Piety and Self-Building of Ayatullah Behjat

Piety and Self-Building

From his youth, Agha Behjat was constantly engaged in self-purification and self-building.

In his ethical instructions, he always insists that one should work hard at this task and forego and abandon many luxuries in order to make headway against the endless demands of the soul. 

He is of the opinion that in order to succeed in this jihad al-akbar, ethical purity (akhlaq) and knowledge (‘ilm) go hand in hand.  In fact he considers knowledge without self-purification, to be the more damaging than anything else.   

His famous advice to youths is ‘to read and practise one hadith daily from the Chapter of Jihad al-nafs in Wasail al-Shi’a of Shaykh Hurr al-Amili

How to Train one’s Soul (Tahdhib al-Nafs)

How to Train one’s Soul (Tahdhib al-Nafs)

Once, some hawza students from Lebanon requested Ayt. Behjat for spiritual and akhlaqi (moral) advice. 

He replied:  “One of the most beneficial actions in these matters is to sit with your fellow students every day and study one hadith from the chapter jihad al-nafs of the book Wasail al-Shi’a of Shaykh Hurr al-Amili. 

Of course, the hadith must be discussed properly, pondered over carefully and then transformed into action. This will be a spiritual tonic that within one year, will transform an individual in a way that he will himself see the change.”

Condensed from “Bargi az Daftar-e Aftaab”, A Leaf from the Book of Radiance (About the Life of Ayatullah Behjat). AJ260106.