On Reliance and Trust in Allah (s.w.t.) [Tawakkol]

Imam Mohammad al-Baqir (a.s) [Alaihis Salaam : Peace be upon him]

"The most deserving person is one who trusts in Allah, and has recognized Allah. Anyone who is pleased with what Allah has destined for him shall receive it, and Allah will grant him a great reward! But if anyone is not pleased with what Allah has destined for him shall receive that which Allah has destined for him, but Allah will cancel his reward."
Imam Mohammad al-Baqir (a.s)

"Whoever relies on Allah will never be defeated, and whoever takes refuge in Allah will never fail."

Reference :

Mishkatul Anwaar, Chapter 4, Hadees 42,45.

Misfortunes

Allah, the Wise, has said:

And as for man, when his Lord tries him, then treats him with honor and makes him lead an easy life, he says: My Lord has honoured me.

[Holy Qur'an, surah Al-Fajr (89), ayat 15]

 

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) has said:

Surely, misfortune for an oppressor is a (corrective) chastisement and for a Mu'min, a trial.

[Jaame' al-Akhbaar, pg. 113]

 

Short Explanation

For someone possessing intellect, misfortunes are a means of ornamentation and esteem.  Exercising forbearance when faced with misfortune and being steadfast during trials, strengthens one's faith.

One who bears hardship with patience, shall acquire the Grace of Allah and, as dictated by the Divine Wisdom, shall attain salvation and comfort, either in this world or in the hereafter.

From within the flames of misfortune and calamity, emerge the esoteric lights.  A person who regards misfortune and calamity as a trial, and combats it successfully, will become that much wiser as a result of the extra knowledge and perception acquired.   It is not good practice to constantly complain of worldly misfortunes like poverty, illness, family problems, and so on.

 

A Long Life is Associated with Misfortunes

It has been reported that once Jibraeel (peace be upon him) approached Prophet Sulaiman (a.s.), bringing with him a bowl containing the Water of Life and said to him: Your Lord has given you the choice that if you so choose, you can drink this water and remain alive till the Day of Judgment.

Sulaiman (a.s.) placing this issue before a group of men, jinn and animals, consulted them and all of them recommended him to consume the water so that he could become eternal.

Sulaiman (a.s.), after some reflection realized that he had not conferred with the porcupine and so sent a horse to call him, but the porcupine did not arrive.  He then sent a dog after him, whereupon he arrived immediately!

Sulaiman (a.s.) said to him, "Before I confer with you about my issue, I would like to know why, when I sent the horse, the most honorable of all animals after man, you did not arrive, but when I sent the dog, the most vile of all the animals, you presented yourself immediately?" 

The porcupine replied, "The horse, in spite of being an honorable animal, does not possess loyalty, whereas the dog, despite being the most despicable, possesses it; if it receives a loaf of bread from someone, it would remain loyal to him all throughout its life."

Sulaiman (a.s.) then said, "A bowl containing the Water of Life has been sent to me and I have been given the choice of either accepting it or refusing it.  All the others have advised me to drink it in order that I become eternal."

The porcupine said, "Is this Water of Life only for you or are your children, family and friends permitted to consume it too?"

He said, "No!  It is solely for me."

The porcupine then advised, "It is advisable that you do not accept it, for when you acquire a long life, all your children, relatives and friends shall depart before you, every passing day bringing you face to face with misfortune and sorrow thereby making your life miserable for you. Sulaiman (a.s.) approved of this advice and heeding it, returned the Water of Life.

 

Reference:

• Anecdotes for reflection, Vol 1, Misfortune, Anecdote 5

How to create khuzu wa khushu?

Imam Jafar e Sadiq (a.s.) was asked by someone,

" O son of the Prophet! How to create khuzu wa khushu (humility and fear of Allah) in prayer?"

The Imam (a.s.) replied," During prayer keep your eyes focussed on the point where you prostrate with your forehead."

Again someone asked the Imam (a.s.) the same question and he told him that during the prayer he should have the thought in his mind that he might die immediately after the prayer.

