Session 4 / Becoming familiar with some of the sweet concepts of the Sha’baniya Supplication

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. The feeling of wanting to supplicate God is a feeling that is caused by spiritual maturity. As a result of spiritual maturity, a person feels dependent on God, like the attachment a child has to his parents. When you separate a child from his mother, he doesn’t calm down no matter what logic you use. He can’t tolerate even a moment of being separated whatever your reasoning. One who reaches spiritual maturity gains this feeling in connection with the Lord of the universe. The difference is that a child doesn’t have a sense of guilt, humility, humbleness, beseeching, and many other feelings towards his parents that a servant has towards his master. But, this kind of feeling of needing to be close to one’s parents, is created in a person who has reached spiritual maturity. Of course, his feeling of needing to be close to the Lord of the universe is much more intense than that of a child. He sees some obstacles between God and himself. He feels sad because of these obstacles. These obstacles may be natural obstacles, like the length of one’s lifespan before meeting God. He sees these natural obstacles as being a barrier for getting close to God and meeting Him, so he cries. Or these obstacles may be from himself, and they are usually of this type.
Basically, one of the good feelings that a servant who has attained spiritual growth feels towards his master is that he always feels guilty before his master. This feeling of guilt is a true feeling and not a compliment. This will be the cause of his broken heart and sorrow, and he will be able to supplicate God. If the Almighty God wants to be gracious to a person, He puts him on the path of the relationship between a servant and his master. Naturally, there is only crying on this path. Perhaps many who are not familiar with these ideas will be surprised at these words. It’s like a person who wants to use logic to compel a child to be patient and silent for a few minutes while being apart from his mother. But the child doesn’t accept this at all. It’s as if no one understands the child, and the child doesn’t understand others.
Rumi says beautifully in a poem, “When He wants to help us, He pulls our interest towards moaning.” Next, the poem describes a heart, which moans. “Auspicious is the heart, which burns for Him (from love). Good for the eyes, which weep for Him. A person who sees the end is a blessed servant. The end of each cry is a laugh. Wherever there are flowing tears, there’ll be mercy. Wherever there is running water, there’ll be greenery.” The poem continues describing crying.
These are not descriptions, which will create that feeling in us. It’s like trying to describe a perfume or the smell of a flower. Or, it is like when we try to explain colors for a person who cannot see. There aren’t any words for describing colors. There are no words for describing the smell of a flower, or the smell of a perfume or cologne. Although people experience it, they cannot describe it. This state of wanting to supplicate God is created due to a spiritual growth. A person’s spiritual growth causes him to feel a need. This is in the same way that when people reach the age of maturity they feel a need for a companion, the same way that parents feel a need for children, and the same way that people feel a need for being in a community and are sad when they are alone. When a person grows spiritually, he wants this relationship with God too.
All these supplications can be understood in such an atmosphere. If a person is not in such an atmosphere, he cannot understand this supplication at all. It’s very good if we recite this supplication with this feeling, this pleading and praying that, “God, open this door for me.” Or, we should read this supplication with the feeling that we are very far from the feeling that the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (‘a), felt. Praising this beautiful relationship and regretting that we don’t have it can bring a person closer to Him.
Let’s talk about one of the phrases. In accordance with the rituals for supplication, the Imam (‘a) says, “What comes to me or is taken away, benefits or loss, are in Your hands and not the hands of anyone else.” One of the rituals for supplication is that a person announce his knowledge about God, especially knowledge about the oneness of the God of the universe. Seeing only God to be effective in the world, in our being and in our lives and remembering these monotheistic teachings in our praying to God and our supplications is beautiful. A tradition says, “When someone says, ‘There is no strength or power except from the High and Great God,’ the Almighty God immediately says, ‘My angels! See My servant confessed that no one has power except Me. Now, resolve any problems that he has.’”

