Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Provisions for the Journey (Mishkat), Volume 1

Thehadith discussed in the text is one of the most comprehensive and rewarding exhortations of the Noble Prophet (S) to one of his most eminent companions by the name of Abu Dharr.

Author(s): Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi

Translator(s): Kelvin Lembani (Muhammad ‘Abd al-‘Aziz)

Publisher(s): ABWA Publishing and Printing Center

Miscellaneous information:

Provisions for the Journey (Mishkat), Volume 1 Author: Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi Prepared by: Translation Unit, Central Office of Research, the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly. Translator: Kelvin Lembani (Muhammad ‘Abd al-‘Aziz). Editor: Andrewpin. Proofreader: Majid Karimi. Publisher: ABWA Publishing and Printing Center.

Table of Contents

Foreword. 8

Lesson 1: The Quality of Servitude and the Path to Eternal Bliss 10

Worship and the perception of Allah. 11

Worship And Adoration Of Allah Is A Means Of Ascending And Rising Through The Stations Of Perfection For The Believers 13

The stages of worship of Allah. 14

a) Knowledge of Allah. 14

b) Belief in the Prophet (S) and acknowledgement of his divine mission. 15

c) Love for the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) 15

Likening the Ahl al-Bayt to Noah’s (‘a) vessel and the gate of repentance for the Children of Israel 16

Notes 19

Lesson 2: The Need for Deriving Correct Benefit from Allah’s Blessings 20

Health and leisure, two unknown favors 20

Youth is a period of Vitality And Liveliness 22

The Need For Appreciating Health And Ability. 23

This World’s Life Is A Ground Of Choices, Growth And Spiritual Ascension  24

Notes 26

Lesson 3: Correct Perception of the Realities of Life and Making Optimum Use of [Man’s] Lifespan  27

Making Timely Use Of Opportunities And Keeping Protracted Hopes At Bay  27

The Stages Of Negligence 27

Asceticism And Wrong Interpretations 28

Asceticism and belief in the primacy of the hereafter 29

Discharging Religious Duties And Obligations Promptly. 31

The Thought Of Death Terminates Protracted Hopes 31

The Intermediary Role Of The World. 32

Notes 35

Lesson 4: The Prophet’s (S) Recommendation to Make Good Use of Present Abilities 36

The Role Of Meditation Upon Death And The Consequences Of Sin. 36

The Need For Appreciating Life 37

Discharging Duties On Time And Not Being Anxious About The Following Day  38

Notes 40

Lesson 5: Castigating the Acquisition of Knowledge for Worldly Goals 41

The Consequences Of Not Acting Upon Knowledge And Attaining Social Rank By Means Of It 41

The Consequences Of Acquiring Knowledge For The Sake Of Deceiving Others 42

Admitting Ignorance is a Quality of the Divine Scholars 43

Man’s Biggest Regret On The Day Of Resurrection. 44

The Categories Of Scholars In The Words Of ‘Ali (‘a) 45

Notes 46

Lesson 6: The Magnificence and Magnitude of the Rights of Allah’s Blessings and the Need for Attention to Obligations 47

The Greatness Of The Rights Of Allah And The Infiniteness Of His Blessings 47

The Shortness Of Life And The Immortality Of Good And Bad Works 48

a) The embodiment of man’s worldly works on the Day of Resurrection. 49

b) The Suddenness of Death is A Cause of Vigilance and Wakefulness 49

The Pre-Ordination Of Man’s Sustenance And Its Inaccessibility To Others 50

The Unity Of Divine Actions And The Source Of Allah’s Beneficence 51

Notes 52

Lesson 7: The Vigilance and Alertness of a Believer 53

Companionship with the Pious and Religious Scholars, and the Difference of Sin in the Perception of a Believer and an Infidel 53

The Need For Choosing A Worthy Friend And Perceiving Sin As Great 53

The Danger Of Unrestrained Scholars And Unwise And Foolish Ignorant People 54

Paying Heed To Sin And Conceiving It As Great Is A Result Of Allah’s Grace And Favor 56

The Need For Paying Heed To The Greatness Of The One Who Is Being Disobeyed Not The Smallness Of Sin  57

Lesson 8: The Correspondence of Words with Actions and Guarding the Tongue 60

The Effects of the Correspondence and Lack of Correspondence of Words with Actions 60

The Role of Sin in Being Deprived of Subsistence 62

Sin in the Chain of Causes 63

Guarding the Tongue and Keeping Aloof from Vain Pursuits 64

Notes of Lessons 7 and 8. 66

Lesson 9: The Value and Importance of Prayer and the Differences of Status of the Dwellers of Paradise 67

Subdividing Some of the Prophet’s (S) Advices 67

First section. 67

Section two. 67

Third section. 67

Fourth section. 67

The Station of Allah’s Devotees and Nocturnal Worshipers 68

The Differences in the Gratification Enjoyed by the Dwellers of the Different Stations of Paradise 69

