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« difficult than being sincere within one’s own soul. The lowest level of sincerity [towards God] within the soul is gratitude (shukr), which is not to disobey God by [abusing] the blessings He has bestowed [on you] (bi-niʿamihi). On another occasion I heard him say: Sincerity is not to involve yourself in anything which you do not have the power to put right. His words, Exalted is He: [7:94] And We did not send a prophet to any city but that We seized its people with misery and hardship… He [Sahl] said: This means they lost their hearts through their lack of knowledge, and because of severe hard- »