Shafaqna English- What follows is an extract from the book Nahjul-Balaghah, the most famous collection of sermons, letters, Tafsirs and stories attributed to Imam Ali (AS). This is a part of his letter for Hasan ibn Ali (AS), when Amir Al-muminin encamped at Al-Hadirin on his way back from Siffin…, selected by SHAFAQNA.
Know that in front of you lies an impassable valley wherein the light-burdened man will be in a better condition than the heavy-burden one, and the slow- paced would be in a worse condition than the swift-paced. Your terminating point at the other end of this passage will necessarily be either Paradise or Hell. Therefore, investigate for yourself before alighting, and prepare the place before getting down, because after death there can be no preparation nor return to this world.
Know that God Who owns the treasuries of the heavens and of the earth has permitted you to pray to God and has promised you acceptance of the prayer. God has commanded you to beg from The Almighty in order that God may give you and to seek God’s mercy in order that God may have mercy on you. Allah (SWT) has not placed any thing between you and God that may veil God from you. God has not required you to get a mediator for you to God, and if you err, Allah (SWT) has not prevented you from repentance. The Almighty does not hasten with punishment. God does not taunt you for repenting, nor does God humiliate you when humiliation is more appropriate for you. God has not been harsh in accepting repentance.
Sometimes acceptance (of prayer) is delayed with a view to its being a source of greater reward to the asker and of better gifts to the expectant. Sometimes you ask for a thing but it is not given to you, and a better thing is given to you later, or a thing is taken away from you for some greater good of yours, because sometimes you ask for a thing which contains ruin for your religion if it is given to you. Therefore, your request should be for things whose beauty should be lasting and whose burden should remain away from you.
A part of Imam Ali’s (AS) Advice to Imam Hassan (AS)
Source: Islam Plus