Chapter II: Patience and Gratefulness
Every man is like a boy and wealth is like a snake and the Prophets are like the experienced snake-charmers. What can not do any harm to an experienced snake-charmer can do harm to a boy. So the people are like boys under the care of the Prophets. The Prophet said : I am to you just as a father to his son. The Prophet also said :
You are roaming around the fire like insects and I am catching hold of your loins to save you.' Their responsibility to save their followers from destruction is great as they were not sent but for this purpose. Nobody has got any share in excess of what is necessary for him, although there is no sin in keeping excess wealth. Don't keep yourself confined in excess wealth, rather spend.it, as there is poison in hoarding it and there is jewel in spending it. When wealth is taken according to needs and excess wealth is spent, it is not reprehensible. Every traveller should take in his journey what is necessary for him and not overload himself. Similar is the case with a man walking in the path of religion. The Prophet said : Any man among you should keep such worldly wealth which a man in journey takes with himself.' The pious man spend their excess wealth in the way of God. The Prophet once said that the rich man will enter paradise with great difficulty. Then his companion Abdur Rahman- b-Auf sought his permission to gift away all his wealth to which he gave permission. Gabriel then came down and said : Tell him to spend his wealth for giving food to the poor, clothes to those who have got no cloth and to entertain guests.
96 PATIENCE AND GRATEFULNESS Vol-IV
GUIDANCE : There are three stages of guidance:
1. The first stage of guidance is to know the paths of good and bad. This is seen from the following verse : 1 have showed him two him two paths. God says : I gave guidance to the people of Samud but they liked misguidance in place of guidance — 41 :
17 Q. The religious scriptures, the apostles and power of wisdom are the materials of this guidance and jealousy, pride, attachment to the world are the obstacles of this guidance. God says : It does not make the eye sight blind, but it makes blind the hearts which are in the breasts. The causes which make the hearts blind are love for the world and habits. God says : They say, shall we follow a man among us? This ignorance leads the people to misguidance.
2. The second stage of guidance is the guidance through efforts of special people. This comes after the advent of genera!
guidance. God leads a servant from one condition to another.
This comes as a result of continued efforts. God says: I will surely show My paths to those who strive hard for My cause - 29 : 69Q.
In another verse, He says: God gives increased guidance to those who walk in the paths of guidance - 47 : 17.