THE PROGRESS IN TASAWWUF

Hamd be to Allâhu ta’âlâ! Salâm be to His slaves whom He has chosen and loved! Islam has an outward appearance, and a haqîqat, i.e. true, inner essence. Islam’s outward appearance (sûrat) is to have belief in Allâhu ta’âlâ and in His Rasûl (Messenger) and in the teachings that this Rasûl has brought from Him, and to adapt oneself to the rules and principles of Islam. [Islam means (a system of) rules, principles, commandments, and prohibitions. To adapt oneself to those principles and rules means to perform the commandments and avoid the prohibitions.] Man’s nafs-i-ammâra refuses to have îmân (belief) and to adapt itself to the sûrat of Islam. This refusal is inherent in its creation. Therefore the îmân (belief) of people who have adapted themselves to the sûrat (outward appearance) of Islam is the sûrat (outward appearance) of îmân. In other words, it is îmân in appearance. The acts of worship that they perform, such as namâz, fasting, and all the others, are the sûrats of the (true) acts of worship. That is, they are worship in appearance. For, when the word ‘man’ is used ‘man’s nafs’ is meant. When any person says, “I,” they mean ‘their nafs’. As a person performs an act of worship, their nafs is in a state of kufr (denial of Islam). Their nafs denies the fact that what they have doing is a proper act. Can such a person have true and proper îmân and perform their acts of worship properly? Allâhu ta’âlâ, being so merciful and compassionate, kindly accepts the sûrats, appearances of îmân and worship as if they were true îmân and proper worship. He promises and gives the glad tidings that He will put such slaves of His into Paradise.