Sunday 18 November 2012


Apr 6, '10 5:36 AM
for everyone
The intense slandering with respect to Imam Musa Ibn Jafar (a.s) that reached the ears of Haroon al-Rashid, the Abbasid caliph, provoked him to say: 'Present before me someone from the descendants of Abu Talib so that I can become aware of his (a.s) activities.'

Haroon's minister, Yahya Barmaki, and some others suggested the name of Ali Ibn Ismail - the Imam's (a.s) nephew.

Upon Haroon's orders, a letter was dispatched to him asking him to present himself before the Caliph in Baghdad. When the Imam (a.s) came to know of this, he called for him and questioned: “Where do you intend to go?”

Ali Ibn Ismail answered: “Baghdad.”

The Imam (a.s) inquired: “For what purpose?”

He replied: “I am burdened by great debts.”

The Imam (a.s) said: “I shall repay your debts and arrange for your expenses”, however Ali Ibn Ismail refused the offer and instead, said: “Advise me!”

The Imam (a.s) said: “I advise you that you do not associate yourself in shedding my blood and do not make my children fatherless.” Repeating this three times, he (a.s) presented him with three hundred dinars and four thousand dirhams.

Later, when Ismail had left, he (a.s) said to those around him: “His slandering and vilification shall contribute to my murder.”[1]

Arriving in Baghdad Ali Ibn Ismail went to Yahya Ibn Khalid Barmaki. That night Yahya said to him: “Tomorrow, in the presence of the Caliph, when you are questioned about Musa Ibn Jafar (a.s), you must say: 'I have never witnessed two caliphs exercising authority at one time - you, in Baghdad and Musa Ibn Jafar (a.s), in Madinah. He is about to incite the people into rebelling against you!!'”

The next morning, arriving in the presence of the caliph, Ali Ibn Ismail maligned and slandered the Imam (a.s) as much as he could. In the course of his talks he even said that people from distant places brought money for him and armed him with weapons, and that he was taking the pledge of allegiance from the people and intended to establish a separate state and government.

Hearing this, Haroon appeared to have been jolted out of sleep; he dismissed him from his presence and sent a sum of four thousand dirhams (or twenty thousand dirhams according to another report) for him to the place where he had been staying.

When the money was brought before him, an intense pain rose up inside his throat and he died then and there - a consequence of having severed the bond of kinship with his uncle - Musa Ibn Jafar (a.s).

The bags of money were carried back to Haroon's coffers while sorrow and regret was the only thing that Ismail carried to his grave.”[2]

Notes:
1. Muntahal Amal, vol. 2, pg. 213
2. Jame al-Nurain, pg. 24
Apr 6, '10 5:23 AM
for everyone
Those who are drunk on the arrogance of power and success and who have totally forgotten humane ethics because of the seduction of their soul and their senses will sometimes find, in various corners of the world, that the occurrence of unpleasant events makes them open to fundamental changes and developments that tear away from them the veils of forgetfulness. They may even be guided to a path leading to some degree of moral perfection and a future more fruitful than their present They are people in whom misfortune has induced a profound transformation.

Considering the harmful effects of neglectfulness and the intoxication of arrogance, on the one hand, and the numerous moral lessons taught by misfortune, on the other, it can be said that failure and misfortune are relative insofar as they contain great blessings; they contribute fruitfully to the building of man's awareness and will.

Hardship is, then, the preliminary to higher, more advanced states of being; it prepares man for the recompense that awaits him, and from his response to it, it becomes apparent whether he has attained the lofty degree of sincerity and devotion or is sunk in decay.

The Quran says: "We have created man in the embrace of hardship." (90:4) Or, again: "We test you with fear, hunger, the loss of wealth and possessions, death, and the loss of the fruits of your toil . Give glad tidings to those who struggle manfully on this path that those who say when afflicted with calamity and pain, 'We are from God and to Him we return on our path to perfection,'-that it is they who receive kindness and mercy from their Lord together with their suffering, and they it is who are truly guided."(2:155-57)
Without doubt, God could have created a world without hardship, pain and misfortune, but that would have meant His depriving man of freedom and choice; he would have been let loose in the world as a creature without will or the power of decision, just like any other creature lacking perception and awareness, formed exclusively by nature and totally obedient to it. Would he then have deserved the name of man?

Having paid the heavy price of losing all his innate capacities and freedom, his most precious resource, would he have advanced toward perfection, or decayed and declined? Would no t the world, too, have lost all goodness and beauty, these being comprehensible only in terms of their opposites?

It is plain that the power to distinguish and discriminate makes possible the existence of good and evil, of beauty and ugliness. By giving man the inestimable blessing of freedom and the ability to choose, God, whose wisdom is manifest throughout creation, wished to display fully His ability to create phenomena bearing witness to His wisdom and power.

He placed within man's being the possibility of doing both good and evil, and although He compels him to do neither, He always expects him to do good. God does not approve of evil; it is righteous conduct that meets with His approval and, in exchange for which He provides abundant, unimaginable reward. God warns man against following the path of evil and threatens him with punishment and torment if he does so.

Thus, by using the power of choice that God has bestowed on him, man can act as he should, conforming both to divine guidance and to his own conscience.

But, if occasionally his foot should slip and he should commit some sin, the path remains open for him to return to purity and light, to God's favor and mercy. This is in itself a further manifestation of God's generosity and all-embracing justice, one more of the blessings He bestows on His servants.

Were God to give immediate reward to the virtuous for their righteous conduct and acts, they would not in any way be superior to the corrupt and the sinful. And if the evil in thought and in deed were to be always met with instant punishment and retribution, virtue and purity would not enjoy any superiority in this world to vice and impurity.

The principle of contradiction, is, in fact, the basis of the created world; it is what enables matter to change and evolve so that God's grace flows through the world. Were matter not to take on different shapes as a result of its encounter with various beings and were being unable to accommodate new forms within itself, the differentiation and advancement of being would be impossible. A stable and unchanging world would resemble stagnant capital that produces no profit For creation, change is the capital that brings about profit It is, of course, possible that the investment of a certain portion of capital should result in loss, but the constant motion of matter as a whole definitely results in profit The contradiction that takes place in the forms of matter results in the advancement of the order of being toward perfection.

There is some question as to whether evil exists in the world in the real sense of the word. If we look carefully, we will see that the evil of things is not a true attribute; it is a relative one.

Firearms in the hands of my enemy are an evil for me, and firearms in my hands are an evil for my enemy. Setting aside me and my enemy, firearms are in themselves neither good nor bad.

The course of nature can be said to be mathematical; that is, its system has been established in such a way as no t to answer all of our needs. We, however, wish to fulfill all our uncountless desires without encountering the least hindrance, and the forces of nature do not answer the limitless wishes we cherish, wishes which are in any event worthless from the point of view of our essential nature. Nature pays no attention to our desires and refuses to submit to our wants. So when we encounter unpleasantness in our lives, we become unjustifiably upset and we term the causes of our discomfort as "evil."

If someone wants to light his lamp when there is no oil in it, he will not start sighing and complaining or curse the whole universe!

Creation is constantly advancing toward a clear goal, through unceasing effort and striving. Specific causes determine each step it takes, and the changes and development it undergoes are not designed to meet men's approval or satisfy their desires.

It should be accepted that some of the occurrences of this world will not correspond to our wishes, and we ought not to regard as injustice things we experience as unpleasant.

Ali, peace be upon him, the Commander of the Faithful, describes the world as an abode of hardship, but nonetheless a good place for the one who knows it properly. Although he encountered himself all kinds of hardship and unpleasantness, he constantly drew men's attention to the absolute justice of God.

Another important point which must not be overlooked is that good and evil do not represent two mutually exclusive categories or series in the order of creation. Goodness is identical with being, and evil is identical with non-being; wherever being makes its appearance, non-existence is also implied.

When we speak of poverty, indigence, ignorance or disease we should not imagine that they have separate realities: poverty is simply not having wealth, ignorance is the absence of knowledge, and disease is the loss of health. Wealth and knowledge are realities, but poverty is nothing other than the emptiness of the hand and the pocket, and ignorance, the absence of knowledge. Hence poverty and ignorance have no tangible reality; they are defined through the non-existence of other things.

The same is the case with calamities and misfortunes that we regard as evil and the source of suffering. They, too, are a kind of loss or non-being, and are evil only in the sense that they result in the destruction or non-existence of something other than themselves. Apart from this, nothing, insofar as it exists, can in any way be called evil or ugly.

If calamities did not entail sickness and death, the loss and ruin of certain creatures, thus preventing their capacities from unfolding, they would not be bad. It is the loss and ruin arising from misfortunes that is inherently bad. Whatever exists in the world is good; evil pertains to non-being, and since non-being does not form a category independent of being, it has not been created and does not exist.

Being and non-being are like the sun and its shadow. When a body is turned to the sun, it casts a shadow. What is a shadow? The shadow has not been created by anything; it consists simply of the sun not shining in a given place because of the existence of an obstacle; it has no source or origin of its own.

