our burdens weigh heavily upon our backs, make them groan, and weary them. Yet it is as though we were carrying nothing, because of the weakness of our faith and insight and the extent of our heedlessness. We ask Allah to pardon us.

It is related in one report that when a believer commits a sin, he regards it as a mountain looming over his head, whereas when a hypocrite commits a sin, he regards it as a fly that has landed on his nose, and he flicks it away like this. (1) That is, he pays it no heed. The believer, however, is troubled by his sins and beset by worries until he rids himself of them through repentance and seeking forgiveness, or through great good deeds that erase the effects of the misdeed. If you find your heart heedless of your sins, know that your heart is diseased, for a living heart cannot be content with disease. Sins are the disease of hearts, as Abd Allah ibn al-Mubārak—may Allah have mercy on him—said:

I have seen sins put hearts to death,
And persistence in them may bequeath disgrace.
Abandoning sins gives hearts their life,
And defying them is best for your soul.

We must therefore attend to our souls and call them to account. Merchants do not sleep until they have reviewed their account books—what they paid out, what they spent, and what they earned. Those who trade for the Hereafter should be even more diligent, for their trade is far greater. At most, the trade of worldly people—if it benefits them at all—merely affords the body a life of luxury. Moreover, this trade brings with it a well-known measure of anxiety and distress. If a merchant suffers a loss on some merchandise, he becomes distressed; and if dangers arise in his land, such as highwaymen or thieves, he becomes even more anxious.

Trade for the Hereafter, however, is entirely different:

﴾O you who believe, shall I direct you to a trade that will save you from a painful punishment? Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and strive in the way of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is better for you, if only you knew. He will forgive your sins and admit you into Gardens beneath which rivers flow.﴿ [al-Saff: 10–12]

It saves one from punishment, and through it Allah forgives sins,