Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Lesson: 44- Relation between worship and perfection

Among all things in this world it is only man who has the best ability to attain perfection. His life started from non-existence and it continues toward the endless and his process of perfection does not halt so long as he moves on the straight path.

During this journey it is only worship, as the highest school of thought, that trains his thoughts and enlightens him guiding him toward the endless. It Godworship washes out all dust and dirt from his heart and soul and removes the curtain of ignorance from his eyes. According to his ability it inculcates high noble virtues in him and strengthens the spirit of faith inside him making him realise his responsibilities.

Thus it is not possible for man to be needless of this noble and great and guiding school of thought. Those who think that a time can come when man will not need this worship have either some other meaning of perfection in their mind which is different from ours or they have not understood the meaning of worship.

In this connection, we summaries below what the great scholar Allamah Tabatabai (r.a.) has written in his commentary Al Meezaan:-

All that is in this world moves toward perfection. Among this the perfection of man takes place in the heart midst of the society and hence he is born social. The society assures man’s perfection if it has organised rules and regulations and if people discipline their affair in the light of those rules which must command their respect, and if people refrain from tug of war and if their respective responsibilities and rights are well defined and, in other words, if the human society becomes pious and competent so that people may be able to reach their final goal. If the society becomes corrupt people lag behind in their journey toward perfection. These rules and regulations will be effective and impressive if they are obtained from the divine source of the heavenly revelation.

We should also know that the worship-related rules form a part of the programme for individual and social perfection of man. Thus it becomes clear that so long as the human society remains strong the divine duties too will remain forceful and that ignoring of responsibilities results in ignoring of rules which results in the spread of corruption in society.

It is also worth noticing that good deeds and Godworship is the fountainhead of graceful human virtues. When good deeds are done to a sufficient extent it makes the spirit stronger and again that increased ability of the soul increases good deeds and extended Godworship.

This makes it clear that the words of those are meaningless who say that the aim of duty is to make man perfect and hence when man reaches perfection the need of duty and responsibility too ends. This I nothing but deception because as soon as man discards duties the society turns towards anarchy and corruption. How then in such a society, can a perfect man live and if he despite having graceful virtues, gives up worship it becomes contradictory! Just think.[691]

Verses

1- And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve any but Him…[692]

2- And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me.[693]

3- And you Lord says: Call upon Me, I will answer you; surely those who are too proud for My service shall soon enter Hell abased.[694]

4- And whoever disdains His service and is proud, He will gather them all together to Himself.[695]

5- Say: I am only commanded that I should serve Allah and not associate anything with Him.[696]

Narrations

1- It is recorded from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that Allah Almighty said: O My righteous slaves! Enjoy the bounty of My worship in this world. You will get its reward in the Hereafter.[697]

2- Hazrat Sadiq (a.s.) quotes the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): The best of men is he who admires worship, then embraces it and then loves it from the depths of his heart and enacts it through his limbs and reserves himself for it God-worship. Such a person cares not whether his life is hard or easy.[698]

3- Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: Worshippers are of three categories 1- Those who worship Allah due to His fear and this is the worship of slaves, 2- Those who worship to get reward from Him and this is the service of the servants and 3- Those who worship Allah because of their heartfelt love of Him and this is the service of the free and this last is the worship of the best and it is the most precious worship.[699]

4- It is recorded from Imam Ali (a.s.): My Lord! I did not worship you for fear of Hell nor for a desire of Paradise. Rather I found you worthy of worship So I worshipped you.[700] This subject is also there is the Dua-e-Kumail: So, pardon me O Worthy of Worship and O My Lord and My Master Suppose I bear your chastisement, but how will I be able to bear my distance from you?

5- The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said: Worship Allah in such a manner as you see Him and if you do not see Him, He sees you.[701]

Below this hadith, Imam Khomeini (r.a.) writes: This hadith points to engrossment of heart and mind in God twice, one in the Lord Almighty’s inherent lustre or Him Holy Names and secondly in His lustrous actions. Once the worshipper sees himself in the presence of the Lord Almighty and, of course, at that time, he takes full care of the discipline and orderliness in this respect about addressing the Lord, quite naturally.

Peace and tranquillity under the shade of worship

The clamour of the material world has spread so much that its lustre has invited the attraction of everybody who is careless about God. It has deviated men both physically and mentally and turned them into its slaves. As a result of forgetting God, and of excessive attention to matter, makes man’s heart gradually black and unclean. It makes his spiritual like hard and dark. In this condition man becomes motiveless and a felling which is futile turns his entire life foolishly futile. In such circumstances the only thing that can provide peace and relieve man from worries, fears and enhances his attention toward Allah and for an intimate talk with Him through heart. When this talk worship takes place in isolation and away from public attention it gives more joy to man. As the Holy Quran says about the midnight prayer:

And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you; maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory.[702]

Also in the beginning of Islam the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) nourished the souls of Muslims who action as per the said schedule involving spirit and raised their personalities to such a high position that as if they were no more the earlier fellows. In other words, he created new men in a new form with a new essence who became unwavering, courageous, faithful, pious and honest and…

And perhaps, the glorious position mentioned in the above quoted verse is perhaps, in the same meaning s described above, though some narrations say it means shaft or intercession. Also it is quite like that Muqaame Mehmood the glorious position in extreme nearness the Allah as has been said by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) in a hadith that: I have a status in relation to God which neither the nearest angel nor any Prophet can ever endure.[703]

Worship raises man to a position wherein his hands and eyes and tongue become divine. In a hadith related from Imam Baqir (a.s.) it is mentioned: The Lord Almighty has said: None of My slaves ever nears Me so much that I love him but though deeds I have made obligatory for him and surely my slave comes so near to Me through voluntary good deeds that I befriend him and when I this happens I become an ear for him by which he hears and an eye by which he sees and a tongue by which he talks and a hand by which he attacks and when he calls Me, I answer and if he request from Me, I grant.[704]

Under the effect of worship and prayer man gets such a rise that, as said in the Holy Quran: Only they believe in Our communications who, when they are reminded of them, fall down making obeisance and celebrate the praise of their Lord, and they are not proud. Their sides draw away from their beds, they call upon their Lord in fear and in hope, and they spend benevolently out of what We have given them. So no soul knows what is hidden for them of that which will refresh the eyes; a reward for what they did. Is he then who is a believer like him who is a transgressor? They are not equal. As for those who believe and do good, the gardens are their abiding-place; an entertainment for what they did.[705]

Some Points Regarding Worship

Worship is not limited to chantings and recitations but obeying all the orders of Allah revealed to His Messenger, be they compulsory or non-obligatory, is considered worship. Rather, according to some of the narrations, the most worshipping and the best worshippers and those who perform their duties which are obligatory.

Ali bin Husain (a.s.) said: The greatest worshipper is he who carries out his obligations.[706]

Also it is recorded from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) Do whatever Allah has made obligatory for you so that you may be among the most pious.[707]

Imam Sajjad (a.s.) says in this connection: Whoever carries out the obligatory deeds is the best among people.[708]

Hence, on the basis of this, we should not cheat ourselves and should not give up what has been made obligatory for us like jihad, ordering the good and stopping the evil… and should not keep ourselves busy in merely some sorts of recitations and chantings and prayers. We must realise that the fundamental base religion is based on fulfilment of duties obligations and on refraining from the impermissible. Performing voluntary good deeds and giving up the undesirable things is like beautifying religion. Beautification can be carried out when the foundation is sound.

Man must not do anything which may make him tired of worship. Rather he must adopt the middle path so that he may continue to worship with ease and with happiness. It is reported that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said: Truly this religion is both sound and dignified. So enter it in a gentle manner and do not impose Gods worship with aversion so that it may not be like over burdened rider who is unable either to travel or to ride his horse stops in the way due to over speed in riding.[709]

It has also been reported from Imam Sadiq (a.s.): Do not consider worship or prayer distasteful and forcible.[710]

It is often observed that clean hearted youths of our society with profound love for Allah give up all the tasteful things of their lives and turn toward centres of worship or toward social service but with scant attention to the revolutionary spirit. But due to absence of correct programme and as a result of not having followed the orders of the sinless Imams (a.s.) develop such a delusion in themselves that they show a sort of non-commitment to the Islamic issues.

