Chapter on Knowing the Strength of Ikhlas
He saw that he had patiently persevered in the constant pursuit of spiritual struggle, so God, Exalted and Glorious, [bestowed upon him] victory and assistance. At that point, the impulses of desire (hawā) become still, and whatever of them arises, arises with weakness and scarcity. The impulses of the heart grow in taqwā (God-consciousness), and resolve is strengthened. So when a passing thought of riyā' (ostentation) arises, he dispels it quickly without struggle or exertion.
I said: There comes a state in which there is a severe trial and tempting circumstances, and passing thoughts multiply therein to the point that the servant can scarcely free himself from them — such as a great desire and a momentous matter of the heart that the generality of creation cannot attain — and the whisperings become as though entangled upon the heart. How does one repel that?
He said: When the servant is tested with that, let him remember God, Exalted and Glorious, and the greatness of His power, and the smallness of the power of created beings in comparison to the greatness of God's power, Exalted and Glorious. And let him remember that all benefits are in His hand, and that the power of creation over their own benefits is passing away from them, and that their powers are diminished. And let him recall God's awareness, Exalted and Glorious, after recalling the greatness of His power. For if he does that, the passing thoughts will clear away just as the winds tear the clouds from the sky, and just as the winds sweep the dust from the clear rock.
Chapter on Knowing the Strength of Ikhlāṣ (Sincerity) and the Dispelling of the Passing Thought When It Arises, and Overcoming the Contention of the Soul
I said: If I detest the passing thought and do not accept it, what is the proof that the ikhlāṣ in my heart is predominant over the contention of the soul and its desire, while there is more in it of ostentation than the contention of the soul?
He said: Know that the one who wills for the sake of God, Exalted and Glorious, and for the servants — the two intentions may be equal in his heart. But when he detests that, the intention becomes for God, Exalted and Glorious, accompanied by aversion. So there were two meanings: the contention of the soul
Chapter on Riya' (Ostentation)
The two types [of people] occupy a single station with regard to riya' (ostentation), in terms of swiftness and slowness. And it is a merit that they are four persons. He said:
Among them is one who repels riya' (ostentation) swiftly, due to the strength of his resolve.
And among them is one who persists in mujahada (spiritual struggle).
And among them is one who repels the passing thought. When the enemy sees him thus, he does not covet that which would nullify his deed, but rather he seeks to obtain from him whatever diminishes his prayer and the like, in the way of merit and nobility. So he shows him that if he disputes with him and argues with him by refuting it, that would be purer for ikhlas (sincerity) and more effective. So he disputes and argues with him in the repelling of it, and thereby diminishes him, since he has distracted him from his prayer by his disputation. For he was not commanded to argue with him; rather, he was only commanded to disobey him. He has indeed disobeyed him since he did not accept what he called him to. And his arguing with him has no meaning beyond distraction from the prayer, or from a good deed he was engaged in, and the occupation of his heart with something he was not directed to do.
As for the second: he is the one who responds to him with denial, without need and without argumentation.
And the third: he proceeds upon what he was doing despite the agitation of dislike and refusal, knowing that what suffices him against it is denial, argumentation, and disputation with it. So he proceeds upon what he was doing, neither accepting it nor allowing a new preoccupation to arise that would occupy him from what he was engaged in.
And the fourth: the one who had already resolved, before the call to riya' (ostentation) presented itself to him, that the enemy only seeks to remove him from his Lord's blessing out of envy toward him.
So when this resolve has preceded in his heart, and then it [the call to ostentation] presents itself to him, if his heart was occupied with God, Exalted and Majestic, his occupation increases. And if he was heedless in his deed, he takes refuge in dhikr (remembrance), reflection, and occupation with God, Exalted and Majestic, out of spite toward it [the enemy].
The increase of his benefit from the presenting of the caller [to ostentation] is that he makes it an occasion for the remembrance of [God] —
— He benefited from this presenting thought when he took refuge in remembrance after the heart's heedlessness, as a vexation to Satan, and he saw an opening —
And likewise it is narrated from al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad that it was said to him: "So-and-so mentions you."
