by al-Ḥārith ibn Asad al-Muḥāsibī (d. 243 AH / 857 CE)

Al-Muḥāsibī was the foremost spiritual psychologist of the early Islamic tradition — a Baghdad scholar who subjected every movement of the inner life to the same rigorous examination that the lawyers applied to outward conduct. "Muḥāsibī" means "the one who calls himself to account," and this treatise is that accounting made into instruction: a sustained address to the reader — O my brother — in which the master lays out the disciplines of fear, trust, sincerity, governance of the soul, purification of the heart, and watchfulness of God. It is the ninth century speaking directly: warm, urgent, intimate, and inexorable.

Signs of the Knowledge of God

It is narrated from some of the wise that he said:

I counsel you — and myself — and all whom my words reach: fear God, who created His servants. To Him is the return, and from Him is uprightness and guidance.

Fear Him, O my brother — the fear of one who has known God's nearness to him and His power over him.

Believe in Him — the belief of one who has acknowledged His oneness, His uniqueness, His eternity — for what has appeared of the witness of His sovereignty, and the attestations of His authority, and the abundance of the signs and verses that indicate His lordship, and the fulfilment of His will, and the perfection of His creation, and the manifestation of His power over all He has made, and His beautiful governance. Indeed, to Him belong creation and command. Blessed is God, Lord of all worlds.

Trust in Him, O my brother — the trust of one who has made his estimation of God good, and has attained certainty and confidence, and has rested his heart — from all its restlessness — upon His promise, and who holds His warning great in his heart.

Thank Him, O my brother — the thanks of one who has known His favour, and whose gifts have multiplied in his experience, and who relies upon Him alone.

And know, O my brother, that the sharing of creatures in one's deeds — that a servant should adorn himself before them at the moment of trial — is to be false in his work, or to show himself off in order to be honoured and exalted for the beauty of his words and the seemliness of what he displays of his deeds, whether he knows this of himself or is heedless of it.

No one is saved from this except one who, when a creature witnesses his deed, does not wish that creature to see it — and when a creature does see it, and he did not desire to be seen — and when the creature praises him, and he does not desire that praise, and takes no pleasure in it. These are among the signs of sincerity.

Then be truthful, O my brother, in your word and your deed. God sees into the interior of all matters — their secrets and their open display — and what the conscience holds within.

Rely upon Him, O my brother — the reliance of one who has verified His promise, who rests in His guarantee, who is satisfied with His fulfilment, who is content with His decree, and who submits to His command and His foreordaining.

Fear Him, O my brother — the fear of one who has known His severity, the keenness of His wrath, and the harshness of His punishment — and has seen its traces and its effects upon those who opposed His command and disobeyed Him.

Know, O my brother, that no one who has been abandoned by Him has any refuge or helper, no power against His compulsion — and no one can endure His punishment, His retribution, or the turning away of His bounty.

Hope in Him, O my brother — the hope of one who has believed His promise and witnessed His reward.

Thank Him, O my brother — the thanks of one from whom He has accepted the best of deeds, whose work He has set right, whom He has enriched with increasing gifts, and upon whom He has bestowed of increasing honour far beyond what his deeds deserved.

Have modesty before Him, O my brother — the modesty of one who has come to know the abundance of His graciousness and the vastness of His gifts, who knows his own failure in giving thanks, his little faithfulness to covenant, and his inability to fulfil what is required of him — who has known from his Lord nothing but beautiful covering, great well-being, successive blessings, continuing goodness, and immense forbearance and forgiveness.

Then know, O my brother, that God has imposed upon you obligations both outward and inward, and has established for you a sacred law. He has called you to it, commanded you to it, and promised you abundant reward for performing it well — and warned you of consequences for its neglect.

Therefore, O my brother: rise and fulfil these obligations, adhere to His sacred law, accord with the Sunnah of His Prophet, follow the traces of the Prophet's companions, adhere to their path, discipline yourself by their manners, walk their road, take guidance from their guidance, and draw near to God through love of them and through love of those who love them. For they are those who turned back to Him, who directed themselves toward Him, whom He chose to accompany His Prophet — those whom He guided and made witnesses.

The True Meaning of Love for the Righteous

And know, O my brother: the sign of your love for them is your adherence to their way, along with the uprightness of your heart, the soundness of your deeds, the truthfulness of your inner state, and the beauty of your conduct in the affairs of this world and the next — as the people of that station conducted themselves. This is what verifies the sincerity of your claim to love them.

And when these qualities are sound in you and from you, then you are guided.

But if you claim it while your actions oppose theirs — while you are turned away from the path of uprightness and the road they walked — then you follow your own desire, stray from their course, and are not truthful in your claim.

So do not combine opposition to those whom you claim to love with the assertion that you walk their path — for whoever does this makes clear his ignorance and his dishonesty, and exposes himself to the wrath of the Subtle, the Aware.

