IN THE PRESENCE OF THE BELOVED

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Book index

First Pages a1
FOREWORD 11
PREFACE 13
Part One: Introduction 17
Discussions about Supplication 19
What is the essence of supplication [du‘ā’]?about 20
The independent effect of supplication 22
Is supplication in conflict with the law of causation? 23
Does supplication make people lazy and lax? 27
Effects of supplication 31
Educational effects 0
Other effects 32
Conditions for the acceptance of supplications 34
God’s Mastership [wilāyah] over the faithful 40
The essential desirability of supplication 42
Etiquettes of supplication 0
Types of supplicants 46
Motives behind supplication 50
The meaning of arrogance in supplication 53
Transmitted supplications 55
Need to reflect on religious laws and repercussions of disrespectful acts 58
Part Two: Commentary on Du‘ā’ al-Iftitāḥ 67
First Discourse: Ramadān 69
Ramadān as a golden opportunity 0
How to make the most of Ramadān 70
Attention to supplication 0
Ramadān and iftitāh 71
Praising God as the beginning of supplication 72
Choosing the correct path and divine approval 0
God’s mercy and wrath a blessing in disguise 73
The need for fear and hope 74
The ability to worship as a favor of God 75
His servant’s sin and the perpetuity of God’s grace 76
Second Discourse: The Essence of Supplication 77
Recounting the blessings of God 0
Perpetuity of blessings lies in the hand of God 79
The need to reflect on the blessings of God 0
1. Fear of punishment as a divine blessing 80
2. Religious duties as divine blessings 0
Wisdom behind the delay in the acceptance of supplications 81
Third Discourse Sincerity 83
Man’s arrogance and indifference to God 0
The value of getting closer and fervently praying to God 84
The ever-open doors of God’s mercy 85
Presence of heart needed in worship 87
Love and affection as a product of gnosis [ma‘rifah] 0
Fourth Discourse Hope 89
Hope and reliance on God 0
Imām ‘Alī’s (‘a) saying about pinning one’s hope on God 0
Fifth Discourse Waiting for the Advent of Imām al-Mahdī (‘atfs) 93
Waiting for the advent of Imām al-Mahdī (‘atfs) 0
The motive behind “waiting” 95
Learning from previous communities (the fate of those who are waiting [muntazirīn] 97
Sixth Discourse The Imām of the Age (‘atfs) 101
The Apostle (s) and the Imāms (‘a) with the most valuable blessings 0
Heedlessness of the Imām of the Age (‘atfs) 102
Our duty during this period of occultation 104
Part Three: Commentary on Du‘ā’ Abū Ḥamzah al-Thumālī 107
First Discourse The Supplication of Abū Ḥamzah al-Thumalī 109
The Supplication of Abū Hamzah al-Thumālī 0
Ontological relationship between God and His creatures 110
Occupations as a hindrance to grasping the ontological relationship 112
Paying attention to His kindness increases one’s love for God 113
Second Discourse Paying Attention to the Attributes of Allah 117
Paying attention to the Attributes of Allah at the time of supplication 0
Manifestations of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah 118
Confession of sin brings nearness to God 119
Third Discourse The Divine Presence 125
Being in the Divine Presence as higher than worship of the common man 0
Reasons behind man’s failure 126
The consequence of actions 128
Fourth Discourse Fear and Hope 131
Fear and hope as a requisite of faith 0
Perfect expression of the state of fear and hope in Imām al-Sajjād (‘a) 0
Way of nurturing love for God 133
Fifth Discourse Remembrance of Allah 137
Remembrance of Allah 0
The essence of Allah’s remembrance 0
Peace of mind lies only in the remembrance of Allah 139
Allah’s special attention to His awliyā’ 140
Remembrance of Allah under all conditions 142
Intimacy with Allah as [source of] the joy of the awliyā’ 144
Sixth Discourse The Heart 147
Some features of the heart 0
The value of the heart 149
The spiritual life of man 150
The difference in the levels of life 151
Seventh Discourse Degrees of Remembrance of Allah 155
Different degrees of the remembrance of Allah 0
Attachment to the world as a hindrance to the remembrance of Allah 157
Man’s attitude toward material and spiritual deficiencies and needs 158
Worldly allurement as a hindrance in the attainment of spiritual life 159
Eighth Discourse Provisions for the Hereafter 163
The reason behind man’s negligence of the hereafter 0
Nearness to God as the best provisions for the hereafter 165
How can we have intimacy with God? 167
Ninth Discourse Faith 169
The value of faith 0
Sin and its danger to faith 171
Some effects of faith 172
1. Certainty 0
2. Contentment with God’s decree 175
Part Four: Commentary on Du‘ā’ Makārim al-Akhlāq 179
First Discourse Invoking Blessings on the Apostle (ṣ) 181
Supplication of the righteous 0
Invoking blessings on the Apostle (s) for the acceptance of supplication 182
Way of attaining the most perfect faith and highest decree of certainty 183
The difference between faith and belief 184
Reasons behind the peoples’ opposition to their respective prophets 186
Signs of certainty 187
The best of intentions and deeds 188
The best worship 0
Second Discourse Human Responsibility 191
Human responsibility 192
Purpose of creation according to the Qur’an 0
Perpetual guidance 196
Third Discourse Good and Evil 201
Turning evil and defects into good and merits 0
Seeking help to repel evil and attract good 202
Goodness in exchange for the badness of others 203
Keeping one’s honor 204
Fourth Discourse The Night of Ordainment 209
The holiness of certain places and periods in the Qur’an 0
The virtue of the month of Ramadān and the Night of Ordainment 210
Refuting the alleged improbability of the revelation of the Qur’an in one night 215
Index 219

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First Pages




بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

In the Name of Allah,
the All-beneficent, the All-merciful





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Ahl Al-Bayt World Assembly

The Ahl al-Bayt World Assembly  is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) that was established by a group of Shiite elites under the supervision of the great Islamic authority of the Shiites in 1990 to identify, organize, educate and support the followers of Ahl al-Bayt.

  • Tehran Iran
  • 88950827 (0098-21)
  • 88950882 (0098-21)

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