obedience to him (5) is the fortress that whoever enters is safe (1), and the cave to which anyone who seeks refuge (2) thereby becomes one of the saved (3).
It is therefore clear that the evils of this world and the Hereafter are, in truth (4), nothing but ignorance of what the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—brought and turning away from it. This stands as conclusive proof (5) that the servant can attain neither salvation nor happiness except by striving (6) to learn what the Messenger brought and to put it into practice.
The perfection of this happiness rests on two further elements:
First: inviting people to it.
Second: showing patience and exerting oneself (7) in that invitation.
Thus human perfection is confined (8) to these four degrees:
- Knowledge of what the Messenger brought.
- Acting upon it.