Rather: acknowledge and seek forgiveness. That is more fitting for one in such a condition.

And have your share, O my brother, in the truth — for it has been said: There will come upon the people a time when the one who acknowledges the truth shall be saved.

Governance of the Soul

And when you have known the truth and acknowledged it — and the truth has shown you that God has upon you, alongside the outward obligations, an obligation that encompasses all of these: the rectification of inward affairs, the uprightness of will, the sincerity of intention, the elevation of purpose, the purity of conscience from all that God dislikes, and the forming of remorse in the heart for everything past that the heart and limbs committed of what God has forbidden —

This is a matter that God has made sovereign over the outward works of the limbs. Whatever outward work meets a sound inward state — upright and consonant with the interior — is sound, and its outward form is accepted. But whatever is at odds with a corrupt interior: the outward deeds are returned to the one who performed them, however many they may be, and their outward form is lost by the corruption of the inward.

This is confirmed by the word of God Most High: And leave the outward sin and the inward — those who earn sin shall be requited for what they were committing.

And the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: Actions are only by intention; and every person shall have what he intended.

And his saying: In the son of Adam there is a morsel of flesh — if it is sound, the rest of the body is sound; if it is corrupt, the rest of the body is corrupt. Indeed, it is the heart.

And it is narrated: the recording angel comes forth to God with the good deeds of the servant and magnifies them, and says: I have not ceased to be with him until he died. Then he mentions the servant's fine deeds and praises them. And God Most High says: You were the guardian of my servant's deeds, and I was the Watcher of his heart. And this deed that you magnified was not purely for My sake — and I accept from My servant only what is purely for My sake.

So know yourself, O my brother, and examine your states, and search into the binding of your conscience — with attention and tenderness. To know yourself and to examine it faithfully is the greatest struggle and the greatest jihad.

So sharpen your gaze upon it, O my brother, with a penetrating eye and keen sight, until you know the corruptions of its works, the ruin of its conscience, and what moves its tongue. Then take hold of the rein of its desire — curb it with the wisdom of fear — and with true opposition to it, return it, with beautiful gentleness, to reviewing sincerity in its work, and rectifying will in its conscience, and truthfulness of speech in its words, and uprightness of intention in its heart, and the lowering of the eye from what its Lord dislikes — along with leaving off excess of gaze even toward what gaze is permitted upon, of what draws upon the heart attachment to this world.

And close it off from hearing anything that its Lord dislikes, of passion and obscenity — in its taking and its holding back, its giving and its restraining, its joy and its sorrow.

Set right for it what reaches its belly — in food, drink, and clothing.

And constrain its private parts accordingly.

And let there be, together with all this, from you: wakefulness and the removal of heedlessness from your heart — at every movement that proceeds from you and every stillness, in silence and in speech, in entering and in departing, in vigor and in rest, in love and in hatred, in laughter and in weeping.

So tend to it, O my brother, in all of this — for in each of the kinds we have mentioned there is a cause for its desire, a cause for its obedience, and a cause for its disobedience.

If it acted and followed its desire, while you were heedless of searching its intentions — then all of what I have mentioned becomes disobedience on its part. But if you stumbled through heedlessness, then returned through wakefulness to opposing its desire — and remorse for your heedlessness and your stumble was with you — then all of that is turned into goodness and obedience for you.

So attend to it, O my brother, with constant and moving care — in fear of its ruin. For through this you sever from Iblīs...

The Tongue and the Heart

The Danger of the Tongue

Accuse yourself, O my brother, more urgently than you would accuse your worst enemy.

And fear your tongue, O my brother, more than you fear the ravening beast that is close to you and able to reach you — for the one killed by the beast, if he is a believer, his reward is paradise. But the one killed by the tongue: his punishment is the fire, unless God grants forgiveness.

Indeed, abandoning the world and heedlessness of the tongue are two companions, each one destroying its companion.

So lock the gate of speech from within yourself with a firm lock. Then do not open it except for what you cannot do without. And when you open it, be cautious — take only the need from speech that you cannot do without, then close the door again.

And beware of heedlessness in this, and of going on in talk, and of letting speech pull you onward until you destroy yourself.

The Prophet was asked about ruin — he said: This — meaning: your tongue.

And a man said to him: What do you most fear for me? He said: This — and the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, took hold of his own tongue.

And he was asked: What is salvation? He said: Restrain your tongue, let your house contain you, and weep over your sin.

And he said: Whoever is silent is saved.

And he said: Whoever desires safety, let him hold to silence.

And ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb came to Abū Bakr, may God be pleased with them both, and found him holding the tip of his tongue, moving it. He said: What are you doing? He said: This has brought me to every brink.

And ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd said: Nothing is more deserving of a long imprisonment than the tongue.

Such are the many reports concerning the tongue.

