"On Work" Summary

A ploughman asks about Work, and Almustafa replies that work helps one keep pace with the soul of the earth, while the idle are strangers to the seasons and too proud to submit to the infinite. Work is not, as many say, a curse and misfortune; it is the fulfillment of part of earth's dreams and shows one's love of life. Some say birth is an affliction and the flesh a curse, but Mustafa counters that only the sweat of one's brow washes away what is written. Some criticize the darkness and weariness of life, but Almustafa objects that darkness creates a blind urge for knowledge, attained only by work. Working with love binds people to themselves and to God. Weavers should think of the beloved who will wear the cloth, builders of the beloved who will live in...