Questions on the Spiritual Path that

Pertain to Knowledge of

the Ultimate

Reality

Masa’il al-Tariqa fi ‘Ilm al-Haqiqa

By Abu al-Nasr ‘Izz al-Din b. ‘Abd al-Salam

(may Allah sanctify his secret)

Translated by

Abdul Aziz Suraqah

Questions on the Spiritual Path that

Pertain to Knowledge of

the Ultimate

Reality

5

Copyright © 2014 by Abdul Aziz Suraqah | Ibriz Media

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Shaykh ‘Izz al-Din b. ‘Abd al-Salam bio

5

The First Question

If asked about the nature of Iman [faith], say: “Iman is

truthfulness.”

If asked about the pinnacle of Iman, say: “Its pinnacle is

Godfearingness [taqwa].”

If asked about the middle portion of Iman, say: “Its middle

portion is obedience and certitude.”

If asked about the tree of Iman, say: “Its tree is the enjoining of

good and forbiddance of evil.”

If asked about the roots of Iman, say: “Its roots are prayer and

sincerity.”

If asked about the branch of Iman, say: “Its branch is

affirmation of divine unity [tawhid].”

If asked about the fruit of Iman, say: “Its fruit is Zakat

[almsgiving/purification].”

If asked about the soil of Iman, say: “The believers are its soil.”

If asked about the water of Iman, say: “Its water is the Speech

of Allah.”

If asked about the river of Iman, say: “Its river is knowledge.”

The Second Question

If you are asked “What is the Creator’s will with regards to

creation?” say: “His will with regard to creation is the very state

that they are in; He has established each of them in accordance

to what He has willed—to Him is whatever He wills.”

The Third Question

If you are asked “What is the meaning of the phrase There is no

movement or power save by Allah [la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah]?” say:

“It means you shall not move from disobedience to Allah

except by protection [‘isma] from Allah, and there is no power

to obey Allah except through His assistance, Almighty and

Magnificent is He, who, when invoked, all things are made

insignificant.”

The Fourth Question

If it is said to you “Everything has an essence, and the essence

of the human being is his intellect—so what, then, is the

essence of the intellect?” say: “The essence of the intellect is

patience and acting in accordance with the movements of the

hearts when the unseen realities are disclosed. The foundation

of obedience is scrupulousness [wara’]; the foundation of

scrupulousness is Godfearingness; the foundation of

Godfearingness is self-reckoning [muhasaba] through fear of

Allah and hope in Allah, the Most Exalted.”

The Fifth Question

If you are asked “Which is more general in its scope, Islam or

Iman?” say: “Islam is more general in its scope than Iman, and

that is because the Most Exalted says ‘The Bedouin Arabs said, “We

have believed [Iman].” Say, “You have not believed; instead say, ‘We have

submitted [Islam],’ for Iman has yet to enter your hearts.”’ [Quran 49:14]

That is because Iman is the foundation and Islam is a branch

from it. Iman is inward and Islam is outward. It is likened to a

tree whose roots are buried deep in the earth and whose

branches extend toward the sky. Such is the nature of Iman: its

root is located in the heart, and Islam is a branch from it. The

outward aspect of it [Iman] is the articulation of faith upon the

tongue.”

The Sixth Question

If you are asked “Which is more general in its scope, praise

[hamd] or gratitude [shukr]?” say: “Gratitude is more general in

its scope. That is because the Most Exalted says, ‘Be actively

grateful, O progeny of Dawud! Few of My servants are truly grateful.’

[Quran 34:13]”

The Seventh Question

If you are asked “Which was created first, Iman or the intellect?”

say: “The intellect was created before Iman, because the

intellect is a proof against Allah’s creation. With it the proof is

established, and by it self-management is possible, for it is the

vizier of the soul and the interpreter of the heart. Because of it,

divine reckoning and punishment occur, and by means of it,

one enters either the Garden or the Hellfire.”

The Eighth Question

If you are asked “What is incumbent upon the Shaykh with

respect to the spiritual aspirant [murid], and what is incumbent

upon the spiritual aspirant with respect to the Shaykh?” say:

“Three things are incumbent upon the Shaykh: putting the

aspirant through spiritual wayfaring in the beginning,

delivering him in the end, and tending carefully to the flock.

And likewise there are three things incumbent upon the

aspirant: complying with the Shaykh’s orders, concealing his

secret, and revering his rank.”

The Ninth Question

If you are asked “How many categories does propriety [adab]

have?” say: “Propriety has three categories: propriety with

Allah, propriety with the Shaykh, and propriety with those who

observe propriety.”

