CHAPTER THREE: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BUILDING
Every ideology has an effect on itsbeliever which
motivates him to a kind of actions and behavior, the belief in Allah (be exalted) for Moslems had deep influences which had their practical results in he general life, we can point out some of them briefly:
Firstly:
tranquility of the soul:
The faithful human finds in his ideology tranquility in spite of the storms of accidents around him. It protects him from anxiety and tension, creates for him psychological environment full of tranquility and hope even though he lives in an unstable or dangerous environment.
The history of Islam recites to us countless examples of that state. Although the first Moslems were living difficult conditions, as there were the successivewars which Qureish and her allies made
and the economical embargo, social seclusion and psychological pressures which accompanied those wars, they were enjoying high moral, plunging into fight with tranquil spirit hoping Allah’s reward and mercy.
Itis related
from Annas that the prophet of Allah (S.W.A.) said on the Day of Badre “Advance to a paradise whose expansion is like that of earth and heavens”
Aumair Ibnal hammam Alansaari said: O prophet of Allah’ Paradise whose expansion is like that of earth and heavens? The prophet (S.W.A) said: Yes, he said: excellent, excellent, No the prophet of Allah, by Allah, I must be one of its inhabitants, the prophet (S.W.A.):certainly
you are one of its people “
He drew out some dates and began to eat them, then he said: If I lived till I eat these dates it is then a long life, so he threw out the remnant of his dates, he plunged into the battle and fought till he was martyred.
The environment in which this “mujaahid” was living was dangerous, he was living in the incidents the war of Badre but his psychological environment was happy as he hopes to live in a paradise whose width is like that of earth and heaven.
So the Moslem due to the ideology of belief in Allah (be exalted) feels content and reassured to the accidents taking place around him; he reconciles himself to Allah’s fate and will, as the disaster which afflicts him in the present time may change into a blessing. The Holy Qur’an cultivates this feeling and makes it grow in believer’s soul, Allah (be exalted) Has said: “it may be that you dislike a thing while it is good for you, and it may be that you love a thing while it is evil for you, and Allah’s know while you don’t know.”
The hadeeths of Ahlilbait (A.S.) deepen this feeling in the spirits of Moslems, Ameeralmu’amineen (A.S.) sent a letter to Ebnaabbaas says: I have not got benefit of a speech after the speech of the prophet (S.W.A.) as I have got from this speech he (A.S.) says: “one may feel happy for getting what he shouldn’t miss, and may feel sorry for missing what he should not obtain, so let your happiness be with what you have got of your next life and your feeling sorry for what you have missed of it”.
It is right that the ordinary man naturally submits to disappointment and despair when he is afflicted with calamities as the Qur’an points that out frankly by Allah’s saying: “when he is afflicted with calamity he is disappointed and hopeless”
…”And if we make man taste mercy from us then we take it off from him; most surely he is despairing ungrateful”
.
But the faithful human, armed with belief is sober in misfortunes, tolerant in calamities, and suspicion doesn’t find away to his soul: “Surely none despairs of Allah’s mercy except the unbelieving people”
The leader of the monotheists (A.S.) describes the associates of Allah (be exalted) saying: “…when they are afflicted with successive calamities they seek a refuge with You knowing that the reins of matters are at Your Hands, and their resources spring from Your fate”
It is noticeable that at the time which Ameeralmu’amineen insists on that one should not become despaired of Allah’s mercy, he insists in his highly educational instructions on being despaired of what is at the hands of people in order that one becomes completely dependant on his Lord and not to be a burden on others’ backs Ali (A.S.) says “The biggest wealth is in being despaired of what is at others’ hands”
THE MANNERS OF THE IDEOLOGY IN CONFRONTING CALAMITIES:
In this course, the ideology enlightens in the spirits of its followers-the psychological pressures and tensions to which theyare subjected
, so they become weak and insignificant, thereby following several manners:
A- Displaying the nature of the life in which man lives:
the
results and benefits of this knowledge are manifested in his consciousness and behavior. The ideologythen,
through its knowledge sources shows the nature of this life and calls for renouncing its pleasures.
