Forty Hadith

ABOUT THE AUTHOR	25
CHILDHOOD AND EARLY EDUCATION	26
THE YEARS OF SPIRITUAL AND INTELLECTUAL FORMATION IN QUM, 1923 TO 1962	29
THE YEARS OF STRUGGLE AND EXILE, 1962-1978	33
THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION, 1978-79	41
1979-89: FIRST DECADE OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC, LAST DECADE OF THE IMAM’S LIFE	46
INTRODUCTION	57
PURPOSE OF WRITING THE BOOK	57
FIRST HADITH: JIHAD OF THE SELF	 59
VERBAL TRANSLATION	59
EXPOSITION	59
FIRST GRADE	60
CONTEMPLATION	61
WILL AND RESOLUTION	62
EFFORT AND STRUGGLE (SPIRITUAL)	63
SELF-EXAMINATION AND STIPULATION (MUSHARATAH)	63
GUARDING AGAINST EVIL (MURAQABAH)	64
REMEMBRANCE (TADHAKKUR)	64
REMEMBRANCE OF GOD, REMEMBERING THE GRACES BESTOWED BY HIM	65
THE SECOND STAGE	66
HIDDEN OR INNER POWERS (QUWWA-E BATINI)	68
HOW TO REGULATE HUMAN INSTINCTS	70
HOW TO BRIDLE FANCY AND IMAGINATION	71
ESTIMATION AND APPRAISAL	72
HOW TO CURE MORAL MALADIES	78
CONCLUSION	80
SECOND HADITH: OSTENTATION (RIYA’) 	   81
RIYA’ IN FAITH OR CREED	82
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF	83
DANGEROUS EFFECTS OF RIYA’	85
AN ADVICE FOR GETTING RID OF THE CURSE OF RIYA’	86
SINCERITY IN ACTION	89
THE SECOND STAGE OF RIYA’	91
THE VALUE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE AS A TRUSTEE OF DIVINE HONOR	93
RIYA’ IN WORSHIP	94
SECTION I	94
HOW TO COMBAT RIYA’?	95
RIYA’ IN CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS	97
HOW DOES RIYA’ INFILTRATE THE RANKS OF THE CONGREGATION?	98
AN INVITATION TO SINCERITY	98
A TRADITION OF IMAM ‘ALI (A)	102
VARIATION IN GRADES AND DEGREES OF QUALITIES AMONG DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS	104
WHAT IS SUM’AH ?	106
THIRD HADITH: SELF-CONCEIT (‘UJB)  	  107
WHAT IS ‘UJB?	107
‘UJB OF THE FAITHFUL	109
THE ‘UJB OF THE FAITHLESS	111
SNARES AND WILES OF THE DEVIL	112
THE EVIL EFFECTS OF ‘UJB	114
CONTEMPT OF OTHERS	115
TEMPTATION TO RIYA’	115
THE FACTOR OF PRIDE	116
SELF-LOVE AS THE SOURCE OF ‘UJB	118
FOURTH HADITH: PRIDE (KIBR) 	  125
WHAT IS KIBR?	125
KINDS AND DEGREES OF KIBR	126
THE CAUSES OF KIBR	128
SPIRITUAL AND SOCIAL HARMS OF PRIDE	132
OTHER CAUSES OF PRIDE	136
HOW TO CURE PRIDE?	140
THE PUNISHMENT IN THE HEREAFTER	143
HUMILITY AND MODESTY OF THE PROPHET (S)	143
TO CURE PRIDE, ONE SHOULD ACT AGAINST ITS DICTATES	144
A REMINISCENCE OF A TEACHER	145
YAQZAH (AWAKENING) IS THE FIRST STEP	146
THE VICIOUS SUBTLETIES OF THE SELF	147
FIFTH HADITH: ENVY (HASAD) 	   149
DEFINITION OF HASAD	149
KINDS OF HASAD	150
THE CAUSES AND MOTIVES OF HASAD	151
SOME EVIL EFFECTS OF ENVY	152
THE PUNISHMENT OF THE GRAVE	154
THE SOURCE OF MORAL CORRUPTION	156
THE PRACTICAL REMEDY FOR ENVY	158
THE TRADITION REGARDING REMISSION OF ENVY	159
SIXTH HADITH: LOVE OF THE WORLD	  161
EXPOSITION OF THE TRADITION	161
MAWLANA MAJLISI ON THE REALITY OF THE WORLD  	162
THE AUTHOR’S VIEW	162
FACTORS THAT PROMOTE WORLDLINESS	164
SEVENTH HADITH: ANGER (GHADHAB)  	175
EXPOSITION	175
ADVANTAGES OF AL-QUWWAH AL-GHADABIYYAH (THE POWER OF ANGER)	176
VICE OF IMMODERATION IN ANGER	177
MORAL HAZARDS OF ANGER	180
ITS BEHAVIORAL HAZARDS	181
CONTROLLING ANGER	182
HOW TO ERADICATE THE ROOTS OF ANGER:	184
EIGHTH HADITH: PREJUDICE (‘ASABIYYAH)  	187
EXPOSITION	187
THE EVILS OF ‘ASABIYYAH	188
A PROPHETIC TRADITION	190
THE OTHERWORLDLY FORM OF ‘ASABIYYAH	191
A COLLOQUY WITH THE SELF	192
ON THE ‘ASABIYYAHS OF THE INTELLECTUALS	194
NINTH HADITH: HYPOCRISY (NIFAQ)  	 197
EXPOSITION	197
DEGREES OF NIFAQ	198
EFFECTS OF NIFAQ	199
CURE OF THE DISEASE OF NIFAQ	200
SOME FORMS OF NIFAQ	202
TENTH HADITH: DESIRE AND HOPE 	 207
EXPOSITION	207
1. ON THE EVIL OF FOLLOWING ONE’S DESIRES	208
(A):	208
(B) THE QUR’AN AND HADITH ON THE EVIL OF SUBMISSION TO DESIRE	210
(C) ON NUMEROUSNESS OF DESIRES	213
2. ON THE EVIL OF ENDLESS HOPES	214
(A) ON THE ENDLESSNESS OF HOPES	214
(B) PROVISIONS FOR THE LONG JOURNEY AHEAD	215
ELEVENTH HADITH: MAN’S GOD-SEEKING NATURE 	 219
EXPOSITION	219
1. THE MEANING OF FITRAH	220
LAWS OF HUMAN NATURE	221
INNATENESS OF RELIGIOUS TRUTHS	222
1. MAN’S LOVE OF PERFECTION	222
2. THE INNATENESS OF DIVINE ATTRIBUTES	225
3. INNATENESS OF-THE BELIEF IN RESURRECTION:	226
TWELFTH HADITH: CONTEMPLATION (TAFAKKUR) 	   229
EXPOSITION	229
WHAT IS HEART?	230
MERITS OF CONTEMPLATION	231
THE DESIRABLE AND THE FORBIDDEN CONTEMPLATION ON THE DIVINE ESSENCE	232
CONTEMPLATION ON CREATION	237
THE EARTH AND THE SUN: TWO MASTERPIECES OF CREATION	238
CONTEMPLATION ON THE STATES OF THE SOUL	239
A CONCLUSIVE PROOF	242
VIRTUES OF THE MIDNIGHT PRAYER	243
WHAT IS TAQWA?	248
TAQWA FOR THE COMMON PEOPLE	250
THIRTEENTH HADITH: TRUST IN GOD (TAWAKKUL) 	  255
EXPOSITION	256
TAWAKKUL AND ITS DEGREES	256
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAWAKKUL AND RIDA	259
TAFWID, TAWAKKUL AND THIQAH	260
FOURTEENTH HADITH: FEAR OF GOD	  263
EXPOSITION	264
BETWEEN HOPE AND FEAR	264
STAGES AND DEGREES OF FEAR	266
HOPE AND PRAYER	269
CONTEMPLATION, FEAR AND HOPE	270
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOPE AND DELUSION	271
THE OPINION OF AL-MAJLISI	274
FIFTEENTH HADITH: THE BELIEVER’S TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS	  277
EXPOSITION	278
THE MEANING OF TRIAL	279
THE PROPHETS AND DIVINE TRIAL	282
GOD’S REMEMBRANCE	284
THE PROPHETS’ SUFFERING	286
THE WORLD IS NOT A PLACE OF REWARD OR PUNISHMENT	289
SIXTEENTH HADITH: PATIENCE (SABR)  	 293
