What does “Kafir” mean? Kafir means a person who denies and hides himself. He understands something is right, but he says, “No, no!” “Why do you say no? Why do you act perversely with yourself? Why do you grapple with yourself?! Why do you lie to yourself?! Why don’t you have mercy on yourself?” This is the meaning of Kafir (unbeliever). What are you covering? What are you concealing? Why do you hide? Psychoanalysts have a very interesting and hard job. Do you know what one of the things they do to fix people’s spiritual problems is? For example, a person says, “I have such a problem. I am depressed, etc.” or any other such plight. A psychoanalyst listens to see what he thinks and says, “I have to find what his problem is.” So, he says, “First talk about your life.” He starts studying his past. In some cases, a psychoanalyst even says, “You get upset from such a thing.” The person replies, “No, I don’t.” The psychoanalyst’s difficulty starts from here! “How should I prove that you get upset from such a thing? Your smile now shows that you are getting upset.” The person has a problem. The psychoanalyst must talk to this person in a way for him to say, “Ok! Yes, I get upset!” He gets so upset that he might start crying! The psychoanalyst says, “Did you see? Are you better now? Don’t you think you have this other problem too, and this one too that you have hidden?” Why do you hide yourself? Psychologically, an ill person is usually a person who is denying something in himself. They usually call this a psychological complex. The Qur’an says the same thing about the unbelievers (Kafir), “There is a sickness in their hearts.” (Qur’an 2:10) What kind of sickness does an unbeliever have? He has hidden something. He has hidden a truth. “Hiding the truth is a sign of unbelief.” When a person hides the truth within himself, he is called a Kafir. A Kafir has hidden something in himself in the form of a complex and is sick. What is a sign of his illness? He is jealous. Recite the “Chapter Kafirun” from the Qur’an. “Say: \'O unbelievers! I do not worship what you worship, nor do you worship what I worship; nor will I worship what you have worshiped…’” (Qur’an 109:1-4) You go your own way and we’ll go ours. Drop it and go! Strange! But such a person won’t drop it! “Why don’t you drop it?!” The Qur’an also says, “Do you know why he doesn’t leave you? He is jealous!” “Why are you jealous? Don’t you say we’re miserable? Don’t you ridicule us? Let us go our own way!” The Qur’an is a very surprising psychology book. It’s fantastic! It says, “The unbelievers envy your devoutness. They like you to be Kafirs too.” You have chosen and we have chosen. Go your own way! No, he knows that you are fortunate. He knows that he is hiding a truth in himself. He knows that you are having fun. He wants to ruin your life to be like his own. Haven’t you, the mourners of Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (‘a), met people who envy that you go to religious meetings? Has it happened, or not? Answer loudly. When they see you, they nag. If you go to thousands of dance parties or such, they don’t say anything! As soon as you go to a meeting for Imam Husayn (‘a) they say, “Imam Husayn doesn’t need you to cry for him. Go do actions.” Eh! “What if I had gone to a bar?” “Go enjoy.” “Tell me to go enjoy here too!” But in this case, he feels uncomfortable and somehow shows his jealousy. During the 13 day New Year holiday, as many people are killed (in car accidents) as in a war. As many are killed as in a war operation! No one says anything. But, if someone dies on the way to Karbala, they repeat many times, “Everyone’s killed there, or you go for pilgrimage?! They kill our countrymen!” “You are sick. You don’t feel good!” Death happens anywhere. But, when it happens there, they ridicule it. He’s sick. Do you know why he has become sick? What is mental illness? A person has something, but he denies it. I want to say something strange. Someone has to sit this person down and tell him, “Poor person. You are in love with Husayn (‘a). Don’t deny yourself. Unfortunate person, come. You come too. You are in love with Husayn too. You don’t feel good. Don’t deny it my dear. Be calm. Ok, I don’t want to try to convince you. Be calm. Maybe you will suddenly realize that you are in love with Husayn (‘a) too.” When a person hides a truth within himself, he is called a Kafir (unbeliever). [From the series of speeches under the topic of “When people hide themselves.”] Show Less >>