1. 1.
The words i'tikad and ittihad signify: —
the binding of a form of 'ilm in the heart of the existence of mysteries.
Its place of origin, in the beginning of hal, is the repetition of the hearing of news; and the continuance of the following of impressions as in children's pure nafs, which, by the passing of time, becometh the cause:—
of iniquities of ideas and fancies; of the following of the people's faith.
In their mind, the form of those beliefs becometh, like the (imperishable) sculpture on stone,— firm to such a degree that, in it, the power of another form appeareth impossible.
Whom, they see declining from the sunnat of their own-faith, and the good of the religious order, they charge with perversion and error.
Of them, is a crowd that hath, according to its own idea, held to the arguments of its own religion; and of itself imagined the verifying of, and the expelling (of deniers) from, its own circle of following.
If verily they look, they see themselves even so in the degree of following their own Imams and 'Ulama, from whom by reason of good opinion (and by the fancy of goodness of that opinion), they may have accepted arguments; from whom fancies and understandings may have issued; and with whom, the thought of yakm and by the abundance of verification, they may have become pleased.
By reason of diversity of opinion, is the contrariety of desires, wherein human nafs is innate; and the existence of disputing and of forbidding worldly positions and demands (by the disease of seeking which, hearts are commonly distressed).
From the ancient to the modern ones, hath arrived this contrariety in the happy state.
Gradually, in the midst, the parties became diffused and dispersed; drew to enmity and hate; and it, by way of heritage from ancestors, descendants have taken.
Eon after aeon, became pressed together its darkness (of hate), till it reached the limit of enmity, and ended in execration and kufr.
Then wherever, the past favour of eternity without beginning joineth, and wisheth to bestow faith upon the slave —
it releaseth him first from effects, customs, and manners; conveyeth him to the purity of the first creation; teareth up from his heart the root of obstinacy and of desire; till he becometh worthy of the form of true faith; and clear to him becometh the manifestation of the pure God.
In the time of the society of Muhammad, by the blessing of the effects of descent of wahiy (revelation), and of the ray of light of prophecy the nafs of the people had become eradicated from the darkness of customs; and hearts, purified from the pollution of nature and from the impurity of desire, turned away from this world, turned to the next world, seekers of God, with the light of faith, — had beheld through the veil the form of the hidden.
Therefore free was their belief from the reproach of contrariety; and their heart, from the ills of desire.
One of heart, of opinion, of tongue were all.
When the sun of prophecy became veiled in the veil of the hidden; and the light of purity, concealed in the veil of grandeur,— the darkness of desire of the land of nafs of the people (who, by the light of prophecy, had gained effulgence) became effaced in its light.
By the sun's being veiled and hidden, it again cast its shadow; and, little by little, forth from the concealed ambush, came the darkness of its desire.
Hearts turned their face from the moderation of steadfastness to turning aside; contrariety, to the degree of turning wholly away, appeared; and open to shaitan, became the path of sway.
According to the distance from the time of prophecy and of being veiled, the light of innocence daily became greater through the darkness of the descendings of nafs in the world; and contrariety commonly appeared.
Who is the seeker of the true faith, should follow the first crowd of the “companions”; should turn his heart from love for the world, so that, by the light of yakin, the eye of his vision may be opened; and to him may be discovered the pure God.
This appeareth only— by true purity; by excellent refuge in the giver; by the complaining of the evil of nafs; by keeping one's self pure of sin by God's grace.
For, the associate of answer, God maketh every question that is through sincerity and perturbation.
To whom, God gave the favour of change of desire away from the world, the root of contention He plucked up from his heart and made it the glancing place of His mercy.
Its mark is this —
By the glance of mercy, he becometh not joined with the veiled ones; nor with them treadeth the path of contention.
This is of the specialities of the Sufis, whose hearts have wholly turned to the ecstasy of the sweetness of love (for God) away from the love for the world; whose veins of contention have become extirpated; and who, with the glance of mercy, have gazed at the commonality of the people, gained safety from enmity, and who are entitled — firka-i-najiya.1
11. 3.
That 'ilm, the desire whereof is for all muslims an ordinance of God, is, in the opinion of the 'ulama, contradictory.