EXPOSITION	294
DESIRE, THE SOURCE OF ALL BONDAGE	294
SABR, THE OUTCOME OF FREEDOM FROM LUST	300
RESULTS OF SABR	302
THE DEGREES AND LEVELS OF SABR	306
THE ‘URAFA’S DEGREES OF SABR:	308
SEVENTEENTH HADITH: REPENTANCE (TAWBAH) 	   311
EXPOSITION	312
TAWBAH AND POSTPONEMENT	312
AN IMPORTANT POINT	314
THE ESSENTIALS OF TAWBAH	314
THE CONDITIONS OF TAWBAH	317
THE RESULT OF ISTIGHFAR	321
ON THE INTERPRETATION OF TAWBAH NASUH	322
ALL BEINGS ARE ENDOWED WITH LIFE AND KNOWLEDGE	322
EIGHTEENTH HADITH: REMEMBRANCE OF GOD	  325
EXPOSITION	326
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAFAKKUR AND TADHAKKUR	329
THE COMPLETE DHIKR	331
SOME TRADITIONS CONCERNING DHIKR	333
NINETEENTH HADITH: BACKBITING (GHIBAH) 	 337
EXPOSITION	337
THE DEFINITION OF GHIBAH	339
THE SOCIAL HARMS OF GHIBAH	349
THE CURE OF THIS MALADY	351
THE PRIORITY OF ABSTINENCE FROM PERMISSIBLE GHIBAH	353
ON THE PROHIBITION ON LISTENING TO GHIBAH	355
AL-SHAHID AL-THANI’S DISCOURSE	357
TWENTIETH HADITH: PURE INTENTION (IKHLAS) 	  361
EXPOSITION	362
THE MEANING OF ‘TEST’ IN RELATION TO GOD	363
FEAR, SINCERE INTENTION AND RIGHTNESS OF ACTION	365
THE DEFINITION OF IKHLAS	368
IKHLAS IS SUBSEQUENT TO ACTION	370
TWENTY-FIRST HADITH: THANKFULNESS (SHUKR) 	  377
EXPOSITION	378
A MYSTICAL INTERPRETATION	383
THE REALITY OF SHUKR	386
IGNORANCE AND INGRATITUDE	388
THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SHUKR	390
THE STATION OF SHUKR IN HADITH	391
CONCLUSION	394
TWENTY-SECOND HADITH: THE AVERSION FOR DEATH	  399
EXPOSITION	400
THE REALITY OF HEAVEN AND HELL	404
TWENTY-THIRD HADITH: THE SEEKERS OF KNOWLEDGE 	.. 409
EXPOSITION	410
SECTION 1	414
SECTION II	417
SECTION III	420
SECTION IV	423
TWENTY FOURTH HADITH: THE CLASSIFICATION OF SCIENCES 	425
EXPOSITION	426
SECTION I	426
SECTION II	431
SECTION III	433
SECTION IV	436
SECTION V	437
TWENTY-FIFTH HADITH: SATANIC INSINUATION 	 439
EXPOSITION	439
2. A SIMPLER EXPLANATION OF THE CHARACTER OF WASWAS	442
3. THE REMEDY FOR WASWAS	446
TWENTY-SIXTH HADITH: THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE 	451
EXPOSITION	452
THE PATH OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE WAY TO PARADISE	452
AN IMPORTANT POINT	453
THE ANGELS’ SPREADING THEIR WINGS FOR THE SEEKERS OF KNOWLEDGE	454
THE INHABITANTS OF THE HEAVEN AND EARTH ASKING FORGIVENESS FOR THE SEEKER OF KNOWLEDGE	457
THE ‘ALIM’S SUPERIORITY OVER THE ‘ABID	459
THE ULAMA BEING THE HEIRS OF THE PROPHETS	463
TWENTY-SEVENTH HADITH: PRAYER AND CONCENTRATION      	 465
EXPOSITION	466
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PRAYER	466
THE VARIOUS LEVELS OF CONCENTRATION	474
ATTENTION TO WORSHIP	474
ATTENTION TO THE WORSHIPPED ONE	475
