Don’t go towards the forbidden tree!

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We are not alone. There is God. God loves us. This feeling that you are alone is a false feeling. The same feeling that Hazrat Adam (‘a) had too. Satan said, “Think of yourself.”
We human beings are creatures who must gain value ourselves. We are not like angels whose value is fixed, and they can’t increase their value. Since we are creatures who must gain value ourselves, naturally God has to give freedom to us. He has given it.
He has to give us a few kinds of interests: liking goodness, badness, uncleanness, small things, etc. God has given us a few kinds of interests. If He gave us only one interest, we would always choose that. Then our freedom would have been meaningless.
If He left us free, but gave us one kind of interest, one kind of ability, and one kind of need, it is obvious that we would go in that direction. So, there must be various interests in our being.
When there are various interests and we are free, God must put us in a situation to be tested. What does this mean? He puts us in a dilemma so that we can choose. We are put in a dilemma, where each way seems to be in our favour. We must have a choice for us to be in a dilemma. Also, we must have different interests so that we can gain value, use this freedom, and make a good choice.
When a human being is in this situation, God must be hidden a little. The topic “believing in the unseen” arises. If the Houris from Heaven stand just a few steps away and start signalling us, it’s obvious what we’re going to choose. So, He has to hide some things a little. God has to be silent a little for human beings to gain value. He doesn’t respond very quickly to me so that my choice has value. He doesn’t reward me quickly for my good deeds.
Suddenly, I become alone! And, the cursed Satan abuses my loneliness. Satan caused our father Adam to make a mistake in Heaven, and God didn’t intervene. God had told Adam, “Don’t touch this tree. This is the forbidden tree. Use all the other trees.” Satan used Adam’s loneliness.
When Adam was alone, Satan said, “Shall I direct you to the Tree of Eternity and a kingdom which never decays?” (Qur’an, 20:120) Do you want me to do this? For a moment, Adam forgot God and His Kindness. He thought he is alone and has to take care of himself.
“Adam disobeyed his Lord.” He made a mistake. When God left him alone a little, Adam started thinking. He started thinking about his own future and his own interests. Hazrat Adam (‘a) became negligent. Why did Adam make a mistake? He worried about tomorrow. Who becomes worried about tomorrow? A person who doesn’t feel that a Kind power is supporting him. What happens to a person who worries about his future? He becomes bad. His behavior becomes bad. His heart becomes hard.  
Why don’t we believe in God’s Kindness, gradually forget it, and become suspicious? Because, the environment of human beings’ lives, due to the tests, is such a way that we feel lonely. We feel lonely when we see that God isn’t near and accessible to us, and He doesn’t answer us quickly. From this feeling of loneliness, we get to the point that we feel no one loves us. No one is watching over us.
We leave that beautiful serenity of our childhood. I have told the example from Ayatollah Bahjat about this several times. He said that a child is never worried about tomorrow’s lunch. He says, “Mom will fix it.” “What if your mom doesn’t give you food?!” He’ll look at you strangely, “If my mom doesn’t give me food…?! Can’t you understand?! Don’t you know Mom?! Mom!”
Can we live like this? Can’t we work for tomorrow but not be worried? With calmness and our own choice? Why do we forget God’s Kindness? Usually if we think, we’ll believe that God is kind. Why do we even start being suspicious about God? Because the substance of our life is a test. We must be alone while being tested. Then, we think that we are completely alone. When we think that we are alone, we think about our future like Hazrat Adam (‘a).
“Shall I direct you to the Tree of Eternity?” Satan is the cursed one who constantly tempts us. He drags us to the forbidden tree so that we think about our future interests. Don’t be afraid! Your future interests are in God’s Hands.  
Why have you forgotten God’s Kindness? We are not alone. There is God. God loves us. This feeling that you are alone is a false feeling. The same feeling that Hazrat Adam (‘a) had too. Satan said, “Think of yourself.” And he dragged him to the forbidden tree. Never go towards the forbidden tree because you feel lonely. God is very kind.
[From the series of speeches under the topic of, “How should we believe in God’s Kindness?” Session No. 6]

