Relics of saints. Veneration of holy relics

Islam teaches Muslims to show mercy and justice in their every action. We live by this mercy, which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) showed us, and about which the Almighty himself said in the first verse of the Koran: “ باسم الله الرحمن الرحيم “In the name of Allah, merciful to everyone in this world and only to those who believe in the next!” The result of the mercy with which Muslims have lived for centuries and live now is one of the worthy qualities - trust in Allah.

Allah Almighty has called us to rely only on Him. He said in the Holy Qur'an:

وَلِلَّهِ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُ الْأَمْرُ كُلُّهُ فَاعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ ۚ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

Meaning: " And to Allah belongs the hidden knowledge of the unseen in the heavens and on the earth; and the whole matter returns to Him, all people will also return to Him on the Day of Judgment, so that He will make a full account of them. Worship Him and rely on Him. And your Lord is not ignorant, he knows what you do "(Surah Hud, verse 123).

The Almighty, teaching us how to ask Him, says:

قُلْ لَنْ يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

Meaning: " Say, O Prophet: “Nothing will befall us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our patron!” And let believers rely only on Allah in all their affairs, firmly hope for His help and support!"(Surah At-Tauba, verse 51).

Relying on Allah in all matters is a value that comes only from the merciful heart of a person who has submitted to the will of Allah and is calm in all matters.

A hadith narrated from Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If a person, when leaving (from home), says: “ In the name of Allah, I trust in Allah and there is no power or strength except Allah.” The angels will answer him: “You are guided, delivered and protected,” and the Shaitan moves away from him.».

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ الله عَنْهُ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: "إِذَا خَرَجَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ فَقَالَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ قَالَ يُقَالُ حِينَئِذٍ هُدِيتَ وَكُفِيتَ وَوُقِيتَ فَتَتَنَحَّى لَهُ الشَّيَاطِينُ

Therefore, if we say morning and evening " In the name of Allah, I trust in Allah and there is no power and strength in anyone except Allah“As the hadith says, the shaitan moves away from us on this day. He who begins the day with the “name of Allah” will be protected from the tempting, retreating (at the mention of Allah) and the devil all day long.

عن عمر ابن خطاب رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: لو أنكم تتوكلون على الله حقَّ توكُّله

لرزقكم كما يرزق الطير، تغدوا خِماصًا وتروحُ بطانًا.

A hadith narrated from Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) states that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “ If you trusted in Allah properly, He would certainly send you food as He sends it to the birds who fly away in the morning with empty bellies and return with full ones. "(Imam Ahmad, Imam at-Tirmidhi, an-Nisai).

Scientists say that true trust in Allah must have a connection with labor, the bird needs it to leave its nest to look for food, and Allah gives it food, it returns with a full belly, and we need movement: we leave in the morning with an empty belly, and we return with a full one.

عن عبد الله بن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال : كنت خلف النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال لي : يا غلام إني أعلمك كلمات : احفظ الله يحفظك ، احفظ الله تجده تجاهك ، إذا سألت فاسأل الله ، وإذا استعنت فاستعن بالله ، واعلم أن الأمة لو اجتمعت على أن ينفعوك بشيء ، لم ينفعوك إلا بشيء قد كتبه الله لك ، وإن اجتمعوا على أن يضروك بشيء ، لم يضروك إلا بشيء قد كتبه الله عليك ، رفعت الأقلام وجفت الصحف

Also in the hadith transmitted from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them), it says: “ One day I was sitting near the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he said: “Young man! I will teach you some words: (i.e., commandments.) Remember Allah, and Allah will protect you; remember Allah, and you you will notice support from Him in difficult moments. If you ask, ask Allah; if you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the people unite to benefit you, they will benefit you only with what Allah has already prescribed for you; know , that if the people unite to harm you with something, they will harm you only with what Allah has already prescribed for you. The pen has already been torn from the paper, and the pages have already dried"».

Transcript of a lecture by former Mufti of Egypt Ali Juma

When you feel proud that you have done a good deed

Every time it seems that you have done a good deed, and Iblis immediately adds fuel to the fire, and the heart begins to overflow with joy from the accomplished deed, and small, barely noticeable sprouts of pride appear, immediately remember with me the following:

Verily, there are angels in heaven who, from the day of their creation until the Day of Judgment, are in sajda. Angels were created to worship Allah. And these angels do not raise their heads from the day of their creation until the Day of Judgment. Just think about it.. it's not just one human life, lasting several insignificant years. These are thousands of years of worship, thousands of years of sajdah, in the hope of the Mercy of Allah. And when these angels appear before Allah on the Day of Judgment, what will they say to their Lord?! And they will say to Him:

Glory to You! Verily, we did not worship you properly!

