Chapter X: , No. 34

And Ḥuṣrí says: _Al-Ṣúfí la yújadu ba`da `adamihi wa-lá yu`damu ba`da wujúdihi_, “The Ṣúfí is he whose existence is without non-existence and his non-existence without existence,” i.e. he never loses that which he finds, and he never finds that which he loses. Another meaning is this, that his finding (_yáft_) has no not-finding (_ná-yáft_), and his not-finding has no finding at any time, so that there is either an affirmation without negation or a negation without affirmation. The object of all these expressions is that the Ṣúfí’s state of mortality should entirely lapse, and that his bodily feelings (_shawáhid_) should disappear and his connexion with everything be cut off, in order that the mystery of his mortality may be revealed and his various parts united in his essential self, and that he may subsist through and in himself. The effect of this can be shown in two Apostles: firstly, Moses, in whose existence there was no non-existence, so that he said: “_O Lord, enlarge my breast and make my affair easy unto me_” (Kor. xx, 26, 27); secondly, the Apostle (Muḥammad), in whose non-existence there was no existence, so that God said: “_Did not We enlarge thy breast?_” (Kor. xciv, 1). The one asked for adornment and sought honour, but the other was adorned, since he had no request to make for himself.

And `Alí b. Bundár al-Ṣayrafí of Níshápúr says: _Al-taṣawwuf isqáṭ al-ru´yat li-´l-ḥaqq ẕáhir^{an} wa-báṭin^{an}_, “Ṣúfiism is this, that the Ṣúfí should not regard his own exterior and interior, but should regard all as belonging to God.” Thus, if you look at the exterior, you will find an outward sign of God’s blessing, and, as you look, outward actions will not have the weight even of a gnat’s wing beside the blessing of God, and you will cease from regarding the exterior; and again, if you look at the interior, you will find an inward sign of God’s aid, and, as you look, inward actions will not turn the scale by a single grain in comparison with the aid of God, and you will cease from regarding the interior, and will see that all belongs to God; and when you see that all is God’s, you will see that you yourself have nothing.

Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Muqrí[39] says: _Al-taṣawwuf istiqámat al-aḥwál ma`a ´l-ḥaqq_, “Ṣúfiism is the maintenance of right states with God,” i.e. “states” do not seduce the Ṣúfí from his (right) state, nor cast him into wrong, since he whose heart is devoted to the Author of states (_muḥawwil-i aḥwál_) is not cast down from the rank of rectitude nor hindered from attaining to the Truth.

Footnote 39:

Died in 366 A.H. See _Nafaḥát_, No. 332.

SECTION.

_Maxims of Conduct_ (_mu`ámalát_).

Abú Ḥafṣ Ḥaddád of Níshápúr says: _Al-taṣawwuf kulluhu ádáb^{un} li-kulli waqt^{in} adab^{un} wa-li-kulli maqám^{in} adab^{un} wa-li-kulli ḥál^{in} adab^{un} fa-man lazima ádáb al-awqát balagha mablagh_ _al-rijál fa-man ḍayya`a ´l-ádáb fa-huwa ba`íd^{un} min ḥaythu yaẕunnu ´l-qurb wa-mardúd^{un} min ḥaythu yaẕunnu ´l-qabúl_, “Ṣúfiism consists entirely of behaviour; every time, place, and circumstance have their own propriety; he that observes the proprieties of each occasion attains to the rank of holy men; and he that neglects the proprieties is far removed from the thought of nearness (to God) and is excluded from imagining that he is acceptable to God.” The meaning of this is akin to the dictum of Abu ´l-Ḥasan Núrí: _Laysa ´l-taṣawwuf rusúm^{an} wa-lá `ulúm^{an} wa-lákinnahu akhláq^{un}_, “Ṣúfiism is not composed of practices and sciences, but it is morals,” i.e. if it consisted of practices, it could be acquired by effort, and if it consisted of sciences, it could be gained by instruction: hence it is morals, and it is not acquired until you demand from yourself the principles of morals, and make your actions square with them, and fulfil their just claims. The distinction between practices (_rusúm_) and morals (_akhláq_) is this, that practices are ceremonial actions proceeding from certain motives, actions devoid of reality, so that their form is at variance with their spirit, whereas morals are praiseworthy actions without ceremony or motive, actions devoid of pretension, so that their form is in harmony with their spirit.

