It means that one who takes up the habit of backbiting his...

It means that one who takes up the habit of backbiting his religion also begins to be eaten up simultaneously and continuously and gets eroded till the day when it is known that there is no religion in his heart, that it has become faithless and when he dies, he dies a faithless fellow.

Towards good through good opinion about God Yet another narration in al-Kafi quotes Amirul Momineen that the Prophet said: (This narration is both a good tiding as well as a warning) By God, (This swearing shows that the matter is very important), Who has no partner, and there is no sovereign except He, no person can attain the good of both this world and the Hereafter but by three things. First is to have a good opinion about God.

It means he should hope that if His order is obeyed He will give its reward, also one must hope that if he gives up sinning His Lord will reward him. If man cuts off his relation (His mindfulness) with God he has no other hope of doing any good deed and he will not engage in worship and prayer. If one has no hope that God gives reward of praying, fasting and spending in His path, why will he engage in these good deeds?

In short, anyone who reaches anywhere it is dependent upon his good opinion and hope from God. If you see that one spends his wealth for helping the needy know that his hope from God is great and his opinion about God is stronger. If one is found lazy in such good deeds, know that his hope from God is less. Character building by practice during youth time The second thing, which is the means of every good is good behavior or manners. It cannot be purchased.

It is also not attained merely by prayers. It requires struggle and practice. Practice can make man perfect in character building also. It is not like a dyer’s tank wherein if a cloth is dipped it gets colored at once. Reforming character is a very difficult task. Here is the gist of a narration from Imam Sadiq. If it is said that a mountain has moved from its place, it is believable but if someone says that one’s habits have changed it is hard to believe.

If one builds up a good character by the age of forty it is good. Otherwise, it is very difficult to change after this age. It is possible only if God helps him and he makes painful efforts. Till he is young it does not require much effort. He can improve his manners easily. It is possible that his ways may improve after some years of struggle. O Youths! Appreciate the value of your youth.