Parents should be careful not to ruin their children by talking like this.
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About our goals in life, whether it is choosing a job, a lifestyle, or a field to study, what should our goals be?
If we choose our goal correctly, it will give us energy, enjoyment, excitement, strength and increase our speed. These are the spiritual effects. Its effects on our thinking are the same. It helps a person to focus, be attentive, and brings understanding. It sharpens a person’s mind to be able to find the way, and he will find it. The worst way to choose a goal – and most goals are chosen like this - is for people to just think that they don’t want to be miserable! This is the most passive goal one can choose! This is a disaster.
Mothers use this way of talking in many cases. “Study so that you won’t be miserable.” They ruin the child. Sometimes fathers say, “Study so that you won’t be miserable and poor.” This is a passive way of choosing a goal. In fact, this is not choosing a goal. This is escaping. This is not a goal. It is escaping from a series of bad goals. Sometimes choosing big goals is not being unrealistic or unwise. Actually, it’s a very wise thing to do.
For example, a nation that only wants to save itself is wretched. Your goal should be to help for the issue of Hijab in France. If this is your goal [and not just for your own nation], you’ll be successful here too. As long as we are just thinking about making a car for our own country, we will definitely not become a [good] carmaker. But if we wish to make a car that can compete with international carmakers, that is when we may be able to make a motorcycle or a bike!
Honorable filmmakers, do not make films or TV serials for just Iranians anymore. I plead you. If you want to do something for religion, the Revolution and humanity, only make movies for international audiences. Make a film in their language that they can understand. We’ll watch it too. If you tell a student, “Read and learn these things well so that you can act upon them,” you have made him wretched. You should say, “Read and learn these things well since you have to change all of them. Be creative!” From the beginning, say for being creative. Not imitation, not obedience, not repetition. Down with repetition! Down with stopping!
This is a very bad custom to only talk against evils. We should also call out against being satisfied with a little goodness too. You chose a small goal. Now you’ve chosen a bigger goal. That’s better. Are you willing to help prepare for the reappearance of the Savior? Get up!

Did you know the Imam misses you?!
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My friends, pilgrims to the Imam’s (as) shrine, this is not in our hands! Imam Reza (as) likes us to visit him and be around him. Imam Reza (as) misses us. Imam Reza’s (as) fondness for his Shi’a is much more than their fondness for him. Why do we make a pilgrimage? When you make a pilgrimage do not say that you have come because of this or that. Stand and say, “Imam, what did you want to tell me that you called me? Are you pleased? Are you happy that I’ve come?”
I once had an accident on the road. It was the time of Eid al-Ghadir. They were taking me to a city in a car and it flipped over. It wasn’t that dangerous but the car turned over a couple of times. My hand and nose broke and I was hospitalized in Tehran for a while. I could tell you the name of the hospital, but the head of that hospital may not be satisfied. He treated me. It was the New Year when he sent me home. He said, “If you come back, I won’t be here. It’s the New Year and I have to go to Mashhad.”
It was interesting for me that a doctor wants to always be in Mashhad for the New Year. I asked, “What do you do with your other patients? I’m gradually getting better, [but the others?].” He said, “I will talk to them. I have to go to Mashhad for the New Year.” While he was changing the bandage on my hand he said, “There’s a story behind this. I’ll tell you. When you’re finished, come to my office and I’ll tell you.”
He said, “When I was young I had a problem when I was abroad. From far I told Imam Reza (as), “Imam Reza (as) help me and solve my problem. Then I will come to Mashhad every year on New Years. I set the number of years too.” I don’t remember the years now. When I narrated this story before, I remembered the number of years too.
For example, he said, “’I will come to your shrine for 15 years.’ Imam Reza (as) helped me with what I wanted. Each New Year I went to Mashhad. I told the Imam that I would travel by land in order to tolerate some hardship on the way. I would come from abroad to Tehran in order to go to Imam Reza’s shrine. Since I had made a vow and the Imam had helped me, I had to go. These 15 years finished. I was busy treating patients and had become a surgeon. I was very busy.
One New Year I told myself, ‘I finished those 15 years last year and I am busy now too. So I might not go to Mashhad this year. I’ll go another time.’ A few nights later after I had decided to not go that New Year, I saw Imam Reza (as) in a dream. I was surprised that the Imam was standing next to the dome of his shrine and looking at me from far. I was happy in my dream that I was seeing Imam Reza (as) from far. Imam Reza (as) told me, ‘You don’t want to come this year? Come!’ I woke up. I felt so ashamed. I said, ‘O Imam Reza, you have gotten used to me coming! I should come to Mashhad each year for you to tolerate seeing me. You are interested in me coming each year.’ So I told my family, ‘Get up! Whoever wants to come with me, I’m going to Mashhad in a few days.’ They said, ‘Why? You said you are very busy this year.’ I didn’t say anything.”
This is how it is. Imam Reza (as) likes us to come. Some people have a newborn. They say, “Let’s take our baby to Imam Reza’s (as) shrine.” They think they themselves like this. However it is the Imam who likes them to come, [as if he says,] “Bring your child for me to see him/her.” He becomes happy. I’m telling you adults. You are always like a mother’s children to the Imam. When these children grow up, it’s their mother who calls them and says, “Won’t you come so I can see you? I miss you.”
The child is busy now and has grown up. He is busy with his own world. His father calls him. He says, “Won’t you come so I can see you? I miss you.” When you go to the shrine, you should know that you are making the Imam happy! Imam Reza (as) is alive [according to the traditions]. We shouldn’t say he is dead and gone. The Imam becomes happy. Why does he become happy? Why should he like me? It is because no matter how bad we are, we are still like his children. No matter how bad we are, the Imam is like our father.

