3. FOLLOWERS OF DESIRES (SHAHWAT)
I heard that some early wrongdoers (fisaq) used to say, ‘To me, life is nothing more than following one’s desires, whether right or wrong.’
I pondered upon such a person and found him to be a soul (nafs) that is dead, having no vigour to protect his honour or fear from shame. He is not human.
A person may confront death so no one can say he is a coward. And he sometimes carries heavy weights so people say he did a good job. And he might conceal the fact that he is poor so no one looks down at him.
In fact when an ignorant person is told, ‘You are ignorant’, he becomes angry (ghadab).
And those casually committing sin would (ironically) kill their own sisters if they knew that their sisters were involved in something shameful.
He who has a soul never puts himself in a position of doubt, so people do not assume what is bad in him. On the other hand, he who does not care if seen drunk, and is not hurt by people mentioning him in an ill manner, he should be counted amongst cattle.
He who wants to follow his carnal desires and only worries about hardship (in committing the sin), and does not have any honour to protect, then he is an animal in the skin of a human.
How could a person live with the fact he was caught drinking, punished for it, and became known for this? Does not this horrible feeling equal (in shame to) the pleasure he sought initially?
And how would a lazy person feel when he sees his peers excelling in knowledge and business while he remains ignorant and poor? Will there be any pleasure in laziness and doing nothing?
And if an adulterer thought about what people will say about him, or if he contemplated the punishment, he would not commit the sin! He sees the quick pleasure like it is the shine of lightening, followed by long sorrow.
All of this is in this life. As for the afterlife, the punishment is everlasting,
“While those who believe are fearful of it.” [al-Shura (42): 18]
We ask Allah for pride sufficient enough not to commit sins, and a high vigour to seek righteous deeds. Indeed, He is near and answers prayers.
(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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