Thirteenth Session

I seek refuge in God from Satan, the accursed. In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. Praise belongs to God, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon the noblest of the prophets and messengers, the beloved of the hearts of the truthful, Abu al-Qasim, the Chosen One, Muhammad. O God, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and his pure and immaculate household, and let Your everlasting curse be upon all their enemies, from now until the Day of Resurrection.

The Godwariness of People of Insight

اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ تَقِيَّةَ ذِي لُبٍّ، شَغَلَ التَّفَكُّرُ قَلْبَهُ، وَأَنْصَبَ الْخَوْفُ بَدَنَهُ، وَأَسْهَرَ التَّهَجُّدُ غُرَارَ نَوْمِهِ، وَأَظْمَأَ الرَّجَاءُ هَوَاجِرَ يَوْمِهِ، وَظَلَفَ الزُّهْدُ شَهَوَاتِهِ، وَأَوْجَفَ الذِّكْرُ بِلِسَانِهِ، وَقَدَّمَ الْخَوْفَ لِأَمَانِهِ.

This is the thirteenth session on Sermon 83 of Nahj al-Balagha, also known as the Gharra Sermon. In the previous session, we spoke about the condition of the human body after burial and decomposition, the condition of the soul, and the crossing of the Bridge of Sirat. Now, after presenting those matters, the Commander of the Faithful (a) draws a conclusion: «اتقوا الله عباد الله»; servants of God, be mindful of God.

Next, the Imam presents examples of godwariness and the Godwary: people who can serve as models and exemplars for others. He describes eleven qualities of exemplary people of taqwa, then points to their reward and stations in Paradise. Finally, he enumerates six subsidiary qualities. Tonight, we will speak about exemplary godwariness and the qualities of those who embody it.

The Imam says: «اتقوا الله عباد الله تقية ذي لب»; practice the godwariness of people of insight. «لب» means the core and inner substance. The Qur’an also speaks of «اولوالالباب», not «اولوالعقول». A person of insight is one whose intellect has depth and who possesses true understanding; he does not merely engage in superficial calculation. Many people have intellect, but lack depth. Someone may be devoted to worship and godwariness, yet, for lack of depth, may not be worthy of serving as a model. Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari was among the pious and outwardly devout, yet he stood against his Imam. Thus, the godwariness sought is that of people of insight: a godwariness that can serve as an example and exemplar.

1. Thought that Engages One’s Entire Being

The Imam says: «شَغَلَ التَّفَكُّرُ قَلْبَهُ». The first quality of a person of insight is that thought occupies his heart. Here, heart means intellect, as the Qur’an says:

﴿

وَلَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا

﴾

That is, they have hearts, but they do not understand with them.

The Imam does not say «شَغَلَ الفِكرُ», but rather «شَغَلَ التَّفَكُّرُ». Tafakkur means continually immersing oneself in thought. This person’s intellect is constantly engaged in reflection; whatever he intends to do, he first thinks it through. His worship, too, is accompanied by reflection; his prayers, fasting, and other acts of worship are performed thoughtfully.

It is related about Abu Dharr:

أَكْثَرُ عِبَادَةِ أَبِي ذَرٍّ التَّفَكُّرُ

2. Fear that Drives the Body to Strive

The second quality is: «وَأَنْصَبَ الْخَوْفُ بَدَنَهُ». «أنصب» means to tire. Fear of God and of the Resurrection has made his body exert itself and toil. His whole body strives to earn God’s pleasure, and fear of God impels him to make an effort.

3. Vigilance in the Night that Takes Away Even His Little Sleep

The third quality is: «وَأَسْهَرَ التَّهَجُّدُ غُرَارَ نَوْمِهِ». Tahajjud is worship at night. «غرار» means little; that is, even the little sleep he gets is taken from him by keeping vigil and worshipping at night.

We have been advised to keep three things limited: eating, speaking, and sleeping; for eating too much, talking too much, and sleeping too much are harmful. The Godwary person even forgoes his little sleep to spend the night in worship.

