Kashf al-Maḥjūb (Persian Critical Edition)

...She fell upon the beauty original: "jamāl" of the farmer's wife, and sent the man away on an errand. She told the wife, "Lock the doors." The wife replied, "I have locked all the doors except one door, which I cannot lock." She asked, "Which door is that?" The wife said, "The door that is between us and God, may His majesty be glorified." The man felt remorse and sought forgiveness.

Story: Ḥātim al-Aṣamm The Deaf—may God be pleased with him—said, "I chose four branches of knowledge and became free from the entire world." They asked, "What are they?" He said, "First, I realized that God—Exalted is He—has a claim upon me that no one can fulfill but I; so I became occupied with fulfilling it. Second, I realized that I have a portion of sustenance rizq that will not increase due to my greed; so I ceased from seeking excess. Third, I realized that there is a seeker pursuing me—meaning death—from whom I cannot flee; so I prepared for him. Fourth, I realized that I have a Lord—may His majesty be glorified—who is watchful over me; so I felt shame before Him and refrained from doing what should not be done." For when a servant knows that the Lord—Exalted is He—is watching over him, he will not do anything for which he will feel shame on the Day of Resurrection.

Chapter: Know that the servant's knowledge must be directed toward the affairs of the Lord—Exalted is He—and the knowledge of Him. It is an obligation upon the servant to have knowledge of the "time" waqt the present spiritual state and to practice what is required by that time, both outwardly and inwardly. This is divided into two parts: one is principles usul fundamental beliefs and the other is branches furu practical applications/jurisprudence. The outward principle is the profession of faith the shahada, and its inward aspect is the verification of gnosis ma'rifat experiential knowledge of God. The outward branch is the exercise of conduct mu'amalat religious behavior, and the inward aspect is the rectification of intention. The establishment of one without the other is impossible. The outward truth without the inward is hypocrisy nifaq insincerity/hypocrisy."