Supplication of the Holy Month of Sha'ban
(Munajat-e-Shabanyeh)1
The supplication of the Holy Month of Sha' ban-the famous (Munajat-e-Shabanyeh) narrated by the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (A.S.) and other Sinless Imams of Prophet (S.A.W.)'s Ahlul-Bait, is one of the most precious mystic supplication. Imam Khomeini (R.A.) the most perfect gnostic of our times, in his repeated speeches have emphasized the special spiritual importance of this precious supplication. Those who are blessed with Divine grace of keeping themselves continuously engaged in supplications and God's remembrance loves this supplication a lot, and because of this supplication eagerly await for the arrival of the Holy Month of Shaban.
This supplication contains vest sublime themes especially the etiquettes and manners of servanthood; the manners of how to face the God- Almighty; how to beseech Him; how to tell him about heart's secrets; how to open tongue for offering apologies and how to remain hopeful. Also, in these supplications the meanings of interpretation of God's Countenance (Laqa), God's Witnessing (Shahood) God's Nearness, (Qurb) have been described in a delicate manner, which do not leave any doubt or confusion for those wayfarers, who are still double minded, and who do not want to believe. Regarding self-awareness which is preliminary for God's learning (Marefat), this supplication contains most meaningful and surprising points.
Since, the recital of this supplication, especially, during the Holy Month of Shaban as well as throughout the year for the wayfarers of spiritual migration have been strongly recommended I feel it appropriate to present its English translation for the utilization of dear readers.
"In the Name of God the Beneficent the Merciful.
"Oh God! Send salutation upon Muhammad and His Holy Progeny and since, I beseech You (please) grant my prayer; whenever I cry; please listen to my cry; whenever I supplicate You please pay attention towards my condition; Because, I have taken refuge in You, am standing before Thy Threshold in a state of grief entangled with hardships shedding tears, while still remaining hopeful of Your mercy and compassion. Thou are Knowledgeable about my heart; is aware of my needs, knows thoroughly about myself and there is nothing hidden from You as far as my affairs of this world and next worlds are concerned.
"And whatever I bring upon my tongue to speak about my needs as well as regarding my being hopeful in Thee for my eternal salvation- Thou know every thing about it. Oh my Master! Thou will governs all the hidden and apparent affairs of my life till its very last breath; whatever profit or loss reaches to me, it is from Thee and not from other than Thee. Oh God! If Thou deprive me than who else is there to provide my sustenance? If Thou make me abject then who else is there to support me? Oh God!! I take refuge in Thee from Thy wrath and the severity of punishment. Oh God! If I don t deserve to receive Your blessing - Thou possessess the decency of bestowing forgiveness upon me with Thy infinite mercy and compassion.
"Oh God! As though I am standing before Thy sacred threshold; my good faith and trust in Thee has already spreaded the shadow of mercy upon my head; whatever was befitting from Thy magnanimity and benevolence, Thou have done with me accordingly; forgiveness and blessing has surrounded my entire existence. Oh God! If Thou pardon me who else is more befitting than Thee.
"And In case my death is near and my deeds did not earn Thy nearness, Then I will present my admittance of sins as a means to receive Thy-forgiveness. 0 God! I do admit that I have oppressed my self, then woe be upon the self, if you do not bestow forgiveness upon him. Oh God! Thy beneficence and merci surrounded me throughout my living; therefore, do not deprive me from Thy grace in my dying. Oh God! how can I be disappointed from receiving Thy Favors, after death, because during my entire life I have not seen any thing from Thee except compassion?
"Oh God! Be my guardian and supervisor over my affairs the way it is befitting of Thee (not what I deserve) pay attention with Thy benevolence and merci towards me - a sinner who has been overtaken completely by his ignorance. Oh God! Indeed thou have covered all my sins in this world; I need their cover up in the Hereafter much more than the covering of this world; because, Thou were kind and did not expose them to any one of your descent servants; therefore, on the Day of Judgment do not insult and expose me in front of all the humanity.
"Oh God! Thy mercy and compassion have increased my hopes, because Thy forgiveness is for better than my deeds. Oh God! On the Day when Thou will issue the final verdict for Thy servants, make me happy with Thou countenance. Oh God! I beseech Thou for forgiveness like some one who really is in need of acceptance of his repentance, therefore, accept my excuse, oh Beneficent! Who is besought by the sinners for atonement. Oh my Master! Do not turn down my request; do not deprive me from remaining hopeful of Your forgiveness; through the grace of Thy magnanimity do not cut off any hope and desire.
"Oh God! If thou had the intention of seeing me despised, would never blessed me with Thy guidance; if Thou had intended seeing me contemptible, would not have blessed me with health and happiness. Oh God! I can never believe it that Thou will turn down my request for which I have spent an entire life beseeching Thee for its grant. Oh God! Thou are the only one worthy of praise and adoration - the eternal and continuous praise always increasing and never ending, only if it could receive Thy pleasure and acceptance.
"Oh God! if Thou will remonstrate me for my offenses I will seek refuge in Thy forgiveness; if Thou will take me to task against my sins I will take Thee to task for Thy forgiveness; if Thou will send me to Hell I will inform its inmates that I loved Thee. Oh God! if my deeds are insignificant, but as compared to them my hope and desire in Thy magnanimity and benevolence is too much. Oh God! How can I return deprived and disappointed from Thy magnanimous kingdom, while remaining quite hopeful about Thy compassion and merci, that thou will be kind to me, and would include me among the rescued ones.
"Oh God! I have spend my entire life in ignorance, negligence, and forgetfulness from Thee; wasted my youth drunken into passions being ignorant of Thee. Oh God! I did not awake, because of being too proud to receive Thy forgiveness, and in this manner I followed the path of Your wrath and rage. Oh God! I am your humble servant and son of your servant who is now standing before Thee, pleading for Thy mercy and compassion as a means of my salvation.
