ys be able to resist any opposition they might feel towards the master. He must never show any disagreement even if he knows that he is right and the master is wrong. If he is in the company of faqirs he must never oppose others. The only person he should oppose is himself. He should understand that none of the faqirs have an obligation to him, but that they do have an obligatory right over him. The Sufi must take care to never openly contradict the faqirs as well as the master. However, he may contradict them in his heart and his conscience.To be able to maintain that kind of silence and to live under that kind of subordination would take a great deal of humility. A proud person could never deal with that type of rank among a group of people.One of the hardest things a Sufi must be able to do is to deny the body its human cravings. This is because the master of any Sufi could order that Sufi to sleep only when necessary and to eat only very little until that Sufi could withstand even eating. A good Sufi must never satisfy the body more than is necessary. Sufis must also give up association with common, worldly people. According to the Qur'an, 18:28, God said, "Do not obey those whose hearts we have made heedless of our remembrance." Such an association is considered a dangerous poison.These attributes that a good Sufi must have indicate that followers of Sufism lead a challenging life. Anyone who wants to come closer to God following the path of Sufism has to really stay focused. It obviously requires attributes that the majority of people do not possess....
