Abdullah bin Marzuq, who was friend of the ruler AI-Mahdi, was drunk one day and consequently missed the congregational prayer. His female servant came to him with a piece of burning wood and placed it on his leg.
Needless to say he jumped up with a hideous expression on his face. If you cannot Withstand the fire of the earth, then how will you Withstand the Fire of the Hereafter [which is about 70 times more intense than the fire of this world]? asked the servant. Having understood the point of the painful lesson, Abdullah bin Marzuq repented immediately. Thereafter, he performed his prayer on time and gave away a great deal of his property in charity.
After some time passed, AI-Fudayl bin Iyad and ibn Uyaynah visited Abdullah bin Marzuq, and just by looking at him and at the furniture of his home, they noticed a drastic change in his lifestyle.
Referring to his Simple way of living, they asked, No one forsakes something for Allaah, except that Allaah compensates him with something [equal or better]; so what did Allaah compensate you with for the [worldly pleasures] that you abandoned? Contentment for the situation I find myself to be in, said Abdullah bin Marzuq.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited