THE SERENE SOUL

As for man, when his Lord tests him, through honour and blessings, he says, ‘My Lord has honoured me,’ but when He tests him by straitening his means of livelihood, he says, ‘My Lord has disgraced me.’ No indeed, but you show no kindness to the orphan, nor do you urge one another to feed the poor, and you greedily devour the inheritance of the weak, and you have a love of wealth which can never be satisfied. No indeed! When the earth is crushed and ground to dust, when your Lord comes down with the angels, rank upon rank, and Hell is made to appear on that Day, then man will be mindful, but what will being mindful then avail him? He will say, ‘Oh, would that I had provided beforehand for my life!’ On that Day no one will punish as He punishes, and none can bind with bonds like His! [But to the righteous, God will say], ‘O soul at peace, return to your Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing. Join My servants. Enter My Paradise.

(89:15-30)