خَصائِصُ المُتَّقينَ The Characteristics of the Godwary

23ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إنَّ المُتَّقينَ الّذينَ يَتَّقونَ اللّه‏َ مِن الشّيءِ الّذي لا يُتَّقى مِنهُ خَوفاً مِن الدُّخولِ في الشُّبهَةِ.

23– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The Godwary are those who are wary of Allah for something that does not [necessarily] require wariness, for fear of entering into obscurity.’[Tanbih al-Khawatir, v. 2 p. 62]
 

24ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) ـ في وصِيَّتِهِ لأبي ذرٍّ ـ: يا أبا ذرٍّ، لا يكونُ الرّجُلُ مِن المُتَّقينَ حتّى يُحاسِبَ نَفسَهُ أشَدَّ مِن مُحاسَبَةِ الشَّريكِ لِشَريكِهِ، فيَعلَمَ مِن أينَ مَطعَمُهُ، ومِن أينَ مَشرَبُهُ، ومِن أينَ مَلبَسُهُ ؟ أمِن حِلٍّ ذلكَ، أم مِن حَرامٍ ؟

24– The Prophet (SAWA), in his will to Abu Dharr said, ‘O Abu Dharr, a man will not be among the Godwary until he takes account of himself more than a partner would take account of his [business] partner, such that he knows where his food comes from, where his drink comes from, and where his clothes come from – do they come from the lawful or the prohibited?’[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 8501]
 

25ـ رُويَ أنّ صاحِباً لأميرِ المؤمنينَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) يقالُ لَهُ هَمّامٌ كانَ رجُلاً عابِداً، فقالَ لَهُ: يا أميرَ المؤمِنينَ، صِفْ لِيَ المُتَّقينَ، حتّى كأنّي أنظُرُ إلَيهِم ... فحَمِدَ اللّه‏َ وأثنى علَيهِ وصلّى علَى النَّبيِّ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) ثُمّ قالَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): . . . فالمُتَّقونَ فيها هُم أهلُ الفَضائلِ: مَنطِقُهُمُ الصَّوابُ، ومَلبَسُهُمُ الاقتِصادُ، ومَشيُهُمُ التَّواضُعُ، غَضُّوا أبصارَهُم عَمّا حَرَّمَ اللّه‏ُ علَيهِم، ووَقَفوا أسماعَهُم علَى العِلمِ النّافِعِ لَهُم، نُزِّلَت أنفُسُهُم مِنهُم في البَلاءِ كالّتي نُزِّلَت في الرَّخاءِ، ولَولا الأجَلُ الّذي كَتَبَ اللّه‏ُ علَيهم لَم تَستَقِرَّ أرواحُهُم في أجسادِهِم طَرفَةَ عَينٍ ؛ شَوقاً إلَى الثَّوابِ، وخَوفا مِن العِقابِ ...
فمِن عَلامَةِ أحَدِهِم أ نَّكَ تَرى لَهُ قُوَّةً في دِينٍ، وحَزماً في لِينٍ، وإيماناً في يَقينٍ، وحِرصاً في عِلمٍ، وعِلماً في حِلمٍ، وقَصداً في غِنى، وخُشوعاً في عِبادَةٍ، وتَجَمُّلاً في فاقَةٍ، وصَبراً في شِدَّةٍ، وطَلَباً في حَلالٍ، ونَشاطاً في هُدىً، وتَحَرُّجاً عَن طَمَعٍ . يَعمَلُ الأعمالَ الصّالِحَةَ وهُو على وَجَلٍ، يُمسي وَهَمُّهُ الشُّكرُ، ويُصبِحُ وَهَمُّهُ الذِّكرُ، يَبِيتُ حَذِراً، ويُصبِحُ فَرِحاً؛ حَذِراً لِما حُذِّرَ مِن الغَفلَةِ، وفَرِحاً بما أصابَ مِن الفَضلِ والرَّحمَةِ . إن اِستَصعَبَت علَيهِ نَفسُهُ فيما تَكرَهُ لَم يُعْطِها سُؤلَها فيما تُحِبُّ . قُرَّةُ عَينِهِ فِيما لا يَزولُ، وزَهادَتُهُ فِيما لا يَبقى، يَمزُجُ الحِلمَ بِالعِلمِ والقَولَ بِالعَمَلِ. تَراهُ قَريبا أمَلُهُ، قَليلاً زَلَلُهُ، خاشِعا قَلبُهُ، قانِعَةً نَفسُهُ، مَنزوراً أكلُهُ، سَهلاً أمرُهُ، حَريزاً دِينُهُ، مَيِّتَةً شَهوَتُهُ، مَكظوماً غَيظُهُ، الخَيرُ مِنهُ مَأمولٌ، والشَّرُّ مِنهُ مَأمونٌ.

