Prophet Moosaa (a.s.) advises his scholar friend

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) has said,

Prophet Moosaa (a.s.) bin Imran had a scholar friend. When he sought permission to visit his relatives and friends Moosaa (a.s.) said: The relatives do have some rights and which must be observed. But refrain from loving the world because the Lord of the universe has bestowed you with knowledge. You must never waste that wealth of knowledge, by loving the world and by loving others than God. That fellow replied that he would not do anything but good deeds. Then he left to see his relatives and friends. A long time passed after his leaving. So when Moosaa (a.s.) inquired about him nobody could give any news. Then angel Gabril (Jibaeel) spoke up: O prophet of God, that fellow is standing out of your hose. He has been turned into a monkey and there is a chain in his neck. Moosa (a.s.) became very grieved. He got up to pray. He prayed to God: O my Lord, that fellow is my friend please gives him relief from this chastisement. God revealed: O Moosaa, even if your neck is paralysed praying like this I shall not answer your prayer because We granted them the wealth of Ilm (knowledge). But he destroyed himself by drowning himself in the love of the world.

(Maytattul Mureed)

Animal in the form of man

Let it be know that if a man regards the worldly life as a reality and thinks that the Hereafter (life after death) is mere story then there is no trace of humanity in that fellow. If he binds himself tightly in the love of the world and wakes that love a part of his life then his character will lose every iota of humanity and he will adopt the character of beasts. He will know this truth in the Hereafter. Amirul Mominin (a.s.) says,

Then the face of that fellow is that of a man but his heart is that of an animal.

(Nahajul Balagah)

The habit of that animal enters the personality of a man whom he imitates. For example, if some one is in the habit of imitating others than in the world of (reality) existence he will be monkey. Most of the people living in middle east and in eastern countries imitate the western people. They have the monkey type character. If some indulge in over-eatin,g womanizing and mindlessness then they have the characteristics of cow, ass and pig respectively. If they are arrogant and hot-headed then they resemble leapords and wolves. If they have a habit of finding excuses and harming others than they are satans. A man who adopts the ways of various animals will rise in the form of animals in the other world of spirit. Strangely enough he or she will, at once be recognized whatever the form that he or she is so and so. This thing has been thoroughly explained in the first chapter of this book.

Ali (a.s.) Gives introduction of Animals

Since most of the world-lovers are not lagging behind dogs in their stinginess, jealousy and harshness the Amirul Mominin (a.s.) addresses them as dogs when he says “when you see world-lovers rushing towards things passionately do not get deceived. Beware of them as they are barking dogs and hunting animals who are ever ready to harm others. The powerful among them eats up the weak and the majority devours the minority.”

It should be noted that the rivaayaat (narrations) quoted here and so also the Quranic verses are but only a fraction of such overall aayaats and rivaayaats condemning the worldly love. What has been quoted about any sin is less than one-tenth of the texts. Yet whatever has been given here is sufficient enough to prove the graveness of the sin of worldly love and the importance of this prohibition.

The Third Rank is Detestable

A man who loves this world and its contents, yet this love is nothing compared to his love for God and the Hereafter, that is, if he gives priority to the Hereafter and wants to beautify it even at the risk of destruction of this worldly possessions, he will distance him from every desire which is detrimental to the Hereafter.

A man whose love for the world is little and for the Hereafter intense faces a worldly loss for which he will, to a certain extent, feel sorry. But if his Aakhirat (Hereafter) gets harm, say by committing a sin or these is some danger of losing a good deed then his restlessness and fear will get multiplied many fold. He will got get peace of mind unless and until he is not assured of his repentance being accepted by God and unless the loss is not made up. Just as the world-lovers get restless and disturbed at their worldly loss and failures and get delighted at the fulfillment of desires similarly he will be worroed at the loss of the Hereafter and feel utmost pleasure at the mention of God and the Hereafter and by doing good deeds which will give him happiness and peace of mind.

The Thing which stall perfection of faith and human upliftment

As this limit for world’s love is neither against Faith in God and Aakhirat, nor it can cause corruption and sinfulness it is not Haraam (prohibited). The verses and narrations quoted above do not apply to this degree of worldly love. They apply only to the second and third degree love. But this third degree of worldly love is against the completion of Faith and an obstruction in the path of human progress of humanity. It is so because the secret of human welfare for which he has been is created is that he should attain nearness to God. This success cannot be attained cannot be acquired without love and attachment. It is essential that this love also should be sincerely for the Beneficent Lord. One should maintain a permanent love for any creation exception Him. Rather one must love all as there a result of love for the Lord. He should consider this passing world all that is in it the sign of god’s Might and Mercy. So much so that man should consider himself, his near and dear family members and relatives as bounties granted by God and must love them only on this ground. Moreover he must carry out obedience and worship and any other task and which God likes. He must love and befriend Prophets, faultless Imams and other Faithful people who are the beloveds of God. He must develop love for them on the basis of their nearness to God. The man having these virtues likes Paradise (Jannat) because it is the guesthouse of god and the house of His friends, not because it is an abode of ease and comfort. It is imperative for him to keep distance from every thing that can cause neglet in love for God and present a means of permanent love for the world.

Love for any one or any thing other than God takes one away from God

Now that is is proved that human welfare and perfection is hidden in nearness to God and in love for Him, his love for his own self or for any other thing in the universe, even if it be very minute, the extent to which he is near to that thing to that extent he will be away from God and to that extent he will fail in attaining the lofty height of humanity. Thus it is learnt that the love for any other than God, even if it is very tiny, though it is not Haraam and a sin attracting divine chastisement, is a hurdle in the path of human welfare and a cause of human deprivement. Therefore, anyone who wants welfare and success should as demanded by intelligence, refrain from loving anyone or anything other than God.

Divine injunction about such degree of attachment

It should be noted that many verses of Holy Quran prohibit man from getting attached to worldly things and they include all the three degrees of the worldly love. In some verses there is not only an explicit order to discard the first and second degree worldly love emphatically but the defaulters are also warned of divine punishment.

In this way both the first and the second degree love for world is prohibited and whoever indulges therein will be chastised whereas the third degree is a detestable one and the one who indulges in it will be deprived of welfare and prosperity and the ranks.

Now, concluding the subject, we give here verses and narrations and which largely prohibit the worldly love and order us to fill the heart with a pure love of God.