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KNOW THAT WHEN those who engage in commerce and deal in commodities settle accounts, they seek a healthy profit. Hence, the trader avails himself of his associate, handing him money for the trade and then settling his account with him. It is the same with the intellect ('aql) as it does commerce on the way to the Hereafter. Its object and profit is the purification of the soul, because its felicity is through this.
Said God Exalted, He is truly felicitous who purifies [his soul] and he fails who corrupts it. The soul's felicity is through good works. The intellect avails itself of the soul in this trade because it uses the soul and subjugates it to what will purify it, just as the trader avails himself of his associate and servant, who trades with [the trader's] money.
Now, as the other party can be adversarial, disputing and rivalling him for profit, first, he needs to agree on the conditions; second, to be vigilant with him; third, to call him to account; and fourth, to punish or censure him. By the same token, the intellect first needs to set the conditions for the soul (musharatat al-nafs); then to assign tasks to it, lay down the conditions, guide it to the paths of felicity and force it to undertake such paths without for a single moment neglecting to keep vigilant over it. Whenever, on the other hand, the intellect neglects the soul it will find nothing but disloyalty in it and the loss of capital—just like the disloyal servant who, left at liberty, may abscond with the money.
When all is spoken for, [the intellect] has to call the soul to account and demand that it fulfil what conditions he has imposed upon it. For the gain of this commerce is the highest paradise (al-firdaws al-a'la), the arrival at the Lote Tree (sidrat al-muntaha) with the prophets and those who bear witness. Meticulous self-accounting is far more important in this [respect] than [meticulousness] in worldly gains, insignificant as these are in comparison with the [ultimate] end of felicity. For whatever they may be, they are destined to end and to cease. There is no good in an ephemeral good. On the contrary, an ephemeral evil is better than an ephemeral good, because once the ephemeral evil ceases an enduring joy comes with the interruption—the evil having ended. Whereas the ephemeral good, once interrupted, becomes continual regret once the good ends.
This is why it is said,
The greatest distress for me is in joy,
Certain it will turn is he who possesses it
It behoves every resolute person with faith in God and the Last Day not to omit calling his soul to account—to restrict its movements and repose, thoughts and steps. For, every breath of life is a precious gem that has no substitute. One may purchase with it a treasure the felicity of which is everlasting. The expiry of these breaths, when they are forfeited or wasted on what only procures ruin, is a great and stupendous loss which no reasonable soul can permit.
