The Danger of Being Deceived by Extraordinary States
One of the most common traps into which many who embark on the path of Sufism (taṣawwuf) and spirituality fall is to expect extraordinary states (karāma, a saintly wonder) or spiritual unveilings in return for their acts of worship and obedience. ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Geylānī (may Allah sanctify his secret) describes this dangerous expectation as a "ḥijāb" (a veil between the qalb [the heart] and Allah). "Do not seek things of the nature of karāma and miracle... Do not desire to possess karāma and thereby distress the awliyāʾ (friends of God). If you wish to be near to the Truth (Allah) and to find the state of intimate discourse with Him, act thus." A person who performs acts of worship for egotistical desires such as flying in the air, walking on water, or reading people's minds is, in reality, not worshipping Allah but serving the ambition of their own nafs (the lower self) for greatness. This is among the most insidious illnesses of the spiritual journey.
The True Maqām is "Uprightness" (Istiqāma)
When one looks at the lives of the great spiritual masters and the perfected awliyāʾ (walī / awliyāʾ, friends of God), it is seen that they never pursued karāma; on the contrary, they would avoid karāma as much as possible. The real karāma is to not deviate even a hair's breadth from Allah's commands despite every kind of hardship and the assaults of the nafs and shayṭān (Satan); that is, to be upon "istiqāma" (uprightness). The awliyāʾ of former times, if a karāma manifested at their hands, would be extremely embarrassed by it and would conceal it. For they knew that the greatest aim of a human being is to be a servant worthy of their Lord, not to put on a show. To discipline the nafs, to break pride, to beautify character, and to attain the riḍā (contentment with God's decree) of the Truth (Allah) is a thousand times more valuable and an eternal gain compared to flying in the skies.
The Necessity of Preserving Ikhlāṣ in Deeds
It is good for a servant to experience delight in their acts of worship or for certain spiritual lights to arise in their qalb (the heart); however, for these to become an "aim" in themselves damages ikhlāṣ (sincerity). Al-Geylānī (may Allah sanctify his secret) expresses in clear terms that servanthood must be without expectation, saying: "Do not trouble the prophets by seeking miracles. Do not desire to possess karāma and thereby distress the awliyāʾ (friends of God)." If a servant worships day and night, they must do so solely because Allah has commanded it and He alone is worthy of it. If one falls in love with karāma and complains, "Why can I still not see anything?", this is the clearest evidence that they are still in the spiritual childhood phase. A mature believer is in love not with karāma, but with their Lord.