Hearty attention to the Almighty causing to make a shield against Evil

`

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّى أَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيْكَ بِذِكْرِكَ

O Allah, verily I seek nearness to You through remembrance of You.

The Ruins of Remoteness

Human’s excessive belonging to material issues, to the extent that they become as a hard veil between him and his Lord, extreme inclination to sensual desires, being drowned in mere enjoyments, spending every minute of valuable life for gaining wealth, accompanying the negligent people, leaving goodness and charity, wastage of food, cloth, and property, inattention to the relatives and friends, negligence in doing obligatory deeds, committing unlawful acts, and lack of knowledge, are all signs of human residence in the ruins of remoteness from Allah.

This a ruin in which nothing is found but fraud, humbleness, devil hood, plunder, hypocrisy, lying, backbiting, slander, usury, betray, robbery, adultery, murder, proud, greed, stinginess, jealousy, hatred, enmity, wrath, and wrongdoing.

In this ruin, the treasure of humanity is seized by Satan, the precious life is wasted, human spiritual asset is spoiled, he is arrested by nihilism, ungratefulness, and disbelief, and entangled in permanent loss and misfortune.

The ruin is one in which the dealing is controlled by the Satan. Most people of this ruin are apparently humans, but animals in reality. They are engaged in useless acts, away from belief and reality, and stuck to whims and conjectures. Like a disbeliever’s grave, it is full of ornaments in appearance, but really full of severe chastisement.

It is a religious and logical obligation for the prisoner of ruins of remoteness to release himself from the material belongings and set out to the union country. By means of Allah’s remembrance, he can reach this union place of knowledge, virtues, trust, honesty, truth, serving, worship, compassion, piety, contentment, patience, reliance on Allah, perseverance, charity, and justice. In the country of union, he can taste the sweetness of nearness to Allah, be adorned with the divine ethics, and accompany the prophets (s.a), the truthful, and the martyrs.

The holy Qur’¡n comments on this informed and divine migration from all the evil to all the goodness:

وَمَنْ يُهَاجِرْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يَجِدْ فِي الأَرْضِ مُرَاغَمًا كَثِيرًا وَسَعَةً وَمَنْ يَخْرُجْ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ يُدْرِكْهُ الْمَوْتُ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا.

Whoso migrates for the cause of Allah will find much refuge and abundance in the earth, and whoso forsakes his home, a fugitive unto Allah and His messenger, and death overtakes him, his reward is then incumbent on Allah. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. (4/100)

Remembrance

The researchers believe that in the phrase ‘through your remembrance’, ‘through’ has a causative meaning. So the sentence means: ‘O Allah! I seek nearness to You by means of Your remembrance.’

The Meanings of ‘Remembrance’

Three meanings are mentioned for the word remembrance. 1. Hearty attention to Allah, 2. The Qur’¡n, 3. The Prophet (s.a) and his Household (a.s).

Hearty Attention to the Almighty

Remembrance of Allah is contrary to negligence. A person negligent of his Creator is not afraid of wasting his lifetime, committing unlawful deeds, violating other people’s rights, being deprived of worship, gaining unlawful wealth, and getting entangled in misfortunes.

A person who remembers Allah, on the other hand, is quite aware that his Lord has sent the prophets (s.a), revealed the heavenly books for guiding His servants, and set the Paradise for virtues and the Hell for vices. Such a servant spends his life in worshipping Allah, serving other people, avoiding the unlawful things, observing people’s rights, being pious, acquiring knowledge, obtaining sustenance lawfully, solving Muslims’ problems, fulfilling their needs, and helping the poor, and in all his endeavors he only seeks Allah’s content.

This remembrance of Allah, which is an internal tendency, gives human power to do virtues and achieve Allah’s nearness and taste the sweetness of worshipping the Almighty and serving the people.

Prophet Jonah’s tribe who had neglected Allah got subject to Allah’s chastisement. But then they remembered Allah again by the guidance of a pious wise man. They got weepy, repented, ran away to the desert, and hence sent the thundering cloud of chastisement away. They reached Allah’s closeness and spent the rest of their lives worshipping and serving Allah. They also died to benefit from His Mercy and His Paradise in the Hereafter.

