How do we fight against the Ego?

(page 179) Question 107: How do we fight against the Ego?

Answer: Fighting the Ego has two Sides;

the First: is inside this Bodily world, and the Second: is inside the Kingdom and Spiritual world, so the human is composed of a body and a spirit (or a soul and it is the speaking (tongue) implanted in the Heavens within the lowest arrangements of the spirit).

=> As for fighting the Ego inside this Bodily world then it is done by the practise of noble morals, and the most important is generosity, the Al-mighty said: {..and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that..}[1], and upon the believer is to spend in the Way of Allah onto the needy and the poor and onto the Jihadists, and to provide for them the necessary preparation to fight the enemy of Allah, and the best of generosity is not upon the deficient (believer) or the one who lacks (possessions) in his hand, {..and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that..}. In the same way that (a duty) upon the believer is to hate taking advantage over another believer or (establishing) centres of leadership (to take advantage), this Hadith was narrated from Messenger (pbuhaf) to that effect: (“Whoever takes advantage over a believing nation’s welfare/wealth and he is aware that there are people inside like himself (believers) then Allah will overturn him onto his nostrils in the Hellfire.“)([2]), and this much is enough and I will leave the research and the elaboration to the believers.

=> As for fighting the Ego inside the Spiritual world then it is done by contemplating and thinking, the Messenger of Allah (pbuhaf) said this to Ali (pbuh) to that effect: (“O Ali, an hour of thinking is better than worshipping for a thousand years.“).

O my believing brother, come with me so we can ponder in our shameful circumstance in the hands of Allah the Glorified and Al-mighty, let one of us be one of them, suppose that you are one of the 313, and suppose you are one of the 12 leaders from them, and they are the finest of everyone in Earth, the Prince of the Believers (pbuh) said this about them to that effect: (“May my father and my mother be sacrificed for those few whose names are well-known in the sky and not known on the earth…“)([3]), and they (pbut) said about them: (“The Earth becomes proud when they are walking on it.“)([4]), and Al-Sadiq (pbuh) cried more than 1000 years ago because of the ignorance towards them, and prayed to them and said this to that effect: (“O Lord, if you want worship inside Your Earth then do not allow Your enemy authority over them.“), and Al-Sadiq (pbuh) said this to that effect: (“They would not be like this if it were not for the fact that they were created from the light that Muhammad (pbuhaf) was created from and Muhammad (pbuhaf) was created from mud.“)([5]).

So contemplate their merits with the entire mankind and with the entire Shia of Ahlulbayt (pbut), so the Shia are created from their light and from their (pbut) righteous mud, and these are the sincere Shia that are the companions of the Qa’im (pbuh) created from the light that Muhammad (pbuhaf) was created from, and Muhammad (pbuhaf) was created from mud, and with this great merit and elevated rank and with (the fact that) they are from the close ones and from the guardians of Allah that don’t have fear over them nor will they grieve, however come with me towards the presentation of the Day of Judgment to see their circumstance or rather the circumstance of the entire creation except Muhammad (pbuhaf), then if Judgment arises no one will challenge the word in the hands of Allah until Muhammad prostrates and until Muhammad praises Allah and until Muhammad (pbuhaf) speaks and intercedes for the creation of Allah and His servants, so why is it that no one would prostrate nor praise nor speak in that situation unless after Muhammad (pbuhaf) prostrates and praises and speaks?

Isn’t the shortage with the (entire) creation except Muhammad (pbuhaf)?? Or are the oppressors who are present inside the court of Allah the Glorified the Al-mighty for this (situation) more superior and great and tremendous??

My dear brother:

The Prince of the Believers (pbuh) who is the best of creation after Muhammad (pbuhaf) said: (“My Lord I have been unjust to my soul for I have not looked after it, it will certainly be doomed if You do not forgive it.”)([6])

And if you contemplated upon my previous statements then you would understand that the Commander of the Faithful (pbuh) meant everything that he said in all the statements meaning, so then what is the situation for us??

And this is the truth that I am telling you: That it is very important for mankind to be with a rank that is elevated and honoured and reputed in the hands of Allah the Glorified and Al-mighty, so upon him (mankind) is to bite on his finger in repentance and regret upon the small (amount of) modesty towards Allah the Glorified the Al-mighty the most Merciful the extremely Merciful the Patient the Generous, and to repeat these words: O my grief from what I have neglected in the side of Allah (and I shall grieve) till the Day of Judgment arises, and praise is due to Allah only.

[1] The Holy Qur’an: Surat Al-Hashr (59: 9).
[2] Look in: Al-Ghadeer by Sheikh Al-Ameeni: volume 7, page 291.
[3] Nahjul Balagha (Peak of Eloquence): page 126 / Sermon 187.
[4] Look in: Kamaal Al-Deen Wa Tamaam Al-Ni’ma: page 673.
[5] Al-Kafi: volume 1, page 402, Hadith 5, and here is the complete narration for you: (“From Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Khaliq and abu Basir who has said the following: Abu ‘Abdullah (pbuh) said: O abu Muhammad, with us there is a secret of the secrets of Allah and a knowledge of the knowledge of Allah. No angel, near to Allah or a prophet who is a messenger also and no believer whose heart Allah has tested for faith is capable to bear. By Allah, Allah has not required anyone to bear it except us nor has He required anyone to worship him in that way except us. With us there is a secret of the secrets of Allah and a knowledge of the knowledge of Allah. Allah has commanded us to preach it We then preached what Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, had commanded us to preach. However, we did not find a proper place for it or a people or bearers who accept it until Allah created certain tribes. These people were created from the clay out of which Muhammad and his descendants were created and from a light from which Allah had created Muhammad and his descendants. He made them with the excess of the making of His blessings out of which He had made Muhammad and his descendants. We then preached what Allah had commanded us to preach then these people accepted and acknowledged that. [It reached them from us and they accepted and acknowledged it]. Our mention reached them and their hearts inclined towards us, recognizing us and our hadith. Had they not been created from this they would not have been as such. No, by Allah, they would not have acknowledged.”
Then the Imam (a.s.) said, “Allah created certain tribes for Hell and fire. He then commanded us to preach to them as we had preached to them but to the later ones it seemed repugnant and their hearts felt hatred and they rejected it from us, did not acknowledge it and considered it as lies and they said, “They are magicians and liars.” Allah then placed a seal on their hearts and made them to forget. Allah then opened their tongue with some of the truth. Thus, they speak of it but their hearts are in denial. He uses it in defense of His friends and those who obey Him. Had it not been there no one would have worshipped Allah on earth. He commanded us to withheld it from them, hide and conceal. You must also hide it from those that Allah has commanded to withheld from and hide from those that Allah has commanded to hide and withheld from.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) then raised his hands and wept and said, “O Lord, this is a very small group. Make our lives as their lives and our death like their death. Do not make dominant over them any of Your enemies that would cause us suffer pains for their suffering. If You would allow it to cause pains to us because of
their sufferings no one would worship You on earth. May Allah send blessing up on Muhammad and his Ahl al-Bayt and may (Your) peace and more peace be with them.”)
[6] A section from AlMunajat AlSha’baniya (Supplication of Sha’ban) by the Commander of the Faithful (pbuh), Bihar AlAnwar: vol 91, page 97.