notifications_active Weekly Meshkat-e Noor Session: Thursdays at 20:30 at Haj Reza Mosque
Dear and esteemed teacher, what can we do to feel the joy of worship and obedience with our whole being?
Like the pleasure we experience when tasting food, or the sense of calm that comes from listening to a sound…
َّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ
The joy of worship and obedience comes through sincere knowledge and putting it into practice. Knowledge without action is of no benefit and may even distance us from God. A true scholar is one whose good deeds speak for him, not merely his words. To attain this joy, we need wisdom, gentleness, compassion, patience, and contentment.
**The Connection Between Knowledge and Devout Practice: The Secret of the Sweetness of Worship**
**A Ṣādiqian version (AS)**
قَالَ الصَّادِقُ ع الْعِلْمُ أَصْلُ كُلِّ حَالٍ سَنِيٍّ وَ مُنْتَهَى كُلِّ مَنْزِلَةٍ رَفِيعَةٍ وَ لِذَلِكَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ وَ مُسْلِمَةٍ أَيْ عِلْمِ التَّقْوَى وَ الْيَقِينِ وَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ ع اطْلُبُوا الْعِلْمَ وَ لَوْ بِالصِّينِ وَ هُوَ عِلْمُ مَعْرِفَةِ النَّفْسِ وَ فِيهِ مَعْرِفَةُ الرَّبِّ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص مَنْ عَرَفَ نَفْسَهُ فَقَدْ عَرَفَ رَبَّهُ ثُمَّ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ بِمَا لَا يَصِحُّ الْعَمَلُ إِلَّا بِهِ وَ هُوَ الْإِخْلَاصُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص نَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لَا يَنْفَعُ وَ هُوَ الْعِلْمُ الَّذِي يُضَادُّ الْعَمَلَ بِالْإِخْلَاصِ وَ اعْلَمْ أَنَّ قَلِيلَ الْعِلْمِ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى كَثِيرِ الْعَمَلِ لِأَنَّ عِلْمَ سَاعَةٍ يُلْزِمُ صَاحِبَهُ اسْتِعْمَالَهُ طُولَ دَهْرِهِ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ع رَأَيْتُ حَجَراً عَلَيْهِ مَكْتُوبٌ اقْلِبْنِي فَقَلَبْتُهُ فَإِذَا عَلَى بَاطِنِهِ مَكْتُوبٌ مَنْ لَا يَعْمَلُ بِمَا يَعْلَمُ مَشْئُومٌ عَلَيْهِ طَلَبُ مَا لَا يَعْلَمُ وَ مَرْدُودٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَلِمَ أَوْحَى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِلَى دَاوُدَ ع إِنَّ أَهْوَنَ مَا أَنَا صَانِعٌ بِعَالِمٍ غَيْرِ عَامِلٍ بِعِلْمِهِ أَشَدُّ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ عُقُوبَةً بَاطِنَةً أَنْ أُخْرِجَ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ حَلَاوَةَ ذِكْرِي وَ لَيْسَ إِلَى اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ طَرِيقٌ يُسْلَكُ إِلَّا بِعِلْمٍ وَ الْعِلْمُ زَيْنُ الْمَرْءِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ وَ سَائِقُهُ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَ بِهِ يَصِلُ إِلَى رِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَ الْعَالِمُ حَقّاً هُوَ الَّذِي يَنْطِقُ عَنْهُ أَعْمَالُهُ الصَّالِحَةُ وَ أَوْرَادُهُ الزَّاكِيَةُ وَ صِدْقُهُ وَ تَقْوَاهُ لَا لِسَانُهُ وَ مُنَاظَرَتُهُ وَ مُعَادَلَتُهُ وَ تَصَاوُلُهُ وَ دَعْوَاهُ وَ لَقَدْ كَانَ يَطْلُبُ هَذَا
الْعِلْمَ فِي غَيْرِ هَذَا الزَّمَانِ مَنْ كَانَ فِيهِ عَقْلٌ وَ نُسُكٌ وَ حِكْمَةٌ وَ حَيَاءٌ وَ خَشْيَةٌ وَ إِنَّا نَرَى طَالِبَهُ الْيَوْمَ مَنْ لَيْسَ فِيهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْءٌ وَ الْعَالِمُ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى عَقْلٍ وَ رِفْقٍ وَ شَفَقَةٍ وَ نُصْحٍ وَ حِلْمٍ وَ صَبْرٍ وَ قَنَاعَةٍ وَ بَذْلٍ وَ الْمُتَعَلِّمُ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى رَغْبَةٍ وَ إِرَادَةٍ وَ فَرَاغٍ وَ نُسُكٍ وَ خَشْيَةٍ وَ حِفْظٍ وَ حَزْم
*Miṣbāḥ al-Sharīʿa*, p. 13
Imam al-Ṣādiq (AS) said:
“Knowledge is the foundation of every lofty state and the culmination of every exalted rank. Thus the Prophet (PBUH) said: ‘Seeking knowledge is incumbent upon every Muslim man and woman’—meaning the knowledge of piety and certainty.
And ʿAlī (AS) said: ‘Seek knowledge, even in China’—meaning the knowledge of self-knowledge, within which lies knowledge of the Lord, Mighty and Glorious.
And the Prophet (PBUH) said: ‘Whoever knows himself knows his Lord.’
Then you must seek the knowledge without which action cannot be sound: sincerity.
The Prophet (PBUH) said: ‘We seek refuge in God from knowledge that brings no benefit’—that is, knowledge at odds with sincere practice.
Know that even a little knowledge calls for much practice, for knowledge acquired in a single hour obliges its possessor to act upon it throughout his life.
Jesus son of Mary (AS) said: ‘I saw a stone with the words, “Turn me over” written on it. I turned it over, and there, on the other side, were the words: “Whoever does not act upon what he knows will find that seeking what he does not know brings him ill fortune, and what he knows will be taken from him.”’
God Most High revealed to David (AS): ‘The least of what I do to a scholar who does not act upon his knowledge is harsher than seventy inward punishments: I take from his heart the sweetness of remembering Me.’
No path to God, Glorified is He, can be travelled except through knowledge. Knowledge is a person’s adornment in this world and the Hereafter; it leads him to Paradise and, through it, he attains God’s good pleasure.
The true scholar is one whose righteous deeds, pure devotions, truthfulness and piety speak for him—not his tongue, disputation, quarrelling or claims.
Indeed, in an earlier age, this knowledge was sought by people endowed with reason, renunciation, wisdom, modesty and reverent awe. But today, those who seek it seem to possess none of these qualities.
A scholar needs reason, forbearance, compassion, goodwill, tolerance, patience, contentment and generosity.
A student needs eagerness, resolve, leisure, renunciation, reverent awe, memorisation and sound judgement.”