Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 107
Malfuzat - Volume I 107 though a person may possess wealth and riches, and worldly honour, dignity and glory, their true comfort lies in God alone. Gold, jewels and the world with its al- lures are not the cause of true happiness for these people. Until a person does not feel comfort and pleasure in God Almighty alone, they cannot attain salvation, for salvation is also another word for comfort. Without a Soul at Rest One Cannot Attain Salvation I have seen certain people and have also read about the lives of some who pos- sessed the wealth and riches of this world, and enjoyed the hollow pleasures of this world as well as all its diverse bounties, including children and grandchil- dren. When death was at hand and it dawned upon them that the time to leave this world had come, and they would be separated from its material bounties and now travel to the hereafter, the fire of regret and needless desire was ignited in them and they began to make empty cries. This too is a form of hell, which deprives a person from heartfelt peace and tranquillity, and rather hurls one into a state of anxiety and discomfort. Therefore, the fact to which my friends must not remain oblivious is that more often than not, a person becomes engrossed in the excessive and needless love of their families and wealth. It is often in the heat and intoxication of this very love that they indulge in such unlawful actions, which create a barrier between them and God Almighty; and the individual con- cerned is subjected to a hell. Initially the individual is unaware of this but then everything suddenly escapes them, and they are unprepared for that moment. It is then that such people suffer indescribable anxiety. One can easily understand that when a person is separated and distanced from that which they love, they are overwhelmed by grief and throbbing anguish. This issue is not only a theory; it is a logical fact, as Allah the Exalted states: نَارُ اللَّهِ الْمُوْقَدَةُ الَّتِي تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الْأَفْبِدَةِ It is Allah's kindled fire, which rises over the hearts. And so it is this very fire of the love of all that is besides Allah which burns the human heart and turns it to ash, subjecting it to a shocking punishment and pain. I say once again that it is a true and definite fact that without a soul at rest, man cannot attain salvation. 1 al-Humazah, 104:7-8