There is no strength and power in anyone except Allah. Thousands of years of sujudah and they did not worship Him properly. That's all. Where is your joy and pride in your actions? Where is this feeling of self-satisfaction?! Are you crying? Cry. So all is not lost...

This is the basis of religion and the greatest formula for remembering Allah at all times. “The best thing that the prophets said before me is: “There is no god but Allah.”(Tirmidhi, 3538). And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The happiest people thanks to my intercession on the Day of Judgment will be those who said: “There is no god but Allah” sincerely, with all their hearts.”(Bukhari, 99). And these words mean that no one is worthy of worship except Allah.

"Pure is Allah" (Subhanallah)

That is, I testify that Allah is free from any vices, flaws and shortcomings.

"Praise be to Allah" (Al-hamdu li-llah)

That is, I praise Allah by mentioning His perfect and good qualities. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The words “Praise be to Allah” fill the scales, and the words “Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him” fill that which is between the heavens and the earth with [reward].”(Muslim, 223).

“Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him” (Subhana-Llahi wa bi-hamdi-hi)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever says: “Glorified is Allah and praise be to Him” a hundred times a day, his sins will be erased, even if they are like the foam of the sea.”(Bukhari, 6042; Muslim, 251).

“Glorified is Allah and praise be to Him, Great is Allah the Great” (Subhana-Llahi wa bi-hamdi-hi subhana-Llahi-l-'azim)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are two phrases, easy on the tongue, heavy on the Scales and loved by the Most Merciful: “Glorified is Allah and praise be to Him, glorified is Allah the Great.”(Bukhari, 6406; Muslim, 2694).

"Allah is Great" (Allahu Akbar)

That is, Allah surpasses all things in His greatness. These words are said during transitions from one action to another in prayer, as well as during ascent to heights during travel, and as an expression of joy. Also, these words are pronounced before both Holidays as an acknowledgment of the mercy of Allah, Who helped us complete the required worship. Allah Almighty said: “And so that you exalt Allah for what He has brought to the straight path.” (2:185).

“I ask forgiveness from Allah” (Astaghfiru-Llah)

That is, I ask Allah to forgive me. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was guaranteed forgiveness, but at the same time he said about himself: “Verily, I ask Allah for forgiveness seventy times a day.”(Bukhari, 5948).

“No one has strength or might except from Allah” (La hawla wa la quwwata illya bi-Llyah)

That is, there can be no changes or transitions from one position to another, and no one has the strength to carry out such changes except with the help of Allah and with His assistance. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Should I point you to words that are one of the treasures of Paradise? “No one has strength or might except from Allah.”(Bukhari, 6021; Muslim, 2704). And when the muazzin says: “Hurry to prayer” (Hayya ‘ala-s-salaat) and “Hurry to success” (Hayya ‘ala-l-falah), these words should also be pronounced.

"In the name of Allah" (Bismi-Llah)

That is, with grace and his help I begin, I begin. The Qur'an begins with the words "In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful" (Bismi-Llahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim). And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) began his letters with these words. These words are pronounced in many circumstances, for example, before eating, as well as before starting something and before saying something, opening or closing. This is truly a great beginning - when a person begins any task with the grace of the name of Allah.

“I ask Allah for protection from the damned Satan” (‘Auzu bi-Llahi mina-sh-shaitani-r-rajim)

I resort to the protection of Allah from the evil of Satan, driven out of the mercy of Allah. These words are prescribed to be pronounced before reading the Koran, as well as in anger and generally at any time in order to get rid of the instigations of the shaitan.

"Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him" (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)

This is an appeal to Allah with a prayer for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The believer asks for mercy and high position for him. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever invokes a blessing on me once, Allah will bless him ten times.”(Muslim, 384). And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The closest person to me on the Day of Judgment will be the one who called blessings on me the most.”(Tirmidhi, 484). A Muslim must pronounce these words when mentioning the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). They can be pronounced in other circumstances and especially on Friday and after adhan. Allah Almighty said: “Verily, Allah and His angels bless the Prophet. O you who believe! Bless him and greet him with peace” (33:56).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) counted the words of remembrance with his fingers, but if necessary, it is allowed to use something that helps not to lose count (rosary beads, etc.).

