In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

The word ism (“name”) is derived from sumūw (“loftiness”) and sima (“sign or characteristic”). The way of one who practices remembrance of this name can be characterized (yattasimu)^{1A verb derived from the same root (w-s-m) as sima.} outwardly by different types of intense efforts (mujāhadāt) and can be elevated (yasmū)^{2A verb derived from the same root (s-m-w) as sumūw.} [inwardly] through aspiration to the places of witnessings (mushāhadāt). As for those who are not characterized by [these] modes of behavior (muʿāmalāt) outwardly, and [those who] have lost the loftiness of aspiration for intimate communications (muwāṣalāt) in the inner secrets of their hearts—one will not find the subtleties of remembrance in their speaking (qāla) or the generous gifts of nearness in the most felicitous state (ḥāla).

The meaning of Allāh (“God”) is the One who possesses divinity (ilāhiyya) and divinity lays claim to the attributes of majesty (jalāl). The meaning of bismillāh (In the name of God) is “in the name of the One who is unique in strength and power.” The Compassionate, the Merciful is the One who is the only One to initiate grace and help. Hearing the divinity [in the phrase “In the name of God”] causes awe and eradication (iṣṭilām) while hearing “the Compassionate” causes nearness and reverence (ikrām). Everyone whom the Real سبحانه treats with kindness upon hearing this verse is tossed between wakefulness (ṣaḥw) and effacement (maḥw), subsistence (baqāʾ) and annihilation (fanāʾ).^{3These four terms are explained in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla in the sections on “Wakefulness and drunkenness” (al-Ṣaḥw wa-l-sukr), “Effacement and affirmation” (al-Maḥw wa-l-ithbāt), and “Annihilation and subsistence” (al-Fanāʾ wa-l-baqāʾ), Risāla, 1:217–219, 222–223, 211–213.} When He unveils the attribute of divinity to such a one, He causes him to witness His majesty and his state is effacement. When He unveils the attribute of compassion to him, He causes him to witness His beauty and his state is wakefulness:

I disappear when I witness You,

then become alive again.

How often have I come to life before You

and how often have I passed away.^{4This verse was not located in Muṣṭafā.}

Alif lām mīm

According to some people, these isolated letters at the beginning of the sūra are among the ambiguous [verses], the interpretation (taʾwīl) of which is known only to God.^{1A reference to Qurʾān 3:7.} They say every book has a mystery and the mystery of God in the Qurʾān is these isolated letters.

According to other people they are acronyms for His names: the alif is from the name “Allah,” the lām indicates His name al-Laṭīf (“the Subtle”), and the mīm indicates His names al-Majīd (“the Glorious”) and al-Malik (“the King”).

It is said that God made an oath by means of these letters, an honor they hold because they are the basic elements of His names and His speech.

It is said that they are the names of sūras [of the Qurʾān].

It is said that the alif indicates the name Allāh, the lām indicates the name Jibrīl (Gabriel), and the mīm indicates the name Muḥammad ﷺ, since this Book descended from God on the tongue of Gabriel to Muḥammad ﷺ.

Among the [Arabic] letters, alif is independent (infaradat) in its form because it does not connect to other letters in writing; all but a few of the letters connect.^{2In Arabic script, the alif is one of six letters (out of a total of twenty-eight) that do not connect to the letter after them in a word.} By contemplating this quality, the servant becomes aware of the need of all creation for Him and His self-sufficiency from all.

It is said that the sincere servant remembers from the status of the alif the absolute freedom of the Real سبحانه وتعالى from being particularized by place. All of the letters have a place in the throat, the lip, or the tongue, etc., for articulation, except alif. It is His “He-ness” (huwiyya),^{3Huwiyya, from “he” (huwa) can also be translated as “essence” or “ipseity.”} and is not ascribed to any place.

It is said that the allusion in [the alif] is to the servant’s standing alone (infirād)^{4Infirād is the verbal noun of the verb infarada, the word al-Qushayrī uses several times in this section to describe the characteristics of the letter alif.} for the sake of God سبحانه وتعالى so that he would be like the alif which is not connected to any letter, and [he] would not abandon the state of standing straight and upright before Him.^{5Literally, “between His Hands” (bayna yadihi).}

It is said that by His address alif, the servant is called in his innermost self to withdraw (infirād) [his] heart to God most high. At His address lām, he is asked to yield (līn) to Him in considering His due. On hearing the mīm he is asked to conform (muwāfaqa) to His command regarding that which has been entrusted to him.

It is said that each letter has a specific form and the alif is alone (infaradat) in its being a vertical line, set apart from connection with other letters like it, so He assigned the beginning of the Book for it. This is an allusion to the fact that anyone who has renounced [their] connection with simulacra (amthāl) and distractions (ashghāl) will attain the good fortune of sublime rank and will win the ultimate degree. He becomes worthy of speaking with the detached letters (al-ḥurūf al-munfarida) which are not combined, following the custom of lovers (sunnat al-aḥbāb) in veiling the state and hiding the affair of [their] story from strangers. Their poet said:

I said to her, “stop” (qultu lahā qifī)

She said, “qāf.” (qālat qāf)^{6Muṣṭafā states that Abū Isḥāq al-Zajjāj recited this verse to show that Arabs used single letters to indicate words. In this case, the letter qāf indicates the words lā aqif, which means “I will not stop” (Muṣṭafā, no. 1, p. 80). It could also be understood as indicating the perfect tense of the same verb, waqaftu (“I have stopped”). The second line of this verse appears in the Basyūnī text but not in MSS K117, fol. 4a and Y101, fol. 6a. It has been omitted since it is not related to the point al-Qushayrī is making.}

She did not say, “I have stopped (waqaftu)” so that no onlooker would see, nor did she say, “I will not stop (lā aqif)” out of respect for the heart of the beloved, but rather she said [only] “qāf.”^{7In other words, she speaks in the “code” of lovers that allows for a hidden expression of intimacy.}

It is said that there are many expressions (ʿibārāt) for ordinary people (ʿumūm) and [many] symbols (rumūz) and allusions (ishārāt) for the elect (khuṣūṣ). He made Moses hear His words in a thousand (alf) places while He said to our Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, “Alif. . .” and [Muḥammad] said, “I was given the all-comprehensive words (jawāmiʿ al-kalim) and then the speech (kalām) was shortened for me.”^{8ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives Muslim and Ibn Ḥanbal among others as sources for this ḥadīth. Lane quotes authorities who understand the ḥadīth as meaning “I have had communicated to me the Qurʾān, in which many meanings are comprised in a few words” (E. W. Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon [Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1984] 1:458). Al-Qushayrī quotes the ḥadīth again in his commentary on Qurʾān 2:50.}

Someone said: My master said to me, “What afflicts you?” I said, “Do you dislike me?” He said, “Lām alif.”^{9Lām alif spells the word lā in Arabic, which means “no.”}

That Book, in it there is no doubt

It is said that that Book means “this Book.”^{1The word “that” (dhālika) in this Qurʾānic verse is commonly interpreted to mean “this” (hādhā).}

It is said that [that Book] is an allusion to that which preceded its revelation in the [divine] speech.

It is said [that it means] “that Book whose revelation I promised to you on the Day of the Covenant.”

In it there is no doubt for this is the time of its revelation. It is said, “that Book within which I prescribed mercy on Myself for your community—there is no uncertainty [regarding that] for it has been verified by what I have said.”

It is said that “[that Book is] the Book that is My predetermination (sābiq ḥukmī) and My eternal decree (qadīm qaḍāʾī), because in it there is no doubt regarding those for whom I have ruled happiness or those whom I have sealed with wretchedness.”^{2For the concept of God’s “sealing,” see Qurʾān 2:7, 6:46, 42:24, and 45:23.}

It is said that [it means], “My determination (ḥukm) is what I have said: without doubt My mercy precedes My wrath.”

It is said that [it is] an allusion to the faith, knowledge, love, and goodness that is written in the hearts of His friends. Surely the Book of the lovers is something cherished by the lovers, especially when deprived of meeting. In the Book of the lovers, [they find] their consolation and intimacy, their healing and refreshment. With respect to this, they recite:

Your writing is all around me,

it does not leave my bed.

There is healing in it for that

which I conceal.^{3Muṣṭafā points out that this verse is also quoted without attribution in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla (Muṣṭafā, no. 2, p. 103). The additional line he cites does not appear in the Risāla (1:276).}

They also recite:

The book brought

what is most cooling to our eyes,

a healing for hearts;

thereby the utmost limits of desires are granted.

People divided happiness

into portions

among themselves.

The most fortunate of them was I.^{4Muṣṭafā traces a slightly different version of these verses to Abū Muḥammad al-Khāzin (Muṣṭafā, no. 3, p. 111).}

A guidance for the God-fearing

That is, [it is] an explanation and proof, a light and a highway for those whom the Real سبحانه وتعالى has protected from the darknesses of ignorance, and given insight with the lights of the intellect, and selected for the realities of connecting (waṣl). For the friends (awliyāʾ) this Book is a healing (shifāʾ) and for the enemies (aʿdāʾ) [it is] blindness and affliction (balāʾ). The one who is God-fearing (muttaqin) is one who fears (ittaqā) looking to his own fear of God (taqwā); he does not rely on it nor does he consider that he can be saved except through the grace of his Protector.

Who believe in the unseen, and maintain the prayer

The true meaning of belief (īmān) is affirmation (taṣdīq) and then actualization (taḥqīq), both of which are brought about by God’s granting of success (tawfīq). The affirmation is in the pledge (ʿaqd)^{1The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 4b and Y101, fol. 6b here with ʿaqd, rather than the word “intellect” (ʿaql) found in the Basyūnī edition.} and actualization is through the exertion of effort (jahd) in preserving the pact (ʿahd) and observing the limit (ḥadd). The believers are those who affirm (ṣaddaqū) their commitment (iʿtiqād) and then are sincere (ṣadaqū)^{2“Those who affirm” (ṣaddaqū) and “those who are sincere” (ṣadaqū) are both verbs derived from the root ṣ–d–q.} in their effort (ijtihād).

As for the unseen, what the servant knows of it is limited to what is necessary. The servant understands each religious matter by a kind of reasoning (istidlāl), a mode of mental examination (fikr) and calling forth of evidence (istishhād). So the belief is invisible (ghaybī) within it. The Lord سبحانه وتعالى is unseen (ghayb) and what the Real speaks about with regard to the gathering and the resurrection, the reward and the place of return, and the reckoning and punishment, is unseen.

It is said that only someone who has the lamp of the unseen with him believes. Those who are supported by the demonstrative proof of intellects (burhān al-ʿuqūl) believe through the corroboration of knowledge (dalālat al-ʿilm) and what points to certainty (ishārat al-yaqīn). The veracity of reasoning (ṣidqu al-istidlāl) brings them to the courtyards of seeking insight (istibṣār), and what is correct in the evidence they call forth (istishhād) carries them to the elevated observation points of stillness. Their faith in the unseen comes through the types of knowledge (ʿulūm) they possess, crowding out the causes of doubt. [Others] receive deeper instruction (taʿrīf) through curtains of lights He has lowered down over them. Through the glimmers of clear evidence (bayān), He has freed them from the need for any reflection (fikr) and vision (ruʾya), any seeking of pure intuitions (khawāṭir zakiyya) or rejection of ignoble urgings (dawāʿin radiyya).^{3The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 4b and Y101, fol. 6b.} The suns of their innermost selves rise and they no longer have any need for the lamps of their reasoning (istidlāl). Regarding this they have recited:

From your face my night has become

the sun of the bright morning.

The darkness in the air

is elsewhere.

People are in

the twilight of darkness.

While we, from your face,

are in the bright morning light.^{4The translation follows the version of these lines found in MSS K117, fol. 4b and Y101, fol. 6b: laylī min wajhiki shams al-ḍuḥā wa-innamā l-ẓulma fī l-jaww al-nās fī l-ṣadafa min laylihim wa-naḥnu min wajhiki fī l-ḍawʾ. Muṣṭafā notes that al-Qushayrī cites this passage elsewhere in his Laṭāʾif al-ishārāt and his Risāla (Muṣṭafā, no. 6, p. 59). The version of the poem in the “Section on advice for aspirants” (Bāb al-waṣiyyya li-l-murīdīn) in the Risāla is slightly different than the one here (Risāla, 2:732).}

They also recite:

The sun of the one who loves you

has appeared at night.

[The night] is illuminated

since she^{5The word “sun” (shams) is grammatically feminine in Arabic.} does not set.

The sun of day

sets at night,

while the sun of hearts

never disappears.^{6Muṣṭafā traces these lines to al-Ḥallāj’s Dīwān (Muṣṭafā, no. 9, p. 27).}

Anyone who believes in the unseen through witnessing the unseen (ghayb) becomes absent (ghāba) in witnessing it. He becomes an absent one who is himself unseen (fa-ṣāra ghayban yaghīb).

As for maintaining prayer, it is maintaining its pillars and practices, and then absenting oneself (ghayba) from witnessing them, looking instead to the One to whom prayer is offered. Thus one will preserve the precepts of the command for Him in what is performed for Him from Him, effaced from regarding [the act of prayer]. Souls such as this face the qibla with their hearts immersed in the realities of the communion [of lovers]:

I see myself, when praying,

turning my face toward her

even though the direction of prayer

is the other way.

I pray but don’t know whether

I have completed

the two [rakats] of the morning prayer

or eight.^{7Muṣṭafā attributes a slightly different version of these lines to the Dīwān of al-Majnūn (Muṣṭafā, no. 2, p. 122).}

Ordinary people strive, when beginning to pray, to direct their hearts back to the awareness of what they are performing as an obligation, yet they do not turn back from the torrents of forgetfulness. The elect, on the other hand, direct their hearts back to the awareness of what they are performing, yet they do not turn back from the realities of the communion [of lovers]. What a difference between one who attends to the precepts of the law but is absent in the familiar territories of his forgetfulness, and the one who turns back to the precepts of the law but is absent in the realities of communion.

and of what We have provided them expend

“Provision” (rizq) is that from which mankind derives benefit. The tafsīr tradition says that they expend their wealth either through supererogatory acts or obligatory acts, according to the details of [juridical] knowledge. However, the allusion [in the verse] explains that they do not hold back anything from God سبحانه وتعالى of that which has been made easy for them. They expend their lower selves in the refined manners of servanthood (ādāb al-ʿubūdiyya) and they expend their hearts in the perpetual witnessing of lordship (mushāhadat al-rubūbiyya). The followers of the law (sharīʿa) expend with respect to wealth (amwāl) and the masters of reality (ḥaqīqa) expend with respect to states (aḥwāl). [The followers of the sharīʿa] are those for whom the 2.5 percent [alms]^{8The obligatory amount of almsgiving (zakāt).} is sufficient, with one’s entire wealth taken into account [in determining] the minimum amount, according to the practices of the sunna. As for the people of realities, if they grant even a moment of the entirety of their states to themselves and their own worldly fortunes, the resurrection looms before them.

The ascetics (zāhidūn) expend the pursuit of their own whim or passion (hawā) on the path, for they prefer the good pleasure of God over their own desires. The worshipers (ʿābidūn) expend their ability and power in the way of God, constantly clinging to their fear of God (taqwā),^{9The translation follows the word “fear of God” (taqwā) found in MSS K117, fol. 5a and Y101, fol. 7a rather than the word nufūs found in the Basyūnī edition.} privately and publicly. The aspirants (murīdūn) expend in His way what distracts them from remembering their Protector (mawlā), so they do not pay any attention to anything in their present world or their world to come. Those with deeper knowledge (ʿārifūn) expend in the way of God everything other than their Protector (mawlā), so the Real سبحانه draws them near and gives them refuge and by virtue of being alone with Him, He suffices^{10The translation follows the phrases “He gives them refuge (āwāhum)” and “He suffices for them (kafāhum)” from MS K117, fol. 5a.} for them.

The rich expend from their blessings for the sake of what is to come while the poor (fuqarāʾ)^{11Al-Qushayrī uses the word “the poor” (fuqarāʾ) to mean both the indigent and those who have attained the spiritual station of poverty. See the “Section on poverty” (Bāb al-faqr), Risāla, 2:536–549.} expend from their aspirations for the sake of turning [to God]. It is said that [the instruments of] the servant are his heart, his body, and his possessions. Thus by their faith in the unseen, they [serve] through their hearts, by their praying they [serve] through their lower selves, and by their expenditure they [serve] through their possessions, so that they become worthy of the special favors (khaṣāʾiṣ) of drawing near to that which they serve and worship. When they exist entirely through^{12The translation follows the preposition “through” (bi) found in MSS K117, fol. 5a and Y101, fol. 7a rather than “for the sake of” (li) found in the Basyūnī edition.} His Truth, they become deserving of the perfection of intimate friendship (khuṣūṣiyya).

and who believe in what has been revealed to you; and what was revealed before you; and of the hereafter, they are certain.

Their belief in the unseen necessarily requires their belief in the Qurʾān and in what God has revealed in the books before the Qurʾān, but He repeats the mention of belief here for the purposes of specification (takhṣīṣ) and corroboration (taʾyīd). To affirm (taṣdīq) [Muḥammad’s role as] the intermediary ﷺ^{1That is, Muḥammad.} in some of what he has communicated obligates the affirmation of him in all that he has communicated, since the evidence of his sincerity bears witness generally, without any restriction. They have certainty in the hereafter because they have witnessed the unseen:

When the Messenger of God ﷺ asked Ḥāritha, “How is your state?” He said, “I have become one who submits to God in truth and it is as if I were with the people of the garden exchanging visits, and as if I were with the people of the fire clamoring to one another, and as if I were with the throne of my Lord in plain sight. The Messenger of God ﷺ said, “You have it right, so keep to it.”^{2Basyūnī mentions in a footnote that al-Ṭabarānī’s Muʿjam al-kabīr classifies this ḥadīth as having a weak chain of transmission (isnād). ʿAbd al-Raḥmān cites a few sources for the ḥadīth, including al-ʿUqaylī’s Kitāb al-ḍuʿafāʾ al-kabīr. Al-Qushayrī cites a shorter and slightly different version of this ḥadīth in his commentary on Qurʾān 2:50.}

ʿĀmir b. ʿAbd al-Qays^{3This is one of the rare places in the Laṭāʾif al-ishārāt where al-Qushayrī mentions an individual by name. The same quote appears in the “Section on certainty” (Bāb al-yaqīn), Risāla, 1:393.} said, “If the veil were to be lifted, it would not increase my certainty.” The real meaning of certainty is to rid oneself of indecisive guessing (takhmīn) and to avoid loose conjecturing (ẓunūn).

Those are upon guidance from their Lord; those are the ones that will prosper

It means, “[Those are] in possession of clear evidence, certainty, unveiling, and realization from their Lord.” He discloses Himself to their hearts first by His signs, then by His attributes, and then by His reality and essence.

Some people are upon guidance from their Lord by means of rational proofs (dalāʾil al-ʿuqūl). They apply [these proofs]^{1The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 5a and Y101, fol. 7a, which have the pronoun hā (referring to the proofs), rather than the Basyūnī edition which has the dual pronoun humā.} properly and therefore attain truths of different types of knowledge (ḥaqāʾiq al-ʿulūm). Other people possess insight (baṣīra) into the courtesies of drawing near, so that through witnessing the mercy and generosity [of God] they attain the perspicuity (bayān) of certainty. The truth appears to others in their innermost selves so that they witness the reality of the eternally sought and impenetrable (ṣamadiyya), and they attain to the source of the faculty of insight by virtue of deeper knowledge (ʿirfān).

Those are the ones that will prosper: Prosperity is to succeed in one’s objective and to win what is sought. He grants the folk^{2Al-Qushayrī seems to be using the word “folk” (al-qawm) here to refer to Sufis, as he does in many places in his Risāla.} subsistence (baqāʾ) at the place^{3The word “place” (mashad) can mean the “place of assembly.” Al-Qushayrī may also have in mind another meaning of this word, which is the “place where a martyr dies,” in this case meaning the place where the individual self is annihilated (fanāʾ).} of meeting and they succeed in subduing the enemies that are the clamor of the false notions (hawājis) of the lower self. Then the thoughts (khawāṭir)^{4Al-Qushayrī uses khawāṭir as a general term for thoughts and inspirations that come from both reliable and unreliable sources. See his section on “Thoughts” (al-Khawāṭir), Risāla, 1:242–243.} that come to hearts disappear and they stand by the Real for the Real without the intermediary of an intellect (ʿaql), or recourse to memory (dhikr) and reflection (fikr).

As for the disbelievers, alike it is for them whether you have warned them or have not warned them, they do not believe.

Those who are veiled by the covering of their own qualities are kept from witnessing His truth. The allusion here is that both are the same to them—the words of one who tries to lead them to the Real (ḥaqq) or the words of one who aids them in seeking to attract worldly fortune (ḥaẓẓ). Nay, they are more inclined to the calls to heedlessness and prefer to pay attention to them. How could they not, when they are marked with the branding of separation, locked in the prison of absence, and barred from the place of nearness. None of them will attain faith (īmān) because they have no security (amān) from the Real. Because they have not been granted security (lam yuʾmanū) they do not believe (lam yuʾminū). A decision (ḥukm) God has already made is inalterable and a word from Him is final. [God’s] power cannot be opposed. Fearsome attacks will surprise those who contest what has been decreed by the Real and the decision [of the Real] will catch them unaware.

It is said that the disbeliever does not desist from his error because of the misery that is already his. Likewise the one who is bound by the shackles of his lower self is veiled from witnessing the unseen and His reality, for he cannot see the right way or pursue the right course. It is said that for the one who remains in the darknesses of his foolishness, the advice of sound guides and the fictions of those who speak falsely are equal to him, for God has removed from his states the blessings of being able to judge between two things. He does not come with an ear to acceptance and pays little attention to the one who calls to right conduct. As it is said:

My sincere advice (naṣīḥatī)

is the concern of the sincere (naṣūḥ).

The disobedience of the sincere

is My concern alone.^{1Muṣṭafā states that he was unable to trace this verse to any other source (Muṣṭafā, no. 1, p. 42). Although al-Qushayrī sees the abandonment of disobedience as praiseworthy, he understands this abandonment as an act originating in divine generosity (see his commentary on Qurʾān 3:102). In his commentary on the command to obey in verse 3:32, al-Qushayrī notes that the verse says that God loves not the disbelievers. Al-Qushayrī adds, “He did not say “the disobedient” (ʿāṣūn) but rather “the disbelievers” (kāfirūn), so the address indicates that He loves the believers even if they are disobedient.”}

It is also said that whoever has strayed from bearing witness to the favors that have been allotted to him imagines that the matter comes from what he does and does not do.^{2Literally, his movements (ḥarakāt) and states of rest (sakanāt).} [Such a person] relies on his own actions and is blind to witnessing [God’s] gifts (fa-ittakala ʿalā aʿmālihi wa-taʿāmā ʿan shuhūd afḍālihi).

God has set a seal on their hearts, and on their hearing; and on their eyes is a covering; and for them will be a mighty chastisement.

The seal on something prevents anything from entering it or coming out. Similarly, the Real سبحانه has determined that the ignorance and error in the hearts of His enemies will not be removed, nor will any insight or guidance enter into them. There is a covering of forsakenness over the hearing of their hearts. The faculties of hearing have been blocked from receiving the speech of the Real with respect to belief, so the whisperings of Satan and the murmurings (hawājis) of their lower selves distract [the heart] from listening to the intuitions (khawāṭir) that come from the Real. As for the elect, the intuitions that come from different kinds of knowledge (ʿulūm)^{1Here al-Qushayrī means legalistic or intellectual types of knowledge.} and preoccupation with the results to questions in their hearts—these distract their hearts from the secrets of the Real coming to them without intermediary. That is only for the elect of the elect. For this reason the Messenger of God ﷺ said, “There have been inspired men (muḥaddathūn) in communities and if there is one in my community, it is ʿUmar.”^{2ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives al-Zabīdī among other sources for this ḥadīth.} This inspired one is singled out from the elect just as the one who possesses different types of knowledge is singled out from among ordinary people. There is a covering over the eyes of outsiders so they will not see either by the “sight” (baṣar) of different kinds of knowledge or by the inner sight (baṣīra) of realities. And for them will be a mighty chastisement because of their supposing that they have something and their heedlessness of what they have been given in tribulation in the present (fī l-ḥāl) and the end (wa-l-maʾāl), in their separation in the here and now (fī l-ʿājili furqatihi) and their burning in what is to come (wa-fī l-ājil ḥurqatihi).^{3The translation of this sentence follows MSS K117, fol. 5b and Y101, fol. 7b.}

And some people there are who say, “We believe in God and the last day”; but they are not believers.

They stayed firm in their hypocrisy and persisted in deceiving the Muslims, so God tore off their veils by His saying, “but they are not believers.” Thus it is said:

Whoever adorns himself with something

other than what is in him,

the test exposes what

he is only pretending.^{1Muṣṭafā traces this verse to Abū ʿAmr b. al-ʿAlāʾ (Muṣṭafā, no. 6, p. 120).}

When their words were stripped of their meanings, the harm they received from them was greater than the benefit they had imagined in them, for God most high said, Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest level of the fire [4:145]. If it were not for their hypocrisy, their punishment would not have been increased.

It is said that when they lacked true sincerity in their states (ṣidq al-aḥwāl), the correct words (ṣidq al-aqwāl) were of no benefit to them. God most high said, “God bears witness that the hypocrites truly are liars” [63:1] for they used to say, “We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of God.” In a similar way, the one who outwardly declares what he has not yet realized will immediately be exposed before the masters of realization. It has been said:

O you who claim

love for Sulaymā

You have nothing from her,

not even nail clippings.

You are only like a wāw^{2A letter of the Arabic alphabet.}

in [your] love for her

attached in spelling

in the wrong place to ʿAmr.^{3The letter wāw is added in spelling to the name ʿAmr to distinguish it from the name ʿUmar, but it is not pronounced. Muṣṭafā traces these lines to Abū Nuwās’s Dīwān (no. 7, p. 59).}

They would deceive God and the believers; and they only deceive themselves; and they are not aware.

The harm of their deception and the punishment for it comes back to themselves, so it is as if they have deceived themselves in actuality, for they devalue and belittle themselves. No one suffered the harm of their actions but themselves—they cut off their own lifeblood. When there is one who knows the true nature of things, the one who desires to deceive him only deceives himself.

The allusion in this verse is to the one who has forgotten [God’s] prior kindness. He says, “mine, through me, from me and I,”^{1As Basyūnī points out in a footnote, this sentence echoes one in the “Section on unity” (Bāb al-tawḥīd) in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla, 2:587.} slandering in his delusion and conjecture [what should be] “Yours, through You, from You, and You.” This delusion is the most difficult of punishments because he sees a mirage (sarāb) and thinks it is drink (sharāb) until he comes to it and finds it to be nothing, and he finds God there, who pays him his account in full [24:39].

In their hearts is a sickness; and God has increased their sickness; and there awaits them a painful chastisement because they used to lie.

In the hearts of the hypocrites is the sickness of making partners [with God] (shirk)^{1MS K117, fol. 5b has the word “doubt” (shakk) here rather than shirk, which is the word found in the Basyūnī edition and MS Y101, fol. 8a.} and God increases their sickness in their imagining that they have been saved by deceiving the Muslims. The pain of their grievous punishment will reach them in the end. The allusion pertains to whoever has confused his ultimate objective (qaṣd) with his worldly concerns (ḥaẓẓ) and mixed his spiritual desire (irāda) with his whims (hawā), taking one step forward with spiritual desire and one step backward with worldly concerns, and following the lower self. He is neither a sincere seeker (murīd) nor permanently neglectful.^{2The translation follows the word ghāfil from MSS K117, fol. 5b and Y101, fol. 81 rather than the word “discerning” (āqil) from the Basyūnī edition.} If the hypocrites had been sincere in their beliefs, they would have been safe from the punishment in the hereafter just as they were safe from paying the jizya tax and the like in this world in the manner of polytheists and dhimmīs.^{3Dhimmīs refer to peoples of other revealed religions who were given a protected status provided they accepted the sovereignty of Muslim rule and paid the jizya tax.} Similarly, if the seeker (murīd) had been sincere in his spiritual desire, he would have reached out in his heart to the realities of the communion [of lovers] and the blessings of sincerity would have reached him and he [would have] attained what he desired. But his state is as it has been said:

We have not been firm

but justice will be firm with us without bending.

If we had been sincere (khalaṣnā),

we would have been saved (takhallaṣnā) from tribulation.^{4This verse was not located in Muṣṭafā.}

There is a barrier between one whose worship has become weak and the degrees of the gardens (darajāt al-jannāt). There is a barrier between one whose spiritual desire has become weak and the intimate communications of nearness and whispered confidences (muwāṣalāt al-qurb wa-l-munājāt).

As for those who rely on this world and follow [their] whims, their reliance on the abode of illusion is an illness of their hearts. The increase in their disease will increase as their greed increases. The more they find something from [this world], the more their greed multiplies for what they have not found, hastening the punishment for them. Among [their] immediate punishments are the dissipation of their aims and then the loss of all pleasure in their lives. They are kept by [these punishments] from their Protector (mawlā). There will be no enjoyment for them nor rest in what they have preferred when [they] follow their own whims. This is the requital for anyone who abandons the companionship of his Protector. It is said regarding this:

She changed and we changed.

Alas to anyone who

has sought but did not find a

replacement to let him forget.^{5Muṣṭafā corrects the problems he notes in this verse through reference to a very similar verse attributed to al-Mustaẓhir bi-Llāh: tabaddalū wa-tabaddalnā wa-akhsarnā man ibtaghā badalan minnā fa-lam yajid (Muṣṭafā, no. 14, p. 47). Al-Qushayrī cites this verse again in his commentary on Qurʾān 3:116.}

The allusion in [the words] the painful chastisement because they used to lie is to the grief on the Day of Unveiling when they see how those like them who were sincere (ṣadaqū) have arrived (waṣalū) and they see themselves and how they have lost (khasirū).

When it is said to them, “Do not [foment] corruption in the land,” they say, “We are only putting things right.”

Truly, they are the agents of corruption, but they perceive not.

This alludes to the fact that when thoughts of warning came secretly to their hearts, calling them to right conduct, they followed self-indulgent interpretations (rukhaṣ al-taʾwīl) and deceived themselves about that which bore witness to the hardness of their hearts. When they denied the proof of the Real in the thoughts that came to their hearts, God took the blessing away from their states and in its place gave them a deaf ear to the Real. Their affliction is in their resistance to the path (ṭarīqa) and their loss of belief in it.

Just as an apostate is a more intense enemy to Muslims, so the one who returns from spiritual desire (irāda) to the world and ordinary customs is the worst of people in rejecting this path, and the most distant from its followers. As the proverb goes, “Anyone who loses their stored grain to fire wishes the same for others.” According to the sincere among those [on the path], the help of those who have deserted the way of spiritual desire should not be accepted, just as the Messenger ﷺ did not accept the almsgiving (zakāt) of Thaʿlaba.^{1The reference is to Thaʿlaba b. Ḥāṭib al-Anṣārī l-Awsī. The story can be found in Tafsir al-Jalālayn, trans. Hamza, in the commentary on 9:75–77. He was a man who asked the Prophet to pray on his behalf for wealth, which he promised he would use to help those in need. The Prophet prayed for him and he became wealthy but he reneged on his promise. Some time later, he came to Muḥammad and wanted to pay the alms tax (zakāt) but the Prophet said that God had forbidden him to accept it from him, whereupon he began to throw earth on his head in remorse.}

It is said that it is sufficient to expose those who lie by saying to such a person’s face, “You have lied.” When they said, “We are only putting things right,” the Real سبحانه showed them to be liars and He said, “Truly, they are the agents of corruption, but they perceive not,” meaning “We are aware of them and have exposed them.”

When it is said to them, “Believe as the people believe,” they say, “Shall we believe as fools believe?” Truly, they are the foolish ones, but they know not.

Here the allusion is to the hypocrites who, when they were called to the Real, described the Muslims as foolish. Similarly, when the wealthy are commanded to renounce this world, they describe the people of right conduct as lazy and weak. They say the poor (fuqarāʾ) have nothing because they have no wealth, no status, no comfort, and no livelihood. In truth, they [the wealthy] are the poor and they are those who are tested. They fall into ignominy out of fear of ignominy, and struggle with abasement out of fear of abasement. They construct castles (quṣūr) but live in tombs (qubūr). They adorn the cradle (mahd) but are wrapped in the grave (lahd). They gallop in the fields of heedlessness (ghafla) but stumble in the wadis of grief (ḥasra). Soon they will come to know, but then their knowledge will not benefit them. Nothing will be of use to them.

When the dust clears

you will see

whether a horse or a donkey

is beneath you.^{1Muṣṭafā traces this verse to Badīʿ al-Zamān al-Hamadhānī (Muṣṭafā, no. 8, p. 59).}

When they meet those who believe, they say, “We believe”; but when they go apart to their devils they say, “We are with you; we were only mocking.”

God [Himself] mocks them, leaving them in their insolence, bewildered.

The hypocrites wanted to maintain their relations with disbelievers while associating with Muslims, so when they appeared before Muslims they said, “We are with you” and when they were alone with those like them among the disbelievers, they voiced their loyalty to them. They wanted to have relationships with both sides but they were excluded from both. God most high said, “Wavering, all the time—not to these, neither to those” [4:143]. Similarly, anyone who wants to combine the path of spiritual desire (irāda) with [one’s habitual behavior] with ordinary people (ahl al-ʿāda) [should know that] this cannot be done since the two opposites cannot be combined. “The servant who has contracted with his master to be freed is still a servant until the last dirham [is paid].” When night draws nigh, day slips away. Anyone who has a hodgepodge (khalīṭ) in every corner (nāḥiyya) and a heart bound (rabīṭ) in every nook (zāwiyya) is headed for disaster. First one group and then another take turns dwelling in his heart, so that it is forever ruined.^{1The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 6b and Y101, fol. 9a.} There is no pleasure for him in life nor does he truly possess any provision^{2The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 6b and Y101, fol. 9a with the word “weight” (wazn) rather than “provision” (rizq), as found in the Basyūnī edition.} from his heart. The one who spoke for them said:

I see you as someone left over

from the people of Moses

for they do not wait

patiently for food.^{3Muṣṭafā traces this verse to Abū Nuwās in several works, including his Dīwān (Muṣṭafā, no. 3, p. 103). The poem refers indirectly to Qurʾān 2:61.}

When the hypocrites said, “we were only mocking,” God most high said, “God [Himself] mocks them,” that is, He requites them for their mocking. Similarly when people put the reins in the hands of carnal desires, they are lured into the wadis of separation. Their feet are not firmly planted in a place, so they wander in the labyrinth of absence. Just as he leaves the hypocrites in their insolence, bewildered, he prolongs the period [in which they dwell with] their confused hopes. So when the times of their deaths draw nigh, their hopes are at their highest, while their actions are at their lowest. That is the requital for what they did and the noxious result of what they produced. The beautification of their ugly acts in their eyes is the worst of their punishments, and their being content with their listlessness is their greatest misfortune.

Those are they who have bought error for guidance; so their commerce has not profited them; nor are they guided.

This alludes to those who have neglected what is due (ḥuqūq) by remaining in the familiar territories of worldly fortunes (ḥuẓūẓ). [They] have lost their bargain, so their commerce has not profited them. Those who are content with this world over the next are in manifest loss. Those who prefer this world or the next over the Real have the most intense loss. Although the one who suffers the loss of [the gardens] of bliss will come up short, the one who is afflicted with distance from intimate conversation and the disengagement of his heart from his Protector, the one who remains in the captivity of carnal desires with no messenger [reaching] his heart, the one without attainment for his spirit, without intimate conversation with Him, without approach to Him, without the witnessing [of Him] in his innermost self—this is the one who [truly] suffers and is afflicted. If even a moment slips away, his Lord has slipped away. Moments have no substitutes or alternates. Thus someone said:

You were the pupil

of my eye.

[The organ] by which I see

wept for you.

Anyone who has a will after you,

let him die,

for I used to be

a guard over you.^{1Muṣṭafā traces these lines to Ibrāhīm b. al-ʿAbbās b. al-Ṣūl, as well as others. It is a lamentation for a lost son (Muṣṭafā, no. 9, pp. 59–60).}

Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindled a fire, and when it illumined [the area] all about him God took away their light and left them in darkness, unable to see,

The similitude God سبحانه strikes here for hypocrites is that of someone who kindles a fire in the beginning of the night, then the fire is extinguished and he is left in the darkness. Similarly, something of the benefits of this world appear to the hypocrites outwardly but then they are afflicted in the hereafter by the pain of the punishment. Or [it may be that] something of their affirmation (iqrār) flashes, but then they remain in the darkness of their denial (inkār).

The allusion in this verse is to one who has a beautiful beginning, traveling the path of spiritual desire (ṭarīq al-irāda). He toils for a time and endures one difficulty after another. He then returns to this world before having reached the truth and reverts to the darknesses of human nature within him. His stem sprouted but did not bear fruit. His branch blossomed but did not ripen. He hastened the eclipse of listlessness over the moons of His presence. The hand of subjugation rejected him after the tongue of kindness beckoned him. His heart moved away from closeness and his lower self became full of rancor toward the seekers. He is as it is said:

When passion settled in^{1The translation follows the verb “settled in” (qarra) rather than “was complete” (tamma) as found in MSS K117, fol. 6b and Y101, fol. 9a.}

and we said we were happy,

we thought we were secure

from growing apart.

Division sent its messengers

in secret

and destroyed what we had brought together

in our union.^{2Muṣṭafā states that he was unable to trace this verse to any other source (Muṣṭafā, no. 4, p. 111).}

The allusion in this verse also pertains to one who grasps [only] the lowest level of comprehension but makes claims far above what he [knows]. When the ongoing increase^{3There is a blank in the Basyūnī edition which has been filled in with the word mādda from MSS K117, fol. 6b and Y101, fol. 9b.} he possesses in his states is cut off, he remains in the darkness of his claims.

There is also [an allusion to] the one who relies on the rubble and glitter of this world. When [his] states become like a well-trodden road, helped along by hope and rising expectation, death appears as an ambush of the divine ruse. He leaves everything (yatruk al-kull) but carries the burden forth (yaḥmil al-kall).

deaf, dumb, blind, they shall not return

Deaf to hearing the calls of the Real with the ears of their hearts, dumb to whispered conversation with the Real with the tongue of their innermost selves, blind to witnessing the flow of decreed events with the eyes of their faculties of insight. They shall not return from their persistent shamelessness nor can they be deterred from their wholehearted embrace of errors.

It is said deaf to hearing through the Real, dumb to speaking through the Real, blind to studying creation through the Real. There was no predetermination for them to desist (iqlāʿ), and no allotment to help them by means of being deterred (irtidāʿ).

Or as a cloudburst out of the heaven in which is darkness, and thunder, and lightning—they put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps, cautious of death; and God encompasses the disbelievers.

The meaning of His saying, “Or,” is that He gives either one of these two similitudes for [the hypocrites]. He compares the Qurʾān to rain descending from the heaven and compares the promises and threats in the Qurʾān to the thunder and lightning in the rain. He compares their seeking refuge to [the ways they] flee from hearing the Qurʾān, distance themselves from attentiveness, and neglect to try to gain insight, to those who put their fingers in their ears against hearing the sounds of thunder.^{1There is a line of text missing in Basyūnī which has been completed from MSS K117, fol. 7a and Y101, fol. 9b.} Similarly, the allusion is to the heedless, when the admonitions of those who admonish reach their ears, or the lights of felicity shine on their hearts. If they would desist from their blind heedlessness, they would be happy. But they keep each other distracted by false hopes and have resolved upon their corrupt path. They make weak excuses and swear by God, “Had we been able, we would have gone forth with you,” destroying their souls [9:42] and they bring about their destruction by their own hands.

Truly when the noble one

gives you his love,

he veils the ugly

and brings the beautiful to light.

Similarly, when the one who is tired

wants to break things off,

he becomes weary of being together

and says, “That was that.”^{2Muṣṭafā found these lines in Muḥāḍarāt al-ʿudabāʾ but without attribution (Muṣṭafā, no. 5, p. 112).}

The lightning well-nigh snatches away their sight; whensoever it gives them light, they walk in it; and when the darkness is over them; they stop; had God willed, He would have taken away their hearing and sight; Truly, God has power over all things.

Part of the similitude of the hypocrites—as also the heedless—is that when they are present at public sermons, or their hearts incline to gentleness, or some terror overwhelms them, their states move closer to repentance and their longing to turn [to God] becomes stronger. But when they revert to their own planning^{1Basyūnī has the word “contemplation” (tadabbur) here, but the word “planning” (tadbīr) from MSS K117, fol. 7a and Y101, fol. 9b makes more sense. Al-Qushayrī frequently uses the word tadbīr to describe the error individuals make when they imagine that they can direct the events in their lives.} and seek counsel from those close to them, their family and offspring urge them to return to their world. They offer their advice, frightening them with weakness and dependency, so that their resolve becomes weak, their spiritual desire (irāda) declines and they become as it is said:

Whenever he repents

he returns to his ignorance,

just as the one who is feeble

suffers a relapse.^{2Al-Qushayrī also cites this verse in his commentary on Qurʾān 4:81. Muṣṭafā traces the verse to Ṣāliḥ b. ʿAbd al-Quddūs and adds another line: The shaykh does not abandon his morals until he is hidden in the earth of his tomb (Muṣṭafā, no. 8, p. 73).}

He said, “had God willed, He would have taken away their hearing and sight,” meaning the outward hearing and seeing of the hypocrites as well as their being deaf and blind inwardly. The same [is true] for the heedless and those who are content with the external aspects of Islam—God most high has the power to negate the positive outcome (tawfīq) of their practice of outward acts of obedience (ẓāhir al-ṭāʿāt), just as He has the power to negate the realization (taḥqīq) of what they have discovered from the most felicitous states (ṣafāʾ al-ḥālāt).

O people, worship your Lord who created you and those that were before you, so that you may be fearful.

Worship (ʿibāda) is becoming harmonious (muwāfaqa) with the command and it is pouring all energy into requests for realization (taḥqīq) of the unseen. The declaration of oneness (tawḥīd) enters one through the heart, disengagement (tajrīd) [enters] through the innermost self, becoming single-minded (tafrīd) [comes] through intention (qaṣd), and humility [comes] through the self. Surrender (istislām) is to the decree (ḥukm).

It is said, “worship Him” by renouncing prohibited things, persevering in performing acts of obedience, welcoming obligatory acts with humility and lowliness, and avoiding detours through the waystations of laziness and indifference.

His saying “so that you may be fearful” is to bring the command closer to them and to make it easier. By the word “may” He keeps them at the bounds of fear and hope.

The real meaning of “fear of God” (taqwā) is protecting oneself through conformity [to God’s command]^{1The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 7a and Y101, fol. 10a in the words bi-l-wifāq, which echo the use of the word from the same root muwāfaqa in the first paragraph of this section. Basyūnī has wa-l-wafāʾ and added bi-l-ṭāʿa to correct the meaning. His reading, however, is also plausible as he demonstrates in a footnote comparing this sentence to a similar passage in the Risāla.} from the threats of punishment.

He who assigned to you the earth for a couch and heaven for an edifice; and sent down from the heaven water, wherewith He brought forth fruits for your provision; so set not up compeers to God, while you know.

He is made known to them by the mention of the favors He has granted in the creation of the heaven for them as a roof raised (saqf marjūʿ), the establishment of the earth for them as a couch laid out (farsh mawḍūʿ), and the bringing forth of plants by the rain for them as a provision gathered (rizq majmūʿ). It is said that He freed them from any obligation to simulacra (amthāl) by eliminating for them any necessary cause (ʿilla).^{1As al-Qushayrī says in one of his theological works, “There is no cause (ʿilla) for His action (let Him be praised), wherefore one does not use the expression ‘why did He act,’ since if there was a cause for His action and it was eternal, it would entail the eternity of its effect and this is impossible; and if it were temporally contingent, it would have another cause unto infinity and this is impossible, while if the cause needs no cause, the rest of contingent entities have no need of a cause” (Richard Frank, “Two Short Dogmatic Works of Abū l-Qāsim al-Qushayrī: Second Part: Edition and Translation of ‘al-Fuṣūl fī l-uṣūl.’” in Philosophy, Theology and Mysticism in Medieval Islam, vol. 1: Texts and Studies on the Development and History of Kalām (Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2005), ch. XV, p. 78).} So the heaven is sufficient for them as a covering, the earth as a bed, the permissible things as provision, obedience as a trade, worship as an occupation, remembrance as an intimate friend, and the Lord as a guardian—so set not up compeers with God and do not attach your hearts to others in seeking what you need. The Real سبحانه وتعالى is One alone in creating, there is no originator other than Him. When you imagine anything in events beneficial or harmful, good or bad, as originating from a created thing, this is in actuality a kind of idolatry (shirk).

While you know [refers to the fact] that it is not appropriate to raise the matter of your need with someone who has his own need. The attachment of one in need to another one in need and the reliance of the weak on the weak increases poverty and will not stop harm from taking place.

And if you are in doubt concerning what We have revealed to Our servant, then bring a sūra like it; and call your witnesses besides God if you are truthful.

And if you do not and you will not, then fear the fire, whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for disbelievers.

He covered the eyes of outsiders so that they did not see His beloved^{1That is, the Prophet Muḥammad.} ﷺ and they wandered in the wadis of conjecture because they had lost the light of solicitude. When the Messenger brought signs to them and made miracles appear, it only increased their doubts and suspicions. This is the way of those who have turned away from the Real سبحانه. The illumination of proofs only increases their blindness to the truth. God most high said, But signs and warners do not avail a folk who will not believe [10:101]. In order to bring them to admit the proof, He informed them of their inability to compete with the miracle He gave them in the Qurʾān, [a miracle] which was triumphant over humankind from the first to the last. He made them acknowledge^{2The translation follows the words qarrara ʿalayhim found in MSS K117, fol. 7b and Y101, fol. 10a rather than the words qaddara ʿalayhim in the Basyūnī edition.} that even if they were to make common cause among themselves and strengthen themselves with others like them, and exert their utmost efforts and stratagems, they would not be able to bring a sūra like any sūra of the Qurʾān. He said, “If you do not” and then stated that they could not and would not do it, for He said, “and you will not.” It is as if He said, “Look to yourselves and be wary of the idolatry that leads to the punishment of the fire whose fuel is men and stones.” If stones, with all their hardness, cannot withstand this fire, how can men with their weakness bear it? When the hearts of the believers became terribly concerned from hearing mention of the fire, He strengthened them and said, “prepared for disbelievers.” In that is good news for the believers. This is the way of the Real سبحانه. When He causes fear in His enemies, he brings glad tidings to His friends.

Just as the deception of the disbelievers vanishes when it encounters the miracles of the prophets عليهم السلام, similarly the claims of the confused disappear when the lights of the truthful appear. The mark of the one who makes false claims is the return of driving cries (rujūʿ al-zajr)^{3Al-Qushayrī uses the words zajr (verbal noun) and zawājir (plural of the active participle zājira) to refer to calls to forbidden or unseemly actions, as he indicates in his commentary on Qurʾān 37:2: and by the drivers driving (fa-l-zājirāti zajran). One of the meanings of the word zajr is the crying out to animals in a loud way to urge them to hold back or move onwards more quickly (Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon, 1:1216). See also al-Qushayrī’s commentary on Qurʾān 2:269 for a similar comparison of God’s subjugation of the heart versus its yielding to the driving cries of other forces.} to the heart. The mark of the one with truthful intent is the occurrence of the [divine] subjugation (wuqūʿ al-qahr) of the heart. It is a rare individual who can separate and distinguish between [these two types of occurrences in the heart].^{4See al-Qushayrī’s discussion of how thoughts and suggestions come from different sources (the lower self, Satan, angels, and the Real) in the section on “Thoughts” (Khawāṭir), Risāla, 1:242.}

And give glad tidings to those who believe and perform righteous deeds that theirs shall be gardens underneath which rivers run

The glad tidings of the gardens are included to inform [us] of the blessings that await the general body of believers, according to the description which is explained in the tafsīr literature. In addition to these blessings, [the verse] alludes to the glad tidings for the elite—immediate blessings that God has granted to them specifically. That which is to come is the gardens of the reward (mathwaba) while these are the gardens of nearness (qurba). Those [for believers] are the meadows of recreation (nuzha) while these [for the elite] are the meadows of intimacy (zulfa). Those are the gardens of favors (afḍāl) while these are the gardens of communion (wiṣāl). Those are the raising of degrees (darajāt) while these are the refreshment of intimate conversation (munājāt). That is the matter of His generosity (jūd) while this is independence^{1The translation follows the word “independence” (istiqlāl) found in MSS K117, fol. 7b and Y101, fol. 10b rather than ishtiʿāl from the Basyūnī edition. Presumably, al-Qushayrī means independence from everything other than God. See his commentary on Qurʾān 3:148 where he speaks of the independence of the innermost self through God’s existence.} through His existence (wujūd). That is the refreshment of mortal beings (abshār) while this is the promenade of the innermost selves (asrār). That is the kindness of giving to the external forms (ẓawāhir) while this is the unveiling of the covering from the innermost secrets of hearts (sarāʾir). That is the kindness of His gifts and favors (wa-tilka luṭfu nawālihi wa-afḍalihi) while this is the unveiling of His Beauty and Majesty (wa-hadhihi kashfu jamālihi wa-jalālihi).

whensoever they are provided with fruits therefrom, they shall say, “This is what we were provided with before”; they shall be given it in perfect semblance; and there for them shall be spouses purified; therein they shall abide.

The blessings of the people of the garden will be renewed for them in every moment. They will think that the second [blessings] will be like the first, but when they taste it they will find it beyond what came first. Similarly the states of the innermost consciousnesses of the people of realities are forever rising. When one of them has risen from one place, he imagines that what he will meet in this [new] breath will be like what came previously. When he tastes it, he finds it more than that many times over, just as the one who spoke for them said:

From your love,

I kept stopping at a waystation.

The bewilderment of the deepest hearts

does not stop.^{2Muṣṭafā states that Abū l-Ḥusayn al-Nūrī was said to have passed away upon hearing this verse. He gives several works by al-Qushayrī and others in which it is quoted (Muṣṭafā, no. 35, pp. 99–100).}

God is not ashamed to strike a similitude even of a gnat, or anything above it.

For God most high, being ashamed would mean the relinquishment (tark) [of His free agency]. When He describes Himself as being ashamed of something, it means He does not do that, and when it is said, “He is not ashamed,” it means He does not mind doing that.

Creation, in relation to the existence of the Real, is in actuality less than a speck of dust in the air (habāʾ fī hawāʾ) because this is the perishing of one limited thing in another. Therefore the two—the throne and the gnat—are the same in His power. The creation of the throne is not too troublesome or difficult for Him and the creation of the gnat is not too insignificant or easy for him. He سبحانه is too holy to be attached to difficulty or ease. Since the matter can be described in this way, He is not ashamed to strike a similitude of the gnat, just as He is not ashamed to strike a similitude of the throne and what is below it.

It is said that one aspect of the similitude of the gnat is the fact that when it is hungry, it becomes strong^{1The word qawiyat in MSS K117, fol. 7b and Y101, fol. 10b corrects the error in the Basyūnī text.} and flies, but once it is satiated it splits open and dies. Similarly, Surely mankind goes too far, for he thinks himself self-sufficient [96:6–7].

It is said that or anything above it means a [larger] flying insect (dhubāb). [Here] one aspect of the allusion is the insolence of the fly, in that it keeps returning no matter how much it is driven away. If that [quality] were to be in the lion, no human being would be safe from him. But when He created power in the lion, He created in him an aversion to humankind. When He created insolence in the fly, He created weakness in him, calling attention through this to the perfection of His wisdom and the effectiveness of His power.

as for the believers, they know it is the truth from their Lord; but as for the disbelievers, they say, “What did God desire by this as a similitude?”

As for those for whose eyes of inner consciousness have been opened, they do not look to others or to traces or effects (āthār) unless it is to take heed (iʿtibār)^{2The root of the noun iʿtibār is ʿ-b–r, which means “to cross over.” Al-Qushayrī uses the word iʿtibār here to indicate “taking heed” in the sense of the study of created things as indicators of hidden realities—in other words, the “crossing over” from viewing one level of reality to another. Qurʾān 59:2 says, So take heed (iʿtabirū), O you who have eyes!} or to increase the effectiveness of the faculty of insight (ibtiṣār). But for those whose eyes are like a drunken man’s^{3A reference to Qurʾān 15:14–15. Sukkirat al-abṣār can mean the blurry vision of a drunkard but also carries the connotation of being bewitched: And even if We were to open for them a gate from the heaven, and they were to continue ascending through it, they would say, “It is merely that our eyes have been dazzled. Nay, we are a folk bewitched!”} by virtue of their heedlessness, similitudes only increase their ignorance and doubt.^{4Here the translation follows MSS K117, fol. 8a and Y101, 11a, omitting the word “fetters” (ankāl) found in the Basyūnī edition.}

Thereby, He leads many astray and thereby guides many; and thereby He leads none astray but the wicked.

This Book is a healing and mercy for some people and a trial and misfortune for others. Those who acknowledged Him on the Day of the Covenant by the lights of [divine] assistance when they heard His words, Am I not your Lord? [7:172] remembered, at the time of the arrival of the intermediary ﷺ,^{5That is, the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ.} the primordial nature of His promise and the precedence of His love, so they increased greatly in their insight. [But] those whom He marked with the ignominy of separation and [those whom He] made speak that day about the reckoning and the terror only increased their denials when the prophetic call arrived. The one with true proofs would not be hidden from them today if they had not already strayed. Because of that, God most high said, and thereby He leads none astray but the wicked.

Those who break the covenant with God after its solemn binding, and who cut what God has commanded to be joined; and who do corruption in the land—they shall be the losers.

In this, the allusion is to the state of one who has traveled the way of spiritual desire (irāda), then returned to what ordinary people have. Although he claimed to be willing to abandon his lower self, he proved insincere when things became serious. He gave up allusions to reality (ishārāt al-ḥaqīqa)^{1Here the translation follows the use of the plural ishārāt in MSS K117, fol. 8a and Y101, fol. 11a.} for concessions to the sharīʿa (rukhaṣ al-sharīʿa). Just as the return of one who travels the way with his [outward] self (nafs) is not praiseworthy so long as a dirham remains in his bag, so the return of one who seeks with his heart (qalb) is not pleasing so long as a breath (nafas) remains in his spirit (rūḥ):

Verily those who have died

to the religion of whims

find the decree of death

a sweet watering place.^{2Muṣṭafā states that this verse is attributed to ʿAmr b. Qinān (?) (Muṣṭafā, no. 2, p. 92).}

And who cut what God has commanded to be joined: The cords of the Real are joined through the cutting of the cords with creation. The joining of what belongs to Him is not completed without cutting what belongs to you. When the matter is the reverse, it is the opposite.

Among that which the servant has been commanded to join is the protection of the sacred relationship^{3The word translated here as “sacred relationship” is dhimām. The word suggests a pact of protection of others with regard to their rights, security, and honor. Lane describes it as “a thing that should be sacred, or inviolable; or which one is under an obligation to reverence, respect, or honour, and defend” (Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon, 1:976).} of the people of this path. One expends sincere concern to achieve [this joining], rather than offering favors. [The servants’ outward] efforts of concern are dedicated (mawqūfa) to connecting the cords of this path and arranging its conditions, while their hearts are directed (maṣrūfa) in expectation of the guardianship of God most high for His people. The corruption of this path in the land [happens] when [elders on the path] do not pay attention to the small details of the affairs [of those less advanced on the path]. They make themselves too busy to guide an aspirant (murīd) with their words and too busy to sharpen the aim of a seeker (qāṣid) with their concerned efforts. This is some of what they neglect that displeases the Real سبحانه.

Part of breaching the covenant [happens] when your innermost self turns away from witnessing Him for even a moment. Part of the cutting off of what you have been commanded to join [takes place] when even a breath appears of your worldly concerns at any moment [causing you to not] uphold His right. Part of your corruption in the land is any hour which passes you in which you do not see Him. Surely that is the manifest loss, the grave trial, and the vast calamity.

How do you disbelieve in God, when you were dead, and He gave you life; then He shall make you dead, then He shall give you life, then to Him you shall be returned!

These are words to provoke astonishment and gravity in the servant—with the signs that have been made clear, his heart should not incline to disbelief.

It is said that He makes Himself known to creation by the glimmers of His proofs and the flashes of His signs.^{1In the section on “Glimmers, gleams of the rising, and flashes” (al-Lawāʾiḥ wa-l-ṭawāliʿ wa-l-lawāmiʿ), al-Qushayrī describes the “glimmers” and “flashes” as precursors to the “suns of recognition” (Risāla, 1:228).} He said, When you were dead, meaning a drop of sperm, its parts all the same, and He gave you life as a human being with some of the parts of the sperm designated to be bone, some parts flesh, some parts hair, and some parts skin, etc.

Then He shall make you dead in making you bones and fragments,^{2A reference to Qurʾān 17:49 and 17:98: And they say, “What, when we are bones and fragments, shall we really be raised up in a new creation?”} then He shall give you life in raising you up after you were dead, then to Him you shall be returned, meaning to whatever He previously determined [for you] in happiness or misery.

You were dead through your ignorance of Us, and He gave you life in your knowledge of Us, then He shall make you dead to what you have witnessed, then He shall give you life through Him in taking you from yourselves, then to Him you shall be returned, meaning [returned] to preserving the precepts of the law and carrying out what is due.^{3That is, the states you experience will not keep you from following the precepts of the religious law.}

It is said, you were dead because your lower selves remained and He gave you life through the annihilation of your lower selves, then He shall make you dead from witnessing [this annihilation], so that you will not pay heed to it and corrupt yourselves. Then He shall give you life by taking you from yourselves, then to Him you shall be returned by your being turned about in His grasp سبحانه وتعالى.

It is said that He holds their states in check so that there is no perpetual life and no complete annihilation. The more they^{4Nothing in al-Qushayrī’s text directly indicates who is meant in this paragraph. But he is clearly talking about those rare individuals who experience the more advanced states on the path.} say, “this is life”—while they are thus—the more He turns them and annihilates them. Whenever they become annihilated, He affirms them and gives them subsistence, so they are forever between negation and affirmation, between subsistence and annihilation, and between wakefulness and erasure.^{5Many of the terms in this paragraph are discussed in sections of al-Qushayrī’s Risāla: “Annihilation and subsistence” (Fanāʾ wa-l-baqāʾ), 1:211–213; “Wakefulness and drunkenness” (al-Ṣaḥw wa-l-sukr), 1:217–219; “Effacement and affirmation” (al-Maḥw wa-l-ithbāt), 1:222–223.} His way is like this with them.

He it is who created for you all that is in the earth;

He made all created things subject to [human beings], meaning that they obtain benefit from [created things] in everything: [human beings] dwell on the earth, live under the sky, are guided by the stars, and benefit in one way or another from every created thing. Furthermore, [if human beings] were to reflect upon any perceived thing or effect (ʿayn wa-athar), they would recognize the perfection of His power and the appearance of His lordship in [that thing or effect].

It is said that He has paved the way of knowing for them and awakened them to the ways of beautiful behavior. Moreover He taught them the most sublime aspiration inasmuch as He claimed their works and states for Himself alone, for He said, Do not prostrate to the sun and moon [41:37].

then He turned (istawā) to heaven and leveled the seven heavens and He has knowledge of all things.

The things that have been brought into existence (akwān) are laid out in a uniform way (istawat) by His power; it is not that the Real سبحانه in His Essence sat Himself down (istawā) on any created thing.^{1Istawā has all of the meanings referred to in this verse and al-Qushayrī’s commentary: to turn toward something (in a straight way, like an arrow); to become level or uniform, or to sit oneself down on something (in a firm and steady way).} How could that be! Unicity (aḥadiyya) and Self-Sufficiency (ṣamadiyya) are His reality. What some have imagined regarding the possibility of Him being in a specific place is absurd since one “sits” in a place but the Real سبحانه in His Essence does not sit in any place.

And when your Lord said to the angels, “I am appointing on earth a viceregent,” they said, “What, will You appoint therein one who will do corruption therein and shed blood, while we glorify You with praise and sanctify You?”; He said, “Assuredly, I know what you know not.”

This is the beginning of the disclosure of His secret regarding Adam and his progeny. He commanded that clay be extracted from every patch of ground and then commanded that it be left to ferment for forty mornings. Every one of the angels was full of amazement: “What is the property (ḥukm)^{1Al-Qushayrī uses the word ḥukm to describe how God wisely judges and determines specific things, acts, and occurrences. As a legal term, it means how acts are categorized according to the sharīʿa. Al-Qushayrī uses the word in this sense but also in a much broader sense to describe how God has determined the specific components and events of the universe with His wisdom (ḥikma). Depending on the context, in this translation ḥukm is translated as “property,” “precept,” “decision,” or “decree.”} of this clay?” When He assembled [Adam’s] form, they had never seen anything like it in marvelous craftsmanship and astonishing wisdom. So when He said, “I am appointing on earth. . . ,” conjectures were thrown about, hearts were scattered, and accusations were made. It was just as [the poet] said:

How often I have seen

someone beautiful

but among mortals my choice

has fallen upon you.^{2Muṣṭafā traces a slightly different version of the verse to al-Ṣāḥib b. ʿAbbād [that is, Ibn ʿAbbād]; this version has the phrase li-shaqwatī instead of “mortals” (al-warā). With this phrase, the verse reads, “but because of my misfortune my choice has fallen upon you” (Muṣṭafā, no. 12, pp. 60–61).}

It is said that God سبحانه وتعالى created all the things He created, but did not say about any of them what He said about Adam, when He said, “I am appointing on earth a viceregent.” The external sense of these words resembles mutual consultation, if it were to be [part of a conversation] among created beings. The Real سبحانه وتعالى created the gardens with what is in them and the throne with what it has in well-ordered parts and perfect forms, but He did not say, “I am creating a throne or a garden or an angel.” Yet He said of Adam, “I am appointing on earth a viceregent,” as a way of conferring honor and distinction.

The words of the angels, “What, will You appoint therein one who will do corruption therein?” were not an objection to the divine decree but rather a way of seeking to understand it. To interpret the expression in such a way as to absolve the angels of any blame is more fitting, since they are sinless. God most high said [in reference to the angels, that they are those], Who do not disobey God in what He commands them [66:6].

Others have said that in this speech the Real سبحانه revealed the hidden haughtiness of [the angels’] obedience and the attention they paid to their own acts in their hearts. They spoke openly about the hidden affairs of their innermost selves in saying, “While we glorify You with praise.” Then, verily, the Real سبحانه informed them that the merit of knowledge is more perfect than the merit of action and that while they have the greater part and superiority in action Adam has the greater and more abundant part of knowledge. Hence his merit and rank were made apparent.

It is said that the Real سبحانه did not say, “They will not do corruption therein and will not shed blood”^{3Here the translation follows MSS K117, fol. 8b and Y101, fol. 12a in the use of the pronoun “they” rather than the pronoun “you” found in the Basyūnī edition.} but rather, “Assuredly, I know what you know not regarding my pardon of them.” Its meaning is, “You know their disobedience but I know my pardon of them.”^{4This sentence has been added from MS K117, fol. 8b.}

It is also said that in [the angels’ mention of their] glorification, there is the disclosure of their act and the publicizing of their special qualities and merit, whereas in His pardoning of the disobedient among the children of Adam, there is the disclosure of His سبحانه generosity and mercy. The Real سبحانه does not need the obedient acts of anyone. Indeed, if [the angels] are deserving of praise, and this is clear because of their glorification, [then] God, the Real سبحانه^{5The translation follows the word “the Real” (ḥaqq) found in MSS K117, fol. 8b and Y101, fol. 12a rather than the word “Creator” (khāliq) in the Basyūnī edition.} [is even more] worthy of praise because of [His] pardoning.

It is said, “Assuredly, I know what you know not of the purity of the beliefs of the faithful among them in their love for Us and the maturity of their innermost hearts in preserving Our covenant, even if their outward selves are sullied by disobedience,” just as it is said:

When the lover

has committed a single sin,

his good qualities

produce a thousand intercessors.^{6Muṣṭafā located the verse in several sources but with no reliable attribution (Muṣṭafā, no. 1, p. 76).}

It is also said, “Assuredly, I know what you know not of My love for them. You disclose your states while I have hidden My secrets in them from them.” Regarding this [the poets] have recited:

Those who defame

have not diminished your rank

with me, nor has

the slander hurt you.

It is as if by criticizing you

they have praised you

in my sight,

but they do not know.^{7Muṣṭafā attributes these verses to Abū Nuwās based on several sources, and to al-ʿAbbās b. al-Aḥnaf based on another (Muṣṭafā, no. 11, p. 28).}

It is also said, “Assuredly, I know what you know not of the breaking of the hearts [of humankind], even though they have done ugly acts, and [I know of] the immoderation of your hearts in disclosing your glorification and sanctification. You [angels] are in the rank of harmony (wifāq), with the sinlessness of your acts, and the adornment of your glorification, while they [humankind] are disavowed by their own witnesses and are lowly in their hearts. Truly, because of the breaking of the hearts of servants there is a powerful protective pact (dhimām) with Us.”

It is said, “What significance is there to your glorification if not for My grace?” And, “What harm is there in their sins when there is My pardon?”

It is also said, “I clothed you with your obedience and clothed them with My mercy, so you are in the vest of your obedience and the garb of your sanctification and glorification, while they are enveloped in My pardon and veiled in My mercy. I have clothed them with the robe of My generosity and wrapped them in the cloak of My pardon.”

It is said, “My protection from sin has made you felicitious, yet they have received My mercy. My protection to you from sin is connected to your existence while the relationship of My mercy to them is eternal.”

It is said, “While your virtuous one (muḥsin) may take precedence in sinlessness, their sinner (mujram) is drowned in mercy.”

It is said. “Their reliance on Me purifies their states. It causes them to seek protection in the acknowledgment of ignorance, so [the servants] declare themselves free of different types of knowledge except to the degree granted them by the Real.” They said, “Glory be to you! We know not except what You have taught us” [2:32].

And He taught Adam the names, all of them; then He presented them to the angels and said, “Now tell Me the names of these if you speak truly.”

The general expression (ʿumūm) in His saying, names, necessarily implies comprehensiveness,^{1In other words, “names” indicates a general but comprehensive category.} while the connection of this word to all of them indicates all-inclusiveness and verification [of the meaning of each].^{2That is, the knowledge given to Adam was not just a general overview of the names, rather it was exhaustive and detailed.} Just as He taught [Adam] the names of created things—all of them (according to what is articulated in the tafsīr of Ibn ʿAbbās and others)—He also taught him the names of the Real سبحانه. But He only disclosed to [the angels] the locus He chose for knowledge of the names of created things and by that [disclosure] the measure of [Adam’s] superiority over them. As for [Adam’s] uniqueness in knowing His names سبحانه, that was a secret of which no angel who is near (malak muqarrab)^{3The angels who are near (al-malāʾika al-muqarrabūn) are mentioned in Qurʾān 4:172.} was aware. One who does not have a rank equal to Adam in knowing the names of created things—what hope could there be in his approaching the names of the Real and grasping the secrets of the unseen? Since being selected to know the names of created things makes it proper for the angels to prostrate before him, what is one to think about being selected to know the names of the Real سبحانه? What is owed to one who is honored with that?

It is said that the special status of the angels is in [their] glorification and sanctification [of God]. These acts of obedience are appropriate for created beings, for surely obedience is the mark of servants, and servants alone. [On the other hand], knowledge, in general, is a kind of commendation (madḥ) that is absolutely necessary in describing the Real سبحانه, one that is not appropriate for anything other than Him. Among the category of created beings, there is no one more perfect in honoring Him than the one who honors Him through His own explanation of His attributes.

It is said that He honored [Adam] privately with what He taught him, and then explained His selection of him and His giving him precedence on the day of the public revealing [of Adam to the angels].

It is said [that in the words] then He presented them, the [word] “then” (thumma) is a particle of extension or delay. [It might refer] to Adam, in which case it means He gave him time for that which had been established in his heart to recognize what became known to him by His truth. Then at the time [of the public revealing] He asked him about what he had recognized as true and [what he] knew with certainty. Or [the “then” might refer] to the angels when He said to them, in order to frighten them, Now tell Me. Because He had not presented the information to them, they were bewildered. Because He had presented it to Adam, he responded and gave information (ajāba wa-akhbara), spoke and was successful (naṭaqa wa-aflaḥa), and this was a manifestation of His prior solicitude in his affair.

His words “if you speak truly” contain an allusion to the fact that [the angels] objected to the claim of special status, and the advantage and privilege conferred upon Adam, so He informed them that the preference (faḍl) is in the eternal (qadīm) selection of [Adam], not in the offering (taqdīm) of their glorification. The Real سبحانه knew that their types of knowledge did not include knowledge of the names of created things, but then He charged them with saying what [the created things] were. This became the clearest of proofs that the affair was His affair and the decree His decree. To Him belongs the imposition of obligation (taklīf) on the one who is asked to obey. [This] is a reply to those who imagine that the decrees of the Real سبحانه are dependent on what the heedless deem to be good in their claims based on rational determinations. No, rather it belongs to Him to charge what He wills on whom He wills. The beautiful is what He decrees to be beautiful and the ugly is what He decrees to be ugly.^{4Basyūnī adds a note saying that this is a reply to the Muʿtazila who judged divine actions by human intellectual standards.}

They said, “Glory be to You! We know not except what You have taught us. Surely You are the Knower, Wise.”

[The angels] offered praise before they made their apology and declared the truth of His judgment over any objection they might have. It means, “We have no knowledge of that which You have asked us about and there is no blame that can be directed to You for charging those who are incapable with something You know they cannot do. Surely You are the Knower, Wise, that is, what You do is true and sincere, there is none who can pass judgment over You, and there is no foolishness nor ugliness from You.”

He said, “Adam, tell them their names”; And when he had told them their names, He said, “Did I not tell you that I know the unseen in the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you were hiding.”

Among the traces of the divine solicitude to Adam عليه السلام is that when He said to the angels, Now tell Me [2:31], they were seized with a fear of speaking, especially since He asked that they tell Him something that with their type of knowledge [they] did not comprehend. But because of the information Adam عليه السلام had, [God] directed him to inform [the angels], saying, “tell them their names,” and Adam was not overly fearful of speaking to them. When Adam عليه السلام informed them of the names that they did not know [because of the type of knowledge they had], his merit became apparent to them, and He said, “Did I not tell you that I know the unseen in the heavens and the earth?,” meaning “[I know] the different types of knowledge of creation which you do not.” “And I know what you reveal regarding [your] acts of obedience and [what you] hide in believing in [your] superiority over Adam عليه السلام.”

When the Real سبحانه wanted to choose Adam, He protected him, taught him, and showed him the effects of his care until [Adam] said what he said [about the names]. When He wanted to execute His decree (ḥukm) regarding him, He caused forgetfulness to enter him so that he forgot His covenant in the presence [of God] and transgressed His limit. God most high said, And We made a covenant with Adam before, but he forgot, and We did not find in him any constancy [20:115]. The moment favored by the [divine] solicitude promoted knowledge and goodness completely, while the moment in which the [divine] decree took effect returned him to the state of forgetfulness and disobedience. Thus are the decrees of the Real سبحانه in what they make come and go. The worshiper is made lowly by His decree and He is the doer of what He desires [11:107, 85:16].

When they imagined [that they could] obtain preference for themselves by their glorification and sanctification, He informed them that the carpet of majesty is too holy to be adorned by the obedience of those who obey or to be defiled by the errors of [those who] stubbornly deny. Their returning to prostration before Adam made manifest [God’s] lack of need for the agreement (wifāq) or opposition (khilāf) [of created beings].

And when We said to the angels, “Prostrate yourselves to Adam; so they prostrated themselves, except Iblīs, who refused and disdained; and so he became one of the disbelievers.”

The prostration was not a form of worship (ʿibāda) to [Adam], in and of himself, but rather a way of conforming (muwāfaqa) to [God’s] سبحانه command. It was as if their prostration to Adam was worship of God because it was by His command. It was a way of showing respect to Adam because He commanded them to, in order to honor his affair. So it is as if that was a kind of submission (khuḍūʿ) to [Adam], but one that should not be called worship because the true meaning of worship is the utmost submission (nihāyat al-khuḍūʿ) and that is not appropriate toward anything but [God] سبحانه.

It is said that He explained that His سبحانه sanctity is through His own majesty (bi-jalālihi), not through their acts (lā bi-af ʿālihi), even though the adoption of the beautifying [acts] of their sanctification and glorification is credited to them. He who is exalted (yajillu) is the One who has exalted Himself (ajallahu) by His own exaltation (ijlālihi), not by their acts (lā bi-af ʿālihi), and the One who is mighty (yaʿizzu) is the One whose power has been made mighty (aʿazzahu) by His own might (iʿzāzihi). His power is exalted beyond the exaltation of created beings (jalla ʿan ijlāl al-khalq qudruhu) and His mention is magnified beyond the magnification of created beings (ʿazza ʿan iʿzāz al-khalq dhikruhu).

His words, So they prostrated themselves, except Iblīs [means Iblīs] refused in his heart (qalb) and disdained to prostrate with his self (nafs). He was among [those who] disbelieved in [God’s] prior determination (ḥukm) and knowledge (ʿilm). In the time period in which Iblīs was emboldened by his obedience, he used to strut about in the vest of his conformity [to God’s command and decree]. [The angels] acknowledged his superior rank and believed in the worthiness of his distinction. His affair became, as [the poet] said:

The lamp of communion

was shining between us.

A wind of separation blew on it

and it was extinguished.^{1Muṣṭafā states that he was unable to locate this verse in any other source (Muṣṭafā, no. 5, p. 81).}

[Iblīs] used to consider himself deserving of the claim to superiority (istījāb al-khayriyya) and worthy of nearness and special status (istiḥqāq al-takhṣīṣ wa-l-khuṣūṣiyya).

He passed the night well

and the world was peaceful.

He woke up one day

and times had changed.^{2Muṣṭafā does not give any other references for this verse (Muṣṭafā, no. 12, p. 28).}

No prior obedience benefited him, no previous reply freed him, no intercession of any intercessor reached him, and no prior solicitude held him fast. When fate prevails over someone, toil does not benefit (wa-man ghalabahu al-qaḍāʾ lā yanfaʿahu al-ʿanāʾ). What originated from Adam was a human error (hafwatun bashariyya) so he experienced a singular mercy (raḥmatun aḥadiyya). But Iblīs experienced eternal misery (shaqwatun azaliyya) and succumbed to fate and destiny (qismatun wa-qaḍiyya). His hope was lost and his toil was in vain (khāba rajāʾuhu wa-ḍalla ʿanāʾuhu).^{3Two lines have been transliterated here to give an example of the rhyming patterns throughout the paragraph.}

And We said, “Adam dwell and your wife in the garden and eat thereof with ease where you desire; but do not come near this tree lest you be evildoers.”

[God] settled [Adam] in the garden but with his entry established the tree [by which he was] tested. If not for the prior decree, this blossoming tree would have been changed to a withered one, its greenery dried out, its existence forgotten, and Adam’s hand would not have reached for its leaves to piece them together [to clothe] himself,^{1A reference to Qurʾān 7:22 and 20:121.} and what happened to him would not have happened. If this tree had kept growing so that his hand could not reach it, all that confusion would not have occurred in his affair, but what had been predetermined appeared from the decree. There was no place better than the garden, no human being more intelligent than Adam, no better counselor than the suggestions of the Real to him. There was nothing unusual (lā gharība) prior to [Adam’s] doing what he did, and no resolve (lā ʿaẓīma) more powerful than his resolve. But divine power cannot be contested and the decree cannot be opposed (wa-lakinna al-qudrata lā tukābara wa-l-ḥukma lā yuʿāraḍa).

It is said that when He said to him, “dwell and your wife in the Garden and eat thereof with ease,” [He] was alluding to the fact that it is natural for created beings to dwell comfortably with other created beings, and to want to seek worldly things. Alone, Adam عليه السلام had nothing but good and freedom from trial, but when one like him, his spouse, came, the fangs of sedition (anyāb al-fitna) appeared and the door to tribulation (bāb al-miḥna) was opened. When [Adam] dwelled together with Eve, he followed her in what she suggested to eat and what happened happened. Indeed it is said:

There is an ancient disease

in the children of Adam,

which is the youthful passion

of one human being for another.^{2Muṣṭafā cites a slightly different version of this verse attributed to Ashjaʿ al-Sulamī (Muṣṭafā, no. 6, p. 112).}

Whenever anything is prohibited to the son of Adam, his yearning to approach it increases. Everything was permitted to Adam عليه السلام in the garden—only one tree was prohibited. In what has been transmitted about this, there is no mention of his hand reaching out toward anything that was permitted to him. [Rather] he lost his patience and plunged into what was prohibited to him—this is the attribute of created beings.

The information given relates to what happened after Adam’s entry into the garden, and in what led to his leaving it. When [God] said, I am appointing on earth a vicegerent [2:30], how could [Adam] have remained in the garden?

It is said that Adam عليه السلام became the object of praise (maḥmūd) for the angels and the object of prostration (masjūd) for all. On his head was the crown of communion (wuṣla), on his waist the belt of closeness (qurba), and on his neck the necklace of nearness (zulfa). There was no one above him in rank, no individual like him in high status. The call went out at every moment, continuously, for him, “O Adam, O Adam!” But before nightfall his clothes were stripped from him, his intimacy robbed, and the angels drove him out, violently, [and made him] leave without delay:

I thought I was safe but He ordained for me

a ruse from my place of security.

Like this are those

who think themselves safe from lovers.^{3Muṣṭafā states that he was unable to locate this verse in any other source (Muṣṭafā, no. 13, p. 28).}

When Adam عليه السلام lost his way, he did not remain but an hour and left with a thousand rebukes. It was as [the poet] said:

The gifts of their youth belong to God.

They set out in the morning

like kings and returned at night

like paupers.^{4Muṣṭafā traces the first part of the verse to Abū l-Ṣalt (Muṣṭafā, no. 42, p. 101–102).}

[God] prohibited [Adam] from approaching the tree by His command (bi-amrihi), and from this cast him away by His compelling force (bi-qahrihi), and disguised him with His secret in him (bi-sirrihi).

Then Satan caused them to slip therefrom and brought them out of what they were in

He caused them to slip (azallahumā), that is, “he made them slip” (ḥamalahumā ʿalā l-zalla). In actuality nothing gave them free agency except the divine power and nothing turned them about except the divine decree. He brought them out of what they were in publicly with respect to rank and degree, but [secretly] their standing only increased in nobility and worth in the determination of the Real سبحانه.

and We said, “Go down some of you an enemy to the other”

Although He sowed enmity between the two of them and Satan, [God] سبحانه was with Adam and sided with him in the victory decreed for them.^{1The translation follows the wording li-maḥkūm lahum bi-l-ẓafr found in MSS K117, fol. 10a and Y101, fol. 14a.}

Satan has little weight to assert his enmity because the power of the Real سبحانه is unassailable. God most high said, Truly over My servants you shall have no warrant [15:42].

If Satan were to have authority to seduce others, he would have had the possibility of guiding himself. How can that be? The unique ability to create every thing is one of the characteristics that describe [God] سبحانه.

and in the earth a dwelling shall be yours, and enjoyment for a while.

The place of assembly and familiarity for corporeal forms (ashkāl) are the regions of the earth. The place of acquaintance and pasture for the spirits (arwāḥ) is beyond^{2The translation follows the word “beyond” or “behind” (warāʾ) from MSS K117, fol. 10a and Y101, fol. 14a rather than the word ridāʾ, found in the Basyūnī edition, which in this context would mean “the light of the throne.”} the throne. The expression “beyond” (warāʾ), though, is a metaphor or hyperbole here. How could aspirations have any connection to events? How could the ascent of intentions toward realities share a location with anything else?^{3The meaning of this passage is obscure. Perhaps al-Qushayrī is suggesting that spirits (arwāḥ) are composed of aspirations (himam) and intentions (quṣūd) that exist outside the dimensions of space and time.}

Thereafter Adam received certain words from his Lord and He relented to him; truly He is the Relenting, the Merciful.

Words flowed from the tongue of Adam in the company of the Real سبحانه and words came from the Real سبحانه to the ears of Adam. They have recited:

When we are afraid

of the eyes of observers,

the secrets in the hearts

speak.^{1According to Muṣṭafā, this verse is found in Dīwān Majnūn Laylā (Muṣṭafā, no. 14, p. 28).}

The Real سبحانه spoke in general terms about that [conversation] in order to keep the story veiled, or to leave open the possibility of equivocal meaning (iḥtimāl), different opinions (ẓunūn), and a place for interpretation (taʾwīl) regarding what it might mean.

It is possible that the words of Adam عليه السلام may have been an excuse and justification, and the words of the Real سبحانه were by way of acceptance and favor. According to the tafsīr traditions, the words of God most high to him were, “Are you in flight from Us, O Adam?” Likewise, Adam’s words عليه السلام to Him were, Our Lord we have wronged ourselves [7:23], and he said, “Are You the one evicting me from the garden?” He said, “Yes.” Adam said, “Will You return me to it?” and He said, “Yes.”

It is said that when He commanded his expulsion from the garden, He made a provision (zād) for him, as He told him he would, in His exalted speech, so that it would be a remembrance and preparation [for his journey] (ʿatād):

I remember the days of protection,

then my liver

goes weak from

fear of being cut off.^{2Muṣṭafā notes several individuals to whom this verse is attributed, including Majnūn Laylā (Muṣṭafā, no. 2, p. 76–77).}

The conversations of lovers cannot be explained and outsiders will not fully understand them. The decree for the unseen was thus by way of allusion (ishāra), and not by the meaning provided by commentary (tafsīr) or interpretation (taʾwīl). The Real سبحانه wanted this to suggest the state of lovers at the time of separation. In times of farewell, it is said, “When you leave me, do not forget me (idhā kharajta min ʿindī fa-lā tansa ʿahdī). If some day you hear little news of me (khabarī), do not choose another in place of me (ghayrī)!” And it is also possible to say, “If your coming (wuṣūluka) must elude me, at least do not let your emissary (rusūluka) be delayed.”

We said, “Go down from it all together, yet there shall come to you from Me guidance, and whoever follows My guidance, no fear shall befall them, neither shall they grieve.”

When one displays bad manners on the carpet, one is shown the door. When Adam عليه السلام behaved badly at the fountain of nearness, God most high said, “Go down some of you an enemy to the other; and in the earth a dwelling shall be yours [2:36]—after you had a place of nearness for dwelling and enjoyment for a while.” They were enjoying ease, but in the end they returned to want. They have recited:

When they became poor they clung^{1The translation follows the word “clung to” (ʿuḍū) found in MSS K117, fol. 10b and Y101, fol. 14a, which corresponds to versions of the poem found elsewhere by Muṣṭafā.} to poverty

hoping for a reward.

Even when things were easy for them

they hastened to return to that state.^{2Muṣṭafā gives several slightly different versions of the verse, one of which is attributed to Aʿrābī (Muṣṭafā, no. 13, p. 61).}

At the same time that [God] expelled [Adam] from the garden and caused him to descend to the earth, He gave him the glad tidings that He would return him to his [former] condition if his heart were inclined to return. He said, “Yet there shall come to you from Me guidance, and whoever follows My guidance, no fear shall befall them, neither shall they grieve.”

As for the disbelievers who deny Our signs, those shall be the inhabitants of the fire, abiding therein.”

Those who receive favors without gratitude and pay no heed to affirming (taṣdīq) and recognizing (taḥqīq) [the truth] will have a painful punishment in the end (muʾajjal) and a separation in the here and now (muʿajjal).

O children of Israel, remember My favor wherewith I favored you;

The real meaning of “favor” (niʿma) according to the scholars is unadulterated pleasure, as well as that which causes [the pleasure]. According to the people of reality, favor is what causes you to witness, remember, or brings you to the One who grants the favor, or does not veil you from Him. It can be divided into the favor of mortal beings and external things (abshār wa-ẓawāhir), and the favor of spirits and the innermost secrets of hearts (arwāḥ wa-sarāʾir). The first are types of comforts and the second are modes of witnessings and unveilings. Among the inner favors are the knowledge of hearts and the love of spirits and the witnessings of the innermost hearts.

It is said that He commanded the children of Israel to remember the favors and He commanded the community of Muḥammad ﷺ to remember the One who grants them. There is a difference between those who are told, remember My favor and those who are told, So remember Me, I will remember you [2:152].

and fulfill My covenant, and I shall fulfill your covenant; and have awe of Me.

[For the terms of the covenant], He سبحانه asks for the safekeeping of knowledge (maʿrifa) and we ask for the means to forgiveness (maghfira). He asks for the safekeeping of His love (maḥābb) and we ask for the kindness of His reward (thawāb). He asks for presence at the door (bāb) and we ask for the generous place of return (maʾāb).

“Fulfill My covenant by safeguarding the secret (sirr), and I shall fulfill your covenant with beautiful kindness (birr).”

“Fulfill My covenant which you accepted on the Day of the Solemn Binding (mīthāq), and I shall fulfill your covenant which I insured for you on the Day of the Encounter (talāq).”^{1The Day of the Encounter (yawm al-talāq) is mentioned in verse 40:15.}

“Fulfill My covenant by not preferring others (ghayrī) to Me, and I shall fulfill your covenant in not barring you from My kindness and goodness (khayrī).”

“Fulfill My covenant by caring for the things I entrusted to you (wadāʾiʿ) and I shall fulfill your covenant in what has been made lasting for you in the splendors of the flashes (lawāmiʿ) and the gleams of the rising (ṭawāliʿ).”^{2See the section on “Glimmers, gleams of the rising, and flashes” (al-Lawāʾiḥ wa-l-ṭawāliʿ wa-l-lawāmiʿ), Risāla, 1:228–230.}

“Fulfill My covenant by safeguarding My secrets (asrārī) and I shall fulfill your covenant in the beauty of My acts of kindness (mabārrī).”

“Fulfill My covenant by continuing to seek knowledge of Me (ʿirfānī) and I shall fulfill your covenant in continuing My beneficence (iḥsānī).”

“Fulfill My covenant by performing service to Me and I shall fulfill your covenant with kindness in accepting it from you.”

“Fulfill My covenant by performing [your] best efforts and works (al-mujāhada wa-l-muʿāmala) and I shall fulfill your covenant by [means of] ongoing intimate communication and witnessing (al-muwāṣala wa-l-mushāhada).”

“Fulfill My covenant by absolving yourself of power and strength (al-ḥawl wa-l-munna) and I shall fulfill your covenant by conferring abundance and grace (al-ṭawl wa-l-minna).”

“Fulfill My covenant by favoring [Me] (tafḍīl) and relying [on Me] (tawakkul), and I shall fulfill your covenant by being sufficient [for you] and bestowing favor (tafaḍḍul).”

“Fulfill My covenant with sincere love (maḥabba), and I shall fulfill your covenant with the perfection of nearness (qurba).”

“Fulfill My covenant by being content from Me with Me, and I shall fulfill your covenant by giving you satisfaction in yourselves.”

“Fulfill My covenant in the abode of the unseen on the carpet of service (bisāṭ al-khidma) by tightening the belt of obedience and exerting the utmost effort, and I shall fulfill your covenant in the abode of nearness on the carpet of communion with perpetual intimacy, vision, the hearing of [your] speech, and the perfection of nearness.”

“Fulfill My covenant by renouncing carnal desires (shahawāt), and I shall fulfill your covenant by being sufficient for you with these demands (muṭālabāt).”

“Fulfill My covenant by forever saying, ‘My Lord, My Lord,’ and I shall fulfill your covenant by saying to you, ‘My servant, My servant.’”

And have awe of Me, that is, “fear Me alone because of My unique power to bring things into existence.” Fear is not appropriate toward those who possess not even a particle or a speck.

And believe in what I have revealed, confirming that which is with you; and be not the first to disbelieve in it. And do not sell My signs for a small price; and fear Me.

The allusion is to the fact that the belief of [the servant] is a combination of clear evidence (bayān) and his belief [that he reaches] through demonstrative proof (burhān).^{1The Qurʾān uses both words to describe information given to man: bayān occurs in 3:138, 55:4, and 75:19; and burhān in 4:174, 12:24, and 28:32.} The generality of believers believe through demonstrative proof based on reasoning (istidlāl), while the elite of the believers believe through clear evidence by virtue of being drawn near. The Real سبحانه has drawn near to them and so they believe in God. The final states of their belief are through eyewitnessing (ʿiyān) and that is for the elect of the elect.

And be not the first to disbelieve in it: “Do not [be the ones to] introduce disbelief (kufr) as an ongoing practice (sunna),”^{2To understand “disbelief” (kufr) as a practice, it is helpful to remember that one of the meanings of the word is to deny the favor and blessing of God, that is, to be ungrateful.} for surely the responsibility of the initiator in what he practices is greater than the responsibility of the imitator in what he follows.

And do not sell My signs for a small price: “Do not prefer your cheap worldly portion (ḥaẓẓ) over the grandeur of My truth (ḥaqq).”

And fear Me: Those who fear His punishment are many, but those who are in awe of knowing and seeing Him are rare.

And do not obscure the truth with falsehood; and do not conceal the truth while you know.

“Do not imagine that the two opposites can be joined for you in harmony or that you can be in one state in two places,” [for the servant] is either open-hearted in truth (mabsūṭ bi-ḥaqq) or tied to worldly concerns (marbūṭ bi-ḥaẓẓ). The occurrence of the two situations at the same time is impossible.

“And do not obscure the truth with falsehood, defiling (tadnīs), and do not conceal the truth, deceiving (talbīs), while you know that sanctification (taqdīs) is the right of the True (ḥaqq al-ḥaqq).” They have recited:

O you who are marrying

al-Thurayā to Suhayl,^{1Muṣṭafā identifies al-Thurayā as the daughter of ʿAlī b. ʿAbdallāh b. al-Ḥārith b. Umayya b. ʿAbd al-Shams. He gives Suhayl’s full name as Suhayl b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAwf, and says he was from Yemen (and therefore far from al-Thurayā’s clan). But the names are also the names of two stars (Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon 1:1454).}

by your acknowledgment of the everlasting existence of God,

how can they meet?

