Al-Malāʾika (or Fāṭir)^{1The sūra bears the title ‘al-Malāʾika’ in all three MSS. The printed edition has the alternative title: Fāṭir.}

His words, Exalted is He:

…He [Satan] only summons his adherents…

That is, Satan summons to him those who obey him among the people of whims (ahwāʾ), innovations (bidaʿ) and abberations (ḍalālāt), along with those who listen to such things from one who propounds them.

His words:

…To Him ascends the good word, and as for righteous conduct, He raises it up…

He said:

Its outer meaning is supplication (duʿāʾ) and charity (ṣadaqa), and its inner meaning is remembrance (dhikr), while acting upon what you know and advancing through [following] the Sunna. He raises it up means, He makes it reach [Him] due to the presence within it of sincerity towards God, Exalted is He.

His words:

O mankind! It is you who stand in need of God…

He said:

That is, ‘You [depend] upon Him in your very selves, for truly when God created all creatures He imposed upon His servants neediness (faqr) for Him, while He is the Rich and Independent (al-Ghanī). Furthermore, whoever claims to be wealthy has been veiled from God, Mighty and Majestic is He. On the other hand, whoever shows his need for God, will find that He joins his need to His wealth. The servant should feel the need for Him in his innermost secret (sirr), cutting himself off from all other than Him, so that his servanthood (ʿubūdiyya) becomes pure (maḥḍa); for pure servanthood is self-abasement (dhull) and humble submission (khuḍūʿ).

He was asked, ‘How does one show one’s need for Him?’ He said:

The neediness takes three [forms]: [the servants’] showing [awareness] of having been needy from pre-eternity (faqruhum al-qadīm); their showing need in their state (faqr ḥālihim), and their showing neediness through the death of the self to its [own] devising and managing [of things] (tadbīr). Whoever does not come up to [these standards] is false in his claim to neediness.

He also said:

The truly needful [person] (al-faqīr al-ṣādiq) is the one who does not ask [for things except from God] (lā yasʾalu), does not turn down [that which has been granted to him by God] (lā yaruddu), and does not hold back [from giving in the path of God when asked] (lā yaḥbisu).

ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz رضي الله عنه said that the friends of God can be described [as having] three characteristics [lit. things]: confidence (thiqa) in God, Exalted is He, in everything; showing neediness for Him (faqr ilayhi) in everything; and taking refuge in Him (rujūʿ ilayhi) from everything.

His words:

Then We gave the Book as inheritance to those of Our servants whom We chose. [Yet among them is the one who has wronged himself, the one who is in the middle position and the one who is foremost in good deeds…]

ʿUmar b. Wāṣil stated that he heard heard Sahl say:

The one who is foremost (sābiq) is the one who is learned; one who is in the middle position (muqtaṣid) is the one who is learning (mutaʿallim), and the one who has wronged himself (ẓālim) is the one who is ignorant (jāhil).

He also said:

The one who is foremost is he who is only preoccupied with his Hereafter; the one who is in the middle position is the one who is preoccupied with his Hereafter and his life in this world; but the wrongdoer is he who is preoccupied only with his worldly life, without any concern for his Hereafter. Ḥasan al-Baṣrī (may God have mercy on him) said the foremost are those whose good deeds outweigh their misdeeds, those who are in the middle position are the ones whose good deeds and misdeeds balance each other, while the wrongdoers are those whose misdeeds outweigh their good deeds.

His words:

…Praise be to God, who has removed from us (all) sorrow…

That is, the sorrow of being cut off [from God] (ḥuzn al-qaṭīʿa). …Truly our Lord is Forgiving, Appreciative, that is, He forgives abundant sins, and shows appreciation for insignificant works.