Chapter on What the Seeker Must Bind Himself To

[damaged] his soul and debased it.

If he wills his soul to do that, burdening it with performing obedience to God such that no one knows of it, yet it refuses him and does not comply with him.

It has been narrated concerning a man that he presented to his soul during the days of Bābak [al-Khurramī], while he was fighting the Muslims. He said to his soul: "Would you be content to be killed at Bābak's gate without anyone knowing of that?" But it refused and said: "The likes of Bābak's gate — to be killed without anyone knowing of it!"

Chapter on what the murīd (aspirant) must bind his soul to

I said: What is most fitting for him to bind his qalb (heart) to before the deed, during it, and after it?

He said: That he should perform the deed not wanting anyone to know of it except God, Exalted and Glorious, being content with God's knowledge alone, Exalted and Glorious, to the exclusion of the knowledge of any other. For rarely is anyone content with God's knowledge, Exalted and Glorious, except one who fears God, Exalted and Glorious.

For when the servant intends a deed — whether from the deeds of his limbs, or a deed in his inward, or he initiates therein reflection of the kind that produces weeping and sorrows — the soul grows restless that he should be performing

Your nafs (self) would seethe with agitation over that, saying to you: The like of this virtue — no one should be informed of it! For if they knew, you would have attained a lofty station in their eyes. And the servant does not realize that in this lies the lowering of his rank before God, Exalted and Glorious.

So let him be content with the knowledge of God, Exalted and Glorious. If someone becomes aware of it and informs others about it, let him prevent his heart from finding ease and delight. And if his natural disposition overcomes him toward ease and delight, let him detest that and prevent his heart from inclining toward it.

Then let him remain ever vigilant until he finishes his deed, then refrain from displaying it, and let him prevent his heart from seeking that people recognize the righteousness that they know of his righteousness and his virtue. And along with all of that, let him be apprehensive that God might have counted them against him while he forgot them and was heedless of them — Exalted and Glorious is He upon him.

I said: You have described the work of the self in public acts, such as the funeral prayer, seeking food, and voluntary prayer on Friday or in the mosques where people can see.

He said: The like of that is that his self should be content with the knowledge of God, Exalted and Glorious, and not rejoice in people's knowledge of it when they learn of it — because he intends thereby the reward of God, Exalted and Glorious, which is His good pleasure and Paradise. For the servant's joy that one who does not possess the mercy of God, Exalted and Glorious, nor His Paradise knows of his deeds is an indication that he does not seek the pleasure of God nor His Paradise. Let him observe all that I have explained to you of this with his heart and guard his limbs.