Chapter I: Repentance
Thus there are many stories. The Quran and Hadis did not narrate them only for the sake of stories but its object is*to admonish and to disclose the secret meaning, so that you may know that even prophets were not free from these sins. So how can the other people get free from major sins? The prophets received punishment in this world for minor sins and it was not kept in abeyance for the next world. The unfortunate only are given time, so that their sins may increase, as the punishment of the hereafter is very severe and most fearful. These stories should be narrated to the sinners, so that they may adopt the modes of repentance.
(3) Third mode: The sinners should be told that the punishment of sins is expected to be meted out in this world and that the basic cause of dangers and difficulties that befall on men is their sin. May people think the next worldly punishment as easy and this worldly punishment as severe. The reason is their ignorance about the next world. These people should be told repeatedly about the punishement of this world. They should be told that their livelihood may be curtailed on account of their sins, their honour may be marred and their enemies may increase. The Prophet said: When a man commits sins: he deprived of his liveli hood. Hazrat-Ibn-Masud said: I think that a man forgets his learning owing to his commission of sins. In this context, the Prophet said: Wisdom goes away from a man who commits sins and it never comes to him. An ancient sage said: It is not misfortune that a man's face becomes black and he meets with loss of property, but misfortune is that he gives up a sin but commits it again or a more heinous sin.
There is a story of a certain Aref that he was walking in a muddy land raising up his wearing apparel for fear of slipping down. Then he slipped and he fell down. He wept and said: My slip has been like the slip of one who walks by the side of a sin for
VoI-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 53
saving himself from the sin and then slips into a sin or two and then falls deeply therein. For this reason the saint Fazili said:
Whatever turn of fortune and loss of friendship occur, it is only for your sin. A certain sage said. I will consider the oppression of rats as punishment of my sin. A certain Sufi of Syria said: I was looking at the beautiful face of a christian boy. At that time Ibn Jala Dameski was passing by that way. He caught hold of my hand and I was ashamed I said: O Abu Abdullah, glory to God. I was charmed with the uncommon beauty of this boy. I don't know the wisdom of God that He created this beautiful boy for Hell. He pressed my hand and said: You will see its punishment after a while. After 30 years, I saw its punishment.