Advice of Ahl al-Bayt Examples of Piety in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah
Chapter3
[53] The Effects Of Fear
part 1
The fear of God Almighty is the highest devotion and the best deed. This is the fear which our Imams, who are the models of knowledge and practice, have observed and taught us. Sometimes, they say: “Praise is due to Allah from Whose fear the heaven and its inhabitants are moaning, and the earth and the people of the earth shiver, the seas and those floating in them are roaring. ”[735]
Once, they recite this supplication: “Put Thy fear in my heart, cut off (the desire of) everything other than Thee so that it neither turns to, nor is afraid of anyone except Thee. ”[736]
And at other times, they say: “O Lord! Make me fear You as if I see You. Make me prosperous with piety and obedience. Make me not unfortunate with sins. ”[737]
This kind of fear has certain effects which are perceptible in the same way that the other kinds of fear have their own effects.
One of the most important effects of this kind of fear is to keep away from committing sins which is actually the best feature, because all misfortunes, entanglements, diseases, physical and mental problems arise from the committing of sins and the doing of unlawful acts. It is for this reason that the supplications of Komail and Arafah, glorification (tasbeeh) after prayers and the Du’as of the Infallible Imams refer to different kinds of sins and their consequences: “O Allah, forgive me those sins which alter blessings … which causes regrets … which causes ailments … which violates protections… which causes supplications to be rejected … which deters rain … which shortens life … which causes adversity … which darkens the space … which uncovers the veils. ”[738]
Each of these sins is considered as special one in Ma’ani al-Akhbar, Al-Kafi, Al-Wafi, Bihar al-Anwar and other books of Hadith.
Imam Baqir (AS) has been reported by Abu Hamza ath-Thumali as saying: “Among the sayings of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) , there is a saying as follows: when adultery increases after me, sudden deaths becomes numerous, when people deal in short-weight, God afflicts them with famine; when the zakat is prevented, the earth becomes devoid of blessings of plantation, fruits and mines. When they deviated from justice in their judgments, they assist each other in oppression and aggression. When they break their covenants, God will make their enemies overcome them. When kinship is cut off, wealth shall be put in the hands of the wicked. When they do not enjoin good and forbid the wrong, and do not follow the gracious ones of my progeny, God will make their evildoers dominant, and then their good-doers pray, but they shall be not responded to. ”[739]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “…the sin that alter blessings is aggression, the sin that causes regret is homicide, the sin that causes the sending down of wrath is oppression, the sin that violates protections is drinking of wine, the sin that withholds sustenance is adultery, the sin that hastens perishment is cutting off kinship, and the sin that rejects supplications and darkens the space is the undutifulness to parents. ”[740]
One of the other positive effects of the fear of God is that one, who is fearful of God, does his best to be a model and foremost in religious, social, political, scientific, cultural, and moral scenes. This is the same feature about which God has said: “And the foremost are the foremost, these are they who are drawn nigh (to Allah) , in the gardens of bliss. ”[741]
The true example of “the foremost” is Imam Ali (AS) who has been preferred to all others (after the Prophet) in every goodness, and so he has been called “the Master of the Pious”.
One of the other effects of being fearful of God is “weeping” which has been frequently mentioned in the Quranic verses and traditions. In this relation, God Almighty says: “Say: believe in it or believe not; surely those, who are given the knowledge before it, fall down on their faces, making obeisance when it is recited to them. And they say: Glory be to our Lord! Most surely, the promise of our Lord was to be fulfilled. And they fall down on their faces weeping, and it adds to their humility. ”[742]
Elsewhere in the Holy Quran, God says: “And mention Musa in the Book; Surely he was one purified, and he was an apostle, a prophet…. And mention Isma’eel in (his) promise, and he was an apostle, a prophet…. And mention Idris in the Book; surely he was a truthful man, a prophet, And We raised him high in Heaven. These are they on whom Allah bestowed favors, from among the prophets of the seed of Adam, and of those whom We carried with Noah, and of the seed of Ibrahim and Israel, and of those whom We guided and chose; when the communications of the Beneficent God were recited to them, they fell down making obeisance and weeping. ”[743]
Imam Sajjad (AS) has been reported in Manaqib and Majma’ as saying: “It is we that have been meant by these verses. ”[744]
In traditions, we read that whenever the Imams (AS) recited the Holy Quran, they started weeping. As an example, Raja ibn Abu adh-Dhahhaak narrated: “Imam Reza (AS) was reciting the Holy Quran on his way to Khurasan and when he came across a verse about paradise and hell, he began weeping and beseeched Allah for Paradise and sought His protection from Fire. ”[745]
In another tradition, the Holy Prophet (a. s. ) has been reported as saying: “Recite the Quran and weep. And if you do not weep, pose as weeping. ”[746]
The Messenger of Allah (a. s. ) has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as having said to a group of young men from the Ansar: “I want to recite the Quran. Whoever makes himself weep, paradise shall be his. ” He recited some verses from the Quran until he came to the verse: “And those who disbelieve shall be driven to hell in troops... ”[747] He recited this verse until the end of the chapter. The all began weeping except a young man who said: “O Messenger of Allah! I tried to weep, but my tears do not come out. ” The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “I will recite these verses again. Whoever weeps, paradise will be his. ” This time, all of them wept and that young man posed as weeping. They all deserved to be in paradise. [748]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “O Abu Tharr! Whoever can weep should do so, and whoever cannot do, should feel sad in his heart and pose as if he is weeping, for a hardhearted man is far from God, but you do not understand that. ”[749]
Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “Weeping is the feature of those who fear God. ”[750]
Imam Ali (AS) has also said: “Weeping out of the fear of God because of being away from God is the worship of the mystics. ”[751]
“Weeping out of the fear of God, gives light to the heart and keeps one away from committing sins again. ”[752]
“Weeping out of the fear of God is the key to mercy. ”[753]
In a sermon, describing the pious, Imam Ali (AS) says: “These are the people whose acts in this world were pure, their eyes were tearful, their nights in this world were like days because of fearing and seeking of forgiveness, and their days were like nights because of feeling of loneliness and being away from all worldly pleasures, and so Allah makes the Paradise as their last abode and gives them the best of rewards. ”[754]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “Be it known to you that one, whose eyes shed tears out of the fear of God, for each drop of tear, there is a palace adorned with pearls and jewels for him. There is in it what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no heart has experienced. ”[755]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported by Imam Hasan Askari (AS) as saying: “The distance between man and Paradise is more than the distance between the earth and the heaven when he commits a sin. But when he weeps with regret out of the fear of God, the distance between him and Paradise become less than the distance between his eye and his eyelid. ”[756]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “All eyes shall weep on the Day of Judgment except three eyes; an eye that has been lowered not to see what is unlawful (to be seen) , an eye that spends the nights in obeying God, and an eye that weeps in the heart of night out of the fear of God. ”[757]
If you wish to know the importance of weeping out of the fear of God, you would better look into the states of the prophets and see what God has said about weeping. In a dialog between Moses (AS) and God Almighty on Mount Sinai, God says: “O Moses! Tell your tribe that no one can approach Me except by weeping out of the fear of Me. ”[758]
Addressing Jesus (AS) , God says: “O Jesus, son of the chaste woman! Weep for your self, the weeping of one who says farewell to his family, one who does not like the world and leaves it for the people of the world, and one who loves what is there with his Lord. ”[759]
Qotb Rawandi said: “God said to Prophet David (AS): ‘Call Me with this name: O the Friend of those who weep. ”[760]
As for Adam (AS) , it is said that he wept so much there was like two big streams on his cheeks. It is also said that Adam (AS) wept for two hundred years. [761]
Prophet Noah (a. s. ) wept for about five hundred years. So did Prophet Jacob (a. s. ) and Prophet Joseph (a. s. ). Prophet John (a. s. ) wept so much that his cheeks were affected because of shedding too much tears and his mother used to dress the wound with a piece of felt. Prophets David, Moses, and Jesus (peace be on them) did the same.
Our Holy Prophet, the Imams of guidance and Lady Fatima (AS) wept so much that they have been called the ever-weeping ones (Bakka’oon) in traditions.
As for Prophet Yahya (a. s. ) , he was a young boy when he saw the state of the pious in Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) and asked his mother to buy him the garment of the pious. His mother, with the permission of his father, brought him a woolen cloak. One day when Yahya looked at his lean body, God said to him: “O Yahya! Are you weeping that the coarse clothes have made you lean? By My glory! If you see the hell, which I have created, you will wear a garment of iron. ”
part 2
Hearing this, the Prophet Yahya (a. s. ) wept so much that the flesh of his cheeks melted away. Prophet Yahya (a. s. ) was so fearful of the hell that whenever Prophet Zakariyya (a. s. ) intended to speak of hell, he would make sure that Prophet Yahya (a. s. ) was not present. One day when Prophet Yahya (a. s. ) was sitting behind a pillar, Prophet Zakariyya said: “O people! my friend, Gabriel has given me information that in hell there is a mountain of fire called ‘Sakran’ and in the middle of it there is a valley called ‘Ghadhban’ and in the valley there are wells as deep as the distance of a hundred years of walking. In those wells, there are boxes filled with fire, snakes and scorpions. If they sting any one, he shall twist (of pain) for seventy years. At this time, the moaning and crying of Prophet Yahya (a. s. ) went to the sky. He left the gathering towards the desert while crying out: “Woe to me from Sakran! Woe to me from Ghadhban! ”[762]
As for the Holy Prophet of Islam, ibn Shahr Ashub in his Manaqib writes: “The Messenger of Allah wept so much that he became unconscious. He was asked: ‘Has God not forgiven your past and future sins? ’[763] The Holy Prophet said: ‘Shall I not then be a grateful servant? ’”[764]
Imam Ali’s states, his spending the night in worshipping, and his much weeping for the fear of Allah are unknown to every one. We have already mentioned what he said to Habbah al-Urani and Nawf: “If you keep on weeping at night out of the fear of God, your eyes will be bright before God Almighty on the Day of Judgment. O Nawf! There is no drop of tears shed by one for the fear of Allah except that it can extinguish seas of fire. ”[765]
Perhaps this state is natural for the prophets and infallible Imams. Even those trained by them have such a feature. Persons like Salman, Abu Tharr, Borayr and even the son of Haroon al-Rasheed have attained such position.
It has been related that Haroon al-Rasheed had a son who was too pious. He was the opposite of his father in turning away from the worldly pleasures, position, and rule. He attended the assembly of the pious, wore shabby clothes and frequented cemeteries where he wept and took lesson from their examples. He was considered as the black sheep of his family by his father. When Haroon called his so-called misled son and advised him to abandon that way of living, he said to his father: “O father! I have had enough from this world. I have tasted its fruits. Now, let me have a taste of the hereafter and its fruits. ”
Haroon wanted to appoint him as the governor of Egypt, but the young man said: “O father! If you do not leave me alone, I will escape from you. ” Haroon said: “I cannot tolerate your separation. ” The son said: “You have other sons with whom you can make yourself happy, but if I part with my Creator, what shall I do, for there is no one like Him? ”
Haroon’s son eventually went to Basra while he had only one copy of the Holy Quran and a basket. He used to work only one day a week which was Saturday and lived on what he earned for the work of that day.
Abu Aamir al-Basri relates: “The wall of my house had collapsed, so I went out to look for a worker to repair it. On the way, I saw a good-faced young man with a basket in front of him, reciting the Holy Quran. I said to him: ‘O young man! Will you work for me? ’ He said: why should I not while I have been created to work? ’ I said: ‘mud working! ’ He said: ‘I will work for you provided that you will give me one Dirham and a sixth of a Dirham as wage and allow me to offer my prayer at its proper time. ’ I accepted his condition and he began his work. When I returned home at night, I found that he had worked as much as the work of ten workers. I gave him two Dirhams. He did not accept and took what he had asked for and went away. The next day I went after him, but I did not find him. People said that he did not work except on Saturdays. I went to see him on Saturday. He was reciting the Holy Quran. I greeted him and asked him to work for me. He came with the same condition. He worked in a way as if he was helped invisibly. I wanted to give him three Dirhams, but he did not accept. He took his wage and went away.
On the third Saturday when I went to the market, I did not find him. I looked for him everywhere. People said: ‘He is sick and lying down in a ruined place’. When we reached the place, I saw him unconscious with his head on a half of a brick. I greeted him, but since he was dying, he did not heed. I greeted him again. He recognized me this time. I wanted to put his head on my knees, but he refused and recited the following verses of poetry:
“O my comrade! Let not the blessings of this world deceive you!
Life comes to an end and blessings perish!
When you know the fate of a nation, you will be questioned about them! When you see a body carried to cemetery, know that you will be the next! ”
Then he said: ‘This is my last will and testament to you! When I am dead, put my body on the earth and say: O Allah! This is Your servant. He has escaped from the world to You so that You may accept him. So accept him and forgive him his faults with Your grace. ’
Then he said: ‘When you bury me, give my basket to the gravedigger. Take this copy of the Quran and my ring to my father, Haroon al-Rasheed and say to him: ‘I have two trusts from a strange young man. Convey my message to him, saying: ‘Do not die in your ignorance. ’ He said this and passed away. ”[766]
It is worth mentioning that weeping is the highest degree of tenderheartedness and the best sign of relations between God and human beings. Weeping is the sign of little disobedience and lack of pollution. Hence, if one is hardhearted, he should know that it is the result of his sins and pollution. Hardheartedness has been blamed in the Quranic verses and traditions. God has ascribed hardheartedness to unbelievers: “Then your hearts hardened after that, so that they were like rocks, rather worse in hardness. ”[767]
Elsewhere, Allah has ascribed hardheartedness to Himself: “But on account of their breaking their covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard. ”[768]
Hardheartedness has been frequently blamed in traditions in a way that the messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Ali and Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “Hardheartedness, dry-eyedness (not weeping with sympathy) , greed for further sustenance and insistence on committing sins are the signs of misfortune. ”[769]
In another tradition, we read: “From the signs of wretchedness are dry-eyedness, hardheartedness, far wishes, and love of perpetuality are signs of misfortune. ”[770]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “Even if you cannot weep, pose as weeping. Even if you shed one teardrop, you are lucky. ”[771]
It goes without saying that weeping and tenderheartedness do not necessarily mean that one is innocent, but it is generally believed to be so. Imam Sajjad (AS) has been reported as saying: “The fear of one who weeps but has no piety to keep away him from committing sins is a false fear. ”[772]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “Let not their weeping deceive you, for piety (Taqwa) is found in the heart. ”[773]
This does not mean that anyone, who does not weep or is dry-eyed, is not necessarily pious, rather believers are thought to be kind-hearted and fearful of God.
From what we have discussed, it is inferred that the fear of God is a feature of the men of piety, especially if it is intermingled with weeping (for fear of Allah) , and weeping for Imam Husain and the rest of the Ahlul Bayt (a. s. ).
Beyond doubt, human beings are exposed to all calamities since the time they are born. To avoid this, Islam has advised them to create in themselves such morale to be able to resist such mishaps, and sometimes to welcome them in a way that he is pleased with them instead of complaining about them. The pious are such people.
The pious are those who resist sins, difficulties, and calamities, and are patient in order to seek God’s pleasure. The pious are happy with what God has destined for them. Can we accept patience from anyone other than the pious? The pious are called men of understanding, the benefactors, the chosen, and the perfect believers, though people of piety are above others, hence it is said: “O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and be with the true ones. ”[774]
About the pious, the Holy Quran says: “…and be careful (of your duty) to Me, O men of understanding”[775], and “Those who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spent out of what we have given them”. [776]
About the believers, God says: “Those who keep up prayer and spend (benevolently) out of what we have given them. ”[777]
About the benefactors, God says: “Those who keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and they are certain of the hereafter. ”[778]
About the chosen, God says: “ (to) those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, and those who are patient with that which afflicts them, and those who keep up prayer, and spend benevolently out of what We have given them. ”[779]
Therefore, the pious are perhaps meant by “the believers”, “the benefactors” and “the chosen”, for some of their features are shared by them.
Patience is to restrain the soul from what reason and religious law have forbidden. Therefore, patience is a general term used with different meaning on different occasions. When it means self-restrain in calamities, it is called patience; otherwise, it is called impatience, anxiety and restlessness. Patience in fighting is called courage and the opposite is cowardice. In calamities, it is called open-mindedness and the opposite of it is incapacity. In relation to speech, it is called keeping secret, and the opposite of this is divulging. God has called them all as patience.
part 3
Mohaqqiq Toosi says: “Patience is to restrain the soul from anxiety in distress. It prevents the tongue from complaining and the organs of the body from unusual motions. ”[780]
The Holy Quran has spoken of patience on more than a hundred occasions and if you read them carefully, you will understand what patience is, why it is necessary and what its role in human prosperity is. In one place, it says: “O you who believe! Be patient and excel in patience and remain steadfast, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, that you may be successful. ”[781]
In a commentary on this verse, Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “Be patient against sins, be patient with religious obligations, be fixed in the path of God; and we are the path between God and His people. ”[782]
In another tradition, we read: “Be patient with your faith, be patient against your enemy who challenges you, be ready with your Imam in fighting and struggling, and fear Allah in what He has ordered and has made obligatory on you. ”[783]
Imam Baqir (AS) has been reported as saying: “One day, Gabriel came down to the Holy Prophet who asked him: “What is patience? ” Gabriel said: “…it is as when he is patient in distress, he is patient in happiness, is patient in the time of prosperity and helplessness, and is patient in calamities and in good health. It is not to complain against his Creator to people of the calamities that afflict him. ”[784]
In another verse, God say: “And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient, who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: Surely we are Allah’s and to Him we shall surely return. Those are they on whom are blessings, and those are the rightly guided. ”[785]
There are many verses and traditions about the importance of patience. We will refer to some of those traditions here.
Hafs ibn Ghiyath narrates: “Imam Sadiq said to me: It is incumbent upon you to be patient in all affairs, for God Almighty deputed the Holy Prophet and enjoined him to patience: “And bear patiently what they say and avoid them with a becoming avoidance. ””[786]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “The position of patience to faith is like the position of the head to the body. When there is no head there shall be no body, in the same way that when there is no patience there shall be no faith. ”[787]
Abu Hamzah has reported Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “When a believer is afflicted with a tribulation and he is patient, he shall have the reward of a thousand martyrs. ”[788]
Perhaps such comparison is a bit odd, but if we look into the states of the afflicted ones, we will realize that such comparison is not far-fetched. A martyr loses his life in the battlefield when an arrow hits him, but in ailments and diseases, it may take many years for one to die, and during these years, he has to tolerate many sufferings. It is here that if one is not patient, he may curse the world and become a disbeliever.
The same is true about one who is exposed to sins and it is difficult for him to keep himself away from them. It is for the same reason that when the army of Islam returned from battles of justice against injustice, the Holy Prophet said: “Well-done! You have completed the minor Jihad, and now it is the turn of the major Jihad. ” They asked: “O Messenger of Allah! What is the major Jihad? ” The Holy Prophet (a. s. ) said: “It is the Jihad against the self. ”[789] It is the patience with respect to the divine rules, that is the performing of religious duties, forsaking prohibitions, patience in obligations and against sins.
Allamah Majlisi, about the above-mentioned tradition, says: “It might mean the martyrs of other nations or the martyrs who have not had a pure intention, but they have their own rewards as a gift from Allah. ” But, I think that what I said is more suitable. God is most aware.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has been reported by Imam Baqir (AS) as saying: “On the Day of Judgment, God will gather all people in one place. Then a herald shall say: ‘Where are the people of patience? ’ Some people shall get up. The angels shall welcome them, asking: ‘What was your patience for? ’ They shall say: ‘We made our selves patient in obedience to God and made them patient against sins. ’ The herald, on the order of God, shall say: ‘My servants say the truth. Open the way for them to enter Paradise without reckoning. ’”[790]
There are many examples of those who were patient in history. In this relation, we can mention Bilal, Khabbab ibn al-Aratt, Maytham, the companions of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and the companions of Imam Hosain (AS). As for the state of Bilal, it has been mentioned that the cursed Abu Jahl made him lie down on the earth and put heavy stones on his back in the hot days of Hijaz, saying to him: “Renounce the Lord of Mohammad! Stop supporting Mohammad! ” However, Bilal tolerated all these hardships, saying: “He (Allah) is One! He is One! ”[791] Whenever he was tormented, he just said: “He is One! He is One! ”
Khabbab ibn al-Aratt was also tortured to the extent that his flesh melted away. One day, Umar asked him: “How did the atheists torture you? ” Khabbab took away his shirt. When Umar looked at his back and was greatly amazed. He said: “By God! I have never seen the back of any one like this! ”
Khabbab said: “They set fire to my back and did not extinguish it until the flesh of my back melted away. ”[792]
You may say that these were special people who were trained by the Holy Prophet (SAW) , but we can say that such people can be found among ordinary people too. Some man relates: “My friend and I were traveling through a desert where we got lost. We saw a tent and went near it. A woman came out of the tent. She asked who we were, and we said that we had got lost. The woman said: “Turn your faces away, so that I will fulfill your needs. ” She spread a mat for us and said: “Sit here until my son comes back and receives you. ”
After a short time, a camel rider appeared. Drawing the lap of the tent aside, the woman said: “The camel is mine, but the camel rider is not my son. ” The camel rider approached and greeted us. The woman asked about her son, and the camel rider consoled her, saying: O Umm Aqeel, may Allah give you a great reward for (the death of) of your son Aqeel! ”
The camel rider then told the story of the death of her son. The woman said: “Dismount you camel now and slaughter this lamb for me to cook a meal for these people who are my guests. ” She prepared the food in a way as if she had not lost her son. We were amazed by this act. She then came forward, asking: “Is there among you one who can recite the Quran? ” I said: “I can. ” She asked me to recite and I recited this verse: “Give good tidings to the patient who, when a calamity befall them, say: Surely we are Allah's and to Him we shall surely return. Those are they on whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord, and those are the rightly guided. ”
The woman asked: “Is this verse in the Quran? ” I said: “Yes, by God! ” She said: “Blessed be you! ” She rose up then and offered some rak’as of prayer, saying: “O Allah, I have done what You have ordered me to do. Therefore, fulfill what You have promised. ”
I did not see anyone more perfect and more generous than this woman was. She described her Lord with the best names, for she knew that there was no escape from death, that impatience was useless, and weeping did not bring a dead person back to life. So she resorted to a becoming patience. ”[793]
Ash-Shaheed ath-Thani (the Second Martyr) has been reported in the book Maskan al-Fawa’id, as saying: “Some wise man relates: ‘I had gone to Areesh in Egypt with some riders. On our way, we came across a tent where there was a man who was totally blind and whose hands and legs were paralyzed. He said: Praise be to You, O my Mater and Lord! I praise You a praise that is equal to all praises of Your creatures… like Your favor on all Your creatures that You have actually preferred me to many of what You have created. ”
I approached him, greeted him and he greeted me back. I said to him: ‘May God bless you! Will you answer me if I ask you a question? ’
He said: ‘I will if I know! ’
I said: ‘For what Grace of God do you praise Him? ’
He said: ‘Do you not see what He has done to me? ’ I said: ‘Yes. ’ The man said: If God Almighty pours a fire on me to burn me and orders the mountains to crush me and orders the seas to drown me, and orders the earth to swallow me, I will do nothing but keep on loving Him and be grateful to Him. ’
Then the man said: ‘I want you to do something for me. Will you? ’
I said: ‘Yes, whatever you want! ’
The man said: ‘I have a son who takes care of me at times of my prayers, and gives food to me at the time of breaking my fasting. He was not here since last night. Go and see if you can find him for me. ’
I said to myself: ‘There is a blessing in this request. ’ So I began looking for his son everywhere until I found him torn into pieces by a fierce animal. I said to myself: ‘Surely we belong to Allah and to Him do we return. How can I tell the news of the son to this true servant of God? ’
Finally, I went to him. I greeted and said to him: ‘May God bless you. Will you answer me if I ask you a question? ’ He said: ‘I will if I know. ’ I said: ‘Which one is more honorable and closer to God, you or Prophet Ayyoob? ’ He said: ‘Prophet Ayyoob is more honorable with God than I am and his position shall be much higher. ’
I said: ‘Almighty Allah tried him, and he was patient and remained alone with no companion. As for your son, he has been devoured by a fierce animal. May God give you a great reward for (losing) him. ’
The man retorted: ‘Praise is due to Allah who did not put in my heart any regret of this world. ’ He then gave a loud cry and fell on the ground. I sat for some time and then shook him, but he was motionless. I said: ‘Surely, we belong to Allah and to Him do we return. But who will help me to bury him? ’ At this time, I saw some riders heading for pasture. I called them and they came to the tent, asking: ‘who are you? ’ I told them the whole story. They tied their horses and helped me washing the dead body with the water of the sea. We buried him. I sat besides his grave and began reciting the Quran until some hours of the night passed. A short sleep overtook me, and I saw in my sleep my friend in the best state in a green garden reciting the Quran. I said: ‘What has given you such position? ’ He said: know that I have come with the patient for the sake of Allah the Almighty in a position that they have not gained except by patience calamities and gratefulness at the time of ease and comfort. ’ Then, I woke up. ”[794]
Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “For the people of piety, there are signs by which they are recognized; truthfulness, fulfillment of their promises, trustworthiness, lack of avarice, love of kin, having mercy on the weak, little association with women, benevolence, good temper, forbearance, and adherence to knowledge which make them close to Allah. Happy are they and a good return shall be for them. Tooba is a tree in the Paradise whose root is in the house of the Messenger of Allah. ”[795]
[54] The Hammam Sermon; The Pious in the Viewpoint of Imam Ali (AS)
part 1
Perhaps many people wish to know who the pious are, what their features or signs are, how they have lived in this world, what their states in the hereafter shall be, how they look at the world, what the worth of the hereafter is to them, how they pass their nights, what they do during days, how their lives are different from others’, and what characteristics they have that make them distinct from others.
