‘And why should I not worship the One who created Me…’ He [Sahl] was asked about the best form of worship and replied:It is sincerity (ikhlāṣ), in accordance with His words, And they were only commanded to worship God alone, devoting religion purely to Him (mukhliṣīna lahu al-dīn) [98:5]. No one’s actions become truly sincere, nor his worship whole, as long as he tries to evade four things: hunger (jūʿ), nakedness (ʿury), poverty (faqr) and abasement (dhilla). Indeed, God, Exalted is He, made his servants worship Him through the following three: the intellect (ʿaql), the spirit (rūḥ) and [physical] strength (quwwa). If he is afraid of [losing] two of these, the loss of intellect and theloss of the spirit, then he should take pains to perform well [the acts of worship]. As for [the loss of] physical strength, then there is no taking pains to perform them or learn them well, even if he prays seated. His words, Exalted is He:
