The
Prophet Muhammad (S) has said, “O' ‘Ali! The greatest of actions are
the following three: Your acting in fairness with people more than with
your own self; showing equality with your brother for Allah the Noble
and Grand; remembering Allah, Glory and Greatness be to Him, in all
states.”
In
this tradition, the Prophet (S) has explained the greatest of actions
in which the issues of fairness, equality and self-sacrifice and their
relationship with Allah (SwT) have been elucidated upon. Of course, in
regards to the first and second issue, the relationship is between the
people and the person performing the action.
1.
“Acting in fairness with people more than with your own self…” can be
better understood from the saying which tell us, “Like for yourself that
which you would like for others…”
This
means that the rights which are on your neck in regards to other people
must be fulfilled just as you would like others to fulfill the rights
which you have upon them.
The
word 'إنصاف' comes from the root 'نصف' and means that a person divides
something equally in two, and then half of it is kept for himself while
the other portion is given to others. Thus the term “dividing one's
wealth” is actually an allusion to showing justice with one's wealth - a
person keeps half of what he has for himself and gives the other half
to someone else.
In
regards to this issue, it makes no difference if we speak in regards to
societal rights or individual rights, just as the word 'قسط' refers to
the act of dealing or spreading something and giving a return or profit
(of course this word too refers to a person having a share of the profit
while giving half of it to another person.)
Imam ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (as) has said:
أَلإِِنْصَافُ أَفْضَلُ الْفَضَائِلِ
.
“Equity is the greatest of eminent deeds.”[217]
With
this said and in order to make this issue clearer, we present the
following example. If we study the source of a majority of the troubles
within society, we see that all of them return back to one thing which
is 'love of self'. This characteristic leads a person to want everything
for himself, assuming that others have no right to have a share in
anything. Thus in the end, the 'love of self' would actually be a source
for encroachment upon the rights and possessions of others, pride and
jealousy. Truly, 'love of self' is the source of all corruption and is
the mother of all calamities.
Question:
If 'love of self' does not manifest in a person and an individual ends
up not 'loving his self' then he will definitely not strive to attain
anything in this life. For example, obeying Allah (SwT) is for the
salvation of the self; attaining knowledge is for a person to become a
scholar. Thus in summary, all struggles and endeavors stem from the
'love of self'. If this trait of 'love of self' cannot exist, then no
one would put forth efforts in life! Therefore, in summary we can state
that the 'love of self' is actually the driving force for a person.
Hence, how can you claim that 'love of self' is the source of all sins!?
Answer:
The 'love of self', when taken to an extreme is the mother of all
calamities. Sometimes a person develops such a love of his self that he
forgets about other people, and this is what is the source of
corruption, pride, miserliness, etc… and becomes the greatest of
spiritual veils for a person while on the path towards Allah (SwT).
In
summary, if a person pays excess attention to himself then he will
definitely not be able to (spiritually) see Allah (SwT) since the trait
of individualism is the opposite of keeping Allah (SwT) in mind and
heart.
Thus,
the outcome of this extreme and excessive form of 'love of self'
manifests itself in the trait of not showing equity to others and this
is the greatest impediment in the advancement of a person.
Therefore,
if we wish to be the complete manifestation of these words of the
Prophet (S), then we must, even when it comes to discussions of
knowledge, show equity and fairness. For example, if something comes
into my mind and the theory or belief is something which I strongly
believe in - even if the proofs for that thought or belief are weak
however another person says something different and proofs which he
brings forth to prove his point are very strong, if I was not to show
equity in regards to this discussion of knowledge, then I would
definitely not pay any attention to what this other person is saying to
me! Thus in this example, I have shown that there is no justice present
in my discussions and studies…
Within
scholarly discussions, the only time that a person is able to reach to
the truth contained of an issue is when he shows equity.
When
we sit down to review the proofs of those who offer statements opposed
to what we believe, we realize that the person who has brought forth
these beliefs has the same passion for his theories just as we have for
our own. That other person has also examined his beliefs and theories
from all angles before reaching his conclusion.
Some
of the great scholars, and even our own teachers, showed great equity
and fairness in their scholarly disputes, arguments and debates. In
regards to the life of the late Shaykh ‘Abdul Karim hairi, the founder
of the Sacred Theological Seminary of Qum it has been narrated that one
day he brought up a scholarly discussion and began to defend his belief
in such a way that all of his students were completely in agreement and
believed in it.
