Do not be Deluded by the Apparent Glitter and Illicit Pleasure of the Worldly People, Particularly those Leading a Dissipated life
O soul! Do not be deluded by the apparent glitter and illicit pleasure of the worldly people, particularly those leading a dissipated life, more particularly, the unbelievers, and be deceived into imitating them. For, even if you were to imitate them, you would not be able to be like them. You will fall too low. You cannot be like animals, either. For your intellect will be an inauspicious ‘tool’ and give you endless trouble.
Suppose there is a palace in the central room of which is a big electric light. In all the other rooms, there are small lights connected to the big, central light in the central room. If someone turns off the big light, the whole palace will be left in darkness. There is another palace where the small electric lights in its rooms are not connected to the big, central light in the central room. If the owner of the palace turns off the central light, the other rooms will still remain illuminated, He will be able to do his work in the palace, and no thief will attempt to rob the palace.
Thus, O soul! The first palace represents a Muslim. The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the big, central light in his heart. If he forgets him, if—God forbid— he discards him from his heart, then he will no longer be able to believe in any other Prophet. Moreover, there will be left no room in his spirit for any kind of perfection. He will not recognize his Lord, even. All his inner senses and faculties will be left in darkness and his heart will be terribly ruined and invaded by despair and gloom. I wonder what, in the face of such ruin and desolation, you can build up familiarity with and seek consolation in, what beneficial thing you can find to compensate for the harm caused by that ruin! Whereas the Christians and Jews are like the other palace. Even if they are not illuminated by the light of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, they can manage with the light they suppose they have. Their belief in the Creator and the Prophets Moses or Jesus, upon them be peace, however deficient it is and tainted with associating partners with God, can still be the means of some sort of moral perfection for them.
O evil-commanding soul! You can never be like an animal! For the intellect in your head will continuously trouble you with the pains of the past and anxieties for the future. It blends a single pleasure with a thousand pains. But an animal enjoys itself with no pains. So if you want to live like an animal, first discard your intellect, and then be an animal! Also, be attentive to the Divine blow of warning and instruction:
They are like cattle, rather, more misguided than them. (7:158)
This article has been adapted from Risale- i Nur Collection.