—of my own soul, whereas the two rakʿahs earn my Lord’s good pleasure, and my Lord’s pleasure is dearer to me than the pleasure of my own soul.

• The knower of Allah on earth is a blossom from the blossoms of Paradise; when a seeker catches its scent, his soul longs for Paradise.

• The lover’s heart is set between the majesty of his Beloved and His beauty: when he contemplates His majesty he stands in awe and exalts Him, and when he contemplates His beauty he loves Him and yearns for Him.

Benefit
Some people come to know Allah through His generosity, liberality, and beneficence; others through His pardon, forbearance, and clemency; others through His might and retribution; others through His knowledge and wisdom; others through His glory and grandeur; others through His mercy, kindness, and subtle care; others through His overwhelming power and sovereignty; and others through His answering their prayers, relieving their distress, and fulfilling their needs.

The one whose knowledge is most comprehensive is he who knows Him through His Speech, for such a person recognises a Lord in whom all the attributes of perfection and the qualities of majesty are combined—transcendent above any likeness, free from every deficiency and flaw. To Him belong every beautiful name and every attribute of perfection; He does whatever He wills; He is above everything, with everything, powerful over everything, upholding everything; He commands and forbids, and He speaks by His religious and cosmic words. He is greater than all things, more beautiful than all things, the Most Merciful of the merciful, the Most Powerful of the powerful, and the Wisest of judges.

Accordingly, the Qur’an was sent down to acquaint His servants with Him, with the path that leads to Him, and with the condition of the travellers once they have arrived.

Benefit
One of the subtle, widespread afflictions is that a servant may be enjoying a blessing that Allah has bestowed upon him