#alkafi

Ali ibn Al-Husayn, recipient of divine supreme covenant, has said, 'The world has begun to move backwards and the next world is moving forward. Each world has its sons. Therefore you must be of the sons of the next world and no the sons of this world. You must be of those who have reduced their interest in worldly matters and of those seriously interested in the next life. You must know that those with reduced interest in worldly matters have taken the earth as their habitat, the soil as their bedding, water as their perfume and have cut themselves off this world on all seriousness.  Note that those who are interested in paradise have harnessed their worldly desires and those who are afraid of the fire have turned away from prohibited matters. Whoever reduces his interests in worldly matters, hardships become easy for him.  Note that there are the servants of Allah who are as if they, actually, see the people of Paradise in paradise live forever and the people of fire in the fire in huge suffering. Instead of evil coming from them it is absolute peace, the hearts of these servants of Allah are sad, their soul chase, and their needs are very light. They exercise patience for a few short days followed by a very long lasting comfort. At night they stand up straight with their feet side by side and tears come down their cheeks. They plead before their Lord and struggle to set their neck free (of sins). In the day they are forbearing scholars, very virtuous and pious. The are slim like an arrow without fins; it is caused by their fear (for possible suffering in the next life) during their worship. On looking to them one may think they suffer from illness. They, in fact, have no illness, or any confusion in their reasoning power, but they have plunged into a tremendously great issue; it is the issue of the fire and all that it involves.

A man asked Ali ibn al-Husayn, recipient of divine supreme covenant, about renunciation of worldly matters. The Imam said, ‘It consists of ten issues. The highest degree of renunciation of worldly matters is the lowest stage of abstinence in worldly matters (sins). The highest stage of abstinence in worldly matters is the lowest degree of certainty. The highest stage of certainty is the lowest stage of consent. It is renunciation of worldly matters that is mentioned in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘. . . so that you would neither grieve over what you have lost nor become much happy about what Allah has grantedto you. . . .’(57:23)

A believer is silent in order to be safe, and speaks in order to benefit…. If he is praised he fears what they say and he repents to Allah for what they do not know. He is not deceived by the sayings of those who do not know him, and he fears being accountable for the things he has done.

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Nadr ibn Shu‘ayb from Khalid ibn Ma’dd from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl from al-Thumali from abu Ja‘far (a. s.) who has said the following. "Allah sent revelation to His prophet (s.a) in which He has said, "Follow devotedly that which is revealed to you. You are certainly on the right path." (43:43) The Imam (a.s.) said, "It is just as saying, ‘You have acknowledged the Leadership with Divine Authority of Ali (a.s.) and Ali is on the right path."

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘There are three things that if are not present with someone then their actions are incomplete: piety preventing one from disobeying Allah, a character through which one is amicable towards people, and clemency with which to deal with the rashness of the ignorant.’