BEŞİNCİ BAB · BİRİNCİ FASIL · Altıncı Madde
Sixth Point
It is the very attainment of perfection to cleanse the self from vices (tahliye; with the Arabic “h” sound) and adorn the heart with good character traits (tahliye; with the Arabic "h" sound). It is impossible to attain that perfection without embarking on the path of *seyru sulūk* [spiritual practice]. Progressing along the way of the *muqarrabūn* [those brought near to God] is the most honorable conduct, and it is the most important means of reaching the presence of the Lord of Majesty.
O esteemed one! Know that the friends of Allah have said: To desire perfection is the most honorable characteristic of a person. The origin of perfection lies in first removing foreign elements from the heart and soul (tahliye), then adorning it (tahliye). That is, to purify the heart from undesirable animalistic traits. It is to adorn the spirit with admirable divine qualities, thereby finding nearness and friendship with Him.
As for those undesirable, ugly traits, they are ignorance, anger, self-admiration (*'ujūb*), ostentation, animosity, envy (*hasad*), arrogance (*kibr*), faultfinding in everyone, discontentment with divine decree (qada’), miserliness, pride, ambition for status, and love of the world. They are things like loving to be praised, fearing to be criticized, failing to keep one’s promises, harboring ill will towards others (*sū’-i zan*), yielding to desires (*hawā*), boasting, haste, and insatiable desires (*tūl-i emel*).
The commendable moral virtues are things like possessing knowledge, being gentle (mildness or forbearance – *hilm*), contemplation, truthfulness, joyfulness (*safā*), sincerity (*ikhlas*), self-accounting (*murakaba*), patience (*sabr*), gratitude (*shukr*), praising Allah in a fitting manner (*sanā*), asceticism (*zuhd*), reliance on God (*tawakkul*), entrusting one’s affairs to God (*tafvīz*), submission, acceptance of fate (qadar), reverence and tranquility (*huşū wa hunn*). It is to be possessed of sorrow, peace, and modesty (*hayā*), to be a listener of advice and exhortation, to be humble, tolerant, gentle, and agreeable. It is to love solitude, to be devoted to service, to love what one loves for the sake of God, generosity, preferring others over oneself, being compassionate and merciful, possessing nobility of character (*murūwa*), avoiding being disliked by people, keeping one’s promises, being sociable with people, exhibiting courtesy, making good wishes for everyone, concealing faults and shortcomings, and speaking of beauty that one sees. It is to be harmonious with friends, always placing one's status and beautiful qualities at the disposal of others as a gift, seeing oneself as low and insignificant, and honoring one’s friends. It is to be calm and dignified (*wakūr*). It is to prioritize another’s request over one’s own desires, and to keep one’s future plans brief – these are all beautiful qualities.
Therefore, the purpose of embarking on the Path [of God] is to purify the self from [the aforementioned] bad traits [320/b] and to attain maturity by adorning oneself with admirable qualities. For there are many undesirable animalistic vices in a person, and it is impossible to be rid of them all without entering the path of the *muqarrabūn*. The seeker who desires to enter the way of the *muqarrabūn* is first commanded to uproot arrogance and selfishness from his heart, for they are the root of all bad character traits.
As it has been said: “Indeed, Our path only corrects and beautifies those who sweep away their selves.” Only then is one worthy of this path.
The origin of all bad qualities, which is like the mother of discord and corruption, is arrogance (*kibr*) and selfishness (*enāniyyat*), and their causes are listed in the following seven points:
The first cause leading to arrogance is knowledge: This is the greatest among all causes and its cure is the most difficult. For the degree of knowledge is highly esteemed both with God and in the eyes of people. Since acquiring knowledge is obligatory, one cannot abandon it, and this very quality that elevates it above all other things is what makes it dangerous.
The remedy for arrogance (stemming from knowledge) lies in two insights (*ma’rifat*). The first is to know that the value of knowledge comes about by acting upon what you have learned after having read with good intention, and striving to spread it freely, purely for God's sake. Otherwise, knowledge becomes a sin for its possessor and lowers his status below that of an ignorant person, leading him to severe punishment in the afterlife. How then can one be arrogant with knowledge?
