Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Supplications of the Friends of God

One of the most important instructions of the Shaykh was planning regular periods to spend in seclusion with God for supplications and whispered prayers which he referred to as "begging at the doorstep of God" and stressed:

"Recite supplications for an hour every night; even if you are not in the right mood for it, do not give up seclusion with God."

He also said:

"There are amazing blessings in waking up at dawn and the last one third of the night. Whatever you want from God can be obtained through begging at dawns. Do not be negligent of begging at dawns; whatever blessings you achieve can be gained by that. A lover hardly goes to sleep and yearns nothing but union with the beloved. Dawn is the time of meeting and union with Him."

Any treasure of happiness that God granted to Hafiz.

Was by virtue of supplications at nights and litanies at dawns.

Supplications of the Shaykh

The reverend Shaykh would recite the following supplications very frequently and recommended his disciples to recite them too: supplications of Yastashir, Adila, Tawassul; whispered prayers of Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (a) in the Masjid of Kufa which begins with, "اللهم اني أسألك الأمان يوم لاينفع مال ولا بنون " "Allahumma inni as 'aluka al- aman yawma la yanfa 'u malun wa la banun (O Lord! I beseech You to bestow safety on me the day neither property nor children will be of any benefit)," as well as the fifteen whispered prayers (Munajat Khamsa 'Ashar) of Imam al-Sajjad (a). From among the latter, the Shaykh stressed reciting 'The Whispered Prayer of the Utterly Poor' (Munajat al- Mufta qirin) and especially 'The Whispered Prayer of the Devotees', (Munajat al-Muridin). He would say:

"Any of these fifteen Munajats (whispered prayers) has got its own virtues (blessing)."

His Regular Supplication

Dr. Farzam narrated that one of the Shaykh's regular supplications was the following one:

"O Lord! Teach, perfect, and train us for Thyself O Lord! O Sustainer! Prepare us for meeting with Thyself."

Thursday evenings, after prayers the reverend Shaykh would usually recite the Supplication of Kumayl or one of the above mentioned whispered prayers or supplications, and commented on them.

"Recite the Supplication of Yastashir!"

Ayatollah Fahri1 quoted the reverend Shaykh as saying:

"I said to God: O God! Everybody has amorous and joyful whispering with his Beloved; I too wish to enjoy this blessing, what supplication should I read? I was told in a spiritual state to recite the supplication of Yastashir. "

That was why he would recite the supplication of Yastashir very fervently and lively.

"Find a Pretext to Seek 'Him'!"

The reverend Shaykh believed that if one has a real longing for God and is not content with other than Him, the Almighty God will eventually undertake his affairs and lead him to (sublime) destination. In this regard, the Shaykh related the following interesting example:

"A child who is quibbling and throwing around every toy or sweetie that he is given and would not stop the grudge and cry so much that finally his father embraces and caresses him; then he calms down. Thus if you do not care for the luxury of world and quibble and (this way) find a pretext to seek 'Him', the Almighty God will finally undertake your affairs and raise you up. That's when you attain the real joy."

The Value of Weeping and Whispered Prayer

The reverend Shaykh believed that a man will merit whispered prayer and dialogue with God Almighty only when he drives away the love of other than God from his heart. If a person's vain desire is his god, he cannot say "O Allah!" truthfully. He said in this regard:

"Weeping and whispered prayers are worthwhile only when man has no love other than love of God in his heart."

An instructive intuition is quoted from the shaykh which confirms the above statement

A Penny in Response to "Ya Allah!"

Ayatollah Fahri quoted the Shaykh as saying

"I was walking through the Bazaar when a beggar asked me to give him something. I reached into my pocket, to give him some money, my hand felt a two Rial coin, I pushed it aside and found a ten shahr coin2 to give him instead. At noon I went to the mosque and said my prayers. After performing prayers, I raised my hands to pray to God, saying "O Allah!" As I uttered the phrase, I was shown (intuitively) the same two Rial coin which I left in my pocket (and held back from giving to the beggar)!"

There are some points in this intuition to be pondered about:

1 The analogy of taking one's vain desire as his god, as the HolyQur'an clearly asserts:

(أفرأيت من اتخذ الهه هواه)

(Then seest thou such a one as takes as his god his own vain desire?) (al-Jathiyah: 23)

2 To the same extent that man obeys his vain desire, he will be away from God; he is, rather, a slave to what he desires and thus "God" turns into a "two Rial coin" in the realm of intuition!