Things have a real existence by virtue of having been created without reference to things other than them; in this sense, they are not evil. For a worldview derived from belief in God, the world is equivalent to good. Everything is inherently good; if it is evil, it is so only in a relative sense and in connection with things other than itself .The existence of every thing is unreal for other than it self, and untouched by creation.

The malarial mosquito is not evil in itself. If it is described as such, it is because it is harmful to man and causes disease. That which is created is the existence of a thing in and of itself, which is a true existence; speculative or conditional existence has no place in the order of being and is not real. We cannot, therefore, ask why God has created relative or conditional existence. Conditional or abstract entities are inseparable from the real entities that give rise to them; they are their inevitable concomitants and do not partake of their being. One cannot then speak of conditional entities having been created.

That which is real must necessarily derive its being from the Creator. Only those things and attributes are real that exist outside the mind. Relative attributes are created by the mind and have no existence outside it so one cannot go looking for the creator.

Furthermore, that which has the potential to exist is the world as a whole, with all the objects it contains and the attributes that are inseparable from it; the world represents an indivisible unit. From the vantage point of God's wisdom, either the world must exist on the pattern that is peculiar to it, or it cannot exist at all.

A world without order or lacking the principle of causality, a world where good and evil were not separate from each other, would be an impossibility and a fantasy. It is not possible to suppose that one part of the world should exist and another should not. Creation is a whole, like the form and figure of man, and its parts are inseparable from each other.

God is absolutely free of all need, and one consequence of this is that He freely bestows being, like a generous man whose largess expects no return, or like a skilled artist who is constantly busy with the creation of new forms. Such abundant generosity and creativity define the essence of the Lord Whose signs are manifest and evident in every phenomenon.

Source: Divine Justice by Dr. Hamid Algar

Apr 6, '10 4:10 AM
for everyone
One of the most important obstacle for achieving the self-refinement is negligence. If round the clock we are submerged in worldly affairs, running away from remembrance of death, are not prepared for thinking about dying even for a moment, and if incidentally this thought enters in our minds, we try to deviate from it immediately. If, we are negligent about the dangerous consequences of moral vices, are not concerned about the indictment for sins and eternal punishment, and the belief in the Day of Resurrection has not penetrated the profundities of our soul beyond a superficial mental concept; then with such negligence, how could we take the decision for self-cleansing and refinement, and control and restrain it (the soul) against its desires?

Negligence, in itself, is one of the most severe psychological disease and is the origin of many other diseases. The treatment of this disease is pondering, foresight, and strengthening the forces of belief. It is necessary that a human being should continuously keep a strict vigil upon his self, should never forget death, should ponder about serious consequences of self's diseases, indictment for sins and horrible punishment of Hell, and should always keep in mind about the accounting of his deeds on the Day of Judgment. In that case he is ready for self-refinement and should take a definite decision for purifying his heart from sins and other moral obscene deeds.

Imam Ali (a) said:

"Whoever makes his heart's kingdom habituated with continuous pondering, his affairs would become good in outward appearance as well as inwardly."

-Gharar al-Hukm, p. 690.

Reward and Punishment

In order to be victorious in attaining self-refinement and abstinence from sins, we may use the reward and punishment method. In the beginning we must address the self: I have decide to abstain from sins, if you do not cooperate in this matter and commit sins, I am going to punish you with such and such punishment. That is, if you committed back-biting, I will take a fast for one day, or will speak only the minimum required for one week, will donate such amount for charity, will not drink water for one day, will deprive you from one diet, and will remain under the sun during summer, so that you should not forget about the temperature of Hell 's Fire.

After that we must watch over the self strictly so that it does not commit back-biting, and in case it commits it, we must take a bold stand against it without being lenient, and must execute the promised punishment against it. Once, the imperious-self realized that we are serious in refraining from sins and will strictly execute the punishment without least compassion, he will surrender himself before our genuine demands.

If, we implemented this program without any negligence, we may close the paths of Satan's entries, and achieve absolute domination over the self, with the condition that we must take a definite decision and must punish the rebellious-self without showing least compassion. It is strange that regarding minor violations of civil laws, the violators are indicted and punished, but unfortunately for self-cleansing and refinement this method is not practiced, in spite of the fact that our prosperity and eternal salvation depends upon it. Many of the God’s deserving servants by utilization of the same method were able to attain self-refinement, self-cleaning, and self-domination.

The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a) said:

"Hunger is the most effective tool for achieving self-domination and breaking habits."

-Gharar al-Hukm, p-773.


And said:

"Whoever practices self-asceticism is bound to earn benefits.”

-Gharar al-Hukm, p-647.


One of the Prophet's companion said:

"Once on a hot summer day the Prophet Muhammad (s) was sitting under the shade of a tree,. suddenly a man appeared who after taking off his clothes laid down with bare back upon the hot sand and started rolling over it, alternatively making his back and stomach to bear the hot sand, occasionally covering his face with it, said: 'Oh my imperious-self! You better taste the heat of this hot sand particles, and know it that the heat of Hell's fire is for severe and painful than this. 

"The holy Prophet (s) witnessed the above scene with interest, and having wore his clothes when the man wanted to return, the Holy Prophet asked the man to come near him, and said: 'I saw you doing some thing strange which is not done by any other person. What was the motive behind this act?”

"The man replied: 'Oh Prophet of God: The fear of God forced me to perform this act. By performing this act I said to my self. Taste the temperature of this hot sand and know that the heat of Hell' s fire is much more severe and painful than the temperature of this hot sand.”

"The Holy Prophet (s) said: Yes! you feared the God-Almighty the way one should. be really be fearful of Him, and he with this act has glorified you over the angels of His Throne.' Then he said to his companions: 'Come and stand closer to this man and ask him to pray for you.” The companions assembled around the man and requested him to pray for them. The man raised his hand for prayer and said:

“O God ! Guide our affairs. make piety provision of our journey, and bestow upon us Paradi
se in the Hereafter."
-Mohajateh al-Baiza, vol. 7, p-208.

The Commander of the Faithful Imam ' Ali (a) said:


"Arise against the self and chastisement prevent him from becoming addicted to various habits."

-Gharar al-Hukm, p-350.
Dignity of Human Essence and Strengthening Human Virtues

Earlier, it was pointed out that human self is a precious jewel which has come into existence from the world of life, knowledge, perfection, beauty, blessing, benevolence, and by nature is the origin of these things. Therefore, if one paid attention towards his exalted position and virtues within his existence, he will then realize that commitment of sins and other moral obscene deeds are below his dignity, and naturally will be disgusted with them. When one understands that he is a human being who has descended from the Upper Heavens to be God's Vicegerent upon earth, animalistic desires and passions will become worthless in his sight, and desire for achieving moral excellence shall be revived in his existence.

The Commander of the Faithful Imam 'Ali (a) has said:

"Whoever appreciated the greatness of his self, will regard passions as insignificant and worthless."

-Nahjul Balagha, saying 449.


Imam al-Sajjad (a) was asked:


“Who is the worthiest person?' The one who does not consider this world worthy of his own existence. replied the Imam."

-Tohaf al-Aqool, p-285.

Therefore paying attention about the exaltedness of human soul, discovering the worth of his existence, and his lofty position, might be helpful in attaining self-refinement and abstinence from sins. If we address our self, we must say:

You belong to the heavenly kingdom of knowledge, life, perfection, virtues, benevolence and blessings; you are the God's Vicegerent upon the earth; you are human and have been created for eternal life of Next World and God's Nearness; you are superior than animals and following animalistic passions is not worthy of your existence. In this manner attaining self-refinement and abstinence of sins will become easier for us. Also, for self-refinement, each vice must be uprooted gradually by strengthening opposite characteristics, thus, replacing vices with virtues, which turn into habits or second nature.

For example, if we are jealous with respect to a certain individual, becomes sad and annoyed seeing his blessings and happiness, and by means of slander, insult, annoyance, obstruction, and indifference try to satisfy our own internal psychic disorder must try to show praise, respect, goodwill, and cooperation towards him. When we behave in this manner exactly opposite to the feelings of jealously, slowly, this vice becomes weaker day by day, and eventually is replaced by benevolence.

If, we are sick with the disease of stinginess, must imposed upon the self to bear the necessary expenditure for our genuine requirements, so that the undesirable habit of miserliness gradually become uprooted, and eventually become accustomed to spending money and beneficence.

If, we show miserliness regarding payment of religious dues, we must take stand against the self and without paying least attention to self’s whims and passions, must remit our religious financial obligations. If, we show hesitation for spending money for ourselves and our family, then the genuine expenditure should be imposed upon the self so that it becomes accustomed to it gradually. If, because of miserliness we cannot participate in charitable affairs, we must take action by all possible means at our disposal; a portion of our financial assets should be spent in God's Way for supporting the destitute people so that gradually we become accustomed to it.

Of course in the beginning this task might appear as difficult but with perseverance and resistance it would become easier over all in order to achieve self-refinement and to refrain from immoral deeds the following two tasks should be performed:

Firstly: We should not offer positive response to the demands of immoral and obscene deeds, so that gradually their roots are dried off completely.

Secondly: The virtuous characteristic opposite to that particular vice should be strengthened; and in accordance with this virtuous characteristic, task must be imposed! upon the self so that gradually he becomes used to it, acquiring them as his habit and temperament thus cutting the roots of wicked deeds forever. The Commander of the Faithful Imam' Ali (a) said:

"Force your self to perform good moral deeds, because the wickedness has been incorporated in your inner essence."

-Gharar al-Hukm, vol. 1, p-130.

And said:

"Make yourself used to performance of good deeds and for tolerance of payment of severe reparation, so that he becomes noble, your Hereafter becomes fruitful, and your admirers become more."

-Gharar al-Hukm, p-492.


"Selfish passions and desires are fatal diseases, and the best medicines are selection of patience and abstinence from them."

-Gharar al-Hukm, p-72.

Renunciation of Bad Company

Human being are susceptible to being influenced with many of the characteristics, etiquette, and behavior of other people with whom they have social association, and in reality become like them, especially their best friends and close social associates play an influential role in their lives. Friendship with corrupt and wicked individuals forces a person towards corruption and evil deeds, while association with righteous people with good morals invites a person towards salvation and goodness. One of the characteristics of a human being is that he makes himself like others. If, he mixes socially with corrupt and sinful people -he becomes familiar with sinning and other immoral deeds, not only he does not see the ugliness of his actions, on the contrary, regards these acts as manifestation of acts of goodness.

Opposite, to that if his social circle consists of righteous people with good morals, he become thoroughly familiar with good morals and good character and desires to become like them. Therefore, a good friend is one of the greatest blessing of God-Almighty and is considered as an important factor responsible for progress and prosperity of a human being. And opposite to that a bad friend is one of the greatest problem and an important factor responsible for his adversity and deviation.

Therefore. the choice of a friend should not be regarded something as insignificant and unimportant. rather should be treated with utmost importance. because. it determines our ultimate destiny. The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a) said:

“A Muslim should never take a sinful and corrupt person as his friend -because, a sinful friend presents vices as virtues, and desires that his friend should behave exactly like himself A bad friend neither helps a person in worldly affairs nor in the affairs belonging to the Next World, and socialization with him makes a person disgraced.”

-al-Kafi, vol. 2, p-640.


Imam al-Sadiq (a) said:

“It is not appropriate for a Muslim to make friendship with a lewd, stupid, and mendacious person."

-al-Kafi, vol. 2, p-640.


The Holy Prophet (s) said:

"A person is bound to follow the religion of his friend and social companion."

-al-Kafi, vol. 2, p-642.


The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a) said:

"Association with evil person should be avoided strictly, because on evil person is like a burning fire and whoever nears him will be burnt."

-Gharar al-Hukm, p-147.


And said:

"Association With Wicked person should be strictly avoided, because, evil will be associated with evil."

-Gharar al-Hukm, p-147.


Also said:

"Strictly avoid companionship with an evil friend, because, he will lead his fellow companion towards destruction and will damage his reputation."

-Gharar al-Hukm, p-142.

Therefore, if some one is really striving to attain self-refinement, and if has bad friends and evil companions -should quite their company at once, because, with their company refraining from sins is almost impossible. Bad friends slow down one's determination for self-refinement by encouraging him to get indulge into sins and other immoral deeds. To commit a sin is like a habit, and its quitting shall be possible only, if the socialization with other addicted persons should be avoided.

Avoiding Potential Blunders

Self-refinement and refraining from sins forever is something is not an easy rather is a difficult task. A human being is always susceptible to stumble by sinning, because the imperious-self naturally invites him towards vices. (The) Heart, which is the command center for rest of the body is in a state of continuous change or metamorphism, is influenced by external events, issues orders in accordance with the situation it encounters, the things it sees, and the words it hears.

At centers of worships and religious spiritual assemblies the heart naturally shows inclination towards performance of virtuous deeds, and opposite to that at the centers of corruption and vices pulls towards evil deeds. Seeing scenes of spirituality motivates heart towards spiritual matters, while seeing erotic scene of carnal acts makes him seduced. In a corrupted assembly the hearts becomes inclined to perform similar vices while in a spiritual gathering the heart gets motivated towards God-Almighty. If, he gets associated with worldly people infatuated with accumulation of wealth and properly, the hearts become inclined towards animalistic desires, and if associates with God's pious servants -becomes' motivated towards virtuous deeds.

Therefore, those who are sincerely interested in self-refinement and abstinence from sins must close their eyes and ears from seeing erotic scenes of carnal desires, should not participate in such parties; should not mix socially with such corrupted individuals, otherwise they themselves are most likely to stumble. It is because of these considerations that Islam forbids a man from participating in religiously prohibited (Haram), parties such as gambling, drinking, and other sinful assemblies. Also, looking at the face (with lust), meeting in private, hand-shake, joking and laughing with women who are unlawful (Na-mahram) have been forbidden.

One of the great wisdom hidden behind the recommended Islamic Veil (hijab) is related to same matter. Since Islam requires an ideal social environment where self-refinement and abstinence from sins could be made possible. Otherwise, controlling imperious-self shall become impossible, because, the corrupt environment naturally pushes human beings towards corruption, even thinking about sin invites a man to commit that sin ultimately.

The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a) said:


"When eye sees an erotic scene the heart becomes blind from seeing its ultimate consequences."

-Gharar al-Hukm, p-315.


And said:

"Simply thinking about sinful carnal deeds encourages you to commit them eventually."

-Gharar al-Hukm, p-518.


Source: Self-Building by Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini
Apr 6, '10 3:46 AM
for everyone
21 - One who reveals your faults to you like a mirror is your true friend, and one who flatters you and covers up your faults is your enemy. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 128)

22 - Wisdom will not be complete except by following the truth. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78, P. 127)

23 - Associating with corrupt people makes you subject to suspicion. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78, P. 122)

24 - Crying out of fear from God is salvation from the hellfire. (Mustadrak al- Wasael, Vol. 11, P. 245)

25 - A man came to Imam Hussain (Master of the martyrs) and said: I am a sinful man and can't avoid doing sin, please advise me. Imam (as) said: If you can do these five things, then commit sin as much you like. First of all: don’t eat the sustenance of God and commit sin as much you like. Second: go beyond the domain of God and commit sin as much you like. Third: seek a site where God can not observe you and commit sin as much you like. Fourth :if the Angel of death comes to you to take away your soul, expel him away from yourself and commit sin as much you like. Fifth: If the Angel of Hell was about to throw you into the hell-fire, stop him and commit sin as much you like. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78, P. 126)

26 - Avoid doing what makes you obliged to apologize for it. True believers never do anything for which they have to apologize. Fake believers , on the contrary , keep doing wrong and say they are sorry in the aftermath. (Tohaf-al- Uqoul , P. 248)

27 - Hastiness is foolishness. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78, P. 122)

28 - Do not permit anybody (to come in) before saying Salam (greetings). (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 117)

29 - Among the signs of ignorance is arguing with irrational people. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78, P. 119)

30 - Among the signs of a learned man is criticising his own words and being informed of various viewpoints. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78, P. 119)

31 - Imam Hussain (as) was asked: O 'the son of the prophet how is life going on? Imam replied: Life is going on , in such a way that I have a God over me, the hell-fire in front of me , death is looking for me, there is no escape of the Day of Judgement, I am taken as a hostage by my own deeds, things do not turn out to be the way I like , I cannot repel what I hate, the affairs are in someone else's hands. He tortures me if he likes and he forgives if he wishes. Therefore, is there anybody poorer than me? (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 116)

32 - Whoever becomes generous becomes a noble; and whoever becomes stingy becomes vicious and mean-spirited. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 121)

33 - The most generous person is the one who offers help to those who do not expect him to help. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 121)

34 - Whoever sorts out a problem of a believer, God sorts out his difficulties of this world and the here-after. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 122)

35 - If you heard a person discredits the dignity and the honour of people ,then try not to get introduced to him. (Balagatol Hussain ( as ) , P. 284)

36 - Never raise your need except to three ( kinds of people ): to a religious , to a brave man or to a nobleman. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 118)

37 - Seventy rewards are for Salam ( Islamic greeting ) ; sixty nine for the starter and one for the one who replies. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 120)

38 - Act like the one who believes in punishment for sin and reward for good deeds. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 127)

39 - Should poverty , illness , and death not exist , man would not bow to anything. (Nozhatol Nadher wa Tanbeehel Al - Khatir , P. 80)

40 - You deserve the Paradise , don't sell yourself for anything less. Whoever is content to the worldly pleasures , has sufficed to something b
ase and low. (Balagatol Hussain ( as ) , P. 308)
Apr 6, '10 3:22 AM
for everyone
From:
Islamic Information Center <iic@islamicinformationcenter.org>
View Contact
To:abbasalamdar@yahoo.com


Announcing the American Leadership Initiative for Muslims Convention 2010

The Islamic Information Center is proud to announce its second annual convention, the American Leadership Initiative for Muslims, to take placeon July 23 - 25. We are seeking the best and brightest from each community, professionals, students, community activists, and anyone who wants to make a difference to attend this action-oriented convention. This convention is different than any other type of Muslim convention in a few ways:
  • This is an action oriented convention, dedicated to creating new and realistic solutions - nothing at this convention is "hypothetical"
  • All attendees participate in discussions on the future of our community in this country
  • This event features organizations that havesucceeded in different ways in helping Muslimsand other innocents around the world, includingDemocracy and Human Rights in Bahrain, theUS Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, and more!
  • The convention will also feature various government agencies and elected officials responsible for policies that affect us all, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)Departments of State, Treasury, and Education; and several current US Congressmen and Congresswomen!
  • Attendees will have the opportunity to tour various government facilities, and see where the US decision making process happens.
  •  The American Leadership Initiative for Muslims will take place at the Capital Hilton, less than THREE BLOCKS from the White House.
  • This is not a "large scale" convention with innumerable attendees, but a convention that seeks to involve community members who want to make a difference.
You can register RIGHT NOW by using your credit card or other electronic methods by clicking here!