Imam Ali (A.S.) says: “O people’ look at this world the look of renouncers, who turns away from it, as it will shortly remove the resident dweller, and millagonize the safe luxurious man…its happiness is mixed with sadness”
He (A.S.) also said: “I warn you of this world as it is an abode of departure, a place of embitter ness; its resident is a traveler; its dweller is departing, its ways with its dwellers like a ship (in a disturbed sea)
It has been natural that the Islamic ideology warns Moslems of connecting themselves with the means of the transient world, which results in negative influences on Moslem’s soul. Itis narrated
from Aalkama, from Abdullah, that he said:
“The prophet slept on straw mat, then he stood up the mat influenced his side, we said: O the prophet of Allah let us make to you a bed?” Hesaid:
“what have I to do with this world? I am no more in this world than like a rider who rested under a tree then he left it and went on…”
His executor Imam Ali (A.S.) says: “I beware you of this world as it is an abode to be left and not an abode of hope and enjoyment, it has adorned herself with its arrogance, cheated by its ornaments, it is despised by its creator so He mixed its “halaal” with its “haraam”, its evil with its god, its life with its death and its sweat with its bitter, Allah Hasn’t recommended it to his lovers and Hasn’t refrained from granting it to His enemies, its good is little, its evil is forth coming, what is collected in it is exhausted, its properties are spoliated, its prosperous building demolishes, so what good has an abode which is ruined like the ruin of building, and an age exhausted just as food is exhausted, and a duration which runs out as the journey runs out…”
Alsheikh Aldailemi says: No one could express the reality of this world as Ameeral mu’amineen (A.S.) did by his saying: “It is a residence surrounded by calamities, known of treachery, its circumstances do not last, its dwellers are not safe, her states are changeable, she deals with her inhabitants in various ways, living in it is dispraised, security in it is nonexistent, her inhabitants in her are but targets, she hits them with her arrows and exterminates them by her death…”
It was natural that this deep realization of this world leads to an extreme precaution of it.It is enough to give this narration as an example: Muaweia asked Zerrar Ebna Zumrah Alsheibaani about Ameer Almu’amineen (A.S.), he said: I give a witness that I have seen him in some of his circumstances as night had loosened its curtains while he was standing in his (Mihrab), gripping his beard, fidgeting like a snake- bitten person, crying like a grieved man saying:
“O world’, O world’ away from me, have you molested me, or have you longed for me?!
May this time not approach, how impossible! Cheat other than me; I have no need to you, I have divorced you three times, without possibility of returning as your living is short, your importance is little, your hope is mean alas! The sustenance is little, the distance is far, the journey is long, the future is serious”
One of these examples is that we find the belief uncover the nature of this world and the bad end at him, who is deceived by it or rests to it, it also shows the narrow-sightedness of him, who seeks or hopes to find complete rest in this world, it is related from the Imam Alsaadiq (A.S.) saying: Do not hope the impossible, they said: who can hope the impossible?
Imam (A.S.) said: you do, do you not hope relaxation in thisworld?
They said: yes, he said: “relaxation for believer in this world is impossible”
B- Misfortunes involve a reward and a recompensation:
this
belief enlightens the suffering of man from misfortunes, so he confronts them with a solidated heart, and a tranquil soul hoping Allah’s reward and mercy, they do not leave an influence on his heart more than the influence of a bubble on the surface of water. The prophet (S.W.A.) says:
Misfortunes are the keys of reward”
A person wrote to Abbijaafar (A.S.) complaining to him about his misfortune of his sons demise, Abujaafar (A.S.) wrote to him: “haven’t you known that Allah chooses of the believer’s properties, sons and self to reward him for that.”
C-drawing
the Moslem’s attention to the great catastrophe:
Which is the affliction in his religion, this minimizes and facilitates his endurance of small earthly afflictions, it is a clever way to absorb the psychological pressures the belief undertakes. This tendency had the priority in the educational practices of “Ahlilbait”.
It is narrated that Alsaadiq saw a person who was very grieved over his son’s death, Imam (A.S.) said to him: “O’ you have grieved over the small misfortune and passed over the great misfortune, had you been ready to meet your son’s death, you shouldn’t have grieved over him so much, so your misfortune with lacking or giving up your readiness to his death is much more than you’re affliction with your son’s death.”
