In accordance with our rational apperception...
In accordance with our rational apperception, or Judgment based on traditional belief ( taqlid ) , we affirm that death—which is a transition from the dark, lowly sphere of corporeal ( mulki ) existence to the radiant world of immortal life and the everlasting higher sphere of incorporeal ( malakuti ) existence—is a reality. However, our hearts do not partake of this knowledge and are oblivious of it.
Rather, our hearts cling to earthly nature and the corporeal realm and consider life to be exclusively confined to the lower corporeal mode of animal life. They do not believe in the life and immortality of the other world, which is the world of Hereafter and the realm of (pure) life. Hence, we put total reliance in this world and regard the other world with fear, repulsion, and resentment. All the misfortunes of ours are on account of this lack of faith and conviction.
Had we even a tenth of what faith we have in this world’s life and living, its existence and survival, in the world of the Hereafter and its eternal, everlasting life, our hearts would have been more attached to it and we would have devoted some effort to building it. But, alas, the springs of our faith are dry and the edifice of our faith rests on water. Inevitably, we fear death, extinction, and end.
The exclusive and definite remedy for this malady is cultivation of faith in the heart through beneficial reflection and remembrance as well as sound knowledge and works. However, as to the fear and abhorrence of the mutawassitun —that is, those who have inadequate faith in Hereafter—that is because the attention of their hearts is turned to the cultivation of the world and they are neglectful of cultivating the Hereafter.
Therefore, they are not inclined to move from a well-built and prosperous place to one, which is a desolation, as pointed out by Hadrat Abu Dharr (R). This attitude is also on account of inadequate faith and conviction. Otherwise, with a complete faith it is not possible that one should confine his efforts to the base mundane affairs to the neglect of the Hereafter.
On the whole, these fears, anxieties, and hatreds arise from unwholesomeness of deeds, waywardness and opposition to one’s Master ( Mawla ) . Otherwise, had our evaluation been a correct one and had we critically examined ourselves we would not have been fearful of God’s reckoning. For there, the reckoning is just and the judge is a just one.