Tafsir al-Tustari — Al-Fatihah 1:2 – Sad 38:46

Praise be to God Sahl said:The meaning of �Praise be to God� (al-ḥamdu li�Llāh) is �thanks be to God� (al-shukru li�Llāh), [for] gratitude towards God is obedience (ṭāʿa) to Him. Obedience to Him is guardianship (wilāya) from Him, Exalted is He, and thus God, Exalted is He, has said: �Your patron (walī) is God only, and His Messenger, and the believers...� [5:55] God�s patronage can only be fully attained by becoming free of all other than Him.The meaning of Lord of the Worlds is: the Lord of all created beings and the One who rears and fosters them (murabbī); He is the One who presides over their affairs and who rectifies and orders things for them, even before they and their acts are brought into existence. He deals with them according to His pre-eternal knowledge of them, as He wills and for whatever purpose He wills, wishes, rules, and decrees, regarding that which is commanded and that which is forbidden, and they have no lord except Him.

The Master of the Day of Judgement:That is, the Day of Reckoning.

You [alone] we worship�,That is, we submit to, and humble ourselves before, You alone. We recognise Your lordship and we affirm Your oneness, and You do we serve. From this word (naʿbudu) is derived the word ʿabd meaning �servant�. �And You [alone] we ask for help, that is, in what You have charged us with, which is [rightfully] Yours, [and over which] You exercise Your will (mashīʾa) and volition (irāda). Moreover, knowledge and sincerity are due only to You. We are incapable of [accomplishing that with which You have charged us] except through aid (maʿūna) and steadfastness (tasdīd) that come from You, for there is no power or strength except that which comes from You.

Guide us to the straight path. He [Sahl] was asked, �Has not God already guided us to the straight path?� He replied:That is so, but this refers to seeking more from Him, as He has said: and with Us there is yet more [50:35]. [Thus] what is meant by His words Guide us is: �Support us with Your aid (maʿūna) and empowerment (tamkīn)�.On another occasion he said that Guide us (ihdinā) means:Guide us (arshidnā) to the religion of Islam, which is the way to You, through assistance from You, which is insight (baṣīra), for we cannot be guided except through You, just as he [Moses] said: �Perhaps my Lord will show me the right way� [28:22], that is, �Guide me to pursue the path that leads to Him�.I heard Sahl relate on the authority of Muḥammad b. Sawwār from Sufyān, who heard it from Salīm, who was told by Abū al-Jaʿd from Thawbān, who narrated that the Messenger of God said:God says: �I have divided the prayer between Me and My servant into two halves. Half of it is for Me and the other half is for My servant, and My servant gets what he asks for.� Thus, when the servant says, Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, God, Exalted is He, says, �My servant has praised and thanked Me.� When he says, the Merciful, the Compassionate, [God says], �My servant has extolled Me�. And when he says, Master of the Day of Judgement, [God says], �My servant has glorified Me. These verses are for Me and for My servant is what he asks for [in the verses that come] after, as when he says, You [alone] we worship, and You [alone] do we ask for help.! Guide us to the straight path, until the end of the sūra.� God, Mighty and Majestic is He, says: �These verses are for My servant and My servant shall receive what he asks for.� Sahl said:The meaning of �My servant has glorified Me� here is: �He has attributed abundant beneficence (iḥsān) and munificence (inʿām) to Me�.Sahl related on the authority of Mujāhid:Āmīn is one of the names of God, Exalted is He. Ibn ʿAbbās y said, �The Christians have never envied you anything as much as your saying Āmīn.

Alif Lām MīmSahl said:Alif Lām Mīm is a name of God, Mighty and Majestic is He, and within it are meanings and attributes that people of understanding (fahm) know, not to mention the many meanings that it holds for the people of outward [knowledge]. If these letters are read separately, Alif stands for God�s assembling [things in their creation] (taʾlīf), Mighty and Majestic is He, for He brought together all things as He willed. The Lām stands for His pre-eternal grace (luṭfuhu al-qadīm) and the Mīm stands for His great glory (majduhu al-ʿaẓīm).Sahl said:Each book that God, Exalted is He, sent down contains a secret, and the secret of the Qurʾān is contained within the letters which open the sūras, because they are names and attributes, such as when He says Alif Lām Mīm [2:1; 3:1; 29:1 and 31:1], Ṣād [38:1], Alif Lām Rā [10:1; 11:1; 13:1; 14:1 and 15:1], Kāf Ḥā Yā ʿAyn Ṣād [19:1], Tā Sīn Mīm [26:1 and 28:1], Ḥā Mīm [41:1], ʿAyn Sīn Qāf. When these letters are brought together they make up the Greatest Name of God � that is, if a letter is taken from each [group] of the opening letters of the sūras, one after the other in the order that the sūras were revealed, that is, Alif Lām Rā, Ḥā Mīm, and Nūn, they form the divine name al-Raḥmān.� Ibn ʿAbbās and Ḍaḥḥāk, on the other hand, said that Alif Lām Mīm means �I am God and I know�; while ʿAlī said that these are names [in the form of] �disconnected� [letters], but if a letter is taken from each of the opening groups of letters, on the condition that it is not the same as the letter adjacent to it, and then they are assembled, they form one of the names of the Merciful. If this name is known and used in supplication, it will be the mightiest name by which the prayer of the supplicant who uses it will be answered.Sahl said:In the words Alif Lām Mīm,! That Book [2:1�2], Alif stands for God (Allāh), Lām stands for the servant (ʿabd), and Mīm stands for Muḥammad .

�In it there is no doubt (rayb)�This means that there is no uncertainty (shakk) in it. A guidance for those who are mindful of God (muttaqūn) � that is, an explanation (bayān) for those who are mindful of God. The mindful of God are those who have freed themselves from the claim of possessing any power or strength except in God, Exalted is He, and who have resorted to taking refuge [in Him] and depending solely on His power and strength in every situation. So God has assisted them and provided for them whence they had no reckoning, and made for them a source of relief and release from the trials to which He has subjected them.Sahl [further] said:God�s power (ḥawl) and strength (quwwa) are [manifest in] His act, His act is according to His knowledge, and His knowledge is among the attributes belonging to His essence. The power and strength of the servant are but a temporary claim which lasts only until the last hour. The last hour is in the possession of God alone, Exalted is He.

The [ones who are] mindful of God are those who believe in the unseen�God is the unseen and His religion is the unseen, and God, Mighty and Majestic is He, has ordered them to believe in the unseen, to free themselves from [any claim] to power and strength concerning that which they have been commanded to do and prohibited from doing, in faith, speech and action and to say, �We have no power (ḥawl) to keep ourselves from disobediencesave through Your protection (ʿiṣma), and we have no strength (quwwa) to obey You save through Your aid (maʿūna).� This is [a result of] of His compassion (ishfāq) towards them, and of His assisting them so that they do not claim power, strength and ability as did those who were damned from pre-eternity. When [these latter] saw the punishment with their own eyes, they disowned [their claim], but their disavowal did not avail them after they had actually seen the punishment. God has informed us about those who fit this description in His words But their faith was of no benefit to them when they (actually) saw Our punishment [40:85], and: Their only plea when Our might came upon them, was to say, �We were evildoers indeed� [7:5]. Similarly, Pharaoh claimed to have power, strength and ability, and said, �Whenever I wish to believe, I will believe�, but when he actually came to believe it was not accepted from him, as God, Exalted is He, said, Now � when hitherto you have disobeyed and been of those who do corruption? [10:91]�And spend out of what We have provided them:Sahl said:Truly God, Exalted is He, has described in this way those whom He has moulded with a certain nature, who are connected to Him by a certain link, and who never lapse in their heedfulness (murāqaba) of Him. They are those who never made a choice and desired nothing other than Him. Their only choice is that He should choose for them, even as He has chosen them for Himself. They desire nothing that has any relation to another which will remove them from their dependence solely on Him, for they have freed themselves from other than Him.Abū Bakr relates that it was said to Sahl: �Truly God has granted you wisdom (ḥikma)�, to which he replied:Indeed, God willing, I have been granted wisdom (ḥikma) and [a knowledge of] the unseen (ghayb) which I was taught from the unseen of His secret (min ghayb sirrihi), and thus He sufficed me from the need for all other knowledge � and that the ultimate end is toward your Lord [53:42], and He completed what He had begun with me out of His grace and beneficence.His words, Mighty and Majestic is He:

Those are upon guidance from their Lord�That is, a clear explanation (bayān) from their Lord: by the light of His guidance hearts witness Him in confident abandonment to Him due to a light from His light, by which He singled them out in His prior knowledge. They do not speak except with guidance (hudā), and their inner perception is solely directed towards that guidance. So those who are guided by [this light] are never left by it; they are [constant] witnesses to it because they are never absent from it. If people were to ask them about it they would inform them, and if they were to will [something], it would quickly be brought about. Thus �they are the ones who will prosper [2:5], and they are directed to guidance and success through His guidance. [It is they who will] remain (bāqūna) in Paradise with the permanent subsistence (baqāʾ) of God, Mighty and Majestic is He. Then Sahl said:It was transmitted to me that God, Exalted is He, revealed to David the words: �Make sure that I do not pass you by, for in that case you would forgo everything. Verily I created Muḥammad for My sake, and I created Adam for his sake. I created My believing servantsfor My worship, and I created all other things for [the service of] the son of Adam. So if he preoccupies himself with that which I have created for his service, I will veil him from that [for] which I created [him] for My sake.�

�So set not up compeers (andād) to God�That is, adversaries (aḍdād), and the greatest adversary is the self that incites to evil (al-nafs al-ammāra bi�l-sūʾ), which is only bent on its own pleasures (ḥuẓūẓ) and cravings (munā), without having any regard for guidance from God. Sahl was asked about God�s words:

�They shall be given it [the fruits] in perfect semblance; �and there for them shall be spouses, purified�,He replied:In Paradise there are no carpets, vessels, clothes, perfume, birds or plants, nor any fruits [as we know them]. Thus the semblance that the things of this world bear to those [mentioned in the verse] is no more than a coincidence in their names. So the pomegranate of this world does not in the least resemble the pomegranate in Paradise, except in name. The same is the case with resemblance of the date, the jujube and other such fruits [to those of Paradise]. What is intended in His saying in [perfect] semblance is only a likeness in colour, for there is a differencein taste. When in Paradise the angels bring an apple to the friends of God (awliyāʾ) during the day, and then they bring them another during the night, and they ask, �Is this one [like the other]?� They are told, �Taste it�, and on tasting it they experience a different taste to that of the first one. It should not be discounted from God�s ability, Exalted is He, that He could make an apple taste like a pomegranate, almond or quince.�Sahl continued:Indeed I know one of the friends of God (awliyāʾ) who saw on the seashore a man who had before him the biggest pomegranate that there ever was. The friend of God (walī) asked him what he had before him, to which he replied, �It is a pomegranate that I saw in Paradise. I desired it so God granted it to me, but when He placed it before me I regretted my haste for having it while still in this world.� That man [the walī] asked, �May I eat some of it?� and the man responded, �If you have the capacity to eat it, then do so�; upon which he grabbed the fruit from him and ate most of it. When the man saw him eating the fruit he it was astounded and said, �Receive glad tidings of Paradise, for I did not know your [spiritual] rank before you ate it; no one eats of the food of Paradise in this life except the people of Paradise.�Then Abū Bakr asked Sahl if the one who had eaten the pomegranate had informed him of its taste, to which he replied:He did, and its taste brings together the tastes of all fruits, and in addition it has a smoothness and coolness which is unlike any of the tastes [experienced] in this world.Then Abū Bakr commented, �I have no doubt, nor does anyone who heard this story from Sahl, that he himself was in fact both the possessor of that pomegranate and the one who ate it.�Sahl was asked about His words:

�I am appointing on earth a vicegerent�He answered:God, Exalted is He, before he created Adam said to the angels I am appointing on earth a vicegerent, and He created Adam from the clay of might consisting of the light of Muḥammad , and He informed him that his self which incites evil (al-nafs al-ammāra bi�l-sūʾ) would be his worst enemy, and that He had created it so that he conduct it [on the path] to Him, accordingto his knowledge of it, regarding notions (khawāṭir) and impulses (himam) [which arise in it], and that he [Adam] conduct it in such a way as to remain utterly dependent on Him, seeking refuge in Him. If He shows it an act of obedience, it should respond by saying, �O help me!�, and if it is moved to an act of disobedience, it should cry out, �O protect me!� If it is moved to a blessing, it should say, �Grant me a share of it!� If He says to it, �Be patient in the face of tribulation�, it should respond saying, �O, grant me patience!� His [man�s] heart should not entertain the slightest whispering (waswasa) of the self without abandoning it and returningto its Lord. God, Exalted is He, made the natural propensity (ṭabʿ) of the self such that it is passive when faced with commandments and active when faced with prohibitions. However, He commanded it to respond with passivity when inclined to activity, and to be active when inclined to passivity, with the words, �There is neither power nor strength except in God�, that is, there is no power to resist disobeying Him except through His protection, and no strength to obey Him except with His aid.Then He ordered him [Adam] to enter the Garden and eat from it at ease wherever he wished, after which He decreed to him that he may not eat from the Tree. When he entered the Garden and saw what he saw there, he said, �If only we could stay here forever; yet, indeed, we have an appointed time that extends to a known limit.

Thereafter Adam received certain words from his Lord, and He relented towards him...Sahl was asked, �What were the words that Adam learnt from his Lord?� He replied:Muḥammad b. Sawwār informed me, [in a narration] from his father, from al-Thawrī, from ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. Rafīʿ, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUmar y, that he [the latter] said: �When Adam recalled his error he said: �O Lord, do you see the act of disobedience by which I disobeyed You as something that You preordained for me before You created me, or somethingthat I initiated?� He replied: �Indeed, it is something that I preordained for you, that you would do as a consequence of My lifting My protection from you, fifty thousand years before creating you.� Then Adam asked, �As you preordained it for me, then forgive me, for indeed We have wronged our own souls [7:23], through carrying out the lower self�s desire and relying on its devising, and we have repented from ever going back to that. If You do not forgive us � that is, in this life, and have mercy upon us, during what remains of our lives we shall surely be among the lost [7:23] � that is, among the damned and tormented in the Hereafter.��So these were the words which God, Exalted is He, was speaking about when He said: Thereafter Adam received certain words from his Lord, and his Lord relented towards him, truly He is the Relenting, the Merciful.It was related from the Prophet that he said: �Adam asked Moses, (peace be upon them both), �How many years before my creation do you find that my sin was destined for me?� He replied, �Forty thousand years.�� The Prophet then said, �Thus did Adam confute Moses (peace be upon them both).� Sahl was asked about God�s words:[2:30]�Whilst we glorify You with praise and sanctify You�It means �We purify ourselves for Your sake by saying what You inspired us to say through the favour that You bestowed upon us. Blessed are You, O our Lord!�

�And be in awe of Me.Sahl was asked, �What is this awe (rahba) that He commanded them to feel towards Him?� He replied:He meant by this, the [true] locating of the light of certainty (mawḍiʿ nūr al-yaqīn) in relationto the heart�s insight (baṣar al-qalb), and gnosis (maʿrifa) in relation to the entirety of the heart (kulliyat al-qalb). For endurance (mukābada) and struggle (mujāhada) are a part of faith ⸢for the sake of God (īmān li�Llāh)⸣. Then, when the heart ceases to have fear of all other than Him, the light of certainty is unveiled, and the servant who abides in faith for the sake of God, attains ⸢to faith in [or through] God (īmān bi�Llāh)⸣, with an unshakeable realisationof His oneness (tawḥīdan ʿalā tamkīn), by which I mean, his heart is in a state of tranquil and confident repose with his Master (sukūn qalbihi ilā mawlāhu). Consequently, the light of certainty unveils the knowledge of the eye of certainty (ʿilm ʿayn al-yaqīn), and this is the attainment (wuṣūl) of God, Exalted is He. For this certainty, by virtue of the light of certainty (bi-nūr al-yaqīn) that leads to the eye of certainty, is not ⸢something that is brought into being (mukawwan)⸣, nor is it something created (makhlūq); rather it is a light from the light of the essence of God (dhāt al-Ḥaqq), not in the sense of an indwelling (ḥulūl), nor of conjoining (jamʿ), or conjunction (ittiṣāl). Rather, the meaning of the servant�s attainment (ittiṣāl) of his Master refers to the [true] locating (mawḍiʿ) of his realisation of the divine oneness, and his obedience to God and His Messenger.So, according to the strength of his perception (baṣar) of God, he will attain full awareness (taqwā) and awe (rahba) of Him. The root of full awareness of God is in relinquishing the lower self (mubāyanat al-nafs), so let [the servant] relinquish [the lower self] for this, and not accommodate any of the pleasures [demanded by] its desire (hawā), nor any of those pleasures to which it [the lower self] is summoning him, and for which it has no excuse. Know that human beings will vary in rank on the Day of Resurrection according to the measure of the light of certainty that they possess. The weightier the certainty a person has the heavier will his scales weigh, even though there might [otherwise] be less in his scales.He [Sahl] was asked, �How can you tell the soundness of someone�s certainty?� To which he replied:By the strength of his confidence (thiqa) in God, Exalted is He, and his good opinion (ḥusn al-ẓann) of Him. Trust in God is witnessing (mushāhada) through certainty (yaqīn), the eye of certainty (ʿayn al-yaqīn), and the wholeness [of its vision] (kulliyyatihi). Its perfection and goal is the attainment of God, Mighty and Majestic is He.

�And fear Me When asked about this verse, Sahl replied:What He means by this is [their being aware] of His prior knowledge concerning them, that is, �You should never feel secure from the [divine] ruse (makr), nor of His act of giving respite (istidrāj), such that your hearts become complacent in the observance of your security in this world while you persist in falling short [in good works]; nor should you rely upon My leniency towards you in the matter of [not] hastening your punishment, in that same [false] sense of security, and in your delusion (ightirār) and heedlessness (ghafla), lest you perish.� The Prophet said: �Had Jesus the son of Mary had greater certainty (yaqīn) he would have walked in the air as he walked on water.� And truly our Prophet traversed the air on the Night Journey (Isrāʾ) due to the strength of the light of his certainty, [a certainty] which God, Exalted is He, granted to him from His light, as an increase in light to the light that he already possessed from God, Exalted is He. The Prophet also said: �If gnosis (maʿrifa) had remained firmly rooted in the heart of David and he had not slipped into negligence, he would not have fallen into disobedience.� By my life, truly gnosis (maʿrifa) was enclosed within its own abodes (udrijat fī awṭānihā), in order that what was contained within God�s prior knowledge concerning him would befall him. This is because it [God�s prior knowledge] inevitably had to be manifested in his qualities, since God�s knowledge is a final decree that cannot change to other than what the All-Knowing knows, Mighty and Majestic is He. Indeed God, Mighty and Majestic is He, concealed [from David]

And do not obscure the truth with falsehood, and do not conceal truth wittingly.Sahl was asked about this verse, to which he replied:This means, �Do not cover up a matter of the Hereafter because of a worldly concern.� What [God] means is that it is not allowed for the people of truth to conceal the truth from the people of truth (ahl al-ḥaqq) in particular, or from those who long to be guided thereby to God. As for the people of truth, they will increase in insight (baṣīra) [through hearing it], and as for those who are not of the elite of the people of truth, the words of God are a source of guidance for them and of direction to God, Exalted is He.

Seek help in patience and prayer�When asked about these words Sahl said:Patience here [means] fasting, while prayer [means] the bond (waṣla) of gnosis (maʿrifa). He whose prayer � this being his bond [with God] � is sound, will be exempt from accusation (tuhma) before God; for interrogation (suʾāl) is a form of accusation, but with this bond there remains no interrogation. Do you not take note of His words [in the second part of this verse], It is hard indeed, except for the humble?

�and no intercession shall be accepted from it [the soul], nor shall compensation be taken, neither shall they be helped.When asked about these words Sahl said:It means that even if it [the soul] were to bring the sum of all good actions great and small, in abundance or just a few, none of this will be accepted from it on its arrival on the Day of Resurrection, nor anything from him [the servant]. Compensation (ʿadl) here means equivalence[or like, mathal]. Do you not note His words: Or its compensation in fasts [5:95] � that is, its equivalence and reward?

�and the thunderbolt took you even as you looked on When asked about this verse Sahl said:The thunderbolt (al-ṣāʿiqa) signifies death, and it also signifies every destructive punishment that God sends down upon whomever He wills of His servants, which they behold with their own eyes, whereby He shows to others among them a lesson and an admonishment.

�So we sent upon the transgressors a plague�He said:the plague being punishment.

�and without blemish� When asked about this verse Sahl said:This means that there should be no mark on it which blemishes it, nor a patch of colour which differs from the colour of the rest of its body. In this there is wisdom from its Maker and a lesson for the one who takes heed by it, and grows in certainty because of his faith and his profession of God�s oneness.

And when you killed a living soul and disputed thereon�That is, you fell into discord concerning it. Why then did you slay them, if you speak the truth? [3:183] Sahl said regarding these words:This is a reproach from God, Mighty and Majestic is He, to them [the Jews] with regard to those of their forefathers who were murderers of prophets. As you know, those who are addressed in this verse had not killed a prophet at the time of the Prophet , nor was there at that time any other Prophet but him. However, God addressed them with reference to those who came before them among their kin, as He addressed the Prophet with what was in reality directed to his nation [as a whole] with His words: O Prophet! When you [men] divorce women, divorce them by their prescribed period [65:1] The same [principle applies] to His words: About what are they questioning one another?! About the awesome tidings [78:1, 2], [by which is meant], �For what reason do you question the Prophet , when he is more knowledgeable concerning that�.

�Who know not the Book, but only [see therein their own] desires�He said:This means that they rest their hopes in God based upon falsehood, inclining towards the desire (hawā) of their lower selves without following guidance from God. This is referring to the Jews. He was asked about His words:

�and confirmed him with the Holy Spirit� He replied:The Holy (al-Quddūs) refers to God, that is, the One who is sanctified above having children, partners or a spouse.

�But they could not thus harm anyone except by God�s permission�That is, save that it be in God�s prior knowledge, which precedes the occurrence of the act of the one doing it.Concerning His words, Exalted is He:�Fear God as He should be feared�[Sahl said]:That is, by the worship He has prescribed for you, and not by that which God merits in His essence (fī dhātihi).

Nay, but whoever submits his purpose to God, being virtuous...Concerning these words of God, Exalted is He, Sahl said:That is, his religion, is as it is said in Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: Who is fairer in religion than one who submitshis purpose to God? [4:125], meaning: �Than a person who dedicates (akhlaṣa) his religion purely to God�, that is, Islam and its laws. This meaning is reiterated in Sūra Luqmān: Whoever surrenders his purpose to God, and is virtuous [31:22], which means [whoever] devotes himself in religion purely to God.He was asked about His words, Exalted is He:

�and of our progeny, a community submissive to You��A community� (umma) refers to a group of people, and �submissive� (muslima) means they submit to Your commandments and prohibitions, thereby attaining Your good pleasure and acceptance.He was asked about His words:

That is a community that has passed away. Theirs is what they have earned�He replied:That is to say, this was a community that passed away in accordance with God�s prior knowledgeconcerning them.

That is a community that has passed away. Theirs is what they have earned�He replied:That is to say, this was a community that passed away in accordance with God�s prior knowledgeconcerning them.

�a community of the middle [way] (wasaṭan)�That is, they are just. In this way, a believer gives credence to God�s servants in accordance with His words, He believes in God, and has faith in the believers [9:61], which means that he affirms [the truth of] God and ascribes truth to the believers.His words, Exalted is He:�For God is gentle with people, merciful.That is, He shows great [lit. intense, shadīd] mercy (raḥma) and kindness (raʾfa) towards them. This refers to the gentleness (rifq) and clemency (ḥilm) that He shows them due to His knowledgeof their weakness and of the fact that they have no strength before Him, except through Him and from Him.

Every person has a direction to which he turns�He means by this that God, Exalted is He, turns people of each religion in the direction that He wills.

�Yet give good tidings to those who are patient.He [Sahl] said:They are those for whom patience (ṣabr) has become a way of life (ʿaysh), a [source of] rest (rāḥa) and a homeland (waṭan). They find delight in practising patience for the sake of God, Exalted is He, in every situation.

They are those on whom [descend] blessings from their Lord, and mercy; it is they who are truly guided.Sahl said:What is implied by blessings (ṣalawāt) upon them is the bestowal of mercy (taraḥḥum) upon them, that is, a bestowal of mercy from their Lord. The Prophet said, �May God bless the family of Abū Awfāʾ, when they brought him charitable donations, by which he meant �[May God] have mercy on them.� He also said:Muḥammad b. Sawwār told us on the authority of Abū ʿAmr b. ʿAlāʾ that he said: �Ṣalāt� has three meanings, one of which is the prescribed prayer with its bowings and prostrations, which is referred to when God says: So pray to Your Lord and sacrifice [108:2], that is, grasp your left arm with your right hand in prayer, in self-abasement and in awe before God, Exalted is He. Thisis also reported from ʿAlī . The second meaning is to show mercy (taraḥḥum) [as discussed above], and the third meaning is supplication (duʿāʾ), as [for example] in the prayer over the dead. Indeed, the Prophet said: �If any of you are invited for a meal, you should [accept the invitation]. But if [the one invited] is fasting he should pray�, that is, he should make a supplicationfor them to be endowed with blessing. Furthermore, the Prophet said in a ḥadīth, ��and may the angels pray over you�, meaning pray for mercy to be bestowed upon you. In this [same] ḥadīth the Prophet went on to say, �And if someone eats at his house, the angels pray over him [the host] until eventide�, meaning the angels supplicate for him. Sahl continued:Ṣalāt carries two meanings: one is the seeking of forgiveness (istighfār), and the other is forgiveness itself (maghfira). As for the meaning of �seeking forgiveness�, it is referred to in His words, And pray for them [9:103], that is, ask forgiveness for them; [and in His words], to [secure] the prayers of the Messenger [9:99], meaning asking for the Messenger�s supplication for forgiveness.

�Upon them shall be the curse of God�This means that their lot is banishment (ṭard) from the mercy of God, and alienation. In this manner, every accursed one is banished.

(Yet there are people who take to themselves idols), loving them as if loving God; but those who believe love God more ardently�He said:It means that they love idols (andād) in the way that they love God, Mighty and Majestic is He. Indeed, God, Exalted is He, described the intensity of their disbelief and their constancy (ṣidq) in the state of disbelief as ignorance (jahl). He then described the love of the believers and their constancy in the state of faith in God, as truth (ḥaqq). Then He accorded superiority to the believers due to their knowledge [or gnosis, maʿrifa], saying, those who believe love God more ardently. This is due to their knowledge (maʿrifa), and all the other things that cause the believing servant to advance towards God and establish His remembrance. This is the level ofthe loving mystics (ʿārifūn muḥibbūn), since love is the inclination (ʿaṭf) for the purest reality (khāliṣat al-ḥaqq), which God, Exalted is He, [produces] in them.He was asked, �What is the sign of love?� He replied:It is the embracing of obedience and the relinquishing of [any sense] of need [for other than God] (mubāyanat al-fāqa). It has been related that God, Exalted is He, said in a revelation to Moses, �Do you know why I cast my love upon you?�, to which he replied, �No, O Lord.� He said, �Because you sought My delight (masarra). O Moses, [always] keep Me in mind, and don�t forget Me in any situation. Let your aspiration (himma) be for My remembrance (dhikr), for I will take care of your path.� But God, Transcendent and Exalted is He, knows best.

�and the cords are cut away before them This refers to the ties by which they were connected to each other in this world. For the sake of [these ties] mutual affections were cemented, without obedience to God and His Messenger, and without seeking God�s good pleasure.

�Ah! What boldness [they show] for the Fire!When asked about these words, Sahl replied:That is [boldness] in issuing legal ruling[s] (fatwā) without sufficient knowledge of the Sunna or the divine law (sharʿ), and [boldness] in servitude to the practice of the people of the Fire.

�those who show fortitude in misfortune and hardship�[Sahl said]This means that to begin with [they show fortitude] in upholding the Sunna; and in hardship means in avoiding that which is forbidden, both outwardly and inwardly, and in eating [only] that which is legitimate. The outward meaning of misfortune (baʾsāʾ) is poverty (faqr), and that of hardship (ḍarrāʾ) is adversity (shidda); and times of peril, that is, in battle.He was asked about His words:

�and leaves behind some good� Concerning these words, he was asked, �In your opinion what is this good?� He said:It refers to legitimate wealth, just as God, Exalted is He, has said, Say, �Whatever you spend that is good� [2:215] � that is, out of legitimate wealth, for His purposes (bi-wujūhihi) and desiring His good pleasure; and [elsewhere] He said, And whatever good you expend of legitimate wealth, shall be repaid to you in full [2:272], meaning that you shall receive, from God, Exalted is He, the return and reward for your deeds, and for your purpose in doing them.He was asked about His words:

�So let them respond to Me�He [Sahl] said,[Let them respond] through supplication (duʿāʾ), �and believe in Me�, � that is, �Affirm Me as True (saddaqanī), for I am there whenever someone calls on Me with sincerity (mukhliṣan), without despondency (āyis) or despair (qanaṭ).�

And take provision, but the best of provisions is mindfulness of God... He [Sahl] said:It [mindfulness of God, taqwā] is the [best travelling] companion (rafīq) leading to the remembrance(dhikr) of God, Exalted is He, in fear (khawfan); just as there is no [travelling] provision (zād) for the lover (muḥibb) save the Beloved (maḥbūb), and no provision for the possessor of mystical knowledge (ʿārif) save the Known (maʿrūf). [Continuing on from this] Sahl explained that the words, If he is able to make his way there [3:97] are an allusion to the provision (zād) and the riding beast (rāḥila). He then asked, �Do you know what the provision and riding beast are?� They replied: �No�. So he said, �The provision is remembrance (dhikr) and the riding beast is patience (ṣabr).� Then he went on to relate how a man had accompanied him on the road to Mecca, and for two days had not found anything [to eat], so he said, �O teacher! I need sustenance!� to which he [Sahl] replied, �Sustenance is God.� The other man then said, �One cannot do without sustenance for the body to function.� To which he replied, �All bodies exist [only] through God, Mighty and Majestic is He.� Then he recited the following lines [in the basīṭ metre]:O Beloved, replenish [my longing]! May the water of longing pour down upon you from the rain cloud,Whose pouring increases my sorrows and anguish.An anguish remains in my heart, consuming me,Truly as love increases, with it will increase my rapture. After that, he said, �It is the world that severs those who are devoted to God from God, Mighty and Majestic is He.� Finally, he said, �The livelihood (ʿaysh) of angels is in obedience (ṭāʿa); the livelihood of the prophets is in knowledge (ʿilm) and waiting for relief (intiẓār al-faraj); and the livelihood of the veracious (ṣiddīqūn) is in emulation (iqtidāʾ). As for the rest, their livelihood is in food and drink.�So fear me, O people of inner substance (ulū�l-albāb)![Sahl said] that this means:�O people of understanding (fahm)!� That is, those who are possessed of sound intellects (ʿuqūl salīma). Truly God, Exalted is He, has commanded them to be aware of Him according to the capacity of their intellects, by virtue of that which He has specially allotted them, such as: the light of guidance by His essence; [their] receptivity to [that light] from Him; His having singled them out by depositing something (maʿnā) within them; and His knowledge of them prior to their creation.

�Our Lord, give us good in this world�These words refer to knowledge and sincere devotion,...and good in the Hereafter�, refers to His good pleasure (riḍā), as He said: God is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him� [5:119].

�Yet he is the most stubborn in altercation. That is, [he is] extremely contentious [on the basis of] what is false. Indeed, ʿĀʾisha à narrated that the Prophet said, �The most abhorrent of men before God, Exalted is He, are those who are stubborn and antagonistic.� His words:

�he is seized by vainglory in his sin�He replied:This refers to [proud] fury (ḥamīya), just as He said in Sūra Ṣād, in vainglory and defiance [38:2], that is, in proud fury and dissension (ikhtilāf).Concerning His words:

�And were so shaken [in spirit]� That is, their willing was through Him, they were fearful because of Him, and were wary of God�s ruse (makr), Mighty and Majestic is He; �that the Messenger and those who believed with him said, �When will God�s help come?� Ah, but surely God�s help is nigh.Sahl was asked concerning these words, �Did they ask this because they found that help slow in arriving?� He replied:No, but when they lost hope in their own devising (tadbīr) they said, �When will God�s help come?� Hence, when God, Exalted is He, saw that they had given up on their own power (ḥawl), strength (quwwa) and devising (tadbīr), and saw their display of neediness for Him, and [their admission that] they had no means without Him, He responded to them with His words, Ah, but surely God�s help is nigh.Sahl further said:Affliction (balāʾ) and well-being (ʿāfiya) are from God, Mighty and Majestic is He. The commandand prohibition are from Him; protection and the granting of success are from Him; and reward and punishment are from Him. However, actions are attributed (manṣūba) to the children of Adam, so whoever performs a good action must express gratitude to merit thereby an increase [in goodness]; and whoever performs a wicked act must seek forgiveness, so that he thereby merits forgiveness. Affliction from God is of two kinds: an affliction of mercy and an affliction of punishment. An affliction of mercy leads the afflicted person to show his utter need (iftiqār) for God, Mighty and Majestic is He, and leads him to the abandonment of devising(tadbīr). However, an affliction of punishment leads the afflicted person [to rely] on his own choice (ikhtiyār) and devising.Sahl was then asked, �Which is more difficult, patience (ṣabr) in [a state of] well-being or patience during adversity?� He replied:Asking for safety (salāma) in times of security is more difficult than asking for safety in [a state of] fear.[On the same subject] Sahl said regarding His words, And if anyone believes in God, [God] guides his heart [aright] [64:11], �[Whoever] believes in God and that his affliction comes from God, will find his heart guided by God to the expectation of relief (intiẓār al-faraj) from Him�.His words:[5:2] �Help one another to righteousness and mindfulness of God�That is, to the performance of the obligatory acts, for righteousness (birr) is faith (īmān), and the performance of obligatory acts is a branch (farʿ) of faith.

Do not make God�s [name] an excuse in your oaths not to be righteous�Sahl was asked concerning this verse, �What is this righteousness (birr)?� He replied: �This means that you do not maintain your family ties [just] because of an oath.� Then [in this connection] someone mentioned to him the verse: It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West [2:177], and he [Sahl] said:This means: it is not righteousness that you do nothing other than this; [True] righteousness is [that of] the one who believes in God [2:177], to the end of that verse. Do you not notice how He says, Do you bid others to righteousness, while you forget [to practise it] yourselves? [2:44], which is a reference to Jews who were commanding their foster brothers to obey God, Exalted is He, and to follow the Prophet , while they themselves did not do that.

�But do not make arrangements with them secretly�That is, arrangements of marriage, �and know that God knows what is within yourselves, so be wary of Him�, by which is meant that He knew what was hidden within yourselves before He created you, namely, every single act done in the way of goodness, that He was to commandand the performance of which He would aid, and [likewise] every act [you would do], which He had forbidden, and from which He would not protect [you]. He abandoned whom He willed to his desire, so that the act which He had forbidden would become manifest from that person, and He did not grant His protection, out of His justice and decree. The meaning of His words, what is within yourselves refers to that which you have not yet done, and within yourselves refers to that which you will do. So be wary of Him, that is to say, humbly implore Him concerning it, that He should be the one who takes care of your affairs by extending His aid and guaranteeing your success in the [realisation] of obedience, and by granting His protection from forbidden [acts] through [His] help and support. Do you not take heed of the words of ʿUmar and Ibn Masʿūd? y:�O God! If in the Mother of the Book that is with You, we are among those who are wretched and deprived, then erase that from [our destiny] and appoint us to be among those of felicity who are encompassed by Your mercy. Truly You erase what You will and establish [what You will] and the Mother of the Book is with You.�His words:

Maintain the prayers�That is, �Persist in upholding them�. However His words, And establish prayer and pay the alms. [24:56], have two aspects, one of which is establishing prayer without the affirmation [of faith], just as when He said in Sūra Barāʾa, if they repent, [9:5] meaning, from idolatry (shirk), and establish regular prayers� [9:5], that is, committing themselves to prayer and almsgiving, then let them be. In this regard, He also said: Yet if they repent, establish prayer, and pay the obligatory alms, then they are your brothers in religion [9:11] [and comrades]. There is something similarto this in Sūrat al-Sajda. The second aspect of establishing [the prayers] (iqāma) is referred to when He says in Sūrat al-Mujādala, Then establish the prayer and pay the obligatory alms [58:13], as in Sūrat al-Muzzammil [73:20], and again with His words in Sūrat al-Māʾida, [believers who] establish the prayer [5:55], meaning that they fulfil it [that duty] completely.�especially the middle prayer� [Sahl] was asked about these words, and the reason why [the middle prayer] is singled out. He replied:It is singled out due to a particular characteristic it possesses, even though it is not apart from the obligatory prayers as a whole, in the same way that Gabriel and others were singled out for mention among the host of the angels, due to a certain particularity.He continued:There is another reason, namely, that the times of the rest of the prayers are known by both the knowledgeable and the ignorant, because their signs are obvious. However, the time for the ʿAṣr prayer is less clear. Thus by mentioning [this prayer] in particular, He urged people to take care to observe it at its correct time.His words [that follow in the same verse]:�And stand before God in submissionThat is, �Stand before God in prayer in a state of obedience, for many a worshipper is disobedient,such as the hypocrite and his like. The Prophet was asked, �Which prayer is the best?� He replied, �The longest in devotion (qunūt), that is, the prayer [for which] one stands the longest (ṭūl al-qiyām). And Zayd b. Arqam said that being devout (qunūt) is silence, for we used to speak during the prayer until God, Exalted is He, sent down the words, And stand before God in submission [2:238], after which we desisted from speaking [during prayer]. Muḥammad b. Sawwār said, �The qunūt is the witr, which was called a (qunūt) because of the supplication (duʿāʾ) which is offered in it whilst standing, aside from the recitation of Qurʾān.� This is a kind of magnifying (taʿẓīm) [of God] through supplication.

