلِّ شَكٍّ وَرِيبٍ وَنِهَايَةُ الْيَقِينِ الِاسْتِبْشَارُ وَحَلَاوَةُ الْمُنَاجَاةِ وَصَفَاءءُ النَّظَرِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِمُشَاهَدَةِ الْقُلُوبِ بِحَقَائِقِ الْيَقِينِ بِإِزَالَةِ الْعِلَلِ وَمُعَارَضَةِ التُّهَمِ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ وَفِي الْأَرْضِ آيَاتٌ لِلْمُوقِنِينَ، وَقَالَ الْوَاسِطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ إِذَا أَيْقَنَ بِالْمَعْنَى وَقَعَ لَهُ مُشَاهَدَةُ الْأَحْوَالِ وَإِذَا انْكَشَفَ لَهُ حَقَائِقُ

taḥqīqu al-qalbi bi-al-maʿnā ʿalā mā huwa bihi, wa-al-thānī al-awsāṭu wahumu al-khuṣūṣi wahuwa mā suʾila abnu ʿaṭāʾin ʿani al-yaqīni faqāla mā zālat fīhi al-muʿāraḍātu ʿalā dawāmi al-awqāti , wakamā qāla abū yaʿqūba al-nahrajūrā raḥimahu Allāhu al-ʿabdu idhā taḥaqqaqa bi-al-yaqīni taraḥḥala min yaqīnin ilā yaqīnin ḥattā yaṣīra al-yaqīnu lahu waṭanan, wasuʾila abū al-ḥusayni al-nūriyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-yaqīni faqāla al-yaqīnu al-mushāhadatu, wamaʿnā al-mushāhadati qad dhakarnāhu, wa-al-thālithu al-akābiru wahum khuṣūṣu al-khuṣūṣi wahuwa mā qāla ʿamrū bnu ʿathmana al-mukkā raḥimahu Allāhu al-yaqīnu fī jumlatihi taḥqīqu al-ithbāti lillāhi ʿazza wajalla bikulli ṣifātihi, waqāla ḥaddu al-yaqīni dawāmu antiṣābi al-qulūbi lillāhi ʿazza wajalla bimā awrada ʿalayhā al-yaqīna min ḥarakāti mā lāqā bihi al-ilhāma, waqāla abū yaʿqūba lā yastaḥiqqu al-ʿabdu al-yaqīna ḥattā yaqṭaʿa kulla sababin baynahu wabayna Allāhi taʿālā mina al-ʿarshi ilā al-tharā ḥattā yakūna murāduhu Allāha lā ghayru wayuʾthiru Allāhu taʿālā ʿalā kulli shaʾin siwāhu , walaysa liziyādāti al-yaqīni nihāyatun kullamā tafahhamū watafaqqahū fī al-dīni azdādū yaqīnan ʿalā yaqīnin, wa-al-yaqīnu aṣlu jamīʿi al-aḥwāli wa-ilayhi tuntahā jamīʿu al-aḥwāli wahuwa ākhiru al-aḥwāli wabāṭinu jamīʿi al-aḥwāli wajamīʿi al-aḥwāli ẓāhiru al-yaqīni wanihāyatun al-yaqīnu taḥqīqu al-taṣdīqi bi-al-ghaybi biʾizālati kulli shakkin warībin wanihāyatu al-yaqīni al-āstibshāru waḥalāwatu al-munājāti waṣafāʾu al-naẓari ilā Allāhi taʿālā bimushāhadati al-qulūbi biḥaqāyiqi al-yaqīni biʾizālati al-ʿilali wamuʿāraḍati al-tuhami, qāla Allāhu taʿālā inna fī dhalika lāyātin lilmutawassimīna wafī al-arḍi āyātun lilmūqinīna, waqāla al-wāsiṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu idhā ayqana bi-al-maʿnā waqaʿa lahu mushāhadatu al-aḥwāli waʾidhā ankashafa lahu ḥaqāyiqu

“the heart’s realization of a meaning exactly as it is.” The second rank is the elect. Ibn ʿAṭāʾ said that challenges continue to arise within certainty at every moment. Abū Yaʿqūb al-Nahrajūrī said, “When the servant realizes certainty, he journeys from one certainty to another until certainty becomes his homeland.” Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Nūrī said, “Certainty is witnessing.” The third rank is the great, the elect of the elect. ʿAmr ibn ʿUthmān al-Makkī said, “Certainty as a whole is the realization of affirming God, mighty and majestic, with all His attributes.” Its limit is hearts continually standing before God in the movements brought upon them by certainty and in what meets inspiration. Abū Yaʿqūb said, “The servant does not deserve certainty until he cuts every secondary link between himself and God—from the Throne to the earth—so that God alone is his object and he prefers God to everything else.” Certainty has no final increase: as people deepen their understanding of religion, they gain certainty upon certainty. It is the root, inward reality, and culmination of every state; all states outwardly manifest certainty. Its completion is realized faith in the unseen with every doubt removed, gladness, the sweetness of intimate conversation, and purity of looking toward God through the heart’s witnessing, once obstructing causes and suspicions are removed. God says, “In that are signs for those who discern,” and, “On earth are signs for those with certainty.” Al-Wāsiṭī said, “When one becomes certain of the meaning, one witnesses the states; when the realities of the meaning are unveiled,”

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الْمَعْنَى خَرَجَ مِنْ أَشْجَانِ الْخَلْقِ، خَاطَبَهُمْ بِالتَّقْرِيبِ وَهُوَ الْكَشْفُ مِنَ الصِّدِّيقِيَّةِ، وَخَاطَبَهُمْ تَعَالَى بِالْمُشَاهَدَةِ فَقَالَ الصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ، الشُّهَدَاءُ بَاعُوهُ نُفُوسَهُمْ وَالصَّالِحُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ، كِتَابُ أَهْلِ الصَّفْوَةِ فِي الْفَهْمِ وَالِاتِّبَاعِ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، بَابُ الْمُوَافَقَةِ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ، وَقَالَ وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَقَالَ يس وَالْقُرْآنِ الْحَكِيمِ، وَقَالَ حِكْمَةٌ بَالِغَةٌ، وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْقُرْانُ حَبْلُ اللَّهِ الْمَتِينُ لَا تُنْقَضَى عَجَايِبُهُ وَلَا يُخْلَقُ عَنْ كَثْرَةِ الرَّدِّ مَنْ قَالَ بِهِ صَدَقَ وَمَنْ عَمِلَ بِهِ رَشَدَ وَمَنْ حَكَمَ بِهِ عَدَلَ وَمَنِ اعْتَصَمَ بِهِ هُدًى، وَرَوَى عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ مَنْ أَرَادَ الْعِلْمَ فَلْيُثَوِّرِ الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّ فِيهِ عِلْمَ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَالْآخِرِينَ، وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ألم ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ، فَعَلِمَ أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ بِهَذَا الْخِطَابِ أَنَّ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ الْقُرْآنُ الَّذِي لَا شَكَّ فِيهِ

al-maʿnā kharaja min ashjāni al-khalqi, khāṭabahum bi-al-taqrībi wahuwa al-kashfu mina al-ṣiddīqiyyati, wakhāṭabahum taʿālā bi-al-mushāhadati faqāla al-ṣiddīqīna wa-al-shuhadāʾi wa-al-ṣāliḥīna, al-shuhadāʾu bāʿūhu nufūsahum wa-al-ṣāliḥūna alladhīna hum liʾamānātihim waʿahdihim rāʿūna, kitābu ahli al-ṣafwati fī al-fahmi wa-al-āttibāʿi likitābi Allāhi ʿazza wajalla, bābu al-muwāfaqati likitābi Allāhi taʿālā, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu qāla Allāhu ʿazza wajalla huwa alladhī anzala ʿalayka al-kitāba minhu āyātun muḥkamātun hunna ummu al-kitābi waʾukharu mutashābihātun, waqāla wanunazzilu mina al-qurāni mā huwa shifāʾun waraḥmatun lilmuʾminīna, waqāla ys wa-al-qurāni al-ḥakīmi, waqāla ḥikmatun bi-al-ghatun, waqāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama al-qurānu ḥablu Allāhi al-matīnu lā tunqaḍā ʿajāyibuhu walā yukhlaqu ʿan kathrati al-raddi man qāla bihi ṣadaqa waman ʿamila bihi rashada waman ḥakama bihi ʿadala wamani aʿtaṣama bihi hudanā, warawā ʿan ʿabdi Allāhi bni masʿūdin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu annahu qāla man arāda al-ʿilma falyuthawwiri al-qurāna fa-inna fīhi ʿilma al-awwalīna wa-al-ākhirīna, waqad qāla Allāhu taʿālā ʾlm dhalika al-kitābu lā rayba fīhi hudanā lilmuttaqīna alladhīna yuʾminūna bi-al-ghaybi, faʿalima ahlu al-ʿilmi bihadhā al-khiṭābi anna fī kitābi Allāhi alladhī unzila ʿalā rasūlihi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama wahuwa al-qirānu alladhī lā shakka fīhi

“one leaves the entanglements of creation.” God addressed them through nearness—an unveiling belonging to utter truthfulness—and through witnessing: “the utterly truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous.” The martyrs sold Him their souls, while the righteous guard their trusts and covenants. Book on the People of Purity in Understanding and Following the Book of God, Mighty and Majestic. Chapter on conformity to God’s Book. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: God says, “He is the One who sent down the Book to you; some verses are decisive—the foundation of the Book—and others ambiguous”; “We send down of the Qur’an what is healing and mercy for believers”; “Yā Sīn. By the wise Qur’an”; and, “Consummate wisdom.” The Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “The Qur’an is God’s strong rope. Its wonders never end and frequent repetition never wears it out. Whoever speaks by it speaks truth; whoever acts by it is rightly guided; whoever judges by it is just; whoever holds fast to it is guided.” Ibn Masʿūd—may God be pleased with him—said, “Whoever desires knowledge should stir up the Qur’an, for it contains the knowledge of the first and last.” God says, “Alif Lām Mīm. This Book, in which there is no doubt, is guidance for the God-conscious who believe in the unseen.” People of knowledge understand from this address that God’s Book, sent down to His Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace—the Qur’an in which there is no doubt—

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لِأَحَدٍ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أِنَّهُ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّ فِيهِ هُدًى وَبَيَانًا لَهُمْ فِي جَمِيعِ مَا أَشْكَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ اَحْكَامِ الدِّينِ بَعْدَ اِيمَانِهِمْ بِالْغَيْبِ وَهُوَ التَّصْدِيقُ بِمَا أَخْبَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ عَمَّا غَابَ عَنْ أَعْيُنِهِمْ، ثُمَّ قَالَ فِي آيَةٍ أُخْرَى وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَأَفَادَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ لِأَهْلِ الْفَهْمِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ بَعْدَ اِيمَانِهِمْ بِالْغَيْبِ أَيْضًا أَنَّ تَحْتَ كُلِّ حَرْفٍ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْفَهْمِ مَذْخُورًا لِأَهْلِهِ عَلَى مِقْدَارِ مَا قُسِمَ لَهُمْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَاسْتَدَلُّوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِآيَاتٍ مِنْ الْقُرْآنِ مِثْلُ قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتَابِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَقَوْلِهِ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ فِي إِمَامٍ مُبِينٍ وَقَوْلِهِ وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا عِنْدَنَا خَزَائِنُهُ وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهُ إِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ، وَقَالُوا فِي مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ شَيْءٍ أَنَّ مَعْنَاهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِ الدِّينِ وَعِلْمِ الْأَحْوَالِ الَّتِي بَيْنَ الْخَلْقِ وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي آيَةٍ أُخْرَى إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ يَعْنَى يَدُلُّ إِلَى الَّذِي هُوَ أَصْوَبُ، فَعَلَّمَ أَهْلَ الْفَهْمِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَنْ لَا سَبِيلَ إِلَى التَّعَلُّقِ بِالْأَصْوَبِ مِمَّا يُهْدَى اِلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ إِلَّا بِالتَّدَبُّرِ وَالتَّفَكُّرِ وَالتَّيَقُّظِ وَالتَّذَكُّرِ وَحُضُورِ الْقَلْبِ عِنْدَ تِلَاوَتِهِ وَعَلِمُوا ذَلِكَ أَيْضًا بِقَوْلِهِ كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُوا الْأَلْبَابِ، ثُمَّ اسْتَفَادَ أَهْلُ الْفَهْمِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ أَيْضًا أَنَّ التَّدَبُّرَ وَالتَّفَكُّرَ وَالتَّذَكُّرَ لَا وُصُولَ اِلَيْهِ إِلَّا بِحُضُورِ الْقَلْبِ لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَذِكْرَى لِمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ يَعْنِى حَاضِرَ الْقَلْبِ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتْرُكْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَتَّى

liʾaḥadin mina al-muʾminīna innahu min ʿindi Allāhi anna fīhi hudanā wabayānan lahum fī jamīʿi mā ashkala ʿalayhim min aḥkāmi al-dīni baʿda īmānihim bi-al-ghaybi wahuwa al-taṣdīqu bimā akhbarahumu Allāhu bihi ʿammā ghāba ʿan aʿyunihim, thumma qāla fī āyatin ukhrā wanazzalnā ʿalayka al-kitāba tibyānan likulli shayʾin wahudanā waraḥmatan wabushrā lilmuslimīna, faʾafādat hadhihi al-āyatu liʾahli al-fahmi min ahli al-ʿilmi baʿda īmānihim bi-al-ghaybi ayḍan anna taḥta kulli ḥarfin min kitābi Allāhi taʿālā kathīran mina al-fahmi madhkhūran liʾahlihi ʿalā miqdāri mā qusima lahum min dhalika wa-astadallū ʿalā dhalika biāyātin min al-qurāni mithlu qawlihi ʿazza wajalla mā farraṭnā fī al-kitābi min shayʾin waqawlihi wakulla shayʾin aḥṣaynāhu fī imāmin mubīnin waqawlihi waʾin min shayʾin illā ʿindanā khazāʾinuhu wamā nunazziluhu illā biqadarin maʿlūmin , waqālū fī maʿnā qawlihi ʿazza wajalla min shayʾin anna maʿnāhu min shayʾin min ʿilmi al-dīni waʿilmi al-aḥwāli allatī bayna al-khalqi wabayna Allāhi taʿālā waghayri dhalika, waqāla ʿazza wajalla fī āyatin ukhrā inna hadhā al-qurāna yahdī lillatī hiya aqwamu yaʿnā yadullu ilā alladhī huwa aṣwabu, faʿallama ahla al-fahmi min ahli al-ʿilmi an lā sabīla ilā al-taʿalluqi bi-al-aṣwabi mimmā yuhdā ilayhi al-qurānu illā bi-al-tadabburi wa-al-tafakkuri wa-al-tayaqquẓi wa-al-tadhakkuri waḥuḍūri al-qalbi ʿinda tilāwatihi waʿalimū dhalika ayḍan biqawlihi kitābun anzalnāhu ilayka mubārakun liyaddabbarū āyātihi waliyatadhakkara ūlū al-albābi, thumma astafāda ahlu al-fahmi min hadhihi al-āyati ayḍan anna al-tadabbura wa-al-tafakkura wa-al-tadhakkura lā wuṣūla ilayhi illā biḥuḍūri al-qalbi liqawli Allāhi ʿazza wajalla inna fī dhalika ladhikrā liman kāna lahu qalbun aw alqā al-samʿa wahuwa shahīdun yaʿnī ḥāḍira al-qalbi, thumma lam yatruk ʿalā dhalika ḥattā

comes from God and contains guidance and clarification for believers in every difficult matter of religion, after their faith in the unseen—that is, affirming what God tells them of what their eyes cannot see. God also says, “We sent down to you the Book as clarification of everything, guidance, mercy, and good news for those who surrender.” People of understanding know that beneath every letter of God’s Book lie many meanings stored for those qualified to receive them, according to their apportioned share. They cite: “We neglected nothing in the Book”; “We have enumerated everything in a clear register”; and, “There is nothing whose treasuries are not with Us, and We send it down only in a known measure.” They interpret “nothing” as encompassing knowledge of religion, states between creation and God, and more. “This Qur’an guides to what is most upright”—that is, what is most correct. Reaching that right guidance requires reflection, thoughtful consideration, wakefulness, recollection, and a present heart during recitation: “A blessed Book We sent down to you so they may ponder its verses and those of understanding may take heed.” Reflection and recollection are impossible without presence of heart: “In that is a reminder for one who has a heart, or lends an ear while present”—meaning present in heart.

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ذَكَرَ الْقَلْبَ فِي آيَةٍ أُخْرَى فَقَالَ يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يُتْرَكْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَتَّى أَقَامَ إِمَامًا لِلْخَلْقِ فِي الْقَلْبِ السَّلِيمِ فَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَإِنَّ مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ لَإِبْرَاهِيمَ إِذْ جَاءَ رَبَّهُ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ، قَالَ أَهْلُ الْفَهْمِ الْقَلْبُ السَّلِيمُ الَّذِي لَيْسَ فِيهِ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَقَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لَوْ أَعْطَى الْعَبْدُ لِكُلِّ حَرْفٍ مِنَ الْقُرْانِ أَلْفَ فَهْمٍ لَمَا بَلَغَ نِهَايَةَ مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي آيَةٍ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنَ الْفَهْمِ لِأَنَّهُ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَكَلَامُهُ صِفَتُهُ وَكَمَا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِلَّهِ نِهَايَةٌ فَكَذَلِكَ لَا نِهَايَةَ لِفَهْمِ كَلَامِهِ وَإِنَّمَا يَفْهَمُونَ عَلَى مِقْدَارِ مَا يَفْتَحُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى قُلُوبِ أَوْلِيَاءيِهِ مِنْ فَهْمِ كَلَامِهِ وَكَلَامُ اللَّهِ غَيْرُ مَخْلُوقٍ فَلَا تَبْلُغُ إِلَى نِهَايَةِ الْفَهْمِ فِيهِ فَهَوَمُ الْخَلْقُ لِأَنَّهَا مُحْدَثَةٌ مَخْلُوقَةٌ، وَقَدْ ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْهِدَايَةَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ يَقُولُهُ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ، بَابٌ فِي تَخْصِيصِ الدَّعْوَةِ وَوَجْهِ الِاصْطِفَاءِ، قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الدَّعْوَةُ عَامَّةٌ وَالْهِدَايَةُ خَاصَّةٌ وَأَشَارَ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُوا إِلَى دَارِ السَّلَامِ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ لِأَنَّ الدَّعْوَةَ عَامَّةٌ وَالْهِدَايَةُ مُخْتَصَّةٌ عَلَى تَفَاضُلِهَا لِأَنَّهُ رَدَّ الْمِشْيَّةَ فِي بَابِ الْهِدَايَةِ اِلَيْهِ فَكَانَ الَّذِينَ اخْتَارَهُمْ وَاَحَبَّهُمْ وَاصْطَفَاهُمْ دُونَ مَنْ دَعَاهُمْ، وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الِاصْطِفَاءَ أَيْضًا فِي مَوَاضِعَ مِنْ كِتَابِهِ فَقَالَ فِي

dhakara al-qalba fī āyatin ukhrā faqāla yawma lā yanfaʿu mālun walā banūna illā man atā Allāha biqalbin salīmin , thumma lam yutrak ʿalā dhalika ḥattā aqāma imāman lilkhalqi fī al-qalbi al-salīmi faqāla ʿazza wajalla waʾinna min shīʿatihi laʾibrāhīma idh jāʾa rabbahu biqalbin salīmin, qāla ahlu al-fahmi al-qalbu al-salīmu alladhī laysa fīhi ghayru Allāhi ʿazza wajalla, waqāla sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi raḥimahu Allāhu law aʿṭā al-ʿabdu likulli ḥarfin mina al-qurāni alfa fahmin lamā balagha nihāyata mā jaʿala Allāhu taʿālā fī āyatin min kitābi Allāhi taʿālā mina al-fahmi liānnahu kalāmu Allāhi taʿālā wakalāmuhu ṣifatuhu wakamā annahu laysa lillāhi nihāyatun fakadhalika lā nihāyata lifahmi kalāmihi wa-innamā yafhamūna ʿalā miqdāri mā yaftaḥu Allāhu taʿālā ʿalā qulūbi awliyāyihi min fahmi kalāmihi wakalāmu Allāhi ghayru makhlūqin falā tablughu ilā nihāyati al-fahmi fīhi fahawamu al-khalqu liʾannahā muḥdathatun makhlūqatun, waqad dhukira Allāhu taʿālā al-hidāyata fī al-qurāni yaqūluhu hudanā lilmuttaqīna , bābun fī takhṣīṣi al-daʿwati wawajhi al-āṣṭifāʾi, qāla sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi raḥimahu Allāhu al-daʿwatu ʿāmmatun wa-al-hidāyatu khāṣṣatun waʾashāra ilā qawlihi taʿālā wa-Allāhu yadʿū ilā dāri al-salāmi wayahdī man yashāʾu ilā ṣirāṭin mustaqīmin liānna al-daʿwata ʿāmmatun wa-al-hidāyatu mukhtaṣṣatun ʿalā tafāḍulihā liānnahu radda al-mishyyata fī bābi al-hidāyati ilayhi fakāna alladhīna akhtārahum wa-aḥabbahum wa-aṣṭafāhum dūna man daʿāhum, waqad dhakara Allāhu taʿālā al-āṣṭifāʾa ayḍan fī mawāḍiʿa min kitābihi faqāla fī

God further says, “The Day when neither wealth nor children benefit, except one who comes to God with a sound heart,” and presents Abraham as the model: “Abraham was among his followers, when he came to his Lord with a sound heart.” People of understanding say that the sound heart contains nothing besides God, mighty and majestic. Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh—may God have mercy on him—said, “Even if the servant were given a thousand understandings for every letter of the Qur’an, he would not reach the limit of what God placed in one verse, for it is God’s speech and His speech is His attribute. As God has no limit, understanding His speech has no limit. People understand only according to what God opens in the hearts of His friends. God’s speech is uncreated, while creatures’ understandings are originated and created, so they cannot reach its end.” God calls the Qur’an “guidance for the God-conscious.” Chapter on the particularity of the call and the manner of divine choosing. Sahl said, “The call is universal, while guidance is particular,” citing, “God calls to the Abode of Peace and guides whom He wills to a straight path.” God returns guidance to His will; those whom He chooses, loves, and selects are distinguished among all who hear the call. God mentions selection in several passages, saying:

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مَوْضِعِ قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَى آللَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ فَأَشَارَ بِالسَّلَمِ إِلَى عِبَادٍ قَدِ اصْطَفَاهُمْ وَاجْتَبَاهُمْ وَلَمْ يُبَيِّنْ مَنْ هُمْ وَكَيْفَ هُمْ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتْرُكْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَقَالَ فِي آيَةٍ أُخْرَى اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ، قَالَ الْمُفَسِّرُونَ وَمِنَ النَّاسِ يُعْنِى بِهِ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ فَلَوْ تُرِكَ عَلَى هَذَا أَيْضًا لَكَانَ لِلْقَايِلِ أَنْ يَقُولَ إِنَّ الِاصْطِفَاءَ لَا يَجُوزُ إِلَّا لِلْأَنْبِيَآءِ فَقَالَ ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بِالْخَيْرَاتِ، فَفَرَّقَ بَيْنَ الِاصْطِفَاءِ الَّذِي ذُكِرَ لِلرُّسُلِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ وَالِاصْطِفَاءِ الَّذِي ذُكِرَ لِعِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ أَوْرَثَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ، ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ أَنَّهُمْ مُتَفَاوِتُونَ أَيْضًا فِي أَحْوَالِهِمْ الَّتِي بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ الْآيَةَ فَوَقَعَ الِاصْطِفَاءُ عَلَى وَجْهَيْنِ اصْطِفَآءُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ عَلَيْهِمِ السُّلَمُ بِالْعِصْمَةِ وَالتَّأْيِيدِ وَالْوَحْيِ وَتَبْلِيغِ الرِّسَالَةِ وَلِسَايِرِهِمْ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الِاصْطِفَاءُ بِصَفَاءءِ الْمُعَامَلَةِ وَحُسْنِ الْمُجَاهَدَةِ وَالتَّعَلُّقِ بِالْحَقَائِقِ وَالْمُنَازِلَةِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَكِنْ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا آتَاكُمْ فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ، فَأَمَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِالِاسْتِبَاقِ وَالْمُسَارَعَةِ وَالْمُبَادَرَةِ إِلَى الْخَيْرَاتِ مُجْمَلًا وَلَمْ يُبَيِّنْ أَيْشِ الْخَيْرَاتِ الَّتِي أَمَرَهُمْ بِالِاسْتِبَاقِ إِلَيْهَا، ثُمَّ فَصَّلَ وَبَيَّنَ فِي مَوَاضِعَ كَثِيرَةٍ كَقَوْلِهِ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ، وَ مَوْعِظَةً لِلْمُتَّقِينَ،

mawḍiʿi quli al-ḥamdu lillāhi wasalāmun ʿalā ʿibādihi alladhīna aṣṭafā ālllahu khayrun ammā yushrikūna faʾashāra bi-al-salami ilā ʿibādin qadi aṣṭafāhum wa-ajtabāhum walam yubayyin man hum wakayfa hum, thumma lam yatruk ʿalā dhalika waqāla fī āyatin ukhrā Allāhu yaṣṭafī mina al-malāʾikati rusulan wamina al-nāsi, qāla al-mufassirūna wamina al-nāsi yuʿnī bihi al-anbiyāʾu falaw turika ʿalā hadhā ayḍan lakāna lilqāyili an yaqūla inna al-āṣṭifāʾa lā yajūzu illā lilʾanbiyāʾi faqāla thumma awrathnā al-kitāba alladhīna aṣṭafaynā min ʿibādinā faminhum ẓālimun linafsihi waminhum muqtaṣidun waminhum sābiqun bi-al-khayrāti, fafarraqa bayna al-āṣṭifāʾi alladhī dhukira lilrrusuli ʿalayhimu al-salāmu wa-al-āṣṭifāʾi alladhī dhukira liʿibādihi alladhīna awrathahumu al-kitāba wahumu al-muʾminūna, thumma bayyana annahum mutafāwitūna ayḍan fī aḥwālihim allatī baynahum wabayna Allāhi taʿālā faminhum ẓālimun linafsihi al-āyata fawaqaʿa al-āṣṭifāʾu ʿalā wajhayni aṣṭifāʾu al-anbiyāʾi ʿalayhimi al-sulamu bi-al-ʿiṣmati wa-al-taʾyīdi wa-al-waḥyi watablīghi al-risālati walisāyirihim mina al-muʾminīna al-āṣṭifāʾu biṣafāʾi al-muʿāmalati waḥusni al-mujāhadati wa-al-taʿalluqi bi-al-ḥaqāyiqi wa-al-munāzilati, thumma qāla ʿazza wajalla likullin jaʿalnā minkum shirʿatan waminhājan, waqāla taʿālā walaw shāʾa Allāhu lajaʿalakum ummatan wa-aḥidatan walakin liyabluwakum fī mā ātākum fa-astabiqū al-khayrāti, faʾamarahumu Allāhu taʿālā bi-al-āstibāqi wa-al-musāraʿati wa-al-mubādarati ilā al-khayrāti mujmalan walam yubayyin ayshi al-khayrāti allatī amarahum bi-al-āstibāqi ilayhā, thumma faṣṣala wabayyana fī mawāḍiʿa kathīratin kaqawlihi hudanā lilmuttaqīna, wa mawʿiẓatan lilmuttaqīna,