Playing Ping-Pong with God

We are playing ping-pong with God twenty-four hours a day. When you become a member of the National Ping-Pong Team, a professional coach plays with you continuously. He knows that your weakness is in the left court when he hits the ball a certain way. Therefore, he constantly smashes into the left court until you learn. Then he says, “Now, I must strengthen him in other areas.”
We are playing ping-pong with God twenty-four hours a day. Look where he is hitting the ball for you to get it. That is your weak point, and you should work on it. You are playing with your coach.
The coach doesn’t want to stifle you either. He hits several balls for you to show your strength and feel good. Then he hits the ball into your same corner where you are weak; to make you jump. He sees you have become lazy, so He hits some balls in a new way. He is a professional coach and the real owner! This is God.
When you start to evaluate yourself, you will see He has hit most balls into the corner where you are weak. You will see God and live with Him twenty-four hours a day. This is remembering God.
However, when some people are reciting God’s names, they say, “Glory be to God; look at that car! Glory be to God; wow a new car!” What are you saying? That means “A glorious car! A glorious car!” Repeating God’s names means seeing that God is paying attention to you.
Self-evaluation helps you understand that the ball has been hit to your left corner ten times. This shows your left court is weak! What is God doing? You will realize what He will do tomorrow; and the next day. Do you know what point you will come to? God will become predictable for you.
A person is incapable of understanding his present relationship with God, and God’s expectations. What does this mean? You will gradually come to know what God expects from you tomorrow. He will probably aim at the corner of the left court. He has made me feel good for several days and worked my arm on that side. Now, He will work on this side.
I have heard that athletes have close ties with their coaches, and they become friends. If it is a good relationship, they cry when they say goodbye after a long time!
A person who sees God as a coach and his trainer with whom he is playing ping-pong will love God. He will see God’s smile towards himself.
Self-evaluation helps you to see God and know others. If you understand yourself well, you will understand others. You will understand everyone’s weak and strong points. Self-evaluation gives much insight. That is why the Household of the Prophet (‘a) say, “The person who does not evaluate himself is not from us.”

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He’ll let you feel Him as God and Him being a shelter!
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The insecurity in human beings’ lives prepares the setting for them to take refuge in God’s safe embrace. This is the path of life, servitude and moving toward Him.
God says, “Nowhere in the world is safe except for in My own embrace. You don't have security on the way coming toward Me that easily either. If you do good deeds, it’s not clear if I will accept them. And if you do a bad deed, that will have punishment. It’s even possible I will put you aside forever if you do some bad deeds.” Therefore, you see a person should always repent. The Friends of God always go to God and take refuge in Him from this insecure environment.
In which situations are we deceived? In situations where we feel we have become a little stable in our environment. And we see causes and their effects repeating in our surroundings and think these causes and effects are truly doing something independently. In which situations are we deceived? When we see we have been living for several years, and thank God, we haven’t gotten cancer. So we think we’ll never get cancer. Others will pass away, but we won’t.
“Whatever I’ve seen, it’s been like this that others have passed away, but I haven’t.” “It’s true you haven’t died yet, but you’ll pass away one day.” He says, “I ignore that part so I don’t feel insecure in life.” God says, “Look at it. When you feel insecure, take refuge in Me.”
It is said in the traditions that you shouldn’t feel safe because of your family either. “What do you mean?! They’re my family and my parents! How can I not feel safe with them?!” It is said that your children are a “Fitna.” What does “Fitna” mean? It means they’re places where you’ll be tested. So God brings insecurity here too. Your children and wealth are a “Fitna,” and you shouldn’t feel safe due to what you have. “You’re saying nothing brings security for a person.” If you feel safe with everything, and I say, “Feel safe with God too,” you’ll say, “Ok, I’ll feel safe with God too. Thank God, I have everything. All these can help together for me to feel safe [along with God].”
But God says, “I’m the only One [to depend on].” If we depend on God, we won’t feel bored, and very beautiful things will happen. Our relationship with God will take shape, and we’ll gradually fall in love with God. If you don’t feel secure due to anything else, you’ll be able to hear the words that are about God giving security. You’ll be able to hear, pay attention and be reminded.
In each moment, every time you say a little that, “O God, my security is from You,” in each moment that you say this, you’ll grow miles. You should say, “O God, I don’t feel safe without You. O God, You’re witness that my security is only from You. My security doesn’t depend on my health, youthhood, wealth, degree or position. O God, my security is only from You.” If one is able to say this to God, this is called faith. One will start tasting faith from this point on.
Nowhere in the world is secure. Nothing in the world gives security. «یُدْرِکْکُمُ الْمَوْتُ وَ لَوْ کُنْتُمْ فِی بُرُوجٍ مُشَیَّدَةٍ» “Wherever you are, death will overtake you, even if you are in fortified, high towers.” [Qur’an 4:78] From what do you want to feel secure? “O God, You’re my safety and You give me security.” [After saying this,] see what God does with you. He’ll let you feel Him as God and Him being a shelter.

