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The hard life now for the good life later
It is reported that Hafsah – Allâh be pleased with her – once said to her father (‘Umar, during his Caliphate):
Allâh has increased the provisions; if only you would eat better food than the food you eat now and wear softer clothes then those you wear now?! He said, “I will argue [against] you with your own self: Was not the condition of Allâh’s Messenger – praise and peace be upon him – such-and-such [when you were his wife]!?” He kept reminding her until she cried. He continued, “I have told you, by Allâh, I will share in their hard living (in this world, referring to The Prophet and Abû Bakr) so that I may partake in their good life (in Paradise).”
Hunâd b. Al-Sarî, Al-Zuhd article 687; Imâm Ahmad, Al-Zuhd article 201, et al. (1)
(1) Shaykh Abd Al-Rahmân Al-Farîwâ`î explains in his edition of Hunâd’s Al-Zuhd that this narration is sahîh if it is confirmed that Mus‘ab b. Sa’d heard it from Hafsah; otherwise its chain of transmission is mursal sahîh (i.e. it is authentic except there is a missing link between Mus’ab and Hafsah)
Soft Poison
It is reported that ‘Alî b. Abî Tâlib wrote to Salmâm Al-Farsî – Allâh be pleased with them both – saying:
The likeness of this worldly life (dunyâ) is that of a snake: soft to the touch, it will kill you with its poison. So turn away from what impresses you of it, since what stays with you is so little. And do not be concerned about it, since you are certain about its parting. And be most happy in it when you are most heedful of it; for every time its companion takes solace in one of its delights, it gives way to one of its woes.
Was-Salâm.
Ibn Abî Al-Dunyâ, Kitâb Al-Zuhd article 164.
Four Signs of the Wretched
It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrî – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
Four signs of wretchedness are: [having] a hard heart, dry eyes [that never cry], extended hopes [about this life], and greed and keenness to amass worldly things (the dunyâ).
Ibn Abî Al-Dunyâ, Kitâb Al-Zuhd article 36.
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This life in brief
It is reported that some people asked ‘Alî b. Abî Tâlib – Allâh be pleased with him - to describe this worldly life (the dunyâ). He said:
Do you want a long description or a brief one? They replied, “a brief one.” He said, “Its permissible things (halâl) [lead to] accounts being taken from you, and its forbidden things (harâm) [lead to the] Fire.
Ibn Abî Al-Dunyâ, Dham Al-Dunyâ article 17.
The Provision of a Traveler [this world to the next]
Anas reports that when Salmân [Al-Fârsî] – Allâh be pleased with him – was ill, Sa’d visited him and found him crying, so he asked him:
O my brother, what makes you cry? Did you not accompany the Messenger of Allâh – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him? Did you not do such-and-such [good deeds]? He replied, “I am not crying over any one of two things: I am not crying out of love and yearning for this world nor out of dislike for the hereafter, but I am crying because Allâh’s Messenger – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – took a covenant from me about something I think I have only transgressed. He made me promise that it is enough for anyone only to have enough [of this world] as would suffice as the provisions of a traveler, but I think I have only gone too far. As for you o Sa’d, fear Allâh when you judge, and when you distribute anything and when you think about doing anything.”
Thâbit (one of the reporters) said, “And it reached me that [when he died] he left only about twenty dirham of spending he had.”
Ibn Mâjah, Al-Sunan. Shaykh Al-Albânî graded this narration sahîh. See sahîh wa Da’î/f Sunan Ibn Mâjah no. 4104.
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