fezāʾ ilallāh (Tasawwuf Glossary)

Fezāʾ ilallāh means seeking refuge in Allah at the moment of ḥayra (bewilderment). Some scholars have said: The intellect inclines toward that which is painful in the present but beneficial in the end, while the hawa (whimsical desire) inclines toward that which is pleasurable now but ultimately disastrous. They contend with one another. When the faculty of deliberation and reflection is employed, the nūr (divine light) of Allah, Exalted is He, immediately comes to the aid of the intellect. In contrast, the whisperings of Satan and his allies come to the aid of the hawa, and these two forces take up positions of battle against each other. If the deliberative faculty sides with Satan and his allies, it becomes heedless of the nūr of the Real (al-Ḥaqq), fails to see the benefit of the Hereafter, is deceived by the pleasures of the dunyā (the worldly life), and ultimately inclines toward it, thereby overcoming the friends of Allah. But if it sides with Allah and His friends, it attains hudā (guidance) through His nūr. As a result, it regards the dunyā as insignificant and desires the Hereafter. (Mizān, 50)