The greater part of what you will find in your record on the Day of Judgment — of evil — is what your tongue dictated upon you. And the greater part of what you find in your record of good is what your heart acquired.

The Merit of the Heart's Work over the Tongue's Work

This is because the acquisition of good by the hearts of the wise and the people of insight is hidden work — hidden from Iblīs and from the recording angels. So these deeds are clean from corruption, pure, achieved with lightness of burden upon their people, of great reward, rescued from the stratagems of the enemy and from the desires of the soul.

And that is because they are deeds concealed from the eyes of the servants, lowly and unnoticed — for the servant reaches them while standing, sitting, or lying down. These are the people of deep understanding: Those who remember God while standing and sitting and upon their sides. And most of their remembrance is contemplation. God Most High says: And they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth.

They are the people of quiet hiddenness among the believers — those who worshipped God with a worship that did not appear from them.

Purifying the Heart from Greed for the World

Tend to your heart, O my brother, with the causes of the next world, and expose it to them. Protect it from the causes of this world, and from mention of what leads to greed and desire.

And do not permit your heart to accompany what is difficult to seek — what extinguishes the light of the heart on its account. And be zealous in reconciling it with what leads to a praiseworthy end. Frighten yourself with the punishment due upon what you already hold of this world, and your falling short in the gratitude owed for it.

And see what is in your hands as abundant — knowing the weakness of your thanks — so that the soul is occupied with what it holds rather than thinking of the world and desiring more of it.

And when you have rested it from the mention of addition from the world, and have made it carry the degree of fear of what it already holds — it will be content and satisfied. It will abstain from seeking the world through greed and desire, and will turn back toward the next world — with desire and yearning for it. For the soul is built upon the foundation of greed.

The Dangers of Greed upon the Heart

The origin of greed and desire is greed itself. The souls are built upon the foundations of greed. As for greed for the world — it deploys the instrument of greed in seeking increase from the world. And as for greed for the next world — it deploys the instrument of greed in seeking increase from the deeds of the next world, with desire and yearning for it.

A wise man was asked: What is the instrument of greed, and the sum of its corruptions? He said: Evil desire, and greed, and the excitement of appetite. Whichever of these you attach the soul's greed to — its instrument runs wild, its parts gather, and it hastens in pursuit.

And when it has overcome its companion — subjugated him to accord with its desire — it bewilders him, humiliates him, confounds him, and wearies him. It rots his intellect, strips away his dignity, wears down his virtue, and tears him from his religion. Even if he were a scholar, a wise man, a man of intelligence, of cleverness, of brilliance, of eloquence, of wisdom, of jurisprudence — it engulfs him.

Directing the Soul toward the Next World

And when the servant severs from it all greed in the causes of the world, and overcomes its desire with his intellect — it turns its greed of necessity toward the causes of the next world. For it was built upon greed.

And when it has turned away from the things of the world and returned toward the things of the next world — it strives and exerts itself. It grows indifferent to the world, abandons desire, opposes the enemy, follows knowledge, and becomes a mount for the intellect. Patient with bitterness, having turned from the desires of this world to the desires of the next...

Fear and Grief

Tend to your heart, O my brother, in its intentions. Make it adhere to contemplation of the matter of the return and what lies ahead.

And imagine in your heart the terror of the threshold — at the moment of departure from this world — and the humiliation of its people: the stripping of their dignity, the ruining of their honor, the wearing down of their virtue, the diminishment of their religion. Then they left all of that and came before God alone, each one — with the terrors they met of the loneliness of the grave, and the questioning of Munkar and Nakīr, and the horrors of the Resurrection.

And they will stand before God and be questioned on all that proceeded from them — of word and deed — down to the weight of an atom, down to the weight of a mustard seed on the scales.

And the question will be about youth: in what did they spend their youth? And about life: in what did they exhaust their lifetime? And about wealth: from where did they earn it, to whom did they refuse it, and in what did they spend it? And about knowledge: what did they do with it? And about all the deeds in which they were truthful, and in which they were false.

For if you, O my brother, imagined this — and there is in you some soundness of reason — it will silence your tongue. And you will not be left without the fear that clings and the grief that abides, and the preoccupation with what lies before you.

Iblīs Loves the Desolate Hearts

Indeed, Iblīs assails you in sins through the whispering of your soul and the ruination of your heart.

And its ruination comes only when it is empty of the fear that clings and the grief that abides. Then he breathes into it the whispering of the hopes of the world, and the gathering of it in fear of poverty — along with the permanence of long hope in your heart, and its turning away from God Most High, and the cutting off of the channels of God's majesty from it, and its emptiness of awe and modesty before Him.

And when he finds the heart inhabited — he retreats, and recoils from it, and finds in it no passage, and no entry-point from its sides — for the heart is inhabited with fear and grief and contemplation: it is luminous and bright.