 

After some more days another person asked the Imam the same question. The Imam said that during the prayer the person should concentrate on the thought that he is witnessing Allah; but since Allah does not have any physical appearance, He cannot be seen with the eyes. The thought must be there during the prayer that Allah is looking at the worshipper.

 

A thought comes to the mind that the Holy Imam (a.s.), instead of giving three different replies, could have given only one reply, which he thought was the best. But this thinking is wrong. As a matter of fact, the Imam was replying to every individual keeping his capability in mind. The reply given to the third and the last person is for the knowledgeable, and the most knowledgeable are the Infallible members of the Prophet's progeny. They are on record praying to Allah thus, " We have not been able to justify Your Mystic knowledge.(ma arafnak haq marafatak)

 

 AINAL HAYAT by Allama Majlisi : CHAPTER 2 -THE STEPS

Mahe Ramadhan Mubarak!

Forbearance (Hilm)

Allah, the Wise, has said:

 "Most surely Ibrahim was forbearing, tender-hearted, oft-returning (to Allah)."

{Noble Qur'an, Suratul Hud (11), Verse 75}

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) had said:

"If you are not forbearing then portray yourself as one possessing forbearance."

{Jame' al-Sa'adat, Volume 1, Page 297} 

Short Explanation

Forbearance is Allah's lantern from the illumination of which a person achieves the proximity of Allah. A forbearing person, in the face of ill treatment by his family, friends and other people, exhibits patience for the sake of divine pleasure. The reality of forbearance is when a person, despite having the power and ability to extract revenge, pardons the person who has caused him harm and injury; we read in the supplications: "O' Lord! Your grace is (too) expansive and Your forbearance is (too) immense that You should punish me for my deeds and disgrace me for my sins."

Since the significance of a true believer more than anyone else, thus, it is imperative for him to exhibit forbearance in the face of troubles and inconveniences of the foolish ones, for if he were to stand up in confrontation with them, it would be tantamount to adding fuel to the fire and only serve to aggravate the issue. 

 Imam Hasan and the Syrian

One day, Imam Hasan (a.s.) was sitting in his place when he was confronted by a man who had come from Syria. As soon as the man set his eyes upon the Imam (a.s.), he began to curse and revile him; but the Imam (a.s.) remained silent till he had completed his outburst.

When he had stopped, the Imam (a.s.) turned towards him, greeted him, smiled and then said: "Brother! You seem to be a stranger here and you have apparently made a mistake. If you want me to disregard your behaviour and forgive you, I shall do so; if you seek something from me, I shall grant it to you; if you want me to guide you, I shall do so; if you are hungry, I shall feed you; if you are in need of clothes, I shall provide them to you; if you are needy, I shall give you all that you need; if you have been expelled, I shall grant you shelter and if you have a desire, I shall fulfill it for you. If you can be my guest for the duration of your stay here, it would be to your benefit, since my house is large and contains all amenities."

Hearing these words of Imam Hasan (a.s.), the man burst into tears and said: "I bear witness that you are Allah's Caliph upon the earth and Allah knows best where He places His message and caliphate. Before this meeting of ours, I regarded you and your father as my greatest enemies amongst the people, but now you are the most beloved of them all for me."

The man stayed with Imam Hasan (a.s.) as his guest for the entire duration of his stay in Madinah and eventually became one of the sincere followers of the Ahlul Bayt. 

Reference :

• Anecdotes for Reflection, vol 2, Forbearance, anecdote 4

Recognition of God by Instinct

Man's turning to God during times of calamities is a sign of our inclinations to Godliness. Man gets involved with his position and status so much that he forgets about God. He gets fully entangled in his sins and disobedience. Once a calamity befalls upon man, he suddenly remembers God and turns to Him for help. Thus, we realize that this sense of Godliness is intrinsic in humans, but man's involvement in worldly affairs results in his forgetting God.

 

There is a well-known tradition that states that a man went to see Imam Sadiq (a.s) and expressed his amazement about the recognition of God. He said: "I have discussed this issue with many knowledgeable people, but they have not been able to help me."

Imam Sadiq (a.s) ended his amazement using his intrinsic human Godliness and asked him: "

Have you ever been aboard a ship?" The man said: "Yes."