There is no strength and might except Allah - a wonderful and great remembrance of Allah. Small in pronunciation, but with great meaning. In this remembrance of Allah there is tawhid, deep reverence and respect for Allah, He is Holy and Great. It also contains trust in Allah and the demand for help only from Him. These words are words from under the Arsha of Allah, they are a sapling from saplings, a door from doors and a treasure from the treasures of paradise.
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, commanded more than 5 companions to remember Allah often through this great remembrance various positions, that is, not under the same set of circumstances, which indicates the versatility of this remembrance.
The words “There is no strength or might except Allah” are words of submission and return to the Great Allah, and recognition of one’s obedience to Him. And they are also a recognition that there is no other creator besides Him, and there is no one who could escape the subordination of His orders (meaning kauniya, not shar1iya), and that the slave does not own anything.

The meaning of this remembrance has been interpreted in different ways, both the main ones and more encompassing ones:
1) A slave has no power to repel harm, and there is no power to comprehend good except from Allah.
2) There is no power to protect yourself from disobeying Allah except through His protection and protection, and there is no power to be subordinate to Him except with His help.
3) A slave has no strength and power to move from position to another position except through the strength and power of Allah.
4) A slave has no power to change his situation from humiliation to glory and dignity except through the power of Allah, and no one will help you in this change except Allah.
5) Do not move from disobedience to submission to Allah except through His strength and might. There is no transition from illness to recovery except through His strength and power. There is no transition from poverty to wealth except through His strength and might. There is no power in the transition from single to married except through His strength and power. And no one will help you in these changes except Allah.

These are some of the meanings of this great remembrance of Allah that the scholars have pointed out. The meanings are close to each other in meaning, but each of them has its own treasure, which even more helps to reveal to a person the greatness of this particular memory.

And as was mentioned, the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, bequeathed these words of remembrance in different situations, but most of all they calm the heart at the moment when a person faces any difficulty, and by remembering Allah in this way a person humbles himself before Him, showing that he can change it only Allah is able to alleviate his situation, and only He controls the entire situation, and not people or any other circumstances, which further pushes a person to turn to Him with prayers, and truly, Allah makes it easier for His slaves after difficulties, no matter how impossible it may seem changes in the situation of slaves, but truly it is all under the power of Allah, and as soon as he says “Kun”, everything changes at the same moment.

Healing in holy places.

Since ancient times, people have traveled to Holy Places in search of healing and worship of the Holy Places.

By venerating the relics of saints and righteous people, venerating miraculous icons, repenting of sins, washing from holy springs, contemplating and reflecting on daily life, many received healing and insight. Grace entered the lives and souls of people and they returned home enlightened and healed.

Nowadays, many seek to find healing in Holy places. These places have enormous energy power that can influence the human energy field and cleanse it.

“Illnesses come from material principles, and here the art of medicine is useful; there are illnesses as a punishment for sin, and here patience and repentance are needed; there are illnesses for patience and the overthrow of the evil one, like Job, and as an example for the impatient, like Lazarus, and saints endure illness, showing everyone humility and the limit of human nature common to all. So, do not rely on medical art without grace and do not reject it out of your stubbornness, but ask God for knowledge of the reasons for punishment, and then deliverance from weakness, enduring sections, cauterizations, bitter medicines and all medical punishments."

St. Basil the Great

Making a trip to the monastery, to the source of spiritual and moral purity, many seem to rediscover the world. Each monastery has its own history, different from others.

There is in the city of Zadonsk, Lipetsk region, the Nativity of the Theotokos monastery, where St. Tikhon lived for his last fifteen years.

The monastery houses the relics of St. Tikhon of Zadonsky. After the discovery of the holy remains of Tikhon of Zadonsk, his relics began to be called “multi-healing”. Most of the demoniacs were healed at the tomb, and Tikhon began to be called “the drive away of evil spirits.”

“What is the benefit of having a healthy body, but a weakened and weak soul,” wrote St. Tikhon Zadonsky.

Having heard about this monastery, I decided to visit it. The monastery amazed me with its power. You can enter it only in appropriate attire, adhering to all the norms and rules of Orthodox life. Miracles still happen in the monastery today. Someone breaks, someone screams near the relics of the saint. The most important thing is to sincerely ask for healing and believe in a miracle. In the shop you can buy scarves and handkerchiefs that have lain overnight near the relics. They are applied to the sore spot and also receive healing.

