Chapter II: Patience and Gratefulness
The Prophet said: Some one will do the deeds of a dweller of Paradise for fifty years, even there will remain only half a cubit distance between him and Paradise. Then suddenly his fate comes and his death ends with the deeds of a deweller of Hell. So everybody should be fearful of his ultimate end. Hazrat Ihya-b- Maaz said: He who worships God only for fear of God, is immerged in the sea of thoughts. He who worships God hoping only His mercy, wanders in the field of mistake. He who worships God out of fear and hope, is established on the high way of remembrance of God.
It is better that there should be increase of fear before death.
When death becomes near, hope and good idea are better. Whose
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desires to meet with God, God also likes to meet with him. When there remains no object of love except remembrance of God and thoughts about Him and His creations then the world becomes prison to him, as prison means such a place where one can not meet his beloved things Death releases him from that prison and he is awarded such thing as "no eye hath seen, no ear hath heard and no heart hath conceived". So it is better to accept the advice of the Prophet who said: 'O God, give me the provision of Thy love and the love of those who love Thee and the love of those who lead towards Thy love. Make Thy love to me dearer than cold drink'. So at the time of death, hope should be strong as it leads to love. Before death, fear should be strong as it burns passions and roots out from mind the love for this world. For this reason, the Prpphet said: Let nobody die among you without having a good idea about his Lord. God says: I act according as My servant entertains idea about Me. So let him entertain any idea bout Me what he likes.
When death came to Solaiman Taimi, he said to his sons:
Read out to mc the Hadis which contains words of ultimate end and remind me of the words of hope till I can meet Him with good idea. At the time of the death of Sufian Saori, he called the .
learned men who sat round him and made him hear words of hope. At the time of the death of Imam Ahmad-b-Hanbal, he said \o his son: Let me hear those traditions which contain words of hope and good idea. God revealed to Prophet David: Make Me dear to My servants. He asked God: By what means? God said:
Remind them of My mercy and gifts. So fortune means to court death with love of God.