Source Text
Glory to the Great King who is feared by anyone who knows Him, and Who, whenever someone feels secure from His ability to plan against him has not known Him.
There is not in this worldly life or the hereafter a life better than the life of those who know God, glory to Him, for the knower of God stays in His presence when he is alone, and if a blessing comes into his life, he knows from Whom it comes, and if he experiences something that would have been bitter, it tastes sweet in his mouth because of his knowledge of the One who sent it as a test.
3 If pain encompasses a knower of God, he turns away from the apparent cause of it, and will not see other than its Sender. He is in the best of living with Him: When he is silent, he thinks of carrying out what is due to Him, when he speaks, he speaks that which pleases Him. His heart does not attach itself to a wife or child, and does not needily cling to the love of anyone. His body interacts with people, but his soul is with its Master.
7 If the wisdom behind certain things escapes you, it is due to the weakness of your understanding. All kings have their secrets. Who are you, in your feebleness, to think you can understand the wisdom behind all of His decisions?
Have you not seen the condition of those who act with too much license in acquiring wealth in one way,[4] only to have their wealth taken away from them in another way?
21 I have seen that greed toward worldly gains causes people to lose the thing they are greedily seeking. We have seen one who greedily sought to accumulate wealth, and acquired it, but continued to eagerly seek more. If they had comprehended, they would have known that the purpose of wealth is to spend it on life. If one spends life in greedily acquiring it, they lose both their life and their wealth.
32 The ship of your lifetime is approaching the coast of the graveyard. What is the matter with you that you are busy inside the ship trying to acquire goods?
It is narrated from Mālik ibn Anas[15] that a man asked him a question, and he answered, “I don’t know”. The man said, “I have travelled countries in order to reach you!” He replied: “Go back to your country and say that you asked Malik and he said he didn’t know the answer.”
63 Hiding the hardships you suffer is a form of keeping your own secrets, because making your hardships public would please those who dislike you, and would pain those who love you.
I never tire of reading books. If I see a book I have not seen before, it is as if I have found a treasure.
AI Summary
The Way of the Spiritual Muslim by Ikram Hawramani, Ibn al-Jawzi, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, al-Ghazali, Rumi, Ibn Ata Allah al-Sikandari,… presents key insights from the Sufism tradition. The 10 passages above capture the essential teachings.
Core Themes:
- [To be expanded]
Key Passages: Highlights 1, 3, and 10 are particularly representative.
This entry was generated from Readwise highlights. Expand with additional context as appropriate.