The servant discerns through the light of his heart the entry-points of Iblīs, and strikes them with rejection of what Iblīs calls toward, and takes shelter in what God has granted him of the light of his heart — and thereby guards himself against him. And the wicked one turns toward a heart that has lost its fear, that has fallen into ruin and darkness — and there is no light in it.

Nothing is heavier upon the wicked one than light. And when he finds it — he retreats and recoils. He has no power over the servant except through heedlessness on the servant's part.

And the light of the heart is only from its wakefulness and its life. And when it is heedless — it dies and goes dark. Its light is extinguished in the servant — and what the enemy enters upon him troubles him. And Iblīs steals from the servant, and holds the heart in heedlessness, and assails it with sins. And when the servant persists in remaining in them and is satisfied with them — the rayn covers him: the accumulated darkness that layers upon the heart from the effects of sins. And Iblīs settles in him, and leads him on the road of sins until he brings him and drops him into the grave offenses.

And nothing is more astonishing to Iblīs than the darkness and blackness of the heart, and the extinguishing of its light, and the layering of the rayn upon it. And nothing is heavier upon the wicked one than light and whiteness and cleanness and purity. His abode is darkness — otherwise he has no abode and no rest in light and whiteness.

Watchfulness of God Most High

It is narrated from some of the wise that he said: Among the most noble of stations, and the most excellent, is watchfulness of God.

And the least of watchfulness is that the servant be watchful with gratitude for blessing, and acknowledgement of wrongdoing, and exposure for forgiveness of the wrongdoing — so that his heart abides in this station in all his works. And whenever he is heedless, it returns him to it, by God's leave.

And what helps in this: leaving sins, freeing oneself from distractions, and attentiveness to review.

And among the works of the heart by which it is purified, and which cannot be dispensed with: sincerity, and trust, and gratitude, and humility, and surrender, and counsel, and love in God Most High, and hatred in Him.

And he said: The least of counsel is that which compels you to give it and leaves you no room but to act by it — so that whenever you fall short of it, you are persisting in disobedience to God Most High in abandoning counsel for His servants. The very least of it is: not to love for any of the believers what God Most High dislikes, and not to hate for them what God Most High loves.

This condition is obligatory upon all creation. No one is given leave to abandon it for an instant — in conscience or in the deeds of the limbs.

And there is another condition above this, which is a virtue for the servant: to dislike for them what God dislikes, and to love for them what God Most High loves.

And he said: A man came to ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Mubārak and said to him: Counsel me. He said: Watch over God. The man said: And what is watchfulness of God? He said: That you feel modesty before God.

Watchfulness and Intimate Address Arise from Certainty

Intimate address and watchfulness — as to where you place your heart — is that you place it beneath the Throne, and address intimately from there.

Colophon: This is the first English translation of Adab al-Nufus (آداب النفوس) by al-Ḥārith ibn Asad al-Muḥāsibī (165–243 AH / 781–857 CE), one of the foundational texts of Islamic spiritual psychology. The translation covers the first major sections of the treatise: Signs of the Knowledge of God, Governance of the Soul, The Tongue and the Heart, Purifying the Heart from Greed, Fear and Grief, and Watchfulness of God. Translated from Classical Arabic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, April 2026, with AI assistance (Claude, Anthropic), from adab_al_nufus_raw.txt — the modern critical edition prepared by ʿAbd al-Qādir Aḥmad ʿAṭā (Muʾassasat al-Kutub al-Thaqāfiyya, Beirut). The modern editor's scholarly footnotes and apparatus have been stripped from the translation; the source text section preserves the full original. The treatise text begins at line 1094 of the source file, following approximately 1,090 lines of modern editorial introduction. The Blood Rule was observed: the translation is derived independently from the Classical Arabic; no existing English translation of this work is known to exist.

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Source Text

آداب النفوس — الحارث بن أسد المحاسبي

دلائل معرفة الله

روي عن بعض الحكماء أنه قال:

أوصيك ونفسي، ومن عم كلامي، بتقوى الله الذي خلق العباد. وإليه المعاد، وبه السداد والرشاد.

فاتقه يا أخي تقوى من قد عرف قرب الله منه، وقدرته عليه.

وآمن به إيمان من قد أقر له بالوحدانية والفردانية والأزلية، لما ظهر من مشاهدة ملكوته، وشواهد سلطانه، وكثرة الدلائل عليه والآيات التي تدل على ربوبيته، ونفاد مشيئته، وإحكام صنعته، وبيان قدرته على جميع خلقه، وحسن تدبيره. ألا له الخلق والأمر، تبارك الله رب العالمين.

وثق به يا أخي ثقة من قد حسن ظنه به، وقلق اليقين، ووثق بضمانه، وسكن قلبه — عن الاضطراب — إلى وعده، وعظم وعيده في قلبه.

