The Book of Wisdom Chapter XXI
And he said (May Allah be pleased with him):
192. When two matters seem confusing to you, see which is heavier on the ego and follow it through. For, indeed, nothing weighs on the ego but that which is true.
193. A sign of compliance with passion is haste in supererogatory good deeds and sluggishness in fulfilling obligatory deeds.
194. He laid down specific times for acts of obedience so that procrastination does not divert you from them, and He made each time span ample so that you would have a share in making the choice.
195. He knew of the irresolution of servants in dealing with Him, so He made obedience (taa’a) to Him obligatory for them. Thus, He drove them to obedience with the chains of obligation (bi-salaasilil ijaab). Your Lord is amazed at people who are driven to Paradise (al-janna) with chain!
196. He made the service (khidma) of Him obligatory upon you, which is as much as to say that He made entry into His Paradise obligatory for you.
197. Whoever finds it astonishing that Allah should save him from passion or yank him out of his forgetfulness has deemed the divine Power (al-qudra al-ilaahiyya) to be weak. “And Allah has power over everything.” [Quran 18:45]
198. Sometimes darkness comes over you in order that He makes you aware of the value of His blessings upon you.
199. He who does not know the value of graces when they are present knows their value when they are absent.
200. The inspirations of grace should not so dazzle you as to keep you from fulfilling the obligations of thankfulness, for that would indeed bring you down in rank.
201. Incurable sickness results when the sweetness of passion takes possession of the heart.
202. Only an unsettling fear (kawf muz’ij) or a restless desire (shawq muqliq) can expel passion from the heart.
203. Just as He does not love the deed possessed of associationism, so similarly He does not love the heart possessed of associationism. As for the deed possessed of associationism, He does not accept it; and as for the heart possessed of associationism, He does not draw near to it.