“Praise belongs to God, and peace upon His servants whom He has chosen. Is God better, or what they associate with Him?” The greeting points to servants selected and chosen without yet identifying them. Another verse says, “God chooses messengers from the angels and from humankind,” which commentators understand as prophets. Lest one think selection limited to prophets, God says, “Then We caused those servants whom We chose to inherit the Book: some wrong themselves, some take a middle course, and some outstrip others in good deeds.” Thus prophetic selection—through protection, support, revelation, and conveying the message—is distinguished from the selection of believers who inherit the Book, through purity of conduct, beautiful striving, attachment to realities, and spiritual encounter. Believers also differ in their states with God. God says, “For each of you We appointed a law and a way. Had God willed, He would have made you one community, but He tests you in what He has given you; so race one another in good deeds.” This command to hasten toward good is stated generally, then detailed in many passages: “guidance for the God-conscious,” “an admonition for the God-conscious,”

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وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ، وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ، فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ، فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ، فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ، وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوا، وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ، وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا، وَمَنْ شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ، إِنَّ اللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ، وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ، وَقَالَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَذَكَرَ فِي آيَاتٍ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ذِكْرَ التَّوْبَةِ وَالْإِنَابَةِ وَالتَّفْوِيضِ وَالرِّضَا وَالتَّسْلِيمِ وَالْقَنَاعَةِ وَتَرْكِ الِاخْتِيَارِ ثُمَّ قَالَ قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اتَّقَى، وَقَالَ ذَلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَاللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ، وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرْثَ الْآخِرَةِ نَزِدْ لَهُ فِي حَرْثِهِ وَمَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرْثَ الدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ نَصِيبٍ، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الشَّيْطَانَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا، وَقَالَ أَ فَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلَى سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ عَلَى بَصَرِهِ غِشَاوَةً، وَقَالَ فَأَمَّا مَنْ طَغَى وَآثَرَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا الْآيَةَ، وَمَا يُشْبِهُ ذَلِكَ

waʾiyyāya fa-attaqūni, waʾiyyāya fa-arhabūni, falā takhāfūhum wakhāfūni , falā takhshawhum wa-akhshawni, fa-adhkurūnī adhkurkum, waʿalā Allāhi fatawakkalū, waʾaṭīʿū Allāha waʾaṭīʿū al-rasūla, wa-alladhīna jāhadū fīnā, waman shakara faʾinnamā yashkuru linafsihi, inna Allāhu yuḥibbu al-ṣābirīna, wamā umirū illā liyaʿbudū Allāha mukhliṣīna lahu al-dīna, waqāla rijālun ṣadaqū mā ʿāhadū Allāha ʿalayhi, thumma dhakara al-qānitīna wa-al-qānitāti wa-al-ṣādiqīna wa-al-ṣādiqāti wa-al-ṣābirīna wa-al-ṣābirāti wa-al-khāshiʿīna wa-al-khāshiʿāti wadhakara fī āyātin mina al-qurāni dhikra al-tawbati wa-al-inābati wa-al-tafwīḍi wa-al-riḍā wa-al-taslīmi wa-al-qanāʿati watarki al-ākhtiyāri thumma qāla qul matāʿu al-dunyā qalīlun wa-al-ākhiratu khayrun limani attaqā, waqāla dhalika matāʿu al-ḥayāti al-dunyā wa-Allāhu ʿindahu ḥusnu al-mābi, wamā al-ḥayātu al-dunyā illā laʿibun walahwun wamā al-ḥayātu al-dunyā illā matāʿu al-ghurūri, thumma qāla man kāna yurīdu ḥartha al-ākhirati nazid lahu fī ḥarthihi waman kāna yurīdu ḥartha al-dunyā nuʾtihi minhā wamā lahu fī al-ākhirati min naṣībin, thumma dhakara al-shayṭāna faqāla inna al-shayṭāna lakum ʿaduwwun fa-attakhidhūhu ʿaduwwan, waqāla a faraʾayta mani attakhadha ilahahu hawāhu waʾaḍallahu Allāhu ʿalā ʿilmin wakhatama ʿalā samʿihi waqalbihi wajaʿala ʿalā baṣarihi ghishāwatan, waqāla faʾammā man ṭaghā wāthara al-ḥayāta al-dunyā al-āyata, wamā yushbihu dhalika

“Be mindful of Me,” “Stand in awe of Me,” “Do not fear them; fear Me,” “Do not be in awe of them; be in awe of Me,” “Remember Me and I will remember you,” “Put your trust in God,” “Obey God and obey the Messenger,” “Those who strive for Us,” “Whoever gives thanks does so for his own soul,” “God loves the patient,” and, “They were commanded only to worship God with sincere devotion.” He praises men truthful to their covenant, men and women who are devout, truthful, patient, and humble, and speaks of repentance, turning back, delegation, contentment, submission, sufficiency, and relinquishing personal choice. He contrasts the little enjoyment of this world with the hereafter, the good return with God, and worldly life as play, diversion, and deceptive enjoyment. He says that whoever desires the harvest of the hereafter receives increase, while one desiring this world has no share in the hereafter. He commands people to take Satan as an enemy, condemns one who makes desire his god, and describes the one who transgresses and prefers worldly life. Many similar verses call creation to hasten toward these qualities

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مِنَ الْآيَاتِ الَّتِي نَدَبَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْخَلْقَ إِلَى الْمُسَارَعَةِ وَالِاسْتِبَاقِ إِلَى التَّعَلُّقِ وَالتَّخَلُّقِ بِهَا وَالصِّدْقِ وَالْإِخْلَاصِ فِيهَا كَثِيرَةٌ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ فِي قَبُولِ ذَلِكَ مُتَسَاوُونَ وَفِي مُنَازَلَتِهَا وَرُكُوبِ حَقَائِقِهَا مُتَفَاوِتُونَ، وَالْجَمِيعُ مُخَاطَبُونَ وَهُمْ عَلَى ثُلُثِ دَرَجَاتٍ، بَابُ ذِكْرِ تَفَاوُتِ الْمُسْتَمِعِينَ خِطَابَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَدَرَجَاتُهُمْ فِي قَبُولِ الْخِطَابِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ سَمِعَ الْخِطَابَ وَقَبِلَهُ وَاَقَرَّ بِهِ وَتَعَرَّضَ لِمَا خُوطِبَ بِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْآيَاتِ الْبَيِّنَاتِ الَّتِي ذَكَرْنَاهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ نَذْكُرْهَا فِيمَا يُشْبِهُ ذَلِكَ، وَحَالَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْعَمَلِ بِهَا وَالِانْتِفَاعِ بِمَا وَعَدَّهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مِنَ الثَّوَابِ عَلَيْهَا الِاشْتِغَالَ بِالدُّنْيَا وَالْغَفْلَةَ وَمُتَابَعَةَ النَّفْسِ وَاخْتِيَارَ الْحُظُوظِ عَلَى الْحُقُوقِ وَالْإِجَابَةَ لِدَوَاعِي الْعَدُوِّ وَالْمَيْلَ إِلَى أَمَّارَاتِ الْهَوَى وَالشَّهَوَاتِ، وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ وَصَفَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي كِتَابِهِ وَزَجَرَهُمْ وَوَبَّخَهُمْ حَيْثُ يَقُولُ أَ فَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ، وَقَالَ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ، وَقَالَ خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ، وَقَالَ زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَالْبَنِينَ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ

mina al-āyāti allatī nadaba Allāhu taʿālā al-khalqa ilā al-musāraʿati wa-al-āstibāqi ilā al-taʿalluqi wa-al-takhalluqi bihā wa-al-ṣidqi wa-al-ikhlāṣi fīhā kathīratun wa-al-muʾminūna fī qabūli dhalika mutasāwūna wafī munāzalatihā warukūbi ḥaqāyiqihā mutafāwitūna, wa-al-jamīʿu mukhāṭabūna wahum ʿalā thuluthi darajātin , bābu dhikri tafāwuti al-mustamiʿīna khiṭāba Allāhi taʿālā wadarajātuhum fī qabūli al-khiṭābi, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu faminhum man samiʿa al-khiṭāba waqabilahu wa-aqarra bihi wataʿarraḍa limā khūṭiba bihi min hadhihi al-āyāti al-bayyināti allatī dhakarnāhā wa-allatī lam nadhkurhā fīmā yushbihu dhalika, waḥāla baynahu wabayna al-ʿamali bihā wa-al-āntifāʿi bimā waʿaddahumu Allāhu taʿālā mina al-thawābi ʿalayhā al-āshtighāla bi-al-dunyā wa-al-ghaflata wamutābaʿata al-nafsi wa-akhtiyāra al-ḥuẓūẓi ʿalā al-ḥuqūqi wa-al-ijābata lidawāʿī al-ʿaduwwi wa-al-mayla ilā ammārāti al-hawā wa-al-shahawāti, wahumu alladhīna waṣafahumu Allāhu taʿālā fī kitābihi wazajarahum wawabbakhahum ḥaythu yaqūlu a faraʾayta mani attakhadha ilahahu hawāhu waʾaḍallahu Allāhu ʿalā ʿilmin, waqāla walā tuṭiʿ man aghfalnā qalbahu ʿan dhikrinā wa-attabaʿa hawāhu, waqāla khudhi al-ʿafwa waʾmur bi-al-ʿurfi, waqāla zuyyina lilnnāsi ḥubbu al-shahawāti mina al-nisāʾi wa-al-banīna ilā qawlihi ḥusnu al-mābi, thumma qāla

and embody them with truthfulness and sincerity. Believers are equal in receiving the address but differ in descending into these meanings and realizing their truths. All are addressed, yet they stand in three degrees. Chapter on the differing ranks of those who hear God’s address and receive it. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: Some hear, accept, affirm, and expose themselves to the clear verses mentioned here and elsewhere, but worldly preoccupation, heedlessness, following the lower self, preferring personal shares over divine rights, responding to the enemy’s calls, and inclining toward desire prevent them from acting and receiving the promised reward. God rebukes such people: “Have you seen one who takes desire as his god, whom God knowingly lets stray?”; “Do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows desire”; and, “Take what is freely given and command what is right.” He says that love of desires—women, children, and other things—has been adorned for people, then asks, “Shall I tell you of something better than that for those who are God-conscious?”

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عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قُلْ أَ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْ ذَلِكُمْ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا إِلَى قَوْلِهِ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ سَمِعَ الْخِطَابَ فَأَجَابَ وَتَابَ وَأَنَابَ وَعَمِلَ فِي الطَّاعَاتِ وَتَحَقَّقَ فِي الْأَحْوَالِ وَالْمُنَازَلَاتِ وَصَدَقَ فِي الْمُعَامَلَاتِ وَأَخْلَصَ فِي الْمَقَامَاتِ وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي كِتَابِهِ وَذَكَرَ مَا أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ أُولَئِكَ عَلَى هُدًى مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ، وَقَالَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتُ الْفِرْدَوْسِ نُزُلًا، وَقَالَ مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ، قَالُوا الْحَيَاةُ الطَّيِّبَةُ هِيَ الرِّضَا وَالْقَنَاعَةُ بِاللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، ثُمَّ قَالَ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ الْآيَةَ، وَقَالَ عَمْرٌو الْمُكَّى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ مِمَّا وَقَعَ فِي الْقُلُوبِ فَهُوَ لَغْوٌ فَأَخْبَرَ أَنَّ الْمُوَحِّدِينَ عَنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ مُعْرِضُونَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْوَارِثُونَ الَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ، وَذِكْرُهُمْ فِي الْقُرْآنِ كَثِيرٌ وَقَدْ فَضَّلَهُمْ عَلَى غَيْرِهِمْ بِذِكْرِهِ لَهُمْ وَوَعْدِهِ اِيَّاهُمْ بِالثَّوَابِ الْجَزِيلِ، وَالطَّبَقَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ مِنَ الْمُخَاطَبِينَ هُمُ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَشَرَّفَهُمْ بِذِكْرِهِ لَهُمْ وَنَسَبَهِمْ إِلَى الْعِلْمِ وَالْخَشْيَةِ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ، وَقَالَ وَأُولُوا الْعِلْمِ قَائِمًا بِالْقِسْطِ، وَقَالَ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ، ثُمَّ خَصَّ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ قَوْمًا أَيْضًا فَقَالَ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ زَادَ فِي

ʿazza wajalla qul a unabbiʾukum bikhayrin min dhalikum lilladhīna attaqawā ilā qawlihi baṣīrun bi-al-ʿibādi, waminhum man samiʿa al-khiṭāba faʾajāba watāba waʾanāba waʿamila fī al-ṭāʿāti wataḥaqqaqa fī al-aḥwāli wa-al-munāzalāti waṣadaqa fī al-muʿāmalāti waʾakhlaṣa fī al-maqāmāti wahumu alladhīna dhakarahumu Allāhu taʿālā fī kitābihi wadhakara mā aʿadda Allāhu lahum faqāla alladhīna yuqīmūna al-ṣalāta wayuʾtūna al-zakāta wahum bi-al-ākhirati hum yūqinūna ūlaʾika ʿalā hudanā min rabbihim , waqāla inna alladhīna āmanū waʿamilū al-ṣāliḥāti kānat lahum jannātu al-firdawsi nuzulan, waqāla man ʿamila ṣāliḥan min dhakarin aw unthā wahuwa muʾminun falanuḥyiyannahu ḥayātan ṭayyibatan walanajziyannahum , qālū al-ḥayātu al-ṭayyibatu hiya al-riḍā wa-al-qanāʿatu bi-Allāhi ʿazza wajalla, thumma qāla qad aflaḥa al-muʾminūna alladhīna hum fī ṣalātihim khāshiʿūna wa-alladhīna hum ʿani al-laghwi muʿriḍūna al-āyata , waqāla ʿamrunw al-mukkā raḥimahu Allāhu fakullu shaʾin ghayru Allāhi mimmā waqaʿa fī al-qulūbi fahuwa laghwun faʾakhbara anna al-muwaḥḥidīna ʿan kulli shaʾin ghayri Allāhi muʿriḍūna, thumma qāla ūlaʾika humu al-wārithūna alladhīna yarithūna al-firdawsa hum fīhā khālidūna, wadhikruhum fī al-qurāni kathīrun waqad faḍḍalahum ʿalā ghayrihim bidhikrihi lahum wawaʿdihi iyyāhum bi-al-thawābi al-jazīli, wa-al-ṭabaqatu al-thālithatu mina al-mukhāṭabīna humu alladhīna dhakarahumu Allāhu taʿālā washarrafahum bidhikrihi lahum wanasabahim ilā al-ʿilmi wa-al-khashyati faqāla innamā yakhshā Allāha min ʿibādihi al-ʿulamāʾu, waqāla waʾūlū al-ʿilmi qāʾiman bi-al-qisṭi, waqāla hal yastawī alladhīna yaʿlamūna wa-alladhīna lā yaʿlamūna, thumma khaṣṣa min haʾulāʾi qawman ayḍan faqāla wa-al-rāsikhūna fī al-ʿilmi zāda fī

Another group hears the address, answers it, repents and returns, acts obediently, realizes spiritual states and encounters, deals truthfully, and is sincere in the stations. God mentions what He prepared for them: those who establish prayer, give alms, and possess certainty of the hereafter are upon guidance; believers who do righteous deeds receive the Gardens of Paradise; whoever acts righteously, male or female, receives a wholesome life—explained as contentment and sufficiency in God. “The believers have prospered: those humble in prayer and who turn away from idle speech…” ʿAmr al-Makkī said, “Everything other than God that enters hearts is idle speech”; those who affirm unity turn away from everything besides Him. They are inheritors of Paradise, honoured in the Qur’an and promised great reward. The third class is honoured by being associated with knowledge and awe: “Only those of His servants who possess knowledge truly fear God”; “Those endowed with knowledge, upholding justice”; and, “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” From among them God singles out “those firmly rooted in knowledge,” adding to the description by which He honours them.

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وَصْفِهِمُ الَّذِي شَرَّفَهُمْ بِهِ، مَعْنًى آخَرُ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ هُمُ الَّذِينَ رَسَخُوا بِأَرْوَاحِهِمْ فِي غَيْبِ الْغَيْبِ وَفِي سِرِّ السِّرِّ فَعَرَّفَهُمْ مَا عَرَّفَهُمْ وَأَرَادَ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ مُقْتَضَى الْآيَاتِ مَا لَمْ يَرِدْ مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ وَخَاضُوا بَحْرَ الْعِلْمِ بِالْفَهْمِ لِطَلَبِ الزِّيَادَاتِ فَانْكَشَفَ لَهُمْ مِنْ مَذْخُورِ الْخَزَائِنِ وَالْمَخْزُونِ تَحْتَ كُلِّ حَرْفٍ وَآيَةٍ مِنَ الْفَهْمِ وَعَجَايِبِ النَّصِّ فَاسْتَخْرَجُوا الدُّرَّ وَالْجَوَاهِرَ وَنَطَقُوا بِالْحُكْمِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَانَتِ الْبِحَارُ عِنْدَهُ كَتَفِلَّةً فِيمَا شَاهَدَ مِنَ الْمُسْتَأْثِرَاتِ يَعْنَى مُسْتَأْثِرَاتِ الْعِلْمِ الَّذِي اسْتَأْثَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ أَنْبِيَآءَهُ وَخَصَّ بِذَلِكَ أَوْلِيَاءءَهِ وَأَصْفِيَاءَهُ فَغَاصَ بِسِرِّهِ عِنْدَ صَفَاءءِ ذِكْرِهِ وَحُضُورِ قَلْبِهِ فِي بِحَارِ الْفَهْمِ فَوَقَعَ عَلَى الْجَوْهَرِ الْعَظِيمِ وَهُوَ الَّذِي عَلِمَ مَصَادِرَ الْكَلَامِ مِنْ أَيْنَ فَوَقَعَ عَلَى الْعَيْنِ فَأَغْنَاهُمْ عَنِ الْبَحْثِ وَالطَّلَبِ وَالتَّفْتِيشِ، وَهَذَا شَرْحٌ مِنْ كَلَامِ الْوَاسِطِيِّ فِيمَا ذُكِرَ، وَبَيَانُ مَا قَالَ الْوَاسِطِيُّ فِي كَلَامٌ ذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازِ فِي مَعْنَى ذَلِكَ، قَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَوَّلُ الْفَهْمِ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الْعَمَلُ بِهِ لِأَنَّ فِيهِ الْعِلْمَ وَالْفَهْمَ وَالِاسْتِنْبَاطَ وَأَوَّلُ الْفَهْمِ إِلْقَاءءُ السَّمْعِ وَالْمُشَاهَدَةُ لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَذِكْرَى لِمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ، وَالْقُرْآنُ كُلُّهُ حَسَنٌ وَمَعْنَى اتِّبَاعِ الْأَحْسَنِ مَا يَكْشِفُ لِلْقُلُوبِ مِنَ الْعَجَايِبِ عِنْدَ الِاسْتِمَاعِ وَإِلْقَاءءِ السَّمْعِ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الْفَهْمِ وَالِاسْتِنْبَاطِ،

waṣfihimu alladhī sharrafahum bihi, maʿnanā ākharu qāla abū bakrin al-wāsiṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu al-rāsikhūna fī al-ʿilmi humu alladhīna rasakhū biʾarwāḥihim fī ghaybi al-ghaybi wafī sirri al-sirri faʿarrafahum mā ʿarrafahum waʾarāda minhum min muqtaḍā al-āyāti mā lam yarid min ghayrihim wakhāḍū baḥra al-ʿilmi bi-al-fahmi liṭalabi al-ziyādāti fa-ankashafa lahum min madhkhūri al-khazāyini wa-al-makhzūni taḥta kulli ḥarfin wāyatin mina al-fahmi waʿajāyibi al-naṣṣi fa-astakhrajū al-durra wa-al-jawāhira wanaṭaqū bi-al-ḥukmi waminhum man kānati al-biḥāru ʿindahu katafillatan fīmā shāhada mina al-mustaʾthirāti yaʿnā mustaʾthirāti al-ʿilmi alladhī astaʾthara Allāhu taʿālā bihi anbiyāʾahu wakhaṣṣa bidhalika awliyāʾahi wa-aṣfiyāʾahu faghāṣa bisirrihi ʿinda ṣafāʾi dhikrihi waḥuḍūri qalbihi fī biḥāri al-fahmi fawaqaʿa ʿalā al-jawhari al-ʿaẓīmi wahuwa alladhī ʿalima maṣādira al-kalāmi min ayna fawaqaʿa ʿalā al-ʿayni faʾaghnāhum ʿani al-baḥthi wa-al-ṭalabi wa-al-taftīshi, wahadhā sharḥun min kalāmi al-wāsiṭiyyi fīmā dhukira, wabayānu mā qāla al-wāsiṭiyyu fī kalāmun dhukira dhalika ʿan abī saʿīdin al-kharrāzi fī maʿnā dhalika, qāla abū saʿīdin raḥimahu Allāhu awwalu al-fahmi likitābi Allāhi ʿazza wajalla al-ʿamalu bihi liānna fīhi al-ʿilma wa-al-fahma wa-al-āstinbāṭa wa-awwalu al-fahmi ilqāʾu al-samʿi wa-al-mushāhadatu liqawli Allāhi ʿazza wajalla inna fī dhalika ladhikrā liman kāna lahu qalbun aw alqā al-samʿa wahuwa shahīdun, waqāla taʿālā alladhīna yastamiʿūna al-qawla fayattabiʿūna aḥsanahu , wa-al-qurānu kulluhu ḥasanun wamaʿnā attibāʿi al-aḥsani mā yakshifu lilqulūbi mina al-ʿajāyibi ʿinda al-āstimāʿi waʾilqāʾi al-samʿi min ṭarīqi al-fahmi wa-al-āstinbāṭi,

Abū Bakr al-Wāsiṭī said, “Those firmly rooted in knowledge are those whose spirits are established in the unseen of the unseen and the secret of the secret. God made known to them what He made known and required of them meanings of the verses not required of others. They entered the ocean of knowledge through understanding and sought increase. Stores from the treasuries hidden beneath every letter and verse were unveiled to them; they extracted pearls and jewels and spoke wisdom.” For some, oceans were like a mere drop beside the reserved knowledge God grants His prophets and specially gives His friends and chosen ones. With pure remembrance and present heart, their inner consciousness dives into the seas of understanding and reaches the great pearl: knowledge of the source from which speech proceeds. Finding the spring frees them from searching. This explains al-Wāsiṭī’s statement, and a similar teaching is related from Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz. He said, “The beginning of understanding God’s Book is acting by it, for it contains knowledge, understanding, and inference. The beginning of understanding is lending the ear and witnessing: ‘In that is a reminder for one who has a heart, or lends an ear while present’; and, ‘Those who listen to the word and follow its best.’ The whole Qur’an is beautiful; following its best means what is unveiled to hearts of its wonders through attentive listening, understanding, and inference.”

