they wronged me when i said let no one be deceived by the length of his life the hunching of his back the frailty of his bones and the weakness of his strength so that he sees his nobility and that does not lead him to take his wealth from his hands and transfer it to the property of others and to impose extravagance on it and to let desires prevail over it for perhaps he will live long and he will not know it and his age will be extended and he will not feel it and perhaps he will be blessed with a child despite despair or some hidden calamity will happen to him which does not occur to the mind and the minds cannot comprehend so he will take it back from someone who will not return it and show complaint to someone who will not have mercy on him the weakest thing in seeking and the ugliest way to earn. so you blamed me for that and amr ibn alaas said work for your worldly life as one who lives forever and work for your afterlife as one who dies tomorrow.
وعتموني حين قلت لا يغترن أحد بطول عمره، وتقوس ظهره، ورقة عظمه، ووهن ٤ قوته، أن يرى أكرومته، ولا يخرجه ذلك إلى إخراج ماله من يديه، وتحويله إلى ملك غيره، وإلى تحكيم السرف فيه، وتسليط الشهوات عليه، فلعله أن يكون معمرا، وهو لا يدري، وممدودا له في السن وهو لا يشعر؛ ولعله أن يرزق الولد على اليأس، أو يحدث عليه بعض مخبات الدهور، مما لا يخطر على البال، ولا تدركه العقول، فيسترده ممن لا يرده، ويظهر الشكوى إلى من لا يرحمه، أضعف ما كان عن الطلب وأقبح ما يكون به الكسب . فعبتموني بذلك، وقد قال عمرو بن العاص اعمل لدنياك عمل من يعيش أبدا، واعمل لآخرتك من يموت غدا ٥ .