Chapter VIII: Self-Examination and Self-Accounting
Ibnul Ata said: Constant meditation over truth is good divine service. The people are seeing your outward activities but God sees your inner mind how it works. It is reported that a certain Pir or spiritual guide had a disciple whom he loved dearer than his other disciples. One day some of his disciples said to their Pir: You love this disciple of yours more than us although we are your elderly disciples. The Pir then advised them to bring some fowls and knives. When this was done, he gave each disciple one fowl and one knife and told them to bring them after being slaughtered in such a way that nobody saw them. Everybody brought his fowl slaughtered, but the disciple whom he loved very dearly took back the fowl alive. The Pir asked him: Why have you not slaughtered the fowl like my other disciples? He said: I found no such place which is not within the sight of anybody, as Allah exists everywhere. Then they thought that really the Pir had the best reason to love him more.
It is reported that when Zulaikha closed the door of a lonely house to satisfy her lust with Eusuf, she covered the eyes of the idols within the house. At this, Hazrat Eusuf said: It is a wonder to see that you cover the eyes of the dead idols out of shame. Why should you not be ashamed of the best powerful God?
It is reported that one young man intended to have sexual " intercourse With a grown up girl, but the girl said: Don't you feel shame? He said: Whom shall I be ashamed of? Nobody will see me except stars. The girl said: Where is the Creator of the stars?
Muhammad b-Tirmizi said: Think of Him from whose sight you cannot hide yourself. Be grateful to Him whose gifts are not cut off from you, Submit to Him to whom you are in want. Be modest to Him from whose kingdom you cannot go out. God says: 'God is pleased with them and theyjare also pleased with Him. This is for one who fears his Lord.' -C»^^i*-^Jim i 4is&*i}aJs\&" Some sage was asked about its meaning and he replied that this verse refers* to such a person who keeps his mind turned towards his Lord, who takes accounts of himself and earns food for his destination. The great saint Jun-Nun was asked: For what thing will the people get paradise? He said: For five things - (1) steadfastness wherein there is no laxity, (2) Ijtihad wherein there is no mistake. (3) deep meditation of Allah open and secret, (4) waiting for death after being prepared for it and (5) taking account of oneself before Allah takes account of him.
338 THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES Vol-IV