(_miḥnat_); but in order to console themselves they have invented a fine-sounding phraseology (_`ibáratí muzakhraf_) and have produced “stations” and “stages” and a “path”. Their symbolic expressions, however, begin and end in themselves, and their “stations” do not rise beyond their own _genus_, whereas God is exempt from every human attribute and relationship. Abu ´l-Ḥasan Núrí says: _Na`t al-faqír al-sukún `inda ´l-`adam wa ´l-badhl `inda ´l-wujúd_; and he says also: _Al-iḍṭiráb `inda ´l-wujúd_, “When he gets nothing he is silent, and when he gets something he regards another person as better entitled to it than himself, and therefore gives it away.” The practice enunciated in this saying is of great importance. There are two meanings: (1) His quiescence when he gets nothing is satisfaction (_riḍá_), and his liberality when he gets something is love (_maḥabbat_), because “satisfied” means “accepting a robe of honour” (_qábil-i khil`at_), and the robe of honour is a token of proximity (_qurbat_) whereas the lover (_muḥibb_) rejects the robe of honour inasmuch as it is a token of severance (_furqat_); and (2) his quiescence when he gets nothing is expectation of getting something, and when he has got it, that “something” is other than God: he cannot be satisfied with anything other than God; therefore he rejects it. Both these meanings are implicit in the saying of the Grand Shaykh, Abu ´l-Qásim Junayd: _Al-faqr khuluww al-qalb `an al-ashkál_, “When his heart is empty of phenomena he is poor.” Since the existence of phenomena is “other” (than God), rejection is the only course possible. Shiblí says: _Al-faqr baḥr al-balá wa-balá´uhu kulluhu `izz^{un}_, “Poverty is a sea of trouble, and all troubles for His sake are glorious.” Glory is a portion of “other”. The afflicted are plunged in trouble and know nothing of glory, until they forget their trouble and regard the Author thereof. Then their trouble is changed into glory, and their glory into a spiritual state (_waqt_), and their spiritual state into love, and their love into contemplation, so that finally the brain of the aspirant becomes wholly a centre of vision through the predominance of his imagination: he sees without eye, and hears without ear. Again, it is glorious for a man to bear the burden of trouble laid upon him by his Beloved, for in truth misfortune is glory, and prosperity is humiliation. Glory is that which makes one present with God, and humiliation is that which makes one absent from God: the affliction of poverty is a sign of “presence”, while the delight of riches is a sign of “absence”. Therefore one should cling to trouble of any description that involves contemplation and intimacy. Junayd says: _Yá ma`shar al-fuqará innakum tu`rafúna billáh wa-tukra-múna lilláh fa-´nẕurú kayfa takúnúna ma`a a ´lláh idhá khalawtum bihi_, “O ye that are poor, ye are known through God, and are honoured for the sake of God: take heed how ye behave when ye are alone with Him,” i.e.