Amir al-Momineen and the eleven infallible Imams were role
models for humanity. Their supplications were meant for the followers. Imam Ali
(a.s.) was the soul of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) i.e., Nafse Rasool and
the “Gateway of Knowledge” He had recorded a long will to his son. Every
sentence is a gem worth reading, its extract is given below:
My first advice to you is to fear Allah, be His obedient
servant. Be attached to and carefully guard the principles (Islam) which
connect you to Him. Adopt piety and kill your inordinate desires with its help.
Subjugate your nature with the vision of death. Mediate over the lives of past
people, what they had achieved during their lives and how it ended and what was
their contributions to the human welfare.
Do not talk about things which you do not know. Advise
people to do good and live virtuously. Let your words and deeds teach the world
lessons of how to abstain from wickedness and vicious deeds. Try your best to keep
away from those who indulge in vices and sins. Fight to defend the cause of
Allah. Fearlessly help truth and justice. Develop the habit of patience against
sufferings, calamities, and adversities. Trust in Allah and let your mind seek
His protection in every calamity and sufferings because you will thus you will
entrust yourself and your affairs to the Best Trustee and to the Mightiest
Guardian. Do not seek help or protection from anybody but Allah. Ask as much as
His Blessings and seek as much as much of His Guidance as you can. The knowledge
which does not benefit anybody is useless.
In case of uncertainty or doubts seek guidance of the Lord
and beseech Him for right direction. The Lord who is the Master of death is
also Master of life. The One who sends calamities has also the power to protect
you from them. Remember that this world is working under the laws ordained by
Him, and it consists of assemblage and aggregation of actions and reactions,
causes and effects, calamities and reverses, pains, pleasures, rewards, and
punishments. Remember, had there been any other God, besides the One, he would
have sent his messengers and prophets. But no such incident ever took place. He
is One Allah whom we all should recognize and worship. Nobody is a partner to
Him in His Domain, Might and Glory. He is Eternal, has always been and shall
always be. He existed even before the Universe came into existence. There is no
beginning or end to His existence. Allah has not ordered you to do anything but
that which is good and propagates goodness and He has not prohibited you from
anything but that which is bad.
Let yourself act as scale to judge its goodness or
wickedness. Do unto others as you wish others to do unto you. Vanity and
conceit are forms of folly. Lead a well-balanced life; neither be conceited nor
suffer from inferiority complex. Exert yourself to earn an honest living.
Whenever you receive the guidance of the Lord to achieve a thing you desire,
then do not get proud of your achievement but be humble and submissive to Him
and realize that your success was due to His Mercy. Remember, before is a long arduous
journey of life wherein you will need refreshing, renovating and enlivening
aids and helps. Do not overload yourself with so many obligations and duties that
you cannot honorably fulfill them or be wicked and vicious. Otherwise, your
journey will be painful and tiresome. If you find around you such poor, needy,
and destitute people who are willing to carry your load for you as far as the
Day of Judgement then consider this to be a boon, engage them and pass your
burden on to them. Remember, that all you give out in charities and virtuous
deeds are like loans which will be paid back to you. Therefore, it is wise to send
your things there beforehand.
Realize that the Lord who owns and holds the treasures of
Paradise and earth has given permission to ask and beg for them and He has
promised to grant your prayers.
Source: A Letter from Father to son, the Last will of Ali
ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) – al-Islam.org
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