واشكره يا أخي شكر من قد عرف فضله، وكثرت أياديه عنده، وبره به.

واعلم يا أخي، أن إشراك المخلوقين في العمل: أن يتزين لهم العبد في مواطن الامتحان، فيكذب في عمله، أو يرائي ليكرم، ويعظم لجميل قوله، ومحاسن ما يظهر من عمله، وهو يعرف ذلك من نفسه، أو يجهله منها.

ولا سلامة إلا لمن اشتراه إلا من بغير هوى. راقب وعمل وهو لا يحب أن يطلع له مخلوق على عمله، وإن اطلع له مخلوق على عمل وهو لا يحب اطلاعه، ووده ألا يحمده ذلك المخلوق على ما اطلع عليه من عمله، وإن حمده أحد وهو لا يحب حمده فلا يسر بحمده له على عمله. فإن سره قلبه ذلك، فمن أسباب الرياء.

ثم أصدق يا أخي في قولك وفعلك. الله ناظر على دخيلة أمره وسره وعلانيته، وما طوى عليه ضميره.

وتوكل عليه يا أخي توكل من قد وثق بوعده، واطمأن إلى ضمانه. قنع منه بوفائه، ورضي منه بقضائه. واستسلاما له لأمره وقضائه.

وخفه يا أخي خوف من قد عرف سطوته، وشدة نقمته، وأليم عذابه، ومثلته وآثاره ووقائعه لمن خالف أمره وعصاه.

وتعرف يا أخي: أنه لا تمسك لأحد خذله ولا صنيعه على أحد وفقه وسدده، وحاطه وحفظه. وأنه لا صبر لأحد على عقوبته ونكاله، وتغير نعمه.

وارجه يا أخي رجاء من قد صدق بوعده، وعاين ثوابه.

واشكره يا أخي شكر من قد قبل منه محاسنه، وأصلح عمله، وحباه من مزيد أياديه، وأناله من مزيد كراماته ما لم يستأهله بعمله.

واستحيه يا أخي حياء من قد تعرف كثرة تفضله، وجزيل مواهبه، وعرف من نفسه القصور في شكره، وقلة وفائه بعهده، والعجز عن القيام بأداء ما لزمه من حقه. لم يتعرف من خالقه إلا جميل ستره، وعظيم العافية، وتتابع النعم، ودوام الإحسان إليه، وعظيم الحلم والصفح عنه.

ثم اعلم يا أخي أن الله جل ذكره قد افترض فرائض ظاهرة وباطنة، وشرع لك شرائع، ودعاك إليها، وأمرك بها، ووعدك على حسن أدائها جزيل الثواب، وأوعدك على التفريط فيها.

فقم يا أخي بأدائها، والزم شرائعه، ووافق سنة نبيه، واتبع آثار أصحاب نبيه، والزم سيرتهم، وتأدب بآدابهم، وات طريقهم، واهتد بهداهم، وتولّ إلى الله بحبهم وبحب من أحبهم. فهم الذين أنابوا إليه، وقصدوا قصده، واختارهم لصحبة نبيه، الذين هداهم وأشهدهم.

حقيقة التوسل بحب الصالحين

واعلم يا أخي: أن علامة حبك إياهم: لزومك محجتهم، مع استقامة قلبك، وصحة عملك، وصدق لجانك، وحسن سيرتك لأمر دنياك وآخرتك، كما كان القوم في هذه الأحوال. فهذا يحقق منك صدق دعواك لحبهم.

فإذا صحت فيك ومنك هذه الخلال وسائرها فأنت مهتد.

وإن كنت مدعيا وأنت مخالف لأفاعيلهم، عادل عن سبيل الاستقامة لطريق المحجة التي كانوا عليها، فأنت تاليٌ لهوى نفسك، عادل عن مسيرتهم، ولست بصادق في دعواك.

فلا تجمعن على الخلاف لمحجتهم والدعوى أنك على سبيلهم، فمتى فعلت ذلك صح منك جهل وكذب، وتعرضت للمقت من اللطيف الخبير.

ولكن إقرارا واستغفارا، فذلك أولى بمن كانت هذه صفته.

وليكن لك يا أخي: في الحق نصيب. فإنه قد قيل: ليأتين على الناس زمان يكون المقر فيه بالحق ناجيا.

سياسة النفس

فإذا أنت عرفت الحق، فأقررت به، ودلك الحق على أن لله عليك مع الفرائض الظاهرة فرضا ألا هو: تصحيح السرائر، واستقامة الإرادة، وصدق النية، ومعالجة الهمة، ونقاء الضمير من كل ما يكره الله، وعقد الندم على جميع ما مضى من الجوانب بالقلب والجوارح على ما نهى الله عنه —

وهذا أمر جعله الله مهيمنا على أعمال الجوارح. فما كان من أعمال العبد من عمل ظاهر قوبل به من الباطن، فما صح ووافق باطنه صلح، وقبل ظاهره. وما خالف وفسد باطنه ردت عليه أعمال ظاهرة وإن كثرت، وخسر ظاهرها لفساد باطنها.