Seven kilometers from this monastery is the St. Tikhon Transfiguration Convent, and next to it is a healing spring dug by St. Tikhon. The water in this source is always +4C. It takes great courage to plunge into it. But in winter and summer, in snow and rain, there are people from all over the world near the source. As they say, if you plunge yourself headlong three times, all evil will come out of you. Many miraculous healings occur at this source. I couldn't take a dip three times at once, because... I couldn’t breathe and made three passes. Suffering from asthma and bronchitis, I visited this spring three times and after bathing I did not get sick, but felt cheerful and energized. You just need to massage your head properly after bathing. Even infants are brought to the source. After you take the plunge, you gain fortitude and confidence in your abilities. You did it, overcame your fear and came out of the water victorious. This state lasts for many days. You can draw water from a source and then at home, as mother advised, moisten a cloth with this water and apply it to the sore spot.

After visiting these holy places, I felt a sharp improvement and visited a number of monasteries in the Leningrad region, which are also famous for their wonderful healing springs.

Thousands of pilgrims literally from all over the world flock to the Holy Trinity Alexander Svirsky Monastery, located 250 km away. From St. Petersburg. Many are honored to see the miracle of myrrh flow from the relics of Alexander Svirsky, which are 400 years old and have not undergone decomposition. It was noticed that miracles intensified when groups arrived that included not only believers, but also doubters. My husband crossed himself here for the first time and venerated the relics, feeling the fragrance emanating from the relics. Here you can get sand with myrrh and myrrh in a bottle. Sand is applied to sore joints and sprinkled between frames to protect the house. Healings occur in patients with oncology and joint diseases. You can get to the monastery along the Murom road. At Lodeynoye Pole there is a sign to Murmansk, Olonets, then a sign to Svirskoye. 20km. excellent road through coniferous and mixed forests and fields. There is a direct road through the village to the monastery. There is parking at the gate. On the right is the lake.

In the village of Tervenichi (Vepsian for “hello”), lost in the northern forests, there is a women’s Intercession-Tervenichesky monastery with a white-stone chapel with a soft blue dome. The monastery welcomes you with a fragrant alley of flowers. Everywhere is clean and orderly. The sisters are friendly. We truly felt the invisible presence of the Mother of God , her care and patronage. Anyone who has visited here at least once will not be able to forget the temple with the dome merging with the sky, the lake in the haze and the chapel, like a swan flying above the ground. In less than ten years, the monastery has grown and flourished, thanks to the caring hands of women , who raised the temple from the ruins. Now there are 26 sisters in the monastery. The sisters serve in the monastery fields, in the garden, in the barnyard, and create in the art and sewing workshop.

The main shrine of the monastery is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, called Tervenichaya. She also streams myrrh. Many healings occur at the icon and the source, which are recorded in the monastery diary.

The monastery is located 57 km from Lodeynoye Pole, turn at Khmelozero. 5km. dirt road.

And another monastery in the Lodeynopolsky district of Vvedeno-Oyatsky, which is famous for its spring that heals allergy sufferers and asthmatics. The water here, however, is much warmer than in Zadonsk.

“The Lord glorifies this monastery because it is holy. Here, wherever you go, there are relics everywhere.” In the Transfiguration Church there were the graves of the pious parents of St. Alexander of Svirsky - Schemamonk Sergius and Schemanun Varvara.

He who comes with faith receives what he asks for. Say this: “Lord, help me in my illness, if it be Your will. And I will do whatever I can for Your sake.”

If you ask, be ready to give. All monasteries need our help!

IN holy scripture about a healthy lifestyle it is said: “And whatever you do, do it from the heart, as for the Lord, and not for men. Try hard to live quietly, do your job and work your with my own hands. Do not seek anything too difficult for yourself, and do not try anything beyond your strength.”

And recently I discovered for myself and my loved ones another source not far from Sergiev Posad near the village of Vzglyadevo. From the platform 76 km. by bus to the villages of Malinniki, Shiltsy or Lyapino, then on foot. By car, from the Moscow-Arkhangelsk highway, turn onto the third concrete ring towards Lake Torbeevskoye. 5km. along a dirt road.

The water is also +4, saturated with radon. Helps with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, nervous system and cardiovascular diseases. According to legend, Saint Sergius of Radonezh and his novice Roman once stopped here to pray. The Virgin Mary appeared to them, at whose command three keys were hammered into the hill. Just below, streams and streams intertwine into a single crystal clear and silvery waterfall.

Now this place is called “Holy Springs of Sergius of Radonezh.