Some have said it is (a) the 'ilm-i-ikhlas (sincerity).
Because even as devotion to God is God's ordinance, so sincerity in devotion is also God's ordinance; as for 'ilm, practice is necessary, so practice is necessary for the 'ilm-i-ikhlas.
(b) the 'ilm-i-afat-i-ikhlas (the calamities of sincerity) ; or the quality of nafs, the revelation whereof is the power of ikhlas. Then the 'ilm-i-ikhlas is dependent on the 'ilm of the qualities of nafs. Dependent on it whatever may be a necessity is on it also necessary.
(c) the 'ilm-i-wakt (period) ; or the knowing in what thing (deeds or words) it is best to be daily engaged.
(d) the 'ilm-i-hal (mystic state) ; or the knowing the hal (that may be between the slave and the Lord God), and the rule which is special to that hal; and the learning its excess (or defect) at any period.
(e) the 'ilm-i-khawatir (thoughts); attached thereto is the distinguishing between the sources of the acts of thoughts and the goodness and evilness of acts. All this is fazilat (excellence), not fariza (God's ordinance).
Not lawful is the abandoning of fariza. If 'ilm-i-fariza be one of those 'ilms, not lawful to muslims, is its abandoning.
What Muhammad hath said is enjoined to all muslims; the knowing of it is to all muslims impossible.
Not every nature can be prepared for these 'ilms; not lawful is unbearable trouble.
Most true is the kaul (word) of those of former times. The kaul of Shaikh Abu Talib-i-Makki
It is the 'ilm of the source of Islam; or the five columns —
i. the kalima-l-shahadatain, the two creeds. ii. salat, prayer. iii. zakat, alms. iv. saum, fasting. v. hajj, pilgrimage. It is the 'ilm-i-bay' (purchase), the 'ilm-i-shara (sale), the 'ilm-i-tilak (divorce), the 'ilm-i-nikah (marriage). Enjoined on high and low, is the knowing of these; for the understanding of them is, for all reasonable men, possible.
The (totality of all kauls is the) kaul of Shaikh Shahabu-d-Din 'Umar-i-Sahrwardi —
[The Arabic term rendered here is partly illegible in the source scan; it is translated in the text as "the enjoined 'ilm."]
It is the 'ilm of orders and of prohibitions (of God).
Because though the slave is ordered as to doing, and prohibited against abandoning, them, — incumbent on him is their 'ilm, so that the practice of them may be established.
The rules of the shar', as regards orders and prohibitions, are of two kinds: — (a) the comprehender of the chosen common people,—
the 'ilm-i-mubani-i-islam, the 'ilm-i-bay', the 'ilm-i-shara, the 'ilm-i-nikah, the 'ilm-i-tilakat.
which are incumbent on all muslims by reason of
requisites,
necessity,
need.
the 'ilm-i-hal (state), and other 'ilms already mentioned.
(b) the 'ulum-i-faza'il (excellences): the 'ilm-i-ikhlas (sincerity), the 'ilm-i-khwatir (thoughts).
These are enjoined on some special folk, who have the capacity and the power of knowing them; and not enjoined on common folk who have not the power.
For some special ones, whose capacity is fit, these 'ilms are of the number of God's ordinances. By them, they are ordered and prohibited.
Some of the sahaba have grieved and said: —
We have the power not to bring into action impure thoughts; impure thoughts, we have not the power to prevent. If as regards them, go a reckoning and a requital, difficult is the work.
Came this ayat — Save to its limit, nafs, God troubleth not.
Whoever cannot perform the ordinance is by it not ordered; and for the abandoning of it not reproved.
Whoever can restrain impure thoughts, — on him, is enjoined the ordinance.
The shaikhs, who have made yakin of something and reckoned it God's ordinance, have spoken according to their own state.
This limit is the comprehender. Those 'ilms, which others have mentioned; and according to their own hal, reckoned God's ordinance, they have called— the 'ilm-i-dirasat (teaching), the 'ilm-i-wirasat (heritage).
in. 10.
According to diversity of degrees, the ranks of men are of three kinds: — i. The wasil (those joined to God) and the kamil (the perfect).
