Sheikh Rislan al-Dimashqi: Risala fi al-Tawhid

Now then, know that the whole of you is covert polytheism [shirkun khafiyyun] and your realization-and-affirmation-of-Oneness [tawhid] will not become evident to you until you exit from you[rself].

Provided you are sincere, it will be disclosed to you that it is He, not you, so you must ask forgiveness for you. And whenever you encounter [any form of it], your own polytheism [shirk] will be evident to you. You must therefore renew, in every hour and at every moment, an affirmation-of-Oneness [tawhid] and a faith [iman]. And whenever you become detached from them your faith will increase; and whenever you become detached from you, your certitude [yaqin] will increase.

O prisoner of desires and formal acts of worship, O prisoner of stations and revelations! You are deluded and you are preoccupied with you. Where is your preoccupation with Him to the exclusion of you? He is Present and Attentive, "and He is with you wherever you may be," in this world and the hereafter. When you are with Him, He screens you from you, and when you are with you, He screens you from Him.

Faith is your separating from them, and certitude is your separating from you. When your faith has increased, you will be transported from state to state; and when your certitude has increased, you will be transported from station to station.

The Sacred Law [Shari'a] is for you, until you seek Him from Him for you; and the Reality [Haqiqa] belongs to Him, until you seek Him through Him for Him, beyond when and beyond where, for the Sacred Law does have limits [hudud] and modes [jihat], but the Reality has neither limit nor mode.

One who lives with the Sacred Law [alone] is given the privilege of striving [mujahada] and one who lives with the Reality is given the privilege of grace [minna]. How great is the contrast between striving and grace!

One who lives with striving is existent [mawjud], while one who lives with grace is extinct [mafqud].

Practices are linked to the noble Law [Shar']. As for total trust in the Lord [tawakkul], this is linked to faith [iman], and the realization-and-affirmation-of-Oneness [tawhid] is linked to illuminating disclosure [kashf].

People wander astray from the Lord of Truth because of the mind, and from the hereafter because of passion. For, when you seek the Lord of Truth with the mind, you lose the way, and when you seek the hereafter with passion, you stumble and slip.

The believer sees by the light of Allah, and one who has direct knowledge [al-'arif] beholds Him by it.

"As long as you are with you, We command you. Then, once you have been rendered extinct to you, We take charge of you." For He does not take charge of them until after their annihilation [in Him].

As long as you continue, you are a seeker [murid]. Then, when He has made you extinct to you, you are one who is sought [murad].

The most lasting certainty is your absence from you and your presence with Him. What a big difference there is between what is at His command and what is because of Him! If you are at His command, worldly means will be subservient to you. And if you are because of Him, the whole universe will be submissive to you.