Declaration – 15 Sha‘ban 1396 (1976-08-12)

Twelve Directives of His Eminence Haj Sultan Husayn Tabandeh, Reza Ali Shah
As a Reminder for the Faithful and Novice Brethren

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Greetings to all brethren, and I ask God for everyone’s success. Since reminders are beneficial for the faithful, as it is stated: وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّكْرَى تَنْفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ —and because many of the brethren are beginners—what follows is offered as a reminder.

1. Do not neglect attending the faqr gatherings on Friday and Monday nights, as these have always been regarded with significance by the elders. Appreciate their value and, as much as possible, set aside other affairs at those times. Be present from the beginning of Maghrib prayer. If congregational prayer is held, join it; otherwise, perform the prayer individually unless something of major importance arises that would cause physical or financial harm or significant inconvenience. Of course, if faqr sessions are held on other nights and one is able to attend, that is also commendable.
2. Attendance at gatherings should be solely for obedience to divine command, honoring religious symbols, remembering God, listening to religious guidance, assisting fellow brethren, and relieving those in distress. Worldly intentions or material benefit should be avoided, as they negate the essence of worship and nullify divine reward and spiritual impact.
3. Upon entering faqr gatherings, remain silent and engage in remembrance of God and attentively listen to the guidance being spoken or read from books. Respect the sanctity of the gathering and those authorized present, by maintaining silence. Even if no book is being read or no authorized person is present, still consider the true host—God and the great figures of religion—as present and observing. Do not lose the state of spiritual vigilance, and remain quiet. Conversations such as بَيْنَ الْاِثْنَيْن (“between two individuals”) or whispered talks, or discussions among a few, create distraction for oneself and others, prevent heartfelt presence, and violate the respect due to the gathering and its Host.
4. Worldly discussions are entirely inappropriate in faqr gatherings. Those who have urgent matters or essential topics to discuss should wait until after the gathering and after the recitation of the Fatiha. Only if there is an immediate and critical matter that serves the fuqara or addresses their needs should an exception be made.
5. Those present in faqr gatherings should not leave or move about during the session or before the Fatiha is recited, as this disrupts the gathering and distracts others.
6. Since the purpose of religious gatherings is remembrance of God and seeking the intercession of the great figures of religion, anything contrary to this aim or that causes distraction or hinders this goal should be avoided.
7. Faqr handshakes are acts of worship and remind believers of their spiritual orientation and covenant with God. They should be done with full sincerity and purity of heart, not as mere outward gestures. The great rewards mentioned in traditions regarding handshakes pertain to those done with sincere intent. The one with greater love and sincerity receives the larger share of reward—up to nine-tenths for the more sincere and only one-tenth for the other. Religious brethren should bear this in mind and combine outward grace with inward purity. However, during the gathering itself, when all are focused on remembrance and the unseen realm, handshakes should not occur. If someone must move during the session, they should do so silently and without shaking hands so as not to disturb the focus of others.
8. There is no objection to the presence of non-fuqara in public faqr gatherings—whether for religious or historical inquiry, or other purposes—since what the fuqara possess is aligned with the teachings of the purified Shari‘a. Those with genuine interest will better perceive the truth of the matter.
9. تَفَوُّه (“uttering”) anything contrary to the outward Shari‘a or the instructions of the elders is not permissible for any faqir, whether addressing another faqir or a non-faqir. A listener may mistakenly believe such statements represent the beliefs of faqr in general, leading to spiritual corruption or deviation from truth. The sin lies with the one who makes such improper claims.
10. Any wrongful acts committed by a faqir—God forbid—not only count as sins for themselves, but also provoke criticism from outsiders toward the path of faqr and its lineage. They may also embolden others to transgress. Thus, the accountability and responsibility of a faqir before God in committing a sin is far greater than that of others. Religious brothers and sisters must be extremely vigilant to ensure no unlawful conduct is committed, for it incurs divine wrath and the anger of the Prophet and the great figures of religion.
11. Asking for financial help from others is categorically forbidden by the Shari‘a, especially for one who claims to follow the path of faqr. It is a major sin. A faqir must not look covetously to others, but rather be truly dependent only on God. They should not abandon work, for idleness leads to unlawful acts such as begging. Especially in faqr gatherings where both fuqara and outsiders may be present, asking causes disgrace to both the individual and the community. Anyone who begs or asks in such settings must be stopped and warned, and they should not be given assistance. If they persist, they should not be allowed to attend faqr gatherings, so that this serves as a lasting lesson. However, if the fuqara know someone to be in real need of financial aid, a few individuals may discreetly, without others knowing and while maintaining the recipient’s dignity, give assistance respectfully. But public asking is never acceptable. And if anyone does ask, no one should assist them.
12. The troubles that befall us fuqara are because we fail to fulfill our responsibilities. We all, brothers and sisters alike, fall short in acting upon the directives, and therefore we face various hardships, and our prayers and supplications go unanswered.

If we fulfill our duties, God will accept our prayers. وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ Especially, bitterness and gloom among the believers cause prayers to go unanswered and incur the displeasure of the great figures of religion. I hope God grants us all a state of spiritual awareness so that we may remove the barriers to our prayers being answered. I ask all religious brothers and faithful sisters to pray that God grants us the success to serve and obey His commands.