3. It is worthwhile to give as charity what you like best. A believer should give away in the way of his Beloved what he is fond of rather than what is of no interest to him to give away:

(لن تنالوا البر حتى تنفقوا مما تحبون)

(By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give (freely) of that which you love.) (Ale 'Imran: 92)

The Way to Proximity to God

The reverend Shaykh believed that the way to attain proximity to God is through doing benevolence to people. If a person wants to find a proper state of mind for prayer and to enjoy dhikr and munajat with God, he must be at the service of God's creatures for God's sake. He commented in this regard as follows:

"If you want to be graced with proximity to God and take pleasure in whispering prayer to Him, practice benevolence to God's creatures by learning it from the Ahl al-Bayt (a) (about whom the Holy Qur'an says):

ويطعمون الطعام على حبه مسكيناُ ويتيماُ وأسيرا إنما نطعمكم لوجه الله لانريد منكم جزاءً ولا شكوراٌ

(And they feed for the sake of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive -( saying), 'We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.) (al-Insan: 8, 9)

He further said:

"What creates in man a spiritual state of servitude to God after performing obligatory duties is doing good to people."

What should we implore from God?

One of the most significant issues in supplication is that the supplicant should know what to say in his whispered prayer to God and what to request from Him. In his commentary on supplications, the reverend Shaykh emphasized on supplicatory phrases such as:

" يا غاية آمال العارفين" و "يا منتهى أمل الآملين" و "يا نعيمي وجنتي ويا دنياي وآخرتي "

"Ya ghayati amali'l arifin", "Ya muntaha amali'l amilin", and " Ya na 'imi wa Jannati wa Ya dunya i wa akhirati" (O Goal of the hopes of Thy knowers! O Ultimate abject of hope of the hopeful in thee! O my bliss and my garden! O my this world and my Hereafter!)"

and then would say:

Friends! Learn sagacity from your Imam (a)! See how the Imam whispers to God, saying' I am seeking refuge in you! I have come to embrace you! I want You (I rejoice in You)!

The reverend Shaykh himself would say in his supplications and whispered prayer:

"O God! Accept these (supplications) as preliminary (means) to reunion with Thyself!"

What Does a Lover Want from the Beloved?

After quoting the above instructions from the reverend Shaykh, Dr. Hamid Farzam said: 'Sometimes the reverend Shaykh would relate simple and delicate analogies in order to explain highly mystical issues such as the following:

"A lover knocked at the door of his beloved's house. The latter asked: 'Do you want bread?'

'No.' Replied the lover.

'Do you want water?'

'No.'

'What do you want then?'

I want you! Answered the lover.

Friends! The Landlord must be loved, not His feast and food. As Sa'di said:

'If you expect benevolence from the Friend.

You are bound up in your self, not in love with the Friend.'

He would recite the above poem to us and say:

"You must be in love only with God, and whatever you do must be only for Him. Be in love with Himself; do not even worship Him for rewards!"

He would sometimes tell me in a cute tone:

"Do something that your ringlets entangle yonder (meaning to fall in love with the Eternal Beloved)!"

He would add some very befitting poems -especially from Hafiz - to his instructions that were of great effect, such as the following: 'If you wish the Beloved may not break off the union.

Keep holding on to the (love) link so that He may hold on, too.'

"Complain of being Forlorn!"

The reverend Shaykh would say: "Whenever you manage to engage in nightly begging, complain of being forlorn and implore: 'O God! I have no power to challenge the carnal soul; it has crippled me, come to my aid and deliver me from its grip! 'And (also) appeal to the Ahl al-Bayt for intercession."

And then he would recite the following verse from the Holy Qur'an:

(ان النفس لأمارة بالسوء الا ما رحم ربي)

(The (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord bestow his Mercy.) (Yusuf: 53)

The Real Reason for Appealing to the Ahl al-Bayt (a)

The reverend Shaykh used to say:

"Majority of people do not know what appealing to the Ahl al- Bayt (a) is for. They appeal to the Ahl al-Bayt (a) for solving their own problems and difficulties of life,3 whereas we should go to the doorsteps of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) for traveling on the path to monotheism and the knowledge of God. This path is so difficult to pass and it is impossible for man to traverse this path without a light and guide."

The Ziyarat of 'Ashura

One of the points that the reverend Shaykh stressed about appealing to the Ahl al-Bayt (a) was recitation of ziyarat of 'Ashura and would relate accordingly:

"I was instructed in a spiritual state to recite the ziyarat of Ashura."

He recommended:

"Do not miss recitation of ziyarat Ashura as long as you are living. One of the Shaykh's disciples continued reciting ziyarat of 'Ashura for forty years on the instructions of the Shaykh.

The Condition for Getting Answers to Supplications

One of the important conditions for a supplication to be answered is the lawfulness (being halal) of one's food. A person asked the Holy Prophet (s): 'I would like my supplications replied'. His Holiness said:

" طهر مأكلك ولا تدخل بطنك الحرام "

"Purify your food and avoid eating haram (unlawful)"4

"First, Pay for the Salt!"

One of the Shaykh's disciples said: ' A group of us together with the Shaykh set out to go to (mount) Bibi Shahrbanu for supplication and whispered prayer. We bought some bread and cucumbers. Meanwhile, we picked some salt from the cart of the cucumber vendor (without paying for it) and then went up the mountain. When we arrived there the Shaykh said:

"Let's go down, we are rejected. They say: First pay for the salt and then come for prayer and supplication."

The Capacity of the Worshipper

One of the subtle issues for a worshipper to take into consideration is that his demands from God should be proportionate to his spiritual capacity; if he lacks the required capacity he may put himself in trouble by supplication.

One of the Shaykh's friends related: Once business happened to become sluggish and I was so upset about that. Until one day the Shaykh asked me why I was disturbed and I told him the story. He asked if I did not recite the ta'qibat (supplications read after obligatory prayers). I answered, yes. He asked what I read. I told him I read the supplication of Sabah of Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (a) and he said:

"Instead of supplication of Saba, read the surah al-Hashr and the supplication of 'Adilah in your ta'qibat so that your problems vanish."

I asked him why I should not read Saba. He said:

"This du'a consists of such (heavy) statements and phrases that a person must have the capacity and capability to stand.

Imam Ali (a) beseeches the Almighty God in this du'a: 'O God! Grant me a pain that I do not neglect you even in those moment (of suffering the pain)'. Thus, this dua demands the required capacity, and you have read it without having such capacity which has created these problems for you. So, instead of Sabah, you read the sura al-Hashr and dua Adilah; it will solve your problems God willing."

After some time that I had started to read the sura al-Hashr and dua Adilah, one of my friends lent me ten thousand tomans, I worked with that money, bought a house, and gradually my business improved, too.

Courtesy of the Worshipper

Dr. Farzam also said: 'One of the things that the Shaykh emphasized about supplication was the courtesy of the worshipper. Dr. Farzam quotes the Shaykh as saying in this respect:

"Once supplicating, one must be humble and fearful, and sit in a kneeled courtly position facing the qibla.

Once my legs were discomforted, it crossed my mind to stretch my legs. The Shaykh who was sitting behind me at the back of the room said:

"Sit aright; in supplication sit in a kneeled position and be courteous."

Notes

1. Paramount Leader's Representative and the Friday Prayer leader of Zaynabiya in Damascus (Syria).

2. A ten shahi coin is worth a quarter of a two Rial coin

3. See "How to reach the Reality of Monotheism", Chapter Two Part 3

4. Mizan al-Hikmah, IV, 1658: 5599.

Benevolence of the Friends of God

Rendering service to people is one of the most important Islamic educational issues that is highly emphasized in Islamic traditions. The Holy Prophet (s) said:

" خير الناس من انتفع به الناس "

"The best of people are those who are (most) beneficial to (other) people.1

The Mystery of Creation

The reverend Shaykh highly stressed this educational principle. One of his disciples quotes him as saying:

"I had a proximity to God; I implored Him to tell me the mystery of Creation. I was told (by inspiration) that the mystery of Creation is benevolence to the people."

Imam Ali (a) said:

" بتقوى الله أمرتم، وللاحسان والطاعة خلقتم "

"You are commanded to God fearing and you are created for doing benevolence and obeying (God)."2

One of the Shaykh's disciples said: 'Once I told him, "O Shaykh! Tell me something to be of benefit to me!" He twisted my ear and said:

"Serving people! Serving people!"

The Shaykh would say:

"If you want to find your way to the truth of monotheism, do good to people. The burden of monotheism is heavy and hazardous, and everyone is not able to tolerate that burden. However, benevolence to the people makes its tolerance easy."

And sometimes, he would say humorously:

"Help the creatures of God during the day and beg at His doorstep at night!"

The late Fayz Kashani (ra) put it in the following poem:

All through the night lament humbly at the doorstep of the Sustainer,

When the day breaks, help out the wounded at heart and the heart-broken.'