"Oh God! I am your servant who has came to Thy threshold as ashamed and apologetic; I seek forgiveness and pardon for all my sins and transgressions, which were committed by me due to my lack of modesty from Thy presence, because bestowing for giveness is the characteristic of Thy magnanimity. Oh God! I do not have the power of relinquishing sins except that Thou awaken me with love and kindness. Or, if thou desire that I should become the way Thou want me to be; must be thankful to Thee for spreading Thy compassion and cleansing and purifying my heart from the filthiness of negligence.
if gnorance and negligence have caused me to remain unprepared for Thy countenance, Thy bounties and blessings make me aware. Oh God if Thy wrath and punishment will send me to Hell's fire; Thy generosity and reward have invited me towards the eternal Paradise.
Various Responsibilities
Man comes to realize his responsibilities only when he reaches the stage of distinguishing between right and wrong. It is then that he can bear to observe the commands of the system of life and adhere to the chain of decisive decisions on which man's happiness and integrity depend. In other words, he is able to create harmony between his behaviors and his bodily and spiritual needs.
Performing one's material and spiritual responsibilities is a necessity attested to by both reason and conscience, which call on man to steadfastly pursue advancement, and condemn such factors that cause disturbances in the system of living. Performing one's responsibilities plays a great role in furthering good manners and spirituality. Despite some beliefs, responsibility is not slavery but real freedom. Responsibility draws for man the behavioral order that conforms to the most adequate system of living. Man's responsibilities exist as long as man exists but in varying forms. It is only appropriate to expect a person to fulfill his responsibilities if he is able and willing to do so.
Irresponsibility and violation of the rules is just ignorance of the fundamentals of life and an introduction to misery and destruction. There is not a greater mistake than carelessness about members of society. Therefore, we must prevent the process of eliminating individual duties for the sake of fulfilling our lusts. People who are captives of their own lusts prefer their own wishes and personal interests over their duties, which is the root of their failure and inability to reach human integrity at all.
According to Dr. Carl:
"A man who considers himself free to do anything is not like an. eagle that roams the endless heavens but is like a runaway dog that finds himself in the middle of a street crowded with cars. This man can be compared to the dog that does whatever its cravings dictate, yet the man is more misguided than the dog for he does not know where to go or how to rid himself of the many dangers that surround him.
"We all agree that nature is subjected to certain laws. We must also realize that man's life must contain a sequence of laws and regulations. We imagine ourselves as being totally independent of nature, and do whatever we wish. We do not want to admit that controlling our lives is not any different than driving cars from the viewpoint that both need adherence to certain rules. It is as if we think that the real goal for man is to eat, drink, sleep have sexual intercourse, and own a car, radio, etc...
Obeying the rules is essential for human society, and this can not be done without constantly observing the rules. Those who rely on their personal abilities can observe the facts of life with the light of reason and logic; and therefore, can bear to undertake various duties. They organize their lives according to the fundamentals of righteousness and truth and accept their duties without complaining. If a person fails in anyway, he still can find reason to be proud, for such failure comes not but after fulfilling his responsibilities.
We must search for happiness in real felicity. Felicity together with tranquility provides those who adhere to the calls of their conscience with success. The reward of those who observe their responsibilities is self-confidence and the harmony of both the mind and the conscience. This comforting feeling stems from the soul of those who carry out their responsibilities in life.
One of man's vital duties in life is observing his vows. It is man's nature to feel resentful for violating his vows and to feel satisfaction and goodness when fulfilling them in both individual and social cases, regardless of his religion. The fundamentals on which a person is brought up play a tremendous role in his future conduct. Thus, the necessity of an adequate upbringing and the development of its fruitfulness, and refraining from the things that damage man's nature become readily obvious. Proper upbringing is the key to behavioral perfection.
Morality deems it necessary to observe and respect all verbal vows (agreements) that are contracted between parties, even it they lack legal guarantees. Violation of vows is considered as abandoning the rules of honor and dignity.
According to Buzarjumehr:
"The violation of vows isolates honor.
He who diverts himself from the right path by violating his vows (agreements) plants the seeds of refusal and resentment in the hearts of others. Eventually the violator's actions will bring shame on him, he will then attempt to cover up his actions beneath excuses and contradictions and finally the people who know this person will see that he is a misguided hypocrite.
Violation of oaths is surely among the most active elements in creating social dissention and weakening ties between people. Undoubtedly, a society that is overwhelmed by dissention and mistrust will eventually loose the balance of its social life and as a result its members will not be able to trust anyone not even the closest of relatives.
There is a type of individual who is not only careless about keeping his promises but he considers treason (betrayal of trust) to be cleaver and good management; these people even brag about their actions to others.
Fulfilling promises is essential for a person who wishes to live a social life; it is the basis for social happiness, development, and success.
It is narrated that a group of Khawarij were captured during the time of Hajjaj, who reviewed their cases and sentenced them as he wished. When the last man was standing in front of Hajjaj waiting for his sentence, time for prayer arrived. Hajjaj heard the call for prayer and turned the prisoner over to a noble man and told him to bring him back in the morning. The noble man left the palace with the prisoner. As they were walking the prisoner said: "I am not one of the Khawarij. I ask Allah by His Mercy to prove my innocence, for I am an innocent hostage in their hands. I ask you to let me spend the night with my wife and children so I can leave my will with them. I promise that I will return before the roaster crows in the morning. After a moment of silence, the noble man agreed to the man's insistence and permitted him to go home for the night. A short time later the noble man fell victim to his fear and imagined that he would be the subject of Hajjaj's fury. That night the man woke up terrified and was astonished to hear the prisoner, who he had given permission to go home, knocking at his door as he had promised. This noble man was overwhelmed with surprise and could not help but exclaim:
"Why have you come to my door'?
The prisoner replied: "He who recognizes Allah's greatness and power, and makes Him a witness to his oath, must fulfill his promise.
The noble man proceeded with the prisoner to the palace of Hajjaj, and narrated to him the complete story. Hajjaj, who is known for his ruthlessness, was so moved by the man's honesty that he allowed him to go free.
Now suppose that a commercial establishment disregarded its commitment in fulfilling its duties and regulations. Would this behavior lead anywhere but down, for the establishment would lose its credibility among the people.
There is not a more stabilizing factor than exchanged trust between members of a society. Interpersonal relations would not become stable, nor would trust become manifested in any society unless everyone gave as much importance to their verbal commitments as he does to his official and legal contracts. For example, a merchant should transfer goods on time to his clients, a borrower should pay his debts to his lenders...etc. It is then that disputes can be eliminated, and life can reach its ultimate goal.
