CHAPTER SIX
AYATOLLAH BAHJAT ACCORDING TO OTHERS
View of Imam Khomeini
The imam {Khomeini] used to pay Ayatollah Bahjat his personal attention, and citing some incidents in this field may provide the best evidence.
Ayatollah al-Mas'udi says, "During the four or live years when I was serving the imam, I remember that the imam said to me the following two or three times, 'We will go tomorrow to the house of Sheikh Bahjat, so be prepared for it.' On the next day, we would go to the house of the sheikh (the same house where he now resides) and sit in the first room which was then carpeted with the same bedding which has always been there. The imam would signal to me to get out. I would exit the house as the imam kept talking with the sheikh for about hall an hour, then he would come out of the house and we would return together. As regarding the subject of their discussion, I have no knowledge of it; only Allah knows it.
"Sheikh Bahjat used to sometimes say to me during the days of struggle (during the years 1963 and 1964), 'Tell Sayyid Khomeini to slaughter two heads of sheep tomorrow morning at such an hour seeking nearness to Allah Almighty.' I would go to the imam and tell him so, and the imam used then to say to me, 'Tell the butcher Wadi who is still alive) to slaughter two heads of sheep on our account, and I shall pay him their price later.' The sheikh also said to me one, 'Tell the imam to slaughter three heads of sheep'. The imam would then order
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three heads of sheep to he slaughtered. All these matters used to go on between the imam and Sheikh Bahjat, and we were witnessing them outwardly; we had no knowledge of what they implied.
"Also, when the imam was residing in Chamran, Sheikh Bahjat once said to me, 'I have a small letter which I wish you get it to reach the imam.' I would take the letter from him, put it in an envelope then deliver it to the imam. Anyhow, the relationship between the mentor and the imam was very strong. I remember that the imam once went in the company of Sheikh Hassan San' i to the sheikh's house several times. We (I and Sheikh San' i) were at the service of the imam when he was residing in the holy city of Qum, and Sheikh Bahjat used in turn to pay his special attention to the imam."
One of the imam's students says, "After the release of the imam and his arrival at holy Qum in 1963, people held massive celebrations in all quarters of this city. The house of the imam was then over-crowded with people, and Ayatollah Bahjat was one of those who used to go to the imam's house every day. He would stand for few minutes at the door of one of the house rooms. When it is suggested to him to sit inside the room, he would say, 'I commit myself to coming here and to standing at this place for few minutes to pay homage to this great personality.'
Sheikh Musbah Yazdi says the following in this regard somewhere else, "The late Sayyid Mustafa [son of imam Khomeini] (may Allah be pleased with him) cites his late father the imam (may Allah elevate his station) saying, "When the imam saw the simplicity of the life of the sheikh. he took a sum of money from Sayyid Burujardi (with whom he had a strong tie) in order to give it to Sheikh Bahjat, but the sheikh refused
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to accept this sum. On the other hand, the imam did not see that there was any benefit in returning this sum to Sayyid Burujardi; therefore, he had to think of a way to tackle this issue. He, therefore, said to the sheikh, 'I give you a grant from my own money, and forgive me for not returning this sum.' Thus did the sheikh accept the sum as a grant from the imam's own money."
Sheikh Musbah says the following in reference to the special attention which the imam used to pay to Sheikh Bahjat: "Once. the command experts were honored to visit the late imam. They asked him for instructions in ethical issues, so the imam referred them to Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Bahjat. They said to him, 'But the sheikh does not accept anyone.' The imam said. 'Keep insisting till he agrees.'
SHEIKH BAHJAT FROM THE VIEWPOINT
OF OTHER SCHOLARS
1. 'Allama Tabatabai: "Sheikh Bahjat is a true righteous servant of Allah."
2. Ayatollah Baha al-Deen: "Sheikh Bahjat is regarded as the richest man in the world (spiritually)."
3. Ayatollah Fakkour: Ayatollah Muhammad Hassan al-Ahmadi says, "Ayatollah Fakkour used to pay Sheikh Bahjat a special attention and used to say, 'Sheikh Bahjat is one of the exceptional individuals especially in the spiritual sphere.'
4. Ayatollah Hajj Sayyid Abdul-Kareem Kashmiri: Sayyid Kashmiri was asked once about the person whom he knew as a perfect mentor. He said, "He is Sheikh Bahjat, Sheikh Bahjat."
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5. Sayyid Fahri, too, was asked this question: "Who is the person whom you know as a perfect mentor?" He said, "He is Sheikh Bahjat, Sheikh Bahjat."
6. Ayatollah Sheikh Abbas Qawchani: Sheikh Musbah Yazdi says this: "Among the individuals who believed that Sheikh Bahjat enjoyed lofty spiritual perfections is Sheikh Abbas Qawchani, the wasi of the late Sayyid Ali, the judge who was living in the city of al-Najaf alAshraf (and his son is now occupying the post of representative of the wali al-faqih in the headquarters of the joint command), for he used to say, 'When Sheikh Bahjat was young, and before becoming twenty years old (the expression Sheikh Qawchani used was "before a beard could be seen on his face"), he had already attained lofty stations with which I became familiar through our friendship and strong tie. The Sheikh took from me a Shar'i pledge not to narrate any of it to anyone." I think (Sheikh Musbah continued to say) he meant the "death by choice". The Sheikh had attained these stations during such a young age, and you can imagine his station in nearness to the Almighty after having become eighty years old, after a long age of traditions, conduct and straightforwardness in adoration and in acting upon the obligations. This is the reason which makes any good believer feel attracted to him upon seeing him especially when he sees how he worships. Let people participate in his prayer service if Allah enables them to do so, for there are many blessings in it.
