And he said (May Allah be pleased with him):

112. Only the ignorant man scorns the recitation of litany (al-wird). Inspiration (al-waarid) is to be found in the Hereafter, while the litany vanishes with the vanishing of this world. But it is more fitting to be occupied with something for which there is no substitute. The litany is what He seeks from you, the inspiration is what you seek from Him. But what comparison is there between what He seeks from you and what you seek from Him?

113. The arrival of sustainment (wurood al-imdaad) is in accordance with receptivity (al-isti’daad), while the raying-out of lights (shurooq al-anwaar) is in accordance with the purity of the innermost being (safaa’u’l-asraar).

114. When the forgetful man (al-ghaafil) gets up in the morning, he reflects on what he is going to do, whereas the intelligent man (al-aaqil) sees what Allah is doing with Him.

115. The devotees (al-‘ubbaad) and the ascetics (az-zuhhaad) are alienated from everything only because of their absence from Allah in everything. For had they contemplated Him in everything, they would not have been alienated from anything.

116. He commanded you in this world to reflect upon His creations (bi’n-nazar fi mukawwanaatihi); but in the Hereafter He will reveal to you the Perfection of His Essence (kamaal dhaatih).

117. When He knew that you would not renounce Him, He made you contemplate that which issues from Him.

118. Since Allah (al-Haqq) knows of the existence of weariness on your part, He has varied the acts of obedience (at-taa’aat) for you; and since He knows of the existence of impulsiveness (ash-sharah) in you, He has limited them to specific times (fi’l-awqaat), so that your concern be with the performance of the ritual prayer (iqaamat as-salaat), not with the existence of the ritual prayer (wujood as-salaat). For not everyone who prays performs well (fa-maa kull musall muqeem).

119. Ritual prayer is a purification for hearts (tuhra li’l-quloob) and an opening-up of the door of invisible domains (al-ghuyoob).

120. Ritual prayer is the place of intimate discourse and a mine of reciprocal acts of purity wherein the domains of the innermost being are expanded and the rising gleams of light ray out. He knew of the existence of weakness in you, so He made the number of ritual prayers small; and He knew of your need of His grace, so He multiplied their fruitful results.

121. When you seek recompense for a deed, the existence of sincerity (as-sidq) in it is demanded of you in return. As for the insincere (al-mureeb), the feeling of security (wijdaan as-salaama) from chastisement suffices him.

122. Do not seek recompense for a deed whose doer (faa’il) was not you. It suffices you as a recompense for the deed that He accepts it.

123. When He wants to show His grace to you, He creates states in you and attributes them to you (khalaqa wa nasaba ilayk).

124. Were He to make you go back to yourself, there would be no end to the reasons for blaming you (li-madhaammik); and were He to manifest His beneficence (iood) to you, there would be no end to the reasons for praising you.

Chapter XIII, next