I replied, “Indeed! I have come out seeking peace of mind and wish to understand why I have been deprived of it tonight.”

I then asked him, “Tell me, do you need something from me?”

He answered, “Yes, I have a requirement.”

I enquired, “What is it?”

He replied, “O Abū al-Qāsim! Tell me, is there a circumstance in which a disease itself becomes a remedy?”

I replied, “Yes, there is indeed such a case. Listen carefully: when you oppose the desires of the lower self (nafs), all maladies of the heart shall vanish, and these very diseases shall transform into a remedy.”

Upon hearing this, the man heaved a deep, sorrowful sigh and remarked, “I have already been given the answer to this question seven times tonight in exactly the same way, but it was my wish to hear the answer to my question from your tongue. By the grace and mercy of Allah, my wish has been fulfilled, and I have heard the answer to my question from your blessed tongue, may Allah have mercy on you.” Having said this, the man departed and was never seen again.^[1]

Dear Islamic brothers! You have heard the magnificent prescription provided by the great saint, Sayyidunā  Abū al-Qāsim Junayd al-Baghdādī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه  that when you oppose the desires of the soul, all the diseases of the heart will be banished from you, and these very diseases will become your medicine. This shows how deadly the pursuit of lusts and the fulfilment of carnal desires is, for it fills the heart with the defilements of sin. We must reflect: perhaps our hearts are