He said: "By God, I shall enrage the one who is alarmed by that!"
It was said to him: "What do you mean?"
He said: "The shaytan (Satan). O God, forgive him! I shall enrage him by obeying God, Mighty and Majestic, regarding him."
So when the enemy sees him thus, he is likely to reduce his whisperings, out of dislike that he should increase in good thereby. When he sees that he does not accept what comes to him, he presents him with the call to ostentation (riya'), and he is not content with mere rejection, until the one being called takes from it a lesson by which he increases in awareness and remembrance (dhikr) of his Lord.
And likewise it is narrated from Ibrahim al-Taymi that he said: "Indeed Satan calls the servant to the door of sin, and he does not obey him, and he [the servant] produces good at that point. Then he calls him to the door of sin again, and he does not obey him, and he produces good at that point. So when he [Satan] sees him thus, he abandons him."
And likewise it is narrated from him that he said: "When he sees you refusing, he covets you; and when he sees you being resolute, he leaves you and abandons you."
The likeness of those who compete in the four aspects is but the likeness of four men who intended a gathering of a scholar or of dhikr (remembrance), fearing that they might miss something of it in proportion to their delay from it, or [they intended] their way to a prayer in congregation or a Friday prayer. Then one of them encountered a man from the people of misguidance, who presented himself to him with the call to steadfastness and forbidding him from going, intending to obstruct him.
When he saw that he refused to turn back before debating him, he stood against him, arguing and disputing with him. And the misguided one desires the prolongation of the debate between them so that [the gathering] would pass him by, in proportion to how long his adversary detains him.
And his nafs (self) and his qalb (heart) — when outwardly apparent in the remembrance after heedlessness from it and his renewed attentiveness — when he sees that, he takes from it a lesson, and so he persists upon remembrance.
Has he passed by standing defiantly? So he forbade him from going to the place he intended, and the second one passed by him while he was standing upon it, so he sought to turn him back from it. The misguided one seized the opportunity to the extent that what he would miss by standing upon it would harm him.
And the third one passed by while he was walking on foot or riding, so he presented himself to him with prohibition and firm resolve. And he had already encountered his companions from the prison, yet he did not stop and passed on, and no new concern arose.
And the fourth one passed by, and he had already encountered what he had encountered of his companions from the prison, but he did not sense his voice. If he was walking on foot, he hastened; and if he was riding, he spurred his mount with speed, so as to enrage him and so that what he seeks would elude him completely, and he would not be like his companions who came before him.
So if they return against him, it is likely that he would ignore them and abandon this fourth one, because he had taken his supplication as a lesson and an increase in good by hastening toward it, and turning away from what the enemy called him to.
And likewise the strong one of great resolve who is among the sincere (mukhlisin, those of pure devotion) .
I said: How then would they be before the confrontation through supplication? Are they waiting for him with caution before he presents himself, until when he does present himself they recognize him? Or do they occupy themselves away from him through tawakkul (trust and reliance) upon God, Mighty and Majestic, and through obedience, so that He Himself would be the one who repels their enemy from them?
He said: People have spoken concerning that many different statements, the generality of which are erroneous except for one statement.
One of what they said is that a group from the Basrans said: Only the weak ones need caution against that. As for the strong ones, they have devoted themselves entirely to God Most High and occupied themselves with His love , so the devil has no
that they severed the love of this world from their hearts, and they devoted their hearts to love of God, Exalted and Glorious, and occupation with the Master and intimate converse with Him.
So the devil withdrew from them, and he withdrew just as he withdraws from the thoughts of wine, fornication, and killing in the hearts of other worshippers.
