The ahl ul-bayt ; ethical role-models chapter2

The ahl ul-bayt ; ethical role-models

DECEPTION 

DECEPTION 

Deception means to be deceived by a devilish trickery or a wrong idea, such as spending the usurped property in fields of charity. It causes many people to believe in the validity of their acts, but if they examine them precisely, they will understand that their deeds were only delusion. Thus, deception is the most dangerous snare, weapon, and trickery 

of the Devil. 

There are however different forms of deception varying according to the trends of the deluded individuals. Some people are deluded by the charming pleasures of this world and others are deluded by knowledge, leadership, wealth, worship, and the like. 

Forms of Deception 

Worldly Deception 

Worldly Deception 

Faithless individuals are mostly deceived by the false charms of this world. They neglect the inevitable termination of this world and forget that there is an endless life to come; therefore, they put two inaccurate reasons as the justification of their being deceived by this world: 

FIRST, they claim that this world is cash while the life to come is credit. 

SECOND, they claim that the pleasures of this world are certain, while the pleasures of the world to come are uncertain. 

This is in fact a big mistake. Regarding the first claim, it is true that cash is better than credit if they are equal in the measurement of benefit. But when the credit is preponderant to the cash, it becomes preferable. This is the big difference between the pleasures of this world and these of the world to come. As a matter of fact, the pleasures of this world will come to an end, while those of the world to come are everlasting. 

Regarding the second claim, it is also inaccurate to doubt the life to come. The prophets, their successors, scholars, and many nations proved undoubtedly the existence of the life to come. Hence, to doubt it is insanity denied by religion and reason. 

In the same manner, the sick believes in the benefit of the 

medicine that is prescribed unanimously by physicians. If he belies them, he is then dull and foolish. 

�Know that the worldly life is only a game, a temporary attraction, a means of boastfulness among yourselves and a place for multiplying your wealth and children. It is like the rain, which produces plants that are attractive to the unbelievers. These plants flourish, turn yellow, and then become crushed bits of straw. In the life hereafter there will be severe torment or forgiveness and mercy from Allah. The worldly life is only an illusion (59: 20). � 

�The example of the worldly life is like the water sent down from the sky, which becomes mixed with the earth's produce that people and cattle consume. When the land becomes fertile and pleasant, people think that they have control over it. At Our command during the night or day, the land becomes as barren as if it had no richness the day before. Thus, do We explain the evidence (of the truth) for the people who reflect. (10: 24) � 

�Those who have rebelled and preferred the worldly life, Hell will be their dwelling. However, those who had feared their Lord and restrained their souls from acting according to its desires, Paradise will be the dwelling (79: 37-41). � 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �For him who begins and ends his day considering this world as his main concern, Allah will put poverty between his eyes, scatter his affairs, and he will not gain anything of this world except that which is decided for him. For him who begins and 

ends his day considering the world to come as his main concern, Allah will install richness in his heart and will manage all his affairs. �[247] 

Imam al-Kadhim (a) said: �Husham, the intelligent have abstained from the worldly pleasures and desired for the world to come because they have known that world, as well as the world to come, is demanding and demanded[248]. This world will surely trace the seeker of the world to come to give him his provisions perfectly. The world to come will trace the seeker of the worldly pleasures when death overcomes him to deprive him of the pleasures of this world and the world to come. �[249] 

The Everlasting Law 

Unanimously, people have complained about this world, because they suffer its pains. Any pleasure in this world is roiled by griefs and any rest is roiled by sufferance. It does not conform to anybody and no man can find true happiness in it. However, they have different courses about it. Some loved it maniacally, rushed madly upon its transient wreckage; therefore, they lived in states of enmity and wrangle. Others disregarded it and sought the refuge of the temples and places of worship escaping its charms and pleasure; therefore, they changed into scattered groups that lived in the margins of life. 

In the midst of such two different tendencies, Islam, out of its comprehensive reformation, came to enact the everlasting law that combines the world and religion and unites the purposes of this life with the spiritual desires in such a high method befitting man�s nature and 

guaranteeing pleasure and comfort. 

In some situations, Islam has warned the adorers of this world against its deceptions so that they will be freed from slavery. In other situations, Islam has brought gradually the extremists who escape the charms of this world near its innocent sweets and pure desires so that they will not withdraw from the caravans of life and become the subject of poverty and humility. 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �He who dedicates his worldly life totally to the world to come is not one of us, and he who ignores his world to come for sake of enjoying his worldly life is, too, not one of us. �[250] 

One of the Imams (a) said: �Work for your worldly life as if you will live forever, and work for the world to come as if you will die tomorrow. �[251] 

Following this law, the Islamic civilization flourished, and Muslims could find themselves places in the scales of perfection. In the light of this law, we can conclude the following facts: 

- To have the pleasures and legal desires of this world is not discommended so long as it does not contain a forbidden matter or extravagance: 

� (Muhammad) , ask them, "Who has made it unlawful to maintain beauty and to eat the pure foods which Allah has created for His servants? They are made for the believers in this world and are exclusively for them in the life hereafter. " Thus do We explain Our revelations to the people who have knowledge. (7: 32) � 

Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) said: �Know, creatures of Allah, that the God-fearing 

have shared the joys of this transient world as well as the next coming world, for they shared with the people of this world in their worldly matters while people did not share with them in the matters of the next world. They lived in this world in the best manner of living and ate the choicest food and consequently they enjoyed herein all that the people with ease of life enjoyed, and secured from it what the haughty and the vain secured. Then, they departed from it after taking provision enough to take them to the end of their journey and after doing a profitable transaction. �[252] 

- To have the precious acquisitions of this world is not discommended unless they are usurped, ill-gotten, or diverting from the reference and the acts of obedience to God. To acquire such things for dispensing with people or seeking the contentment of God, such as regarding the relatives, aiding the poor, or establishing charitable projects like schools, mosques, and hospitals, is among the best acts of obedience. 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �He who does not collect fortunes legally for dispensing with people, repaying his debts, and regarding his relatives is worthless. �[253] 

As a man said he sought the worldly pleasures and hope he would collect them for sake of spending them on his dependants and himself, regarding others, and performing the hajj and umrah, Imam as-Sadiq (a) commented: 

�This is not the seeking for this world. It is surely the seeking for the life to come. �[254] 

The desire to survive in this 

world is not discommended at all, since its purposes are acceptable. He who desires for survival in this world so as to provide more acts of obedience to God or have more virtues is praised, but he who desires for survival so as to commit sins is surely dispraised. 

Imam as-Sejjad (a) said: � (O Allah) give me long life in this world so that I will spend it in the fields of Your obedience. But if it will be a hotbed for the Shaitan, then grasp my soul. � 

Disadvantages of the Worldly Deception 

(1) The most serious danger of deception is that it casts a screen between the intellect and reality and, therefore, the defects and shortcomings, such as gluttony, greed, madly rushing upon the false pleasures that cause disrespect, cannot be noticed. 

(2) Deception causes unhappiness because it pushes into the midst of the life sufferance and closes the eyes before satisfaction. 

(3) Deception is on the top in the list of the matters that distract from being ready for the life to come and taking along provisions of righteous deeds: 

�Those who have rebelled and preferred the worldly life, Hell will be their dwelling. However, those who had feared their Lord and restrained their souls from acting according to its desires, Paradise will be the dwelling (79: 37-41). � 

Treatment of the Worldly Deception 

It is recommended to keep in mind the Quranic texts and narrations that dispraise this world and display its horrible dangers, and to keep in mind the unanimous agreement of the prophets, their successors, and people of wisdom upon the inevitable termination of this world and the certain immortality of the life to come. Hence, man of reason should prefer that which will last forever to that which will inescapably come to an end, and should get ready for the everlasting pleasure and bliss: 

�However, (the disbelievers) prefer the worldly life even though the life hereafter will be better and will last forever. This is what is written in the ancient heavenly Books; the Scriptures of Abraham and Moses (87: 16-9). � 

It is also recommended to benefit by the sermons, maxims, and expressive stories 

that show the regret of the tyrants because of their having been deceived by this world. The most effective sermon in this regard is the word that Amir ul-Mu'minin addressed to his son al-Hasan (a): 

�Enliven your heart with preaching, kill it by renunciation, energize it with firm belief, humiliate it by recalling death, make it believe in mortality, make it see the misfortunes of this world, make it fear the authority of the time and the severity of some changes during the nights and the days, place before it the events of past people, recall to it what befell those who were before you and walk among their cities and ruins, then see what they did and from what they have gone away and where they have gone and stayed. You will find that they departed from (their) friends and lodged in the house of loneliness. Call in their houses: empty houses, where are your habitants? Then stop on their graves and say: ragged bodies and separated organs, how have you found the lodge in which you are living? Shortly, you too will be like one of them. Therefore, plan for your place of stay and do not sell your next life with this world. �[255] 

People of wisdom have shown a very fascinating picture that depicts man�s madly rushing upon this world. They said: �The deceived by this world is like a person who is hanging in a well with a rope tied to his waist. In the depth of that well, there is a huge 

dragon waiting for his falling and opening its mouth for swallowing him. In the upper of that well, there are two black and white rats gnawing that rope continuously. Although that person can see that dragon and the gradual cutting of the rope, he pushes himself towards little honey found on the wall of that well and mixed with dust. In addition, there are many bees fighting for gaining that honey. In the midst of all this, that person engages himself in licking that honey and competing with those bees on it, without paying attention to the horrible situation above and under him as long as he could find sweet that licking. � 

The person in the previous picture represents man, the rope is his age, the huge dragon is death, the two rats are day and night, honey that is mixed with dust is the worldly pleasures that are mixed with griefs and sins, and the bees are sons of this world who compete with each other for gaining its pleasures. 

When the angel of death came to Prophet Noah (a) , he was in sunlight. After greeting him, Noah asked: �Why are you here? � He answered: �To take your soul. � Noah asked: �Will you permit me to go to the shade? � The Angel did. Then Noah changed his position saying: �Angel of death! What happened to me in life is like the change of position from sunlight to shade, now perform your mission. � 

In his final hours, al-Mansour; the Abbasid caliph said: �We have sold our life to 

come with a single slumber. � 

In his last agonies of death, Harun ar-Rashid[256] was repeating (God�s saying about the disbelievers): �Our wealth has been of no benefit to us and our belief has destroyed us. (69: 29)

� 

In his final hours, Abdul-Malik ibn Marwan, the Umayyad caliph, was asked about his feelings. He answered: �I am as exactly as the saying of God: 

Allah will say, "You have come to Us alone just as We created you at first. You have left behind all those which We gave to you. " (6: 94) � 

On the sea, Zaitoun, the wise man, saw a man excessively depressed due to the loss of worldly pleasures. He said to him, �Man, what for is this depression? Suppose you are greatly rich, and you are about to drown because the ship you have been on smashed up, will your one and only hope be salvation even if you lose all that which you have in possession? � �Yes, of course,� answered the man. �Supposing you are a king,� went on the wise man, �but you are surrounded by some people whose main intention is to kill you, will your one and only hope be to escape from them even if you lose all that which is under your control? � �Yes, of course,� said the man. �Now,� said the wise man, �you are that rich man and you, too, are that king. � 

These words made that man feel happy. 

- An expert asked a rich man about the way he had been seeking the worldly pleasures. �It has been very tense,� 

asked the rich man. The expert asked, �Have you attained that which you want? � �No,� answered the rich man. The expert said, �You have spent all your days for attaining the worldly pleasures, but you have not attained anything. How will you attain the world that you have not worked for? � 

Such lessons and examples influence only the sound hearts and the aware intellects. On the other side, even the most profound sermons, examples, and lessons will not find any ground or welcome by those whom are enslaved by the worldly pleasures. A wise man said: �If a heart is sealed by the fondness of this world, any amount of sermons and admonitions will not influence it. In the same manner, any amount of medicine will not be useful for the body that is completely predominated by a malady. �

Deception of Knowledge 

Some people feel arrogant for their scope of knowledge. Such feelings may take them beyond the limits and make them compete hideously with each other for attaining high ranks. Such ones should have believed that knowledge is not a purpose. It is a means achieving self-discipline, self-perfection, and happiness in this world as well as the world to come. If knowledge does not achieve such aims, it turns into a waste effort: 

�Those who were to carry the responsibility of the Torah but ignored, are like donkeys laden with books. � (62: 5) 

Knowledge is in fact like rainfall that drops on the fertile lands to change them into handsome gardens producing goodness and beauty. But if it drops on a 

barren land, it will surely be useless. In the same manner, knowledge spreads brightness on the virtuous people, while it only increases the naivety of the lowly. 

Man should not take pride in his knowledge since he is not the only one in this field. In the old as well as modern ages, people recognized a great variety of noble men of knowledge who achieved great feats to humankind. 

Knowledge should not be a subject of pride since responsibilities of people of knowledge are gravely serious. Moreover, people of knowledge are more answerable than the ignorant. Knowledge will be curse for those who do not take it as guide and do not apply it to themselves: 

The Prophet (s) said: �All my people will be virtuous if two classes of them become virtuous and will be reprobate if these two classes become reprobate: the jurists and leaders. �[257] 

�As some people of Paradise will look at people of Hell, they will be astonished as they will find the instructors that taught them the religious affairs among them. They will ask, �How it is that you are in Hell while we are in Paradise only because we followed your instructions? � They will answer, �That is because we did not apply these instructions to ourselves. ��[258] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �Seventy sins of the ignorant will be forgiven before a single sin of the knowledgeable is forgiven. �[259] 

Thus, people of knowledge must be good examples for others and must apply the high standards to themselves. In addition, they should do their best to avoid the 

slips of deception. 

Deception of Authority 

High rank and power are strong incentives of deception; therefore, we notice men of authority treat people arrogantly out of their feelings of pride. All over ages, people suffered so painfully such arrogance from the reigning authorities who missed the fact that Islam has denied the excessive conceit and selfishness and threatened horrible forms of torment for the conceited in this life as well as the life to come. 

However, the high ranking people should employ their authorities for attracting the others� attentions and admirations and increasing their popular accounts. 

The strongest factor that alleviates the intensity of such category of conceit is to ponder deeply over the vicissitudes of time. In fact, the powerful is as same as the rider of a lion: he cannot expect the time it becomes angry and wild. 

Abdullah ibn Abdurrahman narrated: 

On Eid ul-Adha day[260], I visited my mother and found an old lady with ragged clothes with her. That old lady was so eloquent. When I asked my mother about her, she answered that she was the mother of Ja�far ibn Yahya the Barmakid! [261] Thus, I greeted her so warmly and said, �How is it that time made you be in such a manner? � She answered, �Yes, son. We were enjoying the loans of time, but it demanded us with them. � I then asked her to narrate to me some of her story. She said, �Let me tell you in brief. On one of the past days of Eid ul-Adha, there were four hundred maidens in my service. 

At that time, I was claiming that my son was treating me impiously. Today, I am before you just for begging you for two skins of ewes so that I will use one as bed and the other as cover. � 

I felt pity for her and gave her few dirhams that made her so happy. [262] 

- Harun ar-Rashid asked the preacher who visited him for an advice. The preacher asked, �Supposing you are very thirsty and you cannot find water, how much will you buy a single drink of water? � �I will buy it even with half of my kingdom,� answered the caliph. The preacher then asked, �Supposing you cannot emit that drink of water, how much will you pay just for making that drink of water be emitted? � The caliph answered, �I will pay half of my kingdom. � The preacher then said, �Hence, you should not be deceived by the kingdom whose value is a single drink of water. �[263] 

With no going back, the intelligent should realize that all the matters in which he takes pride, such as wealth, knowledge, and authority, are only graces the source of which is Almighty God. Consequently, gratitude, not pride, should be shown for them. 

Authority between Praise and Censure 

Seeking for authority is not absolutely deniable, since it varies according to its purposes. To seek authority for legal purposes, such as supporting the wronged, aiding the weak, and defending oneself, is a praised thing. On the other hand, to seek authority for overwhelming and controlling others is something dispraised. 

Deception of Wealth 

Wealth stimulates the 

latent of conceit and reflects the hideous pictures of cruelty that the wealthy hold in the hiddens. It charms the wealthy seekers of authority and encourages them to give their ill-gotten wealth in fields of generosity, thinking they are doing well, whereas, in fact, they are only deceived. 

Other wealthy individuals may show sympathy toward the needy in public �while, in hidden, they treat them so niggardly� for obtaining good reputation. In fact, such individuals are deceived by their fortunes. 

Others refrain from defraying the fiscal rights, while they satisfy themselves with performing the rites of worship that do not need any expenditure, such as prayers and fasting. Deceptively, they convince themselves that the performance of such rites is sufficient. Such individuals are also deceived. Like acts of worship, it is unavoidably obligatory upon every individual to defray the fiscal rights of the Sharia. In the world of the belief and Sharia, each act of worship has its individual significance. 

The Prophet (s) said: �Dinars and dirhams have terminated those who lived before you. In the same manner, they shall terminate you. �[264] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �Eblis says: Son of Adam may triumph over me in every situation except three: seizing a fortune illegally, abstaining from defraying a fortune in an obligatory field, and exploiting a fortune in an unsuitable field. �[265] 

Wealth between Praise and Censure 

Besides disadvantages, wealth has many advantages. It may be a means of happiness or a means of grief, according to the ways of its acquisition and the fields in which it is spent. It is 

the active means that achieve good livelihood. It is also the strong reason achieving dignity and disdain against the mean. Finally, wealth can be exploited for achieving religious goals. 

On the other hand, there are many disadvantages that wealth brings about�it is a strong reason causing involvement in suspicions and commitment of sins. 

Furthermore, wealth is the strongest means that takes away from the reference to God and discourages readying for the life to come: 

�Believers, do not let your wealth and children divert you from remembering Allah. Whoever is diverted will suffer a great loss (63: 9). � 

From the previous, we conclude that wealth is not something dispraised at all so long as its means of acquisition and fields of spending are noble. It becomes a subject of denial only when its means and purposes are ill. Because man�s nature is fondness of collecting wealth, it is important for the faithful believer not to be deceived by its glittering appearances. It is also proper for him to learn lessons from those who are excessively charmed by the collection of wealth to the degree that they become deprived of the rewards of the life to come. Finally, such people will depart this life without taking anything of their fortunes with them. In other words, they will leave this world completely bankrupt! Hence, they are only honest keepers who suffered very much for collecting such fortunes, but they left them for their heirs who gained them so peacefully. The result is that the collectors of such fortunes will be completely responsible 

for these fortunes, while their heirs will enjoy them completely delightfully. 

Deception of Lineage 

Some people may feel conceited for their high lineage and their being the descendants of a noble family, such as the family of the Prophet (s). Such people may feel they are right and they will be saved only for their being the descendants of a noble family, even if they disregard following and imitating the acts and morals of their forefather. This is in fact an illusion. God honors him who obeys Him even if he is �Abyssinian� slave, and humiliates him who disobeys Him even if he is �Koreishite� celebrity. The The Ahl ul-Bayt (a) have won such unparalleled ranks and everlasting virtues only because they worked diligently in the fields of obedience to God and devoted all their lives and efforts to seeking the satisfaction of Him. 

To be deceived by the forefathers� reputation, without imitating them, is no more than daydream. It has never happened that an ignorant individual turns into knowledgeable only because he is the descendant of a knowledgeable man. God never accepts to treat the obedient and the disobedient equally, or regards the mujahid and the coward as the same. 

The holy Quran tells about the story of Prophet Noah (a) when he implored to God to save his son from the sweeping flood that covered all the disbelievers on this earth. Nevertheless, such imploration came to nothing, because his son was disbeliever: 

�Noah prayed to his Lord saying, "Lord, my son is a member of my family. Your promise 

is always true and you are the best Judge. " His Lord replied, "He is not one of your family. He is a man of unrighteous deeds. Do not ask me about that which you have no knowledge. I advise you not to become an ignorant person. " (11: 46) � 

The Prophet (s) also taught his family a never-ending lesson in the field of obeying and fearing God and avoiding depending upon their family relation to him: 

Abu Ja�far Imam al-Baqir related that the Prophet (s) stood on Safa Mount and said: �O sons of Hashim and sons of Abdul-Muttalib, I am the messenger of Allah to all of you. I feel pity for you. I have my own deeds and you have your own deeds. Do not depend on the fact that Mohammed is from you and that you will be taken to wherever he is taken. By Allah I swear, my followers, whether they are from your clan or any other clan, are only the God-fearing. I will not admit you on the Day of Resurrection if you come to me burdened with the worldly disadvantages while others come with the advantages of the world to come. I am excused regarding my mission to you and the commandments of Allah for you. �[266]

ENVY 

Envy stands for the wish that amenities of others were to lapse and move to the envious. To hope for having the same amenities of somebody is called emulation, and it is not ill-favored. It is a hideous vice that leaves the worst influence on morals. 

The envious in fact lives in incessant grief since he dissatisfies himself with acts of God. As the envious feels horrible malice towards the envied, all his endeavors came to nothing. He therefore encounters the results of his envy alone: 

�In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. (Muhammad) , say, "I seek protection from the Lord of the Dawn against the evil of whatever He has created. I seek His protection against the evil of the invading darkness, from the evil of those who practice witchcraft and from the evil of the envious ones (113: 1-5). � 

The Prophet (s) said to his companions: �Surely, the malady of the past nations has crept to you. It is envy. It is shaving�not the hair, but the religion. To be saved of it, you should control your hand �power- and tongue �wording-, and you should not insinuate evil into your faithful brother. �[267] 

�Envy consumes the good deeds in the same way as fire consumes wood�[268] 

Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) said: �I have never seen like the wrong envious who is most similar to the wronged. The envious lives in endless care with grieved heart and inherent sorrow. �[269] 

Incentive of Envy 

(1) Malignity: 

Some individuals have ill will and malignity as natures. Thus, you notice them feel miserable when others are happy, and feel happy when others are grieved. They envy the others for that which God has given to them out of His graces, even if there is no hostile situation between the two� the envious and the envied, but only because of ill will. 

(2) Enmity 

Enmity 

is within the strongest incentives of envy. 

(3) Competition 

The competition of the owners of common interests and purposes is another incentive that arouses envy. Under this title lies also the envy among sons for the favor that one, or some, of them enjoy with fathers. The retinue of the ruling authorities also envy each other for the favor that some of them enjoy with the authorities. In few words, envy is common among the individuals of the same goals. It is absent among the individuals of divergent trends. The merchant, for instance, does not envy the engineer or the farmer. 

(4) Selfishness 

Envy may control some people because of their feelings of precedence and selfishness that prompt them to precede others and enjoy exclusive standings. 

(5) Contempt 

Envy may be arisen in the inner self of a person who despises others and regards as too much the graces that God confers upon them. 

It happens that all the previous incentives of envy gather in the personality of an individual to change him into a volcano of oppression. 

Disadvantages of Envy 

Exclusively, envy is the most serious moral defect that inflicts the religion and the life of the individuals that they carry. 

The worldly disadvantage of envy is that it roils the life and brings about care and grief. This is because the envious is disturbed when he notices graces of God shade people. Moreover, such scenes inflict him with disastrous mental and physical defects. Envy, too, influences badly the dignity and reputation; therefore, we notice that the envious are the subject of dispraise. Besides, 

envy inflicts the moralities; hence, it is noticed that the envious does not refrain from trapping others by various nasty means of false accusations. The envious, also, does not spare any effort for arising seditious matters. 