It is related that a companion of Ameerul Mo’minin called Hammam, who was devoted to worship, said: “O Ameerul Mo’minin, describe to me the pious in a way as if I see them. ” Ameerul Mo’minin avoided the reply and said: “O Hammam, fear Allah and perform good acts because “verily, Allah is with those who guard (themselves against evil) , and those who do good (to others) ””. [796]
Hammam was not satisfied with this saying, but he (Imam Ali) (a. s. ) , after praising Allah and praying for the Prophet (a. s. ) , kept on saying: “Now then, Allah, be Glorified and Exalted He, created the creation; He created them without any need for their obedience or to be safe from their sinning, because the sin of any one who sins does not harm Him nor does the obedience of anyone who obeys Him benefit Him. He has distributed among them their livelihood, and has assigned them their positions in the world. ”[797]
Then, Imam Ali (AS) elaborated the features of the pious and said: “Thus, the pious have special virtues. Their speech is to the point and just to please Allah, their clothing is moderate and their gait is humble. ”
It is not out of place to discuss briefly the two features of moderation and humbleness.
One of the outstanding features of a perfect man is moderation. How good it would be if moderation were observed in all affairs even in worship. In this relation, Luqman says: “And pursue the right course in your going about and lower your voice; surely the most hateful voices is braying of asses. ”[798]
Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as having said to Imam Hasan (a. s. ) at his deathbed: “O my son! Be moderate in your livelihood and in worship. It is incumbent on you to act in worship in a way that you can tolerate. ”[799]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Baqir (AS) as saying: “Be aware that for every worship, there is a inclination and willingness, and then it shall diminish. Therefore, whoever turns willingly toward my Sunnah has been guided and whoever contradicts my Sunnah shall be misled and his acts shall be ruined. As for me, I offer prayer, sleep, fast, break my fasting, laugh, and weep. So, whoever turns away from my way and Sunnah is not from me. ”[800]
As for extravagance, God says: “…and do not act extravagantly; surely He does not love the extravagant. ”[801]
In another verse, God says: “Surely, the squanderers were ever brothers of the devils, and the devil was ever an ingrate to his Lord…And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck nor open it with a complete opening, lest thou sit down rebuked, denuded. ”[802]
Being asked about the meaning of the verse, Imam Sadiq (AS) said: “Whoever spends anything in other than the way of Allah is extravagant and whoever spends in the way of goodness is moderate. ”[803]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported by Abu Baseer as saying: “Observe Taqwa, do not act extravagantly, and be moderate, for squander is like extravagance. God has said: “Do not squander wastefully. ”[804] God will not punish the moderate. ”[805]
Basheer ibn Marwan narrated: “I was in the presence of Imam Sadiq (AS). They brought dates for us. Some people threw away the stones of the dates. The Imam stopped them, saying: ‘Do not do that. It is wastefulness. God does not like the wasteful ones. ”[806]
We should really take lessons from the Imam who speaks on behalf of the Holy Prophet and on behalf of God. What shall we do with our dustbins that are full of leftovers like bread, rice, other kinds of food, and fruits?
In the book Makarim al-Akhlaq by Tabarsi, Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “The least extravagance is to use extra water, to wear formal dress in working place and to throw away the stone of fruits. ”[807]
The Imam has also been reported as saying: “The least extravagance is when your formal and casual clothes are the same. ”[808]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “Luqman said to his son: ‘For an extravagant one, there are three signs: he buys what is not proper for him, wears what is not proper for him, and eats what is not proper for him. ”[809]
Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “One shall not experience the truth of faith unless he has three features; knowledge in faith, patience with calamities, and moderation in living. ”[810]
As for the second feature, that is to be humble, there are many verses and traditions about it. Being humble is a praiseworthy feature in the same way that arrogance is blameworthy, whether it is before God, before the Messenger of Allah or before people. Satan had been cast out of paradise because of his arrogance, despite the long years of his worship. Nations faced misfortunes because of arrogance. They used to say: Shall we believe in human beings who are like us ourselves? or they challenged scholars and admonishers. They considered perfections for themselves when it is said to them: “And when it is said to him: guard against (the punishment of) Allah; pride carries him off to sin. ”[811]
Allah says in the Qur'an that Luqman said to his son: “And do not turn your face away from people in contempt, nor go about in the land exulting overmuch; surely Allah does not love any conceited boaster. ”[812]
God has also said: “And do not go about in the land exultingly, for you cannot cut through the earth nor reach the mountain in height. ”[813]
About the pious, who are real believers, God says: “O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion, then Allah will bring a people, whom He loves and who love Him, lowly before the believers, mighty against the unbelievers, they shall strive hard in Allah’s way and shall not fear the censure of any censurers; this is Allah’s grace, He gives it to whom He pleases, and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing. ”[814]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has also said: “There are three things that Allah does not increase by them except good; humbleness by which Allah does not add to one except exaltation, humiliating oneself by which Allah does not add to one except honor, and chastity by which Allah does not add to one except wealth and independence. ”[815]
Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “It is incumbent upon you to be humble which is a great worship. ”
It has been narrated that two believers, a father and his son came to visit Imam Ali (AS) who received them warmly in his house and made them sit in the best place of sitting, and he sat opposite to them. Food was brought for them and the father and the son ate from it. Qanbar, the servant of the Imam, brought a pitcher of water and a towel to wash and wipe the hands of the man. Imam Ali (a. s. ) jumped up, took the tub and pitcher to wash and wipe the hands of the man who bowed down to Imam Ali, saying: “O Ameerul Mo’minin! You want to pour water on my hands while Allah is watching me! ” Imam Ali said: “Sit down and wash your hands. God Almighty sees you and your brother (Imam Ali) , the one who has no preference to you, who wishes for the Paradise by serving you, tenfold the number of this world and what is therein. ”
The man sat down and Imam Ali said: “I adjure you by my right on you which you have recognized, allow me to have the honor of washing your hands and be pleased with it as you would be if Qanbar (Imam Ali’s servant) would do it. ”
The man agreed, and when the Imam was through with it, he gave the pitcher and tub to his son, Mohammad ibnul Hanafiyyah, saying: “If this young boy came here alone, I would wash his hands myself, but God Almighty does not like to see a father and a son to be treated alike. Therefore, the father (host) should wash the hands of the father (guest) and the son (host) should wash the hands of the son (guest). ” Then, Mohammad ibnul Hanafiyyah poured the water on the young boy’s hands. ”[816]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “The Abyssinian king, Najashi (Negus) sent for Ja’far ibn Abi Talib and his companions. When they went to him, they found him sitting on the floor while wearing shabby clothes.
Ja’far reports: ‘When I saw the king in this state, his faced changed in color and said: ‘Praise be to Allah Who assisted Mohammad and enlightened my eyes with him. Shall I not give you good tidings? ’ I (Ja’far) said: ‘Yes, Your Majesty! ’ He said: ‘Right now news has come from your country that Allah has assisted His Messenger, Mohammad, perished his enemy (Abu Jahl, Utbah, Shaybah…) , made so-and-so people captive and put so-and-so people to death. This happened in a desert called Badr and as if I am watching it. ’
Ja’far said: ‘Your Majesty! How is it that I find you sitting on the earth and wearing shabby clothes? ’
Najashi said: ‘O Ja’far! I found in what was revealed to Jesus (AS) that one of God’s rights on His servants is that the servants should be (more) humble before Allah whenever He gives them from His blessings. As God Almighty has given me the new blessing of (following) Mohammad, I am renewing the state of humbleness. ’
Imam Sadiq (AS) reports: “When the messenger of Allah heard this, he said to his companions: ‘Surely, charity multiplies the wealth for one who gives it. Therefore, give alms, and God will have mercy on you. Be humble, and you will be exalted. Forgive people, for it will bring you honor. ”[817]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has said: “God Almighty revealed to Moses (AS): ‘O Musa! Do you know why, from among all my people, I chose you as My interlocutor? ’
part 2
Moses (AS) said: ‘No, I do not. ’ God Almighty said: ‘O Musa! I searched out everywhere, but I could not find anyone more humble than you are. O Musa, when you perform prayer, you put your cheeks on the earth. ”[818]
The meaning of being humble as inferred from traditions is to have a feeling of being in need of God Almighty when He gives us a new blessing and to show to people that we are not important.
Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (al-Kadhim) (AS) has been reported as saying: “Give to people humbly what you like to be given. ”[819]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “A sign of humbleness is that one should be pleased with a low seat in a meeting, greet everyone he meets, avoid disputing even if he is right, and should not like to be praised for piety. ”[820]
1- Another sign of the pious is that “they lower their eyes before what Allah has prohibited for them (not to look at) , and make their hearings just listen to the knowledge that is beneficial to them. ”[821] In these statements, Imam Ali (AS) has mentioned two signs of the pious; lowering one’s eyes (not to look lustfully) before what is unlawful and seeking knowledge. As for the first one, lowering one’s eyes before what is unlawful means to refrain from looking (lustfully) at what is unlawful for one to look at, like looking at strange women other than one’s wife, looking inside people’s houses curiously and suspiciously and looking at the private parts of others. In this relation, God says: “And say to the believing men that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts, that is purer for them; surely Allah is aware of what they do. And say to the believing women that they cast their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof... ”[822]
The Messenger of Allah has been reported as saying: “One who fills his eyes with what is unlawful for him to look at, on the Day of Judgment, God will fill his eyes with nails of fire, and then He will fill them (the eyes) with fire until people shall be resurrected, and then he shall be ordered to go to Fire. ”[823]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “No one gains from anything as he gains from the lowering of the eyes. The sight is not lowered before what Allah has prohibited (to look at) except that one sees in his heart greatness and glory. ”[824]
Ameerul Mo’minin was asked: “How can we keep our eyes closed (not to look at what is unlawful to look at)? ” The Imam said: “By the submission to the power of the One who is aware of your secrets. The eye is the spy of the heart and the herald of the mind. Therefore, lower your sight before what does not fit your religion, what your heart hates, and what your reason denies. ”
Prophet Jesus Christ (a. s. ) said “Keep aloof from looking at what has been made unlawful to look at, for it is the seeds of lusts and the plants of debauchery. ”[825]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “All eyes shall be weeping on the Day of Judgment except three eyes; an eye that has been lowered before what Allah has prohibited (to look at) , an eye that has remained sleepless in the worshipping of Allah, and an eye that has wept in the heart of night out of the fear of Allah. ”[826]
As for the second subject, that is that hearings that listen just to beneficial knowledge, there are over five hundred occasions in which the word “knowledge” has been used in the Holy Quran. In this relation, God says: “Say: Are those who know and those who do not know alike? Only the men of understanding are mindful. ”[827]
In another verse, God says: “Why should not then a company from every party from among them go forth that they may apply themselves to obtain understanding in religion, and that they may warn their people when they come back to them that they may be cautious? ”[828]
In verses about power, God says “Thus do We make the revelations clear for a people who know. ”[829] When God wants to show His greatness, He says “ (Who) Taught man what he knew not. ”[830]
Addressing the Holy Prophet, God says: “And say: O my Lord! Increase me in knowledge. ”[831]
There are many traditions on the importance of knowledge, because the human worth depends on knowledge and piety.
The Messenger of Allah has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “The most knowledgeable man is one who adds people’s knowledge to his own, the worthiest people are the most knowledgeable ones of them, and the least worthy people are those with the least knowledge. ”[832]
The pious know that “The angles spread their wings for a seeker of knowledge while they are pleased with him. Whatever is in the heaven and the earth, even the fish in the sea, ask forgiveness for a seeker of knowledge. The superiority of a learned man over a worshipper is like the superiority of the moon over stars at a night of full moon. The learned men are heirs of the prophets. ”[833]
Imam Sadiq has been reported as saying: “Seeking knowledge is necessary under any condition. ”[834]
In another tradition, we read: “It is incumbent upon all Muslim men and Muslim women to seek knowledge. ”[835]
There are many traditions in this relation. In the section of piety and knowledge, we have already discussed that. Here is another tradition; Komail ibn Ziyad, the loyal companion of Imam Ali (AS) , narrated: “Ameerul Mo’minin (AS) caught hold of my hand and took me to the graveyard. When he had passed through the graveyard and left the city behind, he breathed a deep sigh and said: ‘O Komail, these hearts are containers. The best of them is that which preserves (its contents). So, preserve what I say to you.
People are of three types; One is a devoted scholar, one is a seeker of knowledge for his deliverance, and mobs who follow every cawing (calling) one and bend in the direction of every wind.
They seek no light from the effulgence of knowledge and do not take the protection of any reliable support.
O Komail, knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you, while you have to guard the wealth. Wealth decreases by spending, while knowledge multiplies by spending, and the favors of wealth die as wealth dies away.
O Komail, knowledge is a belief that is believed in. With it, man acquires obedience during his life and a good fame after his death. Knowledge is a ruler while wealth is a ruled subject.
O Komail, those who amass wealth are dead even though they may live long, while those endowed with knowledge will remain as long as the world lives. Their bodies are not available, but their figures exist in the hearts. Look, here is a heap of knowledge (Ameerul Mo’minin pointed to his bosom). ”[836]
The pious keep their hearings on listening to such worthy words and not to nonsense and idle talks, such as backbiting, lies, singing, unlawful music, indecencies, and the like.
2- They behave in the times of trials and calamities as they behave in the times of ease and comfort. That is to say they give in to what God has destined for them in a way that ease and hardship are alike for them. Happiness and unhappiness, straitness and comfort, distress and blessing are equal for them. Their state in trial is the same as in comfort. Was it not for the appointed time fixed by God, their soul would leave their body in a twinkling of an eye out of eagerness for reward and fear of punishment. [837]
God Almighty says the same: “Say: Nothing will afflict us save what Allah has ordained for us; He is our patron; and on Allah let the believers rely. ”[838]
God says: “Say: Who is it that can withhold you from Allah if He intends to do you evil, or intends to show you mercy? And they will not find for themselves besides Allah any guardian or a helper. ”[839]
In another verses, God says: “Or, Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil? ”[840]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “To be pleased with the hardships destined by the fate is the highest degree of certainty. ”[841]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has also said: “Surely Allah has placed delight and happiness in conviction and contentment because of His justice, wisdom and knowledge, and He has placed sorrows in doubt. Therefore, be pleased with (what) Allah (determines) and submit to His order. ”[842]
Following the battles fought by the Holy Prophet (SAW) , some people claimed to have faith. When the Holy Prophet (SAW) asked who they were, they said: “We are believers, O Messenger of Allah! ” The Holy Prophet said: “What is the degree of your faith? ” They said: “Patience in trials, gratefulness in straitness, and contentment with the divine fate. ” The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “They are forbearing and scholars. Because of jurisprudence, they were about to be prophets… Therefore, do not build what you cannot dwell in. Do not gather what you cannot eat. Observe ‘Taqwa’, for you will return to Him. ”[843]
Imam Ali (AS) has said: “There are four pillars for faith: Relying on God, entrusting the affairs to Him, being content with the divine fate, and submitting to His will. ”[844]
A companion of Imam Sadiq (AS) called Fodhail ibn Yasar, who had become very lean because of an ailment, was asked by the Imam: “Why are you weeping? ” He said: “Why should I not while I see you in this condition? ” The Imam said: Do not weep. A believer looks for every good, even if his limbs are cut off. If he owns what is there between the east and the west, it is good for him. ”[845]
The Imam has also said: “If a believer knows that he is rewarded in calamities, he will wish his limbs to be cut off with scissors. ”[846]
It is related that one day Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari came to visit Imam Baqir (AS). He was then old and feeble. He said: “I am in a state that I prefer old age to youth, ailment to health and death to life. ” The Imam said: “If God makes me old, I like old age, if He makes me young, I like youth, if He makes me sick, I like sickness, if He cures me, I like cure, if He makes me die, I like death, and if He keeps me alive, I like life. ”
[55] Friends of Allah (Saints)
part 1
In the Holy Quran, the Lord of the universe has considered the pious as the guardians or the friends of Allah. God says: “And what (excuse) have they that Allah should not chastise them while they hinder (men) from the Sacred Mosque and they are not (fit to be) guardians of it; its guardians are only those who guard (against evil) , but most of them do not know. ”[847]
In another verse, God says: “Verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve. ”[848]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has narrated from the Messenger of Allah (SAW) his saying: “Whoever recognizes Allah and glorifies Him prevents his mouth from (idle) speaking and his stomach from having food and busies himself with fasting and praying. ” They said: “May our fathers and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah! Are they the friends of Allah? ” The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “Be aware that the friends of Allah are silent; their silence is remembrance, their look is meaningful, they speak and their speech is full of wisdom, and they walk and their walk is full of blessing. If there had not been fixed periods of life for each, their spirits would not have remained in their bodies, because of their eagerness for paradise and fear of chastisement. ”
Sheikh Baha’iy, in a commentary on this tradition, says: “This tradition includes the important features of the mystics and traits of the friends of Allah. ” Then, he sums up these features as the following:
1- Silence which is the gate of salvation
2- Hunger which is the key to all good
3- Busying oneself with fasting and spending the night in worshiping (this is a reference to the worship of the Messenger of Allah, Imam Ali and others)
4- Reflection which is better than the worships of sixty years
5- Remembrance with tongue and the heart
6- Pondering to take lessons
7- Wise speech of knowledge and sciences which contains the good of this world and the hereafter
8- Helping people by fulfilling their deeds, guiding and delivering them from perishment
9- & 10- Fear and hope together, which is the ultimate goal of every perfect man
The meaning of the eagerness for reward (paradise) is clear, but the fear of chastisement is to remain in this world and to be exposed to fire because of passions and desires.
Imam Ali (AS) has said: “The saints of Allah are those who look at the inward side of the world, while other people look at its outward side; they busy themselves with its remoter benefits, while other people busy themselves with the immediate benefits. They kill those things which they feared that they might kill them, and leave here in this world what they think would leave them. They consider trivial what others consider as much. They are enemies of those things which others love while they love things which others hate. Through them, the Quran has been learnt and they have been taught by the Quran. By them, the Quran is followed, and by the Qur'an, they are followed. They do not see any object of hope above what they hope and no object of fear above what they fear. ”[849]
3. “The greatness of the Creator is seated in their hearts, and so, everything else appears small in their eyes. Thus, to them, paradise is as if they see it and are enjoying its favors. To them, Hell is also as if they see it and are suffering torture in it. ”[850]
The pious are in such a state because they have a realistic worldview. Whatever they see (in this world) they consider powerless ans is in need of God, and when they look at God, they find Him All-wise, All-powerful, Self-subsistent and Lord of all beauty and perfection. They see all creatures controlled by Him and humble before Him. It is good for human beings to look at the creation of beings in the universe, to see their needs, to have a look at heavens and to walk on the earth, to have a glance at the material and spiritual worlds, to reflect on the world of plants, animals and inanimate objects, to see the human beings and the jinn and to have a look a the world of angels and archangels.
God says: “Most surely in the variation of the night and the day, and what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, there are signs for a people who guard (against evil). ”[851]
In another verse, God says: “Most surely in the heavens and the earth there are signs for the believers. And in your (own) creation and in what He spreads abroad of animals there are signs for a people that are sure; and (in) the variation of the night and the day, and (in) what Allah sends down of sustenance from the cloud, then gives life thereby to the earth after its death, and (in) the changing of the winds, there are signs for a people who understand. ”[852]
“Allah is He Who made subservient to you the sea that ships may run therein by His command, and that you may seek of His grace, and that you may give thanks. And He has made subservient to you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, all from Himself; most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect. ”[853]
About the verse “would that you know with a certain knowledge”,[854] Imam Sadiq (AS) said: “It means to see with one’s own eyes. ”[855]
Abu Baseer narrated: “Imam Sadiq said: ‘There is nothing for which there is no limit. I asked: ‘What is the limit of reliance? ’ The Imam said: ‘Certainty. ’ I asked: ‘What is the limit of certainty? ’ He said: ‘It means that when you are with God, you will not fear anything. ’”[856]
It is related that Imam Ali’s servant Qanbar loved Imam Ali (a. s. ) greatly. Whenever Imam Ali went out of home, Qanbar would follow him. One night, Imam Ali saw Qanbar behind him, so he asked: “What are you doing here, Qanbar? ” Qanbar said: “I followed you to protect you, O Ameerul Mo’minin! ” The Imam said: “May Allah have mercy on you! Are you protecting me from the inhabitants of heaven or those of the earth? ” Qanbar said: “from the inhabitants of the earth. ” The Imam said: “The inhabitants of the earth have no power over anything except with the permission of God. Go back! ” Qanbar returned home. ”[857]
Ishaq ibn Ammar narrated: “I heard Abu Abdullah (Imam Sadiq) (a. s. ) say: ‘The Messenger of Allah was offering the Fajr (dawn) Prayer in the mosque when he saw a young man with sunken eyes, bent down head, and was pale, lean and slumbering. The Holy Prophet said: ‘How did you pass the night? ’ The young man said: ‘I passed the night in a state of certainty. ’ The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: ‘For every conviction, there is a truth. What is the truth of your conviction? ’ The young man said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! It is He who makes me feel sad, makes me wakeful at night and hungry during the day. I am detached from this world and what is in it that as if I look at the Throne of my Lord that has been set up for reckoning and people have been resurrected for this purpose, and I am among them, and as if I look at the inhabitants of paradise who enjoy the bliss of it. They are sitting on couches looking at each other. And it is such that I look at the inhabitants of hell and see them crying. I can hear the sound of the blazing fire with my own ears. ’ The Holy Prophet said: ‘This is the servant whom God has enlightened his heart with faith. ’ Then, he said: ‘Keep to what you are in! ’
The young man said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Pray God to reward me with martyrdom. ’ The Holy Prophet (SAW) prayed for him. Soon, he took part in a battle and was the tenth martyr after nine other martyrs. ”[858]
The same happened to Harithah ibn Malik. When he was asked: “How are you? ” He said: “A true believer. ” When the Holy Prophet asked him about it, he said: “It is as if I can see the people of paradise who meet one another and as if I hear the voice of the people of fire. ” The Holy Prophet said to him what he had said to the young man. Haritha too asked the Holy Prophet to pray for him to be martyred. After killing nine men (from the enemy) in the battle, he was martyred too. [859]
8-12: Their hearts are grieved, they are protected against evils, their bodies are thin, their needs scanty, and their souls are chaste. These are the features of the pious. They have a right to grieve when they see this world and the hereafter. Imam Ali (AS) has said: “A believer is happy in the face and grieved in the heart. ”[860]
They are protected against evils. This is clear, for “love of the world is the root of all evils. ”[861] The pious have no love to the worldly pleasures, and hence they are away from its evils.
