Fake Piety
Sometimes, it happens that a bit of mud accumulates on a boulder, and then, after a while a patch of green moss starts to grow on it. It looks like a little field, but if it rains heavily, the mud, and, along with it, the moss and other greenery, are all washed away, and the boulder becomes bare once again.
Exactly the same thing often happens with people. Externally, they seem absolutely fine. They appear to be very ‘green’. But a single blow in the form of some occurrence completely destroys their ‘greenery’. And then they become like bare, dry boulders.
While speaking to others, a person may give the impression of being the epitome of good manners and reasonableness, and of being an ardent advocate of justice and humanity. But when the time to act comes, he may behave in a totally contrary manner. Someone may demonstrate great humility in the mosque while offering his prayers, but once he steps out of the mosque, he may show himself to be the very embodiment of pride and selfishness. Someone who insists that others be generous and respect people’s rights may, when his time to act comes, show himself to be envious, malicious and cruel.
This world is for the purpose of testing us. Here, every person is being tested. But how often we fail! How often we forget the test that we are going through! How often we seek to provide proof of our truthfulness through our words, although what alone counts is evidence of our truthfulness through our actions! How often we show our good manners in good times, and how quickly we change our colours when the things go wrong! How often people are satisfied engaging in a show of modesty by performing some ritual actions before God, although true modesty lies in behaving modestly with the rest of God’s creatures.
The field of moss that grows on a boulder is a deception. Such a field is of no use to the farmer. One strike of a flood is enough to prove it for what it truly is. Likewise, showy, phony piety is false and utterly useless. The ‘flood’ of the Hereafter will prove that those who cling on to it for support have actually no support to lean on.