Have you not seen the chiefs of the Children of Israel�Sahl was asked who the chiefs were. He replied:He [God] means by this the leaders. Take note of the saying of the Messenger of God when he heard a man after the Battle of Badr say, �On the Day of Badr we only killed bald, old men�, to which the Messenger of God replied, �They are the chiefs of Quraysh�, meaning the notablesand leaders. Sahl was asked about His words:

�and confirmed him with the Holy Spirit� He replied:The Holy (al-Quddūs) refers to God, that is, the One who is sanctified above having children, partners or a spouse.

God, There is no god except Him, the Living, the Eternal Sustainer�He replied:This is the mightiest (aʿẓam) verse in God�s Book, Exalted is He. Within it is God�s Greatest Name, and it is written across the sky in green light in one line from East to West. This is how I saw it written on the Night of Great Merit (Laylat al-Qadr) in ʿAbbādān: There is no god except Him, the Living, the Eternal Sustainer.The Living, the Eternal Sustainer is the One who oversees everything pertaining to His creatures: their life spans, their actions, and their provision. He is the One who requites goodness (iḥsān) with goodness, and misdeeds with forgiveness (ghufrān), but He requites hypocrisy, disbelief and innovation with punishment. Whoever pronounces the saying: �There is no god except God� has made a pact with God, so it is unlawful for him, after making a pact with God, to disobey Him in any of His commandments or prohibitions, in secret or public, or to support His enemy, or to show enmity towards a friend of His.�No slumber can seize Him, nor sleep� Slumber (sina) here means sleepiness.He [Sahl] also said:Slumber is when the heart (qalb) is mingled with sleep.

God is the protector of the believers�Concerning these words Sahl said:That is, [He protects them with] the protection of [His] good pleasure (riḍā). He is their protectordue to the former guidance He granted them, and His knowledge concerning them, of their affirmation of His oneness. This is due to His knowledge that they have freed themselves from every cause except their Creator. Hence they were taken out of the darkness into the light, and from disbelief, error, disobedience and innovation to faith, which is the light that God, Mighty and Majestic is He, established in their hearts. This is the light of the insight of certainty (nūr baṣīrat al-yaqīn) by which they seek inner perception of the divine oneness (tawḥīd), and obedience to Him in that which He has commanded and forbidden. For anyone to whom God gives no light, there is no light! [24:40]His words, Mighty and Majestic is He:And the disbelievers � their protectors are false deities�That is, Satan.Sahl said:The head of all devils is the evil-inciting self (nafs ammāra bi�l-sūʾ), for Satan cannot overpower man except through the desire (hawā) of his lower self. So if he [Satan] senses something that it desires, he casts temptation at it.

And when Abraham said, �My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead��[Sahl] was asked whether or not Abraham was in doubt concerning his faith, and was therefore asking his Lord to show him a sign or miracle in order to restore his faith. He replied:His question was not out of doubt; he was merely asking for an increase in certainty (ziyādat al-yaqīn) to the faith he already had. Thus he asked for an unveiling of the cover of visual beholding with his physical eyes, so that by the light of certainty, his own certainty regarding God�s omnipotence might be increased, and [his certainty] regarding His creative [power] mightth be consolidated. Do you not notice how when He asked [him], �Why, do you not believe?� he replied �Yes.� If he had been in doubt he would not have said �Yes�. Furthermore, if God was aware of any doubt in him and had he given Him the answer �Yes�, [attempting to] conceal his doubt, God would definitely have disclosed that, Exalted is He, as such things cannot be concealed from Him. Therefore, this confirms that the request for [his heart�s] reassurance (ṭumaʾnīna) signified a request for an increase in his certainty. Then it was asked, �Surely the people of the �Table Spread� sought profound peace of mind, through the sending down of the feast, and their [request] was out of doubt. So how does this correspond?� He replied:Abraham made it known that he was a believer, and he only asked for profound peace of mind in addition to faith in order to receive greater [certainty]. The people of the Table Spread, on the other hand, made it known that they would believe only after they had found calm reassurance in their hearts. As He said: and that our hearts may be reassured, and that we may know that you have spoken to us truthfully [5:113]. Thus they made it known that their knowledge of his [Jesus�] truthfulness, after they had been reassured by witnessing the feast, was to be the starting point of their faith.Abū Bakr [al-Sijzī] said: I heard him say on another occasion:�But so that my heart may be reassured� [2:260] � that is, �I do not feel secure against one of Your enemies challenging me if I should say, My Lord is He who gives life and death [2:258], and then [one of them] should ask, �Did you see Him give life and death?� In this way my heart would be at ease in being able to answer �Yes� to him, once I had witnessed that.

Satan promises you poverty and enjoins you to indecency�He was asked about these words and replied, �[He, Satan, does this] so that they should take somethingwhich is not lawfully theirs, and deposit it in other than its proper place.�

�And he who is given wisdom has been given much good.He was asked about these words and he said:Abū Saʿīd al-Khuḍrī narrated from the Prophet that he said: �The Qurʾān is God�s wisdom (ḥikma) among His servants. Whoever learns the Qurʾān and acts according to it, it is as if prophethood were incorporated within him, except that he does not receive revelation. He is called to account in the same way as the prophets except in the matter of conveying the message.� And Muḥammad b. Sawwār reported to me from ʿAqīl, from Ibn al-Musayyab, on the authorityof Abū Hurayra that he stated that the Prophet said, �The Qurʾān is wisdom, andwhoever learns the Qurʾān in his youth, it mingles with his flesh and blood. And surely the Fire cannot touch a heart which contains the Qurʾān, nor a body which avoids that which it prohibits (maḥārim), and keeps to what it permits (ḥalāl), believes in that which is clear [in it] (muḥkam), refrains from judgement in that which is ambiguous [in it] (mutashābih), and does not make innovations regarding it.� Mujāhid and Ṭāwūs said, �Wisdom is the Qurʾān, as He says in Sūrat al-Naḥl, Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom [16:125], meaning the Qurʾān. Ḥasan said, �Wisdom is the understanding of the Qurʾān, and wisdom is prophethood, as He says in Sūrat Ṣād, and gave him wisdom� [38:20], meaning prophethood (nubuwwa). And God said [concerning] David , And God gave him kingship and wisdom [2:251] meaning prophethood, along with the Book. Qatāda said, �Wisdom is understanding the religion of God, Mighty and Majestic is He, and following the Messenger of God �; Suddī said: �Wisdom is prophethood�; Zayd b.

[Charity is] for the poor, who are constrained in the way of God�Sahl was asked about these words and the difference between the poor (fuqarāʾ) and the abject (masākīn). He replied:God, Exalted is He, described the poor (faqīr) in terms of destitution (ʿadam) due to their state of asking Him out of utter neediness (iftiqār) and resorting (lijāʾ) to Him. He also described them as having the qualities of contentment (riḍā) and satisfaction [with their lot] (qunūʿ), for He said, Exalted is He, �They do not beg from men importunately [2:273].These are the People of the Bench (Ahl al-Ṣuffa) of the Messenger of God who were about forty men. They did not have any dwellings in Medina nor [did they belong to] any tribes. These were the circumstances of a group of people whom God, Exalted is He, praised for the high degree of their dependence on Him. They had no ability (istiṭāʿa), nor any strength (quwwa) except in Him and from Him. He was their power (ḥawl) and strength (quwwa). He uprooted from them the power for their hearts to depend (sukūn) on anything other than Him, which is the incitement (waswasa) of the lower self towards that which is other than God, Exalted is He. Because of this [quality] they are elevated in their [spiritual] state. But [this is unlike] the one whom God turns back to the acquiescence of his lower self (musākana nafsihi), [about whom] He said, It belonged to deprived people (masākin) who worked at sea [18:79]. He returned them to the situation in which they had acquiesced. However, as regards the poor and needy person (faqīr), whose want has made him surrender himself to God, Exalted is He, his action involves[combatting] the desire (hawā) of his lower self, and thus he is in a better state than the one who acquiesces in whatever state he is in, due to following his lower self.ʿUmar b. Wāṣil said, �If one needy of God (faqīr ilā�Llāh), Mighty and Majestic is He, is satisfied, [yet] does not depend on [his state of] contentment (riḍā) and self-surrender (taslīm), then both names are true for him: poverty (faqr) and lowliness (maskana).� Abū Bakr [al-Sijzī] said that he heard Sahl say:The poor person is [one who is both] poor [and] helpless (faqīr ʿājiz).

And fear the Day wherein you shall be returned to God.He replied:This was the last verse to have been revealed, and with it God, Exalted is He, brought the Qurʾān to a close. The Messenger of God passed away eighty days after it was revealed.Then he said:When the night before the [trial] arrives when [justice will be demanded] by people of this world for crimes committed against them by others of this world, sleep and rest vanishes from those who are imprisoned [for those crimes]. They do not know what will be done with them due to My curse on them, whether they will be killed or tortured, or let off and set free. This is the case for the offences committed by people of this world against others of this world, so how will it be for the people of the Hereafter when it comes to God�s grievances [against them]?Concerning His words:

God charges no soul save to its capacity�[Sahl said]:That is, what it can bear; �for it, is what it has merited�, that is, its reward for righteous deed[s], �and against it, is what it has earned�, meaning, the burden of sins.�Then he said:Whoever is not concerned with his past sins will not be protected in the days that remain. Moreover, whoever is not protected in his remaining days will be among those who perish on their final return.He was asked, �When does a man know his own sins?� He replied:When he preserves the lights of his heart and does not allow anything to enter it or depart from it without [first] weighing it up, then he will know his own sins. Furthermore, whoever opens for himself a door to goodness, will find that God opens for him seventy doors to divinely-bestowed success (tawfīq). On the other hand, whoever opens for himself a door to evil, will find that God opens to him seventy doors to evil whence the servant will not know. Every heart that preoccupies itself with that which does not concern it will be punished immediately by missing out on that which is its [genuine] concern at that moment (fī�l-ḥāl). No one knows this except those who know God.

Alif, Lām, Mīm.! God! There is no god except Him, the Living, the Eternal Sustainer.He [Sahl] said:It [Allāh] is God�s Greatest Name, which is written across the sky in green light from East to West.

Alif, Lām, Mīm.! God! There is no god except Him, the Living, the Eternal Sustainer.He [Sahl] said:It [Allāh] is God�s Greatest Name, which is written across the sky in green light from East to West.

�and He revealed the criterion�That is, the Qurʾān, wherein is the way out of all doubt and error.

�As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow the allegorical part, desiring sedition�That is, disbelief; �and desiring its interpretation, refers to its interpretation according to the desire of their lower selves. �But no one knows its interpretation except God.Ibn ʿAbbās y said:God sent down the Qurʾān according to four ways of reading (aḥruf): the lawful (ḥalāl) and the unlawful (ḥarām), ignorance of which nobody is excused; the interpretation (tafsīr) according to which the Arabs have interpreted it; the interpretation according to which scholars (ʿulamāʾ) have interpreted it; and the ambiguous (mutashābih), which none but God, Exalted is He, knows, and whoever claims knowledge of it other than God, Mighty and Majestic is He, is lying. His words:�And those who are firmly rooted in knowledge (rāsikhūna fī�l-ʿilm)�[Sahl] said:It was reported from ʿAlī that he stated, �[Those rooted in knowledge] are the ones whom knowledge has protected from plunging [into the interpretation of the Qurʾān] according to some whim (hawā) or with set arguments (ḥujaj maḍrūba) without [awareness of] the unseen [mysteries] (ghuyūb).� [This is] due to God�s guidance of them, and His disclosing to them His unseen secrets from within the treasure chests of knowledge. Thus they said, We believe in the Book; all of it is from our Lord [3:7]. So God, Exalted is He, acknowledged them [in this verse], and made them among the people of profound and far-reaching knowledge, as an increase granted to them from Him. Just as God has said, Exalted is He, But say: �O my Lord! Advance me in knowledge [20:114]�.Sahl also said:God, Blessed and Exalted is He, showed those who are firmly rooted in knowledge to be exceptionalbecause of their saying all of it is from our Lord [3:7], by which they mean, the abrogating and the abrogated, the clear and the ambiguous. They are the ones who reveal three [ways of] knowing (ʿulūm), since those who know (ʿulamāʾ) may be [designated in] three [ways], namely: those [whose knowledge derives from] the divine lordliness (rabbāniyyūn), those [whose knowledge derives from] the divine light (nurāniyyūn); and those [whose knowledge derives from] the divine essence� (dhātiyyūn). [Those firmly rooted in knowledge reveal] in addition four [other kinds] of knowledge: revelation (waḥy), theophany (tajallī), knowledge directly bestowed by God (ʿindī) and knowledge from the divine presence (ladunnī), just as God has said, to whom We had given mercy from Us and We had taught him knowledge from Us [18:65], [and when He said], Yet none remembers but the people of inner substance [2:269], that is, none reflects save the people of understanding (fahm) and intellect (ʿuqūl), who say:

Our Lord, do not cause our hearts to deviate after You have guided us�That is, �Do not let our hearts turn away from faith after You have guided us with guidance from Yourself�; �But grant us mercy from You, ⸢that is, stability (thabāt)⸣ �You are the One who bestows, upon those who return to You in a state of neediness, entreaty and lowliness.Then Sahl said:The only stratagem (ḥīla) that the servant has is to establish the practice throughout his life of saying, �My Lord! Protect me! Protect me! Keep me safe! Keep me safe! Help me! Help me!� God, Exalted is He, has said, As He brought you into being, so shall you return [7:29].Every person who affirms God�s oneness should know for a certainty that not everyone who loves God (Ḥaqq) is loved by Him, for Iblīs encountered Him with the ⸢outward sign⸣ of love and said, �Shall I prostrate before one whom You have created from clay [17:61], when You are God, and it is not permissible to worship other than You?� Consequently God cursed him. Therefore, not all those who try to draw close to God are accepted by Him. Nor does God accept the obedience (ṭāʿa) of all who obey Him. Truly He perceives what is in the conscience (ḍamīr) [of all His creatures]. Thus, no one can feel secure that God will not deal with him in the same way that He dealt with Iblīs. God cursed him with the lights of His protection (bi-anwār ʿiṣmatihi) such that he was always in reality under His curse, but God veiled him from what had been foreordained [for him] from Him, up until the time when He punished him by bringing it to realisation through him. Thus, the servant can do nothing except continually [implore] help (ghawth) from God. Indeed the Messenger said, �O You who make the steadfast firm, make me firm with Your firmness (thabāt)! O You whose oneness is unchanging, for there is no god except You, Glorified are You! Truly I have been among the wrongdoers.� He wouldalso say: �O Lord and Protector (walī) of Islam and its people, make me firm in Islam until I encounter You!� [Sahl] said [on this matter], �The place of faith in God, Exalted is He, is the heart and the place of Islam is the breast, and it is subject to increase and decrease.� His words:

�with spouses pure�That is, purified from the defilements that they were subject to in this world, such as menstruationand the like. Do you not note His words, And their Lord will give to them a pure drink to drink [76:21], which means that He will purify them from the remaining blemishes of the world?His words:

God bears witness�He [Sahl] said:That is, God knows and makes clear (bayyana) �that there is no god but He. He is witness to Himself by Himself; and this is particular to His essence. He called to witness those of His creatures whom He called to witness before their creation, according to His knowledge. Consequently, the people possessed of His gnosis (maʿrifa) are made aware that He had full knowledge of everything that will be before it was actually brought into existence. Hence, [God�s] oneness (tawḥīd) is independent of existentiated beings (dūn al-akwān), just as God was a witness to Himself by Himself before the existence of creation.ʿAbd al-Wāḥid said:I was with Ayyūb al-Sakhtiyānī when he saw a porter carrying wood. I asked him, �Do you have a Lord?� to which he replied, �Is the likes of me questioned about his Lord?� So I said to him, �If you have a Creator as you claim, why do you work with wood?� Then the man indicated to the sky, and lo and behold, the wood became gold! We were both amazed by him on account of this. Then he said, �O God! I have no need for this�, so the gold turned back to wood just as it was before. So we said to him, �What led you to do this?�, to which he replied, �I am [God�s] slave, so I carry this in order that I should not forget who I am.� His words:

Say: �O God! Master of the Kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will�That is, the [kingdom (mulk) of] gnosis, the profession of divine oneness (tawḥīd), the codes of law of Your religion of Islam, and a praiseworthy end. [All] this [depends on] God�s taking care of the servant, and not relinquishing him to [reliance on] himself.His words:

�God warns you to beware of Him�He said:That is, [beware of] His justice (ʿadl), because the Fire is His justice for the one that disobeys Him, and the Garden is His favour (faḍl) to the one who obeys Him. Have you not taken note of the words of the Prophet �O You, whose bounty alone is hoped for, and whose justice alone is feared!�?His words:

When the wife of ʿImrān said: �O Lord, I have consecrated what is in my womb solely to You�� That is, I have freed [what is in my womb], and emancipated it from enslavement to the world, from following its whim[s] and the desires (murādāt) of its lower self. I have committed it as a servant of the worshippers at the Temple of Jerusalem, and have dedicated it purely to God, Exalted is He.His words:

Her Lord accepted her [the infant Mary] graciously�That is, ⸢with [His] good pleasure (riḍā).⸣ And he said:The Highest King took her into His special care, away from the shackles of the lower self and the world. And He made her grow in goodness, through righteous action, accompanied by the remembrance of God, Exalted is He, while all her bodily members were [engaged] in the service of God, and her heart was full of the knowledge of Him, Mighty and Majestic is He.

O Mary, be obedient to Your Lord�That is, �Pray to God and worship Him alone with sincerity. Bow in submission before Him, in supplication and humble entreaty.�His words:

��Even so. God creates what He will. When He decrees a thing, He says to it only: �Be� and it is.� He [Sahl] said:When there is something in His pre-eternal knowledge that He wishes to bring to light, He says to it �Be� and it is. It has been said [in these lines of poetry]:He decreed, before creating the creation, all that He would create: Created beings, none of whose affairs are hidden from Him, [nor]Their desires, [nor their] intimate secrets, [nor] that which their hearts enclose. And [He decreed] what was [in] their minds prior to their desire.His words:

�then let us humbly pray (nabtahil)That is, �Let us invoke [God�s] curse, one upon the other.� The one who beseeches (mubtahil) is the supplicant (dāʿī), and the [act of] beseeching (ibtihāl) is supplication (duʿāʾ). The one who glorifies (musabbiḥ) is the one who remembers (dhākir), and this is not written down by the recording angels, for it is a witnessing of the One remembered in a remembrance that is through the One remembered. This is the meaning of His saying, �I keep company with the one who remembers Me, and when and wherever My servant seeks me out he will find Me.� His words:

Say: �O People of the Scripture! Come to a word agreed upon (kalimatin sawāʾin) between us and you: that we worship none but God��That is, �[Let us] seek a just [agreement] (ṭamʿin ʿadlin) between us and you.� This is because they affirmed that their Creator and the Creator of the heavens and the earth was God, Exalted is He, and [agreed]: �Let us declare His oneness and not worship anyone except Him.�The basis of worship is the profession of God�s oneness (tawḥīd) along with living according to what is lawful, while avoiding the harm [of others] (kaff al-adhā). Furthermore, a person cannotaccomplish living by what is lawful without abandoning the harm of others, and likewise he does not abandon causing harm save through living by what is lawful. If you know how to abide by what is lawful, how to abandon causing harm, and the [correct] intention (nīya) behind actions, as well as you know the Fātiḥa [Sūrat al-Fātiḥa], then your faith will become pure, as will your hearts and bodily members. Indeed, these are the fundamentals.He continued:Muḥammad b. Sawwār related from al-Thawrī that he said, �The degree of importance within the servant of [the reality] of �There is no god save God� is as water to the world. God has said, And We produced from water every living thing [21:30].� Thus, whoever is not benefited by his belief that �There is no god save God� and his adherence to the Sunna of the Messenger of God , is as a dead person.Sahl added:Truly I know a man among the friends of God, Exalted is He, who passed by a man who had been crucified (maṣlūb) with his head fixed in a direction away from the qibla. He said to him, �Where is that tongue with which you used to pronounce with all honesty: �There is no god save God?�� Then he added, �Oh God grant me his sins!�Through God�s Power [his head] was then turned towards the qibla.His words:

�at the outset (wajh) of the day�That is, at the beginning (awwal) of the day.His words:

And He is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.This means, He gives in abundance (kathīr al-ʿiṭāʾ). He is able, through His pre-eternal omnipotence (qudra), to give all that He is asked for. Furthermore He encompasses everything, as He has said [in the words of Abraham]: �My Lord encompasses everything in His knowledge [6:80]�.He [Sahl] was asked about His words:

�Rather [he should say], �Be masters (rabbāniyyūn) by virtue of what you know of the Book and in what you study, He related:Muḥammad b. Sawwār said, �The person [whose knowledge derives from the] divine lordliness (rabbānī) is the one who does not choose anyone over his Lord, and it [the name] is derived from the word rubūbiyya�. Sahl continued:People whose knowledge derives from the divine lordliness (rabbāniyūn) are those who are elevated in the degree of [their] knowledge by virtue of [that] knowledge, just as Muḥammad b. Ḥanafiyya said on the death of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn ʿAbbās y, �Indeed, today one whose knowledge derived from the divine lordliness (rabbānī) in this community (umma) has died. Furthermore, he [the rabbānī] is associated with the Lord (rabb) because he is knowledgeable through His knowledge, just as He said, She asked, �Who told you this?� He said, �I was told by the All-Knowing, the Aware� [66:3]. He [the Prophet] related it to prophethood (nubuwwa), because of that which God had taught him, Mighty and Majestic is He. Thus, anyone who informs you of something which conforms to the Book and the Sunna, is �an informant� (munbiʾ). Those possessed of knowledge are of three kinds: there is the one whose knowledge derives from the divine lordliness (rabbānī), the one whose knowledge derives from the divine light (nūrānī), and the one whose knowledge derives from the divine essence (dhātī), [who has] no intermediary between him and God most High; within him is a �subsisting� (baqiyya) of God, Mighty and Majestic is He. [On the other hand], ʿUmar b. Wāṣil said: those whose knowledge derives from the divine lordliness (rabbāniyyūn) are the collectivity of scholars. This resembles a saying of ʿAlī , �People are of three kinds: the knower whose knowledge derives from the divine lordliness (ʿālim rabbānī), the person acquiring knowledge (mutaʿallim) on the path to salvation, and the commoners and riff-raff, who follow every charlatan. His words:

If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted of him�He [Sahl] said:Islam means the committing of one�s affairs [to God] (tafwīḍ) as in His words: Do not die except as Muslims [3:102], by which He means �as ones who have committed their affairs [to Him].� The same is implied by His words: The Religion before God is Islam [3:19].He was asked about His words:

You will not attain mindfulness of God until you expend of that which you love...That is, he said:It means, �You will not attain full mindfulness of God until you go to war with your lower selves and expend some of what you love.� Furthermore, there is no spending (infāq) like consuming (infāq) the lower self by opposing it, and by seeking the good pleasure of God, Mighty and Majestic is He.Then he related a story of Jesus :Once he passed by three people whose bodies were emaciated and faces pale. He asked them, �What has brought you to this state I see you in?� They said, �The fear (khawf) of our Creator and wariness (ḥadhr) of punishment for our disobedience.� He responded, �God made it incumbent upon Himself to grant safety to the one who fears [Him].� Then he moved on until he came to three other people who were even more emaciated. He asked them, �What has brought you to this state I see you in?� They answered, �The yearning (shawq) for our Lord.� He replied, �God made it incumbent upon Himself to grant you what you wish for.� Then he moved on until he came to three people who were even more emaciated, whose faces were like full moons. He asked, �What has brought you to this state I see you in?� They replied: �Love (ḥubb).� He said, �You are the people of proximity [with God] (muqarrabūn)�, and he said it thrice. Thus, whoever loves God, Exalted is He, is one of the people of proximity [with God], for if anyone loves something they hasten towards it.So the first level is the rank of the repentant (tawwābūn); the second is that of the people of longing (mushtāqūn), and then the servant reaches the third rank which is that of love. Do you not see how they gave their all for the sake of the One who possesses all, turned their backs on all, and faced the direction of the One who possesses all?[Concerning] His words:

The first House established for the people was that at Bakka, a blessed place�[He said]:That is, �The first house which was set down for men was the House of God, Mighty and Majestic is He, in Mecca.� This is the outward meaning [of the verse]. However inwardly it implies the Messenger. The one who believes in him [the Messenger] is the one in whose heart God has made firm the profession of His oneness (tawḥīd). His words:

And hold fast, all together to the rope of God and be not divided among yourselves�He said:That is, �Adhere to your pact (ʿahd) with Him, which is that of professing His oneness (tawḥīd), just as He has said, Exalted is He, Or has he made a covenant with the Compassionate One? [19:78], meaning [a covenant of] professing His oneness. Hold fast to that which He has assigned to you, in terms of carrying out his obligations (farḍ) and the Sunna of His Prophet.� Likewise is the meaning of His words, Save a rope from God [3:112], meaning a covenant from God and His religion. He called it a rope because whoever holds fast to it reaches that in which he put his faith. His words:

On the Day when some faces are whitened�This means, the faces of the believers will become white through the light of their faith; �and some faces are blackened�, namely, the [faces] of the disbelievers, due to the darkness of their disbelief.He was asked about His words, Abasement and wretchedness were cast upon them [2:61]. He replied:The purpose of these bodies is in the �deposits� (waḍāʾiʿ) that God has placed within them, by which He puts His creatures to the test. Among [these deposits] is one from which the obedient(ṭāʾiʿūn) should draw admonitory lessons, namely, disbelief (kufr). [On the other hand], there are those which are proof against the heedless (ghāfilūn), namely, gnosis (maʿrifa) and affirmation (taṣdīq) through speech and actions, just as He has said, And He appointed darknessesand light [6:1]. The inner meaning of this verse is that light is knowledge (ʿilm) and darkness is ignorance (jahl), in accordance with His words, And he whom God has not granted any light has no light [24:40], that is, the heart [of such a person] has not [the light] by which to perceive faith in God. The light of faith is one of the greatest blessings (minan) of God, Mighty and Majestic is He, and tokens of His generosity (karāmāt). The second [blessing] is the �good word� which is referred to in His words, Exalted is He, Come now to a word that is agreed upon between us and you [3:64]. The third [great blessing] is obedience (iṭāʿa) that the bodily members carry out purely for God�s sake, as when the prayers are maintained and obligatory alms (zakāt) are paid [in a spirit of] satisfaction (qunūʿ) and contentment (riḍā). Thus, [in this latter verse] He summoned them to the best speech, and the most excellent actions. If it had not been for faith in God and the Qurʾān, which is the knowledge of God, and which contains a call [for people] to affirm His lordship and to serve Him in fear, then the prophets, upon whom be blessings and peace, would not have known who among the people had responded to them.His words:

And that God may prove the believers�This means their being purified (takhlīṣ) from the blemishes of sins, just as they devoted themselves purely to Him (akhlaṣū lahu) in deed, which was [their] striving (jihād) in the way of God; �and efface the disbelievers. This means the destruction of the disbelievers through the affliction brought on by their sins.His words:

�Yet now He has pardoned you�This refers to the defeated army on the Day of Uḥud, when He did not eradicate them all. And God is bounteous to the believers, by His pardoning them and accepting their repentance.His words:

Truly, those of you who turned back the day the two hosts met, truly, it was Satan who caused them to slip, because of some of what they had earned�[Sahl] was asked about the meaning of that earning (kasb). He said:It was the complacency that they felt because of their great numbers on the day of Ḥunayn and the glory they had gained on the Day of Badr. This was due to Satan coming to associatewith them, after [he saw] the acquiescence (musākana) of their hearts, and their regard for themselves, because of the complacency (iʿjāb) that their own lower selves had seduced them into. So God lifted His protection (ʿiṣma) from them as a punishment. Indeed, when the Prophet heard his Companions say on the Day of Ḥunayn, �We shall not be overcome by so few�, he warned them, �Do not wish to encounter the enemy, rather ask for safety (ʿāfiya) from God, Exalted is He�, from dependency on your own devising (tadbīr) in any situation, and from [being unaware of your] neediness (dūn al-iftiqār) for God, Mighty and Majestic is He.See how when David asked his Lord to join him with the ranks of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, He replied, �You are not on that level, O David.� He asked, �Why is that O Lord?�, to which God replied, �Because I tested them and they showed patience. Furthermore, they did not know the world and the world did not know them. But you have known the world and it has known you, and you adopted it as your kin.� David said, �Show me one from among your servants who, if You tested him, would show patience.� Then God, Mighty and Majestic is He, said, �I�m going to test you.� Thus he [David] became the first to request affliction (balāʾ), ⸢and the one who exposed himself to⸣ testing (imtiḥān) from God, Exalted is He. That is to say, this was [of course] in accordance with God�s prior knowledge in the veiled unseen, which is solely known to Him. Then Iblīs came to him in the form of a pigeon and the story took place involving Uriah b. Ḥanān. God did not protect [David] from desire, intent or action. However, He protectedJoseph from action, though He did not protect him from desire and intent. His words:

It was by the mercy of God that you [Muḥammad] were lenient with them�This means, �Due to an act of sympathy (ʿaṭf ) from God you dealt gently with them�, And if you had been harsh, with [your] tongue, and fierce of heart, they would have dispersed from about you, that is, �They would have separated themselves from you�. So pardon them, that is, �Overlook their faults�, and ask forgiveness for them, for their defeat on the Day of Uḥud. Consult them in the matter, that is, �Do not distance them from yourself because of their disobedience, but accommodate them through your graciousness (faḍl), for it is through Us that you pardon, through Us that you seek forgiveness, and to Us that you turn for guidance�. Then, when you are resolved, that is, �If you wish to carry something out after consultation�, put your trust in God�, that is, �Rely on God notwithstanding that [consultation], consign all your affairs to Him, and depend on Him without regard for anyone else.� He [the Prophet] did not leave this world before God, Exalted is He, had disclosed to his heart realms of knowledge which were between him and God, Exalted is He, without any intermediary, due to his love of pondering and reflection, in reverent awareness (iʿtibār) of the omnipotence of his Lord, so that he attained an increase from God most High, just as He was commanded in the words of God, Exalted is He, But say: �My Lord! Increase me in knowledge� [20:114]. Furthermore, he enjoined this upon his nation (umma), as is related from the Prophet in his words, �Consult those who are mindful of God (muttaqūn), who have preferred the Hereafter over this world, and who give you priority over themselves in your affairs.� And he also said, �Consult the righteous scholars, and when you have made your resolve to carry something out, put your trust in God.�He [Sahl] said [in this regard]:Fraternise with brothers among the people who are mindful of God, and let the person whom you consult be one of those who fear God, Exalted is He. Let your word not be broken. And never be hostile to anyone until you know the states of his conduct with God, Exalted is He.

If God helps you, then no one can overcome you; but if He forsakes you, then who is there who can help you after Him?...He said:To be forsaken (khidhlān) means to be utterly abandoned (ghāyat al-tark). As for abandonment itself (tark), that is for the sinner who recognises his sin. Being forsaken (khidhlān), however, is for the one who sins while believing that he is doing something good. This is God�s punishment to the one who is forsaken, for He upholds him in sin, having the knowledge both of his sin and of his subsequent procrastination of repentance. Do you not see how Iblīs, when he refused [to obey], and persisted in that refusal was forsaken by God due to His prior knowledge about him? This is because He willed from him that which was in accordance with His knowledge; He did not will from him that which was in accordance with His command. However Adam , because he was not forsaken in his abandonment, confessed to his sin after committing it and returned to his Lord, Majestic and Mighty is He, and his repentance was accepted.His words, Exalted is He:

�God is sufficient for us; an excellent guardian is He.That is, He is the best guarantor of our provisions, and the best Lord. This is as in His words, Exalted is He, Do not take any guardian beside Me [17:2], that is, [do not take any] Lord [beside Me].His words:

�But they rejected it behind their backs� That is, they did not act by the Book, and purchased with it some miserable gain, that is, they bought in exchange for the everlasting Hereafter, the goods of this transitory world.His words, Exalted is He:

Those who remember God, standing, sitting, and [reclining] on their sides�He [Sahl] said:Whoever wishes to memorise the Qurʾān should complete three whole readings following the conditions stated in this verse: a reading completed while standing in prayer, a reading completed while sitting and studying it, and a reading completed while reclining on one�s side. Then, he will not forget [it], God willing, Mighty and Majestic is He. Moreover, whoever occupies himself with seeking knowledge with the full awareness of God, and with the recitationof the Qurʾān, the remembrance (dhikr) of God, Mighty and Majestic is He, adherence to the Sunna, and avoidance of all frivolity (lahw), will not be afflicted by disease or sickness. Furthermore, whoever obeys God with knowledge and sincere intention (nīya) will not lose his mind [lit. intellect, ʿaql].The Prophet said, �Whoever obeys God, Mighty and Majestic is He, has truly remembered Him, but whoever disobeys Him has truly forgotten Him.� His words:

O you who believe, be patient, and vie in patience; be steadfast and fear God that you may prosper.He said:Faith has four pillars. The first is trust (tawakkul) in God, the second is complete submission (istislām) to His commands, the third is being content and satisfied (riḍā) with what He has preordained (qaḍāʾihi), and the fourth is gratitude (shukr) for His blessings along with mindfulnessof Him (taqwā).A Section on FaithCertainty (yaqīn) is the heart of faith, patience (ṣabr) is the backbone of faith, and sincerity (ikhlāṣ) is the perfection of faith, for through sincerity the servant reaches true affirmation (taṣdīq). Furthermore,through true affirmation he attains realisation (taḥqīq), and through realisation he reaches God (al-Ḥaqq). Sincerity is the fruit of certainty, for certainty is witnessing (mushāhada) in the innermostsecret (sirr). Moreover, whoever does not experience witnessing in [his] innermost secret in the presence of his Lord ⸢and does not behold Him⸣, has not made his actions sincere. But God knows best.Sahl was asked about His words:

And give women their dowries as a free gift�He said:It means, give them the dowry (ṣadāq) as a gift to them from God, Mighty and Majestic is He. Indeed dowry (niḥla) is religion (diyāna). He continued:The Prophet said: �The basest of sins before God, Exalted is He, is to prevent a worker from being paid, and to stop a woman receiving her dowry (mahr).� His words, Exalted is He:

The repentance that God accepts is only of those who do evil in ignorance and repent shortly thereafter�He said:One who is repentant (tāʾib) keeps away from sin and observes obedience. One who is obedient(muṭīʿ) is wary of ostentation (riyāʾ) and persists in remembrance (dhikr). The one who is constant in remembrance (dhākir) is wary of conceit (ʿujb), and imposes upon himself [the sense of] his own deficiency (taqṣīr).[Concerning this verse] he also said:God most High revealed to David , �The wailing of sinners is more beloved to Me than the clamour of the veracious (surākh al-ṣiddīqūn)�. His words:

�And kill not yourselves�Do not destroy yourselves through transgressions (maʿāṣī) and persistence [in transgression], and by neglecting repentance (tawba) after returning to rectitude (istiqāma). Surely God is ever merciful to you [4:29] in that He forbade transgression to you, so that you might not perish, which is further expounded in His words, Exalted is He:

If you avoid the grave sins that you are forbidden, We shall absolve you of your [minor] misdeeds�[Concerning that] he [Sahl?] said:It was related that Ibn Masʿūd said, �The grave sins (kabāʾir) are those mentioned from the beginning of Sūrat al-Nisāʾ up to this verse.�And Sahl added:The major sins are those that carry God�s threat of the Fire within His Book, Exalted is He.His words:

..to the neighbour who is close, and the neighbour who is a stranger, to the companion at your side, and to the wayfarer� He said:As for the outward meaning: the neighbour who is a stranger is the one who is not related to you and is foreign; the companion at your side is your fellow traveller, or it has also been said that it is your spouse; and the wayfarer (ibn al-sabīl) means the guest. As for its inner meaning: the neighbour who is near refers to the heart (qalb); the neighbour who is a stranger is the ⸢self in its natural state (al-nafs al-ṭabīʿī)⸣; and the companion by your side is the intellect (ʿaql), which is guided by the sharīʿa. The wayfarer refers to the bodily members (jawāriḥ) which are in a state of obedience to God. This is the inner meaning of the verse.His words:

So how shall it be, when We bring forward from every community a witness, and We bring you as a witness against these?Sahl said:God, Exalted is He, has placed 360 angels in the service of each Muslim servant in accordancewith the number of his veins. When he wants to do something good they assist him in that, but if he wants to do something bad they chide him about it. If he acts upon any of those [intentions] they record that action for him until the Day of Judgement, when they show it to him, and apprehend him for it. Then when he comes before God, Exalted is He, they will bear witness for him about the faithfulness of [his] obedience, and [against him] for the sins he committed. God said, Exalted is He, And every soul will come accompanied by a driver and a witness [50:21].His words, Exalted is He:

�Before We obliterate faces�This means that God turns them back from guidance and insight to their natural disposition (ṭabʿ al-jibilla). His words, Exalted is He:

God forgives not that anything should be associated with Him. But He forgives other than that, to whomsoever He wills�He said:If no one has any grievance against him, and his sins are only between him and God, Exalted is He, indeed He forgives those sins, for He is the Magnanimous (al-Jawād), the Generous (al-Karīm). It has been related from the Prophet that he said, �A slave may be brought forwardon the Day of Resurrection and directed to the Fire, but then he will say, �This is not in accordance with what I supposed [my outcome would be].� Then God, Mighty and Majestic, will ask, �What was your opinion of Me?�to which he will reply, �That You would forgive me�, upon which, God, Mighty and Majestic, will say, �Truly I have forgiven you�, and He will direct him to Paradise.� His words:

..and say to them regarding their souls a penetrating word.That is, �conveying from Me with your tongue and with the best expression the essence of what is in your heart.� His words:

Those who believe fight in the way of God, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of a false deity...He [Sahl] said:The believers are [with] God, adversaries against their lower selves, but the hypocrites are [with] their lower selves, adversaries against God, Mighty and Majestic is He. They hasten to question, and are not content with what God chooses for them. This is the way of Satan (ṭāghūt), for the lower self is the greatest of devils if the servant consorts with it because it will incite him to transgression.His words, Exalted is He:

Say: �The enjoyment of this world is trifling��He [Sahl] was asked, �What is this world?� To which he replied:This whole world consists of ignorance except for where knowledge is to be found. All knowledgeis a testimony against [the one who possesses it], except for that which is acted upon. All action is futile except for that which is done with sincerity (ikhlāṣ), and sincerity is not achieved except through adherence to the Sunna.Then he said:Your world is your lower self (nafs). Thus, if you annihilate it, there will be no world for you. His words, Exalted is He:

�So turn away from them, and put your trust in God�He was asked, �What is trust? (tawakkul)?� He replied:Trust is the submission of the body in servanthood, the attachment of the heart to the divine lordliness (rubūbiyya) and the disclaiming of all power (ḥawl) and strength (quwwa).Then he was asked: �What is the reality (ḥaqīqa) of trust (tawakkul) in principle?� He replied:At its root, the reality of trust is the realisation of God�s oneness (tawḥīd), while its branch is the knowledge of the Last Day [lit. knowledge of the Hour] (ilm al-sāʿa); and through tranquil repose (sukūn) in it [trust] there is visual beholding (muʿāyana).Then he said:Do not be anxious about trust, for truly it is a means of livelihood for those who possess it.He was asked, �Who are those who possess it?� He replied:They are those who have been privileged with a special quality.Sahl was asked to clarify this further, and he said:Truly all the sciences are the lowest categories of worship (taʿabbud). The sum of all worship is only the lowest category of scrupulous piety (waraʿ). The sum of all renunciation (zuhd) is the lowest category of the manifestation of divine omnipotence (ẓuhūr al-qudra). Furthermore, the divine omnipotence does not become apparent to anyone except the one who has complete trust (mutawakkil). Trust is not susceptible of any categorical definition, nor does it have a limit that would make it susceptible of comparison, nor does it have an utmost degree that can be reached.Then he was asked, �Describe something of it to us� and he replied:Trust has a thousand ranks, the first of which is the ability to walk on air. He was then asked, �How does the servant reach that level?� He answered:The first thing is gnosis (maʿrifa), then affirmation (iqrār), then the realisation of God�s oneness (tawḥīd), then submission (islām), then the excellence in faith (iḥsān), then the committing of one�s affairs [to God] (tafwīḍ), then trust (tawakkul), and finally the state of tranquil repose (sukūn) in God, Mighty and Majestic is He, in every situation. And he added:Trust is not acceptable from anyone except one who is mindful of God (muttaqī).He was asked, �What is mindfulness of God?� He replied:It is to refrain from all harm [to others] (adhā). His words, Exalted is He:

�Whoever intercedes with an evil intercession will receive a share of it�That is, a portion of it. This is because it [the evil intercession] obstructs [that person�s access to] God�s good pleasure.His words, Exalted is He:

When you are offered a greeting, respond with a better one, or [at least] return it�This means that you should surpass the greeting that issued [from that person] by acting with sincere friendship (naṣḥ) for God�s sake, Exalted is He. The Prophet said, �Peace (salām) is one of the names of God which He made manifest on Earth, so spread it among yourselves.� His words, Exalted is He:

�When God Himself has cast them back because of what they earned?...That is, He returned them to the state of ignorance of Him which was the natural constitution of their souls. And the Prophet also said: �Do not clean yourselves [after defecation] with bones or animal droppings, for these [undergo] a reversal�, meaning that these return from their former state to becoming the food of jinn. What, do you wish to guide him whom God has left to stray? Misguidance (iḍlāl) from God is His withdrawing His protection (ʿiṣma) [of a person] from that which is forbidden, and His withdrawing His assistance (maʿūna) [from a person] in what He has commanded. His words, Exalted is He:

�Or those who come to you with their breasts constricted� That is, �They have become sick at heart because of fighting you and fighting their people, due to their love of safety, and their inclination towards their own well-being (ʿāfiya).� This refers to the Banū Madlaj. His words:

..so that you may judge between people by that which God has shown you�That is, in accordance with the wisdom (ḥikma) that God, Exalted is He, has taught you within the Qurʾān and the laws of Islam.His words, Exalted is He:

What they pray to instead of Him are but females.That is, they [emit] sounds, and they are of stone and iron.His words Mighty and Majestic is He:

�And will find no refuge from it.That is, no way out.His words:

�Do they desire power with them?...This refers to the hypocrites who were seeking power and protection from the Jews. Do you not [recall] the Prophet�s words , �Nothing descended from the heavens mightier than certainty�? That is, there is nothing more indomitable or formidable. His words:

�Did we not gain mastery over you?...That is, conquer and overcome you.His words:

The hypocrites try to deceive God, but it is He who causes them to be deceived�This means that He hastens the recompense for their [outwardly] showing faith, and [inwardly] keeping secret their disbelief, by withdrawing His protection and grace from them, and by augmenting their wealth and offspring, and granting them access to the immediate [pleasures of] this world. But, their final destination is the Fire. This is what is meant by His words, [Thehypocrites] try to deceive God, but it is He who causes them to be deceived. He meant by this the speed of delivering their recompense (jazāʾ) for what they perform and abstain from. This is as His saying, Nay, but you marvel while they engage in ridicule [37:12], by which He meant that He hastened their punishment for their persisting in denial [of the truth]. Thus were His words addressed in accordance with the name of their action. And indeed in [other] places He describes their being in a state of wonder (ʿajab); [for example,] in His words, [Say, �It has been revealed to me that a company of jinn listened and said], �We have heard a wondrous Qurʾān�� [72:1]; and in Sūra Qāf, Nay, but they [the disbelievers] think it strange [50:2]; and in Sūra Ṣād: What an astonishing thing! [38:5]. So also [wonder] is mentioned in Sūra Ṣāffāt: Nay but you marvel while they engage in ridicule [37:12], that is, you see their recompense as immense (ʿaẓīm), And here He calls the immense recompense a marvel, for the one who marvels at something that has reached its utmost degree, and this is what is meant in His words, you marvel.It has been related that Shaqīq read [the Qurʾānic words] to Sharīḥ as �I marvel (ʿajibtu)� to which Sharīḥ replied, �[It should be] you marvel (ʿajibta)�, for truly God does not marvel at anything. The only one who marvels is one who does not know.� Then Shaqīq said, �I informed Ibrāhīm of this, and he said, �For sure, Sharīḥ is pleased with his own knowledge. However, Ibn Masʿūd is more knowledgeable than him and he used to read it, I marvel with a ḍamma (ʿajibtu�When they stand up to pray they do so lazily�This is one of the signs of the hypocrites, and by this they betray the trust (amāna), which outwardlythey appear to have taken upon themselves.

O People of the Scripture do not go to excess in your religion�That is, do not exceed the limits in your religion through innovations (bidaʿ), or by deviating from the truth, which is the Book, the Sunna and consensus (ijmāʿ), by inclining towards the desire of your lower selves.And he [Sahl] said:The backbone (qiwām) of religion and this world is in three things: knowledge (ʿilm), propriety (adab) and initiative (mubādara). However, the ruin of religion and this world comes from three things: ignorance (jahl), folly (khurq) and laziness (kasal).On another occasion, I heard him say:There are four things which are among the buttresses (daʿāʾim) of the religion: to uphold the truth even against your own self and others; to renounce falsehood in yourself or others; to love the people who are obedient to God and to detest those who disobey Him.He was asked about His words, Exalted is He:

�Help one another to righteousness and mindfulness of God�He said:Righteousness (birr) is obedience to God and being on one�s guard against disobedience.His words, Exalted is He,

�Yet fear them not, but fear Me�That is, �Do not fear the disbelievers with regard to obeying Me, but fear Me with regard to following them.�Then he said:The weakest person is he who fears those who can neither benefit him nor harm him. However, the One in whose hand is the power to benefit and harm addresses him with His words, Yet fear them not, but fear Me.His words, Exalted is He:

This day the good things are permitted to you�[Sahl] said:The good things refer to the provision which is lawful.His words, Exalted is He:

When you prepare for prayer, wash your faces...[Sahl] said:Purification consists of four things: purity of the source of food, truthfulness of the tongue, avoidance of all sins, and the humility in one�s innermost secret (sirr). In turn, each one of these four corresponds to the purification of the outer members of the body.His words, Exalted is He:�But He wishes to purify you...That is, to purify your state, your character and your actions, so that you return to Him in a state of true poverty (ḥaqīqat al-faqr) without being attached to any [secondary] cause.Purification is of seven kinds: the purification of knowledge from ignorance, the purification of remembrance from forgetfulness, the purification of obedience from disobedience, the purification of certainty from doubt, the purification of the intellect from foolishness, the purification of opinion from slander, and the purification of faith from anything which is alien to it. Furthermore, each punishment constitutes a kind of purification, except the punishment of the heart, which is hardness. [Concerning] His words, Exalted is He:

Two men among those who feared, whom God had blessed, said�Sahl was asked, �What was that blessing (niʿma)?� He replied:God blessed them with fear (khawf) and vigilance (murāqaba), because fear, concern (hamm) and sorrow (ḥuzn) increase one�s good deeds, whereas exuberance (ashar) and arrogance (baṭar) increase one�s misdeeds.His words:

�Stern towards the disbelievers� That is, tough (ghalīẓa) on them.His words:

Your patron is God only, and His Messenger, and the believers�[Sahl] said:The patronage (wilāya) of God is [His] choosing (ikhtiyār) for whomever He has taken under His patronage. Then He informed the Messenger that He is the Patron of the believers. Thus it became incumbent upon him to befriend those who had allied themselves to God, Exalted is He, and those who believed. Then He said:

As to those who ally themselves with God, His Messenger and the believers, it is the party of God that is certainly triumphant.That is, they are triumphant in vanquishing the desire of their lower selves.His words:

Truly God�s hands are extended wide. He expends however He wills�[Sahl] said:This means that His rule, command and prohibition are operative in His dominion.His words:

And had they observed the Torah and the Gospel and what was revealed to them from their Lord, they would surely have received nourishment from above them and from beneath their feet�That is, if they acted according to what God revealed to Muḥammad , and if you acted according to it, you would attain this rank, just as those who acted according to it attained it. Furthermore, if you had turned to the Provider (al-Razzāq), your provision would have been taken care of. Then he said:You are not greater than ʿAmr b. Layth, who would march with one thousand horsemen and one thousand foot soldiers in his charge, each one holding a mace of gold and silver. Eventually it came to pass that he was imprisoned in a house after being handed over to the Caliph, who subsequently deprived him of food and drink. When his door was opened they found him dead with his mouth full of straw and clay due to his intense hunger. Then he [the Caliph] said, �Truly I have advised you and truly I am among those who give you good counsel.�It was related by Mālik b. Dīnār, from Ḥammād b. Salma and Ḥammād b. Yazīd, that these two came to visit Rābiʿa, and mentioned something concerning the matters of this world. So Rābi�a said, �You are talking about this world a lot. I think you must be hungry, so if you are hungrygo over to that pot with the flour and make yourselves whatever takes your fancy.� Then, one of those who were with her remarked, �If only we had some garlic.� Ḥammād continued, �Then I saw Rābiʿa�s lips moving and she had not even finished before a bird came with a clove of garlic in its beak which it cast down and then flew off. His words, Exalted is He:

�God will protect you from people�[Sahl] was asked, �What is this protection (ʿiṣma)?� He replied:God, Exalted is He, promised him [the Prophet] that He would not put him through trials, as He had the rest of the prophets Â, such as Abraham with the fire, Ishmael with the sacrifice, and others as well. Since he [Muḥammad] was not aware of what would happen to him � as He has related, Nor do I know what will be done with me or with you [46:9] � God, Exalted is He, informed him that He would protect him from people.His words:

And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflow with tears because of the truth that they recognise�[Sahl] said:These were the priests and monks from whom people would seek blessings and anointment due to their knowledge of the religion. They came to the Prophet , and the Qurʾān was recited for them. They were deeply moved by it so that their eyes overflowed [with tears], and they were not haughty, due to God�s protecting them from pride. Subsequently, they entered His religion because of the knowledge of God which He had deposited within them.Then he said:The corruption of religion is in three things: when kings commit excess[es] and [follow] their lusts; when the scholars issue rulings based on concessions; and when the Qurʾān reciters worshipwithout knowledge. Truly, people need the learned (ʿulamāʾ) for their life in this world and the Hereafter. Indeed, it was related by Jābir b. ʿAbd Allāh from the Prophet that he said: �The people of Paradise need the learned just as much as the people need them in this world. They visit their Lord every Friday and it is said to them: �Desire anything you want�, after which they head for the scholars, who tell them, �Desire such and such a thing�, so they desire that thing.� His words:

The Day when God will assemble all the messengers and ask, �What response did you receive?�They will say, �We have no knowledge��That is, �We do not possess knowledge of the faith in You that their hearts contained, nor knowledge of whatever else was [in their hearts]. Our knowledge is only of what they outwardly affirmed on their tongues. �You, only You are the Knower of things unseen.�[Sahl] was asked, �Will He ask them about what was really in the hearts of [their] communities?� He replied:No, He only directed the question to them concerning their outward reality, which is in fact only an expression of their inner reality. They [the prophets] responded by indicating that [only He] possesses knowledge [of the answer]. It could also mean, �We have no knowledge of the meaning of your question, since You already have knowledge of our reply � You, only You, are the Knower of things unseen.�ḥHis words:

�You know what is in my self, though I do not know what is in Your Self� That is, �I do not know the hidden purport of Your question, while You have knowledge of it.� It is also possible that what is implied is: �You know what is in my human soul, and I do not know the nature of the deposit (mustawḍaʿ) [from] within Yourself that is in my innermost secret (sirr). This is because Your secret is between You and it [my innermost secret], and no one can have knowledge of it besides You.� It [that divine deposit] is the eye through which [the servant] sees God, the ear by which he hears God, and the tongue by which he calls Him. The evidence for it is in His words, Exalted is He, concerning the hypocrites, Deaf, dumb and blind [2:18]. This is because they do not have these deposits. But God knows best.He was asked about the words:

Do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, desiring His countenance...That is, they desire (arādū) the countenance of God and His good pleasure and they are not absent from Him for a moment.Then he said:The �most ascetic� (azhad) of people are those who have the purest source of food; the most devout (aʿbad) of people are those who are most earnest in their effort to uphold His commandmentsand prohibitions; and the most beloved (aḥabb) of them to God are those who are the sincerest (anṣaḥuhum) towards His creatures. He was asked about life� He said, �He who wastes his life�� His words, Exalted is He:

..Your Lord has prescribed for Himself mercy. Truly, whoever of you does evil in ignorance, and repents thereafter and makes amends � truly He is Forgiving, Merciful.It has been reported that God, Exalted is He, revealed to David , �O David, whoever knows Me, desires Me; whoever desires Me, loves Me; whoever loves Me, seeks Me out; whoever seeks Me out, finds Me; and whoever finds Me, preserves Me [in his heart] (ḥafiẓanī)�. David replied [by asking], �O my Lord! Where can I find You when I wish to seek you out?� He said, �With those whose hearts are broken from the fear of Me.� David then said, �O my Lord! I approached the doctors among Your servants for treatment, but they all directed me to You � Wretched are those who despair of Your mercy! Is there a chance of my being worthy of being cured by You?� God, Mighty and Majestic is He, asked him, �Did all those you approached guide You to Me?� He answered, �Yes�, and God said, �Then go and give the sinners good tidings, and give warning to the veracious (ṣiddīqūn).� David was baffled and said, �Have I misunderstood or not?� He replied, �You are not mistaken.� David asked, �How is that?� He said: �Give the sinners the good tidings that I am forgiving (ghafūr) and warn the veracious (ṣiddīqūn) that I am jealous (ghayūr).� He [Sahl] was asked, �Who are veracious?� He replied:They are those who combat their lower selves through the glorification (taṣbīḥ) and veneration(taqdīs) [of God]. Furthermore, they are those who keep their bodily limbs and senses in check. Hence, they become veracious in speech and action, veracious outwardly and inwardly, veracious in their involvement in anything and likewise in their disengagement from anything. Consequently, their place of return is an abode of truth ⸢in the lofty rank of truth⸣ with the All-Powerful King. His words, Transcendent and Exalted is He:

�but it is a reminder, so that they may be mindful of God [Concerning these words] he said:Truly God, Exalted is He, placed on the shoulders of His friends (awliyāʾ) the duty of reminding His servants, just as He placed upon the shoulders of the prophets (may God�s blessings be upon them all) the duty of conveying [the Message]. Thus, it is incumbent upon the friends of God to guide [people] to Him, and if they desist from doing so they are falling short of their duty.It was put to him, �Indeed, we have seen many who desist from doing this.� He replied:They only hold back from doing it when there is a lack of need for it, just as is the case with the commanding of what is right (amr bi�l-maʿrūf) and the forbidding of what is wrong (nahy ʿan al-munkar). There was a man with us in Basra who had a high [spiritual] station, and it was an imperative obligation on him that at a certain time he should do this [guide people]. When he set out to accomplish [this task] another man said to him, �Truly God most High ordered me to what you are resolved to do, and has exempted you from [that duty].� So he returned home praising God, Exalted is He, for the goodness of that exemption. But God knows best.His words, Mighty and Majestic is He:

When the night descended upon him, he saw a star and said, �This is my Lord...�The whole of this speech is a form of allusion (taʿrīḍ) for the benefit of his people when their hearts are in a state of bewilderment, for he [Abraham] had already been granted right guidance (rushd) before [21:51], just as He said: And so We showed Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. [6:75] He was asked about the meaning of His words:

�If my Lord does not guide me�?He said:It means: If my Lord does not continue to guide me I shall be one of the folk who go astray. Then he said:The religion of Abraham was generosity (sakhāwa), and [a state of] freedom (tabarrī) from everything save God, Exalted is He. Do you not see how when the angel Gabriel asked him, �Do you need anything?� He replied, �From you, no.� He did not depend on anyone save Him, in any situation. His words, Exalted is He:

�Then gave you a dwelling place and a repository�A dwelling place, that is, in the wombs of women, and a repository, that is, as a drop in the loins of Adam .His words:

And avoid committing sin, whether openly or in secret�That is, give up the transgressions of the body, along with the desire for committing them within your heart, and [give up] persisting in doing them.His words:

When God wishes to guide someone, He expands their breast to Islam�Sahl said:Truly God has distinguished between the one who seeks (murīd) and the one who is [divinely] sought (murād), even though they are both from Him (min ʿindihi). But He simply wanted to distinguish the elite (khuṣūṣ) from the generality (ʿumūm), and so He singled out the one who is sought (murād) in this sūra and others. He also mentioned the one who seeks (murīd), representing the generality, in this sūra in His words, Exalted is He: Do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His countenance [6:52]. This is the servant�s being intent (qaṣd) upon God in his every moment of activity and stillness (fī ḥarakātihi wa sukūnihi), just as He also said: and those who hearken to their Lord and maintain the prayer� [42:38]. Thus, whoever finds that he has the state of both the seeker and the sought, that is due to a grace (faḍl) from God to him. Do you not see how He has brought them together in His words, Exalted is He: Whatever grace you have, it is from God [16:53]?He was asked, �Why are they [murīd and murād] separated then?� He said:The seeker who makes an effort to direct himself towards (qaṣd) God, Exalted is He, and to worship Him, and seeks the way to Him, is still in the state of seeking (ṭalab). As for the sought, it refers to the establishment of worship for him by God, Exalted is He. Man has within himself that which [shows him] to be both a seeker (murīd) and one who is sought (murād). At one time, ⸢he enters into his acts of obedience [applying to them] struggle (mukābada) and striving (mujāhada), and this is [when he is] at the level of the seeker (murīd), when he may be stirred [into action] (tuhayyijahu) by the inducement of hope (raghba), or by fear (rahba). Then at another time⸣, he finds himself carried through those acts without effort (taklīf) or striving (jahd), [and this is] a solicitude from God, Exalted is He, towards him. Then after that, he will move on to the highest stations (maqāmāt) and most elevated ranks (darajāt).[At this point] he was asked about the meaning of the stations (maqāmāt), and he replied:They are mentioned in the Book of God, Exalted is He, in the story about the angels, And there is not one of us but [that he] has a known station [37:164].

Theirs shall be the abode of peace with their Lord�He said:That is, there he will be safe from the anxieties (hawājis) of his self and the whisperings (wasāwis) of his enemy.His words, Exalted is He:

So, We let some evildoers have power over others because of what they were earning.That is, God, Exalted is He, takes revenge on a wrongdoer by means of another wrongdoer, and then He Himself takes revenge on them.His words, Exalted is He:

If they deny you, say, �Your Lord has all-encompassing mercy��Sahl said:It was reported from the Messenger of God , �Make whoever turns his back on you desirous of Me, for anyone who is desirous of Me is actually desirous of you, no other. Furthermore, give them hope of [My] mercy and do not cut your heart off from them � say, �Your Lord has all-encompassing mercy.��His words, Exalted is He:

�Do not draw near any acts of lewdness, whether openly or in secret...Whether openly refers to that which it has been forbidden to do with the external bodily members. Or in secret means the persistence (iṣrār) in committing that act, and this is of two kinds: the first is that a person commits a sin and persists in committing it; the other is that he persists in sin through desiring it in his heart, but he is not able to do it when he finds the opportunity because of a weakness in his bodily members, even though he is intent upon doing it. This is one of the most serious forms of persistence.Then Sahl said:Whoever eats what is permissible (ḥalāl) with gluttony is persistent (muṣirr), and whoever preoccupies himself with what the morrow may bring before the morrow arrives is persistent.He was asked about the prophets Â, regarding whether they thought about that which did not concern them. He replied:An act with their bodily members was allowed to them, considering that they repented to God, Exalted is He, afterwards, let alone a mere thought.He was asked, �Is there a form of worship for the heart, which God requires of it, other than that which is performed by the bodily members?� He replied, �Yes, it is the tranquil repose (sukūn) of the heart [in God].� Then he was asked, �Is such tranquil repose [in God] obligatory (farḍ) or the knowledge by which it is attained?� He answered, �It is a [kind of] knowledge, which I am calling tranquil repose, and that tranquil repose [in God] leads to certainty (yaqīn). Furthermore, tranquil repose accompanied with certainty is an obligation (farīḍa).�His words, Exalted is He:

�And if you speak, be just...He said:The people of veracity (ṣidq) speak in four ways: they speak in God, through God, for God or with God. There are other people who speak to themselves and for themselves, and so they are preserved from the evil of speech. Yet other people speak about others and forget themselves, and so they innovate and go astray. Wretched is that which they have produced for themselves! So abandon speech for knowledge, and then only speak when it is necessary, and you will be preserved from the ills of speech. What is meant [by �when it is necessary�] is that you should not speak unless you are afraid that you will otherwise fall into sin.Then he said:Whoever makes a [false] assumption (ẓann) will be deprived of certainty, and whoever speaks about that which does not concern him will be deprived of veracity. Furthermore, whoever occupies his bodily members for other than the sake of God, Exalted is He, will be deprived of scrupulous piety (waraʿ). If a servant is deprived of these three he is ruined. Furthermore, he will be set down in the records as being among the enemies [of God].Truly, it was related from al-Rabīʿ b. Khuthaym, may God have mercy on him, ⸢that no one ever heard him speak about matters of the world (amr al-dunya). Someone asked him �Why do you not mention people (al-nās), may God have mercy on you?�⸣ He replied, �I am not satisfied with myself to the extent that I should be done with censuring myself, and turn to the the censure (dhamm) of others. [Yet people] fear God with regard to the sins of His servants, and leap into their own sins.� His words, Mighty and Majestic is He:

And that this is My straight path (ṣirāṭ)�He [Sahl] said:⸢The path (ṣirāṭ) is⸣ the straight way (ṭarīq mustaqīm), and it is that which does not belong ⸢to the self which holds a share (ḥaẓẓ) or design (murād). His words, Exalted is He:

As for those who have divided their religion and broken up into factions�He [Sahl] said:They are⸣ the people of whims (ahwāʾ) and innovations (bidaʿ) in religion. For them there is no form of repentance. Thus, has it been related from the Prophet that he said, �For every sin there is a form of repentance except for that of the people of whims and innovations, for truly I disown them just as they disown me, and God, Mighty and Majestic is He, has excluded them from repentance (tawba).� That is, He has made the way to repentance difficult for them.His words, Exalted is He:

� Surely your Lord is swift in punishment, and surely He is Forgiving, Merciful.He [Sahl] said:This refers to the punishment of the heart which is a cover and veil, so that it [the heart] inclines to that which is other than Him. Furthermore, whenever God looks upon the heart of a servant and finds there that which is other than Him, He empowers his enemy over him. However, He is most forgiving to the one who repents for what he has done.No harm (maḍār) can be considered a punishment, because it [acts as] a purification and an expiation (kaffāra), except for hardness (qaswa) of the heart, for that in itself is a punishment. External punishments are a torment (ʿadhāb), but the punishments of the heart have differentlevels, for the lower self holds a share and a design with regard to the heart. [As for the one whose] heart is veiled, God empowers his enemy over him. His heart does not orbit the celestial dominions (malakūt), nor does the divine omnipotence (qudra) manifest itself to him, nor does he witness (yushāhid) God. But as for the one whose heart is hardened, God leaves him to his own devices and means. Truly the tendency of the heart may be compared to the tongue; when a person speaks, he can speak of only one thing [at a time]. Similarly if a heart is full of concern [for something] there is no room for anything along with that. But God knows best.His words, Mighty and Majestic is He:

Alif Lām Mīm Ṣād[Sahl said]:This means, �I am God, I divide up (afṣilu) my servants with truth.� From these letters is produced the name of God, Exalted is He: al-Ṣamad (the Self-Sufficing, the One who is Eternally-Besought-of-All). His words, Exalted is He:

Verily I shall sit in ambush for them on Your straight path.[Your straight path] meaning the sacred laws (sharāʾiʿ) of Islam, after God, Exalted is He, has clearly expounded [those laws] to them, as is stated in His words, Is it not an indication for them? [32:26], meaning, �Did We not clearly [distinguish] for them the path of goodness, which is what He has commanded, from the path of evil, which is what He has prohibited? Yet they inclined towards the desire of their lower selves, just as when They [the messengers] said: �The evil omen is within yourselves [36:19].��His words:

Then Satan whispered to them�He said:The whispering [of Satan] is [his] mentioning [something] (dhikr) [firstly] in the natural [predisposition](tabʿ), then in the lower self (nafs). [This suggestion] then [becomes] the desire (hamm), and finally the devising (tadbīr). The whispering of the Enemy [i.e. Satan] has three possible situations (maqāmāt): the first is when he calls a person and whispers to him, the second is when he feels secure knowing that the person has accepted [the suggestion], but the third is when his lot is only to wait and hope, and this is [his situation] with the veracious (ṣiddīqūn).His words, Exalted is He:

�And call on Him, devoting your religion to Him...He [Sahl] said:Seek sincerity (ikhlāṣ) secretly with an [inner] intention, for it is only the sincere who can recognise ostentation. However, seek action openly through emulation, for truly whoever does not emulate the Prophet in all his affairs is misguided. All other than these two [ways] are erroneous.His words, Exalted is He:

�And eat and drink, but do not be excessive; He truly does not love those who are excessive.Eating is of five kinds: that which is a necessity [for subsistence] (ḍarūra); that which is a source of sustenance (qiwām); that which is a source of nourishment (qūt); that which should be of a determined [amount] (maʿlūm); and that which one does without. [Beyond this], there is a sixth in which there is no good, and that is [wrongly] mixed (takhlīṭ). Furthermore, God, Exalted is He, created the world and placed knowledge and wisdom within hunger (jūʿ), and placed ignorance and transgression within satiety (shabʿ). So, when you are hungry ask for satiety from the One who has afflicted you with hunger, and if you are satiated, ask for hunger from the One who has afflicted you with satiety, otherwise you will commit excesses and transgress.Then he recited: But man is wont to transgress! when he thinks himself self-sufficient [96:6, 7]. He also said:Truly, hunger is a secret among the secrets of God, Exalted is He, on earth, which He does not entrust to anyone who will disseminate it.His words, Exalted is He:

Say: My Lord only forbids indecent acts, such of them as are apparent and such as are hidden�He [Sahl] said:This refers to the envy (ḥasad) of a person�s heart and the actions of his bodily members. If he were to give up the management (tadbīr) of both he would be one of the �mainstays� (awtād) of the earth. However, the servant is between two states: either he is managing with his heart that which is not his concern, or he is acting through his bodily members upon that which is not his concern. No one is saved from either of these two except through the protection (ʿiṣma) of God, Exalted is He. The source of life for hearts is certainty, and their darkness is brought on through [their own] devising and management (tadbīr).He [Abū Bakr] said, �We were with Sahl at sunset, and he said to Aḥmad b. Sālim, leave off managingthings, so that we may pray the ʿĪshāʾ prayer in Mecca. His words, Exalted is He:�And [forbids] that you say concerning God that which you do not know.Whoever speaks about God without permission, in a way which lacks reverence (ḥurma) or without maintaining the due propriety (adab), has rent the veil (satr). Indeed, God, Exalted is He, has forbidden anyone to say anything about Him of which he has no knowledge.His words, Exalted is He:

We shall strip away all rancour that is in their breasts�He said:This refers to whims (ahwāʾ) and innovations (bidaʿ).His words, Exalted is He:

�I am your [sincere] truthful advisor. Whoever is not sincere towards God within his own soul, and sincere towards Him with regard to His creatures, will be ruined. To act with sincerity (naṣīḥa) towards God�s creatures is more difficult than being sincere within one�s own soul. The lowest level of sincerity [towards God] within the soul is gratitude (shukr), which is not to disobey God by [abusing] the blessings He has bestowed [on you] (bi-niʿamihi).On another occasion I heard him say:Sincerity is not to involve yourself in anything which you do not have the power to put right.His words, Exalted is He:

And We did not send a prophet to any city but that We seized its people with misery and hardship�He [Sahl] said:This means they lost their hearts through their lack of knowledge, and because of severe hardshipin their lives, such that they became preoccupied with their world[ly concerns] to the exclusion of their [concern for the] Hereafter.

Then We gave them in place of evil, good, until they multiplied�[He said]:[The fact that] they multiplied does not signify a pardon (ʿafw) in the essential [meaning of that word]. God, Exalted is He, has said: Indulge [people] with forgiveness (ʿafw) [7:199], which[actually] means, �[Take] the surplus (faḍl) of their wealth which is a deposit from God in their keeping, because God most High has purchased it from them.� And ⸢the believer⸣ possesses neither his soul nor his wealth.He was asked, �Where is [the believer�s] soul?� He replied:It has been placed under contract with God, Exalted is He. He said: Indeed God has purchased from the believers their lives and their possessions, promising them Paradise in return. [9:111]His words, Exalted is He:

Do they feel secure from God�s plotting?...He [Sahl] said:The plotting (makr) belongs to His design (tadbīr) within His prior knowledge, and it pertains to His omnipotence, hence no one should feel secure against His plotting, for feeling secure against it does not repel anything that has been preordained (qadar). No one can exit the [sphere of] His omnipotence, Exalted is He. No one should feel free of fear, even if they [think] they have experienced all [possible] fear. However, once someone recognises his station (manzila) with God, Exalted is He, his knowledge will increase and his desire (raghba) will be fulfilled. But as for the one who does not know his station, that will be a source of shame (ʿār) for him.ʿUmar Wāṣil said that he then asked [Sahl], �How does a person�s station rise in accordance with his knowledge?� He answered:There are two [kinds of] men: there is the man who rises [in his spiritual station] and asks for [further] elevation, being avid for this; and then there is the man who is weaker than the other, whose [request] derives from gratitude, lest God should take back what He has given him.His words, Exalted is He:

Moses said to his people, �Seek help from God and be patient.�He [Sahl] said:He ordered them to seek help from God in keeping God�s commandments, so that they might enforce what is contained within them, take a firm hold on them and a firm stand against any breach of them, and show fortitude in this out of propriety.His words:

I shall turn away from My signs those who behave arrogantly in the earth without right�He [Sahl] said:It means that He will deprive them of understanding the Qurʾān, and following the Messenger . It has been related from the Prophet that he said, �Whoever has been given understanding of the Qurʾān has been given abundant good. However, whoever has been denied understanding of the Qurʾān has been denied access to a great science (ʿilm ʿaẓīm).� Also, the Prophet said: �A part of magnifying (taʿẓīm) God is honouring (ikrām) the elderly in Islam, honouring the just leader, and honouring the person who has memorised the Qurʾān, whilst not exceeding the proper bounds in this.� His words:�[those who] if they see the way of error, adopt it as a way�He [Sahl] said:He returned them to what He knew concerning them in His prior knowledge, which was thatthey would do that [which is mentioned in the verse]. His forsaking (khidhlān) them is because of what they were directed to by their natural selves (anfusuhum al-ṭabīʿiyya), namely, being active regarding His prohibitions, and passive regarding His commandments, and [falsely] claiming to have the power and strength [to do] that which their souls had a propensity for, and their conceit (ightirār) in that.His words, Exalted is He:

In his absence, Moses� people made of their ornament a calf; a body, which lowed�He [Sahl] said:The calf of each person is anything to which he devotes himself which diverts him away from God, be it a spouse or children. Furthermore, he will not rid himself of that until he has annihilated all the interests (ḥuẓūẓ) he has, that are its [his calf�s] means [of existence], just as the worshippers of the calf are not freed from its adoration except after slaying themselves. His words, Mighty and Majestic is He:

And when they became at a loss... He [Sahl] said:That is, they regretted [what they had done]. You say that �it falls into a person�s hands� when he regrets something.His words, Exalted is He:

�We have turned to You�That is, We have repented to You.His words, Exalted is He:

�How they would transgress the Sabbath�He [Sahl] said:They transgressed because they followed their desire (hawā) on the Sabbath.His words, Exalted is He:

�And they have studied what is in it�That is they gave up acting upon it.His words:

When we wrenched (nataqnā) the mountain [and held it above them]�That is, �We rent it (fataqnā) and shook [it] violently, just as al-ʿAjjāj said: [rajaz metre]They nurtured our great dreams,And tore apart (fataqnā) our nightmares. His words, Exalted is He:

And remember when your Lord took from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seeds, and made them testify about themselves�He [Sahl] said:God, Exalted is He, took the prophets  from the loins of Adam, and then He extracted from the back of each prophet his progeny in a molecular form [lit. in the shape of specks] possessingintellects (ʿuqūl). Then he took from the prophets their pledge (mīthāq), as is stated in His words, We took from the prophets their pledge: as (We did) from you and from Noah [33:7]. The Covenant that they were bound to was that they would convey from God, Exalted is He, His commandments and prohibitions. Then He called them all to affirm His lordship, with His words, Exalted is He: �Am I not your Lord?� Then He manifested His omnipotence [to them], so They said: �Yes, we testify� [7:172]. Thus did God gather what He wanted (murād) from His creatures, and the beginning and end that was in store for them in their saying �Yes�, since this was in the manner of a trial (ibtilāʾ). Indeed, God, Exalted is He, said: And His Throne was upon the water, that He might try you [11:7]. He also made the prophets testify for themselves as a proof (ḥujjatan), as God, Exalted is He, has said, and made them testify concerning themselves. Then He returned them to the loins of Adam , and subsequently He sent the prophets to remind them of His Pact and Covenant. Furthermore, within His knowledge on the day when they affirmed what they affirmed, were those who would deny it and those who would verify it, and the last hour will not arrive until every person who made the Covenant has appeared.He was asked, �What are the signs of happiness (saʿāda) and wretchedness (shaqāwa)?� He said:Truly, among the signs of wretchedness is the denial of His omnipotence, and truly among the signs of happiness is the expansiveness of your heart in faith, your being provided with riches in your heart, protection in obedience, and success in renouncing [the world] (zuhd). Whoever is inspired with propriety (adab) in that which is between him and God, Exalted is He, will be purified of heart, and bestowed with happiness.

