Guidance for Perceiving Minds — Page 17
17 fresh ripe dates falling upon them. How fortunate are the hungry! They are a people who have purified their souls and body shed- ding their carnal desires and forsaking their nests. They showed mercy to those that wronged them. They extinguished the fire of their souls and perfected their lights. As for the worldly people, they resemble a day with extreme cold weather full of darkness and gloomy clouds. You find them stripped of the robes of piety, visibly exposed by the prevalence of indecency. They clad themselves with clothes of arrogance and wrap themselves in the cloak of vanity and pride. How can they then expect support from the Lord of the Worlds? Rather, behind them lies a stomach that endlessly craves, never satisfied, lead them to Satan. They weep, having been ravaged by poverty and depriva- tion of comfort, bearing only the burden of injustice and austerity, devoid of any semblance of solace. Then they proclaim themselves as chiefs of literature and guardians of the Arab language. Nay! Rather, their winds have stagnated, their lamps have faded, their land lies barren, and their prosperity and blessings dwindled away. The majesty of their status will not be restored until they return to God. He will not change their condition until they change their intentions. Even if all of humanity that is on earth stand by their side, they would not be able to frustrate the Messengers, even if they brought forth the first and the last, except for the righteous. Do they not reflect on those who passed away before them? Did they emerge victorious over the Messengers of Allah, or were they defeated? Surely know! All pens belong to Allah, and this is one of the miracles of the illuminating Book. Then, those who are close to God will receive [the pens] proportionately to their obedience of