The Causes of Fear and Hope

اسباب خوف و رجاء

اول سبب خوف: آنست كه ديدم مدار قبول اعمال و نجات از احوال، تماما بر ايمان است، و از آن در خود هيچ اثري نيافتم، نه ازكامل و نه از ناقصش، بلكه از ادني درجه‌ي آن، كه عبارتست از اين كه، شخص هرگاه گناهي كند بدحال شود، فضلا از اعلي درجه‌ي آن كه شخص درحال ذكر خدا از شوق، مشرف بر موت گردد، و نديدم در خود از اجزاء ايمان كه تقسيم شود بر قلب و اعضاء(نه بر قلب كه موجب سكون و اطمينان است، و نه بر اعضاء كه حركت بر طبق مراد الهي باشد)، حتي آنكه خوف دارم از فقد ذره‌اي كه باعث نجات از خلود نار باشد.و نظر نمودم در اخلاق حميده كه از آثار ايمان است، اضداد آن را در خود يافتم، و در اعمال صالحه: آن قدر شرايط از براي قبول آن است كه در تمام عمر خود را موفق به تحصيل آنها نديده‌ام.پس از شدت خوف، نزديك شد كه يأس و قنوط بر من دست دهد، پس تدارك آن نمودم، به حالت دوم از براي رجا، نظر كردم به سوي فضايل الهي و ديدم خود را از امت حضرت رسول (صلي الله عليه و آله) و شيعه‌ي علي (عليه‌السلام) و دوستدار اهل بيت، كه ايشانند در راه قويم و صراط مستقيم، و پناه خلائق و كشتي نجات و شفيع عرصات. پس اميدوار به رحمت الهي گشتم،باز به حالت سوم داخل شدم، كه امت نبي و شيعه‌ي وصي را علامتي است، ترا كدام اقتدا به نبي و متابعت به علي بود؟و دوستي را آثار است كدام اثر از تو بروز نمود؟ و چون از آثار تشيع و ولاء در خود نديدم، باز از خوف بر خود لرزيدم، و از ترس وقوع در مهلكه‌ي يأس و قنوط.به حالت چهارم پناه بردم، و به نظر دقت به سوي وسائل الهي نظر نمودم، ديدم وسائلي كه متعلق به حضرت سيدالشهداء (عليه‌السلام) است بيشتر و آسان‌تر، و اكمل [ صفحه 78] و اشرف است، شرايطش كمتر و نفعش اتم و اعم است، در اين باب آنجناب را خصوصيتي است كه در باقي وسائل نيست، هر چند همه از يك نورند.و آن خصوصيت آن است كه آنجناب: بالخصوص بابي است از ابواب بهشت، و كشتي نجات است و چراغ هدايت، هر چند آباء عظام و ابناء كرام او نيز ابواب جنان و كشتيهاي نجاتند، لكن باب آنحضرت وسيع‌تر، وكشتي او به ساحل نزديكتر و استضائه به نور او سهل‌تر است، همه ايشان پناه خلقند، لكن پناه آنجناب آسان‌تر و دائره‌ي او وسيع‌تر است.

The Causes of Fear and Hope

The First Cause of Fear:

I saw that the foundation of the acceptance of deeds and salvation from dreadful conditions rests entirely upon faith (īmān), yet I found no trace of it within myself—neither its complete form nor its deficient form. Rather, I could not even find its lowest degree, which consists of a person becoming distressed whenever he commits a sin; let alone its highest degree, in which a person, while remembering Allah, comes close to death from longing.

Nor did I find within myself any of the components of faith that are divided between the heart and the limbs—not in the heart, which should produce tranquility and certainty, nor in the limbs, which should move according to the Divine Will.

Indeed, I even fear that I may lack that smallest particle of faith which saves a person from eternal abiding in the Fire.

I looked at the noble virtues which are among the effects of faith and found their opposites within myself.

And regarding righteous deeds, there are so many conditions required for their acceptance that throughout my entire life I have not found myself successful in acquiring them.

Thus, from the intensity of fear, I nearly fell into despair and hopelessness.

Then I sought to remedy this by turning to a second state for hope.

I looked toward the Divine virtues and favors and saw that I was from the community of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), a Shi‘ah of ‘Ali (a.s.), and a lover of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), who are upon the Straight Path, the refuge of creation, the Ark of Salvation, and the intercessors on the Day of Resurrection.

Thus I became hopeful of the Divine Mercy.

Then I entered a third state.

I said to myself:

“The community of the Prophet and the Shi‘ah of the Successor possess signs. What imitation of the Prophet and what following of ‘Ali have you shown?

Love has its effects. Which effect of that love has appeared from you?”

When I found no signs of Shi‘ism and wilāyah within myself, I once again trembled with fear.

And fearing that I might fall into the destructive pit of despair and hopelessness, I sought refuge in a fourth state.

I looked carefully toward the Divine means (wasā’il) and found that the means connected to the Master of Martyrs, Imam Husain (a.s.), are more numerous, easier, more complete,

[ صفحه 78]

and more noble.

Their conditions are fewer, and their benefit is more perfect and more comprehensive.

In this regard, he possesses a unique distinction not found in the other means, although all of them are from one Light.

That distinction is that he, in particular, is a gate among the gates of Paradise, the Ark of Salvation, and the Lamp of Guidance.

Although his noble fathers and his noble sons are also gates of Paradise and arks of salvation, yet the gate of that Imam is wider, his ark is nearer to the shore, and benefiting from his light is easier.

All of them are the refuge of creation, but the refuge provided by that Imam is more accessible, and the circle of his mercy is more expansive.