and evening (42) [Al-Ahzab 41–42]; its midpoint is: “He it is who confers blessings upon you—and so do His angels—that He may bring you out of darkness into light” [Al-Ahzab 43], and its end is: “Their greeting on the day they meet Him will be: Peace” [Al-Ahzab 44].

• The soil of the innate disposition is spacious and ready to receive whatever is planted in it: if the tree of faith and piety is sown, it bequeaths the sweetness of eternity; but if the tree of ignorance and caprice is sown, every fruit will be bitter.

• Return to Allah, and seek Him through your eye, your ear, your heart, and your tongue. Do not let any of these four stray from Him; for everyone who, by His enabling grace, turns back to Him does so through one of them, and everyone who, by His abandonment, wanders from Him does so through one of them. The fortunate servant hears, sees, speaks, and acts by his Master (1), whereas the forsaken one performs all of that on the strength of himself and his own desire.

• The way acts of obedience are born, grow, and multiply is like a seed you plant: it becomes a tree, then yields fruit; you eat the fruit and plant its pits, and every time it bears anything you harvest its produce and sow its seeds anew. Sins cascade in exactly the same way. Let the discerning person ponder this parable: one reward for a good deed is the good deed that follows it, and one punishment for a sin is the sin that follows it.

• It is not remarkable that a slave should humble himself before Allah, worship Him, and never tire of serving Him, given his utter need and poverty before Him. What is truly astonishing is that the Master should show affection to His slave through every kind of favor and court him with manifold kindnesses, despite being completely independent of him.

• It is honor enough for you that you are His servant, and glory enough for you that He is your Lord.