My brothers, the present world is not like the next, for here the poor supplicates from the rich, the weak obtains help from the strong, and the stranger finds a shelter with generous people, while the straitened one borrows either with or without interest from his more successful friend; here are refuges, hospitals, and other comforts to lighten affliction and bring relief from trouble; how many a hungry one is fed, and thirsty one watered, and naked one clothed, and sick and imprisoned one visited, and wretched one evangelised, for all mutually join to supply necessities as though they were one person; but there, in the hereafter—"One burdened soul cannot bear the burden of another soul," and "Not in anything shall soul satisfy for soul."
If one of the inhabitants of Hell should cry for aid to the inhabitants of Paradise together, or if he should select some particular friend, in neither case will he avail anything, as the Koran says, "The inmates of the Fire shall cry to the inmates of Paradise: 'Pour upon us some water or some of that with which God hath supplied you.' They say, 'Truly God hath forbidden them to the infidels.'" (Surat Al-Arâf, 48).
Oh men, this world is a place of labour and striving, to-day is a day of sowing and to-morrow of reaping; work, then, in your present life in preparation for your hereafter, and do not trust to any of the men of goodness and piety, nor to the occupants of the highest degrees (in Paradise) for "Whosoever shall have wrought an atom's weight of good shall behold it, and whosoever shall have wrought an atom's weight of evil shall behold it." (Earthquake Sura). Then do not seek the intercession of members of the prophet's family, such as the Lady Zeinbar, and the Lords Hasan and Husein nor of your local saints such as El-Badawi, and El-Dissooki,[1] nor even of prophets and apostles, for they are only warners and preachers, and certainty their attitude in respect to sinners will be only that of accusing martyrs, not that of loving intercessors; for we read in Surat Arâf, 51, "On the day when its interpretation shall come, they
- ↑ Local Moslem Saints (Weli) in Egypt.
