3rd Stopping Place 4th Truth 2 Kinds Of Provision

The Second Form of Provision: metaphorical and artifical provision, arising due to addiction from habit, wastefulness and misuse, but acquiring the appearance of necessity. This form is not guaranteed by the Sustainer, but depends on His generosity: sometimes He may give it, sometimes He may not give it.

With respect to this second form of provision and sustenance, happy is he who regards his frugality -a source of happiness and pleasure- contentment and licit striving, as a form of worship and active prayer for sustenance. He accepts Allah's bounty gratefully and appreciatively, and passes his life in happpy fashion.

Wretched is he who on account of prodigality -the source of wretchedness and loss- and greed, abandons licit striving, knocks at every door, passes his life in sloth, oppression and wretchedness, and indeed puts his own life to death.

In the same way that a stomach requires sustenance, so too the subtle capacities and senses of man, his heart, spirit, intelligence, eye, ear and mouth, also request their sustenance from the Compassionate Provider and gratefully receive it. To each of them separately and in appropriate form is presented such provision from the treasury of mercy as will rejoice them and give them pleasure. Indeed, the Compassionate Provider, in order to give to them provision in more generous measure has created each of man's subtle capacities -eye and ear, heart, imagination, and intellect- in the form of a key to His treasury of mercy. For example, the eye is a key to the treasury containing such precious jewels as the fairness and beauty to be seen on the face of the universe, and the same holds true of all the others mentioned; they all benefit through faith. To resume after our digression: