Do Not Grieve for What You Have not Been Given

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             *Do Not Grieve for What*    

           *You Have not Been Given*

When I thought of the life conditions of respected men (ahlu'l-fudala), I noticed that, often, most of them were not given a good share of worldly pleasures, whereas, in most cases, worldly pleasures are given to disesteemed people whose characters are defected.

Then I noticed that [some of] those respected men self-rebuke themselves over what they do not have, yet is found in the possession of those disrespected ones, to the extent that some of them may go into extreme sorrow due to that. I conversed with some of those who grieve over what they do not  have and said, *“Woe to you! Should you have contemplated your affairs, you would have realised that you are mistaken from many aspects:*

■ *First:* If you have any interest in achieving anything in this life that is attainable and within your capacity and power then you should take the means to achieve it. Only then will you overcome such a disturbing feeling. _Otherwise, being inactive and unhappy about not having what others have, though you are capable of having it, is an ultimate weakness from your side._

■ *Second:* _This life is set so we pass through it and not so we settle down in it,_  which is a conclusion that is factual enough for your cognition and intellect to accept. Needless to add, the surplus enjoyed by the lowlifes, in reality, causes harm to their bodies and religion. Thus, if you know all that, yet are still unhappy for not having what you are better off without, *then know that such a concern is indeed a punishment because you are sad for not having what you know will harm you. So bear this as your immediate punishment if ever you are saved from the awaiting punishment.*

■ *Third:* You know that in general the proportion of human’s enjoyment and share of worldly pleasures is minimal compared to the enjoyment and share of animals. This is because contrary to the case of humans, animals receive larger quantities without enduring the troublesome or worrying about losing any of that.

Thus, when your share of worldly pleasures is doubled it would put you in a similar position of animals since this will distract you from seeking good virtuous deeds. The fewer loads a person carries in this life, the more a person is encouraged to seek a higher rank with Allah. That being the case, _if you are still after, worldly pleasures despite your knowledge that human’s share of worldly pleasure is little, then you must know that you have mocked the facts you know and so insulted your own intellect and proved that you are a confused person._

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Book: *Captured Thoughts*

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: _Do Not Grieve for What You Have not Been Given_

By al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH]