The first sermon of the Friday prayer on 16th January, 1998 CE. / 17th Ramadhan, 1418 A.H.
The speech of this part was made as a Friday sermon on one day before the first Night of Ordainment[1] during the month of Ramadhan in 1997. At the beginning of the sermon, his excellency points out that during the last month of Ramadhan, he has opened the discussion of seeking forgiveness and repentance – which refers to the third part of this book – and says that he does not repeat the topics in this sermon; and from here on, he intends to express the importance of the night and the need to take advantage of seeking forgiveness in it. Another discussion, which is touched on in this sermon, is about “the Patrons of God[2]’s pleading forgiveness”, in which a dimension of forgiveness is spoken.
In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, the Lord of the Worlds, Whom we praise, from Whom we seek help, in Whom we believe, to Whom we repent, and Whom we rely on, and peace and greetings be upon His beloved and noble one, the master of His servants, the protector of His secret, the promoter of His message, the harbinger of His mercy, the warner of His chastisement, our master and Prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his immaculate, pure and chosen household, and upon those who guide the guided, especially the one remaining with God on earth. And greetings be upon the Imams of the Muslims, those who support the oppressed and those who guide the faithful.[3]
All the dear worshipping brothers and sisters, I advise you – in these hours and auspicious days and nights – to take advantage of these blessings that are given in abundance to the believers during this month and its nights by the Lord of the Universe. I advise all and myself to observe divine piety, be aware of God, watch out for your own behavior and words before God, and be careful of dangerous roads, the slippery grounds, and the places where the human soul does not have the power to pass easily with endurance or confidence. In a person’s life, in the social life, the Almighty God has put in place some means to overcome these slippery grounds, and that is the means by which human beings can preserve themselves, bring themselves closer to the purpose and take benefit from the facilities that the Almighty God has given to the believers in order to reach the intended destination.
The importance of seeking forgiveness during the holy month of Ramadhan
Watching out for these things is piety. And as you have heard many times, one of the important goals of the month of Ramadhan is to be pious; “so that you may be Godwary”[4],[5]. And when I consider the actions that are prescribed[6], the fasting during the month of Ramadhan, reciting the Holy Qur’an, reading the relevant supplications and making the appeals which are the blessings of God the Exalted as well as pleading for forgiveness or pardon – among these four very important elements, considering that fasting in Ramadhan is obligatory as well, I feel what is very important to us is pleading for forgiveness; beseeching pardon and seeking absolution from the Lord of the Universe for what we have committed due to idleness, ignorance and – God forbid – negligence.
Last year during the same auspicious month of Ramadhan, I gave some statements in detail on seeking repentance and forgiveness in this blessed month. Today, I do not intend to speak again about seeking forgiveness, either as an intellectual debate or a Qur’anic and hadith discussion; rather, I would like to revisit the issue of seeking forgiveness on the occasion of the nearness of the auspicious Nights of Ordainment as these precious nights are very important.
The Patrons of God’s seeking of forgiveness
My dear brothers and sisters! The first step is to beseech God the Almighty for pardon and to return to God. Repentance, that is to say, return to God. Wherever you are, at all levels of perfection, even at the level of the Commander of the Faithful (as), you need to plead for forgiveness. The Almighty God says to the Prophet (saw), “And plead for [God’s] forgiveness for your sin,”[7],[8] and “then celebrate the praise of your Lord, and plead to Him for forgiveness.”[9],[10] Many times in the Holy Qur’an, God says to the Prophet (saw), “plead for forgiveness”. Even though the Prophet (saw) is infallible; he does not commit sin; he does not violate God’s command; still, He asks the Prophet (saw) to “plead for forgiveness”.
Now, what the patrons of God and the great personalities are seeking forgiveness for is something that can be discussed. They are not seeking forgiveness for sins of the type we commit; for the reason that they do not commit such sins. Their position is high. Their proximity to God and Divine position is at the highest level. In such position of proximity, sometimes the things that are admissible to us – possible, even the things that are commendable for us – are impediments to that great personality and deterrents to the dignity of such proximity. Therefore, he seeks forgiveness – a real forgiveness, not a fictitious one.
