The Levels of Spirituality
The topic that we will attempt to discuss today is one that we do not see discussed very often. This is mainly because the realities that we will try to touch upon are understood only by true men of God - Muhammad wa aali muhammad and their true followers; the masters of ‘Irfan (Islamic Mysticism); those who are one with the esoteric and who can see and feel what we cannot. They speak from knowledge and experience. Average people who do not possess the baseerah (a higher degree of vision and insight) can only try to learn from what these individuals teach us. Therefore, we will try our best to limit this discussion to the teachings that we have received from the pure source of the prophet (saw) and Ahlulbayt. However, at several points we may try to look at the holy Qur’an and ahadith and try to connect the dots. Anything in this article that comes from other than a true scholarly source is mere conjecture.
BACKGROUND
When we look at the Quran, the hadith, and Islamic texts we notice that various adjectives have been used to describe human beings. These adjectives may be positive or negative. In most instances, it is impossible to translate these adjectives into another language (from the original Arabic) without losing some of the original essence. For example, when we say that such and such person is muttaqi it means that they possess Taqwa. One might translate muttaqi to pious, or God-fearing but neither of these capture the actual meaning of Taqwa. Even if we keep the translation aside and look at the actual term, we will find that our understanding of its meaning is lacking. For example what is the difference between ‘Abid and Zahid? Muslim and M’umin? Sadiq and Siddiq? In the context of Islam all these terms have very specific and well defined meanings.
In this article we will look at a spectrum of positive attributes. Discussing the meanings of the various attributes in one article is a daunting task and is out of our scope. We will instead look at the attributes in relation to each other which a human being progressively acquires as he / she completes stages in their journey towards the Creator. In order to make this clear, and to begin our discussion we will start with a beautiful ayah of the Quran (indeed all the ayats of Quran are beautiful).
THE SPECTRUM OF POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ
جَزَاؤُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۖ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ رَبَّهُ
“Surely those who disbelieve from among the followers of the Book and the polytheists shall be in the fire of hell, abiding therein; they are the worst of the creatures. (As for) those who believe and do good, surely they are the best of the creatures.Their reward with their Lord is gardens of perpetuity beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein for ever; Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him; that is for him who fears his Lord.” [98: 6-8]
The above verses from Surah Al-Bayannah (The Evidence) mention the signs of the best and worst of creatures. We can say that this ayah defines a spectrum of creation and briefly alludes to the characteristics of those who are at the two extremes on this spectrum. But surely, there are levels between these two extremes. Our purpose in this article is to try to decipher some of these levels.
SOME SCHOLARLY TEACHINGS
In this section we will mention miscellaneous discussions by our scholars. For each discussion we will provide a brief background (those who are interested in the complete discussions may refer to the references provided at the end of this article) and a conclusion (in green text). We will then combine all these conclusions to try and come up with a bigger picture.
Discussion 1
Let us start off by looking at a hadith by Al-Rasul-al-Aa’dham Muhammad (SAWW) which has been quoted by Ayatullah Makaram Shirazi in a section titled “The (various) levels of Iman in Islam” in one of his works titled Ethical Disclosures (Volume 1) :
عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ إِبْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ : لاَ يَكْمُلُ عَبْدٌ الإِيْمَانَ بِاللٌّهِ حَتّى يَكُونَ فِيهِ خَمْسُ خِصَالٍ: أَلتَّوَكُّلُ عَلى اللٌّهِ، وَالتَّفْوِيضُ اِلـى اللٌّهِ، وَالتَّسْلِيمُ لِأََمْرِ اللٌّهِ، وَالرِّضَا بِقَضَاءِ اللٌّهِ، وَالصَّبْرُ عَلى بَلاَءِ اللٌّهِ. إِنَّهُ مَنْ أَحَبَّ فِـي اللٌّهِ، وَأَبْغَضَ فِـي اللٌّهِ، وَ أَعْطى لِلٌّهِ، و مَنَعَ لِلٌّهِ، فَقَدِ اسْتَكْمَلَ الإِيْمَانَ
It has been narrated from Nafi' from Ibne 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah (S) said, “A servant's faith in Allah will never become complete until he possesses five traits:
complete reliance (al-Tawakkul) in Allah, complete dependence (al-Tafwid) on Allah (what He has decreed), complete submission (al-Taslim) to all of the commandments of Allah, complete contentment (al-Rida) upon what Allah has decreed, and complete patience (al-Sabr) for the calamities that Allah brings forth; because verily that person who loves for the sake of Allah and hates for the sake of Allah and gives (to others) for the (sake of) Allah and holds back (giving to others) for the (sake of) Allah is one whose faith is complete.” [1]
In the explanation of this hadith, Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi describes four stages of Iman, in the following order:
1. Tawakkul
2. Tafwid
3. Taslim
4. Rida
Discussion 2
There is a section in Imam Khomeni’s book Adab-us-Salat, titled “The stages of the stations of the people of Suluk”. Here we will present some excerpt from this section :
One of those stages is the stage of Knowledge ['ilm], which is such that it proves, by scientific conduct [sulūk] and philosophic argument, the humility of servitude and the Glory of (His) Lordship.
