The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “O people, you are in a temporary truce (worldly life), and you are on the back of a journey, and the pace is swift. You have seen how the night and day, the sun and moon, wear out all that is new, bring near all that is far, and fulfill every promise. So prepare provisions for the long crossing ahead.”
Then al-Miqdād b. al-Aswad stood and said: “O Messenger of Allah, what is the abode of truce?” He said: “It is a place of conveying and passing away.” Then he said: “When tribulations become confusing to you, like the dark patches of night, then hold fast to the Qur’an. For indeed, it is an intercessor whose intercession is accepted, and a disputant whose argument is believed. Whoever places it before him, it will lead him to Paradise; and whoever places it behind him, it will drag him to the Fire. It is the guide that shows the best path. It is a book with clarification, exposition, and completeness. It is decisive, not a joke. It has an outer and an inner. Its outward is judgment, and its inward is knowledge. Its outer is elegant, and its inner is deep. It has stars (layers of meaning), and upon those stars are more stars. Its wonders are countless, and its marvels never wear out. Within it are lamps of guidance, beacons of wisdom, and signs leading to knowledge for whoever understands its descriptions.
So let the one who seeks clarity focus his vision, and let him reach its meaning through contemplation, so he may be saved from destruction and escape from entanglement. Verily, reflection is the life of the discerning heart, just as the illuminated one walks through darkness with light. So hold fast to graceful escape and minimal procrastination.”