and in their need of Allah and recourse to Him. Indeed, some who affiliate themselves with the spiritual path go to such extremes in this that they come to regard everything as permissible, affirm compulsion, and turn away from the revealed law and its commands and prohibitions. This failing is common among those who profess Sufism and spiritual poverty, whereas denial of divine decree is exceedingly rare among them.

He then quoted two statements from them concerning faith, using these to indicate that, in their view, faith is mere assent. Yet this is not their position. Rather, what he related from al-Junayd was as follows: “Al-Junayd said: ‘Monotheism is your knowledge and acknowledgment that Allah is alone in His beginningless existence, with no second alongside Him, and that nothing does what He does.’ Abū ‘Abd Allāh ibn Khafīf said: ‘Faith is the hearts’ affirmation of what the True One has made known of the unseen.’”

These statements attributed to al-Junayd and Ibn Khafīf are sound and correct, but they do not indicate that the deeds of the heart are not part of faith.

He then related something commendable from them concerning the qualification of one’s profession of faith, saying: “Abū al-‘Abbās al-Sayyārī said: ‘His bestowal is of two kinds: an honour or a gradual enticement towards ruin. Thus, whatever