It is essential for a person to review his capabilities before making any promises, and to refrain from commitments that are outside his reach. Even if a person cannot fulfill his promises or meet his commitments he is responsible for them. Thus, if a person is not careful of what he says, he makes himself subject to blame and criticism.
Man is bound to behave reasonably so as to be considered a human being. The success of human societies is totally dependent upon the unity of its members. Therefore, it is of special importance that every person conducts his life according to the fundamentals of truth and righteousness, and whole- heartily endeavors to refrain from any action that may cause dissention or disunity. Furthermore, if the sanctity of oaths and promises stem from one's faith and morality they are more likely to be observed.
Islam so greatly condemns the violation of promises that it has made it illegal and unethical for its followers to violate their oaths even if they were made with tyrants and desolates. Imam Baqir (a.s) said:
"There are three affairs for which Allah gave no license (permission to violate): Conveyance of trust to both the righteous and the fallacious; Fulfillment of promises to both the righteous and the fallacious;
And kindness to the parents whether they are righteous or sinful. (al-Kafi Vol.2, p. 162)
The Holy Quran describes the believers in the following way:
"And those who are keepers of their trusts arid their covenants." 23:8
Furthermore, the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) counted breach of promises among the signs of hypocrisy. He said: "There are four traits that if one possess he is considered a hypocrite. If one of them is found in a person he has the characteristics of hypocrite unless he abandon it: (The four characteristics are) He who lies when he speaks; He who breaks his promises; He who betrays when he makes a vow; and He who erupts when he quarrels (with someone). Bihar al-Anwar Vol. 15, p. 234.
Imam Ali (A.S.) wrote the following to Malik Al-Ashtar:
" Refrain from bragging to your subjects about your kindness (to them), and from preferring yourself (as governor) to your subjects, or to promise them and follow your promises with betrayal; for bragging thwarts kindness, preference conceals the light of righteousness, and betrayal deserves Allah's and people s resentment. Allah, Glory be to Him, said: It is a great resentment to Allah that you say that which you do not do" Mustadrak al- Wasa`il Vol..2, p.85
Imam Ali (a.s) said:
"Fulfi1lment (of promises) is twin to truthfulness, and I know of no shield better than (truthfulness)." Ghurar al-Hikam p. 228
Islam gives special importance to the raising of children. It has clarified to parents their moral duties towards their children through strict and comprehensive commands. Unless parents perform their duties in accordance to these moral principles, they cannot teach their children to adherence to moral excellence.
This is because actions speak louder than words.
Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) prohibited men from breaking promises to their children. He said:
"And a man shall not make a promise to his child and not fulfill it."
Nahj al-Fasahah p. 201
Dr. Alindi said:
"A sixteen year old boy who robbed every day was brought to me for treatment. I discovered that when the boy was seven or eight years old, his father had forced him to give his toy to an aristocrat's daughter, for whom his father worked. That toy, to the boy, represented an ultimate dream for he had worked hard to get it. The boy's father promised to buy a substitute toy but had unintentionally forgot. The hopeless boy sought revenge by stealing a piece of candy from his father's pocket. A day later the boy broke into a house and stole some items. "It was not difficult to treat the boy when he was brought to me. It is possible that the boy would have come to he a dangerous criminal if he was not properly treated. But now his chances of becoming a reasonable and sell-confident individual are much greater. - Ma Wa Farzandane Ma
Imam Ali (a.s) emphasizes the way one should behave with his friends. He said:
"If you adopt an intimate friend, be his servant and grant him authentic faith and true sincerity. Ghurar al-Hikam p. 223
Only people who possess excellent qualities and good morals are eligible for love and relationships.
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:
"The happiest among people is he who associates with kind people; he who does not oppress people when he deals with them; he who when he speaks does not lie; and he who when he promises does not betray. He is of those whose valor is perfected. whose justness is manifest, and whose brotherhood is essential"
According to Dr. Smiles:
"When you associate with spiritual people who possess noble traits, you feel an invincible power calling ~ our souls and manners to excellence and majesty. Friendship with those who hold strong reason, noble traits, and more experience is a very valuable matter; for such a relationship gives an opportunity to achieve high spirits, teach us new ways of appropriate behavior, and direct our views about others to the righteous paths.
Associating with kind people teaches us goodness and kindness, for good manners are like a light which lights that which is around it and all that is near it.
In conclusion, all men should know their responsibilities towards vows and promises.
Repentance
could be defined as a feeling of being ashamed, sorry, and regretful for past
sins. Some one who is indeed ashamed by heart for his past sins may truly be
called as a repentant. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said:
"Feeling ashamed and being sorry (for past deeds) is repentance.
- Haqayaq, p-286.
It is true that God-Almighty accepts repentance and forgives the past sins, but simply recital of the sentence: "I ask God to forgive (Astaghferullah), being ashamed and regretful or even, crying for past sins may not be considered as sufficient for a pure and sincere repentance, but with the existence of the following tree symptoms the repentance could be considered as true and realistic:
i. First: He must be disgusted by heart for his, past sins and his self
should have a feeling of shame, regret, and sorrow.
ii. Second: He must take a firm decision not to indulge into sinning in the future.
iii. Third: If, because of indulgence into a particular sin, he has done something, which could be compensated then he must take a firm decision for its compensation. For example: If he owes dues of people, has usurped property or stolen money, must decide to return it to its owner in the first available opportunity. In case he is not in a position to pay at present, he should try to get the owners consent or satisfaction through whatever means at his disposal.
If he has committed backbiting against some one, should seek his pardon, if he has oppressed some one, should try to redress the aggrieved. If religious dues have not been paid he must arrange for their payment, and if the daily prayers and the fasting have been missed, he must perform them as make-up (qaza) obligations. If some one has undertanen all the above steps, then he may truly be called as a sincere repentant, who is indeed ashamed for his past deeds and such atonement certainly receives God's acceptance.
