Though very little is known about the secrets of Ayatullah Bahjat’s (r) personality, he is a very revered character among the Shi’a. His unparalleled progress in spirituality may be attributed to his great teachers (like Sayyed Ali Qadhi). Expectantly, many of our own great ulama are former students of His. For an individual to achieve the spiritual and academic feats Ayatullah Bahjat did, it is expected that he follows an all-comprehensive schedule, of which Ayatullah Bahjat’s will be the subject matter of this short piece. Prior to constructing such a schedule, it becomes incumbent to initially refine your soul, so that your inclinations and desires in life align themselves with Islamic principles. So long as man’s desire for satisfying his carnal inclinations exceed that of his spiritual ones, he will not make any fruitful efforts in self-refinement, or disassociating from heedless worldly attachments, which are the leading factors in wasting time.
Agha Bahjat actualized the saying “Time is money” in his day to day lifestyle and wasn’t willing for a second of his time to go to waste. His daily schedule was carefully constructed and was subject to little change after becoming an Ayatullah. Holistically, his time was either spent for worship, dhikr (remembrance) and reflection, necessities of life and studying or teaching.
Even the time spent in between waking up and grabbing a book from his bookshelf was utilized for saying dhikr.
Agha Bahjat (r) would wake up two, or sometimes three, hours prior to morning prayers and began his personal worship of God from then on. If time allowed, he would indulge in some studying. When the time for morning prayers came, he would immediately pray at home then head off to the local mosque for leading prayers there. The reason for this was that some officers had requested for him to establish morning prayers a little later so that they can arrive on time, given they had to come from places far away. The other reason for this was that after the Islamic Revolution, Sayyed Khomeini had requested for Agha Bahjat (r) to be accompanied by body guards when he made his way to the mosque for morning prayers. Agha Bahjat respectfully declined this offer and agreed with Sayyed Khomeini’s second request to at least wait until it isn’t absolutely dark outside – leading to him establishing delayed morning prayers.
After his morning prayers at the mosque, he would perform lengthy taqibat (supplication) of salah (daily prayer). After his taqibat, he would make his way to the shrine of Hadhrat Fatima Ma’sumeh for pilgrimage (ziyarat). He would return home after lengthily supplicating and performing a’maal of ziyarat. Agha Bahjat had scheduled the times spent traveling to and from the blessed shrine of Hadhrat Fatima Ma’sumeh for invocating with his Lord through Dua Sabah and other supplications. He would briefly spend 10 minutes eating breakfast and then dedicate 15 minutes for a slight rest.
Upon waking home, he began studying a bit more. A majority, if not all, of the works left by this blessed individual were written during this time.
He thereupon left to Fatemiye Mosque for teaching Islamic jurisprudence. Agha Bahjat would recite Ziyarat Ashura on a daily basis, with the 100 curses (لعن) and greetings on his way to class. After his jurisprudential classes, he would prepare for salat al-dhuhr and asr (afternoon and late afternoon prayers) and pray them in congregation. Afterwards, he would attend the needs of others, eat lunch and spend an hour or two taking a light nap (at home). He then returned, again, to Fatemiye Mosque as he taught the principles of jurisprudence (أصول الفقه) there in the afternoons. After classes, he would perform congregational prayers for maghrib and isha (the sunset and night prayers) prayers. Thereupon finishing prayers, Agha Bahjat, for approximately an hour, would perform a special worship of God within a dark room. Afterwards, he would drink tea and busy himself with studying. Subsequent to eating dinner, he would spend approximately 30 minutes performing the spiritual acts that are to be done prior to sleeping; recitation of the Holy Qur’an, recitation of Hadith-e-Kisa (حَدِيثُ اَلكِسَاء) and etc. and would then sleep with ablution. [1]
Success in the pursuit of any objective, be it spiritually, academically, financially or athletically geared, necessitates for fine-tuned scheduling of one’s time – for greatness comes with a cost. In fact, a price is paid for greatness and mediocrity. The price man pays for living mediocrely is the limitless potential God has exalted him with, above all other creatures, in attaining the highest degree of knowing God. Those among us who have understood their potential and God as the source of all purity and felicity, don’t waste their worth by knocking on any door other than God’s.
يا انسان (يابن آدم)خلقت الاشياء لاجلك و خلقتك لاجلي
Oh man, I have created everything for your sake, but created you for myself. [2]
At the end of the day, we’re all confronted by a choice to make: whether we want to be praised and endeared by the Lord of the heavens, or, transiently satisfy ourselves with short-lived pleasures. A schedule that enshrines the obedience of God as its only objective alleviates man from the pits of deception and ill-fated glitters and ornaments this worldly abode seeks to deceived us with – for surely there awaits nothing but calamities and despair for its pursuers. Death awaits us all and there is no control over this matter. What there is control over though is our state in the eternal lifetime of the hereafter – will you be among the losers or winners?
Source:
[1] نگاهی به زندگی عارف کامل حضرت آیت الله العظمی بهجت، نویسنده: موسسه فرهنگی انتشاراتی انصاری [2] الكركي، المحقق، رسائل الكركي، ج3 ص162.شرح الأسماء الحسنى،الملا هادى السبزوارى ج1ص139
