Excerpt from Sayd al-Khatir (Caught Thoughts) by Abu Al-Faraj Ibn Al-Jawzi
A person may sometimes experience a strong awakening after listening to an exhortation. However, after leaving the place of hearing the exhortation, hardness, and heedlessness return to his heart. I reflected on the cause of such a state and knew it.
People vary when it comes to this matter.
The condition of the heart is different before and after listening to the exhortation. There are two reasons for such a condition of the heart.
First: Exhortations are like whips. The pain caused by the whips does not last after the lashing stops, and their pain is felt at the time of lashing.
Second: When listening to the exhortation, the person is free from all distractions, and detaches himself from all worldly diversions. He listens attentively to the exhortation. However, when he returns to his normal life occupations, they take his entire attention. Thus, how can he return to his former state?
This is the condition of most people; however, people vary in the degree of continuity of the heedfulness caused by the exhortation.
Some of them resolve to go ahead without a second thought and without any hesitation. If their natural disposition causes them some distraction, they become restless. This was the case with Hanzalah when his natural disposition distracted him for a while. He said, ‘Hanzalah has become a hypocrite.’ [Hanzalah was a companion of Messenger Muhammad. He said so because he experienced the same condition that is described in the above lines].
Others are inclined to heedlessness at times, and they comply with the guidance of the exhortations at other times. They are similar to a wheatear that tilts here and there whenever the wind blows.
Finally, for other people, the effect of the exhortation vanishes by the time they have finished listening to it. Their condition is similar to water that is poured over a smooth rock, namely, nothing of the water remains on the rock.
Exhorting to Perform More Righteous Deeds Before Death
How the Disbelievers Listen to the Quran
Translation from Ibn Al-Jawzi’s Sayd Al-Khatir (Quarry of the Mind) | Management of the Self
The Noble Quran Surah ar-Ra’d English Translation and Tafsir
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