Chapter II: Patience and Gratefulness
Once a companion asked the Prophet: I ask you a question:
what is the sign that God wants good of one man and does not want good of another man? He said: What is the condition of your mind when you get up from bed? He said: I get up from bed with love for the pious and good works. I soon do a good work at that time if I can and have firm faith that it will bring rewards. If I cannot do it, it pains me very much and I hope for doing it. The Prophet said: This is the sign of one for whom God intends good.
If He intends not to do good to you. He refrains you from that and He does not think into which well of Hell you fall and perish.
MERITS OF HOPE: Love is made strong by hope. Take its instance from two kings. One king is feared for his punishment and another king is obeyed for getting rewards from him. For this reason hope is subject matter of good thought. God says: Don't be despaired of God's mercy -39:53 Q. So He made hopelessness unlawful. The story runs thus of Prophet Eakub that God revealed to him: Do you know why I made separation between you and Eusuf: The reason is that you uttered: I fear lest a tiger may eat him when you remain unmindful from him. Why did you entertain fear of tiger and not hoped in Me? Why did you look to the neglect of his brother and did not look to Me? The Prophet said: Let nobody die without having a good idea of God.
He said: God says: I work according as My servant thinks of Me.
Let him entertain any idea about Me. The Prophet once went to a man at the time of his death and asked him: What is your condition? He said: I fear for my sins and hope for my Lord's mercy. The Prophet said: God gives him mercy in whose mind fear and hope unite. Hazrat Ali saw a man very much despaired on account of his many sins. He said: O brother, your despair of God's mercy is a greater sin than your sins. The saint Sulaiman said: He who commits a sin and then feels that God has given him power over it and hopes for forgiveness. God forgives him. The reason is that God rebuked a people and said: This is because of your thought about your Lord which has destroyed you. God says: You entertained evil thoughts and for that you have met destruction. The Prophet said: God will say on the Resurrection Day to a servant: Why did you not prohibit when you saw an evil
Vol-I V THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 1 15