安萨里——致穆吉尔丁的信

Allah says: "Respond to your Lord before that Day arrives which cannot be turned back, for on that Day there shall be neither shelter, nor denial.. But if they turn away, We have not sent you (Prophet Muhammad) to be their guardian." Koran Chapter 42 verses 47-48. That which cannot be avoided is death which, every moment, hangs over ones head. When it comes one will be sorry, but ones sorrow will not be of benefit, and one will make excuses, but no excuse will be accepted and one will cry for help, but no help with be forthcoming. The wise man, par excellence, is one who by renouncing desires of the flesh does not fall into evil, and remains prepared for death every moment and collects goods that will accompany him on his last journey, and one cannot collect goods for ones last journey unless one retires into oneself. For nowhere with more quietness or more freedom from trouble does a man retire than into his own soul, particularly when one has within oneself such thoughts that by looking into them one is immediately in perfect tranquility and tranquility is nothing other than the good ordering of the mind. When one lays aside all carelessness and passionate aversion from the commands of reason and all hypocrisy and self love, one becomes strong enough to serve the sufferings of humanity. Every town and city in the country has turned into a battlefield where the strong wrestle the weak and the rich exploit and tyrannize the poor. The title in Paradise of whosoever helps the poor will be Mujirud - Daulah. Titles come down from heaven. As Prophet Jesus once said: "In truth, he to whom Allah has granted knowledge of religion and who acts thereon himself, instructing others will attain a high station in the Hereafter."