A Special Mindset for the Nights of Power (Laylatul Qadr)

Why don’t we take full advantage of God’s Kindness? We are prevented from benefiting from God’s Mercy because we count on ourselves. This barrier is arrogance, being conceited about our possessions and achievements.
We never talk to God as if we are a criminal, cutthroat, villain. No, we talk to God as if we are honorable people, “God, as You are aware, I’m obviously one of Your good servants. And I haven’t had a fault thus far. But, I decided to turn to You tonight to say if You want to grant me more blessings, sure, I agree! Yes, I have some faults. It is possible I haven’t done as much as I should.” This person is the epitome of arrogance. This person is not able to benefit from God’s Mercy.
During the Nights of Power (Qadr) I like to go amongst the crowd of worshippers and see who has come for the first time, a person who has a history of serious wrongdoing! And, he is too embarrassed to talk. People ask him, “Sir, would you like a Qur’an?” When he wants to take the Qur’an, he thinks, “I’m too embarrassed to touch it. I have nothing, absolutely nothing to say.”
If I find such a person during the Nights of Power, I’ll go and stand behind him. I’ll say, “God, whatever you grant him, grant to me too.” He doesn’t have a trace of arrogance. He has no pretentiousness at all. Others go back home happily. But, this person is still standing. Towards the end, he will say, “God, did You look at me too?” This kind of person will make use of God’s Mercy that night.
Benefiting from God’s Mercy is very hard. Why? Because we count on ourselves. Don’t count on yourself. Are you able to go to a gathering of worshippers to repent like that criminal? You won’t go. You’d say, “It’s impossible. Is it possible?! Thank God, I’m not that bad either.”
We are even proud of our deeds, which we haven’t done! At least he has done some good deeds. We tell ourselves, “We still have time until the end of the Month of Ramadan.” “Till the end of the month?! But, you haven’t done anything yet!” “I’ll do something. Don’t worry!”
We are prevented from benefiting from God’s Mercy because we count on ourselves. What should we do to stop counting on ourselves? The supplications narrated from the Household of the Prophet (‘a) are excellent opportunities. A supplication says, “God, even if I had done a good deed, I shouldn’t have relied on it. I should have relied on Your Grace. And now, I haven’t even done that good deed. So, I must only rely on Your Grace. What should I do if You don’t look at me?”

People grow when changing.
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When Everything Becomes Bad with You
This world is alive. We are living in this world, which is alive and full of fixed rules. When we become a bad person, everything becomes bad with us! When we don’t go towards God, when we aren’t struggling to go towards God, and we are not moving towards God amorously, everything becomes our enemy. Everything becomes bad with us!
When we don’t recite the Qur’an, we become dark; because, everything is reciting it. “All that is in the heavens and earth exalt Him.” (Qur’an, 59:24) Everything is exalting Him, in love with Him, and moving towards Him.
When you are inattentive, they look at you. They are all alive. Your shirt becomes bad with you. Your body becomes bad with you. The wall of your house becomes bad with you. The roof of your house becomes bad with you. The food that you eat becomes bad with you. When you become good, all these particles become good with you. When you say God’s names and try to go towards God, you will see that all of these become good with you. Your clothes become good with you. The water that you drink becomes good with you. You will see the kindness of the universe towards yourself! Everything in the house you live in becomes good with you. The feelings of loneliness and fear will go away. You won’t feel sad or lonely.
This world is alive! God has repeatedly talked about this world being alive. God forbid, God doesn’t say anything meaningless. These rocks are exalting him. “God, You’re saying something very strange! What are they doing? How do they exalt You?” They really are doing it. We are living in this world, which is alive and full of fixed rules. When we become a bad person, everything becomes bad with us!
God says in the Holy Qur’an, “We grant them respite.” (Qur’an, 3:178) If a person becomes bad, the world wants to destroy him. “I (God) don’t let this happen. I say, ‘Let him live for ten more years.’” The informal way of saying this is, “Hey, don’t do anything to him. Cancer don’t go to him for now.”
“He has become a bad person. Let us break him up and destroy him with the first bite of food.” The food and water say these themselves. God says, “No, wait. Why are you making so much noise? If it is like this, everyone will come to Me.” God lengthens his time in this situation. Wait. Wait. Wait. He keeps it that way.
Your creation was very strange among the creatures in the universe. He has created a creature whom exalts God if he wants. “Is it possible?!” The angels were fussing. “Is it possible?! What if they don’t exalt God? They will destroy themselves and others.” “But, if they do exalt Him, it will be very beautiful. Wait. Let one person come towards Me with his own will.”
“All that is in the heavens and earth exalt Him.” (Qur’an, 59:24) Everything is exalting Him, in love with Him, and moving towards Him. They are all alive. When you become good, all these particles become good with you. When you say God’s names and try to go towards God, you will see that all of these become good with you. You will see the kindness of the universe with yourself. This world is alive!
[From the series of speeches under the topic of, “How should we believe in God’s Kindness?” Session no. 2]

How can we benefit more from the Month of Ramadan?

Many ask, “How can we benefit from the Month of Ramadan?” When we enter the Holy Month of Ramadan, we should feel that this is the first Month of Ramadan that we are experiencing. And, we should think that this is the last Month of Ramadan that we will experience. This is what they have recommended. Truly, the Holy Month of Ramadan can compensate for all the lacks in a person’s past and eliminate all of his spiritual defects.
The Holy Month of Ramadan can provide for and guarantee the entire future life of a person. The Holy Month of Ramadan is not only for one year. Each time is for one’s whole life. But, we don’t benefit from it very much. Putting effort to gain benefits, and crying and weeping to not lose this great opportunity, are factors for benefiting from this month. Many ask, “How can we benefit from the Month of Ramadan?”
They should ask this question from God ten times with tears and moans. And, they should search for the answer in the different prayers and self-evaluations that they know. Not everything should be easily at a person’s disposal.
A poem says, “Don’t pursue water much, so that you can be thirsty. Then, water will gush forth from above and below.”
Many ask, “How can we benefit from the Month of Ramadan?” They should ask this question from God ten times with tears and moans. Putting effort to gain benefits, and crying and weeping to not lose this great opportunity, are factors for benefiting from this month.

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The Messenger of God (s) came to Fatimah Zahra’s (as) house the day after her wedding and asked,

“My Fatimah, what has happened to your wedding dress?!”

She lowered her head modestly and responded,

"Father, O Messenger of God, a poor person came to me on my way last night.

You had said previously that we should give the things we like the most to the poor,

so I gave my wedding dress and wore my old dress.”

The angel Gabriel came and called out, "O Messenger of God,
the charity that Fatimah (as) gave has been accepted.

Fatimah’s (as) position is higher than to delay her until the Day of Resurrection.

God says that He will give Fatimah (as) whatever she asks for right now.”

The Messenger of God said, "This is Gabriel, the trustworthy,
and he is bringing God's greetings to you, my Fatimah.

God will give you whatever you want right now.”

God wants to show His Fatimah (as). He says, “Look at this servant of Mine.”

She said, "Father, I can only think of one thing that I want.”

“What is that, my Fatimah (as). Tell me.”

She said, "Nothing except meeting the Lord of the worlds and gazing at the benevolent Lord."

Then God said, "Look at My Fatimah!

When I say I will give her whatever she wants right now, she doesn’t choose something small.

She only wants to come to Me. This means I have kept My Fatimah (as) on the earth by force.”

O Imam Mahdi (aj), I apologize for saying this.

If they hadn’t attacked such a person, she would have left herself. She was not one to stay!

They shouldn’t have set fire to the door of such a person’s house.

She couldn’t have stayed among those people.
She was looking for an excuse to leave.

“If there had not been a fixed period (of life) ordained for each person, people’s spirits would not have remained in their bodies even for the twinkling of an eye because of (their) eagerness for the reward and their fear of the chastisement.” [Nahj al-Balaghah, sermon no. 193]

Does it bring obsession and depression?

An important danger, which threatens parents and the future of their children

From the Series “The Secrets of Ashura,”
Part 7. [To be continued…]