ভূমিকা

Whoever loves the world, will be dragged by it towards arrogance and pride; whoever likes the world, will be made greedy by it towards itself and whoever desires the world, will be hauled by it towards covetousness. A person who has praised the world has cloaked himself with the garment of dissimulation; one whose goal and objective is this world, his heart gets filled with vanity, and one who trusts this world, is overcome by negligence and heedlessness (with respect to Allah).

Consequently, Hell shall be the abode of the worldly people.[^3] Esteem and Humiliation Harun Rashid, the ‘Abbasid Caliph, was very fond of the Barmaki family. They were his close and special companions, generally occupying ministerial posts, and from amongst them, he was particularly fond of Ja’far Barmaki. This mutual respect and esteem continued for over 17 years.

In 189 ah, due to certain events, the Barmaki family became the object of Harun’s wrath and consequently, all of them went through very difficult times. Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdul Rahman Hashmi narrates: “On the day of ‘Eidul Adha, I approached my mother who was having a conversation with a lady dressed in old clothes. “Do you recognize this lady?” my mother asked me. I said I did not. “This is `Ubadah, the mother of Ja’far Barmaki,” she said.

I moved towards ‘Ubadah and spoke to her for sometime, all the while experiencing astonishment over the state she was in. “O’ My Mother! What have you seen of the wonders of the world?” I asked her. ‘Ubadah replied, “O’ Son! I have experienced a day of ‘Eid, similar to this day (‘Eidul Adha), when I had four hundred slave-girls standing before me at my service and (yet) I used to complain that my son Ja’far had not granted me my right (fully) for I should have had more slave-girls serving me.