Becoming Distressed before the Reappearance

In the Holy Qur’an, the Almighty God says, “We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, and a decrease in goods, life and fruits. Give glad tidings to the patient.” [Qur’an 2:155] The traditions have said this verse is mainly about events before the Reappearance of the Imam of the Time (‘a.j.). The tests in this verse happen at the end of time, before the Reappearance of Imam Mahdi (‘a.j.) There are tribulations, which bring widespread fear. They cause deaths. They cause widespread financial problems. There are floods and devastation, which we can see in natural occurrences in the world. Why should these tribulations be so widespread before the Reappearance? Why should the introduction to the Reappearance be tribulations?
A very important philosophy behind this, and we can see its wisdom in this widespread disease, is that human beings should understand the need for the management of God’s Guardian for the world. People should gain preparedness and acceptance of the governance of the Guardian from God. Even the murder of one oppressed person is important for the Almighty God.
“When the buried female infant is asked for what crime she was slain.” [Qur’an 81:8-9] In the verses of the Holy Qur’an, God explicitly indicates that on the Day of Judgment He will line up billions of people. One of the key questions there is about for what crime that child was slain. This shows how important oppression is for the God of the universe. We human beings easily pass by oppression. We easily pass over the bombing of the oppressed people of Yemen. We easily pass over these. But, the Almighty God doesn’t pass over these. Understanding the necessity of the guardianship of the “Great Guardian from God” is not easy for many people, unless they understand the necessity of the guardianship of the “Great Guardian from God” with these widespread tribulations.
Yes, the believers and knowledgeable people understand this necessity when they see one oppression somewhere. In the same way that we feel the need for the existence of the Imam because of this disease, they feel the same amount of need when they see ignorance in the world. In addition to the believers, how can the public understand this necessity? This is not something simple. This is why with widespread tribulations people must understand the necessity of the presence of the “Great Guardian from God” in the world and his governance. In the same amount that we deprive people from knowledge and spreading knowledge about the necessity of the governance of the Guardian from God, these tribulations will come instead.

Do we want these tribulations to be less? We should look at the philosophy behind tribulations. The philosophy of tribulations is nothing but for people to understand that the management of the world by these corrupt people is impossible. What should we do for this oppression to be eliminated? The Guardian from God should become the ruler. The “Great Guardian from God” should govern the world.


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I don’t want to be far from Imam Ali (as) in Heaven.


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We should tell everyone, “See your good points, so that you may gain energy to move forward.” When they say not to see your good points since you will become arrogant, this means if you see some goodness in yourself and stop. This is bad. But if you see your good points and gain energy to move forward, this is a beneficial self-awareness. Actually the peak of self-awareness is not seeing our bad points; it’s seeing our good points. Be so drowned in seeing your good points that you feel you can’t live without reaching the peak. You should honor yourself very much.
Imam Ali (as) said, «مَن کَرُمَت نفسُهُ هانَت علیهِ الشَّهَوات» “If someone honors himself, carnal desires will become contemptible to him.” [He’ll say,] “What’s this?! This isn’t right for my status.” The peak of self-awareness is for a person to understand his value. What is one of the good points we have right now? We should truly honor ourselves for this. One truly becomes excited when he sees this goodness. It is that we are not jealous of the Friends of God. We feel an affection for them. We are not arrogant toward them; we are humble and sympathetic toward them. This is very important!
My friends, if we look carefully at ourselves to see what it is we want, we’ll weep day and night because we are far from the Imam of the Time (aj). We’ll weep day and night begging God, “Don’t let my house be far from the house of the Commander of the Faithful (as) in Heaven.” This is what we want. This is a part of us. We don’t say, “Unfortunately, this tendency is not very strong in me.” This exists within you! How can I tell you this? You already have this!
The Arafah Supplication talks more about thanking God for His blessings than asking for forgiveness for our bad points. This is surprising! Imam Husayn (as) is drowned in this. If one gets close to Imam Husayn (as), the Imam will start showing that person his goodness. You participate in Imam Husayn’s (as) mourning ceremony wearing a black shirt. Then he starts. He’ll say, “See how good you are. You love me. You cry for me. See how good you are!” He increases your energy and uplifts your spirits. We should tell everyone, “See your good points, so that you may gain energy to move forward.”
Actually the peak of self-awareness is not seeing our bad points; it’s seeing our good points.

Managing the Talent of Remembering
The Difference between Negative and Positive Remembering

Be a contestant.

It’s said that God has His believing servants race in the same way that horses race on a track. The excitement is about seconds.
God says, “Therefore, race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden as wide as the heaven and earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. Race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden as wide as heaven and earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. Such is the Favour of Allah; He gives it to whom He will. Allah is the Owner of great favour.” (Qur’an 57:21)
God! There is no one! Who are You telling that You can give them a great favour?! No one wants these! Who races?! “God created the heavens and the earth in six days. His Throne existed on water so that He could test you and find out those among you who do good deeds.” (Qur’an 11:7) He has created all the skies and earth to see which one of you is better. To put a race.
Truly, how many people among us have this feeling to leave others behind? Is this spirituality? Has anyone given us this feeling before? One might say, “Isn’t religion for rescuing us from the mire of misery?” Religion is not just for this. Religion has come to rescue you from the mire of life with a racing car. You were given a key to a race car from the beginning. Press on the gas and go!
Some calming psychics - this term has two meanings, they have mental problems themselves and they want to give comfort… Do you know what they say? I won’t introduce who they are. They say, “Don’t feel like you are competing. The stress of winning and the discomfort of losing will bother you.” They want to raise us to be sheep! Have you seen how sheep don’t race at all and are comfortable. What does religion say? It says to have a feeling of competition. What about the stress of winning?
God says, “I’m present, and I don’t even nap. I’ll help you. I’m God! I’ll help you in doing great things. I like a servant who wants to win.” You say, “God, what if I lose?” God says, “Will I allow this?!” “What if I lose?” “I am here and will compensate for you. So why do you need a relationship with Me?” “What if I feel like racing, but I lose?” “I’m the God of the losers! I do something for them to win. I don’t let you lose from the beginning. What game do you want to win? I will prepare the background for you Myself.”
He or she wanted to win. God looks and puts a beautiful, small, good deed on his or her way. God says, “Do this. Do this. You won! You won!” You say, “God, You won! I didn’t!” He replies, “I’ll write all of it for you.”
A person won’t understand the Godship of God until he starts racing! Be a contestant! For us to be devout, someone who is sensitive about sinning, we should be a contestant. We shouldn’t pursue just the least profits. We should want benefit, want the most, want it fast, want all of it, and want it to be better than everyone else’s.

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I want to read a tradition from Imam Ali’s (as) luminous words. This tradition is truly outstanding. There is a short sentence from the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (as), in this tradition that is truly astounding. This should be put up everywhere. It’s a beautiful sentence.
Imam Ali (as) said, «إنّی إذا استَحکَمتُ فی الرَّجُلِ خَصلةً مِن خِصالِ الخیرِ احتَمَلتُهُ لها و اغتَفَرتُ لَهُ فَقْدَ ما سِواها» “When I see a person has one good feature, there is a good feature in him, I don’t consider the rest of his bad features. I consider him to be a good person. I forgive the rest.” See how beautiful, kind, magnanimous, fatherly, and wisely he treats others. That’s why the Prophet (s) said, “Ali and I are the fathers of this nation.”
Imam Ali said this to be an introduction to the following, “But I cannot tolerate for a person to have these two defects.” If these two features are in a person, no matter what other features he has, it’s useless. Imam Ali was easy about some things, but he was strict about these two features. What are those two features?  «وَلَا أغتَفِرُ لَهُ فَقدَ عقلٍ ولا عَدَمَ دینٍ» “If a person is not religious and wise, I won’t accept him.” Why? «لأنَّ مُفارَقَةَ الدِّینِ مُفارَقَةُ الأمنِ» If a person is not religious, he won’t feel secure. «لا تَهنَأُ حیاةٌ مَع مَخافَةٍ»
Life without a feeling of security is not sweet or enjoyable. How will you tolerate a life that is filled with fear? Why are you used to having these chronic fears? How beautiful! Put up this sentence from him everywhere. A life with fear is not pleasurable or beautiful. A life with fear is not sweet or enjoyable. One cannot live with fear. Don’t be afraid! “What should I do with my fears?” Eliminate your fears by having faith in God.
God, the superpower and the only power in the world, is supporting me.  “There is no strength or power except from God, Who is exalted and great.” Talk about God’s power. When you say, “There is no strength or power except from God, Who is exalted and great,” God will say, “Solve My servant’s problems. Didn’t you see he said that power is in My hands?”«لا تَهنَأُ حیاةٌ مَع مَخافَةٍ» Imam Ali (as) said, “Living with fear is not a sweet, beautiful life.”

