Imam ‘Ali’s First Treatise On The Islamic Ethics And Education

  1. Therefore, set right your place of rest and do not sell your Hereafter for your world. ==========================================================================================

“فاصلح مثواك ولا تبع آخرتك بدنياك “

After the above 13 recommendations to his son, each of which is one stage of self-improvement, the Imam (as) comes to the following conclusion: My son, you should be aware that life does not include only these few days spent in this world; you will face the grave and Doomsday, every state of which is related to the affairs of this world; this world is a plantation and your Hereafter is the crop you have planted here which you will harvest in the next world. If the crop includes good deeds then "..how excellent is the issue of the abode"[^1] and if the crop contains vicious deeds, then “So evil is the resting-place."[^2]

And, since in accordance with the logic of Qur’an, the punishment in the Hereafter is just the manifestation of our affairs here in this world, and since the Qur’an says:

"وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا"

"..and what they had done they shall find present (there)"[^3] and

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"فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَه وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَه"

"So, he who has done an atom’s weight of good shall see it and he who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it,"[^4]

Therefore, be aware that you will harvest what you have already planted in this world. Thus, make up the fate of your future just here and do not sell your Hereafter for this world; this is because in this world a wise man makes a lucrative bargain with God, the result of which is salvation from Hell and the entrance into the Gardens of Eden. We should not sell those assets for the things here. Imam (as) has said, "The worst people are those who sell their Hereafter for this world and worse than them are those who sell the Hereafter for another world."

[^1]: . Qur’an 13:24.

[^2]: . Qur’an 38:60.

[^3]: . Qur’an 18:49.

[^4]: . Qur’an 99:7-8.