Those sinners who moved away from misguidance to righteousness ended well. They compensated for their dark past by worshipping. They could reach such a position by Allah’s remembrance. Their repentance from their previous wrongdoing got a model for others and completed Allah’s argument for everyone.

Eminent figures like Asiyah (the wife of Pharaoh), the people of the Cave (Ashab-e Kahf), Bohlul Nabbash, Horr Ibn Yaz¢d, and Fu¤ayl Ayyaz who have illuminated the history with their purified hearts, are among those who remembered Allah to save themselves from misfortune and Satan’s deceit. They moved from a humble position to the high place of Allah’s nearness and Mercy.

The Holy Qur’¡n

The Compassionate Allah has mentioned Qur’¡n as Zikr (remembrance) in various Qur’¡nic verses, such as:

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ.

It is We who have sent down the Remembrance, and We watch over it. (15:9)

The holy Qur’¡n includes rules and teachings applying which guarantee human prosperity in this world and the Hereafter. It is a perfect Book to be modeled in life. Human would need nothing in his life except that he can find about it in Qur’¡n. Qur’¡n guides human to the best and the most permanent way and gives good tidings of generous reward to those who follow it. Hearty attention to Qur’¡n and deep pondering in its verses removes ignorance and brings about wisdom. Following the goodness and avoiding the evil mentions in the Qur’¡n causes salvation and greatness. Following the Qur’¡n adorns human with every virtue and prohibits him from every vice, immunizing him against the worldly and heavenly dangers. From the past knowledge to the future forecast, the healing of problems, and the arrangement of everything in life originates from Qur’¡n.

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) benefited from the holy Qur’¡n to make the best people in the history out of the most ignorant ones. He saved the pagan Arabs from the Hell and moved them to the Paradise of guidance and prosperity. The Prophet (s.a) stated:

فَإذا الْتَبَسَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الفِتَنُ كَقِطَعِ اللَّيْلِ المُظْلِمِ فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالقُرْآنِ؛ فَإنَّهُ شَافِعٌ مُشَفِّعٌ، وَمَاحِلٌ مُصَدِّقٌ، وَمَنْ جَعَلَهُ أمَامَهُ قَادَهُ إلَى الجَنَّةِ، وَمَنْ جَعَلَهُ خَلْفَهُ سَاقَهُ إلَى النَّارِ.

When the adversities made the issues ambiguous for you, as darkness of the night, follow Qur’¡n, because its intercession and its complaint are accepted. Anyone who follows Qur’¡n would be taken to the Paradise by it, and anyone who ignores Qur’¡n would be taken to the Hell by it.[15]

Imam Al-Sajj¡d (a.s) stated:

لَوْ مَاتَ مَنْ بَيْنَ المَشْرِقَيْنِ وَالمَغْرِبَيْنِ لَمَا اسْتَوْحَشْتُ بَعْدَ أنْ يَكُونَ القُرْآنُ مَعِي.

If the humans from East to West die altogether, I would not be fearful, as long as Qur’¡n is with me.[16]

It is true; for Imam Al-Sajj¡d (a.s) in whose spirit Qur’¡nic verses had realized, there remains no room for fear in solitude. Hence he observed Allah with his spiritual insight, his spirit was illuminated with ethical verses. He practiced the rules stated in verses precisely and sincerely. He was so familiar with verses about the Hereafter, as if he saw himself on top of the salvation peak.

Also Imam Zayn Al-Abidin (a.s) said:

آيَاتُ القُرْآنِ خَزَائِنُ: فَكُلَّمَا فَتَحْتَ خَزِينَةً يَنْبَغِي لَكَ أنْ تَنْظُرَ مَا فِيهَا.

Qur’¡nic verses are treasure sites; so when each site is opened you’d better ponder carefully in it.[17]

One who ponders in Qur’¡nic verses and observes spiritual meanings of them, and then practices Qur’¡nic orders and matches his behaviors to them, would gain power to seek Allah’s nearness. By cause of Qur’¡n, which is Allah’s remembrance, he will be placed in Allah’s nearness and will benefit from seeing His Magnificence forever.

The Prophet and His Household

Al-B¡qir Al-Olum (a.s), the fifth Imam, has narrated an important tradition that includes major issues and lofty meanings. The late Koleyni, in his Al-K¡f¢, has narrated this tradition as the opening to the chapter on excellence of Qur’¡n. Imam al-B¡qir (a.s), explaining about the verse:

إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ تَنْهَى عَنْ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ.

Prayer forbids indecency and dishonor. Allah’s remembrance is greater. (29:45)

He states:

وَنَحْنُ ذِكْرُ اللهِ، وَنَحْنُ أكْبَرُ.

And we are Allah’s remembrance, and we are greater.[18]

“Remembrance” for sure means the Prophet (s.a) and twelve infallible Imams, who are the successors of Prophet’s belief, morality, knowledge, and insight. They are expositors of Qur’¡n, transmitters of rules, protectors of religion, and Allah’s trustees among people. These twelve Imams are actual realization of Qur’¡n and human’s guides toward salvation and rescue in the world and the Hereafter. They are the reminders of reality, caches of knowledge, and realization of Allah’s attributes. Since infallible Imams are speakers of Qur’¡n, Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) stated:

We are Allah’s remembrance, and we are greater.

Human belief is not complete without accepting their guardianship and science. Without obedience to their orders, one’s morality would be corrupted. And without inclusion in their leadership his deeds would be insufficient. His world would be unorganized and his Last Day would be covered by Allah’s Wrath.

The Prophet of Islam (a.s), in the last moments of his life, told his nation:

إنِّي تَارِكٌ فِيكُمُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ: كِتَابَ اللهِ وَعِتْرَتِي أهْلَ بَيْتِي، وَإنَّهُمَا لَنْ يَفْتَرِقَا حَتَّى يَرِدَا عَلَيَّ الحَوْضَ، مَا إنْ تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِهِمَا لَنْ تَضِلُّوا بَعْدِي أبَداً.

I will leave two invaluable things among you; Qur’¡n and my Household. These two would not be separated from each other to be presented to me beside the River in Paradise. If you resort to these two precious things, you would never go astray after me.[19]

It is important to note that purifying the heart from the vices and adorning it with divine meanings and names, as well as keeping these virtues from Satan’s assault, continuous presence before Allah, awareness of His existence in every minute of life, practicing every obligatory deed, and doing anything for the wellness of people, are all “remembrance” of Allah.

Some of the pious persons, as well as some traditions suggest that the word ‘remembrance’ in Qur’¡nic verses and traditions denotes interior realities and practical deeds. ‘Remembrance’ is, in fact, actualization of Qur’¡n, Prophet’s prophet hood, and Imams traditions. And there is no way to seek Allah’s pleasure, but through His remembrance. If we refresh Allah’s remembrance in our hearts, practice Qur’¡nic verses, and follow the Prophet and Imams (a.s) whole-heartedly, we can gain Allah’s favor and attain prosperity.

When human heart embraces divine meanings and names of Allah, the impact of these meanings on his soul, mind, heart, and all organs becomes evident. Then a hot and sweat affection occupies his heart, and he becomes an instance of:

أَشَدُّ حُبّاً لِلَّهِ.

(Those of faith) are overflowing in their love for Allah. (2:165)

One who reaches this position is regarded as

رِجَالٌ لا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ.

Men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of Allah. (24:37)

This is a comprehensive position for humans, which places them in Allah’s succession on the earth.

It is in this high position that human is safe from Satan’s fraud. Nothing can distract him from Allah. He would know, want, and find nothing above Allah.

The Imam of the believers, `Al¢ (a.s), stated heartily:

مَا رَأيْتُ شَيْئاً إلاَّ رَأيْتُ اللهَ قَبْلَهُ وَمَعَهُ وَبَعْدَهُ.

I saw nothing except that I saw Allah before it, with it, an after it.

And trained by his divine insight and understanding, Sayyid Al-Shohada’, Imam Hossayn (a.s), who was in extreme thirst and hunger on ‘Ashura, surrounded by all calamities, beside seventy one of his martyred companions, and hearing the sound of weeping women and girls of the Household (a.s), put his bloody face on the earth, before his Beloved and said:

إلَهِي! رِضىً بِقَضَائِكَ وَصَبْراً عَلى بَلائِكَ وَتَسْلِيماً لأمْرِكَ، لا مَعْبُودَ لِي سِوَاكَ.

O Allah! I am happy with Your Wish, patient with Your examination, and surrendered to Your Order. There is no deity for me except You.