About Ayatullah Behjat

By his (Ayatullah Behjat) deeds and words, this great scholar has always directed himself to God alone.  

A great mujtahid has said about Agha Behjat:

“It cannot be just said about him that he is a man of piety; in fact he is the true essence and manifestation of taqwa.” 

Ayatullah Shaykh Javad Kerbalayi says about him: 

“One of his close students (in Najaf) reports that every night, or in fact at most times, Agha Behjat sits alone, deep in thought and contemplation.  He never wastes a moment of his time, and does not participate in vain gatherings. When the time comes for his class, or his ziyarat of Amirul Mu’mineen (A), he gets up abruptly, puts on his cloak and leaves the house without interfering in the activities of others. He is extremely reserved and does not like to reveal anything about himself, especially about the special favors and extraordinary spiritual powers that God has granted him.”

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

The Status of Supplication (Du’a)

Ayt. Behjat believes that du’a has a very great status and insists that du’a governs the outcome of every stage of our lives. Ustad Hadawi relates:  

“My daughter was very ill and I came to Ayt. Behjat and asked him to pray for her.  He told me, “You yourself recite the following du’a three times every day:  

“Allahumma ishfiha bi shifaa-ika, wa daawiha bi dawaa-ika, wa ‘aafiha bi ‘aafiyatik” 

“O Allah, cure her with Your cure, and treat her with Your medicine, and restore her health with Your strength”.  

Then, after the third time say: 

“Bi’l Imami’l-Kazim (A.S.), fa innaha amatuka wa bintu ‘abdik”. 

“By the sake of Imam al-Kazim (A.S.), for she is your servant, and the daughter of your servant.” 
Condensed from “Bargi az Daftar-e Aftaab”, A Leaf from the Book of Radiance (About the Life of Ayatullah Behjat)

Few thoughts on the issue of concentration during prayer

Here are a few thoughts from His Eminence Ayatullah Behjat on the issue of concentration during prayers.

Sheikh Muhsin Gharavian was once granted audience in the presence of Ayatullah al-Udhma Shaikh Muhammad Taqi Behjat and asked him: “O Scholar! Despite our advanced age we haven’t have yet experienced the pleasure of worship especially the sweetness of communication with God in salaat. According to your opinion what should we do to experience even a little pleasure of what our Infallible Imams have promised us?”

His eminence nodded his head and said: (Dear son)“Actually this is a universal problem. All of us are plagued with this ailment.”

The Sheikh was not satisfied with the answer and requested him for more concrete advice: “Our status differs from that which you have achieved, you’ve attained the heights of spirituality while we are the beginners! what should we do?”

His Eminence said: “May be I also wish I could acquire your status!”

Not contented with the self-effacing answer, he requested for more clarification. His Eminence replied: “In order to acquire the necessary concentration in Salaah one should observe

a) certain pre-requisites before Salaah and

b)certain discipline during Salaah.

Explanation:s
a) before Salaah one should observe Taqwa (God consciousness)and one should abstain from all sins that lead to darkening of the God-given purity of heart. SINS POLLUTE THE PURITY OF THE HEART and therefore reduce the luminosity of the heart.

b) during Salaah one should erect a “high security wire” around one’s heart such that no unwanted tresspasser (distracting devilish thoughts) is allowed inside the holy sanctuary of the heart. One’s thoughts should be intensely directed towards God and none other than Him should be allowed in. And if one’s thoughts start straying, immediately the moment one comes to know, one should guide these towards the right direction. 

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

The Status of Supplication (Du’a)

The Status of Supplication (Du’a)

Ayt. Behjat believes that du’a has a very great status and insists that du’a governs the outcome of every stage of our lives.

Ustad Hadawi relates:  “My daughter was very ill and I came to Ayt. Behjat and asked him to pray for her.  He told me, “You yourself recite the following du’a three times every day: 

“Allahumma ishfiha bi shifaa-ika, wa daawiha bi dawaa-ika, wa ‘aafiha bi ‘aafiyatik” “O Allah, cure her with Your cure, and treat her with Your medicine, and restore her health with Your strength”.  

Then, after the third time say: “Bi’l Imami’l-Kazim (A.S.), fa innaha amatuka wa bintu ‘abdik”. 

“By the sake of Imam al-Kazim (A.S.), for she is your servant, and the daughter of your servant.”

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

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.

It is the Proximity to Allah swt that matter in the end

It is the Proximity to Allah swt that matter in the end

To senior students, his words are more thought provoking.  One of his students recalls, “I remember once when I was accompanying him from his house to the mosque where he led the prayers.   

Ayt Behjat turned to me and asked:  “A student starts with “muqaddamat” (introductory lessons) and then studies the “ma’alim” and “mughni” and then where does he go next?”  I said, “lum’ah”.  He asked, “then what?”  I said, “makasib”.  He asked, “then what?”  I said, “kifayah”.  He asked, “then what?”  I said, “Dars al-kharij”.  He asked, “then what?”  I said, “He attains ijtihad”.  Once again, he asked, “then what?”

The student continues, “This was a great lesson to me. I realised that knowledge itself was not the goal; it was only the means (to achieve the goal) i.e. to gain the proximity of Allah swt.  If at every one of these successive stages, the student did not achieve even a little more proximity to Allah swt, then he has not progressed much at all.”

Getting the Seal of Approval of Imam al-Asr (ATFS)

Getting the Seal of Approval of Imam al-Asr (ATFS)

Ayt Behjat once advised the students of hawza: “We students should constantly be thinking about how we can earn the seal of approval of our master, the Wali al-Asr (AF). 

All students, whether junior or graduates or preachers, should be concerned about how they learn their lessons, what should their attitude be and how they should conduct themselves.

They should continually ask themselves if their attitude, conduct, speech and actions would please their master when they are presented to him and would he approve of them. 

Ayt. Behjat says that: “If this thought is always at the back of our minds, we will never stray in our conduct, speech or deeds.”

Not Considering one’s own Virtuous Deeds as ‘Significant’

Not Considering one’s own Virtuous Deeds as ‘Significant’

Ustad Khusrushahi relates: Ayt. Behjat always considers the virtuous deeds and the worship that he performs as insufficient.

He often says, “How good it would be that when a person performs virtuous deeds and acts of worship, he says to himself, “I have done nothing great”, but when he sees the virtuous acts of others, he admires them, thinking, “what a noble deed they have performed.”

The Ustad concludes, “In other words, his advice is to consider one’s own virtuous acts as insignificant, while regarding highly the good deeds of others.”

Reference:- “Bargi az Daftar-e Aftaab”, A Leaf from the Book of Radiance

so-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#00007F; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'> is al-dhikr-al-khafi (secret dhikr); i.e. it can be constantly repeated without anyone else being aware of what you are doing, because this dhikr can be pronounced without even moving the lips, unlike other dhikrs like “Subhanallah” or Alhamdulillah”!

Being in a state of Constant Dhikr

Being in a State of Constant Dhikr

Ayt. Behjat often advises his students to inculcate the habit of being da’im al-dhikr, i.e. remaining in constant remembrance of Allah swt.  He has said, “Someone who is constantly in dhikr, will always perceive himself in the presence of Allah swt and will be continuously communicating with Him.”

For those who want to combat waswasa, (constant suspicion of the motives of others), he recommends highly to continually recite the “tahlil”, which is the dhikr, “La Ilaha Illallah”.

Another great contemporary scholar, Ayt. Hasan Hasanzadeh Amuli has remarked that tahlil is al-dhikr-al-khafi (secret dhikr); i.e. it can be constantly repeated without anyone else being aware of what you are doing, because this dhikr can be pronounced without even moving the lips, unlike other dhikrs like “Subhanallah” or Alhamdulillah”!