…. he should write what (his) reason has understood through irrefutable proof and scientific conduct, with the pen of intellect on the tablet of the heart, to convey the truth of the humility of servitude and the Glory of Lordship to the heart and free himself from the chains and the veils of knowledge. We shall refer to this stage presently, inshā' Allāh. So, the result of the second stage is acquiring belief in the facts.
The third stage is that of “tranquility and calmness of the soul,” [itminan] which is, in fact, the perfect stage of faith.
The fourth stage is that of “vision” [mushāhadah], which is a divine light and a divine manifestation, as a consequence of the manifestations of the Names and the Attributes appearing in the secret of the sālik, and lightening his complete heart with the visionary light. This stage comprises many degrees that are out of the capacity of these pages. [2]
Imam Khomeni clearly states that it is impossible to fully comprehend each stage in the stations of those journeying towards the Creator. He also names four stages, while recognizing that there are many sub-stages within these stages. These stages are:
1. Knowledge [‘Ilm]
2. Writing on the tablet of the heart with the pen of knowledge
3. Tranquility of the heart [Itminan]
4. Vision [Mushahidah]
Discussion 3
There is a fascinating discussion on Tawakkul in Imam Khomeni’s book titled 40 Hadith. It is the twentieth Hadith, titled “Trust in God (Tawakkul)”. We will mention the details of this discussion later. For now, we will just present a short summary.
Once again Imam Khomeni recognizes that there can be multiple ways to grade the various stages of tawakkul, and also the levels beyond tawakkul. We can gather some valuable information from this discussion and conclude that the levels of Tawakkul are:
1. Verbal Tawakkul
2. Rational Tawakkul (‘Ilm)
3. Tawakkul in the heart
4. Tafwid
5. Taslim / Rida
Tafwid, Taslim and Rida are categorized as stages beyond the stages of Tawakkul.
Discussion 4
There is a hadith mentioned in Bihar al Anwar by the eighth Imam, Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha (a.s) which is quoted by Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi in the tafseer (Tafseer-e-Namoona) of the 13th Verse of Surah Hujarat. The English translation of the Arabic is as follows:
Faith (Iman) is at a higher level than Islam and God-Fearing (Taqwa) is at a higher level than faith and Certitude (Yaqeen) is at a higher level than Taqwa. And nothing has been distributed among people less than certitude [4]
According to the above narration, we can categorize the men of God in four levels. They are those who possess (in that order):
1. Islam
2. Iman
3. Taqwa
4. Yaqeen
Discussion 5
In his book “The Greater Sins” Shaheed Dastghaib Shirazi writes that according to Allama Baqir Majlisi there are four levels of Taqwa:
1. Wara at-Ta’bīri: To abstain from the prohibited things.
2. Wara as-Salihīn: To abstain from doubtful things so that one may not commit a Harām act.
3. Wara al-Muttaqīn: To abstain from permissible things so that one is absolutely protected from ‘Harām’.
4. Wara as-Sādiqīn: To avoid everything that is not religious so that one may not waste precious time in useless acts, even though there may not be any risk of committing a sin. [5]
THE BIG PICTURE
Everything presented in this article so far can seem quite overwhelming; even daunting. We have read some discussions on a complicated topic by some remarkable individuals. Now, it may be beneficial for us if we attempt to combine this information in one place, and see how the discussions relate to each other.
The figure below represents a spectrum - (This is merely an attempt - but obviously subject to disagreement and open to debate).
Each rectangle in the figure represents a class of people. When we see scholars mentioning the various stages of Iman, Taqwa etc, they are actually referring to different points on the above chart. The same is true for narrations from the infallibles.
'Ilm (Knowledge):
The black square in the figure above encompasses everyone. One may possess some knowledge about Islam, yet may not be a Muslim (It seems like the stage of ‘Ilm that Imam Khomeni talks about is actually a higher level of 'Ilm, not the early stages).
Islam:
Becoming a Muslim is not the same as becoming a M’umin. This idea is discussed quite often in the Holy Quran and can also be seen in the words of Imam Al-Ridha (See discussion four). Reciting the kalimah is enough for becoming a Muslim and according to Fiqh, a person who claims to be a Muslim must be treated as one.
Verbal Tawakkul (Verbal Reliance):
After the acceptance of Islam, one claims to put their trust in Allah (SWT). Here is how Imam Khomeni describes this level (Discussion 3) :
“As a matter of verbal habit they may often declare that God decrees all matters and has power over all things, that nothing can come into existence without His sacred Will. Yet, their actual station is not at a par with their verbal profession, neither in respect of knowledge, nor faith, neither experience nor conviction.
This class of people, to which we also belong, have no knowledge of God’s Lordship; their faith in tawhid is deficient and the sovereignty of the Lord is concealed from their sight by the veils of apparent causation. Hence they do not occupy the station of tawakkul, which is our concern here, except on the level of mere verbal claim. Accordingly, they do not rely in their worldly affairs on anything except the superficial causes and material factors.
If sometimes they turn their attention to God and beseech something of Him, that is either on account of imitation or for reasons of caution; since not only they see no harm in it but allow a possibility of benefit. Thus there is a scent of tawakkul in them, although whenever they deem the apparent causal factors as favorable they totally forget God and His efficacy.
Now that which is said regarding tawakkul, that it is not opposed to action and effort is quite right and in accordance with reason as well as revelation. But to fail to see God’s Lordship and His efficacy and to consider material causes as independent is contrary to tawakkul. Although this kind of people is devoid of tawakkul in respect to their worldly affairs, they make vigorous claims of tawakkul when it comes to the matters of the Hereafter. They justify their sluggishness and neglect in the matters of acquisition of transcendental knowledge, spiritual development and fulfillment of moral and devotional duties by easy professions of reliance on God and tawakkul on His beneficence.
With such verbal declarations as ‘God is great’ and ‘My trust lies in God’s beneficence’ they hope to attain the stations of the Hereafter. However, in regard to worldly matters, they declare, “Effort and endeavor are not contrary to tawakkul on God and reliance upon His munificence.” This is nothing except one of the guiles of the carnal self and the Devil. For this sort has tawakkul on God neither in the matters of the world nor in the affairs of the Hereafter. But since they consider worldly matters as paramount, they put their reliance on material causes, not relying on God and His efficacy.
On the other hand, since the affairs of the Hereafter are not important in their eyes and as they have no real faith in the Day of Resurrection and its details, they conjure up pretexts to conceal their neglect. Hence they say, ‘God is great’, and they declare trust in God and faith in the intercession of the Intercessors, although such professions are nothing but empty verbiage and meaningless oscillations of the tongue “ [3]
Rational Tawakkul (Rational Reliance):
“There is another class of people, who, having been convinced either by reason or revelation, affirm that God Almighty is the sole determiner of matters, the cause of all causes, efficacious in the realm of being, there being no limit to His power and influence. On the level of rational belief, they have tawakkul in God; that is the complete grounds of tawakkul have been furnished for them by reason and revelation.
Hence they consider themselves as mutawakkil and are able to supply rational proofs in justification of tawakkul, having confirmed rational conviction in all the essential preliminaries of tawakkul, which are: God’s knowledge of the needs of His creatures; His power and ability to satisfy those needs; His freedom from stinginess; and His Love and mercy for His creatures. On the basis of these, it is necessary to have trust on the Omniscient, Powerful, un-niggardly and Merciful Lord, Who takes care to provide whatever is good for His creatures and in their interest, Who does not allow them to remain deprived of what is good for them, even though they themselves should be incapable of distinguishing between that which is beneficial or harmful for them.
This group, although they are mutawakkil on the level of rational knowledge, has not yet attained the stage of faith; they are shaky when confronted with the matters of life. There is a conflict between their reason and their heart, in which reason is dominated by the heart which has faith in material causes and is blind to God’s power and efficacy” [3]
It also appears then Imam khmomeni also relates to this stage (or some level close to this stage) as the stage of Knowledge.
"One of those stages is the stage of Knowledge ['ilm], which is such that it proves, by scientific conduct [sulūk] and philosophic argument, the humility of servitude and the Glory of (His) Lordship. This is a pure sort of knowledge, since it is clearly proved in the high sciences and supreme philosophy that the entire House of Realization [dār-i tahaqquq] and the complete circle of existence are mere relation and attachment and nothing but poverty.