Had We willed, We would have raised him up [with Our signs]�This refers to Balʿam b. Bāʿūrāʾ. But he was disposed to the earth and followed his [lower] desires. He turned away [from God�s signs] due to his following his [base] desire (hawā). God, Exalted is He, distributed desire among the bodily members such that each bodily member has a portionof it. If one of the bodily members inclines towards that desire, its harm will return to the heart. Know that the self has a secret which did not manifest itself except with Pharaoh when he said: �I am your Lord most High� [79:24].Then [Sahl] was asked, �How can we be preserved from [base] desire (hawā)?� He replied:Whoever keeps himself in propriety (adab) will be preserved from it, for whoever subdues his lower self through propriety serves God, Mighty and Majestic is He, with true sincerity (ikhlāṣ).He also said:The self (nafs) has seven heavenly veils and seven earthly veils. The more the servant buries his [lower] self in the earth the higher will his heart soar heavenwards. Furthermore, if he [completely] buries his lower self beneath the earth his heart will reach the Throne. He also said about Kahmas that he used to pray a thousand rakʿas (cycles of prayer) during the course of the day and night. He would make the closing greetings of peace (salāms) between each pair of rakʿas then say to his lower self, �Get up O refuge of evil, I am not satisfied with you.�His words, Exalted is He:

And to God belong the Most Beautiful Names, so invoke Him by them.He [Sahl]said:Truly behind the names and attributes are attributes which no comprehension can penetrate, for God is a blazing fire and is inaccessible. Yet we have no option but to plunge in [and try to reach Him]. And leave those who blaspheme His names [7:180], that is, those who are blasphemouswith His names and deny [the truth].�His words:

We shall draw on those who deny Our Signs, by degrees, in such a way that they will not perceive it.He [Sahl] said:This means, �We shall abundantly increase their bounties, and make them forget to show gratitude for them. Then when they are contented while veiled from the Bestower [of thosebounties] (al-Munʿim), they will be seized.�His words:

Have they not contemplated the dominion of the heavens and the earth�He [Sahl] said:[This is] God�s reminder of His omnipotence (qudra) [manifested] in His creation, and a portrayal of their need for Him, Exalted is He. With regard to whatever He created that they have heard about but not seen, and those things that they have been deluded by, [He says], �If only they had perceived them with their hearts, they would have believed in the unseen, and their faith would have led them to witness the unseen which was hidden from them. Then they would have inherited the ranks of the righteous (abrār) and become beacons of guidance.�His words:

He alone will reveal it at its proper time� That is, no one can reform the natural self (nafs al-ṭabʿ) from being ruled by passion (hawā) to obeying God, save He. This is the inner meaning of the verse. His words:�They will question you as if you were eager to find it out� that is, as if you knew the time it would occur. His words:

I have no power to benefit or harm myself except as God wills�So how can anyone benefit another when he does not have the power to benefit himself? That is for God alone, Exalted is He.His words:

�You see them staring at you, but they do not perceive.He [Sahl] said:It [refers to] those hearts that God, Exalted is He, has not adorned with His lights and with proximity, so that they are blind to the apprehension of realities (ḥaqāʾiq) and the recognition of great people (akābir).His words:

And remember your Lord inwardly, humbly and fearfully�[Sahl was asked], �What is the true reality of remembrance (ḥaqīqat al-dhikr)?� He answered:It is the realisation (taḥqīq) of the knowledge that God, Exalted is He, witnesses you, and it is that you see Him close to you with your heart. Thus, you feel shame before Him and give Him priority over yourself in all your affairs.Then he said:The one who claims to keep remembrance (dhikr) is not necessarily one who [truly] remembers [God] (dhākir).He was asked, �What is the meaning of the saying of the Prophet : �The world is accursed and what it contains is accursed save the remembrance of God (dhikr Allāh), most High?�� [He replied]:His saying �the remembrance of God� here means renouncing what is unlawful (zuhd ʿan al-ḥarām), that is, when something unlawful comes a person�s way he remembers God, Exalted is He, and he knows that God is watching him, so he avoids that unlawful thing. His words:�and do not be one of the heedless�Sahl said:In truth I say to you without any falsehood, in certainty without a doubt, that any person who spends a breath in other than God�s remembrance does so while being heedless of God, Mighty and Majestic is He.He also said:Heedlessness (ghafla) among the elite (khāṣṣ) is acquiescing (sukūn) in anything [other than Him]. Heedlessness among the generality (ʿāmm) is taking pride (iftikhār) in anything [other than Him], that is to say, it is [also] acquiescing (sukūn) [in other than Him]. His words, Exalted is He:

�So have full awareness of God, and set things right between you�He [Sahl]said:Having full awareness of God (taqwā) means abandoning everything which befalls one [which might impede that awareness]. Among the proprieties (ādāb), it refers to the noblest character traits. It means that even if one should be enticed [by reward] (targhīb), one does not reveal a secret, and even if one should be intimidated (tarhīb), one does not remain on the side of ignorance. Furthermore, full awareness of God is not acceptable except in the one who is a follower of the Prophet and the Companions.His words:

The believers are those whose hearts tremble [with awe], when God is mentioned�He [Sahl] said:Their [hearts] tremble from the fear of separation (firāq), and hence their bodily members humbly submit to God in [His] service (khidma).His words, Exalted is He:

Remember when He caused drowsiness to overcome you, as a reassurance from Him�He [Sahl] said:Drowsiness (nuʿās) descends from the brain while yet the heart remains awake [lit. alive]. Sleep (nawm) [only descends] on the heart outwardly. That is the rule (ḥukm) [for] sleep. However, the same rule [that applied to the heart] regarding drowsiness [applies to] the spirit (rūḥ). His words:

If [O disbelievers] you were seeking a judgement, the judgement has now come to you�This is because Abū Jahl said on the Day of Badr, �O God! Give victory to the best of the two religions with You, and the most pleasing of them to You.� Then the verse descended, If you were seeking a judgement, meaning, �If you were seeking to be helped [to victory].�It has been reported of the Prophet that he would seek victory for the sake of the destitute (ṣaʿālīk) among the Emigrants, that is, he sought to be helped [to victory] for the sake of the poor (fuqarāʾ) among them. His words:

For had God known any good in them, He would indeed have made them hear�That is, He would have opened the locks of their hearts with faith.His words:

�If you fear God, He will grant you a criterion (furqān)�That is, a light in religion, by which [you can distinguish] between truth and falsehood in doubtful matters.His words:

In order that God may separate the wicked from the good�He [Sahl] said:Wickedness (khabīth) takes different forms: it may be disbelief (kufr), hypocrisy (nifāq), or grave sins (kabāʾir). Likewise goodness (ṭayyib) is manifested in different forms: [that is to say], goodness is faith (īmān), within which are included the [different] ranks of the prophets (anbiyāʾ), veracious (ṣiddīqūn), martyrs (shuhadāʾ) and virtuous (ṣāliḥūn). God, Exalted is He, has informed us that He has separated them from one another [i.e. the good from the bad], and He then ranks the corrupt, one above the other, according to the measure of each of their sins, level upon level, just as He has said: Verily the hypocrites will be in the lowest level of the Fire [4:145].His words:

�[and lest] your strength (rīḥ) fade� That is, your power (dawla).His words:

�He turned his back... [That is], whence he came.His words:

Because God will never change a grace that He has conferred on a people, until they change that which is in themselves�He [Sahl] said:Verily God most High has privileged the prophets  and some of the veracious (ṣiddīqūn) by acquainting them with the blessings (anʿām) He had bestowed upon them, before they disappear. God showed clemency towards them.His words:

But [now] enjoy what you took in war, lawful and good�He said:The lawful (ḥalāl) is that in which [a person] does not disobey God, and the good (ṭayyib) is that in which he does not forget God.His words:

Truly those who believed and emigrated and strove with their wealth and their lives in the way of God�He [Sahl] said:All forms of obedience to God involve struggle with the lower self (jihād al-nafs). There is no struggle easier than the struggle with swords, and no struggle harder than opposing the lower self.Sahl said, �Muḥammad b. Sawwār informed me from Mālik b. Dīnār from Maʿrūf b. ʿAlī from al-Ḥasan, from Maḥārib b. Dithār, from Jābir b. ʿAbd Allāh (may God be pleased with them all), that he reported that when Sūrat Barāʾa was sent down, the Messenger of God said, �I was sent to treat people with affability (mudārāt).�� His words, Exalted is He:

Journey freely in the land�That is, �Travel through the land and while doing so learn the lessons [from what you see], whilst affirming (iqrār) God.�His words, Exalted is He:�[neither bond of] kinship nor treaty� Ill means kinship, and �dhimma� means a treaty.His words:

�an intimate friend (walīja)� ʿUmar b. Wāṣil al-ʿAnbarī said, �A walīja is anything that you cause to enter or become part of somethingother than itself.� Sahl said:This means that they did not become heedless of Him by the inclining of their hearts towards their lower selves.His words:

�Nor do they practise the religion of truth�That is, they do not obey [it]. And whoever is under the authority (sulṭān) of a man is also upon his religion (dīn), just as He has said: He could not have taken his brother according to the king�s law [12:76], that is, under his authority. Likewise, if the self embraces sincerity (ikhlāṣ) before God, Exalted is He, it comes under the rule of the heart (qalb), the intellect (ʿaql), the spiritual self (nafs al-rūḥ), and the body in obedience, for the remembrance of God, Exalted is He.His words:

They desire to extinguish God�s light with their mouths�This means that they are intent upon destroying the Qurʾān with the lying of their tongues. But God insists on bringing His light to its fullness, that is, He will [fully] manifest His religion, Islam.His words, Mighty and Majestic is He:

�They have forgotten God, so He has forgotten them�He said:This means that they have forgotten the bounties (niʿam) of God that they had, and He has made them forget to show gratitude (shukr) for those bounties.His words:

And the believers, both men and women, are protecting friends of one another.He said:[A person�s] protective friendship (muwālāt) towards the believers is [his] avoiding doing them any harm.Then he said:Know that the servant does not attain true faith (ḥaqīqat al-īmān) until he becomes as the earth for the servants of God � [it endures] the suffering that they [impose] upon it, and they [derive] benefits from it.He also said:The fundamentals (uṣūl), in our view, comprise seven things: adherence to the Book of God, following the Messenger of God , abiding by what is lawful, refraining from harm [to others], the avoidance of sins, repentance and the observance of the rights [of others].His words:

O Prophet, struggle against the disbelievers and the hypocrites�He said:Struggle against your lower self with the sword of opposition! Place upon its [back] the burdensof remorse (nadam), and guide it through the desert plains of fear (khawf), so that you may turn it back to the path of repentance (tawba) and contrition (ināba). Repentance is not acceptable except from one who feels perplexed at his plight, grief-stricken at his situation, and confounded in his heart at what has happened to him. God, Exalted is He, has said: When the earth seemed straightened for them, for all its breadth [9:118]. His words:

�In it are men who love to purify themselves�He [Sahl] said:What He means by this purification (ṭahāra) is remembrance (dhikr) of God, Exalted is He, secretly and openly, and obedience to Him.His words, Exalted is He:

Indeed God has purchased from the believers their selves and their possessions, so that theirs will be [the reward of] Paradise�That is, He has purchased [one�s] self from the desires of this world and from all that distracts it from remembrance of Him, so that one�s self and wealth may become solely devoted to Him. And how can anyone who has not sold his ephemeral life and fleeting desires to God, live with God, Exalted is He? Moreover how can he live a good life?Then he said:God has purchased from the believers their selves� notwithstanding the fact that there is no good in them, and He gave them in exchange that which is entirely good, even though all that is within the two realms of existence belongs to Him. Truly this is out of His utmost graciousness(luṭf) and generosity (karam) to His believing servants.Mālik b. Dīnār has related that he passed by a palace under construction and asked the workers about their wages. Each one replied by telling him how much his wage was except for one of them. So he asked him, �What is your wage?� He replied, �I don�t have a wage.� He asked, �And why is that?� and he replied, �It is because I am the servant of the owner of the palace.� Then Mālik ⸢cried out and⸣ said, �O my Lord! How generous you are! All humanity are your servants, yet you have assigned them work to do and promised them a reward for it.�His words:

Those who repent, those who worship...Sahl said:Of the rights [due to God] in this world there is none whose fulfilment is more incumbent upon humanity than repentance. Indeed it is obligatory [for them] at every moment and instant, and there is no punishment more severe on them than the lack of knowledge of repentance.He was asked, �What is repentance?� He answered, �It is not to forget your sin.� Then he said:The first thing that a novice is instructed to do is to change his reprehensible actions into praiseworthy ones, which is repentance. [However] his repentance is not complete until he imposes silence upon himself, and his silence is not complete until he forces himself to observe seclusion (khalwa). His seclusion is not complete unless his food is lawful. His consumption of what is lawful, however, is not complete unless he fulfils the right of God, Exalted is He, and his fulfilment of what is God�s right is not complete unless he guards his bodily members and his heart. Moreover, none of that which we have described is acceptable unless [the novice] seeks God�s aid at every stage.He was asked, �What is the mark of true repentance?� He replied:Its mark is that a person gives up what is [rightfully] his in addition to what is not his.Sahl was [then] asked about a man who repents and renounces a certain sin, but then it occurs to his heart, or he sees it or hears of it and finds sweetness in that vile sin. What is to be done in such a case? He replied:The feeling of sweetness pertains to [his] nature (ṭabʿ) and is not susceptible of change, such that a thing which is loved could become something detestable. However, the heart�s determination can be coerced so that he can return to God, Mighty and Majestic is He, and place his dilemma before Him. Then he should force on himself and on his heart a state of rejection [of that sin] which should never leave him, for if he becomes inattentive to that state of rejection for just the blinking of the eye, it is to be feared that he will not remain safe from it. He [also] said:Give up all idle talk (qāl wa qīl). In this day and age, there are three things which you must do: repent to God, Mighty and Majestic is He, from what you are aware of between yourselves and Him; as far as you are capable, make amends for wrongs done to servants; and when morning comes do not preoccupy yourselves with the evening, nor when evening comes preoccupy yourselves with the morning [that has been or is to come]. Misfortunes have multiplied and the danger is great. So fear God and coerce yourselves into a state of repentance.His words, Exalted is He:

� a party from each group should go forth so that they may become learned in religionHe said:[That is], in order to learn what is necessary concerning their religion. It has been related from Ḥasan al-Baṣrī that he said, �The erudite (faqīh) is the one who has renounced this world (zāhid), who is desirous (rāghib) of the Hereafter, and who has insight (baṣīr) into religious affairs. Sahl was asked about the words of the Prophet , �Seeking knowledge is an obligation (farīḍa) for every Muslim�. He said, �This refers to the knowledge of [one�s] state (ḥāl).�He was asked, �What is the knowledge of [one�s] state?� He replied:Inwardly it is sincerity (ikhlāṣ) and outwardly it is emulation (iqtidāʾ). Moreover, unless a person�s outward [self] (ẓāhir) is leading his inner [self] (bāṭin), and his inner self is the perfection(kamāl) of his outward self, he will merely be fatiguing his body. He was asked, �What is the explanation of this?� He said:Truly God keeps watch over you, in what you keep secret and what you make known, in your [moments of] movement and stillness, and you are never absent from Him even for the blinking of the eye, just as He has said, Is He who stands over every soul [observing] what it has earned? [13:33], and He has said, There is not a secret consultation between three, but He makes the fourth among them [58:7]. He has also said, We are nearer to him than [his] aorta (ḥabl al-warīd) [50:16]. This is the artery located deep inside the heart, and He has informed us that He is closer to the heart than that artery. If you know this you should feel shame before Him. Furthermore, whenever some craving from the lower self stirs itself in the heart, and [at that moment] the servant remembers that God, Mighty and Majestic is He, is watching over him, and subsequently abandons [that craving], knowledge of his state will enter his heart, such that if what he is granted were to be distributed among the people of Medina, all of them would rejoice at it, and would triumph because of it. Mālik b. Anas http://www.aalalbayt.org) � All Rights Reserved.Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, this work may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the Great Tafsirs Project, Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought ([email protected])       1 2//Changing the Sura Name Combo Box and sending the related values function SoraName_onchange(x) { var h; var h1 ="selected"; h = "<select id=\'Ayat\' name=\'Ayat\' class=\'ComboStyle\' style=\'TOP:0px; WIDTH:170px;height:21px;\'>" var i; for (i=1; i<=ArraySoraAyah[x.value]; i++) { if (i == "122") h += "<option value =" + "\"" + i + "\" " + h1 +" >" + i + "</option>" else h += " <option value =" + "\"" + i + "\"" + ">" + i + "</option>" } h += "</select>" Dom.getElm('AyatCombo').innerHTML = h; if (Dom.getElm('DispFrame') != undefined) { Dom.getElm('DispFrame').style.display = "none"; } if (Dom.getElm('UserMessage') != undefined) { Dom.getElm('UserMessage').style.display = "none"; } /* var Sora = Dom.getElm('SoraName').value; var Ayah = Dom.getElm('Ayat').value; var MadhabNameSub = Dom.getElm('Madhab').value; var TafsirNameSub = Dom.getElm('Tafsir').value; document.HiddenForm.tSoraNo.value = Sora; document.HiddenForm.tAyahNo.value = 1; document.HiddenForm.tMadhNo.value = MadhabNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tTafsirNo.value = TafsirNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tDisplay.value = "no"; document.HiddenForm.UserProfile.value = 0; //document.HiddenForm.submit(); document.location.href = "Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo="+ MadhabNameSub +"&tTafsirNo="+ TafsirNameSub +"&tSoraNo="+ Sora +"&tAyahNo=1&tDisplay=no&UserProfile=0" */ } //Changing the Aya Number Combo Box and sending the related values function fbAyat_onchange() { if (Dom.getElm('DispFrame') != undefined) { Dom.getElm('DispFrame').style.display = "none"; } if (Dom.getElm('UserMessage') != undefined) { Dom.getElm('UserMessage').style.display = "none"; } /* var Sora = Dom.getElm('SoraName').value; var Ayah = Dom.getElm('Ayat').value; var MadhabNameSub = Dom.getElm('Madhab').value; var TafsirNameSub = Dom.getElm('Tafsir').value; if(MadhabNameSub.value != 0 && TafsirNameSub.value != 0) { document.HiddenForm.tSoraNo.value = Sora; document.HiddenForm.tAyahNo.value = Ayah; document.HiddenForm.tMadhNo.value = MadhabNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tTafsirNo.value = TafsirNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tDisplay.value = "no"; document.HiddenForm.UserProfile.value = 0; //document.HiddenForm.submit(); document.location.href = "Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo="+ MadhabNameSub +"&tTafsirNo="+ TafsirNameSub +"&tSoraNo="+ Sora +"&tAyahNo="+ Ayah +"&tDisplay=no&UserProfile=0" } */ } //To send the page number,size and related information function fbInnerLink_onchange(Tafsir,Count,PageSize) { var Sora = Dom.getElm('SoraName'); var Ayah = Dom.getElm('Ayat'); var MadhabNameSub = Dom.getElm('Madhab'); var TafsirNameSub = Dom.getElm('Tafsir'); var LangID = document.getElementById("LangID").value; document.HiddenForm.tSoraNo.value = Sora.value; document.HiddenForm.tAyahNo.value = Ayah.value; document.HiddenForm.tMadhNo.value = MadhabNameSub.value; document.HiddenForm.tTafsirNo.value = Tafsir; document.HiddenForm.tDisplay.value = "yes"; //document.HiddenForm.action=document.HiddenForm.action+'?Page='+Count+'&Size='+PageSize //document.HiddenForm.submit(); document.location.href = "Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo="+ MadhabNameSub.value +"&tTafsirNo="+ Tafsir +"&tSoraNo="+ Sora.value +"&tAyahNo="+ Ayah.value +"&tDisplay=yes&Page="+ Count +"&Size="+ PageSize + "&LanguageId=" + LangID } //Changing the Madhab Name Combo Box and sending the related values function fbMadhab_onchange(y) { var h; var h1 ="selected"; h = "<select id=\'Tafsir\' name=\'Tafsir\' class=\'ComboStyle\' style=\'TOP: 5px; WIDTH: 200px;HEIGHT: 21px;\'>" var i; for (i=0; i<=ArrayMadhabId.length-1; i++) { if ((y.value == 0) || (ArrayMadhabId[i] == y.value)) { if ((ArrayTafsirName[i] == undefined) || (ArrayLang[i] != 2)) { } else { if (ArrayTafsirId[i] == "93") { h += "<option" if (ArrayTableName[i] == "") h += " style=\'color:#808080\'" h += " value =" + "\"" + ArrayTafsirId[i] + "\" " + h1 +" >" + ArrayTafsirName[i] + ArrayDateOfDeath[i]+"</option>" } else { h += "<option" if (ArrayTableName[i] == "") h += " style=\'color:#808080\'" h += " value =" + "\"" + ArrayTafsirId[i] + "\"" + ">" + ArrayTafsirName[i] + ArrayDateOfDeath[i]+"</option>" } } } } h += "</select>" Dom.getElm('TafsirCombo').innerHTML = h; if (Dom.getElm('DispFrame') != undefined) { Dom.getElm('DispFrame').style.display = "none"; } if (Dom.getElm('UserMessage') != undefined) { Dom.getElm('UserMessage').style.display = "none"; } /* var Sora = Dom.getElm('SoraName').value; var Ayah = Dom.getElm('Ayat').value; var MadhabNameSub = Dom.getElm('Madhab').value; var TafsirNameSub = Dom.getElm('Tafsir').value; document.HiddenForm.tSoraNo.value = Sora; document.HiddenForm.tAyahNo.value = Ayah; document.HiddenForm.tMadhNo.value = MadhabNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tTafsirNo.value = TafsirNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tDisplay.value = "no"; document.HiddenForm.UserProfile.value = 0; //document.HiddenForm.submit(); document.location.href = "Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo="+ MadhabNameSub +"&tTafsirNo="+ TafsirNameSub +"&tSoraNo="+ Sora +"&tAyahNo="+ Ayah +"&tDisplay=no&UserProfile=0" */ } //Changing the Tafsir Combo Box and sending the related values function fbTafsir_onchange() { //if (Dom.getElm('DispFrame') != undefined) { // Dom.getElm('DispFrame').style.display = "none"; //} //if (Dom.getElm('UserMessage') != undefined) { // Dom.getElm('UserMessage').style.display = "none"; //} /* var Sora = Dom.getElm('SoraName').value; var Ayah = Dom.getElm('Ayat').value; var MadhabNameSub = Dom.getElm('Madhab').value; var TafsirNameSub = Dom.getElm('Tafsir').value; document.HiddenForm.tSoraNo.value = Sora; document.HiddenForm.tAyahNo.value = Ayah; document.HiddenForm.tMadhNo.value = MadhabNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tTafsirNo.value = TafsirNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tDisplay.value = "no"; document.HiddenForm.UserProfile.value = 0; //document.HiddenForm.submit(); document.location.href = "Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo="+ MadhabNameSub +"&tTafsirNo="+ TafsirNameSub +"&tSoraNo="+ Sora +"&tAyahNo="+ Ayah +"&tDisplay=no&UserProfile=0" */ } //Read Aya var From_Pos ; var To_Pos ; From_Pos =2960.2194042;To_Pos =2992.6749587 var SoundFile = "/alhuzaifi/s9.mp3" var MoQreeNameGlobal = ""; var StartPosition = "0"; var EndPosition = "0"; var ReadingStatus = ""; var FlagStop = false; var secs function fbReadAyah_onclick() { FlagStop=false; var NSCom = Dom.getElm("NSPlay2"); var Sora = document.Form1.SoraName.value; var Ayah = document.Form1.Ayat.value; var AyahNo = document.Form1.Ayat.value; ReadingStatus = "Ayah"; StartPosition = From_Pos; EndPosition= To_Pos; window.status = "Connecting www.altafsir.com ..."; MoQreeNameGlobal = "�������"; // alert('1'); NSCom.src = "https://www.altafsir.com/QuranMP3/AlHuzaifi/MP3/s9.mp3"; NSCom.currentTime = StartPosition; NSCom.play(); NSCom.addEventListener('timeupdate', function(ev) { if (NSCom.currentTime > EndPosition) { NSCom.pause(); } },false); } //*********************************************** function roundit(Num, Places) { if (Places > 0) { if ((Num.toString().length - Num.toString().lastIndexOf('.')) > (Places + 1)) { var Rounder = Math.pow(10, Places); return Math.round(Num * Rounder) / Rounder; } else return Num; } else return Math.round(Num); } //*********************************************** //To Show that the connection is done function getPosition() { var NSCom = Dom.getElm("NSPlay2") if ((roundit(NSCom.controls.CurrentPosition, 3) >= roundit(StartPosition, 3)) && (roundit(NSCom.controls.CurrentPosition, 3) <= roundit(EndPosition, 3))) { NSCom.settings.volume = 70; if (!FlagStop) { var Geraa,Maqam Geraa="����� ��� �� ����" window.status = "Playing " + Geraa + " ... (" + MoQreeNameGlobal + ") ... " + "������" window.setTimeout("getPosition()", 10); } else { NSCom.controls.pause(); window.status = "Done ..."; return false; } } else if (roundit(NSCom.controls.CurrentPosition, 3) > roundit(EndPosition, 3)) { FlagStop=true; NSCom.controls.pause(); window.status = "Done ..."; return false; } else { NSCom.settings.volume = 0; NSCom.controls.CurrentPosition = roundit(StartPosition, 3); window.status = "Buffering ..."; window.setTimeout("getPosition()", 1000); } } window.status = "Buffering ..."; window.status = "Done ..."; window.status = "Connecting www.altafsir.com ..."; if (Dom.getElm("NSPlay2").playState == 3) { getPosition() } //Sending display parameter function function fbDisplay_onclick() { var Sora = Dom.getElm('SoraName') var Ayah = Dom.getElm('Ayat') var MadhabNameSub = Dom.getElm('Madhab') var TafsirNameSub = Dom.getElm('Tafsir') var LangID = document.getElementById("LangID").value; if(TafsirNameSub.value ==108) { // alert('uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu'); //return false; } if ((MadhabNameSub.value == 0 && TafsirNameSub.value == 0) || (TafsirNameSub.value == "")) { alert("Please Select Tafsir"); Dom.getElm("Tafsir").focus(); } else { document.HiddenForm.tSoraNo.value = Sora.value; document.HiddenForm.tAyahNo.value = Ayah.value; document.HiddenForm.tMadhNo.value = MadhabNameSub.value; document.HiddenForm.tTafsirNo.value = TafsirNameSub.value; document.HiddenForm.tDisplay.value = "yes"; document.HiddenForm.UserProfile.value = 0; //document.HiddenForm.submit(); document.location.href = "Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo="+ MadhabNameSub.value +"&tTafsirNo="+ TafsirNameSub.value +"&tSoraNo="+ Sora.value +"&tAyahNo="+ Ayah.value +"&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=" + LangID } } var get_Pageid = "altafasir1"; Dom.getElm('altafasir1').style.color = "yellow"; var TopImage = new Image(); var h_Links; TopImage = "url(images/HeadersOfPages/EnglisHeads/TopTafasir256.gif)"; Dom.getElm('TopTitle').style.backgroundImage = TopImage; Dom.getElm('ToolBar').style.visibility = "visible"; Dom.getElm('Taf_ToolBar').style.visibility = "hidden"; Dom.getElm('altafasir1').style.color = "yellow"; Dom.getElm('Arabic').style.height="100";//Check Browser & Footer if(checkBrowser() == "IE") setFooterTop = -20; else setFooterTop = -40; SetAllHeights(); //Dom.getElm('FooterLayer').style.left = 330; if (2 == "2") { //Dom.getElm('FooterLayer').style.left = 450; } else //Dom.getElm('FooterLayer').style.left = 330;

�And give good tidings to those who believe that they have a sure footing with their Lord�He [Sahl] said:This refers to the preordained mercy that was deposited in Muḥammad .His words:

�[He is] directing affairs�He said:He alone decrees every decree, and chooses for the servant what is best for him. Thus God�s choice is better for him than his own choice for himself.Sahl was asked on his death bed: �What would you like to be shrouded in, where would you like to be buried and who would you like to pray over you after your death?� He replied:I [set about] arranging my affairs during my life and for [after my death], but found there was no need for me to attend to them due to the antecedent arrangements (sābiq tadbīr) that God, Exalted is He, made for His servant.His words, Exalted is He:

If trouble should befall a man, he cries out to Us [in supplication], whether lying on his side�He said:Supplication (duʿāʾ) is freeing oneself (tabarrī) of everything save Him, Exalted is He. His words, Exalted is He:

�Then they pray to God, becoming sincere [in their] faith in Him�He [Sahl] said:Sincerity (ikhlāṣ) is witnessing (mushāhada). The life of the heart is in two things: in its root (aṣl) it is faith (īmān), and in its branch (farʿ) it is sincerity. Sincerity is a matter of great importance and the one who possesses it is wary lest his sincerity should not prevail till death, for actions are [judged] on the ones that come last � Worship your Lord, until what is certain comes to you [15:99]. His words, Exalted is He:

And God summons to the Abode of Peace, and He guides whomsoever He wills to a straight path.He [Sahl] said:The call (daʿwa) is universal (ʿāmma), but guidance (hidāya) is designated (khāṣṣa) [for a certainnumber], and He refers His guidance back to His will (mashīʾa), this being what God, Exalted is He, has preordained (sābiqat al-qadar).His words, Exalted is He:

Is it [only then], when it has come to pass, that you will believe therein? Now when [until now] you have been hastening it on?That is, �You hasten to deny Us and remember other than Us, but when you come before Us and behold with your eyes the punishment We had promised you, [only then] do you believe, when it is [no longer] of [any] benefit [to you].� For [indeed] all people [on that day] will inevitably affirm His oneness in the Hereafter, when the power of [His] essence (ḥukm al-dhāt) is made manifest, and all opposing and rival [deities that have been falsely set up] will be renounced, along with the [false] supplications made to them, due to the cessation of doubt and the fear of punishment.His words, Exalted is He:

Say: �In the bounty of God, and in His mercy, in that let them rejoice��That is, in the profession of His oneness and in His Prophet Muḥammad , just as He said: We did not send you except as a mercy to all the worlds [21:107].His words, Exalted is He:

Assuredly God�s friends, no fear shall befall them, neither shall they grieve.Sahl said:They are those whom the Messenger of God described, saying, �When they are seen, God is remembered.� They are those who strive in God�s cause, who outstrip others in their [journeying]towards Him, and whose actions are constantly in conformity (muwāfaqa). Those are the true believers [8:4].And he [Sahl] said:All goodness comes together in four things, and through these they [believers] become �Substitutes�(abdāl): an empty stomach, seclusion from people, the night vigil, and observing silence.He was asked why the Substitutes (abdāl) are called Substitutes. He answered:It is because they substitute their spiritual states (aḥwāl) [one for another]. They have submitted their bodies to the vigour (ḥīl) in their innermost secrets (asrār). Then they move from state (ḥāl) to state, and from knowledge (ʿilm) to knowledge, so that they are constantly increasing in the knowledge of that which is between them and their Lord.He was asked, �Who are more excellent, the Mainstays (awtād) or the Substitutes (abdāl)?� He answered, �The mainstays�. Then he was asked, �And how is that?� He replied:It is because the Mainstays have already arrived and their principles (arkān) are well established, whereas the Substitutes move from state to state.[On this subject] Sahl also said:I have met with one thousand five hundred veracious [servants of God] (ṣiddīq) among whom were forty Substitutes (abdāl) and seven Mainstays (awtād), and I found their way (ṭarīqa) and method (madhhab) to be the same as that which I follow.Furthermore, he used to say, �I am the proof of God (ḥujjat Allāh) against you in particular and against the people in general.�It was [Sahl�s] way and his conduct to be full of gratitude and remember [God] a great deal. He was also constant in observing silence and reflection. He would dispute little and was of a generous spirit. He led people through his good character, mercy and compassion for them, and by giving them good counsel. He held fast to the principle[s] (aṣl) [of religion] while putting into practice [the rules] that are derived from it (farʿ). Truly God filled his heart with light, and invested his speech with wisdom. He was among the best of Substitutes, and if we include him among the Mainstays he was the Axis (quṭb) around which the millstone [of the world] revolves.

