Transcript:
"Oh you who believe, take care of your souls. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided. To Allah you all will return, then He will inform you of what you used to do" [Qur'an 5:105].

The discussion in the first sentence of this blessed verse is that it invites us to be careful of our souls [nafs], because the soul is the best and most direct path to the inner knowledge [ma'rifat] of God. And the other paths, although they are useful, do not have the [same] effect as self-knowledge.

In the discussion of narratives, we have come to a narration which is from Tuhaf al-Uqul. From that narration, it follows that if one does not have the problem of their nafs, then knowing God is easy. Because the Known has no veil...

The Known, who is the Divine Essence, is closer to the gnostic than everything else. He is even closer to the gnostic than the gnostic is to himself. So if there is a discrepancy, it is from the side of the seeker himself, not from the side of God.

God, who encompasses all things and is close to all things, some are far from Him while God is equally close to all. For example, one person is blind while another person is seeing, and the blind one and the seeing one are sitting together. But the seeing one is close to the blind one, but the blind one is far from the seeing one, because the seeing can see the blind, but the blind does not see the seeing. And the blind one keeps asking if you have any knowledge or information about the seeing one or not.

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Now subbed in English, this documentary explores the life and works of one Islam's most prominent scholars in the past century - Allamah Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai علامه سید محمد حسین طباطبائی‎ (1904 - 1981). His popular works include Tafsir al-Mizan, Afsar al-Arba'ah, Bidayat al-Hikmah, and Nihayat al-Hikmah. His contributions to the tafsir (exegisis), falsafah (philosophy) and tareekh (history) have had lasting impacts particularly within the world of Shi'a religious scholarship.

[7/7] Documentary on the Life of Allamah Tabatabai.

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Compare these two.

I want to enjoy more.

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What is your purpose in practicing religion? We can mention other reasons for our religiosity. They are right too. But it's not suitable to word it like that. It’s not nice or pleasant to say it like that. [We can count them,] “One, two, three, four.” Usually the reasons mentioned are not accurate. It’s more accurate to say, “I want to enjoy more.”
Why do you want to enjoy more in this world and in the Hereafter? Because God has created me to enjoy, not to suffer. God is kind. He has allowed me to experience pleasures and has created me in a way that I pursue enjoyments. He doesn’t say, “Don’t touch it! I want to bother you.” Is God like this?! One doesn’t understand God if he thinks he hasn’t been created to enjoy.
Have you seen how some fathers are a little grudging? God forbid, I don’t want to insult fathers. Or some employers or bosses. For example, a father sees his child is playing. As soon as he sees his child playing, he says, “Shouldn’t you be studying now?!” [The child says,] “You can’t tolerate me playing? You have to remind me now?!” Some people think the same way about God. They think God likes to see us suffering!
What is your purpose in practicing religion? Don’t say, “So I won’t go to Hell.” Don’t say, “I’m forced to.” Only a part of this is true! Don’t say, “This is God’s right.” What will happen next after you carry out God’s right? Will you enjoy it? [You’ll say,] “No, I’m not after enjoying.” You force me to say something! I have to tell you, “Kiddo! You’re not at that level! You’ll go astray with one small pleasure. And now you’re talking about carrying out God’s right?!”
Human beings have been created to enjoy. “Why do you practice religion?” To enjoy. “Is practicing religion the way for us to enjoy?” Yes! Now the second part of the discussion starts. Yes, no one else knows how to show the way. [One might say,] “No, God is showing us how to stay away from sins.” God is not that boring! God has created me to enjoy. Is it rational for Him to not let me enjoy? [He won’t say,] “I’ve created you to enjoy, but don’t touch anything! Go away!” This is a misconception about God! Such a God is not kind.
We say, “In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.” God Who is kind has created me to enjoy. We can’t deny this. Wouldn’t this be unkind for Him to tell me to move away [from pleasures]?
What is your purpose in practicing religion? We can mention other reasons for our religiosity. They are right too. But it's not accurate to word it like that. It’s more accurate to say, “I want to enjoy more.”

Our Book Corner
Based on the book "How to Pray a Good Prayer" by Ali Reza Panahian

Watch for the upcoming clips from this series!

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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
==============================

📘 This book is now available in paperback on Amazon and lulu.com
🔻 The Kindle edition will be available soon, God willing.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSJPYTBS/

https://www.lulu.com/shop/ali-reza-panahian/a-shower-of-goodness-a-commentary-on-imam-alis-as-best-sermon-on-ethics-in-nahj-al-balaghah-volume-1/paperback/product-vz5qgy.html?q=ali+reza+panahian&page=1&pageSize=4

🔴 Why is this sermon of Imam Ali (as) so special and enjoyable to read?
Its unique characteristics, such as the clear reason for him giving the speech, it having a mystical tone, it being applicable to various situations, it being comprehensive, and finally its descriptive tone, make it perhaps the best sermon on ethics in Nahj al-Balaghah.

🔴If you are tired of hearing advice, this book is for you!
People usually get tired of hearing “advice” very quickly. Some people even escape from hearing advice. However, “describing” something does not have the same effect on them, especially when it is describing goodness. Perhaps there is nothing that is able to bring enthusiasm, give enough motivation and increase resolve in people for them to move and do good deeds in the same way that describing goodness is able to do.
The Commander of the Faithful (as) has given an artistic description of pious people in the best, most famous sermon on ethics in Nahj al-Balaghah, the “Muttaqin (Pious) Sermon.” No advice is given in this sermon. It is entirely a description of the virtues and beauties of pious people from the beginning to the end.

🔴 Practical and contemporary
"A Shower of Goodness" is not just a book of knowledge that just gives us new information and that's it! No, the author deals with both the visible and hidden details of each attribute of the pious mentioned by the Commander of the Faithful (as) and examines these attributes using a completely practical approach. He also gives everyday but new examples that can be used by the reader.

🔴 A look at the chapters of the book:
Becoming Familiar with the “Hammām Sermon”
Hammām’s Question
Piety: Something Needed by All Human Beings
The Beauty of Piety
Being Proper
Output is more important than input
Wearing Good Clothes
Humbleness
Controlling Our Eyes
Only Useful Knowledge

🔴 Where can I get this book from?
The paperback version of the book “A Shower of Goodness” is available through Amazon and Lulu.com, and they are able to ship it to most countries.
The Kindle edition will soon be available from anywhere in the world, God willing.


#AShowerOfGoodness