death and he says, ‘My Lord, if only You would grant me a brief respite, so that I might give charity and be among the righteous.’”

In these matters of knowledge and discourse, a person must ensure that what he relates about Allah, the Last Day, and what has happened and will happen is true and correct, and that what he enjoins and forbids accords with what the messengers brought from Allah. This is what is correct and consistent with the Sunnah and the Sharia, following the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. Likewise, the acts of worship that people perform are true and correct, in accordance with what Allah sent His messengers with, when they are among those Allah has prescribed and Allah and His Messenger have commanded.

Whatever fails to meet this standard in either category belongs to falsehood, misleading innovations, and ignorance—even if some call it knowledge and rational understanding, worship and spiritual striving, or spiritual experiences and stations.

One must also enjoin something because Allah has commanded it, forbid something because Allah has forbidden it, and convey what Allah has revealed because it is truth, faith, and guidance, as conveyed by the messengers. Likewise, worship must be performed seeking Allah’s pleasure. If such things are said out of personal desire and partisan zeal, to display one’s knowledge and merit, or to gain a reputation and show off, this is like fighting out of bravery, partisan zeal, and ostentation.

From this, you can understand the errors into which many have fallen, both among those devoted to learning and discourse and among those devoted to worship and spiritual states. For those of the former group often make statements contrary to