introduction) (see also: ilhām
ṭāʿat/ṭāʿāt (deficiencies; ṭāʿat al-raḥba – ṭāʿat al-maḥabba; taqṣīr; takālīf
Obedience (ṭāʿat) is the path to salvation, and knowledge is the guide on this path. The root (foundation) of obedience is scrupulousness (warāʿ), the root of scrupulousness is God-consciousness (taqwa), the root of God-consciousness is self-reckoning (muḥāsaba al-nafs), and the foundation of self-reckoning is fear (khawf) and hope (rajāʾ). The guide for self-reckoning is knowledge. (Riʿāya, 12)
(After the first thing to be asked of a person and apart from sins, which are called maʿāṣī,) the second thing is acts of obedience (ṭāʿāt). First, it is examined how the person has performed the obligatory acts (farḍ) incumbent upon him. How has he protected the obligatory acts from deficiency and fault? How has he compensated for the deficiencies in the obligatory acts by performing additional supererogatory acts (nāfila)? Then, one turns to each of the limbs in turn and considers the acts beloved to Allah that pertain to each. (Iḥyāʾ, 168)
They asked, "What is the key to intention (niyya)?" I replied, "Certainty (yaqīn)." To those who asked what the key to certainty is, I said, "Reliance upon God (tawakkul)." Then they asked what the key to tawakkul is, and I answered, "Fear (khawf)." To those who asked the key to fear, I said, "Patient endurance (ṣabr)," and to those who asked the key to ṣabr, I replied, "Contentment with God's decree (riḍā)." Then they asked what the key to riḍā is, and I said, "Obedience (ṭāʿat)." To those who asked the key to obedience, I said, "Confession (iʿtirāf)," and to those who asked the key to confession, I answered, "The oneness of God (tawḥid) and the recognition of divine lordship (rubūbiyya)." When they asked how I attained all this knowledge, I said, "Through knowledge (ʿilm)..." (Gunya, II, 125)
The origin of obligations arises from burdens
they are hardships
Your Lord gave every creature its task
and the greatest of these burdens is this
The divine commands and prohibitions (takālīf) are heavy and difficult for people. This includes strictly adhering to commands, avoiding prohibitions, showing patient endurance (ṣabr) in the face of divine rulings, and expressing gratitude (shukr) when blessings are present. These are four: Obedience (ṭāʿat).