7. Ayatollah Mashkini: Ayatollah Bahjat occupies a very lofty station among the Shiite scholars from the scholarly standpoint in fiqh and usool. Likewise, his mentors occupy a very lofty station, so much so that we
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must look upon them as we look at the stars in the sky; therefore, writing books about the personality of the Sheikh and its dimensions is a must.
8. Ayatollah Allama Muhammad Taqi al-Ja'fari: "Traditions state that if one does not visit a scholar for forty days. his heart dies. Another text is this: 'Visiting scholars is more loved by Allah Almighty than circling the Ka'ba seventy times.' Ayatollah Bahjat is a true evidence for the scholars in these traditions. Looking at him and visiting him is equivalent to achieving a perfect admonishment. Whenever I meet him. the effect of such a meeting lingers in my soul for several days. In fact, he is a warner to us."
9. Ayatollah Badla: "The stations of Sheikh Bahjat were clear since we used to attend the class of Ayatollah Burujardi, and it was then obvious that the Sheikh was fit for these stations,"
10. Hujjatul-Islam Musbah Yazdi: "Ayatollah Bahjat incorporated in him the precisions of the late Mirza Muhammad Taqi Shirazi through his prominent students such as Sheikh Muhammad Kazim. He also sums up the excellences of the late Naeeni and the late Sheikh Muhammad Hussain Isfahani. as well as the moral culturing by the late Qadi. These professors brought up an incfusive personality which is regarded as one of the greatest blessings in our time. It is suitable to benefit from the moments of his lifespan as much as possible. Allah Almighty bestowed upon the mentor special distinctions and sell gifts which he did not acquire from anyone. Yet he, despite all of this, has been concealing his spiritual stations. not permitting anyone who knows anything about them to talk about
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them." Sheikh Musbah also says, "Ayatollah Bahjat also took care of scholarly matters, dealing with them with precision. He used to think that a class is an obligation, something serious, and he used to vest special attention upon matters of fiqh. He also used to be interested in worship and moral issues, believing they are the second wing for man's ascension and perfection."
11. Ayatollah Taheri Shams: "Ayatollah Bahjat reached a lofty level and a sublime horizon (in fiqh), so much so that if he looked at rulings and Islamic legislations, he would be able to derive a fatwa that pleases Allah Almighty, and there is no dispute in this matter."
12. Ayatollah Sheikh Jawad al-Kerbala'i: "During my stay in Tehran and Qum during these years, I heard from some people pursuits which indicated that the mentor, Ayatollah Bahjat, enjoyed special divine niceties; so, congratulations to him, then congratulations again to him."
13. Ayatollah Adheri Qummi: "Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Bahjat is regarded as one of the students of Grand Ayatollahs Naeeni and the Isfahani critic, and he has valuable first findings in achievement and teaching. Virtuous men of the theological seminary in Qum received classes at his hands for more than fifteen years, becoming skillful mujtahids. The sheikh was famous for his piety and godliness in the holy city of Qum in addition to his academic fame which invaded the horizons. As some brethren say, it cannot be said that the mentor was just pious; rather, he is piety itself. Piety and equity are the best qualities with which the authorities for taqlid are characterized. The sheikh was
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characterized by these two qualities, personifying them in his own self."
14. Ayatollah Mas'udi Khomeini: "Very few are the likes of Sheikh Bahjat in all ages; therefore, we must benefit from him in the best way, especially since he had achieved a lofty degree from the moral and ethical standpoint. Let everyone, especially the youths and those looking for morals, go to him to learn their lessons because the existence of the sheikh personifies spirituality and manners. Even looking at his face has innumerable ethical and moral benefits."
15. Hujjatul-Islam wal Muslimeen Fiqhi: "If the humanity tree had produced another good fruit besides the Infallible Ones (a.s), one such fruit is the holy presence of Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Bahjat."
16. One of the Men of Virtue of Najaf City: "Sheikh Bahjat was a scholar. a Muslim mujtahid, since the days of his youth, and he was held as trustworthy by some elite persons since then. so much so that the scholars used to agree on emulating him whenever they traveled to holy Kerbala at that time."
17. Author of the Book Khazinat al-'Ulema': "Ayatollah Hajj Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Bahjat Gharwi Fomani is regarded as one of the great Ayatollahs, senior teachers, well known scholars of the theological seminary and one of those of whom knowledge in the Gailan governorate and Foman County is proud. He is a distinguished scholar, a cultured, righteous, ascetic and God-fearing man who turned his face away from the world and its appearances and took to a great deal of contemplation and remembrance of the Almighty. Virtuous teachers and scholars of Qum's theological
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seminary looked after him and paid him their special attention."
18. Ayatollah Muhammad Hussain Ahmedi, the faqih from Yazd: "We are certain Ayatollah Bahjat will be one of the pilgrims of Allah on the Judgment Day. If we cannot benefit from his lectures properly, it will be judged against us, and we will have no answer when our Lord asks us."
19. Hujjatul-Islam wal Muslimmen Amjad: "The mentor is regarded as one of the prides of scholars of our time. Anyone who knows him, in one way or another, knows that he acquired a lofty station on account of his knowledge and spirituality... I think there is no peer for him in knowledge and spirituality. In other words, he is an angel living on earth. We, therefore, have to benefit from the blessings of his presence."
20. Professor Khosroe Shahi: "Grand Ayatollah Bahjat cannot be known [as he should be], nor can his spiritual perfections, except if one cultivates his soul and expands his existence. This is so because anyone can realize things according to the capacity of his existence. If we, therefore, want to know the perfections of the mentor, we have to cultivate our souls and expand the cycle of our existence so we may be able to benefit from his perfections and spirituality."
21. Professor Hadawi: "Ayatollah Bahjat is the personification of the meaning of conduct and ijtihad on the path of Allah and the truth. More briefly, he is a statute of a lifetime of jihad."
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CHAPTER SEVEN
FOUNTAIN OF WISDOM
A GROUP OF TEACHINGS AND INSTRUCTIONS BY
GRAND AYATOLLAH SHEIKH BAHJAT
In this section, we will discuss short statements by the sheikh that are fraught with wisdom and some of the precious brief answers which his holiness presented to questions in various subjects and issues.
1. Treatment of Pretension and Value of Knowledge
A virtuous man in Qum's theological seminary writes the following :
"They asked his holiness the sheikh: 'One may do a good deed in the way of Allah in which he conforms to all sicerity, but the insinuations of the devil, such as love for lame, showing off and reputation may find their way to his mind. Will this state of mind be regarded as pretension, and will it void the good deed?' The sheikh answered, Pretension is relevant to acts of worship. Pretension in worship is prohibitive, and it is said it voids [good deeds], too. But there is no problem with pretension in issues other than adorations. But pretension itself can be a cure for pretension. This takes place when pretension is lifted through sound contemplation. Let me give you an example: One may need to earn the respect of the police commissioner and attract his attention. In this case, he may go to a policeman and try to influence him to make him a link between himself and the commissioner. It is better this person must here pay attention and say to himself: 'This policeman is
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only a link. Even if he writes something or mediates in the issue, the one who will put the paper in the right place and in the end settles the matter is the police commissioner. Therefore, what is right is to attract the attention of the police commissioner directly and without an intermediary. In other words, pretension must be applied to a higher end.'"
Had this person been wise and if he knew that there is a higher station than that of the police commissioner. such as the minister, the prime minister or the president, for example, he will then say this to himself: It is better that I present my good deed to the minister or the prime minister or the president of the republic. That is to say, one must act upon pretension to impress the strongest ranks. If this happens, pretension will be a cause for treatment for pretension itself. So, if pretension in acts of worship is for the sake of the Strongest, the One Who has the highest position in the world, that is, Allah, Praise and Exaltation belong to Him, there is no problem in this pretension, and it will be a treatment for itself.
Traditions state that one who turns during the prayer to make a show to people will be herded by Allah in the form of a donkey. This in fact is the reality. Is not the one who shows his deed to the policeman in the presence of the minister or the police commissioner a donkey?! Yes, he is a donkey in the human form to which he is accustomed. If you tell him that he is a donkey, he will be angry with you. But we must tell him not to be angry because his deeds all day and night are like that; so. "Why are you so angry?!"
But Help, Help from ignorance, for it takes man to Turkistan instead of Mecca! Since Day One, the ignorance of Eblis was the reason for Adam's problem. Satan said, "Then, by Your might [do I swear], I will put them all in the wrong [path],
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except Your servants among them, the sincere and purified ones" (Qur'an, 38:82-83). Eblis was ignorant, although before then he used to be a worshipper but not a man of knowledge. and his deed was incomplete. Did he not say to Allah Almighty when He ordered him to prostrate to Adam: "I am better than him: You created me from fire, whereas You created him from clay" (Qur'an, 38:76)?! This was the minor argument of Eblis. As for his major one, it is his reasoning that anything created out of fire is higher, whereas anything created out of clay is lower! We must ask: Why so and according to what proof?!
This outward outfit is not angelic. Look at the symmetry and beauty of the peacock and the difference between it and the other birds and animals. Likewise, man's soul cannot be compared with that of jinns or angels. The human soul can ascend to whatever Allah wills even if it is outfitted with an outfit made of clay. An outfit does not make an attribute. If one wears a mantle made in Naeen and another wears a mantle made in Afghanistan, will that be any evidence for one's inferiority and the other's superiority? When we, too, become ignorant. we will then be like Eblis, and we will stray as he did. The characteristic of straying is that it transgresses; i.e. a straying person causes others to stray, too; so, beware of ignorance.
It is ignorance if that person says that the Holy Qur'an contains this verse: "It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures" (55:10); therefore, there is no difference among people; all are equal in possessing and utilizing the earth. He does not know that the wording of the verse connotes an outcome and a benefit. and he also does not know that he must take note of the other verses which interpret this verse. These ignorant folks cause others like them to stray. They come and bring the Qur'an with them in the beginning, but their end goal
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is to take the Qur'an away from the hands of people. There will be none to object when they say, "Burn the Qur'an!" We laugh at this matter, finding it amusing. but the truth is that unless we are strong in our argument, they wifl chase us out. They spend wealth to buy these ignorant folks. The result is that this ignorance will create a new religion. Did not one Baha'i person say that the name of "Sayyid Ali Muhammad al Bab" exists in your Qur'an, too, in this verse: "Haa-Meem-Ayn-Seen-Qaf which means "The Qaim is Sayyid Ali Muhammad" when it is read from left to right?! So. we nowadays need knowledge and deduction more than anything else because the matter is one related to creed. We have to stand in the face of this ignorance and these imported ignorant folks; they want to train their henchmen and spend their wealth on them; so, we have to learn logic very well so we may be able to answer them: otherwise, the wolves will eat us and digest us.
2. Conditions of Vigilance of the Heart, Finding
Pleasure in Adoration and Prayers
Sayyid Gharawiyan writes the following: "The mentor was asked once the following question: 'Your Holiness the mentor! Our lifespan has expired while we are yet to feel the pleasure in our adoration especially in our prayer. What should we do in order to taste a little of what our Infallible Imams (a.s) have said?' The mentor shook his head and said, 'It is a general affliction and a pain which we all feel.' They said, 'Anyway, the matter is relevant, and it has many levels. Some people, such as your holiness, have sublime levels, whereas others, such as our own selves, have no level. What should we do?' Heanswered saying, 'Perhaps I wish to be in your own level.' They said, 'Your holiness the sheikh! It is not a matter of courtesy: it is a fact." With distinctive humbleness, the sheikh answered, 'Your aunt is like you, meaning by this axiom that
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`I am just like you: Anyway, after some lengthy insistence. the sheikh said, 'The feeling of pleasure during the prayer requires two types of introductions. The first type is: introductions beyond the sphere of prayer. The second type is the introductions within the framework of the prayers. The matters which we should uphold before the prayer, that is, outside its sphere, is that one does not commit sins, nor should he pollute the heart with acts of disobedience to the Almighty. Disobedience taints the purity of the soul and puts out the light of the heart. As regarding the matters which must be observed in the prayer, they are: One must surround himself with an iron barrier so he fears none save Allah. In other words, he has to shift his thinking from anything and anyone other than Allah. and his concern is about nothing except Allah. If his mind is occupied by something else unconsciously, he has to stop mentioning that thing as soon as he becomes aware of it.'"
Ayatollah Quddas, one of the students of Sheikh Bahjat. says this: "I asked the sheikh once what I should do so that my heart may become more attentive during prayers. The sheikh lowered his head in contemplation. Then he raised his head and said, 'It is only that the heater is too little.' I understood what he meant. He wanted to say this: 'Your knowledge and inner conviction is weak; otherwise, it is not possible for the heart not to be attentive when the knowledge is present.'" Ayatollah Muhammad Hassan Ahmadi, the faqih from Yazd, said the following in this regard: "When you face the qibla. and when you recite the Hamd Chapter and the other chapter, he attentive to their meanings so the connection may remain safeguarded."
Professor Khosroe-Shahi says, "Once Ayatollah Bahjat was asked this question: 'What should we do in order to achieve our heart's full attention during the prayer?' He said. 'One of the major factors which cause the heart to be attentive during
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the prayer is that we should control our live senses (vision, hearing, etc.) all day long because we must prepare the necessary introductions in order to gain the heart's attentiveness during the prayer.'"
In another place, someone asked the sheikh this: "What should we do so our earnestness may increase in obeying the commandments of Allah especially with regard to the prayer?" The Sheikh said, 'Seek help from the Imam of the Time (a.s) before performing the prayer, then carry out the obligation in its absolute completeness."
Another person asked him this question: "What should we do so our mind may focus and our heart may be attentive during the prayer?" The sheikh wrote this in his answer: "In the Name of the Almighty: At the moment when you face [the qibla], go with your own choice."
3. Sincerity of Intention, Conjoining Knowledge and Deed
The sheikh was asked, "What should we do so our intention may be sincere when we seek to wear the turban?" The sheikh answered, "Let the Shari' a be the criterion for your deeds. Look and see if this deed agrees with or violates the Shari' a. If we want to have such doubts, we should doubt all our acts of adoration and prayers, for what would inform us whether our intention is sincere or not? Should we abandon the performing of the obligations simply because we are not sure about the sincerity of our intention?" The sheikh added saying, "So, let your intention be to conjoin your knowledge to your deed, and neither should lag behind the other. Most of our calamities result from knowledge and deed being separate from each other. The knowledge of some people lag behind their deed. whereas it is ahead of that of others, such as in your case. The
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knowledge of some people once lags behind their deed and once goes ahead of it; therefore, your intention must be to act upon your knowledge, and let your knowledge accompany your deed."
Sayyid Khosroe-Shahi says the following in this regard, "Ayatollah Bahjat used to always emphasize the necessity of knowledge being inseparable from deed. One day he said, 'A man with knowledge but without deed is like the lamp that lights the path to people while burning itself by itself.'"
4. Reliance on and Trust in Allah
Sheikh Musbah says, "Once Sheikh Bahjat said, 'I was sitting in the room but I kept hearing the voice of the children playing in the courtyard. The son of our neighbor was playing near the door. A beggar came to him and said, 'Go home and bring me something from there.' The child said, 'Why do you not ask your mother [for something]?'The beggar said, have no mother; so, go to your mother and bring me something from her.' The sheikh adds saying, 'I understood from the dialogue of this child with that beggar that the child thought he could get anything he wanted from his mother due to his trust in her and reliance on her." Then he deducts this: If we trust in Allah Almighty as this child trusts his mother and asks Allah. the most Exalted One, to grant us what we need, we would not have suffered from any problem and all our needs would have been taken care of."
5. Result of Human Perfection
Hujjatul-Islam wal Muslimeen Quddas says, "I said this once to the sheikh, 'A student saw in a vision that he was praying at a holy site. Whenever he prostrated, he would hear the sands
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praising the Almighty with him." The sheikh said, ''When man reaches perfection. he will see and hear this even when he is awake."