We’re conveying a message to the world on Arbaeen.

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Imam Husayn’s uprising, martyrdom, and Ashura were of a kind that were for propagating and getting the message to others. Imam Husayn’s uprising didn’t make any practical, immediate changes in the Islamic nation.
An example is that during the time of Imam Zayn al-Abidin (as), the biggest gatherings for drinking, dancing and women singing were held in Medina. So Imam Husayn’s (as) martyrdom didn’t lead to the safeguarding of morals and to an actual reform in morals in the society of Medina. The oppressors, what they were doing, the corruption and the depravity weren’t actually eliminated. And no oppressed person actually got his right.
When we say there was no immediate result, what we mean is that what is important about Aba Abdillah al-Husayn’s (as) uprising is his message. Imam Husayn’s (as) uprising was of a kind that was for propagating the message. Why was Imam Husayn (as) martyred? So that this message would be spread. Why has God put this heat in our hearts (for the Imam)? So that we will burn within and express our excitement publicly. Why did he take his children with him? So that they’d help in propagating the message. Right? So whatever we can do for propagating this message is in the direction of Imam Husayn’s goal. God and Imam Husayn made it such that when someone mourns for Husayn (as), he himself is actually participating in and is a part of Imam Husayn’s uprising.
My dears, when you mourn for Imam Husayn, your mourning isn’t separate from the Ashura uprising. You’re a part of Karbala [events]! You’re a part of the Ashura story since you are spreading the message to others. My dear, will your spreading of this message be more effective when you each cry alone in your homes or when you come to the streets on Ashura? Everyone who holds a mourning ceremony or puts up a black flag over his door, whoever wears black on Muharram wherever he/she is, will be a part of Imam Husayn’s uprising. Now will this spreading of the message be more effective when tens of millions of you gather around Husayn (as), or is it more effective when you come visit his shrine in small groups without much commotion?
Can coming for Arbaeen be compared to coming at any other time of the year? If you were told, “Don’t go for Arbaeen,” say, “Excuse me, so why was Imam Husayn martyred? Wasn’t he martyred to convey a message? If I don’t go for Arbaeen and don’t make a commotion by bringing the number of pilgrims to 20 million, the world won’t find out. So what about Lady Zaynab being beaten? Should this be forgotten and neglected?!” O Husayn, we’re zealous about Arbaeen!
It’s time to introduce Imam Husayn (as) to the world. Imam Husayn (as) is not only for the people who cry for him. Imam Husayn (as) has given us an opportunity to help him. What are we doing on Arbaeen? We’re conveying a message to the world. If ten times more people than those who come on Arbaeen come gradually at other times during the year, even neighbouring countries or cities won’t find out. You may come ten times a year. You take selfies, tolerate hunger on the way and are bothered. These trips will be rewarded. But will this be more effective or if you come one time a year on Arbaeen when everyone comes? In this way, everyone in the world will ask, “What’s going on?!”
Shortly after Ashura, thousands of people were martyred during the “Tawwabin Uprising” that was led by Sulayman bin Surad and others. They were martyred too and won’t go to Hell. They’ll go to Heaven, thousands of people. But compare this with if they had been in Karbala. My dear, you can only appreciate Husayn (as) and his sister, Zaynab, with Arbaeen. The situation is right now too. What about all that has happened so far? It was an introduction for this. They were all an introduction to bring us to this point!
Is it valuable to hold mourning ceremonies in the home? Yes, they have helped to train you so that if you want to participate in the 20 million Arbaeen walk, you will know that you must put all your effort for it. Holding mourning ceremonies in the home is necessary. Your mothers have trained you in these ceremonies and helped you to reach this point. Your mothers trained you in those ceremonies in the home and in those trips when you went to Karbala alone. They trained you so that if one day Husayn (as) asked you for help, you wouldn’t leave him alone!
I swear this is my belief that Imam Husayn (as) asks for his mourners’ help on Arbaeen! When Imam Husayn was going toward Karbala, he knocked on everyone’s door and asked them to come. He asked them to come. Many rejected. O Husayn (as), now we have come too. Similarly, Husayn (as) put this in our hearts and got us to come! What are we doing on Arbaeen? We’re conveying a message to the world.

This year’s different Muharram with Corona

There are many opportunities in threats that don’t exist in opportunities themselves.

