In the name of God the Merciful and the Compassionate

 

            الحمد
لله ربّ العالمين و الحمد لله الذی لا مُضادّ له في مُلكه و لا مُنازِعَ لَهُ في
أمره. الحمدالله الذی لا شريك لَهُ في خلقه و لا شبيه لَهُ في عَظَمَتِه جزء من
دعاء الإفتتاح وصلّی الله علی سيدّنا ونبيّنا محمّد صلّی الله عليه وعلی آله
الطاهرين واصحابه المنتجبين.             

عبادالله ! أُوصيكم و نفسي بتقوی الله و
اتّباع امره و نهیه.

A
lot of matters were presented about relationship between morals and Sharia from
the point of view of Quran and narrations. However, since praying is emphasized
as one of important bases of the religion in all of the religions of God and is
considered as a necessary affair in the religion, it seems that matters should
be presented about relationship between this obligation of God and morals and
spirituality.                                                                              
   

It
can be understood from the verses and the narrations that people have been
created for this main purpose in order to achieve the reality. Exalted God has
considered all of grounds of achieving the reality for human. One of means that
has the most important role in the religion is praying. In fact, praying is the
most means and the string of achieving the reality and God and it is completely
clear that if a person achieves such a situation, he or she has gained the
basis of spirituality that is closeness to God and the spiritual life. Hence,
it has been narrated that Imam Hasan Asgari peace be upon him narrated                                                  

 

«إِنَّ‏
الْوُصُولَ‏ إِلَى‏ اللَّهِ‏ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ سَفَرٌ لايُدْرَكُ إِلَّا بِامْتِطَاء اللَّيْلِ
مَنْ لَمْ يُحْسِنْ أَنْ يَمْنَعَ لَمْ يُحْسِنْ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ[1]

 

 

Closeness to God is a travel that persons
are pleased to achieve only through praying and paying attention to devotions
related to night .                        

 

It has been said that Imam Bagher peace be upon him stated:

Praying is as important as if someone fulfills it and it is accepted by God ,
his or her other deeds will be accepted by merciful God ;                                          

 « أَوَّلُ‏ مَا يُحَاسَبُ‏ بِهِ‏ الْعَبْدُ
الصَّلَاةُ فَإِنْ قُبِلَتْ قُبِلَ مَا سِوَاهَا و ان رُدَّت رُدَّ ما سِوَاهَا[2] 

Praying
is important because this obligation of God helps human to ascend the peak of
spirituality and morals and it is considered as the best treatment for healing
spiritual and mental problems. Likewise, praying can somewhat determine the
faith and the monotheistic rank of human because persons can observe the beauty
of God with their hearts and senses through praying and every day they present
the reality of paying attention to exalted God several times and show the rank
of closeness to God and lovers show their spiritual presence to their beloved
creator.                                                          
      

Praying
has an absolute role in unity and rightness. A believer that prays can achieve the
highest rank and the peak of spirituality that is assurance paying attention to
the names and the attributes of God;                                         

   « وَ اعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقينُ»[3] 

This matter is presented in the Islamic mysticism in detail; if
persons want to achieve the reality and beautiful inner, they should pass the
path of Sharia and the rules of God because Sharia is only means of achieving
reality and spirituality until the last moment of the life. Hence, this is a
false imagination that if someone achieves certainness, reality and the peak of
spirituality through Sharia, he or she will be needless of Sharia and the path
because even if a person achieves the peak of spirituality, there will be some
ranks in the peak of spirituality that involve knowing the way of living and
Sharia more than the past. Moreover, threats appear in each rank differently; hence,
we need shelter and resort more so that persons can resort to him in each stage
and rank. And God shelters persons in all stages of religious path as this
point has been clarified in this verse of sacred Surah of Hamd  

 

« إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَ إِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعينُ»[4] 

Praying
that is fulfilled carefully with all of its conditions increases the presence
of heart and faith in God and fascinates human the beauty and the greatness of
God. Persons with such presence and attention get object lesson from tortures
descended upon others as this important point has been emphasized in this
sacred verse                                                                                                

 

« إِنَّ في‏ ذلِكَ لَذِكْرى‏ لِمَنْ كانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى
السَّمْعَ وَ هُوَ شَهيدٌ[5] 

Definitely,
there are object lessons in these tortures for persons that have conscious
hearts or listen them carefully .                                                            

  

If
there is not such a spiritual mood for persons, they will face to serious
threats; as a consequence, their hearts will not be influenced any more as it
is referred in the following sacred verse                                                                           

« كَلاَّ بَلْ رانَ عَلى‏ قُلُوبِهِمْ
ما كانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ »[6]

