Sermon (101): On Asceticism and God-Consciousness
Look at the world with the eyes of those who adopt asceticism and turn away from it. By Allah! It will soon separate its inhabitants from itself, and put those who live in peace and prosperity into grief and sorrow, and whatever turns its back on it does not return. And there is no way to know what is coming so that its path can be watched. Its joys are mixed with grief, and the courage and strength of brave men are turning toward weakness and incapacity in it. (Beware) do not let the abundance of things that please the world make you weak, for the things that will accompany you are very few. May Allah have mercy on the person who gains lessons from reflection, and insight from lessons. All existing things of the world will become non-existent, as if they never existed, and the things that will appear in the Hereafter will soon become existent, as if they are already existent. Everything that comes in a count ends, and what is awaited for its coming, consider it as having come, and consider everything coming as near and reached. A part of this sermon is: The scholar is one who knows his own status, and what greater ignorance can there be for a human than that he does not recognize his own worth and status. The most disliked to Allah among people is that servant whom Allah has left to his own self, in such a way that he is deviated from the straight path and walks without a guide. If he is called to sow the world, he shows activity, and if he is told to sow the Hereafter, he becomes lazy. It is as if what he showed activity for was necessary, and what he showed laziness and negligence in was dropped from him. A part of this sermon is: There will be such a time that only that sleeping believer will be able to escape who is not known when he appears, and is not sought when he is hidden from sight. These are the shining lamps of guidance and bright signs in the darkness of night. They neither attach themselves here and there, nor expose people's faults, nor reveal their secrets. May Allah open the doors of mercy for people through them, and keep the severity of His punishment away from them. O people! The time is coming before you in which Islam will be turned upside down, just as a vessel is turned upside down (with all the things in it). O people! Allah has protected you from the matter that He would oppress you, but there is no protection from Him putting you in trial. This is the saying of the Great and Exalted One: 'In it are many signs for us, and we only test them.' The commentator notes that in the Imam's saying 'every sleeping believer,' 'sleeping' means the person who is unknown and without evil, and 'masayih' is the plural of 'masiyah,' and 'masiyah' is the person who spreads sedition and evil among people and causes discord, and 'mudhayyi' is the plural of 'mudhi', and 'mudhi' is the one who hears someone's fault and exposes it and states it openly, and 'budhur' is the plural of 'badhur,' and it is said of one who is foolish and speaks nonsense.
