[Session 5] Becoming familiar with some of the sweet concepts of the...
Becoming familiar with some of the sweet concepts of the Sha’baniya Supplication
Session 5
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful....
Becoming familiar with some of the sweet concepts of the Sha’baniya Supplication
Session 5
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. One of the very beautiful, monotheistic sentences in the beginning of the Sha’baniya Supplication is the phrase, which I mentioned in previous sessions for another reason, “What comes to me or is taken away, benefits or loss, are in Your hands and not the hands of anyone else. My Lord, if You deprive me, who can give me sustenance? If You humiliate and leave me, who can help me?” What comes to me or is taken away, benefits or loss,
are in Your hands and not the hands of anyone else. Then, it concludes, “My Lord, if You deprive me, who can give me sustenance? If You humiliate and leave me, who can help me?”
The first point is that it’s obvious when we are asked, “Who has power and in whose hands are affairs? Is there anyone else with the Almighty God?” we give a clear answer. “Power is in God’s hands. Others besides God cannot do anything.” So why don’t these monotheistic teachings become internalized in our hearts the way they should for them to cause us to cry, moan and talk to God, and have the most intense love in our hearts for the Lord? Loving to talk to the Almighty God and feeling a need for this conversation deeply, are due to these monotheistic teachings that have become internalized in one’s heart. What is the obstacle to these monotheistic teachings becoming internalized in our hearts? The obstacle is that we give too much value to various causes. We don’t see God’s role as being more than a cause, the tools that we have, or even our own power.
It’s usually tribulations that create such a feeling for a person. Tribulations bring a person to a dead end. Then, one suddenly feels that he doesn’t have anyone except God. But, when we are at the peak of prosperity, we don’t have anyone but God either. When everything around us and all events are going smoothly, when we are on the verge of reaching all of our desires, in the same way, we don’t have anyone except God. We are not polytheists in this way that we believe in God while believing in other gods with Him. We are not polytheists in this way that we worship idols and consider both God and idols to be effective in the world. But, an amount of polytheism exists, which prevents us from having monotheism in our hearts. It takes away our feeling for wanting to talk to God. This amount of polytheism is usually in our hearts that we see causes and people to be very effective in our lives.
We should think deeply about how much power God exerts in our lives according to the verse of the Qur’an where God tells the Prophet, “…and you did not smite when you smote the (enemy), but it was Allah Who smote them!” [Qur’an 8:17] A high understanding of monotheism will become internalized in a person’s heart. We should ponder on the topic of “determinism and free will.” We should look at how involved God is in our lives in each moment.
We should consider this fact that there are no coincidences in our lives. When we get a taxi in the street or call for a taxi, which taxi and which taxi driver comes, which radio station he is listening to in the taxi, and what we are hearing, none of these are coincidences. And, God can change the minds of people around us about what they say to us. He always does this. Because, all the scenes around us should be designed in a way that are in accordance with God’s tests. Therefore, everything is in God’s hands. It’s really in His hands.
It’s fine if we do our duty with regard to the causes. It’s our duty to repel a harm that comes towards us and to go towards a benefit, which comes to us, and take that benefit, but of course using lawful ways. Otherwise, we have turned God against ourselves. It’s not that we shouldn’t care about causes at all, but we should see God to be more powerful than these causes. If this state is created within us, the feeling of wanting to talk to God will intensify.
We often talk to and supplicate God politely, which is excellent. Sometimes we talk to and supplicate God with affection. Of course, this is excellent too. But, these don’t contradict a person understanding his exigency. The Household of the Prophet talked to God politely, affectionately, and also with an intense urgency. Where does this urgency arise from? It comes from the monotheism in their hearts, not in tribulations, but in regular situations. They truly look intensely at God in regular situations.
The next point, which can be connected to this topic and strengthen it, is in the second phrase that I read for you. He says, “My Lord, if You deprive me, who can give me sustenance? If You humiliate and leave me, who can help me?” Believing that we always need God’s help is a very valuable belief. One of the greatest tribulations that God threatens bad people with in the Qur’an, is where He says, “I won’t help you!” What does this mean?
9m:27s
2535
Kids Cartoon - TAYO - Nuri is a Superstar - English
Nuri the taxi promises to watch a TV show called \'Fireball the Superhero\' with the buses in the garage. Nuri works hard as always, driving her...
Nuri the taxi promises to watch a TV show called \'Fireball the Superhero\' with the buses in the garage. Nuri works hard as always, driving her passengers to their destinations as well as helping people out. A suspicious looking passenger gets in the taxi on Nuri\'s way to the garage. The passenger turns out to be Fireball in disguise, hiding from his hard core fans! Nuri kindly takes Fireball to his destination and ends up on the show with him. All the young buses envy Nuri when they see her on the show.
11m:0s
7390
[29 Jan 2014] Iran government finding ways to end air pollution - English
Iran's transportation and fuel center is teaming with the country's traffic police, department of motor vehicles and Iran's Environmental...
Iran's transportation and fuel center is teaming with the country's traffic police, department of motor vehicles and Iran's Environmental Protection Organization (IEPO) to remove aged vehicles to assist in solving the country's air pollution crisis. According to TIME Magazine Iran has 4 cities named as the top ten most polluted cities in the world. As air pollution continues to be an issue in Iran, government organizations have teamed up to solve this catastrophe for good. The goal is to remove vehicles aged private automobiles, taxis, passenger busses and trucks 20 years and older because they fail vehicle emission testing which is the core foundation for air pollution. PTC (Iran's transportation and fuel center estimates there are 1,200,000 aged vehicles throughout Iran. According to Iran's Environmental Protection Organization over 70% of air pollution in Iran especially in the capital Tehran which populates close to 14,000,000 is a direct cause of these aged vehicles.) In addition there are close to 9 million motorcycles in Iran of which 3 million are over aged. In the past 9 months close to 300,000 automobiles, busses and trucks and 600,000 motorcycles have been taken off the streets. The government is also offering a low interest rate loan for residents to turn in their aged vehicles and purchase brand new automobiles. The government is giving taxi drivers a loan of almost $7,000 while bus and truck drivers can get a loan of $20,000 and $50,000 respectively. Also according to IEPO Iran petroleum factories will only produce fuel based on Euro 4 standards by the end of March 2015. Currently Iran is importing Euro 4 standard fuel till it becomes fully efficient.
2m:31s
6611
Kids Cartoon - TAYO - A Day in the Life of Tayo - English
Tayo is nervous as he goes to take the city bus license exam. He overcomes his nervousness with Nuri the taxi\\\'s moral support and passes the...
Tayo is nervous as he goes to take the city bus license exam. He overcomes his nervousness with Nuri the taxi\\\'s moral support and passes the exam with flying colors. He follows a double-decker bus Cito to his new home, the garage. Tayo meets Speedy on the way, who lures him into a race on the riverside road. Speedy ends up having an accident and gets towed away. The police, Pat and Rookie, let Tayo off with a warning and he follows Cito back home. Tayo receives a warm welcome from all the buses at the garage and spends a happy first night in his new home.
10m:59s
9689