Introductory Note
The original work in Persian, recently published under the title “Arba’in, ya chihil hadith” was written by Imam al-Khumayni forty-six years ago and was completed in the month of Muharram 1358 (April-May, 1939).
The manuscript of this work, together with that of two other unpublished works of the author, Sharh Du’ae sahar, and Adab al-salat, were recovered from the library of the late Ayatullah Akhund al-Hamadani. All the three works have now been published.
- Forty Hadith, An Exposition, Second Revised Edition
- Introductory Note
- About The Author
- Introduction
- First Hadith: Jihad of The Self
- Verbal Translation
- Exposition
- First Grade
- Contemplation
- Will and Resolution
- Effort and Struggle (Spiritual)
- Self-Examination and Stipulation (Musharatah)
- Guarding Against Evil (Muraqabah)
- Remembrance (Tadhakkur)
- Remembrance of God, Remembering The Graces Bestowed By Him
- The Second Stage
- Hidden Or Inner Powers (Quwwa al-Batini)
- How to Regulate Human Instincts
- How to Bridle Fancy And Imagination
- Estimation and Appraisal
- How to Cure Moral Maladies
- Conclusion
- Second Hadith: Ostentation (Riya’)
- Third Hadith: Self-Conceit (‘Ujb)
- Fourth Hadith: Pride (Kibr)
- What Is Kibr?
- Kinds and Degrees of Kibr
- The Causes of Kibr
- Spiritual and Social Harms of Pride
- Other Causes Of Pride
- How to Cure Pride?
- The Punishment in The Hereafter
- Humility and Modesty of the Prophet (S)
- To Cure Pride, One Should Act Against Its Dictates
- A Reminiscence of a Teacher
- Yaqzah (Awakening) is the First Step
- The Vicious Subtleties of the Self
- Fifth Hadith: Envy (Hasad)
- Sixth Hadith: Love of the World
- Seventh Hadith: Anger (Ghadhab)
- Eighth Hadith: Prejudice (‘Asabiyyah)
- Ninth Hadith: Hypocrisy (Nifaq)
- Tenth Hadith: Desire and Hope
- Eleventh Hadith: Man’s God-Seeking Nature
- Twelfth Hadith: Contemplation (Tafakkur)
- Exposition
- What Is Heart?
- Merits of Contemplation
- The Desirable And The Forbidden Contemplation On The Divine Essence
- Contemplation on Creation
- The Earth and the Sun: Two Masterpieces of Creation
- Contemplation on the States of the Soul
- A Conclusive Proof
- Virtues of the Midnight Prayer
- What is Taqwa?
- Taqwa for the Common People
- Thirteenth Hadith: Trust In God (Tawakkul)
- Fourteenth Hadith: Fear of God
- Fifteenth Hadith: The Believer’s Trials And Tribulations
- Sixteenth Hadith: Patience (Sabr)
- Seventeenth Hadith: Repentance (Tawbah)
- Eighteenth Hadith: Remembrance Of God
- Nineteenth Hadith: Backbiting (Ghibah)
- Twentieth Hadith: Pure Intention (Ikhlas)
- Twenty-First Hadith: Thankfulness (Shukr)
- Twenty-Second Hadith: The Aversion For Death
- Twenty-Third Hadith: The Seekers Of Knowledge
- Twenty Fourth Hadith: The Classification Of Sciences
- Twenty-Fifth Hadith: Satanic Insinuation
- Twenty Sixth Hadith: The Pursuit Of Knowledge
- Exposition
- The Path Of Knowledge And The Way To Paradise
- An Important Point
- The Angels’ Spreading Their Wings For The Seekers Of Knowledge
- The Inhabitants Of The Heaven And Earth Asking Forgiveness For The Seeker Of Knowledge
- The ‘Alim’s Superiority Over The ‘Abid
- The Ulama Being The Heirs Of The Prophets
- Twenty-Seventh Hadith: Prayer And Concentration
- Twenty-Eighth Hadith: Meeting God
- Twenty-Ninth Hadith: The Prophet’s Counsel To ‘Ali
- Preface
- The Evils of Lying
- The Meaning of Wara’ and its Levels
- The Fear Of God Almighty
- The Virtues Of Lamentation
- Doubts Regarding Disproportionate Award
- Concerning the Number of the Naw'afil
- Concerning the Istihbab of Fasting on Three Days in Every Month
- On the Merit of Sadaqah
- Another Point
- One of the Secrets of Sadaqah
- On the Merit of the Nightly Prayer
- Concerning al-Salat al-Wusta
- On the Merits of Reciting the Qur'an
- Concerning the Effect of Worship on Youth
- On the Etiquette of Qira'ah
- On Sincerity in Reading
- Concerning the Meaning of Tartil
- On Raising The Hands In Prayer And Turning Them
- The Secret Behind The Raising Of The Hands
- A Warning Concerning One Of The Satanic Ruses
- The Merit Of Brushing The Teeth
- Moral Virtues And Vices
- Thirtieth Hadith: The Kinds of Hearts
- Exposition
- Reforming The Heart
- The Basis for The Classification Of The Hearts
- The Reason Why the Kinds of Hearts Are Confined To the Four
- The States of The Hearts
- The Luminosity of the Believer’s Heart
- Explanation of the Believer’s Being on the Straight Path
- Some Stratagems Of Satan
- The Hypocrite’s Heart And The Difference Between It And The Believer’s Heart
- Neglect Of The Truth Results In The Inversion Of The Heart
- Thirty-First Hadith: The Indescribability of God, The Prophet, And The Imams
- Exposition
- The Indescribability Of God
- Impossibility Of Knowing The Reality Of The Names And The Attributes
- Knowledge Of The Spiritual Reality Of The Prophets And The Awliya’ Is Unattainable Through Rational Thought
- The Waiting Of ‘The Seven Hijabs’ Mentioned In Relation To The Prophet
- The Delegation (Tafwid) Of The Affair To The Messenger Of God (S), As Indicated By This And Many Other Traditions
- Brief Allusion To The Meaning Of Tafwid
- The Station Of The Imams (A)
- Reality Of ‘Ismah
- The Indescribability of Faith
- Thirty-Second Hadith: Conviction In Faith
- Thirty-Third Hadith: Wilayah And Works
- Thirty-Fourth Hadith: The Station of The Faithful Before God
- Exposition
- A Noteworthy Point
- Interpretation Of The ‘Hesitation’ Ascribed To God
- An ‘Irfani Explanation
- Another Interpretation Of The Tradition Of Hesitation
- God’s Reforming Of The State Of The Faithful Through Poverty And Wealth
- The Nearness Relating To Obligatory And Supererogatory Acts And Their Result, In Accordance With The Approach Of The Wayfarers
- The Secret Of The Variance Among The Prophets In Respect Of Prophethood
- A Citation From The Most August Shaykh Baha’i
- A Citation From Khwajah Tusi
- Concluding Note
- Thirty-Fifth Hadith: God And Man, Good And Evil
- Thirty-Sixth Hadith: The Attributes Of God
- Exposition
- The Identity of God’s Attributes with His Essence
- The Statements Of The Philosophers On The Division Of Divine Attributes
- The Identity Of The Attributes With The Sacred Essence
- The Priority Of Knowledge To Creation
- The Meaning Of Hearing And Sight In Relation To God
- Character Of The Relation Of God’s Knowledge To The Knowables
- The Criterion Relating To Positive And Negative Attributes
- Thirty-Seventh Hadith: The Knowledge Of God
- Thirty-Eighth Hadith: The Meaning Of God’s Creation Of Adam In His Image
- Thirty-Ninth Hadith: Good And Evil
- Fortieth Hadith: Exegesis of Surat Al-Tawhid and Some Verses of Surat Al-Hadid
- Prayer and Epilogue