đź”» In the beginning, we must sacrifice our bad likings for good ones.
đź”» In the next stage, we must sacrifice our good likings for higher ones.
👉🏼 Destiny (12)
🔸In each #test, and in each good choice we make, we must crush some of our #likings. Of course, this is difficult and painful to do. Overcoming superficial interests and reaching deep, hidden #interests is the only way for human beings to produce added value. Thus, God has said, “O man! Surely you must strive (to attain) to your Lord, a hard striving until you meet Him.” [Qur’an 84:6]
🔸#ImamAli (as) said, “Each worship act involves some difficulties and dislikes, and each sin involves some desires.” [Nahj al-Balaghah, sermon 176] But don’t try to be religious by adapting religion to your own desires.
🔸The #Prophet (s) said about those who work for their life in the Hereafter, “People die once, but they die 70 times a day due to fighting their own wills, opposing their desires and fighting the evil that runs through their veins.” [Mizan al-Hikmah, p. 2916]
🔸God says, “Certainly We have created man to be in distress.” [Qur’an 90:4] But we keep pursuing excitements and entertainments. We expect to be constantly immersed in pleasures and comforts even though we see that we fail to achieve many of our dreams. Today, some hold classes on how to be #successful and how to reach our dreams. But Imam Ali (as) in a letter to the youth said, “I am writing to a youth whose dreams won’t come true.” [Nahj al-Balaghah, letter 31]
🔸Not only must we crush our bad and worthless likings for good, valuable likings, but in higher stages, we must also crush our good likings for better ones. And this opposing our will continues until the last moments of our lives. [Tuhaf al-Uqul, p. 370]
🔸Fighting his will for a person like Ibrahim (as) was not crushing his bad likings. It meant crushing a good liking, loving his son Ismael (as), for the love of God. Imam Ali (as) loved to protect the trust that had been entrusted to him and defend Fatimah (as). But the situation was such that for the sake of God and a higher interest, he didn’t use his sword to defend Fatimah (as), and this was very hard for him.
#AliRezaPanahian
#Most_Determining_Factor
#Destiny
âś… @PanahianEN
đź”» In the next stage, we must sacrifice our good likings for higher ones.
👉🏼 Destiny (12)
🔸In each #test, and in each good choice we make, we must crush some of our #likings. Of course, this is difficult and painful to do. Overcoming superficial interests and reaching deep, hidden #interests is the only way for human beings to produce added value. Thus, God has said, “O man! Surely you must strive (to attain) to your Lord, a hard striving until you meet Him.” [Qur’an 84:6]
🔸#ImamAli (as) said, “Each worship act involves some difficulties and dislikes, and each sin involves some desires.” [Nahj al-Balaghah, sermon 176] But don’t try to be religious by adapting religion to your own desires.
🔸The #Prophet (s) said about those who work for their life in the Hereafter, “People die once, but they die 70 times a day due to fighting their own wills, opposing their desires and fighting the evil that runs through their veins.” [Mizan al-Hikmah, p. 2916]
🔸God says, “Certainly We have created man to be in distress.” [Qur’an 90:4] But we keep pursuing excitements and entertainments. We expect to be constantly immersed in pleasures and comforts even though we see that we fail to achieve many of our dreams. Today, some hold classes on how to be #successful and how to reach our dreams. But Imam Ali (as) in a letter to the youth said, “I am writing to a youth whose dreams won’t come true.” [Nahj al-Balaghah, letter 31]
🔸Not only must we crush our bad and worthless likings for good, valuable likings, but in higher stages, we must also crush our good likings for better ones. And this opposing our will continues until the last moments of our lives. [Tuhaf al-Uqul, p. 370]
🔸Fighting his will for a person like Ibrahim (as) was not crushing his bad likings. It meant crushing a good liking, loving his son Ismael (as), for the love of God. Imam Ali (as) loved to protect the trust that had been entrusted to him and defend Fatimah (as). But the situation was such that for the sake of God and a higher interest, he didn’t use his sword to defend Fatimah (as), and this was very hard for him.
#AliRezaPanahian
#Most_Determining_Factor
#Destiny
âś… @PanahianEN
🔻 Religion isn’t bitter.
🔻 Life’s nature is such that there is some bitterness in it.
👉🏼 Destiny (15)
🔸There are bitter realities in this world from which religion rescues a person to some extent. #Religion isn’t bitter. It’s life’s nature that there is some bitterness in it. God has mentioned this bitterness, “Certainly We have created man to be in distress.” [Qur’an 90:4]
🔸In Letter no. 31 in Nahj al-Balaghah, #ImamAli (as), addressed his young son and described 14 features of youthhood, mostly referring to the bitterness of life. “[This letter is] from a mortal father… to a son who yearns for that which will not be achieved, is treading the path of those who have gone, is subject to ailments, is caught up in the days, is a target of hardships…”
🔸Religion tells a person, “Give me your hand so that I may release you from these #hardships a little and cause your bitterness to be #fruitful. Now that you pray, when you tolerate your problems and hardships, you will gain light. Even if you weren’t praying, you would have had to tolerate hardships but without gaining any light.
🔸Paying attention to this fact that God is #testing us is very useful for a person’s spirit. It doesn’t let a person become weighed down by useless and superfluous happiness, sorrows, fears, and anxieties. It removes grudges from a person’s heart and brings comfort. It also corrects a person’s relationship with God and eliminates arrogance. Of course, it also causes a person to become fearful and anxious with respect to God a little. But afterwards, affection is created in a person’s heart and he becomes dependent on God. This is because he now understands he isn’t so independent. Thus, he will supplicate and rely on God even more.
🔸Whoever fears being tested should follow this advice of Imam Ali (as), “If you fear something, throw yourself into it, because your fear is greater than the action itself.” [Nahj al-Balaghah, wisdom no. 175] After starting that action, you will see it wasn’t as frightening as you had thought. Once you have entered into the middle of a test, you will feel relieved.
#AliRezaPanahian
#Most_Determining_Factor
#Destiny
âś… @PanahianEN
🔻 Life’s nature is such that there is some bitterness in it.
👉🏼 Destiny (15)
🔸There are bitter realities in this world from which religion rescues a person to some extent. #Religion isn’t bitter. It’s life’s nature that there is some bitterness in it. God has mentioned this bitterness, “Certainly We have created man to be in distress.” [Qur’an 90:4]
🔸In Letter no. 31 in Nahj al-Balaghah, #ImamAli (as), addressed his young son and described 14 features of youthhood, mostly referring to the bitterness of life. “[This letter is] from a mortal father… to a son who yearns for that which will not be achieved, is treading the path of those who have gone, is subject to ailments, is caught up in the days, is a target of hardships…”
🔸Religion tells a person, “Give me your hand so that I may release you from these #hardships a little and cause your bitterness to be #fruitful. Now that you pray, when you tolerate your problems and hardships, you will gain light. Even if you weren’t praying, you would have had to tolerate hardships but without gaining any light.
🔸Paying attention to this fact that God is #testing us is very useful for a person’s spirit. It doesn’t let a person become weighed down by useless and superfluous happiness, sorrows, fears, and anxieties. It removes grudges from a person’s heart and brings comfort. It also corrects a person’s relationship with God and eliminates arrogance. Of course, it also causes a person to become fearful and anxious with respect to God a little. But afterwards, affection is created in a person’s heart and he becomes dependent on God. This is because he now understands he isn’t so independent. Thus, he will supplicate and rely on God even more.
🔸Whoever fears being tested should follow this advice of Imam Ali (as), “If you fear something, throw yourself into it, because your fear is greater than the action itself.” [Nahj al-Balaghah, wisdom no. 175] After starting that action, you will see it wasn’t as frightening as you had thought. Once you have entered into the middle of a test, you will feel relieved.
#AliRezaPanahian
#Most_Determining_Factor
#Destiny
âś… @PanahianEN
❤️ Love him to gain joy and vitality
▫️One of the most important factors - in fact, the most important factor - for a believer’s vitality and happiness is having an Imam, enjoying the affection of the Imam, loving the Imam and accepting the Guardianship of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (as).
▫️Anyone who loves the Prophet’s (as) progeny will enjoy his religiosity, worshiping, visiting the house of God, reading the Quran, etc. … more. If you are not feeling well, you probably have a lack of love for the Prophet’s (as) progeny in your heart.
▫️Love for the Imam is far beyond these worldly loves. How much pleasure can a worldly love give you? Is it to the extent that you are willing to sacrifice yourself for your beloved?! But when you have a "love for the Imam," you see that you want to make sacrifices for him. This is truly amazing!
▫️These romantic movies, which show some love, only show a little love to people. This kind of love is very far from the love that exists between us and our Imam. Real love and excitement can be experienced when loving the Imam!
▫️The Holy Prophet (s) said, “Comfort, success, salvation, victory, blessings, forgiveness, health, well-being, good tidings, happiness, contentment, closeness, kinship, help, victory, strength, joy, and love are all from the Almighty God. All of these [bring vitality and happiness and] are for those who love Ali bin Abi Talib. (Al-Mahasin, vol. 1, p. 152)
▫️You might say, "I love Ali bin Abi Talib (as), but I don't enjoy this much that has been mentioned!" The answer is that you don't like him as much you should.
▫️About the verse, “…To be happy with the favors and mercy of God is better than whatever you accumulate,” [Qur’an 10:58] Imam Reza (as) said, “This is referring to [the main meaning of God’s grace and mercy that you should be happy with is] the Guardianship of Muhammad and his progeny, which is better than these worldly things that people are collecting.” [Kafi, vol. 1, p. 423]
#ImamAli
@PanahianEN
▫️One of the most important factors - in fact, the most important factor - for a believer’s vitality and happiness is having an Imam, enjoying the affection of the Imam, loving the Imam and accepting the Guardianship of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (as).
▫️Anyone who loves the Prophet’s (as) progeny will enjoy his religiosity, worshiping, visiting the house of God, reading the Quran, etc. … more. If you are not feeling well, you probably have a lack of love for the Prophet’s (as) progeny in your heart.
▫️Love for the Imam is far beyond these worldly loves. How much pleasure can a worldly love give you? Is it to the extent that you are willing to sacrifice yourself for your beloved?! But when you have a "love for the Imam," you see that you want to make sacrifices for him. This is truly amazing!
▫️These romantic movies, which show some love, only show a little love to people. This kind of love is very far from the love that exists between us and our Imam. Real love and excitement can be experienced when loving the Imam!
▫️The Holy Prophet (s) said, “Comfort, success, salvation, victory, blessings, forgiveness, health, well-being, good tidings, happiness, contentment, closeness, kinship, help, victory, strength, joy, and love are all from the Almighty God. All of these [bring vitality and happiness and] are for those who love Ali bin Abi Talib. (Al-Mahasin, vol. 1, p. 152)
▫️You might say, "I love Ali bin Abi Talib (as), but I don't enjoy this much that has been mentioned!" The answer is that you don't like him as much you should.
▫️About the verse, “…To be happy with the favors and mercy of God is better than whatever you accumulate,” [Qur’an 10:58] Imam Reza (as) said, “This is referring to [the main meaning of God’s grace and mercy that you should be happy with is] the Guardianship of Muhammad and his progeny, which is better than these worldly things that people are collecting.” [Kafi, vol. 1, p. 423]
#ImamAli
@PanahianEN
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