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بَابٌ فِي شَرْحِ اسْتِنْبَاطِ إِلْقَاءءِ السَّمْعِ وَالْحُضُورِ بِالتَّدَبُّرِ عِنْدَ التِّلَاوَةِ وَفَهْمِ الْخِطَابِ بِمَا خُوطِبَ بِهِ الْعَبْدُ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ إِلْقَاءَ السَّمْعِ وَالْحُضُورَ عِنْدَ الِاسْتِمَاعِ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَوْجُهٍ، قَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِيمَا بَلَغَنِي عَنْهُ أَوَّلَ إِلْقَاءءِ السَّمْعِ لِاسْتِمَاعِ الْقُرْآنِ هُوَ أَنْ تَسْمَعَهُ كَانَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقْرَأُهُ عَلَيْكَ ثُمَّ تَرْقَى عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَكَأَنَّكَ تَسْمَعُهُ مِنْ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَمُ وَقِرَاءَتُهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنْزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ الْآيَةَ، ثُمَّ تَرَقَّى عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَكَأَنَّكَ تَسْمَعُهُ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَذَلِكَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَقَوْلُهُ تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ، فَكَأَنَّكَ تَسْمَعُهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَكَذَلِكَ حم تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ، وَمَخْرَجُ الْفَهْمِ فِي اسْتِمَاعِكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عِنْدَ حُضُورِ قَلْبِكَ وَغَيْبَتِكَ عَنْ أَشْغَالِ الدُّنْيَا وَعَنْ نَفْسِكَ بِقُوَّةِ الْمُشَاهَدَةِ وَصَفَاءءِ الذِّكْرِ وَجَمْعِ الْهَمِّ وَحُسْنِ الْأَدَبِ وَطَهَارَةِ السِّرِّ وَصِدْقِ التَّحْقِيقِ وَقُوَّةِ دَعَايِمِ التَّصْدِيقِ وَالْخُرُوجِ إِلَى السَّعَةِ مِنَ الضِّيقِ وَحُضُورِ الْمُشَاهَدَةِ لِنَفَاذِ الْغَيْبِ بِالْغَيْبِ

bābun fī sharḥi astinbāṭi ilqāʾi al-samʿi wa-al-ḥuḍūri bi-al-tadabburi ʿinda al-tilāwati wafahmi al-khiṭābi bimā khūṭiba bihi al-ʿabdu, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu wa-aʿlam anna al-qāʾa al-samʿi wa-al-ḥuḍūra ʿinda al-āstimāʿi ʿalā thalāthati awjuhin, qāla abū saʿīdin al-kharrāzu raḥimahu Allāhu fīmā balaghanī ʿanhu awwala ilqāʾi al-samʿi liāstimāʿi al-qurāni huwa an tasmaʿahu kānna al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama yaqraʾuhu ʿalayka thumma tarqā ʿan dhalika fakaʾannaka tasmaʿuhu min jibrīla ʿalayhi al-salamu waqirāʾatuhu ʿalā al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama liqawli Allāhi ʿazza wajalla waʾinnahu latanzīlu rabbi al-ʿālamīna nazala bihi al-rūḥu al-amīnu ʿalā qalbika al-āyata, thumma taraqqā ʿan dhalika fakaʾannaka tasmaʿuhu mina al-ḥaqqi wadhalika qawlu Allāhi ʿazza wajalla wanunazzilu mina al-qurāni mā huwa shifāʾun waraḥmatun lilmuʾminīna waqawluhu tanzīlu al-kitābi mina Allāhi al-ʿazīzi al-ḥakīmi, fakaʾannaka tasmaʿuhu mina Allāhi taʿālā wakadhalika ḥm tanzīlu al-kitābi mina Allāhi al-ʿazīzi al-ʿalīmi , wamakhraju al-fahmi fī astimāʿika mina Allāhi taʿālā ʿinda ḥuḍūri qalbika waghaybatika ʿan ashghāli al-dunyā waʿan nafsika biquwwati al-mushāhadati waṣafāʾi al-dhikri wajamʿi al-hammi waḥusni al-adabi waṭahārati al-sirri waṣidqi al-taḥqīqi waquwwati daʿāyimi al-taṣdīqi wa-al-khurūji ilā al-saʿati mina al-ḍīqi waḥuḍūri al-mushāhadati linafādhi al-ghaybi bi-al-ghaybi

Chapter explaining inference through attentive listening, presence during recitation, and understanding the address directed to the servant. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: Attentive listening and presence have three degrees. Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz—may God have mercy on him—is reported to have said: “The first is to hear the Qur’an as though the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—were reciting it to you. Then rise beyond that and hear it as though from Gabriel—peace be upon him—reciting it to the Prophet: ‘It is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds; the Trustworthy Spirit brought it down upon your heart…’ Then rise beyond that and hear it as though from the Real Himself: ‘We send down of the Qur’an what is healing and mercy for believers’; ‘The sending down of the Book is from God, the Almighty, the Wise’; and, ‘Ḥā Mīm. The sending down of the Book is from God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing.’” Understanding emerges when you hear from God Most High with a present heart and absence from worldly concerns and self, through strong witnessing, pure remembrance, gathered concern, beautiful conduct, purity of the inner consciousness, truthful realization, firm foundations of faith, expansion after constriction, and the presence of witnessing as the unseen passes through the unseen. The explanation continues on printed page 81.

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وَسُرْعَةُ الْوُصُولِ إِلَى الْمَذْكُورِ بِالْغَيْبِ بِكَلَامِ اللَّطِيفِ الْخَبِيرِ، وَشَرْحُ هَذَا كُلِّهِ مَفْهُومٌ وَمُسْتَنْبَطٌ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ، قَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدِ ابْنُ الْأَعْرَابِيِّ هُمْ فِي غَيْبِهِ مُغِيّبُونَ فَبِالْغَيْبِ آمَنُوا بِالْغَيْبِ وَهُوَ وَإِنْ كَانَ غَيْبًا فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَلْحَقُهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ شَكٌّ وَلَا رَيْبٌ، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى قُلِ اللَّهُ يَهْدِي لِلْحَقِّ أَ فَمَنْ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّنْ لَا يَهِدِّي إِلَّا أَنْ يُهْدَى، وَقَالَ فَمَا ذَا بَعْدَ الْحَقِّ إِلَّا الضَّلَالُ فَأَنَّى تُصْرَفُونَ، وَقَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ كُلَّمَا أَدْرَكَ الْخَلْقُ مِنَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّمَا أَدْرَكُوا غَيْبًا خَارِجًا عَنْ نُعُوتِ الْحَقَائِقِ وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَالْغَيْبُ هُوَ مَا أَشْهَدَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْقُلُوبَ مِنْ إِثْبَاتِ صِفَاتِ اللَّهِ وَأَسْمَائِهِ وَمَا وَصَفَ بِهِ نَفْسَهُ وَمَا أَدَّى إِلَيْهِمِ الْخَبَرُ فَأَثْبَتُوا الصِّفَاتِ وَلَمْ يَدَّعُوا إِدْرَاكَهَا عَلَى نِهَايَةٍ أَلَا تَسْمَعُ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى وَلَوْ أَنَّ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَامٌ وَالْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مَا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَاتُ اللَّهِ، فَإِذَا كَانَ وَصْفُ كَلَامِهِ لَا يُدْرَكُ وَلَا يُوصِلُ إِلَى نِهَايَةِ فَهْمِهِ فَكَيْفَ يُدْرِكُ حَقِيقَةَ وَصْفِهِ وَهَوِيَّتِهِ وَكُنْهِهِ فَلِذَلِكَ قُرِّرَ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْفَهْمِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَنَّ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَشَارَ إِلَيْهِ الْمُتَحَقِّقُونَ وَالْوَاجِدُونَ وَالْعَارِفُونَ وَالْمُوَحِّدُونَ وَمَا عَبَّرُوا عَنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ تَسَعْهُ الْعِبَارَةُ وَلَا يُوَمَّى إِلَيْهِ بِالدَّلَالَةِ وَلَا يُشَارُ إِلَيْهِ بِالْإِشَارَةِ مِنَ اخْتِلَافِ الْمَعَارِفِ وَتَبَايُنِ الْأَحْوَالِ وَالْمَقَامَاتِ وَالْأَمَاكِنِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا شَاهَدُوهُ ظَاهِرًا وَبَاطِنًا هُوَ الْغَيْبُ الَّذِي وَصَفَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِقَوْلِهِ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ،

wasurʿatu al-wuṣūli ilā al-madhkūri bi-al-ghaybi bikalāmi al-laṭīfi al-khabīri, washarḥu hadhā kullihi mafhūmun wamustanbaṭun min qawlihi taʿālā alladhīna yuʾminūna bi-al-ghaybi, qāla abū saʿīdi abnu al-aʿrābiyyi hum fī ghaybihi mughiyybūna fa-bi-al-ghaybi āmanū bi-al-ghaybi wahuwa wa-in kāna ghayban fa-innahu lā yalḥaquhum fī dhalika shakkun walā raybun, waqāla taʿālā quli Allāhu yahdī li-al-ḥaqqi a faman yahdī ilā al-ḥaqqi aḥaqqu an yuttabaʿa amman lā yahiddī illā an yuhdā, waqāla famā dhā baʿda al-ḥaqqi illā al-ḍalālu faʾannā tuṣrafūna, waqāla abū saʿīdin al-kharrāzu raḥimahu Allāhu kullamā adraka al-khalqu mina Allāhi fa-innamā adrakū ghayban khārijan ʿan nuʿūti al-ḥaqāʾiqi wahuwa qawluhu alladhīna yuʾminūna bi-al-ghaybi wa-al-ghaybu huwa mā ashhada Allāhu taʿālā al-qulūba min ithbāti ṣifāti Allāhi waʾasmāʾihi wamā waṣafa bihi nafsahu wamā addā ilayhim al-khabaru faʾathbatū al-ṣifāti walam yaddaʿū idrākahā ʿalā nihāyatin alā tasmaʿu ilā qawlihi taʿālā walaw anna mā fī al-arḍi min shajaratin aqlāmun wa-al-baḥru yamudduhu min baʿdihi sabʿatu abḥurin mā nafidat kalimātu Allāhi, faʾidhā kāna waṣfu kalāmihi lā yudraku walā yūṣilu ilā nihāyati fahmihi fakayfa yudriku ḥaqīqata waṣfihi wahawiyyatihi wakunhihi falidhalika qurrira ʿinda ahli al-fahmi min ahli al-ʿilmi anna kulla shayʾin ashāra ilayhi al-mutaḥaqqiqūna wa-al-wājidūna wa-al-ʿārifūna wa-al-muwaḥḥidūna wamā ʿabbarū ʿanhu wamā lam tasaʿhu al-ʿibāratu walā yuwammā ilayhi bi-al-dalālati walā yushāru ilayhi bi-al-ishārati mina akhtilāfi al-maʿārifi watabāyuni al-aḥwāli wa-al-maqāmāti wa-al-amākini waghayri dhalika mimmā shāhadūhu ẓāhiran wabāṭinan huwa al-ghaybu alladhī waṣafahu Allāhu taʿālā biqawlihi alladhīna yuʾminūna bi-al-ghaybi,

and swift arrival at the One mentioned in the unseen through the speech of the Subtle, the All-Aware. All of this is understood and inferred from God Most High’s words, “Those who believe in the unseen.” Abū Saʿīd ibn al-Aʿrābī said, “They are made absent in His unseen; through the unseen they believe in the Unseen. Although it is unseen, no doubt or uncertainty overtakes them concerning it.” God Most High says, “Say: God guides to the truth. Is one who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or one who cannot find guidance unless he is guided?” And He says, “What lies beyond the truth but error? How, then, are you turned away?” Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz—may God have mercy on him—said, “Whatever created beings apprehend of God, they apprehend only as an unseen lying beyond the descriptions of ultimate realities. This is the meaning of ‘those who believe in the unseen.’ The unseen is what God Most High causes hearts to witness concerning the affirmation of His attributes and names, what He has said of Himself, and what transmitted revelation has conveyed to them. They affirm the attributes without claiming to comprehend them to their furthest limit. Do you not hear God Most High say, ‘If all the trees on earth were pens, and the sea—extended after it by seven more seas—were ink, God’s words would not be exhausted’? If even the description of His speech cannot be comprehended and the utmost understanding of it cannot be reached, how could the reality of His description, His identity, or His innermost essence be comprehended?” For this reason, the people of understanding among the people of knowledge affirm that everything to which the realized, the finders, the knowers, and the affirmers of divine unity point—whether they express it or expression cannot contain it, whether it cannot be indicated by proof or pointed to by allusion—together with all their differing knowledges, states, stations, places, and everything else they witness outwardly and inwardly, belongs to the unseen that God Most High describes in the words, “Those who believe in the unseen.”

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بَابُ وَصْفِ أَرْبَابِ الْقُلُوبِ فِي فَهْمِ الْقُرْآنِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَوَصَفَ جَمِيعَ أَرْبَابِ الْقُلُوبِ وَأَهْلِ الْحَقَائِقِ مِنَ الْمُرِيدِينَ وَالْعَارِفِينَ وَالْمُتَحَقِّقِينَ وَالْوَاجِدِينَ وَأَهْلِ الْمُجَاهَدَاتِ وَالرِّيَاضَاتِ وَالْمُتَقَرِّبِينَ إِلَيْهِ بِأَنْوَاعِ الطَّاعَاتِ ظَاهِرًا وَبَاطِنًا كَمَا فِي كِتَابِهِ وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِيمَا يَصِفُ بِهِ مَلَائِكَتَهُ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ، وَقَالَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ، فَكَانَ فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ شَرْحٌ وَبَيَانٌ فِي صِفَةِ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ بِابْتِغَاءِ الْوَسِيلَةِ، ثُمَّ زَادَ فِي الْبَيَانِ وَالتَّفْصِيلِ فِي آيَةٍ أُخْرَى. يَحُثُّ بِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى الْمُسَارَعَةِ إِلَى الْخَيْرَاتِ فَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ بَلْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ، وَاسْتَفَادَ أَهْلُ الْفَهْمِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ أَنَّ أَوَّلَ الْمُسَارَعَةِ إِلَى الْخَيْرَاتِ هُوَ التَّقَلُّلُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَتَرْكُ الِاهْتِمَامِ لِلرِّزْقِ وَالتَّبَاعُدُ وَالْفِرَارُ مِنَ الْجَمْعِ وَالْمَنْعُ بِاخْتِيَارِ الْقِلَّةِ عَلَى الْكَثْرَةِ وَالزُّهْدُ فِي الدُّنْيَا عَلَى الرَّغْبَةِ فِيهَا، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الَّذِينَ يُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَوَصَفَهُمْ فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ رَبِّهِمْ مُشْفِقُونَ فَوَصَفَهُمْ بِالْإِشْفَاقِ مِنَ الْخَشْيَةِ، وَالْخَشْيَةُ وَالْإِشْفَاقُ اسْمَانِ بَاطِنَانِ وَهُمَا عَمَلَانِ مِنْ أَعْمَالِ الْقَلْبِ فَالْخَشْيَةُ سِرٌّ فِي الْقَلْبِ خَفَىّ وَالْإِشْفَاقُ مِنَ الْخَشْيَةِ أَخْفَى مِنَ الْخَشْيَةِ وَهُوَ الَّذِي ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فَقَالَ يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى، وَقَدْ قِيلَ إِنَّ الْخَشْيَةَ انْكِسَارُ الْقَلْبِ مِنْ دَوَامِ الِانْتِصَابِ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، ثُمَّ مِنْ بَعْدِ هَذِهِ الْمَرْتَبَةِ الشَّرِيفَةِ وَالْحَالِ الرَّفِيعَةِ الَّتِي

bābu waṣfi arbābi al-qulūbi fī fahmi al-qurʾāni, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu waqad dhakara Allāhu taʿālā wawaṣafa jamīʿa arbābi al-qulūbi waʾahli al-ḥaqāʾiqi mina al-murīdīna wa-al-ʿārifīna wa-al-mutaḥaqqiqīna wa-al-wājidīna waʾahli al-mujāhadāti wa-al-riyāḍāti wa-al-mutaqarribīna ilayhi biʾanwāʿi al-ṭāʿāti ẓāhiran wabāṭinan kamā fī kitābihi wahuwa qawluhu ʿazza wajalla fīmā yaṣifu bihi malāʾikatahu ūlaʾika alladhīna yadʿūna yabtaghūna ilā rabbihimu al-wasīlata ayyuhum aqrabu, waqāla li-al-muʾminīna yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū attaqū Allāha wa-abtaghū ilayhi al-wasīlata, fakāna fī hadhihi al-āyati sharḥun wabayānun fī ṣifati alladhīna yuʾminūna bi-al-ghaybi bi-ibtighāʾi al-wasīlati, thumma zāda fī al-bayāni wa-al-tafṣīli fī āyatin ukhrā. yaḥuththu bihi al-muʾminīna ʿalā al-musāraʿati ilā al-khayrāti faqāla ʿazza wajalla a yaḥsabūna annamā numidduhum bihi min mālin wabanīna nusāriʿu lahum fī al-khayrāti bal lā yashʿurūna, wa-astafāda ahlu al-fahmi min hadhihi al-āyati anna awwala al-musāraʿati ilā al-khayrāti huwa al-taqallulu mina al-dunyā watarku al-āhtimāmi li-al-rizqi wa-al-tabāʿudu wa-al-firāru mina al-jamʿi wa-al-manʿu bi-ikhtiyāri al-qillati ʿalā al-kathrati wa-al-zuhdu fī al-dunyā ʿalā al-raghbati fīhā, thumma dhakara alladhīna yusāriʿu lahum fī al-khayrāti wawaṣafahum faqāla alladhīna hum min khashyati rabbihim mushfiqūna fawaṣafahum bi-al-ishfāqi mina al-khashyati, wa-al-khashyatu wa-al-ishfāqu asmāni bāṭināni wahumā ʿamalāni min aʿmāli al-qalbi fa-al-khashyatu sirrun fī al-qalbi khafiyyun wa-al-ishfāqu mina al-khashyati akhfā mina al-khashyati wahuwa alladhī dhakara Allāhu taʿālā faqāla yaʿlamu al-sirra waʾakhfā, waqad qīla inna al-khashyata ankisāru al-qalbi min dawāmi al-āntiṣābi bayna yadayi Allāhi taʿālā, thumma min baʿdi hadhihi al-martabati al-sharīfati wa-al-ḥāli al-rafīʿati allatī

Chapter on the people of hearts and their understanding of the Qur’an. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: God Most High mentions and describes in His Book all the people of hearts and people of spiritual realities: aspirants, knowers, realized ones, finders, people of striving and discipline, and those who draw near to Him through every kind of outward and inward obedience. Concerning His angels, mighty and majestic is He, God says, “Those whom they invoke themselves seek the means of approach to their Lord, each striving to be nearer.” To the believers He says, “O you who believe, be mindful of God and seek the means of approach to Him.” This verse therefore explains and clarifies the quality of those who believe in the unseen through their seeking a means of approach. God then adds further clarification in another verse, urging believers to hasten toward good: “Do they think that by the wealth and children We provide them We hasten good things to them? No; they do not perceive.” The people of understanding infer from this verse that the beginning of hastening toward good lies in taking little from the world, abandoning anxious concern for provision, distancing oneself from and fleeing accumulation and withholding, choosing little over much, and preferring renunciation of the world to desire for it. God then identifies and describes those for whom He hastens good: “Those who are apprehensive out of awe of their Lord.” He describes them as apprehensive through awe. Awe and apprehension are two inward names and two acts of the heart: awe is a hidden secret in the heart, while the apprehension born of awe is still more hidden than awe itself. This is what God Most High mentions when He says, “He knows the secret and what is still more hidden.” It has been said that awe is the heart’s brokenness through continually standing before God Most High. After this noble rank and lofty state—

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وَصَفَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهَا مِنَ الْخَشْيَةِ وَالْإِشْفَاقِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ، وَكَانُوا قَبْلَ الْخَشْيَةِ وَالْإِشْفَاقِ مُؤْمِنِينَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِعِلْمِ أَنَّهُ أَرَادَ بِذَلِكَ زِيَادَةَ الْإِيمَانِ أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّهُ يَصِفُ رَسُولَهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالْإِيمَانِ بِهِ بَعْدَ الرِّسَالَةِ وَالنُّبُوَّةِ وَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ النَّبِيِّ الْأُمِّيِّ الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَكَلِمَاتِهِ، فَاسْتَنْبَطَ أَهْلُ الْفَهْمِ وَاسْتَفَادُوا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ أَنَّ زِيَادَةَ الْإِيمَانِ لَا نِهَايَةَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ جَمِيعَ مَا وَصَلَ إِلَيْهِ أَهْلُ الْحَقَائِقِ مِنْ بِدَايَتِهِمْ إِلَى نِهَايَتِهِمْ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ حَقَائِقِ الْإِيمَانِ وَزِيَادَتِهِ وَبَرَاهِينِهِ وَأَنْوَارِهِ وَأَنْ لَا نِهَايَةَ لِذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِرَبِّهِمْ لَا يُشْرِكُونَ فَذَكَرَ أَنَّهُمْ لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِرَبِّهِمْ بَعْدَ مَا وَصَفَهُمْ بِالْخَشْيَةِ وَالْإِشْفَاقِ وَالْإِيمَانِ، فَاسْتَفَادَ أَهْلُ الْفَهْمُ أَيْضًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَعُلِمَ أَنَّ مُسْتَنْبَطَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ وَذِكْرَ الشِّرْكِ هَا هُنَا أَنَّهُ مِنَ الشِّرْكِ الْخُفَىّ الَّذِي يُعَارِضُ الْقُلُوبَ مِنْ رُؤْيَةِ الطَّاعَاتِ وَطَلَبِ الْأَعْوَاضِ بَعْدَ مَا شَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ صَرِيحَ الْإِيمَانِ أَنْ لَا ضَارَّ وَلَا نَافِعَ وَلَا مُعْطِى وَلَا مَانِعَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ شَمَّرُوا وَجُدُّوا وَتَضَرَّعُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَطَلَبُوا مِنْهُ الْخَلَاصَ لِقُلُوبِهِمْ بِصِدْقِ الْإِخْلَاصِ فِي الْإِخْلَاصِ وَعَلِمُوا أَنَّهُمْ عَلَى قَدْرِ إِخْلَاصِهِمْ فِي إِيمَانِهِمْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى دَقَائِقِ شِرْكِهِمْ وَرِيَائِهِمُ الَّذِي هُوَ أَخْفَى مِنْ دَبِيبِ النَّمْلِ عَلَى الْحَجَرِ الْأَسْوَدِ فِي اللَّيْلَةِ الظَّلْمَاءِ، وَقَدْ ذُكِرَ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ أَهْلُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ كَثِيرٌ وَالْمُخْلِصُونَ مِنْهُمْ قَلِيلٌ، وَقَالَ سَهْلٌ أَيْضًا الدُّنْيَا كُلُّهَا جَهْلٌ إِلَّا مَا كَانَ مِنْهُ الْعِلْمُ وَالْعِلْمُ كُلُّهُ حُجَّةٌ إِلَّا مَا كَانَ الْعَمَلُ بِهِ وَالْعَمَلُ كُلُّهُ هَبَاءٌ إِلَّا مَوْضِعَ الْإِخْلَاصِ فِيهِ وَأَهْلُ الْإِخْلَاصِ عَلَى خَطَرٍ عَظِيمٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ

waṣafahumu Allāhu taʿālā bihā mina al-khashyati wa-al-ishfāqi waghayri dhalika faqāla wa-alladhīna hum biāyāti rabbihim yuʾminūna, wakānū qabla al-khashyati wa-al-ishfāqi muʾminīna biāyāti Allāhi biʿilmi annahu arāda bidhalika ziyādata al-īmāni alā tarā annahu yaṣifu rasūlahu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama bi-al-īmāni bihi baʿda al-risālati wa-al-nubuwwati wadhalika qawluhu ʿazza wajalla fāminū bi-Allāhi warasūlihi al-nabiyyi al-ummiyyi alladhī yuʾminu bi-Allāhi wakalimātihi, fa-astanbaṭa ahlu al-fahmi wa-astafādū min hadhihi al-āyati anna ziyādata al-īmāni lā nihāyata lahu wa-anna jamīʿa mā waṣala ilayhi ahlu al-ḥaqāʾiqi min bidāyatihim ilā nihāyatihim inna dhalika min ḥaqāʾiqi al-īmāni waziyādatihi wabarāhīnihi waʾanwārihi waʾan lā nihāyata lidhalika, thumma qāla ʿazza wajalla wa-alladhīna hum birabbihim lā yushrikūna fadhakara annahum lā yushrikūna birabbihim baʿda mā waṣafahum bi-al-khashyati wa-al-ishfāqi wa-al-īmāni, fa-astafāda ahlu al-fahmu ayḍan min dhalika waʿulima anna mustanbaṭa hadhihi al-āyati wadhikra al-shirki hā hunā annahu mina al-shirki al-khufā alladhī yuʿāriḍu al-qulūba min ruʾyati al-ṭāʿāti waṭalabi al-aʿwāḍi baʿda mā shahida shāhidun ṣarīḥa al-īmāni an lā ḍārra walā nāfiʿa walā muʿṭī walā māniʿa illā Allāhu faʿinda dhalika shammarū wajuddū wataḍarraʿū ilā Allāhi taʿālā waṭalabū minhu al-khalāṣa liqulūbihim biṣidqi al-ikhlāṣi fī al-ikhlāṣi waʿalimū annahum ʿalā qadri ikhlāṣihim fī īmānihim yanẓurūna ilā daqāʾiqi shirkihim wariyāʾihimu alladhī huwa akhfā min dabībi al-namli ʿalā al-ḥajari al-aswadi fī al-laylati al-ẓalmāʾi, waqad dhukira ʿan sahli bni ʿabdi Allāhu raḥimahu Allāhu annahu kāna yaqūlu ahlu lā ilaha illā Allāhu kathīrun wa-al-mukhliṣūna minhum qalīlun, waqāla sahlun ayḍan al-dunyā kulluhā jahlun illā mā kāna minhu al-ʿilmu wa-al-ʿilmu kulluhu ḥujjatun illā mā kāna al-ʿamalu bihi wa-al-ʿamalu kulluhu habāʾun illā mawḍiʿa al-ikhlāṣi fīhi waʾahlu al-ikhlāṣi ʿalā khaṭarin ʿaẓīmin, thumma qāla

with which God Most High describes them—namely awe, apprehension, and the other qualities—He says, “Those who believe in the signs of their Lord.” They were already believers in God’s signs before attaining awe and apprehension, so the intended meaning is an increase in faith. Do you not see that God describes His Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace—as believing in Him after messengership and prophethood, in His words, “Believe, then, in God and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who believes in God and His words”? The people of understanding infer from this verse that increase in faith has no end, and that every reality attained by the people of spiritual realities, from their beginnings to their furthest reaches, belongs to the realities, increase, proofs, and lights of faith, without any final limit. God then says, “Those who associate nothing with their Lord.” He mentions their freedom from association after describing them through awe, apprehension, and faith. The people of understanding infer that the association intended here is the hidden association that confronts hearts when they regard their own acts of obedience and seek compensation for them, even after the clear witness of faith has testified that none harms or benefits, gives or withholds, except God. They then gird themselves, strive, humble themselves before God Most High, and ask Him to free their hearts through sincere purity within purity itself. They know that, in proportion to the purity of their faith, they perceive the fine traces of their association and ostentation, which are more hidden than the movement of an ant over a black stone on a dark night. It is related that Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh—may God have mercy on him—used to say, “The people of ‘There is no god but God’ are many, but the sincere among them are few.” Sahl also said, “The whole world is ignorance except where knowledge is found; all knowledge is an argument against a person except what is acted upon; all action is scattered dust except where sincerity is present; and the people of sincerity face tremendous danger.” Then God says—

