Section 12: Selected Quotations

The whole world and what exists in it along with its superficial aspects is not worth even a cent by comparison to the station prepared for the righteous servants of God.

This world, with all its superficial splendor and glitter is too insignificant to be worthy of love.

What values does this fleeting and apparently sweet life have (assuming that it is very sweet) in comparison to endless chastisement?

Attention to other than God covers man with veils of darkness and light.

If any worldly affair is a cause for man’s attention to be directed toward the world and to neglect God, the Exalted, it raises dark veils.

Be of the party of Allah; restrain yourselves from the splendor and glitter of life and artificiality.

A rûhânî (clergyman) who considers himself a follower of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be with him, is not possibly tempted by the world.

The root of all these conflicts which have no specific sacred aims is love of this world.

The prophets of God were raised in order to train the people, to develop humanity, and to remove them from ugliness, filth, corruption, pollution, moral turpitude, and to acquaint them with virtue and good manners.

If you take steps for the sake of God, God the Almighty is the turner of the hearts: He will turn hearts in favor for you.

Except for the unique Creator pay attention to no one.

The heart of man is like a mirror, clear and bright, and because of too much attention of this world and too many sins, it becomes dark.

How can one enter the presence of the Lord and the guest house of the Lord of lords which is the source of greatness with spiritual pollution, vices, and sins of the body and soul?

Fear God! Beware of the aftermath of your deeds! Wake up from the sleep of negligence!

Think a little, look ahead, weigh the consequences of yours deeds, keep in mind the perilous events which take place after death, the pressure of the grave, the world of barzakh (the period between death and resurrection), and do not neglect the difficulties which will follow that.

Hell is lit with the ugly works and deeds of man.

If a man does not light the fire by his works and deeds, hell will be extinguished. The interior of this disposition is hell. To approach this disposition is to approach hell.

That which occurs to this ‘âlim in the next world is something which has been prepared in this world.

Before loosing the opportunity, you should try to remedy this.

You young people are advancing toward old age, and we old people toward death.

With every breath and every step you take, and with each passing moment of your life, reform becomes more difficult, and it is possible for darkness and corruption to increase.

While you enjoy the strength and determination of youth you can expel selfish desires, worldly attractions and animal wants from yourselves.

A young heart is subtle and celestial, and within it the motivation for corruption is weak. However, the older one gets the stronger and more firm is the source of sin implanted in the heart, until it can no longer be uprooted.

Repentance is not merely the verbal expression, “I repent before Allah,” rather, contrition and the resolve to abandon one’s sin are also necessary.

Behave well with people, and in company, and be compassionate and kind.

Behave well with the good and righteous servants of God.

Someone from whose hands, tongue and eyes other Muslims are not safe is not truly a Muslim.

To slander one of the servants of God is to slander God.

Someone who pursues selfish desires and who is obedient to Satan gradually turns the color of Satan.

The people of the other world are pure and at peace with one another. Their hearts are overflowing with the love of God and servitude to Him.

The love for the servants of God is the shadow of that very love for God.

The noble Qur’an is a great divine trust. The ‘ulamâ and rûhâniyyûn (clergy) are the bearers of the divine trust.

The responsibilities of the learned are very heavy; the ‘ulamâ have more duties than other people.

It is narrated that when the soul reaches the throat, there is no longer any chance for repentance and in that state one’s repentance will not be accepted.

If an ‘âlim is deviant, it is possible that the community will become infected by deviation.

If an ‘âlim is refined, and he observes the morality and manners of Islam, he will refine and guide the community.

In a soul which is unrefined, knowledge is a dark cover.

Knowledge is light, but in a black corrupt heart it spreads wide the skirts of darkness and blackness.

A knowledge which would draw man closer to God, in a worldly soul brings him far distant from the place of the Almighty.

Even the knowledge of divine unity (tawhîd), if it is for anything other than God, it becomes a cover of darkness.

If man does not cast pollution from the core of his soul, not only will whatever studying and learning he does be of no benefit by itself, rather it will actually be harmful.

It is a corrupt ‘âlim who corrupt the worlds.

If, God forbid, you fail to study, then it is forbidden for you to remain in the seminary.

Every step forward which you take in the acquisition of knowledge should be matched by a step taken to beat down the desires of the soul, to strengthen one’s spiritual powers, to acquire nobility of character, and to gain spirituality and piety (taqwâ).

If you do not have a pure intention of approaching God, these sciences will be of no benefit at all.

Try to reform and refine yourselves before you enter among the people.

You should refine yourselves, so that when you leave the seminary and become the leader of a people in a city or district, they may profit from you, take advice from you, and reform themselves.

If due to your actions, deeds and unfair behavior, one person looses his way and leaves Islam, you would be guilty of the greatest of the major sins

God forbid that before a person develops himself, that people should pay heed to him, that he should become a personality and have influence among the people, causing him to loose his soul.

Before you loose hold of the reins of your self, develop and reform yourself!

Adorn yourselves with good traits, and remove your vices! Be sincere in your lessons and discussions, so that you may approach God!

If one does not have good intentions, one will be kept far from the divine precincts.

Establish some order and discipline in the seminaries.

With love of self and position, with arrogance and pride, you cannot mount any resistance.

An evil scholar, a scholar who inclines toward the world, a scholar who thinks of preserving his position and administrative post, will not be able to combat the enemies of Islam.

Take a step for the sake of God. Dispel the love of the world from your heart. Then you will be able to engage in combat.

Section 13: The Intimate Devotions of the Month of Sha‘bân (Al-Munâjât Ash-Sha‘bâniyyah)

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

My Lord, bestow Your blessings on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad.

Hear my prayer when I pray to You,

And hear my call when I call to You.

Turn to me when I whisper to You my devotions.

For I have fled to You

And am standing before You,

Imploring You in humility

In hope of that which You have as my reward.

You know what is in my soul

And You are aware of my need.

You are acquainted with my mind,

And nothing of my returning and my destination is hidden from You:

Not that with which I intend to begin speaking,

Nor the request I would utter,

And of the hopes I have for the hereafter.

O my Lord! Whatever You have destined for me until the end of my life

Concerning the secret and open aspects of my life,

It is in Your Hand and in the hand of none else,

My abundance and my deficiency,

My benefit and my harm.

My God! If You deprive me

Who will provide for me?

And if You forsake me

Who will help me?

My God! I seek refuge in You from Your wrath

And from the arrival of Your displeasure.

My God! I am unworthy of Your Mercy,

You are certainly worthy of generosity to me by the virtue of Your Graciousness.

My God! It is as though I myself were standing before You

And were in the shade of my trust in You,

Then You said that of which You are worthy

And You covered me with Your forgiveness.

My God! If you forgive me, then who is more suited for that than You?

And if the moment of death has come near

But my deeds have not yet brought me near to You,

Then I make this confession of my sins to You my vehicle.

My God! I have recklessly failed to look after my soul,

So it is doomed if You do not forgive it.

My God! Your favor has been constant throughout the days of my life,

So do not cut off Your favor from me at the time of my death!

My God! How can I despair of Your watching well over me after my death,

When You have wrought nothing but beauty in my life?

My God! Do that of which You are worthy in my case

And bestow Your grace upon a sinner engulfed in his ignorance.

My God! You have concealed my sins in this world,

While I am in greater need of their concealment in the hereafter.

As You have not exposed my sins to any of Your righteous servants,

Do not disgrace me on the Day of Resurrection before everyone.

My God! Your generosity has inflated my hopes

And Your righteousness is better than my deeds.

My God! Delight me with Your encounter on the day You judge among Your servants.

My God! My apology to You is the apology of one who cannot afford

That his apology not be accepted.

So, accept my apology, O most Generous of those to whom the evil doers offer their apologies!

My God! Do not reject my need,

Do not disappoint me in what I covet,

And do not cut off my hopes and aspirations from You.

My God! If You had wanted to degrade me,

You would not have guided me;

If You had wanted to disgrace me,

You would not have kept me safe and sound.

My God! I do not think You will refuse me in this need

In whose solicitation from You I have spent my life.

My God! To you is due all praise,

Always and forever, eternally,

Increasing, not diminishing,

As You like and please.

My God! If You hold me for my crimes,

I will hold on to You for Your forgiveness,

And if You hold me for my sins,

I will hold on to You for Your pardon.

If You cast me into the Fire,

I will announce to its inmates that I love You.

My God! If my works are too little regarding obedience to You,

There is indeed much regarding my hopes in You and my aspirations.

My God! How can I turn away from nigh unto You bereft, in failure,

When I had such a good opinion of Your generosity that You would turn me away from being bereft of salvation.

My God! I have wasted my life on the evil of inattentiveness toward You

And I have worn out my youth in the drunkenness of estranging myself from You.

My God! I did not awaken when I was under a delusion about You

And was inclined toward the way of Your wrath.

My God! I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, standing before You,

Trying to use Your own magnanimity as a means to You.

My God! I am a servant who would

Excuse himself before You of that which I did in front

Of You because I lacked shame of being

Watched by You; and I seek Your forgiveness,

For Forgiveness is a characteristic of Your generosity.

My God! I was not strong enough to remove myself from disobedience to You

Until You awakened me to Your love.

I was as You wanted me to be

So I thank You for bringing me to

Your generosity and for purifying my heart

Of the filth of negligence of You.

My God! Look upon me as one

Whom You called and who answered You,

Whom You helped by employing him

And who obeyed You.

O Near One who is not far from one who is estranged!

O Generous One who does not withhold

His reward from one who hopes for it!

My God! Provide me with a heart, the passion of which may bring it near to You;

With a tongue, the truth of which may be offered up to You;

And with a vision whose character may bring it nigh to You;

My God! Whoever becomes acquainted with You is not an unknown;

Whoever takes shelter with You is not abandoned;

One to whom You turn cannot be owned.

My God! Whoever takes the path to You is enlightened,

And whoever resorts to You is saved.

And I have cleaved to You, O my God!

So, do not disappoint me of Your Mercy,

And do not block me from Your kindness.

My God! Place me among your Friends

In the position of one who hopes for an increase in Your love.

My God! Inspire me with fervor for the remembrance of You until I have become inspired with remembrance of You

And spiritual zeal for the success of

Your Name and the station of Your Sanctity.

My God! By You I invoke You

To join me to the place of those who are obedient to You

And the abode of the righteous of those with whom You are pleased.

I can neither defend myself

Nor control that which is in my interests.

My God! I am Your weak and sinful servant

And Your repentant slave

So, do not make me one of those from whom You avert Your Face

And whose inattentiveness blocks him from Your forgiveness.

My God! Make me completely cut off from all else but You

And enlighten the vision of our hearts

With the radiance of looking at You

Until the vision of our hearts penetrates the veils of light

And reaches the Source of Grandeur

And set our spirits to be suspended by the glory of Your sanctity.

My God! Make me of those who answer You when You call them,

Who are thunderstruck by Your Majesty when You look at them,

And who work for You openly when You whisper to them secretly.

My God! I have not allowed my good

Opinion of You to be overcome by despair,

Nor have I lost hope in the favor of Your generosity.

My God! If my mistakes have

Degraded me with You, ignore them

In virtue of my reliance on You.

My God! If my sins have lowered me to unworthiness of Your kindness,

My certainty has roused me to the nobility of Your affection.

My God! If I have been put to sleep

By neglecting to prepare to encounter You,

I have been roused by knowledge of the nobility of Your blessings.

My God! If Your great punishment invites me to the Fire,

Your abundant reward invites me to heaven.

My God! I ask and beseech You,

I implore and entrust You

To bestow Your blessings on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad,

And to make me of those who are constant in their remembrance of You,

And who never violate their covenant with You,

Who neglect giving thanks to You

And who do not depreciate Your commands.

My God! Join me to the Light of Your resplendent Might,

So I may have gnosis of You

And may be diverted from all else but You,

And be fearfully watchful of You.

O Sublime and Noble!

May the blessings of Allah be with Muhammad, His Apostle, and his immaculate progeny, abundant salutations prayed for their peace!