In
his next session, he brought forth an opinion that was diametrically
opposed to what he had mentioned the previous day and again, carried his
discussion in such a manner that it convinced all of his students thus,
the discussion of the previous day was made weak and insubstantial. On
the third day, he came with another angle on the discussion and…
The purpose of us citing this example is to show the way he acted in relating the opinions of other people.
Therefore,
when it comes to the various beliefs which people have, one must show
justice to the varying opinions such that it could be stated that he is
actually bringing forth his own words and thoughts (and not that of
others) and this is something which can not be accomplished merely
through words. Rather, it must be done through one's deeds and actions!
Thus,
equity means that all differences are removed and this can be done in
regards to scholarly discussions, and also in regards to societal
issues.
If
people displayed equity and fairness, then we would not see all of the
cases in the court system as most, if not all of the lawsuits, stem from
the fact that each person is simply looking out for what is best for
himself and is not considering what is in the best interest of others.
It is for this reason that fights and disputes break out between people.
However
if the spirit of fairness and equity ruled supreme, then these
conflicts would not be there! If fairness and equity existed amongst
people, then all forms of disagreement would be removed and the
intellectual and societal relations between people would be made firm.
There
is a point which should be mentioned here which is that before the
issue of ethics possesses a scholarly side to it, it has a practical and
applied aspect. By this we mean that scholarly discussions are read and
then understood while ethical issues and injunctions are not topics
which are merely comprehended - rather, they are practical and are
things which must be enacted and practiced in life.
The
rules of driving a car can be taken as an example. Even if hundreds of
books are studied on this topic, it will have no impact and a person
will still not get his driver's licence as he must practice driving a
real car before he can get his license. Islamic akhlaq and morals are
the same - they must be practiced and put into motion such that they
become ingrained in the spirit of the person and become second nature.
For
example, if this issue of equity is put into practice and at one
instance we see that one of our friends is speaking the truth on a
particular issue, we should not remain quiet - rather, we should speak
up and confirm that he is indeed speaking the truth. If we were to
repeat this ten times and every time, were to tell him that he is
speaking the truth, then it is only in this instance that this issue
(which he is speaking about and about which others may be arguing with
him about) may see closure.
Therefore,
it makes sense to see why the Prophet (S) has considered equity and
fairness as being one of the best actions of a person!
Another
point which must also be mentioned is that within an Islamic society,
opposite to that which is seen and is common amongst the people which is
the taking of their rights (from others), we must be ready to give
others their rights.
By
this we mean that rather than the person who is owed something grabbing
the person who owes him something by the neck and forcing him to give
him what is owed, when the time comes to repay back the person whom one
borrowed something from, the one who has indebted should actually go
running in search of that person to give him back his right!
The
act of forcefully taking one's property or thing which has been
borrowed is not some great attainment or source of pride for the person!
Therefore
in summary, within the Islamic society, it is not the duty for the
person who has loaned or given something out to search for his right to
be given back, rather, it is the duty of the person who is indebted to
go and find the one who he is indebted to and give his rights back to
him.
2.
The tradition continues and we then read, “…your showing equality with
your brother for Allah the Noble and Grand…” and this is nothing other
than the distribution and division of blessings conferred upon a person.
In
this sentence, we see that the word “أخ” or 'brother' has been used and
as we know, one of the minimum conditions for brotherhood is that of
equality and the maximum level of brotherhood is self-sacrifice. The
Qur`an tells us that:
وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بَهِمْ خَصَاصَة
“…and they prefer (other) before themselves though poverty may afflict them.”[218]
Thus,
showing equality to other people; dividing the Divinely conferred
bounties and gifts to others; taking the less-fortunate and deprived
people under your care and including them within your care, are all
considered as the greatest of actions.
The
phrase “فـي الله عز وجل” or “…for Allah, the Noble and Grand…” is a
very important phrase since it shows us that brotherhood is of various
types:
1. True brotherhood (through birth rites);
2. Close friends and fellowship with another person;
3.
Brotherhood in which the relationship of a person with another is a
Divinely and Celestially designed relationship. By this we mean that it
is through a religious linkage, a faith link and a Taqwa-based
relationship that brotherhood is established between individuals.
It
is the third form of brotherhood which the tradition under review
refers to when it gives us the second action to be carried out that such
a brotherhood and equality must exist.
Of
course, in regards to equity and self-sacrifice (of what one has) there
is much which can be said, however it is enough to state that just as
has been mentioned as an ethical admonition as has been referred to in
this saying, it is the leader (Sayyid) of all other actions!
In regards to self-sacrifice, there are various discussions which have been mentioned of which we shall discuss the following.
1. What is 'self-sacrifice'?
Self-sacrifice
simply means that a person wants others to also be granted bounties and
blessings - even if this means that he is prevented from these same
bounties. Such a person is even ready and willing to give whatever he
has to other people and to not make use of the bounties which he has.
This grand station is referred to as 'self-sacrifice' and happens to be
one of the most important humanistic characteristics.[219]
Examples of Self-Sacrifice as seen within the Family of the Prophet Muhammad (S)
Ibne
‘Abbas has stated, “One day, Hasan (as) and Husayn (as) had become
sick. The Prophet (S), along with a group of his companions came to see
them and said to ‘Ali (as), 'O' Abul Hasan! It would be good if you made
an oath to Allah (SwT) in regards to your two sons being cured of their
illness.'
‘Ali
(as), Fatima (as) and Fiddha (as) who was their assistant, made an oath
to Allah (SwT) that if the two boys were cured, then they would fast
for three days (according to some of the traditions, Hasan (as) and
Husayn (as) also said that they made the same oath to Allah (SwT) and
that they too would fast if they were cured).
Not
even a short time passed when these two children became cured of their
sickness and thus, the entire family was then obligated to fast for the
three days to fulfill their oath. However, upon looking in the house, it
was found that there was very little food to be eaten.
‘Ali
(as) took a loan of some barley and gave it to his wife Fatima (as) who
took one third of it, and on the first day of fasting, made it into
flour and baked bread from it.
At
the time of breaking their fast on the first day, a beggar came to the
door of the house and said, 'Peace be upon you O' Ahlu'l Bayt of
Muhammad (S). I am a poor person from amongst the poor Muslims. Please
give me some food. May Allah grant you the foods of Paradise in return
for this noble deed!'
The
entire family put the call of this beggar in front of their own needs
and each one gave their portion of bread to him and thus ended up
breaking their fast that night with only water.
On
the second night at the time of breaking their fast - which was with
that same barley bread made by Fatima (as), an orphan came to their
door. On the second night too, the family of the Prophet (S) showed
their self-sacrifice and gave whatever food they had to the orphan and
once again, broke their fast with water.
The
following day they also kept the fast. On this night, a war captive
came to their door at the time of sunset and requested food and thus,
the Ahlu'l Bayt also gave them whatever food they had at home - that
same barley bread.
When
the morning of the fourth day came, ‘Ali (as) took Hasan (as) and
Husayn (as) to see the Prophet (S). When the Prophet (S) saw the state
they were in and their intense shaking due to their intense hunger pains
he said to them, 'This state which I see you in is something very hard
for me to bear.'
He
then got up and all of them went to the house of Fatima (as). The entre
family saw her in the prayer niche (mihrab), engaged in worship while,
due to the pains of hunger, her stomache had gone in and her eyes were
deeply set. At seeing this, the Prophet (S) became deeply troubled.
It
was at this moment that Jibra`il (as) came down and said, 'O' Muhammad!
Allah greets you over having such a family.” At this point, the chapter
of the Qur’an known as “Suratul Insan” was revealed![220]
3.
Continuing on in the tradition under review, the Prophet (S) has then
said, “…and your remembrance of Allah, Glory and Greatness be to him in
all states.”
In
this part of the tradition, we must point out that the phrase which
reads “…in all states” is one which carries a lot of meaning to it just
as the word 'ذكر' or 'remembrance of Allah' is also very meaningful.
The
remembrance (of Allah (SwT)) has three segments to it: the tongue
(verbal), heart (spiritual) and the body parts (practical and physical).
Thus, when a person wants to do something, he must be vigilant and must
see where the pleasure of Allah (SwT) resides. Thus, he must consider
that Allah (SwT) is watching him at all times and in all states.
In some of the traditions, it has been mentioned that:
وَلَيْسَ هُوَ قَوْلُ لاَ إِِلٌهَ إلاَّ اللٌّهُ وَاللٌّهُ أَكْبَرُ
.
