Two Treatise

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THE WRITINGS OF IMAM AL-HADDAD

TWO TREATISES

MUTUAL REMINDINGB

GOOD MANN ERS

IMAM 'ABDALLAH IBN 'ALA\rI AL-HADDAD

Translated byMOSTAFA AL-BADAWI

THE STARLATCH PRESS


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-b". tJ th(')7iz hrr)7 kh(al

AJUI on''

TRANSLITERATION, r'n')ztSj' sh.f s(7r,.? d''rl2 fert z(i.)L '""L rn"''

KEY.cJIj qt';r"ikJllm.Jll, h(,1)J u,u,wg i't'Y

S-Mentioned after the Prophet Muhammad's ,9 narne and translated as"may Allah bless him and grant him peace."ffi-Mentioned after the names of the prophets and translated as "peacebe r.rpon him."I.

z.l.4..t.6.7.ii.

A clistinctive glott:rl stop made at the b()ttorn ofthe throat. It is also uscd to indicatethe running of tw


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Remaining in a State of Puri4r and Preferring Hunger to SatietyDirecting One's Wbole Attention to (]odand Deuoting Oneself to His 'VlorshipExcellence in the Performance of Ritual prayers,I'resence uitb God is the Essence of All Acts of 'VlorshiltCaution Against Neglecting the Friday prayer and OtherCongregational Prayers, Exhortation to performtb e Re gular Sup er er o gatory Pray ersExhnrtation tut Perseuere in Remembrance and ReflectionHou tct Rebuke the Soul from being Lozy in Obedienceand Inclined Touards DisobedienceThe Stdtes of the Soul and PatienceHeeding tbe Example of tbe people of Fortitude-Prouision is ApportionedMouing Tou,ard God being Cgmpatible with Earning,Diuesting Oneself


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T\YO TREATISES OF IMAM AI,-HADDADlife infused with the love of and unrivaled capacity to remindMuslims of God, His Messenger, and the l,ast Day. His very pres-ence was a constant reminder to those around him, as well as tothose who only heard or read about his counsel of how a Muslimshould behave toward his i-ord and his brother Muslim.

The first of the two concise books contained in this volume isknown as The Treatise of Mutual Rentinding dmong LouingBrothers, People of Coodness and Religion It was the Imam's firstwork, dictated in ro69 arr when he was twenty-five years of age. Init he examines mutual reminding and the exchange of good coun-sel, and he identifies its chief elements as tdqwd (an active con-sciousness and fear of God)' and detachment from worlclly things.He defines tdqtua according to the criteria of Imam al-Ghazali anddelineates both its acrive aspecr of doing good and its passiveaspect of avoiding evil. He then discusses rhc four things thatimpair it (ignorance, weakness of faith, long hopes, and illicit anddubious sustenance). He goes on next to discuss two of the majorobstacles on the path of obedience, namely, conceit and ostenta-tion, both of which seriously assail one's sincerity. Finally, hespeaks of how the love of this world severs one from God, quotingnumerous Quranic verses, Prophetic traditions, and sayings of thevirtuous predecessors among the early ancl venerable Muslim gen-eratl()ns.

Taqwa and detachment from the world naturally lead to seek-irrg a path to approach the Real, God the Exalted. This pathrcrprircs courtesy, that is, the good manners of the spiritual wayfar-cr, which is thc subject of the second treatise contained here. It iscrrf l.rf -fl. Trctrtise on the Good Manners of the spiritual Disciple'sW,tyf ,rrirrg.Oood Mdttt,(,/s was clictated by the lrnAm in roTr AH, byrvlritlr tirrrc, tlcsl.ritc his young age, he was a recognized spiritualnlirst('r'. 1'lrt'lrt':rtisc wrrs clictatcd as a reply to a request by one ofhis cru'ly corrrp:rrriorrs tor gLriclelincs on how to follow the path.

T r an s I at o r' s I ntr ct du ction

Manners are important to spiritual growth. It was God Himselfwho taught the Companions how to behave towards their spiritualmaster, the Prophet S, with utmost respect and reverence:

O you who belieue, do not be forward in the presence of Godand His Messenger. And fear Gctd. Indeed, God is bearing,knowing. () you who belieue, do not raise your uoices ahctuethe Prophet's voice, nor sbout when spedking to him as yttushottt ctne to anotber, Iest yowr wtrks be rendered uoid witb-out yolt knowing it. Those who subdue their uoices in tbepresence of the Messenger of God are those whose hearts ()odhad tested /or taqwa. For them is forgiueness and a gredtretuard. (qunas, 49t r - 1l

Tdqwa is presented in this passage as the foundation of goodmanners and proper comportment that is becorning of a personwho believes in God, the Messenger S, and the Hereafter. Butbefore learning about good manners, one ought to give somethclught to what are bad manners and their characteristics.It is bad manners of the most sever degree to be inforn-red thatthe Hereafter is immensely better than this world and is everlasting,yet prefer this world and cclncentrate all one's energy therein. It isbad manners to be informed that it is possible to draw near to God,yet decide that the effort required to do so is too troublesome andso settle for the minimum necessary to barely escape the Fire. It isbad manners to be informed that some people ascertain profoundknowledge of God through contemplation, yet decide that otherthings are mclrc important as the objects of your concerns. It is badmanners to devote time and energy to studying the insignificantand the ephemeral, yet neglect to devote equal time (at least) instudying that which helps deliver one from chastisement in theHereafter and from moral indifference in this life. The Prophet &said, "God loathes those who are learn6d of the affairs of thisworld but are ignorant of the Hereafter." For it behooves thosewho have been gifted by God with intelligence and skills to applythese gifts towarcl what benefits them in the most profound way, to


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gain knowledge and insight about the Real and the purpose He hascreated us. This is not to say that one should abandon the worldaltogether; on the contrary, Islam encourages excellence in thingsof this world, but not at the expense of matrers related ro theHereafter and religious conduct of one's life. Detachment from theworld is a thing of the heart, a mental artitude, an objective view ofprioritization, so that one does everyrhing that is required to do,but without inordinate preoccupation. As for studying the sciencesof religion, it is a duty that no Muslim can evade. "seeking knowl-edge is an obligation upon every Muslim man and woman," saidthe Prophet &. This goes side by side with learning a trade, a crafr,or obtaining higher university degrees.

As for the good manners of spiritual wayfaring, they are meantto shape one's attitudes and behavior towards God the Creator.Next come good manners with the Prophet S, his Companions,and family; then the shaykh or spiritual master, other teachers, andother men of God; then with the brothers on the path, otherMuslims, and finally with creation at large. For there are goodmanners to be observed with all humanity as well as the creaturesof the earth.Learning spiritual courtesy with one's brothers and fellowMuslims lends to one's learning of spiritual courtesy with theshaykh. This in turn will lead to learning spiritual courtesy with theProphet &, which will lead to the ultimate goal of mastering thekind of conduct necessary if one is to be accepted by God, Exaltedand Majestic is He. However, in practice, all these have to beimplemented simultaneously. The result to be expected appears ateach level only when the previous level has been sufficiently mas-tered.

The Treatise on tbe Good Manners of the Spiritual Disciplc's'Mayfaringt was cclnceived in such a manner as to be profitable toall wayfarers, given that it is a manual of behavior that is entirclybasecl on the Quran and Sunna, the theoretical knowledge of thc

Tr anslat or' s Intro duction

Llam, as well as his personal experience. It is priceless in that, asmentioned above, it is not addressed to the affiliates of a particularpath and is capable of being assimilated with ease and implement-ed without need for clarifications from a master; and it was writtenin accordance with the dictates of our time. No shaykh will dis-agree with its contents or say that in his particular path they dothings differently. On the contrary, all will agree that this patternof behavior must constitute the common denominator to which alltarTqa-specific practices may subsequently be added.

lmam al-Haddad once said, "The path's outward Idimension]is knowledge; its inward is understanding; its yield is a secret; andits ultimate end is to lose oneself in God." This work has to do withtlre first two of these four.The English version of this treatise was first published inllritain in the early r98o's in a limited edition. The text has beenthoroughly revised for this edition. 'We have omitted some of thepoetry in the first treatise because of the difficulty of rendering it inlrnglish both accurately and retaining a taste of the original. Aslvith all other translations clf the Imam's works. the chapter numer-.rtion and titles are ours.

\7e ask God to forgive the flaws in our work, grant us sinceri-tv in spcech and action, and make it easy for us to enjoy the honor,I ri:rthering with the Messenger of God s, his Companions, fami-lr', orrr teachers, and all other men of God in the abode of serenity,rrrtl t'tcrnal lis.ht. Amtn

Mostafa al-Badawi


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MUTI.JAL REMINDINGTbe Treatise of Mutual RemindingAmong Louing Brothers, People of Goodness and Religion


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PROLOGUEIn the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Compassionate"Transcendent are You We haue no knowledge saue tbat which Youhaue taught us; Yow are the Knowing, the'\Yise" (qunaN, z:32).All praise belongs to God, Lord of the Worlds, who createdman from clay, then made his progeny frorn an extraction of meanfluid. He rescued the believers who enioin truth and patienceamong one another from among those who are in utter loss-excluding them after attributing failure to all of humanity [who donot believel.s H. .onrrnonded His believing servants to assist eachother in benevolence and Godfearingness4 and informed them thatthe most honorable of them in His sight are those who fear Hin-rmost,5 that He is the Protector of the God-fearir-,g,6 and that Hecreated iinn and humankind for nothing other than to worshipHimT-not to rnake their worldly affairs prosper and to amasswealth. On the contrary, He warned them against that through HisTrustworthy Prophet $, who said, "[t was not revealed to me,'Amass money and be a merchant ' Rather, 'Extol the praises ofyour Lord, be of those who prostrate themselves, and worship yourLord until what is certain comes to you "'oTherefore, the true happiness and perfection of each person isrooted in obedience with regard to the [Divine] command and thatfor which humanity was created. One has to immerse oneself inthis and devote oneself to it by severing everything that holds backor thwarts one frclm it, whether they are deviations of deceivedfools or the absurdities of the dull and indolent.May God's blessings be upon our master Mul.rammad-the


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if you are given a slave for a ruler.Fear God, even with half a date, if you possess nor even that,then with a gracious word.O God, I ask of you guidance, Godfcanrrgness, contlnence,and freedom from needsThere is no superiority for a white rlan over a black man, norfor an Arab over a non-Arab, except the fear of God. you areall from Adam and Adam is frorn dust[The most honor:able of people] are rhose who fear Cod r.r.rost.Eat only the food of those who fear God, and let only thoscwho feer (iocl car your foodl

'A'isha, may God be pleased with her, said, .,Nothing of thisworld was pleasing to the Messenger of God, and ,o p.rr.rr, *".pleasing to him save one who feared God.,,'Alr, may God honor his countenance, said, ..The crops of apeople never perish in the presence of the fear of Gotl.,,Qat-da said, ..It is written in the Torah: .Fear God, then cliewherever you wish "' Al-A,mash said, .,He whose capital is thefear of God, tongues grow weary in describing his profits.,,Bishral-Hafi used to recite, "The death of the God-fearing is endless life./ Some have died but are still among the living.,,The merits of taqtua and of thosc whcl possess it are beyondenumeration. lmam al-Ghazdli has composed quite a lengthy expo_sition of this i'his treatise Minhaj dr-'Abidtn, and what we rustquoted is, in fact, extracted from lris wclrk.

-Two TREATISES oF IMAM AL-HADDAD

ONEThe Meaning


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TWO TREATISES OF IMAM AL-HADDADtbe People of the Book. He who does wrong will be recompensedacatrdingly, dnd he uill find neitber protector nor aily other tbanGod. And he who does good, wbether he be male or female, artd beis a belieuer, sucb uill enter the GdrcJen, and they will not bewronged lso mucb asl the thread of a date_store (qunaN, 4:.-z3_24).And He says, Exalted is He, He tubo does 6n atom,s weight of goodwill see it, and be ubo does an atom's ueight of euir wiil see it(qunaN, 99:7-8). Ancl He says, Exalted is He, God charges no soulexcept that whicb it can bear. rt will be requited for wbateuer goctdand uhateuer euil it has earned (quneN, z:zg6). And He says,Exalted is He, He who does good, it is for bis own self, and he whodoes wrong it is against it; and your Lctrd ts not unrust to His ser-uants (quxl'N, 4r:46). And He says, Exalred isHe, fiudgment Daysball bel a day wben each sctul will find the good it has dr,tnebrougbt nedr; ds for the euil it has done, it will wish that tbere uc.tuld

be d migbty distance between them. God warns you to beware ofHim, and Cod is kind to the seruants (qun,LN, 3:3o). And He says,Exalted isHq Fear d day wben yow shdll be returned to God, theneach soul shall be recompensed for what it bas earned, and theysbdll not be wronged (quneN, z:zgr).lt is said that this verse wasthe last verse of the Quran to be revealecl.The Messenger of God S? said, .,The Holy Spirit whisperedinto my heart: Live as long as yolr wish, you shall die Love what_ever you wish, you shall be separated from it Do whatever youwish, you shall be rewarded for it " And the prophet & said,"Benevolence d'es not decay, sins are not forgotten, the Judge doesnot die. As you judge, so shall you be judged." And he relares onbehalf of his L'rd, "c) My servants, it is but your deeds that I counrfor you, then I shall pay you in full for them. He who then findsgood, let him thank God and he who fincls otherwise, let him blamenone but himself-" And he said, "Do not insult the dead, for theyhave gone to rhat which they had forwarded [for themselvesl .,,And he said, "A slave may be raisecr to a higher rank i'the Garden

Mutual Reminding

rhan his master. The master will say, 'O Lord This man was myslave in the world ' He will say, Transcendent is He, 'l have merelyrewarded him for his deeds."''Ah, may God hclnor his countenance, said, "This world is theabode of works; there are no rewards in it. The Hereafter is theabode of rewards, there are no wclrks in it. So act in the abode clfno rewards for the sake of the abode of no works "

Al-Hasan al-Basn, rnay God have mercy cln him, said, "Godwill say to the people of the Garden, 'Enter the Garden throughmercy, dwell therein perpetually by your good intentions, and takeyour shares of it by your works "'All the aforementioned quotes that indicate the occurrence ofrecompense were provided as a reminder; otherwise they are wellknown to common believers and the elite alike. They are so wellknown that even the most simpleminded of believers are privy tothem.

THREEGod's Satisfaction and His'Wrath

It was God's will to associate His good pleasure tcl obedience toHim, ar-rd His wrath to disobedience. He promised those who obeyHirn admittance into the Garden by His mercy and those who clis-obey Him to be cast into the Fire according to His iustice and wis-dom. God the Exalted has said:

These are tbe bounds of God. He who obeys God and HisMessenger, He will admit him to gardens beneath which riuersflow, abiding therein ftreuer. That is the immense triumph.And he who disobeys God and His Messenger, and transgressesHis botmds, He tuill ddmit him into a fire, abiding tberein foreu-er, and his will be a htrmiliating torment. (quxnN, 4: r 3- r4)

He has commanded His believing servants to hasten to His for-


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TWO TREATISES OF IMAM AL-HADDADgiveness and His Garden, and to protect themserves and their fami-lies from the Fire, by conforming to His commands and avoidingdisobedience. God has said, Hasten to forgiueness from your Lordand a garden the breadtb of which is the heauens and eartb, pre_pared for the Cod-fearlzg (quneN, 3:r33). And God the Exaltedsays, O you wbo belieue, protect yourselues and your families froma fire, tbe fuel of wbicb is people and stones. [Jpon it are dngels,seuere and pouerful, who do not disobey God in what He com_mands tbem and do as they are com?nandedl (quneN.66:6\.

FOURTbe Reward of the piows

God the Exalted says, He who does good, whether be be mdle orfemale, dnd is a belieuer, We shall cause him to liue a good tife(qunnN, 16:97). And, God bas promised those of you whct belieueand do good works that He shall cause tbem to rule in tbe land, asHe caused those before tbem to rule, that he shall establish firmlyfor them their religion, ubich He has cbosen for tbem, dnd tbat Heshall change their fear into secwrity (qunnN, z4tjS). And He says,Exalted is He, Those who belieue and do good works, We shall notwaste the reward ctf tbose wbo do exceilent works. They sbail haueGdrdens of Eden, beneath which riuers flow. Tberein tbey shall beadorned witb bracelets of gold, wearing green clothes of silk andbrocade, leaning therein upon couches. Hou fair the rewarcl andhow excellent the resting place " (qunaN, rg:3o_3r). And [God]says, Exalted isHe,Tbose who belieue and do g


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TWO TREATISES OF IMAM AL-HADDADglory that is perpetual, then obey your Lord For God has placedall these-[rank, eminence, honor, and glory]-in His obedience.He graciclusly bestows these things on those of His servants whoobey Hin-r. He has honored servanrs who obeyed Him by freeingthem from servitude to their whims and appetites, purifying theirhearts from the impurity of attending to things ephemeral; wroughtat their hands supernatural events and wondrous miracles, such asknowledge of the unseen, the abundance of baraka, and theanswering of prayers. Thereafter, people took of their lights, fol-lowed in their footsteps, implored God to relieve their own hard-ships for their sake, requested Hirn by their rank with Him to pro-tect them from harm, beseeched Him by their footprints to fulfilltheir requests, and sought the baraka of the dust of their tombs.But God gave them more than that; He cast of His light into theirhearts, filled them with the puresr of His knowledge and love, com-forted them in their retreats with the remembrance of Him, so thatthey felt estranged from His creation, prepared for them permanentbliss in the Abode of Bliss, and promised them to see His NobleCountenance-and greater still will be His satisfaction with them.That is the great triumph (quneN, 44t57).For the like of tbislet workers work (quneN, 37:6r).

FIVEThe Abasement ctf the CorruptGocl the Exalted says, FIe who comes to his Lord as a criminal, hisshall be Hell, in which he will neither die nor /iue (qunnN, zo:74).And He says, Exalted is He, Or do tbose who commit sins thinktbey will outstrip LIs? Euil is their iudgment (quneN, z9:l.Themeilning of "outstrip" here is to evade and stand out of reach [ofGcrdf . And God the Exalted says, .FIe whct disoheys Clod dnd HisMessengcr, he has erred into manifest error (quxi'N, 33:36). The

Mutual Reminding

Messenger of God Sf said, "He who commits adultery is not abeliever while he commits adultery, and he who steals is not abeliever while he steals, and he who drinks alcohol is not a believerwhile he drinks." And he said &, "'il/hen the servant sins, itbecomes a black spot in his heart. Should he repent, his heartbecomes clear again. But if he repeats it, the black spot will enlargeuntil the [whole] heart turns black." This is His saying, Exalted isHe, No, but what they baue urougbt has couered ouer their hearts(quneN, 83:l l. The Messenger S said, "Hardness of the heartcomes from frequent sins." He said moreover S, "The servant'sprovision may be withheld because of a sin he committed."

And God revealed to Moses fr,, "O Moses The first of my cre-ation to die was Satan, for he was the first to disobey Me; and hewho disobeys Me, I consider him dead."Sa'ld ibn al-Musayyab, may God's mercy be on him, said,"People honor themselves with nothing [better] than obedience to(iod, nor do they debase themselves with [anything worse than]disobedience to God. It is sufficient support from God to thebeliever for one to see his enemy disobeying God."

Muhammad ibn Wasi' saicl, "Sins in succession slay the heart."Orre of the virtuous predecessors has said, "If you disobey

God, knowing that He sees you, you are scorning God's vision, butif you disobey Him, thinking that He does not see you, you are adisbeliever. "

Wahab ibn Ward, may God's mercy be upon him, was asked,"Does he who disobeys God find pleasure in worship?" Heanswered, "No Neither does hc who [merely] intends disobedi-ence." The virtuous predecessors used to say, "Sins are the harbin-ger of disbelief."In summary, continually indulging into sin is a sign of havingfallen in the sight of Gocl and deserving of His displeasure. He whopersists in this is detestable to the All-Merciful; he is the Devil's allyand the believers'obiect of disgust." So beware, my brother, of

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exposing yourself to God's displeasure and chastisement by dis-obeying Him. Should your soul incite you to sin, remind it of God'sabsolute awareness and sight of you. Place fear into it by recallingGod's warnings of the painful torment and formidable punishmentthat awaits those who disobey Him. Had it been that the punish-ment for committing sins was merely being debarred from reachingthe rank of the foremost lal-sabiqan] or being deprived of thereward of those most excellent in deeds fal-mubsintnl, this alonewould have been sufficient [deterrencel. What, then, when indul-gence in sin leads to shame, Hellfire, and the wrath and displeasureof the Compeller, before which the heavens and earth cannotstand? We ask God for safety, by His grace.

SIXDelight in ObedienceThe Messenger of God & said, "He who is pleased by his gooddeeds and displeased by his evil ones is a believer." O believer,when God grants you the good fortune of acting in His obedience,Iet your joy be great; thank God in abundance for honoring youwith His service and choosing you to attend to Him; and ask Hirnto accept, by His grace, whatever He has made easy for you in theway of virtuous behavior. 'Ah, may God honor his countenance,said, "Be more anxious for your works to be accepted than forthem to be done, for no accepted deed is small."'lAlways ackr-rowledge your shortconrings in fulfilling yourduties to your Lord, even when you are most determined and ener-getic in His obedience, for His rights upon you are immense: Hecreated you from nothing; His favors overflow upon you; He treatsyou with His grace and generosity; you obey Him by His powerand His ability; and you worship Him by His help and mercy.

Beware of soiling the robe of your faith and blackening the

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Mutual Reminding

countenance of your heart by committing that which your Lord hasforbidden you. Should you fall into sin, even if it is infrequent, has-ten to rcpcnt, return to obedience, feel remorse, and ask forgivenessin abundance. Remain fearful and apprehensive, for the believerremains fearful and apprehensive to the extreme even when he issincere in his obedience and service. You already know how theprophets behaved, even though they were inerrant, and the sainis,even though they are guarded. They were fearful and wary, thoughtheir works were good and their sins rare or non-existent. You aremore worthy of this [fear and anxiety] than they, for they were bet-ter acquainted than you with the immensity of God's mercy, betterthinking than you of God, more truthful than you in hoping for Hispardon, and more hopeful than you in His generosity and grace.Follow in their footsteps and you will be safe and secure. Followtheir path and you will attain to success and many profits. Seekprotection in God, for he who seeks protection in God has beenguided to a straight path.

SEVENThe Four Obstacles to Obedience

lJecause the abode of this world is founded on hardship and trial,kneaded with trouble and distress, and filled with preoccupationsrrnd distractions, the things that divert one away frclm acts of obe-tlience abound, as are those things that incite to transgression.'l'hese distractions are nunlerous, but may be reduced to four cate-grrries: The first ts ignorance, the second weakness of faitb, therhirc long hopes, and the fourth eating illicit ctr dubious food.'a-U/eshall briefly discuss each of these four, God willing, to demonstratelrow blameworthy they truly are and to show how to guard oneself.rrrrl free oneself from them. Success is frorn God.


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EIGHTlgnorance

As for ignorance, it is the origin of all evil, the root of every harm.Ign.rant folk are included in the prophet,s saying &, ,.The world isaccursed, and accursed is what is in it, except the remembrance ofGod and the learn6d a'd those learning." It is said that when Godcreated ignorance He said to it, .,Come " but it moved away. Hesaid to it, "Go " but it came. Then He said, .,By My might, I havecreated nothing in creation 'rore hateful to Me than you, and Ishall place yoLl amongst the worst clf my creation " ,Ali, may Godhonor his c.untenance, said, ,.There is no enemy worse than igno_rance. A man is the enemy of that which he has no knowledge of.,'Ignorance is blameworthy according to both textual andrational proof, and its [harm| is hardly unknown ro anyone. Anignclrant man succumbs to neglecting obligations and committingsins' whether he wishes it or not, because one who is ignorant nei-ther knows the obligations God has enj.ined upon him nor then-risdeeds God has forbidden. A person can leave the shadows ofignorance only by the light of knowledge.How excellenr are the words of Shaykh .Ali ibn Abi Bakr whenhe said, "lgnorance is a fire that burns a man's religion. / And itsextinguishing warer is knowledge.,'

So you must learn what God has made incumbent for you tolearn. You are not obliged to acquire extensive knowledge, but thatwithout which your faith remains unsound you must learn.Examples of these are the proper performance of your obligatoryrites of worship and how to avoid what is prohibited. This is anirnr'ediate duty with regard to immediate [obligationsl, and forthose matters that may be deferred, it is a deferred duty. Malik ibnDinar, may God have mercy on him, used to say, ..He who seekskn.wledge for hi'rself, a little will suffice him; but he who seeksknowledge for the people, the people's needs are numerous.,,

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Mutual Reminding

NINE-Weakness of FaithWeakness of faith is an awful affliction from which nrany blame-worthy things arise, like neglecting to act or1 what one knows, dis-regarding the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil, harboringhopes for forgiveness without striving for it, worrying about provi-sion, fearing people, and other unfortunate character traits. A per-son's observance of God's commands and prohibitions is only pro-portionate to the strength of his faith. The most obvious proof of aperson's weakness in faith is his neglect of iniunctions and commit-ting clf contraventions.

Every believer should strive to strengthen his faith, and thereare three wayss do scl:

The first is to listen [mindfully] to the verses of the Quran andthe statements of the Prophet S that reveal the promises [ofParadisel, threats [of Hell], tidings of the Hereafter, the stories ofthe Prophets, what miracles they were confirmed with, what hap-pened to their opponents, the detachment from the world and theIardent] desire for the Hereafter which the virtuous predecessorspossessed, and other things handed down. The second is to observeand ponder the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and whatwondrous signs and beautiful creatures they contain. The third isto persevere in acts of goodness and to guard oneself from fallinginto sin and contravention, for faith is both words and deeds. Itincreases with obedience and diminishes with sins. All these thatwe have just mentioned increase faith and strengthen certitude.And God is the Helper.


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TENLong Hopes

Long hopes are exrremely blameworthy. They lead one to work forprosperity of his worldly life at the expense of ruining hisHereafter. The Messenger of God S, ..The first folk among thisnation will be saved by detachment from this world and shorthopes, while the last will perish by greed for this world and longhopes. " And he said s, "Four things are of wretchedness: dry eyes,hardness of the hearr, greed, and long hopes.', The prophet &prayed, "I seek Your protection from every hope that may distractme "

'Ah, rnay God honor his countenance, said, ..\fhat I fear mostfor you is that you follow your passions and have long hopes.Following passions repels from the truth; and having long hopescauses you to forget the Hereafter."It is a maxim that he whose hopes are long, his works are bad.[To harborl long h.pes is to feel secure that you will remain in thisworld for a very long tirne. It shows an excessive foolishness andextreme stupidity, for long hopes push away certirude [aboutdeathl and [attracts] attachment to the illusion [of a perpetual lifel.If you say to such a person in the evening, ..Are you certain youwill live until morning?" or if you say to him in the morning, ,.Areyou certain you will live until evening?', he will say: ..No " Still, heworks for this world as if he is never to die, to the point that shouldhe be told that he will remain in this world forever, he wiil be inca-pable of adding more desire and greed for it. \What can be morefoolish than that?Furthermore, long hopes are at the root of a nun-rber of evi-character traits and acts which hinder 'bedience [of God's com-rnandsl and invite to sin. Examples of this are avidity, avarice, andthe fear 'f poverty. Among the worst are finding comfort in thisworld, working to improve one's lot in it, and striving to amass its

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Mutwal Reminding

clebris.t5 He has said, may blessings and peace be upon him' "I wassent for the ruin of this world, he who makes it prosper is not of..r6llle.

Long hopes bring about procrastination, which is a most sterilething, for it never gives birth to anything good. It is said that mostof the woeful howling of the people of the Fire is due to [theirl pro-crastination. For he who procrastinates is ever lazy in obedience,slow in rcpentance, until death overtakes him, then he will say: "OLord Were You to only reprieue me for a short time, that I maygiue charity and be one of tbe righteous" (qunex, 63:ro). But itwill be said to him: "God will not delay a soul whose time hdscome" (qunnN, 63tr). Did'We not giue you liues long enough thathe who reflects may indeed reflect, dnd the wArner cdme to you? Sotaste For the unjust haue no helper (quneu, 3 537).The procrasti-nator leaves this world with endless sorrow and limitless regret.

O my brother, shorten your hopes, and let your time standbefore your eyes and your hope behind your back. Seek help in thisby remembering the "defeater of pleasures" in abundance' the"disperser of companiet."'7 R.fl..t cln those who have precededyou, relatives and acquaintances [who have passed onl. Bring tomind just how near death is, for it is the nearest thing lying in wait'Be ready for it; cxpecr its pouncing up()n you any time.

The Messenger of God & used to say' "By He in whose Handis my soul, I never raised my eyes thinking I would lower thembefore my soul is taken, nor have I ever eaten a morsel thinkingthat I would swallow it without choking on it because of death."Sometimes he rubbed the wall for tayammlrm, and, when it wassaid to him, "'Water is near," he replied, "How do I know that Iwill ever reach it.?"