Do you love the Imam of the Time (aj)?
Help increase his strength.
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Do you love the Imam of the Time (aj)? Help increase his strength. I swear that you will regret on the Day of Resurrection! If you even have a moment of free time, take a step to increase the strength of religion. Otherwise, I’m afraid we will be similar to a person who went to the Commander of the Faithful (as) and said, “I love you.” The Imam told him, “You are lying.” No superfluous compliments!
Be zealous in the same way that the Zionists are about their own group. I plead with you. They all have one thing in mind. Are we like that now? No, we’re not. Do you love the Imam of the Time? How much do you love him? Are you being truthful? Do you love him? We should love him, right? So you should want to see him at the peak of power.
“When will you see us and we will see you, while you have lifted up the flag of victory? Will that day come when you will see us surrounding you, and you will lead the world community?” [Nudbah Supplication] When will that time come that you will look at us and see us as the first circle surrounding you and you are the Imam of the people? What does this mean? Imagine this scene. We are surrounding the Imam as guards and the main people, and the Imam is looking at us and he is the leader of the people. This prayer is like a movie. It’s depicting this scene.
“Will that day come when you will see us surrounding you, and you will lead the world?” And you are at the peak of power. “When will you see us and we will see you, while you have lifted up the flag of victory?” And you are holding up the flag of power and victory above your head at the height of your power. O Ibn al-Hasan, I want you to be powerful! When will this day come?
This is affection! Loving the Imam of the Time means loving him to be powerful. Do you love the Imam of the Time? Increase his power in the world. Everyone should do whatever they can! Make a blog or a website. Or use the social media. Increase his power little by little. Create power in the media. Don’t be passive! Loving the Imam of the Time means loving him to be powerful. Do you love the Imam of the Time? Increase his power in the world. O Ibn al-Hasan, I want you to be powerful!

An Imam (as) is like a loving father toward his children.

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Let me love You

Why do I like my prayer to finish quickly?

Sometimes when I pray I don’t know why I like the prayer to finish sooner. I look for an excuse so that I can finish the prayer sooner and go do my work. I know myself well. It rarely happens that I pray eagerly. Sometimes, I sit with my friends for hours talking and don’t notice the time passing. But, I don’t know why when I want to pray… God, why am I not in the mood to pray? Some problem doesn’t let me greatly enjoy praying the way people like Ayatollah Bahjat did.
*****
In his high position, Imam Sajjad (‘a) said, “God, whenever I decided, prepared for and started praying (at dawn) You made me feel sleepy and took away the mood for supplicating.” [Abu Hamza Thumali Supplication] The Imam was always in the mood for worshiping. So, what was he seeing at that high level?
“Perhaps You saw me to be one of the ignorant ones. So, You disappointed me of Your mercy. Maybe You didn’t want to hear my prayers, so You sent me away. What has happened to me?!” [Abu Hamza Thumali Supplication]
The supplication continues, “Maybe You saw me to be one of the ignorant ones.” What has happened that You don’t let me talk to You?! “No one can have faith without the permission of God.” (Qur’an 10:100) We shouldn’t think they have laid out a red carpet and are pleading us. No! God says, “I am the One Who should allow him.”
Have you seen how when you try to bring some people to the path you are on, no matter how much you try, they won’t come. You want to take them to good gatherings. Whatever you do, they can’t come. We tell some people, “Let’s go to a religious gathering.” They reply, “I don’t have time for it.” Yes, you don’t have time. God says, “If I don’t want a person to come to Me, I keep him so busy that he doesn’t have time to come.”
“No one can have faith without the permission of God.” (Qur’an 10:100) God must permit us to fall in love with goodness. God tells His Prophet in the beginning of the Qur’an, “Some don’t feel good, and I ruin their mood even more!” “(Muhammad), you cannot guide whomever you love, but God guides whomever He wants.” (Qur’an 28:56) I don’t want some people’s hearts to turn to Me. Say, “God, why don’t You make me love You? Up until now, I thought I don’t fall in love myself. Now, I have understood that it’s in Your hands! Did those who approach You come themselves?! God, I have come to ask for Your permission. Let me become a believer!” If a person comes half-heartedly, God says, “Angels, don’t give it to him. What is he thinking?!”
A person stopped Prophet Moses (‘a) and told him, “Go tell your God, ‘Till when shall I keep sinning and not see any reaction from You? Won’t You punish me?!’” He was mocking. After supplicating God, Prophet Moses asked Him, “What should I tell that sinful servant?” God replied, “Tell him, ‘I have given you the worst punishment possible. You don’t see any reaction from Me?! See how when they talk about Me in front of you, you don’t like it! This is the worst punishment I can give a servant so that he won’t turn to Me! I don’t want to see you.’”
Beg God with empty hands and say, “Why don’t You captivate me? You forgave me. Now, make me fall in love with what is good so that I long for it!”
*****
God, I know my enthusiasm for praying is little. God, revive my enthusiasm for praying in my heart. God, now that with Your grace, You allowed me to be among those who pray, do a favor to Your servant and cause me to love You.
*****
Say, “God, why don’t You make me love You? Up until now, I thought I don’t fall in love myself. Now, I have understood that it’s in Your hands!”

