will be all the more perfect upon reaching Him, drawing near to Him, gazing upon His Face, and hearing His speech. Every other pleasure, bliss, joy, and happiness beside that is no more than a drop in an ocean.

How, then, could anyone of sound mind prefer a feeble, short-lived pleasure tainted with pain to a mighty, everlasting pleasure that endures for all eternity?!

A servant’s completeness is gauged by these two faculties: knowledge and love. The finest knowledge is knowledge of Allah, the loftiest love is love for Him, and the fullest delight is in proportion to them both.

Allah alone is the One whose help is sought.

Principle

The traveler to Allah and the Hereafter cannot keep his journey and quest on course except through two imprisonments: imprisoning his heart within the pursuit of its Objective and preventing it from turning to anything else; imprisoning his tongue, withholding it from what brings no benefit while binding it to the remembrance of Allah and to whatever increases his faith and understanding; and imprisoning his limbs, restraining them from sins and desires while directing them to obligations and recommended acts. He does not leave this confinement until he meets his Lord, whereupon he will be released from prison into the widest and sweetest expanse.

If he cannot endure these two imprisonments and instead flees to the open field of passions, a dreadful imprisonment will await him when he departs this world.

Thus everyone leaving this world is either escaping from prison or heading toward it.

Allah alone grants success.

Ibn ʿAwn once bade farewell to a man, saying, “Adhere to the fear of Allah, for the God-fearing has nothing against him…”