THE TWENTY-EIGHTH DISCOURSE On the classification of the seeker’s state

So you wish for comfort and joy and happiness and safety and peace, to be blessed and carefree, while you are still in the crucible and in the course of killing your animal self, and are in the midst of a struggle with your desires and that of removing your objects, and with the hope of returns in this world and in the hereafter and the remnant of these still remains with you in a very potent form? 0 hasty one! halt and walk slowly; 0 you expectant one ! the door is closed till this state continues. Surely some remnants of these things are still in you and some small particles of it are still in you. It is the emancipation contract of a slave; so long as even a penny is left in it, you are shut out from it. So long as there remains with you the measure of sucking the stone of a date from this world and from your desire and purpose and longing and from your seeing anything of this world or seeking anything or liking anything from the returns of this world or the hereafter — so long as anything among these things persists in you, you are still at the door of self-annihilation. You have to stop here until you acquire the annihilation completely and perfectly and then you are taken out of the crucible and your seasoning is complete, and you are adorned with ornaments and dressed and perfumed and incensed, then you are taken to the great King and addressed with the words: Surely thou art in Our presence today dignified, trusted (12:54). Then you will be provided with comforts and shown gentleness and fed with His favour and also given drink and you will be made near and will be enlightened on secrets which will not be hidden from you. You will be made free from want on account of what you will be given out of these things, free from the need of all things. Do you not see the pieces of gold, of various shapes, changing and circulating, morning and evening, in the hands of druggists and green-grocers and butchers and tanners and oilmen and sweepers and people of various crafts, both very fine and lowly and dirty? Then these pieces are collected together and placed in the crucible of the goldsmith; they melt with the flames of fire, then they are taken out of the crucible and pounded and softened and seasoned to make them into ornaments, and polished and perfumed and then left in the best places and houses, behind locks, in treasures and boxes and dark places, or they are made to adorn the body of a bride and they are ornamented and given honour, and sometimes the bride may even be of a great king. Thus the pieces of gold pass from the hands of tanners to the presence of kings and to the court after being melted and pounded. In this way you, 0 believer, if you show patience regarding the enforcement of the allotment of Providence and give cheerful submission to His decree in every condition of life, you will be made near to your Lord in this world and you will be blessed with knowledge of Him and other kinds of knowledge, and secrets and will be given residence in the hereafter in the abode of peace with the Prophets and the siddiqs and the shahids and the salihs in the proximity of God and in His house and near Him, enjoying His kindness. So show patience and do not make haste, and remain pleased with the decree of Providence and do not complain against Him. If you do so, you will get the coolness of His forgiveness and the sweetness of knowledge about Him and His kindness and favour.