Iqazh al-Himam fi Sharh al-Hikam, Chapter One, Part Four
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is taken from the first chapter of Iqazh al-Himam fi Sharh al-Hikam , a commentary on al-Hikam of Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ), by Shaykh Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ajibah ( q.s. ). Allah ( s.w.t. ) may Acquaint His friends with the descent of the Decree but not acquaint them with the descent of Kindness. When the Decree arrives accompanied by Kindness, it is light and easy so that he thinks that it has not happened. We have witnessed both this and what we said before in ourselves and our shuyukh . It did not decrease our truthfulness nor extinguish the light of our secret. Praise be to our Lord. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Thalib at-Tawudi ibn Sawdah ( q.s. ) said, “This wisdom is obscure. Someone asks, ‘How can it be imagined that the time is specified? If it is by Revelation, it has stopped, and if it is by inspira...