A group from the people of Syria said: "One only needs caution on account of the weakness of his yaqīn (certainty) and the weakness of his tawakkul (trust in God). As for the one who has certainty that God, Exalted and Glorious, has no partner in His governance, nor in what He possesses, and that nothing harms nor benefits except by Him, and that Satan is a despised, humiliated, created servant who cannot carry out a single thought or stratagem except by the permission of God, Exalted and Glorious —
So the one who knows God, Exalted and Glorious, returns to God through tawakkul (trust in God) and through modesty before Him, that He should see him fearing a created being other than Him. Thus caution of other than God, Exalted and Glorious, is a deficiency in certainty and trust. Rather, what is most fitting for him is confidence in God, Exalted and Glorious, and certainty, for nothing harms and nothing benefits other than Him. So he should not be wary of an enemy or anything else."
A group from the people of knowledge said: "Both parties are in error."
As for what the first group said — indeed in occupation with God, Exalted and Glorious, and love of Him there is a wariness of what is to be wary of from him, and following His command regarding the one whom He commanded to be wary of, for He, Exalted and Glorious, says: «Take him as an enemy» [Fatir 35:6].
And God, Exalted and Glorious, addressed all people — He spares neither the weak nor the strong — and He said: «O children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from the Garden» [al-A'raf 7:27].
And God, Exalted and Majestic, said: «and his tribe see you from where you do not see them» [7:27] , meaning to be on guard against him and against his tribe, and to be wary of them.
And God, Mighty in His glory, said as one who declares: «And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet but that when he recited, Satan cast into his recitation» [22:52] .
And the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Indeed he clings to my heart." And this — while his devil had already submitted — so he would not command him except [to good]. And God, Exalted and Majestic, said to His Messenger: «and beware of them lest they tempt you away from some of what God has sent down to you» [5:49].
For no one was more intensely occupied with God, Exalted and Majestic, nor more loving of Him than Muhammad, peace be upon him. Yet He commanded him, along with his occupation with Him and His counsel to him, to be wary of creation lest they lead him astray from his religion.
And God, Exalted and Majestic, said to Adam and Eve in Paradise — in the abode of blessings and complete sovereignty — yet the enemy deceived them both, though there was no fear of poverty, no severe calamity, no prohibition of desire, and no seeking of it. And they had already heard God, Exalted and Majestic, saying: «Indeed, it is for you that you shall not be hungry therein nor be naked, and that you shall not thirst therein nor suffer the sun's heat» [20:118–119] .
So God, Exalted and Majestic, said: «O Adam, indeed this is an enemy to you and to your wife, so let him not drive you both out of Paradise» [20:117] .
Even if God, Exalted and Glorified, loved security from him for anyone and wished to remove wariness of him from anyone, He would have removed it from him in His Garden, where there was no trial and nothing was forbidden from him except a single tree and its desires. Yet He [i.e., the enemy] did not cease with him until he brought him out of the proximity of a Lord.
So who can feel secure from the enemy of God after him, when He tested him in the abode in which He did not try him except with a single one? «This is of the work of Satan» [al-Qasas 28:15]. And Moses said [this].
God, Exalted and Glorified, warned us in numerous places in His Book against the enemy of God, and among what He loves is occupation with Him and the following of His command, and that one be wary with the same wariness He warned of.
So feeling secure from him is ghurūr (delusion) and an abandonment of the command of God, Exalted and Glorified. Whoever incurs [this] from His community has squandered what God, Exalted and Glorified, commanded him regarding wariness of him, and then He will give him [Satan] power over him and will not protect him from him, as punishment for his squandering of His command.
And how can one feel secure from one from whom the strong cannot escape? The security of the weak from him is deception and trickery. The command from the Master, Glorified and Exalted, is to warn against him and to take him as an enemy, while He says: «an evident enemy» [cf. al-Baqarah 2:168]. He commanded wariness of him and striving against him, just as He commanded wariness of the disbelievers and striving against them. God, Exalted and Glorified, said: «Take your precautions» [al-Nisa' 4:71].
And He commanded His Prophet, peace be upon him, with the prayer of fear (salat al-khawf), performed by one group after another among them — that was not because of distraction from his Lord, Exalted and Glorified, that would prevent that, but rather in following His command. He did that in obedience to his Lord, not as preoccupation with the enemy of God.
So if the servant is heedless — while the enemy of the disbelievers is seen by the eyes and you hear the sounds of the call to arms — and a strike from them strikes you, whether a blow, a stab, or an arrow, he has not lost out on reward if he lived, or martyrdom if he died.
And the enemy that is Satan sees you while you do not see him, as your Lord, exalted and glorified, has informed you about him: he sees you — he and his tribe — from where you do not see them. So he is more capable of gaining the upper hand over you, and you will not gain the upper hand over him.
Ibn Muhayriz said concerning that: "A hunter who sees you while you do not see him is about to gain the upper hand over you" — meaning: Iblis sees you while you do not see him.
And if you are heedless of him and his sting strikes you, it works upon you [what it works] — whether the nullification of a deed or the diminishment of merit.
And if you die upon that — in fighting in the way of God, exalted and glorified, or otherwise — having already accepted from him a passing thought of riya' (ostentation) or something else you were forbidden from, the Fire would be yours , or God pardons you.
So which of the two enemies is more deserving that you guard against him? And which of the two stings is more deserving that you be cautious of?
An enemy you see — and if you are heedless of him and his sting strikes you, you have not lost out on reward or martyrdom.
Or an enemy who sees you and you do not see him — and if his sting strikes you, you have not escaped sin or the loss of deeds, or death, or entry into the Fire — or the Exalted, the Generous, exalted and glorified, pardons.
So the error of the faction that said that occupation with God, exalted and glorified, means turning away from what God has warned against has become clear. For that is evident to one who comprehends the command of God: that obedience to God, exalted and glorified, and following His command means that one aspect does not overwhelm the other. And they used to always say: "It is loved that the believer be between this world and the Hereafter, between khawf (fear) and raja' (hope), like a bird between its two wings." And just as it is loved that the two wings be equal, likewise these feelings should be perfectly balanced.
Accordingly, the call to mere dervishhood among the latecomers of the pretenders is error and deviation.
As for the second group, they said: "It is from yaqīn (certainty) and tawakkul (trust in God) upon God, exalted is He, so leave caution against the enemy."
This too is an error, because the allies of God, exalted is He, exercised caution against the enemy with the belief that he does not harm or benefit apart from God, mighty and glorious is He.
Rather, it is obedience to God, mighty and glorious is He, together with the belief that his [the enemy's] whisperings do not harm if God, mighty and glorious is He, is obeyed, and that his caution avails not if God, mighty and glorious is He, forsakes [the servant].
So do not fail to exert effort in caution if God, mighty and glorious is He, has commanded you to be cautious, thereby abandoning caution out of [fear of] being forsaken.
For the continuance of caution is a protection from God, mighty and glorious is He, because caution, so long as it restrains the servant from [disobedience], is acceptance from Him.
So how can one whose caution [is present] have deficiency in his tawakkul (trust in God), when his caution is a protection from God, mighty and glorious is He, wherein the servant enjoys the greatest of blessings?
And how can one who fears what God, mighty and glorious is He, [commanded him to] fear be one who abandons the command of God, exalted is He?
And how [can this be], when caution is that which brings about deliverance from everything that God, mighty and glorious is He, detests? Indeed, the servant inclines toward what God, mighty and glorious is He, detests when he abandons caution against what God has warned against.
So the caution that God has warned the servant about is that the servant should exercise caution against abandoning caution against what he has been prohibited from, lest he [fall into sin].
And the opposite of caution is complacency and heedlessness.
And complacency and heedlessness are: abandoning the fulfillment of what God has commanded.
Rather, they [the righteous] followed what God, mighty and glorious is He, commanded of that, and so their caution was in compliance with His command, from the guidance (tawfīq) of God for them — not as a caution ascribing to Iblīs that he harms or benefits, but rather they obey their Lord as He commanded them.
And that is what God commanded the believers of the prayer of fear, and He commanded them to take [precaution] without Him being [insufficient]. God, mighty is He, said as one who declares: «And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war» [al-Anfāl 8:60].