Once bn Malik narrated that the people asked the prophet
[S A W] “Who are those
fearless and unmiserable friends of God?’’ He replied: They are people
who when
they cast their eyes on the outward aspect of the world with an inquisitive look
are
able to determine the inner essence of it. For this reason, if people observe
two
worldly fasts, their struggle is for no purpose other than the future and the
hereafter,
so they reduce and moderate their attachment to the world for fear that the
world
might pollute and corrupt their saintly and godly souls and die hopeless.
Instead of
that the subdue and overpower the world. They stay away from the world as they
are
aware that the world is temporal and in transit [one day
they will depart from it]. They
over look and cast aside worldly provisions and fantasies i.e. they take a
moderate
stance towards worldly matters and are less vulnerable to it and captivated by
them.
In their opinion the world has become old and ruined. They are not willing to
revive
and to rehabilitate it as their love for it has since vanished. So they dislike
it and
demolish it and over the ruins they build a new and everlasting abode. They sell
the
short lived life and buy an everlasting one. When they turn to look at the
lovers of the
world, they notice that they have declined and have died awaiting the punishment
of
God. For them there is no security and safety in this world except God and the
hereafter is there hope and they fear none but Allah [God].”
Explanation;
The difference between fear and grief is that, usually fear is akin to the
future and
grief pertains to the past.
I call to your attention a critical and striking question that was raised in
this tradition
and they asked; “Who are those fearless and unmiserable
friends of God?”
The Prophet {S A W] described them and he stated;
“friends of God have signs
and features and [that] one of the signs of a characteristic of a servant of God
in
relation to the lovers of the world is their ability to focus their attention on
the real
essence of the world.”
The Holy Qur’an says;
[They know the outward of this world but of the hereafter
they are absolutely
heedless.]
If such people give out what they possess, they consider it a decline or loss to
what they own and since they are fond of the outward and not of the spiritual
aspect.
Those who look at the spiritual aspect of something think in a different way as
the
Qur’an says;
[The parable of those who spend their property in the way of Allah is as the
parable
of the grain growing tars [with] a hundred grains growing in every ear, and
Allah
multiplies for whom he pleases; and Allah is Ample-giving, knowing].
Outward lookers say, if we take usury our stock [capital] will multiply, but
inward
lookers say, not only does it increase but also decreases and abates. The Qur’an
in
beautiful language states:
[Allah does not bless usury and He causes charitable deeds to prosper and Allah
does not like any ungrateful sinner].
It emphasizes that God does not like sinful and ungrateful person. If one pays
particular attention, he will notice that a society that is based on usury will
sooner or
later suffer serious consequences such as poverty, calamity and insecurity, but
on the
contrary a generous and charitable society will prosper and progress.
Before the Islamic revolution, newspapers used to get filled up with hosts of
questions asking why so much foreign exchange was being spent. [Taken out of
Iran]
to meet the needs for the pilgrimage to Mecca [Hajj]; why are we enriching the
Arabs? But since they started to look at the outward side of everything, they
never
used to understand and perceive the reality behind it that by spending this huge
amounts of dollars on Hajj, how huge the spiritual benefit will be, which the
pilgrim is
brining with him into the country [in return for the sum of money he sacrificed
in the
way of God]. Hajj is a fundamental pillar of Islam and it is a hub of unity and
honor to
the Muslims.
You see how people strive for their life of two worldly fasts. An example of
endueavours where by one is not pretty sure as to whether one profits from them
or
not. A certain individual in Tehran had built a house and for one and a half
years he
had been sitting in it doing nothing but drawing and painting. But this poor
person
had not been able to make the best of his house.
For a world in which he wishes to live for only four days he makes all this
tireless
effort and bustle and neglects the hereafter and he is ever unconcerned about
it.
This tradition is a collection of qualities of Gods servants and that if you
wish you
might summaries them into three;
[1] Friends of God; they perceive the world better and
they know that this world is in
a transit and will soon pass away.
[2] They are never captivated by worldly provisions nor do they fall trap to
worldly
allures, since they are adequately aware of the reality of universe [of course
the
second category is a product of the first one].
[3] They make use of the world for necessary purposes. They build a new and
everlasting abode on the ruins and rubbles of this world and they buy the
hereafter
for this world.
You might have noticed that God has absolutely elevated and raised certain
individuals higher above others. How have they managed to ascend such levels? It
is
evident that they make absolute use of their lives and this enables them to leap
from
the world up to the firmaments and they leave the carpet and ascend the throne.
Imam Ali ibn Abi Twalib [a s] on the day of Khadaq exhibited a mastery strike of
the
sword that it shall excel all worship of the Jinn and mankind combined together
until
the day of judgment. Since on that day, faith as a whole will stand firm against
‘kufr’
[disbelief].
sources:
[1] Behaar Anwar Vol. 74 page 181
[2] Qur’an chapter Rome: 7
[3] A hadith from the prophet reads; [The most ignorant person is one who fails
to
learn a lesson from ups and downs of the world].
Tasseer Nemunah Vol 13 page 13
[4] Qur’an chapter Baqarah: 261
[5] Qur’an chapter Baqarah:276