But if some one recites the sentence: "I seek God's forgiveness upon his tongue, but by heart is not ashamed for his past sins, does not decide for avoidance of future sins and is not ready to compensate for those sins which could have been compensated - then such a person has not atoned and should not expect acceptance of his repentance, even though he might appear in a prayer assembly and, thus, being affected sentimentally might shed some tears or may cry loudly. A person recited the sentence: "I seek God's forgiveness in the presence of the Commander of the Faithful Imamn Ali (A.S.). The Imam said:
May your mother lament for you, do you know what is repentance? The repentance can be defined with the following six parameters;
1. Feeling ashamed and regretful for the past sins.
2. Taking firm decision for avoidance of sins forever.
3. Paying all the dues of the people so that when he meets God- Almighty on the Resurrection Day, he does not have any pending claim against him.
4. All the religious obligations (Wajibat) which have not been performed in the past should be discharged as makeup (Qaza) obligations.
5. Should feel so sad about his past sins that all the bodily flesh formed as a result of eating forbidden (Haram) should be melted in a manner that skin should touch the bare bones until the new flesh is reformed again.
6. The inconvenience and hardship of worshipping should b imposed upon the body as a compensation for the pleasures it faste because of past sins. Only after performing all the above, you may recit the sentence I seek forgiveness from God.
Wasail, vol. 11, p.361
Satan
is so deceitful that sometimes he even deceives a persoi regarding repentance.
It is possible that a sinner might attend a prayer gathering and after being
effected sentimentally may shed some tears or may cry. Then Satan would say:
Great, wonderful! What a great thing have you done? You have already atoned and
all your sins have been cleaned. While in reality, such person neither is
ashamed from sinning by heart nor has be decided not to commit sins any more,
and to remit dues of the creditors. Such act doe not constitute a real
repentance and would not result one's attaining sell purification and eternal
salvation. Such a person has not refrained from
sins and has not returned to God-Almighty.
< Taqwa with Man a for Axis Main>In the modern world, Reagan,
Mitterrand, Husni Mubarak, King Husayn, King Hasan, Saddam, Tariq Aziz,
Rajawi, Bani Sadr, Bakhtiyar, Thatcher, and all of them are of the same
leaven. That is, when one analyzes their doings, he realizes that for them
the principle constitutes political interests, banding together, and
grouping, who will vote to them, who will follow them and abide by them, and
who will blindly adhere to them. They implement it wherever they can and such
a regime turns out. Islam is basically against this way of living. As I have
already mentioned, Islam regards belief and taqwa as the main
criterion. It sets up a pious society. It enables God-fearing pious leaders
to rule and precludes trickery and deceptions. This is the distinctive
feature of Islam. The following Quranic verse, highlights this very issue:
"And among mankind is he whose speech about the life of this world pleases you ,and he calls Allah to witness as to that which Is in his heart; yet he is the most rigid of adversaries. And when he turns away (from you and comes to power) be endeavours to make mischief in the land and to destroy the tillage and the breeding stock; and Allah does not like mischief (2:204-205
There >are some people who raise slogans. At these slogans, one wonders that they are so nice good people: These conferences, statements, claims, advocacy of the deprived, advocacy of so-and-so, struggle against arrogance, and things which give rise to such slogans. But when they become in charge of affairs, you will realize what type of people they are, and the Qur'an introduces them in this way; and on the other side it introduces another group as follows:
Islam regards as axis, the sacrificing and pious people who observe taqwa (God-fearing, obedience to Allah and piety)
In your country, the best examples of human rights are existing due to the sovereignty of taqwa and revolutionary criteria which are under the attack of the mendacious proclaimers of human rights. But they close their eyes. In your country, the rights of the religious minorities, like the overwhelming majority, are safeguarded. Which place in the world is the case so? Five representatives of religious minorities (who in the proportion of their population have more representatives in the Majlis than we) have, like other representatives, similar seats and vote like others. Their vote may reject or approve a bill. The day before yesterday, in a meeting in one of our Majlis departments in which a Jewish doctor is a member, one of the credentials of a candidate could have been approved or rejected by one vote. We see that one vote could have determined the fate of a Muslim candidate, who was also a university professor, for election as a Majlis representative. We abide by these principles. Of course, one small incident of one of the minorities who had raised its expectations too high, embarked on assassinating our foreign guests. This causes a trouble in the foreign policy of the country. With regard to education, the constitution, which they voted for, says that all the curricula should be in Persian. Only the extra-curricular subjects could be in their own (minorities') languages in the schools. Now the Armenians are making trouble. Their children do not sit for examinations or do the like of these. They say, for instance, that they want to have religious education in their own language. But the Constitution stipulates that no official course could be conducted in their language. If they do so, they will be tried. They themselves have approved this Constitution. Surely, they are free to write all their religious books in their own language. They are also free to teach (in their own language) in non-official times or in the hours they desire. In their churches and synagogues they can act as they want. But in the official class time, such courses must be in Persian. Their expectations have risen beyond the limit in this country; nevertheless, they have not been treated harshly despite all the problems they have created for us. This is our Islam and the Islamic Republic and our Islamic Revolution. Now compare this with the treatment of Washington toward the Muslims' mosque. For months, the Muslims are performing their salat (prayers) in the streets in sunshine, rain, and snow, because they do not conform to Washington's policy. But we do not treat the Armenians here in this way. Yet we are branded as being against human rights and those gentlemen' (Americans) become the standard-bearers of human rights. Those, who presently back the criminal Khmer Rouge's seat in the United Nations, become the proponents of human rights. And those who support the atrocious Saddam, who destroyed out cities in this way, become the advocates of human rights while we become something else.
This is the visage of modern world. You should appreciate your own spiritual worth. Preserve this axis and main base of Islam, as well as the realities and taqwa. This is the path of Allah (S.W.T.). Of course, it has difficulties. They try to create obstacles and impediments in its way. They use all their power to create economic, political, and cultural barriers in its way, because it has put under question all their claimed principles, has condemned their mode of living, has shown and revealed to the world their erroneous course of action, and has explicitly made disclosures about them. Therefore, they cannot tolerate a pure Islamic and popular movement based on taqwa, reality, and equity, because they either have to say that this is false, or admit that they are lying. And they prefer to say that this is false. In any case, I hope that the details I have given would be useful in making known the visage of your enemies, as well as their claims. I hope it would be beneficial to enlighten those who are allured by their words, particularly the youths, so that they would conduct further studies on this issue. Perhaps many books are written in this regard, and they can find these books in the libraries.A
Islam has laid stress on telling the truth and avoiding lies.
146. Allah the Most High said: "Surely the men who submit and the women who submit, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women, and the humble men and the humble women, and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember - Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward."
147 . The Holy Prophet Muhammad (a.s) said: Three things are the signs of hypocrisy: breach of trust, lying and breach of promise.
148 . He (a.s) also said: He who has these three things should be counted a hypocrite, even if he performs the daily prayers, observes fasting and thinks that he is a Muslim: breach of trust, lying and breach of promise. Allah the Most High said: Surely Allah does not love the treacherous,·' (The Qur'an 8:58) The curse of Allah be on him if he is one of the liars ; (The Qur'an 24:7) And mention Ismail in the Book, surely' he was truth/id in (his) promise and he was an apostle, a prophet.' (The Qur'an 19:54).
149 . Imam Ali the Commander of the Faithful (a.s) said: 0 people, be truthful, surely Allah is with the truthful; and avoid lying, for it stands far from faith.
150 . He (a.s) also said: >"A servant of Allah does not taste faith unless he gives up lying earnestly or jokingly.
151 . Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s) said: " Lies destroy faith.
152. Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s) said: " Keep on having fear of Allah, truthfulness and trustworthiness.
153 . In another saying he listed lying among grave (mortal) sins; the same thing being found in an epistle of Imam Au al-Ridha (a.s) to the caliph al-Ma`mun.
Living the right way, by Ayatullah Jawad Tehrani, translated by Husayn Tawfiqi.
Another spiritual motif conspicuous in the teachings of the Nahj aI-baaghah is zuhd, which after taqwa is the most recurring theme of the book. Zuhd' means renunciation of the world', and very often we encounter denunciation of the world', and invitation and exhortation to renounce it. It appears to me that it forms one of the important themes of the Nahj aI-balàghah, which needs to be elucidated and explained in the light of various aspects of All's approach.
We shall begin our discussion with the word 'zuhd'. The words zuhd' and raghbah' (attraction, desire), if mentioned without reference to their objects, are opposite to each other. Zuhd' means indifference and avoidance, and raghbah' means attraction, inclination, and desire.
Indifference can be of two kinds: involuntary and cultivated. A person is involuntarily indifferent towards a certain thing when by nature he does not have any desire for it, as in the case of a sick person who shows no desire either for food, or fruits, or anything else. Obviously, this kind of indifference and abstinence has nothing to do with the particular sense implied in zuhd'.
Another kind of indifference or abstinence is spiritual or intellectual; that is; things that are natural objects of desire are not considered the goal and objective by a human being in the course of his struggle for perfection and felicity. The ultimate objective and goal may be something above mundane aims and sensual pleasures; either it may be to attain the sensuous pleasures of the Hereafter, or it may not belong to this kind of things. It may be some high ethical and moral ideal, like honour, dignity, nobility, liberty, or it may belong to the spiritual sphere, like the remembrance of God, the love of God, and the desire to acquire nearness to Him.
Accordingly the zahid (i.e. one who practises zuhd) is someone whose interest transcends the sphere of material existence, and whose object of aspiration lies beyond the kind of things we have mentioned above. The indifference of a zahid originates in the sphere of his ideas, ideals, and hopes, not in his physiological makeup.
There are two places where we come across the definition of zuhd' in the Nahj aI-balaghah. Both of them confirm the above interpretation of zuhd. Ali (a.s), in khutbah 81, says:
O people! zuhd means curtailing of hopes, thanking God for His blessings and bounties, and abstaining from that which He has forbidden.
In hikmah 439, he says:
All zuhd is summarized in two sentences of the Qur'an: God, the Most Exalted, says, ...So that you may not grieve for what escapes you, nor rejoice in what has come to you.' [57:23] Whoever does not grieve over what he has lost and does not rejoice over what comes to him has acquired zuhd in both of its aspects.
Obviously when something does not occupy a significant position amongst one's objectives and ideals, or rather is not at all significant in the scheme of things which matter to him, its gain and loss do not make the slightest difference to him.
However, there are some points that need clarification. Is zuhd, or detachment from the world, on which the Nahj aI-balaghah, following the Qur'anic teachings, puts so much emphasis, to be taken solely in an ethical and spiritual sense? In other words, is zuhd purely a spiritual state, or does it possess practical implications also?
That is, is zuhd spiritual abstinence only or is it accompanied by an abstinence in practical life also? Assuming that zuhd is to be applied in practice, is it limited to abstinence from unlawful things (muharramat), as pointed out in khutbah 81, or does it include something more, as exemplified by the life of Ali (a.s) and before him by the life of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w)?
Proceeding on the assumption that zuhd is not limited to muharramat only and that it covers permissible things (mubahat) as well, one may ask: what is its underlying rationale and philosophy? What is the use of an ascetic life that limits and confines life, rejecting its blessings and bounties? Is zuhd to be practised at all times or only under certain particular conditions? Is zuhd--in the sense of abstinence from even permissible things-basically in agreement with other Islamic teachings?
Apart from this, the basis of zuhd and renunciation of the world is the pursuit of supra-material objectives and ideals. What are they from the point of view of Islam? In particular, how does the Nahj al-balaghah describe them?
All these questions regarding zuhd, renunciation, and curtailing of hopes----themes which have so often been discussed in the Nahj al-balaghah----need to be clarified. We shall discuss these questions in the following pages and try to answer them.
Fear is one of the basic instincts of every living creature when confronted with some kind of danger. Whenever in its struggle for life the human being is confronted with the alternatives of either avoiding danger or facing harm or destruction, the feeling of fear gives it the power necessary to secure survival. Hence the purpose of fear is to mobilize one's energy and effort to find the way of deliverance from danger and peril. Had the human beings of prehistoric times failed to avoid the various dangers that threatened them, the human species would not have survived.
This principle is valid not only in the case of dangers to physical life but also hold in respect of any threat to man's personality that gives rise to the feeling of fear. Common experience has shown that the danger of becoming subject to the domination of others is a greater cause of fear amongst individuals than anything else. Such a fear can paralyze one's active life for months, or even years, and bring active life to a standstill.
