20. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from certain individuals of his people from al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn abu ‘Uthman from Wasil from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from Abu ‘Abdillah who has said the following:

“A man came to abu Dhar and asked, ‘O abu Dhar, why do we dislike death?’ He said, ‘It is because you have developed the world and destroyed the next life and you dislike moving from developed to that which is mined.’ The man asked, ‘How do you see our moving in the presence of Allah?’ He replied, ‘The people of good deeds among you will be like one coming home from a journey. The evil doers among you, however, will be like a runaway slave returned to his master.’ The man then asked, ‘How do you see our condition before Allah?’ He said, ‘Present your deeds before the book of Allah. Allah has said, ‘‘The virtuous ones will live in bounties and the evil doers will live in fire.” (82:14,15) The man than asked, ‘Where then is the mercy of Allah?’ He replied, ‘The mercy of Allah is very close to the people who do good deeds.’ “Abu ‘Abd Allah then said, ‘A man wrote to abu Dhar, may Allah be pleased with him, “O abu Dhar instruct me with a few things of knowledge.” He wrote back to him, ‘Knowledge is of many kinds, however, if you are able not to disappoint those whom you love, then do so. Yes, your soul is the most beloved to you. When you disobey Allah, you are doing bad and disappointing things to your own soul.’”