﴿ قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّىَ ٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَٱلْإِثْمَ وَٱلْبَغْىَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَأَن تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِۦ سُلْطَٰنًۭا وَأَن تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

“Say: "Verily, my Sustainer has forbidden only shameful deeds, be they open or secret, and [every kind of] sinning, and unjustified envy, and the ascribing of divinity to aught beside Him - since He has never bestowed any warrant therefor from on high and the attributing unto God of aught of which you have no knowledge."”

Say: My Lord only forbids indecent acts, such of them as are apparent and such as are hidden�He [Sahl] said:This refers to the envy (ḥasad) of a person�s heart and the actions of his bodily members. If he were to give up the management (tadbīr) of both he would be one of the �mainstays� (awtād) of the earth. However, the servant is between two states: either he is managing with his heart that which is not his concern, or he is acting through his bodily members upon that which is not his concern. No one is saved from either of these two except through the protection (ʿiṣma) of God, Exalted is He. The source of life for hearts is certainty, and their darkness is brought on through [their own] devising and management (tadbīr).He [Abū Bakr] said, �We were with Sahl at sunset, and he said to Aḥmad b. Sālim, leave off managingthings, so that we may pray the ʿĪshāʾ prayer in Mecca. His words, Exalted is He:�And [forbids] that you say concerning God that which you do not know.Whoever speaks about God without permission, in a way which lacks reverence (ḥurma) or without maintaining the due propriety (adab), has rent the veil (satr). Indeed, God, Exalted is He, has forbidden anyone to say anything about Him of which he has no knowledge.His words, Exalted is He: