Don’t run away from grief, O soul
Look for the remedy inside the pain.
because the rose came from the thorn
and the ruby came from a stone.
Look for the remedy inside the pain.
because the rose came from the thorn
and the ruby came from a stone.
“
| — | Rumi |
أَمَرْتَنَا أَنْ تَعْفُوَ عَمَّنْ ظَلَمَنَا وَ أَنْتَ أَوْلـى بِالْعَفوِ وَ قَدْ ظَلَمْنَا أَنْفُسَنَا…
“You have ordered us to forgive the person who oppresses us, however You are much more worthy to forgive us who have been oppressive to our own selves…”
“
| — | Dua Abu Hamza |
Some of us were handed knots as children and spend life trying to untie them. Give the knots to God and watch them unravel.
If one realizes that Allah, the most Praised and Exalted One, is always and in any condition more beautiful than everything beautiful, he will never then abandon feeling comfortable with Him.
“
| — | Ayatollah Bahjat (r.a.) |
“Confess that you have been unfair to yourself, not your Lord”
I asked my mentor- who was the best philosopher, ‘arif, and experienced teacher and the most perfect spiritual physician I have ever seen in my life- which one of the physical acts of worship from his experience is more effective to the heart?
He replied: “Long prostration for about an hour or ¾ of an hour in which you repeatedly say: “لا إلهَ إلا أنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظّالِمِيْنَ
When you recite it, you should observe your soul imprisoned in the jail of this world, fastened with the chains of immoral behaviour. During the prostration, you should glorify Allah and confess that you have been unfair to yourself, not your Lord.”
Ayatollah Tabrizi
Imam Mahdi (aj) is Allah’s seeing eye and hearing ear and hears our words before our own selves. When we utter a word, the sound from it comes from our mouths toward our ears, there is a distance between the mouth and the ear. He (aj) precedes this distance and hears what we say before we even hear it. Considering this, can we really do something without him not being aware? Can we do something without him knowing?
“
| — | Ayatollah Bahjat (ra) |
Indeed, Allah presents a believer with afflictions just like a man presents his family with gifts and He protects him (from what is harmful for him) like a doctor protects the sick.
“
| — | Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a) |
Muhammad ibn ‘Ajlan reported: I was with my master Abu ‘Abd Allah [a.s] when a man complained to him (of a need).
‘Be patient,’ he [a.s] told him, ‘for Allah will give you relief.’
Then he (al-Sadiq [a.s]) remained silent for a while. Then he turned towards the man and said, ‘Tell me about the prison of Al-Kufah, how is it?’
‘May Allah protect you,’ the man replied, ‘It is confining in space, putrid in smell and its inmates are in the worst of conditions.’
‘But you are in a prison too,’ retorted Abu ‘Abd Allah [a.s], ‘Do you expect to be at ease? Do you not know that the world is a prison for the believer?’
My Lord, whatever You have destined for me up to the end of my life, whether concerning the open aspect of my life or the hidden aspect of it, is bound to come. What is to my advantage and what is to my disadvantage – all my losses and gains are in Your hand, not in the hand of anybody else.
“
| — | Munajat Shabaniyah |
Sometimes a man feels very happy for getting a thing which was actually destined for him and feels sorry for not getting a thing which he was not destined to get. Therefore, you should not feel happy if your desires are fulfilled and should not feel sorry for deprivations. (Leave everything to the Will of Allah). You should not consider the achievements of the pleasures of life or opportunities of revenge for wrongs done to you as the main blessings bestowed upon you but you must feel happy for good deeds that you have provided for the Hereafter. You must feel sorry for the wealth that you have left without spending it on good causes and the opportunities you have lost of doing noble and pious deeds. Nothing should worry you but the idea of death and the life after death.
“
| — | Amir al-Momineen (a), Letter 66 |
O Allah, verily You, unto those who love You, are more loving than any who loves. You are ever at hand to fulfill at once the desires of those who rely on You. You take notice of their wishes, You perceive their innermost thoughts, You know the depth of their intelligence, You are fully aware of their confidential concerns. Their hearts long for You. Whenever miserable and forsaken, Your remembrance comforts them in distress. Whenever misfortunes assult them, they turn to You, knowing well that the reins of all affairs are in Your hand, and every affair rises from and flows out as soon as Your decision is made. O my Allah, if I falter in speaking my request and wander astray in describing my needs and wants, show me the way that leads to that which promotes my interests, and turn my heart to its course, because it is neither against the principles of Your guidance, nor can Your act of giving succor be described as unlikely. O my Allah, support me with Your pardon, and do not burden me with Your justice.
“
| — | Dua of Imam Ali (a) |
Once I said to Abu Abd Allah “When I pray and plead before Allah for help, I like to weep but it does not come through, but if I recall members of my family who have died I may feel weeping. Is that permissible?” The Imam said ‘Yes it is permissible. When you recall them and feel like weeping then pray to your Lord.
“
