Many are those who fatigue themselves for seeking earnings...

Many are those who fatigue themselves for seeking earnings, but their sustenance is withheld against them and many are those who are moderate (in seeking earnings), but the decrees of fate helped them (in enjoying abundant provisions). Nevertheless, everybody is subject to extinction. Today is yours, but it is uncertain that you will attain tomorrow!

It often happens that an individual who begins a day cannot see its end and it often happens that an individual who is happy in the first hours of a night will shed tears in the last hours (of the same night). فلا يغرنّك من الله طول حلول النعم، وإبطاء موارد النقم فانّه لو خشى الفوت عاجل بالعقوبة قبل الموت. يا بنيّ، أقبل من الحكماء مواعظهم، وتدبّر أحكامهم. وكن آخذ الناس بما تأمر به، وأكفّ الناس عمّا تنهى عنه، وأمر بالمعروف تكن من أهله.

فإنَّ استتمام الاُمور عند الله تبارك وتعالى الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر، وتفقّه في الدين فإنّ العلماء ورثة الأنبياء. إنَّ الأنبياء لم يورثّوا ديناراً ولا درهماً ولكنّهم ورّثوا العلم، فمن أخذ منه أخذ بحظّ وافر. Do not be deceived by the long term of Allah's showering of graces and the postponement of His punishments, for He would have anticipated the punishment before (your) death if He had expected your escape. O son, accept the sermons of the wise people and ponder over their dicta.

Precede others in applying (to yourself) the matters with which you ask people to do and stop committing the matters against which you forbid others. Enjoin good and you will be one of its people, for the perfection of matters in the sight of Allah is to enjoin good and forbid evil. Learn the religious questions, for the scholars are the heirs of the prophets. The prophets did not bequeath dinars and dirhams, but they bequeathed knowledge.

أحسن مع جميع النّاس خلقك حتّى إذا غبت عنهم حنّوا إليك، وإذا متّ بكوا عليك وقالوا: إنّا لله وإنّا إليه راجعون، ولا تكن من الذّين يقال عند موته: الحمد لله ربّ العالمين.