Spiritual Advice 2

Abu Dardaa Radhiallaho anho reports that Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihewasallam said; 'If you knew what I know, you would laugh less andweep more often and the world would become contemptible in yoursight, and you would not prefer it to the Hereafter'. After relatingthe Hadith, Abu Dardaa Radhiallaho anho added on his own account: 'Ifyou knew what I know, you would go out to the jungle, weeping andcrying and leave your property unguarded. But your hearts areheedless of the requirements of the Hereafter and you have, beforeyou, worldly hopes and aspirations. That is why the world has becomeyour master and all your activities are directed towards it; you havereduced yourself to a condition of stark ignorance. What is worse,some of you have become like the animals, indulging in lustfulactivities, not minding the evil consequences. What has happened toyou that you do not love one another, nor admonish one another,though you are brothers in Islam? There is discord among you becauseof your wrong desires, arising out of the corruption within you. Ifyou are united in the cause of 'Deen' and affairs of 'Deen', yourbonds of mutual relationship will be strengthened. What has happenedto you, that you counsel one another about affairs of this world, butdo not do so about affairs of the Akhirah? You are incapable ofadmonishing those whom you love and do not give them good counselabout the affairs of the Hereafter. This is only because of yourweak faith. If you had faith in the good and evil things of theHereafter, like your belief in the good and evil things of thisworld, you would certainly give preference to the Akhirah. TheAkhirah should have greater control over your affairs. You may saythat the needs of this world are immediate, while those of theHereafter are remote. Just imagine how many activities there are, inthis world, of which the fruits have to be reaped later. Still youoil and fret and struggle hard for them! For example, you work hardin the fields, for months together, hoping to reap crops in the end.Similarly, you take pains to plant trees in the garden, hoping topick the fruit after years of hard labour and patient waiting. Youhave deteriorated, in matters of faith, so much that you do not careto gauge the level of your Imaan (faith) by doing things that wouldreveal it'.'If you have any doubts about the revealed knowledge conveyed to usby Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam, please come to us, so thatwe may show you the truth of this knowledge and make it abundantlyclear to you. Come, we will show you the light by which you will beable to see, for yourself, that whatever Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihewasallam said is absolutely true. You are no fools that we shouldregard you incapable of understanding it. For, you hold sound viewsabout worldly affairs and act upon them most carefully. Then, whatis wrong with you that you do not exercise wisdom, nor act with duecare in affairs of the Akhirah. What has happened to you? Why is itthat you feel very happy over a paltry gain of this world and feelvery sad over a little loss, to the extent that its effect isreflected in your faces. You complain of your 'sufferings', callinga little trouble a 'suffering' and hold meetings to console oneanother. But you are not grieved, nor feel sad, when you happen tomiss an important religious requirement; your faces do not wear anexpression of sorrow. When I see your indifference towards 'Deen', Ifeel inclined to think that Allah Ta'ala has forsaken you. You greetone another happily but everyone avoids saying anything which may beunpleasant, though true, to the other. He fears lest the otherperson should say to him something in return, which would displeasehim. So, you live amicably, keeping all dark thoughts toyourselves. Thus you have become corrupt from within though,outwardly, you seem to be enjoying life. And you seem to have allagreed not to think of death. I wish Allah Ta'ala would grant medeath and relieve me of sorrow on your account! And, I wish to jointhe company of those I love most dearly (meaning RasulullahSallallaho alaihe wasallam and the Sahabah Radhiallaho anhum). Ifthey were alive, they would not have liked to associate with you,even for a short while. If there still remains an iota of good inyou, take heed. For, I have told you what I think of you clearly andwithout hesitation, and I have spoken the truth. It is quite easy toachieve that which Allah Ta'ala has got