A thousand years’ obedience cannot annul a moment’s disobedience of God.

A thousand years’ obedience cannot annul a moment’s disobedience of God.

Your heart is temple of God, let none be allowed to dwell there besides Him.

Your heart is temple of God, let none be allowed to dwell there besides Him.

The saint has no fear, because fear is the expectation either of some future calamity or of the eventual loss of some object of desires, whereas, the saint is the son of his time: he has no future that he should fear anything; and as he has no fear so he has no hope, since hope is the expectation either of gaining an object of desire or of being relieved of a misfortune, and this belongs to the future; nor does he grieve, because grief arises from the rigor of time, and how should he feel grief who is in the radiance of satisfaction (Rida) and the garden of concord (Muwafaqat).

The saint has no fear, because fear is the expectation either of some future calamity or of the eventual loss of some object of desires, whereas, the saint is the son of his time: he has no future that he should fear anything; and as he has no fear so he has no hope, since hope is the expectation either of gaining an object of desire or of being relieved of a misfortune, and this belongs to the future; nor does he grieve, because grief arises from the rigor of time, and how should he feel grief who is in the radiance of satisfaction (Rida) and the garden of concord (Muwafaqat).

Gnosis is the realization of thy ignorance when His knowledge comes, He continues to say: He (God) is at once the subject and object of gnosis.

Gnosis is the realization of thy ignorance when His knowledge comes, He continues to say: He (God) is at once the subject and object of gnosis.

One moment's forgetfulness of the Lord ruins a thousand years’ worship.

One moment's forgetfulness of the Lord ruins a thousand years’ worship.

Gnosis (Marifat) is the hovering of the heart between declaring God too great to be comprehended and declaring Him too mighty to be perceived. It consists in knowing that whatever may be imagined in the heart, God is the opposite of it.

Gnosis (Marifat) is the hovering of the heart between declaring God too great to be comprehended and declaring Him too mighty to be perceived. It consists in knowing that whatever may be imagined in the heart, God is the opposite of it.

God is affirmed more by Not-being than by Being.

God is affirmed more by Not-being than by Being.

The Lord created His grace before He created the world.

The Lord created His grace before He created the world.

Fana is the assimilation of the individual will in the Will of God. The true state of ‘Fana’ is experienced by the grace of God. The mystic completely passes away from his self when God wants him to be obliterated.

Fana is the assimilation of the individual will in the Will of God. The true state of ‘Fana’ is experienced by the grace of God. The mystic completely passes away from his self when God wants him to be obliterated.

Sufism is not achieved by much praying and fasting, but it is the security of the heart and the generosity of the soul.

Sufism is not achieved by much praying and fasting, but it is the security of the heart and the generosity of the soul.

Renunciation is this that the heart is empty of that which the hand is empty of. He also said: “Renunciation is emptying the hand of possessions and the heart of attachments.”

Renunciation is this that the heart is empty of that which the hand is empty of. He also said: “Renunciation is emptying the hand of possessions and the heart of attachments.”

Describing the last stage of Tawhid, he says: “It is a stage where the devotee has achieved the true realization of the Oneness of God in true proximity of him. He is lost to sense and action because God fulfils in him what He hath willed of him.

Describing the last stage of Tawhid, he says: “It is a stage where the devotee has achieved the true realization of the Oneness of God in true proximity of him. He is lost to sense and action because God fulfils in him what He hath willed of him.

One day I was delivering a sermon when one of the audiences said that he could not follow the discourse. I told him to place seventy years of his worship under foot and bow down in humility and then he would follow it.

One day I was delivering a sermon when one of the audiences said that he could not follow the discourse. I told him to place seventy years of his worship under foot and bow down in humility and then he would follow it.

Certainty is the cessation of doubt in the witnessing of the unseen. He also said: “Certainty is the constancy of knowledge in the heart; it does not vanish or change.”

Certainty is the cessation of doubt in the witnessing of the unseen. He also said: “Certainty is the constancy of knowledge in the heart; it does not vanish or change.”

Tasawwuf is to be chosen for purity. Whoever is thus chosen from all expect God is a Sufi.

Tasawwuf is to be chosen for purity. Whoever is thus chosen from all expect God is a Sufi.

Divine loves means that the lover takes on the Beloved’s attributes in place of his own.

Divine loves means that the lover takes on the Beloved’s attributes in place of his own.

“The noblest saying consuming unification is that of Abu Bakr: ‘Glory to God, who has not vouchsafed to His creatures any means of attaining unto knowledge of Him except through impotence to attain unto knowledge of Him”, says Junaid.

“The noblest saying consuming unification is that of Abu Bakr: ‘Glory to God, who has not vouchsafed to His creatures any means of attaining unto knowledge of Him except through impotence to attain unto knowledge of Him”, says Junaid.

Submissiveness is extending one’s protective care to all beings and being forbearing toward them.

Submissiveness is extending one’s protective care to all beings and being forbearing toward them.

Tusawwuf is to purify the heart from the recurrence of inborn weakness, to take leave of one’s natural characteristics, to extinguish the attributes of humanity, to alienate sensual temptations, to dwell with the spiritual attributes, to mount aloft by means of the Divine sciences, and to practice that which is eternally the best, to bestow sincere counsel on the whole people, to faithfully observe the Truth and to follow the Prophet in respect of the law (shariah).

Tusawwuf is to purify the heart from the recurrence of inborn weakness, to take leave of one’s natural characteristics, to extinguish the attributes of humanity, to alienate sensual temptations, to dwell with the spiritual attributes, to mount aloft by means of the Divine sciences, and to practice that which is eternally the best, to bestow sincere counsel on the whole people, to faithfully observe the Truth and to follow the Prophet in respect of the law (shariah).

Marifat (gnosis) consists in knowing that whatever may be imagined in thy heart, God is the opposite of it.

Marifat (gnosis) consists in knowing that whatever may be imagined in thy heart, God is the opposite of it.

I am a slave and have no liberty. I shall go when God will order me to go, be it Paradise or Hell.

I am a slave and have no liberty. I shall go when God will order me to go, be it Paradise or Hell.

Whosoever repeats the Name of the Lord merges into the Name and Name merges into the Lord.

Whosoever repeats the Name of the Lord merges into the Name and Name merges into the Lord.

The journey from the corporeal world to the Hereafter is easy for the believer, but relinquishing creation for the sake of Allah is difficult. And the journey from the self to Allah is intensely difficult, but patience with God is still more difficult. He also said: “Patience is drinking down bitterness without a frowning look.”

The journey from the corporeal world to the Hereafter is easy for the believer, but relinquishing creation for the sake of Allah is difficult. And the journey from the self to Allah is intensely difficult, but patience with God is still more difficult. He also said: “Patience is drinking down bitterness without a frowning look.”

Sufi is like the earth, which is trodden by the pious and the wicked, like the cloud which cast a shadow over everything and like the rain which waters everything. He also said: Sufi is like the earth on which every foul thing is thrown and from which fair things come forth.”

Sufi is like the earth, which is trodden by the pious and the wicked, like the cloud which cast a shadow over everything and like the rain which waters everything. He also said: Sufi is like the earth on which every foul thing is thrown and from which fair things come forth.”

Baqa is not different from ‘Fana’ in the real sense. According to him, it is only ‘Fana’ which assumes the form of ‘Baqa’. The state of annihilation of the self means persistence of the real self in God and departure of the lower self implies the appearance of the True Self.

Baqa is not different from ‘Fana’ in the real sense. According to him, it is only ‘Fana’ which assumes the form of ‘Baqa’. The state of annihilation of the self means persistence of the real self in God and departure of the lower self implies the appearance of the True Self.

He who fears God never smiles.

He who fears God never smiles.

Satisfaction (Rida) is the removal of one’s own choice: He also said: “Dejectedness is the result of abandoning satisfaction with Divine destiny.”

Satisfaction (Rida) is the removal of one’s own choice: He also said: “Dejectedness is the result of abandoning satisfaction with Divine destiny.”

Once Junaid said to a disciple who bore grudge with him: “Did not you know that God’ saints possess mysterious power? You cannot endure their blows.”

Once Junaid said to a disciple who bore grudge with him: “Did not you know that God’ saints possess mysterious power? You cannot endure their blows.”

Sufism means that God makes you die to yourself and makes you alive in Him.

Sufism means that God makes you die to yourself and makes you alive in Him.

He who depends on his effort in remembering God, does not reap full reward of worship.

He who depends on his effort in remembering God, does not reap full reward of worship.

Whatever I gained spiritually was through three practices, viz, renouncing the world, fasting and waking up the whole nights.

Whatever I gained spiritually was through three practices, viz, renouncing the world, fasting and waking up the whole nights.

When asked to say about the sign of the gnostic, he replied: “One state does not hold the gnostic back from another state and one station does not veil him from changing stations.”

When asked to say about the sign of the gnostic, he replied: “One state does not hold the gnostic back from another state and one station does not veil him from changing stations.”

God gives the gnostic the ardent desire to behold His Essence, then knowledge becomes vision and vision revelation, and revelation contemplation, and contemplation existence-with and in God. Words are hushed to silence, life becomes death, explanations come to an end, signs are effaced. Mortality (Fana) is ended, and immortality (Baqa) is made perfect. Weariness and care cease, the elements perish and there remains what will not cease, as time that is timeless ceases not.

God gives the gnostic the ardent desire to behold His Essence, then knowledge becomes vision and vision revelation, and revelation contemplation, and contemplation existence-with and in God. Words are hushed to silence, life becomes death, explanations come to an end, signs are effaced. Mortality (Fana) is ended, and immortality (Baqa) is made perfect. Weariness and care cease, the elements perish and there remains what will not cease, as time that is timeless ceases not.

The essence of truthfulness means that you tell the truth in situations in which only a lie would save you.

The essence of truthfulness means that you tell the truth in situations in which only a lie would save you.

The virtue of large heartedness and magnanimity are the most significant value of life to be achieved by the mystics.

The virtue of large heartedness and magnanimity are the most significant value of life to be achieved by the mystics.

Servitude is abandoning all activity other than the work that is the root of repose.

Servitude is abandoning all activity other than the work that is the root of repose.

One day during illness he cried: “Lord! Cure me of this ailment.” In response the Divine voice said: “If you are not content with the ailment that We have conferred on you, you are out of our court.”

One day during illness he cried: “Lord! Cure me of this ailment.” In response the Divine voice said: “If you are not content with the ailment that We have conferred on you, you are out of our court.”

If a river of fire flows between me and my Lord, in my yearning to meet Him I would jump into it and cross it.

If a river of fire flows between me and my Lord, in my yearning to meet Him I would jump into it and cross it.

Sufism is that you be solely with God with no attachments. He also said: “Sufism means that God causes you to die to yourself and gives your life in Him.”

Sufism is that you be solely with God with no attachments. He also said: “Sufism means that God causes you to die to yourself and gives your life in Him.”