Al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him, used to recite, "Everyman wakes up in his home / with death nearer to him than the lacesof his sandals."The Proof of Islam, may God have n-rercy on him' wrote,


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"Know that death does not pounce at a specific time, situation, orage, but it is certain to pounce. Therefore, preparing for it has pri-ority over preparing for this world."

ELEVENIllicit and Suspect FoodConsuming illicit and doubtful food inevitably hinders obedienceand invites to transgression. The Messenger of God & is reportedtcr have said, "He who eats halal lpermissiblel, his members obey,whether he wishes it or not; but he who eats lTaram [forbiddenfood], his members sin, whether he wishes it or not." And, "Eatwhat you will, for that is how you will act." And a cerrain Gnosticonce said, "People are severed from the truth and excluded fromthe circle of sainthood only because they do not scrurinize whatthey eat."

He whose food is illicit or suspect, even when he acts in obedi-ence, his acts are unacceptable to God, for God the E,xalted says,"God only accepts ldeedsl from those wbo fear Hlz" (qunnN,5:27). God is good and accepts only what is good.'o

C) my brother, refrain from eating the illicit, for this is obliga-tory, and the suspect, for this is dictated by scrupulousness. Andseek only the licit, for this is an obligation among the other obliga-tions. When you obtain licit food and clothes, eat with moderationand dress with moderation. Dcl not be excessive, for the licit doesnot bear excessiveness. Beware of eating to satiety, for eating licitfood to satiety is the beginning of evil. ('What then of illicit food?)The Messenger & has said, "The Sorr of Adam never fills a vesselworse than his stomach. It should suffice the Sor-r of Adam a fewmorsels to keep his back straight. If he must, then a third [of hisstomach] for his food, a third for his beverage, and a third for hisbreath. "

Mutual Reminding

TWELVESincerity

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so it is said, 'He is generous."'Ostentation is to seek importance in people's eyes with actsthat draw nearer to God, such as ritual Prayers and Fasts. Shouldyou perceive ostentation in yourself, do not try to rid yourself of it

by abandoning works, thus pleasing the Devil. \Vorks that can onlybe done in public, such as going on Pilgrirnage, jihdd, acquiringknowledge, congregational Prayers, and similar things, you shouldperform publicly as God has commanded you. Strive against yourego and seek God's help As for other kinds of works, like Fasting,night vigils, charity, and [Quranl recirarion, these you should go toextremes to conceal, for performing them in secret is unreservedlypreferable, except for thclse who are safe from ostentation, whohope to be emulated by others, and who are qualified for this.

FOURTEENConceit

Beware of conceit, for it invalidates works. The Messenger of God& said, "Conceit eats good works iust as fire eats firewood." Andhe said, "Three things are ruinous: avarice rhat one obeys, passionthat one follows, and admiration that one has for himself." Conceiris for someone to see himself as important and his behavior asexcellent. From this arises showing off one's works, feeling superi-or to others, and being self-satisfied. As Ibn 'Ata'illah said, mayGod's mercy be upon him, "The root of every sin, distraction, orlust is self-satisfaction." He who is satisfied with himself does notsee his shclrtcomings. And he who is unaware of his shortcomings,how can he succeed?

Mwtual Reminding

FIFTEENLoue of This World

The Messenger of God S said, "The love of this world is the headof every sin." Moreover, it is at the root of every affliction, the ori-gin of every calamity, the essence of every temptation, and thesource of every hardship. Its evil has spread in these times and hasbecome a grave danger, involving everyone. It is exhibited shame-lessly as if it were not disiraceful and reprehensible. It has takenover the heerts of people and resulted in their excessive eagernessro work for the world and accumulate its debris. They roam aboutwith their nets, fishing for suspect and illegal wares' as if God hadmade affluence in this world an obligation, just like Prayer andFasting.

For this reason religion is losing its landmarks: the lights of cer-titude are being extinguished, the tongues of the reminders aresilent; the paths of guidance have disappeared; and the paths ofruin are increasingly treaded. By God This is the blind and deaftemptation, dark and black; where no prayer is answered and nocaller heard. The Master of all Prophets S spoke truly when hesaid, "Each nation has its temptation, and that of my nation ismoney. Each nation has its calf, the calf of nry nation is the dtndrand the dirhdm." In clther words, each nation has something par-ticular to which it inordinately attends to that leads to neglectingthe worship of God, just as the Children of Israel attended to theworship of the [golden] calf, abandoning the worship of God,Exalted is He. And God knows best.

CONCLUSIONIt is good to conclude this brief exposition with a few quotationstelling of the fault of [the inordinate love ofl this world and of one

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TWO TREATISES OF IMAM AI,-HADDADwho makes it his priority. But we must precede this with a rule tharcan be acted upon and referred back to. And so we say. (ancl suc_cess is frorn God):This world'' is of three kinds: one leading to reward; anotherleading to being asked to account; anc.l a third leading ro tormenr.As for that [life] leading to rewarcr, it is one in which you workfor and attain good and also escape evil. The world is the ridingmount of the believer and the tiiling ground of the Hereafter. Thisconsisrs of the necessities that are lawfully acquired.As for that which leads or.re to being asked to account, it is thelife which neither prevenrs you from an obligation nor induces youto indulge in transgression. This is the kind of worrdly situarionwhich leads ro prorracted reckoning [in the Hereafter]. It is that ofthe rich whom the poor will precede into the Garden by half a day,which is five hundred years.

As for that which leads to tormenr, it is [living a life] that pre_vents you from yclur obligatio's or lures you lnto transgression. F.rrts owner' this life is provision for the Fire and his path to dre abodeof ruin' This is what is rneant by the statelnent, "God orders theworld to be cast into the Fire. It cries, .O t,ord My supporrers, myfollowers 'Then He says-Transcendent is He-'Let its supportersand followers join it , Then they are ir.rdeed macle to join it.,,Know that the pursuers clf this worrcr are of three kinds: Somepursue it with the inrenrion .f giving to relatives and comfortingthe poor. Such people are considered to be generous and they willbe rewarded, if their acts match their intentions. However, theylack wisdom, for the wise clo not seek that whose consequencesthey do not really know. Let them heed the lesson in the story ofTha'laba, ro whom God the Exalted alludes in the verse: Amrongthem are those wbo ltrorniserl Gocl,,,Sbould He giue us rrf Hisfauor we shall surely giue charity', (qunaN, 9:7 j)."C)thers yet have nothing but appetites and pleasures in mind.They are likened to cattle, as Gocl the Exalted has said, Do you

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think that most of them hear or understand? They are but like cat-tle; they are euen more dstrdy (quneN, 25144).

Others frequently pursue worldly things for the purpose ofboast, bragging, and rivalry. These folk are considered illusionedfcrols or, worse still, the ruined losers: Each people knou theirdrinking pldce (quxtN, z:6o); and your Lord knous what theirbreasts hide dnd what they reueal lquxt'N, z8:69)'O my brother, counsel yourself honestly and do not betrayyourself by feigning something you do not really intend. For youwill have combined bankruptcy with false pretense and will loseboth this world and the next: T/ris is the manifesl /oss (qunnN,39l.t 5).Now that the foregoing discussion has been elucidated, let usnow move on to the conclusion, which includes verses of the Bookof God, traditions from the sunna of the Messenger of God S?, andutterances of the sages among men of God. They concern theinsignificance of this world, the speed with which it perishes, andthe foolishness of those who are deceived by it and trust in it. Thesepassages encourage those who read them and who Possess heartsor listen with attentiv.n.rr'l to detach themsclves frclm [desiringthis worldl.

God the Exalted says, and His utterance is the reality and Hiswnrds the truth:

The likeness of the life of this world is that of water which wesend down from the sky, then the plants of the earth mingledwitb it, from which men and cattle eat. Tben when the earthtdkes on its ctrnaments and is embellisbed, and its people thinkthey baue power ouer it, ()ur command comes down upon itby night or day, and'V/e make it ds redped lwheatl as if it hadnot flourished the ltreuious day. Thus Vle make ltlain Oursigns for a pe ople who rellect. (quneN, ro:24)And He says, Exalted is He: W'e haue placed all thdt is in theearth as dn orndtnent for it, that \X/e may try them ds to whichof them is best in cctnduct. Then'\Ye will surely reduce all that


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TWO TREATISES OF IMAM AL-HADDADis on it to barren dust. (quneN, r g:7-g)And He says, Exalted is He: And do not stram your eyestoward what 'V{e haue giuen some of them to enioy from thesplendor of tbe life of this tuorld, tbrctugh which tVe only testthem. The prouision of your t,ord is better and more lasting.(QURAN, zo:r3r)Arrd He says, Exalted is He: He uho seeks the haruest of theHereafter, We increase his haruest; and he wbo seeks the har_uest of this uorld, \We giue him of it here, but in the Hereafterhe will haue no portion. (quruN, 4z:zo)And He says, Exalted is He: Knou that tbe life of tbis wctrkl isbut play and diuersions and adnrnment dnd boastmg ctmongyou and riualry regarding wealth and children; just as the like_ness of rdin, the tillers rejoice ouer its uegetdtion, but then itwithers and you see it turn yellow, soon becoming stubble. Inthe Hereafter there is seuere torment, and [also] forgiuenessfrom God and lHisl good pledsure, ruhereas the tife of thisworld is but the comfort of the deluded. (qunaN, 57:zo)And He says, Exalted is lle: As for those who transgress andprefer the life of this world, Hell indeed is the abode. (quneN,79:37-39)

The Messenger of God & said:This world is accursed, and accursed is what it is in it, exceptthe remembrance of God, the learn6d, and those learning.Had this world weighed with God the wing of a gnar, Hewould not have allowed a disbcliever a sip of irs warer.This world is a dirty carcass.God the Exalted has made what comcs out of the Son ofAdam the example for this world.This world compared to the Hereafter is just like one of youdipping his finger in rhe ocean, looking at what it bringsback.

