A series of moral, doctrinal, and social statements from the esteemed religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Shirazi, may his shadow remain (Words of Wisdom, episode number 32)
The Inner World
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
The Measure of Deeds
The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (peace be upon him), narrated a thought-provoking story from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). One day, three men came into the presence of the Prophet (PBUH). One of them said, "O Messenger of Allah, I had ten gold dinars and spent one dinar of it in the way of Allah."
The second said, "O Prophet of God, I had fifty gold dinars and gave five of them in charity for the sake of Allah."
The third one said, "O Messenger of Allah, I had one hundred gold dinars and spent ten dinars in the way of Allah."
Imam Ali (PBUH) narrated that at this point, the Prophet turned to them and said:
"All of you are equal in reward."
Although the first person gave only one dinar of his wealth—whether it was to help the needy or for any other good cause—and it had its own effect; the second gave five dinars, and the third gave ten; yet the Prophet (PBUH) declared their rewards equal before Allah.
Why? Because each of them gave one-tenth of what they possessed in the way of Allah.
This judgment of the Prophet (PBUH) reflects a very important principle in the Divine system of justice, which is also logically sound: the standard of judgment is based on what Allah has bestowed upon each individual.
For example, the first person, with all the intelligence, ability, and endurance that God had granted him, managed to earn ten dinars and gave one-tenth of it in the way of Allah.
Similarly, the second person, with the strength and capability that God had given him, earned fifty dinars and gave one-tenth. The third person, likewise, earned one hundred dinars and gave one-tenth.
Despite the difference in the absolute amounts spent and the benefits they brought to others, what matters is that each spent one-tenth of what Allah had blessed them with.
From this perspective, they are equal.
Upon reflection, this teaching reveals that what matters most is how one utilizes the divine blessings and capacities, not the amount given or done.
This principle applies to all aspects of life. Therefore, in the Divine system of justice, the measure is: once a person enters this world and is granted perception, reason, strength, and the ability to endure by their Creator—how much of these God-given blessings are used in the way of Allah?
If God gives someone the gift of sight, then the question becomes: how much of this vision is used for the sake of Allah and how much to satisfy personal desires?
The same goes for hearing, speech, understanding, intellect—whatever blessing is given: how much is returned to God in the form of obedience and seeking His pleasure, and how much is used for personal benefit?
Thus, benefiting from divine blessings is not limited to material wealth. Our limbs, our soul, and our consciousness are also divine gifts for which we will be held accountable. A person must constantly reflect on what blessings—material or spiritual—Allah has granted them, and how much of them they are dedicating to the path of God.
Among these blessings is even time. A person can use their time for personal interests or dedicate it to fulfilling the commands and pleasing Allah.
For example, consider two people who each spend five hours doing things that please Allah. One may be rewarded more than the other if he used all the time he had for God's sake—either because he had no more time or no more strength. The other, despite having more time available, used only five hours in devotion.
Similarly, one person might spend five hours, another ten—but the reward of the first may be greater, because the second could have done more but didn’t, whereas the first gave everything he could. It’s like someone who donates 1,000 dinars and has nothing else, compared to someone who donates 1,000,000 dinars but still has 10 million.
Clearly, the first person will receive greater reward, because he gave everything he had in the way of Allah.
The Greatest Blessings
Among all the blessings that Almighty God has bestowed upon the children of Adam—and which especially the youth, both boys and girls, must pay special attention to—are the latent potentials that God has gifted them.
Human beings possess varying degrees of spiritual, inner, and outward potential abilities granted by God, and through the power of thought, they can actualize these potentials and utilize them in the path of God.
Indeed, it is true that bringing potential abilities into action is a challenging task. It requires effort, self-sacrifice, renouncing carnal desires, and giving up comfort. However, a person can set aside their inclinations and, through perseverance, diligence, and seeking help from Almighty God and the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), attain this goal—just like the divine prophets did.
