Page 9

SECTION 2
On Knowledge
Giving Judgement
Enjoining what is Good and Forbidding what is Evil

SECTION 3
How the Men of Knowledge are Ruined
Guarding Oneself (ri'ayah)
Thankfulness
On Leaving your Home
On Reciting the Qur'an

SECTION 4
Dress
Showing Off
Truthfulness
Sincerity

SECTION 5
Precaution
Allah (SWT)fearingness
Social Interactions
Sleep

SECTION 6
Pilgrimage
Charity
Intention

SECTION 7
Remembrance
The Ruin of the Reciters
Clarification of Truth and Falsehood
The Gnosis of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.)s
The Recognition of the Imams (a.s.)

SECTION 8
Recognition of the Companions
The Honour and Sanctity of the Believers
Dutifulness to Parents

SECTION 9
Humility
Ignorance
Eating
Evil Whispering

SECTION 10
Pride
Generosity
Self-reckoning

SECTION 11
Opening the Prayer
Bowing in Prayer
Prostration in Prayer
The Tashahhud
Salam

SECTION 12
Repentance
Retreat
Silence
Intellect and Passion

SECTION 13
Envy
Greed
Corruption
Well-being

SECTION 14
Worship
Reflection
Rest

SECTION 15
Avarice
Clarification
Judgements
Siwak
Using the Lavatory

SECTION 16
Purification
Entering the Mosque
Supplication

SECTION 17
Fasting
Abstinence
A Description of this World

SECTION 18
Reluctance to Act
Delusion
A Description of the Hypocrite
Proper Social Transaction
Taking and Giving

SECTION 19
Brotherhood
Consultation
Forbearance
Following Another's Example

SECTION 20
Pardon
Exhortation
Advice (wasiyah)
Trustful Reliance

SECTION 21
Respect for One's Brothers
Striving and Discipline
Contemplation of Death
Good Opinion

SECTION 22
Entrusting Oneself to Allah (SWT)
Certainty
Fear and Hope Contentment

SECTION 23
Afiliction
Patience
Sorrow
Modesty
Gnosis (ma 'rifah)
Love of Allah (SWT)
Love for the sake of Allah (SWT)
Yearning

SECTION 24
Wisdom
Making Claims
Taking Heed
Contentedness
Slander

Wisdom

Wisdom is the light of gnosis, the measure of fearful awareness
and the fruit of truthfulness. Allah (SWT) has not given any of his servants
a greater, more favourable, generous, lofty or more splendid
blessing than wisdom for the heart. In Allah (SWT)'s words,

        He grants wisdom to whom He pleases and who-
        ever is granted wisdom, he indeed is given a great
        good and none but the men of understanding re-
        member. (2:269)

That is, only the one whom I have singled out for My sake and
whom I have designated for it knows what wisdom I have re-
served and prepared. Wisdom is rescue, steadiness at the begin-
ning of the affair and a firm stance at the end. It makes Allah (SWT)'s
creatures aspire to Him. And the Messenger (s.w.a.s.)of Allah (SWT) said to 'Ali (a.s.),
'That Allah (SWT) should guide one of His slaves at your hands is better
for you than everything the sun shines upon, from east to west.'

                           

Making Claims

In reality the claim belongs to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.)s, the Imams (a.s.) and the
truthful, and a man who makes a claim improperly is like the
accursed Iblis. He lays claim to devoutness while in reality he
contends with his Lord and opposes His command. Whoever
makes such claims reveals his lie, and the liar is not trustworthy;
whoever claims what is not lawful for him has the gates of afflic-
tion opened for him. Anyone who makes a claim will doubtless
be asked for clear proof, upon which he is shown to be bankrupt
and disgraced. The truthful person is not asked the reason for
his actions; as 'Ali (a.s.) said, 'No one sees a truthful person without
being in awe of him.'

                           

Taking Heed

The Messenger of Allah (SWT) said, 'He who learns his lessons in this
world lives in it like a man asleep: he sees it but does not touch
it. Abhorrence is increased in his heart and in his selfby the behaviour
of those who are deceived by this world, which can only bring the
reckoning and punishment. He exchanges that world for what
will bring him near to Allah (SWT)'s pleasure and pardon. He washes
himself free of those things to which the world invites him, and
of its worldly adornments, with the water of the world's extinc-
tion.

Taking heed brings three things to the person who does so:
knowledge of what he does, acting by what he knows, and know-
ledge of what he does not know. The root of taking heed lies in
one's fear of its outcome, when he sees that he has fully realized
abstinence at the beginning. Taking heed is only successful for
those who have purity and insight.

Allah (SWT) said,

          Take a lesson, O you who have eyes! (59:2)

and again,

        For surely it is not the eyes that are blind, but
        blind are the hearts which are in the breasts. (22:46)

When Allah (SWT) opens the eye of someone's heart and insight by
means of consideration, then He has given him a high station
and an immense fortune.

                           

Contentedness

If a man of contendness were to swear that he would eventually
be in charge of his two abodes, Allah (SWT) would confirm him in that,
realizing his hope through the immensity of his contentment.
How can Allah (SWT)'s servant not be content with what He has allotted
him when He says,

        We distribute among them their livelihood bet-
         ween them in the life of this world. (43:32)

Whoever yields to Allah (SWT), and is not heedless in affirming Him in
what He wishes and whenever He wishes, whoever has certainty
of His lordship ascribes of necessity the allotment of each man's
provision directly to Himself, and does not recognize the reality
of causes. Whoever is content with what is allotted is relieved
of care, grief and fatigue. Whenever he decreases in contentment,
he increases in desire. Greed for this world is the root of every
evil; the person who has it is not saved from the Fire unless he
repents.

That is why the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said, 'Contentment is a kingdom which
does not vanish.' It is the ship of Allah (SWT)'s pleasure, bearing whoever
is on board it to His House. Have excellent trust in what you
have not been given, and pleasure in what you have been given.
Be patient in what befalls you, for this indeed is one of the
greatest tasks.

                           

Slander

Slander is forbidden to all Muslims, and he who slanders has
sinned in every instance. Slander is when you mention something
about a person which is not a fault in Allah (SWT)'s eyes, or when you
censure what the people of knowledge praise.

As for discussing someone who is not present with regard to
something which Allah (SWT) censures, when that person is guilty of it,
then this does not amount to slander, even if he dislikes it when
he hears it; and you are free of any slight of that person. This
is in order to make the truth clear from the false by the clarifica-
tion of Allah (SWT) and His Messenger. However, this has a precondition,
in that the person who says it must seek only to clarify what is
true and false, in the faith of Allah (SWT). If he means to deprecate the
person of whom he talks without meaning to make things clear,
then he is taken to task for his corrupt goal, even if he is correct
in what he says.

If you really slander someone, then seek pardon from that
person. If you do not go that far nor reach that point, then ask
Allah (SWT)'s forgiveness for that. Slander eats up good deeds as fire
eats up wood. As Allah (SWT) revealed to Moses, 'The slanderer will be
the last to enter the Garden, if he repents. If he does not repent,
then he will be the first to enter the Fire.' As He said,

        Does one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead
        brother? You would hate it. (49:12)

The various aspects of slander occur when you mention a fault
in someone's character, intellect, action, behaviour, belief, ignor-
ance and so on.

The origin of slander may be one of ten types: venting one's
anger, pleasing other people, suspicion, believing a report with-
out investigating it, having a bad opinion, envy, mockery, as-
tonishment at some action in another which one does not com-
prehend, dissatisfaction or impatience with others, and embel-
lishment of oneself at the expense of others.

If you seek Islam, then remember the Creator and not the
created; then the circumstances of slander will be a lesson for
you, and a wrong action will be replaced by a reward.