Chapter VIII: Self-Examination and Self-Accounting
It may be that eating of a morsel of food prevents eating many morsels of food. If any physician tells you : Don't drink cold drink for three days, you will then get cured and shall be able to have cold drink for the rest of your life. If you use cold drink during these three days, you will fall in a great disease and shall not be able to have cold drink for the rest of your life". Then what will you do? Will you not then have patience for three days in order to enjoy cold drink for the rest of your life? This worldly life of yours is like these three days in comparison to the everlasting punishment of Hell and the happiness of Paradise. Is
364 THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES Vol-IV
the difficulty of abstinence from evil desires more than the punishment of Hell and more lasting ? He who cannot have patience at dangers and difficulties, how can be forbear the punishment of the hereafter ? The man who is negligent in the application of hardship to himself is not free from two conditions — either hidden infidelity lies in him or open foolishness. The cause of hidden infidelity is his weak belief in the judgment Day, little knowledge in the magnitude of virtues and vices. The cause of open foolishness is your reliance on God's mercy and forgiveness, but you don't rely on Him for a piece of bread or the acquisition of wealth and adopt various means to gain wealth. For this ignorance, the Holy Prophet gave you the epithet of foolishness as he said : Intelligent is he who humbles himself and works for what will come after death and foolish is he who relies on Allah following his own whims and caprices.
6. O baser self! Woe to you I Let not this world deceive you. Think for yourself and it is not so necessary to think of others. Don't lose your most valuable time, all the number of your breaths is fixed. When a breath passes away from you, your life time is made short. Think as most valuable your health before your illness, your leisure before your engagement, your solvency before your poverty, your youth before your old age, your life before your death. Be prepared for the next world as far as you can.
7. O baser self, don't you prepare yourself for the whole winter season? Don't you gather warm cloth and other things necessary ? In that case, you don't sit idle relying on God but in matters of the next world, you keep idle relying on the forgiveness of God. Allah does not require your divine service for Himself. It is the only way of your salvation and it is necessary for yourself. Go says : He who does good, gets reward and he who does evil gets punishment. God is above the needs of the world.