The (wasil) are the mukarrab (those near to God) and the sabik (those gone before others in faith). (Kuran, lvi, 10—11.)
ii. The (salik) holy travellers of tank (the path) of perfection.
These are the pious; the ashab-i-yamin (companions of the right hand) (Kuran, lvi, 8.)
iii. The (mukim) dwellers of the essence of defect.
These are the wicked; the ashab-i-shumal (the companions of the left hand) (Kuran, lvi, 9.)
The men of wusul (union with God) are of three crowds: —
(a) The (ambiya), prophets, whom, after union and perfection, God sent to the people for the sake of perfecting the imperfect ones; and whose existence He made the link of the hidden and the material world to invite people to Him, and to keep prosperous the realms of God and of the angels.
(b) The (mutasawwifa), shaikhs, who, by perfection of following Muhammad, have gained union (with God) ; and who were, after that, ordered to invite the people by the tank of following Muhammad,
Consummately perfect are these two crowds, to whom, after their being immersed in the essence of jam' (collected), and in the abyss of tauhid (unity of God), the grace of eternity without beginning bestowed freedom and salvation from the belly of the fish of fana (effacement) to the shore of tafraka (dispersed) and to the plain of baka (permanency), — so that, to salvation and to degrees, they might guide the people.
(c) The jama 'at (crowd), to whom, after arrival at the degree of perfection, the trust of perfecting (the imperfect ones) in reference to inviting the people (to Islam) passed not; who became immersed in the sea of jam' (collected) and in the belly of the fish of fana (effacement), who became naught so that neither news nor trace of them reached to the shore of tafraka or to the region of baka; who became threaded on the thread of the dwellers of the towers of ghairat (jealousy), and of the inhabitants of the land of hairat (astonishment) ; and to whom after perfection of union the power of perfecting the imperfect ones was not entrusted.
The men of sulak (the path of travelling) are of two kinds: —
(a) The seekers of lofty purpose, and the murids of the face of God.
(b) The seekers of paradise, and the murids of the next world.
The seekers of God are: —
(a) The mutasawwifa.
These are that crowd that have gained freedom from some of the qualities of nafs; have become qualified with some of the hals and some of the qualities of the Sufis; and have become the beholder of the excess of their hal. Yet with the proud trailing residue of the qualities of nafs are they left distressed; and therefore deprived of the acquisition of the end of the man of propinquity to God and of sufiya (Sufism). (b) The (malamatiya), the reproached.
These are that crowd who, in the observance of the meaning of ikblas (sincerity) and in the preservation of the rule of sidk (truth), have expended much effort; who in the concealing of their devotion and in the veiling of their almsgiving from the people's glance regard necessary great effort } who neglect not the minutest matter of holy deeds; who regard an enjoined duty all the excellences and the nawafil; whose religious order is at all times the verifier of the sense of ikblas; and whose taste is for the singularity of God's glance upon their deeds and hals.
As the sinner is full of caution, as to revealing his sins, so (lest there be suspicion of hypocrisy) as to revealing their devotion, do they practise hypocrisy that the order of ijdilas may suffer no injury.
Although they are precious of wujud and exalted of hal, yet from their glance not wholly rent is the veil of creation. Therefore are they left veiled from beholding the beauty of tauhid (the unity of God) and the essence of tafrid (inward solitude), because the concealing of deeds and of their hal from the people's glance is known and allowed in the sight of the people and of themselves, who are the forbidders of the sense of tauhid.
Nafs is of the crowd of strangers. As long as on their own hal, they keep their glance, not wholly have they expelled strangers, from the viewing of their own deeds and hals.
The difference between the mutasawwifa or sufiya and the malamatiya is from the malamatiya, the attraction of the grace of the Ancient One hath wholly uptorn the existence of sufiya; and from the glance of their witnessing uplifted the veil of creation and of egotism.
In making their devotion, in issuing their alms, the malamatiya see not in the midst themselves and the people. They are secure from the knowledge of the people's glance; and bound to the concealing neither of their deeds nor of their hal.
If good they see in revealing their devotion, they reveal it; otherwise, they conceal it.
The mutasawwifa or sufiya are— (mukhlas), saved. The malamatiya are— (mukhlis), sincere.
The description of their hal is: — “Them, by sincerity, we (God) saved.”
The seekers of the next world are four crowds — (zuhhad, sing. zahid), zahids, dry austere men; (fukara, sing. fakir), fakirs; (khuddam, sing. khadim), servants of God; ('ubbad, sing. 'abid), those dedicated to God.
The zuhhad are those who with the light of faith and of certainty behold the beauty of the next world; clearly see this world in the form of ugliness; turn their desire from inclining to the worthless decoration of the teni (perishable) ; and incline to the true beauty of the baki (imperishable).
Against the (sufiya), the opposing of this crowd is—
because the zahid is, by the delight of his own nafs, veiled from God; and because paradise is the makam of delight of nafs.
By beholding the beauty of eternity without beginning and the love of eternal zat, the Sufi is veiled from both worlds.
As in respect to this world, he may have expended delight, so in respect to the next world, is his delight.
The Hadis saith: —
Unlawful for the people (of the next world) is this world; unlawful for the people (of this world) is the next world; unlawful for the people (of God) are both worlds.
In the degree of zuhd (austerity), is the Sufi above the degree of the zahid far wherefrom is the delight of nafs.
The fukara are those who possess naught of the chattels of the world; who in desire of excellence and of the divine Rizvan (God), have separated from their native land; and who have abandoned accustomed objects.
The cause is one of the following three things: —
(i) the hope of lessening the fearful reckoning of punishment (on the day of judgment). For necessary is the reckoning as regards lawful deeds; and, punishment as regards unlawful deeds.
(ii) the hope of excellence of reward and of excelling on entering paradise. Glad tidings, brought Jibra,il one day to Muhammad: —
“By half a day (equal to five hundred years), will the fakirs of thy ummat (tribe) enter paradise before the rich of thy tribe.” (iii) the desire of tranquillity of heart, and of freedom of mind— for the sake of much devotion; and therein the presence of the heart.
Against the malamatiya and the mutasawwifa, the opposing of the fakir is — Because the fakir is the seeker of paradise and is desirous of his own delight. They (the malamatiya and the mutasawwifa) are the seekers of God and desirous of propinquity to Him.
Above this degree in fakr, is a makam superior to the makam of the malamatiya and of the mutasawwifa.
'Tis the special description of the Sufi. Though the degree is above the degree of the fakir, yet the abstract of the makam of fakr is included in his makam. The cause is that, for the Sufi, the traversing of the makam of fakr is of the crowd of enjoined conditions; every makam, wherefrom he advanceth, its purity he rendeth and thereto giveth the colour of his own makam.
In the makam of the Sufi, is another description for the fakir: —
On his part, the denial and the absence of possession, of all deeds, hals, and makams. On his part, he beholdeth no deed, no hal, no makam; and regardeth them not special to himself, Nay, himself of himself he seeth not.
Then his, is— no wujud (existence), no zat (essence), no quality.
He is mahv in mahv (obliteration in obliteration) ; fana in fan a (effacement in effacement).
Such is the truth of fakr, in excellence whereof, the shaikhs have spoken. What, in the sense of fakr, before this has been mentioned, — is the impression and form of fakr.
The superiority of the makam of the Sufi above the makam of the fakir is because —
The fakir is ruled by the desire of fakr and of the delight of nafs. The Sufi hath no special desire; in fakr or in wealth, effaced is his desire in the desire of God — his desire is the essence of the desire of God.
If he choose the form of fakr and its way, it becometh not veiled by his own desire and choice; his desire is the desire of God.
Some have said:—
Who is void of impression and of quality is the Sufi; who is void of things material, is the fakir.
Abu-l-'Abbas-i-Nihavandi saith:—
The end of fakr is the beginning of tasawwuf.
Some of the shaikhs have said
As cautious of wealth, should be the fakir as the wealthy one of fakr.
By the entrance of wealth, the fakir feareth that fakr may become abhorrent to him; by the entrance of fakr, the wealthy one, that wealth may become abhorrent to him.
Once a wealthy one brought ten thousand dirams to Ibrahim Adham and asked him to accept them.
Ibrahim refused, saying— “With ten thousand dirams, thou wishest to efface, from the record-book of fukara, our name.”
Between fakr (poverty) and zuhd (austerity), the difference is this: —
Possible without zuhd, is fakr. Thus, with firm resolution a person abandoneth the world through the desire of yakin; yet, in him, is left the heart's delight.
Possible without fakr, is zuhd. Thus is a person possessed of chattels, wherefrom his delight is turned.
Fakr hath a custom,— the want of property. Its truth is the expelling of qualities from orders; and the denying to one's self the choice of a thing.
Fakr is the form of zuhd and its sign. The meaning of zuhd is the expending of desire (for God) away from the world.
When, beneath the towers of pomp, God wisheth to veil, from the glance of strangers, some of His saints, He outwardly clotheth them with the garment of the wealthy one (which is the form of desire), so that them, the outward people may regard as of the crowd of desirous ones of this world; and thus, from the glance of the unprivileged, the beauty of their hal may be concealed.
The kernel of the hakikat of fakr and of zuhd is the special description and requisite of the hal of the sufl. The custom of fakr is the choice of some of the shaikhs of the Sufis; and in it, their purpose is — the following of the prophets, the abandoning of the world, the inciting and the inviting of seekers with the form of fakr and with the tongue of hal.
In this sense, their choice is proved by the choice of God, not by the desire of the delight of the next world.
The khuddam are those, who choose the service of fukara and of the seekers of God; who, after the performance of the ordinances of God, have expended their time in ceasing to labour, and in making tranquil the heart as to solicitude for matters of livelihood and for capacity for the next world; who prefer this service to nawafil, and who in their need enter on every way not forbidden by the shar' — in acquisition, in beggary, and in receiving gratuitous income.
In taking and giving money, their glance is on God.
In taking money, they regard the people the link of God's giving to them, and in giving money, they regard them as the means of their acceptance (with God),
On account of the honour of this makam, appeared similitude in respect to the crowd of the hal of the khadim and of the shaikh. In respect to the khadim, they have established no difference from the shaikh.
The difference is this—
The khadim is in the makam of the abrar (the pious); the shaikh in the makam of the mukarrab (those near to God).
In the choice of service, the purpose of the khadim is the reward of the next world; otherwise not bound by service is the khadim.
Standing in the purpose of God not in his own purpose is the shaikh.
The 'ubbad are those, who, ever, on the portions of devotion and on the rules of nawafil, display assiduity for the sake of the reward of the next world.
Existent in the Sufi, is this description but free from the impurities of desire. For they worship God for God, not for the reward of the next world.
Between the 'ubbad and the zuhhad, the difference is this—
With the existence of (despite) desire for the world the form of 'ibadat (devotion) is possible.
Between the 'ubbad and the fukara, the difference is this—
With the existence of (despite) wealth, a person may possibly be 'abid (dedicated to the service of God).
Then, it became manifest (a) that the wasil (those joined to God) are three crowds. (b) that the salik (the holy travellers) are six.
Each one of these nine crowds hath two similitudes (a) (muhikk), the verifier. (b) (mubtil), the abolisher.
To the prophets of both crowds, the similitude of the verifier is—
the shaikh of tarikat (the Path) and the 'ulama of sufiya, — who, by following Muhammad, invite the people through the desire of vision.
The similitude of the abolisher is this—
In calumny, he layeth claim to prophecy; and falsely and slanderously attributeth to himself wahy (revelation).
Him, they call—
(mutanabbi), “one who calleth himself a prophet.”
After the expiration of the time of mission, in the brain of a jamS'at (assembly), the bird of this desire wished to lay an egg. In the end, to the wind of destruction, they gave their head, and rolling fell into hell.
To the Sufis, the similitude of the verifier is—
mutasawwifa, who are exceedingly informed and desirous of the hal of the Sufis; and by the residue of their attachments to the qualities of nafs are detained from the maturity of purpose and forbidden it.
To the Sufis, the similitude of the abolisher is—
a jama'at (assembly), who in life reveal themselves Sufis; who are void of the power of their belief, deeds, and hal; and who, having taken off from their neck the halter of devotion, graze free from encumbrance in the meadow of revelation.