And [Muḥammad] follow what is revealed to you, and be steadfast until God gives judgement,for He is the Best of Judges.He [Sahl] said:God imposed His rules upon people and assisted them in following them by His favour and His omnipotence. Furthermore He directed them to the right guidance (rushd) for them with His words, And follow what is revealed to you, and be steadfast until God gives judgement, for He is the Best of Judges. To be steadfast in following [what is revealed], is to abandon devisingand self management (tadbīr), for in this [abandonment] there is now [i.e. in this world] deliverance from the vain caprices (ruʿūnāt) of the lower self, and later [i.e. in the next world] salvation from the shame of transgression.His words, Exalted is He:

�then detailed from One Wise, Informed That is, He has made clear His promise [of reward] for obedience and His threat of punishment for disobedience and for persistence therein.His words:

Ask forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance...He said:Seeking forgiveness (istighfār) [entails] the response (ijāba), then contrition (ināba), then repentance (tawba), followed by the seeking of forgiveness. The response is [made] outwardly, the turning [to God] is through the heart, and repentance is through constantly seeking forgivenessfor one�s deficiency in these. �He will give you fair enjoyment. He said, �Renunciation (tark) of creatures (khalq) and drawing near (iqbāl) to God.�His words:

He who desires the life of this world and its adornment, We shall repay them their deeds...Whoever aspires by his actions (ʿamal) to [attain] something other than God, will be granted by God the reward of his actions in this world, but there will remain nothing for him in the Hereafter. For such a person does not devote his actions purely to God, due to his desire for [having] a position in this world. If he but knew that God has placed the world and its people at the service of those who desire the Hereafter, he would not be ostentatious about his acts.Sahl was asked, �What is the hardest thing for the lower self (nafs)?� He replied, �Sincerity (ikhlāṣ).� He was asked why this was so, and he said, �It is because the lower self cannot have a share in it.� He was asked, �Does ostentation (riyāʾ) penetrate the obligatory acts?� He replied:Yes, it may even penetrate faith, which is at the root of obligatory acts, so that [faith itself] is falsified and becomes hypocrisy. So how then will the acts be? Anyone whose outward conduct is not found fault with by a single person but whose real state in his inner self God knows to be the contrary, is being ostentatious without a doubt. His words, Exalted is He:

�and humble themselves before their Lord�That is, their hearts were humbled before their Lord, this being [an indication of] fear (khashiya). Thus humility is its outward [manifestation] and fear its inner state just as the Messenger said, �If his heart had become humble his bodily members would have been subdued.� It was related of Moses that he was once castigating the Children of Israel, when a man from amongst them tore his shirt apart. Then God, Exalted is He, inspired Moses to say to him [on behalf of God], �Do not tear your garment for Me; tear your heart for Me!�His words, Exalted is He:

�and the oven gushed forth... It was an oven of stone, belonging firstly to Adam and then passing on to Noah, and God made the gushing forth of water from it a sign of His punishment. However, He made the gushing forth of the wellsprings of the heart of Muḥammad with the lights of knowledge of differentkinds a [sign of] mercy for his nation, because God, Exalted is He, honoured him with this honour. For the light of the prophets  is from his [Muḥammad�s] light, the light of the heavenly dominions is from his light and the light of this world and the Hereafter is from his light. Whoever truly desires [God�s] love must follow him. God said to His Prophet : Say: �If you love God, follow me, and God will love you� [3:31]. Thus has He made love [consist] of following him [the Prophet], and has made the reward for His servants who follow him His love, which is the highest honour (aʿlā al-karāma).It is related on the authority of Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī that he said: �While we were with the Messenger of God , he approached us and [turned to] face us as if he wished to tell us something.Then he fell into prostration and we prostrated with him at the beginning of the day until around midday, such that some of us could taste the earth through our noses and we remarked to each other, �The Messenger of God has died.� But then he raised his head and said, �God is Great!�, so we said, �God is Great!�. Then someone said to him, �O Messenger of God, we thought you had died and if that had been the case we would not have cared if the sky fell onto the earth.� He said, �My beloved, the Angel Gabriel came to me and said to me, �O Muḥammad, your Lord greets you with peace and gives you the choice between a third of your nation entering Paradise and the right to intercession.

For Abraham was forbearing, tender-hearted, and penitent.He [Sahl] said:God, Exalted is He, gave him [Abraham] a view into the [moments of] activity and repose (ḥaraka wa sukūn) of the natural self (al-nafs al-ṭabīʿiyya), but He did not give him a view of His knowledge, for he was either effaced from [the awareness of it] or abiding in it, so that neither fear nor hope should leave his soul. Thus, when he remembers it [that knowledge], he sighs, and keeps silent regarding the question of the knowledge of his end (khātima), since he has no [power of] choosing (ikhtiyār) with God, Mighty and Majestic is He.Then Sahl said:Fear is male and hope is female, and if one iota of the fear of the fearful (khāʾifūn) were divided among the inhabitants of the earth, they would all attain eternal happiness by it.Then he was asked, �If that is so, how much fear do the fearful have?� He replied, �It is like a mountain,a mountain!�His words, Exalted is He:

�Here are my daughters, they are purer for you... That is, they are more legitimate for you if you marry them, than [your] committing abominableacts. His words, Exalted is He:

�And I do not desire to be different from you in what I forbid you to do... He [Sahl] said:Every possessor of knowledge (ʿālim) who has been given knowledge of evil but does not avoid it is not a [true] possessor of knowledge. Similarly, whoever has been given knowledge of the acts of obedience but does not practise them is not a [true] possessor of knowledge.Somebody asked Sahl, �O Abū Muḥammad, with whom do you instruct me to sit?� He replied, �With one whose limbs [i.e. bodily actions] will guide you, not his tongue.�His words, Exalted is He:

�And were it not for your clan (rahṭ), we would have stoned you...He said: �Muḥammad b. Sawwār related on the authority of Abū ʿAmr b. al-ʿAlāʾ that he said, �A rahṭ is a group of people while a nafr, is a group of men among whom there are no women.� His words, Exalted is He:

And do not incline toward the evildoers�That is, �Do not rely on anything regarding your religion except my Sunna.�His words, Exalted is He:

�And perfect His grace upon you�This means, �By affirming the truth of the dream you had concerning yourself.� His words, Exalted is He:

Yet, comely patience! He said:Patience with contentment (riḍā).He was asked, �What is the sign of this?� He replied, �It is not to regret what has happened.� Then he was asked, �How can one attain comeliness of patience (tajammul bi�l-ṣabr)? He said:By knowing that God, Exalted is He, is with you, and by the comfort of the [concomitant sense of] well-being (bi-rāḥat al-ʿāfiya). Patience may be compared to a bowl which has patience at the top and honey underneath. Then he said:I am amazed at the one who is not patient. How can he not show patience whatever the situationmight be (li�l-ḥāl), when the Lord of Might says: Surely God is with the patient [8:46]?His words, Exalted is He:

�Give him an honourable place. Maybe he will be useful to us� That is, �Perhaps he will be an intercessor for us in the Hereafter.�His words, Exalted is He:

And she certainly desired him, and he would have desired her [too], had it not been that he saw the proof of his Lord.That is, with his natural self (nafs ṭabīʿiyya), he desired and inclined towards her, but with his divinely supported and protected self (nafs al-tawfīq wa�l-ʿiṣma), he desired to escape from her and oppose her. This means that his Lord protected him, and if it had not been for the protection of his Lord, he would have desired her, inclining towards that to which his lower self called [him]. He was protected by witnessing the proof (burhān) of his Lord, Mighty and Majestic is He, this being that the angel Gabriel came in the form of Jacob biting on his finger, upon which Joseph headed for the door while seeking forgiveness. His words, Exalted is He:

And there entered the prison with him two [chivalrous] youths (fatayān)�He [Sahl] said:God, Exalted is He, said [chivalrous] youths because neither of them was excessive in his claim. Rather they gave what was theirs over to their companion and for this He called them fatayān.His words, Exalted is He:

��Mention me to your lord�� He [Sahl] said:It has been related that the angel Gabriel visited Joseph in prison and said to him, �O pure one, son of the pure one, verily God, Exalted is He, has honoured me through you and through your forefathers, and He says to you, �Joseph, did you not feel shame before Me for having sought intercession from someone other than Me? By My Might, I am going to make you remain in prison for several years more.�� He [Joseph] asked Gabriel, �Is He pleased with me?� He replied, �Yes.� So he said, �Then I do not mind.�ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib , used to say: �I and my self are nothing but a shepherd and his flock, each time he gathers them in on one side, they disperse from the other.�His words, Exalted is He:

That is so that he may know that I did not betray him behind his back... He [Sahl] said:[That is], �I did not breach my contract, nor did I disclose a secret [of his] that was concealed.�His words, Exalted is He:

�Yet I do not exculpate my own soul; verily the soul is ever inciting to evil�� He [Sahl] said:Truly, the [evil-]inciting self (nafs ammāra) is lust (shahwa), which is the role played by man�s [basic] nature (ṭabʿ); ��unless my Lord shows mercy�, is the role played by the [divine] protection (ʿiṣma). The self at peace (nafs muṭmaʾinna) is the self of gnosis (nafs al-maʿrifa). God, Exalted is He, created the self and made ignorance its nature (ṭabʿ) and made desire (hawā) the closest thing to it. He also made desire the door by which man�s ruin enters.Sahl was asked about the meaning of [a person�s] nature (ṭabʿ) and how one might necessarily acquire protection from it. He said:Human nature (ṭabʿ) comprises four natural dispositions (ṭabāʾiʿ): the first is the animal disposition(ṭabʿ al-bahāʾim), that of the stomach and genitals; the second is the satanic disposition (ṭabʿ al-shayāṭīn), that of play (laʿb) and diversion (lahw); the third is the sorcerous disposition (ṭabʿ al-saḥara), that of delusion (makr) and deception (khidāʿ); and the fourth is the devilishnature (ṭabʿ al-abālisa), that of refusal (ibāʾ) and arrogance (istikbār). [Divine] protection (ʿiṣma) against the animal disposition is through faith (īmān). Safety (salāma) from the satanic disposition is through glorification (tasbīḥ) and sanctification [of God] (taqdīs), which is the natural disposition of angels. Safety from the sorcerous disposition is through truthfulness (ṣidq), sincere counsel (naṣīḥa), equity (inṣāf) and graciousness (tafaḍḍul). Safety from the devilish nature is through taking refuge (iltijāʾ) in God, Exalted is He, by humbly imploring him (taḍarruʿ) and crying out to Him (ṣarākh). The nature of the intellect (ʿaql) is to have knowledge but the nature of the lower self (nafs) is ignorance. The natural disposition of [human] nature is [to make] pretentious claims (daʿwā).His words, Exalted is He:

�On him I rely... He [Sahl] was asked, �What is the reality of complete trust [in God] (tawakkul)? He replied, �It is to be at ease (istirsāl) with whatever God, Exalted is He, wants.� Then he was asked, �What are the requisites of complete trust?� He said, �The first is knowledge and its reality is acting [on it].� Then he said:Truly the person who has complete trust [in God] (mutawakkil), when he attains it in reality (ʿalā�l-ḥaqīqa), does not eat any food in the knowledge that there is someone who has more of a right to it than himself. His words, Exalted is He:

�The most senior of them said�That is, in intellect, not age.His words, Exalted is He:

�until you are consumed It was related from ʿAlī that he said, �The word ḥaraḍ means affliction due to pain in the heart.�Ibn ʿAbbās y said, �Ḥaraḍ is [severe sickness] close to death. Sahl said:It means being impaired (fāsid) in body and in deed because of grief. His grief was only on account of Joseph�s religion and not for the sake of [Joseph] himself, for he knew that if he died upon his religion he would be united with him in the Hereafter that is everlasting, but if he changed his religion they would never be united ever again. It was related from Sufyān that he said, �Verily when the one bringing good tidings [of Joseph] came to Jacob , he asked him, �What was his religion when you left him?� He replied, �It was the religion of submission to God (islām).� So Jacob said, �Now the blessing is complete.��His words, Exalted is He:

�I complain of my anguish and grief only to God�That is, �My anxiety (hamm) and sorrow (ḥuzn)�.Sahl said:Jacob�s grief was not over Joseph, but it [his grief] was an expression of the deep emotion (wajd) he felt in his heart after being separated from Joseph. For he asked himself, �How great would be the feelings I would experience if I were to be separated from God, Mighty and Majestic is He, when separation from a creature had caused me to act in such a way?� So he complained of his distraction and anguish to God, Exalted is He, and to no one else.His words, Exalted is He:

�And do not despair of God�s [gracious] spirit�The best and highest form of service (khidma) is waiting for relief (intiẓār al-faraj) from God, Exalted is He, as it has been related from Ibn ʿUmar y that the Prophet said: �Waiting for relief with patience is worship (ʿibāda).� The relief for which one waits is of two kinds: one is close (qarīb) and the other distant (baʿīd). That which is close is in the secret that is between the servant and his Lord. That which is distant relates to [that which is between] people, and whoever looks to [relief that is] far away is veiled from what is close at hand. His words, Exalted is He:

�They said, �O mighty Governor, misfortune has befallen us and our family.�� That is, �O great king�, and its inner meaning is: �O you, the one who has conquered himself, just as God, Exalted is He, has said, And overpowered me with his words [38:23], meaning, he conquered me through them. His words, Exalted is He:

��Take me [in death] in a state of submission [to You], and join me to the virtuous.� Sahl said:This entails three things: asking for what is necessary, manifesting one�s poverty, and choosing what is obligatory. What is meant is: �Let me die as one who has committed his affairs over to You and handed over his concerns to You, so that I have no recourse to my lower self under any condition, and do not resort to managing things [for myself] (tadbīr) by means of any secondary cause (sabab) whatsoever.His words, Exalted is He:

And most of them do not believe in God without ascribing partners [to Him].He [Sahl] said:This is referring to the association [of others with God] (shirk) by the self which incites to evil (nafs ammāra), as was [indicated] when the Prophet said, �Association [of others with God] (shirk) in my nation is more hidden than the creeping of an ant over a stone.� This is the inner meaning of the verse. However, the outer meaning of the verse refers to the fact that the polytheists among the Arabs believe in God, just as He has said, If you ask them, who created them, they will certainly say �God��[43:87] Even so they are polytheists who believe in some of the messengers but do not believe in others.His words, Exalted is He:

I call to God being upon sure knowledge�That is, �I convey the message, but I am not in possession of guidance. The guidance is up to You.� Sahl was asked about the words of the Prophet : �The effort of a striving person cannot avail him against You.� He said:Whoever is assiduous in his quest, but finds his assiduity (jidd) is met by an impediment (manʿ) from You, will not be benefitted by striving in his quest.And he said:For sure, the inner truth [or secret, sirr] has not been revealed to people, for if it were disclosed to them then they would have perceived it. Nor have they witnessed [it], for if they had witnessedit, the whole matter would be over, and that is a grave matter. Then he [Sahl] said:The People of �There is no God but God� are many but the sincere among them are few. But God knows best.His words, Exalted is He:

For him are attendants (muʿaqqibāt) in front of him and behind him, guarding him by God�s command�The meaning of muʿaqqibāt is the angels of the night and day, which come one after the other in succession. Guarding him by God�s command�, that is, [preserving] all the good and evil things that He has determined for His servant. Furthermore, they bear witness for [the servant] with fidelity (wafāʾ), and against him with severity (jafāʾ) on the Day of Resurrection.His words, Exalted is He:

It is He that shows you the lightning [inspiring] fear and hope�He [Sahl] said:The following saying is related from Ibn ʿAbbās y: �Thunder is an angel and it is his voice that you hear. As for the lightning, it is a whip of light by which the angel drives the clouds.� Mujāhid also said this. It is reported that ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib said: �Lightning is that with which the angels drive [the clouds] (makhārīq), and thunder is the voice of an angel.� Qatāda said: �Thunder is the sound of the clouds.�His words, Exalted is He:

And the thunder proclaims His praise, and so too the angels are in awe of Him�Thus does He make special mention of the angels. ʿIkrima said: �Thunder is an angel who has been put in charge of the clouds; he drives them along just as a camel herder would do his camels.�Kaʿb reported from ʿUmar that he said, �I heard the Messenger of God say: �Truly, God creates clouds so they speak with the most excellent speech and laugh with a most excellent laugh. Their speech is thunder and their laughter is lightning.�� Abū Bakr said that he asked him , �What would you say regarding a day on which there is a heavy downpour and the sound of the thunder is violent?� He replied, �This is a report of God�s good pleasure (riḍā), Mighty and Majestic is He, so how must be the report of His wrath (ghaḍab). Let us seek refuge in God from His wrath.�His words, Exalted is He:

�Truly, it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace.[In] remembrance (dhikr) with knowledge (ʿilm) there is tranquil repose (sukūn), and [in] remembrance with intellect (ʿaql) there is profound peace (ṭumaʾnīna). He [Sahl] was asked, �And how is that?� He replied:If a servant is maintaining [true] obedience to God, he will be in a state of remembrance (dhākir), but when something occurs to his mind, he will be in a state of severance (qāṭiʿ) [from God]. If he is involved in an act [motivated by] his lower self, and something comes to his heart which guides him to remembrance and obedience, this is the role played by the intellect (mawḍiʿ al-ʿaql).Then he said:Anyone who claims to practise remembrance falls into one of two types. There are those whom the fear of God, Mighty and Majestic is He, never leaves, but who also experience love (ḥubb) and fervour (nashāṭ) in their hearts. They are truly people of remembrance and they live for God, the Hereafter, knowledge and the Sunna. Then there are those who claim to be in a state of fervour, joy and happiness in every situation. They are living for the enemy, this world, ignorance, and innovation and they are the worst of people.His words, Exalted is He:

�Say, �I have been commanded to worship God, and not to associate anything with Him��Sahl was asked: �When does the servant prove true in the station of servanthood (ʿubūdiyya)?� He replied:When he gives up his own management (tadbīr) and becomes satisfied with the management of God, Exalted is He, for him. His words, Exalted is He:

God erases whatever He will and He fixes whatever He will, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.He [Sahl] said:God erases what He wills in the realm of [secondary] causes (asbāb), and fixes what is decreed. And with Him is the Mother of the Book. It is the irrevocable decree (qaḍā) to which nothing may be added and from which nothing may be taken away. His words, Exalted is He:

And he who possesses knowledge of the Book.Sahl said:The Book is noble (ʿazīz), and knowledge of the Book is even nobler, as is acting by it [that knowledge]. Action is noble, but sincerity in action is nobler still. Sincerity (ikhlāṣ) is noble, but witnessing (mushāhada) in [the state of] sincerity is nobler. Being in conformity (muwāfaqa) is noble, but intimacy (uns) in conformity is even nobler. Intimacy is noble, but the proprieties(ādāb) which are appropriate to intimacy are nobler still. And God, Transcendent and Exalted is He, knows best.His words, Exalted is He:

If you are thankful then assuredly I will give you more�He [Sahl] said:Gratitude (shukr) for knowledge is acting (ʿamal) [on this knowledge]. Gratitude for acting [on this knowledge] increases [one�s] knowledge. This is how it always is, and this is its condition.He also said:Gratitude is that you should acknowledge [that] increase. Otherwise gratitude is flawed. The true realisation of weakness (ḥaqīqat al-ʿajz) is in acknowledging it. It is reported that David, said, �How can I thank You when through my gratitude I receive renewed bounty from You?� God replied, �Now you have shown true gratitude towards me.� His words, Exalted is He:

�But God favours whomever He will of His servants�That is, [He favours them] with [the ability to] recite (tilāwa) His Book and understand (fahm) it.His words, Exalted is He:

Have you not seen that God created the heavens and Earth in truth?...He [Sahl] said:He created all things through His omnipotence (qudra), adorned them through His knowledge (ʿilm), and governed them through His wisdom (ḥikma). Thus, to the one who contemplates the Creator through the creation, the wonders of the creation will become apparent. But to the one who contemplates the creation through the Creator, the traces of His omnipotence, the lights of His wisdom and the extent and profundity (balīgh) of His workmanship (ṣanʿa) will be unveiled.His words, Exalted is He:

Have you not seen how God has coined a similitude? A goodly saying is as a goodly tree; its roots set firm and its branches in heaven.He replied:It was related from Ibn ʿAbbās y that the Prophet went out to his Companions while they were discussing the �goodly tree�, and he said: �That is the believer whose root is in the earth and whose branch is in heaven.� This means that his works are raised to the heavens and accepted. This is the similitude that God coined for the believer and the disbeliever. So He said, A goodly saying, that is, a saying of sincerity (ikhlāṣ), is as a goodly tree, that is, the date palm; its roots set firm and its branches in heaven, that is, its branches rise up to heaven. Likewise the root of the works of a believer are in the saying [which attests to] God�s oneness (kalimat al-tawḥīd), which is a firm root whose branches, his works, are raised up to the heavens and accepted, unless there is some deficiency or ill-effect (iḥdāth) in them. However, even then the root of his actions, namely the saying which attests to God�s oneness, is not removed, just as the winds shake the branches of the date palm, but its root remains firmly in place.He likened the actions of a disbeliever to a foul tree (shajara khabītha), saying but an evil saying is as a bad tree [14:26], meaning the colocynth tree (ḥanẓal). It is the foulest on the earth, for it has no roots at all beneath it. Just so is disbelief and hypocrisy, which have no endurance in the Hereafter. Thus, in the treasure houses of God, there is nothing greater than the attestation of God�s oneness (tawḥīd).Sahl was asked about the meaning of �There is no god save God� (lā ilāha illā�Llāh). He said: �There is no bestower of benefit (nāfiʿ) and no defender (dāfiʿ) except God, Exalted is He.�He was asked about islām, īmān and iḥsān. He answered:Islām is the law (ḥukm), īmān is the bond [with God] (waṣl) and iḥsān is the reward (thawāb); and for that reward there is a reward.

It produces its fruit every season (ḥīn), by leave of its Lord�He [Abū Bakr al-Sijzī] said, �Ibn al-Musayyib used to say the word ḥīn is six months. A man posed the question: �I have sworn an oath that my wife will not visit her family for a ḥīn. So what is a ḥīn?� Saʿd said, �The ḥīn lasts from the time that the date palm flowers until the time that its datesripen, or from the time that its dates ripen until it blossoms.� Ibn ʿAbbās y said, �Kulla ḥīn means morning and night.� He is of the same view as Sahl Ibn ʿAbd Allāh who said, �God coined this similitude referring to the people who have gnosis (maʿrifa) of God with regard to their performing His obligations night and day.��Sahl was asked about the meaning of His words:

..If you tried to enumerate God�s favour[s] you could never calculate them�due to the fact that He has made the Emissary the most elevated, and the greatest mediator (wāsiṭa) between you and Him.His words, Exalted is He:

Leave them to eat and enjoy [themselves]. Let them be diverted by [false] hope; for they will come to know.He [Sahl] said:If four [traits] come together in a servant, it will be said to him, �Truly, you will not attain anythingin this affair�: if he likes to eat tasty food, dress in fine clothes, see his command executed and his possessions increase. Of such a one it will be said, �Alas, this is the one who was cut off from God, Exalted is He, by the creation.� It has been related that God revealed to David the following: �Caution and warn your companions about the gratification [lit. consuming, akl] of one�s carnal desires (shahawāt), for verily if hearts are attached to the desires of this world, their intellects (ʿuqūl) will be veiled from Me.� Sahl [then] said:Hope (amal) is the soil of every transgression (maʿṣiya); cupidity (ḥirṣ) is the seed of every transgression, and procrastination (taswīf) is the water of every transgression. Strength (qudra) is the soil of every act of obedience (ṭāʿa), certainty (yaqīn) is the seed of every act of obedience and action (ʿamal) is the water of every act of obedience.He [probably Abū Bakr al-Sijzī] said:Sahl used to intensify his ecstasy (wajd) for seventy days, during which he would not eat anything, while he would order his companions to eat meat once a week so that they would not become too weak for worship. However for him, when he ate he would become weak, and when he became hungry he would gain in strength. He would sweat during the severe cold of winter while wearing only one shirt. If they asked him a question on knowledge he would say, �Don�t ask me questions, for you cannot benefit from my speech at this time.� ʿAbbās b. ʿIṣām came one day while Sahl was saying, �For thirty years I have been speaking to God while people imagine that I�m speaking to them.� His words, Exalted is He:

[All] except those servants of Yours who are sincerely devoted to You. He [Sahl] said:All people are dead, except the learned (ʿulamāʾ) among them; all the learned are asleep, except those among them who act; all those who act are deluded, except the sincere (mukhliṣūn) among them, and the sincere are in great danger. His words, Exalted is He:

�In their drunkenness they were bewildered.That is, in their ignorance (jahl) and error (ḍalāla) they disobey. Know that all acts of disobediencemay be attributed to ignorance, and [all] ignorance may be attributed to intoxication [with the world]. It is said that it [the world] is just like [an] intoxicating drink (muskir).His words, Exalted is He:

Indeed, in that there are signs for those who take note (mutawassimīn).He [Sahl] said:That is, those of spiritual perception (mutafarrisīn). Indeed, it was related from Abū Saʿīd al-Khuḍrī that the Prophet said: �Beware of the spiritual perception (firāsa) of the believer, for verily he sees with the light of God.� Then he recited, �Indeed in that there are signs for those who take note.� His meaning was those who can see into (mutafarrisūn) the secrets (sarāʾir), and an example of this is when ʿUmar said to Sāriya: �The mountain, the mountain!� His words, Exalted is He:

�So be forgiving with gracious forgiveness.He [Abū Bakr al-Sijzī] said, �Muḥammad b. Ḥanafiyya related from ʿAlī that regarding His words, So be forgiving with gracious forgiveness, he said: �It is contentment (riḍā) without reproval (ʿitāb).�� And Sahl said:[One should be] without resentment (ḥiqd) or censure (tawbīkh) after forgiving someone; this is to overlook [someone�s misdeeds] graciously (iʿrāḍ jamīl).His words, Exalted is He:

Those who have reduced the Recitation (Qurʾān) to parts.He [Sahl] said:The outward meaning of the verse is as the commentators have explained. However, its inner meaning concerns the rules (aḥkām) that God, Exalted is He, sent down regarding our hearing, sight and heart[s] (fuʾād), [referred to] in His words, Exalted is He: Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart, each of these it will be asked [17:36]. Thus, they turned away from acting by it, inclining towards the demands of their natural self (nafs al-ṭabʿ). His words, Exalted is He:

By your Lord, We will question them all,He said:In this verse there is specificity (khuṣūṣ) [within the all]. For indeed there are among this nation (umma) those who are gathered up from their graves [and taken] directly to Paradise, who do not attend the reckoning (ḥisāb), or experience any of the horrors [of the day]. They are those of whom God, Exalted is He, says, they will be kept away from it [21:101]. And indeed the Prophet said: �Verily, the friends of God (awliyāʾ Allāh) leave their graves for Paradise and they do not stop for the reckoning, nor do they fear the length of that day. They are the first to reach Paradise. God is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him. That is the great triumph [5:119].�His words, Exalted is He:

So, proclaim what you have been commanded�That is, �Recite the Qurʾān openly in the prayer, as We have revealed it to you.�He was asked: �What is revelation (waḥy)?� He said:It is clandestine [speech] (mastūr). God has said, Exalted is He: They suggest alluring words to each other [6:112], that is, they confide in one another. It can also carry the meaning of inspiration(ilhām), just as when God, Exalted is He, says: And your Lord revealed to the bee [16:68], meaning: He gave it inspiration. His words:

And verily We know that your heart is [at times] oppressed by what they say,! But celebrate the glory of your Lord�That is, �Pray to God, Exalted is He, and remember Him�, for it is as if God, Exalted is He, had said to him: �If your heart is weighed down because of your proximity to the disbelievers and the calumny of that which they are ascribing to Us in the way of adversaries, rivals and partners through their ignorance and envy, then return to the state of witnessing Us (mushāhada) and proximity to Us (qurb) through remembering Us, truly it is with Us that you have proximity, and it is in remembering and witnessing Us that your happiness [lies]. Furthermore, have forbearance with this [suffering], for in it [that forbearance] is My good pleasure (riḍā). It was related that Moses said: �O my Lord! Guide me to an action by which I will gain Your good pleasure.�He continued:Then God sent the revelation to him: �O son of ʿImrān, truly My good pleasure is in [subjecting you to] what you detest, [but] you will not be able to bear that.�He then said:Then Moses fell down in prostration, weeping and said: �O Lord! You privileged me with [hearing] Your speech, for You did not speak to any human being before me, yet You have not guided me to an action by which I can gain Your good pleasure.� Then God, Exalted is He, revealed to him saying: �Verily My good pleasure is in your contentment with My decree (riḍāʾī fī riḍāka bi-qaḍāʾī).�He was asked about His words, Exalted is He:

And verily We know that your heart is [at times] oppressed by what they say,! But celebrate the glory of your Lord�That is, �Pray to God, Exalted is He, and remember Him�, for it is as if God, Exalted is He, had said to him: �If your heart is weighed down because of your proximity to the disbelievers and the calumny of that which they are ascribing to Us in the way of adversaries, rivals and partners through their ignorance and envy, then return to the state of witnessing Us (mushāhada) and proximity to Us (qurb) through remembering Us, truly it is with Us that you have proximity, and it is in remembering and witnessing Us that your happiness [lies]. Furthermore, have forbearance with this [suffering], for in it [that forbearance] is My good pleasure (riḍā). It was related that Moses said: �O my Lord! Guide me to an action by which I will gain Your good pleasure.�He continued:Then God sent the revelation to him: �O son of ʿImrān, truly My good pleasure is in [subjecting you to] what you detest, [but] you will not be able to bear that.�He then said:Then Moses fell down in prostration, weeping and said: �O Lord! You privileged me with [hearing] Your speech, for You did not speak to any human being before me, yet You have not guided me to an action by which I can gain Your good pleasure.� Then God, Exalted is He, revealed to him saying: �Verily My good pleasure is in your contentment with My decree (riḍāʾī fī riḍāka bi-qaḍāʾī).�He was asked about His words, Exalted is He:

�And He creates what you do not know [about].He said:Regarding the outward meaning of the verse, it is as Ibn ʿAbbās y related, that the Prophet said: �Among the things which God, Exalted is He, has created is an earth (arḍ) made from white pearl with a length of a thousand years and a width of a thousand years. There is a mountain on it made of red ruby and that planet is surrounded by a sky. On it there is an angel who has filled its space from East to West, who has 660,000 heads, each head having 660,000 mouths and each mouth having 660,000 tongues, and each of these tongues praises God, Exalted is He, 660,000 times a day. When the Day of Resurrection arrives he [that angel] will behold the greatness (ʿaẓama) of God, Exalted is He, and say: �By Your might and majesty, I have not worshipped You as You deserve to be worshipped.�� God has said, Exalted is He: And He creates what you do not know [about]. The inner meaning of these words [is that] God, glorified be His majesty, has taught you to restrain yourself when your intellect (ʿaql) fails to grasp the effects of [His] creation and the multifarious dimensions of [His] knowledge (funūn al-ʿilm), so that it [your intellect] does not meet them with denial (inkār), for He has created what you do not know about, neither you nor anyone else among His creatures, except those whom God has taught, Mighty and Majestic is He. He was asked about His words:

�and all kinds of fruit...! [And He disposed for you the night and the day and the sun and the moon and the stars.] Surely in that there are signs�He said:This is because the crops [mentioned] are of one species [i.e. fruit], whereas the night and day are two kinds, and likewise are the sun and moon. And He said: �signs in this for people who understand (yaʿqilūn) [16:12]. Know that God, Exalted is He, when He wished to make His knowledge apparent, deposited His knowledge in the intellect (ʿaql). Then He ruled that no one could have access to any of it [His knowledge] except through the intellect. Thus whoever has been deprived of his intellect has also been deprived of knowledge. His words:

�and all kinds of fruit...! [And He disposed for you the night and the day and the sun and the moon and the stars.] Surely in that there are signs�He said:This is because the crops [mentioned] are of one species [i.e. fruit], whereas the night and day are two kinds, and likewise are the sun and moon. And He said: �signs in this for people who understand (yaʿqilūn) [16:12]. Know that God, Exalted is He, when He wished to make His knowledge apparent, deposited His knowledge in the intellect (ʿaql). Then He ruled that no one could have access to any of it [His knowledge] except through the intellect. Thus whoever has been deprived of his intellect has also been deprived of knowledge. His words:

They are dead, not living, and they are not aware�Sahl said:God, Exalted is He, created all creatures. Then He brought them to life by the name (ism) oflife. Then He caused them to die by their ignorance of themselves. Those who live through knowledge are the living; otherwise they are dead through their ignorance.His words, Exalted is He:

And verily We sent forth among every community a messenger, [to say] �Worship God��He said:Worship (ʿibāda) is the adornment of mystics (ʿārifūn). Furthermore, the best that one who is knowledgeable can do in the fields of worship [or servanthood, ʿubūdiyya] and service (khidma) is to give up that which is his [right] (mā lahu) for that which is his duty (mā ʿalayhi). His words:

Whatever grace you have, it is from God. Then when misfortune befalls you, to Him you cry for help.Sahl said:If God put to task the bearers of the Throne, and the angels below them [in rank], along with the prophets and messengers, concerning something they had disregarded among the blessingsthat He had bestowed upon them, He would punish [even] them for that, for God is not unjust.Sahl was asked: �What does God do with His servant when He loves him?� He said:He inspires him to seek forgiveness for his shortcomings and show gratitude for blessings he has received. Truly, they desired with a [wholehearted] intention that they should come to know of the blessings that God, Exalted is He, had bestowed on them, that [their state of] gratitude might endure, and the increase [resulting from that gratitude] might continue.�Then when misfortune befalls you, to Him you cry for help.That is, to Him alone do you call in times of deprivation (faqr) and affliction (balāʾ). [Moreover] this may [itself] be a blessing from God upon you, for if He so wished He could have afflicted you with something severer than that, so in comparison to a severer affliction, it is a blessing, for [under a severer affliction] they would recoil in fear from it, and neither exercise patience (ṣabr) nor show gratitude.It came to our knowledge that God, Exalted is He, revealed to David the words: �Be patient with the provisions (maʾūna) you have [from Me], and you will be granted help (maʿūna) from Me�. His words, Exalted is He:

�So enjoy, for soon you will know.He said:This is a promise from God, Exalted is He, to the disbelievers of Mecca that for their denial, in spite of the blessings that God had bestowed upon them in this world, they will come to know the penalty for that [disbelief] in the Hereafter. This verse is also a severe warning to those who are heedless (ghāfilūn), in accordance with the saying of the Messenger : �Whoever gratifies his insatiable desire (nahma) in this world, will, in the Hereafter, be separated from [the objectof] his desire. For that which was legitimate, there will be an accounting (ḥisāb), and for that which was forbidden, there will be punishment (ʿiqāb).� Indeed, the believers are made to account for what they enjoyed legitimately in excess of their needs. Whoever takes of what is legitimate [only] that which suffices him, falls under the category mentioned by the Prophet when he said, �Worldliness is not in the consumption of a piece of dry bread by which a person abates his hunger, a garment by which he covers his private parts and carries out what is legally binding upon him, or a house which shelters him from the sun and cold in winter.� His words, Exalted is He:

And of the fruits of date-palms and vines from which you draw wine and goodly provision.He [Abū Bakr al-Sijzī] said, �This verse was abrogated by the verse on wine (khamr). Ibrāhīm and Shuʿabī also said this.� Sahl said:As far as I am concerned, wine (sakar) is anything which intoxicates the lower self (nafs) in this world, and for which it [the nafs] does not believe it will be punished in the Hereafter.Abū Ḥamza al-Ṣūfī visited Sahl and he asked him: �Where have you been, Abū Ḥamza?� He replied, �We were with such and such a person who informed us that intoxication is of four kinds.� He said, �Tell me what they are.� [Abū Ḥamza continued], �The intoxication of drink, the intoxication of youth, the intoxication of wealth and the intoxication of authority.� Sahl replied, �There are two kinds of intoxication which he did not inform you about.� He asked, �What are they?� and Sahl answered, �The intoxication of the scholar who loves this world, and the intoxication of the worshipper who loves to be noticed.�His words, Exalted is He:

�And made for you out of your mates, children (banūn) and grandchildren (ḥafada)�He said:The following saying is transmitted from Ibn Masʿūd : �Ḥafada are the in-laws.� According to Ibn ʿAbbās y, children (banūn) refers to the children of the children, and grandchildren (ḥafada) refers to those among them who help their father in his work.According to Ḍaḥḥāk, ḥafada are the servants devoted to God in willing compliance (ījāban), without their asking of anyone except Him.His words:

�We shall add torment upon torment �He said:Jābir b. ʿAbd Allāh related that he asked the Prophet about what this increase [in torment] was. The Messenger of God replied: �The increase is in five rivers which come out from beneath the Throne and fall upon the heads of those among the people of the Hellfire who reject God and His Messenger. Three of them are proportionate to the night in measure, and two of them proportionate to the day in measure. They flow with fire forever, as long as they abide there.�His words, Exalted is He:

Indeed, God enjoins justice (ʿadl) and benevolence (iḥsān) and giving to kinsfolk, (and He forbids you indecency (faḥshāʾ), abomination (munkar) and aggression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed).He said:Justice is professing �There is no god but God and Muḥammad is the Messenger of God�, and adhering to the Sunna of His Prophet ; and benevolence is that you do good to each other; and giving to kinsfolk means that whoever God has provided for in abundance should give to those among his relatives for whom God has made him responsible; indecency (faḥshāʾ), refers to calumny (kadhb), backbiting (ghayba), slander (buhtān) and all other offences of the tongue; and abomination (munkar), refers to the committing of transgressions in the form of actions. He admonishes you, means He instructs you in the finest conduct (adab), and draws your attention to the highest awareness (intibāḥ), so that you make take heed, that is, receive admonishment and refrain [from sins].Sahl [also] said:People are asleep and when they die they awaken. His words:

Whoever acts righteously, whether male or female, and is a believer, him verily, We shall revive with a good life, a new life�He said:Life (ḥayāt) is in the removal from the servant of his contrivance and management [of things] (tadbīr), and his turning back to God�s management of things for him.His words:

