—and in love-poetry, elegy, and the like; for all of this distracts a person from reflecting on that which secures his lasting happiness and eternal life.

Another fruitless occupation is to brood over purely mental constructions that have no external existence whatsoever and for which people have absolutely no need. Every discipline harbors such abstractions—even fiqh, uṣūl, and medicine.

All these modes of thought bring more harm than benefit; it is enough of a detriment that they divert the mind from reflections that are more deserving of one’s attention and far more profitable both now and later.

Section
• Seeking (ṭalab) is the pollination of faith; when faith and seeking are joined, they bear the fruit of righteous deeds.
• Good opinion of Allah is the pollination of neediness and dependence upon Him; when the two unite, they yield answered supplications.
• Reverent fear is the pollination of love; when the two meet, they produce obedience to commands and avoidance of prohibitions.
• Patience is the pollination of certainty; when the two converge, they confer leadership in religion. Allah the Exalted says: “And We made from among them leaders who guided by Our command, because they were patient and had certainty in Our signs” (Q 32:24).
• Sound emulation of the Messenger is the pollination of sincerity; when the two combine, they render one’s deeds acceptable and worthy of consideration.
• Action is the pollination of knowledge; when the two are coupled, success and felicity follow, but if either stands alone—