 And it has been narrated
from Imam Bagher peace be upon him ;  

«مَا مِنْ‏
عَبْدٍ إِلاّ وَ فِي‏ قَلْبِهِ‏ نُكْتَةٌ بَيْضَاءُ فَإِذَا أَذْنَبَ ذَنْباً خَرَجَ
فِي النُّكْتَةِ نُكْتَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ فَإِنْ تَابَ ذَهَبَ تِلْكَ السَّوَادُ وَ إِنْ
تَمَادَى فِي الذُّنُوبِ زَادَ ذَلِكَ السَّوَادُ حَتَّى يُغَطِّيَ الْبَيَاضَ فَإِذَا
غَطَّى الْبَيَاضَ لَمْ يَرْجِعْ صَاحِبُهُ إِلَى خَيْرٍ أَبَداً وَ هُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ
عَزَّ وَجَلَ‏: كَلَّا بَلْ رانَ عَلى‏ قُلُوبِهِمْ ما كانُوا
يَكْسِبُونَ[7]

The hearts of all persons are white, but when they commit sins, a black point
covers it and if persons repent , it will be removed. However, if persons
commit a lot of sins that cover the whites of their hearts, they will not have
benevolent hearts any more . This matter has been expressed in this sacred
verse                      

كَلَّا بَلْ رانَ عَلى‏ قُلُوبِهِمْ ما كانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ».

If a
person that prays as the most important way of achieving spirituality pays
attention to exalted God, God will pay attention to him as well as Imam Bagher
peace be upon him narrated that the messenger of God peace of Allah be upon
him and his descendants stated                                                         

 

«إِذَا قَامَ‏ الْعَبْدُ الْمُؤْمِنُ‏ فِي صَلَاتِهِ نَظَرَ اللَّهُ
إِلَيْهِ أَوْ قَالَ أَقْبَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ وَ أَظَلَّتْهُ الرَّحْمَةُ
مِنْ فَوْقِ رَأْسِهِ إِلَى أُفُقِ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ تَحُفُّهُ مِنْ حَوْلِهِ
إِلَى أُفُقِ السَّمَاءِ وَ وَكَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ مَلَكاً قَائِماً عَلَى رَأْسِهِ
يَقُولُ لَهُ أَيُّهَا الْمُصَلِّي لَوْ تَعْلَمُ مَنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْكَ وَ مَنْ تُنَاجِي
مَا الْتَفَتَّ وَ لَا زِلْتَ مِنْ مَوْضِعِكَ أَبَد 

When
a believer stands to pray and pays attention to God with his or her heart, God
pays attention to him and as long as his or her praying lasts, God considers
him or her under the umbrella of his mercy and the height of this umbrella of
mercy is from above the head of this worshiper until the horizon of the sky.  [8]                                             

Praying
as a duty toward God has a lot of social and personal effects in making
relationships and as it promotes the spirituality of human in a personal area,
it has an important role in making relationship between human and God and
persons with each other.                                                                              
 

In
this matter, we have concentrated on praying that has a deep relationship with
morals and spirituality and it is possible to transfer this relationship to all
of the rules of God and Sharia. In other words, all of the rules of God leave
such effect on the soul and the spirit of the society and persons and establish
safety and comfort in the society. Hence, as praying is to deal with virtues
and to avoid vices, attributes whether good or bad influence the acceptance
of praying by God. As it has been said in a narration, if a person has little
vanity in his or her inner and hypocrisy and pretension include his or her
intentions for praying, their praying will have no value and even in some
cases, it is not accepted from jurisprudence aspects. Very important point that
should be paid attention deeply is that there
is a deep relationship between moral regulations and jurisprudence religious
regulations from the aspect of acceptance and ignoring them causes that no
devotions have their own places. Such an important matter can be understood if
the verses and the narrations related to this matter are paid attention more.                                                                              
           

In
conclusion, all of the rules of God such as praying, fasting and Hajj and even
rules that are considered from financial aspects such as Khoms Islamic tithe
and Zakat alms have very deep prelateship with the area of morals and
spiritual matters and if their customs are paid attention and acted, the
society of human will experience and observe the moral society of the religion.
                                                     

 

 

 

[1]. Behar Al-Anvar T_ Beirut v 75 p 380

[2].  Behar Al-Anvar
T_ Beirut v 7 p 267

 

[3].  Al-Hijr 15 / verse 99

[4].   Al-Fatiha 1 / verse 5

[5] .
Qaaf 50 / verse 37

[6] .
Al-Mutaffifin 83 / verse 14

[7].  Osul Kafi v 2 p 273

[8]. Vasael Al-Shie v 4 p 32 a 5

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