Giving Alms while in Poverty

An important aspect that is stressed in Islamic traditions in relation to giving alms and doing good to people is giving alms in poverty.

The Holy Prophet (s) said:

" ثلاثة من حقائق الايمان: الانفاق من الاقتار، وانصافك الناس من نفسك، وبذل العلم للمتعلم "

"There are three signs to faithfulness: Giving alms in poverty; equity toward people; and imparting knowledge to the seekers of knowledge."3

Similarly, Hafiz touches upon the impact of giving alms in poverty on the spiritual self-building of man in the following poem:

'In poverty, strive for joyfulness and intoxication,

That this elixir of the whole being turns a mendicant into a Qarun.'

"Fast and Give Alms!"

One of the companions of Imam al-Kazim (a) related: 'I complained to his holiness of my poverty and said that I suffered poverty so severely that such and such took off his own clothing and gave it to me to wear! The holy Imam (a) said':

"Fast and give alms!"

I said: 'Could I give alms from what I receive myself as alms, however meager it is?'

The Imam (a) replied:

"Give alms from what God grants you as sustenance, even if you should spend it for yourself!"4

Benevolence to a Jobless Person Encumbered by a Large Family

One of the Shaykh's friends said: 'I was jobless and very depressed for some time, so I went to his house to find a way to get rid of the plight. As soon as I entered the Shaykh's room and upon seeing me, he said:

"You are in such a veil that I have rarely seen one like that! Why have you given up your trust in God? The Satan has covered you with a veil that you are unable to perceive on high!"

His words moved me very deeply and prompted a profound contrition in my heart. He said then:

"Your veil is removed, but take heed it would not return." After that he said:

"Somebody is jobless and sick and he has to run two families. If you can afford, go and buy some cloth for his children and bring it here."

Although I was jobless and broke, I went to an old friend's draper's and bought some cloth on credit and took it to the Shaykh. Once I placed the pack of cloth before him, the Shaykh looked at me and highly admired my endeavor.

Dr. Thubati said: 'One of the things he highly stressed was doing good to people. He regarded this as extremely valuable and viewed it as one of very close and effective ways in faring the path to Allah. Thereupon, when one failed in his spiritual seeking, he would recommend:

"Do not be negligent of benevolence and do good (to people as much as you are able to)."

'Serve the needy as long as you can in you life,

Either through your words, money, pen, or (taking) steps.'

He was himself also a pioneer in doing good to people. Someone had gotten into trouble; he visited the reverend Shaykh who said:

"This person helps his relatives only through khums (one fifth levy) and do not do any other good to them."

That meant giving only khums is not sufficient.

Benevolence to the Sister

One of the Shaykh's disciples narrated: 'One day I requested the Shaykh to contact with my late father's spirit and ask him if there is anything I can do for him. The Shaykh said:

"Recite the Surah Al-Hamd!"

When I recited the sura, he immediately described the appearance and stature of my father who had died forty years before. Then, he quoted my father:

"I do not need anything, tell my son to help out his younger sister with her household needs."

The Shaykh and Rendering Service to People

A study of various aspects of the Shaykh's blessed life indicates that this Divine man was a real paradigm in serving the afflicted people and solving their problems. Some instances of his services are pointed out in different parts of this book, especially in chapter three of part one. Following, other instances of his concern with this issue are touched upon:

Recompense to the Prayer Leader as Ordered by Wali al-'Asr (aj)

One of the Shaykh's disciples said: The late Suhayli5 (ra) would say: 'My shop was located at Abbasi crossroads in Tehran. Once on a hot summer day the Shaykh came to my shop in a hurry and gave me some money and said:

"Waste no time, immediately take this money to Sayyid Bihishti."

He was prayer leader to the Masjid of Hajj Amjad on Aryana Ave. I got the money at once to his house and gave it to him.

Later on I asked him (the Sayyid) about the story. He said: 'That day I had a guest and nothing was to be found in my house. I went to the other room and appealed to Hazrat Wali 'Asr (aj), and then this (money) was sent to me!'

Also, the Shaykh himself said: "Hazrat Wali 'Asr (aj) commanded me to deliver this money to Sayyid Bihishti right away."

Recommendation for Serving Meals

In addition to various attempts he made to help out people solve their problems directly and indirectly, the Shaykh received guests in his small house on different occasions, particularly on religious celebrations and placed great importance on serving meals to feed the faithful at home. He always recommended (his disciples) to try to give meals in their houses, contending that if they give the money to the poor to prepare food for themselves it would not be as worthwhile as giving meals at one's home.

Dr. Farzam said: 'Serving meals to the poor and the needy was among his frequent recommendations. Once I asked him what if we give the money instead.

He said:

"No! Giving food is something different and more effective."

Every body knew that the reverend Shaykh would hold a feast on the auspicious night of 15th Shaban, giving chicken and rice to all the guest from all walks of life who would sit attend his feast of benevolence. The Shaykh highly respected his guests and did his best to make his guests feel at home.

The Shaykh emphasized serving meals to the faithful and insisted on giving charity food in his house and observing ethics of hospitality, while he was always in financial difficulties himself.

"God Willing, it will be Sufficient!"

In one of the feasts in the Shaykh's house, a large crowd had gathered for lunch so that both floors were filled up with guests. Although around thirty kilograms of rice had been cooked, the family were worried maybe the food would not be sufficient for all those present. When the Shaykh came to know about their apprehension, he faced the cook-a religious scholar from Qum-and said:

"Sayyid Abul Husayn! What are they saying? Take the lid off the pot to take a look!"

He took some rice from the pot and said: "God willing, it will be sufficient!"

Accidentally, there happened to be not only no shortage of food but also lots of people who had gathered at the door with their bowls did not leave empty-handed.

The Blessings of Rendering Service to People

Doing good to people would entail many blessings in man's spiritual and material life. From the Shaykh's viewpoint, the most important effects of benevolence are radiance of the heart, emergence of a suitable state of mind for supplication and whispered prayer, and proximity to God, which was already pointed out.6

Following are some interesting and instructive reminiscences portraying the blessings ensued by rendering service to people.

The Status of Hazrat Abdul Azim Hasani

One of the Shaykh's friends said: 'The Shaykh and I went on a pilgrimage of Sayyid al-Karim (a). The Shaykh asked him (i. e. Hazrat Abdul Azim Hasani (a)) :

"How did you achieve such a status?"

He (Hazrat Abdul Azim Hasani) answered: 'Through doing good to people; I used to write copies of the Qur'an, sell them with much difficulty, and giveaway the amount received to the poor!'

The Blessing of the Taxi Driver's Service

A disciple of the Shaykh said: In the year 1958 or 1959, I was working as a taxi driver. Once I was in Bazar Jumihri Gharbi Avenue.

There were no buses working that day, so many people were waiting in line for taxis. I saw two women, a tall and a short one, waved at me to stop. They said one of them was going to Lashkar Square, and the other one to Aryana Avenue, paying five Rials each. And I agreed to take them to their destinations.

The tall woman got off and paid for her fare, and I headed for Aryana Avenue to get the short one to her destination. She was a Turk and did not speak Persian.

I figured out she was murmuring to herself: 'O God! I am a Turk and do not know Persian and I do not know how to find my home either. Everyday I got on the bus and got off near my house with two qirans (Rials); I have done so much laundry since the morning for just two tomans, now I have to pay five Rials for the taxi fare.

I told her: 'Do not bother, I am a Turk too. I am going to Aryana Avenue and I will drop you at your house. She got very happy.

I finally found the address and stopped to let her get off. She took out a two-toman note and offered it to me. I said she did not need to pay, said goodbye and drove away.

A couple of days later I happened to have an audience with the Shaykh in the company of a friend of mine. He was sitting in his humble room along with some other people. After greeting, the Shaykh looked at me and-reading my mind-said:

"You are awaiting on Thursday evenings. You will be present."

I was keeping a regular (religious) program in relation to the Wali al-'Asr (aj), and what he meant by "you will be present" was that I would be present at the time of the faraj (advent) of Imam al- 'Asr (aj). In view of the blessings I had been previously bestowed on by God Almighty, these words of the Shaykh touched me greatly and we all cried a lot. The Shaykh, then said:

"You know what happened that you came to me? That short lady that got in your car and you did not get any money from her, prayed to God for you, and the Almighty God answered her prayer and sent you to me!"

Assisting the Blind Man and the Luminosity of the Heart

The same noble man (the taxi driver) related: One day I was driving the same taxi on Salsabil Avenue when I saw a blind man waiting along the street for someone to help him. I pulled up immediately and asked him where he wanted to go.

'I want to cross the street.' Said the blind man.

'Where do you want to go from there?' I asked.

'I will not bother you any longer.' Said the man.

On my insistence the blind man said that he was going to Hashemi Avenue and I took him to his destination.

The next day when I went to see the Shaykh, he said immediately: "What is the incidence of the blind man that you gave a ride yesterday?"