She is of the northern region

when she rises

while Suhayl

is from the south.^{2Muṣṭafā traces the verse to ʿUmar b. Abī Rabīʿa (Muṣṭafā, no. 8, p. 112), as does Lane (Arabic-English Lexicon 1:1454).}

And establish prayer, and pay the alms, and bow with those that bow.

“Keep in mind the good manners of presence (ḥaḍra), for the preservation of good manners is the most perfect type of service (khidma).” The allusion in giving alms (zakāt) is to the almsgiving of aspirations, just as you fulfill the almsgiving of wealth. The one who spoke for them said:

Everything has

an almsgiving to be paid.

The almsgiving of beauty

is a mercy like Mine.^{1Muṣṭafā states that he was unable to locate this verse elsewhere (Muṣṭafā, no. 3, p. 92).}

Through the abundant increases in aspirations and the subtleties of vision He brings about in those who pursue and seek,^{2The translation follows “those who seek” (al-murīdūn) from MSS K117, fol. 11a and Y101, fol. 15a.} they are lifted up and their states become states of bewilderment.^{3The Basyūnī edition has a blank here, which has been filled in with tatahayyaru aḥwāl from MS K117, fol. 11a.}

“And bow with those that bow, following the traditions of the pious forefathers (salaf) in what they used to do, avoiding the practice of isolation, for being in a dense congregation (ghumār)^{4In his entry on the word ghumār, Lane references a ḥadīth, “I shall be among the dense congregation of the people” (akūnu fī ghumāri al-nās), which al-Qushayrī probably has in mind here (Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon 2:2292).} is sounder than being separated from people.”

Will you bid others to piety and forget yourselves, while you recite the Book? Do you not understand?

“Will you rouse others to be foremost while you are content to lag behind?” It is also said, “Will you call created beings to Us while you hang back from Us? Will you give drink^{1The translation follows the word tusharribūna from MSS K117, fol. 11a and Y101, fol. 15a rather than the word tusarriḥūna found in the Basyūnī edition.} to the delegations while you yourselves hold back from the water? Will you vie with others, arguing with them over particulars, content, in your bankruptcy, with externals?”

It is said, “Do you look to the weight of a speck or the measure of a grain in people,^{2The translation follows the word al-khalq from MSS K117, fol. 11a and Y101, fol. 15a rather than the word al-ḥaqq found in the Basyūnī edition.} while you tolerate^{3The translation follows the word tusāmiḥūna from MSS K117, fol. 11a and Y101, fol. 15a rather than the word tusāhimūna found in the Basyūnī edition.} the mounds of sand and mountains in yourselves?” The one who spoke for them said:

Do you look

to the mote in my eye

when you do not see

the beam in your own?^{4Muṣṭafā gives no other source for this poem than al-Qushayrī (Muṣṭafā, no. 14, p. 61).}

It is also said, “Do you give the choicest drink while you do not drink in turn?”

“While you recite the Book? Then you persist obstinately with clandestine claims, denying the shameful thoughts (faḍīḥāt al-khawāṭir) and the unmistakable driving cries [to blameworthy things] (ṣarīḥāt al-zawājir)^{5See note 68 on the words zajr and zawājir in the commentary on Qurʾān 2:23–24.} hidden in your hearts. Do you not understand that these are blameworthy qualities (dhamīmun min al-khiṣāl) and ugly acts (qabīḥun min al-fiʿāl)?”

Seek help in patience and prayer. For it is grievous, except to the humble,

While patience (ṣabr) weans the lower self from familiar things (maʾlūfāt), prayer turns one’s attention to the pursuit of intimate communications (muwāṣalāt). Patience indicates fleeing from anything other [than God] and prayer indicates perpetual standing in the presence of the unseen. Seeking help by these means takes a great deal of rigor unless the Real discloses Himself to one’s heart, for in the transmitted tradition [it says], “Truly when God most high discloses Himself to something, it becomes humble to Him.”^{1ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives al-Nasāʾī and others as sources for this ḥadīth.} When the Real discloses Himself He lightens and makes easy what creatures must take on.^{2The translation follows the word tawallā from MSS 117 fol. 11a and Y101, fol. 15a rather than the word tawaqqā in the Basyūnī text.} This is [true] because assuming responsibility for acts of obedience is a religious obligation (taklīf) that is a burden, whereas the disclosure [of God happens] by witnessings and through realization (taḥqīq), and ends in communion (tamām al-wuṣla) and perpetual nearness (dawām al-zulfa).

It is said, “Seek help through Me for patience with Me, and seek help from Me to preserve for you your prayer for Me so that the incoming (wāridāt)^{3In a section entitled “The incoming” (al-Wārid), al-Qushayrī describes wāridāt as thoughts, feelings or experiences that come without invitation to the heart (Risāla, 1:245).} unveilings and awe will not overwhelm you so much that you will be unable to serve [Me].” Surely it is a great blessing from the Real, that He decreases the onslaughts of ecstatic finding (saṭawāt al-wujūd) upon the heart at the time of unveiling; [thus] the servant is able to perform the acts of separation.^{4Al-Qushayrī uses the term “separation” (farq) to refer to the acts performed by the servant, in contrast to what comes from God, which is a gathering (jamʿ). See the section on “Gathering and separation” (al-Jamʿ wa-l-farq), Risāla, 1:207–208.}

There are several kinds of patience, all of them praiseworthy. There is patience in God, patience for God, patience through God, and patience with God. There is only one type of patience which is not praiseworthy and that is the type of patience which keeps one from God.

Patience is beautiful

in all abodes

except in resisting you,

for then it is blameworthy.^{5Muṣṭafā states that this verse is attributed to al-ʿUtbā Muḥammad b. ʿAbdallāh b. ʿAmr b. Muʿāwiya b. ʿUmar b. ʿUtbā b. Abī Sufyān, who is said to have recited it when his son died. Among others to whom it is attributed are Abū Tammām and al-Shiblī (Muṣṭafā, no. 4, p. 104). Al-Qushayrī cites a slightly different version of the verse in the “Section on patience” (Bāb al-ṣabr), Risāla, 1:399.}

who reckon (yaẓunnūna) that they shall meet their Lord, and that to Him they are returning.

It is said that the word “to think” (ẓann) is used here to mean “certainty” (yaqīn), which would be the most obvious [meaning].^{1Here al-Qushayrī is referring to tafsīr works such as that of al-Ṭabarī that explain how ẓann, which usually implies doubt, can sometimes mean reckoning or certainty (al-Ṭabarī, Commentary on the Qurʾan, trans. Cooper, 287).} What is meant by it is “reckoning” (ḥusbān). Those who reckon with the reckoning of certainty (ẓanna ẓann al-yaqīn) are those who experience the communion [of lovers]. Those who reckon by the reckoning of guessing (ẓanna ẓann al-takhmīn) are those who experience separation.

[The phrase] they shall meet their Lord (mulāqū rabbihim) is in a grammatical form appropriate for the past, present, and future. Because the folk^{2Basyūnī explains in a footnote that al-Qushayrī means the Sufis here.} have recognized the truth of what will be, according to the decrees of the unseen, they have reached the point that it is as if the promise has already been determined for them and the unseen is present for them.

O children of Israel, remember My favor wherewith I favored you, and that I have preferred you above all the worlds;

He called the children of Israel to bear witness to the favor or bounty (faḍl) granted to them, saying, “and that I have preferred you (faḍḍaltukum) above all the worlds.” He called the Muslims from the community of Muḥammad ﷺ to bear witness to the favor or bounty of God Himself, saying, “Say: ‘In the bounty of God, and in His mercy in that let them rejoice’” [10:58]. What a difference between those who bear witness to the favor or bounty they receive and those who bear witness to the bounty of their Lord Himself! The servant’s acknowledgment of the favor granted him implies gratitude, but with the danger of self-conceit (iʿjāb). But the servant’s acknowledgment of the bounty of the Real—the One whose majesty is in His description and His beauty in the worthiness of His attribute—involves praise, which leads to [God’s] approval (ījāb).

and fear the day when no soul for another shall give satisfaction, and no intercession shall be accepted from it; nor any compensation (ʿadl) be taken, neither shall they be helped.

He causes fear in ordinary people by His acts, for He said, fear the day and fear the fire [2:24, 3:131]. But He causes fear in the elect by His attributes, for He said, And say: “Act, for God will surely see your actions, and [so will] His Messenger” [9:105], and He said, And you are not occupied with any business. . . but We are witnesses over you when you are engaged therein [10:61]. He causes fear in the elect of the elect by Himself, for He said, God warns you of His Self [3:28, 3:30].

[The word] “compensation” (ʿadl) [here] means “ransom” (fidāʾ).

On the Day of the Resurrection no intercession will be heard except for the one whom the Real has commanded to intercede for Him. He has permitted it and He, in actuality, is the greatest intercessor even though the term “intercessor” is not applied to Him because it is without [divine] instruction (tawqīf).^{1Like other Ashʿarīs, al-Qushayrī believed that the names of God should include only those used to describe Him in the Qurʾān or in sound ḥadīths.} It is said about it:

Praise be to God

in gratitude,

for everything good

is with Him.

The lover has become

my intercessor

to my intercessor

to Him.^{2Muṣṭafā attributes the verse in a somewhat different version to al-Buḥturī, with the word “leader” (amīr) instead of “lover” (ḥabīb) (Muṣṭafā, no. 1, p. 120). The translation follows MSS 117 fol. 11b and Y101, fol. 15b here, with “my” added to “intercessor” in two places. This is how the verse appears in the other versions located by Muṣṭafā.}

The intercession of intercessors will not benefit those who have been hit by the calamity of fate. There will be no helpers for them, nor ransom accepted from them, even if they had the fill of the heavens and earths.

And when We delivered you from the folk of Pharaoh who were visiting you with evil chastisement, slaughtering your sons, and sparing your women; and for you therein was a tremendous trial from your Lord.

Whoever has patience in God with the affliction of His enemies (aʿdāʾihi), God will compensate him with the companionship of His friends (awliyāʾihi) and He will grant him His beautiful gift (ʿaṭāʾihi). The children of Israel were patient in enduring injury from Pharaoh and his people, so He appointed prophets from among them and made them kings. He gave them what He had not given anyone in all the worlds.

And for you therein was a tremendous trial from your Lord: It is said that [it was] a great blessing (niʿmatun ʿaẓīma) and a severe trial (miḥnatun shadīda). In truth, what [came] from God was externally a trial (miḥna) but it was really, for the one who recognized it, a blessing (niʿma) and a kindness (minna).

When We divided for you the sea, and We delivered you, and drowned Pharaoh’s folk, while you were beholding.

The perceptive faculties (baṣāʾir) of the children of Israel had become diminished, so He showed them miracles openly (ʿayānan), whereas the perceptive faculties of this community [Muslims] were sharp, so He unveiled His signs to them secretly (sirran). This is His سبحانه way (sunna). For those who are sharper in the perceptive faculty, the matter will be more subtle for them and the allusions within it more abundant. [The Prophet] ﷺ said, “I was given the all-comprehensive words (jawāmiʿ al-kalim) and then the speech (kalām) was shortened for me.”^{1ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives Muslim and Ibn Ḥanbal, as well as others, as sources for this ḥadīth. Al-Qushayrī also cites the ḥadīth in his commentary on Qurʾān 2:1.}

When [the children of Israel] saw these manifest signs in the splitting of the sea and the drowning of the people of Pharaoh, they were seized with doubt, and said, “They did not drown even though they were cast into the sea,” but the children of Israel did see them drowning. On the other hand, in this community, because of their being foremost^{2The translation follows li-farṭ in MSS K117, fol. 11b and Y101, fol. 16a.} in their belief in the Messenger of God ﷺ and because of the power of their perceptive faculties, one youth said, “It is as if I was with the people of the garden exchanging visits, and as if I was with the people of the fire clamoring to one another, and as if I saw the throne of my Lord in plain sight.”^{3Al-Qushayrī cites a more complete version of this ḥadīth in his commentary on Qurʾān 2:4. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān cites a few sources for the ḥadīth, including ʿUqaylī.} What a difference [there is] between one who sees with his own eyes yet doubts, and one who only hears [about something] and yet sees it like an eyewitness because of the power of his belief!

And when We appointed for Moses forty nights, then you took to yourselves the calf after him, and you were evildoers.

What a difference [there is] between one community and another! When Moses عليه السلام withdrew from the community for forty days, they took the calf as their object of worship and were pleased with that. They said, This is your God and the God of Moses but he has forgotten [20:88]. [On the other hand], the community of Muḥammad the Chosen ﷺ spent many years with their prophet. If they had heard anyone mention any form of [material] description of what they worshiped, they would not have spared their last breath and would have given their lives [before agreeing to such a comparison].

It is said that Moses عليه السلام entrusted his community to his brother, saying, Take my place with my people [7:142]. When he returned he found that they had fallen into temptation (fitna). Our Prophet ﷺ relied on God and did not suggest anyone to lead the community. At the end of his life, he said “the highest companions.”^{1This is a reference to a ḥadīth from ʿĀʾisha, who related that, on his death bed, the Prophet was given the choice between continuing his life in this world and going to God. He answered, “Nay, the highest companions (rafīq al-ʿalā) in Paradise,” echoing Qurʾān 4:69: What fine companions they are! (wa ḥasuna ūlāʾika rafīqan). The ḥadīth and Qurʾānic verse are mentioned in Lane in his comments on the word rafīq (Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon 1:1126). The ḥadīth is understood here as meaning that the Prophet left his community in the hands of his best companions, without selecting a specific leader to succeed him.} See how the Real attended to the care of [Muḥammad’s] community in preserving their monotheism. By my life, they may forfeit their [territorial] borders but they will not compromise their declaration of God’s unity (tawḥīd).

Then We pardoned you after that so that you might be thankful.

The quickness [with which God] pardoned such a grave sin indicates the lesser weight of those who were pardoned. The words of God most high testify to that [in addressing the wives of the Prophet], Whoever of you commits manifest indecency the chastisement shall be doubled for her [33:30]. The children of Israel worshiped the calf so God most high said, “Then We pardoned you after that.” To the community [of Muḥammad ﷺ] He said, “and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it” [99:8].

And when We gave to Moses the scripture and the criterion, so that you might be guided.

The criterion with which this community is distinguished is a light in their hearts by which they differentiate between the truth and falsehood. The Prophet ﷺ said to Wābiṣa, “Seek a pronouncement (fatwā) from your heart.”^{1Basyūnī states in a footnote that the ḥadīth is related al-Bukhārī’s Tārīkh, and al-Dārimī. He gives another version from al-Nawawī’s Riyāḍ al-ṣāliḥin: “Seek your own pronouncement, even if the pronouncers make pronouncements for you.”} And he said, “Fear the inward perception (firāsa) of the believer, for he sees with the light of God.”^{2Basyūnī states in a footnote that the ḥadīth is related in al-Tirmidhī and al-Ṭabarānī.} And God most high said, “If you fear God, He will grant you a criterion” [8:29] and that criterion is a legacy for what they have put forward in beautiful works.

And when Moses said to his people, “My people you have done wrong against yourselves by your taking the [golden] calf;

That is, “you have not caused harm to anyone but yourselves with the sins you perpetrated.” As for the Real سبحانه, He is exalted in description. None of the wrong of the wrongdoers can be referred back to His exaltedness. The calf of whoever acts in conformity with his whim and follows his objects of desire is whatever he is intent upon and whatever he singles out as his objective.

now turn to your Creator

The allusion is to the true sense of repentance in abandoning oneself entirely to (khurūj ilā) God.

and slay one another;

Repentance by slaying oneself has not been abrogated, but the slaying [done] by the children of Israel was an outward act while this community’s repentance consists of slaying themselves inwardly, for the first step in seeking God is to abandon (khurūj ʿan) the lower self.

Verily the people imagined that the repentance of the children of Israel was more difficult but it is not as they imagine, for that was the suffering of slaying one time. As for the elect in this community, there is a slaying in every moment. Because of this:

One who has died and found rest

is not really dead.

The only real dead are those

who are dead among the living.^{1Muṣṭafā attributes this verse to Ṣāliḥ b. ʿAbd al-Quddūs and another individual (Muṣṭafā, no. 2, p. 22). Al-Qushayrī recites the same verse in the section on “The moment” (al-Waqt) (Riṣala, 1:190).}

Slaying the soul in truth is declaring it free of strength and power, or [to be free] of bearing witness to anything from it. It is rejecting its claim, confusing its attempts at self-management, submitting all of its affairs to the Real سبحانه, stripping it of its free choice and will, and obliterating the vestiges (āthār) of the human from it. As for the remaining traces (rusūm) and skeletal structures (hayākil),^{2These are terms Sufi writers adapted from early Arabic poetry. See Michael Sells’ discussion of this in his Early Islamic Mysticism, 56–74 and 338n43.} there is no danger or concern in them.

That will be better for you in your Creator’s sight; He will turn to you [relenting]; truly He is the Relenting, the Merciful.

His being for you against yourselves is more perfect than your being for yourselves.

And when you said, “O Moses, we will not believe you till we see God openly”; and the thunderbolt took you, while you were beholding.

Demanding to see the Essence without divine blessing is an open act of sacrilege, which is one of the signs of distance and misery, whereas attesting to the attribute of [divine] governance in the unveilings of might as linked to the kindnesses of nearness is one of the marks of communion and the tokens of felicity.

Surely when they spoke from ignorance, without any sense whatsoever of shame, the convulsion and the thunderbolt blast overtook them.

Then We raised you up after you were dead, so that you might be thankful.

He returned them to consciousness after the blows of punishment overwhelmed them in order to fulfill the decree for them, and to implement [God’s] way of pardoning sin. One of the aspects of generosity is to lower the veil over the defects of servants.

And We made the cloud overshadow you; and We sent down upon you manna and quails: “Eat of the good things We have provided for you”; And they did not wrong Us, but they wronged themselves.

When He banished them to the desolate regions of exile, He desired only to shade them (ẓallalahum) and to cover them (jallalahum) with sufficient clothing. He freed them (aghnāhum) from the trouble of having to work for themselves, favoring them by providing them (tawallāhum) with what they needed. Their hair and nails did not continue growing, their clothes did not become dirty, and the rays of the sun did not beat down on them. This is His way with someone when He has come between him and his free choice. What He سبحانه chooses for him will be better for him than what he chooses for himself.

And when We said, “Enter this city, and eat freely therein wherever you will, and enter it at the gate prostrating, and say, “exoneration,” and We shall forgive you your transgressions and We shall give more to those who are virtuous.”

The children of Israel persisted^{1The blank in the Basyūnī text here has been completed with the word “persisted” (aṣarra) from MSS K117, fol. 12b and Y101, fol. 16b.} in neglecting that which they were commanded to do, to the point that they were entrusted to preserve [their] speech, but they altered it, and they were commanded [to take] a position of prostration upon entering [the city] but they did not.^{2As described in the transmitted commentary found in al-Ṭabarī, they were told to say, “Exoneration” (ḥiṭṭa) and to prostrate, but they said something else and entered the city without prostrating (al-Ṭabarī, Commentary on the Qurʾan, trans. Cooper, 334–337).} They exposed themselves to the arrows of the unseen and then were not able to withstand the injury of their strikes (lam yuṭīqū l-iṣābata bi-qarʿihā). They were exposed to unexpected punishments and could not hold up to the blows of their impact (fa-lam yathbutū ʿinda ṣadamāt waqʿihā).

Then the evildoers substituted a saying other than that which had been said to them; so We sent down upon the evildoers wrath from the heaven for their wickedness.

They could neither ward off the opening of heaven above them with their stratagems, nor avert the cords of affliction below them by relying on their usual states. They gnashed the teeth of remorse^{1The translation follows the phrase qaraʿū sinn al-nadam as it appears in MSS K117, fol. 12b and Y101, fol. 16b.} when the fangs of pain^{2Lane notes that “dog-teeth” or “fangs” are “metaphorically assigned to evil, or mischief” (Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon, 2:2870).} bit them. How could this have benefited them when the situation was hopeless?

And when Moses sought water for his people, We said, “Strike the rock with your staff,” and there exploded from it twelve fountains, and each people came to know their drinking place, “Eat and drink of that which God has provided, and do not be degenerate in the earth, seeking corruption.”

One who is capable of extracting water from solid rock is capable of quenching thirst without water. But He made the trace or effect (athar) of the miracle manifest in [Moses] and connected him to the locus (maḥall) of calling for help. This, in order for Moses to work with his self (nafs) in moving the stone, and give him responsibility in striking it with his staff. Thus, there would be a measure of [human] effort involved in making His decree come to pass when he sought water for his people. Then the Real سبحانه wanted each people to follow a way (sunna), stick to their boundary (ḥadd), and not dispute with their companions. He singled out for each tribe a marker by which they would know their drinking place, so that they would not go to each others’ drinking places. When He had met their needs, He bid them to be grateful, to preserve the command, and to stop choosing sin, and so He said, “and do not be degenerate in the earth, seeking corruption.”

The drinking places are different and each comes to their own, so one drinking place is sweet and fresh, another salty and bitter, another clear and pure, and another dried up with only a few drops. The water carrier for each people leads them and the scout of each party drives them on, so the lower selves come to the watering places of desires and cravings, the hearts come to the drinking places of piety and acts of obedience, the spirits come to the watering places of unveiling and witnessing, and the innermost selves come to the watering places of realities. The latter [innermost selves] are snatched from the being and outward markings (al-kawn wa-l-marsūmāt) [of humans], then from the sensory awareness and attributes (al-iḥsās wa-l-ṣifāt) [of humans], then annihilated in the reality of ecstatic finding and essence (al-wujūd wa-l-dhāt).

And when you said, “Moses, we will not endure one sort of food; pray to your Lord for us, that He may bring forth for us of what the earth produces—green herbs, cucumbers, garlic, lentils, onions”; He said, “Would you exchange what is better with what is lowlier?” “Go down to a city, you shall have what you demanded”; And abasement and wretchedness were cast upon them, and they incurred God’s wrath; that was because they used to disbelieve the signs of God and slay prophets without right; that was because they disobeyed, and they were transgressors.

They were not content with the goodness of [God] choosing for them, nor were they patient in His managing what He desired for them in basic food and clothing. In their confusion, they fell back to their customary behavior of eating impure food and finding contentment in a lower state, so He returned them to the suffering of ignominy (muqāsāt al-hawān) and bound them to perpetual disappointment (idāmat al-khidhlān). They went so far as to shed the blood of prophets and violated the sanctity of [God’s] command with their lack of shame. They did not repent, so He punished them for their ugly acts (qabīḥ fiʿālihim) and returned them to what He had chosen for their souls in their contemptible states (khasāʾis aḥwālihim). When sincere counsel (naṣīḥa) did not succeed with them, retribution and humiliation (faḍīḥa) overtook them.

It is said that the children of Israel were divided in their aspirations and scattered in their objectives. They were not content to have just one food for themselves, nor were they satisfied with one object of worship in their religion; [this was true] to the point that they said to Moses عليه السلام when they saw people worshiping idols, “O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods” [7:138]. This is the attribute of the masters of separation (arbāb al-tafriqa). Patience with the One (al-wāḥid) is hard. God most high said, “And when you mention the Lord alone (waḥdahu) in the Qurʾān, they turn their backs in aversion” [17:46].

Surely those who believe, and those of the Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabaeans, whoever believes in God and the Last Day, and performs righteous deeds—their wage is with their Lord, and no fear shall befall them, neither shall they grieve.

The diversity of [religious] paths^{1The translation follows the word “paths” (ṭuruq) from MS Y101, fol. 17a, rather than the word “path” (ṭarīq) in the Basyūnī edition or the word “opinion” (ẓann) in MS K117, fol. 12b.} in spite of the unity of the source does not prevent a goodly acceptance [for all]. For anyone who affirms the Real سبحانه in His signs and believes in what He has said concerning His truth and attributes, the dissimilarity of [religious] laws and diversity that occurs in [the] name[s] [of religion] is not a problem in terms of who merits [God’s] good pleasure. Because of that He said, “Surely those who believe and those of the Jews.” Then He said, “whoever believes,” meaning if they fear [God] in [their] different ways of knowing [Him], all of them will have a beautiful place of return and an ample reward. The believer (muʾmin) is anyone in the protection (amān) of the Real سبحانه. For anyone who is in His protection, it is fitting that no fear shall befall them, neither shall they grieve.

And when We made a covenant for you, and We raised above you the mount, “Take forcefully what We have given you, and remember what is in it so that you might preserve yourselves.”

Then you turned away thereafter, and but for God’s bounty and His mercy toward you, you would have been among the losers.

He  سبحانه made a covenant with all responsible beings,^{1In Islamic law mukallafūn is a term used to describe those who are adult and sane, and therefore bound to follow the sharīʿa.} and some responded willingly because He made Himself known to them, and they declared His unity (fa-waḥḥadūhu). Other people responded unwillingly because He veiled them, so they did not want to recognize Him (fa-jaḥadūhu). There is no proof more powerful than the eyewitnessing of the mount (ṭūr) He raised above them, which was a mountain (jabal), but they lacked the light of inner sight (baṣīra) and so the witnessing of physical vision (baṣar) did not benefit them.

Then you turned away thereafter, that is, you returned to disobedience after witnessing the signs with your own eyes. If not for His decree in granting respite and His forbearance through acts of grace, He would punish you without delay and cause a great misfortune to descend upon you, and your deeds would be entirely a loss.

And verily you know that there were those among you who transgressed the Sabbath, and We said to them, “Be apes, despised!”

The metamorphosis (maskh) of this community occurred in their hearts.^{1Al-Qushayrī is in agreement here with commentators who prefer an inward understanding of metamorphosis as opposed to those who suggest that the children of Israel were actually transformed into apes.} When [the children of Israel] abandoned [God’s] command and disdained the laws that were imposed on them, the punishments came quickly in their disgrace, metamorphosis, and in the other things which are included in the [Qurʾānic text]. Because of their violation of the covenant and rejection of the limit [imposed by God], the community was punished through the metamorphosis of their hearts and the alteration of their states. [God] most high said, “And We shall confound their hearts and their eyes; just as they did not believe the first time” [6:110]. The punishments of hearts are far worse than the punishments of the bodily selves. About this they have recited:

O you who ask me,

“How have you been after him?”

I suffered that which tormented me,

while it made him happy.

I kept strutting about

in our togetherness

and felt safe from

the ruses of time.

But the turning away from me

went on until

not a bit of what I had

experienced remained.^{2Muṣṭafā notes that these verses appear unattributed in a slightly different version in al-Qushayrī’s Sharḥ al-asmāʾ (Muṣṭafā, no. 53, p. 71).}

And We made it an exemplary punishment for all the former times and for the latter, and an admonition to those who fear.

Thus the states of those who were tried by abandonment (muniya bi-l-hijrān) and branded with disappointment (wusima bi-l-khidhlān) became a lesson—to look at what happened to them is to choke on grief. The one who is reduced to misery after having had status becomes an object of scorn before every ignoble person. This is what remains for those who have been brought low after [experiencing] the wrath of kings and [being] shunned by chieftains:

The youths surrounded

and ganged up on me.

From behind,

they called the dogs on me.^{1Muṣṭafā cites a slightly different version of this verse attributed to Majnūn in the Dīwān (Muṣṭafā, no. 3, p. 122).}

And when Moses said to his people, “God commands you to sacrifice a cow.”

It was obligatory for them to execute the command directly, but they wasted time with external appearances, imagining that they had the leisure to linger in their digression from the obligation of the covenant. So their misery was doubled and the ignominy they had been warned about overtook them.

When He said: “She is a cow neither old, nor virgin, middling between the two. . .” [2:68], it meant she would be neither young nor aged but somewhere between the two. The allusion is to the fact that one who is suited for this path (ṭarīqa) is one who is neither attracted by the impetuosity of youth and its drunkenness, nor paralyzed by the weakness and frailty of old age. Rather he is alert; he has regained consciousness from his drunkenness yet retains some of the vigor of his youth.

“. . . a golden cow, bright in color, gladdening to beholders.”

They said, “Pray to your Lord for us, that He make clear to us what she may be; the cows are all alike to us; and if God wills, we shall then be guided.”

Just as her [bright] color would have been perceived by the eyes, the allusion here is to those of the people of the story (ahl al-qiṣṣa)^{1Basyūnī adds a footnote saying that what is meant here is the Sufis.} whose witnessing^{2The translation follows the word “witnessing” (mushāhada) in MSS K117, fol. 13a and Y101, fol. 17b rather than the word “witness” (shāhid) found in the Basyūnī edition.} overwhelms the hearts [of others] because of that which is clothed with the garment of invincibility (jabarūt) and made to rise from the witness of the unseen. One notices that someone like this is oblivious to human states and is overtaken by the remembrance of the Real. Thus, in the transmitted tradition: The friends of God are those who, when they are seen, God is remembered.^{3The translation follows “they are seen” (ruʾū) from MSS K117, fol. 13a and Y101, fol. 17b rather than Basyūnī’s “they see” (raʾaw). Chittick locates the ḥadīth with the passive form of the verb in Ibn Māja, Zuhd 4 (William Chittick, The Self-Disclosure of God [Albany: State University of New York Press, 1998], 442). ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives al-Albānī’s al-Silsila al-Ṣaḥīḥa as a reference.}

He said, “He says she shall be a cow not broken to plow the earth, or to water the tillage, with no blemish on her.” They said, “Now you have brought the truth”; and so they sacrificed her, even though they very nearly did not.

Just as this cow was not to have been broken in for work, nor worn out for the purposes of profits, there was to be no color in her inconsistent with the overall grandeur of her color. The allusion in this is to the people of divine friendship (walāya) who do not exert themselves with anyone or anything other [than God], which is to say that they do not seek to obtain anything through secondary causes, and who do not rely in their hearts on external appearances and simulacra. They do not trust in their own choices and contrivance. They are not prey to the claims of desire, nor game in the claws of the present world. Carnal desires do not rule them and no human authority controls them. They do not strive at all to obtain what they desire and are not concerned with attaining what they wish for. There is no mark of others upon them, nor any sign of [their seeking anything through] secondary causes, for they are supported by God, annihilated from all else, nay, effaced as God turns them this way and that. God has conquered their hearts. Just as their object of worship (maʿbūd) is God, so their only aim (maqṣūd) is God. Just as their aim (maqṣūd) is God, so what they bear witness to (mashhūd) is God and what they have found (mawjūd) is God. Nay, they are effaced in God and [only] God remains after them.^{1The Basyūnī edition has a blank here: wa....ʿanhum Allāh. Al-khalaf has been inserted on the basis of MSS K117, fol. 13a and Y101, fol. 18a.} The one who spoke for them recited:

If you want me to be pleased

and you to be pleased

and to take the reins

of our life together,

then look at the world

through my eyes

and listen with my ears

and speak with my tongue.^{2Muṣṭafā gives no sources for these verses (Muṣṭafā, no. 9, p. 113).}

They said, “Now you have brought the truth”; and so they sacrificed her, even though they very nearly did not.

They sought a stratagem for themselves, but when their stratagems failed, they submitted to the decree and were rid of the difficulties of the demands. If they had done what they were commanded to do [straight away], their misery would not have been doubled.

And when you killed a living soul, and disputed thereon—and God disclosed what you were hiding,

One who is disloyal is afraid and, out of fear that his secret will become manifest, relies on concealment, deception, denial, and evasion. His fault (ʿawāruhu) is inevitably discovered, his secrets (asrāruhu) exposed, and the coverings (astāruhu) fall because of the shame of his action. God most high said, “and God disclosed what you were hiding.”

so We said, “Smite him with part of it”; God brings to life the dead, and He shows you His signs so that you might understand.

God سبحانه wanted to give life to the dead man so that he could expose his killer through the testimony [of the slain], so He commanded them to kill one of their animals, and made it the cause of bringing the slain man to life.^{1The tafsīr of al-Ṭabarī transmits commentary with additional details of this story about a man killed by one of the children of Israel. After God told them to smite the murdered man with part of the sacrificed cow, the man came to life and identified his murderer (al-Ṭabarī, Commentary on the Qurʾan, trans. Cooper, 391–395).} The allusion here is to anyone who desires the life of his heart; he will only attain it by sacrificing his lower self, since the heart of anyone who sacrifices his lower self through struggle (mujāhadāt) comes to life by the lights of witnessing (mushāhadāt). Likewise, when God wants someone’s reputation to live forever,^{2The translation follows the word “forever” (al-abad) from MSS K117, fol. 13 and Y101, fol. 18a. The Basyūnī edition has al-abdāl, but Basyūnī adds a footnote suggesting the word is probably al-abad.} He causes his reputation in this world to pass into obscurity.

Then your hearts became hardened thereafter, or even yet harder; for there are stones from which rivers come gushing, and others split so that water issues from them; and others come down in fear of God; And God is not heedless of what you do.

He explained that even though they witnessed weighty signs and had seen clear proofs, when [divine] solicitude (ʿināya) did not help them and God did not decree guidance (hidāya) for them, the many signs only increased their hardness (qaswa) and brought misery upon misery (shaqwa) for them from the hiding places of the [divine] preordination. He compared their hearts to stones because [stones] do not grow or thrive, and their hearts likewise do not understand and are not aware.^{1The translation follows the words “are not aware” (lā taʿī) found in MSS K117, fol. 13b and Y101, fol. 18a rather than lā taghnī in the Basyūnī edition.} Then He explained that [their hearts] are even harder than stones, for there are stones from which rivers come gushing and upon which the traces of the fear of God appear.^{2Basyūnī suggests in a footnote that there is an allusion to Qurʾān 59:21: Had We sent down this Qurʾān upon a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbled, rent asunder by the fear of God.} But their hearts are empty of all good. How can it not be so when [their hearts] were made to suffer the turning of the Real from them (muniyat bi-iʿrāḍi al-ḥaqqi ʿanhā) and were singled out for the removal of all good from them (wa-khuṣṣat bi-intizāʿi al-khayrāt minhā).

Are you then so eager that they should believe you, seeing there is a party of them that heard God’s word, and then tampered with it, and that, after they had comprehended it knowingly?

He informed them of [the status] of their belief and related that after hearing the address of God سبحانه, they engaged in tampering [with it] and altering [it]: “Why would they believe you when they already heard by means of the message? How can those who do not remain in a state of faith (imān) after eyewitnessing (ʿiyān) believe by means of demonstrative proof (burhān)? That which does not hold true for the Real does not hold true for you. How can those who are not ashamed before the Real be ashamed before you?”

And when they meet those who believe, they say, “We believe”; but when they go in private one to another, they say: “Do you speak to them of what God has disclosed to you, so that they may thereby dispute with you before your Lord? Have you no understanding?”

Do they not know that God knows what they keep secret and what they proclaim?

They encouraged one another among themselves to reject the Real and to hide the situation from the Muslims. But they did not know that God was informing His Messenger عليه السلام of their secrets, and that a light the Real^{1The translation follows the word “the Real” (al-ḥaqq) found in MS K117, fol. 13b rather than “the unseen” (al-ghayb) found in the Basyūnī edition and MS Y101, fol. 18b.} makes manifest cannot be extinguished by the efforts of anyone other than Him. When the tongue agrees but the mind^{2The word used here is usually translated as “creed” or “dogmatic conviction” (ʿaqīda).} objects, it only increases separation.

And there are some of them that are illiterate, not knowing the scripture, but only desires and mere conjectures.

So woe to those who write the scripture with their hands then say, “This is from God” that they may sell it for a small price.

He related that they differed in the shortcomings of their disbelief. One group is the most contemptible,^{1Presumably this refers to those who knowingly tampered with their scriptures.} while the majority relied on blind following (taqlīd) out of ignorance. It was not that doubt seized them but rather that they were misled by conjecture and speculation. They have no share in their scriptures other than to recite them without knowledge of their meanings. Among this group are those who are mostly concerned with what they desire for themselves. There is no possibility of their being helped and no definitive way of finding the truth among their conjectures.

Then He related the bad outcome for them in His words, may His mention be exalted:

So woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for their earnings.

It means they have lost in the present and in the end. This verse alludes to those who lack sincerity (ikhlāṣ)^{2For more on this term, see the “Section on sincerity” (Bāb al-ikhlāṣ) in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla, 2:443–447.} in companionship (ṣuḥba)^{3For more on this term, see the “Section on companionship” (Bāb al-ṣubḥa) in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla, 2:574–580.} on the path of the Real. They associate with the friends (awliyāʾ) [of God] externally but they possess no true spiritual desire (irāda), so they are companions of the heedless with only a partial view of this path (ṭarīqa). Whenever the clamor of worldly fortunes call, they rush to respond willingly, but when the demands of the Real سبحانه direct them to some endeavor, their situation is a bad one since they are not sincere. How intense will be their remorse for what they have hoarded from God! They will not prosper.

And they say, “the fire shall not touch us, save a number of days.” Say: “Have you taken a covenant with God? God will not fail in His covenant, or say you against God what you do not know?

This verse alludes to those whose hearts are filled with false claims. Their conjecture has gotten the better of them, for out of extreme foolishness they judge themselves to be among the people of the story (ahl al-qiṣṣa).^{1Basyūnī identifies “the people of the story” as Sufis, as he does in the commentary on Qurʾān 2:69–70.} Such a person abides (yakhlud)^{2The verb “abides” (yakhlud) anticipates the use of the verbal noun “abiding” (khālidūn) in the next Qurʾānic verse [2:81]. Al-Qushayrī understands the word “abiding” as a description not only of the enduring nature of the punishment of the fire, but also the enduring and painful state of separation from God in this life.} with the murmurings of his lower desires. He judges the unseen by what he has himself neglected, having forgotten the ugliness of what he has done, and remembering [only] the errors of his false thinking. He is a servant of his lower self whose good opinion of himself has gotten the better of him. In reality, the results of his neglect and deceit possess him. God most high said, “And that supposition of yours which you supposed of your Lord has ruined you. So you have become among the losers” [41:23].

Not so; whoever earns evil and is encompassed by his transgression—those are the inhabitants of the fire, therein abiding (khālidūn).

In the language of scholars^{1Basyūnī adds a footnote saying that this refers to the language of ordinary commentaries, rather than allusive language.} the one who is encompassed by his transgression is the disbeliever. But the allusion in it is to one whose heart has ceased its perpetual calling for help. The possessors of realities are like grain in the frying pan in their moments of wakefulness (ṣaḥw).^{2For more on how al-Qushayrī uses this term see the section on “Wakefulness and drunkenness” (al-Ṣaḥw wa-l-sukr), Risāla, 1:217–219.} Those [of them] who have become still are thus because of His excessive majesty, not because they are listless.

Whoever relies on obedience seeks favor from it and thinks that he [can] draw near by means of it, but he should keep his distance from this [idea]. Whoever comes to know the truth of God’s unity knows that there is no means to Him except through Him.

And those who believe and perform righteous deeds—those are the inhabitants of paradise, therein abiding.

In the here and now there are gardens of communion and in the end [there are] gardens of favor. [. . . ]^{1Here a section is missing from Basyūnī’s edition; it amounts to about a half of a folio page in the MSS K117, fol. 14a and Y101, fol. 18b and 19a. Because there are problems in this section that could not be resolved, the translation follows the Basyūnī edition until the point that it is complete again in the middle of the commentary on Qurʾān 2:85.}

And when We made a covenant with the children of Israel: “You shall not worship any other than God; and be good to parents, and the near of kin; and to orphans, and to the needy; and speak well to men; and observe the prayer and pay the alms,” then you turned away; all but a few of you, rejecting.

And when We made a covenant with you: “Shed no blood among you, nor turn out your own people from your homes.” Then you confirmed it, and you bore witness.

Then there you are killing one another, and expelling a party of you from their habitations, conspiring against them in sin and enmity, and if they come to you as captives, you ransom them; yet their expulsion was forbidden you. What, do you believe in part of the Book, and disbelieve in part?

And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, that is, “Just as you protect their rights by ransoming them, so must you restrain your hands from them and forswear expelling them from their homelands. When you uphold some of what has been made obligatory for you, what keeps you from doing the rest of what you have been commanded to do? Do you not know that whoever picks and chooses in what he has been commanded, so that he believes in some parts and disbelieves in others has the reward for his deeds nullified because of what he has neglected?”

What shall be the requital of those of you who do that, but degradation in the life of this world; and on the Day of Resurrection to be returned to the most terrible of chastisement? And God is not heedless of what you do.

That is, they thought that what they did would benefit them but in the hereafter it will be disclosed to them that everything that they did, when it was combined with what was damaging and stripped of sincerity and devotion, was not accepted from them.

The captives are of different types. The rescue of the captive drowning in the sea of whim (hawā) is to be directed to guidance. The ransom of the captive who remains in the hands of whisperings (wasāwis)^{1See Qurʾān 50:16 and 114:5 for mention of “whisperings” in the lower self (nafs) and breasts (ṣudūr) of human beings.} is to show him the way to certainty by the glimmers of proofs. Through this you will rescue him from doubt and questioning, and take him out of the darknesses of blind imitation (taqlīd). The redemption of the captive you find shackled to his random thoughts and enslaved by the clamor of his lower self is to direct him to the witnessing of favors. [This is done] by his absolving himself of acknowledging any power in a created thing or something other [than God]. The redemption of the captive you find tied to his error is to advise him to renounce it and to aid him in restraining himself from it.^{2This sentence does not appear in MS K117, fol. 14b. The translation follows the word “error” (zalla) found in MS Y101, fol. 19a rather than the word “essence” or “self” (dhāt) found in the Basyūnī edition.} The redemption of the captive you find shackled to his [human] attributes is to direct him toward the Real in what will release him from the fetter^{3The translation follows the word “shackle” (wathāq) from MSS K117, fol. 14b and Y101, fol. 19a.} of all that has come into being (kawn). The captives you find in the grip of the Real, let them know that there is no redemption for such captives, no retaliation^{4The translation follows the word “retaliation” (qawad) from MSS K117, fol. 14b and Y101, fol. 19a rather than the word “return” (ʿawd) from the Basyūnī edition.} for their dead, and no deliverance for their bond. [For aspirants on the path] there is no escape from them, no way to them, no stratagem other than them, no comfort with anything but them, and no rejecting their decree.

Those are the ones who have purchased the life of this world at the price of the hereafter—for them the punishment shall not be lightened, neither shall they be helped.

Those who have preferred anything over [God] have lost in this world and the hereafter. As they have said:

People turned away

from us

without cause

or sense.

If they have no need

of us,

we have even less need

of them.^{1Muṣṭafā states that he was unable to locate these verses in any other source. However, he adds lines that do not appear in the Basyūnī edition, MS K117, fol. 14b, or MS Y101, fol. 19a (Muṣṭafā, no. 11, p. 24).}

And We gave Moses the scripture, and after him We sent successive messengers, and We gave Jesus son of Mary the clear proofs, and We confirmed him with the holy spirit, and whenever there came to you a messenger, with what your souls did not desire, you became arrogant; and some, you called liars, and some you slay?

The allusion is that “We [God] delivered the address to them and made one messenger follow after another, all calling to the same thing. But they listened to the call of the callers with the ear of whim (hawā); they accepted what their lower selves found pleasurable and rejected what their whims (ahwāʾ) found troublesome. They were characterized by this self-serving desire and moreover became servants (ʿabadū) to it. The [human] attributes of the worshiper (ʿābid) became the object of worship (maʿbūd).” What a terrible affliction is upon them!

And they say: “Our hearts are encased.” Nay, but God has cursed them for their unbelief; and little will they believe.

If there had been anything in them free of pretension, it would have become easy to find meanings [from God’s signs and scripture]. But when [they must] recognize the truth, the fangs of pretenders are bared. . .^{1There is a blank section in Basyūnī’s edition which was not clarified by MSS K117, fol. 14b and Y101, fol. 19b.} It is said:

When tears

flow down cheeks

The one who is crying is distinguished

from the one who is only pretending.^{2Muṣṭafā cites a slightly different version of this verse attributed to al-Mutanabbī (Muṣṭafā, no. 7, pp. 90–91). Al-Qushayrī cites this verse again in his commentary on Qurʾān 3:143.}

When there came to them a Book from God, confirming what was with them—and they formerly prayed for victory over the disbelievers; but when there came to them what they recognized, they disbelieved in it; and the curse of God is on the disbelievers.

Here the allusion is to one who resolves upon purity and clarity (ṣafāʾ) and promises his complete loyalty (wafāʾ). He raises the banners of his vigor to step out to combat, but when the call comes to line up and advance boldly into battle he breaks down at the rallying of the ranks and cuts himself off from the group, afraid of dangerous attacks.^{1There are some problems with this sentence in Basyūnī’s text; these have been resolved here from MSS K117, fol. 14b and Y101, fol. 19b.} God most high said, “Then, when the matter has been resolved upon, if they are loyal to God, it will be better for them” [47:21].

Evil is that for which they sell their souls; that they disbelieve in that which God has revealed, grudging that God should reveal of His bounty to whomever He will of His servants; and they were laden with anger upon anger; and for the disbelievers there shall be a humiliating chastisement.

Envy caused them to descend from the abode of nobility to the lowland of ignominy. When they were not satisfied with what the decree brought, they were reduced to a state of abasement. They invited upon themselves that which brings wrath upon wrath.