Abuabdullah (A.S.) says when he is afflicted with a misfortune: (Praise is to Allah in that He has not made my affliction in my religion and praise is to Allah who-if He wished- Hasn’t made my affliction greater, and praise is to Allah who has determined that this accident should take place so it took place.”
Inbrief
we conclude that Islamic ideology molds moderate strong spirits that face hard situations with a steadfast heart confidant of Allah’s destiny and judgement. It defines for man his associative path.
Therefore
a man with out an ideology is like a ship without a compass, which soon hits the rocks and is wrecked.
SECONDLY:
RELEASING THE SPIRIT FROM FEARS:
It is doubtless that fear scatters one’s activity, and paralyzes his mental and bodily energy. Man before Islam had been in a lasting fear of his brother, and his intrigues, of the nature around him and its disasters of the inevitable death of poverty and drought of diseases and the pains accompanying it. The Islamic ideology enlightens the severness of the feeling offear which
paralyzes one’s energy and prevents him from movement and production and makes him a target for fears and grieves.
DEATH IS A GIFT:
The Holy Qur’an draws peoples’ attention to an eternal truth that Man should make himself ready tomeet,
it is “every spirit tastes death”
So death is inevitable, it is something that one can not avoid, and it will had the living human as it has caught those before him, Allah Has said: “Wherever you are, death will overtake you, though you are in lofty towers”
He also says: “say, feed shall not do you any good if you feed from death…”
Qur’an, then emphasizes that death is inevitable, then it is a mater at the hand of Allah (be exalted) and not at the hand of other than Him. This truth has suggestive reflections on man’s spirit that there is no earthly or heavenly power-what ever powerful it is- can not deprive him of his life Allah (be exalted) has said: “And a soul will not die but with the permission of Allah, the term is fixed…”
Qur’an has showed the falsity of the Jews’ allegations. In spite of their extreme desire for this life, the claim that they are the lovers of Allah without other people the Qur’an uncovered the falsity of their allegations by this challenge which addresses the hidden secrets of souls as the real believer doesn’t fear death when he meets him. Death is a passing from a transient residence to an eternal life. Due to what theyare characterized
of extreme material tendency the Jews fear death and hold by this life.Hence
the Holy Qur’an confronted them with this grave challenge Allah has said:
“Say: O you, who are Jews, if you think that you are the favors of Allah with the exclusion of people, then invoke death if you are truthful. And they will never invoke it because of what their hands have sent before; and Allah is cognizant of the unjust”
Imam Ali (A.S.) says: “…He who fears death doesn’t get away from it, and he who loves staying will not have eternity”
what is wonderful in the matter is that at the time the ideology enlightens Man’s fear of death it depicts death to the believer as a gift! To which he has to setout. The prophet (S.W.A.) says: “Death is the gift of the believer” He said that because this life is a prison for the believer as he is still in a strive and tiredness of training himself, resisting hislusts
and withstanding the Satan. Death then is a release to him from the chastisement and this release is a gift to him to pass to the eternal blessing”
Imam Abuabdullah (A.S.) said to his proponents on the day of “Aashouraa”: “Be patient O’ nobles, death in nothing but an arch you pass through it from poverty and suffering to immense paradises and the eternal blessing. Which of you dislike to shift from a prison to a palace?…
”
From another side the school of “Ahlilbait” calls to know the death as knowing a thing may eradicate he fears of it. Ameeralmu’amineen says:“ When
you fear something fall in it because the difficulty of guarding against it is greater than what you fear”
It is narrated from Imam Ali Ebna Mohammaad Al-Haadi (A.S.) that he said to a sick person of his companions when he entered to him and found him crying impatiently for fear of death: “O’ servant of Allah, you fear death because you do not know it, can you suppose that you have become dirty and filthy and you have suffered from the plentiness of dirtiness and ugliness and you suffered from wounds and scabies, if you know that taking a bath eliminates all that; do you not want to enter that bathroom and wash all that or do you not like to enter it so that dirtiness and filthiness remain with you?
Hesaid:
certainly yes, O’ son of the prophet. He (A.S.) said: that death is that bathroom, it is the last stage to pass to be purified of your sins, when you reach it and pass through it you will then be saved from all sorrow, grieves and suffering, and will reach to all happiness and blessing”. The man became calm, submitted,inspired,
he shut his eyes and passed away…”
In this concern Imam Alsaadiq says, as he was asked to describe death for them: “Death for the believer is like the sweetest perfume he smells and so becomes sleepy, and all tiredness and pain are shutoff, but it is for infidels like the sting of snakes and the bite of scorpions or severer…”
Thus, the Islamic ideology introduces a light ofsafety which
enlightens the hardness of death, as it is for the believer a gift and comfort. The prophet (S.W.A.) says “Two things are disliked by a human being: he dislikes death while death is a comfort for the believer from the trouble, he also dislikes the littleness of property while littleness of property is easier in accounting (at Doomsday)
.
Imams insist on remembering death so much, for the educational influences it includes. It subdues the lusts enlightens the calamities of life which blow Man away like the storms. The prophet (S.W.A) says: “Remember death too much as it purifies you of sins and induces to abstain from worldly appetites”
Imam Ali (A.S.) says: “Remember death very much and the day of your coming-out of your graves, and your call to be present before Allah on the day of judgment, then your calamities become easy.”
In some of Ameeralmu’amineen’s recommendations to his son Alhassan (A.S.): “O my son’ remember death so much, and remember what you will meet, and what you come after death, till it comes to you in a state you have made your preparations, and tightened your back for it, do not let it comes to you suddenly so it overwhelms you”
.
He also says, “He who remembers death very much will be satisfied with the little of this world”
We return to say that the Islamic ideology releases spirits from fear of death by insisting on that it is a truth, whichcan not
be denied, we must submit to it and make up with it by knowing its truth, and that it is for the believer a comfort. Instead of forgetting or pretending to have forgottenit
we must remember it continuously for the good results it has, which we have mentioned previously.
SUBSISTENCEIS GUARANTEED
FOR ITS SEEKER:
There isa fear that befalls Man and embitter
his life, it is the fear of poverty but the Islamic ideology diffuses this fear by emphasizing a very clear truth like the sun at midday.
It is that the sources of sustenance are at the hands of Allah, and He has guaranteed it for His servants so there is no justification for these fears. He who reads the Qur’an finds so many verses urging to eradicate the reasons of the fear of poverty which motivated the Man before Islam to kill his children Allah (be exalted) says: “surely Allah is the bestower of sustenance the Lord of Power, the strong”
. He also said“ And
do not kill your children for fear of poverty we give them sustenance and yourselves too”
The “hadeeths” of the prophet (S.W.A.) and the purified Imams lead to the same course, the prophet (S.W.A.) says: “the doors of paradise are opened to the poor and the wretched, Allah’s mercy descends to the merciful people,Allah
is pleased with the generous people”
His executor Imam Ali (A.S.) says: “…The creatures are His family, He has guaranteed their sustenance determined their foodstuff…”
From another side they corrected peoples’ concept about sustenance.Truly
Allah has guaranteed his servants’ sustenance but this does not mean that He urges them to be lazy and inactive or to sit at home idle, but He connected obtaining sustenance with one’s striving and seeking it. Imam Ali (A.S.) says:“ search
for sustenance as it is guaranteed to its seeker”
Ameeral Mu’amineen was working in an agricultural field with hisspade,
he released the slaves from the revenue of his hand’s toil”
He (A.S.) was irrigating date palms of some Jews of Medeena till his hands fatigued, he gave his wages to the poor as alms and put a stone and tight it on his stomach”
Imam has not been striving to collect the funds for himself out of this wearisome work as Imam Ali (A.S.) is not cheated by a white or yellow coin rather he was trying to obtain the “halaal” sustenance from its source and spend it in its proper place.
As spirits are infatuated with properties, fond of collecting and treasuring it, it is appropriate for the enlightened aware believer not to be cheated by its brightness, lured by its attractions, and he has to take lesson from those attracted and cheated by it while they are deprived of the reward of the next life, they are bankrupt in every additional property more than their necessary needs as they are trusty treasurers who strive and suffer in saving it, then they leave it behind like a sweet food for inheritors, so they are hold responsible for it in the hereafter while their sons spend it and enjoy it as they like”
In thisway
the Islamic ideology uproots the sources of fear from poverty from spirits and makes man work to ensure the necessities of his honorable living.
