In this stage...

In this stage, a person forgets all of his own personal wishes and desires while in the spiritual presence of the Pure Essence of his Lord and truly this is the correct meaning of the phrase [فناء في اللٌّه] which is also the agreed upon meaning in the Islamic legislations and our intelligence. Of course this in no way contradicts the philosophy of Du'a (supplication) and requesting our needs from Allah (SwT).

Thus, the person who has reached to this final stage of perfection of his «man (true faith) - meaning the stage of Rida - is still in need of Du'a and supplicating to Allah (SwT). All of these stages can be achieved and reached through patience and perseverance. Principally, patience and standing firm is the root of all forms of happiness and contentment. The fifth piece of advice from the Commander of the Faithful, 'Ali b.

Abi Talib (as) in his testament was to observe patience, which in reality acts as the guarantor to being able to perform the first four pieces of advice. How many times have we seen that in order to reach these levels of perfection, a person readies himself and practices these acts for a few days - however that which is important is that one must have perseverance while treading on this path and must perpetually stay upon it.

It has been said many times that any person who has reached the levels of 'Ilm (knowledge), action (upon what he has learned) and Taqwa, has done so through the patience and perseverance that he displayed while on this path. In the end of this tradition there is a statement made that love and hate, giving to others and holding back things from others, must all be done sincerely for the sake of Allah (SwT) - since all of these are signs of a person who has perfect «man! [^1]: Bihar al-Anwar, vol.