Ghazzali's Alchemy of Happiness. 143 



"We have before remarked upon the number of servants 

 there are within your body, of which you have no know- 

 ledge. 



And now, student of the celestial way, and seeker after 

 the love of God, come and consider a little with the eye 

 of reverence and the mind of thoughtfulness. If a person 

 should give you a drachm of silver, or a suit of clothes, or 

 serve you for a single day and conclude some business 

 which concerned you, you would love him as long as you 

 lived, and you would always speak well of him wherever 

 his name was mentioned, although the service he had per- 

 formed for you, and his act of beneficence was only effected 

 through the will of God and by his power. Be sincere 

 now and say, why should you not love and sacrifice every 

 thing for the sake of God, who created the heavens and the 

 earth, who has taken care of all your affairs long before you 

 desired it of him, who has provided for all your necessities 

 before you had any notion of them, who gives you so many 

 thousand mercies at every breath, who has not ceased to 

 sustain you, even wheu you were disobedient to his com- 

 mandments and rebellious, and who has covered your 

 shame, for the sake of the Friend of God ? Ought you 

 not to praise him with your tongue, and love him with 

 your heart? Is it right, overwhelmed as you are with his 

 unfailing mercies and infinite bounties, that you should re- 

 gard these mercies as coming from other source than God, 

 and that you should thank some other one than Him for 

 these services and favors, and that you should love some 

 other one instead of him ? 



It is in vain that the eyes watch for any other love than thee. 

 It is a loss for the eyes to weep for any other friend. 

 Thou art the true friend ! If thou deign to look upon me, 

 It will be well with me, as if my eyes had never wept. 



What shall I do with that life which is not passed in remembrance 

 of thee ? 



What shall I do with the eye that is not sad with longing after thee ? 



