Don’t outwit God!

We should first fix our relationship with God before fixing our relationship with anything else. Under the influence of this relationship, all of the events in our life are formed.
How is our relationship with God? Are we dauntless, honest, pure and correct? Or are we trying to outwit God?! If you live, deal, are a neighbour, or work with someone, he will eventually understand how you are with him. How much do you like him or support him? How much are you enemies or friends with him? How much are you willing to put energy for him? From what point won’t you help him anymore? He will understand these things from you.
God understands better than anyone else how we are with Him. God says, “He is not putting energy for Me! He is not the way he should be.”
All of our other relationships, sustenance, and what is destined for us in our lives are under the influence of this relationship. Therefore God says, “In many cases when you have problems with others, fix your relationship with Me, and I will fix your relationship with the world.” We should give priority to our relationship with God, and first of all we shouldn’t outwit God in this relationship!
If a student is weak, his teacher will not hate him. If the teacher is a true teacher, he will say, “That’s fine. We will work with each other.” But, if the teacher sees that the student wants to deceive him, he will say, “Look, I’m spending my time here for you. Now you want to outwit me?! Do you know how many kids like you I’ve taught?! Don’t defend your actions. Say, ‘I haven’t studied. I don’t like it. I can’t focus. My mind wanders.’ I have come here to work with you.”
Let’s not outwit God! No one can deceive Him! We should be honest with God. Say, “God, the truth is that You are not that important for me. But, I know that You are important. I like to care about You, but unfortunately I don’t! I am busy and caught up.”
Speak the truth! Talk to Him! The Almighty God has been waiting for fifty years for some people to talk to Him sincerely. “Why doesn’t this person come to talk with Me? Tell Me about your situation. Is anything more important than Me in this world?” There is nothing more important or greater than God. Talk to God candidly.
All of our other relationships and what is destined for us in our lives are under the influence of this relationship. We should give priority to our relationship with God, and first of all we shouldn’t outwit God in this relationship!

