The heedless one, when morning comes, thinks about what he will do. The one endowed with insight looks to see what the Exalted Real will do with him!
Poetic Translation
Each morning, the heedless gazes upon his own deeds
The wise knower awaits the acts of the Real
Explanation
One who cannot grasp the ruling of tawhid (the oneness of God) and that everything is divinely decreed, and who is heedless of the secret of "tafrid" (absolute singularity), attributes his actions and deeds to himself, and begins each day thinking, "What will I do today?"
But the one endowed with insight, who has awakened from the sleep of heedlessness, and who is cognizant of the ruling of tawhid and the secret of tafrid, knows that all actions of which he is the locus and all states that manifest in the realm of possibility are, in fact, pre-eternal decrees and divine acts. Thus, he spends his time in anticipation, wondering, "How will the Exalted Real manifest His acts in me today?"—ever watchful for the divine decree.
Thus, since the heedless one looks only to his own nafs (the lower self), he remains distant from divine aid and deprived of aspirations for good. The ʿarif (knower) on the other hand, since he keeps his gaze upon the Exalted Real, is granted success in every matter, and attains help and ease. This aphorism, then, is a measure of tawhid and maʿrifa (gnosis, experiential knowledge of God) that describes the states of the murīd (aspirant, disciple), and a scale of ḥaqīqa (inner reality): in this workshop of divine power, whether good or evil is decreed, all acts and states that manifest in the mirror of time are reflected in the thoughts that arise in the murīd's qalb (the heart). If these thoughts are accompanied by reliance on one's own power and strength, this is the result of heedlessness; but if, with the fall of all attributions, one relies upon the Exalted Real, this is the requirement of tawhid and maʿrifa. Only by this criterion can one discern the difference.
The fountain of gnosis, Abu ʿUthman (may Allah have mercy on him), said: "For forty years, the Exalted Real has never kept me in a state I did not desire, nor transferred me to a place I did not wish!" That is, he was content with his destiny. The following story of Eyyub al-Tāleqānī (may Allah have mercy on him) is also a subtle example in this regard. He relates: "A man from among my companions told me the following incident: In a place called Merciddibac, I encountered a man who was without provisions or a travel companion. I approached and greeted him, and he returned my greeting. I asked, 'May Allah have mercy on you, to which land are you headed?' He replied, 'I do not know!' I said, 'It is unheard of for someone to set out for a place without knowing where he is going.' He said, 'Yes, I am that one!' I asked, 'What is your intention?' He said it was to go to Mecca. I asked, 'If your intention is to go to Mecca, how can you say you do not know where you are going?' He replied, 'Indeed, many times I have intended to go to Mecca, but I was taken to Tarsus; when I intended to go to Tarsus, I was taken to Abadan. Though my intention is Mecca, I do not know where I will be sent!' I asked how he lived. Again, he replied, 'I do not know.' I asked, 'What is your means of subsistence?' He said, 'Whatever He wills. Sometimes He leaves me hungry, sometimes He feeds me; sometimes He honors me, sometimes He humiliates me. Sometimes He says, "There is none more ascetic than you on earth," and sometimes, "You are a thief." Sometimes He lets me sleep in comfort and ease, and at other times He drives me into the streets to suffer among the night watchmen.' I asked, 'May Allah have mercy on you, who is it that does all this?' He replied, 'The Creator of the world!' Astonished, I asked him to explain how these things came about. He said, 'I am a stranger who walks by day and sleeps wherever night falls. Sometimes I must stay near a village, but the villagers, suspecting me of being a thief, refuse me entry, so I take refuge in the mosque. Soon, someone enters and harshly orders me to leave, so I am forced to go outside the village and sleep among the graves. In the morning, I set out again and, upon reaching another town, the people, thinking I am a saint or have seen Khidr, invite me to stay in their homes. After the night prayer, I accept one of their invitations and am treated with great hospitality.' Realizing he was a great ʿarif, I said, 'My dear, if you ever come to Baghdad, please honor my house!' I gave him my address and parted. Some time later, my door was knocked, and when I opened it, I found him standing there. After exchanging greetings, I asked how the Exalted Real had manifested Himself to him and what had happened. He said, 'The last act and manifestation of my Lord was to make me appear as a thief and to have me severely beaten as punishment. Look at the marks!' He showed me many bruises and welts. When I asked how it happened, he said, 'I arrived at Abyar and sat under a garden wall. Hungry, I began to eat some bad cucumbers that had been thrown into the water. The gardener saw me and, thinking I was the thief who had previously stolen many cucumbers, attacked me, saying, "You thief! You have ruined my garden. I have been watching for you, and now I have caught you!" and beat me soundly. Just then, a horseman arrived, rebuked the gardener for beating and insulting a saintly ʿarif, and began to beat the gardener. Strangely, a moment before I was a thief in his eyes, and a moment later I was an ascetic and ʿarif. The gardener then apologized and showed me every possible kindness. From there, I came straight here.'"
Thus, as this story shows, the one endowed with insight and gnosis should, each morning upon waking, look to see how the Exalted Real has manifested signs in his qalb, so that he may attain the beauty of insight and success, whether in progress or in being withheld from action. Accordingly, Abu Madyan al-Maghribi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The perfect murīd on the path of the Real should entrust his affairs to Allah and surrender his will to the Real each morning, so that the Most Merciful may look upon him with forgiveness and mercy." Another of the great ones said: "Whoever does not follow his nafs follows the Real, and whoever does not follow the Real follows his nafs." The supplication of the murīd who is an adept of this station should be: (Allahumma inni asbahtu la amliku linafsi darran wa la nafʿan wa la mawta wa la hayatan wa la nushura. Wa la astatiʿu an akhuda illa ma aʿtaytani wa la attaqi illa ma waqaytani. Allahumma waffiqni lima tuhibbuhu wa tardahu min al-qawli wa al-ʿamali fi taʿatika innaka dhul-fadli al-ʿazim).
The meaning is: O my Lord! I have reached the morning while having no power over benefit or harm, death or life, or resurrection for my own nafs. Nor am I able to take anything except what You have given me, nor to protect myself from anything except what You have protected me from. O my Lord! Grant me success in words and deeds that are pleasing and beloved to You in Your obedience, for You are the Possessor of great bounty and generosity!
Have mercy on this helpless, ailing tongue, O God; The wound of my heart, only You can heal.