ويحقق ذلك كله قول الله تعالى: "وذروا ظاهر الإثم وباطنه إن الذين يكسبون الإثم سيجزون بما كانوا يقترفون."

وقول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: "إنما العمل بالنية، وإنما لامرئ ما نوى."

وقوله: "في ابن آدم مضغة إذا صلحت صلح سائر جسده، وإذا فسدت فسد سائر جسده. ألا وهي القلب."

وقوله في الملك: إن الملك ليكثر عمل العبد ويطيبه ويحسن الثناء عليه، فيقول الله تعالى: "أنت كنت حفيظا على عمل عبدي، وأنا كنت رقيبا على قلبه، وإن عمله الذي كثرته وطيبته لم يكن لي خالصا، ولست أقبل من عبدي إلا ما كان لي خالصا."

فاعرف يا أخي نفسك، وتفقد أحوالها، وابحث عن عقد ضميرها، بعناية منك وشفقة. ومعرفتك نفسك ومفاتشتها في ذلك هو الجهاد الأكبر والكفاح الأعظم.

فأحِدّ النظر إليها يا أخي بعين نافذة البصر، حديدة النظر، حتى تعرف آفات عملها، وفساد ضميرها، وتعرف ما يتحرك به لسانها. ثم خذ بعنان هواها، فاكبحها بحكمة الخوف، وصدق الخلاف عليها، وردها بجميل الرفق إلى مراجعة الإخلاص في عملها، وتصحيح الإرادة في ضميرها، وصدق المنطق في لفظها، واستقامة النية في قلبها، وغض البصر عما كره مولاها، مع ترك فضول النظر إلى ما قد أبيح النظر إليه مما يجلب على القلب اعتقاد الدنيا.

وخذها بالصمم عن استماع شيء مما كره مولاها، من الهوى والخنا، وفي تناولها، وقبضها، وبسطها، وفي فرحها وحزنها.

لها تصحيح ما يصل إلى بطنها في الطعام والشراب واللباس.

ولها تصحيح ما يتعلق بها.

وليكن مع ذلك منك تيقظ وإزالة للغفلات عن قلبك، عند كل حركة تكون منك وسكون، وعند الصمت والمنطق، والمدخل والمخرج، والمنشط والمكره، والحب والبغض، والضحك والبكاء.

فتعاهدها يا أخي في ذلك كله. إن لها في كل نوع ذكرناه من ذلك كله سبب لهواها، وسبب لطاعتها، وسبب لمعصيتها.

فإن عملت ووافقت هواها، وغفلت عن مفاتشة هممها، كان جميع ما ذكرت لك من ذلك كله معاصي منها. وإن أنت سقطت بالغفلة، ثم رجعت بالتيقظ إلى خلاف هواها، فكان معك الندم على غفلتك وسقطتك، رجع ذلك كله إحسانا وطاعات لك.

فتفقدها يا أخي بالعناية المتحركة منك لها، مخافة تلفها. فإنك تقطع عن إبليس...

بسن اللسان والقلب — خطر اللسان

اتهم يا أخي نفسك على نفسك، أشد من تهمتك أعدى عدو لك.

وخف يا أخي من لسانك أشد من خوفك من السبع الضاري القريب المتمكن من أخذك، فإن قتيل السبع من أهل الإيمان ثوابه الجنة. وقتيل اللسان عقوبته النار، إلا أن يعفو الله.

فإن الزهد في الدنيا والغفلة عن اللسان، قرينان كل واحد منهما يُفني صاحبه.

فأغلق باب الكلام من نفسك بغلق وثيق. ثم لا تفتحه إلا فيما لا بد لك منه، فإذا فتحته فاحذر، وخذ من الكلام حاجتك التي لا بد لك منها، واغلق الباب.

وإياك والغفلة عن ذلك، والتمادي في الحديث، وأن يستمد بك الكلام فتهلك نفسك.

وسئل النبي عن الموبقات فقال: هذا — يعني: لسانك.

وقال له رجل: ما أخوف ما تخاف علي؟ فقال: هذا — وأخذ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بلسان نفسه.

وقال له: ما النجاة؟ فقال: أمسك عليك لسانك، وليسعك بيتك، وابك على خطيئتك.

وقال: من صمت نجا.

وقال: من سره أن يسلم فليلزم الصمت.

وورد عمر بن الخطاب على أبي بكر رضي الله عنهما، وهو آخذ بطرف لسانه يبصبصه. فقال: ما تصنع؟ فقال: هذا أوردني الموارد.

وقال عبد الله بن مسعود: ليس شيء أحق بطول سجن من لسان.

إلى أخبار كثيرة في اللسان.

وأكثر ما تجده في صحيفة أعمالك يوم القيامة من الشر ما أملاه عليك لسانك، وأكثر ما تجده في صحيفتك من الخير ما اكتسبه قلبك.

فضل عمل القلب على عمل اللسان

وذلك: أن اكتساب قلوب الحكماء، وأهل البصائر للخير أعمال خفية، تخفى على إبليس، وعلى الحفظة. فهي أعمال نقية من الفساد، زاكية، قد حصلت مع خفة مؤنة على أهلها، جزيلة الثواب، مخلصات من عوارض العدو، ومن هوى النفس.

وذلك لأنها أعمال مستورة عن أعين العباد، خاملة. لأن العبد يصل إليها قائما وقاعدا ومضطجعا. فأولئك هم أولو الألباب، الذين يذكرون الله قياما وقعودا وعلى جنوبهم. وأكثر ذكرهم التفكر. قال تعالى: ويتفكرون في خلق السماوات والأرض. فهم أهل الإخمال من المؤمنين الذين عبدوا الله عبادة لم تظهر منهم.

تصفية القلب عن الحرص على الدنيا

وتعاهد يا أخي قلبك بأسباب الآخرة، وعرضه لذلك، وصنه من أسباب الدنيا، ومن ذكر يجر إلى الحرص والرغبة.

ولا تأذن لقلبك في استصحاب ما يعسر طلبه، وينطفئ نور القلب من أجله. وكن في تأليف ما بينه وبين محمود العواقب حريصا، وخوف نفسك عقوبة ما في يديه من الدنيا، وقلة أدائك لما يجب عليك فيه من الشكر.

واستكثر ما في يديك، لما تعلم من ضعف شكرك، فتشتغل النفس بما في يديها عن الفكر في أمر الدنيا، والمحبة للزيادة منها.

فإذا أجممتها من ذكر الزيادة من الدنيا، وحملتها على درجة الخوف مما في يديها، قنعت ورضيت، وعفت عن طلب الدنيا بالحرص والرغبة، ورجعت إلى الآخرة بالحرص عليها والرغبة فيها. فإن النفس مبنية على أساس الطمع.

أخطار الطمع على القلب

ومخرج الحرص والرغبة من الطمع، وبناء الأنفس قائم على قواعد الطمع. أما الطمع في الدنيا فيستعمل أداة الطمع في طلب الزيادة من الدنيا. وأما الطمع في الآخرة فيستعمل أداة الطمع في طلب الزيادة من أعمال الآخرة بالحرص عليها والرغبة فيها.

قيل لحكيم: فما أداة الطمع، وجماع آفاته؟ قال: الشره، والحرص، وهيجان الرغبة. فعلى أيها أوقعت النفس طمعها خضرت أداتها، وجمعت آلتها، وجدت في طلبها.

فإذا قهرت صاحبها على موافقة هواها استميلته، فأذهلته وأذلته وأدهشته وأتعبته. ولحت عقله، وأهلكت حرصه، وأخلقت مروءته، وفتنته عن دينه. وإن كان عالما، لبيبا عاقلا كيسا فطنا فصيحا حكيما فقيها — لوّثته.

شهر النفس على طلب الآخرة

فإذا قطع عليها العبد الطمع من أسباب الدنيا، وغلب بعقله هواها، رجعت بطمعها إلى أسباب الآخرة لا محالة. لأنها بنيت على الطمع.

فإذا تحولت واشتاقت إلى أسباب الآخرة، وأقبلت عليها بالطمع والرغبة، رجعت برغبتها وطمعها إلى أسباب الآخرة، فجدت في طلبها واجتهدت، وعزفت عن الدنيا، وخالفت الهوى، وخالفت العدو، وتبعت العلم، وكانت مطية للعقل، صابرة على مر...

الخوف والحزن

وتعاهد يا أخي قلبك عند همّه، وألزمه الفكرة في أمر المعاد وما أمامه.

وتوهم بقلبك هول المطلع عند مفارقة الدنيا، وترلة أهلها في مهج نفوسهم، وتدنيس أعراضهم، وإخلاق مروءاتهم، وانتقاص أديانهم. ثم تركوا ذلك كله وقدموا على الله فرادى أحادا، مع ما قد وردوا عليه من وحشة القبر، وسؤال منكر ونكير، وأهوال القيامة.

والوقوف بين يدي الله والمساءلة عن جميع ما كان منهم من قول أو فعل، من مثل مثاقيل الذر وموازين الخردل.

وسؤاله عن الشباب فيم أبلى شبابه؟ وعن العمر فيم أفنى عمره؟ وعن المال من أين اكتسب وعمن منع وفيم أنفق؟ وعن العلم ماذا عمل فيه؟ وعن جميع الأعمال التي صدقوا فيها، والتي كذبوا فيها.

