Archive for category: Other Points

The Holy Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his progeny) said:
ما أَنْزَلَ اللّهُ مِنْ داء إلاّ جَعَلَ لَهُ دَواء

Translation
God has not created any disease unless he has created a remedy for it.1

Brief Description
The world in which we live is a series of actions and reactions. For every negative power there is a corresponding positive and corrective power which should be found and used. Continuation of our life is the effect of balance in these powers. There is neither an incurable corporeal disease, nor is there any social problem that cannot be solved. These who assume that certain complex problems have no solution or that some diseases have no cure, neglect this important fact that in essence there is no such thing as an incurable disease.
Therefore, one should not give up. One should persevere and keep on working on the life’s intractable issues with patience and tenacity until a solution is found.[divider]
•    1. Nahjul Fasahah

Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said:
اَلْغِيْبَةُ جُهْدُ الْعاجِزِ

Translation
Backbiting is the last effort of weak people.1

Brief Description
Few sins can be found among the capital sins that indicate meanness, weakness, humiliation, and cowardice like backbiting does.
Backbiters falsely blame and ascribe faults to others and damage reputations to satiate the fire of their envy and malice. They are weak and mean persons who do not have the courage to confront their victims with their baseless and unfair criticisms and can only stab others in the back.
It is mentioned in one of the traditions that even if a backbiter repents and the repentance is accepted, he shall be the last one entering paradise. Otherwise, he would be the first one entering hell.[divider]
•    1. Nahjul Balaghah

Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said:
إنَّهُ لَيْسَ لاِنْفُسِكُمْ ثَمَنٌ إلاّ الْجَنَّةُ فَلا تَبِيْعُوها إِلاَّ بِها

Translation
(Be aware) no price is good enough for you except everlasting prosperity and paradise, so do not exchange it for any other price.1

Brief Description
Usually when somebody is asked about the price of his life, he cannot name a price. No price is high enough.
However, in reality, he exchanges this precious life gradually, day by day, for a very small price indeed. And, lo and behold, he wakes up one fine day towards the end of his life, to find that he has sold off this priceless asset in exchange for a house or a car or a country villa, which he will soon leave behind in any case … when death comes knocking at the door !
Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) says that nothing whatsoever of the material treasures of this world is worthy enough to be exchanged with the capital of your life. The only thing worth selling your life for is God’s satisfaction, human and spiritual development that leads to an everlasting prosperity in paradise. This is the thing to buy with your life; it is worthy of every endeavor, attempt and sacrifice one can make.[divider]
•    1. Nahjul Balaghah

Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) said:
اَلْمُؤْمِنُ حَسَنُ الْمَعُونَةِ خَفِيفُ الْمَؤُنَةِ، جَيِّدُ التَّدْبِيرِ لِمَعِيْشَتِهِ لا يَلْسَعُ مِنْ جُحْر مَرَّتَيْنِ

Translation
A believer provides valuable assistance, has low expenditure, and is prudent in life, and is never bitten twice from one hole (never inflicted twice from one source). 1

Brief Description
Belief has some scientific, moral and social manifestation and signs, without which it is only a meaningless name. The above tradition refers to four signs of it:
1- Believers provide valuable assistance to their Muslim brothers because their help is accompanied with compassion, honesty and awareness.
2- They do not have a luxurious and costly standard of living and do not commit offenses to provide for it.
3- They are prudent and aware in life especially in economic affairs.
4- They take lesson from each event immediately and thus they are not inflicted twice from the same source.[divider]
•    1. Safinat’ul-Bihar, Alkafi, vol 2, page 241, Wasa’il Alshia, vol 15, page 193.

Imam Al-Kadhim (a.s.) said:
لَيْسَ مِنّا مَنْ لَمْ يُحاسِبْ نَفْسَهُ كُلَّ يَوْم

Translation
One who does not perform self-examination every day is not among us.1

Brief Description
Preventing loss and increasing profit in any worldly activity, however big or small, requires continuous monitoring and assessment through inspection, measurement and accounting. One can see how careful people are in calculation of their material wealth. And how sensitive are the weight-watchers about small changes in their weight. Yet, surprisingly, some of them do not look into their human, moral and spiritual accounts even once during their life. What a terrible negligence!
A responsible and vigilant Muslim is one who, as the Imam says, examines his account everyday without exception. If he has done a good deed, he tries to continue it, and if he has done evil, he repents for it.[divider]
•    1. Sayings of the Imams, volume one, page 214