Chapter V: Oneness of God and Trust in God
(6) The sixth rule is that he shall be sorry for the sin of the thief and for his punishment and shall express gatefulness to God for the reason that the owner was not made an oppressor but an oppressed one and for the reason that his religion has not been impaired but his world. Once a man complained to a learned man that his goods were robbed by a dacoit. He said : You should not feel sorry, for your goods went to a person who thinks that looted property is lawful as he was not given religious instruction. The property of Ali-bin-Fazil was stolen while he was making circuit round the Ka'ba. His father saw him weeping and said : Are you weeping for your property ? He said : By God, I don't weep for that, but I weep for the thief, as he will be asked about it on the Resurrection Day and he will have no excuse at that time.
(4) Fourth mode of putting God-reliance into practice. There are three kinds of medicines to remove a disease — (1) Sure medicine. In other words, if it is used, there will be cure, for instance if the medicine of water is used, the disease of thirst will surely disappear. (2) Medicine by guess. By this medicine, a disease may be cured or may not be cured as cupping. (3) Well- known medicine. It is neither certain, nor uncertain, but cure is obtained according to the attribute of a thing. It is not within God-reliance to give up the first kind of medicine, rather it is unlawful not to take it at the time of death. If the medicine of the third kind is given up, one does not go out of God-reliance, as the Prophet instructed a God-reliant man to give it up. The causes of the third class are charms, enchantments and such other things.
To believe and rely on them is utter foolishness. The middle stage is to apply medicine after consulting physicians. This does not lessen God-reliance, nor is it prohibited, but it is less than sure medicine.
TO TAKE MEDICINE IS NOT OPPOSED TO GOD- RELIANCE: This appears from the teachings and practices of the prophet. He said: There is no such disease as has got no medicine.
He who knows it knows it and he who does not know it, does not know it. But death has got no medicine. The Prophet said: O servants of God, take to medicine as God created disease and also created its cure. The Prophet was asked about medicines and spells and enchantments: Can they annul the decree God? He said : It is also
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 235