Those who break the covenant with God after its solemn binding and who cut what God has commanded to be joined; and who do corruption in the land-they shall be the losers. In this the allusion is to the state of one who has traveled the way of spiri- tual desire irāda then returned to what ordinary people have. Although he claimed to be willing to abandon his lower self he proved insincere when things became serious. He gave up allusions to reality ishārāt al-ḥaqīqa for concessions to the sharīʿa rukhaṣ al-sharīʿa. Just as the return of one who travels the way with his [outward] self nafs is not praiseworthy so long as a dirham remains in his bag so the return of one who seeks with his heart qalb is not pleasing so long as a breath nafas remains in his spirit rūḥ: Verily those who have died to the religion of whims find the decree of death a sweet watering place. And who cut what God has commanded to be joined: The cords of the Real are joined through the cutting of the cords with creation. The joining of what belongs to Him is not completed without cutting what belongs to you. When the matter is the reverse it is the opposite. Among that which the servant has been commanded to join is the protection of the sacred relationship of the people of this path. One expends sincere concern to achieve [this joining] rather than offering favors. [The servants' outward] efforts of concern are dedicated mawqūfa to connecting the cords of this path and arranging its conditions while their hearts are directed maṣrūfa in expectation of the guardianship of God most high for His people. The corruption of this path in the land [happens] when [elders on the path] do not pay attention to the small details of the affairs [of those less advanced on the path]. They make themselves too busy to guide an aspirant murīd with their words and too busy to sharpen the aim of a seeker qāṣid with their concerned efforts. This is some of what they neglect that displeases the Real سبحانه. Part of breaching the covenant [happens] when your innermost self turns away from witnessing Him for even a moment. Part of the cutting off of what you have been commanded to join [takes place] when even a breath appears of your worldly concerns at any moment [causing you to not] uphold His right. Part of your corruption in the land is any hour which passes you in which you do not see Him. Surely that is the manifest loss the grave trial and the vast calamity.
