Self building : an Islamic guide for spiritual migration, towards God / writings of Ibrahim Amini; translated from Persian by Sayyid Hussein Alamdar.

Translated from Persian.

'Including translations of Imam Khomeini's mystical poem & munajate shabanyeh'--T.p.

Includes bibliographical references.

Translator's ForewordBiography of Ayatullah Ibrahim AminiPrefaceAn Important ReminderSelf-Purification, the Main Goal of Divine Messengers1. Self-awareness and Self-building2. Human-soul and Animal-self3. Human Virtues4. Esoteric Life5. What to Be?The Heart in Quran1. Reasoning and Comprehension2. Un-comprehending and Reasoning3. Faith4. Blasphemy and Disbelief5. Dissension6. To Receive Guidance7. Negligence8. Certainty and Tranquility9. Anxiety and Conflict10. Blessing and Kindness11. Hot-temper and CrueltySoundness and Sickness of HeartHeart in Traditions1) The Heart of an Unbeliever2) The Heart of a Believer3) The Heart of a Believer- Occasionally ContaminatedHard-heartednessHeart's PhysiciansRefinement and Perfection of SelfEvacuation or Self-refinement (Takhliyeh)Self-refinement1. Negligence from the Disease2. Diagnosis of Self-sickness2.1. Strengthening of Reason2.2. Thinking before Action2.3. Being Pessimistic towards the Self2.4. Consulting Spiritual Physicians2.5. Consulting a Wise Friend2.6. Learning from Other's Faults2.7. Learning from Criticism2.8. Symptoms of Heart's Sickness3. Decision for Treatment4. Control and Domination of SelfSelf-Struggle1. Greater Struggle (Jihad al-Akbar)A. First ReasonB. Second ReasonC. Third Reason2. Struggle and Divine Assistance3. Man, His own PhysicianThe Stages of Self-refinement1. Prevention2. Sudden Renunciation3. Gradual RenunciationThings which are Helpful for Self-refinement1. Meditation2. Reward and Punishment3. Dignity of Human Essence and Strengthening Human Virtues4. Renunciation of Bad Company5. Avoiding Potential BlundersEgotism - the Root of all Evils1. Worldliness, the Source of all Sins2. What is World?3. World's Reality4. The Next Worlders5. The Worldly Beings6. The Worldly and Next WorldersPiety, the Most Important Factor for Purification1. Piety, Objective Behind the Divine Commands2. Definition of Piety3. Piety and Seclusion4. Piety and Insight5. Piety and Victory over the Difficulties6. Piety and Freedom7. Piety and Treatment of DiseasesThe Characteristics of Pious (Sermon of Hammam)Supervision - the Most Important Factor for Self-restraint1. Recordings of Deeds2. Accounting on the Judgment Day3. Self-scrutiny Before the Judgment Day4. How to Scrutinize?4.1. Making Commitments (Mosharateh)4.2. Supervision and Control (Moraqebat)4.3. Accounting of DeedsRepentance and Self-cleansing1. The Need for Repentance2. Acceptance of Repentance3. What is Repentance?4. Things which Require Repentance4.1. Moral Sins4.2. Practical SinsNourishment and Perfection of Self (Tahliyeh)1. God's Nearness2. Meanings of God's Nearness1. Nearness Relative to Place2. Nearness Relative to Time3. Metaphorical NearnessFaith, the Foundation of Spiritual PerfectionThe Means of Perfection and God's NearnessFirst Means -God's Remembrance (Dikhr)A) The Aim of Invocation (Dikhr)B) The Degrees of Invocation (Dhikr)The Effects and Indications of Invocation (Dhikr)1. Commitment for God's Obedience2. Humility3. Excitement for Worshipping4. Tranquility and Assurance5. God's Attention towards the ServantFirst ReasonSecond Reason6. God's Love towards the Servant7. The Most Important EffectsThe Means of Attainment1. Meditation and Reasoning2. Deliberations over the Qur'anic Verses3. Worshipping4. Invocations and SupplicationsInstructions1. Instructions of the Commander of the Faithful Imam'Ali (a.s.)2. Instructions of Imam al-Sadiq3. Instructions of'Allamah Majlisi4. Letter of Akhund-Mulla Husayn Quli Hamdani5. Instructions of Mirza Javad Agha Malaki Tabrizi6. Instructions of Sheikh NajmuddinObstacles of the Path1. First Obstacle: Incompetence2. Second Obstacle: Worldly Attachments3. Third Obstacle: Obedience of Passions4. Fourth Obstacle: Overeating5. Fifth Obstacle: Unnecessary Talks6. Sixth Obstacle -Love for Self (Hubbe-Zat)7. Seventh Obstacle: IndecisivenessSecond Means, Nourishment of Moral VirtuesThird Means, the Righteous DeedsThe SinceritySome Righteous DeedsFirst: Obligatory Prayers1. Heart's Presence in Prayer2. Degrees of Heart's PresenceFirst StageSecond StageThird StageFourth StageFifth Stage3. Important Factors for Attaining Heart's PresenceSecluded PlaceRemoval of ObstaclesStrengthening of FaithRemembrance of DeathReadinessSecond: Supererogatory Prayers (Nawafil)Third: Night Prayer (Salatul-Layl)1. Details of Night Prayer2. Etiquette of Night PrayerPrayer of WitrFourth Means, Struggle (Jihad) and Martyrdom (Shahadat)A. First Dimension: The supreme Goal of the strugglerB. Second Dimension: The magnitude of sacrificeFifth Means, Benevolence and Service to HumanitySixth Means, Supplications (Dua)Seventh Means, Fast (Sawm)Role of Fasting in Self-BuildingAppendix 1: A Mystical Poem (Ghazal al-Irfani) of Imam KhomeiniAppendix 2: Supplication of the Holy Month of Sha'ban (Munajat al-Shabaniyyah)Appendix 3: A Prayer

Includes quotations in Arabic.