8 BENEFITS (Eyyuh- al-walad) (II)

Hâtim ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ aleyh’ said, “My third benefit is this: I observed other people and saw that everybody in the world has gotten himself into trouble of some sort striving to stash away worldlies. Then I recollected an âyat-i-kerîma, which purports, ‘Whatever of worldly property you hold fast to and (try so hard to) retain shall not stay with you, but (all that belongs to this world) shall leave you. Only the goodnesses and worships you have performed for the sake of Allah shall abide with you.’ All the things I had collected for worldly purposes I spent for the sake of Allah; I meted them out to the poor! In other words, I lent them to Allâhu ta’âlâ so that they should remain (in my possession) eternally!” Shaqîq-i-Belhî ‘qaddas-Allâhu ta’âlâ sirrah ul ’azîz’ said, “You have done so well and how beautiful is the way you put it, o Hâtim! Now let me hear the fourth benefit.”

Hâtim ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ anh’ said, “My fourth benefit is this: I observed other people and saw that they loathed one another. I knew that it was because they envied one another and coveted one another’s position, possessions and knowledge, which reminded me of an âyat-i-kerîma, which purports, ‘We have divided all their substantial and spiritual sustenances in the world and given them their shares.’ So I realized that kinds of sustenance such as knowledge, property, rank position and children which were to be allotted to everybody’s share had been preordained in eternity, that no one could do anything about it, that it was necessary to work since He (Allâhu ta’âlâ) had commanded us to work, and that jealousy, alongside its multiple harms, would be quite futile, contented myself with the distribution Allâhu ta’âlâ had foreordained in eternity and with what my Rabb would send me in return for my work, and thus became friendly with all people around me, liked other people and was liked by them.” Upon hearing these, Shâqîq said, “So well done and so well said. Now tell me the fifth benefit, o Hâtim!”

Hâtim said, “My fifth benefit: I observed other people and saw that most people thought that man’s honour and value as a human being lay in occupying a commanding post and seeing how other people needed him and humiliated themselves in front of him and that they boasted with such things. Some of them, on the other hand, thought that the human value consisted of abundant property and progeny and boasted about possessing these qualities. And others, thinking that the honour of humanity was in spending one’s property and money on things that would please and entertain other people, deprived themselves of utilizing their possessions at places and in manners prescribed by Allâhu ta’âlâ and that in addition they were proud of this folly of theirs. I remembered an âyat-i-kerîma, which purports, ‘The most honourable and the most valuable one among you is the one who fears Allâhu ta’âlâ very much’ Realizing that people were wrong, I dedicated myself to taqwâ. In order to attain the forgiveness and blessings of Allâhu ta’âlâ and fearing Him, I did not go out of Islam and always avoided harâms.” Shaqîq’s response to these words was: “Very well said. Say the sixth benefit.”