in Him from Him, yielding in meekness and humility before Him, stretching forth the hand of destitution and poverty toward Him, petitioning and depending on Him in every circumstance.

Whoever is touched by a breeze from the breezes of His mercy, or upon whom a single glance of His tenderness alights, is brought back to life from among the dead; caravans of blessings make camp in his courtyard, and the armies of worry, grief, and remorse withdraw from him (1).

If You would but cast on me a single merciful glance
For just one day in this life, I would indeed be happy.

Section

Among the rights of God upon His servant is to repel those who assail His Book, His Messenger, and His religion, and to strive against them with proof and clarification, with sword and spear, and with heart and inner resolve; short of that there is not so much as a mustard seed (2) of faith.

A set of questions reached us—issues that an unbelieving atheist had posed to a certain Muslim. The Muslim found nothing that would satisfy him; the remedy he offered did not reach the ailment itself. Imagining that beating the man would cure him (3), he set upon him with blows, declaring, “This is the answer!”

The disbeliever replied, “Our companions spoke the truth when they said that the religion of Islam was established by the sword and not by the Book.”