Inclinations of the Heart

The line of the straight Alif is the line of journeying through the levels and ascents of lā ilāha illā Allāh, Muḥammad rasūl Allāh, through the inclining of the heart toward it, and its attachment to it, until it achieves realization of it. This is why it is important for you to closely observe the inclinations of your heart: towards whom, and where, and what does it desire? The way to recognize the inclination of your heart is very easy: all you have to do is sit in a room by yourself in the last third of the night, and to place a mirror in front of you, and to talk to it with all sincerity about your deeds, your aspirations and desires, and ask it, ‘Do you want God, or do you want other than God?’ This is the meaning of ‘asking the heart’s opinion’, about which the Prophet said, ‘Ask your heart’s opinion’ (istafti qalbaka). For when the heart inclines toward something, it abases itself to it and is submissive to it. So if you want to know your worth with God, you must simply discover God’s worth in your heart.

Shaykh Mohamed Faouzi al-Karkari (qs) Taratil al-Ha'iyya