Aslam

The Third Condition is the highest stage. Before this class of God-fearing people, praise and condemnation are equal as condemnation cannot make them sorry and praise cannot give them joy. There are signs of this indifferent attitude of such a man.
(1) His mind remains the same if he stays with the accuser and the praiser. (2) The joy that is enjoyed in the removal of wants of the praiser is the same as in the removal the wants of the accuser. (3) The grief which he feels at the death of the praiser is the same as that at the death of the accuser. (4) He feels the same agony if the praiser and accuser fall in a calamity. The divine service of one who does not enquire about the machination of the devil and impulse of passions goes baffled both in this world and the next world. God says: Shall I not inform you of those whose good works will go in vain, whose good works will be ruined in this world's life while they will think that they are doing good works?

(4) The fourth condition is the highest stage of the truthful.
They do not love praise and the praiser as they know that this praise puts them to trial, breaks their backs and destroys their religion. They love, on the other hand, the accuser as they know that he shows their guilts, shows them the necessary path and presents to them his virtues. The Prophet said: God-fear is the

224 The Book of Destructive evils Vol-III

root of humility and expression of hatred for praise of virtuous acts. The Prophet said: Woe to him who fasts all the year round, woe to him who prays the whole night. Woe to those who are Sufis. Joy only for one party of men. The people asked: Who are they? The Prophet said: Those religious men who keep themselves separate from the world, hate praise and love accusation.

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