May Allah grant us refuge from envy which closes the door of...

May Allah grant us refuge from envy which closes the door of justice and bars the way to attainment of man's finer qualities.' There are no more fitting words than those of Abu l‑`Ala al ­Mu'arra on the same topic: By your father's life, the man of nobility is never attributed with generosity As long as the Generous Himself exists in the world; But if the land becomes barren and the crops wither, Then one pastures on the dry stubble.

We should note too the famous words of the Commander of the Faithful ('Ali), words which have been related in an unbroken chain of transmission: `Even if one does not attain everything, one does not abandon everything,' and `Do not abandon what is easy because of what is difficult.' Thus I composed this book and named it `The Light of the Truth, the Stations of the Way and the Mysteries of the Revealed Law'.

In doing so I sought from the Good, the Generous, that He grant us success by it and that He grant me success in its composition ‑ success in delineating the spiritual path of right guidance ‑ and that He enable us to avoid any mistakes in the exposition of the various topics under discussion; surely He is the Most Generous of those Who bestow goodness.

Before embarking on this study however I should present an introduction encompassing the numerous benefits awaiting the reader of this book; it is necessary that I provide the key with which to unlock the treasures contained therein for those desirous of such knowledge.

Know therefore that this introduction in­cludes an explanation of shari`ah, tariqah and haqiqah, together with a clarification of their various degrees according to the intellect, the body of traditions and the states of unveiling.

Most of the elite and the common of this time think that shari`ah is at variance with tariqah and tariqah is at variance with haqiqah; they imagine that there are real differences between these various levels and they attribute certain things to each of them which are inappropriate, in particular to the group which affirms the Oneness of Allah, namely the group known as the Sufis.

The reason for this is their lack of knowledge of the various spiritual states of each of the three groups and their deficient understand­ing of their beliefs and principles.