ALI for Muslims

What is the American Leadership Initiative?

Over the past several years, it has becoming increasingly important for American Muslims to take on leadership roles in the community and engage the government in dialogue. Specifically this convention will focus on professionalism, civic engagement, citizenship and activism.

The American Leadership Initiative for Muslims Convention is dedicated to brainstorming actionable ideas, plans, and initiatives to elevate the status of our community in the United States. At the conclusion of the convention, attendees will return to their home communities with specific plans of action to effectuate these goals, and the Islamic Information Center will help to coordinate these nationwide initiatives throughout the year.
This convention includes site visits to crucial U.S. government agencies and meetings with government officials.  Each day, attendees will work together to strategize and establish goals to be achieved enact throughout the year. These meetings will not discuss hypothetical topics - but actual plans to implement the knowledge gained at the convention to help ALL Muslims, both locally and abroad!
The first step of leadership is having a vision.
Please register by using your credit card or other electronic methods by clicking here!

What is the Islamic Information Center?

Since 2002, the Islamic Information Center (IIC) has been making waves throughout the country. The center was founded to project a positive image of Islam on three main platforms in order to change perceptions and build bridges. This can be accomplished by establishing interfaith connections; portraying a positive and accurate image of Islam in the print, radio, television, and Internet news media; and providing elected officials and government agencies with an authentic representation of Islam based upon the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and His Holy Progeny (Ahlul Bayt) - May God Bless Them All.

Whoever wants to be a leader should educate himself before educating others. Before preaching to others he should first practice himself. Whoever educates himself and improves his own morals is superior to the man who tries to teach and train others. -- Imam Ali, Nahjul Balagha
 

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Apr 5, '10 1:59 PM
for everyone
11 - Your difficulties are worse than others , because you were deprived of the rank of the scholars - considering your legitimacy and merit -(These difficulties are) because administering the affairs of the society and conveying the ( religious ) rules must be done by scholars who truly believe in God and know what is permitted and what is forbidden by God. But you were deprived from this position and rank for you withdrew from (supporting) the truth. You changed the tradition of the prophet ,despite the clear and disclosed proofs. If you had withstood and were patient against the torture and annoyance ( of the tyrants ) for the sake of God , then the divine affairs would have stayed in your hands , and you were the ones to whom would be referred. But you made the tyrants dominant on you and left the divine affairs in their hands, while they shamelessly do the forbidden and notoriously live a licentious life. Your (fear) from death and attachment to this world have encouraged the tyrants to establish dominance over you. (Tohaf-al- Uqoul , P. 238)

12 - O' God! Surely you know that whatever we did was not a competition to gain worldly positions and not for the worthless physical attractions of the world. But to show the signs of religious ways and to remove corruption from your lands , so that the oppressed feel secured and act according to your traditions and rules. (Tohaf-al- Uqoul, P. 239)

13 - I never revolted in vain, as a rebel or as a tyrant, but I rose seeking reformation for the nation of my grandfather Mohammad. I intend to enjoin good and forbid evil, to act according to the traditions of my grandfather, and my father Ali Ibn Abi-Talib. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 44, P. 329)

14 - If the world is counted valuable; surely the house of God's rewards is higher and more worthy. If bodies were created for death; surely being killed with swords in the way of God is a more honorable death. If the share of daily sustenance, of each creature is provided by the creator, surely it is not decent for man to be greedy for gaining and eating too much. If wealth is amassed for one day to be left. Then why a free man becomes so miser on something he has to leave. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 44, P. 374)

15 - If you don't believe in any religion and don't fear the Resurrection Day, at least be free in this world. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 45, P. 51)

16 - Those who worship God for the hope of gaining , they're not real worshippers ,they're merchants. Those who worship God out of fear ( of punishment ) , they're slaves. And those who worship God to be grateful towards their creator , they are the free people , and their worship is a real one. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 117)

17 - Beware that the need of people to you is among the blessings of God to you. So do not scare away the needy people when they come to you, as the God’s blessings will return and go elsewhere. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78, P. 121)

18 - O' people take a lesson from the advice that God gave to His true believers, among which reproaching the Jewish scholars where he said:" Why do Jewish scholars not prohibit their people from saying sinful words? "And also (the Almighty) said:" Those who turned into atheists, from among the descendants of Israel, were cursed”... his Almighty added:" certainly evil was that which they did. "Surely the God criticized them for they turned a blind eye to what they saw of evil and corruption from the tyrants of their time out of greed or fear. The Almighty God says: " Do not fear people, rather, fear me! “The Almighty said: “The believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil.” (Tohaf-al- Uqoul , P. 237)

19 - Whoever seeks the satisfaction of people through disobedience of God; Then God subjects him to people. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78, P. 126)

20 - Avoid oppressing the one who does not have any supporter against you, other than the Almighty God. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78, P. 118)
Apr 5, '10 6:03 AM
for everyone
PLEASE SEE ATTACHED POWER POINT PRESENTATION
Attachment: Woman.pps
Apr 5, '10 5:40 AM
for everyone

Aasiyah, the daughter of Muzahim and the wife of Firo’un (the cruel ruler during the time of Moses) is regarded as one of the four best women who will enter the Paradise before everyone else. The other three are:
Maryam (Mary, the mother of Jesus), Khadeejah (the wife of the Holy Prophet) and Fatima (the one and only beloved daughter of the Holy Prophet) – Peace be upon them all.
Although Aasiyah was the wife of Firo’un, a tyrant ruler who claimed to be god, she was a Mumina ‘a believer’. It is narrated that:
In the days of Firo’un, there lived a very pious man called Hizqeel. Firo’un murdered him because of his faith in Moses (a.s.) and One God. Hizqeel had a wife who was a hairdresser and two sons. They too, were the followers of Moses (a.s.). One day, as Hizqeel’s wife was combing the hair of Firo’un’s daughter, her comb fell and she picked it up saying Bismillah meaning ‘in the Name of Allah’. Firo’un’s daughter was surprised by this utterance, so she asked, “The Allah, whose name you have just uttered, is he my father or somebody else?”Hizqeel’s wife replied, “I have remembered Allah Who has created you, your father and me”.
Firo’un’s daughter reported the matter to her father who was extremely annoyed and furious with such remarks. He summoned Hizqeel’s wife with her two sons and asked, “Who is your creator?” She courageously replied, “Your God and my God is the creator of this world”. Firo’un became even more upset and ordered his soldiers to burn Hizqeel’s wife together with her two sons alive.
Soon after their torturous death, Firo’un proudly came up to his wife Aasiyah and informed her about the incident thinking that she would be happy to know what he had done. Instead, she was furious and clearly expressed her disgust towards him. Firo’un realized that his own wife had also become a believer of Moses (a.s.) and therefore tortured her too, to her death. He used a very violent method to eliminate her. He made her lie down on the earth and nailed her hands and legs. However, Aasiyah remained steadfast in the path of Allah (SWT). Mentioning her with praise in the Quran, Allah (SWT) says:
“And Allah has given an example to the believers, of Firo’un’s wife. When she said: O Lord! Build me a house in the garden, and deliver me from Firo’un and his deeds, and deliver me from the unjust people”. (66:16)
LEARNING POINT:
We must always remain steadfast on the path of Allah (SWT) whatever the difficulties. This indeed is the lesson we learn from the above episode. Aasiyah was the beloved wife of Firo’un. She was a queen and had everything one would desire for in this life. However, when she believed in Moses (a.s.), she realized that the rewards of the Hereafter were much better. What could the short-life of this world have to offer?
“…and be steadfast (in your faith) as you are commanded, and do not follow their vain desires…” (42:15)
Imam Ali (a.s.) has said“The best happiness (is achieved through) steadfastness of faith (religion)”. (Ghurar al-Hikam)
He (a.s.) has also said, “Action! Action! Then (look at) the end; the end, and (remain) steadfast; steadfast……..Allah, the Sublime says: ‘Verily the angels descend on those who say: ‘Allah is our Lord’ and then remain steadfast, saying: Do not fear, nor grieve. Receive the glad tidings of the garden which was promised to you’ (41:30) You have said: ‘Our Lord is Allah’. Then keep steadfast to His Book, to the way of His command and to the virtuous course of His worship…” (Nahjul-Balaghah/Sermon 176)
(courtesy : Mulla Mujhaeedali Sheriff)

Apr 5, '10 3:16 AM
for everyone

1. Do you seek fame and reputation?

A sincere person abhors and fears fame and reputation, especially if he or she possesses different talents, and firmly believes that Allah [swt] will hold people to account according to their inner conscience and not the outer appearance, and that frame will be of no avail before Allah [swt] is man meets Him with a corrupted intention. However, we should bear in mind that, these instructions do not recommend isolation or loneliness. These instructions, of course are an alarm to the danger of the concealed desires, and a caution against the means by which Satan makes use of to creep into the heart of man. Undoubtedly, there is no wrong in fame itself, for the Prophet [pbuh] and the Imams [a] are the most famous men. Wrong is to make it ones aim in life.