Their bodies are thin, for anyone who is afraid of death, the Day of Judgment, and Reckoning shall be naturally thin. Anyone who remembers the resurrection, paradise and hell, Sakran, Ghadhban, and the woes in the Hell must be naturally thin. Anyone who cares for religion, and cares much for Muslims and suffers to see unmanly acts must be thin. Anyone who thinks of his sins, his failure to do his religious duties, spends his nights offering prayer, and eats little must be naturally thin.
part 2
Their needs are scanty, for they are not fond of the world. The world is worthless to them. In the words of Imam Ali, the pious see the world as the house of the wretched, the house of sorrows, the house of opponents, the source of every sin and calamity, a passing cloud-shadow, a dream, a vanity fair, or the ultimate goal of the wretched. [862] Therefore, there is no room for the pious to give importance to such a world. Hence, they are content with what is as little as possible.
Their souls are chaste. They avoid evil acts and make chastity their motto. They have self-restraining against what is unlawful. They overcome their passions: “The best worship is to abandon what is unlawful. ”[863]
In a commentary on the verse: “O children of Adam! We have indeed sent down to you clothing to cover your shame, and (clothing) for beauty and clothing that guards (against evil) ; that is the best. This is of the communications of Allah that they may be mindful”,[864] Imam Baqir (AS) says: “The clothing of Taqwa is chastity which is the best. ”[865]
Imam Hasan (AS) was asked about fairness and manliness, and he said: “Chastity in faith, good measure in livelihood, and patience in calamities. ”[866]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) was asked what might make man enter paradise, and he said: “Taqwa (piety) and good temper. ” He was asked what would make man enter hell, and he said: “The two hollows: the stomach and the private parts. ”[867]
The Holy Prophet (a. s. ) has also said: “Whoever guarantees to me what is between his jaws (mouth; whether by eating just well-gotten foods or saying just good) and between his legs (to be chaste) , I will guarantee the Paradise for him. ”[868]
It is truly so, for most of vices like blasphemy, unlawful acts, adultery, sodomy, backbiting and slander are rooted in these two sensitive organs. Therefore, safeguarding these two organs is the same as the safeguarding of one’s faith, and the self-restraining against them is abstinence from all sins and keeping aloof from vices and crimes.
13-14: Patience is another feature of the pious. Imam Ali (AS) says: “They endured (hardship) for a short while, and in consequences they secured comfort for a long time. It is a beneficial transaction that Allah made easy for them. The world aimed at them, but they did not aim at it. It (worldly life) captured them, but they ransomed themselves from it. ”[869]
Certainly, patience, as we have already discussed, shall lead to salvation in the hereafter. Imam Baqir (AS) has said: “Paradise has been intermingled with hardships. Therefore, whoever endures hardship will enter paradise. Hell is intermingled with pleasures and passions. Therefore, whoever makes himself enjoy (all) the pleasures (of this worldly life) shall enter fire. ”[870]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “There shall come a time when kingdom will not be obtained save by killing and oppression, wealth shall not be obtained except by usurpation and avarice, and love shall not be obtained except by deviation from religion and adherence to desires; therefore, if one who live at that time is patient with poverty while he can be rich, patient with grudge while he is capable of love, and patient with humiliation while he can be mighty, God will give him the reward of fifty true believers who believe in me. ”[871]
As for the world which aims at the pious, but they turn their backs to it, it is a blameworthy world, for the world is of two kinds; praiseworthy and blameworthy. In the words of Allamah Majlisi, first of all the blameworthy world has to be identified.
Allamah Majlisi believes that the world and the hereafter are two states from the states of the heart. The near state is this world and the distant state is the hereafter. In the near state, if man has knowledge and practice, it will be a praiseworthy world even if it is filled with pleasure as in the state of the well-known Mir-Damad. When he finished his night study and resolved scientific problems, he would go out of his chamber and would say: How can kings and princes enjoy such a pleasure?!
However if man spends his life in pleasures of sins, silver, gold, and mammonism, there shall be no provision for the hereafter. Such a world is blameworthy. Scholars of ethics have classified the world into that of mines, plants and animals.
Mines are related to gold, credits, buildings, palaces, tools, dishes and their likes. Plants are related to fun, entertainments, medicine, food and clothes. Animals are related to eating, riding, defeating enemies, traveling, and idle sport. One type of human beings is like animals; exploited, alienated, and indulged in pleasure. Perhaps it is due to the same reason that God says: “Know that this world’s life is only sport and play and gaiety and boasting among themselves, and a vying in the multiplication of wealth and children…”[872]
This verse has its root in what God says in another verse: “The love of desires, of women and sons and hoarded treasures of gold and silver and well bred horses and cattle and tilth, is made to seem fair to men; this is the provision of the life of this world; and Allah is He with Whom is the good goal (of life). ”[873]
This is the world which Imam Sadiq (AS) describes as follows: “The parable of this world is like the water of the sea, the more you drink from it, the more thirsty you will become until it will kill you. ”[874]
This is the same world which Imam Sadiq (AS) has described in one of his sermons, saying: “O people! This world is transient and the hereafter is perpetual. Therefore, take from this world for your abode. Do not tear off the veils with One for Whom your secrets are not hidden. You live in this world, but you have been created for the hereafter. Surely, the world is like poison that only one, who does not know it, will eat it. ”[875]
Imam Sajjad (AS) has been reported as saying: “By Allah! This world and the hereafter are but like the two pans of the scales. When one of them outweighs, it shall remove the other. ” Then, he recited this verse: “When the great event comes to pass, there is no denying that it will befall. [876]” [877]
Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “The world and the hereafter are two enemies with different directions. One, who loves the world and is fond of it, hates the hereafter and becomes its enemy. The world and the hereafter are like the east and the west. When one approaches one of them, he becomes distant from the other. They are like two women having one husband. ”[878]
It suffices this world to be lowly that it has taken many things from the saints of Allah and put them at the disposal of His enemies. This does not mean that the friends of Allah are not capable of obtaining it (worldly pleasures) , but they have voluntarily abandoned it. In fact, God does not will this world for them.
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had put a rock on his belly (because of hunger). Prophet Moses (a. s. ) ate little and was extremely lean. Prophet Jesus (a. s. ) used to say: “My food is hunger, my shirt is fear, my garment is woolen, my horse is my two feet, my lamp is the moon, my warmth is the sunlight, my fruit is what is grown out of the earth for the quadrupeds, I spend the night while I have nothing, but yet there is no one wealthier than I am. ”[879]
Solayman ibn Dawood (Prophet Solomon son of David) (a. s. ) ate barley bread, wore shabby clothes at nights, fastened his hands to his neck, passed the night weeping, and said: “O Lord! I have been unjust to myself. If You do not forgive me, and have no mercy on me, I will be among losers. There is no god but You. Glory be to You. Surely I am among the wrongdoers. ”
Abdullah ibn Sinan narrated from Imam Sadiq (AS) his saying: “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) was leaving his house for a battle while he was sorrowful. An angel, with the keys of treasures of the earth, came down and said to him: ‘O Mohammad! These are the keys to the treasures of the world. Your Lord says: Open them and collect for yourself whatever you want! ’ The Messenger of Allah said: ‘The world is the house of one who has no house (in the hereafter) , and one, who has no reason, heaps (wealth) in it. ”[880] The angel said: “ (I swear) By the One who has deputed you as a prophet, I heard the same from an angel in the forth heaven when I was given the keys. ”
15-16: One of the other features of the pious is that “During the night they are upstanding on their feet reciting the Quran ponderingly. With it, they grief themselves, and by pondering and deeply thinking on it they find the cure of their ailments. If they come across a verses having encouragement (toward paradise) , they pursue it avidly, their spirits turn towards it eagerly, and they feel as if it is in front of them. And when they come across a verse having frightening (against hell) , they turn the ears of their hearts toward it, and feel as if the sound of Hell and its cries are reaching their ears. They are bending down, putting their foreheads, hands, knees, and toes on the ground, beseeching Allah the Sublime for their deliverance (from Fire). ”[881]
Thus, three important subjects are benefited; spending the night in worshipping an supplicating, reciting the Qur'an ponderingly to seek the cures of one’s sufferings, and the frequent prostrating before Allah.
[56] Night Prayer
There are many verses in the Holy Quran about the recommendable night prayer. One of these verses is addressed to the Holy Prophet as an example of a perfect man and it may include all people. Allah says: “O you wrapped up in your raiment! Rise to pray in the night except a little. Half of it or lessen it a little, or add to it, and recite the Quran as it ought to be recited. ”[882]
In another verse, God says: “And during a part of the night, pray as supererogatory (devotion) beyond what is incumbent on you; maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory. ”[883]
Describing the Pious, God says: “…and those who ask forgiveness in the early times of dawn. ”[884]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported by Mo’awiya ibn Wahab as saying: “As for recommendable night prayer, when the Holy Prophet (SAW) wanted to sleep, he would put a bowl of water near his bed and a toothbrush under his mat. He took a nap, woke up and looked at the sky. Then, he began reciting the following verses: “Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alteration of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand. Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of heavens and the earth: Our Lord! Thou hast not created this in vain! Glory be to Thee; save us then from the chastisement of the fire. ”[885]
Then, he brushed his teeth, performed ablution and headed for the mosque. He offered four rak’as of prayer with perfect humbleness, came back to his house, slept for a short while and woke up to do as before. He looked at the sky, recited the same verses, brushed his teeth, performed ablution and offered four rak’as of prayer, returned to his house and bed, slept again and when waking up, he repeated the same things, and finally he offered three rak’as of prayer (watr prayer). Then, he went out to offer the Dawn Prayer. ”[886]
In this relation, Imam Sadiq (AS) says: “Surely, in the Messenger of Allah, there was a good example. ”[887]
Imam Sadiq has said: “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said to Imam Ali (AS): ‘I recommend you of some virtues that you should keep in mind. ” Then he said: “O Lord! Help him…” From those recommended things was: “… Keep to the Night Prayer! Keep to the Night Prayer! Keep to the Night Prayer! ”[888]
In a tradition narrated by Sahl ibn Sa’d, we read: “Gabriel came down to the Holy Prophet (SAW) and said: ‘O Mohammad! Live as long as you wish, but you shall finally die. Love whomever you wish and act as you wish, for you shall be rewarded for it. Know that man’s honor lies in keeping vigil at night (worshipping) , and his honor lies in his being in no need of people. ”[889]
The recommendable night prayer has many benefits as follows:
1- Reaching a praiseworthy position
2- Making atonement for sins
3- Reaching high ranks
4- Warding off punishment
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “When God Almighty sees the people of some village indulged in sins, and there are three groups of believers among them, He will call: O sinners! If among you there were no believers who loved their Lord, and made the earth and mosques prosperous with their prayer and asked forgiveness in the dawns, I would surely send down chastisement upon you and I would not care. ”[890]
5- Bringing honor
6- Lessening fear in the grave
7- Bringing happiness
8- Bringing health and removing pain from the body
9- Leaving it shall prevent one’s sustenance
10- Leaving it causes wretchedness
11- Causing a source of Divine pride
12- Enlightening the face and giving good smell to the body
13- Making one’s temper good
14- Removing sorrows
15- Improving one’s sight
16- Making one’s stop on the Day of Judgment short
17- Turning the grave into a garden of paradise
18- Enlightening one’s grave
[57] Reciting the Holy Quran
Before discussing the recitation of the Holy Quran and how to do that, it would not be out of place to briefly discuss the greatness and glory of the Holy Quran.
As to the greatness of the Holy Quran, it will suffice to say that both the Shiite and Sunni scholars have reported the Holy Prophet (SAW) as saying: “Verily, I am leaving among you two weighty (very important) things. You will not go astray after me as long as you adhere to them. One is greater than the other is; the Book of Allah and my household. They will never separate from one another until they shall come to me at the Pond (in Paradise). ”[891]
From this tradition, it is inferred that what happens to one of them shall happen to the other too and being separate from one of them means the separation from the other.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “I am the first person who is present before God Almighty; then, the Book and my household, and then my nation. I shall ask them what they have done to the Book of God and my household! ”
No one can express the treasons committed against these two valuable things in history. If one wishes to understand it well, he has to study carefully the truths of the Holy Quran and the infallible Imams of guidance and observe what offences have been made against them from the time of the Holy Prophet (SAW) up to the present time.
About the recitation of the Holy Quran, Fodhayl ibn Yasar has reported Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “What prevents a merchant, who is engaged in business in the market, from reciting a chapter of the Holy Quran when he comes home and before going to bed? For every verse which he recites ten good deeds are written and ten of his bad deeds are written off. ”[892]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Baqir (AS) as saying: “Whoever recites ten verses (from the Qur'an) every night shall not be considered among the unmindful. Whoever recites fifty verses will be among the rememberers. Whoever recites a hundred verses will be among the obedient and worshippers. Whoever recites two hundred verses will be among the humble ones. Whoever recites three hundred verses will be among the winners (of Paradise). Whoever recites five hundred verses shall be among the mujtahids. Whoever recites a thousand verses, there shall be a Qintar (quintal) for him, and each Qintar is equal to fifteen thousand weights of gold, and the weight is twenty- four carats, the east of which is like the Mount of Uhod and the biggest is as the distance between the heavens and the earth. ”[893]
This tradition has been reported in Usool al-Kafi, Amali of Sheikh Sadooq, Thawab al-A’maal and Ma’ani al-Akhbar.
Benefits of the Reciting of the Holy Quran
1- Reciting the Holy Quran entitles you to be among the rememberers, the obedient, the humble ones, the delivered, the jurisprudents, and not the unmindful. It will entitle you to the reward of the charity of a Qintar.
2- Whoever recites a verse from the Quran, ten good deeds will be written for him and ten bad deeds will be written off.
3- Whoever recites the Quran only by looking at it and not by heart, will benefit from his eyes and will diminish the chastisement of his parents even if they are unbelievers. [894]
4- Whoever recites the Quran by looking at it, not reciting by heart, will torment Satan.
5- Whoever recites the Quran by looking at it will not only enjoy the reward of recitation but also his looking at the Quran is a kind of worship. In this relation, Abu Tharr reports: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Looking at Ali ibn Abi Talib is worship, as the looking kindly and mercifully at one’s parents is worship, and the looking at the Quran and the Ka’ba is also worship. ”[895]
6- Reciting every chapter of the Quran, as mentioned in Usool al-Kafi, has special benefits such as being safeguarded against certain diseases and the torment of the grave. Increased sustenance, relieving of pain, happiness, reward of a martyr, forgiveness of sins, safety, and entering paradise are other benefits.
How to Recite the Quran
Imam Baqir (AS) has been reported as saying: “Reciters of the Quran are of three kinds; the first is one who recites the Quran and takes it as an article of commerce, flatters the rulers, and shows off before people. The second is one who learns the art of recitation of the Quran and spoils its boundaries (rulings). Allah may not increase such kinds of reciters of the Qur’an! The third is one who recites the Quran, considers it as a cure for his ailment, passes the night with it, spends his days with thirst with it, spends his times with it in the mosques, and leaves his bed for it. By this kind of the people of the Qur'an, God repels the enemies, and by them, God sends down rain from the sky. (I swear) by Allah! This kind from among the reciters of the Quran are rarer than red sulfur. ”[896]
To recite the Quran distinctly and in a well-measured way is very important. Abd ibn Solaiman narrates: “I asked Imam Sadiq (AS) about the meaning of “and recite the Quran in a well-measured way”, the Imam said: ‘Ameerul Mo’minin (a. s. ) has said: ‘Recite it clearly, and do not cut it like the cutting of the hair (or do not read it like poetry) , and do not scatter it like the scattering of sand (or do not read like prose). Reflect on its wonders and motivate with it your hard hearts. Never think how to finish the Surah quickly. ’’”[897]
If we think deeply as by whom, for whom, and with what purpose this divine Book and this Greater Weight was revealed, we will come to know about its significance.
The Holy Quran is the Book of tranquility, healing, life, salvation, and liberation. The Holy Quran is the source of knowledge and sciences for all generations. The Holy Quran contains law, ethics, manners, religious rulings, faith, medicine, history and stories. The Holy Quran orders of prayer, fasting, Hajj, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, taking the friends of God for friends and denouncing the enemies of God. The Holy Quran is power, supply, and asset. The Holy Quran is light, ship of deliverance, sources of happiness and fortune. The Holy Quran is not a divan of a poet, but it is a well-adorned heavenly book. The Holy Quran is both guidance and a firm Rope extended between God and human beings. The Holy Quran has seven layers of meaning with each layer having seven other layers. The Holy Quran contains explicit, implicit, summary, restricted, and unrestricted verses. The Holy Quran is about guardianship, government, immunity, traditions, parables, obligations, and rulings.
Asbagh ibn Nabatah narrated: “I heard Ameerul Mo’minin (AS) say: ‘The Quran was revealed in three parts; the first part is about us (the Ahlul Bayt) and about our enemies, the second part is about traditions, examples and maxims, and the third part is about religious duties and commandments. ”[898]
Finally, the Quran is a book that no one can appreciate unless he can communicate with it, that is the Messenger of Allah and the infallible Imams of guidance.
Whenever Imam Sadiq (AS) wanted to recite the Quran, he would say: “O Allah! Make my look at it as worship, my reading as reflection on it, and my reflection on it as taking of lessons. Make me among those who take advice from it to keep away from sins. Do not put a seal on my ear when reciting it. Do not put a veil on my eyes when reciting it. Do not make my reciting the Quran as the reciting of one who does not reflect on it, but make me reflect on its verses and orders, and resort to the laws of Your religion. Do not make my look at it as neglectful and my reading void. Surely, You are Kind and Merciful. ”[899]
What is important concerning the Quran is to act according to it, for the doing according to the Quran is the ultimate goal of the Imams of guidance as seen in the benediction after reading the Quran: “O Allah! Make me among those who take lawful what is lawful in it (the Qur'an) and unlawful what is unlawful in it, and believe in its explicit and implicit verses. And Make it (the Qur'an) a good companion to me in the grave and at my resurrection. Make me among those whom You promote to the highest position by reading each verse of it (the Qur'an). Amen, O Lord of the worlds! ”
Another issue, which has to be observed in relation to the Quran, is that one has to keep silent when it is being recited (loudly). Abdullah ibn Abi Ya’foor narrated: “I said to Imam Sadiq (AS): ‘When a man is reciting the Quran, is it incumbent on the one, who is hearing it, to keep silent and listen to it? ’ The Imam (AS) said: ‘When the Quran is being recited in your presence, it is incumbent on you to remain silent and listen. ’”[900]
Reading the Quran frequently has been highly recommended. It has been related that Imam Reza (AS) used to read the Quran from the beginning to the end within three days and said: “If I decide I can do it in less than three days, but I never read a verse without reflecting on it and knowing on what occasion it was revealed. That is why I finish the reciting of the Quran in three days. ”[901]
About Nafeesah, the granddaughter of Imam Hasan (AS) , it has been written that she had dug her grave with her own hands and had read the Quran six thousand times. [902]
As for Borayr, it is said that “every night, he read the Quran from the beginning to the end. ”[903]
The secret behind reciting the Quran frequently is because the Qur'an is a builder of man, a law of prosperous life and happiness for human beings, besides its divine knowledge and sciences. Hence, it is incumbent on human beings to understand its different dimensions, to get familiar with its life-giving message and with the religious charter of Islam. Little reading of the Quran means little information, and not reading it means lack of information, whereas reading it frequently entails further understanding of this divine Book.
[58] Prostration
Prostration
Prostration, which is one of the features of the pious, is a general act of worship. A look at the Quranic verses and traditions shows that a devoted servant of God should be in prostration all the time. Prostration is an obligatory act. God Almighty, in the Quran, refers to prostration of all beings and says: “Do you not see that Allah is He, to Whom bow down in adoration whosoever is in the heaven and whosoever is in the earth, and the sun and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains and the trees, and the animals and many of the people; and many there are against whom chastisement has become necessary…? ”[904]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “God has made prostration obligatory during the day and the night in prayer. ” The Imam (AS) further says: “O you who believe! Perform genuflection and prostration. Obey your Lord and do good so that you will become prosperous. This is a common obligation on the face, the two hands and the two feet. ”[905]
Prostration has many benefits, the most important of which is the feeling of humbleness before God. When God sees His servant in this state, He will look at him favorably, fulfills his needs and answers his call.
It is to be noted that prostration does not belong to prayer alone. There are other prostrations for human beings before Allah. Prostration of gratefulness after each prayer, prostration for every blessing that God gives to us, prostration after reciting certain Quranic verses, and prostration for expressing our needs are some other examples, provided that we have already purified our hearts.
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “One day Prophet Moses (AS) was preaching his followers. One of them rose up and ripped his own shirt. God revealed to Moses to say: “Do not rip your shirt, rip your heart. ”
Imam Sadiq (AS) has further said: “One day, Prophet Moses (AS) passed by one of his followers who was in prostration. When Prophet Moses (AS) returned, he was still in prostration. Being impressed by this act, Prophet Moses (a. s. ) said: ‘If I could fulfill your needs, I would certainly do it. A call came from God, saying: Even if he keeps on prostrating so much until his neck is broken, I will not accept it unless he keeps his heart busy with what I like and give up what I dislike. ”[906]
Long prostrations of Imam Sajjad, Imam Musa al-Kadhim, and other infallible Imams (peace be on them all) are well known to everyone.
17-21: One of the other features of the pious is endurance. In this connection, Imam Ali (AS) says: “In the day, they are patient, knowledgeable, virtuous, and pious. The fear (of Allah) has made them thin like arrows. If any one looks at them, he thinks that they are sick, and he says that they have gone mad. In fact, great concern (fear) has made them mad. ”[907]
Some scholars have said: “Endurance is to be certain on affairs and to be moderate at anger. It prevents man from becoming anxious. Some of its signs are the lack of restlessness, not hastening for revenge and scolding, and not showing odd behaviors. ”[908]
Allamah Naraghi has defined endurance as follows: “I have realized that endurance is tranquility to the soul which is not easily moved by anger in a way that no blameworthy act can affect it quickly. ” Naraghi the Second says: “The opposite of anger is endurance, which is the self–confidence that is not easily moved by the power of anger, and that the hardships of life cannot make one easily anxious. ”[909]
Then, Naraghi the First says: “Endurance is the best personal attainment after knowledge without which knowledge is of no benefit. ”
The pious have truly such a feature. When they treat their parents, children, brothers and sisters, relatives, purchasers or sellers, people of knowledge or laymen, they have endurance and they avoid anger.
