6. DO NOT LET PRIDE IN THE SIN TAKE HOLD OF YOU
The greatest punishment is that he who has been punished is unaware of the fact that he is being punished. Even worse, is to be pleased of committing an act that is liable to, or deserving of, punishment such as being happy for earning money from unlawful sources, or for being capable of committing sins. Such a person with this condition will not be blessed with an act of obedience (i.e. good deed] to perform.
Contemplating the condition of the majority of people of knowledge {‘it lam a ) and ascetics {muta^abduri) made me realise that these people are actually being punished without being aware of that! It is often that such punishment befalls them due their attempts and interest in seeking authority’ [i.e. power, fame, wealth and worldly benefits].
For instance, those who are described as scholars— among them—become irritated and frustrated whenever their mistakes are being corrected or refuted, and those who preach to people— among them— are actually phony in their sermons, and the ascetics— among them— are either hypocritical (munafiq’) or pretentious (mura’).
The first punishment befalling these [types of] people is that they become delinquent in finding the truth due to their concentration on people [i.e. they are focused on what people say about them and try to employ all means to have people on their side and follow them], and from amongst the hidden punishments they also suffer from is that they are deprived of tasting the sweetness (halawa) of invoking Allah in secret and when worshipping Him. These punishments, however, befall not the believing men and women whom He preserves the earth with, whose actions conform to their hearts, if not better, whose inner is similar to their outer, if not better, and whose volition and endeavours are as high as the sky, if not higher. Whenever people recognise them, they deny possessing such qualities and keep a low profile, and if anyone finds out about any of their heaven-sent miraculous feats, they deny having such blessings. While people are heedless (ghafla) in this life, they are in their solitude [worshipping Allah devoutly]; loved by the earth and rejoiced by the planets of heavens.
I ask Allah, Most High, to grant us success to follow their steps and to make us amongst their followers.
(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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