Book of Truthfulness - Kharraz

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SERIES,
No. 6
THE BOOK OF TRUTHFULNESS

(K1TAB AL-SIDQ)
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Creed
.of; -the
Shi'ites,
being a translation
of the
Rislatu'l-i*tiqadati'l-Imamiyya of Ibn Babuya, by

Asarf *A. A.'-Eyzee (in preparation).
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
ISLAMIC RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

No. 6

(KITAB AL-SIDQ)
BY
ABU
SA'll)
AL-KHARRAZ
Edited and translated from the Istanbul Unicum by
ARTHUR JOHN ARBERRY,
LiTT.I).
Assistant Librarian in the India Office
Formerly Fellow of .Pembroke College, Cambridge
Published for the Islamic Research Association by
HUMPHREY MILFORD OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON NEW YORK BOMBAY

CALCUTTA MADRAS
1937
PRINTED IN INDIA BY
4lA,
P.
KNIGHT
BAPTIST MISSION PRESS

LOWER CIROULAB BOAD, CALCUTTA
PREFACE
Abu Sa'ld Ahmad ibn 'Isa al-Jharraz was one of the bestknown of the Baghdad school of Sufis, which flourished in the 3/9 century. As is the case unfortunately with most of his contemporaries in mysticism, little is known of his actual life,
apart from the anecdotes illustrative of piety or supernatural Even the date of his gifts which the later compilers relate. death is a matter of the most extraordinary uncertainty. Among
and
the years mentioned by various authorities are 247, 277, 279, 286 306. 1 Of these dates the year 247 is expressly ruled out as
2
;
absurd
his statement
the authority for 286 is Abu Said al-Malini, who bases on the information given by Abu '1-Qasim al-
Nihawandl, who was a pupil of Kharraz for fourteen years, and therefore merits credence. 8 Kharraz was an associate of Qbu *1-
Nun
al-Misri,
well-known Sufis who figure in

KJbarraz
is
Bishr ibn al-Harith, Sari al-Saqatf, and al-NibajI, many of the anecdotes of which
the hero.
masterly analysis of the doctrine and importance of Kharraz has been written by L. Massignon, 4 and it is not pro-
posed to add anything to this account here.
The text now
published and translated is the sole surviving work of Kharraz, 5 though considerable fragments of his sayings and writings are preserved in the various Sufi compendia, notably the Kitab al-
The present work is cast in the form of a and dialogue, purports to consist of answers given to Kbarraz by an unnamed instructor. That this is a mere literary fiction is
of Sarraj.
Baghdad, IV, p. 278 ; al-Risdlah al-Quehayriyah (Bulaq, 29; Ibn 'Asakir, al-Ta'ribh al-kablr, I, p. 432; al-fabaqdt
cit.
Luma
1284), p.
al-kubra, I, p. 107. 2 Ta'rikh Baghdad, loc.

3 Ibid.
Cf.
* 5
Op. cit., Preserved in MS.
Massignon, Essai, p. 270, n. 3. pp. 270-3 ; Encyclopaedia of Islam,

ehit All 1374.
II, col.
969
6.
VI
PREFACE
from the passages where " that can be mentioned in a book l
it is
:
clear, especially
is all
stated that
"
this
no oral teacher would

the fact that, apart
use such an expression. The importance of this treatise
lies in
from the writings of MuhasibT,

Sufi.
it is
the earliest systematic pre-
sentation of the theory of Sufi experience, written
by a practising
of fear, hope,
Beginning with the idea of sidq or truthfulness, the author

"
stations "
develops his theme to include the

trust, love,
must pass on
shame, longing, intimacy, all of which the mystic his path to God. In a stylo which foreshadows the
practice of later writers KJiarraz begins with Qur'anic sanctions,

follows these
saints,
by references to the Sunna and the
lives of the
and
amplifies his discourse with sayings of pious
men,
the
frequently
anonymous.
of the
The
constant
insistence
on
experience
Muhammad
prophets and men of piety, particularly " " suffered by him, as an himself, and the agony
in his spiritual
life,
example to the Sufi

Very striking also
is
is
most remarkable.
is
the obviously authentic description of the
effect of love of God in the mystic's heart. 2
Finally the important does the reach a stage in which he mystic question proposed, This question ceases consciously to strive after truthfulness ?
(in
Kharraz answers
the
mouth of
9
his interlocutor) in a fashion

first
which explains why he was held to have been the

formulate the doctrine of fand
to
and baqd\'
Throughout the
discourse the author constantly refers, typically as a mystic, to higher degrees of the various stations which cannot be described
in written language.
The genuineness of this tract has not been doubted by Massignon, who alone has studied it and there is in fact some internal evidence which appears to set its authenticity beyond 4 It is not mentioned by name in any Sufi or bibliosuspicion.
;
graphical authority,
l
but this
is
not necessarily surprising

2 p. 45.
only
Cf. pp. 44, 49.
3
4
5
Massigrion, op.
cit., pp. 271, 272, n. 1. See pp. 50, n. 3; 62, n. 1. A Kitdb al-Sirr is referred to, cf. Massignon
loc. cit.
PREFACE
Vll
one copy of the work has survived, and that by the hand of the well-known pupil of Ibn 'Arabi, Isma/Il ibn Sawdakm (d. 646/
permissible to conjecture that the book was a guarded secret of the Sufis, who communicated it to one another privately, without divulging its contents to the general public.
1248), so that
it is
The text as given by the copyist is good, though not free from errors, of which the most frequent is the commonly-met
omission of the particle is in interrogative forms. Isma/il ibn Sawdakin does not attempt to correct these errors, though he
was doubtless conscious of them, so that they must be referred to the archetype on which ho drew, and possibly to the author
himself.
Tn no place, however,
is
the text obscure, or

clear
doubtful. 1
Kharraz writes in a
its meaning and unambiguous style,
which contrasts very favourably with the preciosity of Junayd
and the
letter- writers.
This makes
it all
tho more likely that
the book was intended for Sufis only, for the artificial style adopted by the Sufis in their letters is indubitably due to a
desire to avoid suspicion of being unorthodox, in the event of
their letters being opened. 2
I
am
great trouble he took in supplying
deeply indebted to Professor A. J. Wensinck for the mo with references to the
in the Kitdb al-Sidq as occur in them.
canonical collections of Traditions, for such traditions quoted I am grateful to the

for accepting to
Committee of the Islamic Research Association
publish this text and translation in their admirable series.

1
It should
however be noted that tho
diacritical points are frequently
omitted in the manuscript, so that in some passages the correct reading must remain a matter for conjecture.
2
That
this did
happen
l
is
quoted in Kitdb al-Luma
p.
240
shown by the statement in Junayd's letter cf. MS. Sehit Ali of his Rasd'il, fol. 4a.
;
IN
THE NAME OF GOD, THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE.
whom He
Gnostic,
Praise belongs to God, and peace be upon His servants, hath chosen. Thus said the SJiayld), the Imam, the
Abu
Sa'id
Ahmad
ibn Isa al-Bagljdadi al-KJiarraz (God

his grave
!)
:
sanctify his spirit
and illumine
I said to a certain learned
man l
"
:
Inform
Truthfulness,
its
practised, that I
may
"
nature and meaning, as well as be acquainted with it ".

Truthfulness
Desirest
me concerning how it may be
He replied
into
all
meanings.
is a word embracing and entering thou that I shall answer thee
and summarily thy question, or that I should expound to thee both the theory and the practice, together with the " stems from which the branches spring ?
briefly
be for
and
"I desire both these things together, that it may at once a theoretical knowledge, a practical science, a help in life ". 2 He replied " If God wills, thou shalt be guided aright.
I said
:
me
Know
that a disciple, if he have a strong faith, and desires to walk in the way of salvation, must be acquainted with three
first
principles,
that he
may
practise
them
for thereby his faith
inward realities standing firm, and its branches being established, 8 while his acts will be pure and
will be strengthened, its sincere, if
God
wills.
"
The
first
of these principles
*
is Sincerity,
in accordance
sincerity of
with God's words,
So do thou worship God in
form of dialogue, with the attribution is a mere literary fiction the same form is frequently met with in the works of Muljasibi.
1
It
seems probable that
this
to a spiritual instructor of the doctrine,

2 'Ilm is * Sc. all
the theory, fiqh
its
practical application.
is
forms of religious knowledge, of which faith
the fountain-
head.

God's
is
religion, for verily,

'
the
sincere,
religion
'.
God
also
'.
says,
Then
call
ye on God, being sincere to
Him in your religion

give
sincere to
2
:
God
'
said to
Say, Verily
religion'.
3
Muhammad (God bless him and I am bidden to serve God, being

says,
him peace)
Him
in
Again God
'Say,
'.
sincere in
my
8
religion to
;
Him
God do I worship, being God also says, And mention

'
in the
Book Moses
verily he
was
sincere,
and he was a messenger,
a prophet \ but this will

'
Such sayings as these are many in the Qur'an,

suffice.
is
The second
Truthfulness, in accordance with God's words,

'.
O ye who believe, fear God, and be with those that are truthful
also says,
'.
'
God
If they were true to God,

*
it
would be better for

true to their
them
Again, God covenant with God 8

' ;
Men who have been says, and again, And mention

*
;
in the
'
Book
Ishmael
'
verily he
was
true to his promise
He might
Truthful of this.
ask the truthful of their
and again, That 10 and again , truthfulness

; ' ;
'
men and
third
is
truthful
women n
'.
In the Qur'an
is
much
The
'
Patience, in accordance with God's words,

'.
ye who believe, be patient, and vie in patience

'
12
God
;
also
(6 a)
says,
And
if
ye are patient,
:
it is
better for the patient
be thou therefore patient but thy patience is only in God '. 13 Again, God says, And be thou patient in the judgment of thy
'
14 and again, And be Lord, for verily thou art in our sight 16 with what and them flee from patient decorously they say, and again, And hold thyself patient, with those who call unto
' ' ; '
; '
their
*
Lord morning and evening, desiring His face

with the patient that are patient to those give good tidings
be ye patient, for
is
'
18
;
and again,
And And
God
'
17
; J
and again,
(for
18
God
in
IN
THE NAME OF GOD, THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE 3

This
is
such good tidings shows His special grace to them).
frequent and affirmed in the Qur'an. These three words bear various meanings, and enter into all actions indeed, no act is complete without them, and if any act is lacking in them, that act is imperfect and incomplete.
:
any of these three principles complete without the other so long as one of them is lacking, the others are void. and two,
Nor
is
not complete, save there be Truthfulness therein and Patience thereover Patience is not complete, save there be
Sincerity
is
;
Truthfulness therein and Sincerity therein
Truthfulness
is
not
complete, save there be Patience thereover and Sincerity therein. The first of all acts is Sincerity. It is also thy bounden duty
to believe in God,
there
is
'
He
is
and to know, affirm, and bear witness that no god save God only, Who has no partner, and that the first and the last, the outward and the inward ',*
'
'
the creator, maker, former, provider, dispenser of life and death, that Muhammad is His unto Whom do things return 2
:
servant and messenger, bearing truth from the Truth
that the
prophets are true, being truly

excellent in counsel
tion,
;
endowed with apostlehood, and and that paradise is true, and the resurrecto God,
and the return
Who
'.
'
forgives
whom He
pleases,
This must be thy inward and punishes whom He pleases belief and spoken profession, without doubt or hesitation, thy
3
heart being at rest and acquiescing in what thou hast averred and affirmed so that there shall not occur to thee, in respect of
:
God upon the tongue of His Prophet, any doubt concerning all that he has mentioned on his Lord's behalf. Thou shalt not oppose the practice of the Prophet and his
all
that has come from
Companions, and the Imams of right guidance, who were a model to the righteous who came after them, and the Followers,
and the learned doctors of every

this the
age.
Thou
shalt follow, in all
community of true believers, being sincere therein to and seeking naught but God, that thy resignation and thy faith and thy belief may be perfect.
God
alone,
Q.
Ivii, 3.
Q.
ii,
206.
Q.
124
v, 21.
4
1.
THE BOOK OF TRUTHFULNESS TRUTHFULNESS IN SINCERITY.
and
it is this
Truthfulness in Sincerity is the second [principle], (66) * that God enjoins when He says, Then let him who
hopes to meet his Lord act righteously, giving his Lord no partner in his service of Him Now the exposition of this text is,
that a
man
should desire
God
in all his acts
and deeds, and
his
motions altogether, both outward and inward, not desiring thereby aught other than God, with his mind and knowledge standing guard over his spirit and heart, being watchful of his
purpose, and seeking
God
in his whole affair
and that he should
not love the praise or applause of others, nor rejoice in his acts
performed before his fellows. Rather, if aught of this occurs to him, he will be on his guard against it with swift revulsion, and will not acquiesce in it and when any man applauds him, he
:
will praise
God, because
He
protected him,
when He
assisted
do what good thing his fellows saw him engaged upon. Yea, and he is at that time afraid because of the corruption of his acts, and his inward impurity that is hidden from men, but not
him
to
hidden from God

secret thoughts be
and thereat he trembles, fearing lest his proved fouler than his outward acts. For
'
:
so
it is
related in the Tradition
When
fouler
than the outward
act, that is
the secret thought is an outrage and when the

; ;
secret thought
and the outward act are equal, that is just balance but when the secret thought is superior to the outward act,
is
2
that
pre-eminence '. It is the duty of a man, therefore, that he should keep his actions secret, so far as in him lies, that none may overlook
them, save only God

pleasure, gain
good an ampler reward, draw nearer to salvation, be more secure against the wiles of the enemy, 8 and be further
:
so will he the sooner attain God's
removed from
said
1
*
:
faults.
It is related that
Sufyan al-Thawri
'.
I care not what of

xviii, 110.
my
actions
is
manifest
It is also
Q.
2 Non-canonical.
3 Sc.
4
Satan, as always in $uf! writings.

traditionist, theologian
The famous
and
ascetic, died 161 h.
TRUTHFULNESS IN PATIENCE
related in the Traditions that the secret act surpasses the public act seventy times l and that a man may perform an act in
;
secret,
and Satan
will leave
it,
him
for
twenty years, and after
that invite him to display
so that that act will be transferred
from the secret to the public register, and he will be deprived of much of the reward and merit of the deed after which Satan
;
will continue to
remind him of
his deeds one
by
one, to the end
that he
may make mention
of
them to
his fellows,
and take
pleasure in their witnessing them, and satisfaction in their 2 All these things are applause, so that he becomes a hypocrite.
the very opposite of sincerity.
which we have mentioned is merely a general of which every creature must know and sincerity, summary and of which none should be ignorant. Over and practise, this remains beyond (la) a superlative degree of sincerity, which
this
Now
man
will attain,
when he
is
once firmly established in these
principles."
And then what ? " He replied "So much as can be mentioned thereof is this that a man should not hope save for God, nor fear save God, nor adorn himself save unto God and that he should not
I said
:
"
be affected by any man's faultfinding for God's sake, nor care who is angry with him, so long as he faithfully follows the course
wherein God's love
is,
and His good
pleasure.
As
for
what
remains to be told, to wit the supreme perfection of sincerity, so much, however, will suffice for the instructhis is still greater
:
tion of disciples
now
treading the path.
2.
TRUTHFULNESS IN PATIENCE.
Next
outward
is
Truthfulness in Patience.
Now
:
patience
is
a word
for its
with several meanings, both outward and inward.
As
the first is patience in significations, these are three performing God's ordinances in every state of life, in hardship
1
Non-canonical.
Non-canonical.

;
or in ease, in security or in affliction, willingly or perforce the second is patience in abstaining from all that God has forbidden,
and
in restraining the
soul for such things as

force.
wayward inclinations and desires of the God does not approve, willingly or per-
These two kinds of patience, which operate in their respective fields, are a duty imposed on all men for their performance.
The
third
erogation and pious

if
patience in performing works of superacts, whereby a man is brought near to God,

is
he constrains himself to achieve perfection therein, because of
the reward which he hopes to obtain from God. So it is related of the Prophet that he said, among other sayings of divine
In no way does my servant so draw near to Me authority as by performing those duties which I have imposed on him
'
:
;
and
my
servant continues to draw near to
Me
is
through acts of
supererogation, until I love
him
\l
There
also a fourth kind
of patience, which consists in accepting the truth from any man who imparts it to thee, and admonishes thee unto it,
accepting
it because truth is a messenger from God to His which servants, they may not reject for whoever declines to accept the truth, and rejects it, in reality rejects God's com:
mandment.
is
This then
all
is
binding on
is
creatures
the outward aspect of patience, which of this they may not be ignorant, for
:
it
indispensable to them.
is
the exposition of the realities the concern of those that are patient, after they have become firmly established in the patience which we have mentioned." " I said What is patience in itself, and what is its mani" festation in the heart ? " He replied Patience consists in enduring what the soul
:
:
Over and beyond this remains and perfection of patience, which
abominates, and it is manifested when something occurs (76) which the soul abominates for then the soul drinks it to the
:
dregs, banishing impatience,
and
refraining
from publishing or
it.
complaining, concealing what has come upon

1
It is related
The famous
Dharr.
hadith qudsi, attributed
by Massignon
(Essai, p. 106)
to
Abu
TRUTHFULNESS IN REPENTANCE
7
'.
Whoso makes thou not heard the words of God ? 2 rage, and those who pardon men
in the Traditions
:
'
public, complains
'
Hast
'.
Those who repress their Seest thou not that such
man
if
represses the thing which he abominates, and which his

?
soul finds wearisome to endure, so that he becomes patient
he displays impatience, and requites him who has done evil against him, and does not pardon him, he goes forth from the bounds of patience. This, then, is upon this analogy."
I said
But
"
:
Wherein does the patient

is
man
"
?
find strength to be
patient,
and how
replied
:
his patience perfected
It is related in the Traditions that patience in enduring hateful things is of the beauty of sure faith 3 it is also related that patience is the half of belief, while sure faith is
;
He
"
the whole of
belief. 4
Now
the reason for this
is,
that
when a
threats,
man
believes in God,
and has
faith in God's promises
and
there arises in his heart a yearning for the reward which God has promised, and at the same time his heart is pervaded by a fear
of the punishment which God has threatened.
Then
is
his
yearning true, he fears, while his expectations are aroused, that he will obtain that for which he hopes. He renews therefore his quest and his fear and hope take up lodging in his heart. Then he flight
;
and firm
his resolve to seek salvation
from what
mounts the steed of patience, and drinks its bitterness to the he proceeds to the accomdregs, when this comes upon him
:
plishment of his resolves, and is fearful lest they be not fully achieved. So there falls to him the name of patient.
3.
TRUTHFULNESS IN REPENTANCE.
is
Truthfulness
a word with
is,
'
many
meanings.
The
first
part of truthfulness
truthfulness in turning to
:
God
in sincere
repentance.
God
says
ye
5
'.
who
believe,
' :
turn unto
God
all
with sincere repentance

l
4
God
2
also says
And
8
turn ye
Non-canonical.
Q. m, 128.
Non-canonical.
Non-canonical, but found in Ghazall.
5 S. Ixvi, 8.

*
repentant to God,
:
O
'
believers, that
haply ye
God has turned towards Again, God says those who fled with him, and the Helpers 2
*.
may prosper '.* the Prophet and

any
trans-
Now
the
first
part of penitence
is
this
to regret
gression against God's
not to revert to
command and prohibition, and to resolve anything which God abominates ever to be
;
asking God's forgiveness, and to recompense every wrong done to the property and effects of others, making confession to God and them to continue in fear and sorrow, trembling (8a) lest
;
thou prove not thy sincerity to be fearful lest thy repentance be not accepted, and not to be confident that God has not seen
;
thee engaged in aught
He
8
abominates, and therefore hates thee.

i :
So
al- Hasan al-Ba$ri
said
What
shall
make me
confident
that
He
said,
has not seen
and
Do
engaged whatsoever thou wilt, I

* :
me
in
will
aught not forgive
He
abominates ,
'
It is
also related that he said

'.
am
:
fearful lest
He
cast
me
into the
I have heard that a certain theologian Fire, and care not Hast thou repented ? The met a man, and said to him He asked Hast thou been accepted ? Yes other replied The first said I know not The other said Depart, for The grief of the bereaved mother Another said I know
' ' ' '
'.
'
'.
'
'.
passes away, but
the grief of
the
penitent
does not pass
away
'.
Jt
is
further necessary, to truthfulness of repentance, that

all friends
thou shouldst give up
and boon-companions who have assisted thee in setting at naught God's commandments, and that thou flee from them, and count them for enemies, unless they Friends on that day shall be return to God. For God says
' :
foes one to the other, save those
who
fear
God
'.
Truthfulness
of repentance also demands that all wickedness shall depart from thy heart, and that thou beware of secretly yearning after
the remembrance of aught from which thou hast turned to God.

1
S. xxiv, 31.
2 S. ix, 118.
8
*
The famous
S.
xliii,
ascetic
and
wd'iz, died 110 h.
67.
TBUTHFULNESS IN SELF-KNOWLEDGE
God
'
says
And
leave the outward part of sin, and the inward

believer
1 part thereof'.
Know, moreover, that the more the

heart,
is
sound of
and
increases his knowledge of God, so
much
the stricter
:
his repentance ever becomes.

'
Consider
how
Verily
my
heart
is
constricted,
and
I ask
the Prophet says pardon of God and

'.
turn to
heart
is
Him
a hundred times in every day
When
a man's
pure of sins and defilements, and is filled with an indwelling light, no more is it concealed from him what secret blemish enters the heart, or how it is ever hardened with the
resolve to backslide, before ever
any deed
is
done
and he
repents accordingly.
4.
TRUTHFULNESS IN SELF-KNOWLEDGE.
truthfulness
in
Next
is
'
self-knowledge
and
self-control.
ye who believe, be ye steadfast in justice, witbefore God though it be against yourselves, or your nessing 8 or kinsmen '. In the story of Joseph God says [through parents,
says
:
God
the
soul
mouth of Joseph]
is
' :
c :
And
do not
clear myself, for the

J
God
4 very urgent to evil, save as my Lord has mercy Again, But as for him who feared the station of his Lord, says
.
and forbade the

which
is
soul its lust, verily Paradise said

' :
is
the resort
is
'.
The Prophet of God
Thy greatest enemy
of all
thy soul
within thee, then thy people, then thy son, then thy A soul its kinsmen '. (86) It is also related that he said
* :
braying and whining shall be its protection before morrow '. Someone asked What is that ? He
' '
:
God
to:
replied
'
Your
1
souls
which are within you
}
.
S. vi, 120.
This well-known tradition occurs, in the commoner form (seventy
a hundred) in Muslim, Dhikr wa-da'awdt 41. The Kitdb al-igfranah of al-Baqli is based on it (see Hitter in Der Islam XXI, p. 103).
for
3
Q.
iv, 134.
Q.
xii, 53.
Q. Ixxix, 40-41
6 Non-canonical.
7
Non-canonical
the text slightly restored.
10
The man who is truthful in his quest for God summons his obey God, and to seek His pleasure and if it responds to So it is related of he him, praises God, and entreats it fair. 1 was seen out Abu Hurayrah that he something which smoothing he had spread on the ground being asked what it was, he replied,
soul to
: :
It is
my
soul
if I
do not entreat
If,
however, such a
is
man
not support me finds that his soul does not respond to

'
it fair, it will
him, to do what
pleasing to God, or
life
if
he sees that
it is
tardy,
he denies
it
it
the things in
;
which
it
it
loves most,
for
in its desires
it
he makes war upon
and opposes God's sake, and comdoes not continue to
plains of
revile
it,
to God, until he
amends
it
it.
He
and making mention of its faults, reviling it and all its actions of which he does not approve, and yet continue with it in doing what it desires. So it is related
while entreating
fair,
is enough man, that he should be aware of a fault in his soul, and Another yet not amend it, nor be turned from it to repentance
:
that a certain theologian said I know that part of amendment is, that I should know that it is corrupt it
'
:
my
soul's
sin in a
'.
theologian said
'
:
If thou art truthful in thy self-condemnation,
be not angry
heart
is
if
another
man condemns
thee for aught
'.
thy to be unlawful it for with anything, seeking occupied amendthee or lawful, do thou suspect it, as one that desires its
ment, and do thou prevent it therefrom, as one that desires its In refraining it from all pleasures, constrain it to subjection.
It is hold fast to the example of those who have gone before. 2 certain that the matter concerning which it wrestles with thee
is one of two things either it is unlawful, so that it would merit the wrath [of God], or it is lawful, so that it would be compelled to stand long at the questioning. 3 Those who have quitted
:
If thy soul wrestles with thee concerning
any
lust, or if
unlawful things have done so out of awe and reverence for God ; while they withstood lawful things in a spirit of zeal and
1
Traditionist
2 Sc.
3
died 57 or 58 h. " the " leaders mentioned in the next paragraph. Viz. on the Day of Judgment.
:
TRUTHFULNESS IN KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEVIL

emulation.
for if a
11
states
Work therefore to wean thyself from both man weans himself from this world, he shall be
to
suckled
by the world
come
and
if
he takes the world to come for his
mother, he will desire to be
filial
towards
it
and to
visit
it
it,
for
so the children of this world are satisfied to take
for their
mother, being filial towards it and labouring after it. Cast away from thy heart those that prefer this world, and dismiss them with friendly counsel (9a) and warning. Beware
lest
thou lag behind the leaders.
Consider this carefully in the
privacy of thy
companions.
their fitness,
soul, and thereunto urge thy friends and For the leaders girded their loins and bound up
own
their skirts, baring their heads
and shanks
they revelled in
in eager haste, God's rend lest veil which He had respecting they right, any forbidden them, and showing their love for Him by rejecting
and competed one with the other
even that which He had permitted them to take. They forewent the unlawful thing in a spirit of service, but the lawful
thing they eschewed to draw near to God.
They were
little
familiar
thirsting, being content with and expecting small recompense.

vigils
5.
with
and
competence,
TRUTHFULNESS IN KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEVIL.

is
Next
Devil.
for a foe
truthfulness in the knowledge of thy enemy, the

'
God
:
says
Verily, Satan
is
to
you a
foe, so
take him
>
.
he only
:
calls his
'
crew to be inmates of the blaze
sons of Adam, let not Satan tempt you, Again, God says as he drove your parents forth from Paradise '. 2 He also
For Satan had made seemly to .them their works, and turned them from the path '. 3
says
:
'
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud
said
:
'
:
The angel has one
sort of
enticement, and Satan another
the angel entices with the
promise of something good, Satan with the promise of something

i
Q. xxxv,
6.
2
:
Q.
vii, 26.
Famous
traditionist
died 32 or 33 h.
3 Q. XX vii, 24. The two sayings which
follow are of course traditions.
12
evil

'
In another n-arration he says Satan is brooding over the heart of man when he recollects God, he shrinks away, but when he is forgetful, he whispers '.
'.
:
:
Cut off his supplies, by being resolved to oppose thy lust, and to restrain thy soul from transgression and reaching out, for these twain are his allies against thee, and by them his guile
is
reinforced.
intellect
them, then summon thy and the knowledge which God has taught thee, and
But
if
thou
folio west
with these stand watchful over thy soul, guarding thy heart and all that enters into it. If there be aught of goodness and knowledge, follow after
it
:
but
if it
be of falsehood and evil desire,
then with
all
dangerous thought,
lust
Tarry not overlong with any speed banish it. lest the thought become a lust, and the
act.
an urge, and the urge an
Know that thy enemy, the Devil, is not unmindful of thee, whether in silence or speech, prayer or fasting, giving or withholding, journeying or home-dwelling, solitude or
company, steadiness
or dispatch, gazing or averting the gaze, slothfulness or energy, laughter or weeping, concealing or advertising,. (96) grief or joy,
health or sickness, questioning or making answer, knowledge or ignorance, farness or nearness, movement or repose, penitence
or obstinacy.
He
spares no pains to
weaken thy
thy
resolve, to
enfeeble thy purpose,
and to put
off
repentance.
He
thee to expedite
postpones thy pious intention again and again, but commands what it would not harm thee to put off, desiring
Then, in the instant when thereby to cut thee off from good. thou art engaged in works of piety and obedience, he reminds
thee of things thou needest, to sever thee from any good in
which thou art engaged. Sometimes he makes it seem desirable to thee to migrate from one land to another, making thee suppose
that the other land
is
better than that in which thou art, to
occupy thy heart, and deprive thee of any settled place, causing thee to do what thou wilt afterwards regret doing.
then be most cautious of thy enemy, and fortify thyself against him by taking refuge with God, Who is the
Do thou
TRUTHFULNESS IN GODLINESS
surest stronghold
:
13
cave and place of refuge.

:
and the strongest support so make God thy Beware of thy enemy when thou art
angry or irascible if the recollection of God comes upon thee, at the time when thy anger is aroused, and thou knowest that He is watching thee, at once, fearing Him, thou wilt extinguish
the
fire
He Who
of indignation and the blaze of fury, being afraid lest sees thee, as thou knowest, should rightly be angered
Satan takes advantage of thee when thy anger is aroused, or thy desire vehement. As for bewaring of him when thou art irascible, it is said that Satan
at aught thou committest in thy anger.
We never despair of the irascible man, though by his says for an hour will come invocation he bring the dead to life upon him when he is passionate, and we will do with him whatever
'
: ;
we wish
'
'.
But whoso takes

*.
tight hold
on God, he
is
guided
unto a right way
6.
TRUTHFULNESS IN GODLINESS.
Next
is
Truthfulness in Godliness, and the right use of
Truthfulness in godliness consists in departing from every piety. doubtful thing, and quitting every matter which appears dubious
to thee.
So
it is
related that the Prophet said
'
:
No man
also
is
is,
:
truly pious, until he leaves alone that in

for fear of that in
*
which no harm
2
'.
which there
is
harm
3
He
said
Manifest are lawful things, and manifest unlawful things, and

'.
between them are the doubtful matters
(10a)
Whosoever
is
'
quits doubtful things, for fear of falling into
what
:
unlawful,
Ibn Sirin 4 said has wholly purified himself. Nothing is I quitted everything that easier in my religion than godliness
:
appeared dubious to
godliness is difficult.
me
'.
Al-Fudayl
said
*
:
Men
'say that
[But I say,] leave that which causes thee

2
Q.
iii
96.
Non-canonical.
ch. 39
;
For
this tradition see Bukharl,
Iman
*
Muslim, Mubdhdt
d. 187 h.
107, 108, etc.

*
Died 110
h.
Ibn
lyad
14

l
;
to doubt, for the sake of that which causes thee no doubt
take only what
is
lawful
and good, and from what
is
lawful
do
thy utmost to seek only the thing that is pure, for God says: O ye apostles, eat of the good things, and do right '. 2 The Prophet
said to Sa'd
'
:
If thou desirest that

'.
God
:
shall
'
answer thy prayer,
eat
what
is
is
lawful
8
'
'A'ishah said
who
the believer
He
evening considers whence his
The man who replied bread has come '.*

'
:
messenger of God, in the
7.
TRUTHFULNESS CONCERNING WHAT
is
LAWFUL.
Next is Truthfulness concerning what is Lawful and Pure, nature and enjoyment. Truthfulness concerning what is lawful is this having ascertained a thing to be lawful, to take
its
:
thereof only so
much
as
is
necessary, according to thy knowledge
of thyself, and of what excites thy evil inclinations. Cast not on thy soul any burden above its strength, lest it be broken ;
follow
it
not to
its
extravagant desires
take as
much
as will
sustain thee, avoiding meanness
as well as extravagance, in
what concerns
that a certain
food, dress
and
shelter.
Beware of vain
'
trifles,
as thou fearest the reckoning
man
is
said to
and the long waiting. 'All ibn Abi Talib

:
It is related
father of
*
:
Hasan, describe to us this present world

lawful thereof
'.
He
said
What
is
ment
to
(or,
a recompense)
a reckoning, and what is unlawful is a punish6 '. When a man is weak, and some
his possession,
:
he keeps it to himself, and he sustaining expends any of it on charity, he does so fearing the while that, once it has left his possession, he will not be able to endure [its loss] with patience, and so will
good thing comes into
any whom he is
if
fall
into
an even worse
state.
Yet, while he keeps

it,
it
to himself,
he despises himself for hoarding
because his soul has no
2
6
A tradition cf. BarizI, TaysUr al-wusul IV, p. 31. 8 Non-canonical. * Non-canonical. Q. xxiii, 53. This probably represents a variant in the form the narrative
:
follows.

trust in God,
IS
LAWFUL
15
and
will
not rely on
Him
instead of that thing.
So he continues,
I said
until his purpose

is it
"
:
How
becomes stronger." that the prophets had possessions and
lands, such as David, Solomon,
Abraham, Job, and the
like
How
that Joseph was over the treasures of the earth, 1 " (lOb) and Muhammad, and the righteous men after him ? " He replied This is an important question, involving a
is
it
:
big issue.
Know
men who came

:
after them,
that the prophets, and the learned and pious were the trustees of God's secret in
His earth, and of His commandment, prohibition, and knowledge they were His depositaries, and for His sake counselled
those
whom He
created and made.
For they understood God's
prohibition, and comprehended why He created them, what He desired of them, and to what He called them they were agreeable to His desire, and entered into every
commandment and
matter according to His His testament.

their
will.
intelligent servants, accepting [the word] of God,
So they stood in the station of and preserving
They hearkened unto Him with the ears of understandings attentive, and fcheir hearts pure, and fell
' ;
:
not short of His calling for they heard God saying Believe in God and His Apostle, and expend of that wherein He hath made you to be successors \ 2 God also says Then made
'
:
We
see
is
'
you
their successors in the earth after them, that

will act
'.
We may
:
how ye
Again, God
is
says
'To God belongs what

4
'.
in the heavens
is
and what
in the earth
God
'.
further says
Surely His
the creation and the bidding
So these
men
were certain that they and their souls belonged to God, and likewise that all which He bestowed on them and gave them to
was His save that they were in an abode of trial and affliction, and were created for trial and affliction in this abode.
possess
;
'Umar ibn al-Khattab that when he heard come upon man a portion of time when he was not a thing remembered ? ', e he said Would that it
So
it is
related of
the words,
Has
there
'
Cf. Q. xii, 55.
2
5
Q.
ivii, 7.
Q. x, 15. Q. Ixxvi,
1.
Q.
ii,
284.
Q. v ii, 52.
16

'
!
were finished
*
([by this]
'Umar meant before the

a mingled
clot, to
recitation of
verily,
we
created
man from
try
him
').*
Then he muttered
(in the commentary this word,
hamham,
'
!
is
explained as meaning, he had a certain disability in recitation). meant, 'Umar, then, by saying Would that it were finished
'
would that he had not been created when he heard God saying, when he was not a thing remembered '. This was because
(
*Umar knew what God's rights involved, and the power of His command and prohibition, man's inability to fulfil them, and
well as
God's just claim against him in respect of his shortcomings, as what God has threatened to do with man in punishment
It is likewise related that al-Hasan
2
for his transgressions.
said
'
:
God only caused

and appointed
'.
Adam
it
to descend into this world as a punishment,
when He expelled him from His neighbourIn hood, and transferred him to the abode of toil and trial the Traditions it is said When God created Adam, before breathing into him His spirit, He, knowing what would come 8 (lla) of his seed, desired to destroy him (Abu Sa'id says A distinguished and noble man has said, Would that he had indeed destroyed him, so that he had not been created '). 4 As for the man who works for God, and is truthful, when he
to be his prison,
'
:
'.
'
possesses aught in this world, he firmly believes that that thing belongs to God, not to himself, except in so far as it may involve
a duty, God having bestowed it upon him to try him, until he has discharged the duty. For a blessing is a trial, until man
discharges his duty of gratitude therefor, using obedience to God in like manner misfortune
:
it
as help towards
trial
and an
affliction, until
so discharges his duty to God.
man is On this
an
and hardship are patient thereunder, and

matter a certain philoto try
3
'
sopher has said

tised
'.
c
:
All theory
'
is
affliction, until it is praclife,
God
says
2.
Who
2
created death and
you
5
;
Q. Ixxvi,
Presumably al-BarI.
Non-canonical.
An
Q.
insertion into the narrative

Ixvii, 2.
by the author.