DISEASE ERADICATES SIN…ENTAILS REWARD:
From another side the Islamic ideology mollifies Man’s constant fear of caching diseased by insisting on an obvious truth, it is that every body is liable to illness. Imam Ali (A.S.) says “one should not have confidence in two attributes: health and wealth, you may find him healthy, suddenly he becomes ill; and you may find him rich suddenly he becomes poor”
Their hadeeths also emphasized that disease eradicates sins. Imam Alsajjad (A.S.) says, “when
a believer fevers one time his sins scatter like the leaves of tree”
And it related from Abbiabdullah (A.S.) that he said: headache for a night lays down every sin except great sins”
Inaddition
disease entails abundant reward and that enlightens its severity to the soul. The prophet (S.W.A) says: “I wonder at the believer and his grief of illness had he known his reward due to illness, he would have liked to be ill continually till he meets his Lord”
Imam Reza specifies the philosophy of illness by his saying: “illness to the believer is purification and mercy, and to the infidel a chastisement and curse, believer is still suffering from disease till he is freed from sins completely”
We return to say that illness has not been made by Allah in vain, rather He made itan examine
the human being and know his patience to forbear calamities. So He examined by illness His prophets the pious servants, Ayyoub’s (A.S.) examination -as tis known
-had been in his body: “None of his organs remained sound except his heart and tongue by which he glorifies Allah, in all that he has been tolerant and contented, glorifying Allah day and night morning and evening. The duration of his illness lasted for a long time till his companions loathed him, his associations deserted him, he was expelled out of his country, all people deserted him no one remained to help him except his faithful wife who was taking into account his right and knowing his old favor to her. All this hadn’t increased Ayyoub but tolerance and contentedness, praise and thanks to God, till his patience became a proverb”
As a result
of this tolerance and contentment Allah gave back to him everything He had taken of him kindly and generously.
The ideology, at the time which it orders the Moslem to endure, it advises him not to complain of disease, as complaining means that one accused Allah of injustice in His determination, it also abases one’s dignity in peoples’ eyes, it incites disappointment and mockery. Ameeralmu’amineen (A.S.) says: “I had previously a brother whose brother hood was for the sake of Allah, what makes him great in my view is the meanness of this world in his view..
He wasn’t complaining of a pain except after it heals…”
It is worth mentioning that the ideology at the time which scatters the clouds of fear within the self it grows up in him the feeling of fear from Allah (be exalted) only as it is the only way to be released from all kinds of fear and it (the belief) bewares of disobeying Him and brandish refers at His severe revenge.
The Holy Qur’an in so many verses deepens the feeling of fear of Allah (be exalted) some of them are: “Say, surely I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the chastisement of a grievous day”
He also says: “And for him who fears to stand in the presence of his Lord and forbids the soul from low desires, then surely the garden- that is the abode”
The prophet (S.W.A.) says: “Allah has not invested with power over Man except of whom Man has feared, and had Man not feared except Allah, Allah wouldn’t invest any one with power over him except Allah…”
He alsosaid:
“blessedness is to whom fear of Allah has occupied him and diverted him from fearing people”
It is natural that this kind of fear has educational influences from which the individual benefits. In this concern imam Alsaadiq says: “He who knows Allah fear Him and he who fears Him abandons this world”
Social advantages result from this fear as it motivates the individual to help others, Allah (be exalted) said: “And they give food in spite of their love for it to the poor and the orphan and the captive we only feed you for Allah’s sake we desire from you neither a reward nor thanks* Surely we fear from our Lord astern distressful day”
In short, the ideology had changed the souls, opened to them immense horizons by releasing them from their fears. It also connected their rope with their Creator, and made it feel His favors and frightened them of His painful chastisement.