In fact, this anxiety arises from a threat to personality and the danger of its loss. Someone who is faced with such a threat feels as if he has no power to take any decision. He is compelled to seek others' help and decide his affairs through their assistance.
The stronger one's fear of losing one's personality, the more intense is the anxiety that torments him. At times this condition may reach the point of madness. That which is said concerning inherent instincts, that they are beneficial for survival and for the preservation of life, is true only when they do not exceed the limits of moderation. But when they become extreme they can become harmful. Imaginary fears born of ungrounded imaginings and forebodings of misfortune and grief are signs of a kind of painful pathological condition which weakens the power of thought. As revealed by specialists in the field, this factor not only leads many people to lose their well-being but also results in considerable harm.
It has often been observed that the state of crisis resulting from panic and anxiety becomes the cause of untimely death, for an unexpected bout of panic can upset the mechanism of one's life and bring life to a sudden halt.
Sometimes, the state of fear and anxiety is a prelude to severe psychic illness caused by some radical changes in a person's psyche; for sound and healthy persons do not ordinarily become subject to such states. On the contrary, they try with all their mental capacity to maintain and reinforce their mental equilibrium.
Some people are victims of vague and unknown fears, they cannot identify what troubles them, nor are those closest to them aware of the cause of their hidden anguish and pain. Age, of course, is of direct relevance in relation to feelings of fe4r and anxiety. These feelings are characteristic of childhood years, and all people, more or less, experience states of agitation and panic during their childhood years and well until the age of mental maturity.
In any case, this affliction destroys the urge for progress and immobilizes all elements of success, diminishing the level of one's mental and physical activity. Its harmful effects become visible throughout one's activities and conduct.
Aside from the fact that such fears are of no benefit, and regardless of whether the expected dangers materialize or not, the fear that one feels at the present has no result except causing waste of time and diminished physical and mental vigour. Moreover, when the feared misfortune or calamity actually does occur, one will lack the power and courage to face it.
Fear and anxiety reveal themselves in various forms. Dr. Cowlest says:
Do you lack self-confidence and consider yourself incapable of facing the conditions of life? Do you suffer from a painful feeling of shyness and timidity? Do you find it difficult in social gatherings to face someone whom you have not met earlier and does that make you uncomfortable and anxious? Don't you feel really comfortable and at ease when you are alone? If your answer to the above questions is Yes, then you are afraid.
Do you feel that people consider you to be senseless? That they do not understand you? That everyone is against you? Do you think and brood a lot concerning your past and what you have lost? Do you feel that you have committed a sin in the past in relation to a certain person, regardless of whether such a sin has been committed or not?
Do you continually think about yourself and are continually in a state of anxiety about what will happen to you? Are you quickly affected by people's idle talk and frivolous remarks? When you get angry and inflamed, are you afraid that you would not be able to control yourself? Do you, in general, loath to associate with people and have strong prejudices? Do you find it difficult to develop terms of attachment and intimacy with others? All of these are different forms of fear. (Cowlest, Edward Spencer, Conquest of fear and fatigue)
When one resolves to act in accordance with certain principles that one adopts in life and in a decisive manner, one will bear problems and misfortunes with courage and fortitude. Such a person puts up a manly resistance against hardships, and despair and despondency cannot subdue his spirit.
Many talented people who could attain a distinguished position in life by relying on this inner power and who possess adequate strength to expel fear from their minds, cannot make an initial movement on his path due to the lack of sufficient courage. As a result, they fail to climb the ladder of progress and their capacities languish forever.
That which results in one losing control over one's life and affairs is indecisiveness. Wasting time worrying about events that may never happen will lead to irreparable harm. Shakespeare says: "Those who are afraid of the sting of the honey-bee do not deserve to possess the hive's honey.
It is possible for everyone at all times to get rid of unfounded fears and baseless anxieties and to replace them with optimistic ideas. No matter how strong ones s will power may be, and however sublime one's goals should be, one cannot get rid of some habits instantaneously. Such habits must be eradicated gradually. It is not sufficient that one should be merely aware of being a victim to groundless notions; rather, one must make a consistent mental effort to guard one's personality against illusory fears. One should stop ruminating over distressing thoughts by opening ones mind to positive thoughts which are in complete contrast to them. In this way one can prepare the ground for considerable progress.
A lamp is not lighted until it is turned on, and once lighted it will not go off until it is switched off. Similarly, when the darkness of anxiety overwhelms one's spirit, one should turn on the lamp of his intellect and take a deep look at the realities of life and its bright side so that one's mind is relieved from the stress of baseless fears.
Someone who is unusually prone to illusory fears even in trivial matters should first examine these thoughts which upset his mental composure so as to discover that fear and anxiety are incapable of producing any positive results and that every difficulty requires thoughtful attention. Then he should plant the seedlings of hope and confidence in the garden of his soul instead of cultivating the weeds of baseless anxieties and devote himself to their cultivation and care like a skilled gardener.
Without doubt, fear and anxiety are products of man's imagination and have no place outside the mind. When one realizes this fact, one would be able to dominate fear to a considerable extent and obtain peace of mind which is the most valuable of things.
The true believer in God has neither expectation nor greed from any creature. He does not fear any creature either. If he is fearful of his sins, it is due to his fear from God. His expectation of grace and forgiveness is from God alone. God alone is the centre of fear and hope for him. (If he runs away from any beast, enemy or harmful thing, it is because Almighty God has commanded him to keep away from these and not due to fear of these. Similarly, if he has any expectation from any person, it is because God has commanded that we should support one another. In fact this expectation as well is from God alone that He may get the job done with support from another person.) The holy Quran says: "Those to whom the people said: verily the people have mustered (strong) against you, therefore, fear them,' it only increased their faith; and they said: Allah is sufficient for us! And most excellent is He who protects us.' They returned, therefore, with grace and favour from Allah and no harm touched them, and they followed the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the Lord of mighty grace. (Aal Imran 3, 173-174).
A tradition of Imam J'afer Sadiq (a.s) is: "Continuous, though small, deed with certainty is better in the eyes of God than a big job without certain faith. (Usool-e-Kafi, Chapter - on the Importance of Certainty, tradition No.3).