'
IS
LAWFUL
17
and again And We will surely try you, until We know which of you strive strenuously, and which are patient, and test the l reports concerning you The prophets, and the pious men who came after them, being made aware by God that He afflicted them in this world by means of plenty and the bestowing of possessions, put their trust in God, and not in their possessions they were God's treasurers in respect of what He gave them to possess, spending
:
'.
it
in fulfilment of their duties to
transgression or faiiitness.
God, without shortcoming or They assigned no contrary interin their pos-
pretation to God's purpose,

sessions
:
and took no pleasure
were not concerned with what they nor did exclude other men from its enjoyment. they possessed, So it is related of Solomon, son of David, and the possessions
their
hearts
and
*
special favours
is
which God allowed him, when God says

it 2
*
This
Our
gift, so bestow thou of

'.
or withhold, not being

:
The commentators explain not being called to account in the world to come, for it was a mean gift, a sign of favour from God to him '. The learned have related that Solomon used to feed his guests on whitened flour, and his
called to account
children on unsifted com, while he himself ate barley-meal.
They
also relate that
Abraham never
ate save with a guest.
Sometimes no guest would come to him for three days together, and he would fast and sometimes he would walk a parasang, less or more, to search out a guest, (lib) Likewise, whenever the prophet Job heard any man taking God's name in vain, he would return to his house, and make expiation for him. The learned also relate that, although Joseph was over the treasures
;
of the earth, yet he never ate his fill. Being asked concerning I fear to take my fill, lest I forget what it is to this, he said
*
:
Solomon, that one day the wind was supporting him, and the birds drew near to him, while Jinns and men were with him. Now he had on him a new
hunger
'.
It is further related of
Q.
xlvii, 33.
Q. xxxviii, 38.
18
and the garment clung to his body, and he felt pleasure and at once the wind was stilled, and set him down What ails thee ? upon the earth. He said to the wind The wind replied We were only commanded to obey thee so
shirt,
thereat
'
long as thou wast obedient to God '. So he considered within himself wherein [his disobedience] had occurred and he re:
membered, and repented, and the wind forthwith supported him [again]. It is reported that the wind used every day to set him down several times for like cause.
These men, therefore, whilst yet in the midst of their possessions, were in reality without them. They took delight in
the recollection and service of God, and did not content themselves with their possessions, nor losing
In nothing took they joy,
them found aught amiss. so that they needed no cure or effort
to expel such things from them.
These are they be thou led '.*
'
whom God
this
God said to His Prophet hath guided, so by their guidance

:
Now
the time
it
was to
same Prophet that Gabriel appeared, at

;
when Gabriel was transformed 2 and behold, an angel came down from heaven, who had never come down before. I feared that it was he who had come Gabriel said He came to the Prophet with down with a command for me a greeting from God, and said to him These are the keys of the treasures of the earth, that they may be thine, both gold and silver in them thou mayst dwell until the Day of Resurrection,
'
:
'.
'
thee with
*
no wise lessen the portion that is laid up for But this the Prophet did not choose, but said Once I hunger, and once I am filled ', 3 counting this to be an affliction and a trial from God. He did not reckon this to be a
shall in
'.
and they
God
matter
left
by God
it.
to his free-will, for if
it
had been so he would
have accepted
1
He knew
that the love of
God
consists in
Q.
vi, 90.
2 So. into the
shape of a man.
liii,
The
incident
is
that described
by the
commentators on Q.
9
9.
Non-canonical.
TBUTHFTJLNESS CONCERNING
quitting this world,
for in this
WHAT
its
IS
LAWFUL
19
and turning from
gaudy splendours,
c
God had schooled him, when He
said
(I2a)
And
do not
strain thine eye after the
have provided a few of them

try
them thereby
'.*
It is
good things wherewith we the gauds of the present life, to also related that one day he put on a
'
:
Its mantle with a badge, and then cast it from him, saying 2 r me distracted distracted its almost (or, me) badges badges
and bring me an Anbijani cloak 3 It is likewise related that a gold seal-ring was made for him, wherewith to seal his letters to whatever person God commanded him to admonish ;
take
it,
'.
he put
it
:
on,
'
and then cast

at
it
from
his hand, saying to his

'.
comIt is
panions
One glance
it,
and one glance at you

in its place
further related that on one occasion he changed the strap of

his shoe,
and put a new one

first
then he said
'
:
Give
me
back the
strap
5
'.
So every heart that is pure and unde filed yearns after the next world, and knows that God is watching over him he
:
therefore fears greatly lest he should secretly repose in the
possession of this world,

stories are
and take delight
in
aught that
is
of
it.
common in the tales [of the saints]. The intelSuch ligent, quick-witted man needs but a hint to this. When Muhammad urged his Companions to almsgiving, Abu Bakr brought all his possessions (and he was the most What powerful of the people) and the Prophet said to him hast thou left for thy children ? God and His Prophet he and with God I have an increase Note, then, that replied, Abu Bakr reposed in God, not in any material thing possessions
' ;
: '
'
',
'
'.
had no value in his sight, for he took more pleasure in what was laid up with God. Seeing where his duty lay, he left
l
Q. xx, 131.
Recording a variant in the tradition.

al-Athir,
For
this tradition see
Ibn
f.
Nihdyah
I,
p.
46,
Yaqut,
Mu'jam
al'bulddn VIII, p. 168
* Cf.
Bukhari, Libds ch. 46, 55
Muslim, Libda 54, 55
Ibn Sa'd,
I/It, p. 165 f. 5 Non-canonical.
20
nothing at
all,

I have left God and His Prophet '. saying came 'Umar with half his possessions. The Prophet said
:
'
Then
*
What
hast thou
',
left for
'
thy children
'
Half of
my
"
pos-
he replied, and with me God has an increase '. So he gave one half of his possessions, saying, and with me God has
sessions
*
[an increase]
'.
Lastly came 'Ufchman, ready to equip the

all it
army
of difficulty 1 entirely, with well of Rumah. 2

Note, then, that these
"
had need
of,
and to dig the
men reckoned
As
the material possession
men were
as belonging entirely to God. " "
for our statement, that these
without
their possessions, whilst they
were
still
in their hands, counting them as God's, (126) this is proved by the saying attributed to the Prophet We are the company of
*
:
prophets
alms
'.
we do not bequeath, and what we leave behind is for Note that during their lifetime they grudged God
all
;
nothing likewise they bequeathed nothing, but left it God, even as it was God's whilst it was in their hands
:
to
they
neither added to
after them.
it,
nor bestowed
is
it
upon any man that came
Surely this
eloquent to the
man who
understands
about God, and does what is jiivSt. Such was the case with the Leaders of Guidance after [the death of] God's Prophet. When Abu Bakr succeeded to the
leadership,
and the world

lift
in its entirety
his
came
to
him
in abase-
ment, he did not

t
any
pretensions.
He
head on that account, or make up wore a single garment, which he used

" man of the was known as the
to pin together, so that he
two pins
in its
'Umar ibn al-Khattab, who also ruled the world His clothes were entirety, lived on bread and olive-oil.
".
patched in a dozen places,

1
some of the patches being of

'
The expedition
cf.
on this occasion, add Ibn Hiaham, p. 895. 2 Cf. Ibn Hisham, p. 673.
op.
cit.,
against Tabuk in 9 h. For Uthman's generosity the authorities cited by Wensinck, Handbook, p. 240
:
p. 7
for
Bukharf,
For Abu Bakr Umar giving half, ibid., p. 235. gbums oh. 1, Vtisam oh. 5.
*
giving
all,
see Wensinck,

leather
;
IS
LAWFUL
21
and yet there were opened unto him the treasures of Chosroes and Caesar. As for 'Uthman, he was like one of his
slaves in dress
and appearance.
Of him
it is
related that he
was seen coming out of one of

firewood on his shoulders.
his gardens
with a faggot of
When
questioned on the matter,
he said
'
:
wanted to
see
whether
my
soul
would refuse
'.
Note, then, that he was not heedless of his soul, and of [the necessity of] making covenant with it and training it. When
succeeded to the rule, he bought a waist-band for four dirhams, and a shirt for five dirhams finding the sleeve of the
'All
;
garment somewhat long, ho went to a cobbler, and taking his

knife cut off the sleeve level with the tips of his fingers
this
:
yet
al-
same man divided the world
right
and
left.
When
Zubayr died, he left behind him debts amounting to more than two hundred thousand [dinars], all contracted through liberality
and extravagant
all his
Talhah ibn 'Ubaydillah gave even to his family jewels, to beggars. away possessions, All this proves that these men were truly as God described
generosity.
them, when
He
said
l
you successors \ time is ashamed of this, for all that he possesses doubtful things but God knows well what manner of things they are, and whence
:
And expend of that whereof He has made Yet not one man of the people (13a) of our
' :
they came, what value they have in the man's heart, and how he prefers them and reposes in them instead of in God, as well
therewith.
as his innumerable sins in busying himself and occupying himself One of them has even asserted 2 that he has possessions in precisely the
same manner as those who
lived before
him, and adduced them as an excuse for following the dictates of his own evil desire, despite the fact that his life is totally at
variance with the practice of these people.
one's shortcomings to God, as being a neglectful servant,
Nay, but to confess and to
ask
God
to advance
is
him
men
1
attained, this
to the same high station as that these nearer to salvation. God is [our] help.
Q. Ivii, 7. This same argument
is
answered by al-Muhasibi, Naa'ih t ch.
3.
22
8.
TBUTHFULNESS IN ABSTINENCE.
its
Next
is
Truthfulness in Abstinence,
nature and practice.

*
has abused the present world, naming it with names The life of such as none ever before bestowed on it. He says this world is but a sport, and a play, and a gaud, something to
:
Now God
boast about amongst yourselves '- 1 Shall not he be ashamed, who understands of God, that God may see him taking satisfaction in
what
:
I said
a play and a sport, in this abode of deception " What is the true nature of this world ? "
is
"
?
He
"
this
"
replied "
:
Men
:
of insight and
'
world
means
in reality the soul
wisdom and its
are agreed that

desires.
is
This
is
proved by God's words

lusts for
Made seemly unto men

that
is
the love of
silver,
women,
children,
hoarded talents of gold and
the enjoyment of the life of this world '. 2 All these things which God mentions are of the soul's desire and delight, and by them the soul is distracted
horses of mark, cattle, tilth
from the recollection of the world to come

quits what
and when a man

For
his soul desires, he quits this present world.

it is
consider well,
possessions,
possible for a
man
to be poor
and without
and yet to covet

if
this world,
and to
desire the fruits
thereof, resolving that

it,
only he could obtain what he desires of
he would take
it
for his
enjoyment and have pleasure therein.
the lustful, according to the degree of his ambition, only his portion at the reckoning is less than theirs who have attained it and had enjoyment of it.
is
Such a
man
reckoned by
God among
degree of abstinence is abstinence as to following the soul. When a man finds his soul amenable, then the desires of
first
The
he no more cares in what state he

therein he
is
may
be, night or
day
for
conformable with God's desire, (136) for that he his soul, and prevents it from attaining its desire of opposes lusts, pleasures, recreations, the company of friends and boon-
companions,
men
heedless of
God
save only such as have been

:
disappointed of the very thing which he himself desires

i
for
Q.
Ivii, 19.
Q.
in, 12.
TRUTHFULNESS IN ABSTINENCE
truly
desire
it is
23
a fault in a
desires.
man
to keep
company with those who
what he
Next, he takes only the bare necessities
of food, drink, clothing, shelter, sleep, speech, talking, listening. He foregoes all longing for things of this world, and bewares of
finding
it
agreeable
for the
Prophet himself has said
*
:
This
That man therefore pictures this world to himself as passing away, and foreshortens his hopes of it he lives in expectation of death, and longs for the next world,
world
is
delicate
and
fresh
'.*
yearning to
make
his lodging in that everlasting abode. his heart in

service.
To
this
end he labours, putting all ease from reflection, and from his body in ceaseless
the
first
ceaseless
is
This, then,
degree of abstinence.
2
3 4
Sufyan al-Thawr!, Waqi' ibn al- Jarrah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and others have said that abstinence in this world is the foreshortening of hopes, and this proves what the philosophers have said for when a man restricts his hopes, he takes no pleasure,
;
and
so heedlessness
'
:
have said
is far removed from him. A certain sect The man who is abstinent in this world yearns
after the world to

it is
come
he has set
as if he sees the punishment
it up before his eyes, so that and reward which are in it, and
therefore he turns
away from
'
this
5
:
world
'.
So
it is
related that
the Prophet said to Harithah

'
How
farest
thou this day,
Harijjhah
God
from
'
'.
'
And what
belief
Believing truly, O messenger of asked the Prophet, is the truth of thy I have turned my soul away The other answered
He
replied
',
'
'
this world.
by night, and it coming forth, and the people of Paradise taking joy together, and the people of Hell making moan together '. Then the Prophet A believer whose heart God has illumined. Thou hast said
*
:
Therefore I have thirsted by day, and watched is as though I behold the Throne of my Lord
known, so hold
l,
fast
'.
Fitan ch. 26.
2
4
is
Died 161
Died 241
h.
h.
ufis, of.
3 &
Died 197 h. Died 2 h. This story
a favourite with the
Kalabadhi,
al-Ta'arruf, p. 73, 78, etc.
24
certain theologian has said
' :
Abstinence
is
when the
:
value of things has departed from thy heart '. Now abstinence in the matters of this world is a very delicate and hidden subject every man (14a) has his own form of abstinence, according to the
degree in which he knows God. If a man banishes from his heart the desire for this world little by little, so that he may see
whither his abstinence is leading him, or if he is feeble in dealing with himself, and will not oppose his soul's desires, he has never turned from this world, and does not yearn after the world to
The man who is truly abstinent in this world neither blames the world nor praises it' neither rejoices in it when it comes to him nor grieves for it when it turns from him
come.
'
:
(Abu Sa'ld al-Kharraz

has said
'
:
says,
certain distinguished
man
completely abstinent, until gold and stone are equal in his sight and gold and stone are not equal, until he has a sign from God, so that the stone is changed into
is
;
No man
gold,
I heard the
and thereby the value of things departs from his heart \ same man also say Stone and gold were not equal
'
:
in the sight of
any of the Companions
after [the death of] the
Messenger of God, with the exception of Abu Bakr '.) " To I said what end have the abstinent been abstinent
:
"
?
He
"
replied
:
To
divers ends.
Some were
abstinent in
order to free their hearts of every occupation, making all their purposes one, namely, to obey God in recollection and service
,
and
said
in this
'
:
God sufficed them. So it is related that the Prophet Whoso makes his purpose a single purpose, him God will
' :
l Jesus said purposes '. Verily I say unto the love of this world is the head of you, every sin, and in possessions is a great sickness '. They said Spirit of God,
suffice for all his
'
what
is its
cure
if he is paid his due ? He paid his due '. There will be and in him '. replied: pride vanity They said
' :
He answered And They said