......Therefore, if the sālik on the road of the truth, the traveler in the way of servitude, covers this distance with the steps of scientific sulūk and the mount of intellectual advance, he will fall in the veils of knowledge and attain the first station of humanity. But this veil is a thick one, as it is said: “Knowledge is the greatest veil.” The sālik should not stay behind this veil. He is to tear it, since, should he be contented with this stage and keep his heart chained by it; he would fall into istidrāj (being engaged in other than the Haqq)" [2]
Iman (Faith) :
It appears that this stage is a turning point in the journey towards the Creator. Imam Khomeni describes it as the stage when “the pen of reason has inscribed all the essentials of tawakkul on the tablet of their heart. It is they who possess the station of tawakkul.” [3]
This Tawakkul is consistent with what Ayatullah Shirazi considers as the first stage of Iman. He states (refer to Discussion 1) :
“The first stage is to have complete reliance in Allah (SwT). In reality, the true believer must be one who says, “Since it is through the knowledge, power and mercy of Allah (SwT) that I have been granted true faith (Iman) and knowledge, I will take Him alone as the One whom I rely upon.” [1]
The Holy Qur’an also mentions the difference between Iman and Islam and the relationship of Iman to the heart becomes quite clear :
قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا ۖ قُلْ لَمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَٰكِنْ قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ ۖ
The dwellers of the desert say: We believe. Say: You do not believe but say, We submit; and faith has not yet entered into your hearts [49:14]
Itminan (Contentment) :
The level of Itminan is what Ayatullay Khomeni calls the “perfect degree of Tawakkul”. In regards to those who have inscribed the knowledge onto their hearts, he says :
“But the members of this group also differ from one another in regard to the level and degree of faith, whose highest degree is contentment (itminan) at which the most perfect degree of tawakkul appears in their heart. Then, their heart is detached from causation and attached to the Lordship of God, on Whom they rely and in Whom they-are content, in accordance with the words of the mystic who defined tawakkul as “casting the body away in servitude to God and attaching the heart to His Lordship.” [3]
Tafwid:
This is a stage beyond Tawakkul. According to Imam Khomeni:
“That which was mentioned above holds true in the case when the heart still dwells in the stage of plurality (kathrat al-af’ar) otherwise it leaves behind the station of tawakkul to attain to a higher station whose discussion lies outside the scope of this exposition.” [3]
Similarly, Ayatullah Makaram Shirazi explains:
“The second stage is that of complete dependence on Allah (SwT). In the previous stage, it is said that the true believer is walking on the path towards Allah (SwT) which he himself has chosen. However at this stage, the true believer - in reality - says to Allah (SwT), “O' Allah! You know better than I do and thus, I leave everything in Your hands.”
At the stage of Tawakkul, a person gives precedence to everything that he feels is for his own personal benefit and thus he sees all the limits and restrictions for his own benefit. However in Tafwid, the person knows that he has individual benefits at stake, however he does not see the limits - rather - he leaves them all up to Allah (SwT) (to fulfill) because he has complete reliance upon Him.” [1]
If we look at the hadith from Imam Ridha (as), the stage that the holy Imam mentions above Iman is Taqwa. It seems that Imam (as) is mentioning Wara - al - Muttaqin (which seems to line up around Tafwid - See chart) the stage when the individual avoids even the permissible in fear of committing the Haram (forbidden).
Taslim (Submission):
“This stage is even higher than the previously mentioned level. At this stage, personal benefit has no meaning to the person. At the stage of Tawakkul, one's personal wishes and desires were the topic of discussion, however at the level of Taslim, a person does not even consider his own personal desires.
The meaning of Taslim is not that we do not ask our needs or desires from Allah (SwT) and that we do not call upon Him. Rather, it means that if we have asked Him for something and our prayers have not been answered (in this world), then we must still submit to Him (in the apparent non-fulfillment of our supplications)” [1]
Ridha (Satisfaction):
“The stage of Rida is greater than the previously mentioned stages. It can be said that at the level of Taslim, a person still had personal wants and desires, however he has submitted his presence and gives up his wants (to Allah (SwT)). However at the stage of Rida - even within a person's own soul - there is no resistance in relation to his wishes and desires - and this is the difference between Taslim and Rida.
These levels mentioned form the four stages of the spiritual travel towards Allah (SwT) in the hopes of attaining closeness to Him. It is very easy to explain these levels through words, however how far the distance of travel is between each one of them!
