Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Forty Hadith

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought

• Introductory Note
• About The Author
• Childhood and Early Education
• The Years of Spiritual and Intellectual Formation in Qum, 1923 To 1962
• The Years of Struggle and Exile, 1962-1978
• The Islamic Revolution, 1978-79
• 1979-89: First Decade of the Islamic Republic, Last Decade of the Imam’s Life
• Notes
• Introduction
• Purpose of Writing the Book
• First Hadith: Jihad of The Self
• Verbal Translation
• Exposition
• First Grade
• Contemplation
• Will and Resolution
• Remembrance of God, Remembering The Graces Bestowed By Him
• The Second Stage
• How to Regulate Human Instincts
• How to Bridle Fancy And Imagination
• Estimation and Appraisal
• How to Cure Moral Maladies
• Conclusion
• Second Hadith: Ostentation (Riya’)
• Riya’ In Faith or Creed
• Difference between Knowledge and Belief
• Sincerity in Action
• The Value Of Human Existence As A Trustee Of Divine Honor
• Riya’ In Worship
• Section I
• Riya’ In Congregational Prayers
• An Invitation to Sincerity
• Variation in Grades and Degrees of Qualities among Different Individuals
• Notes
• Third Hadith: Self-Conceit (‘Ujb)
• ‘Ujb of The Faithful
• The ‘Ujb of The Faithless
• Snares and Wiles of the Devil
• The Evil Effects of ‘Ujb
• Contempt of Others
• The Factor of Pride
• Self-Love as the Source of ‘Ujb
• Notes
• Fourth Hadith: Pride (Kibr)
• Kinds and Degrees of Kibr
• The Causes of Kibr
• Spiritual and Social Harms of Pride
• Other Causes Of Pride
• The Punishment in The Hereafter
• To Cure Pride, One Should Act Against Its Dictates
• A Reminiscence of a Teacher
• Yaqzah (Awakening) is the First Step
• The Vicious Subtleties of the Self
• Notes
• Fifth Hadith: Envy (Hasad)
• Definition of Hasad
• Kinds of Hasad
• The Causes and Motives of Hasad
• Some Evil Effects of Envy
• The Punishment of the Grave
• The Source of Moral Corruption
• The Practical Remedy for Envy
• The Tradition Regarding Remission of Envy
• Notes
• Sixth Hadith: Love of the World
• Exposition of the Tradition
• Mawlana Majlisi on the Reality of the World
• The Author’s View
• Factors That Promote Worldliness
• Notes
• Seventh Hadith: Anger (Ghadhab)
• Exposition
• Vice of Immoderation in Anger
• Moral Hazards of Anger
• Its Behavioral Hazards
• Controlling Anger
• How to Eradicate the Roots of Anger
• Notes
• Eighth Hadith: Prejudice (‘Asabiyyah)
• Exposition
• The Evils of ‘Asabiyyah
• A Prophetic Tradition
• The Otherworldly Form of ‘Asabiyyah
• A Colloquy with the Self
• On The ‘Asabiyyahs of the Intellectuals
• Notes
• Ninth Hadith: Hypocrisy (Nifaq)
• Exposition
• Degrees of Nifaq
• Effects of Nifaq
• Cure of the Disease of Nifaq
• Some Forms of Nifaq
• Notes
• Tenth Hadith: Desire and Hope
• Exposition
• 1. On the Evil of Following One’s Desires
• (B) The Qur’an and Hadith on the Evil of Submission to Desire
• (C) On Numerousness of Desires
• 2. On The Evil Of Endless Hopes
• (A) On The Endlessness Of Hopes
• (B) Provisions For The Long Journey Ahead
• Notes
• Eleventh Hadith: Man’s God-Seeking Nature
• Exposition
• The Meaning of Fitrah
• Laws of Human Nature
• Innateness of Religious Truths
• 1. Man’s Love of Perfection
• 2. The Innateness Of Divine Attributes
• 3. Innateness of the Belief in Resurrection
• Notes
• Twelfth Hadith: Contemplation (Tafakkur)
• Exposition
• Merits of Contemplation
• The Desirable And The Forbidden Contemplation On The Divine Essence
• Contemplation on Creation
• The Earth and the Sun: Two Masterpieces of Creation
• Contemplation on the States of the Soul
• A Conclusive Proof
• Virtues of the Midnight Prayer
• What is Taqwa?
