Hawzah News Agency | In the Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, Imam Sajjad, peace be upon him, addresses Almighty God:
«اَللَّهُمَّ ... لاَ شَفِیعٌ یَشْفَعُ لِی إِلَیْکَ وَ لاَ خَفِیرٌ یُؤْمِنُنِی عَلَیْکَ وَ لاَ حِصْنٌ یَحْجُبُنِی عَنْکَ وَ لاَ مَلاَذٌ أَلْجَأُ إِلَیْهِ مِنْکَ.»
“O God! There is no intercessor to intercede for me before you, no guardian to grant me immunity against you, no fortress to conceal me from your sight, and no sanctuary to shelter me from your wrath.” (Supplication no. 32)
Explanation:
One of the primary factors that alienate humanity from God and the path to salvation is the attachment to superficial, worldly hopes and supports. Once an individual perceives the reality of material things, they will never anchor their heart to them, nor will they choose them as a refuge—even for a moment—for relying on the transient is contrary to reason.
More profoundly, if one realizes that “any choice or support devoid of the Divine essence will one day turn against them,”1 they will focus their entire being upon Almighty God, never seeking any refuge other than Him.
Reflecting upon this truth makes the Divine command in the Quran, “فَفِرُّوا إِلَی اللَّهِ - So flee toward Allah,”2 more comprehensible; for, as Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, stated, “Everything other than God is nothing but darkness.”
«کُلُّ ذِکْرٍ سِوَی اَللَّهِ ظُلْمَةٌ.»
Any remembrance other than the remembrance of God is but shadow and gloom. (Misbah al-Shari'ah, v. 1, p. 192)
So, naturally, one must flee from darkness toward the Light.
However, beyond merely grasping the perishable nature of worldly affairs, one must also perceive the sheer majesty and greatness of Almighty God. Only then will “all else” lose its luster in one’s eyes. As long as “the other” retains its appeal, one cannot taste the sweetness of true salvation. It is for this reason that the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, peace be upon him, describes the righteous (Muttaqin) as follows:
«عَظُمَ الْخَالِقُ فِی أَنْفُسِهِمْ فَصَغُرَ مَا دُونَهُ فِی أَعْیُنِهِمْ.»
“The Creator is magnified in their hearts, and all else is perceived as insignificant in their sight.” (Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon no. 193)
In summary: To see only God and to rely only upon Him, one must truly know both God and that which is “other than God.”
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1. Qur'an, Zukhruf; 43:67.
«الْأَخِلَّاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ.»
"On that day, friends will be one another’s enemies, except for the Godwary."
2. Dhariyat; 51:50.
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