2. Do you perform the good deeds better in public?

Sincere individuals prefer the hidden action over the public one. They prefer to be like the root of the tree, which is not visible, yet it is the main cause of maintaining the tree with elements of life.
3. Does your motivation vary whether you are a leader or just another member of an Islamic organization or a committee working for an Islamic event?

Sincere individuals are not concerned about their status, whether they are a leader or a follower. Their only objective is to serve Allah [swt] and the cause. Therefore their hearts are not possessed with love for leadership. They prefer the position of a soldier to the position of leader in cases that they cannot fulfill the duties of leadership. They do not ask to be a leader, but when they are charged with it they ask Allah's [swt] help to fulfill their duties and obligations.
4. Do you feel happy when people are pleased with you?

Sincere individuals do not pay even the slightest attention to the pleasure of people when it is in direct contradiction with the pleasure of Allah [swt]. People are different in inclinations, aims, and thoughts, and so one cannot please all of them. Thus, the devoted amongst the sincere individuals are not interested in seeking the pleasure of people.
5. Do you abandon working for Allah [swt] if you are hurt by the actions or words of others?

Sincere individuals love and hate, spending and saving, delight and wrath are all in sincerity for the sake of Allah [swt] and the religion of Islam. Unfortunately, some individuals leave the field of Dawah if they are hurt by some of their brothers and sisters even with the bellow of one word. They abandon the struggle due to trivial reasons. However, sincerity for the sake of Dawah means to preserve whatever the obstacles that he may face, since his sacrifice is for the sake of Allah [swt] and not for himself or family. Dawah for Allah's [swt] sake is a common duty; it is not restricted to particular reasons. Therefore, no one is permitted to abandon it due to the conduct or behavior of some other individuals mal thought and intentions.
6. Does the long road ahead or the obstacles along the way frustrate you?

Sincere individuals do not experience laziness or lassitude due to the great length of the journey and the obstacles they encounter in it. They do not aim at achieving victory or success only, but hope for the pleasure of Allah [swt] before anything else. In fact, Allah [swt] will not ask people on the Day of Judgment about the reason they did not achieve victory, instead He will ask them about their endeavors and actions His way.
This site is a very interesting one, which ever topic you click on, it will give you a clear and very useful video explanation. A good one to add to your favorites and refer to whenever need be.

 
 Interactive Sites on Medical Information

The tutorials listed below are interactive health education resources from the Patient Education Institute. Using animated graphics each tutorial explains a procedure or condition in easy-to-read language. You can also listen to the tutorial. 
JUST CLICK ON YOUR PREFFERED AILMENT 
NOTE: These tutorials require a special Flash plug-in, version 6 or above... If you do not have Flash, you will be prompted to obtain a free download of the software before you start the tutorial.
  • Diseases and Conditions
 (sent by sis Mariam R. Jiwa)
Apr 4, '10 2:14 PM
for everyone
Definitions of Music
The art of combining sounds or sequences of notes into harmonious patterns that is pleasing to the ear.
Any sound that is produced for entertainment and is capable of exciting passion.
Sounds that produce a strange type of sorrow or pleasure for the listener.
Origin of Music
When the Prophet Adam died Cain, the one who killed his brother Able out of jealousy, wanted to share his happiness with Satan.  To celebrate his father’s death, Cain and Satan created musical instruments.
Bad Effects of Music
Music destroys the sense of shame and self-respect and removes feelings of love, humanness, and mercy: “Music is the ladder of fornication.”  (Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h.))
It creates hypocrisy: “Listening to music, songs, and useless words cultivates hypocrisy in the heart in the same way.”  (Imam Sadiq (a.s.))
Music causes poverty: “Music creates hypocrisy and causes poverty.”  (Imam Ali (a.s.))
It causes forgetfulness of God: “The house where music is played is not safe from sudden disasters.  Supplications at such a place are not answered.  Angels do not enter this place.”  (Imam Sadiq (a.s.))
Punishments for Music
“Molten lead shall be poured into the ears of one who listens intently to songs.”  (Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h.))
“Whenever a person begins singing, two Satans alight upon his shoulders and continue to beat upon his chest, till the time he continues the song.”  (Imam Sadiq (a.s.))
“When the singer shall emerge from his grave on the Day of Judgment, he shall be blind, deaf, and also mute.”  (Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h.))
“Music is that sin which has been promised a penalty of fire (of Hell) by the Almighty Allah.  Since it is evident that whichever sin has been promised Hell as its punishment is a major sin.  It could be derived from the above tradition that singing is also a sin of the same category.”  (Imam Baqir (a.s.))
Apr 4, '10 2:05 PM
for everyone

HAZRAT LUQMAN –THE WISE

There is a whole Surah (chapter)  by the name of Luqman in the Holy Quran. This is chapter no.31.
Who was Luqman?
Aqa Mirza Mahdi Pooya, in his Tafseer (commentary) states:
Luqman, it is said, was not a prophet of Allah but was blessed with wisdom. He was the nephew of Prophet Ayyub (as). He lived for one thousand years, from the time of Dawood (as) to the time of Yunus (as). Once, when he was asleep, angels came and asked if he would like to be Allah’s deputy on the earth. To this, he replied that if it was the command from Allah, he would accept it, however, if Allah asked his desire he would like to be excused because it was a great responsibility to dispense justice among men, and he could not bear the burden.
Another saying about Luqman is that he was an Ethiopian carpenter whom the Greek called Aesop. He was a very obedient servant of the Lord, extremely pious and modest who mostly remained silent, engrossed in higher thoughts. His fear of sins was such that he never rejoiced over any gain nor grieved over any loss, even at the death of his children.
It is said that whenever he passed over any vegetation they used to disclose their respective properties latent in them. He used to visit Dawood (as) and discuss with him complicated issues to find out their solution.

DO NOT RELY ON PEOPLE’S PRAISE OR SLANDER

Once, Hazrat Luqman said to his son:
“O my son! Do not rely on people’s praise or slander. Although you spend every ounce of your strength, you will not succeed in this affair”.
His son said:
“Father! I don’t understand a word of what you are saying. I want to see some samples”.
Luqman replied: “Let us walk”.
They started while having one animal to ride on. Now Luqman rode on the animal, while the son was walking. People seeing this, said:
“How cruel is this old man. Although he is strong, he lets his son walk!”
Luqman told his son: “Did you hear?” He replied: “Yes, I did”.
Then Luqman told his son: “Now, you ride the animal and I will follow”.
The son rode the animal and Luqman was walking. People said this time: “These father and son are bad people. The father has not trained his son.His son is riding. The father who should get respects, is walking. The son is bad because God will punish him for this act of his. Therefore, both are wrong-doers!”
Luqman asked his son: “Did you hear?” He replied: “Yes”.
Then Luqman said: “Let us both ride on the animal”.
They both rode on it. People then complained: “There is no mercy in the hearts of these two riders. God will not bless them. They are breaking the back of the animal. They have overloaded it. It was better for one of them to walk and the other to ride”.
Luqman told his son:”Did you hear?” He said: “Yes”.
Then Luqman said: “Let us both of us walk”.
They started walking. They heard people say: “It is strange that they have an animal but they walk.”
Then Luqman said to his son: “Can you make people agree with you? Thus, do not look for people’s consent, look for God’s consent. That will be a source of prosperity both here and in the hereafter”.
(courtesy Mulla Mujaheedali Sheriff)
Apr 4, '10 2:01 PM
for everyone
ALL PRAISE IS DUE TO ALLAH (SWT)
Prophet Sulaiman (as) was the son of Prophet Dawood (as). He was the only prophet and human being who was granted with a huge and vast kingdom on this earth.
He said: “O my Lord, forgive me, and give me such a dominion as no one after me shall have the like. Verily, You are the great bestower”.
Then We made the wind subservient to him, to flow gently at his command whither-soever he desired;
And the devils-the builders and divers of all kinds.
And others bound in fetters.
This is Our gift, so give freely or withhold, without (rendering) an account.   (38: 35-39)
We gave Dawood and Sulaiman knowledge, and they both said: “Praise be to Allah, who has preferred us above many of His believing servants”.
Sulaiman inherited Dawood, and he said: “O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given (abundance) of all things. Verily this is a manifest grace”.
                                                                    (27: 15-16)
The Almighty Allah had given him control over the wind so that it could carry him wherever he wished to go. He (SWT) deputed the jinns and men to serve him under his command and birds were made subservient to him so that they could shelter him under the shade of their wings. Allah (SWT) taught Prophet Sulaiman (as) the language of the birds and granted him with extraordinary power of perception and intelligence.
Once Prophet Sulaiman (as) was on his carpet flying in the air, when he saw on the way a villager walking with his shovels on his back. As the villager heard the zooming sound of the carpet in the air, he looked up and said, “Sub-haanallah (Praise be to Allah) what a great kingdom this is which Allah has bestowed to Sulaiman !”
When Prophet Sulaiman (as) heard this, he ordered the air to descend him. He landed on the ground and asked the villager about what he had just said. The villager stood respectfully and replied, “Sub-haanallah ! I said what a great kingdom this is which Allah has bestowed upon the son of Dawood”.
Thereupon, Prophet Sulaiman (as) told him,
“Whoever says with full conviction Sub-haanallah once only, it is better than the whole kingdom of the son of Dawood”.
All praise is due to Allah and nobody else. Even if anybody is praiseworthy, it is because of Allah (SWT). Most of the time when man accumulates wealth or acquires fame and power, he thinks that they are his personal achievements. What he should remember is that if Allah (SWT) had not wished it, man could not have acquired any of the pomp and glories of the world.
What Prophet Sulaiman (as) implies is that his entire kingdom is nothing but a special favour of Allah (SWT) to him. He alone can give and He therefore alone is worth praising.
(courtesy  Mulla Mujaheedali Sheriff)

Apr 4, '10 12:46 PM
for everyone
MOM, WHAT WOULD I DO WITH U ?????

(sent by bro Najmuddin)
Attachment: Mom,would.jpg
Apr 4, '10 12:18 PM
for everyone
Often it is thought that taqwa means piety and abstinence and so implies a negative attitude. In other words, it is maintained that the greater the amount of abstinence, withdrawal, and self-denial, the more perfect is one's taqwa. According to this interpretation, taqwa is a concept divorced from active life; secondly it is a negative attitude; thirdly, it means that the more severely this negative attitude is exercised, the greater one's taqwa would be. The meaning of taqwa in the Nahj al-Balaghah, however, is not synonymous with that of 'abstinence', even in its logically accepted sense discussed above. Taqwa, on the other hand, according to the Nahj al-Balaghah, is described as a spiritual condition which results in control and command over one's self. It explains that the result of subjugation to desires and lusts and being devoid of taqwa degrades one's personality making it vulnerable to the cravings of the carnal self. In such a state, man is like a helpless rider without any power and control, whom his mount takes wherever it desires. The essence of taqwa lies in possessing a spiritual personality endowed with will-power, and possessing mastery over the domain of one's self.
1. Praise and Eulogy is for Allah for the blessing and bounties, which He has bestowed. And thanks to Him upon what He revealed (to His servants) And Praise is for Him upon the common boons and blessings which He bestowed upon His servants without their request And upon the comprehensive and complete blessings which He granted to all and sundry and gave it to us, consecutively. Those graces and favours which are uncountable.

And are irredeemable and uncompensable due to their plentifulness of number. And the imagination of their end is out of the reach of human mind.
He invited the servant to thankfulness for the sake of the consecutive and continuous enhancement of blessings. And opened the door of eulogy and Praise (of Allah) upon them so that He may make his favours and beneficences great and plentiful for them.

2. I testify that there is no Diety (Lord) except the sole and matchless Allah. And the testification of the singleness of Allah is a word that Allah has declared sincerity (as) it's reality, and made the hearts the centre of it's contact and union. And has made the specifications and research of the oneness of Allah's station obvious and evident in the light of meditation. The Allah Who cannot be seen by the eyes and tongues are unable and baffled to describe His virtues and attributes.

3. Allah made all the beings without previous matter and sample and shape and pattern. And made them wear the dress of life by His main and might and created them according to His Devine will and Intention short of it that He might have needed their creation or have wished any benefit for Himself from their shaping and sketching except this that he wanted to give a proof of His wisdom and make the people (creations) aware about His obedience and submission and invited them to his servitude and worship and make His Invitation grand.

4. Allah fixed the reward for His obedience and torment for His insubordination and disobedience so that He may restrain His servants from His wrath and fury and lead them to His paradise.

5. And I testify that my father Mohammad (SAW) is the apostle and the servant of Allah. And Allah selected and chose him before appointing him at the post of Prophethood. And He named him before choosing and selecting him. And chose him before and delegating him. Then all the creations were hidden and covered in the covers of unseen and were hidden amid the screen and curtain of fear and fright and stayed near the last and final border of non entity (nothingness) for Allah was aware of and knew the end of matters and because of His encompassing the incidents of times and ages and His knowledge of the predestinates.

Allah appointed him (as apostle) so that he may complete and finalize His matter and implement His order and materialize His decree and predestinates.

6. Allah saw nations and groups had various different sects in their religion and scattered and staying on the verge of the fires of differences, busy with the their idol worshipping. They denied God with all the signs and symbols of Him (IRFAN) So Allah illuminated the darknesses through my father Mohammad (SAW) and removed the darknesses from their hearts, removed (cured) the blindness of the eyes.

7. My father (Muhammad (SAW) stood up with (his) guidance among the people. And saved them from perversion and aberration, and turned their blindness into enlightenment and guided them towards the firm religion. And called (invited) them to the straight way.

8. You the servants of Allah, are the ones to maintain His injunctions and prohibitions, and the carriers of His religion, and His revelation, and the trustees of Allah upon your souls, and the propagators of His religion among the other nations.

9. Oh the servants of Allah! (beware) the real leader from Allah, is present among you and the commitment has previously been made to you and the remaining and left over of the prophet hood has been appointed for your guidance.

That is the speaking book of Allah the truthful Quran, and a beaming and gleaming light, in which all the secrets and facts about the completion of man and his prosperity have been exhibited and illuminated. It guides from darkness towards light of guidance. It s followers are the subject of envoy of others.

10. The book of Allah is the guide of it's followers towards the pleasure of Allah. Listening (carefully) to it leads to the salvation. The enlightened and conspicuous evidences and proofs of Allah can be obtained through it. And (also the knowledge) of His interpreted intentions and fear invoking constraining prohibitions. His sufficing testimonies and conspicuous arguments, and desired virtues and allowed endowments and gifts and obligatory divine laws. (can be obtained from it)

11. Allah made the faith for you as a purity from polytheism (and infidelity).

12. And (made) service the cause of your getting distant (purification) from pride (egoism).

13. And rendered alms for the purity of your soul and flourishment and expansion of your sustenance.

14. And rendered fasting for the maintenance and firmness of your sincerity.

15. And Allah set Hajj for the consolidation and reinforcement of the religion.

16. Allah executed and rendered justice for the sake of putting together and harmonization of the hearts.

17. And (Allah set) the subordination and obedience of us (the household of the Prophet (SAW)) for the security of society's system and our Imamat as a safety from segregation and disunity).

18. And (Allah made) Jihad (holy war), the honour and glory for Islam and abjectness and humbleness for the infidels and the hypocrites.

19. And (Allah rendered) patience as a help for getting reward.

20. And (Allah caused) commanding goodness and forbidding to do evil for the amendment and correction of society and the common folks (public).

21. And (Allah made) the kindness to parents as a protectional (shield) to His wrath and displeasure.

22. And Allah made joining and connecting with the kinship and cognation, the cause of lengthening of life.

23. And Allah made law of retaliation (revenge for homicide) as the security of blood (from being shed).

24. And Allah executed the vow performing as a medium for forgiveness.

25. And (Allah rendered) the correct use of weights measure (units) a medium for stopping from selling less (than actual).

26.And (Allah rendered) prohibition from drinking wine the cause of taking distance from contaminations (evils).

27. And Allah made the prohibition to accuse someone of adultery a protection (shield) for avoiding (His) curse.

28. And (Allah made) refraining from theft for the sake of positiveness and affirmation for modesty.

29.And Allah prohibited polytheism for the sake of (bringing about) sincerity in (His) adoration and worship.

30.Certainly, an apostle has come to you from among yourselves; grievous to him is your falling into distress, excessively solicitous respecting you; to the believers (he is) compassionate, merciful.

So if you assay and recognize him you will find he is my father not the father of your women and the brother of my cousin, [Ali (a.s)] not that of your men. And how nice a relation I have to him. So he propagated his prophetic (mission). He always used to turn his face from the polytheists.
And fought against them till he beat them up. He would invite people towards Allah by wisdom, and beautiful admonition. He broke the idols and scattered the aggregation of polytheists in a way that they ran away (from the battlefields), so that finally the hidden secret of oneness of Allah became manifested by him.