'
'
:
That a man
shall not
be
'
Ibn Maja,
ch. 2.
*
25
And
if
there
is
no pride or vanity
will distract
in
him
'
He
answered
'
His desire to amend
him from the
recollection of
God'.
Others were abstinent in order to lighten their backs, that 1 they might swiftly pass over the way, when the heavy-burdened
are held back for questioning.
said
*
:
So
it is
related that the Prophet

I
My companions came to me, and Abdurrahman ibn 'Awf was not among them
detained from me)
2
:
noticed
that
(or else
he said,
has delayed thee in coming to me ? He replied, I was engaged in counting over the quantity of the increase of my riches, until so much sweat streamed from me that if there had come (146) to drink of it
so I said,
9 seventy camels, thirsty from eating kam$, they would have gone
He was
What
away satisfied
Prophet said
:
4
'.
'
It is also related
on several authorities that the

shall be less
Those who are greater
on the Day
of Resurrection, save only those who have poured out their wealth thus and thus, to left and right, among God's servants '. &
who will not made his had God Day 6 sustenance in this world only his daily bread'. Abu Qbarr 7 relates that the Prophet said It would not please me that I should have gold as much as [the mountain of] Uhud to spend
also said
4
:
He
No man
is
there, be he rich or poor,
wish on the
of Resurrection that
'
in God's path,
and that a third of the night should pass over me,

it,
while I
still
had more than one dinar of
kept in case of a
debt
'.
Paradise,
its
Others were abstinent out of a desire and longing for and this consoled them for the loss of this world and
until they yearned long after the
pleasures,
reward unto
Sc. of A'raf,
on the
last day.
3
2
*
Recording a variant.
A
;
bitter herb.
ff.
For
his wealth, see
Ibn Sa'd
3,
III/I, pp. 92
&
Bukhari, Istiqrdd ch.
Riqdq ch. 14
7
6 Cf.
8
Ibn Maja, Zuhd
ch. 9.
;
Muslim, Zakdh Died 32 or 33 h.

tr. 31,
tr.
32.
Bukhari, Riqdq ch. 14
Muslim, Zakdh
32
Ibn Maja, Zuhd
ch. 8.
26
THE BOOK OF TBUTHFULNESS

'called them, and which He had described to As for In the Traditions it is related that God says
'
:
which God had

them.
those
who
'.*
are abstinent in this world,
unto them I grant

' :
Paradise

'.
No
recitation is
good without abstinence The highest degree of abstinence

those
:
in this world
was attained
who conformed with God's wishes. These were men by who understood of God they were intelligent and loving, and they listened to God's condemnation of this world, and how He
has belittled
its
for His saints.
worth, and does not approve of it as an abode They were ashamed that God should see them
inclining towards anything
which He has condemned and not
approved.
This they imposed upon themselves as a duty, for which they sought no recompense from God. They nobly conformed with God's wishes, and God wastes not the hire 2
' '
him who does good. For those who conform with God in all their affairs are the most intelligent of His servants, and enjoy
of
the highest price with God. So it is related that Abu '1-Darda' 3 said How sweet is the sleep of the intelligent, and how sweet
'
:
they have despoiled the vigils and atom's weight of the man of piety and sure faith weighs more with God than mountains' worth of the deeds of those who are deceived '. Surely this is eloquent to the
their breakfasting
! !
How
fastings of fools
An
man who
who was
'
It is related that
pale,
understands (15a) of God. God is [our] help. 'Umar ibn 'Abdil-'Aziz once saw a youth
and said
to
him
* :
boy
'
The youth
replied
Whence comes this paleness, From sicknesses and distempers,

:
'
Commander
of the Faithful
'
'
'.
Tell
me
truly
',
said 'Umar.
Sicknesses and distempers

7 .
said the youth.

(
:
'Umar
said
l
:
Tell
me how
The youth
replied
Commander
of the Faithful,
soul from this world, and its stone and gold are become equal in my sight and it is as if I behold the people of Paradise in Paradise visiting each other, and the people
1 have turned
away
my
Non-canonical.
2 cf.
Q.
ix, 121, etc.
Died 31
h.
of Hell in Hell making
27
said
'
:
moan
comes
will
'
this,
boy
The
together youth said
'.
'
:
'Umar
thee.
How
He
when
Fear God, and

Verily,
pour forth knowledge copiously
upon
we were foreshortened of the knowledge of what we practised, we gave up practising even that which we knew but if we had practised in accordance with what knowledge we had, we should
:
have inherited a knowledge which our bodies could not have

supported
'.*
It is related that
Abu Bakr
:
al-Siddlq once asked for a drink.
brought a vessel but when he had put it to his mouth and tasted it, he thrust it aside, and wept. On being asked about I saw the Prophet of God one day, pushing away this, he said
'
:
He was
with his hands, as though something were
falling,
and yet
saw nothing. So I said to him, O messenger of God, pushing away with thy hands, and yet I see nothing.
Yes
:
I see thee
He
said,
;
this present
world appeared before me, in
all its
gauds
and
I said,
Get thee from
me
But
it
answered, Thou
shalt not
escape from me, nor shall any escape from me that comes after thee. (Abu Bakr continued) So I fear that it has overtaken
me
'.
Now
is
there
:
water and honey

It
was in the vessel from which he drank and yet he wept, being afraid of that.
in
related
Tradition
that
the
Companions of
Muhammad
delight.
neither ate to have pleasure, nor dressed to take
Another
version
says
that
when
Muhammad's
and the
Companions grew
it,
in worldly power, after his death,
whole world lay conquered at their feet, they wept because of and were afraid, saying We fear, lest our good deeds have been rewarded in advance '. 2 Wherefore let a man fear God, and be just, and let him cleave to the path of those who have
'
gone before, acknowledging his shortcomings, and asking God

to support his stumblings.
After the Tradition,
'
If a
man
not
acts according to
'.
what he knows,
God will teach him what he knows

2 Sc.
in this world, instead of in Paradise.
28

9.'
TRUTHFULNESS IN TRUSTING.
Next
'
is
Truthfulness in Trusting to God.

'
Let the believers therefore trust

trust, if
1
;
and again,
'
do ye
those
'
ye bo believers
trust
'.
'
2
;
and again,
God says : And in God Verily God loves

(15&)
f
who do
It is related that the
There shall enter Paradise of

:
my
Prophet said : community seventy thousand
without reckoning these are they that neither make auguries, nor brand themselves, nor use spells, but trust in their Lord '. 4
'Umar ibn al-Khattab

trusted in
relates that the
God
as ye should,
Ho
5
If ye Prophet said would sustain you even as He

:
'
sustains the birds, which in the
return in the evening filled'.

'
morning go forth hungry, and Abdullah ibn Mas'ud 8 said:

'
Power and wealth go about seeking

it,
after trust
when they
is
have found
they abide
itself,
[in it]
'.
Now
this
:
Trust in
and
its
manifestation in the heart,
to believe in
God and
to rely
on Him, taking
rest
and
;
has guaranteed to expel from the heart all anxiety over the affairs of this world r and the means of sustenance, and every matter of which God
assurance in
Him
as .regards all that
He
Himself has taken charge
and to know that of every matter of

it
which
is
man
stands in need, be
of this world or the next,
God
the ruler and provider, for none but
God can
bring
it
to him,
and none but God can withhold it from him. Tn trust, all desire and trepidation must depart from the heart, with all fear, if
these be connected with other than
God for a man must have a and full knowledge and firm conviction Him, that God's hand is outstretched towards him, to provide him
:
confidence in
all that he seeks for no good thing shall befal him, save God's nor by command, any evil thing overtake him, save with His leave. So it is related that al-Fudayl said The man who
;
with
'
Q.
iii,
118, etc.
Q. v> 26.
Q.
iii,
153.
Bukhari, Tibb ch.

;
17,
42; Riqdq ch. 21, 50.
Muslim,
Imdn
tr.
372, 374
5
Tirmi^jl, Qiyamah ch. 16. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, I, pp. 30, 52.
Died 32 or 33
h.
TRUTHFULNESS IN TRUSTING
29
trusts in God, and has confidence in Him, has no suspicion of Him, and does not fear that He will desert him '. So, when a man trusts in God, and God gives him to possess anything of this world, and aught thereof remains over with
him, he does not lay it up for the morrow, save with the intention that the thing belongs to God, and is in trust for God's rights, and that he is a treasurer of God then, when he sees a fitting
:
occasion, he quickly brings

[others]
;
for in all that
and expends it on succouring he possesses, he and his brethren have

it
forth,
equal rights.
binding upon him in the first instance only in respect of members of his household, and near relatives, and men of piety, and then in respect of the whole community
This
is
of Muslims
whenever he
sees
them
to be in a state of dire need,
(16a) he changes their deficient circumstances.

It is related that the
Prophet said
'
:
Abstinence in this
is
world does not consist in making unlawful what wasting wealth true abstinence in this world is
:
lawful, or in
this,
that thou
shonldst have greater reliance in what
is
in God's
hands than in
thy hands, and that, when any misfortune befals thee, thou shouldst rejoice more in the reward which it brings thee, than if it had been removed from thee '.* Bilal 2 said I
what
is
in
'
once came to the Prophet with a date, and he said to me, What is this ? I said, Something which I have stored up for thy breakHe said, Spend, Bilal, and fear not that He Who sits fast.
upon the Throne

*
:
will suffer thee to

'
want.
'A'ishah
Didst thou not fear

is
that this will reek in Gehenna
reported to have said I am not like Asma' (meaning her sister) Asma' takes nothing for the morrow, but I collect one thing for another '.
?
;
one day she was raising her arm and * Wilt scattering dirhams, when her maidservant said to her thou not leave one dirham for some meat ? She replied :
It is also related that
: '
'
Why
didst thou not remind
me
'
'A'ishah relates that on the

all
night of the Prophet's last illness he appeared
the while
Non-canonical.
Died 20
h.
Non-canonical.
30
to be terrified,
l

and
in the
morning he said
'
* :
What
has that
done [with me] ? djmhaybah (Now its value was fifty-six Then he said dirhams.) Bring it forth for what would be Muhammad's thoughts, if he met his Lord with that in his pos'
session
'
Masruq
in
is
reported to have said
am
never
more confident
God than when my
servant-girl says that
we
have nothing in the house " I said Does trust in God exist along with secondary " causes, or by severing connection with secondary causes ?
:
He
causes
:
"
replied
for
:
By
severing the greater part of secondary
then one passes direct to the Causer, and rests in

"
:
Him."
I said
Does the
"
?
trustful
man
undertake any cure or
medical treatment
He
" replied
:
certain sect of
men God
This matter has three different aspects. A has chosen, to have nothing to do with
* :
either cures or secondary causes, for the Prophet said

shall enter Paradise of
:
There
my community seventy thousand men without a reckoning these are they that neither brand themThe Prophet selves, nor use spells, but trust in their Lord '. He does not trust, who brands himself and uses also said
' :
spells
evil
'.*
Again, he said
'
:
(166)
If a
man
is
6 omen, he has associated himself with unbelief'.
turned back by an Never-
Prophet commanded the use of drugs and spells, and the making of incantations, and even ordered that Ubayy
theless, the
ibn Ka'b's
vein should be cut but this is explained by al7 ibn Of the seventy thousand whom Sha'bah thus Mugbayrah the Prophet specially chose, those who branded themselves and
;
'
:
used
spells
were not trusting
'.
Some
theologians have inter-
preted the matter in the same fashion. Apart from this, everything that is lawful to other men was lawful also to them, and
l
A small piece
Died 10
Died 22
h.
of gold.
*
2 cf.
Ibn Sa'd,
II/II, p. 32
f.
Atunad ibn Hanbal, IV, pp. 251, 253.

7
5 Cf.
Ahmad
h.
ibn Hanbal, II, p. 220.
Died 50
h.
TRUTHFULNESS IN TRUSTING
in
:
31
intellectual
no way vitiated their trust in God for they possessed both and spiritual knowledge, and their eyes were turned
Lord of sickness and cure, Who at His will either harms or profits by the cure. For many a man has sought to be cured by a remedy which has proved to be [an augmentation of] his
to the
sickness,
and many a man has died of
his remedy, or of the
cutting of a vein. Many a man has sought to be healed, and has hoped to be helped by the very thing which has proved his undoing, or has feared to be harmed by the very thing which has
man, who confides and trusts in his Lord, does so because he knows that He is sufficient for him, above all that He has created he does not miss anything which God has withheld from him, because God is sufficient for him,
saved him.
The
truthful
and He
may
be defended [from evil] ? He replied " This saying must

:
attains His purpose *. 1 " What of the man I said "

:
who
says, I trust in
God
that I
mean one
Either he means that
God
will
defend him from
all
of two things. that causes
impatience and fretfulness through the gift of trust, without any change in the course of events as destined by God this is
:
our view, and the view of those who believe in predestination. Or else he means that God will defend him from whatever he
may
as with the
pray to be defended against, no matter what it may man who said, Wild beasts will not devour
'
be,
me
because of
my
trust in God,
and whatever comes

to
to
;
me
of
my
own
to
for
seeking will also
come
'
me
without seeking
for trust
protects
me
against everything that causes

;
God
to defend
sometimes the
is
me to fear, if I pray a saying which need not astonish us, me man who trusts in God is defended, and somehis trust is in
?
no way impaired." me somewhat. " Explain " He replied Very well. When John the son of Zachariah was slaughtered by a cruel woman on a charger, he did not trust
times he
not,
I said
and yet
"
How is
:
this
this to
Q.
iii,
65.
32
in
and when Zachariah was sawn asunder with a saw, and so with all the prophets who were endure to or made slain, (17a) and yet they were of suffering So the most in and the most truthful. all men faith, powerful
God
he did not trust in God
hid there
his face
Muhammad, when he fled to the cave with Abu Bakr, and they 2 and when the poly t heists broke his tooth, and dabbled
;
with blood
3
:
he did not trust in God.
For consider,
true trust consists in leaning
and then
ever
in
upon God, and resting in Him, submitting to His command, for He does whatso'
He
'
wills
4
'.
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

words,
is
reported to have said that God's
And whosoever trusts in God, He is sufficient for him, will attain His purpose 5 mean, He is fulfilling His God verily while God hath set for every thing a measure means, purpose a term, a limit which the man reaches the trustful man would
',
*
'
not say,
My
need
will be fulfilled.
This interpretation of Ibn
Mas'ud implies, that the man who trusts in God seeks refuge in Him. knowing that the matter will not be accomplished, save
on the part of God,
Who by
in
The man who trusts withheld, and by his
God
His own power gives and withholds. takes it not amiss when aught is
:
trust does not seek to extort a gift
for
greed does not determine whether a thing is given or withheld, but it is God Who both withholds and gives. kSometimes a man given a thing because of his trust, arid sometimes the thing is withheld in spite of his trust. It may happen that one will see
is
the Magian, the infidel, the atheist, the sinner, the waster, the liar, the unbeliever, the mocker, all disbelieving, and yet having their needs fulfilled, while the trustful man, who is filled with
truth and firm
belief,
will
not have a single need
fulfilled,
so
that he dies in misery and contempt.

1
So. to the point of expecting that
God would change what He had
decreed.
2
8 *
On
Q.
At the
iii,
the occasion of the hijra. battle of Uhud, see Ibn Hisbam, p. 571.
35.
&
Q. Ixv, 3.
TRUTHFULNESS IN FEAR
33
Trust, then, consists in giving up being satisfied with the material things of this world, and in banishing both the appetite for and the despair of created beings the trustful man knows that he is moving towards what is known [in God's foreknow:
well-pleased with God, being aware that he cannot through trust obtain the hastening of what God has
ledge],
is
and he
postponed, or the postponement of what God has hastened. He has succeeded in expelling impatience and trepidation, and has
found rest from the torment of covetousness

his soul in
*
knowledge both intellectual and

'
having trained spiritual, he says,

:
what will be is surely coming '. So a certain philosopher has said Take revenge on thy covetousness through contentment, even as thou takest revenge on
is
What
destined will be, and
One of the Companions said and there was in the (lib) house a dried date and the Prophet said, Take it if thou hadst not come to it, it would have come to thee 1 Muhammad ibn 2 Ya'qub relates that he was told by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who had
thy enemy through retribution
'
'.
I entered the house of the Prophet,

;
'-
on the authority of al-Mu'alli 8 via Marwan ibn Mu'awiyah, 4 that Anas ibn Malik 6 said The Prophet was given a number
it
*
:
of birds as a present. He gave a bird to a maid-servant to eat, and on the morrow she brought it to him. He said, Have I not forbidden thee to lay up provision
It is indispensable for for the
morrow
is
'
trusting
every man to know this but the supreme perfection of trusting

10.
much about
mightier
than
this.
TRUTHFULNESS IN FEAR.
Next
*
is
Truthfulness in the Fear .of God.
God
'
says
and Me do ye fear '. 7 Again, God And fear not men, but fear Me 8 and again, They says fear their Lord above them 9 and again, So none fears God of
therefore
'
Me
dread
'
'
'
Non-canonical.
Died 270
h.
3 *
7
Probably ibn Died 193 h.