The Tenth Question

If you are asked “How many categories does disbelief [kufr]

have?” say: “Disbelief has four categories: disbelief in Allah,

disbelief in Allah’s promise, disbelief in Allah’s threat, and

disbelief in the Prophets. The conditions for disbelief are four:

associating partners with Allah [shirk billah], associating partners

with the Messenger s [shirk bi al-Rasul], abandoning the

prescribed prayer out of denial of its obligation, and objecting

to the law of the Prophet s.”

The Eleventh Question

If you are asked “How many categories does ignorance [jahl]

have?” say: “Ignorance has two categories: compound ignorance

[jahl murakkab] and simple ignorance [jahl basit]. The former is to

believe about a thing that is contrary to how it really is, and the

latter, unlike compound ignorance, is a simple lack of

comprehension regarding a thing.”

The Twelfth Question

If you are asked “What are the conditions of Iman?” say: “Iman

has ten conditions: fear of Allah’s punishment, hope in Allah’s

grace, love for Allah’s friends, hatred for Allah’s enemies,

yearning for Allah’s beatific vision, reverence for those whom

Allah has honored, scorn for those who are indifferent to Allah,

satisfaction with Allah’s preordainment, wariness of Allah’s

plotting [makr], and gratitude for Allah’s bounties.”

The Thirteenth Question

If you are asked “How many categories does faith have?” say:

“Faith is divided into five categories: [1] imprinted faith, which

is the faith of the angels (and it neither increases nor

decreases), [2] acquired faith, which is the faith of the believers

(and it increases with obedience and decreases with

disobedience), [3] infallible faith, which is the faith of the

Prophets (it neither increases nor decreases), [4] halted faith,

which is the faith of innovators from the Umma of Muhammad

s, and [5] rejected faith, which is the faith of the disbelievers

among the Jews and Christians and others.”

The Fourteenth Question

If you are asked “From where is the word wudu’ derived?” say:

“Wudu’ is derived from the word wada’ah [illumination]. Now,

wada’ah stems from cleanliness [nazafa]; cleanliness stems from

temperance [‘iffa]; temperance stems from gnosis [ma’rifa];

gnosis stems from learning; learning stems from the intellect

[‘aql]; and the intellect is a gift bestowed by Allah, the Exalted

and Sublime.”

The Fifteenth Question

If you are asked “Does Allah exist within concrete entities

[physically] or does He exist conceptually?” say: “If you say that

He exists within a concrete entity then you are guilty of

disbelief [kufr], and if you say that He exists conceptually then

you are also guilty of disbelief—for if He existed within

concrete entities He would be looked upon [seen], and if He

existed conceptually He would be limited. The correct thing is

for you to say that He exists everywhere.”

The Sixteenth Question

If you are asked “Is iman acknowledgement [iqrar] or guidance

[hidaya]?” say: “It is both. Acknowledgement is the act of the

servant, and guidance is the act of the Lord.”

The Seventeenth Question

If you are asked “Is iman gatheredness [jama’] or separation

[tafriq]?” say: “It is gatheredness from Allah and separation with

respect to creation, and gatheredness in the heart and

separation upon the bodily limbs.”

The Eighteenth Question

If you are asked “Are you outside of Islam, or is Islam outside

of you?” say: “I am in Islam, and Islam is inside of me.”

The Nineteenth Question

If you are asked “On the night of the miraculous journey [Isra’],

did the Messenger [of Allah s] witness the Lord with his

physical eyes [only] or with the eye of his heart and his physical

eyes together?” say: “He witnessed Him with the eye of his

heart and his physical eyes, there being no veil between him and

Allah—indeed he [s] was [as Allah said] at a distance of two bows’

lengths or nearer.”

The Twentieth Question

If you are asked “How many categories of hearts are there?” say:

“Hearts are divided into three categories: a slaughtered heart

[qalb madhbuh], an outcast heart [qalb matruh], and an expanded

heart [qalb mashruh]—and some add another category, a

lacerated heart [qalb majruh], which is the heart of an apostate.

Other categories of hearts include: a knowing heart, a penitent

heart, and an avid heart. The knowing heart is the heart that is

attached to gnosis of Allah; the penitent heart is the heart that

is attached to the Hereafter; and the avid heart is the heart that

is attached to the lower world. With regard to the other hearts:

the slaughtered heart is the heart of a disbeliever; the outcast

heart is the heart of the hypocrite; and the expanded heart is

the heart of the believer.”

