Aslam

full pleasure which has got no want. These four things are called real gifts. For this reason, the Prophet said: There is no bliss except the bliss of the hereafter. This was uttered by the Prophet to console his companions when they were digging the trench at the battle of the Allies - He recited it at several other times also.

FOUR ITEMS OF FULL BLISS: There are four principal basic things of attaing full bliss - (1) The things which are connected with soul and which are special and near such as one's own good. (2) the things which are connected with body, such as physical health, (3) the things which have got no connection with body though near it, such as wealth, family members, relatives and (4) the things which unite the attributes of soul and earn them for soul, such as grace, guidance. These are the four items of spiritual bliss.

(1) First basic thing of bliss: The things which are connected with soul and special and near are acquired by good conduct and with the extension of branches of faith. Knowledge of faith is of two kinds - I spiritual knowledge and worldly knowledge.
Knowledge of the attributes of God, His angels and His apostles is spiritual knowledge. The worldly knowledge is of two kinds - to give up necessity of greed and anger called self-control and to proceed keeping justice and righteousness after abstaining from the urge of greed. God says: Don't exceed in measurement and establish the scale of justice and don't decrease in measurement - 55 : 9Q. Full justice is such a state of moderation which does not exceed the limit, nor reduces it and their balance is even.

FOUR THINGS DRAW NEAR GOD* There are four things which bring a man near God - (1) spiritual knowledge, (2)
knowledge of duties, (3) self-control, (4) and justice. Without physical bliss, they do not become perfect and this is again of four kinds - (1 ) health, (2) strength, (3) beau ty and (4) long life. These four gifts again do not become perfect without things beneficial to body which are again of 4 kinds - (1) wealth, (2) family members, (3) name and fame and (4) relatives. These are also not beneficial unless the followings are not adopted - (I) guidance, (2) injunctions of God, (3)
efforts and (4) God's help. There are therefore sixteen gifts in total and basically they are of four kinds which are interconnected and which are absolutely necessary. What is necessary for the next worldly fortune is faith and good conduct and there is no alternative for men but acquisition of these attributes by efforts as

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Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 93

there is nothing for man but what he strives for. There is no fortune for man in the next world without acquisition of merits in this world. So for acquisition of attributes of soul, knowledge of the above things is necessary. In order to acquire purity of character, physical health along with wealth, honour and relatives is necessary.