A Path to Mercy

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عَجِبْتُ لِمَنْ يُعْجِبُ بِصُورَتِهِ وَيَنْسَى مَبْدَأَ أَمْرِهِ

I am amazed at the one who admires his appearance and forgets his origins.

يَنْظُرُ الإِنْسَانُ إِلَى حُسْنِ صُورَتِهِ وَاعْتِدَالِ قَوَامِهِ فَيَفْرَحُ بِهَا وَيَفْتَخِرُ

A person looks at the beauty of his appearance and the harmony of his form, and he rejoices in them and boasts,

وَيَنْسَى أَنَّهُ خُلِقَ مِن نُطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ صَارَ مُضْغَةً ثُمَّ صَارَ عِظَامًا ثُمَّ كُسِيَ لَحْمًا

and forgets that he was created from a drop, then a clot, then a lump of flesh, then bones, then clothed with flesh.

وَيَنْسَى مَا يُلْحِقُهُ مِنَ الأَمْرَاضِ وَالْأَسْقَامِ وَمَا يَعْتَرِيهِ مِنَ الْكِبَرِ وَالْهَرَمِ

And forgets what afflicts him of diseases and ailments, and what befalls him of old age and senility,

حَتَّى يَصِيرَ شَيْخًا مُهِينًا ثُمَّ يَصِيرَ إِلَى الْمَوْتِ فَيَصِيرَ جِيفَةً مُنْتِنَةً

until he becomes a feeble old man, then he reaches death, becoming a decayed corpse.

ثُمَّ يَنْسَى مَا بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ مِنْ أَهْوَالِ الْقَبْرِ وَسُؤَالِ مُنْكَرٍ وَنَكِيرٍ

Then forgets what comes after death: the horrors of the grave and the questioning by Munkar and Nakir,

ثُمَّ يَنْسَى الْبَعْثَ وَالْحِسَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَالصِّرَاطَ

Then forgets the resurrection, the reckoning, the balance, and the path.

فَإِذَا تَذَكَّرَ الإِنْسَانُ مَبْدَأَ أَمْرِهِ وَمُنْتَهَاهُ زَالَ عَنْهُ العَجَبُ وَالْغُرُورُ

Thus, when a person remembers his origin and end, his vanity and arrogance disappear,

وَخَضَعَ لِرَبِّهِ وَخَافَ عِقَابَهُ وَرَجَا رَحْمَتَهُ

and becomes humble before his Lord, fears His punishment, and hopes for His mercy.

فَالْعَاقِلُ مَنْ يَتَفَكَّرُ فِي أَوَّلِ أَمْرِهِ وَآخِرِهِ فَيَسْتَحِي مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنْ يَعْصِيَهُ

The wise one is he who reflects on his beginning and his end, and feels shy before Allah to disobey Him,

وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُ مِنَ الْعَدَمِ وَأَنْعَمَ عَلَيْهِ بِالنِّعَمِ وَسَخَّرَ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

He is the one who created him from nonexistence, bestowed blessings upon him, and subjugated for him what is in the heavens and the earth.