The realization of spiritual states (ḥāl), abandoning faults, avoiding sins, and fulfilling recommended acts are all encompassed in this concept. Achieving these is only possible by fulfilling the following three: maintaining awrād (prescribed litanies) in all acts of obedience, persisting in dua (supplication) in all states, doing everything that is required, and always choosing truthfulness in every matter. (Know that) all paths of goodness are three: having awe of Allah (khashyatullah) in every matter, whether hidden or open; being content with Allah (riḍā), whether His blessings are little or much; and not departing from good akhlaq (character) in times of ease or hardship. The worst of afflictions are also gathered in three things: fearing creation, anxiety over provision, and being content with one’s own nafs (the lower self). The greatest well-being and grace are found in these three: trusting Allah in every matter, being content with Allah in every ḥāl (spiritual state), and guarding oneself from the harm that may come from people. (Jāmiʿ, 22)
Steadfastness (istiqāma) is to remain firm upon the truth with the help and grace of the Real (God). (Jāmiʿ, 54)
Steadfastness is of three kinds: the steadfastness of the common people is through service, the steadfastness of the elect (khawāṣṣ) is through the sincerity of himma (spiritual aspiration), and the steadfastness of the elect of the elect (akhass al-khawāṣṣ) is through reverence (ḥurma), that is, respecting and safeguarding divine secrets. (Jāmiʿ, 62)
In language, istiqāma is the opposite of crookedness. According to the people of reality, it is fulfilling all covenants and adhering to the straight path (ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm). The straight path is to not deviate from justice and moderation in eating, drinking, clothing, marriage, and all religious and worldly affairs. Thus, the straight path in this world is like the straight path in the Hereafter. If a person is guided to recognize the straight path in this world, this will be a means for him to be saved when crossing the path in the Hereafter. Being granted hudā (guidance) to recognize the straight path (istiqāma) is the greatest blessing Allah bestows upon His servant. (Jāmiʿ, 142)
The form of istiqāma at the beginning (bidāya) is to be loyal to the covenant of tawba (repentance) and to remain steadfast in its ruling. In the stations (abwāb), istiqāma is to submit the powers of the nafs to the rule of the qalb (the heart). Its essence in the concealed matters (mudmalāt) is to be steadfast in turning to Allah, walking towards Him, remaining firm upon the path of the Sunnah, and not paying attention to the pleasures of this world or the Hereafter. The degree of istiqāma in character is to adhere to the path of justice and not to depart from the straight path under the shadow of unity (when unity manifests itself, not to lose oneself completely and fall into contrary states or utter contrary words). Its degree in spiritual states is, when traversing the path of walāya (friendship with God), to have steadfast intention in treating the illnesses of the nafs, and to maintain istiqāma in the pursuit of knowledge and ḥikma (wisdom) until one attains the loftiness of spiritual aspiration (himma). Again, its degree in spiritual states is steadfastness in love through witnessing the ḥaqīqa (inner reality). The witnessing of reality is not attained by effort, but rather by attraction (jadhb) and being drawn (injidhāb). In walāya, istiqāma is to remain constant in the truth with the help of the Real. In realities (ḥaqāʾiq), istiqāma is to abandon seeing the witnessing during the witnessing, and to become absent from seeking istiqāma. In the final stage, after being annihilated (fanāʾ) in Allah, it is istiqāma in baqāʾ (subsistence in God). The journey with Allah is only through witnessing the establishment of the Real and His elevating the servant to Himself. (Jāmiʿ, 281)
There are three degrees of istiqāma: the first is rectification (taqwīm), then establishment (iqāma), and then istiqāma itself. Taqwīm is the disciplining of the nafs, iqāma is the purification of the qalb, and istiqāma is the secret.