Professional Documents
Culture Documents
to
constancly fed messages that ask them to do something' whether
buy a product or revel in rhe bear ofa song or agree to its message'
Music, television, Internet, cellular phones (with Internet access)'
and films are so ubiquirous, one has to forcibly aLienate himself from
popular culture to find solace.
Evil whisperings and suggestions can come inavariety of forms'
visual and audible, They go to theheart, especially when people are
not circumspect as to what. they permit into their souls' Over rime
suggestions build up to the point one can no longer discern what
is
It addresses the cultural war cry, "work for the weekend," as if the
purpose of che E,eekd-a1.s is merely ro bankroll the entertainment
of
the weekends. People $,ho are serious about spiritual health
(about
174
Appendix One: Remembrance
j,
nings and in your mornings. All praise is His in the heauens and tbe earth titt
at tbe setting of the sun and at noonday (qunlN, 7ou7-fi),
God says, Had We sent down this Quran u[)on 6 ffiountain, you would
bave seen it humbled, rent asunder by the t'ear o/ God (quneN, 59rzr). The
word khasbya is fear that emanates from knowledge, not of the
unknown. The implication of the Quran being revealed is in itself
awesome enough to reduce a mountain to dust. It is the last of
God's revelations, the final heavenly message, thus fulfilling God's
covenant to guide humanity- The content of the Book reveals so
much about God, the reality of existence, the purpose of life, and
the Hereafter, no one can ever claim that he didn't know.
Obviously, dhikr should include reflective recitation of the
Quran, a practice that leads to awe, fear, reverence, and humil-
ity-lights of character for the human soul, God the Exalted says,
And We setfortb tbese examples t'or people so tbat tbey may refect (qunaN, 59:
zr). God offered the trust of faith and accountability to the heav-
ens, the earth, and the mountains, but they refused because of the
enormity of the responsibility.
The most excellent names of God (asma'-llah al-$usna) are aweII'
spring of spiritual enlightenment. Scholars have encouragedreEec'
tion on the names of God as a priceless form of dbikr. The tradi'
tional count of God's names are ninety'nine, all of which are in
the Quran.
He is God, there is no God but Him, knower of the unseen and the seen-
associate[with Him]. He is God, tbe Creator, the Maher, tbe Fasl'^itr::'. -'-:
are tbe most excellent names. All tbat is in tbe beauens and tbe e'i';i: :'--*,-:'::
Him. And He is the Overpowering, tbe All-Wise (qunaN, 5921 -:! -
175
PURIFICATION OF THE
"How wondrous that rnan can deny God, while io every movement
and stillness there is a witness and everything in creation testifies
that God is one." When one says, Subban'Atlab (Transcendent is God),
it is an affirmation that there is nothing comparable to God the
Exalted, who is completely fuee of any imperfection and is wholly
rranscendent, exalted far beyond what ignorant mortals attribute
to Him and beyond what even theLearnedknow of Him.
God determines that He will bring a human being into exist-
ence. This is God as al-Kbaliq(Creator).It is His profound wisdom
that the union of the male and female gametes in the womb of the
woman be the way in which this creation takes place. This is God
as al-BarT' (Maker). Those cells that result from this union dif{eren'
tiate and form the various parts of the body. The central nervous
system become distinguished from the respiratory organs. Mounds
of somites on the flanks of the fetus differentiate and form the hun-
dreds ofseparate muscles in the body, as nerves and blood vessels
follow them. The clump at the end of the arms endure a specific and
detarled pattern of cell death, and behold fingers aPPeat. Further,
each fingerp fint, each DNA, each human face is different from oth-
ers- This is God as al-Musawwir (Fasbioner).
All the separate names of God do not suggest that there is
alinearity to God the Exalted. It is for human benefit that God's
attributes are set in identiEable words that we may understand.
Imam al-Gh azih, says that because human beings can only look at
things from one aspect at a tirne, we require such revelations from
the unseen. God is one in essence and attribute, and eternally so-
We live in the age of Noah g in the sense that a flood of dis-
traction accosts us. It is a slorv and subtle drowning. For those who
notice it, they engage in the remembrance of God. The rites of wor-
ship and devotion to God's remembranc e (dhikr) are planks of the
ark. When Noah p started to build his ark, his people mocked him
and considered him a fool. But he kept building. He knew what was
coming. And we know coo.
rt6
APP endix One: Remembr an c e
who, when asked, declare their belief in the Hereafter, rheir Jee:-'
say something else. The essence of dbikr, then, is to remember :h::
we're on a ride that has a definite destination.
