1856.] Notes on tlie oldest work on Sufism. 141 



sensible than those of Gerson. The following chapter proves that 

 he was not without common sense. 



On reliance on God. Jiy^l 



Every man ought to arrange his conduct, both as regards the 

 affairs of this world and those of the world to come, with prudence 

 and caution, and whenever he enters on an enterprize, he ought first 

 well to consider every thing, but having done so he ought to place 

 his reliance on God, and after he has done his best, he ought to 

 expect more from the assistance of God than from his own endea- 

 vours. He must for the rest never forget that God in his wisdom 

 has arranged so the affairs of this world that success depends on 

 circumspection and caution &>~^ ^^ lu&J\ jyo\ Al^^sr? jjj> &U| ^x/j 

 JoLxa^i jjja\J\. The sign that a man places his reliance on God 

 is satisfaction U>j and submission /^-^ [to his will], if God bestows 

 any thing upon him he accepts it gratefully, and if he has no success 

 he bears it with fortitude and satisfaction. Satisfaction U^ must 

 be distinguished from contentment £cUi. The latter term means 

 the opposite of cupidity. Satisfaction means cheerfully to submit 

 to the will of God in adversity and prosperity. 



The author takes generally the revelation in its literal meaning 

 and considers heaven and hell as the principal inducements for lead- 

 ing a pious and virtuous life. Later Sufies insist exclusively on the 

 love of God for his own sake and treat these considerations with 

 scorn. The only speculations which I could perceive in Mohasaby's 

 book are contained in the following two chapters, which are partly a 

 repetition of what has already been said. 



On the root of piety. 



The root of all what we have said is the Yman (faith) and the 

 Yaqyn (this word means originally " that which is certain" and is 

 used by Sufies for intuitive knowlege). Eaith and intuitive know- 

 ledge are the root and the branches and the life of the servant of 

 God, as water is the life of a plant. If a plant is watered, first its 

 roots absorb it, then it rises into the stem and is distributed to its 

 branches. In like manner if a servant of God is firm in his faith 

 and in the intuitive knowledge, first his heart within him becomes 

 strong and then there grow from it those virtues which cannot exist 

 without sincerity (ciduj, fear of God, reliance in God, simplicity of 



