Confirming the truth is its track...

Confirming the truth is its track, good deeds are its beacons, learning Islam is its light, death is its flag (at the destination), the world is its racetrack, and the Day of Reckoning is its arena; and attaining Paradise its victory, and hellfire its resentment. Taqwa is its implement and people of good deeds are its horsemen. From Faith, one seeks guidance to good and righteous deeds, and with the righteous deeds, learning of Islam is (truly) maintained.

And with the knowledge of Islam, death is dreaded, and with death comes the end of (life in) the world. And it is through this world (life) that one passes over to Resurrection, and it will be with the Resurrection, that Paradise will be brought close to the God-fearing, and justify hell for those who have gone astray. So Faith is supported by four pillars: Endurance, Certitude, Justice and struggle (in the way of Allah).

And endurance among them is subdivided into four branches: motivation, fear, renunciation and anticipation. Know you that one who is motivated by the yearning for Paradise keeps away from base desires, and one who fears hell abandons the forbidden acts, and one who renounces (by detachment from the) world, finds it easy to face the worldly ordeals, and who anticipates death, hastens to do charitable deeds.

And certitude has four branches: intelligent discernment, wise interpretation, drawing lesson from the events, and (studying) the example of the previous generations. So, he who discerns with intelligence will be able to unravel (the secrets of) wisdom, and he who perceives wisdom understands the tradition (handed down) and for he who understands the tradition, it will be as if he belongs to the past generation.

And justice has four branches: subtle insight, abundant knowledge, being sensibly judicious and drilled in patience. So he who has an insight, deserves the beauty of knowledge, and he who has knowledge, knows the ways of dispensing justice, and he who is judicious, never goes astray. And he who is patient and enduring never neglects his affairs and thus lives among the people highly appreciated.

And struggle (in the way of Allah) has four branches: enjoining good, forbidding evil, being truthful in all situations, and detestation of the impious.