THIRDLY:
KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF:
One of the advantages of this ideology is that it motivates the Moslem to know himself. It is impossible to elevate the self without knowing its nature. This knowledge is the first step to take control over it and to rein its caprices. Imam Albaaqirsays:
(there is no knowledge like knowing your self”
Then, there is a strong associative relationship between knowing Allah (be exalted) and knowing the self. For by knowing the self, itsnature
and powers, Man can know its Creator and evaluate His greatness. It is in the prophetic Hadeeth “He
who knows himself, knows his (Creator)”. In return forgetting Allah (be exalted) results in forgetting one’s self: “And be not like those who forsook Allah so He made them forsake of their own selves”
The role of the ideology in identifying Man to himself:
It is doubtless that the ideology - through its sources and symbols-played a big role in disclosing the nature of the self and specified very precisely its diseases and the effects ensued from them.
The Holy Qur’an states explicitly that the soul orders one (its holder) to commit evil: “I do not declare myself free of sin, most surely man’s self is wont to command (him to do) evil except such s my Lord had mercy on.”
Qur’an also states frankly that the human spirit is stingy Allah (be exalted) says “And avarice souls has been made to be presented in the people’s minds”
. He alsosays:
“Whoever is preserved from the niggardliness of his soul, these it is that are the successful ones.”
There is a group of “hadeeths” which shed light on the nature of human self and recommend the remedial viewpoint to its diseases, some of them is what Imam wrote to Al-Ashter Alnekhaei when he appointed him as a governor of Egypt, it is stated: “He has ordered him to resist his lusts, to curb his self at its caprices as the “man’s soul is wont to command him to commit evils except such as Allah Had mercy…”
A sermon of his (A.S.) which included recommendations to people, says: “We depend on His help to tame these souls which slacken to perform what they are ordered to perform, and which hasten to commit what they are forbidden to do…”
He (A.S.) also says: “The self is disposed to bad manners, the servant is ordered to keep to courtesy, the self naturally runs into the field of disobedience, the servant strives to keep it from its evil demands, so when he gives it the full reins he is a partner in its corruption; and he who helps himself to follow the wishes of his self he has participated in killing himself”
On this level, it is worth mentioning that when the psychological disease, are not treated, they result in very dangerous consequences. For example the big confusion, which took place in “Alsakeefa” for Moslems, when the legal leadershipwas excluded
from the center of determination, had psychological roots. It is enough here to recite the speech of Ameeralmu’amineen (A.S.) to one of his companions when he askedhim:
how did your people drive you back of this authority (leader ship) while you are more entitled to it?
“As to taking exclusive possession of this position while we are the more sublime in decency and the most associated with the prophet of Allah, it has been an egoism the souls of some people have refrained while the souls of others have overlooked it generously, and Allah is the Judge”
So the egoism which has been concealed in the souls of some people has been the reason of the first and the most dangerous deviation which the Islamic movement witnessed some hours after the prophet’s demise, therefore in spite of their achieved infallibility, Imams of Ahlilbait (A.S.) were seeking a refuge with Allah (be exalted) by supplications invoking Him to protect them from this dangerous psychological disease.
It is related from Alfazel Ebna Abi Karrah said: I saw Abbaabdullah (A.S.) circumambulating since the beginning of nighttill
the dawn saying: “O my Lord’ protect me from egoism of my soul” I said: may I be a sacrifice for you, I have not heard you reciting other than this supplication?
Hesaid:
which thing is worse than egoism? Allah (be exalted) says: “And whoever is preserved from the niggardliness of his soul these it is that are the successful ones”
FOURTHLY:
TAKING CONTROL OVER THE SELF:
The procedure of the ideology in educating the self is that it does not call for suppressing its wishes because repressing kills its activity and scatter its energies.So
it doesn’t work and doesn’t produce. At the same time the Islamic ideologydoesn’t
urge to release its wishes without restraints; rather it urges on following a wise policy with it. Ameeralmu’amineen (A.S.) says: “The best administering is administering the self”
The operation of taking control over the selfcan be achieved
through controlling its wishes and directing her caprices towards moderation. Itis also achieved
through calling it to account, the Imam Mousa Ibna Ja’afar says: “He is not of us who doesn’t call his self to account once a day; so when he did good he asks Allah to increase it and when he did evil, he asks Allah’s forgiveness and repents to Him”
We must point out that the Islamic ideology does not recommend the crooked manners to control the self; it is narrated from Talha, that he said: A person one day went out and took his clothes out, wallowed in scorching heat saying to himself: Taste, the torture of Hell is hotter, are you satisfied with your state as a carrion at night and idleness at day?!