Almighty God says in the Holy Qur’an about His final Messenger (peace be upon him and his family):
“Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter? And He found you lost and guided [you], and He found you in need and made you self-sufficient.” (Qur’an 93:6–8)
According to the Qur’an, the Messenger of God (PBUH), who is the noblest of all creation, was once in need—“‘ā’il” meaning poor and without means. He possessed nothing of worldly wealth and inherited nothing material, yet God made him self-sufficient.
This is a clear example of actualizing latent potential. The Prophet (PBUH), through enduring hardship, continuous striving, patience, and forgiveness, brought forth his inner power and trained Muslims such as Abu Dharr, Salman, Miqdad, Ammar, Khabbab, and Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari. Through the blessings of the Prophet (PBUH), their potentials were also realized.
Everyone is like this. Every person carries within themselves potential forces that must be nurtured and actualized. A person may be materially poor and possess little to no worldly wealth, but they may use their power of speech to inspire and motivate others, dedicate their time, and raise billions of tomans for the cause of God—conveying the beliefs, ethics, and teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) to others.
Great historical figures—like the eminent scholars of Islam and the righteous companions of the Prophet (PBUH) and the Infallibles—were just like this. Not only did they actualize their own latent powers and reach high levels of spirituality, ethics, and belief, but they also helped others achieve the same, guiding them toward these lofty goals.
Therefore, it is wise and commendable that every human being—especially young men and women of faith, and even others—pay greater attention to this dimension of their existence so that they may benefit from the God-given powers within and bring them to fruition.
As previously mentioned, a person might be impoverished and have no material wealth, yet by actualizing their inner abilities, they can offer great and valuable services to society.
Figures like Allama Majlisi, Shaykh Mufid, and Allama Hilli, who authored numerous works and conveyed the ethics, jurisprudence, and beliefs of Islam and the Ahl al-Bayt to others and future generations through their invaluable writings, all utilized and brought forth their God-given potential.
They achieved such tremendous success because of this.
And perhaps, there were many people who possessed greater capabilities than Allama Majlisi (may God be pleased with him), but they failed to use their inner strengths. It is not that everyone who hasn't written lacks the ability to write, or lacks understanding and comprehension.
There may be many who possess great writing potential but neglected it—because of comfort-seeking, chasing desires, unwillingness to endure hardships, and lack of sacrifice. As a result, they remained heedless of their inner powers and did not nurture them.
Every human being, by God’s grace, has stepped into the realm of existence with faculties such as speech, vision, and hearing, and above all, the blessings of faith, spirituality, reflection, and understanding.
It is truly regrettable if these blessings are not used effectively to build and enlighten the world in a meaningful and impactful way.
The Need of Today’s World
The modern world is in desperate need of the thoughts, beliefs, ethics, and rulings of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). The question is: Who should address this pressing need?
Undoubtedly, faithful men and women—and especially those with greater energy and vitality, such as young girls and boys and teenagers—bear a significant responsibility in this regard.
Therefore, it is essential that a person, both for their own growth and spiritual elevation and for reaching lofty ranks in the hereafter, as well as for guiding others and saving the world from the mire of problems and crises it is entangled in, pay special attention to their latent powers and strive to bring them into action.
Remember the narration mentioned at the beginning, and let it serve as the standard for your actions.
Take note that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) considered the reward of all three men equal in the sight of God.
Indeed, one could even infer from this narration that if the man who had ten dinars had given two dinars in the path of God, his reward would have been greater than the one who gave five out of fifty or the one who gave ten out of a hundred.
Why? Because he would have donated 20% of his wealth, while the others gave only 10%.
Likewise, if the person with fifty dinars had donated six, his reward would have surpassed the man who donated ten out of one hundred, as he would have given more than ten percent of his wealth.
Thus, it is fitting for everyone to reflect deeply and take heed—so that they may make the most of their worldly opportunity, and also help others benefit from a better world by realizing and actualizing their potential.
I pray that the Blessed and Exalted God grants all of us such success and guidance.
And may blessings of Allah be upon our master and prophet Muhammad and his pure family.
