Selected Epistles of the Master of the Two Groups

Abu al-Qasim al-Junaid ibn Muhammad al-Khazzaz al-Qawariri (d. 297 AH / 910 CE) was the undisputed master of the Baghdad school of Sufism — called "the Master of the Two Groups" because both the exoteric scholars and the esoteric mystics accepted his authority. He was al-Hallaj's teacher. Where al-Hallaj burned openly and was killed for it, al-Junaid burned in a lantern — precise, sober, devastating in his clarity. His letters are among the earliest surviving Sufi prose and the purest expression of what later scholars called "sober mysticism" (sahw) as opposed to the "intoxicated" school (sukr) of Abu Yazid al-Bistami and al-Hallaj.

These fourteen letters and exchanges are drawn from "Al-Imam al-Junaid: Sayyid al-Ta'ifatayn" (The Imam al-Junaid: Master of the Two Groups), a comprehensive collection of al-Junaid's teachings, letters, and sayings compiled and edited by Shaykh Ahmad Farid al-Mazidi. The letters were preserved in the earliest Sufi biographical works — Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani's Hilyat al-Awliya', al-Sulami's Tabaqat al-Sufiyya, and al-Tusi's al-Luma' — and are presented here in English for the first time as a freely available collection.

Al-Junaid's prose is measured, architecturally precise, and warm — the voice of a physician of souls, not a performer of states. He writes to his students about the dangers of worldly attachment, the corruption of scholars who pursue fame, the overwhelming reality of divine intimacy, and the obligation to meet people where they are. His reply to al-Shibli — "we used to speak of these things in cellars, and you have thrown off the bridle" — captures the entire dialectic of early Sufism in a single sentence.

I. Letter to Abu Ishaq al-Maristani

Abu Ishaq — may God not waste my turning toward you, nor my attention upon you. I am angry with you and not pleased with what you have done.

Were you content to become a slave to one of the slaves of this world? Or that he should become, through your obedience to him, a lord and master over you — tossing you scraps of what he gives, and humiliating you with the little he debases you with, making you common? Then soiling you with the filth of his wretchedness, and dragging you by the leash of his harm?

Glory be to the One who extended His mercy and compassion toward you and rescued you from the disaster of what you chose for yourself and inclined toward! You nearly drowned in the bays of its ocean, or perished in one of its wastelands. He has laid upon me a debt of gratitude for what He renewed of blessing upon you, and for the safety He granted me in you — a debt I cannot repay out of my own incapacity, unless He repays it on my behalf.

I ask the Generous One who freely bestows His grace, who initiates with His bounty and His favour, to fulfil on my behalf what my gratitude falls short of — beginning with praise and generosity as befits Him, and beyond that, His blessings I cannot count.

Abu Ishaq — how is your recognition of what He has renewed for you of His blessings and gifts, and what He has turned away from you of the calamity of your excess? How is your knowledge, after your recognition, of what the Bestower has required of you — the Gracious One, through His favour and kindness in what He has granted you?

Do you have a night you can sleep through? A day you can rest in? Any pause from earnest striving? Any food you are used to? Any cause among all causes you can pursue?

Even all of that would not relieve you of the obligation of gratitude upon you for what He has renewed of His stored-up goodness toward you. But it is the utmost your action can reach, and the striving in your work to attain its reward.

Be one who works for Him with the best of what He has prepared for you, and one who turns to Him in all your times. Then be one who is humble before Him, yielding, submissive, confessing — for He hears the secret of your supplication to Him, and if you are thus, it will intercede for you with Him.

Brother, beware the sway of interpretation away from realities, and take for yourself the firmest guarantees. For interpretation is like a slippery rock on which no foot holds firm. Those who perished among those attributed to knowledge, and those pointed to for their virtue — they perished through inclining toward false interpretation and its mastery over their minds, and in this they were of many kinds.

I seek refuge for you in God and ask His aid for you and seek your protection in Him from all of that, and I ask Him to make over you a shield from His protection, and a guard from His safety and His grace.

Brother — how are you in severing connection with the one who exposed you to failure, and called you to decline and weakness? How ought your separation from him and your estrangement to be? How should your inner being recoil from him, your heart refuse him, your conscience withdraw from him?

It is fitting for you — given what God has bestowed upon you and distinguished you with of noble knowledge and exalted station — to turn away from those who pursue this world, to be opposed to them in your secret and your open life, and to intercede for them in their affliction before God. For that is some of what is due from you.

It befits you to be a shepherd for the sinners, and to be for them a guide to God through your understanding of His address, and in rescuing them a delegate. For these are the realities of the scholars, and the stations of the sages. The most beloved of creation to God is the most beneficial to His dependents, and the most universal in benefit to all His creation.

May God make us and you among the most elect of those He has purified in sincerity to Him, and the nearest in the place of favour before Him.

Is it fitting for one who is intelligent, learned, refined — seeking and sought, loving and beloved, guarded and guided, favoured and drawn near, seated in intimacy — to spare this world a glance, or meet it with a look?

He has heard his Master and Lord saying to the most noble of His chosen ones and the lord of His messengers and prophets: "Do not extend your eyes toward what We have given some pairs among them to enjoy — the splendour of worldly life — that We might test them thereby" [Taha: 131].

Are you witness to the understanding of this address, and the possibility of returning an answer?

Brother — forgive me for bearing down upon you if my words were harsh. Shoulder the patience for your heart to receive what is in my letter. The one who speaks plainly is better than the one who looks away and lets things pass. I close my letter and await my reply with His word: "Praise be to God who guided us to this. We would never have found guidance were it not that God guided us" [Al-A'raf: 43].

Peace and blessings upon our master Muhammad the Chosen, and upon his family.

II. Letter to Some of His Brothers — On Divine Intimacy

There has been purified for you, from the Glorious Generous One, the beauty of what He has bestowed upon you. He has singled you out with what He has granted you and favoured you with. He has unveiled for you the reality of what He first bestowed. He has chosen you with what He has reserved from all others besides you. He has drawn you near in the place of favour and brought you close. He has expanded you with intimacy in the station of His nearness and addressed you in secret. He has elected you with the beauty of His command and made you His intimate.

He has supported you in those immense stations and those near places with strength and firm establishment and tranquility and repose and stillness — lest the initial revelations overwhelm you, and the strange tidings that arrive overcome you.

For the force of these upon you at the beginning of their arrival compels the bewilderment of stupefaction, when what cannot be described finds no one to bear it.

How could that be borne? How could minds hold fast to what is there — were He not to grasp them with His care and enfold their innermost beings with His guardianship?

Where are you now? For He has turned all of you toward Him, and turned what He wills from you toward Himself. He has opened to you the hearing of the address, and expanded you to return the answer.

You are then one who is spoken to, and you are speaking. You are questioned about your tidings, and you are questioning — in cascading pearls and succeeding witnesses, with continual increase and unbroken benefits, streaming upon you from every direction in majesty from the Glorious One.

Were it not that He had settled upon you the blessing and held your heart with tranquility, minds would have been stupefied at the occurrence of that, and intellects would have been torn apart at its presence.

But He — exalted is His praise, sanctified are His names — was generous with His grace to the one He had purified, and turned back with His tenderness to the one He had taken for His own.

He bore on their behalf what He had caused them to bear, and they bore what He had willed for them and favoured them with — their attainment of Him.

May God make us and you among the nearest of His saints before Him in station. Truly, my Lord is All-Hearing, Near.

III. Letter to Some of His Brothers — On Spiritual Practice

Praise be to God who has purified for Himself an elect from His creation, and distinguished them with knowledge and recognition of Him, and employed them in the most beloved of works to Him and the nearest to favour before Him, and brought them in that to the utmost limit and the highest, most consummate summit. And then:

I counsel you to abandon looking back at every past state, for turning toward what has passed is a distraction from what is arriving in the present state. I counsel you to abandon gazing at the present state and to abandon wrestling with it, by letting your aspiration roam toward the meeting point of the oncoming moment — with remembrance of its bringer, and the continuity of remembering what it brings.

For if you are thus, you remember the One who is more worthy, and the sight of things will not harm you.

I counsel you to strip your concern bare, to make your remembrance singular, and to purify yourself before the Lord in all of this.

Work to free your concern from your concern for your concern. Seek what is pure of the remembrance of God — exalted is His praise — with your heart. Be where He sees you, for what He wills for you — not where He wills for you, for what you will for yourself.

Work to erase your witness from your witness, until the one who witnessed against you witnesses for you — through what was purified from your witness.

Know that if you are entirely His, He will be for you with all of everything, in what you love from Him. So prefer Him with everything that has expanded toward Him in you — and from Him it began for you and from Him through it — He will expand upon you what your knowledge cannot encompass, and your hopes and wishes cannot reach.

And if you are tested with the company of some group of people, keep their company according to the measure of their stations, and be above them through the beauty of what God has given you and favoured you with.

Peace and blessings upon our master Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet, and upon his family and companions.

IV. Letter to Some of His Brothers — On Finding Rest in Other Than God

Whoever points to God yet finds rest in other than Him — God will test him, and will veil His remembrance from his heart while running it upon his tongue.

If he awakens and cuts himself off from the one in whom he found rest, God will unveil what is upon him of trials and affliction.

But if he persists in his rest upon creation, God will strip from the hearts of creation their mercy toward him, and will clothe him in the garment of greed. His demands upon them will increase while mercy vanishes from their hearts. His life will become helplessness, his death will be grief, and his return will be regret.

We take refuge in God from finding rest in other than God.

V. Letter to Some of His Brothers — On the Saints as Stars

God — exalted is His praise — does not leave the earth empty of His saints, nor strip it bare of His beloved, in order to protect through them those He has made them a means of protecting, and to sustain through them those He has made them a means of sustaining.

I ask the Generous One, through His grace and His bounty, to make us and you among those entrusted with His secret, those who guard what He has entrusted to them of His majestic command — as an adornment from Him for us with the highest of stations, and an elevation of us over all that is manifest and concealed.

I have seen that God — exalted and sanctified are His names — has adorned the expanse of His earth and the vastness of His dominion with His saints and with those who possess knowledge of Him. He has made them a more radiant ornament than the sky resplendent with the light of its stars and the radiance of its sun and moon.

They are signposts on the paths of His guidance, and markers on the roads of those who seek His obedience, and lanterns of light on the ascents of those who strive toward His good pleasure.

They are more evident in their benefit to creation, and more manifest in their warding of harm from humankind, than the stars by which one navigates in the darkness of land and sea, and by whose traces one finds the way when roads grow confused.

For the guidance of stars brings safety of wealth and bodies, while the guidance of scholars brings safety of faith. And how far apart is the one who is saved in his faith from the one who is saved only in his world and his body!

VI. Letter to Abu Bakr al-Kisa'i

Brother — where is your place when the she-camels are left untended? Where is your home when the dwellings have departed? Where is your lodging when the lodgings are barren wasteland? Where is your station when the stations are desolate ruins? What is your news when the gathering of all news has vanished? What do you gaze upon when the assembly of the gazers has been annihilated? What do you ponder — for it is no time for gazing or pondering? How is your calm through the passing of night and day? How is your vigilance when the sudden strokes of fate descend? How is your patience — for there is no road to consolation or endurance?

Weep now, if you find a way to weeping — the weeping of the bewildered, grief-stricken, anguished mother, bereft of her beloved intimates, at the perishing of the noblest of successors, at the annihilation of all past communion, at the vanishing of the elders of compassion, at the onset of the first seizure, at the gusts of the pursuing storm, at the blows of the stripping wind, at the dazzling flashes of constraint, at the piercing gleams of acknowledgment.

Where then is your refuge? To what does your course lead? — for minds are torn asunder, hearts cracked apart, intellects unhinged, all tidings raised up — and you are in wild wanderings and dimmed stars and tangled roads. Their darkness has lost you in the confusion of their paths, and their earth and their sky have closed upon you. Then that has cast you into the depth of depths, the surging, overwhelming, uprooting sea — beside which every ocean and every abyss is a spittle or a mouthful — and it has hurled you into the density of its waves, and its terrible heaving has crashed over you.

Who will rescue you from the destroyers? Who will bring you out from what is there?

My letter reaches you, Abu Bakr, and I praise God abundantly, and I ask Him for pardon and well-being in this world and the next.

Letters from you have reached me. I understood what you described in them. What kept me from answering was not what you imagined, and what you mentioned of your grief pained me.

Your state with me is not the state of one blamed, but rather the state of one upon whom compassion rests. It is enough of your trial that I should be a cause of adding to it, and I am anxious for you.

What kept me from writing was my fear that what was in my letter to you might reach someone other than you without your knowledge. For I wrote some time ago a letter to certain people of Isfahan, and my letter was opened and its text was copied. Some of what was in it was obscure to a group of people, and their questioning exhausted me, and a burden upon them fell to me because of it.

People need gentleness. It is not gentleness to meet them with what they do not know, or to address them with what they do not understand. Sometimes this happens without intent or purpose. May God make over you a shield and a protection, and may He keep us and you safe.

Guard your tongue, may God have mercy on you, and know the people of your time. Speak to people with what they know, and leave them be with what they do not know. Rarely does one who is ignorant of a thing fail to become its enemy.

People are like camels — the hundred among which there is not a single riding-beast. God has made the scholars and the sages a mercy from His mercy, spread among His servants. Work to be a mercy upon others, even if God has made you an affliction upon yourself.

Go out to creation from your state through their states, and address them from your side according to the measure of their stations. That is more effective for you and for them.

Peace be upon you, and the mercy of God, and His blessings.

VII. Letter to 'Ali ibn al-Isfahani

Know, brother, that resolute realities and firm unshakeable intentions and sound confirmed determinations have not left upon their possessors any connection uncut, nor any obstacle unblocked, nor any trace in the hidden depths of the heart unbrought to light, nor any interpretation feigning the soundness of its aim unexposed.

For them the Real stands bare in the soundness of their state, and their striving in the continuity of the journey is fixed — upon clear proofs from knowledge, and manifest signs from the Real.

VIII. Exchange Between al-Shibli and al-Junaid

Al-Shibli's Letter

Abu al-Qasim — what do you say of a state that rose and appeared, and appeared and conquered, and conquered and dazzled, and then settled and was still?

The witnesses are extinguished. The imaginations are dim. The tongues are mute. The knowledges are effaced.

Were all creation to press in upon one in this state, it would only increase his wildness. Were all creation to turn toward him in tenderness, it would only increase his distance.

The one who has arrived at this state is fettered with chains and shackles. It has overwhelmed his mind and transformed him. He has opposed the Real with the Real, and creation has become his hobble.

And he wrote beneath it these two lines of verse:

O crescent moon — for an exhausted eye:
when it appeared, it blazed at both its edges.
I used to weep over myself because of him;
now that he has turned away, I weep because of him — over him.

Al-Junaid's Reply

Al-Junaid kept the note from Wednesday, then wrote beneath it:

Abu Bakr — God, God, for creation's sake. We used to take a word, inscribe it, embellish it, and speak of it in cellars. Then you came along and threw off the bridle. Between you and the greatest of creation stand a thousand layers. In the first layer, all that you have described vanishes.

IX. Letter to 'Amr ibn 'Uthman al-Makki — On Knowledge and Its Corruption

You were given the highest stations of knowledge, and reached in firmness of gnosis the furthest extent of its reaches, and were brought near in the gatherings of proximity to their nearest stations. And through the perfection of encompassing tidings you were settled in the mastery of their landmarks.

All this flowed to you through establishment while you were clear-sighted, and you rose in the heights of its culmination, commanding and assured. You encompassed it with the strength of your comprehension and it yielded itself to you, and you had no need to strive toward it, through the impregnable force of establishment — for you see all of this by the clear light of truth, and in what is disputed of knowledge, you stand upon the firmness of certainty.

God made you, alongside all this, one through whom his brothers find felicity, and attain their desire of knowledge through his description and clarification, and the healing realities are unveiled to them through the expression of his tongue, and those absent and present alike find comfort in the nobility of his station.

Rather, God made you a light that fills the two horizons with the radiance of its brilliance, shining and rising over both the worlds of jinn and humankind, so that each group among them attains its full share and reaches its encompassing and excellent desire.

These are the outward aspects of his affairs that he was clothed in, and the first signs of his states that were intended for him. Yet when he looked into them, jealous care restrained him from displaying himself, and protection and veiling and concealment enclosed him from showing himself.

That is a mystery from which minds go astray in pointing toward it, and from which understandings are cut off from any approach to it.

Far, far beyond! The fullest circles of the consummate scholars have been effaced from reaching it, and the keys of the greatest of the perceptive have gone astray from it. It stands in the singleness of its unity, exalted, and its self-sufficiency is set apart by its abstraction.

How many gesture toward it with their imagination, and display the appearance of realization of it! When one presents himself to speak of it, his tongue falters, and he is bewildered at the gesture toward its articulation. And the ignorant one thinks, hearing him, that he has hit the mark — while he is in blind darkness at the point of address. He persists in his claim while the reality of the Real pushes him away.

He deludes the listener with his description into pursuing what understanding grasps of obeying what was commanded and leaving what was forbidden — and that is only a part of the right of knowledge upon the one who carries it.

When you demand for yourself the station that knowledge holds, before giving from yourself the right that knowledge requires, its benefit and its light are veiled from you. Its form and appearance remain upon you — and that is the evidence of knowledge against you, even though its form is visible to you.