The Twenty-first Question

If you asked “Are there one or two types of intellect?” say:

“There are two types of intellect: the bestowed intellect and the

acquired intellect. The bestowed intellect is the intellect that

Allah Most High gives to His knowing servants, by which they

distinguish truth from falsehood. The acquired intellect is what

is gained through learning from the masters.”

The Twenty-second Question

If you are asked “What is the definition of intention [niyya]?”

say: “In reality, it is a ruling that pertains to a specific time and

place, with a preconditioned method and laudable aim. For it

to be sound three things must be observed: purpose [qasd],

certainty [yaqin], and specification of it [the act] as an

obligation [farida]. Its reality is to intend X and Y

simultaneously. Now, if there is a slight delay [between the

two] then it is called ‘resolve’ [‘azm]. The ruling on the

intention is that it is obligatory. Its locus is the heart and its

time is in the beginning of the devotional acts. Its method is to

distinguish—for you to distinguish between Zuhr and ‘Asr, for

instance. Its conditions are [1] that it manifest between the ‘A’

of ‘Allah’ and the ‘r’ of akbar [when saying Allahu akbar in the

opening of the prayer], and [2] that you intend the act for the

sake of the Creator and not creation, and [3] that you specify

whether the action is obligatory or supererogatory.”

The Twenty-third Question

If you are asked “Is it [the intention] a passing thought [khatira]

or is it settled?” say: “In the Law it is considered a khatira

because it is to be observed by the heart during the times of

prayer, but in reality it is settled and does not leave the heart.”

The Twenty-fourth Question

If you are asked “Is it [the intention] an accident [‘arad] or

substance [jawhar]?” say: “It is an accident among accidents—

and the accident of something is its coloring.”

The Twenty-fifth Question

If you are asked “Is the intention an accident with respect to

the Creator, or is it an accident with respect to creation?” say:

“It is an accident with respect to creation only, and not an

accident with respect to the Creator, because He—the Exalted

and Sublime—is transcendent beyond all things and Self-

sufficient and free of need from all things.”

The Twenty-sixth Question

If you are asked “What did our master Muhammad s say in

the closing supplication of the prayer before Jibril e

descended and revealed to him the tahiyyat greeting?” say: “He

would recite the ‘pious and abiding’ [al-baqiyat al-salihat] phrases,

which are ‘Exalted is Allah beyond imperfections’ [subhanAllah],

‘all praise is due to Allah’ [al-hamdulilLah], ‘there is no god but

Allah’ [la ilaha illa Allah], ‘Allah is the Greatest’ [Allahu akbar], and

‘there is no might or power save by Allah, the Exalted and

Magnificent’ [la hawla wa la quwwata illa bil-Lah al-‘Ali al-‘Azim]. He

would also send prayers and salutations upon himself directly—

and his prayer was [always] correct and complete.”

The Twenty-seventh Question

If you are asked “Where does a believer’s iman go after he passes

on to Allah’s mercy [i.e., after he dies]?” say: “If you reply that

it goes with his soul [ruh] you have lied, and if you say that it

remains with his corpse you have lied as well. What is correct is

for you to say that faith is a light that is connected to the body

and the soul, just as the sun is in the heavens and its light is on

the earth.”

The Twenty-eighth Question

If you are asked “How many obligations are due upon the

person who reaches the age of maturity?” say: “There are eight

obligations: to know Allah (Exalted and Sublime is He), to

know the Messenger s, to know what he brought [of beliefs],

to have knowledge [of one’s legal duties], to practice [that

knowledge], and to know Islam, certainty, and sincerity.”

The Twenty-ninth Question

If you are asked “What are the pillars of Islam?” say: “There are

sixteen [fifteen?] pillars: [1] the testification that there is no

god but Allah, who is Alone and without partner, and [2] the

testification that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger,

[3] the establishment of the prayer, [4] the payment of Zakat,

[5] the fast in the month of Ramadan, [6] pilgrimage to Allah’s

Inviolable House (for those who are able), [7] jihad in the way

of Allah, [8] the full bath taken after intimate relations [ghusl],

[9] the enjoinment of the good and [10] forbiddance of evil,

[11] love for the righteous and [12] enmity for the wrongdoers,

[13] subduing of anger [14] and pardoning of boorish behavior,

and [15] kindness toward slaves.”

The Thirtieth Question

If you are asked “What is the obligation that knowledge of

which is also an obligation?” say: “Knowledge of Allah Most

High.”

The Thirty-first Question

If you are asked “Who is the one in whom it is obligatory to

have faith, and who [at the same time] brought that

obligation?” say: “It is Muhammad s.”

The Thirty-second Question

If you are asked “What is the obligation by which the obligatory

is established?” say: “Seeking knowledge.”

The Thirty-third Question

If you are asked “What is the obligation that is encompassed in

another obligation?” say: “The full bath taken after intimate

relations [ghusl].”

The Thirty-fourth Question

If you are asked “What is the sunna that stands in place of the

obligation” say: “The wudu’ that is performed prior to the full

bath [ghusl].”

The Thirty-fifth Question

If you are asked “How should one face the Qibla?” say: “He

should face it while observing three obligations and one sunna.

The obligations are: having an intention, facing the Qibla, and

uttering the opening takbir. The sunna of it is to raise the hands

at the time of the opening takbir.”

The Thirty-sixth Question

If you are asked “What is the difference between a Messenger,

a Prophet, and a saint?” say: “A Messenger is free human male

who has reached forty years of age and who has received,

through divine revelation, a law that he is ordered to convey to

others. A Prophet is a free human male who has reached forty

years of age and who has received, through divine revelation, a

law that he is not ordered to convey to others. A saint is one

whose states, statements, and actions are in accordance with

the Book, the Sunna, and consensus [ijma’]. These states refer

to the states of the heart; the statements refer to statements

upon the tongue; and the actions refer to actions of the bodily

limbs. The Book referred to here is the Book of Allah; the

Sunna refers to the wont of His Prophet Muhammad s; and

the consensus refers to the unanimous agreement of the Imams

and scholars.”

The Thirty-seventh Question

If you are asked “What are the conditions of invocation

[dhikr]?” say: “Its conditions are four: seeking the Real [Allah],

turning away from creation, visualising your Shaykh in front of

you, and remaining still like an unmoving corpse.”

The Thirty-eighth Question

If you are asked “Which comes first, will or command?” say:

“Will comes before command, as the Most High said, ‘When He

wills something He says only to it “Be” and it is.’”

The Thirty-ninth Question

If you are asked “Is mercy [rahma] created or uncreated?” say:

“It is created.”

The Fortieth Question

If you are asked “What is the difference between the Creator

and the created?” say: “The Creator is neither composite nor

divisible, and He has no opposite [didd]—He is Allah, the One,

Exalted and Transcendent is He! As for the created things,

they are composite and divisible into parts, and they are in utter

need, and have an opposite, which is extinction.”

The Forty-first Question

If you are asked “How many types of passing thoughts

[khawatir] are there?” say: “There are five types of passing

thoughts. There are the passing thoughts that come from

Satan—and he enjoins naught save sinfulness, tumult, error,

and misgivings. Then there are the passing thoughts that come

from the ego [nafs], and it enjoins naught save base passions and

evil acts. Then there are the passing thoughts that come from

an angel, and an angel enjoins naught save obedience and

goodness. There are passing thoughts that come from creation

[humans], and they enjoin naught save cravings. And then

there are passing thoughts that come from the Creator

(Glorified and Exalted is He!)—and He is a Merciful Lord

who conceals [faults]. To Him is the creation and the

command, Sublime and Exalted is He!”

The Forty-second Question

If you are asked “What is the definition of a faqir?” say: “A faqir

is defined by four things: by the inculcation of Allah’s character

within himself [al-takhalluq bi akhlaqi-lLah], by compliance with

Allah’s commands, by remaining in a state of expansion

through richness in Allah, and by gaining victory over his ego

out of shyness before Allah.”

The Forty-third Question

If you are asked “What are the conditions for one to be a faqir?”

say: “The word faqir consists of four letters: fa’, qaf, ya’, and ra’.

The fa’ stands for his fleeing [firar] from selfish interests; the

qaf stands for his contentment [qana’a] with the provision he is

granted; the ya’ stands for his relinquishment [ya’s] of craving

what others possess; and the ra’ stands for his satisfaction [rida]

with what is decreed for him or against him.”

The Forty-fourth Question

If you are asked “How many types of faqirs are there?” say:

“There are four types of faqirs. [1] There is the faqir of spiritual

state and statement, and he is the knower of Allah who is made

to tread the path of guidance. [2] There is the faqir of spiritual

state only (and not statement), and he is the one who is

enraptured [majdhub]. [3] There is the faqir of statement only

(and not spiritual state), and he is of those who say with their

tongues what is not in their hearts. [4] And there is the faqir

bereft of both spiritual state and statement, and he is the one

who is void of all goodness.”

