Ayatullah Behjat and 3 Spiritual Advices

Ayatullah Behjat on 'The Value of Contemplation and Thought' Agha Shahi remarks: “Ayatullah Behjat is constantly stressing the importance of controlling one’s tongue and maintaining silence.
He would say, “We must control our speech. We should spend 23 hours of the day in contemplation and thought, and only one hour in speech; in fact, often even that is too much.'

Being in a State of Constant Dhikr

Ayatullah Behjat often advises his students to inculcate the habit of being da’im al-dhikr, i.e. remaining in constant remembrance of Allah swt.
He has said, “Someone who is constantly in dhikr, will always perceive himself in the presence of Allah swt and will be continuously communicating with Him.”
For those who want to combat waswasa, (constant suspicion of the motives of others), he recommends highly to continually recite the “tahlil”, which is the dhikr, “La Ilaha Illallah”. Another great contemporary scholar, Ayt. Hasan Hasanzadeh Amuli has remarked that tahlil is al-dhikr-al-khafi (secret dhikr); i.e. it can be constantly repeated without anyone else being aware of what you are doing, because this dhikr can be pronounced without even moving the lips, unlike other dhikrs like “Subhanallah” or Alhamdulillah”!

Ayatullah Behjat on 'The Secret of Salaat'
Ayat Behjat has said:
“Namaz (Salaat) symbolizes the Ka’ba.
The Takbirarut’l Ihram stands for casting aside everything other than Allah swt and entering His haram (sanctuary).
The Qiyam represents a conversation between two friends.
The Ruku’ symbolizes the bowing of a slave in front of his master and
the Sajdah is the ultimate display of lowliness, humility and helplessness in front of the Master.
And when the slave returns from such a Namaz, the souvenir he brings back is the greeting of peace (salaam) from his Lord…”

An Important Rule Often Neglected 2

A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West: 
Dress & clothings» General Rules
Ayatullah al Uzama Syed Ali al-Husaini Seestani
Wearing if leather belts / watches / bands in Salaat


195. Leather products are impure (najis) and salãt in them is not permissible, if we know that they have been made from the hide of an animal not slaughtered according to Islamic laws. Such products are considered pure and salat in them is permissible, if there is a probability that they were made from skin of an animal that is essentially halãl and was slaughtered according to Islamic laws.


In all these cases of probability, wearing a belt and things like that made from leather is allowed [in salãt], provided that they are not big enough as to conceal the private parts. If there exists no probability that it was slaughtered according to Islamic laws, and, on the contrary, we are sure that it comes from skin of an animal that was not slaughtered according to Islamic laws, then it is najis and salãt in it is not permissible. [With no such probability,] even the use of belt and other things (that cannot conceal the sexual organs in salãt) is not permissible on the basis of obligatory precaution. It would be the same law if the probability was very low that sensible people ignore it (for example, 2%).

A GIFT FROM IMAM AL-HUSAYN (A.S.)

On the 10th day of Muharram, known as the day of ‘Aashura, in the year 61 A.H. when Imam Abu ‘Abdillahil Hussein (as) came into the tent to bid farewell to his family members, he held the hand of his sick son, Ali ibn al-Hussein (as) and pressed it against his chest. He (as) then said,

“O son! I am teaching you a du'a which you should remember. Angel Jibrael taught it to my grandfather the messenger of Allah who passed it to my mother Fatima. Whenever you have a special need or are faced with any calamity or crises, or are inflicted with any grief or hardship, then recite the following supplication”:

BIHAQQI YASEEN WAL QUR-AANIL ‘HAKEEM
WA BIHAQQI TAA-HAA WAL QUR-AANIL ‘ADHEEM
YAA MAN YAQDIRU ‘ALAA ‘HAWAA-IJIS-SAA-ILEEN
YAA MAN YA’LAMU MAA FID-DHAMEER
YAA MUNAFFISAN ‘ANIL MAKROOBEEN
YAA MUFARRIJAN ‘ANIL MAGHMOOMEEN
YAA RAA-‘HIMA SHAYKHIL KABEER
YAA RAAZIQAT TIFLIS-SAGHEER
YAA MAN LAA YAHTAAJU ILAT-TAFSEER
SALLI ‘ALAA MUHAMMADIN WA AALI MUHAMMADIN
WAF-‘AL BEE  …….(mention your wishes)

