Ethical and Mystical Letter [Ethical-mystical advice and admonition]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
This is a last will and testament of an old father who has spent a life in vanity and has not set out with the necessary provisions for the eternal life. He has not taken a sincere step for God and not been delivered from carnal passions and satanic whims, but is not disappointed with the grace and favor of the merciful God. This father has pinned hope on His forgiveness and kindness. This hope is his only provision for the journey. My last will is the only thing I offer to a son who enjoys the blessing of youth and has the opportunity for self-edification and serving the servants of God. It is hoped that the great God will be gratified with him as is his father and grant him ever greater success to serve the deprived people who, as recommended by Islam, are deserving ones among the nation.
My son Ahmad, may God grants you his guidance! All beings in the world are poor, because their existence is not inherent in them. This rule applies to all whether pre-existent, everlasting, infinite or else. If you study the entire infinite chains of existence rationally, you will hear the sound of intrinsic poorness and need in their existence and evolution in a Being that is self-existent, One whose perfection is His Essence. If you are engaged in a rational conversation with inherently poor chains and ask them" O poor creatures! Who is capable of fulfilling your needs?" All will consonantly cry with the tongue of fitrat (primordial nature) that they stand in need of a Being who is not poor in existence and evolution of existence. This fitrat too does not belong to them, as the Holy Qur'an says:" So set thy purpose (O Muhammad) for religion as a man by nature upright the nature (framed) of Allah, in which He hath created man. There is no altering (the laws of) Allah's creation. That is the right religion, but most men know not." «1» The nature of unity belongs to God and the inherently poor creatures will not develop into an inherently rich one. Such a transformation is impossible.
Creatures are inherently poor and needy. None save the intrinsically rich One can fulfill their need. This inherent poverty is indispensable to them; it is perpetual whether this train of beings is eternal or not. None except Him is able to help out. Anyone's perfection or beauty is not his but a manifestation of His perfection and beauty, as put by the Holy Qur'an:" Ye (Muslims) slew them not, but Allah slew them. And thou (Muhammad) threWest not when thou didst throw, but Allah threw, that He might test the believers by a fair test from Him. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Knower." «2» This holy verse applies to any object, action, word and deed. Anyone who discovers this truth and rejoices will not be attached to anyone save Him, nor will one ask anyone save Him for one's need.
Try in seclusion to contemplate on this divine twinkle and inculcate the idea in your heart and repeat it so that infant heart opens its mouth and the glitter shows off in the domain and paradise of your existence, joining the absolute rich and making you needless of anyone except Him. Implore Him to grant you success to join Him, to make you needless of all but Him, to annihilate yourself in Him and to grant you entry.
My dear son! He, the Glorified and Exalted, is the first and the last and the outward and the inward, as the Holy Qur'an says:" He is the First and the Last, and the Outward and the Inward." «3»" Is it possible for other than You to have a share of manifestation that you do not do so that he provides the means for your appearance? When have you been absent so that you would need proof to testify for you? When have you been remote so that traces of (creatures) would serve as a means to reach You? Blind be the eye not to see You watch over him. «4»
You have not been absent so as to entreat YouYou are not hidden to the eye so as to search for You
He is manifest and every visible thing is His manifestation, and we are veils (our self is a veil). It is our selfishness that shrouds us." You are yourself your veil Hafiz, rend the veil." «5» Let us seek refuge in Him and supplicate and entreat Him, the Most Blessed and Exalted, to deliver us from the veils: O God! Bestow upon me complete renunciation of attachments so as to turn to You and light up the eye of our hearts to see Your light so that the eyes of the heart rip through the veils and attain to the source of majesty and glory and our souls be entitled to Your Holiness." «6»
My son! We are still bounded by the dark veils after which there are the veils of light. We, the veiled ones, are still taking the preliminary steps.
My son! If you are not among the people dedicated to spiritual stations, try not to deny the spiritual and mystical stations. The biggest trick of Satan and the tempting self that inhibits man from all human ranks and spiritual stations is denial and occasionally derision of spiritual journey resulting in enmity towards it. What all grand Prophets- may God greetings be upon them- and the immaculate Imams- may God's mercy be upon them- and revealed books particularly the Holy Qur'an, the immortal and humanizing book, have come for, will be nipped in the bud.
