Beware of Weeds Growing Within

enough simply to sow seeds in his field. along with this, it is also essential to pluck out every weed. otherwise, he will not be able to get the harvest that he hopes for. as it were, this weeding of a field is what every individual should do about himself. in the terminology of islam, this is called introspection (muhasabah). as in a field, where crops grow along with weeds, whenever one obtains something good, a ‘weed’ begins to grow, all on its own, from the inside. Therefore, it is essential to be aware of this ‘weed’, remove it from inside oneself, and throw it away. if you do not do this, you will face the same predicament as a field left without being weeded. if someone acquires many worldly goods and means, he gets puffed up with an unwarranted sense of self-reliance. if he obtains political power, it engenders conceit. likewise, wealth leads to miserliness, knowledge to pride, fame to pomp, and social respect to showing off. all of these are, as it were, ‘weeds’ that, if not removed, will ultimately eat up or destroy one’s virtues. Thus, one should become one’s guard, and whenever one spots a ‘weed’ growing within oneself, one should pluck it out and throw it away. if you do not constantly engage in this sort of introspection, you are bound to face ruin. you will become like a field whose crops have been overrun and destroyed by weeds that have been left to grow unchecked.