The Prophet’s (S) Intense Love for Prayer 70

Prayer is the Key to Prosperity and Bliss 72

Perceiving the Sweetness of Prayer Is the Secret of Its Continuance 73

Notes 74

Lesson 10: The Leaders of Heaven and the Status of Some of the Duties and the Levels of Paradise 75

The Leaders of Paradise 75

Natural Disposition and the Search for Perfection. 75

The Status and Rank of Some Duties 77

a) The Status and Rank of Prayer 77

b) The Status and Rank of Fasting. 78

c) The Status and Rank of Jihad. 78

The Differences of Believers in Their Enjoying the Different Levels of Paradise 79

Notes 81

Lesson 11: The Importance and Role of Fear and Sorrow (1) 82

Fear and Sorrow and Abstinence from Sin. 82

Fear and Sorrow and the Spiritual Ascension and Growth of Man. 83

The Difference between Fear and Sorrow. 83

The World Is a Prison for a Believer and Paradise for an Infidel 86

Meditation about Hell Is a Cause of Fear and Sorrow for a Believer 86

Notes 89

Lesson 12: The Importance and Role of Fear and Sorrow (2) 90

Beneficial and Valuable Knowledge 90

Security and Peace in Paradise Are a Product of Fear and Dread of Allah in the World  92

The Forgiveness of Sins Is a Result of Fear of Allah. 93

Criticizing Dependence on Good Works 94

The Role of Paying Heed to Sin in Shunning the Devil 95

A Study of the Nature of Fear and Sorrow and the Meaning of Fear of Allah  96

1) Fear of Divine Retribution In Hell 96

2) Fear of Losing The Gifts Of Paradise 96

3) Fear Of Being Deprived Of The Beatific Presence And Vision Of Allah [Liqa’ Allah] 97

The Simultaneous Appearance of Opposing and Conflicting States 98

Notes 101

Lesson 13: The Insignificance and Minuteness of the World and the Importance of Perceiving the Hereafter 102

The Differences of Perception and Conduct between an Intelligent and an Unintelligent Person  102

Trustworthiness and Humility. 103

a) The Function of Trustworthiness 104

b) The Function of Humility. 105

A) In speech. 106

B) In the eyes 107

C) In the face 107

D) In prostration. 107

E) In supplication and prayer 107

F) In the heart 107

The Insignificance and Minuteness of the World in Allah’s View. 109

Notes 112

Lesson 14: Extolling Pursuit of the Hereafter, Asceticism and Spiritual Discernment in Religion and Reproaching Materialism. 113

Reproaching Materialism and Elucidating the Highness of Faith. 113

The Need for Loving the Hereafter 115

Allah’s Benevolence and Awareness of Religion and Asceticism in the World  116

Notes 121

Lesson 15: Wisdom, Foresight and an Angle of the Prophet’s (S) Way of Life 122

Wisdom and Foresight Are the Products of Asceticism. 122

Signs of the Most Ascetic People 124

1. Whoever does not Forget Graves And Decomposed Corpses 125

2. And Renounces The Adornments Of The World. 125

3. He Prefers What Is Eternal Over What Is Ephemeral 126

4. And He Does Not Look Forward To Tomorrow. 126

5. And Considers Himself Among The Dead. 126

Protracted Hopes and Procrastination of Obligations Is a Sign of Weakness of Faith and Weakness of Confidence in Allah. 127

An Angle of the Prophet’s (S) Way of Life 128

Notes 130

Lesson 16: The Danger of Loving Wealth and Position and Praising Contentment and Simple Living  131

The World, a Goal or a Means 131

The Reproached World. 132

Poor Believers Are Light-burdened on the Day of Resurrection. 133

Praising Contentment and Simple Living and Reproaching Covetousness 136

Recommending Detachment from the World and Disinclination to It 137

Notes 141

Lesson 17: The Effects of Crying for the Hereafter, the Broadness of a Believer’s Heart and Piousness 142

The Effects of Crying for the Hereafter 142

The Broadness of a Believer’s Heart and Its Signs 143

Piousness and Fleeing from Sanctimony and Hypocrisy. 145

The Intention and Its Role in the Evaluation of Works 147

Notes 149

Lesson 18: Honoring the Divine Majesty and Splendor of Allah. 150

The Status of Invocation of Allah in the Qur’an and the Hadiths 150

The Quantity and Quality of Invocation of Allah. 151

The Relationship between Invocation with Words and Invocation with the Heart 153

Two Benefits of Invocation with Words 154

Notes 157

Lesson 19: The Greatness of Allah’s Status in the Viewpoint of the Angels 158

The Role of Arousing Hope and Fear 158

The Essence of Fear and Dread of Allah. 159

The Benefit and Status of Fear of Allah. 160

The Status of the Fear of the Leaders and Saints [Awliya’] of Allah. 162

The Perfection of Man and the Feeling of Humility and Lowliness in Regard to Allah  163

Fear of Allah and Fleeing from Sin and Obsession with Popularity and Position  164

The Role of Perceiving the Status of the Fear of the Lovers of Allah and the Angels 165

Notes 167

Lesson 20: The Prophet’s (S) Description of Heaven and Hell 168

Meditation about the Greatness of Creatures 168

The Indescribable Greatness of the Resurrection. 169

Describing a Section of the Tortures of Hell 170

The Reaction of People and Angels in Face of the Clamor and Roar of Hell 172

Heaven Is the Eternal Abode of the Believers and Righteous 173

Notes 176

Lesson 21: The Importance of Meditation and the Need for Preserving Factors which Ward off Negligence 177

The Three Recommendations of the Prophet (S) 177

A) Speaking Softly At The Time Of Escorting A Funeral 177

B) Speaking Softly At The Time Of War 180

C) Speaking Softly At The Time Of Reciting The Qur’an. 181

The Consequences of Inattention to the Causes of Spiritual Wakefulness 183

Reproaching Laziness and Vain Laughing. 184

The Role of Meditation in Worship. 186

Notes 188

Lesson 22: The Realm of Right and Falsehood. 189

Right and Falsehood and the Instances of Their Application. 189

The Visible Appearance of Right and Falsehood. 190

Man and His Free Will, Volition and Allah’s Temptations 191

Man and the Two Inclinations towards Right and Falsehood. 194

The General Inclination to Sensual and Worldly Pleasures 197

Notes 200

Lesson 23: The Perfect Scholar and the Practical Appearance of Belief in the Unity of Divine Actions 201

Abraham and Belief in the Unity of Divine Actions 201

Reliance on Everything Else Other than Allah Is a Result of Lack of Belief in the Unity of Divine Actions 202

Shaykh Ansari and His Flight from the Devil’s Trap. 204

Humility Is an Agent of Dignity and Honor 205

Imam al-Sajjad (‘a) and the Perception of Spiritual Deficiency and Poverty. 207

The Fruits of True Faith in the Words of the Noble Prophet (S) 209

Notes 211

Lesson 24: The Importance of Self-examination, Comparing Works and Shame for Allah  212

Self-examination Is an Unavoidable Need. 212

Preconditioning, Watching over the Soul and Self-examination. 214

a) Preconditioning [musharitah] 214

b) Watching over the Soul [muraqibah] 215

c) Self-examination [muhasibah] 216

The Benefit of Self-examining the Soul 216

Shame as a Result of the Ugliness of Works 219

The Concept and Domain of Shame and Shyness 221

The Causes of Propagating Wrong Manners and False Customs 222

Notes 226

Foreword

In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful

The invaluable legacy of the Household [Ahl al-Bayt ] of the Prophet (may peace be upon them all), as preserved by their followers, is a comprehensive school of thought that embraces all branches of Islamic knowledge. This school has produced many brilliant scholars who have drawn inspiration from this rich and pure resource. It has given many scholars to the Muslim ummah who, following in the footsteps of Imams of the Prophet’s Household (‘a), have done their best to clear up the doubts raised by various creeds and currents within and without Muslim society and to answer their questions. Throughout the past centuries, they have given well-reasoned answers and clarifications concerning these questions and doubts.

To meet the responsibilities assigned to it, theAhl al-Bayt World Assembly (ABWA) has embarked on a defence of the sanctity of the Islamic message and its verities, often obscured by the partisans of various sects and creeds as well as by currents hostile to Islam. The Assembly follows in the footsteps of theAhl al-Bayt (‘a) and the disciples of their school of thought in its readiness to confront these challenges and tries to be on the frontline in consonance with the demands of every age.

The arguments contained in the works of the scholars belonging to the School of theAhl al-Bayt (‘a) are of unique significance. That is because they are based on genuine scholarship and appeal to reason, and avoid prejudice and bias. These arguments address scholars and thinkers in a manner that appeals to healthy minds and wholesome human nature.

To assist the seekers of truth, theAhl al-Bayt World Assembly has endeavored to present a new phase of these arguments contained in the studies and translations of the works of contemporary Shi‘ah writers and those who have embraced this sublime school of thought through divine blessing.

The Assembly is also engaged in edition and publication of the valuable works of leading Shi‘ah scholars of earlier ages to assist the seekers of the truth in discovering the truths which the School of the Prophet’s Household (‘a) has offered to the entire world.

The Ahl al-Bayt World Assembly looks forward to benefit from the opinions of the readers and their suggestions and constructive criticism in this area.

We also invite scholars, translators and other institutions to assist us in propagating the genuine Islamic teachings as preached by the Prophet Muhammad (S).

We beseech God, the Most High, to accept our humble efforts and to enable us to enhance them under the auspices of Imam al-Mahdi, His vicegerent on the earth (may Allah expedite his advent).

We express our gratitude to Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi, the author of the present book, and Mr. Kelvin Lembani (Muhammad ‘Abd al-‘Aziz), its translator. We also thank our colleagues who have participated in producing this work, especially the staff of the Translation Office.

Cultural Affairs Department

TheAhl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly