Abu al-Qasim al-Junaid ibn Muhammad (d. 910 CE)

Al-Junaid ibn Muhammad al-Baghdadi (d. 297 AH / 910 CE) was the master of the "sober school" of Sufism and the most authoritative voice of early Islamic mysticism. Where his contemporary al-Hallaj spoke in ecstatic paradox, al-Junaid spoke in measured, precise theological prose — yet the fire underneath was the same. His surviving works form the foundation of Sufi psychology, theology, and spiritual method.

These five treatises complete the surviving corpus from the collected edition of al-Mazidi. They range from practical spiritual medicine — the Remedy of Souls and the Remedy of Negligence — through applied psychology — the three-fold discernment of impulses toward good — to the dense mystical theology of the Discourse on Divinity and the ethical epistemology of the distinction between sincerity and truthfulness.

This is the first English translation. Translated from Classical Arabic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

The Remedy of Souls (كتاب دواء الأرواح)

Praise be to God, who made clear through manifest proof, to the people of knowledge and clarity, what He reserved for them in the primordial past — before the before, when there was no when, no where, no how, no whence; and no not-when, no not-where, no not-how, no not-whence. For He made them worthy of His unity and the isolation of His purity, and they were defenders against any claim to comprehend His definition — fashioned for Himself, made under His eye, upon whom He cast a love from Himself. "I fashioned you for Myself" [Ta Ha 20:41], "that you might be made under My eye" [Ta Ha 20:39], "and I cast upon you a love from Me" [Ta Ha 20:39]. How glorious are the attributes of one fashioned for His own purpose, made under His eye, upon whom He cast a love from Himself — that no foothold of knowledge rests upon any place, no companionship of reason rests upon any settled understanding, and no deliberation of resolve rests upon their implementation.

They are the ones whom knowledge carried where knowledge carried them — toward no end, limit upon limit. The intellects recoiled. The minds went bankrupt. The forms of knowing were laid bare. The ages were consumed. And bewilderment wandered bewildered within bewilderment — at the description of the first step taken in accordance with the description of a moment’s place within the knowledge that flowed through them by Him, for Him. Far beyond — that is His, what is His, through Him, with Him. Where then shall they go?

Have you not heard the knowledge of His concealment when He revealed it, and His unveiling when He hid it, and His singling out the secret of revelation for the one He chose? "And He revealed to His servant what He revealed" [al-Najm 53:10]. "The heart did not lie about what it saw" [al-Najm 53:11]. "And he was at the highest horizon" [al-Najm 53:7].

He testified that he was His servant alone — no other enslavement had touched him, neither by a hidden inclination of aspiration, nor by a visitation of desire, nor by the murmur of a glance, nor by the intrusion of a passing thought, nor by a word uttered before its right, nor by speech spoken before its people, nor by any deliberation, nor by any portion through a glimpse.

It was revealed to him then what was revealed. He was prepared to understand what God had bestowed upon him through what He Himself had assumed guardianship of, and He chose him for a matter and loaded what was to be carried, and he carried it. "And He revealed to His servant what He revealed" [al-Najm 53:10]. "And he was at the highest horizon" [al-Najm 53:7]. The places grew narrow, and all created things recoiled from flowing within it, or were overwhelmed by the revelation he received — except at the highest horizon. "When there covered the Lote Tree what covered it" [al-Najm 53:16]. He looked through his looking, from beyond what is looked upon, at the Lote Tree — where what covered it covered it, and it stood firm under what covered it.

And look at the mountain, when He made it crumble for His majesty, and Moses fell unconscious. When he awoke, he said: “Glory be to You, I repent to You from ever asking You for the vision after this station” — marvelling at what he had been reckless in asking, and knowing that had knowledge struck the truth in the moment of asking, such a question would not have been fitting. And in this place there is knowledge whose right is not to be committed to writing, and which does not belong in books.

And look at His report concerning His beloved: "And he certainly saw him in another descent, at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary" [al-Najm 53:13–14]. The word “at” here does not indicate a place — it indicates the moment of the unveiling of the knowledge of the moment.

So look at the merit of the two moments, and the difference between the two places, and the distinction between the two stations in height and nearness. And for that, the intellects of the believers among the gnostics were graded: some can bear the address of intimate dialogue with the knowledge of the nearness of the One who addressed them and drew them near — their knowledge of nearness does not veil them from nearness, nor their knowledge of height from height. Others cannot bear that, and so causes become the means of understanding, and through them the address is grasped, and from them comes the response. And do not stop at His saying, exalted be He: "It was not for any human being that God should speak to him except by revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger who reveals by His permission what He wills" [al-Shura 42:51].

These are places where the expansion of knowledge is constrained, except in direct discourse with those suited to conversation. This is the occupation with the knowledge of the paths that lead to the knowledge of the people of the innermost — those who have emptied from their solitudes, freed from their wills, and a barrier is placed between them and what they desire. The winds of acumen blew through them and delivered them to the oceans of wisdom, and they drew out the pure water of life, fearing no calamity, expecting no disaster, craving no attainment of any goal. Rather, the goals are for them beginnings.

They are the ones who appeared in the inner depths of creation and were hidden in its outward form.

Trustees of His revelation, guardians of His secret, executors of His command, receivers of His truth, workers of His obedience. They hasten toward good works, and they are the forerunners. Their dealings in the beginnings of their affairs were conducted with the finest etiquette toward the rights He obligated them to fulfil. No counsel remained that they had not offered, no means of nearness they had not reached.

Their souls gladly sacrificed their lifeblood at the first of His rights in seeking nearness to Him, rushing forward without withholding or holding back — seeing that what was owed from them in the moment of sacrifice was greater than what they gained by what they sacrificed. The signs of Truth pointed toward them, and the knowledge of Truth was abundant before them. No blame at a calamity halted them, no fear at a catastrophe slowed them, no desire in the seizing of provision propelled them. They guarded what they were entrusted to guard of God’s Book, "and they were witnesses over it" [al-Ma’ida 5:44].

When urgency drew them to seek assistance for the completion of what they were charged with, listening to counsel did not save them as long as a trace of existing life remained in them — out of dread that illusion might enter alongside knowledge of the obligatory rights toward their obligations. The pause before rushing to initiative settled, in the moment of the command to strive, so that the act would follow the command without any defined interval known outside the quality of commandness.

These are the attributes of the people of loyalty among the people of pure friendship — whose gaze perpetually falls upon what words carry through them, from what the right of servanthood in monastic devotion obligates. Blame fell upon those who took it upon themselves but failed to fulfil its right by abandoning its observance. So the souls of the practitioners rushed toward what was theirs through their works, and they were veiled by seeing what was theirs through their works, from what was theirs through the knowledge of their works, from what was theirs through the grace bestowed upon them by the unveiling of the knowledge of their works. So the veils multiplied through veils, away from the unveiling of the knowledge of veils, and they remained under covering. After emerging from these places, the knowledge of the removal of the covering appears: "You were heedless of this. Now We have removed your covering from you, and your sight today is piercing" [Qaf 50:22].

He stood at the boundaries of things through the unveiling of their Creator, and what He clothed them with of the light of craftsmanship and the bloom of will, by the exhaustive power to gather them, scatter them, liken them, and verify them. The Exalted said: "And it does not tire Him to preserve them both, and He is the Most High, the Most Great" [al-Baqara 2:255]. And His saying, exalted be He: "There is no compulsion in religion. Right guidance has become clear from error" [al-Baqara 2:256].

And may God bless Muhammad, the honoured, purified, favoured, and mercied Prophet, and his family and companions, his pure and good and noble and righteous lineage. And praise be to God, Lord of all worlds. He is our sufficiency and the best disposer of affairs.

The Remedy of Negligence (كتاب دواء التفريط)

The Master Abu al-Qasim al-Junaid ibn Muhammad, may God have mercy upon him, said:

God chose you for His obedience. He prepared you for His agreement. He made you one of the people of His friendship. He selected you for His love. He hastened you toward Himself. He stationed you upon the knowledge of His will. He employed you with the knowledge of what He willed for you. He habituated you to listening for the drawing out of understanding from Him. He placed a barrier between you and the obstacles that sever and the attachments that hinder. He made your words acceptable before Him and flourishing in His sight. He spared you the burden of everything that distracts from Him. He prepared you for His service. He refreshed you by entrusting all affairs to Him. He placed a barrier between you and every obstacle on the path to Him. He gave you over every concern that does not aid you in seeking what pleases Him — a mighty helping authority from His presence. And He is the guardian of grace and the one sufficient for all matters.

It is fitting for the rational person never to be absent from one of three stations:

A station in which he knows his state — whether it is increasing or decreasing.

A station in which he withdraws to discipline his soul, to bind it to what is binding, and to investigate his knowledge of it.

And a station in which he summons his intellect through the observation of divine governance — how the rulings shift upon him through the hours of night and the edges of day.

No intellect will be clear enough to issue toward the understanding of this latter state except by mastering what is obligated upon him in setting right the first two states.

As for the station in which he should know whether his state is increasing or decreasing: he must seek places of solitude, so that no distraction interferes to corrupt what he wishes to set right. Then he turns to the fulfillment of the obligatory duties — for the state of his nearness cannot flourish except by the completion of what is required. Then he stands as a servant stands before his Lord, intending to render what he was commanded to render. And then the hidden things of the concealing souls are revealed to him, and he knows whether he is one who has rendered what was owed or has not. Then he does not leave that station until knowledge brings forth the proof of what knowledge unveiled — and if he sees a flaw, he stays upon its repair and does not pass beyond it to any other work.

These are the states of the people of truthfulness in this place. "And God supports with His victory whom He wills" [Al Imran 3:13]. And the Exalted said: "Indeed, God is Strong, Mighty" [al-Hajj 22:74].

As for the station in which he withdraws to discipline his soul and investigate its knowledge: it is fitting for whoever resolves upon this and seeks sincerity in practice — for souls sometimes harbour hidden things within them, which none perceive except those who have insight into what lies there — in the moment when desire moves toward habitual good deeds. For when souls grow accustomed to doing good, it becomes one of their dispositions, and they settle into it as the place they were prepared for, and they are clothed in it.

And the soul sees that the one who has been conducting good through it — it is worthy of him. Meanwhile the enemy stationed at its threshold, the one given the path through the blood’s channels, perceives through the subtlety of his cunning its hidden inattention. He steals by the inclination of desire what he could not have stolen in any other state. If the soul feels the sting of his blow and recognizes itself, it hastens to return to the One from whom sufficiency comes only through Him. It investigates within itself the knowledge of the condition through which the enemy reached it, and it guards that condition through the refuge of return, the casting of protection, the severity of neediness, and the seeking of sanctuary — as the noble son of the noble son of the noble said, Yusuf son of Ya’qub son of Ibrahim, peace be upon them: "Unless You turn their cunning away from me, I shall incline toward them and be among the ignorant" [Yusuf 12:33].

Yusuf knew that the cunning of enemies combined with the force of desire is not repelled by the soul’s own strength. "So his Lord answered him and turned their cunning away from him. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing" [Yusuf 12:34].

As for the station in which he summons his intellect for the observation of the course of rulings and how governance turns upon him: this is the most excellent of places and the highest of stations. For God commanded all His creation to maintain His worship and not grow weary of His service, saying: "I did not create the jinn and humanity except to worship Me" [al-Dhariyat 51:56]. He bound upon them perpetual worship, and He guaranteed them in this world sufficiency, and in the next, abundant reward.

He said, exalted be He: "O you who believe, bow and prostrate and worship your Lord and do good, that you may prosper" [al-Hajj 22:77]. All of this is worship incumbent upon all creation. And to stand and observe how the rulings are directed — this is the approach to the highest knowledge and gnosis. Do you not know that He, exalted be He, said: "Every day He is upon some affair" [al-Rahman 55:29] — meaning the affairs of creation?

And you — standing to observe — you are among the creation whose affairs He manages. Do you then see your affairs as pleasing to Him? No one is able to summon his intellect except by the departure of the world and all that is in it from him, and its exit from his heart.

When the world has passed and perished along with its people, and it has departed from the heart, then the heart is left alone with the intimate contemplation of the turning of governance and the shifting of rulings and the differentiation of portions. No heart of this description will return to benefiting from anything in this abode — the abode it left, abandoned, and fled. Do you not see Haritha, when he said: “My soul turned away from the world.” Then he said: “It is as if I see the throne of my Lord manifest. It is as if I see the people of Paradise visiting one another. It is as if… It is as if…”

These are some of the states of the folk. So strive, my brother, to work for the salvation of your soul, its deliverance, its emancipation from the bondage of desire’s humiliation and submission to the company of the worldly. For scarcely does a soul taste a drop from the intoxication of heedlessness without it bequeathing a hardness that stupefies the intellect, bewilders knowledge, and opens a subtle path for temptation. Whoever lifts the veil of afflictions — the veil of concealment is unveiled to him, and he breathes no breeze of the pleasure of true dealing.

And a people have triumphed whom their Guardian looked upon and guided to the shortcut of the path, and stationed at the clear road of salvation, and revealed to them the hidden understanding of the call to hasten, through rigorous examination, at the understanding of the address, when the Almighty says: "Hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is the heavens and the earth, prepared for the God-fearing" [Al Imran 3:133].

Then the intellects rose, urging the limbs onward with the finest orientation toward the fulfillment of that by which they attain favour before the One whose call they answered. Eyes were consoled by what arrived upon their hearts of joy in the solitude — a solitude between clever, discerning folk who fear none on the path to Him but Him, who seek no means to Him except through Him, who ask Him for nothing but the continuation of delight in His service and fair assistance toward His accord.

The enemies have despaired of them. Reverent fear has killed desire within them. The eyes of the beloved are consoled by them. They see no attainment greater than what they have attained. They do not seek any substitute for what He has bestowed upon them. They do not desire to turn from Him. Knowledge purified them. Practice disciplined them. Solitary devotion to God, exalted be He, honoured them. And He enriched them from all else besides Him.

They are God’s seekers and His sought ones. God’s lovers and His beloveds. They wandered in longing for the sight of them. They grieved at their parting. They were gladdened by their company. God desired them and they desired Him. They sought God and found Him.

Whoever desires salvation, let him hasten the spirit of life by seeking to reach his aspiration. For God is the wish of the saints, the desire of the wise, the quest of the chosen. Were it not for Him they would never have been guided to Him. From the mention of them He guided them to Himself. He did not oppress them in what He charged them with. He did not burden them with what they could not bear. Their deliverance is from the severe torment. He guided them to the path of gratitude that is pleasing to Him. He brought them together with their peers among those like them. He guarded their hearts, their eyes, and their ears from drawing near to filth, and they shunned the company of anything transient. He did not leave them to themselves. He did not hold them to account for their shortcomings. Rather, He graced them with the beautiful acceptance of excuse at the time of acceptance, and overlooked what their bodies fell short of. He stationed them upon the beauty of companionship and the abundance of His preservation, and the afflictions of this world became light upon them, and they loved what their Guardian chose for them. Their offering was glorification and praise and celebration and the declaration of oneness, and their rest and consolation of their eyes was in their intimate prayer — and what should divert them when they meet Him at their return? What cut creation off from God, mighty and exalted, was their following of desires, their obedience to enemies, their commerce with the bloom of the life of this world, and their preferring what perishes over what endures.

So hasten, my brother, to mend what has passed of your life, and what has been wasted of it through negligence and heedlessness and excess and apathy — to preserve what remains of it with urgency and fear and earnestness and caution, before the time runs out and death descends. For He will not be pleased with those who remain except by the like of the work by which He was pleased with those who came before. So strive to free yourself from bondage by abandoning the entangling attachments that distract. For God has a Day when He will lay bare the hidden things and deeds will be manifest — a Day on which no witness and no truthful one will trust in his own work, a Day on which no one will hope for anything except pardon and forgiveness from his Lord, a Day on which remorse will abound and blame will intensify. So now — while the excuse is still accepted, the time is still extended, the work is still available, repentance is still accepted, sin is still erased by returning to God, and the word is still heard, and good is still followed, and the truth is clear, and the path is plain, and the proof is binding — "to God belongs the conclusive argument" [al-An’am 6:149]. "Had He willed, He would have guided you all" [al-An’am 6:149].

The traces of the will to guidance are clear to the people of guidance. Among the signs of the one He described: the ease of obedience, the love of harmony, seeing the soul with the eye of incapacity, and being cut off from fulfilling the obligatory — or: loyalty, brotherhood, purity, love, compassion, and preferring others over oneself among the people of nearness, and continuity in God’s cause, mighty and exalted — and assistance to the people of sainthood, and defence of the sanctuary of Truth, and mutual contentment with patience, and lightness of burden, and forbearance and daring and caution, and contending with the times, and standing at the boundary of the command in bringing joy to them and mixing with them and sitting with them, and leaving off pride toward them. Concerning them God, exalted be He, counselled His Prophet, peace be upon him, saying: "And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring the adornment of the life of this world" [al-Kahf 18:28].

May God make us and you among those who knew God’s right and put it to work, who occupied themselves with Him and were not occupied from Him, who guarded what He entrusted to them, and may He grant fair assistance in rendering gratitude and perpetual remembrance. Indeed He is the guardian of benevolence, who has promised His servants the Garden and warned them of the Fire.

The book is complete, by the praise and grace of God. And may God bless our master Muhammad and his family and grant them peace.

The Etiquette of the One in Need of God (أدب المفتقر إلى الله)

The Master Abu al-Qasim, may God have mercy upon him, was asked about the etiquette of the one who is in need of God, mighty and exalted. He said:

That you be content with God, mighty and exalted, in all states, and that you ask no one other than God, exalted be He.

The Impulse of Good (خاطر الخير)

He was asked about the impulse toward good — whether it is one thing or many. He said:

The impulse that calls toward obedience occurs in three forms: a Satanic impulse, whose cause is the whispering of Satan; a self-originating impulse, whose cause is desire and the seeking of comfort; and a divine impulse, whose cause is God’s enabling grace.

These impulses resemble each other in their call toward obedience, and they must be distinguished so that the right one may be acted upon — in accordance with his saying, peace be upon him: “Whoever has a door of good opened to him, let him seize it.” And the other two must be rejected: the Satanic, by His saying, exalted be He: "Indeed, those who fear God — when an impulse from Satan touches them, they remember, and at once they see clearly" [al-A’raf 7:201]. And the one born of desire, the impulse of the self, by his saying, peace be upon him: “The Fire has been surrounded by desires.”

Each of these impulses has a sign by which it is distinguished from the others.

The Self-Originating Impulse

The self-originating impulse — its cause is desire and the seeking of comfort. Desire divides into the psychic — such as the love of status and prestige, the satisfaction of anger, the belittling of rivals, and the like — and the physical — such as food, drink, marriage, clothing, excursions, and the like.

The soul has a need for these pleasures proportional to its distance from each one and the intensity of its craving for each type.

The impulse of the soul among these has two reliable signs that serve as just witnesses for distinguishing the impulse that belongs to it:

The first is the appearance of this impulse at the time of the soul’s need for one of these ambiguous things — such as the appearance of the desire to marry when its need for marriage is intense, and its disguising of this as the wish to act upon his saying, peace be upon him: “Marry and multiply, for I shall boast of your numbers among the nations on the Day of Resurrection,” and its avoidance of his saying, peace be upon him: “There is no monasticism in Islam.” And its parallel in food when the need for it is intense — the soul may disguise this as an invitation to break the fast or to take some desired food, saying: “Continuous fasting weakens the soul for the obedience it needs for worship,” or “Refusing this desired food would break the heart of a Muslim who offered it,” or “the hearts of one’s family if it was something you brought for them.” And sometimes it deceives you with another colour, saying: “Break this craving by indulging it this once, lest this impulse persist and disturb your worship.” And the like among all the doubtful things.

All of this is its deception and fraud. And its parallel: when you exhaust it with worship and impose obedience upon it against its reluctance, it selects for you the Prophet’s prohibition of excessive devotion and the exhaustion of the self — such as his saying, peace be upon him: “Take upon yourselves of works what you can bear,” and his saying, peace be upon him: “The one who forces his mount breaks it — he neither crossed the land nor preserved the back.” Indeed, when you intensify its exhaustion and denial of its desires, it may drive you to what leads to its utter destruction or the removal of its ability to act, compelling you toward what leads to death or imprisonment and the like — because in these two states it imagines rest and the cessation of its toil.

The first sign in this matter: that toil and exhaustion have preceded the soul’s demand for rest, or that need for the desired thing has preceded the impulse of desire. So test the soul by these two conditions: if either has preceded, know that the impulse is from the soul, and that its need for that thing is what set it in motion. In summary: if the impulse is born of desire or the seeking of rest, it is predominantly from the soul.

The second sign: the persistence of this impulse and its refusal to cease. The more you struggle to repel it, the more it insists and perseveres. Neither seeking refuge in God, nor fear, nor warning, nor encouragement avails against it. It is persistent, endlessly persistent. This is among the strongest proofs that it is from the soul, for the soul is like a child — the more it is denied a thing, the more stubbornly it demands it.

These two conditions are just witnesses: when they converge, you shall not doubt that the impulse is from the soul. Its cure in this case is pure opposition and severe exhaustion. Deny the soul rest when the cause of the impulse is excessive toil and worship, or impose upon it a heavier form, to suppress its agitation toward such impulses. If the impulse is born of desire, its cure is deprivation of the thing it sought, or the denial of another of its desires, to serve as a greater deterrent.

The Satanic Impulse

The Satanic impulse also has two signs:

The first: it prompts toward something the soul needs — through the motive of desire or rest — at the times when the soul is accustomed to obtaining what it seeks. The difference between it and the self-originating impulse in this regard: the self-originating persists and does not depart, whereas this one departs for a time and returns. Whenever the person is distracted from it by the subsiding of the soul, it presses upon the soul with a reminder of the desire, and the soul’s agitation at this reminder is greater than at the self-originating impulse — for the self-originating impulse arose only from the intensity of need.

The second: this Satanic impulse begins and occurs suddenly to the mind, whereas the self-originating impulse is continuous, stirring the nature toward desire or rest. For the whispering of Satan operates in the manner of one person addressing another, except that the difference between them is that you do not see him. A person stirs your heart through the sense of hearing — through speech or sound — and through sight — through gesture — and through touch. And Satan stirs these through whispering, the pricking of the heart, and the passing thought within it. He does not know the unseen; he approaches the soul only through the dispositions it is accustomed to yielding to. This is the distinction between the self-originating and the Satanic.

The Divine Impulse

The divine impulse is discerned by two signs as well:

The first, and it is the primary one: the impulse’s conformity with the sacred law and the law’s testimony to its soundness.

The second: the soul’s initial reluctance to accept it, until a measure of encouragement is obtained. It intrudes upon the soul without precedent, like the Satanic impulse. But the soul’s speed in complying with the Satanic impulse is greater — it is readier for it — whereas toward this divine impulse it is more sluggish, because Satan approaches the soul through its desires and comforts, while the divine impulse comes by way of obligation — and the soul recoils from obligation upon its arrival. This is the distinction between this impulse and the Satanic and the self-originating.

When an impulse toward good occurs to you, weigh it on these three scales, and invoke the witnesses we indicated to you for each category. Then the impulses will be distinguished for you. Treat the Satanic and the self-originating as we have described to you in decisive opposition. And rush toward the divine impulse — and abandon delay and waste, for time is narrow and circumstances change.

Beware the soul’s beguiling and Satan’s whispering. For this door of good has been opened to you — enter it fully from its beginning. Do not say: “Leave this until I can undertake the whole night from its start,” or “the whole month in its entirety.” That is only deception, to close the door of the enabling grace that has been granted.

These impulses do not last. They are swift to change. And the rush to seize the divine impulse is commanded by the sacred law. In it are two benefits:

The first: that one time may be more excellent than another — such as the times in which God’s mercy and forgiveness descend, and the moments of the Truth’s gazes upon creation, which are beyond counting.

The second: accustoming the soul to the rush of obedience when the blessing of the work is hoped for. In this is the removal of laziness from the soul, and the exposure of oneself to the breezes of God’s mercy, exalted be He. And this is useful in training the soul toward the rush of obeying commands. And God knows best and is wisest.

Discourse on Divinity (كلام في الألوهية)

Abu al-Qasim al-Junaid, may God the Exalted have mercy upon him, said:

The Truth withdrew with them in seclusion, and Divinity was stripped bare for them. The first arrival of Truth — by the rendering of the witnesses of His manifestation to them and His setting them down in the beginning of Divinity — descended the Eternal upon the everlasting perpetuity of Abiding, in the endurance of continuance toward what has no limit and no end. Then He followed this with the witness of impregnable might, and length of glory, and the appearance of domination, and towering height, and conquering power, and the severity of onset, and the immensity of majesty, and the gravity of dominion. He withdrew, alone in that, and exalted Himself and was transcendent in grandeur. The Truth was, by the Truth, for the Truth, standing. The Truth was, by the Truth, for the judgment, judging. And He was united in the solitude of His sovereignty — One, Solitary, Eternal, Self-Sufficient. This is the first witness of His descent, of the one He caused to descend within the overwhelming of this Name upon him, and settled him by it before Himself.

Then He followed this with what was possible of concealment in the protection of what He had by it for him, from His Most Beautiful Names — what the allusion pointed to and what it did not — names of Gathering and names of Separation, as He willed, between manifestation and concealment. Among them were those whose witnesses appeared, whose demands rose, whose courses ascended, whose dwellings ranged, whose vessels turned. Then the descriptions were exhausted through the passage of the reality’s encompassment of what it had grasped — and it concealed it, and it lay hidden within it and vanished it, and it folded over it and kept its secret, and it mastered it and consumed it, and it prevailed over it and subjugated it.

Then its onrushes issued forth in separation without severance, and rose in intimacy beyond the pattern of order. It towered with its outward appearance and with a conqueror it manifested through the establishment of its rulings. At that the onset surged, and glory boasted, and domination subjugated. Where then is “where” at that point? There is no “when” for its “where.” Where is the going of “where” upon the duration of His eternity? Where is what has no “where” and no “where” within it, upon the solitude of Divinity? And this is only part of what the Truth revealed through the Name of Gathering.

Then through them He directed what they expected from them through the gaze — in the witnesses of what the Truth brought to meet the one whose description is this, upon His solitary Name and His naked knowledge. This is an allusion to what cannot be expounded further. The understanding of this is not attained from the genus of allusion except by the precedence of being within what the description preceded — and I have folded what is in it and have not made it plain. Take it from where it cannot be attained except through it — if the Truth grasps through your grasping, within your grasping.

And from some of what the Truth manifested in the Name of Separation: He confined them by the display of what He clothed them in, and He clothed them in the display of what He confined them by. They were, in His manifestation, witnesses of the hidden things of His concealment. Whenever He looked upon them with what He surveyed in them, He buried the place of discovery under the existence of the concealment’s hidden secrecy. And they, in the witnesses of what He showed them, upon the succession of what He disclosed to them — then He looked upon them through what He showed them — lookings of the secret of the guarded, the trembling, upon them through it in the display of what it had concealed.

And that was before He raised them to the veil of the strangeness of this description. Then He revealed to them the witnesses of generosity and the drawing intercessions of the precedent command. He showed them through it, upon His turning toward them and His honouring a station before Himself, the tidings of the existence of the circling of faithfulness and the encompassing of every beloved and sought and desired, through the completion of perfect friendship and the union of the gifts of loyalty. Then He turned upon them in the settled safety of what He had placed them in — by showing them the absence from themselves, and by taking what He had turned toward them, and by the seizure of everything He had consoled them with from His gifts and had bent toward them from His generosity, and by stationing upon them, for what He wished to bring them to and seek from them, the opposites of the preceding witnesses.

If you could see them with the eye of His showing them and the being of what He placed them in, you would see pledges of bodies held captive, and the fluttering of migrating spirits in secret flight — overwhelmed by erasure in the dominion of His might, and pressed to the utmost by the severity of the Truth’s trial through His absence — from which they cry out through Him, and through which they wail toward Him in the floods of anguish. He gathered their breaths in their breaths and imprisoned their spirits in their spirits. They turn through Him upon Him, and from Him through Him toward Him they are unified. And this is some of the knowledge of Unity, from what His chosen ones were pointed toward.

The book is complete, by the praise and grace of God. And may God bless Muhammad and his family and grant them peace.

On the Distinction Between Sincerity and Truthfulness (في الفرق بين الإخلاص والصدق)

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

Praise be to God, and peace upon His servants whom He has chosen.

The Master and Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Junaid, may God sanctify his spirit and illuminate his grave, said:

May God comfort you with His nearness. May He renew for you at every moment an increase in His goodness. May He shelter you in the shadows of the wing of His mercy. May He make your dwelling in His neighbourhood — where He has settled the spirits of the people of His innermost circle, whom He took under His protection, so that no pursuer reached them, no severer cut them off, no distraction diverted them. And may God bless His Prophet and the people of his house and his companions, and grant them peace.

To proceed: you asked about the distinction between sincerity and truthfulness.

The meaning of truthfulness is the standing over the soul in guardianship and care for it — after your fulfilment of what is upon you, of what knowledge has directed you toward, in upholding the limits of the states outwardly — together with the goodness of your intention toward God, mighty and exalted, at the beginning of the act.

Truthfulness is thus found in the reality of the attributes of will at the beginning of will — through standing in what you were called to in the reality of your will, from what the Truth opened for you the way toward, and the rushing forward in it by departing from the soul’s agreement with the seeking of comfort — with the upstanding of knowledge before you, and your conformity with it, by your departure from interpretation.

Truthfulness is thus found before the finding of the reality of sincerity.

God, mighty and exalted, said: "that He might question the truthful about their truthfulness" [al-Ahzab 33:8]. Then He questioned them, after they had brought truthfulness: what did they intend by their truthfulness?

God, exalted be He, named the truthful in another place upon a different meaning, saying: "This is the Day when the truthful shall profit by their truthfulness" [al-Ma’ida 5:119]. So truthfulness in the first case was a mark for creation and a distinction between them and sincerity — because sincerity is found in the attributes of creation in two states: the state of belief and intention, and the state of action and work.

