the state of piety, which is the first step. Follow the command in the state of sainthood while desire is still present, and do not go beyond it; this is the second step. Be content with Allah’s action, conform to it, and efface yourself in the states of badaliyya, ‘ayniyya, and siddīqiyya (supreme truthfulness), which mark the final attainment.

Turn away from the filthy path; abandon its course. Restrain your self and your desire, and hold your tongue from complaint. When you do so, if what befalls you is good, the Lord will increase you in contentment, delight, and joy. If it is evil, He will keep you obedient to Him through it, remove blame from you, and keep you in it until it passes, granting you relief when its appointed term expires—just as night ends and gives way to daylight, and winter’s cold gives way to summer. You have this example before you, so take heed of it.

There are, moreover, sins, offenses, crimes, and defilement through all kinds of disobedience and wrongdoing. Only someone purified of the filth of sins and lapses is fit to sit in the presence of the Most Generous. Only someone pure, free of pretension and turmoil, can face His severity—just as only someone cleansed of filth, foul odors, and dirt is fit to sit in the company of kings. Afflictions therefore expiate sins. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

‘A day’s fever expiates a year’s sins.’”

I say:

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir—may Allah be pleased with him—has thus explained that adherence to the commands and prohibitions is indispensable at every station. He mentioned three states, which he designated as the state of the person of piety, the state of spiritual reality, and the state of the truth of the Truth. He explained his meaning: in every state, the servant must will to do what he has been commanded