Should his hand become short of it...

Should his hand become short of it, because of inertia or negligence, and be bereaved of the water of mercy, he would have but to pay attention to his own humility, indigence, poverty and destitution.

When he has in full view of his humility of servitude and is aware of his need, his poverty and his own potentiality, and discards his haughtiness, conceit and selfishness, a door of mercy opens to him, and the earth of (his) nature changes into the white earth of mercy, and becomes the dust which is one of the “two purifiers”[^3], and becomes the object of Allah's mercy and kindness. The stronger this state in man, i.e., his awareness of his humility, the more he receives of mercy.

Should he decide to depend on himself and on his action in his journey, he would perish, since there might be no one to extend help to him, like an infant which boldly starts walking alone, taking pride in its own steps, and depending on its own ability, without its father offering it any help, rather leaving it to itself.

But when it recognizes its inability and inefficiency, it turns to its affectionate father, distrusting its own power, and entrusts itself to the care of its father, who offers his help, hugs it and guides it step by step to walking. So, it is better for the traveler to Allah to break the leg of his journey and completely renounce his self-confidence, austerity and action, and abolish himself, his power and ability.

He should always remember his mortality and dependence in order to become an object of Allah's care, and to cover a hundred-year distant road in a single night by the attraction of the Lord, and the tongue of his inside and his state say, in the Presence of the Lord's Sanctity, imploringly and helplessly: “ Oh, who responds to the distressed, when he calls unto Him, and removes the evil…?” [^4] [^1]: Refer to footnote 88. [^2]: See Kalīlah wa Dimnah, ch.

“Ring-Dove.” [^3]: It refers to a narrative related by the late Ākhūnd Khurasānī (may Allah sanctify his soul) in Kifāyat al-Usūl, vol. 1, p. 130, to the effect that: “Dust is one of the two purifiers, and is enough for you for ten years.” [^4]: Sūrah an-Naml 27: 62. Previous…