He met all kinds of people who claimed to know and follow the truth...

He met all kinds of people who claimed to know and follow the truth, but in almost every case he failed to be convinced; most of them were busy in worldly gains. “I looked to knowledge for guidance, thinking deeply and considering long.

Then it was made clear to me, from God's Book and the Prophet's practice and the consensus of believers, that the pursuit of desire blinds a man and so prevents him from seeking the right path, and leads him astray from truth.” This conviction led him to self-examination ( muhasibah ,…