THE INCARNATION OF WORKS IN THE HEREAFTER	479
WORSHIP AND FREEDOM FROM NEED	487
A LAST POINT	490
TWENTY-EIGHTH HADITH: MEETING GOD	 491
EXPOSITION	492
LIQA’ ALLAH AND ITS CHARACTER	493
DEATH-THE MOMENT OF TRUTH	499
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ‘LOVE’ AND ‘HATE’ WHEN ASCRIBED TO GOD	506
TWENTY-NINTH HADITH: THE PROPHET’S COUNSEL TO ‘ALI     	509
PREFACE	511
THE EVILS OF LYING	513
THE MEANING OF WARA’ AND ITS LEVELS	516
THE EVILS OF TREACHERY AND THE MEANING OF TRUSTWORTHINESS	518
CONCERNING SOME DIVINE TRUSTS	523
THE FEAR OF GOD ALMIGHTY	525
THE DISPARITY OF PEOPLE IN OBSERVING THE DIVINE PRESENCE	527
THE VIRTUES OF LAMENTATION	528
DOUBTS REGARDING DISPROPORTIONATE AWARD	529
RAISING THE HANDS IN PRAYER AND TURNING THEM	531
THE SECRET BEHIND THE RAISING OF THE HANDS	533
A WARNING CONCERNING ONE OF THE SATANIC RUSES	535
THE MERIT OF BRUSHING THE TEETH	535
MORAL VIRTUES AND VICES	537
THIRTIETH HADITH: THE INDESCRIBABILITY OF GOD, THE PROPHET, AND THE IMAMS	  543
EXPOSITION	544
THE INDESCRIBABILITY OF GOD	545
IMPOSSIBILITY OF KNOWING THE REALITY OF THE NAMES AND THE ATTRIBUTES	548
KNOWLEDGE OF THE SPIRITUAL REALITY OF THE PROPHETS AND THE AWLIYA’ IS UNATTAINABLE THROUGH RATIONAL THOUGHT	549
THE WAITING OF ‘THE SEVEN HIJABS’ MENTIONED IN RELATION TO THE PROPHET	551
THE DELEGATION (TAFWID) OF THE AFFAIR TO THE MESSENGER OF GOD (S), AS INDICATED BY THIS AND MANY OTHER TRADITIONS	553
BRIEF ALLUSION TO THE MEANING OF TAFWID	556
THE STATION OF THE IMAMS (A)	557
REALITY OF ‘ISMAH	559
THE INDESCRIBABILITY OF FAITH	560
THIRTY-FIRST HADITH: THE KINDS OF HEARTS	  563
EXPOSITION	564
REFORMING THE HEART	565
THE BASIS FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE HEARTS 	566
THE REASON WHY THE KINDS OF HEARTS ARE CONFINED TO THE FOUR	567
THE STATES OF THE HEARTS	568
THE LUMINOSITY OF THE BELIEVER’S HEART	568
EXPLANATION OF THE BELIEVER’S BEING ON THE STRAIGHT PATH	569
SOME STRATAGEMS OF SATAN	570
THE HYPOCRITE’S HEART AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IT AND THE BELIEVER’S HEART	573
NEGLECT OF THE TRUTH RESULTS IN THE INVERSION OF THE HEART	574
THIRTY-SECOND HADITH: CONVICTION IN FAITH	  577
EXPOSITION	578
SECTION	578
RECONCILING TRADITIONS CONCERNING LIVELIHOOD BEING APPORTIONED AND TRADITIONS EXHORTING EFFORT	579
THE SIGNS OR SOUNDNESS OR CONVICTION	581
THE TWOFOLD CLASSES OF THE PEOPLE	581
THE VIEWS OF THE MU’TAZILAH AND THE ASHA’IRAH AND THE CORRECT POSITION	583
SECTION	584
THIRTY-THIRD HADITH: WILAYAH AND WORKS 	 587
EXPOSITION	588
EXPLANATION OF ABSENCE OF CONTRADICTION BETWEEN TRADITIONS THAT EXHORT ONE TO PERFORM	588
‘IBADAH AND ABSTAIN FROM SINS AND OTHER TRADITIONS WHICH APPARENTLY CONFLICT WITH THEM	588