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Mwtual Reminding

On the Day of Arising, everyone will wish that he had beengiven nothing of this world except the bare necessity.A difficult obstacle stands before you, and only those who arelightly ladcn will cross it. A rnan asked, "Am I one of thelightly laden, O Messenger of God?" He said, "Are you inpossession of your day's provision?" He replied, "Yes " Heasked, "Are you in possession of tomorrow's provision?" Hereplied "No " The Messenger of God & said, "Had you beenin possession of tomorrow's provision, you would not havebeen one of the lightly laden."This world is fair and green and God has given you masteryover it to see how you will do. So beware of God. Andbeware of women, for by God, it is not poverty that I fear foryou, but I fear that this world will be given to you freely as itwas freely given to those before you, that you shall competefor it as those before you did, and that it shall destroy you asit destroyed thern.Among the things I fear for you after me is that which will begiven to you from among the beauties of this world, its orna-ments and embellishments."Beware of this world for it is more enchanting than Harntand Mer[t.'aThis world is the prison of the believer and the Garden of thedisbeliever.God keeps the world away from His believing servant, tust asa careful shepherd kecps his flock away from dangerous pas-tures.A sin that cannot be forgiven: the love of this world.He who loves his Afterlife slights his world, irnd he who loveshis world slights his Afterlife. Choose that which is penna-nent over that which is ephemeral\7hen this world is bitter, the Hereafter will be sweet; butwhen this world is sweet, the Hereafter will be bitter.


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T\7O TREATISES OF IMAM AI,.HADDADThose who possess plenty will be those who possess little onthe Day of Arising, excepr for rhose who do this and this.[The Prophet & gestured with his hand as one giving awaymoney. ISome people will be brought on the Day of Arising who haveworks like the mountains of Tihama, but these will be turnedinto scattered dust and they will be ordered into the Fire.They used to pray and fast and keep vigil part of the night,but when something of this world caught their attention, theypounced on it.Vhat have I to do with this world? The likeness of myself andthe world is that of a rider riding on a hor day: he restedunder a tree for a while, then departed.He who wakes up in the morning, secure in his home, healthyin his body, possessing his day's provision, hc is as if thewhole world had been given to him.I was sent for the ruin of this world; he who works for itsprosperity is not of me.He whose intention is the Hereafter, God n'rakes him rich inhis heart, gathers his affair for him, and the world comes rohim subdued. But he whose intention is this world, Codplaces poverty between his eyes, disperses his affair, and stillnothing of this world will come to him save that which waswritten for him.lle in this worlcl as a stranger or a passerby, and count your-self among the people of the graves.Rcnounce this world and God will love you. Renounce whirtis in people's hands and people will love you.This world is the abode of he who has no abodc and thewealth of he who has no wcalth. He who is mindlcss amasscsit; he who has no knowledge grievcs for it; he who has nounderstandir-rg envies others for it; and he who has no certarn-ty reioices in it.

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The love of this world never settles in the heart of a servantwithout him being afflicted with three things: preoccupation,the pressure of which never relents, poverty that never reach-es sufficiency, and hope whose limit is never reached.This world and the Hereafter are both seekers and sought. Hewho seeks the Hereaftcr. the world seeks him until he receivesall his provision, hrrt he who sceks this world, the Hereafterseeks him until death grasps him by the throat.The fortunate is he who prefers that which is permanent andof lasting pleasures over that which is ephemeral and of end-less torment. He is the onc who gives of what is now in hishand for thc sake of where he is going, before leaving it tothose who will happily spend it after he has toiled to accumu-letc an.l monopolizc ir.May the servant of this world bc wretched and abased And ifhe is pricked may hc not be treatedRenouncing tl.ris world relievcs both the heart and the body,whereas desire for this world increases anxietv and sorrow.Idleness hardens the heart.Light when it penctratcs into the heart, the latter enlarges forit and expands. They asked, "ls there a sign for this?" Hereplied, "Shunning the abode of illusion, attending to theabode of immortality, and preparing for death before itsoccurrence. "

(iod revealed to Moses d,, *O Moses When I love My servantI hide the world from him, thus do I treat those I love O MosesSfhen you see wealth coming, say, 'A sin, the punishment of whichhas been hastened ' But when you see poverty coming, say,'Welcomc to the inner garment of the virtuous "'

And God revealed to David ,,fi, *O David He who prefers thedesires of this world over the pleasures of the Hereafter, he hasgrasped the loose handhold. But he who prefers the desire for theHereafter over the pleasures of this world, he has grasped the firnr


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handhold that never breaks."And God revealed to Jesus ff, "O Jesus Tell the Children o{Israel to remember two things from Me: tell thern to be contentwith little of their world for the safety of their religion, just as thepeople of this world are content with little religion for the safety oftheir world."And in a revealed scripture God says, "The least I do to ascholar who finds comfort in this world is to remove the sweetnessof communing with Me frorn his heart."And it is said that God the Exalted said to the world, "Oworld Be bitter for my prot6g6s, be not sweet for them so as not totempt them."And 'Ali [ibn Abi Talib], rnay God honor his counrenance,said:

The likeness of this world and the Hereafter is that of the eastand the west; thc nearer you draw to the one, the farther youmove fronr the other. They are likc the two wives, when youplease the one, yolr anger the other. Ar-rd they are likc two ves-sels, one empty ilnd the other full; when you pour into theempty one, the other diminishes accordingly.I found this world to be six things: That which is eaten, thebest tasting is honey, and it is the secretion of an insect; thatwhich is drunk, the best is water, and in this both the right-eous and the depraved are equal; that which is srnelled, themost fragrant is musk, and it is the blood of an animal; thatwhich is worn, the softest is silk, and it is the weavir.rg of aworm; that which is ridden, the worthiest is the rnare, and it isthat on whose back men are slain; those which one marries, itis but base fluid in base fluid. It is sufficient for you ro knou'that although the woman adorns herself with the best she has,your desire for her is for the basest she has [sEr "rn,qNsle-lon's ArrpENorx oNr."lH"ppy are those who renounce the world and desire theHereafter. They are people who take the ground for a carpet,its dust for a bed, its watcr for perfunre, and make supplica-

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Mutual Remindingtion and the Quran their inner and outer garments. Theyreject the world according to the pattern of Jesus ,t,. "

In this vein they recited:God has astute men who divorce the world and fear temptation.They look at it and realize that it is no homeland for the living.They treat it as a sea, making out of their good works ships.

Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, may God have mercy on him, said,"This world is vile and it resembles vile people. The vilest is he whcracquires it in a manner he should not have," that is, illicitly.

Al-Hasan al-Basn, may God have mercy on him, said:Death has exposed this world and ieft no joy in it for anyot.rewho understands. M:ry God have mercy on a man who wearsworn out clothes, eats a crust of bread, keeps low to theground, weeps for his sins, and perseveres in worship.When love of this world enters thc heart, fear of the Hereafterexits from it. Beware of worldly distractions, for no servantopens a door of this world without several doors of works forthe Hereaftcr being shut before hirn.Wretched is the Son of Adam, hc thinks his money too littlebut never his works. He rejoices when afflicted in his religion,but gricves when afflicted in his worldly things. This worldwas founded on ailments and diseases. Supposc you are freeof ailmcnts and cured of all disease, can y()u escape death?

Muhammad al-Baqir, may God be pleased with him, said,"What is this world? What can it ever be? Is it anything but a mountyou ride, a robe you wear, or a woman you marry?"

Wahb ibn Munabbah, may God have mercy on him, said,"The Garden has eight gates. When people will reach then.r, theguardians will say, 'By our Lord's rnight None shall enter it beforethose who renounced the world and passionately loved theGarden "'

Mul.rammad ibn Sinn said, "Two men quarreled about a pieceof land. God said to it,'Speak to them 'The land then said,'O


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.fV/O TREATISES OF IMAM AL-HADDAD

wretched ones A thousand one-eyed men owned me before you, letalone the healthy "'Abu Hazim al-Madanl, may God have mercy on him, said:

There is nothing in this world that will delight you withouthaving something stuck to it that will distress you. This worldis a place of tortuosity, not of straightness; of toil, not of joy;of affliction. not of affh.rence.His wife once told hin'r, "\Tinter is coming, we rnust havefood, clothes, and firewood." He answered, "All these arenot inescapable necessities, what is inescapable is that weshall dic, then bc resurrecred, then stand beforc God, thcn itwill be eithcr the Garden or rhe Fire."You never extend your hand to somerhing of this world with-out finding that a depraved man has overraken you to it.God's favor in that which He withholds from me of tirisworld is greater than His favor in granting me some of it.What has elapsed of the world is a dream, and what remainsof it is but hopes.

Luqman iJ said, "He who sells this world for the nexr winsboth, but he who sells the Hereafter for this world loses both." Andhe counseled his son thus, "This world is a deep sea where manypeople have drowned, let your ship on it be the fear of God, fill itwith faith, let her sails be reliance, that perhaps you may be saved,and still I think you may not."

Malik ibn Dinar said, may God's mercy be on him, "'When thebody is ill, neither food nor beverage benefits it, nor sleep, nor resr.Similar is the heart, if overcome by the love of this world, it bene-fits not from counseling." And he said to his companions, "I shallpray, you say Amen O God Allow nothing of this world into thehouse of Malik, neither little nor much "

When he went out of his house, he tied the door with a rope,saying, "Were it not for the dogs, I would have left it open."Once he passed by a man planting a palm shoot. He remained

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Mutual Reminding

away for a while then passed by the same place again' the shoothad taken root and produced. He inquired about the man and wastold that he had died, so he said:

He hoped for the world to remain hisBut he who hoped died before his hopeHe planted a shoot and took care of itThe shoot lived on, the man died

It is said thr La ilaha illa'llah protects those who say it uirlessthey come to trade their religion for this world, then when they sayit, God will say: "You lie You do not mean it in truth "

One of our ancestors used to say' "O You who keeps the skyfrom falling upon the earth, keep this world away from me "

Ibrahim ibn Adham once entered upon [the caliph] al-Mansur.The latter asked him, "O lbrahim, what do you have to say? Heanswered, "'We patch up our world by tearing our religion intopieces. / So that neither our religion remains, nor what we arepatching."

A man said to Dawld al-Ta'1, "Counsel me " He replied, "Fastfrorn the world and break your fzlst with the Hereafter, and runaway from people as you would from a lion "

Another man saw him in a dream, runnin1. He asked him, "OAbu Sulayman, what is with you?" He replied, "Just now I haveescaped from prison " Having awakened, the man was told,"Dawld al-Ja'l has died."

Al-Fudayl ibn 'lyad, may God's mercy be upon him, said, "Allevil is gathered in a house, the key of which is desire for this world;and all good is gathered in a house, the key of which is renuncia-tion of the world." And he said, "Had the world been made of per-ishable gold and the Hereafter of permanent clay' we should havepreferred permanent clay to perishable gold. What, then, when theworld is ephemeral clay and the Hereafter permanent gold?" Hesaid, moreover, "'Were this world to be brought to me and were itto be said, 'Take it, licitly, with no reckoning ' I would have pro-


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tected myself from its filth as one of you protects himself from acarcass he passes lest it soils his clothes."'Imam al-Shafi'i, may God's mercy be upon him, said, "\fferethis world to be sold on rhe market, I would not buy it for a loaf ofbread, for the troubles it contains."

Bishr ibn al-Harith, may God's mercy be upon him, said, "Hewho asks of His Lord this world is asking Him to prolong hisstanding before Him [on Judgment Dayl."Darrar ibn Damra said, describing 'Ali, may God honor hiscountenance:

Hc felt estranged from the world and its beauty, and was ir.rti-mate with night and its darkness. I bear witr.ress that I sawhim once when night had fallen, and the srars had risen,wakeful in his retreat, like a man that had been stung, resrlessas though wounded, weeping sorrowfully, holding his beard,and saying, "O world Deceive orher than myself Is it for methat you beautify yourself? Is it to me that you manifest your-self? | have divorced you thricc; there can be no return, foryour span is short, your worth insignificant, and your dangergreat Ah The scarcity of provision, the length of the way,and the estrangement of traveling "

One clf our ancestors said, "Wretched is the Son of Adam: he issatisfied with an abode of which what is licit leads to reckoning,and what is illicit leads to tormenr. When he takes it licitly, he isasked to account for its pleasure; if he takes it illicitly he is tor-mented for it."

Yahya ibn Mu'adh, may God's mercy be on him, said, "Letyour gazing at this world be a lesson, your renunciation of it achoice, and your taking from it a necessity." And he said, mayGod's mercy be on him, "I have abandoned this world because ofits excessive troubles, its lack of sufficiency, the speed with which itvanishes, and the resenrful envy of the corlpanions it gives you."He also said, "This world is Satan's shop: he who takes anythingfrom it, he follows him until he retrieves it. This world frorn beein-

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Mutwal Reminding

ning to end is not worth an hour's grief, how more so with a life-time of grief and still a srnall share of it?"

[Caliph Harnn] al-Rashid asked for a drink of water and it wasbrought to him. Ibn al-sammak was there' He asked him' "'Wereyou to be prevented from drinking this water, would you buy itwith your kingdom?" He said, "Yes " He said, "Vile is a worldthat is not worth a drink tlf water "

One of the ancients who had lived very long was asked tcrdescribe the world. He said, "A house with two doors; I enteredthrough one and exited through the other' I saw years of afflictionancl years of affluence, newborn babes being born and dying menclying; were it not for the newborn none would remain' were it notfor the dead the world would be unable to contain them'"A sage once said, "This world is but ruin; more ruined is theheart of he who works for it. The Hereafter is flourishing' rloreflourishing is the heart of he who works for it'"Another sage was asked, "\Who does this world belong to?" Hesaid, "To he whcl abandons it'" They said, "'Who does theHereafter belong to?" He said "To he who seeks it'"An ascetic was askecl, "How do you perceive this world?" Hesaid, "Bodies are being worn out' yet hopes are ever renewed;death is ever approaching and hopes ever receding'" They said'"How about its people?" He said, "He who has acquired it isstressed and he who has missed it is distressed'"

The Imam [al-Ghazali], the Proof of Islam, says in the lhyd':This world is God's enemy' that of His saints, and that of Hisenenries. As for being Gocl's enerny, it is by obstructing God'sservants' path. This is why He has not looked at it since Hecreatecl it. As for being God's saints' enemy, it is by adorningitself for them' overwhelming them with its beauty and fresh-ness, so that they have to bear the bitterness of prtience inresisting it. As for being God's enemies' enemy' it is by Iuringthem with its cunr-ring and stratagems, catching them in itsnet. so that they trust in it and depend on it' lt will let thern


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T$7O TREATISES OF IMAM AL-HADDADdown at their time of greatest need, so that what they reap ofir is severe grief. Then ir will deprive them of happiness forev_er. They are sorry to leave it, they cry for help against itsruses, but no help is forthcorning, on the contrary, it is said tothem: "Fall back therein and do not speak to Me " (qunRN,z3:rol. Those are they who traded the life of this world forthe Hereafter, their torment will not be lightened, nor willtbey be helped (quutN, z:86).

Verses and hadiths concerning this subject are more numerousthan to be counted or exhausted. That which we have quotedshould be sufficient, a lesson for he who reflects and a reminder forhe who remembers: Only they remember who are reDentant(qunRN,4o:3o).

AFTERWORD\fle conclude by quoting some of the utterances of the leader of allascetics, God's pro.f against them, Jesus son of Mary, may the bestof blessings and peace be upon our prophet Muhammad and him.This worid is a bridge, so cross it; do not build on it O seek_er of this world, who wishes to use it righteously, your leav_ing it is more righteous. The love of this world and that of thcHereafter cannot be united in the believing heart, just aswater and fire cannot be united in a single vessel.This world is but whatever contingencies are at hand, con_sumed by both the righteous and the depraved. The Hereafteris a true promise; there judgment belongs to an Able King.Do nor take this world for a lord, that it may not take you forslaves. Treirsure your treasures with He who will not losethem, for worldly treasures are prone to be stricken bycalamity. And he whose rreasure is with God fears no calami_ties.My food is hunger, my inner garment is fear, my clothing is

Mutual Remindingwool, my prayer in winter is when the sun rises, my lamp isthe moon, my riding mount is my two feet, my food and fruitare what the earth grows. I sleep by rright possessing nothing,yet I see none on earth richer than I.I wonder at he who is forgetful but not forgc,ttcn," he whohopes for this world when death is seeking him, and he wh


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TWO TREATISES OF IMAM AL-HADDADhave enrered it naked and naked you will leave it. Ask Godfor provision one day at a time and know that God has madethis world brief; what remains of it is a brief spell of what wasalready brief. Furthermore, what was limpid of it has alreadybeen drunk and only turbidity remains. Ancl know that thisworld is a dwelling of punishnrent and illusion, so be in it as aman nursing his wound. He endures the pain of medicine,hoping for curc and freedom from illness. [,et not what yousee of this world lure you away frorn the Hereafter that youdo not see

And Jesus S, sard, "strange is your working for this world,when your provision comes to you without work, and your notworking for the Hereafrer, when you will not be provided in it saveby working."The w.rlcl showed itself to Jesus ff in the form of an elabo-rately adrlrned woman. He asked her, "Do you have a husbanci?"

She said, "Many " He asked,',Have they all divorced you, diecl,and left you' or have you killed them all?" She said, "r have killedthem all " He asked her,',Did you grieve over any of them?" Shereplied, "They grieve over me, bur I do not grieve over them. Theyweep over me, but I do not weep over them " He said, ,.Strangehow your remaining husbands do not learn from your past ones.,,.fesus H' once passed by a group of people who were all wor_shipping God, except one who was asleep. He said, ..O you Ariseand worship God with your companions ,' He replied, ..I haveworshipped him with better than their worship, I have renouncedthe world " Jesus.*, then said, ..Sleep conrentedly, for you haveoutstripped the worshippers "He was asked aboat the saints of God, who ,.have no fear. nei_ther do they grieve," so he replied:

They are those who look at the inward of this world, whilepeople look at its outward. They concentrate on what is tocome after the world, while people concentratc on what is init now. They destroy that which they fear might destroy themar.rd abandon that which they know will abandon them.

Mutwal Reminding'Whatever contingent pleasure comes their way they refuse;whatever deceitful eminence comes to them they put down.Their world is worn out, but they do not renew it; it is in ruinamong them, but they do not rebuild it; it is dead in theirbreasts, but they do not revive it. On the contrary, theydemolish it to build their life-to-come' sell it to buy what is toremain theirs. They look at its people, afflicted with misfor-tuncs, fallen down, and see no safety short of what they hopefor, no fear other than what they fear.

This brings to completion The Treatise of Mutual Remindingamong Brothers and Attached Ones, People of Crtodness andReligion.I have only entitled it this way because it was written formutual reminding with them. May God inspire us and them withguidance and protect us from the evil in ourselves.

