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The Book of Destructive Evils Sign in to save

Chapter VI: Evils of the World

(1) It has' been narrated that the Prophet was once passing by a dead goat and said to his companions : Don't you look to the dead animal ? Its owner is now looking at it with hate. By One in whose hand there is my life, just as this dead goat is more an object of hate to its owner, the world is likewise more an object of hatred to God. If the value of the world would have been like the wing of a mosquito, He would not have given a drought of water to an unbeliever to drink. (2) The Prophet said : The world is a prison to a believer and a Paradise to an unbeliever. (3) He said.
The world is caused and all the things in it are cursed. 94) He said:
He who loves the world injures his hereafter and he who loves his hereafter injures his world. So take what will last for ever by giving up what will not last. (5) He said : Love of the world is the root of all sins. (6) Zaid-b-Akram reported : We were once with hazrat Abu Bakr. He ordered for water and honey which were brought to him. He lifted them to drink but began to weep. On being asked the reason, he said : Once I was with the Holy Prophet and saw that be was wiping out something from his body. Lasked him : O Prophet of God, what are you throwing out ? He said : This is the world. It came to me with beautiful face. I said : Be off. The world said : You have saved yourself from me, but those who will come after you will not be safe from my hand.

(7) the Prophet stood by a place full of human bones and said to the people : Do you like to look at the world ? He then took a rotten cloth and melted bone and said. This is the world. He said that the wealth and pleasures of the world will be ruined like the rotten cloth and all the people will be melted like the melted bone. (8) The Prophet said : This world is sweet and fresh and God made you His representatives therein. He is looking how you act therein. (9) When the children of Israil were given enormouse wealth and when they were engrossed therein, they were attached to the worldly pleasures, love of women and precious scents and dresses. (10) Jesus Christ said : Don't take the world as you lord. If you do so, it will make you slaves. Hoard up

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your wealth with such One who will not destroy it. Guards of wealth of this world cannot be relied on, but you can rely on the' guards of God. He also said : O my disciples, I have leveled the world with earth for you. Don't take it up after me. One of the evils of the world is that the people commit sins therein. Another evil of the world is that the next world cannot be acquired "unless this world is given up. So take care and think that the world has passed away and don't live therein with happiness. Know that the root of all evils is attachment for the world. Many a time the present greed becomes the cause of man's calamities.

Source: Imam Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Islamic Sciences)
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