Aslam

There are three causes of this greed for rank and power - (1)
love of praise, (2) feeling from the agony of accusation and (3) to wish to have what is in the possession of men. For these reasons,

Vol-III Love of power and show 233

show is searched and these give encouragement. Once a desert Arab asked the Prophet: O Prophet of God, one man fights to save himself from the trouble of dishonour, another man fights to establish his position (to establish his power and lordship).
Another man fights to get praise. What do you say about them?
The Prophet said: He who fights to keep the words of God high, is in the way of God. Hazrat Omar said: People say: So and so is a martyr. Perchance he loaded his conveyance with two purses of silver coins. The Prophet said: He who fought for getting the nose-string of the camel got what he wanted.

We shall discuss now about special medicine of show.
Medicine of show based on knowledge. A man wishes to get something as he thinks that it is useful for him at present and future. If he can find that it is delicious at present but heinous at the end, his greed can easily be cut off for that thing. He knows that honey is sweet, but when he knows that there is poison in it, he refrains from taking it as it is injurious at the end. This greed for power is to be cut in this way as there is harm therein. On the Resurrection Day, it will be proclaimed before all the people: O sinner, O treacherous man, O man of show, are you not ashamed .
that you have purchased temporary things of the world in exchange of pure divine services and looked to the minds of men, that you have cut jokes with divine service that you have searched for the pleasure of men by incurring the displeasure of God, that you have sought honour from the people being dishonoured by God, that you have sought nearness of men being distant from God, that you have sought praise of men incurring the displeasure of God? Have they now come to do you benefit?

The remedy is the following in case of greed of wealth. Know it for certain that the earning of wealth is in the hand of God.
There is no provision except what is given by God. He who greeds wealth from men is not free from despair and neglect. You will not get beyond what has been decreed for you by God. If you are a dweller of Paradise, people cannot send you to Hell, men are all powerless. They cannot do you benefit. There is no birth, death and resurrection in their hands. If these things are engraved in your minds, your hopes can be brought under control. If anybody can know that you have got show in divine service, he will hate you. You will also be an object of anger of the people. This is the medicine based on knowledge.

234 The Book of Destructive evils VoI-III

MEDICINE BASED ON ACTIONS: Do divine service

secretly and lose up your doors. Don't be satisfied without divine

service. A certain disciple of Abu Hafs spoke ill of the world and