Lectures on the Lessons of Nahj al-Balagha (The Supplications of Nahj al-Balagha) by Mostafa Malekian

Mostafa Malekian: In the lecture series Lessons from Nahj al-Balagha (The Supplications of Nahj al-Balagha), the reason for choosing this topic is that nothing reveals a person's character like their supplications to God. If you want to know yourself, see what you ask of God when you are alone.

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Session One                    17/ 1/ 72

The Difference Between Supplicating and Reciting Supplications

Unfortunately, one of our errors is that, whether we are alone or sitting in a gathering, we do not supplicate (duʿā kardan) but rather recite supplications (duʿā khāndan), and these two states are different. We usually read something that another individual has asked for, and often this thing is not the same as what we ourselves want. This, in my opinion, is one of the mis-teachings of religion and religiosity. It has been instilled in us that we must, as it were, read aloud the supplications that another person has made.

Supplicating means expressing what I myself feel, reciting it, and seeking and asking God to remedy the deficiency related to it. What do we mostly do? We recite supplications, not that we supplicate. Now, this is on the assumption that we know what we are saying, but sometimes it is even worse than this, and at times we read an Arabic text and do not understand what we are reading, as if we were reading a Russian text.

But if I read and understand what, for example, Imam Ali is asking for in this supplication, it still does not mean that my request is the same as Imam Ali's request. A "request" is not a ceremonial thing. In this respect, a "request" is like taste. Just as my taste and yours are not the same, my requests and yours are not the same either. Because these are related to the individual's psychological and physical structure.

Now, supplicating means expressing the needs I feel within. Can it be said that you should state what need you are feeling so that I can feel it too? This makes no sense at all, yet this too is instilled in us, and the instiller neglects the point that there is no guarantee that my need is the same as the speaker's need. Supplication is not an imitative or ceremonial matter.

Knowing the Imams Through Their Supplications

There is a point here, and that is that when I become acquainted with the supplications of the Imams—which express their inner needs—my knowledge of them also increases, and I understand what type of human beings they were. To this knowledge, we add a general premise that is a requirement of religious teachings, and that premise is: "The more we become acquainted with these pure human beings, the more it causes us to assimilate to them." But this discussion comes after the discussion of supplication. Supplication, in brief, means presenting one's needs to God. Not reading aloud what others have presented to God. We must speak the words of our hearts to God.

Examining the supplications of Nahj al-Balagha has two merits:

a) A better unveiling of the personality of Imam Ali (peace be upon him).

b) If my need is the same as the need of Mawla Ali, then in that case I have found the best way to express that need.

The first merit has nothing to do with supplication itself. We will enter into it later, but it is beneficial for the general premise I mentioned.

The Importance of the Form of Supplication

But the second merit is very relevant to our discussion. Is the form of expressing a need important? Yes, the form of supplication is very important and, unfortunately, is greatly neglected. The effect of the word itself on the human being is very penetrating. If you are familiar with contemporary Western metaphysicians, you will see that they say, "How I ask for what I want is very important."

Types of Prayer

Before addressing this matter and elaborating on it, we must discuss what purpose we pursue by speaking of God?

Our prayers are of two types: a) Munajat (intimate discourse, whispering secrets) and b) Duʿā (supplication, expressing needs). These two are not the same.

Monajat (whispered prayer) derives from the word najva, meaning to speak a word in someone's ear so that a third party does not hear it. Monajat, then, is speaking softly with God. Dua (supplication), on the other hand, means asking and openly stating one's need and revealing that need. The entirety of our prayers falls into these two categories.

Characteristics of Prayer

In a prayer, all declarative sentences pertain to monajat, and sentences that are performative are dua. The collection of prayers found in any religion can be divided into these two types. For example, Imam Hussein, toward the end of the Arafah Supplication, says: 'Elahi ana faqirun fi ghenai, fa kayfa la akunu faqiran fi faqri. Elahi ana jahilun fi ilmi, fa kayfa la akunu jahulan fi jahli.' (O God, when I am wealthy, I am poor, so how much more so when I am poor? O God, when I am knowledgeable, I am ignorant, so how much more so when I am ignorant?) 'Elahi amiyat aynun la taraka, alayha ghabara.' (O God, an eye that does not see You is blind, and dust has settled upon it.) Or 'Elahi taraddudi fi al-athar yujibu bu'd al-mazar.' (O God, the more I contemplate the phenomena of existence, the further I become from You; the more I look upon the phenomena of the world, the less I am able to look upon You.)

What is being asked for in these? Nothing. They are merely stating that this is how the situation is. None of them has a performative aspect. Or, for instance, at the beginning of the Kumayl Supplication, it says: 'Bi rahmatika allati wasi'at kulla shay',' meaning Your mercy has encompassed everything. These are of the monajat type.

The Purpose of Dua

In dua, performative sentences are used, and another end is in view. Dua has one purpose, and monajat has another. The purpose in dua is to overcome needs and deficiencies.

The Purpose of Monajat

In monajat, the purpose is to overcome the feeling of loneliness, and since no human being exists who does not feel deficiency and loneliness, for this reason every human being is in need of dua and monajat. These two purposes are the primary ones, and they can also subsume other purposes. In monajat, we seek to dispel the feeling of loneliness, or at least to reduce it. But what draws us toward dua is the feeling of deficiency. Psychologically speaking, there is no human being who is without need of dua and monajat. It is for this reason that if we wish to have a good state in our prayers, we must have a good picture of our loneliness and deficiency. If it is narrated that God said to Jesus (PBUH): 'Endure hunger so that you may understand Me,' it means the feeling of need you have due to hunger is a good bridge for moving toward God. Here, mere hunger was not the point; rather, any need draws us toward God. Any kind of feeling of need lays the groundwork for making dua. A few points require clarification: Regarding loneliness, some have thought that we are not, in reality and in fact, alone, and that those who feel lonely are afflicted with an illness and suffer from delusion.

But if we come to believe that human beings are, psychologically speaking, afflicted with loneliness, then in that case, someone who does not feel lonely is ill. Now we must see if this view is defensible. To defend this view, we must first address the meaning of loneliness:

Types of Human Loneliness

First Meaning: Physical Loneliness

Physical loneliness (this loneliness is dispelled with the arrival of another human being). This case is not the subject of our discussion.

Second Meaning: No one knows what is going on inside me

Loneliness in the sense of not being understood (others do not understand my state and condition). A person may be in a crowd and have this feeling. This meaning of loneliness is deeper than the previous one.

Third Meaning: No one can help me

The inability of others to eliminate my existential needs and my existential deficiencies (this case is deeper than the ones above).

Fourth Meaning: No one does anything for my own sake

Loneliness in the sense that even when others understand my situation and do something to remedy my deficiency and need, they are still thinking of themselves. (The deepest meaning of loneliness).

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Second Session 29/1/72

The Cause of the Second Type of Loneliness (No one knows what is going on inside me)

The second type of loneliness is where you are in a place frequented by many people, but you cannot call out to them. You cannot wave a hand, and in no way whatsoever can you make others aware of your presence. This loneliness is also irremovable, because my circumstances are not such that others can gain complete knowledge of me, for a part of my being always remains hidden from the view of others. Not all of my realms can be disclosed to others. This loneliness cannot be eliminated. I cannot make all my inner states and existential realms manifest to you. Because this loneliness stems from the ignorance of others regarding one of the realms of my existence, it must be said that I am always alone in this sense. Misunderstandings also often arise from the fact that we cannot perceive the other as they truly are. If I could understand the intention behind your actions, I would not misunderstand your intention, but everyone is like this in relation to one another. Therefore, since the ignorance of others regarding me cannot be removed, this loneliness cannot be removed either.

The Cause of the Third Type of Loneliness (No one can help me)

The third type of loneliness arises from the point that, although you are aware of my state and situation, you cannot do anything to improve it and you act ignorantly, as if you are unaware. My situation in this state is like that of someone being tortured in a glass cage, whom everyone sees but acts as if they do not see. This happens very often in our lives.