There ate important supplications that one should say elerl'-
day. One of my teachers said that if you are not in the habit of mak-
ing supplication, then at least say the following everyday: "I seek
refagein the perfect words of God from the evil in what He crear-
ed." According to a hadith, if one says this in the morning and the
evening, rhree time each, there will be pfotection from harm or eYil
that day. There is the famous srory of Khalid ibn al-walid telling
a group of Christians that nothing can harm a Person when some-
one evokes the name of God prop erly and sincerely- The Chrisrians
challenged him drink poison. Khalid took the poison, as he made
the supplication, and no harm came to him.
The next supplication is, "O God, I come to rhis morning wirh
blessings and well-being and shelrer from You, so complete l our
grace upon me, and lgrantme] well-being and shelter in this worlo
and the Hercafter." The Prophet $ said that whoever says rhis e'e-
ry morning three times has fulfilled his offer of gratitude for tha:
d^y.
Next the Prophet $ said that whoever recites the folior"':::=
-
four times, it is as if he has freed a human being from bondage' O
God, I come into the morning bearing witness before You-':':-:
before the Carriers of Your Throne, all Your angels, and J' '-:::-:-
ation-that You are God; there is no God but You alone "'":::' - -:
partr'er, and that Muhammad is Your servant and messe:g::-
The Propher fu tep.ated a supplication which :-::1'-'1 :s '--
semblance of hidden idolatry in one's soull "I beliere::' J:: ---'
Magnificenr, and I reject any sorcery and idolatrr" :---: - - ': =-"
-
to the firmest handle which never breaks, and Gc; 's ; ''-: : ' ' -:
all wise." It is said rhat thisirnbandle is rhe Q-::-: '-: :- '- ' :1
177
PURIFICATION OF THE
178
Appendix One: Remembr ance
179
PURIFICATION OF THE
on. W'e can forget that all of this can be swePt away, Ieaving us
with the realization of our only trae dependency. How many
times have we seen storms take way everythingfrom people: their
homes, cars, clothing, and savings?
There is an overriding religious ethic in Islam whose truth is
self-evident. If people are serious about living the covenant with
God-a more solemn activity does not exist-then there is no
choice but to keep our trust in God alive and to affrrm our faith
and belief in Him. This is not an acrivtty for one day of the week
or special sacraments performed a few times a year. This is not
the way humans were made. We require a constant and conscious
connection with God the Exalted. Supplication is an excellent
way to enliven our spiritual growth. When we ask of God, we
should do so with trust and certainty that God will answer it,
Never should we supplicate with a lazy mind, distracted heart,
ceremonial speech, or tone of sanctimony.Heartfelt supplication
is far more efficacious- These formulas of dbikr and supplication
have impact. The authentic testimonies of people recetving
blessings from God in the wake of making these heartfelt prayers
are numefous.
One should also say, "O God, I seek refuge in You from
worry fhamm) and grief ffuazanl, and I seek Your protection from
infirmiry and sloth. And I seek refuge in You from cowardice and
miserliness, and I seek refuge in You from the stress of debt and
from being tyrannizedb;'men." Hamm is worry for what may come
in the future, while l:azrr is grief over what has transpired in the
past. This supplicarion, rhen, is seeking God's prorection from the
past and from rhe fi.rrure, *'hich to God the Exalted are the same,
since He is not limited bi' rime or our PercePtions of linear time-
Infirrnity l'ajz] is not having the ability or Power to do something
because of some disabilin-. Slorh fkasll, however, is having the
alllity but not the desire, rhe *"iil, or the drive. Cowatdt'ce llubnl
is lacking the courage to be 6rm rvhen firmness is needed, while
r8o
APP endix One: Remernbt an c e
theChi1drenofAd.amfroma11sides.TbenI'.l:.i]'.-.-',;.',':..
: ."
' : - --
before tbem and Jro,tr L'ehi,td them and t'rom 'b'i' 'iS'
't't 't
r8r
PURIFICATION OF THE HEART
"O God, You have created me, and You have guided me' and
You provide me with food and You provide me with drink- And
You shall cause me to die and You cause me to live"'
"We have risen this morning on the original pattern of
Islam, on the word of sincerity, on the religion of the Prophet
Muhammad S, and on the creed of our fathet Abraham' who
was
18z
APP en dix One: Remembr anc e
also the sound hadith in which angels travel the earth seeking our
circles of believers engaged in the remembrance of God' Some
scholars believe that it is permissible to have grottp dhikr, but not
in unison, that is, not all speaking in one voice' Others say there is
no prohibition in speaking with one voice'
The point is: remember God. The Prophet $ rold hrs
r83
-
Appendix Two
fi+
Appendix Twu Ramadan and Putit'cation
r85
PURIFICATION OF THE HEART
r86
Appendix Two: Romadan and Pur".;,t';:::'.
plain that all that wehave is from God the Exalred an,i rs :-:: ;: *:
j
mystic result of our own talents and privilege? Prot-c'-:::: - -':-i -
being blame d, the fear of death, and other vices spoker ':: :, -::;-::
Mawlnd rise to the surface during Ramadan so ch:.: :::.' :!-- ::
more easily skimmed off and discarded-
A11 of these blessings of Ramadan come wich :i: :: -: -"' -L :
187
PURIFICATION OF THE HEART
yeat, no special moment. Even for those who Fast, who rnechani-
cally deprive themselves without striving to reach deep into their
souls for spiritual lessons, replenishment, and climbing, the month
comes and goes with only the sense of inconvenience andthen a cel-
ebration at the end. Then life goes on as it did the months of the
year before. One cannot help but notice a tragedy in this: God so
generously opens portals in time, truly special opportunities for us
to grow, learn, and build for our Hereafter, yet people turr- away
from it with casual notice and perfunctory interest.
Imdm al-Ghazali speaks much about Fasting in lf,ya' 'Ulam al-
DTn, in the chapter "The Secrets of Fasting-" He says that one of the
greatest blessings God has given humanity to protect itself from the
plots and clever machination of Satan is the fortress of Fasting. It is a
believer's shield. We have been shown in many verses of the Quran
and hadith of the Proph et fu rhat Satan makes inroads into one's
soul through hidden gates. There are two of them by which the
human being may be destroyed: shahawat and sbubuhat The former
is sensory, relattngto excessive pleasure (the stomach, the genitals,
and all the corollary things that go with that). Shububat relate to the
heart, which is where Satan works 6rst to create doubt and skepti-
cism about what God has revealed and, in fact, about God Himself.
(Satan has far less concern for the deeds of idolaters, those who
believe in a multiplrcrty of gods, or taint their monotheism with
attributes that. are wholly unbecoming of God the Exalted.)
To lure rhe believer inco doubt is Satan's game. To protect one-
self from this is a personal responsibility. We are explicitly told that
Satan's guile is wea-k (quux,
4:76) and that he has no authority
except over those who choose to make themselves vulnerable and
who are deluded (qun-rs, ry:zz, 16:99), So to shield against Satan's
whisperings, one must guard his creed, his sound belief, and shun
shady devices. This entails conforming one's worship with the sunna
or establishedpractice of che Prophec $, It requires deepening one's
knowledge in Islam and its various sciences.
r88
Appendix Two: Ramadan and Pt,nj.:.'.;,:
With regard to the verse, Eat and drink [in Paradisel witb full con'
tent for wbat yu bad done in tbe days gone by (quner.r, 69:24), Imam al-
Shaf i says that these bygone days refer to those spent Fasting.
This is, perhaps, the great lesson of Ramadan, traintng the soul to
forsake temporary sacrifice for a reward that far exceeds the meas-
ure of what we do. The sign of sound rational strength is putting
offshort-term pleasure for a gteater long-term pleasure.
Ir is importantto realize also that taking control of our desires
defeats Satan. More than a dozen times the Quran gives notice
that Satan is an avowed and open erLerny to humanity who seeks
to divert people from God's path and send them spiraling down
to debasement in this hfe and rhe next. One very important arma-
ment against Satan is Fasting, which shuts a door through which
Satan attacks men and women. And God says, If you help God, He
will help y ou and mak ey frm (qunaN, +z:z). Of course, God
our Jootbold
the Exalted is not in need of any help per se- What "help" here
means is accually helping oneself through such immensely benefi-
cial acts like Fasting, which vanquish one's caprice and control one's
desires. Fasting for religious purposes is becoming increasingly alien
in "pleasure societies," where the pursuit of worldly pleasure is so
ino rdinately ernphasized.
