A friend of Hasan Al Basri رحمه الله was a blind man, his sight has gone but he can see with his heart.
In Islam it's not the sight that goes blind, it's the heart that grows blind. Islam is not like the blind cannot see with regards to sight, the blindness is in the heart, the heart goes blind. If you're blind, it's your heart, it's in your chest, in your body.
With his eyes he can't see but he can see with his heart.
The blind man asked his son one day to take him to Hasan Al Basri, they went to Hasan Al Basri and the man told him, my heart is hardening O Hasan - tell me something to soften my heart, my heart is hardening. Soften my heart O Hasan.
Then Hasan Al Basri recited three verses, he said:
O Muhammad even if we do let them enjoy their life for so many years, Allah gives them what they want and they enjoy life. Envisage, imagine we let them enjoy life for so many years, okay, this is an example, imagine it, afterwards the punishment will come to them. The punishment of this life and the hell fire. After the enjoyment the punishment is promised, Allah promised them in the Qur'an, the rebellious will be casted and driven down to the hell fire like a thirsty herd driving down to water.
The enjoyment they have in this life, all that with which they enjoyed, whatever they enjoy, shall not avail them at all, they will forget everything.
Yesterday you ate and were happy. It's gone, it's not there anymore. Same thing, they will forget the happiness they had in this life at the end.
All that they enjoyed in life, they think it'll last forever, it won't avail them at all. That's why you should concentrate on the hereafter.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said be in this world like a traveller. You're just here to relax and take shade under the tree, you will be there for a short period of time then you will get up and leave. This life is like the relaxation under the tree for the traveller, it's only for a short period of time, then you will leave to reach your destination.
Al Hasan wept and the man wept until they fell down! Then a slave girl came out shouting you killed Hasan, you killed him! Please leave him alone!
See how Allah bestowed his great bounty on his devoted righteous slaves in this world.
- Shaykh Musa Jibril حفظه الله