Sincerity in the attribute of the truthful person is found in the intention, not attributed to truthfulness except by the presence of the beginning of sincerity within him — while there remains upon him the knowledge of the arrivals of things at the encounter of action through the limbs, amid the obstacles that are the opposites of sincerity and the purification of his deed, until he is called sincere.

The first element of sincerity is to single out God, exalted be He, with the will. The second is to purify the act from defect.

The truthfulness that is truthfulness in the sight of creation — there is a distinction between it and sincerity. The truthfulness that is truthfulness in the sight of God, exalted be He — that is truthfulness joined with sincerity.

One may say: “So-and-so is truthful,” because of what is seen upon him of the attributes of knowledge and the expenditure of his utmost effort. But one does not say: “So-and-so is sincere,” because of creation’s absence from the knowledge of his sincerity. Truthfulness is witnessed in the attributes of the truthful, while sincerity is absent from his witness.

The truthful person is described by the beauty of the attributes of his witness, attributed to truthfulness by the proofs of his outward form — with the presence of the beginnings of sincerity in his inner being, while there remains upon him the knowledge of the arrivals of things when they arrive. He accepts what accords with the first meaning of the soundness of his intention. He rejects what contradicts the knowledge of his outward form.

Sincerity surpasses truthfulness by the presence of greater knowledge, together with the power to reject what opposes it from the whispering of the enemy, by the presence of the heart’s purity. And nothing surpasses sincerity. One does not say “the sincerity of the sincere” — because there is no further station beyond sincerity.

He said: God, exalted be He, said: "that He might question the truthful about their truthfulness" [al-Ahzab 33:8]. He did not say: “that He might question the sincere about their sincerity” — because sincerity is His ultimate aim from creation in what He bound them to serve. So sincerity surpasses truthfulness, and truthfulness is below it.

Truthfulness is upon three things:

Truthful with his tongue — he is the one who speaks the truth, whether for him or against him, departing from interpretation and fraud.

Truthful in his action — he is the one who spends the utmost of himself by expelling the presence of his comfort.

Truthful with his heart — and this is the intention toward God in his action.

When these three qualities are present, he is truthful — though truthfulness is present from the truthful one in every state, and he cannot dispense with it in any state.

I have already explained the sum at the beginning of this book. So truthfulness in scrupulousness and renunciation and asceticism and trust in God and contentment and love and longing and unity — for the people of prayer, in the attributes of the desirer and the desired, the rememberer and the remembered — all of this must produce an outward witness that testifies to his truthfulness.

The meaning of sincerity is the dedication of the intention to God, mighty and exalted, alone, and the goodness of the intention toward Him — with the presence of the mind at the arrivals of things, and the clarification of the colourings of affairs upon him, by what accords with the first meaning of the soundness of his intention, and the rejection of what contradicts it from the arrivals of the self and the enemy — together with the vanishing of the sight of the self through the presence of the sight of grace, together with the goodness of consolation at blame from creation, by the presence of the knowledge of grace, and the presence of aversion at praise, out of fear that the knowledge might be corrupted — by the departure of the sight of creation when circumstances are met.

This is a knowledge witnessed at the witness of the sincere person, absent from the witness of creation.

Truthfulness and sincerity converge in the state of the sincere person, while truthfulness stands alone with the truthful person, together with the first presence of sincerity. The ultimate description of those described by servanthood in subjection is sincerity. The truthful person in the reality of his truthfulness is taken under guardianship through sincerity. The sincere person in the reality of his sincerity is taken under guardianship through sufficiency — by the presence of the penetrating insight. The one of insight, in the reality of his penetrating insight, is taken under guardianship through protection in all that threatens its corruption. Then the taking under guardianship occurs through the assumption by particularity — and it overpowers the intellect and annihilates it from resisting the Finder.

So at the finding of the reality of the assumption through particularity, he departs from his worship of God through selfhood and enters into his worship of God, mighty and exalted, through Oneness.

That was the first finding of the reality of the Unity of the elect — by the departure of the sight of all things through the standing of the sight of the Truth. The states flowed upon him in the courses of their descriptions, for the will of his Sovereign in them, by the falling away of their descriptions from them.

When the servant arrives at this, he departs from the quality of what is described by intellect. The incursions of intellect, at the finding of the reality of Unity, become whisperings that need to be repelled — because the intellect was the steward of the servant when the servant stood in servanthood from where the servant stands. But at the falling of the realities of sovereignty from God, mighty and exalted, upon him — the servant departed in servanthood from a source other than the first. He was present in the attribute, absent from the wellspring. He became, at that, present and absent.

Colophon

These five treatises were translated from Classical Arabic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church as part of the Good Works Project — the largest freely available sacred text archive on the internet.

Source: Al-Imam al-Junaid: Sayyid al-Ta’ifatayn, ed. Dr. Saud al-Mazidi, published by Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya. Digital edition accessed via the Internet Archive. The Remedy of Souls additionally follows the Radliriyah edition for the manuscript tradition.

Translation method: Good Works Translation — independently translated from Classical Arabic. No existing English translations of these five treatises are known to exist. The English was derived directly from reading the Arabic source text. Quranic quotations were translated independently from the Arabic and cross-referenced with the Quranic text for accuracy.

First English translation. These five treatises have never before appeared in English. Together with the Letters, the Book of the Covenant, the Book of Annihilation, and the Short Treatises — all translated by the Arabic Sufi Translator lineage — they represent the most complete English rendering of al-Junaid’s surviving works from this collected edition.

Translated and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Tulku Nur (نور), Arabic Sufi Translator, life 56. Published by Shimai (仕舞い, WIP Finisher, pass 130).

Related works by al-Junaid in the Good Work Library: Letters of al-Junaid · Book of the Covenant · Book of Annihilation · Short Treatises of al-Junaid

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Source Text: كتاب دواء الأرواح — كتاب دواء التفريط — أدب المفتقر إلى الله — خاطر الخير — كلام في الألوهية — في الفرق بين الإخلاص والصدق

Arabic source text from Al-Imam al-Junaid: Sayyid al-Ta’ifatayn, ed. Dr. Saud al-Mazidi (Internet Archive). Presented for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

كتاب دواء الأرواح « 1 »
الحمد للّه الذي أبان بواضح البرهان ، لأهل المعرفة والبيان ، ما خصّهم به في قديم القدم ، قبل كون القبل ، حين لا حين ، ولا حيث ، ولا كيف ، ولا أين ، ولا لا حين ، ولا لا حيث ، ولا لا كيف ، ولا لا أين . إذ جعلهم أهلا لتوحيده ، وإفراد تجريده ، والذّابّين عن ادّعاء إدراك تحديده ، مصطنعين لنفسه ، مصنوعين على عينه ، ألقى عليهم محبّة منه له .وَاصْطَنَعْتُكَ لِنَفْسِي[ طه : 41 ] ،وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلى عَيْنِي[ طه : 39 ] ،وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي[ طه : 39 ] ، فماجد أوصاف من صنعه لنفسه ، والمصنوع على عينه ، والملقي عليه محبّة منه له ، أن لا تستقر له قدم علم على مكان ، ولا مرافقة عقل على استقرار فهم ، ولا مناظرة عزم على تنفيذهم .
هم الذين جرت بهم المعرفة حيث جرى بهم العلم ، إلى لا نهاية ، غاية غاية . خنست العقول ، وبارت الأذهان ، وانحسرت المعارف ، وانقرضت الدّهور ، وتاهت الحيرة في الحيرة ، عند نعت أوّل قدم نقلت لموافقة وصف محل لمحة مما جرت عليهم به العلوم ، التي جعلها لهم به له ، هيهات ذاك له ما له به عنده ، فأين يذهبون .
أما سمعت علم طيّه لما أبداه ، وكشفه لما واراه ، واختصاصه لسرّ الوحي لمن اصطفاه .فَأَوْحى إِلى عَبْدِهِ ما أَوْحى[ النجم : 10 ] ،ما كَذَبَ الْفُؤادُ ما رَأى[ النجم :
11 ]وَهُوَ بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلى[ النجم : 7 ] .
شهد له أنه عبده وحده ، لم يجر عليه استعبادا لغيره ، بخفيّ ميل همّة ، ولا إلمام شهوة ، ولا محادثة نظرة ، ولا معارضة خطرة ، ولا سبق حقّ بلفظة ، ولا سبق أهل بنطقة ، ولا روية
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( 1 ) النص من طبعة را دلريير ( ص 32 ) ، عن النسخة الخطية المصورة بالمعهد عن تركيا .

حظ بلمحة .
أوحي إليه حينئذ ما أوحي ، هيّأه لفهم ما أولاه بما به تولاه ، واجتباه لأمر فحمل ما حمّل ، فحمل .فَأَوْحى إِلى عَبْدِهِ ما أَوْحى[ النجم : 10 ] ،وَهُوَ بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلى[ النجم : 7 ] ، ضاقت الأماكن ، وخنست المصنوعات عن أن تجري فيها ، أو غلبها وحي ما أوتي إلا بالأفق الأعلى ،إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ ما يَغْشى[ النجم : 16 ] ، نظر من خلال نظره من غير منظوره إلى السّدرة ، حيث غشّاها ما غشّى ، فثبتت لما غشّاها .
وانظر إلى الجبل ، حيث جعله لجلاله دكّا ، وخرّ موسى صعقا ، فلما أفاق قال :
سبحانك تبت إليك أن أعود لمسألتك الرّؤية بعد هذا المقام ، إلى إكباره ما فرّط من سؤاله ، وإلى أن العلم لو صادف حقيقة في وقت المسألة لم يكن القول سائغا يليق به . وفي هذا المكان علم ليس حقه الرسم ، ولا يليق بالكتب .

وانظر إلى إخباره عن حبيبه :وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرى ( 13 ) عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهى[ النجم : 13 ، 14 ] ، والعند هاهنا لا يقتضي مكانا ، إنما يقتضي وقت كشف علم الوقت .
فانظر إلى فضل الوقتين ، ومختلف المكانين ، وفرق ما بين المنزلين في العلوّ والدنوّ ، ولذلك فضّلت عقول المؤمنين من العارفين ، فمنها ما يطيق خطاب المناجاة مع علم قرب من ناجاه وأدناه ، فلا يستره في الدنو علم الدنو ، ولا في العلو علم العلو . ومنها ما لا يطيق ذلك ، فيجعل الأسباب هي المؤدية إلى الفهم ، وبها يستدرك الخطاب ، فيكون منه الجواب ، ولا تقف عند قوله تعالى :وَما كانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْياً أَوْ مِنْ وَراءِ حِجابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ ما يَشاءُ[ الشورى : 51 ] .

وهذه أماكن يضيق بسط العلم فيها ، إلا عند المفاوضة لأهل المحاورة ، وهي الاشتغال بعلم مسالك الطرقات المؤدّية إلى علوم أهل الخالصة ، الذين خلوا من خلواتهم ، وبرئوا من إراداتهم ، وحيل بينهم وبين ما يشتهون ، وعصفت بهم رياح الفطنة ، فأوردتهم على بحار الحكمة ، فاستنبطوا صفو ماء الحياة ، لا يحذرون غائلة ، ولا يتوقعون نازلة ، ولا يشرهون إلى طلب بلوغ غاية ، بل الغايات لهم بدايات .
هم الذين ظهروا في باطن الخلق ، وبطنوا في ظاهرهم .
أمناء على وحيه ، حافظون لسره ، نافذون لأمره ، قابلون بحقه ، عاملون بطاعته ، يسارعون في الخيرات ، وهم لهم سابقون ، جرت معاملتهم في مبادي أمورهم ، بحسن الأدب فيما ألزمهم القيام به من حقوقه ، لم تبق عندهم نصيحة إلا بذلوها ، ولا قربة إلا وصلوها .

سمحت نفوسهم ببذل المهج عند أول حقّ من حقوقه في طلب الوسيلة إليه ، فبادرت غير مبقية ولا مستبقية ، بل نظرت إلى أن الّذي عليها في حين بذلها أكثر مما لها بما بذلت ، لوائح الحقّ إليها مشيرة ، وعلوم الحقّ لديها غزيرة ، لا توقفهم لائمة عند نازلة ، ولا تثبطهم رهبة عند فادحة ، لا تبعثهم رغبة عند أخذ أهبة ، حافظون لما استحفظوا من كتاب اللّه ،وَكانُوا عَلَيْهِ شُهَداءَ[ المائدة : 44 ] ،
إذ عرّج بهم اللجأ عند القيام بواجب إلى طلب الاستعانة لإتمام ما قلّدوه ، لم ينجهم الإصغاء إلى المناصحة ما بقيت منهم بقية حياة موجودة ، إشفاقا من دخول الوهم مع وجود العلم بواجب الحقوق إلى حقوقها ، نزل التوقف عن استقبال المبادرة في حين الأمر بالسّعي ، ليكون الفعل عقيبا للأمر ، بلا فصل محدود يعلم في غير صفة الأمرية .

وهذه صفات أهل الموالاة من أهل المصافاة ، الدائم نظرتهم إلى ما يجري بهم القول ، مما ألزم حقّ العبوديّة في الرهبانيّة ، الّذي وقع الذّم لمن التزمها ، ولم يقم بواجب حقها بترك رعايتها ، فسبقت نفوس المعاملين إلى ما لهم بعملهم ، فاحتجبوا برؤية ما لهم بعملهم ، عمّا لهم بعلم عملهم ، عما لهم بالإنعام عليهم بكشف علم عملهم . فتكاثفت الحجب بالحجب عن كشف علوم الحجب ، فأقاموا تحت التغطية . وبعد الخروج من هذه الأماكن تبدو علوم كشف التغطية ،لَقَدْ كُنْتَ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ هذا فَكَشَفْنا عَنْكَ غِطاءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ[ ق : 22 ] .

وقف على حدود الأشياء بكشف باريها لها ، وما ألبسها من نور الصّنعة ، وزهرة الإرادة بنفاد القدرة على جمعها ، وتفريقها ، ومجازها ، وتحقيقها ، قال تعالى :وَلا يَؤُدُهُ حِفْظُهُما وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ[ البقرة : 255 ] ، وقوله تعالى :لا إِكْراهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ[ البقرة : 256 ] .

وصلّى اللّه على محمّد النبيّ المكرّم المطهّر ، المفضّل ، المرحوم وعلى آله وصحبه ، وعترته الأطهرين الطيّبين ، الأخيار النجباء ، الأبرار ، والحمد للّه رب العالمين ، وهو حسبنا ونعم الوكيل .

كتاب دواء التفريط
قال الشيخ أبو القاسم الجنيد بن محمد رحمه اللّه :
خصّك اللّه لطاعته ، وهيّأك لموافقته ، وجعلك من أهل ولايته ، وانتخبك لمحبته ، وأسرع بك إليه ، وأوقفك على علم مراده ، واستعملك بعلم ما أرادك له ، وعوّدك الإصغاء إلى استنباط الفهم عنه ، وحال بينك وبين العوارض القاطعة والعلائق المانعة ، وجعل أقوالك لديه موضيّة وعنده زاكية ، وكفاك مؤونة كل شاغل عنه ، وهيّأك لخدمته ، وروّحك بتفويض الأمر إليه ، وحال بينك وبين كل ممتنع عليك في الطريق المسلوك إليه ، وجعل لك على كل همّ لا يسعدك في طلب ما يرضيه من لدنه سلطانا نصيرا ، وإنه ولي الإنعام وكافي المهمات .

وينبغي للعاقل ألا ينفقد من إحدى ثلاثة مواطن : موطن يعرف فيه حاله أمتزايد أم منتقص ، وموطن يخلو فيه بتأديب نفسه من إلزامها ما يلزمها ، ويتقصّى فيه على معرفتها ، وموطن يستحضر عقله برؤيته التّدبير ، وكيف تختلف به الأحكام ، في آناء الليل وأطراف النهار . ولن يصفو عقل لا يصدر إلى فهم هذا الحال الآخر إلا بإحكام ما يجب عليه من إصلاح الحالين الأوّلين .

فأما الموطن الّذي ينبغي له أن يعرف فيه حاله أمتزايد هو أم منتقص ، فعليه أن يطلب مواضع الخلوة لكي لا يعارضه شاغل ، فيفسد عليه ما يريد إصلاحه ، ثم يتوجه إلى موافقة ما ألزم من تأدية الفرض ، الذي لا يزكو حال قربه إلا بإتمام الواجب من الفرائض . ثم ينتصب انتصاب عبد بين يدي ربه ، يريد أن يؤدّي إليه ما أمر بتأديته ، فحينئذ ينكشف له من خفايا النفوس الموارية ، فيعلم أهو ممن أدّى ما وجب عليه أم لم يؤدّ . ثم لا يبرح من مقامه ذلك حتى يوقع له العلم برهان ما استكشفه بالعلم ، فإن رأى خللا أقام على إصلاحه ولم يجاوزه إلى عمل سواه .
وهذه أحوال أهل الصدق في هذا المحل ،وَاللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِ مَنْ يَشاءُ[ آل عمران : 13 ] ، وقوله تعالى :إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ[ الحج : 74 ] .
وأما الموطن الذي يخلو فيه بتأديب نفسه ويتقصّى فيه حال معرفتها ، فإنه ينبغي لمن عزم على ذلك وأراد المناصحة في المعاملة ، فإن النفوس ربما خبت فيها منها أشياء ، لا يقف على حد ذلك إلا من بصر ما هنالك ، في حين حركة الهوى في محبّة فعل الخير

المألوف ، فإنّ النّفوس إذا ألفت فعل الخير صار خلقا من أخلاقها ، وسكنت إلى أنّه موضع لما أهّلت له ، وارتدت به .
وترى أن الذي جرى عليه من فعل ذلك فيها هي له أهل ، ويرصدها العدو المقيم بفنائها والمجعول له السبيل على مجاري الدّمّ فيها ، فيرى هو بقوّة كيده خفية غفلتها ، فيختلس بممايلة الهوى ما لا يمكنه الوصول إلى اختلاسه في غير تلك الحال ، فإن تألم لوكزته منه وعرف نفسه أسرع بالإنابة إلى من لا تقع الكفاية منه إلا به ، فاستقصى من نفسه علم الحالة التي منها وصل عدوه إليه ، فحرسها بلياذة اللجأ ، وإلقاء الكنف ، وشدة الافتقار ، وطلب الاعتصام . كما قال الكريم ابن الكريم ابن الكريم ، يوسف ابن يعقوب بن إبراهيم عليهم السلام وَإِلَّا تَصْرِفْ عَنِّي كَيْدَهُنَّ أَصْبُ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَكُنْ مِنَ الْجاهِلِينَ[ يوسف : 33 ] .
وعلم يوسف أن كيد الأعداء مع قوّة الهوى لا ينصرف بقوّة النفس فَاسْتَجابَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ فَصَرَفَ عَنْهُ كَيْدَهُنَّ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ[ يوسف : 34 ] .
وأما الموطن الّذي يستحضر فيه عقله لرؤية مجاري الأحكام وكيف يقبله التدبير ، فهو أفضل الأماكن ، وأعلى المواطن ، فإن اللّه أمر جميع خلقه أن يواصلوا عبادته ، ولا يسأموا خدمته ، فقال تعالى :وَما خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ[ الذاريات : 56 ] ، فألزمهم دوام العبادة ، وضمن لهم عليها في العاجل الكفاية ، وفي الآجل جزيل الثواب ،
فقال تعالى :يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْكَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا وَاعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَافْعَلُوا الْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ[ الحج : 77 ] ، وهذه كلها عبادة تلزم كلّ الخلق . ووقف ليرى كيف تصرف الأحكام ، فقد عرض لرفيع العلم والمعرفة ، ألا تعلم أنه قال تعالى :كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ[ الرحمن : 29 ] ، يعني شأن الخلق .
وأنت أيّها الواقف لترى أنّك من الخلق الّذي هو في شأنهم ، أفترى شأنك مرضيّا عنده ؟ ولن يقدر أحد على استحضار عقله إلا بانصراف الدّنيا وما فيها عنه ، وخروجها من قبله .
فإذا انقضت الدنيا ، وبادت وباد أهلها ، وانصرفت عن القلب ، خلا بمسامرة رؤية التّصرف واختلاف الأحكام وتفصيل الأقسام . ولن يرجع قلب من هذا وصفه إلى شيء من الانتفاع بما في هذه الدار التي عنها خرج ، ولها ترك ، ومنها هرب ؛ ألا ترى إلى حارثة حين يقول : عزفت نفسي عن الدنيا ،
ثم يقول : وكأنّي أنظر إلى عرض ربي بارزا ، وكأنّي بأهل الجنة يتزاورون وكأنّي . . . وكأنّي . . .