”(The
meaning of the remembrance of Allah) is other than the mere saying of
'There is no creature worthy of worship except for Allah and Allah is
greater than what can be compared to Him.”
Rather, the meaning of the remembrance of Allah (SwT) is that a person is constantly in His remembrance.
Thus,
the meaning of ”(remembering Allah) … in every state…” means that one
keeps Him in mind whether at times of victory or defeat; safety or
danger; sickness and health. It does not mean that when one is in a
state of happiness and jubilance that he forgets Allah (SwT) and only at
times of need that he remembers Him and runs after Him since this is
something which even the polytheistic ‘Arabs used to do:
وَ إِذَا رَكَبُوا فِي الْفُلْكِ دَعَوْا اللٌّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ
“And when they board the ship then they call upon Allah, sincere to Him in their faith…”[221]
Thus we see that these people are sincere in their faith, however this is nothing to be proud of!
Therefore, the meaning of the remembrance of Allah (SwT) is the actual remembrance of Allah (SwT) in all states.
In
summary it can be stated that the state of forgetfulness should not
lead a person to fall into neglect in regards to the Creator of the
Universe and the remembrance should not be such that it is only a verbal
remembrance at times of needs and necessities of one's daily life.
The
remembrance of Allah (SwT) is the greatest alchemy and the spring of
life; it is that which enlivens the heart of a person; it is the thing
which protects one from spiritual slips; it is the tree of true faith;
it satiates a person's inner being and gives him glory! The remembrance
of Allah (SwT) is the food of the soul of the person and is the thing
which repulses the Satan!
Truly,
this is something which we have taken lightly whereas it is actually a
valuable treasure which carries great importance to it and is available
for everyone to make use of. However, we have all fallen into neglect in
regards to His remembrance, just as the Qur`an states that:
أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللٌّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبِ
“Now surely with the remembrance of Allah are the hearts put at rest.”[222]
Thus, the tranquility and serenity which comes in the heart and soul of a person is due to the remembrance of Allah.
Of
course, the reasons for a person turning away from the remembrance of
Allah (SwT) are many and just as we see, in every step which he takes in
this life and with everything that he comes across, his mind becomes
preoccupied with other than Allah (SwT).
Thus,
we must practice the act of remembrance of Allah (SwT) to such an
extent that we are able to continuously be in a state of remembrance of
Allah (SwT) - even when we are busy with other acts in the world. Even
in this state of working in the transient world, we must remember Allah
(SwT) and actually in principal, we must start out all of our actions
with the remembrance of Allah (SwT) as this actually grants us the
ability to constantly be in His remembrance.
It
is not necessary that one shows off in this act of remembering Allah
(SwT) - just the heart repeating 'O' Allah' is more than enough; when a
person goes to sit down in a gathering he should say 'O' Allah'; when he
stands up to leave he should say:
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفوُن
“Glory be to Your Lord the Lord of Greatness from that which others ignorantly attribute to Him…”[223]
When a person goes into his car or any other form of transportation, he should say:
أَلْحَمْدُ لِلٌّهِ الَّذِي سَخَّرَلَنا هٌذَا وَ مَا كُنَّا مُقَرِنِينَ…
“All
praise belongs to Allah who has made this means of transportation
subservient to us and had it not been for Him, we would never have been
able to have such a thing…”[224]
When the person reaches to his destination, he should say:
أَلْحَمْدُ لِلٌّهِ عَلَى السَلاَمَةِ
.
“All Praise belongs to Allah for safety (and reaching our destination unharmed).”
When we start to eat, we must remember the name of Allah (SwT) and say:
بِسْمِ اللٌّهِ
'In the name of Allah'; when we finish out food we must thank Him and say:
أَلْحَمْدُ لِلٌّهِ
'Thanks be to Allah (for this)'.
Thus
in summary, in every state that we find ourselves in, we must remember
Allah (SwT) such that this act becomes a part of ourselves and an
intrinsic habit. This is truly a very important issue as the remembrance
of Allah (SwT) actually acts as insurance for a person.
There
are some people who state that, “We have yet to develop a state of
presence of the heart in the Salat and to be able to remember Him.”
However we state that “There is no difference between being in the state
of Salat and being outside the state of Salat.” Rather, we must always
be in the remembrance of Allah (SwT) and must realize that as much as we
remember Allah (SwT), in that same amount shall we be closer to
success. Conversely, the further we are from the remembrance of Allah
(SwT) and negligent of this issue, the more we shall feel the lure of
the devils.
Question: How does the heart attain tranquility through the remembrance of Allah (SwT)?
Answer:
The states of anxiety and insecurity have always been and will always
be the greatest sources of tribulation in the life of humanity and the
things which these traits stem from in the individual and societal life
of a person are completely observable.
The
state of tranquility has always been one of the lost, important traits
for human society. The person will knock on every door until he is able
to find this all-important characteristic. If the struggles and
endeavors of humanity throughout the ages were gathered together in
their search for tranquility - from both the correct and permitted and
false means which they have sought out - they would definitely fill up a
large book!
There
are some scholars who have stated that, “At the beginning of an
outbreak (of a disease), some sick people who had a contagious disease -
out of every ten people who had this disease and 'apparently' ended up
dying due to it, it was noticed that a majority of them actually died
due to the fear and uneasiness they felt. Thus in reality, only a small
number of these people truly died due to the sickness which they had!”
Truly,
the two states of tranquility and apprehension play a very important
role in the health and sickness of a person and the entire society and
in the success and failure of the individual. In addition, there is not a
single thing which can cool this state within a person and it is for
this reason that numerous books have been written whose main topic has
been on fear and the ways to combat this and the way to acquire
tranquility of the heart!
Human
history is full of sorrowful scenes in which people have run after all
sorts of things in order to attain tranquility. However, in whichever
valley they have stepped into, they have taken to various addictions to
help them cope with their sorrow.
However
the Qur’an, in one short, yet meaningful sentence has told us that the
most assured and closest path: “Know that through the remembrance of
Allah shall your hearts and minds be put at rest and ease.”
In order for this Qur’anic reality to be made clear, please pay attention to the following explanation.
The Causes of Worry and Anxiety
1.
Sometimes, distress and anxiety are related to a dark and uncertain
future which lie ahead of a person and manifest itself to him. The
possibility of blessings leaving a person, falling into the grip of the
enemies, weakness, sickness, inability to work, desperation and his need
of others all result in a person being put through mental trauma.
However,
true faith in Allah (SwT) the All-Able and High, the Merciful and
Compassionate, the Creator who has taken it upon Himself to be
sufficient for all of His servants is able to remove all forms of worry
and anxiety and grant a person tranquility since we are helpless in
regards to the future events, however Allah has the power, ability and
mercy (to help us).
2.
Sometimes the bleak past would make an individual busy within himself
and this would cause him anxiety. Showing grief over sins that were
committed in the past, feeling remorse from one's inabilities and past
slips would cause a person worry.
However,
paying attention to Allah (SwT) the All-Forgiving, the One who accepts
repentance and is the Merciful would grant tranquility to a person!
In
reality, these traits of Allah (SwT) would convey the following
thoughts to the person that, “Take your appeals of culpability to Him,
seek forgiveness for your past acts and make amends for what you did in
the past since He is the Forgiving and the One who will make accept the
amends for your misdeeds.”
3.
Weakness and an inability in the face of natural occurrences and
sometimes even in the face of enemies - both internal and external,
makes a person upset and insecure such that he may think to himself,
“What am I able to do in the war against all of these powerful
opponents? What can I do in the face of other challenges and struggles?”
However
when one remembers Allah (SwT) and begins to rely upon His power and
mercy - the Power which is the greatest of all powers such that there is
not a single other thing which has the potential to stand up to Him,
then the person's heart would become at ease and he would say to
himself, “Yes, I am not alone. I am under the shadow of the Mercy and
Assistance of Allah (SwT) - the never ending Source of Power.”
4.
Sometimes the source of grief, insecurity and that which pains a person
is his feeling that his life is worthless and that the goals which he
has set for himself are insignificant.
However,
the one who has true faith in Allah (SwT) and has accepted that
traversing the path of perfection is the greatest goal and knows
everything which transpires in life must be experienced while on the
path of perfection, would not feel that his life is worthless, that he
is without goals, nor that he is an uncertain wanderer, filled with
distress.
5.
