Fuzail bin Ayaz who was one of the great Sufi Saints, says that he had a pious and virtuous student. The student once fell ill, and when his death neared, Fuzail came to visit him and started reciting Surah-al-Yaseen. The student requested Fuzail to stop reciting it. Fuzail then requested him to recite the ‘Kalema’, but he refused to do so and said that he was sick of it (Allah’s refuge!). Fuzail was shocked and felt sad at the attitude of one of his pious students. He returned home and did not come out for some days. One night he dreamt that the same student was being dragged to the fire of hell by the Angels of wrath. Fuzail stopped them and inquired of his student as to why was he being treated in that manner, when he was always a pious and devout student of his. He asked him as to what was the reason behind his painful end. The student replied that he had three bad habits in him:
(1) Slander,
وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةِ.
“Woe be on every slanderer and defamer”
(Surah-al-Humazah)
(2) Jealousy,
اَلْحَسَدُ يَاكُلُ اْلاِيْمَانَ كَمَا تَاكُلُ النَّارُ الْحَطَبَ.
“Verily jealousy destroys faith (Eeman) in the same manner as fire destroys wood”
(Usoole Kafi),
and (3) Creating mischief,
وَالْفِتْنَةُ اَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ
Creating mischief is graver than murder
(Surah-al-Baqarah : 217).
The student also told Fuzail that he once committed an act that also proved harmful for his Hereafter. He said that once he had a disease, and the doctor had prescribed him to drink wine for its cure. The doctor told him that if he did not do so he would never be cured. He did as the doctor said. Because of this and the other three bad habits his end was so painful, and he died in the state of shame.