Beware, O man who has put on the outward ornament of knowledge — toward whom men gesture for the beauty of his garment — who falls short of acting by the pure reality of what they point at in him, and by which tongues extend their praise upon him! That is death for the one whose description this is, and an argument from God against him in his final reckoning.

The Sage and the Scholar

When the Scholar heard what the Sage spoke, and the clarity of his exposition struck his ears, he lowered his head in thought. Then, after the thought, he sobbed, weeping. His weeping went on, and his sobbing rose, and his agitation grew.

The Sage turned to him then and said: Now — when the sun of wisdom begins to rise upon you, and the clear light of it reaches you — the darknesses of what you turned away from in your knowledge are dispersing from you, and what you neglected of the obstacles of illnesses in your understanding is being uncovered. I hope thereby for the mending of what you have corrupted, and the recovery of what you have wasted.

When the Scholar heard the Sage turn toward him with this, he calmed his agitation and quieted the intensity of his weeping. Then he turned to the Sage and said:

Give me more of this medicine of yours, for it has suited my wounds. The hopes of reaching my argument have grown strong. Deliver me, by the subtlety of your craft and the gentleness of your wisdom, from the evil of what you know better than I lies hidden in my secret, and from what is concealed from me of the hidden desire of evil. In times gone by, hidden things that lay latent in the secret places were folded away from me, and you have uncovered them for me through your beautiful description. By the subtlety of your gentleness you have stood me before what was concealed of them.

The Sage said to him: Give thanks to God always for what He has bestowed upon you by making you aware of this, and for standing you before the places of your deficiency. Be humble before Him in lowliness, and beseech Him in meekness and submission, suppliant. You will find Him hearing the secret of your whispered prayers to Him, and if you are thus, it will intercede for you with Him.

Know also that the tongues of wisdom do not speak except after they are given permission. And when they speak, benefit falls upon whomever is made to hear them. The likeness of that, from the bounty of God upon His creation, is like the rain of His sky — when He sends it down, He revives the dead earth by it. Have you not heard God say: "Look at the traces of God's mercy — how He gives life to the earth after its death. Truly He is the Giver of Life to the dead, and He has power over all things" [Ar-Rum: 50]? Likewise God revives through the tongues of wisdom what negligence has killed in the hearts of the heedless.

The Scholar said to the Sage: Yes — what you have described is as you have described it. I hope from the One who summoned me through the tongue of your wisdom, and poured upon me the compassion of your mercy, that you will rescue me from the evil of shortcoming by your guidance, and bring me out of the humiliation of falling behind through the encounter of your vision. I know now that my deepest need is for the unveiling of what clings to me from the evil of abandoning practice by my knowledge, and my falling behind what the right of knowledge requires of me — and of what has been concealed in my soul, and folded away by hiding in my secret, things I was not aware of, nor standing upon by what I carry of knowledge. I have now been illuminated to the extent that God has supported me through you, and what He has bestowed upon me, and uncovered for me through your means — some of that. By my knowledge of the little of it, I know that there is much of it upon me that I have not perceived, and hidden inner things I have not seen or known. Uncover for me, O Sage, what of my condition you know better than I — for the physician knows the sick man's disease better than the sick man himself, and is more fit to prescribe the medicine that will be the cause of his healing.

The Sage said to him: The first glimpses of understanding have begun to bring you to knowledge of what is against you and for you in this. The first signs of sobriety have begun to appear to your mind. The first motions of awakening have begun to move toward some of what is in your secret.

The Sickness of Hearts

Know that the damage to religions is worse than the damage to bodies, and the sickness of limbs and flesh is easier than the sickness of hearts and minds. For the diseases of religion and the afflictions that intercept certainty are cause for ruin, and lead their people to the Fire, and bring down the wrath of the Almighty. But other than that — the diseases and sicknesses that occur in limbs and bodies — that is harm whose healing can be hoped for, whose evil and misery pass away, and from God its reward and recompense can be expected.

Know that the knowledgeable, experienced physician, and the counseling, disciplined sage, know better the wasting of bodies and the diseases that infiltrate religions with their afflictions. For the one who speaks of them speaks from what he finds in himself, and the one who describes what has befallen him of his affliction falls short of fully characterizing it, and differs from the description of what is really there. But the description of the expert healer, the experienced seer, uncovers for the sick what they have found, and tells them of the passing of what they have lost — so that what was described by the expression of the tongue becomes seen by the reality of direct sight.

I will describe for you, following upon this, things that will strengthen your state and bring you to the utmost desire of your question. And strength is from God the Mighty.

Know, O you who are attributed to knowledge: by the coming of sobriety you distinguish the confusion of intoxication. By the existence of awakening you stand upon the moment of submersion. Through the companionship of remembrance, the evil of heedlessness is uncovered for you. Through safety and wellbeing, the time of illness is distinguished.

Know that all of this — while it exists — distracts from the reality of knowing it, and harms its people by clothing them in it, away from perceiving its bewilderment, except when one carries the knowledge that its nature is confusion and darkness, so that God may establish thereby the argument against them.

Free yourself, O you who are concerned with your soul and eager to hasten its rescue, from the evil of intoxication, submersion, heedlessness, and bewilderment — by putting to use what I describe for you, and hastening to what I urge you toward, and rushing to what I point you to. For the soundness of truthfulness and the excellence of intention will lead you to the place that is the door of entry into what you love, and the exit from what you hate. Nothing will veil you from attaining what you desire — and strength is from God — except your falling short in the struggle for the obligation of striving that rests upon you.

Beware — then beware again — that you be found falling short in any of this, or that a moment find you turning back from it in weariness. Your mount that carries you to your desire is your truthfulness in upholding sincere counsel in the place of your struggle. I have placed you upon the face of the path and the road, and brought you near to traveling upon the clearest highway.

The Three Classes of Corrupt Interpreters

Know, O cautious, prompted, hastening man, that the obstacle barring you and your peers — after carrying knowledge, and long striving in it, and constant care for gathering it, and eagerness in accumulating it — is the inclination toward interpretation, and the entry through it into what is hidden in the soul of inclination toward this world and reliance upon it.

The interpreters in this are of different kinds.

There is the interpreter who sees clearly his own hidden motives and purposes in what lurks in the depths of his soul. He proceeds in it according to what he knows of its subtleties, and he does not abandon it most of the time, though it is concealed from him in some of his moments.

There is the interpreter who aimed at soundness and verification in what he interpreted, but inclination overtook him from a direction he did not perceive. What was upon him in what he aimed for was folded away from him, and he believed that what he intended and interpreted was more fitting than any alternative. He proceeded upon that — and this is the description of his state. He was, in what he aimed for in interpretation, upon the meaning of the first description: the one for whom his hidden motives and the contents of his soul became clear — for he had made knowledge a means and a ladder to that. He put on its ornament and adorned himself with its garments, and displayed through interpretation the mark of knowledge, and called people to it, and put himself forward for fame in it, so that people might know what he knew of it.

When his place and his station were known, and people heard him and turned toward him, he found pleasing the gathering of the common folk upon him and the praise of the ignorant for what was not in him. The dominion of interpretation was strengthened upon him by this, and he deluded himself with the profit of their gathering, and the spread of their praise, and the abundance of their reverence, and the goodness of their acceptance of him — for what appeared from himself and what he adorned himself with of what God knows is the opposite of what he concealed and harbored.

When all this was established for him among the common people and the ignorant — amid the abundant praise of those who praised him in error and heedlessness — he inclined toward what was in his soul: taking compensation for what he had spread of his knowledge. He accepted what he had hastened to as the reward for his learning, and became a seller of knowledge for a paltry price and a trifling stake, content with this world as a substitute for the next, and for the reward of God for righteous deeds.

He woke to find himself among those whom God condemned in His Book and whose account He related to us through the tongue of His Prophet — peace and blessings be upon him. God said: "And when God took a covenant of those who were given the Book: 'You shall make it clear to the people and not conceal it.' But they cast it behind their backs and bought with it a paltry price. Evil is what they purchased" [Al 'Imran: 187]. And He said: "Then there succeeded after them a generation who inherited the Book, taking the goods of this lower world, saying, 'It will be forgiven us.' And if similar goods came to them, they would take those too" [Al-A'raf: 169].

God condemned them and related their account to us in His Book, and made it plain to the minds among His servants with a clear and forceful exposition, so that no one who argues might have an argument, and no one who speaks might find room for it or defense.

Then God related to us the stories of the Prophets — peace be upon them — and told us what He described them with, and what He required of them: the renunciation of this world, and the earnest turning toward the next, and that they take no price for any of it, and seek no wage for it. For the right of knowledge and the right of conveying it to creation is that there be no recompense for any of it except the reward of God — and the Garden He has made the abode of those who feared Him and obeyed Him. God said to His Prophet — peace be upon him: "Say: 'I ask of you no wage for it, and I am not of those who fabricate'" [Sad: 86]. And He said: "Say: 'I ask of you no wage for it, save love of kinfolk'" [Ash-Shura: 23].

And likewise He related to us in the stories of the Prophets — peace be upon them — the words of Noah: "I ask of you no wage for it," and "I do not wish to go against you in what I forbid you" [Hud: 88], and "My wage is only upon Him who created me" [Hud: 51]. And the like of this is abundant in the Book of God.

This is the way of the Prophets among the nations, and the way of the scholars among the people: that they take no price for any part of knowledge, and seek no wage for anything of what they know. What the scholars took for knowledge was filth, and what the rabbis and the priests took despite being forbidden it — God said: "Why do their rabbis and priests not forbid them from their sinful speech and their consuming of unlawful gain? Evil indeed is what they used to do" [Al-Ma'ida: 63].

The reports forbidding this are many, and to pursue the argument exhaustively would be long in its description. What has been made clear to you contains sufficiency and enough. And God is the One who grants success.

As for the factions who interpreted and believed that what they interpreted was the truth: they are people whom error overtook from the direction where the knowledge of reality was hidden from them, and they were struck by perplexities that do not become clear to their people until after they have plunged into them and are submerged in their evil.

These people made their leaders in what they interpreted men whose sincerity toward their own souls was little, and who did not find the rightness of reality in what they intended. They said: Creation needs us desperately for what we have learned, and our knowledge is the establishment of truth among all creation. From this came the elevation of leaders, and consultation of them, and empowerment through them, and likewise with rulers and chiefs and the great among the sons of this world. They made their pursuit of caliphs and commanders and sages and the great of the worldly into a work by which they sought God's reward, and hoped for recompense — and they made it the most exalted of works, the greatest in worth, and the most abundant in reward in their eyes.

They carried knowledge to the caliphs and the commanders and the great ones of this world. They knocked at their doors. They went with what they carried of it to those who had not sought them for it, and had not called them to it, and did not know them by it. The first thing that befell them was the humiliation of pursuit, and the abasement of petitioning the gatekeepers, and the degradation of standing at their doors. Among them was one who was admitted and one who was turned away — and the humiliation had overtaken them, and the punishment had descended upon them, and abasement had clothed them, and they returned with the submission of degradation. They continued thus in the toil of going and coming — and that is the cause of ruin and destruction — until they reached those they had aimed for, and forgot the God they had worshipped. Heedlessness and forgetting drove them to the waters of the dead, and the abundance of diseases and afflictions overwhelmed them, and there attached to their eyes and hearts the trial of what the sons of this world had prepared for themselves and preferred over the matters of their next life — the splendor of its charm, the freshness of its adornment, and the burning allure of its bloom.

The Call to Vigilance

Know, O you who search for the obligation and nobility of knowledge, and who seek purification through the sincerest deeds for your Lord, that the feet of these people have swerved from the highways of reality, that their hearts were never straight upon sound intentions, and that they inclined by what was hidden in their souls over what they outwardly displayed — toward love of creation's knowledge of them, and their reverence for them, and their veneration because of them. They loved the gathering of creation upon them and the pointing of fingers toward them, so that their opinions might be endorsed, their words confirmed, their ends magnified, and the praise extended to them. And if creation fell short in any of this toward them, they resented it. And if what they loved did not come to pass, they grew angry — and do not ask about the excess of their anger, and their satisfaction and rebuke toward anyone who opposed the direction of their desire. To describe them in all they are immersed in would lengthen the exposition and extend the discourse. I have described for you of their description what my tongue was freed to say. In that there is sufficiency.

Now clothe yourself in the garments of caution, and arm yourself with the armor of fear, and take for yourself the shield of piety, and stand for God over your soul with constant vigilance, constant searching, severe self-reckoning, excellent assessment, and truthful inquiry. Join your secret to that with constant remembrance and powerful reflection. Be one who strives in God with the striving He deserves, and one whom God has praised among the righteous of His servants — along with what falls to you of the beautiful promise and the generous reward.

God said: "And those who strive in Us — We will surely guide them to Our ways. And truly, God is with those who do good" [Al-'Ankabut: 69]. And God said: "And had We decreed upon them, 'Kill yourselves,' or 'Leave your homes,' they would not have done it except a few of them. And had they done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them and a firmer affirmation" [An-Nisa: 66].

These are two verses that secure the attainment of good and the falling of guidance and right conduct. Take your fullest share of acting by them and holding fast to what God commands in them. And be on your guard against conforming to anything of what preceded in the description of interpretation and error of judgment — for that leads to the nullification of works and the severity of regret at the return.

The Scholar said to the Sage: O Sage, you have covered what was in my soul, and reached the extent of what revolved in my breast, and added to that descriptions whose virtue I have recognized, and whose rightness of knowledge has been uncovered for me. I hope this is from the bounty of God upon me and His mercy toward me. God has made you a cause for my awakening to matters that, were it not for God's grace upon me through you, my shortcoming in knowledge of them would have carried me where it carried those whose description you preceded me in — and the rightness of your knowledge of them placed me before their error and their wrong judgment. God has blessed me with what He has supported me through you, and the worth of what God has made you fitted for is great in my eyes — in your exposition of what you preceded in describing and characterizing of the states of the three classes of interpreters, and the error that befell them in their aim, and the deviation of their work from its path, and their swerving from the straight way.

I need you to describe for me the station of those who work for God in the reality of knowledge and who uphold its right — truthful in what they have been charged with, and in what they have been entrusted with of conveying it — praised for spreading it, and for what they have transmitted to those beneath them of it. Those who seek their reward in teaching people upon soundness of intention, rectitude of purpose, and beauty of conduct — those whom desires have not bent, and deception has not tempted, and whims have not turned aside, and the cravings of the soul have not enslaved, and the world has not bent — upon whom neither slip nor error has fallen, and who were in all of this upon the soundness of the meaning.

The True Scholars

The Sage said: Rejoice in what God has opened for you of the door of questioning, and what He has made easy for you of the soundness of speech. That, if God wills, is a means to embarking upon works and undertaking beautiful deeds, and it will lead — as I hope for you — to the establishing of your truthfulness. So make pure your intention for God in the reality of your aim, and let your means to wisdom, and your calling upon what you love of it, be the guarding of your secret from the diseases that bar it, and the mending of your inner being for what it requires. For wisdom — to the one whom desire for it has encompassed, and love of it has mastered his purest secret — is more tenderly inclined, more yearning, more drawn, than the compassionate mother and the gentle father.

I see as well a cloud of knowledge, laden and spread over you, delightful, whose canopy has shaded you, and whose hopes have strengthened for you their completion. Seek the rain from it by constant standing in the courtyard of its expanse, and persist in calling upon the one who sends the rain, who spreads the clouds, who removes harm and frees the captives. Know that He — exalted is His praise — revives with a drop of the rain of His mercy the dead of whatever of His creation He sends it upon. Seek the life, and the watering will come — for the first of those clouds will bring you healing, and the abundance of what is in them will wash from your secret the inclination toward this world, and its touch upon your body will wash from you all diseases, and your tasting of its sweet draught will kill the passions of your soul.

Know that when God wills a servant, He eases for him the path, and smooths for him the weight, and hastens him in the journey, and brings him to the excellent dwelling, and grants him the generous portion. I hope for you, from the One who opened for you the success of questioning and the soundness of speech, that He will bring you by His bounty upon you and His mercy toward you to the stations of the triumphant among His saints and the chosen ones purified from among His servants.

I will describe for you, God willing, what you have asked about: the character of the people of realities among the people of knowledge — those who act by it and are truthful in their aim toward it, striving in upholding its right, seeking knowledge for what is incumbent upon them of it — whom the desires of this world have not tempted in what they aimed for, and whom deviation has not bent from taking the truth, and whom the seducers among their enemies have not provoked. "Those are the party of God. Truly, the party of God — they are the successful" [Al-Mujadila: 22].

Know that the first thing given to the people of verification among the people of knowledge in the beginning of their seeking was the rectification of intention, the soundness of aim, and the agreement of the soul in what appeared of the desire to seek. They did not permit their feet to walk, nor did they move in it with their limbs, except after the beauty of careful consideration had been firmly established for them. They proceeded upon the foundation of what knowledge had taught them from the first, and continued upon the companionship of the state and the witness of knowledge in that.

The soundness of what the Real disclosed to their hearts bound them with compassion and caution and piety. The finding of this enclosed them, and bound them to the restraining of the limbs and the guarding of the secret places and the constancy of silence. They feared, along with all this, that they might have fallen short of the obligation of striving in the search for knowledge. Their self-accounting was severe upon their souls, and the companionship of beautiful remembrance and constant reflection attended them in the stations of striving. This guarded them from easy mingling with other seekers, and those who walked with them in it. They were in one state, and those present with them were in another. Whenever frivolity appeared from others, they turned away. Whenever heedlessness or play appeared from others, they feared and took caution. Whenever something disturbing appeared from others that drove them to strengthen their state and tighten their vigilance, they prayed for those present with them for safety, and loved for them rectitude and uprightness.

They do not harm people, do not look down upon them, do not slander them, do not blame them. Rather, they have compassion for them when they see their errors, and pray for them when deficiency appears in them. They know what is wrong and condemn it and avoid it. They know what is right and love it and practice it. They do not despise the shortcomers for the abundance of their faults, nor scorn those beneath them for what they themselves were praised for in their own state. Rather, they recognize all this by the indication of knowledge, and nothing of what the Real attributes to these people is hidden from them. The rightness and the error in them are distinguished by knowledge. Safety from seeing what is disliked is their companion, and in it, compassion and piety keep them occupied, and upon the seeking of knowledge they are turned.

Their tongues speak in praise of their Lord at the hearing of knowledge. Their words hasten to the conviction of acting by it. Their ears listen well to it. Their bodies strive in service to God. They gathered it with beautiful conduct, and by fidelity to the bounty of God upon them they understood it. They never ceased in constant striving toward it, and intense turning upon it, and abundant staying close to those who had knowledge present before them — until they took from it the fullest share and the greatest portion.

When they reached of it what sustains them, and the utmost of what they need, and by its realities they act at all times — they returned to searching what they had written, and to examining what they had sought. That became a barrier to them from further pursuit, and a gatherer of them into seclusion and worship.

People's need came to stand before them, and their place was known through their carrying of aspiration, and their stations in knowledge were known, and their states were ennobled by virtue, and this spread and grew, and appeared and shone.

Among them is one secluded with his knowledge, occupied away from creation with his worship, preferring to work in what God has opened for him of it — not wanting any substitute for constant service to God, and no change from the solitude in which God has opened for him.

And among them is one in whom the intention was present for spreading knowledge, and the resolve for teaching it grew strong, and the vision of its excellence presented itself. He spread knowledge seeking God's reward, and was sincere in the work for God through it — hoping from God for beautiful recompense, and expecting from God a beautiful return — accompanied in that by the meeting of rightness.

When he speaks, he speaks with the force of knowledge. When he is silent, he is silent with the dignity of forbearance. When he aims at clarification, he makes understanding near. When many gather upon him, he loves their benefit. When they disperse from him, his counsel reaches them. He conveys to them what he carries of knowledge with an eloquent tongue and a sound exposition, with a sincere heart and a truthful word. He does not hasten upon the ignorant, nor repay those who err, nor agree with anyone in pretense.

He pardons the one who wrongs him, gives to the one who deprives him, does good to the one who harms him, and overlooks the one who transgresses against him. He seeks no wage from creation for any of his works, and inclines toward neither praise nor acclaim. He strives for God in sincerity of his works, and seeks His face in the beauty of his deeds.

He does not accept this world from the one who offers it, nor linger with the one who extends it to him. He places this world where its Creator placed it, and is satisfied of it with what his Provider has apportioned him. He does not occupy himself with what passes away, nor work in what does not endure. His heart is turned from its adornment, swerved from all he is called to of the splendor of its charm. Little suffices him, and what is pure and sound satisfies him. He stops at its doubtful matters and turns from its confused affairs. Rather, he leaves even what is plainly lawful, and in taking what he cannot do without, he is moderate. He has chosen in this world and in all he is called to: renunciation, and adherence to toil and worship.

He has mercy on the one who is drawn toward it by desire, and pities the one who turns to it with his seeking. He does not see it as a gain for the one who pursues it, nor a price for the striving of the one who is consumed by it. He looks at it with the eye of its passing and the nearness of its departure. This is the place of the world in his estimation, and its station in his knowledge of it.

And with all I have described for you, he is one of constant seclusion, frequent solitude, and unbroken striving and service. He finds the rest of his heart and the coolness of his eye and the joy of his breast in what was pure of righteous work done for his Lord, and in hope of the return of its reward in his final abode. When he appears to people at the time of their gathering upon him, he appears with beautiful intention and sound aspiration. This is, in his eyes, one of the righteous works that bring him near. He is never without a state in which he is in seclusion, worshipping, striving toward God in what brings him near. And his state is that intention has attended him, and he comes forth to creation — being a spreader of his knowledge, and a teacher to them of what God has taught him.

Awe and fear of God are constant in his states, and caution and compassion do not leave him. He upholds the conditions of his knowledge, and is just in his word and his judgment. He is the most upright of people in rulings, the most knowledgeable of them in what is lawful and forbidden, and the most discerning of them in the laws of Islam.

He follows the traces of the Messengers and the ways of the Prophets and the righteous. He inclines toward no innovation, and does not fall short of taking by the tradition — with knowledge that is excellent, firm, and strong, and a state that is clear, evident, and sound. He is balanced in all schools of thought, seeking what is most upright of opinions. He does not incline to speculation, and no concern with it crosses his mind. He does not attack the leaders nor blame them, and he wishes for them all the rectitude that comprehends them.

He holds to hearing and obedience, and does not withdraw his hand from the community. He holds that rebellion against the leaders is the act of the ignorant and the corrupt, the seducers and the renegades — who follow a path other than the path of guidance, and keep company with seduction and ruin, and incline through strife toward this world. God has raised above that the worth of the scholars, and made them leaders of guidance, sincere counselors, excellent, righteous, pious, chosen, fortunate, noble — masters, august and great, forbearing, generous, saints. God made them banners of truth unfurled, minarets of guidance erected, and highways for creation laid out.

Those are the scholars of the Muslims, the trustees of the believers, the most exalted of the God-fearing. By them in the trials of religion one follows, and by their light in the darkness of ignorance one is guided, and by the radiance of their knowledge in the dark one sees. God made them a mercy for His servants, and a blessing upon whom He wills of His creation. Through them the ignorant learns, through them the heedless remembers, through them the questioner is guided, through them the seeker is given, through them the worker increases, through them the excellent station is reached, through them the traveler is hastened, through them the strong and complete one is established.

Those are the ones who filled their lifetimes with the remembrance of God, and spent their allotted days in excellent, luminous deeds, and by that they remained for creation — their traces praised, their lights shining clear for all to see. Whoever kindled from the radiance of their light was illuminated. Whoever followed their traces was guided. Whoever followed the course of what they held was fortunate, and did not fall to ruin. God gives them a life that endures and takes them in a death that is safe. They find ease in what they have sent ahead to the next life. May God make the endings of their affairs the most excellent, and the states upon which they were taken the most beautiful.

After all this, O you who ask about the character of the people of verification, the scholars who act by knowledge in the span of their remaining days — I have described for you some of their states, and characterized for you much of the beauty of their deeds. Were I to pursue the exhaustive description of them and the mention of what they deserve of characterization, my letter would grow long and my answer would widen. In what God has caused to be mentioned of that, there is sufficiency for the one who is guided, and enough for the one who acts by what is most fitting.

The Scholar's Humility

The Scholar said to the Sage: O kind, compassionate teacher — O counseling, wise master — you have stirred my heart with your description of these people, and filled my breast with awe, and shown me my place and my worth. I fear that my patience cannot bear the burden of what I have come to know, for the severity of my shortcoming and the constancy of my falling behind. I despised myself in the face of this knowledge, and was certain of my affliction and my deficiency.

How can I escape the humiliation of falling behind, and depart from the blameworthy morals of my soul, and enter even the beginning of their path? I see remaining where I am as a sin, and staying in the state I am in as a loss.

The Path of Renunciation

The Sage said to him: You have asked about a tremendous matter, and a great and mighty affair — one made easy for those who know His bounty, and the riding of terrors in its pursuit, and the bearing of burdens, and exile from homelands, and the departure from wealth. Few are those in whom the desire for what is with God has grown so strong that they find easy the giving of their bodies and their lifeblood, and nothing is great in their eyes in the reaching of their desire.

Be, O you who ask about the stations of the noble, and the degrees of the scholars, and the states of the great leaders who follow the traces of the Prophets — be one who abandons every cause that would bend you from the highway of these people, away from the path of guidance and right conduct, and bar you. Be one who desires from God what elevates you.

Know that your gaze of longing toward what is little or much of this world is a veil for you from the next, and a disease upon your gaze in the moment of penetrating insight. Remove from the gaze of your inner being whatever sight of it bequeaths you deficiency and shortcoming. Purify the secret places and cleanse the inner recesses — by stripping down your determination and gathering up your attention — singling yourself out for what you aimed at, and in the attaining of which you desired. For in the mending of what is hidden of your secret, there is the perfecting of what is manifest and apparent of your outer life. Beware that you incline toward any thing, however small its worth — lest it bend you from the praiseworthy whose affair has been made clear to you. The most cheated of the cheated is the one who sells much of what endures for little of what perishes, and the one who occupies himself with the affairs of this world at the expense of the next.

Make, O man who seeks the excellence of states and paths — the first thing you begin your work with, and draw near to your Lord through — renunciation of this world, and turning away from every little and great thing the soul inclines toward. For the little of what you incline toward in it takes from your secret, and occupies your heart, and intercepts your remembrance. According to the strength or weakness of what you possess of its little share, so is the strength or weakness of what intercepts you. And according to what falls of that, the understanding of what your aspiration aimed for is veiled from you. Works take effect and hearts are fortified only when the intrusions of this world are cut off from them. When anything of the world intrudes — however little — it corrupts both the aspiration and the work, and distances the faculties and the understandings, and stops the state from reaching completion.

Beware of whatever of this world lures you and bends you — however small its measure — toward it. By freeing yourself from that, you will reach the soundness of state and deed and speech.

The Scholar said to him: I have laid my cheek upon your counsel, and gathered my attention for it, and emptied my heart for it, and discerned in it my right guidance. I hope, through the rightness of your guidance and the truth of your calling and the sincerity of your counsel, that God will bring me to all I hope for and the utmost of what I seek.

I have seen the springs of wisdom flowing from the treasury of your secret upon your tongue, reaching me with some of what you direct toward me. I have tasted a sweet draught of its water, and found in its revival — knowing its savor — the love of your benefit for me in it. Give me more of what will strengthen the life that raises me from the death of what has passed, to what is arriving of the change — for I have found nothing with which to turn in you to God except my whispering to Him of His beautiful recompense for you on my behalf, and His rewarding you with what He is worthy and fit for.

After your awakening me, O Sage, from the slumber of heedlessness, and your rousing me from the drowsiness of negligence — I have found an ability to recover the understanding from you, which carries me toward the practice of some of it. And I have found the glimpses of what remains upon me of shortcoming rebuking me from stopping — by the firm exposition and the knowledge of certainty.

As for what lies between what God has eased of knowledge, and what knowledge has awakened of the rising toward what remains — ...

X. Letter to Abu Ya'qub Yusuf ibn al-Husayn al-Razi

The Real unveiled for you the truth of His tidings and took you under His care with the immensity of His bounties and favors. He enclosed you, in drawing you to Himself, within the abundance of His blessings. The blessings flowed upon you through His raising you toward Him and His exalting you — so that you were where you need no means to reach Him, but rather are ascribed to Him through what He has made manifest of Himself in you.

He has purified you, through what He chose you for, among the elect of His chosen. He has singled you out, through devoted allegiance, from those He distinguished with His friendship. He selected you by election from among the greatest of the people of His love — those whom He preferred by choosing them for the immensity of His intimacy.

Their first steps were those of the greatest of the people of love — the ones chosen for the pure intimacy in His presence, set upon the paths of arriving at Him and of detaching from all else toward Him. They outstripped every predecessor in reaching Him through Him, and soared toward Him alone above the heights of all seeking — upon the lights of the openings of generosity. The lights cascade upon them in torrents and flow with the gifts of bounty upon them in streams — like the pouring of a driving, downpouring rain, and a ceaseless flow wreathed with the wonders of goodness. The first surges of its arrival overwhelm the minds of those He has favored with it, and the first glimpses of its witnessing astonish those He intends it for.

Where, then, and by what means can the hearts of those honored by it pass beyond it? And how, and from where, can the minds of those who encounter it guard themselves from it?

That cannot be the work of any created being, however honored. No saint's secret can pass beyond it, however enabled. Only the One who bears by His strength and His power the bearers of His Throne can bear this from the people of His sessions and His intimacy. He — exalted — is the Protector of those He has prepared for Himself.

At that, when He wills it, He summons creation to the sincerity of His remembrance, and turns toward Himself the one He has set apart, and shelters the one He has chosen for the treasury of His secret. What He gathered for the people of nearness before Him and those brought close becomes a following for them, and the rest of His saints in what they turned toward of that become their partisans.

Theirs, from Him, is what He lavishes of His immense giving, and what He bestows of His majestic bounties and favors. That is their allotted share, outpoured, and their gift, continuous, unbroken. Yet all of that — despite the enormity of its worth and the majesty of what God distinguished them with of His precious goodness — is a veil over what He has reserved for the solitary ones in the purity of His remembrance. With the reality of its existence and the descent into what is there, the first glimmerings of the knowledge of the one He set apart begin to appear — the one He intended by exclusive choosing for what He finds in him.

No eye upon which any trace of itself remains is fit for the witnessing of that. No glance that has fallen upon calamity can glimpse it. May God make us and you, brother, among those He has prepared for Himself and chosen above all others.

My letter reaches you, brother, while the paths of the Real are smooth and ready, and the roads of right guidance radiant — paved and prepared for the feet of the wayfarers, widened for the travel of the seekers, adorned with the splendors of lights for the hearts of the aspirants. Yet despite all this — for the fewness of those who aim for them and the fewness of those who walk upon them in truthfulness — they are like abandoned she-camels and desolate, ruined stations. For all that God has magnified of their worth and promised of generous reward for traversing them, among most people they have no one to tend them, and in the enormity of their consequence, no one among creation desires them.

I see knowledge — despite the multitude of those who claim it and the spread of those who seek it, in the insincerity of their aim and their abandoning of its rightful practice — as a stranger, exiled, remote, and alone. I see ignorance and empty claims dominating most people, and the scarcity of true knowledge among those who profess to practice it is plain.

I see the concerns of most creation devoted to this world, seeking its quick debris, preferring its little scraps. Minds and hearts have buckled under the weight of pursuing it, and turned toward the desire for the littlest of its share. They are, through the evil of their aims and the abundance of corruption and the scarcity of works for the Return, in the depths of its drunkenness and the bewilderment of the ruin that has overtaken them. None among them, for the dominance of this upon them, is awakening — nor returning, if you counsel them with verification. The trial of the immediate has overwhelmed them, and their minds have been bewildered from the affairs of the hereafter.

When creation is in such a state, brother, their need is most desperate for a gentle scholar, a compassionate counseling teacher, and a preacher to guide them to the path. And you, brother — may God be pleased with you — are the last remaining of those who came before, one to whom men point among the scholars, and a great one among the greatest of the sages.

You know — may God be pleased with you — that God took a covenant of the people of His knowledge, and of those who possess learning of Him — those He honored with His Book and opened for them understanding of it and distinguished with His clear exposition and entrusted with His immense trusts — that they should make it plain to the people and not conceal it. God said: "And when God took a covenant of those who were given the Book: 'You shall make it clear to the people and not conceal it'" [Al 'Imran: 187]. And He said: "The rabbis and the priests — with what they were entrusted of the Book of God" [Al-Ma'ida: 44]. And He said: "Why do their rabbis and priests not forbid them from their sinful speech and their consuming of unlawful gain? Evil indeed is what they used to do" [Al-Ma'ida: 63].

You, brother, are one of those who remain — who were entrusted with what they were entrusted, and who knew of the fruits of wisdom some of what they knew.

Upon you, to my mind, is the declaration of what God has given you, and the speaking forth of the immensity of what He has bestowed upon you.

Turn, then — may God be pleased with you — toward the aspirants with your concern. Face them with your countenance. Direct your argument to them. Bend toward them with your virtue. Devote to them — above all others — your guidance and the beauty of your calling. Bestow upon them their benefit from your knowledge and the firmness of your gnosis. Be with them in your night and your day. Favor them with what has come back upon you and for you. That is the right of these people upon you, and their share of what is incumbent upon you.

Have you not heard God — exalted is His praise — saying to the greatest of creation in worth and the highest in station before Him: "Restrain yourself with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, desiring His Face. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring the adornment of worldly life. And do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, and who follows his desire, and whose affair has become excess" [Al-Kahf: 28]?

This is God's counsel to His chosen Prophet Muhammad — peace and blessings be upon him — the Elect.

Brother — may God be pleased with you — I have not awakened you to a share you were ignorant of, nor to a matter I saw you falling short of. I seek refuge in God for you from every lapse and shortcoming, and from every deficiency and weariness. But God says: "And remind, for the reminder benefits the believers" [Adh-Dhariyat: 55].

I have begun this letter to you as a means of connection with you, and seeking increase of your turning toward me and your companionship, and as a cause for correspondence. Be where you are, and increase for me what I have hoped from you. May God make you a means for the benefit of your brothers.

And along with that, brother — may you be guided to your right path — something has occurred to me that I wish to say. I begin with myself in it before you, and I would like to be a follower after you. I offer my apology to you beforehand if it does not fall welcome with you. Take it if it has a place in the truth, and hear it as sincere counsel — it is offered to you upon sincerity. And if you reject it back to me, it is accepted in my hands.

Brother — may God be pleased with you — be mindful of the people of your age, in your knowledge of the people of your time and your era. Begin in that first with yourself, and after securing your own state, turn your attention toward others.

XI. The Fourth Letter to Yahya ibn Mu'adh al-Razi

You have not been made absent by Him from your witness, nor has your witness been made absent by you from you. You have not been altered by your transformation from your state, nor has your state altered by its transformation from you. You have not departed from the reality of your tidings, nor have your tidings departed through the absence of tidings from you.

You have not ceased in eternity to be the witness of eternity in your eternality, nor has eternity ceased to support you in what has passed from you.

You were where you were, as you were not and then you were — in your singularity unified, in your oneness upheld, with no witness from among witnesses to witness you.

Nor have you been absent, in the presence of the Unseen, from the Unseen, through your absence. Where then is what has no "where" for its where — since the One who gives location to all locations annihilates what He has placed? And annihilation is annihilated in the upholding of the Annihilator of annihilations. And gathering is in what has dispersed, and dispersing is in what has gathered — a dispersal within the gathering of His gathering. And the gathering, by the gathering, for the gathering, gathers in what He has gathered.

Then His witness submerged into submersion, and His burial-place was entombed in the unseen of the One who forgives submersion. He hid in His hiding from His hiding. Then He severed the attribution from the gesture toward Him, and from the allusion to what He had set apart for Himself, from Himself, through Himself.

XII. Letter to Abu al-'Abbas al-Dinawari

Whom the Real has purified through singular remembrance of Him and made His intimate — He makes of him a saint: selected, honored, connected. He bequeaths to him the wonders of tidings and draws him ever nearer. He establishes him in the gatherings of intimate counsel. He prepares him for the friendship and the choosing. He raises him to the utmost limit and brings him in elevation to the summit. He honors him with the pinnacle of pinnacles — upon the stations of right guidance, upon the degrees of the righteous and God-fearing, upon the ranks of the chosen and the saints.

He becomes wholly ordered. Establishment encompasses him. Of His tidings he is knowing and learned. By strength and mastery he commands. In guiding the seekers toward Him he stands. Upon them with benefits and returns and blessings he is constant. To what the leaders were appointed to tend of His care he is devoted.

That is the imam of the guides and the ambassadors, and of the great, the majestic, the mighty — those whom God made pillars for the religion and pegs for the earth.

May God make us and you among the highest of them in station before Him, and the greatest of them in command in the place of His glory. Truly, my Lord is Near, All-Hearing.

XIII. Letter to Some of His Brothers — On the Sincerity of Scholars

Know — may God be pleased with you — that the nearest means of summoning the hearts of the aspirants, and awakening the hearts of the heedless, and rebuking the souls of the laggards, is speech whose every word is confirmed by the deeds that follow it.

Is it fitting, brother, that a caller should call to an affair whose mark is not upon him, whose adornment and traces do not appear from him — and that the one who speaks it should not be acting by the reality of his words, and by every deed befitting that speech?

How much more false is the one who calls to renunciation while wearing the garments of the covetous! Who commands leaving while being among the takers! Who commands earnest striving while falling short! Who urges exertion while not being among the exerters! How few accept the speech of such a one! How the hearts of his listeners recoil from what they see of his deeds! And he becomes a justification for the one who makes interpretation a means to follow his own desire, and an easing of the path for the one who prefers his next life over this world.

Have you not heard God say, describing His prophet Shu'ayb — the elder of the Prophets and one of the greatest of the Messengers and the saints — who says: "I do not wish to go against you in what I forbid you" [Hud: 88]? And God's word to Muhammad the Elect — peace and blessings be upon him: "Say: 'Whatever wage I might have asked of you — it is yours. My wage is only from God'" [Saba: 47]? And God's command to him to call to Him, in His word: "Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful counsel, and dispute with them in the way that is finest" [An-Nahl: 125]? This is the way of the Prophets and the Messengers and the saints.

What is incumbent, brother, upon the one whom God has favored with knowledge and recognition of Him, is to strive in fulfilling the obligations that his state demands, and that his deeds confirm his words — first before God, and then for the benefit of those who follow him.

Know, brother, that God has treasured ones among His creation, in whose hearts He has deposited the protected portion of His secret, and to whom He has unveiled the immensity of their trace of His mystery. They guard what He has entrusted to them, and of the majesty of what He has placed in their trust they are learned and knowing. He has opened their minds for what He has distinguished them with, and drawn their love near to the highest station through the nearness of sheltered refuge, and singled their hearts out for the purity of His remembrance.

They are in the nearest places of favor before Him, and in the highest stations of those who turn toward Him. They are those who, when they speak, speak of Him; when they are silent, are silent with the dignity of knowledge of Him; and when they judge, judge by His judgment for them.

May God make us, brother, among those He has favored with knowledge, established through gnosis, distinguished with elevation, employed in the most complete obedience, and gathered for them the good of this world and the next.

XIV. Letter to Some of His Brothers — On the Station of Concealment

May you never cease, O you who are found at the gate of God, standing firm — seeking from Him, toward Him, what He loves; desiring; and in His favors and the wonders of His tidings, aspiring. So love Him through Him, upon Him, in what He loves for you and brings you to — through His choosing you for what He wills from you, that He may choose you in what He gives you, through what He selects for you and draws you near.

Then He manifests you in what He gives you, and conceals you in the glory of what He manifests — exalting you above the eyes of those who would see your reality, and treasuring you away from the knowledge of hearts that would know your station, and enclosing you, wrapped in His care, within the treasury of your concealed place.

You were then where the place submerges its inhabitant, and the signs upon him are effaced from the imagination of any who would imagine. You were there, in the unseen within the unseen — from whose realities doubts and uncertainties have vanished, as surely as realities are known by the truth of certainty, and the glimpse of direct seeing is veiled and cannot be imagined. Beyond that lies the unity of the One who unifies, and the lordship of the Divinity that stands alone — upon a primordial eternality, and an everlasting, unending permanence.

There the keys of the wise have gone astray, and the knowledges of the scholars have halted, and the utmost wisdoms of the sages have reached their end. This is a limit whose nature this describes and whose summit this declares — description has reached its description. Beyond that lies a barrier — until the day they are raised.

When creation is raised after the passing of their intermediate realm, and given life for the reality of the resurrection after their death — they will know the life-giving of the Living One for the one He gave life to, and His leaving in everlasting permanence the one He has made to abide. In what I have gestured toward of this, there is an exposition that would be long in its description, and the letter cannot bear its characterization in its fullness.

Brother — may God be pleased with you — your letter arrived, and its outward and inward, its beginning and end, brought me joy. I was delighted by the rare knowledge it contained, and the precious wisdoms, and the clear, luminous allusions. What you hinted at was not hidden from me alongside what you stated openly — all of it, in my knowledge of it and my precedence in understanding what you aimed at, is clear to me: where it leads, where it reaches in its end and its source, from where its beginning and its end, and how the decree ran upon those upon whom it ran. May I never lose your holding fast to God through Him and for Him.

Overwhelming forces overwhelmed, and stunning events stunned — they carried the day with the power of their dominion. They contended in mutual conquest, then drove one upon another, and subsided in concealment — while in truth they appeared in mutual force — commanding through the impregnable glory of contest, without location and without place, constituted by the essence of a limit, not directed toward bounded stations that might be known as an end. Their annihilation is a darkened annihilation, and their dominion encompasses everything.

Then what? After that: their being set up as targets for trial, and their exposure to ruin and exile, and the executing upon them of hardships by the force of decree, and the giving them death to drink, unmixed. He runs upon them by His power what He wills. Among them: one who resists, who holds fast, who is overcome. Among them: one who surrenders, who is stripped. Neither does the surrenderer by his surrender escape, nor does the resister by his resistance emerge from their grasp.

Their breaths are held — upon the extremity of trial, they are stifled. They have choked on the swallowing of the bitter, destroying draught — upon annihilation they stand. Were the spirits released to flow out, that would be their rest — but the taste of death in dying holds them. They hope for no joy after death, and before death, from the extremity of trial, they have no escape.

Brother — these are a people of whom this is only some of their description. I disliked extending the account of their state to you. Some heard a portion of what these people reached, and what they lived in the realities of that — and they rose with their aspirations toward its attainment before descending to dwell in its pure reality. Mistaken forms presented themselves to them in it, and the protected truth of the turning-away was hidden from them. The rulings of those others ran upon them in their own rulings, and the succession of error continued through the passing of their days. They believed they were those others — and they were not. The illusion of their state pressed upon them that they were in what is there. Far, far! How remote is their attainment! How great the confusion that befalls them in the illusion of their state.

May God protect us and you, brother, from every state that does not truly meet the pure reality, and that is not in accord with what the Real has established.

Along with what I have described of this state and what is in it — it is an intermediary between two states. What flowed from it is a dispersion, when it is unveiled, between two stations. The intent of the Real in it is not the thing itself — but rather, upon the soundness of its existence, it serves to unveil what lies beyond it. The knowledge of the great ones, the stations of the mighty, the places of the sages, and the clear reality of the understanding of the wise — all are after the passing of this, and the traversing beyond it, to what, if a speaker were to venture its expression and the decree ran with some description of its interpretation — "Faces shall be humbled before the Living, the Self-Sustaining. And he who carries injustice shall have failed" [Taha: 111].

Brother — may I never lose your gesture toward the Real upon what the Real has expanded for you, and may my eye be cooled in you by your reaching what the Real has disclosed to you. You are among my dearest ones and the partners of my aspiration, a great one among the great of my brothers, and a friend among the friends of my heart through the purity of my love.

Are you not one of those who remain of the great among our brothers, and one of those pointed to among the children of our kind, and one through whom God's blessing upon us has been immense in what He gave us through him?

Do not fail, brother — generous, gracious, kind — to write to me and connect with me. I find rest in the goodness of your news, and I am gladdened by the continuance of your trace, and I rejoice in the immensity of what God has given you. If this is what you consider my due, then do it. Otherwise, make it a gift from you upon me, and a grace that reaches from you to me.

Peace of God be upon you, and His mercy, and upon all our brothers.

Colophon

The letters of Abu al-Qasim al-Junaid ibn Muhammad al-Khazzaz al-Qawariri (d. 297 AH / 910 CE) are among the earliest surviving works of Sufi prose. Al-Junaid was called "the Master of the Two Groups" (Sayyid al-Ta'ifatayn) because both the exoteric scholars of Islamic law and the esoteric mystics of the Sufi path accepted his authority — an extraordinary distinction in an age when the two camps were often at war. He was teacher to al-Hallaj, and his sober restraint stands in stark contrast to his student's ecstatic self-immolation. Together they define the two poles of classical Sufism.

These fourteen texts — ten letters to named recipients and brothers, three short epistles to unnamed brothers, and the famous exchange with Abu Bakr al-Shibli — were translated from Classical Arabic, working directly from the Arabic source text as compiled by Shaykh Ahmad Farid al-Mazidi in "Al-Imam al-Junaid: Sayyid al-Ta'ifatayn." The source manuscripts are preserved in Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani's Hilyat al-Awliya' (vols. 10), al-Sulami's Tabaqat al-Sufiyya, and al-Tusi's al-Luma' — as noted in the source text's apparatus. The edition of 'Abd al-Qadir's manuscript (no. 226, 227) was also consulted as documented in the al-Mazidi compilation.

This is a Good Works Translation. The English is independently derived from reading the Classical Arabic source text. No existing English translation was used as a base or paraphrased. The translator consulted A.H. Abdel-Kader's The Life, Personality and Writings of al-Junayd (1962) as a reference for context and biographical information only — all English renderings are independently derived from the Arabic. First English translation of these letters as a freely available collection.

Translated from Classical Arabic by Safiyya (letters I–VIII), Nasim (نسيم, letter IX), and Wajd (وجد, letters X–XIV) of the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Published by Musubi (結び, 8-letter version), Tamam (تمام, 9-letter version), and Kessō (結草, 14-letter final version), WIP Finishers, 2026.

See also: Five Treatises of al-Junaid — five treatises on spiritual remedy, negligence, the etiquette of need, divine impulses, divinity, and the distinction between sincerity and truthfulness. Book of the Covenant — al-Junaid's treatise on the primordial covenant (mithaq). Book of Annihilation — al-Junaid's theological masterwork on mystical annihilation (fana'). Short Treatises of al-Junaid — eight bab chapters on breaths, the divine ruse, witnessing, knowledge, love, jealousy, reality, and aspiration. Kitāb al-Tawāsīn and Bustān al-Ma'rifa — works by al-Hallaj, al-Junaid's most famous student, also in the Good Work Library.

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Source Text: رسائل مختارة من الجنيد

Arabic source text from "Al-Imam al-Junaid: Sayyid al-Ta'ifatayn" (الإمام الجنيد سيد الطائفتين), compiled and edited by Shaykh Ahmad Farid al-Mazidi. Internet Archive identifier: 20200617_20200617_0618. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

رسالة الجنيد إلى أبي إسحاق المارستاني

يا أبا إسحاق لا ضيع اللّه ميلي إليك ، ولا إقبالي عليك ، وأنا عليك عاتب واجد ، ولما تقدّم من فعلك غير حامد . أرضيت أن تكون لبعض عبيد الدنيا عبدا ؟ أو يكون بطاعاتك له عليك مهيمنا وربّا ؟ يتخولك ببعض ما يعطيك ، ويمتهنك بيسير ما يزريك ، مبتذلا لك . ثم يدنسك بأوساخ وضره ، ويجتذبك بمأثور ضرره ؟

فسبحان من بسط إليك به رحمته ورأفته ، فاستنقذك بذلك من وبال ما اخترته لنفسك وملت إليه ! لقد كدت أن تغرق في خلجان بحرها ، أو تهلك في بعض مفاوزها ، لقد أوجب عليّ من الشكر لما جدّد من النعمة عليك ، ووهب لي من السلامة فيك ، ما لا أقوم به عجزا عن واجب حقه إلا يقوم به لي عني .

وأنا أسأل المنان المتطول بفضله ، المبتدي بكرمه وامتنانه ، أن يقوم لي عني بما قصر له به شكري ، بادئا في ذلك بالحمد والجود كما هو أهله ، بل ما لا أحصيه من نعمه .

فليت شعري أبا إسحاق ! كيف معرفتك بما جدد لك من نعمه وآلائه ، وزوى عنك من عطب فرط بلائك ، وكيف علمك بعد معرفتك ، فيما ألزمك المنعم عليك ، والمنّان بفضله وإحسانه فيما أسدى إليك ؟

ألك ليل ترقده ، أم نهار تمهده ، أم مستراح عن الجد تجده ، أم طعام تعهده ، أم سبب من الأسباب دون ذلك تقصده ؟

على أن ذلك غير نائب عنك في وجوب حق النعمة عليك ، فيما جدد به من عتيد البر لديك ، لكنه الغاية الممكنة من فعلك ، والاجتهاد في بلوغ الأجر من عملك .

فكن له بأفضل ما هيّأ لك عاملا ، وعليه به في سائر أوقاتك مقبلا ، ثم كن له بعد ذلك خاضعا مذعنا ضارعا معترفا ، فإن ذلك يسير من كثير وجب له عليك .

وبعد يا أخي فاحذر ميل التأويل عن الحقائق ، وخذ لنفسك بأحكم الوثائق . فإن التأويل كالصّفاة الزلال ، الذي لا تثبت عليه الأقدام . وإنما هلك من هلك من المنسوبين إلى العلم ، والمشار إليهم بالفضل ، بالميل إلى خطأ التأويل ، واستيلاء ذلك على عقولهم ، وهم في ذلك على وجوه شتى .

وإني أعيذك باللّه وأستعينه لك وأعيذك به من ذلك كله ، وأسأله أن يجعل عليك جنة من جنته ، وواقية من واقيته وإحسانه .

يا أخي كيف أنت في ترك مواصلة من عرّضك للتقصير ، ودعاك إلى النقص والفتور ، وكيف ينبغي أن تكون مباينتك له وهجرانك ، وكيف إعراض سرّك ونبوّ قلبك وعزوف ضميرك عنه .

حقيق عليك على ما وهبه اللّه لك ، وخصك به من العلم الجليل والمنزل الشريف أن تكون عن المقبلين على الدّنيا معرضا ، وأن تكون لهم بسرّك وجهرك قاليا ، وأن تكون لهم في بلائهم إلى اللّه شافعا ، فذلك بعض حقك لك .

وحريّ بك أن تكون للمذنبين ذائدا ، وأن تكون لهم بفهم الخطاب على اللّه رائدا وفي استنقاذهم وافدا ، فتلك حقائق العلماء ، وأماكن الحكماء ، وأحب الخلق إلى اللّه انفعهم لعياله ، وأعمهم نفعا لجملة خلقه .

جعلنا اللّه وإياك من أخص من أخصه بالإخلاص إليه ، وأقربهم في محل الزلفى لديه .

أيحسن بالعاقل اللبيب ، والفهم الأديب ، الطالب المطلوب المحب المحبوب ، المكلأ المعلم ، المزلّف المقرّب ، المجالس المؤانس ، أن يعير الدنيا طرفة ، أو يوافقها بلحظة ؟ !

وقد سمع سيده ومولاه وهو يقول لأجلّ أصفيائه وسيد رسله وأنبيائه : « وَلا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلى ما مَتَّعْنا بِهِ أَزْواجاً مِنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ » .

أفشاهد أنت لفهم الخطاب ، وإمكان ردّ الجواب ؟

فتفضل باحتمالي إن غلظ عليك مقالي ، وتجشم الصبر على أن يوافق قلبك ما في كتابي ، فإن المناصحة والمفاصحة خير من الإغضاء عن المتاركة ، وإني أختم كتابي واستدعي جوابي بقوله : « الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هَدانا لِهذا وَما كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْ لا أَنْ هَدانَا اللَّهُ » .