Are you willing to race?

What does racing mean? It means that I have to win. Do you understand? I have to defeat you.
In a group prayer, you see the first row is empty. When I go different places to pray, I see the first row is empty. I say, “Please go forward.” “No sir! You go ahead.” “Doesn’t standing in the first row have more reward?” “Sir. Go ahead. It’s yours.” Look at those sitting in the back rows! The first row is empty! “Go stand in the first row!” “I don’t want to. This is good enough.” Is this the place to be humble?
Do you know what the Holy Prophet (s) said? You won’t believe what I say until I tell you what the Prophet (s) said. You’ll think, “What was he talking about?!” The Prophet (s) said, “Standing in the first row has more reward.” What should two believers do if they arrive at the same time? The Prophet said, “They should cast lots.”
“I’m in need.” “No, I’m in need!” “I got here first!” “No, I did!” “So let’s draw.” They should toss a coin or something. “No way. I can’t pass on this. I’m sorry.”
All of Imam Husayn’s (‘a) companions in Karbala were racing. Who won? Aba al-Fazl al-Abbas. It’s obvious. Others envy his position. It’s a race. “So race in goodness.” (Qur’an 2:148)
[From the series of speeches under the topic of, “What is sinning? How should we repent?”]

The Secret behind the Special Status of Hazrat Abu al-Fazl al-Abbas ('a)

Everything for Aba Abdullah al-Husayn (‘a) in Karbala was Abbas. Does a person become like this because his hand is cut off? No! Where a person is struck isn’t what makes a difference. A person’s body strength isn’t what makes a difference. What is it that separates Aba al-Fazl al-Abbas from the rest so much? Intention!
“And I will fight with whoever fights with you.” He was thinking about the world. Do you know what Abbas’s intention was that he reached to this height? Saving the entire world! He didn’t want less than this.
He was standing with Imam Husayn (‘a) and he saw 72 helpers, a few tents, and 30,000 enemies. But, he was thinking about the world, about humankind. He was big. It is not unlikely that on the day of Ashura he was thinking about Imam Mahdi’s (‘a.j.) reappearance. He wasn’t caught up with small problems.
Look at a part of Aba al-Fazl al-Abbas’s intention. It is obvious that even if we are martyred we will not reach to this point. It is very difficult for a person to have worked on correcting his intention this much. The only person who asked Imam Husayn (‘a) in this way to enter the battlefield was Aba al-Fazl al-Abbas (‘a). He said, “My Master, I’m tired of these hypocrites. Give me permission to go and take revenge.”
You should always have this intention of destroying the enemies of religion somewhere in your heart. Yah! If I could destroy them. Yah! I wish I could strike them hard, O God! Having this intention against them is very purifying and uplifting. See how much the Imam’s (‘a) enemies are cursed in the Ashura Supplication? Why should we just send our greetings upon the Imam (‘a) with much feeling? “And I will fight with whoever fights with you.” (Ashura Supplication)
Do you know what Abal Fazl al-Abbas’s intention was that he reached this level? Saving the entire world. Hating the enemies. This should be a part of our intention.
You have probably heard that tradition about Imam Javad (‘a). He would pound his fist on the ground and say, “I’ll kill and burn.” He was asked, “What? Who? What are you doing? Where are you now?” He said, “The one who came and burned the door of the house of our mother, Fatimah Zahra (‘a).” This means that our mother was pressed between the door and the wall, and thought, “My sad story will reach my children. The hatred of my enemies will enter their hearts, and they will grow.” What an expense was made for your luminous hearts between the door and the wall. Whoever comes to the Bani Hashim Alley and sees the burned door, won’t leave this alley anymore.
A tradition says, “If a person doesn’t wish to kill the enemies (of Islam) with his sword someday, and he dies, he has died with a kind of hypocrisy.” “If a person is not in the battlefield, or he doesn’t read the tradition about holy war for himself, he will leave this world with a kind of hypocrisy.” (Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1,517)

Small Pharaoh!