Everything quoted in this treatise, whether Prophetic or othertraditions, was taken frorn authentic authoritative books. Thehadiths quoted in the conclusion are about twenty in number, butby omitting to separate them from each other they scem to be fouror five. I did this believing it would be briefer and more likely tcrproduce the desired effect.All praise bekmgs to God, to whom belongs all that is in theheauens and eartb. Praise is His in the Hereafter and He is the\X/ise, the Aware. He knows what enters the earth and what comesout of it, what comes down from the sky and what dscends in it,and He is tbe Compdssionate, the Forgiuins (QURAN, 34:r-z).And may God's blessings and peace be upon our masterMulrammad, his Family, and Cornpanions, until the Day ofResurrection and Arising, and may peace be upon the Messengers,and praise is for God, Lord of the Worlds.Dictation of this treatise was completed on Sunday, beforenoon, the first day of Jumada al-Awwal, a month of the year ro69of the Prophet's emigration, may the best of blessings ancl peace beupon him, and praise is for God, l,ord of the \Worlds.

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I.

L.

1.

4.

.5.

B.

6.7.

NOTES(For the "Translator's lntroduction" andMutual Rcminding/Taqwd is rendered throughout this book as "the fear of God"'The

literal meaning of the worcl is protection' To have taqwd is thus toprotect oneself. That this protection is from God's wrath and its con-sequent chastisement is implicit, not explicit' To render it as the "fearoi Cocl" is to make explicit what was implicit and leave out part ofthc meaning. Fo( tdqlud is not sirnply fear, {or it may arise out ofintense love and, therefore, the desire to avoid displeasing theBeloved in any manner, even if no chastiscment is involved''W'e have opted for "spiritual disciple" for the Arahic wotd murrd'Other options were seeker, dspirdnt. and traueler or wayfarer'

Nc>neis fully satisfactory. A murtd is he who desires or demands some-thing. MurTdu'llab is one who yearrrs for God, while murldu'l-akhirais one who desires Paradise in the Hereaftcr' Acting upon these wish-es means traveling the Path. A serious seeker of God must become aclisciple and receive instruction and training under an authorizedmastef .By the afterntton Man is indeed in loss, except tbose who belieue' drtgood, counsel each otber to truth and counsel eacb ttther to pdtience(quneN, ro3:-r-j).Help ctne another in beneuolence and godfearingness and hellt nrttone another in sin and transgression, and fear God"' (qunaN, 5:z)'lndeerl, the most horutrable dmong you in the sight of God are thosewho fear Him most (qunaN' 492r ))-But God is the Protectttr of the God-fearing (qunar, 45:r9)'I baue created iinn and mankind only that they may uorship Me(quneN,5r:56).So extol the praises of your Lord and be among those who prostrdte'and worship your I'ord until what is certain comes to yorl (qun'rN'r.5:9tl-99 ).

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TWO TREATISES OF IMAM AL-HADDAD9. one crf rhe necessary conditions of the Friday sermon or khutba is tr,counsel the audience, and it is sufficient counsel to exh.rt them tofear God.ro. Taqwa, when si.cere, leads to excellence in obedience. Excellencewas defined by the Prophet S as ,.to worship God as if you see Him,for if y'u see Him not, He sees y.u." God wishes to see His servants

engaged in doing what pleases Him and avoiding what displeasesHim. God is entirely aware of His servants' states, b.th inwardly a'doutwardly' but His gaze falls upon them according to these states: itcan be a gaze of mercy and solicitude, or one of displeasure leadingto punishrnent.r r. The lireral meaning .[ u,al| is ally .r both prcttector and, prcttdgd. Theterm has a general meaning based upon the verse, God is tbeProtector of the belieuers; He brings them out from the darknessesinto tbe /qglrr (qunaN, z:z57).In rhis sense, every believer is a walt olGod. However, those who make God their sole ally and strive sin_cerely to please Hirn become His prot6g6s in a much more intense

and spccific way that is indicated in the hadith, "My servanr ceasesnot to draw nearer to Me with supererogrltory devotions until I lovehim, when I love him I become his eyesight with which he sees. hishearing with which he hears, his hand with which he strikes, and hisfoot on which he walks. When he asks of Me, I grant him; and whenhe seeks My protection, I protect him.', Thus when one speaks'f awah, one usually rleans a belovcd one of God, a person who hasbecome the object of special Divine solicitude and grace.r2-' It is in a believer's nature to love that which God loves and t'dctestthat which God detests. Thus, a beriever wiil detest ugriness andchaos, which in rhe conrext of human behavior is wiilful clisobedi-ence to God, leading to all kinds of evil a.d sin. But a believer detestsonly evil thoughts, feelings, and deeds, never a human being as such,or for that ma*er any other created being. Humrrrr beings bel.'g totheir creator; they are rrttributed to Him. He treats them with mercv.providi'g for them ge'crously, even as they clisobey anci rebel rgrinrtHirn. The belicver musr of necessiry moder his feerings and behavioron his Lord's. He may thus disappr've of sor"neone's behavior, butthis should never prcvenr him fro''r treating him with genrleness andcourtesy, helping him when in need, counseling him whenever appro_priate, and imploring God to gLride him to the straight path.

Mutual Reminding13. The rneaning of Imam'Alt's words seems to be that one should per-form what one is currently doing to perfection, allowing ample timefor it, rather than being in a hurry to get it over with and move on to

the next task.r4. Illicit or suspect food includes food bought with illicit or suspectmoney.

r 5. Things of this world are called "debris" because they are invariablyirnperfect, have noxious side effects, and are evanescent- shortly tobe discarded, either because of boredom or decay.16. The ruin in question here is the ruin of the love of the worid in theheart of Muslims, the ruin of that attachment, for that leads to work-ing for it at the expense of working for one's life-to-come. It meansthat whatever is done for the world has to be done with detachrner"rtand appropriate frugality. It does not mean letting one's worldlyaffairs go to ruin, nor attending to them with less than utmost effica-cy. \)7erc it not so, there would have been no Islarnic civilization, forthis civilization was created by men who feared God and were quiteincapable of acting in a manner that ran contrary to the instructionsof the Quran and the Prophet S.17. These rnetaphors refer to death.r8. This is a hadith found in al-Tirmidhi.r9. /liyl7', rendered here as ostentdtion, is to act to be seen by others.

2.o. Idolatry is shirk, that is, to associate other than God with Hin'r inworship. This is the "greater idolatry." The "'lesser idolatry" is tcrworship Hirrr with something other than Him as part of your inten-tion.zr. What is meant here is one's worldly situation as a whole, incluclingone's social position, family, and possessions.zz. Tha'laba was a hypocrite who lived in the time of the Prophet s. Inthose days, a hypocrite was one who professcd to be a Muslim, yetharbored disbelief in his heart. Tha'laba once askcd thc Prophet Sfor a large nurlber of sheep, promising to pay his ohligatory Zakatand give of thern in charitable ways. His flock prospered andincreased so much that he had to take therl away from town to a val-ley that could suffice them. \il/hen the time came for him to pay hisZakat,he refused, repeating his refusal more than oncc, thus bccom-

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TWO TREATISES OF IMAM AL-HADDADing accursed for having broken his promise to God and His Prophet$, barring himself from the way to repent or rerurn ro Islam.L3. Surely in that there is a reminder to him utho has a heart or will listenwitb attentiueness (quneN, So47l.:-4. Harlt and Mer[t are the two fallen angels who ternpted rhe peopleof Babylon by teaching them how to make magic. But they alwayswarned them first that to makc magic was tantamount to disbelief.I{owcver, the attractiorr of what they taught was so great that peoplestill went to them to learn, even having understood that to do someant permanent punishment in Hell. And that tuhich uas sentdown to Harat and Marfi, the tuct angels at Babylon. Nor did theyteach it to dnyone until they had said, " V/e are only a temptation, sctdo not disbeliezel" (quneN, z.roz).zS. That is, he who is forgetful of God and the Hereafter but is never for-gotten by God who watches his every movemcnt.26. Al-Firdatus, rcndered here as Paradise, is the highest degree of theGarden.

GOOD MANNERSThe Treatise on the Good Mannersof th e Spiritual D iscip le's'W ayfaring

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PROLOGUEln the name oi God, the All-Merciful, tbe ContpassionateAll ability and strength are only by God, the High, the Folmidable.Praise belongs to God, who, when He wills, casts into the hearts ofseekers the anguish of longing, thereby driving them to travel thepath ro happiness, which is faith, worship, and the extinction of allformalism and habits.May God send His blessings and peace upon our masterMuharnmad, the master of masters, and upon his family andCompanions, who themselves are masters and leaders.God the F,xalted has saicl (who is more truthful than He ),Vlhoeyer de sires the immediate, We sbdll hasten what til/e will of itto wltomeuer 'We will; then V/e shall dppctint ior him Hell, in whichhe will he ltlunged, blamed, and defedted. Antl wltoeuer desires tlteHereafter dnd edrnestly striues for it, and he is a beliet,er-theseshall haue their striuings rewarded (qunaN, t7:r8-:.9).The imme-tlidte as mentioned l-rere is this fleeting world. Therefore, the onewho [rnerely] desires this rvorlcl, let alone actively pursues it, endsup in the Fire, blamed and belittled. Should not ar man of reasonbeware and turn away frclm it?The Hereafter here nleans the Garclen Ior Heavenl. lt is notenoullh to nrerely desire it in older to gain it. Faith and good worksare both necessary, as is indicated in the p2rssage, and eanrestlystriues for it, and he is a belieuer. The striuings to be rewarded arethose deeds that are accepted by God, thereby deserving praise andsuch great rewards without linrits nor endings-all by the grrrce ofGod and His mercy.

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T'ffO TREATISES OF IMAM AI,-HADDAD

The complete loser is the seeker of this world, whose end wasdescribed in the Quran. His desire for the world is so powerful thatit causes him to forget and deny the Hereafter. He is a disbeliever,and he will be in Hell forever. The one who acknowledges theHereafter but does not strive for it is astray and yet another loser.The Messenger of God & has said, "Deeds depend on inrenrions;each man receives according to what he has intended. He whosemigration was for the sake of God and His Messenger, then he hasmigrated for God and His Messenger. He whose migration is forworldly things that he wishes to acquire or for a woman he wishesto marry, then he has migrated for that which he had intended."The Prophet S thus informed us that [one'sl deed is only asvalid as the intention behind it, and that people are rewardedaccording to their intentions. \When these [intentions] are good,they receive nothing but good. When these are evil, they receivenothing but evil. He whose intention is good, his deed then isinevitably good, and he whose intention is malicious, his deed isinevitably malicious, even if it appears good outwardly, as in thecase of a man who behaves in a righteous way only to appear right-eous in the eyes of people.

The Prophet S also informed us that he who acts for the sakeof God by following in the footsteps of the Messenger of God &,his reward is with God, who will be pleased with him and make hislast abode His Garden-near Him and in the company of the bestof His people. Those whose intentions are directed toward otherthan God and who act as such, their rewards are with those towhom their irrtentions are directed, those they performed for, thosewho can neither benefit nor harm them clr anybody else, those whocan cause neither life, death, nor the resurrection. The Prophet &elected to speak of "migration" by way of providing an example.As it is well known to people of understanding, rules such as thesecan be generalized to all the laws of Islam.I now say this: Know, O disciple, O seeker, who is intenr on

Good Manners

directing himself [toward Godi, that when you requested me tosend you some of our teachings, I found nothing [ready] that couldsuit your purpose. Therefore, I decided to record brief chapterscontaining some of the good manners of discipleship, in an accessi-ble manner of expression.It is God whom I ask to benefit me, you, and all other brotherswith what He will inspire in me of this matter and allow me toreach. He is my sufficiency and the best of Guardians.

ONEThe Beginning of the Path is a Powerful Urge ofDiuine Origin Which Should be Strengtbened,Protected, and ResPonded To

Know that the path begins when a powerful urge is cast into theheart of the servant which troubles and unnerves him, and driveshirn towards God and the last abode. lt turns him away from thisworld and from being, like others, engaged in amassing andgrooming it, tasting and enjoying its pleasures, and being deceivedby its ornaments. This urp;e is one of the hidden warriors of God; itis a gift of solicitude and a sign of right guidance. It is tlftenbestowed upon a servant as he listens to those people who stir inhim the fear [of God| as well as desire and yearning ffor Him], andwhen he looks at the men of God and they look at him. It can begiven without cause.It is commanded and encouraged to actively subject oneself toreceive such gifts. for to expect to rcceive somethinB when ntltstanding at the door and sublecting oneself therein is foolish andunintelligent. The Messenger of God & said, "Your Lord has giftsin these days of your time, subiect yourself to receive them "

He whom God honors with such a noble urge must know howprecious it is. Let him also know that it is one of the greatest favors

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TWO TREATISES OF IMAM AL_HADDADof God, Exalted is He, such that he will never fully know how trulypreci.us it is, nor will he ever be abre to sh'w gratitude enough forit' so let him thank God, Exaltecl is He, ro his utmost for havingselected him from among his peers r' receive it. How many aMuslim reaches the age of eighty or more and neither finds thisyeaming nor is affected by it a single day of his lifelA disciple lmurtdl should do his best to srrengthen, prorect,and respond to this urge. Srrengthening it is by remembering Godoften, reflecting on what He has, irnd keeping the company of thepeople of God. Protecring it is by keeping away from the compirnyof thosc who are veiled and by ignori'g the r'sinuatirns of dcvirs.Responding to it is by hastening to rerurn to Gocl and sincerelyseeking His nearness-by neither waiting, postponing, procrasti_nating, nor delaying. This is a chance that one is given and shoulcseize; the clo'r is now open for hin.r, and he shourd enter. He is

being called, and he should be swift. Let him beware of retting onedav pass after the other, for this is the work of the Devil. He mustadvance and not weaken. He must refuse manufacturing excuses,such as sayi'g that there is .o tirne or that rre is r.rot goocl enoughfor the task. Abu'l-Rabr., may God have mercy on hirn, said, ..Goto God wirh yoLrr limps and y.ur broken limbs. Do nor wair for fullhealth for that would only be idleness."Imam Ibn'Ara'illzrh saicl in his Hikam, "To say trrat the w.rkmust be postponed until one is free is but the idleness of the soul.',

TWORepentance, its Conditions, and protecting Oneselffrom Sins

A disciple on the path to God should begin with sound repentancefrorn all h is sins. I f he has treaced unj ustly any of God's creation, heshould correct this by giving everyone their due. If this is nor possi_

Good Manners

ble, he shoulcl ask them to release him from those obligations.'Whoever is encumbered with debts to creation cannot proceedtowards the Real.It is a condition for sound repentance that one feel sincereremorse for his sins and be wholly determined not to repeat suchactions ers lonp; as he lives. If he does not refrain fronr thern, or is stillharboring the intentjon to repeat them, his repentance is false.A disciple should always be extremely aware of his shortcom-ings towards his Lord. Sfhen these shortcomings bring him sadnessand his heart breaks, let him know that God is with him, for Hesays, Transcenclent is He, "I am with thosc whose hearts break forMy sake."A disciple shoulcl protect himself from the smallest of sins-letalone the major ones-with more urgency than protecting himselffrorn lethal poison. Should he commit [such a sin], he should bemore frightened than if he had taken poison, for sins are to theheart what poison is to rhe body. The heart of a disciple is nroreprecious to hirn than his body. A disciple has no capital other thanprotecting and improving his heart. The body is a target for dis-ease, soon to be destroyed by derrth. Its death, hclwever, means onlythat one has to leave this grief and anxiety-laden world. But if theheart is ruined, the Hereatier is ruined. The only one to be rescuedfrom the wrath of Ciod and gain His rewards and win His pleasurewill be the one who comes to Him with a heart that is "whole."

THREEGuarding the Heart Against Insinuations, Ailments,and Ill-Thinking

A disciple should strive to guarcl his heart against insinuations, ail-nlents, and b,rd thoughts. He should guard its gate by constant vig-ilance and prevent these things from entering. Once they enter his

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heart, they will ruin it and it becomes difficult to expel them. Heshould purify his heart-which is the place his Lord's gaze fallsupon-from worldly desires, spite, rancor, deccitfulness, or think-ing ill of any Muslim. He musr be of good advice ro them, compas-sionate, and merciful; he must think well of them all, desiring forthem whatever good he desires for himself, and disliking for themwhatever evil he dislikes for himself.Know, disciple, that the heart commits sins which are uglier,fouler, and more offensive than those committed by the senses: aheart remains unfit for the gnosis of God and for His love todescend into it, until it rids itself of all such things.Among the worst sins of the heart are arrogance, ostentation,and resentful envy. Arrogance is proof of great foolishness, exces-sive ignorance, and stupidity. Arrogance does not becorne one whoknows that he was made from a drop of fetid semen and soonenough will end up a decaying corpse. If he possesses virtues andgood qualities, they are but gracious gifts from God; a person canachieve nothing by his own power, neither can he acquire anyrhingthrough his own strengrh and cleverness. 'When he behaves witharrogance toward the servanrs of God, employing therein the giftsthat God has graciously bestowed on him, does he not fear that bybehaving discourteously ancl attributing to himself what belongs toGod, He would take away everything from him? prorninence andgreatness are attributes of God, the Cornpeller, the Supreme.The presence of oster.rtarion is proof that the heart is devoid ofthe vastness and majesty of God because it seeks the approval ofcreatures through feigning and is not content with the knowledgcthat God, the Lord of crearion, knows all that he does. The oncwho performs good deeds and likes it to be known, so thar peoplcwould revere and serve him, is an ignorant hypocrite whose desircis but for this world. The detached man is one who finds it repug-nant when people offer him reverence and wealth, and seeks t


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FOURGuarding the Senses Against Transgressions andAgainst Being Deceiued by This.World

A disciple should strive to restrain his senses and limbs from trans-gressions and sins, and only use them in obedience. He should usethem only in those things which would benefit him in theHereafter. He should take great care in guarding his tongue, for itssize is small, but its crimes are great. Let him prevent it from lying,backbiting, and other forms of forbidden speech. Let him bewareof lewdness, and of delving into what does not concern him, even ifit were not forbidden, for it hardens the heart and wastes time. Adisciple should not only move his tongue in reciting the euran, theremembrance of God, giving advice to a Muslim, enjoining good,and forbidding evil, but also only for those worldly things thatrelate to the Hereafter. The Prophet S said, ..The speech of the Sonof Adam will be counred against him, not for him, excepr forenjoining good, forbidding evil, and remembering God."Know that hearing and eyesight are two open doors, whateverenters through them reaches the heart. How many a thing dcles aman hear or see, which he should not have, but that once they haveentered the heart, it proves difficult to remove them? For the heartis rapidly affected by what enters ir, the' the effect is difficult toerase. L.et the disciple then be careful to protecr his hearing andeyesight, and strive to restrain all his senses and his li'rbs from sinsand frorn what is in excess of the necessary. Let him beware oflooking with approval at the ornamenrs of this world, for its out-ward is deception and its inward is a lesson in wisdom. The eyelooks at its deceptive manifestations, but the heart looks at the les-son hidden within. How many a disciple looked at some of thebeauties of this world and his heart leaned toward them, likedthem, and became inclined to build and acquire. So lower youreyes, clisciple, and look ar creation only with the intention of seeing

Good Manners

the lesson within it. Remember as you look that it will wither andgo from whence it came. lt came front nonexistence' lt was gazedupon by many people who are now gone, while it still remains'Generation after generation have received it as an inheritance'Look at creatures with an eye that sees them as evidence of theirCreator's perfect power. Every creation says with the tongue of itsstate, "There is no god but God, the August, the \7ise'" This iswhat the people of enlighte

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