The leader of the faithful, Imam Ali (a.s), has said:
"No bondsman gets the taste of faith until and unless he has knowledge and belief that whatever he has got, was not to be left out and whatever he did not get, was not for him; and it is the most respected, Almighty God alone who harms or grants grace (and tests and tries).
It is obvious that when man belongs to God, then all his qualities are also bestowed by God alone.
In Nahjul Balaghah it is mentioned that the leader of the faithful Imarn Ali (a.s) heard about a person from the tribe of Herviyah (the Kharijites from Nahrwan), that he used to perform early morning prayers and read the holy Quran. The Imam (a.s) said: "To sleep while being sure in faith is better than to keep saying prayers while in doubt.
The importance and excellence of surety in faith is so much that the religious sages and even of God used to pray Almighty Allah to their certainty of faith. Faith, knowledge and certainty are the names of the same thing and there are many verses of the holy Quran and traditions in describing their importance and excellence.
Anyhow, Islam considers the world something as undesirable and demands from its followers to practice asceticism. Here, it would be appropriate to throw some light about the Islamic concept of this world, and why it has been reproached? Does the world consist of worldly existence such as: earth, sun, moon, stars, animals, plants, trees, mines, and human beings? Therefore, the life of this world can be defined as working, eating, drinking, sleeping, marrying and other related acts of living. Does Islam refrain from these things? Do earth, sky, animals, vegetables, and trees are bad things that a human being should avoid them?
Does Islam prohibit earning a living, acquiring of knowledge, business and production, and sexual relationship? Absolutely this is not the case, because God- Almighty has created all of the above things, and in case they were bad, He would not have created them. God-Almighty regards them as His Beautiful Bounties that should be conquered by human beings and should be utilized for their advantages. The wealth and property not only is not reproached but on the contrary has been introduced as blessing in the Holy Qur'an as follows: ان ترك خيرا الوصية للوالدين و الاقربين
"If he leaves wealth, that he bequeath unto parents and near relatives in kindness. - The Holy Qur'an (2:1 80).
Earning a genuine living by lawful means not only has not been reproached, rather has been regarded as one of the best kind of worship. Following is an example:
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w) said: العبادة سبعون جزا افضلها طلب الحلال "Worship consists of seventy acts and the best among them is the act of earning a genuine living through lawful means. - al-Kafi, vol. 5, p-78.
Imam al-Baqir (a.s) has said: من طلب الرزق في الدنيا استعفافا عن الناس و توسيعا على اهله و تعطفا على جاره لقي الله عزوجل يوم القيامة و وجهه مثل القمر ليلة البدر
"Whoever endeavors sincerely for earning a genuine living (through lawful means); becomes self sufficient in taking care of his expenditures; maintains a reasonably comfortable standard of living for his family; shows benevolence to his neighbors - such a person will meet God-Almighty in the Hereafter, while his face will be shining like the full moon. - al-Kafi, vol. 5, p-88.
Imam al-Sadiq (a.s) said: الكاد على عياله كالمجاهد في سبيل الله "Whoever strives for earning a living for his family is tantamount to a warrior engaged in Holy War for the sake of God. - al-Kafi, vol. 5, p-88.
The Islamic traditions emphasize the importance of Work, farming, agriculture, trade, and even marriage. The life styles of Prophet (a.s) and Sinless Imams (a.s) indicate that they too have worked for earning a living. Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s) the leader of the pious also mode endeavors and worked hard for earning a living in his life. Therefore, what is really meant with this reproached world? In the opinion of some people it is not the world that is reproached rather it is the attachment to world that has been strictly condemned. e.g. the Holy Qur'an said: زين للناس حب الشهوات من النسا و البنين و القناطير المقنطرة من الذهب و الفضة و الخيل المسومة و الانعام و الحرث ذالك متاع الحياة الدنيا و الله عنده حسن المآب
"Beautified for mankind is love of the joys (that come) from women and offspring, and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and horses branded (with their mark), cattle, and land. That is comfort of the life of the world. God-Almighty! With Him is a more excellent abode. - The Holy Qur'an (3:14).
· The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s) said: اياك و حب الدنيا فانها اصل كل خطيئة و معدن كل بليه "Be careful not to attach yourself from this (transient) world, because love of world is the root of all sins and origin of all catastrophes. - Gharar al-Hukm, p-150.
Imam al-Sadiq (a.s) said: راس كل خطيئة حب الدنيا "Attachment to the world is the basis of all sins and transgressions. Bihar al-A nwar, vol. 3, p-7.
From these types of traditions it could be inferred that what is condemned is the attachment to these worldly affairs and not the affairs in themselves. Here the question arises whether absolute attachment and love to worldly affairs is condemned and should not a man have any attachment to his wife, children, house, wealth, and food? How could such a thing be expected?
Because, the attachment to these affairs is a natural thing for a human being; God-Almighty has incorporated these attachment within his primordial nature, and that is the way human beings have been created by Him. Is it possible for a man not to love his wife and children?
Is it possible not to love clothing, delicious foods, and other beautiful things of this world? If, love of these things was prohibited, God would not have created human being with these tendencies. A human being in order to keep himself alive requires these things, and accordingly he has been created in such a manner that he should feel a natural inclination towards these affairs. The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s) said: الناس ابنا الدنيا ولا يلام الرجل على حب امه "The human beings are the children of this world and they should not be blamed for loving their mother.- Nahjul Balaghah, Qasar-33.
The Islamic traditions recommend that one must love and show affection towards his wife and children. The Holy Prophet (a.s) and Sinless Imams (a.s) too had shown affection towards their wives and children. Some of them liked foods and showed interest in them. Therefore, sky, plants, trees, mines, animals, and similar other God's Bounties are neither bad nor condemned. Similarly, wife, children, wealth and property, affection shown towards these things and life of this world, are not only not condemned, rather in some of the traditions, the world even has been praised. Following is the example:
In reply to a person who has condemned the world, the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s) said: ان الدنيا دار صدق لمن صدقها و دار عافية لامن فهم عنها و دار غنى لمن تزود منها و دار موعظة و لمن اتعظ بها مسجد احبا الله و مصلى ملائكة الله و محبط وحى الله و متجر اوليا الله اكتسبوا فيها الرحمة و ربحوا فيها الجنة "Verily this world is a house of truth for those who look into it deeply and carefully, an abode of peace and rest for those who understand its ways and moods, and it is the best working ground for those who want to procure rewards for Hereafter. It is a place of acquiring knowledge and wisdom for those who want to acquire them, a place of worship for friends of God and for angels. It is the place where prophets receive revelations of the Lord. It is the place for virtuous people and saints to do good deeds and to be given rewards for the same; only in this world they could trade with God s favors and blessings and only while living here they could barter their good deeds, with His Blessings, and rewards. - Nahjul Balaghah, Short Saying No. 130.
