the beautiful struggle

Golden sayings of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq

marhoom — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:06:59 +0000

The person moving to help his Mo’min brothers is like the person who is walking between Safa and Marwa.
He who treats people kindly will be accepted as arbiter.
To trust everybody in times of injustice and cheating is disability.
To recognize the actuality of your friend, you should enrage him. If he keeps up his friendship, he is true friend lest, he is false.
Do not appreciate one’s affection before you enrage him three times.
Do not trust your friend perfectly, because the knockdown of the trustful is incurable.
Islam is a definite rank. Faith is one rank higher than Islam. Conviction is one rank higher than faith. People have been given a rank lower than conviction.
The desire for the worldly pleasures causes grief and sadness. Abstinence from the worldly pleasures brings about the rest of both heart and body.
He who gains oppression is not gaining welfare. He who mistreats people should not complain when people mistreat him.
In homelands, exchanging visits is the means of association. In travel, correspondence is the means of association.
Shaking hands is the perfect greeting of the resident and embracing is the perfect greeting of the traveler.
A Muslim always has three characteristics: knowledge about the religion, good management of life, and perseverance in the faces of calamities.
An actual believer is that whose sexual appetite does not overcome him and whose stomach does not shame him.
A twenty-year friendship is kinship.
Favors should be done only to the highborn or the religious. Those who show gratitude are very few.
Enjoining good and forbidding evil should be practiced with a faithful believer that he would learn a lesson, or an ignorant that he would earn. Enjoining good and forbidding evil become surely worthless when they are applied to the powerful tyrants.
As some people showed ingratitude for Allah’s graces, He changed the graces into crises. As other people showed steadfastness against the misfortunes that inflicted them, Allah changed the misfortunes into graces.
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) was asked about personality, he answered: Personality stands for that Allah should not see you in situations against which He warned, and miss you in situations of which He ordered.
Thank him who did you favor, and confer upon him who thanked you. Graces that are shown gratitude will not be removed while those that are shown ingratitude will not persist. Thanks increase the graces and saves against poverty.
To miss a need is better than asking it from other than its people. Bad mannerism in a misfortune is more catastrophic than the misfortune itself.
As a man asked him a short item of instruction that collects the welfare of this world and the world to come, the Holy Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: Never tell untruths.
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) was asked about eloquence. He answered: Eloquence is to express the idea in as few as possible words. The eloquent is that who attains his demand in the least effort.
Debt is grief at night and humility in day.
If your worldly demands are attainable, you should check your religion.
Treat your fathers piously so that your sons will treat you piously. Keep yourselves away from the strange women so that your harem will be chaste.
Salutation is voluntary while responding is obligatory.
Do not answer those who speak before they greet you.
Shake hands, because this will confiscate malice.
Fear Allah even if to some extent. Construct a screen between Him and you even if transparent.
As for those who control themselves in rage, desire, fear, and lust, Allah will prevent Hell from burning their bodies.
Everything has limits. The limit of conviction is not to fear anything besides Allah.
The (Faithful) believer should enjoy eight characters; he should be venerable in shaking situations, steadfast against misfortunes, thankful in luxury, satisfied with what Allah has decided to him, avoid oppressing the enemies, avoid over tasking the associates, should fatigue his body, and make people feel glad with him.
Knowledge is the comrade of the faithful believer, clemency is his supporter, patience is the commander of his army, lenience is his brother, and charity is his father.
As for those who practice without guidance, they are like him who walks without choosing a definite path. The more he walks, the remoter he becomes.
He who recognizes Allah accurately will fear Him. He who fears Allah accurately will disregard the worldly pleasures.
The actual fearful is that who cannot speak due to the intensity of fear.
We love those who are intelligent. Knowledgeable, perceptive, expert, clement, courteous, patient, veracious, and loyal. Allah gave the noble characters exclusively to the prophets (AS). He who enjoys such characters should thank Allah for them. He who does not enjoy them should supplicate to Allah for them. As he was asked about these noble characters, Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: The noble characters are piety, satisfaction, patience, gratefulness, clemency, pudency, generosity, bravery, enthusiasm, veracity, charity, fulfillment of the trusts, conviction, good mannerism, and chivalry.
The firmest handle of faith is to love, hate, give, and deprive-all for Allah’s sake.
The Divine Throne will be shaken when one makes Allah the witness of a false matter.
He whose conducts are bad is tormenting himself.
Favor is well-known. Except its reward, nothing is better than doing favor.
The most effective soldiers of Eblis are women and rage.
The world is the believer’s jail, patience is his fortress, and Paradise is his abode. The world is the disbeliever’s paradise, grave is his jail, and Hell is his abode.
Whenever you see a servant (of Allah) pursuing people’s flaws and neglecting his own flaws, you should then realize that he has been trapped (by the Shaitan).
The server of food who thanks (Allah for so) will be rewarded as same as those who fast just for gaining the rewards of Allah, and the individual who is cured and thanks (Allah for curing him) will be rewarded as same as the diseased one who is steadfast against that disease (for the sake of Allah).
You should not trust the betrayer after you had tested him and you should not accuse him whom you trusted.
Fear of Allah is sufficient knowledge and deceit is sufficient ignorance.
The best adoration is to know Allah and behave humbly with Him.
Everything has its tax and the tax of knowledge is to teach its people.
Beware of associating with the lowly, because the association with them will never lead to welfare.
To wear rings on the fingers is a prophetic tradition.
