The Sufi Way Of Hasan Wa Husein

The Opening – A Commentary on Chapter 1: Surat Al-Fatiha

2009-05-05T11:01:00.001+07:00

By Shaykh Fadhalla Haeri

Introduction

This sûrah (chapter) is placed at the beginning of the Qur`an because it signifies the opening of knowledge and so the victory over ignorance. If, in the direction we are taking, there is no door, then we have reached our target – we have won.Fatiha, means to open, reveal, imbue, conquer. This sûrah is so named because if you follow it in your heart, you will be victorious. You will conquer and an opening will come to you.

A COMMENTARY ON THE QUR`AN

Chapter 1: Surat Al-FatihaThe Opening

In the name of Allah,the Beneficent, the Merciful
Al hamdu lillahi rabb il alamin.
Hamd, is praise. Praise comes if there is knowledge. You can only praise something if you have knowledge of it. Knowledge of something is an aspect of experience. You praise the rabb, the lord-sustainer. Rabba, means to be master of, to have command over. It also means to raise and bring up. Rabb is the attribute of that entity which brings what is under its domain up to its full potential, towards the ultimate end which is huwa, He, because it has come from Him, from Allah.

We said that when you praise the Ultimate, you must have some knowledge of it. That knowledge could be that of avoiding the non-Ultimate, which is what we are trying to do now. The way to that knowledge is by avoiding that which is unreal, unconducive, unfulfilling; that which does not permanently rehabilitate our hearts.

Up to a certain point, it is alright to praise an aspect of it since we do not have complete cognizance of rabb. If we are true to ourselves, we aim for the ultimate in everything. We only want to praise the Ultimate.

Real praise belongs only to the Lord-sustainer, and that which sustains the foundation of Tawheed (Unity). When you say, Al hamdu lilla, you are only stating the fact that praise is indeed for Allah. Furthermore, you are only able to praise in the first place because you mirror Allah and His Attributes, since you are the created being, having been created by the Creator, Allah. When you abuse the use of hamd, instead of shukr, you reveal your own shatteredness, for if you have truly witnessed that, La ilaha il Allah, you will understand that Allah's mercy comes not only in bast, expansion, but also in qabd, constriction, and you will recognize that above all else Allah is truly ar Rahman ar Rahim, so that every state reflects the mercy of Allah. This explains why it says: Al hamdu lillahi rabb il alamin, Alamin, encompasses all states, all worlds, in the seen and the unseen, in sleep and in wakefulness, here and in the hereafter.

The man of greater perception sees the rabb, Sustainer, even in times of constriction. To use hamd as an expression of a mood or feeling is shirk. Praise is for Allah at all times and under all circumstances. Hamd does not allow for the separation between you as a praise giver and the object of praise: you merely echo hamd.

Ar-Rahman ar-Rahim
The characteristics of the Lord whom we love and adore are ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, the all-beneficent, the all-compassionate. There is only mercy, but we do not see it because of our ignorance, expectations, and desires which only arise from the use of our intellect. Was the mercy not there when you were in your mother's womb? You stayed there for nine months and yet you were unequivocally content. It is the mercy of Creation that we are able to die, so that there may be breathing and standing space for others to come. It is only we who interfere. It is the ego, the nafs, the vanity of expectation which frustrates and sabotages our recognition of Allah's mercy. It is the evil I which we hear whispering in our ear. Shaytan is only a name. He too is from the Creator. If you know how to tackle Shaytan, then you would see nothing other than ar-Rahman. There is a cult in the Middle East of some two to three million people that worship Shaytan. They say that we know the Lord through Shaytan, and that at the Yowm al Qiyama, Shaytan will be forgiven because he has been testing all the good ones and the bad ones. They say he will be the first to be forgiven. If you see anything other than mercy, it is your own doing. It is your own expectations, desires and illusions. You yourself are the author.

Maliki yowm ad Deen
Malik means owner, master. We come from the Owner. We own nothing, but are all owned. Yowm ad Deen: the day of the Deen. Yowm is not only a day, but also a span of time. Deen, life-transaction, finds its root in dana, to owe, be indebted to. It is the debt of man to want to recognize reality. It is incumbent upon everyone of us to know how to pay the debt upon us.
The deen with Allah is Islam. It is a life-transaction. Our way of behaving towards ourselves and towards others is deen. It is the way of correct transaction. But if you cannot discipline yourself, you cannot be of any use to anybody else. If interaction is not at least two-dimensional, nothing will work. You will only accumulate more wealth and cultivate more attachment. Eventually, you will be toppled over. Therefore, you have to exercise yourself in order to discipline yourself. The inner discipline begins with the outer discipline. This is the meaning of deen. The outer is easier because if you yourself do not stop from overshooting the limits, someone else will. It is the inner that is more difficult, so we start with the outer in order to gain the inner meaning. We go from the gross to the subtle.

Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in
Once you recognize that you are in love and you are worshipping the rabb, you admit it openly, we worship You and we depend upon You. If you are worshipping and you are in love, then you are in adoration. Abada, is to worship, adore, serve, and in its second form, it means to make accessible. You depend upon the Merciful. This is only meaningful if there is knowledge, for otherwise it can be considered a tyranny.

Ihdina as Sirat al-Mustaqim
Show us the direct way. A straight line is the shortest distance between two points. A straight line is also one point traveling in only one direction. Therefore, you ask to be shown the most direct route towards this knowledge.

Sirat al ladhina an'amta 'aleyhimGhayr il maghdhubi 'aleyhim wa`l ad dalin
Sirat al ladhina an'amta 'aleyhim, is the way of those upon whom delight has been bestowed, not those upon whom anger burns, Na'ma is delight, happiness. There is no anger in this life. If you do not see mercy, then you have brought darkness upon yourself. Your ignorance is not the fault of someone else. If you do something inane and as a consequence harm comes to you, then Reality is angry with you, angry in the sense that you are not in unification with it. Anger implies a high degree of discontent on the part of one entity with another, which leads to severing of the relationship between the two.

There is only Allah. There is only Reality. Consequently, there is no place for superstition. It is you who decide whether Allah is angry with you. Rahma must encompass everything. Your loss is, in fact, within that rahma. The condition you are in is appropriate because you have brought it about by your heart. This is cosmos, not chaos. It is total ecology. As human beings, we are all occasionally at a loss and often unsure. It is for this reason that we have to keep healthy and correct companionship. Existentially, we need guidance.

Surat al Fatiha can be divided into three sections. The first section includes the opening line up to Maliki yowm ad Deen. It is an exposition of reality. You find yourself awakened suddenly and you say: I am in gratitude, praise to Allah, Who has these attributes. You are inspired after having been in wilderness and bewilderment, so you say, Al hamdu lillahi rabb al 'alamin, out of contentment and sanity. In the next section, (from Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nastain to Ihdina as-Sirat al-Mustaqim), you are the adorer, the abd. This now is transaction and demand. It is a request, it is action. In this section the heart cries out. The third part is like the echo of reality in order to confirm what you are saying and to answer your question.

Surat al Fatiha is the most important Sura in the Qur`an. If it is completely absorbed, and if every word comes from a pure heart, you will cease to talk about opening and you will recognize that the vastness of Allah's mercy is never-ending, so you can only strive to increase, for after the constriction of ignorance, there can only come the expansion of knowledge.

End of the Surah

Knowledge Of Self

2009-03-04T16:26:00.000+07:00

From The Alchemy Of Happines - Imam Ghazali

Knowledge of self is the key to the knowledge of God, according to the saying: "He who knows himself knows God," and, as it is written in the Koran, "We will show them Our signs in the world and in themselves, that the truth may be manifest to them." Now nothing is nearer to thee than thyself, and if thou knowest not thyself how canst thou know anything else? If thou sayest "I know myself," meaning thy outward shape, body, face, limbs, and so forth, such knowledge can never be a key to the knowledge of God. Nor, if thy knowledge as to that which is within only extends so far, that when thou art hungry thou eatest, and when thou art angry thou attackest someone, wilt thou progress any further in this path, for the beasts are thy partners in this? But real self-knowledge consists in knowing the following things: What art thou in thyself, and from whence hast thou come? Whither art thou going, and for what purpose hast thou come to tarry here awhile, and in what does thy real happiness and misery consist? Some of thy attributes are those of animals, some of devils, and some of angels, and thou hast to find out to which of these attributes are accidental and which essential. Till thou knowest this, thou canst not find out where thy real happiness lies. The occupation of animals is eating, sleeping, and fighting; therefore, if thou art an animal, busy thyself in these things. Devils are busy in stirring up mischief, and in guile and deceit; if thou belongest to them, do their work. Angels contemplate the beauty of God, and are entirely free from animal qualities, if thou art of angelic nature, then strive towards thine origin, that thou mayest know and contemplate the Most High, and be delivered from the thraldom of lust and anger. Thou shouldest also discover why thou hast been created with these two animal instincts: whether that they should subdue and lead thee captive, or whether that thou shouldest subdue them, and, in thy upward progress, make of one thy steed and of the other thy weapon.

The first step to self-knowledge is to know that thou art composed of an outward shape, called the body, and an inward entity called the heart, or soul. By "heart" I do not mean the piece of flesh situated in the left of our bodies, but that which uses all the other faculties as its instruments and servants. In truth it does not belong to the visible world, but to the invisible, and has come into this world as a traveller visits a foreign country for the sake of merchandise, and will presently return to its native land. It is the knowledge of this entity and its attributes which is the key to the knowledge of God.

Some idea of the reality of the heart. or spirit, may be obtained by a man closing his eyes and forgetting everything around except his individuality. He will thus also obtain a glimpse of the unending nature of that individuality. Too close inquiry, however, into the essence of spirit is forbidden by the Law. In the Koran it is written: "They will question thee concerning the spirit. Say: 'The Spirit comes by the command of my Lord'." Thus much is known of it that it is an indivisible essence belonging to the world of decrees, and that it is not from everlasting, but created. An exact philosophical knowledge of the spirit is not a necessary preliminary to walking in the path of religion, but comes rather as the result of self-discipline and perseverance in that path, as it is said in the Koran: "Those who strive in Our way, verily We will guide them to the right paths."

For the carrying on of this spiritual warfare by which the knowledge of oneself and of God is to be obtained, the body may be figured as a kingdom, the soul as its king, and the different senses and faculties as constituting an army. Reason may be called the vizier, or prime minister, passion the revenue collector, and anger the police officer. Under the guise of collecting revenue, passion is continually prone to plunder on its own account, while resentment is always inclined to harshness and extreme severity. Both of these the revenue collector and the police officer, have to be kept in due subordination to the king, but not killed or excelled, as they have their own proper functions to fulfil. But if passion and resentment master reason, the ruin of the soul infallibly ensues. A soul which allows its lower faculties to dominate the higher is as one who should hand over an angel to the power of a dog or a Mussalman to the tyranny of an unbeliever. The cultivation of demonic, animal or angelic qualities results in the production of corresponding characters, which in the Day of Judgement will be manifested in visible shapes, the sensual appearing as swine, the ferocious as dogs and wolves, and the pure as angels. The aim of moral discipline is to purify the heart from the rust of passion and resentment, till, like a clear mirror, it reflects the light of God.

Someone may here object, "But if man has been created with animal and demonic qualities as well as angelic, how are we to know that the latter constitute his real essence, while the former are merely accidental and transitory?" To this I answer that the essence of each creature is to be sought in that which is highest in it and peculiar to it. Thus the horse and the ass are both burden-bearing animals, but the superiority of the horse to the ass consists in its being adapted for use in battle. If it fails in this, it becomes degraded to the rank of burden-bearing animals. Similarly with man: the highest faculty in him is reason, which fits him for the contemplation of God. If this predominates in him, when he dies, he leaves behind him all tendencies to passion and resentment, and becomes capable of association with angels. As regards his mere animal qualities, man is inferior to many animals, but reason makes him superior to them, as it is written in the Koran: "To man We have subjected all things in the earth." But if his lower tendencies have triumphed, after death be will ever be looking towards the earth and longing for earthly delights.

Now the rational soul in man abounds in marvels, both of knowledge and power. By means of it he masters arts and sciences, can pass in a flash from earth to heaven and back again, can map out the skies and measure the distances between the stars. By it also he can draw the fish from the sea and the birds from the air, and can subdue to his service animals like the elephant, the camel, and the horse. His five senses are like five doors opening on the external world; but, more wonderful than this, his heart has a window which opens on the unseen world of spirits. In the state of sleep, when the avenues of the senses are closed, this window is opened and man receives impressions from the unseen world and sometimes fore-shadowings of the future. His heart is then like a mirror which reflects what is pictured in the Tablet of Fate. But, even in sleep, thoughts of worldly things dull this mirror, so that the impression it receives are not clear. After death, however, such thoughts vanish and things are seen in their naked reality, and the saying in the Koran is fulfilled: "We have stripped the veil from off thee and thy sight today is keen."

This opening of a window in the heart towards the unseen also takes place in conditions approaching those of prophetic inspiration, when intuitions spring up in the mind unconveyed through any sense-channel. The more a man purifies himself from fleshly lusts and concentrates his mind on God, the more conscious will he be of such intuitions. Those who are not conscious of them have no right to deny their reality.

Nor are such intuitions confined only to those of prophetic rank. Just as iron, by sufficient polishing can be made into a mirror, so any mind by due discipline can be rendered receptive of such impressions. It was at this truth the Prophet hinted when he said, "Every child is born with a predisposition towards Islam; then his parents make a Jew, or a Christian, or a star worshipper of him." Every human being has in the depths of his consciousness heard the question "Am I not your Lord?" and answered "Yes" to it. But some hearts are like mirrors so befouled with rust and dirt that they give no clear reflections, while those of the prophets and saints, though they are men "of like passions with us" are extremely sensitive to all divine impressions.

Nor is it only by reason of knowledge acquired and intuitive that the soul of man holds the first rank among created things, but also by reason of power. Just as angels preside over the elements, so does the soul rule the members of the body. Those souls which attain a special degree of power not only rule their own body but those of others also. If they wish a sick man to recover he recovers, or a person in health to fall ill he becomes ill, or if they will the presence of a person he comes to them. According as the effects produced by these powerful souls are good or bad they are termed miracles or sorceries. These souls differ from common folk in three ways: (1) What others only see in dreams they see in their waking moments. (2) While others' wills only affect their own bodies, these, by will-power, can move bodies extraneous to themselves. (3) The knowledge which others acquire by laborious learning comes to them by intuition.

These three, of course, are not the only marks which differentiate them from common people, but the only ones that come within our cognizance. Just as no one knows the real nature of God but God Himself, so no one knows the real nature of a prophet but a prophet. Nor is this to be wondered at, as in everyday matters we see that it is impossible to explain the charm of poetry to one whose ear is insusceptible of cadence and rhythm, or the glories of colour to one who is stone-blind. Besides mere incapacity, there are other hindrances to the attainment of spiritual truth. One of these is externally acquired knowledge. To use a figure, the heart may be represented as a well, and the five senses as five streams which are continually conveying water to it. In order to find out the real contents of the heart these streams must be stopped for a time, at any rate, and the refuse they have brought with them must be cleared out of the well. In other words, if we are to arrive at pure spiritual truth, we must put away, for the time knowledge which has been acquired by external processes and which too often hardens into dogmatic prejudice.

A mistake of an opposite kind is made by shallow people who, echoing some phrases which they have caught from Sufi teachers, go about decrying all knowledge. This is as if a person who was not an adept in alchemy were to go about saying, "Alchemy is better than gold," and were to refuse gold when it was offered to him. Alchemy is better than gold, but real alchemists are very rare, and so are real Sufis. He who has a mere smattering of Sufism is not superior to a learned man, any more than he who has tried a few experiments in alchemy has ground for despising a rich man.
Anyone who will look into the matter will see that happiness is necessarily linked with the knowledge of God. Each faculty of ours delights in that for which it was created: lust delights in accomplishing desire, anger in taking vengeance, the eye in seeing beautiful objects, and the ear in hearing harmonious sounds. The highest function of the soul of man is the perception of truth; in this accordingly it finds its special delight. Even in trifling matters, such as learning chess, this holds good, and the higher the subject matter of the knowledge obtained the greater the delight. A man would be pleased at being admitted into the confidence of a prime minister, but how much more if the king makes an intimate of him and discloses state secrets to him!

An astronomer who, by his knowledge, can map the stars and describe their courses, derives more pleasure from his knowledge than the chess player from his. Seeing, then, that nothing is higher than God, how great must be the delight which springs from the true knowledge of Him! A person in whom the desire for this knowledge has disappeared is like one who has lost his appetite for healthy food, or who prefers feeding on clay to eating bread. All bodily appetites perish at death with the organs they use, but the soul dies not, and retains whatever knowledge of God it possesses; nay increases it.

An important part of our knowledge of God arises from the study and contemplation of our own bodies, which reveal to us the power, wisdom, and love of the Creator. His power, in that from a mere drop He has built up the wonderful frame of man; His wisdom is revealed in its intricacies and the mutual adaptability of its parts; and His love is shown by His not only supplying such organs as are absolutely necessary for existence, as the liver, the heart, and the brain, but those which are not absolutely necessary, as the hand, the foot, the tongue, and the eye. To these He has added, as ornaments, the blackness of the hair, the redness of lips, and the curve of the eyebrows.

Man has been truly termed a "microcosm," or little world in himself and the structure of his body should be studied not only by those who wish to become doctors, but by those who wish to attain to a more intimate knowledge of God, just as close study of the niceties and shades of language in a great poem reveals to us more and more of the genius of its author.

But, when all is said, the knowledge of the soul plays a more important part in leading to the knowledge of God than the knowledge of our body and the functions. The body may be compared to a steed and the soul to its rider; the body was created for the soul, the soul for the body. If a man knows not his own soul, which is the nearest thing to him, what is the use of his claiming to know others? It is as if a beggar who has not the wherewithal for a meal should claim to be able to feed a town.

In this chapter we have attempted, in some degree, to expound the greatness of man's soul. He who neglects it and suffers its capacities to rust or to degenerate must necessarily be the loser in this world and the next. The true greatness of man lies in his capacity for eternal progress, otherwise in this temporal sphere he is the weakest of all things, being subject to hunger, thirst, heat, cold, and sorrow. Those things he takes most delight in are often the most injurious to him, and those things which benefit him are not to be obtained without toil and trouble. As to his intellect, a slight disarrangement of matter in his brain is sufficient to destroy or madden him; as to his power, the sting of a wasp is sufficient to rob him of ease and sleep; as to his temper, he is upset by the loss of a sixpence; as to his beauty, he is little more than nauseous matter covered with a fair skin. Without frequent washing he becomes utterly repulsive and disgraceful.

In truth, man in this world is extremely weak and contemptible; it is only in the next that he will be of value, if by means of the "alchemy of happiness" he rises from the rank of beasts to that of angels. Otherwise his condition will be worse than the brutes, which perish and turn to dust. It is necessary for him, at the same time that he is conscious of his superiority as the climax of created things, to learn to know also his helplessness, as that too is one of the keys to the knowledge of God.

The Martyrdom of Hazrat El-Imam Sayyidina Husain

2009-01-14T15:07:00.000+07:00

by Syed Mumtaz Ali

In Islam, it is binding on every Muslim to acknowledge Allah as the Sovereign, the Master, the King and the Absolute overlord in his moral, social, cultural, economic and political spheres of life.

The Holy Qur'an reiterates this fundamental doctrine repeatedly. I will quote only a few short verses:

"Say: I seek refuge in the Rabb (Lord) of mankind, the King of mankind." (114:1-2)
"Say: O Allah! Master of all the Kingship" (3:26)
"Is not Allah the best of all judges" (95:8)
"No one has the authority to pass judgment except Allah" (6:57)
"To Him belongs whatever is in the Heavens and in the Earth, and all that lies between them, and all that is beneath the soil" (20:6)

According to this principle, then, it follows that anyone who holds power and rules in accordance with the laws of Allah could undoubtedly be viceregent of the Supreme Ruler. In such a capacity, i.e., by virtue of his delegated authority, he will not be authorized to exercise any powers other than those delegated to him.

"It is He Who had made you viceregent on the earth" (35:39)

The Khaliphate granted by Allah to the faithful is the popular viceregency and it is not limited to any family, clan or race etc. And even in this context, the guiding principle that determines superiority of one individual over the other depends solely on his piousness and good moral character (taqwa) which serves as the sole criterion.

"Surely the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous" (49:13)

In view of this limitation on his authority and powers, the head of the state shall not function in an autocratic but in a consultative (shura) manner. He is required to discharge his duties in consultation with persons holding responsible positions in the government and with the elected representatives of the people. This fundamental principle that in an Islamic State, the government should be constituted and run in mutual consultation with people is clearly set out in the Qur'an. The Chapter which contains this verse is itself given the designated title/name of 'Al-shura'. Allah says in Ayat 38:

"Conduct their affairs with mutual consultation" (42:38)

This injunction has come to be known popularly in our times as the basic democratic principle of Islam. In his book, Introduction to Islam, Dr. M. Hamidullah elaborates this point in the following words:

"Islam attaches no importance to the external forms of government. It is satisfied if two conditions are fulfilled:
the well-being of man in both worlds is aimed at, and
the Shari'ah (Divine Law) is applied."

To further clarify, he states that "the constitutional question takes a secondary place and a republic, a monarchy, or a joint-rule, among other forms of government, are all valid in the Islamic Community."

When discussing the background and the turmoil that lead to the declaration by Amir Muawiya to appoint his son Yazid as his successor, we must bear this in mind that it was not the external form of government per se which alone caused Hazrat El-Imam Husain (Radhi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) to take exception and vehemently oppose Yazid's succession after his father's death which occurred four years after his appointment as an heir-apparent or crown-prince was initially made.

It was the abuse of power by Yazid which made it impossible for Hazrat Imam Husain (Radhi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu)to put up with the prevailing state of affairs. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely! It was indeed the absolutely corrupt power of hereditary monarchy which became the bone of contention because the indications and signs of such corruption had already become quite apparent. The beginning of the gradual decline of the moral fibre of the Islamic society was gaining a rapid momentum. As a matter of fact later developments proved it to be so. The tragic consequence was that Islam never recovered from that political epidemic and the creeping moral cancer.

Sovereignty of Allah was marginalised and the Rule of law was openly jeopardised. These two fundamental concepts received lip-service, and remained a mere theory. Everyone was aware of the fact that these human characteristics have been commonplace among monarchies throughout human history. Imam Husain (Radhi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) had the wisdom, and the deep insight deep inside to recognize that the trends of corruption and gage the speed of the potential destruction. He felt he had to try to stop it at any cost. He knew it was his religious duty to follow Allah's Commands to try his best and leave the rest to Allah as the He clearly directs us all:

"These are the people who, if We establish them in the land, will establish Salah, (ritual service of worship) and pay Zakah, (religious dues) enjoin justice and forbid evils; the final decision of all affairs is in the hands of Allah" (22:41)

Hazrat Imam Husain (Radhi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) had no difficulty in recognizing the fact that the breach of a Divine Trust (of governing people) placed in the hands of a ruler of an Islamic state was a very grave matter that could cause much irreparable harm to the Community and future generations.

Allah commands:

"Allah commands you to give back the trusts to their rightful owners, and when you judge between people, judge with fairness" (4:58-59)

Let me explain: Just as a servant is entrusted with certain property for which he is responsible to the master, the king or the ruler is entrusted with the care of the people and guarding their rights. Accordingly, in order to discharge his duties, he is responsible in the first place to Allah Who is the Real Master, and then to people in relation to whom he occupies a position of a servant.

The signs of grossly abusing the power and instances of nonchalant disregard of the terms of the sacred trust were becoming apparent for anyone to see.

For instance it was not difficult to observe that:

politics was getting more and more devoid of morality and ethics.
the king, the members of his family, the nobility and the governing class were being given preferential treatment and were often exempt from many routine religious or legal obligations.
the king was becoming the master of the life, property and honour of his subjects - sovereignty of man was replacing sovereignty of Allah.
justice, law and order were being replaced by oppression, disorder and injustice.
a life of luxury, pomp and splendour was becoming the norm and the cherished goal.
instead of encouraging people to fear Allah and obey the laws, strengthen their faith and conscience, they were being bought and sold through enticing offers of power, position and gold.
distinctions between the haram and halal and the desirable and the doubtful were getting blurred; undesirable social activities were spreading like wildfire.

Granted that in the time under discussion these evils were not yet as fully developed as they did in later years. Nevertheless the trends were obvious to all those who cared about such things. The potential for total destruction of the true spirit of Islamic life was so very apparent.

However it was clear that the rulers were not really functioning as servants of humanity as they were supposed to. How then to deal with the flagrant breach of the divine trust?

The answer to this question is to be found in the Holy Qur'an which lays down the ground rules of a clear-cut policy:

"O you with Iman! Stand firmly for justice, giving witness for Allah, maybe therein your own loss, or of your parents or of your relations." (4:135)

And the basic philosophy of life, or philosophy of Shuhud (Martyrdom), if you will, has never been a hidden secret:

"Say you, 'Undoubtedly, my prayer, and my sacrifices, and my living and my dying are all for Allah, who is the Lord of all the worlds'" (6:162)

Allah Ta'ala clearly declares that:

"their mischief is more grievous than killing" (2:191),

and also:

"And obey not him whose hearts We have made neglectful of Our remembrance and who followed his own desires and whose affair exceeded the trust." (18:28)

Such are the clear instructions and guidelines for those who care to stand up to the bullies and try to reform the society. Evidently, to each according to his capacity and merit and piety.

People are free to interpret history in the light of their own conceptions of truth and fairness or in the darkness of their own narrow and biased mental blind spots. Some people may and some have actually interpreted Imam Husain's reactions and actions as mere acts of political nature. People with such a non-ideological, materialistic mind-set may also consider Hazrat El-Imam Husain's (Radhi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) actions to be imprudent and unwise bravado in view of the heavy odds stacked against him.

In order to bring a reasonably fairness to this discussion, it is important to try to take into account some other relevant aspects of the total scenario. In this context, as the story unfolds according to various reports, two developments deserve to be briefly mentioned with their necessary background:

According to Tabari in Volume 6, page 226 (d. 923, a polyhistor whose works on the Holy Qur'an, the law and history are a marvel of erudition), El-Imam Husain received the news on his way towards Kufa that his emissary Muslim bin Aqeel was imprisoned and then slain by the authorities. This changed the whole picture. Imam Husain felt it necessary to inform all his companions about the devastating repercussions of this unexpected turn of events, particularly to those Beduins who, with a view to support him, had joined him on his way to Kufa. He then gave them all permission to leave him and return back if they so chose. Taking advantage of this offer, almost all the Beduins left and only those who had come with him all the way from Mecca stayed with him.
Tabari (Vol. 6, pg. 220) gives us an account of how Hazrat Imam Husain took the initiative at the appropriate time to offer the olive branch. Tabari's account is based on the report by El-Imam Sayyid Muhammad al-Baqar, the grandson of Hazrat El-Imam Husain (Radhi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu). According to this report (assuming this to be an accurate and a more reliable version, as there are other reports too), Imam Husain's offer contained three alternatives. He made it clear that any of the three options would be acceptable to him. The offer was:

Let me return back to where I came from, i.e., Mecca or Medina.
Let me go to Yazid.
Let me move out of here, out of your way, and proceed to the frontiers (where Jihad activities were in progress). Imam Husain made this offer to Umar bin Sa'd bin abi Waqqas, who accepted it and conveyed his acceptance to his superior, Ibn Ziad. The response from Ibn Ziad was in the negative. He insisted that Imam Husain must first take the oath of religions at his hand and only then Imam Husain's proposal would be considered. Whereupon, Imam Husain retorted: "No, by Allah No! This will never happen."

Now, the point to be born in mind is that Imam Husain did not hesitate to a) take appropriate steps to face the music and let people go freely, and b) explore reasonable, peaceful means of settling the dispute -- amicably and at the appropriate time!