وهذه بعض أحوال القوم ، فاحرص يا أخي على العمل في نجاة نفسك ، وخلاصها ، وعتقها من رقّ مذلّة الهوى ، والانقياد إلى مسامرة أهل الدنيا ، فقلّ نفس ذاقت من سهو الغفلة قطرة إلا أورثها ذلك قسوة أسكرت العقل ، وأذهلت المعرفة ، وجعلت للفتنة مدخلا حفيفا . فمن رفع ستر الآفات انكشف له ستر الانطواء ، ولم يتروّح نسيم لذّة المعاملة .
ولقد فاز قوم نظر إليهم وليّهم فدلّهم على مختصر الطّريق ، وأوقفهم على محجّة النّجاة ، وألاح لهم خفيّ فهم الدّعوة إلى المسارعة ، بالمناقشة ، عند فهم الخطاب ، إذ يقول عزّ وجلّ :وَسارِعُوا إِلى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّماواتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ[ آل عمران : 133 ] ،
فنهضت العقول مستحثّة للجوارح ، بحسن التّوجه لإقامة ما به يحظون عند من استجابوا لدعوته ، وقرّت العيون بما أورد على قلوبهم من السّرور بالخلوة ، به خلا بين أناس أكياس ، لا يرهبون في الطريق إليه غيره ، ولا يتوسّلون إليه إلا به ، ولا يسألونه شيئا غير إدامة التّمتّع بخدمته ، وحسن المعونة على موافقته .
قد أيست منهم الأعداء ، وأماتت عنهم الخشية الهوى ، وأقرّت بهم عيون الأحباء ، لا يرون نائلا هو أعظم مما نالوا ، ولا يبتغون بما أنعم عليهم بدلا ، ولا يريدون عنه حولا ، صفّاهم العلم ، وأدبتهم المعاملة ، وأعزهم الانقطاع إلى اللّه تعالى ، وأغناهم عمن سواه .
هم طلبة اللّه وطلابه ، ومحبّو اللّه وأحبّاؤه ، هاموا شوقا إلى رؤيتهم ، وحسرة على مفارقتهم ، وسرّوا بمحادثتهم ، أرادهم اللّه فأرادوه ، وطلبوا اللّه فوجدوه .
فمن أراد النجاة فليتعجّل روح الحياة ، بطلب الوصول إلى مناه ، فإنّ اللّه منية الأولياء ، وبغية العقلاء ، وطلبة الأصفياء ؛ ولولاه ما اهتدوا إليه ، ومن ذكرهم دلّهم عليه ، لم يتعسّفهم فيما ألزمهم ، ولم يحمّلهم ما لا يطيقونه ، وخلاصهم من العذاب الوبيل ، ودلّهم على سبيل الشّكر المرضيّ عنده ، وألّف بينهم وبين النظراء من الأشباه والأشكال ، وصان قلبهم وأبصارهم وأسماعهم عن الدنوّ إلى الخناء ، واتّقوا من محادثة شيء منها ، مما يفنى ، ولم يخلّهم ونفوسهم ، ولم يؤاخذهم بتقصيرهم ، بل أنعم عليهم بجميل قبول العذر في حين القبول ، وتجاوز لهم عمّا عجزت عنه أبدانهم ، وأوقفهم على جميل الصّحبة ، وكثرة الأيادي بالحفظ بالأمم السابقة بحسن التثقيل ، وهانت عليهم مصائب الدنيا ، وألفوا ما اختار لهم وليّهم ، قربانهم التّقديس والتّسبيح والتّحميد والتّهليل ، وراحتهم وقرّة عيونهم في

مناجاتهم ، فما يصدّون عند لقائه في معادهم . وإنما قطع الخلق عن اللّه عزّ وجلّ اتّباعهم الأهواء ، وطاعتهم الأعداء ، ومحادثتهم لزهرة الحياة الدنيا ، وإيثارهم ما يفني على ما يبقى .
فبادر يا أخي إلى إصلاح ما مضى من العمر ، وما ضاع منه بالسهو والغفلة والتفريط والتواني ، لحفظ ما أبقى عليك منه بالانزعاج والخوف والجدّ والحذر ، قبل فوات أوان الوقت ، ونزول الموت . فإنه لا يرضى عمّن بقي إلا بمثل العمل الذي به رضي عمّن سلف ، فاسع في فكاك الرقّ بترك ملابسة العلائق الشّاغلة . فإنّ للّه يوما يبرز فيه الخبايا ، وتبدو فيه الأعمال ، يوم لا يثق فيه شهيد ولا صدّيق بعمله ، ولا يرجو فيه أحد إلا التّجاوز والعفو من ربّه ، يوم تكثر فيه النّدامة ، وتقوى فيه الملامة . فالآن ما دام العذر مقبولا ، والوقت مبسوطا ، والعمل ممدودا ، والتّوبة مقبولة ، والذّنب تمحوه الإنابة ، والنّدم والقول فيه مسموعا ، والخير فيه متبوعا ، والحقّ بيّنا ، والطّريق واضحا ، والحجّة لازمة ، فلله الحجّة البالغة ،فَلَوْ شاءَ لَهَداكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ[ الأنعام : 149 ] .
وآثار مشيئة الهداية بيّنة عند أهل الهدى ، فمن علامة من نعته ، سهولة الطاعة ، ومحبّة الموافقة ، ورؤية النّفس بعين العجز ، والانقطاع عن القيام بالواجب ، أو الموالاة والمؤاخاة والمصافاة والمحبة والمواساة ، والإيثار على النفوس لأهل القرب ، والمواصلة في ذات اللّه عزّ وجلّ ؛ والمعاونة لأهل الولاية ، والذّبّ عن حريم الحقّ ، والتّراضي بالصّبر على ما تقدّم من الأمر ، والاستخفاف وخفّة المؤن ، والتّعلل والتّجري والتّحري ، ومدافعة الأوقات ، والوقوف على حدّ الأمر في إدخال السرور عليهم ومخالطتهم ومجالستهم ، وترك التّرفّع عليهم ، فيهم أوصى اللّه تعالى لنبيه صلى اللّه عليه وسلّم ، فقال :وَلا تَعْدُ عَيْناكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا[ الكهف : 28 ] .
جعلنا اللّه وإياكم ممن عرف حقّ اللّه فاستعمله ، واشتغل به ولم يشتغل عنه ، وحفظ علينا وعليك ما استرعانا ، وأحسن معونتنا وإيّاك على أداء الشّكر ودوام الذّكر ، إنه وليّ الإحسان ، وموعد العبيد الجنان ، وواعدهم بالنيران .
تمّ الكتاب بحمد للّه ومنّه ، وصلّى اللّه على سيدنا محمّد وآله وسلّم .

الكتاب الرابع
أدب المفتقر إلى اللّه
ويليه : خاطر الخير
سئل الشّيخ أبو القاسم - رحمه اللّه - عن أدب المفتقر إلى اللّه عز وجلّ . فقال : « أن ترضى عن اللّه عز وجلّ في جميع الحالات ، ولا تسأل أحدا سوى اللّه تعالى » .
وسئل عن خاطر الخير ، هل هو شيء واحد أو أكثر ؟ فقال :
قد يقع الخاطر الداعي للطاعة على ثلاثة أوجه : خاطر شيطانيّ باعثه وسوسة الشيطان . وخاطر نفسانيّ باعثه الشّهوة وطلب الراحة . وخاطر ربانيّ وباعثه التوفيق .
وتشتبه هذه الخواطر في الدعاء إلى الطاعة ، ولا بدّ من تمييزها لإعمال الصواب منها ، لقوله عليه الصلاة والسّلام : « من فتح له باب من الخير فلينتهزه » . ولا بدّ من ردّ الآخرين ، أما الشيطانيّ فبقوله تعالى :إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا إِذا مَسَّهُمْ طائِفٌ مِنَ الشَّيْطانِ تَذَكَّرُوا فَإِذا هُمْ مُبْصِرُونَ[ الأعراف : 201 ] .

