Ethics and Spirituality

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.

A deferred need is being nurtured in God’s unseen treasuries, and God knows the best time and way to fulfill it. Impatience reflects a lack of trust in divine wisdom. Expand your capacity to receive this great blessing.

Intellect is the first creation of God and the commander of the seventy-five forces of noble character. A person’s rationality depends on how much they benefit from the light of intellect and distance themselves from ignorance. We should respond with patience and forbearance to those who, in our view, do not act rationally, and try to help them move toward perfection by learning about intellect and its forces and turning away from ignorance. Intellect can be strengthened through practice and understanding.

Religious obligations are a means of drawing closer to God, and God does not impose on His servants anything beyond their capacity. The apparent difficulty of fulfilling these obligations is a test, one that reveals who truly loves God; if outward acts of worship were pleasant and easy, there would be no test. Satan and the lower self make even the lighter religious duties seem difficult and distasteful.

The withdrawal from people mentioned in the hadith, “Well-being has ten parts, nine of which lie in withdrawing from people,” means distancing oneself from those given to folly and sin—not severing ties with relatives. The hadith points to particular conditions at the end of time, when protecting one’s faith and dignity may leave no choice but to avoid worldly people, fools, and those enslaved by desire and vice.

*Kazm al-ghayz* means controlling and suppressing anger. The word’s root conveys the idea of closing off the breath and holding back speech. A *kazim* is someone who has mastery over himself and preserves the order of his being. In the case of Imam Musa ibn Jaʿfar al-Kazim (AS), he is the one who governs the universe by the will of the Most Exalted, and is a source of divine security and peace.

We can bear the wait for the Reappearance by striving to know God’s Proof, purifying our inner selves, and seeking God’s help. Self-watchfulness and self-examination, fostering the practice of enjoining good and forbidding wrong, and offering spiritual gifts to the Imam can also help us along the way.

If enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong is established as a duty, and the person knows they will be mocked for fulfilling it, they should bear that mockery for God’s sake. Such patience brings a double reward and makes them like the great prophets, who were not spared mockery by their own people.

Shaykh Jaʿfar Kashif al-Ghita did not divorce his bad-tempered wife because he believed that being beaten by her kept his lower self in check and prevented him from becoming arrogant on account of his scholarly and social standing. He regarded her mistreatment as a divine blessing that helped him watch over his soul and guard against pride, and met it with gracious patience.

Not every hardship is a test from God; some are the result of people’s own actions and intentions and serve as punishment. Tests through hardship are meant to assess people and raise their spiritual rank, while difficulties caused by one’s own actions offer an opportunity to make amends, repent, and reclaim one’s station as a servant of God.

Failing to respect others’ turns and showing favoritism stem from the force of injustice among the forces of ignorance. Taking revenge stems from the force of vengeance; deliberately doing harm, from the force of evil; failing to appreciate others’ efforts, from the force of ingratitude; and mocking others, from the force of aggression. These are opposed to the forces of reason.