By Shah Wali Allah al-Dahlawi
Translated by Marcia K. Hermansen
You should know that sometimes a person comprehends, due to God’s inspiring him with this knowledge, that his physical animalistic form is keeping him from what would constitute his fulfillment in terms of it’s obeying the angelic side. Therefore he comes to detest the animalistic side and seeks to shatter its force. He won’t find anything that helps him to do this as much as hunger, thirst, forswearing sex, and practicing vigilance over his tongue, heart, and limbs. Persistence in this is a cure for the sickness of his soul. There follows him one who learned this from the truthful news-bearer [the Prophet] with the witness of his heart, then next the one whom the prophets guided out of solicitude for him, while he did not realize it, so that he gets the benefit of this in the next life through the shattering of the [animalistic] form.