They say—
the binding to the orders of the shari 'at is the portion of the common folk, whose glance is restricted to outward things. Loftier than that is the hal of the special folk and of the man of hakikat. For they (the common folk) give attention to outward customs, while their solicitude for viewing the inward presence is not great.
This crowd, they call—
batiniya.2
mubahiya.
To the majzuban-i-wasil (the joined attracted ones), the similitude of the verifier is—
a crowd of the men of suluk, whose travelling is yet in the traversing of the stages of the qualities of nafs; and whose existence, from the burning of desire's ardour, is in agitation and perturbation.
In the makam of fana, before the revelation of the tidings of the morn of the manifestation of zat, of resting, and of dwelling,— sometimes a flash of the flashings of that manifestation glittereth on the glance of their witnessing; and from the breeze-place of fana, a breath of the breathings of union joineth the perfume-place of their heart.
So, in the flashing of the lights of lightning, the darkness of the qualities of their nafs becometh folded; and to their heart, from the heat, the bubbles of that breath give fire of search, agitation, shauk of the soul, and restfulness.
When that lightning expireth and that breath ceaseth, the manifestation of the qualities of nafs, the heat of desire, the agitation, and the shauk return; and the holy traveller wisheth to be wholly drawn out from the clothing of his own qualities, and to be immersed in the sea of fana, so that he may rest from the ruining of his existence.
When that hal hath not become his makam, and sometimes it descendeth on him, his interior becometh wholly informed and desirous of this makam.
His name was—
the similitude of the verifier to the joined attracted ones.
To the joined attracted ones, the similitude of the abolisher is—
a crowd, who lay claim to being immersed in the sea of fana, and to being annihilated in the essence of tauhid: who, to themselves, assign not any moving or any resting. They say— our moving is like unto the moving of doors, which without a mover is impossible. Though this sense is true, it is not the hal of that jama'at (assembly).
From this matter, their purpose is: — (a) the framing of excuse for sins. (b) the assigning of it to desire for God. (c) the repelling from themselves of reproach.
This crowd, they call—
zanadika (zanadik, sing. zandik) — infidels.
To Sahl 'Abdu-l-lah, they said:—
A certain one saith— The connection of my deed with the desire for God is as the connection of the motion of the door with its mover.
He said:—
If the speaker be one who preserveth the sources of the sharia't and the limits of orders of worship,— he is of the crowd of the sadik (sincere).
If he be one who, in opposition of the rules of the shar', hath no fear of falling into destruction, he speaketh so that he may make apparent the way of assigning his deeds to God, and of causing to fall from himself reproach— together with the being up-torn from faith and religion, — he is of the crowd of zanadika.
To the malamatiya, the similitude of the verifier is —
a crowd, who, for the repairing and the destroying of the people's glance, show not much consideration. Much of their effort is in ruining customs and habits, and in loosening the bonds of rules of association; the source of their hal is naught save freedom of heart and disposition of heart; and on their part, appeareth neither the gazing at the usages of the zuhhad and the 'ubbad, nor the issuing of acts of nawafil and of devotion.
No bond do they make for the resolution of deeds; they persevere only for the performance of the enjoined ordinances; not ascribed to them is the amassing of the chattels of the world; contented with goodness of heart, they desire no increase of substance.
Them, they call — (kalandariya) , kalandars.
Through the absence of hypocrisy, this crowd resembleth the malamatiya.
Between the malamatiya and the kalandariya the difference is —
the malamatiya seek union with all faza,il (excellences) and nawafil (works of supererogation); but keep them concealed from the people's gaze, the kalandariya pass not beyond the fara,i$ (enjoined ordinances) ; and, as regards the revealing, or the concealing, of their deeds from the people's gaze, are unfettered.
The crowd, at this time called kalandariya, have taken from off their neck the halter of Islam; and are void of these mentioned qualities.
For them, the name of kalandariya is illusory; fit is the name —
(hashwiya), the padded ones. To the malamatiya, the similitude of the abolisher is—
a crowd (also of the zanadika) who claim sincerity, and greatly strive in revealing iniquity. They say: —
From this, our purpose is the reproach of the people, and the taking away of the glance (of approval) of man; no need of the people's devotion, hath God.
By their sin, un-injured they consider the sin restricted to the people's injury, and devotion among laudable actions.
To the zuhhad, the similitude of the verifier is —
a crowd whose delight hath not wholly been expended away from the world; and who from it desire at once to turn.
These, they call—
(mutazahhid), self-denying.
To the zuhhad, the similitude of the abolisher is —
a jama'at (assembly), who (for the acceptance of the people) abandon the world's decoration; from off all the world's chattels, take up their heart; and thereby desire the acquisition of rank among men.
It is possible that their hal may be obscure: —
(a) to some. They think that they have wholly turned away from the world; and that they themselves, by abandoning wealth, have purchased rank.
(b) to themselves. They think that (since outwardly they are not engaged in desire for the world's chattels) they have wholly turned from the world,
This crowd, they call —
(mar'iya) acting hypocritically.
To the fukara, the similitude of the verifier is —
He whose exterior is painted with the custom of fakr, and whose interior is desirous of the hakikat of fakr. Yet hath he inclination to fana, and, with difficulty, endureth fakr; regardeth the true fakr of the fukara a special favour from God; and therefore ever preferreth portions of thanks.
To the fukara, the similitude of the abolisher is—
He whose exterior is painted according to the custom of fakr; and whose interior is, as to its hakikat (truth), void of information. His purpose is purely the revealing of claim, of mandate, and of the people's acceptance (of him).
Him, they call—
(mar'iya), acting hypocritically.
To the khuddam, the similitude of the verifier is —
He, who ever remaineth standing in the service of the slaves of God; who, in his heart, wisheth to do them service unmixed with the suspicion of worldly design or rank; and ever to free his resolution from doubts of inclination and of desire. Yet to the hakikat (truth) of zuhd, he shall not have reached.
At one time by reason of the superiority of the light of faith and by the concealing of nafs, some of his powers fall into the place of merit.
At another time, by reason of the superiority of nafs, his service is mixed with desire and hypocrisy. The crowd who are not in the place of merit, he preferreth, with the expectation of laudation, to full service; and some, who are worthy of service, he excludeth.
Him, they call —
mutakhadim.
To the khuddam, the similitude of the abolisher is —
He who in service hath no resolution for the next world. Nay, the people's service, he hath made the snare of worldly advantages, so that thereby he may attract bequests and chattels. If, in the acquisition of his design, he see not effected his purpose, he abandoneth it.
Then is his service restricted to desire for rank, for wealth; for numerous followers and ap-provers, so that thereby, in assemblies and companies, he may seek precedence and glorification.
In every service, his glance is on his own delight. Him, they call— (mustakhdim) an employer of many servants. To the 'ubbad, the similitude of the verifier is: —
(a) He, who desireth his own times immersed in devotion; but by reason of the residue of the pretensions of nature, and of the want of purification of nafs, languor momently falleth on deeds, or prayers, and on devotion.
(b) Or he who hath not yet found the delights of devotion; and who, in them, standeth with difficulty.
Him, they call— (muta'abbid), devout.
To that one of the crowd of mar'iya, the similitude of the abolisher is —
He, whose glance in devotion is on the people's acceptance (of him) ; and, in whose heart is no faith as to the reward of the next world. So long as he seeth no stranger attentive to his own devotion, in it he remaineth not.
Known it is that, in the opinion of men of investigation and of sincere lovers, the beloved of the beloved is the beloved.
Who loveth not the beloved of the beloved, its sign is that, with design, his love is distempered.
Verily, such a one is the lover of himself, not the lover of the Beloved; he loveth the Beloved for the reason that he regardeth Him the source of pleasure and the place of delights to himself, — not, really and truly.
Sincere lovers, who have become free from the sickness of hawa (desire) and the design of nafs (lust), and pure of the impurities of existence,— desire themselves for the sake of the Beloved, not the Beloved for the sake of themselves; desire for His sake the sacrifice of their own existence,— not, for themselves, His existence; and prefer to
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