The Almighty, who is the Revealer of knowledge and wisdom

Du`¡’ is the expression of poorness to the One.

Du`¡’ is the articulation of poverty to the Eternal Absolute.

Du`¡’ is seeking assistance of the powerless from the All-Powerful.

Du`¡’ is the demonstration of humility to the Omnipotent.

Du`¡’ is loved by the Almighty, and is dear to the mystic and the miserable.

Du`¡’ in the Holy Qur’¡n

The Almighty, who is the Revealer of knowledge and wisdom, states in His Qur’¡n:

قُلْ مَا يَعْبَأُ بِكُمْ رَبِّي لَوْلا دُعَاؤُكُمْ فَقَدْ كَذَّبْتُمْ فَسَوْفَ يَكُونُ لِزَامًا.

Say (O’ Mu¦ammad to the disbelievers): My Lord would not concern Himself with you, but for your prayers. (25:77)

Du`¡’ is the means for attracting God’s attention and blessings. His attention removes calamity from the life of one who prays, and brings about blessings for him/her.

The All-Knowing Lord says in Qur’¡n:

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِي إِذَا دَعَانِي.

And when My servant question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. (2:186)

No one is as close to the servants as Allah. He is the One who have created man, fashioning him in the womb, and transferring him to this world. He has bestowed His material and spiritual blessings to man, sent the prophets to guide him, and granted him the Divine Qur’¡n and the infallible Imams (a.s). God has created water for the thirst of man and food for his hunger. He cures man’s diseases and makes his health continuous. Allah compensates man’s loneliness with wife, children, and friends, and his bareness with various kinds of clothes. Allah makes man dear to the others, and maintains his dignity before them. Allah solves his problems, however difficult they seem. Who is so aware of man’s deepest needs and can provide him with all these blessings, except Allah? He is indeed closer than everyone to man. Hence He says in Qur’¡n:

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنْسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ.

We verily created a man and We know what his soul whispereth to him, and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (50:16)

The prophets (s.a), who are superior to other people in terms of wisdom and insight, are aware of the unseen more than others, and know the reality as it is, were so much devoted to du`¡’. They spent part of their time both at day and night to attach to this firm and reliable string, and become present before Allah. They considered du`¡’ as the means to strengthen the mind, purify the soul, and solve the problems. The holy prophets (s.a) knew for sure that no suppliant closes du`¡’ except that Allah grants his requests to him from His presence. They hence believed in the fulfillment of du`¡’ and humbly asked Allah to grant their supplication. The holy Qur’¡n states this fact as clear as day from Prophet Abraham’s enlightened soul and purified speech:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَهَبَ لِي عَلَى الْكِبَرِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَسَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ.

Praise be to Allah who hath given me, in my old age, Ishmael and Isaac! Lo! My Lord is indeed the Nearer of Prayer. (14:39)

Zechariah requested God, with the power of du`¡’, to grant him a child. God fulfilled his desire and bestowed on him John, though his wife was barren. (19:5-9)

Following his disciples’ request, the Christ asked Allah to descend a heavenly table spread with food. The Almighty God accepted his prayer and send down for him and his disciples a table spread with foods from heaven. (5:112-115)

The Powerful has ordered His servants to pray in all situations, either in happiness or sorrow, with a humble heart and a tearful eye, demanding their needs from Him and be hopeful of acceptance of their supplication by Allah. The Omniscient has also assured to consign to hell those who are too proud to serve Him:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمْ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ.

And your Lord hath said: Pray unto me and I will hear your prayer. Lo! Those who scorn My service, they will enter hell, disgraced. (40:60)

Du`¡’ in Traditions

Allah’s benevolence toward His creatures is extended and comprehensive, especially for mankind. Allah’s presence is not a place of hopelessness or stinginess. His generosity and forgiveness is constant, as is His long for the servants to pray to Him. Allah addressed Prophet David (a.s):

“Say to My servants: Why don’t you befriend Me, since I deserve friendship? I am a God of no parsimony, there’s no ignorance in My Omniscience, no debility in My Forbearance, and no alternation in My Attributes or My Speech. My Mercy and Forgiveness is unvarying and constant. I am the friend of he who befriends Me, and I accompany him who invokes on Me in his solitude. O David! He who seeks Me finds Me; and he who finds Me deserves not to lose Me. O David! Blessing is from Me but My servants thank others; I ward off calamity but they seek it from others. Their safe haven is My Presence, but they seek refuge to others, though finally they return to Me.”

A plethora of such meaningful texts in Islamic books, along with Qur’¡nic verses, give good tidings to the servants to be hopeful of God’s Mercy. The servants should, therefore, pray and ask their exigency from God. That’s why the traditions narrated by the Ahl Al-Bayt have all stressed the importance of du`¡’. It is narrated from the holy Prophet of Islam (s.a):

إنَّ الدُّعَاءَ هُوَ العِبَادَةُ.

Du`¡’ is indeed as a worship.[1]

الدُّعَاءُ مُخُّ العِبَادَةِ.

Du`¡’ is the core of worship.[2]

Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) stated:

أفْضَلُ العِبَادَةِ الدُّعَاءُ.

The most preferable worship is du`¡.’[3]

The Imam (a.s) also narrates:

مَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ أفْضَلُ عِنْدَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ أنْ يُسْأَلَ وَيُطْلَبَ مِمَّا عِنْدَهُ، وَمَا أحَدٌ أبْغَضُ إلَى اللهِ مِمَّنْ يَسْتَكْبِرُ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَلاَ يَسْأَلُ مَا عِنْدَهُ.

Nothing is more dear to Allah than asking for His blessings. And no one is more disfavored before Allah than one who is arrogant of supplication to His Presence.[4]

The following is narrated from Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n (a.s):

أَحَبُّ الأَعْمَالِ إلَى اللهِ تَعَالَى فِي الأَرْضِ الدُّعَاءُ.

“The most desirable deed on all the earth is supplication to Allah.”[5]

الدُّعَاءُ مَفَاتِيحُ النَّجَاحِ، وَمَقَالِيدُ الفَلاَحِ، وَخَيْرُ الدُّعَاءِ مَا صَدَرَ عَنْ صَدْرٍ نَقِيٍّ وَقَلْبٍ تَقِيٍّ، وَفِي الْمُنَاجَاةِ سَبَبُ النَّجَاةِ، وَبِالإخْلاَصِ يَكُونُ الخَلاَصُ، فَإذَا اشْتَدَّ الْفَزَعُ فَإلَى اللهِ المَفْزَعُ.

Du`¡’ is the key to success. The best du`¡’ is the one coming out of a purified soul and heart. The means to salvation is sincerity in du`¡’. When the problems cause restlessness, the solution is seeking refuge to God’s Presence.[6]

It is narrated from Imam ¯¡diq (a.s):

إذَا نَزَلَ الْبَلاءُ فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالدُّعَاءِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ إلَى اللهِ.

When Allah descends a calamity, come to Allah’s Presence with du`¡’ and lamentation.[7]

عَلَيْكَ بِالدُّعَاءِ، فَإنَّ فِيهِ شِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ.

Du`¡’ is a must for you, since it is the solution to every problem.[8]

The Value of Du`¡’ in a Congregation

When the believers supply to Allah in a congregation and ask their exigency as a whole their du`¡’ is more probable to be answered, because in a group of people, there is, for sure, a poor, a bereaved, or an ascetic whose prayer may attract God’s Mercy and Forgiveness. Based on what appears in Islamic teachings, Allah may accept the prayer of others too, for the sake of that person, forgive their sins and grant them their exigency. Many traditions have been narrated from the Prophet (a.s) and ahl al-bayt (a.s) in this regard, some of which are stated here:

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) stated:

مَا اجْتَمَعَ أرْبَعَةٌ قَطُّ عَلَى أمْرٍ وَاحِدٍ إلاّ تَفَرَّقوُا عَنْ إجَابَةٍ.

No four people congregate to pray for a single issue, unless their exigency is granted when they leave each other.[9]

The Holy Prophet (s.a) said:

لاَ يَجْتَمِعُ أرْبَعُونَ رَجُلاً فِي أمْرٍ وَاحِدٍ إلاّ اسْتَجَابُ اللهُ تَعَالَى لَهُمْ حَتَّى لَوْ دَعَوْا عَلَى جَبَلٍ لأَزَالُوهُ.

No forty men gather together to pray for a single issue, unless the Almighty God accepts their prayer; to the extent that if they pray against a mountain, it will collapse.[10]

The great Islamic scholar, Ibn Fahd Al-°ill¢, narrates from “Wasa’il al-Shi’a” in his book “`Uddat al-D¡`¢”:

Allah told Jesus through revelation:

يَا عِيسَى! تَقَرَّبْ إلَى المُؤمِنِينَ وَمُرْهُمْ أنْ يَدْعُونِي مَعَكَ.

O Jesus! Join the believers and order them to pray with you before My Presence![11]

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) states:

كَانَ أبِي عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ إذَا حَزَنَهُ أمْرٌ جَمَعَ النِّسَاءَ وَالصِّبْيَانَ ثُمَّ دَعَا وَأَمَّنُوا.

My father always acted this way; when something made him sorrowful, he gathered women and children, then he prayed and they said Amen![12]

Despair; the state of the disbeliever

The supplicant should be aware that the Almighty God has invited him to pray and has guaranteed the acceptance of the supplication. Accepting the prayer and granting the supplicant’s exigency is easy for Allah, since all the world’s creatures are under His Absolute Power, and He provides the grounds for the fulfillment of His servant’s exigency with a single order. It is, therefore, not right to become hopeless in the Presence of God, whose Insight, Mercy and Forgiveness is infinite, especially when praying. Despair, as stipulated in the Holy Qur’¡n, is the state of the desbeliever:

يَا بَنِيَّ اذْهَبُوا فَتَحَسَّسُوا مِنْ يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلا تَيْئَسُوا مِنْ رَوْحِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لا يَيْئَسُ مِنْ رَوْحِ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الكَافِرُونَ.

Go, O my sons! And ascertain concerning Joseph and his brother, and despair not of the Spirit of Allah. Lo! None despaireth of the Spirit of Allah save disbelieving folk. (12:87)

The Holy Qur’¡n strongly recommends not being hopeless of God’s Mercy:

لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ.

Despair not of the Mercy of Allah! (39:53)

The Prophet of Islam (s.a) states:

اَلفَاجِرُ الرَّاجِي لِرَحْمَةِ اللهِ تَعَالَى أقْرَبُ مِنْهَا مِنَ العَابِدِ المُقَنَّطِ.

Allah’s Mercy is nearer to a hopeful wrongdoer than to a hopeless worshipper.[13]

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) said:

الْيَأسُ مِنْ رَوْحِ اللهِ أشَدُّ بَرْداً مِنَ الزَّمْهَرِيرِ.

The cold of despair from God’s Mercy is colder than intense cold.[14]

Despair from Allah’s Mercy is considered as a major sin in Islamic teachings and traditions, and the hopeless is promised chastisement. The supplicant should not despair, in case his/her supplication is not answered. Perhaps the acceptance of supplication has not been in accord with God’s expediency, setting of acceptance may not have come, or God wants the supplicant to continue supplication and insistence on his/her demand. Moreover Allah may want to postpone granting the supplicant’s exigency to the Day of Judgment, in order to make the granting eternal. Therefore, losing hope of Allah’s Compassion is in no way acceptable from a believer. Many significant traditions have been narrated in invaluable Islamic books, considering du`¡’ and its acceptance. A few instances come here:

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) narrates:

إنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَدْعُو اللهَ فَيُقُولُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لِلْمَلَكَيْنِ: قَدِ اسْتَجَبْتُ لَهُ، وَلكِنْ إحْبِسُوهُ بِحَاجَتِهِ فَإنَّي أُحِبُّ أنْ أسْمَعَ صَوْتَهُ، وإنَّ العَبْدَ لَيَدْعُو فَيَقُولُ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى: عَجِّلُوا لَهُ حَاجَتَهُ فَإنِّي أبْغَضُ صَوْتَهُ.

In fact, a servant prays and Allah says to two angels: ‘I accepted his supplication, but don’t grant his demand so that he continues praying, because I desire to hear his voice.’ And another servant prays, so Allah says: ‘Give him his demand promptly; I hate his voice.’[15]

Mansur Sayqal says: I asked Imam ¯¡diq (a.s): Perhaps someone prays, and his supplication is accepted but not granted at once. Imam confirmed it. I asked: What is the reason? Is it for him to pray more? Imam confirmed it again.[16]

Conditions of Du`¡’

If the supplicant wants his du`¡’ to be accepted, s/he should meet certain conditions, which are numerated by Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) in valid books such as “Usol Al-K¡f¢”, “Mahajjat al-Bayza’ “, “Wasa’il al-Shi’a”, “Jami’ al-Ahadith al-Shi’a”, etc.

Here’s a list of such conditions without further ado:

Islamic purity like wudo (ablution), ghusl (ritual washing) and tayammum (ablution with soil), clearing up the rights of the people (haqqunnas), sincerity, correct pronunciation of du`¡’, permissibility of income, observing and strengthening kinship ties (silatur-rahim), charity (sadaqah) before du`¡’, obedience to Allah, abstention from sins, rectification of deeds, du`¡’ at dawn, du`¡’ in watr (name of a salat), du`¡’ at the true dawn, du`¡’ at sunrise, du`¡’ between noon and evening prayer on Wednesday, and finally praising the Prophet(s.a) and his progeny (salawat) before du`¡’.[17]

Thursday Night

Thursday night is considered among the best times for du`¡’ in the traditions of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s), to the extent that it is about to be equal to the Qadr night[18] in value. The insightful and pious theologians believe: Do spend Thursday night with praying, worshipping, and invoking Allah to the morning, if you can, because the Compassionate sends the angels to the first heaven to add to the virtues of the believers and abolish their sins.

It is narrated from Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) in a valid tradition:

إنَّ لِلجُمُعَةِ حقّاً فَإيَّاكَ أنْ تُضَيِّعَ حُرْمَتَهُ أوْ تُقَصِّرَ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ اللهِ وَالتَّقَرُّبِ إلَيْهِ بِالعَمَلِ الصَّالِحِ وَتَرْكِ الْمَحَارِمَ كُلِّهَا فَإنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يُضَاعِفُ فِيهِ الْحَسَنَاتِ وَيَمْحُو السَّيِّئَاتِ وَيَرْفَعُ فِيهِ الدَّرَجَاتِ، وَيَوْمُُهُ مِثْلُ لَيْلَتِهِ فَإن اسْتَطَعْتَ أنْ تُحْيِيَهَا بِالدُّعَاءِ وَالصَّلاَةِ فَافْعَلْ فَإنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يُرْسِلُ فِيهَا الْمَلائِكَةَ إلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا لِتُضَاعَفَ فِيهَا الْحَسَناتُ وَتُمْحَى فِيهَا السَّيِّئَاتُ وَإنَّ اللهَ وَاسِعٌ كَرِيم.ٌ

Verily, Fridays enjoy rights (incumbent upon people). Therefore, beware of violating Fridays’ sanctity through showing shortcoming in acts of worship and seeking nearness to Almighty Allah by means of righteous deeds and abandonment of all forbidden acts. Certainly, on Fridays Almighty Allah doubles up the rewards (of good deeds), erases forgivingly punishments (for evildoings), and raises the ranks (of faith). Friday daytimes are as same as Friday nights; therefore, you may, when possible, stay up supplicating and offering prayers to Almighty Allah Who, at that night, orders the angels to descend to the lower heavens in order to double up the rewards and erase the evildoings. Most surely, Allah is Ample-giving and All-generous.[19]

إنَّ المُؤمِنَ لَيَدْعُو فِي الحَاجَةِ فَيُؤَخِّرُ اللهُ حَاجَتَهُ الَّتِي سَأَلَ إلَى يَوْمِ الجُمُعَةِ لِيَخُصَّهُ بِفَضْلِهِ.

The believer may pray for an exigency and Allah postpones answering him to grant him his demand on Thursday night.[20]

لَمَّا سَألَ إخْوَةُ يُوسُفَ يَعقُوبَ أنْ يَسْتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ، قَالَ: (سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبّي) ثُمَّ أخَّرَ الاسْتِغْفَارَ إلى السَّحَرِ مِنْ لَيْلَةِ الْجُمُعَةِ كَيْ يُسْتَجَابَ لَهُ.

When Prophet Josef’s brothers asked their father, Prophet Jacob, to seek forgiveness for them from Allah, Jacob said: ‘I will seek forgiveness for you soon.’ And he delayed seeking forgiveness for them until Friday dawn so that his exigency will be answered.[21]

Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) says:

إنَّ اللهَ تَعالَى لَيَأمُرُ مَلَكاً فَيُنَادِي كُلَّ لَيْلَةِ جُمُعَةٍ مِنْ فَوْقِ عَرْشِهِ مِنْ أوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ إلَى آخِرِهِ: ألاَ عَبْدٌ مُؤمِنٌ يَدعُونِي لآخِرَتِهِ وَدُنْياهُ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الفَجْرِ فَأُجِيبُهُ؟ ألاَ عَبْدٌ مُؤمِنٌ يَتُوبُ إلَيَّ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الفَجْرِ فَأتُوبُ عَلَيْهِ؟ ألاَ عَبْدٌ مُؤمِنٌ قَدْ قَتَّرْتُ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَسْأَلُنِي الزِّيَادَةَ فِي رِزْقِهِ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الْفَجْرِ فَأزِيدُهُ وَأوسِعُ عَلَيْهِ؟ ألاَ عَبْدٌ مُؤمِنٌ سَقِيمٌ فَيَسْألُنِي أنْ أشْفِيَهُ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الفَجْرِ فَأُعَافِيهِ؟ ألاَ عَبْدٌ مُؤمِنٌ مَغْمُومٌ مَحْبُوسٌ يَسْألُنِي أنْ أُطْلِقَهُ مِنْ حَبْسِهِ وَأُفَرِّجُ عَنْهُ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الفَجْرِ فَأُطْلِقُهُ وَأُخَلّي سَبِيلَهُ؟ ألاَ عَبْدٌ مُؤمِنٌ مَظْلُومٌ يَسْألُنِي أنْ آخُذَ لَهُ بِظُلامَتِهِ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الفَجْرِ فَأَنْتَصِرُ لَهُ وَآخُذُ بِظُلامَتِهِ؟ قال: فَلا يَزالُ يُنادِي حَتَّى يَطْلُعَ الفَجْرُ.

Throughout every Thursday night, Allah orders an angel to call on behalf of the Almighty: Is there any believer who calls Me for this world and the Hereafter so that I grant his exigency? Is there any believer who repents of his sins before the sunrise, so that I forgive him? Is there any believer who asks for the abundance of his sustenance, which I have made scanty, before the sunrise, so that I will expand it? Is there any sick believer who asks Me to heal him before the sunrise, so that I make him well? Is there any jailed believer who asks me to free him before the sunrise, so that I grant him his demand? Is there any oppressed believer who asks Me to revenge from the oppressor, so that I restore his rights? He will keep saying so until dawn.[22]

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) said:

إجْتَنِبوا المَعاصِيَ لَيْلَةَ الجُمُعَةِ فَإنَّ السَّيِّئَةَ مُضَاعَفَةٌ وَالحَسَنَةَ مُضَاعَفَةٌ. وَمَنْ تَرَكَ مَعْصِيَةَ اللهِ لَيْلَةَ الجُمُعَةِ غَفَرَ اللهُ لَهُ كُلَّ مَا سَلَفَ، وَمَنْ بَارَزَ اللهَ لَيْلَةَ الجُمُعَةِ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ أخَذَهُ اللهُ بِكُلِّ مَا عَمِلَ فِي عُمُرِهِ وَضَاعَفَ عَلَيْهِ العَذَابَ بِهَذِهِ المَعْصِيَةِ.

Avoid committing sins on Thursday nights, since the punishment is double then, as the recompense for virtues is multifold. Whoever avoids sins on Thursday night, Allah will forgive his previous sins. And whoever openly commits sins on Thursday night, Allah will chastise him for his lifetime sins and will multiply punishment of his Thursday night sin, because of breaking Thursday night forbiddance.[23]

Many prayers and supplications have been mentioned for Thursday night, among which du`¡’ Kumayl has a special importance.

Kumayl Ibn Ziy¡d Nakha’i

Shi’a and Sunni great scholars have admired Kumayl for his strong belief, purified soul and conduct, and sincere intention. They agree on Kumayl’s justice and greatness. Kumayl is among the noble disciples of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) and Imam °asan (a.s).[24] Amir al-Mu’minin too, has considered Kumayl as his ten most faithful disciples.[25] Kumayl has been one of the best lovers and friends of Imam `Al¢ (a.s).[26] The recommendations and bequests Imam `Al¢ (a.s) has made to Kumayl indicate his strong belief and great insight. The sunni who have never had a favorable opinion about the disciples of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) consider Kumayl as trustee in all issues.[27] The ascetics know Kumayl as knowing Imam `Al¢’s secrets and spiritual knowledge. Kumayl accompanied the Great Prophet of Islam (a.s) for eighteen years and benefited from the blessings of prophethood. He was martyred by Hajjaj Ibn Y£suf Thaqafi, due to his magnitude and `Al¢(a.s) had informed him of his martyrdom in advance.

When Hajjaj Ibn Y£suf was assigned as the ruler of Iraq by the Umayyid ruler, he sought after Kumayl to kill him for his affection to the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s), since being shi’a was the greatest sin to the Umayyid. Kumayl hid himself, and Hajjaj stopped his relatives’ pension from baytul mal (public treasury). Being informed of Hajjaj’s action, Kumayl said: “I will not be alive long so I don’t want my relatives to get deprived of their pension because of me.” He left his hiding place and went to Hajjaj. Hajjaj told him: “I was looking for you to punish you.” Kumayl said: “Do as you can, since I will not live long. You and I will return to Allah. My master, `Al¢, has informed me that you are my killer.” Then Hajjaj ordered to behead Kumayl who was ninety then. His holy tomb is in Thuwiah, a place between Najaf and K£fah, and the believers make pilgrims to it.

Du`¡’ Kumayl

The vigilant believers consider the position of du`¡’ Kumayl among other du`¡’s as the position of mankind among other creatures. In other words, they know du`¡’ Kumayl as “Insan al-Ad’iyah”. The great scholar, researcher and hadith reporter, Allameh Majlis¢ views du`¡’ Kumayl as the ebst du`¡’. Allameh Majlis¢ narrates from “Iqbal” of Sayyid Ibn Tawus in his book “Zad al-Ma’ad”:

Kumayl said: “One day, I was with my master `Al¢ (a.s) in K£fah. We were talking about Sha’ban the fifteenth. Imam said: “One who spends that night worshipping and recites du`¡’ Khidhr, his prayer will be answered for sure.” When Imam (a.s) returned home, I went to him. He said: “What do you want?” I answered: “I’ve come to you to teach me du`¡’ Khidhr.” He told me to sit down. Then he said: “O Kumayl! When you memorize this du`¡’, recite it every Thursday night, or once in a month, or once in a year or once in your lifetime, and Allah will save you from enemies, help you, extend your sustenance, and forgive your sins. O Kumayl! Your extended and faithful service made me teach you such a blissful du`¡’.” Then he said: “Write it down!” And recited it o me.

The divine theologist, Kaf’ami, writes in his book ‘Misbah’: “Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n (a.s) recited this du`¡’ in prostration.”[28]

The supplicant should recite this du`¡’ on Thursday night, facing the qiblah direction, sincerely and humbly. This way the supplication is more probable to be answered.[29] The tearful eye is so valuable before Allah, and it causes forgiveness of sins and attraction of Allah’s blessings.[30]

It is narrated from Imam ¯¡diq (a.s):

مَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ إلاَّ وَلَهُ كَيْلٌ وَوَزْنٌ، إلاَّ الدُّمُوعَ؛ فَإنَّ القَطْرَةَ تُطْفِئُ بِحَاراً مِنَ النَّارِ، وَلَو أنَّ باكِياً بَكَى فِي أُمَّةٍ لَرُحِمُوا.

Everything has a special scale except tears; a drop of tear putts off oceans of fire. Allah forbids inferno from burning a tearful eye. In fact if there’s one tearful person (from Allah’s fear) in any nation, all the people will be forgiven.[31]

كُلُّ عَيْنٍ بَاكِيَةٌ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ إلاَّ ثَلاثَةً: عَيْنٌ غُضَّتْ عَنْ مَحَارِمِ اللهِ، وَعَيْنٌ سَهِرَتْ فِي طَاعَةِ اللهِ، وَعَيْنٌ بَكَتْ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللهِ.

All the people are tearful in the Hereafter except three: one who closes his eyes to what Allah forbade, one who remains alive for Allah, and one cries for the fear of Allah at midnight.[32]

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

There are some reasons why du`¡’ Kumayl begins with such an illuminating phrase.

Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n (a.s) narrated from the Holy Prophet (s.a) who narrated from Allah that the Almighty that He stated:

كُلُّ أمْرٍ ذِي بَالٍ لاَ يُذْكَرُ ’بِسْمِ اللهِ‘ فِيهِ فَهُوَ أبْتَرُ.

Any important job which is done without Allah’s remembrance, is corrupted and useless.[33]

The late Tabarsi narrates Imam M£s¡ Ibn Ja’far (a.s) in his book ‘Makarim Al-Akhlagh’:

مَا مِنْ أحَدٍ دَهَمَهُ أمْرٌ يَغُمُّهُ أوْ كَرَبَتْهُ كُرْبَةٌ فَرَفَعَ رَأسَهُ إلَى السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ قَالَ ثَلاثَ مَرَّاتٍ: ’بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ‘ إلاّ فَرَّجَ اللهُ كُرْبَتَهُ وَأذْهَبَ غَمَّهُ، إنْ شَاءَ اللهُ تَعَالَى.

There’s no grief-stricken individual who says ‘bismill¡hir-ra¦m¡nir-ra¦¢m’ three times, looking up to the sky, except that Allah disappears his grief, if He wills.[34]

We read in an important tradition:

لاَ يُرَدُّ دُعَاءٌ أوَّلُهُ ’بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ‘.

A du`¡’ which begins with bismill¡hir-ra¦m¡nir-ra¦¢m will not be rejected by Allah.[35]

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) counted the guards of hell as nineteen and said,

مَنْ أرَادَ أنْ يُنَجِّيَهُ اللهُ مِنَ الزَّبَانِيَةِ التِّسْعَةَ عَشَرَ فَلْيَقْرَأْ ’بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ‘، فَإنَّهَا تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ حَرفاً لِيَجْعَلَ اللهُ لَهُ كُلَّ حَرْفٍ مِنْهَا جُنَّةً مِنْ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ.

One who wants Allah to save him from these guards should recite bismill¡hir-ra¦m¡nir-ra¦¢m which consists of nineteen letters, so that Allah will set each letter a guard to the fire.[36]

It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (s.a):

إذَا قَالَ المُعَلِّمُ لِلصَّبِيِّ: قُلْ ’بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ‘، فَقَالَ، كَتَبَ اللهُ بَرَاءَةً لِلصَّبِيِّ وَلأَبَوَيْهِ وَلِلمُعَلِّمِ.

Once a teacher teaches ‘bismill¡hir-ra¦m¡nir-ra¦¢m’ to a child, the Exalted God sets freedom from fire for the child, his parents and to the teacher.[37]

It is narrated from the Prophet (s.a): “My people are accounted for their deeds in the Hereafter, and their good deeds are superior to the bad deeds. The past nations cry out, ‘Why do their minute good deeds exceed their bad deeds?’ The prophets (s.a) of those nations will answer, ‘Because their speech has begun with three of Allah’s names: Allah, All-beneficent (ra¦m¡n), and All-merciful (ra¦¢m). These three names are greater in weight than all the virtues and vice of mankind.”

It is narrated from Imam al-Ri¤¡ (a.s):

إنَّ  ’بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ‘ تَقْتَرِبُ مِنَ الإسْمِ الأعْظَمِ اقْتِرَابَ سَوَادِ العَيْنِ مِنْ بَياضِهَا.

The ‘bismill¡hir-ra¦m¡nir-ra¦¢m’ is as close to Allah’s Chief Name as is the blackness of eye to its whiteness.[38]

Certainly, if du`¡’ begins with Allah’s Chief name, the supplicant is more likely to be answered.

Connotations of bismill¡hi

Great Arab grammarians believe that the Arabic word ‘ism (name)’ is derived from ‘sumuw’ meaning greatness. The All-Compassionate connected the preposition ‘bi (in)’ to ‘ism (name)’ in this phrase to connote that by reciting the phrase, the supplicant wants to beseech Allah. The supplicant should be aware that calling Allah is not sufficient; rather the soul should be purified by seeking forgiveness from the Almighty. In fact calling Allah without purity of mind and sincerity of intention is disrespect. The Almighty is in the highest and the most holy position, while the man is in the lowest place and cannot promote his position, except by making strong connection to Allah. That’s why the Merciful has set ‘bismill¡hi (in the Name of Allah)’ as the mediator phrase between Himself and the human being.

An attentive mystic has stated that the Arabic letter ‘b¡'’ (B) connotes the beginning of mystical treading the path to Allah, and from ‘b¡'’ to ‘s¢n’ (S) which connotes the secret of knowing Allah, there is an endless desert of ignorance. Hiding of ‘alif’ (A) in this vast desert[39] implies that if the seeker does not dissolve his egotism in the light of Allah’s Unity, he will not reach ‘m¢m’ (M) which connotes the ultimate intention.

Some believe that ‘b¡'’ (B) implies Allah’s Beneficence to all the people and especially to the ordinary people; ‘s¢n’ (S) implies the secret of His kindness to the noble, and ‘m¢m’ (M) is indicator of His Mercy to the most special nobles.

The invaluable books ‘Al-K¡f¢’, ‘Taw¦¢d ¯ad£q’, ‘Ma’ani Al-Akhbar’ and ‘Tafs¢r Ayyashi’, it is narrated from Imam ¯¡diq (a.s): “Each of these three letters (in the word ‘bism’) implies one of the Glorious names of Allah; ‘b¡'’ is Allah’s Brightness, ‘s¢n’ is Allah’s Eminence, and ‘m¢m’ is His Magnificence.

It is also stated that ‘b¡'’ implies the Observant, ‘s¢n’ implies the All-Hearing, and ‘m¢m’ implies the Counter. It is as if Allah makes the supplicant aware that: I am the Observant; I can observe your visible and invisible deeds, so avoid hypocrisy in your action, I am the All-Hearing; I can hear the result of your deeds and supplications, so avoid useless speech, and I am the Counter; I can count even your breaths, so beware of every moment.

The glorified word ‘Allah’ is a comprehensive name for the Almighty, which is a combination of all the attributes of Allah. It is believed that three meanings are present in Allah:

1. Allah is the Eternal Being.
2. Human mind is astonished of knowing and seeking Him.
3. The return of all beings is towards Him.

It is said that the Arabic word ‘الله (allah)’ is the Chief name of God and is the basis of His Unity, to the extent that if a disbeliever calls this name sincerely, his belief will be proved. This name is the beginning and end of everything, which is to be upright. Also the strength of risalat (prophet hood) and wilayat is based on this name, as it exists in the Arabic phrase ‘محمد رسول الله (Mu¦ammad is Allah’s Messenger)’ and ‘علي ولي الله (`Al¢ is Allah’s Intimate Servant)’.

Further, if the first letter of the Arabic word ‘allah (الله)’ is omitted, what remains is ‘lill¡hi (لله)’, which means ‘for Allah,’ as in the following Verse:

لِلَّهِ الأَمْرُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمِنْ بَعْدُ.

 Allah's is the command before and after. (30/4)

If the first two letters are dropped, what remains is ‘lah£ (له)’, which means (His) remains, as in the following Verse:

لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ.

To Him belongs the kingdom, and to Him is due all praise. (64/1)

If the first three letters are dropped, what remains is ‘huwa (هو)”, which means ‘He’ implying Almighty Allah, as in the following Verse:

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ.

Say: He, Allah, is One. (112/1)

As a result, the name, which has so many features, is Allah’s Chief name, for sure.

The word “رحمن” (the Beneficent) is derived from “رحمت” (Mercy). Great Arab grammarians believe that it is hyperbole. To Islamic scholars, the word means “the giver of general mercy to all the creatures, apart from their service record”. “رحمن” also implies that Allah is inclined to benefit all the creatures and remove detriment from them. Examples of Allah’s blessings are presented in the holy Qur’¡n, chapter Al-Rahman (55).

Arab grammarians believe that the word “رحيم” (the Merciful) is simile adjective, hence it implies continuity; that is the Mercy of Allah is permanent. This kind of Mercy is specific to the believers, for whose virtues and appreciation of Allah’s blessings deserve it. We read in Islamic works that Mercy of the first kind involves Allah’s granting sustenance to all the creatures and humans either believer or disbeliever. The second kind of Mercy involves Allah’s granting spiritual blessings to human beings and also His forgiving the believers in this world and in the Hereafter.

In “رحمانيت” (Beneficence) and “رحيميت” (Mercifulness) the meaning of soundness is involved; one is worldly soundness, the other is heavenly soundness. The second kind of Mercy includes the obedient whose prayers Allah accepts, and the disobedient whose sins He forgives.

Ibn Mub¡rak has stated: “رحمن” is the One who responds if you ask Him, and “رحيم” is the One who becomes wrathful is you don’t ask Him.

An ascetic has said: “The Almighty is “رحمن” in giving sustenance to the creatures and “رحيم” in forgiving the believers’ sins. For making a living, trust Him, not your own trading; but don’t give up trading which is imprudent. For forgiveness of sins, trust Him, not your own deeds; but don’t give up deeds which is against Allah’s will.”

The servant is said to have three states: First, the state of a nonexistent creature who needed existence; second, the state of state of a living creature who needs to be permanent; third, the state of one in the Hereafter who needs Forgiveness. The servant in these three states needs Allah and His attributes, as reflected in these three names:

“الله”, who brings the servant from nonexistence to life;

“رحمن”, who provides the means for the servant to continue life;

“رحيم”, who will forgive the servant’s sins in the Hereafter.

Human being is composed of heart, body, and soul. Human heart finds knowledge and belief from “الله”, his body finds sustenance from “رحمن”, and the soul finds Mercy from “رحيم”. One whose hear, body and soul is associated with these three names of God, is free from everything and everyone except Allah, and grants his mercy to other servants of Allah.

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) is narrated as saying: “One who says “بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم” and “لا حول و لا قوه الا بالله العلي العظيم” ten times a day, is forgiven by Allah, and Allah saves him from seventy diseases, such as leprosy, black leprosy, and paralysis.” The Prophet (s.a) is also narrated who said: “One who recites “بسم الله”, Allah will record four thousand virtues for him for each letter, and forgives four thousand sins of him.”

It is narrated that one who recites “بسم الله” when eating, Satan will not become his mate in eating; but if he begins eating and forgets reciting it, Satan becomes his mate.”[40]

اَللَّهُمَّ إنّي أسْألُكَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ الَّتي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيءٍ

O Allah! I ask you by your Mercy that envelops everything,

Each of the words in this phrase has secret implications, which are presented here.

“اللهم”: is derived from “يا الله” (O Allah); “يا” (O) is omitted and instead, “ميم” is added at the end. This shows that as the Almighty Allah preceded everything in existence, His holy name should precede everything else as well. The supplicant who calls Allah should know that if He had not inclined and permitted, the servant could not utter a single word to praise and ask Allah. The supplicant’s tongue can call Allah only by His strength and Mercy. In fact, as du`¡’ itself is the teaching of Allah, the servant’s utterance of supplication and the acceptance of it are only by Allah’s will too.

“اني اسالك” (I ask you): “اني” means “I”, but it does not mean egoism here. As a matter of fact, “I” in this phrase and throughout the holy Kumayl du`¡’ implies not an independent being, but a servant in need. The supplicant in such a state sees himself as a deprived servant who calls Allah with humility, and perceives Allah as the source of Mercy, Justice, and Forgiveness. That’s why the supplicant asks his demand humbly from the All-Compassionate God.

“برحمتك التي وسعت كل شيئ” (by your Mercy that envelops everything): Allah’s mercy envelops everything, and surrounds the apparent and hidden facets of beings. This embracing Mercy is Allah’s general blessing, by which He brought all the creatures into existence, placed them in their appropriate positions and depending on the creatures’ capacity and faculty, provided them generously with the necessary means to material growth and spiritual development.

In the valuable book, an¢s allayl, we read the following:

Allah’s general Mercy is like the sun; it rises from east, and shines to everything within its beam, not depriving anything from its light, out of stinginess. All the creatures within the sunbeam benefit from the sun to the extent of their capability.

In the same way, all the visible and hidden beings from the largest to the smallest enjoy Allah’s common blessings. Even the smallest creatures, which are not observable via the most developed microscopes, are included in Allah’s realm, and each benefits from His Mercy to the extent possible in order to grow and reach material and spiritual perfection. From the heavens to the earth, from east to west, and from the unseen to the visible, all beings benefit from Allah, the Creator and the Provider. They are not detached from this source of Divine Mercy even for a moment, since if this happens, they will not exist anymore.

The creation of existing beings and giving sustenance to them, the growing of plants, the development of objects, the revelation of signs and miracles, the appointment of prophets, the guidance of the misled, the living of creatures, the descent of the angels, the recreation of the dead, the recompense to the believers, the chastisement of the wrongdoers, the establishment of the Resurrection Day, the heaven and the Hell, the forgiveness of believers’ sins, and every goodness present in the world, are all instances of Allah’s embracing Mercy. Allah’s Magnanimous Mercy is not perceptible by our limited knowledge and partial understanding.

Counting “كل شيء”, or all the living and inanimate beings who are within the realm of Allah’s blessings is not possible. Even if all the angels, jinns and humans become authors, using all the trees on the earth as pens and all the seas as ink, they cannot count but a few of Allah’s creatures.

To get a small amount of God’s blessings toward His creatures, it is necessary to study a few cases of these beings, so that we can absorb some rays of Allah’s knowledge.

The Living World

The measurement of the world with regard to its length, width, capacity, and the number of beings existing inside it is totally impractical. Yet a corner of this excellent creation of God, namely the planet on which human beings reside and benefit from the blessings of its sky and earth, is discernible via our senses and experiences.

Everything in this world, from microscopic germs and viruses less than “thousandth millimeters” to the galaxies and stars at the distance of millions of kilometers, are made of atoms. Atoms are so minute that they are not visible via the strongest microscopes. There are 55 million million atoms at the point of a needle. If we magnify the point of the needle as a gigantic building, each atom will become as a fly creeping on one of the pillars.

By God’s Mercy, atom is composed of three basic particles, i.e. electron, proton, and neutron, which have negative, positive, and neutral electric charges respectively. Protons and neutrons form the atom core together, around which the electrons turn along an axis, just as the moon turns around the earth orbit.[41] Countless atoms are the building blocks of this world. No one knows how the material and building blocks of the world was formed, and how they were created, but the Almighty God:

مَا أَشْهَدْتُهُمْ خَلْقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَلا خَلْقَ أَنفُسِهِمْ.

I made them not witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, not their own creation. (18:51)

What is stated in the Holy Qur’¡n and most great scientists have proven after lengthy studies is that: the building blocks for creation of the world were gas and smoke particles wandering in the space, which were so scattered that they hardly ever crossed each other.

ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ.

Then turned He to the heaven when it was smoke (41:11)

Then Allah created the stars, decorating the lowest heaven that is the nearest one to us, by combining millions of gas particles into huge clouds; the cloud masses absorbed the particles toward the center to form bigger clouds, the particles collided with each other and produced heat, and sometimes the heat increased and a lightening occurred at the cloud center, illuminating the dark space. Finally millions of cloud masses formed the stars and from then on light appeared in the world and our sky was adorned with the stars.

A shapeless cloud was spread throughout the massive space. Particles of different substances crashed and combined; the cloud revolved around like a turbulent ocean, full of invisible huge waves. Within this turbulent ocean, the movement of materials formed a spiral diagram, which was extended at the center with two developing arms. The solar system is located in one of the arms of the spiral diagram, called the Milky Way.

By God’s Will and Mercy, the sun and the solar system were created; there happened a chaotic storm in one of the arms and the motion of gasses moved the clouds too, to form a giant gig with illuminating particles around it. The giant gig moved on and absorbed the gasses toward the center, until an enormous shining ball was created in the form of the sun:

وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًا وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ سِرَاجًا.

And hath made the moon a light therein, and made the sun a lamp. (71:16)

Then the gas particles, which had previously surrounded the sun, scattered and formed several masses, which turned around the sun on separate orbits; some near the sun and some far from it. There was heat in the masses near the sun and cold in the distance.

In each mass of gas and dust, the particles moved constantly; some gas particles produced steam, which changed to liquid whose humidity joined the dust particles together to form iced mud. Millions of these particles were moving inside the masses. Gravity pulled the particles together to form large balls, which further absorbed the particles and got bigger. One of these balls emerged as the earth, by Allah’s Will. Then other planets were created at the heart of masses of gas, each rotating around the sun in a certain orbit. The nearest planet to the sun was Mercury, and after that there were Venus, earth and Mars. Beyond Mars, the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune were rotating around the sun, and at the very distance, there was the Pluto planet.[42]

Just as the smallness of atoms is beyond human understanding, so is the hugeness of the world. Light has an incredible rapid speed of 300 thousand kilometers per second; however, the light of the nearest star reaches the earth only after four years.

The telescope at the Palumar Mountain, California, has a five-meter-diameter mirror, and it can trace some stars in the space whose light reach the earth after a thousand million years! The stars that are now observable via the modern telescopes are so numerous that if we count them for 100 years, counting one star in each second, there will be stars uncounted after this period![43] A galaxy is a gigantic core, which is wider at the center, including at least a thousand million stars. Its length is a hundred thousand light years and its width at the center is about twenty thousand light years. As today’s human telescopes can observe, there are probably a hundred and fifty million galaxies in the world, and the average distance between two neighboring galaxies is two million light years.[44]

This great system is only a corner of the living world, which is observed by man’s limited knowledge. Only Allah is aware of the whole world that is out of the reach of human being. As the Commander of the Believers (a.s) insightfully has stated: Creation is within Allah’s Mercy; the Mercy that established and developed the world.

Human; the Noblest Inhabitant of the World

Having created the world, providing the necessary equipment and sustenance, the Omnipotent willed to create a notable being, composed of body, soul, mind, heart and temper, out of Mercy. He placed man as His vicegerent on earth, to grow and gain strength by the blessings He has supplied; to live in accord with the guidance of prophets and their books, and to worship the Creator and serve His fellow creatures. The man then is transferred to the Hereafter by death, and is granted his recompense in the eternal paradise, remaining in Allah’s Mercy forever. Here we review the signs of Allah’s Mercy embracing human apparent and interior sides.

Different Stages in the Creation of Man

The holy Qur’¡n has considered the creation of human fetus as happening in stages:

وَقَدْ خَلَقَكُمْ أَطْوَارًا.

When He created you by (diverse) stages? (71:14)

The first Stage: Soil

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَانَ مِنْ سُلالَةٍ مِنْ طِينٍ.

We created man of an extraction of clay. (23:12)

The human embryo is the product of various foods, coming from animals and plants. The plants feed the animals and are fed by the soil. As a result, human embryo is made from the earth. The latest scientific findings show that the chemical elements found in earth, such as iron, copper, calcium, iodine, etc. exist in human body. Humans constantly obtain the extracts of chemicals present in the earth by feeding from animals and plants, and reproduce.

The Second Stage: Water

وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ مِنْ الْمَاءِ بَشَرًا.

And He it is Who created man from water… (25:54)

To biologists, human body resembles a sponge soaked in water. The body of a seventy-kilogram person is composed of fifty liters of water, and this ratio is fixed for all people. If a person loses twenty percent of his body water, he will not recover again.

The water inside human cells includes a large amount of potassium, and totally lacks salt. The water outside the cells, on the other hand, has much salt. The composition of water outside the cells is exactly the same as that of the water in which the first living beings resided millions of years ago. Later on, when the water beings came to the land, they practically carried away the water they lived in, since they could not continue life without it. This is the miracle of Qur’¡n which fourteen decades ago, in an illiterate desert society without scientific tools, stated:” It is He who created man from water.”

The Third Stage: Alaq

خَلَقَ الإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ.

He Createth man from a clot. (96:2)

“Alaq” lexically means a worm or leech that sticks to the womb. Spermatozoids are now observable by microscope and are seen as a plethora of floating leeches, which stick to the womb.

The amount of spermatozoid is about four cubic centimeters, in each centimeter of which there are one hundred to two hundred million leech-like beings. They move toward Ovule, the female cell, together.

The ovary of a young woman contains about three million unripe ovums, four hundred of which get ripe. During menstruation, the bag containing the ovums is cracked, and the ovums go through a pipe that connects the ovary to the womb. The movement of the pipe’s trembling lashes facilitates the transfer of the ovums to the womb.

The fourth Stage: Creation from a Despised Fluid

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهُ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ مَهِينٍ.

Then He made his progeny from a draught of despised fluid. (32:8)

When the leech-like sperms floating in the male semen reach the womb they suddenly start a strange competition. The two hundred million sperms engaging in this competition rush toward the ovum and they soon surround it. Seen under microscope, the sperms whose tails move resemble a meadow that waves with the breeze. Each sperm tries to be the first to enter the ovum. As soon as one of them succeeds in doing so, its tail is cut and the entrance spot becomes inflamed. The ovum’s protoplasm gets contracted and emits a liquid to keep other sperms away from entering it. Consequently, from among two hundred million male sperms, only one mingles with the female ovum and thus human is created. Sometimes, by Allah’s will, two or more sperms enter the ovum and then a twin fetus is produced in the woman womb.

The Fifth Stage: Amshaj (the Zygote)

إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَانَ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ.

Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm… (76:2)

To create a human being, an ovum (a white seed) should catch a sperm, which is two hundred and fifty times smaller than the ovum. Then the chromosomes of the sperm, which have been divided by half, mingle with the chromosomes of the ovum and generate a new being; the zygote, which Qur’¡n calls amshaj (mingled).

The ovum and the sperm cannot continue life even in the best conditions and they soon die, except that they mingle together and produce the zygote. After this process, the zygote begins dividing; first it is divided into two, then becomes four, eight, etc. and finally makes a cell mass.

The Sixth Stage: the Shaping of the Fetus

هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ لَهُ الأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى.

He is Allah the Creator the Evolver the Bestower of Forms. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. (59:24)

After the completion of cells, which are the building blocks for the fetus, a large mass of cells is placed in the womb to start growing the fetus.

First, under the light of Allah’s Mercy, these countless cells separate from each other to shape various organs; the cells of brain, eye, ear, etc. chase their fellow-cells to develop the different body parts, this way the fetus body is shaped by the cells.

The small ball on the left of the fetus is its nutrition source. This ball, floating in blood, obtains from blood the extract of food, water, and oxygen provided by the digestion and respiratory systems, and transfers them to the fetus through navel. This is Allah’s Mercy that embraces everything and the signs of it are brighter than sun in every molecule of His creation.

The Seventh Stage: Placing the fetus in Three Veils

يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ خَلْقًا مِنْ بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ ثَلاثٍ.

…He makes you in the wombs of your mothers in stages one after another in three veils of darkness… (39:6)

Three veils gradually embrace the fetus; the amnion veil, the chorion veil, and the allantoids veil. The amnion is a veil generated by the growing of fetus outer surface. It expands until it makes a space called the amnion cavity behind the fetus in which there is a pure fluid.

The Chorion veil is out of the amnion veil and helps protect the fetus.

The allantoids veil is before the fetus belly and is responsible for digestion and absorption of food. These three veils save the fetus from the air, light, water, wind, and possible strikes. In the space between the amnion veil and the fetus, there is a fluid. When a strike is made to the womb, it is transferred to this liquid and becomes neutral in it. This is Allah’s Mercy toward the human fetus.

The Eighth Stage: Breathing Spirit

ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ.

… and then produced it another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators! (23:14)

Having accomplished the shaping of the fetus, which is the sign of Allah’s Power and many facts about which are still unknown, Allah breathes spirit into the fetus that is a sophisticated process in itself. He wills to miraculously transform the fetus, breathe His spirit into it, and make it alive. This is the time when the fetus learns to put its finger inside the mouth. That’s why the newly born can feed from his/her mother’s breast immediately after birth.

The Ninth Stage: Birth

وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ.

It is He who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers… (16:78)

The story of childbirth is one of the most fascinating processes occurring in the creation system. The fetus that have lived in the dark, quiet and pleasantly warm womb for nine months, now, by Allah’s Mercy, enters an atmosphere quite different from the previous one. Allah has granted it all capabilities to cope with the new environment. The child leaves the mother womb with a temperature of 37 degrees centigrade and enters another milieu with a more or less temperature, but it copes with the new setting. This survival is still a mystery in medicine. The child goes from darkness to the light and its delicate eyes tolerate the dazzling light of the outside world. It comes from a wet place to a dry one, but it immediately copes with the new situation. As a fetus, it was fed through the navel, and now it eats through the mouth and breathes the air with no mediator![45]

These are all signs of Allah’s unlimited Mercy and human being should hence be grateful of His blessings wholeheartedly and call out:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّى أَسْألُكَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ الَّتِى وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيٍْء

A Manifestation of Allah’s Mercy

It is necessary to have a look at another sign of Allah’s infinite Mercy toward human being here, so that it removes our inadvertence, increasing our eagerness to worship and our hatred of sins.

Scientifically, the system of human brain is the most awesome machine and performs duties that the most developed human-made machines are unable to complete. One of the duties of the brain is to record various events in the memory. Human memory is related only to a small part of the brain. For showing the memory capacity, an example has been repeatedly given:

Suppose a fifty-year old man wants to write all his memories collectively. For this he will need 160 million large size newspapers that are printed with small in twenty pages each. In many respects, the mechanism of remembering the memories resembles that of the tapes of voice recorders. The difference is that the power of brain tapes is provided by body nerves and they need not to rotate.

If we want to build a machine that performs the work of human brain more or less, we should make an apparatus two times the largest buildings in the world, allotting all the electricity made by the water of world largest fall for its power. Because the electric lamps and wires make the machine hot, all the water of the supposed fall should turn around the machine. The invented machine will not after all perform all the thinking duties of an ordinary human brain.

The command of sucking milk from the mother breast is issued from the child’s brain to its lips, and the child feeds from its mother’s breast calmly and with no mistake. In the mother body, there is an automatic chemical factory that turns her blood into a useful and delicious food, suitable for the infant’s digestive system. When the fetus is created in the mother womb, the suckling factory revives in the mother body and begins work. As the fetus grows, this factory gets more active until it produces suitable milk for the baby at the birth. After the birth, as the child grows up, and its digestive system becomes stronger, the produced milk changes accordingly.

The precious product of this factory is assembled in two sources on the mother breast and leaks out of their nipples by the baby’s sucking and becomes part of its body. The size of the nipples is appropriate for the baby’s mouth, including tiny openings that open by the baby’s sucking and are automatically closed afterwards, not to waste the milk.

All these interesting events and alterations for the sake of humans are nothing but Allah’s infinite Mercy and unlimited blessing. Human being should ponder in these phenomena, praise the Almighty, and beg Him for spiritual blessings.

The Respiratory System

Human lungs inhale and exhale the air for approximately 500 million times, during a typical lifetime. In the respiratory system, there are hundreds of thousands of glands that leak out a sticky liquid to absorb the harmful dust particles entering the lungs when breathing. If this liquid did not exist, the particles obstructed the respiratory pipes in a few seconds, causing death.

Also there are tiny hairs in these pipes that constantly clean them. These hairs clean all the pipes twelve times per second, and send the harmful particles into the digestive system in which they become ineffectual.

The respiratory pipes transfer the air to 750 million bags inside the lungs in which the carbon dioxide is taken from the blood and oxygen is replaced instead. The respiratory system, with such a small size, important duty, and amazing process is but one part of “كل شيء” (everything) that are embraced by Allah’s Mercy.

The Skin

Human skin has various benefits, some of which are represented here:

There are very tiny holes all over the skin through which part of human breathing takes place and in case these holes are closed human being cannot continue life.

The skin contains glands that produce sweat and send it out to maintain the normal body temperature.

The skin includes some oily glands that keep it and the hairs constantly soft and fresh.

The skin defends the body against the outside microbes.

It wards off part of body poisons through the sweat and hence helps the kidneys in their duty.

It prevents the useful body liquids from leaking out.

The skin is the center for the sense of touch after all. The sense of touch helps us feel cold, heat, softness, harshness, thinness, and thickness of the objects.

The skin is another blessing that is embraced by Allah’s Mercy, and hence so many useful processes are done inside it.

The Defensive System of the Body

When the Omnipotent Allah created the human body, He granted him five protecting walls against the microbes and the diseases, which are:

The skin that has covered all the body as a fort;

The ganglion tissues that are cotton–like milky tissues under the skin and sometimes change color; they are thick in some spots and thin in others. If something harmful passes the skin, it faces the resistance of the ganglion tissues.

The mucus membranes, which are membranes surrounding some body organs, are the same color as the organs, and protect these organs. Some of the organs like the heart have two membranes; one that surrounds the outer part of the heart called the ‘outer mucus’ and another that is inside the heart or the ‘inner mucus’.

The stomach acid that eliminate anything harmful which has passed other protective walls of the body.

The white globules are ball-shaped beings in the blood that fight the microbes that have entered the blood and eradicate them. Interestingly, these white balls cooperate with the useful microbes that enter the body.

Isn’t it Allah’s Mercy granted to all these guards that protects human being from the diseases and viruses? How extended is Allah’s Mercy that have encircled the appearance and inside world of human body and every fragment of his being!

The Remarkable Uses of the Plants

No one knows the exact number of different plants, their processes, and vitamins and the role they play in human life except Allah Who is the Creator of them. Since the plants are part of “كل شيء” (everything) to which Allah’s Mercy is granted, a brief account of their duty in the life of other creatures is given here.

There is a certain amount of oxygen in the air, which is a vital gas guaranteeing the life of every living being. In fact no human, animal and plant can continue life without it.

The oxygen entering human lungs by breathing is combined with the blood and is distributed throughout the body by the blood circulation. Oxygen burns the food in all the cells very slowly and produces the natural body heat. By burning the food, a poisonous gas called carbon dioxide is produced, which goes to the lungs with the blood and enters the air through the exhale. All the living things take the oxygen from air and send out carbon dioxide. Each person usually sends out 250 grams of pure carbon by his/her exhales during 24 hours. If we suppose the number of all humans as three billion, they produce approximately two hundred and seventy three million and seven hundred and fifty thousand (273 .750.000) tons of poisonous carbon dioxide a year. About the same amount of this gas is produced by the animals too. A question arises here and that is:

Where does this toxic constantly produced gas go? If it exists in the air and the amount of oxygen is decreasing, the oxygen-carbon dioxide balance should be changed. Why is it then that all humans and animals keep on life?

The answer to this question is provided by Allah’s Mercy; He has created a class of beings whose number is infinite and their breathing is completely against that of other living things. They take the carbon dioxide from the air and give out oxygen, when breathing and hence maintain the balance between these two gases. These invaluable beings are the plants.

The plants receive the carbon from the air by their leaves, keeping it in their stem, and give out oxygen to the air. Therefore the major material in the plants is carbon.

Based on the Qur’¡nic verses and the statement of Imam `Al¢ (a.s) in du`¡’ Kumayl, Allah’s Mercy has surrounded every leaf and keeps the living world away from total death. The signs of His Mercy are seen in the stem, leaf, blossoms, and flowers of the plan. Those who cannot see are unwise and those who do not ponder are ignorant.

Human being using God-given mentality, benefits from various kinds of vegetables, fruits and seeds for maintaining health, satisfying hunger and enjoying life and by Allah’s Mercy, this collection of foods changes to the elements necessary for the great system of body, such as colors, bones, skin, nerves, vessels, blood, hair, nail, energy, heat….

The Role of Animals and Insects in the Living World

No one knows the number of the insects and animals existing in the lands and seas, the birds and reptiles and the benefits of their existence, but their Creator whose Mercy has covered the appearance and hidden aspects of them. His mercy has brought about great uses for them. Human being, in this regard, benefits from all these creatures.

Fertilizing Insects: Fruit trees have both male organ (pollen) and female organ (pistil). If the pollen of a tree does not reach the pistil of the same kind of tree, or vice versa, no fruit will be produced. For fertilizing some plants, Allah has made tiny insects whose duty is to carry the pollen of a plant to the pistil of another and take the pollen of the second to the pistil of the first. Interestingly, these small agents do not make mistake; taking the pollen of apple tree to the pistil of the peach tree, for instance, rather they pollinate to the same trees. Even more fascinating is that the trees pay the insects off with the sugar inherent in them. The insects receive the sugar and help make the fruit for humans, but humans are yet ungrateful.

Cows and Sheep: Natural scientists believe that everything in the nature exists as much as the creatures needs it, and they are right. In case of the mammals, there is enough milk in the female animal’s breast for its child. But Allah’s Mercy has set the cows and sheep exceptions to this general rule, since their milk is not only food for their children, but an inclusive food for the human beings as well.

The milk of cow and sheep is a valuable food for the infants, children and even growing or grown-up humans. The products of milk provide one of the most important needs of human body.[46] Is Allah’s Blessings toward humans not evident? The Almighty, out of Mercy, has set these animals at the service of humans. The benefits of such animals are so great and their probable harms are so little. Humans use every organ and product of the sheep in a way. The interesting point is that the food of all three types of sheep, which are raised for their wool, meat, and milk, is the same. This is the Power of Allah, Who changes one kind of food in the body of an animal into three different products for the sake of humans, and hence provides food and clothes for them, some of whom are not thankful. The sheep is only a minute part of “كل شيئ” (every thing), which are developed by Allah’s Mercy. So many books are required to cover all the blessings Allah has bestowed on this animal.

Honeybee: Botanists say that most of the flowers do not have sap all through the day, but at certain times of the day and this period does not exceed three hours. Not all the flowers offer their sap at a single time; some have sap in the morning, some at noon and still others in the afternoon. The honeybee is both botanist and punctual. It knows the flowers and the time each of them has sap and goes to get the flowers’ sap on time.[47] Then it changes the flower sap into a substance that is not only sweat and pleasant, but also colorful and energizing. The honey produced inside the bee’s body is a unique food in the world that resists putridity. And above all, as stated in the holy Qur’¡n, it is a cure to human diseases: “Wherein is healing for mankind. (16:69)” Hundreds of books have been written about the bee and its life, which shows Allah’s embracing Mercy toward this apparently small, but valuable creature.

Allah’s Guidance; a Valuable Blessing

The Omnipotent Allah has willed to place human being in a corner of the world for a limited time, out of Mercy, benefiting him from all the blessings and good things that are prepared via the processes of the ethereal elements like the clouds and the winds, the sun and the moon. He has bestowed on the human various kinds of fruits, vegetables, and seeds, and also halal (pure) meat of creatures from the sky, the earth and the seas. Allah has granted the necessary equipment to human for establishing his own life. Human being should rely on his mind and free will to choose the religious guidance; a unique blessing, that is the right path offered by the Heavenly Books and especially Qur’¡n, the holy prophets (s.a), and Imams (a.s). By doing so, man recognizes his duty and responsibility toward his Creator and rightfully tries to fulfill these duties, so that he will acquire his due perfection. Human being should attempt to work for his Hereafter during the limited worldly life and prepare for Allah’s satisfaction and His paradise.

If man contemplates on all the material as well as spiritual blessings granted by the Almighty, he discovers that His general Mercy has surrounded both the apparent and the hidden sides of the heavens and the earth. Man himself is so much cloaked in Allah’s Mercy and subject to His beneficence that no other creature, even the nearest angel, is like him.

At this point, human being should insightfully begin the spiritual journey to serve Allah and reach His countenance, not disregarding to serve Allah and His servants. He should humbly pray and worship Allah, with all his organs, at every point in time and beseech Him.

By choosing the right path that is Allah’s strong guidance, fulfilling the duties and serving the servants, humans, as asserted by the holy Qur’¡n, will be granted great reward and Allah’s paradise.

Allah’s Mercy

If human being commits a sin due to ignorance or negligence during the lifetime, and he regrets and returns to Allah by beseeching him, repentance, and compensation of the sin, Allah will forgive him. It is recommended that repentance be accompanied by the du`¡’ Kumayl on Thursday night; the night of Mercy and the descent of Allah’s Blessings to the servants.

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِي الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ.

Say: O my people who have been prodigal against yourselves, do not despair of God’s mercy; surely God forgives sins altogether; surely He is the All-forgiving, the All-compassionate. (39:53)

There are so many verses in the holy Qur’¡n that end with the phrases such as:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ.

Allah is All-forgiving, All-compassionate. (2:173)

وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ.

Allah is gentle with His servants. (2:207)

وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ.

Allah invites into the Garden, and forgiveness by His grace. (2:221)

أَنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ.

And know that Allah is All-forgiving, All-clement. (2:253)

وَاللَّهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ.

But Allah singles out for His Mercy whom He will. (2:105)

وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ.

And Allah is of infinite bounty. (2:105)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا.

Allah is All-pardoning, All-forgiving. (4:43)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ تَوَّابًا رَحِيمًا.

Allah is Relenting, Merciful. (4:16)

وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ.

And He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy. (12:64)

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ.

Surely your Lord is liberal in forgiving (53:32).

Traditions about Allah’s Mercy

Abu Sa’id Khadri has narrated from the holy Prophet (s.a):

When the sinful believers are sent to the Hell, the fire becomes cold for them until they are brought out. Then Allah calls on the angels: Bring them to the Paradise, because they are subject to My infinite Mercy and Compassion.

It is narrated from the Prophet’s Household:

When the Resurrection Day is established, the Almighty gathers the believers together and tells them: ‘I forgive your sins as they make you indebted to Me, pardon each others’ sins so that you can enter paradise.’

It is also narrated that on the Resurrection Day, Allah calls on each of His servant: O My servant! I granted you blessings, but you committed sins. As I increased My blessings for you, you added your transgression. The servant bends his head from shyness. Allah calls: O My servant! Raise your head, since I forgave you at the same moment you committed sin.

Another tradition reads:

When a servant is brought before Allah on the Hereafter, s/he bends head and bursts into cry from shame. The Almighty calls: When you committed sin cheerfully I did not make you ashamed. Now that you do not do evil and you are bitterly ashamed, how can I punish you? I forgive your wrongdoing and allow you to enter My paradise.

It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (s.a) who said:

Allah has a hundred kinds of Mercy, one of which He grants in this world, covering His servants with it, and He reserves the other ninety nine for the Resurrection Day with which to endow His servants.[48]

The great narrator, Shaikh ¯ad£q, has narrated from an infallible Imam:

When the Resurrection Day is established, Allah’s embracing Mercy is manifested and the wrongdoers are forgiven in crowds to such an extent that the outcast Satan becomes covetous!

An important tradition states that when a believer servant is placed in grave, the grave is covered and friends and acquaintances return, leaving him alone the All-Compassionate Allah calls him, out of Mercy: O My servant! You are left alone in the darkness and those for whose pleasure you committed sin and whose satisfaction you preferred to mine, have gone away. Now I grant My Mercy to you such that people are surprised. Then He calls on the angels: O My angels! My servant is lonely, alienated, and forlorn and is My guest. Go help him and open an entrance to paradise for him! Bring him all kinds of flowers and foods! Then leave him alone, because I will be his companion until the Resurrection Day![49]

Stories of Allah’s Mercy

It is narrated that on the Resurrection Day, the servant is called to account and his letter of deeds, full of sins, is given to his left hand. When getting the letter, the servant states “bismill¡hi (In the Name of Allah)”, out of habit, seeking Mercy of Allah. Once he opens it, he finds the letter of his deeds blank and says with astonish: “There is nothing to read.” The angels say: “There were your sins written in this letter, which were removed due to the verse you recited, and Allah forgave all your sins.”[50]

Jesus Christ and the sinner

In a tradition we read that one day prophet Jesus (a.s) went along a road with his apostles, when a sinner notorious for immorality and wickedness saw them. He got terribly regretful of his previous sins, saw himself damned, and burst into weeping, seeking Allah’s forgiveness. Then he thought with himself: “I have not done a good deed in all my life so I do not deserve to accompany the apostles. But since they are Allah’s friends I should follow them.” So he pursued them and called them. One of the apostles turned and looked at the man who was renown for impiety and said: “O Jesus! How can this evildoer follow us? Which religion allows his accompanying us? Send him away not to follow us, lest his sins may make our lives inauspicious!” Jesus (a.s) was beginning to think how he could expel that man when the Almighty revealed to him: “O Jesus! Tell your proud apostle to resume his deeds, because We removed all his good deeds for the contemptuous look he had on the regretful sinner. And give good tidings to Our sinner servant that We forgave his sins and redirected him to guidance for his repentance from past deeds.”[51]

The sinnful youth

Mulla Fat’h Allah al-K¡sh¡n¢ in the exegesis “Minh¡j al-¯¡diqin”, and Ayatollah Kalbasi in the book “An¢s al-Layl” have narrated: “In the time of Maliki Dinar, a sinner youth died. Because of his being a transgressor, people did not shroud or bury his body. While sleeping, Maliki Dinar dreamed of Allah telling him: “Go and bury the body of Our servant in the cemetery of the pious believers, after washing and shrouding it.” Malik answered: “O Allah! He was among the impious people. How could he become so near to You?” He was answered: “When dieing, that sinner wept and said:

يَا مَنْ لَهُ الدُّنْيا وَالآخِرَةُ ارْحَمْ مَن لَيسَ لَهُ الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةُ!

‘O the Master of this world and the Hereafter! Pity the one who has nothing in the world nor in the Hereafter!’

O Malik! Which suffering servant came to Us whom We did not cure? And which deprived servant came to Us whom We did not grant him his wish?”[52]

Granted Wish

In the time of Mansur Ibn ‘Ammar, who was among the Gnostic, a rich man decided to set a sinful ceremony. So he sent his servant to bazaar to buy food for serving the guests and gave him four drachmas.

When going to bazaar, the servant went by the assembly of Mansur Ibn ‘Ammar and said to himself: “I’d better stand here and listen to what Mansur Ibn ‘Ammar says.” He heard Mansur asking help for a poor from the assembly, saying: “Who will give me four drachmas so that I will ask four things for him from Allah?”

The servant of the rich man thought to himself: “It is better to give the money to Mansur and benefit from his prayer, instead of buying food and drink for the sinners with it.” So the servant gave the money to Mansur and said: “Ask four things for me from Allah!” Mansur said: “What would you like me to ask for you from Allah?” The servant replied: “First, ask Allah to free me from the slavery of my master! Second, ask Allah to help my master in doing repentance! Third, that He return this four drachmas to me in some way! Fourth, that the Almighty forgive the sins of me, my servants and his guests altogether!”

Mansur prayed for the servant and he returned to his master without buying anything. The rich man asked his servant: “Where were you?” “O master! I gave four drachmas and bought four prayers.” The servant replied. The rich man asked about the four prayers. The servant said in reply: “First, that Allah make me free from slavery.” The master said: “I make you free in Allah’s path.” “Second, that you do repentance.” “I do repentance,” the master replied. “Third, that Allah return me the four drachmas” The rich man gave him another four drachmas. “And fourth,” said the servant “that the Almighty forgive you, me and all your guests.” The master answered: “I did what I could. But this last one is beyond my ability.” At night, the master dreamed of Allah revealing to him: “O servant! You did your duty, out of mercy, though you are very poor indeed. It is far from Our Infinite Mercy not to do our duty. We forgave you, your servant, and all those present in your gathering.”

Meeting the Generous Allah

A wise man crossed a road where he saw a group of people expelling a young man from the town, because of his corruption. A woman who was weeping extremely followed them. The wise man asked about the woman and found that she was the young man’s mother. The wise man pitied the mother and mediated for him before the group, saying: “Forgive the young man this time, and if he returned to corruption again, you should expel him from town.”

Later on, the wise man returned to the same neighborhood and heard a crying voice behind a door. He thought the young man has been expelled from the town, due to corruption and his mother is crying in his absence. He knocked at the door and the young man’s mother opened it. The wise man asked about the woman’s son. The woman replied: “He has died, but his death was not an ordinary one. When his death approached, he said: ‘Do not inform the neighbors of my death. I have annoyed them very much and they have reproached me so much. I don’t want them to be present on my body. Wash and shroud my body yourself and bury this ring with me. I have just bought it and “bismill¡hir-ra¦m¡nir-ra¦¢m” is written on it. Ask Allah to forgive me beside my grave.’ I did as he had willed and when I was returning from his grave, it was as if I heard him saying: ‘Go and relax mum! I met the Generous!’”[53]

Repentance After Repentance

The great Persian poet, Attar, narrates in his “Mantiq Al-Tiyr”: After committing sin after sin, a sinner could finally repent from his previous deeds. But after that his carnal soul made him repeat his previous sins and then he repented again, however, he violated his repentance once more. He was then so much drenched in sins that experienced the worldly punishment of his sins. Finally he found out that his life, which he had spent in corruption, was coming to an end. He wanted to repent, but he was too ashamed to do so. Like a wheat grain on the fire, he was burning in despair, until the dawn in which he heard a hidden caller saying: “O sinner! The Compassionate says: ‘When you first repented I accepted it, but you broke your promise. I granted you respite to repent again and accepted it, while I could punish you. Still you committed sins and sank yourself in wrongdoing. If you want to repent now, do so and I will accept your repentance.’ “[54]

Prayer of a Lost is Answered

Attar narrates in “Mantiq al-Tayr”: One night, Gabriel was by Sidratul Muntaha[55], when he heard the Almighty saying labbayk[56], in reply to someone Gabriel did not know. He wanted to know the one who deserved to be answered by Allah, but found no one in all the heavens and the earth. And he still heard Allah repeating his reply. He searched again but saw nobody of such rank before Allah. He asked the Almighty: ‘O Allah! Direct me to your servant whom you answer!’ He was answered: ‘Watch Rome!’ Gabriel looked and saw an idolater in a temple crying and calling an idol. Gabriel was astonished by this and said: ‘Uncover the truth for me! How comes an idolater calls his idol and You answer him out of Mercy?’ Gabriel was replied: ‘My servant’s heart has become hard so he has lost his way. But I am pleased with the way he worships, hence I reply him so that he may find the right path.’ At the same moment, the idolater began to call the Unique Allah![57]

Change from the Unlucky Book to the Lucky Book

The author of “exegesis of fatihat Al-Kitab”, which is one of the most important scientific and Gnostic books written by a scholar after the age of al-Fay¤ al-K¡sh¡n¢, narrates that:

In the Israelites, there was a pious worshipper who had secluded from other people, remaining in his own privacy. He had worshipped Allah so devotedly day and night that all the angels befriended him. Gabriel, too, who was the guardian of heavenly secrets, asked the Almighty to be allowed to descend in order to meet the pious man. He was ordered: ‘Look into the Lawhul Mahfuz[58] to see his standing!’

Gabriel looked and found the pious man’s name among the unlucky. He got surprised at the unpredictability of fates, ceased to desire meeting him, and said: ‘O Allah! No one can stand against your verdict and tolerate these peculiarities.’ He was called: ‘Since you have wished to see him for a while, now go and meet him and tell him what you saw.’

Gabriel descended into the pious man’s convent to find a slim and weak individual who was prying enthusiastically and wholeheartedly; sometimes standing in front of the altar and then humbly prostrating on the soil before Allah. Gabriel greeted him and said: ‘O pious man! Do not get yourself into trouble! Because your name is written among the unlucky.’

Hearing this, the pious smiled like a new flower that blossoms with the morning breeze, and as a melodious nightingale seeing the flower began reciting ‘Praise be to Allah.’

Gabriel said: ‘Poor man! How can you call ‘Praise be to Allah’ at this miserable story? You should be gloomy, rather than delighted!’

The old pious replied: ‘Do not speak this way, because I am the servant and He is my Master. A servant would not wish anything beyond his Master’s will. He has the power to do as He is inclined, and take me where he wills. Praise be to Allah that if I do not deserve going to paradise, I am needed as the wood for the hell!’

Gabriel returned to his own position while seeing state of the man excited his pity. Allah ordered him to look at the Divine Memory to see what the painter of “Allah blots out, and He establishes whatsoever He will…”[59] has drawn and what the creator of “And Allah does what He will…”[60] has painted. Gabriel looked and saw the pious man’s name among the lucky. He was astonished and said: ‘O Allah! What is the secret of this story? And what is the reason for changing the name from unlucky to lucky?’

He was answered: ‘O the trustee of revelation secrets! When you informed the pious of his stance he did not groan, rather he was patient and surrendered himself to My will and his destiny; he said ‘Praise be to Allah’, calling Me with all My praiseworthy names. So I inclined to name him among the lucky instead of the unlucky, out of Mercy.’[61]

وَبِقُوَّتِكَ الَّتِى قَهَرْتَ بِهَا كُلَّ شَيٍْء

(And I ask You) by Your Strength, through which You dominate everything.

Allah’s Strength, just as His holy Existence, is infinite. Other abilities and strengths are insignificant before His Strength. No strength is independent from His Strength, but a ray of His Power: “لا حول و لا قوه الا بالله “: “There is no Power but Allah’s.” In the last section, the phrase “كل شيء” was briefly discussed and it was concluded that:

“كل شيء” includes all the creatures and beings, which have been created by Allah’s Mercy, and whose exact quality and quantity no one knows and will not know until the Day of Judgment. Who is aware of the exact number of billions of heavenly germs, galaxies, plants, animals, birds, beasts, reptiles of the earth and sea, and the countless amebas, viruses, microbes, and hidden beings and the angels?

The Compassionate Creator of the world, who has such an unending Power over “everything in the world”, dominates everything, and nothing is out of His embracing Strength.

Allah maintains the heavens and their germs, the galaxies and the stars, the systems and their inhabitants-some of which weight more than billions of tons-which have been floating in a certain orbit, with a definite speed for billions of years now, and He keeps them from falling down.

وَخَضَعَ لَهَا كُلُّ شَيٍْء وَذَلَّ لَها كُلُّ شَيْءٍ

(I ask You) by Your Strength, toward which everything is humble and before which all things are lowly.

Everything in this world, from the hidden to the visible beings, from the largest to the smallest beings, from the most extensive galaxies, stars, and planets to the tiniest atoms that are not observable with scientific tools, is contemptible before Allah. Everything is conquered by His rule and surrendered to His wise fiat and ready to make obedience to Him. All the creatures are unexceptionally capitulated to Allah’s immeasurable Strength.

A phrase from a supplication stated by an infallible Imam’ conscious heart and mind reads: “Surely You are; You are the God to Whose Strength everything is capitulated and humble. You are able to do anything to Your creatures and dominate any of them. You are the One Who created all the things and have control over them. You are the Master of all things. There is no God except You. You are the Generous and the Mighty.”

Granting the exigency of a humble and weeping servant in a Thursday night is very easy for the One Who has dominated everything with His infinite Power, and to Whose Strength everything is capitulated. And it is much effortless for Him to manipulate His various agents in the heavens and the earth to grant His servant’s worldly and heavenly demands.

Is it possible that a heartbroken, who calls Allah by His Mercy and Strength and who knows nothing above Him, become unfortunate? Never! It is not strange from worldly incapable beings to be incompetent in fulfilling others’ demands. But Allah’s All-Sufficient existence, and His infinite Mercy and Strength necessitate the fulfillment of the supplications in accord with the servant’s expediency and His own Wisdom.

We read in the thirteenth supplication of the “Sahifa Sajjadiya”[62]: “You have attributed Your creatures to poverty and they entirely need You. Therefore one, who asks You to compensate the shortcomings of his life and alter his poverty to richness, has indeed turned to the precise Position and the right One to obtain his need. And one, who asks his exigency from one of Your creatures, has certainly deprived himself and does not deserve Your favor.

I eagerly follow the path toward You and I only hope and believe in You. I know that what I ask You is easy before Your Strength, however difficult it may be to me. And I realize that what I need is so trivial for You, however significant it may be for me. Your Generosity does not become narrow by anyone’s exigency and it is Your Bounty, which is above all other generosities.”

The world and the beings inside it that were once nothing to be mentioned became beings by Allah’s Will. And they continue existence under His Mercy and Strength. They are not independent of Allah; they are basically poor and pitiable and humble before Him.

Human being is not worthy of showing power and pride before Allah’s Strength, since his body is as trivial as a handful of soil, his soul is but a moment of existence, and his mind is incapable of knowing even a tiny atom. Human cannot present himself before Allah Whose Mercy has surrounded all his life; otherwise it causes him loss and deprivation from Allah’s Mercy and doomed punishment.

وَبِجَبرُوتِكَ الَّتِى غَلَبْتَ بِهَا كُلَّ شَيٍْء

(I ask You) by Your Invincibility, through which You overwhelm all things.

Lexically, the Arabic word “جبروت” (Invincibility) is hyperbole; it means Allah compensates for all the shortcomings and inadequacies of the creatures by giving every blessing, necessary tools and equipments to them; a lofty compensation.

All the beings are insignificant before creation; their primary element is an atom, a particle, a seed, or trivial semen. They have inadequacies at first that are made up by Allah’s Invincibility, so that all the creatures reach their full entity and occupy their due position in the living world.

Allah’s Compensation of the insufficiencies

The compensation of creatures’ shortcomings by Allah is an important issue, some instances of which are narrated here from scientific books, hoping that they increase our faith in the Lofty Source of Bounty.

Compensation of sun’s exhausted energy

The sun, which provides a major part of our energy, is only a small element of this world. Its heat is so extreme that no other fire can compete with it. The surface temperature of sun is approximately 6093 degrees centigrade; its inner temperature is still beyond this. In every second, the sun spreads more that twelve million and four hundred thousand tons of energy in the space. If we want to produce the heat used by the sun in one minute, we will need 679 million billion tons of coal. The energy exhausted by the sun in a minute weighs about four million tons and it turns to 126’144’000’000’000 tons in each year. No fire can go on burning without energy. So if the sun obtains nothing from outside and it burns this amount of energy per year, why doesn’t it get cold? Meanwhile, if the sun was made of pure coal, it could not burn more than sixty centuries.

The answer to this question is only given by Allah’s Invincibility. He has set the sun as a huge mass of gasses, which regains the exhausted energy by contraction. This fact is the result of numerous scientific studies in east and west and writing hundreds of pages of books that is now available to us as a simple sentence.

In fact, He is the One Who balance the objects’ exhausted energy in various ways; compensation of sun’s exhausted energy is but one sign of Allah’s Invincibility.

Compensation of Caspian Sea Tide

The Caspian Sea is about 27.6 meters beneath the sea level and it still continues to go further down. The Caspian Sea is not related to the free seas so its tide is not in accord with the oceans’ general ebb and flow. Due to its small size, this sea cannot use the moon gravity, so it should not have tide. As a result it should have become rotten long ago, polluting its shores, and losing any living things in it. But why it didn’t happen?

The Omnipotent Who created the sea knew well how to compensate this shortcoming. He sent winds called “Sarnuk”, “Khazari”, and “Miyanwa”[63] that waves the sea level to such an extent that the rivers pouring into it have tide too. These winds blow so powerfully that most fishermen cannot control their boats against them. Another duty of the mentioned winds is that they drive the clouds from the north to the south of the sea and produce rain in the northern shores of Iran, that’s why the meadows in this region are always full of flowers.

The winds also send the seawater into “Anzali marsh” to make it clean. Due to constant flood-like rain, the rivers in Gilan[64] are usually muddy and full of seeds and roots from the woods. The mud of the rivers pouring into the marsh thickens the bottom layer of it. The seeds and roots, too, grow inside the marsh. These two factors are enough to dry the marsh water and turn it to a swamp soon. What is the reason then that this marsh has existed for hundreds of years now?

To avoid this, the Almighty sends the seawater to the floods. At the same time as the above-mentioned winds send the clouds from the north of the sea to the south, the fresh seawater flows to the muddy river water and mixes with it, making it less dense and removing any seeds and roots by its salt.

When these winds stop, Allah sends other winds called “Keramwa”, “Kenarowa” and “Aftab Bushu” to reverse the water flow, pouring the marsh water into the Caspian Sea, and hence evacuate the marsh from muddy waters.

Still two other winds called “Gilwa” and “Durushtwa” have the duty of shaking the marsh water from the East to the West, helping mix the water!![65]

Allah’s Compensation of Fruit Seeds Shortage

Fruit seeds are useless until they are planted and become subject to Allah’s Invincibility that shapes them in various forms.

A pleasant apple was once a tiny and closed seed inside a grocery store box. It was not of use as a seed except that it be planted. When the farmer placed it under the soil, some agents like fresh air, light, water and mineral elements helped it compensate its shortcomings, by Allah’s Will. So the apple became a delicious, pleasant, and colorful fruit, adornment for the parties and food for humans.

Taking a quick look at the apple ingredients makes us more familiar with Allah’s Invincibility:

Azotic (nitrogen) ingredients: proteins and amino acids like lizine, Ursenin, histidine, and tirusine)

Mineral materials: iodine, potassium, boron, phosphor, calcium, iron, cupper, cudium, sulphur, manganese, zinc, and penizium.

Starch-Glucose materials: dextrose, cellulose, pentosan, and starch.

Sugars: glucose, fructose, and sucrose.

Pectic materials: pectic acid, pectin, pecthinic acid, and protopectin.

Fats and acids: malic acid, citric acid, oxalic acid, ascorbic acid, and lactic acid.

Color ingredients: antocianines, and chlorophyll.

Vitamins: A, B, C, and G.

Enzymes: catalos, and oxidase.

Water: 84 percent.

This is how the Invincible compensates the shortcomings of a fruit. If we want to mention His compensation of other material as well as spiritual elements, we would need blank pages as much as the number of all the beings.

وَبِعِزَّتِكَ الَّتِى لا يَقُومُ لَهَا شَيْءٌ

(I ask You) by Your Might, which nothing can resist.

Allah has created all things by His Strength, and covered all things by His Mercy. All things show humbleness and humility before Him. He has compensated all shortcomings by His Invincibility. How can anything, in whatever position, resist His Might?

All things from the heavens and the earth to their inhabitants, and from the hidden to the visible beings are but rays of His enlightening Might. The creatures are only shadows of His Essence, so how they can resist His eternal Might and infinite Strength.

The Arabic word “عزة”, which means strength, exists in all the creatures, as part of Allah’s holy Strength. The glimmer of a small light is far from the rays of an infinite and eternal source of an Illuminating Light!

فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا.

To Allah belong all glory and power. (35:10)

Based on this holy Qur’¡nic verse, All the power is Allah’s. He grants power to anyone He wills, according to his/her capacity. He grants no power to anyone He likes not, and regains power from anyone He wills. Therefore, no powerful is independent of Him and no one can resist His Power. He is the Undefeated Mighty.

وَبِعَظَمَتِكَ الَّتِى مَلَأَتْ كُلَّ شَيٍْء

(I ask You) by Your Greatness, which has filled all things.

Knowing the Actor by His Act

It is clear that to some extent, the position and rank of an actor can be realized from his act. An engineer, who builds a 110-story skyscraper, is probably a skillful and intelligent person.

A distinguished author, like Sadr Al-Muta’ahhilin, who have written some invaluable books such as “Asfar”, “Arshiya”, “Hikmat Muta’aliya”, “Asrar Al-Ayat”, demonstrates his great mentality and high attitude in his writings.

We recognize the competence of an electricity factory inventor by his accurate job in illuminating the dark nights as bright as the days.

The Almighty’s greatness is in His Preexistence, Eternity and Infinity. But His greatness is not recognizable for us. Yet rays of His Greatness we can observe by pondering on the world, the creatures, and the magnitude of creation, since His greatness has filled all things.

We mention just two traditions and a scientific fact in order to clarify our point more deeply.

Creation of Various Worlds

The great scholar, Sayyid Hiybat Al-Din Shahristani, in his singular book “Islam wa Hiy’at” (Islam and Astronomy) has narrated from “Khisal” of ¯ad£q, “Bi¦¡r al-Anw¡r” of Allamiyi Majlis¢, “Anwar Nu’maniyya”, “Sharh Sahifa”, and “Tafsiri Nur Al-Thaqalayn” a tradition by Imam ¯¡diq (a.s), with a strong documentation:

إنَّ للهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ اثْنَي عَشَرَ ألفِ عالَمٍ؛ كُلُّ عالَمٍ مِنْهُمْ أكْبَرُ مِنْ سَبْعِ سَمَاواتٍ وَسَبْعِ أرَضينَ، ما يُرَى عالَمٌ مِنْهُم أنَّ للهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عالَماً غَيْرَهُمْ.

The Almighty has created twelve thousand worlds, each of which is larger than all the heavens and the earth, and none of them is cognizant of the worlds outside its world![66]

The contemporary astrologers believe that the living world is composed of thousands of worlds, each of which contains heavens and the earths larger than our world’s.[67]

By referring to numbers, the Holy Qur’¡n and the traditions do not intend to show the exact record or extent of things, rather to illustrate their immensity. We should not, therefore, consider the number of the worlds as twelve thousand. The number of the worlds is far beyond what is mentioned in the holy Qur’¡n, the traditions, and the astrological books.

Hanging Lanterns in the Heaven and the Solar System

In his “Sharh Sahifa”, Sayyid Ni’mat Allah Jazayiri has narrated the prophet (s.a) and the infallible Imams (a.s) that Allah has created a hundred thousand lanterns, hanging them from the sky. All the heavens and the earth and the things inside them Allah has placed in one of these lanterns, and only He knows about what is inside other lanterns!

Allama Shahristani, in the exigency of this fascinating tradition says that there are similarities between lanterns and the solar system:

First, a lantern has an oval shape, and the solar system is like an oval too, in view of contemporary scientists.

Second, a lantern contains an object at its center that spreads light and heat, and the scientists believe that the solar system has the sun at its heart, scattering out light and heat on the surrounding planets.

Thirdly, a lantern is floating in the air and is not placed on a wall or something, and our solar system is floating in the space, too.

Fourth, the illuminating object of a lantern is not exactly at its center and is nearer to one side of it; the sun, too, is not at the exact center of the solar system.

Considering these resemblances, the correspondence of this tradition to the modern astrological basics and its disagreement with the old philosophy becomes clear. Therefore, this tradition explicitly proves the existence of thousands of worlds and solar systems, each containing separate planets, moons, suns, earths, heavens and hells, and that each of the worlds inside the lanterns is as large as a solar system and as vast as the heavens and the earth![68]

Suns; the Countless Stars

At the beginning of the twentieth century, when people heard that in our galaxy, which is clearly observable at night, there are thirty million suns, they were amazed. But today, it is proved that there are ten thousand million suns only in our galaxy.

When we look at the night sky without telescope it seems small and insignificant and it is not as glorious as the massive clouds of a winter day. But viewed by a large modern telescope like the one at “Wilson” or “Palumer” observatories, the greatness of this galaxy becomes observable.

The suns are positioned so compactly in our galaxy that the exact counting of them is not possible. No scientist has yet announced the exact number of suns in the galaxy. They can only estimate a ten thousand million number by considering a limited part of it, counting its suns, and then generalizing the number to the whole system!

The number of the suns is probably more than this because they are so myriad that some conceal others, making them unobservable. Among the galaxy suns there are suns ten million times of our sun! Sometimes the galaxies are two million light years apart from each other.

Today’s greatest telescope at the Palumar Mountain in America can observe galaxies at the distance of a thousand million light years. But occasionally some lights glitter beyond this distance that show scientists other galaxies are over there, too!

The solar system sun weighs two billion billion tons and our galaxy, which is only a small corner of the great world, weighs approximately 165 thousand million times the weight of sun! Though there are so many objects scattered in the world, the world is mostly empty, with so many vacancies in between![69]

All this is but a small angle of the huge world, observed by our limited telescopes. By studying these numbers and statistics that depict a very narrow view of our world, its size, depth and breadth, we can imagine the Greatness of Allah; a Greatness that is infinite and has filled everything.

The huge world is Allah’s work; His factory and His book. His Greatness is partly observable by viewing Allah’s work to make us call out:

اَللهُ اَكْبَرُ مِنْ اَنْ يُوصَفَ.

Allah is Exalted above what he is described.[70]

The most expressive describers are incapable of describing Him, the most eloquent tongues are unable to express Him, and the most powerful thoughts cannot realize a part of His Greatness!

In accord with our own understanding, we can only say the same thing our Prophet has taught us:

مَا عَرَفْنَاكَ حَقَّ مَعْرِفَتِكَ

We cannot appreciate Your due Greatness.[71]

وَبِسُلْطَانِكَ الَّذِى عَلاَ كُلَّ شَيٍْء

(I ask You) by Your Power, which towers over all things.

In the preceding pages, you read about some limited instances of the great world. Allah’s inevitable Rule is over the world and its inhabitants. He dominates all things, and all creatures are doomed to His Powerful Ruling.

Anyone who has a rightful and deserving ruling here in this world has his dominance as a gift from Allah. Once He wills, He can take the ruling from one servant and grant it to another.

The rulers should consider their ruling as a ray of Allah’s Dominance and Rule, not to rule unfairly, since if they do not rule fairly and lawfully, they will be oppressors. As is stated in Qur’¡nic verses and is proved throughout history, Allah’s revenge, which controls all things, would seize them. They cannot resist Allah’s Will, remaining in doomed chastisement humbly and contemptibly.

Allah’s Rule ordered the water descending from sky and springing from the earth to become storm and eliminate disbelievers in Noah’s age. His Rule sent the winds to eradicate the powerful ‘Ad tribe, just as dry grass is removed from the earth, and brought their life to an end in just one moment. His Rule ordered the River Nile to send a wave and obliterate the oppressor Pharaoh and his people.

وَبِوَجْهِكَ الْبَاقِى بَعْدَ فَنَآءِ كُلِّ شَيٍْء

(I ask You) by Your Face, which subsists after annihilation of all things.

Allah’s Holy Essence is the core of existence. His Existence is Preexisting and Eternal. He has always existed without any counterpart, and will always exist so. He has willed to create all things wisely, while He is independent of all things. Everything will come to an end, except He, Who will be forever.

Nothing in this world exists independently; the life of all beings is a blowing of the Divine Soul, and therefore everything is doomed to mortality. Mortality is a deficiency attribute, while eternity is a perfection attribute. Hence the Absolute Perfection has Absolute Eternity, and mortality is the attribute of all the beings and their lives.

وَبِأَسْمَآئِكَ الَّتِى مَلَأَتْ أَرْكَانَ كُلِّ شَيٍْء

(I ask You) by Your Names, which have filled the foundations of all things.

The word “اسماء” (Names) in this divine phrase does not merely mean the lexical Names that are composed of series of letters; rather the attributes, facts and concepts, which these Names denote.

Allah’s Mercy, Knowledge, Justice, and Power are the basics for all things. In other words, all things are signs of Allah; the Creative, the Shaper, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing, the Just, the Wise, the Merciful, and the Compassionate.

The creatures are created, continue existence, and obtain sustenance based on these facts and attributes of Allah. The lexical Names are therefore manifestations of the real Names. What are significant in the existence, identity, and repute of “all things” are the real Names not the lexical ones.

Anyhow, Allah’s real Names are mediators for happening of facts in this world. In Sama’ supplication, narrated by an Infallible Imam, we read:

أَللّهُمَّ إِنّى أَسْأَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الْعَظيمِ الاَْعْظَمِ الاَْعَزِّ الاَْجَلِّ الاَْكْرَمِ الَّذى إِذا دُعيتَ بِهِ عَلى مَغالِقِ أَبْوابِ السَّمآءِ لِلْفَتْحِ بِالرَّحْمَةِ انْفَتَحَتْ، وَإِذا دُعيتَ بِهِ عَلى مَضآئِقِ أَبْوابِ الاَْرْضِ لِلْفَرَجِ انْفَرَجَتْ، وَإِذا دُعيتَ بِهِ عَلَى العُسْرِ لِلْيُسْرِ تَيَسَّرَتْ، وَإِذا دُعيتَ بِهِ عَلَى الاَْمْواتِ لِلنُّشُورِ انْتَشَرَتْ، وَإِذا دُعيتَ بِهِ عَلى كَشْفِ الْبَأسآءِ وَالضَّرّاءِ انْكَشَفَتْ…

O Allah! I ask You by Your Great Name, the most Powerful, the most Notable, the most Worthy, by which if You are called for opening the heavens’ doors, they are opened by Mercy; if You are called for opening the earthly doors, they are opened; if You are called by Your Name for relieving the troubles, they are relieved; if You are called by your Great name for the Resurrection of the dead, they are alive; and if You are called for removing poorness and anxiety, they are removed…

What materializes the needs stated in this supplication is not the mere Name that is consisted of the letters n, m, a, and e; rather the Name itself and its reality.

The attributes that have filled basis for “all things” are the reality of the existing facts, which are called “Names” in the holy Qur’¡n and the traditions.

Among the manifestations of Allah’s Names is the Prophet’s Household, the Infallible Imams (a.s), who have special characteristics and are the mediators of Allah’s Mercy for people until the Resurrection Day. Allah’s Mercy, Guidance, Compassion, Forgiveness is passed to the people by the Imams (a.s) and the believers’ deed are accepted via them, too.

The great scholar, al-Fay¤ al-K¡sh¡n¢, in his valuable Qur’¡nic exegesis “Safi” has narrated Imam ¯¡diq (a.s):

نَحْنُ وَاللهِ الأسْمَاءُ الحُسْنَى الَّذِي لا يَقْبَلُ اللهُ مِنَ العِبَادِ عَمَلاً الاَّ بِمَعْرِفَتِنَا.

By Allah that we (the Prophet’s Household) are Allah’s Glorious Names; Allah accepts not a single deed from His servants except that they know us and appreciate our position.

As a result, attending to the lexis does not benefit the human or manifest a reality for him. We should go beyond the words and phrases to the realm of Reality, since everything apparent in the world is the sign of Allah’s real names and facts.

وَبالاسْمِ الَّذي خَلَقْتَ بِهِ العَرْشَ وَبالاسْمِ الَّذِي خَلَقْتَ بِهِ الكُرْسِيَّ وَبالاسْمِ الَّذِي خَلَقْتَ بِهِ الرُّوحَ…

By Your Name by which You created the Empyrean, by Your Name for which You created the throne, and by whose Blessings You fashioned the Soul.

وَبِعِلْمِكَ الَّذِى أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيٍْء

(I ask You) by Your Knowledge, which encompasses all things.

Allah’s Knowledge encompasses all acts and all times. It encompasses the apparent and hidden aspects of all beings; even of an atom billions of which can be placed at the point of a needle. Allah knows the number of all the creatures, even the atoms, the seeds, the drops of rain and flakes of snow. Here we just mention some verses of the holy Qur’¡n that is an ocean of knowledge.

وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ.

He knows what is in the heavens and what is on earth. (3:29)

وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلاَّ يَعْلَمُهَا.

He knows what is in land and sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. (6:59)

وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ.

And Allah knows what you keep secret and what you publish. (16:19)

يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنزِلُ مِنْ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا وَهُوَ الرَّحِيمُ الْغَفُورُ.

He knows what penetrates into the earth, and what comes forth from it, what comes down from heaven, and what goes up to it; He is the All-compassionate, the All-forgiving. (34:2)

The reality of these verses becomes more clear when we closely study an incision in a hill, thousands of which are found in all five continents. Entomologists have counted nearly seven hundred thousand types of insects so far; the exact number of insects of various types is impossible to be counted. In a summer day when the sky is clear, the number of flies, beetles, and multipeds moving in a hill’s incision is more than the number of all people living in the same continent. If humans were suddenly extinct from the earth, other creatures living on the earth would hardly ever notice their absence![72]

وَبِنُورِ وَجْهِكَ الَّذِى أَضَآءَ لَهُ كُلُّ شَيٍْء

(I ask You) by the Light of Your Face, through which all things are illuminated!

The Meaning of Light in Qur’¡nic Verses and Traditions

In the holy Qur’¡n and traditions, ‘light’ implies values and perfections. ‘Light’ means guidance[73]. ‘Light’ means success in traveling toward belief[74]. ‘Light’ means Islam, insight, knowledge. It means brightness of the spirit[75]. ‘Light’ is Qur’¡n:

قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ مِنْ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُبِينٌ.

There has come to you from Allah a light, and a Manifest Book. (5:15)

‘Light’ also means divine rules, doctrinal and moral facts:

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ.

Surely We sent down the Torah, wherein is guidance and light. (5:44)

According to these meanings, it becomes clear that ‘light’ is the essence of Allah’s Attributes, Accomplishments, and Glorious Names from Which all the creatures benefit to the extent of their existence, capacity, and capability. The creatures would thus get rid of their obscurity.

In this appropriate situation, the talented human goes from the darkness of inexistence to the light of existence, from incapability to perfection, from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge, from oppression to justice, from unbelief to faith, from deviation to guidance, from materialism to spirituality; becoming the rising position of Allah’s Light, Names, and Attributes, Who is the Pure Light and Reality.

Qur’¡nic verses and the traditions of Prophet’s Household (a.s) imply that “Light of Face” is the same realities and perfections a thousand of which has been pointed out in Jowshan Kabir supplication.

The reason ‘Light’ is singular is that all Lofty Names of Allah are actually His Existence, and in His Holy Sanctuary there is no noun or adjective. Knowledge, Wisdom, Justice, Mercy, Compassion… are all the Existence of the One.

Since ‘Light’ mainly means guidance in Islamic texts the above-mentioned phrase may mean: “O Allah! I ask You by Your Guidance, by which all the creatures are guided.”

Anyway the word ‘light’ covers all the heavenly concepts and attributes, and it is left to common sense to choose among the various meanings according to the situation.

يَّا نُورُ يَا قُدُّوسُ يَآ أَوَّلَ الأَوَّلِينَ وَيَآ آخِرَ الآخِرِينَ

O Light! O All-Holy! O First of the first and Last of the last!

O the Perfect! You are the One whose friend and servant Imam Hossayn (a.s) called You in ‘Arafat desert on ‘Arafat day:

أَيَكُونُ لِغَيْرِكَ مِنَ الظُّهُورِ ما لَيْسَ لَكَ، حَتّى يَكُونَ هُوَ الْمُظْهِرَ لَكَ، مَتى غِبْتَ حَتّى تَحْتاجَ إِلى دَليل يَدُلُّ عَليْكَ، وَمَتى بَعُدْتَ حَتّى تَكُونَ الاْثارُ هِىَ الَّتى تُوصِلُ إِلَيْكَ؟

Does anything have an existence which You don’t have, so that it would give You existence? You have never been hidden to need any reason to justify You, and You have never been far away to need the signs to direct us to You.

O Lord! When I leave my transient state and return to my own self, looking closely, I observe that the Light of Your Beauty is clearer than anything else. And You are by no means hidden, so I don’t need to make a light and search Your Divine Position, because once I take a reality as the reason for my exploration, I come to understand that the reality and the light are both Your creatures.

When and where You were absent to need a rationale justifying You, and when and where You have been away so that Your signs direct us to You?

You are Free of any fault, and Greater than anything to which You are described. You are the most Perfect, the Absolute Reality, the Light and the Holly. You are the First of the first, but there is no beginning for Your Holy Existence, and You are the Last of the last without having an end. You are Preexisting while You make all things begin, and You are Eternal after all beings annihilate.

The first and the last are two attributes for “all things”. To all Things You have given a beginning and an end. The beings have a beginning, that is once they have been nothing and You created them, and they have an end means that the creatures come to an end. You bring them to an end. So You have existed before “all things” and nothing had existed before You, and You will exist after “all things” and nothing would exist after You.

O First of the first and Last of the last!

اللَّهُمَ اغْفِرْ لِىَ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِى تَهتِكُ الْعِصَمَ

O Allah, forgive me those sins which tear apart safeguards!

The deeds, behaviors, states, and manners that are against Allah's orders and His Prophet's and Imams' traditions are considered as sins. Some sins are so severe that they are considered as declaration of war with Allah and His Prophet (s.a).

The sins an individual commits in this world, would be an eternal fire afflicting the sinner in the Hereafter:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَى ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًا وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًا.

“Those who devour the property of orphans unjustly, devour Fire in their bellies… (4:10)”

Committing sins is, in fact, getting sustenance from the All Generous and becoming ungrateful to Him for His hospitality. It is quite unfair to benefit from Allah's Blessings for years and then getting ungrateful to Him.

The Story of Gratefulness for the Hospitality of a Generous

Ya'qub Layth, the famous figure of Sistan and the leader of liberalizing revolution against the oppressor Abbasid dynasty, was the son of a zinc-worker, as a child. He was engaged in his father's work for a while and spent his wage generously for his friends. His brevity and generosity made other brave youngsters accompany him. Leaving zinc work, he began another work with his friends. But they quitted it too, and decided to steal the treasury of the ruler of Sistan. Since skillful guards protected the treasury, this was not an easy job. They determined to dig a canal from the suburbs down to the floor of the treasury and seize all of it rapidly.

It took them six months to dig the canal and finally, they entered the treasury at a midnight. They secretly assembled all the gold, silver, jewelry, and drachmas in various bags and prepared to go out through the canal, when a dazzling jewel attracted the attention of Ya'qub in the darkness. He could not identify it due to darkness and hence tried it with his tongue to find out that it was a piece of crystallized salt. So he ordered his followers to leave all the property and return through the canal to the suburbs.

The surprised youngsters accompanying him came out of city barehanded and asked the reason. Ya'qub said: “Though we had tried six consecutive months to reach the treasury and it was time to collect all its property, I saw it unfair to ransack the assets of the ruler after I had tasted the salt belonging to him.”

Opening the treasury gate, the guards were surprised at seeing the canal skillfully dug and the assets intact, and reported the event to the ruler of Sistan. The ruler ordered to announce in the city he would bless the thief if he introduced himself. Ya'qub introduced himself to the ruler peacefully, and told of unfairness of tasting the salt belonging to the ruler, and betraying him.

The ruler of Sistan got happy with such a brave, fair, and generous youngster and appointed Ya'qub as the army commander of Sistan. Ya'qub progressed in the same position and managed to fight the corrupted Abbasid government to save the oppressed.

Committing sins is spiritual impurity, which pollutes the heart, mind, and though and deprives man from Allah's Mercy and Blessings.

Committing sins tears off the veils guarding humans against chastisement and disgrace and unveils his secrets in this world and in the Hereafter. It deprives humans from being Allah's servant, concealing his faults by Allah, and His Forgiveness!

Religious notables have divided the sins into two main categories; major (cardinal) and minor sins. As Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) stated, major sins are those for which the Almighty has obligated the Hell.

If human being avoids the major sins, not polluting his humanity, Allah would forgive his other sins and makes him subject to His Mercy and Forgiveness:

إِنْ تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَنُدْخِلْكُمْ مُدْخَلاً كَرِيمًا.

“If you avoid the heinous sins that are forbidden you, We will acquit you of evil deeds, and admit you by the gate of honor. (4:31)”

In the valuable book ‘Uyun Akhbar Al-al-Ri¤¡’, it is narrated from the eighth infallible Imam (a.s) that the major sins are:

1. Killing a human whose killing Allah has forbidden. 2. Adultery. 3. Theft. 4. Drinking intoxicants. 5. Getting cursed by one's parents. 6. Escaping Jihad (holy war). 7. Seizing orphans' assets oppressively. 8. Eating blood, corpse eat, pork, and whatever killed without the Name of Allah. 9. Usury. 10. Making unlawful money. 11. Gambling. 12. Shortening the measures. 13. Accusing a blameless. 14. Homosexuality. 15. Hopelessness of Allah's Mercy. 16. Considering oneself safe from Allah's chastisement. 17. Helping the oppressors. 18. Befriending the oppressors. 19. False swearing. 20. Capturing people's rights without need. 21. Lying. 22. Pride. 23. Extravagance. 24. Dissipation. 25. Disloyalty. 26. Despising Hajj. 27. Fighting Allah's friends. 28. Engaging in useless hobbies. 29. Insistence on committing sins.

Inauspicious Consequences of Committing Sins

Qur’¡nic verses and traditions contain instances of the outcome of committing sins. Committing sins ruins belief and diminishes good deeds. Sins bring about worldly misfortune and catastrophes and also chastisement in the Hereafter. Committing sins hinders acceptance of prayers by Allah. It deprives humans from intercessions, and makes the hearts cruel. Sins make preaches ineffectual. They make human humble and deprived of Allah's sustenance. They keep humans away from serving Allah. Committing sins results in gradual dominance of Satan on humans. It tears down the discipline present in the society and the families. Sins make people unconfident to each other. They cause a hard death and difficulty in the purgatory.

It is narrated from Imam ¯¡diq (a.s):

أمَا إنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ عِرْقٍ يَضْرِبُ وَلا نَكْبَةٍ وَلا صُدَاعٍ وَلا مَرَضٍ إلا بِذَنْبٍ، وَذلِكَ قَوْلُ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي كِتَابِهِ: “وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ.”

No vein is cut, no foot strikes a stone, no trouble is made, no sickness is caused except for committing a sin. That's why the Almighty has stated in His Book: ‘Whatever affliction may visit you is for what your own hands have earned; and He pardons much. (42:30)’[76]

It is also narrated from him:

إنَّ الرَّجُلَ يُذْنِبُ الذَّنْبَ فَيُحْرَمُ صَلاةَ اللَّيْلِ وَإنَّ العَمَلَ السَّيِّءَ أسْرَعُ فِي صَاحِبِهِ مِنَ السِّكِّينِ فِي اللَّحْمِ.

Whenever an individual misses saying his night prayer, he has certainly committed a sin. The effect of a sin in the sinner is faster than the effect of a knife in meat.[77]

It is narrated from Imam al-Ri¤¡ (a.s):

أوحَى اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إلَي نَبِيٍّ مِنَ الأنْبِيَاءِ: إذَا أُطِعْتُ رَضِيتُ، وَإذَا رَضِيتُ بَارَكْتُ، وَلَيْسَ لِبَرَكَتِي نِهَايَةٌ، وَإذَا عُصِيتُ غَضِبْتُ، وَإذا غَضِبْتُ لَعَنْتُ، وَلَعْنَتِي تَبْلُغُ السَّابِعَ مِنَ الوَرَى.

The Almighty told one of the Prophets (a.s) through revelation: If I am obeyed, I would be pleased, and if I am pleased, I would give Blessings, and My Blessings are infinite. If I am disobeyed, I would be Wrathful, and if I become Wrathful, I curse, and My Curse would affect seven generations ahead.[78]

Throughout history, it has been proved that sometimes the progeny of oppressors have been afflicted by poverty, patience, disability, or narrowness of sustenance. This is, in fact, a Blessing from Allah for them, not to become involved in sins and revolt.

About insistence on committing sins, it is narrated from Amir Al-Mu'minin (a.s):

مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ إلاَّ وَعَلَيْهِ جُنَّةٌ حَتَّى يَعْمَلَ أرْبَعِينَ كَبِيرَةً؛ فَإذَا عَمِلَ أرْبَعِينَ كَبِيرَةً انْكَشَفَتْ عَنْهُ الجُنَّةُ، فَيُوحِي اللهُ إلَى المَلائِكَةِ أنْ اسْتُرُوا عَبْدِي بِأجْنِحَتِكُمْ، فَتَسْتُرُهُ المَلائِكَةُ بِأجْنِحَتِهَا، (قال) فَمَا يَدَعُ شَيْئاً مِنَ القَبِيحِ إلاَّ قَارَفَهُ حَتَّى يَمْتَدِحَ إلَى النَّاسِ بِفِعْلِهِ القَبِيحِ، فَتَقُولُ المَلائِكَةُ: يَا رَبِّ، هَذا عَبْدُكَ مَا يَدَعُ شَيْئاً إلاَّ رَكِبَهُ وإنَّا لَنَسْتَحْيِي مِمَّا يَصْنَعُ. فَيُوحِي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إلَيْهِمْ أن اِرْفَعُوا أجْنِحَتَكُمْ عَنْهُ، فَإذا فُعِلَ ذَلِكَ أخَذَ بِبُغْضِنَا أهْلَ البَيْتِ فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَتَهَتَّكُ سِتْرُهُ فِي السَّمَاءِِ وَسِتْرُهُ فِي الأرْضِ، فَتَقُولُ المَلائِكَةُ: يَا رَبُّ هَذا عَبْدُكَ قَد بَقِيَ مَهْتُوكَ السِّتْرِ. فَيُوحِي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إلَيْهِمْ: لَوْ كَانَتْ للهِ فِيهِ حَاجَةٌ مَا أمَرَكُمْ أنْ تَرْفَعُوا أجْنِحَتَكُمْ عَنْهُ.

There is no servant but there are forty veils of reverence for him, until he commits forty major sins. After doing so, Allah reveals to the angels: Cover My servant with your wings. The angels cover the servant with their wings. Then that servant commits every sin he wishes to the extent that he takes pride in doing sins among people. The angels say: O Allah! Your servant commits every sin and we are ashamed of his wrongdoing. Allah reveals to them: Take your wings off from him. Then that servant begins enmity with the Prophet's Household (a.s) and his reverence is violated in the heavens and the earth. The angels say: O Allah! Your servant's reverence is violated. The Almighty reveals to them: If I attended to him, I didn't order you to take your wings off him!

A pious believer, who remembers Allah and the Resurrection Day, knows the inauspicious signs of committing sins, and loathes sins apparently and secretly, is a viable human. And a sinner, who is ignorant of Allah and the Resurrection Day, and doesn't fear sins, is actually a dead person.

Sins Tearing off Reverence

The great narrator of traditions, Shaykh ¯ad£q, in his “Ma'ani Al-Akhbar” has narrated a very important tradition from Imam ZAyn Al-'Abidin (a.s) on the inauspicious signs of sins. Part of the tradition explains the part of Du`¡’ Kumayl all the phrases of which begin with “اللهم اغفر لي الذنوب التي” (O Allah! Forgive me the sins that…):

The sins that tear off human reverence are: 1. Drinking intoxicants. 2. Gambling. 3. Useless act and speech for making people laugh. 4. Reference to people's deficiencies. 5. Accompanying the alleged sinners.

Drinking Intoxicants

Imam M£s¡ Ibn Ja'far, Imam al-Ri¤¡, and Imam al-Jaw¡d (a.s) have considered drinking intoxicants as a major sin. The great Eastern and Western scientists have proved that drinking intoxicants has harmful effects on the brain, stomach, liver, heart, kidney, respiratory and circulation tracts, human mind and progeny. Sometimes the resulting diseases are impossible to cure and the drinker is doomed to death.

The wine bottle is a dangerous and harmful enemy to human being, and an impure and foul thing.

The Holy Qur’¡n has considered drinking intoxicants as impure, filth, and the act of Satan. Qur’¡n also knows its harms much more than its benefits. Allah has made it unlawful for all people, because of its harmful effects, and He would punish the drinkers severely in this world and the Hereafter, except that the drinker could take repentance.

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) has cursed ten people in relation to the intoxicant liquid: One who plants a tree for it, one who gardens its tree, one who extracts the grape or other fruits for it, one who has drunk it, one who is the cupbearer, one who has delivered it with his animal, one who has taken it from the porter, one who has sold it, one who has bought it, and one who has consumed the money earned in this way.

يَأتِي شَارِبُ الخَمْرِ يَوْمَ القِيامَةِ مُسْوَدٌّ وَجْهُهُ مُدْلِعاً لِسَانَهُ، يَسِيلُ لُعَابُهُ عَلَى صَدْرِهِ، وَحَقَّ عَلَى اللهِ أنْ يَسْقِيَهُ مِنْ بِئْرِ خَبَالٍ... بِئْرٍ يَسِيلُ فِيها صَدِيدُ الزُّناةِ.

In the Hereafter, the intoxicant drinker enters the Resurrection Scene with his face black, his mouth crooked, and his tongue out of his mouth, and he cries from thirst. He is drunk from a well into which the impurity of the adulterers is poured.[79]

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) has stated:

شَارِبُ الخَمْرِ كَعابِدِ الوَثَنِ.

Drinking intoxicants equals idolization.[80]

Imam B¡qir (a.s) has stated:

إنَّ شَارِبَ الخَمْرِ يُحْشَرُ كَافِراً وإنَّهُ رَأسُ المَعَاصِي.

A drinker would be considered as a disbeliever in the Resurrection Day. Intoxicant liquids are the foundation of all sins![81]

Amir Al-Mu'minin, Imam `Al¢ (a.s) was asked: “Have you said that wine is worse than theft and adultery?” Imam confirmed and stated: “An adulterer may not commit any other sin, but when someone drinks wine, he commits adultery, murder, and he quits prayer!”[82]

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) stated:

مَنْ شَرِبَ الخَمْرَ بَعدَ مَا حَرَّمَهَا اللهُ عَلَى لِسَانِي فَلَيْسَ بِأهْلٍ أنْ يُزَوَّجَ إذَا خَطِبَ وَلا يُشَفَّعَ إذَا شَفَعَ ولا يُصَدَّقَ إذَا حَدَّثَ وَلا يُؤْتَمَنَ عَلى أمَانَةٍ؛ فَمَن إئْتَمَنَهُ بَعْدَ عِلْمِهِ فَلَيْسَ الَّذِي ائْتَمَنَهُ عَلَى اللهِ ضَمَانٌ وَلَيسَ لَهُ أجْرٌ وَلا خَلَفٌ.

One who drinks wine after Allah has announced its prohibition to me, does not deserve a positive response to his request. The intercession of a drinker is not accepted. His speech is unacceptable. He is not a trustee, so if something is given in his trust, there is no guarantee for it from Allah.

Gambling

Gambling is among the major sins. Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) has considered it a major sin in an important tradition.

The holy Qur’¡n has only considered wine and gambling as major sins:

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ.

They will question you concerning wine, and arrow-shuffling. Say: In both is heinous sin. (2:219)

Making any gambling tools, getting money from them, buying, and selling them are prohibited in Islam. Most Shi'a jurisprudents consider playing with them as unlawful, even if winning and losing is not a matter. Keeping the gambling tools is unlawful and destroying them is necessary. Attending in a gambling circle and watching it are unlawful and leaving the place is a must.

Useless Acts for Amusing People

By useless acts here, it is meant doing things that have no worldly or heavenly benefits for the performer and the audience, and are complete waste of lifetime, every minute of which is provided by the help of millions of factors for the human being.

Wastage of valuable time is undoubtedly an instance of ungratefulness. The lifetime is among the greatest blessings Allah has bestowed on humans. To be grateful for this blessing, one should spend his lifetime worshipping Allah, serving his servants, and obtaining knowledge.

Muhaddith Qumi in his book “Manazil Al-Akhira” narrates: A man called Ibn Samad continuously calculated the past nights and days of his life. One day, he was counting his previous time, which seemed to him as sixty years. He counted the days of his life as twenty one thousand and nine hundred. This made him call out: “Woe betide me! If I have done at least one sin a day, I would meet my Lord with twenty one thousand and nine hundred sins.” Saying this, he fainted and then passed away.

Reference to People's Deficiencies

Keeping the face of Moslems and believers is an important fact and highly attended to in Islam, to the extent that in Islamic teachings a believer's face has considered equal to his blood:

عِرْضُ المُؤمِنِ كَدَمِهِ.

By disgracing people, there will be no trust among people. The family and society systems would collapse and Moslems' affairs would be disordered.

Only the prophets and Imams are without deficiency and fault. All other people have faults that are hidden from others' sight. Though there are some individuals who are not afraid of spreading their faults, most people value their public face and dislike to spread their faults.

As a result, those who refer to people's physical, moral, behavioral, verbal, material, or religious deficiencies and disgrace them, commit major sins, and are doomed to disgrace in this world and chastisement in the Hereafter.

It is narrated from Imam al-B¡qir and Imam ¯¡diq (a.s):

أقْرَبُ مَا يَكُونُ العَبْدُ إلَى الكُفْرِ أنْ يُؤاخِيَ الرَّجُلَ عَلَى الدِّينِ فَيُحْصِي عَلَيْهِ عَثَراتِهِ وَزَلاَّتِهِ لِيُعَنِّفَهُ بِهَا يَوماً ما.

The nearest act to disbelief is to make a religious fraternity with a man to remind him of his faults, and then blame him for his faults.[83]

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) has narrated from the Messenger of Allah (a.s):

يَا مَعْشَرَ مَنْ أسْلَمَ بِلِسَانِهِ وَلَمْ يُخْلِصِ الإيمَانَ إلَى قَلْبِهِ! لا تَذُمُّوا المُسْلِمِينَ وَلا تَتَّبِعُوا عَوْراتِهِمْ، فإنَّهُ مَنْ تَتَبَّعَ عَوْراتِهِمْ تَتَبَّعَ اللهُ عَوْراتِهِ، وَمَنْ تَتَبَّعَ اللهُ تَعَالَى عَوْراتِهِ يَفْضَحْهُ وَلَوْ فِي بَيْتِهِ.

O You who have embraced Islam verbally but not whole-heartedly! Do not blame Moslems and chase their faults! Because anyone who chases Moslems' faults Allah will chase his faults. And if Allah chases someone's faults, He will disgrace him, though he is in his home.

Accompanying the Alleged Sinners

Humans are impressed by their companions more than by other things. A companion makes the most powerful impression on human, hence the Holy Qur’¡n verses and traditions of the Prophet's Household (a.s) give people important guidelines for making friends, especially to the believers.

Explaining this fact that appears in the verses and traditions requires a separate discussion. Fortunately, Islamic scholars have authored valuable works in this regard.

The holy Qur’¡n and the traditions prevent people from accompanying the disbelievers, wrongdoers, the Jews, and even alleged sinners, to prevent the harmful effects of their culture, ethics, and evil ideas on human, and deprivation from Allah's Mercy.

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) stated:

لاَ يَنْبَغِي لِلمُؤمِنِ أنْ يَجْلِسَ مَجْلِساً يُعْصَى اللهُ فِيهِ وَلا يَقْدِرُ عَلى تَغْيِيرِهِ.

It is not deserved for a believer to attend a circle in which Allah is disobeyed, and he is not able to prevent it.[84]

Abu Hashim Ja'fari says: Imam al-Ri¤¡ (a.s) told me: “Why is it I see you with Abdul Rahman Ibn Ya'qub?” I said: “He is my uncle.” Imam (a.s) said: “He says an unacceptable thing about Allah; something which is not in accord with Qur’¡nic verses and the traditions. He describes the Almighty as the objects. So either accompany him and leave us, or be our companion and leave him alone.” I said: “He has his own ideas, and does not harm me. If I don't accept his ideas, I would have no responsibilities.” Imam (a.s) stated: “Don't you fear that a chastisement be sent upon him, and take you both? Have you heard of the one who was a disciple of Moses (a.s) and whose father was a disciple of Pharaoh? When the Pharaoh army reached Moses (a.s) and his followers beside the river, the son left Moses (a.s) to advise his father and join him to the followers of Moses. The father was following Pharaoh and the son was chasing him and quarrelling with him about his ideas. When they reached the edge of water they were both drowned. When Moses was informed of this, he said:” Allah's Mercy is upon him, but when Allah's chastisement descends those beside the wrongdoers would have no safety.”[85]

The Commander of Believers (a.s) stated:

مَنْ كَانَ يُؤمِنُ باللهِ وَاليَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلا يَقُومُ مَكَانَ رِيبَةٍ.

Anyone who believes in Allah and the Resurrection Day would not stand in a doubtful and accusing position.[86]

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) stated:

مَنْ قَعَدَ عِنْدَ سَبَّابٍ لأوْلِيَاءِ اللهِ فَقَدْ عَصَى اللهَ تَعالى.

One who accompanies those who curse Allah's friends, have certainly disobeyed Allah.[87]

Jesus Christ (a.s) stated: “Show your friendship with Allah by loathing the sinners; you will approach Allah's Grace by retreating them.” He was then said: “O Spirit of Allah! Who should we accompany?” He responded: “Accompany someone whose company reminds you of Allah, whose speech increases your knowledge, and whose behavior make you desire the Hereafter.”

The veils that exist between man and Allah's chastisement and wrath are piety, chastity, honesty, worship, and serving. These veils remain if man abstains from doing the above-mentioned sins. If human is tempted by the temptations of apparent and hidden Satans, and pollute himself with sins, he has tore off these veils and hindrances, making the way open for the calamities and chastisements.

اللَّهُمَ اغْفِرْ لِىَ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِى تُنْزِلُ النِّقَمَ

O Allah! Forgive me the sins which bring down adversities!

The Sins Bringing Down the Adversities

In a valuable and noteworthy tradition, Imam Al-Sajj¡d (a.s) has mentioned nine sins that bring down calamities, as follow: “1. Rebellion (Baghy), 2. Violating people’s rights, 3. Mocking Allah’s servants, 4. Breaking promises, 5. Evident wrongdoing, 6. Scattering lies, 7. Judgment in contrast to Allah’s rules, 8. Not paying Zakat[88], 9. Shortening the measures.”[89]

Rebellion (baghy)

The Arabic word “baghy” means trespassing against Allah and His Rules, violating people’s rights, corruption, wrongdoing, and adultery. It is used in all its meanings in Qur’¡nic verses:

إِنَّ قَارُونَ كَانَ مِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسَى فَبَغَى عَلَيْهِمْ.

Now Korah was of Moses folk, but he oppressed them… (28:76)

وَلَوْ بَسَطَ اللَّهُ الرِّزْقَ لِعِبَادِهِ لَبَغَوْا فِي الأَرْضِ.

And if Allah were to enlarge the provision for His slaves they would surely rebel in the earth… (42:27

يَا أُخْتَ هَارُونَ مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ امْرَأَ سَوْءٍ وَمَا كَانَتْ أُمُّكِ بَغِيًّا.

O sister of Aaron, thy father was not a wicked man, nor was thy mother a woman unchaste. (19:28)

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) has stated:

إنَّ أسْرَعَ الخَيْرِ ثَواباً البِرُّ، وَإنَّ أسْرَعَ الشَّرِّ عِقاباً البَغْيُ.

Surely the righteousness that is rewarded the fastest is generosity to people, and the wrongdoing that is chastised the fastest is oppressing people.[90]

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) said:

سِتَّةٌ لا تَكُونُ فِي المُؤمِنِ: العُسْرُ وَالنَّكَدُ وَاللَّجَاجَةُ وَالكَذِبُ وَالحَسَدُ وَالبَغْيُ.

A believer does not possess six attributes: weakness and incompetence, stinginess, obstinacy, lying, jealousy, and violation of people’s rights.[91]

Violating People’s Rights

The Benevolent Allah has placed a set of rights due to all people, which are necessary to observe by others. Violating other people’s rights is sin and the violator is doomed to chastisement.

The right of the parents due to the children, the right of the child due to the parents, the rights of the relatives to each other, the rights of the neighbors to each other, the rights of the people to the government, and vice versa, the rights of the husband to the wife, the rights of the wife due to the husband, the rights of the subordinates to their superiors in terms of wealth and blessings, the rights of the poor to the rich, and other rights stated in the holy Qur’¡n and the traditions.

The most comprehensive and eloguent book on the people’s rights is “The Treatise on Rights” of Imam Zayn Al-‘Abidin (a.s). By contemplating on this book, one manages to know all the rights and feels responsible to observe these rights.

Violating any of the rights is an obvious sin, and is followed by doomed chastisement, if it is not compensated for.

Mocking Allah’s Servants

Ridiculing people for their appearance, poorness, occupation, belief, or any other reason is a major sin that leads to worldly and heavenly punishment.

Mocking people is, in fact, insulting their personality and belittling them. The Holy Qur’¡n considers the mockers as hypocrites, oppressors, and corruptors.

وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا إِلَى شَيَاطِينِهِمْ قَالُوا إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَهْزِئُونَ.

When they meet those who believe, they say ‘We believe,’ but when they go privately to their Satans, they say ‘We are with you; we were only mocking.’ (2:14)

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) said: The Almighty stated:

مَنْ أهَانَ لِي وَلِيّاً فَقَدْ أرْصَدَ لِمُحَارَبَتِي.

Anyone who insults a friend of Mine has indeed set out to fight Me![92]

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) stated:

In the Hereafter a caller calls: Where are those who left My friends alone? Then a group of people who have no flesh in their faces stand. So it is said: These are the people who annoyed the believers, rebelled against them, and insulted them for their belief. Afterwards, they are ordered to be taken to the Hell.

Also the Messenger of Allah (s.a) said: Allah has stated:

قَدْ نَابَذَنِي مَنْ أذَلَّ عَبْدِيَ المُؤمِنَ.

One who humbles My believer servant has obviously begun a war with Me![93]

Mocking people is certainly insulting, annoying, and humbling them. The Holy Qur’¡n has severely prohibited men and women who mock one another, and considers them as oppressors, in case they would not do repentance (49:11).

Breaking Promises

Making and keeping promises are two humane and ethical realities, which are attended to in the Holy Qur’¡n and the tradition of the Prophet’s Household (a.s). Breaking the promises is considered as sin.

It is no different weather the promise is made with Allah, the Prophet (a.s), the infallible Imams (a.s) or the ordinary people; keeping any positive promise, which is in relation to worshipping Allah, serving people, commerce, or other right businesses, is a religious and ethical must, and breaking it is unlawful and doomed to Allah’s punishment.

وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ إِذَا عَاهَدْتُمْ.

Fulfill Allah’s covenant, when you make covenant. (16:91)

الَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مِيثَاقِهِ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْخَاسِرُونَ.

 Those who break the covenant of Allah after ratifying it and sever that which Allah ordered to be joined, and make mischief in the earth: Those are they who are the losers. (2:27)

وَأَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْئُولاً.

…And keep the covenant; surely the covenant shall be questioned of. (17:34)

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ.

O believers, fulfill your bonds… (5:1)

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) has stated:

ثَلاثٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ كَانَ مُنافِقاً وإنْ صَامَ وَصَلَّى وَزَعَمَ أنَّهُ مُسْلِمٌ: مَن إذَا اؤتُمِنَ خَانَ، وإذَا حَدَّثَ كَذِبَ، وإذَا وَعَدَ أخْلَفَ.

