The Essence of Islam – Volume IV — Page 11
Family and Personal Background 11. But I was wholly disinclined to do so and was also not feeling well. Therefore I could not go. This also became a cause for my father's displeasure. In short, he wished me to completely occupy myself with worldly affairs, which I could not do. Nevertheless, out of goodwill and in order to earn spiritual merit, but not for the sake of any worldly gain, I devoted myself to serving my father and for his sake I occupied myself with worldly affairs and also supplicated for him. He believed fully that I was dutiful towards my parents and often used to say that he desired me to participate in worldly affairs out of a sense of sympathy for me though he realized that faith-the thing in which I was most interested-was alone worth pursuing and that he himself was only wasting his time. . In the same way, while I was under his care I had most unwillingly spent a few years in the employment of the British Government, but he found that separation from me sat heavy on him and so he directed me to resign from my post. This I gladly did and returned home. My brief experience of official life made me realize that most people in that position lead very undesirable lives. Very few of them carry out their religious duties properly and few of them restrain themselves from indulgence in the illicit pleasures which are meant as a trial for them. I was surprised with their way of life. I found that most of them were eager to collect money lawfully or unlawfully and all their efforts in this brief life were