Real
protection can come only from the Force that is all
Pervading!
This work of Hazrat Shaheed e Mehraab Ayatollah Dasteghaib
is presented under the title and style of "Ista-aaza.
As is very evident from the title, the subject of the
presentation is about seeking Allah's Protection against
the maneuverings of the Satan. With his high learning
and knowledge of the Verses of the Holy Book and the
Traditions of the Infallibles of the Prophet's Family,
he has delivered as many as thirty-five lectures on
the intricate subject. He has elucidated the five aspects
of Ista-aaza, namely piety or taqwa,
Remembrance of Allah or Zikr, resignation on
the wishes of Allah or Tawakkal, honesty of
purpose or Iqlas and humility in supplication
or Tazarro. The Ayatollah's discourses on these
topics are highly illuminating and interesting for those
who peruse them. To support his arguments, the author
referred to the Verses, Traditions and tales with great
skill. He has presented the facts in a very lucid language
that the readers of all intellectual levels understand
what he has conveyed to them.
The fact that has to be recognized is that the Ayatollah
was the people's guide ( Marja e Khalaeq) in
his lifetime and therefore the world mourned him at
the time of his martyrdom and thereafter too. The great
works of the martyred Ayatollah are like the petals
of a fragrant flower. These publications people have
been buying for themselves and to gift to friends for
deriving benefit from their reading.
The Martyr was himself a true practitioner of Ista-aaza.
Throughout his life he struggled against the baser instincts
(nafs e ammara) and to practice self- denial.
This struggle of his was against the machinations of
the Satan. In this struggle he was victorious. Therefore
he introduces the Satan to his audiences in a very lucid
and effective manner. He gives to the audience the ways
of protecting themselves and seeking Allah's Help to
this end. The talks in this compendium are studded with
thought provoking references. They are so interesting
that the narrative retains the interest of the reader
throughout the narrative and doesn't tire them for a
while! The interest increases as one makes progress
with the reading!
I remember that once when an offset technician was photographing
one of the Ayatollah's books, he got engrossed in reading
the contents. He has himself confessed that he was lost
so much in reading the book that he forgot that the
time for the closure of the studio that day had already
come. Throughout the day he had not photographed even
a page of the book! He said that on later days too,
many a time he got engrossed in the contents of the
book during the process of photographing it.
O Allah! Keep the Martyr's spirit under the shadow of
Your Munificence and also bless the spirit of his grandson
with those of other martyrs!
Sayed Mohammed Hashim Dastghaib
05-12-1360
24-02-1982