Look at the supplication of Kumayl. At the very beginning, the Commander of the Faithful (as), in the supplication of Kumayl – which according to the traditions has been issued and composed by this great Imam (as) and starts with pleading for forgiveness – swears to God by His name, His power, His grandeur and the attributes of His exaltedness and beauty. After all the earnest adjurations, the Imam begins to plead for forgiveness, “O’ God, forgive me those sins which tear apart safeguards!”[11] to the end. Look as well at the supplication of Abu Hamza Thumali and other countless supplications of these great people.
Me and you need to plead for forgiveness. Take heed lest you – believers, dear ones, the clean and pure-hearted – become complacent and say in your heart, “we have not sinned”! Truly, we are drowned in idleness and negligence. “What value remains for our deeds if compared to Your favors!”[12],[13] What is the correlation and the relation of what we imagine we do good with the Lord’s blessings as well as what is His due with regards to our gratitude; and how much worth is it to mention our deeds in relation to them?! Certainly, we cannot give God His due of thanks; we are not able to. “Neither he who has done righteous deeds can dispense with Your aid…”[14],[15] Is it probable for a person to be dispensable from divine favor and grace at any time? Of course, we always need them, and the Lord’s grace continuously shines upon us. “Your good descend upon us”[16],[17] and we cannot give Him His due thanks. In any case – whether this is because of laziness or negligence – we need to seek forgiveness.
The Night of Ordainment, an opportunity to seek forgiveness
The Night of Ordainment, or Laylat al-Qadr, is an opportunity to seek pardon or to express regret. Act contrite in front of the Almighty God. Now that God the Almighty has given me and you an opportunity to return to Him, we should plead for forgiveness and express regret to Him. And do so; otherwise, there will be a day when the Almighty God will address the perpetrators, “nor will they be permitted to offer excuses.”[18],[19] We will not be permitted to make an apology, God forbid. The perpetrators will not be allowed to say sorry; there is no apology there. At this time, where the opportunity exists, where it is permissible, where expressing regret increases your level, washes your sins away, cleanses you and illuminates you, offer excuses to God the Exalted! At this point, where the opportunity exists, draw the attention of God to yourself, wrap yourself in His grace and receive His love for yourself. “Remember Me, and I will remember you”[20],[21]. That is, at the very moment when you put the Almighty God in your heart, evoke Him in your heart and recall Him, at that very moment, God the Exalted has established grace, kindness and compassion upon you and assuredly His grace, munificence and forgiveness are extended to you. Call on God to remember you. Otherwise, the day will come when God will address the sinners as, “We [too] have forgotten you.”[22],[23] Meaning: Go! We fail to recall and have overlooked you. This is the realm of Resurrection.
Today, God the Almighty has allowed you to wail, appeal, shed tears, strengthen your devotion to Him, express your love to Him, flow the tears of joy, and love from your warm heart to your eyes. Seize this opportunity, otherwise, there will be a day when God the Almighty will address the offenders and say, “‘Do not make entreaties today!”[24],[25] Go, do not shed tears, do not appeal, it does not make a difference. “Indeed, you will not receive any help from Us”[26],[27].
This opportunity is an opportunity for life, an opportunity for a lifetime that is available to you and me to return to God. And the best opportunities are a few days of the year, among which the auspicious month of Ramadhan is the best period, in which the Night of Ordainment is the best.
The Night of Ordainment occurs on one of these three recommended nights of Ramadhan. According to the narration[28] of the late Muhaddith Qomi[29], once someone asked one of the Infallibles (as) which of these three nights – or the two nights of 21st or 23rd – is regarded as the Night of Ordainment. He answered, “How easy it is for a man to observe the Night of Ordainment for two or three nights.” Why should one be hesitant between these three nights? How long do these three nights last? There were some who considered the whole month of Ramadhan, from the beginning to the end, as the Night of Ordainment and performed the rituals of the night.
The social effects of seeking forgiveness
Certainly, if a nation realigns its heart with God, steps toward Him, truly beseeches Him and wholeheartedly takes shelter with Him, it will never be miserable; it will not be put to shame; it will not be corrupted; it will not be humiliated; it will not be captivated by the enemy, and it will not be subject to internal conflicts. If the weight of all these miseries fall upon a nation, it is mainly due to the shortcomings, negligence, sins, corruptions and misfortunes that we lay upon ourselves: “is because of what your hands have earned”[30],[31]. Indeed, whosoever steps toward God the Almighty takes himself one step closer to infallibility and protection from sins.
