O children of Israel remember My favor wherewith I favored you; The real meaning of “favor” niʿma according to the scholars is unadulter- ated pleasure as well as that which causes [the pleasure]. According to the people of reality favor is what causes you to witness remember or brings you to the One who grants the favor or does not veil you from Him. It can be divided into the favor of mortal beings and external things abshār wa-ẓawāhir and the favor of spirits and the innermost secrets of hearts arwāḥ wa-sarāÌir. The first are types of comforts and the second are modes of witnessings and unveilings. Among the inner favors are the knowledge of hearts and the love of spirits and the witnessings of the innermost hearts. It is said that He commanded the children of Israel to remember the favors and He commanded the community of Muḥammad ﷺ to remem- ber the One who grants them. There is a difference between those who are told remember My favor and those who are told So remember Me I will remember you [2:152]. and fulfill My covenant and I shall fulfill your covenant; and have awe of Me. [For the terms of the covenant] He سبحانه asks for the safekeeping of knowl- edge maʿrifa and we ask for the means to forgiveness maghfira. He asks for the safekeeping of His love maḥābb and we ask for the kindness of His reward thawāb. He asks for presence at the door bāb and we ask for the generous place of return maÌāb. “Fulfill My covenant by safeguarding the secret sirr and I shall fulfill your covenant with beautiful kindness birr.” “Fulfill My covenant which you accepted on the Day of the Solemn Binding mīthāq and I shall fulfill your covenant which I insured for you on the Day of the Encounter talāq.” “Fulfill My covenant by not preferring others ghayrī to Me and I shall fulfill your covenant in not barring you from My kindness and goodness khayrī.” “Fulfill My covenant by caring for the things I entrusted to you wadāÌiʿ and I shall fulfill your covenant in what has been made lasting for you in the splendors of the flashes lawāmiʿ and the gleams of the rising Ṭawāliʿ.” “Fulfill My covenant by safeguarding My secrets asrārī and I shall fulfill your covenant in the beauty of My acts of kindness mabārrī.
