I write to you—may Allah bestow His kindness upon you in this world and the Hereafter, raising you thereby to lofty ranks in goodness and well-being—amid blessings and mercy from Allah, and well-being encompassing us and all our brethren. Abundant praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds, as He deserves and as befits His noble Face and exalted majesty.

The three letters you sent have arrived. We ask Allah Most High, and hope from Him, that the illness and other worldly afflictions He has decreed will bring you to ranks that deeds have fallen short of attaining, but which were already recorded in the Mother of the Book as destined to be attained. We also ask that what Allah has chosen for His believing servants may prove to be what is best.

We know as a general principle that whatever Allah Most High decrees for a believer is good for him. Even when one intends and longs to do something that illness prevents, what is best—if Allah Most High wills—lies in what Allah has willed. May Allah Most High choose for you, in all your affairs, what will secure His good pleasure for you in goodness and well-being.

As for the affliction in your heart and religious life of which you complain, we ask Allah to take you into His gracious care without leaving you in the charge of any created being, and to set all your affairs right, beginning this rectification Himself and bringing it to completion. May He enable you truly to fulfil the words:

“You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.”

There is no power nor strength except through Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

Yet we hope that recognizing one’s shortcomings and seeing that one has fallen behind are among Allah’s favours to His believing servant: through this, the servant merits advancement, Allah perfects His favour upon him, and He spares him the trouble caused by his devil, who makes his evil deeds seem attractive to him, and by his own soul, which loves to be praised for what it has not done and to rejoice