Al-Isfahani mentioned in “Hilyat al-Awliya'” that Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad visited Amir al-Mu'minin, Harun al-Rashid. He said to him, “I have never seen anyone with a face as handsome as yours. If you can, do not blacken this face with a blast of fire.” Harun replied, “Advise me.” Al-Fudayl said: "I have seen people sinking deeply into the fire and seeking it eagerly. By Allah, if they sought Jannah in the same way, or even with less effort, they would attain it.”

When Umar ibn Abdul Aziz assumed the Caliphate, he called upon Salim ibn Abdullah, Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Quradhi, and Raja’ ibn Haywah. He said, “I have been afflicted with this trial [the caliphate], so advise me.” Salim ibn Abdullah said: “If you want to be saved from the punishment of Allah, then fast from this world and let death be the breaking of your fast.” Muhammad ibn Ka'b said: “If you want to be saved from the punishment of Allah, then consider the elders among the believers as your father, the middle-aged as your brothers, and the young as your children. So, respect your father, honor your brother, and be compassionate towards your child.” Raja’ ibn Haywah said: “If you want to be saved from the punishment of Allah, then love for the Muslims what you love for yourself and hate for them what you hate for yourself. Then meet your death, if you wish.” ⁽¹⁾

When a preacher's heart becomes tender, distancing himself from sin, it brings him closer to Allah and makes his words more effective.

Upon examining the advice given by scholars to the caliphs during the era of Islamic civilization, one finds that they focused on directing hearts towards the Hereafter, with its judgment, rewards, Jannah, and Hellfire. This guidance was not only for the caliphs and rulers but also for preparing preachers by nurturing faith in the Hereafter and constantly reminding them of it.

So why were the scholars of the Islamic civilization era keen on preparing preachers to constantly remember the Hereafter?

Firstly: The Tenderness of the Preacher’s Heart and His Distance from Sin:

Reminding oneself of the Hereafter keeps the heart always connected to Allah, aspiring for His Jannah, and fearing His punishment. This diverts one from committing sins, which is a quality essential for preachers. If a preacher's heart becomes tender and he distances himself from sin, it brings him closer to Allah and makes his preaching more effective. An example of this is what Amr ibn Ali reported, saying: “I heard Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi say: 'I have never dealt with anyone more tender-hearted than Sufyan al-Thawri. I would watch him night after night, waking up startled, calling out, 'The fire, the fire! The thought of the fire has kept me from sleeping and from my whims.'”

Yusuf ibn Asbat said: “Sufyan al-Thawri told me after we had prayed the last Isha prayer, 'Hand me the wudu’ jug so I can perform wudu’.' I handed it to him, and he took it with his right hand and placed his left hand on his cheek. I fell asleep, and when I awoke at dawn, I saw the jug still in his right hand as it was. I said, 'Dawn has broken.' He replied, 'I have been contemplating the Hereafter since you handed me the jug until now.'” ⁽²⁾

Constant reminders of the Hereafter instill fear of Allah and dread of His punishment, leading to hastening in doing good deeds.

Secondly: Crying from the Fear of Allah:

Here is Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, Amir al-Mu'minin, when a man recited to him the words of Allah: “And when they are thrown into a narrow place therein bound in chains, they will cry out thereupon for destruction. [They will be told], 'Do not cry this Day for one destruction but cry for much destruction.'” (Al-Furqan, 13-14) He cried until he was overcome by weeping and his sobbing became loud. He stood up from his assembly, entered his house, and the people dispersed. ⁽³⁾

Also, Sawwar ibn Abi Ubaydah said, “I rebuked ‘Ata al-Salmi for his frequent crying.” He said to me, 'O Sawwar, how can you rebuke me for something over which I have no control? When I remember the people of Hell and what they will endure of Allah's punishment and His torment, and I imagine myself among them, how can a soul that imagines its hand being tied to its neck and being dragged into the fire not cry out and weep? How can a soul that is punished not cry? Woe to you, O Sawwar! How little benefit will crying be to its people if Allah does not have mercy on them!'”

Bishr ibn Mansur said, “I said to ‘Ata al-Salmi, 'O Ata, why the sadness?' He said, 'Woe to you! Death is near me, the standing on the Day of Resurrection is before me, and my path is over the Bridge of Hellfire. And I don’t know what my Lords will do to me.' Then he sighed and fainted.” ⁽⁴⁾

Thirdly: Performing Acts of Worship and Hastening in Good Deeds:

Constant reminders of the Hereafter drive one to fear Allah and dread His punishment, leading to the performance of acts of worship and hastening in good deeds. Allah the Almighty says, “Indeed, they who are apprehensive from fear of their Lord. And they who believe in the signs of their Lord. And they who do not associate anything with their Lord. And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord - It is those who hasten to good deeds, and they outstrip [others] therein.” (Al-Mu'minun, 57-61) This is why the preachers in the Islamic civilization performed acts of worship while attaching their hearts to the Hereafter.

This is Shaddad ibn Aws al-Ansari. When he went to bed, he would toss and turn, unable to sleep. He would say, “O Allah, the thought of the fire has deprived me of sleep,” and he would stand up to pray until morning. (5) The daughter of al-Rabi' ibn Khuthaym saw people sleeping while her father did not sleep at night but rather spent his night praying Qiyam (night prayer). She said to him, “O my father, why do I see people sleeping while you do not?” He said, “Hell does not let me sleep.” (6) When Amr ibn Utbah died, some of his companions entered upon his sister and said, “Tell us about him.” She said: “He stood one night and began reciting 'Ha, Meem' (Ghafir), and when he reached the ayah: 'And warn them, [O Muhammad], of the Approaching Day.' (Ghafir: 18), he did not go beyond it until morning.” ⁽⁷⁾

The preacher who constantly remembers the Hereafter only awaits the rewards and recompense from Allah the Almighty.

Fourthly: Striving for Perfection in Deeds:

A believer in the Hereafter does not perform his deeds like others; he strives to perform them in the best and most complete manner because they are presented to Allah the Almighty, who rewards for them. The reward on the Day of Judgment is one of the strongest motivations for a person to achieve perfection and excellence in his worldly life to attain a high rank with Allah in the Hereafter. Allah the Almighty says, “And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives. And that his effort is going to be seen - Then he will be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense. And that to your Lord is the finality.” (Al-Najm: 39-42) and He says, “That Day, the people will depart separated [into categories] to be shown [the result of] their deeds. So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.” (Al-Zalzalah: 6-8) An indication of the preachers' concern in the Islamic civilization to perform their deeds in the best possible manner is what Hafs ibn Umar reported: Al-Rabi' ibn Khuthaym would not give a beggar less than a loaf of bread, and he would say, “I feel ashamed for less than a loaf to be seen in my Mizan (balance).”

Fifthly: Avoiding Greed for Worldly Matters:

A preacher who constantly remembers the Hereafter only seeks the rewards and recompense from Allah the Almighty, making him detached from worldly matters and desiring the Hereafter. This is evidenced by the advice Umar ibn Abdul Aziz gave to some preachers, saying, “The servants will return to Allah, then He will inform them of what they have done to reward those who did evil with what they did and reward those who did good with the best. Remember death frequently, which you do not know when it will overtake you, for there is no escape and no evasion. And remember the Day of Resurrection and its severity, for that will lead you to be disinterested in what you have desired. Then be cautious with what you have been given of this world, for he who does not fear that and is not wary of it is likely to be caught off guard by his sudden death while in heedlessness.” ⁽⁹⁾

Faith in the Hereafter contributes to preparing the preacher spiritually, devotionally, morally, and in preaching to have a righteous life.

Since Islamic civilization has taken great care in preparing preachers to believe in the Hereafter and continually reminding them of it, what are the most important means educators have relied on in this regard?

First: Admonition

Abbad ibn Mansur reported: I heard Adi ibn Artat delivering a sermon to us on the pulpit of Al-Mada'in. He was preaching to us until he wept and made us weep. He said, “Be like a man who said to his son while advising him: O my son, I advise you not to pray a prayer without thinking it’s your last, as if you will not pray another after it before you die. Come, my son, let us work as if we are two men who have been on the verge of Hellfire, then asked to return once more.” ⁽¹⁰⁾

Second: Advice

Al-Hasan al-Basri passed by a man who was laughing a lot and advised him, saying, “Have you been informed that you are going to pass over the Sirat (the bridge over Hell)?” He said, “Yes.” Al-Hasan asked, “Have you been informed that you will be safe from it?” He replied, “No.” Al-Hasan said, “So what makes you laugh?” It is said that the man was never seen laughing again until he died. ⁽¹¹⁾

Third: The Will

Umar ibn Abdul Aziz advised some of his workers, saying: “Do not seek anything of this worldly life through speech or action that you fear might harm your Hereafter, causing damage to your religion and earning the wrath of your Lord. Know that nothing will harm a servant who has earned Allah’s pleasure and Jannah from poverty or affliction in this world. Likewise, nothing will benefit a servant who has earned Allah’s wrath and Hell from the blessings or ease he experiences in this world. Those in Jannah will feel no harm from any discomfort they faced in this world, just as those in Hell will feel no pleasure from any joy they experienced in this world. Everything will feel as though it never existed.” ⁽¹²⁾

Fourth: Taking Covenants and Pledges

When Salman the Persian was on his deathbed, he cried. He was asked why he was crying, and he said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) took a covenant from us for the Day of Judgment, saying, 'Let each of you have provision to the extent of a rider’s provision.'” When Salman died, they looked in his house and found only twenty dirhams. ⁽¹³⁾

Fifth: Exemplary Behavior

Yazid ibn Aban al-Raqashi wept frequently. His son was surprised by his state and asked him one day: “O father, if Hell were created only for you, you would not do more than what you do.” He replied, “And for whom was Hell created if not for people like me and others from the jinn and mankind?” His son remained influenced by this. ⁽¹⁴⁾

Faith in the Hereafter contributes to preparing the preacher spiritually, devotionally, morally, behaviorally, and in preaching, ensuring righteousness in all aspects of life.

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1. Hilyat al-Awliya', Abu Nu'aym Al-Isfahani, (8/105).
2. History of Baghdad, Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, (10/225).
3. Biography Of Omar, Ibn al-Jawzi, p. 156.
4. Siffatu al-Safwah, Ibn al-Jawzi, (2/193).
5. Hilyat al-Awliya', Al-Isfahani, (1/264).
6. Sifat al-Safwa, Ibn al-Jawzi, (2/36).
7. History of Baghdad, Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, (10/225).
8. Siffatu al-Safwah, Ibn al-Jawzi, (2/38).
9. Az-Zuhd, Ibn Abi al-Dunya, p. 107.
10. Al-Riqqa Wal Buka', Ibn Abi al-Dunya, p. 98.
11. Tafsir al-Tabari, (18/234).
12. Hilyat al-Awliya', Al-Isfahani, (5/279).
13. Hilyat al-Awliya', Al-Isfahani, (1/197).
14. Rabi' al-Abrar, Al-Zamakhshari, (4/170).

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