[1] Sūrah ash-Shams [Chapter: The Sun] 91:9-10 of the Glorious Qur’an.

[2] It should be noted that the subjects of the book, The Greatest Jihād, are excerpts of Imām Khomeinī’s lectures and admonitions in the different levels of Islamic theology during the days of his residence in Najaf al-Ashraf, Iraq (1964-1978), which has been transcribed and compiled by Hujjat al-Islām wal-Muslimīn Sayyid HamīdRūhānī.

[3] Professor Āyatullāh Murtadā Mutahharī (1298-1358 AHS) was born on Bahman 13, 1298 AHS in the village of Fariman near Mashhad to a family of clergy. At the age of 12, he went to Mashhad where he learned the basics of Islamic sciences and then moved to Qum where he attended the class sessions conducted by the great authorities of the theological center. From 1319 AHS Mutahharī had taken part in the sessions led by His Eminence Imām Khomeinī (r) and other famous teachers of the time. Moreover, he himself conducted lessons in subjects like Arabic literature, logic, kalām (scholasticism), jurisprudence, and philosophy. In 1331 AHS Mutahharī was transferred from Qum to Tehran and in 1334 AHS he was invited to teach Islamic sciences at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences, Tehran University. He was arrested at the midnight of Khordād 15, 1342 AHS and spent 43 days in prison. After Imām Khomeinī’s migration to Paris in France, Mutahharī went to meet him and His Eminence assigned him the responsibility of organizing the Council of the Islamic Revolution. On the night of Ordībehesht 11, 1358 AHS [May 2, 1979] Mutahharī was martyred by an agent of the Furqān terrorist group. He wrote more than 50 books and tens of articles, and delivered scores of speeches. His Eminence Imām Khomeinī (r) said of Mutahharī: “His written and spoken words are, without exception, educational and enlivening… I recommend the students and intellectual group not to let Mutahharī’s words be forgotten by un-Islamic tricks…” (Pub.)

[4] Mullā Sadrā (d. 1050 AH/1640), also called Sadr ad-Dīn Shīrāzī, was a philosopher who led the Iranian cultural renaissance in the 17^th century. The foremost representative of Ishrāqī [Illuminationist] School of philosopher-mystics, he is commonly regarded by Iranians as the greatest philosopher of Iran. A scion of a notable Shīrāzī family, Mullā Sadrā completed his education in Isfahan, then the leading cultural and intellectual center of Iran. After his studies with scholars there, he produced several works, the most famous of which was his Asfār (Journeys). Asfār contains the bulk of his philosophy, which was influenced by a personal mysticism bordering on the ascetic that he experienced during a 15-year retreat at Kahak, a village near Qum in Iran.

    Toward the end of his life, Mullā Sadrā returned to Shiraz to teach. His teachings, however, were considered heretical by the orthodox Shī‘ite theologians, who persecuted him, though his powerful family connections permitted him to continue to write. He died on a pilgrimage to Mecca. (Pub.)

[5] Muhyī ad-Dīn ibn al-‘Arabī, the celebrated Muslim mystic whose influence came to permeate the intellectual and spiritual life of virtually the entire Muslim world, was born at Murcia in Southern Spain in 1165. Much of his youth was spent in Seville, where he devoted himself to literary, theological and mystical studies. After visiting Granada and other Spanish towns, as well as Tunis, Fez, and Morocco, he set out in 1202 for the East by way of Egypt, whence he made the pilgrimage to Mecca. He did not return to Spain. Many of the remaining years of his life were passed in the neighborhood of Mecca, but he also traveled extensively to Babylonia, Asia Minor, and Syria, everywhere gaining disciples and spreading his doctrines through dialogues with scientists and scholars.

Whether we regard the extent of his theological writings or their influence on the subsequent development of Islamic mysticism, Ibn al-‘Arabī can justly claim the supreme position among Sufi authors which posterity has accorded him, and which is attested by the title, Ash-Shaykh al-Akbar, conferred on him by the almost unanimous voice of those who are best qualified to judge. The list of his works drawn up by himself contains 289 titles, and some of them are of enormous length. The most famous and important is the Futuhāt al-Makkiyah. In this, as in many of his works, Ibn al-‘Arabī professes to communicate mysteries revealed to him in ecstatic vision by prophets, angels, and even God Himself. (Pub.)

[6] Āyatullāh Sayyid Mahmūd Tāleqānī (1289-1358 AHS / 1910-1979) was a highly learned and dedicated clergyman who played a pivotal role the struggle against dictatorial regime of the Shāh. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Āyatullāh Tāleqānī was appointed as the Chairman of the Revolutionary Council and was an elected member of the Council of Experts. In Mordād 1358 AHS [August 1979], Imām Khomeini designated him as his representative to lead the first Friday congregational prayers at the Tehran University campus. Āyatullāh Tāleqānī had many written works on the exegesis of the Qur’an, Islamic education, and socio-political issues. (Pub.)

[7] See ft. 2, p. viii-ix.(Pub.)

[8] Hājjī Hādī Sabzewārī (1797-1878) was the philosopher and poet noted for disseminating and clarifying the doctrines of Mullā Sadrā. The Qājar Shāh Nasīr ad-Dīn ordered a mausoleum to be built for him at Mashhad. (Pub.)

[9] Mawlāwī Jalāl ad-Dīn ar-Rūmī (1207-1273) was the greatest mystic poet in the Farsi language and founder of the Mawlawiyyah order of dervishes (“The Whirling Dervishes”). He is famous for his lyrics and for his didactic epic, Spiritual Couplets. (Pub.)

[10] Khwājah Shams ad-Dīn Muhammad Hāfiz Shīrāzī (ca. 1325-1391) was the fourteenth century Persian lyric bard and panegyrist, and commonly considered as the preeminent master of the ghazal form. (Pub.)

[11] The text of the said letter of Imām Khomeinī to Mikhail Gorbachev along with explanatory notes is published by this Institute under the title, A Call to Divine Unity. Its second edition is forthcoming. (Pub.)

[12] The Commander of the Faithful, Imām ‘Alī, peace be upon him, said: When the Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny, sent me to Yemen, he said: O ‘Alī! Do not fight against anyone until you invite him to Islam. I swear by Allah, if by your hand the Great and Almighty Allah may guide a man, then it is better for you than all that the sun rises upon or sets upon, and you are his walī (guardian). Al-Kāfī, vol. 5, p. 36, “The Book of Struggle,” “Section on Invitation to Islam Prior to Fighting,” hadīth 2.

[13] Usūl al-Kāfī, “Book of the Virtue of Knowledge” [Kitāb Fadl al-‘Ilm], Chapters: “bāb sifāt al-‘ulamā,” “ bāb badh al-‘ilm,” “bāb an-nahy ‘an al-qawl bī ghayr ‘ilm,” “bāb isti‘māl al-‘ilm,” “bāb al-musta’kil bī ‘ilmihi wal-mubāhi bihi,” “bāb luzūm al-hujjah ‘alā’l-‘ālim,” “ bāb an-nawādir,” and Wasā’il ash-Shī‘ah, vol. 18, pp. 9-17, 98-129, “ kitāb al-qadā,” Chapters: “abwāb sifat al-qādī,” bāb 4, 11, 12.

[14] Jamīl ibn Durrāj says that he heard from Imām as-Sādiq, peace be with him, that he said, “When the soul reaches here (and with his hand he pointed to his neck) for the learned there remains no further chance of repentance.” Then he recited this āyah: “The repentance of Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance” (Q 4:17). Usūl al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 59, “The Book of the Virtue of Knowledge,” “Chapter on the Requirement for an ‘Ālim to Bring Proof,” hadīth 3.

[15] Hafs ibn Qiyyās said that Imām as-Sādiq, peace be with him, said: “O Hafs! Seventy sins will be forgiven of an ignorant person before one sin is forgiven of an ‘ālim.” Usūl al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 59, “The Book of the Virtue of Knowledge,” “Chapter on the Requirement for an ‘Ālim to Bring Proof.”

[16] The Prophet of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny, said, “There are two groups from my community such that if they are righteous then the community will be righteous, and if they are corrupt, then the community will become corrupt.” It was asked, “Who are they?” He replied, “The ‘ulamā and the rulers.” Khisāl [by Shaykh as-Sāduq], The Second Chapter, p. 37; Tuhāf al-‘Uqūl, p. 50.

