ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Imam ‘Ali’s First Treatise On The Islamic Ethics And Education Present to your heart the reports of the past ones, and remember that you will soon become one of them ========================================================================================================== 13. Present to it (your heart) the reports of the past ones, and remind it of what befell the earlier ones before you.

Travel in their lands and (among) their ruins, and see what they did, from what they have moved away, and where they arrived at and settled. You will find them having moved away from their loved ones and having inhabited an alien abode and (it is) as if you will soon become like one of them.

“و اعرض عليه اخبار الماضين وذكّره بما اصاب من كان قبلك من الأولين وسِر في ديارهم، فانظر فيما فعلوا وعمّا انتقلوا، واين حلّو ونزلوا، فانك تجدهم قد انتقلوا عن الأحبّة وحلّو دار الغربة وكأنك عن قليل قد صرت كاحدهم” The Mirror of History The study of the history of the ancient nations and people, and an observation of their remnants and a survey of the factors of their rise and fall are among the principles of Islamic education, Our study of the past will reveal to us that the same factors of rise and fall are still with us today in the form of "the tradition of history".

We are subject to this tradition and we are not excluded by it. This study of the past will show to us that pleasures and depression, honor and misery, assets and hardships, all will pass. Neither do the world's good things deserve our deception and pride, nor should its bad things disturb the ocean of our existence and deprive us of the spirit of satisfaction or patience. You too of whatever group you are, finally you will go away and will face what your ancestors have gone through.

It is better for you to learn a lesson from them and not to waste your time as they did. It is because of this educational principle that nearly one third of the Qur’an consists of the stories and histories of the past peoples and nations. The Qur’an orders people to travel on the earth to observe the mirror of the history of the past nations.