be no spiritual opening (al-fath) without taking reliance upon some causative factor (i‘timad ‘ala sabab). The third is anticipating and yearning for the divine realities behind all affairs (tashawwuf li-haqa’iq al-umur) and having thorough comprehension of the descent of spiritual states (tafatun li-mawarid al-ahwal), until rarely even a follicle of hair will fall from the person without him having deep comprehension of it with the proficiency of his intelligence (judat qarihatihi). The fourth is what Abu Abdullah10 indicated by his words: “I advise you with advice that no one knows except one who acts upon it and experiences it (man ‘amila wa jarraba); and that no one is ignorant of it except the one heedless and then spiritually veiled (man ghafila fa hujiba). It is that you not take this science by way of heretical innovation (al-bid‘a) and arrogance (takabbur).” He then said: “Do not make anyone from the people of the outward as proof or evidence against (hujjatan ‘ala) the people of the inward.” Ahmad Zarruq said in explanation of that: “On the contrary, their concern is to make the people of the outward evidence for them, since every matter of the inward which is free of outward evidence is false and invalid (batil).” Then realize that the science of tasawwuf is corroborated (ma’adiyan) with the Book and the Sunna.
The Incursions of Iblis
As for the incursions (madakhil) of Iblis, for knowledge of this is an obligation (wajiba), since Satan is an enemy of humanity (‘aduwwa al-insan). Realize that the noblest of what is in humanity is the heart; and Satan desires to corrupt it. For this reason, it is an individual obligation (wujuban ‘ayniyyan) upon every responsible person (mukallaf) to protect his heart (himayat qalbihi) from the corrupting influence of Satan. However, a person cannot attain this except through awareness of the incursions of Satan. For, an obligation which cannot be attained except by something makes that something also obligatory (wa ma yatawassalu ila al-wajibi illa bihi wajibun). Thus, it is incumbent to know the incursions of Satan into the human heart. These entrances of Satan are the attributes of the servant which are innumerous.
Among the most immense of them are envy (hasad) and covetousness (hirs). For, whenever the servant is covetous for something, his avariciousness makes him blind and deaf. It is the illumination of the inner-vision (nur al-basira), which discloses to you the multiple entrances of Satan into the heart. Once covetousness and envy cloud a person, they cannot have insight; and as a result Satan finds an entrance to make an incursion into their heart.
Among the most immense of them also are rage (ghadab) and corrupt passions (shahwa). By means of rage and anger the reason becomes weakened, resulting in Satan playing with his anger the way a child plays with a ball. Further, beware of sitting in the company of women who are not kin to you. For, Satan is the one who sends her to you and he is the one who sends you to her.
Among the most immense of them also is love of the beauties of this world’s life (hubb zinat al-dunya). For, when Satan sees this in a person, he opens to him all the things of amusement, which cut him off from God, His signs, His messenger and His Sunna. What Satan beautifies for him from this world’s life continues to afflict him until death comes to him while he is in a state of deficiency and heedlessness.
Among the most immense of them is having love for eating and drinking (mahabbat al-akl wa-l-sharab). For, once the servant becomes satiated, even from lawful good things (wa-law min halal tayyib), it strengthens and reinforces the corrupt passions (yuqawwi al-shahwat), which are the weapons of Satan.
Among the most immense of them also is greed (tam‘u), for when it overcomes the heart, Satan continues to seduce him through the embellishment and pretentiousness (tazyin wa tasannu‘) for that which he craves, by all kinds of showing-off and posturing (riya’ wa talbis) until that which he craves for becomes a deity to him. He will continuously think about imagined possibilities and fancies (khiyal ‘t-tawadi’ wa ‘t-tahabbubi). By means of these imaginations he tries to attain everything that pleases him, even when it incurs the Divine anger of God, such as his fawning over the thing he craves for until it induces him to commit that which is forbidden.
Among them is impulsiveness (‘ajila) because evil inexorably enters upon the heart of the person who is impulsive from a direction that he is unawares. Unlike the one who is circumspect, for his prudence attains for him inner insight into that thing. If hurrying (isti‘jal) is necessary, then by God, let it be for what is immediately obligatory (wajib fawrin). In that case, being circumspect and cautious has no place.
Among the most immense among them is wealth which is in addition to what is required and for strength. For, this is the place of residence (mastaqarra) of Satan. The one who does not have this kind of wealth, his heart is free. For example, when a human discovers he has one hundred gold coins, there materializes in his heart more than ten different desires, where every single desire requires one hundred gold coins in order to attain it; when before he discovered the one hundred, he was inwardly rich.
Among them are stinginess (bukhl) and fear of poverty (khawf al-faqr), which prevents a person (yamna‘u) from giving charity (tasaddaq) and expending (infaq) his wealth in directions of spiritual good (wujuh al-khayr). Satan commands him to hold back from spending (imsak) and to be closed-fisted (taqtir). Sufyan once said: “Satan has no weapon like the fear of poverty.” Among them are fanaticism for particular schools of thought (ta‘assab li-l-madhahib) and ideological whims (ahwa’), as well as having hatred (hiqd) for ideological antagonists (khusum) and looking on them with the eye of disdain (bi ‘ayn al-ihtiqar). This is what will eventually destroy the sincere worshippers and the scholars, not to speak of others. For when a person becomes preoccupied with maligning the people and mentioning their shortcomings (dhikri naqa’isihim) is from what is said is of low nature. Therefore, incumbent upon you is the correction of your inward and outward (tuslih batinaka wa dhahirka) and do not be preoccupied with others, except in what the law holds you responsible (kallafak al-shar‘) to command the good and forbid evil.
Among them is burdening the common people (hamal al-‘awam) with reflecting (tafkir) into the Divine Essence of God, and His Divine Attributes in what is in excess to what is necessary (zada ‘ala al-darura) from the science of the foundations of the religion (‘ilm usul al-din), which their intellects are unable to grasp.
Among them is having an evil opinion (su’ al-dhann) of the Muslims. God Most High says: “Avoid most suspicion” (Q 49:12). For, whoever judges another person with evil, based solely on suspicion, Satan induces him to show disdain towards that person (ihtiqarihi), to fail to establish his due rights (‘idami al-qiyam bi huquqihi), to procrastinate in showing respect (tawani fi ikramihi), and to extend his tongue in violating his honor (italat al-lisan fi ‘irdihi). All of these qualities are among the destructive characteristics. He, may God bless him and grant him peace, once said to two men who saw him speaking to his wife Safiya: “She is the mother of you two!” He then said: “Satan flows through the son of Adam like the flowing of his blood. I feared that he would cast into your two hearts some evil.” Therefore, he, upon him be peace, showed his compassion for them; and protected them and his Umma.
He behaved with them according to the path of precaution (tariq al-ihtiraz) against making false accusations (tahama), in order that a pious scholar not be over indulgent regarding his circumstances, as an estimation of himself that others only have a good opinion of him. He would do this being amazed with himself. This is an immense error, since the most pious of the people are those who have the most fearful awareness of God; and are aware that their actions, no doubt, are deficient.
Therefore take precaution from the false accusations of enemies and evil people, because, by nature, they only suspect all people of evil. So each person you
