THE EIGHTH DISCOURSE On drawing near to Allah

When you are in a particular condition do not wish for another condition either higher or lower. Thus, when you are at the gate of the King's palace do not wish for an entrance into the palace unless you are made to enter it by compulsion and not of your own accord. And by compulsion I mean a stern order which is repeated. And do not consider it enough to have mere permission for entrance, because this may be just a trick and a deception from the king. You should rather hold your patience till you are compelled to enter the house by the sheer force of command from the action of the king. For then you will not be overtaken by any chastisement from the King on account of this action of His. If, however, you meet with any punishment it will be on account of the evil of your liking and greed and impatience and unmannerliness and want of contentment with the condition of life in which you were. Then when it so happens that you enter the palace under such a compulsion, enter it in all silence and with your looks cast down, observing proper manners and being attentive to whatever you are commanded to do by way of any service and occupation, without asking for any promotion in the station of life. God said to His Prophet, His chosen one: And strain not thine eyes towards that with which We have provided different classes of them, (oj) the splendour of this world's life, that We may thereby try them. And the sustenance of Thy Lord is better and more abiding. (Qur'an 20:131) Thus by His words, The sustenance of Thy Lord is better and more abiding, God administers an admonition to His Prophet, the chosen one, to make him regardful of the existing condition and to remain contented with the gifts of God. To put this commandment in other words, "Whatever I have given you of good things and prophethood and knowledge and contentment and patience and the kingdom of religion and fighting for the sake of religion — all these are better and worthier than what I have given to others." Thus all good lies in being regardful of the existing condition and in being contented with it and in warding off all desires for anything which is besides it, because such a thing must be either one that is allotted to you, or one which is allotted to another person, or the one which is allotted to nobody, but has been created by God as a trial. So if it is destined for you, it is bound to come to you, whether you like it or dislike it. It is not proper, therefore, that any unmannerliness be manifested by you or any greed be in your desire for it, because it is disapproved by the standards of intelligence and knowledge. And if it is destined for another man, why should you bear hardships for a thing which you cannot get and which is never to reach your hands? And if it is only a trial, how can an intelligent person like and approve that he should ask for himself a trial and actively seek it? Thus it is proved that good and safety lie wholly in paying regard to the existing condition. Then when you are made to climb up to the upper story and from there to the roof of the palace you should observe, as we have already stated, respectfulness, silence and good manners. Nay, you should do more than this because you are now nearer the king and closer to dangers. So do not desire any change from your existing state to any other state, higher or lower, nor should you desire either for its continuity and permanence or for any change in it. In fact, you should have no option whatever in the matter because that will amount to ingratitude in respect of the existing blessings and such a sense of ingratitude, of necessity, renders him, who is guilty of this, abased in this life and the hereafter. So keep on acting as we have told you, until you are raised to a position where you will be granted a fixed status whence you will not be removed. You should then know that it is a gift of God accompanied as it is with the manifestation of its indications and signs. You should, therefore, stick to it and not allow yourself to be removed from it. The states (ahwal) of spiritual changes belong to the cmliya (ordinary saints) whereas the stations of spiritual establishment {muqamat) belong to the abdal (or advanced saints).