in store for you (the boonsof the Hereafter). And I seek help from Allah Ta'ala, both for youand myself'. (Here ends the Exhortation given by Abu DardaaRadhiallaho anho.)This admonition by Abu Dardaa Radhiallaho anho deserves deepconsideration, because he was showing his displeasure to thosepersons with whom we, today, cannot stand comparison. If Abu DardaaRadhiallaho anho were to see our present day deplorable indifferencetowards 'Deen', he would certainly have died of sorrow and grief.Surely for people like him, the sight of our present-day sad plightin religious matter would be most unbearable.Hasan Basri Rahmathullah alaihe says, 'May Allah have mercy uponthose who were given this world as a trust and they, in turn,entrusted it to others and passed away, freed from the worries of theworld!' He also says, 'If anyone prevents you from observanceof 'Deen', defy him; but if anyone hinders you from gaining a worldlyadvantage, leave it for him and have no care'. Abu HaazimRahmatullah alaihe says, 'Protect yourself from worldly attractions!On the Day of Resurrection, a man will be summoned and theannouncement shall be made, 'He is the man who set great value uponthings which had been condemned by Allah Ta'ala'. Abdullah IbneMasood Radhiallaho anho says; 'Everybody is, so to say, a guest inhis own house, and all his possessions are like borrowed things. Theguest shall go back home (to the Hereafter) and the borrowed thingsshall have to be returned'.Once Rabiah Basriyya Rahmathullah alaiha was sitting in company withsome people who were talking of the world reproachfully. Shesaid, 'Do not talk of the world. Do not talk of it evendisparagingly. For, your talking of it shows that you consider it tobe worth talking about, and something of consequence. If it were ofno consequence in your sight, you would never have liked to make amention of it. (For, who would talk about the filth that menexcrete?)'Luqman alaihissalam said, in the course of his last advice to hisson, 'Barter this world for your 'Deen', you will reap the benefits(of the bargain) both in this world, and the Hereafter; but do notbarter away your 'Deen' for the sake of this world, or else you willsuffer loss in this world and the next'. Mutarrif bin ShikheerRahmatullah alaihe says, 'Do not look admiringly at the luxuriouslife of the kings and their fine dress. Consider what shall be theend of all this'.Abu Umamah Radhiallaho anho says, 'When Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihewasallam was sent as a 'Nabi' to mankind, Shaitan (Satan) sent forthhis detachments to take stock of the situation. They came back andtold him that a 'Nabi' had been sent to mankind and that he has alarge number of followers. Shaitan then asked them to make surewhether they (the followers) loved the world. His disciplesreplied, 'Yes, certainly'. Shaitan then said, 'I do not mind, eventhough they shun idol-worship, for I shall seduce them with threethings: (1) earning money by unlawful means, (2) spending it in anunlawful manner, and (3) refusing to spend it on things on which itshould be spent'.Ali Radhiallaho anho says; 'Man shall have to render an account ofhis lawfully earned money and he will have to suffer punishment forthe money earned unlawfully'. Maalik bin Dinar Rahmatullah alaihesays, 'Beware of this sorceress (the world), because its magic workseven upon the hearts of the Ulama'.Abu Sulaiman Darani Rahmatullah alaihe says, 'He whose heart isoccupied with love of the Hereafter cannot be at peace with the lifeof the world; for the latter will go on struggling to take possessionof his heart. On the other hand, he whose heart is occupied by thelove of this world, need not worry about any hindrance from theHereafter. For, the life of Akhirah is like a being of nobledisposition, least willing to take possession of homes occupied byothers. And this world is mean by nature, imbued with the desire tooccupy others' houses by force'. Maalik bin Dinar Rahmatullah alaihesays, 'The more you worry about this world, the less concerned willyou be about your Hereafter. And the more concerned you are aboutthe Hereafter, the less worried will you be about this world'.Hasan Basri Rahmatullah alaihe says, 'I have known people to whom theworldly benefits were of less importance than the earth on which youwalk and they did not care a whit for the gain or loss of thosebenefits. Nor did they care to notice who was receiving them and whowas being deprived'. Someone asked him, 'What do you think of aperson whom Allah