20. WRETCHED PEOPLE
The majority of mankind has a wretched nature that cannot be rectified except with self-discipline (riyada), for they neither know the reason why they were created nor understand the purpose of their life.
Their endeavours are dedicated in attaining worldly pleasures without care of blame they receive when such pleasures are obtained. In fact, they give up their honour to acquire what they want and prefer a moment of joy even if it will cause a lifetime of sickness.
When they trade, they wear the clothing of con artists while demonstrating arrogance and their transactions are deceptive while they conceal their reality. In other words, if they earn and consume from a doubtful source, they eat with eagerness and desire.
Their eyes are asleep all night long and their hearts are asleep all day long and the latter is the real sleepiness. When they are awake in the morning they spend their days fulfilling their desires as assiduous as a swine and like a dog when shaking its tail hoping to receive something.
They devour such pleasures like a lion when it preys, and as sneaky as a fox and attacking as a wolf. And when they are on death beds, they cry over losing the worldly pleasures they had instead of grieving over not having piety!
“That is their sum of knowledge” [al-Najm (53): 30]
How could a person prefer what he sees in his own eyes over what he sees in his heart and mind and who appreciates more the images he sees with his eyes more than what he sees with his insightfulness?
By Allah, if they open their ears they would have heard the call of departure loud in the house of dwelling echoing in the sides of this world saying: “reflect on the ruins of the tents of the old dwellers!”
But, they drown in the intoxication of ignorance (sukr al-juhala) and only awaken when they are being punished.
(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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