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عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوْا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ، فَاسْتَنْبَطَ أَهْلُ الْفَهْمِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ أَيْضًا أَنَّ وَجَلَ قُلُوبِهِمْ مَعَ مَا آَتَوْا مِنَ الْمُسَارَعَةِ وَالِاسْتِبَاقِ إِلَى هَذِهِ الْأَحْوَالِ الَّتِي ذَكَرْنَا أَنَّ ذَلِكَ الْوَجَلَ هُوَ الْوَجَلُ الَّذِي لَا سَبِيلَ إِلَى الْكَشْفِ عَنْ عِلْمِ ذَلِكَ وَلَا وُقُوفَ عَلَيْهِ لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ وَهُوَ عِلْمُ الْخَاتِمَةِ وَمَا سَبَقَ لَهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ مِنَ الشَّقَاوَةِ وَالسَّعَادَةِ فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ تَقَطَّعَ نِيَاطُ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَذَهِلَتْ عُقُولُهُمْ وَذَهَبَتْ عُلُومُهُمْ وَغَابَتْ فُهُومُهُمْ وَأَقْبَلُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِصِدْقِ اللَّجَأِ وَإِظْهَارِ الْفَاقَةِ وَدَوَامِ الِافْتِقَارِ، وَتَصْدِيقِ ذَلِكَ مَا قَدْ رَوَى فِي ذَلِكَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّهَا سَأَلَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوْا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ هُوَ الَّذِي يَزْنَى وَيَسْرِقُ وَيَشْرَبُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا وَلَكِنْ هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي وَيَصُومُ وَيَتَصَدَّقُ وَيَخَافُ أَنْ لَا يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ أُولَئِكَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَهُمْ لَهَا سَابِقُونَ، فَدَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَنَّ بِالْمُسَارَعَةِ إِلَى هَذِهِ الْخَيْرَاتِ يَنَالُ دَرَجَةَ السَّابِقِينَ وَيُبْتَغَى مَنْزِلَتَهُمْ، بَابُ ذِكْرِ السَّابِقِينَ وَالْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَالْأَبْرَارِ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الْفَهْمُ وَالِاسْتِنْبَاطِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ أُولَئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ، ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ فَضْلَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ عَلَى مَنْ دُونَهُمْ مِنَ الْأَبْرَارِ وَالسَّابِقِينَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ كَلَّا إِنَّ كِتَابَ الْأَبْرَارِ لَفِي عِلِّيِّينَ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ يَنْظُرُونَ، وَوَصَفَ الْكَرَامَاتِ

ʿazza wajalla wa-alladhīna yuʾtūna mā ātawā waqulūbuhum wajilatun annahum ilā rabbihim rājiʿūna, fa-astanbaṭa ahlu al-fahmi min hadhihi al-āyati ayḍan anna wajala qulūbihim maʿa mā āatawā mina al-musāraʿati wa-al-āstibāqi ilā hadhihi al-aḥwāli allatī dhakarnā anna dhalika al-wajala huwa al-wajalu alladhī lā sabīla ilā al-kashfi ʿan ʿilmi dhalika walā wuqūfa ʿalayhi liʾaḥadin min khalqihi wahuwa ʿilmu al-khātimati wamā sabaqa lahum mina Allāhi taʿālā fī ʿilmi al-ghaybi mina al-shaqāwati wa-al-saʿādati faʿinda dhalika taqaṭṭaʿa niyāṭu qulūbihim wadhahilat ʿuqūluhum wadhahabat ʿulūmuhum waghābat fuhūmuhum wa-aqbalū ʿalā Allāhi taʿālā biṣidqi al-lajaʾi wa-iẓhāri al-fāqati wadawāmi al-āftiqāri, wataṣdīqi dhalika mā qad rawā fī dhalika ʿan ʿĀʾishata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā annahā saʾalat rasūla Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama faqālat yā rasūla Allāhu alladhīna yuʾtūna mā ātawā waqulūbuhum wajilatun huwa alladhī yaznā wayasriqu wayashrabu faqāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama lā walakin huwa alladhī yuṣallā wayaṣūmu wayataṣaddaqu wayakhāfu an lā yuqbala minhu thumma qāla ūlaʾika yusāriʿūna fī al-khayrāti wahum lahā sābiqūna, fadalla dhalika ʿalā anna bi-al-musāraʿati ilā hadhihi al-khayrāti yanālu darajata al-sābiqīna wayubtaghā manzilatahum, bābu dhikri al-sābiqīna wa-al-muqarrabīna wa-al-abrāri min ṭarīqi al-fahmu wa-al-āstinbāṭu, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu qāla Allāhu taʿālā wa-al-sābiqūna al-sābiqūna ūlaʾika al-muqarrabūna, thumma bayyana faḍla al-muqarrabīna ʿalā man dūnahum mina al-abrāri wa-al-sābiqīna baʿda dhalika faqāla kallā inna kitāba al-abrāri lafī ʿilliyyīna wamā adrāka mā ʿilliyyūna, thumma qāla inna al-abrāra lafī naʿīmin ʿalā al-arāʾiki yanẓurūna, wawaṣafa al-karāmāti

mighty and majestic is He—“Those who give what they give while their hearts tremble because they are returning to their Lord.” The people of understanding also infer from this verse that, notwithstanding all they have given and their haste and precedence in the states just mentioned, their trembling is caused by something whose knowledge no creature can uncover or grasp: the final outcome and what God Most High has eternally known for them in the unseen, whether wretchedness or felicity. At this, the cords of their hearts are torn, their minds become bewildered, their learning departs, and their understanding vanishes. They turn to God Most High with truthful recourse, openly acknowledge their need, and remain in continual poverty before Him. This is confirmed by the report from ʿĀʾishah—may God be pleased with her—who asked the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—“O Messenger of God, does ‘those who give what they give while their hearts tremble’ refer to someone who fornicates, steals, and drinks wine?” The Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—replied, “No. It is the one who prays, fasts, gives charity, and fears that it will not be accepted.” God then says, “Those are the ones who hasten toward good, and they are foremost in it.” This shows that by hastening toward these good things one attains the degree of the forerunners and seeks their station. Chapter on the forerunners, those brought near, and the righteous, by way of understanding and inference. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: God Most High says, “The forerunners, the forerunners: those are the ones brought near.” He then distinguishes the excellence of those brought near over those below them among the righteous and says, “No indeed! The record of the righteous is in ʿIlliyyūn. And what will make you know what ʿIlliyyūn is?” Then He says, “The righteous are in bliss, gazing from couches,” and describes the honours—

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الَّتِي أَكْرَمَ بِهَا الْأَبْرَارَ وَمَا خَصَّهُمْ بِهِ مِنَ النَّعِيمِ وَالدَّرَجَاتِ فِي عِلِّيِّينَ فَقَالَ تَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ نَضْرَةَ النَّعِيمِ يَعْنِى أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ يُعْرَفُونَ بِالنَّضَارَةِ الَّتِي فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ يَعْنَى فِي وُجُوهِ الْأَبْرَارِ مِنَ النَّعِيمِ الَّذِي خُصُّوا بِهِ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ يُسْقَوْنَ مِنْ رَحِيقٍ وَلَمْ يَصِفْ لِأَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ أَنَّهُمْ يُسْقَوْنَ مِنَ الرَّحِيقِ الْمَخْتُومِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ وَمِزَاجُهُ مِنْ تَسْنِيمٍ عَيْنًا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا الْمُقَرَّبُونَ فَخَصَّ الْأَبْرَارَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ بِالرَّحِيقِ الْمَخْتُومِ، ثُمَّ فَضَّلَ شَرَابَ الْأَبْرَارِ وَهُوَ الرَّحِيقُ الْمَخْتُومُ عَلَى شَرَابِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ بِمِزَاجِهِ لِأَنَّ مِزَاجَهُ مِنَ تَسْنِيمٍ وَتَسْنِيمٍ هُوَ الْعَيْنُ الَّتِي يَشْرَبُ بِهَا الْمُقَرَّبُونَ فَصَارَ شَرَابُ الْأَبْرَارِ الَّذِي فُضِّلُوا بِهِ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ مَعْلُولًا بِمِزَاجِهِ عِنْدَ شَرَابِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ الَّذِي لَيْسَ بِمَمَزُوجٍ، فَانْظُرْ إِلَى هَذِهِ الْإِشَارَةِ مَا أَلْطَفَهَا فِي مَعْنَى الْمُقَرَّبِينَ لِأَنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ الَّذِينَ خُصُّوا مِنْ أَهْلِ عِلِّيِّينَ بِالرَّحِيقِ الْمَخْتُومِ وَنُضْرَةِ النَّعِيمِ وَالْأَرَائِكِ يُمْزَجُ لَهُمْ فِي شَرَابِهِمْ مِزَاجًا مِنْ شَرَابِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ الَّذِي يَشْرَبُ بِهِ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ عَلَى الدَّوَامِ، وَاسْتَنْبَطَ أَهْلُ الْفَهْمِ فِيهَا مَعْنَيَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا أَنَّ شَرَابَ الْأَبْرَارِ مَمْزُوجٌ وَشَرَابُ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ صَرْفٌ غَيْرُ مَمْزُوجٍ كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي آيَةٍ أُخْرَى، إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ يَشْرَبُونَ مِنْ كَأْسٍ كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا كَافُورًا، ثُمَّ وَصَفَ مَا أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَيُسْقَوْنَ فِيهَا كَأْسًا كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا زَنْجَبِيلًا عَيْنًا فِيهَا تُسَمَّى سَلْسَبِيلًا، ثُمَّ أَخَذَ فِي صِفَةٍ أُخْرَى مِنْ نَعِيمِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَقَالَ وَإِذَا

allatī akrama bihā al-abrāra wamā khaṣṣahum bihi mina al-naʿīmi wa-al-darajāti fī ʿilliyyīna faqāla taʿrifu fī wujūhihim naḍrata al-naʿīmi yaʿnī anna ahla al-jannati yuʿrafūna bi-al-naḍārati allatī fī wujūhihim yaʿnā fī wujūhi al-abrāri mina al-naʿīmi alladhī khuṣṣū bihi min bayni ahli al-jannati, thumma qāla yusqawna min raḥīqin walam yaṣif liʾahli al-jannati annahum yusqawna mina al-raḥīqi al-makhtūmi ilā qawlihi wamizājuhu min tasnīmin ʿaynan yashrabu bihā al-muqarrabūna fakhaṣṣa al-abrāra fī al-jannati min bayni ahli al-jannati bi-al-raḥīqi al-makhtūmi, thumma faḍḍala sharāba al-abrāri wahuwa al-raḥīqu al-makhtūmu ʿalā sharābi ahli al-jannati bimizājihi li-anna mizājahu mina al-tasnīmi wa-al-tasnīmi huwa al-ʿaynu allatī yashrabu bihā al-muqarrabūna faṣāra sharābu al-abrāri alladhī fuḍḍilū bihi ʿalā ahli al-jannati maʿlūlan bimizājihi ʿinda sharābi al-muqarrabīna alladhī laysa bimamazūjin, fa-anẓur ilā hadhihi al-ishārati mā alẓafuhā fī maʿnā al-muqarrabīna li-anna al-abrāra alladhīna khuṣṣū min ahli ʿilliyyīna bi-al-raḥīqi al-makhtūmi wanuḍrati al-naʿīmi wa-al-arāʾiki yumzaju lahum fī sharābihim mizājan min sharābi al-muqarrabīna alladhī yashrabu bihi al-muqarrabūna ʿalā al-dawāmi, wa-astanbaṭa ahlu al-fahmi fīhā maʿnayayni aḥaduhumā anna sharāba al-abrāri mamzūjun washarābu al-muqarrabīna ṣarfun ghayru mamzūjin kamā qāla Allāhu ʿazza wajalla fī āyatin ukhrā, inna al-abrāra yashrabūna min kaʾsin kāna mizājuhā kāfūran, thumma waṣafa mā aʿadda Allāhu lahum thumma qāla wayusqawna fīhā kaʾsan kāna mizājuhā zanjabīlan ʿaynan fīhā tusammā salsabīlan, thumma akhadha fī ṣifatin ukhrā min naʿīmi ahli al-jannati faqāla waʾidhā

with which He honours the righteous, together with the bliss and degrees in ʿIlliyyūn that He grants them. He says, “You will recognize in their faces the radiance of bliss.” That is, the people of Paradise are known by the radiance upon their faces; more particularly, the righteous are known among the people of Paradise by the special bliss granted to them. God then says, “They are given a sealed, pure wine to drink,” whereas He does not describe the people of Paradise generally as drinking the sealed wine. He continues, “Its mixture is from Tasnīm, a spring from which those brought near drink.” Thus He singles out the righteous from among the people of Paradise with the sealed wine, and elevates their drink above the drink of the people of Paradise generally by its mixture, for it is mixed with Tasnīm—the spring from which those brought near drink. Yet the drink by which the righteous are distinguished from the people of Paradise remains qualified by being mixed when compared with the unmixed drink of those brought near. Consider how subtle this indication is concerning those brought near: the righteous, who are singled out among the people of ʿIlliyyūn through sealed wine, the radiance of bliss, and couches, receive in their drink a portion of the drink from which those brought near drink continually. The people of understanding infer two meanings. The first is that the drink of the righteous is mixed, while the drink of those brought near is pure and unmixed. God, mighty and majestic, says elsewhere, “The righteous drink from a cup whose mixture is camphor.” After describing what He has prepared for them, He says, “There they are given a cup to drink whose mixture is ginger, from a spring there called Salsabīl.” He then begins another description of the bliss of the people of Paradise and says—

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رَأَيْتَ ثَمَّ رَأَيْتَ نَعِيمًا وَمُلْكًا كَبِيرًا أَشَارَ إِلَى نَعِيمٍ لَا صِفَةَ لَهُ بِقَوْلِهِ ثَمَّ رَأَيْتَ نَعِيمًا وَلَمْ يَصِفِ النَّعِيمَ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ إِلَى آخِرِ الْقِصَّةِ قَالَ وَسَقَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ شَرَابًا طَهُورًا، فَكُلَّمَا ذَكَرَ شُرْبَهُمْ وَوَصَفَ فِي ذَلِكَ فِعْلَهُمْ بِقَوْلِهِ يَشْرَبُونَ يَذْكُرُ الْمِزَاجَ فِي شُرْبِهِمْ فَلَمَّا قَالَ وَسَقَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ شَرَابًا طَهُورًا لَمْ يَذْكُرِ الْمِزَاجَ فِي شُرْبِهِمْ، وَالْمَعْنَى الْآخَرُ أَنَّ الْعَيْنَ الَّتِي هِيَ شَرَابُ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ يُمْزَجُ مِنْهُ بِالْعَيْنِ الَّتِي هِيَ شَرَابُ الْأَبْرَارِ فَفُضِّلُوا عَلَى أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ بِمِزَاجٍ مَزَجَتْ شَرَابَهُمْ مِنَ تَسْنِيمٍ وَهُوَ الْعَيْنِ الَّتِي يَشْرَبُ بِهَا الْمُقَرَّبُونَ، فَهَذَا فَرْقٌ بَيْنَ الْأَبْرَارِ وَالْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ وَلَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا فَبَيَّنَ أَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنَّمَا أُعْطُوا الِاسْتِطَاعَةَ عَلَى قَدْرِ الطَّاقَةِ فِي رُكُوبِ هَذِهِ الْحَقَائِقِ وَمُنَازِلَةِ هَذِهِ الْأَحْوَالِ لِأَنَّ جَمِيعَ مَا أُوتُوا بِهِ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ فَمَنْ دُونَهُمْ مِنَ الْحَقَائِقِ هُوَ دَاخِلٌ فِي قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ لَمْ يَخْرُجْ أَحَدٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، بَابُ بَيَانِ التَّشْدِيدِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَوُجُوهِ ذَلِكَ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ اعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَدْ أَوْجَبَ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ بِقَوْلِهِ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ فَرْضًا لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَتَوْا بِجَمِيعِ أَعْمَالِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ ثُمَّ يُطَالِبُهُمْ بِحَقِيقَةِ ذَلِكَ كَانَ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِمْ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ إِثْبَاتِ الْحُجَّةِ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ الَّذِي لَهُمْ، أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّ الْمَلَآيِكَةَ مَعَ مَا جَبَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَنْوَاعٍ الْعِبَادَاتِ يَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَكَ رَبَّنَا مَا عَبَدْنَاكَ حَقَّ عِبَادَتِكَ

raʾayta thamma raʾayta naʿīman wamulkan kabīran ashāra ilā naʿīmin lā ṣifata lahu biqawlihi thamma raʾayta naʿīman walam yaṣifi al-naʿīma, falammā balagha ilā ākhiri al-qiṣṣati qāla wasaqāhum rabbuhum sharāban ṭahūran, fakullamā dhakara shurbahum wawaṣafa fī dhalika fiʿlahum biqawlihi yashrabūna yadhkuru al-mizāja fī shurbihim falammā qāla wasaqāhum rabbuhum sharāban ṭahūran lam yadhkuri al-mizāja fī shurbihim, wa-al-maʿnā al-ākharu anna al-ʿayna allatī hiya sharābu al-muqarrabīna yumzaju minhu bi-al-ʿayni allatī hiya sharābu al-abrāri fafuḍḍilū ʿalā ahli al-jannati bimizājin mazajat sharābahum mina al-tasnīmi wahuwa al-ʿayni allatī yashrabu bihā al-muqarrabūna, fahadhā farqun bayna al-abrāri wa-al-muqarrabīna wa-Allāhu aʿlamu, thumma qāla jalla dhikruhu walā nukallifu nafsan illā wusʿahā fabayyana anna al-muʾminīna innamā uʿṭū al-āstiṭāʿata ʿalā qadri al-ṭāqati fī rukūbi hadhihi al-ḥaqāʾiqi wamunāzilati hadhihi al-aḥwāli li-anna jamīʿa mā ūtū bihi al-anbiyāʾu ʿalayhimi al-salamu faman dūnahum mina al-ḥaqāʾiqi huwa dākhilun fī qawlihi ʿazza wajalla fa-attaqū Allāha mā astaṭaʿtum lam yakhruj aḥadun min dhalika, bābu bayāni al-tashdīdi fī al-qurʾāni wawujūhi dhalika, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu aʿlam anna Allāha taʿālā qad awjaba ʿalā ʿibādihi biqawlihi fa-attaqū Allāha mā astaṭaʿtum farḍan law annahum atawā bijamīʿi aʿmāli al-malāʾikati wa-al-anbiyāʾi wa-al-ṣiddīqīna thumma yuṭālibuhum biḥaqīqati dhalika kāna alladhī ʿalayhim fī dhalika min ithbāti al-ḥujjati akthara mina alladhī lahum, alā tarā anna al-malāʾikata maʿa mā jabalahumu Allāhu taʿālā ʿalayhi min anwāʿin al-ʿibādāti yaqūlūna subḥānaka rabbanā mā ʿabadnāka ḥaqqa ʿibādatika

“When you look there, you will see bliss and a vast kingdom.” By saying “there you will see bliss,” without defining that bliss, He points to a bliss beyond description. At the end of the passage He says, “Their Lord gives them a pure drink.” Whenever He previously mentions their drinking and attributes the act to them by saying “they drink,” He mentions a mixture in their drink. But when He says, “Their Lord gives them a pure drink,” He mentions no mixture. The second meaning is that something from the spring which is the drink of those brought near is mixed into the spring that is the drink of the righteous. They are thereby raised above the other people of Paradise through a mixture from Tasnīm, the spring from which those brought near drink. This, then, is the distinction between the righteous and those brought near—and God knows best. God, exalted is His remembrance, then says, “We do not burden any soul beyond its capacity.” He makes clear that believers are given ability in proportion to their capacity to enter these realities and undergo these states. Every spiritual reality granted to the prophets—peace be upon them—and to those below them falls within God’s words, “Be mindful of God as much as you are able”; no one lies outside this command. Chapter on the Qur’an’s stringent demands and their forms. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: Through the words “Be mindful of God as much as you are able,” God Most High imposes an obligation upon His servants so demanding that, even if they performed all the works of the angels, prophets, and utterly truthful, and He then required of them the full reality of that obligation, the proof against them would be greater than the claim in their favour. Do you not see that, despite the many forms of worship for which God Most High created the angels, they say, “Glory be to You, our Lord; we have not worshipped You as You deserve to be worshipped”—

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وَيَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا، فَقَدْ تَبَرَّءُوا مِنْ عِلْمِهِمْ وَعِبَادَتِهِمْ عِنْدَ مُشَاهَدَةِ الْحَقِيقَةِ، وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ رَاجِعٌ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ لِأَنَّ التَّقْوَى أَصْلُ جَمِيعِ الْأَحْوَالِ فِي الْبِدَايَةِ وَالنِّهَايَةِ وَلَيْسَ لِلتَّقْوَى غَايَةٌ لِأَنَّ الْمُتَّقَى لَيْسَ لَهُ نِهَايَةٌ، لِأَجْلِ ذَلِكَ قُلْنَا إِنَّ مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ رَاجِعٌ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ وَالتَّشْدِيدُ فِي قَوْلِهِ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ لِأَنَّكَ لَوْ صَلَّيْتَ أَلْفَ رَكْعَةٍ وَاسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تُصَلِّى رَكْعَةً أُخْرَى فَأَخَّرْتَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى وَقْتٍ آخَرَ فَقَدْ تَرَكْتَ اسْتِطَاعَتَكَ وَلَوْ ذَكَرْتَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَلْفَ مَرَّةٍ وَاسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَذْكُرَهُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فَتُؤَخِّرَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى وَقْتٍ ثَانٍ فَقَدْ تَرَكْتَ اسْتِطَاعَتَكَ وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ تَصَدَّقْتَ عَلَى سَائِلٍ بِدِرْهَمٍ وَاسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تُعْطِيَهُ دِرْهَمًا آخَرَ أَوْ حَبَّةً أُخْرَى فَلَمْ تَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ تَرَكْتَ اسْتِطَاعَتَكَ، فَمِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ قُلْنَا التَّشْدِيدَ فِي قَوْلِهِ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ، وَمِنَ الْآيَاتِ الَّتِي فِيهَا التَّشْدِيدُ أَيْضًا قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا، وَمَوْضِعُ التَّشْدِيدِ فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى ذَكَرَ الْقَسَمَ أَنَّهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ إِنْ وَجَدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا يَعْنَى فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَأَسْرَارِهِمْ وَبَاطِنِهِمْ ضِيقًا أَوْ كَرَاهَةً فِي حُكْمِهِ لَوْ أَنَّهُ حَكَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِالْقَتْلِ فَقَدْ خَرَجُوا مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ الْقَسْمَ عَلَى خُرُوجِهِمْ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ، فَلَوْ قِسْنَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ مَا أَمَرَنَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ مِنَ الصَّبْرِ عَلَى أَحْكَامِ

wayaqūlūna subḥānaka lā ʿilma lanā illā mā ʿallamtanā, faqad tabarraʾū min ʿilmihim waʿibādatihim ʿinda mushāhadati al-ḥaqīqati, wamaʿnā qawlihi ʿazza wajalla attaqū Allāha ḥaqqa tuqātihi rājiʿun ilā qawlihi fa-attaqū Allāha mā astaṭaʿtum li-anna al-taqwā aṣlu jamīʿi al-aḥwāli fī al-bidāyati wa-al-nihāyati walaysa li-al-taqwā ghāyatun li-anna al-muttaqā laysa lahu nihāyatun, liʾajli dhalika qulnā inna maʿnā qawlihi attaqū Allāha ḥaqqa tuqātihi rājiʿun ilā qawlihi fa-attaqū Allāha mā astaṭaʿtum wa-al-tashdīdu fī qawlihi fa-attaqū Allāha mā astaṭaʿtum liʾannaka law ṣallayta alfa rakʿatin wa-astaṭaʿta an tuṣallī rakʿatan ukhrā faʾakhkharta dhalika ilā waqtin ākhara faqad tarakta astiṭāʿataka walaw dhakarta Allāha taʿālā al-fa marratin wa-astaṭaʿta an tadhkurahu marratan ukhrā fatuʾakhkhira dhalika ilā waqtin thānin faqad tarakta astiṭāʿataka wakadhalika law taṣaddaqta ʿalā sāʾilin bidirhamin wa-astaṭaʿta an tuʿṭiyahu dirhaman ākhara aw ḥabbatan ukhrā falam tafʿal dhalika faqad tarakta astiṭāʿataka, famin ajli dhalika qalayā al-tashdīda fī qawlihi mā astaṭaʿtum, wamina al-āyāti allatī fīhā al-tashdīdu ayḍan qawluhu taʿālā falā warabbika lā yuʾminūna ḥattā yuḥakkimūka fīmā shajara baynahum thumma lā yajidū fī anfusihim ḥarajan mimmā qaḍayta wayusallimū taslīman, wamawḍiʿu al-tashdīdi fī hadhihi al-āyati anna Allāha taʿālā dhakara al-qasama annahum lā yuʾminūna ḥattā yuḥakkimū rasūla Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama fīmā shajara baynahum thumma in wajadū fī anfusihim ḥarajan yaʿnā fī qulūbihim wa-asrārihim wabāṭinihim ḍīqan aw karāhatan fī ḥukmihi law annahu ḥakama ʿalayhim bi-al-qatli faqad kharajū mina al-īmāni waqad dhakara Allāhu al-qasma ʿalā khurūjihim mina al-īmāni, falaw qisnā ʿalā dhalika mā amaranā Allāhu taʿālā bihi mina al-ṣabri ʿalā aḥkāmi

and they say, “Glory be to You; we possess no knowledge except what You have taught us”? They disown their own knowledge and worship when witnessing the Reality. The meaning of God’s words, “Be mindful of God as He deserves,” returns to His words, “Be mindful of God as much as you are able,” because mindfulness is the root of every spiritual state, at the beginning and at the end, and it has no limit, for the One of whom one is mindful has no limit. This is why we say that “as He deserves” returns to “as much as you are able.” The stringency lies precisely in “as much as you are able.” If you prayed a thousand cycles and could pray one more, but deferred it to another time, you would have abandoned something within your ability. If you remembered God Most High a thousand times and could remember Him once more, but deferred it to another time, you would have abandoned something within your ability. Likewise, if you gave a beggar one dirham and could give another dirham, or even another grain, but did not, you would have abandoned something within your ability. For this reason we call the words “as much as you are able” stringent. Another verse containing stringency is God Most High’s saying, “No, by your Lord, they do not believe until they make you judge concerning what they dispute among themselves, then find no discomfort within themselves concerning what you decide, and submit in complete submission.” The point of stringency is that God Most High swears that they do not believe until they make the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—judge their disputes. If they then find within themselves—in their hearts, secrets, and inward beings—any constriction or aversion to his judgment, even if he were to sentence them to death, they have departed from faith; God has sworn to their departure from it. If we measured by this standard what God Most High commands regarding patience under His decrees—

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اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَالرِّضَا بِمَا قَسَمَ اللَّهُ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَخْلَاقِ وَالْأَرْزَاقِ وَالْآجَالِ وَالْأَعْمَالِ لَمْ نَجِدْ مَعَنَا وَمَعَ كَثِيرٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ ذَرَّةً مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ وَلَوْلَا رَجَاءُ الْخَلْقِ فِي سَعَةِ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لَهَلَكُوا بِذَلِكَ، بَابُ مَا قِيلَ فِي فَهْمِ الْحُرُوفِ وَالْأَسْمَاءِ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يُقَالُ أَنَّ جَمِيعَ مَا أَدْرَكَتْهُ الْعُلُومُ وَلَحَقَتْهُ الْفُهُومُ مَا عَبَّرَ عَنْهُ وَمَا أُشِيرَ إِلَيْهِ فَهُوَ مُسْتَنْبَطٌ مِنْ حَرْفَيْنِ مِنْ أَوَّلِ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ لِأَنَّ مَعْنَاهُ بِاللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ وَالْإِشَارَةُ فِي ذَلِكَ أَنَّ جَمِيعَ مَا أَحَاطَ بِهِ عُلُومُ الْخَلْقِ وَأَدْرَكَتْهُ فُهُومُهُمْ فَلَيْسَتْ هِيَ قَائِمَةً بِذَوَاتِهَا إِنَّمَا هِيَ بِاللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ، وَقِيلَ لِلشُّبْلَى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ كَمَا بَلَغَنِي أَيْشِ الْإِشَارَةُ فِي الْبَاءِ مِنْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ أَيْ بِاللَّهِ قَامَتِ الْأَرْوَاحُ وَالْأَجْسَادُ وَالْحَرَكَاتُ لَا بِذَوَاتِهَا، وَقِيلَ لِأَبِى الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَطَاءٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَى مَا ذَا سَكَنَتْ قُلُوبُ الْعَارِفِينَ فَقَالَ إِلَى أَوَّلِ حَرْفٍ مِنْ كِتَابِهِ وَهُوَ الْبَاءُ مِنْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ فَإِنَّ مَعْنَاهُ أَنَّ بِاللَّهِ ظَهَرَتِ الْأَشْيَاءُ وَبِهِ فَنِيَتْ وَبِتَجَلِّيهِ حَسُنَتْ وَبِاسْتِتَارِهِ قَبُحَتْ وَسَمُجَتْ لِأَنَّ فِي اسْمِهِ اللَّهِ هَيْبَتَهُ وَكِبْرِيَاءَهُ وَفِي اسْمِهِ الرَّحْمَنِ مَحَبَّتَهُ وَمَوَدَّتَهُ وَفِي اسْمِهِ الرَّحِيمِ عَوْنُهُ وَنُصْرَتُهُ فَسُبْحَانَ مَنْ فَرَّقَ بَيْنَ هَذِهِ الْمَعَانِي فِي لَطَائِفِهَا بِهَذِهِ الْأَسْمَاءِ فِي غَوَامِضِهَا، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ بِتَجَلِّيهِ حَسُنَتْ يَعْنَى بِقَبُولِهِ لَهَا وَبِذَا سُمِّيَتِ الْحَسَنَةُ حَسَنَةً لِأَنَّهُ قَبِلَهَا وَلَوْ لَمْ يَقْبَلْهَا مَا سُمِّيَتِ الْحَسَنَةُ حَسَنَةً وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ بِاسْتِتَارِهِ قَبُحَتْ وَسَمُجَتْ يَعْنِى بِرَدِّهِ لَهَا وَإِعْرَاضِهِ عَنْهَا وَبِذَلِكَ سُمِّيَتِ السَّيِّيَةُ سَيِّيَةً وَلَوْلَا ذَلِكَ لَمَا سُمِّيَتِ السَّيِّيَةُ سَيِّيَةً، وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ كُلُّ اسْمٍ

Allāhi ʿazza wajalla wa-al-riḍā bimā qasama Allāhu lanā mina al-akhlāqi wa-al-arzāqi wa-al-ājāli wa-al-aʿmāli lam najid maʿanā wamaʿa kathīrin mina al-nāsi dharratan mina al-īmāni walawlā rajāʾu al-khalqi fī saʿati raḥmati Allāhi taʿālā lahalakū bidhalika, bābu mā qīla fī fahmi al-ḥurūfi wa-al-asmāʾi, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu yuqālu anna jamīʿa mā adrakathu al-ʿulūmu walaḥaqathu al-fuhūmu mā ʿabbara ʿanhu wamā ushīra ilayhi fahuwa mustanbaṭun min ḥarfayni min awwali kitābi Allāhi taʿālā wahuwa qawluhu bismi Allāhi wa al-ḥamdu lillāhi li-anna maʿnāhu bi-Allāhi walillahi wa-al-ishāratu fī dhalika anna jamīʿa mā aḥāṭa bihi ʿulūmu al-khalqi waʾadrakathu fuhūmuhum falaysat hiya qāʾimatan bidhawātihā innamā hiya bi-Allāhi walillahi, waqīla li-al-shiblī raḥimahu Allāhu kamā balaghanī ayshi al-ishāratu fī al-bāʾi min bismi Allāhi faqāla ā bi-Allāhi qāmati al-arwāḥu wa-al-ajsādu wa-al-ḥarakātu lā bidhawātihā, waqīla liʾabī al-ʿabbāsi bni ʿaṭāʾin raḥimahu Allāhu ilā mā dhā sakanat qulūbu al-ʿārifīna faqāla ilā awwali ḥarfin min kitābihi wahuwa al-bāʾu min bismi Allāhi al-raḥmāni al-raḥīmi fa-inna maʿnāhu anna bi-Allāhi ẓaharati al-ashyāʾu wabihi faniyat wabitajallīhi ḥasunat wa-bi-istitārihi qabuḥat wasamujat liʾanna fī asmihi Allāhi haybatahu wakbriyāʾahu wafī asmihi al-raḥmāni maḥabbatahu wamawaddatahu wafī asmihi al-raḥīmi ʿawnuhu wanuṣratuhu fasubḥāna man farraqa bayna hadhihi al-maʿānī fī laṭāʾifihā bihadhihi al-asmāʾi fī ghawāmiḍihā, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu maʿnā qawlihi bitajallīhi ḥasunat yaʿnā biqabūlihi lahā wabidhā summiyati al-ḥasanatu ḥasanatan li-annahu qabilahā walaw lam yaqbalhā mā summiyati al-ḥasanatu ḥasanatan wamaʿnā qawlihi bi-istitārihi qabuḥat wasamujat yaʿnī biraddihi lahā waʾiʿrāḍihi ʿanhā wabidhalika summiyati al-sayyiʾatu sayyiʾatan walawlā dhalika lamā summiyati al-sayyiʾatu sayyiʾatan, waqāla abū bakrin al-wāsiṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu kullu asmin

and contentment with what God has allotted us of dispositions, provisions, lifespans, and deeds, we would scarcely find in ourselves, or in many people, even an atom of faith. Were it not for creation’s hope in the breadth of God Most High’s mercy, they would perish on account of this. Chapter on what has been said concerning the understanding of letters and names. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: It is said that everything reached by knowledge and grasped by understanding—everything expressed or indicated—is inferred from two letters at the beginning of God Most High’s Book: the bāʾ in “In the name of God” and the lām in “Praise belongs to God,” for their meanings are “through God” and “for God.” The indication is that all the knowledge encompassed and understood by created beings does not subsist through itself; it exists only through God and for God. Al-Shiblī—may God have mercy on him—was reportedly asked, “What is the indication in the bāʾ of ‘In the name of God’?” He replied, “Through God spirits, bodies, and movements subsist, not through themselves.” Abū al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAṭāʾ—may God have mercy on him—was asked, “In what do the hearts of the knowers find rest?” He replied, “In the first letter of His Book: the bāʾ of ‘In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.’ Its meaning is that through God things appear and through Him they pass away; through His self-disclosure they become beautiful, and through His veiling they become ugly and repellent. In His name Allāh is His awe and majesty; in His name al-Raḥmān is His love and affection; and in His name al-Raḥīm are His aid and victory. Glory be to the One who distinguishes these subtle meanings through these names in their hidden depths.” The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: His words “through His self-disclosure they become beautiful” mean through His acceptance of them. For this reason a good deed is called good: He accepts it; were He not to accept it, it would not be called good. His words “through His veiling they become ugly and repellent” mean through His rejection of and turning away from them. For this reason an evil deed is called evil; otherwise it would not be called evil. Abū Bakr al-Wāsiṭī—may God have mercy on him—said, “Every name—

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مِنْ أَسْمَاءِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى يَتَخَلَّقُ بِهِ إِلَّا اسْمَهُ اللَّهُ الرَّحْمَنُ لِأَنَّهُمَا لِلتَّعَلُّقِ دُونَ التَّخَلُّقِ وَكَذَلِكَ الصَّمَدِيَّةُ مُمْتَنِعَةٌ عَنِ الْإِدْرَاكِ وَالْإِحَاطَةِ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْمًا، وَقَدْ قِيلَ أَيْضًا إِنَّ اسْمَ اللَّهِ الْأَعْظَمَ هُوَ اللَّهُ لِأَنَّهُ إِذَا ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الْأَلْفُ يَبْقَى لِلَّهِ وَإِنْ ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ اللَّامُ يَبْقَى لَهُ فَلَمْ تَذْهَبِ الْإِشَارَةُ وَإِنْ ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ اللَّامُ الْآخَرُ فَيَبْقَى هَاءٌ وَجَمِيعُ الْأَسْرَارِ فِي الْهَاءِ لِأَنَّ مَعْنَاهُ هُوَ وَجَمِيعُ أَسْمَاءِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى إِذَا ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ حَرْفٌ وَاحِدٌ يَذْهَبُ الْمَعْنَى وَلَمْ يَبْقَ فِيهِ مَوْضِعُ الْإِشَارَةِ وَلَا تُحْتَمَلُ الْعِبَارَةُ فَمِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ لَا يُسَمَّى بِهِ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَعَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ الْأَلِفُ أَوَّلُ الْحُرُوفِ وَأَعْظَمُ الْحُرُوفِ وَهُوَ الْإِشَارَةُ فِي الْأَلِفِ أَيْ اللَّهُ الَّذِي أَلَّفَ بَيْنَ الْأَشْيَاءِ وَانْفَرَدَ عَنِ الْأَشْيَاءِ، وَقَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ إِذَا كَانَ الْعَبْدُ مَجْمُوعًا عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لَا يَتَصَرَّفُ مِنْهُ جَارِحَةٌ إِلَى غَيْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَعِنْدَهَا تَقَعُ لَهُ حَقَائِقُ الْفَهْمِ عِنْدَ تِلَاوَةِ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الَّذِي لَيْسَ مَعَ الْخَلْقِ، وَقَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ كُلَّمَا بَدَا حَرْفٌ مِنَ الْأَحْرُفِ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَى قَدْرِ قُرْبِكَ وَحُضُورِكَ عِنْدَهُ فَلَهُ مَشْرَبٌ وَفَهْمٌ غَيْرُ مَخْرَجَ الْفَهْمِ الْآخَرِ، إِذَا سَمِعْتَ بِقَوْلِهِ: أَلِفْ لَامْ مِيمْ، ذَلِكَ فَلِلْأَلِفِ عِلْمٌ يَظْهَرُ فِي الْفَهْمِ غَيْرَ مَا يُظْهِرُ اللَّامُ وَعَلَى قَدْرِ الْمَحَبَّةِ وَصَفَاءِ الذِّكْرِ وَوُجُودِ الْقُرْبِ يَقَعُ التَّفَاوُتُ فِي الْفَهْمِ، قَالَ أَبُو سُلَيْمَانَ الدَّارَانَى رُبَّمَا أَبْقَى فِي الْآيَةِ خَمْسَ لَيَالٍ فَلَوْ لَا أَنَّى أَتْرُكُ الْفِكْرَ فِيهَا مَا جُزْتُهَا أَبَدًا وَرُبَّمَا جَاءَتِ الْآيَةُ مِنَ الْقُرْانِ فَيَطِيرُ مَعَهَا الْعَقْلُ فَسُبْحَانَ الَّذِي يَرُدُّهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ، وَقَالَ وُهَيْبُ بْنُ الْوَرْدِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ نَظَرْنَا فِي هَذِهِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَالْآدَابِ فَلَمْ نَجِدْ شَيْئًا أَرَقَّ لِهَذِهِ الْقُلُوبِ وَلَا أَشَدَّ اسْتِجْلَابًا لِلْحُزْنِ مِنْ تِلَاوَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَتَدَبُّرِهِ،

min asmāʾi Allāhi taʿālā yatakhallaqu bihi illā asmahu Allāhu al-raḥmānu li-annahumā li-al-taʿalluqi dūna al-takhalluqi wakadhalika al-ṣamadiyyatu mumtaniʿatun ʿani al-idrāki wa-al-iḥāṭati, qāla Allāhu taʿālā walā yuḥīṭūna bihi ʿilman, waqad qīla ayḍan inna asma Allāhi al-aʿẓama huwa Allāhu li-annahu idhā dhahaba ʿanhu al-alfu yabqā lillāhi wa-in dhahaba ʿanhu al-lāmu yabqā lahu falam tadhhabi al-ishāratu wa-in dhahaba ʿanhu al-lāmu al-ākharu fayabqā hāʾun wajamīʿu al-asrāri fī al-hāʾi li-anna maʿnāhu huwa wajamīʿu asmāʾi Allāhi taʿālā idhā dhahaba ʿanhu ḥarfun wa-aḥidun yadhhabu al-maʿnā walam yabqa fīhi mawḍiʿu al-ishārati walā tuḥtamalu al-ʿibāratu famin ajli dhalika lā yusammā bihi ghayru Allāhi taʿālā, waʿan sahli bni ʿabdi Allāhi raḥimahu Allāhu annahu qāla al-alifu awwalu al-ḥurūfi waʾaʿẓamu al-ḥurūfi wahuwa al-ishāratu fī al-alifi ā Allāhu alladhī allafa bayna al-ashyāʾi wa-anfarada ʿani al-ashyāʾi, waqāla abū saʿīdin al-kharrāzu raḥimahu Allāhu idhā kāna al-ʿabdu majmūʿan ʿalā Allāhi taʿālā lā yataṣarrafu minhu jāriḥatun ilā ghayri Allāhi ʿazza wajalla faʿindahā taqaʿu lahu ḥaqāʾiqu al-fahmi ʿinda tilāwati kitābi Allāhi ʿazza wajalla alladhī laysa maʿa al-khalqi, waqāla abū saʿīdin raḥimahu Allāhu kullamā badā ḥarfun mina al-aḥrufi min kitābi Allāhi ʿazza wajalla ʿalā qadri qurbika waḥuḍūrika ʿindahu falahu mashrabun wafahmun ghayru makhraja al-fahmi al-ākhari, idhā samiʿta biqawlihi ʾlm dhalika falilʾalifi ʿilmun yaẓharu fī al-fahmi ghayra mā yuẓhiru al-lāmu waʿalā qadri al-maḥabbati waṣafāʾi al-dhikri wawujūdi al-qurbi yaqaʿu al-tafāwutu fī al-fahmi, qāla abū sulaymāna al-dārānā rubbamā abqā fī al-āyati khamsa layālin falaw lā annā atruku al-fikra fīhā mā juztuhā abadan warubbamā jāʾati al-āyatu mina al-qurʾāni fayaṭīru maʿahā al-ʿaqlu fasubḥāna alladhī yarudduhu baʿda dhalika, waqāla wuhaybu bnu al-wardi raḥimahu Allāhu naẓarnā fī hadhihi al-aḥādīthi wa-al-ādābi falam najid shayʾan araqqa lihadhihi al-qulūbi walā ashadda astijlāban li-al-ḥuzni min tilāwati al-qurʾāni watadabburihi,

among the names of God Most High can be assumed as a created character except His names Allāh and al-Raḥmān, for these two are for attachment, not for assimilation. Likewise, absolute self-sufficiency is beyond apprehension and comprehension.” God Most High says, “They do not encompass Him in knowledge.” It has also been said that God’s greatest name is Allāh. If its alif is removed, lillāh—“to God”—remains; if a lām is removed, lahu—“to Him”—remains, and the indication is not lost; if the other lām is removed, hāʾ remains, and all mysteries are contained in the hāʾ because its meaning is huwa—“He.” With every other name of God Most High, removing a single letter destroys the meaning, leaving no place for indication and no expression capable of bearing it. For this reason no one other than God Most High is named by this name. It is related that Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh—may God have mercy on him—said, “The alif is the first and greatest of the letters. Its indication is God, who brought all things into harmony and remains uniquely apart from all things.” Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz—may God have mercy on him—said, “When the servant is wholly gathered toward God Most High, so that none of his limbs turns toward anything other than God, mighty and majestic, the realities of understanding arise for him while reciting God’s Book, whose reality is not possessed by created beings.” Abū Saʿīd also said, “Each time a letter of God’s Book appears to you, it has a distinct drinking place and understanding in proportion to your nearness and presence with Him, unlike the point of emergence of another understanding. When you hear His words ‘Alif Lām Mīm,’ a knowledge belonging to the alif appears in understanding unlike what the lām reveals. Differences in understanding arise in proportion to love, purity of remembrance, and realized nearness.” Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī said, “I may remain with a single verse for five nights; were I not to break off reflection upon it, I would never pass beyond it. Sometimes a verse of the Qur’an comes and the intellect flies away with it—glory be to the One who later returns it.” Wuhayb ibn al-Ward—may God have mercy on him—said, “We examined these reports and disciplines and found nothing more tenderizing for hearts, or more powerfully productive of sorrow, than reciting the Qur’an and pondering it.”

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بَابٌ فِي وَصْفِ مَنْ أَصَابَ فِي الِاسْتِنْبَاطِ وَالْإِشَارَةِ وَالْفَهْمِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَوَصْفِ مَنْ غَلِطَ وَأَخْطَأَ فِي ذَلِكَ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَأَمَّا مَا قَالَ النَّاسُ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الِاسْتِنْبَاطِ وَالْفَهْمِ فَالصَّحِيحُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنْ لَا تُقَدِّمَ مَا أَخَّرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَلَا تُؤَخِّرَ مَا قَدَّمَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تُنَازِعَ الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ وَلَا تَخْرُجُ عَنِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ وَلَا يَكُونُ فِيهِ تَحْرِيفُ الْكَلِمِ، وَهَذَا كَمَا حَكَى عَنْ بَعْضِهِمْ أَنَّهُ سُيِلَ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ فَقَالَ مَعْنَاهُ مَا سَاءَنِي الضُّرُّ، وَبَلَغَنِي عَنْ بَعْضِهِمْ أَيْضًا أَنَّهُ سُيِلَ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ أَ لَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآَوَى فَقَالَ مَعْنَى الْيَتِيمِ مَأْخُوذٌ مِنَ الدُّرَّةِ الْيَتِيمَةِ الَّتِي لَا يُوجَدُ مِثْلُهَا، وَكَمَا سُيِلَ آخَرُ عَنْ مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ فَقَالَ مَعْنَاهُ أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ عِنْدَكُمْ، فَهَذَا وَأَشْبَاهُ ذَلِكَ خَطَأٌ وَبُهْتَانٌ وَخَسَارَةٌ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَجُهْلٍ وَقِلَّةِ الْمُبَالَاةِ وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفُ الْكَلِمِ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِهِ فَهَذَا هُوَ السَّقِيمُ، وَأَمَّا الصَّحِيحُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَكَمَا سُيِلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْكَتَّانِى رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ فَقَالَ الْقَلْبُ السَّلِيمُ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَوْجُهٍ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الْفَهْمِ أَحَدُهَا هُوَ الَّذِي يَلْقَى اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلَيْسَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مَعَ اللَّهِ شَرِيكٌ، وَالثَّانِي هُوَ الَّذِي يَلْقَى اللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَلَيْسَ فِي قَلْبِهِ شُغْلٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلَا يُرِيدُ غَيْرَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَالثَّالِثُ الَّذِي يَلْقَى اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلَا يَقُومُ بِهِ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ

bābun fī waṣfi man aṣāba fī al-āstinbāṭi wa-al-ishārati wa-al-fahmi fī al-qurʾāni wawaṣfi man ghaliṭa waʾakhṭaʾa fī dhalika, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu wa-ammā mā qāla al-nāsu min ṭarīqi al-āstinbāṭi wa-al-fahmi fa-al-ṣaḥīḥu min dhalika an lā tuqaddima mā akhkhara Allāhu taʿālā walā tuʾakhkhira mā qaddama Allāhu walā tunāziʿa al-rubūbiyyati walā takhruju ʿani al-ʿubūdiyyati walā yakūnu fīhi taḥrīfu al-kalimi, wahadhā kamā ḥakā ʿan baʿḍihim annahu suʾila ʿan qawlihi ʿazza wajalla waʾayyūba idh nādā rabbahu annī massaniya al-ḍurru faqāla maʿnāhu mā sāʾanī al-ḍurru, wabalaghanī ʿan baʿḍihim ayḍan annahu suʾila ʿan qawlihi a lam yajidka yatīman fāwā faqāla maʿnā al-yatīmi maʾkhūdhun mina al-durrati al-yatīmati allatī lā yūjadu mithluhā, wakamā suʾila ākharu ʿan maʿnā qawlihi ʿazza wajalla qul innamā anā basharun mithlukum faqāla maʿnāhu anā basharun mithlukum ʿindakum, fahadhā waʾashbāhu dhalika khaṭaʾun wabuhtānun wakhasāratun ʿalā Allāhi taʿālā wajuhlin waqillati al-mubālāti wahuwa taḥrīfu al-kalimi ʿan mawāḍiʿihi fahadhā huwa al-saqīmu, wa-ammā al-ṣaḥīḥu min dhalika fakamā suʾila abū bakrin al-kattānī raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan qawluhu taʿālā illā man atā Allāha biqalbin salīmin faqāla al-qalbu al-salīmu ʿalā thalāthati awjuhin min ṭarīqi al-fahmi aḥaduhā huwa alladhī yalqā Allāha ʿazza wajalla walaysa fī qalbihi maʿa Allāhi sharīkun, wa-al-thānī huwa alladhī yalqā Allāha taʿālā walaysa fī qalbihi shughlun maʿa Allāhi ʿazza wajalla walā yurīdu ghayra Allāhi taʿālā, wa-al-thālithu alladhī yalqā Allāha ʿazza wajalla walā yaqūmu bihi ghayru Allāhi

Chapter describing those who are correct in inference, allusion, and understanding of the Qur’an, and those who err in them. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: As for what people say by way of inference and understanding, the sound form does not advance what God Most High has deferred, defer what God has advanced, contest Lordship, depart from servanthood, or distort words. An unsound example is the report of someone asked about God’s words concerning Job, “When he called to his Lord, ‘Harm has touched me,’” who replied, “It means: harm did not distress me.” I have also heard of someone asked about the words, “Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?” who replied, “The meaning of orphan is taken from ‘the peerless pearl,’ whose like cannot be found.” Another was asked about God’s words, “Say: I am only a human being like you,” and replied, “It means: I am a human being like you in your eyes.” This and similar interpretation is error, falsehood, a ruinous claim against God Most High, ignorance, and heedlessness. It is the distortion of words from their proper places, and is therefore diseased. The sound form is exemplified by Abū Bakr al-Kattānī—may God have mercy on him—when he was asked about God Most High’s words, “Except one who comes to God with a sound heart.” He replied, “By way of understanding, the sound heart has three aspects. The first belongs to one who meets God, mighty and majestic, with no partner beside God in his heart. The second belongs to one who meets God Most High with no preoccupation beside God in his heart and no desire for anything other than God. The third belongs to one who meets God, mighty and majestic, while nothing other than God sustains him—

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عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَنَى عَنِ الْأَشْيَاءِ بِاللَّهِ ثُمَّ فَنَى عَنِ اللَّهِ بِاللَّهِ، وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ فَنَى عَنِ اللَّهِ بِاللَّهِ يَعْنِى يَذْهَبُ عَنْ رُؤْيَةِ طَاعَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَرُؤْيَةِ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَرُؤْيَةِ مَحَبَّةِ اللَّهِ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ لَهُ وَمَحَبَّتِهِ قِبَلَ الْخَلْقِ لِأَنَّ الْخَلْقَ بِذِكْرِهِ لَهُمْ ذَكَرُوهُ وَبِمَحَبَّتِهِ لَهُمْ أَحَبُّوهُ وَبِقَدِيمٍ عِنَايَتِهِ بِهِمْ أَطَاعُوهُ، وَكَمَا سُيِلَ شَاهِ الْكَرْمَانِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِ وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِ وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ فَقَالَ الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِي إِلَيْهِ لَا غَيْرُهُ وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُطْعِمُنِي الرِّضَا وَيَسْقِينِي الْمَحَبَّةَ وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ بِمُشَاهَدَةِ نَفْسِي فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِي بِمُشَاهَدَتِهِ وَالَّذِي يُمِيتُنِي عَنْ نَفْسِي وَيُحْيِينِي بِهِ فَأَقُومُ بِهِ لَا بِنَفْسِي وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَنْ لَا يُخْجِلَنِى يَوْمَ أَلْقَاهُ بِنَظَرِى إِلَى طَاعَتِي وَأَعْمَالِى ثُمَّ أَفْتَقِرُ إِلَيْهِ بِكُلّْيَّتِى، لَمَّا عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَنَلْ مَا نَالَ إِلَّا بِهِ وَلَا يَنَالُ مَا يَأْمَلُ إِلَّا بِهِ فَقَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي حُكْمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ، وَكَمَا سُيِلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ قَلْبُ الْمُؤْمِنِ قَلْبٌ يَطْمَئِنُّ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَقَلْبُ الْعَارِفِ لَا يَطْمَئِنُّ بِسِوَاهُ، وَكَمَا سُيِلَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ فَقَالَ أَبْصَارُ الرُّؤُوسِ عَنْ مَحَارِمِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَأَبْصَارُ الْقُلُوبِ عَمَّا سِوَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَكَمَا سُيِلَ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَذِكْرَى لِمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ فَقَالَ لِمَنْ كَانَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى قَلْبَهُ ثُمَّ أَنْشَدَ، لَيْسَ مِنًّى إِلَيْكَ قَلْبٌ مَعْنًّى * * كُلُّ عُضْوٍ مِنًّى إِلَيْكَ قُلُوبُ، فَهَذَا مِنْ طَرِيقِ الْفَهْمِ، وَأَمَّا طَرِيقُ الْإِشَارَةِ فَعَلَى مَا قَالَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ

ʿazza wajalla fanā ʿani al-ashyāʾi bi-Allāhi thumma fanā ʿani Allāhi bi-Allāhi, wamaʿnā qawlihi fanā ʿani Allāhi bi-Allāhi yaʿnī yadhhabu ʿan ruʾyati ṭāʿati Allāhi ʿazza wajalla waruʾyati dhikri Allāhi waruʾyati maḥabbati Allāhi bidhikri Allāhi lahu wamaḥabbatihi qibala al-khalqi li-anna al-khalqa bidhikrihi lahum dhakarūhu wabimaḥabbatihi lahum aḥabbūhu wabiqadīmin ʿināyatihi bihim aṭāʿūhu, wakamā suʾila shāhi al-karmāniyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan maʿnā qawlihi ʿazza wajalla alladhī khalaqanī fahuwa yahdīni wa-alladhī huwa yuṭʿimunī wayasqīni waʾidhā mariḍtu fahuwa yashfīni faqāla alladhī khalaqanī fahuwa yahdīnī ilayhi lā ghayruhu wahuwa alladhī yuṭʿimunī al-riḍā wayasqīnī al-maḥabbata waʾidhā mariḍtu bimushāhadati nafsī fahuwa yashfīnī bimushāhadatihi wa-alladhī yumītunī ʿan nafsī wayuḥyīnī bihi faʾaqūmu bihi lā binafsī wa-alladhī aṭmaʿu an lā yukhjilanī yawma alqāhu binaẓarī ilā ṭāʿatī waʾaʿmālī thumma aftaqiru ilayhi bikullyyatī, lammā ʿalima annahu lam yanal mā nāla illā bihi walā yanālu mā yaʾmalu illā bihi faqāla rabbi hab lī ḥukman waʾalḥiqnī bi-al-ṣāliḥīna, wakamā suʾila abū bakrin al-wāsiṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan qawlihi taʿālā alladhīna āmanū wataṭmaʾinnu qulūbuhum bidhikri Allāhi faqāla qalbu al-muʾmini qalbun yaṭmaʾinnu bidhikri Allāhu taʿālā waqalbu al-ʿārifi lā yaṭmaʾinnu bisiwāhu, wakamā suʾila al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan qawlihi qul li-al-muʾminīna yaghuḍḍū min abṣārihim faqāla abṣāru al-ruʾūsi ʿan maḥārimi Allāhi taʿālā waʾabṣāru al-qulūbi ʿammā siwā Allāhi taʿālā, wakamā suʾila al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan qawlihi inna fī dhalika ladhikrā liman kāna lahu qalbun aw alqā al-samʿa wahuwa shahīdun faqāla liman kāna Allāhu taʿālā qalbahu thumma anshada, laysa minnanā ilayka qalbun maʿnnanā * * kullu ʿuḍwin minnanā ilayka qulūbu, fahadhā min ṭarīqi al-fahmi, wa-ammā ṭarīqu al-ishārati faʿalā mā qāla abū al-ʿabbāsu bnu

he has passed away from things through God, then passed away from his own relation to God through God.” His words “passed away from his own relation to God through God” mean that he ceases to see his obedience to God, his remembrance of God, and his love of God, through witnessing God’s remembrance of him and His prior love for creation. Created beings remember Him only because He first remembered them; they love Him only because He first loved them; and they obey Him only through His pre-eternal care for them. Shāh al-Kirmānī—may God have mercy on him—was asked about God’s words, “He who created me guides me; He gives me food and drink; and when I fall ill, He heals me.” He replied, “‘He who created me guides me’ to Himself and to none other. He feeds me contentment and gives me love to drink. When I fall ill by witnessing my own self, He heals me through witnessing Him. He causes me to die to myself and gives me life through Himself, so that I subsist through Him, not through myself. And He is the One from whom I hope that, on the day I meet Him, He will not disgrace me by my looking upon my obedience and works; rather, I shall stand in complete need of Him.” Knowing that he had attained only through Him and would attain what he hoped for only through Him, Abraham said, “My Lord, grant me sound judgment and join me with the righteous.” Abū Bakr al-Wāsiṭī—may God have mercy on him—was asked about the words, “Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of God.” He said, “The believer’s heart finds rest in the remembrance of God Most High, while the knower’s heart finds no rest in anything other than Him.” Al-Shiblī—may God have mercy on him—was asked about the words, “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze.” He said, “The eyes of their heads are lowered from what God Most High has forbidden, and the eyes of their hearts from everything other than God Most High.” He was also asked about the words, “In that is a reminder for one who has a heart, or lends an ear while present.” He replied, “For one whose heart belongs to God Most High.” Then he recited: “No single heart of mine turns toward You; every limb of mine is a heart turned toward You.” This belongs to the path of understanding. As for the path of allusion, it is illustrated by what Abū al-ʿAbbās ibn—

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عَطَاءٌ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْحَقُّ لَا يُوجَدُ مَعَ الزَّلَلِ وَأَشَارَ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ فَإِنْ زَلَلْتُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْكُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ، وَكَمَا كَانَ يَقُولُ الْمُحِبُّ يَسْقُطُ عَنْهُ التَّعْذِيبُ وَوُجُودُ الْأَلَمِ بِصِفَاتِ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ، وَكَانَ يَسْتَدِلُّ بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ قُلْ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُمْ بِذُنُوبِكُمْ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ بَشَرٌ مِمَّنْ خَلَقَ، وَكَمَا أَشَارَ أَبُو يَزِيدَ الْبِسْطَامِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ حِينَ سُيِلَ عَنِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا قَرْيَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوا أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَا أَذِلَّةً وَكَذَلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ، أَرَادَ بِذَلِكَ أَنَّ عَادَةَ الْمُلُوكِ إِذَا نَزَلُوا قَرْيَةً أَنْ يَسْتَعْبِدُوا أَهْلَهَا وَيَجْعَلُوهُمْ أَذِلَّةً لَهُمْ وَلَا يَقْدِرُونَ أَنْ يَعْمَلُوا شَيْئًا إِلَّا بِأَمْرِ الْمَلِكِ وَكَذَلِكَ الْمَعْرِفَةُ إِذَا دَخَلَتِ الْقَلْبَ لَا تَتْرُكُ فِيهِ شَيْئًا إِلَّا أَخْرَجَتْهُ وَلَا يَتَحَرَّكُ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ إِلَّا أَحْرَقَتْهُ، وَكَمَا كَانَ يُشِيرُ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ إِذَا سُيِلَ عَنْ سُكُونِهِ وَقِلَّةِ اضْطِرَابِ جَوَارِحِهِ عِنْدَ السَّمَاعِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ وَتَرَى الْجِبَالَ تَحْسَبُهَا جَامِدَةً وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ صُنْعَ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ، وَكَمَا كَانَ يُشِيرُ أَبُو عَلِى الرُّوذْبَارِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ إِذَا رَأَى أَصْحَابَهُ مُجْتَمِعِينَ فَيَقْرَأُ وَهُوَ عَلَى جَمْعِهِمْ إِذَا يَشَاءُ قَدِيرٌ، وَاحْتَجَّ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الزَّقَّاقُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى مَا قِيلَ لِلزُّهْرَى فِي تَعْرِيفِ الْإِنْسَانِ فَقَالَ إِنْ تَكَلَّمَ فَفِي سَاعَةٍ وَإِنْ سَكَتَ فَفِي يَوْمٍ بِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَأَرَيْنَاكَهُمْ فَلَعَرَفْتَهُمْ بِسِيمَاهُمْ وَلَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فِي لَحْنِ الْقَوْلِ، فَهَذَا وَأَشْبَاهُ ذَلِكَ صَحِيحٌ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، فَقِسْ عَلَى مَا بَيَّنْتُ لَكَ مَا تَسْمَعُ مِنْ إِشَارَاتِ الْقَوْمِ وَمُسْتَنْبَطَاتِهِمْ حَتَّى تُمَيِّزَ بَيْنَ الصَّحِيحِ وَالسَّقِيمِ وَالْعَاقِلُ يُسْتَغْنَى بِالْقَلِيلِ عَنِ الْكَثِيرِ وَيُسْتَدَلُّ بِالشَّاهِدِ عَلَى الْغَائِبِ، وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ،

ʿaṭāʾun raḥimahu Allāhu al-ḥaqqu lā yūjadu maʿa al-zalali waʾashāra ilā qawlihi faʾin zalaltum min baʿdi mā jāʾatkumu al-bayyinātu fa-aʿlamū anna Allāha ʿazīzun ḥakīmun, wakamā kāna yaqūlu al-muḥibbu yasquṭu ʿanhu al-taʿdhību wawujūdu al-alami biṣifāti al-bashariyyati, wakāna yastadillu biqawlihi taʿālā waqālati al-yahūdu wa-al-naṣārā naḥnu abnāʾu Allāhi waʾaḥibbāʾuhu qul falima yuʿadhdhibukum bidhunūbikum bal antum basharun mimman khalaqa, wakamā ashāra abū yazīda al-bisṭāmiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ḥīna suʾila ʿani al-maʿrifati faqāla inna al-mulūka idhā dakhalū qaryatan afsadūhā wajaʿalū aʿizzata ahlihā adhillatan wakadhalika yafʿalūna, arāda bidhalika anna ʿādata al-mulūki idhā nazalū qaryatan an yastaʿbidū ahlahā wayajʿalūhum adhillatan lahum walā yaqdirūna an yaʿmalū shayʾan illā biʾamri al-maliki wakadhalika al-maʿrifatu idhā dakhalati al-qalba lā tatruku fīhi shayʾan illā akhrajathu walā yataḥarraku fīhi shaʾun illā aḥraqathu, wakamā kāna yushīru al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu idhā suʾila ʿan sukūnihi waqillati aḍṭirābi jawāriḥihi ʿinda al-samāʿi ilā qawlihi watarā al-jibāla taḥsabuhā jāmidatan wahiya tamurru marra al-saḥābi ṣunʿa Allāhi alladhī atqana kulla shayʾin, wakamā kāna yushīru abū ʿalī al-rūdhbāriyyu raḥimahu Allāhu idhā raʾā aṣḥābahu mujtamiʿīna fayaqraʾu wahuwa ʿalā jamʿihim idhā yashāʾu qadīrun, wa-aḥtajja abū bakrin al-zaqqāqu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿalā mā qīla li-al-zuhrī fī taʿrīfi al-insāni faqāla in takallama fafī sāʿatin waʾin sakata fafī yawmin biqawli Allāhi taʿālā walaw nashāʾu laʾaraynākahum falaʿaraftahum bisīmāhum walataʿrifannahum fī laḥni al-qawli, fahadhā waʾashbāhu dhalika ṣaḥīḥun wa-Allāhu aʿlamu, faqis ʿalā mā bayyantu laka mā tasmaʿu min ishārāti al-qawmi wamustanbaṭātihim ḥattā tumayyiza bayna al-ṣaḥīḥi wa-al-saqīmi wa-al-ʿāqilu yustaghnā bi-al-qalīli ʿani al-kathīri wayustadallu bi-al-shāhidi ʿalā al-ghāyibi, wa-bi-Allāhi al-tawfīqu,

ʿAṭāʾ—may God have mercy on him—said: “The Real is not found together with a lapse,” alluding to the words, “If you slip after clear proofs have come to you, know that God is mighty and wise.” He also used to say, “Chastisement and the experience of pain through human attributes fall away from the lover.” He supported this by God Most High’s words, “The Jews and Christians say, ‘We are God’s children and His beloved.’ Say: Why, then, does He punish you for your sins? No; you are merely human beings among those He created.” When Abū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī—may God have mercy on him—was asked about knowledge of God, he replied with the verse, “When kings enter a town, they ruin it and reduce its honoured people to humiliation. Thus do they act.” He meant that when kings enter a town, their custom is to subjugate its people and humble them, so that they can do nothing except by the king’s command. In the same way, when knowledge of God enters the heart, it leaves nothing there without expelling it and permits nothing to stir there without burning it away. When al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—was asked about his stillness and the slight movement of his limbs during audition, he would allude to the verse, “You see the mountains, thinking them motionless, while they pass like clouds—the work of God, who perfects everything.” When Abū ʿAlī al-Rūdhbārī—may God have mercy on him—saw his companions gathered, he would recite over their gathering, “He has power to gather them whenever He wills.” Abū Bakr al-Zaqqāq—may God have mercy on him—used God’s words to support what al-Zuhrī reportedly said about recognizing a person: “If he speaks, he is known within an hour; if he remains silent, within a day.” The verse is, “Had We willed, We would have shown them to you and you would have recognized them by their marks; but you will surely recognize them by their tone of speech.” This and similar interpretation is sound—and God knows best. Measure the allusions and inferences of the people that you hear against what I have explained, so that you may distinguish the sound from the diseased. A person of intelligence can dispense with much through a little and infer the absent from what is present. Success comes through God.

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كِتَابُ الْأُسْوَةِ وَالِاقْتِدَاءِ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، بَابُ وَصْفِ أَهْلِ الصَّفْوَةِ فِي الْفَهْمِ وَالْمُوَافَقَةِ وَالِاتِّبَاعِ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِنَبِيِّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَأَعْلَمْنَا بِذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ بُعِثَ لِلْخَلْقِ كَافَّةً، ثُمَّ قَالَ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ صِرَاطِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ، فَقَدْ شَهِدَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لَهُ بِأَنَّهُ يُهْدَى إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ ثُمَّ أَوْجَبَ عَلَيْنَا نَفَى الْهَوَى عَنْ نُطْقِهِ لِقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى ثُمَّ وَصَفَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فَقَالَ هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ، فَأَعْلَمَنَا أَنَّهُ يَتْلُو عَلَيْنَا آيَاتِهِ وَيُعَلِّمُنَا الْكِتَابَ وَهُوَ الْقُرْآنُ وَالْحِكْمَةُ وَهِيَ الْإِصَابَةُ وَالْإِصَابَةُ سُنَّتُهُ وَآدَابُهُ وَأَخْلَاقُهُ وَأَفْعَالُهُ وَأَحْوَالُهُ وَحَقَائِقُهُ، ثُمَّ بَلَّغَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَمَا أَمَرَ بِإِبْلَاغِهِ لِقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الْخَلْقَ كَافَّةً بِطَاعَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَمَا أَمَرَهُمْ بِطَاعَتِهِ لِقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ

kitābu al-uswati wa-al-āqtidāʾi birasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama, bābu waṣfi ahli al-ṣafwati fī al-fahmi wa-al-muwāfaqati wa-al-āttibāʿi li-al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu qāla Allāhu taʿālā linabiyyihi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama qul yā ayyuhā al-nāsu innī rasūlu Allāhi ilaykum jamīʿan faʾaʿlamnā bidhalika annahu buʿitha li-al-khalqi kāffatan, thumma qāla waʾinnaka latahdī ilā ṣirāṭin mustaqīmin ṣirāṭi Allāhi alladhī lahu mā fī al-samāwāti wamā fī al-arḍi, faqad shahida Allāhu taʿālā lahu biʾannahu yuhdā ilā ṣirāṭin mustaqīmin thumma awjaba ʿalaynā nafā al-hawā ʿan nuṭqihi liqawlihi ʿazza wajalla wamā yanṭiqu ʿani al-hawā thumma waṣafahu Allāhu taʿālā faqāla huwa alladhī baʿatha fī al-ummiyyīna rasūlan minhum yatlū ʿalayhim āyātihi wayuzakkīhim wayuʿallimuhumu al-kitāba wa-al-ḥikmata, faʾaʿlamanā annahu yatlū ʿalaynā āyātihi wayuʿallimunā al-kitāba wahuwa al-qurʾānu wa-al-ḥikmatu wahiya al-iṣābatu wa-al-iṣābatu sunnatuhu wādābuhu waʾakhlāquhu waʾafʿāluhu waʾaḥwāluhu waḥaqāʾiquhu, thumma ballagha rasūla Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama mā unzila ilayhi min rabbihi wamā amara biʾiblāghihi liqawlihi ʿazza wajalla yā ayyuhā al-rasūlu balligh mā unzila ilayka min rabbika, thumma amara Allāhu ʿazza wajalla al-khalqa kāffatan biṭāʿati rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama kamā amarahum biṭāʿatihi liqawlihi ʿazza wajalla aṭīʿū Allāha

Book of taking the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—as model and guide. Chapter describing the people of purity in their understanding, conformity, and following of the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: God Most High says to His Prophet, “Say: O humanity, I am the Messenger of God to you all.” He thereby informs us that the Prophet was sent to all creation. Then He says, “You surely guide to a straight path: the path of God, to whom belongs all that is in the heavens and earth.” God Most High thus testifies that he guides to a straight path. He then makes it necessary for us to deny that his speech proceeds from caprice, through His words, mighty and majestic is He, “He does not speak from caprice.” God Most High then describes him: “He is the One who raised among the unlettered a messenger from themselves, reciting His signs to them, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom.” He thereby informs us that the Messenger recites His signs to us and teaches us the Book—the Qur’an—and wisdom, which is right judgment. Right judgment consists in his Sunnah, disciplines, character traits, actions, states, and spiritual realities. The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—then conveyed what had been sent down to him from his Lord and what he was commanded to convey, in accordance with God’s words, “O Messenger, convey what has been sent down to you from your Lord.” God, mighty and majestic, then commands all creation to obey the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—just as He commands them to obey Him, saying, “Obey God—”

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وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَقَوْلِهِ وَ مَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالْقَبُولِ مِنْهُ بِقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالِانْتِهَاءِ عَمَّا نَهَى عَنْهُ بِقَوْلِهِ جَلَّ وَعَلَا وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا وَدَلَّهُمْ عَلَى الِاهْتِدَاءَ بِاتِّبَاعِهِ بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى وَاتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ، وَوَعَدَهُمُ الْهِدَايَةَ بِطَاعَتِهِ بِقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَإِنْ تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا، وَحَذَّرَهُمُ الْفِتْنَةَ وَالْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ إِنْ خَالَفُوا أَمْرَهُ فَقَالَ فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ أَنْ تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ، ثُمَّ عَرَّفَنَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَنَّ مَحَبَّةَ اللَّهِ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَحَبَّةَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِلَّهِ فِي اتِّبَاعِ رَسُولِهِ بِقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ، ثُمَّ نَدَبَ اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِلَى الْأَسْوَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ بِرَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ، ثُمَّ رَوَى عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخْبَارٌ فَكُلُّ خَبَرٍ وَرَدَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِنَقْلِ الثِّقَةِ عَنِ الثِّقَةِ حَتَّى انْتَهَى الَيْنَا فَالْأَخْذُ بِهِ لَازِمٌ لِجَمِيعِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ لِقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَقَوْلِهِ إِنَّكَ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ، فَصَارَ الْأِسْوَةُ بِهِ وَالِاتِّبَاعُ لَهُ وَالطَّاعَةُ لِأَمْرِهِ وَاجِبًا عَلَى جَمِيعِ خَلْقِهِ مِمَّنْ شَهِدَ أَوْ غَابَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ غَيْرَ الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ رُفِعَ الْقَلَمُ عَنْهُمْ، فَمَنْ وَافَقَ الْقُرْآنَ وَلَمْ يَتَّبَعْ سُنَنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَهُوَ مُخَالِفٌ لِلْقُرْآنِ غَيْرُ مُتَّبِعٍ لَهُ وَالْمُتَابَعَةُ وَالِاقْتِدَاءُ هِيَ الْأُسْوَةُ الْحَسَنَةُ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي جَمِيعِ مَا صَحَّ عَنْهُ مِنْ أَخْلَاقِهِ وَأَفْعَالِهِ وَأَحْوَالِهِ وَأَوَامِرِهِ وَنَوَاهِيهِ وَنَدْبِهِ

waʾaṭīʿū al-rasūla waqawlihi wa man yuṭiʿi al-rasūla faqad aṭāʿa Allāha waʾamarahum bi-al-qabūli minhu biqawlihi ʿazza wajalla mā ātākumu al-rasūlu fakhudhūhu, waʾamarahum bi-al-āntihāʾi ʿammā nahā ʿanhu biqawlihi jalla waʿalā wamā nahākum ʿanhu fa-antahū wadallahum ʿalā al-āhtidāʾa bi-ittibāʿihi biqawlihi taʿālā wa-attabiʿūhu laʿallakum tahtadūna, wawaʿadahumu al-hidāyata biṭāʿatihi biqawlihi ʿazza wajalla waʾin tuṭīʿūhu tahtadū, waḥadhdharahumu al-fitnata wa-al-ʿadhāba al-alīma in khālafū amrahu faqāla falyaḥdhari alladhīna yukhālifūna ʿan amrihi an tuṣībahum fitnatun aw yuṣībahum ʿadhābun alīmun, thumma ʿarrafanā Allāhu taʿālā anna maḥabbata Allāhi li-al-muʾminīna wamaḥabbata al-muʾminīna lillāhi fī attibāʿi rasūlihi biqawlihi ʿazza wajalla qul in kuntum tuḥibbūna Allāha fa-attabiʿūnī yuḥbibkumu Allāhu, thumma nadaba Allāhu al-muʾminīna ilā al-aswati al-ḥasanati birasūlihi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama faqāla laqad kāna lakum fī rasūli Allāhi uswatun ḥasanatun, thumma rawā ʿan rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama akhbārun fakullu khabarin warada ʿan rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama binaqli al-thiqati ʿani al-thiqati ḥattā antahā ilaynā fa-al-akhdhu bihi lāzimun lijamīʿi al-muslimīna liqawlihi ʿazza wajalla aqīmū al-ṣalāta wātū al-zakāta waʾaṭīʿū al-rasūla waqawlihi innaka ʿalā ṣirāṭin mustaqīmin, faṣāra al-iswatu bihi wa-al-āttibāʿu lahu wa-al-ṭāʿatu liʾamrihi wa-ajiban ʿalā jamīʿi khalqihi mimman shahida aw ghāba ilā yawmi al-qīmati ghayra al-thalāthati alladhīna rufiʿa al-qalamu ʿanhum, faman wa-afaqa al-qurʾāna walam yattabaʿ sunana rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama fahuwa mukhālifun li-al-qurʾāni ghayru muttabiʿin lahu wa-al-mutābaʿatu wa-al-āqtidāʾu hiya al-uswatu al-ḥasanatu birasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama fī jamīʿi mā ṣaḥḥa ʿanhu min akhlāqihi wa-afʿālihi waʾaḥwālihi waʾawāmirihi wanawāhīhi wanadbihi

