The Five Reasons to Leave Service
The king asked the slave: "Why are you leaving your job?" The slave replied: "There are five reasons." "The first reason is that you keep sitting while I remain standing before you, whereas the One Whom I worship commands me to sit even during His prayer." "The second reason is that when you eat your food, I stand behind your chair with my hands folded, watching you eat, whereas my Lord feeds me and He Himself is pure from eating and drinking." "The third reason is that when you are asleep, I keep watch, whereas my Lord does not sleep; on the contrary, when I sleep, He Himself protects me." "The fourth reason is that I constantly fear that if you die, your enemies will consider me your slave and cause me harm, whereas my Lord will remain eternal forever; in His presence, no one can cause me any harm." "The fifth and final reason is that I am always afraid that if I make even a minor mistake, you will not forgive me, whereas even if I commit mistakes or sins a hundred times a day, my Lord forgives me upon repentance..."
