Ethics and Spirituality

Using school supplies that are still in good condition and useful is not wasteful. Wastefulness means throwing away or misusing things that still have value and purpose. By using last year’s supplies, you did the right thing—and it is pleasing to God.

Girls who wear hijab for the sake of God and listen to His words will receive a great reward in Paradise. They will be companions of Lady Fatima (SA), brighter than red rubies and precious as jewels. Paradise will be spread beneath their feet, every wish that crosses their hearts will come true, and they will receive special blessings from God.

Those who have drifted away from religion are encouraged to remember death often, as the thought of death can inspire worship and devotion. Supplication 5 of al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya is also recommended for this sensitive stage.

A man’s protective jealousy toward his wife is a feeling unique to men; women do not experience it in the same way. A woman’s concern when her husband behaves in ways contrary to religion or commits sins is of greater worth than protective jealousy: it springs from love of God. For a woman, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong is both obligatory and commendable. By urging her husband to lower his gaze, she is defending God’s boundaries and striving to keep him from moral impurity.

Suggesting that we befriend Satan opens the way to enmity with God, for Satan is humanity’s avowed enemy and has sworn to lead us to ruin. Placing any trust in him is foolish and misguided. Those who make such suggestions are ignorant people who have become Satan’s servants.

The most effective way to overcome anger is through remembrance of God, for forgetting God is the main cause of anger. Anger is a force that can be a source of good when governed by reason. To strengthen our remembrance of God, we must cultivate piety through reason and continually seek refuge in God.

Tears are a sign of love and affection, and a mark of the heart’s connection with the beloved. They express our feelings and become a spur to action, opening the way to a deeper connection with the beloved and to inner transformation. But tears are not the end or ultimate aim of love; they are a means of reaching the heights of spiritual wayfaring and the path to the appointed meeting sought by those who yearn for communion with God.

Enjoining good is different from the obligation to pray: a person who sins must still pray, even if they do not practise what they preach. Although enjoining good is obligatory, the one who calls others to it must also address themselves and be resolved to practise it. Otherwise, their conduct is blameworthy. The finest form of enjoining good comes from someone who practises it.

The worldly benefits of prayer include drawing near to God, communicating with the One we worship, overcoming heedlessness, finding peace, receiving sustenance and blessings, growing in love, having prayers answered, keeping Satan at a distance, strengthening faith, and purifying the heart. Its benefit in the Hereafter is that it serves as the measure by which deeds are weighed. Distracting thoughts during prayer arise from a lack of understanding, love, and detachment from worldly things. Through humility, avoiding sin, and practising servitude to God, one can come to taste the sweetness of worship.

We can become visitors to the House of God from afar by performing deeds that carry the reward of Hajj. Praying a special two-rak‘ah prayer during the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah, serving one’s family sincerely (an act better than a thousand years of worship, Hajj and ‘umrah), and striving to set things right can all place a person among God’s visitors. Reciting “يا رب البیت الحرام” and similar invocations can also make a person a visitor to God.

Overlooking what one knows, as attributed to Imam Ali (AS) in Nahj al-Balagha, is one of the noblest qualities of a person of true generosity. It suits those who choose to let certain matters pass in order to avoid pointless conflicts and unnecessary distress, and to preserve their peace of mind.

The “best helper on the path of obeying and serving God” is someone whose pure and sacred companionship helps the other person’s worship and devotion to God flourish, and supports them in attaining the highest levels of knowledge of their Lord. A successful marriage fulfills this purpose, with each spouse helping the other along the way.

From the beginning to the end of their lives, spouses influence one another. The extent of this influence depends on how closely their souls are connected to the Source of all being. To increase their positive influence, they should move forward in harmony and with a shared sense of purpose, so that their journey of devotion does not falter. Their respective levels of faith and God-consciousness also play a role.

Developing a religious and God-centred plan for married life involves seven steps: first, the spouses’ resolve and aspiration; then their commitment to support one another on the spiritual path; next, drawing up a plan based on the Two Weighty Things; choosing a guide for the journey; equipping themselves with noble character and knowledge; clearing the way by removing obstacles; and finally, strengthening their capacity for spiritual growth by following exemplary models.

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.

In the Duʿāʾ Abū Ḥamza al-Thumālī, *talammuq* means expressing the reverence of a servant before God, not saying something contrary to one’s sincere belief. This expression of love and tenderness is in keeping with one’s awareness of God’s generosity and boundless mercy, and is fitting before Him. Even in the face of punishment, a person does not stop expressing love for God.

The *mukaffarūn* are people whose good deeds go unnoticed and unappreciated, unlike those who disbelieve, whose deeds are done for people to see and are publicized. This quality is also found in the Prophet (PBUH) and the Ahl al-Bayt (AS). Whoever acts for people will receive their reward from people; whoever acts for God will receive their reward from God. Every act of showing off is a form of shirk.

People’s wisdom is tested by how they respond to wealth, position, and hardship. Managing wealth and authority responsibly, without falling into corruption or frivolity, and showing resilience and sound judgment in times of adversity are signs of wisdom. When hardship strikes, the loss of reason and irrational behavior reveal what lies within a person.

The divinely revealed religion is the accepted way to draw near to God, and departing from it is a turning away from servitude to Him. There is one path to God: the straight path He has laid out. Boasting about one’s acts of worship is ostentation and shirk, but that does not mean the Creator is indifferent to worship. A true lover of God is one who remains devoted to obeying the Beloved.

Love for the Ahl al-Bayt should be “for God’s sake,” with divine love as its ultimate aim. Love motivated by worldly gain, pleasure, enjoyment, or the fulfillment of personal wishes is not love for God; it is incomplete. Their merits are a means of attaining true knowledge and love, not an end in themselves.