Anger
Anger is a deadly factor that sometimes leads to murder. Anger is said to be a temporary madness. Imam Ali (AS) has said: “It is a kind of madness, for one, who gets angry, will then regret and if he does not regret, his madness shall get stronger. ”[910]
Imam Baqir (AS) has been reported as saying: “Anger is a firebrand from Satan that is kindled inside man. When one of you gets angry, his eyes become red, his veins become swollen, and Satan enters into him. ”[911]
It is for this reason that endurance and forbearance have been so much recommended. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “Seek exaltation with Allah! ” He was asked: “What does that mean? The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “Maintain relationship with one who has cut off relations with you. Give to one who has deprived you, and be patient with one who harms you. ”[912]
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has also said: “Surely a forbearing Muslim due to his endurance is like a fasting worshipper. ”[913]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “When people gather on the Day of Judgment, a herald will call: ‘Where are the people of virtue? ’ Some people shall rise up happy and pleased and shall walk speedily toward the paradise. Angels will meet them, saying: ‘We see that you are rushing to paradise. They shall say: ‘We are people of virtue. ’ The angels shall ask: ‘What is your virtue? ’ They shall say: ‘When we were wronged, we had endurance, when we were treated unjustly, we pardoned, and when we faced folly, we had forbearance. ’ They are said: ‘Enter paradise which is an excellent reward for what you have done. ”[914]
In the du’as, we read: “O Allah! Make us benefit from knowledge! Bless us with endurance. Honor us with Taqwa. Surely my guardian is Allah who has sent down the Book and He is the Guardian of the righteous. ”[915]
Endurance is an outstanding feature of the pious, by which we can recognize them. The true examples of endurance are the Imams of guidance, the purified household of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and most of their followers. Malik al-Ashtar is an example.
Knowledge
As we have already discussed, knowledge is a valuable feature by which human beings can attain sublime positions. All the misfortunes and deprivations of society arise from ignorance.
It is through knowledge that man feels that he has certain duties to discharge. It is knowledge that makes man know and establish a sound relation with God, the prophets and the Imams. It is knowledge that gives courage, honor, glory, capability, strong faith, conviction and hundreds of other good features. It is knowledge that gives man perpetual happiness and makes him have a standing above the angels. It is knowledge which has made everything conquered by human beings and they are conquered by God. It is knowledge that makes everything fear God. It is through knowledge that man has subdued everything and he is subdued by God.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has said: “The sleep of a scholar is better than one thousand rak’as of prayer performed by a worshipper. ”[916] He has also said: “One hour of a scholar who inclines on a cushion and looks into his deeds is better than seventy year’s prayers of a worshipper. ”[917]
When one dies, his deeds cease, unless he had knowledge from which people benefit, a charity (by him) which is in circulation, and a good son who prays for him. ”[918]
When the Day of Judgment comes, the ink used by the scholars in writing is measured with the blood of martyrs and the ink shall be preferred to the blood. [919]
As for kindness and good deeds, Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “Patience, forbearance, and good temper are features of the prophets. ”[920]
The Imam (AS) has also said: “Being kind to brethren and trying to fulfill their needs are deeds of the righteous. ”[921]
The Imam has further said: “Have relations, be kind, and have mercy to one another and be kind to brethren as God has commanded. ”[922]
Sho’ayb al-Aqarqoofi narrates: “I heard Imam Sadiq (AS) say: ‘Fear Allah, be kind to the brethren, love one another for the sake of God, keep your kinship, be merciful, visit and meet one another, remember our advice and keep it alive. ”[923]
Being kind and righteous is extremely important in Islam in the same way that being kind is one of God’s Attributes: “Surely, He is Kind and Merciful. ” The pious too have this feature which is mentioned both in the Quran and the du’as: “Our Lord! Forgive us our faults, and cover our evil deeds and make us die with the righteous. ”[924]
After speaking of hell that is the abode of the unbelievers, God speaks about the righteous who are the very pious ones. He says: “But as to those who are careful of (their duty to) their Lord, they shall have gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding in them; an entertainment from their Lord, and that which is with Allah is best for the righteous. ”[925]
In the Quranic Suras, Infitar (82) , Insan (76) , and Mutaffifeen (83) the abode of the righteous on the Day of Judgment has been described. We do not discuss it further.
22-23: One of the other features of the pious is that “they are not satisfied with their meager good acts, and do not regard their major acts as great. They always blame themselves and are afraid of their deed. When any one of them is spoken of highly, he says: I know myself better than others do, and my Lord knows me better than I do. O Allah, do not deal with me according to what they say, and make me better than what they think of me and forgive me (those shortcomings) which they do not know. ”[926]
This topic has been already discussed in the section of “piety and practice” as well as of “self–conceit”. Obviously, the pious do not consider their deeds as great, for when they compare their deeds with the greatness of God Almighty, they see them too meager.
Addressing Hisham, Imam Musa ibn Ja’far al-Kadhim (AS) says: “O Hisham! How can your deeds be pure with God when you have made your wits busy away from the command of your Lord and have made your wits obey your passions and desires? ”[927]
For this reason, when someone speaks highly of the pious, they feel unhappy; because they do not have the impression that they have good features, hence they do not consider themselves worthy of praise. In such conditions, they say to themselves: “I know myself better than others do and my Lord knows me better than I do. ” Then they pray: “O Allah, do not deal with me according to what they say, and make me better than what they think of me and forgive me (those shortcomings) which they do not know. ”
In these statements, there is a lesson to be learnt, and that is we should not be pleased when we are praised by people, because everyone knows himself better than the others do. He himself knows better than others do about his knowledge, piety, patience, steadfastness, good temper and devotion. The pious know that neither praise nor criticism can add to or reduce from their deeds. In this connection, Imam Musa al-Kadhim (AS) says to Hisham: “If a walnut is in your hand, but people say it is a pearl in your hand, it will not benefit you when you know it is a walnut. The same is true if there is a pearl in your hand and people say it is walnut. It will not harm you when you know it is a pearl. ”[928]
If a person has such a concept, he shall not be influenced by other people’s praise nor will he be pleased to be praised.
About this, God says: “…therefore, do not attribute purity to your selves; He knows him best who guards (against evil). ”[929]
Jameel narrated: “I asked Imam Sadiq (AS) about the meaning of this verse, and he said: ‘It is the speech of one who (boastingly) says: I performed prayers all last night and fasted yesterday. ’
Then the Imam (AS) said: ‘A group of people say in the morning: ‘I offered prayer last night and fasted yesterday’, whereas Ali (AS) says: ‘I sleep in the day and in night, and if I find anything (of time) between them, I will sleep. ’’”[930]
This does not mean that Imam Ali (AS) sleeps throughout the day and night, but it means that one should never be proud of his worship. The pious not only do not become happy when they are praised, but also they hate to be praised.
24-35: One of the other features of the pious is the following: “The sign of one of them is that you see that he has firmness in religion, determination along with leniency, faith with certainty, greed in (seeking) knowledge, knowledge in forbearance, moderation in wealth, devotion in worship, good-looking in poverty, patience with hardships, striving for the lawful things (sustenance) , vitality in guidance, and refraining from greediness. ”[931]
Strength in religion is another feature of the pious as mentioned by Imam Ali (AS). Imam Sadiq (AS) , in relation to his granduncle Abbas, says: “Our uncle Abbas (ibn Ali) was of great insight and firm faith. He fought alongside his brother, Hossain, passed the test successfully and was martyred. ”[932]
Describing the believers, God says: “The (true) believers are those only who believe in Allah and His messenger and afterward doubt not…”[933]
Imam Ali (AS) has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “Doubt and sin are in fire; they are not from us and do not return to us. The believers’ hearts are wrapped totally in faith. When God wills to enlighten what there is in them, He will enlighten them with the revelation. He will sow the seed of wisdom in them… and will reap the harvest. ”[934]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Reza (AS) as saying: “The best of deeds to Allah Almighty is faith in which there is no doubt, fighting (for the sake of Allah) in which there is no grudge and betrayal, and the accepted Hajj. ”[935]
One, who is strong and steadfast in his faith and is not deviated from it because of any doubt, is a pious man. On the contrary, one who has doubt about his faith will go astray because of the slightest temptations.
Leniency as another feature of the pious has been mentioned in the Holy Quran and traditions. God has recommended the Holy Prophet (SAW) with it. “It was by the mercy of Allah that you were lenient with them (O Muhammad) , for if you had been stern and fierce of heart, they would have dispersed from around you. ”[936]
About parents, God says: “And make yourself submissively gentle to them with mercy, and say: O my Lord! Have mercy on them, as they brought me up (when I was) little. ”[937]
Addressing the Holy Prophet (SAW) about leniency to the believers, God says: “And lower thy wing (in kindness) unto those believers who follow thee. ”[938]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (AS) as saying: “Leniency is not put on anything except that it betters it, and it is not taken out of anything except that it makes it defective. ”[939]
Imam Baqir (AS) has said: “Everything has a padlock, and the padlock of faith is leniency. ”[940]
Here, Imam Baqir (AS) has likened a subjective concept with something tangible, meaning that he should be lenient, because roughness, bad temper and violence lead to perdition.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “Shall I not inform you of one from whom fire shall be prevented tomorrow (on the Day of Judgment)? ” They said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah! ” The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “The humble lenient one, the simple lenient one. ”[941]
Faith with certainty
As we have already discussed, one of the features of the pious is conviction. In this relation, God says: “…and they are certain of the hereafter. ”[942]
Al-Baydhawi says: “Conviction is the strengthening of knowledge by the rejection of doubt through reasoning. ”
Raghib says: “Certainty is a feature of knowledge above awareness and cognition, and it is classified into three kinds; the knowledge of certainty, the essence of certainty, and the very truth of certainty. ”[943]
Allamah Majlisi says: “Some scholars have mentioned three states for certainly; the knowledge of certainly which is the knowledge obtained with a proof, like when seeing a smoke, we are certain that there is a fire around. The essence of certainly is when we see something with our own eyes like when we see the fire. The very truth of certainly is when someone enters into fire and shall have the very features of fire. ”
Hence, certainty is the highest degree of belief and it is given to few people. Only the pious have this worthy feature. Certainty is even above Taqwa. Younus asks Imam Reza (AS) about faith and Islam. The Imam (AS) says: “Abu Ja’far (Imam Baqir) (AS) stated: ‘Faith is one stage above Islam, Taqwa (piety) is one stage above faith, and certainty is one stage above Taqwa, and there is nothing as scanty as certainty in people. ’”
The narrator said: “I asked: ‘What is certainty then? ’, and The Imam (AS) said: ‘the reliance on God, the submission to Him, the contentment with the divine fate and the entrusting of affairs to God. ’ I asked: ‘What does this mean? ’ The Imam (AS) said: ‘Thus said Abu Ja’far. ’”[944]
When he was asked by Abu Baseer about the extent of reliance, the Imam said: “The extent of it is certainty. ” When asked about the extent of certainty, the Imam (AS) said: “Not to fear anything when you are with God. ”[945]
In a commentary on this verse: “And there was beneath it a treasure for them”,[946] in Majma’ al-Bayan, we read: “There was a tablet of gold with this inscription: ‘It is strange that one believes in the divine fate, and yet he is sad! It is strange that one is certain about sustenance, and yet he puts himself in trouble! It is strange that one believes in the Reckoning, and yet he is unmindful! It is strange that one knows how deceitful the world is to the people of the world, and yet he seeks comfort in it! There is no god but Allah and Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah. ’”[947]
Greed in seeking knowledge
The virtue of knowledge is obvious. The pious know that it is knowledge that promotes man to the highest stage of humanity. It is with knowledge that God has been acknowledged and worshipped. It is knowledge that makes man distinct from animals and other creatures. It is worth mentioning that the knowledge of the pious is transfused with forbearance. It has been related that a man went to Imam Hossain (AS) , saying: “I have to pay a full blood-money and I cannot afford it. I said to myself: ‘I will go to the most generous man. ’ I do not know anyone other than the Household of the Messenger of Allah. ”
The Imam (AS) said: "O my Arab brother! I ask you three questions. If you answer one of them, I will give one third of my wealth to you. If you answer the other two, I will give you two thirds of my wealth, and if you answer all the questions, I will give you all my wealth. ”
The Imam added: “I heard from my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah, his saying: ‘Favor is (regarded) to the extent of knowledge. ’” The Bedouin said: “Ask your questions. If I can answer, I will; otherwise, I will learn from you. There is no power save with Allah, The Most High, The Great. ”
Imam Hossain (AS) asked: “What is the best knowledge? ” The Bedouin said: “It is the faith in God. ” The Imam asked: “How can we attain salvation? ” The Arab man said: “Through the trust in God. ” The Imam (AS) asked: “What is the ornament of man? ” The Arab man said: “Knowledge with forbearance. ” The Imam asked: “If there was no knowledge? ” The Arab man said: “Wealth with generosity. ” The Imam asked: “If there was no wealth? ” The Arab man said: “Poverty with patience. ” The Imam asked: “If there was no patience? ” The Arab man said: “A thunderbolt from the sky to burn him, for he deserves it! ” Imam Hossain (AS) smiled and gave him a bag in which there was one thousand Dinars. The Imam (AS) gave him his own ring with a precious stone on it that was about two hundred Dirhams, saying to him: “Give the gold to the creditors and sell the ring to provide your expense. ”
The Arab man took it and said: “Allah knows where He puts His mission. ”[948]
Economic and Moderation in Richness
This is also a feature which has been discussed in the section of “economy”.
Moderation in riches is a source of salvation. Imam Baqir (AS) has been reported as saying: “The factors that lead to salvation are the following; to fear Allah openly and secretly, to be moderate in riches and in poverty, and the speaking according to justice in contentment and anger. ”[949]
Imam Ali (AS) said: “One, who is moderate, shall never be in need. ”[950]
Submission in Worship
This is another feature of the pious. In this relation, God says: “Successful indeed are the believers, who are humble in their prayers. ”[951]
In Majma’ al-Bayan, we read: “O the humble ones! The humble ones never raise their sights from the places of their prostration, nor do they look right or left. ”
Therefore, devotion in prayer is that man should be humble before the greatness of God, and be fully mindful whether his worship is prayer, fasting, Hajj, or else. As for being humble in prayer, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) saw a man playing with his beard while offering the prayer. He said: “If he was humble in his heart, all the parts of his body would be humble too. ”[952]
Splendor in Destitution
This is to show that God the Beneficent has made them (the pious) independent of others lest others may do them some favor making them indebted. Imam Ali (AS) has said: “Give to whomever you wish, and you will be his commander! Beg from someone, and you will be his captive! Be independent of whomever you wish, and you will be like him. ”[953]
Imam Ali (AS) has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “There should be both a feeling of being in need of people and independence of them in your heart. Your need for them should be in your speaking softly to them and being cheerful (with good temper). Your independence of them should be in your pure honor and preserved dignity. ”[954]
In a commentary on this, Allamah Majlisi says: “Perhaps, the meaning of what Imam Ali (AS) has said is that we should have two beliefs in our heart; one is to believe that we are in need of others, because man is a civilized creature by nature, and the other is to believe that we are not in need of people, for it is God Who provides us with our sustenance. Hence, we should not turn to people for our needs. Therefore, the first belief is related to the association with people through good speech and behavior, and the second belief is related to the safeguarding of our dignity, and dignity is achieved by abandoning begging and greed. ”
Patience with Hardship
Endurance is an outstanding feature of the pious. Imam Sadiq (AS) has said: “Patience is the head of faith. ”[955] The Imam has also said: “The position of patience to faith is as the position of the head to the body. When the head is gone, the body is gone too. It is the same that when patience is gone, faith is gone too. ”[956]
The Seeking for well-gotten Sustenance
It is a prominent feature of the pious, for the impious are reckless about what is lawful and what is unlawful. The pious do their best to eat what is lawful. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Baqir (AS) as saying: “Worship (devotion) has seventy parts. The best part of it is to seek lawful sustenance. ”[957]
Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (AS) said: “Whoever seeks lawful sustenance for his dependents is like one who is fighting in the way of God. ”[958]
Khalid ibn Najeeh has reported Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “Greet whomever you meet. Say: Ja’far ibn Muhammad sends his regards to you and say: fear Allah for the sustenance He gives to you. By God! I do not advise you unless I advise myself (with the same) first. It is incumbent upon you to do your best! Whenever you finish your Morning Prayer, seek your sustenance in the early hours of the day. God will soon give you sustenance in the early hours of the day. God will soon give you sustenance and will help you to obtain it. ”[959]
The messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Ali (AS) as saying: “On the Day of Judgment, no man walks even a step unless he is asked about four things; he shall be asked on what he has spent his life, how he has spoiled his youth, where he has obtained his wealth from and how he has spent it, and about the love to us, the Ahl al-Bayt. ”[960]
Pleasure in Guidance
By this, Imam Ali (AS) may mean that the pious are happy, because they have been guided. Imam Ali (AS) has said: “Deceive your self in worshipping, be lenient to, and do not force it. Engage it (in worshipping) when it is free and merry except for the obligations on you, for they must be done. ”[961]
Refraining from Greed
It is a feature of the pious, for they know that greed has its roots in vices. In the words of Allamah Khoo’ee, greed causes humiliation, jealousy, enmity, backbiting, scandal, sycophancy, hypocrisy, abandonment of the enjoining of the good and forbidding the evil, giving up the reliance on God and the contentment with the divine fate, and others.
The messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “The poorest man is one who is greedy. ”[962]
Being asked what feature makes man’s faith steady, Imam Sadiq (AS) said: “What makes man’s faith steady is piety, and what brings him out of faith is greed. ”[963]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has also said: “If you want your eyes to be enlightened and attain the good of this world and the hereafter, do not be greedy for what people have, count yourself among the dead, do not consider yourself above others; and keep your tongue (not to say any bad thing) as you keep your property. ”[964]
A man called Abu Ayyoob Khalid ibn Zeid came to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and asked: “O Messenger of Allah! Give me an advice, so that I will put it into practice. ” The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “I advise you of five things; set no hope on what is in the hands of people. This is independence. Keep away from greed, for it is indigence. Offer prayer as if it is your last prayer. Avoid doing what you have to apologize for it. Wish for your brother what you wish for yourself. ”[965]
Imam Baqir (AS) said: “Do not covet (the belongings of) one who is above (better than) you. It is sufficient what God has said to the prophet: “Let not then their property and their children excite your admiration. ”[966] God has also said: “And do not stretch your eyes after that with which We have provided different classes of them, (of) the splendor of this world’s life. ”[967]
We should take into consideration the simple way of living of the Messenger of Allah whose food was bread of barley, his sweetmeat was dates, and his firewood was the dry fronds of palm-tree. ”[968]
Virtuous Deeds
36-40: One of the other features of a pious man is that “He performs virtuous deeds, but he still feels afraid. In the evening, he is anxious to offer thanks (to Allah). In the morning, his anxiety is to remember (Allah). He passes the night in thanking and praising God, and when the morning comes, he is busy glorifying God. He spends the night in fear and in the morning he is delighted with hope. He is afraid of forgetfulness delighted for the favor and mercy received by him. ”[969]
A pious man never underestimates his deeds. He fearfully keeps telling himself: will there remain any good deed for me despite my sins, forgetfulness and unrestrained way of living? Shall I not be taken to account?
Offering Thanks
One of the features of the pious is that they offer thanks. Thanking, as Raghib believes, is to appreciate a favor and to express it. The opposite is ingratitude which is the ignoring and concealing of a favor. Gratefulness is of three kinds; heartfelt gratefulness, which is the appreciation of a favor and blessing, gratefulness expressed by the tongue which is the laudation of the Lord, and gratefulness by the organs of the body which is the gratitude to a favor as it deserves to be treated. [970]
In this relation, there are many Quranic verses and traditions. Allah says: “And very few of my servants are grateful. ”[971]
In Kashshaf, it has been related that someone was praying in this way: “O Allah! Make me among the few ones! ” When he was protested as what kind of supplication it was, he recited the above-mentioned verse, and said: “I like to be among them. ”
In another verse, God says: “If you are grateful, I would certainly give to you more and if you are ungrateful, My chastisement is truly severe. ”[972]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “One, who eats his food thankfully, has the reward of one who has observed recommended fasting. One, who offers thanks for his being healthy, has the reward of one who is afflicted, but is patient. One, who offers thanks for what has been given to him, has the reward of one who is deprived, but is satisfied. ”[973]
Ammar ad-Duhni narrated: “I heard Imam Sajjad (AS) say: ‘Surely, Allah loves every sad heart and loves every grateful servant. God Almighty will ask each servant on the Day of Judgment: ‘Did you thank so-and-so person? ’ When the servant says: ‘No, I just thanked You’, God will say: ‘When you did not thank him, you have not thanked Me. ’’ Then the Imam said: ‘The most thankful one of you before God is one who thanks people. ”[974]
Being grateful to God is an outstanding feature of the pious. Hence, God Almighty has introduced His prophets as thankful servants in the Holy Quran.
Prophets sometimes introduce themselves as such. When people protested the Holy Prophet (SAW) why he put himself in so much trouble, he would say: “Should I not be a thankful servant? ”
When the Lord of the universe praises a group of people, He says: “Most surely there are signs in this for every patient endure, grateful one. ”[975]
When God blames a group of people, He says: “… but most of people do not give thanks. ”[976]
It means that they see divine blessings, but they are indifferent to them. Mentioning His blessings, God says: “And He it is Who made for you the ears and the eyes and the hearts; little is it that you give thanks. ”[977]
When telling the stories of the prophets and their nations, God says: “…that you may give thinks. ”[978]
What is gratefulness that is so much important? What is the meaning of being grateful to God that He has attached so much importance to? What is the gratefulness with which God tests His servants? What kind of act is gratefulness that the abandonment of which shall entail chastisement for the servants, but to practice it makes man beloved to God and increases His blessings? Sa’di the Persian poet says in one of his poems: “Gratefulness increases God’s favors; whereas ungratefulness takes blessings out of your hands. ”
Sheikh Toosi says: “Being grateful is considered as the best act which entails God’s favors. It can be through words, behavior, or intention. Gratefulness has three elements:
1- Acknowledgement of the Benefactor; man should know that all blessings, open or hidden come from God Almighty. He is the true Benefactor and all mediators are ruled and conquered by Him.
2- Submission, humbleness, and delightedness towards a favor or blessing; As it is a gift, it shows the favor of the Benefactor, the sign of which is that man does not get happy with the world except with what may bring him closer to God.
3- When this state is felt in the heart, vigor is seen in the act which belongs to the heart, the tongue and all parts of the body. As for the heart, the intention is to glorify and praise God, reflect on the sign of favor, and serve God. As for the tongue, it is to express that with laudation, praise, and glorification of God, and with enjoining the good and forbidding the evil. As for the acts of the organs of the body, it is to use all the blessings and favors, open or hidden, in the service of God. Observing piety and self-retrain against sins, using the eyes to see (and ponder on) what God has created in the nature, reciting the Quran, and reviewing the knowledge and sciences of the prophets and the imams…and the same is said about the other organs.
Now, it is clear what gratefulness is, why it is considered as an important feature of perfection, and why God has said “and very few of My servants are grateful. ”[979]
As expressing thanks by the tongue is a divine blessing by itself, it requires another gratefulness.
