notifications_active Weekly Meshkat-e Noor Session: Thursdays at 20:30 at Haj Reza Mosque
A question from one of our friends in the channel:
“Teacher, what is one way to draw near to God besides prayer, fasting, zakat, and the like?
َّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ
Ways to draw near to God include seeking knowledge, strengthening one’s faith and certainty, gaining knowledge of divine unity and guardianship, reciting the Qur’an, reflecting on creation, maintaining family ties, cultivating good character, observing hijab and modesty, and following the teachings of Nahj al-Balagha and Sahifa Sajjadiyya. It is also recommended to follow Imam Sajjad’s (AS) Treatise on Rights and avoid disliked acts.
Pursuing knowledge; deepening faith, certainty, intention and action; cultivating knowledge of divine unity, and of the mission and authority of the Prophet and the Imams; honouring faithful scholars; reciting the Qur’an; reading hadith; performing prayers at their preferred times; “reflecting and reasoning about creation, questions, affairs and signs”; maintaining ties with relatives and friends; supplication and intimate prayer; comforting those in distress; good character and gracious speech; promoting the faith; enlivening religious gatherings; strengthening modesty, dignity and chastity; observing recommended acts; performing ablution thoroughly and accompanying it with intimate prayer; cultivating greater presence of heart in prayer and supplication; keeping vigil through the night; performing the Friday ritual bath; visiting and caring for the needy; showing kindness to orphans and the destitute; earning a dignified, lawful livelihood; living frugally; avoiding waste and extravagance; steering clear of all disapproved acts; drawing nearer to what is right; carrying out one’s duties at their appointed times; giving interest-free loans; granting debtors more time to repay; releasing the other party from a transaction; being first to offer greetings; being a good wife; being a good husband; observing the highest standards of modest dress; guarding one’s gaze; ...
Following the instructions set out in Letter 31 of Nahj al-Balagha “مِنَ الْوَالِدِ الْفَانِ الْمُقِرِّ لِلزَّمَانِ الْمُدْبِرِ الْعُمُر...”
Following the instructions set out in Sermon 193, the Sermon of the Godwary (the Sermon of Hammam) “رُوِيَ أَنَّ صَاحِباً لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع يُقَالُ لَهُ هَمَّام, ...”
Practising the virtues set out in Supplication 20 of al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya “اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ، وَ بَلِّغْ بِإِيمَانِي أَكْمَلَ الْإِيمَان ...”
Observing people’s rights in light of Imam Sajjad’s Treatise on Rights “حَقُّ اللَّهِ الْأَكْبَرُ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَعْبُدَهُ وَ لَا تُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئاً فَإِذَا ...”
And so on.