Keep the World in your Hands do not Put it into your Heart

I am speaking of a tale from our Grandsheikh Abdullah concerning this dunya and its value in front of Awliya, saints. The story happened in the time of Abdul Qadir Jilani, a great saint from a royal family. Once a learned man intended to visit him, and traveled from Baghdad with two silver piasters tied in his belt, thinking he perhaps might be in need for it. On reaching the palace of Sheikh Abdul Qadir he saw a big hall with rich carpets and couches. People were sitting at a feast in pairs. For each were one lamb and three turkeys. There was too much glory and pomp. The scholar was surprised, and in his heart thought: “This is a famous sheikh. How can he live a king’s life? A sheikh must be an ascetic.” The sheikh called him” “Oh scholar, come here. Don’t think that way because all the world to us is not as valuable as those two piasters tied in your belt are to you. When we are giving freely, not afraid, we are holding the world in our hands like a man picking up a dirty thing he holds it with the tips of his fingernails and then drops it in the first suitable place. We are giving where there is need, not hoarding treasures.” When something comes to you, use it for yourself and for others, don’t put the treasures of this world in your heart. You must not be like others. Love is for Allah Almighty, not for this life. You may earn from this world as much as you can; it is free for earning, but you must know that you must leave it one day. The best way is to keep it in the hands, not in the heart. Depthless sorrow is for the one who dies and yet he loves the world’s treasures. No worry if you are keeping the whole world in your hand, but not in your heart. Once a kind died who had so many treasures. When his son came to the throne, his first order to the chief wazir was: “Open my father’s treasures and give them away, all of them.” The wazir was too much surprised: “How can we give to everyone, each will only get such a little bit? Better for us is to say to every one to bring a piece of silver the weight of a barley grain. Then we will have a second treasure.” He replied: “Oh my wazir, this is not a good mentality. It is enough that my father guarded those treasures throughout his life. I am not going to be their guardian. I am giving for the sake of Allah Almighty.” Some people dreamt of the dead king, and they saw his body had turned into earth, but his eyes were rolling in their place. Asking the new king for the meaning, he told them: “His eyes are looking for his treasure. He has no rest in his tomb, he is longing still for what he left in this world.” I heard in London that many people, especially ladies, are keeping their jewels in bank vaults. It is impossible to wear so much; a powerful horse is needed to carry them. From time to time, the people visit and try on one after another on their necks, and arms, polishing and then leaving. What is the benefit of those jewels if you cannot carry them with you? I am saying. “Oh people, all jewels in the banks belong to me, but I can’t carry them, so I am leaving them there also.” I am better off than they are, because if they are stolen, I am not sorry. If it is stolen from them they would surely cry and beat themselves. Everyone who says ‘This is for me’, and thinks to protect it, on losing it, he will be sorry. If he is not thinking: ‘This is for me’, then he will not be sorry, even if the whole world goes away. Everything you own from this world will be sorrow for you. As much as having nothing, you are free. No sorrow for the heart, if it is thinking: ‘the whole world is not for me; the owner is our Lord. He gives as He likes and takes as He likes’.