Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) — Page 67
CHAPTER III 67 and every fear should be only related to His being. Pleasure should exist only in the pain [endured] for Him, and comfort should exist only in seclusion with Him, and without Him, the heart should find no tranquillity with anyone. If such a state is realized, this is what is called 'worship, but how can this state develop without the special help of God Almighty? That is why God Almighty has taught this supplication: ايَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ. Meaning that, we do worship You, but how can we give worship its full due until there is special help from You. To worship God, having made Him one's True Beloved, is the sainthood beyond which there is no rank, but this rank cannot be achieved without His help. The hallmark of having achieved it is that God's greatness and God's love should be established in the heart, and the heart should trust Him alone; and he should prefer Him alone, he should choose Him above everything, and consider His remembrance to be the [sole] purpose of his life. And if he is commanded to slaughter his beloved children with his own hand like Ibrāhīm or if he is given a command to put himself into the fire, he should carry out even such testing commands with the zeal of love. He should endeavour to such an extent in seeking the pleasure of his Bounteous Lord that there should remain no deficiency in his obedience [to God]. This is a very narrow door and this elixir is an exceedingly bitter elixir. There are very few who enter through this door and drink this elixir. It is no great feat to refrain from adultery and it is no great accomplishment to avoid killing someone unlawfully, and it is no great virtue to abstain from bearing false witness. But to prefer God over everything and to accept every hardship of the world, nay, even to create hardships with 1. Surah al-Fatihah, 1:5 [Publisher]