Q.
ii,
Manur al-Bazi, died 211

&
or 212 h.
38.
Died 93 h. Q. v 48.
,
Uncanonical.
Q. xvi, 52.
34

1
;
His servants save, those that know'

' '
and again,
'
Nor
shall
ye do a work, save that We be witness over you, when ye are 2 and again, He knows what is in your souls, engaged therein
;
so beware of
*
Him
'.
The Prophet
said
6
to
Ibn 'Abbas
Fear God, as though thou seest
Him
'.
Now
this it is
:
as for
what
stirs
up
fear, until it lodges in the heart,
to be continually in awe of God, both secretly and openly, knowing that God sees thee, and that none of thy motions, be they outward or inward, is concealed from Him.
Then He has a high place with thee in all thy motions, both inward and outward, so that thou art cautious lest He see in thy heart aught that He likes not and does not approve, and keepest
watch over thy intention,
If a
since
He knows what
is
in thy soul.
man
God
keeps
it
firmly fixed in his heart, during all his motions,
that
sees him,
and
then, with God's help, turns from what-
fear will lodge therein.
ever displeases God, his heart will be pure and illumined, and He will continually beware of God, and
in all his states he will be afraid.

:
God's commandment will
take a large place in his heart through God he will not be by the reproach of any man, and for God's sake every man who sets at nought God's commandment will be small in
affected
his sight.
if
,is
man
The account of fear is long these are its principles, which uses them will bring him to the realities [of fear]. This
:
the outward aspect of fear over and beyond this remains the (180) greater part of its quality.
:
11.
TRUTHFULNESS IN SHAME.
Next
is
Truthfulness in the
'
:
Shame of God.
of faith
'.
It is related
that the Prophet said

i
Shame is
2
He is also reported
3
* 6 6
Q. xxxv, 25. Died 68, 69 or 70 h.
Q. x, 62.
Q.
ii,
236.
Bukharl, Bukharl,
Imdn ch. 37 Muslim, Imdn tr. 1, Imdn ch. 3, 16 Muslim, Imdn

;
5, 7.
tr.
57-59
Ahmad
ibn
Hanbal,
II, p. 9, 56.
TRUTHFULNESS IN SHAME
to have said
*
' :
35
Shame
is
entirely
good
'.
He
further said
truly ashamed of God. Whoso is truly ashamed of God, let him guard his head and what it contains, his belly and what it holds, and let him remember the grave and the affliction
Be ye
[therein].
Whoso
desires the next world, quits the

'
:
gauds of this
a
world
Again, the Prophet said thou wouldst be of an upright man

'.
Be ashamed of God, as
A man
said
(
:
messenger of
among thy own people '. God, what shall we show of our
'
secret parts,
and what conceal

'
He
replied
Veil thy secret

'
parts, save from thy family and that which thy right hand 4 The man said The Suppose one is alone ? possesses '.
:
Prophet answered
'
'
:
It is
more proper to be ashamed of God

'.
5
.
Whenever Abu Bakr went to a privy, he used to cover his head, All these sayings prove I am ashamed of my Lord saying how near God was to these men for if a man is ashamed of God, he sees God watching over him and witnessing him in every
: :
state."
I said
"
:
What
"
:
is it
that
stirs
up shame
:
"
?
He
replied
Three characteristics
[first],
God's kindness
towards thee, and thy failure to be grateful, whilst continuing in misconduct and transgression secondly, the knowledge that thou wilt be in God's sight in thy place of returning and lodging 6
;
and
thirdly, the recollection that

will
and that He
small."
I said "
:
thou wilt stand before God, question thee about things, both great and
fortifies
And what
"
:
and strengthens shame
"
?
He
for it
replied
The
fear of God,
enters into the heart, so that the heart
knows that God
sees
what
is
in
when the wayward desire is frightened and scared it, and therefore the shame
:
Non- canonical.
Non-canonical, but quoted by Qushayri, Risdlah, p. 128. Non-canonical.
2
*
In the privy.
&
Abu Dawud, Hammdm

the grave.
tr.
Tirmidlji,
Addb
ch. 22, 39.
8 Sc.
36
of
God
is
established.
If
it
continues in this, the shame will
increase
and wax strong ." " And what is said I

:
He
replied
" that begets shame ? " Apprehension lest God should turn from one
it
55
in hatred, being displeased with what one has done. " I said What prevails in the heart of one who
:
is
ashamed
of his
Lord?
55
He
(186.)
"
replied
is
:
Fear for the vision of
Him Who
sees
him
for then he
afraid of God,
and therefore ashamed of Him/

"
(Abu Said says I heard a disciple ask a gnostic, What the sign of the awe of God in the heart of him who knows God ?
:
is
55
The
"
gnostic replied
55
:
When
adder and
55
fly are
equal in his
sight.
I said
"
:
How is shame weakened

"
:
He
godliness.
I
replied
55
By
giving
up
self-examination
and
is
said
?
"
:
What
"
:
are the
inward states of him who
ashamed
55
He
replied
Persistent
humility,
continual
lowliness,
bowing the head, restraining the glance, gazing little at the sky, blunting the tongue so that it does not speak overmuch, being
afraid to uncover in a privy, giving
up
frivolity
and laughter,
and being ashamed

.
upon even that which God has not to mention allowed, any accidental thing which God has
to enter
forbidden.
as
Men differ from each other in the degree God is near to them and they to Him.
of shame, according
12.
TRUTHFULNESS IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S BENEFITS AND IN GRATITUDE TO HIM.

Next
is
Truthfulness in the knowledge of

to
God
s benefits,
and
in gratitude
Him.
God
says
But
We
have been
gracious to the sons of
and
sea,
Adam, and We have borne them by land and provided them with good things, and preferred
TRUTHFULNESS IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
BENEFITS 37
:
them above many that We have created '.* Again, God says And if ye would number the favours of God, ye cannot count them 2 God also says Remember my favours wherewith
4
'
'.
I have favoured
you When a man awakes from

'.
heedlessness, he considers
and
beholds God's blessings towards him, how they have been perfected both of old and now. As for His former blessings, these
are
all,
:
that
He remembered
thee before thou wast anything at

belief in
and privileged thee with a

;
His unity, faith in Him,
and the knowledge of Him
Pen to inscribe thy name on the Preserved Tablet as a Muslim. Then He caused the intervening ages to pass away, and set thee in a company of believers who have found salvation, bringing thee forth into the best of communities and the noblest of religions, of which same community is His friend Muhammad. Then He guided thee unto the traditional faith, and dealt with thee in the
also caused the
religious law, keeping thee far
He
from errors and
heresies.
Then He
brought thee up, and protected thee, and fed thee, until the ordinances [of Islam] became binding on thee. 4 Yet thou didst forget His blessing, neglecting to preserve His testament, and for a space
of thy
indulging in evil desire but in all this He exacts no recompense for thy sinning, but rather veils thee, and is clement
life
:
towards thee, looking upon thee. Then He inclined towards thee (19a) after all this, when thou hadst been refractory, and He wakened thee out of thy heedlessness, teaching thee how
thou hadst
failed in obedience
and He granted thee conversion
unto Him, and settled thee in His good pleasure. Now therefore there remains for thee, as thy bounden duty, gratitude
upon gratitude which of His blessings canst thou number, and for which of them be grateful ? Yet must thou know and
:
practise gratitude.
Gratitude
is
of three kinds
tongue, and of the body.

1
gratitude of the heart, of the Gratitude of the heart is, to know

:
Q. xvii, 72.
2 Q. xvi, 18.
Q.
ii,
38.
So. at the age of attaining
manhood.
38
that

all blessings
xxmie from
is,
God
alone, not
gratitude of the tongue
to praise
from any other and laud Him, publishing

;
;
His benefits and making mention of His kindness gratitude of the body is, not to use any member, which God made sound
and
fair
therewith.
of form, in any act of disobedience, but to obey God Likewise, thou wilt make all the things of this world,
which
He
thyself in obeying
has given into thy hands to possess them, an aid for Him, not converting them to vanity, nor
spending them in extravagance. Finally, thou wilt pay service unto God, and accord Him all thy effort. So it is related that the Prophet one day stood until his feet became swollen. They
said to
him
'
' :
messenger of God, what

thee
'
is
this toil
Has
not
God excused
?
He
replied
Shall I not be a grateful

2
'.
servant
l
'
God says:
Work,
family of David, thankfully
Again,
'.
God
'
says
If ye are grateful, I will surely give
you increase
is
When
man
attains to the perfection of gratitude to God, he

lo,
pauses, and considers, and
his very gratitude
a blessing
therefor,
from God, requiring that he should be grateful to God

since
has set him among those that are grateful. he labours in the gratitude of gratitude and he
;
He
Thereafter
is
wellnigh
bewildered, so swiftly kindness follows kindness, from him, with goodness and all manner of graces.
God
to
We
Thou
to
are told that Moses prayed to his Lord thus O Lord, hast commanded me to be grateful for Thy blessing, and
'
:
a blessing from Thee Then God revealed Thou hast truly attained knowledge, since thou knowest that that is from Me, and thou hast thanked Me 'Umar ibn 'Abdil-'Azlz said To recollect a blessing is itself an act of gratitude, and blessings indicate (196) the love of Him Who
'.
my very gratitude is
him
'
:
'.
'
Bukhari, Tafsir on S. xlix, ch.

Q. xxxiv, 12, Q. xiv,
7.
2.
2
3
TRUTHFULNESS IN LOVE
13.
39
TRUTHFULNESS IN LOVE.
Next
is
Truthfulness in Love.
Now
:
the philosophers are
agreed that love springs from the recollection of blessings. Ibn ' Love God because of the 'Abbas relates that the Prophet said
blessings wherewith
[your] love of
God
love me because of nourishes you and love the people of my house because of
He
[your] love of
me
'.
stronger in love for
God God 2
l
'.
*
:
says
And
those
I have heard that
who believe are God made revela-
tion to Jesus, saying
Jesus, verily I say unto thee, I
am
is
more loving to within him '.

said, in the
My We
servant
who
believeth than his soul which

'
:
are told that al- Hasan al-Bar! said
Men
verily
we
time of God's messenger, messenger of God, love God with a strong love. Then God appointed a
:
sign for His love, revealing
If ye love God, follow me,
and
God
will love
you
'.
It belongs to truthfulness in love to follow the
Prophet in
his conduct, abstinence,
and
character, taking
this
him for an example

its gaudy and a guide,
in every matter,
:
and to turn from
world and
beauty a proof to His community. It also belongs to truthfulness in the love of God to prefer God's love in every matter above thy
soul
for
God made Muhammad
to be a sign
and thy
(
:
desire,
and
in all
thy
affairs to
begin by doing His

are told that Moses
commandment
said
before that of thy soul.
We
'.
'
:
Lord,
make testament
to
me
God
'
:
said
'
:
make
Lord, how makest Myself testament to thee '. Moses said If two matters Thou Thyself testament to me ? God said
'
come
to thee, one being
from
then thou shalt prefer the love
Me and the of Me above

:
other from thyself,
thy desire
'.
He that loves God, lays it upon himself as a duty to

God with both
;
recollect
heart and tongue he frees himself from heedlessand so all his members are ness, and seeks pardon therefor
but a legacy in trust, to serve Him Who loves him. his whole purpose is to please forgets nor neglects
:
He neither Him Who

3
Non-canonical.
Q. u, 160.
Q.
iii,
29.
40
loves him, and he labours with all his might to be conformable with Him, performing His ordinances, and eschewing what He has forbidden. He adorns himself before God in all his strength,
fearing lest there
come
(20a)
upon him any matter which
shall
cause him to
is related,
'
from the sight of Him Who loves him. So it on more than one authority, that the Prophet said
fall
:
God
says,
I
My servant
what
have ordained for him to do
draws not so nigh Me, as by performing but through works of

:
supererogation he continues to draw nigh unto Me, until I love him and when I love him, I am for him both hearing and
;
sight,
hand and
helper.
He
calls
1
*.
Me, and
answer him
is,
he
counsels Me, and I counsel
him
The mark of love
to be
in accord with the Beloved, in every matter to
walk with
Him
along His paths, to draw near to
His course to
therein."
I said
flee
Him by every means, and on from every matter which does not help him
He
" " Is love according to the number of blessings ? " The beginning of love is the recollection of replied
: :
:
it proceeds according to the capacity of the that For the true lover is, according to his deserts. recipient, of God loves God both when receiving His blessings, and when
blessings
then
His blessings are withheld in every state he loves Him with a true love, whether He withholds or grants, afflicts or spares him. Love invariable attaches to his heart, according to his
:
2 compact [with God] except that it is nearer to superfluity. For if love went according to the number of blessings received,
:
it
would diminish when the blessings diminish, in times of hardship and when affliction befals. But he is God's lover whose
is
mind
distraught for his Lord, and

:
who
is
only concerned to
please Him when he is grateful to God, and when he recollects Him, he is bewildered, as though no blessing ever descended on any man, but that it descended on him also. His love for God
Seep.
6, n. 1.
2 It is better to love
more than
to love less.
TRUTHFULNESS IN ACQUIESCENCE
distracts
41
love of
him from
all
[concern with] creation.
The
God
has banished from his heart all pride, rancour, envy, iniquity, and much that concerns his advantage in the affairs of this
world
and how much more the

!
recollection of
what concerns
is
him not
certain philosopher has said
'
:
If a
man
given some-
what of love, and is not given a like degree of fear, he is deceived '. It is related that al-Fudayl ibn 'lyad said: 'Love is more
excellent than fear
'.
Isma/Il ibn
2
'
:
Muhammad x
relates that
8
he
heard Zuhayr al-Ba$rl

to me,
I say thy path, except that thou deniest love. She said, Lovest thou thy Lord ? I said, I said, Do I deny it ? Yes. She said, Then how fearest thou that He may not love
met Sha'wanah, and she said
How
excellent
is
thee, seeing that thou lovest
Him
I said, I love
him because
of the knowledge and the blessings which
showered on
may
says
not
:
me love me
He has abundantly and I fear that He have I but sinned, (20a) done. I have what because of Thereupon she
said, Fie
!
fainted
:
and when she recovered, she

excellently this
Sa'id says "
:
'
!
(Abu Said
How
man
spoke
loves
This
is
a true saying.)
(Abu
certain
exalted
man
has said,
The man who

This
:
God
is
and distinguished of great moment,
compared with the man
whom God
loves ".)
God
is
[our] help.
has helped and directed

greater qualities of lovers.
is eloquent to those whom God but over and beyond this remain
14.
TRUTHFULNESS IN ACQUIESCENCE.
:
Truthfulness in Acquiescence with God. God says They will not believe, until they have Nay, by thy Lord whereon they differ then they will not of that made thee judge
Next
is
'
Perhaps al-Zuhrl, died 134 h.
Probably ibn
f.
'
Abdillah, see Ibn Hajar, Tahdhlb al-tahdJfib III,
p.
346
3
See Sha'rani, al-Tabaqat al-kubrd
I,
p. 78.
42

what thou hast decreed,
:
find within themsolves aught to hinder
and they
'
will truly
submit
l
'.
did not attest their faith, as long as they did not acquiesce in His Prophet's decree how much less, if they had not
:
God
acquiesced in His
I said
"
:
own decree " What is the sign

' !
of acquiescence in the heart,
and what
is its
manifestation
"
:
"
?
He
replied
It is the heart's joy in the course of destiny.

'
:
Acquiescence is meeting calamities with hope and cheerfulness '. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said I was a servant of the Prophet. He never said to me, with regard to any matter, Why didst thou do that ? or,
certain
man
has said
'
Why
didst thou not do that
He would
2
'.
destined,
and so
it
:
was decreed
'
only say, So it was 'Umar ibn al-Khattab is

I find myself at night or
stated to have said
I care not
how
morning, whether
it
be in a state agreeable or disagreeable to

is
me, for I know not which of the twain

'
:
better for
me
'.
'Umar also said If I had patience and gratitude for camels, I would not care which of them I rode This saying of 'Umar is an indication of acquiescence, because one is patient only
'.
with regard to something disagreeable, and grateful only with regard to something agreeable and he said, I care not which
' ;
of the twain has fallen to
my
lot
'
this
was because the two

'
:
states were equal in his sight.

It is related that 'Abdullah ibn Mas'iid said
ful are disagreeable things
!
How delight-
By God's oaths, they are naught other than riches and poverty each has its attendant duty of riches, philanthropy, and of poverty, patience '. (21a) 'Umar ibn
:
A certain man said
without choice in any matter '. blessings, save the workings of destiny in me, whatever may befal '. This same man drank When they said to him, Take an antidote ', he replied poison.
'Abdil-'Aziz said
:
Today
'
am
And I have no
'
'
If I
knew
that
my
cure could be accomplished
my
nose or
1
my
ear, I
would not do
it
'.
by touching The Prophet said to

2
Q.
iv, 68.
Non-canonical.
TRUTHFULNESS IN ACQUIESCENCE
Ibn Mas'ud
whatever
is
' :
43
:
son of a slave's mother

9
.
Be not overanxious
said to
destined will be, and whatever thou art given for

1
*
:
sustenance thou wilt eat

(the story is a long one)
The Prophet
So
if
it is
Ibn 'Abbas
thou canst work for God with

well
:
acquiescence, in sure faith,
if not,
then in enduring
2 Note that the patiently what thou hatest is great good '. A certain states. Prophet called him to the higher of the two
philosopher has said

true
'
:
When
man
:
has achieved perfect abstihis acquiescence is
nence, trust, love, faith

'.
and shame, then

otherwise,
This
is
our view also
acquiescence
may
manifest in
men
at different times
and on
*
different occasions,
according to the degree of their faith, and from it they return to Acquiescence is a small patience. A certain man has said thing. The believer's succour is patience " I said Expound to me the saying of the philosopher,
:
The acquiescent man meets
calamities with cheerfulness
and
gladness
He
"
replied
:
When
man
is
truthful in his love, there
springs up between him and God a partnership of surrender. Suspicions depart from his heart, and he is content with the
excellent choice of
Him Whom
and
he loves
he abides in His
excellent dispensation,
Him.
His heart
is filled
tastes the food of existing through with joy, bliss and gladness, and this
prevails over the pain of calamities
and hateful
affliction.
The
name
of affliction becomes as it were a lock to him, from which he seeks to emerge when great troubles come upon him for sometimes he takes delight in his realization, namely, that God
:
sees
him
in his affliction,
and sometimes he
afflicted
realizes that
God has
not
recollected him,
and therefore
him, because
He was
heedless of him, for all 'His omnipotence, undertaking to amend For it may be that God sees him complaining unto his affairs.
Him, as a lover complains

i
to his beloved
or else he laments to
2
Non-canonical.
*
Non-canonical.
3 Cf.
above,
'.
acquiescence
is
meeting calamities with hope
and
cheerfulness
44

;
God
or else he yearns that
God may
see
him acquiescing in
return unto thy
Intelligent
Him.
So says
(216)
God
*
:
thou soul at
rest,
Lord, well pleased

into the next,
escence.
and well pleased with \ l
men
hasten to acquiesce with
God
in this world, before they pass
and therefore depart from acquiescence to acqui'

:
In this sense God says and they are well pleased with
Him
God is well pleased with them, He has made ready for

:
them gardens
have mentioned some of 'the outward qualities of the acquiescent man, so much as it was possible to mention in a
We
:
book
but over and beyond these remain greater qualities,

[our] help.
God
is
15.
TRUTHFULNESS IN LONGING.
It is related
Next
is
Truthfulness in Longing after God.

'
:
I ask of Thee, that the Prophet used to say in his prayers God, the enjoyment of the life after death, of gazing on Thy 8 It is related that Abu'lface, and longing to meet Thee '.
Darda' used to say

It is related that
' :
I desire death, longing for

4
my
Lord
'.
Hudhayfah
regrets,
said
' :
At death a
6
friend
'.
comes
with
in need
if
is
man
he shall not prosper

(
:
Shahr ibn
Hushab
stated to have said
Mu'adh
was
if
afflicted
ulcers in his throat,
and he
said, Strangle
me,
Thou
wilt, for,
by Thy might,
'All
I truly love
Thee
7
'.
ibn Sahl al-Mada'ini
used to
arise,
when
[men's] eyes
:
were reposing in sleep, and call out in an anguished voice Thou, from the thought of Whom the hearts of His creation
'
are distracted
by the consideration of the regret which will come Thou, from the longing upon them when they meet Him
!
Q. Ixxxix, 27-28.
Nasa'I,
2
*
Q. i x> 101.
Sahw
h.
ch. 62.
Died 36
h.
Died 100
Ibn al-Harith, one of the ahl al-suffah. So emended probably the same traditionist as
:
is
mentioned by
VII, p. 330.
al-Khatib, Ta'rikh Baghdad XI, p. 429
Ibn Hajar, op.
cit.,
TRUTHFULNESS IN LONGING
for
45
Whom the hearts of His servants are unmindful, though His hands were outstretched towards them before ever they knew Him Then he would weep, until his neighbours wept
'
!
Then he would cry out Would that I knew, my Master, how long Thou wilt imprison me Raise me up, my Master, unto Thy fair promise for Thou knowest what violent longing hath stirred me, and how long I have waited for Thee Then he would fall fainting, and continue
because of his weeping.
' : ! :
'.
so until he stirred to perform the morning prayer. l Al-Harith ibn 'Umayr used to say every morning
*
:
have come to a new day, and
my
heart and soul are intent on

:
loving Thee, my Master, and yearn to meet Thee that meeting, before the black night cometh upon
hasten then
'.
me
In the
evening he said the like

<22a).
and
so he continued for sixty years.
The man who longs
after
:
God
is
disgusted with this world,
and with remaining therein he desires death, and the ending of his span and lot. It is peculiar to him, that he seeks to be estranged from created things, and keeps himself alone in solitude
and
is
isolation
grief, distress,
his occupation is with trepidation, yearning, sorrow with the violence of his love his breast
;
choked, and blushing and incoherence overcome him when the
Beloved's
name
is
mentioned, in
is
Whom he
rejoices
are pure, his zeal
quickened, and joy
stirs in his
his thoughts bowels as he
seeks to meet [Him].
Astonishment comes upon him, surprise, and bewilderment, at the very thought of attaining his expectaportion in this world and the next, except the vision of Him for Whom he longs. Yes, then at that time he is confronted with
tion of the Expected One, so that he utterly forgets all his
a fear that
but
is
indeed fear
off"
that he will not attain his Beloved,
may
be cut
from Him, and barred from reaching Him,
and
veiled
from Him.
is
Then he
fears lest
him, while he
yet in the
abode of
affliction
any accident befal long seem the

:
al-Basri, see
Ibn Hajar, op.
cit.,
II, p. 153.
46
days and nights to him, until he shall depart from this world whole, and in a manner pleasing to his Lord. These are some of the qualities of those who long [after God], so much as can be mentioned but over and beyond these
:
remains the greater part of their description.

help.
16.
God
is
[our]
TRUTHFULNESS IN INTIMACY.
His recollection and nearness.

'
Lastly comes Truthfulness in Intimacy with God, and with A certain philosopher has said
:
Intimacy with God
is finer
man
longs, there is a slight
and sweeter than longing for if a interval between him and God by
:
reason of his longing, whereas the intimate is nearer to God '. So it is related that Gabriel came to the Prophet in the form of
a man, and questioned him concerning resignation and faith, and then concerning good works. The Prophet said to him
'
Thou
if
'
shalt worship God as though thou seest Him for even thou seest Him not, yet He sees thee '. Gabriel replied :
:
Thou hast spoken truly '.* It is also related that the Prophet Ibn 'Umar Worship God as though thou seest Him, for even if Thou seest Him not, yet He sees thee (226) In this he indicates God's nearness, and that He is overwatching him
'
said to
'.
and from God's nearness emerge in every state the true realities of things. If a man's station is fear, then through God's nearness
he
is
affected with trepidation, terror,
and
fright, for
he knows
that
He
sees
him
but
if his station is love,

is
then through the
realities of
God's nearness he
affected with joy, pleasure,

;
and
delight, for he knows that He sees him he therefore hastens to seek His pleasure and proximity, so that He may see him panting
with eagerness, desiring to be near to Him, and to love

exceedingly.
If a
Him
and
man
is
patient, then, at the time of his affliction

is
calamity,
when he
made
which
will bring his
to endure for his Master's sake things reward nearer to him, he hearkens to the
i
Seep.
18, n. 2.
TRUTHFULNESS IN INTIMACY
words of God
'
:
47
Truly God
is
with those that are patient
',*
But wait thou patiently for the judgment of thy Lord, for thou art in Our sight 2 Then it is easy for him to practise patience, and to shoulder his burden. In like manner the people
and
'.
'
faith
of every station worship God in nearness, for they have certain these are they who scarcely arrive and scarcely return. 8
:
As
for the
common
people, they act only according to
what they
is
know
of God's
commands and
prohibitions
their
hope
weak,
and they are confused, and have no certain realization. An example of truthfulness in intimacy is afforded by the 4 He asked 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar story of 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr. to give him his daughter's hand, while the latter was circumambulating the Holy House of God.
him, or give him any reply.
said to
Ibn 'Umar did not answer

'
After this
to
him
'
:
Thou spakest
me
Abdullah meeting him during the procession, but we
were imagining that God was before our eyes '. With the intimate it is as though he beholds that for which the longer
longs.
'Abdul-Wahid ibn Zayd al-Basri 5 said to Dost thou not long for God ? The Abu 'Asim the Syrian
It is said that
'
'
No. A man only longs for one who is absent : other replied when the absent one is present, for whom shall he long ? His longing is ended '. It is related that 'Abdul- Wahid said
'
:
'
'
Dawud
*
al-Ta'l,
one of the Muslim leaders, (23a) concerning

is
whose veracity and uprightness there
no doubt, also said

'.
A man
'
only longs for one

said
who
:
is
absent
theologian has
said
They only
for
this
experience of God's nearness
because of the reality of their it is as though they were with
Him,
absent,
and
they had with them an attestation which was never this, coming from God, brought them peace and
148.
2
Q.
ii,
Q.
lii,
48.
Sc. alj acts of personal initiative cease.
Died between 91 and 97

***
h.
For the story which follows see Died 162

h.
KalabagQjI, aZ-Ta'orrw/, p.
5
Died 177
h.
48
quiet,

and
it
time in this world

it
was a mercy and a repose accorded to them aforel by God. If it was not this, then what was
'
that they received of God through His nearness ? The mark of the man who is intimate with God and God's
is,
nearness
that he experiences in his heart God's recollection
and His nearness to him, and does not lose this experience at any time or in any place, whatever his spiritual state may be
:
God and His occurs, when

guided to
said
'
:
nearness come to him before
all else.
This latter
:
the light of God's nearness lodges in his heart
in that light he regards all things,

all things.
and through that
light he
is
2
So
it is
related that 'Amir ibn 'Abdillah
nearer to
have never looked at a single thing, without God being me than it '.
:
These two are the qualities of the intimate that he is disgusted with people and mankind [generally], and finds delight
in solitude and loneliness. Being in a darkened house, he abhors a light when he sees one he closes his door, and draws his He grows familiar with his curtain, and is alone with his heart. becomes intimate with Him, taking delight Lord's nearness, and
:
in secret converse with
Him
he frees himself from any
visita-
which might come upon him and spoil his solitude. Yes, then one may see him dismayed even by the shining of the sun,
tion
when
it
enters
upon him
at his prayers
grievous to
him
is
the
company
of other men, for they weary
him
to sit with
them
and meet them is for him a grief and a loss. But when night covers him, and all eyes are sleeping, when every movement is stilled, and the senses of all things are quiet, then he is alone with his sorrow, and his disquietude is stirred his sighs mount swiftly up, and long he moans, demanding the fulfilment of what
:
his Expectation promised him,
and the
benefits
and
loving-
kindnesses whereby He has aforetime sustained him. Then he obtains some part of his request, and a portion of his wants is
satisfied.
(236).
Sc. before departing to the
next world.
See Ibn Hajar, op.
cit. t
If the
same as
al-Jarrah, died 18 h.
V, p. 73.
EPILOGUE
49
Moreover, the intimate feels no dismay in places where other men are afraid alike to him are habitation, wilderness,
:
desolation, society,
and
loneliness.
This
is
because of the over-
whelming sense of God's nearness which comes upon him, and

the sweetness of His recollection
:
these prevail over all other
impacts, whether outward or inward. This is the outward aspect of intimacy, so much as can be
over and beyond this remain stations of intimacy and mightier than may be set down in a book, except greater that some hint of it may pass in conversation with those who have
mentioned
experienced
it.
God
is [our] help.
EPILOGUE.
Know,
thou that askest concerning Truthfulness and

is
its
exposition, that this which I have mentioned to thee
only the outward aspect of Truthfulness, Patience, and Sincerity. This
much
are
it is
disciples
who
:
necessary for all men to know and practise, especially seek to tread the path of salvation. Some there
before
who have nothing

this brings
God but
to God's
this
outward theory and
practice
in this they labour,
and in
this they are truthful,
and
them indeed
mercy and reward, and
with God they have much good.
One man is truthful in these stations which we have mentioned, and more this will bring him in this fleeting world to a high station, and a knowledge of God, and a noble station, so that he will pass on to joy, ease, and bliss in the gnosis of God, having attained nearness to God, and reached a noble rank too fine to be described and expounded. A certain man who God bestows on His friends a grace which knew God said
:
'
[His] servants cannot comprehend, either in this world or in
the world to come

4
'.
No soul knoweth what delight

we
are told
'
:
Hast thou not heard the words of God ? is kept secret for them '.* In
the Traditions
They
shall be given
what eye hath
Q. xxxii, 17.
50
heart of
not seen, and ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered into the man '. So it shall be with every man according to
his deserts.
Another
man
bliss in Paradise.
has unending grace in the reward of God, and Another has unending grace in God Himself,
'
and an increase of His goodness and regard. It is a true Of the people of Paradise story of the Prophet, that he said he is least in rank, who looks about his kingdom two thousand
(24a)
:
years, to see
it
from end to end
1
'-
Another
man
looks
upon
that
:
the face of
God twice
absurd
in every day.
[to say] that all these are equal, or
Now
their
it is
knowledge of God in this world was equal. God says did prefer some of the prophets over others 2 Superiority among men accords only with superiority in their
And We
knowledge and gnosis of God according to their degree in these men differ from one another in this world and the next. God is
:
[our] help."
I said
"
:
Does a man attain a
state in
which he no longer
seeks to attain truthfulness, in which there falls from
burden of religious works, the weight of sincerity, burden of patience, so that he acts truthfully, and partakes in the things which thou hast mentioned, and more, without toil
or weariness
"
?
him the and the
He
which
"
replied
Yes.
Hast thou not heard the Tradition

is set
'
relates that
'
Paradise
about with unpleasant

is
[duties],
and Hell with

'
evil desires
is
It is also related in another

light
story
Truth
'.
heavy but wholesome, falsehood

the carnal soul
is
but
noxious
Now
attached to the love of this
present abode, and is satisfied with it, loving plenty and ease but truth, and the following and practice of truth, therein truthfulness, and all its characteristics all these are opposed
:
Non-canonical
Cf.
cf.
Wensinck, op.
cit.,
p.
181.
Q. xvii, 57.
is
Qushayri, Risalah, p. 187, where a similar question
put to
and answered by Kharraz.

4 Cf.
Wensinck, op.
cit.,
p. 182.
A well-known proverb.
EPILOGUE
to the soul's desire.
51
When
man
understands about God, and
comprehends what God has called him unto, namely, to turn from this perishing abode, and to yearn after the everlasting abode, then he constrains his soul to bear unpleasant things, and
upon the path of truthfulness he resolves to labour might, and is patient towards God he toils with his soul, and prays to God for help, and God beholds him desirous of what is with Him, and eager to please Him. So God turns to him, with lovingkindness and help, making easy for him what is hard, and what he finds difficult in himself: God gives him
to enter
:
with
all his
sweetness in exchange for bitterness, lightness for heaviness, smoothness and ease for roughness. (246) His nightly vigils become easy for him his private converse with God, and solitude
;
in His service, are a joy to
him
after his bitter struggling.
light thing to him, for
Fasting and thirsting through the heat of the day become a now that he has tasted the sweetness of that
which he hoped God's ease and good reward. In this way and states change and become easy for him, and out of every station which he endures and suffers for God's
his characteristics
sake, seeking His favour, he gets a like recompense of good.
So his character changes and his nature is transformed, his carnal soul grows quiet and his intellect revives the light of
:
truth lodges in him, and he grows familiar with

flees
it
evil desire
from him, and its darkness is extinguished. Then it is that truthfulness and its characteristics become part of his nature nothing but this finds he good, and with this only he
:
associates, for he is content with
naught
else.
Then he
is
clothed
with his Lord's protection

its
then the strategy of his enemy loses
power, and
all
and
overthrown, for his false incitements perish, his armour, when evil desire dies, and the carnal soul
is
is fettered,
so that
it
God has had mercy.

the soul
is
puts on the character of those on God says, in the story of Joseph

evil,
whom
*
:
For
'-
Lord has mercy 1 The souls of the prophets and true believers were under God's
very urgent to
save as
my
Q.
xii,
53.
52
THE BOOK OF TKT7THFULNESS
mercy and protection, and so is every believer, according to the power of his faith. Then it is that there ceases in him that labouring after
truthfulness,
together with the burden of practising
it
for
practises the truthfulness which we have mentioned, and many times greater than this, without trouble nay, this
now he
becomes a delight and a nourishment to him, so that if he leaves it, he is distressed at leaving it, and feels dismayed at
losing
it.
Then
truthfulness
and
its characteristics
it is
become an
as though
attribute of his,
and no other
finds he fair, until
he had never been otherwise.
Now
for Us,
the confirmation of this

Practice.
and the Prophetic
We will surely
Book But those who labour says guide them in our paths, and verily God is
is
to be found in the
*
:
God
God promises those of you who believe and do right (25a) that he will give them the succession in the earth, as he did with those before
with the righteous doers
1
'
.
Again,
God
says
them, and He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and will give them in exchange, after
their fear, security
:
who were weakened in the earth, and to make them leaders, and to make them heirs, and to establish God says further And we appointed for them in the earth 8
'
2 naught with Me '. gracious with those
they shall worship Me, and shall associate God also says And We desire to be
' :
'.
among them
'
leaders to guide at our bidding, for that they were
patient
in the loss of this world.
We
soul,
and labour
only desired to prove that a man must strive with his and that after this, his utmost to be truthful
;
help comes from God.

'
The proof
of this
is
to be found in the
Prophet's own practices. Ibn 'Abbas, in his commentary on The meaning of Taha, in the Abyssinian the Surah Taha, 5 says
:
2 3 Q. xxviii, 4-5. Q. xxiv, 54. Q. xxxii, 24. 5 Q. xx, 1. In the commentary ascribed to Ibn 'Abbas (ed. Bombay, 1885, p. 242) this interpretation of the word Taha is given, but there it is explained as a dialect-form of Mecca.
l
Q. xxix, 69.
EPILOGUE
53
man. We have not sent down to thee the Qur'an language, is, that thou shouldst be wretched that is, in order that thou
shouldst be troubled with
J
it
stood in thanksgiving until giving thanks to God, and God commanded him to repose. It is also related that the Prophet used to worship in the mountain
of Hira' for a
For consider, when the Prophet his feet became swollen, 1 he was
month
'
or
more
2
:
and
so
it is
told that he used
to be carefully on his guard against his enemy, 3 until this verse
was revealed
And God
will protect thee
from men
4
'.
Then
he gave up being on the watch, for he believed God's words when He told him that He would protect him and he had sure
:
faith,
and was
quiet.
In like manner with
all believers, faith
comes to them
So
it
after weakness.
was that the Prophet went out to the cave in the mountain called Thawr, 5 and hid himself, he and Abu Bakr alSiddiq, and then they departed to Medina, fleeing secretly this was only a time of trial by God, for he was in the station of patience and endeavour. Then, after he had come to Medina,
:
the Quraysh
made a
raid against him,

his
on the day of the Battle
of
Uhud, and slew
Companions, and broke his tooth, and

Note, then, that evil desire
dabbled his face with blood. 6
(256) and labour clave to him and pursued him, as with all believers. Then, after this, he went forth, he and his
Companions, crying joyfully as they drove the sacrificial beasts before them, intending to come to God's house 7 but the Quraysh
:
men were thrown and they halted in the place which is called al-Hudaybiyah, and then returned, and did not enter the Sacred
prevented him from
entering Mecca, so that his
into confusion,
Territory.
Now
contrast this with the time
when the period of
See p. 38, n.
1.
Ibn Hisham, as he was wont to do

.
2 Cf.
p. 152
'
.
' :
So the Prophet went forth to

4
IJira
',
3 5 7
So. the
Cf.
Quraysh. Ibn Hisham, p. 328.

the " lesser pilgrimage ".
Cf.
Q. v, 71.
See p. 32, n.
3.
if.
To perform
Ibn Hisham, pp. 740
54
trial

:
was ended, and victory came how he entered Mecca, slaying and converting whom he wished, and then he published an amnesty in the city. 1 At that time God revealed Surely
*
:
We
have given thee a manifest victory, that God
may pardon
thee thy former and thy latter sin '. 2 So it was with Moses, and the place which he had with God.
how great was his trial, when he was still in his mother's womb, how the women were slaughtered, and the children slain, as they sought for Moses. 3 Then his trial was visited upon the And on the morrow he was afraid people, and God declared 4 in the city, expectant God also says Verily, the chiefs are
Consider
'
:
'
'.
deliberating concerning thee, to kill thee

Verily, I
am
for thee a sincere adviser.
wherefore go forth. So he went forth there:
from, afraid and expectant.
He
said,
Lord, save
me from
the
unjust people '. Consider also,
disciple that seekest God's grace remissfully

!
and with transgression

Moses did not obtain
Has
it
not been told thee,

6
how
that
his wife, until

?
been a servant for ten years
he had guarded flocks and Then God made him His

:
messenger, and addressed him, and manifested his proof, saying ' Fear not for I am with you twain, hearing and seeing '. 7
:
Now when God

Did he not make
said to them,
for
'Do not
them a
sign, in the
fear ', did they fear ? form of a rod, so that
they were victorious over the wiles of the sorcerers, and put the armies to flight ? 8 Then God made him to prevail over his
enemies, and drowned
them
altogether.
So
it
into the pit, 10 and
was with Joseph, when, as God relates, he was cast was then bought for a mean price, a few
'
ll Then misfortune dirhams, and they parted with him cheaply '. did not leave him, until he was tempted by the prince's wife,
Ibn Hisham, pp. 802

Cf. Cf.
ff.
2
*
Q.
xlviii, 1-2.
Q.
xxviii, 3.
Q.
xxviii, 17.
Q. xxviii, 19-20.
Q. xxviii, 25-29. Q.
vii,
Q. xx, 48.
Cf. Q. xx, 80.
10 Cf.
8 Cf.
11
115.
Q.
xii, 15.
Q.
xii, 20.
EPILOGUE
55
and was imprisoned for many years. 1 But consider how God made him to prevail over (26a) his brethren for He drove them away, and manifested his proof, setting him over the
:
treasures of the earth. 2
was with the prophets, of whom God has spoken. This surely eloquent to him who understands of God, and of those learned ones who are guides on the path unto God. So it was with 'Umar ibn al-Fhattab. Of him it is related
So
it
is
whatever path he trod, Satan trod another. 3 He said Satan flees from 'Umar's brow, although yesterday he was engaged with al-Latt and al-'Uzza, on matters pleasing to
that,
:
'. Consider how sincere he was to God, and judge truly whether the enemy and his lies had any part in him. I laboured with It is related that Thabit al-Banam 4 said
Satan
the Qur'an twenty years, and have taken pleasure in

years
said
'.
philosopher said
it
practice of patience, until

'
it twenty These people persisted in the became honey [to them ] '. Another
'
:
Before every pious act

it,
is
an obstacle
to ease, but
if
man
is
boldly
surmounts
it
will bring
him
if
he
afraid to
surmount
trial
it,
:
I said
"
and does not pass over it, he remains in his place '." And so there is no escape from this calamity and
"
"
?
He
replied
There
is
no escape from
'
it
for the
man who
is
highly esteemed of God, and has the gnosis of God.

'
It is a true
story of the Prophet that, being asked, Who of men suffers the most ? ', he replied The prophets, then the righteous, then
:
the like and the like

religion.
If there
is
Every man is afflicted according to his a strength in his faith, his affliction is made
?
more severe, but if his faith is weak, his affliction is lightened. So it was with the prophets. God revealed to them the grace of prophethood, and declared to them that they were apostles
;
then
1
He
laid affliction
on them, and they endured the

2 cf. *
cit.,
affliction
Cf. Q. xii, 23-35.
Q.
xii,
55.
h.
3 Cf. 5
Wensinck, op. cit., p. 234. Ibn Maja, Fitan ch. 23, 2. Cf. Wensinck, op.
Died 123
p. 197.
56
according to the grace which God had accorded them. With the affliction God schooled them, and they obtained understanding therein, and endured
victorious.
it
patiently,
until
they were
All believers are affected firstly with a desire for God's
He has promised them, and secondly with a fear of the punishment wherewith He has threatened them. If they are patient, sincere, and truthful unto God, God is grateful to
reward which
them
therefor,
and manifests
their proof before all creation ,
making them learned men,

hearts a sure faith.
classes.
patterns,
and implanting
fall
in their
(266)
Thereafter believers
into
two
With the
gift,
first,
God makes beginning with

him repentance, making him
:
blessing,
favour, and
giving
to love
penitence, and making obedience easy to him. So God makes beginning with abundant favours then, when joy is fixed in
his heart,
and he
finds pleasure in performing*
good
acts, there-
lays upon him affliction and trial, calamities and hardship, difficulty and stress. Yes, and the sweetness, which formerly he tasted, and the joy in piety, these are taken from
after
God
it
him obedience becomes burdensome to him, though formerly was easy, and he experiences bitterness after sweetness, sloth
:
after alacrity, dullness after clarity

affliction
and the
is
trial.
But
if
now he
by reason of the Then a weariness comes upon him. steadfast and patient, and endures this
:
all this is
unpleasantness, he afterwards comes to the bound of ease and attainment, and his grace is increased manifold, both outward
and inward.
ness has
its
So
it is
related in the Traditions

:
'
:
Every eager-
time of weariness
is
if
a man's weariness turn him

if it
' :
towards the Sunna, he

perishes
'.*
saved, but
Abu Bakr
first flush
al-Siddiq said
turn him to heresy, he Blessed are they who
died in the
eagerness
'.
It
is
related in
' :
of the beginning of Islam, and in its first the Traditions that God com-
mands
1
Gabriel, saying
Snatch away from

*
My
servant's heart
Non-canonical, but
of
'
cf.
There
is
an eagerness
for this Qur'an,
then
men weary
it
(Lane
s.v.
hrr).
EPILOGUE
the sweetness of obedience.
If he
:
57
mourns
for
it,
return
it
to
him, and give him an increase

another Tradition
that I do with a
is,
if
not, then leave him

'
:
'.*
In
it is
related that
this world, of learning, that I remove from his breast the sweetness of secret converse
man
The God says when he inclines to
least thing
with Me, and leave him in this world, bewildered '. 2 In another story it is said that, if a man inclines to this world after he has
to Gabriel
attained knowledge and gnosis, together with insight, God says Remove from his breast the sweetness of secret
* :
converse with Me, and give him some fragment of this world, that he may occupy himself with it, and forget Me '.
As
for the second
man, he makes beginning with truthfulness

the characteristics of truthfulness, then
wills
:
and good
to him,
acts
and
all
he practises therein as God
and thereafter grace comes
and God gives him what he had never hoped for or reckoned with. (21 a) So it is with the majority of distinguished saints signs and graces come not upon them, until they have
:
practised,
to
the
beginning with them,
utmost of their power when God makes He does not then accord them the greater
:
part of what they had never reckoned with. Some have studied the ways of these people, and then they are told, and thereafter they Surely thou art one of them
'
'
have practised accordingly. Some know themselves, but do not know others. Some know all by their names and tribes.
And so, thou that enquirest concerning truthfulness and the exposition of the way, if thou hast duly learnt all that I have taught thee herein concerning truthfulness, if thou hast experienced these stages, lodged in these stations, and traversed
these paths which
we have mentioned, and therefrom passed

:
to
then thou art hedged about with ease, repose and tranquility the path of right conduct, and treadest [divine] protection,
and the white highway which brings thee to God. Mayst thou then find joy therein, and may God bless thee, for in all thy
Non-canonical.
Non-canonical.
58

[true] insight.
ways thou hast a

of thy powers, as
And
if
thou hast practised
truthfulness, ancl in
every station acted with piety to the best

as
much
God has permitted

it
thee,
and
if
thou
hast witnessed
[all
these] matters, then
may
be that
God has
seen thee, striving thy utmost in what passed between thee and Him, because of thy desire to draw nigh to Him, so that thou
didst truly require
Him,
since thou knewest that thou
must needs
have Him, and so thou earnest to
Him
for
protection.
Or
it
may
be that
God has
seen thee at certain times seeking
Him,
that
eager with truthful purpose and true aim, and
He knew
thou growest not weary, and leavest nothing undone, to turn unto Him, until thou hast attained thy hope then He showered
:
upon thee His goodness, and gave thee some part of thy hope of Him nay, He drew thy heart strongly unto Himself, and
implanted in it sure faith, making it to look upon the world to come. Then indeed He makes easy for thee that which was
hard, and softens for theo that which thy soul found to be rough,
namely, submission then thy path unto Him is shortened, and thy establishment is sure, thy life stands fast, and thy days are blessed, for so the noble Master declares Himself, Who
;
suffers
end, because
called
not diminution by His giving, and whose benefits never He is the Kind, the Compassionate, and He has
(276)
!
Himself the Grateful
Then wonder of all wonders, and wonder of every wonderer Yet no wonder is it, for herein the noble Master was doing as
He
at,
desires
but this
is
is
indeed an occasion for
men
to marvel
that
He
grateful to His servants for the very thing which
began guiding them unto it and employing them and preserving them [in it] then He made it desirable to them, and ascribed it to them as something done by them then He inscribed it in their accounts as an accepted act then
in them, in
it
;
He
He
doubled for them the reward which

This, then,
:
He had promised them
for this.
is
the goodness which proceeds from the
generous [Lord]
is
this is not
understood by men, for every mind
amazed
at
it.
EPILOGUE
59
!
Ho
then,
disciple
who
questionest
Awake from
:
this
long slumber.
These are names which God has attached to
them, [saying] that they were the agents these are matters which He has ascribed to them. Yet I do not think that this
He alone originated, and He alone manifested when He wished. He performs all that He desires, and with His mercy visits whomsoever He wishes. Men who understand of God meet all circumstances as I have described and set forth, and in all things return to Him for they see that all things belong to Him for He was their inception, and on Him rests their completion, He is their supporter, and to Him they return. God's is the command, both before
His work,
:
belongs to any other than in a work which
God
this
was His
assistance,
and
and
after
aye, His
is
the creation and the bidding

l
'.
blessed
be the Lord of the Worlds

imagine that herein
Alas,
if
is
But as
for
weak
creatures, they
they are truthful
something which they have wrought. and sincere, they seek a reward therefor
;
from God, and that is as much as they know they have a great good.
:
and yet with God
(He said) And I will mention to thee yet another station wherefore turn thyself attentively thereto, and any other man
God.
thou seest referring to gnosis and knowledge and repose in If thou hast drunk the cup of the gnosis of God, if God has given thee to realize, through pure faith, what was already
in eternity laid
up
for thee with
Him when He
desired thee,
earnest
before ever thou didst desire

to a knowledge of
Him, knew thee before thou

then
Him, Him, loved thee before thou lovedst Him

is
recollected thee before thou didst recollect
now
within thee
gratitude
stirred for all his favours,
n6w
love cleaves to thy
heart for
spirit is
all his
favours.
Him
thou preferrest, and

art
rejoiced,
and with His nearness thou
Him thy familiar. Now

in
thou comest unto

to
Him
taking refuge, and dwelling in nearness henceforward He will not be absent from thee, and
Him
Q.
vii 52.
60
THE BOOK OP TBUTHFULNESS

lose
thou wilt not
Him, whether going or coming,

is
(28a) standing
or sitting, waking or sleeping, in every state.
Hast thou not heard what

said
is
*
:
related of the Prophet

'.
He
So
it
Mine eyes
sleep,
but
my
heart does not sleep
with
is
!
all believers,
according to their degrees.
How
glorious
then
ment
man, and how splendid thy engagethy occupation, For the Master, noble, great, exalted, rich, praiseworthy, has recollected thee again and again thee He singled out, to
:
shower on thee His amplest bounty, when He guided thee to love Him, so that thou didst prefer Him, and He became thy
ambition and desire, and the object of thy yearning. Nothing that thou possessest is due to men, for all that thou hast is a
gift
[from God].
This
is
the
ease, that
God should be
first sign of attaining to spiritual the desire of His servants, God and
is,
none other.
that which
Now
He
the sign of this
that
He
preserves in thee
entrusted to thy heart
His recollection and His
affection making thee to feel how near He is, yearning over thee in His goodness, forgiving thee. Now cease in thee all motions of desire to attain or to draw near one motion only
:
remains, which
stirs
within thee gratitude for His favours,
payment of His due,

in secret converse
association with
Him and no
other, pleasure
as
He
with Him, joy in His service, and such worship in His will desired of thee, that He might show thee
wherein His power dwells, and how various are His ordinances, to thee, and that thou mightest understand of Him. At that
moment thou
feelest
how near He
is
to thee, for thou art

seekest thou
no
more occupied with thy own motions, nor

:
any
reward or recompense therefor, as so many pious servants [of God] have desired thou labourest more than abundantly for
God,
Who
generously created thee, and has used thee in the
character of generous men.

is
God
is
[our] help.
'
another answer to thy question, Does a man This, then, attain a state in which he no longer seeks to attain truthful-
See Wensinck, op.
cit.,
p. 163.
EPILOGUE
ness
'
61
This
is
the sign of those

it.
who do
attain
do thou
that
therefore understand
Dost thou not know,
disciple,
godliness, abstinence, patience, trust, fear, hope, respect, shame,

love, yearning, intimacy, truthfulness
and
sincerity in all situ-
ations, every fair
and lovely characteristic all these are stations dwelt in by those who work for God, (286) from which they depart to journey to others, until they have attained their
Master
?
desire, being near to their
Then what hast thou

if
to
do with
recollecting
it
any
station in which thou hast dwelt, until
brought thee to thy goal, and obtained some part of thy quest ?
hast
such time as
thou hast now attained, For it is as though thou
Him
in sight
wherefore ever more and more do thou
advance towards Him, constantly gazing on Him, and listening to Him with ears attentive for Ho is nearer to thee than thyself
;
to thy soul.
ness,
What then hast thou

is
to
do with recollecting truthful?
which
but one of the stations of the seekers
And
heart, if
so, if
now
if
the door
is is
thee and Him,
that veil
opened, which was closed between removed which once covered thy
feel
He
has caused thee to
Him
near to thee, and has
delighted thee with some degree of intimacy, then it may be that thou hast come to some part of thy request, and thy establish-
ment is firm. But come no more to seek

