Section
Ignorance of the path, of its pitfalls, and of the ultimate objective makes for great exertion with little reward. Its victim may: exert himself in supererogatory deeds while neglecting the obligatory; perform outward actions that the heart does not accompany; combine inward and outward practices yet pay no heed to following the Prophetic model; possess an aspiration that never lifts him to contemplate the goal; engage in works whose hidden flaws he neither guards against during the deed nor after it; carry out an act while heedless of the divine favor that enabled it, and so fails to free it from the ego’s share; fail to perceive his own shortcoming in the deed and therefore never stand in the station of apology; or withhold from the work its due portion of sincerity and excellence while imagining he has given it its due. All of this lessens the harvest while the toil remains heavy. Allah alone grants success.
Section
When a servant makes up his mind to set out toward Allah Most High and to seek His pleasure, deceivers and obstacles appear along the road. First he is enticed by appetites, positions of authority, enjoyments, spouses, and fine clothes. If he pauses with these, he is cut off. If he rejects them, refuses to linger, and remains truthful in his quest, he is tested next by people walking behind him, kissing his hand, expanding a seat for him, pointing him out for prayer, and hoping for his blessing, and the like. Should he halt at this stage, it will sever him from Allah and be all that he obtains. If he cuts through it and does not stop, he is tried with miraculous favors and unveilings. If he lingers with them, they too will sever him from Allah and become his lot; but if he presses on, he is tested with detachment, seclusion, the sweetness of inward collectedness, the dignity of pure monotheism, and freedom from worldly preoccupations. If he clings to that, it will likewise bar him from the intended Goal; but if he does not cling and continues onward, keeping his gaze on what Allah wants from him and loves for him—becoming a servant stationed wherever His beloved commands and pleasures lie, wherever and however they may be, whether he finds hardship in them or ease—