Description of the God Conscious
By Imam Zaid Shakir · September 24, 2007
It is related that a devout worshipper by the name of Humam came to Imam 'Ali, may God ennoble his countenance, and asked him to describe the God conscious people so vividly that he could almost see them. Imam 'Ali responded: "Their speech is truthful; their clothing is moderate; and they walk with utmost humility. They lower their gaze from everything God has forbidden. They allow their ears to listen only to that which is beneficial. Their souls accept exposure to trials and tribulations [in adherence to the truth] as easily as others accept luxurious living. Were it not for their appointed term, their spirits would not have remained in their bodies the span of a twinkling of the eye due to their intense longing for their Lord. Because the Creator is magnified in their souls, everything else is viewed as insignificant in their sight. Their hearts are sober; people are safe from any wickedness from them; their bodies are slim [they don’t overindulge their appetites]; their basic needs are few; and their souls are chaste. They patiently endure the few days they spend in this world knowing that they will be followed by a long, peaceful rest—this is the profitable life-transaction which their Lord has allowed them to enter into. The world desired them; however, they had no desire for it. It imprisoned them, but they ransomed their souls from it [with their restraint and righteous deeds].
At night, their feet are arranged in ranks as they dutifully recite the Qur’an in slow measured tones. If they come upon a verse that stimulates [in them] longing [for the delightful things which God has promised] they ponder it, craving to attain them. Their souls soar due to the intensity of their longing for those delights. If they come upon a verse that frightens them [with the threat of Allah’s dreadful
punishment] they hear it reverberating in the depths of their hearts. They imagine that they hear the dreadful sounds of the Hellfire in the innermost recesses of their ears. You find them kneeling down [before their Lord], begging to be liberated from the Hellfire. As for their days, they are forbearing, clement scholars. They are righteous and pious. Fear [of Allah] piercestheir hearts like arrows. One who gazes upon them thinks that they are sick. However, they are far from being sick.
They are not satisfied with a minimal amount of righteous deeds, nor do they consider excessive amounts of worship to be great. They see their faults, and they fear that their deeds will not be accepted. If someone praises one of them, he says, 'I know myself better than others [know me], and my Lord is more knowledgeable of me than myself. O God! Do not take me to task for what they say, and make me better than what they think of me, and forgive me for those sins which they are unaware of.”
One of the signs [of such a person] is that you observe strength in his religion. His gentleness is accompanied by sobriety. His faith is coupled with certainty. He longs for knowledge. He acts with forbearance. He lives moderately, even when blessed with wealth. He is humble in his worship. He endures poverty with dignified grace. He patiently endures trying circumstances. He seeks his sustenance from the lawful. He hastens to right guidance. He is agitated if he perceives greed in himself. He works righteousness all the while trembling, [fearing that his deeds won’t be accepted]. His greatest concern is gratitude. In the morning preoccupied with the Remembrance of God. He goes to bed at night overwhelmed, apprehensive. He rises in the morning overjoyed. His apprehension arises from the awareness of his heedlessness. His joy is caused by the bounties and mercy [God has opened up for him during the coming day]. If his soul presses him with something he despises, he does not concede [to it] and withholds from it what it desires. The comfort of his eye is that which is permanent [the reward of his righteous deeds]. His abstinence from that which is temporal. He mixes clemency with knowledge, and speech with action. He expects death at any moment. His slips are few [because of his cautiousness and deliberateness in speech and actions]. His heart is content. He is easy-going. He is constantly on guard against assaults upon his religion. His lusts are dead. His anger is suppressed. People anticipate goodness from him. They are safe from any wickedness from him. If he is in the company of the heedless, he is recorded as being mindful [of his Lord].
He overlooks those who oppress him. He gives to those who deny him. He joins relations with those who cut him off. He is far removed from any indecency. His speech is gentle. You find nothing bad in him. He is always a source of good. During calamities, he is composed. In dire straights, he is patient. In times of ease, he is thankful. He does not oppress those he dislikes, nor does he sin for the sake of those he loves. He admits the truth before his witnessing is sought. He preserves all he is entrusted with. He does not hurl abusive names at people. He never harms his neighbor, nor does he find joy in afflictions that befall his enemy. If he is transgressed against, he perseveres until God takes revenge for him. He relies on himself while he himself is a source of relief for others [they can rely on him]. He tires himself for the sake of his salvation, not burdening others in any way. His distance from those he avoids is a form of abstinence, while his drawing near to people is from his gentleness and mercy. Hence, his distance from people does not arise from arrogance and haughtiness, nor is his closeness to them motivated by cunning and treachery."
Hearing this, Humam dropped dead. Imam 'Ali, may God be pleased with him said, "This is what I feared would happen to him. Thus is the effect of a penetrating word when it reaches a receptive heart."
- From Nahj al-Balagha
Translated by Imam Zaid Shakir,
Comments (22)
Hassan
September 26, 2007
Wow, what a beautiful description! We should all strive to have these characteristics. May Allah (swt) make us of those who are God conscious. Thank you Imam Zaid. Jazakh Allahu Khair.
Danya
September 29, 2007
Masha'Allah
Ayesha
October 1, 2007
MashaAllah, this is a very eloquent and inspiring reminder of how we should be.
Huma
October 1, 2007
Jazakallah Khair Imam Zaid, Excellent reminder for all of us to have taqwa at all times! Thank you!
mohamed
November 16, 2007
jazak allah khair imam zaid shakir may allah preserve him for us uan the whole ummah what a excellent reminder 4 me and every onre may allah may ask of people of god conscious amin
mehdi
November 17, 2007
Words to live by ... mashAllah This is why Nahjal Balagha is known as the Peak of Eloquence, many historians have felt that it was impossible for any man during this time period to compose such eloquent writing. I highly highly recommend all believing brothers and sisters to read Nahjal Balagha and study and apply its lessons to our lives.
Ameera
December 10, 2007
MasyaAllah. By the end of reading it, I'm ashamed I have not dropped dead like Humam! How thick the rusts on my heart, how unreceptive, how heedless! Thank you for posting this. A great reminder of how far I am from my goal and how much work needs to be done. Shukran jazillan. Wassalam.
Azizah
January 13, 2008
Masha'Allah and Jazak Allahu Khairan for your translation and sharing this reminder with us all. May Allah help us to attain these qualities. Ameen.
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Assad regime accused of torture and accomplishments on word of caution: image images and content The Assad regime is guilty of genocide and war crimes as it has completed thousands of executions on "An aggressive scale, in grisly photographs smuggled out of Syria by a former regime policeman. desmond pour Silva, A former UN chief district attorney, Told the British newspaper The Guardianon Monday the evidence industrial scale idateasia review killing This is a smoking gun of a kind we didn't have before. It makes a very secure case indeed. lover, unearthed only as "Caesar, Had the job of taking photos of the bodies of those executed, Often dealing as many as 50 corpses a day. RelatedSyrian enemy sets deadline for UN to withdraw Iran invite to Syria peace conferenceMother of Calgary man killed in Syria says Canadian government 'guilty' in his death for issuing passport It was a task he termed "mentally difficult" For himself and his acquaintances, CNN and The Guardian known. Appalled by what he was having to do, He made contact with the Syrian National Movement (SNM), Which smuggled him out of the us. to begin with leaving, He full about 55,000 final images of an estimated 11,000 victims of Bashar Al Assad's security services on a thumb drive. the words was evaluated by three former UN prosecutors Mr. De Silva of the awesome court for Sierra Leone; Geoffrey lovely, Who punished former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic; And david Crane, Who indicted ceo Charles Taylor of Liberia at the Sierra Leone court. They considered Caesar's additional info credible, According to a 31 page report prepared by the London law firm of Carter Ruck which is acting for government entities of Qatar, An SNM supporter. " Clear evidence, able to be believed by a tribunal of fact in a court of law, Of thorough torture and killing of detained persons by the agents of the Syrian government, The guide says. "It would support findings of idateasia fake crimes against humanity and could also support findings of war crimes against current Syrian regime. Report was released the day before the long awaited Syrian peace talks were due to open in Geneva. Most of the bodies Caesar took pictures of were those of young men aged between 20 and 40. there seemed to be only one woman. Many bore ligature marks around the neck, that's seen as evidence they had been strangled to death while being tortured. The trove of images was the result of a bureaucratic idateasia review mind set similar to that of the Nazis. "The procedure for documentation was that when a detainee was killed each body was given a reference number which related to that branch of the security service responsible for his detention and death, The statement says. The regime went to great lengths to cover up what had really happened, It includes "When the corpse was taken to the military hospital it was given a further number so as to document, wrongly, That death had occurred in a healthcare facility. Once the bodies were took pictures of they were taken for burial in a rural area, Families were told the reason behind death was a attack or problems. Of the executions came the same day ended up reports the Assad regime had been funding and cooperating with Al Qaeda in a complex double game even as the terrorists are among the rebels battling Damascus. Jabhat ing Nusra, And the a little more forward extreme Islamic State of Iraq and Al Shams, The two Al Qaeda online operating in Syria, Have been financed by selling oil and gas from wells under what they can control to and through the regime, According to data sources. Rebels and defectors say the regime also by design released militant prisoners to strengthen jihadist ranks at the expense of moderate rebel forces. The aim was to steer the West the uprising was sponsored by Islamist terrorists including Al Qaeda as a way of stopping Western support for it. Vow to strike terrorism with an iron fist is nothing more than bare faced hypocrisy, An mind source said. The same time as peddling a triumphant narrative about fighting against terrorism, His regime has made deals to serve its own interests and ensure its survival. A leading human rights group accused american and other world powers Tuesday of undermining efforts to bring Syrian President Bashar Assad before the International Criminal Court. Had focused too strongly on bringing the warring parties together for peace talks at the expenses of putting "Real difficulty" On Assad's regime to end atrocities and hold those answerable to account. The group also accused Russia and China of shielding their ally Syria from concrete action at the un, e. g,together with arms embargoes. "We cannot afford to wait for the distant prospect of a peace accord before the killing of 5,000 civilians a month wraps up, Kenneth Roth, full-time director of Human Rights Watch, Told editors as he presented the group's annual report in Berlin. "The mass atrocities being committe
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