In expressing gratefulness to God with the tongue, which is itself a blessing and requires other thanking, man, in thanking God, must admit inability in knowing God and the appreciation of the blessings. The Holy prophet (SAW) has said: “My Lord! We have not worshipped You as You deserve and we have not known You as You are. ”
Imam Sajjad (AS) says: “O Lord! I cannot count Your praise, the praise which is due to You. ”[980]
Sa’di the Persian poet in the introduction of his book, Gulistan (Rose Garden) writes: “The favor of God, Mighty and Glorified, Whose obedience is a cause of approaching (to Him) and the gratitude (to Him) brings more blessings. Every inhalation of the breath prolongs life and every expiration of it gladdens our nature, wherefore every breath confers two benefits and for every benefit gratitude is due. Whose hand and tongue is capable to fulfill the obligations of thank to Him? “Give thanks, O family of David, and few of My servants are thankful. ”[981]
It is the best to a worshipper, because of his shortcomings, to offer apologies at the Throne of God,
although what He deserves no one is able to accomplish. ”
[59] Remembrance of God (Zikr)
rememeberance of God
This is one of the other features of the pious and it is of two kinds; remembering God in the heart and remembering Him by the tongue.
Remembering God has been frequently recommended. It is with the remembrance of God that man can somehow make up for the blessings that God has given him and express his gratitude to Him.
There are many Quranic verses about ‘Zikr’ or remembrance of God, whether by the heart or the tongue: “Therefore, remember Me, I will remember you, and be thankful to Me, and do not be ungrateful to Me. ”[982]
Elsewhere, God says: “O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. ”[983]
Mohammad ibn Moslem, who was a great narrator, has reported Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “The tasbeeh (glorification) of Lady Fatima is a frequent Zikr ordered by God Almighty. ”[984]
Elsewhere in the Holy Quran, God says: “O you who believe! Let not your wealth, or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah; and whoever does that, these are the losers. ”[985]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “God revealed to Moses (AS): ‘Do not rejoice at much wealth. Do not leave My remembrance under any conditions. Surely, the abundance of wealth makes forget sins (be indifferent when committing sins) , and leaving My remembrance makes the hearts hard. ”[986]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “O Ali, the best deed has three features; justice on your part, helping and consoling your brother in faith in the way of God Almighty, and the remembrance of God in all conditions. ”[987]
In another tradition, we read: “Remembering God is not to say: ‘glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest’ alone, but if a man intends to do something unlawful and he fears God Almighty at that moment and gives it up, it will be Zikr. ”
Another narration of this tradition is that if a man, who intends to commit a sin, remembers God Almighty and this remembrance creates a distance between him and the sin, it is Zikr. This is the meaning of the verse: “Surely, those who guards (against evil) , when a visitation from Satan afflicts them they become mindful, then lo! They see. ”
In another tradition, we read that Imam Ali (AS) has said: “In every place that you remember God, He will be with you. ”
Imam Ali (AS) says: “Remember Allah Almighty frequently when you go to marketplaces and when people are engaged in businesses, for it (the remembrance of God) is a ransom for sins and an increase in good deeds, and you are not recorded among the unmindful. ”[988]
There are many traditions in this relation but to sum it up, one can say that although remembering God is necessary under all circumstances, it is more recommended in the following conditions:
1- On the marketplace, a tradition reads: “A marketplace is the field of Iblis, where he comes with his banner, sets his throne, and spreads his children. ”[989]
2- In the warfront; Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “Whenever you face your enemy in war, speak little and remember God frequently. ”[990]
3- When you are commanded by God or when you have been prohibited from something as narrated by Imam Sadiq (AS) [991]
4- In secret and concealment
When man remembers God, his Lord too will remember him. Beyond doubt, when God remembers someone, it will entail many benefits for him. In this relation, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “Whoever wishes to know his position with God, he should see what the position of God with him is. ”[992]
God has said: “I am the companion of one who remembers Me. ”[993]
Imam Baqir (AS) has been reported by Abu Hamzah ath-Thumali as saying: “As long as a believer remembers God, he is continuously in a state of prayer, whether he is standing, sitting or lying in bed, for God has said: “Those who remember Allah standing, sitting and lying on their sides... [994]” [995]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “There is no people that gather together in a meeting and do not remember Allah and do not pray Him to send His blessing on their prophet, except that that meeting shall be to them regret and woe. ”[996]
Inadvertence
part 1
Inadvertence or heedlessness, the opposite of remembrance, is prohibited by God in the Holy Quran, blamed in traditions and reproached by wits. In a verse, God says: “…and be not of the heedless ones. ”[997] In other verses, God says: “Most surely in the variation of the night and the day, and what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, there are signs for a people who guard (against evil). Surely those who do not hope in Our meeting and are pleased with this world’s life and are content with it, and those who are heedless of our communication; (as for) those, their abode is the fire because of what they earned. ”[998]
Elsewhere in the Quran, we read: “…and most surely the majority of the people are heedless to Our communications. ”[999]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “If Satan is enemy, then what is heedlessness for? And if death is true, them what is rejoicing for? ”[1000]
It is related that Jesus (AS) passed by a village whose people had been destroyed by God’s wrath. The disciples asked Jesus (a. s. ) to bring one of the destroyed people to life to ask him why they had been destroyed. When Jesus (AS) brought one of them back to life and asked him the reason, the resurrected man said: “Submission to tyrants, the love of the worldly pleasures, lack of fear (of Allah) , unlimited wishes, heedlessness and engagement in idle fun and amusement. ”[1001]
Sheikh Baha’ee has set an example of man’s heedlessness. He has written: “The likeness of an arrogant and heedless man is the likeness of a man who hangs himself in a well, and there is a dragon at the bottom of the well, waiting for him to fall down, with its mouth open to devour him, and there are two black and white locusts, chewing at the rope with which the man is hanging. The man, who sees a little honey intermingled with the soil at the wall of the well with bees attacking it, tries to have a share from the honey without taking heed of what is above or beneath. ”
Sheikh Baha’ee further says: “The well is the world, the rope is life, the two white and black locusts are the day and the night, the honey intermingled with soil is the worldly pleasures which are intermingled with sufferings and sorrows, and the bees are the people of the world who harm the man. ”
Sheikh Baha’ee then has the following supplication: “We pray God for vision and guidance and seek refuge with Him from heedlessness and going astray. ”[1002]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “The most heedless and unmindful people are those who do not take lesson from the changes of the world. ”[1003]
It has been narrated that the message of a cock’s crow is: “O you the heedless one! Remember God! ”[1004]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “When Iblis comes to you, saying: ‘how plentiful your prayer is! ’ Say to him: ‘my heedlessness is more than my prayer is. ”[1005]
The pious are those who spend the night in fear and in the morning, they are delighted, and thinking of that, which they might have left out of inadvertence, and trying their best to be away from inadvertence every moment, especially in the hours they have been advised to remember God. Imam Baqir (AS) has been reported as saying: “Iblis, on whom be the curse of Allah, scatters his hosts of the night from the time when the sun sets until the sunrise. Therefore, remember God frequently during these hours, seek refuge with Him from the evils of Iblis and his hosts, and shelter your children during these hours, for they are the hours of heedlessness. ”[1006]
In supplications, we ask God not to make us from among the heedless ones. In the Supplication of the month of Rajab, we read: “O Allah (please do) lead me to the path of the well-guided ones, and grant me the determination of the hardworking ones, and do not include me with the unmindful ones who are dismissed (from Your mercy). ”
One of the other features of the pious is that they are happy with the favor and mercy of Allah. Some scholars have explained the meaning of the words ‘favor’ and ‘mercy’ as love for the Ahl al-Bayt and ‘Shariah’ and some other scholars have interpreted them as religious duties and praiseworthy acts which bring about God’s favor and mercy.
41-59: One of the other features of the pious is that their minds refuse to submit to the desires of their selves if there is a bit of irrecommedability in them (desires) , and even they sometimes refrain from lawful pleasures for fear of being blamed. They always think of the afterlife and the reward of Allah and wishe for what lasts forever not transient worldly pleasures… THey mix knowledge with forbearance, and saying with doing.
You will see his hopes simple, his shortcomings few, his heart before Allah the Mighty Lord of the heavens and the earth submissive and fearing, his soul contented, his meal little and simple, his religion sound, his desires dead, and his anger suppressed. Good alone is expected by him. Evil from him is not to be feared. Even if he is found among those who forget (Allah) he is counted among those who remember (Him) , but if he is among the rememberers, he is not counted among the forgetful. ”[1007]
A pious man does not obey his ‘self’, for he knows what ‘self’ is. He knows that ‘self’ is one of the ardent enemies of man. Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “Your most hostile enemy is the ‘self’ that is between your two sides. ”
When the Holy Prophet (SAW) returned from one of the battles, he hailed his army and invited them to the greater Jihad. He said: “It is the Jihad against one’s self (desires). ” This is the same ‘self’ that seduces toward sin, that is sometimes called the blaming soul, the peaceful soul, the contented and satisfied soul, and sometimes the distinguished soul. Such a self has its desires and passions which make man helpless. They are the same desires that lead to the massacre of hundreds, thousands and millions of human beings. They are the same desires that make man faithless and take happiness away from him. It is for the same reason that Imam Ali (AS) says: “The pious are those who do not obey their passions. They reflect to see whether what they do pleases God or not. If it pleases God, they will do it and if it does not please God, they will keep away from it. Their joy is in what remains for human beings, that is, what the scholars call as the enduring good deeds which include serving people, rearing good children, giving charity, performing night prayer, observing fasting, guiding people and those who are misled and keeping away from what is not perpetual, that is this world and what is therein. ”
One of the other features of a pious man is that he mixes knowledge with forbearance.
It is to be noted that forbearance, together with knowledge, is worthy, because forbearance with ignorance is of no worth. Only a learned man knows which forbearance is praiseworthy.
A pious man practices what he says. In this relation, God says: “O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? It is most hateful to Allah that you should say that which you do not do. ”[1008]
If a pious man claims to be a believer, he shows his faith by his organs. He knows that faith is a heart-felt acknowledgement of God, expression with the tongue and act by the organs of the body. ”[1009] He knows that “faith is a mixture of speech and act. ”[1010] Faith is to practice what you say. Faith is not just sayings, practice is necessary.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “No one commits adultery if he is a believer and no one commits theft if he is a believer. ”[1011]
Al-Halabi narrates: “I heard Imam Sadiq (AS) say: ‘It is not from the nature of a believer to tell lies, to be stingy, or indecent. He may commit one of these, but he does not keep on it. ’” The Imam (AS) was asked: “May he commit adultery? ” He said: “Yes, he may, for he is seduced, and he repents, but no child is born for him from that adultery. ”[1012]
From this tradition, it is inferred that a pious man should prove his piety by action. That is to say a believer not only does not tell lies, but he is truthful. He not only does not do anything wrong, but he does righteous deeds. He not only does not commit adultery, but he has a sound behavior towards his brother in faith. He not only does not commit theft, but he is benevolent and he gives charity. A pious man proves what he says by his actions. He keeps aloof from unlimited wishes, for he knows that unlimited wishes make man wretched. Imam Ali (AS) has said: “O people, what I fear most about you are two things; acting according to desires and unlimited hopes. As for acting according to desire, it prevents from truth, and as for unlimited hopes, it makes one forget the next world. ”[1013]
In the Holy Prophet’s last will to Imam Ali (AS) , we read: “O Ali! There are four features indicating misfortune; dry-eyedness (not to cry out of pity) , hardheartedness, unlimited wishes and the love of perpetuality. ”[1014]
It has been related that Usamah ibn Zeid purchased a slave girl for a hundred Dinars for a period of one month. Hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Does his act not surprise you? Surely Usamah has unlimited hopes. By the One in Whose hand the soul of Mohammad lies, I never open my eyes without thinking that God may grasp my soul before closing them, nor do I close my eyes without thinking that God may grasp my soul before opening them. I do not take any morsel of food without thinking that I may die before eating it. ” Then, he said: “O children of Adam! If you are wise, count yourselves among the dead. By the One in Whose hand my soul is, what you have been promised will come and you cannot do anything about it. ”[1015]
It is related that in India there was a custom of holding a festival outside the city at the end of every century. People, young and old, took part in that festival. Heralds on behalf of the king of the Hindus would call on the persons who had witnessed the latest festival to go up a big rock and talk to people. This person sometimes happened to be a blind old man who had lost all his power, or an old woman with a shivering body. At other times, there was no person living long enough to have seen the latest century festival. The person who went up the stone would raise his or her voice as much as he or she could and say: “I was a small child when so-and-so king ruled, so-and-so person was his vizier, so-and-so person was the judge, and so-and-so people lived here, but they are buried now and there is no sign of them. ” Then, a preacher went up the stone, gave them advice, and reminded them of death. He reproached unlimited desires in a way that made people weep and return home repentant. ”[1016]
part 2
Abdullah has reported: “One day, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) drew a square with a line in the middle of it. He extended the line out of the square and drew some other small lines around it. He also drew another line outside the square. Being asked what the meaning of this drawing was, the companions said: ‘God and the prophet know it better. ’ The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: ‘The middle line stands for man, the square stands for death, the small lines stand for events, calamities, and diseases which afflict man, and the line outside the square stands for desires. The square of death does not allow desires to be fulfilled. ”[1017]
The lapses of the pious are scanty, because lapses are the results of desires and passions and adherence to self (one’s fancies) and Satan. Lapses are the result of the love of the world and the forgetting of the hereafter. One, who is not attached to the world and his ultimate goal is the hereafter and paradise, has no lapses.
A pious man has a contented spirit. He is humble before God. Whatever he sees is a sign of God’s glory. He is absorbed in Allah, and hence, he feels humble in his heart.
Contentment is a feature that should not be ignored. Imam Sadiq (AS) , quoting the Torah, said: “O son of Adam! Be as you wish. You shall be treated as you treat others. Whoever is content with God for his little daily food God too is pleased with his small act, and whoever is content with a little of what is lawful, his expenses are little, his business is pure, and he will be away from vices. ”[1018]
The messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “Piety has four pillars; the fear of God, acting according to the Quran, contentment with little possessions, and the readiness for departure. ”[1019]
Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “Whoever is content with what suffices him from the world, will be pleased with the least, and whoever is not pleased with what is sufficient for him, nothing of this world will suffice him. ”[1020]
Imam Baqir (AS) has been reported as saying: “Whoever is content with what God has given to him for sustenance will be the richest of people. ”[1021]
Man should be content with what he has for two reasons; to be pleased with God’s will and to be heedless of the world (ly pleasures). When he chooses such a state, he will be pleased with his sustenance and will know that he has to leave them behind and depart from this world. He will know that he will be reckoned for lawful things and be punished for unlawful things. Therefore, a wise man is content with little possessions.
A pious man’s meal is small and simple. He eats only to remain alive. It is the animals that eat as much as they can and it is a hypocrite who eats with seven stomachs. Imam Sadiq (AS) has reported the Holy Prophet as saying: “A believer eats as little as (the capacity of) one stomach, but a hypocrite eats as much as seven guts. ”[1022]
A pious man is aware of Imam Sadiq’s saying: “A stomach rebels against eating. Man is closer to God when his stomach is empty (with little food) and more disliked to God he is when his stomach is full. ”[1023]
A pious man knows that God hates overeating.
Imam Sadiq (AS) has also said: “There is no choice for the son of Adam but to eat to remain alive. Therefore, when you eat, devote one third of your stomach to food, another third to water and the last third to air. Do not be fat as pigs are fattened for slaughtering. ”[1024] In the section of “piety and health”, we have elaborated the issue.
The pious are of little trouble to others and even if they trouble others their trouble is little, for they are detached from the world and have no love of worldly pleasures. They safeguard their faith. They sell the world to keep their faith safe. Their ultimate goal is to have faith and to carry out God’s commandments. Their desires are dead, for they have no desire other than God’s will. They like what God likes and refrain from what is not Godly. They suppress their anger as it was already discussed. Imam Sadiq (AS) says: “There is no one, who suppresses his anger, except that God promotes his honor in the world and the hereafter. God Almighty has said: “…and those who restrain (their) anger and pardon men; and Allah loves the doers of good (to others). ”[1025] God will reward them for restraining their anger. ”[1026]
In a tradition, we read that one day the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was passing by a group of people who lifted heavy stones. The Holy Prophet (SAW) asked: “What are you doing? ” They said: “We are testing our strength by lifting stones. ” The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “Shall I inform you of the strongest of you? ” They said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah! ” He said: “The strongest of you is one whose delight, when he is pleased, does not make him commit sin and when he is angry, his anger does not make him away from truth, and when he obtains power, he does not misappropriate what does not belong to him. ”[1027]
Good alone is expected from a pious man and evil from him is not to be feared. People know that the pious remember God in all states; they seek God’s pleasure. They always try to make God and people pleased with them. They work hard not to harm anyone. They remember God even when they are among the forgetful ones and when they are among rememberers, they are not counted among the forgetful. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “A rememberer of God among the forgetful is like a fighter among those who escape from battlefield. ”[1028] The pious forgive those who are unjust to them, and give to those who deprive them. They maintain relationship with those who cut off relations with them. They behave well with those who behave ill with them. ”[1029]
As for forgiveness, although we have already discussed it, we will briefly speak about it. God has spoken of it on several occasions in the Holy Quran including this verse: “…and those who restrain (their) anger and pardon men; and Allah loves the doers of good. ”
In Majma’ al-Bayan, it has been related that when the above-mentioned verse was revealed to the Holy Prophet (a. s. ) , he asked Gabriel what the verse meant, and Gabriel said that he did not know it. So he left and when he came back, he said: “O Mohammad! God has ordered you to pardon one who has done you injustice, forgive one who has deprived you, maintain relationship with one who has cut off relations with you, and to keep away from the ignorant. ”[1030]
Harith ibn Dilhath narrated: “I heard Imam Reza (AS) say: ‘A believer is not a true believer unless he has three features; a tradition (norm) from his Lord, a tradition from his prophet and a tradition from his Imam. As for the tradition of his Lord, he should keep His secret. God Almighty has said: “The Knower of the Unseen! So he does not reveal His secret to anyone. ”, except one who has been approved by His Messenger. As for the tradition of his prophet, he should treat people well. God Almighty has ordered the Holy Prophet to be moderate with people: “Keep to forgiveness and enjoin good and turn aside from the ignorant. ”[1031]
As for the tradition from his Imam, he should be patient in distress and ease. These are the truthful and the pious. ”[1032] The same has been narrated by Imam Ali (AS) with a little difference.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “My Lord has advised me to nine features and I advise you to what I have been advised with; sincerity in public and in secret, justice in pleasure and anger, moderation in wealth and indigence, to forgive one who is unjust to me, to give one who deprives me, maintain relationship with one who cuts off relations with me, that silence is to be my reflection, my words to be remembrance, and that my looking is to take lessons. ”[1033]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Ali (AS) as saying: “Keep to nobilities of character! Surely God Almighty has sent me with them. From the nobilities of character is to forgive one who has done you wrong, give to one who has deprived you, maintain relationship with one who has cut off relations with you, and visit one who does not visit you (when being ill). ”[1034]
Indecent speech is far from a pious one. A pious man does never revile anyone and does never use any bad word, for he knows that Imam Baqir (AS) has said: “Surely God hates abusive people. ”[1035]
Whatever man says is recorded. Hence, Imam Ali (AS) has said: “There is nothing more deserving of long imprisonment than the tongue is. ”[1036]
Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “A believing servant of God is recorded to be benefactor as long as he keeps silent. But when he speaks, he is recorded as benefactor or evil-doer. ”[1037]
Imam Sajjad (AS) was asked: “Which one is better, speech or silence? ”, and he said: “There are pests for both of them, but if they are safe from pests, speech is better than silence. ” He was asked: “How is it O son of the Messenger of Allah? ” He said: “God Almighty has not sent the prophets to keep silence; rather, He has sent them to speak out. Paradise cannot be deserved by silence, nor is the guardianship of Allah deserved by silence, nor can fire be avoided by silence. I would never compare the moon to the sun. You describe the preference of silence to speech and you do not describe the preference of speech to silence. ”[1038]
From this traditions, it is inferred that there are pests for both speech and silence. The pests of speech are idle talk, which has been reproached in narrations, and talkativeness, which is said to be a sign of defect in reason. It is said that excessive talking and excessive wealth are both fatal and lead to falsehood, like talking with evildoers, with those who are drunken, and the like, and to involve in disputations, on which there are many traditions, as well as indecent speech, revilement, accusation of innocent people, telling lies, backbiting, slandering, tale-bearing, illegal jesting, and the like.
The pests of silence are the following: the abandonment of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, the abandonment of religious duties like prayer whose punishment shall be Fire, and the abandonment of giving witness or concealing it. In these cases, silence is unlawful and forbidden.
The speech of the pious is lenient. Hence, the Lord of the universe invites Prophet Moses (a. s. ) and his brother, Haroon, who are the best examples of the pious, to be lenient in speech with the Pharaoh: “Then speak to him a gentle word; haply he may mind or fear. ”[1039]
Addressing the Holy Prophet (SAW) , God says: “Thus it is due to mercy from Allah that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough, hard hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you. ”[1040]
It has been narrated that the Holy Prophet (SAW) was neither harsh-tempered nor did he raise his voice.
part3
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “Knowledge is the friend of a believer, forbearance his vizier, patience his commander, moderation his brother, and leniency is his father. ”[1041]
Vices are not found with the pious. Only virtues are present in them. Goodness is found in them and mischief is far away from them, for they are duteous. They believe in the unseen. They believe in what has been revealed to the Holy Prophet. They believe that God is All-seeing, and the world is the presence of God, God is Reckoner, and man finally dies and reaps what he has sown. They shall see both the hell and paradise. They observe human duties. They have enlightened hearts. They distinguish between good and evil deeds. They see the results of good and the consequences of evil. They turn to good and avoid evil.
60-66: One of the other features of a pious man is that he remains dignified during calamities, patient in distress, and thankful at ease. He does not wrong his opponents, and does not commit sin for the sake of one whom he loves. He admits truth before evidence is brought against him. [1042]
The pious are such that they do not lose their dignity when calamities befall them. They know that great events come from the Lord and even when human deeds are involved, they have no option other than patience, endurance and peacefulness. Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “A believer is stronger than a mountain. A mountain is affected by an axe, but a (true) believer is not affected in his faith. ”[1043]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has also said: “Surely a believer is more resistant than the blocks of iron, for the blocks of iron are changed when put into fire, whereas a believer’s faith never changes even if he is killed and then become alive and is killed again. ”[1044]
Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (AS) has been reported as saying: “A man from the city of Qum will call people to truth. People will gather around him. They are like blocks of iron. No storm can shake them, nor are they tired of war or fear. They rely on God and the good end is for the pious. ”[1045]
Al-Halabi says: “I said to Abu Abdullah (as-Sadiq) (AS): ‘What is the best feature for a man? ’ He said: ‘Dignity without fear and awe, nobility without expectation, and engagement in what is not worldly. ”[1046]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “The best ornament for man is tranquility with faith. ”[1047]
In a commentary on this, Ibn Abi al-Hadeed writes: “Ali ibn al-Hossain (AS) was offering prayer when a snake fell on his head. He did not move. Then the snake fell down in front of him. He did not move his feet, and the color of his face was not changed. ”[1048]
A pious man is patient in distress, for he knows what a good feature patience is. Patience has been recommended in the Holy Quran as well as in traditions. In this relation, God says: “And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient, who, when a misfortune befall them, say; Surely we are Allah’s and to Him we shall surely return. Those are they on whom are blessing and mercy from their Lord, and those are the followers of the right course. ”[1049]
From this verse, it is inferred that all the sufferings can lead man to sublime positions or make atheists convert to Islam. When the atheists see such patience, firmness and steadfastness in Muslims, they will say to themselves that this faith is certainly truthful, for no wise man forbear such hardships for an absurd deed. Such a state shows both the acknowledgement of God and servitude to Him (we are Allah’s) and admission of death (to Him we shall surely return). [1050]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “There are four features that make a man an inhabitant of Paradise; one whose motto is “there is no god but Allah”, one who says: “praise be to Allah” when He gives him a blessing, one who says: “I seek forgiveness of Allah” when he commits a sin, and one who says: “surely we are Allah’s and to Him we return”, when a calamity befalls him. ”[1051]
In another verse, God says: “Verily, the patient will be paid back their reward in full without measure. ”[1052]
There are many verses on “patience”, but here, the fruits of patience are summed up:
1- Patience helps man.
