18. MODERATION IS THE BEST OF STATE
You should know that moderation (‘itidal) is the best state to follow in all situations; thus when we see people increase in being attached to worldly matters and their good deeds have become corrupted, we remind them of death (mawi), the grave (qabr) and the Hereafter (al-Akhira).
By contrast, if a scholar is always mindful of death and continuously reading or hearing the hadiths mentioning the Hereafter, then more of this will not be helpful for him except in the case when he totally stops it.
Rather a scholar who fears Allah much (shahid) and always mindful of the Hereafter should refrain from discussing death too much so that he can have some hope that helps him to survive.
He should busy himself with writing and doing good deeds or even having children because if he keeps thinking of death then he will gain more harm than good.
Have not you heard about the Prophet racing ‘A ’ishah (radiyAllahu ‘anha) and that she won the race once and he won once? He used to joke and keep himself busy [with some worldly affairs].
This is because investigating the essence of everything ruins the body (badan) and disturbs the soul (nafs).
It is said that Imam Ahmad asked Allah, Most High, to make him fear (kanj) Him more. After Allah answered his supplication, Imam Ahmad feared that he might become crazy because of much fear he had and so asked Allah to return him to the way he was.
You should contemplate this principle for a person should busy himself with some of the affairs of this life and relax a bit sometimes for that is more beneficial for the self.
And, Allah is the Provider of Assistance.
(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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