After taking this into consideration, let us now resume the discussion of numerical superiority and the situation of tremendous odds which Imam Husain (Radhi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) faced. Suffice to say that those who have high aims and lofty ideals know it very well that numerical superiority has never been a deterring factor for those who stand for the Truth. Here lies the greatness of Hazreat El-Imam Husain (Radhi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) who stands a head and shoulders above his contemporaries: he chose to follow the most beautiful example of his own beloved grandfather, Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammad (Sallallahu 'alayhi wa Sallam) as well as the examples of so many other great reformers who started off with an even smaller minority -- a minority of no more than one!! As far as Hazrat Imam Husain (Radhi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) was concerned, it was nothing but a religious act, a religious duty that had to be fulfilled even at the coast of his own life and the lives of his dear ones. He felt strongly that the mischief (fitnah) had to be nipped in the bud. This effort of his was quite in accord with the very aim of human society which is none other than a) controlling temptations towards mischief in an environment where it would be wiser to diminish the occasions in which such evil could occur, and b) remedying the damage already done.

Is it not an inherent human right of every child of Adam and Eve to enjoy the liberty of conscience to choose their own ideology and also defend their convictions? How then can Imam Husain (Radhi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) be denied his right to defend his convictions and also to establish the fundamental Islamic doctrine of religious tolerance at the same time -- all in obedience to Allah's commands? Is it also not the case that every Muslim is duty bound to not only establish the Sovereignty of Allah on earth, but also to make it possible for everyone to exercise their liberty of conscience?

Let's all reiterate once again that there is no objective more meaningful than the cherished dedication to establish on earth Allah's Kingdom and His Sovereignty. Can anyone declare this philosophy of life and death in words which are more comprehensive than the beautiful Qur'anic exhortation:

"Say, my Salah (prayer) and my sacrifice and my living and my dying are all for Allah Who is the Lord of all the worlds" (6:162)

The Noble Life and Martyrdom of al-Imam Husayn (r.a.a.)

2009-01-14T15:04:00.000+07:00

by Sheikh Muzaffer Ozak al-Jerrahi

It was in the fourth year of the Hijra that our Master the venerable Husayn (r.a.a) came to adorn this world in Madinah the Pure, on the fifth day of Sha'ban. It was fifty nights after the birth of his brother, the venerable Imam Hasan (r.a.a.), that he was conceived in the womb of the noble Fatima (r.a.a.). It was none other than our Master, the glorious Messenger, who performed the ritual of inserting his blessed saliva into the newborn baby's mouth. It was his blessed lips that recited the Call to Prayer in the infant's ear, prayed for him and gave him the exalted name Husayn when he was seven days old. It was he who made the sacrifice for his gandson at the time of the naming ceremony.

The venerable Imam Husayn (r.a.a.) , so dearly loved by the glorious Messenger, was courageous and bold, learned, pious, eloquent, fluent, and concise, and fine and moving speaker, in every respect pleasing to let Lord, in Whom he placed all his trust. According to Hazrat Abu Hurayra, the Messenger to Men and Jinn would use words like: " Where is the tiny fellow?" when looking for the venerable Husayn as he sat in his noble Masjid. The venerable Husayn would come running immediately, sit on our Master's lap, hug him affectionately, then run his fingers through the blessed beard of the noble Messenger. The King of Ambiya would then kiss the venerable Husayn, saying: "O my Lord, I love this child. May You also love my Husayn and those who love him."

Once, after the blessed time of the Nabi, the venerable 'Abdullah bin 'Umar was sitting in the shade of the honored Ka'ba when he saw our Master, the venerable Husayn, approaching. Turning to those at his side, he said: "Here comes the person most dear to those in heaven of all the people on earth." As he said these words he pointed to the venerable Husayn.

Pressing himself against the honored Ka'ba, Imam Husayn communed with Allah, the Lord of Glory, saying: "My God, You have blessed me with Your bounties in abundance yet You have found me ungrateful. O Lord, You have put me to the test, yet You have found me impatient. In spite of my ingratitude, You have not deprived me; in spite of my impatience, You have not prolonged my hardship. My God, nothing but grace and generosity flows from the All-Generous."

He always accompanied and served his noble father, Imam 'Ali, while he was in Madinah the Illuminated. He also went with him to Kufa. He fought alongside his revered father in all his battles and stood by him constantly until his martyrdom. After that he was with his brother, the venerable Hasan. After the latter resigned from the Khalifate, he returned to Madinah the Illuminated where he stayed until the year 60 of the Hijra, near the fragrant resting place of his noble grandfather, the Final Prophet.

According to Imam Suyuti: "In the year 60, the people of Syria paid homage to Yazid. Yazid sent men to Madinah the Illuminated to call on the people there to pay homage to him also. Imam Hasan, Ibn 'Umar, and Abdullah bin al-Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with them all, refused to pay allegiance to Yazid. Abdullah bin 'Umar said: "I shall not pay homage to Yazid as long as there is no general consensus to give him allegiance." That same night he left Madinah the Illuminated and moved to Makkah the Ennobled.

Abdullah bin al-Zubayr would neither pay homage to Yazid himself nor call on other people to do so.

As for the venerable Imam Husayn, since he had been appointed heir to the throne of Yazid's father, he was invited by the people of Kufa. The Kufans kept writing letters urging him to come to their city. In spite of this the noble Imam neither accepted their invitation nor agreed with the Kufans' line of action. Since homage had been paid to Yazid, he was faced with making a decision either to stay as he was or to respond to the Kufans' invitation. He was finding it impossible to decide where his duty lay. He eventually consulted Ibn Zubayr, who advised him to accept the invitation of the Kufans.

The venerable Ibn 'Abbas, however saw things differently: "Beware of accepting Kufans' invitation, O Imam," said he. "The Kufans betrayed both your father Imam 'Ali and your elder brother, Imam Hasan. The people of Kufa are not to be taken at their word."

Abdullah bin 'Umar also advised him to beware of leaving Madinah the Illuminated. However, what had been divinely decreed would come to pass. Imam Husayn had decided to go to Iraq. The venerable Ibn 'Abbas implored him not to go but he could not persuade the venerable Imam to change his mind. "O Husayn," he pleaded, "I swear by Allah that you are likely to be slain like venerable 'Uthman in the midst of your own family." When this was of no avail, Ibn 'Abbas said: "O Husayn, by going to Iraq, you are leaving the Hijaz to Ibn al-Zubayr." Still he could not sway the venerable Imam, whose resolve was unshakable. He could not abandon the Community of Muhammad to a depraved ruler.

Meanwhile, the people of Iraq were sending a stream of couriers with letters of invitation. Finally, on the tenth of Dhul-Hijja, the venerable Husayn set out from Makkah the Enobled with his family and retinue and started on the road to Iraq. Several members of the Prophet's household traveled with him.

In reality the people who invited the venerable Husayn to Iraq were the mischiefmakers working for the cause of Yazid. When Yazid the Damned heard of his departure for Iraq, he sent written orders to Ubaydullah ibn Zayyad, commanding him to take military action against the venerable Husayn. On receiving these orders from Yazid, the accursed Ibn Zayyad dispatched four thousand troops, under the command of 'Umar bin Sa'd, against the venerable Imam.

As for the people of Kufa, they gave the venerable Imam no more help than they had given his father before him. Indeed, they did not even attempt to join him. Some of the Kufans who had invited him to Iraq were actually enrolled among the four thousand troops sent to oppose the venerable Husayn.

Seeing himself surrounded by four thousand armed soldiers, the venerable Imam Husayn made it known that he was willing to return to Hijaz in order to save his people from being cursed because of his murder, but he said that the proper course was either to pay homage to Yazid or else risk battle. Rejecting the idea of returning to the Hijaz, he entered the fray. The die was cast and there was no going back. They slew and martyred that beloved grandson of the Prince of the Universe, that dear child of Fatima, the best of women; they cut off his blessed head and brought it in a basin before the accursed Ibn Zayyad.

Surely the curse of Allah falls upon evildoers. [Holy Qur'an, 11:18]

Surely we belong to Allah and to Him we are returning. [Holy Qur'an 2:156]

It is said that when Hazrat Imam Husayn (r.a.a) knew for sure that the approaching army would do battle with him, he gathered his companions and the members of the Prophet's household and delivered this brief sermon:

"Praise and thanks to the Lord Allah and blessings and peace upon the noble Messenger...

"O my companions, relatives, friends and fellow members of the Prophet's household (a.k.a. Ahlul Bayt)! You see the state of affairs we have reached. This world has changed and turned its face from us. Its goodness has retreated and very evil days lie before us. You must surely see that the truth is no longer put into practice. Falsehood is by no means at an end. Let those who are believers desire to meet Allah. For me there is no doubt that death is a blessing. I count it a crime to live in the company of tyrants."

May Allah be pleased with him and make him pleased.

His martyrdom occurred on the day of 'Ashura, the tenth of Muharram of the year 60, at a place in Iraq called Karbala, which lies between Hilla and Kufa. Martyred with him on that day were twenty-three members of the his household. These twenty three victims came of the pure line of our Master, the noble Messenger, and were close relatives of the revered Prophet. Among those martyred were cousins of our blessed Master, children of the venerable Hasan and the infant children of our Master the venerable Husayn, except for his son, Zayn al-'Abidin. The tears of the ladies of the Prophet's household flowed like the Nile and Euphrates and their sighs reached the Throne-on-High and made the soul of Fatima the Radiant weep. They distressed the blessed soul of the Prophet and threw the angels and jinn into mourning.

When her noble brother Husayn was martyred, Zaynab screamed through her tears at the cruel murderer: "You tyrants! You do not know what you have done, whom you have martyred and whom you have caused to weep. How will you answer the glorious Prophet if he asks you on the coming Day of Resurrection: "What did you do to the people of my household and to my children after I was gone? Some of you made captive, some you enslaved and some you steeped in crimson blood. How will you look him in the face and how can you expect his intercession if he says: 'Is this how you display your gratitude to your Prophet? Is this how you show your affection?' Will you not be ashamed of yourselves if he says: Would you dare to drink from the fount of the Messenger, when you condemned the people of my household to go thirsty and refused a single drop of water to my beloved Husayn and his Innocents?' "

On those roads, in those deserts throughout those lonely wastes, Houries and jinn bewail poor Zaynab's fate.

On the night when Imam Husayn was martyred, our Mother Umm Salama, may Allah be pleased with her, dreamt that she saw the most Noble Messenger looking sorrowful and sad. She asked the reason for his grief and received this reply: "O Umm Salama, they have martyred my Husayn, that is why I am full of sorrow and despair."

Such cruelty the turning spheres had ever known The glorious Messenger was in despair there by the most high Throne

The venerable Ibn 'Abbas had a vision in the middle of the day, in which he say our blessed Master holding a bottle full of blood. "What blood is that, O Messenger of Allah?" he asked. The answer came: "This is the blood and tears of my Husayn and the people of my household. I am gathering from the ground the blood and tears they shed this day." The venerable Ibn 'Abbas checked the date and found that his vision had occurred on the day when the venerable Husayn was martyred.

Our Mother, the venerable Umm Salama, said: "I heard the jinn weeping and mourning the venerable Husayn."

We should not be surprised to hear that the very jinn wept at the martyrdom of Imam Husayn. All the angels in heaven and earth were weeping. Sun, moon, stars, and all the heavenly bodies trembled and made moan for the fear of Allah.

How beautiful are these words of Sayyid Jalil Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Rufa'i in his elegy for the venerable Husayn: "Heaven and earth wept for the martyr cruelly wronged, as he lay with his radiant countanance all stained with blood. The blessed hands of Imam Husayn, so thirsty when he fell a martyr by the sword, were powerful enough to make the oceans flow."

While people at the Resurrection drink Kawthar's water from Haydar's hand You lie a thirsty martyr, O Husayn, in Karbala's desert sand.

Even as the treacherous Shimr was pinning him down and preparing to make him a martyr, Imam Husayn addressed these words to the man who refused him water: "You made me and my children wander thirsty in these desert wastes. You gave me no water and I know better than to expect any from you. But at least give my children a drop to drink, so that I may forgive you for the great wrong you have done to us."

The brigand's only reply was to say: "If the earth and sky were full of water, I would not give one drop to you and your children."

The venerable Imam Husayn then said to the accursed Shimr: "You have denied me water and refused my children even one drop. But at the Place of Resurrection we shall not sink to your level by letting you go thirsty. For the owner of Kawthar is my grandfather and the waterbearer of the fountain in Paradise if my father."

He then quickly kicked the ground, from which a crystal spring burst forth. Pointing to this water, he said to the accursed Shimr, whose eyes had opened wide in amazement: "Now you see the quality of our patience. We have only suffered like this in order to teach the Community and make them understand that they must be prepared to sacrifice everything they have, when they engage in a necessary struggle agains the tyrannical and the corrupt. Otherwise, water was at our command. If we had wished, we could have drawn it up and drunk it before now. We refrained from doing so, however, in order to set the Community of Muhammad and example of self-sacrifice." As soon as he had uttered these words, the wine of martyrdom quenched his thirst.

O Lord, do not deprive us of the Intercession of Husayn...

The accursed Ibn Zayyad sent the blessed head of our Master Husayn to Yazid the Damned, who was safe and sound in Damascus, waiting impatiently for the fruits of his crime. Also sent to him were Imam Husayn's beloved son, Imam Zayn al-'Abidin, and the sister, the venerable Zaynab. The child and his aunt had been at Karbala that day, but they had been to sick to take part in the fighting and had somehow survived.

The ill-famed Yazid stuck that blessed head on a rod in his hand and dared to mock it, carry disrespect for the Messenger's family to an extreme degreee. He appeared enormously pleased with his criminal act, never thinking that he would be damned and cursed till the Day of Resurrection, not only by all the Muslims but by all men od conscience and common sense.

Even this did not satisfy Yazid. He gave orders for the blessed head to be exhibited throughout the lands of Islam. Only when he heard of the discontent expressed by all the Muslims when they heard of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn, did he feel compelled to send the Imam's noble relatives back to Madinah in safety. The blessed head of the venerable Husayn was sent to 'Asqalan, where the local governer had it buried.

When Ascalon was captured much later by the Crusaders, a Fatimid vizier called Salih Tala'i paid a lot of money to buy the blessed head from them. He received it with a great military parade. He bored the blessed head of the venerable Husayn upon his own head, set it upon an ebony throne and wrapped it in green silk. He had a casket made out of solid gold and lined with musk. The blessed head was placed in this casket and laid to rest in a special mausoleum in the Mosque of Husayn, which that vizier had built in Cairo. Despite the inevitable differences of opinion about what did actually become of that blessed head, the great saints and most Sufis maintain that it does indeed repose in Masjid al-Husayn in Cairo, where it is visited every day by the Qutb (Cardinal Saint) of our age.

The Spirit of Imam Husain's Martyrdom

2009-01-14T14:45:00.002+07:00

Nature of Umayyad Rule

To illustrate a few points, it may be stated that the Umayyad’s rule was unIslamic. Any rule which is based on force and violence can never be Islamic. The Umayyads crushed the spirit of democratic freedom. They laid the foundation of their authority on unscrupulous tactics and coercive methods instead of on mutual consultation and Ijma’ (Consensus). The Umayyad state craft did not follow the Shari’ah in total, but it was motivated merely by lust of power and political ends. Such a serious menace to the basic values of Islam demanded a heroic struggled against arbitration and a crusade for the vindication of truth and freedom.

Imam Husain’s character as a Mu’min

These were the changes that appeared in the wake of converting the Islamic Khulafat into dynastic imperialism. No one can deny that Yazid’s nomination as successor to his father was the starting point of all these transformation. It cannot be gainsaid that after a short span of time from the point of origin all the corrupt practices mentioned above came into existence. At the time when this revolutionary step was adopted, there was no indication of these evils, but a man of vision could have predicted these inevitable consequences of such a beginning and that the reforms introduced by Islam in the administration and political phases of the state would be rendered null and void by these charges. This is the reason why Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) could not remain indifferent to this undesirable development. He, therefore, decided to stem the tide of the evil forces taking the risk of confronting the worst consequences by rising the revolt against an established government. The consequences of his bold stand are known to every one. The fact which Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) wanted to emphasize by plunging himself into grave danger and enduring its consequences heroically was that the fundamental features of the Islamic State are valuable assets. It would not be a bad bargain, if a believer sacrificed his life and get his family members slain for preserving this valuable object. A believer should not hesitate to sacrifice all that he possesses for preventing the changes which constitute a serious danger to the religion of al-Islam and the Muslim Community which is a custodian of the constitutional values. One is at liberty to contemptuously disregard it as merely a maneuver for securing power, but in the eyes of Imam Husain bin Ali (Alaihis salam), it was primarily a religious obligation. He, therefore, laid down his life in this cause gaining the crown of martyrdom.

Imam Husain’s Role

Imam Husain (Alaihis salam), Sayyid-ush-Shuhadaa, initiated the holy war against the oppressive regime of the Umayyads and refused to take the oath of allegiance to that authority. It is a sacred legacy bequeathed to posterity by Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) that Muslims should never submit to any authority which defies the Divine Law, maintains itself by force and foists it arbitrary decisions on the people at the cost of inherent freedom. The struggle in this cause does not necessitate mobilization of men, money and material on the scaled possessed by the hostile temporal authority. Husain bin Ali (Alaihis salam) did not possess the sinews of war. He had the support of only a small band of helpless and un-armed individuals. A person entrenched in righteousness and truth does not care for consequences. The outcome of the struggle lies in the hands of the power that is always on the side of Justice and Truth. Cruelty eventually suffers a set back, gains despair and despondency despite its overwhelming superiority in number and resources. On such occasions, one surrenders to considerations of expediency through the agony of the accursed Shaitan who creates doubt in the mind of defenders of Truth whether the result is worth achieving at cost of much bloodshed. This can very easily be contradicted. Apart from numerous instances of Jihad, there is the event of Karbala that is a glaring example of a fight heroically fought by 62-72 scantily armed persons against the massive forces of a formidable state. It is true that Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) saw his kith and kin in utter distress suffering the agonies of hunger and thirst; witnessed each and every one of them writhing in dust and blood one after the other; it is also a fact that he did not even possess the force to wrest a morsel of bread from the enemy sufficient for their survival, but he eventually surrendered himself to the Supreme Being, sustaining grave injuries all over his body. However he came out successfully in the test. His wounded head was adorned with the crown of victory.

Imam Husain’s Martyrdom and Humanity

Now the question arises whether Imam Husain’s martyrdom was only the result of his attempt to seize the throne and the sympathy it evokes in the readers is the natural reaction to a splendid failure? Or, is this merely the recalcitrant attitude or unscrupulous policy of a short tempered leader who, by chance, happened to be the grandson of their beloved Nabi (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Aalihi wa Sallam) and solely on this account, do they come out for his defense. Whether this is a heart-rending story of the ruthless and brutal destruction of a weak party, the narration of which induces you to burst into tears? The history of the world provides a number of instances appealing to our sympathy. It is so much replete with individual and collective incidents of failure and frustration, on one hand, and those of cruelty and barbarism, on the other, that the world will not be particularly impressed with the tragic episode of Imam Husain (Alaihis salam). No! Imam Husain’s story does not purport to be anything of this kind. It is in the main, a story of human dignity; a tale of revealing the essential nobility of man; an account of a man’s ascent to the peak of grandeur. It presents a lofty deal of individual and collective human life; it is a mile-stone in the long journey from beastly slavery to human freedom; it is a proclamation of Allah’s Kingdom in this ephemeral world; it is an irrefutable proof of the possibility of its establishment among human being; it is a beacon light which guides humanity to perfection. Whenever evil forces make a bid to put out this light with their breath, the monumental performance of Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) intensifies its refulgence. When humanity falters in adhering to the path of truth and freedom, the example set up by Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) gives it a support and comes to its rescue. When the tyrants proud of their wealth, power, and authority harass the unassuming and helpless followers of Truth and when the incessant failure of the champions of truth cast doubt upon the validity of its claim, Imam Husain’s heroic stand in its cause teaches them the lesson of perseverance and save them from falling a prey to despair and despondency. When the rising power of tyrants overawes the individual, Imam Husain’s example reminds him that the duty of stimulating resistance against brutal power ultimately devolves on him. It matters not if for making such an attempt, the enemy offers him a cup of poison, sends him to the gallows, stones him to death, or stains the earth with his blood. Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) brings this fact home to the worldly persons that “life” does not mean just living, no matter how. He asserts that life sometimes means to live and sometimes to surrender it.

Real Object of Imam Husain’s Sacrifice

Every year, in the month of Muharram, millions of Muslims mourn Imam Husain’s martyrdom. It is regretable that among those mourners, there are very few persons who focus their attention on the real cause for which Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) not only sacrificed his own life, but also the lives of his kith and kin. It is but natural for the adherents and devoted followers of a man to feel grieved at his martyrdom. This sort of sentiment does not carry much of moral value; it is nothing but a spontaneous reaction of the mind of his relations and sympathizers. But the point at issue is what is the special feather of Imam Husain’s martyrdom that keeps the grief for him afresh although about 1,400 years have elapsed since this tragic event took place. If the martyrdom is not associated with any high ideal, it is meaningless to say that the mourning continues for centuries on personal grounds. If viewed in correct perspective, one may well ask what value Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) himself would attach to such devotion. If his own person were dearer to him than any ideology or subject, why did he sacrifice it at all? His sacrifice is a conclusive proof that this object was dearer to him than his own life. If we do not have a clear idea of Imam Husain’s purpose, but continue lamentation at each anniversary of his martyrdom, we can neither expect any appreciation from Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) on the Day of Resurrection, nor will it have any value with his Allah.

Let us ask what was that ideal or object! Did Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) affirm his claim to succession to the Caliphate and did he stake his life to vindicate this claim? Any one who knows the high moral standard of Imam Husain’s household cannot harbor this vile notion that the members of such a sacred family could have caused bloodshed among the Muslims for gaining political power for themselves. If, for argument’s sake this viewpoint is taken for granted that members of Bani Hashim had a claim for power, even then the 50-year’s history, from Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (radiyallahu ‘anh) Caliphate down to the period of Hazrat Amir Mu’awiyah, bears evidence that waging war and causing bloodshed merely to seize power had never been their motive. As a logical corollary, one has to admit that Imam Husain’s keep eye discerned symptoms of decay and corruption in the system of the Islamic State, and the felt impelled to resist these evil forces. He even deemed it his duty to wage war in this connection, as the situation so warranted.

Fight Against Falsehood

Turn over the pages of history! The early period of Islam which is considered to be the best of all that has elapsed. Even the period of the true successors to the Holy Nabi (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Aalihi wa Sallam) has terminated. The age of the secular authority, viz., the period of autocratic government has been ushered in. In flagrant contravention to the Divine Authority, the Muslim kings look upon the state exchequer as their person property. In each Muslim State, the monarch fills his treasury with gold and unbelieverelry and with his political power reinforced by the power of money he forces this people to obey his arbitrary commands. Some people submit to him out of fear and others do so to gain their selfish ends with his help. There is always a hard core of steadfast Muslims who refuse to yield. The Nabi’s grandson, Imam Husain (Alaihis salam), falls in the last category. Persuasion, threats, and crafty measures were employed, but Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) remain adamant. How could Imam Husain (Alaihis salam), in whose veins the blood of Hazrat Ali, Sayyidah Fatimah (radiyallahu ‘anhuma), and Nabi Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Aalihi wa Sallam) was pulsating, who was Allah-fearing, who had devotion for Truth, treat falsehood at par with Truth? Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) flatly refused to take bay’ah to Yazid. In effect, Husain (Alaihis salam) declared that Yazid’s authority, being in conflict with the Divine Authority, should not be obeyed by true Muslims. This was the first step in the direction of martyrdom.

He was driven out of his native place. He could not live in peace even in Makkah. He, therefore, resolved to migrate to Iraq. This amounted to a proclamation, on his part, that Yazid’s claim to authority in the Muslim State was untenable. The idea of submitting to Yazid was so repugnant to him that he decided to renounced the security and comforts of his homeland. This was the second step leading to martyrdom.

On his way to Kufa, at Karbala, Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) was intercepted by Yazid’s forces. The small band of his followers was surrounded by Yazid’s army. This was the last sacrifice and the final ordeal. He successfully passed the test. Each and everyone from amongst his relatives and companions were killed one after another. Children were slain. Finally, Imam Husain (Alaihis salam), with a mass of wounds and bruises fell down from his horse. His heart harbored and his lips uttered the belief that “There is no worthy of worship, except Allah and Absolute authority is vested in Him alone.” This was martyrdom, the sacrifice of one’s life for the vindication of Truth. Thirteen centuries have since elapsed, the example set up by Imam Husain ((Alaihis salam) gives and will continue to give evidence, till eternity that Command rests with Allah Ta’ala.

Whenever Divine Authority is respected, men will remember how the grandson of the greatest Benefactor of humanity sacrificed his life in defense of Truth. In future, when, with the increase of human knowledge, the obstacles to progress would be removed and men will be marching confidently to the goal of self-realization, they would surely recall the glorious sacrifice offered by Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) at the altar of Truth. When the human mind will be rid of ever fear except the fear of Allah, Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) will be accorded the respect which he deserves and men will often think how Sayyidah Fatimah’s (Alaihis salam) beloved son displayed the sublimity of obedience to Allah by the voluntary sacrifice of his own life. Then alone this helpless man will come into prominence as the ruler of rulers. This frustrated man would be regarded as the custodian of religion and faith. Once covered with blood and dust, his head will become the symbol of absolute submission to Divine Authority and fearless defiance of any other type of temporal power.

Morals of Imam Husain’s Performance

This exemplary conduct displayed by Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) teaches us not to care for consequences. If the temporal authority is aggressive, sacrifice on the part of followers of Truth becomes all the more essential. Numerical minority and majority, or the lack of resources should not deter them to continue their struggle. Grandeur of coercive government does not carry the seal of Divine approval that it should necessarily be obeyed. A truth-loving person has to face an oppressor whether weak or strong.

Adherence to Truth and Justice is, no doubt, and ordeal. At every step, there is diversion of attention due to attachment to one’s own life, honor and family. But Imam Husain’s lofty ideal teaches the believers and sincere followers of al-Islam that at the ver outset they should take stock of the strength of their resoluteness, so that these temptations may not prove a stumbling block immediately after embarking on that mission. Everyone knows that in the presence of various attachments, the great martyr of Karbala sacrificed his all at the altar of Truth. All the stages of ordeals are categorically described in the Holy Qur’an: Allah intends to test the believers by bringing them under the throes of various ordeals:

“And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast. Who say when a misfortune strikes them: Surely! We are from Allah and surely unto Him we are returning.” (Surah al-Baqarah, ayats 155, 156)

Fear and apprehension, hunger and thirst, love of wealth, property, life and progeny form an acid test for human beings, and as such, the sacrifice of these interests have been declared an ordeal in the cause of Allah.

The helpless hero of Karbala had all these stages, at a stretch. He could have got rid of them within a short span of time and secured relief, position, grandeur, had he only made a compromise with aggression government ignoring the dictates of Truth and Justice. Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) preferred Allah’s Will to his won personal choice. Devotion for Truth overcomes love for life and its luxuries. He laid down his life, being the only asset with the lover of Truth, but he never stretched his hand for taking bay’ah which could be extended only in the cause of Truth.

The most valuable lesson that can be deduced from this grave event is Sabr (perseverance) and determination in the cause of Jihad and Truth.

In spite of being helplessly besieged by enemy with members of family, relatives, and friends witnessing his own kith and kin wailing and shrieking with the intensity of thirst and hunger and later lifting with his own hands their bodies stained with blood. Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) never swerved from the path of truth, even for a moment. In short, he underwent these calamities, being tacitly grateful to Allah Ta’ala. Those who are surcharged with the intoxication of devotion and love willingly accept a cup of poison from the hands of their friends in preference to the cup of honey and elixir. Even today, every particle of the dust of Karbala gives the lesson of patience and endurance of those who keep their ears open to listen to its message.

Imam Husain (Alaihis salam) was the torchbearer of absolute values. He lived, fought, and sacrificed his life in defense of these ideals. He lit an ever-lasting beacon light for humanity by his heroic struggle for Truth and righteousness that could not be extinguished even after his death. The glorious example of his life enables mankind to purify the social life and checking the evil that brings corruption into the body politic. This light is a source of guidance in every walk of human life.

ON BEING SILENT

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The path of religion is neither in works nor words; there are no buildings thereon, but only desolation. Whoso becomes silent to pursue the path, his speech is life and sweetness; if he speaks, it will not be out of ignorance, and if he is silent, it will not be from sloth; when silent, he is not devising frivolity; when speaking, he scatters abroad no trifling talk.

Those fools, the thieves and pickpockets, keep their knowledge to use in highway robbery. Thou seest, O Master, thou of many words, that thou hadst better have light in thy heart than words; when thou becomest silent, thou art most eloquent, but if thou speakest, thou art like a captain of war. 'Kun,' consists of two letters, both voiceless; 'Hû' consists of two letters, both silent. Doubt not concerning these words of mine; open thine eyes, pay heed for a little.

There exists the dog, and the stone; the stove of the bath, and the slave; but thou art excellent, like a jewel inside a casket. The king uses his silver for his daily needs, but his ruby be keeps for his treasure-house; silver is evil in its own ill-starred nature, the ruby is joyous because it is full of blood within.

The family of Barmak became great through their liberality; they were, so to say, close companions of generosity. Though fate pronounced their destruction, their name endures, indestructible as the spirit. The people of this generation, though amiable, are impudent as flies and wanton; in word they are all sweet as sugar, but when it comes to generosity, they tear men's hearts and burn their souls.

When He had adorned thy soul within thee, He held up before thee the mirror of the light; till pride made thee quick to anger, and thou lookedst upon thyself with the evil eye.

He has balanced day and night by the ruler of his justice, not by chance or at random.

While Reason digs for the secret, thou hast reached thy goal on the plain of Love.

The heart and soul of the seeker after God are concealed, but his tongue proclaims in truth,

'I am God.'

(From The "Hadazqatul Haqazqat" - Shaykh Hakim Sana'i)

OF THE TRAVELLER ON THE PATH

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A man should be like Abraham, that, through God, his shadow may become a shady place; in fear of him and by his teaching the universe dares to breathe; Pharaoh is destroyed by the mighty aid of a Moses whom God assists.

To the wayfarer towards God on the path of love His cheek is the dawn of morning; (who but He can tear away the veil by day, or hang the veil by night?) His mind is snatched away from bonds of earth; the spiritual rule of the world is made manifest to him. He treads the Throne under his feet like a carpet; he is an owl, but boars with him a phœnix. He becomes lord of this abode and that, the loyal slave of God; the pure Intelligence reveals its face to man, and beautifies his body with its own light. The bounty of God throws its shade over his heart; then he says, 'How He prolongs the shadow.' (Qur. 25:47) When his soul feels the touch of God, 'We make the sun' reveals its face to him (Qur. 25:48). The dumb all find tongues when they receive the perfume of life from his soul.

In His path the lovers recite to their souls the verse 'Every creature on the earth is subject to decay;' (Qur. 55:26) the heavens, and the natural world and its varied colours seem vile to his perception. Whoso is turned away from this wine, for him all its fragrance and colour is destroyed; so that when with new ear thou shalt hear the shouts of 'He is One, He has no partner,' thou shalt no longer in madness desire the varied colours, even though thy Jesus be the dyer. Thou shalt take what thou wilt of the colours, put them into one jar, and bring them out again;-listen truly, and not in folly: this saying is not for fools;-all these deceitful colours the jar of the Unity makes one colour. Then being now of one colour, all has become Him; the rope becomes slender when reduced to a single strand.

(From The "Hadazqatul Haqazqat" - Shaykh Hakim Sana'i)

ON CHARITY AND GIFTS.

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Whatsoever thou hast, relinquish it for the sake of God; for charity is the greater marvel when it comes from beggars. Bestow thy life and soul, for the endeavour of the poor is the best gift of mortal clay; the prince and chief of the family of the cloak was honoured by the Sûra "Does there not come,"--such regard he found with God from those three poor barley-cakes.

OF THE RECITAL OF THE SECRET OF THE QUR'ÂN.

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Tongue cannot tell the secret of the Qur'ân, for His intimates keep it concealed; the Qur'ân indeed knows its own secret,--hear it from itself, for itself knows it. Except by the soul's eye none knows the mea, surer of words from the true reader of the Qur'ân;--I will not take upon myself to say that thou truly knowest the Qur'ân though thou be `Uthmân.

The world is like the summer's heat, its people like drunkards therein, all wandering in the desert of indifference; death the shepherd, men his flock; and in this waste of desire and wretchedness the hot sand shows as running water. The Qur'ân is as the cool water of Euphrates, whilst thou art like a thirsty sinner on the plain of the Judgment. The letter and Qur'ân hold thou as cup and water; drink the water, gaze not on the vessel. Because it is summer, thy home seems to thee a mine of enmity; because the water is cold, the vessel of turquoise, thou usest not to fast. To the pure heart suffering will tell in a cry of anguish the secret of the pure Qur'ân; how can Reason discover its interpretation? But a delight in it finds out its inmost secret.

Though the written characters are not of the word, the scent of Yûsuf is in his garment; the fair Yûsuf was cast away in Egypt, but the scent reached Ya'qûb in Canaan. The letter of the Qur'ân is to its sense as thy clothes to thy life; the letter may be uttered by the tongue, its soul can be read but by the soul. The letter is as the shell, the true Qur'ân the pearl; the heart of the free-born desires not the shell. Though its words are fair and finely traced, though the mountain becomes as carded wool before them, make music, of them in thy heart like Moses, not outwardly like the treble of the pipes. When the soul recites the Qur'ân it enjoys a luscious morsel; whoso hears it, mends his ragged robe. The words, the voice, the letters of the verses, are as three stalks in bowls of vegetables. Though the husk is not fair nor sweet, still it guards the kernel; but through thy impurity the mystery becomes a song, the word of God a tune through thy folly.

Whilst thou art in this tomb appointed for us, this residence contrived for us, in this world full of objects of pursuit, this abode of deceit, look with thy earthly sight upon the willow, and with thy soul upon the tûbâ-tree; read with thy tongue the letter, and the sense with thy soul.
Sacrifice, to honour the Qur'ân, thy reason before its discourse; reason is no guide to its mysteries; reason is impotent here. Thou art now shameless, deceitful; thou art not worthy to have the curtain of the mystery drawn aside; thou knowest naught of its secret, hast

not yet arrived at `Arafât. So long as thou desirest pleasure and cherishest desire, play as a child,--thou art not man enough for this.

But when wisdom has conquered the world of desire, pure goodness succeeds to evil; the devil of passion flies to Hell, and Sulaimân regains his ring; the Qur'ân's secret routs the demon;--what wonder if he flies in terror from the Qur'ân?

Wait, for when the day of true religion dawns, the night of thought and fancy and sense flies away. When the veiled ones of the unseen world see that thou art stainless, they will lead thee into the invisible abode and reveal to thee their faces; and disclosing to thee the secret of the Qur'ân, they will withdraw the veil of letters. The earthy will have a reward of earth, the pure shall see purity. An understanding of the Qur'ân dwells not in the brain where pride starts up; the ass is dumb as a mere stone, and lends not his ear to the secret of God's word,--turns away from hearing the Qur'ân and pays no heed to the sûra's secret; but if the mind be disciplined of God it shall discover in the sûra the secret of the Qur'ân.

THE COMPARISON OF THE CREATION OF ADAM AND OF JESUS SON OF MARY (ON BOTH OF WHOM BE PEACE!).

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Adam's father in this world was the same breath which begot the son of Mary; that which became his body was of the nature of humanity, and that which became his soul was of the fragrance of that breath. Whoso has in him that breath, is an Adam; and whoso has it not, is an effigy belonging to this world only. When Adam received that breath from the power of God his soul became conscious, and hastening towards the Universal Soul he asked, "What canst thou tell me of this breath?" Soul replied, "My cup and robe are empty; my robe and cup hold naught of it,--this precious gift has been given freely."

Wheresoever thou wilt incline, let it be in accordance with this breath; incline not towards thyself in opposition to it; and soar above the snares of earth, gaining the abode of Godhead, viewing the confines of the spirit-land, like Jesus, with the eye of thy divinity.

Claim no distinction for thyself in thy village, for thou art only distinguished in that to be naught is better than such distinction.

Like a dot on the die used as a tool of the game, thou thinkest thyself to be something, but that something is naught; thou art indeed a unit, but like the dots on the dice hast a name merely for purposes of counting.

Fortunate is he who has effaced himself from the world; none seeks him, nor seeks he anyone. Whoso is caught in the bonds of this world, is a gainer if he escape from its forces; for this world is the source of pain and sorrow, and the wise man calls it 'the house of lodging.' Since in the light of reason and clear sight two flights at the proper time are as good as three victories, so thou, O full of excellencies, art a fool, if at this river thou stayest on the bridge or in the cave.

Let the guide of thy bodily and of thy spiritual life be for this world wisdom, for the other thy faith; fortunate is he whose guide is wisdom, for both worlds are his submissive servants. When the fruition of desire is attained, the go-between's talk becomes a heaviness; though she sets the business going, yet when the closet is reached she is only a bore to thee.

ON PURITY OF HEART.

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Then, since the object of desire exists not in anyplace, how canst thou purpose to journey towards Him on foot? The highroad by which thy spirit and prayers can travel towards God lies in the polishing of the mirror of the heart. The mirror of the heart becomes not free from the rust of infidelity and hypocrisy by opposition and hostility; the burnisher of the mirror is your steadfast faith; again, what is it? It is the unsullied purity of your religion. To him in whose heart is no confusion the mirror and the form imaged will not appear as the same thing; although in form thou art in the mirror, that which is in the mirror is not thou,--thou art one, as the mirror is another. The mirror knows nothing of thy form; it and thy form are very different things; the mirror receives the image by means of light, and light is not to be separated from the sun;--the fault, then, is in the mirror and the eye.

Whoso remains for ever behind a veil, his likeness is as the owl and the sun.. If the owl is incapacitated by the sun, it is because of its own weakness, not because of the sun, the light of the sun is spread throughout the world, the misfortune comes from the weakness of the bat's eye.

Thou seest not except by fancy and sense, for thou dost not even know the line, the surface and the point; thou stumblest on this road of knowledge, and for months and years remainest tarrying in discussion; but in this matter he utters only folly who does not know the manifestation of God through his incarnation in man. If thou wishest that the mirror should reflect the face, hold it not crooked and keep it bright; for the sun, though not niggardly of his light, seen in a mist looks only like glass, and a Yûsuf more beautiful than an angel seems in a dagger to have a devil's face. Thy dagger will not distinguish truth from falsehood; it will not serve thee as a mirror. Thou canst better see thy image in the mirror of thy heart than in thy clay; break loose from the chain thou hast fettered thyself with,--for thou wilt be free when thou hast got clear from thy clay; since clay is dark and heart is bright, thy clay is a dustbin and thy heart a rose-garden. Whatever increases the brightness of thy heart brings nearer God's manifestation of Himself to thee; because Abû Bakr's purity of heart was greater than others', he was favoured by a special manifestation.

(From The "Hadazqatul Hadazqat" - Shaykh Hakim Sana'i)

Imam 'Ali's Forbearance

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From The Mathnawi - Maulana Shaykh Jalaluddin Rumi (Story XVI)

'Ali, the "Lion of God," was once engaged in conflict with a Magian chief, and in the midst of the struggle the Magian spat in his face. 'Ali, instead of taking vengeance on him, at once dropped his sword, to the Magian's great astonishment. On his inquiring the reason of such forbearance, 'Ali informed him that the "Lion of God" did not destroy life for the satisfaction of his own vengeance, but simply to carry out God's will, and that whenever he saw just cause, he held his hand even in the midst of the strife, and spared the foe. The Prophet, 'Ali continued, had long since informed him that he would die by the hand of his own stirrup bearer (Ibn Maljun), and the stirrup bearer had frequently implored 'Ali to kill him, and thus save him from the commission of that great crime; but 'Ali said he always refused to do so, as to him death was as sweet as life, and he felt no anger against his destined assassin, who was only the instrument of God's eternal purpose. The Magian chief, on hearing 'Ali's discourse, was so much affected that he embraced Islam, together with all his family, to the number of fifty souls.

***

How the Prophet whispered to 'Ali's stirrup bearer that he would one day assassinate his master.
"The Prophet whispered in the ear of my servant that one day he would sever my head from my neck. The Prophet also warned by inspiration me, his friend, that the hand of my servant would destroy me. My servant cried, "O kill me first, that I may not become guilty of so grievous a sin!"

I replied, "Since my death is to come from thee, how can I balk the fateful decree?" He fell at my feet and cried, "O gracious lord, for God's sake cleave now my body in twain, that such an evil deed may not be wrought by me, and my soul burn with anguish for its beloved."

I replied, "What God's pen has written, it has written; in presence of its writings knowledge is confounded. There is no anger in my soul against thee, because I attribute not this deed to thee. Thou art God's instrument. God's hand is the agent. How can I chide or fret at God's instrument?"

He said, "If this be so, why is there retaliation?" I answered, " 'Tis from God, and 'tis God's secret. If He shows displeasure at His own acts, from His displeasure He evolves a Paradise. He feels displeasure at His own acts, because He is a God of vengeance as of mercy. In this city of events He is the Lord, in this realm, He is the king who plans all events. If He crushes His own instruments, He makes those crushed ones fair in His sight. Know the great mystery of 'whatever verses We cancel, or cause you to forget, We substitute better for them.' "Whatever law God cancels, He makes as a weed, and in its stead He brings forth a rose. So night cancels the business of the daytime, when the reason that lights our minds becomes inanimate. Again, night is cancelled by the light of day, and inanimate reason is rekindled to life by its rays.

Though darkness produces this sleep and quiet, is not the 'water of life' in the darkness? Are not spirits refreshed in that very darkness? Is not that silence the season of heavenly voices? For from contraries contraries are brought forth, out of darkness was created light. The Prophet's wars brought about the present peace, the peace of these latter days resulted from those wars. That conqueror of hearts cut off a thousand heads, that the heads of his people might rest in peace."

God's rebuke to Adam for scorning Iblis [Satan]

To whomsoever God's order comes, he must smite with his sword even his own child. Fear then, and revile not the wicked, for the wicked are impotent under God's commands. In presence of God's commands bow down the neck of pride. Scoff not nor chide even them that go astray! One day Adam cast a look of contempt and scorn upon Iblis, thinking what a wretch he was. He felt self-important and proud of himself, and he smiled at the actions of cursed Iblis.

God Almighty cried out to him, "O pure one, thou art wholly ignorant of hidden mysteries. If I were to blab the faults of the unfortunate, I should root up the mountains from their bases, and lay bare the secrets of a hundred Adams, and convert a hundred fresh Iblises into Mussalmans." Adam answered, "I repent me of my scornful looks. Such arrogant thoughts shall not be mine again. O Lord, pardon this rashness in Thy slave. I repent; chastise me not for these words!"

O Aider of aid-seekers, guide us, for there is no security in knowledge or wealth. "Lead not our hearts astray after Thou hast guided us," and avert the evil that the "Pen" has written. Turn aside from our souls the evil written in our fates, repel us not from the tables of purity! O God, Thy grace is the proper object of our desire. To couple others with Thee is not proper. Nothing is bitterer than severance from Thee, without Thy shelter there is naught but perplexity. Our worldly goods rob us of our heavenly goods, our body rends the garment of our soul. Our hands, as it were, prey on our feet. Without reliance on Thee how can we live? And if the soul escapes these great perils, it is made captive as a victim of misfortunes and fears, Inasmuch as when the soul lacks union with the beloved, it abides forever blind and darkened by itself. If Thou showest not the way, our life is lost. A life living without Thee esteem as dead! If Thou findest fault with Thy slaves, verily it is right in Thee, O blessed one! If Thou shouldst call sun and moon obscure, if Thou shouldst call the straight cypress crooked, If Thou shouldst declare the highest heaven base, or rich mines and oceans paupers, all this is the truth in relation to Thy perfection! Thine is the dominion and the glory and the wealth! For Thou art exempt from defect and not-being. Thou givest existence to things non-existent, and again Thou makest them non-existent.

THE KNOWLEDGE OF SELF

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Knowledge of self is the key to the knowledge of God, according to the saying: "He who knows himself knows God," and, as it is written in the Koran, "We will show them Our signs in the world and in themselves, that the truth may be manifest to them." Now nothing is nearer to thee than thyself, and if thou knowest not thyself how canst thou know anything else? If thou sayest "I know myself," meaning thy outward shape, body, face, limbs, and so forth, such knowledge can never be a key to the knowledge of God. Nor, if thy knowledge as to that which is within only extends so far, that when thou art hungry thou eatest, and when thou art angry thou attackest someone, wilt thou progress any further in this path, for the beasts are thy partners in this? But real self-knowledge consists in knowing the following things: What art thou in thyself, and from whence hast thou come? Whither art thou going, and for what purpose hast thou come to tarry here awhile, and in what does thy real happiness and misery consist? Some of thy attributes are those of animals, some of devils, and some of angels, and thou hast to find out to which of these attributes are accidental and which essential. Till thou knowest this, thou canst not find out where thy real happiness lies. The occupation of animals is eating, sleeping, and fighting; therefore, if thou art an animal, busy thyself in these things. Devils are busy in stirring up mischief, and in guile and deceit; if thou belongest to them, do their work. Angels contemplate the beauty of God, and are entirely free from animal qualities, if thou art of angelic nature, then strive towards thine origin, that thou mayest know and contemplate the Most High, and be delivered from the thraldom of lust and anger. Thou shouldest also discover why thou hast been created with these two animal instincts: whether that they should subdue and lead thee captive, or whether that thou shouldest subdue them, and, in thy upward progress, make of one thy steed and of the other thy weapon.

An astronomer who, by his knowledge, can map the stars and describe their courses, derives more pleasure from his knowledge than the chess player from his. Seeing, then, that nothing is higher than God, how great must be the delight which springs from the true knowledge of Him!
A person in whom the desire for this knowledge has disappeared is like one who has lost his appetite for healthy food, or who prefers feeding on clay to eating bread. All bodily appetites perish at death with the organs they use, but the soul dies not, and retains whatever knowledge of God it possesses; nay increases it.

(From The Alchemy Of Happines - Imam Ghazali)

The Gate Of Knowledge - Hazrat Imam Ali bin Abi Thalib (as)

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Hadrat Ali, The Gate of Knowledge

Hadrat Ali was the most learned man of the age. He was a living encyclopaedia of knowledge. The holy Prophet said, "If I am the City of Knowledge, verily Ali is the Gate of it." He was the first person to have learned the Holy Qur'an by heart. He possessed a prodigious memory and he was a keen observer; he was a deep thinker; he had an enlightened mind and he carried a vast storehouse of knowledge in his brain. He was a versatile genius and he exhibited extraordinary talents in all disciplines of knowledge. He was a master of philosophy and rhetoric. He was a distinguished poet. He was a great teacher and preacher. His knowledge extended to such disciplines as logic, mathematics, physics, astronomy, medicine and history.

His concept of Knowledge
Hadrat Ali held that the principal aim of knowledge was the inculcation of virtue, promotion of faith, and understanding of God. He held that knowledge enlivens the soul, for it kills ignorance. He defined knowledge as the sum total of excellence. He held that the pursuit of knowledge is better than the pursuit of riches, that knowledge is the ornament of the rich and the riches of the poor and that knowledge is better than riches. He held that the learned live even after their death. He maintained that the learned were the living ones in the dead mass of ignorance. He observed that to respect the learned was to respect God. With regards to the respect of the teacher, he held that one who teaches you a letter binds you with the fetter of gratitude. He maintained that the talk of the learned man carried within it the fragrance of the garden of Paradise.

Superiority of knowledge over wealth
It is related that once ten learned men approached Hadrat Ali. They wanted to know how knowledge was better than wealth and they requested that each one of them be given a separate answer. Hadrat Ali answered them as follows:
(1) Knowledge is the legacy of the Prophet, whereas wealth is the inheritance of the Pharaohs. As the prophets are superior to the Pharaohs, so knowledge is better than wealth.

(2) You have to guard your wealth, but knowledge will guard you. Therefore, knowledge is better than wealth.

(3) When knowledge is distributed it increases. When wealth is distributed it decreases. As such knowledge is better than wealth.

(4) A man of wealth has many enemies, while a man of knowledge has many friends. Therefore knowledge is better than wealth.

(5) A learned man because of his wider outlook is apt to be generous, while a rich man because of his love for money is apt to be miserly. As such knowledge is better than wealth.

(6) Knowledge cannot be stolen, but wealth is constantly exposed to the danger of being stolen. Accordingly, knowledge is better than wealth.

(7) With the lapse of time, knowledge gains in depth and dimension. Hoarded coins get rusty or cease to be legal tender. Therefore knowledge is better than wealth.

(8) You can keep account of wealth because it is limited, but you cannot keep account of knowledge because it is boundless. That is why knowledge is better than wealth.

(9) Knowledge illuminates the mind, while wealth is apt to darken it. Therefore knowledge is better than wealth.

(10) Knowledge is better than wealth, because knowledge induced the holy Prophet to say to God "We worship Thee as we are Thy servants," while wealth engendered and Pharaoh and Nimrod caused the vanity that made them claim godhead.

The Father of Sufism - Hazrat Imam Ali bin Abi Thalib (as)

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Hadrat Ali is acclaimed as the father of Sufism. Most Sufi orders claim their descent from Hadrat Ali. According to Hadrat Ali Hajweri, the rank of Hadrat Ali is very high in the lineage of Sufis. According to Hadrat Junaid of Baghdad, Hadrat Ali is the Shaikh as regards to the principles and practices of Sufism.

The holy Prophet and Sufism
The roots of Sufism lie embedded in Islam itself. There are numerous passages in the Holy Qur'an which are of a mystical character. The holy Prophet of Islam p.b.u.h. himself displayed mystical inclinations and he very often retired to the cave known as Hirah for the purpose of devotions, meditation and contemplation. The holy Prophet was the recipient of two types of revelations, one embodied the Holy Qur'an, and the other illuminated his heart. The former was meant for all, the latter for those selected few whose hearts could be illuminated with the Divine Light. The knowledge of the holy Prophet was thus both book knowledge (Ilm-i-Safina) and heart knowledge (Ilm-e-Sina). Hadrat Ali received his heart knowledge from the holy Prophet. It is related that after the Ascension, the holy Prophet awarded a mantle to Hadrat Ali which led to the illumination of his heart.

Gnosis of God
According to Hadrat Ali the base of religion is the gnosis of God. He held: "The height of gnosis is His confirmation. The height of confirmation is tawhid. The height of tawhid is the acknowledgement of the supremacy of God in all matters. He is beyond all attributes. No particular attribute can give an idea of His exact nature. He is not bound by anything; all things are bound by Him. He is Infinite, limitless, boundless, beyond time, beyond space, beyond imagination. Time does not affect Him. He existed when there was nothing. He will exist forever. His existence is not subject to the law of birth or death. He is manifest in everything, yet He is distinct from everything. He is not the cause of anything, yet everything is because of Him. He is unique and He has no partner. He is the Creator. He creates as well as destroys. All things are subject to His command. He orders something to be and it is."

Hadrat Ali enjoined the severance of the heart from all things save God. Hadrat Ali was asked what was the purest thing that could be acquired, and he said, "It is that which belongs to a heart made rich by God." When Hadrat Ali was asked about gnosis, he said, "I know God by God, and I know that which is not by God by the light of God." When asked whether he had seen God, he said that verily he had seen God for he could not worship Him unless the knew Him.

Prayers to God
When Hadrat Ali used to pray, his hair would stand on end. He would tremble and say, "The hour has come to fulfill a trust which the heavens and the earth were unable to bear." Abu Darda an eminent Companion of the holy Prophet said, "None in this world has excelled Ali in prayer." While praying, so great was the intensity of his emotions that he would fall into a swoon. It is related that on one occasion, Abu Darda found Hadrat Ali lying rigid on the prayer mat, and touching his cold body thought that Ali had breathed his last. When he broke this news to Hadrat Fatima, she said that Hadrat Ali often became unconscious while praying. Abu Darda wept profusely, and then sprinkled some water on Hadrat Ali's face and he regained consciousness. Seeing tears in the eyes of Abu Darda, Hadrat Ali said: "Why are you crying? You shed tears when you see me in this state. Imagine what will happen to me when the Angels dragged me into the presence of God, and I am forced to render an account of my deeds. They will blind me with fetters of iron, and present me before God, and those of my friends who will happen to be witnesses will be powerless to help me. They will lament my unhappy plight, but none save God will be able to help me on that day."

Communion with God
Very often, Hadrat Ali would sob all night in his prayers to God, and God would reward him with a glimpse of Inner Vision. According to Hadrat Ali, the highest purpose of knowledge is the awakening of latent spiritual faculties whereby one is enabled to discover his true and inner self. It is to this inner self that God reveals Himself when the self disappears in the vision of the "All Absorbing Reality." Hadrat Ali often observed that man could have the joy and wonder of communion with God if one abandoned pride, disciplined the flash, overcame lust and submitted to the Will of God. He exhorted people in his various sermons to not indulge in gross licentiousness which had characterized Arab society in the "Days of Ignorance." But should instead live in piety and simplicity as enjoined by Islam. Hadrat Ali said, "Man is a wave in the boundless Sea of God. As long as man's vision is clouded by ignorance and sensuality he will consider himself to be a separate entity, different from God. But when the veil between him and God is lifted, he will then know what he really is. The wave will then merge with the ocean." Hadrat Ali held that enlightenment is needed so that one can first get to know himself. Only then would he get to know God. Hadrat Ali held that to this end religious exercises must be practised. The Sufism for which Hadrat Ali stood, derived its strength from the Shari'ah. Hadrat Ali preached that any form of knowledge which failed to show the Infinite Reality in man was useless, because it could not fill that vacuum in which the aching soul in every individual was so pathetically conscious. Hadrat Ali wanted men to be virtuous as virtues purify the soul, and it is only the purified soul that can be the recipient of spiritual enlightenment. This is the doctrine of Inner Light which was the enunciated by Hadrat Ali as the core of Sufi thought. Accordingly, Hadrat Ali is acknowledged as the "father of Sufism" and the prince of saints.

Doctrine of preference
Hadrat Ali also enunciated the doctrine of preference. He stood for and preferred the claims of others to his own claims. He gave an outstanding demonstration of this doctrine when he slept on the bed of the holy Prophet on the night of the holy Prophet's migration from Mecca, when the infidels were seeking to slay him. Hadrat Ali risked his life for the sake of the holy Prophet, because of the preference that Hadrat Ali gave to the life of the holy Prophet as compared with his own life. After the death of the holy Prophet, Hadrat Ali considered that he was the most deserving person to be elected as the Caliph. Yet, when his claims were overlooked and other persons were elected as Caliphs, he offered them and allegiance in pursuance of the doctrine of preference. It was this spirit of preference that motivated Hadrat Ali to plunge in the thick of battle to meet the challenge of the enemy regardless of his own personal safety. It is related that after the Ascension, when the holy Prophet gave Hadrat Ali a mantle, he asked him how he would use the mantle. Hadrat Ali said that he would use it to cover the faults of others. The true Sufi way lies in covering the faults of others.

Fasting
According to Hadrat Ali, fasting was not a mere formality or a ritual; it was an exercise for the purification of the soul. Because of his constant fasting, Hadrat Ali earned the epithets of "Qa'im-ul-Lait" (praying most of the night without sleep); and "Sa'im-ul-Nahar" (fasting mostly during the day). Hadrat Ali held that hunger sharpens the intelligence and improves both the mind and health. Hunger involves some affliction for the body, but it illumines the heart, purifies the soul, and leads the spirit to the presence of God. One who cultivates a his spiritual nature by means of hunger in order to devote himself entirely to God and detach himself from worldly ties, is at a much higher level than the person who cultivates his body by means of gluttony and lust. Hadrat Ali acted on the advice of the holy Prophet, "Fast so that perchance your hearts may seek God in this world." And indeed, because of his fasting and other spiritual exercises, Hadrat Ali did see God in this world. The holy Prophet had enjoined, "When you fast, let your ear, your eye, your tongue, your hand, and your every limb fast." Hadrat Ali followed this advice to the letter as well in spirit. Through the discipline of fasting, Hadrat Ali was able to subordinate the physical senses to spiritual requirements in such a way that they could respond only to what was pure and became dead to what was impure. Hadrat Ali thus led a purified life.

Zakat
Hadrat Ali held: "Of the most meritorious acts of a believer, and one of the most acceptable things to God is Zakat. It behoves everyone to give charity, because from amongst the acts of worship, this is the most pleasing to God."

In his sermons, Hadrat Ali exhorted the people in the following terms: "O ye people, send a part of your wealth to God so that it may stand you in good stead in the next world. Do not leave your entire wealth here so that it will become a source of annoyance to you in the next world."

In the annals of Arabs, Hatim Tai enjoys fame for his munificence and generosity. Hadrat Ali outclassed Hatim in the matter of generosity.

Pilgrimage
Hadrat Ali was born in the Ka'bah. He had, therefore a strong emotional attachment for the Ka'bah. Hadrat Ali observed that the holy Ka'bah was located in a territory known for its stony wastes and wilderness and where no water was available. God had ordained the Muslims to bear the hardships involved in a journey through such an inhospitable land cheerfully so that those very privations might ultimately become a source of salvation. The pilgrimage is symbolic of the fact that whatever hardship one bears in the trials of life and endeavours to fulfill the will of God, he acquires goodness and righteousness by them. The darkest thing in the world is the beloved's house without the beloved. What is really important for a lover is the beloved and not the house of the beloved. According to Hadrat Ali the spirit of pilgrimage did not lie in a bare visit to the Ka'bah, it lay in developing the inner vision whereby one could see God, the Lord of the Ka'bah.

Jihad
Hadrat Ali held that jihad is the gateway to Paradise. He said: "God has opened this gate for His friends. It is the mantle of piety. It is the shield of faith. He who avoids it, God subjects him to disgrace."

Hadrat Ali held that jihad did not lie in merely taking up arms in the cause of God, it means incessant struggle against falsehood it all spheres of life. Jihad is the main pillar on which Islam rests.

Repentance
The first stage in the path of Sufism is repentance. Repentance is described as the awakening of the soul from the slumber of heedlessness so that the sinner becomes aware of his evil ways and feels contrition for past disobedience. Hadrat Ali repeatedly prayed for God's forgiveness. His typical prayer was: "O God, forgive me my sins of which you are more aware than me. And if I commit these sins again, even then forgive me and whatever promises I have made with myself to follow Your commands that have not been fulfilled. I seek Your forbearance. If I have sought Your proximity with my tongue, but my heart has not kept pace with my tongue, then overlook my lapse. O God, forgive me for my futile talk, vain desires and lapses of tongue."

Detachment
Hadrat Ali admonished that while living in the world, one should not renounce the world, still he should not have an undue attachment for it because detachment from the world (Zuhd) is a means of attaining God. It is related that someone begged Hadrat Ali to give him a precept. Hadrat Ali said: "Do not let your wives and children be a cause of concern for you, for if they be the friends of God, He will look after His friends, and if they are the enemies of God, why should you take care of God's enemies?"

Patience
In the mystic way, the traveller will meet many trials and tribulations. God subjects His lovers to severe testing, and only he will pass such tests who his patient. Hadrat Ali was the personification patience, and for this he acquired the epithet of "Job, the Second." In the battle of Uhud, Hadrat Ali received as many as 61 wounds on his person so that his whole body looked like one massive wound to which the nurses were unable to dress. Although Hadrat Ali was in mortal agony, he said: "May God Grant me the patience to bear this suffering. Is it not a favour of God that He gave me the courage to stand and fight, and not to leave the field?"

About the patience of Hadrat Ali, Dr. Ata Mohyuddin writes as follows in his Ali, the Superman: "Ali used to say that at no time in his life had he ever known peace and tranquillity. From the time of infancy when he was taken into the home of the holy Prophet, Ali felt the ferment of turbulence and turmoil. The holy Prophet was constantly persecuted by the Meccan pagans. And from adolescence onwards, Ali was constantly fighting in jihad, and after the death of the holy Prophet, he was embroiled against his wish, in the political intrigues of others. Even when elected Caliph, the implacable enemies of Islam arose and rebelled against him, yet he bore all these afflictions with patience, thanking God that he had acquitted himself well in the tests and trials to which the Almighty had thought fit to subject him."

Lathaif Qalb

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The human heart is located at a distance of approximately two fingers’ width below the left breast within the human body. It is the heart that forms the focus of the first lesson.

After freeing himself from his worldly duties, the murid [seeker] should perform a fresh ablution and sit secluded, facing the Qiblah. He should empty his heart of all thoughts. With humility and respect he should focus his mind’s thoughts on his heart, and focus his heart toward Allah, the Exalted, He who is perfect in every way, and is free and pure of all that is negative and on Whom we have testified our faith.

The murid should then imagine that the heart has formed an opening through which the light [nur] of Allah’s mercy is entering and illuminating it. Imagine that this light is cleansing the heart of the filth of sin, and the heart is repeating the word “Allah” in sincere gratitude. With this in mind the murid should try to mentally “pull” this light toward his heart and lose himself in dhikr [remembrance] to the degree that he becomes unaware of his own being and existence. This is called istighraq [submersion], and it is a good state. At the same time, he should not allow distracting thoughts to enter his heart and he should fight them off if they do, concentrating and trying to remain focused on dhikr. This struggle is better than istighraq.

The murid should sit either with his legs folded under him or as he sits in tashahud, while engaged in dhikr. The eyes should be closed, and he should breathe normally. He should do dhikr with rosary beads for some time and thoughts of Allah should pass through his heart. The dhikr is silent and hence there should be no sound from the tongue. The neck may be bent in the direction of the heart and if tolerable, the murid should isolate himself so as to make concentration easier.

In this way the murid should perform a minimum dhikr of ten rosaries of the name of Allah. Ten rosaries means repetition of Allah’s name one thousand times. The murid should continue this to the maximum tolerable, or as instructed by his shaykh. He should then put away the rosary beads and sit for approximately the same amount of time in the same position described, concentrating on his heart and the faiz [mercy] of Allah in the same way, doing the same dhikr as if his heart were calling the name of Allah . This is called Muraqabah.

At the close, the murid should make supplication to Allah . Always perform muraqabah by setting aside some time each day. Whether walking, talking, or sleeping, the murid should always be attentive toward his heart, which should be attentive toward Allah . The goal is that his heart always be occupied in remembering Allah while his hands work through the routine of daily life.

People usually feel the sensation of the heart remembering Allah as a fast pulse or the ticking of a clock. Hidayat al-Talibeen says that this activity in the heart is recognized, or “heard” by the mind, when it concentrates on the heart. We should work to attain this so that the hadith qudsi, “I am as my servant imagines me,” can be realized.

The heart is said to come alive when the word “Allah” is clearly heard by the human ear, along with activity within the heart. This poem of Hafiz Shaerazi (may Allah be pleased with him) points to this activity:

No one knows of the Friend’s House
all there is is the sound of a bell.

The salik should work so hard on the dhikr that the latifa leaves its bodily prison and ascends to its reality in the heavens; an indication of which is that the ruh [spirit] becomes inclined toward what is beyond [the next life], and becomes forgetful of all except Allah. When reaching this state, the qalb [heart] is said to have left its bodily prison and reached its reality. The salik may or may not perceive this state as nowadays kashf [unveiling of realities] is received very rarely because of unlawful earnings.

Even if the salik is unable to attain the states referred to above, he should always beware of falling into forgetfulness, and must always follow the sacred law [shariah] in everything that he does. If the salik is careful about correcting his actions daily, then he will notice an improvement in his condition and a love for the shariah. This latifa is connected with the human passion of lust, which distracts the salik and hence keeps him forgetful of his true Lord. Only when this lust is checked and corrected can the salik begin to become inclined toward the love and pleasure of Allah.

The Morals Of Dervishes - Chapter III

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Story 9
One of the devotees of Mount Lebanon, whose piety was famed in the Arab country and his miracles well known, entered the cathedral mosque of Damascus and was performing his purificatory ablution on the edge of a tank when his feet slipped and he fell into the reservoir but saved himself with great trouble. After the congregation had finished their prayers, one of his companions said: ‘I have a difficulty.’ He asked: ‘What is it?’ He continued: ‘I remember that the sheikh walked on the surface of the African sea without his feet getting wetted and today he nearly perished in this paltry water which is not deeper than a man’s stature.

What reason is there in this?’ The sheikh drooped his head into the bosom of meditation and said after a long pause: ‘Hast thou not heard that the prince of the world, Muhammad the chosen, upon whom be the benediction of God and peace, has said: I have time with God during which no cherubim nor inspired prophet is equal to me?’ But he did not say that such was always the case. The time alluded to was when Gabriel or Michael inspired him whilst on other occasions he was satisfied with the society of Hafsah and Zainab. The visions of the righteous one are between brilliancy and obscurity.

Thou showest thy countenance and then hidest it Enhancing thy value and augmenting our desire. I behold whom I love without an intervention. Then a trance befalls me; I lose the road; It kindles fire, then quenches it with a sprinkling shower. Wherefore thou seest me burning and drowning.

Story 10
One asked the man who had lost his son: ‘O noble and intelligent old man!
As thou hast smelt the odour of his garment from Egypt
Why hast thou not seen him in the well of Canaan?’
He replied: ‘My state is that of leaping lightning. One moment it appears and at another vanishes. I am sometimes sitting in high heaven. Sometimes I cannot see the back of my foot. Were a dervish always to remain in that state He would not care for the two worlds.’

Story 11
I spoke in the cathedral mosque of Damascus a few words by way of a sermon but to a congregation whose hearts were withered and dead, not having travelled from the road of the world of form, the physical, to the world of meaning, the moral world. I perceived that my words took no effect and that burning fire does not kindle moist wood. I was sorry for instructing brutes and holding forth a mirror in a locality of blind people. I had, however, opened the door of
meaning and was giving a long explanation of the verse We are nearer unto Him than the jugular vein till I said:
‘The Friend is nearer to me than my self, But it is more strange that I am far from him.
What am I to do? To whom can it be said that he Is in my arms, but I am exiled from him.’
I had intoxicated myself with the wine of these sentiments, holding the remnant of the cup of the sermon in my hand when a traveller happened to pass near the edge of the assembly, and the last turn of the circulating cup made such an impression upon him that he shouted and the others joined him who began to roar, whilst the raw portion of the congregation became turbulent.

Whereon I said: ‘Praise be to God! Those who are far away but intelligent are in the presence of God, and those who are near but blind are distant.’

When the hearer understands not the meaning of words Do not look for the effect of the orator’s force But raise an extensive field of desire That the eloquent man may strike the ball of effect.

Story 12
One night I had in the desert of Mekkah become so weak from want of sleep that I was unable to walk and, laying myself down, told the camel driver to let me alone. How far can the foot of a wretched pedestrian go When a dromedary gets distressed by its load? Whilst the body of a fat man becomes lean A weak man will be dead of exhaustion.

He replied: ‘O brother, the sanctuary is in front of us and brigands in the rear. If thou goest thou wilt prosper. If thou sleepest thou wilt die.’ It is pleasant to sleep under an acacia on the desert
road But alas! thou must bid farewell to life on the night of departure.

(From "Gullistan" - The Book Of Shaykh Sa'di as Shirazi)

The Morals Of Dervishes - Chapter II

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Story 5
Several travellers were on a journey together and equally sharing each other’s troubles and comforts. I desired to accompany them but they would not agree. Then I said: ‘It is foreign to the manners of great men to turn away the face from the company of the poor and so deprive themselves of the advantage they might derive therefrom because I for one consider myself sufficiently strong and energetic to be of service to men and not an encumbrance. Although I am not riding on a beast, I shall aid you in carrying blankets.’ One of them said: ‘Do not be grieved at the words thou hast heard because some days ago a thief in the guise of a dervish arrived and joined our company.’

How can people know who is in the dress? The writer is aware what the book contains. As the state of dervishes is safe, they entertained no suspicion about him and received him as a friend. The outward state of Arifs is the patched dress. It suffices as a display to the face of the people. Strive by thy acts to be good and wear anything thou listest.

Place a crown on thy head and a flag on thy back. The abandoning of the world, of lust, and of desire Is sanctity, not the abandonment of the robe only. It is necessary to show manhood in the fight. Of what profit are weapons of war to an hermaphrodite?

We travelled one day till the night set in during which we slept near a fort and the graceless thief, taking up the water-pot of a companion, pretending to go for an ablution, departed for plunder.

A pretended saint who wears the dervish garb Has made of the Ka’bah’s robes the covering of an ass. After disappearing from the sight of the dervishes, he went to a tower from which he stole a casket and, when the day dawned, the dark-hearted wretch had already progressed a considerable distance. In the morning the guiltless sleeping companions were all taken to the fort
and thrown into prison. From that date we renounced companionship and took the road of solitude, according to the maxim: Safety is in solitude. When one of a tribe has done a foolish thing No honour is left either to the low or the high.

Seest thou not how one ox of the pasturage Defiles all oxen of the village?
I replied: ‘Thanks be to the God of majesty and glory, I have not been excluded from the advantages enjoyed by dervishes, although I have separated myself from their society. I have profited by what thou hast narrated to me and this admonition will be of use through life to persons like me.’