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!”

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!

Psychological Differences between Men and Women

The psychological differences between men and women have become very clear now! Men look at the whole more. Women look at details more. What is he better for? What is she better for? The psychological differences between men and women have become very clear now! What is he better for? What is she better for?
“The Psychological Differences between Men and Women, Differences in Roles”
Talcott Parsons was a prominent figure in Functionalism. In his analysis, which was about the gender division of labour, he said, “A man being the breadwinner and the leader of the family and the woman being the homemaker is the best model.” I’m not relating this from Islam. Ask him himself why he said this? He continued, “If a woman takes on the role of being the breadwinner, there is the fear that competition with the husband will arise. This situation is very harmful to the unity and balance of the family. In each human system and organization there must be a hierarchy. Having a hierarchy in the family is necessary. One of the members of the family must play an instrumental and commanding role, and manage the family.” He explained that otherwise the family is spiritually thrown out of balance.
Some research has been done on children under the age of five. “The results show that boys have a significantly higher tendency towards social domination than girls do. And, girls have gotten higher scores in social and emotional skills, and in self-regulation. Girls prefer to play in smaller groups. They usually have one very close friend. Boys prefer to play in larger groups. They look at the members of the group equally. In playing, boys prefer to have one role in the group, in which they may end up in conflict with others. However, girls prefer to play together so there won’t be any conflict. Boys prefer to play outside the house. Girls prefer to play and do things in the presence of an adult.” The psychological differences between men and women have become very clear now! A woman’s personality is such that she likes to have a man who is powerful and supportive. These topics are not things, which we need to talk about in the religious meetings and our lectures!
Once, we went on a fieldtrip with Tehran University. All kinds of men and women participated. It wasn’t a religious camp at all. They asked about the differences between men and women in Islam. I said, “You don’t need to talk about the differences between men and women in Islam. Put this aside. Do you yourself understand your differences?” Some said yes and some said no. I said, “Let’s start and practice here.”
One of the questions that I asked was, “Women! Do you like your husbands to listen to you even if they don’t love you?” They said, “No, love is important for us.” I said, “Those who agree raise their hands.” Everyone was looking. All of them rose their hands. Then, I asked the same question from the men. I asked, “Men! Do you like your wives to listen to you even if they don’t love you?” They all said “yes” very bravely! I said, “Those who agree raise their hands.” They did so. All of them started laughing for a few minutes.
What is important for a man is that she obeys him. What is important for a woman is that he likes her! Her heart will break if he doesn’t love her! It is possible that sometimes there is a woman who is…! What should I say?! And sometimes there may be a man who is like a flower! What should I say?!
Sometimes we raise boys like girls, and sometimes we raise girls like boys. The psychological differences between men and women have become very clear now! What is he better for? What is she better for?
[From the series of speeches under the topic of “The Last Preparation before the Reappearance of the Saviour, Correcting Management in Family and Society.”]



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The essence of all goodness is becoming big.
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Surely we are from God and to Him we shall surely return.” [Qur’an 2:156] We are returning to God. We are going to meet God. “O human beings, surely you must toil toward your Lord a hard toiling, until you meet Him.” [Qur’an 84:6] You are going to reach God and meet Him.
God is big. So before meeting God, you need to become big. The mystics sum up all goodness in one thing, “existential capacity.” Afflictions pull a person and one becomes bigger. The essence of all goodness is becoming big. Who is a bad person? One who only loves himself and not his family. See your family too! Become bigger. Who is a bad person? One who only sees his own family and not other people’s families. Who is a bad person? One who only sees the people of his own nation and not the people of the world. The bigger you become the bigger your soul becomes.
Who is a bad person? One who only sees the present time. Who is a good person. One who sees the future too. Who is a better person? One who sees the Hereafter too. Who is a bad person? One who sees the present. For example, he only sees a few prominent blessings that he is now in need of. Who is a good person? One who sees all the blessings. As you see, in all of these there is a kind of becoming big. You won't find a goodness that doesn’t have becoming big in it.
A person’s effort to become a better person is an effort to expand and make his soul big in terms of time, emotions, intellect, and everything else. “The wisest person is the one who considers the outcomes more.” [Imam Ali, Ghurar al-Hikam, vol. 1, p. 217] Considering outcomes means becoming big. Becoming big is a person’s main need.
Let’s talk about prayer. In praying, why do you say, “God is greater” and not “God is beneficent”? Why don’t you use His other names? Asking for this greatness is a person’s main need. A person who likes to become big, if he tries to become big in a wrong way, he will become arrogant. While he hasn’t yet become big, he thinks he is big. So he is arrogant. So a person’s main need is to become big. And a person’s main fault is to think he is big.
Why do people think they are big? Because these poor people have been created to become big! But they’re in a hurry to become big, so they make a mistake and become arrogant. God wants to make human beings similar to Himself. An infant is unable to eat a heavy meal. His digestive system is not ready for it. When we want to meet God [in the Hereafter], the digestive system of our soul should be in such a way that we are able to taste, see, drink, smell and hear God.
We have to become big. “O human being” this is your certain destiny that “surely you must toil toward your Lord a hard toiling, until you meet Him.” A hard striving is needed! What is the relationship between toiling and meeting God? Toiling makes a person big. It expands a person’s soul and increases his patience. What does expansion of a person’s chest mean? “Have we not expanded your chest?” [Qur’an 94:1] Becoming big is our wish and our main goal. Becoming big exists in all goodness.
Naturally, I like to become big. But I hurry and think I’m big. I hurry and I want to become big in a wrong way. Your soul should become big. A person buys a bigger car and thinks he can
become big in this way, so he is arrogant. If you want to be big because of your car, position and other such things, you are arrogant. You should become big by your soul becoming big. If a person has a big car, if he gains a higher position, or if his wealth increases but his soul is small, these won’t make him big.
Our main request and wish are to become big and to grow. Children too. They constantly say they want to grow up. A child wears grown ups’ shoes and copies their behavior. He constantly says, “I’m grown up.” No one has taught this to him. This is his own wish and it’s in a person’s nature. A person who likes to become big is exposed to two big mistakes. One mistake is if he thinks he is already big, “I’m big!” No, there’s more to go. This is a contest. There are many people ahead of you. You haven’t become big yet! The second one is worse. It’s when a person wishes to become big using a wrong method. Both of these are called arrogance. Since a person’s main need is to become big, he is constantly in danger of becoming arrogant.
Therefore, one should perform the daily prayers for his arrogance to be removed. Do you know what the relationship between arrogance and jealousy is? When a person considers himself to be big, when he wants to be big, he wants to become bigger in a wrong way. When he sees another person is becoming big, he become jealous.