The famous and excelling personalities are the subjects of envy, because their standings are resented by the envious. This is the secret beyond the wrong treatment and deprivation of appreciation that most of the virtuous individuals have to suffer. It frequently happens that the envious does not hit the target; therefore, his share becomes only agony and grief, while the targeted individual wins good reputation and respect. 

The religious disadvantage of envy is that the envious uses all wrong and nasty means for trapping the envied so as to impute dishonor to him. This will certainly make him encounter the wrath and punishment of God. In addition, the behaviors and feelings of the envious, such as rage and dissatisfaction with acts of God, are spiteful spunk. 

Treatment of Envy 

One must avoid looking forward to gaining the graces enjoyed by those who are of higher ranks than he is, so that he will feel the divine care. Such feelings will surely alleviate the tendencies of envy. 

It is necessary to keep in mind the worldly and religious disadvantages of envy in addition to the various sorts of crises and misfortunes that it results. 

It is also necessary to keep God in mind, believe in the wisdom beyond His acts, submit to His plans, and beware of the initiatives of envy. 

Fathers must avoid making any distinction 

among their sons in fields of custody so as to avoid seeding envy in their mentalities.

BACKBITING 

Backbiting is to speak ill of a believer behind his back, including matters concerning his moralities, appearance, or personality. Not only is backbiting restricted to words, but also it includes every behavior and deed, whether suggestive or direct The Prophet (s) defined backbiting by saying: 

�Do you know what is backbiting? � It is to mention things that your brother dislikes. � To mention things that are really found in the personality of your brother is backbiting. To mention things that are not found in the personality of your brother is slander. � 

Backbiting is however one of the meanest manners and most serious crimes and sins. God likens the backbiter to the one who eats the flesh of the dead: 

�Believers, stay away from conjecture; acting upon some conjecture may lead to sin. Do not spy on one another or backbite. Would any of you like to eat the disgusting dead flesh of your brother? Have fear of Allah; Allah accepts repentance and is All-merciful (49: 12). � 

�Allah does not love public accusation unless one is truly wronged. Allah is All-hearing and All-knowing. (4: 148) � 

The Prophet (s) said: �Backbiting destroys the religion in a way that is more destructive than canker. �[270] 

�He who publicizes an ill matter is regarded as him who originated it, and whoever disregards a faithful believer for a matter will not die before that very matter sticks to him. �[271] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �For him who publicizes an affair of a believer for 

disgracing and disrespecting him, Allah will dismiss him from His custody and deliver him to the Shaitan�s. �[272] 

�Do not backbite (others) so that others will not backbite you. Do not dig a whole for making your brother fall in it, lest you yourself may fall in it. As you condemn others, others will surely condemn you. �[273] 

Disregard of Backbiting 

It is necessary to avoid being in conformity with the backbiters or listening to them, for the listener of backbiting is regarded as partner in the sin. To do so can be achieved by denying backbiting verbally, changing the subject into another innocent one, leave the session of backbiting, or, in the least, deny backbiting in heart, so as to be saved from the partnership of that sin. 

A wise man said: �Try your best to avoid introducing yourself to the backbiter, because the greatest share of harm is burdened by the closest to him. � 

In the same manner, it is important to honor the dignity of the believer who is backbitten. 

The Prophet (s) said: �Paradise is unquestionably the share of him who defends the honor of his believing brother. � 

It is worth mentioning, here, that the illegality of backbiting does not include the deviants and apostates. 

Incentives of Backbiting 

Enmity and envy are the strongest incentives of backbiting. 

Joking is another incentive of backbiting, because it is regarded as fresh subject for arising joking and laughter at others. 

Boasting is also an incentive of backbiting, because the boastful, in most cases, tries to refer to the others� defects to prove that he disdains and does 

not enjoy such defects. 

It frequently happens that an individual who associates with backbiters tries to be in conformity with them by according them in their ill speech of others so that they may not reject him. 

Disadvantages of Backbiting 

Through its regulations, Islam intends to reinforce fraternity of Muslims to make it a never-ending constitution. Thus, it has gone on enjoining to cling to all matters that develop mutual amicability and achieve fraternity; such as well mannerism, truth, fulfillment of trusts, and paying attention to Muslims� affairs and general interests. Islam also has warned against any matter that roils the pure hearts or arises malice, such as lying, cheating, treachery, and contempt. 

Since backbiting is a destructive element that devastates the social construction and spoils the tied up relations, the Islamic code has forbidden and regarded it as a grand sin. It sows the poisonous seeds of spite among Muslims. When the ill speech reaches the one about whom it is said, it will arise the feelings of hatred in his inner self; so, he tries to revenge himself upon the backbiter by answering him by ill speech. In so many cases, backbiting has caused serious problems and unwelcome tragedies. 

The Prophet (s) said: �On the Day of Resurrection, one of you will not find the good deeds that he did in his life in his record[274] when he will be interrogated. He will ask the Lord about this, and the Lord will answer him: �Your Lord never makes a mistake and never forgets. Because you backbit people, your 

good deeds were erased from your record. � Another one will find many good deeds that he did not do in his record. He will ask the Lord about such deeds, and the Lord will answer: �Because you were backbitten by so-and-so, I added his good deeds to you. �[275] 

Reasonable Grounds of Backbiting 

Backbiting is decided as forbidden so long as it is intended to disgrace others, but if it is not intended for so or if a reasonable ground relies upon it, it is not forbidden. Muslim jurisprudents have mentioned a number of reasonable grounds for backbiting: 

If backbiting represents the complaint of a wronged person so as to prove his right before a judge, it is not forbidden, even if it includes the ascription of injustice and criminality to the other party. 

The person whose advice is sought in definite matters, such as marriage or trust, is permitted to backbite the other party �by mentioning his defects-. It is also acceptable to warn a believer against the association with deviants, by referring namely to their defects, provided that such reference is intended to protect the believer. It is also acceptable to defame a testifier when it is necessary. 

Backbiting is acceptable when it is intended to disavow the claim of a false lineage. 

Backbiting is acceptable when it is intended to refute an untrue saying or an illegal claim. 

Backbiting is acceptable when it takes the form of testimony against wrongdoers. 

It is acceptable to mention certain epithets (such as �the blind�, �the one-eyed�, and the like) of certain people if this 

is necessary for introducing them. 

Backbiting is acceptable when it is intended to forbid evil, by mentioning the defects of a person before somebody who is able to guide him. 

It is acceptable to backbite those who declare publicly their commitment of sins, such as the drunk and gamblers, provided that such backbiting should not exceed the limits. It is said that to backbite a sinful is not offensive. 

Finally, well intention and sound objective must be proposed. Likewise, it is improper to aim at evil intentions, such as enmity, envy, and the like. 

Treatment of Backbiting 

- It is necessary to keep in mind the forecited disadvantages of backbiting. 

It is necessary to pay the greatest attention to self-discipline by applying the noble traits to oneself. 

As he was asked about his educator, Mohammed ibn al-Hanafiyya said: �It is my Lord Who educated me in myself. I have followed and imitated any element that is enjoyed by men of sense when I found good, and I have avoided any element that is practiced by the ignorant when I found ugly. Hence, I could attain the treasures of knowledge. �[276] 

It is advisable to speak of joyful things, such as pleasant stories and nice purposeful talks, instead of backbiting. 

It is worthwhile, finally, to control one�s wording and abstain from the initiatives of backbiting. 

Penance of Backbiting 

To make amends for it, one must feel regret and repent from the sins of backbiting. Then, he must curry favor with the one he backbit and ask him for acquittal. If the backbitten forgives, it will be satisfactory. If 

not, to curry favor with him and apologize will be equivalents of the commitment of backbiting. The previous acts should be done when the backbitten is alive and when such confessions before him do not arise his rage. If they do, or if he is dead, it is necessary to seek God�s forgiveness to him. 

The Prophet (s) said: �The penance of backbiting is to seek Allah�s forgiveness to him �the backbitten- whenever you mention him. �[277] 

SLANDER 

As a completion of the subject of backbiting, let us refer to slander, which means to accuse a believer falsely. It is in fact more serious than backbiting: 

�One who makes a mistake or commits a sin and ascribes it to an innocent person, he only burdens himself with slander and a grave sin. (4: 112) � 

The Prophet (s) said: �For him who accuses falsely a male or female believer or ascribes to them false things, Allah will detain him on a hill of fire, on the Day of Resurrection, unless he provides justifiable excuse. �[278]

TALEBEARING 

Talebearing is to inform against people matters that they dislike to divulge, for the purpose of entrapping them. The talebearer is in fact the meanest and most malicious individual since he is characterized by backbiting, betrayal, hypocrisy, spoiling the mutual amicability, and seeding divergence among people: 

�Do not yield to one persistent in swearing, backbiting, gossiping, obstructing virtues, a sinful transgressor, ill-mannered, and morally corrupt or that because he may possess wealth and children. When Our revelations are recited to him. (68: 14) � 

�Woe to every slanderer and backbiter. (104: 1) � 

The Prophet (s) 

said: �May I tell you of the evilest of you? � They are the talebearers who sow enmity between associates and stick defects to those who are acquitted of defects. �[279] 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: �It is forbidden for the revilers and the talebearers to be in Paradise. �[280] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said to al-Mansour; the Abbasid caliph: �Do not accept the wording of those whom Allah forbid to be in Paradise and whom Allah decided to make Hell their eternal abode if they speak ill of your relatives and folks whose right is obligatory upon you. The talebearers are surely perjurers. They are the partners of Eblis in his efforts of exciting enmity between people. Allah says: 

Believers, if one who publicly commits sins brings you any news, ascertain its truthfulness carefully, lest you harm people through ignorance and then regret what you have done. (49: 6) �[281] 

Incentives of Talebearing 

There are two incentives of talebearing: 

(1) To defame the one against whom information are said, or 

(2) To curry favor with and to flatter slavishly the one to whom information are carried. 

Disadvantages of Talebearing 

Talebearing is the result of two serious vices: backbiting and tattling. Every item of backbiting is tattling, but not every tattling is backbiting. Hence, the disadvantages of talebearing are more serious than those of backbiting, since it includes the divulgement of secrets and defamation of the one against whom tales are born. In certain cases, talebearing result in bloodshed, usurpation of properties, violation of sanctities, and abuse of dignities. 

How to Deal with the Talebearer? 

Because the talebearer is the most dangerous 

corruptive, it is necessary to beware of him, as well as his plots and corruption. This may be achieved by following the advices bellow: 

It is obligatory to belie the talebearers, because they are sinful and distrustful. 

- It is necessary to avoid mistrusting one�s faithful brother just because some information are told against him: 

�Believers, stay away from conjecture; acting upon some conjecture may lead to sin. (49: 12) � 

One must not spy and inspect the talebearers� news: 

�Do not spy on one another or backbite. (49: 12) � 

One must avoid bearing the tales of the talebearers, lest he becomes talebearer and backbiter in the same time. 

It is related that, once, a man bore some tales about another before Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) who said to him: �We will inspect that which you have born to us. If it is true, we will hate you. If it is not, we will punish you. If you like, now, we may overlook the matter. � The man asked Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) to overlook it. [282] 

Mohammed ibn al-Fudhayl narrated that he asked Imam al-Kadhim (a) what he should do if trustworthy people inform him against a man, but that man would deny when he is faced. The Imam (a) instructed: �You should belie even your hearing and sight if they tell you something wrong about your believing brother. Moreover, if fifty swearing witnesses testify before you against your believing brother, but he would deny their testimonies, you should believe him and disapprove the fifty witnesses. Never inform against your believing brother anything that he dislikes to divulge or 

anything that defames his personality, lest you are one of those about whom Allah says: �Those who like to publicize indecency among the believers will face painful torment in this world and in the life to come. Allah knows what you do not know. (24: 19) �[283] 

CALUMNY 

As a completion of talebearing, we provide calumny, which implies informing against people for the purpose of destroying them. On that account, calumny is regarded as the most hideous form of talebearing. In most cases, the victims of calumny are the celebrities and the high-ranking whom are envied for their virtues. As the envious cannot find any way to quench their thirst, they direct to informing against them before the authorities. In most cases, the efforts of such individuals become ineffective to cause them humility and punishment. 

The Prophet (s) said: �The evilest people are the tri-destructive. (�) They are those who inform the authorities of ill things against their friends; hence, they destroy themselves, their friends, and the authorities. �[284] 

OBSCENITY, REVILEMENT, AND DEFAMATION 

Obscenity is the expression that is offensively and grossly indecent, such as the shameless and improper words used by the ignorant and avoided by the noble. Such expressions may be used metonymically by the respectful people. In the same manners, authors and polite people used to avoid using obscene expressions out of their civility and decorum; therefore, they use metonymy instead. 

Revilement is to insult and curse others, such as calling bad names. 

Defamation is to impute dishonor to others by definite expressions. 

These three qualities, however, are the most hideous products of the tongue: 

The 

Prophet (s) said: �For every obscene, indecent, and shameless individual who does not care for his speech or for what is said to him, Allah has banned him from being in Paradise. If you search for the family of such individuals, you will find them bastards or semi-sons of devils. � There are devils among people. Listen to Allah�s saying (as an address to the Shaitan): �And share with them in wealth and children. [285]�[286] 

�The evilest servants of Allah are those whose association is hated because of their obscenity. �[287] 

�To revile at the believers is defection, to fight them is atheism, to backbite them is act of disobedience to Allah, and their wealth is as sacred as their blood (soul). �[288] 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: �He who defames a believer shall suffer violent death and will not be in good manner at all. �[289] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �Hell is the abode of him whose wording is avoided by people. �[290] 

�Shia! Be good examples as you represent us (by doing good deeds). Do not represent us in ill behaviors. Say good wording to people and have control over your tongues (i. e. wording). Stop uttering curious and obscene language. �[291] 

Imam al-Kadhim (a) said about two men who were showering insults on each other: �The originator of such revilement is the unjust party. He burdens the his as well as the other�s sin, unless the other party transgresses. �[292] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) had a friend who was so close to him that he did not depart him at any situation. One day, they were walking in 

a mart and followed by a slave from Sind. [293] The Imam�s friend turned his face three times to find his slave, but he could not. In the fourth, he could see the slave; so, he shouted at him: �son of a �, where were you? � 

As soon as Imam as-Sadiq (a) heard that expression from his friend, he slapped his forehead with the hand and said with astonishment: �Subhaanallah! [294] How strange is that! How do you defame his mother? In the previous, I thought you were pious. Now, I have known that you are impious. � 

The man said: �May God make me your sacrifice. His mother is only a polytheist woman of Sind. � 

The Imam said: �You should have known that every nation has a legal form of marriage. � He (a) then asked the man to leave him. After that situation, Imam as-Sadiq (a) did not accompany that man at all. [295] 

Disadvantages of Obscenity 

Vituperations are mostly resulted from enmity, envy, rage, and immorality, in addition to miseducation and impoliteness. They divest man of the polite human traits to impute lowliness and savagery to him. They also originate enmity, instigate alienation, and expose to God�s wrath. 

Amir ul-Mu�minin (a) said: �The tongue is a beast. It will raven if it is set free. � 

SARCASM 

Sarcasm is to imitate people�s words, deeds, or gestures so as to degrade or mock at them. Because such deeds of sarcasm create enmity, malice, and spoiling of the social relations, Islam has forbidden them. It is quite strange for one to mimic, degrade, or find fault with 

a believer sarcastically since every individual, except the Sinless,[296] must have some defects. Besides, every man may become the target of sarcasm and mimicry. 

�Believers, let not a group of you mock another. Perhaps they are better than you. Let not women mock each other; perhaps one is better than the other. Let not one of you find faults in another nor let anyone of you defame another. How terrible is the defamation after having true faith. Those who do not repent are certainly unjust (49: 11). � 

�The sinners had been laughing at the believers. When passing by them, they would wink at one another and, on returning to their people, boast about what they had done. On seeing the believers, they would say, "These people have gone astray" (83: 29-32). � 

The Prophet (s) said: �Do not inspect the flaws of the believers. Allah will surely inspect the flaws of him who inspects the believers� flaws. Allah will surely uncover the flaws of him whom He inspects, even if he hides himself in the middle of his house. �[297] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �For him who mimics a believer for the purpose of disgracing him, abusing his personality, and making people disrespect him, Allah will dismiss him from His custody to the Shaitan�s, who, too, will not accept him. �[298] 

It is related that, �Allah hides His disciples among His servants; hence, you should not disregard any of the servants of Allah, for it happens that he is one of the disciples of Allah while you do not know his reality. �

GOOD WORDING 

Any investigation of 

the social crises proves that the origin of most of such troubles is the initiatives of wording and the mutual obscenity that interrupt the social relations and arise hatred. On that account, it becomes very necessary, for the interest of individuals and societies, to control one�s wording and habituate on good wording: 

� (Muhammad) , tell My servants to say what is best. The Shaitan sows dissension among them; he is the sworn enemy of human beings (17: 53). � 

�� They should speak righteous words to people� (2: 83) � 

�Virtue and evil are not equal. If you replace evil habits by virtuous ones, you will certainly find that your enemies will become your intimate friends (41: 34). � 

�Be moderate in your walking and your talking. The most unpleasant sound is the braying of donkeys (31: 19). � 

�Believers, have fear of Allah and speak righteous words. Allah will reform your deeds and forgive your sins. (33: 71-2) � 

The Prophet (s) said: �Allah may have mercy upon the servant who utters righteous wording to gain its good result, or keeps peace against an evil to save himself. �[299] 

As a man asked him for an advice, the Prophet (s) instructed: �Have control over your tongue. � As the man asked for more, the Prophet (s) repeated the same instruction. In the third time, the Prophet (s) added: �You should know that nothing but the yields of tongues will turn people over on their nasals in Hell. �[300] 

Imam as-Sejjad (a) said: �Good wording increases the wealth, grows up the sustenance, postpones time of death, endears to the family members �or the wife-, and takes to 

Paradise. �[301] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �Ebbad! Do you, because you have controlled your stomach and genital parts from haram, feel saved? In His Book, Allah says: �Believers, have fear of Allah and speak righteous words. Allah will reform your deeds and forgive your sins. (33: 71-2) � Nothing of your good deeds will be accepted unless you utter good and just wording. �[302] 

�Habituate your tongue on saying the good only, and you will gain its good. Surely, a tongue will follow that on which it is habituated. � 

A man asked Abu al-Hasan (a) for advice, the Imam said: �Have control over your tongue and you will be powerful. Do not let others lead you, lest you will be humiliated. �[303] 

Chaste wording has its great influence in the mentalities of both the friends and enemies. For the friends, it grows up love, perpetuates affection, and prevents devilish inspirations. For the enemies, chaste wording alleviates feelings of enmity and eases their mistreatments and trickeries. Thus, we find the great personalities practice control over their tongues so as to be protected from flaws. 

It is related that four kings spoke in a meeting: 

The king of Persia said: �I have never felt sorry for the word that I have not said, but I have many times felt sorry for things that I have said. � 

King of Rome said: �I can control the word that I have not said, but I cannot control that which I have said. � 

King of China said: �I possess the word that I have not spoken, but the word that I have spoken possesses 

me. � 

King of India said: �How strange those who utter a word that harms them if they say it and does not benefit them if they do not say it are! �[304] 

Gossip, nonsense, and obscenity are the clearest evidences on stupidity. 

As he passed by a man who was speaking nonsense, Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) stopped and said to him: �You are dictating to the Keeping Angels[305] a record that will be taken to your Lord. You therefore should say only that which concerns you and should leave that which does not concern you. �[306] 

�Much speech leads to much erring. Much erring leads to decreased pudency. Little pudency leads to decreased piety. Little piety deadens the heart. The dead-hearted will be in Hell. �[307] 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: �Abu Tharr used to say: �Seeker of knowledge! Your tongue is the key to goodness and the key to evil. Hence, seal your tongue in the same way as you seal your gold and currencies. �[308] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �Silence is an abundant treasure. It is the adornment of the clement and the cover of the ignorant. �[309] 

It is related that Qiss ibn Sa�ida asked Aktham ibn Saifi[310], �How many flaws have you found in man? � He answered, �They are too numerous to be counted. But, I found one trait that may cover all the flaws of man if only he keeps to it. It is control over the tongue. �

INCONVENIENCES OF SINS 

A great similarity is noticed between physical diseases and sins. This similarity is notably observed in the origination of the two. Most diseases are the result 

of the violation of the physical constitutions and, in the same manner, sins are the result of the violation of the divine regulations. Each disease has its peculiar effects that reflect on the diseased in forms of mixtures and pathological complications. In the same manner, each sin has its bad result that causes various sorts of tragedies. It is true that diseases and sins participate in the bad results that they cause; however, sins are more harmful, because it is easy to treat the diseased bodies, but it is difficult to treat the ill mentalities. 

On that account, sins are fatal poisons and lethal germs that spoil man and expose him to various sorts of dangers and perditions. 

