Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Ali (peace be upon him), while reciting the verse یا أَیُّهَا الْإِنْسانُ ما غَرَّکَ بِرَبِّکَ الْکَرِیمِ [O man! what has beguiled you from your Lord, the Gracious one], said: "The one addressed in this verse has no proof to offer in reply to the question, and because of the delusion that has taken hold of him his excuse is not accepted either — rather, he has only added to his own ignorance. یَا أَیُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ مَا غَرَّکَ بِرَبِّکَ [O man! what has beguiled you from your Lord?] Do you not fear having exposed yourself to destruction? Have you still not recovered from this illness, nor woken from the sleep of heedlessness? Do you have no mercy on your own soul, when you show mercy to others? If you see someone standing in the sun, you make shade for him, and if you see someone stricken with an illness who grows thinner day by day, you weep for him and your heart burns for his condition — yet now you pay no attention to your own sickness, you endure it, and you have forgotten the calamities that have surrounded you and are tormenting you. You should be consoling yourself in the face of these illnesses and hardships; your own soul is dearer than all else, and you must attend to it. How is it that the fear of what the night may bring does not wake you from sleep, while you have destroyed yourself along the paths of disobedience to Allah and have not stood in awe of Allah's power? Now that the sickness of listlessness has taken hold of your heart, treat it with the medicine of resolve, and drive the sleep of heedlessness from your eyes with wakefulness. Obey Allah, remember Him, and take intimacy in Him. Know that while you are turning away from Allah, He is turning toward you — He calls you to His pardon and covers you with His bounty, while you turn away from Him to another. How exalted is that lofty, mighty One — while you humble yourself before a weakling! What has made you commit disobedience against Allah while Allah has veiled your sins and given you a share of His bounty and kindness? Allah did not withhold His kindness from you, nor tear away the veil of your secrets; rather, He has not deprived you of His blessing for a single moment. He continually sends you good, veils your sins, and turns calamities away from you. So what do you think of Him — that you might obey Him? By Allah, if this attribute were between two equal in strength and matched in power, you would be the first to rule against yourself that you possess evil deeds and corrupt morals. And I say in truth: the world did not deceive you; rather, you were deceived on account of the world. These matters have been laid bare for you through admonition and lesson, and you have grasped them fairly. You yourself know that in the future calamities will come and will make your body ill and diminish your strengths, and these are the best witnesses that you cannot lie to yourself or deceive yourself. It may be that here sincere counsellors are accused, and those who speak the truth are called liars. If you turn to the ruined houses and the quarters empty of inhabitants, you will find there the highest admonition and lesson, and you will remember what the matter really is. There you will see who loves you and who is stingy toward you. The world is a fine house — provided you do not attach your heart to it and do not take it as a place of permanent residence. Those who are made fortunate tomorrow through you are the ones who today flee from the world. When the great cry is raised and the trumpet is blown, and the Resurrection stands with all its features, each person will be present at his own place, every worshipper will be brought together with what he worshipped, and every leader will be gathered with his followers. On that Day Allah will judge with truth and justice; no one's rights will be lost, and the smallest of deeds will be brought to account. On that Day many arguments will be nullified, and no excuse will be accepted from anyone. So if you have committed treachery, leave it now and do not rely upon it. Prepare for that Day a firm proof; take hold of what will remain with you, and let go of what you will not reach and will have to release. Ready your provisions for your journey, keep your eye on the light of salvation, and set out on swift mounts that will bring you quickly to your destination."