Word 55: The one who knows his value uses his body and its powers to hunt knowledge. The soul’s actuality is valid to the extent of acquiring divine knowledge and true theological and practical “Malakat”. (Malakat are attributes that are engraved in a person’s existence as a result of continuity. These attributes are considered a permanent part of his morals).
If a person knows his value, he will not sell himself. Worldly temptations will not easily deceive him. He will not give in to low-level affairs and will not exchange himself. “And to Allah belongs [all] honor, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know” (Al-Munafiqun:8).
There are two forms of pride in the Holy Quran: 1- “And when he is told, “Beware of God,” his pride leads him to more sin. Hell is enough for him—a dreadful abode” (Al-Baqara:206). It is the honor that goes against God. 2- “And to Allah belongs [all] honor, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know” (Al-Munafiqun:8). A believer is not humiliated by the material world because of his honor, but the world humiliates everyone else. They are slaves of the worldly life.
Imam Hussain (A.S.) said, “Our fate is what you see. Indeed, the situation has changed; ugliness has emerged, and goodness and virtues have vanished from our society; there is nothing left of human virtues except a few drops left in a water container. People live a shameful and humiliating life. They neither do the right thing nor turn away from the wrongdoing. It is worth it that in such a shameful society, a person with faith and virtue undertakes sacrifices, self-denial, and rushes in order to obtain the grace of meeting his Lord. In such a humiliating society, I see death as nothing but bliss and happiness and life with these oppressors as nothing but suffering and misery. These people are slaves of the world, and religion is on their tongue. Their support for religion is to the extent that their lives are prosperous, and when they are put to the test, there will be few religious people”.
The believer has dignity, and because of that, he does not bow his head in front of the world and even in the higher ranks for the Hereafter happiness. This distinction goes to someone who understands his value. They understand that their worth is greater than being humiliated in front of all the world’s wealth or for all the pleasures of worldly life. As a result, we can see that the Awliya of God withdraw from worldly life and value the world only for obtaining people’s rights.
Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali (A) said, “For me, ruling you is not worth as much as a goat’s nose’s water”. Goat nose water is pure, not impure. However, nobody desires it. The Imam used the example of how I am so opposed to this government and this world that I only consented to it to return the rights of the oppressed people from the oppressor. It means that the world and ruling over you are worthless to me. Imam Ali (A) has several examples like the above sentences, such as when he remarked, “After me, Marwan comes to power and rules as much as a dog scratches its muzzle”. Marwan’s ruling lasted barely a few months.
Allameh Helli narrates from his father, Sudid al-Din Yusuf bin al-Muthahar: “The reason why the cities of Kufa, Hella, Karbala, and Najaf were protected from the massacre and destruction of Hulaku Khan’s Mongol army was that when Hulaku Khan and his army arrived outside the city of Baghdad, most of the people of Hella were terrified. They rushed from their houses. But my father, Sayyed Ibn Tawus, and Abi al-Azza, all of whom were Shia scholar geniuses, agreed to compose a letter to Hulaku Khan expressing their submission. They wrote the letter and sent it. When the letter arrived outside the city of Baghdad when it was under siege, he immediately ordered to write in the reply: You three, the elders of the city of Hella, and the people are at your disposal; come to me. Then he sent the reply through two of his soldiers. When the letter arrived, Sayyed bin Tawus and Ibn Abi al-Azz found out about its contents and refused to go to him. Therefore, my father said: I am ready, and he left with only those two soldiers while carrying a book. The Mongol king was surprised and said, “How dare you come here and write such a letter when the city of Baghdad has not been conquered and the state of the country and your duties have not been known?” He responded: Be cautious, sending the letter and arriving without fear is based on a narrative from our Imam, Ali bin Abi Talib (A), who said in the book Nahj al-Balagha in the sermon of Zura: “Al-Zura, and who knows what Zura is? (Baghdad, and what do you know what Baghdad is?) It is a large city, and modern structures should be securely built in it, many people should opt to live there, including several of Ibn al-Abbas’ caliphs. And they will oppress; in the end, they will be attacked by a youthful and powerful army with tiny eyes and shield-like faces, iron-armored clothing, and forceful voices. They will not pass through a city unless they win it, and no monarch or flag will be raised against them unless it is demolished, and whoever resists them will suffer greatly. After hearing these predictions from the noble words of Imam Ali (A), particularly the tidings of victory for the kings who will come to his war, and seeing all of the signs that the Imam had stated in himself and his army, he immediately wrote a letter saying, “Whenever I conquered the city of Hella, the city of Kufa, Najaf, and Karbala through this prophecy of Imam Ali (A), I will pardon all of them”. I will prevent the people from being murdered or taken. Then, believing in Imam Ali’s prophesy, he ordered an attack on Baghdad, killing Mu’tasim, Ibn al-Abbas’s final caliph, in the worst way possible, and winning an unexpected victory, spreading the authenticity of the prophecy to the globe and added to the admirers of the Imam.
