Chapter VI: Love, Longing, Contentment
by the hope of paradise and fear of Hell. How can the worldly engagements keep them away from God ? For this reason, a friend of Fateh Musalli once asked him : Tell me what thing gives you impetus for divine worship and keeps you away from the people ? He said : Remembrance of grave and Hell. He again asked : What is grave ? He said : Fear of Hell and hope of Paradise. He again asked : What are these things ? He said :
Everything is in the hand of God. If He wishes He can make you forgetful of all things. If there is acquaintance between you and Him, you are in no need of them.
It is reported that Jesus Christ said : When you find a young man engaged in the pursuit of God, know that it is the thing which kept him forgetful of all other things. A certain sage saw Basher-bin-Hares in dream and asked him : What is the condition of Abu Naser Tamer and Abdul Wahab Warbak ? He said : I ha ve left them at this time for taking food and drink before God. I asked him : What is your condition ? He said : God knows that I have got little desire for food and drink. So He gave me the favour of His Dider. Ali-bin Muket said : I saw a man looking at God in dream. I asked Rezwan : Who is this man ? He said : Maruf Karkhi who did divine service not in hope of Paradise, not for fear of Hell but for love of God. So God bestowed on him the favour of looking at Him upto the Resurrection Day. For this reason, Abu Sulaiman said : He who is to-day busy with himself will also be busy tomorrow with himself. He who is busy with his Lord to-day will be busy also tomorrow with his Lord. Sufiyan Saori asked the saint Rabeya : What is the sign of your faith ? She said : T don't worship for fear of Hell or for greed ofParadise. In that Ci ■ I would be a labourer. Rather I worship Him loving Him and being attached to Him. She said in describing her love in the following poems;
Either I love Thee out of passion,
Or I love Thee for Thy attributes in appreciation.
Thy constant remembrance is the fruit of love. .
Lifting of screen is the fruit of realisation.
I have got no pride in love of either,
Rather beauty of both is only for Thee.
The taste of the appreciation of beauty has been explained by the Prophet in the in following Hadis. God says : I have prepared for My righteous servants such rewards as no eye hath seen, no
260 LOVE AND ATTACHMENT Vol-IV