than they do and are held in higher esteem by the Muslim community. Kurz ibn Wabara, Kahmas and Ibn Tāriq complete the Quran ninety times a month, yet Ibn al-Musayyib, Ibn Sīrīn, al-Hasan and others hold a higher place in people’s hearts.

Likewise, you see many who wear wool, forsake worldly pleasures and lead austere lives, while others endowed with knowledge and faith, who come nowhere near them in these practices, are more highly esteemed and more dearly loved. This is solely because of the strength and purity of their inward devotion, its freedom from selfish desires and human impurities, and its purity from the hearts that cloud the devotion of those others. They attained this only through their firm certainty in what the Messenger brought, their hearts’ complete faith in him, their affection and love for him, and their dedicating all religious devotion to Allah alone. For the highest rank of hearts is their complete delight, elation and joy in what the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—brought, as the Most High said:

“Those to whom We have given the Scripture rejoice in what has been revealed to you.”

And the Most High said:

“Say, ‘In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy—in that let them rejoice.’”

And so the verse continues. Allah’s bounty and mercy are the Quran and faith. Whoever rejoices in this rejoices in the greatest possible cause for joy. Whoever rejoices in something else has wronged himself and misplaced his joy. When knowledge of Allah’s sufficiency for His servant, His mercy towards him, His forbearance with him, and His constant kindness and goodness to him becomes firmly established in the heart, it brings him joy and happiness greater than any lover’s delight in any beloved other than Him. Thus he continues to ascend