Glory to Allah, how near is the living to the dead because he will meet him soon and how far is the dead from the living because he has gone away from him. وَمنْ غِيَرِهَا أَنَّكَ تَرَى الْمَرْحُومَ مَغْبُوطاً، والْمَغْبُوطَ مَرْحُوماً، لَيْسَ ذلِكَ إِلاَّ نَعِيماً زَلَّ، وَبُؤْساً نَزَلَ. وَمِنْ عِبَرِهَا أَنَّ المَرْءَ يُشْرِفُ عَلَى أَمَلِهِ فَيَقْتَطِعُهُ حُضُورُ أَجَلِهِ، فَلاَ أَمَلٌ يُدْرَكُ، وَلاَ مُؤَمَّلٌ يُتْرَكُ. فَسُبْحَانَ اللهِ، مَا أَعَزَّ سُرُورَهَا! وَأَظْمَأَ رِيَّهَا!
وَأَضْحَى فَيْئَهَا! لاَ جَاء يُرَدُّ، وَلاَ مَاض يَرْتَدُّ. فَسُبْحَانَ اللهِ، مَا أَقْرَبَ الْحَيَّ مِنَ المَيِّتِ لِلَحَاقِهِ بِهِ، وَأَبْعَدَ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ لاِنْقِطَاعِهِ عَنْهُ! Certainly nothing is viler than evil except its punishment and nothing is better than good except its reward. In this world everything that is heard is better than what is seen, while of everything of the next world that is seen is better than what is heard.
So you should satisfy yourself by hearing rather than seeing and by the news of the unknown. You should know that what is little in this world but much in the next is better than what is much in this world but little in the next. In how many cases little is profitable while much causes loss.
Certainly that which you have been commanded to do is wider than what you have been refrained from, and what has been made lawful for you is more than what has been prohibited. Then give up what is less for what is much, and what is limited for what is vast. Allah has guaranteed your livelihood and has commanded you to act. Therefore, the pursuit of that which has been guaranteed to you should not get preference over that whose performance has been enjoined upon you.