Day after day the voice of faith called out to me: 'To the road! To the road! The years of life are few, and the journey ahead is long. Only hypocrisy and delusion hold you back. You imagine that by being busy you are serving God! If you do not prepare now for eternal life, when will you prepare? If you do not sever your worldly attachments immediately, when will you sever them?' As I heard these words, the urge to follow the mystical path surged within me; and I decided to abandon my career. Then Satan said: 'This is just a passing mood, which will soon fade; so resist it. If you yield to it, think what you will be giving up: a position from which you can exercise a benign influence; the respect of society; material comforts which leave your mind free from all disturbances; and safety and security, which allow you to speak honestly, without fear of your opponents.
If you abandon all this, you will never be able to return to it. Come to your senses!' For six months these opposing voices spoke to me, tossing me between the attractions of the world and the impulse towards eternal life.
(Imam Al-Ghazali)