The Cause of the Fourth Type of Loneliness (No one does anything for my own sake)

The fourth loneliness is the deepest type of loneliness, and we have none deeper than this. If you accept that every human being has self-love, and that this self-love is among the most important innate qualities, then you will understand that it is incurable and you will arrive at loneliness. Self-love creates two other attributes in me:

a) Attracting all benefits toward myself

b) Repelling all harms from myself.

In my life, I do nothing except attract a benefit for myself and repel a harm from myself. This is the characteristic of all human beings. However, pay attention to two points:

a) Benefit and harm here do not only mean material benefit and harm. Spiritual benefit and harm are also intended (for example, nearness to God). (Self-love in both aspects).

b) This self-love is not morally reprehensible. Because an action is performed according to one's nature and disposition. The one who created human beings created them as

As I have also said before, if you refer to Surah Al-Insan and the verses concerning the family of Imam Ali and their self-sacrifice, you will see that the Quran says that those who gave their food for three days to the captive, the orphan, and the needy, said to them,

Each of these two cases has its harms. To avoid falling into these shortcomings, we must recognize the changeable and unchangeable matters. But, as it happens, our knowledge in this area is insufficient. Sometimes we truly do not know what we should do and what we should not do. At times, we truly do not know what the impact of our actions on others is, and we are only aware of a small portion of our actions' effects on others. For example, a teacher is aware of the information they convey to their students but is unaware of the spirit they are transmitting to them. They do not know the extent of the reactions they provoke and may cause misguidance.

Our ignorance of the realities of the universe is, to a great extent, influential in our actions. Some realities have no effect on our lives; for instance, if I now learn that a certain phenomenon is occurring on a certain planet. That is, these matters have no immediate effect. But some realities are very influential, such as awareness of what a child's mode of perception is like between the ages of 5 and 7.

Deficiency in the Realm of Power:

In my opinion, the most important human deficiency is the inability to refrain from comparing oneself with others. We are constantly comparing others with ourselves and ourselves with others. This is very harmful in life. The presupposition of comparison is that, supposedly, my capital and yours are equal. When I see that you have memorized 100 lines of poetry and I have only memorized 10, I ask, why am I not like you? My presupposition is that the power of my mind and yours are equal. Whereas this is not the case at all. But if I come to realize that the endowments of human beings are not the same in all respects (color, height, memory, intelligence, family, culture, etc.), any kind of comparison becomes misplaced. Therefore, one must not compare oneself with others.

If we do not compare ourselves with others, we will have a peaceful life. You might say, what then becomes of our perfectionism? If I do not compare, will I not progress? Using Viktor Frankl's beautiful expression, I say, "Never compete with others; compete with yourself." That is, never say, I have this much knowledge and Mr. X has that much knowledge, and I must go and catch up to him. Rather, measure yourself and go to reach your own potential. You should not compete with X because you were never equal to him from the start. We must constantly tell ourselves that I, who have been at this level until now, must strive to rise above this stage and become better. In a competition with oneself, there is no false presupposition.

The spiritual person is constantly calculating: Is this limit at which I now find myself the highest limit, or is something higher than it also within my power? "Within my power" means I must strive to reach it. And if they know it is the highest limit, they must know that they are facing an inevitable matter.

The Harms of Comparing Oneself with Others

Comparing oneself with others, besides its incorrect presupposition, also has undesirable results.

First Harm: The first undesirable result is "envy."

Second Harm: The second bad effect is that it does not allow one to see one's own strengths. This causes "despair" to come upon a person. Someone upon whom despair descends and who becomes hopeless is certainly doomed.

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Session 4 14/ 2 / 72

Continuation of the First Harm of Comparison

We were discussing human deficiency, where we referred to the deficiency in knowledge and then addressed the deficiency in power. The first deficiency in this area is that we cannot compare ourselves with others. This comparison is also harmful. (Of course, when I say it is harmful, it is because I am depicting the situation and not making a moral recommendation. You see for yourselves whether what I am saying is actually the case or not.) Because this comparison gives rise to envy. If the offspring of comparison were admiration, there would be no problem. But when envy is its offspring, this comparison must be set aside. When I compare myself with you, I either see myself as ahead of you or behind. If I see myself as ahead, a problem arises which I will refer to later, and if I see myself as behind, envy arises. That is, instead of striving to reach you, I wish for you to regress and come down to my level. If comparison led to admiration, it would propel us forward, but in envy, harm follows upon harm. (Of course, admiration itself has side effects, which are not under discussion for now.) Envy blinds us and tears us into pieces, piece by piece. There are few psychological traits that shred a person to bits. For instance, I see someone's wealth and feel envy, I see someone's knowledge and feel envy, I see someone's popularity and feel envy, and so on... This is where I am torn to pieces.

The Third Harm of Comparison

Another affliction of comparison is self-forgetfulness. For example, I see that you are ahead of me, but I do not see that I myself also have particular strengths which, if I use them, I would become better and find a better situation. These strengths cause one to move forward; we must never look upon ourselves with contempt. Remove that Sufi teaching from your ears, and in the words of Martyr Motahhari, self-esteem is a very important matter. Anyone who is not dear in their own eyes diminishes, and one of the greatest causes of embarking upon sin is precisely this: that we do not see ourselves as dear; otherwise, we would never have stepped towards sin at all. Whoever finds their own strengths knows their own worth; whoever knows their own worth attains self-esteem, and this very thing becomes one of the best reasons for not sinning.

*Neglect of the efforts of others in reaching the state that is the object of my envy causes us to become blind to realities and act naively. In comparison, we see the individual's current state, but we are heedless of the history of their existence, their efforts, strivings, failures, and perseverance.

The Fallacy Present in Comparison

In comparison, a person only sees the history of their own existence and observes the current existence of that individual, but is heedless of their backstage. Anyone who reaches a certain position has a) strived, b) failed and strived again, experiencing ups and downs, and c) had perseverance.

*We content ourselves with the outward and cast no glance at the inward. Sometimes we feel pleasure from a blessing that another person has and imagine that the person is also in pleasure, while they are in suffering. This is what Rumi meant when he said:

The peacock's foe became its feathers...... Oh, many a king has been slain by his glory.

This refers to this very point. Others take pleasure in the peacock's feathers, but the peacock itself is in suffering; if it were given the wings and feathers of a crow, no one would covet it. Many blessings are like this: we have no access to their inward reality and take pleasure in their outward appearance. So, you are unaware of the pain and suffering that individual endures; I only see my own suffering and am unaware of others, and one of the greatest reasons for attributing the problem of evil to God is precisely this: that we say everyone is happy and only I am unhappy. This is because I only see the outward. Since I only see the outward of others and see my own inward, for this reason I say the only one who has been wronged is me, and no one else.

This is precisely the fallacy I commit when making comparisons. But if I were to compare their outward appearance with my own outward appearance, and their inner state with my own inner state, I would not judge in this way. We merely pass by others' windows for a moment, hear their laughter, and feel envy; but, in the words of one writer, we must also hear their tearful whispers at night. We are not like this, and indeed we cannot be. We cannot measure our inner state against the inner state of others because we have no access to it, nor can we measure our outward appearance against the outward appearance of others because we cannot consider our own outward appearance apart from our inner state. For this reason, comparisons are always unjust, and this very fact is the cause of much dissatisfaction.

I must mention a point, which is that because we cannot access the inner state of others, we imagine that wealth, beauty, knowledge, and so on are pleasurable or bring peace. In my view, the suicide of a philosopher also serves as a reminder that even a philosopher can be restless. This is why occasionally a wealthy, learned, and beloved person commits suicide. But no mystic ever commits suicide, because they dwell in pleasure, and reaching the soul of the world is immensely pleasurable.

Several years ago, when Arthur Koestler, the great English thinker and one of the world's prodigies, committed suicide with his wife, a Western writer made an interesting observation, saying, "With his life, he taught us great lessons, but the great lesson his death taught us is that one cannot attain true, inner contentment through intellectual precision alone." Few were as keenly perceptive as he was, yet this did not bring him peace of mind.

The Fourth Harm of Comparison

In comparison, I forget that divine blessings are bestowed differentially.

Do not forget that in this world, all blessings have not been given to any one person, and no one exists who is deprived of all blessings. This is also mentioned in the noble verses. For example, there is no one who has no blessing at all. One person has a good memory but less intelligence; another has popularity but lacks knowledge, and so on.

It is these very differences that make social life possible. If we were all a "self-sufficient unit," no one would need anyone else, and social life would be impossible. In comparison, these differences are overlooked. This leads to a situation where we neither share the blessings we have with others, nor can we benefit from the blessings of others. Here, we will suffice with the discussion of the "harms of comparison," and I only draw your attention to this point: reflect and see whether or not most of your anxieties stem from these comparisons.

Summary of the discussion: We said that we have a deficiency in the area of knowledge and do not know which things are changeable for us and which are unchangeable, and then we spoke about comparing ourselves with others. We must ask God to ordain that we accept our differences with others and digest these differences. To surrender to this reality that we are different from others. This is a reality like the reality of gravity. (In my opinion, this is one of the best supplications.)

Secondly, to ask God for contentment (the state of riḍā) regarding the unchangeable things. One of these unchangeable things is that it is impossible for others to become like me, or for me to become like others. Not to want others to believe in my views and opinions, and not to want others to feel my feelings and emotions. Thirdly, to ask God to change the changeable things in a desirable way. If a piece of wax falls into my hand and can be shaped, let it take a good shape, not a bad one.

In my opinion, these three points that the sages used to mention are very profound points.

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Session 5 21/ 2 / 72

Deficiency in the Area of Power (Continued)

Lack of a Here-and-Now Life

We cannot live entirely in the present; rather, much of our life is spent on the past or the future. It is recommended that you live in the present as much as you can. We are left with the present moment; the past is irretrievable, and the future has not yet arrived. In a poem by Imam Ali, it is stated:

What has passed is gone, and what is to come, where is it? ... So arise and seize the opportunity between the two non-existences.

What has passed is lost, and the future has not yet been attained, so arise and seize the opportunity between the two non-existences.

If you reflect upon yourself, you will see that this is indeed the case: the past is truly beyond my reach and cannot return, and the future may one day fall into my hands, but right now it is not at my disposal. We must attend to this present moment that we have at our disposal. Unfortunately, we squander the present time on those two non-existent matters and lose it.

The teachings of religions and creeds deter us from wandering in the future and the past. Looking to the past yields nothing but regret, wistfulness, and sorrow. Yet, if I lose the present, this very loss of the present moment itself becomes one of these three states.

If you regret the past, you truly must not do anything that would make the "present" become like the past. The reason you regret the past is that you did something you should not have done, or you failed to do something you should have done. Now, if you lose this present moment as well, you have done what you should not have done. The true sign of regret is not repeating the past action. One must sever the present moment from the past, not connect it to it. It is like someone walking in a place and claiming they dislike walking there. If they truly dislike it, they should turn back and not remain there.

The Harm of Wandering in the Past

Looking to the past either makes us happy or sad, both of which are harmful. If we become happy, it may pose the danger of halting our progress, and if we become sad, wistfulness visits us, or we become regretful or sorrowful, which breeds despair. Both of these rob me of my vitality.

The Harm of Wandering in the Future

It is clear how irrational it is to gaze upon the future, and it is for this reason that religious texts condemn "amal" (far-fetched hope), wishful thinking, and distant ideals. Living in desire means sacrificing what is present for something that either will never be attained, or even if it is attained, has not been attained now. Meanwhile, these harms afflict us, and we spend many hours of our lives in the past or the future. This is a flaw within us, and we must at least do one thing: minimize this way of thinking.

The reason some mystics said they repented of their repentance was precisely this: if today is spent in sighs and laments for yesterday, it is of no use. True repentance is when, for example, if we repent of deed X, we must never commit it again, not spend today consumed by it as well. For in that case, the "sin" has done two things: one, it was a sin I committed, and the other, it has also taken and wasted my time today. Of course, regret is unavoidable, but it should not be magnified and strengthened. True regret is the non-repetition of an act. "The sign of deeming something undesirable is emptying the present moments of that thing."[2]

Note:

1_ Turning to the past and the future is not entirely within our control.

