In one of his sermons Imām Khumaynī says...

In one of his sermons Imām Khumaynī says: “Right from the Holy Prophet (s) until the Imām of time (upon whom be Allāh’s peace) all were afraid of sinning. Their sin was not what you and I possess. They comprehended such greatness that paying attention to the world of plurality was deemed as a major sin to them.

Hadrat Sajjād (‘a), as has been narrated, would recite the following supplication until morning: أَللٌّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنِي التَّجَافِيَ عَنْ دَارِ الْغُرُورِ، وَالإِنَابَةَ إِلــى دَارِ الْخُلُودِ، وَالإِسْتِعْدَادَ لِلْمَوْتِ قَبْلَ حُلُولِ الْفَوْتِ. “O Allāh I implore Thee to save me from the house of deception and help me return to the abode of joy and provide me with readiness for death before the soul is taken.[^3]” This indeed is a great issue.

When they consider themselves in front of the Greatness of God, they behold that they are nothing and have nothing. So is the reality. Other than Him there is no one and nothing. When they focus their attention to the realm of plurality, even if that is by Divine command [they consider themselves at fault]. This is the reason why the following saying is attributed to the Holy Prophet (s): إِنَّهُ لَيُغَانُ عَلى قَلْبِي، وَإِنِّي لأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللٌّهَ فِيْ كُلِّ يَوْمٍ سَبْعِِيْنَ مَرّةٍ.

“In order that my heart should not gather rust, I seek the forgiveness of God seventy times a day.”[^4] He enjoyed a different station form that which we possess. They benefited from the Divine Banquet, and soared beyond that too. They were in the Divine Banquet and because they would comprehend their presence before God and at the same time call the people to the truth, they would sense turbidity in the heart.

Paying attention to the manifestations of God, switching the attention from the Unseen to the visible world - i.e. to the Divine manifestations, despite their divine nature, [for they perceive the entities as Divine manifestations] is a great sin [for them]. This is because since the unseen ( ghayb ) that they seek is ‘The perfect connection to God’ ( kamāl al-inqitā’ ilayk ), when they pay attention to the manifestations, it is a great sin...This is an abode of deception for Imām al-Sajjād A.

Paying attention to the celestial realm [too] is the abode of deception. Paying attention to the realm beyond malakūt also is dār al-ghurūr (the abode of deception). Attention to Almighty God, such that there is no more any banquet comprehensible is specific to the perfect friends of God.

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