Intelligence

The highest level of intelligence
after faith in God the Most High
is expressing love for the people.

Prophet Muhammad (S)

Learn

Since you're not spiritually perfect,
don't open a shop on your own.

Be pliant to the hand,
so you may become leavened and kneaded like dough.

Listen to the Divine command, "Keep silence."
Be mute.

Since you haven't become the tongue of God,
be an ear.

If you do speak,
let it be to ask for explanations:

speak as a humble beggar
at the hand of the spiritually great.

Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi
Mathnawi II, 3455-7

Fasting

The Prophet (S) said, 'Fasting is a protection from the calamities of this world, and a veil from punishment of the next.' When you fast, intend thereby to restrain your self from fleshly appetites and to cut off those worldly desires arising from the ideas of Satan and his kind. Put yourself in the position of a sick person who desires neither food nor drink; expect recovery at any moment from the sickness of wrong actions. Purify your inner being of every lie, turbidity, heedlessness and darkness which might cut you off from the meaning of being sincere for the sake of Allah.

Somebody said to one of the Companions, 'You are already weak; fasting will weaken you further.' 'I am preparing that fast for the evil of a long day,' he said. 'Patience in obeying Allah is easier than patience in His punishment.' And the Messenger of Allah once quoted Allah's words, 'Fasting is done for Me, and I am its reward.'

Fasting kills the desire of the self and the appetite of greed, and from it comes purity of the heart, purification of the limbs, cultivation of the inner and the outer being, thankfulness for blessings, charity to the poor, increase in humble supplication, humility, weeping and most of the ways of seeking refuge in Allah; and it is the reason for the breaking of aspiration, the lightening of evil things, and the redoubling of good deeds. It contains benefits which cannot be counted. It is enough that we mention some of them to the person who understands and is given success in making use of fasting, insha'Allah.

Imam Ja'far As-Sadiq (A)

Love

Is religion anything but love?

Have you not seen the words of God:

"If You do love God, follow me.
God will love you
and forgive you your sins
for God is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful."

Qur'an: Ale Imran 3:31

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (A)

The Criteria for Humanity

...Why do we think Hadrat Ali, peace be upon him, is a perfect human being? Because he felt society's pain, and his 'I' had become 'We'. His personality attracted all others. He was not an individual separated from others. He was a limb or organ of a whole body. He himself said that a pain in one part of society, as in a body, made itself felt in the other parts, one of which was himself. Ali had declared this long before the humanistic philosophy of the twentieth century claimed it as an ideal.

When he heard that a governor appointed by him had attended a feast, he wrote him a letter of protest which is quoted in the Nahj ul-Balagha. It is not mentioned what kind of a feast it had been, whether there had been drinking or gambling or dancing. The governor was considered guilty by Hadrat Ali because he had participated in an aristocratic feast which was not attended by any poor people.

He says, "I never believed a governor and representative of mine would attend such a party of the nobility." He then describes his own life and says that he felt other people's pain more than his own and their pain prevented him from feeling his own. His words show that he was a truly learned and wise sage. Yet the reason why we honor him so deeply is not only because of his wide knowledge, but because he was human. He was not unaware of the destiny of others.

Shahid Murtada Mutahhari
Spiritual Discourses

From Munajat Shabaniya

My Nourisher, let me be attached to the Light
of Your Majestic Glory,
so that I may know You alone,
be away from others,
and have a heart fearful of You
and an eye watchful of You.

May Allah's blessing and peace be on Muhammad
and those of his descendants who are pure!

From the Supplication to Begin Fasting

O God I ask You to give me from Your brilliance that beautifies,
and all Your glories are radiantly brilliant,

O God I beseech You in the name of all Your glories.

O God I ask You to give me from Your refined good that makes more handsome,
and all Your refinements are gracefully beautiful;

O God I beseech You in the name of all Your beauties.

O God I ask You to give me from Your majesty that gives grandeur,
and all Your majestic powers are strongly sublime;

O God I beseech You in the name of all Your powers.

O God I ask You to give me from Your greatness that makes great,
and all Your powers are extensively important;

O God I beseech You in the name of all Your influences.

O God I beseech You to give me from Your light that enlightens, and all Your enlightenments are luminously bright;

O God I beseech You in the name of all Your lights.

O God I ask You to give me from Your mercy that gives much, and all Your kind leniencies are plenteously many,

O God I beseech You in the name of all Your compassions.