“استعاذه مقام قرب ““The term استعاذه refers to a station of divine proximity — it means not only seeking refuge in Allah (SWT), but also aspiring to His nearness.”
“( الاستعاذة سببٌ للنجاة في الدنيا والآخرة)” “(Seeking refuge is a salvation in this world and in the hereafter).”
After reflecting on the reality of seeking refuge and drawing on the Noble Qur’an, it can be said that seeking refuge has five essential pillars.
First: fleeing from Satan, which corresponds to taqwa (Mindfulness of Allah). Its other pillars are: remembranceذکر, trust in Godتوکل علی الله, sincerity اخلاص, and humility تواضع and supplication دعاء.
Taken together, once these states are attained, the reality of seeking refuge comes into being. While a believer possesses these five pillars, Satan remains far away from him. Whether he says “I seek refuge in Godأَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيطَانِ” or does not say it with his tongue, the essential thing is the inner state and the reality. If Satan even comes near such a person, he becomes one who is afflicted by Satan; just as when a jinn touches a person, that person becomes possessed or seized by a jinn.
Therefore, Iblis will not even dare to approach him at all.
So the first condition is that one must be among the people of taqwa. Those who become God-conscious, when devils attack their hearts… because they are God-conscious, the moment Satan comes near, they cling to the truth. As the verse says: “Indeed, those who are God-conscious, when a group of Satan touches them, they remember, and then they see clearly.” الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا إِذَا مَسَّهُمْ طَائِفٌ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ تَذَكَّرُوا فَإِذَا هُمْ مُبْصِرُونَ
Those who are pious, when a group from Satan touches them, they become reminded; thus, the people of taqwa are truly clear-sighted people.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ الْحَمْدُ للهِ الْمُتَجَلِّي لِخَلْقِهِ بِخَلْقِهِ، وَالظَّاهِرِ لِقُلُوبِهِمْ بِحُجَّتِهِ، خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ مِنْ غَيْرِ رَوِيَّة، إِذْ كَانَتِ الرَّوِيَّاتُ لاَ تَلِيقُ إِلاَّ بِذَوي الضَّمائِرِ وَلَيْسَ بِذِي ضَمِير فِي نَفْسِهِ، خَرَقَ عِلْمُهُ بَاطِنَ غَيْبِ السُّتُرَاتِ، وَأَحَاطَ بِغُمُوضِ عَقَائِدِ السَّرِيرَاتِ.
Praise belongs to Allah, Who is Manifest before His creation through His creation, Who is apparent to their hearts through His clear proof; Who created without meditating, since meditating does not befit except one who has thinking organs while He has no thinking organ in Himself. His knowledge has split forth the inside of unknown secrets and encompassed abstruse and hidden beliefs.
This saying means that Allah is known through the signs of His creation, and His power, wisdom, and lordship are visible in the world He made. He is “manifest” not because He is physically contained in creation, but because creation points to Him like a clear sign points to its author.
Meaning of the phrase
“Manifest before His creation through His creation” means that Allah’s existence, greatness, and attributes become evident to the intellect by reflecting on the universe, life, order, and providence. The creation is therefore a proof of the Creator, not a part of Him.
What Imam Ali(a) is teaching
Imam Ali is rejecting the idea that God is known by bodily sight, shape, place, or form. Instead, He is recognized by His effects: the heavens, the earth, the balance of existence, and the unfolding of divine decree.
A simple example
Just as a finely written book shows the knowledge of its author, the world shows the wisdom and power of its Maker. You do not “see” the author inside the book, but you clearly know the author through the book.
Spiritual lesson
The phrase also invites humility: if creation already reveals God so clearly, then the proper response is praise, reflection, and obedience rather than trying to reduce Allah to human concepts. Imam Ali’s wording keeps both truths together: Allah is fully transcendent, yet His signs are everywhere. (K:108)
وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عليا و أبىنائه المعصومين حجج الله ،
أُوصِيکُمْ عِبَادَاللهِ و نفسي، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ وَطَاعَتِهِ،
Visionary Parents دور اندیش والدین
رَّبَّنَآ إِنِّىٓ أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِى بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِى زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ ٱلْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱجْعَلْ أَفْـِٔدَةً مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ تَهْوِىٓ إِلَيْهِمْ وَٱرْزُقْهُم مِّنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ (14:37)
O our Lord! surely I have settled a part of my offspring in a valley unproductive of fruit near Your Sacred House, our Lord! that they may keep up prayer; therefore make the hearts of some people yearn towards them and provide them with fruits; haply they may be grateful:
Imam al-Sadiq (ع) on stages of upbringing
“Give the child freedom for the first 6 years, then draw him close for 7 years, and teach him by making yourself his model.”
Translation of the hadith:
“A child is a master for seven years, a servant for seven years, and a minister for seven years.”
