Part 38

In this way, we can see that the perception of the ignorant does not go beyond the basics of life; his perception does not reach the goals, but the intelligent person always keeps his eye on the goals behind his actions in life.

The intelligent person perceives forbidden things like delicious food, which contain fatal poison. Whenever its pleasure arouses his interest, the reality of the poison would push him away from it. Also, he perceives the orders of Allah as bitter medicine that leads to good health and recovery.

Whenever its bitterness urges him not to take it, the reality of its usefulness leads him to comply. This requires knowledge that is more than the rudiments of the religion in order to understand the essential goals. It also requires strong patience to adjust oneself to it, in order to bear the difficulties that will be encountered for the sake of the goal. So if he loses certainty and patience, it would be difficult to achieve the goal, and on the other hand if his certainty and patience is strong, every difficulty would be rendered easy for him for the sake of permanent good and eternal pleasure.

There are other meanings of this verse. It also requires the servant to leave all his affairs in the Hands of the One Who knows the outcomes of all things, and to be pleased with whatever He chooses for him.

Also, the meanings of the verse include the fact that he should not propose or choose for his Lord, and should not ask Him for that which he has no knowledge of, for his harm and ruin may be in it and yet he does not know. He should simply ask his Lord to choose good for him and make him pleased with His choice, for that indeed would be the best ending. Also when he

AL-FAWA'ID : A Collection of Wise Syaings * 233

leaves all his affairs to his Lord, and is satisfied with His choice for him, Allah will support him by providing him with ability, determination and patience. He, the Almighty would also keep him away from the evil that the servant would have encountered if he had chosen for himself. He would show him some of the positive outcomes of His Choice, which he would not have attained if he had chosen for himself.

Such thinking relieves him of the burdens of trying to choose for himself as Allah frees his heart from estimations and arrangements, which fluctuate in difficulty. And in spite of this, the servant would always be surrounded by what was initially preordained for him. If he is pleased with the Choice of Allah, the preordainment would grant him what is praiseworthy, worthy of thanks and worthy of Allah’s Mercy. Otherwise, the preordainment would incur on him all that is dispraised and unworthy of Allah’s Mercy, because it was his own choice. When he truly leaves his affairs to Allah and truly becomes pleased with that, he would be surrounded by kindness and care in the preordainment, and he would be under the care and kindness of Allah. His Kindness protects him from that which he fears and His Care makes it easy for him to bear that which He preordained.

When the preordainment is implemented upon the servant, the greatest cause of its implementation would be his trying to avoid it. Therefore, there is nothing more beneficial for him than submission.

Chapter: The Conditions of Being Satisfied with Knowledge

No one benefits from the Grace of Allah, faith and knowledge except the person who knows himself, and does not go beyond his due estimation, and does not say that this is from me, but is certain that everything is from Allah. Such a person knows that He is the Real Granter of all things without a cause

234 * AL-FAWA'ID: A Collection of Wise Sayings

from the servant and without the servant actually deserving it. Therefore, the Grace of Allah makes the person deeply humble and he does not see any good at all in or from himself and he knows that all, which is good comes to him from Allah. So the Grace of Allah makes him humble and affects him deeply, even though he may not express it openly.

Therefore, whenever Allah repeatedly bestows grace upon him, he would become more and more humble, more deeply affected, more submissive, more loving, more fearing of Allah, and hopeful of Him. And this is the result of two kinds of noble knowledge:

His knowledge of his Lord, His Perfection, His Kindness, His Richness, His Generosity, His Benevolence, His Mercy and that all good is in His Hands. It is His Kingdom, and He gives to anyone He wills, and prevents it from anyone He wills. All praise and thanks are due to Him, and this is the most perfect praise. After that, comes the servant's own knowledge of himself, and perceiving his due limits, his just estimation, his defects, his injustice, his ignorance and that there is no good at all concerning himself, not in him or from him, and that if he is left to himself, he will surely destroy himself and be in a state of ruin. In the same way, his attributes will lead him to complete ruin, and his essential self is more insignificant and deficient than it. And any good that he has is related to his existence, and not to his own inclinations or actions.