[17] Sulaym ibn Qays Hilālī said that he heard from the Commander of the Faithful, peace be with him, that he reported from the Prophet, that he said, “There are two kinds of ‘ulamā, one who acts in accordance with his knowledge, so he has been saved, and the ‘ālim who does not act in accordance with his knowledge, so he will perish. And truly the people of hell will suffer from the stench of the ‘ālim who does not act in accordance with his knowledge.” Usūl al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 55, The Book of the Virtue of Knowledge, Chapter on the Application of Knowledge, hadīth 1.

[18] Imām as-Sādiq, peace be with him, said, “Invite the people to excellence, but not by your tongue, rather let people see in you right struggle [ijtihād], truthfulness and piety.”

[19] Ghurar al-Hikam, vol. 7, p. 269.

[20] This group includes Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhāb (founder of the Wahhābī sect), Shaykh Ahmad Ahsā’ī and Sayyid Kāzim Rashtī (founders of the Shaykhī sect), Ahmad Kasravī, and Ghulām Ahmad (founder of the Qādiyānī sect).

[21] Grand Āyatullāh Hāj Shaykh ‘Abd al-Karīm Hā’irī Yazdī (1276-1355 AH), was one of the greatest of Islamic jurists and a source of imitation of the Shi‘ah in the fourteenth Islamic century. He attended the classes of masters such as Mīrzā-ye Bozorg Shīrāzī, Mīrzā Muhammad Taqī Shīrāzī, Ākhūnd Khorāsānī, Sayyid Kāzim Yazdī, Sayyid Muhammad Isfahānī Feshārakī, in Najaf and Sāmarrā. In the year 1340 AH/1921, at the insistence of the ‘ulamā of Qum after finding a good omen in a passage from the Qur’an he took up residence in Qum and organized the Seminary of Qum. Among his works are Durar al-Fawā’id dar Usūl, As-Salāh, An-Nikāh, Ar-Ridā, Al-Mawārith, in all the fields of jurisprudence.

[22] Abū Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Hasan at-Tūsī (385-460 AH/995-1067 CE). He is known as Shaykh at-Tā’ifah, and he was one of the most distinguished scholars of the Imāmī Shī‘ah. He was the head of the jurists and theologians of his time and he was also strong in literature, biography, exegesis, and hadīth. His teachers were Shaykh Mufīd, Sayyid Murtadā, Ibn Ghadā’irī, and Ibn ‘Abdun. The Shaykh is the author of two famous books of Shi‘ite hadīths, Istibsār and Tahdhīb, and are counted among the four (most important) books of the Imāmī Shī‘ah. Shaykh at-Tūsī established Najaf as the center for Shi‘ite learning. 

[23] Shaykh at-Tūsī began to write the Tahdhīb, which is a commentary on the Mughni‘ah of Shaykh Mufīd, during the lifetime of his teacher (Shaykh Mufīd, d. 413 AH/1022 CE). Shaykh at-Tūsī was about twenty-six old at that time.

[24] ‘Alī ibn Husayn ibn Mūsā, known as Sayyid Murtadā, and ‘Alam al-Hudā (355-436 AH/965-1044 CE), is one of the greatest scholars of Islam and Shi‘ism. Most of the great scholars of the Imāmī Shī‘ah, including Shaykh at-Tūsī, have benefited  from his teaching. He wrote: Amālī, Adh-Dharī‘ah ilā Usūl ash-Sharī‘ah, An-Nāsiriāt, Al-Intisār, and Ash-Shāfī. 

[25] Fayd Kāshānī, Kalamāt Maknūnah, p. 123.

[26] Shaykh Murtadā Ansārī (1214-1281 AH/1799-1864), known as Khātam al-Fuqahā wal-Mujtahidīn, was one of the descendants of Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh al-Ansārī, a Companion of the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny. He was a genius in the Principles of Jurisprudence [‘ilm al-usūl], and hebrought great developments in this field. Some of his professors were Shaykh Mūsā Kāshif al-Ghitā, Shaykh ‘Alī Kāshif al-Ghitā, Mullā Ahmad Narāqī, and Sayyid Muhammad Mujāhid. Shaykh Ansārī trained some great jurists, including Ākhūnd Khorāsānī, Mīrzā Shīrāzī and Mīrzā Muhammad Hasan Ashtiānī. His works include Farā’id al-Usūl (known as Rasā’il) and Makāsib, one of the most famous text books.

