Indirect Training

    Ayatollah Misbah says, "We used to attend the class of Ayatollah Bahjat a few minutes before he started it so that we could benefit from his moral lessons. The Ayatollah, too, used to be present before the class and sit in the room where the class was held. He would start his talk by offering advice indirectly and in various ways. In other words, as soon as he sat, he would mention a tradition or a historical incident which suited our behavior the day before, as if he was criticizing our conditions and reminding us of the shortcomings in our norms of conduct through the medium of mentioning this tradition or that incident. This is accepted by all the brothers. Everyone says that the Ayatollah talked about matters which fully applied to our lives.

    Everyone says that the Ayatollah talked about matters

      which fully applied to our lives...

He solves the problems of our lives, reminding us of our shortcoming and errors by mentioning a tradition or an incident. Anyhow, his cultivating method in dealing with others was indirect. He never told us to do this or not to do that, or that we made this particular wrongdoing. Rather, he would remind us of our mistakes and shortcomings of deeds by mentioning a suitable tradition, a historical incident or an expressive story and make us consider correcting our mistakes.