In a well-known hadith, the Prophet $ said that during
Ramadan devils are locked up. Why, then, do we still have bad
choughts? It is a common question. Scholars say that these thoughts
originate from our orvn souls battered by Satanic whisperings and
devices implanted in us. Another blessing of Ramadan now becomes
apparent. It is a rime ro see n'hat has happened to our soul, what
condition it is in, and ralie notice of our shortcomingsl jealousy,
envy, overzealous comperition, love of gossip, and the rest. During
Ramadan, these traits become clear, and a cleat enemy is easier to
defeat than a slinking one.
Imdm al-Ghazdlt sa1's rhat rhere is an outward and inward
Fasting. The outward pertains co making sure that rhe basics are
r90
Appendix Two: Ramadan and Purijcatictt:
I9I
PURIFICATION OF THE HEART
of doing anything illicit, like stealing; our feet ftee from going any'
where prohibited; our genitals free from pefietrating or receiving
what is not permissible; and our stomachs free from imbibing or
consuming forbidden and unwholesome food or drink or consum'
ing in excess' These are trusts we must Protect, and an indispensa-
ble method of protecting them is through Fasting'
Imam al-Gh azall says the higher form of Fasting-the Fasting
of the elect of the elect-is the Fasting of the heart from low aspira-
tions or from worldly thoughts or gains- Ramadan is known as the
month for spending for the sake of God-divesting oneself from
materialassers for the purpose of investing in the Hereafter- In the
other months, we are busy acquiring wealth, while in Ramadan we
are in the Hereafter'mode of thinking.
One of the scholars of Andalusia said the 6rst degree of walaya
(saintliness) with God is to take one's thoughts into account, that
is, to measure one's thoughts according to the scale of the Shart'a
(Islamic Sacred Law). Ramadan is the pelfect time to take account
of thelingeringwhisperings of the hearrandmind' In Ara6ic,'amty
(pl.'awdm) refers to someone whose concern is in such things as
the marketplace, which is a metaphor for worldly attachment- It is
important to rise above that, to transcend- There are scholars who
think rhat because they are learned, they are not among these'awam'
But this is not always true. There are street sweePers who know
only the minimum of their religious obligations and only a few pas-
sages from the Quran, bur their hearts are with God, while there
arelearnedpeople who are worldly in their ambitions'
Imlm al-Gh azeF sas,d, "How many people are not Fasting, but
with God they are Fastingi And how many people are Fasting, but
with God they are not Fasting?" In other words, there are people
who, throughout the year, gtardtheir eyes, ears, tongues, genitals,
feet, hands, and stomach from corruption. In reahty, they ate ful'
fllling the purpose of Fasting. Yet there are people who Fast physi-
cally but with God they are nor Fasring in that they are not vigilant
r92
Appendix Two: Ramadan and Purtf'c,;;:;.
not merely mean those who are known for their learnedness-
Imdm Muhammad ibn Salrnon conducted regular teachinq ses-
sions. One day arl.an came to one of his sessions, walked throug::
the gathering, whispered in the Imim's ear, and then deparre,i-
He did this for many days straight, to the point that the Imam
asked his students to leave a path for this man to make his wat' ro
him. One day the man stopped coming, and ImAm Sahnun asked
about his whereabouts. But the students had no idea why the man
stopped coming and why he had been coming in the first place. The
Imam then asked someone to 6nd him. When he was broughr ro
the ImIm, he asked, "You stopped visiting me, Why?" The man
said, "I am a poor man with daughters to tnarry. Some people *'ho
envy you offered me money if I would disturb you ever\- da1'. And
if I were able to make you angry andhumiliate you in fronc oi1-ou:
students, they would reward me so that I can marry mv daugh:ers.
But when I saw that I had no effect on yov, I gave up-" The Inar:-
told him, "Why didn't you just ask me for some moner-:.'' Th:s :-.
the training of Fasting, patience even in the face of insuir-
The Companion Salman al-Farisi once was aZoroast::rr'-. iz
saw the elders of that faith lighting their sacred fire r".'he::a-. e: ::
became extinguished, In fact, Salmdn's father was one o: :::e ::::-
in charge of keeping the fame. The elders would tell rhe ic;.: :::;:
the flame miraculously kept ablaze no matter what- B':: .-(' :-*.j":,
knew of the canard. He went out searching for the tn::h =:- t --:::-:
upon a Christian monk with whom he spent some'::r--- : -: j.
him, however, stealing public money and burying ic i:r :::: '. :.: t. j':
SalmAn lefc and came across another monk, rvho he :: '---' :: :,:
quite honest. The monk told Salman that the rii:-. ..-:.: -':::-.. .::
a prophet to appear in Yathrib and that he sho,-': ::--::::: ::.:::-
Salman was a seeker imbued with great pariel;- il ----:-. ; :-:. r-
spiritual wayfaring.
