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  • The_Savior_from_Spiritual_Error, page : 90

alone.

4. The Ways of Mysticism.

When I had finished with these sciences, I next turned with set purpose to
the method of mysticism (or Sufism). I knew that the complete mystic „way‟
includes both intellectual belief and practical activity; the latter consists in
getting rid of the obstacles in the self and in stripping off its base
characteristics and vicious morals, so that the heart may attain to freedom
from what is not Allah and to constant recollection of Him.

The intellectual belief was easier to me than the practical activity. I began
to -acquaint myself with their belief by reading their books, such as The
Food of the Hearts by Abu Talib al-Makki (Allah have mercy upon him), the
works of al-Harith al-Muhasibi, the various anecdotes about al-Junayd, ash-
Shibli and Abu Yazid al-Bistami (may Allah sanctify their spirits), and other
discourses of their leading men. I thus comprehended their fundamental