Murta`ish says: _Al-taṣawwuf ḥusn al-khulq_, “Ṣúfiism is good nature.” This is of three sorts: firstly, towards God, by fulfilling His Commandments without hypocrisy; secondly, towards men, by paying respect to one’s superiors and behaving with kindness to one’s inferiors and with justice to one’s equals, and by not seeking recompense and justice from men in general; and thirdly, towards one’s self, by not following the flesh and the devil. Whoever makes himself right in these three matters is a good-natured man. This which I have mentioned agrees with a story told of `Á´isha the veracious (_ṣiddiqa_)—may God be well-pleased with her! She was asked concerning the nature of the Apostle. “Read from the Koran,” she replied, “for God has given information in the place where He says: ‘_Use_ _indulgence and order what is good and turn away from the ignorant_’ (Kor. vii, 198).” And Murta`ish also says: _Hádhá madhhab^{un} kulluhu jidd^{un} fa-lá takhliṭúhu bi-shay´^{in} min al-hazl_, “This religion of Ṣúfiism is wholly earnest, therefore do not mix jest with it, and do not take the conduct of formalists (_mutarassimán_) as a model, and shun those who blindly imitate them.” When the people see these formalists among the aspirants to Ṣúfiism in our time, and become aware of their dancing and singing and visiting the court of sultans and quarrelling for the sake of a pittance or a mouthful of food, their belief in the whole body of Ṣúfís is corrupted, and they say: “These are the principles of Ṣúfiism, and the tenets of the ancient Ṣúfís were just the same.” They do not recognize that this is an age of weakness and an epoch of affliction. Consequently, since greed incites the sultan to acts of tyranny, and lust incites the savant to commit adultery and fornication, and ostentation incites the ascetic to hypocrisy, and vanity incites the Ṣúfí also to dance and sing—you must know that the evil lies in the men who hold the doctrines, not in the principles on which the doctrines are based; and that if some scoffers disguise their folly in the earnestness of true mystics (_aḥrár_), the earnestness of the latter is not thereby turned to folly. And Abú `Alí Qarmíni[40] says: _Al-taṣawwuf huwa ´l-akhláq al-raḍiyyat_, “Ṣúfiism is good morals.” Approved actions are such that the creature in all circumstances approves of God, and is content and satisfied. Abu ´l Ḥasan Núrí says: _Al-taṣawwuf huwa ´l-ḥurriyyat wa-´l-futuwwat wa-tark al-taklíf wa-´l-sakhá wa-badhl al-dunyá_, “Ṣúfiism is liberty, so that a man is freed from the bonds of desire; and generosity,” i.e. he is purged from the conceit of generosity; “and abandonment of useless trouble,” i.e. he does not strive after appurtenances and rewards; “and munificence,” i.e. he leaves this world to the people of this world.

Footnote 40:

IJ. Qazwíní. B. Abú `Alí Kirmánsháhí Qurayshí. The Shaykh in question
is probably Muẕaffar Kirmánsháhí Qarmíní (_Nafaḥát_, No. 270).

And Abu ´l-Ḥasan Fúshanja[41]—may God have mercy on him!—says: _Al-taṣawwuf al-yawma ´sm^{un} wa-lá ḥaqíqat^{un} wa-qad kána ḥaqíqat^{an} wa-la ´sm^{an}_, “To-day Ṣúfiism is a name without a reality, but formerly it was a reality without a name,” i.e. in the time of the Companions and the Ancients—may God have mercy on them!—this name did not exist, but the reality thereof was in everyone; now the name exists, but not the reality. That is to say, formerly the practice was known and the pretence unknown, but nowadays the pretence is known and the practice unknown.

Footnote 41:

Generally written “Fúshanjí”. See _Nafaḥát_, No. 279.

I have brought together and examined in this chapter on Ṣúfiism a number of the sayings of the Shaykhs, in order that this Path may become clear to you—God grant you felicity!—and that you may say to the sceptics: “What do you mean by denying the truth of Ṣúfiism?” If they deny only the name it is no matter, since ideas are unrelated to things which bear names; and if they deny the essential ideas, this amounts to a denial of the whole Sacred Law of the Apostle and his praised qualities. And I enjoin you in this book—God grant you the felicity with which He has blessed His Saints!—to hold these ideas in due regard and satisfy their just claims, so that you may refrain from idle pretensions and have an excellent belief in the Ṣúfís themselves. It is God that gives success.