Then indeed your Lord � towards those who emigrated after they were persecuted, and then struggled and were steadfast [will be most Forgiving and most Merciful].Sahl said:They emigrated means they left behind the evil company [they had been keeping] after it became clear to them that associating with them was a source of corruption for them. Then they struggledto keep themselves in the company of the people of goodness (khayr). Subsequently, they were steadfast in this and did not go back to the situation they were in at the beginning of events.Once a man asked Sahl, �I have wealth and strength and I want to perform jihād. What do you command me to do?� Sahl answered:Wealth is knowledge (ʿilm), strength is intention (nīya) and jihād is the struggle with the lower self (mujāhadat al-nafs). No one is assured safety concerning what God has forbidden except a prophet or veracious person (ṣiddīq).Abū ʿUthmān was asked the meaning of his [Sahl�s] saying, �Except a prophet or veracious one (ṣiddīq).� He replied, �He does not enter into anything whose safety [or benignity] (ʿāfiya) is in question.His words:

But towards those who did wrong out of ignorance, and afterwards, repent and make amends, your Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.Sahl said:No one ever disobeyed God, Exalted is He, save through ignorance, yet many an act of ignorancegives rise to knowledge. Knowledge is the key to repentance. Making amends (iṣlāḥ) is [a sign of] a sound repentance. Whoever does not make amends as ⸢a part of (fī)⸣ his repentance,[will find] his repentance is soon ruined, for God, Exalted is He, has said, and afterwards, repent and make amends.Sahl was asked about the ignorant person [referred to in the verse]. He said:He is the one who takes himself as his guide (imām), and has no virtuous guide (imām ṣāliḥ) whom he follows.His words:

So be patient: and your patience is only by [the help of] God�Sahl said:Be patient and know that there is no helper (muʿīn) in your affairs except God, Exalted is He. ⸢And God, Exalted is He, knows best⸣. His words, Exalted is He:

�but if you revert, We too revert�Sahl said:It means, �If you revert to transgression, We revert to forgiveness; and if you revert to turning your backs on Us, We revert to advancing towards you; and if you revert to fleeing from Us, We revert to barring the ways [of escape] for you. Return to Us for the way (ṭarīq) is taken care of by Us.� His words:

And man prays for ill as [avidly] as he prays for good...Sahl said:The soundest of supplications is the remembrance (dhikr) [of God], and relinquishing the choice [that is made] through petitioning and supplication, for remembrance [itself] suffices. For it may be that when a person supplicates, he asks for something that will lead to his ruin without realising it. Do you not see that God, Exalted is He, says, And man prays for ill as [avidly] as he prays for good? The one who remembers [God] constantly, and who abandons choice (ikhtiyār), supplication (duʿāʾ) and petitioning (suʾāl), will be granted the best that could be desired, and the ills of petitioning and choice will fall away from him. For this reason the Messenger of God said, �To those whose remembrance of Me kept them from petitioning Me, I will grant the best that petitioners ask for.� His words, Exalted is He:

And We have attached every person�s omen to his neck�He said:[This means] his action[s], that is, of whatever came to be of good or evil.His words:

Read your record! This day your own soul suffices as your own reckoner.He said:The following saying is related from Ḥasan al-Baṣrī: �Prepare for the questioning with an answer, and [be ready] to respond with what is correct. Or else, prepare to have the Fire as your cloak.� ʿUmar said: �Call yourselves to account before you are called to account. Weigh yourselves up before you are weighed up, and prepare for the great [Day of] Exposure before you are exposed.� Sahl was asked about the calling to account (muḥāsaba) and the weighing up (muwāzana). He said:The calling to account is of two kinds: the accounting that concerns those matters which are between the servant and his Lord, and this is in secret; and the accounting that concerns matters that are between him and other people, and that is done openly. The weighing up is when you have before you [the possibility of] two obligatory acts, two Sunna acts, or two supererogatory acts (nafl). After reflecting on which of them will bring you closer to God and is weightier with Him, you start with that act. His words:

Your Lord knows best what is within your souls (nufūsikum)�That is, what is in your hearts (qulūb), because the heart includes the intellect (ʿaql), the self (nafs) and desire (hawā). His words:�If you are righteous, then truly He is Forgiving to those who keep turning [to Him] in repentance.Ibn al-Musayyib said: �The one who turns again and again in penitence (awwāb) is the one who sins, then repents, then sins, then repents, and dies in a state of repentance�. Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said, �The awwāb is the penitent who repents without delay. Indeed he is ready (muhayyaʾ) for repentance at every instant and moment.� It was related on the authority of Ḍamra b. Ḥabīb that the Prophet said: �He for whom a door to goodness has been opened should seize [the opportunity] as he does not know when it will close on him.� This means that he should seriouslyconsider his present moment (waqt) and not procrastinate.His words, Exalted is He:

And do not pursue (lā taqfu) that of which you have no knowledge.That is, �Do not desire (lā tabghī) that about which you have no knowledge�, just as the Prophet said, �We are of the [tribe] of Banū al-Naḍīr b. Kināna. We do not try to trace our origins through our mother, nor do we deny our father.� That is, the father of the Arabs.His words, Exalted is He:

�and they hope for His mercy and fear His chastisement�He said:The outer meaning of His mercy is His Paradise, and its inner meaning is the reality of gnosis (ḥaqīqat al-maʿrifa). Then he said:Truly, fear and hope are two restraining ties (zamāmān) for mankind. If they have equal [sway], a person�s condition [lit. states aḥwāl] will be stabilised, but if one of them preponderates, theother will be cancelled out. Notice how the Prophet said: �If a believer�s hope and fear were weighed they would balance each other.� His words, Exalted is He:

And when distress befalls you at sea, those whom you are wont to invoke are no longer present, except Him�That is, those other than Him from whom you ask relief. Then [eventually] you give up all dependency on your own power (ḥawl) and strength (quwwa) and recognise His power and His strength. This verse is a refutation of the Qadarīs, who claim to have ability for themselves without [the need for] God, Exalted is He. God, Exalted is He, has said, Do you feel secure that He will not cause a slope of land to engulf you, or unleash upon you a storm of pebbles? [17:68] And He said, or unleash upon you a shattering gale to drown you [17:69]. So, if they really have ability (istiṭāʿa), let them repel the punishment from themselves.His words, Exalted is He:

And say, �My Lord make me enter with veracity�� That is, �Make me enter, by virtue of my conveying the Message (risāla), by an entrance of veracity. This signifies that I will not incline to anyone, and that I will not fall short in observing the limits and conditions in conveying it. Also grant me a safe exit [from this world], seeking Your good pleasure in [upholding] it with conformity (muwāfaqa) [to Your will]. And grant me from Yourself a supporting authority (sulṭānan naṣīran).� That is, �Adorn me with the adornmentof Your dominion (jabarūt), so that the authority of truth prevails over them and not the authority of desire.�And on another occasion I heard Sahl say:�And grant me from Yourself a supporting authority [refers to having] a tongue which speaks on the authority of (ʿan) You and no one else.His words, Exalted is He:

�Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration.Sahl said:There is nothing which affects [man�s] innermost secret (sirr) like listening to the Qurʾān. This is due to the fact that when the servant listens, his innermost secret is humbled in submission (khashaʿa), and his heart is illuminated by this with truthful proofs (barāhīn ṣādiqa). Furthermorehis bodily members are adorned with self-abasement (tadhallul) and obedient submission (inqiyād). But God knows best. His words:

�that We may try them, as to which of them is best in conduct. He said:That is, as to which of them is best in their relinquishing of this world and all that leads to distraction (ishtighāl) from God, Exalted is He, and in their humbling themselves (ikhbāt) before Us, their tranquil reliance (sukūn) on Us, their complete trust (tawakkul) in Us, and their advancing (iqbāl) towards Us.He was asked about His word:

�the inscription (al-raqīm)�He said:Al-Raqīm is their leader who is called �the dog� but they do not actually have a dog. God, Exalted is He, said Their dog [lay] stretching his two forelegs on the threshold [18:18]. That is, stretching his two forelegs in command and prohibition. ʿIkrima said, �al-raqīm is the word for inkwell in the Byzantine tongue.� Ḥasan said, �al-Raqīm is the valley in which the Cave is situated�, while Kaʿb said, �al-raqīm is a lead tablet on which is inscribed their names, their genealogies, their religion and from whom they fled.� Al-waṣīd, however, is the threshold.His words, Exalted is He:

��Give us mercy from Yourself��That is, �Keep us in the state of Your remembrance (dhikr).�His words, Exalted is He:

�They were indeed young men who believed in their Lord�Sahl said:He called them young men (fitya) because they believed in Him without [the aid] of any intermediary (wāsiṭa), and they devoted themselves to Him by ridding themselves of all other attachments (ʿalāʾiq). His words, Exalted is He:�And We increased them in guidance.That is, in insight (baṣīra) concerning faith.His words, Exalted is He:

�whomsoever He leads astray, you will not find for him a guiding friend.If God wishes to manifest His [prior] knowledge of a person�s ill-fortune (shaqāwa) by lifting His protection (ʿiṣma) from them, you will not find for that person anyone who can protect them from that.His words, Exalted is He:

�If you had observed them you would have turned away from them in flight, and would have been filled with awe�This means: �If you had observed them through your self, you would have run away from them in fear, but if you had observed them through God, you would have come to know (waqafta) in them the realities of unicity (ḥaqāʾiq al-waḥdāniyya) from Him.�His words, Exalted is He:

�Those who prevailed regarding their affair said�He said:Its outward meaning is a reference to authority [and the power of those who held sway] (wilāya), and its inner meaning refers to the spiritual self (nafs al-rūḥ), the understanding of the intellect(fahm al-ʿaql) and discernment of the heart (fiṭnat al-qalb) [which hold sway] through the remembrance of God, Mighty and Majestic is He.His words, Exalted is He:

�And do not obey him whose heart We have made oblivious to Our remembrance�He said:Heedlessness (ghafla) is wasting time with futile things (biṭāla). And he further said:The heart has a thousand deaths, of which the ultimate is being cut off (qaṭīʿa) from God, Mighty and Majestic is He; and the heart has a thousand lives, of which the ultimate is the encounter (liqāʾ) with God, Mighty and Majestic is He. Furthermore, with each sinful act the heart undergoes a death, and with each act of obedience it receives [new] life.His words, Exalted is He:

�Indeed, We do not let the reward of those of good deeds go to waste.He said:Goodness of conduct (ḥusn al-ʿamal) is maintaining rectitude (istiqāma) [in one�s conduct] by [adhering to] the Sunna. The similitude of the Sunna in this world is that of the Garden in the Hereafter. Whoever enters the Garden is safe. Likewise whoever adheres to the Sunna in this world is preserved from all ills. Mālik b. Anas said, �If a man had committed all the enormities (kabāʾir), but then harboured no desire for any of them nor any innovation, I would be hopeful for him.� Then he said, �Let whoever dies following the Sunna be of good cheer�, three times over.Sahl said:The veils will not be lifted from the servant until he buries his lower self in the earth.He was asked, �How does he bury his lower self?� He replied:He slays it through the Sunna, and also buries it by adhering to the Sunna. This is because every station of the worshippers, such as fear, hope, love, longing, abstinence, contentment and trust, has a limit (ghāya) except for the Sunna, for it has no limit or end.Mattā b. Aḥmad was asked about the meaning of the words: �The Sunna has no limit.� He said, �No one has fear like the fear of the Prophet , and [the same goes for] his love (ḥubb), his longing (shawq), his abstinence (zuhd), his contentment (riḍā), his trust (tawakkul), and his [noble] characteristics (akhlāq). Indeed, God, Exalted is He, has said: Assuredly you possess a magnificent nature [68:4].�He [Sahl] was asked about the meaning of the words of the Prophet , �Make yourselves hungry and denude yourselves.� He replied:Make yourselves hungry for knowledge and denude yourselves of ignorance.His words:

�What God has willed. There is no power except in God...That is, whatever God has willed in His prior knowledge, with which no one is acquainted except God, Exalted is He. There is no power except with God means, �We have no power (quwwa) to perform what You commanded us in principle (fī�l-aṣl), nor do we have success in its practical application (farʿ), nor [can we be sure of having] a praiseworthy end, except with Your aid (maʿūna). This is also a commentary on the words of the Prophet, �There is neither power nor strength except in God�, � that is: �There is no means of security against ignorance concerning the principle, or against persistence [in transgression] resulting from that [ignorance], save through Your protection. Likewise, we have no power to perform what You have commanded us in principle (aṣl), nor security in putting that into practice (fī�l-farʿ), nor of a praiseworthy end except through Your aid�.Sahl was asked, �What is the best thing that a servant can be given?� He said:Knowledge by which he increases in his sense of utter neediness (iftiqār) for God, Mighty and Majestic is He.His words:

What has prevented people from believing, when the guidance has come to them?He said:Guidance (hudā) came to them but the ways of guidance (ṭuruq al-hidāya) had been blocked (masdūd) for them, for guidance (hudā) and faith (īmān) were barred from them by the pre-eternal decree (ḥukm) over them.His words:

Say, �If the ocean were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord, it would run dry��That is, in recording the knowledge of my Lord and His wonders.Then he said:His Book is part of His knowledge, and if a servant was given a thousand ways of understandingeach letter of the Qurʾān, he would not reach the end of God�s knowledge within it. This is because it is His pre-eternal speech, and His speech is one of His attributes, and there is no end to any of His attributes just as He has no end. All that can be comprehended of His speech is as much as He opens to the hearts of His friends.His words:

So whoever hopes to encounter his Lord, let him do virtuous work and not associate anyonewith the worship of his Lord.He said:A virtuous act is that which is free of ostentation (riyāʾ), and bound (muqayyad) by the Sunna. But God, Transcendent and Exalted is He, knows best.His words, Exalted is He:

and compassion from Us... That is, �We did this out of mercy for his [John�s] parents�, and purity��We purified him of the false opinions (ẓunūn) that people hold with regard to Him.� And he was God-fearing, that is, �He advanced towards Us, shunning all other than Us.�He also said:The states (aḥwāl) of the prophets are all pure (maḥḍa). His words:

�I have vowed to the Compassionate One abstinence (ṣawm)�He said:�I have abstained from all [speech] save Your remembrance, [as] when the person observing abstinence asks for comfort in You, and his heart finds repose in You, and no one else. �so I will not talk to any human today.�His words:

And He has made me blessed wherever I may be... That is, I [Jesus] command what is right, forbid what is wrong, guide aright those who are astray, support the oppressed, and give relief to the anxious.His words, Mighty and Majestic is He:

�He did not make me arrogant and wretched.That is, ignorant of His commandments, and disdainful of His worship out of pride. The Prophet said, �Pride (kibriyāʾ) is the cloak of God, and whoever contests with God over it, He will cast face-first into the Fire�� He was asked about His words, Mighty and Majestic is He:

�And brought him near in communion. That is, being secretly called for the unveiling (mukāshafa) from God, [an unveiling] which is not concealed from hearts, in [intimate] conversation (muḥādatha) and loving affection (wudd), just as He said, Exalted is He, Truly those who believe and perform righteous deeds � for them the Compassionate One shall appoint loving affection (wudd) [19:96], meaning that [through] this unveiling, the mysteries (asrār) are received without any mediation (wāsiṭa). This is a stationgiven by God to those who are true and faithful (ṣadaqū) to Him both in secret and openly.His words, Exalted is He:

Gardens of Eden, which the Compassionate One has promised to His servants in the unseen�This means the �visual� beholding (muʿāyana) of God, in the sense of nearness which He appointed between Him and them, so that the servant sees his heart in the proximity of God, witnessed (mashhūd) in the unseen of the unseen (ghayb al-ghayb). The unseen of the unseen is the spiritual self (nafs al-rūḥ), the understanding of the intellect (fahm al-ʿaql), and the discernmentof meaning by the heart (fiṭnat al-murād bi�l-qalb). The spiritual self is the seat of the intellect (ʿaql), which is the seat of the Holy (al-Quds). This Holy is linked with the Throne (ʿarsh), and is one of the names of the Throne. God, Exalted is He, apportioned for the self one part in a thousand parts [i.e. one thousandth] of the spirit (rūḥ) � or rather, even less than that. When the will (irāda) of the spirit becomes the will of the self (nafs) [as in the spiritual self], they are given between them discernment (fiṭna) and intuition (dhihn). Discernment is the guide (imām) of understanding (fahm), and understanding is the guide of intuition (dhihn). Discernment (fiṭna) is life (ḥayāt) and understanding (fahm) is livelihood (ʿaysh).There are but two [kinds of] men who understand the Word [of God]: the first wants to understand so he can speak about it from a position [of authority] and his lot is nothing but that; the other hears it and is occupied with acting upon it to the exclusion of all else. This person is rarer than red sulphur (al-kibrīt al-aḥmar) and more precious than all that is dear. He is among those who love one another for God�s sake (al-mutaḥābbūn fī�Lllāh). Trying to understand (tafahhum) is an exertion of effort (takalluf), yet discernment (fiṭna) cannot be attained through effort, but rather by acting in sincerity (al-ʿamal bi�l-ikhlāṣ) for Him. Truly God, Exalted is He, has servants in Paradise who, if they were veiled from the encounter (liqāʾ) [with their Lord] for a blinking of the eye, would cry out for help against it, just as the inhabitants of the Hellfire plead for help against the Hellfire. This is because they have come to know Him (ʿarafūhu). See how God�s Interlocutor [Moses] http://www.aalalbayt.org) � All Rights Reserved.Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, this work may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the Great Tafsirs Project, Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought ([email protected])       1 2//Changing the Sura Name Combo Box and sending the related values function SoraName_onchange(x) { var h; var h1 ="selected"; h = "<select id=\'Ayat\' name=\'Ayat\' class=\'ComboStyle\' style=\'TOP:0px; WIDTH:170px;height:21px;\'>" var i; for (i=1; i<=ArraySoraAyah[x.value]; i++) { if (i == "61") h += "<option value =" + "\"" + i + "\" " + h1 +" >" + i + "</option>" else h += " <option value =" + "\"" + i + "\"" + ">" + i + "</option>" } h += "</select>" Dom.getElm('AyatCombo').innerHTML = h; if (Dom.getElm('DispFrame') != undefined) { Dom.getElm('DispFrame').style.display = "none"; } if (Dom.getElm('UserMessage') != undefined) { Dom.getElm('UserMessage').style.display = "none"; } /* var Sora = Dom.getElm('SoraName').value; var Ayah = Dom.getElm('Ayat').value; var MadhabNameSub = Dom.getElm('Madhab').value; var TafsirNameSub = Dom.getElm('Tafsir').value; document.HiddenForm.tSoraNo.value = Sora; document.HiddenForm.tAyahNo.value = 1; document.HiddenForm.tMadhNo.value = MadhabNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tTafsirNo.value = TafsirNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tDisplay.value = "no"; document.HiddenForm.UserProfile.value = 0; //document.HiddenForm.submit(); document.location.href = "Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo="+ MadhabNameSub +"&tTafsirNo="+ TafsirNameSub +"&tSoraNo="+ Sora +"&tAyahNo=1&tDisplay=no&UserProfile=0" */ } //Changing the Aya Number Combo Box and sending the related values function fbAyat_onchange() { if (Dom.getElm('DispFrame') != undefined) { Dom.getElm('DispFrame').style.display = "none"; } if (Dom.getElm('UserMessage') != undefined) { Dom.getElm('UserMessage').style.display = "none"; } /* var Sora = Dom.getElm('SoraName').value; var Ayah = Dom.getElm('Ayat').value; var MadhabNameSub = Dom.getElm('Madhab').value; var TafsirNameSub = Dom.getElm('Tafsir').value; if(MadhabNameSub.value != 0 && TafsirNameSub.value != 0) { document.HiddenForm.tSoraNo.value = Sora; document.HiddenForm.tAyahNo.value = Ayah; document.HiddenForm.tMadhNo.value = MadhabNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tTafsirNo.value = TafsirNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tDisplay.value = "no"; document.HiddenForm.UserProfile.value = 0; //document.HiddenForm.submit(); document.location.href = "Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo="+ MadhabNameSub +"&tTafsirNo="+ TafsirNameSub +"&tSoraNo="+ Sora +"&tAyahNo="+ Ayah +"&tDisplay=no&UserProfile=0" } */ } //To send the page number,size and related information function fbInnerLink_onchange(Tafsir,Count,PageSize) { var Sora = Dom.getElm('SoraName'); var Ayah = Dom.getElm('Ayat'); var MadhabNameSub = Dom.getElm('Madhab'); var TafsirNameSub = Dom.getElm('Tafsir'); var LangID = document.getElementById("LangID").value; document.HiddenForm.tSoraNo.value = Sora.value; document.HiddenForm.tAyahNo.value = Ayah.value; document.HiddenForm.tMadhNo.value = MadhabNameSub.value; document.HiddenForm.tTafsirNo.value = Tafsir; document.HiddenForm.tDisplay.value = "yes"; //document.HiddenForm.action=document.HiddenForm.action+'?Page='+Count+'&Size='+PageSize //document.HiddenForm.submit(); document.location.href = "Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo="+ MadhabNameSub.value +"&tTafsirNo="+ Tafsir +"&tSoraNo="+ Sora.value +"&tAyahNo="+ Ayah.value +"&tDisplay=yes&Page="+ Count +"&Size="+ PageSize + "&LanguageId=" + LangID } //Changing the Madhab Name Combo Box and sending the related values function fbMadhab_onchange(y) { var h; var h1 ="selected"; h = "<select id=\'Tafsir\' name=\'Tafsir\' class=\'ComboStyle\' style=\'TOP: 5px; WIDTH: 200px;HEIGHT: 21px;\'>" var i; for (i=0; i<=ArrayMadhabId.length-1; i++) { if ((y.value == 0) || (ArrayMadhabId[i] == y.value)) { if ((ArrayTafsirName[i] == undefined) || (ArrayLang[i] != 2)) { } else { if (ArrayTafsirId[i] == "93") { h += "<option" if (ArrayTableName[i] == "") h += " style=\'color:#808080\'" h += " value =" + "\"" + ArrayTafsirId[i] + "\" " + h1 +" >" + ArrayTafsirName[i] + ArrayDateOfDeath[i]+"</option>" } else { h += "<option" if (ArrayTableName[i] == "") h += " style=\'color:#808080\'" h += " value =" + "\"" + ArrayTafsirId[i] + "\"" + ">" + ArrayTafsirName[i] + ArrayDateOfDeath[i]+"</option>" } } } } h += "</select>" Dom.getElm('TafsirCombo').innerHTML = h; if (Dom.getElm('DispFrame') != undefined) { Dom.getElm('DispFrame').style.display = "none"; } if (Dom.getElm('UserMessage') != undefined) { Dom.getElm('UserMessage').style.display = "none"; } /* var Sora = Dom.getElm('SoraName').value; var Ayah = Dom.getElm('Ayat').value; var MadhabNameSub = Dom.getElm('Madhab').value; var TafsirNameSub = Dom.getElm('Tafsir').value; document.HiddenForm.tSoraNo.value = Sora; document.HiddenForm.tAyahNo.value = Ayah; document.HiddenForm.tMadhNo.value = MadhabNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tTafsirNo.value = TafsirNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tDisplay.value = "no"; document.HiddenForm.UserProfile.value = 0; //document.HiddenForm.submit(); document.location.href = "Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo="+ MadhabNameSub +"&tTafsirNo="+ TafsirNameSub +"&tSoraNo="+ Sora +"&tAyahNo="+ Ayah +"&tDisplay=no&UserProfile=0" */ } //Changing the Tafsir Combo Box and sending the related values function fbTafsir_onchange() { //if (Dom.getElm('DispFrame') != undefined) { // Dom.getElm('DispFrame').style.display = "none"; //} //if (Dom.getElm('UserMessage') != undefined) { // Dom.getElm('UserMessage').style.display = "none"; //} /* var Sora = Dom.getElm('SoraName').value; var Ayah = Dom.getElm('Ayat').value; var MadhabNameSub = Dom.getElm('Madhab').value; var TafsirNameSub = Dom.getElm('Tafsir').value; document.HiddenForm.tSoraNo.value = Sora; document.HiddenForm.tAyahNo.value = Ayah; document.HiddenForm.tMadhNo.value = MadhabNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tTafsirNo.value = TafsirNameSub; document.HiddenForm.tDisplay.value = "no"; document.HiddenForm.UserProfile.value = 0; //document.HiddenForm.submit(); document.location.href = "Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo="+ MadhabNameSub +"&tTafsirNo="+ TafsirNameSub +"&tSoraNo="+ Sora +"&tAyahNo="+ Ayah +"&tDisplay=no&UserProfile=0" */ } //Read Aya var From_Pos ; var To_Pos ; From_Pos =672.8709076;To_Pos =686.0541841 var SoundFile = "/alhuzaifi/s19.mp3" var MoQreeNameGlobal = ""; var StartPosition = "0"; var EndPosition = "0"; var ReadingStatus = ""; var FlagStop = false; var secs function fbReadAyah_onclick() { FlagStop=false; var NSCom = Dom.getElm("NSPlay2"); var Sora = document.Form1.SoraName.value; var Ayah = document.Form1.Ayat.value; var AyahNo = document.Form1.Ayat.value; ReadingStatus = "Ayah"; StartPosition = From_Pos; EndPosition= To_Pos; window.status = "Connecting www.altafsir.com ..."; MoQreeNameGlobal = "�������"; // alert('1'); NSCom.src = "https://www.altafsir.com/QuranMP3/AlHuzaifi/MP3/s19.mp3"; NSCom.currentTime = StartPosition; NSCom.play(); NSCom.addEventListener('timeupdate', function(ev) { if (NSCom.currentTime > EndPosition) { NSCom.pause(); } },false); } //*********************************************** function roundit(Num, Places) { if (Places > 0) { if ((Num.toString().length - Num.toString().lastIndexOf('.')) > (Places + 1)) { var Rounder = Math.pow(10, Places); return Math.round(Num * Rounder) / Rounder; } else return Num; } else return Math.round(Num); } //*********************************************** //To Show that the connection is done function getPosition() { var NSCom = Dom.getElm("NSPlay2") if ((roundit(NSCom.controls.CurrentPosition, 3) >= roundit(StartPosition, 3)) && (roundit(NSCom.controls.CurrentPosition, 3) <= roundit(EndPosition, 3))) { NSCom.settings.volume = 70; if (!FlagStop) { var Geraa,Maqam Geraa="����� ��� �� ����" window.status = "Playing " + Geraa + " ... (" + MoQreeNameGlobal + ") ... " + "����" window.setTimeout("getPosition()", 10); } else { NSCom.controls.pause(); window.status = "Done ..."; return false; } } else if (roundit(NSCom.controls.CurrentPosition, 3) > roundit(EndPosition, 3)) { FlagStop=true; NSCom.controls.pause(); window.status = "Done ..."; return false; } else { NSCom.settings.volume = 0; NSCom.controls.CurrentPosition = roundit(StartPosition, 3); window.status = "Buffering ..."; window.setTimeout("getPosition()", 1000); } } window.status = "Buffering ..."; window.status = "Done ..."; window.status = "Connecting www.altafsir.com ..."; if (Dom.getElm("NSPlay2").playState == 3) { getPosition() } //Sending display parameter function function fbDisplay_onclick() { var Sora = Dom.getElm('SoraName') var Ayah = Dom.getElm('Ayat') var MadhabNameSub = Dom.getElm('Madhab') var TafsirNameSub = Dom.getElm('Tafsir') var LangID = document.getElementById("LangID").value; if(TafsirNameSub.value ==108) { // alert('uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu'); //return false; } if ((MadhabNameSub.value == 0 && TafsirNameSub.value == 0) || (TafsirNameSub.value == "")) { alert("Please Select Tafsir"); Dom.getElm("Tafsir").focus(); } else { document.HiddenForm.tSoraNo.value = Sora.value; document.HiddenForm.tAyahNo.value = Ayah.value; document.HiddenForm.tMadhNo.value = MadhabNameSub.value; document.HiddenForm.tTafsirNo.value = TafsirNameSub.value; document.HiddenForm.tDisplay.value = "yes"; document.HiddenForm.UserProfile.value = 0; //document.HiddenForm.submit(); document.location.href = "Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo="+ MadhabNameSub.value +"&tTafsirNo="+ TafsirNameSub.value +"&tSoraNo="+ Sora.value +"&tAyahNo="+ Ayah.value +"&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=" + LangID } } var get_Pageid = "altafasir1"; Dom.getElm('altafasir1').style.color = "yellow"; var TopImage = new Image(); var h_Links; TopImage = "url(images/HeadersOfPages/EnglisHeads/TopTafasir256.gif)"; Dom.getElm('TopTitle').style.backgroundImage = TopImage; Dom.getElm('ToolBar').style.visibility = "visible"; Dom.getElm('Taf_ToolBar').style.visibility = "hidden"; Dom.getElm('altafasir1').style.color = "yellow"; Dom.getElm('Arabic').style.height="100";//Check Browser & Footer if(checkBrowser() == "IE") setFooterTop = -20; else setFooterTop = -40; SetAllHeights(); //Dom.getElm('FooterLayer').style.left = 330; if (2 == "2") { //Dom.getElm('FooterLayer').style.left = 450; } else //Dom.getElm('FooterLayer').style.left = 330;

And God increases in guidance those who found [right] guidance�He said:This means that God will increase the insight (baṣīra) of those who are guided due to their faith in Him and their emulation (iqtidāʾ) of Muḥammad , and this is an increase in guidance (hudā) and clear light (nūr mubīn).His words, Exalted is He:

Have you not seen that We unleash the devils against the disbelievers to urge them on impetuously?He said:They arouse them, stirring them up to acts of disobedience (maʿāṣī) and they call them to those transgressions by means of that which their lower self desires, due to the abandonment of God�s protection, just as God, Exalted is He, has said in the story of the Accursed One [Satan] (al-Laʿīn): I had no power over you except to call you, and you responded to my call [14:22]. His calling is at different levels. It may be to what is evil or it may be to what is good, just as the Prophet said, �Truly Satan will show one of you seventy doors to goodness just in order to make him enter one door to evil and thereby ruin him.�He [Sahl] continued:Indeed, the Accursed One whispers to all those who perform acts of worship (ahl al-ʿibādāt) and strive [for the good] (aṣḥāb al-jahd), but he has no concern for them; his concern is rather for the one who does not enter into anything without knowing whether it is [spiritually] to his benefit or detriment. It is only with regard to knowledge that worshippers and renunciants (zuhhād) fall into errors, not because of their striving, for [regarding the latter] they do not possess a state in which they might discern [errors] in their relationship with God. When God, Exalted is He, calls a servant to account on the Day of Resurrection, his intellect will remain firm with regard to every action that was done with the knowledge of whether he was in a state of obedience or transgression. However, he will fall into confusion (taḥayyur) and bewilderment (dahsha) on account of whatever he did in a state of ignorance (jahl). This is because, when he knows what state (ḥāl) he is in, his obedience and repentance (tawba) will be acceptable through God�s proof (ḥujja). However, if he does not know [his state] he will fall into confusion and bewilderment, because he acted without anything that could act as proof [for him before God]. Sahl was asked concerning the man who is in a state of remembering God, and the thought (khaṭar) �God is with you� occurs to his heart. He said:It [the thought] is one of three things: it is either an enemy who wishes to cut him off [from God], or his lower self wanting to betray him, or his lower self trying to deceive him. In this case, he should not pay any attention to such thoughts (khawāṭir). His words, Exalted is He:

[Mention] the day on which We shall gather those who are mindful of God to the CompassionateOne, [honoured] on mounts (wafdan).That is, mounted (rukbānan). The mindful of God (muttaqūn) are those who are wary of all besides God, Mighty and Majestic is He.And he said:Nothing will be complete for the servant until he fortifies his work[s] (ʿamal) with fear [of God] (khashiya), his deed[s] (fiʿl) with scrupulous piety (waraʿ), his scrupulous piety with sincerity(ikhlāṣ), his sincerity with contemplative witnessing (mushāhada), and his contemplative witnessing with wariness (taqwā) of all besides God.And he said:Their hearts are too precious to them than that they should see within them anything other than God, Mighty and Majestic is He. Indeed, when God created the heart He said, �I have created you especially for Me.� Thus, these hearts are wanderers (jawwāla); they either circumambulate the Throne, or they wander [aimlessly] in the dry fodder (ḥashsh) [of the desert wilderness.] His words, Exalted is He:

�He knows [that which you keep] secret and that which is yet more hidden (akhfā).He said:That which is yet more hidden than a secret is something which the servant does not [consciously] think about, but thinks about in his sleep [unconsciously].His words, Exalted is He:

�I also have other uses for it. The first one to own the staff was Adam. It came from a myrtle tree in Paradise. Then it was passed down from prophet to prophet until it came to Shuʿayb. Subsequently, when [Shuʿayb] gave Moses his daughter in marriage, he presented the staff to him. Moses used to lean on it, drive his sheep with it, scatter leaves for his sheep with it; then he would take from the tree whatever he wanted with it, and he would send it after lions, wild beasts and the vermin of the earth and it would strike them. If the heat became intense, he would stick it in the ground upright and it would provide shade. When he slept, it would guard over him until he awoke, and if the night was pitch dark, it would light up for him like a torch. When it was a cloudy day and he could not tell the time for prayer, it would give off rays from one of its sides. If he became hungry he would plant it in the earth and it would bear fruit immediately. These were the uses of his staff. Moses mentioned the benefits and uses of the staff that had appeared to him, but God, Exalted is He, intended [to draw his attention to] uses and benefits [of the staff] that were, as yet, hidden from him, such as its turning into a snake, or [Moses�] striking the rock with it so that the springs gushed forth from it, or his striking the sea with it, and other such uses. It was through this that He showed him that the knowledge of people, even when they are supportedby prophecy (nubuwwa), is deficient when compared to God�s knowledge regarding the universe of created things.His words, Exalted is He:

�I cast upon you love from Me... He said:God made apparent his bequest of knowledge to him [Moses] before any works [were done]. He bequeathed for him love (maḥabba) in the hearts of His servants. Thus, thereare hearts that are rewarded before any action and punished before they have even considered[such an action] (qabl al-raʾy), just as a person may experience joy within his soul without knowing the reason for it, or experience sadness without knowing the reason for it.His words, Exalted is He:

�And We tried you with various ordeals� That is, �As trials for your natural self (li-nafsika al-ṭabīʿiyya), and explained them [the tests] to you (bayannāhā) ⸢so that⸣ you should never feel secure from God�s ruse�. His words, Exalted is He:

And I chose you for Myself.That is, �Devote yourself solely (tafarrad) to Me through the stripping away (tajrīd) [of all other], [so that] nothing diverts you from Me.� His words, Exalted is He:

�And do not flag in remembrance of Me That is, �Do not keep abundant remembrance on [your] tongue, whilst being negligent concerningvigilance (murāqaba) in [your] heart.�His words, Exalted is He:

And speak to him gentle words...He said:It was related from Ibn ʿAbbās y that he said, �Moses , when he visited Pharaoh, would say to him, �O Abū Musʿab say: �There is no god except God and I am the Messenger of God�.� Sahl said:Truly God, Exalted is He, invested Moses with the robe of those who possess refined manners (mutaʾaddibūn), and He removed from him the hastiness of those who impulsively rush in (mutahajjimūn), due to the bounty (faḍl) and empowerment (tamkīn) that he found [from God]. However, He did not will for him [Pharaoh] faith (īmān), for had He willed it, He would have said, �So he may believe.� Rather, God, Mighty and Majestic is He, intended by this [command] that Moses should show graciousness (mulāṭafa) through the most beautiful discourse and gentlest speech, for this moves the hearts of all people, just as the Prophet said, �Hearts have been created with the disposition to love those who are good to them and to hate those who do wrong to them.� This was to pre-empt his [Pharaoh�s] argument (ḥujja), and to awaken interest in those among the sorcerers and others whom God knew would be guided.His words, Exalted is He:

He said, �Do not fear, for I shall be with the two of you, hearing and seeing�.He said:God informed them [Moses and Aaron] that He was with them through His regard (naẓar), witnessing every predicament they experience, [and] through His strength (quwwa), aid (maʿūna) and support (taʾyīd). So [He said], �Do not be afraid of conveying the message under any circumstances.�[[20:81] Eat of the good things We have provided for you, but do not transgress regarding them�] His words, Exalted is He, concerning this are [an admonition] that you should eat from them [the good things provided by God] in order to sustain yourselves, and should not satiate yourselvesto the extent that you reach a state of intoxication (sukr) in which you are diverted from the remembrance [of God], for intoxication is forbidden.And he said:Whoever forces hunger upon himself, his blood will decrease in proportion to that, and in proportion to how much his blood decreases, evil suggestions (waswasa) will be blocked from entering his heart. If a mad person forced hunger upon himself he would become sane. The Prophet said, �There is not a vessel more detestable to God than a stomach filled with food.� His words, Exalted is He:

