and practice. He therefore began acquiring their knowledge by studying their books, such as Qūt al-Qulūb (Nourishment of Hearts) by Abū Tālib al-Makkī, the books of al-Hārith al-Muhāsibī, and the scattered teachings transmitted from al-Junayd, al-Shiblī, and Abū Yazīd, until he grasped the essence of their intellectual aims. He then knew with certainty that they were people of spiritual states, not of words, and that he had acquired all that could be acquired through study. Nothing remained except what could not be attained through instruction and listening, but only through direct experience and following the path.

He said:

“Through the disciplines I had practised and the paths I had followed in investigating both religious and rational knowledge, I had acquired certain faith in Allah, prophethood, and the Last Day. These three foundations of faith had become firmly rooted in my soul through Allah—not through any single, isolated proof, but through circumstances, indications, and experiences whose details were beyond enumeration. It had also become clear to me that there was no hope of happiness in the Hereafter except through piety.”

He mentioned that he had spent ten years in seclusion, and went on to say:

“During these retreats, matters were unveiled to me that could neither be counted nor fully described. What I shall mention, so that others may benefit from it, is that I came to know with certainty that the Sufis, in particular, are those who follow the path to Allah; that their way of life is the finest, their path the most correct, and their character the purest. Indeed, if the understanding of all rational people, the wisdom of all sages, and the knowledge of all scholars versed in the mysteries of the Sacred Law were brought together to change anything in their conduct and character and replace it with something better, they would find no way to do so.