I told him the story. He said:

"Since yesterday that you did it, the Almighty God has created a light which is still radiating in barzakh."

Giving Meals to Forty People and the Healing of the Patient

One of the Shaykh's friends said: 'My son had an accident and was hospitalized. I went to the Shaykh and asked him what to do. He said: "Do not be upset. Buy a sheep, gather forty workers from around the neighborhood and make Abgusht7 and serve them the food; also ask a preacher to pray at the end of the feast. When those forty men say 'amen', your son will recover and return home."

I told this direction to several others too, and their requests were answered this way.

Rain in a Drought

The reverend Shaykh's son related: 'Several farmers from Sari8 came to my father and said there was a severe drought in Sari, all plants were dried, and people were under pressure. My father said:

"Go slaughter a cow and feed people!"

'The farmers sent a telegram to Sari to slaughter a cow and feed one thousand people. It was said that at the feast it rained so heavily that the guest had trouble getting to the place. This event led to a good relation between the people of that region and the Shaykh. He was invited to attend sessions in Sari for several times.'

Giving Victuals by the Father to Beget a Child

The same person related: ' Someone failed to beget a child despite various treatments inside the country and abroad. One of the Shaykh's friends brought him to the Shaykh and told him his problem. He said:

"God will give them two sons and for each son they must slaughter a cow and distribute among the people."

He asked what for. The Shaykh answered:

"I requested from Imam al-Reza (a) and he consented."

When the first son was born the father had a cow slaughtered at the order of the Shaykh and gave it to the people. After the birth of the second son, however, some of that man's relatives prevented him from slaughtering a cow and feeding it to the people, protesting that if Shaykh Rajab Ali Khayyat was a son of an Imam or he has made a miracle! Who is he that orders to do this and that?! And this way they prevented him from keeping his vow. When the person who had introduced him to the Shaykh reminded him of keeping his vow, he said it was entirely superstitious. After a while his second son died.

The Blessing of Feeding a Hungry Animal

One of the Shaykh's friends related that one day the Shaykh had told him:

"Someone was passing through one of the old alleys of Tehran, when suddenly he saw a dog in the gutter whose puppies were pushing toward her breasts for milk, but the dog was too hungry to have any milk to give to its puppies and was in agony for this reason. Noticing this scene, that person went right away to a nearby kebab shop and got several kebabs and brought to the dog. ...The same night near dawn he was graced with an inexplicable blessing by God Almighty."

The narrator went on with this anecdote: ' Although the Shaykh never said who that person was, the evidence indicated that it was himself.'

Dr. Farzam said: 'Whenever I asked the Shaykh if he would give me a piece of advice when taking leave, he would state:

"Do not forget doing good to people, even to the animals."9

Benevolence Based on Love of God

The principal issue in serving people from the viewpoint of the Shaykh is the motive behind it and how it is performed. The Shaykh believed that we should be at the service of people as the Imams and Friends of God were. In their serving people, they had no goal than serving them for the sake of God and for His love. In this regard he would say:

"Benevolence to people must be based on God-Orientedness; (انما نطعمكم لوجه الله ) (We feed you for the sake of Allah alone.) (al-Insan: 9) How (lovingly) you spend money for your children and you adore them too! Can children do anything for their parents? The parents are in love with their little children and spend money for them out of love. Now why do not you treat God this way?! Why do not you love Him as much as you love your children?! And if by any chance you do a favor to someone you expect reward for that!"

Words of Imam Khomeini (ra) on rendering Service to People

At the end of this chapter it will be appropriate to point out the guideline of Imam Khomeini (ra) in respect to rendering service to people.

In his testament to his son Haj Ahmad Agha (ra), he wrote:

"My son! Do not evade the humanitarian responsibility that is, serving God in form of serving the people. The Satan does not gallop less in this field than among the officials and those in charge of people's affairs. And do not struggle to attain positions; neither spiritual nor worldly positions on the pretext of wishing to approach Divine knowledge or serving the worshippers of Allah, as paying attention to such positions is by itself satanic, let alone struggling to attain them. Listen to Gods admonition whole-heartedly and traverse on that direction: قل انما أعظكم بواحدة ان تقوموا لله مثنى وفرادى (Say: I do admonish you on one point: that you do stand up before Allah-(it may be) in pairs, or (it may be) singly.) (Saba': 46) The measure at the outset of traversing is uprising for Allah, both in personal and individual tasks and in social activities; tries to succeed at this first step which is easier and much more attainable at youth. Do not let yourself to become old like your father, so that you will either mark time or move backward; this involves vigilance and self-examination. If a person possesses or rather attains the sovereignty of the jinn and mankind with a Divine motive, he is a possessor of Divine Knowledge and an ascetic in the world; but if he is carnally or satanically motivated, whatever he attains, even if it is a rosary, he will be equally distanced from God."

Notes

1. Mizan al-Hikmah, VIII, 3688: 12635

2. Ibid. I, 428: 1555.

3. Ibid. XIII, 6452: 20664.

4. Al-Kafi, IV, 18:2.

5. He was one of the Shaykh's close companions; in part four it is described that the Shaykh was held in his embrace when he died.

6. See "The way God loves", Chapter Three, Part 3.

7. A traditional Iranian dish.

8. The administrative capital of Mazanderan Province, northern Iran.

9. See Mizan al-Hikmah, VIII, 3686: 2674.

Prayers of the Friends of God

One of the eminent features of those trained at the school of the reverend Shaykh is their presence of heart in prayer. And this became possible only because the Shaykh did not accord any value to the spiritless ostentatious prayers, and tried to make his disciples perform really devotional prayers.

In the Shaykh's guidelines concerning prayers, there are four basic principles in this regard, which are adopted from the Holy Qur'an and Islamic traditions:

1. Love

The reverend Shaykh believed that as a lover enjoys talking to his beloved, a performer of prayers also should enjoy amorous whispering to his lord. Personally, he was like this as friends of God are all like this.

The Holy Prophet (s) described his joy in prayers as follows:

" جعل الله جل ثناؤه قرة عيني في الصلاة، وحبب الى الصلاة كما حبب الى الجائع الطعام، والى الظمآن الماء، وان الجائع اذا اكل شبع، وإن الظمآن اذا شرب روي، وأنا لا أشبع من الصلاة "

"Allah-Great is His Adoration-made the delight of my eyes in prayers and made prayers beloved to me as He made food beloved to the hungry and water beloved to the thirsty; (with the difference that) when the hungry eats he will be satiated and when the thirsty drinks he will be quenched, but I never get satiated (or quenched) from (performing) prayers."1

One of the Shaykh's disciples, who had spent thirty years of his life with him, said: 'God knows that I witnessed him standing in prayers like a lover before his Beloved, engrossed in His Beauty .In my whole life I only saw three people who were extraordinary in their prayers; the late Shaykh Rajab Ali Khayyat, Ayatollah Kuhistani, and Agha Shaykh Habibullah Gulpayigani in Mashhad. They were amazing when standing in prayers; I would see intuitively that the quality of sphere (around them) was otherworldly; they paid no attention to anything other than God.

2. Courtesy

To be courteous in the presence of the Almighty lord by performers of prayer is one of the issues that Islam has greatly stressed. Imam al-Sajjad (a) said in this relation:

" حق الصلاة ان تعلم انها وفادة الى الله عز وجل، وانك فيها قائم بين يدي الله عز وجل فاذا علمت ذلك قمت مقام الذليل الحقير، الراغب الراهب، الراجي الخائف، المسكين المتضرع، والمعظم لمن كان بين يديه بالسكون والوقار، وتُقبل عليها بقلبك وتقيمها بحدودها وحقوقها "

"The right accorded to prayer is that you should know prayer as entering the presence of Allah the Most High, and that, when saying prayer, you are standing before the Most High Allah. So, knowing this, you should stand in prayer as an abased and humble servant, eagerly devoted, hopefully fearful, helplessly lamenting; and proceed to prayer peacefully and gracefully with great respect to the One you are standing before, and perform it whole-heartedly with (full) observance of its rules and rights."2

The reverend Shaykh said about the courtesy of presence:

"The Satan is always distracting man; remember not to break your attention to God, be courteous in prayer as when you stand attentively before an eminent personality, so that if your body is pricked by a needle, you would not move!"

The Shaykh said the above in reply to his son who said to him: 'You smile sometimes when you say prayers.' His son said: 'I guess he was smiling at the Satan implying that he cannot challenge him (i.e. the Shaykh)!'

Anyway, the reverend Shaykh believed that any move (of the body) in the presence of the Lord is considered as rude and is caused by temptation from the Satan. He said:

"I saw the Satan kissing the part of the body that one scratched in prayer!!"

3. Presence of Heart

The quintessence of prayer is remembering God and sincere presence of the performer's heart in the sacred companionship of Most Exalted God. Thus the Holy Prophet (s) said:

" لايقبل الله صلاة عبد لا يَحظر قلبه مع بدنه "

"God would not accept the prayer of a person whose heart is not present with his body."3

In view of this issue and before leading the congregational prayer, the reverend Shaykh tried to prepare those attending the prayer to find presence of heart. His own prayer was a typical one with presence of heart.

Accordingly, Dr. Farzam said: 'His prayer was very sober and good mannered.4 Sometimes when I arrived late for the mass prayer and (passing before him) saw his stature in prayer he looked as if his whole body was shivering; with radiant, pale countenance, he was absorbed in what he was reciting. His attention was totally directed on prayer and his head was always lowered. My implication was that the reverend Shaykh never felt an iota of doubt in his heart.

Another disciple of the Shaykh said: 'He sometimes said to me: "Such and such! Do you know what you say in ruku 'and sajdah? When you say in tashahhud: ' Ashhadu an la ilaha ilia 'llahu wahdahu la sharika la-h (I bear witness that there is no god apart from Allah, Who is unique and without partners)', are you telling the truth? Are you not entangled in your carnal vain desires? Are you not attending other than God? Are you not dealing with

(أرباب متفرقون ) (many lords differing among themselves) (12:39)?!

4. Perseverance in Performing Prayers at their Due Time

Islamic traditions have greatly emphasized performing prayers at their due time. Imam al-Sadiq (a) said:

" فضل الوقت الأول على الآخر كفضل الآخرة على الدنيا "

"Superiority of performing prayers at due time over performing it at the end of (prayer) time is like the superiority of the Hereafter to this world."5

The reverend Shaykh was very prompt in performing his five prayers at their due time and enjoined others to do the same.

"A Servant of Imam Husayn (a) would not put off his Prayers to Such Late Hours"

The able preacher, Hujj. Agha Sayyid Qasim Shoja'i, related an interesting memory about the reverend Shaykh: 'I used to give sermons since my school years and as I was a well-spoken preacher I used to be invited to many sessions for rawzah6 , including the sessions held in the house of the late Agha Shaykh Rajab Ali Khayyat on the seventh day of each lunar month. Upstairs, on the right side, there was the room where women gathered and I recited the rawzah for them once every month. The Shaykh's room was downstairs. At that time I was only thirteen years old and had not reached puberty yet.

One day after the sermon was over; I went downstairs and encountered the Shaykh for the first time. He was holding a hat in his hand had seemed to be going out. I said "salam to him" he took a glance at my face and said:

"The son of the Holy Prophet (s) and the servant of Imam Husayn (a) would not delay his prayer till now!!"

I said: on my eyes! It was two hours to the sunset and I was a guest somewhere that day and hadn't said my prayer; as soon as the Shaykh looked at my face he realized this and pointed it out to me. Since my adolescence and after that when I attended his sessions -which were held in the residence of Agha Hakimi Ahan Furush -I felt this man's sayings were inspired whenever he spoke, as he did not have scholarly knowledge but when he spoke the audience would get absorbed wholeheartedly. I still remember some of his words as he said:

"Leave behind the word 'we'; wherever the words 'we' and 'I' reign there abides polytheism. There is only one pronoun reigning and that is 'He', and if you sideline that pronoun, the other pronouns are polytheistic."

Whenever the late reverend Shaykh expressed such statements, they would get enshrined in one's heart and mind.

Anger, the Bane of Prayers

The reverend Shaykh is quoted as saying:

"One evening I was passing by a Masjid up the Sirus Avenue in Tehran.7 Entered the Masjid to enjoy the virtue of performing prayer at its due time and went into the shabistan (oratory). There I saw someone saying prayer and he had a halo round his head. I thought to myself I would become familiar with him to see what qualities he had that caused him to have such spiritual state in prayer. At the end of the mass prayer I accompanied him out of the Masjid. At the gate he had a row with the Masjid attendant and even shouted angrily at him and went on his way. After (letting out his) anger, I saw that halo disappeared from around his head!"

Notes

1. Mizan al-Hikmah, VII, 3092: 10535.

2. Ibid. VII, 3124: 10669.

3. Ibid. VII, 3116: 10635.

4. One of the Shaykh's disciple said: 'Like the late Ayatollah Shahabadi, the Shaykh also repeated the dhikr of ruku 'and sajdah three times.'

5. Mizan al-Hikmah, VII, 3130: 10685.

6. Recital of the Martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a).

7. This Masjid was located down "Sarcheshmah Avenue". However, due to road expansion it was divided into two sections.