The leader of the knowers...

The leader of the knowers, guardian of the lovers and commander of the believers Imam Ali (as) has confirmed to the guides, the preachers and (the spiritual doctors) not to despair of curing their patients. The most important factor of attracting the divine mercy in this life and in the afterlife is to love people, to treat the sinful kindly and mercifully and to bear pains and tired ness in order to attract them to the fort of repentance.

It has been narrated that once a man said to the Prophet (S), “I like my Lord to have mercy on me.” The Prophet (S) said to him, “Have mercy on you rself and have mercy on the people of Allah and then Allah will have mercy on you[^1]!” From among the creatures of Allah there are the sinful persons who have been involved because of several reasons into sins and disobediences and they should not be driven away or treated rudely and harshly. One should treat them as if they were sick.

The sick person, who asks us to cure him, really deserves to be treated kindly and leniently. We have to invite him and if he does not come, then we should go to him, talk to him with utmost kindness and leniency and show to him the dangerous effects of sins in this life and in the afterlife and that the mercy and care of Allah have not stopped for even a moment throughout his life. We remind him of that and encourage him that Allah may help him to repent and return to the path of the truth.

Being patient and perseverant to guide a sinful person and to make him repent and turn to Allah is better than all the other deeds and its reward will be more than the reward of all the other good deeds. Ameerul Mo'mineen (as) has said, “Once the Messenger of Allah (S) sent me to Yemen and said to me, “O Ali, do not fight anyone until you invite him to believe.

By Allah, if Allah guides a man at your hand, it will be better to you than all what the sun has shone and set on and you will be his guardian, O Ali[^2].” O Allah, we have nothing to turn towards You with save the tears of our eyes and we have no weapon save supplication and no hope save expecting your mercy! O Allah, make us succeed to achieve the real repentance and turning to You!

Our Lord, nourish our life with benevolence, right ness, piety and worship, reform our state with servitude and obedience to You, keep the remain of our old safe from open and hidden sins and make our life and death as the life and the death of Muhammad (S) and his blessed progeny (as)! 22 Muharram, 1421 A.H.