[27] Sayyid ‘Alī ibn Sayyid Muhammad (d. 1283 AH/1866), was one of the great ascetics and mystics of his day. He received authorization (as a mujtahid) from Shaykh Ansārī and Sayyid Husayn, the Friday Prayer leader of Shūshtār. Sayyid ‘Alī spent some time in Shūshtār as a judge and legal authority (mufti), and then moved to Najaf al-Ashraf. There he attended the classes of Shaykh Ansārī in fiqh. And Shaykh Ansārī also attended his classes in ethics. When Shaykh Ansārī passed away, Sayyid ‘Alī was the executor of his will and he succeeded him in his professional position. The late Shaykh Sayyid ‘Alī was the professor and counselor of Ākhūnd Mullā Husaynqullī Hamādānī, who had many students who were led by him, some of the greatest of whom were Mīrzā Jawād Malikī Tabrīzī, Sayyid Ahmad Karbalā’ī, Shaykh Shaykh Bihārī, Sayyid ‘Alī Qādī Tabrīzī, and ‘Allāmah Tabātabā’ī. 

[28] Majma‘ al-Bayān, under the exegesis of the fourth āyah of the Sūrah al-Qalam [Chapter: The Pen].

[29] As a major work of Shaykh Zayn ad-Dīn ibn ‘Alī al-‘Āmilī al-Jubā’ī (911-966 AH), better known as ash-Shahīd ath-Thānī [The Second Martyr], Sharh al-Lum‘ah (likewise known as Rawdah al-Bahiyyah)is the book on the foundations of canonical theology, which is actually the commentary on Al-Lum‘ah written by ash-Shahīd al-Awwal [The First Martyr], Shams ad-Dīn Muhammad ibn Makkī al-‘Āmilī al-Jizzīnī (734-786 AH). Though written four centuries ago, it continues to be studied in the Islamic seminaries today.

     For biographical sketches of ash-Shahīd al-Awwal and ash-Shahīd ath-Thānī, see Mullā Asghar ‘Alī Jaffer, Fiqh and Fuqahā (Middlesex: World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithnaasheri Muslim Communities, n.d.) chapter 2, http://www./fiqh/chap2.html. (Pub.)

[30] Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān was the first caliph of the Umayyad dynasty (40 AH/662 CE), which ruled the Muslim world after the martyrdom of the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib and the five-month rule of the second Imām, Hasan ibn ‘Alī (‘a). As the founder of the Umayyad dynasty (Umayyad is derived from Banī ‘Umayyah, the name of the tribe to whom he belonged), Mu‘āwiyah revived hereditary monarchy and aristocracy in sharp contrast and opposition to the rudimentary precepts of Islam. History is replete with innumerable instances of cruelty and oppression perpetrated in the world of Islam during the reign of the Umayyads including the murder, banishment and imprisonment of the followers of the Prophet’s Progeny [Ahl al-Bayt] (‘a) as epitomized by the tragedy in Karbala (61 AH) during the reign of Mu‘āwiyah’s son and second Umayyad caliph, Yazīd. (Pub.)

[31] ‘Alī, peace be with him, said: “If the bearers of ‘ilm (knowledge, science) bear it as it deserves to be borne, they will be loved by Allah, the angels, and those who are obedient to Him, and those who bear it for the sake of this world will be despised by Allah and held in contempt by the people.” Tuhaf al-‘Uqūl, p. 201, Chapter on the words of the Commander of the Faithful, peace be with him.

[32] Sifāt ash-Shī‘ah, written by Shaykh as-Sāduq, and also Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 65, pp. 83-95 and 149-196, “The Book of Faith and Infidelity,” vol. 65, pp. 83-95, 149-196, “The Book of Faith and Infidelity,” the section on “Verily the Shī‘ah are the people of the religion of Allah…”, the section on the Attributes of the Shī‘ah and their kinds…”

Sharh-e Chehel Hadīth, Imām Khomeinī (may he rest in peace), hadīth 29, translated by ‘Alī Qulī Qarā’ī as Forty Hadīths: An Exposition of Mystical and Ethical Traditions, in the journal, Al-Tawhīd, vol. X. [Tr.]

The whole English translation of the book is already under press and to be released soon for the general readership. (Pub.)

[33] This refers to a hadīth according to which, “When some people asked our Imām about the inclusiveness of this āyah (‘And there is not one of you but shall come to it [hell]’ (Q 19:71), he replied, “We passed through hell and it was extinguished.” ‘Ilm al-Yaqīn, vol. 2, p. 917.

[34] ‘Ayāshī narrates from Humrān who asked from Imām al-Bāqir, peace be with him, about the āyah mentioned, and he answered: “This is about those who will depart from the fire.” Majma‘ al-Bayān, vol. 10, p. 424.

[35] Cf. Iqbāl al-A‘mal, Deeds for the Month of Sha‘bān, p. 685; Misbāh al-Mutahajjid wa Salāh al-Muta‘bah, p. 374; Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 91, p. 97-99, “The Book of Dhikr and Du‘ā”, chap. 32, hādīth 12.

[36] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 19, part 2, old edition, “bāb al-ad’iyyah wal-munājāt,” pp. 89-90.

[37] From Wasā’il ash-Shī‘ah, vol. 7, p. 227, ‘The Book of Fasting, Chapter on the Month of Ramadān,’ chap. 18, hadīth 20.

[38] It is reported from Jābir that Abū Ja‘far, Imām al-Bāqir, peace be with him, said: “The Prophet of Allah turned his face toward the people and said: ‘O company of people! When the crescent moon of the month of Ramadān appears, the rebellious Satans are locked up, and the doors of heaven, the doors of paradise and the doors of mercy are opened, and the doors of the Fire are shut, and prayers are answered’.” From Wasā’il ash-Shī‘ah, vol. 7, p. 224, “The Book of Fasting,” “The Section on the Precepts of the Fast of the Month of Ramadān,” section 18, hadīth 14.

[39] The ‘commanding soul/self’ is an expression used in the Qur’an, associated with one’s base desires, cf. Q 12:53. [Tr.]

[40] Sibghatullāh, the ‘color of Allah’, cf. Q 2:138, is the opposite of the ‘color of Satan’. [Tr.]

[41] Abū Ja‘far [Imām al-Bāqir], peace be with him, said that the Apostle of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny, said: “Shall I tell you of the believer? The believer is one whom the believers trust with their lives and their property. Shall I tell you of the Muslim? The Muslim is one from whose tongue and hands the Muslims are safe.” From Usūl al-Kāfī, vol. 3, p. 331, “The Book of Faith and Infidelity,” “Chapter of the Believer, His signs and attributes,” hadīth 19.

[42] For example, “And say: Work, so Allah will see your work and (so will) His Apostle and the believers; and you shall be brought back to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He will inform you of what you did” (Q 9:105). Also, Abū Basīr reported that Imām as-Sādiq (‘a) said: “The deeds will be reviewed by the Apostle of Allah, peace be with him and his progeny, the deeds of the servants, each morning, the good ones and the bad ones, so be careful. This is what Allah, the Supreme, said: ‘Work, so Allah will see your work and (so will) His Apostle.” Usūl al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 318, The Book of Hujjah, Chapter on the Presentation of the deeds to the Apostle and the Imāms, peace be with them. Hadīth 1, 2-6. Tafsīr Burhān, vol. 2, p. 157.

[43] The Night of Power is a night near the end of Ramadān in which the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet (s) and which, according the Qur’an is a night better than one thousand nights. Cf. Qur’an, Sūrah al-Qadr (Chapter 97). [Tr.]

[44] Furū al-Kāfī, vol. 4, p. 63, “The Book of Fasting,” “The Chapter of the Grace of the Fast and the One who Keeps the Fast,” hadīth 6.

[45] Sahar is the period from the first light of the morning until sunrise. [Tr.]

[46] Imām uses the expression, ‘ālam-e zulumāneh-ye tabī‘at, literally the dark world of nature, but here, by nature is not meant all things natural, as opposed to artificial, but unrefined and base. [Tr.]

[47] “By Allah, if the seven climes and what is under their skies were offered to me to be sinful to Allah by taking the skin of a grain of barley from the ant, I would not do it.” Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 215.

[48] Shimr was the assassin of Imām Husayn, peace be with him, and symbolizes evil. [Tr.]

[49] “He utters not a word but there is by him a watcher at hand [rāqibun ‘atīdun]” (Q 50:18).

[50] In the advice given by the Commander of the Faithful [Imām ‘Alī (‘a)] to Nūf al-Bakālī, it is stated: “Keep away from backbiting, for it will be food for the dogs of hell.” Wasā’il ash-Shī‘ah, vol. 8, p. 600, The Book of Hājj, The Chapters on the Precepts of the Ten, chap. 152, hadīth 16.

