He addressed to us, made known to us, enabled us to attain, bestowed upon us, inscribed in our hearts, and singled us out for—we would not have known His oneness or how to obey Him.

Were it not for the manifest signs and miracles He brought forth at the hands of the messengers, whose true nature lies beyond creation’s power to reproduce, we would not have recognized His messengers.

Were it not for the increase in deeds, the rectification of spiritual states, learning, understanding and knowledge, the secrets of these people’s spiritual stations, the sweetness of their spiritual experiences, and the fragrances reaching us from them and through them—we would not have recognized those granted further bounty.

All this is part of Allah’s bounty upon us and upon mankind, but most people are not grateful.

Had the unbeliever given thanks for the inescapable knowledge of his Creator’s Lordship that He imparted to him, acknowledged His blessings and His bringing him from nonexistence into existence, and recognized the favors and blessings with which He had encompassed him, the perfection of his form, and the abundant provision He continually bestowed upon him—his gratitude would have led him to knowledge of His oneness. He would then have believed His Messenger, fulfilled his earlier covenant, returned to his inescapable knowledge, and acknowledged His oneness, rejecting all besides Him and recognizing no god but Him. But when he failed to acknowledge the blessing, departed from the covenant, went back on his acknowledgment, and denied the envoys, He deprived him of the greatest favors and the finest blessings:

“So when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate.”

He thus left him to his own desires, and his ruin lay in his own wishes. And when the believer gives thanks for the knowledge of Allah’s oneness that He has bestowed upon him—and gratitude for it consists in accepting what the Messenger brought, in speech and action, sincerity of intention, conformity to the Sunnah, and adherence to