Chapter on the Stations of Those Who Observe the Rights of God

If he was engaged in an obligation and an [equally] obligatory duty presented itself to him that was more incumbent than what he would interrupt — he interrupted it for what was more incumbent.

And if a supererogatory act presented itself to him while he was engaged in an obligatory duty, he did not interrupt it for its sake.

And likewise with voluntary acts and supererogatory works: he would begin with the most meritorious, then the next most meritorious, as they were recorded for him and according to the levels of precedence.

Chapter on the Stations of the People of Observance of the Rights of God Most High

I said: The people of taqwā (God-consciousness) — from among the people of observance of the rights of God, Mighty and Glorious — and those who uphold them: are they at a single station or at diverse stations?

He said: At diverse stations, and they are seven stations:

The first of the stations of observance regarding the rights of God, Mighty and Glorious, is vigilance over the qalb (heart) — regarding the causes, the occasions, the circumstances, the times, the intentions, and the obligations concerning what has been mentioned to you.

The people of the second station are those who were heedless of observance at the moments of passing thoughts in the works of the hearts — matters in which the body has no action — until their hearts wandered through reflection, then they remembered God, Mighty and Glorious, and became alert before their hearts held fast to those thoughts, and they were alarmed and turned their hearts away from that.

And the people of the third station: those who were heedless of observance and murāqaba (vigilant self-watchfulness) at the moments of passing thoughts and at the moment of reflection in the works of their hearts, until they held fast in the works of their hearts to what God, Mighty and Glorious, detests — matters in which the body has no action — such as self-conceit, arrogance, envy, malicious glee, evil suspicion, and what resembles that of innovation. Then they became alert and were alarmed and remembered God, Mighty and Glorious, and they felt remorse and relinquished what they had resolved upon, through tawba (repentance) to God, Mighty and Glorious, from that.

The people of the fourth station:

Those who were heedless of muraqaba (vigilant awareness) of God, Almighty and Glorious, and of observance of what is due to Him (ri'aya li-haqqihi), until they resolved to commit with their limbs what God, Almighty and Glorious, detests. Then they became alert and fearful, and they felt remorse over what they had harbored inwardly and resolved upon, and they abandoned what they had persisted in from the binding intentions of their inner hearts (dama'ir) and their hearts (qulub).

The people of the fifth station:

Those who were heedless of the vigilant awareness of God, Almighty and Glorious, and of His taqwa (mindful fear of God), until they began to act with their limbs in what God, Almighty and Glorious, detests — whether a glance with the eye, or listening attentively with the ear, or a step with the foot, or [a deed] with the hand. Then they became alarmed and fearful of God, Almighty and Glorious, before completing what God, Almighty and Glorious, detests of the deed.

Such as the eye that glances, then one recalls the awareness of God, Almighty and Glorious, over him, and that God will question him about it, or one fears that He will be angered by it, so one turns away one's gaze before one completes gazing at what one desired and loved.

Likewise, one listens with one's hearing to what God, Almighty and Glorious, detests, then one remembers God, Almighty and Glorious, and turns one's hearing away from that, and abandons what one's soul loved, out of fear of God, Almighty and Glorious, before completing it.

Likewise, one begins to speak with the tongue, then one remembers God, Almighty and Glorious, and cuts short one's speech, not completing what one intended of it.

Likewise, one extends the hand, then one remembers God, Almighty and Glorious, and withholds it from what God, Almighty and Glorious, detests, before completing what one intended.

Likewise, one steps with the foot, then one remembers God, Almighty and Glorious, and stops, abandoning walking toward what God, Almighty and Glorious, detests, before attaining the completion of what one intended of that.

And indeed that is reckoned against him, for he has heard Him say: «And you are not engaged in any matter, nor do you recite any portion of the Quran, nor do you perform any deed, but We are witnesses over you» [Yunus 10:61]. His awareness [of them] makes them wary, and stirs in them modesty before Him (haya'), awe (mahaba), reverence (ijlal) for Him, and dread (rahba) of Him — «when you are engaged therein» [Yunus 10:61].

It has been reported from al-Hasan that he said in the interpretation of that: "When you begin a deed, know that God — may He be glorified — informed us that He knows what we do, and He sees us when we commence it and before that." But He intended that you be modest before Him because of His knowledge of that, so that he does not plunge into what He detests. Then if he does plunge into it, the mention of His awareness [of him] — that he abandon what he is engaged in before being ashamed out of fear of Him, modesty (haya'), and reverence (ijlal) for God — exalted and glorified — «there is nothing like Him» [al-Shura 42:11], no equal to Him and no likeness.

The People of the Sixth Station

Are those who were heedless of muraqaba (vigilant awareness) of God — exalted and glorified — and of His taqwa (mindful reverence of God), until they immersed themselves in what God — exalted and glorified — detests of deeds, and they completed it and finished with it. Then they were alarmed and felt remorse, and they repented to God — exalted and glorified — and desisted, and they did not persist in anything of what God detests. After they awoke, they came to know what they had done and that they had angered God — exalted and glorified — by what they had done, and they turned away [from it].

The People of the Seventh Station

Are those who were heedless of the observance (ri'aya) of the rights of God — exalted and glorified — to the point of performing deeds that God — exalted and glorified — detests. Then they were alarmed at some of them and desisted from some of them, but persisted in some of them, soothing their souls with repentance. They may be alarmed at a single deed and claim the pleasure of God — exalted and glorified — out of fear, yet their souls are not at ease through repentance from some of it.

This is like a man who takes up work in the service of the sultan — in tax collection, secretarial duties, and the like — and thereby wrongs people. Then he is alarmed and resolves not to wrong anyone, yet his soul is not at ease with leaving his office or his post of authority.

Or like a man who drinks intoxicants along with debauchery, and loves the playing of stringed instruments and singing, or who drinks to the accompaniment of the lute and singing without debauchery in it. Then he is alarmed at that and regrets the playing of the stringed instruments and the singing, but does not regret the drinking of intoxicants, and he cannot endure patiently without it, and he is unable to abandon it. Perhaps he interprets [the law] in a way that permits it. And likewise he drinks it, and then regrets abandoning the prayer, so he leaves the prayer and intends not to drink except at a time when he can still perform the prayer.

Or he drinks and becomes intoxicated, and he intends to drink [only a little] and not to drink much of it — while drinking it is, in his view, forbidden — but he is unable to resolve to abandon it entirely.