And when it was said to them, “Believe in what God has revealed,” they said, “We believe in what was revealed to us,” and they disbelieve in what is beyond that; yet it is the truth, confirming what is with them. Say: “Why then were you slaying the prophets of God formerly, if you were believers?”

Here the allusion is that when it is said to them, “Recognize the truth of what has been shown to you from the decree of [divine] harmony (min ḥukm al-wifāq) by recognizing the situation and the establishment of proof,” their lower selves permit some of what they find ambiguous insofar as it agrees with their self-serving desires, but then they disbelieve in what is beyond their worldly concerns. They^{1There is a blank in the Basyūnī edition in the first part of the sentence, which is completed here based on MSS K117, fol. 14b and Y101, fol. 19b.} are distant from the elite and are not considered to be among the masters who have special claim (arbāb al-ikhtiṣāṣ).

And Moses came to you with clear proofs; then you took to yourselves the calf after him, and you were evildoers.

That is, “he called you to declare [God’s] unity (tawḥīd) and separate the [proper] object of worship from any other object of worship (maʿbūd) and limited thing (maḥdūd). But you were not inclined to worship anything except what was attractive to you—the calf you adopted for yourselves and the idol you desired.” [The calf] was taken from them but its traces remained in their hearts and in the hearts of those who came after them. Because of that most Jews believe in anthropomorphism (tashbīh).

And when We made a covenant with you, and raised over you the mount, “Take forcefully what We have given you, and listen,” they said, “We hear and disobey”; and they were made to drink the calf in their hearts on account of their unbelief. Say: “Evil is that which your belief enjoins on you, if you are believers.”

He reiterates the tale of their excessive love for the calf, their aversion to accepting the Real, and [. . . ],^{1The blank in the Basyūnī text could not be clarified through the text in MSS K117, fol. 14b and Y101, fol. 19b.} and their being told of the punishment that would overtake them for the evil they did. No counsel was useful to them and no punishment led them to refrain from their disobediences. They paid no mind to censure (lā bi-l-dhamm fīhim iḥtafalū) and did not act according to what the situation required (wa-lā bi-mūjibi al-amr ʿamilū).

Say: “If the abode of the hereafter with God is purely yours, and not for other people, then long for death—if you speak truly.”

But they will never long for it, because of that which their own hands have sent before them. God knows the evildoers.

Among the signs of ardent longing (ishtiyāq) is the desire for death while in the best of health and well-being.^{1In other words, such a person longs for death even though he is able to enjoy life in this world fully. Al-Qushayrī cites a similar statement attributed to his teacher Abū ʿAlī l-Daqqāq in the “Section on passionate longing” (Bāb al-shawq), Risāla, 2:628.} Whoever is absolutely and without any doubt confident that the garden is his ardently longs for it. But they did not long for the garden—and God سبحانه said that they will never long for it—and this information was a miracle for the Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, since it was as He had said.

In this is good news for the believers who ardently long for death; there is forgiveness for them. He only bestows the ardent longing on them so that it may be actualized [when] they reach the garden. Of old it was said, “For the negligent, shame will suffice on the Day of the Meeting.”^{2Al-Qushayrī gives no indication here of what type of material he is quoting.} God most high said, “But they will never long for it, because of that which their own hands have sent before them.”

And you shall find them the people most covetous of life, and the idolaters; any one of them would love that he might be given life for a thousand years; yet, his being given life shall not budge him from the chastisement. God sees what they do.

Love of life in this world is the result of heedlessness (ghafla) of God. The worst heedlessness is their excessive love to remain in this world. The state of the believer is the opposite of this. Those who are heedless and insolent are eager for life only because they know of their failure to be obedient. The runaway slave does not want to be returned to his master. But for believers, the transition [of death] to One from whom only good is expected is better than remaining with those against whose evil they are not secure. The prolonging of life in spite of the certainty of death holds no value for them since [death] comes unexpectedly and life is cut off. What is coming is near. When [one’s] life span is completed, there is no averting the assaults of the appointed time from the shoulders of hope (fa-lā maradda li-hujūmi al-ajal ʿalā aktāfi al-amal).

Say: “Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel—he it was that brought it down upon your heart by the leave of God, confirming what was before it, a guidance, and good tidings for the believers.

Whoever is an enemy to God and His angels and His messengers, and Gabriel and Michael—then surely God is an enemy to the disbelievers.”

The Jews claimed that Gabriel did not come with good, that they did not love him, and that if it had been Michael, they would have believed in him. The Real سبحانه showed them to be liars when He said, “Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel, [thinking] he did not bring good, what good is greater than the Qurʾān that descended through him?”

Then He said that whoever is an enemy to Gabriel and Michael, God is his enemy. Surely the messenger of the Beloved to the highly-esteemed beloved [Muḥammad] has a noble status and weighty rank. The enmity of the disbelievers does not harm Gabriel—the Real سبحانه وتعالى is his protector (walī). Whoever is an enemy of Gabriel, God is his enemy. How mighty and glorified is this status! How grand is His exaltedness!

And We have revealed to you clear proofs; and none disbelieves in them except the wicked.

Why, whenever they make a covenant, does a party of them reject it? Nay, but most of them are disbelievers.

One disbelieves in His clear signs only when one’s eyes are blocked from perceiving and one’s fate from God has already been determined as unfortunate. There is no sense in anyone who denies that day is day. Likewise, there is no union for anyone who has not been assisted by lights and insights from the Real.

Why, whenever they made a covenant. . . : their predetermined fate (sābiq al-taqdīr) confounded them and their subsequent contrivances (lāḥiq al-tadbīr) broke their covenant. God prevails over His affair.

When there came to them a messenger from God, confirming what was with them, a party of those who had been given the scripture cast away the scripture of God behind their backs, as though they did not know.

They denied the messengers of the Real that came to their hearts by means of intuitions (khawāṭir) and [they] belied the messengers who came to them outwardly. O ignorance in which there is not a sliver of deeper knowledge (ʿirfān)! O deprivation whose companion is disappointment (khidhlān)!

And they follow what the devils used to relate during the reign of Solomon: Solomon disbelieved not, but the devils disbelieved, and taught the people sorcery; and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babylon—Hārūt and Mārūt. They taught not any man, without them saying, “We are but a temptation; do not disbelieve.” From them they learned how they might cause division between a man and his wife, yet they did not hurt any man thereby save by the leave of God; and they learned what hurt them, and did not profit them. And surely they knew well that whoever buys it, he shall have no share in the hereafter;

Whoever is divided by his whims (ahwāʾ) falls into one state of heedlessness (ghafla) after another, so that every kind of ignorant affair welcomes him. Moreover, those whose absence [from the Beloved] is prolonged become a warning to others and a temptation for whoever follows their path. Whoever emulates them in their transgression joins their community and becomes one of them. This is the case in the description of Hārūt and Mārūt and what happened to them—they became a temptation and a warning for men. One who listens to what they say and does not take into account their ignorance will share in their tribulation (balāʾuhumā) and suffer their distress (ʿanāʾuhumā) in the hereafter.

The allusion in their story is to the one on this path (ṭarīqa) who is inclined to affectation, deception, and pretension. He attracts followers whom he leads to hell by his falsehood and blocks them from the path of right direction by the evil of his darknesses. But those who take heed cross over^{1Here al-Qushayrī is playing with two verb forms from the same root ʿ-b–r: iʿtabara (“to take heed or learn a lesson”) and ʿabara (“to cross over”).} to safety on its bridges^{2These two sentences have been included on the basis of MS K117, fol. 15a and MS Y101, fol. 20a. Basyūnī has a blank in his version with a note saying that the writing was obscure in the script and meaning.} and the one who is disgraced (tahattaka) by his inclinations to falsehoods—his veils (astāruhu) are torn (tahattakat)^{3Here al-Qushayrī is playing with two meanings of the verb tahattaka: “to be torn” and “to be disgraced.”} and his faults (ʿawāruhu) are exposed to anyone with eyes. When Hārūt and Mārūt were deceived by the disobedience to which they had become accustomed, they blamed [their being deceived on] the disobedience of the children of Adam. Because of their tendencies toward carnal desires and the promptings to temptations and harmful things, they plunged forward into disobedience. What happened to them is what the storytellers relate: they are hanging upside down until the Day of the Resurrection and if not for [God’s] gentleness (rifq) toward them and their affair, their punishment would not end then. But God’s kindness (luṭf) with all is abundant.

And when God most high said, “And they learned what hurt them, and did not profit them,” people of discernment know that knowledge of things can be undesirable, even though [knowledge itself] is a praiseworthy attribute. The Prophet ﷺ said, “I seek refuge in You from knowledge that has no benefit.”^{4ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives Ṣāḥib and al-Zabīdī as sources for this ḥadīth.}

evil then would have been that they sold themselves for, if they had but known.

If the one who has been deceived knew what endures (mādhā abqā) and what brings trial (mādhā ablā), he would be torn apart by sorrows. But on the day when secrets are tested [86:9] he will know the precious gifts that have passed him by.

Yet if only they had believed, and been fearful, verily, a reward from God would have been better, if they had but known.

If they had only preferred drawing near (iqbāl) to God over being distracted (ishtighāl) from Him, they would have obtained the treasure of the two abodes (dhukhra al-dārayn) and reached the glory of the two worlds (ʿizza al-kawnayn). But the blows of subjugation pressed upon them (kasabathum saṭawātu al-qahr), and kept them in the lands of abandonment (fa-athbatathum fī mawāṭini al-hajr).

O you who believe, do not say, “Observe us”; but say, “Regard us,” and listen; and for disbelievers awaits a painful chastisement.

The objectives of enemies in all their states (fī jamīʿi aḥwālihim), including their actions and words (min aʿmālihim wa-aqwālihim), are malicious,^{1According to commentaries on this verse, some of the Medinan Jews used to use the Arabic expression “observe us” (rāʾinā) in addressing the Prophet because it resembled a derogatory phrase in their language (see Tafsīr al-Jalālayn and al-Wāḥidī’s Asbāb al-nuzūl at altafsir.com).} for they remain tied to their ways in what they do and do not do. The way of the friends [of God] is to avoid being like them and to adopt a path which is not their path.

Those disbelievers of the people of the scripture and the idolaters do not wish that any good should be revealed to you from your Lord, but God singles out for His mercy, whom He will; God’s grace is most abundant.

The antipathy of the enemies toward the unwavering decency of the friends is unceasing and enduring. But the envious [one] shall not prevail (lākin al-ḥasūda lā yasūd), nor will he obtain what he seeks (wa lā yaḥṣul lahu maqṣūd). The special qualities of mercy are sufficient for the friends, even if the enemies are abased^{1The translation follows the words raghma mina al-ʿadāʾ ānāf from MSS K117, fol. 15b and Y101, fol. 20b rather than the words zaʿama mina al-ʿadāʾ affāk from the Basyūnī edition.} and the flanks and borders of the lands of their rejoicing are destroyed.

And whatever verse We abrogate or postpone, We bring [in place] a better, or the like of it; do you not know that God has power over all things?

Abrogation (naskh) is the removal of something; that is, [it is] what moves you from one state to that which is above and superior to it, for the branch of your communion is forever flourishing and the star of your nobility is forever shining. “We do not abrogate anything of the traces of worship (ʿibāda) without substituting for it something from the lights of servanthood (ʿubūdiyya). And We do not abrogate anything from the lights of servanthood without putting something in its place from the moons of servitude (ʿubūda).^{1See the “Section on servanthood” (Bāb al-ʿubūdiyya), where these three terms (ʿibāda, ʿubūdiyya, and ʿubūda) are applied to ordinary believers, the elect, and the elect of the elect in rising order (al-Qushayrī, Risala, 2:428).} Your innermost self is always rising (taraqqā) and your worth increases [when you take on] the beauty of the [divine] friendship (tawallā).”

It is said, “We will not raise you from the place of servanthood (ʿubūdiyya) without causing you to alight^{2Here the translation follows the word aḥlalnāka from MSS K117, fol. 15b and Y101, fol. 20b rather than the word salakaka from the Basyūnī edition.} on the plains of freedom (ḥurriyya).^{3That is, the only true freedom (ḥurriya) is that found in perfected servanthood (ʿubūdiyya). See the “Section on Freedom” (Bāb al-ḥurriyya) in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla, 2:460–463.} We have not removed anything of your human attributes (ṣifāt al-bashariyya) without elevating you in some divine witnessing (shawāhid al-ulūhiyya).”^{4In these two sentences, the translation follows the first plural verb conjugation forms found in MS K117, fol. 15b.}

Do you not know that to God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and that you have none, besides God, neither protector, nor helper?

His سبحانه way (sunna) is to draw His friends from the witnessing of what He possesses (milk) to the vision of His kingdom (mulk).^{1The translation follows the placement of the terms milk and mulk as found in MSS K117, fol. 15b and Y101, fol. 20b. The terms appear in the opposite order in the Basyūnī edition.} Then He takes them from the vision of His kingdom to witnessing His truth (ḥaqq), and then [He] takes them from the vision of His signs (ayāt) to the vision of His attributes (ṣifāt), and from the vision of His attributes to the witnessing of His essence (dhāt).

Or do you desire to question your messenger as Moses was questioned, aforetime? Whoever exchanges belief for unbelief has surely strayed from the even way.

The children of Israel annoyed Moses عليه السلام, and the Muslims were prohibited from following this precedent. They were commanded to be conscious of the bashfulness of the Messenger ﷺ as much as possible, so that in his presence they were silent with awe.^{1Literally, they were “as if they had birds on their heads.” Lane explains the origin of this expression as arising from the fact that “birds alight only upon a thing that is still and inanimate” (Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon, 2:1904).} [God] most high said, Support him, and revere him [48:9].^{2According to Tafsīr al-Jalālayn (trans. Hamza), the pronoun in Qurʾān 48:9 can be understood as referring either to God or Muḥammad. Al-Qushayrī is choosing the latter reading for his commentary here.} The beauty of refined behavior (adab) in outward circumstances is a model for the beauty of refined behavior with God inwardly.

Many of the people of the scripture long to make you disbelievers, after you have believed, from the envy of their own souls, after the truth has become clear to them; yet pardon and be forgiving till God brings His command; truly God has power over all things.

Those among the heedless who have lost understanding wish that not even a star would rise over those who are in peace and safety (salāma), and those who are possessed by envy would like the sun to stop shining over those whom they envy. These are the attributes of disbelievers, so God abases^{1Literally, “puts their noses in the dirt.”} and humbles them.^{2Literally, “throws them down on their faces.”}

The allusion in this is to the state of those who possess spiritual desire (irāda) in the beginning, when they embark on their travels. If they do not find help and success in companionship and they live among people following externals, these people will prevent them from traveling and will not stop giving advice to them. They will frighten them with weakness and threaten them with poverty until they divert them to the way of heedlessness and cut them off from the path of spiritual desire. These are truly the enemies of God, those who have been overtaken by the enmity of the moment. Their punishment is being deprived of smelling any of the fragrances of sincerity (ṣidq).

Yet pardon and be forgiving. . . , for the way of the aspirant is to protect his innermost self from anyone or anything other [than God]. He tries to employ his best nature with each individual and spares no effort in kindness, for soon the Real will open the way for him on his path.^{3The translation follows the words “best nature” (khuluq) and “kindness” (rifq) from MSS K117, fol. 15b and Y101, fol. 20b. Basyūnī is uncertain about the correctness of his text here. On the term khuluq, see the “Section on noble character” (Bāb al-khuluq) in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla, 2:494–501.}

And perform the prayer, and pay the alms; whatever good you shall offer for your own souls, you shall find it with God; assuredly God sees what you do.

The aspirant is obligated to perform the acts of intimate communication (muwāṣalāt) and to continually seek to gain access with different kinds of acts of drawing near (qurubāt), trusting that what he offers [by way of] sincere striving (mujāhadāt) will bear fruit in the final states (ḥālāt).

And they say, “None shall enter paradise except those who are Jews or Christians.” Such are their desires. Say, “Produce your proof if you speak truly.”

Each party (ḥizb) smooths things out^{1Here the translation follows yumahhidu al-amr from MSS K117, fol. 15b and Y101, fol. 21a rather than the phrase yumahhidu al-amal in the Basyūnī edition.} for itself, thinking salvation belongs to it, and claiming access [to paradise] as its share. But mere guessing (ḥusbān) without the verification of proof (burhān) does not produce results (lā yaʾtī bi-ḥāṣil) nor is it of any use (wa lā yaḥūz bi-ṭāʾil).

Nay, but whoever submits his purpose to God, being virtuous, his reward is with his Lord, and no fear shall befall them, neither shall they grieve.

He submits his purpose (aslama wajhahu) means he remains loyal to the quest for God, devotes his purpose to God alone, and purifies his resolve^{1The translation follows the word ʿaqd in MSS K117, fol. 16a and Y101, fol. 21a rather than the word “intellect” (ʿaql) in the Basyūnī edition.} from any faults. Being virtuous [means] possessing knowledge by the truth of what he does and the truth of what he practices. He is virtuous in the end (wa-huwa muḥsin fī l-maʾāl) just as he submits in the present (kamā annahu muslim fī l-ḥāl).

It is said that virtuousness (iḥsān) is that you worship God as if you see Him, so that you will be submitting with your outward form and witnessing with your innermost hearts. Outwardly there is effort and physical prostration (fī l-ẓāhir jahd wa-sujūd) and inwardly there is unveiling and ecstatic finding (fī l-bāṭin kashf wa-wujūd).

It is said that one submits his purpose by persisting in obedient actions, being virtuous, maintaining the good manners of service (ādāb al-khidma) by the beautiful manners of presence (bi-ḥusni ādāb al-ḥuḍūr). No fear of abandonment will befall them (khawf al-hajr), neither will secret deception (khafīy al-makr) overcome them. This world will not distract them from witnessing and tomorrow the hereafter will not distract them from the vision.

The Jews say, “The Christians stand on nothing”; and the Christians say, “The Jews stand on nothing”; yet they recite the scripture. Thus, the ignorant say the like of what these say; God shall decide between them on the Day of Resurrection regarding their differences.

The allusion in this verse is an inversion of its apparent sense. Today the enemies [of God] disclaim one another [as they have done in the past], but the friends [of God] also do something like that. Nonetheless, it is said that the Sufis will remain in a good state^{1The phrase bi-khabarin in the Basyūnī edition is a typographical error. It has been replaced with bi-khayrin from MSS K117, fol. 15b and Y101, fol. 21a.} as long as they quarrel and do not accept one other,^{2In the first part of this sentence, al-Qushayrī is quoting from a statement he attributes to Ruwaym in the “Section on Sufism” (Bāb al-taṣawwuf): “The Sufis will remain in a good state so long as they quarrel and do not accept one another. If they were to agree, there would be no good in them” (Risāla, 2:554).} because if they were to accept one another they would stay with each other [rather than turning to God].

And who does greater evil than he who bars God’s places of worship, so that His name be not invoked in them, and strives to ruin them?; such men might never enter them, save in fear; for this world is degradation for them; and in the hereafter a mighty chastisement.

[Here] the allusion is to the one who does evil, one who ruins the homelands (awṭān) of worship with [his] carnal passions (shahawāt)—and the homelands of worship are the selves of the worshipers (nufūs al-ʿābidīn). He ruins the homelands of knowledge with [his] desires and attachments (ʿalāqāt)—and the homelands of knowledge are the hearts of those with deep knowledge (qulūb al-ʿārifīn). He destroys the homelands of love with [his] worldly concerns and familiar comforts (musākanāt)—and [the homelands of love] are the spirits of the ecstatics (arwāḥ al-wājidīn). He ruins the homelands of witnessing by paying attention to [his own] attempts to draw near (qurubāt) [rather than turning to God Himself] and [the homelands of witnessing] are the innermost selves of those who declare oneness (asrār al-muwaḥḥidīn).

For them in this world is degradation; and in the hereafter a mighty chastisement. For the people of allusion the degradation of this world is the ignominy of the veil and the punishment of the hereafter is being held back in degrees.^{1The Qurʾān speaks of “degrees” in the hereafter, as in verses 6:132 and 46:19: All shall have degrees according to what they have done.}

To God belong the East and the West; whithersoever you turn, there is the face of God. Lo! God is Embracing, Knowing.

Here the allusion is to the eastern and western places of hearts [of the believers]. Hearts have rising lights (shawāriq) and night visitors (ṭawāriq). The night visitors are the murmurings (hawājis) of the lower selves that arrive in the darknesses of desire and carnal passions. The rising lights are the stars of different types of knowledge, the moons of presence and the suns of gnosis.

As long as the lights are rising the qibla of the hearts is clear and visible. Then when the realities take over, the authority of the lights becomes hidden like stars at the rising of the sun. Similarly, at the appearance of the Real there is destruction and subjugation, so there is no witnessing of any trace, no remaining sensation or comprehension, no power of intellect or knowledge, no illumination of deeper knowledge. For the experiencing of all these qualities lasts only as long as human nature lasts. When those who have attributes become effaced, how can any attribute of theirs remain?

He said, “whithersoever you turn, there is the face of God.” As long as there is a remnant or even a sliver of sensory perception and the ability to differentiate, then the qibla should be aimed for, and if it is not known, it should be sought. According to scholars, when the guideposts in every direction are obscure and there is no knowledge of the qibla, all directions are equally permissible for prayer since none of them can be preferred for the intention (niyya).^{1Prayer begins with the intention (niyya) to perform the prayer.}

And they say, “God has taken to Himself a son”; Glory be to Him!

He deceived them when He did not bring them to naught right away. Instead He made their continued delusion a longer respite. They spoke a grave calumny (ʿaẓīm al-firya) against God and devised an astonishing argument (ʿajīb al-mirya) in their description of God and attribution of a son to Him. How can there be a son when He is singular in [His] essence (dhāt)? There is no delimitation of His essence and no carnal desire possible in His attributes (ṣifāt).

Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth; all obey His will.

That is, nothing—from the traces of things or things themselves^{1The full Arabic here is “dependent traces” (āthār muftaqira) and “independent entities” (aʿyān mustaqilla). Entities are “things perceived by the eye,” whereas the term “traces” refers to what is left behind from things, acts or qualities. The Qurʾān uses the word āthār to refer to “footprints” [18:64], the “vestiges” that can be seen from people long gone [40:21 and 40:82], and the effects of God’s mercy [30:50].}— has come into being (kawn) without the traces of the created constitution (khilqa) calling out to it and the testimonial witnessings of the original nature (fiṭra) speaking clearly from it. Every silent thing is [in fact] speaking and is a proof and a witness to His سبحانه oneness.^{2This passage is easier to comprehend when read with al-Qushayrī’s commentary on Qurʾān 2:118, 2:164, and 3:18.}

Originator of the heavens and the earth; and when He decrees a thing, He but says to it “Be,” and it is.

The Originator (al-badīʿ), according to the scholars, is the One who brings the entity (ʿayn) into existence without any model (lā ʿalā mithāl).^{1The translation follows the word “model” (mithāl) found in MSS K117, fol. 16b and Y101, fol. 21b rather than the word “like” (mithl) in the Basyūnī edition.} According to the people of allusion He is the One, and there is nothing like Him (laysa lahu shayun mithlihi),^{2The phrase here laysa lahu shayun mithlihi is very similar to Qurʾān 42:11: There is nothing like Him (laysa ka-mithlihi shayun).} since this term alludes to both the negation of any likeness (mithl) to His essence and the negation of any model (mithāl) for His acts. He is the One (al-aḥad) without any quantity comprising Him; the Eternal (al-ṣamad), whom no final point in time cuts off; the Real (al-ḥaqq), whom no imagination can picture; and the Existent (al-mawjūd), of whom no understanding is capable. When He decides on an affair, nothing preordained (maqdūr) can oppose it and nothing created (mafṭūr)^{3The translation follows the word “created” (mafṭūr) from MSS K117, fol. 16b and Y101, fol. 21b rather than the word “forbidden thing” (maḥẓūr) found in the Basyūnī edition.} can separate itself from His decree.

And they, who do not know, say, “Why does God not speak to us?; Why does a sign not come to us?” So, spoke those before them, the like of what they say; their hearts are much alike. Yet We have made clear the signs to a people who are certain.

The speech (kalām) of God سبحانه is connected to all created things in their entities (aʿyān) and their traces (āthār) by the command to “Be!” (amr al-takwīn), [and it is also connected to] those who have been charged [with the law] by the prescriptive command (amr al-taklīf).^{1The translation of this sentence follows the text in MSS K117, fol. 16b and Y101, fol. 21b.} But whoever lacks the ear of comprehension is deaf to hearing the Real. He سبحانه addressed some among the people of the Book and they heard His address, but they were not able to bear it and, after they recognized the enormity of the signs, they engaged in distortion and alteration. Included in the signs which He made manifest were that which removes the defect of anything other [than Him] (al-ʿilla min al-aghyār) and quenches the thirst from things that are better (al-ghulla min al-akhyār). But what proofs, even if they were plain and clear, would suffice those whose due is wretchedness, whose [wretchedness] has already come?

We have sent you with the truth, a bearer of good tidings, and warner. You shall not be asked about the inhabitants of hellfire.

“We have singled you out [O Muḥammad] with qualities which We did not make appear in anyone else, so all people are under your banner. Those who are accepted are in conformity with you while those who are rejected oppose you (al-maqbūl man wāfaqaka wa-l-mardūd man khālafaka). You will not be questioned about the states of others and you will not be turned away^{1The Basyūnī edition has a blank here, which has been completed with “avoidance” (maḥīd) from MSS K117, fol. 16b and Y101, fol. 21b.} because of anyone.”

Never will the Jews be pleased with you, neither the Christians, not until you follow their creed, Say: “God’s guidance is the true guidance.” And if you were to follow their whims, after the knowledge that has come to you, you shall have against God neither friend, nor helper.

“Do not concern yourself with pleasing the enemies after you have received Our good pleasure (riḍāʾ), for they will not be pleased with you unless you follow their religions and that is impossible.^{1The Basyūnī edition has wa-dūna dhālika lahum ḥaẓẓ al-qitāl here but what is probably meant is wa-dūna dhālika lahum kharṭu al-qatād. The text in MSS K117, fol. 16b and Y101, fol. 21b could be read this way. It means, “Before that, they would have to strip the tragacanth of its leaves by grasping each branch and drawing his hand down it,” which is very close to a proverb quoted by Lane in his comments on the verb kharaṭa (Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon, 1:723).} So declare yourself free of them, make your difference apparent, and show enmity toward them. Know that their reliance on what they find pleasing is the cause of endless wretchedness. Do not worry yourself. Call your community to free themselves from them and their path and be for Us, through Us, free of anyone other than Us, trusting in Our help, for you are through Us and from^{2The translation follows “from Us” (minnā) from MSS K117, fol. 16b and Y101, fol. 21b rather than “for Us” (lanā) from the Basyūnī edition.} Us.”

Those to whom We have given the scripture, and who recite it with true recitation, they believe in it; and whoever disbelieves in it, they shall be the losers.

“Those whom We have opened the eyes of their hearts^{1The translation of the phrase “the eyes of their hearts” (abṣār qulūbihim) is based on MSS K117, fol. 16b and Y101, fol. 21b. The Basyūnī edition has just the word “eyes” (abṣār).} to witnessing Our truth—We have entrusted the ears of their hearts with hearing Our address. We have chosen them by letting the lights^{2The translation follows the plural “lights” (anwār) from MSS K117, fol. 16b and Y101, fol. 21b rather than the singular “light” (nūr) in the Basyūnī edition.} of solicitude shine down on them, and We have supported them by confirming the instruction in their innermost selves (asrār). They practice the true recitation and are characterized by the qualities of faith and deep knowledge. They are the people of special designation (takhṣīṣ) and those who are not with them are the rejected.”

O children of Israel, remember My favor wherewith I favored you, and that I have preferred you over all the worlds.

His سبحانه way (sunna) in His address to the people of Moses عليه السلام is to call them by their proper name, saying, “O children of Israel, remember. . . ,” that is, “O children of Jacob.” But He addresses this community [of Muḥammad] honorifically, saying, “O you who believe. . .”^{1As in Qurʾān 2:104 and many others.}

And beware of a day when no soul will be requited for another, and no compensation will be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, neither will they be helped.

As for the enemies, nothing [that is, no payment or compensation] will be accepted from them. As for the friends, [the Prophet] ﷺ said, “Protect yourself from the fire even if it be by half a date [given in charity].”^{1ʿAbd al-Raḥmān traces this ḥadīth to al-Bukhārī, Muslim, and several other sources.} The intercession of intercessors will not benefit the disbeliever, for this is a determination made for each community with their prophet.^{2Qurʾān 2:225 says, Who is there, that shall intercede with Him save by His leave?} As for the believers, they will benefit in particular from the Prophet’s ﷺ intercession. Everyone on that day will be saying, “My soul, my soul,” but our Prophet ﷺ will say, “My community, my community.”^{3ʿAbd al-Raḥmān identifies this as a ḥadīth and gives Ibn Ḥanbal as one of several sources. In a footnote, Basyūnī does not characterize the saying as a ḥadīth, but rather cites al-Qushayrī’s mention of it in words attributed to his teacher Abū ʿAlī l-Daqqāq in the “Section on chivalry” (Futuwwa) in his Risāla: “Chivalry (futuwwa) consists of noble character traits (khuluq) that were perfected only in the Messenger of God ﷺ, for on the Day of the Resurrection everyone will be saying, ‘My soul, my soul,’ but he will be saying, ‘my community, my community’” (Risāla, 2:472). Although al-Qushayrī accepts the Qurʾānic category of “enemies” (aʿdāʾ) of the prophets, the angel Gabriel, and God, it is interesting that in this same section he quotes Sufis who say that the chivalrous individual has no adversary (khaṣm) but himself (Risāla, 2:473) and does not care whether the person he eats with is a disbeliever (kāfir) or a friend (walī) of God (Risāla, 2:474).}

And when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words, and he fulfilled them,

The trial (al-balāʾ) is the verification of friendship (walāʾ), and the most sincere in friendship are tested the most. The Real سبحانه tested His friend (khalīl) عليه السلام by what He imposed on him and prescribed for him, and [Abraham] upheld the necessary conditions and fulfilled the requirements decreed. So He سبحانه praised him, saying, “And Abraham, who fulfilled (waffā)” [53:37], [which is] from tawfiya,^{1The verbal noun corresponding to the verb waffa.} that is, he did not fall short in any way whatsoever.

It is said that [God] imposed the burdens of prophecy on [Abraham] and sought from him the properties of friendship (khulla). The most intense trial for him was upholding the conditions of friendship and being singled out to avoid everyone and everything. He performed what was necessary to fulfill this [obligation], withdrawing from everything other than [God] secretly and publicly. Because of that^{2The translation follows the phrase li-dhālika from MSS K117, fol. 16b and Y101, fol. 22a rather than the phrase ka-dhālika found in the Basyūnī edition.} [Abraham] paid no attention to Gabriel عليه السلام when he appeared to [Abraham] as he was being thrown into the depths of destruction. [Gabriel] said, “Do you need anything?” [Abraham] said, “From you? No.” Gabriel عليه السلام appeared to him in this state as part of the perfection of his trial. What [attachments] were left in him that would leave a place for any created being, whoever that might be?^{3Abraham was “absent from himself in God most high and did not see with God anything other than God, may He be exalted and glorified,” as al-Qushayrī writes in a comment on this story in the “Section on trust” (Bāb al-tawakkul), Risāla, 1:371.}

This is a subtle allusion to the difference between the state of our Prophet ﷺ and the state of Abraham عليه السلام because Gabriel appeared to the friend and showed himself to him and [Abraham] said, “From you? No.” But Gabriel was not capable of companionship with the Prophet ﷺ and thus expressed his weakness, saying “If I were to come closer [to you by even] so much as a fingertip, I would be consumed by fire.”^{4Basyūnī adds a footnote indicating that this is what Gabriel is said to have said on the night of the Prophet’s ascension, as detailed in al-Qushayrī’s Kitāb al-miʿrāj.} What a difference between the state in which Gabriel عليه السلام has the power to show himself to the Friend عليه السلام and the state in which he acknowledges his weakness before the Beloved ﷺ.

He said, “I make you a leader (imām) for the people.” Said he, “And of my seed?” He said, “My covenant shall not reach the evildoers.”

The leader (imām) is the one to be emulated. This was confirmed with regard to [Abraham], in that [God] told all men up to the Day of the Resurrection to emulate him. He said, “The creed of your father Abraham [is yours]” [22:78], that is, they followed the creed of Abraham, meaning the declaration of God’s unity (tawḥīd). [God’s] saying, “Take to yourselves Abraham’s station for a place of prayer” [2:125] is verification of this leadership (imāma). The station of leadership [means] that one understands from the Real, and then gives that understanding to created beings, so as to be a mediator between the Real (ḥaqq) and created beings (khalq). In his outward situation he is with created beings, and is not listless in conveying the message. In his inner situation, he witnesses the Real. The clarity of his state does not waver, and he says to mankind what the Real says to him.

“And of my seed?”: [Abraham] spoke out of compassion for [his people] and he asked for that which would bring them honor, but [God] informed him that worthiness has nothing to do with lineage or relations. Rather these are allotments that [God’s] decrees bring about, and He said to him, “My covenant shall not reach the evildoers.” This is not like the blessings of this world, which are all encompassing in their provisions, for it is not withheld from anyone, even if he is a disbeliever. Because of that He said, “And when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, make this land secure and provide its people with fruits; such of them as believe in God. . .’”[2:126] and “whoever disbelieves, to him I shall give enjoyment, a little. . .” [2:126]. This means that the present world is not so important that it should be denied the disbelievers. But “My covenant will only reach those whom I have chosen from the elect of My servants.” Food and drink are not kept from anyone (ammā l-ṭaʿām wa-l-sharāb fa-ghayru mamnūʿin min aḥad) but Islam and love are not offered to everyone (ammā l-islām wa-l-maḥābb fa-ghayru mabdhūlin li-kulli aḥad).

And when We appointed the House to be a place of visitation for the people, and a sanctuary:

“Mention, O Muḥammad, when We appointed the House, meaning the Kaʿba, to be a place of visitation for people to come to and a sanctuary for them to return to, to make their way to it from every direction. It is a House which I created from stone yet attached to eternity. Whoever looks to the House with the eye of creation is cut off, while those who look with the eye of far-reaching vision arrive and connect.^{1In the “Section on advice for aspirants” (Bāb al-waṣiyya li-l-murīdīn) al-Qushayrī writes, “One must give precedence to knowledge of the Lord of the House سبحانه over visiting the House, for if there were no knowledge of the Lord of the House, it would not be necessary to visit it” (Risāla, 2:742).} Everyone who seeks refuge at that House is secure from the punishment of the hereafter, if he seeks refuge to show veneration and respect (ʿalā jihati al-iʿẓām wa-l-iḥtirām), and repent from sins (wa-l-tawbati ʿan al-āthām).”

It is said that the House was built of stone but it is a stone that attracts hearts just as a magnet attracts iron.

[What kind of house is it?]

A house. . . Its shade causes whomever comes to it to remain in the courtyard of security (amn).

A house. . . Whoever glances upon it receives the good news of forgiveness attained.

A house. . . Subtleties circumambulate the heart of whoever circumambulates it. One circumambulation is by another circumambulation and one circuit is by another circuit. Is the reward of goodness anything but goodness? [55:60].

A house. . . Whatever one spends of one’s wealth to reach it is not lost.

A house. . . Whatever one withholds from it is without profit. Whoever visits it forgets any other place of visitation and abandons his [own] regions.

A house. . . No distance is reckoned too far to it. Visiting it is not to be neglected for fear of unpleasant occurrences or harmful attacks. This is a house which possesses no harm for the lifeblood of the poor (fuqarāʾ).

A house. . . Whoever holds back from visiting it lacks noble-heartedness (futuwwa) or is deficient in love (maḥabba).

A house. . . The heart of the one who holds back from it is harder than stones.

A house. . . When the rays of its lights fall upon someone, he is made to forget suns and moons.

A house. . . One is not so much amazed by those who stay away from it, but rather by how those who come to it can leave!

Take to yourselves Abraham’s station for a place of prayer;

A servant was raised up on his feet for the sake of God سبحانه, and his footprints made a qibla for all Muslims to honor him for all time until the resurrection.^{2This is a reference to the stone identified as “the station of Abraham”; it is kept in the sanctuary of the Kaʿba. The impression of two footprints on this stone are said to have been left by Abraham as he built the Kaʿba.}

and We made a covenant with Abraham and Ishmael: “Purify My House for those that shall go round it (ṭāʾifīn) and those that cleave to it (ʿākifīn), to those who bow and prostrate themselves.”

In the outward sense the affair concerns the purification of the House, while the allusion in the verse is to the purification of the heart. The purification of the House [refers to] protecting it from different kinds of dirt and filth (al-adnās wa-l-awḍār), and the purification of the heart [refers to] guarding it from paying attention to humankind or anything other [than God] (al-ajnās wa-l-aghyār).

The circumambulation of the pilgrims around the House is known from the law. The circumambulation of meanings is known to the people of the Real. Meanings go round (ṭāʾifa) in the hearts of those who know (qulūb al-ʿārifīn). Realities cleave (ʿākifa) in the hearts of those who declare [God’s] oneness (qulūb al-muwaḥḥidīn). These are the companions of transformation (aṣḥāb al-talwīn) and those are the lords of stability (arbāb al-tamkīn).^{3Al-Qushayrī discusses the terms “Transformation and stability” (al-Talwīn wa-l-tamkīn) in his Risāla, 1:232–235.}

The hearts of those who seek their objective (qulūb al-qāṣidīn) remain ever standing (wāqifa) at the door of generosity; they continually practice humility. The hearts of those who declare [God’s] oneness (qulūb al-muwaḥḥidīn) remain ever bowing (rākiʿa) on the carpet of the communion [of lovers]. The hearts of the ecstatics (qulūb al-wājidīn) remain ever prostrating (sājida) on the carpet of nearness.

It is said that the ascendant longings of the seekers are ever standing (wāqifa) at the door of magnanimity. The lofty resolutions of the aspirants remain ever circumambulating (ṭāʾifa) the place of witnessing [divine] generosity. The aspirations that come to those who know [remain] ever cleaving (ʿākifa) to the presence of majesty.

And when Abraham said, “My Lord, make this land secure and provide its people with fruits; such of them as believe in God and the Last Day,” He said, “And whoever disbelieves, to him I shall give enjoyment, a little, then I shall compel him to the chastisement of the fire—how evil a journey’s end!”

And when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, make this land secure’: The request was answered because it was not adulterated by the worldly concern of the servant. Abraham’s request was not for his own concern (ḥaẓẓ) but rather for the right (ḥaqq) of his Lord, may He be exalted and glorified. When Abraham was mindful of the required etiquette in seeking provision for those who believed, they were granted that—but so were those who did not believe. [On the other hand], when he spoke about leadership, saying “And of my seed?” [2:125], without [divine] permission, [the request] was denied and it was said to him, “My covenant shall not reach the evildoers” [2:125].

And when Abraham raised up the foundations of the House, and Ishmael with him: “Our Lord! Receive this from us. Truly You are the Hearing, the Knowing.

The success of the request is in the sincerity of the supplication (nujḥu al-suʾāl fī ṣidqi al-ibtihāl). When the two of them humbly sought aid in prayer, He gave them help and fulfilled the request. Truly You are the Hearing of our speech, the Knowing of our states.

Our Lord! And make us submissive to You and, of our seed, a community submissive to You; and show us our holy rites, and relent to us. Surely You are the Relenting, the Merciful.

[That is,] “Submissive (muslimīn), yielding to Your decree so that not one vein of ours throbs without Your good pleasure. Make from our seed a community submissive to You so that after us they will take our place in upholding Your rights.” What a difference between one who seeks someone to inherit his wealth (man yaṭlubu wārithan li-mālihi) and one who seeks a deputy after him to perform acts of obedience to Him in his states (man yaṭlubu nāʾiban. . . fī aḥwālihi).

[That is,] “Show us our holy rites since there is no way to know what conforms [to Your will] except by the path that God granted success and communication.”

[That is,] “And relent to us after we carry out all that You have commanded us to do so that we do not look to what we do and do not do,^{1Literally, our “movements and states of rest” (ḥarakāt wa sakanāt).} but turn back to You from witnessing our actions, so there is no danger of hidden idolatry (al-shirk al-khafī) in imagining anything from us or through us.”

Our Lord! And send among them a messenger, one of them, who shall recite to them Your signs, and teach them the Book and wisdom, and purify them; You are the Mighty, the Wise.

Because the obligations were received from messengers rather than being understood by reason alone, [Abraham] asked that they not be left to themselves without a messenger or law. He requested that the messenger be one of them so that they would feel more at home with him and it would be easier for them. Its meaning, rightly understood, is that when He سبحانه informed [Abraham] of the state of our Prophet ﷺ, [Abraham] asked for the completion of what He had promised by way of the one He commanded.^{1That is, Muḥammad.}

Who therefore shrinks from the religion of Abraham, except he who fools himself? Indeed We chose him in this world, and in the hereafter he shall be among the righteous.

He related that among created beings, He preferred the Friend (al-khalīl) عليه السلام and therefore made his religion (dīn) the religion. The distinguishing mark [of the religion] is the declaration of [God’s] oneness (tawḥīd) and its attribute is deep knowledge (maʿrifa). For whoever shrinks from [Abraham’s] religion or deviates from his way (fa-man raghiba ʿan dīnihi aw ḥāda ʿan sunnatihi), is left with falsehood (fa-l-bāṭilu maṭraḥu) and falls into disbelief (wa-l-kufr mahwāhu). For the lights in their entirety are only acquired from [Abraham’s] light.

When his Lord said to him, “Submit,” he said, “I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds.”

Islām is sincerity (ikhlāṣ) and submission (istislām). Its true meaning is to withdraw entirely from the states of mortal humanity (bashariyya) with respect to the struggles over free choice (ikhtiyār) and the oppositional tendencies of the lower self (muʿāraḍāt al-nafs). [Abraham] said, “I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds: I have accepted the command (amr), hearing and obeying, and I have embraced the decree (ḥukm) as much as I am able.” He did not hold back any of his wealth, body or progeny. When he was commanded to sacrifice his son, he intended to do it. When [God] said to him, “Release him from his bond,” he did what he was commanded to do. There was no free choice in either of the states for him and no contriving (tadbīr).

It is said that his saying, “I have submitted” (aslamtu) was surely not by way of any claim for himself because the true meaning of islām is rather to absolve oneself of strength and power. So when he said, “I have submitted,” it was as if he said, “Raise me up in what you have charged me with and [help me] carry out that to which you have commanded me.” He turned the affair over to Him without proclaiming any meaning or warrant from himself.

It is said that He bid him to take on the demands of the divine power of deliberation (muṭālabāt al-qudra). For what dwells in one who takes up his abode in friendship is most certainly what dwells in the other (fa-inna man ḥalla fī l-khullati maḥallahu yaḥullu bihi lā maḥālata mā ḥalla bihi).^{1This is a good example of al-Qushayrī’s untranslatable word play.}

Here one might ask a question: How could Abraham عليه السلام have said, “I have submitted,” when it was said to our Prophet ﷺ, “Know,”^{2Al-Qushayrī does not indicate which Qurʾānic verse he is referring to here. It is possible that it is the address to Muḥammad in 49:17: Know, then, that there is no god except God, and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women.} but he did not say “I have come to know?” [in the manner that Abraham said, “I have submitted”]. There are several aspects to the answer, one of which is that the Prophet ﷺ said, “I am the most knowledgeable of you about God”^{3Basyūnī cites versions of this ḥadīth from al-Bukhārī and Muslim.} but since a law did not come after him it used to be said about him that he said, “I have come to know” (ʿalimtu).

It is said that God سبحانه spoke about the Messenger عليه السلام in His saying, “The Messenger believes” [2:285], because belief is knowledge of God سبحانه وتعالى. The words of the Real and the information He gave about [Muḥammad] is more perfect than his عليه السلام giving information from himself [as Abraham did].

Another aspect [relates to] Abraham speaking; he said “I have submitted,” and he was subjected to the trial, whereas our Prophet ﷺ was wary of anything that could take the form of a claim, and so he was protected and spared.

Another aspect is that Abraham عليه السلام was commanded to follow a course of action that indicated submission to Him, whereas our Prophet ﷺ was commanded to know. The shares of submission (islām) are limited while the subtleties of knowledge are not.^{4The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 18a and Y101, fol. 23a, which have a more complete version of the end of this sentence: li-aqsām al-islāmi ḥaṣrun wa-laysa li-laṭāʾifi al-ʿilm ḥaṣrun. Basyūnī explains his understanding of this section in a footnote, saying that while submission is a human act, knowledge is not something acquired by the servant through his own efforts, but rather is apportioned to him from the source of generosity.}

And Abraham enjoined upon his sons this, and [so did] Jacob, ‘My sons, God has chosen for you the [true] religion, see that you die not save in submission.’

