Inspirational Quotes [From Grand Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi]

Inspirational Quotes [From Grand Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi]0%

Inspirational Quotes [From Grand Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi] Author:
Translator: Dr. Zuhayr Aulia
Publisher: Fountain Books
Category: Various Books

Inspirational Quotes [From Grand Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi]

Author: Ayatullah Seyyed Muhammad Sadiq Shirazi
Translator: Dr. Zuhayr Aulia
Publisher: Fountain Books
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Inspirational Quotes [From Grand Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi]
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Inspirational Quotes [From Grand Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi]

Inspirational Quotes [From Grand Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi]

Author:
Publisher: Fountain Books
English

Iraq

Introduction

Amongst all other Muslim countries that face particular difficulties such as Palestine, Afghanistan, etc. Iraq is singled out because of absolutely horrendous fear, terror and persecution that afflicted the people of this land - and in particular the Shi’a population of this country - which is unprecedented anywhere else in the world today. After the fall of Saddam’s vicious and sectarian regime, countless mass graves were found containing thousands and thousands of victims whose sole crime was being Shi’a. Mass graves continue to be found to date. During Saddam’s reign of fear, the Shi’a were systematically subjected to the most brutal tortures known to mankind. The best thing that could happen to the detainees was to be shot dead. As a minority, the Kurds were also subjected to persecution by the regime, but the irony is that the Shia are the overwhelming majority in Iraq. Furthermore, Iraq is also singled out because of the pivotal nature of this country to the followers of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, with the shrines of six of the ma‘soom imams being in that country, in addition to other religious heritage entities, as well as the religious seminaries - the hawzah. Editors.

* denotes quotes prior to the fall of Saddam’s Baathist regime

799*: The Iraqi nation is suffering a great tribulation. This faithful nation - oppressed and persecuted, including women and children in the wounded Iraq - has for centuries, and in particular for the decades under the Baathist reign of terror, lived severe tragedy and hardship.

800*: We the Iraqis, wherever we may now be - in Muslim countries or other countries - have, one way or another, suffered this horrendous ordeal.

801*: My dear people of Iraq… while Iraq is a country for all, it is your country and our country, and it is the country of everyone who lived in it, and was born in it.

802*: Iraq is a land of plenty, and it is a rich country, and Almighty Allah has blessed and favoured this region and this land both materially and sacredly. But despite all that, these wrongdoings and problems still took place, and the country was taken over by this tyrant gang that you see, and thus Iraq was turned into a poor country that must import everything.

803*: Today, inside Iraq, the oppressed nation of Iraq suffers the most severe hardships and tragedies, and especially at a time of this war. Therefore it is incumbent on every one of us, as much as one can, to help these people, ranging from prayers for them, to sending material help to them, in any way one can. Whatever you can send to your brethren in Iraq, they are in need of.

804*: Why should we expect the non-Muslims to give aids to our dear ones in Iraq? And why should we let others help them? It is incumbent for every one of us - according to their ability - to endeavour in this respect; if one is able to offer material help he or she should do so, and if not, one should encourage and lead others to help. We must all discharge out duty since,“you are all guardians and all are responsible for their flock.”

805*: We must endeavour in our duty of offering a helping hand to our dear ones in the oppressed Iraq, and by doing so we will have gained the honour of fulfilling this duty.

806*: Iraq has lived through decades of the severest kinds of oppression, injustice and tragedies.

807*: We must not forget, and everyone must take notice and pay attention to what is happening in Iraq.

808*: There are people - other than you and us, and other than the Iraqis - who are preparing to be the ones to take over Iraq’s economy, culture, and activities. But are they doing this out of their love for Iraq and the Iraqis? Not at all. It is out of love for their own selves. They are after what they want. They are coming to Iraq in the future with corruption and with the intention of corruption. They are coming to Iraq in the future to seduce the youth, deviate their thoughts from the beliefs and practice of the religion, and from the Islamic morals and etiquettes.

809*: It is incumbent for all believers to mobilise all energies, exert endeavours and utilise the opportunities, and work seriously - within the Sharia framework - in all aspects to rescue the Iraqi nation from these injustices and oppressions that have inflicted upon this nation for decades, and it is facing the most severe hardships.

810*: The state of affairs of the oppressed and persecuted Iraqi nation has turned to such a tragedy the like of which can rarely be found in history.

811*: I call on my Iraqi brothers of all factions to join forces, close ranks, and adhere to Allah’s strong rope,[121] in order for them to liberate Iraq, and not through any [foreign] violation or transgression against the oppressed nation or the pure land or its goodness and wealth.

812*: I call upon all the faithful to offer all the help they can to the honourable Iraqis in these difficult circumstances.

813*: It is essential that all the faithful throughout the world rise up and mobilise all their energies and abilities to help the oppressed nation of Iraq with all its humanitarian needs, and should not let others beat them to it; for it is more fitting for the faithful - wherever they may be and at whatever level - to do that than others.

814*: It is essential to direct all forces and energies of all the believers everywhere to the cause and full care of the Muslims’ difficulties throughout the globe, such as Palestine, Afghanistan, and especially the cause of Iraq and its oppressed nation.

815*: It is imperative to extend the helping hands to those nations afflicted by the tyranny of their oppressive regimes such as Iraq and Afghanistan, by providing them with moral and material support. To provide them with copies of the holy Qur’an, nahj al-balaghah, al-sahifah al-sajjadiyah, as well as all other books of supplication, exegesis, hadith, akhlaq and suchlike. These should reach mosques and husayniah, universities, schools, scholarly clubs, hospices, and all villages and rural areas.

816: O people of Iraq wherever you may be; now that the despotic regime has gone - the regime that began its dark era with bloodshed and murder of the innocent, and continued its reign with terror, killing, assaults on people’s honour, scorning the principles and values, and desecrating the sanctities, has ended in this bloody manner which the world witnessed. Now that Almighty Allah has allowed the eradication of that nightmare, which drained the country materially and morally over the long pitch-black decades, now it is the time to seize the opportunity - today before tomorrow - to build Iraq anew in all aspects and dimensions, and restore the shining history and glorious splendour.

817: Iraq possesses all the ingredients of success and welfare; and on top of all that it houses the shrines of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, which the hearts of the world yearn for - and not just the Shi’a, or the Muslims - but the hearts of humanity yearn for them. Secondly, Iraq houses the historic Islamic seminaries in the holy cities of Najaf, Karbala, Kadimiyah and Samara. Thirdly, there are the thousands of the pious and the godly, as well as Iraq’s faithful tribal people, who under the leadership of the religious scholars achieved what no one could imagine, which was the victory of Iraq’s 1920 revolution led by the late grand ayatollah Muhammad Taqi al-Shirazi, Allah’s blessings be upon him.

818: Iraq possesses all the ingredients for progress and development, comfort and welfare; since it has wealth, oil, and fertile land.

819: Iraq - the land of blackness - I am not aware of nor have I heard of a land in the world known as the land of blackness;[122] meaning it is a land full of goodness and blessing.

820: Iraq needs the administration and management of the holy Qur’an, and those of Allah’s messenger, the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali, and Imam Husayn, peace be upon them all … Iraq needs a management that would not even abandon a begging old Christian man… it needs a management that would not abandon an enemy armed to the teeth dying of thirst… we need such an administration. And any future administration in Iraq not up to this standard would also be a prelude to a sequence of problems for the upcoming generation and future generations Allah forbid.

821: It is compulsory for us to take up the responsibility of rebuilding Iraq anew. Our responsibility is massive and vast, and in need of great endeavours. Every one individual may be a force and a leading light in this respect… every single word or action has its worth, just like drops of rain; when there are many drops the result would be torrential flood.

822: Iraq needs a torrent of help; material, intellectual, scientific, medical… today it needs all of these and tomorrow it would have a greater need for them.

823: Iraq needs the freedom which the holy Qur’an spoke of and Imam Ali, peace be upon him, implemented during the reign of his government.

824: Iraq needs pluralism and not dictatorship; as much as Iraq suffered the pains of dictatorship, today it equally needs pluralism.

825: Today in Iraq there is an urgent need for guiding and educational programs; the Iraqi youths are yearning for religious identity but lack the means to reach and acquire religious knowledge as well as books, schools and universities.

826: A country like Iraq requires a considerable amount of endeavour, organisation, seriousness, continuous work, sincerity, investment, as well as much prayers - because this country suffered isolation, terrorism, oppression and the nation was deliberately kept ignorant and uneducated for many decades - and that was in the shadow of the most evil dictatorship in the world.

827: An Iraqi who lived for many years in pitch-black darkness is today surrounded by many needs from all angles.

