And the one who refrains from the useless matters his...
And the one who refrains from the useless matters his opinion would balance the intellects (an extract).
[22] The Meanings of Taffakur: عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبَانٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ الصَّيْقَلِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَمَّا يَرْوِي النَّاسُ أَنَّ تَفَكُّرَ سَاعَةٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ قِيَامِ لَيْلَةٍ قُلْتُ كَيْفَ يَتَفَكَّرُ قَالَ يَمُرُّ بِالْخَرِبَةِ أَوْ بِالدَّارِ فَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ سَاكِنُوكِ أَيْنَ بَانُوكِ مَا بَالُكِ لَا تَتَكَلَّمِينَ Once I asked Abu Abd Allah -asws about what people’s narration, Taffakur (thinking) for ‘سَاعَةٍ’ one moment is better than worshipping a whole night, How should they think?
The Imam -asws said: They pass by the ruins of dwellings or a building and ask: ‘Where are your inhabitants? Where are your builders? Why do you not speak?
[23] عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ رِجَالِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ أَفْضَلُ الْعِبَادَةِ إِدْمَانُ التَّفَكُّرِ فِي اللَّهِ وَ فِي قُدْرَتِهِ A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Nasr from certain individuals of his people who has narrated the following from Abu Abd Allah -asws : Abu Abd Allah -asws has said: The most virtuous form of worship is thinking about Allah -azwj very often and about His -azwj Power.
[24] مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُعَمَّرِ بْنِ خَلَّادٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع يَقُولُ لَيْسَ الْعِبَادَةُ كَثْرَةَ الصَّلَاةِ وَ الصَّوْمِ إِنَّمَا الْعِبَادَةُ التَّفَكُّرُ فِي أَمْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa from Muammar ibn Khallad who said: I heard Abu AI-Hassan Al-Reza -asws saying: ‘A great deal of prayer and fasting only are not (everything in) worship.
Worship is only in thinking about the affairs of Allah -azwj . [25] مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ سَهْلٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ رِبْعِيٍّ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص إِنَّ التَّفَكُّرَ يَدْعُو إِلَى الْبِرِّ وَ الْعَمَلِ بِهِ Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from lsmail ibn Sahl from Hammad from Ribi who has said: Abu Abd Allah -asws has said that Amir-ul-Momineen -asws has said: ‘Thinking leads to virtue and to acting virtuously.
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