Ta'ala has granted abundance of wealth and hespends it, giving it away as Sadaqah or spends it on his relations?Is it advisable for him to partake of delicious food and lead asumptuous life?' Hasan Rahmatullah alaihe replied, 'No even if hewere to possess all the treasures of the world, it would be advisablefor him to spend on his own needs only as much as was absolutelynecessary. He should remit all that exceeds his barest needs to thenext world, where it will be treasured up for him to be utilized on aDay (the Day of Resurrection) when he is in dire need of help'.Fudhail Rahmatullah alaihe says, 'If I were presented all the richesof the world, with the assurance that no reckoning will be made forit, I would not accept it; for me, it is disgusting like carrion,which you avoid for fear for polluting your clothes'. HasanRahmatullah alaihe says, 'Bani Israel, though they worshipped AllahTa'ala, became degenerate and began to worship idols because of theirlove of the world'. He also says, 'Man always considers his wealthto be little, but he never regards his virtues to be few. He doesnot care if any calamity befalls his religion but feels upset if anyharm comes to his worldly life'.Fudhail Rahmatullah alaihe says; 'It is easy to join worldlypursuits, but very difficult to extricate oneself from them'. ADivine says, 'I am astonished at him who believes that death isinevitable and that it may come to him at any time but, still, hetakes pleasure in worldly pursuits. I am astonished at him whobelieves that Jahannam is a reality and that nobody knows what hislast abode in the Hereafter is going to be, but, still, findsoccasions to laugh. I am astonished at him who views the shifts offortune occurring in this world at all times but, still, feelssatisfied on receiving a worldly gain. I am astonished at him whobelieves in the Divine Decree (the belief that everything ispreordained and that everyone must get his alloted share), but stilltakes pain for worldly gains'.They say that an old Sheik, whose age was about two hundred years,came from Najran city to see Ameer Muaawiyya Radhiallaho anho. TheAmeer said to him, 'You have seen a good deal of this world in yourlong life. What is your opinion about it?' The Sheikh replied, 'Afew years of ease and a few years of pain. There are births, anddeaths every day and night. If there were no births, the world wouldcome to an end. Likewise, if there were births only, there would beno room left for the people to live in the world. (Hence, bothbirths and deaths should continue to occur, to keep the worldpopulation within moderate limits)'.Ameer Mu'aawiyya Radhiallaho anho said, 'Do you want any thing fromme? Tell me if I can do you any service'. The Sheikh said, 'Recallmy past life for me or postpone my death indefinitely'. The Ameersaid, 'I cannot do that'. The Sheikh said, 'Then I have nothing toask from you'.Abu Sulaiman Rahmathullah alaihe says:'No one can restrain himself from pleasures of this world, except hewhose heart is preoccupied with things of the Akhirah'.Maalik bin Dinaar Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'We have, as it were,agreed among ourselves to love this world; that is why no one givesgood counsel to another, nor forbids him from evil things. But AllahTa'ala will not leave us to our fate for ever. The punishment ofAllah may descend upon us unawares in any form, at any time!' HasanRahmatullah alaihe says: 'When Allah Ta'ala wishes well for anyone,He grants him a small amount or worldly wealth, then holds it backfrom him and, when he has exhausted his provisions, Allah Ta'alagrants him a little bit more. But he, who is considered contemptibleby Allah Ta'ala, is granted abundance of worldly goods'. One divineused to make Du'aa (supplication), thus, 'O Allah! O Sacred Being,Who possesseth the power to hold back the heavens from falling on theearth, prevent this worldly wealth from coming to me'.Muhammad Ibne Munkadir Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'Suppose a man fastspersistently, spends the whole night in Tahujjad salaat withouttaking rest, gives away generous amounts of money as Sadaqah, engagesin Jihaad and avoids sins; nevertheless, he will be summoned on theDay of Resurrection and made to appear before Allah Ta'ala. He willthen be required to explain why he set great value upon a thing (theworld) which had been declared as worthless by Allah Ta'ala, and whyhe regarded as insignificant a thing (the Akhirah) which had beendeclared by Allah Ta'ala to be of great value. Imagine how miserableand helpless he will feel! Then, what about ourselves who sufferfrom the same disease (love of the world) and also commit sins?Abdullah Ibne Mubaarak Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'Love of the worldand indulgence in sins have made our hearts wild and insensible toanything good'. Wahab Ibne Munabbeh Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'He whotakes pleasure in anything of this world strays from the path ofwisdom; while he who tramples his lusts underfoot, never allowingthem to raise their head, Shaitan is scared of even his shadow'.Imaam Shafi'ee Rahmatullah alaihe, advising one of his brothers inIslam said: 'This world is full of mud and slush where many personsslip. The world is an abode of humiliation. Its bustling life willgive place, in the end, to desolation, its dwellers will have totravel alone to their graves, its gathering disperses, its affluenceturns to poverty; its riches involve taking pains and lack of themmeans an easful life. So, turn to Allah Ta'ala with single-mindedconcentration. Be content with whatever sustenance Allah Ta'ala hasapportioned for you and do not borrow for this world out of yourstock of virtues meant for the Akhirah (i.e. do not indulge in thingswhich may have to be paid for in the Akhirah out of virtues which mayrun short on that Day of dire necessity (the Day of Judgement). Thelife of the world is like a shadow which vanishes in no time or likea leaning wall which is going to collapse very soon. Perform plentyof good deeds and entertain few worldly hopes about the distantfuture.Ibrahim Ibne Adham Rahmatullah alaihe asked someone, 'Which would youprefer: seeing somebody, in a dream giving you a Dirham (silver coin)or receiving a Dinaar (gold coin) while awake?' The man repliedthat, obviously receiving a Dinaar was preferable . At this, IbrahimRahmatullah alaihe said, 'You lie. For, if you love anything of thisworld, it is like taking pleasure in a thing you see in a dream.And, when you turn away from a boon of the Akhirah, it amounts todeclining it while awake'.Yahya Ibne Mu'aaz Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'Three persons are wise:(1) he who forsakes the world before being forsaken by it; (2) he whomakes preparation for the grave before the time comes for him toenter it; (3) he who wins the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala before he(dies and) goes to meet him'. He also says: 'This world is accursedto such an extent that merely longing for it makes you neglectful indevotion to Allah Ta'ala; what will happen when you become engrossedin worldly affairs'. Bakr Ibne Abdullah Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'Hewho, after achieving worldly benefits, feels secure against theirevil effect, is like one who covers fire with dry grass, in order toextinguish it'. Bundaar Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'When you hearworldly people talking about renunciation or worldly pleasures, besure that Iblees (Shaitan) befools them'.A Divine says, 'O people, perform good deeds during these days ofrespite (lifetime) and fear Allah! Do not be deceived by high hopesfor the distant future and forgetfulness of death. Take no thoughtof this world, for it is a deceitful wretch. It beautifies andadorns itself and beguiles you by fanciful hopes about the futurebut, in the end, lands you in temptations. It adorns itself for itsadmirers so that, after make-up, it looks like a newly-married brideon her wedding day. So, people fix their gaze upon her face, thehearts are fascinated by its charms and many men become enamoured ofits (fake) beauty. But this wretch has killed many of its admirersand forsaken, most helplessly, many of its lovers who counted uponits loyalty. Just consider and try to comprehend the reality of thisworld. It is a place abounding in things that are fatal to the souland it is so contemptible that its Creator has Himself condemned it.