They will ask you about the new moons. Say “They are appointed times for the people and the pilgrimage.” The “moons” ahilla-the plural of a “moon” hilāl-are appointed times for the people for their activities and calculations. For the people of the story ahl al-qiṣṣa they are appointed times for their various states aḥwāl. For the ascetics [they are] appointed times for their litanies awrād. For the elect they are appointed times for their moments ḥālāt. The one who spoke for them said: I count the nights one after another. In the days of old I never really counted them. Another said: Eight days have passed without meeting. I do not have the patience to wait more than eight. Another said: Months pass we have not noticed their midpoints nor their ends. It is not piety to come to the houses from their backs ẓuhūr but piety is to fear; so come to the houses by their doors and fear God that you may prosper. It means that piety is not guarding external affairs al-umūr al-ẓāhira but rather piety is purifying the inner secrets taṣfiyat al-sarāÌir and cleaning the recesses of hearts tanqiyat al-ḌamāÌir.