WILAYAH OF THE AHL AL-BAYT, THE CONDITION FOR ACCEPTABILITY OF WORKS	599
THIRTY-FOURTH HADITH: THE STATION OF THE FAITHFUL BEFORE GOD 	 603
EXPOSITION	604
A NOTEWORTHY POINT	607
INTERPRETATION OF THE ‘HESITATION’ ASCRIBED TO GOD	607
AN ‘IRFANI EXPLANATION	608
ANOTHER INTERPRETATION OF THE TRADITION OF HESITATION	611
GOD’S REFORMING OF THE STATE OF THE FAITHFUL THROUGH POVERTY AND WEALTH	612
THE NEARNESS RELATING TO OBLIGATORY AND SUPEREROGATORY ACTS AND THEIR RESULT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPROACH OF THE WAYFARERS	613
THE SECRET OF THE VARIANCE AMONG THE PROPHETS IN RESPECT OF PROPHETHOOD	616
A CITATION FROM THE MOST AUGUST SHAYKH BAHA’I	617
A CITATION FROM KHWAJAH TUSI	618
CONCLUDING NOTE	619
THIRTY-FIFTH HADITH: GOD AND MAN, GOOD AND EVIL            	 621
EXPOSITION	622
TWO STATIONS OF DIVINE NAMES	622
AN ALLUSION TO THE TOPIC OF JABR AND TAFWID 	624
GOD, THE EXALTED, IS NOT ANSWERABLE CONCERNING WHAT HE DOES AND OTHER EXISTENTS ARE ANSWERABLE	627
THIRTY-SIXTH HADITH: THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD 	 629
EXPOSITION	630
THE IDENTITY OF GOD’S ATTRIBUTES WITH HIS ESSENCE	630
THE STATEMENTS OF THE PHILOSOPHERS ON THE DIVISION OF DIVINE ATTRIBUTES	632
THE IDENTITY OF THE ATTRIBUTES WITH THE SACRED ESSENCE	633
THE PRIORITY OF KNOWLEDGE TO CREATION	635
THE MEANING OF HEARING AND SIGHT IN RELATION TO GOD	637
CHARACTER OF THE RELATION OF GOD’S KNOWLEDGE TO THE KNOWABLES	640
THE CRITERION RELATING TO POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES	642
THIRTY-SEVENTH HADITH: THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD	 647
EXPOSITION	647
THE MEANING OF THE PHRASE ‘KNOW GOD BY GOD’	649
TRADITIONS DEALING WITH THE HIGHER TEACHINGS SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED IN A PLEBEIAN SENSE	654
THIRTY-EIGHTH HADITH: THE MEANING OF GOD’S CREATION OF ADAM IN HIS IMAGE 	 657
EXPOSITION	658
ADAM IS THE COMPLETE MANIFESTATION OF GOD AND THE GREATEST NAME OF GOD	661
THIRTY-NINTH HADITH: GOOD AND EVIL  	667
EXPOSITION	668
THE REALITY OF GOOD AND EVIL	669
THE RELATION OF GOOD AND EVIL TO CREATION AND THE OCCURRENCE OF EVIL IN THE DIVINE ORDAINMENTS (QADA)	672
GOD’S CARRYING OUT GOOD AND EVIL ACTS AT THE HANDS OF THE SERVANTS	674
THE REFUTATION OF COMPULSION (JABR)	675
FORTIETH HADITH: EXEGESIS OF SURAT AL-TAWHID AND SOME VERSES OF SURAT AL-HADID	 679
EXPOSITION	679
A HINT CONCERNING THE EXEGESIS OF SURAT AL-TAWHID	681
A HINT CONCERNING BISMILLAH	681
A BRIEF HINT CONCERNING THE EXEGESIS OF THE NOBLE VERSES OF SURAT AL-HADID UNTIL THE WORDS ‘ALIMUN BI DHATIS-SUDUR	685
CONCLUSION	692
PRAYER AND EPILOGUE	693