والشهواني الذي هو خاطر النفس بقوله صلى اللّه عليه وسلّم : « حفّت النار بالشهوات » . . ولكل واحد من هذه الخواطر علامة يتميّز بها عن صاحبه .الخاطر النفساني :
أما الخاطر النفساني فباعثه الشهوة ، وطلب الراحة . والشهوة تنقسم إلى نفسانيّة كمحبّة العلوّ والجاه والتّشفي عند الغيظ وإصغار المعاند وأمثال ذلك ، وإلى جسمانيّة كالطعام والشّراب والنكاح واللّباس والنّزه وأمثال ذلك .
وللنفس احتياج إلى هذه الملاذ بحسب بعدها عن كلّ واحد منها ، وشدّة توقانها إلى كلّ جنس منها .
فلخاطر النفس منها علامتان قائمتان مقام شاهد عدل على تمييز الخاطر المختصّ بها :
أحدهما حضور هذا الخاطر عند احتياجها إلى بعض هذه الأشياء المشتبهات : مثل حضور التّزويج عند شدة حاجتها إلى النكاح ، وتلبيسها ذلك عليه بأنّ قصدها إعمال قوله صلى اللّه عليه وسلّم : « تناكحوا تناسلوا ؛ فإنّي مكاثر بكم الأمم يوم القيامة » ، وتجنب قوله صلى اللّه عليه وسلّم :
« لا رهبانية في الإسلام » . ومثله في الطعام عند شدّة حاجتها إليه ، فربّما لبّست عليك

هذا بدعائك إلى ترك الصيام أو تناول بعض المشتهيات ، بأن تقول إنّ في سرد الصيام إضعاف النفس عن الأمر المحتاج إليه في الطاعات ، [ وإنّ ] في ترك تناول هذا الطعام المشتهى ما كسر قلب المسلم إذا دعي إليه الصّديق ، [ أو ] قلب العيال إذا كان مما جلبته أنت لعيالك . وربما خدعتك بلون آخر ، بأن تقول لك اكسر هذه الشهوة بتناولها هذه الكرّة لئلا يلج عليك هذا الخاطر فيشوّش عليك عبادتك ، وأمثال ذلك في سائر الشبهات .
كلّ هذا من تلبيسها وتدليسها . ومثله عندما تكدّها بالعبادة ، وتلزمها على الكراهية الطاعة ، فتختار لك نهي النبيّ صلى اللّه عليه وسلّم عن التبتّل ، وعن أتعاب النفس ، مثل قوله عليه الصلاة والسلام : « أكلفوا من العمل ما تطيقون » ،
ومثل قوله عليه الصلاة والسّلام : « إن المنبت لا أرضا قطع ولا ظهرا أبقى » . بل ربما دعتك عند إكثارك إتعابها ومنعها شهواتها ، إلى ما فيه إهلاكها رأسا أو منعها من تصرفاتها ، فتحمّلك إلى ما يؤدّي إلى القتل أو السجن وأمثال ذلك ، لما يتخيّل في هاتين الحالتين من الرّاحة وزوال التعب عنها .
فأحد الشاهدين في هذا الباب : أن يكون قد تقدّم لها الكد والأتعاب عند طلبها الراحة ، وتقدّم لها الحاجة إلى الشيء المشتهى عند باعث الشهوة .
فيعتبرها بهذين الحالين ، فإن كان قد تقدّم أحد هاتين الحالتين ، علمت أنّ الخاطر من النفس ، وحاجتها إلى ذلك هو الّذي حركها إلى الدعاء إليه ، ومجموع ذلك أن يكون الخاطر شهوانيا ، أو لطلب الراحة ، فالغالب على هذا الخاطر أنه من النفس .
والشاهد الثاني : إلحاح بهذا الخاطر وعدم انقطاعه ، حتى يأتي مواليا ، كلّما جاهدت في دفعه عن نفسك ألّح عليك ولجّ ، ولا ينفع فيه الاستعاذة ولا التخويف ولا التحذير ولا الترغيب ، بل هو ملح دائم الإلحاح ، فهذا من أكبر الدلائل على أنّه من النفس ، إذ هي كالصبيّ متى منع من الشيء ازداد لجاجا في طلبه .
فهاتان الحالتان شاهدا عدل متى اجتمعا لا تشكّ في أنّ الخاطر من النفس . ومداواتها عند هذه القضية بالمخالفة المحضة ، والإتعاب الشديد .
فتمنعها الراحة عندما يكون الباعث للخاطر كثرة الكد والإتعاب بالعبادة ، أو بوصف وضعه أثقل ، ليكون ذلك أقمع لها من التحريك لمثل هذا الخاطر . وإن كان [ الباعث للخاطر ] شهوانيا جعل دواؤه الحرمان للشيء الذي طلبته ، أو تمنع من مشتهى آخر لها ، ليكون ذلك أمنع لها .

الخاطر الشيطاني :
وأما الخاطر الشيطاني فله أيضا علامتان :
إحداهما : تنبيهه ببعض ما تحتاج النفس إليه بداعي الشهوة أو داعي الراحة في الأوقات المألوف تحصيل النفس مطلوباتها فيها ، والفرق بينه وبين النفساني في هذا الباب أن النفساني يلح ولا يذهب ، وهذا يذهب تارة ويكرّ . فكلّ ما لهي الإنسان عنه بسبب فتور النفس ألّح عليها بالتذكير للشهوة ، وتكون حركة النفس عند هذا التذكير أكثر من الخاطر النفساني ، إذا الخاطر النفساني إنما خطر لشدّة الحاجة .
والثانية : أنّ هذا الخاطر الشيطاني يبتدئ ويطرأ على عقله ، والخاطر النفساني متّصل ، محرّك للطبع نحو الشهوة أو الراحة ، وذلك أنّ وسوسة الشيطان إنما هي تجري مجرى مخاطبة الإنسان للإنسان ، غير أنّ الفرق بين هذا وذاك ألا يراه ، والإنسان يحرّك قلبك من جهة حاسة الأذن عند الخطاب أو التصويت ، والبصر عند الإشارة ، والحس عند الغمز ، والشيطان يحرّك ذلك من الوسوسة وغمز القلب والخطورة فيه ، وهو لا يعلم المغيب ، وإنما يأتي إلى النفس من جهة الأخلاق التي ألف انفعالها له ؛ فهذا الفرق بين النفساني والشيطاني .

الخاطر الرباني :
أما الخاطر الرّباني فإنّه يستدلّ عليه بشاهدين أيضا :
أحدهما : وهو المقدّم ، موافقة الشرع للخاطر وشهادته بصحته . والثاني : فتور النفس عن قبوله ابتداء ، حتى يحصل لها نوع الترغيب ، وهو الهجوم على النفس من غير مقدّمات له كالشيطاني . إلا أنّ سرعة النفس لموافقة الخاطر الشيطاني أكثر ، وهي له أبدر ، وهي عن هذا [ الخاطر الرّبّاني ] أكسل ؛ إذ الشيطان إنما يجيؤها من شهواتها وراحاتها ، وهذا يأتي من جهة التكليف ، وتنفر نفرة من التكليف عند وروده عليها . فهذا الفرق بين هذا [ وبين ] الخاطر الشيطاني والخاطر النفساني .
فإذا خطر لك [ خاطر الخير ] فزنه بهذه الموازين الثلاث ، واستشهد في كلّ فصل منه بالشواهد التي أشرنا لك ، فتميّز لك الخواطر ، فاصنع في الشيطاني والنفساني ما كنا ذكرناه لك في المدافعة الحاسمة لهما ، وبادر لهذا الخاطر الرباني ، ودع التشاغل والتضييع ، فإنّ الوقت ضيق والحال يتحول .

وإياك وتسويل النفس ووسواس الشيطان ، فإنّ هذا الباب من أبواب الخير قد انفتح لك فارحبه حتى تستأنفه من أوّله .
ومثاله : أن يكون قد خطر الخاطر في صيام بعض شهر قد حثّ الشرع على صيامه ، أو قيام بعض ليله ، فتقول دع هذا حتى استكمل الليل بأوّله أو الشهر بتمامه . وإنما ذلك مخادعة ، ليسدّ باب التوفيق المجزي .
فإن هذه الخواطر لا تدوم ، وإنما هي سريعة الاستحالة ، والمبادرة لإمساك الخاطر الرباني مأمور الشرع ، وفيه فائدتان :
إحداهما : أن يكون وقت أكمل من وقت ، كنحو الأوقات التي ورد الخبر عن مسامحة اللّه عزّ وجلّ ، وتنزّل الرحمة والغفران ، ونظرات الحقّ سبحانه وتعالى إلى الخلق لا تحصى .
والأخرى : إيلاف النفس للمبادرة لامتثال الأوامر والطاعات عندما ترجّى بركة العمل ، وفيه إزالة حال التكاسل عنها ، وذلك للتعرّض لنفحات رحمة اللّه تعالى . وهذا في رياضة النفس على المبادرة إلى امتثال الأوامر مفيد أيضا ، واللّه أعلم وأحكم .

الكتاب السادس كلام في الألوهية
قال أبو القاسم الجنيد رحمه اللّه تعالى :
اعتزل الحق بهم ، وجردت الألوهية لهم ، فكان أول وارد الحق بتأدية شواهد إبرازه لهم وإنزاله إياهم في أول الألوهية ، أنزل الأزلية على سرمد الأبد ، في ديمومية البقاء إلى ما ليس له غاية ولا منتهى ، ثم أتبع مع ذلك بشاهد منيع العز وطول الفخر وظهور القهر وشامخ العلو وقاهر السطوة وشدة الصولة وعظيم الكبرياء وجليل الجبرياء ، فاعتزل منفردا بذلك وتكبر وتعالى بالعظمة ، فكان الحق بالحق للحق قائما ، وكان الحق بالحق للحكم حاكما ، وتوحد في تفرد جبروته أحدا فردا صمدا ، وهذا أول شاهد إنزاله من أنزل في غلبة هذا