The most favorable friend to me is that who shows me my flaws.
Friendship is nil unless its limits are kept. He who does not keep these limits should not be regarded as friend. The first limit is that the inner self and the appearance should be identical. The second limit is that the friend should regard your goodness as his goodness and your evil as his evil. The third limit of friendship is that a position or fortunes should not change the friend’s relation with his friends. The fourth limit is that the friend should not deprive his friend of anything that he is capable of doing. The fifth limit which is the most comprehensive is that the friend should never leave his friend alone in calamities.
There is no difference between depositing a trust with a betrayer or a negligent.
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said to his companion Mufaddal: I instruct you to stick on six characters and relate them to my adherents – Shia. You should fulfill the trust of him who entrusts you with anything. You should like for your brother whatever you like for yourself. You should know that every matter has an end; therefore, you should beware of the outcomes of matters. Similarly, every matter has a sudden event; hence, beware of the sudden events. Beware of climbing an easy mountain if its slope is uneven. Never promise your brother of a matter that you cannot fulfill.
People are equal like the teeth of a comb. With the support of his brothers, a man can be regarded as great. No goodness is expected in the friendship of those who do not like for their friends whatever they like for themselves.
You should regard him who became angry with you three times without addressing any bad saying to you as a true friend.
If a man is more than thirty year old, he is middle-aged. If he is more than forty year old, he is old man.
Whenever Allah opens a door to the worldly pleasures, He will open to acquisitiveness.
The believer is strange in this world. He should not feel worry of its humility and should not compete with its people for gaining its honor.
Hasty walking removes the believer’s brightness and extinguishes their illumination.
Allah surely hates the oppressive wealthy man.
Rage eliminates the intelligence of the wise. He who cannot control his rage will not be able to control his mind.
The niggardly is that who gains wealth illegally and spends it unsuitably.
Good mannerism is a part of the religion. It increases the earnings.
Morals are of two forms: one is intent while the other is nature. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) was asked, “Which of them is better than the other?” He answered: The intentional morals are better than the natural, because the owner of natural morals cannot change them, while the owner of the intentional morals is preserving the acts of obedience (to Allah).
The actual generous charitable individual is that who spends his wealth for fulfilling the rights of Allah.
You should know that I will fulfill the trust of even the killer of Imam Ali (AS) if he deposits something with me or seeks my advice of consultation.
Sufian said: I asked Abu Abdullah (AS) whether it is acceptable to praise oneself or not. He answered: It is acceptable to praise oneself in cases of necessity. Joseph the prophet (AS) said: Put me in charge of the treasuries of the land. I know how to manage them. (Holy Qur’an 12:55). The virtuous servant (of Allah) also said: I am a trustworthy advisor for you. (Holy Qur’an 7:68).
Mohammed bin Qays said: I asked Abu Abdullah (AS) whether it is acceptable to sell weapon to the two parties both of whom are wrong. Holy Imam (AS) said: Sell to them only defensive weapons: armors, shields, helmets, and the like.
Allah gives the worldly pleasures to those whom He loves as well as those whom He dislikes, while He gives the faith only to whom He selects among the creatures.
Abu Baseer related: I asked Abu Abdullah (AS) about faith and Islam. He answered: Faith is the avoidance of acts of disobedience to Allah. Islam is to practice our rites and slaughter animals as we do.
Bad-temperedness, bad humor, envy, obduracy, fabrication and oppression these six characters should never be in the believers behavior.
The believer should live between two fears the past sin that he does not know what Allah will do about it and the remaining days that he does not know what misfortunes he will encounter during them. Thus, the believer begins his day fearfully and ends his day fearfully. Except fear, nothing mends the believer.
You will not be regarded as (true) believers before you see the misfortunes as graces and the luxury as disaster.
The possession of four thousand dirhams is fortune. The possession of twelve thousand dirhams is treasuring up. Twenty thousand dirhams cannot be amassed by legal ways. The possessor of thirty thousand dirhams will surely be suffering perdition. The possessors of one hundred thousand dirhams are definitely not reckoned with our adherents – Shia.
The best deeds of the servants are three: they are to treat the believers fairly, to console the friends, and to mention Allah in every situation. Some asked: “What is the meaning of mentioning Allah in every situation?” The Imam (AS) answered: This means to mention Allah when you want to commit a sin so that He will prevent you from committing it.
Younus related: Before Imam al-Sadiq (AS) I said: My loyalty to you – the Holy Prophet’s family – and recognition of your rights are most favorable to me than this world with all of its insides.” I noticed the Holy Imam (AS) was enraged. After a while, he (AS) said: O Younus, you have evaluated us in an improper measurement. What is the world and what are its insides? It is no more than relief of a trouble or screening of a defect. By loyalty to us, you are gaining the endless life.
In misfortunes, Imam al-Sadiq (AS) used to say: All praise is due to Allah Who did not make my misfortune in my religious affairs. All praise is due to Allah Who could, if He willed, make my misfortune more catastrophic than what it is now. All praise is due to Allah for the matter that He willed to be, and it was as He willed.
If the world advances to some people, it will garb them with the others’ charms. If it leaves some people, it usurps their own charms.
Daughters are advantages and sons are graces. You will be rewarded for the advantages and asked about the graces.
If a believer leaves behind a sheet of paper on which some knowledge is written, this very sheet of paper will serve as a wall between him and the Hell and against each letter written on it, Allah will give him a city in a paradise seven times this world.
If the sins of a believer were as much as the sand in the desert of the froth of the sea, Allah would forgive them all; but do not become bold (in sinning, mistaking His mercy for weakness).

Source: Infallible Sayings

Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah responds to US propaganda

marhoom — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 01:29:10 +0000

Ambarak – Abather al-Halwachi

marhoom — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 03:26:26 +0000

Join the Abather al-Halwachi group on Facebook for more Maulids, Latmiyah, and Du’a

Dust is my Bed

marhoom — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:29:27 +0000

18 Questions

marhoom — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 18:39:30 +0000

Dialogue between a traveller and the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him)

A traveller once came to the masjid to see the Prophet. After greeting the Prophet he was asked where he was from. The traveller replied that he came from very far just to get a few questions answered. Following is the dialogue between the traveller and the Prophet.

Traveller: I do not want Adhaab (punishment) to be written in my account.
Prophet: Behave well with your parents.

Traveller: I want to be known amongst people as an intelligent person
Prophet: Fear Allah always.

Traveller: I want to be counted amongst Allah’s favorites.
Prophet: Recite the Qur’an every morning and evening.

Traveller: I want my heart to always be enlightened (Roshan and Munawer)
Prophet: Never forget death.

Traveller: I never want to be away from Allah’s blessing.
Prophet: Always treat fellow creatures well.

Traveller: I never want to be harmed by my enemies.
Prophet: Always have faith in only Allah.

Traveller: I never want to be humiliated.
Prophet: Be careful of your actions.

Traveller: I wish to live long.
Prophet: Always do Sil al-Rahm (goodness towards blood relations).

Traveller: I want my sustenance to increase.
Prophet: Always be in Wudhoo.

Traveller: I wish to stay free of Adhaab in the grave.
Prophet: always wear Paak (pure) clothes.

Traveller: I never want to burn in hell.
Prophet: Control your eyes and tongue.

Traveller: How do I get my sins forgiven?
Prophet: Always ask forgiveness from Allah with a lot of humility.

Traveller: I want people to respect me always.
Prophet: Never extend your hands of need at people.

Traveller: I want to always be honored.
Prophet: Never humiliate or put down anyone.

Traveller: I don’t want to be squeezed by Fishaar al-Qabr (Squeezing in the grave).
Prophet: Recite Surah al-Mulk often.

Traveller: I want my wealth to increase.
Prophet: Recite Surah al-Waaqiah every night.

Traveller: I want to be safe and at peace on the Day of Judgement.
Prophet: Do Dhikr (remembrance) of Allah from dusk to night.

Traveller: I want to be in full attention and concentration during Salaat (prayer).
Prophet: Always do Wudhoo with concentration and attention.

Food for Thought

marhoom — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 17:14:47 +0000

A traveller observes a fisherman sleeping in the shade of a tree. He rouses the sleeping man and asks him why he isn’t catching fish.

“I already caught two fish for my family’s evening meal.”

“If you had a bigger net and worked longer you could catch ten fish,” says the stranger.

“But I only need two. What would I do with ten?”

“You could sell them. Do the same everyday until you have enough money to buy a boat.”

“Why would I do that?”

“To catch even more fish. You could employ people, and send them out to catch more. You would grow rich.”

“What would I do with the money?”

“You could enjoy yourself. You could relax, sit and enjoy yourself and go to sleep in the shade.”

“What am I doing now?” asks the fisherman.

Du’a Makarimul Akhlaq

marhoom — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 03:40:57 +0000

The Invisible Children

marhoom — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 03:51:40 +0000

In the spring of 2003, three young Americans traveled to Africa in search of such as story. What they found was a tragedy that disgusted … all and inspired them. A story where children are weapons and children are the victims. The “Invisible Children” film exposes the effects of a 20 year-long war on the children of Northern Uganda. These children live in fear of abduction by rebel soldiers, and are being forced to fight as a part of violent army. This wonderfully reckless documentary is fast paced, with an MTV beat, and is something truly unique. To see Africa through young eyes is humorous and heart breaking, quick and informative – all in the very same breath. See this film, you will be forever changed.

The Invisible Children Official Website
http://www.invisiblechildren.com

Remember…

“Indifference may not wreck a man’s life at any one turn, but it will destroy him … in the long-run”

– Bliss Carman

Peace and Blessings,

A Different Perspective

marhoom — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 03:39:26 +0000

Amidst the chaos of the everyday life, certain phrases like Brotherhood, Dignity, and Forbearance have lost their meaning. One might think those phrases belonged to a previous age and to another period of time. The age that a father would ask his son while he did not need to ask; and the son would reply while he knew the father already knows the answer. It was all so a time would come, when some exhausted souls like you and I would ponder upon their dialog and break the barriers of ambiguity to these strange words.

Ameer al-Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Twalib (pbuh) asked his son Hasan (pbuh): “O my son, what is righteousness?”

Hasan ibn ‘Ali (pbuh) replied:
“O father, righteousness is to replace the bad things with good deeds.”

What is Dignity?
To be good with relatives, and to remain tolerant of their cruel deeds.

What is Bravery?
To be chaste

What is Lowliness?
To think of cheap things in life and to refuse giving even smallest belongings in charity.

What is Generosity?
To give away (in charity) before requested.

What is Cheapness?
To seek owns comfort and ignore one’s spouse.

What is Mercy?
To give and benefit others, whether we are in need and whether full.

What is Stinginess?
To consider your property as (your) honor, and what you have given away in charity as wealth that has been wasted.

What is Brotherhood?
To have Devotion and loyalty in the time of hardship and peace.

What is Fear?
To act brave upon friends, and to run away from the enemy.

What is Opportunity?
To have piety in this world.

What is Forbearance?
To control one’s anger and to keep resentment.

What is Wealth?
To be satisfied with what Allah has given, no matter how small.

What is Poverty?
To greed for everything.

What is Abjectness?
To fear the truth.

What is Worthless Suffering?
To talk about something that does not benefit you in any way.

What is Greatness?
To give away (in charity) in your time of need and to forgive the bad deeds of others.

What is Wisely?
To take good care of what is given to you.

What is Great status?
To do what is beautiful and to refrain from what is ugly.

What is Providence?
To be very patient and to treat people with leniency.

What is Silliness?
To follow those who think cheap and interact with those who are not on the guided path.

What is deprivation?
To lose a benefit that had been granted to you.

What is Foolishness?
To rush in reaching opportunities before having them available, and to refrain from answering (to what you already know).

Nonetheless, silence is a great companion in most cases, no matter how eloquent of a speaker you are.

When we think about such phrases we realize: As a matter of fact, it is possible to look at life through a different perspective, to experience a more pleasant taste of life, and to experience even more beauty in life; a different perspective and a life full of true colors.

Coffee and Life

marhoom — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 01:12:05 +0000

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about the stress of work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, “If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups are taken already, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and were eyeing each others cups. Now, if life is coffee, then the jobs, the money, and the positions in society are merely the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, but the quality of life remains as it was. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it.”

Do not let the cups fool you.

Enjoy the coffee instead.