Chapter VII: Duties of Travel
Hazrat Tau kept attached to his ownhouse. Being asked the reason, he said : The dangers and calamities of this age and the oppression of the leaders compelled me to remain within the house: Hazrat Urawah erected a house at Aqiq for living and gave up coming to the Prophet mosque . Being asked the reason, he said On seeing your mosques as the place of sports and jokes, your bazars as the places of useless talks and your lanes as the places of obscene deeds, I have chosen to stay within the house wherein there is peace.
(4) Fourth benefit. One can save himself from the harms of the people in case of secluded living. Hazrat Omar said :
Loneliness is better then a bad companion. Hazrat Samad said :
One of our friends said : Men were like medicines with which they treated diseases. Men have turned now into disease of which thereis no cure. Flee away from them as you flee away from a tiger. Hazrat Hasan Basari said : Sabet Bonani was the friend of God, When I intended to go on pilgrimage, he wished to accompany me. I said : If we live together, there may be such conduct between us which may lead us to hatred.
Another benefit of loneliness is mentioned here. It is to keep secrecy in religion, manliness, character and conduct, poverty and the remaining internal conditions. God praised such a man.
Theilliterate man thinks that they are rich owing to their abstinence from begging. Hazrat Abu Darda'a said : Man was before a leaf as it were with thorn, but at present he is a thorn without leaf. This was at the end of the first century. Is the condition now ? Hazrat Sufiyan-b-Aynish said : Hazrat Sufiyan Saori in his life time and after his death in dream said to me :
Make little acquaintance with the people as it is difficult to save oneself from them. This thought occurs in my mind that the sins I have earned are due to my mixing in society. A man was asked :
What have you abandoned society ? He said : I feared that my religion would be robbed in my absence. Hazrat Abu Darda'a said : Fear God and fear society, because when they ride on a camel, they cause wound to it and they whip a horse when they ride on it and they cause harm to the mind of an unbeliever. A certain wise man said : Make little acquaintance, your religion
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and mind will remain safe and your duties will be less. The more the acquaintance, the more the duties.