”O People of Damascus!
Are you deriving satisfaction in this world from merely filling your stomachs with wheat bread year after year while the name of Allah, the most exalted, is never mentioned in your unions (or meetings)? Why do I find your scholars trickling down in number, and those who lack knowledge among you are not seeking to learn?
Should the intelligent among you use their brains, then Allah willing, they can expand their knowledge, and should your ignorant ones solicit (seek) the true knowledge then they will surely find it readily available and easy to reach!
You must pay the dues for what you receive from Allah, the Lord of Majesty and Glory. I swear by Him, in Whose Presence my soul stands, that no nation has ever perished except when the people pursued their own fancies, praised their own devotion, and took pride in their personal achievements.”