A series of moral, doctrinal, and social statements from the esteemed religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Shirazi, may his shadow remain (Speech of Knowledge 14)"
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The great scholars of Hadith have recorded in their reliable books a noble Hadith from the honorable Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), regarding the welcoming of the blessed month of Ramadan. This Hadith contains numerous points on purifying the soul, seeking forgiveness, and the etiquettes of fasting. One of the sentences in this long Hadith begins as follows: "Ask your Lord with sincere intentions and pure hearts" [1].
The Prophet (PBUH) introduces this statement as a prerequisite for supplications and the expression of needs before Allah, especially during the blessed month of Ramadan. In reality, supplication and the expression of need to the Almighty, beyond asking for requests and seeking assistance from the Divine, serve as a means of spiritual ascent and reaching higher levels of spirituality and knowledge. From this perspective, prayer is a tool to gradually provide spiritual and divine provisions for the servants of Allah.
Two essential conditions for supplication and expressing needs before the Almighty are a sincere intention and a pure heart. Each of these topics deserves a proper discussion and detailed examination. In this article, it is not possible to provide a complete analysis; rather, we will only discuss the effectiveness of these two noble moral traits, particularly in the conduct of the Prophet (PBUH). The Holy Quran has frequently referred to these two important matters.
A pure heart is one that is free from malice, hatred, illness, and the ethical flaws that affect it. This is a concept that the Holy Quran pays great attention to. Like many other matters, the Quran mentions the honorable Messenger of Allah (PBUH) as an example to follow in this regard. In the life of the Prophet (PBUH), we see many stories that vividly highlight the importance of a pure heart. Reflecting on these stories and contemplating the acquisition of sincere intentions and a pure heart is a way to follow the examples set by the Infallible ones (peace be upon them), especially the noble Messenger of Allah (PBUH).
At the Time of the Prophethood's Beginning:
The time for the Prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had arrived, and he was commanded by Allah to deliver His message. During the pilgrimage season, polytheists would come to visit their idols, which were placed in the Holy Mosque of Mecca. Some of these idols were inside the Kaaba, some hung on its walls, and many were placed throughout the Sacred Mosque. Each idol was associated with a specific tribe or family, and some individuals had their own personal idols. During the pilgrimage season and at other times, people would visit these idols.
In such an environment, the Prophet (PBUH) was commissioned by Allah to deliver His message. Naturally, rejecting the worship of these idols and inviting the polytheists—who had deep attachment and fierce devotion to their idols—was not an easy task and posed many dangers for the Prophet (PBUH), as indeed it turned out to be.
The Prophet (PBUH) began his official invitation by climbing Mount Safa, which overlooks the Sacred Mosque of Mecca, and called out to the people: "O people, say there is no god but Allah, and you will be successful" [2]. The first part of this sentence negates the worship of the various idols of the polytheists, essentially saying, "Stop worshiping any god other than Allah." This was not something the polytheists could easily accept. Although hearing this message was difficult for them, they initially paid little attention and did not harm the Prophet (PBUH).
The Prophet (PBUH) then descended from Mount Safa and went toward Mount Marwa, where he again called out, "O people, say there is no god but Allah, and you will be successful." This time, the polytheists could not tolerate it any longer. Mecca’s ground was mostly rocky and sandy, and even today, areas without paved roads are still sandy. At that moment, the polytheists—both men and women—began throwing stones at the Prophet (PBUH). The Prophet (PBUH) turned his back to minimize the harm from the stones, but they continued to pursue him and stoned him relentlessly.
As some accounts and historical reports tell us, the Prophet (PBUH) had a strong body, but the severity of the stones' impact was such that his body was covered in blood from head to toe. The wounds were so severe that the Prophet (PBUH) eventually collapsed from blood loss in a secluded area among the mountains.
At that time, Imam Ali (PBUH), who was only around ten years old, came to the Prophet’s home with Lady Khadijah (PBUH), bringing food and water, and they set out to find the Prophet (PBUH) among the mountains. Eventually, they found him in a corner, severely wounded and covered in blood.
"O Allah, My People...!"
The sight was so painful that even the angels were deeply moved. It is narrated that they asked Allah, "O Lord, this servant of Yours is the noblest of Your creation. Is it right to treat him this way?" They requested permission to bring down a punishment upon the polytheists. Allah instructed them to ask the Prophet (PBUH) for his response and to follow whatever he said.
The angel in charge of the mountains came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said, "I am the angel of the mountains, and Allah has placed these mountains under my command. If you allow, I will cause the mountains to collapse and crush all the polytheists beneath them." Mecca is a mountainous region, surrounded on all sides by mountains. There are only two passages through which one can enter the city. The angel of the mountains wanted to bring down the mountains to crush the polytheists, but the Prophet (PBUH) rejected the proposal.
