The news on Thursday, December 5

Blessed are those who gathered last night in the holy and radiant gathering for our mother, Fatima (peace be upon her), in the sacred city of Qom, to hold the mourning ceremony for Hazrat Sadiqa Tahira. 

According to the latest reports, more than a thousand people attended, which is considered one of the record numbers for mourning ceremonies.

This large attendance might be because over two months had passed since the last similar events, and the Aradis felt the longing to travel from their cities to Qom and renew their connection.

We also watched this heartfelt unity of yours from the shrine of Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza through the live broadcast, and we gained great spiritual benefit.

I want to express special thanks to Mr. Vahid and all the respected individuals present at the session, who even mentioned my name in such a magnificent gathering—truly, you treated me with great kindness.

However, I would like to refer to an ayah that dear Mr. Vahid mentioned during this blessed night. In this verse, God says:

“When the suffering reached them from us, why then did they not learn humility? On the contrary their hearts became hardened, and Satan made their [sinful] acts seem alluring to them.” (Surah Al-An’am, Ayah 43)

Mr. Vahid referred to this verse and emphasized that when hardships come, it is a reminder from God to turn back to Him and pray for relief. However, we often do not pray, and if we did, the hardship would be removed.

He also mentioned that businessmen who contact customers and try hard, yet see that customers are not becoming profitable, should besides their efforts, grasp God’s decree and pray for relief. Unfortunately, many people neglect this, but we expect Aradis, who love the Qur’an and the Prophet, to heed this advice, and in their prayers, plead with God for help.

What made me reflect on this verse was the reason God gives for the lack of supplication.

What makes us not humble ourselves and pray?

I recall that I once wrote an article titled, “We Aradis should earn our livelihood with our intellect, not with our hands.”

Since childhood, we have been taught that a man must earn his livelihood through physical labor, which has led Iranians to focus on manual work and avoid trade. If someone earns money through intellect and reasoning, without using their hands, they are labeled a scammer or are looked down upon because they didn’t “earn their livelihood with their hands.”

But this verse reminded me of another proverb that is, in fact, very accurate.

Have you heard the saying, “He earns his livelihood with a pure heart”?

Exactly! God also continues in the verse and explains the reason why many do not humble themselves and pray for relief, even when hardships and calamities come from Him. He says that the reason is:

1. Their hearts have hardened.
2. Satan makes their bad deeds seem good to them.

But blessed are those whose hearts remain soft and compassionate and have not become hard-hearted.

Truly, the softness and gentleness of the heart increase sustenance, while hardness and cruelty lead to a decrease in livelihood. This is mentioned in many narrations.

The part about how Satan makes bad deeds appear good requires further explanation, but what comes to mind right now is that it is said:

“A person who gives money to a poor person from another city while there is poverty in his own city, has no reward.”

How often do we give money to people in another city, while there is a needy person in our own city whom we ignore?

Such wrongful acts, which Satan makes appear good to us, increase, and these are the very things that close the door to our sustenance.

After entrusting the first matter to the judgment of the Lord, she turned towards the Ansar of Medina and said:

“O guardians of Islam and the strong arms of the nation,

Why do you neglect and disregard my right?

Did my father not repeatedly tell you that the honor of every person is preserved through their children?

How swiftly have you fallen into these actions?

While you have the power to support me.

Do you say to yourselves that the mission of Muhammad has ended, that his time has passed?

By God, this calamity is the heaviest and the most severe trial, unmatched by any other misfortune, and the Book of God has made this clear, saying:

If he dies or is killed, will you return to the ignorance of the past? And whoever turns back, will not harm God in the slightest, and God will reward those who give thanks.

O sons of the Ansar, you are many in number, you possess weapons and shields, and you hear the cries of our plea for justice, yet you do not respond.

While you are renowned for your bravery, your righteousness, and your virtue, you were the chosen ones who stood by us, the family of the Prophet. You endured hardships, silenced the cries of polytheism, and were the supporters of Islam, extinguishing the flames of disbelief.

What has happened to you now? After all your affirmations of faith, have you become bewildered, and do you now seek to return to false worship?”