Let us try to have endurance and continuity in our worship. It should not be that we worship once so much as to become tired. It is recorded from Ali bin Husain (a.s.): I like a deed that continues even if it is little.[711]

Also Imam Baqir (a.s.) has said: Nothing is more dearer to Allah than a continuous good deed.[712]

Man must take care to ensure that while worshipping he does not develop self-conceit This matter has been discussed at page_____ of this books volume one because no matter how much he prays or worships he is unable to do enough regarding even a single divine bounty.

Hazrat Moosa bin Ja’far (a.s.) is reported to have said this to some of his sons: O my child! Remember that you should make effort and endeavour but not to kill yourself for a shortcoming in prayer or worship because then it is no proper worship as it should be.[713]

When man intends to do a good deed he must make haste in doing it. In this connection Quran says: And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord.[714]

It also says: And everyone has a direction to which he should turn, therefore hasten to do good works.[715]

And it is recorded from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that his father said, When you intend to do a good deed make haste to perform it as you do not knew what would happen thereafter, that is incidents may hinder it.[716]

Also the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said: Truly Allah likes a good deed which is done hastily.[717]

We must know that the condition for the acceptance of all good deeds is faith and Wilayat. Hence the Holy Quran says: Therefore whoever shall do of good deeds and he is a believer, there shall be no denying of his exertion, and surely We will write It down for him.[718]

And so also: And whoever desires the hereafter and strives for it as he ought to strive and he is a believer; as for these, their striving shall surely be accepted.[719]

There are many narrations stating that a man’s efforts without Wilayat have no value. For example you can refer to the book p. 11, volume: 1.[720]

Lesson: 45- The Importance of Thinking

One of the principles of the Holy Quran is an invitation for thinking and pondering: pondering over the creation of God so as to follow the secrets of its creation, thinking about our conditions and deeds for doing our duty, contemplating in the history and life of earlier people so as to understand the Divine laws and commandments for the socials life of mankind.

In other words, in the schedule of Islam, so that the nature and intelligence of man may awake, an emphatic order has been given for thinking and contemplating. Islam has given much importance to this. Here we suffice to quote some verses and some narrations:

Verses

1- Do they not reflect within themselves: Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them two but with truth, and for an appointed term? And most surely most of the people are unbelievers of the meeting of their Lord.[721]

2- Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand. Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord! Thou has not created this in vain! Glory be to Thee; save us then from the chastisement of the fire.[722]

Traditions

1- Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said:??? worship is pondering constantly about the Lord Almighty Allah and His Power.[723]

2- Muammar says he heard from Imam Reza (a.s.): It is no worship to indulge more and more in praying and fasting Rather it is ponder over Almighty Allah’s command.[724]

3- Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has said: Most of the worship of Abu Zar was contemplating and taking admonition therefrom.[725]

4- Again Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says: One hour’s contemplation is better than worship of one year. Intelligent people are aware of this.[726]

Some points regarding reason

The subject of reasoning is one of those subjects which have been mooted about the creation of this universe and the creation of man as we have seen in the above quoted ayats This thing is pointed out in the following verse also: Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day, and the ships that run in the sea with that which profits men, and the water that Allah sends down from the cloud, then gives life with it to the earth after its death and spreads in it all kinds of animals, and the changing of the winds and the clouds made subservient between the heaven and the earth, there are signs for a people who understand.[727]

The Lord of the Universe has, in this verse, invited attention to some issues

The creation of the skies and the earth. Only in the galaxy which is a part of our solar system and which is considered to be one of the thousand of the galaxies in the outer space there are millions of bright suns and bright stars. Moreover, according to calculations of space experts, in between them there are millions of inhabitative planets with milliards of living things therein.

A- Outcome of the day and the night with a distinct regularity.

B- Regular winds that blow over the surface of oceans perennially thereby making ships move.

C- Order has been given to think over the life-giving and the blessed drops of rain.

D- Reminds the reader of the winds that blow on earth besides oceans.

E- The Quran orders us to ponder over the folded clouds over our head that move constantly and keep hanging against the law of gravity millions of tons of pure water and move in every direction.

Thinking about the Hereafter life after death.

Someone asked Imam Sadiq (a.s.) what is the reality behind saying that one hour of thought is better than one your of worship? He replied: So that man may look at his ruined houses and the abodes they have lost and take admonition from their end.[728]

Man must also think about the powerful men who had oppressed people for a long time and take lesson from their fateful end.

Indeed there have been examples before you; therefore travel in the earth and see what was the end of the rejecters.[729]

And also says the Holy Quran: So those are their houses fallen down because they were unjust, most surely there is a sign in this for a people who know.[730]

Lesson: 46- Love and eagerness for Allah

Hubb the root of Muhabbat means inclination toward a thing and being interested therein. Hubb is a branch of knowledge and familiarity. Familiarity or knowledge or acquaintance is gained sometimes through apparent senses and sometimes through the internal sight of the heart. The latter recognition is more impressive than the former.

Love for Allah means lifting up of the veil from the heart in such a way that whatever one looks at one finds therein the beauty of God. Rather he sees, through the inner eye, beyond the material or physical world.

Signs of love of Allah

A- The Holy Quran says: Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your faults, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.[731] In the verse following, the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is mentioned as a sign of love for Allah.

B- O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion, then Allah will bring a people, He shall love them and they shall love Him, lowly before the believers, mighty against the unbelievers, they shall strive hard in Allah’s way and shall not fear the censure of any censurer; this is Allah’s Face, He gives it to whom He pleases, and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing.[732]

The above ayat describes some of the virtues of the lovers of God as given below:

A: Lowly and kind before the Faithful and hard, though and mighty against the enemies and the oppressors.

B: Jihad in the way of Allah is permanently in their schedule.

C: They never care for anyone’s objection or opposition while carrying out the orders of Allah.

1. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) is recorded to have said: One who sins does not love Allah. Then he recited the couplet: You disobey the Lord while making a show of love for Him? By your life! This is a strange thing! Were you true in loving Him you would have certainly obeyed Him because one follows whom one loves.[733]

2. Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) said: One who likes to know his position in the sight of God should check what is the position of the Lord in his sight? So, verily, Allah loves the one who gives preference to the Hereafter over this world. And Allah has no position in the eyes of the one who gives preference to the world over the Hereafter.[734]

3. Husain bin Saif says he heard Imam Sadiq (a.s.) saying: Man’s faith in Allah does not become pure until God becomes dearer to him than his life, his father, his mother, his children, his wife, his wealth and all people.[735]

4. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: It was a part of revelation of Prophet Moosa (a.s.) O son of Imran! He told a lie who thinks that he loves Me and goes to sleep at night. Does he not know that every friend likes to retire with his friend? O son of Imran! I am aware of My friends. They become different at night, as if they have been uprooted from their place. Requital almost comes before their eyes. Then they address Me as if they see Me and they talk to Me from the near. O son of Imran! Seek from Me lowliness of your heart and of your body and of tears from your eyes in the darkness of night and call me. They really you will find He near you, answering.[736]

How To earn love of Allah

A: Through the knowledge of finding out the eternal and everlasting Might of Allah.

B: Cleansing the soul of worldly material attachments.

C: Paying attention to the Holy favours of Almighty Allah.

It should be remembered that the heart is like a vessel. If there is air in it water cannot remain therein. This fact is explained in narrations like this: God has not given two hearts to a man.[737]

So long as our heart is attached to the worldly affairs there is no room for Almighty Lord. In the words of Imam Sadiq (a.s.): The human heart is the abode of the Lord. So do not let it to any other than God.[738]

In conclusion, If in the course of life, when we have to adopt either God or the world, we give preference or priority to the world, then we should know that we do not love Allah. Not only this we become the subject mater of the verse: Say: If your fathers and your sons and your brethren and your mates and your kinsfolk and property which you have acquired, and the slackness of trade which you fear and dwellings which you like, are dearer to you than Allah and His Apostle and striving in His way, then wait till Allah brings about His command: and Allah does not guide the transgressing people.[739]

D: Paying attention to the lives and manners of the Holy Imams (a.s.) and great men of religion. Since half of the worship of the innocent Imams (a.s.) was in the form of night prayers and this their talk with the Lord used to be in solitude and as, fortunately, these prayers have till today lasted for us, which we recite as supplications, we give here some of their phrases as a gift:

In the famous and popular Dua-e-Kumail we read: Then suppose, My Allah, my Master, my Protector and my Lord, that I am able to endure Your chastisement, how can I endure separation from You?

Imam Husain (a.s.) appeals in his Dua-e-Arafa: My Lord! It is you Whose kindness removed the kindness of all others from the heart of Your friends in such a way that they do not love anyone except You and seek shelter in none but You.

And also says: O you High! Who made the mouths of Your friends the sweetness of Your love till they cling to Your Court.

Imam Sajjad (a.s.), in his Munaajaat-e-Inkiliya, cries: By Thy Honour! And by Thy esteem! I love you so much that the sweetness of Your love is retained on my heart and I have habituated myself with its tidings. I consider it far from Your justice that You will close the door of Your mercy for one who considers himself Your friend.

In another supplication he says: My Lord! Make me one of those in whose hearts the tree of your love has born fruits and the fire of Your friendship is raging in the centres of their souls.[740]

And at another place: My Lord! Make me one of the those who won Your nearness and selected your friendship and whom You made the admirers of Your vision and whom You made contented at Your decisions and to whom You gifted Your mercy and gave them Your pleasure and whom You prevented from being away from You.

The late Faiz, in Haqaiq, discussing love, quotes Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) that Almighty Allah has a distinct drink. When His friends taste it they become ecstatic and when they become intoxicated they become joyful and when they rejoice they become clean of swooning and clattering and when they become clean they melt and when they melt they become pure and when they become pure they become desirous and when they desire they find Allah and when they find Allah they join Him and when they join Him they find no distance between them and their beloved as we read in the supplication of mid-Shabaan: At the end of this discussion we should remember that among the ranks of love for Almighty Allah is the love for His religion and His Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and the sinless Imams (a.s.). In a number of traditions it is said clearly that religion is nothing but love. Thereafter this verse is quoted: Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you.[741]

What is desired through these traditions is that the spirit of the reality of religion is the same faith and love for Allah. That love and admiration which enlightens the entire being of man and affects each and every limb of his body. Its apparent lustre is obedience to the commands of Allah. In other words, it is the natural effect of love that attracts man towards the beloved and His pleasure. Of course, it is possible that, in cases of weak love, the radiance does not go beyond the heart. Truly such love does not deserve to be called love. A cardinal love positively joins the lover with the beloved and makes him endeavour in a fruitful manner.

The proof of this claim is clear, because, the love and liking of a person for something is surely because of the fact that he has found perfection and excellence in the latter. Man never lives and admires a thing which is mightless. Thus the love of man for God is because He is the fountainhead of all kinds of excellence and perfection. Doubtlessly all the schedules and programmes of such a Being are also perfect. In such circumstances how is it possible that one who loves perfection lags behind in fulfilling Divine orders. If he so lags behind, it shows that he lacks the knowledge of love and admiration. In this matter we also find several narrations:

One who dies when he is the friend of the progeny of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) leaves this world like a martyr and the one who dies while being the friend of the progeny of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is pardoned, and know that one who dies with the friendship of the Aale Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) at his heart dies the death of a Mo-min Faithful and he also has left this world with the ultimate degree of faith.[742]

Hence the Imams (a.s.) also have addressed their friends in this way:

Imam Baqir (a.s.) said: O Shias of the progeny of Muhammad! There is no kinship between us and God and we have no plea over God and nearness to God is not gained except by following the divine commandments. Our friendship will benefit only those who obey Allah. One who does not obey god will not get any benefit from our friendship.[743]

Now that here ends the description of some virtues, which enable man to reach excellence our next discussion, will be regarding mean vices.

