Tradition

إحْذَرُوا اَهْوائَكُمْ كَما تَحْذَرُونَ أَعْدائَكُمْ فَلَيْسَ شَىْءٌ أَعْدى لِلرَّجالِ مِنْ إِتِّباعِ أَهْوائِهِمْ وَ حَصائِدِ اَلْسِنَتِهِمْ

Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) is narrated to have said: “Fear your passions and desires just as you fear your diehard enemies, for the people have no worse enemy than following their desires and the outcomes of their toungues [speech]”1

Brief Commentary

There is no doubt that internal enemies are more dangerous than external enemies. It is for this reason that our rebellious passions and desires, which influence us from the darkest recesses of our hearts, are more dangerous than any other enemy we can possibly face. The worship of these dark desires blind the eyes and seal the ears of the people; they shut down the proper functioning of the intellect and make us unable to see the true realities. As a result, such a person is thrown into the depths of deviation and corruption.

• 1. Safinat al-Bihar, vol. 2, root word Hawa.