Another reason for grief and insecurity is that sometimes in order for
one to reach his a goal, a person may need to bear difficulties. However
at the same time, he does not see a single person who encourages or
appreciates the troubles and difficulties which he has gone through.
This feeling of ingratitude would cause him great stress and would cause
him to sink into a deeper state of anguish and insecurity.
However
when he senses that other people are aware of his struggle, value his
efforts and are ready to reward him, then there would not be any room
for grief and insecurity.
6.
Having bad thoughts of others and empty delusions is another reason
which leads to insecurity and grief and this is one of the things which a
large number of people see in their life. However, how is it possible
for us to deny that focusing our attention on Allah (SwT) and His never
ending grace, His commandment to us of maintaining good thoughts and
suppositions of other people – which is the responsibility for every
single person who claims to possess true faith, would not remove this
state of grief and trepidation which is inside a person and would cause
him to have tranquility and certainty in his life!?
7.
Worship of the transient world and infatuation with the gold and
glitter of the life of the material world we are living in is one of the
greatest reasons why a person faces distress and insecurity in his
life.
This
point is apparent to such an extent that sometimes if a person is not
able to find a particular color of clothing or a color of shoes, hat or
some other item of apparel in the shopping centres or any other item
which he uses in his daily life, that the thoughts of such a person who
worships this transient world may become so engulfed and enraptured that
he would spend hours, days or even weeks in a state of insecurity and
anxiousness until he can find what he wants!
However,
true faith in Allah (SwT) and constant focus on the spiritual freedom
which a true believer possesses - in which he is constantly enraptured
in austerity and devotion to Allah (SwT) and is not bound by the
clutches of the gold and glitter which accompany the material world,
would bring an end to such feelings of insecurity and anxiety.
When the soul of a person reaches to that level of spiritual expanse that just like ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (as) can say:
إِنَّ دُنْـيَاكُمْ لاََهْوَنُ عِنْدِي مِنْ وَرَقَةِ فِي فَمِ جَرَادَةِ تَقْضَمُهَا
.
“Surely your world has as much value to me as the leaf of a tree which is in the mouth of a locust who is chewing upon it.”[225]
then
at that point how is it possible that having grief or fear due to the
material world or losing it from one's grip would cause one's soul to be
affected and to cause a sense of grief and insecurity in his heart and
mind!?
8.
Another important factor which leads to grief and insecurity is the
fear of death as this is something which always causes a person's soul
trouble. Since death is something which can strike a person at any age
especially at the times of sickness, wars, insecurity in a country and
other such things, thus this sense of insecurity and grief is a general
trait and is seen by all people.
However,
in the Islamic world-outlook, if death meant annihilation, inexistence
and the end of all things - just as the materialists of the world
believe, then this grief and anxiety would be completely in place for us
to experience! In addition, it would be completely inline for a Muslim
to be frightened of such a death which is the end of all things and
brings closure of all of his desires and wishes.
However,
anytime a person comes under the shade of true faith in Allah (SwT),
then at this point, he would consider death as being a bridge to a
wider, more spacious, and spiritually higher world. Passing through the
stage of “death” would be just as passing from the jail cell into the
free society.
At
this point, there would be no meaning to grief and anxiety! Rather,
when such a death comes while on the path of fulfilling one's
responsibilities, then at this time, death is something that is liked
and anticipated!
Of
course, the reasons for grief and anxiety are not limited to only
these. Rather, we can list many more reasons why people feel grief and
stress in their lives. However we must accept the fact that a majority
of the cause of this grief and anxiety are related to one of the eight
reasons listed above.
When
we see the reasons for anxiety actually melting away and being removed
when one brings about true faith in Allah (SwT), then we will definitely
confirm the fact that the remembrance of Allah (SwT) is that which
brings tranquility to the hearts:
أَلاَبِذِكْرِاللهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبِ
“Now surely with the remembrance of Allah are the hearts put at ease.” !
Notes:
[217] Ghurur al-hikm, Saying 28
[218] Surat al-Hashr (59), verse 9
[219] Tafsir-e-Namuna, vol. 9, pg. 326
[220] Ibid., vol. 25, pp. 343 to 344
[221] Surat al-Ankabut, verse 65
[222] Surat al-Rad, verse 28
[223] Surat al-Saffat, verse 257
[224] Surat al-Zukhruf, verse 13
[225] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 75, pg. 359