ALLEGORIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BELIEVERS(3)
Allegory-3
It is related that once there was an intelligent, wise and a kind king.
He was dedicated to the well-being of his subjects and always inquired
about their affairs. His vizier
was also concerned about the people's welfare and assisted the king in
this deed. Both of them were friendly towards one another and shared
their views. The vizier remained busy in serving the scholars and
virtuous men. He listened to their wise words and was ready to
sacrifice his life for them. His heart was always inclined towards the
abandonment of this world and it's vanishes. But for fearand of the king, he
kept it in his heart and
worshipped the idols to please the king, so that he would not harm
him.He remained worried about the king's deviation and error, inspite
of his kindness and mercy. He was always on look to get an opportunity
to guide the king towards the right. One night when everyone slept, the
king told his vizier, ".Come, we shall ride to the town and see in what
state are my subjects living. "The vizier replied that it was a good
idea. Both of them mounted and started going
around the town. During their stroll they passed from near a garbage
place and saw a light coming out of it. The king told the vizier, "We
should follow this light and see as to what's happening inside". They
came down from their mount and went to that place. When they, peeped
inside the crevice, they saw an ugly and indigent man wearing dirty
clothes sitting inside reclining on the garbage. He was beating a drum
and in front of him was kept a glass of wine. An ugly woman wearing
soiled clothes was standing opposite him. When the man asked for wine
she served it, and when he played the drum she danced. When he drank
wine, the woman praised him in a manner as people praise the kings. He
too praised the woman and called her
'Sayyedatun Nisa' (Mistress of the women). They were glorifying each
other's beauty and spending a life of peace and happiness. The king and
his vizier stood there for some time and saw what they did . They were
surprised at these two who
were happy even though living a degraded and debase life. They returned
back, and the king asked, Did you see them how happy they are, inspite
of being in such a dirty condiction. Our happiness when compared to
their's is nothing. And I think that they always remain like that .
When the Vizier head these words from the mouth of the king , he found
the time appropriate to advise and said King , In the eyes of those who
recognize the True King , this world and it's luxuries are equal to
this garbage place . The palaces and castle which we built bearing
hardships, are equal to the ugly faces of these two whom we just saw.
And the comforts and pleasures of this perishable world ( in their
eyes) are like these two's rejoicing at no true happiness. The King
asked the Vizier as to whether he knew such people . The Vizier
replied, yes, I do know them. The king asked as to who there were and
where they lived? The Vizier replied, They are those people who love
the religion of Allah , and aware of the kingdom of the hereafter and
it's bliss. They always remain eager for the felicity of the hereafter.
The king then asked him as to what is the hereafter? He replied, It is
a place of place and contentment, where there shall be no troubles and
anxieties. It is such a wealth after which a person does not remain
dependent of anyone. Then he briefed the king about the characteristics
of the hereafter. The king heard his words and said, "Do you know the
way and means to acquire this felicity"? The Vizier replied, "Yes, it
is for those who strive to seek this road (to religion and the
hereafter)".
The
king was impressed and desired to seek the hereafter. He then told the
Vizier why he never informed him about it previously nor related it's
characteristics? The Vizier said that he was afraid of his kingship and
dignity. The king replied, "Whatever characteristics (of the hereafter)
you have related to me are not to be ignored. But
one should strive to seek them, so that we may be characterised by it's
characteristics and succeed", The Vizier said, "O king! If you permit
me, I will relate these
characteristics in detail to you, so that you may become fully
acquainted with them, and your belief may become firm". The king was
happy and said, "In fact I order you to do so day and night, so that I
may not become engrossed in anything else and become negligent of it.
One should not neglect this act, for it is a wonderful and excellent,
and we should not avoid such a good duty". Thereafter the Vizier daily
advised the king and guided him to the right path.
Here
we quote a sermon of Imam Ali (A.S.) as a gift for the believers: "O
people ! Beware of this deceitful world, for it has attracted the
hearts towards evil by it's eleganceand beauty. It has subdued your wishes by
false promises. This world is like a woman has adorned herself only for
marriage, and due to her beauty deceives men and attracts them towards
her. She ultimately kills her husbands with her own hands. So the
present people should take lessons from those people in the past who
had fallen prey to it, and save themselves from it's conceit".
Imam
Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) says, that once the world came to Prophet Isa
(A.S.) in the form of a blue-eyed woman. He asked her as to how many
husbands she had?
She replied that she had infinite husbands. He then asked her, "Did you
divorce all of them "? She replied, "No, rather I ruined them and
killed them. Prophet Isa (A.S.)
said, "Woe be to those men who shall marry you (who shall be tempted by
your allurements), and do not take heed from her earlier husbands (the
followers of the world who were ruined by it)". Imam Sadiq (A.S) then
said, "Hence Allah has kept it (the world) friends and virtuous
servants away from her, and left it for His enemies. Allah was happy to
see His Prophet tie a stone on his stomach. Prophet Moosa ate grass, so
much that the greenery was seen through his stomach, for his flesh had
melted and his skin became thin". In praise of Allah's friends (Awliya)
and His Prophets (Ambiya) He (A.S.) says, "Prophets compared this world
to a garbage place where the corpses lay, eating
of which is not lawful. Hence they never ate to their full, but only
ate to extend that they could survive. In the sight of the Prophets it
is such a corpse, that a person passing from near it, covers his mouth
and nose to save him self from near it's bad odour. Hence they pursued
that much that would make them reach their destination and never
satiated themselves. The Prophets were astonished at the people who who
strived to gather this world and filled the stomachs. The Prophets are
pleased with their state, and are happy to be saved from the prosperity
of this world. O my brothers ! By Allah ! This world has never been a
well-wisher of anyone, in fact it is more dirty and polluted than a
corpse. The person who does the job of colouring leather is not
troubled by it's bad odour because he is used to it. But a man passing
by will be offended by it. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) says, O men!
When you see the people of this world running after it,do not follow
them, because they quarrel with one another to seek it. They are
barling dogs and are like the small ones. (here the author quotes some
couplets of Hakeem Sanai which I do not quote - translator ). Imam Ali
(A.S.) says that By Allah! In my eyes,this world is worse than the
fleshless bone of a pig given in thehands of a leper. Bone is considered to be
the most degraded part
of a human body, and that too of a pig, which is in the hands of a
leper, both being dirty and unclean than one another.
Ref:Manazelul Akherah
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