فإنك يا أخي إن خلّقت قلبك ذلك وأسكنته إياه، وكان فيك شيء من صحة تركيب العقل، فإنه سيكل منك لسانك، ولا يعدمك الخوف اللازم مع الحزن الدائم والشغل بما أمامك.

إبليس يهوى القلوب الخربة

وإن إبليس إنما يتسور عليك في الآثام من وسوسة نفسك، وخراب قلبك.

وخرابه إنما يكون إذا كان فارغا من الخوف اللازم والحزن الدائم. فحينئذ ينفث فيه بالوسوسة لآمال الدنيا، والجمع لها، مخافة فقرها. مع لزوم طول الأمل لقلبك، وإعراضه عن الله تعالى، وانقطاع مواد عظمة الله منه، وفراغه من الهيبة والحياء منه.

فإذا وجد القلب عامرا خنس، ونفر منه، ولم يجد فيه مساغا، ولا من جوانبه مدخلا. لأن القلب عامر بالخوف والأحزان والفكر، فهو منير مضيء.

يرى العبد بنور قلبه مداخل إبليس، فيرميه بالإنكار لما يدعو إليه، ويعتصم بما آتاه الله به من نور قلبه، فيدخره عنه. ويتحول الخبيث إلى قلب قد فقد الخوف فخرب وأظلم. فلا نور فيه.

فلا شيء أثقل على الخبيث من النور. فإذا وجده خنس ونفر منه. فلا يقدر عليه إلا من قبل الغفلة من العبد.

ونور القلب إنما هو من يقظته وحياته. فإذا غفل مات وأظلم. وطفئ نوره فعشي على العبد ما يدخله عليه العدو. واختلس إبليس من العبد، واستدام القلب بالغفلة، فتسور عليه بالآثام. فإذا أصر على الإقامة عليها ورضي بها علاه الرين فأظلمه. واستقر إبليس فيه. ثم سلك به سبيل الآثام إلى أن يوصله ويوقعه في الكبائر.

ولا شيء أعجب إلى إبليس من ظلمة القلب وسواده، وانطفاء نوره، وتراكب الرين عليه. ولا شيء أثقل على الخبيث من النور والبياض والنقاء والصفاء. وإنما مأواه الظلمة — وإلا فلا مأوى له ولا قرار في النور والبياض.

مراقبة الله تعالى

يروى عن بعض الحكماء أنه قال: إن من أشرف المقامات وأفضلها: المراقبة لله.

وأقل المراقبة: أن يكون العبد مراقبا بالشكر على النعمة، والاعتراف بالإساءة، والتعرض للعفو عن الإساءة. فيكون قلبه لازما لهذا المقام في كل أعماله. فمتى ما غفل رده إلى هذا بإذن الله.

ومما يعين على هذا: ترك الذنوب، والتفرغ من الأشغال، والعناية بالمراجعة.

ومن أعمال القلب التي يزكو بها، ولا يستغنى عنها: الإخلاص، والثقة، والشكر، والتواضع، والاستسلام، والنصيحة، والحب في الله تعالى، والبغض فيه.

وقال: أقل النصح: الذي يخرجك تركه، ولا يسعك إلا العمل به. فمتى قصرت عنه كنت مصرا على معصية الله تعالى في ترك النصيحة لعباده. فأقل ذلك: ألا تحب لأحد من الناس ما كره الله عز وجل، ولا تكره لهم ما أحب الله عز وجل.

فهذه الحال التي وصفنا واجبة على الخلق. لا يسع تركها طرفة عين. بضمير ولا بفعل جوارح.

وحال أخرى فوق هذه، وهي فضيلة للعبد: أن يكره لهم ما كره الله، وأن يحب لهم ما أحب الله تعالى.

قال: وجاء رجل إلى عبد الله بن المبارك فقال له: أوصني. فقال: راقب الله. فقال الرجل: وما مراقبة الله؟ فقال: أن تستحيي من الله.

المراقبة والمناجاة من اليقين

قال: فالمناجاة والمراقبة من حيث تضع قلبك. وهو: أن تضعه دون العرش. فتناجي من هناك.

Source Colophon: Text from adab_al_nufus_raw.txt, a modern critical edition compiled by ʿAbd al-Qādir Aḥmad ʿAṭā (Muʾassasat al-Kutub al-Thaqāfiyya, Beirut). The treatise text begins at line 1094 of the source file. Minor spelling variants from the source file (due to OCR or manuscript variants noted by the editor) have been preserved in the source text as found. Editor footnotes and apparatus have been excluded from the source text above, reproducing only al-Muḥāsibī's text. The Arabic reproduced here covers the first six sections of the treatise: lines 1094–1609 of the source file.

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