And he made the logic of religion reach the ears ((of the people) and settled down the foam of the camels of Satan and turned the slogan yelling of those devils silent. And downed the agents of hypocrisy and mutual commitments of the infidels got dissolved till such time that, you (people) spoke to a group of enlightened and modest men with the words of oneness of Allah and sincerity.

31.You were on the edge of a fire ditch, and were a cup of drink and the morsel of a greedy one and a firebrand of every hasty one and were being trampled on (by other nations) and drank from the contaminated waters gathered over in ditches and your energy (food) was (secured by) the leaves of trees and desert grass. And for your abjectness and abasement you were always afraid that those around you might abduct you in the winking of an eye. So, Allah liberated you (of these misfortunes) through my father Mohammed (SAW). In spite of it that he (SAW) was involved and at war against the intrepid and the hungry wolves of Arab and the stubborn refractory of the people of the books (Jews and Christians). Whenever his opponents would lit the fire of war, Allah extinguished it to your benefit.

32.Imam Hasan (AS) said, 'on the Friday night I saw my mother (Fatima (as)) standing in her arch of prayer. She was continuously kneeling and performing prostration till the dawn broke. I would hear her pray for the faithful men and women, but she did not at all pray for herself. I said, 'Oh mother why did you not pray for yourself like you prayed for others?' so she replied, 'Oh my son, first thy neighbour and there after your own house.'

33.The Prophet (SAW) said to Fatima (AS) what is the thing which is a blessing for woman?'

She said that, 'she must not see a man (stranger and not intimate) and a man must not see her.'

34.One day a lady came to Fatima (AS) said 'I have a weak old mother who does not know a few problems about her service (prayers). She has sent me towards you to question you (about them). Thus Fatima answered her (questions). And the number of her queries reached to ten and Fatima (AS) replied to all her questions. Then she (the woman got a shamed because of the high number of her questions. And said, 'Oh daughter of the Prophet (SAW), 'I do not put you to more inconvenience than this.'

Fatima (AS) said, 'Ask me what you do not know. Have you ever seen a person who is one day hired to carry a heavy thing to the roof top from ground for an amount (equal to) a thousand dinars (nearly a hundred thousand misqal (unit of weight) of gold) and he may feel himself tired.'

She said 'No'. Fatima (AS) said, 'I have been hired by Allah to get a wages which if the space between the earth and sky is filled up with pearls still (That wages) would he more than it for each of the questions I may answer you. Therefore, I deserve it that I must not feel tired exhausted.'

35.Oh Allah! belittle me in my eyes and glorify and magnify Your station to me. And inspire me (about) Your obedience and the practice which may cause Your pleasure and the shunning and evading from things (matters) which are the cause of Your wrath, oh the most merciful of all! 36.Oh Allah! content me with the sustenance you have granted me. And till such time that you keep me alive, hide me and make me sound and prosperous. And forgive me and take pity upon me when I die. (During death process). Oh Allah! do not help me in something that you have not predestined for me. And facilitate the achievement of that thing which you have predestined for me.

37.Oh Allah! bestow upon my parents and all those persons who have rights of their blessings and beneficences upon me, the best of Your rewards. Oh my Allah, spare me the leisure and respite for the object for which You have created me. And do not let me be busy and involved (absolutely) in my commitments. And do not torment me when I ask forgiveness. And do not deprive me of what I yearn and question you for.

38.Underlying are the rhymes which Hazrat Zahra (AS) recited upon the mourning of Prophet's (SAW) demise.

The person who smells the sweet fragrance of the grave of the Prophet (SAW) so what if he does not smell any other fragrance for long times to come?

Agonies and anguishes and grief poured upon me in such a way that had they poured upon days those would have turned into nights.

39.The dust of sorrow covered the space of sky and the sun has faded and the bright day turned bleak. The earth has become dark and gloomy after the death of the Prophet (SAW) Woe! Alas! What the earth will have much of Jolting upon being separated and parted from him (SAW).

It is meritorious and befitting that the east and west of the world may weep upon the parting of Prophet (SAW) and the persons of Muzzir tribe and all of they rest of the Yemen tribes shed tears.

And the great magnificent mountain of the existence and the hidden and covered Kabaah (House of ALLAH) and its pillars should shed tears.
Oh the terminator and finaliser of the (series of) prophets! The light of whom is the source of blessing for the worlds inhabitants, Be the salutation and blessings of Allah the descender of Holy Quran upon you.

40.Following you [Prophet (SAW)] inequities (intrigues and revolts) took shape and variant voices were raised so that if you were present and supervising (things) all these differences and deviations would not have taken place.

You set off (on the journey of eternity) from among us and now our condition is like the earth, which becomes devoid of the beneficial rains. And your nation upset the order and discipline of matters. Therefore, be a witness and do not let their matter get out of your sight.
Apr 4, '10 12:02 PM
for everyone
Envy

Keep yourselves far from envy, because it eats up and takes away good actions, like the fire that eats up and burns wood.
Suppression of Anger

Whoever suppresses his anger, when he has in his power to show it, God will give him a great reward.

He is not strong and powerful, who throws people down, but he is strong who withholds himself from anger.
Behavior

Deal gently with a people, and be not harsh; cheer them and condemn not.

Much silence and a good disposition; there are no two works better than these.

The best of friends is he who is best in behavior and character.

One who does not practice modesity and does not refrain from shameless deeds is not a Muslim.
Parents and Family

Paradise lies at the feet of thy mother.

He who wishes to enter Paradise must please his father and mother.
Pride

No one who keeps his mind focussed entirely upon himself, can grow large, strong and beautiful in character.
Remembrance of God

Whoever loves to meet God, God loves to meet him.

The five stated prayers erase the sins which have been committed during the intervals between them if they have not been mortal sins.
Sympathy

God is not merciful to him who is not so to humankind. He who is not kind to God's creation and to his own children, God will not be kind to him.

Whosoever visits a sick person, an angel calls from Heaven: "Be happy in the world and happy be your walking; and take your habitation in Paradise."
Wordly Love and Materialism

The love of the world, is the root of all evils.

Wealth properly employed is a blessing; and a man may lawfully endeavour to increase it by honest means.
Apr 4, '10 11:41 AM
for everyone
1 - How can a thing the existence of which is dependent on you be taken as a proof for your existence? Is there anything more evident than your "self" disclose you? Are you hidden to need a guide to find you? Surely you are not. Are you far-away to need your footprints to find you? Surely you are not! Blind may the eyes be which do not see you watching and guarding your "self" (Arafa prayer; Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 98 , P. 226)

2 - He who has you , has everything , and he who has deprived himself of you is the poorest in the world. Loser is the one who chooses and be content with anyone or anything other than you. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 98 , P. 228)

3 - Never will be salvaged the people who win the consent of the creature at the cost of the dissatisfaction of the creator. (Maktal Khawarazmi , Vol. 1 , P. 239)

4 - No one will feel secured on the Resurrection Day except those who feared God in this world. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 44 , P. 192)

5 - The Almighty God said : "The believing men and the believing women , they are guardians of each other , enjoin good and forbid evil... "God attaches primary importance to enjoining good and forbidding evil " as a duty for men and women. For he knows that if it were fulfilled all the other duties , easy or hard , will be accomplished. That is because "enjoining good and forbidding evil" is a call for Islam , it regains the rights of the oppressed and opposes tyrants. (Tohaf-al- Uqoul , P. 237)

6 - O' people , the Messenger of God said : Whoever sees an aggressive tyrant legalizes the forbiddens of God , breeches divine laws , opposes the tradition of the Prophet , oppresses the worshippers of God , but does not concede his opposition to God in word or in deed , surely Allah will place that tyrant ( in the Hell ) where he deserves. (Maktal Khawarazmi , Vol. 1 , P. 234)

7 - People are slaves to the world , and as long as they live favorable and comfortable lives , they are loyal to religious principles. However , at hard times , the times of trials , true religious people are scarce. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 117)

8 - One who pursues a goal through sinful ways , will ironically distance himself from that goal , and will approach what he was afraid of. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 120)

9 - Don't you see that the right is not conveyed and the wrong is not prohibited. Let believers wish to die and righteously meet their God. (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78 , P. 117)

10 - To me , death is nothing but happiness, and living under tyrants nothing but living in a hell. (Tohaf-al- Uqoul , P. 245)

