This soldier ought to admire the favor 0f the king...

This soldier ought to admire the favor 0f the king, his looking after him and preferring him over others without his being worthy of it, and he ought not admire his own self. Yes, this soldier may admire himself and say, "The king is wise, fair, and does not do injustice to anyone, nor does he oppress, advance or delay except for a reason, nor does he grant a rank to someone nor extract it out of him without a cause.

So, the king must have noticed in me a commendable innate attribute, so he thus preferred me over others for the promotion. I lad it not been for that attribute, he would not have preferred me." But he has to remember, at the same time, who gave him this attribute, too. Is it one of the boons of the king, the rank with which he specifically gave him rather than anyone else'? Or did someone else give it to him? if it is a gilt from the king, too, he is not justified for admiring himself.

If we suppose that the king had given him a horse as a gift, then he gave him a servant, too, he ought not feel conceited because just as he was not being worthy of possessing the horse, he likewise did not deserve to get the servant. Likewise, there is no difference between the king giving him the horse and the servant together and giving him the horse first then the servant.

If all comes from him, this recipient ought to admire the king and his generosity unless we suppose he obtained the horse, for example, on his own and the king gave him the servant specifically. But this supposition applies to great men, to worldly kings.

As regarding the King of Kings, the originator of existence and of its requirements and consequences, such as His generosity and outgiving, the only One Who originates the being and the attribute ..., such a supposition does not hold any water at all.

This is so because if one, for example, is enabled to admire, and conceit finds its way to him from the venue that Allah, the most Praised One, was the One Who enabled him to undertake such adoration, but he thinks that this ability is due to his love for Him, that such love is the reason for success of this adoration ..., yet in this case lie must ask himself this question : Who cast this love in my heart?

The soul will definitely answer him saying, "Surely It is Allah Who honored me with this love." So, let him tell himself that both the love and the adoration are blessings from Allah which He gave him , without being worthy of them.