Brave_313

O sanctuary of the broken-hearted and refuge of the helpless, my beloved Imam al-Rida(as) ❤️ Allamah Tabataba'i(ra) said: “All of the Infallible Imams(as) are compassionate, but the compassion of Imam al-Rida is something you can truly feel. The moment you enter his shrine, you realise just how compassionate he is.” ☘️

The Profound Letter of Imam al-Rida(as) to Abd al-Azim al-Hasani(ra) Concerning the Shi'a In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. ✨ O Abd al-Azim! Convey my greetings to my friends on my behalf, and tell them: Do not allow Satan any place in your hearts. ✨ Urge them to speak the truth and faithfully uphold every trust entrusted to them. ✨ Advise them to embrace silence, and to abandon pointless arguments and disputes over matters that have no benefit. ✨ Encourage them to turn towards one another, to care for one another, and to visit one another - for indeed, these are among the deeds that bring them closer to me. ✨ And let them never occupy themselves with exposing, humiliating, or destroying one another’s honour. For I have made a covenant with myself: whoever commits such an act and causes one of my friends distress or anger, I will ask Allah(swt) to make him/her taste the severest punishment in this world. And such a person shall be among the losers in the Hereafter. ✨ And make our friends aware that Allah(swt) will forgive those among them who do good, and He will overlook the wrongdoings of those among them who do evil - except for the one who associates partners with Him, or harms one of my friends, or harbours evil intentions towards him/her in their heart. ✨ Allah(swt) will not forgive them until they abandon that intention. But if they persist in it, Allah(swt) will remove the spirit of faith from their heart. Such a person will be cast out from my Wilayah and friendship, and they will have no share in our Wilayah. And we seek refuge in Allah from such a fate. 📚 Al-Ikhtisas, Shaykh al-Mufid, p 241.

Our heartfelt condolences to Imam al-Mahdi(atf), and to all lovers of the Ahl al-Bayt(as) on the heart-rending anniversaries of the martyrdom of Our Merciful Mawla, the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad(pbuh); Our beloved Mawla، Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba(as); And our compassionate Mawla, Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida(as). 🤲 May Allah grant us the honour of remaining steadfast upon their path, and may He hasten the reappearance of our Mawla, Imam al-Mahdi(atf). اللهم صل علی محمد و آل محمد و عجل فرجهم‌ ☘

Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba(as) said: “By Allah, had the people pledged allegiance to me, obeyed me and supported me, the heavens would have poured down their rain upon them and the earth would have bestowed its blessings upon them. And you, O Mu'awiyah, would never have dared to aspire to the Caliphate.” ☘

Imam Khomeini(ra): “Imam Hassan(as) suffered more at the hands of his own friends and companions than from anyone else. They failed to understand the strategy and course of action of the Imam of their time. Because of their limited outlook and incomplete understanding, they stood against him, oppressed him and caused him immense hardship. I would go so far as to say that they brought about his defeat. They entered into a treaty with his enemy and created one difficulty after another. ☘ 📚 Sahifeh-ye Imam, Vol. 9, p. 30”

Every time the call of “There is no god but Allah” is heard, it is the fruit of your efforts. Every Muslim who places their forehead upon the ground in sujood before Allah(swt) does so under the blessing of your sacrifice. The chains of captivity were shattered through your efforts, and the honour and dignity of Muslims are indebted to you. 💚

Imam Ali(as): "O people, loyalty is joined with truthfulness; I know of no shield stronger or more protective than it. Whoever is conscious of his return to the Hereafter will not betray or deceive. Yet today we live in an age and an environment in which most people regard deception and trickery as cleverness, while the ignorant call such people discerning and skilful. How can they think in such a way? May Allah(swt) deal with them. There may be a person who foresees all that is to come and knows every path of deceit and cunning; yet the commands and prohibitions of his Lord stand before him. Though he has the power to carry it out, he openly and deliberately abandons it. But the one who has no fear of sin and no regard for disobedience to the faith seizes every opportunity to practise deception. ☘

The Messenger of Allah(pbuh): When you are about to speak of the faults of others, remember your own faults. ☘

Find Someone Who Helps You Rise A young man and woman come to a counsellor and ask: “Are we suitable for one another for marriage?” They have come with a sincere intention. They wish to marry. The counsellor asks them: “Marriage? What do you want to become through marriage?” “We want to be life partners.” “Life partners? No, my dear ones. Marriage is not simply about finding someone with whom to share your life. It is about finding someone with whom you can rise. Think of two birds. Their nest is not on the ground; it is high in the heights. They descend to the earth to gather their food, then return to their nest above, where they sit together and share it. That is where your place should be - in the heights. A bird that remains on the ground is like a bird in a cage. A free bird belongs in the heights. It is made to fly. In marriage, you should not merely become two people who walk alongside one another through life. You should become companions in flight - two people who help one another rise, who strengthen one another, who keep one another from falling, and who together journey towards something higher. Do not simply ask, “Will this person make me happy?” Ask instead: “Will we help one another become better? Will we bring each other closer to Allah(swt)? Will we help one another rise?” You are not meant merely to live together. You are meant to fly together - towards the heavens. ☘

If you are among those blessed to visit Karbala this Arbaeen and stand before our Mawla, Imam Hussain(as), please remember us and convey our salam to him. 💔

Karbala has become a sea of believers! ❤️

Karbala has become a sea of believers! ❤️

If we want to understand Arbaeen through the lens of the Qur'an, one verse stands out above all: verse 11 of Surah At-Taghabun. مَا أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

"No calamity befalls except by the permission of Allah."

We will set this first part of the verse aside for now. But then Allah says: وَمَن يُؤْمِنۢ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ

"And whoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart."

Whoever truly believes in Allah, Allah guides their heart. ❓"Isn't this a general promise?"   Yes, it is. ❓ "Then what does it have to do with Arbaeen?" Because Arbaeen is one of the most remarkable manifestations of this divine guidance. Every year, Allah guides the hearts of millions of believers toward one destination: Karbala. No invitation. No compulsion. No worldly force. Across nations, languages, and cultures, hearts converge upon the same place, at the same time. This is يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ in action Allah guides hearts. And on Arbaeen, that guidance becomes visible to the world. ☘️

If we want to understand Arbaeen through the lens of the Qur'an, one verse stands out above all: verse 11 of Surah At-Taghabun. مَا أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

"No calamity befalls except by the permission of Allah."

We will set this first part of the verse aside for now. But then Allah says: وَمَن يُؤْمِنۢ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ

"And whoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart."

Whoever truly believes in Allah, Allah guides their heart. ❓"Isn't this a general promise?"   Yes, it is. ❓ "Then what does it have to do with Arbaeen?" Because Arbaeen is one of the most remarkable manifestations of this divine guidance. Every year, Allah guides the hearts of millions of believers toward one destination: Karbala. No invitation. No compulsion. No worldly force. Across nations, languages, and cultures, hearts converge upon the same place, at the same time. This is يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ in action Allah guides hearts. And on Arbaeen, that guidance becomes visible to the world. ☘️

He then sent an email: "Every change has to start somewhere; from now on, whenever the temperature exceeds 30°C, men may wear shorts in the office. The only requirement is that they keep a pair of full-length trousers with them at all times, so that if a guest arrives or a formal meeting is scheduled, they can change into them immediately!!!"

It was nearly 40°C - extremely hot and humid. During that time, a German director at our company expressed his frustration about what he saw as an unfair difference in expectations between men and women in Western workplaces. He said:

‘Why are there virtually no rules about what women can wear?! They can dress however they like, while all the strict dress codes seem to apply only to men. In this unbearable heat, we're not even allowed to wear shorts.’

What he said reminded me of the words of Martyr Imam Khamenei! I've seen this countless times at official events in Europe and the United States: the men are all dressed in suits and ties, while many of the women are wearing revealing outfits. What made it particularly interesting was that these remarks didn't come from someone who is critical of Western thinking. Instead, they came from a German director who was expressing his frustration at what he perceived to be a contradiction and a clear double standard. ☘️

How Modestly They Walk! When Prophet Moses(as) fled Egypt after the incident that had taken place, he entrusted his heart entirely to Allah(swt). Although he found himself in extremely difficult circumstances - circumstances in which anyone might naturally feel anxious, distressed, or overwhelmed - he remained steadfast. All the years he had spent as a prince in Pharaoh's palace had seemingly come to nothing. He had once occupied the position of royalty, yet because of a single unforeseen event, everything changed in an instant. He was no longer a prince; he was now a fugitive. His situation could easily have led to despair, hopelessness, anger, or even resentment. Yet instead, he turned to Allah(swt) and submitted himself completely:

"My Lord, whatever You decree is best. Guide me wherever You will."

Allah(swt) answered his trust by guiding him safely to the land of Madyan. When Prophet Moses(as) arrived there, he sat beside a well to rest for a while. He noticed a group of men drawing water, while two young women stood back, waiting at a distance. He asked them, "What is your situation?" They replied, "Our father is an elderly man, and we must care for the flock ourselves. We are waiting until the crowd disperses before we approach the well." Prophet Moses(as) stepped forward, and drew water for them. The two women then returned home. Some time later, they came back and said, "Our father has invited you." Although Prophet Moses(as) had lost everything and was living as a stranger with no home or security, he accepted the invitation and set off with them. Now pay close attention to what happens next. Allah(swt) says in Surah Al-Qasas, verse 25:

"She came to him walking with modesty." (tamshī ʿalā istiḥyāʾ)

Prophet Moses(as) observed that the young woman walking ahead carried herself with remarkable modesty. Modesty was deeply rooted in her character - so much so that it was evident even in the way she walked. At the same time, Prophet Moses(as) also acted with honour and ghayrah. He said to the two young women - who were the daughters of Prophet Shu'ayb (as):

"I shall walk ahead. Whenever I need to change direction, simply throw a small stone so that I know which way to turn."

Notice the beauty of both behaviours. The young women preserved their modesty, and Prophet Moses(as) preserved appropriate boundaries and respect. Both examples deserve our attention. Having been nurtured by divine revelation, Prophet Moses acted with honourable ghayrah, not with bold familiarity or inappropriate confidence. Contrast this with much of today's world, where some actors and public figures seize every opportunity to strike up conversations with women for no good reason. One of Allah's righteous servants once remarked:

"Years ago there were long queues everywhere - for meat, onions, and many other necessities. Whenever I joined a queue and found a woman standing directly in front of me, I would deliberately wait for another man to arrive so that I could stand behind him instead, leaving an appropriate distance. If I was going to stand in that queue for an hour, why should I stand immediately behind a woman? Why should I not preserve proper boundaries?

Yet you would see another man using every excuse to chat with the woman in front of him or behind him, always wearing a smile. I often wondered whether he smiled so much at home, or whether that smile only appeared when speaking to women. Sadly, even in many workplaces today, interactions have become increasingly characterised by a lack of modesty."

And we seek refuge in Allah(swt) from casual, unnecessary familiarity with non-mahrams in the online world as well. ☘

We usually surround ourselves with people who are weak - the weaker members of society. We haven't made a habit of examining our own moral shortcomings and then seeking out people who are free of those flaws, so that we can spend time with them and grow through their influence. ☘

Let us seek the company of those who are the most virtuous, the most pious, and the most honourable in character; there is no better path to growth than being in their company. ☘

From the moment a person truly finds themselves, they should seek out those who belong to the heavens and keep their company. Companionship is of immense importance.The one you keep close determines the direction of your journey. A companion from the "third heaven" draws you toward the third heaven. How do we become people like that? By spending time with the people of the heavens. They are not consumed by the vices of this world, nor are they lost in heedlessness. A good companion helps a person grow. A spiritually developed companion nurtures spiritual growth. Let us seek out the most spiritually developed people in our community and keep their company. This was one of the great secrets of Imam Hussain's caravan: companionship. Companionship with Imam Hussain(as), alongside figures such as Hazrat Abu al-fadl al-Abbas(as) and Ali-Akbar(as). In a short time, people were transformed because they were influenced by Imam Hussain(as). A person does not truly grow simply by reading books or attending classes. Those things may provide knowledge, but real growth comes through the company of those who embody what they know. ☘