193
The patience of the Propher $ was peerless, given all that he
had gone through, all the tribulation that he faced. If we do not
learn patience from the act of Fasting, then we have missed some-
thing about this great rite of worship.
Scholars throughout the ages recommended that in order to ger
the most from Ramadan one should nor engage in excessive speech-
This is an Islamic ethic that should be practiced in general, But in
Ramadan, it is especially advised to be vigilant about whar we say,
since higher Fasting involves guarding the tongue. Also, it is impor-
tant to utllize our time well. This is a monrh that our righteous
forbears would beg God to let them wirness the month six months
before it came. And for six months after, they would beseech God
to accept the worship they performed during Ramadan. This is how
they viewed this great month. They wept when it passed, which is
hardly the popular reaction of our current day. Ramadan is a merci-
ful portal of time that opens and then closes. And none of us knows
whether or not we will see another Ramadan. So seize the moment
to gain God's mercy, forgiveness, and salvation. There is no capital
more worthy of our concern and effort than this.
Imam al-Gh azalt said that the greatesr proof of hum an deficien-
cy is the fact that. when a person does somerhing, shortly thereaf-
ter he realizes he could have done better- The scholars say use rhe
time, especially the night. Reserve a porrion of ir to read the Quran
and stand inPrayer. This is, of course, in addition ro the Tarawfu
Prayers. The Night Yigll (Qiyanr), even if short, is packed with
goodness. Ifir ofrhe nighr, rhen perhaps it is better to
is ar the end
recite the shorter suras, especialli.those that associated with special
benefits, like rhe closing verses of Surat aI-Baqara (sura z), Surat
al-Zalzala (sura 99), and ochers. Also perform rhe Midmorning
Prayer (Dubo), which is perlbrmed after the full rising of the sun
and before the sun reaches irs zenith. One may pray two, four, six,
or eight rak'as. This is a Praver thar rhe Prophet & aia regularly.If
one establishes these addirional acrs of worship during Ramadan,
194
Appendix Two: Rdmadan and Purtfcatioi:
they ni^ay be carried over throughout the year, spreading rhe re-:-
efit of Ramadan through the other months-
Also, performing the Prayers on time is considered a verv
important aspect in "establishingPnyers" as the Quran reminds
several times- We all know how tempting it is to delay the Prayer
to its last possible moment- The obvious problem with this is that
it can easily lead to neglecting thePrayer altogether. Imam Milik
in his Muw atta s aid, "The most impo rtant of all your affairs ar e y o:ut
Prayers. Whoever guards it and is vigilant abouc its cimes, he has
guarded his religion. And whoever is negligent therein, he is negli-
gent about all the other affairs in his life." It is reported that near
his death, the Prophet $ said, "The Prayer. The Pra;'er." So Prayer
is everything. There is no spiritual life without it.
Also know that the time betweenlate afternoon and sunset is
a special time for dhikr (rernembrance of God). .A-.r rime .r"'hen the
sun starts its decline) is the signaling of the end of ler anc.rher da)'
we have been blessed to see- It is a time of contempia:lurn of che
metaphor it represents, the decline of our lives, wirh surser sisriF"'-
ing the end of a lifetime. So it is a tirr.e to remember Goi a::d reach
out for His mercy. In this culture, however, people see :i: tll "r:
the day as an opportunity for entertainment- Taverns call i: ::::::'
hour," when people go to drink and willfull" k^'^-' 'L"-'- -: I
j
life's purpose.
As the Prophet S stated, there are two joys asso;:;;ei -;-,:::
Fasting. One is the joy of breaking the Fast, and the otre: :s -.i-i-:::
one meets his Lord. Scholars make the analosy thar b:e.-:::-:::::
Fast is like meeting our Lord.
