and the erotic verse and wine-songs that spur people to commit the forbidden and make them disdain acts of obedience. In the very centre of that field a tree of ignorance of Him and indifference toward Him has been planted; it yields its crop at every season—debauchery, sin, amusement, play, wantonness, drifting with every wind, and chasing every desire. Among its fruits are worries, anxieties, sorrows, and pains, though they remain hidden while the soul is absorbed in its games and diversions; once it sobers up from its intoxication, every worry, grief, sadness, distress, and constricted livelihood is laid before it. Water is constantly channelled to that tree from the streams of following caprice, long hopes, and self-delusion. The house is then abandoned, swathed in darkness, its walls in ruins, so that no corrupter, beast, pest, or filth is ever kept out.

Glory be to the Creator of this house and that one!

Whoever recognises the worth of his house, the worth of the One who dwells in it, and the worth of the treasures, stores, and implements it contains, will profit by his life and his very soul; but whoever is ignorant of that is ignorant of himself and squanders his felicity.

By Allah’s enabling grace.

Section
• Sahl al-Tustari was asked, “A man who eats one meal a day?” He replied, “That is the eating of the eminently truthful.” He was asked, “And two meals?” He said, “The eating of the believers.” He was asked, “And three meals?” He answered, “Tell his family to build him a manger.”
• Al-Aswad ibn Sālim said, “Two rakʿahs (1) that I pray for Allah are dearer to me than Paradise and all it contains.” Someone said to him, “That is wrong.” He replied, “Spare me your talk; Paradise is the pleasure—