Pars Today

Pars Today- The 6th Imam of Shia Muslims says, "Happy is he who does not turn God's blessing into ingratitude and happy are those who love each other for God's sake."

Proper usage of the divine blessings is a very important issue and it shapes the course of life for man and society.

The 6^th Imam of Shia Muslims, Imam Ja'far Sadeq (Peace upon him), has been narrated as saying, "Happy is he who does not turn God's blessing into ingratitude and happy are those who love each other for God's sake."

Now, we have a look at the brief explanation of this hadith from Imam Khamenei.

"Happy is he who does not turn God's blessing into ingratitude."

This is a very important subject, the issue of turning God's bounty into unfaith. unfaithful deed, and ingratitude which has been mentioned in the Qur'an and in verses 28 and 29 of chapter Ebrahim, "Have you not regarded those who have changed Allah's blessing with ingratitude, and landed their people in the house of ruin? - hell, which they shall enter, and it is an evil abode."

Sometimes, Almighty God has given a blessing to human being, for example, expression and clarification. Well, it is a blessing. This blessing can be used in the way of spreading the divine and ethical teachings. It can also be used in the opposite way. If a person uses this blessing in the opposite way of the divine aims, he has been ungrateful towards this blessing. He has turned the blessing into ingratitude. Or, for example, possession of worldly wealth is a blessing. Wealth is a blessing which God bestows upon some people. One can obtain high degrees with this blessing, give charity, spend it [in God's way], rescue some others from misery, destruction and hunger; on the contrary, one can apply this money in haram (religiously forbidden) ways, that is, to make oneself and others corrupt. This is ingratitude of the divine blessing. Power, management ability and overtaking of managerial posts is a blessing, too. That, Almighty God grants someone the power of creating a course, changing a course, correction of a course, this is a blessing. How do we consume this blessing? If it is used in the direction of serving people and guidance of society, well, this is the gratitude of blessing. [But] if it is not used in this way, this is ingratitude.

Sometimes, this ingratitude of blessings goes to the extent that it is not reparable. For instance, suppose that a nation stages an uprising in a country, stages a movement against the interests of the Arrogance and the US and other bullying countries. Those whom they brought to power, gave them the ability to administer the country, gave them the opportunity to administer the country; but these [people] either don't use this opportunity or abuse it or use it in the opposite direction, [thus] they will cause mishap for the nation and make themselves miserable, too. This is: "Have you not regarded those who have changed Allah's blessing with ingratitude."

"Happy are those who love each other for God's sake."

The continuation of the hadith reads: Happy are those whose love is related to the divine satisfaction, it is for God's sake. This is the meaning of Mutahābbina billāh or fillāh. It means that their love is for the sake of God. They love this person for God's sake. They give up loving that person for God's sake.

Sources:

Imam Khamenei, April, 30, 2017. explanation of hadith "Happy is he who does not turn God's blessing into ingratitude and happy are those who love each other for God's sake."

The book Amāli of Sheikh Tusi, session one, p21

al-Mesbāh of al-Kaf'ami, p63

RM/MG

Key phrases: who is Shia? who are the Ahl al-Bayt? politics and religion, God's blessings, who is Imam Khamenei?