The Forty-fifth Question

If you are asked “What are the conditions for one to be

described as rational [‘aqil]?” say: “There are three conditions:

he must have self-control when angry, self-control when

confronted with desires, and he must leave that which does not

concern him, even though he is fully capable of engaging in it.”

The Forty-sixth Question

If you are asked “How can a saint be recognized?” say: “A saint

can be recognized by five things: sound knowledge about Allah

Most High and His Messenger [s], sound spiritual taste, lofty

spiritual ambition, discerning spiritual insight, and a

contended soul.”

The Forty-seventh Question

If you are asked “What is the condition of an enraptured

person [majdhub]?” say: “The enraptured person is one whom

Allah has pulled away from the shadows of darkness and into

the light; whom Allah has rescued from heedlessness and

delivered unto wakefulness; whom Allah has moved from the

station of striving to the station of witnessing; and whom He

has plunged into the sea of His divine outpouring and brought

to the station of intimacy.”

The Forty-eighth Question

If you are asked “What are the prerequisites of a jurist [faqih]?”

say: “The word faqih consists of four letters: fa’, qaf, ya’, and ha’.

The letter fa’ stands for his understanding [fahm] of the Life to

Come and his profound knowledge of the religion. The letter

qaf stands for his fulfilment [qiyam] of what Allah has made

obligatory upon him. The letter ya’ stands for his certainty

[yaqin] that his sole focus is Allah. And the letter ha’ stands for

his fleeing [harib] from Allah’s chastisement and return to

Him.”

The Forty-ninth Question

If you are asked “How many categories does invocation [dhikr]

have?” say: “Invocation has three categories: Nasut, Lahut, and

Malakut.”1

The Fiftieth Question

If you are asked “What are the fruits of invocation?” say: “Its

fruits are three things: [1] deliberateness [tahdid], affirmation of

divine unity [tawhid], and experiential affirmation of Allah’s

oneness [tafrid], [2] ultimate reality, and [3] giving of one’s soul

freely in obedience to Allah Most High.”

1 Regarding the terms Nasut, Lahut, and Malakut, Sidi Ahmad b. Ibn ‘Ajiba

says in his lexicon of Sufi terms Mi’raj al-tashawwuf:

The Mulk (Kingdom) is the sensory aspect of existence, the

Malakut (Sovereign Realm) is what is concealed in it of

spiritual meanings. . .The Nasut [human nature] is the sensory

aspect of the vessels [awani], while the Lahut [divine nature]

refers to the secrets of their meanings. Thus the Nasut

pertains to the Mulk, and the Lahut pertains to the Malakut.

(Ahmad Ibn ‘Ajiba, Mi’raj al-tashawwuf ila haqa’iq al-tasawwuf, §§58–59.)

The Fifty-first Question

If you are asked “What was Allah’s Name before the existence

of created beings?” say: “His Name was Allah, since He has

said, ‘He is Allah, besides whom there is no other god.’”

The Fifty-second Question

If you are asked “What is the meaning of Islam?” say: “Islam

means surrender [istislam]; surrender means submission

[inqiyad]; submission is following [ittiba’]; and following means

compliance to Allah’s command, avoidance of His

prohibitions, truthfulness in the heart, and good-mannered

speech upon the tongue.”

The Fifty-third Question

If you are asked “What are the foundations of Islam?” say: “The

foundations of Islam are five: [1] maturity, [2] intellect, [3]

uttering the testimony ‘There is no god but Allah’ and [4]

‘Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger,’ and [5] ensuring that both

are said in succession without interruption, unlike what is

required of the adolescent.”

The Fifty-fourth Question

If you are asked “What are the branches of Islam?” say: “The

branches of Islam consist of fifty issues, all of which are

encompassed by seven principles:

[1] Holding fast to the Book of Allah Most High, [2] emulating

the Sunna of Allah’s Messenger s, [3] keeping one’s self from

harming others, [4] consuming what is lawful [halal] and

avoiding what is unlawful [haram], [6] redressing wrongs done

to others, and [7] repentance from neglect of the Prophetic

Sunna.

“These are followed by five things:

[1] having a deep understanding of the religion, [2] possessing

strength in certitude, [3] giving charity in times of scarcity, [4]

having strength borne from weakness, [5] and pardoning others

when one is able to exact retribution.

“And these are followed by five things:

[1] having love for the Majestic [Allah], [2] following the

Divine Revelation, [3] fearing a change of heart, [4] readying

one’s self for journey of death, and [5] faith in what the

Messenger s has brought.