He related that Abraham عليه السلام enjoined his sons, as did Jacob عليه السلام, who said, “Do not let death come upon you except in the state of submission (islām).” Their laws, even if they differed in details, were of one origin. The spring of unity (tawḥīd) is not divided into two. The words of God most high, “God has chosen for you the [true] religion,” were good news. By [these words] their desire to meet the demands of submission (islām) became strong. For when they realized that God سبحانه had chosen them for that [islām], they knew with certainty that He would help them and make it easy for them to uphold the rightful due of submission (islām).

Or, were you witnesses when death came to Jacob? When he said to his sons, “What will you worship after me?” They said, “We will worship your God

All of them عليهم السلام followed one way in declaring [God’s] oneness (tawḥīd) and submission (islām). They inherited that one after another from their forefathers and [they] were the people of the house of intimacy, deserving of nearness, and purified in truth by God.

and the God of your fathers Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, One God, to Him we submit.”

[Jacob’s sons] did not say, “Our God,” out of respect for [Jacob’s] special status, inasmuch as they accepted his superiority and saw themselves as attached to his station (maqām). [Rather], they said of themselves that they were followers of [Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac]^{1The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 18a and Y101, fol. 23b in the phrase “that they followed them” (annahum tubbaʿu lahum).} when they said, “and to Him we submit.”

That is a community that has passed away; theirs is what they have earned, and yours is what you have earned; you will not be asked about what they did.

The Real سبحانه sent down to each [community] its place and singled out for each one its status according to His decree (ḥukm). There is no news about their outward forms and no trace remaining of what distinguished each group from the others. Each is a king in his own region and each has a celestial sphere revolving in felicity.

And they say, “Be Jews or Christians, and you will be guided.” Say, “Nay, rather the creed of Abraham, a ḥanīf; and he was not of the idolaters.”

[That is,] “When the groups contended with you [Muḥammad], they demanded that you agree (muwāfaqa) with them. Stand firm in opposing that to which they call you, and turn your attention increasingly to Us. Follow the way of the Friend (al-khalīl) in withdrawing from the group, whether it be one’s own father or anyone else who is not in accord (lā yuwāfiqu) with his Protector.” Thus he said, “And I shall shun you and that which you call upon besides God” [19:48]. The ḥanīf is the “one who leans”^{1From the root ḥ-n-f “he inclined” (Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon, 1:658).} toward the straight truth on the path, the truth free from any defect of creation. [He is] in agreement (wāfiq) with the truth by the Truth.^{2The Basyūnī edition ends after the citation of Qurʾān 19:48 and the words “for the truth, by the Truth.” The translation follows the more complete version that occurs in MSS K117, fol. 18a and Y101, fol. 23b.}

Say: “We believe in God, and in that which has been revealed to us, and revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and that which was given to Moses, and Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord, we make no division between any of them, and to Him we submit.”

Because our Prophet ﷺ believed in everything that was revealed before him, he was honored with everything that [God] had conferred in honor to [the prophets] before him. When [God] proclaimed the harmony (muwāfaqa) of all [the messages of the prophets], He entrusted everything in existence [to fall] under [Muḥammad’s] banner. [Muḥammad] said, “Adam and all others shall be under my banner on the Day of the Resurrection.”^{1Basyūnī adds a footnote with a slightly different version of this ḥadīth from al-Tirmidhī. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives al-ʿAjlūnī and al-Suyūṭī as sources.}

When his community believed in everything that God revealed to His messengers and made no division between any of them, they drew the highest share in honor and took precedence over all communities.

And if they believe in the like of what you believe in, then they are truly guided; but if they turn away, then they are clearly in schism; God will suffice you against them; He is the Hearer, the Knower.

[That is,] “If they travel your path and adopt your way, they will be honored with what you have been honored with and they will attain what you have attained. If they insist on making a distinction [between the prophets], We will insist on their abasement. Surely We stand by those who serve you, O Muḥammad, in unity, and We will inevitably turn away from those who differ with you and oppose you. Whoever opposes you is on the side of the enemies and whoever serves you is on the side of the friends.”

God will suffice you against them. He is the Hearer, the Knower: The sufficiency of God is shown to be true (kifāyat Allāh mutaḥaqqiqa) because the solicitude of God is tied to you (li-anna ʿināyat Allāh bi-kum mutaʿalliqa). Whoever acts adversely toward you, My helping hands will crush [them] (fa-man nābadhakum qaṣamathu ayādī l-nuṣra) and whoever opposes you, matters of fate will subjugate [them] (wa-man khālafakum qaharathu qaḍāyā l-qisma). He is the Hearer of the ongoing conversation whispered between your innermost selves and Us (li-munājāti asrārikum maʿnā ʿalā waṣfi al-dawām), [He is] the Knower of [the extent to which] you deserve the special favors of kindness and honor from Us (bi-stiḥqāqikum minnā khaṣāʾiṣi al-luṭfi wa-l-ikrām).

The mark of God; and who has a better mark than God? And Him we worship.

Its meaning is “They have been attached to the mark (ṣibgha) of God.” [The word “mark”] is in the accusative because of the implied verb.^{1According to Tafsīr al-Jalālayn (trans. Hamza), the verbal noun ṣibgha is in the accusative because of the implied verbal construction, “that is to say, ṣabaghanā Llāhu, ‘God has marked us.’”}

The allusion [in the verse] is that the lesson [about the true religion] is written by the Real, not the servant [such as those who say, “Be Jews or Christians and you shall be guided”]. What humankind pretends will pass away in the end, while what the Real has firmly established is the primordial nature (al-fiṭra), [and] His establishment of it is the lesson.

The hearts have a mark, the spirits have a mark, the innermost selves have a mark, and the outward selves have a mark. The mark of corporeal and outward selves is in the traces of [God-granted] success (ṣibghatu al-ashbāḥi wa-l-ẓawāhiri bi-āthāri al-tawfīq) and the mark of the spirits and innermost secrets is in the lights of realization (wa-ṣibghatu al-arwāḥi wa-l-sarāʾiri bi-anwāri al-taḥqīq).

Say: “Would you then dispute with us concerning God, and He is our Lord and your Lord? Our deeds belong to us, and to you belong your deeds, and to Him we are sincerely devoted.”

How can dispute with strangers be appropriate when they are covered by absence and shaded by concealment, while the friends are lit by unveiling and the bright noon of witnessing?

When is the state of one who is bankrupt by his absence equal to one whose selection and sincere devotion [and] immersion in acts of drawing near to Him has [already been] decreed? It is preposterous—there is no equality!

Or do you say: “Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and the tribes—they were Jews, or they were Christians?” Say: “Have you then greater knowledge, or has God? And who does greater injustice than he who conceals a testimony received from God? And God is not heedless of what you do.”

Whoever looks from himself to creation forms an image of each thing based on his own character and considers everything to be something like him. When they, by virtue of being outsiders [to the Real], judged the prophets عليهم السلام according to their own state, the Real سبحانه threw their conjecture back upon them and left them with their own opinion.^{1The blank in Basyūnī here as been completed from the text in MSS K117, fol. 18b and Y101, fol. 24a.} Are those who have been drawn away from their own testimony like those who are veiled by it? Is the one who is snatched away from all of it equal to the one who is thrown back to what is like him? That is the conjecture of those who disbelieve—what misery is theirs!

That is a community that has passed away; theirs is what they have earned, and yours is what you have earned; you will not be asked about what they did.

The barriers of fate came between you and them, for they built their structures on separation and heedlessness while you have pitched your tents on closeness and connection. The freedman of Our favor (ʿatīq faḍlinā) is not like the fugitive of Our force (ṭarīd qahrinā).

The fools among the people will say, “What has turned them from the direction they used to face in their prayers?”

The eyes of the disbelievers were weak so the correct view about all the circumstances of the believers was not apparent to them. They looked with an eye to finding ugliness and let loose their tongues to oppose everything that was and would be from [the believers]. They did not see anything new without bringing forth a new objection to it. That included the change in the matter of the qibla, when it was shifted to the Kaʿba.^{1The verse refers to the shifting of the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to the Kaʿba.} They said that if their qibla was correct, what would turn them from it? So [God] said:

Say: “To God belong the East and the West. He guides whomever He will to a straight path.”

The servants worship toward any region and direction they will. Similarly the companions of absence and those who are veiled from witnessing [the way in which] the Real grants free agency to His friends seek only certain aspects of the affair and bring their own states to bear upon them. If they had seen the whole picture with singular vision, they would have been saved from the pain of divisive thinking, the distraction of accursed thoughts, and the claims of fractured conjecture, but God guides whom He wills to His light.

Thus, We appointed you a community of the middle way that you might be witnesses to the people; and that the Messenger might be a witness to you,

The middle way is the best and He appointed this community the best of communities. He appointed this group (ṭāʾifa)^{1Basyūnī notes that al-Qushayrī means the “people of realities” (ahl al-ḥaqāʾiq) here.} the best of this community, for they are the best of the best. Just as this community will be witnesses over the communities at the resurrection, so this group are the [foundational] roots (uṣūl) around which [the community] turns: they are the pole (quṭb) and through them God protects the entire community. Whomever their hearts accept is accepted and whomever their hearts reject is rejected—the judgment (ḥukm) is theirs.^{2In this sentence and the one that follows the translation follows the wording in MSS K117, fol. 18b and Y101, fol. 24a.} Their inward perception (firāsa) is sincere and true, their judgment is sound, and their reflective thought (naẓar) is correct; [they are] a protection for the entire community from agreeing on error. The protection of this group from error comes from [their] consideration and judgment, [their] acceptance and rejection. Moreover, the building of their affair rests upon the way (sunna) of the Messenger ﷺ. Anything which is not an emulation of the Messenger عليه السلام is a rejection of him and its follower has nothing.

We did not appoint the direction you were facing, except that We might know who followed the Messenger from him who turned on his heels—though it were a grave thing, save for those whom God has guided; but God would never cause your faith to be wasted; truly, God is Gentle with people, Merciful.

[God] explained that the decree in determining the matter of the qibla up to the time of the change, and then at the time of the substitution, was a test for them from the Real, in order to distinguish the sincere (ṣādiq) from the one who reneges (māriq). To those who viewed the matter with the eye of separation (ʿayn al-tafriqa), the change was intolerable. To those who looked with the eye of reality (ʿayn al-ḥaqīqa), the true sense appeared to their inner sight (baṣīra). Then He said, “but God would never cause your faith to be wasted.” That is, for those who are with God in all [their] states with one heart, the differences in their states are one, whether He causes change or stillness, makes firm or shifts, confirms or changes—they are through Him for Him in all [their] states. The one who spoke for them said:

However the glass turns

we turn.

The ignorant think

we have become crazed.^{3Muṣṭafā states that the verse is attributed to Mālik b. Asmāʾ and also to Yazīd b. Muʿāwiya (Muṣṭafā, no. 10, p. 113).}

Whether they face the east or west, whether they turn toward a stone or approach dry earth, the goal of their hearts is one and what belongs to the One, so the decree of everything in it is one.

We have indeed seen you turning your face about in the heaven; now We will surely turn you to a direction (qibla) that will satisfy you. Turn your face toward the sacred mosque, and wherever you are turn your faces toward it.

[Muḥammad] ﷺ maintained [his] good manners when he kept his tongue silent from requesting the qibla he wished for in his heart. So he looked to the heaven because it is the path of Gabriel عليه السلام and God سبحانه وتعالى revealed, “We have indeed seen you turning your face about in the heaven,” that is, “We know the wish you have not expressed in prayer and We have already changed the qibla for your sake. This is an extraordinary thing that the Beloved does for the sake of the beloved.”

“We shall surely turn you to a direction that will satisfy you: Every servant strives in seeking My pleasure and I am seeking your pleasure, [Muḥammad]. Turn your face toward the sacred mosque, but do not attach your heart to the stones and leftover traces (āthār): devote your heart to Me. Let the qibla be the goal of your [outward] self and [let] the Real [be] the object of your heart’s witnessing. Wherever you are (O believers) turn your faces toward it, but dedicate your hearts to Me and let your witnessing be only through Me.”

Those who have been given the scripture know that it is the truth from their Lord; God is not heedless of what they do.

“But it is not knowledge that will be a proof for them, nor is there any comfort for them in it or increase from it. God is not heedless of what you do^{1The Qurʾānic verse has what they do but the text in this section in Basyūnī, MSS K117, fol. 19a and Y101, fol. 24b clearly shows “what you (plural) do.”} in bringing fear to the enemies and providing hope for the friends (tahwīlan ʿalā l-aʿdāʾi wa taʾmīlan ʿalā l-awliyāʾi).”

Yet if you should bring to those who have been given the scripture every sign, they will not follow your direction, and you are not a follower of their direction; neither are they followers of one another’s direction. If you were to follow their whims after the knowledge that has come to you, then you will surely be among the evildoers.

“Devotion to the path of the Real was already yours from the eternal decree, [just as it was decreed] that your enemies would fall to the side. Between the two of you there is a barrier (barzakh). They do not overstep [55:19–20]. They will not follow your qibla even if you were to show them evidence that was clearer than suns and moons. And you will not be followers of their qibla, even if they bring every stratagem. In that there is a decree from God سبحانه from pre-eternity.”

Those to whom We have given the scripture, they recognize him, as they recognize their sons; even though there is a party of them that conceal the truth, while they know.

Their hidden envy makes them stubborn about the knowledge they cannot deny. Similarly, the one who has been defeated in the darknesses of his lower self throws off the cloak of bashfulness. Reproach (malām) is of no use with him; words (kalām) will not rein in his abandon.

The truth comes from your Lord; then be not among [those who] doubt.

That is, “after the suns of certainty have appeared to you, pay no attention to mere conjecture.” The address is to [the Prophet] but it is meant for the community.

Every person has a direction to which he turns, so vie with one another in good works. Wherever you may be, God will bring you all together; surely God has power over all things.

[Here] “the allusion is to the fact that every group of people is distracted from Us by something that comes between them and Us. So be, O believers, for Us and through Us.” One of them recited:

When preoccupation with their concern

distracted me from you,

I made you my preoccupation and

you made me forget my concern.^{1Muṣṭafā cites what he says is the correct verse, which is attributed to Majnūn Laylā: You distracted me from understanding the tale, except that which was about you, for you are my preoccupation (Muṣṭafā, no. 4, p. 92).}

From whatever place you issue, turn your face toward the sacred mosque; it is the truth from your Lord. God is not heedless of what you do.

“Just as you face the qibla from wherever you are, whether you are near or far from it, likewise draw near to Us in your hearts whatever your state might be, whether you are in good fortune from Us or afflicted.”

From whatever place you come, turn your face toward the sacred mosque; and wherever you may be, turn your faces toward it, so that there be not any argument from the people against you; except [from] the evildoers among them;

“If you want there to be no pathway for anyone against you, no shadow to fall upon you from any created thing, and no hand to reach you with evil, then from whatever place you come (ḥaythumā kunta), wherever you are (aynamā kunta), and whatever state you are in (kayfamā kunta), be for Us (kun lanā) and be from Us (wa kun minnā), for truly whoever occupies themselves exclusively with Us—nothing can reach them.”

and do not fear them, but fear Me;

“When [the believers] are effaced from their being (kawn) in its outward characteristics (rusūm), Our decrees (aḥkām) flow over them—so why would there be any fear of [the evildoers]?”

and that I may perfect My grace upon you, and that you may be guided.

The perfection of grace [means you] add unveiling (kashf) to kindness (luṭf). The one whom He suffices through His generosity (jūd) is below the one whom He enriches by the truth (ḥaqq) of His existence (wujūd). Concerning the meaning of this, they have recited:

We are in the most perfect

happiness but

only through you

is the happiness made complete.

The [only] imperfection of what we are in,

O people of my love,

is that you are absent

while we are present.^{1Muṣṭafā cites sources attributing the verses to the Caliph Mahdī and Maʾmūn (Muṣṭafā, no. 16, pp. 61–62).}

As also We have sent among you, of yourselves, a messenger, to recite Our verses to you and to purify you, and to teach you the Book, and wisdom, and to teach you what you knew not.

The sending of the Messenger was to open the gates of attainment, for it was in His سبحانه prior knowledge that the hearts of His friends would be thirsty to meet Him. There is no way for anyone to [reach God] except through the intermediary of the messengers. By sending messengers He charged some people with the burdens [of prescriptive law] (kulaf) and by sending messengers to others, He honored them with the arts of drawing near and approaching (zulaf). What a difference between one people and another!

So remember Me, I will remember you; and be thankful to Me, and be not ungrateful toward Me.

Remembrance is the immersion of the one who is remembering in the witnessing (shuhūd) of that which is remembered, and then [it is] being consumed in the existence (wujūd) of that which is being remembered until no trace (athar) remains of the remembering, so that it is said “so and so” once was.

So remember me, I will remember you, that is, “be consumed in Our existence (wujūd) and We will remember you after your annihilation from yourself.” God most high said, “For indeed formerly they had been virtuous” [51:16]. They were here for a time but they have become perpetually separate (bānū dāʾiman):^{1Here Basyūnī refers to comments attributed to Yaḥyā b. Muʿādh, “The knower (ʿārif) exists separately (kāʾin bāʾin)” and “The knower was, but became separate (kāna fa-bāna).” This is from the “Section on knowledge of God” (Bāb al-maʿrifati bi-Llāh), al-Qushayrī, Risāla, 2:608.}

The world is

a beautiful [passing] event,

so be a beautiful event

for the one who is aware.^{2Basyūnī says that this version is confused in form and meaning. The verse could not be located in Muṣṭafā. Here the translation follows the version found in MSS K117, fol. 19b and Y101, fol. 25a: fa-innamā l-dunyā ḥadīthun ḥasanun fa-kun ḥadīthan ḥasanan li-man waʿā.}

The path of the people of literal expression (ʿibāra) is So remember me by acts of conformity (muwāfaqāt) [to the divine command], I will remember you with special gifts (karāmāt). The path of the people of allusion (ishāra) is “So remember me in abandoning every worldly concern (ḥaẓẓ), I will remember you by raising you up in My reality (ḥaqq) after your annihilation from yourselves.”

“So remember me by being content with Me instead of with My gifts and favors (afḍāl), and I will remember you by being pleased with you regardless of your actions (af ʿāl).”

“So remember me—and it is by My remembrance of you that you remember, for without My prior remembrance your remembrance would not occur.”

“So remember me by cutting off attachments (ʿalāʾiq), and I will remember you by the attributes of realities (ḥaqāʾiq).”

It is said that “remember Me belongs to everyone you meet, and I will remember you belongs to those whom I address.” Whoever remembers Me in a congregation, I will remember him in a congregation better than theirs.^{3ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives references to this ḥadīth qudsī from al-Bukhārī, al-Tirmidhī, and Ibn Ḥanbal.}

It is said that “and be thankful to Me for the tremendous blessing to you [refers to when] I said to you, ‘So remember me, I will remember you.’”

It is said that gratitude is a kind of remembrance. In His words, and be not ungrateful, the prohibition against ingratitude (kufrān) is a command to be grateful. Gratitude is a remembrance, so He repeated for you the command to remember. Three is the first term of multiplicity.^{4Al-Qushayrī is saying that the command to remember is repeated three times in this verse: remember me...be thankful to Me, and be not ungrateful toward Me.} The command to remember much is a command to love, for that is in the tradition, “One who loves something remembers it often,”^{5Neither Basyūnī nor ʿAbd al-Raḥmān identify this as a ḥadīth.} so this is, in truth, a command to love, that is, “Love me, I will love you.” So remember me, I will remember you, that is, “Love me, I will love you.”^{6The first time al-Qushayrī says, “Love Me, I will love you” in this section, the “you” is in the singular. The second time it is plural. Qurʾān 3:31 has the plural form: Say: If you love God, follow me, and God will love you.}

It is said, “So remember me by being humble (tadhallul), I will remember you with favor (tafaḍḍul).”

“So remember me by being broken (inkisār), I will remember you in acts of beneficence (mabārr).”

“So remember me with the tongue (lisān), I will remember you with the gardens (jinān).”

“So remember me with your hearts (qulūbikum), I will remember you by fulfilling what you seek (maṭlūbikum).”

“So remember me at the door with respect to service (khidma), I will remember you by responding on the carpet of nearness, by completing the blessing (niʿma).”

“So remember me with the purification of the innermost self (bi-taṣfiyati al-sirr), I will remember you by giving kindness (bi-tawfiyati al-birr).”

“So remember me with effort and care (bi-l-jahdi wa-l-ʿināʾ), I will remember you with generosity and giving (bi-l-jūdi wa-l-ʿaṭāʾ).”

“So remember me with the attribute of soundness (salāma), I will remember you on the Day of the Resurrection (yawm al-qiyāma), a day on which remorse (nadāma) will not benefit.”

“So remember me with awe (rahba), I will remember you by making [your] wish (raghba) come true.”

O you who believe, seek help through patience and prayer; surely God is with the patient.

“Seek the help of [God’s] blessing (ṣalāt) through patience.”^{1The word ṣalāt can mean the prayer of men or the blessing God gives to men.} That is to say, “your being worthy of your Lord’s blessing (ṣalāt) [comes] by your patience at the flow of the decrees of the Real over you.” For that reason God most high said, yet give good tidings to the patient [2:155] followed by, Upon those rest blessings (ṣalawāt) and mercy from their Lord [2:157].

It is said that the patient are entitled to the ultimate treasures and the highest ranks, inasmuch as they have attained the company (maʿiyya)^{2Literally, “withness.”} of God most high, who said “Surely God is with (maʿa) the patient.”

And say not of those slain in God’s way: “They are dead”; rather they are living; but you are not aware.

Life passed away from them in this world, but they have [already] arrived at eternal life in the end. They are, in truth, living, finding all kinds of special gifts (karāmāt) from God.

It is said that they are living because God is the One who takes over (khalaf) after them and anyone for whom God is the substitute is not dead. The one who spoke for them said about one who was created:

Verily through you ʿItāb has departed

for the sake of His way,

but he who remains belongs to Him.

Like Khālid, he has not died.^{1Muṣṭafa says that the verse cited in Basyūnī is incorrect. He gives a version which is almost the same as the one found in MSS K117, fol. 19b and Y101, fol. 25b, which is the text translated here. The verse is attributed to the poet Aʿshā Hamdān, who is said to have recited it about Khālid b. ʿItāb b. Warqāʾ (Muṣṭafā, no. 15, p. 48). The name Khālid means “one who lives forever.” The version of the verse in Muṣṭafā has the letters y-k in the first line, which would seem to be a typographical error for bika.}

It is said that they are living by God’s remembrance of them. By the beauty of His eternal remembrance, one who is the object of the Real’s remembrance is not dead.

It is said that verily their corporeal forms (ashbāḥ) are dispersed (mutafarriqa), but their spirits (arwāḥ) are proven true (mutaḥaqqiqa) through the Real سبحانه. If their corporeal forms have been annihilated through God, their spirits have remained through God, for whoever is annihilated through God, his remaining is through God.

It is said that they are living in the testimonial witnessings of exaltation, the cloak of awe upon them. They are in the shade of intimacy, delighted by His beauty in one moment and overwhelmed by His majesty in the next.

Surely We will try you with something of fear and hunger, and diminution of goods and lives and fruits; yet give good tidings to the patient;

those who, when they are struck by an affliction, say, “Surely we belong to God, and to Him we will return.”

He tried them with blessings in order to make their gratitude manifest and He tried them by tribulation, in order to make their patience manifest. He caused that which was [already] known of their state to enter into existence, marked them with the record that He had decreed, and established them with the attribute He [already] knew. He tried them with fear, which cleared their breasts, and by hunger, which cleansed their bodies, and by diminution of goods, which purified their material blessings.^{1The translation follows the word niʿma from MSS K117, fol. 19b and Y101, fol. 25b rather than the word “lower selves” (nufūs) in the Basyūnī edition.} Through the afflictions suffered by [their] lower selves, their wages were magnified before God, and through the blight of [their] fruits, their compensation was doubled from God.

Yet give good tidings to the patient, meaning those who do not oppose His decree through what He brings to pass.

It is said He asked them to fear in their seeking to avoid His punishment; then to suffer hunger in their desire for His nearness and generosity; then the dimunition of goods through almsgiving, renouncing [the goods] in the hopes of something better, which is obtaining knowledge of Him; and lives (anfus) through their submission to worship of Him; and fruits in abandoning their hope for abundant material blessings. Yet give good tidings to those who are patient in seeking the beautiful in His decree and yielding to the flow of His power.

The demands of the unseen (muṭālabāt al-ghayb) will either be through wealth, the self, or near relations. Whoever devotes wealth to God will have salvation (najāt). Whoever exerts [him]self for His decree will [be raised in] degrees (darajāt). Whoever is patient with the misfortunes of near relations will have recompense and stations of nearness (qurubāt). Whoever does not hoard the spirit from Him will have perpetual intimate communications (muwāṣalāt).

Those who, when they are struck by an affliction face the matter with patience and even gratitude. Nay, [they are] even exultant, boastful.^{2Al-Qushayrī is playing on verses elsewhere in the Qurʾān, transforming a negative description of mankind’s tendency to be ungrateful into a positive description of those who are patient: And if We cause man to taste some mercy from Us, and then wrest it from him, lo! he is despairing, ungrateful. / But if We cause him to taste prosperity after some misery that had befallen him, assuredly he will say, “The ills have gone from me”; lo! he is exultant, boastful; / save those who endure [patiently] and perform righteous deeds; theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward [11:9–11].}

Whoever views things as property belonging to the Real sees himself as a stranger between Him and His decree, for the One who brought forth creation has more right over created beings than they do themselves.

It is said that one who looks to [his] misfortunes testifies that his self belongs to God and [returns] to God. The one who looks to the One who causes the misfortunes knows that what will be is from God, so he is a servant through God. What a difference between one who belongs to God and one who is through God. The one who belongs to God is patient and firm, while the one who exists through God has relinquished free choice (ikhtiyār) and decision (ḥukm). If [God] strengthens him he is strong and if He effaces him he is effaced. If He causes him to move, he moves and if He causes him to stay still, he is still. He is annihilated from his free choices (ikhtiyārāt) and is moved this way and that (muṣarraf) in the grip [of God].

Upon those rest blessings and mercy from their Lord, and those—they are the truly guided.

They attained their patience and their ability to withstand the demands of the divine decree from His prior blessings to them. It was not because of their patience or their endurance that they arrived at His blessings, for if not for His pre-eternal mercy, their obedience would not have arisen through the condition of servitude, for His prior solicitude is what brought pure guidance to them.

They are the truly guided: Because He blessed them in the beginning (lammā raḥimahum fī l-bidāya), they were guided in the end (ihtadaw fī l-nihāya).

Truly Ṣafā and Marwa are among the symbols of God,

These sites and relics (tilka al-mashāhidu wa-l-rusūm), these ruins and remains (wa-tilka al-aṭlālu wa-l-ruqūm), are extolled and visited. One sets out for them because they are the ruins of the lovers where the vestiges [still] gleam:

The passions of houses belong

to those who have lived in them.

There is no concern or joy

in the house itself.^{1There are several different versions of this poem in MSS K117, fol. 20a, Y101, fol. 26a, and Muṣṭafā, no. 15, p. 28. The translation follows the version in the Basyūnī edition.}

Truly the earth of their path, even the dust of their footprints, has tremendous value for the lovers. Even the smallest bit of dust that falls upon the edges of their path is more precious than the most fragrant musk:

And that is only because

Umayma walked beside it

in a group [of women],

trailing a garment.^{2The version of this verse which Muṣṭafā cites is not the version found in the Basyūnī edition, but matches MSS K117, fol. 20a and Y101, fol. 26a exactly, and is the version used for the translation here: wa-mā dhāka illā an mashat bi-janābihi Umayma fī sirbin wa-jarrat bihi burdā. Muṣṭafā gives two references for the verse but without an author. In the second reference, the woman’s name is ʿAzīza (Muṣṭafā, no. 16, p. 48).}

so whoever makes the pilgrimage to the House, or the visitation, he would not be at fault, if he circumambulates them; and whoever volunteers good, God is Grateful, Knowing.

Ṣafā and Marwa were favored by being close to the House. The running between the two became part of the law, just as the circumambulation became part of the law for the House. Just as the circumambulation is one of the main rites of the pilgrimage, so is the running. The neighbor is honored for the sake of the neighbor.

Those who conceal the clear proofs and the guidance that We have revealed after We have shown them clearly in the scripture—they shall be cursed by God and by those who curse,

This verse alludes to those to whom the Real سبحانه has unveiled knowledge of the good manners (ādāb) of traveling, but who have become stingy in revealing [this knowledge] to aspirants [who seek] advice and guidance. In that moment they become worthy of wrath. One fears for them, that the blessing will be removed from their knowledge when they fall short in it, just as^{1The translation follows the particle ka-mā from MSS K117, fol. 20a and Y101, fol. 26a.} they held back in imparting [that knowledge] to the deserving.

Except those that repent, and make amends, and show clearly—them I shall turn [relenting]; I am the Relenting, the Merciful.

[Except those who] compensate for their past negligence by graciously turning back, taking on the task of giving advice to the aspirants. They show clearly to [the aspirants] the goodness in upholding certain modes of behavior, explaining and demonstrating this to them in a beautiful way. Surely the clearest proof of the clarity of your actions, and the truest testimony of that by which you call people to God, is that your behavior does not contradict what you have alluded to in your speech. God most high said, “And I do not desire to be inconsistent in what I forbid you” [11:88].^{1This is part of Shuʿayb’s response to his people: He said, “O my people, have you considered that I might be [acting] upon a clear proof from my Lord and that He has provided me with fair sustenance from Him? And I do not desire to be inconsistent in what I forbid you. I desire only to set things right so far as I am able...” [11:88].}

But those who disbelieve, and die disbelieving—upon them shall be the curse of God and the angels, and of people altogether.

Abiding therein: the chastisement shall not be lightened for them, no respite shall be given them.

Here the allusion is to those who, after they have traveled the path of spiritual desire (irāda), find it fitting to return to the states of the people of habit (ahl al-ʿāda).^{1The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 20a and Y101, fol. 26a, both of which have the phrase aḥwāl ahl al-ʿāda. The Basyūnī edition has aḥwāl al-ʿāda.} Then, while they are in the grip of this estrangement [from the path] and in this condition, [they] leave the world. Those are the companions of separation (aṣḥāb al-furqa). There is no drawing near for their spirits or setting straight their calamity, no asking for mercy from anyone. They have lost in this world and the hereafter. They are cursed by gnats in the air and stagnation in [their] water (yalʿanuhum al-baqqu fī l-hawāʾi wa-l-naqʿu ʿalā l-māʾi).

Abiding: that is, they remain forever in their contemptible position, insignificant and [find no] lessening of it or relief, without kindness or favors.

Your God is One God; there is no god except Him, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

He honored them with the greatest honor in saying, “Your God.” The shaykhs of this group^{1That is, the Sufis.} said that the sign of the one whom He has prepared for the elect of the elect is that He says to him, “My servant”—and this is more perfect than that. His saying, “Your God,” connecting His reality^{2The translation follows the word “reality” (ḥaqq) from MSS K117, fol. 20b and Y101, fol. 26a, rather than the word “attribute” (naʿt) from the Basyūnī edition.} to you, is better than His connecting you to Himself. This is because His divinity for you is without defect, while your existence for Him is as a servant, with only your defects and harms to give in exchange. When did He say to you “Your God”? Was it at the time of your obedience, your movements, and states of rest, your essence or qualities? Nay, it was before that, in the eternity of eternity, time without time or season, outward marking or event.

The One who:

there is nothing similar that comes close to Him,

there is no resemblance that approaches Him,

there is no partner who is related to Him,

there is no companion who is on intimate terms with Him,

there is no associate who works hand in hand with Him,

there is no helper who assists Him,

and there is no combatant who opposes Him.

[It is] the oneness of the Real, the eternalness of the source, the perpetuity of the Abiding, the endlessness of Might and the sempiternity of the Essence.

[He is] One in the might of His radiance, singular in the majesty of His splendor, alone in the omnipotence of His grandeur, eternal in the authority of His might, glorious in the beauty of His sovereignty. Whoever tries to speak at length describing Him becomes incapable of expression.^{3The translation follows the phrase “becomes incapable of expression” (aṣbaḥa mansūban ilā l-ʿiyy) from the MSS K117, fol. 20b and Y101, fol. 26b. The Basyūnī edition has the same phrase except for the last word, which is “blindness” (al-ʿamā) rather than ʿiyy.} If it were not for the fact that He is the Compassionate, the Merciful, then the servant would be destroyed when exposed to knowledge of Him, at the first glimmer of the appearances of His might.

Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships that run in the sea with what profits men, and the water God sends down from the heaven with which He revives the earth after it is dead, and He scatters abroad in it all manner of crawling thing; and the disposition of the winds, and the clouds compelled between heaven and the earth—surely there are signs for a people who comprehend.

He informed the hearts of the seekers among the rational thinkers (aṣḥāb al-istidlāl) and those who possess intellects (arbāb al-ʿuqūl) of the evidentiary proofs of His deliberative power, the signs of His existence, and the marks of His lordship, which are the various kinds of His acts. He drew their attention to the different aspects^{1The translation follows the word “aspects” (wujūh) MSS K117, fol. 20b and Y101, fol. 26b rather than the word “existence” (wujūd) found in the Basyūnī edition.} of wisdom and evidentiary proofs of [divine] oneness (waḥdāniyya). Along with these He established demonstrative proofs that are subtle in expression and aspects of the evidentiary proofs that are precise in allusion. For there is no entity arising out of nonexistence, whether a person or ruins, trace or vestige, heaven or space, air or water, sun or moon, drop or rain, sand or stone, star or tree, that is not evidence of oneness (waḥdāniyya) and a means of access for those who direct themselves to His existence.

Yet there be people who take to themselves peers besides God, loving them as God is loved;

These are people whom the Real سبحانه did not appoint as the people of love (ahl al-maḥabba). He kept them occupied with the love of other things so that they were satisfied with loving everything that their lower selves desired. They were satisfied with worshiping something that was made for them, and satisfied with loving something crafted for them that is other than Him.

but those who believe love God more ardently; If he were to see those who did evil, when they see the chastisement, that the might altogether belongs to God, and that God is terrible in chastisement.

What is intended here is not to recall the idol worshipers’ love for other things, but rather to praise the believers for their love. It is not necessary for you to increase your love so as to surpass the love of disbelievers for their idols; rather the lover wants to remember his beloved as much as he can and finds everything that comes from the beloved beautiful.

It is said that the reason for the superiority of the love of believers for God over the love of the disbelievers for their idols is that the love of the latter is from like to like, and it is expected that like will incline to like. But [the love of believers for God] is a love for One who is not like them, and that is more precious and more worthy.

It is said that [the disbelievers] love what they can see and there is nothing amazing about loving that which has been seen with one’s own eyes. But the believers love the One who has come in between them and their seeing,^{1Al-Qushayrī may be indirectly referring to a phrase in 8:24: God comes in between a man and his heart.} a cloak of grandeur on their faces.

It is said that those who believe love God more ardently because they do not dissociate themselves from God even if He punishes them. The disbeliever dissociates himself from the idol and the idol from the disbeliever, just as God most high said, “When those who were followed disown their followers” [2:166].

It is said that the love (maḥabba) of the believers comes from God’s love for them, for that is more perfect. God most high said, whom He loves and who love Him [5:54], while their love for idols is a matter of whim (hawā).

It is said that the love of the believers is more perfect and more ardent because it conforms to the command, while the love of the disbelievers conforms to whim (hawā) and human nature (ṭabʿ). It is said that when their circumstances were prosperous and their wealth and influence wide, they adopted idols that were better than those they worshiped in their previous state of poverty. They used to adopt idols of silver when they were rich and abandon those of iron—this was how they measured things! For the believers, the intensity of their love for God was because they worshiped One God in good times and bad.

When those who were followed disown their followers, and they have seen the chastisement, and the cords are cut away before them.

When the first parts of the punishment appear to [the disbelievers], it will become clear to them that they have nothing sincere upon which to stand. As for the believers, they will have their lives,^{1The word al-Qushayrī uses for “lives” here is arwāḥ, which is usually translated as “spirits.” For a similar use of the word, see his commentary on Qurʾān 2:178.} possessions, spouses, and children taken from them [but their sincerity will remain]. [The disbelievers] will be made to reside in the graves for a few years and then He will try them at the resurrection with lengthy terrors and by questioning [their] actions,^{2The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 20b and Y101, fol. 26b and fol. 27a: bi-ṭuli al-ahwāli wa-suʾāli al-aʿmāl.} and then cast them in the fire. [But] He will grant [the believers] long days and lives,^{3The translation follows the word “lives” (aʿmār) found in MSS K117, fol. 20b and Y101, fol. 27a rather than “works” (aʿmāl) found in the Basyūnī edition.} so their love for Him will continue to increase.^{4“For Him” (lahu) has been added from MSS K117, fol. 20b and Y101, fol. 27a.} Because of that, He said, “those who believe love God more ardently” [2:165].

And those who followed say, “O, if only we might return again and disown them, as they have disowned us!” So, God shall show them their works, anguish for them! Never shall they exit from the Fire.

At that time they will know the bitter taste of the companionship of created things, but they will not be able to attain anything but anguish.

O people, eat of what is in the earth, lawful and wholesome; and follow not the steps of Satan; he is a manifest foe to you;

That which is forbidden, even if it is pleasing now, is contaminated in the end. That which is permitted, even if it is hateful now, is wholesome in the end. The pure and permitted [can be understood as] that which is acquired without forgetting the Real.

It is said that that which is permitted is what the gatherer obtains for His sake and acquires while witnessing the Real in every state. Anything that causes you to forget the Real or disobey the Real is from the steps of Satan.

he only commands you to evil and indecency, and that you should speak against God what you do not know.

Because of his audacity toward God, he induces you to speak falsely about God.

And when it is said to them, “Follow what God has revealed,” they say, “No; but we follow what we found our fathers doing.” What? Even if their fathers do not understand anything, and they were not guided?

There is no raising their eyes beyond that which is like them in form, class, kind, and ancestry, for they are set on their way. Without a doubt they have plunged into the fire on their path. Had they known that their ancestors had no intelligence to restrain them, nor guidance to unite them, they would have withdrawn from them, [understanding them to be] hostile, and resisted them, [understanding them to be] oppositional [to God’s command]. But the lights of insight were snatched from them and they were deprived of the proofs of certainty.

The likeness of those who disbelieve is as the likeness of one who shouts to that which hears nothing, save a call and a cry; deaf, dumb, blind—they do not comprehend.

Without the ears of comprehension and acceptance, their bodily hearing did not benefit them. They descended to the status of animals incapable of actualization (taḥṣīl).^{1The word taḥṣīl can mean to produce, perceive or acquire something. It can also mean to discriminate. In this context, al-Qushayrī seems to use the word to describe the actualization of the full potential of human beings.} Whoever is content to be like an animal (man raḍiya an yakūn ka-l-bahīma) does not have much worth (lam yaqaʿu ʿalayhi kathīr al-qīma).

O you who believe, eat of the good things (ṭayyibāt) wherewith We have provided you, and give thanks to God if it be Him that you worship.

The permitted (ḥalāl) is that for which there is no [bad] consequence. The good thing (ṭayyib) is that thing whose blessing is not attributed to any created thing. When the servant finds something that combines these two qualities, it is permitted and good.

The true meaning of thankfulness to Him is that you do not take a breath in anything other than the pleasure of the Real, so long as the energy given to you by that [permitted and good] food remains.

He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and what has been hallowed to other than God. Yet whoever is constrained, not desiring, nor transgressing, no sin shall be on him. God is Forgiving, Merciful.

He has forbidden in outward circumstances these specific things which have been hallowed to other than God. He has forbidden to the innermost hearts companionship with other than God, and even witnessing anything other than God. Yet whoever is constrained, that is, anyone who has not found a means to annihilation in the realities of the Real should only travel by way of the law. Either he should be effaced in God or stand by means of God, or act for God. Otherwise he is a foolish man of no account.

Those who conceal what God has revealed of the scripture, and sell it for a little price—they shall consume nothing in their bellies but the fire; God shall not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, neither purify them; and theirs is a painful chastisement.

The scholars (ʿulamāʾ) are asked to spread the evidentiary proofs of knowledge while the friends (awliyāʾ) are commanded to preserve the trusts of the secret. If [the scholars] conceal the proofs of the different types of knowledge, they will be bridled with a bridle of fire (nār).^{1This would appear to be a reference to a ḥadīth transmitted from Abū Hurayra and found in Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī: “He who is asked about knowledge and conceals it will be bridled on the Day of Judgment with a bridle of Fire” (al-Nawawī, Riyadh as-Salihin, trans. Muhammad Zafrulla Khan [London: Curzon Press, 1975], 233).} By contrast, if [the friends] divulge even a sliver from the secret, they [will be] immediately distanced from the secrets (asrār) and snatched away from the lights (anwār) they have been given. To each is a limit (ḥadd) and to each a command (amr).

They are those who have bought error at the price of guidance, and chastisement at the price of pardon; what makes them so patient for the fire?

That is because God has revealed the Book with the truth; and those that are at variance regarding the Book are in schism, far removed.

Truly those that prefer the other (ghayr) over the unseen (ghayb), the creation (khalq) over the Real (ḥaqq), the lower self (nafs) over intimacy (uns) [with God], how hard are their hearts (ma aqsā qulūbahum), how shameless what they love and seek (wa-mā awqaḥa maḥbūbahum wa-maṭlūbahum), how cheap their worth, and how disgraceful for those who have eyes to see! That is because God has revealed the Book in truth, and made its decree and rule come to pass in sincerity, and brought them to that for which He prepared them, and established them on the way He has fashioned for them.

It is not piety, that you turn your faces to the East and to the West. True piety is [that of] the one who believes in God and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the prophets, and who gives of his substance, however cherished, to kinsmen and orphans and the needy and the traveler and beggars, and for slaves, and who observes prayer and pays the alms, and those who fulfill their covenant when they have engaged in a covenant, those who endure with fortitude misfortune, hardship, and peril are the ones who are truthful, and these are the ones who are fearful.

The allusion is that external circumstances [such as which way one turns for the qibla] are not terribly important, whereas information about God is precious. The copious recitation of litanies, though greatly esteemed [as a devotional activity], is the business of old and weak people. Devotional acts of obedience, even if they are powerful, are what ordinary people do. Spending night and day in an abundance of tasks and exertions has great weight in becoming worthy of the reward, but deep knowledge of the Real is rare and precious.

What is mentioned in this verse about different kinds of goodness (iḥsān) and aspects of faith (īmān)—the giving of wealth, the purification of works, the connection to kin, holding to different types of protective arrangements and obligations, the fulfillment of contracts and observing the limits—is of momentous effect and great significance. These [acts] are beloved (maḥbūb) to the Real as a law (sharʿan) and what He asks for (maṭlūb) as a command (amran). But more perfect and higher in meaning is the standing in of the Real for you after your annihilation, being effaced from yourself as a witness (shāhid),^{1See al-Qushayrī’s discussion of this term in the section “Witness” (al-Shāhid), Risāla, 1:246–247.} consumed in the existence of eternity with your outward characteristics (rusūm) cut off from the familiar things (musākanāt) of your sensory awareness (iḥsās). [It is more perfect and higher in meaning] because in unity (tawḥīd) no impression or trace remains, and no other thing or remnant is left behind.

O you who believe, prescribed for you is retaliation, regarding the slain; a free man, for a free man, and a slave for a slave, and a female for a female. But if anything is pardoned anyone in relation to his brother, let the pursuit be honorable. And let the payment to him be with kindliness; that is an alleviation given by your Lord, and a mercy; and for him who commits aggression after that—his is a painful chastisement.

The right to retaliate is prescribed in the law but forgiveness is better, so he who inclines to receiving his right in full is one who submits (muslim),^{1The translation follows the words fa-muslim found in MSS K117, fol. 21b and Y101, fol. 27b rather than the words fa-musallam lahu found in the Basyūnī edition.} while he who renounces seeking his right is one who acts in a beautiful way (muḥsin). The first possesses worship and even servanthood (ʿubūdiyya). The second possesses noble-heartedness (futuwwa)^{2For al-Qushayrī’s discussion of this term, see the “Section on nobleheartedness” (Bāb al-futuwwa), Risāla, 2:472–479.} and even freedom (ḥurriyya).

According to the people of knowledge (ahl al-ʿilm) retaliation entails bloodshed. According to the allusion of the people of the story (ahl al-qiṣṣa),^{3Basyūnī identifies the ahl al-qiṣṣa in a footnote as the masters of states (arbāb al-aḥwāl). In his footnotes to al-Qushayrī’s commentary on Qurʾān 2:69–70 and 2:80, he identified the ahl al-qiṣṣa as Sufis.} their blood goes unavenged and their lives^{4The word al-Qushayrī uses for lives is arwāḥ, usually translated as “spirits.” For a similar use of the word, see his commentary on Qurʾān 2:166.} are good for nothing. He said:

The heart you caused to tremble

gives praise to you,

and the blood you made spill is proud

to have been spilled by you.^{5Muṣṭafā states that the verse is attributed to al-Mutanabbī, although here the two lines are reversed (Muṣṭafā, no. 15, p. 61).}

The blood of the lovers shed over the carpet of nearness is the perfume^{6The word khalūq, which is clearly written and vowelled in MSS K117 fol. 21b and Y101, fol. 27b, is preferable here to the word khulūf in the Basyūnī edition.} of the people of communion. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The color is the color of blood and the smell is the smell of musk.”^{7This ḥadīth refers to the wounds of those who fought in God’s way and the way in which they will appear on the Day of Resurrection. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives Ibn Ḥanbal as a source.}

In retaliation there is life for you, O people of pith, so that you might fear.

In carrying out the retaliation there is life because when one knows that if he kills, he will himself be killed, he refrains from killing. In this, there is life for the one who kills and the one who is killed.

But according to the allusive explanation, there is greater life in abandoning retaliation because when one has been annihilated in Him سبحانه, He is the successor for him and his life from Him is more perfect for him than his remaining with himself. When God has inherited^{1For the notion of God as inheritor, see Qurʾan 19:40: Indeed We shall inherit the earth and all who are on it, and to Us they will be returned.} from them and succeeded them, the remaining of the Successor is dearer than the life of the one who was annihilated.

Prescribed for you, when any of you is approached by death and leaves behind some good, is to make testament in favor of his parents and kinsmen honorably—an obligation on those that fear.

The testament regarding one’s wealth is recommended for anyone who has wealth to leave behind. But if one leaves nothing behind, what is the use of a testament? The circumstance of the wealthy is such that they bequeath it in thirds at the end of their lives. The friends depart from their living entirely and therefore leave nothing but an aspiration (himma), which has become separated from them and detached from anything. Because there is no way for the aspiration to [reach] the Real and [because it no longer has] an attachment to anything, [the aspiration] remains alone, separate and disconnected.^{1In several other passages of his commentary, al-Qushayrī speaks of aspiration (himma) as the “wealth” of the poor. Here he personifies aspiration, portraying it as bereft after having lost its position as a quality possessed by the friends of God who have passed into the hereafter.} They have recited:

As long as I am living I will love you

and when I die

my decaying bones

will keep loving you in the ground.^{2Muṣṭafā cites a slightly different version of these lines attributed to al-Shiblī (Muṣṭafā, no. 5, p. 104).}

This is their testament.^{3There are verses here that Basyūnī omits, saying he was unable to understand or correct them. This was true for the text in MSS K117, fol. 21b and Y101, fol. 27b as well.} And it is even as another of them said:

The traces^{4Instead of the word “traces” (rusūm) in MSS K117, fol. 21b and Y101, fol. 28a, the Basyūnī edition has rasūl, which may just be a typographic error, since Muṣṭafā does not repeat it (Muṣṭafā, no. 31, p. 31).} tell that

they left not long ago.

They returned to their lands

and my tears flowed for them.^{5The translation follows “for them” (lahum) as found in MSS K117, fol. 21b and Y101, fol. 28a instead of lahu in the Basyūnī edition. Muṣṭafā gives a somewhat different version of the first line attributed to Aḥmad b. Abī Ṭālib (Muṣṭafā, no. 31, p. 31).}

Then if anyone changes it after hearing it, the sin shall rest upon those who change it; surely God is Hearing, Knowing.

Whoever distorts an utterance, the evil and harm of that becomes his. His punishment is that he is denied the smell of the fragrance of sincerity. Whoever aids the religion (dīn), God aids him and whoever provides aid against the religion, God forsakes him.

But if anyone fears injustice or sin from one making a testament, and so makes things right between them, then no sin shall be upon him; surely God is Forgiving, Merciful.

Here the allusion is to the one who recognizes a weakness in one of the aspirants (murīdūn), or sees in one of the novices (ahl al-bidāya) a laxity of purpose (qaṣd). Or [it may allude to] someone giving counsel, [who] speaks with pure sincerity to someone who does not have the capacity for it. He understands his kindness to the aspirant as a form of indulgence, encouragement, persuasion, and permissiveness toward him. This is not objectionable, for urging people to pure sincerity [on the path] and [encouraging them] in what is not yet firmly established in them has an ample reward. Showing kindness to novices who are not yet firm in their resolve or sincere in their effort is a crucial element in seeking to make things right.

O you who believe, prescribed for you is the fast, just as it was prescribed for those that were before you so that you might guard yourselves.

Fasting (ṣawm) is of two types: the external fast, which is abstention from things that break the fast (mufṭarāt), accompanied by the intention [to fast], and the inner fast, which is to protect (ṣawn) the heart from different kinds of harm (āfāt), then to protect the spirit from familiar comforts (musākanāt), and then to protect the inner self from considerations (mulāḥaẓāt) [of anything but God].

It is said that the requirement of the fasting of worshipers, if it is to be complete, is to protect the tongue from slander (ghība), and to protect the glance from viewing [anything] with suspicion (rība), as it is said in the tradition, “Whoever fasts, let him fast with his ears, his eyes. . . .”^{1Basyūnī gives the full text of the ḥadīth and states that it is attributed to Abū Hurayra, and can be found in al-Bukhārī and the other sound collections.} As for the fast of those with deep knowledge, it is to guard the innermost self from witnessing anything other than Him.

For those who abstain from the things that break the fast, the end of their fast [comes] when night falls. For those who fast from everything other [than Him], the end of their fast [comes when] they witness the Real. [The Prophet] ﷺ said, “Fast to see Him and break your fast to see Him.”^{2ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives al-Nasāʾī among other sources for this ḥadīth.} According to the people of realization (ahl al-taḥqīq), [in this ḥadīth the letter] hāʾ in [the Prophet’s] words li-ruʾyatihi refers to the Real سبحانه.^{3The pronominal suffix can refer to he or it (in this case, God or the new moon).} The religious scholars (ʿulamāʾ) say its meaning is “Fast when you see the new moon of Ramaḍān and break your fast when you see the new moon of Shawwāl.” As for the elect, their fast is for God because their witnessing is of God, their breaking of the fast is through God, and their approach is to God. The One who prevails over them is God and the One through whom they are effaced is God.

For days numbered; and if any of you be sick, or be on a journey, then a number of other days;

Whoever is present in the month fasts for God and whoever is present with the Creator of the month fasts through God. The fast for God leads to recompense, while the fast through God leads to nearness. The fast for God is the fulfillment of worship (taḥqīq al-ʿibāda) and the fast through God is the healing of spiritual desire (taṣḥīḥ al-irāda). The fast for God is an attribute of every worshiper (ʿābid) and the fast by means of God is the quality of every seeker (qāṣid). The fast for God is accomplished by the outward (ẓawāhir) [selves] and the fast by means of God is accomplished by the innermost (ḍamāʾir) selves. The fast for God is abstention according to the clear explanations of the law (ʿibārāt al-sharīʿa)^{1The translation follows the word “clear explanations” (ʿibārāt) found in MSS K117, fol. 22a and Y101, fol. 28a, rather than “acts of worship” (ʿibādāt) in the Basyūnī edition.} and the fast by means of God is abstention through the allusions of reality (ishārāt al-ḥaqīqa).

Whoever is present in the month [of Ramaḍān] abstains from the things that break the fast, while whoever is present with the Real abstains at all times from witnessing created things.

Whoever fasts with his lower self will drink from the drink of Salsabīl and Zanjabīl.^{2A spring and the flavor of ginger in a drink in paradise, as described in Qurʾān 76:17–18.} Whoever fasts in his heart will drink from the drink of that which causes love (maḥābb) through the blessing of [God’s] approval (ījāb). Those who fast with their innermost selves are those about whom God has said, “He will give them a pure drink to drink” [76:21]. What a drink! [It is] a not a drink that is turned about in the hand but rather one that appears from [God’s] kindness. [It is] a drink of becoming intimate, not a drink from a cup.

God most high said, “If any of you be sick, or be on a journey, then a number of other days,” that is, for anyone who breaks the fast for these reasons, [they should] fast a number of other days equaling those in which the fast was broken. The allusion is to one who is losing the vigor of his spiritual desire (irāda) so that he returns to other than Him, either through a permissive interpretation (rukhṣat taʾwīl) or because of a lack of strength or endurance, or a weakness in taking on the burdens of the decrees of reality (aḥkām al-ḥaqīqa). Then let his load be lightened until his resolve strengthens and his desire intensifies. At that time what was permitted to him in adopting [a permissive] interpretation will be corrected in him. This is the sunna of God سبحانه in easing the way for novices. Their fulfillment of that will be obligatory at a later time.

and for those who are able to do it, a redemption: the feeding of a poor man. For him who volunteers good; that is good for him; but it is better for you that you should fast, if you but knew.

The allusion here is to those who have some remnant (baqīya) of power in themselves to dedicate to the demands of reality (muṭālabāt al-ḥaqīqa), but who nonetheless revert to lenience in the sharīʿa and descend into a permissive interpretation. The amends prescribed for one in this state is to abandon whatever remains (baqiya) in fixed wealth and external circumstances so that he is left (yabqā) stripped bare before the One.

It is said that since [God] knows that being charged with responsibilities (taklīf) necessarily entails difficulty, He lightened that for you in your heart by showing the days of the fast to be few, for He said, “for days numbered,” that is, the duration of this fast is but a few days, so hearing about it should not alarm you. This is like the saying of God most high, “And struggle in the way of God, a struggle worthy of Him” [22:78], and then saying, “and He has not laid upon you in your religion any hardship” [22:78], that is, He does not burden you with too great a difficulty in performing a struggle worthy of Him.

The month of Ramaḍān, in which the Qurʾān was revealed, a guidance for the people, and as clear proofs of the guidance and the criterion; So let those of you who are present [at his home] at the month, fast it and if any of you be sick, or if he be on a journey, then a number of other days.

Ramaḍān burns (yurmiḍu)^{1The word Ramaḍān and the verb yurmiḍu are from the same root r-m-ḍ, which refers to the burning of the sun.} the sins (dhunūb) of some people and burns the outward characteristics (rusūm) of other people. What a difference between those whose sins are burned by His mercy and those whose outward characteristics are burned by His reality!

The month of Ramaḍān is the month of the opening of the [divine] speech (khiṭāb), the month of the revelation of the Book (kitāb), the month of obtaining the reward (thawāb), the month of drawing near and [gaining God’s] approval (ījāb), the month of the lightening of burdens (takhfīf al-kulfa), the month of achieving intimacy (taḥqīq al-zulfa), the month of descending mercy (nuzūl al-raḥma), the month of granting blessing (wufūr al-niʿma), the month of salvation (najāt), and the month of intimate conversation (munājāt).

God desires ease for you, and desires not hardship for you

Part of His desiring ease for you is knowing that He desires ease for you.^{2The translation follows the wording in MSS K117, fol. 22a and Y101, fol. 28b.} Among the signs that He desires ease for His servant is that He has brought about the search for ease, for if [God] had not desired ease for [His servant] He would not have placed a desire for it in him. The one who spoke for them said:

If You had not wanted me to obtain

that for which I hope and seek

from Your generosity,

You would not have taught me to seek.^{3Muṣṭafā was unable to trace this verse to any other source (Muṣṭafā, no. 16, p. 28).}

[God] made hope [for ease] appropriate and confirmed the longing [for it]. He enjoined this inasmuch as He said, “and He desires not hardship for you.” This was to negate the possibilities of other ways of thinking, leaving the true sense clearly spelled out.

and that you fulfill the number

According to the language of scholars (lisān al-ʿilm), [it is] that you fulfill the number [of days] of the fast. According to the language of allusion (lisān al-ishāra), [it is] “that in the happiness of the present moment (ṣafāʾ al-ḥāl) you should be aware^{4The translation follows “that you should be aware” (li-taʿrifū) in MSS K117, fol. 22a rather than li-taqrinū in the Basyūnī edition.} of the fulfillment of the end (wafāʾ al-maʾāl).”

and magnify God for having guided you and that you might be thankful

[Thankful] in the final breath and that you might leave the numbered [days] of your life in the security (salāma) of your faith. [God’s] granting of success (tawfīq) in completing the fast of the month is immensely important, but it is even greater to have your life sealed with felicity.

And when My servants question you concerning Me, I am near; I answer the call of the caller when he calls to Me; so let them respond to Me, and let them believe in Me that they might go aright.

The question of each one indicates his state. They did not ask about any decree, created thing, this world^{1Basyūnī notes that the manuscript he was working from repeats lā ʿan dunyā twice, so he changed one of these to lā ʿan dīn. The translation does not include the phrase he adds because it does not occur in MSS K117, fol. 22b or Y101, fol. 28b.} or what comes next, but rather they asked [Muḥammad] about Him, so God most high said, “And when My servants question you concerning Me. . .” [These questioners] were not among the group about whom He said, “They will question you concerning the mountains” [20:105], nor among the group about whom He said, “They will ask you about orphans” [2:220], nor among the group about whom He said, “They will ask you about the monthly period” [2:222], nor among the group about whom He said, “And they will question you concerning the spirit” [17:85], nor among the group about whom He said, “They ask you about wine, and divinatory arrows”^{2In the time of the Prophet, people used marked arrows in a game in which bets were made.} [2:219], or “They ask you about the sacred month, and fighting in it” [2:217].

These were a select group of people. “And when My servants question you concerning Me,^{3There is a blank in the Basyūnī edition in the middle of the quoted section of the Qurʾānic verse. Although MSS K117, fol. 22b and Y101, fol. 28b have text containing commentary to complete this blank, the meaning is obscure, so the translation follows Basyūnī’s edition in omitting it.} how could you answer them? This answer is not by your tongue, O Muḥammad. Even though you are the ambassador between Us and created beings, I assume responsibility for this answer: I am near.” In regard to nearness, He took away the act of mediating from anyone other than Himself. He did not say, “Say to them I am near,” but rather He said, may His affair be exalted, “I am near.”

Then He explained what this nearness is. Inasmuch as the Real سبحانه is too holy for drawing near or moving away in terms of direction, or specification in any spot (buqʿa),^{4The word “spot” (buqʿa) is used in one place in the Qurʾān, which describes Moses approaching the fire he saw from a distance: And when he reached it, a call came from the right bank of the valley at the blessed spot from the tree, [saying] “O Moses! Indeed I am God, the Lord of the worlds” [28:30].} He said, I answer the call of the caller. Verily the Real سبحانه is near, wholly and entirely, by means of knowledge, power, hearing and vision. He is near the believers with respect to caretaking,^{5The Basyūnī edition has tabriyya, which may be a typographical error for tarbiyya. The MSS K117, fol. 22b and Y101, fol. 29a have a word that seems to be rutba, which does not seem correct in the context. The translation uses the word tarbiyya.} help, and answering supplications, but He is too exalted and holy to be near anyone in essence (dhāt) or spot (buqʿa), for He is uniquely without direction in any region (aqṭār), mighty without being described by substance or measure (miqdār).

I answer the call of the caller when he calls to Me; so let them respond to Me, and let them believe in Me that they might go aright: He did not promise to answer the one who might be considered worthy because of asceticism or [to answer] at the time of worship. Instead He said, “the call of the caller when he calls to Me,” however he calls to Me (kayfamā daʿānī) and wherever He calls to Me (haythumā daʿānī). Then He said, “So let them respond to Me,” which establishes a responsibility (taklīf), while His words, “I answer the call of the caller” is a giving of information (taʿrīf) and a lightening [of responsibility] (takhfīf). He spoke of the lightening before He spoke of the responsibility. So it was as if He said, “When you call to Me, My servant, I will answer you. So answer Me also when I call you. I do not wish to refuse your call, so you should not wish to refuse My call to you. My answering you, My servant, with what is good, prompts you to call on Me. It is not that your call prompts Me to answer you. So let them respond to Me, and let them believe in Me and let them trust in Me for I answer the call of the one who calls to Me.” The one who spoke for them said:

By the All-Mighty, I swear by the One

whose servant I am and

to whom belongs the pilgrims

and what ʿArafāt encompasses:

I do not want any substitute

for you^{6This addressee in this sentence is grammatically singular and feminine.} as a friend.

Trust in my words,

for noble people are trustworthy.^{7Muṣṭafā states that he was unable to find these verses in any other source (Muṣṭafā, no. 1, p. 37).}

Then He said at the end of the verse, that they might go aright, that is, “the only objective to your being charged with responsibilities and supplications is to receive right guidance (irshād) for yourself.”

Permitted to you, upon the night of the fast, is to go in to your wives; they are a vestment for you, and you are a vestment for them; God knows that you have been betraying yourselves, and so He has turned to you [relenting], and He has pardoned you. So now, lie with them and seek what God has prescribed for you, and eat and drink until the white thread is distinct to you from the black thread at daybreak; then complete the fast to the night;

[God] informs us that, in truth, the customs that characterize human beings are not attributable to Him. Whether you are engaged in worship (ʿibāda), which is the right of the Real, or in the customs of companionship with your mate, which is the goal sought by your lower self and worldly concern—both are the same for your state so long as there is refined behavior (adab).^{1The translation follows the word adab from MSS K117, fol. 22b and Y101, fol. 29a rather than the word idhn (“permission”) in the Basyūnī edition.}

The verse was revealed regarding the lapse of al-Fārūq.^{2An epithet of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb. According to the Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, in the beginning of Islam sexual intercourse was not permitted on the nights of fasting. ʿUmar and others were unable to abstain and went to the Prophet to apologize. The revelation of this Qurʾānic verse abrogated the earlier prohibition (Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, trans. Hamza, altafsir.com).} [God] made that [lapse] an occasion for a dispensation for all Muslims until the resurrection. Thus are the rulings of the [divine] solicitude.

It is said that [God] knew there is no escaping worldly concerns for the servant, so He divided the night and day in this month between His right (ḥaqq) and your worldly portion (ḥaẓẓ). He said, “As for My right, complete the fast to the night, and as for your worldly portion, eat and drink until the white thread is distinct to you from the black thread at daybreak.”

and do not lie with them, while you cleave to the mosques in devotion [to God]. Those are God’s bounds; do not approach them. So, God makes clear His signs to people so that they might fear.

[God] states that the place of nearness^{3The translation follows the phrase “place of nearness” (maḥall al-qurba) found in MSS K117, fol. 22b and Y101, fol. 29a rather than the phrase “place of power” (maḥall al-qudra) in the Basyūnī edition.} is sanctified from the seeking of worldly concerns. He said, “When you are occupied with your [lower] selves, you are veiled through yourselves in yourselves, but when your business is with Us do not turn back from Us to yourselves.”

It is said that the jealousy (ghayra)^{4For more on the idea of God’s jealousy, see the “Section on jealousy” (bāb al-ghayra) in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla, 2:512–518.} of the Real سبحانه [comes] at the times when serious business is mixed with fun. ʿĀʾisha رضي الله عنها said concerning it, “O Messenger of God, I truly love you and love being near to you.” [Muḥammad] replied, “Let me be, daughter of Abū Bakr, I am worshiping my Lord.”^{5ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives al-Suyūṭī and al-Zabīdī as sources for this ḥadīth.} He ﷺ said to her, “I have a time wherein none but my Lord is allowed me.”^{6ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives ʿAlī l-Qārī as a source for this ḥadīth. Basyūnī states that the content of the ḥadīth is sound but the chain of transmission is unknown.}

Consume not your goods between you in deception, and proffer them to the judges, that you may consume a portion of other people’s goods in sin while you are aware.

When you turn to created beings to judge matters, know that God is watching over you and His knowledge encompasses you. So situate yourself with shyness before the Real سبحانه. Created beings know externals (ẓawāhir) but the Real سبحانه وتعالى is the One who governs the innermost secrets of hearts (sarāʾir).

They will ask you about the new moons. Say, “They are appointed times for the people and the pilgrimage.”

The “moons” (ahilla)—the plural of a “moon” (hilāl)—are appointed times for the people for their activities and calculations. For the people of the story (ahl al-qiṣṣa),^{1Basyūnī identifies the people of the story (ahl al-qiṣṣa) as Sufis in his footnotes to the commentary on Qurʾān 2:69–70 and 2:80, and as the “masters of states” in the commentary on 2:178.} they are appointed times for their various states (aḥwāl). For the ascetics, [they are] appointed times for their litanies (awrād). For the elect, they are appointed times for their moments (ḥālāt). The one who spoke for them said:

I count the nights,

one after another.

In the days of old

I never really counted them.^{2Muṣṭafā attributes this verse, in a slightly different form, to Majnūn (Muṣṭafā, no. 4, p. 122).}

Another said:

Eight days have passed

without meeting.

I do not have the patience

to wait more than eight.^{3Muṣṭafā states that the verse is attributed to al-Buḥturī, speaking to Muḥammad b. ʿAlī l-Qumī (Muṣṭafā, no. 11, p. 113).}

Another said:

Months pass

we have not noticed

their midpoints

nor their ends.^{4Muṣṭafā attributes this line to Majnūn as well as two other individuals (Muṣṭafā, no. 17, p. 62).}

It is not piety to come to the houses from their backs (ẓuhūr), but piety is to fear; so come to the houses by their doors, and fear God that you may prosper.

It means that piety is not guarding external affairs (al-umūr al-ẓāhira) but rather piety is purifying the inner secrets (taṣfiyat al-sarāʾir) and cleaning the recesses of hearts (tanqiyat al-ḍamāʾir).

And fight in the way of God with those who fight against you, but do not transgress limits; God loves not the transgressors.

Let your lower selves be trusts for the Real: when He commands their restraint, restrain and protect them. When He commands [you] to commit them to fighting, do not hold them back from His command. This is the meaning of His words, but do not transgress limits—that you stop wherever you are made to stop and do what you have been commanded.

And slay them wherever you come upon them,

It means, “It is incumbent on you to show enmity toward My enemies, just as it is incumbent on you to establish friendship (walāya) and assistance (muwālā) with My friends (awliyāʾ). So do not spare them,^{1The translation follows the words fa-lā tubqaw ʿalayhim found in MSS K117, fol. 23a and Y101, fol. 29b.} even if there are bonds^{2The translation follows the word awāṣir found in MSS K117, fol. 23a and Y101, fol. 29b rather than the word rāṣid in the Basyūnī edition.} of kinship or close relation between you.”

and expel them from where they expelled you;

“First expel [your] love and mutual assistance with them from your hearts, and then drive^{3The blank here in the Basyūnī text has been completed with the word azʿijūhum found in MSS K117, fol. 23a and Y101, fol. 29a.} them from the regions of Islam so that they will be diminished.”

sedition is more grievous than slaying.

Here the allusion is to the ordeal that comes to hearts (qulūb) from the misfortunes of veiling; this is more grievous than that which comes to the bodily selves (nufūs) from the exertion of the spirit (rūḥ), because the passing away of the life of the heart is more grievous than the passing away of the life of the bodily self. The bodily selves live through what is fitting and familiar to them, but the heart can only live through God.

It is said that sedition is more grievous than slaying means that remaining apart from God is much worse than letting go of^{4The translation follows MS K117, fol. 23a, with the phrases tabqā ʿan Allāh and tabqā min rūḥika wa-ḥayātika.} your spirit (ruḥ) and your life (ḥayāt).

But fight them not by the sacred mosque until they should fight you there; then if they fight you, slay them—such, is the requital of disbelievers.

The allusion in it: Do not disturb your time (waqt)^{5For a discussion of this term, see the section on “The moment” (al-Waqt) in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla, 1:188–190. The use of the word “time/moment” echoes the Prophet’s “moment” in the ḥadīth cited in al-Qushayrī’s commentary on Qurʾān 2:187.} with God, [do not] let in the attributes that characterize the bodily and lower self, even if these involve supererogatory acts of obedience. If a noisy preoccupation distracts you from God, remove that matter from yourself by every means possible so that no attachment remains to block you from God.

But if they desist, surely God is Forgiving, Merciful.

The allusion in it: When the clamor of your thoughts and the enemies of your self (nafs) cut you off and they separate you from [God] and jostle you, give up^{1The translation follows the phrase fa-sallim found in MSS K117, fol. 23a and Y101, fol. 29b rather than the phrase fa-lum found in the Basyūnī edition.} the chatter of the lower self (nafs) and stop its combative motion, for surely those who have been asked to guard the innermost selves (asrār) should not have any business with the exertions of the lower selves (nufūs) in their various oppositional ways.^{2Al-Qushayrī frequently contrasts acts and attitudes of opposition (mukhālafa) to the Real with those in harmony (muwāfaqa) with Him.}

Fight them till there is no sedition, and the religion is for God; then if they desist, there shall be no enmity, save against evildoers.

The allusion in the verse is to combat against the lower selves (nufūs), for your worst enemy is your lower self (nafs) within you. That is to say, “Hold completely to the precepts of spiritual disciplines (riyāḍāt) until nothing remains of carnal human traces (āthār bashariyya). Submit the self (nafs) and heart (qalb) to God so there will be no opponent or combatant from within you [fighting] to protect [yourself], taking instruction [from the lower self], managing [your own affairs] or exercising free choice in any state. The vicissitudes [of life] will flow over you as He wills them and you will be effaced from making any choices aside from what comes with the decree.” When the self (nafs) surrenders there is no enmity except toward the masters of holding back (arbāb al-taqṣīr),^{1That is, those who are stingy with God.} but those who uphold the right of [God’s] command are far removed from any obligation to compel [others to do so].

The sacred month for the sacred month; holy things demand retaliation; whoever commits aggression against you, then commit aggression against him in the manner that he committed against you; and fear God, and know that God is with the God-fearing.

[Here] the allusion is to: “When two of the rights of God face off, submit the moment (waqt) to the decree of the moment (ḥukm al-waqt), and turn with the allusions of the moment (ishārāt al-waqt). Beware of preferring one over the other in what you possess in your worldly portion (ḥaẓẓ)—even a little—for you will be veiled from witnessing the Real (ḥaqq) and the vision of your heart will be blinded. Everything that is closer to what opposes your whims and further from what attracts and pleases you is in itself more appropriate.”

And know that God is with the God-fearing, those who fear the preference of their own whims over that with which He is pleased. When they act for God in what they do rather than for themselves, God most high is with them, through [His] help: He said, “If you help God, He will help you” [47:7].

And spend in the way of God; and cast not your own hands into destruction; but be virtuous; God loves the virtuous.

The rich spend from their wealth. The worshipers spend through their lower selves, by not holding back acts of worship and [religious] tasks. Those who have deep knowledge spend with their hearts, by not holding back from His decrees. The lovers spend with their spirits, by not holding back from His love.^{1MSS K117, fol. 23b and Y101, fol. 30a have “His decree” (ḥukmihi) rather than “His love” (ḥubbihi).}

The rich spend from [material] blessings (niʿam) and the poor (fuqarāʾ) spend from aspirations (himam).

The rich spend by taking money from the purse. The poor (fuqarāʾ) spend by taking [concern for] the rich from the heart.^{2The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 23b and Y101, fol. 30a, with what looks to be al-aghniyāʾ min al-qalb. That is to say, the poor let go of any concern for what rich people do or do not do.} Those who declare God’s unity spend by removing [concern for] created things from their innermost selves.

His words, “and cast not your own hands into destruction” allude to holding back your hands from exertion, for the one who holds back his hands and hoards anything for himself, his hands throw him into destruction.

It is said that it is to prefer your whims over [God’s] good pleasure.

It is also said, and cast not your own hands into destruction means being heedless of Him by [your own] free choice.

It is also said [it is] imagining that you can live without His kindness and His favor for even a moment.

It is also said [it is] contentment in your state of lassitude and being veiled.

It is also said [it is] holding the tongue back from perpetually seeking help in every breath.

His words, “But be virtuous, God loves the virtuous (muḥsinūn)”: Virtuousness (iḥsān) is being kind with everyone but yourself. When you are virtuous with regard to your lower self, it looks—to those with poor judgment^{3The translation follows the word aghmār in MSS K117, fol. 23b and Y101, fol. 30a rather than the word iʿtimād in the Basyūnī edition.}—like you are harming it. But it is through [your lower self] that you bring about every misery and endure every calamity. Virtuousness is also leaving every last bit of your worldly concerns, and devoting yourself to fulfilling the right of anyone whose affair is connected to you. Virtuousness is to worship Him without becoming inattentive and to worship Him through the quality of witnessing.

Fulfill the pilgrimage and the visitation to God;

The fulfillment of the pilgrimage, according to the language of scholars, is the performance of its basic elements, its practice, its form, and the shedding of blood,^{1That is, the sacrifice of an animal which is performed at the end of the ḥajj.} which is required in it, without curtailing any of the conditions. It is mentioned in the tafsīr literature that in both [the ḥajj and the ʿumra], you are forbidden from the dwellings of your family [until you have completed all the requirements].

In the language of allusion, the pilgrimage is the quest (qaṣd). The quest is to the House of the Real and the quest to the Real is, first, the pilgrimage of ordinary people and second, the pilgrimage of the elect. Just as the one who makes the pilgrimage through his [outward] self enters the consecrated state and stands [at ʿArafāt], circumambulates the House and runs [between Ṣafā and Marwa], and then shaves [his head], so it is with the one who makes the pilgrimage through his heart. His state of consecration (iḥrām)^{2Iḥrām refers to the special garment worn by pilgrims, and to the state of abstention from all the things prohibited while on ḥajj.} [comes] from [his] sound resolve (ʿaqd ṣaḥīḥ) to undertake a pure quest (qaṣd ṣarīḥ). He removes the clothing of his oppositional tendencies and his carnal passions. He then wraps himself in the two robes of patience and poverty. He abstains from pursuing his worldly fortunes, [that is] the following of whims, and he releases thoughts of desired things, etc. Then [just as] as the [outward] pilgrim becomes increasingly unkempt and dusty, likewise the traces of humility and submission appear upon [the pilgrim of the heart]. Then the talbiya^{3The talbiya is the prayer pilgrims say as they approach Mecca: “Here I am, O God, here I am...” (labbayka Llāhummā labbayk...).} of the innermost selves occurs in the response of every part of you.

“The most excellent of the actions of the pilgrimage (ḥajj) are the sacrificial blood-letting (thajj) and the crying out (ʿajj).”^{4The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 23b and Y101, fol. 30a; the wording more closely resembles the ḥadīth Lane cites in his entry on thajj: afḍal al-ḥajj al-ʿajj wa-l-thajj (Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon, 1:332). In the Basyūnī edition, the word is shajj instead of thajj.} The thajj is the pouring of blood [of the animal sacrificed] and the ʿajj is raising the voice in talbiya. Likewise, the shedding of the blood of the lower self [comes] with the knives of opposition [to it], and the raising of the voices of the innermost self [comes] by continuously seeking [God’s] help and with the beauty of responding [to the call]. Then [one] stands at the plains of nearness, seeking perfection in the attributes of awe. The standing place of the [outward] selves is ʿArafāt, while the standing place of hearts is the names and attributes (ṣifāt) belonging to the majesty of the essence (dhāt) at the time of intimate communications (muwāṣalāt). Then the hearts circumambulate around the sites of majesty. The running of the innermost selves [takes place] between the two hills^{5Literally, ṣaffayy “two rocks,” from the same word as Ṣafā.} of the unveiling of the Sublime (kashf al-jalāl) and the kindness of the Beauty (luṭf al-jamāl). Then the completion [of the rites] [comes] through cutting the ties of wishes and free choices, desires and resistances, in every way.

but if you are prevented, then [give] such offering as may be feasible,

[One may] be prevented by one of two causes, either an enemy or illness.

[Here] the allusion is to an enemy overcoming the lower self, so that you find no escape but to dismount in the courtyard of indulgences (rukhaṣ) and rational interpretive license (taʾwīlāt al-ʿilm). At that moment this is permitted to you because of [your] excuse and necessity, since there is no wrangling with the decree (ḥukm). The offering is that which one gives at this time, paying the determined amount and giving it to the poor, and waiting for the restriction to pass so that the command [to make the pilgrimage] can resume.

If one’s spiritual desires (irādāt)^{6The translation follows “spiritual desires” (irādāt) from MSS K117, fol. 23b and Y101, fol. 30b rather than the word wāridāt found in the Basyūnī edition.} become infirm, the seeking (quṣūd) weak, and the affair reverts to [mere] obligation (taklīf), let one [in this circumstance] strive not to turn away [altogether], just as in the external pilgrimage one strives not to turn away because of an illness or if one needs clothing or a haircut, etc. [This is allowable] through the provision of expiation [given in this verse]. If he is weak, he should stay where he is for a while, standing and sitting in the prescriptions of the quest (awṣāf al-qaṣd) and the precepts of spiritual desire (aḥkām al-irāda). If he turns back—may God protect us—he will meet only rejection and obstruction.” It is said:

Our separation from one another

was not from hatred.

Rather it is the passage of time (dahr)

that breaks up and draws together.^{7The text in the Basyūnī edition, MSS K117, fol. 23b and Y101, fol. 30b reads: Our drawing near (taqarrub) to one another was not from hatred. Muṣṭafā states that this part of the verse can be found in al-Sulamī’s Ṭabaqāt al-ṣufiyya, but reads there as, “The separation (qaṭīʿ) between us was not from hatred.” Since this makes more sense, the translation uses the word “separating” rather than “drawing near” (Muṣṭafā, no. 3, p. 77).}

Someone else said:

I am not—even though I love someone

who resides in wide open plains—

the first to hope

for something unattainable.^{8Muṣṭafa traces the verse to several sources, all of which cite the verse without attribution. He also cites a somewhat similar verse from Majnūn Laylā (Muṣṭafā, no. 36, p. 100).}

and do not shave your heads until the offering reaches its place. If any of you is sick, or has an ailment of the head, then a redemption by fast, or a voluntary almsgiving, or a ritual sacrifice.

One makes a sacrifice to the extent that one is able, expending all that one can, with the traces of grief upon one, filled with the sorrows of being veiled.

If any of you is sick or has an ailment of the head, then a redemption by fast, or a voluntary almsgiving, or a ritual sacrifice: the allusion is that one humbles oneself and exerts oneself by circumambulating the friends [of God], serving the poor (fuqarāʾ), and drawing near as one is able, in the various ways^{9The translation follows the word wujūh from MSS K117, fol. 24a and Y101, fol. 30b rather than “existence” (wujūd) in the Basyūnī edition.} of striving and supplicating.

When you are secure, then whoever enjoys the visitation, until the pilgrimage; let his offering be such as is feasible, or if he finds none, then a fast of three days in the pilgrimage. And of seven when you return; that is a full ten; that is for him whose family are not present at the sacred mosque. And fear God, and know that God is severe in retribution.

When the moons of the questing appear from glorious disclosures and the concealing veils are removed from the suns of union, and the light of the approach rises during the days of standing [at ʿArafāt], let [the pilgrim] start anew at that moment (waqtan) for the sake of union, and let him spread a carpet (bisāṭan) to draw near. Let him renew, by virtue of happiness, the performance [of devotional acts] with good cheer (nashāṭan), and let him say, “Come to joy for the days of hardship are over!” Let him complete the pilgrimage and the visitation and let him continue to perform the precepts of companionship and service.

And know that God is severe in retribution in veiling those who have not been shown the new moons of union and approach.

The pilgrimage is in months well-known;

The pilgrimage for the bodily selves (nufūs) is in months well-known. The iḥrām is only binding in it, and it is not possible to undertake the pilgrimage during the rest of the year rather, [it is] only in a specific time period. One for whom that time has passed, the pilgrimage has passed him. Likewise the pilgrimage of the hearts has times [that are] well-known and [it] is only appropriate during them. These are the days of youth, for one who has no spiritual desire (irāda) in his youth has no communion in the state of his old age. Likewise the one for whom the time of his quest (qaṣd) and spiritual desire (irāda) has passed, only the worship whose outcome is the garden is appropriate, not the spiritual desire (irāda) whose outcome is communion.

whoever undertakes the duty of pilgrimage during them, then no lewdness, nor wickedness, or disputing in the pilgrimage.

The allusion is also to whoever travels the path of spiritual desire, that he should not stop at anything in the path nor mix his spiritual desire with anything. Whoever argues, opposes, or is rude with him—he yields to them all. He does not dispute with anyone for the sake of this world, nor does he compete with anyone for some worldly fortune for the self or honor. God most high said, “And when the ignorant address them, they say ‘peace’” [25:63].

Whatever good you do, God knows it.

You should be content with His knowledge and His judgment rather than being seen, judged or known by His creatures.

And take provision. But the best provision is piety; and fear Me, O people of pith!

The piety of ordinary people is the avoidance of errors, while the piety of the elect is the avoidance of anything other [than God] in the inner secrets of their hearts.

You would not be at fault if you should seek bounty from your Lord;

[Here] the allusion is that whatever you seek from the bounty of God—from what has been determined for you according to His rightful decree—is praiseworthy, if it has a portion for the Muslims or the strength of the religion (dīn). Whatever you seek solely for your worldly fortune or for what benefits you is flawed.

but when you press on from ʿArafāt, then remember God at the sacred waymark; and remember Him as He has guided you, though previously you were astray.

[Here] the allusion is to when you have gone so far as to perform what He has requested, [you should] remember His favor with you, for if He had not desired you, you would not have desired Him. If He had not chosen you, you would not have preferred His good pleasure.

Then press on from where the people press on, and seek God’s forgiveness; God is Forgiving, Merciful.

The allusion [in this part of the verse] is that you should not see yourself as different from others because of some manner of dressing, patched clothing^{1In writings from this time period, patched clothing was frequently associated with Sufis.} or some quality that distinguishes you outwardly. Rather, you should [consider yourself only as] one among [all] humanity. When the thought comes to you that you have done something, or that anything [happens] through you, for you or with you, seek God’s forgiveness and renew your faith for [this kind of thought] is a hidden idolatry (shirk) that infects your heart.

And when you have performed your holy rites, remember God as you remember your fathers, or yet more intensely.

And when you have performed your holy rites is an allusion to carrying out the rightful due (ḥaqq) of servanthood (ʿubūdiyya). Remember God as you remember your fathers is an allusion to carrying out the rightful due (ḥaqq) of love (maḥabba).

The performance of the holy rites is an undertaking through the self (nafs). Remember God as you remember your fathers is an undertaking for His sake through the heart (qalb) continuously in the moment and throughout one’s life.

It is said that, “Just as others boast of their fathers and delight in their ancestors, let your boasting and delight be in Us.”

It is said that, “If your fathers have a right to raise and educate you, Our right over you is even more binding since Our favors to you are more perfect.”

It is said, “Your ancestors may have glorious deeds and virtues, but Our worthiness from the attributes of sublimity (jalāl) is far beyond anything due to your ancestors from the best of their states.”

It is said that, “If you never grow weary of remembering your father and you rarely forget him, then remember Us continually and do not let weariness, boredom or forgetfulness stop you.”

It is said that, “If someone speaks ill of your lineage, you are not pleased. Similarly, do not listen to the words of those who err and contrive, but rather defend Us.”

It is said that, “The father is remembered with respect and deference. Similarly, remember Us with awe even as you [also] remember the kindness of nearness and the best of caring.” He said, “Remember God as you remember your fathers” but did not say “your mothers” because the father is remembered out of respect and the mother is remembered out of compassion for her. God shows mercy—He is not the recipient of it.

Or yet more intensely because the Real (ḥaqq) is more deserving (aḥaqq). You might be much estranged from your father while the Real سبحانه is free from any thought coming to those who have knowledge of Him, that they would oppose what has been made obligatory in even the smallest way.

As you remember your fathers, the father according to his rightful due, and the Lord according to His rightful due.

There are some people who say, “Our Lord, give to us in this world”; such people will have no part in the hereafter.

If a human being were to speak to you in this way, it would be a complaint.^{1Basyūnī has kāna shākiran which he says was shākiyan in the original. The phrase in MSS K117, fol. 24b and Y101, fol. 31a makes more sense: lā kāna shakwā.} If [God] was complaining about you [O Muḥammad], just as he complained to you, that would be unfortunate. But by His favor, He has caused you to reach a place where He shares his complaint with you, so He said, “There are some people who do not turn their hearts toward Us and are content to be without Us. They do not look to anyone but themselves and their worldly concerns. Faith is not possible for them in their Lord and His Truth.”

And there are others who say, “Our Lord, give to us in this world good, and good in the hereafter, and guard us against the chastisement of the Fire.”

He means in [this verse] good (ḥasana), the existence of which is consistent with all good things. The good by which all good things are obtained in this world is the protection of their faith at the end [of their lives], for whoever leaves this world as a believer will not abide in the fire and the passing of this [world] will be of little consequence. The good which is consistent with the good things of the hereafter is forgiveness, for when He forgives, nothing but good follows.

It is said that the good in this world is turning away from it and the good in the hereafter is being protected from becoming comfortable in it. The guarding is from the fire (nār) and the fires of separation (furqa); because the [letter] lām in His saying al-nār is a generic lām,^{1In Arabic the generic is indicated by the particle alif lām.} so the seeking of refuge applies to both the fires of burning (nīrān al-ḥurqa) and the fires of separation (nīrān al-furqa).

It is said that the good in this world is witnessing (shuhūd) through the innermost selves (bi-l-asrār) and in the hereafter [it is] seeing (ruʾya) through the physical eyes (bi-l-abṣār).^{2A reference to the vision of God in the hereafter, which is confirmed, according to the interpretation of some commentators, by Qurʾān 75:22–23: Some faces on that day will be radiant, looking upon their Lord.}

It is said that the good of this world is that He annihilates you from yourself,^{3The translation follows the phrase “He annihilates you from yourself” (yufnīka ʿanka) found in MSS K117, fol. 24b and Y101, fol. 31b rather than the phrase yughnīka ʿanka found in the Basyūnī edition.} while the good of the hereafter is that He returns you to yourself.

It is said that the good of this world is the success granted [by God] in service (tawfīq al-khidma) and the good of the hereafter is the actualization of communion (taḥqīq al-wuṣla).

Those—they shall have a portion from what they have earned;

If [what they have earned] was good, then a good [portion]. If it was something else, then something else.

and God is swift at reckoning

[The reckoning occurs] for ordinary people at [the Day of Judgment] and for the elect at every breath.

It is said that He mentioned two groups: those who say, “Our Lord, give to us in this world” and those who say “Give to us in this world and the next.” The third group, which is not mentioned, are those who are content with His decree, those who submit to His command, those who forgo every supplication and request.

And remember God, during certain days numbered. If any man hastens on in two days, that is no sin for him; and if he delays, it is not a sin for him; if he fears; and fear God, and know that to Him you shall be gathered.

This is a description of the last part of the [pilgrimage] ceremonies, the throwing [of stones] in the days at Minā. Because of what they have offered in the pillars of the pilgrimage, He lightens their load by letting them choose the duration of the stay, adding [more time] or hastening to leave.

[Here] the allusion is to one whose lower self has been extinguished while his heart lives on in the perpetual realities of witnessing. In his perpetual engagement in the manners of being present (ādāb al-ḥuḍūr), if something from the branches of devotions falls away, there is a replacement for what has passed away.

And among people there is he whose speech in the life of this world pleases you; and who calls on God to witness what is in his heart; yet he is most stubborn in dispute.

He relates that the Real سبحانه وتعالى has given some people skill in speaking outwardly yet [He] has turned away from their hearts, which are bound by the ropes of deprivation and covered by their own ignorance. There is no meaning beyond [their outward selves] and nothing of weight in what they say. One cannot rely on their faithfulness, nor trust in them in any way.

The allusion is to the people of external appearances (ahl al-ẓāhir) who have not been helped by the lights of insight, and are bound to the precepts of the external world. They have no faith in this kind of talk and no insight into this [path] as a whole. It is necessary to keep secrets from them, since they will only receive this discourse with disapproval. Peaceable people among ordinary folk who have respect for this path and faith in the whole of this discourse are far closer to this way than those who count themselves among the elect but are cut off from faith in this affair.

And when he turns his back, he hastens about the earth to do corruption there and to destroy the tillage and the stock; and God loves not corruption.

[Here] the allusion is to those who only hasten to seek worldly fortunes. They are not concerned, even though the ties to their religion have become unraveled and their bonds to Islam have been weakened. After that, the ropes [tying them to] the world become stronger and the bonds of their desires become more closely woven with the prohibited things they have gathered and the debris they have acquired. When they retire to their whisperings and ruinous aims, they hasten to corruption, make decisions based on worldly [aims], and employ people to help them in furthering their affairs—people from whose hearts God has removed inner sight.

And God loves not corruption: Outward corruption is whatever brings about the ruin of religious affairs and the proper ordering of worldly matters.

And when it is said to him, “Fear God,” he is seized by vainglory in his sin. So Hell shall be enough for him—how evil a cradling!

Those are the people who have been seized by arrogance and who have lost the ability to humbly accept fair criticism; they turn up their noses at accepting the truth. When you enjoin someone [like this] to decency, he says, “How can you say this to someone like me, when I am such and such?” Then he turns it around and attacks you,^{1Basyūnī’s edition has a blank in the phrase. The translation follows the text in MSS K117, fol. 25a and Y101, fol. 31b: thumma yukarru ʿalayka ʿāṭifan.} saying, “You have more need to be enjoined with decency and forbidden indecency^{2The reference is to Qurʾān 3:104, 3:110, and 3:114, where believers are urged to enjoin decency and forbid indecency.} because your condition is such and such. . .” If God had granted success to help him or mercy had reached him, he would have been granted the favor shown to those who have been guided to seeing their errors and observing their bad traits. And he would not have harbored enmity toward the one who gave him the advice, the traces of which remain in the heart for years.