(Suppose a physician prepares a medicine and says that it containspoison and that you may take a very small dose of it only when itbecomes absolutely necessary. Now, if a foolish person were to takea much larger quantity in a single dose, it would be fatal for him.And, for someone not to heed the physician's warning, would be theheight of foolishness. All things of the world which are new today,will wear out and become old. Sovereignty in this world is shortlived; those who are in power will end in humiliation; affluence willultimately change into poverty; friendships will not last for long.In short, all that looks good in the world is doomed to perish. MayAllah bless you all! Wake up from lethargy and inaction.Rise from the slumber of negligence before it is too late, before itis rumoured about, 'So-and-so has fallen ill and there is little hopeof recovery. Direct us to some good physician. Call in someefficient doctor'. Then the doctors will be sent for, the physicianswill be called in, time and again, but everyone will say that thereis no hope of life. Then it will be whispered about; the man ismaking his will; his voice has become hoarse, rather it has choked hedoes not recognize anyone he is heaving deep breaths, he is moaningwith pain, his eyelashes droop. This is the time when thecircumstances of the Next World will be revealed unto you, but yourvoice will fail you and you will stutter, unable to express yourselfor speak a word. Your kinsmen, your son, your brother, your wifewill be standing near your bed, all weeping with bitter sorrow. Youwill look at their faces but will not speak a word. And then thesoul will begin to depart from the parts of your body, one after theother, till at last it leaves the body altogether and flies to theheavens above. The kinsmen will hurriedly arrange for the burial andthe mourners will be consoled, their grief lightened with weeping.The enemies rejoice over your death, the heirs will divide up yourproperty and you will be left to reap the consequences of yourdeeds. (This is the real significance of this life).Hasan Basri Rahmatullah alaihe wrote in a letter to Amir-ul-Mo'mineenUmar Ibne Abdul Aziz Rahmatullah alaihe, after praising Allah Ta'alaand invoking His choicest blessings (Salaat, onRasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). 'The world is a transitoryplace, where men stay for a brief while, and go on a journey again,bound for the Unknown. It is not a permanent abode. AdamAlaihissalam was sent down to this world as a punishment (1) for alapse that he happened to commit in Jannah, i.e. it is a prison-housewhere man has been sent as a punishment. So, you should be on yourguard: One's most valuable asset for the journey is non-attachment tothe world and its pleasures; and the really rich are those who,though poor, possess a sublime unconcern for worldly attractions.(Those who seem to be poor but have contented minds are reallyrich). This world is all the time busy leading men to their ruin: ithumiliates those who hold it dear; it leads into dependence (onothers) all those who wish to amass its wealth. It is like a poisonwhich men take unknowingly and die'.'So, live in the world as though you were a wounded patient who iscareful and cautious about everything so that he may regain hishealth; and takes bitter medicines, lest his disease should drag onlonger. You should beware of this treacherous, deceitful, tricksythat adorns itself for seducing people and lands them in misery. Itvisits people with fanciful hopes and beguiles those who try to winits favours. It beautifies itself for its admirers and, after make-up, looks like a bride, on whom people fix their eyes and becomeenamoured of its false beauty, but this wretch is hostile toeverybody. Still, one wonders why the survivors do not learn alesson. Nor do the scholars, who know the word of Allah, learn alesson from His saying (on depreciation of this world). The admirersof the world are deceived when they see their chance of worldlydesires getting fulfilled'.'They become engrossed in the world and ignore the Akhirah. And whatfollows is shear remorse and utter sorrow, for death overpowers themwith its agonies and harrowing pains, and, in addition, there isgrief over parting with the world and its prized possessions. Thefact is that he who craves for the world can never see thefulfillment of his desires; nor does he find peace and respite fromlabour till he departs from the world, without having prepared forhim eternal life. O Ameer-ul-Mo'mineen! Be on your guard againstworldly attractions especially during the hours of joy andprosperity, for, the world drags those who trust it, into somemisfortune as soon as it finds them experiencing brief moments ofjoy. He who is happy in the world is suffering from an illusion andhe who is after making (excessive) profit will come to harm'.'The ease and comfort of this world is mixed with hardships and lifein it is destined to perish. Its joys are mingled with sorrow;whatever is past cannot be recalled, and all thats lying ahead, isuncertain. The hopes of this world are false. Whatever seems to bepure in this world is, in reality, polluted; its luxuries are gainedwith hard labour and man, in this world, is in danger at all times.If he had sense, he would find the pleasures to be perilous andconstantly haunted by misfortunes. Even if Allah Ta'ala, Who is theCreator of this world, had not warned mankind against its evils, thetreacherous nature of the world itself would have served as asufficient warning. Nevertheless, Allah Ta'ala Himself has advisedthat it is of no value in His estimation and that, although He hascreated it, He has never looked at it with appreciation'.'The world presented itself, with all its treasures, beforeRasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam, who did not accept it, norshowed any interest in it. For, he did not want to approve a thingrejected by Allah. That is why Allah Ta'ala has purposely turned thehearts of His pious men away from it and granted it, in abundance, toHis enemies (the non-believers). But some people who have set theirheart on the world, see the kaafirs in affluence and wrongly thinkthat they have been favoured by Allah Ta'ala. They do not realisehow little, in the world, was granted by AllahTa'ala to RasulullahSallallaho alaihe wasallam who had to tie up stones over his belly inorder to numb the pangs of hunger'.A Hadith says that once Allah Ta'ala said to MusaaAlaihissalam: 'When you find worldly riches coming to you, be sure itis a punishment for your sins; and if you see poverty and hungercoming, welcome it and say, this is the distinguishing mark of thepious '. And, let him who wants to follow the example of EisaaAlaihissalam, mark his words: 'Hunger is my curry (when one ishungry, even plain bread tastes as delicious as the bread taken withcurry ); my distinguishing mark is fear of Allah; my dress is ofcoarse wool; I bask in the sun for warmth and the light of the moonis my lamp; my feet are my riding-beast; my food and my fruit is thegrass that grows on the earth; I rise in the morning with nothingwith me and when the evening comes I have nothing in my possession.But there is no one in the world richer than myself'. (Contented inmind and with a sublime sense of self-sufficiency).On this subject, many other sayings of the Ambiya alaihimussalam, theSahabah Radhiallaho anhum and great saints Rahmatullah alaihim arefound in religious books. One point, however, should be clearlyunderstood: Undoubtedly, truly virtuous and commendable is the lifeof devotion and austerities indicated in the sayings and biographicalaccounts of these pious souls. Nevertheless, one should makeallowance for one's own infirmity and lack of capability and try toemulate them only to the extent of one's capacity. These glimpsesfrom the lives of the pious beings are meant to impress our readerswith the true standards of (virtuous) life. One may lead a lessaustere life, if it becomes necessary to do so, in consideration ofone's ill health or bodily infirmity.This can be illustrated by a familiar example; that of a patient whodoes not fast during the Holy month of Ramadhan. Obviously, fastingis obligatory during this month but, if someone cannot fast owing toweak health or because the doctor says it is injurious to his health,he will not observe fasting. It is obvious that fasting is, forevery Mo'min, a highly appreciated obligation during this month. Thepatient, though exempted from fasting, would love to observe it likeevery true Muslim. Similarly, as we cannot fully live up to theausterity demanded by pious life, owing to our weak will-power andpoor health, we are obliged to attach ourselves to worldly efforts,to the extent of our needs. But we should be conscious of ownweaknesses which have prevented us from living up to the standards;and believe sincerely that true religious life is the life led byRasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam the life of AmbiyaAlaihissalam, and that of the great Divines Rahmatullah alaihim whosesayings have been quoted above.Besides, we should develop a true awareness of the insignificance ofthis world, of its being unworthy of our affections, as a temporaryabode. Although we are weak and feel obliged to indulge in worldlymatters, we should try so that these truths about the world may getrooted in our minds. And, we should not only talk of them, butbelieve that these facts are absolutely true. For, there are noreasons to regard this wretched world as of any real consequence.

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