Imam al-Baqir (a.s) said: نعم العون الدنيا علي الاخرة "The world is the best support for the Hereafter. - Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 73, p42 7.
Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.) said: لا خير في من لا يجب جمع المال من حلال يكف به وجهه و يقضى به دينه و يحصل به رحمه "Any one who does not like earning a living by lawful means to maintain his prestige, to pay his obligations and to take care of his relatives, then - such a person lacks any merit and goodness. - al-Kafi, vol. 5, p.72.
Therefore, what is meant by the condemnation of world and its love and attachment which is the roots of all evils? From the over all collection of these verses and traditions it could be inferred that, what is condemned is the worldliness and becoming infatuated with it, and not the creatures of the world, its life, and genuine liking of worldly affairs in themselves.
Islam, demands people to recognize the world the way it is and then they should appraise its worth accordingly; they should also discover the exalted Divine Goal behind their own creation as well as the world, and should move in that direction. If they acted in this manner - they belong to the Hereafter, otherwise they belong to the worldly group.
In order to explain this matter in the beginning we would discuss the reality and nature of world from Islamic point of view and then a conclusion could be reached. Islam believes in the existence of two worlds:
The first one is the same material world where we live and is called world. The other one is where we will be transferred after death and is called Hereafter and Next World.
Islam believes that the life of a person does not terminate at his demise, rather he will be transferred after death to an eternal abode known as the Next World. Islam regards the world as perishable, transient, and a temporary abode, while considers the Hereafter and Next World as a permanent and eternal abode.
Men has not came to this world in order to live for a short while and finally to die and be destroyed, rather he has come to achieve self- perfection through acquiring knowledge, good deeds, and training - and to live happily forever in his eternal abode in the Next World. Therefore, the world is like a form land for cultivation of fruits for Hereafter, place for acquiring knowledge, and a place for making arrangements for provisions of a journey.
However, man for the sake of his survival and in order to live in this world has no other choice except to utilize Divine Bounties which have been created for his consumption. But utilization of these Divine Bounties should be regarded as a mean and not an end in itself.
The aim of creation of human beings and world was not just to have comfortable luxurious life and to take the maximum advantage of worldly pleasures, rather there was an exalted and superior goal behind it e.g. the nourishment of the Jewel of Humanity (Jowhar-e-Insaniyat) through attaining self-perfection and ascending towards God's Nearness. Following are few examples of Islamic narrations in this matter:
The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s) said: فان الدنيا لم تخلق لكم دار مقام بل خلقت لكم مجازا لتنزودوا منها الاعمال الى دارالقرار فكونوا منها علي اوفاز و قربوا الظهور للزيال
"Certainly this world has not been made a place of permanent stay for you. But it has been created as a pathway in order that you may take from it the provision of your (good) actions for the permanent house in Paradise). Be ready for departure from here and keep close your mount for setting off" - Nahjul al Balaghah, Sermon-123.
And said: ايها الناس انما الدنيا دار مجاز و الاخرة دار قرار فخدوا من ممركم لمقركم و لتهتكوا استاركم عند من يعلم اسراركم و اخرچوا من الدنيا قلوبكم من قبل ان تخرج منها ابدانكم ففيها اختبرتم و لغيرها خلقتم ان المر اذا هلك قال الناس ما ترك؟ و قالت الملائكة: ما قدم؟ لله آبائكم فقدموا بعضا يكن لم قرضا و لا تخلفوا كلا فيكون فرضا عليكم "Remember that this world is a thoroughfare, a road upon which people are passing night and day, and the Next-World is the abode of permanent stay. While, passing along this road make provision for the next where you will reside forever. Do not go with a burden of sins and vices before the One, Who knows everything about you. Remove vicious ambitions from your mind before death removes you from your surroundings. Remember, that you are being tried in this world, and are created to be given a permanent residence in the Next World. When a man dies people ask what he has left behind as a legacy, and angels want to know what he has sent forward (good deeds and good words). May God have mercy upon you, send something in advance to the place where you will have to follow; it may be a sort of a deposit with God to be repaid to you on your arrival. Do not leave all of your s behind, it will be a drag upon you. - Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon-203.
He further said: الا و ان هذا الدنيا التى اصبحتم تتمنونها و ترغبون فيها و اصبحت تغضبكم و ترضيكم ليست بداركم و لا منزلكم الذى خلقتم له و لا الذى دعيتم اليه الا و انها ليست بباقية لكم و لا تبقون عليها و هى و ان غرتكم منها فقد حذرتكم شرها فدعوا غرورها لتحذيرها و اطماعها لتخويفها و سابقوا فيها الى الدار التى دعيتم اليها و انصرفوا بقولوبكم عنها "Remember, that this world which you covet so ardently and attempt to acquire so earnestly, and which some times annoys you and some times pleases you so much, is neither your home nor a permanent destination. You have not been created for it, nor invited to it as your resting place. It shall neither remain with you for ever nor will you remain in it eternally. If, it has enticed you with its charms, it has also warned and cautioned you of real dangers lurking in its folds. Take account of the warnings it has given you and do not be seduced or deceived by its allurements. These warnings should desist you from being too greedy or too covetous to possess it. Try, to advance towards the place where you are invited for eternal bliss, and turn your face away from the vicious world. - Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon-173.
Therefore, as we can see the reality or the nature of the world in these narrations has been described such as: passage, a house of vanity, and deception etc. The human beings have not been created for this rather for the Hereafter; they have come here to nourish their humanism through knowledge and deeds and to arrange provisions for their eternal journey.