The holy Quran provides horrible pictures concerning the inconveniences and dangers of the commitment of sins: 

�When We decide to destroy a town We warn the rich ones therein who commit evil. Thus, it becomes deserving to destruction and We destroy its very foundations. (17: 16) � 

�Why do they not consider how many generations living before them We have destroyed. We established those nations in the land with abilities far beyond those given to you. We sent down plenty of rain from the sky for them and made streams flow therein, but, then, We destroyed them for their sins and established other nations after them. (6: 6) � 

�Had the people of the towns believed (in Our revelations) and maintained piety, We would have certainly showered on them Our blessings from the sky and the earth. But they called Our revelations lies, thus Our torment 

struck them for their evil deeds. (7: 96) � 

�Allah does not change the favor that He has bestowed on a nation unless that nation changes what is in its soul. Allah is All-hearing and All-knowing. (8: 53) � 

�Whatever hardship befalls you is the result of your own deeds. Allah pardons many of your sins. (42: 30) � 

�Evil has spread over the land and the sea because of human deeds and through these Allah will cause some people to suffer so that perhaps they will return to Him. (30: 41) � 

The Prophet (s) said: �How strange he who diets so as to avoid maladies is! How does he not diet from committing sins so as to avoid Hell? �[311] 

�Allah says: Son of Adam! You can never be just with Me. I endear Myself to you through the favors that I confer upon you, but you make Me hate you through the acts of disobedience to Me that you commit. My goodness is descending to you, while your evil is ascending to Me. Every single day and night, a noble angel carries to Me your evil deeds. Son of Adam! If you hear that somebody else bears these very characteristics, you will surely hate him. (However, I completely know that you bear such characteristics, but I do not hate you. ) �[312] 

�If Allah is irate with a nation but they have not received His direct punishment, their prices will be exorbitantly expensive, their ages will be short, their trades will be profitless, their yields will not increase, their rivers will not be profuse, rainfall will not drop on 

them, and the evilest individuals will prevail on them. �[313] 

Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) said: �Be wary of committing sins. The reason of any misfortune, shortage in earnings, or even a scratch, injury or a wound is surely the commitment of a sin. Allah the Majestic says: 

Whatever hardship befalls you is the result of your own deeds. Allah pardons many of your sins. (42: 30) �[314] 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: �Allah decides to settle the need of a servant in a definite time, whether near or remote. But when that servant commits a sin, the Lord orders an angel to cancel the decision of the settlement of that need, and says: �Deprive that servant of the settlement of his need, because he exposed himself to My wrath; hence, deprivation has become the punishment. ��[315] 

�In the book of the Messenger of Allah (s) , the following is recorded: If fornication spreads publicly after me, sudden death will spread. If deficient and unjust measures are given, Allah will afflict with shortage in food for years. If they refrain from defraying the zakat, they will be deprived of the blessings of the earth, such as yields, fruits, and minerals. If they rule unjustly, they will cooperate in fields of wrong and oppression. If they breach the pledges, Allah will give a free hand to their enemies over them. If they rupture their relations, their treasuries will be in the hands of the evilest people. If they neglect bidding good and forbidding evil and following the pious men of my household, Allah will give authority to their 

evilest people over them, and when the righteous people among them supplicate to Him, they will not be answered. �[316] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �My father used to say: Allah decided conclusively that He will not seize the favor that He confers upon a servant unless that servants commits a sin due to which he exposes himself to the punishment of the Lord. �[317] 

Imam ar-Rida (a) said: �Whenever the servants commit unprecedented sins, Allah creates unprecedented sorts of misfortunes for them. �[318] 

The Devil may seduce some people by the false idea that if sins had been fatal and destructive, they would have destroyed those who commit sins incessantly while they are living in full luxury. To answer this false conception, we say that nothing at all can overcome God Who does not anticipate the escape of anyone. He only respites the disobedient and postpones the penalties that are decided for them out of His care for their interests, expecting that they may recover their senses and turn to Him in repentance, or that He gives them respite out of His sympathy with the innocent and weak individuals whom may be injured by such punishments. Finally, God may respite those who commit sins so that they will increase in acting disobediently to Him, and He then inflict them with severe punishment: 

�The unbelievers must not think that Our respite is for their good. We only give them time to let them increase their sins. For them there will be a humiliating torment. (3: 178) � 

�Were Allah to punish people for their deeds immediately, 

not one creature would have survived on earth. However, He has given them a respite for an appointed time and when their term comes to an end, let it be known that Allah watches over His servants. (35: 45) � 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �If Allah intends goodness to a servant, He inflicts him with a punishment after each sin he commits, and reminds him of seeking forgiveness. If Allah intends evil to a servant, He confers upon him with a grace after each sin he commits, so as to make him forget seeking forgiveness and exceed the limits in committing sins. This is the meaning of His saying: 

I shall lead them step by step to destruction, without their being aware of it. (68: 44) �[319] 

Imam al-Kadhim (a) said: �Allah appoints a caller whose mission is to say every day and night: Slow down, servants of Allah, in committing acts of disobedience to Him. Without the existence of grazing animals, suckling babies, and kneeling[320] old men, punishment shall be poured upon you so heavily, and it shall bruise you. �[321] 

One may think that as long as the prophets are sinless, why do they suffer various sorts of ordeals and crises? To answer such wonderment, we say that sins are of various sorts. They vary according to the degree of faith, obedience, and worship. It happens that an innocent joy is considered as legal grace by somebody, but considered as sin by somebody else, because he regards it as matter that diverts him from the reference to God. Because the prophets (a) 

are the highest examples in the fields of believing in God and acts of worship, they consider definite acts, which are legal for ordinary people, as sins and shortcomings. It is said that good acts of the pious are regarded as sins for the intimate worshipers of God. Furthermore, to suffer ordeals does not necessarily originate from the commitment of sins. In some cases, the suffering of ordeals and misfortunes may be a means to test patience and steadfastness against acts of God. They also may be the means that increase the rewards.

REPENTANCE 

REPENTANCE 

Like the physical diseases that are treated by swallowing drugs and stopping eating delicious meals, sins should be treated by suffering repentance and turning to God and abstaining from the sweeping desires and the unruly whims so that the worldly and religious tragedies of the commitment of sins will not be encountered. 

Reality of Repentance 

True repentance can be achieved after it passes through three stages: 

The first stage is the conscious awakening�the guilty feels sorry for his acts of disobedience to God. When the soul is full of this aware feeling, it moves to: 

The second stage, which is turning to God and the true intention to cling to the obedience to Him. When this feeling covers the soul, it moves to: 

The third stage, which is self-purification from sins, remedying the sins by acting righteous deeds and avoiding evildoings. Thus, true repentance is achieved. 

Repentance however is not a play or an utterance. It is the true turning to God and the real avoidance of acts of disobedience to Him. 

Imam ar-Rida (a) said: �He who seeks Allah�s forgiveness from a sin that he keeps on committing is deriding his Lord. � 

Merits of Repentance 

The merits of repentance are greatly numerous. They are pictured in the holy Quran and pointed out in the texts of the Prophet and The The Ahl ul-Bayt (a). The Divine Care has refused to neglect the disobedient floundering in the glooms of sins without surrounding them with high sympathy and noble amnesty. The Lord therefore has drawn their attentions to the turning to Him and paved the way of repentance to them: 

�When the faithful come to you, say to them, �Peace be upon you. Your Lord has decreed for Himself to be All-merciful. Anyone of you who commits a sin out of ignorance, then repents, and reforms himself will find that Allah is All-forgiving and All-merciful. � (6: 54) � 

� (Muhammad) , tell my servants who 

have committed injustice to themselves, "Do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is All-forgiving and All-merciful. " (39: 53) � 

�Ask forgiveness from your Lord; He is All-forgiving. He will send you abundant rain from the sky, strengthen you by (providing) you wealth and children, and make gardens and streams for you. (71: 10-2) � 

�Allah loves those who repent and those who purify themselves. (2: 222) � 

The Prophet (s) said: �The repentant from a sin is as same as him who did not commit it. � 

�Nothing is more favorable to Allah than a male or female repentant believer. �[322] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �When a servant repents to Allah truly, He loves him; hence, He covers him up in this world as well as the world to come� To cover him up means that Allah makes the two angels (who recorded his deeds) forget the ill deeds that they knew about him. He then reveals to the servant�s limbs to conceal the sins that he had done and reveals to the areas of this earth (on which he had committed sins) to conceal his sins. That servant therefore will meet Allah as if he had done no single offense and nothing will testify against him. �[323] 

�Adam supplicated to Allah saying, �Lord, You have made the Shaitan over me and made him run in my soul like blood. Give me something in opposite of this. � The Lord answered, �Adam! If any of your descendants intends to do a wrongdoing, I will not allow to be recorded against him unless he practices 

it. If he does it, I will order to be recorded as a single evil deed. If he intends to do a good deed, I will order to be recorded for him as a single good deed. If he practices it, I will order to be recorded as ten good deeds. � Adam asked for more, and the Lord said, �Any of your descendants commits a wrongdoing then seeks My forgiveness, I will forgive him. � Adam asked for more, and the Lord said, �I will accept the repentance of any of your descendants even if his soul reaches his nose (i. e. in the very final hours of his life). � �That is enough,� said Adam. �[324] 

�Allah gives the believer who commits a sin seven hours as respite before he records that sin. If the believer seeks the Lord�s forgiveness during these seven hours, his sin will not recorded. If he does not, a single evil deed will be recorded against him. The true believer remembers his offense twenty years after its commitment and seeks Allah�s forgiveness, and he is forgiven. The disbeliever forgets the offense that he commits very soon after its commitment. �[325] 

�Any believer who commits forty grand sins on a single day and seeks Allah�s forgiveness, by uttering the following statement, with deep feeling of sorrow, Allah will forgive his sins. He who commits more than forty grand sins on a single day is hopeless. The statement is: 

(��������� ����� ����� �� ���� ���� ��� ������� ��������� ������ ����������� �������� �� �������� ���������� ��������� ��� �������� ��� ��������� 

���� ��������� ���� ������ �������. 

astaghfiru (a) llah allathi la ilaha illa huwa (a) lhayyu (a) lqayyoumu badee�u (a) ssamawaati wa (a) l-ardhi thu (a) ljalaali wa (a) l�ikraami wa as�aluhu an yussalliya ala muhammadin wa aali muhammad wa an yatouba alayy (a). 

I seek the forgiveness of Allah; there is no god but Whom, the Everlasting, the Eternal, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the Lord of (I Glory and Grace, and I implore to Him to send His blessings to Mohammed and his family and accept my repentance. ) �[326] 

Obligation and Immediateness of Repentance 

The obligation of repentance is something beyond doubt, because logic and texts support it. Regarding logic, it is self-evident that protection against causes of harms is something logically necessary. On that account, it is obligatory to seek the guard of repentance against the bad results of sins in this life as well as the life to come. Regarding texts, the instructions of the Quran and hadith called unto repentance through various pictures of attraction and simplification. 

The Prophet (s) said: �Anyone who repents a single year before death, his repentance will be accepted by Allah. A year is very much. He who repents a month before his death, his repentance will be accepted by Allah. A month is also very much. He who repents a week before his death, his repentance will be accepted by Allah. A week is very much. He who repents a day before death, his repentance will be accepted by Allah. A day is very much. He who repents before he closes his eyes for death, his repentance will 

be accepted by Allah. �[327] 

�Allah possesses surpluses of His sustenance that He gives to whom he wills. With the rise of every dawn, Allah extends His hands for those who commit sins at night so as to accept their repentance (if they show repentance). With the sunset of every day, He extends His hands for those who commit sins in day so as to accept their repentance. �[328] 

Repetition of Repentance 

Some people find the right path after deviation and straighten up after aberrance. So, they try to make right the sins that they had committed by means of repentance and turning to God. Others, however, are deceived by the joys and seductions of this life; therefore, they commit new sins after repentance as they drift in the violent currents of offenses. Thus, they live in the midst of a brutal conflict between the intellect and desires. Once, they overcome their desires, but their desires prevail on them in other situations. This fact is the main reason that prevents many from repeating repentance, because they anticipate that they will anew return to the commitment of sins. 

Such individual must understand that everyone is the subject of the seductions and sinful inspirations of the Devil, and that none may be saved totally from such inspirations except the Sinless (a). Accordingly, they should have turned and repented to God purely whenever such devilish inspirations attacked them, even if they go astray several times. They, finally, should have put before their eyes the saying of God: 

� (Muhammad) , tell my servants who have committed injustice to 

themselves, �Do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is All-forgiving and All-merciful. � (39: 53) � 

In view of that, the Prophet and The The Ahl ul-Bayt (a) affirmed the repetition of repentance and the incessant turning to God so as to save the victims of sins from plunging more in their offenses and to push them to put a new beginning to an honest life: 

Mohammad ibn Muslim narrated that Imam al-Baqir (a) said to him: �Mohammed ibn Muslim, all the sins of the believer who repents to Allah will be forgiven. He therefore should put a new beginning for himself after his repentance and Allah�s forgiveness to him. By Allah I swear, this is peculiar for people of faith. � �What if one commits sins from which he had repented and then repeat his repentance? � I asked. The Imam (a) wondered: �Mohammed ibn Muslim, do you think that Allah does not accept the repentance of the believing servant who feels sorry for his sinning and seeks forgiveness and repents to Him? � I said: �What if that servant commits a sin repeatedly and repents to Allah repeatedly? � The Imam (a) answered: �Whenever a believer seeks forgiveness and repents, Allah accepts his repentance again. Allah is surely All-forgiving and All-merciful. He accepts the repentance and pardons the sins. You should never make the believers feel desperate of the mercy of Allah. �[329] 

Abu Bassir related: I asked Imam as-Sadiq (a) about the exegesis of God�s saying: �Believers, turn to Allah in repentance with pure intention. (66: 8) � 

He (a) said: �The pure repentance is to repent from the sin and decide not to commit it any more. � I wondered: �None of us can give up a sin completely. � The Imam (a) commented: �Abu Mohammed, Allah does love the servant who commits sins frequently and repents to Him very frequently. �[330] 

Courses of Repentance 

The repentant must know the courses of repentance so that he can expiate each sin properly. 

Sins, however, take various forms; some concern a servant and his Lord. These are classified into two parts: 

(1) Negligence of the obligatory rites, and 

(2) Commitment of forbidden acts. 

As examples on the first, we cite the negligence of the obligatory prayer, fasting, hajj, zakat, and the like rites. The course of repentance from such sins is to work hard for settling them. Examples on the second are fornication, drinking of wines, gambling, and the like forbidden acts. The course of repentance from such acts is to feel sorry for committing them and intend truly to leave them. 

Some sins concern an individual and people, such as usurpation of properties, killing respectful souls, and dishonoring the believers by means of revilement, beating, talebearing, and backbiting. These sins are the most dangerous and the most difficult in treatment. The course of repentance from such sins is to satisfy the other parties and give the usurped and seized properties back to their owners. If this is impossible, it is necessary to seek the forgiveness of God urgently, raise the balance of good deeds, and implore to God for making such wronged people be 

pleased with the wrong party on the Day of Judgment. 

Acceptance of Repentance 

The true qualified repentance is admissible. This fact is proved through many texts from the Quran and hadith: 

�It is He who accepts the repentance of His servants, forgives their evil deeds and knows all about what you do. (42: 25) � 

�This Book is a revelation from Allah, the Majestic and All-knowing who forgives sins, who accepts repentance, whose punishment is severe, and whose bounty is universal. He is the only Lord and to Him all things proceed (40: 2-3). � 

The Prophet (s) said: �Had you not committed sins and sought the forgiveness of Allah, He would have created others who commit sins and then seek His forgiveness so that He will forgive them. A believer commits sins frequently, but repents to Allah very frequently. Listen to Allah�s saying: Allah loves those who repent and those who purify themselves. (2: 222) �

SELF-JUDGMENT AND SELF-CONTROL 

Self-judgment is to call oneself to account every day regarding the good deeds and wrongdoings. If the scale of acts of obedience overweighs that of acts of disobedience, we must thank God, lest we must discipline ourselves. 

Self-control stands for protecting oneself against breach of the obligatory religious rites and the commitment of the forbidden. 

It is necessary for the rational to train himself on self-judgment and self-control, since all human souls are susceptible to evil. If they are neglected, they go away from the right, but if they are controlled by means of guidance, they shine with virtues: 

�� And (I swear) by the soul and that (Power) which designed it and inspired it with knowledge of evil and piety, those who 

purify their souls will certainly have everlasting happiness and those who corrupt their souls will certainly be deprived of happiness. (91: 7-10) � 

The Prophet (s) said� �Before you do a matter that you intend, you should investigate its end result; if it is good, you then should keep on. If not, you should not do it. �[331] 

Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) related: �When he received the warriors that he had appointed for a campaign, the Prophet (s) said to them: �Welcome to the people who performed successfully the minor jihad. Their mission now is to perform completely the major jihad� The major jihad is self-control. The best form of jihad is to strive one�s desires and whims. �[332] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �If you want all your supplications to be answered, you should despair of people totally and hope for that which is in Allah�s hands only. When Allah knows that a servant�s intent is totally attached to Him, He will answer all his supplications. You therefore call yourselves to account before others call them. On the Day of Resurrection, there are fifty situations each of which takes one thousand years. This is the meaning of Allah�s saying: 

�On that Day (of Judgment) , long as fifty thousand years, the angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him (70: 4). [333] 

�You have been appointed as the physician of yourself; the malady has been shown to you, the signs of recovery have been shown to you, and you have been guided to the remedy; hence, you should consider how you will treat yourself. �[334] 

Imam al-Kadhim (a) said: �He 

who does not call himself to account everyday is not one of us. When he does so, he must ask Allah for more if he notices that he has done a good deed, and if he notices that he has committed an evildoing, he must seek Allah�s forgiveness and must repent to Him. �[335] 

Constitution of Self-Judgment 

Ethicists have referred to the constitution of self-judgment in such a detailed method that it might be difficult for some to implement. I, however, can brief the matter in two precise and simplified points: 

First of all, to practice self-judgment properly, one must perform all the obligatory rites, such as the prayer, fasting, hajj, zakat, and the like. If such rites are performed properly, one must then thank God for so and hope for winning the great rewarding that He set for the obedient. If one, on the other hand, neglects such rites, he must remember the painful punishment with which God threatens the disobedient. He must also exert all efforts for settling them. 

Self-judgment must then be practiced on the sins that one committed, by means of severe reproach and censure. Regret and true repentance must then be felt so that they will help in avoiding the commitment of such sins. 

The Prophet (s) set the most excellent example of self-judgment: 

The Prophet (s) , once, resided in a desert during a journey. He asked his companions to fetch firewood. They apologized that they were in a desert, but the Prophet (s) asked them to search and fetch whatever they might find. Hence, they scattered 

in every direction. Afterwards, each one fetched a small quantity of wood and threw on each other. On that scene, the Prophet (s) commented: �In this very way, sins are gathered. Beware of the insignificant sins, for there is an interrogator for each sin. That interrogator records �the deeds of human beings and their consequences. We keep everything recorded in an illustrious Book. �[336]�[337] 

Some disciples practiced appreciative styles in the field of self-judgment. For instance, it is related that Tawba ibn as-Summah used to call himself to account in most times of his life. One day, he counted his past age, and it was sixty years. As he counted the days, they were about 21500. He then shouted: �Woe unto me! I will meet Malik[338] with twenty-one thousand sins. � Suddenly after that, he departed life. [339] 

Seizure of Life�s Opportunity 

If man compares all desires and pleasures of this life to his age, he will find that the latter is more precious. He will also discover that nothing at all can come to the value of his age, since the pleasures of this world can be regained, while the lifetime cannot be elongated or extended to a single moment: 

�All people can only live for an appointed time. When their term ends, they will not remain (alive) even for a single hour, nor will they die before the appointed time. (7: 34) � 

Likewise, it is impossible to regain the time that passes away in any way, including the possession of all the worldly pleasures. Because he is inattentive to his invaluable lifetime, 

man wastes his age uselessly, ignoring opportunities. For this reason, the Ahl ul-Bayt (a) provided a great deal of instructions dealing with the importance of seizing the opportunities of life. 

The Prophet (s) said: �Abu Tharr, You must be stingy with regard to your lifetime, not with your dirhams and dinars (i. e. money). �[340] 

�Exploit four things before the falling of four: exploit your youth before the falling of your old age, exploit your health before the coming of your illness, exploit your richness before the falling of your poverty, and exploit your lifetime before the coming of your death. �[341] 

Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) said: �This world is only three days: one passed away with all its insides, the second is that you are living in; therefore, you should seize its opportunities, and the third is a day that you do not know whether you will catch it or not. The day that passed must be regarded as wise educator. The day that you are living in must be regarded as a departing friend. Regarding tomorrow, you have nothing of it except hope. � 

�Every new day that comes upon man says to him: I am a new day and I will witness you. Hence, you should say only good wording and do only good deeds so that I will testify for your good on the Day of Resurrection, for you will not see me ever again. �[342] 

Imam as-Sejjad (a) said: �How poor son of Adam is! Everyday, he is inflicted with three misfortunes. Nevertheless, he does learn lessons from any. Had he 

learnt a lesson, all the misfortunes of this worldly life would have been easy in his sight. The first misfortune is that the day which comes upon him decreases his age. If a decrease occurs to his wealth, he will become so depressed, while he can cover the decrease of wealth, but he cannot regain the decrease of his age. The second misfortune is that he takes the sustenance that is decided for him completely. If he gets it in a legal way, he will be interrogated about it, and if he gets it in an illegal way, he will be punished for it. The third misfortune, which is the most calamitous, is that each day that ends takes him a stage closer to the Hereafter, while he does not know whether his fate will be Paradise or Hell. � 

�On the day of his birth, man is the oldest. �[343] 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: �Let not people deceive you in matters regarding yourself, because you exclusively will encounter your own matters. Do not spend your days with gossips and nonsense, for there are the angels who accompany you and record all your deeds. Do righteous deeds, because I have not seen anything better in result and remedying than a new good deed after an old sin. �[344] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �Be tolerant in the acts of obedience to Allah and steadfast against the acts of disobedience to Him. This world is no more than an hour. You will not find the pleasures of what has passed away and you 

will not be able to recognize what is coming. Be patient in that hour and you will attain bliss. �[345] 

A wise man said: �Man is like a traveler who has to pass by six stations. He, however, has already passed by three: the first is the transition from nonexistence to his father�s loins and mother�s ribs. The second is the transition to the mother�s womb. The third is the transition from the mother�s womb to the world. The three stations that man has not passed by yet are the grave, the field of the Resurrection, and Hell or Paradise. � 

We are now living in the third station whose distance takes our lifetime. Hence, days of our ages are miles, hours are meters and breaths are steps. Some of us have only few miles, others have only few meters, and others have only few steps.

RIGHTEOUS DEED 

In the previous discussion we referred to the invaluableness of time and proved that lifetime is more precious than the worldly pleasures. Such being the case, the rational must exploit time properly and spend it with matters that are as precious and significant as the age, such as righteous deeds: 

The Prophet (s) said: �The intelligent should not take care for anything except three: seeking the worldly earnings, getting supplies for the life to come, and gaining a legal pleasure. �[346] 

Because man�s whims prompt him, in nature, towards gaining earnings and tangible pleasures as well as the affairs that preclude him from acting righteous deeds and readying for the life to come, many texts from 

the Quran and hadith have enjoined him to arrange for his life to come: 

�Whoever has done an atom's weight of good, will see it and whoever has done an atom's weight of evil, will also see it (99-8). � 

�All righteous-doers among the believing male or female will be granted a blessed happy life and will receive their due reward and more. (16: 97) � 

�Whoever commits evil deeds will be recompensed to the same degree. The righteously striving believer, male or female, will enter Paradise wherein they will receive their sustenance without any account being kept (40: 40). � 

�One who acts righteously does so for his own benefit and one who commits evil does so against his own soul. To your Lord you will all return (45: 15). � 

The Prophet (s) said: �Abu Tharr, with the passing of days and nights, your age decreases and your deeds are recorded. Death comes suddenly. One who sows good will soon harvest good, and one who sows evil will soon harvest regret. In fact, each sower will gain that which he sows. �[347] 

��Qays, with dignity there is certainly humility, with life there is certainly death, and with this world there is certainly the world to come. Likewise, there is an interrogator for everything, there is a supervisor over everything, there is a reward for every good deed, there is punishment for every evildoing, and there is a deadline for every age. Moreover, Qays, there will definitely be a companion who will be buried with you alive and you will be buried with him when you are dead. 

If he is respectful, he will certainly respect you, and if he is disrespectful, he will certainly disrespect you. He will be resurrected with you and you will be sent with him, and you will be interrogated about nothing but him. Hence, you must make him righteous, because, if he is so, you will find pleasure with him, but if he is ill, you will feel an aversion for him. This is your deed. �[348] 

�He who acts righteously in the coming of his age will not be punished for his past sins, but he who acts disobediently in the coming of his age will be punished for the past, as well as the coming, sins. � 

Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) said: �When a servant is on his last day in this world and first step to the life to come, his wealth, sons, and deeds are presented before him. As he turns to his wealth, he says, �I was very stingy and niggardly for you, what do you have for me, today? � His wealth will answer, �Well, you can take from me only your coffin. � He then turns to his sons and says, �I have loved you very much, and I have protected you so excessively, what do you have for me, today? � His sons will answer, �Well, we will see you off to your hole to bury you there. � He then turns to his deeds and says, �By Allah, I have neglected you and you were so unwelcome for me, what do you have for me, today? � His 

deed will answer, �Well, I am your companion in your grave and on the day of your resurrection until you, as well as I, will be stopped before your Lord (for interrogation). � 

If that servant has acted righteously in this world and has been one of the disciples of Allah, his deed will come to him in the form of a sweet-smelling handsome man and will say to him, �I bear to you the good tidings of enjoying rest, happiness, and the beautiful Paradise, and you are coming to the best abode. When that servant asks about his personality, his good deed will answer, �I am your righteous deed, and I will move you from this world to the world to come. ��[349] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �As soon as a dead is put in his grave, a person comes to him and says, �we were three; one was your sustenance who ceased when your age was ceased. The other was your family who left you. The third was I; your deed, and I will stay with you. Nevertheless, I was the most disrespectful in your sight. �[350]

OBEDIENCE AND GOD-FEARING 

Humankind is a genuine element and distinctive being in this cosmos because of the numerous traits and donations that God has given exclusively to him so as to prefer him to the other creatures: 

�We have honored the children of Adam, carried them on the land and the sea, given them pure sustenance and exalted them above most of My creatures. (17: 70) � 

God appointed human beings as His representatives on the earth and 

chosen some of them as messengers and prophets whose mission is to convey the codes as well as the principles that organize their lives. Unfortunately, most people are enslaved by illusive whims. They therefore go astray in the lurks of disobedience to God and lose their ways in the glooms of deviation. Afterwards, they suffer horrible sorts of puzzlement and misery. If they respond to the calls of obedience to God and follow the divine regulations, they will certainly win great happiness: 

�Had the people of the towns believed (in Our revelations) and maintained piety, We would have certainly showered on them Our blessings from the sky and the earth. But they called Our revelations lies, thus Our torment struck them for their evil deeds. (7: 96) � 

Because of its submission to God and pursuance to His regulations, this cosmos is working so consistently, its elements are working evenly, and its system is being applied to the millions of generations. 

Because they follow the will of God, the lives of all existents on this earth are prospering and settling straight. 

People, likewise, are applying the directions of the inventers of the mechanical devices so that they can guarantee their maintenance. To gain treatment and cure, people submit to the prescriptions of physicians and suffer hardships of treatment. 

Why does man, then, avoid acting obediently to his Creator Who has full awareness of the hiddens, benefits, and disadvantages? 

It is absolutely impossible for man to win his goals by any way other than that of the obedience to God and application of His 

regulations: 

�One who obeys Allah and His Messenger will certainly achieve a great success. (33: 71) � 

�Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to the gardens wherein streams flow. Allah will make whoever turns away suffer a painful torment (48: 17). � 

God has made the good of this world as well as the world to come contingent on fear of Him. He has made the dearest hopes dependent on it. Let us refer to some aspects, which God has made contingent on fear of Him: 

(1) Love of God: 

�God loves the pious ones. (9: 4) � 

(2) Escape from misfortunes and arrangement of the sustenance: 

�God will make a way (out of difficulty) for one who has fear of Him and will provide him with sustenance in a way that he will not even notice. (65: 3) 

(3) Victory and support: 

�God is certainly with the pious and the righteous ones. (16: 128) � 

(4) Acceptance of deeds: 

�Believers, have fear of Allah and speak righteous words. Allah will reform your deeds and forgive your sins. One who obeys Allah and His Messenger will certainly achieve a great success. (33: 70-1) 

(5) Good tidings at death: 

�Those who have faith and fear God will receive glad news both in this life and in the life hereafter. The words of God do not change. This alone is the supreme triumph (10: 63-4). � 

(6) Salvation from Hell: 

�We will save the pious ones from the hell fire and leave the unjust people therein in crowded groups. (19: 72) � 

(7) Eternity in Paradise: 

�Paradise, vast as the heavens and the earth, is prepared for the pious (3: 133) � 

From the previous, we conclude that 

God-fearing is a great treasure containing various sorts of worldly and religious expectations. 

Reality of Obedience and God-Fearing 

Obedience implies submission to God and carrying out His orders. God-fearing implies self-guard against that whichever will cause harm in the world to come: 

Imam al-Hasan (a) said: �Work for your world as if you will live forever, and work for your life to come as if you will die tomorrow. If you seek power without the need for a clan and dignity without the need of authority, you should leave the humility of the disobedience to Allah to the honor of the obedience to Him. � 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: �If you want to know whether you are good or not, you should test your heart; if it is inclined to the people of the obedience to Allah and detests the people of disobedience to Him, they you are good, and Allah loves you. But if it (i. e. your heart) hates the people of obedience to Allah and is inclined to the people of disobedience to Him, then you are empty of goodness and Allah hates you. Man, however, will be attached to the one he loves. �[351] 

�He who disobeys Allah does not know Him. 

You disobey the Lord and show his love 

This is surely strange deed 

If your love is sincere, you will obey Him 

Certainly, the lover obeys the one he loves� 

Al-Hasan ibn Musa al-Wesha (of Baghdad) narrated: 

In Khurasan, I, once, was with Ali ibn Musa ar-Ridha (a) while he was delivering a sermon in a session. Zaid ibn Musa �his brother� was 

attendant, but he was addressing words of pride to a group of the attendants. As the Imam (a) heard Zaid�s words, he turned to him and said: �Zaid, do you, because you have heard my wording in Kufa that Allah forbids Hell to consume the offspring of Fatima (a) since she preserved her chastity, take pride against others? By Allah I swear, my previous wording is peculiar to al- Hasan, al-Hussein, and the other direct descendants of Fatima (a). You are too humble, in the sight of Allah, to be regarded, on the Day of Resurrection, as same as Musa ibn Ja�far �Imam al- Kadhim (a) ; the father of Imam ar-Ridha and Zaid the addressee� who used to spend his days with fasting and spend his night with worship to Allah while you act disobediently to Him. Ali ibn al-Hussein �Imam as-Sejjad (a) � used to say, �One who belongs to us and does righteously will be rewarded twice as others, and one who belongs to us and acts evilly will be punished twice as others. �� 

Imam ar-Ridha (a) then turned towards me and asked about the way we recite Allah�s saying: 

�His Lord replied, "He is not one of your family. He is a man of unrighteous deeds. Do not ask me about that which you have no knowledge. I advise you not to become an ignorant person. " (11: 46) � 

I answered that some people recite it in a way showing that son of Prophet Noah was illegitimate, while others recite it in a way showing that he was his son, 

but he used to act unrighteously. [352] 

The Imam (a) commented: �No, by Allah. That son was Noah�s. But Allah dismissed him from the family of Noah because he acted unrighteously. In the same manner, he who belongs to us in family relations but does not obey Allah is not belonged to us. So long as you obey Allah, you are one of us�the Ahl ul-Bayt. �[353] 

Jabir related that Imam al-Baqir (a) said to him: 

�Jabir, do you think that it is sufficient for those who claim being Shia to say that they cherish us; the Prophet�s household? 

By Allah I swear, our adherents �Shia- are only those who fear and obey Allah. Hence, you should fear Allah and work for the cause of obtaining that which He has in possession. There is no relation between Allah and anybody. The most favorable and honorable servants of Allah are the most God-fearing and the most pious. 

Jabir, the only means through which a servant seeks to gain Allah�s favor is the obedience to Him. We �the Ahl ul-Bayt - do not carry a patent for saving from Hell. Likewise, none of you has a claim against Allah. He who obeys Allah is only our disciple and whoever disobeys Him is our enemy. The loyalty to us cannot be gained except by means of diligent work and piety. �[354] 

Al-Mufaddhal ibn Omar narrated the following: 

�I, once, was with Imam as-Sadiq (a) when our subject of discussion was good deeds. I said, �My deeds are very few,� but the Imam shouted, �What is this saying? You 

should seek Allah�s forgiveness. To have few deeds with God-fearing is better than many deeds that lack it. � I asked him about the meaning of his words, and he said, �A man may serve food (to the poor) , act leniently with his neighbors, and receive the guests hospitably, but as soon as a door to a forbidden act is opened before him, he enters there. This is the big deed that lacks God-fearing. Another man may not have such good deeds, but he keeps himself away from plunging in forbidden acts when he faces some. This is the few deed with God-fearing. ��[355]

PERSEVERANCE ON PRINCIPLES 

part 1 

Regulations and principles play a great role in the lives of societies and nations. The highness of the principles of any nation proves its civilization. Likewise, any feebleness that affects the principles implies the ignorance of that nation. The most favorable principles are those which contribute in normalizing the individuals� lives and protecting their freedoms and dignities. Nevertheless, principles, no matter how great they are, cannot achieve the expectations of a nation unless there are individuals who embrace, protect, and carry them out in the various fields of life. Otherwise, they become of no value. On that account, perseverance on the principles is the holiest inevitable obligation, since it raises the morale, empowers values, and achieves expectations. 

All over history, humankind has never known any principles more perfect than the Islamic, which obtained all virtues of mortality. They are the one and only principles befitting the sound natures and achieving the pleasure of this 

worldly life as well as the life to come. In a period of less than twenty-five years, the Islamic principles could achieve matters that none else could do, through the conquests of faith and miracles of reformation. They also changed the Arab nation that was sinking in ignorance into the best nation ever seen by humankind in civilization, glory, knowledge, and morality. 

Perseverance on principles is the only reason beyond the prevalence of the scientific civilization and leadership of the precedent Muslims who exerted all efforts and lost themselves in their principles. Likewise, the present disasters and incessant collapse of Muslims are the result of the negligence and going astray from their principles. 

The holy Quran glorifies Muslims who show perseverance on principles and cling to the high values of faith: 

�To those who have said, "Allah is our Lord, " and who have remained steadfast to their belief, the angels will descend saying, "Do not be afraid or grieved. Receive the glad news of the Paradise which was promised to you. We are your guardians in this world and in the life to come, where you will have whatever you call for, a hospitable welcome from the All-forgiving and All-merciful Allah" (41: 30-2). 

Giving the best examples of steadfastness for the sake of God, the Prophet Mohammed (s) was facing bravely and overcoming the increasing hurricanes of disasters and powers of unbelief. In this regard, he (s) said: 

�If the sun is put in my right hand and the moon in the left so that I may leave this matter 

(i. e. the divine mission) , I will not do it until Allah will give me victory or I will die in this cause. � 

Like the Prophet (s) , Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) was the ideal in the field of perseverance on principles. When the leadership was given to him provided that he would follow the Book of God, the Prophet�s Sunna, and the way of the two Sheikhs,[356] he ejected because he adhered to his lofty opinion and genuine principle. He said: 

�No, I rule on the bases of God�s Book, the Prophet�s Sunna, and my own elicitations. � 

As some of his retinue, on another occasion, suggested to him importunately to �give some of these treasures exclusively to the celebrities of the Arabs and the Koreishites as well as every person that you anticipate he will leave you and join the camp of Muawiya,� Amir ul-Mu�minin refused their suggestion out of his perseverance on the principles and said: 

�Do you command me that I should seek support by oppressing those over whom I have been placed? By Allah, I will not do so as long as the world goes on, and as long as one star leads another in the sky. Even if it were my property, I would have distributed it equally among them, then why not when the property is that of Allah. �[357] 

This unparalleled ideality crept into his choice friends to change them into nonesuch models of perseverance on principles in spite of suffering various sorts of terror and persecution: 

- One day, al-Hajjaj ibn Yousuf ath-Thaqafi[358] said that he would 

like to arrest one of the companions of Abu Turab[359] so that he would seek nearness to God through shedding his blood! The attendants said, �As much as we know, Qanbar the servant had spent the longest period with Abu Turab. � Hence, al-Hajjaj ordered to arrest Qanbar. 

When Qanbar was brought before him, al-Hajjaj asked: �Are you Qanbar? � 

He answered: �Yes, it is I. � 

Al-Hajjaj asked: �Are you called Abu Hamdan? � 

He answered: �Yes, I am. � 

Al-Hajjaj asked: �Ali ibn Abi Talib was your master, was he not? � 

Qanbar answered: �God is my Master and Ali was my benefactor. � 

Al-Hajjaj then asked Qanbar to declare his disavowal of the religion of Imam Ali (a) , but Qanbar asked: �If I do, will you find me a religion better than his? � 

Out of his anger, al-Hajjaj told Qanbar that he would kill him and that he might choose the kind of killing that he would inevitably encounter. Qanbar said: �I give you this right of choice. You should choose for me. � 

Al-Hajjaj wondered: �Why is that? � 

Qanbar answered: �That is because I will certainly kill you in the same way you are going to kill me. Amir ul-Mu'minin foretold me that I will be slain wrongfully. � 

Hence, al-Hajjaj ordered to slay him. [360] 

- To Abu al-Aswad ad-Du�ali,[361] Muawiya sent candy as a present so as to make him leave the wing of Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) and join his. A little girl of Abu al-Aswad took a bite from that candy and swallowed. His father shouted at her to throw that bite away, and told her that candy was poison 

sent to them by Muawiya to take them away from their love and support for Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Ahl ul-Bayt (a). The little girl tried her best to vomit that bite until she could. She, then, said: �God may condemn Muawiya. Does he want us to leave the purified master through sending us such saffroned candy? Woe to him who sends and who will eat such candy. � She then composed: 

Son of Hind,[362] is it by means of saffroned candy 

You want us to sell our religion and Islam to you? 

God forbid it! This will never occur 

So long as our master is Amir ul-Mu'minin 

- Rashid al-Hajari was one of the intimate friends of Imam Ali (a). Ziyad the cursed (the governor of Kufa in the reign of Yazid ibn Muawiya; the second Umayyad caliph) ordered to arrest him. When he was brought before him, Ziyad asked: �What did your friend (i. e. Amir ul-Mu'minin) foretell you regarding our deed to you? � 

Rashid answered: �He foretold that you would cut my hands and legs and would crucify me. � 

Ziyad said: �By God, I will belie this foretelling. � Hence, he ordered them to set Rashid free. 

When Rashid was about to leave, Ziyad shouted: �Take him back to me. The best thing that I see as punishment for him is that which was foretold by his friend. This is because he will not stop doing evil to us so long as he is alive. � 

They took Rashid and cut his legs and hands. However, he did not stop declaring the right 

of Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) ; hence, Ziyad the cursed ordered to be crucified. [363] 

part 2 

Let us now listen to the magnificent words of the companions of Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) that express their great love for him, perseverance on their principles, and losing themselves for his sake. 

Addressing to Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) , Amr ibn al-Hamq said: 

�By God I swear, Amir ul-Mu'minin, I have loved you and declared allegiance to you, not because of a family relationship that links me to you, or because of expecting a fortune that you would confer upon me, or because of expecting a leading authority that you would give to me. I have loved you for five traits: you are the cousin of the Messenger of God, the first man who believed in his mission, the husband of the mistress of the women of this umma; namely, Fatima the daughter of the Prophet (s) , the successor of the Prophet, the father of the Prophet�s progeny that remained among us, the foremost to Islam, and the best mujahid among Muhajirs. Even if I move the unshakable mountains and dry out the oceans so that I may achieve a matter that contributes in strengthening one of your disciples or humiliating one of your enemies, I will not consider myself I have fulfilled my obligations towards you. � 

Having listened to these words, Imam Ali (a) supplicated to God: �O Allah, illuminate his heart with piety and guide him to Your straight path. Had I had one hundred soldiers like you! �[364] 

- It is related that Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) , one 

day, asked Hijr ibn Edi at-Taee: �What will you say if you are ordered to disavow me? � 

Hijr answered: �By God I swear, Amir ul-Mu'minin, if I am torn to pieces by swords and thrown in flaming fire�I will prefer so to declaring disavowal of you. � 

Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) answered: �Allah may lead you to every good matter and reward you on behalf of the Ahl ul-Bayt with good. �[365] 

- Hashim al-Mirqal, who was the commander of the left wing of Amir ul-Mu'minin�s army during the battle of Siffeen,[366] said: 

�By God I swear, I do refuse to have in possession this earth along with all that which is on its surface and the heavens with all that which is under them if this leads me to support one of your enemies or antagonize one of your supporters. � 

As an answer, Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) supplicated God to bestow upon him with martyrdom for His cause. 

- It is related that a black man confessed before Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) that he had committed larceny. Imam Ali (a) tried to provide excuses that may exempt him from the punishment of larceny. But, the black man insisted and confessed completely; hence, Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) had to subject him to the doctrinal provision, which was cutting of the hand. 

In his way back, that black man was murmuring, �My hand has been cut by the commander of the faithful believers, the leader of the pious, the chief of the white-forheaded honorables, the master of the religion, the head of the prophets� successors�� As al-Hasan and al-Hussein 

heard these words, they conveyed them to their father, who summoned that black man to ask him about that praise. The black man said: 

�Amir ul-Mu'minin, you have purified me. Your love has been mixed with my flesh and blood so composedly that it cannot depart my heart even if you cut me into pieces. � �[367] 

- In the same field of perseverance on principles, Imam al-Hussein, his noble family members, and his decent companions elevated to the highest peak in spite of the criticality of their situation and the sufferance of the grossest disasters and terrors. 

On the day of Ashura,[368] Imam al-Hussein, while was surrounded by thirty thousand warriors intending to humiliate and kill him, stood so bravely and shouted in their faces with that great reverberating cry, declaring his disdain and highness, through these everlasting words that are still rattling in the hearing of time and still adopted as a thriving constitution by the disdainful and free individuals: 

�The bastard, son of the bastard, has forced me to choose one of two things � either the religion or ignominy. Ignominy is impossible for us. Allah, His Apostle, the (faithful) believers, chaste laps, jealous noses �individuals-, and noble souls �personalities- refuse for us to prefer the obedience to the mean to the death of the honorable. � 

Preferring killing and sacrifice for the sake of the principles to the life of humility, Imam al-Hussein (a) said: 

�By Allah I swear, I will not give you with my hand like the humble, and will not submit to you like slaves. � 

�In my 

sight, death is only pleasure, while the life with the wrongdoers is only misery. � 

Like their leader, the companions of Imam al-Hussein (a) provided the most ideal examples of steadfastness and perseverance on principles when they sacrificed their souls for their leader. 

With a splendid wording of love, admiration, and pity, Imam al-Hussein (a) addressed a speech to his companions: 

�So then, I have never known any companions more loyal or favorable than my companions are, and I have never known any family members more regardful and pious than my family members are. Allah may reward you in the best manner on behalf of me. I am sure that we will face these enemies very soon, and I permit you all to leave me and I release you from your obligations towards me. This night has covered you; therefore, you may use it as screen and each of you may put his hand in the hand of one of my household, then you can reach your hometowns until Allah relieves this ordeal. These people want me in particular, and if they can capture me, they will not pursue anyone else. � 

Muslim ibn Awsaja stood up to answer these words of the Imam (a). He said: 

�How is it that we leave you alone? What is the excuse that we will provide justifiably before God with regard to the fulfillment of your right that is imposed upon us if we leave you? No, by God,

I will not leave you before I stab my spear in the chests of the enemies 

and strike them with my sword so long as I can catch something in my hand. Even if I have no weapon to fight them with, I will throw stones at them. By God I swear, we will never leave you alone so that God will know that we have respected your representation of the Messenger of God (s). By God I swear, if I am foretold that I will be killed, then revived, then killed, then burnt, then scattered in the wind, then the same thing is redone to me seventy times, I will not leave you before I face death for your sake. I will surely face death for your sake when it is only a single time of death followed by the grandest never-ending honor. � 

When it was his turn to speak, Zuhair ibn al-Qain said: 

�By God I swear, I wish I would be killed, then revived, then killed, then the same thing is redone to me thousand times, if it is that God will save you as well as these youths from your household from death. � 

All the other companions spoke alike wordings. They said: 

�We, by God, will never leave you alone. We sacrifice our souls for you. We will protect you with our necks, foreheads, and hands, so that we, if we are killed, will prove our being loyal to you and will fulfill the rights that are imposed upon us concerning you. � 

We, Muslims of today, are in urgent need for learning lessons of jihad from such great personalities and pursuing their 

examples in the fields of clinging to the religion and perseverance on principles as well as self-denial for the sake of supporting the right, so that we will be able to regain our seized rights and our usurped dignities, and will be able to save ourselves from the humility of the scandalous defeats and frequent losses.

SECTION TWO: RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS 

Amir ul-Mu'minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) said 

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful 

�Right is the most comprehensive in description and the narrowest in equity; whenever it be for the good of somebody in a situation, it will surely be against him in another, and whenever it be against somebody in a definite situation, it will be for his good in another. If it incessantly flows in the good of somebody, that somebody must have been exclusively Allah, not any of His creatures, because Allah is All-powerful over His servants and Just with all those upon whom His acts are imposed. But He has made His right, which is imposed upon His creatures, is that they must obey Him, and made the requital of that obedience as duplicated rewards, out of His grace and large favor that He is worthy of. He, the Praised, then made some of His rights imposed on some people for others; hence, He made them equivalent in their aspects, and made them necessitate each other, and made the obligation of some depend totally upon others. �

PREFACE 

In The Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful 

Peace and Blessings Be Upon Mohammed and His Pure Immaculate Family 

Man is naturally civilized and cannot dispense with, isolate himself from, or fall behind others. As soon as he secludes himself, he feels loneliness, alienation, and disability to face the vicissitudes of time. Man is one of the elements of social construction; therefore, he is attracted by various relations, such as belief, friendship, education, profession, and the like. Such social correlation necessitates 

a constitution that regulates the individuals� lives, strengthens the ties, and achieves justice through social and individual rights and obligations. By achieving so, a society becomes prosperous. But if such constitution is neglected, it becomes miserable. 

Through its various reformative miracles, the Islamic Sharia has provided a constructive moral constitution that regulates the lives of individuals and societies so completely. On that account, it is essential for every Muslim to derive from that constitution so as to realize his rights and obligations and work for applying it to his conducts. Thus, he becomes a good example of ideal behavior. 

All these goals have prompted me to write this book and plan for its concepts in the light of the holy Quran and the ethics of the Ahl ul-Bayt (a). I will refer to a group of the most significant rights that play big roles in the societies and individuals, beginning with the rights of the Lord, the Prophet (s) , the Sinless Imams (a) , the scholars, teachers, students, parents, sons, spouses, relatives, and the other social rights that the reader will notice in the book. 

THE DIVINE RIGHTS 

Rights vary from one to another according to values of favors. A friend has his own familiar rights that are a degree lower than these of the affectionate brother who joins the tie of relation to the tie of kindness. The right of the brother, in a like fashion, comes after that of parents, because of their superior favors to sons. 

Through such standard, we can realize the grand value of the divine rights 

that excel any other rights, because God is the grandest Benefactor Who created man and has conferred upon him with innumerable varieties of graces: 

�Have you not seen that Allah has made all that is in the heavens and the earth, subservient to you (human beings) , and has extended and perfected for you His apparent and unseen bounties? (31: 20). � 

�Had you wanted to count the bounties of Allah, you would not have been able to do it. (14: 34) � 

Anyhow, we now have to refer to some of these infinite rights that come after the belief in God, His Oneness, His having the attributes of perfection, and His being too far above everything that does not befit Him. 

1. Worship 

Imam as-Sejjad (a) said: 

�The greatest of Allah�s right against you is that you should worship Him and should avoid associating anything with Him. If you have applied this sincerely, Allah will grant you the characteristic that He will save your needs of this worldly life and your life to come and will keep for you that whichever you desire from the both. �[369] 

Semantically, worship is the utmost servility and submission. On that account, except the Grandest Benefactor God, no one deserves to be worshipped. 

Terminologically, worship is to carry out the orders diligently. 

As a proof on the greatness of worship that leave prominent effects on man�s life is that God has made it the grand purpose beyond the creation: 

�We have created jinn and human beings only that they might worship Me. I do not expect to receive any sustenance from them or that 

they should feed Me. It is Allah Who is the Sustainer and the Lord of invincible strength (51: 56-8). � 

Undoubtedly, God is completely Self-Sufficient as He dispenses with the worship of His creatures�neither the obedience of the pious serves Him nor does the disobedience of the defiant harm Him. He has imposed worship upon the creatures for their own interests so that they will benefit by the traits and advantages of worship, which is one of the strongest incentives that concentrate the beliefs and build up faith in the spirits since it reminds of God and His rewards and warns against His punishment and reminds of the Prophet (s). 

The concepts of faith fade away in the mentality of the servant who neglects, and, subsequently, forgets worship of His Lord. Belief is the large tree whose blooming shadows cover all Muslims. Worship is the factor that protects and supplies that tree with elements of growth. It is the strongest factor that achieves balance between the spiritual and material powers that pull man back and forth. Man, however, cannot attain pleasure unless these two elements are equal. To prove this, we say that the prevalence of the material elements on man causes him to be slaved by false authorities of materiality and to be inclined towards selfishness, egotism�all for achieving his material desires. Such being the case, it is necessary to rein the defiance of materiality by strengthening the spiritual aspects and supplying man with mental energies guarding against evils and guiding to righteousness. Through its spiritual rays and 

incessant reminding of God, worship can achieve the previously mentioned necessities. 

Worship, after all, is a test examining the dimensions of faith, which is a hidden secret that nothing can divulge except rites of worship. 

Because worship requires suffering of efforts, the fulfillment of its rites has become a sign of firmness of faith. To neglect such rites, on the other hand, has become a sign of frailty of faith. Prayer, for example, is indeed a difficult task, but not for the submissive to God. Fasting requires self-control against desires of food and sex. The hajj requires expenditure and suffering of efforts. The Zakat is to give from the wealth that you love and maintain. Jihad is to sacrifice oneself for the sake of the duty. All these are difficult missions. 

2. Obedience 

Obedience stands for submitting to God and carrying out all His instructions. It is an honorable trait that brings about pleasure: 

�One who obeys Allah and His Messenger will certainly achieve a great success. (33: 71) � 

�Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to the gardens wherein streams flow. Allah will make whoever turns away suffer a painful torment (48: 17). � 

Imam al-Hasan (a) said: �If you seek power without the need for a clan and dignity without the need of authority, you should leave the humility of the disobedience to Allah to the honor of the obedience to Him. � 

3. Thankfulness 

Thankfulness is to appreciate the graces and use them in fields satisfying the benefactor. It is an ideal trait that is blessed by reason and law and necessitated by 

conscience. For the All-benefactor Whose graces are innumerable and favors are infinite, gratitude should be expressed more meaningfully: 

�Remember when your Lord said to you, 'If you give thanks, I shall give you greater (favors) , but if you deny the Truth, know that My retribution is severe� (14: 7). � 

The Prophet (s) said: �Verily, he who serves food and thanks Allah for so will be rewarded as same as those who fast just for gaining the rewards of Allah, and he who is cured and thanks Allah for curing him will be rewarded as same as the diseased who is steadfast against that disease for the sake of Allah, and he who gives alms and thanks Allah for so will be rewarded as same as him who is deprived of sustenance, but he shows patience for the sake of Allah. �[370] 

4. Trust in God 

Trust in God is to rely upon Him and commend all affairs to Him by diverting from anyone or anything else: 

�If Allah is your helper, no one can defeat you. However, if He abandons you, who would help you? The true believers trust in Allah. (3: 160) � 

�Allah is Sufficient for the needs of whoever trusts in Him. (65: 3) � 

RIGHTS OF THE PROPHET 

Rights of the prophet 

Our great Prophet Mohammed (s) was the ideal in all aspects of perfection. God selected him among the creatures and conferred upon him with the loftiest traits that He gave to the prophets. All glories and dignities are gathered in the personality of Prophet Mohammed (s) ; therefore, he became the head and the seal of the prophets. 

In less than 

twenty-five years, he, out of his giant efforts and eternal principles, could achieve splendid spiritual victories and religious attainments that cannot be achieved by others even if they take the period of many centuries. He came with the most perfect divine code that is best befitting the stages of life and achieving the worldly and religious spiritual and material pleasures to humankind. Hence, he could take people out of the murk of disbelief to the light of Islam. Besides, he made his nation the most perfect in religion, the most knowledgeable, the highest in fields of ethics, and the most elevated in fields of civilization. In the cause of achieving all these, the Prophet (s) suffered such unprecedented forms of terrors and ordeals. On that account, any author is too short to calculate the favors and rights of the Prophet (s) that are done and imposed upon Muslims, whatever he writes. Nevertheless, we can, in such a brief essay, refer to some of these rights. 

First of all, the rights of the Prophet Mohammed (s) are to believe in his prophecy and all that which he conveyed on behalf of God, and to believe that he is the chief of the messengers of God and the seal of the prophets. Then come the following rights: 

1. Obedience to the Prophet 

Like the obedience to God, the obedience to Prophet Mohammed (s) is an obligation since he is the representative of God. The meaning of this obedience is to follow his code and apply his eternal principles that achieved happiness and success 

for Muslims so long as they adhered to them. Thus, Muslims became the target of humility when they rejected these principles. 

Enjoining to the compliance with the Prophet Mohammed (s) and warning against the disobedience and defiance to him, God says: 

�Take only what the Messenger gives to you and desist from what he forbids you. Have fear of Allah; Allah is severe in His retribution (59: 7). � 

�The believing men and women must not feel free to do something in their affairs other than that which has been already decided for them by Allah and His Messenger. One who disobeys Allah and His Messenger is in plain error. (33: 36) � 

�Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to the gardens wherein streams flow and wherein they will live forever. This is the greatest triumph. Whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and breaks His rules will be admitted to the fire wherein they will live forever, suffering a humiliating torment. (4: 13-4) � 

�Disgrace will strike those who oppose Allah and His Messenger. Allah has decreed, "I and My Messenger shall certainly triumph. " Allah is All-powerful and Majestic (58: 20-1). �

2. Love for the Prophet 

Reasons of love and admiration vary according to the tendencies of lovers. Some people love beauty, others love heroism, others love liberality, and so on. In the personality of Prophet Mohammed (s) , one can find all factors of love and admiration. He was an unparalleled model and a unique example. God gathered all signs of beauty and perfection and all secrets of attraction in his personality. In front of Prophet Mohammed (s) , man 

can do nothing but expressing his love and respect to him. 

Describing the features of the Prophet Mohammed (s) , Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) said: 

�The Prophet of Allah was white-reddish, black-eyed, lank-haired, bushy-bearded, hairy, and his neck was as same as a silver pitcher in whose clavicles gold is flowing. Like a bar of thread, his hair extends from the upper part of his chest to his navel. Other than this, he has no hair on his belly or breast. He is big-handed and big footed. His walking is as same as pulling the feet from rocks. His coming is as same as descending a slope. When he turns his face, his whole body turns. He is neither short nor tall. His sweat on the face glitters like pearls and smells sweeter than musk. �[371] 

�He was the most openhanded, the most broad-minded, the most truthful, the most faithful, the most tractable, and the most sociable. He who sees him from far away stands in awe of him, and who associates with him from near loves him. I have never seen, and I will not see, his like. �[372] 

Because of the aforesaid features and moralities, all people, despite their variant trends of love, have loved him�for his unmatched heroism, heroes have loved him. For his being the ideal example of generosity, the generous have loved him. For his unique worship, worshippers have loved him. For his supreme ideality in nature and ethics, his sincere companions loved him. 

Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) narrated that, once, one of Ansar,[373] said to the Prophet (s): �God�s 

Messenger, I cannot depart you! As soon as I enter my house, you jump in my mind. I therefore leave my home and come to see you, out of my love for you. A question has occurred to me. How can I see you when you will be elevated to the highest point of Paradise? � 

Hence, God revealed His saying: 

�One who obeys Allah and the Messenger is the friend of the Prophets, saints, martyrs, and the righteous ones to whom Allah has granted His favors. They are the best friends that one can have (4: 69) � 

The Prophet (s) summoned that man and recited this Verse before him, as good tidings. �[374] 

- Anas narrated: A Beduin came to the Prophet (s) �we were happy whenever a Beduin asks the Prophet� to ask him when would the Hour of Resurrection fall. Before answering the man, the time of a prayer fell; therefore, the Prophet (s) came to offer it. After the prayer, the Prophet (s) asked about the man who had asked about the falling of the Hour of Resurrection. When the man came before him, the Prophet (s) asked: �What have you prepared for encountering that Hour? � The man answered: �I, in fact, have not prepared many prayers and days of fasting. I, however, love God and His Messenger. � The Prophet (s) commented: �Man will be attached to the one he loves. � This prophetic statement was the second-most gladdening thing after Islam. [375] 

- Imam as-Sadiq (a) narrated: An oilman loved the Prophet (s) very much to the degree that he 

used to come to look at him before he would do any job. As he realized this thing from that oilman, the Prophet used to raise himself �when he was sitting� so that the man would see him. 

One day, the man, as usual, took a look at the Prophet (s) before he would go to his job. He, very soon, came back. When the Prophet (s) noticed that, he waved to him to sit down. The man sat before the Prophet (s) , who asked him about his unusual coming back. The man said: �God�s Messenger, by Him Who has sent you with the right I swear, your picture covered my heart totally that I could not go for my job; therefore, I came back to you. � The Prophet (s) addressed nice words to that man and supplicated to God for his good. � 

For several days, the Prophet (s) could not see that man. When he missed him, the Prophet (s) asked the others about him, and they answered that they, too, could not see him several days ago. The Prophet (s) , accompanied by his companions, came to the market to ask about him. He found his shop locked, and the others informed him that the man had died. They also told that he was trustworthy and truthful, but he had one bad manner�he used to look covetingly at women. 

The Prophet (s) commented: �He loved me very much. Allah will surely forgive him even if he was fraudulent in weighing and measuring. �[376] 

3. Blessing the Prophet 

God says: 

�Allah showers His blessings 

upon the Prophet and the angels, too, do. Believers, pray for the Prophet and greet him thoroughly. (33: 56) � 

People used to show different styles of reverence towards the great personalities for their efforts for the sake of their nations. Such being the case, it is not strange to show respect whenever the holy name of the Prophet (s) , who is the most reverent and venerable of all, is said or heard. 

The holy Verse expresses the utmost honoring of God and the angels to the Prophet (s) � God showers His blessings upon the Prophet and the angels, too, do�, and then it addresses to the believers to reverence him by seeking God to bless and greet him� believers, pray for the Prophet and greet him thoroughly�. 

Using such a thrilling, attractive style, the words of the Ahl ul-Bayt (a) go on explaining the merits of seeking God�s blessings for the Prophet (s). 

His son narrated that Abu Hamza said: I, once, asked Imam as-Sadiq (a) about the exegesis of God�s saying: 

�Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet and the angels, too, do. Believers, pray for the Prophet and greet him thoroughly. (33: 56) � 

He answered: �The blessing of Allah is mercy to the Prophet (s) , and the blessing of the angels is purification to him, and the blessing of people is supplication for him. To �great him thoroughly,� means to submit to that whichever is �authentically- related to him. � 

I asked: �How should we bless Mohammed and his family? � The Imam (a) replied: �You should say: 

�������� ����� ���������� ������������ �������������� ���������� 

�������� �������� ���� ��������� ����� ��������� � ����������� �������� ������������ ���������� ����� ������������. 

�The blessings of Allah and the blessings of His angels, prophets, messengers, and all creatures be upon Mohammed and the family of Mohammed. And peace and Allah�s mercy and blessings be upon him and them. �� 

I asked: �What is the reward that one will win if he utters such blessings for the Prophet and his family? � 

The Imam (a) answered: �The reward is that he will be acquitted from all of his sins, as if he has just left his mother�s womb. �[377] 

�For him who utters the blessings for Mohammed and his family ten times, Allah and His angels will bless him one hundred times, and if he utters the blessings one hundred times, Allah and His angels will bless him one thousand times. This is the significance of Allah�s saying: 

�It is He who forgives you and His angels pray for you so that He will take you out of darkness into light. Allah is All-merciful to the believers. (33: 43) �[378] 

�Before blessing the Prophet and his family, every supplication is prevented to reach the heavens. �[379] 

�The heaviest thing in the balance of a servant�s deeds will be the blessings for the Prophet and his family. As a man�s evildoings are heavier than his good deeds, the Prophet (s) comes to add the blessings for him and his family to the scale in which his good deeds are put. Thus, his good deeds become heavier than the evildoings. �[380] 

Imam ar-Ridha (a) said: �He who fails to expiate his sins should 

give much of the blessings for Mohammed and his family, for they destroy the sins. � 

The Prophet (s) said: �Do not utter the imperfect blessings for me. � 

They asked: �What is the imperfect blessings? � 

He answered: �The imperfect blessings is to say �Lord, bless Mohammed,� and keep silent. You must say, �Lord, bless Mohammed and the family of Mohammed. ��[381]

4. The Love for the Ahl ul-Bayt 

In His Book, God makes obligatory on everybody to love the Prophet�s household as the wage for his conveying the divine mission, and makes it one of his rights: 

� (Muhammad) , say, "I do not ask you for any payment for my preaching to you except (your) love of (my near) relatives. " Whoever achieves virtue will have its merit increased. Allah is All- forgiving and Appreciating. (42: 23) � 

the Ahl ul-Bayt (a) are characterized by all qualities of admiration and incentives of love and loyalty. They are the choice people, the arguments against the creatures, the ships of salvation, and �preceded by their father the Prophet (s) � the best of everyone who ever lived on this earth in lineage, value, merits, and glories. 

It is impossible for the sound conscience to accept to love the Prophet (s) apart from his immaculate family who are worthy of the best concepts of love. To love the Prophet (s) , but not his immaculate family, is falsity originated from hypocrisy and meanness. 

Abdullah ibn Mas�oud narrated: 

One day, we were accompanying the Prophet (s) in one of his journeys when a Beduin with an orotund voice shouted at us, �Mohammed! � �What do you want? � answered the Prophet (s). �What is it 

if an individual loves a people but he does not imitate them in deeds? � asked the Beduin. �One will be attached to the one he loves,� replied the Prophet (s). �Mohammed,� shouted the Beduin, �Call me to Islam. � The Prophet (s) said: �You should declare that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, offer the prayer, defray the zakat, fast during the month of Ramadan, and perform the hajj to the Holy House. � 

�Mohammed,� asked the Beduin, �Do you ask for wage for so? � �No,� replied the Prophet (s) , �I do not take any wage except that you must regard the relatives. � �Whose relatives? Mine or yours? � asked the Beduin. �It is my relatives,� answered the Prophet (s). The Beduin said: �Give me your hand so that I will declare allegiance to you. No good is expected from him who loves you, but not your relatives. �[382] 

The Imamite[383] Shia have agreed unanimously on the fact that the Immaculate Imams of the Ahl ul-Bayt (a) are the intendeds in the Verse: 

� (Muhammad) , say, "I do not ask you for any payment for my preaching to you except (your) love of (my near) relatives. " Whoever achieves virtue will have its merit increased. Allah is All- forgiving and Appreciating. (42: 23) � 

A good number of great exegesists and traditionists of the other sects of Islam, such as Ahmed ibn Hanbal, at-Tabarani, and al-Hakim[384] (as quoting the opinion of ibn Abbas[385]) agreed with the Shia on this fact. 

Ibn Hagar, in Chapter One of Section Eleven of as-Sawaaiq ul-Muhriqa, 

narrates the following: 

When the Verse (intended) was revealed, they asked: �God�s Messenger, who are your relatives whom we must love and regard? � The Prophet (s) answered: �They are Ali, Fatima, and their two sons. �[386] 

Consider how the Prophet (s) urged people to regard his family through the aforementioned narration. However, many texts concerning the Prophet�s assertion on the obligatory love and regard for his relatives are related by the two majors schools of Islam �i. e. Shia and Sunna-. 

Regarding the Shia, let us cite the following narrations: 

On the authority of his fathers, Imam as-Sadiq narrated that the Prophet (s) said: �He who loves us�the Ahl ul-Bayt should thank Allah for the foremost grace. It is the legal birth. Only will the legal sons love us. �[387] 

Imam al-Baqir narrated on the authority of his father and grandfather that the Prophet (s) said: �The love for my household and me will help in seven situations whose horrors are enormous: at death, in the grave, in the Resurrection, in the Recorded Account, in the Judgment, in the Balance, and on the Path. �[388] 

�Any servant who worships Allah for one thousand years and then is slaughtered (wrongfully) like a sheep, but he attends before Allah bearing malice against us�the Ahl ul-Bayt, Allah will certainly reject all his acts of worship. �[389] 

�On the Day of Resurrection, a servant�s feet will not move before he is asked about four matters: He will be asked how he had spent the age of his youth, how he had finished his age, what earnings he had got and where 

from he had got them and how he had spent them, and he will be also asked about his affection to us�the Ahl ul-Bayt. �[390] 

Al-Hakam ibn Utaiba related the following: 

I was with Imam al-Baqir (a) in his house, which was suffocated by his people when an old man came leaning on a stick. As he stopped at the door of the house, he said: �Peace and Allah�s mercy and blessings be upon you, son of God�s Messenger. � Abu Ja�far (a) replied: �Peace and Allah�s mercy and blessings be upon you, too. � The old man turned his face to the others and said: �Peace be upon you,� and each one answered him. He then turned his face towards Imam al-Baqir (a) and said: 

�Son of God�s Messenger, let me approach you, God may make me your sacrifice. By God I swear, I do love you and love everyone who loves you. By God I swear, my love for you and my love for him who loves you is not purposed for a worldly desire. I also hate and disavow your enemy. By God I swear, my hatred and disavowal of your enemy is not for a previous personal enmity between him and me. By God I swear, I deem lawful all that which you decide as lawful, deem unlawful all that which you decide as unlawful, and expect your Affair. Do you �may God make me your sacrifice- accept me, then? � 

Having heard these words, Imam al-Baqir (a) said to him: �Come to me, come to me. � 

When the man 

sat next to him, the Imam (a) said: �Old man, my father Ali ibn al-Hussein (a) , once, was visited by a man who asked him the same question that you have just put. My father�s answer was, �If you die bearing these beliefs, you will be received by the Messenger of Allah, Ali, al-Hasan, al-Hussein, and Ali ibn al-Hussein (a) , and you will be pleased, delighted, and cheerful. And when your soul reaches your mouth �i. e. about to depart your body-, you will be greeted with rest and happiness by the Honorable Recording Angels. And if you live, Allah will show you delighted things, and you will be with us on the Highest Peak� etc. [391] 

Regarding narrations that are recorded in the reference books of our Sunni brothers, we cite the following as examples: 

Ibn Hanbal and at-Tirmithi, as recorded in as-Sawaaiq ul-Muhriqa; page 91, narrated the following: 

The Prophet (s) , once, took al-Hasan and al-Hussein from the hands and said: �He who loves me, these two, their father, and their mother will stand in a rank as same as mine on the Day of Resurrection. �[392] 

Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet (s) , once, looked in the face of Ali (a) and said: �You are sayyid in this world as well as the world to come. Your disciple is my disciple, and my disciple is Allah�s disciple. And your enemy is my enemy, and my enemy is Allah�s enemy. Woe unto him who will hate you after my departure. �[393] 

In his book titled Kitab ul-Wilaya, At-Tabari records the following: 

Ali (a) 

said: �Three persons will never love me: the bastards, the hypocrites, and those whom were composed during their mothers� periods of menstruation. � 

At-Tabarani, in his book titled al-Mu�jam ul-Awsat, as-Suyouti, in his book titled Ihyaa ul-Meyt, and ibn Hagar, in his as-Sawaaiq ul-Muhriqa; Chapter: Urging on the love for the Ahl ul- Bayt, recorded the following hadith: 

The Prophet (s) said: �Cling to the love for us�the Ahl ul-Bayt, for anyone who meets Allah bearing love for us will be in Paradise due to our Right of Intercession. I swear by Him Who prevails on my soul, unless our right is recognized, none�s deed will be useful (for him). �[394] 

The term of the Ahl ul-Bayt includes the twelve sinless Imams (a) , because such lofty characteristics are deserved by no one at all except them, since they are the representatives of God and the auspicious successors of the Prophet (s).

RIGHTS OF THE IMAMS 

rights of the Imams 

The Immaculate Imams of the Ahl ul-Bayt (a) preceded everyone else in the fields of virtue and perfection and won the loftiest honor of lineage and ranks. They were brought up in the houses of the Prophet�s successor, grew up under the shadow of the divine mission, and received the facts and principles of Islam from their great grandfather, and, hence, became the heirs of his knowledge, keepers of his wisdom, protectors of his code, and his auspicious representatives. 

For sake of supporting the religion and guarding Muslims, they presented unparalleled examples of jihad�they sacrificed themselves for sake of God until they won martyrdom in the cause of the belief and 

principles. They had no fear of anyone's accusations and they were not deceived by the false vanities of this worldly life. Their rights against Muslims are too numerous to be counted. I, however, may refer to some of them in the following points: 

1. Recognition of the Imams 

The two major sects of Islam relate uninterruptedly the following hadith: 

�He who dies before he recognizes the Imam of his age is reckoned with those who died before Islam. � 

Since the Imam is the Prophet�s representative who conveys the laws of Sharia, it is obligatory upon every Muslim to recognize him so that the belief and Sharia will be deliberately understood and the true guidance will be pursued. 

In case a Muslim neglects the recognition of the Imam, he will surely go astray from the course of Islam and, thus, will die as disbeliever and hypocrite. 

Returning to the aforementioned hadith, it refers to the necessity of the existence, as well as recognition, of the Imam all over lifetime, because attaching the Imam to the age requires continuity of Imamate and its renewal all over times and ages. In the same manner, many hadiths that are related by both sects of Muslims confirm the necessity of recognizing the Immaculate Imams and taking them as guides. For instance, the Prophet (s) is related to have said: 

�With every generation, there must be decent individuals from my household whose mission will be to save this religion from the distortion of the deviants, the alteration of the wrong, and the misrepresentation of the ignorant. Your Imams are your representatives 

before Allah. You therefore should select proper representatives. �[395] 

�This religion will continue to exist up to the coming of the Hour of Resurrection, and there will exist twelve successors, as leaders�all will be from the tribe of Koreish. �[396] 

This hadith is clear-cut evidence on the unquestionable existence of the twelve Imams of the Ahl ul-Bayt (a) exclusively. Because they were more than this fixed number, neither the Umayyad nor are the Abbasid caliphs included. 