God's nearness
with
is
if
thou, like
certain other seekers,
hast
after truthfulness
and
like matters,
because
so real to thee that thou art wholly occupied

is
Him
:
then this
the desire of those

it,
who
possess the gnosis
of God
do thou understand
then, that those
and be not deceived
as to the portion thou hast
both in thyself and in others, from thy Lord.

attained unto God, and
Know,
who have
are near to Him,
who have
in truth tasted the love of God,
and
:
obtained their portion from their King, their qualities are

godliness,
abstinence,
love,
patience,
sincerity,
truthfulness,
trust,
confidence,
all
the
yearning, intimacy, all fine characteristics, characteristics of theirs which cannot be described,
Seep.
53, n. 1.
62
together with that piety and generosity which they have

their abode.
made
Ail this
:
is
with them, dwelling in their natures,
nothing else find they good, for this is This they imposed on themtheir food and their habitude.
selves as a duty,
hidden in their souls
and therein
practised, until they
became familiar
felt
it
with
it
after they
had attained, they no longer
the per-
formance and practice of this to be a labour, since
dwelt
[in
them] at every time and in every state for this was their food even as in the discharge of their religious duties they experienced
neither
heaviness nor exertion
(29a)
so
overwhelmed were
by God's preference and nearness. To practise this was no burden to them, and it entailed no preoccupation
their hearts
with outward acts
for service
and outward acts only

this
affect the
outward members.
their
Understand well
point.
Thereafter
were wholly oblivious nay, they were wholly occupied with God for God's nearness overmastered them, and His love, the yearning after Him, and the fear of Him, reverence
hearts
:
for
I
it
Him, and
respect.
have
clear
set before thee,
Understand therefore, disciple, what and meditate it well, and thou wilt find
if
and agreeable,
God
wills.
l
:
listen
thy intellect, and concentrate thy purpose no more to knowledge, for thou hast turned away thy understanding from all that knowledge puts before thee. After
Summon now
this
knowledge and this exposition, there no longer remains any
excuse for thee, for the proof has been reiterated to thee. Act therefore in true sincerity unto God, that haply thou mayst be
saved,
and
rejoice in the true
knowledge of
Him
in this abode,
Yea, and then sorrow be perpetual, and thy anguish redoubled, and thy every spiritual state intensified many times above that which
fleetingly, before the [coming of the] eternal.
will
thou didst experience before the coming of gnosis and attainment. Now the verification of this may be found in God's Book,
and
in the practice of
1
His Prophet.
God
'
says
So none fears
is
Cf. Sarraj,
Kitdb al-Luma', p. 355, where this phrase
ascribed
to Kharraz.
EPILOGUE
63
:
God
'
who know \ l The Prophet said I have most knowledge of God out of all of you, and of you all 2 If ye knew what I know, He also said I fear Him the most
of His servants save those
'
'.
ye would laugh little and weep much, and ye would go forth on the highways boldly unto God '. 3 So lived the Prophet and so lives every man who knows God truly though he be
:
;
near to material things, in every state in which he dwells he is assisted by what he experiences therein, contrary to the use of
other men.
On
this analogy
then [understand
it]
surely this
is
eloquent to
help."
I
him who understand and meditates.

"
:
God
is
[our]
said
"
?
When
does a
man become
familiar
with his
Master's decrees, and find satisfaction in His disposition and

choice
He
"
replied
:
As
to this matter,
men
are in
two
stations, so
do thou understand.
as to attain His reward
The
first
his Master's decrees (296), in

:
only becomes familiar with order so to perform His command
man
this is good,
falls,
and in
is
it is
great advantage
but such a
man
now
rises
and
now
patient
now
;
impatient,
this indeed
now
pleased
angry,
now
crosses
now
reverts
brings
him
to God's reward
hardship and labour.

his Master's decrees,
satisfied
and mercy, but only with trouble, The second man becomes familiar with
and finds pleasure in His afflicting, being with His good disposition and choice, entirely and without reserve for he is familiar with his Master and the recol:
lection of
Him, loving Him and cherishing Him, and being and content with Him. Can the decree of the Beloved, pleased
questioner, ever be a burden to the lover
?
with joy and delight ? The story runs affliction a blessing, and ease a misfortune
Will he not accept it Until he reckons

'
'.
we
are told
'
:
The booty of
sincere believers
'.
is
In another story what they have
been deprived of in this world

1
It is related that
God
in one
Q. xxxv, 25. Bukbari, Kusuf Non-canonical.

ch. 2.
2 4
Non-canonical. Non-canonical.
64

all ye who turn lovingly unto Me not be harmed by what ye obtain of this world, for I your fortress and ye shall not be harmed by any man's
* : : !
of His books revealed
Ye
shall
am
enmity, for I am your deliverance '. with God in all states and situations,
If a
man
it
stands thus
how can
be otherwise
with him than as we have mentioned
God, and lived near to Him, has These people, whose states we have been mentioning, said are not satisfied that they should have to contend with affairs
certain
'
:
man who knew
as they occur to them, then,
and events as they come upon them, and

find
it
when the events take charge of their hearts,

*
:
necessary
to be patient or pleased with them.
pleasure are an appositive adjunct
In their case patience and having required of them-
selves that they should be truly occupied with
God, and wholly
taken up with Him, they are not satisfied that passing events should contend with their recollection of God, and even equal
*
it
for
God can overcome His

:
affair
2
'.
Moreover, they are
servants under God's decree
only on the very rarest of occasions
are they overcome, so that they need to confess their weakness

to God, (30a)
'
and ask Him for help/ Marvel not, therefore, if thou seest aught of this in any of them for so the Prophet
; :
said
Verily I
am
a man.
'.
my
say
curse be to
'
:
him a mercy
God, whomsoever I curse, let I heard a man who knew God

being strongly attached to his
It is a proof of a
man
Master, and enjoying real experience of Him in nearness to Him, that he does not notice the varying conditions that pass in him he looks at them with an inward eye, so that it seems
:
as
they are befalling or happening to someone else '. the most perfect way of meeting changing conditions.
if
This
is
Under-
stand therefore this point, and meditate upon it, for it will bring thee to the knowledge of repose in God, if God wills.
Repose
in
heart's nearness.
1
God, and tranquillity, are in proportion to the This is the explanation of the heart reposing
tdbi*
The grammatical terms

Q.
xii, 21.
and muddf are used. 8 AJunad ibn Hanbal, V,
p. 294.
A POINT WHICH PROVES WHAT

in
WE HAVE
SAID
65
God
that the heart loses
all
sense of material things, that the
incitements of personal purpose are quiet, and that the mind is tranquil with God and unto God. Then it is that all matters
pertaining to this world and the next, all deeds of piety and obedience, actually seek out the man, and attach themselves to
him
they have need of him), and join him or rather, they are joined with him for he has turned himself from them, being
(for
;
:
satisfied with Him Who possesses them [all], so that they may be said to join him. 1 God says Is not God enough for His servant ? 2 We are told that God revealed to Jesus Set
'
:
'
'
within thee in the place where thy purpose is, and make Me thy treasure in Paradise '. It is related of the Prophet, on more
Me
than one authority, that he said

single purpose,
'
:
Whoso makes
*
:
his purpose a
5
.
God
suffices
him
for all his purposes

I
It is
related that al-Fudayl ibn 'lyad said
do not wonder at the
worship of an angel that has been brought near [to God], or of a prophet sent [by God], for it is God Who has given them the
power to do
this
'.
So
it is
we have mentioned. himself and his own
Now
if
with these people whose qualities a man judges God's servants by
standard, or
by themselves and
:
their like,
they always seem to him to be somewhat wanting why then should he marvel, if he judges them by God's standard, in accordance with His power and dispensation
(306)
?
God
is
[our] help."
A
I
POINT WHICH PROVES WHAT

"
:
WE
HAVE SAID.
said
There was a
thing at
all,
What sayest thou concerning the following ? man who neither spoke, nor moved, nor did any-
him
therein,
without feeling that there was something required of and that there was somewhat wanting. Then a
weariness and hardness [of heart] came upon him, whenever he obtained anything, or ate or drank aught, or in whatever state
he chanced to be.
1
Then he passed
to a state in
which he spoke,
Sc. as
good acts to be credited to him at the Judgment

3
Q. xxxix, 37.
See p. 24, n.
1.
66
and moved about his business, closing and opening his hands, eating and drinking, without feeling any dismay, and without
any sense of a demand being made on him, or of being in any way wanting, as was the case before."
He
disciples
"
replied
:
This
:
is
understanding to
!
it
how
an excellent question, so apply thy great is the need for it in practising
Know
that the disciple
who
is
seeking after truthful-
God, keeping watch over his heart, his purpose, and his members, and examining them. Ho concentrates his purpose, being afraid lest aught which
ness acts in
all his affairs
in the fear of
concerns him not should enter into

ness, lest his
and being afraid of heedlessbodily motions as manifested in his external members

it,
cause him to be somewhat wanting, and lest the purposes which enter inwardly into his heart perturb his [single] purpose. Thus he frees himself from all such motions, even if they be right and
proper
for his heart is
his recollection [of God] shall be perpetual,
overwhelmed by an urgent desire that and his purpose single.
If he continues thus, his heart gains a quick understanding, his thoughts become clear, and light lodges in his heart
and
:
he
draws near to God, and God overwhelms his heart and purpose. Then he speaks, and his heart surges with the recollection of
God
the love of
God
lurks deeply hidden in his inmost heart,

it.
cleaving to his mind, and never leaving

study, and ardent talk.
1
joyfully busied with secret converse with God,
Then his soul is and passionate

possession
So he
for
is,
eating, or drinking, or sleep-
ing,
in all his
motions
it
when God's nearness takes

all else, (3 la)
of a man's heart,
overwhelms
both the inward
infiltrations of the purposes
and the outward motions of the

continues, going or corning, taking
his
members.
or giving
:
Therein that
man
there prevails in
mind, namely, the love Hast thou not marked,

heart
is
him the purpose which has ruled of God and His nearness.
disciple,
how
that sometimes the
subjected to a purpose connected with this world's
Probably we should add
'
or waking
'.
A POINT WHICH PROVES WHAT WE HAVE SAID

affairs,
67
and that it robs thee of everything, so that thy life becomes darkened, and thou forgettest all else but this, and even losest
it ?
thy sleep over
But God's command
is
more
suitable
and
proper for the intelligent man. In all that we have mentioned, a man is accompanied by divine protection, so that he is
preserved
from
all
shortcoming.
is
questioner, this that
set before thee,
Understand, therefore, and meditate thereon,
and
it
will profit thee, if
God
wills.
And now do thou
set
what
with thy question. If thing which thou hast

will give thee
it suffices
have said to thee side by side thee, and if it is the sort of

then thank God, and
lost or found,
He
an
increase.
that
is
passing within thee,
Hidden not from the learned is this for there is no hypocrisy between the
disciple
and
his master, if
God
wills.
Truly I
am
an instructor
of insight and wit, in this our time.
God
is
[our] help."
INDEX OF PROPER NAMES.

'Abdullah b. Mas'ful,
11, 28, 32, 42,
Ibn Hajar,
41, 44, 45, 48

32, 53,
43
'Abdullah b. 'Umar, 46, 47
'Abdul- Wahid b. Zayd, 47 'Abdurrahman b. 'Awf, 25
Ibn Hisham, 20, Ibn Maja, 24, 25
54
Ibn Sa'd, 19, Ibn Sirln, 13

Isma'Il b.
27,
25,
30
Abu 'Asim, 47 Abu Bakr Siddiq,

35, 53,
Muhammad,
Sawdakm,
41
19,
24,
32,
Isma'Il b.
vii
50
44
Jesus, 24, 39, 65
Abu '1-DardiV, 26, Abu Dawuci, 35

Abii Dharr,
6,
Job, 15, 17
John the
Joseph,
Baptist, 3 1
51, 54
25
10
23, 28, 30, 33,
9, 15, 17,
Abu Hurayrah,
J ui lay d,
vii
Ahmad
34, 64
b.
Hanbal,
Kalabadhi, 23, 47
'A'i^hah, 14, 29
Kharraz, v-vii, 50, 62
1,
16,
24,
36, 41,
'Allb. AblTalib, 14, 21

'Ali b. Sahl,
44 48
42
Kitdb al-Lnma'', v, 62 Lane, 56

Mallni,
'Amir
b. 'Abdillfih, b. Malik, 33,
v
b.
Anas
Marwan
Mu'awiyah, 33
vi,
Asma', 29
Baqll, 9
Biirizi,
Masruq, 30
Massigrion, L., v,
6
14
Bilal, 29
Moses, 38, 39, 54 Mu'adh, 44
Biehr
b. al-Harith,
v
63
Mu'alli, 33
Bukhari,
13, 19, 20, 25, 28, 34,
Mugliayrah
13-15,
b.
Sha'bah, 30
vi, 3, 9,
David,
15, 17
Tft'i,
Muhammad,
65
the Prophet,
23,
Dawud
Fudayl
47
18-20,
25,
27-30,
b. 'lyful, 13, 28, 41,
32-35, 37-40, 42, 43, 46, 50, 53,

55, 60,
Gabriel, 18, 46, 56, 57
62-65
b.
Ghazali, 7
Muhammad
Muhasibl,
Ya'qub, 33
21
'Umayr, 45 Harithah, 23
Harith
b.
vi, 1,
Hasan
Basri, 8, 16, 39
Muslim, 9, Nasa'i, 44
Nibajl,
13, 19, 25, 28,
34
Hudhayfah, 44 Ibn 'Abbas, 34,

Ibii 'Arabi, vii
v
v,
39, 43, 52
Nihawandi, v
al-Risdlah al-Qu$hayrlyah,
35,
bn
Athir, 19
50
70
Rifcter,
INDEX OF PROPER NAMES

H., 9
|
Sa'd, 14
'Umar 'Umar
b. 'Abdil-'AzIz, 26, 38, b.
42
Khattab,
15,
16,
20, 27,
Shahr
b.
Hushab, 44
15, 17
28, 42, 55
Solomon,
'Urwah
b.
Zubayr, 47
Sufyan Thawri, 4, 23 Tabaqdt kubra, v, 41
'Uthnian, 20, 21
Talhah
b. 'Ubaydillah, 21
Waqi' b. Jarrah, 23 Wensinck, A. .!., vii,

Yaqut, 19
Zachariah, 31, 32
20,
60
Ta'rikh Baghdad* v, 44
Ta'ribh kabir, v
Thabit Bariani, 55
Tirmidht, 23, 28, 35 Ubayy b. Ka'b, 30
Zubayr, 21
Zuhayr
Basri, 41
(J
ULi
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ISLAMIC RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

THE BOOK OF TRUTHFULNESS

ISLAMIC RESEARCH ASSOCIATION SERIES

Rislatu'l-i*tiqadati'l-Imamiyya of Ibn Babuya, by

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

ISLAMIC RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

THE BOOK OF TRUTHFULNESS

Edited and translated from the Istanbul Unicum by

ARTHUR JOHN ARBERRY,

Assistant Librarian in the India Office

Formerly Fellow of .Pembroke College, Cambridge

Published for the Islamic Research Association by

HUMPHREY MILFORD OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON NEW YORK BOMBAY

BAPTIST MISSION PRESS

well-known Sufis who figure in

posed to add anything to this account here.

The text now

al-kubra, I, p. 107. 2 Ta'rikh Baghdad, loc.

Op. cit., Preserved in MS.

Massignon, Essai, p. 270, n. 3. pp. 270-3 ; Encyclopaedia of Islam,

no oral teacher would

use such an expression. The importance of this treatise

from the writings of MuhasibT,

the earliest systematic pre-

sentation of the theory of Sufi experience, written

Beginning with the idea of sidq or truthfulness, the author

develops his theme to include the

practice of later writers KJiarraz begins with Qur'anic sanctions,

by references to the Sunna and the

amplifies his discourse with sayings of pious

example to the Sufi

the obviously authentic description of the

effect of love of God in the mystic's heart. 2

his interlocutor) in a fashion

which explains why he was held to have been the

not necessarily surprising

Cf. pp. 44, 49.

the text obscure, or

its meaning and unambiguous style,

which contrasts very favourably with the preciosity of Junayd

tho more likely that

great trouble he took in supplying

deeply indebted to Professor A. J. Wensinck for the mo with references to the

in the Kitdb al-Sidq as occur in them.

canonical collections of Traditions, for such traditions quoted I am grateful to the

Committee of the Islamic Research Association

publish this text and translation in their admirable series.

however be noted that tho

diacritical points are frequently

quoted in Kitdb al-Luma

THE NAME OF GOD, THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE.

ibn Isa al-Bagljdadi al-KJiarraz (God

sanctify his spirit

I said to a certain learned

nature and meaning, as well as be acquainted with it ".

me concerning how it may be

is a word embracing and entering thou that I shall answer thee

for thereby his faith

with God's words,