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“AL-FARAAGH” –IDLENESS:
In the
days of ‘Allama Majlisi (a.r.), there live a very pious and God-fearing
man. One day, a group of some elderly people, who were known for their
idleness, cornered him and demanded to be invited to his place for a
night of sitting and chatting. The man thought to himself, “If I
invite them, they will spend the whole night in useless talks thereby
earning displeasure of Allah (SWT). But should I refuse them, then they
will use this as an excuse to harass and humiliate me”. Not knowing
what to do, the pious man pleaded for some time to think over it. He
then proceeded to ‘Allama Majlisi (a.r.) to seek his guidance in this
matter.
‘Allama
Majlisi (a.r.) carefully thought over it and said, “Invite these
people to your house and I will also come”.
That
night, ‘Allama Majlisi (a.r.) arrived at the house of the pious man
before everyone. When the people came and saw the ‘Allama present, they
were initially very disappointed. They hatched a plan to behave
annoyingly so that the ‘Allama departs from the place leaving them alone
to enjoy their idle talks and do what they may please. So they asked,
“Respected Sir! What bad is there in us that you always criticize us?”
‘Allama responded by asking: “What good do you have that I should
praise you?”
They
said, “We could be having one thousand faults but we are not
treacherous. When somebody does any good to us, we neither deceive him
nor act treacherous towards him. In fact we remember his goodness till
death”.
‘Allama
said: “Indeed this is an admirable attribute but certainly I do not
see that in you!”
They
said: “If you wish, you may inquire this from any one in
Isfahan if we have ever been disloyal to those who have shown goodness
towards us”.
Thereupon
‘Allama Majlisi (a.r.) took advantage of the opportunity to guide them
and said: “I am personally a witness that you are disloyal and
treacherous. How do you behave with your Lord? You eat from his plate
and then make a hole in it. You consume plenty of His bounties and
derive maximum benefits from them. Then you sin and disobey His
commands. You succumb to your desires!”
These
words of ‘Allama were so effective that all those who were present bowed
down their heads in shame and silence prevailed for some time.
Thereafter, every one dispersed from the pious man’s house. Early next
day, the same people came to ‘Allama Majlisi (a.r.)’s house and said,
“O Respected Sir! Last night whatever you said has liven our conscious
and woken us up from a deep slumber. We now wish to repent so guide us”.
‘Allama Majlisi (a.r.) welcomed them whole heartedly and guided them
to repent. (Bikhre Moti)
An idle mind is a devil’s workshop.
One who
has nothing useful to do will end up doing things which are harmful to
one and others, and as a result, will lose out the happiness of this
World and also earn the displeasure of Allah (SWT).
Islam
teaches us to keep ourselves away from idleness and instead we should
employ ourselves in useful things that are beneficial to others, the
society and us.
Imam Ali
ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) says in his famous supplication on Noble Moral
Traits (Makaarimul-Akhlaaq):
“O Allah! Bless Muhammad and his family. Be sufficient for me in that
which occupies me, Employ me in those deeds about which You will ask me
tomorrow, Let me pass my days in that (work) for which You have created
me…”
(The
Psalms of Islam)
In his
another supplication for Good Outcomes (Khawaatimil-Khayr), Imam (a.s.)
says:
“O Allah! Bless Muhammad and his family. And divert our hearts through
remembering Thee from every act of remembrance, Our tongues through
thanking Thee from every act of thanksgiving, Our limbs through obeying
Thee from every act of obedience! If Thou hast ordained for us idleness
from these occupations, make it an idleness of safety, within which no
ill consequence visits us and weariness overtakes us!...”
(The
Psalms of Islam)
Mulla
Mujaheedali Sheriff
mulla@almahdi.org.uk |