Whilst some of us display our absolute best in public, those before us were most active in private. When curtains were drawn, when eyes were busy with sleep and when attention was shifted away from them, they'd roll up their sleeves.

Diraar Ibnu Damra says, illustrating the state of 'Ali Ibn Abi Taalib during one of those nights of privacy,

أَشْهَدُ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ فِي بَعْضِ مَوَاقِفِهِ , وَقَدْ أَرْخَى اللَّيْلُ سُدُولَهُ ، وَغَارَتْ نُجُومُهُ ، وَقَدْ مَثُلَ فِي مِحْرَابِهِ ، قَابِضًا عَلَى لِحْيَتِهِ ، يَتَمَلْمَلُ تَمَلْمُلَ السَّلِيمِ ، وَيَبْكِى بُكَاءَ الْحَزِينِ ، وَيَقُولُ : يَا دُنْيَا غُرِّي غَيْرِي ، أَبِي تَعَرَّضْتِ ؟ أَمْ إِلَيَّ تَشَوَّقْتِ ؟ هَيْهَاتَ هَيْهَاتَ ، قَدْ بَايَنْتُكِ ثَلَاثًا لَا رَجْعَةَ فِيهَا ، فَعُمْرُكِ قَصِيرٌ ، وَخَطَرُكِ يسير ، آهٍ مِنْ قِلَّةِ الزَّادِ , وَبُعْدِ السَّفَرِ , وَوَحْشَةِ الطَّرِيقِ

“I make Allah my witness that saw him on one night when the stars were out, as he sat in his place of worship, having grabbed his beard and behaving like one in agony, as if he'd been stung and weeping like the bereaved, as he said to himself,

“O Dunya, deceive someone else! Are you trying to deceive me? Are your hopes on me?! This is very far! For I have divorced you three times and you cannot return to me! Your life is so short and your hazards are easily attained.

Ahh... How little are my preparations...
How long is the journey ahead...
And what a scary path it is which awaits.”

Whether its good or evil which you hide, whether it's a secret relationship of worship or sin which you have with Allah, sooner or later, it will be made public..

"There isn't anyone who hides a matter except that Allah *will* expose it on the surface of his face and on the slips of his tongue" ('Uthman Ibnu 'Affan)

Dear reader and author of this post,

Amendments amendments ..