Surah Mulk, v.2: “He, who created death and life that He may test you to see which of you is best in conduct/ deeds. And He is the All-mighty, the All-forgiving.” *Tafsir Notes*: Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (‘a), while explaining the above verse, said: "_It does not mean one of you whose deeds are more in number but rather it means one who is more rightful in his conduct, and this rightness is nothing but *fear of God and sincerity of intention (niyyah) and fear_*." Imam Sadiq further explained sincerity of intention as follows: “_and sincerity of action lies in this that you should not desire anyone to praise you for it except God Almighty,_” *Reflection:*: It is solely for Allah that I must DO AND NOT DO every action in my short life. I must crush self-love. Ego needs to go. ``

Blessing come in different forms not always monetory value.

Surah Isra: 14. “(It will be said to him): ‘Read your book; your own self suffices today as a reckoner against you’.” *Tafsir Notes (Enlightening Commentary):* In a hadith, Imam Sadiq (as) is quoted as saying: “On that day, will one remember all of what he has done and is registered in his record. *It seems as if he has done all those in just the same moment*….” Fakhre-Razi is of the opinion that the objective by ‘the book of record’ is here the ‘*spiritual scroll*’ on which man’s acts leave an impact, and by ‘reading’ is here meant the comprehension and understanding of it [Tafsir-ul-Kabir] . In Tafsir Al-Mizan, ‘book’ has been commented upon as ‘the acts in themselves’. *My Reflection:* _Before my book is given to me in a place where the door of repentance AND the door of action is firmly shut, isn’t it better I “open and read” my own book here where I can still reflect, repent, change and improve?_

*A Sincere Struggle for Reform and Justice* *الإِخْلَاصُ فِي الإِصْلَاحِ وَإِقَامَةِ الْعَدْلِ* *Imam Husayn (ʿAlayhis-Salām):* *اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَجِّلْ فَرَجَهُمْ,* *“O Allah! Surely You know that whatever we did was not a competition to gain worldly positions, nor was it for the worthless attractions of this world. Rather, it was to manifest the signs of Your religion, to bring reform to Your lands, so that the oppressed among Your servants may feel secure, and so that Your laws, traditions, and commands may be acted upon.”* *قال الإمام الحسين (عليه السلام):* *اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَجِّلْ فَرَجَهُمْ,* *«اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَا كَانَ مِنَّا تَنَافُسًا فِي سُلْطَانٍ، وَلَا الْتِمَاسًا مِنْ فُضُولِ الْحُطَامِ، وَلَكِنْ لِنُرِيَ الْمَعَالِمَ مِنْ دِينِكَ، وَنُظْهِرَ الْإِصْلَاحَ فِي بِلَادِكَ، فَيَأْمَنَ الْمَظْلُومُونَ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ، وَيُعْمَلَ بِفَرَائِضِكَ وَسُنَنِكَ وَأَحْكَامِكَ.»* *Reference: Toḥaf al-ʿUqūl, p. 239.* This profound statement of Imam Husayn (A.S.) summarizes the true purpose behind his movement and sacrifice. It teaches several timeless lessons: 1. Purity of Intention (Ikhlāṣ) The Imam begins by calling Allah as a witness to his sincerity. He declares that his struggle was not motivated by political ambition, personal fame, wealth, power, or status. True servants of Allah act for His pleasure alone, regardless of whether they gain worldly success or face hardship. 2. Leadership is a Trust, Not a Privilege The Imam rejects the pursuit of authority for personal gain. In Islam, leadership is a responsibility entrusted by Allah and must be used to establish justice and protect people. Many seek power to rule over others, but the righteous seek responsibility only to serve Allah and His creation. 3. Reviving the Signs of Religion The phrase “to manifest the signs of Your religion” refers to preserving and reviving the teachings of Islam whenever they become neglected, distorted, or9 forgotten.

In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful وَ سَمِعَ عليه السلام رَجُلًا مِنَ الْحَرُورِيَّةِ يَتَهَجَّدُ وَ يَقْرَأُ فَقَالَ: نَوْمٌ عَلَى يَقِينٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صَلَاةٍ فِى شَكٍّ Amir al-mu’minin (ʿa), heard about a Kharijite who said the mid-night prayers and recited the Qur’an, then he said: “Sleeping in a state of firm belief is better than praying in a state of doubtfulness.” Today, we look at Saying 97, where Imām ʿAlī (ʿa) shatters the illusion of superficial religiosity and calls us to a deeper, more stable form of faith. Quality Over Performance While Imām ʿAlī (ʿa) was in the company of his companions, he heard a man from the Harūriyya (the Khawarij) deeply immersed in midnight prayers (tahajjud) and the recitation of the Qur’an. This group was famous for their long night vigils, yet their thinking was superficial and their belief was mingled with doubt. Upon hearing this man, the Imām (ʿa) made a striking declaration: «نَوْمٌ عَلَى يَقِين خَيْرٌ مِنْ صَلاَة فِي شَكّ»“ Sleeping in a state of firm belief is better than praying in a state of doubtfulness.” This statement is a profound reality check for us. What brings us close to God and keeps us on the straight path is Yaqīn (certainty). When our faith is firm, it prevents us from deviating; but when it is shallow, we can easily be led astray, making our worship hollow and of little value. The Imām (ʿa) echoes this sentiment in Saying 145: «كَمْ مِنْ صَائِم لَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ صِيَامِهِ إِلاَّ الْجُوعُ وَالظَّمَأُ وَكَمْ مِنْ قَائِم لَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ قِيَامِهِ إِلاَّ السَّهَرُ وَالْعَنَاءُ حَبَّذَا نَوْمُ الْأَكْيَاسِ وَإِفْطَارُهُمْ» “How many a fasting person whose fasting brings him nothing but hunger and thirst, and how many a night stander whose night vigil brings him nothing but wakefulness and fatigue. Blessed is the sleep of the wise and their breaking of the fast.” The Cautionary Tale of the Beautiful Reciter To illustrate the danger of outward devotion without inward transformation, we look at an event involving the Imām’s close devotee, Kumayl ibn Ziyād. One night, while walking past a house, they heard a man reciting the Qur’an in a mournful, weeping tone: