. . . Are these stern lectures not sufficient for you? . . .

. . . . . Are these stern lectures [mawa’iz] not sufficient for you? If only you would take advise, and listen with the ears of your hearts! All that you really need in this business is to feel the fear of your Lord, in both your private and your public lives. You must always be vigilantly aware of Him. You must be conscious of the fact that He is watching you, and that your conduct is being monitored by the angels, the Noble Recorders [al-Kiram al-Katibin.You should indeed be afraid of the pair [of angels assigned to keep the record of your deeds], for then you need not be afraid of the penalties prescribed by Islamic law [hudud shar’iyya] that could be imposed upon you by your worldly ruler [sultan] and your political leader [amir]. If only you would be afraid of Allah and the recording angels, the person responsible for looking after you would not have any trouble with you! . . . . .

Taken from “The Fortieth Discourse”, given in the year A.H.546/1152 C.E.by Sheik' Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, of the book titled, “The Removal of Cares (Jala Al-Khawatir).