“and obey the Messenger,” and, “Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed God.” He commands them to accept what comes from him in His words, “Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it,” and commands them to desist from what he forbids in His words, exalted and sublime is He, “Whatever he forbids you, refrain from it.” He directs them to guidance through following him: “Follow him so that you may be guided,” and promises guidance through obedience to him: “If you obey him, you will be guided.” He warns them of temptation and painful punishment if they oppose his command: “Let those who oppose his command beware lest a trial or painful punishment afflict them.” God Most High then teaches us that God’s love for the believers and the believers’ love for God lie in following His Messenger, through His words, mighty and majestic is He, “Say: If you love God, follow me; God will love you.” He then invites believers to take His Messenger—may God bless him and grant him peace—as their beautiful model: “You have in the Messenger of God a beautiful model.” Reports were then transmitted from the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace. Every report that reaches us from him through one trustworthy transmitter from another must be accepted by all Muslims, in accordance with the words, “Establish prayer, give alms, and obey the Messenger,” and, “You are upon a straight path.” Taking him as a model, following him, and obeying his command are therefore incumbent upon every responsible creature, present or absent, until Resurrection, apart from the three from whom the Pen has been lifted. One who conforms to the Qur’an but does not follow the practices of the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—opposes the Qur’an and does not truly follow it. Following and emulation mean taking the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—as the beautiful model in everything authentically transmitted concerning his character traits, actions, states, commands, prohibitions, recommendations—

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وَتَرْغِيبِهِ وَتَرْهِيبِهِ إِلَّا مَا قَامَ الدَّلِيلُ عَلَى خِلَافِهِ كَقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خَالِصَةً لَكَ مِنْ دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَقَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الْوِصَالِ لَسْتَ كَأَحَدِكُمْ وَقَوْلِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي حَدِيثِ الْأُضْحِيَّةِ لِأَبِي بُرْدَةَ بْنِ نِيَارٍ: اذْبَحْ وَلَا تُجْزَى عَنْ أَحَدٍ بَعْدَكَ وَمَا يُشْبِهُ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا يُقَوِّمُ الدَّلِيلَ مِنْ نَصِّ الْكِتَابِ وَالْآثَارِ، فَأَمَّا مَا رُوَى عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الْحُدُودِ وَالْأَحْكَامِ وَالْعِبَادَاتِ مِنَ الْفَرَائِضِ وَالسُّنَنِ وَالْأَمْرِ وَالنُّهَى وَالِاسْتِحْبَابِ وَالرُّخْصِ وَالتَّوْسِيعِ فَذَلِكَ مِنْ أُصُولِ الدِّينِ وَهُوَ مُدَوَّنٌ عِنْدَ الْعُلَمَاءِ وَالْفُقَهَاءِ وَمُسْتَعْمَلٌ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَمَشْهُورٌ عِنْدَهُمْ لِأَنَّهُمْ الْأَئِمَّةُ الْحَافِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ اللَّهِ الْمُتَمَسِّكُونَ بِسُنَنِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ النَّاصِرُونَ لِدِينِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَحْفَظُونَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ دِينَهُمْ وَيُبَيِّنُونَ لَهُمُ الْحَلَالَ مِنَ الْحَرَامِ وَالْحَقَّ وَالْبَاطِلَ فَهُمْ حُجَجُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَى خَلْقِهِ وَالدُّعَاةُ لَهُ فِي دِينِهِ فَهَؤُلَاءِ هُمُ الْخَاصَّةُ مِنَ الْعَامَّةِ، فَأَمَّا الْخَاصَّةُ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الْخَاصَّةِ لَمَّا أَحْكَمُوا الْأُصُولَ وَحَفِظُوا الْحُدُودَ وَتَمَسَّكُوا بِهَذِهِ السُّنَنِ وَلَمْ يَبْقَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بَقِيَّةٌ اسْتَبْحَثُوا أَخْبَارَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الَّتِي وَرَدَتْ فِي أَنْوَاعِ الطَّاعَاتِ وَالْآدَابِ وَالْعِبَادَاتِ وَالْأَخْلَاقِ الشَّرِيفَةِ وَالْأَحْوَالِ الرَّضِيَّةِ وَطَالَبُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِمُتَابَعَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَالْأُسْوَةِ بِهِ وَاقْتِفَاءِ أَثَرِهِ بِمَا بَلَغَهُمْ مِنْ آدَابِهِ وَأَخْلَاقِهِ وَأَفْعَالِهِ وَأَحْوَالِهِ فَعَظَّمُوا مَا عَظُّمَ وَصَغَّرُوا مَا صَغُّرَ وَقَلَّلُوا مَا قَلُّلَ وَكَثَّرُوا مَا كَثُّرَ وَكَرِهُوا مَا كُرِهَ وَاخْتَارُوا مَا اخْتَارَ وَتَرَكُوا مَا تُرِكَ وَصَبَرُوا عَلَى مَا صَبَرَ وَعَادُوا مَنْ عَادَى وَوَالَوْا مَنْ وَالَى وَفَضَّلُوا مَنْ فَضَّلَ وَرَغَّبُوا فِيمَا رَغِبَ وَحَذَّرُوا مَا حَذَّرَ لِأَنَّ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا سُيِلَتْ عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَتْ كَانَ خُلُقُهُ الْقُرْآنَ تَعْنِى مُوَافَقَةَ الْقُرْآنِ، وَرَوَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ بُعِثْتُ بِمَكَارِمِ الْأَخْلَاقِ،

watarghībihi watarhībihi illā mā qāma al-dalīlu ʿalā khilāfihi kaqawlihi ʿazza wajalla khāliṣatan laka min dūni al-muʾminīna waqawli al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama fī al-wiṣāli lasta kaʾaḥadikum waqawlihi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama fī ḥadīthi al-uḍḥiyyati li-abī burdata bni niyārin idhbaḥ walā tujzā ʿan aḥadin baʿdaka wamā yushbihu dhalika mimmā yuqawwimu al-dalīla min naṣṣi al-kitābi wa-al-āthāri, fa-ammā mā ruwā ʿan rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama fī al-ḥudūdi wa-al-aḥkāmi wa-al-ʿibādāti mina al-farāʾiḍi wa-al-sunani wa-al-amri wa-al-nuhā wa-al-āstiḥbābi wa-al-rukhṣi wa-al-tawsīʿi fadhalika min uṣūli al-dīni wahuwa mudawwanun ʿinda al-ʿulamāʾi wa-al-fuqahāʾi wamustaʿmalun fīmā baynahum wamashhūrun ʿindahum li-annahum al-aʾimmatu al-ḥāfiẓūna liḥudūdi Allāhi al-mutamassikūna bisunani rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama al-nāṣirūna lidīni Allāhi ʿazza wajalla yaḥfaẓūna ʿalā al-khalqi dīnahum wayubayyinūna lahumu al-ḥalāla mina al-ḥarāmi wa-al-ḥaqqa wa-al-bāṭila fahum ḥujaju Allāhi taʿālā ʿalā khalqihi wa-al-duʿātu lahu fī dīnihi fahaʾulāʾi humu al-khāṣṣatu mina al-ʿāmmati, fa-ammā al-khāṣṣatu min haʾulāʾi al-khāṣṣati lammā aḥkamū al-uṣūla waḥafiẓū al-ḥudūda watamassakū bihadhihi al-sunani walam yabqa ʿalayhim min dhalika baqiyyatun astabḥathū akhbāra rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama allatī waradat fī anwāʿi al-ṭāʿāti wa-al-ādābi wa-al-ʿibādāti wa-al-akhlāqi al-sharīfati wa-al-aḥwāli al-raḍiyyati waṭālabū anfusahum bimutābaʿati rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama wa-al-uswati bihi wa-aqtifāʾi atharihi bimā balaghahum min ādābihi waʾakhlāqihi wa-afʿālihi waʾaḥwālihi faʿaẓẓamū mā ʿaẓẓuma waṣaghgharū mā ṣaghghura waqallalū mā qallula wakaththarū mā kaththura wakarihū mā kuriha wa-akhtārū mā akhtāra watarakū mā turika waṣabarū ʿalā mā ṣabara waʿādū man ʿādā wawālawā man wa-ilā wafaḍḍalū man faḍḍala waraghghabū fīmā raghiba waḥadhdharū mā ḥadhdhara li-anna ʿĀʾishata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā suʾilat ʿan khuluqi rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama faqālat kāna khuluquhu al-qurʾāna taʿnī muwāfaqata al-qurʾāni, warawā ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla buʿithtu bimakārimi al-akhlāqi,

encouragements, and warnings, except where evidence establishes an exception. Examples include God’s words, mighty and majestic is He, “exclusively for you, apart from the believers”; the Prophet’s words concerning uninterrupted fasting, “I am not like any of you”; and his words to Abū Burdah ibn Niyār concerning the sacrificial animal, “Sacrifice it; it will not suffice for anyone after you.” The same applies to similar cases established by evidence from the explicit text of the Book and transmitted reports. As for reports from the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—concerning prescribed penalties, legal judgments, acts of worship, obligations, practices, commands and prohibitions, recommendations, dispensations, and latitude, these belong to the foundations of religion. They are recorded and employed by scholars and jurists and are well known among them, for they are the leaders who preserve God’s limits, hold fast to the practices of the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—and support the religion of God, mighty and majestic. They preserve people’s religion and distinguish for them the lawful from the unlawful and truth from falsehood. They are God Most High’s proofs to His creation and those who call to Him within His religion. These are the elect among the generality. The elect among this elect, after mastering the foundations, preserving the limits, and holding fast to these practices until nothing remained unfulfilled, diligently investigated the reports concerning the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—that deal with forms of obedience, disciplines, worship, noble character, and pleasing states. They required themselves to follow the Messenger, take him as their model, and trace his footsteps in whatever reached them of his disciplines, character, actions, and states. They honoured what he honoured, treated as small what he treated as small, took little of what he took little, and much of what he took much. They disliked what he disliked, chose what he chose, left what he left, endured what he endured, opposed those he opposed, befriended those he befriended, preferred those he preferred, desired what he desired, and warned against what he warned. When ʿĀʾishah—may God be pleased with her—was asked about the character of the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—she replied, “His character was the Qur’an,” meaning conformity to the Qur’an. It is also related that the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “I was sent with the noblest character traits.”

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بَابُ مَا رَوَى عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي أَخْلَاقِهِ وَأَفْعَالِهِ وَأَحْوَالِهِ الَّتِي اخْتَارَهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لَهُ، قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ رَوَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَدَّبَنِى فَأَحْسَنَ أَدَبِى، وَقَدْ رَوَى عَنْهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَنَا أَعْلَمُكُمْ بِاللَّهِ وَأَخْشَاكُمْ لِلَّهِ، وَصَحَّ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ خُيِّرْتُ بَيْنَ أَنْ أَكُونَ نَبِيًّا مَلِكًا أَوْ أَكُونَ نَبِيًّا عَبْدًا فَأَشَارَ إِلَيَّ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَنْ تَوَاضِعْ فَقُلْتُ بَلْ أَكُونُ نَبِيًّا عَبْدًا أَشْبَعُ يَوْمًا وَأَجُوعُ يَوْمًا، وَرَوَى عَنْهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ عُرِضَ عَلَيَّ الدُّنْيَا فَأَبَيْتُهَا، وَقَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَوْ كَانَ لِي أُحُدٌ ذَهَبًا لَأَنْفَقْتُهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا شَيْءٌ أَرْصُدُهُ لِدَيْنٍ، وَرَوَى عَنْهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَدَّخِرْ شَيْئًا لِغَدٍ وَأَنَّهُ إِنَّمَا ادَّخَرَ مَرَّةً قُوتَ سَنَةٍ لِعِيَالِهِ وَلِمَنْ يَرِدُّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْوُفُودِ، وَقَدْ رَوَى عَنْهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ قَمِيصَانِ وَلَمْ يُنْخَلْ لَهُ طَعَامٌ وَأَنَّهُ خَرَجَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَلَمْ يَشْبَعْ مِنْ خُبْزِ بُرٍّ قَطُّ اخْتِيَارًا لَا اضْطِرَارًا لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ سَأَلَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ لَهُ الْجِبَالَ ذَهَبًا وَلَمْ يُحَاسَبْ عَلَيْهِ لَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ وَقَدْ رَوَى شَبِيهًا بِذَلِكَ فِي الْأَخْبَارِ وَالرِّوَايَاتِ، وَرَوَى عَنْهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِبِلَالٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنْفِقْ بِلَالٌ وَلَا تَخْشَ مِنْ ذِي الْعَرْشِ إِقْلَالًا، وَوُضِعَتْ بَرِيرَةُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ طَعَامًا فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ فَرَدَّتْهُ إِلَيْهِ اللَّيْلَةَ الثَّانِيَةَ فَقَالَ

bābu mā rawā ʿan rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama fī akhlāqihi wa-afʿālihi waʾaḥwālihi allatī akhtārahā Allāhu taʿālā lahu, qāla al-shaykhu raḥimahu Allāhu rawā ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla inna Allāha taʿālā addabanī faʾaḥsana adabī, waqad rawā ʿanhu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla anā aʿlamukum bi-Allāhi waʾakhshākum lillāhi, waṣaḥḥa ʿan rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla khuyyirtu bayna an akūna nabiyyan malikan aw akūna nabiyyan ʿabdan faʾashāra ilā jibrīla ʿalayhi al-salamu an tawāḍiʿ faqultu bal akūnu nabiyyan ʿabdan ashbaʿu yawman waʾajūʿu yawman, warawā ʿanhu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla ʿuriḍa ʿalā al-dunyā faʾabaytuhā, waqāla ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama law kāna lī uḥudun dhahaban laʾanfaqtuhu fī sabīli Allāhi illā shayʾun arṣuduhu lidaynin, warawā ʿanhu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu lam yaddakhir shayʾan lighadin wa-annahu innamā addakhara marratan qūta sanatin liʿiyālihi waliman yariddu ʿalayhi mina al-wufūdi, waqad rawā ʿanhu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu lam yakun lahu qamīṣāni walam yunkhal lahu ṭaʿāmun wa-annahu kharaja ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama mina al-dunyā walam yashbaʿ min khubzi burrin qaṭṭu akhtiyāran lā aḍṭirāran li-annahu law saʾala Allāha ʿazza wajalla an yajʿala lahu al-jibāla dhahaban walam yuḥāsab ʿalayhi lafaʿala dhalika waqad rawā shabīhan bidhalika fī al-akhbāri wa-al-riwāyāti, warawā ʿanhu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla libilālin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu anfiq bilālun walā takhsha min dhī al-ʿarshi iqlālan, wawuḍiʿat barīratu bayna yadayhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama ṭaʿāman faʾakala minhu faraddathu ilayhi al-laylata al-thāniyata faqāla

Chapter on reports concerning the character, actions, and states that God Most High chose for the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace. The shaykh—may God have mercy on him—said: It is related that the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “God Most High educated me and made my education beautiful.” It is also related that he said, “I am the most knowledgeable of you concerning God and the most reverent of you before God.” It is authentically reported that the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “I was given the choice between being a prophet-king and a prophet-servant. Gabriel—peace be upon him—gestured to me to humble myself, so I said: Rather, I shall be a prophet-servant, eating my fill one day and going hungry the next.” It is related that he said, “The world was offered to me, but I refused it.” He also said, “If I possessed Mount Uḥud in gold, I would spend it in God’s path, except for something I retained to pay a debt.” It is related that he stored nothing for the next day, although on one occasion he stored a year’s provisions for his family and for delegations arriving before him. It is also related that he did not possess two shirts, that his food was never sifted, and that he left this world without ever having eaten his fill of wheat bread. This was by choice, not necessity, for had he asked God, mighty and majestic, to turn the mountains into gold for him without holding him to account, He would have done so. Reports and narrations transmit statements to this effect. He said to Bilāl—may God be pleased with him—“Spend, Bilāl, and do not fear impoverishment from the Lord of the Throne.” Barīrah placed food before him—may God bless him and grant him peace—and he ate from it. When she brought the same food back to him on the following night, he said—

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لَهَا أَمَا خَشِيتِ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ بُخَارٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا تَدَّخَرَى شَيْئًا لِغَدٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَأْتِي بِرِزْقِ كُلِّ غَدٍ أَوْ قَالَ يَوْمٍ، وَرَوَى عَنْهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَعِبْ طَعَامًا قَطُّ إِنِ اشْتَهَاهُ أَكَلَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَشْتَهِهِ تَرَكَهُ وَلَا خُيِّرَ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ إِلَّا اخْتَارَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ زَرَّاعًا وَلَا تَاجِرًا وَلَا حَرَّاثًا وَكَانَ مِنْ تَوَاضُعِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَلْبَسُ الصُّوفَ وَيَنْتَعِلُ الْمَخْصُوفَ وَيَرْكَبُ الْحِمَارَ وَيَحْلِبُ الشَّاةَ وَيَخْصِفُ نَعْلَهُ وَيُرَقِّعُ ثَوْبَهُ وَكَانَ لَا يَأْنَفُ أَنْ يَرْكَبَ الْحِمَارَ وَيَرْدَفَ خَلْفَهُ، وَقَدْ رَوَى فِي الْخَبَرِ أَنَّهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَكْرَهُ الْغِنَا وَلَا يَخْشَى مِنَ الْفَقْرِ وَكَانَ يَمُرُّ بِهِ وَبِأَزْوَاجِهِ الشَّهْرُ وَالشَّهْرَانِ فَلَا يُوقَدُ فِي بَيْتِهِ نَارٌ لِلْخُبْزِ وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ طَعَامَهُمُ الْأَسْوَدَيْنِ التَّمْرَ وَالْمَاءَ، وَرَوَى عَنْهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ خَيْرُ نِسَائِهِ فَاخْتَرْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَفِيهِنَّ نَزَلَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ إِنْ كُنْتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا الْآيَتَيْنِ جَمِيعًا، وَكَانَ مِنْ دُعَآيِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ اللَّهُمَّ أَحْيِنِي مِسْكِينًا وَأَمِتْنِى مِسْكِينًا وَاحْشُرْنِى فِي زُمْرَةِ الْمَسَاكِينِ، وَمِنْ دُعَآيِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيْضًا اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْ آلَ مُحَمَّدٍ قُوتَ يَوْمٍ بِيَوْمٍ، وَكَانَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيُّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَصِفُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَمَا رَوَى عَنْهُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَعْقِلُ الْبَعِيرَ وَيَعْلِفُ النَّاضِحَ وَيَقُمُّ الْبَيْتَ وَيَخْصِفُ النَّعْلَ وَيُرَقِّعُ الثَّوْبَ وَيَحْلِبُ الشَّاةَ وَيَأْكُلُ مَعَ الْخَادِمِ وَيَطْحَنُ مَعَهَا إِذَا هِيَ أَعْيَتْ وَكَانَ لَا يَمْنَعُهُ الْحَيَاءُ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ بِضَاعَتَهُ مِنَ السُّوقِ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ وَكَانَ يُصَافِحُ الْغَنَىّ وَالْفَقِيرَ وَيُسَلِّمُ مُبْتَدِيًا وَكَانَ لَا يَرُدُّ مَنْ دَعَاهُ وَلَا يُحْقِرُ مَا دَعَى الَيْهِ وَلَوْ إِلَى حَشَفِ التَّمْرِ وَكَانَ لَيِّنَ الْخُلُقِ كَرِيمَ الطَّبْعِ جَمِيلَ الْمُعَاشَرَةِ طَلِقَ الْوَجْهِ بَسَّامًا مِنْ غَيْرِ ضَحِكٍ مَحْزُونًا مِنْ غَيْرِ عَبُوسٍ مُتَوَاضِعًا مِنْ غَيْرِ ذِلَّةٍ جَوَّادًا مِنْ غَيْرِ

lahā amā khashīti an yakūna lahu bukhārun yawma al-qīmati lā taddakharā shayʾan lighadin fa-inna Allāha taʿālā yaʾtī birizqi kulli ghadin aw qāla yawmin, warawā ʿanhu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu lam yaʿib ṭaʿāman qaṭṭu ini ashtahāhu akalahu wa-in lam yashtahihi tarakahu walā khuyyira bayna amrayni illā akhtāra aysarahumā, walam yakun rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama zarrāʿan walā tājiran walā ḥarrāthan wakāna min tawāḍuʿihi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama yalbasu al-ṣūfa wayantaʿilu al-makhṣūfa wayarkabu al-ḥimāra wayaḥlibu al-shāta wayakhṣifu naʿlahu wayuraqqiʿu thawbahu wakāna lā yaʾnafu an yarkaba al-ḥimāra wayardafa khalfahu, waqad rawā fī al-khabari annahu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama kāna yakrahu al-ghinā walā yakhshā mina al-faqri wakāna yamurru bihi wabiʾazwājihi al-shahru wa-al-shahrāni falā yūqadu fī baytihi nārun li-al-khubzi wa-annahu kāna ṭaʿāmahumu al-aswadayni al-tamra wa-al-māʾa, warawā ʿanhu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu khayru nisāʾihi fa-akhtarna Allāha warasūlahu wafīhinna nazala yā ayyuhā al-nabiyyu qul liʾazwājika in kuntunna turidna al-ḥayāta al-dunyā wazīnatahā al-āyatayni jamīʿan, wakāna min duʿāʾihi ʿalayhi al-salamu al-lahumma aḥyinī miskīnan waʾamitnī miskīnan wa-aḥshurnī fī zumrati al-masākīni, wamin duʿāʾihi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama ayḍan al-lahumma arzuq āla muḥammadin qūta yawmin biyawmin, wakāna abū saʿīdin al-khudriyyu raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu yaṣifu rasūla Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama kamā rawā ʿanhu kāna rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama yaʿqilu al-baʿīra wayaʿlifu al-nāḍiḥa wayaqummu al-bayta wayakhṣifu al-naʿla wayuraqqiʿu al-thawba wayaḥlibu al-shāta wayaʾkulu maʿa al-khādimi wayaṭḥanu maʿahā idhā hiya aʿyat wakāna lā yamnaʿuhu al-ḥayāʾu an yaḥmila biḍāʿatahu mina al-sūqi ilā ahlihi wakāna yuṣāfiḥu al-ghanā wa-al-faqīra wayusallimu mubtadiyan wakāna lā yaruddu man daʿāhu walā yuḥqiru mā daʿā ilayhi walaw ilā ḥashafi al-tamri wakāna layyina al-khuluqi karīma al-ṭabʿi jamīla al-muʿāsharati ṭaliqa al-wajhi bassāman min ghayri ḍaḥikin maḥzūnan min ghayri ʿabūsin mutawāḍiʿan min ghayri dhillatin jawwādan min ghayri

“Did you not fear that it would have smoke on Resurrection Day? Store nothing for tomorrow, for God Most High brings the provision of every tomorrow”—or he said, “of every day.” It is related that he never criticized food: if he desired it, he ate; if not, he left it. Whenever he was given a choice between two matters, he chose the easier. The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—was neither a farmer, merchant, nor cultivator. Out of humility, he wore wool, put on patched sandals, rode a donkey, milked the sheep, repaired his sandals, and patched his garment. He did not disdain riding a donkey or seating someone behind him. It is related that he disliked wealth and did not fear poverty. One or two months would pass for him and his wives without a fire being lit in his home for bread; their food was the two dark things—dates and water. It is related that he gave his wives a choice and they chose God and His Messenger; concerning them were revealed both verses beginning, “O Prophet, say to your wives: If you desire the life of this world and its adornment…” Among his supplications—peace be upon him—was, “O God, let me live poor, let me die poor, and gather me among the poor.” Another was, “O God, provide the family of Muḥammad with sustenance from one day to the next.” Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī—may God be pleased with him—described the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—as follows: “The Messenger of God tethered the camel, fed the water-carrying camel, swept the house, repaired sandals, patched garments, milked the sheep, and ate with the servant. He helped her grind when she grew weary, and modesty did not prevent him from carrying his goods from the market to his family. He shook hands with rich and poor, initiated the greeting of peace, never rejected an invitation, and never despised what he was invited to eat, even if only inferior dried dates. He was gentle in character, noble in temperament, gracious in company, cheerful of face and smiling without loud laughter, sorrowful without scowling, humble without abasement, and generous without—

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سَرَفٌ رَقِيقَ الْقَلْبِ دَائِمَ الْإِطْرَاقِ رَحِيمًا بِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ لَمْ يَتَجَشَّأْ قَطُّ مِنْ شِبَعٍ وَلَا مَدَّ يَدَهُ إِلَى طَمَعٍ، وَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَجْوَدَ مِنَ الرِّيحِ الْمُرْسَلَةِ، وَوَهَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا بَيْنَ جَبَلَيْنِ مِنَ الْغَنَمِ لِرَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ فَرَجَعَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى قَبِيلَتِهِ وَقَالَ إِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعْطَى عَطَاءَ مَنْ لَا يَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَخَّابًا وَلَا فَحَّاشًا وَلَا مُتَفَحِّشًا، وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَأْكُلُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ وَيَجْلِسُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ وَيَلْبَسُ الْعَبَاءَ وَيُجَالِسُ الْمَسَاكِينَ وَيَمْشَى فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ وَيَتَوَسَّدُ يَدَهُ وَيَقْتَصُّ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ وَلَمْ يَرَ ضَاحِكًا مِلْءَ فِيهِ وَلَمْ يَأْكُلْ وَحْدَهُ قَطُّ وَلَا ضَرَبَ عَبْدَهُ قَطُّ وَلَا ضَرَبَ أَحَدًا بِيَدِهِ إِلَّا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَكَانَ لَا يَجْلِسُ مُتَرَبِّعًا وَلَا يَأْكُلُ مُتَّكَيِّئًا وَيَقُولُ آكُلُ كَمَا يَأْكُلُ الْعَبْدُ وَأَجْلِسُ كَمَا يَجْلِسُ الْعَبْدُ، وَرَوَى عَنْهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ شَدَّ الْحَجَرَ عَلَى بَطْنِهِ مِنَ الْجُوعِ وَلَوْ سَألَ رَبِّهُ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَبَا قُبَيْسٍ ذَهَبًا لَأَجَابَهُ، وَحَمَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَصْحَابَهُ إِلَى بَيْتِ أَبَى الْهَيْثَمِ بْنِ التَّيّْهَانِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ دَعَاهُ وَأَكَلَ فِي بَيْتِهِ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ وَشَرِبَ مِنْ شَرَابِهِ وَقَالَ هَذَا مِنَ النَّعِيمِ الَّذِي تُسْأَلُونَ عَنْهُ، وَدَعَاهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ مَعَ خَمْسَةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَلَمْ يَدْخُلُ مَعَهُ السَّادِسُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ، وَيُرْوَى فِي الْحَدِيثِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَبِسَ مِنْدِيلًا لَهُ عَلَمٌ ثُمَّ رَمَى بِهِ وَقَالَ كَادَ أَنْ تُلْهِينِى أَعْلَامُهُ وَقَالَ ائْتُونِي بِأَنْبِجَانِيَّةِ أَبِى جَهْمٍ، وَسُيِلَ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فِي ثَوْبٍ وَاحِدٍ فَقَالَ أَوَ كُلُّكُمْ يَجِدُّ ثَوْبَيْنِ، وَقَالَ أَنَا ابْنُ امْرَأَةٍ كَانَتْ تَأْكُلُ الْقَدِيدِ، وَقَالَ لَا تُفَضِّلُونِى عَلَى يُونُسَ بْنِ مَتَّى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَقَالَ [ مَرَّةً ] أَنَا سَيِّدٌ

sarafun raqīqa al-qalbi dāʾima al-iṭrāqi raḥīman bikulli muslimin lam yatajashshaʾ qaṭṭu min shibaʿin walā madda yadahu ilā ṭamaʿin, waqālat ʿĀʾishatu raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā kāna rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama ajwada mina al-rīḥi al-mursalati, wawahaba rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama mā bayna jabalayni mina al-ghanami lirajulin wa-aḥidin farajaʿa dhalika al-rajulu ilā qabīlatihi waqāla inna muḥammadan ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama yuʿṭā ʿaṭāʾa man lā yakhshā al-faqra, walam yakun rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama sakhkhāban walā faḥḥāshan walā mutafaḥḥishan, wakāna rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama yaʾkulu ʿalā al-arḍi wayajlisu ʿalā al-arḍi wayalbasu al-ʿabāʾa wayujālisu al-masākīna wayamshā fī al-aswāqi wayatawassadu yadahu wayaqtaṣṣu min nafsihi walam yara ḍāḥikan milʾa fīhi walam yaʾkul waḥdahu qaṭṭu walā ḍaraba ʿabdahu qaṭṭu walā ḍaraba aḥadan biyadihi illā fī sabīli Allāhi ʿazza wajalla wakāna lā yajlisu mutarabbiʿan walā yaʾkulu muttakayyiʾan wayaqūlu ākulu kamā yaʾkulu al-ʿabdu waʾajlisu kamā yajlisu al-ʿabdu, warawā ʿanhu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu shadda al-ḥajara ʿalā baṭnihi mina al-jūʿi walaw saʾla rabbihu an yajʿala lahu abā qubaysin dhahaban laʾajābahu, waḥamala rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama aṣḥābahu ilā bayti abā al-haythami bni al-tayyhāni min ghayri an daʿāhu waʾakala fī baytihi min ṭaʿāmihi washariba min sharābihi waqāla hadhā mina al-naʿīmi alladhī tusʾalūna ʿanhu, wadaʿāhu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama rajulun ākharu ilā baytihi maʿa khamsatin min aṣḥābihi falam yadkhulu maʿahu al-sādisu illā bi-idhnihi, wayurwā fī al-ḥadīthi anna rasūla Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama labisa mindīlan lahu ʿalamun thumma ramā bihi waqāla kāda an tulhīnī iʿlāmuhu waqāla aytūnī biʾanbijāniyyati abī jahmin, wasuʾila ʿani al-ṣalāti fī thawbin wa-aḥidin faqāla awa kullukum yajiddu thawbayni, waqāla anā abnu amraʾatin kānat taʾkulu al-qadīdi, waqāla lā tufaḍḍilūnī ʿalā yūnusa bni mattā ʿalayhi al-salamu, waqāla [ marratan ] anā sayyidun

extravagance. He was tenderhearted, habitually lowered his gaze, and compassionate toward every Muslim. He never belched from satiety and never extended his hand out of greed.” ʿĀʾishah—may God be pleased with her—said, “The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—was more generous than the unrestrained wind.” He once gave a single man all the sheep between two mountains. The man returned to his tribe and said, “Muḥammad—may God bless him and grant him peace—gives like one who does not fear poverty.” The Messenger of God was neither clamorous, obscene, nor deliberately coarse. He ate and sat on the ground, wore a coarse cloak, sat with the poor, walked in the markets, used his hand as a pillow, and allowed others to seek redress from him. He was never seen laughing with his mouth wide open, never ate alone, never struck his servant, and never struck anyone with his hand except in God’s cause. He did not sit cross-legged or eat while reclining. He would say, “I eat as a servant eats and sit as a servant sits.” It is related that he tied a stone to his stomach from hunger, though had he asked his Lord to turn Mount Abū Qubays into gold, He would have answered him. The Messenger of God took his companions to the home of Abū al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihān without having been invited. He ate and drank in his home and said, “This is among the blessings about which you will be questioned.” Another man invited him to his home with five companions; he did not allow a sixth person to enter without the host’s permission. It is related that the Messenger of God wore a cloth with an embroidered border, then cast it aside and said, “Its markings nearly distracted me. Bring me Abū Jahm’s plain anbijāniyyah.” Asked about praying in a single garment, he replied, “Does every one of you possess two garments?” He said, “I am the son of a woman who ate dried meat,” and, “Do not prefer me over Jonah son of Matthew—peace be upon him.” On another occasion he said, “I am the master—”

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وَلَدُ آدَمَ وَلَا فَخْرٌ، وَقَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنِّي أُعْطِى أَقْوَامًا وَأَمْنَعُ آخَرِينَ وَلَيْسَ الَّذِي أُعْطِيهِ بِأَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنَ الَّذِي أَمْنَعُهُ، وَقَالَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ فُقَرَاءُ الْأَنْصَارِ الشَّعْثَةُ رُؤُوسُهُمُ الدَّنِسَةُ ثِيَابُهُمُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَنْكِحُونَ الْمُتَنَعِّمَاتِ وَلَا تُفْتَحُ لَهُمُ السُّدُدُ، وَقَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا لِيَ وَلِلدُّنْيَا، وَقَالَ لِيَكُنْ بِلُغَةِ أَحَدِكُمْ كَزَادِ الرَّاكِبِ، وَقَالَ يَدْخُلُ فُقَرَاءُ أُمَّتِى الْجَنَّةَ قَبْلَ أَغْنِيَائِهِمْ بِنِصْفِ يَوْمٍ وَهُوَ خَمْسُمِائَةِ عَامٍ، وَقَالَ نَحْنُ مَعَاشِرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ بَلَاءً ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلُ فَالْأَمْثَلُ وَيُبْتَلَى الرَّجُلُ عَلَى قَدْرِ دِينِهِ فَإِنْ كَانَ فِي دِينِهِ صَلَابَةٌ فَهُوَ أَشَدُّ بَلَاءً، وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنِّي أُحِبُّكَ قَالَ اسْتَعِدَّ لِلْبَلَاءِ جِلْبَابًا، وَرَوَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ حُبِّبَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ دُنْيَاكُمْ ثَلَاثٌ، وَقَالَ أَنْتُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِدُنْيَاكُمْ فَأَضَافَ الدُّنْيَا إِلَيْهِمْ وَأَخْرَجَ نَفْسَهُ مِنْهَا، وَلَمْ يَضَعْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَبِنَةً عَلَى لَبِنَةٍ إِلَى أَنْ خَرَجَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا، وَخَرَجَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَدِرْعُهُ مَرْهُونَةٌ عِنْدَ يَهُودِيٍّ عَلَى صَاعٍ مِنْ شَعِيرٍ وَلَمْ يَتْرُكْ دِينَارًا وَلَا دِرْهَمًا وَلَمْ يُقْسَمْ لَهُ مِيرَاثٌ وَلَمْ يُوجَدْ فِي بَيْتِهِ أَثَاثٌ، وَقَالَ نَحْنُ مَعَاشِرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ لَا نُورَثُ مَا تَرَكْنَا صَدَقَةٌ، وَكَانَ يَقْبَلُ الْهَدِيَّةَ وَالْكَرَامَةَ وَالْعَطِيَّةَ وَكَانَ لَا يَأْكُلُ مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ وَيَأْخُذُهَا مِنْهُمْ، وَرَوَى عَنْهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ مَا أَوْحَى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَنْ أَجْمَعَ الْمَالَ وَأَكُونَ تَاجِرًا وَلَكِنْ أَوْحَى إِلَيَّ أَنْ فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُنْ مِنَ السَّاجِدِينَ وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ، وَرَوَى عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ ذَبَحْنَا شَاةً فَتَصَدَّقْنَا بِهَا حَتَّى لَمْ يَبْقَ إِلَّا كَتِفُهَا [ قَالَتْ ] فَقُلْتُ يَرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ذَهَبَ كُلُّهَا إِلَّا كَتِفَهَا فَقَالَ النَّبِىُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَقِيَتْ كُلُّهَا إِلَّا كَتِفَهَا، قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ن وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ مَا أَنْتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ، وَقَالَ النَّبِىُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ مَكَارِمَ الْأَخْلَاقِ وَيَكْرَهُ سَفْسَافَهَا، وَقَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بُعِثْتُ لِآتِيَ بِمَكَارِمِ الْأَخْلَاقِ، وَكَانَ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ

waladu ādama walā fakhrun, waqāla ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama innī uʿṭī aqwāman waʾamnaʿu ākharīna walaysa alladhī uʿṭīhi bi-aḥabba ilā mina alladhī amnaʿuhu, waqāla awwalu man yadkhulu al-jannata fuqarāʾu al-anṣāri al-shaʿthatu ruʾūsuhumu al-danisatu thiyābuhumu alladhīna lā yafkuḥūna al-mutanaʿʿimāti walā tuftaḥu lahumu al-sududu, waqāla ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama mā liya wa-li-al-dunyā, waqāla liyakun bilughati aḥadikum kazādi al-rākibi, waqāla yadkhulu fuqarāʾu ummatī al-jannata qabla aghniyāʾihim biniṣfi yawmin wahuwa khamsu miʾati ʿāmin, waqāla naḥnu maʿāshira al-anbiyāʾi ashaddu al-nāsi balāʾan thumma al-amthalu fa-al-amthalu wayubtalā al-rajulu ʿalā qadri dīnihi faʾin kāna fī dīnihi ṣalābatun fahuwa ashaddu balāʾan, waqāla rajulun li-al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama innī uḥibbuka qāla astaʿidda li-al-balāʾi jilbāban, warawā ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama qāla ḥubbiba ilā min dunyākum thalāthun, waqāla antum aʿlamu bidunyākum faʾaḍāfa al-dunyā ilayhim waʾakhraja nafsahu minhā, walam yaḍaʿ rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama labinatan ʿalā labinatin ilā an kharaja mina al-dunyā, wakharaja ʿalayhi al-sulamu mina al-dunyā wadirʿuhu marhūnatun ʿinda yahūdā ʿalā ṣāʿin min shaʿīrin walam yatruk dīnāran walā dirhaman walam yuqsam lahu mīrāthun walam yūjad fī baytihi athāthun, waqāla naḥnu maʿāshira al-anbiyāʾi lā nūrathu mā taraknā ṣadaqatun, wakāna yaqbalu al-hadiyyata wa-al-karāmata wa-al-ʿaṭiyyata wakāna lā yaʾkulu mina al-ṣadaqati wayaʾkhudhuhā minhum, warawā ʿanhu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla mā awḥā Allāhu taʿālā an ajmaʿa al-māla waʾakūna tājiran walakin awḥā ilā an fasabbiḥ biḥamdi rabbika wakun mina al-sājidīna wa-aʿbud rabbaka ḥattā yaʾtiyaka al-yaqīnu, warawā ʿan ʿĀʾishata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā annahā qālat dhabaḥnā shātan fataṣaddaqnā bihā ḥattā lam yabqa illā katifuhā [ qālat ] faqultu yarasūli Allāhi dhahaba kulluhā illā katifahā faqāla al-nabī ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama baqiyat kulluhā illā katifahā, qāla Allāhu ʿazza wajalla n wa-al-qalami wamā yasṭurūna mā anta biniʿmati rabbika bimajnūnin waʾinna laka laʾajran ghayra mamnūnin waʾinnaka laʿalā khuluqin ʿaẓīmin, waqāla al-nabī ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama inna Allāha yuḥibbu makārima al-akhlāqi wayakrahu safsāfahā, waqāla ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama buʿithtu lātā bimakārimi al-akhlāqi, wakāna min khalqihi

“of the children of Adam, without boasting.” He—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “I give to some people and withhold from others; the one to whom I give is not dearer to me than the one from whom I withhold.” He said, “The first to enter Paradise will be the poor among the Helpers: their hair dishevelled, their clothes soiled, unable to marry women raised in luxury, and barred from grand doorways.” He said, “What have I to do with this world?” and, “Let each one of you keep only provisions like those of a traveller.” He said, “The poor of my community will enter Paradise half a day before its rich—and that is five hundred years.” He said, “We prophets are the people most severely tried, then the next best and the next. A person is tried in proportion to his religion; if he has firmness in religion, his trial is more severe.” A man told the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—“I love you.” He replied, “Prepare a cloak for affliction.” It is related that the Prophet said, “Three things of your world were made beloved to me.” He also said, “You know best the affairs of your world,” attributing the world to them and excluding himself from it. The Messenger of God never placed one brick upon another before he departed this world. He—peace be upon him—left this world while his shield was pledged to a Jew for a measure of barley. He left neither dinar nor dirham, no inheritance was divided from him, and no furnishings were found in his house. He said, “We prophets are not inherited from; what we leave is charity.” He accepted gifts, honours, and offerings, but did not eat from alms, though he received them from people for their proper use. It is related that he said, “God Most High did not reveal to me that I should amass wealth and become a merchant. Rather, He revealed to me: ‘Glorify your Lord with praise, be among those who prostrate, and worship your Lord until certainty comes to you.’” ʿĀʾishah—may God be pleased with her—said, “We slaughtered a sheep and gave it away in charity until only its shoulder remained. I said, ‘O Messenger of God, all of it is gone except its shoulder.’ The Prophet replied, ‘All of it remains except its shoulder.’” God, mighty and majestic, says, “Nūn. By the Pen and what they write: by your Lord’s blessing you are not possessed; yours is an unfailing reward; and you are surely upon tremendous character.” The Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “God loves noble character traits and detests their baseness,” and, “I was sent to bring the noblest character traits.” Among his character traits—

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صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْحَيَاءُ وَالسَّخَاءُ وَالتَّوَكُّلُ وَالرِّضَا وَالذِّكْرُ وَالشُّكْرُ وَالْحِلْمُ وَالصَّبْرُ وَالْعَفْوُ وَالصَّفْحُ وَالرَّأفَةُ وَالرَّحْمَةُ وَالْمُدَارَاةُ وَالنَّصِيحَةُ وَالسَّكِينَةُ وَالْوَقَارُ وَالتَّوَاضُعُ وَالِافْتِقَارُ وَالْجُودُ وَالسَّمَاحَةُ وَالْخُضُوعُ وَالْقُوَّةُ وَالشَّجَاعَةُ وَالرِّفْقُ وَالْإِخْلَاصُ وَالصِّدْقُ وَالزُّهْدُ وَالْقَنَاعَةُ وَالْخُشُوعُ وَالْخَشْيَةِ وَالتَّعْظِيمِ وَالْهَيْبَةُ وَالدُّعَاءُ وَالْبُكَاءُ وَالْخَوْفِ وَالرَّجَاءِ وَاللَّيَاذَةِ وَاللَّجَأُ وَالتَّهَجُّدِ وَالْعِبَادَةِ وَالْجِهَادِ وَالْمُجَاهَدَةِ، وَكَمَا رَوَى عَنْهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ مُتَوَاصِلَ الْأَحْزَانِ دَائِمَ الْفِكْرَةِ وَكَانَ لِصَدْرِهِ أَزِيزٌ كَأَزِيزِ الْمِرْجَلِ وَأَنَّهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَلَّى حَتَّى تَوَرَّمَتْ قَدَمَاهُ فَقِيلَ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلَيْسَ قَدْ غَفَرَ لَكَ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِك وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ قَالَ أَفَلَا أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا، وَكَانَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعْطَى مَنْ حَرَمَهُ وَيَصِلُ مَنْ قَطَعَهُ وَيَعْفُو عَمَّنْ ظَلَمَهُ وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِنَفْسِهِ قَطُّ وَلَا غَضِبَ لِنَفْسِهِ قَطُّ إِلَّا أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ مَحَارِمُ اللَّهِ فَيَغْضَبَ [ اللَّهُ ] وَكَانَ لِلْأَرْمَلَةِ كَالزَّوْجِ الشَّفِيقِ وَلِلْيَتِيمِ كَالْأَبِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَقَالَ [ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ] مَنْ تَرَكَ مَالًا فَلِوَرَثَتِهِ وَمَنْ تَرَكَ كَلَّاً أَوْ ضَيَاعًا فَإِلَيَّ، وَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي بَشَرٌ أَغْضَبُ كَمَا يَغْضَبُ الْبَشَرُ فَأَيُّمَا امْرِئٍ سَبَبْتُهُ أَوْ لَعَنْتُهُ فَاجْعَلْ ذَلِكَ كَفَّارَةً لَهُ أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ، وَقَالَ أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ خَدَمْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ فَمَا ضَرَبَنِي وَلَا كَهَرَنِي وَلَا قَالَ لِي لِشَيْءٍ فَعَلْتَهُ لِمَ فَعَلْتَ وَلَا لِشَيْءٍ لَمْ أَفْعَلْهُ لِمَ لَمْ تَفْعَلْهُ، وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ كَرَمِهِ وَعَفْوِهِ وَحِلْمِهِ إِلَّا مَا كَانَ مِنْهُ يَوْمَ فَتْحِ مَكَّةَ لَكَانَ مِنْ كَمَالِ الْكَمَالِ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ دَخَلَ مَكَّةَ صُلْحًا وَقَدْ قَتَلُوا أَعْمَامَهُ وَأَوْلِيَاءَهُ بَعْدَ أَنْ حَصَرُوهُ فِي الشِّعَابِ وَعَذَّبُوا أَصْحَابَهُ بِأَنْوَاعِ الْعَذَابِ وَأَخْرَجُوهُ وَأَدْمَوْهُ وَطَرَحُوا عَلَيْهِ الرَّوْثَ وَآذَوْهُ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَفِي أَصْحَابِهِ وَسَفَهُوا عَلَيْهِ وَاجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى كَيْدِهِ، فَلَمَّا دَخَلَهَا بِغَيْرِ حَمْدِهِمْ وَظَهَرَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَلَى صِغَرٍ مِنْهُمْ قَامَ خَطِيبًا فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَقُولُ كَمَا قَالَ أَخِي يُوسُفُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ لَا تَثْرِيبَ

ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama al-ḥayāʾu wa-al-sakhāʾu wa-al-tawakkulu wa-al-riḍā wa-al-dhikru wa-al-shukru wa-al-ḥilmu wa-al-ṣabru wa-al-ʿafwu wa-al-ṣafḥu wa-al-raʾfatu wa-al-raḥmatu wa-al-mudārātu wa-al-naṣīḥatu wa-al-sakīnatu wa-al-waqāru wa-al-tawāḍuʿu wa-al-āftiqāru wa-al-jūdu wa-al-samāḥatu wa-al-khuḍūʿu wa-al-quwwatu wa-al-shajāʿatu wa-al-rifqu wa-al-ikhlāṣu wa-al-ṣidqu wa-al-zuhdu wa-al-qanāʿatu wa-al-khushūʿu wa-al-khashyati wa-al-taʿẓīmi wa-al-haybatu wa-al-duʿāʾu wa-al-bukāʾu wa-al-khawfi wa-al-rajāʾi wa-al-layādhati wa-al-lajaʾu wa-al-tahajjudi wa-al-ʿibādati wa-al-jihādi wa-al-mujāhadati, wakamā rawā ʿanhu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama annahu kāna mutawāṣila al-aḥzāni dāʾima al-fikrati wakāna liṣadrihi azīzun kaʾazīzi al-mirjali wa-annahu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama ṣallā ḥattā tawarramat qadamāhu faqīla lahu yā rasūla Allāhi alaysa qad ghafara laka mā taqaddama min dhanbik wamā taʾakhkhara qāla afalā akūnu ʿabdan shakūran, wakāna ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama yuʿṭā man ḥaramahu wayaṣilu man qaṭaʿahu wayaʿfū ʿamman ẓalamahu wamā antaqama rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama linafsihi qaṭṭu walā ghaḍiba linafsihi qaṭṭu illā an tuntahaka maḥārimu Allāhi fayaghḍaba [ Allāhu ] wakāna li-al-armalati ka-al-zawji al-shafīqi wa-li-al-yatīmi ka-al-abi al-raḥīmi, waqāla [ ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama ] man taraka mālan faliwarathatihi waman taraka kallā aw ḍayāʿan fa-ilā, waqāla al-lahumma innī basharun aghḍabu kamā yaghḍabu al-basharu faʾayyumā amriʾin sababtuhu aw laʿantuhu fa-ajʿal dhalika kaffāratan lahu aw kamā qāla, waqāla anasu bnu mālikin khadamtu rasūla Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallama ʿashra sinīna famā ḍarabanī walā kaharanī walā qāla lī lishaʾin faʿaltahu lima faʿalta walā lishaʾin lam afʿalhu lima lam tafʿalhu, walaw lam yakun min karamihi waʿafwihi waḥilmihi illā mā kāna minhu yawma fatḥi makkata lakāna min kamāli al-kamāli wadhalika annahu dakhala makkata ṣulḥan waqad qatalū aʿmāmahu wa-awliyāʾahu baʿda an ḥaṣarūhu fī al-shiʿābi waʿadhdhabū aṣḥābahu biʾanwāʿi al-ʿadhābi waʾakhrajūhu waʾadmawhu waṭaraḥū ʿalayhi al-rawtha wādhawhu fī nafsihi wafī aṣḥābihi wasafahū ʿalayhi wa-ajtamaʿū ʿalā kaydihi, falammā dakhalahā bighayri ḥamdihim waẓahara ʿalayhim ʿalā ṣigharin minhum qāma khaṭīban faḥamida Allāha waʾathnā ʿalayhi thumma qāla aqūlu kamā qāla akhī yūsufu ʿalayhi al-salamu lā tathrība

—may God bless him and grant him peace—were modesty, generosity, trust in God, contentment, remembrance, gratitude, forbearance, patience, pardon, forgiveness, tenderness, mercy, tactful kindness, sincere counsel, tranquillity, dignity, humility, neediness before God, liberality, openhandedness, submission, strength, courage, gentleness, sincerity, truthfulness, renunciation, contentment with little, humility in worship, awe, reverence, veneration, supplication, weeping, fear, hope, seeking refuge, recourse, night vigil, worship, struggle, and spiritual striving. It is related that he lived with unbroken sorrow and constant reflection, and that a sound rose from his chest like the simmering of a cauldron. He prayed until his feet swelled. When asked, “O Messenger of God, has God not forgiven what preceded and what followed of your sin?” he replied, “Should I not be a grateful servant?” He gave to those who deprived him, maintained ties with those who cut him off, and pardoned those who wronged him. The Messenger of God never took revenge for himself or became angry for himself; he became angry only when God’s sacred limits were violated. To a widow he was like a compassionate husband, and to an orphan like a merciful father. He said, “Whoever leaves wealth, it belongs to his heirs; whoever leaves dependants or loss, let them come to me.” He prayed, “O God, I am human and become angry as human beings become angry. Whichever person I have insulted or cursed, make that an expiation for him”—or words to that effect. Anas ibn Mālik said, “I served the Messenger of God for ten years. He never struck or rebuked me. He never said concerning something I had done, ‘Why did you do it?’ nor concerning something I had not done, ‘Why did you not do it?’” Even if nothing else had manifested his generosity, pardon, and forbearance except his conduct on the day of the conquest of Mecca, it would have represented the very perfection of perfection. He entered Mecca in peace after its people had killed his uncles and loved ones, confined him in the mountain passes, tortured his companions in many ways, expelled and wounded him, cast filth upon him, harmed him and his companions, treated him insolently, and united in plotting against him. When he entered without owing them thanks and gained victory while they stood humbled, he rose to address them, praised and extolled God, and then said, “I say as my brother Joseph—peace be upon him—said: ‘No reproach—’”