A Feeling, which Cannot Be Found Anywhere Else

One should not only know God. One should drink, taste and feel God. One should use God. One should enjoy Him!
The feeling of a tremble in the hearts of a young man and a woman, who are just getting to know and love each other, creates a beautiful trembling in a person. God has given this feeling to human beings for them to experience it and be able to imagine the feeling of meeting God when worshiping Him. But, if this feeling of a young man and woman, two people from the opposite sexes, getting to know each other, is emotional, pure and loving, it will happen one or two times. More than that, it will end up being debauchery, becoming repetitive or be animosity.
But, that other feeling is always fresh. The feeling of worshiping is the most beautiful and exciting feeling that a man or a woman can experience. If you obey the commands of God for a while, the feeling of worshiping will awaken within you. Instead of saying, “I love you. You are my love,” over time, higher words will be born within you. And, this is the peak of flourishing! Similarly, this sentence, “I worship you,” is something higher than loving.
A child needs the embrace of his or her mother. When a child who is fond of his mother is separated from her, he cries in alarm. The child can’t say, “Mother I love you.” It is something higher than loving. There is no opportunity to say, “I love you.” “Mother I...” Done.
The supplications are all like this. If children want to talk to their parents, they can only say one sentence. They say, “Mom, don’t pout with me.” The supplications are full of these same sentences saying, “God don’t be angry. God don’t punish me with Your punishment.” You won’t reach to the feeling of worshiping Him until you say yes to Him and obey His commands. Do we have something higher than the feeling of worshiping? Yes.
In a meeting, I found the courage to talk about this second feeling. The people who were recording my talks during the 30 nights of the month of Ramadan would say the next day, “Sir. We weren’t able to show your speech last night. If you could not use some of these words, we will be able to show it.” I used to say, “This is my subject! What should I do?!” This is the feeling of being owned, being an “Abd,” and being a servant. And the exact meaning, which all the friends from the media told me not to say, is “being a slave.” “God, I want to be Your slave.” “Abd” means slave! “Abd” means being owned!
The Prophet of God (s) is an Abd. He has an owner. He is for God! He is not allowed to talk about tomorrow unless he says, “InShaAllah (If God wants). If my owner wants.” Being an Abd means you are for Him! He determines when your life finishes. And no one can question Him.
Abd means being owned. He knows what He has or hasn’t given you. Does being an Abd mean I am satisfied with God? I have no right to be satisfied or unsatisfied with God! Who am I to be satisfied, or not? I am His! There is a feeling in a person, like a child who wants to be for his or her parents, that makes a person belong to a Master.
The other side of being an Abd (slave), is being a superpower. God says, “Obey Me so that you can be like Me.” You become like God! You become like God! You become like God! You will be able to say, “Be,” and it is. Everything will be turned upside down with your satisfaction! When you frown or become angered, the universe will be destroyed. You will become like God! “In the seat of honour with a most Powerful King.” (Qur’an 54:55) God says, “With Me! Before Me! You will sit on the seat that I am sitting on!” This is the meaning of Abd (slave).
Who doesn’t like to be an Abd? A person who doesn’t like to become a superpower like God! A person who is satisfied with a little power and carnal enjoyments! A person who doesn’t want to have domination over the universe! Such a person doesn’t need to become an Abd. He is satisfied to be like an animal. The feeling of worshiping means that I cannot not know what is going on in the universe. I cannot not be the moderator of the universe! “In the seat of honour with a most Powerful King.” (Qur’an 54:55) God, I want to sit next to You in the director’s room of the universe. I want to be the assistant director.
Obeying God causes a person to flourish. What happens if a person reaches the peak of flourishing? A person will have the feeling of worshiping. If people have the feeling of worshiping, they will die if they don’t have a Master. A person’s fondness is only for God.
One should not only know God, one should feel Him. You won’t gain the feeling of worshiping until you say yes to Him and obey His commands.

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Don’t have self-confidence!

