BEŞİNCİ BAB · İKİNCİ FASIL · Yedinci Madde
**Seventh Point**
Concerning the most beautiful and easiest method for purifying the heart and disciplining the soul.
Beloved! Know that the friends of Allah have said: There exists a truly devoted seeker who turns away from all things other than God, directing himself towards the Divine Essence. He does not befriend anyone, even if it were Khidr, because the light of wisdom shining in the heart is like a candle burning in a five-door house. Just as, in the aforementioned parable, if all five doors are closed, that candle burns comfortably; the house is illuminated by its light. But if one of those closed doors opens, the burning candle extinguishes; and the household remains dark until dawn.
The state of wisdom in the heart through the five senses is also like the candle lit to illuminate the house as mentioned above with those five doors. If the heart turns away completely from that which is perceived by the five senses—namely, pleasures of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste—and forgets all desires, then drops of wisdom arising from the heart flow forth onto the tongue in a torrent. This light of wisdom is such that the Exalted One has said: “When light descends upon the heart, it expands and finds relief.” And He announced that the sign of its entry is to withdraw from this abode of deception (the realm of pride) and turn towards the abode of eternity (the realm of permanence).
If the heart inclines toward what is perceived by the senses, seeing, smelling, touching, or tasting, then the light of wisdom extinguishes. The house of the soul remains dark in the gloom of its nature until dawn. What emerges clearly from these explanations is that the aspect of the heart which looks towards the world of testimony (manifestation) is through the five external senses. For the heart can only access what it perceives from this visible world through those very senses. The aspect of the heart which looks toward the unseen realm, however, occurs through the five faculties of the soul, by means of which it perceives that which exists in the unseen realm. As has been explained previously regarding this matter.
Until the soul attains perfect purity, it turns towards one of the two realms and turns away from the other. Afterwards, it will not be possible for it to turn towards both realms simultaneously. For this world of testimony is very far from the Real (God) and is worthless and insignificant in His sight.
If the soul gives value to it and completely abandons the unseen realm, then that soul becomes an animal with a human form. Therefore, you will see him eating and drinking like an animal, sleeping much, and being enslaved by his anger and desires. His hostility and quarrels will be abundant; he does not consider where things will lead. Condemned to ignorance and heedlessness [329/b], he is constantly occupied with empty and useless matters (mālāyāni).
If a soul reflects upon its Beloved and inclines towards Him, avoids the forbidden acts that Allah has prohibited, fulfills His commands, overcomes the desires of its self by being content with what is destined for it—that is, abstaining from excessive eating and drinking and being satisfied with one hundred dirhams of sustenance per day and night, refraining from excessive sleep and being content with four hours of sleep in twenty-four hours—speaks only good when speaking and protects his tongue from unnecessary talk, turns towards the unseen realm and returns to Him with all his being, then he will not pass through both realms but will possess the qualities of both in a balanced measure. He will progress upon the right path, acquiring the attributes of angels. His anger and desires become obedient slaves to him. The darkness of the self and ignorance are transformed, making him worthy of bearing the sacred trust, and he becomes superior to all others.
For anger and desire are like dense matter clinging to the back of a mirror for the soul, which is common to humans and angels. Just as shapes do not appear on the mirror unless it is free from that dense matter, divine manifestations do not appear in the soul unless it is completely surrounded by anger and desire. However, this only occurs if anger and desire are brought under the control of reason and religion, protected from all excess and transgression, becoming balanced and worthy of praise. Although humans have been named cruel and ignorant because of anger and desire, they become a cause for bearing the sacred trust when they are protected by reason and religion. It is because humankind is endowed with these two important afflictions—anger and desire—that it accepted to bear the trust that the heavens, the earth, and the mountains feared taking on. As stated in the Noble Qur’an: “He placed it [the trust] upon man. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant.” (Al-Ahzab 33/72)
Therefore, the perfect human who overcomes his anger and desires is the heir to the sacred trust that Adam carried. For he has become the most noble of this world with the distinction of “Indeed, I will create a vicegerent on earth” (Al-Baqarah 2/30).
As for the person who is overcome by his anger and desires and becomes their slave, he is an animal in human form. Perhaps that animal is better than him. For he is neither accountable nor does he rebel nor is he punished or sent to hell.
The seeker of the right path overcomes his anger and desires. He possesses high aspiration in his heart. He knows the value of a noble soul and rescues it from descending into the mire of animals, elevating it. Thus, the soul turns away from inclinations towards animal and vegetable (nebâtî) levels. Through wakefulness at night, silence, seclusion, remembrance, and reflection, his degree rises, progressing to the position of Allah’s vicegerent on earth. For there is no room in his expanding breast for disbelief and ignorance so that fear and sorrow may find a place within him. The low qualities inherent in all humans do not remain with him, so sin does not emanate from him. Thus, that perfect human becomes blessed with the bliss of the afterlife, and he is successful.
Here's the translation of the provided text:
What a spirit it is that has become perpetually intoxicated with the world! What wine is this love, whose cup became the world?
What fish is this that falls into the universe’s hook? What grain or bird is it that falls into the world’s snare?
The heart attained to that daybreak wherein days are nights. It beheld that luminous face wherein nights are the world.
Leave behind the shadows of the transient realm and come to the heart. Discover that light which has become shadow and darkness for the world.
My unruly self has surrendered and bowed in obedience. Awaken, for the world has bowed in truth to it.
If you are a slave of love, then the world becomes your slave. For the king of love’s slave is a slave to the world.
He relinquished all desires, so that Truth became triumphant. Thus, at every moment, it returns to its perfect state—the world.