The people of the world — the opposite of the people of the world is the people of the Truth (al-Haqq). That…

The people of the world — the opposite of the people of the world is the people of the Truth (al-Haqq). That is, the people of the Truth. They are people who have no business with the world, who are only on the side of the Truth, whose thoughts, reflection and remembrance are tightly bound to the words of the Truth. The people of the Truth are not those who abandon this world. They are those who imagine the world as a mount, a cart or a ship. Just as each of these things serves a person in reaching his goal, the world is a means that brings the people of the Truth to their goal. Being among the people of the Truth does not mean being poor. The people of the Truth may also be rich and wealthy, respected and esteemed. As possessors of the throne, they may also govern a state. That is, their work and professions outwardly do not differ from those of ordinary people. But inside they do not give the world even a speck of room. If Allah gives them the world, they do not rejoice; if He takes it, they do not grieve. Let us look at some of their qualities: — if people pay attention to them, they do not say, “Don't pay attention to me”; — if people turn away, they do not say, “Pay attention to me”; — if misfortune comes, they do not fall into grief and complain; — if they achieve success, they do not rejoice and jump about as if losing their minds; — they neither reproach people with excessive hatred nor praise them excessively, exalting them to the skies; — their awe fills the hearts of the good with joy and the hearts of the wicked with dread; — they do not believe everyone's words; they patiently wait for truths to become manifest through divine signs and indications; — they look not at the outward form of events but at their essence; they prefer listening to speaking — their silence prevails over their conversation; — they do not fear created beings, and they do no oppression or injustice to anyone; — they are not slaves to people, nor do they regard others as their slaves — knowing that everyone's will is his own to choose, they refer all matters to the judgment of the Creator; — their state — their composure and dignity — does not change in any situation; — they never, ever compromise with injustice, oppression, shamelessness or going against God's commands, and never, ever consent to them; — they never fall into worry about the world and provision; they are compassionate to the weak, formidable to oppressors and generous to their admirers; — they do not take revenge for the harm done to them and are quick to forgive everyone in this regard; — their anger does not prevail over their forbearance, their mercy and their compassion. It is good for a person to know these qualities of the people of the Truth, to read them over and over and to memorize them. There are two benefits in this: first, when he sees people of such character, he immediately receives their prayers, serves them and gains their favor, and as a result attains a great deal of good; second, he strives to form these qualities and traits in himself as well; when he asks himself “Who am I?”, he holds up this scale, these requirements, to himself and strives, saying, “This is the kind of person I must become.”

Akrom MALIK