The Qur'an, this book of guidance towards the knowledge of God and path of the spiritual journey, was deflected and isolated at the hands of ignorant friends with devious ideas and wishful interpretations which the infallible Imams (`a) prohibited, crept into it and everyone interpreted it according to his own selfish ideas. This noble scripture was revealed in an environment and age where and when the most backward people lived in the darkest environment and was revealed to the divine heart of someone continuing to live in that environment. In it lies the truth and learning that was unprecedented in the world of that day, let alone the place where it was revealed. This is also the greatest miracle of the Qur'an. The paramount mystical issues that were unrivaled in Greece and its philosophers, and the books produced by Aristotle «7» and Plato, «8» the greatest philosophers of those ages, were unable to grasp, and even Muslim philosophers who had been brought up in the cradle of the Holy Qur'an and availed of it interpreted the verses that outright sanctioned that all beings in the world are living. The great mystics of Islam all quote from Islam and the Qur'an. Mystical issues as presented in the Holy Qur'an cannot be found in other revealed books.
These are the miracles of the Holy Prophet, who was so acquainted with the source of revelation that it related to him the secrets of existence. He had ascended the pinnacle of perfection of humanity and the stages of existence and saw the verities openly and without any veil. At the same time, he was present in all dimensions of humanity and stages of existence and had fully grasped" He is the First and the Last, and the Outward and the Inward; and He is Knower of all things" «9» and wanted all human beings to reach it and since they did not, he seemed to suffer. Perhaps the verse" We have not revealed unto thee (Muhammad) this Qur'an that thou shouldst be distressed," «10» might be an elegant reference to it and perhaps" No Prophet has suffered adversity as I have" «11» is also a reference to this notion.
Those who have attained this station or similar to it do not adopt separatism or seclusion; they will rather serve as agents delegated to acquaint people with these manifestations and reconcile the deviants with these manifestations although they might have gained little success. Although those who went into raptures by attaining some stations and sipping a gulp of it and annihilated in Him found their way into great perfection, they did not reach the desired perfection. Mousa Kalim- God's greetings be upon him- who fell into unconsciousness at the manifestation of the Truth regained consciousness and was delegated to serve. The Seal of the Prophets, by reaching the supreme rank of humanity and what was inconceivable to man, was commissioned to guide people with the manifestation of the grand comprehensive Name with the address:" O thou enveloped in thy cloak, arise and warn!" «12»
My dear son! What I alluded to- I am myself insignificant, and naught- is because if you do not reach any of these stages you should not deny spiritual stations and divine knowledge and should try to be among the lovers of the righteous ones and mystics. Although you may not be one of them, do not depart from this world with enmity towards the friends of the Almighty God.
My son! Acquaint yourself with the Qur'an, this great book of knowledge even by merely reading it, and find a way to the Beloved and do not imagine that recitation minus knowledge has no impact, as this is a temptation of the Satan. This is a book from the Beloved for you and for all and the letter of the Beloved is favorable although the lover may not be aware of its content. With this intense love of the Beloved, Who is the absolute perfection, it will trace you and might help you. If we prostrate as token of gratitude for the Qur'an being our book, we cannot do justice in all moments of our life.
My son! The supplications and prayers handed down to us by the immaculate Imams (`a) are the greatest guides to become acquainted with Him, the Sublime and Glorified, and they provide a rudder for servitude and relationship between the Truth and people. They contain divine knowledge and serve as means of familiarity with Him, being the gift of the revelation household and a sample of the disposition of the friends of hearts and lords of spiritual journey. Beware of the temptations of the unaware ones lest they keep you unaware of resorting to them and associating with them. If we arise to pray in our lifetime in appreciation of the fact that these righteous ones who have joined the Truth are our Imams and guides, we cannot do justice.