Lesson: 47- Anger

The state of anger is one of the most dangerous states that overtake man and if he is unable to control himself in this condition he is likely to become almost a lunatic whereby he fails to check himself. Consequently he commits such serious deeds that can put him to a life long shamefulness and restlessness. Islamic traditions have censured this state of mind. We suffice here with the following few:

1. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: Anger destroys the heart of a wise man.[744]

2. And he also said: One who is unable to control his anger also fails to maintain his wisdom.[745]

3. He is a so reported to have said: Anger is the key of every evil.[746]

4. Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) is reported to have said: Furious behaviour is a kind of madness because a furious man feels ashamed and if he does not become ashamed it shows that his madness has become deep rooted.[747]

5. Imam Baqir (a.s.) said: Verily an angry man does not become pleased until he enters fire.[748]

That is, he does indecent works in a fit of anger. Sometimes he commits murder or puts false allegation on a faithful man thereby inviting Gods anger.

Perhaps that is why the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said: Anger spoils faith just as vinegar spoils honey.[749]

It is likely that here the reader may be inclined to ask if anger is so much condemned in the philosophy of Islam then why at all God Almighty has created such an instinct in man’s nature?

In reply it must be said that anger in itself, like all other natural instincts in their selves, like passion, desire, self-respect … is not only not condemned in Islam but is also considered desirable in some situations. But what has been censured in Islam is inability to control instincts one of which is also anger. So also the taking of undue benefit from conditions like being angry, for the sake of worldly affairs material things.

Scholars of the science of morals also have expressed their view about anger. They have divided anger in three categories:

A: Tafreet in anger meaning the hearts being totally empty of the instinct of anger.

B: Ifraat in anger, meaning the instinct of anger is so intense it may deprive man of intelligence and religion.

C: Etedall in anger means moderation wherein man is able to benefit from this power in appropriate situations when it becomes essential to become angry. So also he is able to control his anger when it is inappropriate to be angry. This is a desirable state concerning which Allah says to His Prophet (s.a.w.s.): O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them.[750]

And doubtlessly, harshness and unyieldingness are the signs of the faculty of anger.

In another verse He says: and let not pity for them detain you in the matter of obedience to Allah, if you believe in Allah and the last day.[751]

Further regarding the attribute of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) says: Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah, and those with him are firm of heart against the unbelievers, compassionate among themselves…[752]

And it is recorded from the Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.): The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) did not ever become angry for this world, and whenever he became angry for the sake of truth, he never recognised anyone and never slackened his anger until he helped him who was truthful.[753]

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has also said: My best follower is the one who is furious for the sake of religion.[754]

Summary: The reality of anger, the faculty that God has created in man’s nature is very praiseworthy. But man must control himself so as not to get out of what is truth. Amr bin Aas asked the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): Should we note down whatever you says while you are calm and also when you are in anger? The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied: Do write. By the one who made me His Apostle nothing comes out of my mouth except what is true.[755]

In other words, God Almighty has created in man what is needed for his development and perfection. But being benefited from it depends on the training that must be under the supervision of the divine guides. Otherwise man grows like grass, plunges into the sea of passions and desires thereby losing his precious faculties. Negative attitude grows in him. Therefore, if the above-mentioned condition is fulfilled he developed the positive aspects mentioned in the Holy Quran. The Quran says: Surely man is created of a hasty temperament; being greatly grieved when evil afflicts him, and niggardly when good befalls him, except those who pray.[756]

Remedy

Whatever sin is committed by us gets committed by us is either because we do not know its evil or we are yet unable to build our character. What can be done in order prevent this disease is as described below:

A: Hadiths or narrations or traditions regarding the evil of anger should be studied attentively to become aware of its dangerous consequences.

B: We must also study the traditions regarding patience and forbearance and keeping control over anger and think deeply about its results for example:

1. Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said: God has never loved an ignorant person and never humiliated a patient person.[757]

2. Imam Baqir (a.s.) said: Whoever, despite being able to act with anger controls himself, God fills his heart with peace and faith. It can be gathered from this hadith that suppressing anger is extraordinarily effective in making man spiritually perfect and strong at heart.

3. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: There is no slave of God was controls his anger and God does not increase his honour in this world as well as in the Hereafter. In fact Allah has said: Successful are those who suppress their anger and forgive people and God befriends the good-doers. God gives this reward to them for suppression of anger. He loves them.

C: One should keep in mind the result of anger and that, sometimes, it is likely to end in enmities and quarrels and troubles thereby spoiling man’s personality.

D: It must also be remembered that if man is unable to control his anger, he must subsequently make excuse and will have to be ashamed of his deed and condemn himself.

Imam Baqir (a.s.) says: Feeling ashamed due to pardon is better and easier than the feeling of shame over chastisement and punishment[758]

That is to say, if you have forgiven a man who had oppressed you and thereafter you realised that it was not proper as that person did not get cautioned and so you felt ashamed. This feeling of shame is better and easier than in the case when you punish the oppressor and thereafter realise that it would have been better to forgive him. Hence some scholars have said: Keep away from anger, because surely your anger makes you dishonoured by requiring you to make excuse.[759]

The narration reaching us through the Holy progeny of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) give us other rules also for suppressing anger. For example, when angry, man should sit down if he was standing or shed water on his face or try not to speak.

In summary, we should, in all conditions, especially in the state of anger and excitement, seek Allah’s shelter and pray to Him that by way of the blessings of His pure friends, He protects us from the evil of our own soul.

Lesson: 48- The hardening of heart

The people in a society can be divided into two kind one group is moderate who except the truth and the another of those whose hearts are full of hardness and Harshness. In this matter the Holy Quran says:

What! is he whose heart Allah has opened for Islam so that he is in a light from his Lord like the hard-hearted? Nay, woe to those whose hearts are hard against the remembrance of Allah; those are in clear error.[760]

Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And that they should not be like those who were given the Book before, but the time became prolonged to them, so their hearts hardened, and most of them are transgressors.[761]

But on account of their breaking their covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard; they altered the words from their places and they neglected a portion of what they were reminded of; and you shall always discover treachery in them excepting a few…[762]

Does God become the cause of someone being hard-hearted?

The answer is certainly in the negative because, in many cases, it is due to their wrong deeds that people deprive themselves of the mercy and guidance of God. In fact, their misdeeds become a fountainhead of mental deviation and demoralisation which renders them unable to save themselves from their ill effects and they are never inclined to accept the truth as the Holy Quran explains:

And We reveal of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers, and it adds only to the perdition of the unjust.[763]

This is because the unjust oppressors who usually oppress their own selves adopt a wrong meaning effect from the Holy Quran, that is, as a result of their denial, unbelief, oppression and hypocrisy the essence of their being turns into a totally different being and hence they get up to fight with the light of the truth where ever they find it. This fight with truth adds to the dirt and uncleanness of their hearts and strengthens their inclination toward rebellion.

However, the reason why Allah says that He caused the aforesaid misguidance or hard-heartedness or some other evils is that the effect of every cause is as per the Divine wish. This does not negate the freedom and choice of action granted to man because the concerned cause has been provided by man himself. They see what is bound to be seen in a valley wherein they desired to walk.

