In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Praise is to God and greetings to the Messenger of God, may God's blessings be upon him and his progeny.
This is the testament of an old father who has spent his life idly in ignorance and is now proceeding to the eternal abode with nothing good to his credit except a black list of wrongdoings who is still hopeful of pardon by Allah, to a son who is young, involved in issues of the world and free to choose the divine straight path, may God guide him through His infinite mercy.
My son! The book I am offering to you is a bit of the prayers of the gnostics and the moral conduct of the wayfarers, although my pen is unable to define this journey. I confess that all I have written amounts to a few mere words and phrases, and yet I have not been able to catch a spark of this short account myself.
My son! All that lies in this spiritual ascension is the utmost ideal of the gnostics; it is beyond our grasp-" Phoenix is prey to none, pick up the trap." «1» But we should not be despair of God's mercy for He is the helper of the weak and support of the indigent.
My dear, in the peripatetic journey the word is from creature to Creator, from plurality to unity, and from the earth to beyond the celestial kingdom to the point of absolute annihilation that comes about in the first prostration and annihilation which occurs after alertness, in the second prostration. All this is the Arch of Existence from God and unto God. In this state, there is no prostrator and no worshipped one-" He is the First and the Last, the Visible and the Unseen." «2»
My son! All that I recommend to you in the first degree is not to deny the stations attained by the gnostics for such is the way of the ignorant. Avoid association with those who deny the stations of the pious, for they are robbers in the path of God. Leave selfishness and egotism for these are heritage of Satan whose conceit caused him to decline God's command to bow to God's Caliph and chosen one. Know that all of man's miseries emanate from this satanic heritage that is the essential cause of sedition. Perhaps the verse," Fight them on until there is no more tumult or mischief and Allah's religion reigns supreme," «3» refers in some stages greater jihad against evils, i. e. Satan and its hordes roaming in men's hearts. Everyone should fight for eradication of evil. If man triumphs in this fight, people will be set right and corrected.
My son! Try to attain this victory or some of its degrees. Try hard and reduce the endless carnal passions. Ask Almighty God, for help for without His aid none can get anywhere.
Prayer, this spiritual ascension of the gnostics and journey of the lovers, is the way to reach this destination. If you and I succeed to realize one unit of prayer and see its hidden lights and mysterious secrets, we shall have scented some aspect of the destiny and purpose of God's pious servants and have witnessed a vista of the prayers of the ascension of the master of prophets and saints (`a). May God grant us this great favor and oblige us by His blessing. The road is long and winding, and requires much provision. My provisions are scarce or nil unless the mercy of the Friend, the Glorified One, comes to our aid.
My dear! Make good use of the youthful time available to you for all will be lost at old age, even attention to Resurrection and God. One of the tricks of Satan is that he promises the opportunity for self-reform and purge at old age so that youthful years may be wasted by negligence Satan promises the aged to have long life so that by his false promises men may ignore God until death. At this point he takes away men's faith, if he has not already done so.
Therefore, endeavor while you are young. Enjoy your strength and run away from other than God. Strengthen your link with Him if you already have one. If, God forbid, you have no link with Him, acquire one and strengthen it because no being except Him, the Glorified, is worth having a link with. The links with His saints, if not meant for Him, are satanic ties and tricks blocking the path of Truth from every angle. Do not ever view your conduct with satisfaction. This is how His pure devotees were. They regarded themselves as nothing and sometimes counted their good points as bad. My son! The higher the gnostic station, the higher the feeling of nothingness of things other than Him.
During prayer this ladder linking the man to God, after each praise is followed by the phrase `God is the greatest." As just before entry into the prayer there is praise in glorification of God. Praise also comes again upon exit from prayers, denoting that God is above and beyond any appreciation of attributes and deeds. Truly, who is there to praise the Lord, and what expression is there to praise and who is it to be glorified and by what tongue? For all the heavens from the highest stations in the firmament to the lowest ebb in hell and all in between are nil. Whatever is, is Him, nothing but Him has being and what can a non-existent say about the Absolute Being? None of the saints would probably mention His name if it were not for His command and none can disobey Him. For every remembrance is His remembrance and as we read," Your Lord has enjoined you to worship none but Him," «4» and" You alone we worship and to You alone we look for help," which is perhaps from God's tongue addressed to all beings and" There is nothing but it praises Him with an eulogy of Him, but you cannot understand their praises." «5» This, too, is in the language of plurality; otherwise, He is the Praise, the Praised and the Praiser." Indeed, your Lord is performing the prayer" «6» and" God is the light of the heavens and the earth."
My son! Why do we, who are incapable of thanking Him and His blessings, neglect serving His servants? Service to them is service to God. All are from Him. In serving the people never consider yourself a creditor, for we are indebted to them as they are means by which we serve God. Do not seek name or fame in serving them, for these are Satan's tricks to drown us. In serving God's creatures choose what is most beneficial to them, not that which best suits your or your friends as that is an indication of truthfulness to God.
My dear son! God is omnipresent and the entire universe is His domain. The slate of our ego marks our sullied or clean state record card. Try to choose an occupation that brings you most closely to Him as this brings His pleasure. Do not say to me in your heart," If this is true, why are you not like that yourself?" I know I am not endowed with any quality of those of pure hearts. I fear lest holder of this broken pen should be servicing the Satan and the polluted ego and that tomorrow I will be accountable for it. However, the points raised are factual even by the pen of one like me who am not away from devilish qualities. I take refuge in Almighty God at these last breaths and hope to receive the intercession of His pious saints.
O God! Protect this frail old man and the young Ahmad, end our life well and admit us to Your lofty domain by Your limitless mercy.
And peace be upon those who follow the guidance.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini
Night, Rabi` al-Mawloud 15,1407 AH
27,1365 AHS