CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE SHIITE OF THE WORLD ON THE OCCASION OF BIRTHDAY OF IMAM MOUSA KAZEM (peace be upon him)

Imam Mousa Kazem (peace be upon him) prescribed to some Shiite:

“Protect yourself from God’s fury and speak fearlessly, though you might be destroyed. But, know that right will not destroy you, but it will save you. Always let alone the void, though it might help you, because it shall never save you and will finally destroy you.” ¹

As Imam Mousa ibn Jafar passed the years of his life in jail of an oppressor, his life looks like the life of prophet Joseph (peace be upon him). Among all the prophets, Joseph was threw to well, because he loved his father and was convicted of purity and piety and among the Imams, Mousa Ibn Jafar (peace be upon him) was imprisoned being convicted of telling the truth and being faithful and pious and because he loved the people and believed that he was more deserved than Aaron. ²

In Koran verses and narrations, this content appears much that god imposes pains and suffering on a prophet or a pious creature or that God specially makes those whom He loves, suffer. There is a narration: “God remembers and caresses a faithful creature by putting him in a trouble. Just as a man remembers his relatives when he is traveling, by sending to them souvenirs to be kind to them.”

(Kafi, volume: 2, page: 255)

This question comes into mind of everyone that kindness and passion necessitate providing for pleasure and comfort, not hardness and discomfort, so how God will impose pain on His friends? How He interprets examination? Is God unaware of nature of the people’s works?

Both questions are replied when philosophy of catastrophe and pain and trouble and their effects on man are known. As ordered by law and according to nature of creation, there are many attainments which are not fulfilled except if one encounters difficulties. Everyone has a real jewel which is wrapped just as a mineral under the soil. ⁴

According to Mowlana, Wheat grows under the soil, it is entangled by the prison of soil and is broken in the same jail to enter a more complete stage, to let out some thin roots and gradually to be formed as a wheat to come out and to be softened under the mill stone as flour, to be baked as bread, to be milled under men’s teeth, to be absorbed in bodies, finally to reach its highest stage to be manifested as wisdom and intelligence. ⁵

The troubles and suffering are effective as completing, changing, and are constructive. They make the weak, strong and the mean, high. They make the raw, baked. They purify, they remove the rust and boredom, they provoke and create sensitivity. So, such cases shall not be considered as fury. It is kindness, it is goodness manifested as evil, it is blessing manifested as evil. The deserved people will make the maximum use of such kindness in the forms of suffering. ⁶

By troubles and suffering, God examines the people and it means that by such means He make everyone reach the attainment he deserves. In fact God is not examining the people to reveal their real weight and limit and level of their spirituality and personality, but He examines the people to put them in trouble to increase their spiritual grades and levels of their personalities.

Ali (peace be upon him) wrote a letter to governor of Basreh, Osman ibn Hanif to advise him not to seek wealth and not to neglect his duties, mentions his simple life and his being content with barley bread, then he comments: “some people might wonder how Ali is able to encounter the strong athletes to defeat them? They make a mistake. A hard life will not decrease one’s power, it is luxurious life that decreases power. The woods of desert trees are stronger because they have not been caressed by a gardener than those trees which are always supervised.” Thus, the power which is inside is different with an external motivation and the principle is that man’s aptitudes and limitless energies are revealed. ⁷

Imam Mousa Kazem (peace be upon him) prescribes in this regard:

“A faithful man serves as two sides of a scale, the more the side of faith is increased, the more the side of examinations increase.” ⁸

Amir Almonenin (peace be upon him) prescribes: “do not say: Oh! God protect me of all troubles and disturbances, because there is no one who do not encounter the problems, but say: God protect me of the deviating disturbances and deviating aspects of troubles. ⁹