He who wishes that at a given moment there appear other than what God has manifested in it, has not left ignorance behind at all!

Your postponement of deeds till the time when you are free is one of the frivolities of the ego (ru'nat an-nafs).

Do not request Him to get you out of a state to make use of you in a different one, for, were He desire so, He could make use of you as you are, without taking you out!

Hardly does the intention of the initiate (himmat saalik) want to stop at what has been revealed to him, than the voices of Reality (hawaatifu-l-Haqeeqah) call out to him!: "That which you are looking for is still ahead of you!" And hardly do the exterior aspects of created beings display their charms, than their inner realities call out to him: "We are only a trial, so disbelieve not!"

Firstly, if God exists, why is he not visible?

Secondly, if the devil is made of fire, how will the punishment of fire be painful to him?

Finally, when the power of doing every virtue and vice and every good and evil proceeds from God, why will man be taken to task?

The sheikh on hearing all three questions, picked up a clot of earth and struck it violently against the head of the philosopher. The philosopher protested loudly and filed a complaint against him in the Court of Law. The Magistrate summoned the sheikh and questioned him of his motive in striking the victim with the clot of earth, instead of giving him a reasonable answer to his questions. The Magistrate further went on to say that this was evidence of hid ignorance and perversity, therefore why should he not be punished. The sheikh replied that as a matter of fact, he had not intended to hurt the philosopher, rather he had furnished a reasonable answer to all three of the philosophers questions. Intrigued, the Magistrate asked him to explain himself further. This was the sheikh's reply:

"The first question was that if God exists, why was He not visible. I call upon this philosopher to show the blow which has hurt him and for which he complains of in your court today. Why is the pain felt on account of the blow not visible. The thing which is visible is the effect produced by the blow.

The second question was that the devil was created of fire, so how would he feel the pain of the punishment by fire. I ask him, whence did he feel pain from the clot of earth when he himself was created of earth.

The third question was that when the power of doing good and evil proceeds from God, why would man be taken to task for his sins. I say that the striking of the clot of earth on the philosopher's head was ordained by God. Why then did he file a case against me? (We are responsible for our deeds whether good or evil.)"

The Magistrate upon hearing the testimony of the sheikh, dismissed the case of the philosopher.