ar-Ri ʿāyah li-ḥūqūq Allah

ar-Riʿāyah li-ḥuqūq Allāh is a significant work by the Muslim mystic and theologian al-Muḥāsibī. Written around 857 CE, it emphasizes that while asceticism is valuable, it must be balanced with inner and outer duties toward God. Al-Muḥāsibī, a precursor to later Muslim orthodoxy, stressed the importance of reason and self-examination, a method called muḥāsabah, to anticipate the Last Judgment. He believed that outward piety could mask inner vices like hypocrisy and pride, and that true understanding of Islam involved seeking its inner meaning, distinguishing Sufis (ahl al-ḥaqīqah, people of truth) from those who focused solely on external religious law (ahl ash-sharīʿah).12