Then Imam Sadiq (a.s) asked: "Have you ever been on a sinking ship, and reached out for a narrow piece of board to stay afloat?"

The man said: "Yes. I have."

Then Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "Then while you could not see any dry land or anyone there to save you, were you not really attracted to some power to rescue you?"

The man replied in the positive and was finally relieved of his amazement about God's recognition."  

Riyaa - Defined

Riyaa is showing off and can include the desire to seek praise or a reputation. It includes worrying what people think of one. Showing-off includes one's deeds for someone else's sake when they should be done for the sake of Allah (SWT). Does this not sound hypocritical?

 Rasoolullah (SAW) said: "For you, my greatest fear is minor shirk." The companions said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is minor shirk?" He replied: "Showing off (ar-riyaa), for verily Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection when people are receiving their rewards: 'Go to those whom you were showing off to in the world and see if you can find any reward from them.'" (Ahmad, at-Tabaraanee, al-Bayhaqee)

Ibn 'Abbas said: "Riyaa is more hidden than a black ant on a black stone in a dark night."

Types of Riyaa

• Riyaa' of the body - This occurs by appearing to be emaciated and pale so that others may see the intensity of his striving and the abundant fear of the Hereafter. Also included in this is lowering the voice and sinking of the eyes, showing that one has a weak and feeble body in order to show others that he is diligent in observing fast.

• Riyaa' of the outward appearance - Such as the effects of prostration on the face or wearing a specific type of clothing which only a few people wear and whom people consider to be scholars. So he wears this apparel so that it may be said: "He is a scholar."

• Riyaa' by one's speech - This occurs mostly by admonishing others, reminding them, memorising details and narrations for the sake of argumentation, making it open and know that one has copious and abundant knowledge, moving one's lips for the remembrance of Allaah in the presence of others, becoming angry when evil occurs between people, lowering the voice and making it soft and tender when reciting the Qur'aan so as to show others his fear, sadness and other such things.

• Riyaa' with one's actions - Like the showing off of the worshipper by lengthening the standing and prolonging the bowing and prostration during prayer. Outwardly displaying humility and showing off with fasting, going on military expeditions, pilgrimage, giving charity and other such things.

• Riyaa' on account of one's friends and visitors - Like the one who burdens himself in order to visit a scholar or a pious worshipper so that it may be said: "So and so visited so and so". This also occurs by inviting people to one's house so that it may be said: "The people of the deen frequently visit him."

Remedy to Avoid Riyaa:

1. Increasing knowledge of Islam
2. Du`a - The prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa salam) taught the specific Du`a for Riyaa: "Allahumma innaa na`oothu bika an-nushrika bika shay`an na`lamuhu, wa nastagfiruka limaa laa na`lamuh. [O Allah, we seek refuge in you from committing shirk knowingly, and ask your forgiveness for (the shirk that we may commit unknowingly"]
3. Reflecting upon Heaven and Hell and having complete dependence on Allah (SWT)
4. Hiding one's good deeds as some scholars advise: "Remove the causes of Riyaa` from yourself by considering the opinion of people as important to you as animals and small children. Do not differentiate in your worship between the presence of people or their absence, or between their knowledge of your actions and their ignorance. Rather be conscious of the infinite knowledge of Allah alone."
5. Reflection upon one self's shortcomings
6. Accompanying the Pious
7. Knowledge of Riyaa
8. Always renewing one's intentions and continuously making istighfar

Dua at the time of Iftaar

Once Moosa (AS) asked Allah Subhaana'O'Ta'ala: O Allah! You have granted me the honor and privilege of talking to you directly, Have you given this privilege to any other person?

Allah Ta'ala replied, O!! Moosa during the last period I am going to send an Ummat, who will be the Ummat of Mohammed (SAW) with dry lips, parched tongues, emaciated body with eyes sunken deep into their sockets, with livers dry and stomachs suffering the pangs of hunger will call out to me (in dua) they will be much much closer to me than you O Moosa! while you speak to me there are
70000 veils between  you and me but at the time of iftaar there will not be a single veil between me and the fasting Ummati of Mohammed (SAW) O!! Moosa I have taken upon myself the responsibility that at the time of iftaar I will never refuse the dua of a fasting person!

Mahe Ramadhan Mubarak!

Image by http://meali-adk.deviantart.com/

Insulting (Beizzat/Zaleel)

Insulting the Believer

1ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): سابُّ المُؤمِنِ كالمُشرِفِ على الهَلَكَةِ.

1– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'The one who insults a believer is as one who is on the verge of ruin.’[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 8093]

2ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): سِبابُ المؤمِنِ فُسوقٌ ، وقِتالُهُ كُفرٌ ، وأكلُ لَحمِهِ مِن مَعصيَةِ اللّه‏ِ.

2– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'To insult a believer is a gross iniquity, to kill him is infidelity, and to backbite him is an act of disobedience of Allah.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 75, p. 148, no. 6]

النَّهيُ عن السِّبابِ

Prohibition of Insulting

3ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): لا تَسُبُّوا الرِّياحَ فإنّها مَأمُورَةٌ ، ولا تَسُبُّوا الجِبالَ ولا السّاعاتِ ولا الأيّامَ ولا اللَّيالِيَ فَتَأثَمُوا وتَرجِعَ علَيكُم .

3– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Do not insult the winds for verily they are commanded [to blow], nor insult the mountains, nor time, nor the days, nor the nights, lest you transgress thereby and it comes back to you.’[`AeIlal al-Shara’i`a , p. 577, no. 1]

4ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): لا تَسُبُّوا الناسَ فَتَكتَسِبُوا العَداوةَ بَينَهُم .

4– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Do not insult people lest you procure animosity from them.’[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 360, no. 3]

5ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لِقَنْبرٍ وقد رامَ أن يَشتِمَ شاتِمَهُ ـ: مَهْلاً يا قَنبرُ ! دَعْ شاتِمَكَ مُهاناً تُرْضِ الرَّحمنَ وتُسخِطُ الشَّيطانَ وتُعاقِبُ عَدُوَّكَ ، فَوَالذي فَلَقَ الحَبَّةَ وبَرَأ النَّسَمَةَ ما أرضَى المؤمنُ رَبَّهُ بِمِثلِ الحِلْمِ ، ولا أسخَطَ الشَّيطانَ بِمِثلِ الصَّمتِ ، ولا عُوقِبَ الأحمَقُ بمِثلِ السُّكوتِ عَنهُ.

5– Imam Ali (AS) said to Qanbar when he wished to insult a man who had insulted him, 'Careful Qanbar! Leave your insulter to his disdain and you will please the Beneficent Lord, displease Satan and punish thereby your enemy, for by the One who split the grain and created the breeze, there is no stance better than clemency with which a believer can please his Lord, and nothing like silence to offend Satan, and an idiot is best punished by ignoring him.’[Amali al-Mufid, p. 118, no. 2]

6ـ الإمامُ الكاظمُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لَمّا رَأى رَجُلَينِ يَتَسابّانِ ـ: البادِي أظلَمُ ، ووِزرُهُ ووِزرُ صاحِبِهِ علَيهِ ما لَم يَعتَدِ المَظلومُ.

6– Imam al-Kazim (AS) when he saw two people insulting each other, said, 'The initiator is the more unjust and bears his own sin as well as the sin of his opponent as long as the latter does not retort.’[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 412]

7ـ الإمامُ الكاظمُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ما تَسابَّ اثنانِ إلّا انحَطَّ الأعلى إلى مَرتَبةِ الأسفَلِ.

7– Imam al-Kazim (AS) said, 'Whenever two people insult each other, the more superior of the two sinks to the level of the more inferior one.’[A`alam al-Din, p. 305]

جزاءُ مَن سَبَّ الأنبياءَ والأوصياءَ

The Punishment of One Who Insults the Prophets and the Vicegerents

8- رسولُ اللّه صلى‏الله‏عليه‏و‏آله : مَن سَبَّ نَبيّا مِنَ الأنبياءِ فاقتُلُوهُ ، ومَن سَبَّ وَصِيّا فقد سَبَّ نبيّا .

8– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Whoever insults any of the prophets, kill him; and he who insults a vicegerent is as one who has insulted a prophet.’[Amali al-Tusi, p. 365, no. 769]

9- الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه‏السلام لَمّا سُئلَ عَمَّن شَتَمَ رسولَ اللّه صلى‏الله‏عليه‏و‏آله: يَقتُلُهُ الأدنى فَالأدنى قَبْلَ أن يَرفَعَهُ إلى الإمام .

9– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) when he was asked about someone who insulted the Prophet (SAWA), replied, 'The most inferior person [in society] must kill him, and if not him, then the second most inferior, and so on until at the last resort he must be killed by the im?m [leader of the congregational prayer].’[al-Kafi, v. 7, p. 259, no. 21]

السَّبُّ المُرَخَّصُ فيهِ

Permissible Insult

10- رسولُ اللّه صلى‏الله‏عليه‏و‏آله : إذا شَتَمَ أحَدُكُم أخاهُ فلا يَشتِمْ عَشِيرَتَهُ ، ولا أباهُ ، ولا اُمَّهُ ، ولكنْ لِيَقُلْ إن كانَ يَعلَمُ ذلك : إنّكَ لَبَخِيلٌ ، وإنّكَ لَجَبانٌ ، وإنّكَ لَكَذُوبٌ ، إن كانَ يَعلَمُ ذلكَ مِنهُ.

10– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'If any of you ever insults his fellow brother, he must not insult his family or his father or mother. He can only say - if he knows these flaws for certain - 'You are indeed a miser, or you are indeed a coward, or you are indeed a liar' only if he is certain of the existence of these traits.[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 8134]

Pride (Guroor, Takabur)

That Which Prevents Pride

6ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ما لابنِ آدمَ والفَخرِ؟! أوَّلُهُ نُطفَةٌ، وآخِرُهُ جِيفَةٌ، ولا يَرزُقُ نفسَهُ، ولا يَدفَعُ حَتفَهُ.

6– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘What is it with the son of Adam [human being] and pride?! His beginning is a sperm and his end is a carcass. He cannot sustain himself, nor can he repel death.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 454.]

7ـ الإمامُ زينُ العابدينَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): عَجَباً للمُتَكبِّرِ الفَخورِ الذي كانَ بالأمسِ نُطفَةً ثُمّ هُو غَداً جِيفَةٌ!

7– Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS) said, ‘It is surprising to see an arrogant and proud person who yesterday was but a sperm and tomorrow will be but a carcass.’[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 328, no. 1]

الفَخرُ Pride 1ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إنّ اللّه‏َ أوحَى إلَيَّ أن تواضَعوا، حتّى لايَفخَرَ أحَدٌ على أحَدٍ، ولا يَبغي أحَدٌ على أحَدٍ. 1– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Allah revealed unto me that we should be humble, so that nobody shows pride over anybody else, and no one intimidates another.’[al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib, v. 3, p. 558, no. 1]   2ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): أهلَكَ الناسَ اثنانِ: خَوفُ الفَقرِ، وطَلَبُ الفَخرِ. 2– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘There are two things that have ruined people: fear of poverty and going after pride.’[al-Khisal, p. 69, no. 102]   3ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ضَعْ فَخرَكَ، واحطُطْ كِبرَكَ، واذكُرْ قَبرَكَ. 3– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Let go of your pride, put down your arrogance, and remember your grave.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 398]   4ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن صَنَعَ شيئا للمُفاخَرَةِ حَشَرَهُ اللّه‏ُ يَومَ القِيامَةِ أسوَدَ 4– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Whoever does something out of vainglory, Allah will resurrect him black on the Day of Judgment.’[ 211 Bihar al-Anwar, v. 73, p. 292, no. 20]   5ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنَّ مِن أسخَفِ حالاتِ الوُلاةِ عندَ صالِحِ الناسِ، أن يُظَنَّ بِهِم حُبُّ الفَخرِ، ويُوضَعَ أمرُهُم علَى الكِبرِ. 5– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The worst state of the rulers among righteous people is for them to be assumed to love pride and be regarded as haughty.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 216] ذَمُّ التَفاخُرِ Censure of Pride 8ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): آفَةُ الحَسَبِ الافتِخارُ والعُجبُ. 8– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The bane of [noble] lineage is pride of it.’[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 329, no. 6]   9ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لقد كانَ رسولُ اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) إذا ذَكَرَ لنفسِهِ فضيلةً قالَ: ولا فَخرَ. 9– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘When the Prophet (SAWA) would mention a merit of himself, he would say, ‘And with no pride’.[ Bihar al-Anwar, v. 16, p. 341, no. 33]   10ـ الإمامُ الرضا (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنَّ أميرَ المؤمنينَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) عادَ صَعصَعةَ بنَ صُوحانَ في مَرَضِهِ، فلمّا قامَ مِن عندِهِ قالَ: يا صَعصَعةُ، لا تَفتَخِرَنَّ على إخوانِكَ بعِيادَتي إيّاكَ واتَّقِ اللّه‏َ. 10– Imam al-Rida (AS) said, ‘The Commander of the Faithful [ Imam Ali (AS)] visited Sa`asa`aa b. Suhan when he was sick, so when he wanted to leave he stood up and said, ‘O Sa`asa`aa, do not display pride in front of your brothers that I visited you, and fear Allah.’[Mustadrak al-Wasa`il, v. 12, p. 90, no. 13599]   ما يَنبَغي الفَخرُ بِهِ That Which One Should be Proud Of 11ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): الفَقرُ فَخرِي. 11– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Poverty is my pride.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 72, p. 30, no. 26]   12ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ثلاثٌ هُنَّ فَخرُ المؤمنِ وزَينُهُ في الدنيا والآخِرَةِ: الصلاةُ في آخِرِ اللّيلِ، وَيأسُهُ مِمّا في أيدي الناسِ، ووَلايَتُهُ الإمامَ مِن آلِ محمّدٍ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ). 12– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘There are three things that are the pride of a believer and his ornament in this world and the Hereafter: prayer at the end of the night [night vigil], his despair of [possessing] that which others own, and his allegiance to the Imam from the progeny of Muhammad (SAWA).’[al-Kafi, v. 8, p. 234, no. 311]

Three things which Allah likes...

Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said,
"Allah revealed to Hazrat Musa (a.s.), "Verily, My slave cannot achieve nearness to Me without the three things which I like." Musa (a.s.) asked with reverance, "My Lord what are those three things?" Allah replied, "O! Musa those three things are: To practice piety in this world, to abstain from sins and to weep due to fear." Musa (a.s.) asked, "Does one who fulfills the three things gets compensation and reward?" Allah replied, "One who practices piety in this world will get Paradise. One who weeps due to My fear will be accorded such a high position that no else would be able to reach it. The deeds of all the creatures shall be accounted. But one who abstains from that which I have forbidden, then accounting of his deeds will not be carried out; he would be admitted to Heaven directly."

-Greater Sins, Vol.1

Good Actions Could Be Blown Away Like Dust

Sulaiman bin Khalid says; " I asked Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) regarding the Quranic verse

"And We will proceed to what they have done of deeds, so We shall render them as scattered floating dust."
(Surah Furqan 25:23)

He said,
"By Allah, even if their deeds are as white as Egyptian cotton, but if they find sin and lewdness they do not abstain from it."
(Iddatud-Dai)

In other words, their good deeds are scattered like dust due to the lack of piety, and hence are of no value at all. Allama Majlisi (r.a.) writes in the explanation of this tradition, "Worship and obedience is rendered null due to sin."

Sin is a Barrier to the Acceptance of Invocation (Dua)

Hazrat Musa (a.s.) passed by a person from his followers who was in prostration. After completing his chore Musa (a.s.) returned to find him still in prostration. He said, "If I had the power to grant your wish I would surely have granted it." Allah revealed to Musa (a.s.) that, "Even if this man prostrates for Me till his head gets detached from his neck, I will not accept his deeds, till he abstains from that which I dislike and does that which pleases Me. Otherwise sin hinders the supplications from acceptance."
(pg. 125 ibid)

Abstinence From the Prohibited Things

"Even if you stand for prayers like a tent peg planted on the ground and keep fasting till you resemble a dried stick and stoop like a bow, Allah will not accept any of your deeds till you have the piety to guard against the evil deeds."
(Iddatud-Dai)

Not Giving the Rights of the People A Barrier for the Acceptance of Good Deeds

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:
"I have been commanded by Allah to warn my people and say, 'Do not go from one mosque to another while someones rights are upon you. If such a person stands up for prayers in that condition, I send my curses upon him till he restores the rights to its owner." (Iddatud-Dai page 236)

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said,
"There is an angel of Allah who raises the call every night from 'Baitul Muqaddas': "Whoever partakes of the prohibited things, Allah does not accept any of his deeds be they obligatory or recommended."
(Iddatud-Dai)

Ill-Gotten Wealth Burns Down The Acts of Worship

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:
"On the Day of Judgement there would be people whose good deeds will be as heavy as the mountains of Tahama. Inspite of this it would be ordered that they be tossed into the fire of Hell."

Upon this someone said, "O! the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.s.), were these people performing salaat (prayers)?",

"Yes, they used to pray, and fast, and also spend a part of the night in worship. But, whenever they chanced upon something which gave them pleasure, they used to rush to it without thinking whether it was right or wrong."

- Greater Sin, Vol.1

Imame Zamana (a.t.f.s) Pahad

On 13th Shabaan, the ashurkhana is been washed, painted, and repaired; with fairy lights hung everywhere.

A Story worth reading

Since last night my young son has been unwell. When I got back from
Work this evening I decided to take him to hospital despite my
exhaustion.

There were many waiting; perhaps we will be delayed by more than an
hour. I took my number and sat down in the waiting room. There were
many faces, young and old, but all silent. Some brothers made use of
the many booklets available in the waiting room.

Some of those waiting had their eyes closed, while others were looking
around. Most were bored. Once in a while the long silence was broken
by a nurse calling out a number. Happiness appears on the one whose
turn it is, and he gets up quickly; then silence returns.

A young man grabbed my attention. He was reading a pocket-sized Qur`an
continuously; not raising his head even once. At first I did not think
much about him. However, after one hour of waiting my casual glances
turned into a deep reflection about his lifestyle and how he utilizes
his time. One hour of life wasted! Instead of making benefit of that
hour, it was just a boring wait. Then the call for prayer was made. We
went to prayer in the hospital's Masjid. I tried to pray close to the
man who was reading the Qur'an earlier in the waiting room.

After the prayer I walked with him. I informed him of how impressed I
was of him and how he tries to benefit from his time. He told me that
most of our time is wasted without any benefit. These are days that go
from our lives without being conscious of them or regretting their
waste. He said that he started carrying the pocket-sized Qur`an around
when a friend encouraged him to make full use of his time. He told me
that in the time other people waste he gets to read much more of the
Qur`an than he gets to read either at home or in the masjid. Moreover,
besides the reward of reading the Qur`an, this habit saves him from
boredom and stress.

He added that he has now been waiting for one and a half hours. Then
he asked, when will you find one and a half hours to read the Qur`an?
I reflected; How much time do we waste? How many moments of our lives
pass by, and yet we do not account for how they passed by? Indeed, how
many months pass by and we do not read the Qur`an? I came to respect
my companion, and I discovered that I am to stand for account and that
time
is not in my hand; so what am I waiting for?

My thoughts were interrupted by the nurse calling out my number; I
went to the doctor. But I want to achieve something now. After I left
the hospital I quickly went to the bookshop and bought a pocket-sized
Qur`an. I decided to be mindful of how I spend the time. If this
information is beneficial to you, then please do forward it to your
friends and relatives.

Our Prophet (SAW) said; 'Whoever guides or directs to good, then he
gets the same amount of blessing (reward) as the one who does it'

The Prophet (SAW) also said 'Pass on knowledge from me even if it is
only one verse'

May Allah (swt) give us taufeeq to recite more and more from this Holy
Book. Ilaahi ameen.

Allah's Wonders (Underwater)