1. One of the friends of Imam named Moally Bin Khunais says, "On a rainy and dark night I saw that Imam Sadiq (A.S.) was carrying a heavy sack on his back in the streets of Madina. I followed him to find out as to where he was heading. He threw a quantity of bread on earth and I collected it and went towards Imam (A.S.) and saluted him and gave that to him. Imam (A.S.) took that kept it in the sack, and continued walking on. Not very long after that, he reached a point where a group of oppressed men were sleeping. He put two breads underneath the head of each one and turned back I asked the Imam (A.S.) "were they your shias?" He said, "No, if they were our shias I would have attended them better than that."
2. Hisham Bin Salem another friend of Imam says, "The Imam had a peculiar manner of action that he picked up food in the dark nights and carried it to the doors of the houses of the oppressed ones, delivered it to them and did not let himself be recognized.
Long times passed and Imam passed away. Since his help was discontinued, the poor and afflicted ones got to know that the unknown man who came in the night and helped them was Imam Sadiq (A.S.) for this reason they became very sad and miserable.
Imam Struggles against hoarding
One of the years, a shortage of wheat took place in Madina. A bewilderment and anxiety overtook the people. Anyone who had not stored wheat for a years use would try hard to provide and stock it.
At the same time, the poor have-nots were forced to buy there every day-needed wheat from the market.
One day Imam Sadiq (A.S.) asked his servant "Motab," "Do we have wheat in the house this year? Motab replied, "Yes we have got wheat to meet the requirement of a few months."
Imam said, "Take that to the market and surrender it to the people and sell it."
Motab said, "Oh my Lord! Wheat is scarce in Madina, if I sell it purchasing wheat after that will be difficult and we will face hardship and will be forced to buy it on a higher cost."
Imam said, "Do what I have said, hereafter do purchase the bread of the house like the have-nots of Madina, do each day. Because the bread of my house should not have any difference with that of the masses although you may buy it on a higher rate."
The greedy afflicted and the thankful poor
One of the friends of Imam says, we were busy taking grapes in Mina along with the Imam (A.S.). An afflicted one come and asked for help. Imam gave him a bunch of grapes. The man did not take that and demanded money. Imam said, "God may provide you that." The afflicted man walked a few steps and turned back and requested the Imam (A.S.) to give him the grapes. He said, "may God provide you that" and the man went back.
At the same time another poor man came and asked the Imam for help. He gave him a few grape stones. The man took them and thanked God. Imam gave him a handful of grapes. The man took that and again thanked God, for his boon. For the third time, Imam (A.S.) gave him twenty dirhams and the fourth time, gave him his shirt. The man took all and went back praying for Imam (A.S.).
I said to myself had this man continued on, Imam (A.S.) would have given him all that he had.
Laying foundation of the Islamic University
Imam (A.S.) decided to lay the foundation of Islamic University in Madina, so as to train students in different fields and branches of knowledge. The gushing knowledge spring of Imam (A.S.) was so evident that it attracted the researcher of knowledge from all the directions of the world. Hundreds of knowledge thirsty youth from all over the world came to Madina to join the teaching classes of Imam (A.S.). Imam (A.S.) trained famous and well-known men in various fields of knowledge the names of some of them are as follows:
1. Zurara and Mohammad Bin Muslim in jurisprudence.
2. Hisham and Momin ut Taq in beliefs and kalam (discourse).
3. Muffazil and Safwan in Gnosticism and Islamic learning.
4. Jabbir Bin Hayyan in mathematics and sciences.
Many other glorious men each of whom became the founder of various Islamic Learning's and arts so that for many years their books had been translated and taught in Europe. Evidently, such a chance for the propagation of Islamic learning's was not available in the age of Imam Ali (A.S.). Because, the enemy continuously engaged him in internal battles so that a constraint be put upon the propagation and dissemination of Islamic knowledge and learning's and this situation prevailed till the age of Imam Sajjad (A.S.).
From the age of Imam Mohammad Baqir (A.S.) the schools of Islamic learning were founded and those reached the climax of their expansion in the age of Imam Sadiq (A.S.). So far so, that in the university of Imam Sadiq (A.S.) four thousand students were trained in various branches of Islamic knowledge and learning's and they spread all over the world and taught and trained the people.
Why Shiaism is named Jafri 
For the sake of the propagation of the Shiite constitution in the shadow of the knowledge, political sacrifices, and devotion, the Shiite school was attributed to him and this religion was named as the Jafri religion. We belong to the Jafri religion and take pride in this name. The message of the true Islam of Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) can be sought in the blood of Hussain (A.S.) and its explanation and description in the teachings of Imam Sadiq (A.S.).
Jafri Islam is the same one, on the way of which Imam Ali (A.S.) fought holy war (Jehad) and Imam Hassan (A.S.) made truce and Imam Hussain (A.S.) gave his blood (life). Imam Sajjad (A.S.) put on the dress of prisoner ship and Zainab (S.A.) became the messenger of the blood of martyrs. The Prophet's daughter Zahra (S.A.) raised her voice in the mosque of her father over the cruelties and tyranny, which were committed on her.
If Islam be the one in which the rulers seated themselves upon snatched usurped chairs and enrage and unpleased Zahra (S.A.) and made Imam Ali (A.S.) sit at home, we admit that we will not submit to such Islam. From the logical point of view of the informed, faithful and scholars devoted to the family of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.), the Islam wherein the family of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) be suspended will be the same Islam whose custodians were the rulers like Muawiyah, Yazeed and Muttawakils.
The red history of Shiaism of Imam Ali (A.S.) proved that whosoever accepted the Islam minus the family of Imam Ali (A.S.) and struggled on its way did reach no where and was finally rendered despicable and helpless and at last turned into the tool of the 
hands of imperialists of the history.
The piety and abstemiousness is the standard of the man's value. Qur'an, considers all the people as equal, except for those who are decorated with the ornament of piety.
Malik bin Ans says, "Imam Sadiq (A.S.) was always busy praying to God and considered to be one of the great ascetic and devoted ones."
Abdul Ala says: On a hot day of summer I saw Imam Sadiq (A.S.) on one of the roads of Madina while he was going for a job. I said, "May I lay my life for you, why have you put yourself into inconvenience in such a hot weather, with all the faith upon God and association with the Prophet (P.B.U.H.)?"
He said, "I have come out for the job and to earn my livelihood, so that I must not remain needy towards others."
Another one says, "I saw Imam Sadiq (A.S.) wearing rough dress and he was working in a garden like an ordinary labor and perspiring all over." I said to him "Oh, the son of Prophet (P.B.U.H.) allow me to work for you."
He said, "I love working for my livelihood and to taste the hardship of the burning heat of the sun like others."
When Imam went out of the house he used to put on new, clean, valuable and costly dress and climb up a horse.
A group of ignorant people thought this act negated the piety and asceticism.
Therefore, they would come and object and when they heard the response they would be ashamed.
The Imam's (A.S.) talk with a deceitful pious looking man
One day a pious looking forgoer named Sufian stopped Imam Sadiq (A.S.) and said, "You are from the family of Prophet (P.B.U.H.) how is it that you put on such a precious dress?"
Imam said, "Oh Sufian, look there is a rough shirt underneath this dress and I have put on this shirt over it so that those whose minds are in their eyes do not think that I am a poor needy and distressed one but you have put on a soft dress underneath this rough dress, so that you may deceive others that you are a devoted ascetic. Oh Sufian! Do not be so narrow minded."
The next day, Sufian saw that Imam was working in an agricultural field besides the labors and was sweating. He went ahead and said, "I am surprised about you. Why are you so greedy about the world and perspiring in this old age and working?"
Imam (A.S.) said, "How happy I would be if I meet the God (die) in this condition that I am working hard and getting the expenditure of life by putting myself in inconvenience and I do not get myself loaded upon others."
What a miserable people are those who feed themselves upon the income of others and reach the seat of power through them and instead of service and love think all are indebted to them and are always demanding from others. Their outer form is obviously decorated and deceiving, like that of Sufian, but inwardly they are stinking and wicked.
Imam (A.S.) and the problem of Justified Profit
Imam Sadiq (A.S.) gave one thousand dinnars to one of his friends "Musadif" so that he may do some business for him and achieve some profit and that be a help and assistance for his life.
'Musadif' bought some material by that money and moved towards Egypt along with some traders. They happened to come across a caravan, which was returning from there, in the vicinity of the city.
He enquired about the materials, which he possessed for trade, so that he may get informed about the condition of it. The business item was one of those required by the people. There was a scarcity of it in the city. They explained to him that due to its scarcity many buyers and purchaser would be available. Therefore, he could sell his item for a high price.
The businessman became very happy and he settled it with his companions that the item be sold at double the price and they must not sell it lesser than that. After they arrived into the city they did the sine. As a result that man made a profit of one thousand dinnars.
He returned to Madina and very happily and merrily moved towards the house of the Imam (A.S.). When he reached before the Imam he put two sacks of two thousand Dinnars before him and said, "One sack is your money and the other one is the profit of the deal. Imam said, "How did you get such a plenty of profit?" The businessman described all the matter before him. Suddenly, the face of Imam reflected anger and he said, "I take refuge of God you people agree upon the loss of a group of Muslims so that you may sell your items for double the amount of cost?"
Imam picked up the money, which he had given and returned the other sack to that man saying, "I do not need the profit which is obtained by injustice. Oh man! Be aware that it is very difficult to achieve money from Halal, (right and just means).
Imam (A.S.) forbearance and fortitude
The incidents and difficulties, which come into human life can, measure and find out the extent of his energy and faith. The difficulties, which cropped up in the life of Imam Sadiq (A.S.) and the patience and forbearance, which, he showed towards them, illuminated his personality and worth. Howsoever they (enemies) abused and teased him he showed patience and forbearance and admonished them. He never cursed or used foul language about them.