performed Jihad as we were commanded: Allah — Exalted Glory — said: «Go forth, whether light or heavy, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah. That is better for you, if you only knew»1. Whosoever finds an Imam for whom obedience is obligatory and does not strive before him nor surrenders all his affair to him has contradicted Allah and His Messenger, and whosoever contradicts Allah and His Messenger is not rational. The Messenger of Allah commanded us with maintaining kinship ties and he maintained them as he commanded us: Allah — Exalted Glory — said: «And those of [blood] relationship are more entitled to inheritance in the decree of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of all things»2. Whosoever does not maintain kinship ties and cuts off what Allah commanded has contradicted Allah and His Messenger, and whosoever contradicts Allah and His Messenger is not rational. The Messenger of Allah commanded us with truthfulness and he was truthful in everything as Allah commanded; whosoever does not believe him is not rational. Much like this are commands and prohibitions, which he commanded us with and forbade us from, and they are well-known and famous. I have only mentioned a little to be an indicator for the many, and with Allah is aid and success."
The youth said: "If we see a man acting according to what Allah commanded and desisting from what Allah forbade, hastening to noble deeds and the performance of good works, and avoiding the prohibited matters, yet he is not a gnostic—what is said of him?" The Noble One said: "The rational one is he who places things in their proper places. This word has various meanings from which the action of the rational servant does not escape. Among them is that he who places things in their proper places is he who worships Allah — Exalted Glory — based on a gnosis that he knows, masters, and realizes; likewise, he does not speak except what he knows with certain knowledge. Among them is that he who places things in their proper places is he who listens only