Archive for category: Other Points

Imam Hasan Al-’Askari (a.s.) said:
“إنَّ اللّهَ جَعَلَ لِلشَّرِ أَقْفَالاً وَ جَعَلَ مَفاتِيحِ تِلْكَ الأَقْفالِ اَلشَّرابَ، وَ الْكِذْبُ شَرٌّ مِنَ الشَّرابِ”

Translation
God has placed evils and maladies under locks, the key of which is wine, and lying is even worse than wine. 1

Brief Description
The greatest and most effective tool against evils and maladies is wisdom and intellect, and this is a strong lock set on them. When the lock of “wisdom” is opened by the key of “wine”, all evils and obscenities are let loose and a drunk person is vulnerable to committing all sorts of crime, sin and corruption.
While a drunkard commits a sin under the influence of the mind numbing drink, a liar pollutes the social environment knowingly. When lying permeates a society, it kills the spirit of trust and reliance leading to sins and corruption. Hence lying is even more dangerous than wine.[divider]
•    1. Wasa’il ‘ush-Shi’a, second volume, page 223

The Holy Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his progeny) said:
“إيّاكُمْ وَ الْدَّيْنَ فَإنَّهُ هَمٌّ بِاللَيْلِ، وَ ذُلٌ بِالنَّهارِ”

Translation
Avoid borrowing as far as you can, because it causes grief during the night and contempt during the day.1

Brief Description
The lure of the material life and competition to acquire luxuries in the present times has caused people to borrow more and more. Many are trapped in the vicious circle of higher debts and increasing repayments leading to more borrowings to finance repayments.
Since a person in debt is not a free man, we are instructed not to undertake debt other than for a dire necessity. Debt is even more dangerous at the country level. Highly indebted countries expose their citizens and future generations to severe economic hardships and to erosion of their freedom and spiritual independence.[divider]
•    1. Bihar al-Anwar, volume 103, page 141

Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) said:
“إنَّ اللّه لَمْ يَبْعَثْ نَبِيّاً إلاّ بِصِدقِ الْحَدِيثِ وَ أَداءِ الأَمانَةِ”

Translation
Allah instructed all prophets to invite people to honesty and trust.1

Brief Description
A healthy society is based on a number of core values, the most important of which is the priceless asset of public confidence and trust.
This is when the spoken word and actions take place in an environment of mutual trust. The greatest enemy of this valuable treasure is lies and treachery.
In the societies in which lies and treachery are popular, people are afraid of each other, people feel lonely, not knowing who to turn to and end up bearing a heavy load of life alone.
This is the reason why invitation to honesty and trust has always been included in programs of all the divine prophets.[divider]
•    1. Safinat’ul-Bihar

Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said:
“شَرُّ إخْوانِكَ مَنْ داهَنَكَ فى نَفْسِكَ وَ ساتَرَكَ عَيْبَك”

Translation
Your worst friends are those who flatter and talk with you superficially and conceal your faults.1

Brief Description
Escaping the realities and concealing the truths neither solves any problem nor is it a service to anyone. Therefore, friends who refrain from constructive criticism and from urging corrective actions and, instead, hide their friend’s faults for his false satisfaction, or misrepresent it as goodness, have failed to be faithful in friendship. They have also committed a great treachery that may cause serious damage to the prestige, reputation, honor and prosperity of their friend.[divider]
•    1. Ghurar al-Hakam

Imam As-Sadiq (a.s) said:
“الحاسِدُ مُضِرُّ بِنَفْسِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُضُرّ بِالْمَحْسُودِ”

Translation
An envious person sustains a loss to himself before causing a loss to the one he envies.1

Brief Description
The spirit of envy refers to not tolerating others enjoying a blessing, and trying to deprive them from that blessing, or causing a loss to them in other ways.
An envious person’s tendency is to act as a destructive force, seeking failure of others, rather than a constructive force that seeks one’s own improvement and success.
Envy is a severe moral disease. Psychologists assert that feelings of resentment and jealousy harbored by the envious persons play havoc with their emotional and physical health and their actions bring suffering and humiliation only to themselves. It is far better to concentrate on one’s own success as opposed to trying to hold others back.[divider]
•    1. Bihar al-Anwar, volume 73, page 255, Mustadraku wassa’il, volum e 12, page 19, Kashf Arriba, page 53, Misbah Ash-shari’a, page 104