Three attributes exist in a hypocrite, even if he prays and fasts and knows himself a Muslim; he betrays when he is trusted, he lies when he speaks, and he breaks his promise after making it.[94]

Also Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) said:

مَنْ عَامَلَ النَّاسَ وَلَمْ يَظْلِمْهُمْ، وَحَدَّثَهُمْ فَلَمْ يَكْذِبْهُمْ، وَوَعَدَهُمْ فَلَمْ يُخْلِفْهُمْ، فَهُوَ مِمَّنْ كَمُلَتْ مُرُوئَتُهُ وَحَرُمَتْ غِيْبَتُهُ وَظَهَرَ عَدْلُهُ وَوَجَبَتْ أُخُوَّتُهُ.

One who does not behave oppressively with others and does not tell lies to them and does not break his promises with them, is the one whose understanding is complete and whose justice is obvious, backbiting him is unlawful and he should be fraternized.[95]

Obvious Wrongdoing

The Almighty Allah, in His Qur’¡n, has prohibited people from approaching wrongdoing and obvious as well as hidden sins (6:151). But obvious sins show the extreme shamelessness of the sinner, and his boldness toward the law and the Islamic society milieu.

Islam does not approve pollution of the society by the sinners, and has determined Islamic punishment for those who contaminate the Islamic nation. It is incumbent upon the conscious believers, especially the Islamic government officials, to avoid the wrongdoing of shameless sinners in any way possible, not to poison others, specifically young girls and boys, with sins.

The obligation of ‘enjoining to good’ (amri bi ma’ruf) in Islam is for eliminating the root of corruption and pollution and keeping the society away from ethical lapses. If the main training centers, that is homes and schools foster the divine attribute of ‘modesty’ among the youth and make it a permanent one, people become immune to obvious and hidden sins.

Modesty, remembering Allah, and thinking of the sins’ outcome are the highest preventing factors for human being.

It is narrated from Imam ¯¡diq (a.s):

اَلحَيَاءُ مِنَ الإيمَانِ، وَالإيمانُ فِي الجَنَّةِ.

Modesty comes from belief in Allah, and belief results in (entering) His Paradise.[96]

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) stated:

إسْتَحْيوا مِنَ اللهِ حَقَّ الحَيَاءِ.

Be modest before Allah and observe the right of modesty!

“O Messenger of Allah! How should we do it?” he was asked. The Prophet answered:

فَإنْ كُنْتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ، فَلا يَبِيتَنَّ أحَدُكُم إلاَّ وَأجَلُهُ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ، وَلْيَحْفَظِ الرَّأسَ وَمَا حَوى، وَالبَطْنَ وَمَا وَعى، وَلْيَذْكُرِ القَبْرَ وَالبِلَى، وَمَنْ أرَادَ الآخِرَةَ فَلْيَدَعِ الحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا.

You should not sleep at night and get up in the morning, except that you remember your appointed time (death); so you should keep your heads and its organs, like eyes, ears, and tongue from wrongdoing, keep your bellies from eating unlawful food, and remember your body decay in your graves. One who wishes salvation in the Hereafter should leave the tempting stuff of the world.[97]

Someone told Prophet Mu¦ammad (s.a): “Give me some advice!” The Prophet said:

إسْتَحيِ مِنَ اللهِ كَمَا تَسْتَحْيي مِنَ الرَّجُلِ الصَّالِحِ مِنْ قَوْمِكَ.

Be modest before Allah as you are modest before a decent gentleman from your tribe![98]

Modesty of a Believing Lady

Imam Al-Sajj¡d (a.s) has narrated: A man and his family were traveling by sea when their ship broke and all the passengers on the ship were drowned, except the man’s wife. She took a remnant board of the ship until she reached an island.

In that island, there was a brigand who had torn off all the veils of modesty. When he saw the woman, he asked her: “Are you a jinn or a human?” The woman answered: “A human.” So without saying a word, the bold brigand forcefully took her as if he was his husband. The chaste woman got disturbed. The brigand asked the reason. Pointing to the heaven, the woman answered: “I’m afraid.” The bold man asked: “Have you committed such a sin before?” The lady answered: “By Allah’s Glory not!” The man said: “You fear Allah this way, though you have not committed the sin and I’m forcing you to do so. By Allah that I am more deserved to become disturbed and fearful of Allah than you.” Then he left immediately, went to his family, and always attempted to take repentance.

One day he crossed a monk in his way, while the sun was shining intensively on them. The monk told him: “Implore Allah to send a cloud for us to reduce the hotness of the sun!” The ex-brigand said: “I have done nothing worthy to dare asking Allah a request.” The monk said: “So I pray and you say amen!” Then the monk prayed and the man said amen. A cloud soon shadowed them. They walked under the cloud for a while until they reached a fork in their way. The monk continued one of the ways and the man chose the other. The cloud, too, continued shadowing the man!

Observing this, the monk told the man: “You are more deserved than me. Our prayer was accepted because of you. So tell me your story!” The man explained the story of that lady. The monk said: “Since you feared Allah your previous sins were forgiven. Watch out what you’ll do in the future!”[99]

Scattering Lies

The Messenger of Allah (s.a), Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) and Imam al-Ri¤¡ (a.s) have considered lying as a major sin, and the most obscene of them.[100]

Among the most obscene kinds of lying is fabricating the statements of Allah, the prophets, the infallible Imams and the heavenly Books, which misguides many people.

Throughout history, the disbeliever leaders fabricated facts and told lies under the name of science and philosophy to prevent the masses from inclination to the right religion, the prophets, and the Hereafter. These hypocrites, fabricators, and tempters forged issues and led people astray. They represented the erroneous things as right, and the rights as untrue.

The disbelievers denied the heavenly Books that were revealed by Allah for guiding mankind. They opposed Allah’s signs in various ways, and inspired people that nothing is descended from Allah![101]

These oppressors accused the truthful prophets of lying and charged those wise men with magic. They also called prophets, who were unique in mental capability, insane!

The disbelievers resorted to any kind of crime and offence and even fabricated the divine Books of Torah and the Bible to make them in accord with their own disbelief. They dared altering the divine verses and did not fear the outcome of their deeds and Allah’s doomed punishment. If they could, they would have fabricated the holy Qur’¡n, too, but the Absolute Guardian of the world supported it.

The hypocrites in the age of the infallible Imams intensively made false traditions to foster the oppressor ruling of the Umayyad and the Abbasids, keep the Prophet’s Household away from the scene, and deprive people from the divine knowledge of infallible Imams who were the true successors of the Prophet (s.a). They fabricated nearly a million false traditions, attributing them to the great Prophet of Islam (s.a), and included them in Islamic books to introduce them to the nation as the Islamic culture. If it was not for the scientific revolution of the Imams (a.s), especially Imam al-B¡qir and Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) as well as their students, and also the attempts made by Shi’a scholars and jurisprudents to this day, we had to accept some of those traditions fabricated by the agents of the Umayyad and Abbasids. The jurisprudents did this using the tools taught by Imams (a.s) for distinguishing right from wrong, and hence pure Islam was saved by Imams and efforts of Shi’a scientists. This way Allah’s reasons got complete for mankind until the Hereafter and no one can claim s/he has been away from Mohammad’s religion, on the Resurrection Day.

All over the world, these hypocrite fabricators have made so many lies in different scientific fields and in political, material, and spiritual arenas in the past two decades. They imposed the fabricated materials on the societies and thus deceived individuals, making them far away from reality. The deceiving mottos like “Religion is the nations’ opium.” “Government deserves the civilized, victor, and conqueror humans.” “Knowledge is the key for solving all problems.” “Democracy and freedom”, “liberal civil society”, “ruling of people on people” instead of ruling of Allah on people via His pious servants, made many people communist and irreligious. The Muslim believers got entangled among disbelievers and were mocked by them. That’s why the holy Qur’¡n calls out:

…فَنَجْعَلْ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ.

So invoke the curse of Allah upon those who lie. (3:61)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ.

Surely Allah guides not him who is a liar, unthankful. (39:3)

The great Messenger of Allah (s.a) has thus been right in his very important traditions that follow:

ألاَ أُنَبِّؤُكُمْ بِأكْبَرِ الكَبَائِرِ؟ الإشْرَاكُ بِاللهِ، وَعُقُوقُ الوَالِدَيْنِ... ألاَ وَقَوْلُ الزُّورِ.

Do you want me to inform you of the biggest major sin? Polytheism, unkindness toward parents, (and he sat upright and continued) and beware of untrue speech.[102]

He also said:

شَرُّ الرِّوَايَةِ رِوَايَةُ الكَذِبِ.

The worst speech is lying.[103]

It is also narrated from him:

أقَلُّ النَّاسِ مُرُوؤَةً مَنْ كَانَ كَاذِباً.

A liar has the least humanity.[104]

Furthermore, the Prophet (s.a) was asked: “Is there any fearful believer?” He agreed. “Is there any stingy believer?” He approved it again. “Is there any liar believer?” He rejected it.[105]

Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n, Imam `Al¢ (a.s) stated:

لاَ يَجِدُ عَبْدٌ طَعْمَ الإيمَانِ حَتَّى يَتْرُكَ الكَذِبَ هَزْلَهُ وَجِدَّهُ.

Man does not taste the sweetness of belief unless he avoids lying, either seriously or jokingly.[106]

He also said:

لا سُوءَ أسْوَأُ مِنَ الكَذِبِ.

Lying is the worst obscenity.[107]

Another valuable statement of him reads:

اَلصِّدْقُ أمَانَةٌ وَالكَذِبُ خِيَانَةٌ.

Honesty is, in fact, loyalty and lying is betrayal.[108]

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) has stated:

إنَّ الكَذِبَ هُوَ خَرابُ الإيمَانِ.

The Exalted Allah has set some locks for the sins; the key to these locks is wine, and even worst than wine is lying.[109]

Prophet Moses (a.s) asked Allah: “Which of Your servants is the most well-behaved?” Allah replied: “One whose tongue does not tell lies, whose heart does not go astray, and doest not do adultery.”[110]

Islamic sciences teach us that the liar is transgressor, hypocrite and dishonored. The angels curse the liar. The liar has a fetid mouth. The liar is disbeliever. The liar is subject to Allah’s wrath and curse. The liar is a sinner who is deprived of Allah’s guidance and does not deserve companionship. The liar is a human in appearance, but an unclean animal, indeed!

Judging in contrast to Allah’s Rules

Another sin, which descends adversities, is judgment in contrast to the divine rules. If a judge is aware of Allah’s rule, but denies it in judgment and issues verdict based on irreligious rules, he is, in the speech of holy Qur’¡n, a transgressor, an oppressor, and a disbeliever[111]. He is a disbeliever because he has denied Allah’s rule. He is an oppressor since he has deprived a human from his rights. And he is transgressor for he is away from religion and humanity due to his unfair verdict. Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) has stated:

مَنْ حَكَمَ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ بِغَيْرِ حُكْمِ اللهِ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ بِاللهِ.

One who issues an unfair verdict even on two drachmas has become a blasphemer.[112]

Not Paying Zakat

According to the Qur’¡nic verses and the traditions, paying zakat is obligatory for grains, quadrupeds, gold, and silver and abstinence from paying it is a major sin. In most Qur’¡nic verses about prayer, there is an immediate reference to zakat, too. Mentioning zakat after prayer shows its importance. One who leaves paying zakat, like the denier of prayer and hajj, is blaspheme.

In a very important tradition, Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) has mentioned the philosophy of zakat briefly, saying: Zakat has become obligatory for examining the rich and serving the poor. If all the people paid zakat, there would have been no poor Muslims, and they would have become fortunate by the right Allah has set for them. The people don’t get poor, hungry, or needy except for the abstention of the rich from paying their due right. Those who don’t pay Allah’s portion of their wealth do not deserve His Mercy. By Allah that no wealth is wasted in the desert or the sea, but for not paying zakat.[113]

When Fatima Al-Zahra (a.s) gave a speech in her father’s mosque and brilliantly criticized the government of her age using Qur’¡nic verses and the Prophet’s traditions, she told people:

فَجَعَلَ الإيمَانَ تَطْهِيراً لَكُمْ مِنَ الشِّرْكِ، وَالصَّلاةَ تَنْزِيهاً لَكُمْ عَنِ الكِبَرِ، وَالزَّكَاةَ تَزْكِيَةً لأنْفُسِكُمْ.

Allah obliged belief for you to purify you of the pollution of disbelief, He obliged prayer to save you from pride, and zakat to purify you of stinginess.[114]

One day, Imam al-Ri¤¡ (a.s) told his servant: “Have you granted anything for Allah today?” The servant gave negative answer. Imam (a.s) said: “So how would Allah recompense us?”[115]

Shortening the Measures

Fraud in dealing with people and shortening the measure are unlawful and major sins, according to the Holy Qur’¡n and the traditions of the Prophet (s.a) and his Household (a.s).

One, from one hundred and fourteen chapters of the Holy Qur’¡n, is dedicated to this issue. The first few verses of this chapter talk about this major sin and betrayal and the chastisement for it:

وَيْلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِينَ (1) الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ (2) وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَوْ وَزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ (3) أَلا يَظُنُّ أُولَئِكَ أَنَّهُمْ مَبْعُوثُونَ (4) لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ (5) يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (6) كَلاَّ إِنَّ كِتَابَ الفُجَّارِ لَفِي سِجِّينٍ (7).

Woe to those that deal in fraud, who, when they measure against the people, take full measure. But, when they measure for them or weigh for them, do skimp. Do those not think that they shall be raised up unto a mighty day, a day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of all Beings? No indeed; the Book of the libertines is in Sijjin.

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) stated:

إنَّ المُطَفِّفَ يُرْمَى يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ فِي قَعْرِ جَهَنَّمَ بَيْنَ جَبَلَيْنِ مِنْ نَارٍ، فَيُقَالُ لَهُ: زِنْهُمَا. فَيَبْقَى فِي ذَلِكَ أبَداً.

One who shortens the measures in dealing with people would be taken to the bottom of the hell, in the Hereafter, and placed between two fire mountains. He is then told to weight the mountains, and he would do so forever.[116]

The great exegesis book “Minh¡j al-¯¡diqin” explains about the verses of “Mutaffifin” chapter and narrates an important tradition from the Prophet (s.a). The prophet (s.a) said: “There are five consequences for five deeds.” People asked: “O Messenger of Allah! What are they?” He replied: “No people broke their promises, unless Allah dominated their enemies on them. No people did adultery, unless Allah spread death among them. No people lied and judged against Allah’s rule, unless they got increasingly unfortunate. And no people refrain from paying zakat, unless they had no rain. And they didn’t shorten the measures, unless they got deprived of plants and entangled in famine.”

اللَّهُمَ اغْفِرْ لِىَ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِى تُغيِّرُ النِّعَمَ

O Allah! Forgive me the sins which alter the blessings!

Sins Altering Blessings

Committing some sins alter Allah’s Blessings for human being, and replace them with calamities and adversities. These sins, as stated by Imam Al-Sajj¡d (a.s) are: 1. Oppressing people, 2. Losing the good habits 3. Abandoning good doing, 4. Being ungrateful, 5. Abandoning gratefulness.

Oppressing People

Oppressing people is a heinous and satanic sin. Oppression, however as much as a grain, is an obscene deed. Surely, as little as this much sin would be punished in the Hereafter, too:

وَإِنْ كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ.

And if there be no more than the weight of a mustard seed We will bring it to account: and enough are We to take account. (21:47)

Losing the Good Habits

The good habits humans incline to, by Allah’s blessings, are really important and valuable and make humans subject to Allah’s Mercy. Humans should be careful and guard these good habits.

After making the habits of gaining knowledge, showing humility, having patience, serving Allah’s servants and so on, human is always subject to dangers and should attempt to maintain his good habits. If human is careless about keeping his good habits, to the extent that they are lost, he has committed sin, for sure, and should expect the alteration of Allah’s blessings in his life.

Abandoning good deeds

Beneficence and doing good to the people are signs of humanity and belief. According to the Qur’¡nic verses, the good-doers are loved by the Almighty.

وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ.

…Allah loves those who do good. (3:134)

People should not abandon their beneficence toward others in any situations. Doing good to the people is, in fact, worshipping Allah. It makes Allah content and its reward is great.

As a matter of fact, abandoning beneficence is a sin, and results in deprivation from a good manner, Allah’s especial Mercy, and countless rewards.

Ungratefulness

Being ungratefulness toward Allah is a sin, which brings about severe chastisement, in the words of Holy Qur’¡n:

وَلَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ.

… but if you are thankless, My chastisement is surely terrible. (14:7)

The worst kind of ungratefulness is wasting Allah’s blessings for committing sins and unsuitable wishes.

Abandoning Gratefulness

Being thankful for the Blessings Allah has granted to human to develop physically and mentally is a necessity, and abandoning it is against humanity and fairness.

Thankfulness is indeed acknowledging the Provider and His Blessings, as well as spending the blessings in ways He Himself has ordered.

Thankfulness for the blessing of heart is adorning it with belief in Allah, the Prophets, the Imams, the Holy Qur’¡n, and the Resurrection Day.

Thankfulness for the blessing of eyes is looking at the nature to discover Allah’s Might, using them for gaining knowledge, reciting Qur’¡n, as well as keeping them from unlawful scenes.

Thankfulness for the blessing of ears is hearing the truth, and keeping them from hearing untruth, unlawful music and sounds, backbiting, and slander.

Being thankful for the blessing of tongue is through fine speech, answering fine questions, guiding the misled, reciting Qur’¡n and prayer, and keeping the tongue from lying, backbiting, slander, ungrounded rumors, and belittling Allah’s servants.

Being thankful for the blessing of stomach is eating rightly and lawfully, and avoiding unlawful stuff.

For thanking the blessing of lust, it should be used in lawful marriage and kept away from unlawful issues.

For thanking the blessing of foot, it should be used in going to the mosques and knowledge circles, visiting the relatives and religious brothers, and going to solve people’s problems.

Thankfulness for the blessing of wealth is spending it for one’s wife and children, poor relatives, charity, zakat, khums[117] and alms giving. Evading any of these examples of thankfulness is a sin, which alters Allah’s blessings into chastisement and calamity.