When these two kinds of knowledge become an essential part of his characteristics and not just mere words, then he would know that all praise and thanks are due to Allah, and that all the Commandments and Good belong to Him, and that He is the Only One Who deserves praise and thanks, and that the servant of Allah is the one who deserves dispraise and blame.

Whoever failed to gain this knowledge would be inconsistent in his words, deeds and condition. He would be lost and would

AL-FAWA'ID : A Collection of Wise Syaings * 235

not be guided to the Straight Way that leads to Allah. So in order to follow the Straight Way the servant of Allah must know both kinds of knowledge theoretically and practically. The following statement illustrates this fact: Anyone who knows himself, knows his Lord, for the person who knows himself to be ignorant, unjust, defective, poor and humble, would know his Lord to be the complete opposite of these attributes. Therefore, he would acknowledge his due worth, and would not go beyond his limits. He would praise his Lord as He deserves. His deep love, fear, hope, repentance and trust would be turned to his Lord. Allah would be the dearest, the most Feared and the Most Hopeful to him, and this indeed is the true nature of worship.

It has been reported that a wise man wrote the following statement on the door of his house: no one would benefit from our wisdom except the person who knows himself and does not go beyond his limits. . Whoever is like this can enter or else it would be better for him to return until he is qualified.

Chapter: The Danger of Submitting to One’s Desires

To restrain oneself from fulfilling unlawful desires is easier than to endure that which is the result of doing so, because giving in to one’s desires will either cause pain and punishment or it will prevent a more perfect pleasure than could ever be experienced in this worldly life. Either it kills time to the extent that it causes regret, or it defiles honor, whose preservation is more beneficial and worthy to the servant. Either it takes away some wealth that would be better to be saved than to be wasted, or derogate a reputation that would be better to be praised.

Also it will either remove some grace that would be better to be preserved, or it debases you and makes you subservient to lowly people. Also it causes worry, grief, sadness and fear that

236 *¢ AL-FAWA'ID: A Collection of Wise Sayings

is far more than the pleasure of fulfilling the desire, or it causes you to forget some knowledge that would be better to be remembered than satisfying one’s desire. Either it makes an enemy rejoice and makes a friend sad, or prevents an expected grace from reaching you, or it causes a flaw or characteristic that will remain permanently. Indeed deeds are the means of developing qualities and character.

Chapter: The Limits of One’s Characteristics

Human characteristics have limitations, which if surpassed, would be a transgression, and if one falls short of it, it would be a defect and a disgrace.

Therefore, there is a limitation for anger, which is courage and disdain for vice and deficiency. This is its perfection but if it surpasses that limitation, its owner would be guilty of transgressing and wrong doing. And if it falls short of him, he would be a coward and would not have disdain for vice.

Desire has a fimitation, which is taking what is sufficient for this worldly life and the attainment of competency. However, when it falls short of that, it would be a disgrace and a waste, and when it surpasses that, it would be greed and a desire for that which is not praiseworthy.

Envy has a limitation, which is to compete in seeking perfection and to be unwilling to let someone do better than oneself. Whoever surpasses that in injustice and transgression, would wish for other people’s grace to come to an end, and would seek to harm them. And when it becomes less than the required limit, it would be lowness and lack of ambition. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Do not wish to be like anyone except in two cases: (the first is) a person, whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously; (the second is)

AL-FAWA'ID : A Collection of Wise Syaings * 237

This is a kind of emulation that the envier imposes on himself in order to be like the one he envies, and it is not the disgraceful kind of envy, in which the envier wishes that the grace of the envied is removed.

Lust has a limitation, which is relief of the heart and mind from the toil of obedience, earning good qualities and making use of them. When it increases to more than its normal state, it would become a burning desire, and its owner would be on _ the level of animals. And when it becomes less than that, and is not a kind of devotion to seek perfection and favor, it would be a weakness and a disgrace.