We should seek refuge in God. We should appeal to Him. We should work for Him. We should act for Him. We should give our hearts to Him. We should infuse the purity of our hearts with God’s remembrance. Once our hearts are brightened with the lights of piety and are neither attached to the world nor a captive of worldly and material things, the community becomes a place with truly bright, purified and pious people. Such persons strive well, work hard and build their own world well. Not being attached to the personal world does not mean that one should not strive for this world; rather, it means that the improvement of one’s worldly life is an act for God and a share of otherworldly deeds. In other words, whatsoever causes the improvement of material life is what God has asked us to do, and surely it is considered as one of the otherworldly deeds. That is why this improvement of worldly life is better, smoother, sweeter and more complete once it is accompanied with remembering God.
One night better than a thousand months
Cherish these days. Truly hold the Nights of Ordainment dear. The Holy Qur’an explicitly states, “[The Night of Ordainment] is better than a thousand months.”[32],[33]. One night is better than a thousand months! It is very valuable. It is the night in which the angels descend. It is the night in which the Spirit[34] descends. It is the night that the Almighty God has described as “peaceful”[35], tranquil. “Peaceful”[36] not only means divine peace and greetings upon humans, but also refers to wellbeing, peace, tranquility, serenity between people, for hearts, souls, bodies, communities, and all. Such a spiritual night this is! Cherish the auspicious Nights of Ordainment and pray for the issues of the country, yourself, Muslims, and the Islamic countries.
See how many problems the Islamic countries have! Beseech God to solve these problems. Pray for all human beings. Pray for the guidance of the people, yourself, your life, your authorities, your country, your deceased ones, and for what you seek that the Almighty God bestow upon you. Hold its hours and minutes dear.
I humbly also ask all of you, dear brothers and sisters, to pray for me on these auspicious Nights of Ordainment.
Here, we invoke some prayers as, God willing, communal prayers are accepted in these hours, approximately, close to the noon:
“I ask You God and call You by Your greatest, most magnificent, most dignified and most respected Name.”[37]
Dear God! Make us succeed in understanding the Night of Ordainment.
Make the Night of Ordainment better than a thousand months for us.
Answer our prayers on that night.
Now and on that night, express our greetings and salutations to Our master and the Imam of Time, the one who remains with God, may our souls be his ransom.
On that auspicious night, invoke his pure benedictions and favor on all of us.
Dear God! Make the Iranian nation glorious and proud.
Settle and establish Islamic laws in the whole world.
Suppress and defeat the enemies of Islam, the enemies of Iran, the enemies of this nation, and the enemies of the Islamic Republic.
Guide all human beings in all parts of the world to the path of righteousness.
Dear God! Strengthen the bonds of brotherhood, peace and serenity among this nation.
Dear God! Associate the pure souls of our dear martyrs with Your saints in “the rank of the highest ranking”[38].
Associate the immaculate soul of our great Imam[39] with Your saints.
Dear God! Bestow Your mercy and forgiveness on our predecessors, on our parents, and to those whom we give our respect[40].
Dear God! Resolve by your benefaction the plights of the people as well as our personal, public, social, and other problems.
Enlighten the face of this nation with joy, spirituality and serenity.
Dear God! Make this great nation achieve a victory over its enemies.
Suppress and defeat the enemies of this nation by its own hands.
Dear God! Strengthen our relationship with Qur’an and Islam and preserve it on a daily basis.
Make us cherish the teachings of Islam, the Revolution[41]
and the blessed Qur’anic verses.
[1] Laylat al-Qadr- i.e. one of the nights of the last ten days of Ramadan on which Muslims believe that the blessings and mercy of God are abundant, sins are forgiven, supplications are accepted, and the annual ordainment is revealed to the angels who also descend to earth. (Trans.)