The Night Prayer has a profound effect. Whoever does not rise before dawn has neglected himself. The Noble Prophet of Islam (s) attained the Praiseworthy Station through the Night Prayer. The Qur’an says of the Night Prayer:

﴿ إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْئًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا ﴾

Indeed, rising at night is more conducive to the heart’s accord with the tongue, and more suitable for speaking with firmness.

Two things are of great importance in the Night Prayer: sincerity and presence of heart. When a person is alone with God, he has a greater opportunity to attain presence of heart. Everyone who has attained a station has done so through the blessing of the Night Prayer. Do not abandon the Night Prayer or deprive yourselves of it; perform it in whatever way you can. Our great ones, too, attained their stations through the blessing of this very prayer.

Hafiz says:

Those were happy hours, spent in the company of the BelovedAll the rest was fruitless and heedless.

O nightingale, perish with envy, for the roseAt dawn would display its beauty to the morning breeze.

Every treasure of felicity that God gave HafizWas through the blessing of nightly prayers and dawn’s devotions.

A person’s happiest hours are those spent with God at night. All creatures, too, are engaged in worship in the middle of the night. The Qur’an says:

﴿ وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَٰكِنْ لَا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ ﴾

There is nothing that does not glorify Him with praise, but you do not comprehend their glorification.

During the day, a person may be caught up in sins and various preoccupations; but at night, he can be alone with his God in solitude and repent if he has erred during the day. All creatures glorify God, but we do not understand their glorification. Let us not be inferior to animals; let us rise at dawn to worship.

A story is told that in the time of Prophet Solomon (a), during a famine, creatures gathered to pray and ask for rain. Prophet Solomon (a) saw an ant lying on its back, raising its hands to the sky. The ant was praying: «خدایا، باران را بر ما بفرست و ما را به سبب گناهان بنی‌آدم گرفتار مکن.» The ant, too, prays, but we do not understand what it says; Prophet Solomon (a) understood its language.

4. Fasting on Hot Days

The fourth quality is: «وَأَظْمَأَ الرَّجَاءُ هَوَاجِرَ يَوْمِهِ». «أظمأ» comes from the root meaning thirst, and «هواجر» refers to hot, scorching days. Hope for divine reward leads him to endure thirst on hot days; he fasts and bears the thirst of scorching days.

He does not say, “I’ll wait until the days are shorter and the weather cooler”; he fasts on long, hot days as well, in hope of God’s reward.

5. Detachment from the World and Restraining Desires

The fifth quality is: «وَظَلَفَ الزُّهْدُ شَهَوَاتِهِ». Zuhd means detachment from and lack of desire for the world. This very detachment keeps him from following his desires; he does not pursue his carnal wishes and whims.

Being an ascetic does not mean wearing old clothes, nor is it related to outward appearance; zuhd means detachment from the world.

6. The Tongue’s Constant Remembrance

The sixth quality is: «وَأَوْجَفَ الذِّكْرُ بِلِسَانِهِ». Some copies of Nahj al-Balagha have «أوجف», while others have «أرجف». If the word is «أوجف», it means to hasten; that is, his tongue hastens to engage in remembrance. If it is «أرجف», it means to move or set in motion; that is, remembrance sets his tongue in motion. In either case, he is constantly engaged in remembering God.

7. Sending Fear Ahead for Safety

The seventh quality is: «وَقَدَّمَ الْخَوْفَ لِأَمَانِهِ». «قدّم» means to send ahead. He sends fear ahead so that he may be safe from the terrifying scenes of the Resurrection; therefore, he is always apprehensive.

Some copies have «لِأَبَانِهِ» instead of «لِأَمَانِهِ». If the reading is «لأمانه», it means that he sends fear ahead in order to be safe. But if the reading is «لأبانه», it may mean before its beginning; that is, he has prepared fear in advance for the first moments of appearing at the Resurrection.

In Surah al-Ma‘arij, the punishment of the unbelievers is described:

﴿ سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ ۝ لِلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ ﴾

A questioner asked about a punishment bound to occur: a punishment for the unbelievers, which no one can repel.

Then the surah speaks of a day whose measure is fifty thousand years:

﴿

تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

﴾

Thus, the phrase can be understood as follows: «وَقَدَّمَ الْخَوْفَ لِأَمَانِهِ»; he sent fear ahead so that he might be safe, or so that from the very beginning of appearing at the Resurrection he would not be overwhelmed by fear and terror.

8. Avoiding Paths of Deviation

وَتَنَكَّبَ الْمَخَالِجَ عَنْ وَضَحِ السَّبِيلِ

«مخالج» refers to things that cross a person’s mind and lead him astray.

9. Choosing the Middle Way

وَسَلَكَ أَقْصَدَ الْمَسَالِكِ إِلَى النَّهْجِ الْمَطْلُوبِ

«سَلَکَ» means to travel and tread a path. «أَقْصَدَ الْمَسَالِکِ» means the most moderate of paths: neither excess nor negligence. The word «مقتصد» comes from the same root. A muqtasid is someone who maintains moderation in life.

To reach his goal, the Godwary person chooses the most moderate of paths; he neither goes to excess nor falls short. The Commander of the Faithful (a) faced both hard-line extremists and those who followed the path of negligence. We must be moderate and, like the good companions of the Commander of the Faithful (a), such as Abu Dharr, Ammar, and Salman, follow the path of moderation.

The straight path is a direct and moderate path:

﴿

اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ

﴾

Guide us to the straight path.

The straight path is the path of the Imam and the course of the Infallible Imam (a). The Bridge of Sirat in the Resurrection is the embodiment of the inner reality of this world. We see the outward aspect of the world, but its inner reality is our following of the Infallible Imam. Obedience to the Infallible Imam is a narrow and difficult path; one cannot easily claim to be a follower of the Commander of the Faithful (a). There were people who lived in his time and were even present during the events surrounding the house of Lady Fatima (a), yet in the end they came to a different fate.

The Bridge of Sirat is not something separate from this world; it is the inner reality of the world. A person’s deeds in this world, including whether or not he followed the Infallible Imam, take visible form there. Whoever follows the Imam in this world will cross that bridge swiftly.

10. Not Being Deceived by the Pleasures of the World

وَلَمْ تَفْتِلْهُ فَاتِلَاتُ الْغُرُورِ

«فاتلات» means deceivers: the alluring things of the world that deceive a person. Pleasures that lead to conceit do not divert the Godwary person from his path or lead him into error.

11. Not Being Blinded by Ambiguous Matters

وَلَمْ تَعْمَ عَلَيْهِ مُشْتَبِهَاتُ الْأُمُورِ

«تَعْمَ» comes from the root meaning blindness. Ambiguous matters and carnal desires do not blind the Godwary person, whether sexual desire, the desire for wealth, or some other wish. Love for something can sometimes make a person blind and deaf; whatever people tell him, he still says, “This is what I want.”

One day, a young man came to the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (s), to ask to marry a girl. The Prophet (s) asked him whether he had seen the girl and what he knew about her qualities. The young man said that he had seen her and that she was very beautiful. The Prophet (s) asked about her intellect. After making inquiries, the young man said that the girl was very beautiful, but had a simple mind. The Prophet (s) told him not to marry her. The young man said he had fallen in love with her and could not give up what he wanted. The Prophet (s) told him that if he did marry her, at least he should not have children with her.

Sometimes a person becomes attached to something and, whatever people tell him, still wants it; but he must observe the relevant considerations. In marriage, the genes of the father and mother affect their children, including their intellect, development, and thinking.

Thus, carnal matters do not blind the Godwary person. For example, if he likes a particular car, it is not that the car has captured his gaze and he can see no other car. These are the eleven qualities of exemplary people of taqwa.

Conclusion and Prayer

We will discuss the outcome of these qualities in the next session. We hope that we, too, will follow exemplary people of taqwa, at whose head are the Infallibles (a), the friends of God, and the good companions of the Imams (a). We hope that the valuable words of the Commander of the Faithful (a) will have an effect on us.

وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