الاسم عليه وأحله به لديه ، وتابع مع ذلك ما أمكن في إجنان صونه به له من أسمائه الحسنى ما وقعت إليه الإشارة وما لم يقع من أسماء الجمع والتفرقة على ما شاء من الإبداء والإخفاء ، فمنها ما بدت في شواهدها ، وظهرت في مطالبها ، وعلت في مذاهبها ، وسرحت في مساكنها ، وترددت في مراكبها ، ثم تفانت النعوت بجواز الاحتواء على ما تكيفته الحقيقة فسترته ، وكمنت فيه فغيبته ، وطوت عليه فكتمته ، وتمكنت منه فأتلفته ، وغلبت عليه فقهرته ، ثم تذهب بواديها على الانفصال من غير انفصام ، وعلا بالإلف من غير جنس النظام ، فعالى بظاهره وبظافر أبداه بتمكين أحكامه ، فتصاول عند ذلك الصول ، وتفاخر الفخر ، وتقاهر القهر ، فأين الأين عند ذلك ، وليس يحين أينه ، وأين ذهاب الأين على دوام أزليته ، وأين ما لا أين له ولا أين فيه على تفرد الألوهية ، وهو بعض ما لوح الحق به في اسم الجمع ، ثم تجري فيهم ما توقع منهم به النظر ، في شواهد ما لاقى الحق به من هذا نعته على اسمه المنفرد وعلمه المجرد ،
فهذه إشارة ما لا يقع به الشرح أكثر ، ثم لا ينال فهم ذلك من جنس الإشارة إلا بتقدم الكون فيما تقدم به النعت ، وقد طويت ما فيها ولم أفصح به فخذها من حيث لا تنال به إلا به إن أدرك الحق بإدراكك في إدراكك ، ومن بعض ما أوجد الحق في اسم التفرقة أن حبس به إظهار ما ألبسهم وألبسهم إظهار ما به حبسهم ، فكانوا في إبدائه شواهد مكنون إخفائه ، فكلما طالعهم بما لاحظهم أرمس مستدرك المكان بكون خفي الكتمان ،
وهم في شواهد ما يطالعهم به على ترادف ما أطلعهم به عليه ، ثم يطالعهم فيما به يطالعهم ، مطالعات سر المحترز المرتجف عليهم به في إظهار ما كمنه ، وذلك قبل أن يشرف بهم على حجاب غريب هذه الصفة ، ثم يبدي لهم شواهد البذل ومستعطفات سوابق الأمر ،
ويظهر لهم به عند إقباله به عليهم ، وإجلاله منزلة لديهم بأنباء كون دوارك الوفاء ، والاحتواء على كل محبوب ومطلوب ومرغوب ، باستتمام كمال المصافاة واتحاد منح الموالاة ، ثم يعطف عليهم في قرار أمن ما أحلهم فيه بإشهاده إياهم الغيبيّة عنهم ، والأخذ بما أقبل به عليهم ،
وانتزاع لكل ما آنسهم من منحه وعطف عليهم به من بذله ، وأوقف عليهم لما يريد أن يبلغهم إليه ، ويطلبهم به ، أضداد الشواهد المتقدمة ، فلو رأيتهم بعين إشهاده إياهم ، وكون فيما فيه أحلهم ، لرأيت رهائن أشباح أسرى ، واجتناح جوائب أرواح سري ، قد رهقوا بالمحو في ملكوت عزه ، وأرهقوا بفرط ابتلاء الحق لهم بفقده ، مما هم به منه يصرخون ، وبه إليه في غمرات

الكرب يضجون ، قد جمع أنفاسهم في أنفاسهم ، وحبس أرواحهم في أرواحهم ، فهم به عليه يترددون ، ومنه به إليه يتوحدون ، وهذا بعض علم التوحيد مما لوح إليه به صفوته .
تمّ بحمد اللّه ومنّه ، وصلّى اللّه على محمد وآله وسلّم .

الكتاب السابع
في الفرق بين الإخلاص والصدق
بسم اللّه الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد للّه وسلام على عباده الذين اصطفى .
قال الشيخ الإمام أبو القاسم الجنيد قدّس اللّه روحه ونور ضريحه :
آنسك اللّه بقربه ، وجدّد لك في كل وقت من الزيادة في بره ، وسترك في ظلال جناح رحمته ، وجعل مأواك في جواره الذي أسكن فيه أرواح أهل خاصته ، الذين تولاهم بحياطته ، فلم يلحقهم لاحق ، ولم يقطعهم قاطع ، ولم يشغلهم شاغل ؛ وصلى اللّه على نبيه وعلى أهل بيته وأصحابه وسلم .
أما بعد . . فإنك سألت عن الفرق بين الإخلاص والصدق ، فمعنى الصدق القيام على النفس بالحراسة والرعاية لها ، بعد الوفاء منك بما عليك مما دلك العلم عليه ، في إقامة حدود الأحوال في الظاهر ، مع حسن القصد إلى اللّه عز وجل في أول الفعل ؛ فالصدق موجود في حقيقة صفات الإرادة ، عند بداية الإرادة ، بالقيام بما دعيت إليه في حقيقة إرادتك ، مما طرق الحق لك إليه ، والمبادرة فيه بالخروج عن موافقة النفس لطلب الراحة ، مع انتصاب العلم لك ، وموافقتك له ، بخروجك من التأويل . فالصدق موجود قبل وجود حقيقة الإخلاص ، وقد قال اللّه عز وجلّ :لِيَسْئَلَ الصَّادِقِينَ[ الأحزاب : 8 ] ، ثم سألهم بعد ما أتوا بالصدق : ما أرادوا بصدقهم . وقد سمى اللّه تعالى الصادقين في موضع آخر على غير هذا المعنى ، فقال عز وجلّ :هذا يَوْمُ يَنْفَعُ الصَّادِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ[ المائدة : 119 ] ، فكان الصدق في الأول علما للخلق وفصلا بينهم وبين الإخلاص ، لأن الإخلاص موجود في صفة الخلق عند حالين : حال الاعتقاد والنية ، وحال الفعل والعمل .

فالإخلاص في صفة الصادق موجود في العقد غير منسوب إلى الصدق إلا بوجود [ أول الإخلاص في باطنه ] ، وباق عليه علم موارد الأشياء عند ممارسة الفعل بالجوارح عن عوارض أضداد الإخلاص والتخلص لفعله ، حتى سمي مخلصا .
فأول الإخلاص أن يفرد اللّه تعالى بالإرادة ، والثاني أن يخلص الفعل من الآفة .
فالصدق الذي هو عند الخلق صدق ، فرق بينه وبين الإخلاص ، والصدق الذي عند اللّه تعالى هو الصدق مع الإخلاص .
وقد يقال : فلان صادق لما يرى عليه من صفات العلم وبذل المجهود منه ، ولا يقال : فلان مخلص لغيبة الخلق عن علم إخلاصه ، فالصدق مشهود في صفة الصادق ، والإخلاص معدوم من مشهده .
فالصادق موصوف بحسن صفات شاهده ، منسوب إلى الصدق بدلائل ظاهره ، مع وجود أوائل الإخلاص في باطنه ، باق عليه علم موارد الأشياء عند وروده ، يقبل ما وافق الأول من معنى قصده ، ويرد ما خلف علم ظاهره . فالإخلاص يعلو الصدق لوجود زيادة العلم ، مع وجود قوة الرد لما عارض من وسواس العدو ، لوجود صفاء القلب ، ولا يعلو الإخلاص شيء ، ولا يقال إخلاص المخلص ، لأنه لا غاية بعد الإخلاص ، وقال : قال اللّه تعالى :لِيَسْئَلَ الصَّادِقِينَ عَنْ صِدْقِهِمْ[ الأحزاب : 8 ] ، لم يقل : ( ليسأل المخلصين عن إخلاصهم ) ؛ لأن غايته من الخلق فيما استعبدهم به ، فالإخلاص يعلو الصدق والصدق دونه .
والصدق على ثلاثة أشياء :
صادق بلسانه ، وهو القائل بالحق له كان أم عليه بخروجه عن التأويل ، والتدليس ،
وصادق في فعله ، وهو الباذل للمجهود من نفسه بإخراج وجود راحته .
وصادق بقلبه وهو القصد إليه في فعله ، فعند وجود هذه الخصال يكون صادقا ، مع أن الصدق موجود من الصادق في كل حال لا يستغني عنه في حال من الأحوال .
وقد فسرت جملة في أول الكتاب ، فالصدق في التورع والتزهد والزهد والتوكل والرضا والمحبة والشوق والتوحيد لأهل الصلاة ، في صفات المريد والمراد ، والذاكر والمذكور ،
وكل ذلك لا بد من أن يتولد له شاهد ظاهر يشهد له بالصدق ، ومعنى الإخلاص إفراد النية للّه عز وجل وحسن القصد إليه ، بحضور العقل عند موارد الأشياء ، وبيان تلوين الأمور عليه ، بما وافق الأول في معنى صحة قصده ، ورد ما خالف ذلك من موارد النفس والعدو ، مع ذهاب رؤية النفس بوجود رؤية المنة ، مع وجود حسن العزاء

عند المذمة من الخلق ، لوجود حسن المعرفة بالفضل ، ووجود الكراهة عند المحمدة ، لخوف فساد المعرفة بذهاب رؤية الخلق عند مصادفة الأحوال ، فهذا علم مشهود عند شاهد المخلص معدوم عند شاهد الخلق .
فالصدق والإخلاص يتفقان في حال المخلص ، وينفرد الصدق بالصادق ، مع أول وجود الإخلاص ، فغاية وصف الموصوفين بالعبودية في الاستعباد هو الإخلاص ، والصادق في حقيقة صدقه يتولى بالإخلاص ، والمخلص في حقيقة إخلاصه يتولى بالكفاية ، لوجود نفاذ البصيرة ، وذو البصيرة في حقيقة نفاذ بصيرته يتولى بالحياطة مع جميع ما يخشى فساده ، ثم وقع الاستيلاء بالتولي بعد ذلك ، فقهر العقل فأفناه عن مقاومة الواجد ، فعند وجود حقيقة التولي بالخصوصية ، خرج عن عبادته للّه بالنفوسية ، ودخل في عبادته عز وجل بالوحدانية ، فكان ذلك أول وجوده حقيقة توحيد الخصوص ، بذهاب رؤية الأشياء لقيام رؤية الحق .
فجرت الأحوال عليه في مجاري صفاتها ، لمراد مليكه فيها ، بسقوط صفاتها منها ، فعند وصول العبد إلى هذا ، خرج عن صفة وجود ما يوصف بالعقل ، فصارت عوارض العقل عند وجود حقيقة التوحيد ، وساوس تحتاج إلى أن يردها ، لأن العقل كان قيم العبد عند قيام العبد بالعبودية ، من حيث العبد ، فعند وقوع حقائق الملكية من اللّه عز وجل له ، ذهب العبد في العبودية من غير المعدن الأول ، فكان موجودا في الصفة معدوما من المشرب ، فصار عند ذلك موجودا مفقودا .

[ رسائل الإمام الجنيد ]

Source Colophon

Arabic source from: Al-Imam al-Junaid: Sayyid al-Ta’ifatayn (الإمام الجنيد: سيد الطائفتين), ed. Dr. Saud al-Mazidi, published by Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, Beirut. Digital edition accessed via the Internet Archive.

The Remedy of Souls (Kitab Dawa’ al-Arwah) follows the Radliriyah edition (p. 32), from a manuscript copy photographed at the institute from Turkey.

Staged source text at Tulku/Tools/arabic/junaid_text.txt, lines 5404–5604. Prepared by the Liberation Scout lineage, 2026.

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