We have “self-confidence” in our terminology. But, there is no such thing as self-confidence in the religious texts. People tell us, “Have self-confidence.” What do they mean? They mean you should have spiritual power and strength, so that you can make decisions firmly and take action firmly. Stand by what you say. Don’t be shaky. This is what they mean by self-confidence. But, in Islam, the Qur’an, and discussions about the traditions and religion there is no talk about self-confidence at all.
When we say self-confidence, do we mean spiritual power and strength? God says, “Yes, having spiritual power and strength is a good thing. But, why do you want to gain it through self-confidence? This is very wrong.” We say, “So how should we gain this spiritual power and strength?” God says, “By trusting in Me! Why trust in yourself?!”
There is a wrong term, which people often use. It’s self-confidence. It is very wrong. An ignorant person trusts in himself. I have all these weaknesses. As the Qur’an says, I am “unjust and ignorant.” (Qur’an 33:73) I am so ignorant. How can I trust in myself? “But, you’ll become unsteady.” “No, not at all.” So if you don’t have confidence in yourself, where have you gained this strength?” “I trusted in God.”
A child doesn’t have self-confidence. He trusts in his parents. He is even calmer than we are. Ayatollah Bahjat used to say, “Children are never worried about tomorrow’s food.” Because they say, “Mom will provide it. What’re you saying? Dad will provide it.” He has no doubt that his parents will provide food. A child doesn’t have self-confidence. That is why he strongly trusts in his parents. He is constantly connected to his parents and won’t let go of them.
Have you seen a child in a gathering sitting and playing next to his parents? The parents get up to go somewhere, and the child starts screaming, “Don’t go. Sit down!” They say, “I’ll come back.” “No! If you go, I can’t count on your coming back. I have to be with you.” Whoever hugs him, he won’t listen at all.
We should scream in the same way if we move away from God. How does a child depend on his parents and stay calm? We’re supposed to trust in God in this same way and find peace. We want to cut our ties with God and stand on our own feet. God says, “Ok, go ahead. Poor person, you are ‘unjust and ignorant.’ Every moment you are unjust to yourself. You are acting ignorantly every moment.”
“Won’t our self-confidence be ruined when you call us, ‘unjust and ignorant?’ You say that we are so ignorant and unjust.” “Yes, your self-confidence will be ruined. Are you supposed to have self-confidence?” “Sir, if a person doesn’t have self-confidence, he’ll become unsteady and weak.” “Compensate your shakiness and weakness with God!”
There is a wrong term, which people often use. It’s self-confidence. It’s very wrong. A child doesn’t have self-confidence. That is why he strongly trusts in his parents. He is constantly connected to his parents and won’t let go of them. We’re supposed to trust in God in this same way and find peace. Trust in God!
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Becoming familiar with some of the sweet concepts of the Sha’baniya Supplication / Session 1

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. It is very good before using, reading, thinking or whispering a supplication to God, to become familiar with the supplications’ passage in detail, become aware of its meaning and refer to the expositions on it. In these short opportunities, I will try to briefly discuss some topics to help us become familiar with this supplication. We hope the Almighty God will give us success to get the most use from this supplication.
The “Sha’baniya Supplication” starts with sending salutations on the Holy Prophet (s) and his Pure Household (‘a). According to many recommendations, which everyone has heard, and as has been mentioned in the traditions very much too, each prayer should start with salutations. This prayer has started with salutations too, like many other prayers, which have reached us. In the prayers that do not start with salutations, naturally we should send these salutations ourselves.
There are many reasons for this. I will only say one sentence about this and pass on it. It is as if when a person doesn’t have the Household of the Prophet’s guardianship, their guardianship is not in his heart, and he doesn’t remember these personages with honor, the Almighty God doesn’t hear him, won’t answer his prayer and doesn’t take this person into account. For whoever enters the Judgment Day, his/her ID is following God’s Guardians. In this case too, whoever stands in God’s presence should show his/her ID. This salutation is our identity card. If a person shows this identity card with love and devotion, says, “God, see I’m devoted to the Prophet and his Household,” hasn’t just said the salutations negligently, and has repeated this salutation with fondness, the way will open for him to pray.
In the first phrase, the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (‘a), uses three surprising words. This prayer starts without any introduction. “Hear my prayer when I call You. Hear my voice when I call You. Pay attention to me when I whisper to You.” One of the wonders of this prayer is that it starts without any introduction. This prayer is the words of a person who can’t tolerate anymore! It’s as if he has come a far distance and only wants to moan. He knows that God is waiting to hear his words, but he wants to shout at times, whisper at times and pray at times. “Hear my voice when I call you.” “Nida” means calling with a loud voice. “Pay attention to me when I whisper to You.” “Najwa” means talking in a very low voice. And “Du’a” is used for any kind of calling. Three consecutive words.
It is as if the Commander of the Faithful wants to cry out, “God, I want to talk to You!” He’s showing his insistence to whisper to God, cry out to Him and supplicate Him. He’s not saying others things. He wants, calls and invites God. The next sentence shows this. “I have escaped to You and am standing between Your hands.” “I have escaped to You” means I have escaped and come to You. It gives the same feeling that those three words had. “Hear my prayer. Hear my voice. Pay attention to me when I whisper to You.” It’s as if a person has come running. “I am now standing between Your hands.” “Between Your hands” is a more beautiful and pleasing concept than standing in front of God. It’s as if a little one has taken refuge with a great one and is in his power. This is much more beautiful. Those who are the smaller one before a greater one, and have felt the support of a kind, greater one, can understand this. “I am poor before You and I beseech You.” The Commander of the Faithful (‘a) is only beseeching in this supplication. He is expressing this with different phrases.
He is beseeching in all of his words. These words are not meaningless words for the Commander of the Faithful. These words arise from the depth of his feelings. He wants to cry intensely with these words. We study, review and even think about these words. But, these words have become internalized for the Commander of the Faithful. The Imam is not reading these words from a prayer book. These words are the interpretation of the Imam’s moans.
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When we are suspicious about God…