(al-Walad sayyidu sab‘i sinīn, wa ‘abdu sab‘i sinīn, wa wazīru sab‘i sinīn)
Lesson:
This is a gradual, age-based approach to تربیت (upbringing): play and freedom in early childhood, disciplined guidance in the next stage, and consultation, responsibility, and modeling in the later stage.
Refined English rendering:
“From Imam al-Sadiq (ع): the stages of upbringing — let the child enjoy freedom until age six, then bring him close from the next stage and teach him through your own example. ‘The child is a master for seven years, a servant for seven years, and a minister for seven years.’”
Sermon: 2
اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ بِسْمِ اللهِ كَلِمَةُ الْمُعْتَصِمينَ وَمَقالَةُ الْمُتَحَرِّزينَ وَاَعُوذُ بِاللهِ تَعالى مِنْ جَوْرِ الْجائِرينَ وَكَيْدِ الْحاسِدينَ وَبَغْيِ الظّالِمينَ وَاَحْمَدُهُ فَوْقَ حَمْدِ الْحامِدينَ اَللّـهُمَّ اَنْتَ الْواحِدُ بِلا شَريكِ وَالْمَلِكُ بِلا تَمْليك اَللّـهُمَّ اجْعَلْنى مِنْ جُنْدِكَ فَاِنَّجُنْدَكَ هُمُ الْغالِبُونَ وَاجْعَلْنى مِنْ حِزْبِكَ فَاِنَّ حِزْبَكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ وَاجْعَلْنى مِنْ اَوْلِيآئِكَ فَاِنَّ أولياءك لا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
والصلاه والسلام علی حبیب رب العالمین، شفیع المذنبین، رحمه للعالمین ابی القاسم محمد….
Birth of Imam Raza a.s
On 11th of Zi-Qada, 148 Hijrah, a son was born in the house of Imam Musa Ibn-e-Jaffar (A.S.) who took over the position of the Imam of Islam, after his father. He was named Ali and titled Reza. The honorable and gracious mother of the Imam (A.S.) was Najmiyya, who was considered to be the most notable and distinguished lady in the realm of wisdom and faith, Shahadat is end of Safar at age 55, on 23rd Zi-Qadah 203 AH his duration of Imamt 20 years.
Step-by-step life lessons from Imam Raza (ع):
- Begin with taqwa. God-consciousness is the foundation of a sound life, because it shapes worship, ethics, and choices.
- Treat people with good character. Imam Raza (ع) emphasized humility, kindness, and not being rude or harsh with others.
- Be grateful in ease. He described the good person as one who thanks Allah when blessed and does not become arrogant.
- Be patient in trials. A believer is tested by hardship, but Imam Raza (ع) taught that patience is part of true goodness.
- Ask forgiveness after mistakes. He linked moral growth with immediately turning back to Allah after wrongdoing.
- Forgive when angry. One of his clearest moral teachings is to pardon others rather than being ruled by anger.
- Share your wealth and blessings. He warned against selfishness and praised generosity that benefits others.
- Stay close to the Qur’an. His life is described as deeply Qur’anic in speech, conduct, and reflection.
- Seek knowledge with humility. Imam Raza (ع) is known for combining intellectual depth with modesty and careful reasoning.
- Live simply and serve others. His conduct showed compassion toward subordinates, travelers, and the poor.
- Remember Allah often. Constant remembrance protects the heart and keeps life spiritually balanced.
- Prepare for the Hereafter. His teachings consistently direct a person to accountability, sincerity, and final success before Allah.
The holy Quran talks about ‘mustakbirīn vs. mustaḍʿafīn’
وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ عَادٍۢ وَبَوَّأَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِن سُهُولِهَا قُصُورًۭا وَتَنْحِتُونَ ٱلْجِبَالَ بُيُوتًۭا ۖ فَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ ءَالَآءَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ
Remember when He made you successors after [the people of] ‘Ad, and settled you in the land: you build palaces in its plains, and hew houses out of the mountains. So remember Allah’s bounties, and do not act wickedly on the earth, causing corruption.’
قَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتُضْعِفُوا۟ لِمَنْ ءَامَنَ مِنْهُمْ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ صَٰلِحًۭا مُّرْسَلٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلَ بِهِۦ مُؤْمِنُونَ
The elite of his people who were arrogant said to those who were oppressed—to those among them who had faith—‘Do you know that Salih has been sent by his Lord?’ They said, ‘We indeed believe in what he has been sent with.’
قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِٱلَّذِىٓ ءَامَنتُم بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ
Those who were arrogant said, ‘We indeed disbelieve in what you have believed.’
فَعَقَرُوا۟ ٱلنَّاقَةَ وَعَتَوْا۟ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ وَقَالُوا۟ يَٰصَٰلِحُ ٱئْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ
So they hamstrung the She-camel and defied the command of their Lord, and they said, ‘O Salih, bring us what you threaten us with, if you are one of the apostles.’ (7:74-78)
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دَارِهِمْ جَٰثِمِينَ
Thereupon the earthquake seized them, and they lay lifeless prostrate in their homes.