Among my advice, on the eve of my death and at my last tethers, to you who enjoy the blessing of youth is to select your companion and friends from among the righteous people committed to and attentive to spirituality, who are not disposed to the love of the world and its allurements and who do not overstep the normal limits in search of property and belongings and whose assemblies and parties are not infected by sin and who are adorned with noble ethics, as association inevitably cuts both ways- it can lead to improvement or corruption of people. Try to keep away from assemblies that make one unaware of the remembrance of God, for by acclimatization to these assemblies one might be divested of success, something that is an irreparable catastrophe.
Know that in man, if not in all beings, love for absolute perfection and attainment of it has been ingrained naturally. It is impossible that this love be separate from man; it is not also possible for absolute perfection to be two or more in number. Absolute perfection is God, the Sublime and Glorified; all seek Him and are enamored of Him even if they themselves are not aware of this, as they are in the veils of darkness and light and by these veils imagine that they seek other things. Whatever perfection or beauty or power or position they attain, they are not satisfied with and cannot find their lost ones therein.
The powerful countries and superpowers seek power above whatever power they obtain and those seeking knowledge are in quest of a higher level of learning they acquire, but cannot find their lost one which they are neglectful of therein. If the power seekers are granted control and dominance over the entire world of matter ranging from the earth and solar systems to galaxies and whatever beyond them and tell them" if they want to dominate powers far above these and another world or worlds beyond," it is unlikely that they do not have such a wish in their mind. In fact, in their innermost nature they say:" If only we could gain access to them as well!" Such is the case with the acquisition of knowledge. If he is doubtful as to whether another station superior to what he commands exists, his absolute-seeking nature would say:" if only there existed such a station and I could attain it or the scope of my knowledge would also cover it!"
What ensures all and quenches the raging flame of intractable and acquisitive soul is reaching Him. Since His real zikr (remembrance), the most Exalted and Highest, is His manifestation, drowning in it is soothing." Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest!." «13» It appears to be crying: Attention! Attention! Engross yourself in His remembrance so that your wandering and bewildered heart that flies from this side to that side and from this branch to that branch would find tranquility.
Then O my son, may God assure your heart with His remembrance, listen to the advice and will of your perplexed and confounded father and do not knock on the doors around to attain venal name and fame, for whatever you gain of carnal passion you will still be distressed by not attaining the superior ones and envy the higher stations which add to the discomfort of your soul. If you say:" Why do not you yourself act on this piece of advice?" I will say:" Listen to what is said, not to the speaker." «14» This saying is sound even if an insane or the enchanted makes it. The holy Qur'an, after stating:" Nothing of disaster befalleth in the earth or in yourselves but it is in a Book before We bring it into being Lo! That is easy for Allah," «15» reads:" That ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which hath been given. Allah loveth not all prideful boasters," «16» In this world, man is exposed to developments. Sometimes disasters befall him and sometimes the world helps him flourish and he gains name and fame and wealth and blessing of all sorts, while both are ephemeral. Neither those shortages and disasters should deject or depress you in a way as to lose patience- as it happens that what seems to be a disaster and shortage is good and advisable for you- as put by the following verse:" It may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you." «17» And do not lose yourself in the face of worldly gains and what is prompted by carnal desires and beware of condescending and overbearing to the servants of God, for it happens that what you think to be good for you turns out to be bad for you.
My son! The deplorable things which lies at the bottom of all adversities and afflictions and tops all mistakes and sins is love of the world which originates from the love of the self. The world is not an abode to be denounced as it is manifestation of the Truth and station of His divinity and where the angels of Allah have descended and the place for the education of Prophets and saints of God- peace be upon them- and the meeting house of the righteous ones and the location for the manifestation of the Truth in the hearts of those enchanted by the real Beloved. If the love of the world arises from love of God and as His manifestation, the Most High and Exalted, it is pleasing and prompts perfection. If, however, it stems from love of the self, it will be the chief factor triggering all sins. Hence, the despicable world lies within you. Interests in and attachments to other than the owner of the heart will lead to downfall. All oppositions to God and afflictions arising from disasters, crimes and treasons are the result of the love of the self, from which emanates the love of the world and its allurements and the love of name and fame. While no heart will be inherently attached to other than the owner of the heart, these veils of darkness and light which have caused us to neglect the owner of the heart and to mistake other than the owner of the heart as the Beloved, are the deepest of all darkness. The likes of us and we have not reached the veils of light and are still captivated by the pitch-dark veils. The one who said:"( Iblis )said: I am better than him. Thou createdst me of fire while him, Thou didst create of mud." «18» has left behind the veils of darkness. Satan, who stood against God's command and refused to bow down before Adam, was affected by his veils of darkness; that is megalomania and self-conceit. While he cried:" I am better than him. Thou createdst me of fire while him Thou didst create of mud," «19» Satan was driven out of the realm of divinity. As long as we are in the veils of our self and are selfish and conceited, we are satanic and outcast from His court. How difficult it is to break this big idol, which is the mother of idols!