Sometimes, these levels are also known as [فناء في اللٌّه] or complete annihilation in Allah (SwT). Although it should be kept in mind that the word [فناء] has two meanings, of which the first is the known and rational interpretation which is reaching to the level of Rida. In this stage, a person forgets all of his own personal wishes and desires while in the spiritual presence of the Pure Essence of his Lord and truly this is the correct meaning of the phrase [فناء في اللٌّه] which is also the agreed upon meaning in the Islamic legislations and our intelligence.” [1]
When Imam Ridha (as) mentions Yaqeen as the highest level of faith it appears that maybe he is referring to the stages of Taslim and Ridha. Additionally, Imam Khomeni mentions “Mushahidah” as the highest level of faith. Perhaps we can say that Taslim and Ridha are stages within Yaqeen, and Mushahidah is an outcome of these stages. This is compatible with what we read in various narrations regarding seemingly ordinary folks who were at the level of Yaqeen (Yaqeen also has various levels - the highest of which is Haqq-ul-Yaqeen) and experiences Mushahidah.
The Levels of Yaqeen and Mushahidah:
There is a clear relationship between the highest level of faith and the ability to see realities.
We will now provide an excerpt from “Imam Ali’s first treatise on the Islamic ethics and education” by Zainul Abideen Qurbani Lahiji where he mentions a very famous incident regarding the effects of Yaqeen on a young man:
“Parallel with the degrees of certainty, there exist different effects and signs for it. Those who are at the stage of Haqq al-Yaqin enjoy a better degree of recognition and high temperaments. They can perform extraordinary feats. They who live at the other two degrees of certainty (i.e.) ‘Ilm al-Yaqin and ‘Ayn al-yaqin, naturally enjoy fewer advantages.
The writer of “Misbah al-Shari’ah” writes, Imam Sadiq (as) has said: “Certainty raises the status of the man to a lofty one, and the Great Prophet of Islam (S), hearing that Jesus Christ (as) had walked over water, replied: ‘If Jesus enjoyed greater certainty, he would have walked on air as well’”.
This statement depicts the lofty degree of certainty.
In his book "The truth behind Faith and Certainty," al-Kulayni reports two traditions on the issue of the extraordinary effects of certainty. It seems both cases refer to a single person. However because of the significance of the issue, both are given here:
1. Ishaq b. ‘Ammar says: I heard Imam Sadiq (as) saying: The Prophet (S) performed the Morning Prayer with people. He saw among the crowd a young man who was dozing off and his head was leaning towards his breast. His skin was yellow, his body thin, and his eyes deep in his skull.
The Prophet (S) asked him: “O young man, how did you spend last night”? He replied: “O Messenger of Allah, I spent it with certainty”. The Prophet (S) was surprised at his reply.
Then, he told the youth: “For each certainty, there is a truth. What is the truth behind your certainty”?
He answered: “These are the effects and consequences of my certainty: It has made me sad; it keeps me awake for night prayers; it has made me go on fasting during the day. I have become disinterested in the worldly affairs. It is as if now I saw my God in the sky. I realize He is after the affairs of people. People, it seems, are gathering in the Doom's Day, I am among them, I feel. It seems as if I saw the inhabitants of paradise enjoying the blessings and having good time. It seems as if I saw the inhabitants of Hell crying and asking for help. It is as if I heard the noise of the people of Hell”.
Then the Prophet (S), hearing these statements, told his followers: “God has illuminated this man's heart with light”. Then he told the youth: “Continue with this state of mind."
Then the youth said, "O Messenger of Allah, ask God to make me a martyr in your holy wars. The Prophet (S) prayed for him. Some time later, he joined one of the prophet's holy wars and was the ninth martyr in that war."
2. Abu Basir narrates from Imam Sadiq (as) who said, ‘The Prophet (S) saw Harith Ibn Malik Ibn Nu'man al-Ansari, and asked him: “How are you, Harith”?
He replied: “I am a true believer”. The Prophet (S) said. "For everything there is a truth. What is the truth beyond your speech”?
He answered, "O Messenger of Allah, I lack interest in this world. At night, I am awake for prayers, during the days, due to fasting and the heat, I am extremely thirsty. It is as if I saw my God in the Heaven. He is there to keep people accountable for what they do. I see the people of paradise meeting each other. It seems as if I heard the groans of the people of Hell."
The Prophet (S) said, regarding this youth: "He is God's servant whose heart has become illuminated by Him". Then, he told the youth: "You have got the insight. Be steady and firm."
