Let not the believers take the disbelievers as patrons awliyāÌ rather than the believers- Among the realities of faith is friendship muwālāt with God and enmity muʿādāt on behalf of God. From among the disbelievers it would be best for you to renounce and turn away from your lower self. Its nature is Magian in that it says “Mine from me and through me.” God most high said O you who believe fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you [yalūnakum] [9:123]. Verily faith in this path Ṭarīqa is rare and precious. Even if ordinary people who have no faith in this path were to wear themselves out with extreme asceticism and effort they would not be among those people [who are] Your friends. It is more fitting that like be with like. for whoever does that does not belong to God in any way-unless you protect yourselves against them as a safeguard. God warns you of His Self: and to God is the journey's end. Companionship ṣuḥba with the Real سبحانه and nearness to Him can by no means be combined with the companionship of adversaries and being close to them. God warns you of His Self: This is an address to the elect among the people of deeper knowledge ahl al-maʿrifa. As for those whose degree is less than that He said to them “And fear the fire that…” [3:131] and He said “And fear a day wherein you shall be returned...” [2:281] and so on in other verses. It is said that God warns you of His Self [means that while] you may be of the opinion that you have arrived surely the imperceptible affairs of the divine deception makr can happen to the most respected. The one who spoke for them said: I felt safe from him but the safe place granted to me was a ruse. Such it is for those who feel safe from lovers. It is said that God warns you of His Self because anyone who imagines that a created being can reach Him or that the feet of human aspiration can touch the carpet of might-Glory and Might be to the absolute oneness! And anyone who thinks that [God] has brought them near in reality [God] has made them distant from Him.
