Wise Sayings of Imam Khomeini
Theology and Servitude: part 1
o Only God. the Exalted, is the light; everything else is darkness.
o We all belong to God; the whole universe belongs to God. a manifestation
of God. and unto Him all shall return,
o The entire purposes of the prophets converge on one word and that is: the
knowledge of God [ma'rifatullah].
o The essential purpose of revelation is to develop divine knowledge in man.
o Most of the wailings of the awliya' is caused by the pain of separation
and detachment from the Beloved and His Generosity.
o All the excellences achieved by the prophets and awliya are by
detachment from all that is not of God and by attachment to Him.
The word awliya" has been retained here because of the depth of its meaning. Normally translated as helpers, friends, guardians, and administrators. Hamtd Algar in his book Islam and Revolution, p. 361, n. 2. informs us that the word awliya' also refers to those who possess the quality of intrinsic wildyah i.e. governance. In ShT'ah belief, they are the foremost among the prophets and the Twelve Imams who succeeded Prophet Muhammad (s). The word awliya' indicates pimarily their spiritual rank, whereas the word Imam designates their function of leadership. According to some theologians, (he awliya' are those whose belief is sound, who perform their religious duties and who as a result have attained proximity to God. In the general sense thai can be deduced from the Qur'an. 10:62-63: "Verily the friends [awliya'] of God””those who believe and guard against evil””shall suffer no fear nor shall they grieve," it means "friends." [Ed.]
o That which admits man to God's Threshold is his separation from all that
is not of God””a thing which is not attainable by all.
o Link yourselves up to this ocean””the ocean of divinity, the ocean of
prophethood, and the ocean of the Holy Qur'an.
o Know that gratitude for the open and concealed blessings of God, the
Exalted, is one of the necessary duties of servitude and devotion that must
be performed by all, each according to his ability, even though no creature
is able to offer due thanks unto God, the Exalted.
o Evidently, adoration, worship and sanctification of God require knowledge
and awareness of His Most Exalted Station as well as the Attributes of His
Glory and Grandeur; without due knowledge and awareness, these cannot
be fulilled.
o Rules of servitude [adab al-'ubudiyyah] imply that no power is to be
recognized except that of God and none is to be adored but God and His Divine Saints [awliya'].
o The essence of praise accrues to none but God; your praise of a rose or an
apple is [in essence] praise of God.
o Be certain that if your actions are not rooted in divinity and you abandon Islamic unity, you will surely be humiliated.
o [If] you have divine motives, material benefits will follow suit but they are
no longer material; they have become divine.
o Distinguishing the divine criteion from the Satanic one is attained after
referring to the inner-self and when one realizes that what matters is the
action and not the doer.
o You were invigorated by mindfulness of God, migration from oneself to
God””which is the greatest migration””migration from ego to the truth,
and from this world to the unseen world.
o Next to trusting in God, trust and rely on your own strength which is [also]
from Him.
o Fear none, 1 advise you, save God and count on none but Him, the Blessed
and Exalted!
o Paying attention to other than God shall enshroud man with the veils of
darkness and light [hijdbha-ye zulmdnt va nitrdnt].
o Negligence of God increases the indignation of the heart, gives the ego
and Satan domination over man, and increases corruption in him daily. [On the contrary,] mindfulness and remembrance of God bestows serenity on the heart, burnishes it and makes it a mirror reflecting the Beloved. It purges and purifies the soul and saves man from the bondage of ego.
o And be it known that no ire is more painful than the fire of God's wrath.
o Just as it is incumbent upon us to guard ourselves [against evil] and bring
ourselves rom darkness to light, so it is incumbent upon us to invite others to do the same.
o Study your lessons for the sake of God.
o If man rises up for carnal passions [shahawat an-nafsaniyyah] and not for
God, this action of him will lead to nowhere; this action of him will be
futile. Anything that is not for the sake of God cannot last.
o There is God, so do not be neglectful of Him! God is present; we are all
under His surveillance!
o Make your purpose a divine purpose; let your steps be taken for God.
o The entire world is God's Presence, whatever takes place, takes place in
the Presence of God.
o Always be aware that all your actions are [done] in the Presence of God””
all your actions! The eyes that wink are in the Presence of God; the tongues that speak are in the Presence of God; and the hands that act are in the Presence of God. And tomorrow, we must answer [for them all].
o All of us are [now] in the Presence of God, and all of us shall die [one
day].
o Whisper to your heart that everything you do is done in the Presence of
God.
o Apprise your veiled and drooping hearts that the universe, from the
highest heavens [a'la al-'illiyyln] to the lowest in hell [asfal as-sailm], is a manifestation of God, the Blessed and Exalted, and all are in the threshold of His Power.
o The blessings of God are a trial and test for His servants.
o That which pulls men out of wavering is remembrance of God.
o Pay heed to God so that the (people's) hearts become attentive to you.
o The exterior of action is not the criterion; that which is the criterion is the
motive behind the action.
o There is no responsible person in the world that is not tested and tried by
God,
o The status and position one holds and any responsibility he has. arc
[considered] the test and trial for him.
o In Islam the criterion is the pleasure of God, and not that of individuals.
We evaluate individuals by means of the truth, and not the truth by means
of individuals. The criterion is the truth and fact.
o We should set the divine criteria as the [accepted] criteria. 6
Source: 'Wise Sayings and Counsecs" book
Other Links:
Kolineh and Seyyed Sadeq offensive operation (2) (March 6th, 1981)
Democracy in an Islamic Community
The Concept and Principles of Democracy
Roqabieh offensive operation (March 19th, 1980)
Chaghalvand offensive operation (March 20th, 1980)