6. Serving the Imam of the Time (a.s)
Hujjatul Islam wal Muslimeen Quddas also says, "I said this to the sheikh once. 'My going to one of the villages and presence there for Islamic propagation has a good impact. People in this village are very merciful. They listen to the speech and follow it. but they are poor. They do not pay for the months of Muharram and Ramadan except very little, unlike other areas which are spiritually weaker but financially stronger.' The sheikh said, If you are busy serving Imam al-Mahdi, the Imam of the Time, may Allah hasten his reappearance, do you think the Imam will neglect and not think about you?!'"
7. Precision in Narrating Traditions
Huijatul-Islam Quddas also says, "Forty-live years ago, I talked with the sheikh about my work program during the blessed month of Ramadan and said to him, 'I do not ascend the pulpit in the daytime during the blessed month of Ramadan and do so during only the nights.' The sheikh asked why. I said. 'I am not certain about the accuracy of many pursuits which I present on the pulpit and am concerned some of them may be false.' The sheikh asked me, 'Are you sure about their accuracy during the night'?!' I then realized from the statement of the sheikh that this method was not sound."
8. Practical Call
Hujjatul Islam Lutfi says, "I went once to Sheikh Bahjat following the morning prayers service and asked him to
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admonish me. lie said, "Be callers upon people to the path of Allah but not with your tongues."
It seems, the author says, the sheikh wanted to attract the attention of the seeker of the admonishment, who is one of the men of spirituality, to the best call: the call through practice, not through words.
9. Avoiding Transgressions
Ayatollah Sheikh Jawad al-Kerbala'i, one of the scholars of ethics, says, "I was honored to know Ayatollah Bahjat since distant time and benefited from some of his perfections and admonishments. Here are some of these perfections and admonishments :
"The sheikh used to always emphasize abandonment of transgressions and say, 'Allah has bestowed His boon on all classes of His friends through His special niceties, making the abandonment of transgressions a means to seek nearness to Him. Since the levels of man's knowledge and love for his Creator are numerous, so are the levels of abandoning transgression, too, so much so that it has been said that the good deeds of the righteous are the bad ones of those who are close to Him."
One of the students who had just joined the theological seminary in Qum said, "I went to Sheikh Bahjat and said to him, 'I have come to the theological seminary in order to pursue theological sciences. What should I do in order to be a successful student?' The Sheikh lowered his head in contemplation then said, 'There is no difference between a student and a non-student; what is important is to avoid transgressions.'"
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Somewhere else the sheikh was asked about the best dhikr. He said, "1 think the best dhikr is the practical dhikr, i.e. abandoning transgression in belief and in action. Everything needs this matter, whereas this does not need anything: It generates everything good."
The sheikh was also asked this question: "Through what deed, other than teaching and caring about the Book of Allah and the exegesis of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s), can we strengthen ourselves for piety and treading towards the Adored One?" Answering this question, the sheikh wrote saying, "In His Name, the most Exalted One. It is through continuous determination to abandon transgression in belief and in action."
One of the men of virtue says, "I wrote a letter to Ayatollah Sheikh Bahjat and asked him this question: 'What should we do so our love for our Creator and for the Imam of our Time (a.s) may increase?' He wrote this in his answer: 'Abandon transgressions and perform the prayers as soon as they are opportune.'"
Sayyid Quddas says the following in this regard: "One day I talked with Sheikh Bahjat saying, 'Have we considered a program and a specific time for this distraction (of disobeying the Lord and not acting upon His commandments)? That is, will a day come when we abandon transgression? Or will We continue as we are? If our intention is not to continue this status, let us sit and put a specific time for it, say a month, six months, a year or many years. What is important is that we must realize the seriousness of this situation and at least put an end to it.'"
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10. Secrets of the Prayer
Somewhere else, the Sheikh wrote the following: "The similitude of the prayer is like the Ka'ba and the Takbirat alIhram in it: It is abandoning everything save Allah and entering in His Holy Presence. Standing in it is like the lover speaking to the one he loves. Bowing is the slave bowing down before his Master. Prostration is the ultimate submission, the feeling of nothingness and of humility to Him. When a slave finishes the prayer, he offers the greeting as a gift. Such is the trip that is filled with mysteries."
11. Ethics of Ziyara
Hujjatul-Islam wal Muslimeen Khosroe-Shahi says, "Once, I and some friends were determined to visit the shrine of Imam al-Rida (a.s). We went to Ayatollah Sheikh Bahjat and asked him about the ethics of ziyara. He contemplated for a short while then said, 'One of the most important norms of ethics of ziyara is that we should believe that there is no difference between the life and the death of the Infallible Ones (a.s).' He did not say anything else other than this statement. After we had sat with some friends contemplating on the gist of this statement, we deducted that the ethics of ziyara may be summarized in this statement. And I asked him once, 'It has been said with regard to the ziyara of the Infallible Lady (a.s) that whoever visits her shrine fully knowing her esteem will deserve Paradise. So, what is the meaning of 'fully knowing her esteem'?' He answered me in one sentence thus: 'He must believe that her status is less than that of the Infallible Ones and greater than that of all others.'
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12. Conforming to Moderation in Teaching and Educating
the Offspring and Finding Diversity for Them
In a special meeting with the genius child who knows the Holy Qur'an by heart, namely Muhammad Hussain Tabatabai, and his father, Sheikh Bahjat addressed the son thus: "I hope you will not shrink from moderation. Do not pressure him [the child], nor should he pressure himself. For example, do not require him to memorize Nahiul-Balagha or the Saheefa Sajjadiyya after having memorized the Qur'an. Let his task be easy, distant from hardship. I also ask him to travel quite often, to set aside some of his time to play and legitimate pastime, and I commend to him to change his environment because this is very effective. Some people travel abroad to replace their blood, but I think traveling by itself compensates for it. I plead to Allah to grant you success to cultivate him outwardly and inwardly, in form and in essence."
Some people said to the sheikh, "What type of travel do you mean since Muhammad Hussain travels always abroad? Do you mean making such trips more often?" The sheikh said, "No. Let his contacts be more. For example, he goes to Chamkran Mosque every week. This by itself is a good change. Seeking the means of nearness is very useful. You should visit the resting places of the Sayyids who belong to the Imams (a.s) because each of these Sayyids has his own characteristic and impact, just like the fruits each one of which has a particular vitamin. By the will of Allah, you should not forget this. If this is not available, walking in an open space and being regular in offering supererogatory supplications following the obligatory prayers has a great deal of impact. Anyway, we just have to remind you of these matters."
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During that meeting, we sensed some cultivating points to which we would like to point out as follows:
1. When Muhammad Hussain Tabatabai (the flag-post of guidance) entered the chamber of the sheikh. the sheikh welcomed him warmly. As he was shaking hands with him, he said, "Lord! Let him be one of the spiritual scholars who act upon their knowledge!" Then he seated him in his own place, on his own bedding, as he sat near him on the carpet.
2. The sheikh asked Muhammad Hussain's father: "Does he recite the Qur'an every day'?" Sayyid Tabatabai said, "Yes. He recites one chapter every day." The sheikh said, "This much suffices to retain in memory. Let him divide this chapter on the prayer times." After that the sheikh recited two traditions relevant to memorizing the Qur'an: "One who memorizes the Qur'an gets the prophetic mission inscribed between his sides except he receives no revelation.- "One who is with the Qur'an is with the Prophet's Progeny, and one who is with the Prophet's Progeny is with the Qur'an."
3. Sayyid Tabatabai thanked Sheikh Bahjat and asked him to pray for Muhammad Hussain. The sheikh said, "If one of you wants to memorize the Qur'an. let him recite this supplication three times every morning and evening," then he rubbed Muhammad Hussain's head with his hand as he recited this supplication: "Lord! Let me be in Your shielded fort in which You place whoever You please!"
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13. Value of the Tahajjud and the Standing During the Ashar
Ayatollah Muhammad Hussain Ahmadi, the ,faqih of Yazd. says, "The sheikh used to highly recommend tahajjud and prayers during the ashar [pre-dawn times]. so much so that he often used to say, "The Prophet (a.s) earned divine knowledge due to his tahajjud and standing during the times of the ashar."
The sheikh believes the night prayers and the tahajjud during the ashar as well as regular prayers and optional adoration are all very important.
It is narrated about the senior scholars upon whom Allah bestowed sublime stations that they used to resort to the ashar and to celebrate the Names of Allah during them if they wanted to ask something of Allah or earn His boons because dedicating time solely to Allah Almighty and to worshipping him during the ash?rs has its own effect. The sheikh used to always emphasize this fact.
14. Continuous Dhikr
Ayatollah Muhammad Hussain Ahmadi also says this: "One of the attributes to which the sheikh used to point out quite often is that one must always be engaged in performing dhikr because one who does so will always see himself in the presence of the Lord, talking to Him. The sheikh used to mention some narratives in this field from time to time.
15. One Should Not Admire His Good Deeds
Professor Khosroe-Shahi says, "Ayatollah Bahjat used not to see the acts of righteousness and adoration which he performed and always used to say. 'What a better person is that who.
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when doing something good, says he has not done anything. but if the same deed is done by others, he says how great it is!' In other words, he believes we have to underestimate our deeds while admiring and magnifying those of others."
16. First Step in Treading the Path Towards Allah
Professor Khosroe-Shahi also says this: "Ayatollah Bahjat used to say, 'The first station earned by one who treads the path of seeking nearness to Allah is seeing the distance between him and his Lord. He. therefore, maintains this distance and not keep himself far from the Lord. If he cannot shorten the distance, he must not lose hope. What is important is to maintain this distance, that is, he must not first distance himself, then he has to gradually shorten this distance and gets closer to his Lord, the most Exalted, the most Great.'
17. Earning Support of the Imam of the Time (a.s)
He also says, "The sheikh used to say the following in his chats: 'We, students [of theology], have to think about how we can earn the support of our master, the Imam of the 'lime. may Allah hasten his reappearance. That is, we have to know how to study and work in order to win his support and pleasure. Every student must keep this matter on the top of the list of his priorities (at every time. during his study and after he completes it). He must always think about how his deeds and norms of conduct should be in order to win the support of the Imam (a.s), If the student thinks about this matter and treads this path. he will not face in his life any deviation in action, speech and conduct. He will not then undertake any conduct which does not suit him, and the crises will not confuse him.'
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18. Necessity of Avoiding Moral Lowliness
and how to Reach this Goal
Khosroe-Shahi also says this: "The sheikh used to stress avoiding moral sins and say, 'Prolonging the prostration is one of the acts of adoration which break Satan's hack. If one prolongs his prostration, he has to stand before a mirror and notice the place of prostration marked on his forehead, whether the prostration left a mark on his forehead or not. If there is a mark, he must rub it till he wipes it out so that he may not be characterized by pretension.'"
Somewhere else, Ayatollah Bahjat describes the role of knowing the Truthful One as a very important and essential one in removing moral sins. He says, "All moral sins originate from weakness in knowing Allah, Praise and Exaltation are His. If one realizes that Allah, the most Praised and Exalted One, is always and in any condition more beautiful than everything beautiful, he will never then abandon feeling comfortable with Him."
In another place, the sheikh [mentor] was asked: "What should we do so we may distance ourselves from pretension'?" He said. "You must greatly stick to believing in a perfect creed."
Somewhere else the sheikh was asked about a treatment for anger. He said, "You must perform abundant prayers with full conviction."
The sheikh was also asked, "What is the cure for conceit?" He wrote the following in answer: "In His Name, the most Exalted One. Sticking greatly to perfect conviction is the treatment for conceit." Someone asked him about a treatment for unholy
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insinuations. He wrote this in answer: "Abundant testimony about the Unity of Allah is the cure for such insinuations."
19. Value of Intellect and of Contemplation
Khosroe-Shahi says, "The sheikh used to stress monitoring what the tongue utters and say, 'We have to safeguard our tongue, think twenty four hours but speak for only one hour. That is, we have to contemplate and meditate all day long but talk for one single hour. And even this lone hour may be too long."
20. Status of Information and Knowledge
Khosroe-Shahi also says, "Once, on his way from home to the shrine, the sheikh said to the students in his company, 'What a great blessing it is when Allah made you among those who tread the path of seeking knowledge, for knowledge is indeed a great blessing!" Then the sheikh made a comparison between knowledge and wealth and said, "Knowledge is better for you than wealth because it guards you while you guard wealth. There is another difference between knowledge and wealth: Spending depletes wealth, whereas knowledge increases when disseminated.' Thus did the sheikh encourage the students to earn knowledge."
21. Student's Duties
Khosroe-Shahi also says this: "In the area of encouraging education, culturing and encouraging beginner students to undertake this matter. the sheikh used to emphasize that the students should not abandon learning, studying and researching under any circumstance. He used to say. 'What should he observed at the beginning of educational achievement is acting upon the obligations as they should be and avoiding
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prohibitions.' But he talks differently with the students who undertook a long stride along the path and arrived at a relatively high academic level. I remember he said this to me once when he was going from home to the mosque to lead the congregational prayers: 'The students started their studies with the Muqaddimat (Introductions). They will then study the Ma'alim (Features) and Maghna (indispensable studies).' Then he asked me, 'What will they study thereafter?' 1 said, 'They will study the Lam'a.' He asked, 'Then what?' I said, 'AlMakasib' Then he asked, 'Then what?' I said. 'Al-Kifaya: He asked, 'Then what?' 1 said, 'The Kharij studies.' He asked. `Then what?' I said, 'They attain the status of ijtihad.' He asked. 'Then what?' This was a great lesson and an important piece of advice which the sheikh provided in this short phrase: `Then what?' It seems from his statement that he thinks knowledge is not sought for itself but as means to seeking nearness to Allah. This point was a signal and a warning to the students who earned a higher academic level."
22. Non-Reliance on Life
Khosroe-Shahi also says the following: "Ayatollah Bahjat used to say that life is a large hotel: We do not know from where people come to it or who goes to it."
23. Interest in Spirituality
Hujjatul-Islam wal Muslimeen Khosroe-Shahi also says this: "Ayatollah Bahjat used to say, 'Had one looked after his soul as much as he looks after his body, he would not have had any worry or concern. But unfortunately- humans endeavor to secure their physical needs only. For example. one goes to the doctor and asks about the useful nutrition. but he does not attempt to know what benefits his soul. At any rate, had one endeavored to attain spirituality as much as he attempts to earn
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material things, he would not have suffered any grief in his life. We, therefore, have to know the things that benefit our souls. What is commendable, for example, is useful and effective, and we have to endeavor to perform them.'"
24. Moderation in Apprehension and Anticipation
Also, Khosroe-Shahi says the following: "Once I asked Sheikh Bahjat about fear and hope emphasized by scholars of ethics a great deal. He said, it is the apprehension and the sought anticipation which do not go beyond the limits of moderation. If it goes beyond the limit of moderation, it is not useful because non-moderate fear causes one to lose hope of the mercy of Allah. Non-moderate anticipation causes one to be rude towards the Lord.' I also heard this narrative from him: 'It has been narrated about the Messenger of Allah (a.s) that the believer stands between two kinds of fear: fear of what has passed and fear of what remains.' In other words, we must be concerned about falling short and must not undertake it once more."
25. Reliance on the Lord
He also is quoted as having said once, "Had we trusted our Master as the small child trusts his parents, all our affairs would have improved."
26. Acting Upon Knowledge
He has also said that Ayatollah Bahjat used to say, "Had people acted upon their knowledge, all their affairs would have improved. That is, if they perform their duties, abandon what is prohibitive and endeavor to perform what is commendable as much as they can, their affairs will improve."
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27. Love for what is most Perfect Prevents Evils
A man asked His Holiness Ayatollah Bahjat, "I have loved a woman. and loving her has captivated me; so, what should I do'?" In answer, the sheikh wrote the following: "A wise man loves perfection, completion, what is more beneficial and most lasting, and he gives precedence for such love over loving anything else. Also, loving what is most perfect shuns afflictions, contrarily to loving anything else."
28. Great Status of Prayer
Sheikh Bahjat was requested to write a brief and terse statement about prayer so it would be engraved in memory. The sheikh wrote this: "Among the wise statements about the great status of prayer in its lofty station is the famous speech of the Infallible One: 'Prayer is the ascension of the faithful' for those who are convinced about the truth in this statement and seek this station without shrinking from conviction.' Peace, blessing and mercy of Allah be with you." (Signed:) Servant of Allah Muhammad Taqi Bahjat.
Hujjatul-Islam wal Muslimeen Fiqhi says, "One day, Ayatollah Bahjat said, 'If one adheres to performing the prayer on time. he will arrive at the anticipated station."
29. Path of Nearness to Allah
A man asked the sheikh this question: "I wish to seek nearness to Allah, the most Exalted, the most Great; so, what is the path and the norm of conduct [for achieving this goal]?" In answer, Ayatollah Bahjat wrote the following: "In His Name, the most Exalted One. If the seeker is truthful, abandoning sins suffices for one's lifespan even if it may be a thousand years."
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Somewhere else a man asked him this question: "I have set 111V mind to be near to the Lord. I hope you can provide me with guidance: Does this deed need a professor or what'?" The sheikh wrote this in answer: "In the Name of the most Exalted One. Knowledge is the professor, while the teacher is the means and nothing else. You have to act upon what you learn and be persistent about it. This will suffice because 'One who acts upon what he knows will be permitted by Allah to inherit the knowledge with which he is not familiar'. The Holy Qur'an states this: 'And those who strive in Our (cause) We will certainly guide them to Our paths, for truly Allah is with those who do right' (Qur'an, 29:69). If you get no result. he informed you did not perform the deed properly. You should also set aside an hour a day to study theological sciences.'"
Somewhere else the sheikh was asked: "Does the path to Allah require the presence of a professor'? If there is no professor available, what should he done'?" Answering this question. the sheikh wrote the following: "In the Name of the most Exalted One. Your professor is your own knowledge. Act upon what you know, it will suffice you for that which you do not know."
A man wrote this to the sheikh: "Tell me, please, how one can attain the feeling of being in comfortable company with Allah and with the Purified imams (a.s)." In answer, the sheikh wrote the following: "This is possible through obeying Allah, His Messenger (a.s) and the Imams (a.s) as well as abandoning the sins in belief and in action."
30. Method of Self-Discipline
It was said to the sheikh that some students in Lebanon asked for ethical admonishments and necessary instructions in this regard, and they inquire about a method for self-discipline.
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"We," they added, "hence, request Your Holiness to guide us in this field."
The sheikh said, "One of the most useful things in this regard is to remind the students who attend your daily classes one Shari'a-related narrative in the chapter of self-discipline stated in the book titled Wasa'il al-Shi'a and also the narratives transmitted in a chapter on the ethics of companionship in the Hajj chapter in Wasa'il al-Shi'a. Of course, this deed must be accompanied by contemplation and doing all what you know."
Ayatollah Bahjat, in another recommendation in this regard, says, "Anyone who brings about every day one tradition in the chapter of self-discipline in the book titled Wasa'il al-Shi'a and contemplates about the clear matters in it and acts upon it will see that he is transformed completely only one year from that time."
31. True Asceticism
The sheikh was asked what true asceticism is and how we can be truly ascetic. He said, "Asceticism is that you control your self and monitor the permission of Allah Almighty to do or not to do each action."
32. Method to Firm Relationship with Ahl al-Bayt (a.s)
especially with the Imam of the Time (a.s)
The sheikh was also asked: "How can we firm our relationship with Ahl al-Bayt (a.s), especially with the Imam of the Time (a.s)?" He said, "Obedience to Allah, after having come to know Him. causes love for Him just as it causes loving those whom Allah Almighty loves, namely the prophets and wasis. The one who is the most loved by Allah from among the latter is Prophet Muhammad (a.s) and his Progeny (a.s). and the
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nearest to us from among them is the Imam of the Time. may Allah hasten his reappearance and ease."
33. The Path of Knowing Allah
The sheikh was asked, "What is the path to knowing Allah'?" He said, "The path to knowing Allah is knowing the self (nuts). We know that we did not create ourselves and we can never do that. Likewise, others like us did not do it either. So. the One Who created us is the Absolutely Able One, Allah Almighty. The path to getting close to Him and to thanking Him for His blessings is to obey Him. The hardship in this obedience is only in the beginning and will not endure for long till it becomes, to those who seek nearness to Allah, sweeter than anything else."
34. Foot Kissing is not Prohibitive
His Holiness Ayatollah Bahjat was asked, "Is it prohibitive to kiss one's foot or not?" He said, "No. There is no problem with kissing one's foot, but there is a problem in prostrating before anyone other than Allah."
35. Status of Supplication
The sheikh believes that supplication enjoys a lofty status and is convinced that Allah is the One Who judges all affairs of life.
Professor Hadawi says, "My daughter was once sick, so I went to the sheikh and asked him to supplicate for her. The sheikh said, 'You have to recite this supplication three times a day: lord! Do cure her with Your own cure, give her Your own healing, and grant her health from You.' After the third time, recite this: 'Through Imam al-Kadhim (a.s), for she is Your bondmaid and the daughter of Your slave."
