Nahj al-Balagha Speaks of the Secret to Hearts' Tranquility; How Does Remembrance of God Awaken Humans from Heedlessness?

In Sermon 222 of Nahj al-Balagha, Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (AS) presents remembrance of God as a means of illuminating hearts, awakening reason, and freeing humans from heedlessness. Describing the traits of those who remember God, he speaks of people who, amid worldly concerns, do not forget their Lord, command justice, avoid what is reprehensible, and take account of their deeds before they are judged on the Day of Resurrection.

According to the Missionary Thought and Culture Base, in the 222nd sermon of Nahj al-Balagha, Amir al-Mu'minin Imam Ali (a.s.) while reciting verse 37 of Surah Noor, explains the place of God's remembrance in human life and the characteristics of the servants of Dhikr; People whose trade and commerce do not make them forget the remembrance of the Lord and perform prayers.

remembrance of God Illuminator of the heart and guide of man

At the beginning of these words, Hazrat considers the remembrance of God to be the light source of hearts; A light that helps a person to hear the truth after spiritual deafness, to see the truth after being blind, and to surrender to the truth after being rebellious and obstinate.

They remind us that God has had servants in various periods of history and in the interval between the sending of prophets, who spoke to them in the depths of their thoughts and in their intellects. These servants enlightened their eyes, ears and hearts with the light of awakening, reminded people of divine days and warned them about the greatness of God and the place of accountability before Him.

These guiding people were like bright signs in dark deserts and guides on difficult paths. They praised those who chose the path of moderation and the right path and preached salvation; On the other hand, they condemned deviating from the right path and tending to extremes and warned about its consequences. From this point of view, the people of Zikr are considered as lights in the darkness and guides against doubts and misguidance.

People of mention; People who are not neglected by the world

In the continuation of the sermon, Imam Ali (a.s.) speaks of a group that has preferred the remembrance of God over worldly attachments. These people are so committed to the remembrance of the Lord that no trade or buying and selling will stop them from this spiritual duty.

They spend their days with the remembrance of God and with their warnings, they warn the heedless from crossing the divine limits. They command justice and they also adhere to it; They prevent people from doing bad things and prevent themselves from doing it before others.

In describing the spiritual position of this group, Hazrat presents an image as if they have passed this world and joined the hereafter, while still living in this world. With a deep look at the end of man, they are so aware of the facts of the world after death as if they know the condition and duration of the people of purgatory and see the promises of the resurrection before their eyes.

With such a vision, the people of remembrance remove the veils of neglect from the eyes of the people; It is as if they see facts that others are unable to see and hear voices that do not reach the ears of the ignorant.

Self calculation; Revision of actions before the day of reckoning

Another part of this sermon is dedicated to the description of the inner states of the dhikr people and how they face their actions. Imam Ali (a.s.) calls the audience to imagine the place and gatherings of these people; Those who have opened the file of their actions and carefully examine their behavior and performance.

They are looking to find out which of their duties and assignments they have failed in and what they have done that they were forbidden to do. This review is not only limited to major sins, but also includes small and big actions; Because the people of Zikr have a sense of obligation towards their responsibilities and are afraid of neglect and carelessness.

The weight of their sins makes them sad and regretful. They lament and confess their mistakes and shortcomings in front of their Lord. This state expresses their spirit of self-criticism and responsibility; A spirit that instead of ignoring mistakes, calls people to return, make amends and ask for forgiveness.

The position of the people of remembrance in the presence of God

Amirul Momineen (A.S.) after describing the inner states of the people of Zikr, points to their spiritual position and calls them signs of guidance and lights that illuminate the darkness.

In the description of this position, it is said about the presence of angels around them, the descent of peace on their existence and the opening of the doors of heaven. For these servants, positions of dignity and dignity have been considered valuable; The position that God looks at them with mercy, is pleased with their efforts and respects their dignity.

Ahl al-Zikr, beside this spiritual position, still reach out to the Lord in need and ask for His forgiveness. They do not consider themselves to be in need of God's grace, but they always hope for God's grace and mercy and feel humble before His greatness.

In describing the condition of these servants, Hazrat says that the long sadness has hurt their hearts and the continuous crying has tired their eyes. However, the hope of God's mercy is alive in them, and they turn to him to seek his forgiveness.

They ask someone whose forgiveness does not end and does not disappoint the hope of the servants; Therefore, praying and asking for forgiveness is not a sign of despair for the people of Zikr, but a manifestation of hope, humility and trust in God's mercy.

The final message of the sermon; Before the audit, let's calculate ourselves

At the end of this sermon, Imam Ali (a.s.) calls the audience to a basic principle: a person should examine his own performance before others take care of his actions.

This order is a reminder of the individual responsibility of man for his behavior, decisions and choices. From the point of view of His Holiness, the remembrance of God will be effective in human life when it goes beyond the level of speech and manifests itself in the way of thinking, dealing with others, observing justice, avoiding unpleasantness and taking care of actions.

Sermon 222 of Nahj al-Balagha, in general, presents a picture of a human being who maintains his bond with God in the midst of daily activities; He distances himself from negligence, improves himself and follows the path of guidance with the hope of divine mercy. The central message of these words is clear: remembrance of God is a light to awaken the heart and a way to recognize human responsibilities; A lamp that needs continuous care of thought and action to keep it lit.

Khutba 222 of Nahj al-Balagha, and I have the words of Leh (peace be upon him) when reciting:

He glorifies Him in them with the morning and the original men, there is no trade and no sale of the remembrance of God. For the sake of the heart, listen to it after the reverence and see it after the feast, and criticize it after the mu'anadah and what is left. Glory be to God in the days after the day and in the times of the worshipers, save them in their thoughts and their words in their souls. So their minds will be bright in sight, hearing, and benefit. They remember the days of God and fear. His place is in the house of justice in the fallowat of those who take the intention, praise him for the way and the way of salvation, and those who take it To the right and to the north, keep to the way and beware of destruction Doubts and in remembrance of the people, take them from this world instead, so they do not engage in trade and do not sell them, they cut them off. The days of life and they cry out to the married people about the forbidden things of God in the ears of the heedless, and they order them to pay and practice them. And they abstain from unbelief, and they abstain from it, so they cut off this world until the Hereafter, and they are witnesses in it. Therefore, they saw the disappearance of the people of Al-Barzakh during their sojourn in it, and the truths of the Resurrection were revealed to them. This is a cover for the people of this world, until they see what people do not see and listen to what they do not listen to, so they are like them. For your reason in their standing, the praiseworthy, and their assembly, the witness, and the height of their deeds, and their deeds, and they are free from reckoning. They themselves, on the whole, small and large, were ordered to it, and they failed in it, or they refused to do it, so they indulged in it and carried a burden. When they appeared, they became weak from their independence, so they cried out in anger and answered in a way that they sought their Lord from the position Repentance and confession for seeing the signs of guidance and prayers, the angels touched them, and peace descended upon them. The doors of heaven were opened for them and the seats of honor were prepared for them. The praise of their position breathes the prayers of the spirit of the transgression of the hostages. The sadness of their hearts and the length of their tears for the whole door of desire for God, of them is a great hand, and they ask me not to be distressed. Ladayeh al-manadah wa la yakhaib alaiyah al-raghibun, so count your soul against your soul, for it is other than the soul that is reckoned to it Ghairuk