اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَكْرَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَحَسْرَةُ الْفَوْتِ، فَفَتَرَتْ لَهَا أَطْرَافُهُمْ، وَتَغَيَّرَتْ لَهَا أَلْوَانُهُمْ. ثُمَّ ازْدَادَ الْمَوْتُ فِيهِمْ وُلُوجاً، فَحِيلَ بَيْنَ أَحَدِهِمْ وَبَيْنَ مَنْطِقِهِ، وَإِنَّهُ لَبَيْنَ أَهْلِهِ يَنْظُرُ بِبَصَرِهِ، وَيَسْمَعُ بِأُذُنِهِ، عَلَى صِحَّة مِنْ عَقْلِهِ، وَبَقَاء مِنْ لُبِّهِ، يُفَكِّرُ فِيمَ أَفْنَى عُمْرَهُ، وَفِيمَ أَذْهَبَ دَهْرَهُ! وَيَتَذَكَّرُ أَمْوَالاً جَمَعَهَا، أَغْمَضَ فِي مَطَالِبِهَا، وَأَخَذَهَا مِنْ مُصَرَّحَاتِهَا وَمُشْتَبِهَاتِهَا، قَدْ لَزِمَتْهُ تَبِعَاتُ جَمْعِهَا، وَأَشْرَفَ عَلَى فِرَاقِهَا، تَبْقَى لِمَنْ وَرَاءَهُ يَنْعَمُونَ فِيهَا، وَيَتَمَتَّعُونَ بِهَا، فَيَكُونُ الْمَهْنَأُ لِغَيْرِهِ، وَالْعِبءُ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ. وَالْمَرْءُ قَدْ غَلِقَتْ رُهُونُهُ بِهَا، فَهُوَ يَعَضُّ يَدَهُ نَدَامَةً عَلَى مَا أَصْحَرَ لَهُ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ، وَيَزْهَدُ فِيَما كَانَ يَرْغَبُ فِيهِ أَيَّامَ عُمُرِهِ، وَيَتَمَنَّى أَنَّ الَّذِي كَانَ يَغْبِطُهُ بِهَا وَيَحْسُدُهُ عَلَيْهَا قَدْ حَازَهَا دُونَهُ!
Pangs of death and grief for losing (this world) have surrounded them. Consequently their limbs become languid and their complexion changes. Then death increases its struggle over them. In some one it stands in between him and his power of speaking although he lies among his people, looking with eyes, hearing with his ears, with full wits and intelligence. He then thinks over how he wasted his life and in what (activities) he passed his time. He recalls the wealth he collected when he had blinded himself in seeking it, and acquired it from fair and foul sources. Now the consequences of collecting it have overtaken him. He gets ready to leave it. It would remain for those who are behind him. They would enjoy it and benefit by it. It would be an easy acquisition for others but a burden on his back, and the man cannot get rid of it. He would thereupon bite his hands with teeth out of shame for what was disclosed to him about his affairs at the time of his death. He would dislike what he coveted during the days of his life and would wish that he who envied him on account of it and felt jealous over him for it should have amassed it instead of he himself.