By the truth of Yaseen (a title of the Holy Prophet) and the Quran full of wisdom
And for the sake of Taa-haa (another title of the Holy Prophet) and the great Quran
O he Who is able to fulfil the desires of those ask. O He Who knows what is in the heart. O He Who banishes sorrow from the sorrowful. O He Who dispels grief from those who grieve. O He Who is merciful to old men. O He Who provides for infants. O He Who needs not to be explained. Send blessings upon Muhammad and his progeny and fulfil for me…(mention your wishes)

The above dua’ can be found in Mafateeh al-Jinaan, page no.380

Late Ahmed Hussein Sheriff in his book “Imam Hussein (as), as his words portray” comments on the above dua’ as thus:

This dua’ in fact is meant to be a lesson to us not to get shaken in faith even under most trying circumstances. The words contained in the dua’ are meant to convey to us that Allah (SWT) is fully aware of what is going on in our hearts. He is capable of dispelling our sorrows and grief and He is the only One Who can fulfil all our desires. What is required of us is always to have full trust in Him and rely upon Him and Him alone.

He further adds:
As such, we are taught to present our desires and our problems through intermediaries and with the recommendations of the divinely chosen personalities in the persons of Muhammad (saww) and his progeny. We are therefore required to invoke blessings upon Muhammad (saww) and his progeny whilst invoking to Almighty God.

Mafateeh al-Jinaan, page no. 380

Two great advices for the lovers!

Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn al-Husayn, the saduq of the community, reports with his isnad from 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Ya'fur that al-'Imam al-Sadiq-may peace be upon him-said to him, 
'O 'Abd Allah, when you offer salat, pray like someone who bids farewell and fears that he will never return (i.e. pray in such a manner as if it were the last prayer of your life). Then fix your gaze on the point of your prostration. If you know that there is someone on your left or right, you take more care in offering your salat; then know that you stand in front of Someone Who sees you and you don't see Him.'
Al-Hurr al-`Amili, Wasa'il al-Shi'ah, iv, 688.


Al-Shaykh al-Saduq-may God sanctify his soul-reports with his isnad from al-'Imam al-Sadiq-may peace be upon him-that he said: 
'When someone offers an obligatory salat at the beginning of its time and observes its prerequisites, an angel takes it up to the heaven. White and pure, it (i.e. the salat) says, 'May God take care of you as you took care of me. I have been delivered into the custody of a noble angel.' But when someone offers it without any excuse after its time has elapsed and does not observe its requisite manners, black and dark, it is taken up by an angel, while it calls out to him (i.e. its offerer), `You neglected me. May God neglect you in the same manner that you neglected me. May God not take care of you in the same way that you did not take care of me.'
Wasa'il al-Shi`ah, iii, 90, with a slight difference of wording.

Practical Way to increase concentration in Salat – the mysterious ascension of humankind!

Imam Khomeini; Forty Hadith, Twenty Seventh Hadith

‘‘Know that freedom from other work for the sake of absorption in worship is obtainable through:

1. Possessing unoccupied time

2. Possessing an unoccupied heart.

Attentiveness of the heart consists of two matters:

The first of these lies in possessing unoccupied time and an unoccupied heart

The second lies in making one's heart understand the importance of worship.

What is ‘unoccupied time’?

It is that one should set aside a certain time out of his day and night hours exclusively for the sake of worship wherein he should devote himself solely to worship without engaging in any other preoccupation.

If one were to understand that worship is an important thing whose significance is greater than any other activity, or, rather, that it is something of incomparable significance, he would allocate a certain time to it and be careful to observe its timings.

What is ‘unoccupied heart’?

It is that at the time of worship one must disengage himself from mundane engagements and cares and turn his heart away from all kinds of matters and cares and make it entirely empty and unencumbered for attending to worship and supplication with God Almighty.

My dear, consider the prayers you offer to God by comparing them with talk and conversation with one of His insignificant creatures. (a best friend, a spouse, a fiancée,  a tutor etc)

When talking to a stranger, you attend to him with all your attention and are oblivious of anyone else as long as you are engaged in conversation with him.

But why is it that while engaging in communication and prayer with your Provider and the Lord and Sustainer of the worlds you are totally heedless of Him and attentive to other matters?

Is the station and worth of creatures greater than that of the Sacred Essence of the Lord?

Is conversation with them more valuable than supplication with the Fulfiller of needs?

Yes, I and you do not know the significance of supplication with God.

We consider these divine duties as a cumbersome burden, and, of course, a matter that is a cumbrous weight on one will not be significant for him.’’

An Important Rule Often Neglected 1

Islamic Laws; Ayatullah al Uzama Syed Ali al-Husaini Seestani


1001. It is Wajib for a man to recite Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah loudly, while offering Fajr, Maghrib and Isha prayers, and it is Wajib for a man and a woman to recite Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah silently while offering Zuhr and Asr prayers.

1002. As a precaution, men must take care to recite loudly every word of Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah, including their last letters, in the prayers of Fajr, Maghrib and Isha.

1004. If a person intentionally prays loudly where he should pray silently, and vice versa, his prayer is void. But, if, he does so owing to forgetfulness, or not knowing the rule, his prayer is in order. And if he realises that he is doing a mistake while reciting the Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah, it is not necessary to recite again what he has recited not following the rule.

"Who has the strength to worship like 'Ali ibn Abi Talib!"

The pride of the community and its authority, its treasure and pillar, Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu'man al-Mufid-may God's good pleasure be with him-reports in al-Irshad from Sa'id ibn Kulthum that al-'Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq-may peace be upon him and his father-said: 

"By God, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib-may peace be upon him-never ate anything forbidden as long as he lived in the world, and never were two things wherein lay God's good pleasure presented to him without his choosing that which was more taxing of the two for his body, And never did the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) face any hardship without calling out to 'Ali (A), out of his trust in him, and none out of this Ummah except him has possessed the capacity, endurance and strength of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.). In his conduct, he would act like someone in trepidation whose face was between heaven and hell and who looked forward to the reward of heaven and was frightful of the punishment of hell.


"Indeed, he set free in the way of God and for sake of deliverance from Fire a thousand slaves out of his own money, earned with the toil of his hands and the sweat of his brow. The food of his household consisted of oil, vinegar and dates, and his dress was never made of anything but coarse cotton, and if his blessed sleeves were too long he would ask for a scissors and cut them short.


"Among his descendants and family no one ever came closer to resembling him in his learning and dress than 'Ali' ibn al-Husayn-may peace be upon both of them. His son Abu Ja'far (al-'Imam al-Baqir-may peace be upon him) once entered upon him and saw that he had reached an unprecedented state in worship. His complexion had paled due to keeping awake at nights; his eyes were sore from weeping; his forehead and nose were bruised due to prolonged prostrations; and his feet and ankles were swollen as a result of standing in prayer.


"Abu Ja'far-may peace be upon him-said: `When I saw him in this condition I could not stop myself from breaking into tears. So I wept out of compassion that I felt for him, while he was sunk in contemplation. Some time passed after I had entered. Then noticing me, he said to me, "My son, give me one of those books which describes the worship of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib -may peace be upon him." I gave it to him. He read a little from it and then set it aside in exasperation. Then he declared, "Who has the strength to worship like 'Ali ibn Abi Talib-may peace be upon him!"'"


Al-Shaykh al-Mufid, al-'Irshad, 255-256

The Arsh of Allah

Do know that concerning the Arsh and its carriers there are different opinions.
…according to the Gnostic view and demonstrative way, the Arsh covers so many meanings.
One of its meanings-which I did not see in the language of "the people" [qaum] - is the Unity [hadrat-i wahidiyat] which is on the level of the ‘Holiest Emanation’ and its carriers are four names, of the Great Names: The First (al-Awwal), the Last (al-Aakhir), the Outward (al-Dhaahir) and the Inward (al-Baatin).
Another-which also I did not see in the language of "the people" [qaum] - is the "Holy Emanation" which is on the level of the Greatest Name, and its carriers are: al-Rahman, ar-Rahim, ar-Rabb and al-Malik.
Another one of its concepts is the phrase "all that is other than Allah" [ma siwallah] and its carriers are the four angels: Seraphiel, Gabriel, Michael and Izrael.
Another is the "Universal Body" [jism-i kull], which is carried by four angels who are the images of the Archetypes [arbab-i anwa'], as is referred to in al-Kafi. (Usulul Kafz, vol. 1, pp. 131 and 132.)
Sometimes it is regarded to be the "Knowledge", which may be Allah's Active Knowledge [ilm-i fi`li] which is the state of the great guardianship [wilayat-i kubra] and its carriers are four of Allah's perfect friends from the ancient nations: Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus [peace be upon our Prophet, his progeny and upon them], and four persons of the perfect ones of this nation: the Seal of the Prophets, Amirul Mu'mimn 'Ali, al-Hasan and al-Husayn (AS).
How does the above tie with our daily recital (Surah Fatiha)?
[a bit of reflection]
ar-Rabb, ar-Rahman, ar-Rahim and Malik, are particularly mentioned in the opening of Surah Al-Hamd, maybe in respect of the inside [batin], while their outer appearances [dhahir] are Allah's four favourite angels who are the carriers of the Arsh of "Realization' [tahaqquq].
So, the blessed name of ar-Rabb is the inside [batin] of Michael who, as ar-Rabb's manifestation, is in charge of the provisions and the education in the world of existence.
The noble name of ar-Rahman is the inside [batin] of Seraphiel who is the caretaker [munshi] of the spirits, the blower of the Trumpet and the spreader [basit] of the spirits and the images, as the spread [bast] of existence is also in the name of ar-Rahman.
The noble name of ar-Rahim is the inside of Gabriel who is in charge of teaching and perfecting the beings.
The noble name of Malik is the inside of Izrael who is in charge of taking [qabd] the spirits and images, and of returning the outside [zahir] to the inside [batin].
So, the blessed surah of Surah Al-Hamd, up to ‘Maliki yawmidin’ includes the Arsh of Unity and the `Arsh of Realization, with reference to its carriers.
Thus, the entire circle of existence and the manifestations of the invisible and the visible, which are translated by the Glorious Qur'an, are mentioned up to this part of this surah.

This very concept is also entirely covered by the Bismillah, which is the Greatest Name.
It is also in the "B" [ba'], which is in the position of causality, and in the dot of bism, which is the secret of the causality. And, as 'Ali (AS) is the secret of guardianship [wilayat] and causality, therefore, it is he who is the dot under the "B" (Al Asjaarul Arba `ah, vol. 7, p. 32. Asrarul Hikam, p.559.)
That is, the dot under the "B" is the translator of the secret of guardianship.
The reason for contemplation is the difficulty, which is in the hadith.  And Allah knows better!
(Imam Khomeini; Adabus-Salat - The Disciplines of the Prayer. 324-326)

A good parable explaining God to non-Muslims‏

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. Barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of ALLAH, the barber said: 
"I don't believe that ALLAH exists."
Why do you say that?" asked the customer
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that ALLAH doesn't exist. Tell me, if ALLAH exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If ALLAH existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving ALLAH who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbers shop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair & an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again and he said to the barber:
"You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me."
"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! ALLAH, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

QUESTION: What is the difference between nature and God? If we sow a seed then the tree of that particular seed grows. Then what did God do in that case? Similarly, in the case of rain. We know the procedure of rain. Then what’s the work of God?   
ANSWER: When you take a car (in perfect condition), put in petrol and switch the engine on, it starts running. Then what did the Ford or Nissan or Mitsubishi Company does in this case?  You know the process how the said engine works, then what's the work of its manufacturer?

Smelling sense of the Souls

Sayyid Ibn Tawus [may his soul be sanctified] quotes from 'Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS):

He [may his soul be sanctified], quoting az-Zahri, in Fathul Abwab, says:

"I, together with 'Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS), called upon 'Abdul Malik ibn Marwan. 'Abdul Malik, regarding it as magnificent to see the mark of prostration between the two eyes of 'Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS), said: `O Abu Muhammad, perseverance is obvious on your face, and Allah has already been beneficent to you, as you are a part of the Messenger of Allah (SA), a close relative with a firm relation to him, and you have a great favour upon your family and your contemporaries. You have been given such merits, knowledge, godliness and piety that have been given to no one like you or before you, except your past ancestors.' He continued praising and extolling him.

'Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS) said: `All that which you have described is of Allah's favour, support and grace. But how is [my] thanking Him on what He has favoured [me], O Amirul Mu'minin? The Messenger of Allah (SA) used to stand in his salat on his feet till they got swollen, and he remained thirsty during his fasting such that his mouth would dry up. He was asked: `O Messenger of Allah! `Did not Allah forgive what has passed and what is to come of your sins?' He replied: `Am I not to be a thankful servant?' Praise be to Allah for what He has favoured us with and for His testing us, and praise be to Him in the Hereafter and in this world. By Allah, even if my limbs were cut to pieces and my eyeballs ran down my chest just to pay tribute to Allah, the Most Glorified, for just a tenth of one tenth of a single one of all His favours, which no reckoner can reckon, nor the praise of the praisers can pay the tribute due to a single one of them, I could not pay the due tribute to Him. Never, by Allah, unless He grants me that nothing should keep me from praising and remembering Him all days and nights, secretly and publicly. Had I not been under obligations to my family and to other people, in particular and in general, who have rights against me, and which I cannot but fulfil to them as it is possible and as is in my capacity, I would have turned my eye to the heaven, and my heart to Allah, and then I would have never taken them back till He would take my breath-He is the best of judges.' Then he (AS) wept, and so did 'Abdul Malik ... " as the hadith goes.

Biharul Anwar, vol. 46, p. 57, "Fathul Abwab"