For the poor fuqarāÌ who are constrained in the way of God; and are unable to journey in the land; the ignorant man supposes them rich because of their abstinence; but you shall know them by their mark; they do not beg of men importunately. And whatever good you expend surely God has knowledge of it. The authority of reality sulṬān al-ḥaqīqa has obstructed every way for them; there is no way for them to travel to the east and no place to camp to the west. Whichever way they look they see the large tents of God's unity tawḥīd surrounding them: It is as if the wide road of the earth with all its vastness became narrow for me but it neither increased in length nor width. They do not take a single breath with what is created. How could they when nothing [truly] exists [except God]ḍ Thus any affirmation [of what does not truly exist] is a way of ascribing partners to the One God. The sincere poor man faqīr stands with God through God. Outsiders cannot behold him and created beings have no way to him. [God] makes [the poor fuqarāÌ] appear in the eyes of others in clothes like theirs. God most high said “the ignorant man supposes them rich because of their abstinence.” But for those who possess insight there is no ambiguity in anything in their states. “You shall know them O Muḥammad by their mark.” This mark is not one that appears to the physical eye but is a mark that the inner sight perceives. There is no beholding them except by the light of oneness. It is said that you will know them by their mark [which is] the rejoic- ing of their hearts at the breaking of their lower selves and the crying out of their innermost selves to the throne as their outward aspect withers beyond recovery. It is said that the brokenness of the outward form comes with the bro- kenness of the inward-indeed [with these poor] they do not beg of men importunately. If they do beg from created beings without being importune as the [QurÌānic] address suggests that is a protection for them and for the secret of their story because creatures will not view them as begging. In their innermost selves there is not a speck of affirmation for anything other [than God]. It is said [regarding those] who are constrained in the way of God that they hold to the decree of God and constrain their lower selves in obedi- ence to Him aḥṣarū nufūsahum ʿalā Ṭāʿatihi their hearts in knowing Him wa-qulūbahum ʿalā maʿrifatihi their spirits in loving Him wa-arwāḥahum ʿalā maḥabbatihi and their innermost selves in seeing Him wa-asrārahum ʿalā ruÌyatihi.
