Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi

You cannot love God and sin at the same time

Rasa - Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi explains one of the most important ways to achieve divine affection and love is to cleanse the soul of that which God does not love. One cannot love God and continue to sin at the same time.

News ID: 805

Date: 17 April 2014 - 13:09

Rasa News Agency reports - Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, the head of the Educational and Research Institute of Imam Khomeini (RA), in his ethics lesson at Imam Khomeini Husayniyah (RA) in Qom, emphasized that the attachment to some things cannot be reconciled with the attachment to God.

“He, who wants to find the love of God in his heart, first must clean his heart from that which angers God. Love of God and love of sin cannot be together. If one loves sin and claims to love God, his love of God will be weak.”

He referred to the verse of the Holy Quran: “You shall not find a people who believe in God and the latter day befriending those who act in opposition to God and His Apostle,” [58:22] as referring to the impossibility of claiming to love God and His Messenger [Prophet Muhammad] and still disobeying the divine commands. These people are the enemies of God.

In response to a question asked: “why did God place a sense of love and enjoyment of divine blessings in human beings?” Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi replied: “God created this enjoyment to such an amount so that humans would go searching for what he needs in his life. If the enjoyment of food did not exist, humans would not eat and if the enjoyment of marriage did not exist, humans would not procreate and the human race would cease to exist. If something is dangerous, then the heart closes itself to it so that man continues to do his duties to God.”

He quoted a tradition from the Prophet Muhammad (S): “The Prophet Muhammad (S) was asked ‘what can I do to love God?’ He replied: ‘What God loves, you must also love it and that which God hates, you must also hate it.” Doing this will result in the blessings of God being returned.

Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi explained that “loving the Ahlul-Bayt, the infallible family of the Prophet Muhammad (S) is one of the most important methods to attain the love of God in one’s heart as it involves practical applications which have an effect on one’s actions and behaviour. When someone loves another person, they may try to imitate that person because of their intense love for him.”

“In the beginning of a spiritual journey, most people cannot completely concentrate on God during their duties, but this does not mean that it is impossible. With much effort, even when in daily prayers, when many people find their mind straying, it is possible to completely concentrate on the divine,” he added.

“We all know that God is present everywhere, but when this knowledge has an effect upon us, it is then that we have loved God. When our concentration increases it has an effect our relationship with God, and such, our work, studies, worship, sleep etc. as our attention becomes completely absorbed in God. This state is very valuable,” Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi explained.

Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi mentioned that Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (A) has said that in regards to to man knowing when he has reached a complete state of love for God, “when in his supplications and prayers, man only requests the blessings and grace of God be sent to him and he only needs what God wants for him.”

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