Chapter I: Acquisition of Knowledge
Fourth, I looked around and saw that everyone puts his trust in his wealth and properties, his name and fame and his honour and glory and found that there is nothing in them. Then I looked towards the following words of God The most honourable of you to God is one who is the most God-fearing among you' - 49 :' 13Q. Then I intended to accept God-fear in my life till I am honoured by God.
Fifth, I looked around the people and found them slandering and cursing one another because of envy and hatred and then I looked towards the words of God: It is I who distributed their subsistence among them in this world's life - 43 : 31 Q. So I gave up envy and hatred and' realised that subsistence comes from God and then I disliked the people no more.
Sixth, T looked to the people and found them ungrateful to one another and even some of them kill others and then I looked towards the following word of God: The devil is your foe and so take him as foe - 35 : 6 Q. So I took the devil as a foe and ceased to have enmity with the people.
Seventh, I turned to the people and found everyone seeking his livelihood and for that debasing himself and committing unlawful things and then I looked towards the following words of God: There is no animal in the earth of which the provision is not upon God - 11 : 8Q. Finding that I am one of the animals whose provision is upon God, I turned towards the duties prescribed by God and entrusted my fate unto Him.
Eighth, I turned to the people and found that everyone placed his trust in something created, some in his wealth, some in his profession, some in his industry and some in the health of his body and then looked towards the following words of God: If a
72 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
man relies on God, He is sufficient for him - 65 : 3Q. Then I relied on God and He is sufficient for me.
On hearing Hatem, Hazrat Shadiq exclaimed; Hatem, may God prosper you. I examined the Torah, the Bible, the Jabur (Psalms) and the great Quran and found that all these centre round these eight things and he who puts them into practice follows these four books.
In short, the learned men of the hereafter seek and acquire knowledge but the learned men of the world are engaged in acquiring wealth and name and fame and give up those learnings for which God sent the Prophets.
(4) FOURTH SIGNS: Another sign of the learned man of the next world is that he has got no attraction for various kinds of foods and drinks, luxury in dresses, furnitures and houses, but rather he adopts moderate course in all these things following the earlier sages and he is best satisfied with the least of everything. The less is a man attracted towards luxuries, the more he will be close to God and the more he will be in association of the learned men of the hereafter and in rank.