THE ELEVENTH DISCOURSE On carnal appetite

When the desire for marriage arises in your mind while you are poor and needy and you find yourself unable to afford it and you hold yourself in patience in expectation of relief from God Whose power created in you such a desire, or Who found the desire in you, He Himself will help you (either by removing the desire from you) or sustain you in bearing the burden of the same by making its resources accessible to you by way of gift, together with His blessings for sufficiency and making it light for you in this world and easy in the other. Then God will call you patient and grateful because of your patience in the matter and contentment with His Providence. So He will increase you in purity and power. And if it is a decree to Providence towards which He has driven you with His blessings of sufficiency, your patience will change into gratitude and the Mighty and Glorious has promised the grateful ones increase in His gifts, as He says: If you are grateful I will give you more, and if you are ungrateful My chastisement is truly severe. (Qur'an 14:7) And if it is not destined for you, you should be indifferent towards it and drive it away from your heart whether your animal self likes it or not. You should thus hold your patience and oppose your desire and hold fast to the commandment of the Law. Be contented with the decree of Providence and hope in this condition for the favour and gift of God. Indeed God Himself has said: Truly the steadfast will be paid back their reward without measure. (Qur'an, 39:10)