to enter into the marriage contract itself when he needs it and is able to do so. As for the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “When one of you has sexual intercourse, it is charity,” intercourse is prescribed to meet both his need and the woman’s need. Meeting her need—which can only be satisfied through him—in a lawful manner is charity.

Spiritual wayfaring takes two forms: the way of the righteous, the people of the right, which consists of fulfilling obligations and avoiding forbidden things, inwardly and outwardly; and (the second), the way of those brought near to Allah, the foremost, which consists of doing what is obligatory and recommended as far as possible, and avoiding what is disliked and forbidden. As the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“When I forbid you something, avoid it; and when I command you to do something, do as much of it as you can.”

The words of the great spiritual masters, such as Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir and others, point to this way. Hence, they enjoin what is recommended but not obligatory, and forbid what is disliked but not prohibited. They guide the elite along the path of the elite, and ordinary people along the path of ordinary people. The path of the elite is the path of those brought near to Allah: that the servant should do only what he has been commanded to do, and desire only what Allah and His Messenger have commanded him to desire—namely, what is loved by