The essence of all goodness is becoming big.
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Surely we are from God and to Him we shall surely return.” [Qur’an 2:156] We are returning to God. We are going to meet God. “O human beings, surely you must toil toward your Lord a hard toiling, until you meet Him.” [Qur’an 84:6] You are going to reach God and meet Him.
God is big. So before meeting God, you need to become big. The mystics sum up all goodness in one thing, “existential capacity.” Afflictions pull a person and one becomes bigger. The essence of all goodness is becoming big. Who is a bad person? One who only loves himself and not his family. See your family too! Become bigger. Who is a bad person? One who only sees his own family and not other people’s families. Who is a bad person? One who only sees the people of his own nation and not the people of the world. The bigger you become the bigger your soul becomes.
Who is a bad person? One who only sees the present time. Who is a good person. One who sees the future too. Who is a better person? One who sees the Hereafter too. Who is a bad person? One who sees the present. For example, he only sees a few prominent blessings that he is now in need of. Who is a good person? One who sees all the blessings. As you see, in all of these there is a kind of becoming big. You won't find a goodness that doesn’t have becoming big in it.
A person’s effort to become a better person is an effort to expand and make his soul big in terms of time, emotions, intellect, and everything else. “The wisest person is the one who considers the outcomes more.” [Imam Ali, Ghurar al-Hikam, vol. 1, p. 217] Considering outcomes means becoming big. Becoming big is a person’s main need.
Let’s talk about prayer. In praying, why do you say, “God is greater” and not “God is beneficent”? Why don’t you use His other names? Asking for this greatness is a person’s main need. A person who likes to become big, if he tries to become big in a wrong way, he will become arrogant. While he hasn’t yet become big, he thinks he is big. So he is arrogant. So a person’s main need is to become big. And a person’s main fault is to think he is big.
Why do people think they are big? Because these poor people have been created to become big! But they’re in a hurry to become big, so they make a mistake and become arrogant. God wants to make human beings similar to Himself. An infant is unable to eat a heavy meal. His digestive system is not ready for it. When we want to meet God [in the Hereafter], the digestive system of our soul should be in such a way that we are able to taste, see, drink, smell and hear God.
We have to become big. “O human being” this is your certain destiny that “surely you must toil toward your Lord a hard toiling, until you meet Him.” A hard striving is needed! What is the relationship between toiling and meeting God? Toiling makes a person big. It expands a person’s soul and increases his patience. What does expansion of a person’s chest mean? “Have we not expanded your chest?” [Qur’an 94:1] Becoming big is our wish and our main goal. Becoming big exists in all goodness.
Naturally, I like to become big. But I hurry and think I’m big. I hurry and I want to become big in a wrong way. Your soul should become big. A person buys a bigger car and thinks he can
become big in this way, so he is arrogant. If you want to be big because of your car, position and other such things, you are arrogant. You should become big by your soul becoming big. If a person has a big car, if he gains a higher position, or if his wealth increases but his soul is small, these won’t make him big.
Our main request and wish are to become big and to grow. Children too. They constantly say they want to grow up. A child wears grown ups’ shoes and copies their behavior. He constantly says, “I’m grown up.” No one has taught this to him. This is his own wish and it’s in a person’s nature. A person who likes to become big is exposed to two big mistakes. One mistake is if he thinks he is already big, “I’m big!” No, there’s more to go. This is a contest. There are many people ahead of you. You haven’t become big yet! The second one is worse. It’s when a person wishes to become big using a wrong method. Both of these are called arrogance. Since a person’s main need is to become big, he is constantly in danger of becoming arrogant.
Therefore, one should perform the daily prayers for his arrogance to be removed. Do you know what the relationship between arrogance and jealousy is? When a person considers himself to be big, when he wants to be big, he wants to become bigger in a wrong way. When he sees another person is becoming big, he become jealous.

