They lived like passengers… [5 minutes]
Aren’t we all passengers in this world ?
They realized the fragility of life and their own existence…
Isn't it a reality that we are mere creatures destined to face death one day ?
They kept their duties as the pivotal aim of their lives…
Shouldn’t we do that too ?
A selection from the sayings of Imam Ali (as)… Attitudes of God Fearing People…
O' creatures of God, fear God keeping in view the reason why He created you and be afraid of Him to the extent He has advised you to do so…
Make yourself deserve what He has promised you, by having confidence in the truth of His promise and entertaining fear for the Day of Judgment…
Fear God like a person…
Who listened (good advice) and bowed before it, who admits the sins committed by him and recognizes their enormity…
…Who is afraid of the consequences of his actions; performed good deeds…
…Who hastens to lead a virtuous life…
…Who believes in the Day of Judgment and undertakes honesty and piety…
…and when advised to take a warning accepts the advice and abstains from evil deeds.
Fear God like a person…
Who faithfully believes in His Commands and sincerely decides to follow them…
…Who repents the sins committed by him and the good work left undone by him…
…Who carefully follows in the footsteps of virtuous people gone before him; and when he is told of truth, he recognizes it and follows it.
Fear God like a person…
Who spends his life in search of truth, and when alarmed by ties of worldly life, discards and renounces it…
…Who provides himself carefully for the Hereafter…who keeps his mind free from evil desires…who purifies his soul and prepares to secure for himself a place where he has to stay permanently.
Fear God like a wise man…
Whose mind is so filled with thoughts of tomorrow that he has forgotten everything else…
…Whose mind has realized the enormity of His Wrath and to escape it, he exerts himself to the best of his ability…
…Night prayer has turned even his short sleep into awakening…
…In the hope of Divine reward his days are spent in doing good deeds even under the scorching sun, under fatigue and thirst of fast…
…Piety has kept his desires in control… Remembrance of God is ever moving his tongue...
…He entertains fear before dangers… and avoiding dubious and crooked ways, he takes to the true and straight path so that he may reach his destination safely…
…Vanity and pride do not lead him towards self-deception and do not upset his mind…
…He is never deceived with doubtful or false arguments…
…He passes his days happily because of the happiness of good tidings and pleasure of eternal bounties...
…He passes the pathway of this world in praiseworthy manner…He reaches the next world with virtues…
…He knows the dangers one has to face there and protects himself well with the help of sublime thoughts, ideal virtues and noble deeds…
…He concentrates on the ways and means of attaining His Favor, successfully endeavors to shun vice and wickedness, he prepares himself to meet his death.
…In this way he passes the few days of the transient stay allotted to him in this world…
Thus he leads a glorious life and passing this period of transition with meritorious and exemplary character, he reaches the next world happily and gracefully.
Thus explains Imam Ali (as) the attitudes of those who fear God. [Nahjul Balagha, Sermon al-Ghurra (# 89)]