25– Nahj al-Balagha: It is related that a companion of the Commander of the Faithful called Hammam who was a man devoted to worship said to him, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, describe to me the Godwary in such a way as though I was to see them.’ So he praised Allah and extolled Him, and praised the Prophet (SAWA) and then said:
‘Thus, the Godwary, are the people of virtue. Their speech is to the point, their dress is moderate and their gait is humble. They keep their eyes closed to what Allah has made unlawful for them, and they put their ears to that knowledge which is beneficial to them. They remain in times of trials as they have been in times of comfort. If there had not been fixed periods [of life] ordained for each, their spirits would not have remained in their bodies even for the twinkling of an eye because of [their] eagerness for the reward and fear of chastisement…
The sign of any one of them is that you will see that he has strength in religion, determination along with leniency, faith with conviction, eagerness in [seeking] knowledge in forbearance, moderation in wealth, devotion in worship, gracefulness in neediness, endurance in hardship, desire for the lawful, pleasure in guidance and hatred of greed. He performs virtuous deeds but still feels afraid. In the evening he is anxious to offer thanks [to Allah]. In the morning his anxiety is to remember [Allah]. He passes the night in fear and rises in the morning in joy - fear lest night is passed in forgetfulness, and joy over the favour and mercy received by him.
If his self refuses to endure a thing which it does not like he does not grant its request towards what it likes. The coolness of his eye lies in what is to last forever, while from the things [of this world] that will not last he keeps aloof. He transfuses knowledge with forbearance, and speech with action. You will see his hopes simple, his shortcomings few, his heart fearing, his spirit contented, his meal small and simple, his religion safe, his desires dead and his anger suppressed. Good alone is expected from him. Evil from him is not to be feared.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 193]
 

26ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّ أهلَ التَّقوى أيسَرُ أهلِ الدُّنيا مَؤونَةً، وأكثَرُهُم لكَ مَعونَةً، تَذكُرُ فيُعِينونَكَ، وإن نَسِيتَ ذَكَّروكَ، قَوّالُونَ بأمرِ اللّه‏ِ، قَوّامُونَ على أمرِ اللّه‏ِ، قَطَعوا مَحَبَّتَهُم بمَحَبَّةِ رَبِّهِم، ووَحَّشوا الدُّنيا لِطاعَةِ مَليكِهِم، ونَظَروا إلَى اللّه‏ِ عَزَّوجلَّ وإلى مَحَبَّتِهِ بِقُلوبِهِم، وعَلِموا أنّ ذلكَ هُو المَنظورُ إلَيهِ، لِعَظيمِ شَأنِهِ.

26– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘The Godwary people have the simplest of provisions in this world, but are the most helpful to you with their provisions, you only have to mention and they help you, and if you forget [your needs] they remind you. They are communicators of Allah’s commands, guardians over Allah’s commands, they have confined their love to loving their Lord. They feel estranged in the world in obedience to their Ruler; they look at Allah and His love with their hearts, and they know that they are looking at Him because of the magnitude of His Rank.’[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 133, no. 16]
 

27ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): كانَ أميرُ المؤمنينَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) يقولُ: إنّ لِأهلِ التَّقوى عَلاماتٍ يُعرَفونَ بِها: صِدقُ الحَديثِ، وأداءُ الأمانَةِ، والوَفاءُ بِالعَهدِ ... وقِلَّةُ المُؤاتاةِ لِلنِّساءِ، وبَذلُ المَعروفِ، وحُسنُ الخُلقِ، وسَعَةُ الحِلمِ، واتِّباعُ العِلمِ فيما يُقَرِّبُ إلَى اللّه‏ِ عَزَّوجلَّ.

27– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘The Commander of the Faithful (AS) would say, ‘The Godwary people have signs that they are known by: speaking truthfully, returning trusts, fulfilling promises ... little association with women, spending for good causes, good-naturedness, ample clemency, and the pursuit of knowledge of whatever brings them closer to Allah Almighty’.[ al-Khisal, p. 483, no. 56]