from this; for the soul seeks only its own satisfaction, and once its desire is fulfilled, it turns away.”

Some reports from the Israelites contain the words: “O son of Adam, affliction brings you and Me together, while well-being brings you and your own self together.”

This theme occurs frequently. It is a reality that the believer tastes and perceives through his inner sense. Every believer has experienced enough of it to recognize what we have described, for it belongs to the realm of taste and perception, known only to those who have tasted and perceived it.

Although the word “taste” may be thought originally to refer exclusively to tasting with the tongue, its use in the Quran and Sunnah shows that its scope is broader: it is used for sensing both what is agreeable and what is disagreeable. Similarly, in customary usage, the word “perception” encompasses whatever is perceived through the five senses, and indeed inwardly as well. In its linguistic origin, however, it means “seeing,” as in His words:

“Do you perceive any one of them?”

(The point at issue) is the word “taste.” The Most High said:

“So Allah made it taste the garment of hunger and fear.”

He thus described fear and hunger as things tasted, and associated the garment with them to indicate that it clothed the hungry and fearful person, enveloping and surrounding him just as a garment surrounds its wearer;