Aslam

Now it is our duty to remain satisfied with the decree of God. It is known from this that to seek forgiveness to pray for being free from sins and to observe the fixed rules of religion in accordance with the decree of God are not opposed to contentment as God enjoined on His servants to pray and invoke, so that these invocations may be causes of pure Zikr, humble mind and signs of modesty and these may be the causes of the purification of soul and keys of Kashf. To quench one's thirst by drinking water from a jug carried with him is not contradictory to the decree of God. To drink water to quench thirst, to take food to remove hunger, and to put on winter cloths to removed cold are not opposed to contentment. Similarly to pray to be cured of a" serious disease is not opposed to contentment.

Not to use a thing for which God created it is opposed to contentment similarly to get rank by invocation is not opposed to contentment. Hence He enjoined men to invoke and pray. To disclose a disasterby way of complaint and to think it bad as it comes from God is opposed to contentment, but to disclose it by way of gratefulness is not opposed to contentment. Complaint is always opposed to contentment. Let us say what Hazrat Omar said: I don't care whether I rise up in the morning rich or poor as I

don't know in which there is good for me.

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Does contentment go if one flees away from a place full of sins? To flee away from a place full of sins is not to flee away from the decree of God, but to flee away from a thing which is necessary is to flee away from a decree of God. To describe the causes which call towards sin in order to prevent the people from them is not condemned. Sages of earlier times were accustomed to do this. Abdul Mobarak said: I travelled the eastern and western countries but never found such a bad town as Bagdad. He was asked: 'How is Bagdad'? He said: This is such a town where the favours of God are denied and disobedience to God is considered as a trifling thing. When he came to Khoasan he was asked: How have you seen the city of Bagdad? He said: I saw there three kinds of people -angry police, greedy business men and tired learned men. You should not take it as defamation as no definite person has been named. The object is to give

Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 309

wanting to the people. When he wished to go to Mecca, he stayed at Bagdad to prepare his caravan for sixteen days and spent sixteen dinars every day, so that it might expiate his sins for staying at Bagdad.