The youth told the Prophet (S): “Please ask God to make me one of the martyrs among your army”. The Prophet (S) asked God to provide Harith with martyrdom.
Some time later Harith was among the army dispatched for war. He killed 8 persons and then was martyred." [6]
‘Ismah (Infallibility):
We now come to the stage which is the most perfect, the most sublime, the most lofty position a creation of Allah (SWT) can ever achieve. It is a position that is attainable by none other than the fourteen luminous individuals - the first of whom is Al Rasool al Adham Abul Qasim Muhammad (SAW) and the last of whom is the Imam of our age Al Hujjat Ibn al Hassan al Qaim al Mehdi (A.S). The focal point of the splendor of these infallibles is the lady of light, Sayida tu nisa al alimeen Fatima Bint Muhammad (A.S). May Allah (SWT) grant us the tawfeeq to live our lives in obedience to these beings and lay our lives in their cause.
Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi states:
“Ismah is nothing more than the highest level of Taqwa” [7]
According to Imam Khomeni:
“Rather it (Ismah) is a spiritual state and a light acquired by means of the perfect light of certainty (yaqin) and total tranquility (itminan). The errors and sins that are committed by human beings are due to inadequate conviction and faith. The degrees of conviction and faith are so various as to be beyond description. The perfect certainty of the prophets and their complete tranquility, acquired through unmediated knowledge (mushahedeh-ye hudariyyah), makes them immune to error. The conviction of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (A) had brought him to the station that he declared: “Even if I were to be given the whole world in order to unjustly deprive an ant of a grain, I would not do it. “ [8]
So we have reached the end of our spectrum. And It is at this level of Ismah when the servant displays the highest level of Taslim and Ridha, and exclaims in the face of calamities:
"Indeed we are for Allah and to Him shall we return. I accept what he has intended and I am content with His order"
And Allah (SWT) addresses his beloved servant remembering their Itminan and Ridha :
يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ
ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَرْضِيَّةً
“O you, The contented conscience !
Return to your Lord, Satisfied (With Him) Satisfied (Him)” [89:27-28]
http://www.al-islam.org/ethical-discourses-vol1-makarim-shirazi/discourse-12-various-levels-perfection-iman
[2] Imam Khomeni, Adab-al-Salat
http://www.al-islam.org/adab-as-salat-disciplines-of-prayer-second-revised-edition-imam-khomeini/chapter-2-stages-stations
[3] Imam Khomeni, Forty Hadith - Thirteenth Hadith
http://www.al-islam.org/forty-hadith-an-exposition-second-edition-imam-khomeini/thirteenth-hadith-trust-god-tawakkul
[4] Bihar ul Anwar, Volume 70 Page 136 (as quoted in Tafseer-e-Namoon Surah Hujarat Verse 13)
[5] Shaheed Dastghaib Shirazi, The Greater Sins
http://www.al-islam.org/greater-sins-volume-1-ayatullah-sayyid-abd-al-husayn-dastghayb-shirazi/greater-sins-and-smaller-sins
http://www.al-islam.org/greater-sins-volume-1-ayatullah-sayyid-abd-al-husayn-dastghayb-shirazi/greater-sins-and-smaller-sins
[6] Zainul Abideen Qurbani Lahiji, Imam Ali’s first treatise on the Islamic ethics and education
http://www.al-islam.org/imam-ali-s-first-treatise-islamic-ethics-and-education-zainol-aabideen-qorbani-lahiji/7-strengthen
[7] Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi, Ethical Disclosures (Volume 2)
http://www.al-islam.org/ethical-discourses-vol2-makarim-shirazi/discourse-10-taqwa-consciousness-allah
[8]Imam Khomeni, Forty Hadith - Thirty First Hadith
http://www.al-islam.org/forty-hadith-an-exposition-second-edition-imam-khomeini/thirty-first-hadith-indescribability-god#reality-‘ismah
http://www.al-islam.org/imam-ali-s-first-treatise-islamic-ethics-and-education-zainol-aabideen-qorbani-lahiji/7-strengthen
[7] Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi, Ethical Disclosures (Volume 2)
http://www.al-islam.org/ethical-discourses-vol2-makarim-shirazi/discourse-10-taqwa-consciousness-allah
[8]Imam Khomeni, Forty Hadith - Thirty First Hadith
http://www.al-islam.org/forty-hadith-an-exposition-second-edition-imam-khomeini/thirty-first-hadith-indescribability-god#reality-‘ismah
Comments
Post a Comment