Besides their traditional religious meanings, the terms 'practicing right' (amr-i bi ma'ruf) and 'forbearing from wrong' (nahy-l az monkar) also have additional meanings in Sufism.

In Sufi terminology, 'right' means serving God, and 'wrong' mean; associating with the nafs or, to put it another way, 'right' is God, and 'wrong' is the creation.

By 'practicing right' and 'forbearing from wrong', the Sufis mean that people should get away from egotism and become closer to God.

When Bayazid was asked about 'practicing right' and 'forbearing from wrong', he explained, "Try to be in a domain where right and wrong do no exist, for both exist in the domain of the creation. On the plane of Unity, then is neither 'practicing right' nor 'forbearing from wrong'."

In both worlds, only God is 'right';
The only 'wrong' in being is the ego.

'Wrong' appears as the face of multiplicity;
That which is 'right' is pure Unity.

Put being away; pass 'wrong' by,
So that 'right' may appear before your eyes,

As long as you are absorbed, in self, know that you are 'wrong'.
Let yourself go and be freed from duality.

The only 'wrong' in existence is you;
The appearance of you has separated you from Existence.

For the Sufi what is other than God. is 'wrong';
Hence, he flees from what is other than God.

Because 'right' can mean nothing but Unity,
The Sufi directs himself towards that Unity.

On this path there is no 'wrong' but you,
And there is no 'right' but God.