• Taqwa for the Common People
• Notes
• Thirteenth Hadith: Trust In God (Tawakkul)
• Exposition
• Tawakkul And Its Degrees
• Difference Between Tawakkul And Rida
• Tafwid, Tawakkul And Thiqah
• Notes
• Fourteenth Hadith: Fear of God
• Exposition
• Between Hope And Fear
• Stages And Degrees Of Fear
• Hope And Prayer
• Contemplation, Fear And Hope
• The Difference Between Hope And Delusion
• The Opinion Of Al-Majlisi
• Notes
• Fifteenth Hadith: The Believer’s Trials And Tribulations
• Exposition
• The Meaning Of Trial
• The Prophets And Divine Trial
• God’s Remembrance
• The Prophets’ Suffering
• The World Is Not A Place Of Reward Or Punishment
• Notes
• Sixteenth Hadith: Patience (Sabr)
• Exposition
• Desire, The Source Of All Bondage
• Sabr, The Outcome Of Freedom From Lust
• Results Of Sabr
• The Degrees And Levels Of Sabr
• Notes
• Seventeenth Hadith: Repentance (Tawbah)
• Exposition
• Tawbah And Postponement
• An Important Point
• The Essentials Of Tawbah
• The Conditions Of Tawbah
• The Result Of Istighfar
• On The Interpretation Of Tawbah Nasuh
• All Beings Are Endowed With Life And Knowledge
• Notes
• Eighteenth Hadith: Remembrance Of God
• Exposition
• The Difference Between Tafakkur And Tadhakkur
• The Complete Dhikr
• Some Traditions Concerning Dhikr
• Notes
• Nineteenth Hadith: Backbiting (Ghibah)
• Exposition
• The Definition Of Ghibah
• The Social Harms Of Ghibah
• The Cure Of This Malady
• The Priority Of Abstinence From Permissible Ghibah
• On The Prohibition On Listening To Ghibah
• Al-Shahid Al-Thani’s Discourse
• Notes
• Twentieth Hadith: Pure Intention (Ikhlas)
• Exposition
• The Meaning Of ‘Test’ In Relation To God
• Fear, Sincere Intention And Rightness Of Action
• The Definition Of Ikhlas
• Ikhlas Is Subsequent To Action
• Notes
• Twenty-First Hadith: Thankfulness (Shukr)
• Exposition
• A Mystical Interpretation
• The Reality Of Shukr
• Ignorance And Ingratitude
• The Different Levels Of Shukr
• The Station Of Shukr In Hadith
• Conclusion
• Notes
• Twenty-Second Hadith: The Aversion For Death
• Exposition
• The remedy lies in you and you perceive not
• The Reality Of Heaven And Hell
• Notes
• Twenty-Third Hadith: The Seekers Of Knowledge
• Exposition
• Section 1
• Section 2
• Section 3
• Section 4
• Notes
• Twenty Fourth Hadith: The Classification Of Sciences
• Exposition
• Section 1
• Section 2
• Section 3
• Section 4
• Section 5
• Notes
• Twenty-Fifth Hadith: Satanic Insinuation
• Exposition
• A Simpler Explanation Of The Character Of Waswas
• The Remedy For Waswas
• Notes
• Twenty Sixth Hadith: The Pursuit Of Knowledge
• Exposition
• The Path Of Knowledge And The Way To Paradise
• An Important Point
• The Angels’ Spreading Their Wings For The Seekers Of Knowledge
• The Inhabitants Of The Heaven And Earth Asking Forgiveness For The Seeker Of Knowledge
• The ‘Alim’s Superiority Over The ‘Abid
• The Ulama Being The Heirs Of The Prophets
• Notes
• Twenty-Seventh Hadith: Prayer And Concentration
• Exposition
• The Significance Of Prayer
• The Various Levels Of Concentration
• Attention To Worship
• Attention To The Worshipped One
• The Incarnation Of Works In The Hereafter
• Worship And Freedom From Need
• A Last Point
• Notes
• Twenty-Eighth Hadith: Meeting God
• Exposition
• Liqa’ Allah And Its Character
• Death-The Moment Of Truth
• The Significance Of ‘Love’ And ‘Hate’ When Ascribed To God
• Notes
• Twenty-Ninth Hadith: The Prophet’s Counsel To ‘Ali
• Preface
• The Evils of Lying
• The Meaning of Wara’ and its Levels
• The Evils Of Treachery And The Meaning Of Trustworthiness
• Concerning Some Divine Trusts
• And it is said in a well-known hadith qudsi
• The Fear Of God Almighty
• The Disparity of People in Observing The Divine Presence
• And if you know that He indeed sees you
• The Virtues Of Lamentation
• Doubts Regarding Disproportionate Award
• Concerning the Number of the Naw'afil
• Concerning the Istihbab of Fasting on Three Days in Every Month
• On the Merit of Sadaqah
• Another Point
• One of the Secrets of Sadaqah
• A Complementary Note
• Conclusion
• On the Merit of the Nightly Prayer
• Concerning al-Salat al-Wusta
• On the Merits of Reciting the Qur'an
• Concerning the Effect of Worship on Youth
• On the Etiquette of Qira'ah
• On Sincerity in Reading
• Concerning the Meaning of Tartil
• On Raising The Hands In Prayer And Turning Them
• The Secret Behind The Raising Of The Hands
• A Warning Concerning One Of The Satanic Ruses
• The Merit Of Brushing The Teeth
• Moral Virtues And Vices
• Notes
• Thirtieth Hadith: The Kinds of Hearts
• Exposition
• Reforming The Heart
• The Basis for The Classification Of The Hearts
• The Reason Why the Kinds of Hearts Are Confined To the Four
• The States of The Hearts
• The Luminosity of the Believer’s Heart
• Explanation of the Believer’s Being on the Straight Path
• Some Stratagems Of Satan
• The Hypocrite’s Heart And The Difference Between It And The Believer’s Heart
• Neglect Of The Truth Results In The Inversion Of The Heart
• Notes
• Thirty-First Hadith: The Indescribability of God, The Prophet, And The Imams
• Exposition
• The Indescribability Of God
• Impossibility Of Knowing The Reality Of The Names And The Attributes
• Knowledge Of The Spiritual Reality Of The Prophets And The Awliya’ Is Unattainable Through Rational Thought
• The Waiting Of ‘The Seven Hijabs’ Mentioned In Relation To The Prophet
• The Delegation (Tafwid) Of The Affair To The Messenger Of God (S), As Indicated By This And Many Other Traditions
• Brief Allusion To The Meaning Of Tafwid
• Reality Of ‘Ismah
• The Indescribability of Faith
• Notes
• Thirty-Second Hadith: Conviction In Faith
• Exposition
• Section 1
• Reconciling Traditions Concerning Livelihood Being Apportioned And Traditions Exhorting Effort
• Section 2: The Signs Or Soundness Or Conviction
• The Twofold Classes Of The People
• Section 3: The Views Of The Mu’tazilah And The Asha’irah And The Correct Position
• Last Section
• Notes
• Thirty-Third Hadith: Wilayah And Works
• Exposition
• Explanation Of Absence Of Contradiction Between Traditions That Exhort One To Perform
• ‘Ibadah And Abstain From Sins And Other Traditions Which Apparently Conflict With Them
• Wilayah Of The Ahl Al-Bayt, The Condition For Acceptability Of Works
• Notes
• Thirty-Fourth Hadith: The Station of The Faithful Before God
• Exposition
• A Noteworthy Point
• Interpretation Of The ‘Hesitation’ Ascribed To God
• An ‘Irfani Explanation
• Another Interpretation Of The Tradition Of Hesitation
• God’s Reforming Of The State Of The Faithful Through Poverty And Wealth
• The Nearness Relating To Obligatory And Supererogatory Acts And Their Result, In Accordance With The Approach Of The Wayfarers
• The Secret Of The Variance Among The Prophets In Respect Of Prophethood
• A Citation From The Most August Shaykh Baha’i
• A Citation From Khwajah Tusi
• Concluding Note
• Notes
• Thirty-Fifth Hadith: God And Man, Good And Evil
• Exposition
• Two Stations Of Divine Names
• An Allusion To The Topic Of Jabr And Tafwid
• God, the Exalted, is not Answerable Concerning what He does and other Existents are Answerable
• Notes
• Thirty-Sixth Hadith: The Attributes Of God
• Exposition
• The Identity of God’s Attributes with His Essence
• The Statements Of The Philosophers On The Division Of Divine Attributes
• The Identity Of The Attributes With The Sacred Essence
• The Priority Of Knowledge To Creation
• The Meaning Of Hearing And Sight In Relation To God
• Character Of The Relation Of God’s Knowledge To The Knowables
• The Criterion Relating To Positive And Negative Attributes
• Notes
• Thirty-Seventh Hadith: The Knowledge Of God
• Exposition
• Traditions Dealing With The Higher Teachings Should Not Be Interpreted In A Plebeian Sense
• Notes
• Thirty-Eighth Hadith: The Meaning Of God’s Creation Of Adam In His Image
• Exposition
• Adam Is The Complete Manifestation Of God And The Greatest Name Of God
• Notes
• Thirty-Ninth Hadith: Good And Evil
• Exposition
• The Reality Of Good And Evil
• The Relation Of Good And Evil To Creation And The Occurrence Of Evil In The Divine Ordainments (Qada)
• God’s Carrying Out Good And Evil Acts At The Hands Of The Servants
• Notes
• Fortieth Hadith: Exegesis of Surat Al-Tawhid and Some Verses of Surat Al-Hadid
• Exposition
• A Hint Concerning The Exegesis Of Surat Al-Tawhid
• A Hint Concerning Bismillah
• A Brief Hint Concerning the Exegesis of the Noble Verses of Surat Al-Hadid Until The Words ‘Alimun Bi Dhatis-Sudur
• Conclusion
• Notes
• Prayer and Epilogue
• Notes