The Powerful Advice of the Messenger of Allah (saw) to Abu Thar al-Ghefari

Abel-Aswad said: “I arrived in Rabatheh and met Abu Thar; Jondab Ibn Jonadeh (may God be pleased with him). He narrated: 


“Once in the middle of the day I met the Prophet of Islam (peace be on him and his pure progeny) in his mosque. There was no one in the mosque except the Messenger of God and Ali was sitting next to him. I took the opportunity and said: ‘O Messenger of God! May my parents be sacrificed for you, would you give me a recommendation that I benefit from it.’ 


The Prophet said: ‘Yes, O Abu Thar! You are from us Ahlul-Bait. I will grant you an advice and you should hold onto it as it contains the ways to virtue. If you adhere to it, there will be two rewards for you. 
Abu Thar! 
Worship God as if you see Him, for if you don’t see Him, He indeed sees you. 


Be aware that the first step of worshipping God, is to know Him. Thus, He is the first before everything and there is none before Him. 
He is One and there is no two for Him. He is everlasting without any end; the Creator of the heavens and the earth and whatever is in them and between them. He is Allah the most Merciful and Most Knower and He is Mighty over everything. 


Then, it is the faith and acknowledgement in me, that Allah has dispatched me to all people with glad tidings and warning; a caller to Allah with His permission; an illuminated lamp.


Then, it is the love of my Pure Progeny “from whom Allah has removed the evil and purified them a thorough purification.” Abu Thar, be aware that Allah the Almighty has made the example of my Ahlul-Bait in my community, like the ark of Noah; whoever embarked on it was rescued and whoever turned away from it drowned, or the likeness of the Gate of Humiliation for the Israelites that whoever entered that was safe. 


Abu Thar! Adhere to what I advise you and you will be prosperous in this world and in the hereafter.


Abu Thar! There are two blessings that many people are wrong about them; 
the blessings of health and free time. 


Abu Thar! Seize five things before five things: 
your youth before your aging, 
your health before your illness, 
your wealth before your poverty, 
your free time before your engagement, 
and your life before your death.  


Abu Thar! Be stingier with your life than your money. 


Abu Thar! The worst person in the sight of God on the Day of Judgment is a learned person who does not benefit from his knowledge. 
Whoever seeks knowledge to attract the attention of people to himself, will never even smell the fragrance of Paradise. 


Abu Thar! When you are asked of a topic that you have no knowledge of, say: ‘I don’t know’, then you will be saved from its consequences, and never give an opinion on something that you have no knowledge about, you will be saved from the chastisement of the Day of Judgment. 


Abu Thar! A group of people of Paradise will attend a group of people of hell and ask them surprisingly: “What brought you to Hell whilst we entered Paradise, because of your teachings”?! The people of Hell will reply: “Indeed we enjoined people to good, yet we didn’t practice it ourselves.’ 


Abu Thar! For every farmer is what he cultivated. Whoever cultivates good will be on the verge of harvesting it, and whoever cultivates evil will also be on the verge of cultivating regret. 


Abu Thar! When God wills evil to a person, He will make him forget his sin.’” 


Bihar al-Anwaar, Vol. 77, Pg 76