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How should we talk to Aba al-Fazl al-Abbas (‘a)?

All the eulogies about Karbala are about Aba al-Fazl. Shall I show you a way of reading a eulogy, so that you will feel you are near the grave of Aba al-Fazl al-Abbas? Believe me! You read the eulogy and Abbas’s cries will fill the sky. Many have talked to him like this and gotten results. Talk very simply!
Say, “Abbas! Fix me or I’ll lose my reputation!” Because, Aba al-Fazl is very sensitive about reputation. He is a gentleman. He is a real man, very much so.
Do you know how you should ask for your requests from Aba al-Fazl? Someone said, “I went near Abbas’s grave. An Iraqi man had stuck his son’s head to the grave. He talked to the grave. Then he released his son’s head and said something to him. Again, he pressed his son’s head and said some things.
I brought someone and asked him, ‘What is he saying? He is not crying or anything, and he is talking very firmly.’ That person said, ‘Let me listen.’ Then he started crying. He said, ‘His son has a headache and the doctors have said that there is no hope. He is saying here, “O Aba al-Fazl, heal my son’s head.” Then he asks his son, “Are you better?” The son says, “No.” The father replies, “Wait. It’ll get better now. Aba al-Fazl fix his head. I have work to do. I have to go.”’” They are like this.
Say, “Abbas, I have promised to become a real person. Don’t let me lose my reputation!” Talk very simply! “Fix me or I’ll lose my reputation!”

“God's love is a fire that burns whatever it passes by,” [Imam Ali (as)].
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“God's love is a fire that burns whatever it passes by,” [Imam Ali (as)]. This means that even if you’re jealous, arrogant or selfish, even if you have these bad traits, but you also love God, this will burn away all your evil points.
There are people who are truly in love and infatuated during Arbaeen. They bring whatever they have next to the road [to serve others]. They may be important, very honorable individuals too. People who massage the pilgrims’ feet in Arbaeen and eagerly want to help the pilgrims with their blisters, they themselves may be important people. They may be doctors. They may be prominent people.
What happens in Arbaeen? People have the love of Imam Husayn (as). “God's love is a fire that burns whatever it passes by,” [Imam Ali (as)]. They are honorable people, and they get upset if anyone insults them. But Imam Husayn’s (as) love takes away the bad effects of being an honorable person! You are an honorable person and you should live honorably. But this shouldn’t have bad effects on you.
My friends, we are different individuals. We will definitely have disagreements. A husband and wife will definitely have disagreements. Some disagreements between a couple have been designed in this way. It’s impossible for these to be resolved.
But when is it that we all become one? It’s when we all love one. If we all love one, our disagreements [will be resolved]. “Those with him [Muhammad] are stern to the disbelievers yet kind among themselves.” [Qur’an 48:29] It’s because of him, the Prophet. Those who are with the Prophet become kind to each other. Did they work on themselves very much? No. When this affection exists, all the negative points will be resolved. Otherwise, people are often jealous, arrogant, selfish, competitive and hostile. This means a person wants to compete and get ahead of others. So a person will be in a bad situation if he doesn’t have this love.
Zubayr came to the Prophet (s) once and saw that he was whispering something to Ali bin Abi Talib (as). He said, “O Prophet of God, pay attention to us too!” The Commander of the Faithful, Ali (as), said, “Zubayr was jealous of me and he kept this in his heart until it made him wretched.” He was on the right path but jealousy made him wretched. Zubayr believed in the Guardianship. He was the only person who defended Imam Ali’s (as) house with a sword. But he was jealous. How should he have corrected himself? He should have loved the Prophet more than himself.
“The strongest of the believers' love is their love of God.” [Qur’an 2:165] This love should have been intense so that it wouldn’t have had negative effects. If Zubayr’s love had been a sincere love, he would have loved Ali (as) too. If he had a sincere love, it would have been like this. This is an amazing scene for a person. He would have said, “I love to be dear to God as much as you are! May I be sacrificed for you, you’re very dear! I miss you too.”
This is what the martyrs do to a person. They remove one’s jealousy. A person knows that he is not dear to God as much as a martyr is, but martyrs are dear to us too. We don’t try to compete negatively with martyrs the way Cain did. Martyrs truly help a person to become purified. Now imagine what the Master of Martyrs (Imam Husayn (as)) does.
The mysticism and the inner purity that one has during Muharram cannot be gained in the month of Ramadan at all! What do you do in the month of Ramadan? You restrain your desires by fasting. So your carnal desires become somewhat less. What do you do during Muharram? You increase your love for Imam Husayn (as). “He made your Guardianship to be a means for purifying our nature and morals, purifying our souls, and our purification and growth.” [Jami’a Kabirah Supplication]
Purifying oneself is harder in the month of Ramadan. What about in Muharram? It’s easier. This affection does something that removes all those bad side effects. Statistics show that people argue less during the month of Ramadan. This is very good. What about in Muharram? It’s not just that people don’t argue, they make sacrifices for each other too! They give food to each other. They go and distribute food. This is very different.
“God's love is a fire that burns whatever it passes by,” [Imam Ali (as)]. This means that even if you’re jealous, arrogant or selfish, even if you have these bad traits, but you also love God, this will burn away all your evil points.

Why didn’t you feed anyone on the day of Ghadir Khum?

How many people have you fed because of Imam Husayn (‘a) so far? What about for Ghadir Khum? "Why didn’t you feed anyone on the day of Ghadir Khum?" Imam Ali (‘a) said, “If you give a grain of food to someone for the Ghadir celebration, it is as if you have fed 100,000 prophets.” Excuse me, no. Not one hundred thousand. You have fed ten hundred thousand prophets! Then Imam Ali (AS) said, “Now see how much blessings it has if you feed a group!”
Why do I have to go to Mecca and ask the taxi driver, "Do you know Ghadir?" He says, “No.” I say, “Ghadir is a place. Eid Ghadir is a day.” He says, “No, I don’t know it.” You Shi’ah usually have ceremonies on certain occasions. I asked him, “Which ones do you know?” He said, “I know your Ashura and the 28th of Safar. I don’t know Ghadir.” I said, “You haven’t heard of Ghadir before?” He said, “No.”
Whose fault is this? Why didn’t you feed anyone on the day of Ghadir Khum? Ghadir was not remembered that Ashura came about! Ladies, why didn't you tell your husbands that we would like to give food to some of the neighbours? Why not? I ask you. Why haven’t you done this before? If women request such a thing, would men refuse? It’s impossible!
Don’t you want to make some food at home and your children see this? They will ask, “Mom or Grandma, who are you cooking for?” “For Ali bin Abi Talib and the Ghadir celebration. Imam Ali (‘a) said to give food to the neighbours.”
What will this child learn? That food is the food of kindness. It’s more effective than a hundred speeches. You made this food with love for Ali bin Abi Talib.
Right now decide to give food on the day of Ghadir Khum, God willing. Praise God, we can all spend for the Commander of the Faithful (‘a). We all love him. I swear, neglect ruins a person. That food is the food of kindness. It’s more effective than a hundred speeches. The food for Ghadir, is the food of kindness. You made this food with love for Ali bin Abi Talib.

What We Are Missing in Our Lives

If you deeply understand what I am going to explain to you honourable people tonight, your lives will change from now on.
If God has created us to reach the peak of spirituality, God’s servant can immediately object and say, “God I didn’t ask You to bring me into this world.” If the servant objects and says, “It is true that getting close to You God is very valuable and has an amazing reward. But, it is hard to reach that high peak. I don’t want to.”
This objection is acceptable, unless God has created me to get close to Himself in order to fully flourish, and enjoy greatly from life and the universe. And, He has made the way easy. This is correct. In this case, I as a servant cannot object. God says, “I haven’t made the way hard.” “Allah wants ease for you.” (Qur’an 2:185) On the Day of Judgement, each one of us who hasn’t reached to high levels will regret. For example, we didn’t become similar to the ‘Friends of God,’ like Imam Khomeini and Ayatullah Bahjat.
Is the way to reaching the peak easy or hard? One might say, “As far as I can see, it’s not that easy! We have to wake up early in the morning and pray in the middle of our resting. We have to repeat praying in the middle of our work and everyday life. There is a long way to go for me to reach the peak like Ayatullah Bahjat!”
If right now each one of us hasn’t reached the peak of flourishing and closeness to God, it is not only because of the hardships on the way. It is due to our own laziness. There is one most effective, profitable and useful action that we can do, which decreases the hardships of life and makes the hardships that exist sweet. This most important factor is to work with intention, with your mind, heart and soul. Intention! Making an intention is what we’re missing in our lives!
You go to a dealer, and you have the intention to buy a car. The dealer asks, “Why are you standing behind the window?” You say, “I want to buy it.” He says, “If you don’t have money, don’t stand here.” Done! Intention doesn’t have that much value in this world.
But, the God of the universe says, “Travel towards Me with intention. What do you want? Talk to Me.” “God, I want to illuminate the earth by talking to You in the middle of the night. I want calamities to be removed from the people of the earth because of my worshiping at dawn.” “I’ll wake you up for the Midnight Prayer.”
This is our great wretchedness that we don’t use our heart very much. If this crowd (which is walking for Arbaeen) takes these steps with sincere intention, strong determination, love, and says firmly, “I am going to bring back Hazrat Mahdi (‘a.j.),” I swear to God, the Imam (‘a.j.) will return. But, suddenly Satan comes and says, “You?! You are nothing! If they pray, just say Amen.” Satan ruins things, and you retreat. You have no right to retreat.
Your opinion and intention are important to God. What you want is important to God. You are important! God has created the universe for you.
You are now on this path because of the intention of your parents. One of your ancestors sighed for Aba Abdillah (‘a) for a moment, and that sigh was accepted. They wanted their children to be on this path, and now you are.
What do you think Ayatullah Bahjat did that he reached this position? I swear to God, only intention. Did you see Imam Khomeini changed history? He only made the intention, “God I want to change the path of history.” “Mr. Ruhollah, it is accepted.”
In this same simple way, God has brought you on this path. In the same simple way, He can take you to be one of Mahdi’s (‘a.j.) helpers. One day the Imam (‘a.j.) calls you, “Friends, come. You know the way.” If our Imam (‘a.j.) says at that time, “I thank all who walked on Arbaeen. They brought my reappearance sooner and helped prepare for it” don’t be surprised.
Whoever hasn’t gotten anywhere, definitely didn’t want to, or he asked for little. He definitely didn’t ask from the heart at sensitive moments! Ask! Making an intention is what we’re missing in our lives! Purify your intention, and do your deeds with intention! With intention!

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He tests you to see who is best in deeds.

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God’s tests aren’t stressful. We have two kinds of tests: tests that are stressful and tests that aren’t stressful. The second kind bring excitement, passion, power and joy instead. If we’re going to be tested to see if we pass or not, this is stressful. But there are tests in competitions in which passing is not the case. It’s a competition and they give points.
They may say, “If you’re first, we’ll give three coins. If you’re second, you won’t be punished. You’ll get two coins. If you’re third, we’ll give you one coin. And if you’re last, we won’t punish you. Everyone will cheer and we’ll give you a token.” This test isn’t stressful. You think, “There’s no cost. I’ll try. Maybe I’ll win.”
So tests are of two kinds: tests that are about failing or passing and tests that aren’t about passing, but are about points. The Almighty God says, “My tests are not of a kind that if you don’t pass, I’ll put you in Hell, but if you do pass, you’ll go to Heaven.”
The Almighty God says, “He Who created death and life that He may try you which of you is best in deeds.” [Qur’an 67:2] I want to test you to see who has the best deeds. This is very different from if God said, “I’ll test you to see who is good and who is bad.” Many people think that God wants to test them to see who will go to Heaven and who will go to Hell. In this way, a person panics! “God, You want to test me to send me to Heaven or Hell?!” God Himself says, ““He Who created death and life that He may try you which of you is best in deeds.” I want to test you to see who has the best deeds.
Friends, have you ever seen an old friend? Twenty years ago, you saw his small children playing. Now when you suddenly see him, you say, “Salam! How are you? Where have you been?” “We went to such and such city and weren’t able to see you!” “How are your kids?” “Good, thank God.” “What are they doing?” You’ll never ask an old friend, “Have your kids become thieves or doctors?!” This is not a nice thing to ask, “Have your kids become engineers or addicts?!” Talk nicely! You ask, “Which field are they studying? What job? Are they married?”
“Have your children died or been injured in an accident? Are they alive?” This is not a nice thing to ask! Talk politely! This is an unkind way of talking. God won’t test anyone like this. Imagine if God said, “I want to test you to see if you go to Hell or Heaven!” God won’t say it in this way! “So God, why are You testing us?” He Himself says, “I want to see who is better.” This is a competition. Try to win.
This is the reason for tests. In order to test people, God must give them freedom. God has given us freedom, but some misuse this and go to Hell themselves. For example, they give a person facilities to see how he exercises with a weight. Whoever picks up more weight is the winner. If he uses this weight to strike another person, he’ll be arrested and jailed. They say, “You killed him, but we had given you this for the competition!” They hadn’t given people weights to see who will kill others to execute them! They had given weights for the competition.
God put a competition between Abel and Cane. Abel won. The reason was, “Allah only accepts from those who guard against evil.” [Qur’an 5:27] They had a competition. They worshiped God, then made a sacrifice and Abel’s sacrifice was accepted. Cane didn’t win. What should he have said? “I’ll win the next time, wait. My intention wasn’t pure enough this time.” It was a competition! But he wasn’t able to tolerate losing, so he killed Abel. Cane asked, “Why did you win?” “You can try to win too.” It’s a competition.
A test is stressful if they say, “We test you to see who passes or fails.” But God didn’t say this. He said, “I test you to see who is better.” How beautiful. It’s a competition! I want to see who is better. “…which of you is best in deeds.”