ভূমিকা

A person, who imagines that he will always remain young, becomes heedless of death and goes after huge ambitions. The majority of the inmates of hell would have gone there as a result of their procrastination. Instead of contending themselves with what they possessed, they kept deferring the rectification of their souls and the repayment of their debts for later, and postponing their acts of worship for their old age.

Indeed, a person must lower his hopes and aspirations, perform every act at its appropriate time and occasion, and refrain from trusting the ‘tomorrow’, something that is entirely unknown and uncertain.[^3] Prophet Isa and the Farmer It is reported that once, Prophet Isa Ibn Maryam (a.s.) had been sitting and intently observing a farmer who, with a spade in hand, was hard at work in his field. At that moment Prophet Isa prayed to God: “O’ Lord!

Take away from him his hopes and aspirations*.*” Suddenly, the person flung his spade aside and sat down in a corner. “O’ Lord! Return his hopes and aspirations back to him” Isa (a.s.) prayed once again. The man moved from his place, picked up the spade and began working again.

Isa (a.s.) approached him and asked, “Why did you behave in such a way?” The farmer answered, “I said to myself: ‘ You are an old man whose life has almost come to an end; how much more do you wish to work and exert yourself?’ And so I flung the spade aside and sat down in the corner. But after a while, I said to myself: ‘ Why don’t you work?

You are still alive and in need of livelihood’ and so, picking up the spade, I returned to my work.”[^4] Hajjaaj and the Milk Seller Once, Hajjaaj Ibn Yusuf Thaqafi, the brutal tyrant, (and the minister of the Abbasid caliph, A'bd al-Malik Ibn Marwaan ) was sauntering in the market when he witnessed a milk-seller talking to himself. Whilst standing in a corner, Hajjaaj overheard him say: “If I sell this milk, I shall earn a good income.