Part 3

Whenever the loved is someone attainable and lawful to have, uniting the loved with the lover [by means of marriage] would be the best of cures. For the intensity of this disease decreases with marriage, as well as marrying more than one wife, possessing new female-slaves, travelling for long distances, thinking of the betrayal of the loved one, reading books about asceticism, remembering death, visiting the sick, and visiting cemeteries. Then one should contemplate what he wants, and how it is when he is over with it, and think of his indifference towards what he wants afterwards and how people change. Then look to the examples in himself and in others, for others might help him emerge from this chasm, and help him out of this dilemma.

T also related that a man loved a young man, then one day he looked in the mirror and noticed some grey hairs so he deserted this boy. This boy then wrote to him saying:

Why was I abandoned like never before And the proofs of abandonment are so clear And I see that you are drinking me, but confounding me (loving others besides him) Although I have always known you drinking me alone (his only lover)

The man wrote back saying:

Tam acting like a young-man, when in reality 1 am old

Tam being flagged with awkwardness Do not blame me for my disaffection What I have wasted is enough for me T will be held accountable for what I have done So save me the sins I may commit We have seen the father of mankind (Adam) Due to a mistake, descend in humiliation (from heaven to earth)

NOW THAT WHENEVER Sharah is used in a general

sense it always refers to consuming food according to

one’s Hawa, There are many incidents when Sharah leads people to be involved in matters that lead them to harm, as it is an outcome generated from the strength of a lascivious self.

Al-Harith ibn Kildah' said, “That which killed the animals of the wild is consuming food, after already consuming food.” Others said, if the dead were asked what their reason of death was, they would say repletion.”

' Al-Harith Ibn-Kildah al-Thaqafi was the most famous medicine man in Arabia at his time and he was one of the most famous wise people of Tai’f. He travelled to Persia twice and that is where he learnt Medicine. He was born before Islam was revealed, and he lived at the time of the Prophet ($8) through the Ahiléfah of Abi Bakr, Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali and Mu‘awiyyah. Scholars differed on whether or not he converted to Islam. The Prophet (i) used to order whoever was sick to go to him, He had words in wisdom and he wrote a book titled ‘A dialogue in Medicine’ based on his conversation with Kisra Aniishruwan. Ak‘Alam by al-Zarkali, (2:157].

Tt was narrated that al-Hasan said that Sumrah was told that his son could not sleep all night. He asked whether or not he ate a lot and they said yes. So he said, “If he dies, I will not pray the funeral prayer on him.”

A man told another tauntingly, “Your father died due to excessive eating and your mother died due to excessive drinking.”

“Ugbah al-Rassibi narrated that he entered al-Hasan’s house, whilst he was having lunch. Al-Hasan insisted he eat, so he told him that he was full, thereafter al-Hasan said, “Subhan Allah! Does a Muslim eat until he is full?!”

Section One: Excessive Eating

Know that the wise must eat to survive, on the other hand the ignorant would rather live to eat. Many a bite has prevented other bites and was the reason of death. I have elucidated the faults of satiation from food in my book ‘The Picks of the Benefits’. The intended purpose here is to constrain bingeing oneself on gluttony, so as it does not harm itself. Alf that I have written in the chapters that I have started this book with, namely the ‘Virtue of the Mind’ and ‘Dispraise of Hawa’ is more than enough to abstain from every vice and to abandon that which consequences ate feared.

Section Two: Excessive Sexual Appetite

Sharah might also occur in regards to sexual intercourse. ] have made it clear in my book ‘The Picks of the Benefits’ that if someone indulges in it excessively his sperm channels become barred, causing unsuitable elements to enter therein and this then deprives the main organs i.e. the brain, the heart and the liver of their

strength; and so sexual desire decreases and accelerates its failure. Also intercourse implies an image that honorable and estimable selves would turn away from, except if it is intended to produce children or to push away a congested evil [i.e. fear of committing adultery or fornication]. Other than that if it becomes a habit that is done for the mere sake of satisfaction and enjoyment then one is practically competing with animals.

Section Three: Hoarding Wealth

Sharah might also be in hoarding money and that is a type of ‘cold insanity’ if it exceeds one’s needs, because money should not be sought for itself rather for spending on objects. Therefore, one who collects what he and his children need, so as not to beg off people. Gives some of it to those who are in need is not to be blamed. However a person of sound mind should not, after earning what he needs, waste his precious time and risk his priceless soul in travelling and in sailing [to collect more money]. How beautiful are the poet’s words:

And he who spends days in hoarding money For fear of poverty, then what he did is poverty itself

We have seen and heard a lot about people who are very stingy, yet travel and sail, in spite of old age, to earn money and profit - according to their claimbut they die on their travels, they de not even attain some of what they desired. This disease therefore should be treated by understanding the purpose of saving money, to balance [the risks and benefits] between earning money and risking the most precious things one possesses i.e. one’s self and time. That said, whoever consults his mind will know the intended, whoever is overpowered by the disease of hoarding money will

perish in the desert of greed and the only inheritor will be the mount and the packsaddle.

Sharah might be in regards to pleasant arts, such as decorated buildings, fine branded horses, fancy clothes ...etc. This is a disease that originates from following Hawa, the cure for it is to know that the account for lawful earning is grave, extravagance is prohibited and Allah does not look at the one who drags his garment out of pride. Allah rewards a believer for everything except building. Therefore the wise is the one who looks at how long he is going to live, and reflects on his final abode, for that is when he will be contended with what he wears of clothes and with whatever shelters him of buildings.

It was reported that (Prophet) Nah, lived in a house made of wool for nine hundred and fifty years. The Messenger (g) never put a stone over another [his house was built of mud] and on ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab’s (radiyAl/abu ‘anhu) garment there were twelve patches. This is because they understood that this world is a bridge and a bridge should not be taken as a home. Thus, whoever fails to be aware of this knowledge will be afflicted with the disease of Sharab, and should cure himself by seeking knowledge, and contemplating the biographies of the wise scholars.

Refusing to take a Position of Authority in this world

NOW THAT THE INNER SELF LOVES superiority kK over its kind, this is why leadership is favored for

the position of ordering and forbidding. Although leadership and authority is needed there are many risks in it, the least of which is discharge, the worst of which is injustice in judgement and the middle of which is wasting time if the intention of the one in charge is insincere.

A person who loves leadership and authority should know that he will think that leadership is great until he attains it. If he attains it, it becomes lowly and he will aspire to what is higher than it. For the delight disappears [after it is achieved], the sins remain [after they are committed], as well as risking oneself and one’s religion. Therefore, reflecting upon all of this is the cure for the love of leadership and authority.

Abi Umamah (radiyAlahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (38) said, “There is no man who becomes the leader of ten or what is more than that except that he will come to Allah on the Day of

Judgment with his hand chained to his neck, his righteousness will release him or his wrongdoing will destroy him. The beginning of it [leadership] is blame, the middle of it is regret and the end of it is degradation on the Day of Judgement.”

Abii Hurayrah (radiyAllahu ‘anhi) narrated from the Prophet (38), that he said, “Woe to the rulers! Woe to the corporals! Woe to the ones in authority! Some people will wish that their forelocks were hanged from the Pleiades, they were swaying between the heavens and the earth rather than being responsible for anything.”

Imam Muslim documented in his Sahih that Aba Dhar (radiyAllahu ‘anbu) said, “Messenger of Allah! Won’t you make me responsible for anything”’ So he [the Messenger] hit my shoulder with his hand and said, ‘O Abi Dhar! You are weak, it is a trust, on the Day of Judgement it is a humiliation, a regret except for whoever took it rightfully and fulfilled his obligations towards

In a different text: “O Abi Dhar! I love for you what I love for myself! Do not be the leader of two and do not be in charge of the money of an orphan.”*

' Reported by al-Tabarani in a/-Kabir[8:204], Ahmad [5:267], Ibn-‘Asakir [5:356], and Ashajati [2:226].

Al-Haythami said in Majam' al-Zawa’id {5:204): narrated by Ahmad and atTabarani. Yazid ibn Abii Malik is in the chain of narration, Ibn-Hibban and others authenticated him and the rest of its men are reliable.

2 Reported by Ahmad [2:352J, al-Bayhaqi [10:97] and Ibn-‘Asakir (6:171]. ) Reported by Muslim [1825]. * Reported by Muslim with the wording: “O Aba Dhar! I see you as weak and

Ilove for you what I love for myself! Do not be the leader of two and do not be in charge of the money of an orphan.”