The Noble Path

The important point that the Master of the martyrs, Imam Hossein ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon them, emphasized to us is that the objective never justifies the means; meaning, it cannot be said that because we want to reach a certain destination, we can seek help through any means possible. If someone starts (to reach his goal, even if a divine goal) by any means, he will not reach that right destination, due to the fact that every means (and method) pursues a specific goal and destination that the individual reaches, not the original (divine) destination.

This luminous statement was expressed by the blessed existence of the Master of the martyrs (S’al’ar e Shahidan, Imam Hossein, peace be upon him):

«مَنْ حَاوَلَ أَمْراً بِمَعْصِیةِ اللَّهِ كَانَ أَفْوَتَ لِمَا یرْجُو وَ أَسْرَعَ لِمَجِی‏ءِ مَا یحْذَرُ»

"Whoever attempts a matter through disobedience to God, will be more deprived of what he hopes for and will hasten faster towards what he fears of." If someone tries to reach a destination through sin, they will fall into the pit sooner than others because sin is a crooked path, it’s not a path! When there is no way (towards the goal, as sins and disobedience of God is not considered a path leading to the goal but to the pit) how can one reach the goal?!

He stated that the end never justifies the means, (in reality) a good goal never allows a person to use any kind of means, (since) every path does not lead the person to the right destination, it is the Straight-Path (Siratul-Mustaqeem) that leads the person to that high (divine) destination and nothing else!

The noble Quran explains this concept as:

﴿فَأَیْنَ تَذْهَبُونَ﴾

"So, where are you going?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) also explained this same meaning by saying:

«فَأَینَ یتَاهُ بِكُمْ»

 "So, where is it taking you?" Don't you want to reach safely? Then why take the wrong path? Don't you want to reach perfection? Then why do you walk on an incomplete path? "So, where is it taking you?" That phrase "So, where are you going?" in the Quran is expressed as "So, where is it taking you?" in Nahj al-Balaghah, and these two expressions in the Quran and Nahj al-Balaghah are in line with the statement of the Master of the martyrs.

🔗 Watch on Aparat: https://aparat.com/v/68WZT

🔗 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jFTZR-hpn0E

#ImamHussainBirthAnniversary

#GrandAyatollahJavadiAmoli

📚 Muharram Lecture

Date: 1384/11/14 (3 February 2006)