2. Loyalty to the Imams 

Recognition of the Imams is meaningless unless loyalty to them is added. In other words, if recognition of the Imams is bare of loyalty to them, it will be worthless. This is because the Imam, whose mission is to confirm the realities of Sharia, elucidate its rulings, guard it against trickeries and false interpolations of the atheists, and exert all efforts for protecting, supporting, and pleasing Muslims spiritually and materially in this world as well as the life to come, is the Prophet�s representative and the pioneer towards the Islamic idealities. Such being the case, any negligence of the loyalty to the Imam will lead to deviation. This fact was frequently confirmed by the Prophet (s) who, in more than one occasion, declared that the right guidance and triumph will completely accompany the loyalty to the Immaculate Imams, while deviation will be the share of him who leaves and dissents from them: 

�The like of my the Ahl ul-Bayt is Noah�s ark�he that embarks on it will be saved, while he that falls behind will be sunk. �[397] 

�I will leave with you things that will 

save you from deviation so long as you adhere to: the Book of Allah, which is a cord extended from the heavens to the earth, and my family�the Ahl ul-Bayt. These two will never depart each other until they join me on the Divine Pool. Consider how you will regard me through them. �[398] 

On the authority of his fathers, Imam as-Sadiq narrated that Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) , once, was asked about the meaning of �my family� in the Prophet�s saying, �I will leave with you the two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my family�? 

He answered: �This refers to me, al-Hassan, al-Hussein, and the nine Imams from the descendants of al-Hussein. The ninth will be al-Mahdi al-Qa�im. They will not contradict the Book of Allah, and the Book of Allah will not contradict them until they will join the Prophet (s) on His Pool. �[399] 

This hadith substantiates the fact that the Ahl ul-Bayt and the holy Quran are full twins that never depart each other. Like the Quran�s being the constitution and the argument against Muslims, an imam from the Ahl ul-Bayt (a) must exist in every age to hold the position of Muslims� leadership and guide them to prosperity. The Prophet (s) said: 

�He who desires to live like me, die like me, and be taken to the paradise of eternity of which my Lord has promised me, must be loyal to Ali and his descendants, for they will never take you out of the door of right guidance and will never take you to a door 

of deviation. �[400] 

3. Obedience to the Imams 

God says: 

�Believers, obey Allah, His Messenger, and your (qualified) leaders. If you have faith in Allah and the Day of Judgment, refer to Allah and His Messenger concerning matters in which you differ. This would be a more virtuous and a better way of settling differences. (4: 59) � 

In this holy Verse, God imposes as duty on Muslims to obey the Imams in their capacity as the Prophet�s successors, Muslims� leaders, and pioneers of the Islamic ideology. Like imposing as duty the obedience to His Messenger and Him, God imposes the obedience to the Imams. This fact makes clear that they are the true successors of the Prophet (s) and are protected against sins, because no one deserves the absolute obligatory obedience except the sinless leader. 

Thus, it is a big mistake to state that �the qualified leaders� to whom the previous Verse refers includes the other individuals who led the Islamic states, because most of such ones contradicted the instructions of God and the practices of the Prophet (s) and, moreover, went astray from the line of Islam. 

Zurara; one of the most celebrated traditionists, relates the following narration that indicates the merit and necessity of loyalty and obedience to the Imams of the Ahl ul-Bayt (a): 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: �The supports of Islam are five: the prayer, zakat, fasting, hajj, and Wilaya. �[401] 

I asked: �Which one of these is the most favorable? � 

The Imam (a) answered: �It is the Wilaya, because it is the key to the other four supports. The Imam is the guide to these 

supports� After the recognition of the Imams, the obedience to him is the summit, climax, key, and door to the things. It achieves satisfaction of the All-beneficent Allah, Who says: �One who obeys the Messenger has certainly obeyed Allah. You have not been sent to watch over those who turn away from you (4: 80). � 

Verily, if a man spends nights with rites of worship, observes fasting during days, gives his whole wealth as alms, and performs the hajj permanently, but he does not know what is the Wilaya and, hence, does not declare loyalty to Allah�s Disciples so that all his deeds must be originated from that Wilaya, Allah will not reward him for anything and he will not be attached to people of faith. �[402] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �Allah has attached the obedience to the Leaders to the obedience to His Messenger, and attached the obedience to His Messenger to the obedience to Him. Hence, he who neglects the obedience to the Leaders is neglecting the obedience to Allah and the obedience to His Messenger. �[403] 

4. Fulfillment of the Khums 

God says: 

�Know that whatever property you may gain, one fifth belongs to Allah, the Messenger, the kindred, orphans, the needy and those who need money while on a journey. (8: 41) � 

The right of Khums is obligatory upon Muslims, because God has passed it as law for the Ahl ul-Bayt and everyone who has family relation with them. It is, moreover, a natural right accepted by reason, conscience, and Islamic Sharia. All governments used to award their officials by giving them pensions that 

they receive when they become old and their sons inherit, as an expression of appreciating their efforts in fields of serving their nations. Similarly, God imposes on Muslims to pay one-fifth of the profits of their properties �under definite rules- to the descendants of the Prophet (s) as an appreciation of his giant jihad and precious sacrifices for sake of his nation. Besides, the right of Khums is imposed so as to save the descendants of the Prophet (s) from taking alms and money of the zakat. 

Explaining the concept of �the kindred�, Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) said: 

�By Allah I swear, it is we whom Allah intended in His saying �the kindred,� and attached to His Messenger and Himself in his saying: 

�Whatever Allah grants to His Messenger (out of the property) of the people of the towns, belongs to Allah, the Messenger, the kindred� (59: 7) �� 

This is exclusively for us, because Allah did not dedicate a share of alms to us, out of honoring His Messenger and saving us from being fed from dirt of people. �[404] 

Abu Bassir narrated: 

I, once, asked Imam al-Baqir (a) about the least thing due to which one may be in Hell. He answered: �It is to consume the properties of the orphan wrongfully. It is we whom are intended by �the orphan�. � 

Many disputations, however, occurred between Imamites and the other Islamic sects regarding the question whether �spoils� refers to the booty of wars particularly or includes the other profits in every respect. To discuss this matter will lead us to go far away from 

our main topic; namely, ethics. Anyhow, one may refer to the reference books of jurisprudence for more information in this regard. 

5. Kind Treatment to the Prophet�s Descendants 

To attend to, treat kindly, and do good to the descendants of the Immaculate Imams prove one�s love for and loyalty to the Imams (a). The Prophet (s) , in many occasions, expressed his pleasure and love for anyone who would respect his descendants and, in the same manner, expressed his denial and malice against one who would injure and mistreat them. 

The Prophet said: �On the Day of Resurrection, I will intercede for four persons: one who respects my descendants, one who settles their needs, one who helps them meet their needs in exigencies, and one who loves them heartily and verbally. �[405] 

�When I stand on the Praiseworthy Standing (on the Day of Resurrection) , I will intercede for the individuals of my umma who committed grand sins, and Allah will pass my intercession. By Allah I swear, I will not intercede for those who injure my descendants. �[406] 

6. Praising and Publicizing the Imams� Merits 

The high-minded people used to appreciate the great personalities, for their merits, by several means among which is to use words of praise that express their virtues. Since the Immaculate Imams were the most highborn, the most virtuous, and the foremost in fields of merits and glories, they have been worthy of expressions of love and loyalty and words of admiration. Besides, the Imams were the relief and shelter of Muslims in ordeals, as they spared no efforts in saving them from despots and wrongdoers. 

Opposite to the Ahl ul-Bayt (a) , people are of two groups: a group shows malice towards them, denies their merits, and pretends not to see their 

lofty idealities, despite their brightness and beauty. 

This group can be described by saying: 

He whose mouth is ill and bitter will find bitter even the fresh pure water. 

The other group is spellbound by the love and loyalty to them, infatuated with their merits, longs for listening to their virtues, and mentions continually their worth even if this costs to encounter horrible disasters. 

To this variance, Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) refers by saying: 

�If I strike the nasal of the believer with my sword so as to make him hate me, he will not do. And if I pour all the pleasures of this world on the hypocrite so as to make him love me, he will not do. This is because it is a finalized matter that is uttered by the Ummi[407] Prophet (s) , who said: �Ali, a believer will never hate you, and a hypocrite will never love you. �� 

Thus, those who have full awareness of the Imams� virtues and have adhered to the loyalty to them competed with each other in praising and publicizing their traits as expressions of their true

love, without anticipating the Imams� worldly awards. In return, the Imams (a) used to receive the eulogists so warmly, appreciating for them their profuse emotions and nice eulogies, and used to award them by means of charity and prayers. 

Saaid; the servant of al-Kumayt�the famous poet, narrated the following: 

Accompanying my master; al-Kumayt, we, once, visited Ali ibn al-Hussein (a). Before him, al-Kumayt said: �I have eulogized you hoping that it will be a means that takes me near 

to the Messenger of God (s). � 

Al-Kumayt, then, recited his poem. When he finished, the Imam (a) said to him: �I cannot reward you properly, but God will surely reward you properly. � 

The Imam then supplicated to God to forgive al-Kumayt and could gather for him four hundred thousand dirhams. 

Al-Kumayt said: �If you have given me a single daniq,[408] it will be great honor for me. I, however, wish you would give me pieces of your clothes through which I will seek blessings. � 

Thus, the Imam (a) gave him his clothes and supplicated: �O Allah my Lord, al-Kumayt has done well for the sake of Your Messenger�s family when others have fallen behind, and declared the right that others have concealed. Hence, I implore to You to give him nice life, make him die as shahid, show him Your rewarding very soon, and grant him the great rewards thereupon. I am too short to reward him properly. � 

All his lifetime, al-Kumayt felting the blessings of the Imam�s supplication. [409] 

Diibil al-Khuzaai; the famous poet, narrated the following: 

One day, in Khurasan, I visited Ali ibn Musa ar-Ridha (a) who asked me to recite some of my new poem. Hence, I went on reciting my poem, which contained the following Verse: 

If they �the Ahl ul-Bayt- are oppressed, they extend towards their oppressors hands that are too lofty to oppress others. 

When he heard this verse, Imam ar-Ridha (a) wept so heavily that he fainted. A servant who was standing behind the Imam asked me to stop, and I did. 

After a while, the Imam (a) 

asked me to repeat the poem. When I recited the very verse, the Imam (a) wept so heavily that he fainted, and the servant asked me to stop, and I did. 

After a while, the Imam (a) asked me to repeat my poem. When I finished, he expressed his admiration by saying, three times, �Well done. � 

The Imam then ordered to give me ten thousand dirhams on which his name was pressed. I was the first one who would receive such dirhams. Besides, his family members gave me many jewels. 

When I arrived in Iraq, I sold these dirhams, each with ten ordinary dirhams, to the Shia. Hence, I could gain one hundred thousand dirhams, which was the first sum I had ever gained. [410]

7. Pilgrimage to the Imams� Shrine 

To visit the holy shrines of the Imams and to greet them are within the rights against their adherents, as an expression of loyalty to them. The Imams are the same whether they are alive or dead. Referring to this aspect, Sheikh al-Mufid said: 

( (After their death, the Prophet and the Imams of the Ahl ul-Bayt have full acquaintance with their adherents� manners in this life that their acquire by God. Moreover, they can hear the words of him who speaks to them in their holy shrines. This is also an honor that God confers upon them so as to distinguish them from others. Many narratives have proven that they can also hear the words that are addressed to them wherever they come from. All the Imamite jurisprudents believe in so. As a proof, yet 

general, on the authenticity of this belief, we cite God�s saying: 

�Do not think of those slain for the cause of Allah as dead. They are alive with their Lord and receive sustenance from Him. They are pleased with the favor from their Lord and have received the glad news that those who follow them will have no fear nor will they be grieved that they will be rewarded with bounties and favors from their Lord and that Allah will not neglect the reward of the true believers. (3: 169-71) � 

Telling the story of the believer of the Pharaoh�s family, God says: 

� (Having been murdered by the disbelievers) he was told to enter paradise (wherein he said) , "Would that people knew how my Lord has granted me forgiveness and honor" (36: 26-7). � 

The Prophet (s) , too, said: 

�I will certainly hear him who greets me near my tomb, and I will surely respond the salaams of him who greets me from any place. � 

Finally, many texts said by the Imams of the Ahl ul-Bayt (a) deal with this topic in details. ) ) 

Uninterruptedly, there are tens of narrations related to the Ahl ul-Bayt (a) with regard to the great rewarding and grand credit obtained due to the pilgrimage to the Imams� shrines. 

Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) narrated: We served the Prophet (s) , who was visiting us, some of the milk, butter, and dates that Ummu Ayman had given to us. After he had had some, he moved to a corner to offer a prayer. During the last prostration of that prayer, he wept very heavily. As we 

used to respect and honor him greatly, none of us could ask him. Al-Hussein then approached him and said: �Father, the greatest pleasure that we had ever felt was at these moments when you visit us. But we also felt great sorrow when we noticed you weeping. What for are you weeping? � �Son,� answered the Prophet (s) , �The angel Gabriel has just come to me to foretell that you all will be killed in different areas of this earth. � �Father,� asked al-Hussein, �What will be the reward of him who visits us in such different areas? � The Prophet (s) answered: �There will be groups of my umma visiting your tombs for seeking blessings. I engage myself with the pledge that I, on the Day of Resurrection, will come to save them from the horrors of the Hour of Resurrection that they will suffer because of their sins. Allah will surely make Paradise their abode. �[411] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �He who visits one of us is as same as him who visits the Messenger of Allah (s). �[412] 

Imam al-Kadhim (a) said: �On the day of Resurrection, there will stand on the Divine Throne four individuals from the past generations and four from the later generations. Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus are the four individuals from the past generations. Mohammed, Ali, al-Hasan, and al-Hussein are the four individuals from the later generations. Then, food will be served. Those who visited the shrines of the Imams will be invited to that food. The visitors of my son�s shrine will be 

the foremost and the most favorable. �[413] 

Imam ar-Ridha (a) said: �The followers and Shia of each Imam are involved in a pledge that they should fulfill for him. The pilgrimage to the Imam�s shrine is a sign of the perfection of fulfilling that pledge. Hence, the Imam, on the Day of Resurrection, will intercede to him who visits his shrine out of desire and credence to the Imam. �[414] 

RIGHTS OF SCHOLARS 

Merits of Knowledge and Scholars 

Knowledge is the dearest thing for man, since it is the base of civilization and the honor of this world as well as the life to come. Scholars are the prophets� heirs and supporters of the religion as they guide people to the recognition and obedience to God and lead them to honesty: 

�Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know? Only the people of reason take heed" (39: 9). � 

Allah will raise the position of the believers and of those who have received knowledge. Allah is Well-Aware of what you do (58: 11). � 

�Only Allah's knowledgeable servants fear Him. Allah is Majestic and All-pardoning. (35: 28) � 

�These are parables, which We tell to human being, but only the learned ones understand them. (29: 43) � 

The Prophet (s) said: �As for him who takes a way for seeking knowledge, Allah will lead him to the way that takes to Paradise. As a sign of their pleasure with the seekers of knowledge, the angels lower down their wings for them. Every creature that is in the heavens or on the earth, including the whales, seeks Allah�s forgiveness to the seekers 

of knowledge. The scholar is preferred to the worshipper in the same way as the full moon is preferred to the other stars. The scholars are the heirs of the prophets, who definitely did not bequeath dinars or dirhams. They only bequeathed knowledge. Thus, he who takes from that knowledge has surely taken a great thing. �[415] 

�On the Day of Resurrection, some individuals will have rewards as huge as clouds or as great as unshakable mountains. When they will wonder how they have obtained such rewards that they did not do things deserving them, they will be answered: �As you instructed people to do good deeds, we recorded for you the reward of every deed that those people carried out. �[416] 

Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) said: �Kumayl, those who amass wealth are dead even though they may be living 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. �[417] 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: �A scholar whose knowledge is useful for others is preferred to seventy thousand worshippers. �[418] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a): �On the Day of Resurrection, all people will be gathered on one highland and the scales will be maintained. The blood of the shahids will be put in a scale and the ink of the scholars in the other. The ink of the scholars will outweigh the blood of the shahids. �[419] 

�On the Day of Resurrection, the worshippers and the scholars will be interrogated together. The worshippers will be permitted to be in Paradise, and the scholars 

will be asked to intercede for others whom they taught the high moral standards. �[420] 

The faithful scholars owe Muslims great rights that should be fulfilled. They are as follows: 

1. Regard of Scholars 

To show regard toward scholars is their leading right because of their being characterized by knowledge and virtue. 

The Prophet (s) said: �To look at the face of a scholar, out of love for him, is a sort of worship. �[421] 

�You should be either scholar or seeker of knowledge or loving the scholar, and do not be of any other class. To hate the scholars leads to perdition. � 

Husham ibn al-Hakam, the teenage, visited Imam as-Sadiq (a) , who was encompassed by the celebrities of the Shia�such as Hamran ibn A�yun, Qays al-Massir, Younus ibn Ya�qoub, Abu Ja�far al-Ahwal, and others, in Mina. As soon as his eyes fell on Husham, Imam as-Sadiq (a) preceded him to all the others who were all older than him �i. e. Husham-. When he felt that the attendants were displeased by this act, Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �This man has been supporting us with his heart, tongue, and hand. �[422] 

Ahmed al-Bezanti, the scholar, narrated: 

I responded to the invitation of ar-Ridha (a) and spent that night with him. After I had been served dinner, the Imam (a) ordered the servants to prepare my bed. The most excellent kinds of pillow, bedspread, and blanket were brought. When I finished my dinner, he (a) asked me whether I wanted to sleep. �Yes, I want,� answered I. The Imam covered me with that blanket and supplicated God for 

me, �God may make you pass this night with good health. � When the Imam left me, I said to myself, �Verily, I have awarded with such unprecedented great honor by this man. �[423] 

2. Charity to Scholars 

The main concern of scholars is to serve the religion, publicize the Islamic enlightenment, and guide Muslims towards high moral standards. Such endeavors require time and giant efforts that divert from seeking earnings. It is then necessary for the believers who observe the religious affairs to save the means of good livelihood for the scholars, through supplying them with the Shariite rights of which God orders as well as the other charities. Scholars in fact are the worthiest of enjoying such rights that enable them to go on achieving their aims and carrying out their religious tasks without being distracted by any other factor. 

Muslims, in the past, used to volunteer openhandedly to dedicate some money as waqfs[424] for saving the livelihoods of the scholars. 

3. Compliance with Scholars 

Rational individuals refer to the specialists in the various fields of life so as to benefit by their experts. In the same manner, Muslims should refer to scholars in fields of religious teachings and rulings. It is required to imitate and yield the fruits of the scholars� studies who devoted themselves to servicing the Islamic Sharia, propagandizing its rulings, and guiding people to uprightness. Following so, people will have full awareness of their doctrine and will be able to resist the rumors of enemies. But if they neglect reference to scholars, people will ignore the 

reality of their religion, principles, and rulings and, subsequently, will be the subject of deviation. 

The Prophet (s) said: �To sit with the religious people is the honor of this life as well as the life to come. �[425] 

�To sit with scholars is a sort of worship. �[426] 

�Knowledge is stored in safes whose key is question. Hence, you�Allah may have mercy upon you�must put questions, for your questions will bring rewards for four persons: the asker, the instructor, the listener (to the question and answer) , and the one who loves those three. �[427] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �People perish so long as they do not put questions. �[428] 

Luqman the wise instructed his son: �Son, sit with the scholars and stick your knees to them, for Allah enlivens the hearts �i. e. intellects- with the illumination of wisdom in the same way as He enlivens the barren lands with heavy rain. �[429]

RIGHTS OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS 

Faithful teachers who enjoy good traits occupy a high position in the society because of the appreciative efforts they exert for educating and supplying individuals with knowledge and moralities. Besides, they are the pioneers of culture and guides of the coming generation. On account of that, they must enjoy definite rights against their students. First of all, students must respect their teachers in the same way as they respect their fathers so as to express their appreciation to them. 

Alexander, once, was asked why he used to respect his teacher in a way better than his respecting his father. He answered: �My father is the founder of my transient life while my teacher 

is the founder of my changeless life. � 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: �He who teaches an item of knowledge that leads to the right guidance will be having the same rewards of them who apply that item to themselves, without any decrease in their rewards. And he who teaches an item of deviation will be having to burden the same punishment that is decided for those who practice such an item without any decrease in their punishment. �[430] 

Students must appreciate their teachers� efforts and reward them by means of showing gratitude and respect and following their recommendations. They also must pardon and neglect any situation of strictness or discipline that are intended for their good educationally and morally. The best comprehensive word that gathered the rights of teachers is the following saying of Imam as- Sejjad (a): 

�The right of the one who trains you through knowledge is magnifying him, respecting his sessions, listening well to him, attending to him with devotion, avoiding raising your voice against him, avoiding answering any question before he answers, avoiding talking to anyone during his instructions, avoiding backbiting anyone before him, doing your best to defend him when he is backbitten and cover his flaws and publicize his good traits. Do not sit with his enemy and do not antagonize his friend. If you do so, the angels will testify for you that you have attended to him and received his knowledge for the sake of Allah, not people. �[431] 

Rights of Students 

Seekers of studies enjoy particular standings of virtue and honor because they exert diligent 

efforts for seeking, retaining, and conveying knowledge to the coming generations. 

The Prophet (s) said: �The like of students among the ignorant is the alive among the dead. �[432] 

�Seeking knowledge is a duty that is imposed upon every male and female Muslim. It is most surely that Allah loves seekers of knowledge. �[433] 

�The scholar and the seeker of knowledge are partners in the same rewarding: two for the scholar and one for the seeker of knowledge. Any other class is worthless. �[434] 

Such merits traits are dedicated to the sincere students who aim at achieving self-discipline and moral conduct. The students who are empty of such intentions are deprived of such memorable traits and will have nothing more than transitory goals. Let us now refer briefly to some of the students� rights: 

First of all, fathers should choose well qualified, faithful, and well-mannered teachers for their sons, so that they will be good imitable examples. 

Students are generally characterized by fondness of following the examples of their instructors whose qualities affect the students� personalities very soon. 

Second, students must be treated with kindness and compassion. Teachers are required to treat their students as if they are their sons and avoid humiliating and persecuting them, because such behaviors may make them disregard studying. To instruct and encourage students on studying, it is wise to reward the good-doers by words of praise and reproach the negligent by means of reprimand taking in consideration the condition that such matters must not injure their emotions or abuse their dignities. 

Addressing to seekers of knowledge, Imam as-Sejjad (a) said 

in his Treatise of Rights: 

�The right of your subjects through knowledge is that you should know that Allah made you a caretaker over them only through the knowledge He has given you and His storehouses, which He has opened up to you. If you do well the missions that Allah has chosen you for, treat them as same as the treatment of the merciful caretaker who respects his master in the affairs of the slaves and the clement steadfast one who always offers money for the needy ones, then Allah will increase His graces to you and you will be on the right way faithfully, otherwise you will be regarded as betrayal, unjust to the creatures, and expose yourself to encounter Allah�s seizing His graces and power from you. � 

Third, it is necessary for teachers to take in consideration the intellectual levels of the students and their readiness to receive knowledge. This consideration will help teachers choose the appropriate levels of study that befit each student and avoid providing information that are too high for them to understand. Furthermore, it is important for teachers to realize each student�s main concern so as to guide him to the fields that best suit his interest, since it is improper to coerce a student on definite fields of study, which he does not like. 

Fourth, to secure an ideal rise for students, it is important to keep on guiding them incessantly in the scientific and moral fields. This is the only way to guarantees their being examples of decency. 

Student must 

understand that the main purpose beyond studying is to achieve self-control and good sense so as to attain the honor of the obedience to God and, subsequently, the eternal pleasures will be won. 

Neglecting such noble goals, a student fails to exploit science, loses all aspects of spirituality, and becomes the subject of the barren worldly whims. 

The best example of such shortcomings is the current civilized nations whose individuals, though preceded others in fields of science and inventions, live humble lives suffocated by disintegrated morals, loose spiritual values, and prevalent evils�all because they pursue wholly material trends and free themselves completely from the religious and moral values. Owing to so, they have competed with each other using the most fatal weapons for terminating each other and, hence, they have turned this world into a volcano threatening ruination and perdition to humankind. 

RIGHTS OF PARENTS AND SONS

Rights of Parents 

It is absolutely impossible for any writer to depict the parents� grandeur and favors on their sons, since they are the supports of merits and success. Parents have done their best and suffered a variety of difficulties for sake of supervising their sons. Mothers, for instance, have suffered the burdens of pregnancy, giving birth, suckling, and the troubles of education. Fathers, on the other hand, have stood the hurdles of seeking earnings for sake of saving the means of good livelihood for their sons. They have also engaged themselves in the troubles of educating and bringing up sons and preparing comfortable lives. Suffering all these difficulties, parents have been feeling happy, without expecting praise or 

reward from their sons. Out of their abundant love for their sons, parents have worked diligently for making them precede others in fields of virtue so that they will be the objects of admiration. This nature is in violation of man�s tempers. From this cause, parents� favors are regarded as the greatest after God�s, and their rights against their sons are very considerable. 

Filial Piety 

It is binding on noble sons to appreciate their parents� favors by rewarding them with the most deserved form of loyalty, reverence, respect, piety, good turn, nice treatment, and suitable honoring: 

� (Concerning his parents) , We advised the man, whose mother bears him with great pain and breast-feeds him for two years, to give thanks to Me first and then to them, to Me all things proceed. If they try to force you to consider things equal to Me, which you cannot justify, equal to Me, do not obey them. Maintain lawful relations with them in this world and follow the path of those who turn in repentance to Me. To Me you will all return and I shall tell you all that you have done. (31: 14-5) � 

�Your Lord has ordained that you must not worship anything other than Him and that you must be kind to your parents. If either or both of your parents should become advanced in age, do not express to them words which show your slightest disappointment. Never yell at them but always speak to them with kindness. Be humble and merciful towards them and say, "Lord, have mercy upon 

them as they cherished me in my childhood. " (17: 23-4) � 

The two aforementioned Quranic texts have expressed the parents� favoring and lofty standing and the necessity of rewarding them by means of many thanks and treating them with suitable piety and kindness. In the first Verse, God, after thanking Him, orders to show gratitude to them, and in the second Verse, He attaches kindness to them to worshipping Him. This is in fact the highest degree of endearment and honoring. 

The Prophet (s) said to the man who asked him for advice: �Do not associate anything with Allah (in worship) even if you are burnt with fire and tortured unless your heart is full of faith. You should, too, obey your parents whether they are alive or dead, even if they order you to leave your family and your property. This is surely a part of faith. �[435] 

�If you are pious (to parents) , Paradise will be your share. If you are impious (to them) , Hell will be your share. �[436] 

�Sons� looking at their parents, out of love for them, is a sort of worship. �[437] 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: �Allah does not give permission in three things: keeping the trust of both the pious and the sinful, fulfilling the pledge that is given to both the pious and the sinful, and treating parents kindly whether they are pious or sinful. �[438] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �He who desires that Allah will save him from agonies of death must regard his relatives and treat his parents obediently. Allah will surely save him who carries such 

traits from suffering the agonies of death and will also save him from harshness of poverty as long as he is alive. �[439] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) narrated that one of the Prophet�s foster sisters visited him. He received her so warmly, laid his personal quilt, asked her to sit on it, and went on facing her and smiling in her face. When she left, her brother came. The Prophet (s) did not treat him as same as his sister. When the man left, the attendants asked him why he had treated the woman so warmly, but had not done the same with her brother. He answered: �She was more obedient to her parents than he was. �[440] 

Since mothers exert giant efforts and suffer insensitive ordeals for sake of their sons, the Islamic Sharia has conferred upon them with greater deal of obligatory care and piety: 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) narrated that, once, a man asked the Prophet (s) , �whom must I treat piously first, God�s Messenger? � The Prophet (s) answered, �you must first treat your mother piously. � �Then? � asked the man. �Your mother,� answered the Prophet (s). �Then? � asked the man. �Your mother,� answered the Prophet (s). �Then? � asked the man. �Your mother,� answered the Prophet (s). �Then? � asked the man. �Then comes your father,� answered the Prophet (s). 

Ibrahim bin Muhazzim narrated: 

After I had left Imam as-Sadiq, one night, I came to my house in Medina and quarreled with my mother who was living with me. The next morning, I visited him after I had offered the Fajr Prayer. He 

addressed to me, before I said anything, �Abu Muhazzim, what was your matter with Khalida? Last night, you addressed bad words to her. You should have known that her womb was the abode in which you resided, her lap was the cradle in which you slept, and her breast was the bowl from which you drank. � 

�Yes,� I answered, �I have known all these. � 

�Then,� said the Imam (a) , �You should not be coarse with her any more. � 

Imam as-Sejjad (a) said in his Treatise of Rights: 

�The right of your mother is that you know that she carried you where no one carries anyone, she gave to you the fruit of her heart that which no one gives to anyone, and she protected you with her hearing, sight, hand, leg, hair, and skin as well as all her organs. She was highly delighted, happy, eager, and enduring the harm, pains, heaviness, and grief until the hand of power saved her from you and took you out to this earth. She did not care if she went hungry as long as you ate, if she was naked as long as you were clothed, if she was thirsty as long as you drank, is she was in the sun as long as you were in the shade, if she was miserable as long as you were happy, and if she was deprived of sleeping as long as you were resting. Her abdomen was your container, her lap your seat, her breast your container of drink, and her soul was your 

fort. She protected you from heat and cold. You should thank her for all that. You will not be able to show her gratitude unless through Allah�s help and giving success. � 

Filial piety becomes nicer and more influential when it is done to the aged parents who are in exigent need for affection: 

�If either or both of your parents should become advanced in age, do not express to them words which show your slightest disappointment �such as �ugh�-. Never yell at them but always speak to them with kindness. Be humble and merciful towards them and say, "Lord, have mercy upon them as they cherished me in my childhood. " (17: 24) � 

It is related that a man asked the Prophet (s) , �God�s Messenger, I am treating my aged parents as same as their treatment to me when I was child. Have I now performed their rights that are imposed upon me? � The Prophet (s) answered: �No, you have not, because, when they treated you kindly during your childhood, they wanted you to live. But, now, while you are treating them kindly, you wish they would die. �[441] 

Ibrahim ibn Shuaib narrated: I told Imam as-Sadiq (a) that I used to carry my aged and weak father when he wanted to relieve nature. The Imam commented: �If you can do more than this, you must do it. You should feed him bit by bit, because he will guard you (from Hell) in the morrow. �[442] 

Filial piety is not restricted to the living parents. It becomes more necessary for the dead parents, because 

they are in need for piety more than the alive do. 

The Prophet (s) said: �On the Day of Resurrection, a man who treats his parents piously after their departure of life will be regarded as the chief of the pious. �[443] 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: �A servant who is pious to his parents during their lifetimes may be, later on, decided as impious. This may occur when such a servant neglects settling the debts of their dead parents and neglects seeking Allah�s forgiveness for them. Likewise, a servant who is impious to his parents during their lifetimes may be decided as pious. This occurs when such a servant settles the debts of their parents, after their death, and seeks Allah�s forgiveness for them. �[444] 

Imam as-Sadiq said: �Nothing of the rewarding follows the dead except three: a continuous alms that was dedicated during lifetime, an instruction of right guidance that is followed by others, and a righteous son who supplicates to Allah for him. �[445]

Filial Impiety 

Ingratitude and bad turn are ill manners denied by reason and law and disapproved by sound conscience. Through this criterion, we can feel the hideousness and horribleness of filial impiety, which is a crime taking to Hell. In addition to its being in violation of human principles, reason, and law, filial impiety is an indication to emotionlessness, faithlessness, and fading of human values. Parents exert giant efforts for educating and securing every means that achieves material and mental prosperity for sons who, whatever they do, cannot appreciate their endeavors. How is it then possible for 

sons to neglect such emotions and repay with mistreatment and impiety? 

The Prophet (s) said: �The punishment for three sins are immediate and not postponed to the Hereafter: filial impiety, oppression against people, and ingratitude. �[446] 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: �My father, once, saw a man leaning to his father�s arm while they were walking. Out of his detestation of this scene, my father did not speak to him forever. �[447] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �If Allah had known something more trivial than �ugh�,[448] He would have used it in warning against filial impiety. To look at parents sharply is a sort of impiety to them. � 

Disadvantages of Filial Impiety 

Serious disadvantages are expected from filial impiety. One of these is that the impious son will unavoidably be the subject of his sons� impiety. 

Al-Asmaee conveyed the following story from a Beduin: 

I, once, decided to wander in the quarters searching for the most pious of people and the most impious (to his parents). 

One day, I passed by an old man in whose neck there was a rope, and he was trying to pull a bucket from a well, while it was so hot that even camels were trying to find shadows to sit in. Furthermore, a young man with a rope as thick as a strap in the hand was beating that old man on the back so cruelly. Astonished by such a scene, I shouted at the young, �Do you not fear God when you treat this weak old man so cruelly? The rope that is in his neck is a sufficient 

suffering for him, why do you then add to it the suffering of your beating? � 

The young man answered: �What is more is that this man is my father! � 

I replied: �God may show you no goodness for this! � 

He said: �Keep silent! He used to do the same thing that you see to his father. Likewise, his father used to do the same thing to his father, and so on. � 

I said to myself: �This is unquestionably the most impious to his parents,� and went on wandering. 

One day, I saw a young man hanging a frail to his neck, and saw in that frail an old man who was as small as a young bird. That young man used to take down that old man from time to time and feed him like birds. I asked the young man: �What is this? � 

He answered: �He is my father. As he became senile, I am taking care of him. � 

Hence, I said to myself, �This is surely the most pious to his parents. � 

One of the disadvantages of filial impiety is that the impious individuals live in incessant unhappiness and discomfort because their parents curse them. 

The Prophet (s) said: �Beware of fathers� imprecations, for they are sharper than swords. � 

The impious, also, will certainly suffer horrible agonies of death. 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) narrated: One day, the Prophet (s) attended before a young man who was suffering death struggles. He tried severally to instruct him to say �la ilaha illa (a) llah�there is no god but Allah�, but the man became tongue-tied. 

The Prophet (s) asked the 

lady who was standing nearer to him: �Is this man�s mother present? � 

She answered: �Yes, it is I. � 

The Prophet (s) asked: �Are you dissatisfied with him? � 

She answered: �Yes, I am. I have not talked to him for six years. � 

The Prophet (s) then asked her to be pleased with him. 

She answered: �As long as the Messenger of God is pleased with him, I am pleased, too. � 

Then, the Prophet (s) instructed the dying man to say �la ilaha illa (a) llah�, and, finally, he could speak it. 

The Prophet (s) asked him: �What is before you, now? � 

The dying man said: �I now can see an ugly black man with dirty clothes and bad smell. He is prevailing over me. � 

The Prophet (s) instructed: �Say: O You Who accepts the few and pardons the much, accept my few (deed) and pardon my very much (evildoing). You are surely the All-forgiving the All- merciful. �[449] 

The young man said it. 

Then the Prophet (s) asked: �Now, what do you see? � 

The man said: �I now can see a white, pretty, sweet-smelling man come to me, while the black one left. � 

The Prophet (s) ordered him to repeat reciting the previous supplication, and the man did. 

The Prophet (s) then asked him what he could see. 

The man answered: �I can see only the white man coming to me. � 

Few moments later, the man departed life. �[450] 

Filial impiety is a grand sin for which God threatens hell. 

It is worth mentioning that fathers are required to train and educate their sons by means of wisdom so as to save them from impiety to them. 

The Prophet 

(s) said: �Like their sons, parents are required to avoid treating their righteous sons impiously. �[451] 

�Allah may curse the parents who cause their sons to treat them impiously. Allah may have mercy upon the parents who cause their sons to treat them piously. �[452] 

Rights of Sons 

The righteous sons are the adornment of this life and the dearest and most precious hopes. Thus, the Ahl ul-Bayt (a) , as well as people of wisdom and letters, praised them. 

The Prophet (s) said: �The righteous son is one of the roses of Paradise. �[453] 

�To have a righteous son is a sign of happiness. �[454] 

Referring to a dead, a wise man said: �If this dead has a son, he is alive then, lest he is surely dead. � 

Not only do parents benefit by their righteous sons during their lifetimes, but also they are advantageous for them after their death. 

(Imam as-Sadiq (a) related: ) The Prophet (s) said: Jesus (a) , once, passed by a grave whose occupant was tortured. A year later, he passed by the same grave, but found that torture was ceased. He asked the Lord about this, and he was answered that the son of the occupant of this grave paved a public way and had the custody of an orphan; therefore, Allah forgave the father for the son�s good deeds. 

(The Prophet commented) The heritage that Allah gains from the believer is a son who worships Him after the father�s death. 

(Imam as-Sadiq (a) then recited the Quranic Verse that tells the words of Zechariah the prophet) 

�I am afraid of what my kinsmen will do after 

(my death) and my wife is barren. Lord, grant me a son who will be my heir and the heir of the family of Jacob. Lord, make him a person who will please you" (19: 5-6). �[455] 

Righteousness of sons requires excessive attention in fields of education. On that account, it is obligatory upon fathers to train their sons on bases of virtue so that they, later on, will harvest pleasure through their commitment to good behavior. In this regard, Imam as-Sejjad (a) said: 

�The right of your child is that you should know that he is from you and will be ascribed to you, through both his good and his evil, in the immediate affairs of this world. You are responsible for what has been entrusted to you, such as educating him in good conduct, pointing him in the direction of his Lord, and helping him to obey Him. So, act toward him with the action of one who knows that he will be rewarded for good doing toward him and punished for evildoing. In his affairs, act like the actions of those who adorn their children with their good deeds and those who are justified before their Lord as long as they did well in the discipline and the custody of their sons. �[456] 

Fathers are responsible for disciplining their sons righteously, otherwise they expose them to various dangers of social and religious corruption. Fathers are recommended to begin with guiding their sons to uprightness from tender age, because they, in such ages, are more responsive than being older. 

Moreover, fathers must begin educating their sons before their eyes are opened on ill habits and immoralities, lest the mission becomes very complicated. 

Wisdom of Discipline 

Fathers are required to be moderate with their sons. They should neither subject them by means of excessive rudeness since this may cause them to suffer mental complexities, nor should they neglect punishing them when they show shortcomings, since this may lead them to disobey. It is said that �he who feels safety from punishment will behave improperly. � 

The best method of education then is to rectify sons step by step, by way of encouraging them doing charity through words of praise and rewarding, and advising them not to misbehave. If this is useless, fathers should move to the stage of reproach. If this is also useless, then comes the role of punishment and harsh reproach. 

The Child�s First School 

The child�s first school is home, where he grows up, his personality rises to perfection, and traits mature. The parents� behavior and morals have the greatest role in the child�s perfection and maturity of personality. As a result, they must behave as ideal examples of their children so that their traits will reflect on the children�s mentalities.

Course of Education 

The first step in educating children is to lead them to the etiquettes of sitting to the dining-tables, such as washing the hands before and after each meal, eating with the right hand, chewing the food properly, avoiding looking in the faces of the other eaters, satisfying themselves with the available sustenance, and the like morals. Then, children should be trained on the rules of speech and should be trained to avoid obscenity, backbiting, gossip, and the like indecencies. They should also be trained on good attention and not to interrupt speakers. 

The most important point in educating children, however, is to plant the religious concepts in their mentalities and bring them up on belief through teaching them the principles and branches of the religion in such a style befitting their intellectual levels, so that they will have acquaintance of their creed and doctrine and they will be immunized against the deviant suspects arisen by the enemies of Islam: 

�Believers, save yourselves and your families from the fire which is fueled by people and stones and is guarded by stern angels who do not disobey Allah's commands and do whatever they are ordered to do (66: 6). � 

Fathers must also train their 

children on practicing the high moral standards, such as truthfulness, faithfulness, patience, and self-reliance, and to observe manners of intimate association with people, such as regarding the old, compassioning the young, thanking the favorer, overlooking the wrongdoer, and treating kindly the poor. Besides, children must be prevented from associating with the evils and the deviant and encouraged associating with the polite. Children in fact imitate their friends� moralities and natures shortly. 

The Prophet (s) said: �Man imitates his friend. You therefore must consider the one you befriend. � 

People have witnessed and suffered many tragedies that occurred to the young who went astray and fell in depths of vices and corruption just because they befriended impolite and evil individuals. Consequently, fathers must search for the talents and qualifications of their sons and, then, guide them in the fields of life that best befit their physical and mental abilities and skills. This will certainly contribute in helping them face burdens of life and save comfortable livings. 

MATRIMONIAL RIGHTS 

Merits of Marriage 

Marriage is the holy legal tie between man and woman through which they share the same life and reciprocate definite rights and obligations. God has passed the law of matrimony so as to keep humankind on this earth and keep the earth constructed and prosperous. 

�Marry the single people among you and the righteous slaves and slave-girls. If you are poor, Allah will make you rich through His favor; He is Bountiful and All-knowing (24: 32). � 

�His creating spouses for you out of yourselves so that you might take comfort in them and His creating love 

and mercy among you re evidences (of the truth) for the people who (carefully) think (30: 21). � 

The Prophet (s) said: �The most favorable thing to Allah that is ever constructed in Islam is marriage. �[457] 

�He who gets married wins the half of his religion. Hence, he should fear Allah in questions regarding the other half. �[458] 

�Marriage is my custom; therefore, he who rejects my custom is not belonged to me. �[459] 

�Get married, for I will take pride in your great numbers on the Day of Resurrection. The immature fetus, even, will stop on the door of Paradise saying angrily, �unless my parents will be with me, I refuse to be in Paradise. ��[460] 

�The two-rakaa prayer offered by the marrieds is preferred to the night worship and the fasting of the bachelors. �[461] 

�The evilest dead are the bachelors. �[462] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �A two-rakaa[463] prayer offered by the marrieds is preferred to a seventy-rakaa prayer offered by bachelors. �[464] 

1. Advantages of Marriage 

Because of the great variety of merits of marriage, many texts confirm persistently on it by way of awakening the desires and warning against its negligence. Marriage is the only means by which righteous progeny is gained. Through sons, fathers feel dignity, power, extent of existence, good reputation, and great rewarding of God. 

2. Benefits of Marriage 

Marriage achieves chastity and immunity against corruption. From this cause, the punishment of the marrieds who commit fornication is stoning to death, because they are immunized by marriage and they despise the holiness of the honors and dignities. 

3. Results of Marriage 

Marriage secures easeful subsistence, tranquility, and freedom from 

worry. Naturally, man alone spends his day encountering the crises of life and striving for seeking earnings. He can find relief nowhere except in the shadows of his darling, sincere wife who, trying to ease his troubles, encompasses him with kind treatment and affectionate conduct. Referring to this fact, God says: 

�His creating spouses for you out of yourselves so that you might take comfort in them and His creating love and mercy among you re evidences (of the truth) for the people who (carefully) think (30: 21). � 

The Prophet (s) said: �Subsequent to the embracement of Islam, the best thing that a Muslim can profit is a Muslim wife who pleases him when he looks at her and has loyalty to him in honor and property. �[465] 

Marital Happiness 

Marital happiness is achieved when it is known how to choose the suitable partner. There are certain standards in the light of which spouses must be chosen. Such standards strengthen the marital ties and make peace of mind cover all the corners of the spouses� lives. Bad choice, on the other hand, exposes marriage to failure and disappointment. 

Treating this important aspect that plays a great role in people�s life, the Ahl ul-Bayt (a) referred to the advantages and disadvantages of both men and women so that each will know how to choose a spouse. 

The Ideal Husband 

The ideal husband is the qualified man who achieves happiness to his wife and ensures tranquil marital life. Unlike the false idea of most of people, the qualifications of a spouse have nothing to do with material vanities, such as handsome house, comely means of transportation, or big fortune. The true qualifications are high certificate, respectful office, high morality, and the like matters. Material vanities may be found with many spouses; still, they are unable to achieve marital happiness or achieve their wives� pleasure and expectations. 

Listen to the following words uttered by the wife of Muawiya �the Umayyad caliph� who could no longer stand the life of luxury, lavish expenditure, and wealth in the laps of her husband, and longed for her love�s young dream, though he cannot secure luxury, lavish expenditure, and wealth: 

A house in which souls are roaming is favorable, in my sight, to a handsome palace. To have a single cloak with delight is favorable, in my sight, 

to wearing diaphanous clothes. A clumsy, but highborn, cousin of mine is favorable, in my sight, to a stern unbeliever. 

Hence, the true qualification is the mixture of three things: true embracement of the religion, well mannerism, and capacity to maintain and guard the wife materially and morally. Having these three qualities, a man becomes, in the sight of Islam, an ideal competent husband. 

The Prophet (s) said: �If a man whose morals and religiosity are accepted in your sight proposes to your daughter, you must agree; otherwise, there will come into being widespread idolatry and great evil. �[466] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �The well-qualified husband is the chaste who can save good living. �[467] 

Thus, it is discommended, as an Islamic ruling, to give one�s daughter in marriage to the sinful, alcoholic, effeminate, ill-tempered, and the like individuals whose religiosity and morality are not guaranteed. 

The Ideal Wife 

The ideal wife is the faithful, chaste, highborn, well-mannered, good-looking woman who is well-behaved with her husband. 

The Prophet (s) said: �The best of your ladies are the fertile, the amiable, the chaste, the proud with her family, the humble with her husband, who adorns herself for her husband, behaves decently with others, listens and carries out her husbands� instructions, provides herself for him when they are alone, and avoids violating good manners, like men. 

The worst of your ladies are the humble with her family and proud against her husband, the barren, the spiteful, who does not care if she does something hideous, adorns herself when her husband is absent, behaves chastely with him when he 

is present, does not listen and does not carry out his instructions, abstains from providing herself to him when they are alone just like a riding animal that prevents the rider from riding it, does not accept his apologies, and does not forgive his flaws. �[468] 

�The best women of my umma are the most bright-faced and the askers for the less dowry. �[469] 

�He who chooses a wife for her beauty only will not have his aim achieved. As for him who chooses a wife for her wealth only, Allah will leave him with that wealth. Hence, you should choose the religious women for marriage. �[470] 

�Beware of the green-looking women� It is the beautiful women of evil source. �[471] 

This prophetic tradition warns against marrying the beautiful women whose families are disreputable. 

Observance of Rights 

Spouses cannot obtain marital happiness before they apply the law of give and take to themselves through observing each other�s rights. Considering it as the first cell of society, the Islamic Sharia has paid a great deal of attention to the marital life through regulations and common rights of spouses and special rights of each. The common rights that each spouse should perform towards the other are honesty, confidence, trust, sympathy, and cooperation. These are the genuine supports of successful marital life.

Rights of Husbands 

By virtue of their obligatory and guardianship on their wives, husbands enjoy definite rights: 

1. Obedience to Husbands 

A wife is fully responsible for responding to the husband�s acceptable desires, and avoiding any matter that harms him, such as leaving the house before obtaining his permission, spending his wealth wastefully, neglecting the domestic duties, and the like matters. 

Imam al-Baqir narrated that the Prophet (s) answered the woman who asked him about the husbands� rights against their wives by saying: �Women should obey and avoid defying their husbands. They should not give alms out of the husbands� wealth before obtaining their permission, avoid observing fasting recommendably before they obtain their permission, respond to their sexual call every time and in every manner, even if they were on the backs of camels, and not leave their houses before obtaining their permission. If they do, they are cursed by the angels of the heavens, angels of the earth, angels of wrath, and angels of mercy until they come back to their houses. � 

The woman then asked: �God�s Messenger, who 

is the owner of the greatest right against man? � The Prophet (s) answered: �His father is. � 

She asked: �Who is the owner of the greatest right against woman? � The Prophet (s) answered: �Her husband is. �[472] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) narrated that a woman, whose husband had ordered her not to leave her house until he would be back from his journey, sent a messenger to the Prophet (s) to ask him a permission to visit her diseased father. 

�No,� answered the Prophet (s) , �She should sit in her house and obey her husband. � 

As her father became intensely ill, she sent a messenger to the Prophet (s) asking for permission to visit him. 

�No,� answered the Prophet (s) , �She should sit in her house and obey her husband. � 

As her father was dead, she sent a messenger to the Prophet (s) asking for permission to attend his funeral ceremony. 

�No,� answered the Prophet (s) , �She should sit in her house and obey her husband. � 

When her father was buried, the Prophet (s) sent a messenger to tell her that Allah forgave her father and her because of her observance of the obedience to her husband. [473] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �As for any wife who passes a night while her husband is angry with her for a question in which he is right, her prayers will not be admissible unless her husband is pleased with her. �[474] 

2. Compliance with Husbands 

Wives are recommended to encompass their husbands with nice sociability, pleasant attention, and kind compliance by means of observing their affairs, securing means of their physical and mental 

tranquility, doing well the housekeeping, and caring for the family members. Carrying out so, wives will certainly be dear and lovable by husbands. Moreover, wives, by following such instructions, become good examples for their sons and become the sources of high moral standards. The most significant form of the wives� compliance with their husbands is to avoid exhausting them by expensive charges that injure their economical capacities. This causes confusion to husbands who, subsequently, begin to have an aversion to their wives. 

Imam al-Kadhim (a) said: �Jihad of women is their compliance with their husbands. � 

The wives� good behavior and compliance with their husbands raise their spirits and supply them with huge physical and mental energies helping in going on exerting all efforts for seeking earnings and encouraging on standing ordeals and crises of life. The wives� quarrelsomeness and disobedience, on the other hand, enfeeble the husbands� entities and bring to them senility earlier. 

The following story is a good example: 

A group of people went to ask the three brothers of Banu Ghannam for a solution for their complicated question. As they met the first one, who was old man, and asked him for a solution, he referred them to his brother saying, �You may find a solution with him because he is older than I am. � When they went to meet his brother, they found a middle-aged man. Having sought a solution from him, he said, �You may see my third brother and, because he is older than I am, you can find a solution with him. � 

Hence, they went to the third brother to meet a young man. As they could no longer conceal their astonishment, they asked him about his two brothers and his manner. He answered: �My brother whom you first met is the youngest among us. Unfortunately, he had to suffer the misbehaviors of his ill-tempered wife because he anticipated an intolerable matter if he would divorce her. His wife therefore has been the main reason beyond his growing old at an earlier time. The second one you met is the middle among us. His wife has gathered both good and bad mannerism. She sometimes pleased him, but she also displeased him. Hence, you can see him as middle-aged man. I have a well-mannered wife who never shows misbehavior with me. Hence, I could keep my youth with her. �[475] 

Let us now listen to the following words of a wise Beduin mother who provides some instructions to her daughter on her wedding night: 

�Daughter, you will very soon leave the house in which you came to this world and the nest in which you grew up to join a nest that you have not known yet, and a companion with whom you have not familiarized yourself yet. Thus, you should behave as his bondmaid so that he will behave as your slave. Observe for him the following ten points: 

The first and second are that you should live with him with satisfaction and associate with him with obedience. 

The third and fourth are that you should observe the places where his eye 

and nose notice. Hence, he should not see anything ugly and should not smell anything bad from you. 

The fifth and sixth are that you should observe the times of his sleep and food. Continuous feelings of hunger arouse fiery and continuous disturbance of sleep arouses rage. 

The seventh and eighth are that you should observe his wealth and respect his family. To observe his wealth is to opt for moderation, and to respect his family can be achieved through good management. 

The ninth and tenth are that you should avoid disobeying his orders and divulging his secrets. You will certainly arouse his malice against you if you disobey him, and you will certainly expose yourself to his unexpected punishment if you divulge his secrets. 

Beware of showing happiness before him when he is sad or showing depression when he is happy, because the earlier is a sign of negligence and the latter is a sign of annoyance. 

Glorify him more than anyone else does, so that he will honor you more than anyone else. You must know that you cannot obtain that which you like before you prefer his satisfaction to yours and prefer his desires to yours in any matter. Finally, God may choose for you the good. �[476] 

3. Observance of Husbands� honor 

The most important obligation that is imposed upon a wife is to protect her husband�s honor and reputation and exert all efforts for avoiding any matter that deforms them, such as profligacy, garishness, or divulgement of secrets, especially matters that husbands try to conceal. Any negligence of 

this right will waste away confidence and threaten with disagreement.

Rights of Wives 

The Islamic Sharia has paid the greatest attention to wives and granted them, opposite to the rights of husbands, all their material and ethical rights that are based on wisdom, justice, and the good and interests of both spouses: 

1. Disbursement 

It is obligatory upon husbands to save their wives� essentials material requirements, such as clothing, food, and residence as well as other requisites that meet their ranks and way of living. From the viewpoint of the Islamic Sharia, disbursement is a familiar right that husbands must carry out for their wives, no matter how wealthy they are. This right, however, does not cease to be valid unless the wife is decided as recalcitrant. Furthermore, husbands are not allowed to coerce their wives to do the household managements or nurse the babies unless they themselves do such matters voluntarily. 

2. Good Companionship 

Wife is the husband�s intimate companion and partner of his life. She shares him in good days and bad days, consoles him in sorrow and in joy, and does alone exhausting efforts, such as the household managements, care for the family affairs, and maternal functions. Hence, it is necessary for husbands to associate with their wives nicely and treat them with leniency. Out of their boasting and arrogance, some husbands misthink that manhood cannot be achieved unless they control, mistreat, insult, and disgrace their wives. As a matter of fact, such qualities are detestable since they indicate the complexity and feebleness of personality. They also create disorder 

of marital life and eradicate family pleasure. In view of her emotions and functions, woman is sensitive and quick-tempered; therefore, she may, sometimes, utter an unbecoming word or stinging reproach originated from a mental excitement or emotional agitation. In such cases, husbands are required to control themselves and turn in kind forgiveness so that the family march will go on peacefully. 

The Prophet (s) said: �The like of woman is a crooked rib. If you leave it crooked, you will benefit by it. But if you try to fix it, you will break it. � 

This means that man, when his wife exceeds the limits of disobedience to him, must treat her, first, by means of advice. If such means prove futility, he must follow the method of ignoring her and avoiding sleeping with her. If this is also useless, he may then beat her, but not severely: 

�Admonish women who disobey, do not sleep with them and beat them. If they obey, do not try to find fault in them. Allah is High and Supreme. (4: 34) � 

3. Protection 

Because wives are under the guardianship of them, husbands are responsible for defending them against any matter that may cause them moral or material injury or may defame or soil their dignities, such as dissoluteness and suspicious association with the other sex or immoral women. How ugly those men who shove their wives in mixed clubs and dissolute parties and allow them to dance with whomsoever they want are! They try to close their eyes before the serious religious, moral, and social 

dangers of such mixing that threatens the family entities with disorder and disintegration. 

Man, too, must be jealous and protect his wife and family against the trickeries and misleading rumors of the invasions that could deceive many male and female Muslims who, lacking enough knowledge of the principles and concepts of their religion, repeated these rumors just like parrots. It is important for such individuals to learn enough about their religion, each according to his intellectual and cultural level, so that they will be saved from the evils and trickeries of such invasions. 

�Believers, save yourselves and your families from the fire which is fueled by people and stones and is guarded by stern angels who do not disobey Allah's commands and do whatever they are ordered to do (66: 6). � 

False Rights 

False Rights 

Intending to extinguish the luminous light of Islam, the anti-Muslims have dedicated all efforts to invading the Islamic world by weapons of delusions and false principles. Unfortunately, the inexperienced and the dull responded to such strange concepts, and went on imitating and calling for them as if they are within their untouchable values. Because of that, curtains covered the Islamic portrait that has been shining with beauty, illumination, and ideality and a new deformed, hideous portrait came out. Islam, thus, began to feel strange and alienated among its people, while the non- Islamic concepts occupied large positions in the intellects and feelings of Muslims to clear them out of values and idealities. Moreover, many calls and hireling writers raced in demanding with more non-Islamic traditions so as to 

spread them in the Islamic environment through false claims of defending, releasing, and equalizing women with men, in addition to similar fake statements. Let us now refer to some of these deceptive rumors: 

Removal of the Veil 

removal of the veil 

As they could not stand seeing Muslim women guard themselves from dissoluteness and lechery through veiling themselves with hijab,[477] the propagandists of liberalism tried to seduce them by means of removing the veil and grooming themselves so as to take them away from the highness of their dignities and boudoirs. Having been deceived by such false calls, some women, unfortunately, responded and began to remove their veils and show their beauty and charms so as to prepossess eyes and hearts shamelessly. All over their extensive history, Muslim women, who ignored the dangers and slips that were plotted against them, have never been seduced in such a mean and illusory way. 

Unlike the idea of the dissolute, hijab is not an aspect of retardation or reactionism, it is in fact an aspect of modesty and chastity since it guards women against indecorum and deterioration, protects them from the snooping of the aberrant, and keep them away from the slips of vices and seductions. 

Finally, Muslims must learn lessons from the Western nations that have suffered many misfortunes of immorality as well as ethical, physical, and social tragedies�all because they allowed removal of veiling, primping up, and mix of the sexes to prevail on their societies. 

Moral Defects 

Primping up and mixing of the sexes have created moral complications in the Western milieus. Thus, they have no longer denied the sexual vices or felt ashamed of their sins. Accordingly, they have become the subjects of moral diseases that massacred them so heavily that the honorable personalities have had to declare their 

denial and complaint and warned against the horrible dangers of such dissolution. 

Depicting the collapse of morality in his country, Paul Beaudre�the French author said that it had no longer been odd to hear about the existence of sexual relations between the relatives, such as fathers and daughters and brothers with their sisters in some French provinces as well as the crowded quarters of cities. 

The Fourteen Committee, whose task is to inspect the ambushes of lechery reported that most of the nightclubs, dance halls, manicure places, stores of cosmetics, massage rooms, and coiffures have become brothels or, perhaps, something too horrible to be mentioned. 

Ben B. Lindsey �the judge of Los Angeles in 1934- predicted that forty-five per cent of girls of schools profane their honors before they leave schools. In the higher stages of study �as the judge added- this rate raises vastly. 

In his book titled �History of Lechery�, George Scat, referring to the common state in his country, said that numbers of the non-professional prostitutes have come to an unprecedented rate. Among almost all the social classes, you can find such prostitutes. In the sight of girls nowadays, sexual intercourse, lechery, and even abnormality have become within the modern styles of living. Such moral corruption can be found even with the children of both sexes because they have been affected by the crooked environment and the sexual incentives. 

In his book tiled �Sexual Regulations,� Dr. Rodet Hugo said that it had not been odd or abnormal to see the seven or eight-year-old girls play sexually with 

boys or, even, practice sexual intercourse with them. 

A physician from the city of Baltimore reported that in a period of one year, more than one thousand suits of committing fornication with less than twelve-year-old girls were brought before the courts in that city alone. Moral corruption has not stopped at such lowly levels, but it has exceeded all limits of normal sexual relations to reach a stage of perversion and sexual deviation. It has become familiar, under the encouragement of the law, to see a boy get married to a boy of his same sex and to see some people congratulate for such marriage! 

Dr. Hooker says that it has been common, in the faculties, nursery schools, and even religious schools, to hear about the commitment of sodomy among the students most of whom have completely lost any desire for the other sex. 

Let us now ask the parrot-like propagandists of liberalism whether this is the very goal that they want for the Islamic nation and themselves, or whether they do not understand the results of their liberalism! 

Beyond dispute, every individual who calls for liberalism and primping up is no more than an axe deconstructing the entity of the Islamic society, and a pioneer of evil and dissolution in his nation and country. 

�Those who like to publicize indecency among the believers will face painful torment in this world and in the life to come. Allah knows what you do not know. (24: 19) � 

Physical Defects 

Any nation that lacks religious and moral values and is predominated by deviation must encounter 

the results of its individuals� aberrance and corruption. Like the collapse of moralities, individuals of such a nation must suffer physical collapse. 

This is what has exactly occurred in the Western milieus that have become the target of venereal diseases, which caused great losses, socially and economically. Hence, physicians, through numerous reports, have gone on declaring the dimensions and dangerous tragedies of such diseases. 

A French physician declared that, because of syphilis and venereal diseases, more than thirty thousand persons die annually. After hectic fever, syphilis occupies the second position in the list of the deadliest diseases in France. 

In Britannica Encyclopedia, it is recorded that, as an annual rate, 200,000 persons affected by syphilis and 160,000 persons affected by gonorrhea are treated in the official hospitals of the U. S. A. 650 hospitals have been specialized in treating these diseases. In addition, 61% of the diseased with syphilis and 89% of the diseased with gonorrhea see official physicians. 

In the book titled �Sexual Regulations�, it is recorded that 30,000-40,000 babies die in the U. S. annually because of hereditary syphilis, and that the number of mortalities because of the other diseases �except tuberculosis- is as same as the number of mortalities of syphilis. 

Thus, the Western nations, because of their dissoluteness, have paid all these losses as taxes collected from the health and life of their individuals.

Social Defects 

In addition to the material and physical losses, the dissolute nations have suffered serious social defects. Because they neglected principles of chastity and sincerity and closed the eyes to the conditions of true matrimony, these 

nations have terminated their family and social lives. Thus, you find the spouses each wandering in the glooms of deviation. The wife, being dissolute and adorning herself with maximum appearance of beauty and seduction, breaks froth in a direction, and the husband wander in the hotbeds of vice and depravity. As soon as one of them finds a personality that is more attractive or seductive than his/her other half, he/she slips in the depths of vice with him/her. As this circle goes on, the family entity will unquestionably destroy and the matrimonial relation will split for the most tasteless reason. Reports of experts in this field have confirmed this fact. 

About the divorcement in the town of Donor in 1922, Ben B. Lindsey says that separation was the result of every marriage and the courts received a file of divorcement of every two states of marriage. The judge also confirmed that this was not in the town of Donor only, but also all towns all over the U. S. , almost, witnessed such cases. Such states of divorcement or separation, the judge added, are still increasing� 

The other nations that authorized illegitimate sexual relations were not better than the U. S. in encountering bad results of abnormality and mixing of the sexes. Most of the individuals of such societies rejected marriage and preferred bachelorhood so as to satiate their sexual mania and to free themselves from the bounds and costs of marriage. 

An essay issued in a newspaper in Detroit said that the common states of the decrease in the rates 

of marriage, the increase in the rates of divorce, and the illegitimate relations between men and women�all these indicate that �our� society is retarding to the depths of bestiality. The natural desire of sexual reproduction has faded away, the newborns are left without judgment, the feeling of the importance of family structure has been relying upon the persistence of civilization, and self- judgment has been null. The negligence of the results of civilization and free government has been prevalent on the society. 

A deep look at the tragedies that invaded the Western world proves that they have been the results of primping up, dissoluteness, mixing of the sexes, and commonness of the sexual incentives, such as the sexy movies, stories, and songs, that deformed the moral values and rumored corruption in the Western societies. 

In his report advanced before the General Committee of the Association of ban of adulteries, Emil Porissi said that the sexy photographs have affected people�s feelings with the highest degrees of excitement and disorder and urged the miserable customers to commit unimaginable crimes. Besides, they have affected boys and girls so tremendously. Because of the existence of such seductive photographs, the moral and physical states of many schools and colleges have been null. Finally, it is incredible to find anything more destructive to girls than these photographs. [478] 

From the previous presentation, we conclude that the Islamic Sharia has ordered Muslim women of hijab and warned them against primping up and suspicious mixing with the other sex so as to guard their dignities and chastity from 

the incentives of offense and seduction, and protect the Islamic society from the tragedies and misfortunes that affected the Western societies, deformed their morals and consciences, and caused them misery and perdition: 

�Prophet, tell your wives, daughters, and the wives of the believers to cover their bosoms and breasts. This will make them distinguishable from others and protect them from being annoyed. Allah is All-forgiving and All-merciful. (33: 59) � 

This is one of the holy Quranic texts that enjoin hijab and urge Muslim women to adhere to it in such a frank, serious style. 

First, God orders the Prophet (s) to convey the divine command to his wives, daughters, and wives of the believers that they must cover their bosoms and breasts. He then shows the importance of hijab by expressing that it will save them from harm and annoyance. This is because hijab covers the charms of women and encompasses them with rings of immunity and protection against the spying and criminal intrusions of the dissolute individuals who try to play with the chastity and dignity of women. 

�Wives of the Prophet, you are not like other women when you have fear of Allah; hence, do not be tender in your speech lest people whose hearts are sick may lust after you. Speak a good word. Stay in your houses and do not display yourselves after the manner of the (pre-Islamic) age of darkness. Be steadfast in the prayer, pay the zakat�the religious tax, and obey Allah and His Messenger. (33: 32-3) � 

God addresses to the wives of the Prophet (s) , 

because they are not like ordinary women in fields of honor and ranking, for their belonging to the pioneer personality of Muslims�the Prophet (s). He orders them to fear Him and avoid the disobedience to His Messenger and Him. This very statement proves that the honor of their belonging to the Prophet (s) relies upon the stipulation that they must fear God and obey His Messenger and Him. He then warns them against speaking with people in tender style so as not to arouse the lusts of the ill-hearted ones. He then orders them to speak in a style indicating modesty, chastity, dignity, and gravity. He then orders them to stay in their houses and avoid displaying themselves before the non-relatives, as women in the period before Islam used to do. These matters, if applied, secure women�s chastity and dignity and protect them from the slips of sins and obsessions of suspect. 

Through its high idealities and ethics, the holy Quran goes on planting virtue and chastity in the mentalities of Muslim women: 

� (Muhammad) , tell the believing men to cast down their eyes and guard their carnal desires; this will make them more pure. Allah is certainly aware of what they do. Tell the believing woman to cast down their eyes, guard their chastity, and not to show off their beauty except what is permitted by the law. Let them cover their breasts with their veils. They must not show off their beauty to anyone other than their husbands, father, father-in-laws, sons, step-sons, brothers, sons of brothers 

and sisters, women of their kind, their slaves, immature male servants, or immature boys. They must not stamp their feet to show off their hidden ornaments. All of you, believers, turn to Allah in repentance so that perhaps you will have everlasting happiness. (24: 30-1) � 

In the previous holy Verse, God orders the Prophet (s) to convey the moralities of the Quran�the divine revelation, to the believers who, through so, can be guided constructively. He orders the Prophet (s) to convey the instruction that the believing men must cast down their eyes before women so as to save themselves from serious dangers. It frequently has happened that a single aspirant look at beauty resulted in long regret, and a single look has frequently captured with the traps of love. A sinful view may also shove in the depths of vice 

The Lord, then, orders the believing men to guard their carnal desires against sexual sins �or guarding them against being seen by others�. 

By issuing the two instructions of casting down the sights and guarding the carnal desires, God has closed the most dangerous doors to moral evils. He then guards the believing men with chastity and honesty as He tells that such practices secure purity of souls and moralities and benefit for the religion and the worldly life. He then refers to His absolute prevalence, supervision, and awareness of the believers� sights and carnal desires as well as everything else, so that this will lead to the enlightenment of the senses and the raising of the ethical values. 

He 

then refers to the believing women by ordering them, like men, of casting the sights before the non-relatives and controlling the carnal desires, since both the sexes have equal instincts and tendencies that attract each other. 

He then dedicates definite instructions to the believing women so as to regulate their behaviors and kindle in their mentalities feelings of modesty, chastity, and dignity. He orders them not to display their aspects of beauty before anyone except the relatives except the external appearances and those which are allowed by the Islamic Sharia�namely, the clothes, face, and palms of the hands. He also orders them to lower their veils on their necks and breasts so as to keep them unseen. He then permits women to show off their aspects of beauty before their relatives as well as the individuals who are not expected to be charmed or seduced by such aspects of beauty. Hence, the Verse nominates their fathers, fathers-in-law, sons, stepsons, brothers, nephews, bondmaids, men who are not expected to have any desire for women, such as the insane and the righteous old men, and the boys who are immature or too innocent to realize women�s private parts. He then warns women against stamping their feet to show off or to make others hear the sounds of their anklets. Finally, God instructs all believers to repent to Him so that they will see success in this world and the life to come. 

The Prophet (s) said: �Every eye will be weeping on the Day of Resurrection except three: an 

eye that wept out of fear of Allah, an eye that was cast down against scenes that are forbidden by Allah, and an eye that passed night sleepless for sake of Allah. �[479] 

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: �The (forbidden) look is one of the poisonous arrows of Eblis. It has frequently happened that a single look caused a long-termed regret. �[480] 

�The first look is yours, the second is against you, and the third causes you perdition. �[481] 

�The Prophet (s) warned men against seeing women before they obtain their guardians� permission. �[482] 

�Every individual may commit a deal of fornication. The �forbidden- look is the fornication of the eye, backbiting is the fornication of the mouth, and touching is the fornication of the hands, whether it affects sexually or not. �[483] 

�Any one who casts his sight upward to the heavens so as to avoid looking at a woman will be given one of the Paradisiacal women in marriage by Allah before he is back to his normal sighting. �[484]