and that all of it falls within His dominion. Yet they fail to perceive the distinction Allah has drawn between His allies and His enemies, the righteous and the wicked, believers and unbelievers, and the obedient who heed His religious command and the disobedient who defy it. To support this, they cite ambiguous statements transmitted from certain spiritual masters, or some of those masters’ errors.

This is a “momentous principle,” among the matters most deserving of attention from those who tread the path to Allah and follow the way of aspiration—the aspiration of those who seek His Face. Through neglecting it, some groups among them have fallen into unbelief, wickedness, and disobedience to an extent known only to Allah. They even become accomplices in oppression and aggression to unjust and arrogant men who wield power on earth. Such are those who direct their hearts toward assisting those they favor among the people who seek supremacy and spread corruption on earth, imagining that if they possess inward states through which they exert an influence in this regard, they are thereby among Allah’s allies.

For hearts exert a greater influence than bodies. If they are sound, their influence is sound; if they are corrupt, their influence is corrupt. Thus, the influence of these states is sometimes beloved to Allah and sometimes hateful to Him. The jurists have discussed the obligation to exact retribution by execution from someone who kills another by inward means, where such retribution is warranted.

In their inner selves and hearts, they appeal to the universal decree as evidence. They regard the mere occurrence of something beyond the ordinary for one of them—whether an unveiling granted to him or an influence that accords with his will—as an honor bestowed upon him by Allah. They do not realize that it is, in reality, a humiliation, that true honor lies in steadfast uprightness, and that