8.AUDACITY- A SIGN OF AN UNHEALTHY DISPOSITION
This explanation was necessary because some people upon hearing narratives of Rahmat become audacious and neglect righteousness. In this regard one should reflect: Will one who remains restless if not punished for error, become audacious in the commission of sin upon hearing narratives of mercy Certainly, those who possess a healthy disposition and have a bond of love with Allah Taala, will increase their obedience upon hearing episodes of Allahs Rahmat. the slave whose folly is overlooked without punishment and inspite of this, he becomes audacious in his disobedience is indeed a person of great degeneration.
The slave who, inspite of being forgiven his folly without being punished and is audacious in disobeying his master, is of the lowest calibre and most contemptible. A noble man is he who observing a favour of his master submits himself life-long. It is for this reason that it was said that those who become audacious in neglecting good acts upon hearing narratives of Rahmat are people of an unhealthy disposition. They should be concerned with the rectification of their condition and endeavour to create a bond of lave with Allah Taala. The method of attaining this goal is for a while to remain in the company of the pious saints. They will then not misconstrue the narratives of Rahmat and will acquire the true benefits of the Mustahab acts. Thus a life-time of misfortune will be obliterated. Indeed instructing us in the Mustahabat is a great favour and mercy of Allah Taala upon us.

9.REVERTING TO THE MAIN TOPIC
It will now be realised that every part of the Quran Kareem is of importance, and the Mustahabat in so far as instruction and education are concerned too are of great importance. Regarding amal (righteous deeds) Mustahabat are of great efficiency in producing results. The claim that every statement of Allah and Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is essential, is therefore correct. It is also correct to claim that in the Ayat under discussion is a very important subject similar in importance to subjects of other ayat. In this ayat Allah Taala informs us of a very simple remedy for our evil plight and condition. There is no doubt in the fact that our plight is evil. No one is free from this vile condition. However, although the evil condition is common in us all, there exist differences in the degree of degeneration. In some the degeneration and destruction are of a greater degree and in others, of a lesser degree.

10.DISTRESSED IS HE WHOSE DEGENERATION IS OF A LESSER DEGREE
The one whose condition is of a lesser degree of degeneration wali be more distressed than those whose condition is degenerated to a much higher degree. This discussion, therefore, is applicable to people of all degrees of degeneration. In fact, those whose degeneration is of a lesser degree stand in greater need of this discussion because they are overtaken by distress. This could be better understood by means of an analogy. It has been observed that those who are in great debt are worried to a lesser degree than those who have lesser debt. The reason for this being that the one with great debt has already become addicted to debt and feel the strain much fess than the one who is not in the habit of accruing debt. The one who is not habituated to debt suffers much although he has hope of liquidating his debt. He remains restless all night, and he wonders at those who can sleep peacefully in spite of being drowned in debt.

11.CONCERN OVER HARDSHIPS
When there is hope of overcoming the difficulty then there is concern and worry about it. When this hope vanishes then concern too disappears. One then ceases to be worried about the difficulty since it assumes ones second nature. One becomes like a permanent invalid. Likewise, those who do not sin much, remain worried and full of regret, and those who commit sin in abundance. are not concerned much. Constant commission of sin has desensitized them, At times abundance of sin induces in one the condition of hopelessness, i.e. one loses all hope in the mercy of Allah Taala, labouring under the impression that forgiveness is no longer possible. When this state of degeneration is reached, man sins and derives full pleasure. He now opens his heart and sins most audaciously until when maut arrives, then too, he does not incline towards Istigfar and Taubah. Should he be instructed at this stage to resort to Istigfar and Taubah, he will vehemently refuse. In this regard Imam Ibn Kayyim (rahmatullah alayhi) said: While a man was dying those present instructed him to recite the
Kalimah, but he refused saying: Of what benefit is a single statement? My sins are so numerous that a thousand Kalimah too
will not be able to obliterate them.
This was the state of hopelessness which had been reached. This state of hopelessness is kufr. May Allah Taala protect every Muslim, Ameen.

12. AT TIMES EVEN OBEDIENCE HAVE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS
The detrimental effects of abundant sin are manifest. It is astonishing that at times such harmful effects flow in the wake of obedience as well. This could not have been understood by anyone other than Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) who was educated by Allah Taala, Himself.
Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:
My Rabb educated me; He gave me the best of education, My Rabb schooled me in etiquette: He gave me the best of etiquette. Since, Rasulullah(sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was taught in this gracious manner by Allah Taala, his far-sightedness and insight can never be over-emphasised. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) explained that at times even obedience produces harmful results. His far-sightedness could be guaged from this instruction. Superficially it seems that obedience in any amount is meritorious. The more the obedience the better, hence there should not be limits prescribed for obedience. But Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) understood this mystery well. He therefore explained that obedience too has a limit. A sick person requires medicine, but inspite of the medicine being beneficial, it has prescribed limits. If given in excess, the harmful result will be understandable. The same applies to obedience.
Although in itself, obedience is meritorious and beneficial, but the physicians of the Rooh, the Ambiya (alaihimus salam) and their heirs have informed us that obedience too is like a remedy, which has prescribed limits.
Khauf (Fear) of Allah Taala is a state of great obedience. The Quran and Ahadith, over and over, instruct us to inculcate this Khauf. But, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) prescribed a limit for this Fear. Hence, in one dua he says: O Allah! Verily, I ask You that amount of Your Fear which will act as a barrier between us and disobeying You. In this dua it has been shown that fear without any limit is not the goal.
That much of fear is desired which will prevent us from disobedience.