Similarly, the angel of the wind, the angel of the earth, and other angels came to seek permission to bring punishment upon the polytheists, but the Prophet (PBUH) always refused. Instead, he turned to Allah and said, "O Allah, guide my people, for they do not know" [3].
Despite the suffering and wounds inflicted upon his body, and the immense distress he felt, the Prophet (PBUH) never cursed his people. Instead of asking Allah to punish them, he prayed for their guidance. Allah created all human beings and jinn to worship Him, as stated in the Quran:
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me" [4].
The polytheists, who were caught in the worship of lifeless and ineffective idols, instead of accepting the true invitation of the Prophet (PBUH) to worship the Lord of the worlds and abandon idol worship, drove him away with stones and pebbles. This scene clearly bears witness to the Prophet's pure heart and sincere intention in guiding and advising the people. Only a heart filled with purity and honesty can, in such a situation of immense pain and sorrow, hold no grudge and, on the contrary, seek goodness and guidance for one's enemies. Perhaps it was this very prayer of the Prophet, emanating from the sincerity of his intention and the purity of his heart, that led to the guidance of many of those polytheists. Later, many of those same polytheists, who had once firmly opposed the Prophet (PBUH) and responded to his invitation with stones and pebbles, abandoned idol worship and believed in the One God. Some of them even became among the best of the believers. All of this was the result of the Prophet's prayer to God in that moment of suffering and countless pains that had befallen his body and soul, "O Allah, guide my people, for they do not know."
In the Footsteps of the Prophet (PBUH)
In all matters, we must learn from the Prophet (PBUH). As Allah commanded us to follow his example, he is our guide in all aspects of life. We must strive to cultivate the good qualities of the Prophet (PBUH) within ourselves through effort and determination. Among these qualities is the purity of heart and sincerity of intention, which lead to the acceptance of prayers.
The Prophet (PBUH) advised in his sermon at the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan to ask Allah with sincere intention and pure hearts.
This rhetorical point, which is discussed in books of rhetoric, is also worth mentioning here: the collective opposition is true for each individual. For example, if it is said that the people of a certain city sold their houses, it does not mean that all the people of that city gathered together and sold their houses all at once and left. No; each person, on their own, sold their house over time, and gradually, the city lost its original inhabitants. The collective opposition in the hadith "فَاسْأَلُوا اَللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ بِنِيَّاتٍ صَادِقَةٍ وَقُلُوبٍ طَاهِرَةٍ" (Ask your Lord with sincere intentions and pure hearts) also refers to each individual and does not necessarily include everyone. In other words, when anyone prays to God, it is better if their prayer is made with sincere intention and a pure, clean heart. These are the requirements for the acceptance of prayer.
Naturally, these two attributes—pure intention and a pure heart—are not things that can be bought or easily acquired. Achieving them requires a firm decision and strong will. In this regard, the Noble Prophet (PBUH) must be taken as our model. Every person faces many problems in their family and social life. Political issues, economic challenges, and social problems, among many other things, can cause the heart to become impure due to those who are the cause of these difficulties. All of these things rob a person of a pure heart, and when they are repeated, they create a heart that is polluted and devoid of clarity, making it unsuitable for prayer and connection with God. Therefore, we must be very attentive to our hearts and emotions and never allow any grudges or resentment to take root. Although this might seem difficult at first, with persistence and by taking the Noble Prophet (PBUH) as our role model through difficulties and challenges, it gradually becomes achievable.
Although this advice was given at the beginning of Ramadan, it is not limited to this month. Sincerity of intention and purity of heart are general conditions for supplicating to Allah, and they are not confined to a specific time or place. Whether in times of joy or hardship, health or illness, wealth or poverty, humans are always in need of God's help and support. Therefore, these conditions should always be cultivated to ensure that the door to supplication remains open.
This important matter, although difficult, is not impossible. Through steadfast determination and continuous effort, a person can achieve it. Purifying one’s intention and heart brings countless blessings, with one of the most significant being the ease of communication with the Almighty and the fulfillment of one’s needs.
We hope that through the blessings of the Prophet (PBUH) and his pure household, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon them, everyone may be granted the success of having a sincere intention and a pure heart.
And may Allah’s blessings be upon Muhammad and his pure family.
Amali al-Saduq, (Tehran, 1418 AH), Session 20, p.93.
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 18, p.202.
Al-Nur al-Mubin, vol. 1, p.71.
Surah Dhariyat, verse 56.
Lecture Source: https://alshirazi.org/news-item/42156?langs=FA
