[O you who believe] do not profane God's sacraments, in the way of the stations and the states by which the state of the wayfarer in his wayfaring is known, such as patience, gratitude, trust, satisfaction and their like. In other words, do not commit the sins of the states and do not infringe the bounds of the station, for these are the sacred waymarks of God's pure religion. Just as these acknowledged places are marked out by the ritual that is performed thereat, such as the circumambulation, the pacing and the sacrifice and others, and [just as] the acknowledged acts of the pilgrimage are waymarks by which the pilgrim perceives his way, so these stations, levels and states are [also] waymarks by which the wayfarer perceives his state. And just as manifestly according to the [divine] law it is not permitted that one change the places of these [waymarks] or infringe its rules, so it is with these [spiritual waymarks] according to the law of the lovers, as is related of one of them who used to talk [at length] about [the station of] patience. When a scorpion pounced onto his leg and began to sting him, he remained as he was and did not cast it off. He was asked about this and said, 'I am ashamed to speak so much of a station then do what it is contrary to it'; nor the sacred month, meaning the moment of entering into pilgrim sanctity for the true pilgrimage, which is the moment of the wayfaring and the arrival, [profaning it] by infrining its bounds and occupying oneself with what is incompatible with it and bars him from his orientation and slows him down in his journeying; nor the offering, nor the prepared soul that is made ready for the sacrificial offering upon arrival at the courtyard of the divine presence, in the way mentioned, [profaning it] by using it for a purpose that distracts it from its path or weakens it, or by making it bear more than it has the capacity for in terms of spiritual discipline such that the person is severed [from the goal of wayfaring] before he has even reached [the desired] locus; nor the garlands, nor what the soul has garlanded itself with of the distinguishing mark of the wayfaring folk and of the [good] customary practices and outward deeds, by abandoning them or changing their condition; nor those repairing to the Sacred House, nor those purposeful seekers who are conscientious and industrious in their wayfaring, by causing them to change or preventing them from [pursuing their] spiritual discipline, or by belittling their resolve by interfering [with them] or reducing [their] ceremonious pacing, giving them the illusion that they have no need for any of that, or by distracting them with what bars them [from their spiritual purpose] or causes them to be idle, while they seek bounty from their Lord, by means of the self-disclosures of the acts, and beatitude, by means of the self-disclosures of the attributes. But when you are discharged, upon the return to subsistence after annihilation and uprightness, then hunt for game, that is, then you would not be at fault with regard to [enjoying] the shares. Nay, it may well be that permitting the soul to enjoy its shares is of assistance to it in its witnessings and unveilings given its nobleness, astuteness and its intense purity. And let not hatred of a people, to the end [of the verse]: that is, let not some ego-centric faculties that impede you from your wayfaring lead you to vanquish these [faculties] totally by preventing them from the rights to which they are entitled so that you end up invalidating these [duties] or impairing them from [receiving] these benefits and what is required of their acts as a result of your barring of them, for the evil consequence of such will fall on you; or [the verse means] let not the enmity of some from among your folk or kin or friends, because they have prevented you from disengagement or from spiritual discipline in the wayfaring, cause you to commit aggression, against them by way of causing them harm or loathing them or desiring that evil befall them, for that will cause more harm to you in terms of your wayfaring than their prevention of you. Help one another to righteousness and piety, by controlling these faculties and managing them delicately by being kind to them with regard to what they are entitled to and by preventing them from their shares, or by being considerate towards relatives, kin and friends by being indulging them and being kind to them and honouring duties towards them even as you do not obey them concerning that which would prevent you from such [righteousness and piety], avoiding it as God, exalted be He, says: then do not obey them, but keep company with them in this world honourably [Q. 31:15]. And fear God, by making [fear of Him] a means of protection [from error] for you in such matters and be wary of contravening Him in such [matters]; surely God is severe in retribution, requiting you with sanction and privation.