“And these are followed by five things: [1] knowing Allah Most

High, [2] knowing the stratagems of Satan, [3] striving against

the ego, [4] being sincere in good deeds, [5] and being in

conformity with the Prophetic Sunna.

“And these are followed by five things: [1] love for one’s

brethren, [2] upholding the rights of one’s neighbors, [3]

shunning slander, [4] detesting the plots of Satan, [5] and

giving charity with the intention of lengthening one’s life.

“And these are followed by five things: [1] seeking refuge with

Allah, [2] having truthfulness with Allah, [3] relying upon

Allah, [4] fearing Allah and being grateful to Him, [5] and

sincerely obeying Allah.

“And these are followed by five things:

[1] having pity for the poor, [2] being compassionate with those

who strive, [3] distancing one’s self from those who lead others

astray, [4] yearning in the religion, [5] and keeping a firm

connection with the devout servants and righteous people who

do pious works.”

The Fifty-fifth Question

If you are asked “What are the rulings of Islam?” say: “Islam

has five rulings: [1] speaking a truthful word, [2] performing

acts of obedience, [3] keeping promises, [4] ruling with justice,

[5] and following the Prophetic Sunna.”

The Fifty-sixth Question

If you are asked “What are the sources of Islam?” say: “Islam’s

sources are five: [1] a source from which all other sources

originate—and that is Real [Allah], Glorified and Exalted is

He; [2] a source that brings other sources—and that is Jibril,

who would come to our master Muhammad s and all other

Messengers with revealed laws; [3] a source to whom comes the

sources—and that is our master Muhammad s and the

Prophets prior to him; [4] a source from which other sources

branch out—and that is the Quran; [5] and then there is a

source to which all sources return—and that is divine unity

[tawhid].”

The Fifty-seventh Question

If you are asked “What are the prerequisites for being among

the Sufis?” say: “The Sufi is the one whose inner-self is purified,

whose spiritual vision is illumined, whose spiritual ambition is

lofty, whose wisdom is articulated, and whose spiritual rank is

exalted. The Sufi is the one who learns sacred knowledge and

teaches it to others, and who seeks it from Allah and no one

else. The Sufi must adopt the quality of satisfaction [with the

Divine], and must tread the path and tend carefully to his travel

companion, guidance, and spiritual realization. He must do

good works and shun evil deeds. He must limit mundane

fraternization. He must exert himself in pious and elevated

deeds, and must show propriety [adab] with his Shaykh and his

brethren—safeguarding his heart and overpowering his satanic

consort. He must never criticize his Shaykh. He must have a

clean heart toward the brethren and treat them well.”

The Fifty-eighth Question

If you are asked “What is the path of the People of Allah?” say:

“It is the path that consists of preventing the self from

everything that it craves, averting ignorance by knowledge,

speaking with understanding, and seeking aid through the

remembrance of Allah, the Exalted and Sublime.

The Fifty-ninth Question

If you are asked “What is love?” say: “Love is a seed that sprouts

from the soil of hearts—were it placed in the oceans they would

boil over, and were it placed atop mountains they would vanish,

and were it placed upon trees they would become engulfed in

flames, and were it placed in hearts they would be ripped to

shreds. This seed of love is two types: a type that is for Allah

(and it is the type that is connected), and a type that is for other

than Allah (and it is the type that is disconnected).”

The Sixtieth Question

If you are asked “What are the principles of divine unity

[tawhid]?” say: “The principles of divine unity are four: [1]

Saying ‘He is Allah, the One. . .’ negates multiplicity and number;

saying ‘Allah, the Eternally Self-subsistent. . .’ negates partnership,

similarity, and opposites; saying ‘He neither begets nor is He begotten.

. .’ negates [intrinsic] cause and effect; and saying ‘and there is

nothing whatsoever like unto Him’ negates resemblance and

likeness.”

The Sixty-first Question

If you are asked “What is the meaning of La ilaha illa Allah?” say:

“It means there is nothing worshipped in truth except Allah,

who is free of needing anything ‘other than Him,’ while

everything besides Him is in need of Him.”

The Sixty-second Question

If you are asked “Is the statement La ilaha illa Allah one of

affirmation or negation?” say: “It is comprised of both

affirmation and negation. It negates partnership and affirms

faith [in Allah]—May Allah make it our final statement and

benefit us with it on the Day of our resurrection and reckoning.

Amin! O Allah! Answer our prayers. And our final call is: all

praises are due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!”

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