As long as we are humble before the self, we will not be humble before God and His commands. As long as this idol is not broken, the veils of darkness will not be removed. First of all, we should know what the veils are. If we do not, we will not be able to remove them, enfeeble them or at least stop their increasing growth every day. There is a narration which relates that some companions of the Holy Prophet (s) were in his presence when they heard a sound. They asked what the sound was. The Holy Prophet replied: It was the sound of a stone that had moved from the edge of hell seventy years ago and now reached the bottomless pit. The companion found out that a seventy-year-old infidel had died. «20» If the hadith (narration) is valid, perhaps some men of mystical knowledge have heard it themselves or with the aid of the Messenger of God (s) for the discipline of the neglectful ones and warning to the ignorants. If the hadith, whose wording I do not remember, has not been issued, this is the purport of the remark. We travel towards hell for a lifetime and perform prayers, as the greatest means for the remembrance of the Almighty God, throughout our life span while we have turned back to the Truth and taken to our self. How painful it is that our prayer that should elevate us to higher spiritual stations and carry us towards Him and the paradise of perceiving Him leads us to our self and to Abaddon.
My son! These references are not for the likes of me and you to find a way into the knowledge of God and worship of Him in a way deserving of Him. Despite the fact that the most knowledgeable human beings in terms of perceiving the Almighty and performing the duty of a servant before Him, the Exalted, have been quoted as saying that" We did not know You as You deserve to be known; we did not worship You as You deserve to be worshipped," «21» so that we would realize our helplessness and insignificance and bury our selfishness and tame the recalcitrant self in the hope that we might succeed in subjugating and bridling our self and be delivered from the enormous threat remembrance of which stings the soul.
And lo! the threat will loom over us at the moments of separation and departure from this world towards the eternal abode. Hence, the one affected by the love of self and hence the love of the world with its different dimensions might discover some of these states at the moment of the agony of departure, realizing that God's agent separates him from his beloved. One will thus leave this world with enmity towards God and anger and disgust at Him, the Most Exalted. This is the upshot and outcome of the love of the self and the world, as narrations have enunciated. A virtuous and reliable related that he visited a man on his deathbed who said:" The oppression God is doing to me has not been done by anyone else' He wants to separate me from my children whom I have brought up in hardship." I stood up and left him and he died. Perhaps some of the words I quoted differ from what that pious man said. However, what I quoted is so important that one should think out a way for its remedy if the likelihood of it is verified.
If we reflect on the creatures of the world for a while- we are one of them- and come to realize that no creature commands anything independently and whatever he has are graces that God offers and are ephemeral gifts and that the belongings of the world are blessings of the munificent God bestowed on us from before birth till the death time after death through the guides who are delegated to show us the way, may be a ray of His love, the Most Exalted, from which we are veiled can be found within us and we can understand our vanity and nothingness so that a way might open leading us towards Him, the Most High. At least we might be delivered from conscious denial and stop taking pride in negating the divine knowledge and manifestations, as this will incarcerate us in dungeon of selfishness and egoism forever.
It has been quoted that the Almighty God addressed one of His Prophets to bring Him one whom he thought was inferior to him. That Prophet dragged the carcass of a donkey for a few steps to take it to God but changed his mind and repented. He was addressed that if he had brought it, he would have been demoted from his elevated station." I do not know if this quotation is sound or not, yet the position enjoyed by the saints of God if they deem themselves superior to others, they will decline from their position, as such an attitude is selfishness and self-love, even it involved a carcass.
Truly, why did the Seal of Prophets (s) so excruciatingly lament polytheists refusing to believe that God addressed him:" Yet it may be, if they believe not in this statement, that thou (Muhammad) wilt torment thy soul with grief over their footsteps." «22» Is it other than the fact that He loved all the servants of God, as love of God is love for His manifestations? Dark veils of the deviant's selfishness and self-love distress him. This state results in his affliction, adversity and painful chastisement in hell, all due to his own deeds. The Holy Prophet sought prosperity for all, as he had been commissioned to bring bliss for all but the blind-hearted polytheists and deviants showed enmity towards him who had come to deliver them.
If we and you succeed in developing a ray of this love for the manifestations of the Truth as is within His saints and wish for the good of all, we have soared up one level of the favorable perfection. May God Almighty enliven our dying hearts by the grace of His mercy and the compassion of His chosen one, who is a blessing for the entire world! Men of mystical knowledge know that a vigorous treatment of disbelievers is among the attributes of a believer and battle against them is a mercy and covert graces of the Truth. Infidels and wretched people suffer agony every moment of their life and this tribulation, which is the result of their own deeds, increases endlessly. Therefore, killing those who are not corrigible is a mercy in the guise of rage and a blessing in disguise. It is also a mercy on society, because a member corrupting the society is like a decaying organ of the body that will kill if not removed.
This was what Noah, the Prophet of God (may God's greetings be upon him) implored God:" And Noah said:" My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers in the land. If Thou shouldst leave them, they will mislead Thy slaves and will beget none save lewd ingrates." «23» God Almighty says:" And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrongdoers." «24» With this ideative and the former one, all the hudoud (punishment determined by the canonical laws), qisas (lextalionis) and ta`zirat (punishment determined by Imam or religious judge) are a mercy on the part of the Beneficent and the Compassionate on the perpetrator and a mercy upon the society. Let us bypass this subject.
My son! If you can, change your attitude to all beings, particularly human beings, into one of mercy and love by reflection and suggestion. Is it not true that all beings enjoy the mercy of the Creator of the universe from incalculable aspects? Is it not true that existence and all its blessings and signs are the divine mercy and gift on creatures? It has been narrated:" God's mercy encompasses all creatures." «25» Can a possible being have something inherent or a possible being like him gives him something? Therefore, it is the propitious mercy that encompasses the universe. God is the sustainer and trainer of the universe and His training is universal. Is His training not a manifestation of His mercy? Is mercy and training possible minus His universal favor and attention? Why should we not then love the one who is liable to divine attention, favor and love? If this is not the case, is it not a defect in us? Is it not due to our myopic outlook?
Lo! I grew old and could not purge this and other numerous imperfections off my soul. You are young and closer to God's mercy and divinity. Struggle to purge this flaw off your soul. May God grant you, all and us success to remove this veil and come to realize what is required by divine nature! Previously, I touched on this subject. Let me now make a few more points that will help remove this veil.
Driven by divine nature, we love absolute perfection. From this love, wittingly or unwittingly we enjoy the love of absolute perfection as signs of absolute perfection. This nature necessitates that we evade absolute imperfection. Therefore, it is all the same if we do not know and do not come to know that we love the Almighty God Who is the Absolute Perfection and are fond of His portents that are manifestations of Absolute Perfection. Whatever and whoever we evade is not absolute perfection but absolute imperfection. Since we are behind a veil, we make misjudgments. If the veil is removed, what is integral to Him, the Most Exalted, is desirable and whatever is evil cannot be from Him and therefore is non-existent.
Know that the above mentioned conforms to an unfailing proof and mystical viewpoint and understanding and has been pointed out in the Holy Qur'an, and believing in it is very difficult. Disbelievers are great in number and believers few. Even those who have demonstrated this conviction by adducing cogent arguments only occasionally believe it. Belief in such facts is not possible unless by struggle, reflection and suggestion.
