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Question No. 3295 31 August 2022 Official answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) verified Content level: Intermediate

How Can We Bring Worthy Gifts Before God?

Primary reference: See the answer text 34 views 23 explanatory notes and annotations
Verified answer Documented and evidence-based
Dear questioner, Master Ali Saei
Tracking code: #Q-3295

God, help me frame this question. Sometimes, when we try to put a question into words, we struggle to arrange them so that we can express what we really mean.

Dear استاد, when it comes to love for God, we may think that our love is boundless. But when, in a spiritual setting, we come to understand God’s love for His servants, it is as though we had taken a piece of bread from a poor person—someone whose entire worldly wealth is that one piece of bread, on which his life depends and which he treasures—and presented it to a king such as حضرت سلیمان. In comparison with all the king’s possessions, it would count for nothing. And yet, before God, we feel ashamed in another way. What I mean by this comparison is that however much a person strives to increase their love, it is still nothing beside God’s love for His servants.

Now let us return to the love that ابا عبدالله الحسین had for God. استاد انصاریان used to say: “The Imam did not see the inanimate world; he was utterly immersed in God.” Our way of expressing love for God is surely far less than the Imam’s. I am looking for a way to bring precious gifts into God’s presence—something that might count for a little. What can we do, when our capacities are limited?

The essence and first answer at a glance (60-word summary)

To bring worthy gifts before God, we must remain steadfast on the path of the Two Weighty Things and worship Him with sincere intent. True love of God frees a person from every preoccupation that distracts from Him and makes them one of His most sincere servants—so much so that the angels take pride in them.

Answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat)

Teacher and researcher in the intellectual tradition of wisdom and the Ahl al-Bayt | Soroush Bamdadān Cultural Center

As the veil is lifted to reveal divine love, our path to love of God opens wider. By remaining steadfast on the path of the Two Weighty Things, we will be given to drink from the cup of divine love. All we need is to hold sincerely to our steadfastness on the path of truth.

الجن : 16 و أن لو استقاموا على الطریقه لأسقیناهم ماء غدقا

قال الصادق ع حب الله إذا أضاع على سر عبده أخلاه عن کل شاغل و کل ذکر سوى الله ظلمه و المحب أخلص الناس سرا لله و أصدقهم قولا و أوفاهم عهدا و أذکاهم عملا و أصفاهم ذکرا و أعبدهم نفسا تتباهى به الملائکه عند مناجاته و تفتخر برؤیته و به یعمر الله تعالى بلاده و بکرامته یکرم الله عباده یعطیهم إذا سألوه بحقه و یدفع عنهم البلایا برحمته و لو علم الخلق ما محله عند الله و منزلته لدیه ما تقربوا إلى الله إلا بتراب قدمیه و قال أمیر المؤمنین ع حب الله نار لا تمر على‏ شی‏ء إلا احترق و نور الله لا یطلع على شی‏ء إلا أضاء و سماء الله ما ظهر من سحاب تحته من [زائد] شی‏ء إلا غطاه و ریح الله ما تهب فی شی‏ء إلا حرکته و ماء الله یحیا به کل شی‏ء و أرض الله ینبت منها کل شی‏ء فمن أحب الله أعطاه کل شی‏ء من الملک و الملک قال النبی ص إذا أحب الله عبدا من أمتی قذف فی قلوب أصفیائه و أرواح ملائکته و سکان عرشه محبته لیحبوه فذلک المحب حقا طوبى له ثم طوبى له و له عند الله شفاعه یوم القیامه

مصباح الشریعه، ص: 193

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: “When God’s love casts its light upon the inner being of His servant, it clears away every distraction and every remembrance or thought of anything besides God. The lover is the most sincere of people in heart, the most truthful in speech, the truest to his pledges, the purest in deeds, the clearest in remembrance of the Most High, and the most devoted in worship. The angels of heaven rejoice when he communes with God and take pride in seeing him. Through him, God Most High brings His lands to life, and in honouring him, God honours His servants. When they ask through his standing with Him, He grants their requests; through His mercy, He wards off their trials. If people knew his rank and station with God, they would draw near to God only by the dust of his feet.”

The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: “Love of God is a fire that consumes whatever it reaches; it is God’s light, which illuminates every heart upon which it shines; it is like the heavens, whose blessings shelter all that lies beneath them; it is like the breath of divine mercy, which gives life and motion to whatever it touches; it is like water sent down from heaven, by which all things live; and it is like the earth, from which every plant grows. Whoever loves God will be granted by Him everything, both material and spiritual.”

The Prophet (PBUH) said: “When God Most High loves a servant of my community, He casts love for that servant into the hearts of His chosen and pure servants, the spirits of His angels, and the inhabitants of His Throne, so that they may love him. Such a person is truly a lover of God. Blessed is he—again, blessed is he! And God grants him the station of intercession on the Day of Resurrection.”

مصباح الشریعه / ترجمه مصطفوى، متن، ص: 437

The whispered prayer of the lovers by Imam Sajjad contains a potent elixir for kindling divine love and affection:

إلهی من ذا الذی ذاق حلاوه محبتک فرام منک بدلا، و من ذا الذی أنس بقربک فابتغى عنک حولا، إلهی فاجعلنا ممن اصطفیته لقربک و ولایتک و أخلصته لودک و محبتک، و شوقته إلى لقائک و رضیته بقضائک، و منحته بالنظر إلى وجهک و حبوته برضاک و أعذته من هجرک و قلاک، و بوأته مقعد الصدق فی جوارک و خصصته بمعرفتک و أهلته بعبادتک، و هیمت قلبه لإرادتک، و اجتبیته لمشاهدتک و أخلیت وجهه لک، و فرغت فؤاده لحبک و رغبته فیما عندک، و ألهمته‏ ذکرک و أوزعته شکرک، و شغلته بطاعتک و صیرته من صالحی بریتک، و اخترته لمناجاتک و قطعت عنه کل شی‏ء یقطعه عنک، اللهم اجعلنا ممن دأبهم الارتیاح إلیک و الحنین، و دهرهم الزفره و الأنین، جباههم ساجده لعظمتک و عیونهم ساهره فی خدمتک، و دموعهم سائله من خشیتک و قلوبهم متعلقه بمحبتک، و أفئدتهم منخلعه من مهابتک، یا من أنوار قدسه لأبصار محبیه رائقه، و سبحات وجهه لقلوب عارفیه شائفه، یا منى قلوب المشتاقین و یا غایه آمال المحبین أسألک حبک و حب من یحبک و حب کل عمل یوصلنی إلى قربک، و أن تجعلک أحب إلی مما سواک، و أن تجعل حبی إیاک قائدا إلى رضوانک، و شوقی إلیک ذائدا عن عصیانک، و امنن بالنظر إلیک علی، و انظر بعین الود و العطف إلی، و لا تصرف عنی وجهک و اجعلنی من أهل الإسعاد و الحظوه عندک، یا مجیب یا أرحم الراحمین.

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