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Compound ignorance: being ignorant, and being unaware of one's ignorance. Perplexity and doubt: the opposite of which are certainty and conviction. Carnal temptations: in opposition to which is contemplation of the beauty of Divine creation. Deceit a...

Compound ignorance: being ignorant, and being unaw...

We have already said that deviation from moderation and the mean causes vice. This deviation towards either of the two extremes on each side of the mean has infinite degrees. Here we will mention only the two extremes for every moral virtue. Deficien...

We have already said that deviation from moderatio...

Every one of the four ethical virtues is to be practised to a certain degree and within definite limits, transgression of which would transform a virtue into a vice. If every virtue is thought of as the center of a circle, any movement away from the ...

Every one of the four ethical virtues is to be pra...

In our last discussion, we stated that the human soul possesses four distinct powers. They are: Intellect, Anger, Passion, and the Power of Imagination (al-quwwah al-wahmiyyah or al-amilah) 1. The thing we should notice now is that the purification a...

In our last discussion, we stated that the human s...

Pleasure is a condition experienced by the soul when it perceives something harmonious with its own nature. Pain and suffering is occasioned when the soul comes into contact with things which are in disharmony with its nature. Since the powers of the...

Pleasure is a condition experienced by the soul wh...

The soul (nafs) is that heavenly essence which employs the body and uses its various organs to attain its goals and purposes. The soul has also other names as spirit (ruh), intelligence (aql), and heart (qalb) although these terms have other usages a...

The soul (nafs) is that heavenly essence which emp...

At the time of its creation, the soul of man is like a clean tablet, devoid of all faculties (traits), whether good or evil. As one progresses through life, he develops faculties which are directly related to the way he lives, thinks, and acts. The s...

At the time of its creation, the soul of man is li...

Moral virtues in man gain him eternal happiness, while moral corruption leads him to everlasting wretchedness. It is therefore necessary for man to purge and purify himself of all evil traits of character and adorn his soul with all forms of ethical ...

Moral virtues in man gain him eternal happiness, w...

The word akhlaq is the plural for the word khulq which means disposition. "Disposition" is that faculty (malakah) of the soul which is the source of all those activities that man performs spontaneously without thinking about them. Malakah is a proper...

The word akhlaq is the plural for the word khulq w...

Salutations to Hazrat Ali Alaihis Salaam - 1 Before making the visit to the Shrine, according to Imam Jafar-as-Sadiq, the pilgrim should first bathe and put on clean clothing and afterwards anoint himself with perfume. The formal prayer of salutation...

Salutations to Hazrat Ali Alaihis Salaam - 1 Befor...

To his sons Ali spoke thus : "Remain steadfast in piety and resign yourself to the will of God. Never aspire to anything which is beyond your reach. Always be truthful and merciful towards the orphans. Help the poor and needy, and try to live in the ...

To his sons Ali spoke thus : "Remain steadfast in ...

His blood-drenched lips parted into a thanksgiving prayer and he said, "Lord! I thank Thee for rewarding me with martyrdom; how kind art thou and how gracious. May thy mercy further lead me to the realm of Thy grace and benevolence." The murderer was...

His blood-drenched lips parted into a thanksgiving...

The Holy Prophet recognised the superiority of Ali in many of his sayings. The most important of them are : 1. "Ali would appear to the dwellers of paradise as a morning star." (Sawai'q Muhari'qa) 2. Addressing his daughter, Fatima, the Holy Prophet...

The Holy Prophet recognised the superiority of Ali...

(From Tarikh-al-Khulafa of Jalaluddin-as-Suyuti- as translated from the orignal Arabic by Major H. S. Jarret, Culcutta edition, 1881) 1. The Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal says : There hath not come down to us regarding the merits of any one of the Companions ...

(From Tarikh-al-Khulafa of Jalaluddin-as-Suyuti- a...

The food that Hazrat Ali ate and the dress he wore were such as even the poorest could afford. It was not because he was poor but it was his desire to lead the life of the poorest person and spend all that could thus be spared for the poor. Below are...

The food that Hazrat Ali ate and the dress he wore...

Qais Bin Hazim records : "I was wandering in the streets of the bazar in Median, when I saw men clustering around one who rode a cow and stood cursing Ali. In the meantime Saad Abi Waqaas happened to pass that way and asked him what made him curse Al...

Qais Bin Hazim records : "I was wandering in the s...

Ali was the possessor of unique virtues and was the first and foremost person in a number of things. He had no match in the following attributes, to mention only a few : 1. He was of noblest birth for both his father and mother were Hashimites. 2. He...

Ali was the possessor of unique virtues and was th...

The most amazing instances of the exaltation of Ali are to be found in the descriptions of the Meraj or Ascension of the Prophet to Heaven, in accordance with the Verse of the Quran (xvii. I) : "Glory to him who carried His servant by night from the ...

The most amazing instances of the exaltation of Al...

The fame of Ali's impartiality as Chief justice spread far and wide. Had circumstances allowed him to reign peacefully the world would have witnessed a unique combination of divine and secular justice. In the cases which were brought to his court, Al...

The fame of Ali's impartiality as Chief justice sp...

Ali was humble and hated pomp and arrogance. Even as Caliph he used to sweep the floor of his own house, chop wood for fuel, carry water on his shoulders, mend his own shoes, wash his own clothes and milk his goat, Ali's wife Fatima did similar domes...

Ali was humble and hated pomp and arrogance. Even ...

Ali was always extremely poor, yet he was as renowned for his charity as he was for his piety. Because he never owned any money or goods of his own, he had to be exempted from the Zakat, the obligatory alms tax levied on every male and female Muslim ...

Ali was always extremely poor, yet he was as renow...