Pleasures of Services for Knowledge
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O very dear to my heart and soul Muḥammad cAbdu'l-cAzīz, patron of K̲h̲ānah-yi Ḥikmat and President of Idārah-yi cĀrif, may the Lord fulfil your wishes in both the worlds.
I say Yā `Alī Madad from the core of my heart in the light of the recognition of the Imām. May it be accepted. My ᶜazīz! May this humble servant [of the Imam] be sacrificed for his beloved spiritual children such as yourself, who are the lovers of true knowledge, who continue to acquire it from one side and disseminate it from the other. These angelic, pure human beings continue to receive various kinds of pleasures and delights from spiritual knowledge. Indeed, you and your fortunate wife, whose soul is miraculous, are in the first rank of such mu'mins.
You have done so many favors for me and my humble pen, which I can neither encompass or show adequate gratitude for, except humbly pray: O Lord! It is not hidden from you that I am an utter pauper and I cannot give anything to my ᶜazīzān. O the Lord of infinite treasures! In Your boundless mercy grant them success and eminence in religion and in this world. Āmīn!
The secret relating to the pleasures of intellect, knowledge and soul is that their apprehension and feeling are based on piety (taqwā). Thus, one has pleasure and delight in intellect, knowledge and soul in proportion to one's piety. It should be remembered that the sweetness and happiness from knowledge is not only limited to listening to it, but in fact there is far greater pleasure and happiness in rendering services and sacrifices for it.
Just as external material pleasures are enjoyed only by a healthy human being and an ailing person is deprived of it, similarly the inner and spiritual pleasures are enjoyed by the virtuous, and those who are unrighteous being sick, are unable to enjoy the inner and
spiritual pleasures.
The wise Qur'ān mentions the pleasures of paradise in three places (43:71, 37:46, 47:15). All these pleasures are subtle, of an inner nature and pertain to the soul and the intellect. It is because the astral body is granted in paradise, consisting of a pure soul and a perfect intellect. Therefore, the pleasures of the subtle body are superior to all worldly pleasures, and the pleasures of the Holy spirit and perfect Intellect are even more superior.
About the pleasures of the astral body, namely the subtle body, it is said in verse (43:71): "And in it (paradise) there are all those which the souls desire." Regarding the spiritual pleasures, it is said (43:71): "And those things from which the eyes will have pleasure." Here the word soul alludes to the astral body and the word 'eye' (cayn) means the inner eye, by which is meant the soul.
Similarly, about intellectual pleasures God says: "A goblet filled with running wine is brought around for them and [the wine] will be white, delicious to those who drink it" (37:45). Here the demonstration of the act of the Intellect is compared to the rotation of the goblet of wine; running of the wine is the example of the fountainhead of the Intellect and the color white is a symbol of recognition.
Dust under the feet of jamācat 14th May, 1984
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