Returning to the Sacred Rituals of Writing

In an age of keyboards and speed, it's easy to forget that writing was once a sacred act.

The scholars of our tradition — especially within the Shia heritage — didn’t just write. They prepared. They washed. They lit candles. They chose their paper and ink with intention. Their pens were not mere tools — they were vessels of remembrance, carriers of trust, companions in their search for truth.

When we see their aged notebooks, the soft glow of candles, the careful script, and the presence of tasbih beside inkpots, we realize: they wrote not only to teach others — they wrote to refine themselves.

Writing was a form of worship. It was a way to think deeply, to search their souls, to speak to the Divine — long before pressing "publish."

Today, as we reflect on our journaling practices — especially through efforts like Writing with the Imam (atfs) — we are not starting something new. We are returning. Returning to a path of sincerity, beauty, and depth. A path where writing by hand becomes a prayer. Where beautifying our handwriting becomes a mirror of beautifying our thoughts and intentions.

And yes, when we aim to create something sacred, beauty comes with it.

So let us reclaim these sacred rituals:

• Lay out your journal like a prayer mat.

• Choose your pen as you would a prayer bead.

• Write with presence.

• Beautify your script not out of vanity, but as an act of reverence.

Because the one who writes with sincerity carves truth into the soul.