It should be understood that Abdullah Ansari here speaks of friendship with God, or as he puts it, with Divine Truth. For more about this early Sufi, see this post.
The sign of acquiring the response of friendship
is contentment.
That which increases the splendour of friendship
is devotion.
The principal fund of the treasure of friendship
is light.
The fruit of the tree of friendship
is delight.
The one who dissociates himself from this world and the Hereafter
is justified.
The one who solicits from the Friend any gift but the Friend
is ungrateful.
Friendship is friendship with Divine Truth,
and all the rest is temptation.
Translation A.G. Ravan Farhadi
Thank you for sharing this. What a powerful distinction on solicitations: The one who solicits from the Friend any gift but the Friend
is ungrateful.
Yes, it is very clear – but it applies to the one to whom friendship has been granted.If one is not so intimate, then to ask the Divine for daily needs would be appropriate.