Becoming familiar with some of the sweet concepts of the Sha’baniya Supplication / Session 1

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. It is very good before using, reading, thinking or whispering a supplication to God, to become familiar with the supplications’ passage in detail, become aware of its meaning and refer to the expositions on it. In these short opportunities, I will try to briefly discuss some topics to help us become familiar with this supplication. We hope the Almighty God will give us success to get the most use from this supplication.
The “Sha’baniya Supplication” starts with sending salutations on the Holy Prophet (s) and his Pure Household (‘a). According to many recommendations, which everyone has heard, and as has been mentioned in the traditions very much too, each prayer should start with salutations. This prayer has started with salutations too, like many other prayers, which have reached us. In the prayers that do not start with salutations, naturally we should send these salutations ourselves.
There are many reasons for this. I will only say one sentence about this and pass on it. It is as if when a person doesn’t have the Household of the Prophet’s guardianship, their guardianship is not in his heart, and he doesn’t remember these personages with honor, the Almighty God doesn’t hear him, won’t answer his prayer and doesn’t take this person into account. For whoever enters the Judgment Day, his/her ID is following God’s Guardians. In this case too, whoever stands in God’s presence should show his/her ID. This salutation is our identity card. If a person shows this identity card with love and devotion, says, “God, see I’m devoted to the Prophet and his Household,” hasn’t just said the salutations negligently, and has repeated this salutation with fondness, the way will open for him to pray.
In the first phrase, the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (‘a), uses three surprising words. This prayer starts without any introduction. “Hear my prayer when I call You. Hear my voice when I call You. Pay attention to me when I whisper to You.” One of the wonders of this prayer is that it starts without any introduction. This prayer is the words of a person who can’t tolerate anymore! It’s as if he has come a far distance and only wants to moan. He knows that God is waiting to hear his words, but he wants to shout at times, whisper at times and pray at times. “Hear my voice when I call you.” “Nida” means calling with a loud voice. “Pay attention to me when I whisper to You.” “Najwa” means talking in a very low voice. And “Du’a” is used for any kind of calling. Three consecutive words.
It is as if the Commander of the Faithful wants to cry out, “God, I want to talk to You!” He’s showing his insistence to whisper to God, cry out to Him and supplicate Him. He’s not saying others things. He wants, calls and invites God. The next sentence shows this. “I have escaped to You and am standing between Your hands.” “I have escaped to You” means I have escaped and come to You. It gives the same feeling that those three words had. “Hear my prayer. Hear my voice. Pay attention to me when I whisper to You.” It’s as if a person has come running. “I am now standing between Your hands.” “Between Your hands” is a more beautiful and pleasing concept than standing in front of God. It’s as if a little one has taken refuge with a great one and is in his power. This is much more beautiful. Those who are the smaller one before a greater one, and have felt the support of a kind, greater one, can understand this. “I am poor before You and I beseech You.” The Commander of the Faithful (‘a) is only beseeching in this supplication. He is expressing this with different phrases.
He is beseeching in all of his words. These words are not meaningless words for the Commander of the Faithful. These words arise from the depth of his feelings. He wants to cry intensely with these words. We study, review and even think about these words. But, these words have become internalized for the Commander of the Faithful. The Imam is not reading these words from a prayer book. These words are the interpretation of the Imam’s moans.
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Talking with Imam Husayn (as)

Arbaeen is close, but we are far.