God most high said, “So hell shall be enough for him,” meaning, [hell is] the state of his estrangement, the darknesses of the lower self, and the constriction of choice such that he does not hasten in anything except his [lower] desire. At every moment, over and over, he succumbs to [this] chastisement and trial. Then he is transported from this chastisement to the greater chastisement. God most high said, “And We shall surely make them taste the nearer chastisement before the greater chastisement” [32:21].^{3The full sentence in this Qurʾānic verse is: And We shall surely make them taste the nearer chastisement before the greater chastisement that perhaps they may return [32:21].}

But there are other men who sell themselves, desiring God’s pleasure; and God is gentle with His servants.

Those who have been touched by the special favors of mercy and raised up by the fate already preordained [for them] prefer the good pleasure of the Real over themselves and submit entirely to their protector (mawlā). God is gentle with His servants and because of His gentleness they attain these states—they do not deserve His gentleness because of these states.

O you who believe, come, all of you, into submission; and follow not the steps of Satan; he is a manifest foe to you.

[God] has charged the believer with making peace with everyone except his lower self, for it makes no move except to oppose [the believer’s] leader (sayyid).^{1That is, God. See al-Qushayrī’s commentary on 1:2 where he uses sayyid as a synonym for rabb.} Anyone who makes peace with himself becomes listless in his spiritual exertions (mujāhadāt). This is the reason a seeker falls short and an aspirant loses interest.

The steps of Satan are what are whispered to you about your inability to hold to the precepts of moral behavior and [your inability] to abandon unwise inclinations that are best ignored. But it is as God most high said, “If you fear for him, cast him into the waters” [28:7]. Look what He did with [Moses] when [Moses’s mother] cast him [into the water] and how He returned him to her after saving him!

But if you slip after the clear proofs have come to you, know then that God is Mighty, Wise.

A single slip after the disclosure of clear proofs is uglier by far than the many slips committed before this disclosure. Those who are known to be treacherous cannot be trusted. When the tribulation for the worst sins descends, they will be completely uprooted.

What do they wait for, that God shall come to them in the shadows of clouds, and the angels? The matter is determined, and to God all matters are returned.

The people thought that the Hour would be long in coming but the details tell them of the severity of the matter. [What are described] are acts (afʿāl) [of God] only in the sense of the terrible events (ahwāl) [of that Hour].^{1The translation follows the word “terrors” (ahwāl) found in MSS K117, fol. 25a and Y101, fol. 32a rather than the word “states” (aḥwāl) found in the Basyūnī edition. Al-Qushayrī’s intent here is to avoid a literal reading of the verse, as can be seen in the commentary that follows.} God سبحانه divulges them so as to remove their doubt concerning the grandeur of His affair and the implementation of His power in what He wills.

The matter is determined, and to God all matters are returned, that is, the veil of the unseen is removed, exposing the clarity of the [divine] preordination.

The hearts of those who declare His oneness are lit by the lights of insights and [therefore] they have no need to seek interpretation (taʾwīl) of this verse and those like it, since [they know] the Real سبحانه is far removed from any change in locality or fading, or specificity in place or time. He is sanctified from every movement and appearing [before human beings].

Ask the children of Israel how many a clear proof did We give them; whoever changes God’s grace after it has come to him, God is severe in retribution.

The benefit of questioning [the children of Israel] was to make them acknowledge the issue of proof. Questioning them was not for the purposes of resolving any doubt on the part of the Messenger ﷺ concerning what had been plainly established by proof.^{1The translation follows the text “what has been established by proof” (maḥajja) found in MSS K117, fol. 25a and Y101, fol. 32a rather than the word “love” (maḥabba) from the Basyūnī edition.}

Whoever changes God’s grace after it has come to him, God is severe in retribution in taking this grace away. At that moment they will recognize its worth and then they will mourn it since they will never attain it. The one who spoke for them said:

You will leave

and abandon me.

Then you will look for me

but you will not find me.^{2Muṣṭafā cites the verse but gives no sources for it (Muṣṭafā, no. 17, p. 48).}

Decked out fair to the disbelievers is the life of this world; and they deride the believers; but those who fear shall be above them on the Day of Resurrection; and God sustains whomever He will without reckoning.

They were deceived without realizing it. The increasing darkness of their vision caused them to slander and to deride the friends [of God] سبحانه. When people bear witness [on the Day of Resurrection]^{1The Basyūnī edition has a blank here, which has been completed with the phrase ʿinda shuhūd al-nās from MS Y101, fol. 32b.} and when the error of ignorance is dispelled from their hearts, they will know those who are in a state of loss and those who have gone far astray.

People were one community; then God sent forth the prophets as bearers of good tidings and warners; and He revealed with them the scripture with the truth that He might decide between people regarding their differences; and only those who had been given it differed about it after the clear proofs had come to them out of insolence, one to another; then God guided those who believed to the truth, regarding which they were at variance, by His leave; and God guides whomever He will to a straight path.

It means that they were united by what they did not know of the truth. Then when He sent the messengers, they were distinguished by what they were given or deprived of from the lights of insight. It is said that they were as they had been previously in the pre-eternal choosing, and [they only] became the Jewish people and the Christian people with the coming of the messengers. In the end, each one will be returned to what was preordained for him. Verily all mankind was gathered together in His سبحانه knowledge, and then separated by His decree (ḥukm). Some people He guided (hadāhum) and some He led astray (aghwāhum). Some people He veiled (ḥajabahum) and some He attracted (jadhabahum). Some people He bound to disappointment (khidhlān) and some He opened to beneficence (iḥsān). It is not a matter of acquisition for those who are accepted, nor is there a cause for the rejection of those rejected. Rather it is a decree (ḥukm) that has been completed and a [divine] determination (qaḍāʾ) that has been settled.

Or did you suppose that you should enter paradise without there having come upon you the like of those who passed away before you? They were afflicted by misery and hardship and were so convulsed that the Messenger and those who believed with him said, “When will God’s help come?” Ah, but surely God’s help is nigh.

God created paradise and surrounded it with difficulties (maṣāʿib). He created the fire and surrounded it with carnal desires and cravings (raghāʾib). Anyone who is too shy to ride the terrors (ahwāl) will be kept from realizing [his] hopes (āmāl). Verily the Real سبحانه tested the ancients through their endurance of all kinds of hardships. He causes anyone who follows [in the footsteps] of the friends to be included in their path and share in their adversities. Anyone who thinks otherwise thinks a mirage is water. A dream^{1The translation follows the word “dream” (ḥulm) from MSS K117, fol. 25b and Y101, fol. 32b rather than the word “decree” (ḥukm) found in the Basyūnī edition.} does not transpire the way one thinks it should. The way (sunna) of God سبحانه has come to pass with the friends such that they only came to rest in the courtyard of victory after commanding the open spaces of desperation. Although their anticipation is prolonged, kindness will come to them all of a sudden and what they strove for will be realized unexpectedly. God most high said, “Ah, but surely God’s help is nigh.”

They will ask you about what they should expend. Say, “Whatever you expend of good it is for parents and kinsmen, orphans, the needy, and the traveler; and whatever good you may do, God has knowledge of it.”

They know that the servant does not act alone in what he does, for surely the servant cannot do anything without the leave of his Protector. So expend in the manner elaborated [in this verse], for servanthood means standing wherever the command would have you stand.

It is said that they do not expend according to the suggestions of whim. Rather, they study the details of the affair and the suggestions of the law. The [word] “and” (wa) in this verse in His saying, “and kinsmen and orphans,” indicates a kind of sequence: first [spend on] your parents according to what is honorable, then your kinsmen, then those who follow in the stated sequence.

Prescribed for you is fighting, though it be hateful to you. Yet it may happen that you hate a thing which is good for you; and it may happen that you love a thing which is bad for you; God knows, and you know not.

The engagement with fighting is difficult for the lower selves. [God] explained that the comforts of the lower selves are deferred (muʾajjala) because they follow the ordinance of discipline (taʾdīb). It is the opposite for the comforts of the hearts, which are immediate (muʿajjala) since they follow the property of drawing near (taqrīb). Happiness lies in opposing (mukhālafa) the lower selves,^{1For more on this practice see the “Section on opposing the lower self and remembering its defects” (Mukhālafat al-nafs wa-dhikr ʿuyūbihi) in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla, 1:349–354.} for anyone who conforms (wāfaqa) to them has abandoned the exemplary path (al-maḥajjat al-muthlā).^{2The translation follows the word “path” (maḥajja) in MSS K117, fol. 25b and Y101, fol. 32b rather than the word “love” (maḥabba) in the Basyūnī edition.} Likewise happiness lies in conforming (muwāfaqa) to the hearts, for anyone who opposes (khālafa) them deviates from the highest way (al-sunnat al-ʿulā).

It is better to accept the good news of the Real’s guarantee of ease than the anxious thoughts of the lower selves that warn of impending difficulty and harm.

They ask you about the sacred month, and fighting in it. Say, “Fighting in it is a grave thing; but to bar from God’s way, and disbelief in Him, and the sacred mosque, and to expel its people from it—that is graver in God’s sight; and sedition is graver than slaying.”

Among the acts of disobedience, some are worse than others and more intractable. Bad manners at the door do not have the same consequences as they do on the [more intimate] carpet. When the error occurs through the lower self, the effect upon [the lower self] is through the deferrred punishment which is burning (iḥtirāq) [in the hereafter]. When the heart errs, the punishment is immediate, through separation (firāq). The effect of heedlessness on hearts is more serious than the harm caused to the lower selves by error, for surely the lower self is kept from good fortune (ḥaẓẓ), but the heart is kept from the Real (ḥaqq).

They will not cease to fight against you until they turn you from your religion if they are able; and whoever of you turns from his religion, and dies disbelieving—their works have failed in this world and the hereafter. Those are the inhabitants of the fire, abiding therein.

The allusion in this is to the people of heedlessness, when they seek to lure you away and want to turn you toward their heedlessness. They will only be content when you break the pact of your spiritual desire (irāda) by returning to your previous state. Anyone who breaks (fasakha) his pledge to God deforms (masakha) his heart.

Verily the believers, and those who emigrate, and struggle in God’s way—those have hope of God’s compassion; and God is Forgiving, Merciful.

Verily those who are sincere in their seeking and faithful to their pledge will not let [their] spiritual desire flag. These are the ones who live in the gentle wind of hope; they [hope] that they will reach the perfection of subsisting [in God] (baqāʾ) and the abode of meeting (liqāʾ).

They ask you about wine (khamr), and divinatory arrows. Say: “In both is great sin and profit for men; but the sin in them is greater than the usefulness.”

Khamr is whatever intoxicates the mind. Just as khamr is specifically prohibited, so also drunkenness (sukr) is prohibited by the words of the Prophet ﷺ, “Khamr itself is prohibited and drunkenness from any drink.”^{1ʿAbd al-Raḥmān cites Abū Ḥanīfa as a source for this ḥadīth.} From the point of view of the allusions [in the verse], anyone who is drunk from the drink of heedlessness deserves the same as the one who drinks khamr. Just as the one who is drunk is prohibited from praying, so the one who is possessed by the drunkenness of heedlessness is veiled from intimate communications (muwāṣalāt) and the clearest testimonial evidence of ecstatic finding (wujūd). Anyone who does not think this is true should test it.

The notion of gambling can be found in most of the transactions of the people of heedlessness when they follow the way of stratagem and deception, and lie in what they say. Wholehearted commitment to truthfulness and equitable dealings is rare and precious.

And they will ask you what they should expend. Say: “Comfortably” (al-ʿafw). So, God makes clear His signs to you that you might reflect,

on this world and the hereafter.

It is said that al-ʿafw is what is in excess of your needs. This is for the elect who take from the surplus of their wealth according to their capacities. As for the elect of the elect, their way is “preference” (īthār), which is to prefer others over themselves even if they are in need of what they give,^{1This passage recalls Qurʾān 59:9, which describes the Medinan Muslims who helped the Emigrants from Mecca: they prefer [others] to themselves, though they be in poverty.} and even though the One they prefer is unseen.

They will ask you about orphans. Say: “To set their affairs aright; and if you intermix with them, they are your brothers;

Setting their state aright in teaching them discipline and manners (taʾdīb) is more perfect than setting aright their wealth. Patience in bearing with them by giving counsel and abandoning one’s weariness^{2The translation follows the word “weariness” (malāl) from MSS K117, fol. 26a and Y101, fol. 33a rather than the word “wealth” (māl) in the Basyūnī edition.} in guiding them is better than being permissive to the point that it could be said that one did not uphold one’s obligation toward them.

God knows well him who works corruption from him who sets aright; and had He willed He would have harassed you. Surely God is Mighty, Wise.”

He deals with everyone according to the intentions (quṣūd) that dwell in a person’s heart, not according to the external things one acquires in various ways.

Do not marry idolatresses until they believe; a believing slave girl is better than an idolatress, though you may admire her. And do not marry idolaters, until they believe. A believing slave is better than an idolater, though you may admire him. Those call to the fire; and God calls to paradise and pardon by His leave; and He makes clear His signs to the people so that they might remember.

It is better to hold to the rope of religion and cling to the protection of Muslims than to be satisfied with someone [outside the faith] on a path that leads to disbelief. A concession in the law exists for this action, but the deeper suggestion is to refrain and waive the right to choose it. This concerns the women of the Book with whom it is permissible to have marital relations. As for polytheists, it is absolutely prohibited to have marital relations with them. It is obligatory to cut off relations with those in this category^{1The translation follows the word “obligatory” (wājib) from MSS K117, fol. 26a and Y101, fol. 33a rather than the word “aspects” (awjuh) from the Basyūnī edition.}—this is an irreversible decree.

They will ask you about the monthly period. Say: “It is an ailment; so part with women in the monthly period, and do not approach them until they are pure; when they have cleansed themselves, then come to them, as God has commanded you.”

Not everything which is a cause for embarrassment and aversion is something the servant freely chooses, for it might be among the imperfections which are not attributed to the servant but rather stem from a decree of the Real. Among these is what God has ordained for the daughters of Adam in [relation to] this condition. Moreover, they were commanded to withdraw from the prayer carpet during the times of this condition since the prayer carpet is a place of intimate conversation with one’s Lord. So setting a time in which the place of conversation is to be avoided is a decree from God, not [because of any] sin of theirs. In this is an allusion, for it is said that even if they cannot pray, which [requires] being present through the body, they are not prevented from perpetual remembrance (dhikr) in the heart and tongue. That [dhikr] is an address on the carpet of nearness. The Prophet ﷺ said, relating from God most high, “I sit among those who remember Me.”^{1ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives al-ʿAjlūnī, al-Zabīdī, and al-Suyūṭī as sources for this ḥadīth.}

Truly, God loves those who repent, and He loves those who cleanse themselves.

It is said that He loves those who repent from sins (dhunūb) and those who cleanse themselves from defects (ʿuyūb).

It is said that [it refers to] those who repent from error and those who cleanse themselves from imagining that their salvation is through repentance.

It is said that [it refers to] those who repent from doing forbidden things and those who cleanse themselves from familiar things and considerations [of anything but God].

It is said that [it refers to] those who repent by seeking the water of forgiveness and those who cleanse themselves by pouring the water of shame [upon themselves] through the [human] attribute of brokenness.

It is said that [it refers to] those who repent from error and those who cleanse themselves from heedlessness.

It is said that [it refers to] those who repent from witnessing the repentance and those who cleanse themselves from imagining that anything is by error rather than by the decree that originates from God most high.

Your women are a tillage for you; so come to your tillage as you wish; and offer for your souls; and fear God; and know that you shall meet Him; and give good tidings to the believers.

Because the bodily and lower selves are defined by absence from reality (ḥaqīqa), they find rest with their mates [and this] is allowable where it has been permitted. But when hearts are in the place of presence (maḥall al-ḥuḍūr), it is forbidden for them to be with created beings and anything other [than God].

And offer for your souls those righteous deeds that will benefit you on the day of your insolvency,^{1In other words, there is nothing to send forward to the hereafter but one’s good deeds.} and because of this He said, “and know that you shall meet Him.” So look to yourselves and offer what can be found that will ease your way before your Lord.

Do not make God a hindrance in your oaths to be pious and God‑fearing; and to put things right between people; surely God is All-Hearing, Knower.

Keep the mention of your Lord free of the banality of any worldly concerns.

It is said, “Do not make the mention of God into a net to catch the debris of this world.”

God will not take you to task for a slip in your oaths; but He will take you to task for what your hearts have earned; and God is Forgiving, Forbearing.

What the tongue says inadvertently does not have much importance, either for good or bad, but what is hidden in the recesses of the heart (ḍamāʾir) and contained in its inner secrets (sarāʾir) in [terms of] genuine intentions and strong resolutions—that will be taken into account. If it is good, there will be a beautiful recompense (jazāʾun jamīl) and if it is bad, there will be prolonged distress (ʿanāʾun ṭawīl).

For those who forswear their women, a wait of four months; if they revert, God is Forgiving, Merciful.

Though the right of companionship with one’s mate is upheld for you—unless you relinquish it—you are nonetheless held to His rule, for the right of the Real has even more right (ḥaqqu al-ḥaqqi aḥaqqu) to be observed.

If they revert, that is, they turn back to revive what they have let die and rectify what they have squandered, God is Forgiving, Forbearing. Because the wife has a lesser voice because she is captive (asīr) in the hands of her spouse, God سبحانه takes charge of the affair and preserves her right and commands the husband to return to her or release her.

But if they resolve upon divorce; surely God is Hearing, Knowing.

If he no longer wants the right of companionship and has confirmed his resolve to separate from her, surely God is Hearing, Knowing,^{1The repetition of the phrase surely God is Hearing, Knowing has been added on the basis of MSS K117, fol. 26b and Y101, fol. 33b. It does not appear in the Basyūnī edition.} aware of his state and his secret. If any remorse comes to him, he should not cover it up by denying^{2The translation follows the word “denying” (inkār) found in MSS K117, fol. 26b and Y101, fol. 33b rather than the word arkān found in the Basyūnī edition.} the divorce, for God سبحانه knows that he has divorced her.

When separation is difficult, [God] provides solace for the woman, saying [He is] Hearing, that is, “We hear the one who is desolated by [the words of her husband] and this is a comfort for her from the Real سبحانه.”

Divorced women shall wait by themselves for three periods.

He commanded divorced women to wait, out of respect for spousal relations. This means, “If the relationship has been cut off between the two of you, observe the condition of fulfilling [the waiting period] for the sake of what occurred in the past in the relationship. Do not put others quickly in place of [the former spouse].^{1Although the three-month waiting period is commanded for women alone, al-Qushayrī uses the masculine plural in this and the following sentence, and the masculine singular in the last sentence.} Be patient until the allotted period has passed.” Do you not see that the bride whose marriage was not consummated is not commanded to undergo a waiting period, since there were no spousal relations between the two of them?

And it is not lawful for them to hide what God has created in their wombs if they believe in God and the Last Day.

This means that, even if the tie between the two of you has been severed, do not sever what God has established in the parental relationship.

Their mates have a better right to restore them

This means that the one with the prior relationship [the husband who initiated the divorce] has a better right to restore the breach in the marriage [before the wife’s marrying again].

in such time if they desire to set things right;

This means that the [husband’s] intention to return should be to set things right in the estrangement that has occurred, not to prolong the waiting period for her if he has decided to divorce her after he has taken her back.

women shall have rights similar to those due from them, with justice;

This means if he has a right over her for what he has expended in wealth, she has a right in the situation for [her] past service.

but their men have a degree above them; God is Mighty, Wise.

[The man has the degree] in merit (faḍīla), but she has an advantage (mazīya) in weakness and human vulnerability.

Divorce is twice;

[God] calls for the divorce formula to be separate, so that you will not rush to complete the separation. Regarding its meaning it is said;

If I discover that

you have resolved on slaying me

then leave me.

Little by little, I am becoming weaker.^{1The poem is addressed to a woman. Muṣṭafā was unable to trace this verse (Muṣṭafā, no. 5, p. 92).}

then honorable retention; or setting free kindly.

That is, [there should] either be a gracious relationship or a gracious separation. A bad marital life and the loss of pleasantries because of blameworthy character traits are not acceptable on the path (ṭarīqa), nor are they considered praiseworthy in the law (sharīʿa).

It is not lawful for you to take of what you have given them

For surely the report is, “Anyone who asks for his gift back is like someone asking for his own vomit,”^{2ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives a large number of sources for this ḥadīth, including al-Bukhārī, Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasāʾī, and Ibn Māja.} and to return what you have ruined is contemptible.

unless the couple fear that they may not maintain God’s bounds. If you fear they may not maintain God’s bounds, neither of them would be at fault if she were to ransom herself.

This means that if the woman wants to free herself from her husband, she is not at fault for giving wealth [in exchange], for truly the self is worth everything to its owner.^{3Al-Qushayrī is saying that a woman’s freedom might be worth more to her than her dowry.} If the man, when he loses the companionship of the woman, could receive something from her, then at least he would receive some wealth for the loss of comfort in the situation.

Those are God’s bounds; do not transgress them. Whoever transgresses God’s bounds—those are the evildoers.

These are the good manners (ādāb) that God has taught you and made as a way (sunna) for you, so be mindful of his bounds (ḥudūd) and persist in recognizing His just claims (ḥuqūq).

If he divorces her, she shall not be lawful to him after that, until she marries another husband. If he divorces her, then neither of them would be at fault [if they] return to each other,

A man finds it unbearable for his wife to marry another, so [God] prevents him from choosing separation with the intention of keeping her from remarrying. He explains that once he has separated from her she will not be lawful for him until she does what he would find unbearable, and that is a second marriage. So [this will make him] cautious, as much as he is able, in [initiating] divorce. Then He said, “If he divorces her,” meaning the spouse, “then neither of them would be at fault [if they] return to each other,” meaning if she remarries the first husband.

Here the allusion is that love’s hold on the heart makes what would otherwise be hard to endure easy, for if after separating the spouses regret their lost union, and then feel the greatest remorse, there is no fault in their returning to each other. But the woman in this circumstance is protected^{1Basyūnī has a blank in his text here, saying that the word in the manuscript he was working from was al-mayshūr, which also looks to be the word in Y101, fol. 34a. Basyūnī suggests the correct word might be mabtūr. The translation follows the text in MS K117, fol. 26b, which could be read as mastūr.} from her husband by the threat of another husband, for the husband would himself be making that possible [if he were to divorce her three times].

if they think that they will maintain God’s bounds. Those are God’s bounds, which He makes clear to a people who have knowledge.

This means that after they know how much they need each other as companions, they will not separate again. The one who spoke for them said:

I swore that if I were to meet you

one more time,

I would never separate

from you a second time.^{2This verse was not located in Muṣṭafā.}

When you divorce women, and they have reached their term, then retain them honorably, or set them free honorably; do not retain them in order to hurt [them]; whoever does that has wronged his soul; take not God’s verses in mockery, and remember God’s grace upon you, and the Book, and the wisdom He has revealed to you, to exhort you therewith; and fear God, and know that God has knowledge of all things.

The verse contains the command to goodly marital relations, which means abandoning anger and stubborn bickering with the wife. So either release [her] without being rough (min ghayri jafāʾ) or practice true companionship as it should be carried out (ʿalā sharṭi al-wafāʾ).

When you divorce women, and they have reached their term, do not debar them from marrying their [former] husbands when they have agreed together honorably. That is an admonition for whoever of you believe in God and the Last Day; that is purer for you, and cleaner. God knows, and you know not.

The verse contains a prohibition for guardians against hurting [the women under their protection], abandoning the fierceness of the time of ignorance (jāhiliyya), and yielding to the decree of God to allow [divorced] women to marry if they wish it, without indignation or rage.^{1This verse is said to have been revealed concerning a man who angrily refused to allow his sister to remarry the man who had divorced her. The incident is mentioned in many Qurʾān commentaries, including Tafsīr al-Jalālayn (trans. Hamza).} Rather, [the message is] “since you were sufficiently pleased to betroth her to a mate, it is prohibited to [then] oppress her.” Letting go of the [baser] human instincts by subjugating the lower self is a more difficult struggle [than the fierce ways of the time of ignorance] and a more sincere way of behaving for the sake of God.

Mothers suckle their children for two full years for such as desire to fulfill the suckling.

The ultimate metaphor for mercy is the mercy of mothers. God سبحانه commanded mothers to fulfill mercy by suckling their children for two complete years. Cutting off the suckling before two years [for those who so desire] is an allusion to the fact that the mercy of God toward his servant is more perfect than the mercy of mothers.

It is for the father to provide them and clothe them honorably.

This means that the father must provide for nursing women and clothe them honorably. When they are performing an act for you, their right is your obligation. Surely the [child] who is entirely yours is entirely your responsibility.

No soul is charged save to its capacity;

The holding back of one with ability is miserliness—to stop in a moment of weakness is a [poor] excuse.

a mother shall not be harmed by her child

in the suckling and what is necessary for it

neither a father by his child. The heir has a similar duty.

This means that the father [shall not be harmed] by his child, that is, with regard to the support and tenderness that are obligatory for [the child]. Just as the right of the child is incumbent on the parents, the right of the parents is incumbent on the child.

But if the two desire by mutual consent and consultation to wean [the child], then they would not be at fault. And if you desire to seek [others to] nurse your children, you would not be at fault, provided you hand over what you have given honorably, and fear God, and know that God sees what you do.

This refers to weaning before two years—if it is done with the right intention, there is no fault. The verse includes [that which] smooths the path of companionship and teaches the best moral qualities in the precepts of marital life. Surely those who are not merciful will not themselves be treated with mercy (wa-inna man lā yarḥamu lā yurḥamu). The Prophet ﷺ said to someone who mentioned that his children did not kiss him, “Surely God does not take away mercy except from a miserable heart.”^{1ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives Abū Dāwūd, al-Tirmidhī, and Ibn Ḥanbal as sources for this ḥadīth.}

And those of you who pass away, leaving wives, they shall wait by themselves for four months and ten. When they have reached their term, then you would not be at fault regarding what they may do with themselves, honorably; God is aware of what you do.

Because the right of the dead is more important, since his separation is not by choice, the period [for the widow] to complete used to be longer. In the beginning of Islam, the waiting period after death was one year. However, it reverted to four months and ten days, [the time necessary] to verify that no sperm of the husband is present in the womb. When the waiting period comes to an end, [the widow] is permitted to marry another man. No one’s fidelity lasts to the end of life, as it is said:

Just as faces

decay in the ground

so does the grief

of [women].^{1Muṣṭafā attributes this verse to Abū l-ʿAtāhiya (Muṣṭafā, no. 12, p. 113).}

You would not be at fault regarding the proposal you present or hide in your hearts to women. God knows that you will be mindful of them; but do not make arrangements with them secretly, unless you speak honorable words.

This permits seeking affection and laying the foundation for [marital] union. It forbids doing prohibited sinful acts or preparing for such acts.

And do not resolve on the knot of marriage until that which is written has reached its term; and know that God knows what is in your souls; so be fearful of Him; and know that God is Forgiving, Forbearing.

That is, the waiting period for the first [marriage] is required to avoid any disrespect for the deceased.

You would not be at fault if you divorce women whom you have not touched, nor appointed any obligation for them; yet make provision of comforts for them honorably, the one of ample means, according to his means, and the needy man, according to his means—an obligation on the virtuous.

If you have initiated^{1The translation follows the phrase “to initiate union” (ibtadaʾtum bi-l-wuṣla) found in MSS K117, fol. 27a and Y101, fol. 34b rather than the phrase ibtilāʾan tamma bi-l-waṣīla found in the Basyūnī edition.} the union with your mates, but then change your mind [before the consummation], there is no fault on you if you choose separation, for there is only One from whom it is not permissible to choose to separate. The companionship of human beings with one another is not obligatory but rather is described at most as permissible. But^{2The word “but” (lākin) is added on the basis of MSS K117, fol. 27a and Y101, fol. 34b.} because your name and reputation are now part of theirs, half of the determined amount [of the dowry] must belong to them, since separation—however it comes about—is difficult. So [God] has established the required compensation for [the woman] who is made to drink from the cup of separation. If there was no determined amount, the contract still requires the gift (mutaʿ), because her being made to drink from the cup of separation without [some compensatory] comfort is a terrible thing for her to suffer.

And if you divorce them before you have touched them, but you have already settled a dower on them, then one half of what you have appointed, unless it be that they make remission, or he makes remission, the one in whose hand is the knot of marriage; yet that you should remit is nearer to piety.

Then [God] mentions that remission is more perfect and more commendable, either on the part of the woman in the half due to her or from the husband in the half returned to him.

Forget not kindness between you; surely God sees what you do.

It is said that whoever lacks kindness (faḍl)^{1The translation follows the phrase akhalla bi-l-faḍl in MSS K117, fol. 27b and Y101, fol. 34b rather than the phrase akhadha bi-l-faḍl in the Basyūnī edition. The word faḍl, translated here as “kindness,” means to act in a liberal and gracious way with others. God is described as “bounteous” (dhū faḍl) to people in Qurʾān 2:243.} and is content with the obligatory will soon neglect the obligatory [as well].

It is said that to forget kindness is to become ever more niggardly. Part of the way of noble people (sunnat al-kirām) is that, even when there are no obvious occasions for acting with nobility, they nonetheless sharpen the eyes of generosity and look for more subtle opportunities to act with kindness—and they are given many such opportunities.

Maintain (ḥāfiẓū) the prayers and the middle prayer, and stand submissive to God.

Maintaining (muḥāfaẓa)^{1The verb ḥāfiẓa and its verbal noun muḥāfaẓa also convey the sense of being mindful of something.} the prayers means coming to them with awe and leaving with reverence, and seeking a state of perpetual witnessing in the proper manner. The middle prayer is mentioned without being clearly defined so that you will observe each of them, thinking it is the one [mentioned] and will not neglect any [of them].

And if you are in fear, then standing, or mounted. But when you are secure, then remember God, as He taught you what you knew not.

That is, “Do not abandon intimate conversations with Me at their [designated] times in the way I have made possible for you, for truly I am the One who gives power over you to the enemies you fear. But when you withdraw in your hearts through Me their hands will be unable to reach you, since I have appointed victory for you over them. Then when the fear is gone from you and you are secure, return to what you have established [in prayers], and exert your utmost in the times of your devotion in My presence, in private or in public.”

And those of you who die, leaving wives, make testament for their wives, provision for a year; but if they go forth, you would not be at fault regarding what they may do with themselves honorably; God is Mighty, Wise.

The waiting period after the death of the husband in the beginning of Islam was an uninterrupted year, according to the words and actions of the Arabs. With respect to that, the one who spoke for them said:

Until the end of the year

then “peace be upon both of you.”

Whoever weeps for an entire year

has absolved themselves of any guilt.^{1Muṣṭafā traces this verse to Labīd b. Rabīʿa (d. 40/660–661) as recorded in several texts (Muṣṭafā, no. 18, p. 62). The translation follows the version of the poem given by Muṣṭafā which corresponds to MSS K117, fol. 27b and Y101, fol. 35a.}

Then this was abrogated [and made] four months and ten days, since the mourning period inevitably ends. The one who spoke for them said:

He said, “If you die,

I cannot live.”

I said, “You are being hypocritical

so be silent.

What living thing

do you see,

that dies from love

for something which is dead?”^{2Muṣṭafā states that he could not locate this verse in any other source (Muṣṭafā, no. 2, p. 37).}

There shall be provision for divorced women, honorably—an obligation on those who fear.

The allusion is that you [men ]should not combine separation with deprivation, thereby doubling the difficulty for them [women].

So, God makes clear His signs for you, so that you might understand.

“[These are] guideposts (dalāʾil), so learn refined behavior through what has been pointed out to you—you will prosper by that which you come to understand from the allusions (ishārāt) of My decree.”

Have you not seen those thousands who went forth from their habitations fearful of death? God said to them, “Die!” Then He gave them life. Truly God is bounteous [dhū faḍl] to people, but most people are not thankful.

When [the children of Israel] deemed God’s power to restore [them] unlikely, He showed [His power] to them directly in their own selves.^{1Among the stories narrated by commentators in explanation of this verse, one tells of a group from among the children of Israel who fled a region afflicted by the plague. God said to them “Die!” and they did. But their Prophet Ezekiel (Ḥizqīl) prayed for them and God brought them back to life (Tafsir al-Jalālayn, trans. Hamza). See also Ayoub, The Qur’an and Its Interpreters, 1:232–236.} The outward disclosure of that, however, did not benefit those who had not sharpened their insight regarding divine unity (tawḥīd). Anyone whose insight has been strengthened will not be harmed by a lack of these direct forms of evidence, for they have already realized through their faith in the unseen the truth of what they have been told.

So fight in God’s way, and know that God is Hearing, Knowing.

This means, “If pain touches you and a cry rises up from you, know that God hears your cry, knows your states, and sees your affairs.” The verse brings about an easing of the pain they endure. They said:

While most people want

ease and comfort,

I wish to complain to you

for then you will hear.^{1Muṣṭafā traces the first part of the verse to Majnūn in his Dīwān and quotes the entire verse there as “While most men want ease and comfort / I want to meet you at night alone.” He traces the second part of the verse to al-ʿAbbās b. al-Aḥnaf in his Dīwān and quotes the entire line as “Men want what they love / I only want to complain to you and then you will hear” (Muṣṭafā, no. 4, p. 77).}

Who is he that will lend God a loan that is good, and He will multiply it for him manifold?

The loan is called qarḍ because one “cuts off” (yaqṭaʿu) ^{1Qaraḍa and qaṭaʿa are synonyms.} something from one’s wealth in order to give it to a borrower. When the almsgiver “cuts” alms (ṣadaqa) from his wealth, his gift is called a qarḍ. The qarḍ, then, is the amount cut off. But here the term is being used in a way that preserves the hearts of the lovers inasmuch as [God] uses it to speak directly to you on the subject of almsgiving.

It is said that the verse suggests the importance of the wealthy, since He questioned them about the loan, but the rank of the poor is even more important in this [verse] because He asked about the loan on their behalf. [God] might ask for the loan from anyone but He did not ask it for the sake of just anyone. In the tradition: “The Messenger of God ﷺ died while his coat of mail had been pawned with Abū Shaḥma the Jew for barley, which he had taken to feed his family.”^{2ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives al-Bukhārī, al-Tirmidhī, and Ibn Māja, among other sources for this ḥadīth.} Look from whom he borrowed and for the sake of whom he borrowed!

It is said that the good loan is one for which you do not look for a reward and do not seek recompense.

It is said that the good loan is not given in a heedless way, but rather from witnessing [what is needed].

It is said that the good loan, according to religious scholars, is given only when one has the means. [But] according to the most respected (al-akābir), [the good loan] is the condition of preferring others [to one’s self] in giving without any hesitation.

It is said that the good loan, according to the religious scholars, is 2.5 percent.^{3The obligatory alms (zakāt) amount.} According to the folk,^{4That is, the Sufis.} it is giving everything generously, including one’s spirit.

God straitens (yaqbiḍ) and enlarges (yabsuṭ); and to Him you shall be returned.

[God] takes hold (yaqbiḍ)^{5The verb and noun forms from the roots qabaḍa and basaṭa have nuances in meaning that are reflected in the different English words used for the translation of al-Qushayrī’s commentary for this Qurʾānic verse.} of the alms from the rich with the grasp (qabḍ) of His acceptance, and opens (yabsuṭ) for them the largesse (basṭ) of His compensation.

It is said that He straitens (yaqbiḍ) the provision, that is, “He restricts” (yuḍayyiqu); and He enlarges the provision, that is, “He expands” (yuwassiʿu). He straitens the [circumstances of the] poor in order to test them in patience and enlarges [the circumstances of] the rich so as to lay claim to their gratitude.

It is said that He consoles the poor in His grasp so that they will not look to any others,^{6The translation follows the word “others” (aghyār) from MSS K117, fol. 28a and Y101, fol. 35b rather than the word “rich” (aghnāʾ) found in the Basyūnī edition.} and then opens [His grasp] so that they will not have to become accustomed to the favor of the rich.

It is said that He said to the rich, “When I have straitened the provision for the poor, do not abandon them, and when I enlarge it for you, do not view that as due to your own merit.”

It is said that He constricts (qabaḍa) hearts by turning away and expands (basaṭa) them by drawing near.

It is said that the constriction (qabḍ) is because of the fear that comes over hearts and the expansion (basṭ) is because of the hope that comes over them.

It is said that constriction [takes place] because of His vanquishing (qahr) and expansion [takes place] because of His beneficence (birr).

It is said that constriction [takes place] because of His secret (sirr) and expansion [takes place] because of His unveiling (kashf).

It is said that the constriction is for those who seek (murīdūn) and the expansion is for those who are sought (murādūn).^{7For a discussion of the difference between those who seek and those who are sought, see the “Section on spiritual desire” (Bāb al-irāda) in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla, 2:433–439, especially the last two pages.}

It is said that the constriction is for those who vie with one another [in good works]^{8Basyūnī notes that the word mutasābiqūn echoes the word sābiqūn as found in Qurʾān 23:61, 57:21, and others.} and the expansion is for those with deeper knowledge (ʿārifūn).

It is said that He seizes you (yaqbiḍ) from yourself and then expands (yabsuṭ) you through Himself.

It is said that the constriction is His right (ḥaqq) and the expansion is your fortune (ḥaẓẓ).

It is said that the constriction is for the one who assumes guardianship (tawallā)^{9The word tawallā means to assume responsibility for others. According to al-Qushayrī, it is used in an active and passive way to describe the relationship of human beings and the divine. Friendship (walāya) with God means that God is one’s guardian (walī) but also that one guards the right of God. God protects the friend and the friend protects the right of God. See the “Section on friendship” (Bāb al-walāya) in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla, 2:519–525, especially the first two pages.} from the Real and the expansion is for the one to whom the Real discloses (tajallā) Himself.

It is said that He constricts (yaqbiḍ) you when He calls you to witness your actions and He expands (yabsuṭ) you when He calls you to witness His grace.

It is said that He constricts [you] by the mention of chastisement (ʿadhāb) and expands [you] by the mention of approval (ījāb).

Have you not seen the council of the children of Israel after Moses, when they said to a prophet of theirs, “Send for us a king, and we will fight in God’s way.” He said, “Might it be that if fighting is prescribed for you, you will not fight?” They said, “Why should we not fight in God’s way, when we have been expelled from our habitations and our children?” Yet when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned their backs, except a few of them; and God has knowledge of the evildoers.

They approached the matter as one of free choice (ikhtiyār), demanding that their prophet ask permission for them to fight. When they were granted that for which they were themselves responsible, they stopped short out of laziness (takāsul) and changed their course toward the homelands of desertion (takhādhul)^{1The translation follows the word takhādhul found in the MSS K117, fol. 28a and Y101, fol. 35a rather than the word “to quarrel” (tajādul) in the Basyūnī edition.} and indifference (taghāful). It is said that outwardly they spoke with toughness and seriousness about fighting to defend their possessions and their dwellings, when they said, “Why should we not fight in God’s way, when we have been expelled from our habitations and our children?” But they did not achieve their objective because their resolve was not purely for the right of God. If they had said, “Why should we not fight in the way of God, for He has commanded us, and made [this] an obligation on us? He is our Chief and Protector, and His command is binding on us,” then perhaps they would have fully achieved what they had set out to do.

Then their prophet said to them, “Verily God has raised up Saul for you as king.” They said, “How can he be king over us when we have better right than he to kingship, seeing he has not been given amplitude of wealth?” He said, “God has chosen him over you and has increased him broadly in knowledge and body (jism). God gives the kingship to whom He will; and God is Embracing, Knowing.

They forgot [God’s] right of free choice (ikhtiyār), and viewed the situation instead with the eye of the external world. They deemed it unlikely that Saul could be a king because he was poor and without property. [God] explained to them that merit is by the choice of the Real and that if [Saul] lacked wealth, “God has increased him in knowledge and has favored him over you by his knowledge and body (jism).” It is said that He meant that [Saul] was praiseworthy in the qualities of the self (nafs), not large in [his] physical frame (binya), for as it is said in the adage, “So and so is a name without a body (fulān ism bi-lā jism),” that is, a man without substance.

And their prophet said to them, “The sign of his kingship is that there will come to you the ark. Therein is a spirit of peace from your Lord, and a remnant of what the folk of Moses and the folk of Aaron left behind, the angels bearing it. Surely in that shall be a sign for you if you are believers.”

Verily when God سبحانه makes a light appear, He increases [that light] with the aid He provides directly from Himself. When Saul was made king over them, the doubt about his qualification was eliminated by the appearance of [God’s] signs that proved the veracity of the words of their prophet^{1The tafsīr literature gives several names for the possible identity of the prophet mentioned here, including Samuel, Simon, and Joshua (Ayoub, citing al-Ṭabarī in The Qur’an and Its Interpreters, 1:237).} [declaring God’s choice of Saul]. He returned the ark which contained the spirit of peace (sakīna) to them. Thus the sign of his kingship became clear to them with the fact that their prophet عليه السلام had spoken truly to them in what he told them.

It is said that God most high placed the spirit of peace (sakīna) of the children of Israel in the ark that contained the shards^{2The translation follows the phrase fīhi raṣrāṣu al-alwāḥ found in MSS K117, fol. 28a and Y101, fol. 35b rather than the phrase raḍū ʿan al-alwāḥ found in the Basyūnī edition.} of the tablets and the rod of Moses عليه السلام, and [other] relics of their prophets. He placed the spirit of peace of [Muḥammad’s] community in their hearts: He it is who sent down the spirit of peace into the hearts of the believers [48:4]. Moreover, the ark circulated in the hands of enemies and others. One time it was buried, another time it was seized and carried away, another time it was returned, and another time [and so on. . . ]. But as for the hearts of the believers—[God] comes between the possessors [of these hearts] and [the spirit of peace].^{3Here al-Qushayrī indirectly references part of Qurʾān 8:24: and know that God comes in between a man and his heart.} He did not entrust it to a king or a prophet, or to the heavens or air, or to a place or person. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The heart of the believer is between the two fingers of the Merciful,”^{4ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives Ibn ʿAdī, al-Bayhaqī, and al-Ṭabarī among other sources for this ḥadīth. Slightly different versions can be found in Muslim, al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Majā, and Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal.} meaning in the grasp of the Real سبحانه, and under His domination (taghlīb) and disposal (taṣrīf). This means it is the divine power of deliberation (qudra). What a difference between a community whose spirit of peace is in what enemies can control and a community whose spirit of peace is in that over which no created being has any control!

And when Saul went forth with the hosts, he said, “God will try you with a river; whoever drinks of it, is not of me, and whoever tastes it not, he is of me, except for him who scoops up with his hand.

The allusion in this verse is that God سبحانه tests human beings in their association with others, with this world, and with the lower self. There are some whose association with these things is limited to that which is required for [them to earn a] basic livelihood and what is necessary for their salvation and security. There are others who go beyond the limit of what is required, and extend their association with things of the world, self, and creation for the sake of carnal desire^{1The translation follows the word “carnal desire” (shahwa) from MSS K117, fol. 28b and Y101, fol. 36a rather than the word “witness” (shahāda) found in the Basyūnī edition.} and their own preference. There is nothing from God in that which involves doing a prohibited thing. There is nothing from this path (ṭarīqa) in that which involves holding on to more than what is needed.

But they drank of it, except a few of them;

Likewise the elect in every moment are few in their number but sublime in their worth.

and when he crossed it, with those who believed, they said, “We have no power today against Goliath and his troops.”

They viewed the situation with the eye of the external world and were overcome with mortal fright. God fortified their hearts, telling them that the Real سبحانه helps His friends, if He wills it.

Those who thought they would meet God, said, “How often a small company has overcome a numerous one, by God’s leave; and God is with the patient.”

[The victory is] not by them, but by the permission of God through what He has willed, and through His aid and His help. God is with the patient through help, support, and strength.

So, when they went forth against Goliath and his troops, they said, “Our Lord, pour out upon us patience, and make firm our feet, and grant us victory over the disbelieving folk!”

So, when they went forth against Goliath and his troops, [the hosts of Saul] exonerated themselves of all power and strength and turned to God, seeking His succor, asking for His aid, and trusting in His help. They said, “Our Lord, pour out upon us patience, and make firm our feet. First, they sought firmness and patience for the sake of the sufferings they had previously endured, and then they said, “and grant us victory over the disbelieving folk!”^{1The first part of this paragraph has been added on the basis of MSS K117, fol. 28b and Y101, fol. 36a. The Basyūnī edition begins with “The most important of their concerns....”} The most important of their concerns was patience and standing up to the enemy, and only after that [were they concerned for] help for themselves. Patience [in enduring sufferings] is the right of the Real (ḥaqq al-ḥaqq) while help is their portion. They stepped forward to assert His right سبحانه and to succeed for His sake,^{2The translation follows the phrase “for His sake” (lahu) found in MSS K117, fol. 28b and Y101, fol. 36a rather than the phrase “for their sake” (lahum) found in the Basyūnī edition.} and then to find their worldly portion from [His] help. Moreover [the hosts of Saul] indicated that they were seeking help against [the enemy], not out of revenge for what had been taken from them, but because they [the enemy] were disbelievers, enemies of God. The [hosts of Saul] stood in every way for God through God. Because of that they were helped and found victory.

And they routed them, by the leave of God, and David slew Goliath; and God gave him the kingship and wisdom, and He taught him such as He willed.

God frightened the enemies with Saul, whom He had given such a large body. But at the time of the fighting He brought the victory about through the hands of David. As the story goes, [David] was of middling stature, not large in body, a compact person. He had no weapon with him but a slingshot; the victory was his because the help of God سبحانه was with him.

And they routed them, by the leave of God, so that nothing, not even a trace remained of them. David killed Goliath. Because of Goliath’s bulk and size, David’s victory over him was unimaginable, but as the one who spoke for them said:

He met me

with his sword drawn

and said to me,

One of us is gone.^{1Basyūnī has the word maʿdhūl but says maybe it is makhdhūl. The word in MSS K117, fol. 28b and Y101, fol. 36a is clearly maʿzūl. The verse was not found in Muṣṭafā.}

Had God not repelled people some by means of others, the earth would have surely been corrupted; but God is bounteous to all worlds.

If mankind were to make common cause and agree with one another altogether, the weak would be destroyed by the victory of the strong. But He keeps some occupied by others so as to deflect their evil from other people.

These are the verses of God We recite to you in truth, and assuredly you are one of the Messengers [of God].

“You did not have knowledge [O Muḥammad], regarding these long ago beings from the past, nor was this something you devised. Rather, you came to know of them through information given by God سبحانه.”

Those messengers some We have preferred above others; there are some to whom God spoke, and some He raised in rank. And We gave Jesus son of Mary the clear proofs, and confirmed him with the Holy Spirit.

In the message they were united but they differed in the specific details. Each one has lights and their lights have places where they are cast. Among them is one who is the most sublime in terms of light and most perfect in rank and intensity. Their virtues are not entitlements based on their actions and states, but rather are a goodly decree that came to them (ḥukmun bi-l-ḥusnā adrakahum) and a beautiful succession that reached them in turns (wa-ʿāqibatun bi-l-jamīli tadārakathum).

And had God willed, those who came after them would not have fought against one another after the clear proofs had come to them; but they fell into variance, and some of them believed, and some disbelieved, and had God willed they would not have fought against one another, but God does whatever He desires.

They are made to turn about by the eternal will and have been stripped of free choice; [instead there is the divine choice] around which everything circles (madār) and by which is the crossing over (iʿtibār).^{1In his commentary on verse 2:26, al-Qushayrī uses the term “crossing over” or “taking heed” (iʿtibār) to describe the interpretation of similitudes. Here he uses it as he does in his commentary on Qurʾān 3:121, where the participation of Muḥammad in a battle is used to describe the “crossing over” between what God makes manifest in the world and the “hidden things” of God’s “secret.”} Servanthood is the tightening of the belt of service (khidma) and the witnessing of prior fate (qisma).

O you who believe, expend of what We have provided you with before there comes a day in which there shall be neither commerce, nor friendship, nor intercession. And the disbelievers—they are the evildoers.

This means [one should] take advantage of the help [one is] granted—the ability to act virtuously—before [one’s] strength flags and one’s allotted time^{1The translation follows the word amad from MSS K117, fol. 28b and Y101, fol. 36b rather than the word “hope” (amal) found in the Basyūnī edition.} passes.

God, there is no god, except Him, the Living, the Eternal Sustainer.

Allāh is a name (ism) which only the Real سبحانه possesses, and no one can be His namesake (samī)—God most high said, “Do you know [of] anyone who could be His namesake?” [19:65], that is, “Do you know anyone other than Him that could be called Allāh?” Anyone who regards this as a derived term is like someone lost in his own contradictions. This is a term that denotes worthiness of the attributes of majesty, not derivation from [other] words. There are no parallels for what has no parallel in words.

His words, there is no god, except Him, is a statement that negates anything equivalent or similar to that of which He is worthy in [terms of] sanctity (taqdīs) and incomparability (tanzīh). Anyone who realizes the truth of this statement will not see so much as a speck to affirm in anything other than Him or from anything other than Him,^{1In other words, they will see that nothing is real except the Real, and that everything originates from and returns to Him.} so he will not bring up his need before any other, nor bear witness to a speck of anything other than Him. His concentration on Him will be steady and his singular devotion to finding Him will be perpetual. So he does not hear except from God and through God, and he does not witness anything except through God, and he does not approach anything but God, and he does not occupy himself with anything except through God. He is effaced from what is other than God and therefore he has no complaints or requests. Not a drop of blood flows in him for anything other than [God]. When the Real gives to a servant in full measure, there is absolutely no room left in him for any worldly concerns. Surely, then, the truth of this statement [there is no god, except Him] must be acknowledged and all other ways of describing things [must] cease. The truth to be realized is that no creature has access to the existence of the Real سبحانه; [there is] no union or parting, no nearness or distance, for truly those are all accidents which are not worthy of the timeless eternal. The Living (ḥayy), the Eternal Sustainer (qayyūm): The One who takes charge (mutawallī) of the affairs of His servants, the One who concerns Himself with every movement and stillness,^{2The word “stillness” (sukūn) is added on the basis of MSS K117, fol. 29a and Y101, fol. 36b.} the One who sets in motion^{3Basyūnī is unsure of the word in his edition, but the word in MSS K117, fol. 29a and Y101, fol. 36b is clearly mujrī.} every entity (ʿayn) and effect (athar).

Slumber does not seize Him, neither sleep;

Because He is One who does not succumb to heedlessness (ghafla). He is self-sufficient and sought by all, untouched by any defect (ʿilla). He is all-mighty, far from anything small (qilla). He is all-compelling, without being isolated (ʿuzla). He is unique without a body (juththa). He is singular without aspect (jiha). He is eternal, untouched by any accident (āfa). He is tremendous without distance (masāfa).

His majesty is sanctified from His beauty and His majesty is His beauty. His brilliance is His splendor and His splendor is His brilliance. His eternity without beginning (azal) is His eternity without end (abad). His eternity without end is His eternity without beginning or end (sarmad). His eternity without beginning or end is His timeless eternity (qidam), and His timeless eternity is His existence (wujūd).

to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth;

By way of possession, origination, creation and invention.

who is there, that shall intercede with Him save by His leave?

Who is there who can take a breath without His bringing it about? Or [who] can seek access to Him without His leave and initiation? Whoever thinks that he can seek access to Him by any entitlement, action, obsequiousness, hope, nearness, relation, reason or cause—conjecturing is his homeland and ignorance his abode. Error is his destination and remoteness his end.

He knows what lies before them, and what is after them;

Because nothing which can be known is left out of His knowledge and no existent or non-existent thing is obscure to Him.

and they encompass nothing of His knowledge, save such as He wills.

This means from the things that are known to Him. In other words, the different types of [human] knowledge fall short of encompassing what is known to Him, save by His permission. What hope is there in these for encompassing His Essence and Reality? How could it be possible to encompass it when there is no point at which His might is cut off and no limit applies to Him?

His throne subsumes the heavens and the earth;

[This is] an address for [people to understand] according to their capacity for comprehension, and yet, what importance could things that exist have in comparison with His attributes? His worth is too exalted in might for a throne or a chair. Being embellished [with things] is for jinns or human beings.

the preserving of them wearies Him not; He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.

How could created things tire the One to whom the creation of the atom and the entire cosmos are the same? Nothing small is too easy for him (tayassur) and nothing large is too difficult (taʿassur).

There is no compulsion in religion.

The arguments are clear and the proofs plain and evident.

Rectitude has become clear from error;

The night is distinguished by its darkness from the day and its light. The eternal truths (ḥuqūq) [of the Real] are given facts while the basic limits (ḥudūd) [of created things] are subject to other causes. [The truths of the Real] are [known] through the property of timeless eternity (naʿt al-qidam) while [the limits of created things] are [known] through the attribute of privation (waṣf al-ʿadam).^{1Al-Qushayrī can perhaps be best understood here by referring back to his commentary on to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth in Qurʾān 2:255. If God is the only possessor, creator, originator and inventor, everything but God is in a condition of limitation and need. Any other view of reality is error.}

so whoever disbelieves in the false deity,

The false deity is anything that distracts one from his Lord.

and believes in God,

Belief is the life of the heart (ḥayāt al-qalb) through God.

has laid hold of the most firm handle,

Laying hold of the most firm handle is holding to the command and prohibition (al-amr wa-l-nahy), which is traveling the path of al-Muṣṭafā ﷺ.^{2Muḥammad is sometimes referred to as “the chosen one” (al-muṣṭafā).}

unbreaking; God is Hearing, Knowing.

Anyone who realizes the truth of it inwardly and holds to it outwardly will win in the two abodes and will be happy in both worlds.

God is the Protector (walī) of the believers;

[He is] the Protector (walī) in the sense of the One who takes charge of their affairs (mutawallī) and the One who is unique in settling their concerns. The faʿīl pattern of the word walī can [also] be understood in the passive (maf ʿūl)^{1The word walī is an adjective in the faʿīl pattern, which can have an intensive active or a passive meaning. It is a semantic distinction that al-Qushayrī also discusses in the “Section on friendship” (Bāb al-walāya), Risāla, 2:519–520.}—the believers are charged (yatawallawna) with obeying Him. Both [usages of the word] are correct. The first [way of understanding the word walī] is a gathering^{2Because God takes charge of the well-being of His servant.} and the second is a separation.^{3Because the servant himself must take charge of upholding God’s rights.} Not every gathering will be limited by a separation and not every separation will be supported by a gathering. That is an error and the one who makes it is wrong. The verse bears both of the meanings.^{4Here al-Qushayrī uses the semantic possibilities of the adjective walī to demonstrate his ideas about gathering (jamʿ) and separation (farq). When man experiences what is from himself, he is in a state of separation. When he experiences what is from God, he is in a state of union. For more on these concepts, see the sections on “Gathering and separation” (al-Jamʿ wa-l-farq) and “Gathering of the gathering” (Jamʿ al-jamʿ) in al-Qushayrī’s Risāla, 1:207–210.}

He brings them forth from the shadows into the light.

This means that, by His beginningless decree, He protected them from the shadows, which are errors and [blameworthy] innovation, for they were never in the shadows in His prior knowledge.

And the disbelievers—their protectors are false deities

[False deities] that entice them with calls to disbelief.

that bring them forth from the light into the shadows; those are the inhabitants of the fire, therein they shall abide.

Through the doubt that overwhelmed their hearts they denied the lordship. They are those who remain forever apart from the Real.

It is said He brings them forth from the shadows of their self-direction (tadbīr) to the spaciousness of witnessing His determination (taqdīr) of events.

It is said that He brings them forth from the shadows of their thinking that they have any independent means or access to Him in anything they do or do not do.^{5Literally, their movements (ḥarakāt) and states of rest (sakanāt).}

It is said that He brings them forth from the shadows by lifting the shade of their lower selves from them and bringing them into the shade of His solicitude.

It is said that He delivers them from paying any heed to their own salvation.

It is said that He comes between them and their reliance on their actions and dependence on their states.

Have you not seen him who disputed with Abraham concerning his Lord, that God had given him the kingship? When Abraham said, “My Lord is He who gives life, and makes to die,” he said, “I give life and make to die.” Abraham said: “God brings the sun from the east; so bring it from the west.” Then the disbeliever was confused; and God guides not the folk who do evil.

The Real سبحانه hastened the punishment of separation (furqa) for His enemies before He punished them with burning (ḥurqa). This punishment [of separation] was in actuality more powerful in its effect, if they had had the eye of insight [to see this]. The Real سبحانه relates that Abraham عليه السلام moved from one sound proof with the accursed enemy to another which was clearer, not because there was anything wrong with the [first] proof, but because of the shortcomings in the understanding of the disbeliever. The touchstone of one whose sight is blocked from recognizing the truth is the wasting of time without any useful benefit. It is not about the quality of the proof for a matter about which there is no question.

Or such as he who passed by a city that was all in ruins to its roofs, he said, “How shall God give life to this now that it is dead?” So God made him die for a hundred years, then he raised him up; He said, “How long have you tarried?”; he said, “I have tarried a day, or part of a day”; He said, “Nay, you have tarried a hundred years. Look at your food and drink, it has not spoiled; and look at your donkey so that We would make you a sign for the people. And look at the bones, how We shall set them up, and then clothe them with flesh.” So, when it was made clear to him, he said, “I know that God has power over all things.”

This was not a question of denial, a matter of ignorance, or an indication of doubt in divine power, for this report is about Ezra (ʿUzayr) the prophet عليه السلام and it is not possible for the prophets عليهم السلام to doubt or be ignorant. Rather, it was a question of wondering about something extraordinary. In this conversation [Ezra] wanted to be more certain, so God showed him that within his [own body], by making him die and then bringing him to life, and then reviving his donkey while he watched, and he became more and more certain. Asking for certainty from God and using the tactic of posing difficulties are practices of those who are curious to know. Because of that God excused^{1There is a blank in Basyūnī here, which has been completed with the word “excused” (ʿadhara) from MSS K117, fol. 29b and Y101, fol. 37b.} Ezra in this conversation and the increased certainty he sought was made possible for him. Then he said, “I know that God has power over all things” in giving life and causing death, that is, “My knowledge has been increased by what I saw.^{2The phrase “by what I saw” is added on the basis of MSS K117, fol. 29b and Y101, fol. 37b.} He showed me weighty signs which increased my certainty.” His food and drink did not change in this long period, even as his donkey died and his bones decayed.^{3In the tafsīr literature the story is told that Ezra saw the decayed bones of his donkey before God brought the donkey to life again. See Tafsir al-Jalālayn (trans. Hamza).}

And when Abraham said, “My Lord show me how You give life to the dead.” He said, “Why, do you not believe?” “Yes,” he said, “but so that my heart may be re-assured.” Said He, “Take four birds, and twist them to you,^{1The Arabic verb here means to turn or twist something, especially by the neck. Some classical commentators interpreted this as Abraham’s training the birds to obey him, but most understood it as cutting the birds into pieces, since the verse is speaking about bringing the dead to life. Al-Qushayrī follows the second interpretation.} then set a part of them on every hill, then summon them, and they will come to you in haste. And know that God is Mighty, Wise.”

It is said that he was looking for increased certainty and wanted to compare the truth of certainty (ḥaqq al-yaqīn) with what he had already obtained from the eye of certainty (ʿayn al-yaqīn).^{2In the section on “Knowledge of certainty, eye of certainty and the truth of certainty” (ʿIlm al-yaqīn wa-l-ʿayn al-yaqīn wa-ḥaqq al-yaqīn), al-Qushayrī writes that “knowledge of certainty (ʿilm al-yaqīn), according to [Sufi] terminology, is conditional on demonstrative proof (burhān). The eye of certainty (ʿayn al-yaqīn) [comes] from the determination of clear evidence (bayān). The truth of certainty (ḥaqq al-yaqīn) [comes] from the attribute of direct witnessing (ʿiyān). Knowledge of certainty belongs to the masters of intellects (arbāb al-ʿuqūl). The eye of certainty belongs to the masters of different types of knowledge (aṣḥāb al-ʿulūm). The truth of certainty belongs to the masters of deeper knowledge (aṣḥāb al-maʿārif)” (al-Qushayrī, Risāla, 1:244).}

It is said that what [Abraham] said here was meant to elicit His words سبحانه, Why, do you not believe? [Abraham] said, “Yes, I believe but I longed to have You say to me, ‘Why, do you not believe?’ and Your saying this to me is a reassurance to my heart.” The lover is forever striving to find a way to address his beloved in any way that he can.

It is said that [Abraham] was seeking a vision of the Real سبحانه, by hint or allusion, for he was held back by the allusion in His words, “And know that God is Mighty, Wise.” When Moses عليه السلام asked for the vision directly, saying “My Lord! Show me that I may behold You!” [7:143], [God] replied directly and clearly, and it was said to him, “You shall not see Me” [7:143].

It is said that he only sought the life of his heart and this was shown to him by the sacrifice of these birds. Among the four birds there was a peacock and the allusion in its sacrifice relates to the ornament and beauty of the present world. There was also a crow because of his greed, a rooster because of his [strutting] walk, and a duck because of his seeking provision.

When Abraham عليه السلام said, “Show me how You give life to the dead,” it was said to him, “Will you show Me how you sacrifice life?” which meant Ishmael—one demand [was made] for another. When [Abraham] fulfilled what was asked of him, the Real fulfilled what he had requested.

It is said that part of the promise from the Real سبحانه was that He took [Abraham] as a friend (khalīl), and the sign of that was [God’s] reviving the dead through his hand. Then what came to pass came to pass.

[God] made a connection between the story of al-Khalīl عليه السلام and what He showed him and made manifest through his hand in reviving the dead, and Ezra, when He showed him [what He showed him] in himself, because al-Khalīl was given preference over Ezra in his questioning and in his state. Abraham عليه السلام did not try to refute [God] in any way, but rather was subtle in his request. Ezra spoke to Him with words resembling someone who deems a thing far-fetched. The Real wanted to reveal the most powerful miracle and the most perfect corroboration to [Abraham] inasmuch as He made the revival of the dead appear by his hand. When Abraham’s عليه السلام words, “My Lord is He who gives life and makes to die” [2:258] seemed doubtful to Nimrod,^{3The disbeliever mentioned in Qurʾān 2:258 is most commonly identified as Nimrod in the tafsīr literature (Ayoub, The Qur’an and Its Interpreters, 1:257).} [Nimrod] said, “I give life and cause death” [2:258]. Abraham wanted God سبحانه to show him the revival of the dead so that he would know he should not make undue claims.

In these two verses is permission for one who seeks increased certainty from God سبحانه وتعالى in the state of reflective thought (naẓar).

It is said that Abraham wanted to bring life to the heart by the light of communion in accordance with perfection. It was said to him, “Why, do you not believe?” which means, “Do you not remember the state of your seeking Us when you were saying to everything you saw, “This is my lord?” [6:76–78]. You were not yet aware of how We would cause you to reach the utmost point [in understanding Our Lordship]. In this case as well, We will bring you to that to which you aspire.”

This alludes to the life of the heart, that it can only [happen with] the sacrifice of these things,^{4That is, the birds.} meaning the lower self. The heart of one who does not sacrifice his lower self through struggle will not be given life by God.

There is also an allusion in His saying, “Cut these birds with your hands and separate their parts.^{5Al-Qushayrī is rewording the verse according to the way in which it was most often interpreted in classical commentaries.} Then summon them and they will come to you in haste.” What was sacrificed by the hand of the one who possesses friendship [Abraham], and [what was] cut and dismembered by his hand—every separate part answered him when he called it. Similarly, when the Real calls the one whom He has separated and scattered, he answers:

Even if I was covered with dirt

and You called me,

the bones decayed,

I would answer your voice.^{6This verse could not be located in Muṣṭafā.}

The likeness of those who expend their wealth in the way of God is as the likeness of a grain of corn that sprouts seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains; so God multiplies for whom He will; God is Embracing, Knowing.

The compensation for [those who expend their wealth in the way of God] is the garden. The compensation of those who expend their spirits in the way of God is the Real سبحانه. What a difference between the compensation for one who expends his wealth and finds his reward and the [compensation for] one who expends his state and finds nearness! Expending wealth in His way [happens] by [giving] alms (ṣadaqa) and expending [one’s] states in His way [happens] through constant sincerity (ṣidq)^{1The words ṣadaqa and ṣidq come from the same Arabic root, ṣ-d-q.} and by negating every worldly concern or portion so that you are pleased with the flowing of His decree over you without any frowning of the heart. The one who spoke for them said:

I want to be with him

but he wants me to depart.

So I leave want I want

for what he wants.^{2Muṣṭafā says the verse is attributed to Ibn al-Munajjim al-Wāʿiẓ ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Marwān (Muṣṭafā, no. 18, p. 48).}

There are two types of expenditure: the expending of worshipers (ʿābidūn) and the expending of ecstatics (wājidūn). When worshipers give grain, it multiplies for them seventy times to what is beyond reckoning. As for the ecstatics, it is as it is said:

There is nothing good we can bring

that they will accept,

and if we do harm, for them

there is no erasure.^{3Al-Qushayrī uses poetic verses referring to human anger here to illustrate the ecstatics’ lack of concern for such matters—it does not matter to them whether one tries to benefit or harm them. The Arabic in the Basyūnī edition, MSS K117, fol. 30a and Y101, fol. 38a is the same here, but Muṣṭafā changes “they” to “you” and gives a slightly different version attributed to ʿAbd al-Malik b. Ṣāliḥ b. ʿAlī b. ʿAbdallāh b. al-ʿAbbās: “There is nothing good we can bring that you will accept and if we do any harm, there is no forgiveness from you.” Muṣṭafā says this was said to Hārūn al-Rashīd when he was angry with ʿAbd al-Malik (Muṣṭafā, no. 1, p. 121).}

Those who expend their wealth in the way of God then do not follow up their expenditure with a reminder of their generosity and injury, their wage is with their Lord, and no fear shall befall them, neither shall they grieve.

The reminder of generosity is proclaiming what you did. The injury is pointing out your beneficence to the one who receives it.

It is said that they expend what they expend, but they most assuredly do not say anything about their actions or works.

It is said, “How can you give something while seeking to maintain your control^{1Here the translation follows tastaqdirūnahu from MSS K117, fol. 30a and Y101, fol. 38a rather than “seeking an excuse” (tastaʿdhirūnahu) from the Basyūnī edition.} and rights over it?”

It is said that they do not remind others of what they have done for them, but rather bear witness to the favor of God, [who] grants them success in that [act of generosity].

Honorable words and forgiveness are better than voluntary almsgiving followed by injury; and God is Independent, Forbearing.

This means that words spoken to the one who is poor and deprived—responding to his overture without showing censure—are better and more perfect than the alms of one who is proud of what he does and then imposes an obligation for it.

It is said that an acknowledgment from you to God of your weakness and sin and God’s forgiveness for you in response to these words is better than alms adulterated with reproach and accompanied by injury.

O you who believe, annul not your voluntary almsgivings with reproach and injury, as one who expends of his substance to show off to men and believes not in God and the Last Day. The likeness of him is as the likeness of a smooth rock on which is soil, and a torrent smites it, and leaves it barren. They have no power over anything that they have earned. God guides not the disbelieving folk.

That is, the beauty of the gift comes from the Real سبحانه. There is no gift from created beings that can be attributed to anyone other than Him. Indeed, gifts that come from created beings are the greatest test (miḥna), while witnessing the gift from God is the greatest blessing (niʿma). The one who spoke for them said:

There is no humility

in your honoring important people.

On the contrary,

humility is that you honor the lowly.^{1This verse could not be located in Muṣṭafā.}

It is said that the poorest of creatures is the one who considers himself lucky [because of his wealth and life of comfort], for his bankruptcy will become clear to him. Likewise, the least of creatures in value is the one who thinks that he has something, for that with which he did not reckon will appear to him from God.

But the likeness of those who expend their wealth, seeking God’s good pleasure, and to confirm themselves is as the likeness of a garden upon a hill; a torrent smites it and it yields its produce twofold; if no torrent smites it, then soft rain [falls upon it], and God sees what you do.

Would any of you wish to have a garden of date palms and vines, with rivers flowing beneath it, for him there is in it all manner of fruit, then old age smites him, and he has seed, but they are weak; then a whirlwind with fire smites it, and it is consumed. So, God makes clear the signs to you, so that you might reflect.

These are numerous signs that God mentions by way of striking similitudes for the sincere one and the hypocrite—while the one spends in the way of God, the other spends his wealth in vain. While [the sincere] will obtain honor and compensation (khalaf) for themselves, [the hypocrites] will receive only rejection in the present and nothing but ruin (talaf) in the end. While the effort of these remains worthy of thanks (mashkūr), those leave behind destruction (thubūr) and come to a blazing flame. The works of these thrive, their wealth grows, their states rise high before God, and their end will be the communion [of lovers]. The works of those will come to nothing. Their states will be of loss, their hopes sealed by misfortune, and their curse doubled for them.

It is said that the similitude of these is like the one who planted seed; his property thrived, and his surplus grew. His branches grew high and his benefit multiplied. The similitude of those is like the one whose bargaining failed; his commodity [was] stolen, and his stratagem came to naught in old age. His tribulations continued one after the other, in every way and in every time. How can these two be equal as examples? Do they have any resemblance to one another?

O you who believe, expend of the good things you have earned, and of what We have produced for you from the earth, and seek not the corrupt of it for your expending; for you would never take it yourselves without closing your eyes to it; and know that God is Independent, Laudable.

Let everyone consider what he expends on his own account and what is produced by the command of his Lord. That which is brought out against you is from your account book (dīwān): That which has been designated for your worldly portion are the precious things you possess and that which has been designated for your Lord are the things of little value^{1The translation follows the word khasāʾis found in MSS K117, fol. 30b and Y101, fol. 38b rather than the word khaṣāʾiṣ found in the Basyūnī edition.} from your assets. That which is [given by you] for God’s sake is but a morsel, while that which is [given by God] for your sake is of the utmost value and [is] the most perfect in blessing. Then see how He forgives you, and even accepts it from you. Nay, look how He compensates you. Nay, look how He praises you for it,^{2The translation follows the phrase kayfa yamdaḥuka bihi found in MSS K117, fol. 30b and Y101, fol. 38b.} look how he ascribes it to you. Everything from Him is a favor but He ascribes it to you as an act. Therefore His gift is entrusted to you and the gift is called a reward. He expands you by giving you success from [His] kindness. Then [your expansion] spreads out into the world by [His] beneficence.

Satan promises you poverty and enjoins you to indecency, but God promises you His pardon, and His bounty; and God is Embracing, Knowing.

Satan promises poverty because of his poverty. God promises forgiveness because of His generosity.

Satan promises you poverty and counsels you to hold on to what is known. It is said that [Satan] counsels you [to yield], and in yielding to him, [you yield] to greed and there is no poverty worse than this.

He promises you poverty by handing you over to your [own] direction (tadbīr) and your [own] preferences (ikhtiyār).

He promises you poverty to forget what you have become accustomed to from [God’s] bounty.

It is said that he promises you poverty, in that he does not let your complaints cease.^{1The translation follows the verb lā yuzīlu from MSS K117, fol. 30b and Y101, fol. 38b rather than lā yazīdu from the Basyūnī edition.}

It is said that he promises you poverty by attaching your heart to what it does not need.

It is said that [he promises you poverty] by deceiving you from seeing that [God] suffices.

He enjoins you to indecency, that is, desire for the present world.

It is said that [He enjoins you to indecency] through the bonds that strengthen greed.

It is said that [He enjoins you to indecency] by multiplying [your] expectations and [urging you to] abandon contentment.

It is said that [He enjoins you to indecency] by [urging you to] follow carnal desires and prefer worldly fortunes.

It is said that [He enjoins you to indecency] by [urging you to] look to something other than Him and allow anything to enter [your] mind except Him.

It is said that [He enjoins you to indecency] by going backward to the familiar territories of permissiveness and interpretive license after the truth has been made clear.

It is said that [He enjoins you to indecency] by returning [you] to what you had renounced for God.

But God promises you His pardon, and His bounty: The bounty promised in the here and now is contentment. In the future it is the reward, the garden, the vision, the good pleasure, pardon,^{2The blank in the Basyūnī edition has been completed with the word “pardon” (ʿafw) from MSS K117, fol. 30b and Y101, fol. 38b.} and forgiveness.

It is said that it is victory in the here and now over the lower self.

It is said that it is the opening of the door of deeper knowledge, the spreading of the carpet of forgiveness, and receiving the unveilings of intimacy.

He gives wisdom to whomever He will, and he who is given wisdom, has been given much good; yet none remembers, but the people of pith.

Wisdom (ḥikma) is the thought (khāṭir) of the Real^{1In his Risāla al-Qushayrī explains what is meant by the term khāṭir (pl. khawāṭir), which can be translated as “thought,” “feeling,” “inclination” or “intuition.” Khawāṭir may come to one from the lower self, angels, Satan or God (Risāla, 1:242).} ruling (yaḥkum)^{2The noun “wisdom” (ḥikma) and the verb “to rule” (ḥakama, yaḥkum) come from the same Arabic root ḥ-k-m, which means “to rule or have authority over something” or “to judge.”} you, not the caller of the lower self. The overpowering forces (qawāhir) of the Real rule you, not the drivers (zawājir)^{3See the footnote for the commentary on Qurʾān 2:23–24 for al-Qushayrī’s use of the words zajr and zawājir, and for a similar comparison of God’s subjugation of the heart versus (allowing it to) succumb to the driving calls of other forces.} of Satan.

It is said that wisdom is rightness in affairs (ṣawāb al-ʿumūr).

It is said that [wisdom] is [not allowing] the frivolities of human nature to rule you. One who has no control (ḥukm) over his lower self has no control over anyone else.^{4Basyūnī suggests in a footnote that perhaps this line belongs after the reference to Satan, and is an error of the copyist. But MSS K117, fol. 30b and Y101, fol. 38b also have the line in this place.}

It is said that wisdom is being in conformity (muwāfaqa) with the command of God most high and foolishness is opposing (mukhālafa) His command.

It is said that wisdom is bearing witness to the Real and foolishness is bearing witness to anything other than Him.

And whatever expenditure you expend, and whatever vow you make, surely God knows it. For the evildoers, they have no helpers.

He has promised His punishment to some people, His reward to others, and His knowledge to others. [Those promised punishment or reward] are ordinary people and [those promised knowledge] are the elect. God most high said, “And submit patiently to the judgment of your Lord, for surely you fare before Our eyes” [52:48]. There is nothing that causes the servant to fall from the eyes of God like opposing the covenants with Him in the heart.^{1For what al-Qushayrī might mean here by “covenants (ʿuhūd) with God in the heart,” see his commentary on Qurʾān 2:40.} So let the aspirant be very wary of letting his soul err in that.

If you proclaim your voluntary almsgivings, it is a fine thing; but if you conceal them, and give them to the poor, that is even better for you; and it will absolve you of your evil deeds. God is aware of what you do.

“If you reveal your companionship (ṣuḥba) with Us, and make it public, you have behaved generously and well. But if you protect Our secret from the intrusion of intermediaries between us, you have kept the conditions of love (widād) and have raised up the lofty edifice of communion (wuṣla).”

You are not responsible for guiding them; but God guides whomever He will. And whatever good you expend is for yourselves; for then you are expending, desiring only God’s face, and whatever good you expend, shall be repaid to you in full, and you will not be wronged.

“[O Muḥammad], yours is the praiseworthy station (al-maqām al-maḥmūd), the firmly tied banner (al-liwāʾ al-maʿqūd), the noble degrees (al-rutab al-sharīfa), the high waystations (al-manāzil al-ʿaliyya), and the pleasing practices (al-sunan al-marḍiyya). You are the leader of those who come first and those who come last. No one comes close to you, and certainly [no one] equals you. But you are not responsible for their guidance. Guidance is among the special characteristics of Our right and not a sliver of it is given to another. O Muḥammad, you call them, but We guide them.”

For the poor (fuqarāʾ), who are constrained in the way of God; and are unable to journey in the land; the ignorant man supposes them rich because of their abstinence; but you shall know them by their mark; they do not beg of men importunately. And whatever good you expend, surely God has knowledge of it.

The authority of reality (sulṭān al-ḥaqīqa) has obstructed every way for them; there is no way for them to travel to the east and no place to camp to the west. Whichever way they look, they see the large tents of God’s unity (tawḥīd) surrounding them:

It is as if the wide road of the earth,

with all its vastness,

became narrow for me,

but it neither increased in length nor width.^{1The translation follows the pronoun “me” from MSS K117, fol. 31a and Y101, fol. 39a rather than the pronoun “them” found in the Basyūnī edition. Muṣṭafā gives two slightly different versions of the verse from Majnūn Laylā and Abū l-Shīṣ (Muṣṭafā, no. 1, p. 75).}

They do not take a single breath with what is created. How could they, when nothing [truly] exists [except God]? Thus, any affirmation [of what does not truly exist] is a way of ascribing partners to the One God.^{2In the section on “Breath” (Nafas), al-Qushayrī states that the best of all acts of worship is to count one’s breaths with God (Risāla, 1:241).}

The sincere poor man (faqīr)^{3For more on how al-Qushayrī understands the relationship between poverty and friendship with God, see the “Section on poverty” (Bāb al-faqr) which begins with this Qurʾānic verse (Risāla, 2:536–549).} stands with God through God. Outsiders cannot behold him and created beings have no way to him. [God] makes [the poor (fuqarāʾ)] appear in the eyes of others in clothes like theirs.^{4The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 31a and Y101, fol. 39a.} God most high said, “the ignorant man supposes them rich because of their abstinence.” But for those who possess insight, there is no ambiguity in anything in their states. “You shall know them, O Muḥammad, by their mark.” This mark is not one that appears to the physical eye but is a mark that the inner sight perceives. There is no beholding them except by the light of oneness.

It is said that you will know them by their mark, [which is] the rejoicing of their hearts at the breaking of their lower selves, and the crying out of their innermost selves to the throne as their outward aspect withers beyond recovery.

It is said that the brokenness of the outward form comes with the brokenness of the inward—indeed [with these poor], they do not beg of men importunately. If they do beg from created beings without being importune, as the [Qurʾānic] address suggests, that is a protection for them and for the secret of their story because creatures will not view them as begging. In their innermost selves, there is not a speck of affirmation for anything other [than God].^{5Basyūnī adds a footnote saying that here al-Qushayrī shows the influence of the teachings of the people of blame (malāmatiyya) in Nishapur. For more on their doctrine and practices, see Honerkamp’s translation of two works written by a teacher of al-Qushayrī, Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī (Three Early Sufi Texts, 83–172).}

It is said [regarding those] who are constrained in the way of God that they hold to the decree of God and constrain their lower selves in obedience to Him (aḥṣarū nufūsahum ʿalā ṭāʿatihi), their hearts in knowing Him (wa-qulūbahum ʿalā maʿrifatihi), their spirits in loving Him (wa-arwāḥahum ʿalā maḥabbatihi), and their innermost selves in seeing Him (wa-asrārahum ʿalā ruʾyatihi).

Those who expend their wealth night and day, secretly and openly, their wage awaits them with their Lord, and no fear shall befall them, neither shall they grieve.

As long as they have wealth they do not become listless for even an hour in expending it night and day. When the wealth is depleted they do not become listless in bearing witness to Him at every moment, night and day.

Those who devour usury shall not rise again, except as one whom Satan has made prostrate from touch; that is because they say, “Trade is like usury”: God has permitted trade, and forbidden usury. Whoever receives an admonition from his Lord and desists, he shall have his past gains, and his affair is committed to God; but whoever reverts—those are the inhabitants of the fire, abiding therein.

Those who turn away from the command, giving themselves license from their own interpretation (taʾwīl), have neither secure independence in the present moment (lā istiqlālun lahum fī l-ḥāl) nor recovery in the end (wa-lā intiʿāshun fī l-maʾāl). They lose in their current life (khasirū fī ʿājilihim) and have no profit in their future (wa-lam yarbaḥū fī ājilihim). Those who heed the calls of admonition, curb the bridle of their whims, and do not give free rein to persist [in prohibited actions] are granted respite for the present. However, if they return to these blameworthy states, let them wait for the swiftest uprooting and sudden chastisement.

God effaces usury, but He augments voluntary almsgivings with interest. God loves not any guilty ingrate.

The behaviors He has permitted are connected to good things (fa-maqrūnun bi-l-khayrāt) and are accompanied by blessings (wa-maṣḥūbun bi-l-barakāt), while [behaviors] that arise from [personal] whims come to naught—loss is the end of the affair of one [who follows his own whims].

Those who believe and perform righteous deeds, and establish the prayer, and pay the alms—their wage awaits them with their Lord, and no fear shall befall them, neither shall they grieve.

That is, “verily for those who have found what is from Us sufficient—indeed We do not leave the reward of those of good deeds to go to waste” [18:30].

O you who believe, fear God, and give up the usury that is outstanding, if you are believers.

Being content with what is promised (mawʿūd) by the Lord is better for the one who submits than attaching one’s heart to what the lower self seeks (maqṣūd). What you seek (maqṣūd) is from the deceptions of the lower self, while what you are promised (mawʿūd) is guaranteed by the Real.

But if you do not, then be warned of war from God, and His Messenger. Yet if you repent, you shall have your principal sums, not being unjust, and no injustice being done to you.

Those who willfully persist have no weight or measure (miqdār) before Us, no standing or degree of dignity (akhṭār).

And if any man should be in difficulty, then [let there be] respite, till things are easier; but that you should give a voluntary almsgiving is better for you, did you but know.

When the insolvency of a detained man is determined before the judge, it is not permissible to continue his detention. If the proof of the man’s insolvency is demonstrated, that [proof] is taken in security for what is due his adversary. But he is in a period of respite and delay. In that, the Lord does not judge us, but with His knowledge of our difficulties and weakness, and the sincerity of our need for Him and our dedication to Him, He is merciful with us.

His words, “till things are easier,” [relate to] the poor insolvent man [who] has no way to obtain anything for himself except through what God سبحانه appoints for him as the portion of debtors. Income accrues to those who have the goods and the contract. What does the insolvent [person] have to do with it? What does the insolvent [person] have to do with profit in trade from the transformation of capital and what is done with it?

What is left for the insolvent [person]? The jurists say he must seek work if he is healthy.^{1There is a blank in the Basyūnī edition which has been completed with the phrase annahu yustasʿā hab annahu ṣaḥīḥ found in MSS K117, fol. 31b and Y101, fol. 39b.} If he is weak, then this [statement that he must seek work] applies only if he has enough physical strength. As for those who are bankrupt in vigor, just as one is bankrupt in wealth, what way remains for him except what his Protector appoints for him?

And fear a day wherein you shall be returned to God, and every soul shall be paid in full what it has earned; and they shall not be wronged.

There are two kinds of return: [a return] for the bodily and lower selves in the future at the time of death, and [a return] for the innermost selves and hearts at every breath. [The latter is] a reckoning—a payment in ready cash versus a promise [regarding the future]. The payment in ready cash for His claim [at every breath] is more fitting^{1The translation follows the word “more fitting” (aḥaqqu) from the Basyūnī edition. MSS K117, fol. 31b and Y101, fol. 39b have “more exacting” (adaqqu).} than what will come at the resurrection by His promise.

He said to ordinary people, “And fear a day” and He said to the elect, “and fear Me” [2:41].

O you who believe, when you contract a debt, one upon another for a stated term, write it down; and let a writer write it down between you justly; and let not any writer refuse to write it down, as God has taught him; so let him write, and let the debtor dictate; and let him fear God his Lord, and not diminish anything of it. And if the debtor be a fool, or weak, or unable to dictate himself, then let his guardian dictate justly. And summon to bear witness, two witnesses, men; or if the two be not men, then one man and two women, such witnesses as you approve of, so that if one of the two women errs; the other will remind her; and let the witnesses not refuse, whenever they are summoned; and be not disdainful to write it down, small or great, with its term; that is more equitable in God’s sight, more upright for testimony, and nearer, that you will not be in doubt, unless it be trade carried out there and then that you give and take between you, then you will not be at fault if you do not write it down. And take witnesses when you are trading with one another. And let not either writer or witness be pressed; and if you do, that is sinfulness in you. And fear God. God teaches you and God knows all things.

And if you are upon a journey, and you do not find a writer, then a pledge in hand. But if one of you trusts another, let him who is trusted, deliver his trust, and let him fear God his Lord. And do not conceal the testimony; whoever conceals it, his heart is sinful; and God knows what you do.

God سبحانه commands created beings to act with sincerity (ṣidq). He teaches them the particulars of their transactions with one another, and teaches them to adopt caution and bear witness [as explained in this verse] so that no injury will occur between them. That is in accordance with His mercy toward them and follows from His kindness to them, so that they will not be adversaries. He commands that rights be strengthened by writing and taking witnesses, and commands [this] witnessing from the outset and through the execution [of the transaction]. Those who make clear today that which will prevent future arguments should have no quarrel among themselves. There is a transmitted tradition: “Give generously to one another, for I have generously given My wealth to you. Surely, the one who is noble-hearted, when he is able, forgives.”^{1Neither Basyūnī nor ʿAbd al-Raḥmān give any sources for this ḥadīth.}

Compassion for those in need is included in legal injunctions concerning debt because the state of need is a distressing one and compels one to do whatever one can. [The needy person] experiences anguish and yet tries to maintain seemly behavior by avoiding begging and petitioning. God permits [such a one] to incur debt to help him in the present moment and to give him hope of His favor in the end. He has promised a bountiful reward for the lending of money; this is from His kindness.

To God belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Whether you disclose what is in your hearts or hide it, God shall take you to account (yuḥāsibkum) for it. Then He will forgive whom He wishes, and chastise whom He wishes. And God has power over all things.

[That is,] whether you disclose what is in your hearts in deep intuitions (maʿānī) or pretensions (daʿāwā).

It is said that whether you disclose what is in your hearts [refers to] intentions and wishes (al-quṣūd wa-l-raghāʾib), and various needs and requests (funūn al-ḥawāʾiḥ wa-l-maṭālib).

It is said that what you disclose is worship (ʿibāda) and what you hide is desire (irāda).

It is said that what you hide are thoughts (khaṭarāt) and what you disclose are your states of rest and movement (sakanāt wa-l-ḥarakāt).^{1That is, what you do and do not do. The translation follows MSS K117, fol. 31b and Y101, fol. 40a because it better fits the context. The Basyūnī edition reads, “It is said that what you hide are thoughts and what you disclose are outward expressions (ʿibārāt). It is said that what you hide are [your states of] rest and movements.” For the previous use of these terms, see 42n38; 142n226; and 242n396.}

It is said that the allusion is to perpetual observation (istidāmat al-murāqaba) and holding fast to the accounting (muḥāsaba)^{2The concept of “accounting” (muḥāsaba) refers back to God’s taking man to account, as mentioned in the verse God shall take you to account (yuḥāsibkum) for it. But al-Qushayrī is also referring to the Sufi practice of critical self-reflection.} so that you will not be heedless for a moment, not even for a breath.

The Messenger believes in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and the believers; each one believes in God and His angels, and in His Books, and His messengers, “we make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey; Your forgiveness, our Lord; to You is the homecoming.”

This is the testimony of faith (shahāda) of the Real سبحانه on behalf of His Prophet  صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and that is more perfect for him than his speaking for himself.

It is said that all created beings believe through demonstrative proof (burhān) while the Messenger عليه السلام believes through eyewitnessing (ʿiyān).

It is said that created beings believe through intermediaries while Muḥammad ﷺ believes without any intermediary.

It is said that this was the address of the Real with him on the night of the ascension (miʿrāj) and indicates respect for [his] rank: He said, “The Messenger believes,” not “You [Muḥammad] believe,” just as one says to an important person, “the Shaykh said. . .” rather than “you said. . . .”^{1That is, the third person form of address shows respect.}

It is said that both the Messenger and the believers believe in God, His angels, His books, and His messengers, but what a difference between one faith and another! All [believers] believe by being shown the way, but you, O Muḥammad, believe through arrival.

God charges no soul save to its capacity;

Because of the perfection of His mercy to [human beings], He takes them to the limit of their capacity, and indeed far less than that. All of that is compassion and favor from Him.

for it is what it is has merited,

in good deeds

and against it is what it has earned.

[That is], what it acquires in repentance saves the one who acquires it.^{1Other commentaries on this verse understand this phrase as referring to the soul’s accountability for its bad deeds. Here al-Qushayrī suggests that it refers to the repentance that the soul acquires. In response to the Qurʾānic statement that God desires... to turn [in forgiveness] to you [4:26], al-Qushayrī comments that God “accepts your repentance after having created it, and then repays you according to what He has created for you in your repentance.” This is consistent with the Ashʿarī notion that God is the creator of His servants’ actions, including their repentance. The servant then “acquires” these actions and the consequences for them.}

Our Lord, take us not to task if we forget, or err; our Lord, burden us not with a load, such as You did lay upon those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us beyond what we have the power to bear;

When a need arose [the community of Moses] spoke through an intermediary, saying, “O Moses. . . pray to your lord for us” [2:61].^{2This request to Moses is also mentioned in Qurʾān 2:68, 2:69, 2:70, and 7:134.} But [God] said to the community [of Muḥammad], “Call on Me and I will respond to you” [40:60]. When earlier communities sinned, time passed before their repentance was accepted, while the Prophet ﷺ said about this community [of Muslims], “Remorse is repentance.”^{3ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gives Ibn Māja and Ibn Ḥanbal among many other sources for this ḥadīth.} Among the earlier communities there were those who said, “make for us a god, just as they have gods” [7:138], while this community was selected through the illumination of the lights of their declaration of oneness. Their qualities are beyond explanation.

and pardon us

in the present (fī l-ḥāl).

and forgive us

in the end (fī l-maʾāl)

and have mercy on us; You are our Patron; so grant us assistance against the disbelieving folk.

[That is,] “in all circumstances, for we have no one other than You. You are our Patron so give us assistance against anything that distracts us from You.”

When they said “burden us not with a load, such as You did lay upon those before us”: God caused their sins to disappear, in contrast to those who came before, whose disappearance He caused. He transformed their sins into good deeds in contrast to the metamorphosis (maskh) [of an earlier community],^{4For the metamorphosis of the earlier community, see Qurʾān 2:65.} and He rained mercy down on them, in contrast to the stones He rained down on those who came before.

Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds.