Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

About decline and destruction
of the world

O' creatures of Allah!
Fear Allah and anticipate your death by good actions. Purchase
everlasting joy by paying transitory things - pleasures of this
world. Get ready for the journey, for you are being driven, and
prepare yourselves for death, since it is hovering over you. Be a
people who wake up when called, and who know that this world is
not their abode, and so have it changed (with the next).

Certainly, Allah has
not created you aimlessly nor left you as useless. There is
nothing between anyone of you and Paradise or Hell except death
that must befall him. The life that is being shortened every
moment and being dismantled every hour must be regarded very
short. The hidden thing namely death which is being driven (to
you) by two over new phenomena, the day and the night, is
certainly quick of approach. The traveller which is approaching
with success or failure (namely death) deserves the best of
provision. So acquire such provision from this world while you are
here with which you may shield yourself tomorrow (on the Day of
Judgement).

So everyone should
fear Allah, should admonish himself, should send forward his
repentance and should overpower his desire, because his death is
hidden from him, his desires deceive him and Satan is posted on
him and he beautifies for him sin so that he may commit it and
prompts him to delay repentance till his desires make him the most
negligent. Piety is for the negligent person whose life itself
would be a proof against him and his own days (passed in sin)
would lead him to punishment.

We ask Allah, the
Glorified, that He may make us and you like one whom bounty does
not mislead, whom nothing can stop from obedience of Allah and
whom shame and grief do not befall after death.