Will you allow me to talk [with Imam Husayn (as)]? The Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Khamenei] has recently said, “If you can’t go to Karbala on Arbaeen, talk to Husayn (as).”
Although we’re far, we can talk in memory of you [as a poem says]. There are several important recommended supplications for the day of Arbaeen. People can read those with feeling and attention, open up their hearts to Imam Husayn (as) and say, “O the Master of the Martyrs, we liked to come, but it was impossible.”
The Supreme Leader said, “Talk to him and say, ‘Husayn, we wanted to come, but we weren’t able to.’” You who have been to Arbaeen, this is the experience of the Supreme Leader himself. It’s been years that he would like to go. It’s definitely like this that he has said, “Husayn, I want to come, but I can’t. My situation is not such that I can come.” Therefore, he has received light from this. Now he’s telling the young people and his children to do the same thing.
Will you allow me to talk [with Husayn]? O Aba Abdillah, you didn’t let us come for Arbaeen this year. Is it because we didn’t mourn well for you? Our families weren’t dusty enough [like yours were] on this path?! You don’t like us? Or we weren’t loyal after returning from Arbaeen? What is it? O Aba Abdillah, maybe you wanted to make those who love you to be far from you so that they will fall more in love. O Aba Abdillah, open the way for Arbaeen. When we come this time, we’ll be more polite. I promise not to eat as soon as I get hungry [as traditions have recommended], like your children who could smell food on this path but didn’t eat because they weren’t given any food. I promise to be a little harder on myself. Just open the way. I want to reach you, but you have wanted me to be faraway. So I leave what I want for what you want. I want to reach you, but you told me to be faraway. Ok, I will stay away since you have said so! Whatever you say.
Dear friends, we should talk to Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (as). O Aba Abdillah, we definitely have not put enough effort for you. You’re generous. If a person even sighs for you, you take his hand. But these don’t lead to the Imam of the Time’s (a.j.) reappearance. If they did, the Imam (a.j.) would have come!
O Aba Abdillah, open the way. About three and a half million people came the last time [from Iran]. Open the way. Then, we’ll help for twice this number to come for Arbaeen with the least difficulties for everyone. We’ll put more effort. We’ll try to not come just for fun. It’s our duty!
I don’t want to say the reason for the current situation is definitely our faults. We should always have a combination of fear and hope. In the last years, Imam Husayn (as) gathered those who love him. He let them enjoy spiritually. Now he says, “Let’s bring a separation. It’s good for someone in love. He will burn due to this love and be corrected.” Then the Imam will welcome him again. It’s sometimes like this. According to a tradition, God says, “I see that My servant prays the Midnight Prayer and worships well. For him not to become proud of himself, I cause him to sleep in and not get up for the Midnight Prayer. He even misses his Morning Prayer. He gets up blaming himself, ‘Oh NO!’ This self-blaming is even better than your emotional crying [before Me]. You’ll grow.” I don’t know. Maybe Imam Husayn (as) likes you very much. Maybe he wants to do as this poem says, “If Layli [the beloved] wanted someone else, why did she break my dish?!”
Some friends have asked what to do for Arbaeen considering the situation. I said if it is not possible to gather in cities, you can put up stands (Mawkibs) in the streets. They said it is not possible to give food either. I said it’s alright if you don’t give food. Put up a stand so that there will be a reminder of Arbaeen in the city. Perhaps God wants you to bring these stands and luminous path from Najaf to Karbala to the cities. Then people will ask, “If this is an Arbaeen stand, why don’t they give food and water?” Say, “It is a little like the path from Kufa to the Levant [where the Household were taken].”
Let’s not abandon Arbaeen! If we can’t go this year, God willing the way will open up next year. I’m sure all of you will go with a different feeling! You’ll go with the feeling that God willing you won’t come back without returning Mahdi, the son of Fatimah (a.j.)…

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The Amazing Virtues of Eid al-Ghadir

Congratulations on Eid al-Ghadir!

Being happy when the Household of the Prophet (‘a) is happy has more reward than being sad due to their oppression, because their suffering can be seen. A person who only understands what he sees can feel the oppression of the Household (‘a). He becomes saddened and shows his sorrow. But, such a person cannot see the happiness of an event like Eid al-Ghadir. Becoming happy when the Household (‘a) is happy is harder than becoming sad when mourning for them. Let’s remember this. I ask you honorable people to pay careful attention.
A tradition says, “On Eid al-Ghadir, the believers are pardoned, and they receive forgiveness and mercy more than during the month of Ramadan or the night of Eid al-Fitr. On the night of Eid al-Fitr, whoever hasn’t been forgiven during the month of Ramadan will be forgiven on the night of Eid al-Fitr, more people than throughout the whole year.” [Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 6, p. 24]
Another tradition says, “A person who honors Eid al-Ghadir and doesn’t commit a major sin after that, if he passes away before the next year, he will die as a martyr.” [Iqbal al-Amal, vol. 1, p. 464] For any good deed that you do on Eid al-Ghadir you will be given the reward of 80 months of worshiping! On Eid al-Ghadir any goodness or any help that is given to brothers in religion is rewarded immeasurably. Imam Sadiq (‘a) said, “Feeding a believer is like feeding all the prophets and the truthful ones.” [Iqbal al-Amal, vol. 1, p. 465] Imam Ali (‘a) gave a speech on a Friday, which was also Eid al-Ghadir. Then he gathered the believers and took them to Imam Hasan’s (‘a) house. He fed the believers and gave them gifts to take with them. [Iqbal al-Amal, vol. 1, p. 464]
It was Imam Reza’s (‘a) custom that whoever came to his house on Eid al-Ghadir the Imam would keep for dinner. When the person wanted to leave, the Imam would give him various gifts such as rings, fabrics, and different gifts to take for his children. Imam Ali (‘a) advised the believers in his speech, “Provide for your families when you return home. [For example,] provide the best food for your family.” [Iqbal al-Amal, vol. 1, p. 463] The Imams honoured this Eid in an amazing way.
Imam Sadiq (‘a) said, “Ghadir is more famous and known in the skies than on earth.” [Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 6, p. 25] The angels don’t sin. Where is it guaranteed that they won’t sin? On Eid al-Ghadir in a castle in the skies that is prepared for the Ghadir banquet [according to a tradition]. They know Ghadir better than us. They know their existence depends on Eid al-Ghadir. Each Dirham that you give in charity or spend on the path of God is counted ten times as much. But, a tradition says that if you give a Dirham on Eid al-Ghadir it will be counted two hundred thousand times as much! [Iqbal al-Amal, vol. 1, p. 463]
Another tradition says, “Wherever you are, try to be in the shrine of Imam Ali (‘a) in Najaf on Eid al-Ghadir.” [Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 6, p. 246] What does God do on Eid al-Ghadir? A tradition says, “God will forgive all male and female believers, and male and female Muslims, their sins of 60 years. God frees people from the Hellfire twice as much as during the month of Ramadan, the Night of Destiny and the night of Eid al-Fitr.” [Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 6, p. 24] The believers are instructed to shake hands and kiss each other.
At the end of the tradition there are two sentences, but don’t scream when you hear them! The tradition continues, “I swear to God, if people truly understand the virtue of this day, the angels will shake hands with them ten times every day (for the rest of the year).” [Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 6, p. 24]
[Salutations from the audience]
The Prophet lifted Ali bin Abi Talib’s (‘a) hand up and said, “For whomsoever I am his Mawla (Master), Ali is his Mawla.” Then he sat down. The people were bargaining with him for standing one minute under the sun! But, the Prophet said, “Everyone should shake hands and pledge allegiance with Ali bin Abi Talib (‘a).” People said, “There are many people. It’ll take three days for everyone to shake hands one by one!” He said, “We’ll wait until everyone shakes hands. I want to see this.” They said, “What about the women? They can’t shakes hands with him.” He said, “Bring a container of water. Ali (‘a) will put his hand in that water and the women will too.” How else should they have told us that this is “important”?!

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You plan, I determine.
Why should I even try?


The Holy Prophet of Islam said, “If the angel Gabriel, the angel Michael, the angel Israfil and I all pray for a blessed marriage for you, it won’t happen unless God wants it to happen.” One might say, “Sir, if you say this, we should just forget it and go. We shouldn’t work either; everything is in God’s hands. Or, a part is in God’s hands. We can’t have any effect. So leave us to believe in determinism. Whatever happens is not related to us. Let us roll down from a cliff like a rock.”
If we weren’t supposed to plan or pay attention to the result, but just pass divine tests and trust in God, it would have been very easy. The beauty of it is that God tells you to plan. He makes your deeds effective too. Then he ruins your mood and removes that effect. “I have known God through the dissolution of intentions,” Imam Ali (‘a) said. God shows He’s God when He ruins a person’s plans.
“Can we have an effect on our destiny?” Yes, for example, you can pray. But, if that determining factor allows, your prayer will be answered. If that determining factor doesn’t allow, your prayer won’t be answered, even if you’re a good person. “So our prayer can have an effect?” Yes, you can change your fixed destiny with your prayer! But, if the test allows it. All of your moments and your destiny - from any angle you look at it - are under the influence of testing, the determining factor.
Tests are the most determining factor in life. For example, “God, he prayed and You said his prayer will be answered. Because, his prayers are always answered, or he pleaded a lot or another reason. Or, his parents prayed for him to have a good spouse. You said the testing system won’t allow it, and he should be tested with a bad spouse. But God, he himself is very clever! He won’t easily accept that! He is very careful.” God says, “My tests determine this. I want to test him now. I won’t let his/her wisdom work right when choosing a spouse. When will I open his/her wisdom? After the honeymoon!” This is an example. “But… I!” “What?! Pass the test.”
When God ruins a person’s planning, He is showing Himself. Don’t be like a spoiled child and say, “God, since You interfere, I’ll drop it. I won’t work anymore.” His mother has raised him badly. He’s very selfish. He’s like Pharaoh! But, he is not a ruler. Fine, he’s a small Pharaoh. If he were a ruler, he would have acted worse than Pharaoh. He gets offended that God ruins his affairs! So he becomes disappointed and doesn’t plan, try or work! He says, “Since a corner of it is in God’s hands and He often ruins my affairs, I won’t try anymore.”
You’re so wrong not to try! You have been ordered to try! You have been ordered to plan! You have been ordered to get up, try and sometimes fail so that I see how you react! If a person doesn’t try, plan and fail, failure and victory will be meaningless. Do you want to mess up God’s tests? God ruins your plans. “I have known God through the dissolution of intentions,” Imam Ali (‘a) said. He ruins them with His decisions. God doesn’t let you get your wishes. He takes His tests. Sometimes you get your wishes, and that is another test. He let’s you get your wishes when the testing system lets you. Does this mean we shouldn’t do our duty or our work? You have been ordered to act and to plan! You have been ordered to get up, try, and sometimes fail!
[From the series of speeches under the topic of “The most determining factor in human destiny.”]

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When we are suspicious about God…

When we feel bad about the past, this means that we are ungrateful. If we feel bad about the future, we become hopeless. The human being is a creature that loses hope very quickly. The psychology of human beings in the Qur’an shows this. The Almighty God has said this repeatedly about human beings. This shows that God doesn’t like us to despair. It also shows that becoming hopeless is a bad mental state, which we usually suffer from. “If We let a human being taste Our Mercy and then withhold it from him, he becomes desperate and ungrateful.” (Qur’an 11:9)
There is something, which has happened many times in the meetings held for the Kumayl supplication, or when we were reading it ourselves with friends. In the beginning it says, “God forgive all the sins that I have committed and all the mistakes that I have made.” After asking for forgiveness in different ways, in conclusion on the second page of the small Mafatih books, it says, “God forgive all of our sins.” I tell the friends, “Whoever wanted God to forgive his sins, God has forgiven him. Now he may go.”
The rest of the supplication is not about insisting to God, “Forgive me. Have You forgiven me, or not? Let me say it again! Maybe You haven’t forgiven me! How should I know if You have forgiven me? It is not easy for You to forgive me!” No, the rest of the supplication is not for being suspicious about the Lord.
Instead, it’s construed in this supplication, “God, since You have forgiven me, ‘I come close to You by remembering You.’ I want to get close to You so that I can talk to You more. Will You let me?” A person is sitting in a corner depressed and broken hearted. This person is not thankful about the past nor hopeful about the future. When this person cries, everyone says, “Pray for me too.” Don’t ask such a person to pray for you! If they were thankful, they weren’t sad now. What kind of sadness is this? Not every broken heart is beautiful.
There is an interesting supplication to be read in Aba Abdillah al-Husayn’s (‘a) shrine. The pilgrim says, “God! If I stay in Imam Husayn’s shrine for a long time, it is not because I am suspicious about You and wondering if You have forgiven me or not, and to stay to insist a little more. And, if I leave, it is not because I am tired of being in the shrine. My heart is still here. If I leave, it’s based on a feeling of my duty. If I stay it is because of my interest.”
The interesting point is that if you want to stay in Imam Husayn’s (‘a) shrine due to your despair, this is bad. Don’t think that if you read ten more supplications, you have done a very good deed. Why are you doing this? Why are you saying it ten more times? One might say, “Because, I don’t know. I doubt and am desperate. I don’t know if they will answer my prayer or not.” This is a bad mood.
“On the Day (of Judgment) when all secrets will be made public,” (Qur’an 86:9) it will become clear that whatever God has given to anyone is in the amount of his or her hope and good thoughts about God.
[From the series of speeches under the topic of, “A human being’s moods, as stated in the Qur’an”]

1- Feel the resemblance between the “Night of Destiny” and the “Resurrection Day.”
2- Be optimistic and pray for forgiveness, our wishes, and particularly for getting close to Him.
3- Be restless to achieve closeness to God.
4- The faithful should resemble the sinful in showing empty hands to God. The sinful must pray like the faithful with hearts filled with certainty as to God’s Kindness and Generosity.
5- Attract God's Compassion by being kind to others (by forgiving and praying for them).

6- Be generous by praying for others.
7- Help those in need, and be kind to relatives.
8- Show kindness to our parents, pray for our spiritual leaders.
9- Ask for a good livelihood and the destruction of those who bring about poverty.
10- Join the prayer gatherings with other people, at least for a part of the night.

11- Recite supplications, which are appropriate with our mood.
12- Read some of the Qur'an.
13- Reflect and evaluate ourselves.
14- Think about the moment when we leave this life and review our will.
15- Don’t neglect remembering and thinking about Imam Ali (‘a).

16- Continually feel the presence of the living Imam, al-Mahdi (‘aj).
17- Plan for our future and changes to be made in our behaviour.
18- The third “Night of Destiny” is the night to pray for the coming of Imam Mahdi (‘aj).
19- Pray for a good destiny and martyrdom in the way of God (if one wants).
20- Make a pilgrimage to Imam Husayn’s (‘a) shrine, or send your greetings to him from far. Pray for the martyrs.

I ask for your prayers,
Alireza Panahian

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“How can I be separated from you?”

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May this never happen to you that they tell you that you can’t participate in mourning ceremonies for Husayn (as) anymore. Wouldn’t this be terrible? It is not even imaginable that they stop us from participating in such meetings. But tonight, Zaynab was told that she should give up her Husayn since this is Karbala. You’re not willing to abandon Husayn’s (as) mourning ceremony. But from tonight, Zaynab (as) had to prepare herself to lose Husayn (as). Alas for Zaynab’s heart from tonight.
What was the philosophy behind Imam Husayn’s (as) head being carried along with Zaynab from Karbala to Kufa and Damascus? Maybe it was for Zaynab to be able to slowly detach herself from Husayn (as). Alas for Zaynab’s heart from tonight. [When they reached Karbala,] the Imam (as) asked, “What’s the name of this land?” They replied, “Karbala.” He said, “I seek refuge in God from sorrow (Karb) and tragedy (bala).”
Whenever he talked about Karbala, he would look at Zaynab (as). [It was as if he was saying,] “My Zaynab, this is Karbala. I’m addressing you. We’re going to be separated from each other here. Be ready.” Zaynab (as) would ignore these words and look in a different direction. Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (as) would glance at Zaynab (as), “Did my Zaynab believe this is Karbala? If she had believed it, she would have started wailing. No, she doesn’t believe it. She doesn’t want to accept it.” He would look at his Zaynab caringly.
I talked about this story in the last meeting, and I’m talking about it again now. And I’ll always talk about it. Because it took nine days for Husayn (as) to tell Zaynab (as), “This is Karbala. Believe this.” She ignored this until the evening of Tasu’a when Husayn (as) said, “O world! Woe to you.” When Zaynab (as) heard this, she threw herself in front of Husayn (as), screamed and fainted. “My Husayn, don’t talk about leaving.” “My Zaynab, I have tried to tell you many times that this is Karbala! Why didn’t you want to believe this?” “I can’t tolerate this. Don’t talk about leaving!” This means, “I was trying to ignore the fact that we have been in Karbala during these nine days. No matter how much you said this is Karbala, I tried to keep myself busy and didn’t want to accept it.”
Imam Husayn (as) said, “My Zaynab! My ancestor (the Prophet), father, brother and mother were all better than I am. They all passed away and you were patient.” She replied, “I was able to be patient because you were there. How can I be separated from you?”
May God’s curse be upon the oppressors.

Parents should be careful not to ruin their children by talking like this.
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The link for the book "How to Pray a Good Prayer," written by Ali Reza Panahian:
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About our goals in life, whether it is choosing a job, a lifestyle, or a field to study, what should our goals be?
If we choose our goal correctly, it will give us energy, enjoyment, excitement, strength and increase our speed. These are the spiritual effects. Its effects on our thinking are the same. It helps a person to focus, be attentive, and brings understanding. It sharpens a person’s mind to be able to find the way, and he will find it. The worst way to choose a goal – and most goals are chosen like this - is for people to just think that they don’t want to be miserable! This is the most passive goal one can choose! This is a disaster.
Mothers use this way of talking in many cases. “Study so that you won’t be miserable.” They ruin the child. Sometimes fathers say, “Study so that you won’t be miserable and poor.” This is a passive way of choosing a goal. In fact, this is not choosing a goal. This is escaping. This is not a goal. It is escaping from a series of bad goals. Sometimes choosing big goals is not being unrealistic or unwise. Actually, it’s a very wise thing to do.
For example, a nation that only wants to save itself is wretched. Your goal should be to help for the issue of Hijab in France. If this is your goal [and not just for your own nation], you’ll be successful here too. As long as we are just thinking about making a car for our own country, we will definitely not become a [good] carmaker. But if we wish to make a car that can compete with international carmakers, that is when we may be able to make a motorcycle or a bike!
Honorable filmmakers, do not make films or TV serials for just Iranians anymore. I plead you. If you want to do something for religion, the Revolution and humanity, only make movies for international audiences. Make a film in their language that they can understand. We’ll watch it too. If you tell a student, “Read and learn these things well so that you can act upon them,” you have made him wretched. You should say, “Read and learn these things well since you have to change all of them. Be creative!” From the beginning, say for being creative. Not imitation, not obedience, not repetition. Down with repetition! Down with stopping!
This is a very bad custom to only talk against evils. We should also call out against being satisfied with a little goodness too. You chose a small goal. Now you’ve chosen a bigger goal. That’s better. Are you willing to help prepare for the reappearance of the Savior? Get up!

Did you know the Imam misses you?!
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The link for the book "How to Pray a Good Prayer," written by Ali Reza Panahian:
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My friends, pilgrims to the Imam’s (as) shrine, this is not in our hands! Imam Reza (as) likes us to visit him and be around him. Imam Reza (as) misses us. Imam Reza’s (as) fondness for his Shi’a is much more than their fondness for him. Why do we make a pilgrimage? When you make a pilgrimage do not say that you have come because of this or that. Stand and say, “Imam, what did you want to tell me that you called me? Are you pleased? Are you happy that I’ve come?”
I once had an accident on the road. It was the time of Eid al-Ghadir. They were taking me to a city in a car and it flipped over. It wasn’t that dangerous but the car turned over a couple of times. My hand and nose broke and I was hospitalized in Tehran for a while. I could tell you the name of the hospital, but the head of that hospital may not be satisfied. He treated me. It was the New Year when he sent me home. He said, “If you come back, I won’t be here. It’s the New Year and I have to go to Mashhad.”
It was interesting for me that a doctor wants to always be in Mashhad for the New Year. I asked, “What do you do with your other patients? I’m gradually getting better, [but the others?].” He said, “I will talk to them. I have to go to Mashhad for the New Year.” While he was changing the bandage on my hand he said, “There’s a story behind this. I’ll tell you. When you’re finished, come to my office and I’ll tell you.”
He said, “When I was young I had a problem when I was abroad. From far I told Imam Reza (as), “Imam Reza (as) help me and solve my problem. Then I will come to Mashhad every year on New Years. I set the number of years too.” I don’t remember the years now. When I narrated this story before, I remembered the number of years too.
For example, he said, “’I will come to your shrine for 15 years.’ Imam Reza (as) helped me with what I wanted. Each New Year I went to Mashhad. I told the Imam that I would travel by land in order to tolerate some hardship on the way. I would come from abroad to Tehran in order to go to Imam Reza’s shrine. Since I had made a vow and the Imam had helped me, I had to go. These 15 years finished. I was busy treating patients and had become a surgeon. I was very busy.
One New Year I told myself, ‘I finished those 15 years last year and I am busy now too. So I might not go to Mashhad this year. I’ll go another time.’ A few nights later after I had decided to not go that New Year, I saw Imam Reza (as) in a dream. I was surprised that the Imam was standing next to the dome of his shrine and looking at me from far. I was happy in my dream that I was seeing Imam Reza (as) from far. Imam Reza (as) told me, ‘You don’t want to come this year? Come!’ I woke up. I felt so ashamed. I said, ‘O Imam Reza, you have gotten used to me coming! I should come to Mashhad each year for you to tolerate seeing me. You are interested in me coming each year.’ So I told my family, ‘Get up! Whoever wants to come with me, I’m going to Mashhad in a few days.’ They said, ‘Why? You said you are very busy this year.’ I didn’t say anything.”
This is how it is. Imam Reza (as) likes us to come. Some people have a newborn. They say, “Let’s take our baby to Imam Reza’s (as) shrine.” They think they themselves like this. However it is the Imam who likes them to come, [as if he says,] “Bring your child for me to see him/her.” He becomes happy. I’m telling you adults. You are always like a mother’s children to the Imam. When these children grow up, it’s their mother who calls them and says, “Won’t you come so I can see you? I miss you.”
The child is busy now and has grown up. He is busy with his own world. His father calls him. He says, “Won’t you come so I can see you? I miss you.” When you go to the shrine, you should know that you are making the Imam happy! Imam Reza (as) is alive [according to the traditions]. We shouldn’t say he is dead and gone. The Imam becomes happy. Why does he become happy? Why should he like me? It is because no matter how bad we are, we are still like his children. No matter how bad we are, the Imam is like our father.