Were it not for occasional sickness and the nuisances arising from old age, I would work harder still on my teaching, with utter tranquillity of heart. This was a digression inspired by the present theme; may it be forgiven.
Now, the small world and even small Paradise of each person is his household. If belief in the Hereafter does not predominate in the happiness of that household, the members of the family will suffer painful anxieties and torment in accordance with their degree of affection, love and attachment. The Paradise will be turned into Hell. Or it may happen that man will seek to deaden his mind by recourse to transient pleasure and dissipation. Like the ostrich, who upon seeing the hunter is unable to flee and fly away, and hence buries his head in the sand to avoid being seen, he too will bury his head in neglect so that death, destruction and separation shall not see him. In lunatic fashion, he will seek a temporary remedy through the deadening of his senses. For a mother will constantly tremble on seeing her offspring, for whom she has sacrificed herself, exposed to danger. Similarly, children, unable to save their fathers and brothers from the misfortunes that always arise, continuously experience sorrow and fear. Thus family life that is thought to be happy may soon lose its happiness in the tumultuous and unstable conditions of the life of this world. The relationships and affinities of this brief life may fail to produce true devotion, genuine sincerity and disinterested love and willingness to serve, and thus noble characteristics decrease or even disappear.
But if belief in the Hereafter enters that household, it will suddenly illumine it, and noble characteristics such as sincere respect, love, tenderness, devotion and forebearance will prosper, for the relations and affinities, the love and affection,existing between the members of the household will no longer be measured by the brief life of this world, but rather by their continuance in the Hereafter in a state of eternal bliss. Then the true happiness of humanity will begin to unfold in that household. Since this matter too has been set forth elsewhere in the Risale-i Nur wilh adequate proofs, we will curtail our discussion of it here.
Each city is similarly like a household for its inhabitants. If belief in the Hereafter does not prevail among the members of that vast household, the place of qualities which are the foundations of good character, such as sincerity, devotion, virtue, honour, self-sacrifice, contentment with God's decree, and desire for reward in the Hereafter, will be taken by evil qualities such a opportunism, partiality, wiliness, selfishness, hypocrisy, cunning,
bribery, and deceit. Behind the mask of apparent tranquillity and humanity, the reality of anarchy and savagery will reign, and the life of the city will be poisoned. Children will become idle, young men will take to drunkenness, the strong will embrark on oppression, and the old will be left weeping.
Each country may in the same fashion be compared to a household: the fatherland is like a household populated by the family that is the nation. If belief in the Hereafter reigns in these great households, sincere respect, earnest compassion, disinterested love and helpfulness, pure service and intercourse, virtue and generosity without
hypocrisy, greatness and loftiness without egoism, will begin to unfold in the land.
Belief in the Hereafter will say to the child: "There is Paradise; abandon your idleness," and impart seriousness to the child through the lesson of the Qu r'an.
It will tell the young man: '"There is Paradise; abandon your drunkenness," and bring him to his senses.
It will tell the oppressor: "Intense torment awaits you, and you will be beaten," and cause him to bow his head in submission to justice.
It will say to the aged: "Bliss in the Hereafter, and a new and etemal youlh, more exalted and permanent than all the joys you have lost, await you; so strive to acquire these benefits," and thus turn their tears into laughter.