Signs of Hard-heartedness

In a hadith mentioning Almighty’s Allah’s revelation to Moosa (a.s.) we see: O Moosa ! Do not lengthen they ambitions in this world that may harden your heart. The one whose heart hardens gets away from Me.[764]

And this hard-heartedness resulting from lengthy ambitions and consequent sins becomes even harder than stone as mentioned in the Holy Quran: Then your hearts hardened after that, so that they were like rocks, rather worse in hardness; and surely there are some rocks from which streams burst forth, and surely there are some of them which split asunder so water issues out of them, and surely there are some of them which fall down for fear of Allah, and Allah is not at all heedless of what you do.[765]

This verse was sent down by God about Bani Israel’s hard-heartedness. They had observed all the miracles from Moosa (a.s.). Their hearts were so stony that no admonition affected their hearts!

Lesson: 49- The Ugliness of Ignorance, Doubt and Confusion

In the Shariat of Islam it has been ordained that it is the duty of the Islamic society to be either a learning one or a teaching group of people. Ignorance should never take over an Islamic society. The ignorant and ignorance have been severely censured in Islam. In the beginning we must know that the teachers of morals have divided ignorance in two categories: 1- Simple or common ignorance and 2- Compound ignorance.

Common ignorance means man’s remaining without knowledge. Though this sort of ignorance is not as bad as the compound jahl, the continuance of simple ignorance also results in dangers. The late Naraqi writes in Jami al-Sadat: This ignorance can be removed in three ways:

A: It should be know that an ignorant man is no man at all, because the superiority of man over all other creation is only due to his knowledge. If he has no knowledge, then how is he superior to animals?

B: One should pay attention to what has been said about ignorance in the Shariat of Islam. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is reported to have said:

There are six groups who will enter hell due to six things even before accounting in the Hereafter and among them are the residents of deserts and villages who will go to hell because of their being ignorant.[766]

C: Quranic verses and the words of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and Imams (a.s.) should be studied and acted upon.

What is meant by compound ignorance is that, despite having no knowledge a man considers himself to be knowledgeable. In other words, he does not know and yet thinks that he knows and is wise. And this kind of ignorance is ailment which is difficult to cure. It is narrated that the Prophet Isa (a.s.) is reported to have said that: Though I cure the illnesses like Akmah and leprosy and blindness I am unable to remedy a fool, because if he believes in falsity, it is very difficult to remove that false belief and to replace it by a true one. This couplet is also very famous:

The one who does not know and yet does not know that he does not know remains in his compound ignorance forever.

Yet, if, even despite this, one prepares himself for getting the knowledge truth, eve if he had understood it wrongly, he is likely to learn the truth sooner.

Doubt and confusion

Doubt and confusion means being unable to extract truth and to reject the untruth and these defects too are considered dangerous for man. But the initial doubt, in the opinion of Martyr Mutahhari (r.a.), is not only not undesirable but is also desirable because it is a means of finding the fact. What has been censured is to continue in doubt, not the doubt itself.

Verses

1. He it is Who created you from clay, then He decreed a term; and there is a term named with Him; still you doubt.[767]

2. And among men is he who serves Allah standing on the verge, so that if good befalls him he is satisfied therewith, but if a trial afflict him he turns back headlong; he loses this world as well as the hereafter; that is a manifest loss.[768]

3. The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Apostle then they doubt not and struggle hard with their wealth and their lives in the way of Allah; they are the truthful ones.[769]

Traditions

1. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has reportedly said: The best deed in the sight of God is Faith in which there is no doubt.[770]

2. Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) has said: Really those who are in doubt and sin are in hell these two are not from us and they do not come toward us.[771]

3. Hazrat Sadiq (a.s.), while explaining the verse In this way the Lord Almighty puts impurity on these who do not believe says here impurity means doubtfulness.[772]

From these verses we conclude that doubtfulness is very condemnable and it is not compatible with Faith is God and in the Hereafter. Of course, doubt is different from Vaswasaa (enticement) which sometimes is created by satan in the heart of man. So we read in a narration; Someone asked Imam Moosa bin Ja’far (a.s.): and in another instance said: A man asked the Imam: I feel big enticements in my heart. The Imam replied: Say: laa ilaaha illallah or laa hula walaa quwwata illa billah.