Relinquishing the Ismails in Our Lives Agha Alireza Panahian Many religious people have a problem in this area! The way to test a person’s internal being is for him to ignore an interest. The good interests that you have gained, now you have to sacrifice some of those good interests. Whenever you decide to do a valuable action, you should pass over one of your interests. Therefore, the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (‘a), said, “Any sin is accompanied by desire. Any act of obedience is accompanied with feelings of aversion and hardship.” With this design that the Almighty God has made within us, He has created the opportunity for testing. So, if we resist our desires and bad interests, activate our good interests, and taste the enjoyment of good interests, will we live happily? No my dear! One should oppose his or her good desires for better desires! After you have become good, will everything be solved? No, then it’s time to sacrifice the good interests that you have gained. Many religious people have a problem in this area! Satan didn’t want to open up a bar! He didn’t want to act like a gangster! He said, “Instead of this prostrating, I’ll pray 2 thousand years for You.” One might say, “One has to resist his bad interests for his good interests! He has to oppose his lesser interests for more valuable and higher interests!” No my dear! One should oppose his or her good desires for better desires! Which good interests? Give an example. For example, you love your Ali Akbar (the son of Husayn (‘a)). Now you must sacrifice your Ali Akbar. Or, you are Ibrahim. And, you love your Ismail. Now sacrifice your Ismail. In this world, the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (‘a), loved to protect Hazrat Fatimah Zahra (s) more than anything else. But, the situation required that because of God he not use his sword to defend Hazrat Fatimah (‘a) due to superior interests. And this anguish remained with him till the end of his life. It wasn’t easy for him! It is for this part of the story that we gather to read eulogies about tragedies. The way to test a person’s internal being is for him to ignore an interest. The good interests that you have gained, now you have to sacrifice some of those good interests. One should oppose his or her good desires for better desires! And, this continues until the last moment! [From the series of speeches under the topic of “The most determining factor in human destiny.”] Show Less >>