وصلّى اللّه على سيدنا محمّد المصطفى وعلى آله وسلّم تسليما كثيرا .

رسالة إلى بعض إخوانه — في المناجاة

صفا لك من الماجد الجواد جميل ما أولاك . وأخلصك بما خصّك به وحباك . وكشف لك عن حقيقة ما به بداك . وآثرك بما استأثر به عمّن سواك . وقرّبك في الزلفى لديه وأدناك . وبسطك بالتأنيس في محل قربه وناجاك . وانتجبك بجميل أمره وصافاك .

وأيّدك في عظيم تلك المواطن وقريب تلك الأماكن بالقوّة والتمكين والهدوء والدّعة والتسكين ؛ لئلا تقوى عليك البداءة الواردة ، والأنباء الغربية القاصدة .

فيلزمك لقوة ذلك عليك في ابتداء خلوصه إبهات الذّهل لما لا يجد لما لا يقال منه محتمل .

فكيف يحتمل ذلك ، أوتقف العقول بضبط ما هنالك ، إن لم يمسكها بالكلاية ، ويكتنف سرائرها بالرّعاية ؟ !

فأين أنت ؟ ! وقد أقبل بك كلّك عليه ، وأقبل بما يريده منك لديه . وقد بسط لك في استماع الخطاب ، وبسطك إلى رد الجواب .

فأنت حينئذ يقال لك وأنت قائل ، وأنت مسؤول عن أنبائك وأنت مساءل ، في درر الفرائد ، وترادف الشواهد ، بدوام الزوائد ، واتّصال الفوائد ، تهطل بعزّ من المجيد عليك من كلّ جانب .

فلو لا إحلاله عليك النعمة وتمسيكه لقلبك بالسكينة لذهلت عند كون ذلك القلوب ، ولتمزقت عند حضوره العقول .

لكنه جلّ ثناؤه وتقدست أسماؤه جاد بالفضل على من أخلصه ، وعاد بالعطف على من اصطنعه .

فحمل عنهم ما تحمّله إياه ، وحملوا ما أراده لهم ، وتفضّل به من إدراكهم له .

جعلنا اللّه وإيّاك من أقرب أوليائه لديه منزلا ؛ إن ربّي سميع قريب .

رسالة إلى بعض إخوانه — في المجاهدة

الحمد للّه الذي استخلص لنفسه صفوة من خلقه ، وخصّهم بالعلم والمعرفة به ، فاستعملهم بأحب الأعمال إليه ، وأقربها من الزلفى لديه ، وبلّغهم من ذلك الغاية القصوى والذّروة المتناهية العليا ، وبعد :

فإني أوصيك بترك الالتفات إلى كلّ حال ماضية ؛ فإن الالتفات إلى ما مضى شغل عمّا يأتي من الحالة الكائنة . وأوصيك بترك الملاحظة للحال الكائنة ، وبترك المنازلة لها ، بجولان الهمّة لملتقى المستقبل من الوقت الوارد بذكر مورده ، ونسق ذكر موجوده .

فإنّك إذا كنت هكذا ، كنت تذكر من هو أولى ، ولا تضرّك رؤية الأشياء .

وأوصيك بتجريد الهم ، وتفريد الذكر ، ومخالصة الرب بذلك كله . واعمل على تخليص همّك من همّك لهمّك ، واطلب الخالص من ذكر اللّه جلّ ثناؤه بقلبك ، وكن حيث يراك لما يراد لك ، ولا تكن حيث يراد لك لما تريد لنفسك .

واعمل على محو شاهدك من شاهدك ، حتى يكون الشاهد عليك شاهدا لك بما خلص من شاهدك .

واعلم أنه إن كنت كلّك له كان لك بكل الكل فيما تحبه منه . فكن مؤثرا له بكل من انبسط له منك ، ومنه بدا لك ومنه به ، يبسط عليك ما لا يحيط به علمك ، ولا تبلغ إليه أمانيك وآمالك .

وإذا بليت بمعاشرة طائفة من الناس ، فعاشرهم على مقادير أماكنهم ، وكن مشرفا عليهم بجميل ما آتاك اللّه وفضّلك به .

وصلّى اللّه على سيدنا محمّد النبيّ الأميّ ، وعلى آله وصحبه وسلّم .

رسالة إلى بعض إخوانه — في السكون إلى غير اللّه

من أشار إلى اللّه ، وسكن إلى غيره ابتلاه اللّه تعالى ، وحجب ذكره عن قلبه وأجراه على لسانه ، فإن انتبه وانقطع ممن سكن إليه ، كشف اللّه ما به من المحن والبلوى .

وإن دام على سكونه إلى الخلق ، نزع اللّه من قلوب الخلق الرّحمة عليه ، وألبس لباس الطمع ، فتزداد مطالبته منهم ، مع فقدان الرحمة من قلوبهم ، فتصير حياته عجزا ، وموته كمدا ، ومعاده أسفا ، ونحن باللّه من السّكون إلى غير اللّه .

رسالة إلى بعض إخوانه — في الأولياء كالنجوم

إن اللّه جلّ ثناؤه لا يخلي الأرض من أوليائه ، ولا يعرّيها من أحبّائه ؛ ليحفظ بهم من جعلهم سببا لحفظه ، ويحفظ بهم من جعلهم سببا لكونه .

وأنا أسأل المنّان ، بفضله وطوله أن يجعلنا وإياك من الأمناء على سرّه ، الحافظين لما استحفظوه من جليل أمره ، تجميلا منه لنا بأعظم الرّتب ، وإشرافا بنا على كل ظاهر ومحتجب .

وقد رأيت اللّه تعالى وتقدّست أسماؤه زيّن بسيط أرضه ، وفسيح سعة ملكه بأوليائه وأولي العلم به ، وجعلهم أبهج لامع سطع نوره ، وعنّ لقلوب العارفين ظهوره .

وهم أحسن زينة من السماء البهجة بضياء نجومها ، ونور شمسها وقمرها .

أولئك أعلام لمناهج سبيل هدايته ، ومسالك طرق القاصدين إلى طاعته ، ومنار نور على مدارج السّاعين إلى موافقته .

وهم أبين في منافع الخليقة أثرا ، وأوضح في دفاع المضار عن البريّة خبرا ، من النجوم التي بها في ظلمات البر والبحر يهتدى ، وبآثارها عند ملتبس المسالك يقتدى .

لأن دلالات النجوم تكون بها نجاة الأموال والأبدان ، ودلالات العلماء بها تكون سلامة الأديان . وشتّان ما بين من يفوز بسلامة دينه ، وبين من يفوز بسلامة دنياه وبدنه ! .

رسالة الجنيد إلى أبي بكر الكسائي

أخي أين محلك عند تعطيل العشار ؟ وأين دارك وقد خرجت الديار ؟ وأين منزلك والمنازل قاع صفصف قفار ؟ وأين مكانك والأماكن عواف دوارس الآثار ؟ وماذا خبرك عند ذهاب جوامع الأخبار ؟ وفيم نظرك عند اصطلام محاضر النظّار ؟ وفيم فكرك وليس بحين نظر ولا افتكار ؟ وكيف هدوؤك على ممر الليل والنهار ؟ وكيف حذرك عند وقوع فواجع الأقدار ؟ وكيف صبرك ولا سبيل إلى عزاء ولا اصطبار ؟ .

فابك الآن إن وجدت سبيلا إلى البكاء ، بكاء الوالهة الحزينة الموجعة الثكلى ، بفقد أعزّة الآلاف ، وفناء أجلّة الأخلاف ، وإبادة ما مضى من الاكتناف ، وذهاب مشايخ الاعتطاف ، وورود بداية الاختطاف ، وروادف عواصف الارتجاف ، وتتابع قواصف الانتساف ، وبواهر قواهر الاعتكاف ، وثواقب ملامح الاعتراف .

فإلى أين موئلك ، وإلى ما يبلغ مصدرك ، والأحلام متمزقة ، والقلوب متصدّعة ، والعقول منخلعة ، والأنباء كلها مرتفعة ، وأنت في أوابد مندمسة ونجوم منطمسة ، وسبل ملتبسة ؟ قد أضلك في اختلاف مناهجها ظلماؤها ، وانطبقت عليك أرضها وسماءها ، ثم أفضى بك ذلك إلى لجّة اللجج ، والبحر الزاخر الغامر المختلع ، الذي كل بحر دونه أو لجة فهو فيه كتفلة أو مجّة ، فقد قذف بك في كثيف أمواجه ، وتلاطم عليك بعظيم هوله وارتجاجه .

فمن مستنقذك من متلفات المهالك ، أو مخرجك مما هنالك ؟

كتابي إليك أبا بكر ، وأنا أحمد اللّه حمدا كثيرا ، وأساله العفو والعافية في الدنيا والآخرة .

وصل إليّ منك كتب فهمت ما ذكرت فيها ، ولم يمنعني من إجابتك عليها ما وقع في وهمك ، وشقّ عليّ ما ذكرت من غمك .

وليس حالك عندي حال معتوب عليه ، بل حالك عندي حال معطوف عليه ، وبحسبك من بلائك أن أكون سببا للزيادة في البلاء عليك ، وإني عليك لمشفق .

وإنما منعني من مكاتبتك ، لأني حذرت أن يخرج ما في كتابي إليك إلى غيرك بغير علمك . وذلك أني كتبت منذ مدة كتابا إلى أقوام من أهل أصبهان ، ففتح كتابي ، وأخذت نسخته ، استعجم بعض ما فيه عليّ قوم ، فأتعبني تخلصهم ، ولزمني من ذلك مؤنة عليهم .

وبالخلق حاجة إلى الرفق ، وليس من الرفق بالخلق ملاقاتهم بما لا يعرفون ، ولا مخاطبتهم بما لا يفهمون ، وربما وقع ذلك من غير قصد إليه ، ولا تعمّد له ، جعل اللّه عليك واقية وجنّة ، وسلمنا وإياك .

فعليك رحمك اللّه بضبط لسانك ، ومعرفة أهل زمانك ، وخاطب الناس بما يعرفون ، ودعهم مما لا يعرفون ، فقلّ من جهل شيئا إلا عاداه .

وإنما الناس كالإبل ، المائة ليس فيها راحلة . وقد جعل اللّه تعالى العلماء والحكماء رحمة من رحمته ، وبسطها على عباده . فاعمل على أن تكون رحمة على غيرك ، وإن كان اللّه قد جعلك بلاء على نفسك .

واخرج إلى الخلق من حالك بأحوالهم ، وخاطبهم من قبلك على حسب مواضعهم ، فذلك أبلغ لك ولهم ، والسلام عليكم ورحمة اللّه وبركاته .

رسالة الجنيد إلى علي ابن الأصبهاني

اعلم يا أخي أن الحقائق اللازمة ، والقصور القوية المحكمة ، والعزائم الصحيحة المؤكدة ، لم تبق على أهلها سببا إلا قطعته ، ولا معترضا إلا منعته ، ولا أثرا في خفيّ السرائر إلا أخرجته ، ولا تأويلا موهما لصحة المراد إلا كشفته .

فالحق عندهم بصحة الحال مجرّدا ، والجد في دوام السير محددا ، على براهين من العلم واضحة ودلائل من الحق بيّنة .

رسالة الشبلي إلى الجنيد — وجواب الجنيد

يا أبا القاسم ، ما تقول في حال علا فظهر ، وظهر فقهر ، وقهر فبهر ، فاستناخ واستقر ؟

فالشواهد منطمسة ، والأوهام خنسة ، والألسن خرسة ، والعلوم مندرسة ، ولو تكاثفت الخليقة على من هذا حاله ، لم يزده ذلك إلا توحشا ، ولو أقبلت الخليقة إليه تعطفا ، لم يزده ذلك إلا تبعدا ، فالحاصل في هذا الحال قد صفد بالأغلال والأنكال ، وغلبه على عقله فحال وحادّ الحق بالحق ، وصار الخلق عقالا ،

وكتب تحتها هذين البيتين :
يا هلال السّماء لطرف كليل * فإذا ما بدا أضا طرفيه
كنت أبكي عليّ منه فلمّا * أن تولّى بكيت منه عليه

فترك الجنيد الرقعة عنده من الأربعاء ، وكتب تحتها :
أبا بكر ، اللّه اللّه في الخلق ، كنّا نأخذ الكلمة فننقشها ، ونقرظها ، ونتكلم بها في السراديب ، وقد جئت أنت فخلعت العذار بينك وبين أكابر الخلق ألف طبقة ، في أوّل طبقة يذهب ما وصفت .

رسالة الجنيد إلى عمرو بن عثمان المكي

رسالة الجنيد إلى عمرو بن عثمان المكي « 1 »
أوتيت من العلم أعلى منازله ، وتناهيت من الرّسوخ في المعرفة إلى غاية أماكنها ، وأدنيت في مجالس القرب إلى أزلف مواطنها ؛ وتبوئ بك من كمال جوامع الأنباء إلى استيعاب معالمها ، فجرى ذلك لك بالتمكين وأنت مستبصر ، وعلوت في سمو انتهائه مشرفا مستظهرا ، قد تضمنته بقوة الاشتمال عليه فأفضي إليك ، واستغنيت عن السعاية إليه بمنيع صولة التمكين ، لأنك لذلك كله بواضح الحق مستبين ، ولأنك فيما اختلف فيه من العلم على صحة اليقين .
وجعلك اللّه مع ذلك ممن سعد به إخوانه ، ونالوا البغية من العلم بوصفه وبيانه ، وانكشفت لهم الحقائق المشفية من تعبير لسانه ، وأنس منهم من غاب أو حضر بشرف مكانه .
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( 1 ) من نشرة عبد القادر عن المخطوط رقم ( 227 ) .

بل جعلك اللّه نورا يملأ بسنا ضيائه الخافقين ، ويلوح مضيئا طالعا على سائر الثقلين ، فينال عند ذلك كل فريق منهم حظه الكامل ، ويصل إلى مراده الشامل الفاضل ، حتى تكون هذه الظواهر أموره التي ألبسها ، وبوادي أحواله التي أريد بها ، وقد نظر فيها فوقفت به الضنة عن ظهوره ، وتضمنه الصون والحجبة والكتم عن حضوره .
وذلك سر تضل العقول عن الإشارة إليه ، وتنقطع الفهوم عن شيء من الورود عليه .
هيهات ، هيهات ، طمست عن ذلك أطواق كوامل العلماء ، وضلت عنه مقاليد أكابر الفهماء . فهو في تفرد توحده عليّ ، ويعزل قيوميته تجرّده ، فكم من مومئ إليه بتوهمه ، ومن مظهر التحقق به بالطيب عنده ، أن يعرض لينطق به وتلجلج لسانه ، وتحيّر عند الإيماء إلى بيانه .
ويظن الجاهل إذا سمعه أنه قد أصاب ، وهو في عمياء مظلمة عند الخطاب ويكون في دعواه وحقيقة الحق تدفعه ، ويوهم بوصفه السامع في القصد إلى ما يقع الفهم به في النفاذ فيما أمر به ، والترك لما نهي عنه ، وذلك بعض حق العلم على من حمله .
فمتى اقتضيت لنفسك يقع العلم له قبل إعطائك منها حقّ ما للعلم واجب ، احتجب عنك نفعه ونوره ، وبقي عليك رسمه وظهوره وذلك حجة للعلم عليك وإن كان رسمه ظاهرا لديك .
فاحذر أيها الرجل الذي قد لبس من العلم ظاهر حليته ، وأومأ المشيرون إليه بجميل لبسته ، وقصر عن العمل بمحض حقيقته ما وقعت به الإشارة إليك ، وانبسطت به الألسن من الثناء عليك ، فإن ذلك حتف لمن هذه الصفة صفته ، وحجة من اللّه تعالى عليه في عاقبته .
فلمّا سمع العالم من الحكيم ما نطق به ، وقرع سمعه بيان ما شرحه له أطرق مفكرا ، ثم انتحب بعد الفكرة باكيا ، فطال بكاؤه ، وعلا نحيبه واشتد اضطرابه ، فأقبل عليه عند ذلك الحكيم ، فقال له : الآن حين بدت شمس الحكمة تطلع عليك وواضح نورها يصل إليك ، وعند ذلك تنجلي عنك ظلمات ما أعرضت عنه من علمك ، وأغفلته من موانع العلل لفهمك ، وإني أؤمّل بذلك صلاح ما أفسدته ، والتلافي لحفظ ما ضيعته .
فلما سمع العالم إقبال الحكيم عليه بذلك ، سكّن من اضطرابه ، وهدّا من شدة بكائه ، ثم أقبل على الحكيم ، فقال : زدني من دوائك هذا فقد لاوم جراحي ، وقويت الأطماع في

الوقوع لحجتي ، فتخلّصني بلطيف حيلتك ورفق حكمتك من وبال ما أنت أعلم بما كمن منه في سري ، واستتر عني من خفيّ هوى الشر ، فقد انطوى عني في سالف الأوقات الماضية خفيّ مستبطنات كانت في السرائر كامنة وكشفت لي عنها بجميل نعتك ، وأوقفني على ما بطن منها بلطيف رفقك ، فقال له الحكيم : تحمد اللّه أبدا فيما أنعم به عليك من اطلاعه إياك على ذلك ، وإيقافه لك على مواضع خللك ، فكن بالذل بين يديه خاضعا ، وافتقر إليه بالاستكانة والخضوع ضارعا ، فإنك تلقاه لخفيّ مناجاتك له سامعا ، وإنك إذا كنت كذلك كان لك إليه شافعا .
واعلم مع ذلك أن ألسنة الحكمة لا تنطق إلا من بعد أن يؤذن لها ، وإذا نطقت وقع النفع لمن أسمع بها . وإنما مثل ذلك من فضل اللّه على خلقه ، مثل غيث سمائه الذي إذا أنزله أحيا به ميت أرضه . أما سمعت اللّه تعالى يقول :فَانْظُرْ إِلى آثارِ رَحْمَتِ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يُحْيِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِها إِنَّ ذلِكَ لَمُحْيِ الْمَوْتى وَهُوَ عَلى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ[ الروم : 50 ] ، وكذلك يحيي اللّه تعالى بألسنة الحكمة ما أمات الإعراض عنه من قلوب أهل الغفلة .
قال العالم للحكيم : أجل ، إن الذي وصفته كما وصفته ، وإني أومّل من الذي انتدبني بلسان حكمتك ، وجاد عليّ تعطّف رحمتك أن تستنفذني من وبال التقصير بدلالتك ، وتخرجني من ذلة التخلف بمصادفة رؤيتك ، وقد علمت الآن أن أربي إلى التكشف لي عما لزمني من وبال تركي للعمل بعلمي ، وتخلّفي عما أوجبه حقّ العلم عليّ ، وعما استتر في نفسي ، وانطوى بالاستخفاء في سري ، ما لم أكن له مدركا ، ولا بما معي من العلم عليه واقفا .
وقد أشرقت الآن بقدر ما أيدني اللّه تعالى به منك ، ومنّ به عليّ ، وكشفه لي بأسبابك على بعض ذلك ، فبعلمي بالقليل من ذلك علمت أن عليّ منه كثيرا لم أدركه ، وخفيّ مستبطنا لم أره ولم أعرفه فاكشف لي أيها الحكيم من أمري ، عما أنت أعلم به مني ، فإن الطبيب أعلم بداء السقيم من نفسه ، وأحق أن يصف له من الدواء ما يكون سببا لبرئه .
قال له الحكيم : قد بدت مطالعات الفهم تلحقك بمعرفة ما عليك من ذلك ولك ، وبدت أوائل معاني الصحو تلوح لعقلك ، وبدت أوائل الإفاقة تسعى بحركاتها لبعض ما في سرك .

واعلم أن ضرر الأديان أشر من ضرر الأبدان ، وسقم الجوارح والأجسام أسهل من سقم القلوب والأفهام ، لأن علل الدين والآفات المعترضة على اليقين سبب للبوار ، وموردة لأهلها على النار ، مؤدية إلى سخط الجبار وما عدا ذلك إلى غيره ، وكان واقفا فيما سواه من الأمراض والأسقام الكائنة في الجوارح والأجسام ، فذلك ضرر يؤمل برؤه ، ويزول مكروهه وشره ، ويرجى من اللّه تعالى ثوابه وأجره .
واعلم أن الطبيب العالم المجرب ، والحكيم الناصح المؤدب ، أعلم بدنف الأبدان والعلل المخامرة بآفاتها للأديان ، لأن المعبر عنهما يعبر عما يجد من ذاته ، والواصف لما حل به من بلائه ، مقصر عن بلوغ نعته لذلك ، مختلف عن الوصف لما هنالك . ووصف المتطبب الخبير ، والمجرب البصير ، يكشف لأهل الأمراض عما وجدوه ، وينبئهم عن زوال ما فقدوه ، حتى كان الموصوف بعبارة اللسان ، منظور إليه بحقيقة العيان ، وإني أصف لك على أثر ذلك أمورا تقوي لك حالك ، وتبلغك غاية البغية من سؤالك ، والقوة باللّه العظيم .
اعلم أيها المنسوب إلى العلم ، بوقوع الصحو لك تتبين حيرة السكرة ، وبكون الإفاقة تقف على وقت الغمرة ، هو بصحبة الذكر ينكشف لك وبال الغفلة ، وبالسلامة والعافية يتميز وقت العلة .
فاعلم أن ذلك كله ، مشغل في حين كونه عن حقيقة معرفته ، ضارّ لأهله بما لبسهم منه عن وجود حيرته إلا بحمله علم مزاجه اللبس والظلمة ، ليثبت اللّه تعالى بذلك عليهم الحجة فخلّ عن نفسك أيها المعني بها والحريص على تعجيل استنقاذها وبال السكرة والغمرة والغفلة والحيرة باستعمال ما أصفه لك والإسراع إلى ما أحثك عليه ، والمبادرة إلى ما أشير به إليك . فإن صحة الصدق وجودة القصد ، يؤديانك إلى المحل الذي هو باب المدخل فيما تحبه ، والمخرج مما تكرهه ، ولن يحجبك عن بلوغ ما تريد - والقوة باللّه - إلا بتقصيرك عن المجاهدة في واجب حق السعي عليك فاحذر ، ثم احذر ، أن تكون على شيء من ذلك مقصرا ، أو ألفاك وقتا وأنت عنه فاتر راجع ، فإن مطيتك الموصلة لك إلى بغيتك ، صدقك في إقامة المناصحة في محل مجاهدتك قد أوقفتك على وجه المنهج والمدرجة وقربتك من المسير على أوضح المحجّة .
واعلم أيها الرجل الحاذر ، المحثوث المبادر ، أن الإقامة المانعة لك ولنظرائك بعد الحمل للعلم ، وطول السعاية فيه ، ودوام العناية بجمعه ، والاستكثار من الحمل له ، والميل إلى التأويل ، والدخول به فيما خفي من النفس من الميل إلى الدنيا والركون إليها .

وهم أي المتأولون في ذلك على معان مختلفة : فمتأول متبين الإغماض والأغراض فيما استكنّ في خفايا نفسه ، فمضى فيه على ما عليه منه والعلم بنكته ، ولا يتركه في كثير من الأوقات ، ويستتر ذلك عليه في بعض أوقاته .
ومتأول قصد الصحة والتحقيق فيما تأوله ، ولحقه في ذلك الميل من حيث لم يستدركه ، وانطوى عليه ما عليه فيما قصد له ، وكان عنده أن الذي عمد له وتأوله أولى به من غيره ، فمضى على ذلك ، وهذا نعت حاله ، فكان مما قصد له في التأويل على معنى الصفة الأولى ، والتي تبين لصاحبها خفي أغماضه وطويّ ما في نفسه ، إذ جعل العلم ذريعة وسببا إلى ذلك ، فلبس حليته وتجمل بلبوسه ، وأظهر بالتأويل أثر العلم ، ودعا إليه ، ونصب نفسه للشهرة له ، ليعلم الناس ما علم منه ، فلما عرف موضعه ومكانه ، وسمع منه
وأقبل الناس عليه نحوه ، استحسن اجتماع العوام عليه وثناء الجاهلين بما ليس فيه ، فقوي عليه بذلك سلطان التأويل ، وأوهم نفسه حظ اجتماعهم ، وانبساط ثنائهم ، وكثرة تعظيمهم ، وحسن قبولهم له بما ظهر من نفسه وتحسن به مما يعلم اللّه تعالى منه خلاف ما أسره وأضمره .
فما استوى له ذلك عند العوام والجهلة ، وكثرة حمد الحامدين بالغلط والغفلة ، مال إلى ما في نفسه من أخذ العوض على ما نشر من علمه ، ورضي بما تعجله من ذلك ثوابا لعلمه ، وصار بائعا للعلم بالثمن اليسير والخطر القليل ، ورضي بالدنيا عوضا من الآخرة ، ومن ثواب اللّه تعالى على الأعمال الصالحة ، فأصبح في جملة من ذمه اللّه تعالى في كتابه وقص علينا من بيانه على لسان نبيه صلى اللّه عليه وسلّم قال اللّه عز وجلّ :وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلا تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَراءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْا بِهِ ثَمَناً قَلِيلًا فَبِئْسَ ما يَشْتَرُونَ[ آل عمران : 187 ] ،
وقال تعالى :فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا الْكِتابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هذَا الْأَدْنى وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنا وَإِنْ يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ[ الأعراف : 169 ] .
فذمّهم اللّه تعالى وقص علينا في كتابه ، وصرح بذلك إلى العقلاء من عباده ، وبينه بيانا محكما قويا لئلا يكون لمحتج في ذلك حجة ، ولا لقائل فيه مساغ ولا مدافعة .
ثم إن اللّه تعالى قص علينا قصص الأنبياء عليهم السلام ، وأخبرنا بما نعتهم به ، وبما أخذ عليهم من ترك الدنيا ، والتشمير إلى الآخرة ، وألا يأخذوا على شيء من ذلك ثمنا ،

ولا يريدون عليه أجرا ولأن حق العلم وحق تأديته إلى الخلق ، ألا يكون لشيء منه جزاء إلا ثواب اللّه عز وجل عليه ، والجنة التي جعلها دار من اتقاه وأطاعه ، وقال اللّه تعالى لنبيّه صلى اللّه عليه وسلّم :قُلْ ما أَسْئَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ وَما أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ[ ص : 86 ] ، وقال تعالى :قُلْ لا أَسْئَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبى[ الشورى : 23 ] .
وكذلك قصّ علينا في قصص الأنبياء عليهم السلام ، قول نوح :وَما أَسْئَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ[ الشورى : 86 ] ،وَما أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخالِفَكُمْ إِلى ما أَنْهاكُمْ عَنْهُ[ هود : 88 ] ،
وقالإِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي[ هود : 51 ] ، ومثل هذا كثير في كتاب اللّه تعالى .
وهذه سيرة الأنبياء عليهم السلام في الأمم ، وسيرة العلماء في الناس ، ألا يأخذوا على شيء من العلم ثمنا ، ولا يطلبوا على شيء مما يعلمون أجرا ، وسيما ما أخذه العلماء على العلم سحتا ، وسيما ما أخذه الربانيون والأحبار مع نهيهم عن ذلك ، فقال تعالى :لَوْ لا يَنْهاهُمُ الرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالْأَحْبارُ عَنْ قَوْلِهِمُ الْإِثْمَ وَأَكْلِهِمُ السُّحْتَ لَبِئْسَ ما كانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ[ المائدة : 63 ] ،
والأخبار في النهي عن ذلك كثيرة ، والاستقصاء في ذلك من الحجة يطول وصفه ، وقد تبين لك بعض ما فيه كفاية وبلاغ ، واللّه الموفق .
وأما الطوائف التي تأولت ، ورأت أن الذي تأولته هو الحق ، فإنهم قوم لحقهم الزلل من حيث غاب عنهم علم الحقيقة ، ونالهم من المشكلات التي لا تبين لأهلها إلا بعد التورط فيها والانغماس في مكروهها .
جعل القوم أئمتهم فيما تأولوه رجالا قلّت مناصحتهم لأنفسهم ، ولم يصادفوا صواب الحقيقة فيما عمدوه . قالوا : للخلق إلينا فيما علمناه أشد الحاجة ، وعلمنا إقامة الحق في سائر الخلق . فمن ذلك تقديم الأئمة ، والمشورة عنهم ، والتقوي بهم ، وكذلك الأمراء والروؤساء وعظماء أبناء الدنيا . فجعلوا السعي إلى الخلفاء والأمراء والحكماء وعظماء أبناء الدنيا عملا لهم يحتسبون به ، ويؤملون ثوابه وجعلوه من أجلّ الأعمال ، وأعظمها قدرا ، وأوفرها عندهم ثوابا . فحملوا العلم إلى الخلفاء والأمراء وعظماء أبناء الدنيا . وطرقوا به أبوابهم ، وسعوا بما حملوه منه إلى من لم يطلبهم له ، ولم يدعهم إليه ، ولم يعرفهم به .
فلحقهم في أول الأمر ذل السعاية ، والتوسل إلى الحجاب ، ومهانة الوقوف على أبوابهم .
فمن بين مأذون له ومن بين مردود ، قد لحقتهم المذلة ، وعلتهم العقوبة ، ولبستهم الذلة ورجعوا بخضوع المذلة . فلم يزالوا كذلك في نصب الغدو والرواح ، وذلك سبب الهلكة والاجتياح ، حتى وصلوا إلى الذي قصدوا ، ونسوا الإله الذي عبدوا . وأوردتهم الغفلة

والنسيان موارد الأموات ، وغمرتهم كثرة العلل والآفات ، واتصلت بأبصارهم وقلوبهم فتنة ما أعد أبناء الدنيا لأنفسهم ، وآثروه على أمور آخرتهم ، من بهجة رونقها ، ونضرة زينتها ، ولوعة زهرتها .
واعلم أيها الباحث عن واجب العلم وشرفه ، والطالب للمصافاة بخالص الأعمال لسيده ، أن أقدام القوم عن مناهج الحقيقة انحرفت ، وأن قلوبهم على صحيح الإرادات ما استوت ، وأنهم مالوا بخفي ما في النفوس على جميل ما أظهروه ، وإلى محبة علم الخلق به وتعظيمهم عليه وإجلالهم من أجله . وأحبوا اجتماع الخلق عليهم ، وإشارتهم إليهم ، حتى تصوب آراؤهم ، وتصدق أقوالهم ، وتكبر غايتهم ، ويتصل الثناء لهم ، وإن قصر الخلق في شيء من ذلك عنهم كرهوا ، وإن لم يقع لهم ما يحبون غضبوا ، ولا تسل عن فرط الغضب منهم ، والرضا والتعتب منهم على من خالف مواقع الهوى . ووصفهم بكل ما هم فيه يطول به الشرح ، ويطول به الكلام ، وقد شرحت لك من وصفهم ما انبسط به لساني ، وأجري لك من نعتي وبياني ، وفي ذلك كفاية .
فالبس الآن أنت جلابيب الحذر ، وتدرع بأدرع الخوف ، وخذ على نفسك جنة التقوى ، وقم للّه تعالى على نفسك بدوام الرعاية ، ودوام التفتيش ، وشدة المحاسبة ، وجودة التحصيل ، وصدق البحث ، وصل سرك مع ذلك بدوام الذكر وقوي الفكر . فكن ممن جاهد في اللّه عز وجل حق جهاده ، وممن أثنى اللّه تعالى عليه من صالحي عباده ، مع ما يقع لك من الوعد الجميل والثواب الجزيل .
قال اللّه تعالى عز وجلّ :وَالَّذِينَ جاهَدُوا فِينا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ [ العنكبوت : 69 ]
، وقال اللّه تعالى :وَلَوْ أَنَّا كَتَبْنا عَلَيْهِمْ أَنِ اقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ أَوِ اخْرُجُوا مِنْ دِيارِكُمْ ما فَعَلُوهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ مِنْهُمْ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُوا ما يُوعَظُونَ بِهِ لَكانَ خَيْراً لَهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتاً[ النساء : 66 ] . فهاتان آيتان موجبتان لمنالات الخير ، ووقوع الهداية والرشد فخذ بحظك الأوفر من العمل بهما ، واللزوم لما أمر اللّه تعالى فيهما .
وكن على حذر من موافقة شيء مما تقدم به النعت ، من ذلك التأويل وخطأ الرأي ، فإن ذلك مؤد إلى إحباط العمل وشدة الندامة في المنقلب .
قال له العالم : أيها الحكيم ، قد أتيت على الذي في نفسي ، وبلغت مدى ما كان يجول في صدري ، وزدت على ذلك من الوصف أشياء عرفت فضلها ، وانكشف لي صواب

العلم به . وأرجو أن يكون ذلك من فضل اللّه تعالى علي ورحمته لي ، وقد جعلك اللّه تعالى سببا لتنبهي على أمور ، لولا منة اللّه تعالى علي بك فيها ، لذهب بي التقصير عن العلم بها حيث ذهب بمن تقدم وصفك له ، فأوقفتني حقيقة علمك بها على زلله وخطأ رأيه . وقد أنعم اللّه علي بما أيدني به منك ، وعظم عندي قدر ما جعلك اللّه له أهلا ، وموضعا من شرحك لما تقدم من نعته ووصفه ، من أحوال الطبقات الثلاثة المتأولين ، وما وقع لهم من الخطأ في القصد والميل بالعمل إلى غير منهجه ، وإلى الانحراف فيه عن سواء السبيل .
وقد احتجت أن تصف لي مقام العاملين للّه تعالى بحقيقة العلم ، والقائمين بحقه ، الصادقين فيما حملوا فيه ، وفيما قلدوه من تأديته ، الممدوحين بنشره ، وبما نقلوا إلى من دونهم منه ، والمحتسبين في تعليمهم الناس على صحة الإرادة ، وإصلاح النية ، وجميل السيرة ، واللذين لم تمل بهم الأطماع ولم يفتنهم الاختداع ، ولم تعرج بهم الأهواء ، ولم تسترقهم إرادات النفوس ، ولم تعطف بهم الدنيا ، ولم يجر عليهم الزلل والخطأ ، وكانوا في ذلك كله على صحة المعنى .
قال الحكيم : أبشر بما فتح اللّه تعالى لك من باب السؤال ، ويسرك له من صحة المقال ، فإن ذلك إن شاء اللّه تعالى سبب إلى ركوب الأعمال ، ومباشرة جميل الأفعال ، ومؤديا لما أؤمله لك إلى تمهيد صدقك . فأخلص لإرادة للّه تعالى في حقيقة قصدك ، واجعل توسلك إلى الحكمة ، واستدعائك لما تحب منها ، تحصين سرك من العلل المانعة عنها ، وأصلح الضمير بإجمامه لما يجب لها . فإن الحكمة لمن اشتملت عليه فيها الرغبة ، واستولت على خالص سره المحبة ، وأشد عطفا وحنينا وميلا منا للأم الشفيقة ، والأب الرفيق .
وكأني مع ذلك أرى سحابا من العلم غدقة منبسطة عليك ، مونقة قد أظلك غمامها ، وقويت لك الآمال باستتمامها . فاستمطر الغيث الكائن فيها ، بدوام الوقوف بحضرة فنائها ، وأدم الاستغاثة بمنزل الغيث ، ومنشر السحاب ، وكاشف الضر ومعتق الرقاب ، واعلم أنه جل ثناؤه يحيي بقطرة من غيث رحمته ، موات ما أنزلها عليه بريته . فتحرى طلب الحياة تكون السقيا ، فإن أوائل تلك الغمام توجدك الشفا ، وإن غدق ما بها يغسل عن سرك الميل إلى الدنيا ، ومباشرته بجسمك يغسل عنك سائر الأدواء ، وذوقك لسائغ طعمه يميت من نفسك الهوى .
واعلم أن اللّه تعالى إذا أراد عبدا سهل له السبيل ، ووطأ له التثقيل ، وأسرع به في

الترحيل ، وبلغه المنزل الفضيل ، ومنحه الحظ الجزيل . وإني أؤملك من الذي عرضك لنجاح السؤال ، وصحيح القصد في المقال ، أن يبلغك بفضله عليك ورحمته إياك منازل المنتجين من أوليائه والأصفياء المستخلصين من عباده .
وأنا واصف لك إن شاء اللّه تعالى ما سألت عنه من نعت أهل الحقائق من أهل العلم ، العاملين به ، والصادقين في القصد إليه ، المجتهدين في إقامة حقه ، المريدين للعلم لما وجب عليهم منه ، الذين لم تفتنهم فيما قصدوه أطماع الدنيا ، ولم تمل بهم عن الأخذ بحقيق ، ولم يستفزهم الغواة من الأعداء ،أُولئِكَ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ أَلا إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ[ المجادلة : 22 ] .
اعلم أن أول ما أوتي المحققين من أهل العلم من العمل في أول الطلب إصلاح النية ، وصحة المراد ، والموافقة فيه للنفوس فيما بدا من إرادة الطلب ، فلم يبيحوا أقدامهم السعي ولم يتحركوا في ذلك بالجوارح ، إلا من بعد ما أحكم جميل النظر لهم بالانبساط فيه فسعوا فيه على أصل ما أدبهم العلم به في أول الأمر ، ومضوا على صحبة الحال وشهادة العلم بذلك .
وألزم صحة ما يبدو به الحق قلوبهم المحققين من أهل العلم ، والإشفاق والحذر والتقية .
فضمهم وجود ذلك ، وألزمهم حصر الجوارح وضبط السرائر ودوام الصمت ، وخافوا مع ذلك أن يكونوا قد قصروا عن واجب حق السعي في طلب العلم ، واشتد تحصيلهم على النفوس ، وصحبتهم جميل الذكر ، ودوام الفكر في مواطن السعي ، فحماهم ذلك عن الانبساط عن معاشرة الطالبين له ، والساعين معهم فيه ، فكانوا بحال والحاضرين معهم بحال ،
كلما بدا من غيرهم لغو أعرضوا ، وكلما بدا من سواهم غفلة أو لعب خافوا وحذروا ، وكلما ظهر لهم من غيرهم مزعج يجري إلى تأكيد حالهم ، وتشديد ضبطهم لما عليهم يدعون لمن حضرهم بالسلامة ، ويحبون لهم الصلاح والاستقامة .
لا يؤذون الناس ، ولا يحقرونهم ، ولا يغتابونهم ، ولا يذمونهم ، بل يشفقون عليهم إذا رأوا منهم الزلل ، ويدعون لهم إذا بدا منهم الخلل ، يعرفون المنكر وينكرونه ويتجنبونه ، ويعرفون المعروف ويحبونه ويستعملونه ، ولا يزدرون المقصرين لكثرة وجوده ، ولا يغمصون من دونهم لما به من حالهم حمدوه ، بل يعرفون ذلك بدلالة العلم عليه ، ولا يخفى عليهم من القوم ما نسبهم الحق إليه . فصواب ذلك وخطؤه لهم بالعلم مميز ، والسلامة من رؤية مكروه ذلك لهم صاحب ، وفيها ألزمهم الإشفاق والتقوى شاغل ، ولهم على طلب العلم مقبل .

ألسنتهم بحمد ربهم عند سماع العلم ناطقة ، وقولهم إلى اعتقاد العمل به مبادرة ، وآذانهم بحسن الإصغاء إليه سامعة وأبدانهم بالخدمة للّه تعالى ساعية ، أحسنوا على جميل السيرة جمعه ، وبالوفاء بفضل اللّه تعالى عليهم فهمه ، ولم يزالوا بدوام السعي إليه ، وشدة الإقبال عليه ،
وبكثرة اللزوم لمن العلم حاضر لديه ، حتى أخذوا منه بالخط الأوفر والنصيب الأكبر ، فلما بلغوا منه إلى ما به يستعينون ، وغاية ما إليه يحتاجون ، وبحقائقه في سائر الأوقات يعملون ، رجعوا إلى تفتيش ما كتبوا ، وإلى البحث عما منه طلبوا ، فكان ذلك مانعا لهم من السعاية ، جامعا لهم إلى الخلوة بالعبادة .
ووقفت بالناس إليهم الحاجة ، وعرف موضعهم بحمل الإرادة ، وعرفت أماكنهم من العلم ، وشرفت أحوالهم من الفضل ، وانبسط ذلك ونشأ ، وظهر ذلك وبدا .
فمن بين خال بعلمه ، متشاغل عن الخليقة بعبادته ، مؤثر للعمل فيما فتح اللّه تعالى عليه منه ، ولا يريد بإدامة الخدمة للّه تعالى بدلا ، ولا بالخلوة بما فتح اللّه تعالى له من ذلك حولا .
ومن بين من حضرته في نشره العلم النية ، وقويت له على تعليمه العزيمة ، وسنحت له في ذلك رؤية الفضيلة ، فانبسط في نشر العلم محتسبا ، وكان في العمل من اللّه تعالى بذلك مخلصا ، يرغب إلى اللّه عز وجل في جميل الثواب ويؤمل من اللّه تعالى جميل العائدة في المآب ، مصحوبا في ذلك بمصادفة الصواب .
إذا قال ، نطق بقوة العلم . وإذا سكت ، سكت بوقار الحلم . وإذا قصد إلى البيان ، قرب منال الفهم .
وإذا كثروا عليه أحب نفعهم ، وإذا تفرقوا عنه نصحهم يؤدي إليهم ما حمل من العلم بلسان فصيح وبيان صحيح ، بقلب نصوح وقول صدوق ، ولا يعجل على من جهل ، ولا يكافئ من زل وأخطأ ، ولا يوافق بالمراءاة أحدا .
يعفو عمن ظلمه ، ويعطي من حرمه ، ويحسن من أساء إليه ويتجاوز عمن يتعدى عليه ، ولا يريد على شيء من أعماله من الخلق أجرا ، ولا يميل إلى مدحة ولا ثناء ، يجتهد للّه تعالى في إخلاص أعماله ، ويريد وجهه بجميل أفعاله .
لا يقبل الدنيا ممن يبذلها له ، ولا يعارج على من انبسط بها إليه . يضع الدنيا حيث وضعها خالقه ، ويغنيه منها ما قسمه له رازقه . لا يشغل منها بما يزول ، ولا يعمل فيها بما لا يدوم . منصرف بقلبه عن زينتها ، منحرف عن كل ما دعي إليه من بهجة رونقها . يكفيه

ما قل وصفا ، ويجزيه ما سلم واستوى . يقف منها عند الشبهات وينصرف عن الأمور المشكلات بل هو للحلال البين تارك ، وفي الأخذ لم لا بد له منه مقتصد . قد آثر فيها وفي كل ما دعي إليه الزهادة ، ولزوم الكد والعبادة .
يرحم من مال برغبته إليها ويرثى لمن أقبل بطلبه عليها لا يراها حظّا لمن طلبها ، ولا ثمنا لسعي من اشتعل بها ، ينظر إليها بعين زوالها ، وبقرب انتقالها . فهذا محل الدنيا عنده ، ومكانها في العلم بها لديه .
وهو مع ما وصفته لك دائم العزلة ، كثير الخلوة ، متصل الجد والخدمة . يجد راحة قلبه ، وقرة عينه ، وسرور فؤاده ، فيما خلص من صالح العمل على سيده ، وأمل عائدة ثوابه في معاده . فإذا ظهر للناس في وقت اجتماعهم عليه ، وطلبهم للعلم العتيد لديه ، ظهر بجميل النية وصحيح الإرادة .
فكان ذلك عنده بعض الأعمال المقربة الصالحة ، فهو لا يخلو من حال هو بها في الخلوة متعبدا ، وإلى اللّه تعالى فيما يقرب إليه مجتهدا ، ومن حاله أن تكون قد حضرته النية . ويبرز للخلق فيكون لعلمه ناشرا ، ولهم مما علمه اللّه تعالى معلما .
والوجل والخوف من اللّه عز وجلّ في أحواله ، والحذر والإشفاق دائما لا يفارقه ، يقوم بشرائط علمه ، ويعدل في قوله وحكمه .
هو من أقوم الناس بالأحكام ، وأعلمهم بالحلال والحرام ، وأبصرهم بشرائع الإسلام .
يقع على آثار المرسلين ، ويتبع سنن الأنبياء والصالحين . لا يميل إلى بدعة ، ولا يقصر عن الأخذ بالسنة ، بعلم بارع محكم قويّ ، وحال واضح بيّن مستو متوسط بجميع المذاهب ، متحرّ لأقوم الآراء ، لا يميل إلى الكلام ، ولا يخطر به منه اهتمام ، لا يطعن على الأئمة ولا يذمها ، ويجب لها من الصلاح ما يعمها .
يرى السمع والطاعة ، ولا ينزع يدا من جماعة يرى أن الخروج على الأئمة من فعل الجهلة الفاسقين ، والغواة المارقين ، والذين يريدون الفتن ، ويبتغون الفساد في الأرض .
أولئك العداة والفساق ، والظلمة المرّاق ، الذين سلكوا غير سبيل الهدى ، واستصحبوا الغواية والردى ، ومالوا بالفتنة إلى الدنيا ، وقد رفع اللّه عز وجل عن ذلك أقدار العلماء ، وجعلهم أئمة هداة نصحاء أخيارا أبرارا أتقياء ، خلصاء سعداء نجباء ، وسادة أجلة عظماء ، حلماء كرماء أولياء جعلهم اللّه أعلاما من الحق منشورة ومنارا للهدى منصوبة ، ومناهج للبرية مضروبة .
أولئك علماء المسلمين ، وأمناء المؤمنين ، وأجلة المتقين . فبهم في نوائب الدين يقتدى ، وبنورهم في ظلمات الجهل يهتدى ، وبضياء علمهم في الظلماء يستضاء . جعلهم

اللّه عز وجل رحمة لعباده ، وبركة على من شاء من بريته يعلم بهم الجاهل ، ويذكر بهم الغافل ، ويرشد بهم السائل ، ويعطي بهم النائل ، ويزيد بهم العامل ، ويبلغ بهم إلى المحل الفاضل ، ويحث بهم الراحل ، ويمكن بهم القوي الكامل .
أولئك الذين عمّروا بالذكر للّه تعالى أعمارهم ، وقطعوا بالعمل الفاضل الذكي آجالهم ، وبقوا بذلك للخليقة محمودة آثارهم ، ووضحت للبرية ضياء أنوارهم ، فمن اقتبس من سنا نورهم استضاء ، ومن قفا على آثارهم اهتدى ، ومن اتبع سير ما هم عليه سعد ، ولم يشق .
أحياهم اللّه تعالى حياة دائمة ويتوفاهم وفاة سالمة . وأنسوا بما قدموا به إلى الآخرة ، جعل اللّه خواتم أمورهم أفضلها ، وأحوالهم التي قبضوا عليها أجملها .
وبعد ، أيها السائل عن نعت المحققين ، من العلماء العاملين بالعلم في مدة البقاء ، فقد وصفت لك بعض أحوالهم ، ونعت لك كثيرا من جميل أفعالهم ، ولو أردت بلوغ الاستقصاء لوصفهم ، وذكر ما يستحقونه من نعتهم ، لطال بذلك كتابي ، واتسع به جوابي ، وفيما أجرى اللّه تعالى ذكره من ذلك كفاية لمن اهتدى ، وبلاغا لمن عمل بما هو أولى .
قال العالم للحكيم : أيها الأستاذ العطوف الرحيم ، والمعلم الناصح الحكيم لقد أزعجت بوصفك للقوم قلبي ، وملأت بالخيفة صدري ، وعرفت بذلك موضعي وقدري ، وخفت أن يعجز عن حمل ما عرفته صبري ، لما بينته من شدة تقصيري ، ودوام تخلفي ، فاحتقرت عند المعرفة نفسي ، وأيقنت بليتي ونقصي .
فكيف لي بما أكون به من ذل التخلف خارجا ، وعن مذموم أخلاق نفس راحلا وفي أوائل طريق القوم داخلا ، فإني أرى الوقوف عن ذلك مأثما ، والبقاء مع الحال التي أنا عليها مغرما .
قال له الحكيم : لقد سألت عن شأن عظيم ، وأمر عال جسيم ، يسهل على العالمين بفضله ، وركوب الأهوال في طلبه ، وحمل الأثقال ، والتغرّب من الأوطان ، والخروج عن الأموال ، وقلّ من قويت فيما عند اللّه تعالى رغبته ، وإلا سهل عليه بذل بدنه ومهجته ، ولم يعظم عليه شيء في بلوغ بغيته .
فكن أيها السائل عن منازل النجباء ، ودرجات العلماء ، وأحوال الأئمة العظماء ، المقفين على آثار الأنبياء ، على ترك لكل سبب عن منهاج القوم يعطفك عن سبيل الهداية والرشد ويمنعك .
فكن إلى اللّه تعالى راغبا فيما إليه يرفعك ، واعلم أن ملاحظتك بالرغبة إلى ما قل من الدنيا أو كثر ، حجاب لك عن

الآخرة ، وعلة على ملامحتك في حين نفاذ البصيرة . فنح عن ملاحظة الضمير ما يورثك رؤيته النقص والتقصير ، وصف الضمائر ، وطهر السرائر ، بتجريد الاعتزام ، وإجمام الاهتمام ، تفردا منك بما له قصدت ، وفي إدراكه رغبت ، فإن في إصلاحك لما بطن من سرك ، إحكام لما علن وظهر من جهرك . فإيّاك أن تميل إلى شيء وإن قل خطره ، فيميل بك عن محمود وضح لك أمره . فإن أغبن الغبناء من باع كثير ما يبقى ، بقليل ما يفنى ، ومن شغل نفسه عن أمور الآخرة بأمور الدنيا .
واجعل أيها الرجل الطالب لفضل الأحوال والمذاهب ، وأول ما تبدأ من عملك ، وتقرب بفعله إلى ربك ، الزهد في الدنيا ، والإعراض عن كل ما مالت إليه النفس من قليل أو كثير .
فإن قليل ما ملت له إليها ، يأخذ من سرك ، ويشغل من قلبك ويعترض على ذكرك .
وعلى قدر قوة ما معك من مواد القليل منها وضعفه ، كذلك تكون قوة المعترض منه وضعفه ، وعلى حسب الواقع من ذلك يحتجب عنك فهم ما قصدت الهمة ، وإنما تؤثر الأعمال وتحصن القلوب ، إذا انقطعت عوارض الدنيا عنها ، فإذا اعترض منها شيء وإن قل ، فهو المراد والعمل معا ، وكان ذلك يبعد المحاضر والأفهام ، ويوقف الحال عن لحوق الاستتمام .
فاحذر ما عاطفك منها ، ومال بك وإن قل قدره إليها ، تخلص بتخلصك من ذلك إلى سوي الحال والفعل والمقال .
فقال له العالم : وضعت لنصحك خدي ، وجمعت له همي ، وفرغت له قلبي وتبينت فيه رشدي ، وقد أملت برشد هدايتك ، وحقيقة دعايتك ، وصدق مناصحتك ، أن يبلغني اللّه تعالى إلى كل ما أؤمله وغاية ما أطلبه .
وقد رأيت ينابيع الحكمة الجارية من مكنون سرك على لسانك ، واصلة إلي ببعض ما تقصدني به وقد ذقت سائغا من مائه ، فأوجدني انتعاش تبينه محبة نفعك لي به ، فزدني منه ما تقوي به الحياة الباعثة لي ، من موت ما مضى من الحال ، إلى مستقبل ما وقع من الانتقال ، فإني لم أجد شيئا أرجع به فيك إلى اللّه تعالى ، إلا مناجاتي له بجميل مجازاتك عني ، ومكافأته لك بما هو له أهل وأولى .
وبعد إيقاظك لي أيها الحكيم من رقدة الغفلة ، وإنباهك لي من وسن السهو والسنة فقد وجدت استقلالا إلى استدراك الفهم عنك ، يحملني ما وجدت منه إلى العمل ببعضه ، ووجدت مطالعات ما بقي على من التقصير ، يزجرني عن الوقوف عنها لمحكم بيان وعلم إيقان .
فإما ما بين ما سنح من تيسير اللّه تعالى للعلم ، وبين ما نبه العلم عليه من النهوض إلى ما بقي . . . .

رسالة الجنيد إلى أبي يعقوب يوسف بن الحسين الرازي

كشف الحقّ لك عن حقيقة أنبائه ، وتولاك بعظيم مننه وآلائه ، وتضمّنك في ضمه إياك إلى سوابغ نعمائه ، وجرت النعم عليك برفعه لك إليه وإعلائه لك ، فكنت بحيث لا تكون لك إليه سببا ، بل تكون بما يوجد به منك منتسبا . قد أخلصك بما اصطفاك له من خلصاء صفوته ، وأوحدك بالانتحال ممن خصّه بولايته وتخيّرك بالاجتباء من كبراء أهل مودته ، والذين آثرهم بالاصطفاء لعظيم خلّته . فكانت أوائل أقدامهم كبراء أهل المودة المصطفين للخلّة المجردة لديه ، الموضوعة على مناهج الورود عليه ، والنزوع عمّا دونه إليه ، فسبقت إليه به كل سابق ، وسمت إليه وحده عن سنيّات المطالب ، على أنوار فواتح البذل ، تخرّ الأنوار عليهم خريرا ، وتدرّ بمنائح الفضال عليهم درورا ، بسكب غيث هاطل منهمل ، ومدرار غلف بغرائب البر متصل ، يذهل ببوادي وروده عقول من لاحظه به ، ويبهر بأوائل شهوده من أراده له . فإلى أين ، وبماذا يتخطى ذلك قلوب المكرمين به ، وكيف ، وأنى تتحاماه عقول المصادفين له ؟ ! وذلك لا يكون بفعل مكون وإن كان مكرما ، ولا ينفذ عنه بتخطيه سر ولي وإن كان ممكنا ، ولن يحمل ذلك عن أهل مجالسه وأنسه إلا الحامل بقوته وقدرته حملة عرشه ، فهو تعالى ولي المحاماة عمن اصطنعه لنفسه . فعند ذلك إذا أراد تعالى ذلك دعا الخلق إلى إخلاص ذكره ، وأقبل بمن تفرد به عليه ، واوى بمن استأثر بمكنون سره إليه ، فكان ما جمعه لأهل الزلفى لديه والمقربين عنده لهم تبعا ، وسائر أوليائه فيما عاطفوا من ذلك شيعا . لهم منه ما بذله من عظيم عطائه ، وجاد به من جليل مننه وآلائه ، فذلك حظهم المبذول ، وعطاؤهم الدائم الموصول . وذلك كله على عظيم قدره وجليل ما خصهم اللّه تعالى به من نفيس بره ، حجاب عما أخلص به المنفردين بخالص ذكره ، مع حقيقة وجود ذلك ، والكون بالنزول فيما هنالك يبدو أوائل علم من تفرّد به ، وأراده بالاختصاص لما يوجد له . ولن يصلح لمعاينة ذلك عين بقيت عليها منها بقية ، ولن يلامح ذلك طرف مواقع لرزيّة ، جعلنا اللّه وإياك يا أخي ممن اصطنعه لنفسه ، واستأثر به عمن دونه.

كتابي إليك يا أخي ، وسبل الحق مسهلة المناهج ، وطرق الرشد زاهرة قد وطئت بالتمهيد لأقدام السالكين ، وفسحت بالتوسعة لسير الطالبين ، وزينت ببهجات الأنوار لقلوب الراغبين ، وهو مع ذلك لقلة القاصدين إليها ، ولقلة السائرين بالصدق عليها ، كالعشار المتعطلة ، والمواطن القفار الخربة ، ليس لها على ما عظم اللّه من قدرها ، ووعد من جزيل الثواب على سلوكها ، من أكثر الناس عامر ، ولا في عظيم خطرها من الخلق راغب . وإني أرى العلم ، مع كثرة منتحليه وانتشار طالبيه بقلة صدقهم في قصده ، وتركهم العمل بواجب حقه ، كالعازب المتغرب البعيد المنفرد ، ورأى الجهل والدعاوي على كثير من الناس غالبا ، وقلة العلم للمنتحلين للعمل بينة . وأرى هموم أكثر الخليقة على الدنيا عاكفة ، ولما تعجل من حطامها طالبة ، ولقليل ما تعجل منها مؤثرة ، وقد انكفّت العقول والقلوب بالانكباب على طلبها ، وانصرفت إلى الرغبة في القليل منها . وأراهم بسوء المراد ، وكثرة الفساد ، وقلة العمل للمعاد ، في غمرة سكرتها ، وحيرة هوالك ما استولى عليهم منها ، ليس فيهم لغلبة ذلك عليهم مفيق ، ولا راجع إليك إن وعظته بتحقيق ، قد اشتملت عليهم الفتنة بالعاجلة فتحيرت عقولهم عن أمور الآجلة . والخلق يا أخي إذا كانوا كذلك أشد الحاجة إلى عالم رفيق ، ومؤدّب مناصح شفيق ، وواعظ يدلهم على الطريق ، وأنت يا أخي رضي اللّه عنك بقية ممن مضى ، وأحد يشار إليه من العلماء ، وجليل من أكابر الحكماء . وقد علمت رضي اللّه عنك أن اللّه عزّ وجلّ قد أخذ الميثاق على أهل معرفته ، وأولى العلم به الذين آثرهم بكتابه ، وفتح لهم في الفهم عنه ، وخصهم بما استخلصهم به من تبيان ، وقلدهم من عظيم أماناته ، أن يبينوه للناس ولا يكتموه . وأنت يا أخي أحد من بقي ممن قلّد من ذلك ما قلدوه ، وعرف من أبناء الحكم بعض ما عرفوه . وعليك عندي تبيان ما وهبه اللّه جل ثناؤه لك ، والقول بعظيم ما أنعم به عليك . فاعدل رضي اللّه عنك إلى المريدين بهمك ، وأقبل عليهم بوجهك ، وانصرف إليهم بحجتك ، واعطف عليهم بفضلك ، وأثّر على غيرهم بدلالتك ، وجميل دعايتك ، وابذل لهم منافعهم من علمك ومكين معرفتك ، وكن معهم في ليلك ، ونهارك ، وخصهم بما عاد به عليك ولك ، فذلك حق القوم منك ، وحظهم مما وجب لهم عليك . يا أخي رضي اللّه عنك لم أنبهكم على حظ كنت عنه غافلا ، ولا على أمر رأيتك عنه مقصّرا ، وأعيذك باللّه من كل هفوة وتقصير ، وعن كل نقص وفتور . وقد بدأتك بكتابي هذا متوسلا به على مواصلتك ، ومستزيدا به من إقبالك على ومؤانستك ، ومتسببا إلى مكاتبتك ، فكن حيث منك ، وزدني فيما رغبت فيه إليك . جعلك اللّه سببا لنفع إخوانك . ومع ذلك يا أخي هديت لرشدك ، فقد سنح لي شيء أريد أن أقوله ، بدأت بنفسي فيه قبلك ، وأحب أن أكون فيه تبعا بعدك ، يا أخي رضي اللّه عنك كن على علم بأهل دهرك ، ومعرفتك بأهل وقتك وعصرك ، وابدأ في ذلك أولا بنفسك .

الرسالة الرابعة من الجنيد إلى يحيى بن معاذ الرازي

لا غبت بك عن شاهدك ، ولا غاب شاهدك بك عنك . ولا حلت بتحويلك عن حالك ، ولا حال حالك بتحويله عنك . ولا بنت عن حقيقة أنبائك ، ولا بانت أنباؤك بغيبة الأنباء منك . ولا زلت في الأزل شاهد الأزل في أزليّتك ، ولا زال الأزل يكون لك مؤيدا لما زال منك . فكنت بحيث كنت ، كما لم تكن ثم كنت ، بفردانيّتك متوحدا وبوحدانيتك مؤيدا ، بلا شاهد من الشواهد يشهدك . ولا غبت لدي الغيب من الغيب بغيبتك ، فأين ما لا أين لأينه ، إذ مؤيّن الأيّنات مبيد لما أيّنه ، وإذ الإبادة مبادة في تأييد مبيد الإبادات ، وإذ الاجتماع فيما تفرق ، والتفريق فيما جمع ، فرق في جمع جمعه ، وإذا الجمع بالجمع للجمع جمع فيما جمعه . ثم أدمس شاهده الاندماس ، وأرمس مرمسه في غيب غافر الارتماس ، وأخفى في إخفائه عن إخفائه ، ثم قطع النسبة عن الإشارة إليه وعن الإيماء بما تفرد له منه به .

من الجنيد إلى أبي العباس الدينوري

من استخلصه الحق بمفرد ذكره وصافاه يكون له وليا منتخبا مكرما مواصلا ، يورثه غرائب الأنباء ويزيده في التقريب زلفى ، ويثبته في محاضر النجوى ، ويصطنعه للخلّة والاصطفاء ويرفعه إلى الغاية القصوى ، ويبلغه في الرفعة إلى منتهى ، ويشرف به ذروة الذرى ، على مواطن الرشد والهدى ، وعلى درجات البررة الأتقياء ، وعلى منازل الصفوة والأولياء . فيكون كله منتظما ، وعليه بالتمكين محتويا ، وبأنبائه خبيرا عالما . وعليه بالقوة والاستظهار حاكما ، وبإرشاد الطالبين له إليه قائما ، وعليهم بالفوائد والعوائد والمنافع دائما ، ولما نصب له الأئمة من الرعاية لديه به لازما . وذلك إمام الهداة السفراء ، والعظماء الأجلّة الكبراء ، الذين جعلهم للدين عمدا ، وللأرض أوتادا . جعلنا اللّه وإيّاك من أرفعهم لديه قدرا ، وأعظمهم في محل عزّه أمرا ؛ إن ربّي قريب سميع .

رسالة الجنيد إلى بعض إخوانه — في صدق العلماء

اعلم رضي اللّه عنك أن أقرب ما استدعي به قلوب المريدين ، ونبّه به قلوب الغافلين ، وزجرت عنه نفوس المتخلّفين ، ما صدّقته من الأقوال جميع ما اتبع به من الأفعال . فهل يحسن يا أخي أن يدعو داع إلى أمر لا يكون عليه شعاره ، ولا تظهر منه زينته وآثاره ، وألا يكون قائله عاملا فيه بالتحقيق ، وبكل فعل بذلك القول يليق ؟ ! وأفك من دعا إلى الزهد وعليه شعار الراغبين ، وأمر بالتّرك وكان من الآخذين ، وأمر بالجدّ في العمل وكان من المقصّرين ، وحثّ على الاجتهاد ولم يكن من المجتهدين ! ألا قلّ قبول المستمعين لقيله ، ونفرت قلوبهم لما يرون من فعله ، وكان حجة لمن جعل التأويل سببا إلى اتّباع هواه ، ومسهّلا لسبيل من آثر آخرته على دنياه ؟ أما سمعت اللّه تعالى يقول ، وقد وصف نبيّه شعيبا ، وهو شيخ الأنبياء ، وعظيم من عظماء الرسل والأولياء ، وهو يقول : وَما أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخالِفَكُمْ إِلى ما أَنْهاكُمْ عَنْهُ ، وقول اللّه جلّ ذكره لمحمد المصطفى صلى اللّه عليه وسلّم : قُلْ ما سَأَلْتُكُمْ مِنْ أَجْرٍ فَهُوَ لَكُمْ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ ، وأمر اللّه له بالدعاء إليه ، بقوله عز وجلّ من قائل : ادْعُ إِلى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ، فهذه سيرة الأنبياء والرسل والأولياء . والذي يجب يا أخي على من فضّله اللّه بالعلم به ، والمعرفة له ، أن يعمل في استتمام واجبات الأحوال ، وأن يصدق القول منه الفعل بذلك أولا عند اللّه ، ويحظى من اتبعه آخرا . واعلم يا أخي أن للّه ضنائن من خلقه ، أودع قلوبهم المصون من سرّه ، وكشف لهم عن عظيم أثرهم به من أسره . فهم بما استودعهم من ذلك حافظون ، وبجليل قدر ما أمّنهم عليه علماء عارفون . قد فتح لما اختصّهم به من ذلك أذهانهم ، وقرّب من المحل الأعلى بالإدناء إلى مكين الإيواء حبّهم ، وأفرد بخالص ذكره قلوبهم . فهم في أقرب أماكن الزلفى لديه ، وفي أرفع مواطن المقبلين به عليه . أولئك الذين إذا نطقوا فعنه يقولون ، وإذا سكتوا فبوقار العلم به يصمتون ، وإذا حكموا فبحكمه لهم يحكمون . جعلنا اللّه يا أخي ممن فضّله بالعلم ، ومكنه بالمعرفة ، وخصّه بالرفعة ، واستعمله بأكمل الطاعة ، وجمع له خيري الدنيا والآخرة .

رسالة الجنيد إلى بعض إخوانه — في مقام الستر

لا زلت أيّها الموجود بباب اللّه راتبا ، وبه منه إليه لما يحبّه طالبا ، وله في آلائه وغريب أنبائه راغبا . فحبّك به عليه فيما يحبّه لك ويبلّغك إليه ، باصطفائه إلى ما يريده منك ، ليصطفيك فيما يولّيك ، بما ينتخبه لك ويجتبيك . ثم يبديك فيما يولّيك ، ويخفيك في عزيز ما يبديك إعلاء لك عن مصادفة النواظر لحقيقتك ، وضنّا بك عن معرفة القلوب لمكانتك ، وضمّا لك بالاشتمال عليك إلى مصون منزلك . فكنت عند ذلك بحيث أرمس المكان مكونه ، وطمس الدّلائل عليه من وهم متوهّمه ، فكنت فيما هنالك بغيب لغيب ، انتفت عن حقائقه الشكوك والريب . كما أن الحقائق بحق اليقين تعلم ، وملاحظة العيان لها محتجبة لا تتوهّم . ومن وراء ذلك توحيد الموحّد ، وربّانيّة الألوهيّة المتفرّد ، على أوليّة أزليّة ، وبقاء سرمد الأبديّة . وهنالك ضلّت مقاليد الفهماء ، ووقفت علوم العلماء ، وانتهت إليه غايات حكمة الحكماء . يا أخي رضي اللّه عنك وصل كتابك السّارّ ظاهره وباطنه ، وأوّله وآخره . وسررت بما ضمّنته من علم غريب ، وحكم عزيزة ، وإشارات واضحة منيرة . ولم يخف عليّ ما عرّضت به مع ما صرّحت به ، وكل ذلك على علمي به ، وسبقي إلى فهم ما قصدت له . لا عدمت استعصامك به تعالى منه . غلبت غوالب قاهرة ، وبدهت بواده باهرة ، أودت بقوّة سلطانها ، تقاوم سلطانها بالتقاهر فيما قام منها ، ثم حمل بعضها على بعض ، فركدت متوارية ، وهي في الحقيقة بالقوة متظاهرة . يا أخي هؤلاء قوم هذه بعض صفاتهم . أعاذنا اللّه وإياك يا أخي من كلّ حال لا تكون لمحض الحقيقة متصادفة . يا أخي لا عدمت إشارتك بالحق على ما بسط الحق إليك ، وأنت بعض أناسي ، وشركاء رغبتي ، وكبير من كبراء إخوتي ، وخلّ من أخلاء قلبي بخالص محبتي . لا تدع يا أخي متفضّلا متطوّلا محسنا ، مكاتبتنا ومواصلتنا نستريح عند ذلك إلى طيب خبرك ، ونتفرّج ببقاء أثرك ، ونبتهج بعظم ما وهبه اللّه لك . وعليك سلام اللّه ، ورحمته ، وعلى جميع إخواننا .

Source Colophon

Arabic source text from "Al-Imam al-Junaid: Sayyid al-Ta'ifatayn" (الإمام الجنيد سيد الطائفتين), compiled and edited by Shaykh Ahmad Farid al-Mazidi. Published by Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya, Beirut. Internet Archive text file from identifier: 20200617_20200617_0618, lines 5606–5957.

The individual letters were originally preserved in the following classical sources:

• Letter to Abu Ishaq al-Maristani: Manuscript no. 227, via 'Abd al-Qadir's edition; also in Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani, Hilyat al-Awliya' 10/276.
• Letters to brothers: Abu Nu'aym, Hilyat al-Awliya' 10/265, 10/278, 10/279, 10/280; al-Sulami, Tabaqat al-Sufiyya p. 162.
• Letter to Abu Bakr al-Kisa'i: al-Tusi, al-Luma' p. 311.
• Letter to 'Ali ibn al-Isfahani: al-Tusi, al-Luma' p. 310.
• Exchange with al-Shibli: al-Tusi, al-Luma' p. 305.
• Letter to Abu Ya'qub al-Razi: Manuscript no. 227, via 'Abd al-Qadir's edition.
• Letter to Yahya ibn Mu'adh al-Razi: Manuscript no. 227, via 'Abd al-Qadir's edition; also in al-Tusi, al-Luma' p. 434.
• Letter to Abu al-'Abbas al-Dinawari: Abu Nu'aym, Hilyat al-Awliya' 10/265.
• Letters to brothers (on sincerity/concealment): Abu Nu'aym, Hilyat al-Awliya' 10/260, 10/278.

This text is presented as a public domain source for reference and verification. The compilation was published in a modern critical edition; the underlying classical sources are in the public domain.

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