13.THE WISDOM OF PRESCRIBING LIMITS TO OBEDIENCE
Experience has proven that an excess of innate fear is harmful. A person afflicted with excess fear perpetually fixes his gaze on the Wrath of Allah Taala. He does not consider any evil act worthy of forgiveness nor does he consider any of his deeds worthy of acceptance in the Court of Grandeur of Allah Taala. Thus he does not entertain the hope of salvation. The end result will be that such a person will lose all hope in the mercy of Allah Taala, and such hopelessness is kufr. Who other than Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) could prescribe that excess of obedience too could be detrimental? Allah Taala says: Verily, none loses hope in the mercy of Allah, but a nation of unbelievers.
Precisely for this reason did Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) say:
so much fear which will act as a barrier between us and disobeying You (i.e. sin).

14.THE PHILOSOPHERS AND THE AMBIYA (alaihimus salaam)
The ancient philosophers on observing the eternal truths propounded by the Ambiya (alaihimus salam) were stunned. In their books they were constrained to attest to the reality of Nubuwwat. In this regard they claimed that it is possible that from the First Cause of Grace (a crude reference to the Creator the philosophers had no clear conception of the All-Powerful Allah Azza wa Jal -translator) knowledge could be transmitted directly to certain persons. Because of this view, no philosopher denied the Nubuwwat of any Nabi during his time. They even went to the extent of saying that the lofty knowledge possessed by the Ambiya cannot be gained by means of spiritual exercises. Inspite of this acknowledgement, the philosophers committed the fatal blunder of claiming that the Ambiya (alaihimus salam) were sent for the masses for the ignorant and the illiterate. They, therefore, did not feel obliged to follow the Ambiya (alaihimus salam), claiming that they could purify their own souls by means of knowledge and spiritual exercises. Hence, in their opinion they stood in no need of a spiritual guide. Certain Mufassirin have said that in regard to such philosophers Allah Taala says in the Quran Kareem: And, when the Rasul (Ambiya) came to them (philosophers) with clear signs, they became boastful because of the (worldly knowledge they possessed. And, they were hemmed in by that which they mocked. They regarded this mundane life as the goal and were proud with the ability they possessed in this regard. They rejected the Aakhirah, dubbed the quest for the Aakhirah insanity and treated the warnings for reje tion with mockery. Allahs azaa (punishment) finally overtook them. The attitude of these philosophers was the same as that of those Jews who while acknowledging the Nubuwwat of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said that Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was indeed a Nabi, but a Nabi for only the Arabs. They denied that he was a Nabi for them since they asserted that they possessed a Scripture. The folly of their thinking is manifest. They acknowledged that he was a Nabi. A requisite of a Nabi is that he is truthful. That very person whom they acknowledged as a Nabi, albeit for only the Arabs, declared: I am the Nabi unto all mankind. Obedience to me is obligatory. There is no salvation without following me. Their rejection of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is, therefore, in terms of their own claims and understanding, illogical and irrational.

15.SO-CALLED PHILOSOPHERS OF TODAY
The ancient philosophers were unlike the so-called philosophers and scientists of today. These so-called philosophers of today reject the very reality of Nubuwwat. In fact those of today are not philosophers. On the contrary they are technologists. Technology will remain beneficial as long as it is not misused. But technology does not qualify one as a wise man. Hikmat (wisdom) is acquired through spiritual and metaphysical knowledge.
But, the so-called philosophers (the scientists, theosophists, evolutionist, etc.) are absolutely devoid of any spiritual knowledge. It is because of the total lack of this form of knowledge that they reject outrightly Nubuwwat.

16.REVERSION TO THE ORIGINAL TOPIC
This digression followed in explanation of the assertion that at times harmful effects ensue in the wake of righteousness as well. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) made this abundantly clear. And, this was presented in explaining that sometimes abundance of sin causes one to lose hope in the mercy of Allah; and when such a condition is reached, one indulges in sin shamelessly and audaciously. Sin then ceases to bother or worry such a perpetrator. But one who has sinned slightly does not lose hope in Magfirat and Rahmat. He always entertains hope and is concerned with his condition. He strives to abstain from sin. For this reason was it said earlier that those whose spiritual condition is on a lesser degree of degeneration, stand in greater need of this discourse.

17.THE CONDITION OF THE KHAWAS IN SIN
Among those of lesser degeneration, the condition of the khawas (special devotees of Allah Taala) is more acute. Their state is aptly summed up in the couplet:
If from the garden of the Salik (the devotee journeying in the quest of Allah) a single blade of grass is reduced, Thousands of pangs of grief smite his heart.
In other words: leave alone sin; if even a slight change undergoes his heart, a mountain of grief breaks down upon him. If at that juncture of grief a qualified spiritual guide is at hand, the devotee is consoled and saved from destruction, for at times the devotee is utterly annihilated by the unbearable grief. (This condition of extreme grief is called Qabdh in the terminology of Tasawwuf). About this condition Maulana Rumi (rahmatullah alayhi) says: When the condition of qabdh appears, contemplate the condition of bast /bast is the opposite condition of qabdh), remain happy and display no sign of grief.
This is indeed a statement of great wisdom and experience.
To be conlcuded