They answered, “We are hoping to gain all of that through Allah’s forgiveness and mercy.”

He replied, “The earlier nations who were overtaken by torment hoped from Allah for exactly what you are hoping for, entertained the same expectations you entertain, and yet neglected to act—until the punishment descended upon them, as you already know. Whoever believes what befell those former peoples has no right to pin his hopes on salvation without deeds. Whoever sets out across a waterless desert is all but certain to die of thirst.

“I notice that you rely on wishful thinking when it comes to risking the destruction of your very bodies, yet you refuse to rely on it for the welfare of your livelihoods. You lavishly furnish a house you know you must soon abandon, while leaving unfurnished the house where you will reside forever. Look at your own cities that you have built, filling them with goods and estates. If someone told you, ‘A king is about to descend upon you with his armies and troops, killing all the inhabitants and razing every building,’ would you be content to remain in them and keep building?”

They said, “Certainly not.”

He said, “By Allah, that is exactly what awaits the children of Adam. Yet I can guide you to a city that is secure and sound, where no tyrant will harm you, no governor will oppress you, and whose fruits will never fail.”

They responded, “We know what you mean, but our souls have already craned eagerly toward the love of this world—what can we do?”

He said, “Great profits come from long journeys. So how astonishing is the ignorant person…"