“The aspirant needs four things:

1) A luxurious mount,
2) An expansive house,
3) A fine garment, and
4) A radiant lamp.

The luxurious mount is patience; the expansive house, intelligence; the fine garment, modesty and piety; and the radiant lamp, knowledge that benefits.

My counsel to you is to uphold oaths, allegiances and promises. Guard the door and the remembrance of Allah in every circumstance. Conceal poverty and sit with the truth, by the tongue of truth, on the path of truth until you arrive at the Truth by the Truth, if Allah so wills, and He is the Exalted. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Master Muhammad and upon his family and companions.”

– Ibn Khafif