When we feel bad about the past, this means that we are ungrateful. If we feel bad about the future, we become hopeless. The human being is a creature that loses hope very quickly. The psychology of human beings in the Qur’an shows this. The Almighty God has said this repeatedly about human beings. This shows that God doesn’t like us to despair. It also shows that becoming hopeless is a bad mental state, which we usually suffer from. “If We let a human being taste Our Mercy and then withhold it from him, he becomes desperate and ungrateful.” (Qur’an 11:9)
There is something, which has happened many times in the meetings held for the Kumayl supplication, or when we were reading it ourselves with friends. In the beginning it says, “God forgive all the sins that I have committed and all the mistakes that I have made.” After asking for forgiveness in different ways, in conclusion on the second page of the small Mafatih books, it says, “God forgive all of our sins.” I tell the friends, “Whoever wanted God to forgive his sins, God has forgiven him. Now he may go.”
The rest of the supplication is not about insisting to God, “Forgive me. Have You forgiven me, or not? Let me say it again! Maybe You haven’t forgiven me! How should I know if You have forgiven me? It is not easy for You to forgive me!” No, the rest of the supplication is not for being suspicious about the Lord.
Instead, it’s construed in this supplication, “God, since You have forgiven me, ‘I come close to You by remembering You.’ I want to get close to You so that I can talk to You more. Will You let me?” A person is sitting in a corner depressed and broken hearted. This person is not thankful about the past nor hopeful about the future. When this person cries, everyone says, “Pray for me too.” Don’t ask such a person to pray for you! If they were thankful, they weren’t sad now. What kind of sadness is this? Not every broken heart is beautiful.
There is an interesting supplication to be read in Aba Abdillah al-Husayn’s (‘a) shrine. The pilgrim says, “God! If I stay in Imam Husayn’s shrine for a long time, it is not because I am suspicious about You and wondering if You have forgiven me or not, and to stay to insist a little more. And, if I leave, it is not because I am tired of being in the shrine. My heart is still here. If I leave, it’s based on a feeling of my duty. If I stay it is because of my interest.”
The interesting point is that if you want to stay in Imam Husayn’s (‘a) shrine due to your despair, this is bad. Don’t think that if you read ten more supplications, you have done a very good deed. Why are you doing this? Why are you saying it ten more times? One might say, “Because, I don’t know. I doubt and am desperate. I don’t know if they will answer my prayer or not.” This is a bad mood.
“On the Day (of Judgment) when all secrets will be made public,” (Qur’an 86:9) it will become clear that whatever God has given to anyone is in the amount of his or her hope and good thoughts about God.
[From the series of speeches under the topic of, “A human being’s moods, as stated in the Qur’an”]