Chapter V: Oneness of God and Trust in God
Sayings of sages about condition of God reliance. It appears from the sayings of the sages that God reliance is confined within three stages. Abu Musa Daylmi said: I asked one day Abu Yezid:
What is the meaning of God reliance? He said: What do you say about it? I heard my companions say: If the ferocious beasts and the poisonous snakes be by your left and right sides and if still your heart does not tremble, this condition is called reliance. Abu Yezid said: Yes, it is true that it is near God-reliance, but if the dwellers of heaven are marry making in paradise and the dwellers of Hell are suffering in Hell and if you are told to select either of these two and you select the former, it you will go out of God-reliance. What Abu Musa said is only an information regarding the stage of God-reliance and that is included in the third and highest class of God-reliance. Hazrat Abu Bakr, however, took precaution by covering the holes of serpents in the cave. It can't be said therefor that he gave up God-reliance. He did not do it to save his own life but the life of the Prophet Muhammad (P.H.) The man of God-reliance fears not the serpent but one who controls serpents as without God's help, the serpents have got no power to bite.
Zun Nun Misri was once asked about God reliance. He said:
To be separate from many deities and to cut off these causes is God- reliance. Abu Abdullah Qureshi was asked about God-reliance and he said: To be attached to God in every circumstance is God- reliance. He was again asked: Tell me more .
about it. He said: To give up the causes till one takes the Creator of cause as guide is God-reliance. Sayeed Kharraj said:
God-reliance is the name of two things movement without peace and peace without movement. Peace without movement means
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peace of mind entrusting all affairs to God. Movement without peace means seeking such a refuge as a child seeks refuge to its mother and crises for help from her. Abu Ali said: There are three stages of God-reliance, first stage is reliance on God. The second stage is Taslim or self-surrender to God and the third stage is to entrust all affairs on God. God- reliant man feels peace in His promise, self-surrending man thinks divine knowledge as sufficient and one entrusting is satisfied with His orders.
WORK OF GOD-RELIANT MAN. Know, O readers, that condition arises out of knowledge and the first of conditions is action. Some think that the meaning of God-reliance is to give up earnings, to give up efforts, and to lie upon the ground like thrown plank or like meat on a wood. This is the conjecture of the fools, it is unlawful in Shariat which praises God-reliant men.