And who does greater evil than he who bars God's places of worship so that His name be not invoked in them and strives to ruin themḍ; such men might never enter them save in fear; for this world is degradation for them; and in the hereafter a mighty chastisement. [Here] the allusion is to the one who does evil one who ruins the home- lands awṬān of worship with [his] carnal passions shahawāt-and the homelands of worship are the selves of the worshipers nufūs al-ʿābidīn. He ruins the homelands of knowledge with [his] desires and attachments ʿalāqāt-and the homelands of knowledge are the hearts of those with deep knowledge qulūb al-ʿārifīn. He destroys the homelands of love with [his] worldly concerns and familiar comforts musākanāt-and [the home- lands of love] are the spirits of the ecstatics arwāḥ al-wājidīn. He ruins the homelands of witnessing by paying attention to [his own] attempts to draw near qurubāt [rather than turning to God Himself] and [the homelands of witnessing] are the innermost selves of those who declare oneness asrār al-muwaḥḥidīn. For them in this world is degradation; and in the hereafter a mighty chastisement. For the people of allusion the degradation of this world is the ignominy of the veil and the punishment of the hereafter is being held back in degrees.