Do you know why Imam Husayn (‘a) was martyred?! What do you think of when people talk about social ethics?! Does it mean that I should forgive a person who behaved badly?! If a person was good to me, I should treat him well and thank him?! Is that it?! You think that is why 124,000 prophets had to come and be killed?! You wouldn’t have understood the meaning of these things without religion, God, and prophets?! These are important but not in a “free, social relationship”! They’re important in a “social, organizational relationship”!
You are too clever! You don’t work with anyone in an organization! You keep your friendship and smile for everyone! If you are able to, go and work in an organization! If a problem arose in your relationship, don’t ruin the organization! Pass on it in favour of your friend! Don’t then go and open a new branch! So, they will soon come to disagreements. Then, we have to start social ethics from now.
In an organization! “Which organization are you a member of?” “We don’t work in an organization! We work alone.” Nice! A selfish person! A small Pharaoh! Don’t lie! You are being deceitful when you say you have good social ethics! Unless, you work in an organization and maintain good social ethics.
“Haj Aqa (sir), do you mean in an office or an establishment?” “No my friend! A manger is responsible for everything there! You won’t feel responsible! You will say, ‘Mr Manager, what should I do? Tell me so that I can do it perfectly. I don’t care about the rest!’” What does it mean when I say working in an organization for a religious meeting? Everyone feels responsible! Everyone is taking part! Everyone gives an opinion. Everyone cares.
Why don’t you work in a place where your friend keeps bothering you, and you keep smiling?! He keeps bothering, and you keep smiling! He keeps ruining your work, and you keep smiling so that you grow! “No! A person will die like that! It is better to be free! Ethics will be adhered to better!” If someday, you wanted to grow and be useful for the Imam of your Time (‘aj), test your social relationships in an organization. “No, we will wait alone to see what the Imam (‘aj) says and obey him!” It’s useless! Do you understand?! Leadership (Wilayat) does not want people who obey individually! It’s useless! Do you understand?! He wants big organizations that obey him! A person shouldn’t go to the Imam (‘a) alone!
The Quran says, “O Believers, have patience, help each other with patience, establish good relations with one another.” What does “patience” mean? It means each one of you should be patient. What does “help each other with patience,” mean? It means be patient together! Being patient together needs an organization. What does “establish good relations with one another,” mean? It means put your strengths together and obey the one with Wilayat (guardianship) together!
Do you know why Imam Husayn (‘a) was martyred? Because his friends didn’t know how to work as an organization!
[From the series of speeches under the topic of “The Art of Interacting and the Epic of Reaching to Excellence.”]
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Karbala was the place of showing love.

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The link for the book "How to Pray a Good Prayer," written by Ali Reza Panahian:
http://amazon.com/author/panahian​
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Tonight you want to read elegies about Imam Husayn’s (as) companions, right? Do you know what Imam Husayn’s (as) companions did to him? Imam Husayn (as) loved them. When Habib bin Mazahir was being martyred, the Imam said the same thing that he said when Ali Asghar was being martyred. He threw Ali Asghar’s blood up into the sky and said, “That which lets me tolerate this tragedy is that God is watching.” He said the same thing when his friend Habib bin Mazahir was being martyred. He held Habib’s head on his knee and said, “O God, since you are watching I tolerate this.”
This other companion of the Imam truly amazes me. He was shielding the Imam. He took this role on himself. When the Imam talked or went anywhere, he shielded him. He stood up for the arrows to hit him. He was struck so many times that he fell to the ground in front of Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (as). He said, “Imam, I can’t continue anymore.” The Imam came and put his head on his knee. He asked, “O Imam, are you satisfied with me now?”
Do you know what the Imam answered him? [We should say] what kind of question is this? This truly affected Imam Husayn (as). Imam Husayn (as) said, “[My dear] you will be in front of me in Heaven. When entering Heaven you should enter in front of me.”
That desert was the place of showing love. Was this easy for Husayn (as) for this companion to be struck by an arrow in his chest and fall to the ground? It was easier for Husayn (as) to be struck by the arrow himself instead of his companions. When each of Imam Husayn’s (as) companions would fall to the ground [after fighting]
it is said that Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (as) would go to him like an eagle that goes toward its hunt. He wouldn’t let them bother his companion. Imam Husayn (as) would hold the companion’s head on his knee calmly and caress him until his spirit left his body. Then Imam Husayn (as), along with the other companions, would bring the body back. He wouldn’t allow anyone’s head to be cut off while he was still alive. Husayn (as) didn’t allow anyone to be beheaded…

Watching this clip will help you to worry less and be calmer.