God guard you and us against the trickeries of the oppressors, the tyranny of the envious, and the violence of the despots.
O believers, do not be misled by the tyrannical rulers and their fellows who are desiring only for the pleasures of this world, tending to it, deceived by its attractions, approaching it as well as its destruction and smashes which will certainly terminate and be ruined in the morrow.
Beware of matters against which God has warned you. Abstain from matters from which God has ordered you to abstain. Do not copy the inclination of those who regarded this world as a permanent abode.
All that which is in this world is evidence on its lowliness. Its ornamentation, changeability of manners, variableness of conditions, lessons, playing with people—all these are proofs on its lowliness.
It surely exalts the mean and demeans the noble. It will drive some people into Hell. This is an efficient lesson, trial, and warning for the heedful.
The everyday conditions, including the gloomy seditious affairs, the heresies, the consecutive authorities of injustice, the misfortunes, the fear from the rulers, and the incitement of the Shai-tan—all these shake the pure intentions of the hearts and stop against the existent right guidance and the recognition of the rightful, except the hearts of those whom God the Majestic protects. Surely, no one can realize the changeability and the variableness of the worldly conditions, as well as the result of its harmful sedition, except those whom God has protected. They are those who took the very right path and followed the straight way. They, then, sought the aid of abstinence through thorough pondering (over things) and learning lessons from others. So, they ab-stained from receiving the transitory pleasures of this world, deserted its lusts, desired for the bounty of the life to come, worked hard for obtaining them, watched for death, and refused to live the life with the oppressors. Thus, they looked at this world with eagle eye and keen sight and understood the seditious events, heretic deviation, and rulers’ injustice.
By God, you have been shown sufficient proofs, through the misfortunes that befell the ancient people, on the necessity of avoiding the misleading ones as well as people of heresies, tyranny, and (amiss) commitment of sins on this earth.
Seek God’s help and return to the obedience to Him and those whose obedience should be preferred to those whom are currently followed and obeyed.
Be thoroughly careful before you suffer regret and sorrow when you will be taken to God to stand before him (for maintaining judgment).
By God I take the oath, any people who direct to the disobedience to God will surely suffer His agony, and any people who prefer the worldly pleasures to the life to come will surely suffer grievous end and ill fate.
The acknowledgement of God and the pursuance of the acts of obedience to Him are connected to each other. He whoever acknowledges God will fear Him, and whoever fears God will be urged acting obediently to Him.
Scholars and their disciples worked hard for the sake of God and desired for Him after they had acknowledged Him.
In this regard, God says:
Only God’s knowledgeable servants fear Him. (35:28).
Do not receive anything from the pleasures of this world through committing an act of disobedience to God. Spend your times with performing acts of obedience to God, seize the opportunities of this world, and work for matters due to which you will be saved from the agony of God. This way will decrease your sins, make your apologies more excusable, and increase your opportunities of salvation.
Precede the fulfillment of God’s instructions and the acts of obedience to Him and to them whose obedience is incumbent upon you to your other affairs.
Do not precede the acts of obedience to the tyrannical rulers and the pleasures of this world to the fulfillment of God’s instructions and the acts of obedience to Him and to them whose obedience is incumbent upon you.
You should know that you, as well as we, are the servants of God, Who prevails us and will be the Only Judge tomorrow when He will subjugate you to interrogation. Prepare the answers for that interrogation before it falls and before you are standing ahead of the Lord of the worlds. On that day, no one will speak before obtaining His permission.
You should also know that God will not believe the liars, belie the truthful, reject the excusable apology, or excuse the unjustifiable apology. God’s is the whole argument against the creatures through His messengers and their successors.
Fear God and keep on reforming yourselves, performing acts of obedience to Him and to His representatives. It happens that one feels sorry for his past negligence and omission of God’s dues and rights. Seek God’s forgiveness and repent to Him, for He accepts the repentance, par-dons the evildoings, and knows well whatever you do.
Beware of associating with the disobedient (to God), supporting the oppressors, and neighboring the sinful. Beware of the seditious affairs of such people and be away from their fields. You should know that those who oppose the disciples of God, opt for a religion other than God’s, and prefer their own opinions to the opinions of God’s disciples (the Imams) will be suffering flaming fire (in Hell) that will consume their bodies [from which the souls are absent] and whose hardheartedness overcame them; [therefore, they are dead as they do not feel the heat of Hell].
Learn lessons, people of sights, and thank God for His guiding you. You should know that you cannot move away from the control of God’s ability to anything else. God will watch your actions and you will be gathered before Him. Benefit by the lessons and imitate the ethics of the virtuous ones.