23. JURISTS OF FITNAH
One day, a jurist who was a judge of a city from the non-Arab lands arrived in our city’ and I saw his camel adorned with gold and silver and many other prohibited matters.
So I said to myself, ‘Knowledge has not benefited this person.’
In fact there are many proofs established against him. The most important reason for these kinds of people being in such a state is due to their lack of knowledge about the life of the righteous predecessors and the way of life of the Prophet. Their all-in-all ignorance and busyness with controversial issues and not being well versed in knowledge leads them to not caring or listening to hadith about the righteous predecessors.
They associate with rulers that makes them wear clothes similar to theirs, which is a matter they may even think is too trivial to be worried about. If they do not think about it you will find their desires prevail, and they may even think that such an act is excusable and is nothing compared to their occupation with knowledge.
And when the scholars praise and compliment rulers in the hope of receiving a worldly benefit, they do not object or condemn that!
I even saw some of those who attribute themselves to knowledge accompanying clean-shaven boys and purchase male servants, which are actions only he who has no hope in the Hereafter would do! And I have seen some who’ve reached the age of eighty and still live such a lifestyle.
I urge those who are certain about the Hereafter and want to safeguard their religiousness to beware of adopting corrupted and invalid interpretations. Being overpowered with desires, for if you compromise and get involved in part of it, you will eventually be dragged into all of it. Then you will not be able to get out due to the familiarity of nature with desires.
Heed you therefore the advice I offer and be content with the piece you will have and stay away from those whose concern is worldly pleasures.
If your desires encourage you to be involved in all that, do not listen because if it invites you to a matter by belittling it in your eyes, you should know that this small thing will call for bigger things that you cannot avoid afterwards.
Be patient and bear the hardship of life conditions and abstain from being with those whose concern is worldly pleasures for your religion cannot be perfected except by doing so.
Compromising on one matter shall lead to another. Just as the waves on the ocean lead to the beach. Just as one food that is better than other foods. Just as one [set of] clothes that are better than other clothes. Just as a face that is prettier than another face. Life is only a few days.
(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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