To be Absent from Our Works

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Shaykh al-Wasithi (q.s.) entered Nisabur and asked the companions of Sidi Abu ‘Utsman al-Hasani (q.s.), “What did your shaykh used to enjoin you to do?” 

They answered, “He used to enjoin us to stick to acts of obedience while seeing shortcomings in them.” 

Shaykh al-Wasithi (q.s.) replied, “He enjoined you with pure fire worship.  He should have instead commanded you to be absent from your works by seeing the One Who Makes them come about.” 

Imam Abu al-Qasim ‘Abd al-Karim ibn Huzan al-Qushayri (q.s.) commented on this, “Shaikh al-Wasithi  only wanted to save them from possible self-pride in actions.  He did not mean to invalidate the act of seeing shortcomings or to break one of the proper manners.”



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