Word 60: The one who has a conscious soul directs their heart towards God. They should take to heart the saying of the ‘Revealer of Truths,’ the Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (A), who stated: ‘The heart is the sanctuary of God, so do not let anyone other than God reside in God’s sanctuary.

By author Last updated Oct 12, 2025

The person who has reached the stage of Yaqzah—that is, the awakening from the slumber of heedlessness—is the one whose soul has gained awareness of what it should and should not do. It is the soul that has understood where it has come from, where it is now, and where it is headed. Such a soul is not submerged in the realm of nature but has become conscious. A person becomes unaware and heedless as a result of being immersed in and sinking into nature.

The Quran states: “How many a sign in the heavens and the earth do they pass by, paying no attention to them?” (Yusuf:105).

There are so many signs and symbols of God in the sky and on Earth that people pass by, yet they turn away from them. They see the divine signs but pay absolutely no attention to them.

However, the one who frees themselves from these habits and becomes conscious and awakened finds themselves in a state of searching for what to do. A sure sign of a spiritual seeker (salik) who has awakened from slumber is the state of anxious urgency. They constantly ask, “What should I do now?” This is because they realize the path they are on is not the right one, and so they fall into the state of anxious questioning.

He turns his heart toward God, just as Prophet Abraham (A) declared: “I have directed my attention towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth—a monotheist—and I am not of the idolaters.” (Al-An’am:79)

It means, “I turn my face—that is, I direct my entire being—toward the God, the Originator, the One who flourish the heavens and the earth.” This profound focus is based on one’s innate nature (fitra), and “I am not a polytheist who would associate any partner with the Originator of the heavens and the earth.” He directs his full attention to the Divine Truth.

Once I was in the presence of my Master (Allameh Hassanzadeh), I asked him a question, and he replied: “My son, the key to the treasure of all felicity is Muraqabah (vigilance/mindfulness).”

This means that wherever you wish to reach, you will only get through vigilance.

The root of the word Muraqib (vigilant one) comes from raqaba, which means “neck vein.” What is the connection between the neck vein and vigilance? When a person wants to watch something intently, they strain their neck. The strained neck is what we call muraqabah—that intense watchfulness and attention. The person who does this is called a raqib.

A person should be watchful of their soul. They must be mindful, with all attention, of what they are doing: where their eyes are looking, where their hands are going, where their heart is heading, where their desires are leading them, and even where their thoughts are wandering.

One form of vigilance is “Muraqabah of Presence”. This is when a person is constantly mindful of God. What does it mean to be mindful of God?

It means to be continuously mindful that “I am now in the presence of God.” They must always pay attention to the fact that God is my Raqib (Observer/Guardian). Raqib is one of the names of God, meaning God sees and is attentive to me.

We have two types of vigilance, presence, and attention:

Muraqabah of “perceiving presence” (dark-e huzur)

Muraqabah of “perceiving audience” (dark-e mahzar)

The Messenger of God, Prophet Muhammad (S), said: “Worship God as if you see Him; and if you do not see Him, He surely sees you.”

This saying has two parts: The first part says,”‘Worship God as if you see Him.'” This is what mystics (Urafa’) call “perceiving presence” (Dark-e Huzur). In this state, the spiritual seeker (salik) directs their attention to God Himself. This is not easy for everyone to achieve; it requires traversing a great deal of the spiritual path to be able to focus one’s attention in this way.

The second part says: “‘If you do not see Him, He surely sees you.'” This is what is called “perceiving audience” (Dark-e Mahzar). This level is more accessible. The Messenger of God says that if you cannot achieve the first, you should at least observe this second level. It involves focusing on the fact that God is watching me right now.

Perceiving presence (dark-e huzur) is difficult for novice spiritual seekers. They should instead focus on this aspect: wherever they are, God is watching them.

“Does he not know that Allah sees?” (Al-Alaq:14). This Quranic verse is about perceiving the audience (dark-e mahzar).

A person should internalize this idea: ‘Wherever I am, God is the Observer (Nazer) and the Watcher (Raqib) over me.’ If a person focuses on this for even a short time, they will experience spiritual openings (fotuhat) and states (halat). Some spiritual teachers even instruct their students always to imagine that they are sitting in the presence of their master.

The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: “I advise you to feel such shame before God as you would feel before a righteous person of your community.”

The Hadith of the Messenger of God: “Feel such modesty before God as you would before your righteous neighbor.”

Assume you were next to your spiritual master, would you be able to shout at your mother? Would you be able to be ill-tempered with your sister or your husband, or your wife? So, whenever you want to do something, consider that you are next to your master. How would you behave then? Muraqabah (vigilance) is exactly like this.

If a person awakens, they will understand that they must turn their heart towards God.

A friend of mine, from the early days when we were students in Qom at the age of 18, shared this story. Ayatollah Bahjat had not yet declared his marja’iyya (religious authority), so his time was less crowded. He would come to the mosque to pray, and students would gather around him. Sometimes we would go forward and ask a question. One time, after prayers, as he was heading home, we went to him.

We said, “Sir, what should we do to achieve presence in prayer?”

He first asked: “Did you come just to ask something and leave, or do you intend to act on it? I’m not in the mood to talk. I even answer istikhara (divine consultation) with a gesture.”

I replied: “No, sir, I want to act on it.”

He said, “In prayer, whenever you notice that your mind has wandered away from God, immediately collect yourself and turn your attention back to God. Do not allow your mind to become scattered or the ‘bird of thought’ to fly away. Later, it might inadvertently slip away again, but as soon as you remember, collect yourself once more. This means that when you remember, do not let the bird of thought fly away again.” If a person performs this practice for a short period, their mind will no longer wander in all directions.

Someone said: “I once saw a true mystic (‘Aref’) sitting in a state of vigilance (muraqabah), so still that not a single hair on his body moved”. You’ve seen people during prayer swatting a fly or scratching themselves? This is because they lack presence (huzur); these are all signs of a lack of presence.”

“I asked him, ‘From whom did you learn this kind of precise vigilance?'”

“He replied, ‘I learned it from a cat. One day, I saw a cat ambushing a mouse, sitting so still and motionless that not a single hair on its body moved.'”

“He thought to himself, ‘Should I be any less than this cat in my effort to achieve the presence of God?'”

With this, a person, with their entire being, turns their attention to God during prayer and outside of prayer.

My Master (Allameh Hassanzadeh) used to say: “Put aside illusions and fantasies. The human mind is constantly flying; you must rein it in. Constantly pay attention to the fact that you are in the audience of God, because what a person then receives as a result of this vigilance is known only to God! It is not something that can be put into words.”

Imam Sadiq (A) said, “The heart is the sanctuary of Allah, so do not let anyone other than Allah reside in the sanctuary of Allah.”

In ancient times, polytheists used to place idols in the Kaaba; there were 360 idols there until the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) was appointed. When he was appointed, he went with the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (A), one night and broke all the idols.

Our hearts are also full of idols. Our carnal desires, everything that is not God, our far-reaching hopes and lusts—anything we chase that is not God becomes an idol in the Kaaba of our hearts. Some may have two hundred idols, while others may have just two.

We must give our hearts over to Prophethood and Wilayah so that they can break the idols in this inner temple. The heart must be emptied of everything but God, and nothing should remain in our hearts except God.

A question is posed: Is it an idol to say, “I want to get a bachelor’s degree and find a certain thing?”

The answer is that an idol is any desire that enters the heart and takes the place of God. The Kaaba is God’s sanctuary (Haram Allah); we cannot place anything but God within it. When the Kaaba was filled with idols, one could not prostrate toward it, as it would be prostrating toward the idols. This is why the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) and Imam Ali (peace be upon him) broke them. A heart that contains anything other than God cannot truly turn its full attention to God.

A person’s child can, at times, become an idol. This doesn’t refer to the natural love a person feels for their child; that love is innate. However, there are times when the love for one’s child becomes an obstacle to the love of God, standing in the way of it. Similarly, the love for a spouse can sometimes stand in the way of God.

When Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) went for communion with God and reached the sacred mountain, what was the divine call he received?

“Indeed, I am I, your Lord. Take off your shoes. You are in the sacred valley of Tuwa.” (TaHa:12)

“Take off your shoes, for you have entered the sacred valley of Tuwa.”

Commentators, especially some from the Sunni tradition, have fabricated various explanations for this command. One said Prophet Moses’s shoes were dirty. Another suggested he had made his shoes from the skin of an animal forbidden to eat.

However, in our narrations, it is said that the shoes represent the love for one’s family and dependents. God said, “Take off your shoes,” meaning, “Remove the love for your family and dependents from your heart,” because Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) had a great love for his family and wife.

It is interesting to note that in dreams, a spouse or family members often manifest themselves in the form of shoes.

“O you who believe! Among your wives and your children are enemies to you, so beware of them” (At-Taqabon:14). “Your possessions and your children are a test, but with God is a splendid reward” (At-Taqabon:15).

Zubayr was consistently with the Commander of the Faithful (Amir Al-Mu’minin), Imam Ali (A), even during the events of the usurpation of the caliphate. When they were taking the Imam to the mosque, Zubayr drew his sword against Umar. This continued until Imam Ali (A) became the ruler, at which point Zubayr left him and joined Talha. Imam Ali (A) said: “Zubayr was always with us until his son grew up and his son’s influence came between us.”

Sometimes, a person doesn’t seek the world for themselves, but they pursue it for their child. They go to great lengths to secure their child’s future, even though God is the ultimate Provider (Razzaq).

Can we provide sustenance for our children if God does not will it? Can we increase or decrease our children’s sustenance? Whatever is destined for them will reach them.

However, a person’s entire focus becomes their child’s sustenance. This is when the child becomes an idol for a person. This is when they stand in the way of God in one’s heart.

We must be very careful. Be mindful that, under the pretense that a person must care for their children, your child does not become your idol.

Search in your heart and see what, besides God, is there. What are you attached to? What is it that you are unwilling to exchange for God? If God says, “Give it up,” would you?

In the Shari’ah, it is commanded to pay a khums on your wealth. If you’re unable to pay it, it means you can’t exchange your money for God. If you can’t let go of forbidden (haram) wealth, it means you can’t exchange that forbidden wealth for God. It has become an idol in your heart.

We must search within our hearts to see what, besides God, is there. If the heart contains anything other than God, it’s impossible to pay attention to God.

This is why, during prayer, your mind constantly wanders to things other than God. You only remember you were praying after you’ve already said the final salutation. This happens because the heart is full of idols, and no matter how hard you try, you won’t succeed.

Therefore, you must work on two things: first, the heart, by constantly examining what is in it other than God; and second, the mind. Of course, what is in the heart eventually comes to the mind.

The question arises: What does it mean to be told to “give up the world”?

Does it mean you shouldn’t own a house or a car? Absolutely Not.

The love of the world is the source of all sins.

Once, a person came and asked me about the world, saying, “Sir, don’t you wish you had a villa in the north?”

I replied that I had never thought about that. I said, “Look, neither I have a villa, nor do you. But you are constantly thinking about it, which means you have become attached to the world. Let go of your thoughts and direct them toward God. Separate your thoughts from cars and wealth, and connect them to God. Do not allow anything other than God to enter your mind and your presence.”

If you ever happen to look at something—for example, a car, a house, a woman, or anything other than God—and you notice your heart begins to tremble with attraction, recite the following 14 times. This will purify your heart of that affection and remove the innate effects of the gaze:

“Ya Khaira Habibin wa Mahbub salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa alih” (“O Best of all Lovers and Beloveds, send blessings upon Muhammad and his family.”)

The best being to which your affection can be attached is God. The best friend and beloved is God. So, do not allow your heart to follow your eyes.

This means, ‘O God, I want You. What are these worldly objects? They are not worthy of love, for anything that is not permanent is not worthy of attachment…'”

Since the heart follows the eye, you must be careful where you look. And even if your eye inadvertently falls on something, you must not allow your heart to follow it. This is not possible except through constant attention to God.

The key to all happiness is for a person to be continuously attentive to God. My Master (Allameh Hassanzadeh) said: “The key to the treasure of all felicity is Muraqabah (vigilance).”

To reach any spiritual station or rank you desire, you must be attentive to God and vigilant over your soul. Be steadfast in this vigilance; do not practice it for two days and abandon it on the third. You must be vigilant for a lifetime.

Love for status, position, money, spouse, and children is lowly because all of these things are fleeting.

The Quran states: “And all of them will come to Him on the Day of Resurrection, alone.” (Maryam:95). On the Day of Resurrection, a person will appear before Him utterly alone. On that Day, you will not have a child because:

“Then when the Horn is blown, there will be no kinship ties among them that Day, nor will they ask about one another.” (Al-Mu’minun:101).

All relationships will be gone. “This is my brother, this is my sister, this is my car”—none of these relationships will remain. You will be left with only yourself.

Become a person of the Day of Judgment starting now. If you love your sister, love her for God’s sake. If you love your parents, love them because God has commanded it. Love your child because God has commanded you to show affection.

Now, there is a specific remembrance (dhikr) that, if a person recites it with full attention, purifies the house of the heart and breaks its idols.

The axe for this idol-temple is “La ilaha illa Allah” (There is no god but Allah).

The first part, “La ilaha” (“there is no god”), acts as a broom. It sweeps away everything that is not God. It casts out everything but God. Then, and only then, do you say “illa Allah” (“but Allah“).

You must say this with this specific intention and attention.

The Pure and Truthful One, Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her, may the souls of all creation be sacrificed for her blessed dust), said in the opening of her Fadak sermon: “‘La ilaha illa Allah’ is a word whose inner reality (ta’wil) is sincerity (ikhlas).” This means that if we wish to embody “La ilaha illa Allah truly,” it must manifest as sincerity.

Who truly says “La ilaha illa Allah”? How far are we from the people of tawhid (pure monotheism)?

In short, do not allow anything other than God to reside in your heart, and always be mindful that you are in the presence of God. When you are continuously in God’s presence, not only will you not commit sins, but you won’t even act disrespectfully. All sins are a result of heedlessness (ghaflat).

The one who is aware and has an awakened soul has their heart turned towards God. God willing, may our hearts always be turned towards God.

Muhammad Mahdi Me’marian

All praise is to God to the extent that He deserves it.