I myself have frequently observed that mischief-makers, who form ten per cent,  defeat the righteous, who form ninety per cent. I used to be astonished and curious. Investigating, I understood certainly that their victory results not from power, but from corruption, baseness, destruction, taking advantage of differences among the people of truth, sowing conflict among them, from playing on their weak traits of character and grafting them with such traits, and exciting the emotions of the soul and personal hatred, and through working the evil capacities in human nature which are like mines of corruption, and through hypocritically flattering the soul’s tyranny in the name of fame and glory, and through everyone fearing their unfeeling   destruction.   By  means   of   diabolical   machinations   like   these,   they temporarily triumph over the people of truth. But in accordance with the verse,

And the end is [best] for the righteous,(7:128)

and the rule, “Truth is exalted and shall not be overcome,” in addition to its  not yielding  any significant benefit for them, their temporary triumph will lead to their earning Hell for themselves and Paradise for the people of truth.

Thus,  because  in misguidance  those  without  power  appear  powerful and  the insignificant win fame, they take up a position opposed to the people of truth. In this way conceited, fame-seeking, hypocritical people demonstrate their power although it has little substance and win a position for themselves through intimidating others and causing harm; they are seen and attention is drawn to them, and the destruction of which they are the cause, not  through power and ability, but through omission and failure to act, is attributed to them and they become talked about. Just like the person obsessed with fame who defiled a place of worship so that everyone would talk about him. Even if it meant being execrated, so long as he was talked about, his worship of fame made it appear desirable to him. The case became proverbial.

O wretched man created for the eternal realm and enamoured of this transient world! Study closely the meaning of the verse,

And neither heaven nor earth shed a tear over them,(44:29)

and heed it. Look, what does it say? With its explicit meaning it says: “When the people of misguidance die, the heavens and earth, which are connected with man, do not weep over them, that is, they are pleased at their deaths.” While with its implied meaning, it  says: “The  heavens and  earth weep  over the bodies of the people of guidance when they die; they do  not want them to depart.” For all the universe is connected with the people of belief and its beings are happy with them. For by virtue of their belief they know the Creator of the  Universe, so appreciate the universe’s value, and respect and love it. They do not nurture implicit enmity and contempt for it like the people of misguidance.