To Khan-e-Khana's Son, Mirza Darab

This letter, written to Khan-i Khanan's son Mirza Darab, informs that to thank Allahu ta'ala is to follow Islam.

May Allahu ta'ala increase your energy and help you! Both reason and the Shariat confirm that he who does favors should be thanked. The degree of the thanks is dependent upon the amount of the blessing coming. The greater the blessing, the greater the necessity to express gratitude. As it is seen, the rich should be more thankful than the poor, depending on the degree of wealth. It is for this reason that the poor ones of this Ummat will go into Paradise five hundred years before the rich.

To thank Allahu ta'ala, it is necessary to have a belief compatible with what the savants of Ahl as-sunnat taught. For, it is only this group who will be saved from Hell. After correcting the belief, it is necessary to act compatibly with the Shariat. The Shariat should be learned from the books of the mujtahids of this group. [It should not be learned from a Mufti who is a reformer, who knows nothing of the din, from an ignorant hafiz, or from the misguiding writings of irreligious people, which are written in newspapers under the pretense of praising the din in order to deceive young people.] Then the turn comes to tasfiya and tazkiya on the way shown by great Sunnite men of tasawwuf.

There are great benefits in this third stage of thanks, though it is not obligatory. But the first two stages are obligatory. For, these two are the base, the essence of Islam. Islam perfects and matures an individual by means of the third stage. Everything outside these three stages, which are the belief of Ahl as-sunnat, the commandments of the Shariat, and the way of great men of tasawwuf, is nothing but sinning, disobedience and ingratitude, including troublesome mortifications and vehement struggles. Ancient Indian Brahmins and Greek philosophers engaged in great acts of mortification. Yet, because they did not adapt themselves to Prophets "alaihimussalam", all their practices were sins rather than acts of thanksgiving to Allahu ta'ala.

None of them were accepted. In the next world they will not be saved from Hell. Then, hold fast to the way of our Sayyid, of our Master, of our Savior, of our Intercessor for the forgiveness of our sins, of our Specialist who cures our hearts and souls, that is, of our Master Muhammad Rasulullah "sall-Allahu alaihi wa 'ala alihi wa sallam', and to the way of his four Khalifas! His for Khalifas "ridwanullahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain' are the guides to the way of salvation, who will conduct you to happiness. Allahu ta'ala will bless those who walk on this way.