12. CAUSES OF GOING ASTRAY
I contemplated mankind and realised that their condition is so unbelievable it makes one’s mind unable to comprehend.
Such a case is that of a person who listens to a sermon and he is reminded about the Hereafter. Although he believes the truthfulness of all that he heard, and he cries for his shortcomings and from failing in his duties, and so decides to endeavour to catch up with what he missed and overlooked— yet he fails to comply with what he intended to do.
If someone said to him, ‘Do you doubt any of what you are promised [in the Hereafter]?’ his answer will be, ‘No, by Allah, I do not have any doubt.’ Then when he is advised to perform good deeds, he intends to do so but then he does not do them. In fact, he may later incline to a forbidden pleasure ([ladha muharama) of which he is aware is impermissible.
This type can be found in the story of the three people who remained behind in the Madinah and did not join the army [in the battle of Tabuk] and who had no valid excuse though they were aware of the severity of such an act. The same is the case with every sinner (‘asi) and heedless person (ghafil).
However, when 1 thought of the reason of those whom I assumed to have a sound belief (‘itiqad sahib) yet their deeds are lacking and not as they should be, I came to realise three reasons cause people to be in such a condition:
(1) Thinking of their current desires (hawa) which prevent them from thinking (f/kr) of the consequences of abiding to such desires.
(2) Delaying repentance (taswif lnl-tawbah)\because if the intellect of people prevailed, it would have made people beware of the harm of delaying repentance (tawbah) because death may come all of a sudden before they repent.
I wonder at mankind who believe their soul may be taken in a period less than one hour, but are still not being resolute and endeared to work for such a moment. It is one’s desire that makes a person think he will live a long life. This is why the Prophet said: “Pray as if it is your last prayer”2″” and this is the cure for such illnesses because he who believes he will not live long enough to witness the next prayer (salah), he will endeavour hard.
(3) Hoping for Allah’s mercy {raja al-rahma); hence sinners often say: ‘My Lord is the Most Merciful (rabbi rabinif but they seem to forget that His Punishment is severe {shadidal-‘iqdb). In fact, sinners should understand that His Mercy (rahma) neither entails softness nor weakness— otherwise He would not have created pain or decreed children to suffer sometimes, and also he should remember that His Punishment is severe for He decreed that he who steals as low as five dirhams is to have his hand cut off. This understanding should make them achieve more and work harder.
I ask Allah to grant us a determination that makes us resolute in our affairs.
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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