Al-Zuhd - Ibn Abi al-Dunya - (216)

Al-ZuhdIbn Abi al-Dunya

506 – Muhammad ibn Jaʿfar al-Warkānī narrated to us; Maʿmar ibn Sulaymān narrated to us, from Saʿīd ibn ʿAwsajah, that Abū al-Dardāʾ said:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If you knew what I know, you would weep much and laugh little; this world would become insignificant to you, and you would give preference to the Hereafter.”

Abū al-Dardāʾ then added on his own authority:

“If you knew what I know, you would climb the hilltops, weeping over your own souls, and you would leave your wealth unattended, with no intention of returning to it—save only what you cannot do without. Yet the remembrance of the Hereafter is absent from your hearts, while hopeful expectation of this world is present; the world has thus gained the upper hand over your deeds, and you have come to resemble those who possess no knowledge. Indeed, some of you are worse than the grazing beasts that never abandon their desires out of fear of the consequences.

What is the matter with you that you neither love one another nor offer sincere counsel, though you are brothers in religion? Nothing has set your desires at variance but the corruption of your inner selves; had you united upon righteousness, you would surely have loved one another. Why is it that you advise each other regarding worldly affairs ⦗217⦘ yet give no advice concerning the Hereafter? None of you can summon honest counsel for the one he loves, nor aid him in matters of his Hereafter. This can only be due to the paucity of faith within your hearts. Were you as certain of the blessings and terrors of the Hereafter as you are of this world, you would prefer to seek the Hereafter, for it holds far greater sway over your affairs.

If you say, ‘The love of the immediate has the upper hand,’ we see you forsake immediate gains in this world for deferred ones within it, wearing yourselves out with toil and burning effort for something you may never attain. How wretched a people you are! You have not actualized your faith with that by which mature faith is recognized. If you doubt what Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has brought, then come to us so that we may clarify it for you and show you of the light what will bring tranquillity to your hearts.

By Allah, your minds are not deficient that we could excuse you; you set forth sound opinions in your worldly affairs and take firm, prudent measures in your undertakings. Why then do you rejoice over a trifling portion of this world you acquire and grieve over a trifling portion that slips away—until it shows on your faces and is voiced upon your tongues? You call such losses ‘calamities’ and hold mourning gatherings for them, while most of you have abandoned a great part of your religion without that showing on your faces or altering your condition. I perceive that Allah has disavowed you.

You meet one another with apparent cheerfulness, yet each of you loathes to greet his brother with what he himself dislikes, fearing that his brother will greet him in the same manner. Thus you have awoken upon rancor; your pastures have sprouted upon filth; and you have found harmony only in ignoring the appointed term. I would ⦗218⦘ dearly love for Allah to relieve me of you and to join me to those whose company I yearn to behold; had he been alive, he would not have endured you.

If there is any good among you, I have spoken it to you. If you seek that which is with Allah, you will find it easy. In Allah I seek help against myself and against you.”

٥٠٦ - حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الْوَرْكَانِيُّ، نا مَعْمَرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ عَوْسَجَةَ، أَنَّ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ لَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا، وَلَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلًا، وَلَهَانَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الدُّنْيَا، وَلَآثَرْتُمُ الْآخِرَةَ» ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ مِنْ قِبَلِ نَفْسِهِ: لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ لَخَرَجْتُمْ إِلَى الصُّعُدَاتِ تَبْكُونَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ، وَلَتَرَكْتُمْ أَمْوَالَكُمْ لَا حَارِسَ لَهَا، وَلَا رَاجِعَ إِلَيْهَا، إِلَّا مَا لَا بُدَّ لَكُمْ مِنْهُ، وَلَكِنْ يَغِيبُ عَنْ قُلُوبِكُمْ ذِكْرُ الْآخِرَةِ، وَحَضَرَهَا الْأَمَلُ فَصَارَتِ الدُّنْيَا أَمْلِكَ بِأَعْمَالِكُمْ، وَصِرْتُمْ كَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ، فَبَعْضُكُمْ شَرٌّ مِنَ الْبَهَائِمِ الَّتِي لَا تَدَعُ هَوَاهَا مَخَافَةً مِمَّا فِي عَاقِبَتِهِ، مَا لَكُمْ لَا تَحَابُّونُ، وَلَا تَنَاصَحُونَ، وَأَنْتُمْ إِخْوَانٌ عَلَى دِينٍ، مَا فَرَّقَ بَيْنَ أَهْوَائِكُمْ إِلَّا خُبْثُ سَرَائِرِكُمْ، وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعْتُمْ عَلَى الْبِرِّ لَتَحَابَبْتُمْ، مَا لَكُمْ تَنَاصَحُونَ فِي أَمْرِ الدُّنْيَا، ⦗٢١٧⦘ وَلَا تَنَاصَحُونَ فِي أَمْرِ الْآخِرَةِ، لَا يَمْلِكُ أَحَدُكُمُ النَّصِيحَةَ لِمَنْ يُحِبُّهُ وَيُعِينُهُ عَلَى أَمْرِ آخِرَتِهِ، مَا هَذَا إِلَّا مِنْ قِلَّةِ الْإِيمَانِ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ، لَوْ كُنْتُمْ تُوقِنُونَ بِخَيْرِ الْآخِرَةِ وَشَرِّهَا، كَمَا تُوقِنُونَ بِالدُّنْيَا، لَآثَرْتُمْ طَلَبَ الْآخِرَةِ، لِأَنَّهَا أَمْلَكُ لِأُمُورِكُمْ، فَإِنْ قُلْتُمْ: حُبُّ الْعَاجِلَةِ غَالِبٌ، فَإِنَّا نَرَاكُمْ تَدَعُونَ الْعَاجِلَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا لِلْآجِلِ مِنْهَا، تَكُدُّونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ بِالْمَشَقَّةِ وَالِاحْتِرَاقِ فِي أَمْرٍ لَعَلَّكُمْ لَا تُدْرِكُونَهُ، فَبِئْسَ الْقَوْمُ أَنْتُمْ، مَا حَقَّقْتُمْ إِيمَانَكُمْ بِمَا يُعْرَفُ بِهِ الْإِيمَانُ الْبَالِغُ فِيكُمْ، فَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا جَاءَ بِهِ مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ فَأْتُونَا فَلَنُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ وَلِنُرِيَكُمْ مِنَ النُّورِ مَا تَطْمَئِنُّ إِلَيْهِ قُلُوبُكُمْ، وَاللَّهِ مَا أَنْتُمْ بِالْمَنْقُوصَةِ عُقُولُكُمْ فَنَعْذِرَكُمْ، إِنَّكُمْ لَتُبَيِّنُونَ صَوَابَ الرَّأْيِ فِي دُنْيَاكُمْ، وَتَأْخُذُونَ بِالْحَزْمِ فِي أَمْرِكُمُ، مَا لَكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ بِالْيَسِيرِ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا تُصِيبُونَهُ؟ وَتَحْزَنُونَ عَلَى الْيَسِيرِ مِنْهَا يَفُوتُكُمْ؟ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ ذَلِكَ فِي وُجُوهِكُمْ، وَيَظْهَرَ عَلَى أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ، وَتُسَمُّونَهَا الْمَصَائِبَ، وَتُقِيمُونَ فِيهَا الْمَآتِمَ، وَعَامَّتُكُمْ قَدْ تَرَكُوا كَثِيرًا مِنْ دِينِهِمْ بِمَا لَا يَتَبَيَّنُ ذَلِكَ فِي وُجُوهِكُمْ، وَلَا يَتَغَيَّرُ حَالُكُمْ، إِنِّي لَأَرَى اللَّهَ قَدْ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْكُمْ، يَلْقَى بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا بِالسُّرُورِ، وَكُلُّكُمْ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَسْتَقْبِلَ صَاحِبَهُ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يَسْتَقْبِلَهُ صَاحِبُهُ بِمِثْلِهِ، فَأَصْبَحْتُمْ عَلَى الْغِلِّ، وَنَبَتَتْ مَرَاعِيكُمْ عَلَى الدِّمَنِ، وَتَصَافَيْتُمْ عَلَى رَفْضِ الْأَجَلِ، لَوَدِدْتُ ⦗٢١٨⦘ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَرَاحَنِي مِنْكُمْ، وَأَلْحَقَنِي بِمَنْ أُحِبُّ رُؤْيَتَهُ، وَلَوْ كَانَ حَيًّا لَمْ يُصَابِرْكُمْ، فَإِنْ كَانَ فِيكُمْ خَيْرٌ أَسْمَعْتُكُمْ، وَإِنْ تَطْلُبُوا مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ تَجِدُوهُ يَسِيرًا، وَبِاللَّهِ أَسْتَعِينُ عَلَى نَفْسِي وَعَلَيْكُمْ "