result of thinking of it is pollution (_janábat_): hence legal impurity involves purification and pollution involves total ablution. One day Shiblí purified himself. When he came to the door of the mosque a voice whispered in his heart: “Art thou so pure that thou enterest My house with this boldness?” He turned back, but the voice asked: “Dost thou turn back from My door? Whither wilt thou go?” He uttered a loud cry. The voice said: “Dost thou revile me?” He stood silent. The voice said: “Dost thou pretend to endure My affliction?” Shiblí exclaimed: “O God, I implore Thee to help me against Thyself.” Footnote 146: The face, hands, and feet. The Ṣúfí Shaykhs have fully discussed the true meaning of purification, and have commanded their disciples not to cease from purifying themselves both outwardly and inwardly. He who would serve God must purify himself outwardly with water, and he who would come nigh unto God must purify himself inwardly with repentance. Now I will explain the principles of repentance (_tawbat_) and its corollaries. _Chapter concerning Repentance and its Corollaries._ You must know that repentance (_tawbat_) is the first station of pilgrims on the way to the Truth, just as purification (_ṭahárat_) is the first step of those who desire to serve God. Hence God hath said: “_O believers, repent unto God with a sincere repentance_” (Kor. lxvi, 8). And the Apostle said, “There is nothing that God loves more than a youth who repents”; and he also said, “He who repents of sin is even as one who has no sin”; then he added, “When God loves a man, sin shall not hurt him,” i.e. he will not become an infidel on account of sin, and his faith will not be impaired. Etymologically _tawbat_ means “return”, and _tawbat_ really involves the turning back from what God has forbidden through fear of what He has commanded. The Apostle said: “Penitence is the act of returning” (_al-nadam al-tawbat_). This saying comprises three things which are involved in _tawbat_, namely, (1) remorse for disobedience, (2) immediate abandonment of sin, and (3) determination not to sin again. As repentance (_tawbat_) involves these three conditions, so contrition (_nadámat_) may be due to three causes: (1) fear of Divine chastisement and sorrow for evil actions, (2) desire of Divine favour and certainty that it cannot be gained by evil conduct and disobedience, (3) shame before God. In the first case the penitent is _tá´ib_, in the second case he is _muníb_, in the third case he is _awwáb_. Similarly, _tawbat_ has three stations, viz., _tawbat_, through fear of Divine punishment; _inábat_, through desire of Divine reward; and _awbat_, for the sake of keeping the Divine command. _Tawbat_ is the station of the mass of believers, and implies repentance from great sins (_kabírat_);[147] and _inábat_ is the station of the saints and favourites of God (_awliyá ú muqarrabán_);[148] and _awbat_ is the