Perhaps the claim that some of the argumentative matters are not necessarily to be believed in appears to be difficult to accept or to be baseless. However, it should be known that it is a matter of conscience and what the Holy Qur'an has treated in several verses, such as the verses of Sourah at-Takathur. «26» As regards conscience, you know that the dead have no movement and cannot do any harm to you. Thousands of dead people are not active as much as a fly; they will not be; they will not waken in this world after death and prior to the day of resurrection. Nevertheless, one does not feel comfortable to sleep with a dead body alone. It is because your heart has not believed in your knowledge. You have not come to believe in what you know. However, the one in charge of a funeral parlor is closeted with them with peace of mind.
Philosophers adduce rational arguments to demonstrate the existence of the Almighty God. However, unless what reason has demonstrated by proof does not find its way into the heart and the heart does not believe in it, they do observe the courtesy of being present before God. Those who believe in the Almighty God in their heart will observe the courtesy of being in God's presence even though they may not be concerned with reasoning or be abstaining from what conflicts with God's presence. Therefore, formal science including philosophy and disciplines dealing with monotheism are themselves veils and the greater the learning the thicker and denser the veils.
As we may know and see, the language of invitation employed by the Prophets (`a) and pure Imams (peace be upon them) is not the common language used by philosophy and reasoning. The former is concerned with the life and soul of people and conveys the outcome of reasoning to the heart of the servants of God and guides them through their heart and soul. One can say that philosophers and contenders of reasoning increase the veils while Prophets (s) and men of the soul struggle to remove the veils. Hence, those undergoing training under the guidance of the latter are believers and devotees and the disciples of the former are men of argumentation and controversy and unconcerned with the soul.
What I said does not mean that you should not study philosophy and the science of argumentation and reasoning and rational disciplines; as such a move is treason to the intellect, reasoning and philosophy. However, I mean philosophy and reasoning is a way leading to the main destination and should not serve as a veil blocking your way into your destination and the Beloved. To put it differently, these sciences are passageways towards the destination and they are not themselves the destination. And the world is a farm for the hereafter. «27» And formal sciences serve as farms in the hereafter, as acts of worship should lead us towards Him, the Most High. Prayers are the loftiest acts of worship and mi`raj (spiritual ascension). All are from Him and to Him all return. For elaboration, good deeds are like the rungs of a ladder helping one to climb up to attain His knowledge and evil acts prevent one from perceiving Him, the Most Exalted. The world is entirely perplexed by Him and is like a moth flying round the candle of His beauty.
If only we would wake up from our slumber and enter the first stage or home which is yaqzah (in mystical parlance the term signifies the first category of the three stages of the soul's attachment in which light shines out over the entire components of the body both inward and outward). If only He, the Most High, attend to us with His kind attention and guide us towards Him and His exquisite beauty. If only this recalcitrant and intractable horse of the self would calm down and dismount the seat of denial. If only we would put down this heavy consignment and proceed towards Him with a lighter load. If only we would circle round the candle of His beauty like a moth, not complaining. If only we would take a step towards our primordial nature and would not trample upon the source of our primordial nature. And many other ifs, which I recall at my old age and on the threshold of death, having no access to anything.
And you O my son, avail of your youth and live in the remembrance of Him, the Sublime and Exalted, the love of Him and in conformity with your primordial nature. The remembrance of the Beloved is in no way clashes with political and social activities or serving the religion and God's servants. In fact, this remembrance helps you in traversing His path. However, beware that the temptations of the carnal self and inward and outward evils are great in number. It may happen that these temptations dissuade man from remembrance of God in the names of God and in the name of serving the people of God, driving man towards himself and his desires.
Taking care of the self is among the stations of spiritual wayfarers in distinguishing the path of egoism and theism. May God grant you and us success in observing these stations! Many a time the inner Satan will tempt us, the old ones, in a way and you, young people, in a different way.
Regarding us, the old people, Satan enters with the weapon of disappointment from perceiving and remembering the Manifest, arguing that you are now old and incorrigible. He says that the days of youth were the time for cultivation and harvest and in old age and decrepitude the power of correction has gone and passions and sins have rooted in all organs of the body with its branches extended throughout the body depriving you of competency of the perception of Him, the Most Exalted. You had now better take advantage of this world in the remaining days of your life.
