Part 39

Rest has a limitation, which is the revitalization of the self and one’s perceptive faculties, in order to be ready for religious duties, earning good qualities and devoting oneself to all that is good., In this way they do not become weak because of toil and weariness and their effect does not become weak. When it goes beyond its normal limit, it would be apathy, laziness, wastefulness and many interests would be lost in this way. And when it becomes less than required, it would be harmful to one’s faculties and a means of weakening them, and may even come to a stop with him.

Generosity has a limitation, and it lies between two extremes. When it surpasses its limit, it becomes extravagance, and when it becomes less than the required limit, it is stinginess and miserliness.

Courage has a limitation, and when it surpasses it, it would be rashness, and when it becomes less than the required limit, it

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would be cowardice and weakness. Its limit is to boldly engage on occasions that require courage, and to refrain on the occasions that require refraining. This is like what Mu’awiyah said to ‘Umar, “I have failed to understand whether you are courageous or a coward; you expose yourself to danger and risk to the extent that | say that you are one of the bravest people, and you become so frightened to the extent that | say that you are one of the most cowardly people”. Thereupon, he answered,

Courage when there is an occasion And a coward when there is no occasion

Jealousy has a limitation, which when surpassed is a blameworthy and evil thought about the innocent, and when it becomes less than the required limit, it would be carelessness and indifference concerning one’s honor.

Humility has a limitation, which when surpassed would be lowness and disgrace. And when it is less than the required limit, it would turn to arrogance and pride.

Glory has a limitation, which when surpassed would be arrogance and a dispraised character. And when it is less than the required limit, it would turn to lowness and disgrace.

Moderation is the Best Way to Deal with all Matters

Controlling all these emotions with moderation is to adopt the middle way between the two extremes. The interests of this worldly life and the Hereafter are based on this, and not only that, but it is the standard to which the body can work effectively.

If any of its elements are diverted from moderation, and are caused to exceed beyond its due limits or became less than it, its good health would decrease accordingly. Besides, it includes all natural acts, such as sleeping, staying up at night, eating,

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drinking, copulation, movement, sport, privacy, social intercourse and so on. If moderation is not achieved it would become a defect. Among the noblest and the most beneficial kinds of knowledge, is the knowledge of limitations, especially legal limits; what is commanded and what is forbidden. The most knowledgeable person is the most knowledgeable of these ordained limits, for he is not confused about that which belongs to them and that which does not. Allah, the Almighty said in the Noble Qur’an,

which means, “The Bedouins are the worst in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely to be in ignorance of the limits (Allah's Commandments and His Legal Laws, etc.) which Allah has revealed to His Messenger.” (At-Tawbah, 9:97)

Therefore, the most moderate person is the one who takes care of the limits of manners, deeds and legalities, in terms of learning and practicing them.

Chapter: Piety within the heart

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Companions and their superiority over whoever came atter them, (may Allah be pleased with them all).

You should know that the servant stops seeking Allah through his heart and intention and not through his body. In reality piety is in the heart and not in the body. Allah says,

which means, "Thus it is an obligation that mankind owes to Allah]. And whosoever honors the Symbols of Allah, then it is truly from the piety of the heart." (Al-Hajj, 22:32)

And He, the Almighty says, 4B. Re Cp dy oh ahs Gy YL BIW oy

which means, "It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him." (Al-

The intelligent servant of Allah is the one who walks on the straight path with his intention, great desire, and faithful determination with little effort and this is many times more than he who has none of these qualities ; such a person will experience much tiredness and hard travel, whereas the pious servant's intention and love remove all tiredness and beautify the journey he is on. Walking and proceeding to Allah, the Exalted is done through intention, sincere desire, and determination. Whoever has the intention even without the

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deeds will precede whoever has lots of deeds but no intention. This matter requires a lot of explanation.

The Most perfect guidance:

The most perfect guidance is that of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). This guidance gives Allah and the Prophet their rights. The Prophet besides being perfect, has a strong will and he used to perform the optional nightly prayer until his feet swelled, and he would fast until they would say, "He did not break his fast," and he would fight in the cause of Allah, mix with his companions and never avoid them, and he never neglected any optional acts of worship or supplications which are things that people cannot bear. Allah, the Exalted ordered His servants to fulfill both the laws of Islam and the realities of faith; one of them cannot exist without the other.

It was recorded in Musnad, "Islam is open and faith is in the heart."*= So islam is open and its owner does not reach the real hidden faith through it, and every real hidden faith that its owner does not perform (the open law of Islam), is useless regardless of its reality. If the heart is torn out of love and fear while the servant is not worshiping Allah and performing the open acts of worship, this will not save him from the Hellfire. Also if he only performs open deeds of Islam and does not have any real hidden faith within him, he will never be saved from the Hellfire.

If this becomes clear, then truthful people who seek Allah and the Hereafter are of two types:

One party spent what remains of their time after performing obligatory acts of worship in physical optional acts of worship and make that their habit without observing the deeds of the heart, its level, and judgments. They have the origin of real

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hidden deeds but their intentions are all wasted. The other party spent what remains of their time after performing obligatory acts of worship in caring for the goodness of their hearts and seeking Allah alone. They make the power of their worship in the deeds of the heart by correcting their love, fear, hope, trust, and regret and find that the fewest supplications that they recite are preferred to them than a lot of physical optional deeds, which are not based in the heart. Whoever is granted this blessing from Allah and his heart seeks Allah alone either by love, fear, humiliation, or longing for Allah, he must not replace this feeling with anything else except by performing obligatory acts of worship even if this feeling is no longer present. But there is a hesitation concerning optional acts of worship; if he can he may perform them while having this feeling but if he is going to loose it, he should think about what is more preferable to Allah: is it by performing this optional act of worship even if his feeling is gone like helping a needy one, guiding a sinner, etc? Here he should prefer the optional act of worship and if he presents it to Allah seeking Him alone and seeking His closeness, Allah will grant him the feelings he had lost and even better than they were. But if this feeling is better than the optional deed, he should stick to it until it goes and then perform the optional act of worship, as feelings go away but optional acts do not have a special time.

This subject requires knowledge of jurisprudence, and the levels of deeds, and their importance. May Allah grant success, there is no god but Him.

Chapter: The Origin of Praised and Dispraised Morals

The origin of all dispraised morals is pride, disgrace, and lowness and the origin of all praised morals is piety and having high and lofty intentions. Arrogance, ingratitude, slander, vanity, envy, injustice, cruelty, tyranny, disobedience, refusing advice,

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obsession, seeking and loving authority and power, and to be praised for what he did not do are all caused by pride.

Lying, meanness, treason, hypocrisy, cunning, deception, greediness, fright, cowardice, miserliness, weakness, laziness, humility to other than Allah, and replacing what is better with what is worse, are qualities from disgrace and lowness,

while virtuous morals like patience, courage, justice, chivalry, abstinence, generosity, tolerance, forgiveness, bearing, unselfishness, raising oneself above lowness, humility, satisfaction, truth, sincerity, rewarding others for their good deeds with the same or better and neglecting their slips, abandoning what is useless, and purifying the heart from all dispraised morals are things that arise from piety and having high and lofty intentions. Allah, the Exalted informed us about the barren earth, when He sends down water (rain) to it, it is stirred to life and growth (of vegetation). The same occurs with creatures, which are created from the earth, when they get their share of Allah’s blessings. Dispraised morals are like the fire that is high when it is well but when it goes out, it is low and mean. Good morals are like the earth and its creatures. Whoever has a high intention and is pious, will have every good moral and whoever is low and mean, will acquire every bad vice.