Aslam

a man gives up fight with passion completely, he becomes weak in religious exercises and becomes unable to control his passions and low desires. This is the medicine in all kinds of patience. One is kept busy in the preparation of procuring food, dress and other necessities of livelihood. But if he can free his mind from these things, he can save himself and the secrets of heaven and earth are disclosed to him. Many a time a good game is earned with little efforts and many a time it cannot be gained with excessive efforts. This depends entirely on the mercy of God and man has got no hand in the matter. But it is true that it is under the control of man to be fit to earn that mercy of God by cu tting of all worldly connections. The worldly things attract a man downwards and not upwards to heaven. So the thing which attracts downwards shall have to be cut off.

The Prophet said: There is breath of your Lord in the days of your life, why don't you face it? There are heavenly causes of the attraction to that breath, as God says: There is provision for you in heaven and what has been promised to you." This is an affair of highest order which is not known to us, but we should prepare ourselves to receive that thing. This is like the man who cultivates his field well, plucks out the weeds therefrom and thereafter grows seeds therein. These efforts become fruitless if God does not send rain. The work is sufficient for a peasant if he cultivates the field well, plucks out the injurious things therefrom and grows good seeds therein. So a servant must cultivate his mind well, make it fit for growing seeds of faith and sincerity and then wait for the mercy of God because no year or month passes without the descent of the mercy of God. As rain is expected in the rainy season, so descent of God's mercy is mostly expected in opportune moments and times like the day of Araft, Jumma day, the night of blessing, the night of Qadr in Ramzan, the month of Ramzan, the time when sorrows and sufferings or illness comes, the time when people pray in congregation. As there is rain after prayer for rain, so also the rains of the mercy of God from the hidden treasures of God and the rain of Kashf come down. As the vapours rising from mountains and seas from cloud and shower rain, so also feelings come out of soul and shower blessings. But you are far away from this rain as your mind is best with passions and low desires. If these are not removed, the illumination of Ma'arfat or spiritual knowledge will not come out from the recess of heart. It is easier to bring

Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 75 .*

water after digging the bottom of a well than to take it by digging lanes up to this well. Likewise the water of mercy that lies hidden in the innermost recess of the heart and which lies covered with refuges like worldly passions must be blown by removing those passions.

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