828: In the future, Iraq would need millions of religious books and magazines, and schools and seminaries (hawzah), speakers and educators in this field. Iraq would also need hundreds of clinics and hospitals.

829: It is necessary for us all to endeavour to build a new Iraq by taking charge, and work with stern responsibility to ensure Iraq’s future.

830: Iraq needs hundreds of banks and funds which give interest free loans to help millions of the needy. This matter requires planning and swift action. This is because, in our beloved Iraq, carnage and destruction reached everywhere - the bodies and souls, as well as buildings and properties.

831: Every one of us should ponder on what they can do for Iraq’s future.

832: It is essential that groups and forums are set up with the aim of planning for Iraq’s future; studying the state and circumstances of the Iraqi nation, and specialist committees should be set up in various aspects, in order to address the needs of this nation. This should be done despite the fact that others have set up such groups and committees.

833: Whatever planning and preparation we make for Iraq’s future, it would still be insufficient, given the scale of the task.

834: All towns and cities in Iraq are in need of mosques, husayniahs, schools, and seminaries; because devastation and destruction covered everything. Many of the religious centres are dilapidated, with some being in complete ruins.

835: We emphasise the importance of the faithful setting up committees with the responsibility of planning, raising funds, and swift action, in order to rebuild an Iraq that is free and prosperous with goodness, faith and urban development.

836: It is of utter importance that the country is not given up to non-Iraqis to rebuild Iraq, for otherwise the calamities would be renewed for us for another thirty or forty years.

837: We the Iraqis have the first priority over others to rebuild Iraq.

838: We must pay attention to one important issue, and that today in Iraq we have millions of young men and women who are not married. It is imperative to contemplate on their affairs, establish marriage committees, before others come with their nightclubs and set up corruption centres. We must take the initiative and act swiftly.

839: There are millions in the world who are passionate devotees of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali and Imam Husayn, peace be upon them, who will come to Iraq, and will readily contribute in the grand social project for marrying the unmarried young men and women. Thus we should not let others to take the initiative in this respect.

840: Iraq is the land of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them.

841: The wounded Iraq is the Iraq of Ali and Husayn, peace be upon them, the Iraq of the shrines of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, the Iraq of the blessed seminaries, the Iraq of culture and the cultured - of education and the educated - the Iraq of the faithful and the religious, and the Iraq of civilisation and ancient history.

842: It is incumbent that we do not allow the Wahhabis to make Iraq contrary to what the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, would wish. This necessitates us to be proactive and take immediate action, because the land is ours and the property is ours too. We have reports that the Wahhabis are in the process of preparing plans and programs for Iraq’s future.[123]

843: I call upon the honourable faithful in Iraq to unify their word and ranks, continue their endeavours with wisdom, statesmanship and perseverance, and renounce anything that may lead to complacency or extremism.

844: We wish to build an independent and unified Iraq on the bases of pluralism, consultation, justice, and freedom within the Sharia framework.

845: The tyrant has vanished from Iraq…I call on my brethren the great religious scholars in the seminaries, and in the various cities in Iraq, whom Almighty Allah made them the prophets’ inheritors, and a continuation of the ma‘soom Imams, peace be upon them, the defenders against Satan and his soldiers, to embark on directing and guiding the people to the right path, more than ever before, to disseminate calmness and tranquillity in the community, to bring about the spirit of hope and endeavour in the people, to shake off their hopelessness and despair, and to sharpen their resolution to endure hardship and overcome difficulties.

846: The tyrant has vanished from Iraq… I call upon my brethren the honourable speakers, notable preachers, the faithful writers and journalists who are the voice of the nation, inside the country or outside, to fulfil their mission in directing the nation, at all levels, and guiding them and reminding them of their huge responsibilities at this critical juncture, through radio, television, newspapers, magazines, podiums, seminars and the likes.

847: In the course of building a new Iraq… great hopes are laid on universities, through their lecturers and students, to fulfil their principal mission which is to enrich the nation and make it self-sufficient with devout experts and professionals, in all fields of expertise, so that this proud nation would not need others, rather, it would be in a position to help others with expertise, and to advance the nation forwards.

848: In the course of building the Iraq of values, love, brotherhood, chivalry and gallantry … I call on the tribes of Iraq which used to and continue to be a protective shield for Iraq and its people … to restructure and organise themselves now that the impediment that prevented them fulfilling their important duties has vanished. This will boost coherence and harmony within the Iraqi society, and help the nation towards piety and cooperation in all dimensions.

849: After Iraq’s salvation from the tyranny of the tyrant… it is imperative for businessmen, who have been favoured by the Almighty with wealth and opulence to see to the needs of the nation and facilitate self-sufficiency, through setting up companies, activating production lines, employing workers, therefore contributing to raise the nation’s standard to the highest level, and to contribute in rebuilding the wounded Iraq which has been devastated by the oppressive regime, and its consecutive wars over tens of years.

850: It is imperative for the women of Iraq, who bring up and educate the future generations, to take as role models the women of Imam Husayn, peace be upon him, Zaynab al-Kubra, Umm Kulthoum, al-Rabab, and Sokaynah, peace be upon them, in chastity, sacrifice, adornment with virtuous manners, enjoining good and prohibiting evil, and helping throughout life.

851: It is imperative for authentic political parties and organisations which embark on projects that concern Iraq - present and future - to endeavour, as it is expected of them, to bring together the various sides of this nation, which has suffered terrible pains, through focusing on the positive and discarding the negative aspects - under any label or slogan - and to cease personal infighting; since Iraq is in a new era, and any negativity does not go with the aspirations of this proud patience nation.

852: It is imperative for the general public, men and women, young and old, students or workers, public servants or traders, businessmen, farmers and others, to realise, and they do realise well by the grace of Allah, that Iraq is from them and for them.

853: It is imperative for the general Iraqi public, men and women, young and old, that they set themselves to build Iraq anew; that any achievement would be for all, and any problem or grievance would be for all. Let them fulfil their duties and responsibilities, each according to their own position. They must embark on stopping the bloodshed, and protecting the honour, wealth and properties. You should set up a committee in every city, town, village, and even mosque, husayniah, school, college and university to help the needy; for helping the masses is considered as one of the most beloved deeds by Almighty Allah, His messenger, and the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them.

854: The bulk of the tragedies and sufferings that befell the Iraqi people were due to the absence of a good (government) administration.

855: It is incumbent that the government in Iraq adopts, as a role model, the policies of Allah’s messenger and the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali, peace be upon them and their holy families, in governance in the holy cities of Medina and Kufah. They departed this world while they were in debt, and did not set aside for themselves one dinar or dirham.

856: It is essential that the government in Iraq considers itself as a compassionate father for every single member of this bereaved nation.

857: This oppressed nation was, for decades, deprived of observing the Husayni rites - which are amongst Allah’s rites - and Iraq and the holy city of Karbala in particular is the axis and pillar for those rites. It is therefore necessary for the government and the nation to cooperate in order to observe these rites in a fitting way suitable to the lofty status of Imam Husayn, peace be upon him, so that these would be taken as an example in other parts of the world.

858: After the fall of the oppressive regime in the wounded Iraq, the hope was to see the survival and salvation of many of the imprisoned faithful in Iraq, especially the grand ayatollahs, the esteemed scholars, lecturers of the seminary, and other dignitaries from those terrifying prisons, the like of which can rarely be found in human history, so that the nation could once again benefit from their scholarly merit, and from their blessed presence, in the various fields of religious, intellectual, societal and suchlike. Except that despair replaced hope, severe pains were renewed, and the wounds began to bleed once again, after numerous mass-graves began to be discovered, and the search for the living didn’t yield the desired results - we lodge our complaint with the Almighty Allah.

859: While the nation was deprived of the likes of those elite faithful prisoners in Iraq, especially the grand ayatollahs, the esteemed scholars, seminary lecturers, and other dignitaries who died [or were killed] in the former tyrant’s prisons, however, their examples are present in the hearts, and they will continue to be the symbols for the noblest values of faith throughout history.

860: Iraq is the country of Islam from the ancient times, and it is the land of the sacred and of the mausoleums of the Imams of the Muslims, and the land of the faithful, of the religious scholars, and of the seminaries, over many centuries, and therefore it is more befitting for it to be ruled by the laws of the holy Qur’an and Islam, especially that the overwhelming majority of its people are the Muslims.

861: For various reasons, it is evidently necessary to write the constitution according to the rulings of Islam, and under the supervision of the nation’s Islamic jurists, who are the authorities of religion and experts in the matter of Islamic rulings and legislation.

862: It is obligatory for the Muslims in Iraq, and everywhere else, to demand that the Iraq constitution be written according to Islamic law, and under the supervision of the nation’s Islamic jurists, and urge everyone for that cause. Otherwise, if this is ignored or abandoned, a great evil will overcome the nation, and it will open the gates for corruption which may not be shut for a very long time.

863: The holy Qur’an, the holy sunnah of the prophet and the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, should be the sole and only source for the Iraqi constitution.

864: It is obligatory that drafting the Iraqi constitution - with all its articles and clauses - must be made on Islamic bases and according to the Sharia criteria taken from the holy Qur’an and the teachings of Allah’s messenger and the ma‘soom Imams, peace be upon them.

865: It is imperative to stress on the unity of Iraq - with all its provinces, denominations and ethnic groups - including the Arab, Kurd, Turkmen, and that is in preparation for comprehensive Islamic unity.

866: It is imperative that the criterion in elections, government, and all other legal matters is the majority, while at the same time the minorities are awarded their Sharia rights completely and in their entirety; for this is the most important clause of the four clauses in democracy that the world recognises, which in our wounded Iraq today is in harmony with the divine law.

867: The honourable nation of Iraq must enlist all its forces in order to follow Allah’s messenger’s sunnah using this relative freedom that is available today, to disseminate the teachings of Allah and the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, and to lay the foundations of faith, freedom, pluralism, consultation, non-violence, and suchlike.

868: The steadfast people of Iraq suffered during the pitch-black decades for maintaining their faith and Islam, and for its adherence to Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them. It is therefore absolutely essential to preserve that adherence in the course of forming Iraq’s future; through the constitution which will apply to all for decades to come, so that it will be a shining episode in Iraq’s long history, by Allah’s leave.

869: The fitness and integrity of Iraq’s future is dependent on that which was fit and appropriate in its past.

870: Building Iraq will materialise when all the Iraqis; scholar and academic, teacher and student, young and old, trader, worker, civil servant, men and women, assume the burden of responsibility to“pick up the pieces” and“fill in the gaps” ; to activate all forces and abilities, mobilise the talents and competencies, and awaken all sectors of the community. This may be done by forming committees groups and organisations - public or private, large or small - in every village town or city, and in every tribe and family, to strive to fill in the gaps, and to see to the needs therein. It is through this endeavour that the Iraq of tomorrow will be the Iraq of goodness, welfare, and blessings.

871: It is mandatory to see to the needs of the needy in Iraq in all aspects; in order to eradicate despair, poverty, unemployment, celibacy and suchlike from this proud rich nation, whose wealth and bounty have been plundered over the dark decades.

872: The faithful around the globe are more fitting and worthy than others to fill in the gaps and to see to the needs of those in Iraq. Furthermore, it is essential to pay utmost attention and dedication to the issue of uniting the different factions and renouncing division, the only beneficiaries of which are the enemies, while the great loss will be this nation’s share.

873: It is obligatory to embark on a concentrated mobilisation effort to rescue the country of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali, and Imam Husayn, and all other Imams, peace be upon them, from the tragedies that is going through now; having suffered the harshest forms of cruelty and tyranny over many dark decades. This salvation may come about by preparing the ground and suitable environments for carrying out true, fair, comprehensive and immediate elections, so that all will benefit from true Islamic freedom, and its humanitarian values and principles, which the holy Qur’an emphasised upon, and Allah’s messenger, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Husayn, and all other Imams, peace be upon them, were the practical embodiment of those teachings in various aspects of life: scientific, political, economic, cultural, educational, societal, military, and suchlike.

874: It is imperative for the builders of the new Iraq to adopt the principle of non-violence, to demand the Sharia rights through peaceful means, and to strengthen the constructive dialogue and lenient and frank understanding.

875: It is essential that all Iraqis, men and women, cooperate and support one another for the sake of building a“faithful and pious” Iraq; which enshrines all its forces and energies with faith, and enshrouds all denominations and groups with the garment of piety.

876: It is essential to make a concerted effort to establish a majority government according to the law; derived from the holy Qur’an and holy sunnah taken from the Prophet and the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them. Indeed this colossal tragedy which lasted for decades was the result of a minority government and being distant from the divine law.

877: Over the course of their long history, the good-natured people of Iraq were, and will continue to be a nation of steadfastness, patience, perseverance, and sacrifice; especially in these last dark decades. It is a nation that will not be deterred by evil attempts from its resolute determination, and the deviant and the hypocrite will not deprive it of its patience and forbearance, coexistence and unity in ranks, and its demands for the just rights enshrined in the Islamic principles, and endorsed by man-made laws.

878: It is obligatory to be cautious of the sworn enemy who lies in wait for the oppressed nation of Iraq, and, with all means, tries to ignite a sectarian conflict between its people. And such sectarian conflicts [if succeed] will not end except with the failure of all concerned, just as they will prepare the way for domination of deviation and misguidance, oppression and corruption.

879: It is necessary for all in Iraq, at this critical and difficult stage, to adhere to patience and forbearance; just as it is necessary for the wise to curb the conflicts that others want to inflame, and to snip them in the bud.

880: One of the most important obligatory tasks today for all the people in Iraq, is to unite the aims and objectives of the faithful people, and this is achieved through renouncing the likes of tribal and ethnic divisions, closing ranks, reunifying the Iraqi people, and not allowing divisive views which bring about division and splitting up the union of ranks and goals. The latter would hinder the progress of the faithful towards achieving the lofty Islamic goals.

881: If the just Islamic system brought forth by Allah’s messenger and the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali, peace be upon them and their holy families, is implemented in Iraq, by Allah’s leave, it would be paradise for all even for the non-Muslim minorities.

882: Holding free and fair elections in Iraq would, by Allah’s leave, be a prelude to the end of occupation, a means to the restoration of peace, and for people to obtain their rights.

883: Delaying the elections is not in the interest of the Iraqi people, because it would mean continuing with the status quo established by the occupation forces from the time of the regime’s fall until now.

884: Holding elections are the means for the Iraqi people to express their views.

885: The demands for some corners to delay the elections have sectarian motives, in a bid to prevent the majority getting their rights.

886: The elections will be valid if conducted within the legitimate controls, and under the supervision of the religious, political, and tribal forces to prevent any manipulation and fraud.

887: At the current time, the Iraqi people would only attain their legitimate rights through elections, and therefore it is incumbent for all to participate in these elections.

888: One of the positive outcomes of the elections is for the Iraqi people to attain their legitimate rights. Furthermore, they will prevent the establishment of dictatorial systems which persecute the nation, just as being the prelude for the exit of the foreign forces, the independence and sovereignty of Iraq.

889: We emphasise on the necessity of the honourable Iraqis partaking in the elections. They must register to vote, and must prepare the environments to hold fraud-free elections.

890: It is not permissible to sell the voting slips, because this would result in the loss of the Iraqi people’s rights, and this will facilitate the enemy of the people - who has a colossal amount of money - to buy its way to positions of decision making.

891: Holding free and fair elections is in the Iraqi people’s interest, and thus it is imperative for all to earnestly partake in these elections, and they must choose the truly trustworthy nationalist or Islamic groups. The necessary environments should be created so that the elections are held in peace.

892: The faithful in Iraq should know that taking revenge under current circumstances may ignite civil war, the greater beneficiary of which would be the imperial powers, as per“divide and rule” . Furthermore, this war, Allah-forbid, would give a negative image of the Islamic Ummah in general and of the followers of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, in particular.[124]

893: Our dear brothers should know that death retribution is restricted to murder only, and thus it is not permissible to take revenge randomly. It is also not permissible to apply retribution without identifying the killer definitively, and without carrying out a fair judicial procedure according to legitimate criteria.

894: It is incumbent on the faithful in Iraq to discipline and strengthen themselves, and to arm themselves with religious and political education, to close their ranks, renounce divisions, unify their stance, and demand the majority’s legitimate rights, through peaceful means, and never compromise on any of those rights whatever the pretexts or excuses may be.

895: We demand the cancellation of the unjust and wrongful sectarian quotas system, which gives the majority less than its rightful dues. Therefore it is essential that elections are carried out without setting sectarian quotas, and if quotas are temporarily necessary, it is imperative that all the Shi’a denominations with their various ethnic groups, such as Arab, Kurd, Turkmen, Shabak and others are all given according to their actual ratios, who in total are about 80% of the honourable nation of Iraq.

896: Take the oppressed nation of Iraq for example, despite all the harassment and persecution, and the flood of calamities which poured on this nation [by the former regime], when many of those who organised and participated in the mourning programs for Imam Husayn in their houses were executed, as well as the mass graves which were later discovered are best evidence for those atrocities, the nation of Iraq continues to adhere to the loyalty of Imam Husayn, peace be upon him.

897: Today, after the people of Iraq got rid of the tyranny, the enemy is back to perpetrate its oppression against the Iraqis once again. Today - the tenth of Muharram 1425AH (March 2004AD) - the enemy committed another atrocity in the vicinity of the shrines of Imam Husayn and his brother Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas, peace be upon them.[125]

898: The tyrants would not idly stand by after the deliverance of the Iraqi nation from the oppression of the fallen regime. The tyrants came back with their evil atrocity against the pilgrims of Imam Husayn in Karbala, and simultaneously against those of Imams al-Kadim and al-Jawad peace be upon them.

899: It is imperative for our dear ones in Iraq to observe patience, piety, putting their trust in Allah, and to strive to earn a living. Similarly it is imperative for the believers and charity groups to endeavour to see to their needs.

900: Today, the people of Iraq are afflicted with multiple crises; for the last fifty years, this nation has been swapping one crisis for another, from one difficult situation to a more difficult one, and at the current time, this crisis has multiplied for every single Iraqi, and all know, whether through the mass media or through personal experience, that Iraq is going through a very complex situations indeed, and no one knows how far this is going to go on except the Almighty Allah.

901: Do any of us really think we are unable to do anything about Iraq’s future?

902: The people of Iraq today are the ones who will build tomorrow’s Iraq.

Worldly Life

903: It is stated in the hadith that, as far as Allah is concerned, the world in its entirety is not even worth a wing of a mosquito. It is interesting that it does not say,“the two wings of a mosquito” because the insect uses both wings, but it states,“a wing of a mosquito” alluding to the worthlessness of the world and its low status with Almighty Allah.

904: When the individual’s mind and intellect are perfected, one would then not crave the world’s wreckage, because it is the mind’s weakness that would make one long for the perishable world.

905: The one who abnegates oneself [through self-discipline] would not favour wealth over Allah, nor favour desires, food, lust, and business over Allah. This does not mean one should abandon material life, however, since Allah created the world for the believers, and they take precedence to use it over the oppressors and Allah’s enemies.

906: The world is Allah’s creation, and the faithful are Allah’s devotees, and thus it is essential that the faithful are not owned by the world, rather they should own the world, and take of it as much as they can, while at the same time they should be prepared to abandon it if they find themselves in a situation that they have to choose between it and Allah’s law.

907: This worldly life that we live is like a house which has columns, walls, a roof, along with decoration and adornments. The columns, walls, and roof that are made of iron, wood, cement and bricks are the essential pillar of the building which it cannot do without. As for the decorations, lighting, painting and suchlike they are adornments for the house, and it is possible to do without. Thus an individual who is healthy and able bodied, content with what Allah has allotted for him, but is poor, then his life is complete in terms of essentials, and lacks nothing but adornments. The same goes for the one who does not have children, for they are life’s adornments and not its pillars.[126]

908: The one who lives life contently and confidently, would enjoy life even if one lacks wealth and offspring;[127] since wealth is not more than inclination and desire, which has no credibility, and it parts company with the individual at death. Similarly, offspring are adornments too, and they part company at death, if they were caring.[128]

909: The money you give in Allah’s cause is good from two viewpoints. First you would be rewarded for it in the hereafter. Secondly, it is a good hope you count on in your life; since when one does a good deed, one would look forward for a good return.

910: It is easy for an individual to write in one’s will that one’s wealth to be spent in Allah’s cause, but it is more important that one does that in one’s own life, because it is fundamental to embark on this task, which is difficult.

911: Let’s roll up our sleeves and donate some of our wealth to good causes, and one who cannot do it on one’s own, should give whatever one can, for these are the [good deeds which endure].[129]

912: Whatever emanates from an individual is either a good deed which one would see the benefit of, or a bad deed which would harm the individual.

913: We might face problems, the roots or causes of which we may not be aware, because we are inattentive; maybe we wronged someone or usurped their right, even though we were not aware of it. The consequences of our conducts in the material world are not changed by the intentions or ignorance about them - conducts leave behind their consequences - irrespective of whether or not one knows about them.

914 1000

The plant obtained is according to the reality of the seed; if one plants wheat, one would get wheat, and if one plants thorns, one would not get anything but thorns, even if one thought it was other than that.

915 1001

The problems that one faces are from one’s own conduct, and as one rectifies one’s conduct in life, one would face fewer problems.