Chapter II: Patience and Gratefulness
Second reason. The root of destructive sins is attachment for the world, the root of the cause of deception. If the gifts are not mixed with calamities, they lead the mind to enjoy the worldly enjoyments and pleasures. Ultimately it becomes difficult for him to give them up. For this reason, the Prophet said: This world is a prison for the believers and paradise for the unbelievers'.
Calamities are gifts from God. So one should remain satisfied with them, just as he remains satisfied with a bitter medicine in hope of recovery. Every calamity in this world is like a bitter medicine which is troublesome at present but a bliss in the long run. This world is like a palace of a king. People enter it through the door of grace and come out of it through the door of grave. He who fixes his love for the place of the world, falls into danger.
Whoso's mind is aloof from that, it is a gift for him.
REWARD OF PATIENCE IN CALAMITIES: The Prophet said: God said: When I give calamity to the body of a servant or to his wealth or children and he proceeds forward keeping patience, I shall feel ashamed in setting up balance for him on the Resurrection Day. He also said: When a man falls into danger and says accordfhg to the order of God 'We are for God and to him we shall return, O God, give me protection in my calamity and leave for me good therefrom." God does for him accordingly. The Prophet said: God says: The reward of one whose two eyes I have robbed is that he will live in My house forever and will look constantly towards My face. It has been narrated that a man asked the Prophet of God: My wealth has gone and body is diseased. The Prophet said: There is no good in one whose wealth has not gone and whose body is not diseased. When God loves a servant, he examines him with a calamity. When he falls into it, He keeps patience. The Prophet said: The rank of a man is not earned near God by any of his actions till his body is not attacked with any disease which raises him to such a rank. Hazrat Khabbab reported: We once came to the Prophet and saw him covered with a sheet of cloth under the shade of the Ka'ba. We
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