2- It wins the divine love.
3- It increases God’s blessings and mercy.
4- It wins the companionship of God.
5- It leads to a good end.
6- It causes admission in Paradise.
7- It brings about double and infinite reward.
8- It is from the virtues of the prophets.
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “When a believer enters the grave, the prayer (he has offered) is placed on his right side, the alms (he has given) on the left side, benevolence in front of him, and patience creeps into a corner. When the two angels enter the grave, patience will say to the prayer, alms, and benevolence: ‘take hold of your companion and protect him. If you cannot do, I will be in charge of that. ’”[1053]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has said: “We are the patient and our followers (the shia) are more patient than we are. ” The narrator asked: “How is it that your followers are more patient? ” The Imam (AS) said: “This is because we are patient with what we know, but our followers are patient with what they do not know. ”[1054]
In a commentary on the meaning of this tradition, Allamah Majlisi writes:
1- We foresee the misfortune that makes it easier to tolerate.
2- We know the reason and wisdom behind the misfortune and the sublime stations of them.
3- We know the end of it and the following developments like the knowledge of Prophet Joseph (a. s. ) at the bottom of the well about the end of his affair, and the knowledge of the infallible Imams (a. s. ) of their futures.
As we have already discussed patience, we will not speak about it anymore.
The pious are thankful during ease. Being thankful to God for His blessings is a requirement of being humane. Man is duty bound to thank his Lord in the heart and by the tongue. He should regard the inward and outward blessings, and hence prostrates himself for his Lord.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said: “When something made the Holy Prophet happy, he would say: ‘praise be to Allah for this blessing (favor) ’, and when something made him sad, he would say: ‘praise be to Allah in all conditions. ’”[1055]
To say “praise be to Allah” in distress is logical, for a pious man knows that whatever comes from God Almighty is in his own interest. Therefore, he should praise God under any circumstances whether he is in a happy or a sad state. Furthermore, man does not know the wisdom behind some events. A calamity might prevent a worse disaster. For example, when a house is demolished following a flood or an earthquake, the flood- stricken or the earthquake-stricken person should be happy that he has not died. Sometimes, a tribulation entails a reward in the hereafter, or it is a ransom for sins, and this is a blessing and requires thanksgiving. If this calamity is worldly, it can be tolerated. What happens if one’s faith faces a calamity?!
How good it is for one to have a look at the way people live in the earth and to realize what blessings he enjoys that others are deprived of. He should not think solely about wealth, automobiles, positions and palaces. Rather, he should think about his health, faith, children, honesty, decent friends, good neighbors, teacher, chastity, honor, and dignity. He should see people’s blind-heartedness, deviation, misfortunes, and indigence and to compare himself with them and then to be thankful to God.
A pious man is not unjust to one whom he hates and does not do any wrong to one whom he loves. In the words of Allamah Khoo’ee: “Love and hate should not make one neglect his religious duties, for he is duteous. He controls his passions. His anger does not make him abuse others. Love, pleasure and desire do not make him commit sins. Fatima bint al-Hossain has reported the Messenger of Allah (SAW) as saying: “There are three features that make a believer’s faith perfect; when he is pleased, his pleasure does not make him commit sins, when he gets angry, his anger does not make him do injustice, and when he is in power, he does not do what is not right. ”[1056]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “Whoever controls himself when he desires something or when he fears, when he wishes for something and when he gets angry, God will protect him from fire. ”[1057]
There are several traditions to the same effects that show the importance of self-control. A pious man or a true believer controls his passions. The pious are such that love and hate will not affect their religious duties.
The state of a pious man never changes in anger, fear, or pleasure. It is an impious man whose states change, for he cannot control his ‘self. It is not easy to control one’s self. It requires a strong will. Hence, in describing the pious, it has been said: “They are like firm mountains! The dried leaves of trees cannot shake them. ”
A pious man acknowledges the truth before evidence is brought against him. One of his worthy features is that he does not do any injustice to anyone. He refrains from telling lies, and does not deny anyone’s right. If he commits a mistake, he confesses it. He always follows the truth and does never keep away from announcing it.
part 4
67-77: “He does not misappropriate what is put in his custody, and does not forget what he is required to remember. He does not call others bad names. He does not cause harm to his neighbor. He does not involve in the untruth and does not give up of the truth. If he is silent, his silence does not grieve him. If he laughs, he does not raise his voice, and if he is wronged, he endures until Allah take revenge on his behalf. ”[1058]
The pious are such that when something is put in their custody, they will not misappropriate it, whether it is a divine duty or a people’s trust. Divine duties like prayer or other trusts, to which reference has been made in the Holy Quran as: “Surely We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they shrank from bearing it and were afraid of it; and man assumed it. Surely he is unjust, foolish. ”[1059]
As for prayer, God has said: “And those who are watchful of their prayers. ”[1060]
As for the divine trust, God says: “And those who are keepers of their trusts and their covenant. ”[1061]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “Fear Allah! It is incumbent upon you to give the trust back to one who has entrusted you with it. If the killer of Ameerul Mo’minin (AS) entrusts me with a trust, I will give it back to him. ”[1062]
Abu Hamzah ath-Thumali has reported Ali ibn al-Hossain (AS) as having sent the following message to his followers: “It is incumbent upon you to give back the trust (to its owner)! I swear by the One Who has sent Mohammad as a prophet, if the killer of my father entrusts me with the sword with which he killed my father, I will give it back to him. ”[1063]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Baqir (AS) as saying: “Do not regard the plenty of their prayer, fasting, Hajj, benevolence, and their buzzing at night, but see their truthfulness in speaking and their giving back the trusts to their owners. ” [1064]
As for misappropriation of trust, it does not make any difference whether one does not give the trust back to its owner, does not keep the trust properly, or is slack in doing his duty. ”[1065]
The pious are those who do not forget what they are required to remember. They keep on remembering God, the Day of Judgment, paradise, hell and the lessons they have taken.
The Lord of the universe has repeatedly reminded us: “But when they neglected that with which they had been admonished, We opened for them the doors of all things, until when they rejoiced in what they were given, We seized them suddenly; then lo! They were in utter despair. ”[1066]
God has also said: “So when they neglected what they had been reminded of, We delivered those who forbade evil and We overtook those who were unjust with an evil chastisement because of the transgression they used to commit. ”[1067]
The question of remembrance and reminding is sometimes related to the Quranic verses, confirmation of God, prophethood, the Day of Judgment, or in brief, what concerns the creed and the fundamentals of the beliefs, and at other times, it is related to the reminding of the divine blessings, the creation, the prophets, the advancing of Muslim army in the warfronts with few men, the reminding of prayer, the rules of the slaughtering of animals, and in the position of judgment. Obviously, forgetfulness and oblivion is the opposite of remembrance and reminding.
The pious are also those who do not call others bad names. In this relation, the Holy Quran says: “O you who believe! Let not (one) people laugh at (another) people, perchance they may be better than they are, nor let women (laugh) at (other) women, perchance they may be better than they are, and do not find fault with your own people nor call one another by nicknames; evil is a bad name after faith, and whoever does not turn, these it is that are the unjust. ”[1068]
In a commentary written by Ali ibn Ibrahim on this verse, which was revealed about Safiyyah daughter of Huyay ibn Akhtab and wife of the Holy Prophet, we read that Aa’ishah and Hafsah reproached and vexed her by saying to her: “You are a daughter of a Jew! ” Safiyyah complained to the Holy Prophet about that, and the Holy Prophet said: “Did you not answer them? ” Safiyyah said: “What would I say to them, O messenger of Allah? ” The Holy Prophet said to her: “Say to them: my father is Aaron, the prophet of God, my uncle is Moses, the interlocutor of Allah, and my husband is Mohammad, the Messenger of Allah. Why are you denying this of me? ” Safiyyah said the same to them, and they said to her: “The Messenger of Allah has taught this to you. ” Then, God revealed the above-mentioned verse. ”[1069]
The pious are those who do not cause harm to their neighbors. They consider neighbors as members of their own families. They not only do not cause any harm to them, but they consider themselves duty-bound to be useful to them. They even pray for them in the same way that Lady Fatima (a. s. ) prayed for the neighbors first and then for her own family. When she was asked the reason, she would say: “The neighbor first and then the family. ”
There are many traditions concerning neighbors. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “One, who cause harm to his neighbor, God will deprive him of the paradise. His abode is hell and it is the bad abode. Whoever denies his neighbor’s rights is not from us. Gabriel advised me about neighbor to such a degree that I thought neighbor has a share in (one’s) inheritance. ”[1070]
Imam Baqir (AS) has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “The Messenger of Allah (a. s. ) said before a gathering of the Muhajireen, the Ansars, and the people of Medina: “Consider your neighbor as yourself; do not harm him. Respect your neighbor as you respect your mother. ”[1071]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported by Zurarah as saying: “One day, Lady Fatima (a. s. ) came to the Messenger of Allah (AS) complaining of some things. The Holy Prophet (a. s. ) gave her a note, saying: ‘Learn what is there in it. ’ The note read: ‘Whoever believes in God and the Last Day let him not cause any harm to his neighbor, and whoever believes in God and the Last Day should respect his guest, and whoever believes in God and the Last Day let him either say something good or keep silent. ”[1072]
Sometimes, showing disrespect to a neighbor is harmful even in this world. It has been related that al-Kisa’ee was living in indigence when he was busy studying and learning. He had a neighbor who kept on causing him harm, saying to him: “Stop studying! Choose a business for yourself! Studying shall not take you anywhere. ” Al-Kisa’ee laughed at the words of his neighboring grocer, who one day came forward, saying ironically: ‘Is it not time for you to put all these papers in a ditch and water them, so that they may grow? ’ These words were so offensive to him that they broke his heart. He said to himself: ‘One day, these papers will promote me to a position that no one can imagine. ’
The grocer said: “If you ever visit this place with a carriage, order my house to be demolished. ” His house was on the top of the corridor with a low ceiling from under which the learner frequented.
Soon, the emissary of the commander of Basra came to al-Kisa’ee, saying: “The commander wishes to see you. ” Al-Kisa’ee said: “How can I visit the commander with these shabby clothes? ” The emissary left, and after a short while, came back with fine clothes and one thousand weights of gold for him. Al-Kisa’ee was taken to the public bathhouse and then to Baghdad to be a tutor of al-Ameen and al-Ma’moon, the sons of Haroon al-Rasheed the Abbasid caliph. Two thousand Dirhams were fixed for him as a regular salary. One day, al-Kisa’ee said to Haroon al-Rashid: “I have a request from you. ” Haroon said: “Say what your request is. ” Al-Kisa’ee said: “I want to visit to my hometown. ”
Haroon ordered all the means that al-Kisa’ee needed for his trip to be put at his disposal. He arrived in Basra gloriously and when his carriage reached that corridor, the carriage could not pass through it. He ordered to demolish that building so the carriage could pass through. All the noblemen of Basra visited him. Among them was the grocer of the old quarter, who asked after the health of al-Kisa’ee and for forgiveness. Turning to the grocer, al-Kisa’ee said: “You can see how those pieces of paper have fruited now! ” The grocer became extremely ashamed. ”[1073]
The pious do not feel happy at others’ misfortunes nor do they reproach them. They know that causing any harm to the distressed ones is a sin, and breaking their hearts is forbidden. This has been highly recommended by Islam. It is said: “When you see people of tribulation, praise Allah that you have not been afflicted with that tribulation, but do not say it loudly, for it makes them sad and breaks their hearts. ”[1074]
The pious do not involve in the untruth and do not give up the truth. When they are silent, their silence does not grieve them. They are not fond of talking. They speak and keep silent when it is necessary. Only those who are accustomed to talking dislike silence, and if they do not speak, they feel that they have lost something. The pious are not such. They first think and see if it is the time to speak or to keep silent, for they are aware of the benefits of silence and of the pests of the tongue.
When the pious laugh, they do not raise their voices. In a tradition, we read: “When one laughs loudly, he should say: ‘O my Lord, do not detest me! ’” In another tradition, we read: “Laughing loudly is from Satan. ”[1075]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported by Imam Reza (AS) as saying: “How many a person, who laughs much vainly (in this life) , that shall weep too much on the Day of Judgment, and how many a person, who weeps much for fear of his sins, that shall laugh too much in the Paradise on the Day of Judgment. ”[1076]
part 5
The pious are those who, if been wronged, endure until God takes revenge on their behalf. They themselves never decide to take revenge. They are patient with the others’ wrongdoing. They entrust that to God, for they know that the Lord of the universe is watching everything. The Holy Quran says: “Surely, your Lord is ever watchful. ”[1077] God does not miss anything. He reckons everything.
God Almighty says: “And do not think Allah to be heedless of what the unjust do; He only respites them to a day on which the eyes shall be fixed open (of terror). ”[1078]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported as saying: “Avoid injustice, for injustice near Allah is darkness on the Day of Judgment. ”[1079]
God Almighty has said: “My wrath is intense on one who oppresses another one who has no help save Me. ”[1080]
Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “The worst supply for the Day of Resurrection is the oppression against people. ”[1081]
Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “Whoever does an injustice to anyone, God Almighty will raise one who will do the same to him, to his children and his descendants. ” [1082]
Imam Baqir (AS) has been reported as saying: “When the death of Ali ibn al-Hossain (a. s. ) approached, he drew me to his chest, saying: ‘O my son! I advise you to what my father advised and the father of my father advised: ‘O my son! Keep away from doing any injustice to one who has no helper save God. ”[1083]
It goes without saying that sometimes an oppressor may turn to be oppressed and the oppressed one may turn to be oppressor, when the oppressed one curses the oppressor excessively. Therefore, the pious entrust everything to God and do not act personally. It is to be noted that their inaction does not mean that they are indifferent to oppression and oppressors, but it means that they are not hasty in taking revenge.
Nevertheless, when it is necessary, the pious will rise up against atheism, hypocrisy, and oppression and will fight them as seen by the infallible Imams (AS).
78-86 One of the other features of a pious man is that: “His own soul is in distress, while people are at peace from him. He puts himself in hardship for the sake of his next life, and makes people feel safe from him. His keeping away from others is by way of asceticism and honesty, and his nearness to those, whom he is near to, is by way of leniency and mercifulness. His keeping away from people is not because of vanity or feeling of greatness, nor his nearness because of deceit and cheating. ”[1084]
The pious always wish hardship for themselves and ease for others. They put themselves in hardship for the hereafter through offering prayers and fasting as it is the state of the Godly people.
Their keeping away from people is not because of arrogance, self-conceit, and vanity, but because of asceticism and purification. They know that the more they keep away from people, the less they will be engaged in backbiting, lying, slander, and tale-bearing. Hence, they will have faith that is safe. Hence, there are many traditions on seclusion which does not mean that one should keep away from society and social affairs. Seclusion is good when people feel that if they are involved too much in society, their faith will be harmed, their beliefs will become loose, their thoughts will be deviated, and their piety will be harmed. This issue has been proved by experience.
For this reason, Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “Do not come out of your house if you can, for if you come out, it is incumbent upon you not to backbite, not to lie, not to envy, not to be hypocrite and not to flatter others. A Muslim’s hermitage is his house. He keeps his soul, eyes, tongue, and honor therein. ”[1085]
Rabee’ ibn Khaytham narrated: “If you can afford to be in a position when you do not know and are not known, do so, for in seclusion lies the safeguarding of the organs, peace of mind, sound living, breaking of Satan’s weapon, and remoteness from every evil. There is no prophet or successor of a prophet except that he chose seclusion in his own time, either in the beginning or at the end of his life. ”[1086]
Rawandi, in his book Da’awat, has reported Imam Baqir (AS) as saying: “Some man found a page of a book and brought it to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) who called the public to attend a gathering. All the people, men and women, came to his presence. The Holy Prophet went up the pulpit and said: ‘This is from Yusha’ ibn Noon, the successor of Prophet Moses (AS). The page read: “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Surely, your Lord is Kind and Merciful to you. Be aware that the best servant of Allah is the pious, pure, unknown one, and the worst one of Allah’s servants is one at whom fingers are pointed (because of his sins and vices). ””[1087]
From this quotation, it is inferred that the best of the servants of God is one who is purified from the filth of sin, and the worst is the one who is famous for vices. He is infamous for sins which are committed more by going out of his house than by seclusion.
The nearness of the pious to those, whom they are near to, is not because of deceit as hypocrites do. Their nearness is because of leniency and mercifulness as it has been said about the Holy Prophet of Islam and the believers: “Mohammad is the Apostle of Allah, and those with him are firm of heart against the unbelievers, compassionate among themselves. ”[1088]
In relation to hypocrites, God says: “And when they meet those who believe, they say: We believe, and when they are alone with their devils, they say: Surely we are with you, we are only mocking. ”[1089]
The nearness of the pious to people is not as such. When they meet the believers, it is by way of sincerity. They consider visiting each other as visiting God, and the respect to the believers as respect to the Lord, for “the believer is higher than an archangel to God. ”[1090]
Therefore, there is no deceit in the believers’ meeting and visiting one another, whereas the hypocrites are not only deceitful by nature to the believers, but they are unfaithful to themselves too.
It is related that Hammam fell into deep swoon, and because of that swoon, he left to the better world. Then, Ameerul Mo’minin said: “By Allah, I had this fear about him. ” Then he added: “Serious exhortations do so to their people (who receive them willingly). ” Some man (called who was present (Abdullah ibn al-Kawwa’ who was a Kharijite) said: “What about you, Ameerol Mo'minin! ” The Imam (AS) replied: “Woe to you! For every death, there is a fixed term which cannot be exceeded, and a cause which is not passed to another. Now look, never do (say) such thing again! It is but Satan that puffed on your tongue. ”[1091]
The pure hearts of believers are ready for such things that when they see or hear the truth, they fear and they spiritually changed. In this relation, the Holy Quran says: “Those only are believers whose hearts become full of fear when Allah is mentioned, and when its communications are recited to them, they increase in faith, and in their Lord do they trust. ”[1092]
If the believers are very receptive, they fall in deep swoon and their souls leave their bodies in the same way that Hammam passed away. Imam Ali (AS) said: “I avoided the reply. By Allah, I had this fear about him. ” Then he said: “Serious exhortations affects their people (who respond to them). ”
It is worth mentioning that if one wants to become perfect, he must seek advice of loyal people. He should take care as to from whom he should seek advice and to whom he should devote his heart and mind. He should note that there is nothing above the word of wisdom which assists his guidance and saves him from vices, as reported from the Messenger of Allah (SAW) in the book Ershad al-Ghuloob. [1093]
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has been reported as saying: “What an excellent gift the gift of advice is. ”[1094]
It is worth mentioning that an advice is effective (like the one given to Hammam) which is given by one who practices what he preaches of and believes in what he says. If a scholar does not practice what he preaches of, his advice slips away from the hearts as the drops of rain slip from a stone. ”[1095]
Imam Ali (AS) has said: “The slip of a scholar is like shipwrecking; it (the ship) sinks and makes others drown. ”[1096]
God reproaches such individuals by saying: “…why do you say that which you do not do? It is most hateful to Allah that you say that which you do not do. ”[1097]
A preacher and advisor should be like pathologists. Imam Ali (AS) first avoided the reply, for he knew that Hammam had no capacity of hearing the exhortation, and especially from Ameerul Mo’minin. Hence, the so-called spiritual physicians discover people’s capacities and weaknesses, so that their sermon may be to the point and in conformity with the capacity of the listener. For this reason, it is said, “The best of speech is that which is short with full meaning. ”
The listeners to exhortations too have to observe certain duties. First, they should aim to win God’s pleasure, pay attention to the content and gist of the exhortation, and not to the preacher himself. There are many preachers who do not act to their duties, but their advices are useful. Advice seekers should have a hunger for advice and feel in need of it. They should consider themselves as those who are in search of light and guidance. They should remember what God said to Prophet Moses (AS): “Learn the good and teach it to one who does not know it, for I will enlighten the graves of learners and teachers of good so that they will not fear their abodes. ”[1098]
part 6
Abdullah ibn al-Kawwa, who challenged Imam Ali (AS) , said: “O Ameerul Mo’minin, how is it that you do not receive such an effect? (meaning: you are the cause of Hammam’s death. ” The Imam softy said: “Woe to you! For death, there is a fixed hour which cannot be exceeded. ” It means that Hammam’s life had come to an end. But as the cause of death is a certain factor, the cause of death here is the good advice, and were it not for the advice, his death would not have happened. Therefore, his death was not in my hand. Never repeat such talk which Satan has put on your tongue. ”
Here, two main issues have to be discussed; death and Satan’s temptations.
As for death (the hour of death) , there are several verses in the Holy Quran which indicate that death cannot be deferred or advanced: “…when their term comes, they shall neither defer it for an hour, nor shall they advanced it. ”[1099]
God has fixed man’s death in such a way that no one can delay or advance it.
The way death overtakes human beings is quite different. Sometimes a scholar is engaged in teaching, a preacher is giving an advice, a driver is driving to a certain destination, or a shopkeeper is receiving money from a buyer when death overtakes them.
The Lord of the universe has fixed death for every being. The Only Being Whom death cannot overtake is God Almighty. The Holy Quran says: “Everyone on it must pass away, and there remains but the Face of your Lord of Might and Glory. ”[1100]
As for the second issue, Satan’s temptation is of great importance. Satan is of the jinn kind and has a great power which penetrates the human mind and heart. According to tradition, Satan enters the blood circulation launching his evil plans. There are only few verses in the Holy Quran in which Allah does not warn human beings against Satan. If we read the Holy Quran carefully, we will realize what a parasite of corruption Satan is and how he can destroy our faith.