Hesaid:
As that man was in that state the prophet (S.W.A.) saw him and came to him, he said:
My
self has over powered me, the prophet (S.W.A.) said to him: “Hasn’t there been any other way except what you have done?”
From this direction we know that at the time which the Islamic ideology urges every truthful attempt of man to take control over his self we also find that it doesn’t recommend the un rational manners to control the self, as the soul needs patience and a lasting policy, and a special training in order to refrain from its brutal habits like that training which Ameeralmu’amineen (A.S.) swore to follow with his self…
“I swear by Allah a swearing excluding by it Allah’s will only-I will train myself a training with which it is satisfied with a loaf of bread as a food staff and salt to be her condiment…”
One really becomes over whelmed with Imam’s ability to control his self although funds were levied to him from different countries of the Islamic Caliphate during his Caliphate years, he (A.S.) had lived up to his oath.
Itis narrated
from Habbat Al Arneei that he said: a plate of “Falouzag” (i- e a kind of sweet) was brought to Ameeralmu’amineen (A.S.).He saw its purity and taste; he put his finger in it till it reached its bottom then he drew it without taking any of it then he smacked his finger and said: “The “Halaal” is tasteful, it is not “Haraam” but I don’t like to habituate myself to what I haven’t habituated it, lift it up” they lifted it up”
He was putting the grouts of barley in a plate and locked it up
, he was asked about that he (A.S.) replied: “I fear those two boys may put something of oil or butter in it”
FEAR AND HOPE:
We can emphasize that there are two opposite lines in man’s soul. The Islamic ideology takes to both lines scattering every false fear and every deviated hope instead it grows the fear of Allah from one side and the hope of his reward from the other side Allah has said: “Fearing of the hereafter and hopes for the mercy of his Lord”
. Its view is not one - sided such as concentrating on the side of fear, and consequently man becomes despaired of Allah’smercy,
or concentrates- on the opposite- on hope so it weakens in man’s soul the fear of Allah.
The prophet (S.W.A.) says: “If you know the vastness of Allah’s mercy you will depend on it and you will not do but little, and if you know the extent of Allah’s anger you assume that you will not be saved”
His executor Imam Ali (A.S.) says: If you can have a grave bear of Allah and a good assumption of Allah, so you do comprise between them, as the servant’s good assumption of his creator is to be the amount of his fear of Him, best person in his good assumption of Allah is him whose fear from Allah is greater”
It worthies mentioning that people in their natures and behavior differ very much, so it is wise to take into consideration the best way in guiding and ushering them using hope and frightening.For some of them can be reformed by hope they are the regretted disobedient who have exceed in committing sins, and they are trying to return to Allah through penitence yet they have become disappointed of Allah’s pardon because of the enormity of their crimes and the plentiness of their sins, so, in this state, their despair is treated with the hope in Allah’s generosity and the wideness of his mercy and forgiveness.
“As to those who are reformed by frightening: they are the mutinous disobedients who are engrossed in committing sins, conceited with hope, so their treatment is by frightening and violent checking, by threatening them of the painful chastisement and the disgraceful torture that waits them.”
The followers of the School of “Ahlilbait” whose souls were inhabited by Allah’s fear and reflected on their organs, and that His hope grew up in their hearts, had themost excellent
examples. “It is narrated that Abbi-Zaar had cried due to fear of Allah till he suffered of his eyes. Then it is said to him: would you appeal to Allah to heal your eyes?!
Hereplied:
I am busy from that and it is not my major concern. Theysaid:
what busied you from it? He said the two great things, Paradise and Hell”
From another side the heralds of his divine School strengthen the feeling of hope in the souls. It is stated in some of Ali’s recommendations (A.S.) his son Al-Hassan (A.S.): “O my son, do not drive a sinful person to despair, so many a sin committer had a good end and so many people were practicing a good deed at the end of their age, would go to Hell may Allah save us from it”.
0%
Author: Ar-Risaleh Center