Sometimes Satan treats old people like me as he does young people. He tempts you by saying that you are young and the season of youth is the time for pleasure and enjoyment and hence you act according to your desires. At the end of life, God willing, the way of repentance and God's mercy is open and God is the most compassionate and merciful. The graver and the greater the sin, the greater the occasions of seeking repentance, attention and attachment to the Almighty God! It happens that many people have taken advantage of their young days and in their old age, they spend the remaining days of their life on acts of worship, zikhr and prayers and visiting the tombs of holy Imams (`a) and through their intercession leave this world happily. We, old people, are tempted into arguing that it is not clear if we shall die soon, and that opportunity is there and we can repent. Moreover, the door of intercession through the Prophet (s) is open and that the Commander of the Faithful, `Ali (`a), will not allow his followers to suffer. At the time of death we will meet him and he will give his helping hand to us. Satan whispers many of these temptations into our ears.
My son! I speak to you now that you are young. You should notice that repentance is easier for young people and self-edification is accomplished more easily. In old people, carnal passions, ambition, love of wealth and egotism are stronger than in young people. Young people enjoy a more delicate and flexible spirit. The amount of the love of self and the world in young people is less strong than in the old. Young people can relatively easily rid themselves of the evil influence of carnal passion and turn to spirituality. In assemblies of preachings and ethics the young people are much more easily impressed than the old ones. Young people should be wary lest they should be entrapped by the temptations of the self and Satan. Death is equally close to the young and the old. Which young person can be sure that he/she will grow old? Who can claim to be immune from the events of the universe? Accidents of everyday life are closer to young people.
My son! Do not lose the opportunity and edify yourself in your young days. Old people should also know that they could compensate for mistakes and sins as long as they are in this world. However, when they depart from this world, they will lose control. Pinning one's hope on the intercession of the saints (`a) and showing boldness in committing sin is Satan's greatest trick. Study the states of those who have pinned their hope on intercession and have been neglectful of God and boldly committed sins. Mind the moans and wails and supplications of these people. It has been narrated that at the end of his life Imam Sadiq (`a) summoned his children and relations and told them something with this implication:" Tomorrow you should meet God with your deeds; do not imagine that your attachment to me is of any avail to you."
Moreover, it is likely that they will benefit from intercession, that their spiritual relation with the intercessor is in progress and that spiritual relation with them (intercession) are such that they would be entitled to benefit from such intercession. If this is not accomplished in this world, perhaps after purification and edification in the agonies of Purgatory, and even in hell, one will be entitled to intercession. God knows the quality of their death.
Furthermore, there are verses in the Holy Qur'an about intercession indicating that one cannot find rest through intercession. God says:" Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His permission?" «28» Elsewhere the Qur'an reads:" and they cannot intercede except for him whom He accepteth." «29» There are similar verses demonstrating that intercession is possible but who will avail of it, which group and under what conditions and when are factors nobody can say for sure. We pin hope on intercession, but this hope should lead us to obedience of Almighty God and not sin.
My son! Try not to leave this world while you have not completely fulfilled the rights of people, as your job will be greatly difficult. Dealing with God Almighty, Who is compassionate and merciful, is easier than with people. I seek refuge in God Almighty from my embroilment and those of you and believers with regard to the rights of people and dealing with entangled people. If we consider what is understood from the outward aspect of some of the holy verses, disaster will be great and the deliverance of sinful people by means of intercession will be accomplished after lengthy stages.
The personification of temperaments, deeds and attachments their relationship to man from after death until the great resurrection and from then onwards up to man's edification, and their severance from man through severities and chastisements in Purgatory and Hell, the impossibility of a relation with intercessors and inclusion in intercession are issues whose gravity is backbreaking for man. No one can ever claim that severance (from bad deeds and temperaments) is possible in any other way unless the Satan of the self dominates and play with him/ her and block the path of truth, making him/ her deny light and darkness. Such blind-hearted people are great in number. May the bounteous God protect us against the evil of our selves!
My last will and testament to you my dear son is not to lose, God forbid, the opportunity. Strive to rectify your morals and behavior even though you may suffer pain and austerity. Diminish your interest in the ephemeral world and select the two-way road you may encounter, one leading to the Truth and shun falsehood and expel the Satan out of yourself.
Among the important things I should advise you is to help the servants of God, particularly the deprived and oppressed people who are downtrodden and defenseless in society. Employ all your power to serve them, as this service is the best provision and the best service to God Almighty and dear Islam. Spend all your energy in rendering services to the oppressed people and supporting them against arrogant powers and tyrants. Involvement in sound political and social affairs is an Islamic, human and national duty in the Islamic government, as is assistance to the office holders and government officials loyal to the Islamic Republic. I hope that the vigilant and honorable people do not neglect this duty. It is hoped that as they were present in the scene and the Islamic Republic was established and continued with their help, the present and future generations will also faithfully support it. We all should know that as long as we abide by our promise to God Almighty, God would support us. In the same way that God has so far miraculously foiled the conspiracies of domestic and foreign criminals, He will thwart the all other plots henceforth.
It is hoped that the noble army and the dear revolutionary guards and mobilized forces and other military, disciplinary as well as popular forces have tasted the sweet flavor of independence and liberation from the captivity of the world-devouring superpowers and prefer their freedom from the chain of aliens to anything and any luxurious life, never falling into the disgrace of dependence on satanic powers. I hope that in the arena of gallantry and wisdom, you will prefer honorable red death in the cause of God to disgraceful life and select the path of the grand Prophet and noble saints (s). I implore God Almighty to strengthen this fervor, rapture and love and interest among men and women and young and old of this noble nation, granting them perseverance in the cause of the Great God and dear Islam, spreading the brilliant laws of Islam across the world.
My son! I would like to touch on personal and family matters and end the loquaciousness. My biggest advice to you, dear son, is the recommendation of your loyal mother. The rights of a mother cannot be enumerated and truly acknowledged. One night of a mother for his child is more valuable than years of the life of a committed father. The visualization of affection and mercy in the brilliant eyes of mother is the radiance of the mercy and compassion of the ever-gracious God. The Almighty God has adorned the heart and soul of mothers with the light of His divinity in a way that no one can do justice to describe it. No one can perceive this state except mothers. It is this eternal mercy that has granted mothers endless patience in the face of pains and afflictions from the embryonic state in the womb, throughout the course of pregnancy and giving birth and from infancy to the end (death). Fathers are unable to endure one night of these pains. The saying that goes:" Paradise is under the feet of a mother" «30» is a fact. This elegant diction shows the greatness of mothers and urges the children to seek happiness under the blessed feet of mothers and respect them as they revere the Almighty God. Seek the glorious God's gratification in mother's satisfaction. Although mothers are exemplary, some of them enjoy special features. In the course of my life with your esteemed mother and the memories I have of her at nights she spent with her children and during days, I found her possessing great characteristics. I advise you, dear son and children, to take care of her and to win her satisfaction after my death. As I see, she is satisfied with you in life. After me make greater efforts to serve her.
I advise Ahmad to treat his close relatives and confidants, particularly sisters, nieces and nephews, with affection, love, peace and selflessness. I advise all my children to be of the same mind and heart and treat each other kindly. I advise you all to take steps in the cause of God and service of the deprived servants of God, as the well-being of the world and the hereafter lies in this. I advise the apple of my eye, Husayn, not to be neglectful of acquiring religious sciences and not to spoil the talent God has bestowed upon him and to treat his mother and sister with love and affection and belittle the world and select the straight path of servitude while he is young.
My last advice to Ahmad is to raise his children well and acquaint them with the dear Islam from childhood and respect their honorable mother and serve the entire family and relatives. God's greetings to all the righteous ones; I request all confidantes, particularly, my children to forgive me if I have had any failure and shortcomings in dealing with them and if I have done any injustice to them, and request them to ask God to grant me remission and mercy." Verily, God is merciful and compassionate." I implore the Propitious God to grant success to my relatives to achieve happiness and perseverance, to immerse them in His bountiful mercy, to empower Islam and Muslims and curtail the hands of arrogant powers and tyrannical superpowers from committing oppression.
Greetings and praise be upon the Messenger of Allah, the Seal of the Prophets and his immaculate progeny, and curse be upon their enemies.
Wednesday, Ordibehesht 8,1361 AHS/ Rajab 4,1402 AH
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini