Hayy’s Philosophical Views on the Value of This World
And afterwards looking round about him and reviewing the several ranks and orders, degrees and conditions of men, he found that every sect and company of them rejoiced in those things which they had and possessed at present, and that their lusts and appetites were their God, and that they destroyed and lost themselves by gathering together the trifles and vanities of the world, the eager desire of getting them into their hands still captivating and blinding them until they tottered to their graves; and that no good counsel prevailed upon them, and that disputing with them had only the effect of making them the more obstinate. As to wisdom, they had no way open to it or access thereto, nor did any portion thereof belong unto them. “For folly has wholly overwhelmed them, and what they eagerly sought after has corrupted their hearts as rust; God has sealed up their hearts and ears, a thick mist is before their eyes, and a sore punishment awaits them.” (Koran.)
Thus he saw that they were encompassed within the cauldrons of punishment and covered over with the darkness of a veil, and that all of them—a few only excepted—minded their religion no otherwise than with respect to the world, and cast the observance of religious performances behind their backs, and made little or no account thereof, and that merchandise and trading took up their minds and diverted them from thinking upon God, so that they had “no fear of that day in which both their hearts and eyes shall be turned round” (Koran)—continually employed about their worldly affairs. When he saw all this, it was apparent to him, and he held it for certain, that it was impossible for him to speak unto them to any purpose, and that it was not expedient that any works should be enjoined unto them beyond this measure, and that the greatest benefit which accrued to the common sort of men by the law was wholly in relation to their life in this world, namely, that the course and manner of their life, whilst they continued here, should proceed on in good order, so that none of them should be injurious to another in the things which he may call his own; he saw that none of them attain unto the felicity of another world but some very few, viz. those who prepare themselves to that world and rightly endeavour to attain to the same; that is, such as believe and follow the truth: but “to him that erred from the truth, and prefers the life of the present world before it, Hell shall be his place of habitation.” (Koran.)
And what labour can be greater, and what misery more grievous, than his who works, if you well observe, from the time he awakes till he goes to sleep again; there will not be found so much as one amongst them who does anything but what tends to the attaining of some one or other of these vile sensible things that are of no value, to wit, either riches—to heap them up, or pleasure which he may take, or lust whereby to satisfy his mind, or wrath and revenge whereby he may satisfy his mind, or power whereby to defend himself, or some outward work commanded by the law, whereof he may make a vain-glorious show or whereby he may care to save his neck? “Now all these are darkness upon darkness in the deep sea: nor is there any of you who doth not go in thither: for such is the unchangeable decree of the Lord.” (Koran.)
When, therefore, he understood the state and condition of men to be such as this, and seeing that most of them might be justly ranked amongst unreasonable creatures—were, in fact, like brute beasts—he knew that all wisdom, discretion and success was grounded on and consisted in that which the messengers of God spoke and the law delivered, and that there was no other rule possible, and that there could be nothing added to it, and that these were men appointed to every work, and every one was mostly capable of that thing unto which he was ordained by nature: and that the law of God was the same unto those that had gone away before, neither was there any change in the law of God.