And faces shall be humbled before the Living, the Eternal Sustainer�He said:It means: They are humbled before Him in accordance with their station in gnosis (maʿrifa) of God and their being empowered (tamkīn) for receiving success (tawfīq) from Him.His words:

�then whoever follows My guidance will not go astray, nor fall into misery.He said:That is, following and adhering to the Book and the Sunna. [Such a person] will not deviate from the path of guidance, and will not fall into wretchedness either in the Hereafter or in the present life.His words, Exalted is He:

Nor extend your gaze to what We have given to some pairs among them to enjoy [as] the flower of the life of this world�He said:That is, �Do not direct your attention to that which results in the whispering of Satan, opposition(mukhālafa) to the All-Merciful, cravings (amānī) from the lower self, or acquiescence (sukūn) in what is familiar to one�s [basic] nature (ṭabʿ)�; for each one of these is among the things which cut a person off from the remembrance (dhikr) of God, Mighty and Majestic is He.His words, Exalted is He:

�Ask the People of Remembrance, if you do not know.He said:That is, the people who possess understanding of God and those who have knowledge of God, His commands and His days (ayyām). They said: �Describe them for us.� He replied:Those possessed of knowledge are of three [kinds]. There are those who have knowledge of God but do not know His commandments or His days; they are the generality of the believers. There are those who have knowledge of God and His commandments but not of His days; they are the learned scholars. Then there are those who have knowledge of God, His commandments and His days; they are the prophets and veracious (ṣiddīqūn).His words, Exalted is He:

And now We have sent down [as revelation] to you a Book in which is remembrance that is yours�That is, �[You will find] life (ḥayāt) through acting according to it.�His words, Exalted is He:

They do not [venture to] speak before He speaks, and they act according to His command.He said:Verily God, Exalted is He, has assigned every token of honour (karāmāt) [firstly] to those among His servants who are mindful of Him (muttaqūn), and then to novices (mubtadiʾūn). Then he described them saying They do not [venture to] speak before He speaks, meaning: There is no choice for them along with His choice; they act according to His command, which is outwardly following the Sunna, and inwardly, maintaining vigilence (murāqabat) concerning God.His words:

�We test you with ill and good by way of a trial�He said:Ill (sharr) is the following of the lower self and desire (hawā), without guidance. Good (khayr) is [being granted] protection (ʿiṣma) from disobedience, and assistance (maʿūna) in obedience.His words, Exalted is He:

We said: �O Fire! Be coolness and safety for Abraham. He said:Fire is [generally] authorised to burn; even so it will not burn anyone whom it is not authorised to burn.ʿUmar b. Wāṣil al-ʿAnbarī said, �I was with Sahl one night and removed the wick from the lamp, but in the process a small part of the flame touched my finger, causing me pain. Then Sahl looked at me and put his finger [in the flame] for nearly two hours without feeling any pain and without it having any effect on his finger, saying all the while, �I take refuge in God from the Fire.��His words, Exalted is He:

And [mention] Job, when he called out to his Lord, �Indeed, harm has befallen me��He said:Suffering (ḍurr) is of two kinds: outward suffering (ẓāhir) and inward suffering (bāṭin). The inward kind is a commotion (ḥaraka) and perturbation (iḍṭirāb) [within] the soul (nafs) inresponse to a moving emotional experience (wārid). The outward kind is when [the emotion] that is concealed in a person becomes outwardly apparent. [However], when what is being suffered inwardly settles [within a person, his] exterior becomes still and does not show it, and he patiently endures those pains. But when the interior (bāṭin) becomes unsettled (taḥarraka) under the influence of the [emotional] experience, the person�s exterior will be shaken into weeping and loud cries. His [Job�s] plea to God, Mighty and Majestic is He, is that He grant him assistance in finding acceptance (riḍā) in his heart for that experience. This is because as long as the heart is accepting of God�s command, the servant will not be harmed by his outward reaction. Just consider the instance of the Prophet�s weeping . Note that when he wept on the death of his son Ibrāhīm, he wept for him out of compassion in accordance with his human nature. Yet his physical response did not harm him because his heart was accepting (rāḍin) of it.Sahl used to say to his companions:Say in your supplication (duʿāʾ): �O my Lord, if you cook me, I�ll bear it and if you roast me, I�ll be happy. It is essential that You be known, so favour me with gnosis (maʿrifa) of You.�He was asked about the abode (dār), whether it was an abode of Islam or disbelief. He replied, �The abode is the abode of tribulation (balāʾ) and testing (ikhtibār).� ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Marwazī asked Sahl, �What do you say of a man whose lower self has been calling him to satiate it on the leaves of a lotus tree (sidr) for eighteen days?� Sahl answered, �What do you say of a man whose lower self has been calling him to let him just catch the scent of the leaves of a lotus tree ⸢for twenty-five days⸣?� He said, �ʿAbd al-Raḥmān started at this and became indignant.� His words, Exalted is He:

Indeed the land shall be inherited by My righteous servants.He said:He associated them with Himself and He graced them with the adornment of virtue (ṣalāḥ). What is implied by this is: �Nothing is acceptable to Me except that which is done solely for Me without a trace within it for anyone besides Me.� They are those who have put theirinnermost secret (sarīra) in a good state with God, Exalted is He, and have detached themselves wholeheartedly from all besides Him.His words, Exalted is He:

�Indeed there is in this [Qurʾān] a proclamation for people who are devout�He said:He did not make it a proclamation (balāgh) for all His servants. Rather, He made it especially for the group of people who are [true] worshippers (ʿābidūn). They are those who worship God, Exalted is He, and give their entire being (muhaj) to Him, not for a recompense, nor because of Paradise or Hell, but out of love (ḥubb) [for Him], and taking pride in the fact that He has made them worthy of worshipping Him. But God knows best.His words, Exalted is He:

And among mankind are those who dispute about God without any knowledge�That is, they dispute about religion as their whim (hawā) [dictates], or through analogical [reasoning] (qiyās), without following [exemplary guidance] (iqtidāʾ). By doing this they lead people astray and produce innovation.His words, Exalted is He:

And among mankind there is the one who worships God, as it were, on a knife edge�The believer has one face, without a reverse side; he makes repeated [advances] and never retreats. You will see him striving for the cause of God�s religion and His obedience, upholding God�s oneness and the emulation of His Prophet , constantly making humble entreaty (taḍarruʿ) of God and seeking refuge in Him in the hope of connecting to Him through following [exemplaryguidance]. Zayd b. Aslam related from the Prophet that he said: �Every person of my nation (umma) will enter Paradise, save the one who refuses.� We said, �O Messenger of God who will refuse that?� He said, �Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me has refused to enter Paradise.� His words, Exalted is He:�if good [fortune] befalls him, he is reassured by it�That is, whoever follows [his] desire, if his heart is satisfied and his lower self is happy in its worldly share, he will feel reassured by it. Otherwise he will return to the disbelief that his desire calls him to. His words:

Truly God shall admit those who believe and perform righteous deeds into gardens�He said:They are those who were faithful to God in secret as well as in public, and followed the Sunna of the Prophet and did not innovate in any situation.His words:

�the sun and the moon... He said:The prostration of these things consists of their recognition (maʿrifa) of God [manifested] through their abasing themsleves (tadhallul) and submitting (inqiyād) to Him.His words:

�Purify My House for those who circumambulate it�That is, �Purify My House from idols, for those among My servants whose hearts are pure from doubt (shakk), misgivings (rayb) and hardness (qaswa). Therefore, just as God has commandedthe purification of His House [at Mecca] from idols, so also He has commanded the purification of that house of His in which He deposited the mystery of faith (sirr al-īmān) and the light of gnosis (nūr al-maʿrifa), namely, the heart of the believer. God, Exalted is He, has commanded the believer to purify himself from rancour (ghill), deceit (ghishsh), inclination towards the lusts of the lower self (shahawāt al-nafs) and heedlessness (ghafla). For those who circumambulate it [the Kaʿba], as also for those who uphold the lights of faith, there will be manifold increase in [God-given] success (tawfīq).�And those who bow and prostrate themselvesin fear and hope. Truly the heart ⸢is [like] a house⸣: if it is unoccupied it goes to ruin, and [likewise] if it is occupied by other than its owner, ⸢or by other than one whom the owner has settled there⸣, it will also go to ruin. Therefore, if you wish your hearts to be in good repair, do not let your prayer in them be other than to God, Exalted is He; ⸢if you want to keep your breasts (ṣuḍūr) in good repair, let not anything be in them other than [awareness of] the Hereafter⸣; if you want to preserve your tongues, do not let your prayer on them be other than truthfulness (ṣidq); and if you wish to preserve your bodily members, do not allow them to become engaged with anything other than what is in accordance with the Sunna.His words:

And announce among the people the [season for] Pilgrimage. They shall come to you on foot�Verily God, Exalted is He, has servants among whom some go to mosques on thrones (sarīr), and some ride on conveyances of gold covered with silk and drawn by angels.Aḥmad b. Sālim said, �I was working on a piece of land to improve it, when I saw Sahl on a couch above the water of the Euphrates River.� He also said, �One day I entered Sahl�s house, the door of which was very small, and I saw a horse standing there. Then I left in fright, wondering how it could have entered through such a small door. Sahl saw me and told me to come back, so I returned and saw nothing there.� It has been related that ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb was gazing down on the congregation at ʿArafāt and said, �If only the congregation in this plain knew [the hosts] who have descended, they would have rejoiced at His bounty (faḍl) after [receiving tidings of] being forgiven (maghfira)�. His words:

�And celebrate God�s name, on specified days, over the livestock He has provided for them�[By which] is meant the gifts and sacrifices. It was related of Fatḥ al-Mawṣilī that on the day of Eid he looked down over the city of Mosul and could see smoke rising from many houses, so he said, �O my Lord! How many people are drawing closer to You through sacrifice (qurbān) this night! I have also tried to draw closer to You through sacrifice,� that is to say, through prayers (ṣalawāt). �What will You make of it, O Beloved One?� It was related of ʿAdī b. Thābital-Anṣārī that he said, �The sacrifice of those who are mindful of God (muttaqūn) is prayer.� But God knows best.His words:

�And perform the circumambulation of the Ancient House.He said:People have differed concerning this. Ḥasan said, �He called it Ancient (ʿatīq) to honour it, just as the Arabs speak of an �ancient� body, and an �ancient� horse if it is noble.� My maternal uncle, Muḥammad b. Sawwār, related on the authority of al-Thawrī that he said, �It is called this because it is the oldest (aqdam) and most ancient (aʿtaq) place of worship belonging to God, just as He said: The first House (of worship) to be established for people was that at Bakka, a blessed place [3:96].�Some have said, �He [God] called it ʿatīq because no tyrant ever headed for it with an evil design without God�s destroying him and freeing (aʿtaqa) His House from him. Some have said, �It is because it was saved (uʿtiqa) from being submerged during the great flood and raised to the sky.� Just as God has freed His House, so He has also freed the heart of the believer from other [than Him]. It [the Kaʿba] is older than anything else that God, Exalted is He, erected on His earth as a sign (ʿalam), and He placed it within the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām). Likewise the heart has [within it] another heart, which is the position from which the servant stands before his Master without being agitated or busied by anything, but in a state of tranquil repose in Him (sākin ilayhi).His words, Exalted is He:

�Indeed, it is not the eyes that become blind, but it is their hearts that become blind within the breasts.He said:Is it not true that with the light of the heart�s insight (nūr baṣar al-qalb) a person can overcome desire and lust? But when the heart�s sight is blind to what is within it, lust will overcome him and heedlessness (ghafla) will [afflict] him at regular intervals. Consequently his body will stray into sin without being guided to God under any circumstances.His words, Exalted is He:

We did not send before you any Messenger or prophet but that when he recited [the scripture]Satan cast [something] into his recitation�He said:That is, if he recites [the Scripture] and his lower self notices the recitation, Satan casts [somethinginto it], for he has a partnership with the lower self in this, and that noticing of the recitation comes from the desire of the lower self and its lust. However, if [the person reciting] then witnesses the One remembered (madhkūr) instead of the remembrance [itself] (dhikr), the heart will become oblivious of it [the recitation], and he will not witness anything besides his Master. Consequently Satan will become one of his captives. Do you not see how if a servant is inattentive (sahā) in his recitation (qirāʾa) or in his remembrance of his Lord, Mighty andMajestic is He, his heart acquiesces in the basest pleasures (huẓūẓ) of his lower self and thus can the Enemy [Satan] get at him. Ḥasan said, �The whispering (waswās) is of two kinds, one of which is from the lower self and the other from Satan. That which persists in coming is from the lower self, and assistance against it is sought through fasting, prayer and propriety (adab). However, that which [comes, but then] withdraws (nabdhan) is from Satan, and assistance against it is sought through the recitation of the Qurʾān and remembrance [of God] (dhikr).�His words:

�so that they may believe therein and their hearts may be humbled to Him�He said:True faith (ṣidq al-īmān) and its [true] realisation (ḥaqīqa) produce humility (ikhbāt) within the heart, which consists of tenderness (riqqa), fear (khashiya) and humble submission (khushūʿ) in the heart, and results in long periods of reflection (fikr) and silence (ṣamt). These are among the results of faith, for God, Exalted is He, has said: So that they may believe in it and their hearts may be humbled to Him. And God knows best.His words, Exalted is He:

Indeed, prosperous are the believers,! those who in their prayers are humbly submissive (khāshiʿūn),[Sahl was asked], �What is humble submission?� He replied:Humble submission (khushūʿ) is openly [manifested] (ʿalāniyya). It is to stand before God, Exalted is He, while maintaining the conditions for the finest conduct (ādāb) required by the One who commands (al-Āmir), which is to purge your [moments of] activity (ḥarakāt) and stillness (sukūn) from anything other than Him. The root of this is fear (khashiya) within the innermost secret (sirr). If a person is given fear, humble submission will manifest in his exterior and this is one of the conditions of [true] faith.It has been related of Ḥasan b. ʿAlī y that when he finished his ablutions, the colour of his face would change and he was asked about that. He said, �It is appropriate that the face of the one who intends to enter the presence of the Master of the Throne [God] should change colour.� It is related of the Prophet that he said to Muʿādh, �Truly, the Qurʾān has curbed (qayyada) the believer from much of what his lower self desires, and by God�s permission has come between him and his being ruined by that desire. Indeed, the believer is a captive to whomsoever has a rightful claim over him. O Muʿādh! The believer strives to liberate himself. O Muʿādh! Truly a believer�s fear will not abate, nor his unrest be stilled until he leaves behind him the Traverse over Hell. O Muʿādh! Truly the believer knows that there are observers keeping watch over his hearing, sight, tongue, hands, feet, stomach and genitals, and even the blinking of his eye, the particles of mud on his fingers, the kohl in his eyes and every movement he makes. Mindfulness of God (taqwā) is his companion (rafīq), the Qurʾān is his guide (dalīl), fear (khawf) is his way (maḥajja), longing (shawq) is his riding beast (maṭiyya), dread (wajl) is his emblem (shiʿār), prayer (ṣalāt) is his cave [of refuge] (kahf), fasting (ṣiyām) is his garden [or Paradise] (janna), charity (ṣadaqa) is his source of liberation (fikāk), truthfulness (ṣidq) is his vizier, shame (ḥayāʾ) is his emir, and behind all of these, his Lord is on the look out (bi-mirṣād). O Muʿādh! I wish for you what I wish for myself. I have forbidden you that which Gabriel forbade me. I do not know anyone at all who will join me on the Day of Resurrection and who will be happier than you at what God has granted you.� His words:

Indeed, prosperous are the believers,! those who in their prayers are humbly submissive (khāshiʿūn),[Sahl was asked], �What is humble submission?� He replied:Humble submission (khushūʿ) is openly [manifested] (ʿalāniyya). It is to stand before God, Exalted is He, while maintaining the conditions for the finest conduct (ādāb) required by the One who commands (al-Āmir), which is to purge your [moments of] activity (ḥarakāt) and stillness (sukūn) from anything other than Him. The root of this is fear (khashiya) within the innermost secret (sirr). If a person is given fear, humble submission will manifest in his exterior and this is one of the conditions of [true] faith.It has been related of Ḥasan b. ʿAlī y that when he finished his ablutions, the colour of his face would change and he was asked about that. He said, �It is appropriate that the face of the one who intends to enter the presence of the Master of the Throne [God] should change colour.� It is related of the Prophet that he said to Muʿādh, �Truly, the Qurʾān has curbed (qayyada) the believer from much of what his lower self desires, and by God�s permission has come between him and his being ruined by that desire. Indeed, the believer is a captive to whomsoever has a rightful claim over him. O Muʿādh! The believer strives to liberate himself. O Muʿādh! Truly a believer�s fear will not abate, nor his unrest be stilled until he leaves behind him the Traverse over Hell. O Muʿādh! Truly the believer knows that there are observers keeping watch over his hearing, sight, tongue, hands, feet, stomach and genitals, and even the blinking of his eye, the particles of mud on his fingers, the kohl in his eyes and every movement he makes. Mindfulness of God (taqwā) is his companion (rafīq), the Qurʾān is his guide (dalīl), fear (khawf) is his way (maḥajja), longing (shawq) is his riding beast (maṭiyya), dread (wajl) is his emblem (shiʿār), prayer (ṣalāt) is his cave [of refuge] (kahf), fasting (ṣiyām) is his garden [or Paradise] (janna), charity (ṣadaqa) is his source of liberation (fikāk), truthfulness (ṣidq) is his vizier, shame (ḥayāʾ) is his emir, and behind all of these, his Lord is on the look out (bi-mirṣād). O Muʿādh! I wish for you what I wish for myself. I have forbidden you that which Gabriel forbade me. I do not know anyone at all who will join me on the Day of Resurrection and who will be happier than you at what God has granted you.� His words:

And verily We created above you seven paths�That is, the seven veils (ḥujub) which veil [a person] from his Lord, Mighty and Majestic is He: the first veil is his intellect (ʿaql), the second his knowledge (ʿilm), the third his heart (qalb), the fourth his fear (khashiya), the fifth his self (nafs), the sixth his wish (irāda) and the seventh his will (mashīʾa). The intellect [is a veil] in its preoccupation with the management of the affairsof this world (tadbīr al-dunyā); knowledge because of the vainglory (mubāhāt) [it breeds] among peers; the heart in its heedlessness (ghafla); fear because of its disregard for influxes [of grace from above] (bi-ighfālihā ʿan mawārid al-umūr ʿalayhā) ; the self because it is the haven (maʾwā) for every tribulation (baliyya); the will because it is directed towards this world and turned away from the Hereafter; the wish due to its pursuance of sins.His words:

�Eat of the good things and perform righteous acts�That is, �Eat what is legitimate to sustain yourselves whilst keeping propriety.� Sustenance (qiwām) is that which you need to maintain your body while preserving your heart. Propriety in this is to show gratitude (shukr) to the Bestower of blessings (al-Munʿim). The least amount of gratitude a person should show is not to disobey Him by [abusing] any of the blessings [He has bestowed upon him].His words:

Surely those who are in awe of their Lord are apprehensive,He said: Fear (khashiya) is broken-heartedness (inkisār al-qalb) which comes from constantly standing (intiṣāb) before Him. After this level comes fearful apprehension (ishfāq), which is a milder (araqq) state than fear and more subtle (alṭaf). Fear is milder than dread (khawf) and dread is milder than terror (rahba), but for each one there is a particular characteristic and a place.His words:

�Yet they did not humble themselves to their Lord, nor do they devote themselves to prayer.They did not devote themselves solely to their Lord in worship nor did they abase themselves before Him in His unicity (waḥdāniyya).His words, Exalted is He:

[This is] a sūra which We have revealed and prescribed�That is, We compiled it and expounded within it what is lawful and unlawful.His words, Exalted is He:

�Let them forgive and excuse�That is, �Let them pardon the wrong done to them by people.� It is related from Sufyān al-Thawrī that he said, �God sent the revelation to ʿUzayr: �If you are not good natured such that you are like a morsel in the mouths of the children of Adam, I will not record you among the humble (mutawāḍiʿūn).� ʿUzayr replied, �O my Lord, what is the hallmark of the one whom You have chosen for Your love (mawadda)?� He replied, �I make him content with a meagre provision, and I activate him to [prepare for] the momentous and tremendous [event]. [His hallmark is also that he] eats little and weeps much; he seeks My forgiveness before dawn, and detests the licentious (fujjār) for My sake.��His words:

Vile women are for vile men�Women who have corrupted hearts are for men with corrupted hearts, and men who have corrupted hearts are for women with corrupted hearts.His words:

Say to the believing men to lower their gaze�That is, avert your gaze from that which God, Exalted is He, has forbidden you. This means to avoid any look that lacks a sense of honour. It is related from ʿUbāda b. Ṣāmit that the Prophet said, �If you can safeguard six things, I will guarantee for you entry into Paradise: be truthful when you speak; fulfil whatever you promise; carry out what has been entrusted to you [to do]; keep your chastity; lower your gaze; and refrain from doing harm to anyone.� It is reported that Ibn ʿUmar y was asked, �Did the Messenger of God ever look around during the prayer?� He answered, �Not even outside the prayer [did he look around].�His words:

�And rally to God in repentance, O believers�[Sahl] was asked: �What is repentance (tawba)?� He replied:It is that you exchange your ignorance for knowledge, your forgetfulness for remembrance and your disobedience for obedience.His words, Exalted is He:

God is the light of the heavens and the earth�That is, the One who has adorned the heavens and earth with lights. The likeness of his light means the likeness of the light of Muḥammad . Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said, �He intended by this the heart of the believer and the luminescence (ḍiyāʾ) of professing the divine oneness (tawḥīd), for the hearts of the prophets  are far too brilliant in their light to be described in terms of the likeness of these lights. He said, �The similitude of the light of the Qurʾān is a lamp (miṣbāḥ), a lamp whose candle (sirāj) is gnosis (maʿrifa), whose wick (fatīl) is the religious obligations (farāʾiḍ), whose oil (duhn) is sincerity (ikhlāṣ) and whose light (nūr) is the light of [spiritual] attainment (ittiṣāl). Whenever the sincerity increases in purity, the lamp increases in brightness(ḍiyāʾ); and whenever the religious obligations increase in [inner] realisation (ḥaqīqa), the lamp increases in light (nūr).His words:

�They fear a day when hearts and eyes will be tossed about,That is, the Day of Resurrection, when hearts and eyes will turn over, in one state after another, and will not remain constantly in one state. The believer is the one who fears that Day. Accordingto a saying related from Ḥasan [al-Baṣrī], someone mentioned in his presence, �There is a man who will leave the Hellfire after a thousand years�, to which Ḥasan responded, �If only I were him.� It was related from ʿAwn b. ʿAbd Allāh that he said, �Luqmān counselled his son, saying: �Have hope in God without feeling secure from His ruse (makr) and fear God without despairing of His mercy.� He responded [by asking], �How can I do that when I only have one heart?� He replied: �O my son, the believer has two hearts, one with which he carries hope in God and the other with which he fears Him.�� And God knows best.His words, Exalted is He:

Blessed is He who revealed the Criterion�Sahl said:That is, Majestic and Exalted is He who privileged Muḥammad by revealing to him the Criterion (furqān), that he may distinguish truth from falsehood, friend from foe, and the one who is close [to God] from the one who is remote [from Him]; to His servant, that is, to His purest servant, His most privileged Prophet, His closest beloved, and the foremost of His elect; that he may be to all the worlds a warner, that is, so that he may be a lamp (sirāj) and a light (nūr), by which We guide people to [follow] the rulings of the Qurʾān, so that they can proceed thereby according to the path of truth (ṭarīq al-ḥaqq) and the way of veracity (minhaj al-ṣidq).His words:

�And We have made some of you a trial for others, will you be steadfast? Your Lord is ever Watchful.He said:Verily, God, Exalted is He, has commanded steadfastness (ṣabr) in the face of that in which He has placed a test (fitna) for mankind. From this [steadfastness] comes a diminishing in one�s coveting (iṭrāq) what [other] people possess. Abū Ayyūb related concerning the Prophet that a man came to him ⸢and said �Give me a sermon, in a few words⸣�, so he said, �When you stand for prayer, perform the prayer of one who is bidding farewell; do not say anything which you will be sorry for saying tomorrow; and resolve to give up hope of [attaining] that which other people possess.� Indeed our predecessors used to take full advantage of this [admonition], such that it is related of Ḥudhayfa that he said, �Truly, the most delightful day for me is the day on which I return home and my family complains to me of their need. This is because I heard the Messenger of God say: �Verily God has kept the world from his believing servant, just as the family of a sick person keeps food and drink from him. Indeed, God promises the believer affliction (balāʾ) just as the father promises good things (khayr) for his son.��His words, Exalted is He:

Oh woe is me! Would that I had not taken so and so as a friend!He said:The soundest friendship is that which does not lead to regret (nadāma), and that is nothing less than intimacy (uns) with God, Exalted is He, and seclusion from people. The Messenger of God used to observe seclusion (khalwa) for the sake of the knowledge that God had opened to his heart, for he liked to reflect upon it.Everything will befriend the person whose prayer is good. Such a person will be stirred during sleep at the prayer times so that he awakes. This is done by his brothers among the jinn who have befriended him. They may also accompany him when he travels and give him priority over themselves. The angels may even befriend him. Once a man made a request from Sahl saying, �I really want to keep your company.� He said, �When one of us dies, let whomsoever keeps company with the one who survives, keep his company from then on.� Al-Rabīʿ b. Khaytham was sitting on his porch one day when a stone came flying at him and struck his forehead making a gash in it, upon which he said, �Truly, you have been admonished, O Ibn Khaytham!� Then he entered his home, shutting the door behind him and was not seen seated in that same position up to his death. His words:

Put your trust in the Living One who does not die�Ibn Sālim was asked about trust (tawakkul) and earning (kasb), and through which of these [two]people should serve [God]. He said:Trust (tawakkul) was the state of being (ḥāl) of the Messenger of God and earning was his Sunna. He only established the Sunna of earning for them due to their weakness, after they fell from the rank of trust (tawakkul), which was his state of being. However he did not demote them from the rank of seeking a living through earning, which is his Sunna. Furthermore, had it not been for that [the Sunna of earning] they would have perished. Sahl said:Whoever defames earning (kasb), has defamed the Sunna and whoever defames trust (tawakkul) has defamed faith. His words:

�And when the ignorant address them they say [words of] peace�That is, they say that which is correct and appropriate. Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said: �This was their way during the day. However, during the night they were as God describes them in the next verse, Those who spend the night [in adoration of] their Lord prostrating and standing [25:64].His words:

Except for him who repents�He said:The repentance of not one of you is acceptable until he abstains from much of that which is permissible for fear that it will lead him into something which is not permissible, just as ʿĀʾisha à said, �Put between you and what is forbidden (ḥarām), a screen of that which is permissible (ḥalāl). It was the practise of the Messenger of God to keep away from us for three days after our purification [after menstruation or childbirth] until any possibility of renewed bleeding (fawra) had gone.�His words:

And those who do not give false testimony�He said:False testimony (zūr) is the tribunal of the [heretical] innovators. But God knows best.His words, Exalted is He:

It may be that you kill yourself with grief that they will not become believers.He said:That is, that you would destroy yourself in pursuing what is required for the sake of their guidance,but the decree (ḥukm) has preceded from Us concerning the faith of every believer, and disbelief of every disbeliever, and there will be no change or substitution [in that decree]. The inner meaning of these [words] is: �You have been distracted from Us through your preoccupation with them, out of a desire that they should believe. But you are only responsible for conveying [the Message], so do not let your grief concerning them distract you from Us.�His words:

And there would never come from the Compassionate One any reminder that is new, but that they used to disregard it.He said:That is, whenever there came to them, through revelation, knowledge of the Qurʾān which was new to them and of which they had no prior knowledge, they would turn away from it. This is not to say that the Reminder (dhikr) itself is created (muḥdath), however, for it is from among the attributes of the essence of God, and is therefore neither existentiated (mukawwan) nor created (makhlūq). His words:

��[He] who created me, it is He who guides me,� He said:�He who created me for His adoration guides me to proximity (qurb) with Him.�His words:

and provides me with food and drink,He said:�He feeds me with the joy of faith and gives me to drink from the draught of trust (tawakkul) and of being sufficed (kifāya).� His words:

and when I am sick, it is He who cures me,He said:This means: �If I am stirred into acting by other than Him for other than Him, He protects me [from carrying out that action], and if I incline towards a worldly desire He averts it from me.�His words:

Who will make me die and then give me life [again],He said:�He causes me to die through heedlessness (ghafla), and then gives me life again through remembrance (dhikr).�His words:

�And who, I hope, will forgive my iniquity on the Day of Judgement.�He [Abraham] expressed his words according to the requisites of propriety (adab) [before God], [poised] between fear and hope, and did not [assume] that forgiveness had been predeterminedfor him. His words, Exalted is He:

�And confer on me a worthy repute among posterity,�He said:�Grant me the praise of all nations and hosts.�His words, Mighty and Majestic is He:

except him who brings to God a heart that is sound.He said:[This refers to] the one who is preserved from innovations (bidaʿ), who commits his affairs to God and who is content with God�s decree (qadar).His words, Exalted is He:

Truly they are barred from hearing [it].He said:This means [they are barred] from listening (istimāʿ) to the Qurʾān and understanding (fahm) [where] the commandments and prohibitions [are applicable].His words:

Save those who believe and perform righteous deeds and remember God frequently�He said:God, Exalted is He, created the innermost secret (sirr) and made its life consist in His remembrance.He created the outward self (ẓāhir) and made its life consist in praising (ḥamd) and thanking (shukr) Him. He appointed for both of them duties (ḥuqūq), which are works of obedience (ṭāʿa).His words, Exalted is He:

�Surely in My presence the messengers do not fear,! except he who has wronged [others]�He said:There was never among the prophets and messengers an oppressor. However, this address to them is actually indirectly referring to their people, just as when He said to the Prophet : If you associate others [with God], your work shall surely fail [39:65], those who are intended are his nation (umma), for when they hear this admonition being addressed to the Prophet , they will be even more cautious [concerning themselves].His words, Exalted is He:

�Surely in My presence the messengers do not fear,! except he who has wronged [others]�He said:There was never among the prophets and messengers an oppressor. However, this address to them is actually indirectly referring to their people, just as when He said to the Prophet : If you associate others [with God], your work shall surely fail [39:65], those who are intended are his nation (umma), for when they hear this admonition being addressed to the Prophet , they will be even more cautious [concerning themselves].His words, Exalted is He:

�[And he said] �My Lord, inspire me to be thankful for the blessings You have granted me...� He said:The servant has no right to speak except with the command of his Master, nor strike except with His command, nor walk except with His command, nor eat, sleep or reflect except with His command. This is the best form of gratitude and it is the gratitude of servants to their Master.His words, Exalted is He:�and include me, by Your mercy, among Your righteous servants.He said:This means, �Grant me proximity to Your friends (awliyāʾ) so that I may be among their company,even though I have not reached their station (maqām).�His words, Exalted is He:

So those, then, are their houses [lying] deserted because of the evil that they did�He said:Their houses are an allusion to hearts; for there are hearts which are inhabited (ʿāmir) through remembrance (dhikr), and there are those which are ruined (kharib) through heedlessness (ghafla). Whomsoever God, Mighty and Majestic is He, inspires with [His] remembrance, He has freed from oppression (ẓulm). His words, Exalted is He:

[Say] �Praise be to God and peace be on His servants whom He has chosen...�He said:Peace from God attaches itself to the people of the Qurʾān in this life according to His saying, peace be on His servants; while peace [for them] in the next life [is indicated by] His saying �Peace!� the word from the Lord [who is] Merciful [36:58].His words, Exalted is He:

Or [is] He who answers the destitute one when he calls to Him [better]...? [Sahl] was asked, �Who is the destitute one (muḍṭarr)?� He replied:It is the person who, when he raises his hands [in prayer], does not see himself having any good deeds other than the profession of [God�s] oneness (tawḥīd), and even considers himself in danger [of losing that]. On another occasion he said:The destitute person (muḍṭarr) is the one who has washed his hands of all power (ḥawl), strength (quwwa) and reprehensible means (asbāb madhmūma). Supplication (daʿwa) from mankind is of two kinds, and is answered, without doubt, whether it be from a believer or unbeliever: the supplication of the destitute (muḍṭarr) and the supplication of the oppressed (maẓlūm); for God says, Exalted is He: Or [is] He who answers the destitute one when he calls to Him� [better]?, and He also says, and who provides for you from the heavens and [from] the earth [27:64]. The supplication of the oppressed is raised above the veil, and God, Exalted is He, responds with the words; �By My glory and majesty, I will come to your aid though it may be after a while.� His words:

Say, �No one in the heavens or on earth knows the unseen, except God...�He said:He [God] has concealed His unseen [mystery] (ghayb) from creatures (makhlūqūn) in His [realm of] dominion (jabarūt), lest any of His servants feel secure from His ruse (makr). Thus, no one knows what has been predestined for him by God, lest their concern be with deluding themselves (īhām) concerning the final outcomes (ʿawāqib) and predestined events (majārī al-sawābiq), and, lest they claim for themselves that of which they are not worthy, such as claims of [having attained the station of] love (maḥabba), gnosis (maʿrifa) and so on.He said:There were in Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis) a hundred thousand veracious ones (ṣiddīqūn) publicly known to people, such that the sound of water flowing from the roof gutters could not be heard due to the [noise] of those who were making their spiritual devotions at night [lit. spiritually striving (mujtahidūn)]. But when two things appeared [from them] they asked God, Exalted is He, and He caused them to die. They were: the claim to love (maḥabba) and claim to have trust [in Him] (tawakkul). He was asked about the saying of al-Ḥārith, who stated, �I stay up at night and thirst during the day.� He replied:He means, �I have no need for disclosure (kashf) for this is the lot of the disbelievers in this life, and I do not share with them their lot. This is why I said, �I am a believer��. He [Sahl] was asked about those who say something similar to that which was said by al-Ḥārith. He replied:Their claim is false. How can their claim be acceptable when Abū Bakr and ʿUmar y did not allow themselves to do such a thing, and a hair on their chests is better than al-Ḥārith. However, al-Ḥārith did not say that by himself, rather God brought that out [of him] as a test (fitna) for all those pretentious people (muddaʿūn) who came after him. So how then is it acceptable for these people to claim such things for themselves?His words, Exalted is He:

And surely your Lord is bountiful to mankind�He said:His withholding (manʿ) is a bounty (faḍl), just as His giving (ʿaṭāʾ) is a bounty, but it is only the elite among the friends [of God] (awliyāʾ) who know the situations in which deprivation is a bounty.His words, Exalted is He:

And you see the mountains, supposing them to be fixed�He said:Truly God, Exalted is He, has drawn the attention of His servants to the passing of time and their heedlessness of it. He made the mountains as a representation of the world (dunyā), which appears to the observer to be standing in support of him, when in actual fact it is taking its share from him. When time has run out, nothing will remain except sighs of regret over what is lost to the one who perceived it as standing in support of him, while in reality it was taking [its share from him]. His words, Exalted is He:

�that he might become an enemy and a [cause of] grief for them�That is, they raised him up to be a [cause of] joy and happiness for them, without knowing what the divine omnipotence had concealed within him which would make him become an enemy and a [source of] grief for them.His words, Exalted is He:

The next day, Moses� mother [felt] a void in her heart�That is, she was void of remembrance of other than God, [since she had] reliance on God�s promise, We shall restore him to you [28:7].His words:

�So she watched him from a distance, while they were not aware. That is, at a distance from Our observance of him. His words, Exalted is he:

�My Lord, I am in dire need of whatever good thing You may send me. He returned to God in a state of utter neediness (iftiqār) and humble entreaty (taḍarruʿ) and said, �Truly since You have accustomed me to Your favourable beneficence (iḥsān), I am in need of Your compassion (shafaqa), and of Your looking upon me with the [watchful] eye of [Your] care and protection. So bring me back from the grief and solitude of those who oppose [You] (mukhālifūn) to the intimacy (uns) of those who are in conformity [with You] (muwāfiqūn).� Then God provided for him the companionship of Shuʿayb and his children.His words, Exalted is He:

