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

223. While varied in its manifestations, felicity (an-na’im) is only for the sake of contemplating and drawing near to Him; and, while varied in its manifestations, suffering (al-‘adhaab) is due only to the existence of His veil. Therefore, the existence of the veil is the cause of the suffering, and the perfection of felicity is through the vision of the Countenance of Allah, the Generous.

224. That which hearts find in the way of worries and sadness is due to that which prevents their having inner vision (al-‘iyaan).

225. Part of the completeness of grace (tamaau’in-ni’ma) accorded you lies in His providing you with what suffices and holding you back from what makes you exceed bounds.

226. So that your sadness over something is little, let your joy in it be little.

227. If you do not want to be dismissed, then do no take charge of a post that will not always be yours.

228. If beginnings make you desirous, endings will make you abstinent: if their exteriors invited you, their interiors will hold you back.

229. He only made the world the place of alterities and the mine of impurities by way of inducing detachment (tazaahid) in you towards it.

230. He knew you would not accept mere counsel, so He made you sample the world’s taste to a degree that separation from it would be easy for you.

231. Beneficial knowledge is the one whose rays of light expands in the mind and uncovers the veil over the heart.

232. The best knowledge is the one accompanied by fear (al-khashya).

233. If fear is united with knowledge, then it is for you; if not then it is against you.

234. When it pains you that people do not come you, or that they do so with rebukes, then return to the knowledge of Allah in you. But if the knowledge of Him in you does not satisfy you, then your affliction at not being content with that knowledge is greater than your affliction at the pain coming from people.

235. He only made affliction come at the hands of people so that you do not repose in them. He wanted to drive you out of everything so that nothing would divert you from Him.

236. If you know that the devil does not forget you, then do not forget, for your part, Him who has your forelock in His hand.

237. He made the devil your enemy so that, through him, he could drive you toward Himself, and he stirred up your soul against you so that your drawing near to Him would be permanent.

Chapter XXV, next