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And among them: the king of the people of the Divine Presence and the monarch of the realm of union, Abu Ali Fudayl ibn Iyad, may Allah be pleased with him.

He was among the poor mendicants (sa'alik) of the community and one of their great ones. He had an abundant portion in spiritual dealings and realities, and a complete share; he was one of the famous of this Path, praised in all tongues among the nations, his states filled with truthfulness and sincerity.

In the beginning he was a highwayman (ayyar) and held the road between Marw and Baward, yet he was ever inclined toward righteousness, and there was always in his nature a high aspiration and chivalry; such that if there was a woman in a caravan he would not go around her, and from one whose capital was small he would not take his goods, and with each person he would leave something in proportion to that person's capital. Until one time a merchant set out from Marw. He was told: 'Take an escort, for Fudayl is on the road.' He said: 'I have heard that he is a God-fearing and aware man; there is no fear.' He took a Qur'an-reciter with him and seated him atop a camel, and night and day he recited the Qur'an, until the caravan reached a place where Fudayl — may Allah have mercy on him — lay in ambush. By chance the reciter recited the words of the Exalted: 'Has not the time come for those who believe that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah?' (al-Hadid 57:16). A softening appeared in his heart, and the pre-eternal care of the Sultan of His graces manifested upon his soul; he repented of that occupation, and he had written down the names of the adversaries he had wronged, and he made them content, and went to Mecca and stayed there a while, and found some of the friends (awliya) of Allah — the Exalted — and returned to Kufa. He attached himself to the Greatest Imam, Abu Hanifa — may Allah be pleased with him — and kept his company for a time and acquired the sciences.

He has lofty narrations, accepted among the people of the craft of hadith and theology, exalted in the realities of Sufism and gnosis.

It is transmitted from him — may Allah be pleased with him — : 'Whoever knows Allah with the true knowledge of Him worships Him with all his strength.'

Whoever knows God — majestic is His majesty — with true knowledge worships Him with all his strength; because the one who knows Him knows Him through His bounty, kindness, compassion, and mercy. When he knows, he loves; when he loves, he obeys as long as he has strength, for carrying out the command of loved ones is not difficult. So whoever has more love has more eagerness for obedience.

And increase of love comes from the reality of gnosis; as Aisha — may Allah be pleased with her — narrates that one night the Prophet — peace be upon him — rose from the bed and disappeared from beside me. It occurred to me that he had gone to another chamber. I rose and followed after him until I found him in the mosque standing in prayer and weeping. He was in prayer until Bilal called the call to the morning prayer. When he had performed the morning prayer and came into the chamber, I saw both his feet swollen and both fingertips cracked, and pus flowing from them. I wept and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, your sins, the first and the last, have been forgiven; why do you put so much hardship upon yourself? This is what one does who is not assured of the outcome.' He said: 'O Aisha, all this is the grace, favor, kindness, and blessing of God — majestic is His majesty. Should I not be a grateful servant? Since He showed generosity and lordship, should I not also, by way of servitude, to the extent of my strength, go forth by the way of gratitude to meet the blessing?'

And also he — may Allah bless him — on the night of the Ascension accepted fifty prayers and did not consider it burdensome, until through the words of Moses — peace be upon him — he returned and brought the prayers back to five; because in his nature there was nothing opposed to the command: 'For love is agreement.'

And it is narrated from him — may Allah be pleased with him — that he said: 'The world is a house of the sick, and people in it are madmen, and for madmen in the house of the sick there are shackles and fetters.'

The world is a hospital, and people in it are madmen, and madmen in a hospital have shackles and fetters. The desire of our lower self is our shackle, and disobedience is our fetter.

Fadl ibn Rabi' — may Allah have mercy on him — narrated: I went with Harun al-Rashid to Mecca. When we had performed the pilgrimage, Harun said to me: 'Is there here a man from among the men of God — the Exalted — that we may visit him?' I said: 'Yes, Abd al-Razzaq al-San'ani is here.' He said: 'Take me to him.' When we went to him and I spoke a while, Harun signaled to me to ask him whether he had any debt. I asked him. He said: 'Yes.' He commanded, and his debt was paid, and he came out from there. He said: 'O Fadl, my heart still demands a man greater than this.' I said: 'Sufyan ibn Uyayna is here.' He said: 'Go, that we may go to him.' When we entered and he spoke a while and we intended to return, again he signaled that I should ask him about debt. He said: 'Yes, I have debt.' He commanded that his debt be paid, and we came out from there.

He said: 'O Fadl, my objective has still not been attained.' It came to my mind that Fudayl ibn Iyad — may Allah have mercy on him and be pleased with him — was there. I took him to Fudayl, and he was in an upper chamber, reciting a verse of the Qur'an. We knocked at the door. He said: 'Who is it?' I said: 'It is the Commander of the Faithful.' He said: 'What have I to do with the Commander of the Faithful?' I said: 'Glory be to God! Is there not the report of the Prophet — peace be upon him — that it is not for a servant to humiliate himself in obedience to God?' He said: 'Yes, but contentment (rida) is a lasting glory for its people. You see my humiliation, and I see my glory by the decree of the Lord — the Exalted.'

Then he came down and opened the door and put out the lamp and hid in a corner, until Harun searched the house for him until his hand fell upon him. He said: 'Ah, from a hand softer than which I have never seen — if only it escapes the torment of God!' Harun began to weep and wept so much that he fainted.

When he came back to consciousness, he said: 'O Fudayl, give me some counsel.' He said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, your forefather was the uncle of Mustafa — the blessings of God be upon him — and he requested of him: Make me a commander over a people. He said: O uncle, [be a commander] over yourself. I have made you commander over your own self; meaning that one breath of yours in obedience to God is better for you than a thousand years of people's obedience; for commandership on the Day of Resurrection is nothing but regret.'

Harun said: 'Increase the counsel.' He said: 'When Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz was appointed to the caliphate, he summoned Salim ibn Abdullah, Raja ibn Haywa, and Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi — may Allah have mercy on them — and said: I have been afflicted with these afflictions; what is my plan, for I regard this as an affliction, however much people count it a blessing? One of them said: If you wish that tomorrow on the Day of Resurrection you have salvation, regard the elders of the Muslims as your father, the youths as your brothers, and the children as your children. Then deal with them as one deals in the household with father, brother, and child; for all the lands of Islam are your household, and their people your dependents. Visit your father, honor your brother, and do good to your child.' Then Fudayl said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, I fear for your beautiful face that it be caught by the fire of Hell. Fear God — the Exalted — and fulfill His right better than this.'

Then Harun said: 'Do you have a debt?' He said: 'Yes, I have a debt to the Lord — obedience to Him. If He seizes me for it, woe to me.' He said: 'O Fudayl, I mean the debt of people.' He said: 'Praise and thanks and gratitude be to God — majestic is His majesty — for from Him I have much blessing, and I have no complaint against Him to make to His servants.' Then Harun placed before him a purse of a thousand gold dinars and said: 'Spend this on some need.' Fudayl said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, these counsels of mine were of no benefit to you, and here too you have taken up oppression and begun injustice?' He said: 'What injustice have I done?' He said: 'I call you to salvation, and you cast me into destruction; is this not injustice?' Harun, weeping...