[51] It is reported that Abī ‘Abdillāh (Imām Ja‘far), peace be with him, said: The head of all sins is love of the world. Usūl al-Kāfī, vol. 4, p. 2, The Book of Faith and Infidelity, The Chapter on Love of the World and Avarice Toward It, hadīth 1; Usūl al-Kāfī, vol. 3, p. 197, The Book of Faith and Infidelity, The Chapter on Derogation of the World and Asceticism in It, hadīth 11; Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 70, p. 1 and vol. 74, p. 178.

[52] On the symptoms of dropsy is inordinate thirst. In Arabic the disease is called istisqa’ and one who has the disease is mustasqa.

[53] He (Iblīs) said: “As You have caused me to remain disappointed, I will certainly lie in wait for them in Your straight path” (Q 7:16). In the exegesis of ‘Alī ibn Ibrāhīm pertaining to this āyah it is written: “If people tread the path of guidance, Satan tries to make them leave the path of religion.” Tafsīr of ‘Alī ibn Ibrāhīm, vol. 1, p. 224; Tafsīr Burhān, vol. 2, p. 5.

[54] In a narration from the Family of the Prophet (‘a) under āyah 98, Sūrah al-An‘ām, pertaining to the phrase, “a resting place and a depository,” it is said that the faiths of individuals may be divided into two kinds, fixed and borrowed. As in the narration from Muhammad ibn al-Fadīl from Mūsā ibn al-Ja‘far (‘a) who said: “Faith which is in a resting place will be fixed until the Day of Resurrection. Faith which is in a depository will be taken by God prior to death.” Tafsīr ‘Ayāshī, vol. 1, p. 401. In Nahj al-Balāghah it is also to be found that: “A kind of faith is fixed in the heart, and another kind is loaned in the hearts and breasts until the time of death.” Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 231.

[55] The phrase used is more literally, “sitting at the table of Imām az-Zamān (‘a),” indicating that the religious students are provided for through religious donations. [Tr.]

[56] The full text of the hadīth is: “For God, the Glorious and Exalted, the world is without value; and among the creatures known to us which God has created, there is no existent more despicable to Him than the world, and since the time when He created the world, God has never looked kindly upon it.” Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 70, p. 110, The Book of Faith and Infidelity, chap. 122, hadīth 109.

[57] It is narrated from Imām as-Sādiq (‘a): Worship is of three kinds: one group worships God for fear; this is the worship of the servants. Another group worships God in order to obtain a reward; this is the worship of hirelings. And the third group worships God, the Great and Lofty, because of love, and this is the worship of the free. And this is the most excellent worship.” Wasā’il ash-Shī‘ah, vol. 1, p. 45, The Chapters of Introduction to Worship, chap. 9, hadīth 1; Usūl al-Kāfī, vol. 3, p. 131, The Book of Faith and Infidelity, Chapter on Worship, hādīth 5.

[58] It is narrated that Imām ‘Alī (‘a) said: “Verily, asking for forgiveness is a degree of the ‘illiyīn and it is a word that means six things. The first of them is regret for what has occurred. The second is the resolve not to return to that evil ever again…” Nahj al-Balāghah, p. 1281, Hikmat 409.

     For more information refer to Forty Hadīths: An Exposition by Imām Khomeinī, hadīth 17, translated by ‘Alī Qulī Qarā’ī in the journal, Al-Tawhīd, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 39-52. Note that the ‘illiyīn are those of the most lofty heights of heaven. Cf. Q 83:17. [Tr.]

[59] It is reported from Imām al-Bāqir (‘a): “There is no servant without a white spot on his heart. When a sin is performed a black spot appears on it. Then if he repents, this blackness is erased. But if he continues to sin, the blackness increases, until it covers the white. When the white is covered, one with such a heart never returns to excellence and goodness. Usūl al-Kāfī, vol. 3, p. 274, The Book of Faith and Infidelity, The Chapter on Sins, hadīth 20.

[60] ‘Awālī al-La’ālī, vol. 1, p. 129, chap. 8, hadīth 3. Al-Jāmi‘ as-Saghīr, vol. 2, p. 45, 95.

[61] The marāji‘ at-taqlīd are the sources of imitation for Islamic law. [Tr.]