The second insight is to know that arrogance and boastfulness are forbidden and harmful to people. Only Allah, the Sultan of dominion, possesses majesty; it is not fitting for created beings. If a scholar’s intention is sound and he acts upon his knowledge, his knowledge will only bring him reverence and tranquility, and through complete humility, he will follow the path of the prophets and saints. May God protect him from ever being arrogant or asserting self-importance towards anyone, for he sees himself as lower than all created beings.
The second cause leading to arrogance is worship: People become arrogant toward the sinful (*fāsiqūn*) because of it. This too stems from ignorance. The remedy for this is to know that the virtue of worship appears in proportion to having a sound intention and being free from hypocrisy (both outward and inward) and other corruptions. This, however, is quite difficult for people like us. Therefore, worshippers should beware of falling into such dangers that would spoil their acts of devotion, for it stems only from ignorance.
The third cause leading to arrogance is boasting through lineage: To boast about one’s ancestry is layered ignorance. As the Arabic verse says:
[Poem]
*Le in fahharte bi-āba-i zavi sharafin / Le-kad saddakte wa lākin bi’sa mā vuulidū*
(Translation)
If you boast of your ancestors who are of noble lineage, then you speak the truth, but how wretched were those they brought forth!
The fourth cause leading to arrogance is boasting through beauty: This is more common among women and is nothing but an illusion.
The arrogant person should not be deceived by the harmony and beauty of his outward features, lest he become veiled from the truth. Indeed, a human being is nothing but a drop of impure fluid (semen), which has passed from one channel to another. Then it joins with the menstrual blood. Eventually, the entity called "human" ends as putrid carrion, rotting within its grave; and between these two states, it can only be a carrier of filth. There is impurity in his ear, scurf in his eye, mucus in his nose, saliva in his mouth, blood in his veins, phlegm in his chest, yellow water in his body, excrement in his abdomen, and urine in his bladder. He goes to the lavatory at least once a day, touching filth with his hand. Yet these are all matters that demand humility. How can one boast or be arrogant about such things?
The fifth cause leading to arrogance is strength and power: To boast of this and become arrogant is utter ignorance. For some animals are superior to humans in terms of strength and power. Is it proper to boast about a quality that some animals possess more than humans do? Boasting about strength, which can be taken away by a single bout of fever, is merely an illusion.
The sixth cause leading to arrogance is the passion for wealth and possessions: To delight in worldly benefits and become preoccupied with them is also one of the greatest examples of ignorance. For wealth can quickly slip from one's grasp; it changes rapidly, and its sharers are unbelievers and those misguided. Wealth can change into the possession of a thief in an instant. Therefore, to be arrogant with such a thing that changes so swiftly is nothing but empty fancy and illusion.
The seventh cause leading to arrogance is the multitude of relatives, offspring, and servants: To boast about being close to dignitaries, scholars, and high-ranking officials is among the most reprehensible of causes leading to arrogance. For all these things do not belong to a person. A person who boasts with such acquisitions would be humiliated and disgraced if his relatives and dependents were suddenly destroyed, or if he were removed from the position he boasted about being close to.
Indeed, arrogance creeps into the heart so subtly that the boaster thinks he is far from it. Therefore, let us clearly state the signs of arrogance and pride so that this ailment may be revealed and easily extracted and cast out of hearts. There are twelve signs of arrogance and the arrogant:
First, he loves that people awaiting his presence should stand, and that when he enters a place, they should greet him standing.
Second, he does not go anywhere unless accompanied by someone walking behind him.
Third, he does not visit those who seek benefit from him in religious matters.
Fourth, he dislikes anyone sitting in a position close to him.
Fifth, when speaking, he does not accept that his interlocutor is telling the truth and does not acknowledge his own mistakes nor thank or pray for them.
Sixth, he avoids sitting with and among those who are sick and afflicted, and does not come near them.
Seventh, he attends the invitations of the wealthy but does not go to the invitations of the poor.
Eighth, he does not perform the tasks of his own household when necessary.
Ninth, he does not bring from the market with his own hand the necessities of his own home.
Tenth, he does not seek out and see the errands of relatives and friends from the marketplace—especially avoiding carrying such simple needs as tripe, liver, head-and-paunch, soap, henna, combs, gum Arabic, and armor (for removing hair). He is reluctant to take them and carry them.
Eleventh, when sitting and walking, he does not like to be in line with his peers and equals but separates himself by falling behind. He cannot tolerate being on equal footing with them.
Twelfth, he wears excessively long and ornate garments so that his hems (pajamas) drag on the ground.
The main asset of a seeker striving for perfection and entering the true path is to see himself as insignificant compared to everyone else and to be possessed of humility. Therefore, it behooves the person first of all to extract pride from his heart and not boast against anyone. Then he should not act condescendingly toward anyone—not outwardly—but show due humility to everyone. But in his own assessment, let him see himself as insignificant, disgraced, and abject compared to everyone else. If he encounters a scholar, he must surely say, "This person is more knowledgeable than I." How can I be like him when he is superior to me? I am inferior to him. If he encounters an ignorant person, he should say, “If this person has disobeyed God with ignorance, then I have sinned while possessing knowledge. Therefore, he is more deserving of pity than I.” I am inferior to him. If he meets someone older than himself, he should say, "This one has obeyed God before me, so he is superior to me." I am behind him. If he encounters someone younger than himself, he should say, “I have disobeyed God before this one.” Therefore, I am inferior to him. If he encounters one of the people of innovation or a non-believer, he should say, "It is uncertain whether this infidel will end his life with Islam; my fate may be like his present state." Surely attention is paid to the end. It happens that circumstances change and revolutions turn; I may then become the disgraced one.
I would be lower than this. [I should not boast against him.]
If it encounters a dog, a serpent, or any other beast, it will say: "This is the Truth." If it rebels against the Exalted True One, it is neither questioned nor punished. Yet I have plunged into the sea of rebellion and am deserving of questioning and punishment; I am utterly humbled by this, lower than this. Following this pattern and reasoning in this manner, let it consider all created beings more valuable and superior to itself. Let it see its own self as worthless among them.
A servant who humbles himself, solely out of the desire for friendship with the Most High Lord, and enters the path of the Mukarrabun – details of which will be explained below – is freed from all the turmoil that may occur within his inner world and from all the disgrace he may suffer due to external influences. He attains perfection by adorning his self with superior moral qualities. For through the paths of salvation we shall mention shortly, he will remove and uproot all the calamities mentioned above to such an extent that no trace of them remains ever again. He escapes from all of them and finds health and well-being. Eternally he appears in the presence of the Lord, becoming a friend of God, the Beloved and Sustaining One.
If an worshiper has not sought the path of spiritual travel and discipline (seyr ü sülûk) to escape these calamities, then he is seeking something impossible. This is why you see the leading among the righteous striving for one day to be rid of a bad trait, and it is granted to them. But on the next day, they are afflicted with an even worse unsightly trait and suffer from another fault.
For they have not entered the path of the Mukarrabun, which protects its possessor from all calamities. They have not set aside arrogance and self-assertion and approached God’s presence. This is why they remain in hardship and toil and do not attain ease and happiness. Therefore, even if the righteous are sincere in their actions, they are still in great danger. If you understand this meaning, you will understand the value of entering the path of the Mukarrabun.
However, the essential purpose and benefits of entering this path is to reach the presence of the Lord, to attain degrees of nearness to Him, to fill the heart with manifestations (tecellî) of God's names and attributes, and to become worthy of the state of humankind, whom God has appointed as His viceregent on earth.
It is necessary to explain the name, journey, realm, location, condition, invocations (evrâd), qualities, and how he ascends to the next station of the self-speaking soul (nefs-i nâtıkan) who passes through the seven well-known stations of the Sufi path, so that the seeker on the path of the Mukarrabun may know in which station he is located. He should recognize his own self with its qualities, overcome his desires, and be eager to advance to higher stations as he progresses from each of them.
[Poem]
1-The sorrow of separation suffices for my desire for union with my beloved;
With it, I make my heart a garden and a spring blossom.
2-Even though it delivers me to annihilation, the world of existence and corruption;
I establish the contemplation of the rose garden in the heart.
3-Since this soul does not settle in the dust of the body;
Plunging into the ocean of love, I find a pleasant abode there.
4-Since the grief of love captivates me, helpless;
Then with my own will, I choose love.
5-Since the kings have received this work and burden from the king of love;
I become a servant to that king, what profit do I derive?
6-Abandoning this body-owl, this ruin;
In my heart, I sing thousands of melodies to my rose-cheeked one.
7-Like Khalil, and like the Word of God, Moses, from that tree [to] God!
Entering the fire of love, I incline towards the rose-cheeked one.