Do most people, when their age advances, minimize it in front of others and not state their actual age? Does this fall under love of this world?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Do most people, when asked about their age, minimize it and dislike telling people their actual age?
The Shaykh : It is natural for a person to wish to remain young. That is why it is said, "Ask the truthful one about his age, and he will lie to you." Yes, do not ask the truthful one. This is a natural, innate disposition. Every person wishes to be young, as the poet said: "Would that youth would return for a day, so I could tell it what the graying of hair has done".
The Shaykh : It is natural for a person to wish to remain young. That is why it is said, "Ask the truthful one about his age, and he will lie to you." Yes, do not ask the truthful one. This is a natural, innate disposition. Every person wishes to be young, as the poet said: "Would that youth would return for a day, so I could tell it what the graying of hair has done".