Chapter VIII: Self-Examination and Self-Accounting
Jesus Christ said: When the day of fasting comes to one of you, let him rub oil on his head and beard and wipe out his two lips, so that the people may not know that he is fasting. Let his left hand not know when his right hand gives in charity. When he prays, let the screen of his door be hanging up, as God distributes praises as He does in case of provisions. The Prophet said: God does not accept an action in which there is the slightest degree of show. The Prophet said: I don't fear for anything so much as I fear for your show and secret passion. The Prophet said: On the day when there will be no shade except the shade of the Throne, a man will remain under its shade who gives charity by his right hand and keeps it concealed from his left. The Prophet said: The merits of secret divine service is seventy times more than those of open divine service. The Prophet said: The person of Shirk will be addressed on the Resurrection Day thus: O treacherous man, O man of show, your divine service has been lost, your virtues have been void. Go and get reward from one for whom you worshipped.
Shaddad-b-Masud reported: I saw the Prophet one day weeping. I asked the Prophet: O Prophet of God, why are you weeping? He said: I fear Shrik most for my followers. Beware, they will not worship idols, sun, moon and stones, but they will do divine service for show. The Prophet said: When God created the earth, it was tossing to and fro with its inhabitants. Then he created mountains and placed them on it as nails. The angels said: Our Lord did not create anything harder than mountains.
Then He created iron which is so powerful as it can cut mountain into two pieces. Then He created fire which is still more powerful as it can melt iron. Then He created water which can extinguish fire and then He created wind which can remove water. The
226 The Book of Destructive evils Vol-III
angels asked their Lord: O Lord, what thing have you created strongest in your creation? God said: I have made strongest among My creations the heart of a man who gives in charity by his right hand keeping it concealed from his left.