Abstemiousness and fear of God, attributes of the enlightened

Nahj al-Balāgha|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 103
Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 103

Abstemiousness and fear of God, attributes of the enlightened

رَحِمَ اللهُ امْرَأً تَفَكَّرَ فَاعْتَبَرَ، واعْتَبَرَ فَأَبْصَرَ، فَكَأَنَّ مَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ مِنَ الدٌّنْيَا عَنْ قَلِيل لَمْ يَكُنْ، وَكَأَنَّ مَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ مِنَ الاْخِرَةِ عَمَّا قَلَيل لَمْ يَزَلْ، وَكُلُّ مَعْدُود مُنْقَض، وَكُلُّ مُتَوَقَّع آت، وَكُلُّ آت قَرِيبٌ دَان.
Allāh may shower His mercy on him who ponders and takes lesson thereby, and when he takes lesson he achieves enlightenment. Whatever is present in this world would shortly not exist, while whatever is to exist in the next world is already in existence. Every countable thing would pass away. Every anticipation should be taken to be coming up and everything that is to come up should be taken as just near.