Holy Prophet's Advice to Abu Dharr Ghaffari
Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi
The prophet of Allah (as) said, “O Abu Dharr! Please remember what I am advising you and act on it! There are two blessings that men are oblivious of! One, the health of the body and the second is the leisure they get! They don’t make good use of these two blessings and repent later on!
And Abu Dharr! Be thankful for five things and appreciate them: Appreciate that youth is before old age! Because there is no pleasure of prayer in the old age!
Appreciate good health before you fall ill, because prayer can be best offered when one is in good health.
Appreciate affluence before you become a beggar that you might do charity in the name of Allah!
Appreciate the leisure you have, before you get busy that you offer prayers to your heart’s content.
Appreciate life before death catches up with you, that you cannot do anything once you are dead.
And O Abu Dharr! Don’t delay doing good deeds! What good turn you have decided to do, do it today! Who knows, you may be there tomorrow or not. O Abu Dharr! There were lots of people there, but they are no more now! There were lots of them who kept their tasks for the morrow! But before the morrow came, they were no more!
O Abu Dharr! If you know the speed with which the steed of death is running and the speed with which it is taking you closer to death, you will abstain from lots of wishes and desires!
O Abu Dharr! This world is like a serai?! Spend life like a traveler in it. Don’t consider it your land. Your land is only the small area of the grave, and always think of inhabiting it!
O Abu Dharr! In the morning stop thinking of the evening! It might happen that your evening might not meet you!
O Abu Dharr! Make good use of your health, before ill health catches up with you! Make good use of life, before death overtakes you! Who knows, tomorrow your name might be in the list of the living, or the roster of the dead! Or on the Day of Judgment, whether your name will be on the list of the good people or with the sinners.
O Abu Dharr! Do whatever good turns, now, when you live. Don’t neglect the Hereafter by chasing and accumulating transitory riches. The persons to whom you leave behind the riches, will not praise you for your largesse!
O Abu Dharr! I am wondering that people worry at the slightest hardship! How will they bear the Hellfire and hardships of Jahannam! I see the people spending sleepless nights to acquire the worldly pleasure! I also wonder seeing people sleep and neglect their chances of acquiring the pleasures of the Heaven as a recompense for their prayers.
O Abu Dharr! Appreciate the short span of life given to you! Be miserly in not spending it on the transitory wealth of this world.
The prophet of Allah (as) said, “O Abu Dharr! Please remember what I am advising you and act on it! There are two blessings that men are oblivious of! One, the health of the body and the second is the leisure they get! They don’t make good use of these two blessings and repent later on!
And Abu Dharr! Be thankful for five things and appreciate them: Appreciate that youth is before old age! Because there is no pleasure of prayer in the old age!
Appreciate good health before you fall ill, because prayer can be best offered when one is in good health.
Appreciate affluence before you become a beggar that you might do charity in the name of Allah!
Appreciate the leisure you have, before you get busy that you offer prayers to your heart’s content.
Appreciate life before death catches up with you, that you cannot do anything once you are dead.
And O Abu Dharr! Don’t delay doing good deeds! What good turn you have decided to do, do it today! Who knows, you may be there tomorrow or not. O Abu Dharr! There were lots of people there, but they are no more now! There were lots of them who kept their tasks for the morrow! But before the morrow came, they were no more!
O Abu Dharr! If you know the speed with which the steed of death is running and the speed with which it is taking you closer to death, you will abstain from lots of wishes and desires!
O Abu Dharr! This world is like a serai?! Spend life like a traveler in it. Don’t consider it your land. Your land is only the small area of the grave, and always think of inhabiting it!
O Abu Dharr! In the morning stop thinking of the evening! It might happen that your evening might not meet you!
O Abu Dharr! Make good use of your health, before ill health catches up with you! Make good use of life, before death overtakes you! Who knows, tomorrow your name might be in the list of the living, or the roster of the dead! Or on the Day of Judgment, whether your name will be on the list of the good people or with the sinners.
O Abu Dharr! Do whatever good turns, now, when you live. Don’t neglect the Hereafter by chasing and accumulating transitory riches. The persons to whom you leave behind the riches, will not praise you for your largesse!
O Abu Dharr! I am wondering that people worry at the slightest hardship! How will they bear the Hellfire and hardships of Jahannam! I see the people spending sleepless nights to acquire the worldly pleasure! I also wonder seeing people sleep and neglect their chances of acquiring the pleasures of the Heaven as a recompense for their prayers.
O Abu Dharr! Appreciate the short span of life given to you! Be miserly in not spending it on the transitory wealth of this world.