Whatever things you have been given are only the [short-lived] enjoyment of the life of this world and an ornament thereof�He said:Whoever takes [something] from the world out of his own lust for it, will find that God deprives him of what is better than it both in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever takes from it [the world] out of a necessity [that arises] within himself or to fulfil a duty that is required of him, will not be deprived of what is better in this world, namely, the joy of worship (ʿibāda) and thelove of God, Mighty and Majestic is He, and in the Hereafter of the highest ranks (al-darajāt al-ʿulā). Someone said to ʿĀmir b. ʿAbd al-Qays, �You have contented yourself with just a little from this world.� He replied, �Shall I not inform you of someone who has contented himself with even less than myself?� [Those present] said, �Please do!� He answered, �He who has contented himself with having his share of this world in the Hereafter!� His words:

��Do not gloat, for God does not like people who gloat�� He said:Whoever rejoices without good reason, will draw upon himself sorrow without end. There is no comfort [or rest] for the believer, save in the encounter with God, Mighty and Majestic is He.It was related of al-Aʿmash that he said, �We were witness to a funeral procession and did not know to whom we should offer our condolences due to the grief of all the people [present].�His words, Exalted is He:

[He said] �In fact I have been given it [this wealth] because of knowledge I possess��He said:No one who has regard for himself will triumph; nor a state come into being for anyone who claims to possess it. The fortunate person is he who averts his eye from [looking upon] his states and acts; ⸢to him is opened⸣ the way of receiving grace (faḍl) and being gracious to [others] (ifḍāl), whilst keeping sight of God�s favour in [the accomplishment of] all acts. The wretched person, on the other hand, is the one who makes himself, his states (aḥwāl) and his deeds beautiful [in his eyes], to the point where he becomes proud of them, and then claims [responsibility for] them himself. His disgrace will ruin him one day if it does not ruin him in the present. See how God spoke of Korah with His words: I have been given it [this wealth] because of knowledge I possess, that is, merit (faḍl). This was because he was the most learned among them with regard to the Torah. He claimed merit for himself and so God made the earth beneath him swallow him up. This is the outer meaning [of the verse]. But just how many a person has sunk low through vices (ashrār), whilst being quite unaware of [what he is doing]. Sinking low [through] vices means a person�s being deprived of [divine] protection (ʿiṣma) and being left to his own power (ḥawl) and strength (quwwa), so that his tongue is loosened and he starts to utter great claims. It also means he will be blind to God�s favour, and fail to show gratitude for what he has been given. At this point it will be time for [his] demise.His words, Exalted is He:

Alif Lām Mīm! Do people suppose they will be left to say, �We believe,� without being put to the test?He said:That is, without their being beset by affliction (balāʾ). Truly affliction is a doorway between the people of gnosis (ahl al-maʿrifa) and God, Mighty and Majestic is He. It has been related that the angels say, �O Lord! Your disbelieving servant has had [the goods of] this world made available to him in abundance, while affliction has been kept away from him.� Then He says to the angels, �Reveal his [the unbelieving servant�s] punishment to them [the other angels?].� When they see it they say, �What he gets from the world is not a blessing for him.� Then they say, �O Lord! You keep the world away from Your believing servant and expose him to affliction!� And He says to the angels, �Reveal to the others his [the believing servant�s] reward.� When they see his reward they say, �Whatever he suffers in this world will not harm him.� He [Tustarī] said:Let your prayer (ṣalāt) be forbearance (ṣabr) in the face of suffering (baʾsāʾ), your fasting (ṣawm) be to observe silence (ṣamt), and your charity (ṣadaqa) be to refrain from doing harm [to anybody] (kaff al-adhā). Furthermore, forbearance in [times of] well-being (ʿāfiya) is more difficult than forbearance in [times of] affliction (balāʾ). This saying is also related from him:Seeking safety (salāma) is not exposing yourself to affliction.His words:

Alif Lām Mīm! Do people suppose they will be left to say, �We believe,� without being put to the test?He said:That is, without their being beset by affliction (balāʾ). Truly affliction is a doorway between the people of gnosis (ahl al-maʿrifa) and God, Mighty and Majestic is He. It has been related that the angels say, �O Lord! Your disbelieving servant has had [the goods of] this world made available to him in abundance, while affliction has been kept away from him.� Then He says to the angels, �Reveal his [the unbelieving servant�s] punishment to them [the other angels?].� When they see it they say, �What he gets from the world is not a blessing for him.� Then they say, �O Lord! You keep the world away from Your believing servant and expose him to affliction!� And He says to the angels, �Reveal to the others his [the believing servant�s] reward.� When they see his reward they say, �Whatever he suffers in this world will not harm him.� He [Tustarī] said:Let your prayer (ṣalāt) be forbearance (ṣabr) in the face of suffering (baʾsāʾ), your fasting (ṣawm) be to observe silence (ṣamt), and your charity (ṣadaqa) be to refrain from doing harm [to anybody] (kaff al-adhā). Furthermore, forbearance in [times of] well-being (ʿāfiya) is more difficult than forbearance in [times of] affliction (balāʾ). This saying is also related from him:Seeking safety (salāma) is not exposing yourself to affliction.His words:

�So seek your provision from God�He said:Seek provision (rizq) through trust (tawakkul) not through earning (kasb), for seeking provisionthrough earning is the way of the generality (ʿawāmm). It was related of Jesus son of Mary that he said, �Truly I say to you, neither do you want the world, nor the Hereafter.� They said, �Please explain that to us, O prophet of God, for we previouslythought that we only wanted one of them.� He said, �If you obey the Lord of the world, in whose hands are the keys to its coffers, He will give it to you. Likewise, if you obey the Lord of the Hereafter He will give it to you. However, neither do you want the latter nor the former.� His words, Exalted is He:

He chastises whomever He wishes�by [abandoning him] to follow innovation, and has mercy on whomever He wishes by [assisting him] in adherence to the Sunna.His words, Exalted is He:

And such similitudes We strike for [the sake of] mankind, but none understands them except those who know.He said:The similitudes which God strikes for man are available for everyone [to see], since the evidences of [His] omnipotence (qudra) are [in themselves] proof of the [existence of] the Omnipotent. However, it is only His elect (khāṣṣa) who fully understand them. Thus, knowledge is rare and understanding granted by God (fiqh ʿan Allāh) even rarer. Whoever becomes acquainted with the knowledge ⸢of Him through the knowledge [acquired by]⸣ his natural self (bi-ʿilm nafsihi al-ṭabīʿiyya), will experience Him in a delusory manner. But regarding the one who becomes acquainted with [God] through the knowledge of God, God knows what He willed from him for Himself (fa�Llāhu ʿarafa murādahu minhu li-nafsihi). The creature has no knowledge of God beyond that. This allusion (ishāra) [to similitudes in the verse] was made due to the fact that their hearts are truly far away from knowledge [of God]. Take note of ⸢his words, �If you knew God with a true knowledge of Him (ḥaqq maʿrifatihi) then the mountain would cease to exist by [the power of] your supplication�⸣. His words:

�Truly prayer guards against lewd acts and indecency�This verse refers to the adornment (tazyīn) that [is derived from] shunning all lewd acts and indecency, and this [is attained] through one thing, namely, sincerity (ikhlāṣ) within the prayer (ṣalāt). Every prayer that does not restrain shameful and unjust deeds, and is devoid of the adornment of shunning of these deeds, is defective, and it is incumbent upon the person [in this case] to purify it [his prayer].His words, Exalted is He:

�My earth is [indeed] vast, so worship Me and Me [alone].He said:This means: If transgressions and innovations are the practice in a particular land, then leave it for a land of obedient servants. Indeed the Prophet said: �He who flees for [the sake of] his religion at a time when the community is in a state of corruption, will receive the reward of seventy martyrs in the cause of God, Mighty and Majestic is He.�His words, Exalted is He:

�To God belongs the command, before and after�This means, before everything else [existed], and after everything else [ceases to exist]. This is because He is the One who initiates [everything] (al-Mubdiʾ) and brings it back [to its source] (al-Muʿīd). His arrangement (tadbīr) of [the affairs of] His creatures was antecedent [to them] (sabaqa), for He knows them in their origin (aṣl) and what will proceed from them (farʿ).His words:

God is the One who created you, then provided for you�He said:The most excellent provision (rizq) is tranquil reliance (sukūn) upon the Provider (al-Rāziq).His words:�then makes you die.That is, He will destroy you.He said:Indeed, God, Exalted is He, has created good and evil and established the command and prohibition.He has made us worship Him through the good and linked that to success (tawfīq), while He has forbidden us from evil and linked the perpetration of it to the relinquishing of [His] protection (ʿiṣma), and abandonment (khidhlān) [by Him]. All of these are of His creation.Whoever is successful in [doing] good has a duty to show gratitude (shukr), and whoever has been left to do evil must ⸢repent and⸣ cry out for God�s help, Mighty and Majestic is He.His words, Exalted is He:

Corruption has appeared on land and sea�He said:God, Exalted is He, has made the land a similitude of the bodily members and the sea a similitudeof the heart. It [the sea, and therefore the heart] is more widely beneficial (aʿamm nafʿan), and much more dangerous (akthar khaṭaran). This is the inner meaning of the verse � do you not see that the heart (qalb) was thus named due to its tendency to turn (taqallub), and due to the extent of its depth (ghawr). This is why the Prophet said to Abū al-Dardāʾ , �Overhaul the ship, for the sea is deep.� In other words, �Make afresh your intention (nīya) for God, Exalted is He, from your heart, for the sea is deep.� Therefore [with this renewed intention(nīya)], when the trafficking (muʿāmala) goes on in the hearts, which [as we have seen] are [like] seas, the self will leave its place at the centre, and the bodily members will come torest. Thereafter, with each day, the possessor of [the sea of the heart] will find himself closer to its ultimate depth and further away from his self until he reaches ⸢Him⸣. He was asked about the meaning of the [saying of] the Prophet , �Whoever humbles himself before a person of wealth will lose two thirds of his religion.� He replied:The heart has three stations: the principal part (jumhūr) of the heart; the station of the tongue in relationship to the heart, and the station of the bodily members in relationship to the heart. His words, �has lost two thirds of his religion� means that two out of the three were involved, the tongue and the rest of the bodily members, but the principal part of the heart remained in its place, for no one can reach that because it is the seat of his faith (īmān) within the heart.Then he said:Truly, the heart is delicate (raqīq) and everything affects it, so guard over it carefully, and fear God with it.He was asked, �When does the heart become purified of all corruption (fasād) ?� He replied:It does not become purified until it abandons all conjecture (ẓann) and scheming (ḥiyal) � for it is as if scheming in the eyes of your Lord is [as bad] as a major sin to our eyes.

So behold the effects of God�s mercy�In its outer meaning it refers to the rain, and in its inner meaning it alludes to the life of hearts through remembrance (dhikr). But God, Transcendent and Exalted is He, knows best.His words, Exalted is He:

But among people there is he who purchases idle talk, without knowledge, to mislead�He said:This refers to disputing in [matters of] religion and plunging into falsehood (bāṭil).His words:

�and follow the way of him who returns to Me [in penitence]�This means that anyone who has not been guided to the path [that leads] to God, Mighty and Majestic is He, should follow in the footsteps of the virtuous (ṣāliḥūn), so that the blessing (baraka) of following them may lead him to the path of God. Do you not see how the dog of the Companions of the Cave benefitted by following those virtuous ones, to the point that God, Exalted is He, repeatedly mentioned it in a good light? Indeed, the Prophet said in a ḥadīth in this regard, �Anyone who keeps their company will not be among the wretched.� His words:

Do not turn your cheek disdainfully from people...That is, �Do not turn your back on one who seeks from you guidance on the path to Us. Acquaint them of My grace and goodness towards them.�His words:

�for the most abominable of all voices is the braying of an ass.⸢Sufyān al-Thawrī said, �The voice[s] of all things glorify [God] except for the voice of the ass (ḥimār),⸣ for it screeches on account of seeing Satan, and this is why God, Exalted is He, calls it abominable (munkar).

�and He has showered His favours upon you, [both] outwardly and inwardly�Outwardly it refers to the love of the virtuous and inwardly it refers to the heart�s tranquil repose (sukūn) in God, Exalted is He.His words:

And whoever surrenders his purpose to God and does good (muḥsin)�He said:[That is,] whoever purifies (akhlaṣa) his religion for God, Mighty and Majestic is He, and accomplishes well the propriety (adab) of sincerity (ikhlāṣ) [has certainly grasped] the firmest handhold, this being the Sunna.His words:

�No soul knows what it will reap tomorrow...That is, [no soul knows] what [counts] for and against it in the preordainment of the unseen (maqdūr al-ghayb). So, be wary of [what has been preordained] by upholding His remembrance and crying out to Him for help, until He takes it upon Himself to take care of your affair, just as He has said: God erases and confirms whatever He will. [13:39]His words, Exalted is He:

He directs the command from the heaven to the earth�He said:He reveals to His servants from His knowledge that which is a means of guidance (hudā) and salvation (najāt) for them. The person who is content with the destined provision (rizq al-qaḍāʾ) resulting from God�s management [of things] (tadbīr) for him, will have the evil of his own devising (tadbīr) disposed of and removed from him. Thus [God] will have returned him to a state of contentment (riḍā) with the divine decree (qaḍāʾ), and rectitude (istiqāma) in the face of the unfolding course of what is destined for him. [Such people] are among those who are brought into proximity [with Him] (muqarrabūn). Truly, God, Exalted is He, created people without any veil, and then made their devising [for themselves] (tadbīr) into their veil. His words, Exalted is He:

If it had been Our will, We would have given every soul its [means to] guidance�He said:If it had been Our will, We would have brought to fulfilment all that the people of truth call for, and invalidated the arguments of the people of falsehood (mubṭalūn).His words, Exalted is He:

Only those believe in Our signs, who, when they are reminded of them, fall down in prostration�He said:The servant will not experience the joy of faith until his knowledge vanquishes his ignorance, ⸢his [awareness of] the Hereafter dominates⸣ his heart, his compassion ⸢rules over his anger, and mercy is upon his heart.⸣ His words, Exalted is He:

Their sides withdraw from their beds�Verily, God, Exalted is He, bestowed on a people a gift (hiba), which is that He brought them close to Him to call upon Him [in intimate proximity] (munājātihi). Then he made them the people who are a means (wasīla) and connection (ṣila) [to] Him, and then He praised them ⸢for this,⸣ as a manifestation of [His] generosity, in that He granted them success in what He assisted them in doing. So He said, Their sides withdraw from their beds.His words, Exalted is He:�[while] they supplicate their Lord in fear and in hope�He said:That is, in fear of being separated (hijrān) from Him, and in the hope of meeting (liqāʾ) Him.His words, Mighty and Majestic is He:

No person knows what delights of the eye are kept hidden [in reserve] for them� He said:Their eyes ⸢delight⸣ at the outward and inward realities that they witness, which are revealed to them in the way of ⸢knowledge (ʿulūm)⸣ of unveiling (mukāshafa). So they behold them and hold on to them such that their eyes delight and their hearts find tranquil repose in them. Others, however are unaware of what is hidden [in reserve] for them. But God, Glorified and Exalted is He, knows best.His words, Exalted is He:

God has not placed two hearts inside any man�He said:The one who has directed himself to God, Mighty and Majestic is He, and is intent upon (qaṣdan) [Him], [does not] avert his gaze (iltifāt) [from Him]. For whoever pays attention to anything other than God is not truly intent upon his Lord. Indeed God, Exalted is He, says, God has not placed two hearts inside any man�It has been said:[That is, he does not have] one heart (qalb) with which he approaches God, and another heart with which he manages the affairs of this world. [On the other hand], the intellect (ʿaql) does have two natures (ṭabʿān): a nature which is orientated towards this world, and a nature which is orientated towards the Hereafter. The nature which is orientated to the Hereafter is in coalition (mūʾtalif) with the spiritual self (nafs al-rūḥ), whereas [the intellect�s] worldly-orientated nature is in coalition with the lustful self (nafs shahwāniyya). It was due to this that the Prophet [prayed], �Do not leave me to my self for the blinking of an eye.� For truly the servant, ⸢as long as he is occupied with God, will be veiled from himself, and⸣ as long as he is occupied with himself will be veiled from God, Mighty and Majestic is He.His words, Exalted is He:

The Prophet is closer to the believers than their [own] souls� He said:Whoever does not see himself [or his soul] as belonging to the Messenger and does not see the patronage (wilāya) of the Messenger in every situation, has in no way tasted the sweetnessof his Sunna. This is because the Prophet is the closest to the believers, and the Prophet says, �None of you believes until I am dearer to him than his soul, his wealth, his children and everyone else.� His words, Exalted is He:

so that He may question the truthful (ṣādiqīn) about their veracity. And he has prepared for those who disbelieve a painful chastisement. ʿAbd al-Wāḥid b. Zayd said:Veracity (ṣidq) is being faithful (wafāʾ) to God in your act[s].Sahl was asked about veracity and said:Veracity is fear concerning [our] end (khātima), and patience (ṣabr) is the proof [lit. witness (shāhid)] of veracity. Truly, veracity is hard for the veracious (ṣiddīqūn), sincerity (ikhlāṣ) is hard for the sincere (mukhliṣūn), and repentance (tawba) is hard for the repentant (tāʾibūn), for these three require [extraordinary] exertion of the spirit (badhl al-rūḥ). Aḥmad b. Mattā was asked about its meaning [ṣidq] and said:It is that there no longer remains a share for a person�s lower self.Sahl said:No one will get a whiff of the fragrance of veracity as long as he panders to his lower self or to others. Rather, veracity is that a person feels in his innermost secret (sirr) that there is no one on the face of the earth from whom God has demanded servanthood besides him. Furthermore, his hope is his fear, and his fear is [of] his demise (intiqāl). Then when God, Exalted is He, sees them [the veracious] in this state, He takes upon himself the care of their affairs (tawallā umūrahum) and suffices for them (kafāhum), and every hair on their bodies speaks [as one] with God (maʿa�Llāh) in gnosis (maʿrifa). Thereafter God, Exalted is He, says to them on the Day of Judgement, �For whom did you work, and what did you desire?� They will reply, �We worked for You, and You alone did we desire.� He will say to them, �You have spoken the truth.� And by His Might, His words of testimony affirming their veracity are a greater source of joy to them than the bliss of Paradise.Aḥmad b. Mattā was asked about the meaning of his [Sahl�s] saying, that the hope of veracity is his fear, and that his fear is [of] his demise (intiqāl). He said:It is because veracity (ṣidq) is their hope and what they seek, but they fear that they are not veracious in their quest (ṭalab), so that God will not accept it from them. He has said regarding this: and [those] who give what they give while their hearts tremble [with awe] [23:60], meaning that they are in trepidation while doing acts of obedience, for fear that they will suffer rejection.His words:

For Muslim men and women�He said:Faith (īmān) is superior to surrender (islām), but mindfulness of God (taqwā) within faith is superior to faith. Certainty (yaqīn) within mindfulness of God is superior to mindfulness of God, but veracity (ṣidq) within certainty is superior to certainty. Truly, you have taken a firm hold on the lowest (adnā) [of these], so you must not by any means let that escape from you.He also said:Faith in God is established (thābit) in the heart, and certainty is firmly rooted (rāsikh) [in it] through veracity (ṣidq). Veracity of the eye is refraining from looking at all that is forbidden. Veracity of the tongue is relinquishing engagement in that which is meaningless. Veracity of the hand is not extending it to seize what is forbidden. Veracity of the feet is refraining fromwalking in quest of indecent acts. The truth of veracity (ḥaqīqat al-ṣidq) in ⸢the heart⸣ is that it constantly reflects on the past and refrains from regarding what is to come. Verily, God, Exalted is He, has granted the veracious (ṣiddīqūn) so much knowledge that if they spoke of it, the ocean would dry up with their speech. They are hidden and do not appear in public before people, except when it is [absolutely] necessary for them, and until a virtuous [servant] (ṣāliḥ) appears, at which point they make themselves known, and teach the learned (ʿulamāʾ) from their different branches of knowledge.His words, Exalted is He:�and the men who remember God often and the women who remember God often�The one who observes true remembrance (al-dhākir ʿalā�l-ḥaqīqa) is he who is aware that God witnesses him. He perceives Him with his heart as being close to him, and therefore feels shame before Him. Then he gives Him priority over himself and over everything else in every situation.On another occasion Sahl was asked, �What is remembrance (dhikr)?� He said, �Obedience (ṭāʿa).� Then someone asked, �What is obedience?� He replied, �Sincerity (ikhlāṣ).� Then he was asked, �What is sincerity?� and he answered, �Witnessing (mushāhada).� Someone then asked, �What is witnessing?�He replied, �Servanthood (ʿubūdiyya).� Then they asked: �What is servanthood?� He answered, �Contentment (riḍā).� Then they asked, �What is contentment?� He replied, �Neediness (iftiqār).� He was asked: �What is neediness?� and he said, �It is humble entreaty (taḍarruʿ) and seeking refuge [in Him] (iltijāʾ). Submit! Submit, until death!�Ibn Sālim said:Remembrance is of three kinds: remembrance of the tongue, and that is a good deed (ḥasana) which is rewarded tenfold; remembrance of the heart, and that is a good deed which is rewarded seven-hundred fold; and a form of remembrance whose reward is beyond being weighed, and that is being filled with love [of God] (maḥabba).His words:

�and God�s commandment is an inexorable destiny,That is, it is known before it befalls you. Is anyone able to avoid what is determined [for him]? ʿUmar said after he was stabbed, ��And God�s commandment is an inexorable destiny. Indeed, the Messenger of God informed me that they would do this to me.� It was related from al-Ḍaḥḥāk that two angels descend from heaven, one of them carrying a scroll with writing on it and the other one carrying a scroll without any writing on it. [The latter] records the servant�s actions and what he leaves behind. When he [the latter] intends to ascend again, he says to his companion [carrying the scroll with writing on it], �Show me [what is in your scroll]� and he shows him, [and he sees] that there are no mistakes, not even as to a letter. His words:

He will rectify your deeds for you and forgive you your sins�He said:When God gives someone success in enabling him to perform good deeds, this is a sign that he is forgiven, for God, Exalted is He, has said: He will rectify your deeds for you and forgive you your sins. But God, Transcendent and Exalted is He, knows best.His words, Exalted is He:

Nor is it your wealth or children that will bring you nearer to Us in proximity (zulfā)� He said:Al-zulfā is proximity to God, Exalted is He.His words, Exalted is He:[34:39] ��and whatever thing you may expend [for good] He will replace it...�He said:There will be a replacement (khalaf) of what has been spent, along with the intimacy (uns) of living with God (ʿaysh maʿa�Llāh), Exalted is He, and delighting in that.His words:

Say, �My Lord extends provision to whomever He wills of His servants, and restricts it for him��He said:Provision (rizq) is of two kinds: a provision that is remembrance [providing nourishment] for the spiritual self (nafs al-rūḥ), the intellect (ʿaql) and the heart (qalb), which resembles the sustenance of the angels � their very life (ʿaysh) is in remembrance, and were this to be withheldfrom them they would perish. The other kind of provision is that which is eaten, drunk and so on for the benefit of one�s [physical] nature (ṭabʿ). It is this kind which falls under what is permitted (ḥalāl) or prohibited (ḥarām). The legitimate is that which God, Exalted is He, has provided for us, and commanded us to partake of. The prohibited, on the other hand, is what God, Exalted is He, has provided but forbidden, and this is the portion of the Fire. And I do not know anything more difficult than averting the harm [of others] (kaff al-adhā) and adhering to what is permitted.His words, Exalted is He:

Say, �I will give you [one] admonition: that you stand before God, in twos and singly...�He said:The reckoning on the Day of Resurrection is [an appraisal of] four things: veracity (ṣidq) in speech, sincerity (ikhlāṣ) in actions, rectitude (istiqāma) with God in all affairs, and heedfulness(murāqaba) of God in every situation. But, God, Glorified and Exalted is He, knows best. His words, Exalted is He:

�He [Satan] only summons his adherents�That is, Satan summons to him those who obey him among the people of whims (ahwāʾ), innovations (bidaʿ) and abberations (ḍalālāt), along with those who listen to such things from one who propounds them.His words:

�To Him ascends the good word, and as for righteous conduct, He raises it up�He said:Its outer meaning is supplication (duʿāʾ) and charity (ṣadaqa), and its inner meaning is remembrance(dhikr), while acting upon what you know and advancing through [following] the Sunna. He raises it up means, He makes it reach [Him] due to the presence within it of sincerity towards God, Exalted is He.His words:

O mankind! It is you who stand in need of God�He said:That is, �You [depend] upon Him in your very selves, for truly when God created all creatures He imposed upon His servants neediness (faqr) for Him, while He is the Rich and Independent (al-Ghanī). Furthermore, whoever claims to be wealthy has been veiled from God, Mighty and Majestic is He. On the other hand, whoever shows his need for God, will find that He joins his need to His wealth. The servant should feel the need for Him in his innermost secret (sirr), cutting himself off from all other than Him, so that his servanthood (ʿubūdiyya) becomes pure (maḥḍa); for pure servanthood is self-abasement (dhull) and humble submission (khuḍūʿ).He was asked, �How does one show one�s need for Him?� He said:The neediness takes three [forms]: [the servants�] showing [awareness] of having been needy from pre-eternity (faqruhum al-qadīm); their showing need in their state (faqr ḥālihim), and their showing neediness through the death of the self to its [own] devising and managing [of things] (tadbīr). Whoever does not come up to [these standards] is false in his claim to neediness.He also said:The truly needful [person] (al-faqīr al-ṣādiq) is the one who does not ask [for things except from God] (lā yasʾalu), does not turn down [that which has been granted to him by God] (lā yaruddu), and does not hold back [from giving in the path of God when asked] (lā yaḥbisu).ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz said that the friends of God can be described [as having] three characteristics[lit. things]: confidence (thiqa) in God, Exalted is He, in everything; showing neediness for Him (faqr ilayhi) in everything; and taking refuge in Him (rujūʿ ilayhi) from everything.His words:

Then We gave the Book as inheritance to those of Our servants whom We chose. [Yet among them is the one who has wronged himself, the one who is in the middle position and the one who is foremost in good deeds�]ʿUmar b. Wāṣil stated that he heard heard Sahl say:The one who is foremost (sābiq) is the one who is learned; one who is in the middle position (muqtaṣid) is the one who is learning (mutaʿallim), and the one who has wronged himself (ẓālim) is the one who is ignorant (jāhil).He also said:The one who is foremost is he who is only preoccupied with his Hereafter; the one who is in the middle position is the one who is preoccupied with his Hereafter and his life in this world; but the wrongdoer is he who is preoccupied only with his worldly life, without any concern for his Hereafter. Ḥasan al-Baṣrī (may God have mercy on him) said the foremost are those whose good deeds outweigh their misdeeds, those who are in the middle position are the ones whose good deeds and misdeeds balance each other, while the wrongdoers are those whose misdeeds outweigh their good deeds.His words:

�Praise be to God, who has removed from us (all) sorrow�That is, the sorrow of being cut off [from God] (ḥuzn al-qaṭīʿa). �Truly our Lord is Forgiving, Appreciative, that is, He forgives abundant sins, and shows appreciation for insignificant works.His words, Exalted is He:

You can only warn him who follows the Remembrance, and fears the Compassionate One in secret�He said:The one who worships God in his innermost secret (sirr), will be endowed with certainty (yaqīn) by God. The one who worships God with a truthful tongue, will find his heart ascends to the very Throne. The one who worships God with equity (inṣāf), will have the heavens and the earth weigh [in his favour]. He was asked, �What is equity (inṣāf) [in worship]?� He replied:It is that none of your bodily members moves unless it be for God. Furthermore, when you ask Him for the next day�s provision (rizq), your equity has left you, for the heart cannot bear two concerns (hammān). Equity between you and other people is when you take from them with the attitude that you are receiving a favour. However, if you demand to be treated justly, that means you are not being equitable. It was related of John the Baptist and Jesus that they went out walking, and John bumped into a woman, upon which Jesus said to him, �O son of my maternal aunt! Today you have committed a grave sin for which I do not think God will forgive you.� He responded, �And what is that?� He said, �You bumped into a woman.� He said, �By God, I did not notice her.� Jesus said �Glory be to God! Your body is with me but where is your heart?� He said, �It is attached to the Throne, and if my heart were to find rest with the angel Gabriel for just a blinking of the eye, I would consider myself as not having known God, Mighty and Majestic is He.�His words:

�And why should I not worship the One who created Me�� He [Sahl] was asked about the best form of worship and replied:It is sincerity (ikhlāṣ), in accordance with His words, And they were only commanded to worship God alone, devoting religion purely to Him (mukhliṣīna lahu al-dīn) [98:5]. No one�s actions become truly sincere, nor his worship whole, as long as he tries to evade four things: hunger (jūʿ), nakedness (ʿury), poverty (faqr) and abasement (dhilla). Indeed, God, Exalted is He, made his servants worship Him through the following three: the intellect (ʿaql), the spirit (rūḥ) and [physical] strength (quwwa). If he is afraid of [losing] two of these, the loss of intellect and theloss of the spirit, then he should take pains to perform well [the acts of worship]. As for [the loss of] physical strength, then there is no taking pains to perform them or learn them well, even if he prays seated. His words, Exalted is He:

If it had been Our will, We could have taken away their sight�He said:This means: �If We so willed We could gouge out the eyes of their hearts by which they perceived disbelief (kufr) and its path, so that they could only perceive Islam and nothing else.� �but how would they have seen? the path of Islam if He did not do that.His words:

�It is just a Reminder and a Qurʾān that makes things clear,He said:It is a reminder (dhikr) and a [source of] contemplation (tafakkur). But God, Glorified and Exalted is He, knows best.His words, Exalted is He:

when he came to his Lord with a sound heart (qalb salīm). That is, in a state of self-surrender (mustaslim), having committed his affairs to his Lord, resorting[to Him] through his innermost secret (sirr) in every situation.His words, Exalted is He:

And he cast a glance at the stars (nujūm)! And he said, �Indeed I feel sick.�He said:It is narrated from Muḥammad b. Sawwār from ʿAmr b. al-Aʿlāʾ who said, �Its meaning is that he looked at the plants (nabāt), as in His words, and the plants (najm) and trees (shajar) bow in prostration [55:6], intending by the word najm, plants which have no trunk, and by the word shajar, those which have a trunk.� His words:

And he cast a glance at the stars (nujūm)! And he said, �Indeed I feel sick.�He said:It is narrated from Muḥammad b. Sawwār from ʿAmr b. al-Aʿlāʾ who said, �Its meaning is that he looked at the plants (nabāt), as in His words, and the plants (najm) and trees (shajar) bow in prostration [55:6], intending by the word najm, plants which have no trunk, and by the word shajar, those which have a trunk.� His words:

Truly this was indeed a clear test.He said:That is, a trial of mercy (balāʾ al-raḥma). Do you not see how God sent him [Abraham] in a state of contentment (riḍā)? He said:We have heard that the following is written in the Psalms, �I did not decree anything for a believer which he either liked or detested without its being good for him.� And it is related that God, Exalted is He, revealed the following to Abraham , �There is no one [whose provision in this world] I have increased, but that I have decreased by the same proportion [his provision] in the Hereafter, and that goes for you also, My true friend.� Abū Yaʿqūb al-Sūsī relates, �A faqīr came to us while we were in Arrajān and Sahl b. ʿAbd Allāh happenedto be there also on that day. He [the faqīr] said, �You are the people of [God�s] special care (ahl al-ʿināya). Indeed, a severe trial and affliction (miḥna) has descended upon me.� Sahl said to him, �In the registry of afflictions, it descended only after you exposed yourself to this matter. So what is it?� He replied, �Something of this world opened itself up to me, so I took possession of it to the exclusion of my family and thus lost my faith and my [spiritual] state (ḥāl).� Sahl said, �What do you say concerning this, O Abū Yaʿqūb?� I replied, �The affliction was more intense [for him] regarding [the loss of] his state than regarding [the loss of] his faith.� Sahl responded, �A person like you would say that O Abū Yaʿqūb.�� Sahl was asked about the [spiritual] state (ḥāl). He replied:The state of remembrance (dhikr) [at the level of] knowledge (ʿilm) is tranquil repose [in God] (sukūn), and the state of remembrance [at the level of] the intellect (ʿaql) is profound peace (ṭumaʾnīna). The state of mindfulness of God (taqwā) [at the level of] Islam [consists of observing]the limits [of the law] (ḥudūd), and the state of mindfulness of God [at the level of] faith (īmān) is profound peace (ṭumaʾnīna). If the servant has a state, and an affliction visits him, and he then asks for relief through a state lower than the one he is in, that counts as a defilement (ḥadath) from him.He was asked, �Why is that?�, and he said, �It is like someone who is hungry asking for satiation, because the rank of the hungry is higher.� His words:

Then We ransomed him with a mighty sacrifice. He said:When Abraham loved his son with a natural human [love], God�s favour (faḍl) and protection(ʿiṣma) corrected him, such that He commanded him to sacrifice his son, though the intention [of this command] was not the realisation of the sacrifice, but rather the aim was to purge his innermost secret (sirr) from the love of other than Him by the most effective means. Then when He had purified his innermost secret for Himself, so that he desisted from following his natural habit (ʿādat al-ṭabʿ), He ransomed him with a mighty sacrifice.His words:

And had he not been one of those who glorify God, He said:That is, among those who upheld the rights (ḥuqūq) of God, Exalted is He, before affliction (balāʾ) came. But God, Glorified and Exalted is He, knows best.His words, Exalted is He:

Ṣād. By the Qurʾān endowed with the Remembrance!He said:That is, endowed with healing power (al-shaʾn al-shāfī) and sufficient admonition (al-waʿẓ al-kāfī).His words:

��Walk away! And stand by (iṣbirū) your gods�� He said:This is the reprehensible form of forbearance (ṣabr), for which God has reprimanded the disbelievers.Indeed, I heard him [Sahl] say:Forbearance (ṣabr) is on four levels: forbearance in obedience (ṭāʿa), forbearance with suffering(alam), forbearance with pain (taʾallum), and lastly, the reprehensible kind of forbearance, which is that of persistence (iqāma) in opposing [the truth] (mukhālafa). His words:

And We strengthened his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and decisive speech (faṣl al-khiṭāb). He said:God only gave him [David] this when he asked Him to raise his rank to the rank enjoyed by Ishmael and Isaac. He said, �You are not on that level, O David. However, I am giving you a high rank for your wisdom, and articulation in speech (fāṣila)� � this being the saying: ammā baʿd (to proceed), which he was the first to say. Quss b. Sāʿida was the one who followed the precedent of saying this [ammā baʿd]. It has also been said decisive speech (faṣl al-khiṭāb) is lucidity (bayān) and faith (īmān). His words:We strengthened his kingdom�He said:That is, with justice (ʿadl) and with virtuous ministers to rule over it with goodness, just as the Messenger said, �Truly, if God, Exalted is He, wills good for a ruler, He grants him a truthful minister (wazīr ṣadūq) who reminds him when he forgets, and assists him when he remembers.�His words:

�He fell down on his knees and repented.He said:Turning often to God in contrition (ināba) is returning from heedlessness to remembrance with a broken heart (inkisār al-qalb) and the anticipation of [His] loathing (intiẓār al-maqt).His words:

�and do not follow [your] desire, lest it then lead you astray from the way of God�He said:That is, the darkness of desire which obscures the lights of the intuition of the self (dhihn al-nafs), the spirit (rūḥ), the understanding of the intellect (fahm al-ʿaql), and the discernment of the heart (fiṭnat al-qalb). Similarly, the Prophet said: �Truly, [when followed], desire (hawā) and lust (shahwa) overwhelm the intellect, knowledge,� and lucidity (bayān), due to the pre-eternal ordainment of God, Exalted is He. His words:

(He [Solomon] said) �Lo! I have preferred the love of the good things [of this world] over the remembrance of my Lord��He said:[Over] the afternoon prayer and its [prescribed] time. His words:

��O my Lord! Forgive me, and grant me a kingdom which shall not belong to anyone after me...�He said:God, Exalted is He, inspired Solomon to ask for a kingdom which would not be attainable by anyone after him, that He might shatter thereby the tyrants, the unbelievers, those who transgress against their Lord, and those among jinn and men who claim to possess power by themselves. Thus, the question was posed by Solomon , in accordance with God�s choice for him, and not following his own choice for himself. His words:

Assuredly We purified them with a pure [thought]: the remembrance of the Abode. He said:He purified Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac from the remembrance (dhikr) of this world through a remembrance of Him, purely for [His sake] (khāliṣatan), not for the attainment of recompense(jazāʾ). Neither did they witness themselves in it [their remembrance]; rather, they remembered Him through Him and for Him. Furthermore, the one who remembers God through God (bi�Llāh) is not like the one who remembers God through the remembrance of God (bi-dhikri�Llāh). But God, Glorified and Exalted is He, knows best.His words, Exalted is He: