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she went away, dragging her skirts. Says Omar’s son, ‘I implored God one year (after Omar’s death) to show me my father, till at last I saw him wiping the sweat from his brow and said to him, “How is it with thee, O my father?” “But for God’s mercy,” answered he, “thy father had perished.”’” Then said Nuzhet ez Zeman, “Hear, O august King, the second division of the first chapter of the instances of the followers of the Prophet and other pious men. Says El Hassan of Bassora,[1] ‘Not a soul of the sons of Adam goes forth of the world, without grieving for three things, failure to enjoy what he has amassed, failure to compass what he hoped and failure to provide himself with sufficient provision for that to which he goes.’[2] It was said to Sufyan,[3] ‘Can a man be devout and yet possess wealth?’ ‘Yes,’ replied he, ‘so he be patient under affliction and return thanks, when God giveth to him.’ When Abdallah ben Sheddad was on his death-bed, he sent for his son Mohammed and admonished him, saying, ‘O my son, I see the messenger of death calling me and so I charge thee to cherish the fear of God, both in public and private. Praise God and be true in thy speech, for the praise of God brings increase of prosperity, and piety in itself is the best of provision,[4] even as says one of the poets:
I see not that bliss lies in filling one’s chest; The God-fearing man can alone be called blest.
For piety aye winneth increase of God; So of all men’s provision ’tis surely the best.’
When Omar ben Abdulaziz[5] succeeded to the Khalifate, he went to his own house and laying hands on all that his
- ↑ A well-known man of letters and theologian of the seventh and eighth centuries.
- ↑ i.e. to prepare himself by good works, etc., for the world to come.
- ↑ A celebrated Cufan theologian of the eighth century.
- ↑ i.e. for the next world.
- ↑ The eighth Khalif of the Ommiade dynasty, a rival in piety and single-mindedness of Omar ben Khettab.