We see in many cases that some religious people are either alone individually or in a group. Corona has caused social distancing, but it has strengthened social connections. I was complaining for years about people holding mourning ceremonies in closed places where many could not see them. The principle of mourning is not about being alone with Imam Husayn (as).
Some consider mourning and crying for Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (as) to be something like the Midnight Prayer. No, this connection with the Imam should be in the open and in public. In particular, we should mourn in a part of the city where people are not used to mourning, where they haven’t seen mourning processions and don’t know what happens in such gatherings. The mourning processions should go to a part of the city where there is no religious gathering and the mourning processions don’t go. Perhaps they should go to that part of the city. Thank God, due to the current situation, people are forced to come out from their appealing, sweet, indoor ceremonies and sit in the streets with a distance of 3 or 4 meters between them in a very large boulevard and mourn and cry there. Others can see them too.
Imagine a mourning procession, where in the past they used to be one meter apart. Now, they must stand 3 meters apart. This procession will become even longer. All of these increase the outer manifestations of mourning for Aba Abdillah al-Husayn. Mourn while sitting on the dirt or in a desert in addition to mourning outdoors or mourning processions in the streets and in boulevards. In addition, mourn in schoolyards, university grounds or in the open grounds of army compounds. You’ve seen some of these examples in war memorials, where young people sit on the dirt and talk to the martyrs. What a beautiful event that is.
This year is the year for being creative in mourning. It’s the year for mourners to have outdoor programs.
Yes, we may think that great meeting and passionate group that we had, that group where we beat our chests together and enjoyed more, won’t take place. But what will happen instead, is something that religion and the Imam of the Time (a.j.) will benefit from more. Aba Abdillah’s school of thought will benefit more. This is when people forget their own likings and perform a greater duty. As the honorable Martyr Soleimani said, there are many opportunities in threats, which are not present in opportunities.
Martyr Soleimani, “I have experienced this; there are many opportunities in threats that don’t exist in opportunities themselves.”
Corona has caused social distancing, but it has strengthened social connections. This year is the year for being creative in mourning. It’s the year for mourners to have outdoor programs.


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The Way to Have a Positive Outlook in Life

If we want to speak the language of people today, praising God is a very deep, positive way of thinking. Praising God is a deep, positive way of thinking. Supplicating God is not for negative people. If a person has a negative spirit and a negative way of looking at the world, he should repeat and instill thanking God within himself by praising Him, so that he may come out of that negative spirit and become positive, then ask God.
The polite way to supplicate God is to thank Him first. In supplicating, we often talk about what we don’t have, what we need and what we are deprived of. Before counting the things we don’t have, politeness requires we review God’s blessings one time. It is very beautiful that in the traditions it’s said the polite way to supplicate is to thank and praise God before asking Him. One should praise God for the Qur’an that has been gifted to him/her. One should thank God because of His prophet. One should thank God because of the Friends of God.
When we thank God, this thanking automatically has an effect. He immediately increases our blessings. He increases the goodness from a blessing for us. “If you give thanks, I shall give you greater (favors).” [Qur’an 14:7] If we want to state this more precisely, we should say, “If you give thanks, I will increase you.” If you give thanks, you yourself will grow, increase and gain tolerance. The polite way to supplicate is to thank and praise God before asking Him.


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You have the greatest blessing and that is Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (as). Don’t miss this blessing. During this Muharram, keep circling around Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (as). Passionately ask, “God, how can I thank You? I cry for Husayn (as), the son of Fatimah (s), like a mother who has lost her child! I’m burning. I love him. How can I thank You?”
Thank God during these ten days. Prostrate before God to thank Him, one time. Say, “God, I thank You that You granted me [the love of] Husayn (as).” You have cried many times during your lifetime. The traditions say, “A tear [for Imam Husayn (as)] takes a person to Heaven, one tear!” Be very thankful about Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (as). This is not a small blessing. Don’t underestimate the blessing of loving Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (as).

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Arbaeen, a Pattern for Life

Friends, do you know what the philosophy of justice is? It is to prepare the environment for us to live together like human beings with affection. Like Arbaeen! The highest peak of a human being’s life is not human rights. It’s to live like human beings, like Arbaeen!
In the world, there are many people who are untainted, loving, and ready to accept the truth. I plead you go and introduce your religion, which is based on affection, enjoyment, and loving the “Friends of God,” to the world. I beg you.
They don’t know about our religion. There are many misunderstandings about it. They have made the Daesh (ISIS) to increase the worse misunderstandings. These misunderstandings have caused some of our wretched, westernized people to become infatuated with the west. See what it has done to the west itself?! They don’t know how much you enjoy this religion.
Western people who have seen Arbaeen think this is a religious rite. People are forced to go there. These were devout people, who are going because they were told to. I told this to some French people on this path. They had come from France, and we talked using a translator. People were gathered from 20 nations in a Mawkib (resting place). I told them one thing and they lost their control. I told them, “Did you know if people don’t come here, they won’t go to Hell?”
I explained this for them and they were surprised! They said, “Really?! Isn’t it a religious command?!” I replied, “No, it’s not a command, for which they’ll be punished if they don’t do it. They won’t go to Hell if they don’t feed others.” They asked, “So why do they do this?!” I said, “Due to their love!” They had reached the middle of the way and were blaming themselves why they hadn’t understood what was going on there! This is a religion based on “yearning for it.” It is based on love and enjoyment.
One of the scholars in Najaf said, “There was a peddler. We went to his very small house. But, he served a lot of food! I told him, ‘You’re not that wealthy to give such food. What is your job?’ He wouldn’t answer and evaded the question. He was a peddler in the streets of Najaf. He said, ‘I put aside half of the money I earn every day for the Arbaeen of Imam Husayn (‘a).’”
We want this life! Beyond law! Beyond justice! Beyond ethics! Sacrifice! Sacrifice! This is not a joke. You are inviting people to sacrifice. A system based on sacrifice! Not a system based on fairness. Those who say that Arbaeen can’t be a pattern for life to the extent of an entire civilization, are the ones who had mocked the prophets of God. “Woe to human beings! Whenever a Messenger came to them, they mocked him.” (Qur’an, 36:30)
Why did they mock the prophets?! If you talk about ethics, no one will mock you! If you talk about justice, no one will mock you! If you talk about worshiping, no one will mock you! Do you know what the prophets said that people mocked them? They said, “Let’s live in an environment, like that which exists for the Arbaeen walk.” They mocked the prophets.
One might say, “It’s impossible! In case anyone has an accident, we should have insurance. You say people come due to their love. What if they don’t come!” They mock this.
If you give control of Arbaeen to the secular system, they will say, “To prevent quarrels when distributing food, we’ll hand out coupons. How many days will you be on the way?” “Four days.” “Three meals per day. Take your coupons and go. We’ve given that part to the private sector. We will charge tolls and distribute food there.” They’ll TOTALLY RUIN Arbaeen!
I’ve heard one of the authorities, maybe mistakenly, has said, “We want to do something from next year to eliminate the Mawkibs on the borders and give them to the private sector.”
Actually, we want to do something to the world for it to be managed like the Mawkibs. You’re doing the opposite. You haven’t understood Arbaeen at all. Why do you think people sense spirituality and luminosity there? Life based on affection.
Any one of the government officials, who serves Arbaeen, should be respected. Anyone, who doesn’t do enough, has hatred towards the Household (‘a). But, if they do want to do anything, they can prepare people based commissions. A base and infrastructure of sacrifice, which is the truth of Arbaeen, should be prepared!
I’ve seen physicians who were specialists on this way. He had come because of his love and worked constantly. He had even given money himself to build the place there. He had brought medicines himself too. The tribes from surrounding areas were bringing their sick people to be treated. These people said, “We keep our sick people and wait to bring them to be cured by the Arbaeen physicians!”
This is our pattern! Friends, Arbaeen will take over the world. This is the government of the Imam of the Time (‘a.j.), which we believe will take over the world! We’ll change the world with a civilization that is based on this sacrifice and affection, which is in Arbaeen!

A Hundred Times More Affectionate

God divided affection into 100 parts. He kept 99 parts for Himself and gave one part to people. He divided that one part into 100 pieces and gave 99 parts of it to the “Guardians.” He gave one part to all the people who are living together affectionately. For example, affectionate people are mothers towards their children.
We sometimes become worried for a mother whose child, for example, has been killed or tortured in front of her. If such a story gets into the news or social media today, the entire world will discuss it. They say, “See how brutally they have killed a child in front of his or her mother.”
How much does a mother love her child? How much does the Imam of the Time (‘a.j.) love his nation? It is obvious that they can’t be compared. So aren’t the massacres that happen in the world sorrowful for the Imam? Those who cry for the absence and loneliness of the Imam of the Time (‘a.j.) haven’t done anything special. This is very natural. Because they are crying for a heart, which is full of sympathy. It is full of sympathy for even all the mothers of the world. They cry for the heart, which is broken.
The affection of the Imam for one person is 100 times more than the affection of a mother for her beloved child. If a tragedy or oppression happens in a corner of the world, isn’t this a huge incident for that kind heart? If a person is not so selfish, he’ll see it’s more important than our own concerns. More important than all the concerns I have in my life, are his concerns. There is no news more important than the news about the Imam of the Time (‘a.j.) in the world. There is no sorrow above the sorrow of Sayyid al-Shuhada (‘a) in this world for a person to care about.
Some people’s love for the “Guardians from God” has reached to where all their concerns are them. Their concern is, “What situation are the ‘Friends of God’ in now?” The reappearance of the Imam of the Time (‘a.j.) has been realized in some people’s hearts. The Imam governs their hearts. Here we should say, “Hazrat Mahdi (‘a.j.) has appeared in our hearts. “
Some people’s love for the “Guardians from God” has reached to where all their concerns are them.
[From the series of speeches under the topic of “The Month of Ramadan, the month of hope for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (‘a.j.).” ‘A Commentary on the Iftitah Invocation.’]

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Being religious is easy if…

Why are praying and fasting so hard for some people?

Indolence is a very strong trait in human beings. We shouldn’t underestimate it. We must manage our indolence. One aspect of managing and dealing well with indolence is to tell ourselves that religiosity is easy. The Commander of the Faithful, Ali (‘a), said, “God made it (Islam) easy for those who enter it.” [Nahj al-Balaghah, sermon no. 106] The pillars of religion are very difficult for a person who opposes religion. We can come to a result from these two sentences. Whoever distances himself from religiosity will think it is very hard.
A woman wrote in her diary, “My husband didn’t pray. It was very hard for me. I tried to hide this from our children. I insisted a lot and we argued.” She hadn’t written about their arguments. But, there were some upsetting conflicts. Her husband had said, “I’m not in the mood to pray. I can’t do it. When I’m 40 years old, I might pray.” She continued, “On his 40th birthday, we had a party and a cake. I said, ‘Now, you’re 40 years old.’ He said, ‘So what?’ I said, ‘You promised you’d start praying when you turn 40.’ He replied, ‘Ah! I just said something. No, I won’t pray. I haven’t prayed my whole life since it’s hard. Now, I can’t at all.’ I said, ‘No, you promised. You should pray.’” He kept refusing and she kept insisting. At the end, the wife said, “At least pray for 40 days.” He accepted. He prayed for 40 days, and then he couldn’t stop praying anymore.
Whoever enters (Islam) sees that religiosity is easy. For those who pray, it’s very hard for them not to pray. During the Month of Ramadan, those who used to fast but can’t fast now due to some problem get really upset. Religiosity is easy, but if you distance yourself from it, it will look hard. Religion is such a way that you should embrace it. You should enter into it. Then, you’ll see it’s easy. Its hardest parts are actually the easiest parts. But, if you distance yourself from it, it becomes hard. Oh! Fasting is so hard for those who don’t fast. You people fast. Can you believe it is very hard for some people to fast? You don’t understand them, and they don’t understand you. Those who fast say, “Fasting is great! It’s beautiful! It’s really easy.”
Ayatollah Bahjat said, “Religiosity is not hard. Its hardest part is getting up at dawn. That will become easier by sleeping earlier and eating less, both of which are useful for a person.” If God wanted to reward people because of their hardships, He should have rewarded irreligious people. Because, they are the ones who are suffering. When you have indoctrinated within yourself that God’s religion is easy the cursed Satan’s foolish temptations won’t affect you anymore. Satan says, “Sleep. It’s hard to get up.” You repeat to yourself, “It’s easy. It’s easy. It’s easy.” When he says, “It’s hard,” get up and say, “What’s hard? You’re lying! It’s just in my thinking that it’s hard!”
A person who is stuck in this stage that he says, “Religion is hard” won’t try to get ahead. He won’t have vitality in religion. He won’t enjoy religion. He won’t understand [what Imam Sajjad said], “Compete to reach [high] levels.” Whoever distances himself from religiosity thinks it is very hard.

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The link for the book "How to Pray a Good Prayer," written by Ali Reza Panahian:
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