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God’s Proposal to Us

When two people are talking about getting married, they say, “What do you think about the Fall?” “I don’t like the Fall. What about you?” “I like it very much.” “Wow! What mutual understanding we have!”
There is always a gap between the facts, awareness and us. The gap involves how to see those facts.
Everyone sees how short life is. But, from what viewpoint should we look at this? Everyone sees the hardships. From what angle should we look at these hardships? Gradually a person’s viewpoint becomes ingrained, and he becomes accustomed to it. Perhaps it becomes impossible to change his viewpoint.
I’ll give an example. Unfortunately, my example is not very good. Currently, what are the most fascinating TV shows in the world? I will tell you one of the most fascinating, if not the most fascinating TV show. In the whole world! It is the same way in Iran too.
They invite an actor because he is famous. Probably he is popular too. Probably. Being popular is a minor detail. They interview him to see his outlook on different affairs. People say, “O! It’s him. Let me see what he says!”
The TV show host will tell the actor, “Look, be comfortable. Give your own opinion.” The actor says, “I don’t like meat stew.” “Wow! He doesn’t like meat stew. How interesting! So what do you like? Let me guess. Audience! What do you think? Tell us, what do you eat?!!!” “I like fried eggs.” “Wow! He likes fried eggs! That’s why your face looks like an egg too! You like fried eggs. How do you feel when you eat eggs??!” “I see the egg as a planet, which has been mashed in the frying pan!” “What an interesting viewpoint!”
Nothing changes after this! People just say, “Wow! Oh?! Ah! What a special outlook!” We watch how others think.
I’m sorry, God forbid, I don’t want to compare this to God, but God says, “Let me tell you what I think. Let me tell you My way of looking at things!”
For example, sometimes God tells a person, “Look, this is not a big problem!” He says, “But, it is a very big problem!” “This is not a very big problem.” As you know, God talks in a low voice. He can’t even be heard. I am talking in a low voice on behalf of God, because He talks in this way. He always talks in a low voice. “This is not a big problem.” “No! I feel it!” “I’m telling you this is not a big problem.” The person won’t accept it.
God says, “Angels, create a big problem for him so that he can understand this wasn’t a very big problem.” Then when a problem comes up, he says, “O God! The previous problem was very good!” “I told you it wasn’t a very big problem.”
Another example is a big blessing. God says, “This is very great.” “No, this is normal.” “No, this is a very great blessing.” The person won’t accept it. Sometimes with the occurrence of a great tragedy, you understand your way of thinking was wrong!
Do you know what God has said in the Quran? He says that He will fix our way of thinking... I swear to God! Whether we are a Zoroastrian, a Christian, a non-Muslim, or a person who is curious. Or just a human being! What is God’s way of looking at affairs? God insists on communicating His way of looking! His way of talking shows this. The Quran is not written like a science book! It is completely based on the inner senses! He continually insists on communicating His way of looking. Get to know God. Think that He is proposing to you. God says, “Let Me tell you My way of looking. Let Me tell you My way of looking at things!”
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Let’s learn a good spiritual frame of mind from children.Do you all agree? Do you all have children? You have all seen children. Have you all been children?! Do you all agree that children don’t have sorrow? Do you agree? Sorrow is a deep sadness. Children cannot have a deep sadness. If a close family member dies, they don’t cry deeply. They go and play two minutes later. If they argue with somebody, they forget it two minutes later. Children are never worried about anything. Children have a good spiritual frame of mind. They’re spirited and lively.Ayatollah Bahjat explained why children are this way. He said they are sure that when they get hungry tomorrow, their parents will feed them. Ayatollah Bahjat said, “Children are never worried about tomorrow’s food.” Adults are those who are wretched. I’m sorry I said wretched! But, Ayatollah Bahjat said, “The same amount that a child trusts that his parents will definitely feed him tomorrow, I shouldn’t be worried either.” If we trusted in God, that God willing, He’ll give us tomorrow’s sustenance, we would not have sorrow either, like children. How much can parents really be relied upon? Almost not at all. How much can we rely on God? Very much. You understand that God is reliable, but you don’t rely on Him. However, your child is relying on you. It means this child is telling you, “Mom, dad, you should be ashamed. Be happy like me. Let’s play.”A good spiritual frame of mind means not having this senseless sorrow. What is a good spiritual frame of mind? A good spiritual frame of mind means that you feel God is powerful. He is able to destroy the universe! Wow, what a power! If this feeling exists deeply, this means having a good spiritual frame of mind. What does a good spiritual frame of mind mean? Don’t cry because of sorrow. Enjoy His power. Enjoy so much that a tear flows. This springs from another place in the soul. That tear is like the tear of children, who are light-hearted. That kind of tear is very different from my tear, who is so wretched and lowly. All of these tears are from sorrows and sadness, which arise from disbelieving in God! All of this arises from ingratitude and unbelief. Then, I want to take this tear to God?!A good spiritual frame of mind means you enjoy being in God’s embrace. This is just like a child who goes to his parent’s embrace when he is among strangers and enjoys this. It can be seen in his eyes. You say, “How are you little one?” He turns his face towards his parents, “Who’s this?!” “He’s a special person. Talk to him!” “I don’t know him. Who is he? (Mom,) I know you. I come into your embrace.” This means the child is telling you, “Mom, dad, you should be ashamed. Be happy like me.” A good spiritual frame of mind means you enjoy feeling you are under God’s shelter.

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Deep Inside the Heart

The prophet David (‘a) asked God, “God, who is at the same level with me in Heaven?” God replied, “The daughter of ‘so and so’ is at the same level with you in Heaven.” The prophet became curious about what this girl had that she was at the same level in Heaven? He got the address and went to that family.
He asked, “What good points do you have? What worships acts do you do? How vigilant are you?” She mentioned some of her normal deeds. The prophet David (‘a) said, “No, these are not things to cause you to be at the same level of the prophet of your time. Tell me more for me to understand.”
She said, “I am very optimistic about God.” The prophet David (‘a) approved and said, “This is what can cause a person to be at the same level of the prophet of his or her time.” God says, “I look deep inside My servant. Deep inside is the part of a person’s heart, which is hidden and which a person may not be aware of himself in many cases.” God says, “Let Me see what is deep inside his heart? Whatever it is, I’ll deal with him based on that.”
God determines our future for the next year on the Night of Power. How does He determine our future fate? One of the very important factors is to be optimistic about God.
Can a person pray or make up a missed prayer on the Day of Judgement? Can a person take money with himself to pay for his debts on the Day of Judgment? Can he give charity there? Can he do anything to gain some reward? There is one deed, which is effective on the Day of Judgement, and that is being optimistic and having hope in God.
After calculating a person’s deeds, they want to send him to Hell. He constantly looks behind himself. The Almighty God says, “Bring My servant. Why is he looking behind himself?” He says, “God, I didn’t think You would punish me.” God replies, “I have forgiven you now because you were optimistic about Me.”
Being optimistic is effective on the Day of Judgment! God replies, “I have forgiven you now because you were optimistic about Me.” Being optimistic is effective on the Day of Judgment!
God make us Your best servants on earth during this Month of Ramadan. Do you know why we don’t pray like this or cry for this? Because we say, “This is too difficult. Forget it. It’s not that easy.”
This is being disappointed. This is not something strange. “I don’t feel like it.” Do you know why? Because, you don’t believe you will be given such a thing. “Is God this kind? No!” This is an obvious insult, having doubts about the extent of God’s Kindness. This is being disappointed.
Where does our regret start from? It starts from each good deed that we weren’t able to do. We will blame ourselves and say, “I didn’t want it. I wasn’t optimistic. I didn’t have hope that God would give that to me. So, He didn’t.”
Being optimistic, hopeful, and not becoming disappointed are not just moods. In practice, they have effect. If you say it’ll happen, it will happen.
She suddenly said, “I am very optimistic about God.” The prophet David (‘a) agreed and said, “This is what can cause a person to be at the same level of the prophet of his or her time.”
[From the series of speeches under the topic of, “A human being’s moods, as stated in the Qur’an.”]

Empty Hands

O Aba Abdillah! We have come to God’s Banquet (Ramadan) and aren’t ready yet. We still aren’t ready. We can’t benefit from it. We don’t have any plans for the month of Ramadan. What can I do? I don’t want to insult you [audience]. I want to confide in Imam Husayn (‘a) and talk about myself. I want to recite the Qur’an, but my worshiping is worthless. I even ruin reciting the Qur’an. What can I do? I don’t have a plan. Whatever I do is to keep myself busy and to have done something. We can’t do anything. Imam Husayn, take responsibility for our month of Ramadan. We promise we will come to Karbala [in our thoughts] every night and say hello. Then, we will become more involved with Husayn than even in Muharram. Read elegies for 30 nights. In Muharram, people usually participate in mourning ceremonies for 10 days.
[ELEGY:] If we go next to the ditch where he was slaughtered [and read elegies] from the first night of the month of Ramadan, will Imam Husayn return us empty handed? No! I swear! A camel driver came to the place the Imam was slaughtered and didn’t return empty handed. The one who took his shirt didn’t even return empty handed. The other one who took Husayn’s turban didn’t return empty handed. [Said sarcastically.] “Shemr” came to the ditch and didn’t return empty handed. [Even his enemies took something.] Zaynab came and didn’t return empty handed. [Sadly,] she returned with a body, which had been whipped. No one returns empty handed from that ditch.
Aba Abdillah, help us. We can’t do it. If we were able to do it, we would have been corrected during many previous months of Ramadan.
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The world is rapidly moving towards Husayn (‘a). Are you paying attention?

Nowadays, the environment is more powerful than during the wartime. The heat! The fire! No one can say anymore, “There was a special spiritual environment during the wartime.” Because, it is even more now. If you feel that the world is rapidly moving towards Husayn (‘a), you will be careful not to be left behind the caravan.
I remember the soldiers would sit in the truck and go forward with a special passion and love! Their whole world was in that truck, which was moving. On the other hand, there were cities, which were close to the front. And at times, a bomb would fall on one of them. A group of children from that city would be playing soccer in the streets there. At night, they would buy a bread and take it home. (They had a normal life.) But, they weren’t attracted to the war. They didn’t sense the war at all and weren’t attracted to it.
Nowadays, religious people talk about victory and God’s help very weakly. Sometimes, religious people start criticizing the authorities so much that they don’t see the very powerful and rapid process, which is moving towards victory.
If we look from above, we can easily understand that western civilization is collapsing. If you look at the good and bad points from above, you will see that after the revolution, the “right” has always won the battle completely. You will see things positively. If you feel that the world is rapidly moving towards Husayn (‘a), you will be careful not to be left behind the caravan. But, if you feel the world is moving away from Imam Husayn (‘a), you may become lethargic too.
When the mass retreat started in the Battle of Uhud, suddenly everyone retreated. The Prophet of God (s) was close to becoming martyred. If we look from above, we will be able to understand with our own mental calculation that Imam Husayn (‘a) will take over the world. If we look from above at the process of Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (‘a) becoming powerful in the hearts, we will feel how close we have gotten to the reappearance.
Husayn’s (‘a) caravan is moving rapidly! The most effective people see they are so small in Aba Abdillah al-Husayn’s system. When some people who read eulogies and have the most effective meetings come to Arba’een, they see that they are a drop in this sea. They try to hold the biggest gathering for eulogies, but it is small in comparison. 20 million people are saying “Husayn, Husayn” there and passing you by. Where are you in this story?
Friends, our loneliness is becoming resolved! Victories are happening one after another. We don’t know. According to the traditions, maybe Imam Mahdi (‘a.j.) will come overnight. “When there comes the help of Allah and the victory, and you see men entering the religion of Allah in companies...” (Qur’an 110:1, 2) Look from above and you will see the environment is inflamed. You will see the speed. Tomorrow you will suddenly say, “I didn’t play any role in the reappearance, which took place!”

Films help people experience things they don’t usually experience.

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The link for the book "How to Pray a Good Prayer," written by Ali Reza Panahian:
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The cinema is more useful than giving a speech for religion. The Holy Prophet (s) said, “Invite people with tools other than your tongue.” Don’t invite people with your tongue. Invite them with your behavior. Behavior can be shown in the cinema. We say many things in speeches, but we are upset that no films have been made about these things. If a film had been made, it could have conveyed the message of ten days of speeches.
Interviewer, “That’s an interesting point!”
We believe the cinema is something for religion. Although, the majority of films in the history of the cinema may not have been in the interest of religion. This mistake has taken place. I think in the future, the cinema will be much more religious.
Interviewer, “So you consider the cinema to be something for religion?”
Films are a tool for conveying messages that cannot easily be conveyed in words. And religion needs films more. The cinema is more useful for religion than it is for other things. The cinema helps people experience things they don’t usually experience. The cinema shouldn’t show those experiences that everyone has experienced.
Interviewer, “What I’ve often heard some people saying is that the cinema is a technology coming from the west! And there is no need for…”
I do not accept this view. Before being the product of western technology and culture, with all its weak points, it is the result of human beings’ wisdom, thought and need. Human beings are seekers.«یُرِیدُ الْإِنْسَانُ لِیَفْجُرَ أَمَامَهُ» [Qur’an 75:5]
He wants to remove the screens blocking his eyes. He wants to do this with the cinema screen. The cinema can be a window to the world around us that we don’t have access to. The fact that this window is being abused by many is another matter. So the nature of cinema can be very religious. It can serve religion very much. We expect a film, a TV serial and other such things to show some truths to people to speed up their movement on the path of growth in life. We expect the cinema to serve not just religion, but to serve human beings much more than this.
This is doable without discussing religious matters or showing pictures of the domes of the shrines. This is doable without a movie being directly religious or being about the Friends of God or historical religious figures. This is doable without making a movie about a Mosque and the place for praying. The cinema can help human beings grow very much.

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God revealed to Prophet Davood (as),

“O Davood, when My faithful servant commits a sin, then he returns,

he repents for his sin,

and when he remembers that sin, he feels ashamed before me,

- he becomes upset and feels very regretful -

I forgive him.”

It doesn’t say that he shouts, weeps and goes into the desert [to repent]!

“If he only feels upset when he remembers his sin, I [God] will forgive him.”

“Is that it?” “No, he felt ashamed before Me.

I do something that causes even the writers of his deeds to forget what he did.”

“Is that it?” “No, I’ll continue.

Since he felt ashamed before me, instead of that sin, I write that he did a good deed.

I’m not afraid to do this.”

Do you know what this means? It means, “I do whatever I want.

He sinned one night, but I wrote that he prayed the midnight prayer!”

“How is that possible?!” “I’m not afraid to do this. I wanted to.”
 

I’m the most Merciful. Do you understand?! I’m the most Merciful.”

The Unique Miracle of One’s Outlook

Maybe you can’t believe it, but much of that which is predetermined for us by God in this world, and many of our rewards and chastisements in the Hereafter, are based on our outlook. The way you look at things is so important, that it effects the way that God behaves with you.
God says, “My behaviour towards My servant is based on what he thinks. What do you think about Me? I will behave with you in that way.” For example, if someone sins and asks for God’s forgiveness, God will forgive him. God says, “I won’t write it in your file either.” Oh Great Creator, I’m not advertising, but this is very surprising. This is a great blessing!
But usually people can’t use this blessing. They say, “If I ask for God’s forgiveness, won’t God say, ‘You rude person have just done this act. How dare you talk to me?!’” He doesn’t think well about God. That is why he doesn’t apologize. He waits until one year later, and then he says, “God look, I have done many wrong things. Please forgive me.” He thinks that God has forgotten, and His fury has subsided. God is not angry anymore so he can talk to God. Your way of looking at God is not right. Did you know that? I’m afraid that this tradition will have a bad effect if I say it.
A tradition says, “If a person looks at Me while he is sinning and is embarrassed, I will forgive him. O David! I swear to My Dignity and Glory that I will forgive him.” Your positive opinion about God, shows your way of looking at Him. Sometimes if you aren’t positive, this will turn into the greatest, unforgivable sin.
[From the series of speeches under the topic of “The way of looking at things in epic art.”]
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Let all human beings come!
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