[2] اولياءالله
[3] اَلحَمدُ لِلهِ رَبِّ العالَمينِ، نَحمَدُهُ وَ نَستَعينُهُ وَ نَتَوَکَّلُ عَلَيهِ و نُؤمِنُ بِهِ وَ نَستَغفِرُهُ وَ نُصَلّي وَ نُسَلِّمُ عَلي حَبيبِهِ وَ نَجيبِهِ وَ خِيَرَتِهِ في خَلقِهِ، حافِظِ سِرِّهِ وَ مُبَلِّغِ رِسالاتِهِ، بَشيرِ رَحمَتِهِ وَ نَذيرِ نِقمَتِهِ سَيِّدِنا وَ نَبيِّنا وَ حَبيبِ قُلوبِنا اَبِيالقاسِمِ المُصطَفي مُحَمَّد وَ عَلي آلِهِ الاَطيَبينَ الاَطهَرينَ المُنتَجَبينَ المَعصومينَ، سيَّما بَقيَّـ÷ِ اللهِ فِي الاَرَضينَ وَ صَلِّ عَلي اَئِمَّـ÷ِ المُسلِمينَ وَ حُما×ِ المُستَضعَفينَ وَ هُدا×ِ المُؤمِنينَ.
[4] “لَعَلَّکُم تَتَّقونَ”
[5] The Holy Qur’an, 2:183
[6] Islamic laws.
[7] “وَ استَغفِر لِذَنبِکَ”
[8] The Holy Qur’an, 40:55 & 47:19
[9]“فَسَبِّح بِحَمدِ رَبِّكَ وَاستَغفِرهُ”
[10] The Holy Qur’an, 110:3
[11] “اَللّهُمَّ اغفِر لِيَ الذُّنوبَ الَّتي تَهتِکُ العِصَمَ”
[12] “وَ ما قَدرُ اَعمالِنا في جَنبِ نِعَمِکَ”
[13] Hadith: 15th
[14] “لَا الَّذي اَحسَنَ استَغني عَن عَونِکَ”
[15] Hadith: 16th
[16] “خَيرُکَ اِلَينا نازِلٌ”
[17] Hadith: 17th
[18] “لا يُؤذَنُ لَهُم فَيَعتَذِرونَ”
[19] The Holy Qur’an, 77:36
[20] “فَاذکُروني اَذکُرکُم”
[21] The Holy Qur’an, 2:152
[22] “إِنّا نَسيناكُم”
[23] The Holy Qur’an, 32:14
[24] “لاتَجأَرُوا اليَومَ”
[25] The Holy Qur’an, 23:65
[26] “إِنَّكُم مِنّا لا تُنصَرونَ”
[27] ibid.
[28] Hadith: 19th
[29] i.e. also known as Abbas Qomi, he was a Shia scholar, historian, and hadith narrator who wrote many books and Mafatih al-Janan is his renowned masterpiece. (Ed.)
[30] “فَبِما کَسَبَت اَيديکُم”
[31] The Holy Qur’an, 42:30
[32] “خَيرٌ مِن اَلفِ شَهرٍ”
[33] The Holy Qur’an, 97:3
[34] i.e. Some of the narrations that clearly state that the Spirit is a being other than the angels. According to a narration, “A man come to Imam ‘Ali (P.B.U.H.) and asked, ‘Isn’t the Spirit Gabriel?’ The Imam replied, ‘Gabriel is an angel and the Spirit is not Gabriel’.” In another narration, Imam Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) says, “It is a being greater than Gabriel and Michael, it would stay with the Messenger of God (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) and now it stays with the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.); it is a being from the Kingdom of God.” (Trans.)
[35] “سَلامٌ”
[36] ibid.
[37] “نَسئَلُکَ اللّهُمَّ وَ نَدعوکَ، بِاسمِکَ العَظيمِ الاَعظَمِ، الاَعَزِّ الاَجَلِّ الاَکرَمِ يا اللهُ”
[38] i.e. Illīyīn which is the name of the seventh heaven. Some say it refers to the place in which the guardian angels reside, those who receive and record the deeds of devout believers. Others claim it refers to the rank of the highest ranking and closest-to-God believers in the Hereafter. (Trans.)
[39] Ref. Imam Khomeini (Trans.)
[40] “ذَوي الحقوق”
[41] Ref. the Iranian Revolution- also known as the Islamic Revolution or the 1979 Revolution. (Trans.)