The heart may be described as belonging to one of four types: uplifted, open, low, or stopped. The raf (uplifting) of the heart lies in remembrance of Allah; the fath (opening) of the heart lies in the pleasure of Allah; the khafd (lowering) of the heart lies in occupation with anything other than Allah, and the waqf (stopping) of the heart lies in paying heed to anything other than Allah . '

Do you not see that when a servant remembers Allah with sincere respect, every veil that was between him and Allah is removed? If the heart obeys the source of Allah's decree and is content with that, then how do happiness, joy and worldly rest open up to him? When the heart is occupied with some of the matters of this world and its means, how, then, can it find what Allah has mentioned? Then the heart becomes reduced and dark like an empty, ruined house which has neither prosperity nor occupant.

When a person is distracted from remembering Allah, then you see that he is 'stopped' from advancing, and veiled. He has become obdurate and dark since leaving the light which issues from the servant's veneration of his Lord. The sign of raf' lies in agreement in every respect, lack of opposition, and constant yearning; the sign of fath lies in trustful dependence on Allah, truthfulness and certainty; the sign of khafd lies in pride, showing off, and greed; and the sign of waqf lies in the departure of the sweetness of obedience, lack of the bitterness of rebellion, and of confusion in the knowledge of what is permitted and what is forbidden.