Abstinence, disconnection from material world, philosophy of fasting/ Seeker of the right path, loves everything: Ahmadi Tabar

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Monday, 17 April 2023

The professor of higher levels of the seminary stated, “To preserve the good and spiritual mood of Ramadan in the following months, I recommend studying the instructions of the late Imam Khomeini (r.a.), Allameh Tabatabai, Mirza Javad Agha Maleki Tabrizi, Sayyed Ibn Tawus, and other ulama and dignitaries.”

ABWA Official Website – One of the questions and concerns of fasting people and believers is, “What should we do after the month of Ramadan to preserve the good and spiritual mood of the Month of God’s Feast?”

In this regard, ABNA News Agency conducted an interview with Hojat al-Islam Ahmad Ahmadi Tabar, professor of higher levels of the seminary, and senior advisor to the Secretary General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly as follows:

ABNA – As the first question, what should we do to maintain the good and spiritual mood of Ramadan in other months of the year?

Ahmadi Tabar – To preserve the good and spiritual mood of Ramadan in the following months, I recommend studying the instructions of the late Imam Khomeini (r.a.), Allameh Tabatabai, Mirza Javad Agha Maleki Tabrizi, Sayyed Ibn Tawus, and other ulama and dignitaries. If one follows these instructions, he can find the true path, considering the spirituality that these dignitaries had.

Here I refer to the supplication that is narrated for the 27^th night of Ramadan. The 27^th night of Ramadan is one of the nights that is likely to be the Qadr Night, and Sunnis also observe it. Qadr Night is hidden among the nights of the year, so we do not know exactly which night is Qadr. Some hold a vigil on the 15^th night of Shaban (the birthday of Imam Mahdi), as well as on the night of Eid Mab’ath (the first revelation of the Quran for the Prophet Muhammad and announcing him as Prophet by God). In some hadiths, it is recommended to observe vigil on these nights. But according to the Quranic verses, the Qadr Night is one of the nights of the holy month of Ramadan. In Surah Qadr, verse 1, God says: “إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ” (Indeed We sent it down on the Night of Ordainment.)

On the other hand, from the blessed verse: “شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ” (The month of Ramadan is one in which the Quran was sent down) (Holy Quran, Surah: Al-Baqarah, Verse: 185) we understand that the Qadr Night is in the month of Ramadan. But it is not known which night of the holy month of Ramadan is Qadr. Therefore, some righteous servants observe vigil on all nights of the holy month of Ramadan, so that they understand the Qadr Night. There are also guidelines that state that Qadr Night is one of the odd nights of the holy month of Ramadan. Therefore, some people only hold vigils on odd nights of the holy month. Also, according to some hadiths, Qadr Night is in the second half of Ramadan. Therefore, some keep vigil every night from the middle of Ramadan onwards to understand Qadr Night.

According to hadiths, it is most likely that Qadr Night is one of the 19^th, 21^st, 23^rd, and 27^th nights of Ramadan. Of course, some hadiths emphasize that the Qadr night is the 23^rd night of Ramadan, which is known as the Night of Juhani. During the time of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h), a man named Juhani, who had a lot of sheep, brought his flock of sheep to the city of Madinah on Qadr Nights, causing problems for himself and disturbing the people. Therefore, he asked the Prophet (p.b.u.h) to tell him which night of the month of Ramadan is Qadr so that he can come to Madinah only on that night. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) whispered something in his ear. After that, the Companions saw that Juhani entered Medina with his flock of sheep on the 23^rd night of Ramadan to serve the Prophet (p.b.u.h) in Masjid al-Nabi.

Some also hold a vigil on the 27^th night of Ramadan. On the 27^th night of Ramadan, some deeds are ordered, one of which is a supplication from Imam Sajjad (a.s.), which is emphasized on reading and repeating it until it becomes a part of human existence.  That supplication begins with this Arabic phrase: “اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنِي التَّجَافِيَ عَنْ دَارِ الْغُرُورِ”. It seems that the ultimate thing that is achieved in the holy month of Ramadan for the seeker of the right path is that he comes to a state where he first realizes that the world is full of pride and deceit and that there is nothing there that can be attached to it. When we look closely at the things we feel we have, we see that we actually have nothing. Father, mother, spouse, life, car, house, money, and everything we think we have achieved, we realize that none of them are achievements and the day we need them, they are not in our hands. Therefore, the world is the place of pride and deception, and it has troubles for humans. Man imagines that he has obtained everything and can always have it. But these mundane things cannot get man anywhere. Because on the Day of Reckoning (Day of Judgement), he finds none of them in his hand and his hand is empty.

Therefore, the state that a person should reach during the month of Ramadan, and basically the month of Ramadan is for that, is that a person should reach the truth that this world is full of pride. That is why we must separate from this place of pride. Therefore, man should reach a state of “تَجافي” (Tajafi: abstinence). The world is a place of pride and not a place of eternity. We imagine that with worldly achievements we can become eternal. While there is no eternity in the material world and all of us must leave everything and go. In supplication, we ask God to provide us with this sustenance so that we can reach the state of abstinence in the month of Ramadan, which is the state of disconnection from the material world. There is also Tajafi in prayer. If someone is one rak'ah late for the congregational prayer, that is, when others are saying tashahhud, he should sit in Tajafi position and wait for the others to say Behaul-Allah. This person gets up and takes off from a half-sitting position. In the month of Ramadan, a person should reach the state of Tajafi and take-off from the world. Because the world is a place of pride, and one cannot get attached to it.

On the other hand, one should adjust all his life plans for the place of eternity and Resurrection. Therefore, every move and step a person takes, every word he says, and every action he does, must with considering and observing there. The third point is that man must prepare himself for death. Therefore, a believer is someone who, if he is told to go (from this world) at any moment, can leave. According to some hadiths, a believer must create a balance between his world and the hereafter. In this regard, Imam Hassan Mujtaba (a.s.) said, “كُنْ لِدُنْیاكَ كَأَنَّكَ تَعیشُ اَبَداً وَ كُنْ لِاخِرَتِكَ كَأَنَّكَ تَموتُ غَداً” (Be for your world as if you were to live forever and be for your hereafter as if you were to die tomorrow). The Hadith says that one should take care of worldly affairs as if he is going to live in the world forever. For example, if he is building a house, make it strong. Also, whatever else he is going to do, should do it in the best way. Then, it says “Take care of your afterlife affairs, be so that if they say now is the time of death, be ready for it.”

In his life, man must create a balance between his worldly life and the hereafter, and not in such a way that if death comes to him, he will see that his hand is empty, and he has not done anything. Man should achieve this state in the holy month of Ramadan. In the supplication of the 27^th night of Ramadan, we ask God to achieve such a state in this month and create it for us. When a person reaches this state, he will gain spirituality, and the spirituality that a person has gained in the month of Ramadan should be extended to other months. That is, he should reach the state of Tajafi (abstinence), the desire for the eternal place (hereafter), and the readiness for death, and not let the opportunities slip away. Therefore, in this regard, the late Imam Khomeini (r.a.) has some recommendations. Among other things, he recommends that we fast on Mondays and Thursdays in months other than Ramadan. Or that during these months (other than Ramadan), we should read one page of the Quran every day with thoughtfulness and reflection, so that the good and spiritual life that has been achieved from Ramadan continues.

ABNA – How a person can know that his deeds, such as prayer, fasting, reciting the Quran, etc., are accepted by God?

Ahmadi Tabar – The criterion for acceptance of human actions before God Almighty is the transformation in man himself. That is, when a person does his assignments correctly, he will understand sooner than anyone else whether he was right or not. Therefore, a person should look at his heart. God Almighty has not sent us to the world empty, but He has placed the needed data inside us based on which we can distinguish between good and bad.

According to a narration, a person named Wabesa al-Asadi, one of the companions of the Prophet (p.b.u.h), thought to himself that he wanted to be a very good person, do good deeds, and quit bad deeds. Because of this concern, he came to the Prophet (p.b.u.h) to ask him about all the good and bad things and write them down so that he can quit the bad things and do the good things. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “You came to ask about all good things and do them all, and also to ask about all bad things and quit them. Wabesa said, “Yes, Messenger of God. I have come for this.” The Prophet (p.b.u.h) did not list the good things for Wabesa, but in his response, he said, “یا وابصة: البر ما اطمانت الیه النفس”. It means: O Wabesa, a good deed is an act that when a person does it, he reaches inner peace, causes inner happiness and joy, and his soul is filled with joy and happiness. The Prophet continued to say, “اَلْإِثْمُ مَا تَرَدَّدَ فِي اَلصَّدْرِ”: The bad deed is that an act when a person does, becomes anxious by doing it, and panics and looks for another person to confirm his work.

Sometimes we do things, and then we seek to justify our actions. For example, we say to ourselves: “I should have done this”! This anxiety means that what the person did was not good. This measurement exists in all of us and by referring to it, we understand whether our prayers and fasting have been accepted or not (before God)!

In the holy month of Ramadan, supplications have marked the path for us, so the path is clear. In this month, after the prayers, we recite, “اللهم ادخل علی اهل القبور السرور”. It means that we, as human beings, want goodness for all beings and even the dead. This man, who wants felicity for the dead, is definitely trying for the felicity of all humans, plants, creatures, and inanimate objects.

According to a detailed narration narrated by Irshad Deylmi and the late Allameh Majlisi, on the Night of Ascension, when the Prophet (p.b.u.h) reached the position of nearness to God and spoke to God, he asked, “Who are Your favorite servants?” God the Almighty expressed the characteristics of his beloved servants one after the other, and in the end, in summarizing these characteristics, He said in one sentence, “اُولئِكَ الَّذينَ نَظَروا إلَى المَخلوقينَ بِنَظَري إلَيهِم” (Those are my beloved servants who have the same view as mine towards all creatures). God has the look of mercy. We have not yet thought about the mercy of God, and how much He loves His creatures.

According to a narration, Prophet Noah’s name was Abdul Ghaffar. Noah (نوح) is from the root of nowha (نوحه), which means wailing and crying in Arabic. Prophet Noah is called “Noah” because after he cursed his ummah and every one of them was drowned in the Storm, God tested him and gave him a seed to plant and become a tree. Prophet Noah planted the seed and it sprouted. He watered the plant every day until it became a stout tree. At that time, God commanded Noah to cut down the tree! Noah obeyed and cut down the tree, but he was upset.

“O Noah, why are you sad?” God asked.

“I planted this tree and took care of it (and you ordered it to be cut down),” Noah said in response.

“I gave the seed, I planted it, and it grew by my strength and will; now you are upset about cutting that tree,” God said, “But the servants whom I created, I gave them sustenance and the earth that I created bore their weight; how could you curse them so that none of them remained on earth?!” [refers to the verse 26 of Surah: Nūḥ: “وَقَالَ نُوحٌ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ دَيَّارًا”, (And Noah said, ‘My Lord! ‘Do not leave on the earth any inhabitant from among the faithless.)]

When Noah heard this, at the end of his life, he only cried and moaned. That is why he was called “Noah”.

According to Prophet Muhammad as, on the Night of Ascension, he asked God Almighty who is His favorite servant, God says, “اُولئِكَ الَّذينَ نَظَروا إلَى المَخلوقينَ بِنَظَري إلَيهِم” (Those are my beloved servants who have the same view as mine towards all creatures). God looks at all his servants with mercy. This is why we recite in the Kumayl supplication: “اللّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ الَّتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ” (O God, I am asking you for your all-pervading mercy.) It means that God’s mercy has covered all existence.

Therefore, a true believer and seeker of the right path has mercy for everyone and everything. He loves not only humans but all creatures, even animals. A human cannot be a believer and bear the suffering of an animal, for example, see an animal hungry or thirsty, and be indifferent. He cannot see a plant and not have mercy and kindness towards it. According to a hadith, breaking a branch of a tree is like breaking an angel’s wing. A person who has understood Ramadan will have such characteristics.

ABNA – Thank you for your precious time.

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ABNA News Agency AhlulBayt (a_s_) World Assembly fasting Ramadan