2177 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; my father narrated to me; Khalid ibn Hayyan Abū Yazīd narrated to us; Jaʿfar narrated to us who said: It reached me from Wahb ibn Munabbih that he said:

“The character trait that lends the strongest support to one’s religion is asceticism toward the world, while the trait that brings the quickest downfall is following one’s desires. Included in following desire is yearning for the world, and from that yearning arises love of wealth and status. From the love of wealth and status comes the audacity to deem the sacred things permissible, thereby incurring Allah’s wrath—may He be exalted. Allah’s wrath is an affliction for which there is no cure except His good pleasure—may He be exalted; and once Allah is pleased, no ailment can harm a person. Accordingly, whoever wishes to please Allah, his Lord, must displease his own soul; and whoever will not displease his soul will never please his Lord. Indeed, if a person were to abandon every aspect of his religion that he found distasteful, before long nothing of his religion would remain with him.”