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By His Eminence, the late Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah (ra)
Translated by: Ghassan Rimlawi








The value of the mind in our life







To discuss the topic of the value of the mind in our life, we cannot but go back to the Holy Quran and the Sunnah to determine the view of Islam from the mind; the mind that we have neglected and resorted instead to our instincts, which became the bases of our politics and relations. The mind, thus, is alienated in our societies, because we have opened up to the myth and abandoned the truth; we have opened up to backwardness and forsaken the prayers and we opened up to ignorance and ignored knowledge.

Imam Jaafar As-Sadiq (a.s.) narrated on the authority of Imam Ali (a.s.) that he said: By the mind, I can reach the core of wisdom, and by wisdom, I can benefit from the core of the mind”. We also know that the Holy Quran couple wisdom with the Holy Book (Quran) and made the former a part of the Message of the Messenger: To teach them the Book and the Wisdom (62:02), and: For God revealed to you the Book and the wisdom (4:12)

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Wisdom, in its linguistic meaning, is to put everything in its place. The term “wisdom” opens up to life in its entirety. This is because putting this word in its place is the function of the mind, while putting the mind in its place is based on proof and arguments, so that when you announce what you have reached, people will find that it is truthful and correct.

This also applies to putting everything in its place in our movement in life. When you venture into any project or follow any course, you will find that it is associated with many circumstances and people. Thus, if you are wise, you have to study how compatible your project is with the nature of the circumstances and conditions and with the nature of the results you wish to reach. You have to put everything in place, meaning that you ought, in one way or another, to envisage all the steps of the project so that it would turn into something productive and consistent with your aspired objectives in life. This project can be related to organizing either your family matters and the internal relations among them, or your political beliefs, for you have to study the reality of the lines you believe in. At the same time, you ought to keep an eye on the internal, regional and international situations so as to take all that into consideration and to act in a realistic manner that is not distanced from the principles. You also have to be wise when you are about to take a political step or engage in a security project or any issue in the general struggle… In all these matters, you have to be wise and not study one side of the project only; rather, you should take all the sides into consideration so as to ensure the safety of the project you are trying to realize.

The same thing is true regarding your personal and private life. You might come across what drives you to be pessimistic sometimes and optimistic in others… Certain events can drive you to feel desperate, while others would give you hope. In this case, we should not completely fall under the effect of either pessimism or optimism, since life is governed by limitedness and not absoluteness. Therefore, you have to mix optimism and pessimism together. You ought to be realistic and give optimism a certain a dose of pessimism so that you would act cautiously, and give pessimism a dose of optimism so that you will not fall under the former’s effect, which will lead you to desperation. Even when you face your inner problems or your psychological complexes, you should not fall, but try to study the reasons and consequences of each case or complex to know how to solve it.


That is why Allah, the Most Exalted, Who is our Lord, has described Himself as the Wise, since He has put all things in their proper places, whether in the cosmic or mobile systems or in the human system. He made everything move for a wise reason. He says: We have created everything in due measure (54:49) and: for all things God has set a measure (65:3). Thus, the universe is organized according to the laws embedded in each of its phenomenon, for Allah says: “You see no incongruity in the creation of the Beneficent Allah (67:3), since He has made it run in the best possible way in accordance to the laws He has set.

It is narrated that Imam Ali (a.s.) says: By the mind, I can reach the core of wisdom, meaning that this mind that Allah has granted us is the tool that distinguishes between good and bad and studies everything thoroughly. It is the mind by which one can reach the core of wisdom. This is because the mind says to man that he should strike a balance between the positive and negative factors and put everything in its place to succeed in his life and ensure that there are no mistakes that distance him from the nature of things and matters.

The Imam continues to say: And by wisdom I can benefit from the core of the mind”, which means that if I possess wisdom, then this wisdom tells me to open up to the mind and not freeze it, give it a vacation or lend it to someone else. I should rather let it be open to the mind of the others. Wisdom advises me to use the mind, which according to Imam Ali, does not cheat who consults it”. The mind is the balance that can balance all matters, whether theoretical or practical.
Running away from a problem does not solve the problem.
Hello everyone. Peace be upon all of you.

How important are the meanings of dreams within Islam? I'm non-muslim with close muslim friends and I had a very powerful and vivid dream over a year ago which corresponded exactly to a verse in the Quran. This led me to discuss it with my muslim friend and he invited me to read the Quran. I had never read the Quran before I had my dream but many of my friends are muslim and I have asked them about their faith before. After that, I read a few chapters of the Quran but it is obviously difficult to read alone. I kind of shook it off and pushed it out of my mind and I stopped reading it. A few nights ago I had another very powerful and emotional dream where I looked to the sky and prostrated in prayer and felt a huge feeling of relief. Upon waking this felt very confusing for me as I have never prostrated or bowed to anyone in my life. The dream had a few things that match to a verse in the Quran, one that I had never seen before. My muslim friends says that I am fortunate to receive these dreams and that they are a sign that I should embrace Islam. What does the ISOC say?
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Inve
Hello everyone. Peace be upon all of you.

How important are the meanings of dreams within Islam? I'm non-muslim with close muslim friends and I had a very powerful and vivid dream over a year ago which corresponded exactly to a verse in the Quran. This led me to discuss it with my muslim friend and he invited me to read the Quran. I had never read the Quran before I had my dream but many of my friends are muslim and I have asked them about their faith before. After that, I read a few chapters of the Quran but it is obviously difficult to read alone. I kind of shook it off and pushed it out of my mind and I stopped reading it. A few nights ago I had another very powerful and emotional dream where I looked to the sky and prostrated in prayer and felt a huge feeling of relief. Upon waking this felt very confusing for me as I have never prostrated or bowed to anyone in my life. The dream had a few things that match to a verse in the Quran, one that I had never seen before. My muslim friends says that I am fortunate to receive these dreams and that they are a sign that I should embrace Islam. What does the ISOC say?

Hey.
Dreams are important in Islam but not every single dream will be meaningful.
In your case it does sound like a very powerful dream and could be a sign of you reverting to Islam.
I think you'd be able to get more help by emailing a scholar, or asking your question on a site where there are more knowledgeable scholars :smile:

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Salaam guys. Supposed to be a decent solar eclipse on the 20th Inshallah. Can't wait! :biggrin:
Original post by Kabulkid
salaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam mandem

Wa'alaikum assalaam bro

Original post by Zamestaneh
Taking an indefinite break from TSR. May Allah bless you all, and I pray you all stay in good health and your studies go well inshAllah :smile:

JazakumAllah Khair

Assalaamu 'Aleykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatu

Take care brother. May Allah make it easy for you Ameen.

Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu
(edited 9 years ago)
Some homework that's been given out to kids at a school.



Nothing on the full sheet about them Israelis, who would've guessed? Guess when they kill palestinians it's all cool.
(edited 9 years ago)
Asalam alaikum everyone
Original post by IdeasForLife
Some homework that's been given out to kids at a school.



Nothing on the full sheet about them Israelis, who would've guessed? Guess when they kill palestinians it's all cool.




This makes me sad. May God help everyone who is suffering.
Original post by kabuligirl
Asalam alaikum everyone


Waalaikumussalam.
Original post by IdeasForLife
Some homework that's been given out to kids at a school.



Nothing on the full sheet about them Israelis, who would've guessed? Guess when they kill palestinians it's all cool.


Stupid zionists.
Original post by IdeasForLife
Some homework that's been given out to kids at a school.

Nothing on the full sheet about them Israelis, who would've guessed? Guess when they kill palestinians it's all cool.


wow, actually speechless.
Original post by kabuligirl
Asalam alaikum everyone

Waalaikum asaalaam

Original post by IdeasForLife
Some homework that's been given out to kids at a school.



Nothing on the full sheet about them Israelis, who would've guessed? Guess when they kill palestinians it's all cool.

brainwashing little kids to believe israelis are all nice and palestinians are "terrorists" what a joke why don't they ask how many innocent palestinian women and children idf have tortured, raped, killed and burnt alive over the years. the figures speak for themselves, teachers must be a nasty zionist.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by HAnwar
Hey.
Dreams are important in Islam but not every single dream will be meaningful.
In your case it does sound like a very powerful dream and could be a sign of you reverting to Islam.
I think you'd be able to get more help by emailing a scholar, or asking your question on a site where there are more knowledgeable scholars :smile:

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Thank you for your answer. Do you know of any reputable websites you could recommend?
Original post by IdeasForLife
Some homework that's been given out to kids at a school.



Nothing on the full sheet about them Israelis, who would've guessed? Guess when they kill palestinians it's all cool.


It's always the case that the underdogs are referred to as terrorists and such. One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist.
Reply 6177
Are you all Palestinians or something? Why do you get so mad about it?
Original post by 4 3
Are you all Palestinians or something? Why do you get so mad about it?




Nah, we're just humans
In addition to the above post by binary ^
Original post by 4 3
Are you all Palestinians or something? Why do you get so mad about it?


The Palestinians are our Muslims brothers too.

Nu'man bin Bashir (May Allah bepleased with them) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن النعمان بن بشير رضي الله عنهما قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ مثل المؤمنين في توادهم وتراحمهم وتعاطفهم، مثل الجسد إذا اشتكى منه عضو تداعى له سائر الجسد بالسهر والحمى” ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏ ‏.‏

Arabic/English book reference : Book 1, Hadith 224

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