2_ As much as we can, we should not wander in the past or the future. We must be here and now.

3_ The sign of the truth of regret and repentance is the decision not to repeat that act. Other than this, "repentance" is not repentance.

You would do well to pay attention to those six stages that Imam Ali has mentioned regarding repentance. You will see that none of it is about pain and remorse. Our mystics used to say, "Someone was playing with his beard during prayer when it was revealed to him: 'You are occupied with your beard, not with Us.' Out of distress, he began to tear out his beard. It was revealed to him: 'You are still occupied with your beard, not with Us.'" We are just the same. But we should not be. This is the greatest mistake. We must live in the present so that our present time does not become like the past.

Recently, I saw an interview with a translator who was asked, "Which of your past translations do you like?" He said, "If I wanted to make a comparison, I would have to return to the past, but I have so much work that I don't have time to return to the past." This is a very wise statement. Of course, sometimes returning to the past is necessary for correcting our present time.

Weakness in the area of will (the same moral weakness in Aristotle's expression)

We know something is good and do not do it, and we know something is bad and do it.

There is no human being among us who has not, to a greater or lesser extent, been afflicted with this state. The saints of God have also sometimes lamented this state. This state, unlike the two previous cases – deficiency in knowledge and power – is remediable. To remedy moral weakness, two points must be kept in mind: Firstly, this task is unpleasant in its initial stages, and this unpleasantness must be endured. Secondly, remedying this state is more difficult in the sight of people and must be done in secret, away from the public view and gaze. When we address the supplications of Imam Ali, I will refer to this more.

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[1] . Question: Does this kind of self-love that exists in the nature of every human being not cause social relations to break down?

Professor's answer: No, it is exactly the opposite. If we forget our own benefit, social harmony breaks down. All conflicts arise from forgetting oneself and one's own benefit. Consider that famous example of Bertrand Russell, who said: Suppose I have 5 cows and my neighbor has 10 cows. If I think of stealing, at first it seems that stealing is to my benefit. Because I use their milk, etc. So anyone who thinks of their own benefit should steal. But if they reflect a little, they realize that if someone thinks of themselves, they should not steal, because my neighbor might also say, since he stole from me, it is also to my benefit to steal from him. So although it seems that stealing has a benefit for me, one must know that this benefit is fleeting and brings long-term trouble. This was in material matters, and I have not yet addressed the spiritual troubles. And one must know that there is no long-term benefit in stealing, and the benefit belongs to the one who steals and also has greater power to keep it so that no one steals from them.

But in spiritual matters, I must know that if I commit an injustice against you, I have lost a benefit; every lie I tell, every slander I utter, every ill-wishing I do towards someone, and every act of vengeance I take... I incur a spiritual loss upon myself and have lost a benefit. The reason mystical religions say, "Watch over yourselves," is that if someone thinks of themselves, society will also benefit from their behaviors. It is for this reason that I have repeatedly said that the saints of God were, in this sense, very much thinking of themselves. Of course, from this attention they paid to themselves, we have also benefited. If you want healthy relationships to prevail in society, you must tell every human being to think of themselves. That is, to consider long-term material benefits and long-term spiritual benefits as well. Of course, every human being must reach this level of perception and choose the long-term ones.

[2] . Question: So how are the weepings of the Imams justified?

Answer: Weeping is not always weeping for the past. Sometimes weeping pertains to the present. Does a lover who weeps from the pain of separation weep for the past or for the present? The mystic also weeps for the present. He weeps, "Why am I far from You?" If he were to weep for the past, he would become distant from the present. The saints of religion weep greatly for the present. We imagine that weeping is always weeping for the past. The only things the mystic and the lover do not weep for are the past and the future. They weep for their present moment.

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Related Content:

An Existential Approach to Nahj al-Balagha Date: Year 1369

A Commentary on Nahj al-Balagha Date: Year 1371

Lessons from Nahj al-Balagha (The Supplications of Nahj al-Balagha) Date: Year 1372

Spirituality in Nahj al-Balagha Date: Year 1379

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