Let’s get back to our discussion, dears. We must realize our value, and understand that we will not be destroyed after death, but rather live eternally. To behave correctly, we must have accurate beliefs.
What do you regard as your source of happiness? Some may argue that a person’s happiness is having a happy ending, going to paradise, and doing such and such. However, some may argue that I should define happiness as having a nice life, a good vehicle, a good house, a good wife, a lot of money, and so on. Well, they are correct if we simply consider the tangible world. In this case, happiness is enjoying ourselves while we are in the material world because there is no Hereafter. However, for those who believe in the Hereafter and understand that life does not finish here, happiness will be divided into two parts: 80 years in the material world and eternal life after that. People who believe in the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter understand that God will question our conduct because He is Just. Dears, it is human ideas that cause human deeds. “Ideas make actions”. Therefore, we must first correct our beliefs.
Many people ask, “Sir, why do you talk about these subjects (monotheism)?” Instead, educate people to pray, the practical treatise, and how to read the Quran. Dears, If we don’t comprehend our beliefs, what principles should we follow in our lives? Actions that are founded on something other than accepted belief will falter with small skepticism from others. The actions with no belief resemble foam on the water. However, if we comprehend and accept our beliefs from the heart, we will no longer be persuaded by worldly temptations and doubts. We will remain steadfast like a mountain because we have recognized our worth. Of course, we must learn prayers correctly, read the Quran correctly, and understand the regulations of our religion, but the “principles of beliefs” precede the branches of beliefs.
Allameh Hassanzadeh said, “The one who knows his value uses his body and its powers to hunt knowledge”. Initially, individuals are not hunters and cannot hunt. They must read books, listen to heavenly masters, and acquire divine wisdom. When they grow and evolve, they may gradually widen their hunting net. They sit down to think deeply, pay attention, and receive divine guidance from the other side. For example, at first, people may experience spiritual and pleasant dreams that come true. Of course, dears, viewing holy visions is wonderful, but we should continue. We must move higher and seek intellectual knowledge.
Slowly, when individuals purify their inner selves and become worshippers and servants, they will acquire the hunting net and become hunters. Of course, becoming a hunter involves stages. We hunt a sparrow one time, and we could hunt an eagle the next. These are quite different from one another, yet for the time being, it is beneficial because we become hunters, our hearts are filled with inspiration, and we obtain discoveries. The type of hunting is determined by the sort of hunting net used, the horizon that people reached, and the individual’s talent.
Our thinking must be divine, seeking divine wisdom and truths. If we follow these guidelines and purify our thinking, we will gain the ability to understand. “And so We made Solomon understand it” (Al-Anbiya: 79). The gateway of understanding opens to divine wisdom. People sometimes hear, study, learn, and teach without truly understanding a subject. Understanding entails a thorough knowledge of a concept.
Everything in this world has levels. Understanding is like that. By improving one’s understanding, one can reach the level of inspiration and revelation.
Understanding is linked to the body. Sometimes, it takes time for a person to grasp something. A teacher may need to explain something for 30 minutes before a student understands it. When the door of understanding opens, the person who reads two lines of a book might comprehend the entire book. A teacher may say a sentence or even a word about a subject, and a student fully comprehends.
Allameh Tabataba’i (may Allah be pleased with him) once said of his student, Mr Motahari, “When he came to my class, I would dance with delight because I knew the subject would not be squandered. Whatever I say, he will comprehend”. Because sometimes the teacher himself speaks and hears, and those sitting in the classroom just listen.
Allameh, in this word, continued: The soul’s actuality is valid to the extent of acquiring divine knowledge and true theological and practical “Malakat”.
Humans are potentially human, not actually human. That is, they can become human, but they are not human. How would you react if someone showed you a pigeon’s egg and said, “This is a pigeon”? He is correct in one interpretation because he meant that it has the potential to become a pigeon but has not yet.
People are like this. Humans have potential and must become actualized in order to become human; otherwise, when they rise on the Day of Judgment and their inner selves are revealed, we would witness someone who has been resurrected as a child and has not fully matured. On the Day of Judgment, we may witness people who are clumsy, blind, or disabled. “And whoever is blind in this [life] will be blind in the Hereafter and more astray in way” (Al-Isra:72).
Human actuality is the perfection attainment of divine knowledge. What is the difference between a prophet and a Wali (saint) from other human beings? The difference is in their knowledge.
The difference between the Commander of the Faithful, Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali (A), and us is not that he prayed 1,000 rak’ahs per night, whereas we do not.
In Nahjul-Balagha, the Commander of the Faithful Ali (A) says, “The closest people to the prophets are those who benefit most from the prophets’ knowledge”.
Of course, when we mention knowledge, we do not mean terminologies or memorizing keywords, but rather the knowledge that Imam Sadiq (A) spoke about. Imam Sadiq (A) said, “Knowledge is a light that God places into the heart of whomever He wills”. So what is meant is the truth of knowledge, not just the memorization of terms.
Words are cages of meanings, and we must break this cage to bring out that meaning, not just be satisfied with the words themselves. The difference between prophets and their people is in their knowledge. So, the more knowledgeable a person is, the more human they become.
The distinction between Jesus (A) and an ordinary person is that Jesus is a genuine scholar and mystic, while others are not. The distinction is not because of reviving the dead and healing the ill, for both are manifestations and effects of divine knowledge.
Saving people from ignorance and bringing them to life with knowledge is higher than reviving the dead. Why? Because when you bring dead people to life, they will live for another 70 years at most and then eventually die, but when you bring someone to life with the living water of knowledge, you have given them eternal life.
So, the actuality of the human soul is in divine knowledge, monotheism, knowledge of God, knowledge of the Imam, origin, and resurrection. We must attain the true knowledge of these. The holy Quran says, “Say, Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” (Az-Zumar:9).
“It is Allah who has created seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them. [His] command descends among them so you may know that Allah is over all things competent and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge” (At-Talaq:12). God says that He created heaven and earth so that you may know. Interestingly, He also says, “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me” (Adh, Dhariyat:59). The first verse relates to knowledge, and the second relates to action. We must achieve perfection and get closer to our Lord by following the path of knowledge and action.
Prophet Muhammad said, “Knowledge leads to action, and action follows it. The fortunate are inspired by knowledge, while the unfortunate are deprived of it”. He also said, “The superiority that a scholar has over a worshiper (not an ignorant one) is like my superiority over one of the lowest of you”.
Someone asked the Imam, “There is one of your Shias who tells and explains your hadiths and wisdom to your followers and engraves the topic in their hearts, but there is another who does not do this but is very devoted to worship. Which one is superior”? “The Imam replied, “The one who read our hadiths and instills them in the hearts of our Shiites is superior to a thousand Shiite worshippers”.
The Kharijite group of Nahrawan were so intense in their worship and prostration that they developed a callus on their forehead from the prostrations. They used scissors to remove the callus from their foreheads. Ibn Abbas says, “When I saw them, my body trembled. I saw their clothes worn out, their lips parched from fasting, their foreheads callused from prostration, their lips reciting the name of God at all times, and some of them sleeping on their prayer mats. Does Ali want to fight these people?!”. They were worshippers but ignorant and lack of knowledge. Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (A) said after the battle of Nahrawan, “I have blinded the eyes of sedition, and no one else could have done this”. Who can draw a sword for worshippers who sleep in prostration?
Imam Ali (A) said, “A worshiper without knowledge is like a mill donkey that goes around and does not move”.
Even if the donkey turns around for seventy years, when it opens its eyes, it will find itself at the same beginning point. Two rak’ahs of prayer from a scholar are superior to seventy rak’ahs from an ignorant person because when fitnah (oppression) strikes a scholar, he may escape from it with his knowledge, whereas it crushes the ignorants. The one who is little in action and full of knowledge is superior to the one who is big in action, little in knowledge, and full of doubts! The action leading to ascension is directed by knowledge.
God says, “Those who believe and do right works—We will admit them into the company of the righteous” (Al-Ankabut:9). There is a difference between people who are doing good deeds and the ones who are called “righteous”. Prophet Yousef said, “My Lord, You have given me some authority and taught me some interpretation of events. Initiator of the heavens and the earth; You are my Protector in this life and in the Hereafter. Receive my soul in submission, and unite me with the righteous” (Yusuf:101). So, righteous is a level at which even prophets would desire to be united. It has something to do with one’s knowledge level.
For example, in the Satan story in the Holy Quran, God says, “Except Satan; he was arrogant and was among the disbelievers” (Sad:74). Why does God say Satan was one of the disbelievers? Didn’t he accept God? No, Satan accepted God since he stated, “You created me from fire, and You created him from clay” (Sad:76). So, he knew God is the creator of all.
Didn’t he accept the Day of Judgement? No, he accepted the Day of Judgment as he stated, “Lord, defer me until the Day they are resurrected” (Sad:79). Did he not know the straight path? No, because he stated, “Because you have lured me, I will waylay them on Your straight path” (Al-A’raf:16).
He also said, “By your might, I will surely mislead them all” (Sad:82). So, he accepted God as “The Exalted in Might,” and he also knew true leading and misleading.
“Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You]” (Al-A’raf:17). So, he knew we have to be grateful.
“[The hypocrites are] like the example of Satan when he says to man, “Disbelieve.” But when he disbelieves, he says, “Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I fear Allah, Lord of the worlds” (Al-Hashr:16). He accepts God as Lord of the worlds, and also he is afraid of Allah. He knows what is disbelieving.
“And [remember] when Satan made their deeds pleasing to them and said, “No one can overcome you today from among the people, and indeed, I am your protector.” But when the two armies sighted each other, he turned on his heels and said, Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I see what you do not see; indeed, I fear Allah. And Allah is severe in penalty” (Al-Anfal:48). He knows Allah as severe in penalty, and he sees something that disbelievers do not see.
Satan’s problem was in his beliefs because he refused to recognize Adam’s guardianship and believed he had a greater position than Adam, so he refused to heed God’s instruction to prostrate before him.
The Holy Prophet (S) said, “The intention of a believer is better than his action”. Since intention is related to the inner self, action is related to the outer self.
We must become divine hunters. We must wait before hunting. Let us wait for hunting in peace at night. In our alone, communicate with our God. God knows what can be hunted alone at night. As a result, my dears make sure to set aside some time each night to be alone with God, even if it’s only for 5 minutes. Do not put too much pressure on yourself; instead, spend 10 minutes talking to your God alone; this is the secret to happiness.
Muhammad Mahdi Me’marian
All praise is to God to the extent that He deserves it.