It is best to break one's Fast as soon as the sun s::-.--
milk, or sip of water would be sufficient. One shoull ::r.:r :::
Sunset Prayer (Ntaghrrb) before the meal. The cine -r: '",-;:
short and goes by quickly- When sunset arrives, breil: ::-: l-
make the special supplication: "O God, for You I :::', = i'.:.:
in You have I placed my faith, And I break r-i-,'F'.: --:, :-.::
r95
PURIFICATION OF THE HEART
r96
Appendix Two: Rarnadan and Purification
the Book of God. Imam Abu $anifa said that rcading the Quran
at least twice a year ensures that one is not estranged from the
Quran or withdrawn from it. There is a verse in the Quran in
which the Prophet @ complained that the people have neglected
the Quran (253o), that is, they say whac is unrrue about it or dis-
miss it. Imlm al-Qurgubi says with regard to chis verse that on the
Day of Resurrection the Quran will bear wicness against those who
neglect it, even those who have learned it but who stopped giving it
proper attention. Ifone is unable to recite, then one shouldlisten to
a recording of the Quran. For those who are up to ic, there is a sev-
en day litany of completing the Quran: the 6rst day, one reads the
first three suras; the second day, the next 6ve suras; the third day,
the next seven suras; the fourth day, the next nine suras; she 6.fth
day, the next eleven suras; the sixth day, the next thirreen suras;
and the seventh day, the remaining suras.
Throughout the centuries, scholars have wrirten much about
Ramadan. It tra|y is an exceptional opportuniry ro deanse our
hearts of the diseases presented in this volume. Of course, che rem-
edies Imdm Mawlud speaks of can be applied any rime- But during
the month of miracles-when the Quran itself was revealed-small
good deeds are magnifi.ed andlarge deeds multiplied over ,"d over
again.
r97
-
Appendix Three
Ahmad a[-Zarcnq
May God give you and us success and rectify our worldly
and other-worldly lives and grant us adherence to the way
of the truth in our journeys and in our sojourns' Know
that repentance is a key, taqwa (God-consciousness) is vasc'
and uprightness is the source of rectrfrcation' A servant is
never free of either blunders or shortcomings or lassitude'
Therefore, never be negleccful of repencance, and never curn
awal' from the acr of rerurning to God the Exalted' and
never neglecr acts that bring ;'ou closer to God the Exalted.
Indeed, lvhenever one ofthese three occurs' then repent and
rerurn to God in pe::ren;e.
Every time that 1'3s i-aa-\e a mistake, listen and obey' Anytime
you display shortcomings or show lack of enthusiasm' do not
desist in your efforts' Ler r-our main concern be to remove
from your outer state anl-rhing that is displeasing, then
r98
APPendix Tbree: Ahmad ai'Z"'rri:
?::'-': -:-
maintain this state through continual counsel'
from e:'' .--"--i
doing this until you find that you are fleeing
rhar "':-:
outwardly displeasing is second nature and
things beco::'es
avoidance of the boundaries of prohibited
a protective mesh that is placed before you. At chis
poinr'
itistimetoturntnwardtowardyourheart,sPresen.e
and remembrance'
and to its realtty, by way of reflection
Donothastentheendresultbeforeyouhavecompleted
without looking
the beginning. But likewise, do not begin
one who seeks
toward the end result' This is because the
theoutsetattheendlosesprovidefitia|cate,andcheone
whoseekstheendattheoutsetlosesprovidentialguidance.
appropriace legal
Act in accordance with principles and the
and fantasies' Do
rulings, and not in accordance with stories
went with others
not even consider stories of how things
resolve' Indeed' do nor
except.as a tonic to strengthen your
take them as a reference based uPon
their outward forms or
what thev seem to be telling us' In all of
this' depend upon
that you can
a clear path you can refet to and a foundation
these is the parh
rely on in all of your states' The best of
direction to God' Do
of Ibn 'Ata'illah, given that it is a clear
not take from the words of others unless
it is in accordance
with your own Path, but submit to their implicarions it "-"u
desire realization. Avoid all forms of
vain and foul spee;h r"-
199
PURIFICA
with his state and give him of your counsel based upon his
inabilities and abilities, for the perfect friend is no longer to
be found. Indeed, in these times, even a suirable companion
who is agreeabLe rarely lasts- And beware of the majority of
people in matters that concern your religious and worldly
states unless you have ascertained a person has some sound
relationship with his Lord based upon a knowledge free of his
caprice or love ofleadership and based upon a sound intellect
free of the pitfalls of hidden agendas. Do not be heedless of
the machinations of others or their hidden states. Consider
these two from both their origins and their actions,
200
Appendrx Tbree: Abmad al-Zorraq
20r
PURIFICATION OF THE HE.