Third Session

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ. بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى أَشْرَفِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ، حَبِيبِ قُلُوبِ الصَّادِقِينَ، أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ الْمُصْطَفَى مُحَمَّدٍ. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ الطَّيِّبِينَ الطَّاهِرِينَ، وَاللَّعْنُ الدَّائِمُ عَلَى أَعْدَائِهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ.

Sermon 83 of Nahj al-Balagha: Session Three

After the Commander of the Faithful (a) expresses praise and glorification of God and bears witness to the prophethood and servitude of the noble Messenger of Islam, he speaks in this section about one of the most important matters in human existence and life: a recommendation that may be regarded as the key point and master key of human life—Godwariness.

أُوصِيكُمْ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ الَّذِي ضَرَبَ الْأَمْثَالَ، وَوَقَّتَ لَكُمُ الْآجَالَ، وَأَلْبَسَكُمُ الرِّيَاشَ، وَأَرْفَقَ بِكُمُ الْمَعَاشَ.

A fish lives in water, and the life of a fish depends on water. A fish cannot move or breathe even for a moment without water; everything it has is in the water. If it falls out of the water for even a moment, its death arrives.

The relationship between human beings and God is likewise. If a person is without attention to God for even a moment, he is in reality dead. Human physical life, too, from beginning to end, depends on God:

«إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ».

The origin of human beings is God, their path is toward God, and their final destination is also God. If a person's connection with God is severed even for a moment, his life is destroyed, just as if a person ceases to breathe for even a moment, his physical life comes to an end.

Of course, a person must regulate his spiritual and volitional life, because he possesses will. The physical life of all beings is like this, and all depend on their origin, like a fish that cannot live without water. Human beings, too, cannot continue their physical life without God, because their origin, path, and final destination are God.

But what is desirable, and what has been discussed in the Noble Qur'an, is the «حیات طیبه», the good life. The good life concerns the volitional life of human beings. Animal life proceeds naturally and is not even dependent on a person's belief in God; but the essential matter is that same good life.

Rumi says beautifully in a poem:

You are my rank and gloryYou are my kingdom and wealth

You are my clear waterLife cannot go on without you

Life can go on without everyone elseLife cannot go on without you

My heart bears the pain of your loveNo other place will do

The eye of reason is intoxicated by youYour lowly wheel turns in its orbit

The ear of joy is in your handLife cannot go on without you

The spirit boils forth from youThe heart drinks from you

Reason cries outLife cannot go on without you

You are my wine and my intoxicationMy garden and my spring

My sleep and my tranquilityLife cannot go on without you

The Commander of the Faithful (a) likewise recommends Godwariness in this expression:

«أُوصِيكُمْ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ».

That is, O servants of God, I advise you to observe Godwariness.

In various parts of the Commander of the Faithful's (a) statements in the sermons of Nahj al-Balagha, there is a recommendation to observe Godwariness. Sometimes the discussion concerns the nature and essence of Godwariness, such as Sermon 230 of Nahj al-Balagha, in which the Imam speaks about the nature of Godwariness:

إِنَّ التَّقْوَى مِفْتَاحُ السَّدَادِ، وَذَخِيرَةُ الْمَعَادِ.

Godwariness is the key to righteousness and the provision for the Hereafter.

«سداد» means righteousness; therefore, Godwariness is the key to righteousness and the opener of the way to goodness. Godwariness is also the provision for the Hereafter and the Resurrection. Here the discussion concerns the nature of Godwariness: What is Godwariness?

At other times, the discussion concerns how to attain Godwariness—that is, how it is acquired and what characteristics it possesses. This subject should be pursued in Sermon 90 and Sermon 193 of Nahj al-Balagha, namely, the Sermon of the Godwary. There, the Imam describes the characteristics of the Godwary and enumerates approximately one hundred qualities for them. In reality, these descriptions explain how Godwariness is manifested.

Thus, sometimes the discussion concerns the nature of Godwariness, as in Sermon 230, and sometimes it concerns how Godwariness is manifested, as in the Sermon of the Godwary and the attributes of the pious in Sermon 193.

Why Godwariness?

But what aspect of Godwariness does the Commander of the Faithful (a) discuss in this sermon? Here the discussion concerns why Godwariness is necessary.

Godwariness means having God. Just as a fish loses its life without water, human beings also lose their life and die without God. A person may possess physical life while being dead in terms of the heart and spirit.

Therefore, the meaning of Godwariness is having God; that is, not losing God, preserving Him, and holding fast to Him. «وقایه» means preservation and protection. In this sermon, the Commander of the Faithful (a) presents ten points concerning why Godwariness is necessary—that is, why we must have God. We will discuss as many of these points as time permits.

First Reason: God Has Set Examples for Human Beings

The Commander of the Faithful (a) says: «أُوصِيكُمْ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ»; O servants of God, I advise you to observe Godwariness and to have God. Why must we have God and not lose Him?

الَّذِي ضَرَبَ الْأَمْثَالَ

God has set examples for you.

In the Qur'an, the Exalted God sometimes uses proof and reasoning to educate human beings, sometimes the best form of debate, sometimes admonition, and sometimes examples. These are the means of divine guidance and education.

At times, the Exalted God presents matters through reasoning, which is called proof. At times, matters are presented through the best form of debate, and at times through admonition. Another method is presenting matters through examples.

God guides human beings by giving examples and drawing comparisons. The Noble Qur'an contains many comparisons. Sometimes these comparisons are introduced with the word «مَثَل», sometimes with the particle «کاف», which is one of the instruments of comparison, and sometimes the comparison is expressed without using an instrument of comparison.

Comparison and the presentation of examples are among the means of understanding lofty concepts. The Exalted God sometimes brings lofty and weighty concepts down to the level of the people, because most people understand many matters better through examples. Through examples, rational and lofty matters are expressed in a tangible and concrete form.

The Noble Qur'an contains many examples. God says:

﴿

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًا مَا بَعُوضَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا

﴾

God is not ashamed to set an example using a small creature such as a mosquito. Therefore, giving examples should not cause a person embarrassment. Examples are very necessary for bringing reminders. Sometimes God uses the lowest and smallest of creatures as examples to convey lofty concepts.

The Noble Qur'an speaks of the weakness of hollow powers:

﴿

مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ كَمَثَلِ الْعَنْكَبُوتِ اتَّخَذَتْ بَيْتًا ۖ وَإِنَّ أَوْهَنَ الْبُيُوتِ لَبَيْتُ الْعَنْكَبُوتِ

﴾

God compares those who consider themselves to possess power, while their power is hollow, to a spider's house—the frailest of houses.

Thus, God sometimes expresses lofty meanings in the form of tangible and concrete examples. One of the lofty and important concepts is the Resurrection, the rising of the dead, and life after death. To explain this matter, in a place where rational reasoning is difficult for the general public, God uses an example.

In verse 39 of Surah Fussilat, He says:

﴿

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنَّكَ تَرَى الْأَرْضَ خَاشِعَةً فَإِذَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِي أَحْيَاهَا لَمُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

﴾

One of God's signs is that you see the earth dry and lifeless. «خاشعه» means dry, dead, and lifeless earth. When God sends water down upon this earth, it begins to move and stir; «اهْتَزَّتْ» means it begins to stir, and «رَبَتْ» means it grows and vegetation sprouts from it.

Who gave this dead earth life? The same God who gave life to the dead earth will also give life to the dead: «إِنَّ الَّذِي أَحْيَاهَا لَمُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ». The One who gave life to the dead earth will give life to the dead, for He has power over all things.

Through this example, God makes the Resurrection vivid for human beings and says: Look; We give life to the dead earth, and you continually witness this scene. Just as the dead earth comes to life, human beings will also live again.

This is an example of expressing a rational concept in tangible form. God conveys lofty and weighty matters through tangible examples. Therefore, one must have God, because the Exalted God guides human beings in this way, through examples. This is the first reason for having God and for the necessity of Godwariness: «الَّذِي ضَرَبَ الْأَمْثَالَ».

Second Reason: God Has Appointed Lifespans for Human Beings

The second reason is this:

وَوَقَّتَ لَكُمُ الْآجَالَ

God has appointed lifespans for you. «وقت» and «توقیت» mean determining a time. «آجال» is the plural of «أجل»; that is, God has specified times and durations.

«أجل» sometimes means a duration in general and sometimes the end of a duration. When it is said that someone's «اجلش سر رسید», it means that his duration has come to an end.

For example, a «قرض مؤجل» is a loan for which a time and duration have been set. Sometimes a person conducts a transaction immediately, and sometimes on credit; a credit transaction has a time limit and is deferred, meaning that a term and duration have been set for it.

The Exalted God has appointed a fixed term for everything, and the same applies to human beings. A death has been appointed for each person, and his life has an end. Now that life has an end, one must have God. This is the second reason for having God: «وَوَقَّتَ لَكُمُ الْآجَالَ».

Third Reason: God Has Provided Clothing and Covering for Human Beings

The third reason:

وَأَلْبَسَكُمُ الرِّيَاشَ

God has clothed and covered you. «ألبس» derives from clothing and means to cover.

«ریاش» is the plural of «ریش». Here, of course, «ریش» does not mean facial hair; in Arabic, «ریش» means the feather of a bird. Bird feathers are also usually colorful and beautiful.

The Exalted God says in verse 26 of Surah al-A'raf:

﴿

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْآتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا ۖ وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ

﴾

O children of Adam, God has provided clothing for you—clothing that covers your bodies and private parts—and He has also given you clothing of adornment and beauty.

One of the blessings and privileges of human beings is that God has clothed them. Animals are naked, but human beings are not naked; they have covering. There is a general garment that «یُوَارِي سَوْآتِکُمْ»; that is, it covers a person's defects, irregularities, and private parts.

God created human beings in such a way that they would not be naked, but would cover their bodies. This is one type of clothing: clothing that covers the private parts. Alongside it, however, there is another type of clothing that serves the purpose of adornment. This is «ریاش».

Therefore, «ریاش» in this verse means fine and ornamental clothing. The root word «ریش» means a bird's feather, and just as birds' feathers have various beautiful colors, this clothing is also clothing of elegance and adornment.

Every person has an undergarment for covering the private parts and an outer garment for appearing in society. The clothing in which a person appears in society is fine and ornamental clothing, and the Qur'an refers to it as «ریاش».

Elsewhere, God refers to covering the body with the term «سرابیل»:

﴿

وَسَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ

﴾

«سرابیل» means garments; among His blessings, God has given human beings clothing for the body—clothing that preserves their body's heat.

In common usage, we say, Wear warm clothing, but clothing is not intrinsically hot or cold. Human beings themselves possess heat. The Qur'an's beautiful expression is that clothing preserves the body's heat: «سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ».

«تَقِيكُمْ» derives from the same root as Godwariness and means to preserve and protect. That is, clothing preserves the heat within your body and prevents it from being lost. Thus, the precise meaning of warm clothing is clothing that preserves the body's warmth.

«تَقِيكُمْ الْحَرَّ» means that clothing preserves the heat within your body. Therefore, heat belongs to the human body, not to clothing. Clothing is not intrinsically hot or cold; rather, some clothing preserves the body's heat, and for this reason we call it warm clothing. Thus, in reality, the warmth comes from the human being.

The Qur'an continues with a beautiful comparison:

﴿

وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ

﴾

Just as clothing protects human beings from heat, illness, and various forms of harm, God has also likened Godwariness to a garment. Just as clothing protects a person's body, Godwariness protects his spirit. Thus, the garment of the human spirit is Godwariness, and the garment of Godwariness is better than outward clothing.

Five Reasons to Give Thanks to God

The Commander of the Faithful (a) continues:

وَأَلْبَسَكُمُ الرِّيَاشَ، وَأَرْفَقَ لَكُمُ الْمَعَاشَ، وَأَحَاطَ بِكُمُ الْإِحْصَاءَ

The Exalted God has clothed you in fine garments. A person's appearance and presence in society are through these clothes, and his social life is also organized through them. Therefore, one must thank God: first, because God has clothed you in abundant blessings; and second, because He has equipped you with various blessings and resources.

Third, God has clothed you in fine garments, namely «ریاش». «ریاش» is the plural of «ریش» and means fine clothing and the adornment of life.

Fourth, He says: «وَأَرْفَقَ لَكُمُ الْمَعَاشَ». God has expanded your material life and livelihood and placed various blessings at your disposal—from the ability to breathe and move to fruits and the other blessings you need for life. God has provided livelihood and life for you in various forms and kinds and has withheld nothing from you.

Fifth, He says: «وَأَحَاطَ بِكُمُ الْإِحْصَاءَ». «احصاء» means counting and statistics. In the past, the statistics office was called the «اداره احصائیه», because it possessed population statistics and information about the city and conducted censuses. The Commander of the Faithful (a) says that one of the reasons for giving thanks is that God has a record of all of you and encompasses all your circumstances. Your statistics are in God's possession.

These five reasons are among the ten reasons that the Commander of the Faithful (a) has presented for attending to divine blessings and the necessity of Godwariness. God willing, we will discuss the other five reasons in the next session.

Familiarity with Nahj al-Balagha

We hope that Almighty God grants us the success to read Nahj al-Balagha repeatedly and not neglect it. Just as reading the Qur'an brings reward, reading Nahj al-Balagha also brings reward. When a person reads Nahj al-Balagha, they become exhilarated; the composition of its sentences and words gives life to the human spirit.

Let us not refrain from reading Nahj al-Balagha, and let us make a plan for it. Just as the Qur'an is part of all our routines, God willing, let us also include Nahj al-Balagha in our routines and read at least one page of it each day. At the very least, let us strive to complete Nahj al-Balagha once, just as we complete the recitation of the Qur'an.

Amir al-Mu'minin (a) is himself the Qur'an that speaks, and his words too are filled with Qur'anic teachings. Nahj al-Balagha deserves this same respect and attention. God willing, may Almighty God grant us the success to read the sentences of Nahj al-Balagha, learn from them, and attain a blessed end.

وَصَلَّى اللهُ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ. اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ.