Aslam

(3) THIRD SIGN: Another sign of the learned man of the next world is that his mind would be directed towards such learnings as will be useful for the next world and give encouragement to pious deeds. He will avoid those learnings which will bring lesser benefit and wherein there are much arguments. He who shuns the learning of practice and remains busy in arguments is like a sick man who suffers from many diseases, but when he fears death, he goes to an experienced physician and asks him many questions of the qualities of drugs and complexities of medical profession but he does not ask him about his diseases. This is the height of foolishness.

On day a man came to the Apostle of God and said: Teach me some of the strange things of knowledge. He asked him What have you done with the beginning of knowledge? The man said:
What is the beginning of knowledge? The Prophet replied: Have you known God? He said: Yes, He asked: What have you learnt about this tnith? He said: What God willed. The Prophet said:
Have you known death? He said: Yes, He said: How have you prepared for it? He said: What God willed. The Prophet said: Go and gain experience of these things first and then I shall teach you some of the strange things of knowledge.

A student should be like Hazrat Hatem Asem who was the disciple of Hazrat Shaqiq Balakhi. He once asked Hatem: How long are you in my company? Hatem said: For the last 33 years.
He said: What have you learnt from me during this period?
Hatem said: I have learnt only eight things. Shaqiq said: You have not learnt except eight things! He said: Yes, O dear teacher, I have learnt nothing except eight things. I don't wish to speak falsehood. He said: Describe those eight things to me. Let me hear them. Hatem began to describe them.

First, 1 looked around and beheld that every man has got an object of love and he lives with that thing until his death. When he goes to the grave, it becomes separate from him. I pondered over the following words of God "We are for God and to Him we shall return." So I have made good deeds as my object of love.
When I will go to the grave, my good deeds will accompany me to the grave. The sage Shaqiq said: O Hatem, you have done well.

Secondly, I have pondered over the following words of God "As for one whp fears the majesty of his Lord and refrains his soul

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jj from lust, paradise is his resting place - 79 : 40 Q. I have come to

know that the words of God are true. I have tried rny utmost to

i suppress my lust and remained satisfied with obeying the

injunctions of God.

Third, I looked around the people and found that everyone values what he possesses. Then I turned to the following words of God: What is with you will end and what is with God will last - 16:98 Q. Then I began to give unto God whatever valuable things fell into my hands.