God Almighty says: “Did I not charge you, O children of Adam, that you should not serve Satan? Surely, he is your open enemy, and that you should serve Me; this is the right way. And certainly he led astray numerous people from among you. What! Could you not then understand? ”[1101]
God also says: “… do not follow the footsteps of Satan; surely he is your open enemy. He only enjoins you evil and indecency, and that you may speak against Allah what you do not know. ”[1102]
In another verse, we read that Satan says: “Most certainly I will take of Thy servants an appointed portion; and most certainly I will lead them astray and excite in them vain desires, and bid them so that they shall slit the ears of the cattle, and most certainly I will bid them so that they shall alter Allah’s creation; and whoever takes Satan for a guardian rather than Allah, he indeed shall suffer a manifest loss. He gives them promises and excites vain desires in them; and Satan does not promise but to deceive. These are they whose abode is hell, and they shall not find any refuge from it. ”[1103]
In another verse, after God warns man of intoxicants, games of chance and idolatry, says: “Satan only desires to cause enmity and hatred to spring in your midst by means of intoxicants, games of chance, and to keep you off from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you then desist? ”[1104]
When God takes Satan to account, and Satan argues that he is better than man, God expels him from paradise. Satan asks for a respite until the Day of Judgment, and God says: “Surely you are of the respited ones. ”[1105]
Satan says: “As Thou hast caused me to remain disappointed, I will certainly lie in wait for them in They straight path. Then, I will certainly come to them from before them and from behind them, and from their right-hand and from their left-hand side; and Thou shall not find most of them thankful. ”[1106]
In another verse, God says: “O children of Adam! Let not the Satan cause you to fall into affliction as he expelled your parents from the garden, pulling off from them both their clothing that he might show them their evil inclinations, he surely sees you, he as well as his host, from whence you cannot see them; surely We have made devils to be the guardians of those who do not believe. ”[1107]
Addressing God, Satan says: “Then by Thy Might, I will surely make them live an evil life, all, except Thy servants from among them, the purified ones. ”[1108] God says: “The truth then is and the truth do I speak: that I will most certainly fill hell with you and with those among them who follow you all. ”[1109]
These were some of the Quranic verses about Satan. As for traditions, Imam Sadiq (AS) has been reported as saying: “There is no heart except that there are two ears in it. On one, there is an angel who guides, and on the other there is a devil who whispers. Satan orders him to commit sin, and the angel deters him from sin, and this is the words of God Almighty: “He utters not a word, but there is by him a watcher at hand. ”[1110]
Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “For Iblis, there are kohl, safoof (medicinal powder) , and la’ooq (something licked as a sweetmeat or a cure). As for his kohl, it is (man’s) sleeping, his safoof is (man’s) anger, and his la’ooq is (man’s) telling lies. ”[1111]
In a sermon called al-Qasi’ah, in disparagement of Satan, Imam Ali (AS) says: “Take a lesson from what Allah did with Satan. His long deeds and greet efforts went to nothing, after he had been worshiping Allah for six thousand years, and it is not known whether they are from the years of this life or the years of the afterlife, because of haughtiness of a moment. Therefore, you should fear, lest Satan infects you with his disease, or leads you astray through his call, or marches on you with his horsemen and footmen, because, (I swear) by my life, he has prepared for you the arrow of (vain) promise, stretched the bow strongly, and aimed at you from a nearby position, and he (Satan) said: “My Lord! Because Thou hast sent me astray, I verily shall adorn the path of error for them in the earth, and shall mislead them all. ”[1112]
It is noteworthy that Imam Ali (AS) is teaching us how to fight Satan as if there is a battlefield and the enemy is ready to attack from nearby positions.
Ali ibn al-Hossain (Imam Sajjad) (AS) was asked: “How did you begin your day, O son of the Messenger of Allah? ” The Imam said: “I began the day while I was indebted for eight things; Allah Almighty asks me for obligations, the Holy Prophet (SAW) asks me for the Sunnah, the family asks me for nourishment, the self asks me for pleasures, Satan asks me for disobedience, the two guardian angels asks me for true deeds, the angel of death asks me for the soul (life) , the grave asks me for the body, so I am indebted for all these things. ”
There are many traditions on Satan the mentioning of which requires a separate book. I have gathered all those tradition under the title of “Man and Satan”.
What is Satan, who has been reproached so much? What kind of enemy is he whom God has warned man against to this extent? Who is this parasite of corruption whom even the prophets and the friends of God fear? What a dangerous thief and warrior enemy is he that the adhering to him causes all misfortunes of this life and the enmity to him brings happiness and prosperity? Satan is the implacable enemy, the faithless friend of human beings, the ungrateful creature of God, and the rebellious servant of God Almighty. Satan is an experienced enemy who is cunning, deceitful and wicked with a great number of hosts, who lived among angels and spent his life with them. He learnt servitude from angels and reached a position which was envied by them. He was considered as the chief of angels. It was later that God created man and ordered the angels to prostrate before him. All the angels did so except Satan who refused to do. Therefore, he was disfavored by God, and from that moment, he tried to tempt the weak human beings. He entered paradise, deceived Adam and Eve by swearing that he wished to promote them to a sublime station, but he made them wretched!
Following this success, he was an accomplice in the murder of Abel by Cain. Then, he challenged the prophets, though he failed to win the battles. He was persistent in his fighting against nations.
In the time of our Holy Prophet (SAW) , Satan took part in the battle of Badr. In Dar al-Nadwah, he was a member of the advisory council. In Saqeefah, he was the first one who pledged allegiance to the first Caliph, so much so that he divided Muslims into seventy-three sects. Not only did he create division in Islam, but he made people worship him in a way that until now there are people who are Satan worshippers.
Satan interferes in all human affairs. He tries to make people’s belief shaky. He attempts to deviate man from the right path. He even goes further that he takes part in the formation of human foetus. He tempts man to adhere to him. He makes women as trap for men to commit sin, as seen in the states of some worshippers. He raises his banner in the markets everyday. He deceives people, even scholars, in different ways. He does not leave people in ease even at the point of death. The late Hajji Molla Hashim has related: “A pious scholar from the city of Najaf became sick. As he was about to die, he was asked to recite the shahada by the one who had come to visit him, but he refused to recite it, arguing that: ‘this is the first subject of theology and it has to be proved! ’ People were quite surprised to hear this from a scholar. Fortunately, God healed him. Later on when the story was told to him, he said: ‘When you persuaded me to recite the shahada, a man with white beard was standing near me, saying: ‘If you recite the shahada, I will set this promissory note on fire. ’ I had lent an amount of five Tomans to some one and I had put the note in a coffer! ’
After recovering, the man tore the note into pieces, so that he would not be preoccupied with it. Satan attempts not only to undermine our prayer, but also to nullify our worship. When he fails to do so through hypocrisy, he will carry out his plots by making man forget to perform his prayer.
Satan attempts to cause troubles and quarrels in families, create discord between teachers and students in schools, create division among the ranks of army, between the rulers and the ruled, among nations, and between upper classes and lower classes to make them join his party.
May God save us from the temptations of Satan and make us victorious in the battle against him. We humbly ask the Lord of the universe to make us among the pious and wake us up from slumber.
Amen, O Lord of the worlds and peace be on whoever follows the guidance.
endnote
1-159
[1]Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 232.
[2] Ghurar al-Hikam (piety).
[3] Ibid. , (piety).
[4] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 12, p. 155.
[5] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 472.
[6] Qur'an, 2: 41.
[7] Qur'an, 3: 102.
[8] Qur'an, 24: 52.
[9] Qur'an, 49: 13.
[10] Qur'an, 2: 197.
[11] Qur'an, 65: 2-3.
[12] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 282.
[13] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 12, p. 155.
[14] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, P. 289.
[15] Ibid. , P. 292.
[16] Qur'an, 49: 13.
[17] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, P. 289.
[18] Nahj al-Balaghah, P. 67.
[19] Ibid. , P. 353.
[20] Ibid. , P. 498.
[21] Ibid, P. 506.
[22] Nahj al-Balaghah, P. 559.
[23] Ibid. , P. 602.
[24] Ibid. , P. 763.
[25] Qur'an, 34: 13.
[26] Nahj al-Balaghah, P. 770.
[27] Ibid. , P. 629.
[28] Nahj al-Balaghah, P. 635.
[29] Ibid. , P. 723.
[30] Ibid. , P. 1278.
[31] Nahj al-Balaghah, pp. 183-192
[32] Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 1181
[33] Qur'an, 22: 32.
[34] Qur'an, 5: 2.
[35] Qur'an, 3: 76.
[36] Qur'an, 8: 34.
[37] Qur'an, 4: 77.
[38] Qur'an, 6: 32.
[39] Qur'an, 12: 57.
[40] Qur'an, 2: 103.
[41] Qur'an, 47: 36.
[42] Qur'an, 3: 172.
[43] Qur'an, 47: 15.
[44] Qur'an, 16: 31.
[45] Qur'an, 39: 20.
[46] Qur'an, 19: 60-62.
[47] Qur'an, 19: 63.
[48] Qur'an, 3: 15.
[49] Qur'an, 19: 85.
[50] Qur'an, 76: 21.
[51] Meaning “Ritual ablution”.
[52] Qur'an, 56: 34.
[53] Qur'an, 35: 33.
[54] Qur'an, 13: 23.
[55] Qur'an, 13: 24.
[56] Qur'an, 76: 20.
[57] Qur'an, 76: 14.
[58] Qur'an, 10: 10.
[59] Qur'an, 7: 35.
[60] Qur'an, 92: 5-7.
[61] Qur'an, 2: 212.
[62] Qur'an, 5: 65.
[63] Qur'an, 8: 29.
[64] Qur'an, 5: 93.
[65] Qur'an, 7: 96.
[66] Qur'an, 19: 70-71.
[67] Qur'an, 39: 61.
[68] Qur'an, 3: 120.
[69] Qur'an, 7: 201.
[70] Qur'an, 16: 128.
[71] Qur'an, 3: 125.
[72] Kholasat al-Manhaj, vol. 4, p. 239.
[73] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 235.
[74] Qur'an, 8: 29.
[75] Qur'an, 24: 52.
[76] Qur'an, 2: 5.
[77] Qur'an, 2: 282.
[78] Qur'an, 5: 27.
[79] Qur'an, 49: 13.
[80] Kholasat al-Manhaj, vol. 5, p. 351.
[81] Ibid. , P. 350.
[82] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 1, P. 33.
[83] Qur'an, 43: 67.
[84] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 75, P. 35.
[85] Qur'an, 7: 128.
[86] Qur'an, 11: 49.
[87] Qur'an, 20: 132.
[88] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, P. 293.
[89] Qur'an, 45: 19.
[90] Qur'an, 2: 5.
[91] Nahj al-Balaghah, P. 669.
[92] Ibid. , P. 1129.
[93] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, P. 190.
[94] Nahj al-Balaghah, P. 635.
[95] Qur'an, 2: 282.
[96] Ten Discourses, P. 26.
[97] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, P. 52.
[98] Qur'an, 10: 31.
[99] Qur'an, 16: 51-52.
[100] Qur'an, 8: 55-56.
[101] Qur'an, 26: 123-126.
[102] Qur'an, 26: 141-144.
[103] Qur'an, 26: 160-164.
[104] Qur'an, 26: 105-111.
[105] Qur'an, 73: 17.
[106] Qur'an, 33: 1-2.
[107] Qur'an, 26: 151.
[108] Qur'an, 8: 24-25.
[109] Khulasat al-Minhaj, vol. 2, P. 187.
[110] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, P. 133.
[111]Ibid.
[112] Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 1, P. 432
[113] Qur'an, 29: 2.
[114] Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 1, P. 490.
[115] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 28, P. 29.
[116] Ibid. , P. 75.
[117] Ibid. , P. 79.
[118] Qur'an, 4: 59.
[119] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 23, p. 289
[120] Al-Kafi, Feature of Knowledge (Sifat al-Ilm).
[121] Al-Kafi, Bab al-Nawadir..
[122] Mir’at al-Oghool, vol. 1, p. 35.
[123] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 1, p. 218
[124] Ibid. , vol. 2, P. 37
[125] Qur'an, 10: 6.
[126] Qur'an, 39: 9.
[127] Qur'an, 13: 19.
[128] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 1, P. 204.
[129] Ibid. , p. 205.
[130] Ibid. , p. 19.
[131] Qur'an, 59: 18.
[132] Qur'an, 5: 8.
[133] Qur'an, 4: 128.
[134] Qur'an, 5: 2.
[135] Qur'an, 9: 105-109.
[136] Qur'an, 9: 107.
[137] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 190.
[138] Qur'an, 103: 1-3.
[139] Qur'an, 16: 97.
[140] Qur'an, 22: 50.
[141] Qur'an, 40: 50.
[142] Qur'an, 38: 28.
[143] Qur'an, 79: 2.
[144] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, pp. 246,248.
[145] Qur'an, 18: 103-106.
[146] Qur'an, 3: 30.
[147] Mustadrak al-Wasa‘il, vol. 1, p. 75.
[148] Taqiyyah means not to disclose or make public one's faith or some articles of faith to the aggressive mischief-mongers, or to those who are not fit to accept the truth.
[149] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, pp. 459,520.
[150] Ibid. , p. 466.
[151] Ibid. , p. 461.
[152] Ibid. , vol. 11, p. 462.
[153] Qur'an, 3: 28.
[154] Wasail al-Shiah, vol. 1, P. 81.
[155] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 1, P. 312.
[156] Ibid. , p. 313.
[157] Ibid. , vol. 3, p. 696.
[158] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 4, p. 901.
[159] Qur'an, 2: 83.
160-320
[160] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 5, p. 382.
[161] Ibid. , p. 381.
[162] Ibid. , p. 382.
[163] Ibid. , vol. 7, p. 95.
[164] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 478.
[165]Ibid. , p. 476.
[166] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 477.
[167] Qur'an, 16: 106.
[168] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 476.
[169] Qur'an, 16: 106.
[170] Tafsir of Safi, p. 305.
[171] Goroohe Rastgaran (Those who were delivered) , vol. 1, pp. 470, 473.
[172] Ibid.
[173] Qur'an, 65: 2-3.
[174] Wasa’il al- Shiah, vol. 12, p. 15.
[175] Ibid. , p. 16.
[176] Ibid. , p. 18.
[177] Qur'an, 2: 201.
[178] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 12, p. 3.
[179] Mawali (plural form of mawla) means “one’s manumitted slaves”.
[180] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 12 p. 5.
[181] Qur'an, 24: 37.
[182] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 12, p. 5.
[183] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 478.
[184] Ibid.
[185] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 12, p. 10.
[186] Ibid. , p. 282.
[187] Ibid. , p. 284.
[188] Qur'an, 2: 276.
[189] Qur'an, 2: 278-279.
[190] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 507.
[191] Ibid. , p. 505.
[192] Ibid. , p. 507.
[193] Ibid. , p. 507.
[194] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 12, p. 430.
[195] Ibid.
[196] Al-Kafi, chapter of piety.
[197] Qur'an, 7: 65.
[198] Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 2, p. 636.
[199] Qur'an, 1: 5.
[200] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 249.
[201] Ibid. , vol. 68, p. 253.
[202] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 113.
[203] Mostadrak Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 165.
[204] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 251.
[205] Ibid.
[206] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 13.
[207] Ibid.
[208] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 114.
[209] Qur'an, 6: 71-72.
[210] Qur'an, 29: 45.
[211] Qur'an, 14: 40.
[212] Qur'an, 2: 3.
[213] Qur'an, 31: 2-4.
[214] Bihar al- Anwar, vol. 82, p. 206.
[215] Ibid. , p. 209
[216] Qur'an, 4: 48.
[217] Qur'an, 4: 110.
[218] Qur'an, 39: 53.
[219] Qur'an, 3: 135.
[220] Qur'an, 11: 114.
[221] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 82, p. 220.
[222] Qur'an, 74: 42-43.
[223] Safeenat al- Bihar, vol. 2, p. 43.
[224] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, pp. 246,259.
[225] Qur'an, 2: 183.
[226] Qur'an, 2: 153.
[227] Qur'an, 33: 35.
[228] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 99, p. 289.
[229]Ibid. , p. 290.
[230] Ibid. , vol. 93, p. 291.
[231] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 292.
[232] Qur'an, 19: 26.
[233] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 292.
[234] Jami‘ al-Sa‘adaat, p. 619.
[235] Qur'an, 6: 127.
[236] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 606.
[237] A hill in Muzdalifah where the hajjis should supplicate Allah earnestly.
[238] Qur'an, 2: 196-197.
[239] Qur'an, 22: 37.
[240] Qur'an, 5: 2.
[241] Qur'an, 2: 203.
[242] Tahleel is the reciting of “la ilaha illallah: there is no god but Allah” and takbeer is the reciting of “allahu akbar: Allah is greater (than all) ”.
[243] Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 2, p. 353.
[244] “Labayk allahumma” means: my Lord, here I am at Your service.
[245] The station of Abraham about thirty meters from the gate of the Kaaba where he used to stand when he was building the Kaaba.
[246] Mustadrak al-Wasa’il, vol. 2, pp. 186,187.
[247] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 27, p. 181.
[248] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 47, p. 79.
[249] The Fourteen (traditions) of Sheikh Baha’ee, p. 92.
[250] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 8.
[251] Qur'an, 8: 69.
[252] Qur'an, 3: 123-124.
[253] Qur'an, 8: 45-46.
[254] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 12.
[255] Ibid.
[256] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 6.
[257] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 195.
[258] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 5
[259] Qur'an, 3: 146-148.
[260] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 52.
[261] Qur'an, 4: 36.
[262] Qur'an, 31: 14.
[263] Qur'an, 17: 23-24.
[264] Al-Khisal, p. 184.
[265] Al-Ta’reef fee Huqooq al-Walidayn, p. 62.
[266] The Prophet, Imam Ali, Fatima, Imam Hasan, and Imam Husayn who were covered by the Prophet’s cloak.
[267] Huqooq al-Walidain, p. 101.
[268] Qur'an, 42: 52.
[269] Khazeenat al-Jawahir, p. 427.
[270] Wasa’il Al-Shiah, vol. 14, p. 14.
[271] Wasa’il Al-Shiah, vol. 5, p. 128.
[272] Ibid. , vol. 14, pp. 19,29.
[273] Ibid. , p. 56.
[274] Ibid. , p. 66.
[275] Ibid. , p. 79.
[276] Ibid. , p. 95.
[277] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 15, p. 121.
[278] Ibid. , p. 124.
[279] Ibid. , p. 126.
[280] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 15, p. 200.
[281] Ershad, p. 271.
[282] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 15, pp. 184,189.
[283] Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 1274.
[284] Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 909.
[285] Qur'an, 4: 1.
[286] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, pp. 91,126.
[287] Ibid. , p. 97.
[288] Ibid. , p. 94.
[289] Ibid. , p. 138.
[290] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 133.
[291] Ibid. , vol. 48, p. 36.
[292] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 150.
[293] Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 2, p. 977.
[294] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 151.
[295] Ibid. , p. 153.
[296] Tahtheeb, vol. 7, p. 146.
[297] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 152.
[298] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 151
[299] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 559
[300] Ibid. , p. 560
[301] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 156.
[302] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 236.
[303] Qur'an, 2: 83.
[304] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 161.
[305] It may refer to people of other creeds.
[306] Ibid. , p. 162
[307] Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 2, p. 1092.
[308] Qur'an, 4: 36.
[309] Qur'an, 22: 18.
[310] Al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 131.
[311] Qur'an, 2: 83.
[312] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 154.
[313]Ibid. , p. 156.
[314] Ibid. , p. 157.
[315] Qur'an, 18: 29.
[316] Qur'an, 10: 32.
[317] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 282.
[318] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 77, p. 236.
[319]Ibid. , vol. 71, p. 292.
[320] Ibid. , vol. 74, p. 238.
321-483
[321] Ibid. , vol. 71, p. 157.
[322] Ibid. , p. 160.
[323] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 491.
[324] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 157.
[325] Qur'an, 16: 90.
[326] Qur'an, 16: 128.
[327] Ghurar al-Hikam.
[328] Ibid.
[329] Tohaf al-Uqool.
[330] Qur'an, 99: 7-8.
[331] Lata’if at-Tawa’if, p. 33.
[332] Qur'an, 17: 7.
[333] Khazeenat al-Jawahir, p. 73.
[334] Qur'an, 24: 19.
[335] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 215.
[336] Qur'an, 49: 12.
[337] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 213.
[338] Ibid.
[339] Al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 58.
[340] Qur'an, 49: 12.
[341] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 222.
[342] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 260
[343] Ibid.
[344] Ibid. , p. 261
[345] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 418.
[346] Kashkool, vol. 5, p. 161.
[347] Jami‘ al-Akhbar, p. 172.
[348] Qur'an, 68: 10-11.
[349] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 369.
[350] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 264.
[351] Ibid. , p. 265.
[352] Ibid. , p. 268
[353] Ibid. , p. 270
[354] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 270.
[355][355] Al-Kuna wal-Alghab, vol. 2, p. 119.
[356] Qur'an, 4: 112.
[357] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 194.
[358] Ibid. , p. 198
[359] Qur'an, 17: 36.
[360] Qur'an, 49: 12.
[361] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 362.
[362] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 201.
[363] Qur'an, 20: 82.
[364] Montaha al-Aamaal, vol. 2, p. 212.
[365] Qur'an, 49: 6.
[366] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 196.
[367] Ibid. , p. 197.
[368] Mi‘raj as-Sa‘adah, p. 182.
[369] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 197.
[370] Qur'an, 16: 105.
[371] Qur'an, 45: 7.
[372] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 234.
[373] Ibid. , p. 236.
[374] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 249.
[375] Ibid. , p. 250.
[376] Ibid. , p. 263.
[377] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69 p. 362, Anwar an-Nu’maniyyah, p. 274.
[378] Al-Kalam Yajurr al-Kalam, vol. 2, pp. 144, 145.
[379] Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 2, p. 1281.
[380] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 246
[381] Qur'an, 26: 224.
[382] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 264.
[383] Ibid. , p. 265
[384] Qur'an, 5: 67.
[385] Qur'an, 5: 3.
[386] Qur'an, 4: 59.
[387] Qur'an, 5: 55.
[388] Qur'an, 5: 3.
[389] Qur'an, 27: 75.
[390] Qur'an, 75: 16.
[391] Qur'an, 69: 12.
[392] Qur'an, 16: 89.
[393] Qur'an, 3: 138.
[394] Qur'an, 36: 12
[395] Qur'an, 6: 38.
[396] Qur'an, 27: 75.
[397] Qur'an, 11: 84.
[398] Qur'an, 11: 86.
[399] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 181, 189.
[400] Qur'an, 49: 10.
[401] Qur'an, 18: 28.
[402] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 186.
[403] Ibid. , p. 189.
[404] Ibid. , p. 187.
[405] Ibid. , p. 192.
[406] Nahj al-Balaghah Faiz, vol. 2, p. 1094
[407] Javan, vol. 1, p. 322 quoted from Al-Nadharat, vol. 1, p. 245
[408] Qur'an, 6: 21.
[409] Qur'an, 6: 45.
[410] Qur'an, 6: 47.
[411] Qur'an, 23: 41.
[412] Qur'an, 4: 9.
[413] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 325.
[414] Qur'an, 40: 18.
[415] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, pp. 309, 330.
[416] Ibid. , p. 311.
[417] Qur'an, 2: 24.
[418] Bihar al-Anwar , vol. 72, p. 316.
[419] Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 1174.
[420] Qur'an, 4: 48.
[421] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 321.
[422] Ibid. , p. 308.
[423] Nahj al-Balaghah, sermon 215.
[424] Ibid. , p. 948.
[425] Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 956, Letter 45.
[426] Nahj al-Balaghah, explained by Muhammad Abdo, vol. 2, p. 79.
[427] Qur'an, 17: 26.
[428] Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 961.
[429] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 222.
[430] Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 1, p. 355.
[431] Qur'an, 26: 150-152.
[432] Qur'an, 11: 113.
[433] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 369.
[434] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 377.
[435] Qur'an, 5: 8.
[436] Qur'an, 57: 25.
[437] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, pp. 26-38
[438] Ibid. , p. 25.
[439] Ibid.
[440] Ibid. , p. 27.
[441] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 27
[442] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 29
[443] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 31
[444] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 146.
[445] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 38.
[446] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 166
[447] Montaha al-Aamaal, vol. 1, p. 166.
[448] Qur'an, 107: 4-7.
[449] Qur'an, 4: 142.
[450] Qur'an, 2: 264.
[451] Qur'an, 8: 47.
[452] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 1, p. 51
[453] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 301.
[454] Ibid. , p. 324.
[455] Anwar al-Nomaniah, p. 251.
[456] Qur'an, 53: 32.
[457] Qur'an, 35: 8.
[458] Qur'an, 18: 103-104.
[459] Qur'an, 79: 17.
[460] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 313.
[461] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 312.
[462] Ibid. , p. 316.
[463] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 314.
[464] Ibid.
[465] Khisal, vol. 1, p. 42.
[466] Mi‘raj al-Sa‘adah, p. 207.
[467] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 313.
[468] Ibid.
[469] Ibid.
[470] Ibid. , p. 314.
[471] Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 2, p. 1021.
[472] Mi‘raj al-Sa‘adah, p. 213.
[473] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 2, p. 118.
[474] Ibid. , p. 117.
[475] Ghurar al-Hikam.
[476] Qur'an, 33: 69-70.
[477] Jami‘ al-Sa‘adat, p. 373.
[478] Ibid.
[479] Bihar al-Anwar, p. 303.
[480] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 303.
[481] Ibid.
[482] Ibid. , p. 287.
[483] Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 1 p. 561.
484-650
[484] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 374.
[485] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 62, p. 304.
[486] Jami‘ al-Sa‘adat, p. 374.
[487] Bihar al-Anwar,vol. 68, p. 301.
[488] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 294.
[489] Ibid.
[490] Ibid. , p. 295.
[491] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 50.
[492] Qur'an, 8;55-56.
[493] Qur'an, 2: 40-41.
[494] Qur'an, 2: 124.
[495] Tafsir of Safi, p. 47.
[496] Qur'an, 2: 124.
[497] Qur'an, 19: 54.
[498] Mostadrak, Ketab al-Hajj, p. 85.
[499] Qur'an, 23: 1,8.
[500] Qur'an, 13: 20.
[501] Qur'an, 2: 177.
[502] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 675.
[503] Wasa’il al-Shiah, Kitab al-Jihad.
[504] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 260.
[505] Qur'an, 53: 37.
[506] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 1, p. 68.
[507] Qur'an, 5: 33.
[508] Qur'an, 17: 31.
[509] Qur'an, 4: 92.
[510] Mufradat ar-Raghib al-Isfahani.
[511] Qur'an, 3: 135.
[512] Qur'an, 6: 160.
[513] Qur'an, 7: 131.
[514] Qur'an, 2: 219.
[515] Qur'an, 36: 45.
[516] Qur'an, 7: 201.
[517] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 287
[518] Qur'an, 2: 204-206.
[519] Qur'an, 5: 2.
[520] Qur'an, 3: 131.
[521] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 191.
[522] Ibid.
[523] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 97.
[524] Mizan al-Hikmah.
[525] Qur'an, 30: 10.
[526] Qur'an, 25: 11-12.
[527] Mi‘raj al-Sa‘adah (chapter of repentance) ,p. 553.
[528] Qur'an, 2: 221-237.
[529] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 100, p. 221.
[530] Ibid.
[531] Ibid. , p. 220.
[532] Ibid. , p. 217.
[533] Qur'an, 30: 21.
[534] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 100, p. 237.
[535] Mostadrak, vol. 2, p. 532.
[536] Ibid.
[537] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 100, p. 236.
[538] Ibid. , p. 224.
[539] Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 1, p. 170.
[540] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 140, p. 164.
[541] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 100, p. 238.
[542] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 14, p. 123.
[543] Bihar al-Anwar , vol. 100, p. 230.
[544] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 14, p. 115.
[545] Ibid, p. 116.
[546] Ibid. , p. 119.
[547] Ibid. , p. 116.
[548] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 14, p. 116.
[549] Ibid. , p. 111.
[550] Ibid.
[551]Ibid. , p. 121.
[552] Ibid.
[553] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 14, p. 139.
[554] Ibid. , p. 4
[555] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 14, p. 128.
[556] Ibid. , p. 124.
[557] Ibid. , p. 460.
[558] Ibid.
[559] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 100, pp. 236-237.
[560] Ghurar al-Hikam.
[561] Mizan al-Hikmah.
[562] Ghurar al-Hikam.
[563] Mizan al-Hikmah.
[564] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 53.
[565] Mizan al-Hikmah.
[566] Qur'an, 114: 1-6.
[567] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 44
[568] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 48
[569] Wafi, vol. 3, p. 169
[570] Bihar al-Anwar,vol. 67, p. 50.
[571] Ibid.
[572] Ibid. , p. 51.
[573] Ibid.
[574] Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 132.
[575] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 51.
[576] Ibid. , p. 52.
[577] Khisal.
[578] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 54.
[579]Ibid. , p. 59.
[580] Ibid. , vol. 75, p. 308.
[581] Ten Discourses quoted from al-Mizan.
[582] Qur'an, 53: 9.
[583] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 25
[584] Qur'an, 26: 88-89.
[585] Qur'an, 49: 3.
[586] Qur'an,16: 18.
[587] Qur'an, 2: 264.
[588] Ghurar al-Hikam.
[589] Qur'an, 3: 164
[590] Qur'an, 14: 5-6.
[591] Qur'an, 31: 20.
[592] Qur'an, 14: 5.
[593] Bihar al-Hikam, vol. 67, p. 20.
[594] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 673.
[595] Ghurar al-Hikam.
[596] Qur'an, 17: 36.
[597] Qur'an, 34: 13.
[598] Qur'an, 102: 8.
[599] Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 626.
[600] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 122.
[601] Qur'an, 7: 31.
[602] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 63, p. 338.
[603] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 77.
[604] Khisal, p. 229.
[605] Makarim al-Akhlaq, p. 169.
[606] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 59, p. 326.
[607] Ibid. , p. 66.
[608] Ghurar al-Hikam.
[609] Khisal, vol. 1, p. 161.
[610] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 59, p. 82.
[611] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 59, p. 297
[612] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 63, pp. 194,197.
[613] Ibid. , p. 194.
[614] Ibid. , vol. 59, p. 266.
[615] Ibid. , p. 261.
[616]Ibid. , p. 266.
[617] Ibid. , p. 267.
[618] Ibid.
[619] Ibid.
[620] Ibid.
[621] Nahj al-Balaghah.
[622] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 59, p. 271.
[623] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 674.
[624] Ibid. , p. 675.
[625] Ibid.
[626] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 63, pp. 436,443.
[627] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 63, pp. 436,443.
[628] Ibid.
[629] Ibid. , p. 331.
[630] Ibid. , p. 325.
[631] Abwab al-Jinan (the doors to paradises).
[632] Ibid.
[633] Qur'an, 39: 33.
[634] Qur'an, 2: 177.
[635] Kholasat al-Manhaj, p. 100.
[636] Qur'an, 9: 119.
[637] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 18.
[638] Qur'an, 33: 23.
[639] Qur'an, 26: 6.
[640] Wafi, vol. 3, p. 82.
[641]Ibid.
[642] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 66, p. 3.
[643] Wafi, vol. 3, p. 83.
[644] Khisal, vol. , p. 184.
[645] Sirat is a bridge over the Hell to be crossed by all human beings on the Day of Reckoning.
[646] Qur'an, 2: 3-4.
[647] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 66, pp. 64,67.
[648] Ibid. , p. 69.
[649] Ibid. , pp. 66,68.
[650] Qur'an, 2: 3.
651-800
[651] Qur'an, 2: 3.
[652] Mizan al-Hikmah.
[653] Mizan al-Hikmah
[654] Qur'an, 3: 133.
[655] Qur'an, 2: 177.
[656] Qur'an, 2: 241.
[657] Qur'an, 3: 92.
[658] Qur'an, 92: 17-21.
[659] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 114.
[660] Ibid. , p. 124.
[661] Amaali of Skeikh Sadooq.
[662] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 120.
[663] Ibid. , p. 121.
[664] Ibid. , p. 122.
[665] Ibid.
[666] Ibid. , p. 123.
[667] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 123.
[668]Ibid. , p. 126.
[669] Qur'an, 9: 104.
[670] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 127.
[671] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. , 46, p. 74.
[672] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 146.
[673] Qur'an, 4: 38.
[674] Qur'an, 2: 264.
[675] Qur'an, 3: 133-134.
[676] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 90
[677] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 90
[678] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 299
[679] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 231.
[680] Ibid.
[681] Ibid.
[682] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 299.
[683] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 418.
[684] Idols worshipped by the people of Quraysh in the pre-Islamic times.
[685] Qur'an, 3: 37.
[686] Rayaheen al-Sharee’ah, vol. 1, p. 130.
[687] Qur'an, 3: 134.
[688] Montaha al-Aamaal, vol. 2, p. 5.
[689] Majmouah Waram, p. 2
[690] Qur'an, 3: 134.
[691] Qur'an, 2: 237.
[692] Qur'an, 7: 199.
[693] Kholasat al-Manhaj, vol. 2, p. 171.
[694] Ibid.
[695] Qur'an, 24: 22.
[696] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 401.
[697] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 427.
[698] Ibid. , p. 419.
[699] Ghurar al-Hikam.
[700] Ibid.
[701] Ibid.
[702] Ibid.
[703] Ibid.
[704] Ibid.
[705] Ghurar al-Hikam.
[706] Qur'an, 3: 134.
[707] The same verse.
[708] The same verse.
[709] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 414.
[710] Qur'an, 12: 92.
[711] Montaha al-Aamaal, vol. 1, p. 92.
[712] Dar al-Salam Noori vol. 1, p. 315
[713] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 46, p. 103.
[714] Qur'an, 21: 48-49.
[715] Qur'an, 24: 52.
[716] Qur'an, 39: 23.
[717] Majma al-Bayan, vol. 8, p. 459.
[718] Qur'an, 79: 40-41.
[719] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 344.
[720] Ibid. , p. 357.
[721] Ganj Jawahir Danesh.
[722] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 55.
[723] Ibid.
[724] Ibid. , p. 57.
[725] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 56.
[726] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 377
[727] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 378.
[728] Safeenat al-Bihar.
[729] Qur'an, 3: 191.
[730] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 95.
[731] Ibid. , vol. 2, p. 434.
[732] Supplication of Ramadhan.
[733] Ghurar al-Hikam.
[734] Ibid.
[735] The Du’a of Eftitah.
[736] The Friday Supplication
[737] The Du’a of Arafah.
[738] The Du’as of Kumayl and Arafah.
[739] Al-Wafi, vol. 3, p. 173.
[740] Ibid.
[741] Qur'an, 56: 10-12.
[742] Qur'an, 17: 107-109.
[743] Qur'an, 19: 51-58.
[744] Safi, p. 341.
[745] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 417.
[746] Safi, p. 340.
[747] Qur'an, 39: 71.
[748] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 90, p. 328.
[749] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 97.
[750] Ghurar al-Hikam.
[751] Ibid.
[752] Ibid.
[753] Ibid.
[754] Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 756.
[755] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 90, p. 328.
[756] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 90, p. 329.
[757]Ibid. , p. 332.
[758] Ibid. , p. 331.
[759] Ibid. , p. 332.
[760] Mostadrak, vol. 2, p. 293.
[761] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 95.
[762] Khazinat al-Jawahir, p. 325.
[763] Of course, all the Prophets of Allah are infallible and do not commit any sin or even any simple error.
[764] Mostadrak, vol. 2, p. 295.
[765] Ibid.
[766] Abwab al-Jinan.
[767] Qur'an, 2: 74.
[768] Qur'an, 5: 13.
[769] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 90, p. 330.
[770] Ibid.
[771] Ibid. , p. 334
[772] Ibid. , p. 335
[773] Ibid. , vol. 67, p. 286.
[774] Qur'an, 9: 119.
[775] Qur'an, 2: 197.
[776] Qur'an, 2: 3.
[777] Qur'an, 8: 3.
[778] Qur'an, 31: 4.
[779] Qur'an, 22: 35.
[780] Noor al-Thaqalayn.
[781] Qur'an, 3: 200.
[782] Noor al-Thaqalayn, vol. 1, p. 353.
[783] Ibid.
[784] Noor al-Thaqalayn, vol. 1, p. 354.
[785] Qur'an, 2: 155-157.
[786] Qur'an, 73: 10.
[787] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 183.
[788] Ibid. , p. 78.
[789] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 124.
[790] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 87.
[791] Bahjat al-Amal, vol. 1, p. 421
[792] Bahjat al-Amal, vol. 4, p. 23.
[793] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 79, p. 152.
[794] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 79, p. 149.
[795] Ibid. , vol. 67, p. 282.
[796] Qur'an, 16: 128.
[797] Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 1, p. 602
[798] Qur'an, 31: 19.
[799] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 431
[800] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 113.
801-950
[801] Qur'an, 6: 141.
[802] Qur'an, 17: 27, 29.
[803] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 302.
[804] Qur'an, 17: 26.
[805] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 302.
[806] Ibid. , p. 303.
[807] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 303
[808] Helayat al-Mottaqin
[809] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 304
[810] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 120
[811] Qur'an, 2: 206.
[812] Qur'an, 31: 18.
[813] Qur'an, 17: 37.
[814] Qur'an, 5: 54.
[815] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 133.
[816] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 117.
[817]Ibid. , p. 119.
[818] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 129.
[819] Ibid.
[820] Ibid. , p. 135.
[821] Hammam Sermon
[822] Qur'an, 24: 30-31.
[823] Mostadrak, vol. 2, p. 554.
[824] Ibid.
[825] Ibid.
[826] Minhaj al-Bara’ah, vol. 6, p. 6.
[827] Qur'an, 39: 9.
[828] Qur'an, 9: 122.
[829] Qur'an, 7: 32.
[830] Qur'an, 96: 5.
[831] Qur'an, 20: 114.
[832] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 1, p. 164.
[833] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 1, p. 164.
[834] Ibid. , p. 172.
[835] Ibid.
[836] Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 1144.
[837] Hammam Sermon.
[838] Qur'an, 9: 51.
[839] Qur'an, 33: 17.
[840] Qur'an, 27: 62.
[841] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 152.
[842] Ibid.
[843] Ibid.
[844] Ibid, p. 153.
[845] Ibid. , p. 159.
[846] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 160.
[847] Qur'an, 8: 34.
[848] Qur'an, 10: 63.
[849] Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 1277.
[850] Hammam Sermon.
[851] Qur'an, 10: 6.
[852] Qur'an, 45: 3-5.
[853] Qur'an, 45: 12-13.
[854] Qur'an, 102: 5.
[855] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 176.
[856] Al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 95.
[857] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 158.
[858] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, pp. 159,174.
[859] Al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 90
[860] Minhaj al-Bara’ah, vol. 6, p. 7.
[861] Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 2, p. 1233.
[862] Ghurar al-Hikam.
[863] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 269.
[864] Qur'an, 7: 26.
[865] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 271.
[866] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 273.
[867] Ibid
[868] Ibid, p. 272.
[869] Hammam Sermon.
[870] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 73.
[871] Ibid. , p. 74.
[872] Qur'an, 57: 20.
[873] Qur'an, 3: 14.
[874] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 79.
[875] Ibid. , p. 88.
[876] Qur'an, 56: 1-2.
[877] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 88.
[878] Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 1123.
[879] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 110.
[880] Ibid.
[881] Hammam Sermon.
[882] Qur'an, 73: 1-4.
[883] Qur'an, 17: 79.
[884] Qur'an, 3: 17.
[885] Qur'an, 3: 190-191.
[886] Tahtheeb, vol. 1, p. 231.
[887] Al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 445.
[888] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 3, p. 67.
[889] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 84, p. 138.
[890] Ibid. , p. 137.
[891] Sunni and Shiite books.
[892] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 4, p. 851.
[893] Ibid. , p. 852.
[894] Ibid. , p. 853.
[895] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 4, p. 854.
[896] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 459
[897] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 92, p. 215.
[898] Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 459.
[899] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 92, p. 207.
[900] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 4, p. 861.
[901] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 4, p. 863.
[902] Tohaf al-Ahbab, p. 393.
[903] Montaha al-Aamaal, vol. 1, p. 378.
[904] Qur'an, 22: 18.
[905] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 82, p. 128.
[906] Rawdhah of al-Kafi, p. 128.
[907] Hammam Sermon.
[908] Minhaj al-Bara’ah, vol. 6, p. 10.
[909] Jami’ al-Sa’adaat.
[910] Jami’ al-Sa’adat, vol. 1, p. 161.
[911] Ibid.
[912] Ibid. , p. 165.
[913]Jami’ al-Sa’adaat, vol. 1, p. 165.
[914]Ibid.
[915] Al-Baqiyat al-Salihat, by Sheikh Mofeed.
[916] Awalim, vol. 2, p. 271.
[917] Ibid.
[918] Awalim, vol. 2, p. 271.
[919] Ibid. , p. 275.
[920] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 394.
[921] Ibid.
[922] Ibid. , p. 399.
[923]Ibid. , p. 401.
[924] Qur'an, 3: 193.
[925] Qur'an, 3: 198.
[926] Hammam Sermon.
[927] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 75, p. 301.
[928] Ibid. , p. 300.
[929] Qur'an, 53: 32.
[930] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 323.
[931] Hammam Sermon.
[932] Tanqeeh al-Maqal, vol. 2, p. 128.
[933] Qur'an, 49: 15.
[934] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 126.
[935] Ibid.
[936] Qur'an, 3: 159.
[937] Qur'an, 17: 24.
[938] Qur'an, 26: 215.
[939] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, pp. 51, 60.
[940] Ibid. , p. 55.
[941] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 51.
[942] Qur'an, 2: 4.
[943] Mofradat.
[944] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 138
[945] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 142
[946] Qur'an, 18: 82.
[947] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 152
[948] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 44, p. 196.
[949] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 431.
[950] Ibid.
951-1112
[951] Qur'an, 23: 1-2.
[952] Bihar al-Anwar,vol. 72, p. 112.
[953] Ibid. , p. 107.
[954] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 112.
[955] Ibid. , p. 183.
[956] Ibid. , vol. 72, p. 183.
[957] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 12, p. 11.
[958] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 12, p. 11.
[959] Ibid. , p. 12.
[960] Khisal, vol. 1, p. 253.
[961] Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 1061.
[962] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 168.
[963] Ibid.
[964] Ibid.
[965] Ibid.
[966] Qur'an, 9: 55.
[967] Qur'an, 20: 131.
[968] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 172.
[969] Hammam Sermon.
[970] Mofradat.
[971] Qur'an, 34: 13.
[972] Qur'an, 14: 7.
[973] Bihar al-Anwar,vol. 68, p. 22.
[974] Ibid. , p. 38.
[975] Qur'an, 31: 31.
[976] Qur'an, 40: 61.
[977] Qur'an, 23: 78.
[978] Qur'an, 28: 73.
[979] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 22
[980] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 23.
[981] Qur'an, 34: 13.
[982] Qur'an, 2: 152.
[983] Qur'an, 33: 41.
[984] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 90, p. 155.
[985] Qur'an, 63: 9.
[986] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 90, p. 150.
[987] Ibid.
[988] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 90, p. 154.
[989] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 673.
[990] Bihar al-Anwar,vol. 90, p. 154.
[991] Ibid. , p. 155.
[992] Ibid. , p. 163.
[993] Ibid.
[994] Qur'an, 3: 191.
[995] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 90, p. 161.
[996] Ibid.
[997] Qur'an, 7: 205.
[998] Qur'an, 10: 6-8.
[999] Qur'an, 10: 92.
[1000] Bihar al-Anwarm vol. 70, p. 157.
[1001] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 323.
[1002] Ibid.
[1003] Ibid.
[1004] Ibid.
[1005] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 100.
[1006] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 99.
[1007] Hammam Sermon.
[1008] Qur'an, 61: 2-3.
[1009] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 66, p. 64.
[1010] Ibid. , p. 65.
[1011] Ibid. , p. 67.
[1012] Ibid.
[1013] Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 42.
[1014] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 164.
[1015] Ibid. , p. 166.
[1016] Kashkool, vol. 1, p. 14.
[1017] Ibid. , p. 35.
[1018] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 175.
[1019] Al-Jawahir al-Adadiyyah.
[1020] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 178.
[1021] Ibid.
[1022] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 16, p. 498.
[1023] Ibid. , p. 497.
[1024] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 16, p. 497.
[1025] Qur'an, 3: 134.
[1026] Minhaj al-Bara’ah, vol. 6, p. 17.
[1027] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 289.
[1028] Minhaj al-Bara’ah, vol. 6, p. 18.
[1029] Hammam Sermon.
[1030] Noor al-Thaqalain vol. 2, p. 111.
[1031] Qur'an, 7: 199.
[1032] Noor al-Thaqalain ,vol. 2, p. 111.
[1033] Ithna Ashariyyah, p. 315.
[1034] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 420.
[1035] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 11, p. 327.
[1036] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 277.
[1037] Ibid.
[1038] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 274
[1039] Qur'an, 20: 44.
[1040] Qur'an, 3: 159.
[1041] Al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 326.
[1042] Hammam Sermon.
[1043] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 35.
[1044] Ibid. , p. 37.
[1045] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 14, p. 144.
[1046] Ibid. , vol. 68, p. 397.
[1047] Ibid, p. 337.
[1048] Sharh Ibn Abi Al-Hadeed, vol. 10, p. 159.
[1049] Qur'an, 2: 155-157.
[1050] Majma’ al-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 238.
[1051]Ibid.
[1052] Qur'an, 39: 10.
[1053] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 73.
[1054] Ibid. , p. 80.
[1055] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 33.
[1056] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 68, p. 359.
[1057] Ibid.
[1058] Hammam Sermon.
[1059] Qur'an,33: 72.
[1060] Qur'an, 23: 9.
[1061] Qur'an, 23: 8.
[1062] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 114.
[1063]Ibid.
[1064] Ibid.
[1065] Ibid.
[1066] Qur'an, 6: 44.
[1067] Qur'an, 7: 165.
[1068] Qur'an, 49: 11.
[1069] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 144.
[1070] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 8, p. 448.
[1071] Ibid. , p. 487.
[1072] Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 8, p. 488.
[1073] Zeenat al-Majalis.
[1074] Minhaj al-Bara’ah, vol. 6, p. 20.
[1075]Ibid. , p. 21.
[1076] Minhaj al-Bara’ah, vol. 6, p. 21.
[1077] Qur'an, 89: 14.
[1078] Qur'an, 14: 42.
[1079] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 105.
[1080] Ibid.
[1081] Ibid.
[1082] Ibid.
[1083] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 109.
[1084] Hammam Sermon.
[1085] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 186.
[1086] Ibid.
[1087] Ibid. , p. 185.
[1088] Qur'an, 48: 29.
[1089] Qur'an, 2: 14.
[1090] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 35.
[1091] Hammam Sermon.
[1092] Qur'an, 8: 2.
[1093] Abwab al-Jinan, vol. 1, p. 4.
[1094] Ibid.
[1095] Ibid. , p. 7.
[1096] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 2, p. 58.
[1097] Qur'an, 61: 2-3.
[1098] Abwab al-Jinan, vol. 7.
[1099] Qur'an, 10: 49.
[1100] Qur'an, 55: 26-27.
[1101] Qur'an, 36: 60-62.
[1102] Qur'an, 2: 168-169.
[1103] Qur'an, 4: 118-121.
[1104] Qur'an, 5: 91.
[1105] Qur'an, 7: 15.
[1106] Qur'an, 7: 16-17.
[1107] Qur'an, 7: 27.
[1108] Qur'an, 38: 82-83.
[1109] Qur'an, 38: 84-85.
[1110] Qur'an, 50: 18.
[1111] Safeenat al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 98.
[1112] Qur'an, 15: 39.