Aslam

(5) Fifth illustration: The world is like anugly old woman.
The outer form of the world is one kind and its secret form is another. Its outer form is nice but its inner form is ugly and poisonous. So the world can well be compared to an old and ulgy woman. The saint Abu Bakr-b-Iyash said : I saw the world in dream as an ugly woman with dislevelled hairs. She is beating drum with her hands and many people are dancing behind her.
When she came forward, she said : If I can win over you, it will be good. I will deceive you as I have deceived these people. Then Abu Bakr wept : I saw this woman before I came to Bagdad.

(6) Sixth ill illustration: Know, O dear readers, that a man has got three conditions — (1) one condition is that he was nothing at one time and that was before his birth. (2) The second condition is that he will not see the world after his death till resurrection. (3) The third condition is the time between these two times — the time of life. This is the time of life's span. Now compare this short time with the endless time before and after.
For this reason, the Prophet said : 'I am in this world like a sojourner who travels in scorching rays of the sun and then sleeps for a time under the shade of a tree on the way and then rises up and walks. He who looks to the world with this angle of vision, can not be addicted to this world. He cannot look how his days pass by, whether in sorrows and difficulties or in joy and happiness. He does not construct any building or a house of wood up to his death. One day he saw a companion constructing a house of wood and said : I am seeing that death is faster than this house. Jesus Christ said : The world is like a bridge. Cross it

i/ol-lD Attachment of the world 165

hut do not live in it. This is a clear illustration as this world's life . drifting towards the next world. The beginning of this bridge is »h.e birth place and the end is grave. To construct houses on the road ana< to adorn them is foolishness in the extreme as it shall have to be crossed.

0 Seventh illustration: At first, if seems that there is joy and happiness in the world but it is difficult to get out of it safe.
Hazrat AH wrote to Salman Faresi : The world is like a snake which is smooth on touch but whose poison is destructive. So be careful of what seems therefrom liking to you. When you are certain that you shall have to part from it, you should give up all thoughts about it. The more you enjoy the objects of happiness in the world, the more it will be the cause of your sorrows.