13. LACK OF PATIENCE AGAINST DESIRES LEADS TO RUIN
When I was writing my book ‘A l-Muntadhim detailing the history of kings and nations, I got to know an in-depth history of people such as kings, ministers, authors, jurists, hadith scholars, ascetics and others. I found that the worldly life played many of them in a way that nullified their faith. So much so, that they ended up denying the punishment of the Hereafter.
Some rulers kill, confiscate, cut and imprison with a lawful right, and then dive into the sea of sins as if they have the final say on their destiny, or that could guarantee themselves safety from punishment.
Perhaps they imagined that their preservation of their subjects would protect them, forgetting that the Messenger was told,
“Say, ‘Indeed I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day.’” [al-Zumar (39): 13]
Some pseudo-scholars were involved in sins to attain short-term goals and were not benefited by knowledge.
We have also seen some ascetics who deviated to fulfill their desires because life caught them in a trap, and people are like birds; the bird desires the food grain while forgetting the trap.
Most people forget their return in their pursuit of their short-lived pleasures, so they became companions to their whims and ignored the calling of the intellect. They sell much good for little pleasure and in return deserve— for these disparaged desires— a great punishment.
If one of them meets his death he says, “I wish I never were. I wish I were dust.” Then he is told, “Now?” What a great pity for a miss that cannot be caught, a mortgage that cannot be released, a regret that has no end, and a tortured too arrogant to believe in Allah!
The intellect only benefits those who take heed of it, for you cannot depend and accept its advice without resolve and patience against desires.
Among the ruler, take a look at ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab and ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdul-Aziz (Allah be pleased with them); and among scholars, Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Allah have mercy on his soul), and among ascetics, ‘Uways Al-Qarni. They gave wisdom its due and understood the purpose of existence.
Those who perished never perished except because for their lack of patience against desires. Some of them unsurprisingly, may not have believed in resurrection and punishment. What is astonishing is to see a believer with sure certainty, while his certainty is of no use to him—who understands consequences, but does not benefit from his intellect.
(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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