For one rude fellow in the assembly The heart of intelligent men is much grieved. If a tank be filled with rose-water A dog falling into it pollutes the whole.

Story 6
A hermit, being the guest of a padshah, ate less than he wished when sitting at dinner and when he rose for prayers he prolonged them more than was his wont in order to enhance the opinion entertained by the padshah of his piety.

O Arab of the desert, I fear thou wilt not reach the Ka’bah

Because the road on which thou travellest leads to Turkestan.
When he returned to his own house, he desired the table to be laid out for eating. He had an intelligent son who said: ‘Father, hast thou not eaten anything at the repast of the sultan?’ He replied: ‘I have not eaten anything to serve a purpose.’

The boy said: ‘Then likewise say thy prayers again as thou hast not done anything to serve that purpose.’
O thou who showest virtues on the palms of the hand But concealest thy errors under the armpit
What wilt thou purchase, O vain-glorious fool, On the day of distress with counterfeit silver?

Story 7
I remember, being in my childhood pious, rising in the night, addicted to devotion and abstinence. One night I was sitting with my father, remaining awake and holding the beloved Quran in my lap, whilst the people around us were asleep. I said: ‘Not one of these persons lifts up his head or makes a genuflection. They are as fast asleep as if they were dead.’ He replied:
‘Darling of thy father, would that thou wert also asleep rather than disparaging people.’
The pretender sees no one but himself Because he has the veil of conceit in front.
If he were endowed with a God-discerning eye He would see that no one is weaker than himself.

Story 8
A great man was praised in an assembly and, his good qualities being extolled, he raised his head and said: ‘I am such as I know myself to be.’
O thou who reckonest my virtues, refrainest from giving me pain,
These are my open, and thou knowest not my hidden, qualities.
My person is, to the eyes of the world, of good aspect But my internal wickedness makes me droop my head with shame.
The peacock is for his beauteous colours by the people
Praised whilst he is ashamed of his ugly feet.

(From "Gullistan" - The Book Of Shaykh Sa'di as Shirazi)

The Morals Of Dervishes - Chapter I

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Story 1
One of the great devotees having been asked about his opinion concerning a hermit whom others had censured in their conversation, he replied: ‘I do not see any external blemishes on him and do not know of internal ones.’

Whomsoever thou seest in a religious habit Consider him to be a religious and good man And, if thou knowest not his internal condition, What business has the muhtasib inside the house?

Story 2
I saw a dervish who placed his head upon the threshold of the Ka’bah, groaned, and said: ‘O forgiving, 0 merciful one, thou knowest what an unrighteous, ignorant man can offer to thee.’

I have craved pardon for the deficiency of my service Because I can implore no reward for my obedience. Sinners repent of their transgressions. Arifs ask forgiveness for their imperfect worship.

Devotees desire a reward for their obedience and merchants the price of their wares but I, who am a worshipper, have brought hope and not obedience. I have come to beg and not to trade. Deal with me as thou deemest fit.

Whether thou killest me or forgivest my crime, my face and head are on thy threshold.
A slave has nothing to command; whatever thou commandest I obey.
I saw a mendicant at the door of the Ka’bah Who said this and wept abundantly:
‘I ask not for the acceptance of my service But for drawing the pen of pardon over my sins.’

Story 3
I saw A’bdul Qadir Gillani in the sanctuary of the Ka’bah with his face on the pebbles and saying: ‘O lord, pardon my sins and, if I deserve punishment, cause me to arise blind on the day of resurrection that I may not be ashamed in the sight of the righteous.’
With my face on the earth of helplessness
I say Every morning as soon as I become conscious:
O thou whom I shall never forget Wilt thou at all remember thy slave?

Story 4
A thief paid a visit to the house of a pious man but, although he sought a great deal, found nothing and was much grieved. The pious man, who knew this, threw the blanket upon which he had been sleeping into the way of the thief that he might not go away disappointed.

I heard that men of the way of God Have not distressed the hearts of enemies.
How canst thou attain that dignity Who quarrelest and wagest war against friends?
The friendship of pure men, whether in thy presence or absence, is not such as Will find fault behind thy back and is ready to die for thee before thy face.
In thy presence gentle like a lamb, In thy absence like a man-devouring wolf.
Who brings the faults of another to thee and enumerates them Will undoubtedly carry thy faults to others.

(From "Gullistan" - The Book Of Shaykh Sa'di as Shirazi)

Thankfulness

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Spiritual Advice Of Imam Ja'far Shadiq

Kitab Lantern Of The Path - Imam Ja'far Shadiq

(Translated By Shaykh Fadhlullah Haeri)

With every breath you take, a thanksgiving is incumbent upon you, indeed, a thousand thanks or more. The lowest level of gratitude is to see that the blessing comes from Allah (SWT) irrespective of the cause for it, and without the heart being attached to that cause. It consists of being satisfied with what is given; it means not disobeying Him with regard to His blessing, or opposing Him in any of His commands and prohibitions because of His blessing.

Be a grateful bondsman to Allah (SWT) in every way, and you will find that Allah (SWT) is a generous Lord in every way. If there were a way of worshipping Allah (SWT) for His sincerest bondsman to follow more excellent than giving thanks at every instance, He would have ascribed to them the name of this worship above the rest of creation. Since there is no form of worship better than that, He has singled out this kind of worship from other kinds of worship, and has singled out those who practise this kind of worship, saying,

Very few of my servants are grateful. (Q. 34:13)

Complete thankfulness is to sincerely repent your inability to convey the least amount of gratitude, and expressing this by means of your sincere glorification of Allah (SWT). This is because fitting thanks is itself a blessing bestowed upon the bondsman for which he must also give thanks; it is of greater merit and of a higher state than the original blessing which caused him to respond with thanks in the first place. Therefore, every time one gives thanks one is obliged to give yet greater thanks, and so on ad infinitum, and this while absorbed in His blessings and unable to achieve the ultimate state of gratitude.

For how can the bondsman match with gratitude the blessings of Allah (SWT), and when will he match his own action with Allah (SWT)'s while all along the bondsman is weak and has no power whatsoever, except from Allah (SWT)?

Allah (SWT) is not in need of the obedience of His bondsmen, for He has the power to increase blessings forever. Therefore be a grateful bondsman to Allah (SWT), and in this manner you will see wonders.

Guarding Oneself (ri'ayah)

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Spiritual Advice Of Imam Ja'far Shadiq

Kitab Lantern Of The Path - Imam Ja'far Shadiq

(Translated By Shaykh Fadhlullah Haeri)

Whoever guards his heart from heedlessness, protects his self from appetites, and guards his intellect from ignorance, will be admitted into the company of the vigilant. Then he who guards his knowledge from fancies, his faith from innovation, and his property from the forbidden is among the righteous.

The Messenger of Allah said, 'It is a duty for every Muslim, man and woman, to seek knowledge,' that is, knowledge of the self. Therefore it is necessary for the self to be in all states either expressing his gratitude or proffering his excuse for lack of gratitude. If this is acceptable to Allah (SWT) it is a favor upon him, and if not it is justice upon him. For every self it is necessary to work that it may succeed in its acts of obedience, and for its protection in its efforts to abstain from doing harm.

The basis of all this is recognition of total need and dependence on Allah (SWT), caution and obedience. The key to it is in delegating your affair to Allah (SWT), cutting off expectation by always remembering death, and seeing that you are standing in the presence of the All compelling. This gives you rest from confinement, rescue from the enemy, and peace for the self. The means to sincerity in obedience is harmony, and the root of that rests upon considering life as being only as long as a day.

The Messenger of Allah said, 'This world lasts but an hour, so spend it in obedience to Allah (SWT).' The door to all of this is always to withdraw from the world by means of constant reflection. The means to this withdrawal is contentment, and abandoning such existential matters as do not concern you. The means to reflection is emptiness [desirelessness], and the buttress of emptiness is abstinence. The completion of abstinence is precaution, and the door to precaution is fear. The proof of fear is glorification of Allah (SWT), adherence to obeying His commands with sincerity, fear and caution, and holding back from the forbidden; and the guide to this is knowledge. Almighty Allah (SWT) said,

Those of His servants who are possessed of knowledge fear Allah. (Q. 35:28)

How the 'Alim (Men of Knowledge) are Ruined

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Spiritual Advice Of Imam Ja'far Shadiq

Kitab Lantern Of The Path - Imam Ja'far Shadiq

(Translated By Shaykh Fadhlullah Haeri)

Caution and fear are the legacy of knowledge and its measure; knowledge is the ray of gnosis and the heart of belief. Whoever is denied caution is not a man of knowledge, even if he can split hairs in dealing with obscure items of knowledge. Allah (SWT) said,

Only those of His servants who are possessed of knowledge fear Allah. (Q. 35:28)

Men of knowledge are ruined by eight things: greed and miserliness, showing off and partisanship, love of praise, delving into things whose reality they cannot reach, affectation by taking excessive pains to beautify their speech with superfluous expressions, lack of modesty before Allah (SWT), boastfulness, and not acting upon what they know.

'Isa (peace be upon him) said, 'The most wretched of all people is he who is known for his knowledge, not for his actions.'

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, 'Do not sit with every presumptuous caller who summons you from certainty to doubt, from sincerity to showing off, from humility to pride, from good counsel to enmity, and from abstinence to desire. Draw near to the person with knowledge, who summons you from pride to humility, from showing off to sincerity, from doubt to certainty, from desire to abstinence, from enmity to good counsel.' None are fit to preach to creation except that person who has gone beyond these evils by his truthfulness. He sees the faults of speech and knows what is sound from what is unsound, the defectiveness of thoughts, and the temptations of the self and his fancies.

Imam 'Ali (peace be upon him) said, 'Be like the kind, compassionate doctor who places the remedy where it will be of benefit.' They asked 'Isa (peace be upon him), 'With whom shall we sit, O Spirit of Allah (SWT)?' 'With one the sight of whom reminds you of Allah (SWT),' he replied, 'and whose speech increases you in knowledge and whose actions make you desire the next world.'

Sunni-Shia Unity - A Lecture By Shaykh Ahmad Deedat (rh.a)

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IN THE NAME OF GOD THE BENIFICIENT THE MERCIFUL.

The Following speech By Shaykh Ahmad Deedat, who is a world renowned Sunni scholar from South Africa was made following his trip to the Islamic Republic of Iran on 3 March , 1982.

In the Holy Quran, Allah (SWT) says "It is he who has sent his apostle with guidance and the religion of truth so that he may make it prevail over all religions even though those who worship false Gods may detest it" (Quran 9:33). Even though the United States, Russia and all the superpowers may detest it. Allah's promise is not conditional on the strength of the superpowers. In its widest sense the Islamic movement spans the entire ummah, in its narrowest it represents that part of the ummah which is most advanced in its struggle towards establishing Islam as a total way of life.

A few years ago one could not recognize a single leading edge in the Islamic movement. This was the bleak outlook which faced the ummah as history moved into the final decade of the 14th century Hijra. But the world was unaware of the Islamic movement in Iran. Iran under the ex-shah was beyond the pale of Islam. Iran was a blind spot. We were Sunni and our age old ignorance was deep and total, and thus when the Islamic revolution in Iran began to make headlines in early 1978. The bulk of Muslims, who called themselves Sunni, were caught unaware. The Shah's propaganda had then blamed the Islamic masters. The western media, and the Muslim media manipulated by the west, and the alienated regimes of Muslim countries had then dismissed the events in Iran as insignificant. All of us were slow in recognizing the new reality in Iran. There has been a systematic attempt at smearing Islamic Iran. And the western media deliberately promoted false accounts of the events of the Islamic revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini who was indeed the founder of the revolution, and the leader of the Islamic republic of Iran.

This campaign against Iran is nothing new. Right from the beginning vested interests have carried on an unending campaign against the Islamic revolution in Iran. this evening our guest speaker, Mr. Ahmad Deedat who is a distinguished scholar of Islam, who hardly needs any introduction to the public and who has just returned from his trip to Iran, will present to us his first hand account on Iran. I now call upon Mr. Ahmad Deedat to speak to you.(applause).

Shaykh Ahmad Deedat

I seek refuge in the accursed Satan, In the name of God the Beneficent the Merciful.

The Holy Quran says:

"And if you turn away (from Islam and the obedience of Allah), He will substitute you for some other people, and they will not be like you." Quran 47:38

Mr. chairman and brothers: While we are looking skeptically of the miracle of a nation reborn. Allah's inexorable decree is finding its fulfillment in the rise and fall of nations which is mentioned in the verse I have just read to you from Surah Muhammad. In the last section of the last verse Allah(swt) reminds us, and warns us that if ye turn back from your duties and responsibilities if you do not fulfill your obligations then he will replace you with another nation.

Our urdu speaking brethren use these words so beautifully when they describe some mishap that occurs in the community in talking about that other nation that can replace them. It is actually Quranic. And this really has been happening throughout history again and again. Allah (swt) first chose the Jews, the Bani Israel as he tells it in the holy Quran: "O children of Israel! call to mind My favor which I bestowed on you and that I preferred you to all other nations."(Quran 2:47). That favor was that they should become the torchbearers of the knowledge of God to the world. This was the honor, this was the privilege that was at first given to the Jews But because they did not fulfil their end of the obligation, a Jew amongst the Jews Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) as recorded in the Christian gospels told them "That the kingdom of God shall be taken away from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."(The Bible, Matthew 21:43). And that nation, we will happily own up is the Islamic ummah. It was taken away from the Jews and given to the Muslims. The Muslims then, among them who were the Arabs at first, were given by Allah (SWT)the privilege that they became the torchbearers of light and learning to the world , but when they relaxed and failed to bring forth the fruits, Allah(swt) replaced them with another nation. In history, we remember the Turks and Mongols destroyed the Muslim empire and when they accepted Islam they became the torchbearers of light and learning to the world.

As Iqbal beautifully describes this situation: "O' you Muslims, you will not perish if Iran or the Arabs perish, that the spirit of the wine is not dependent on the nature of it's container." The container is our nations, our boundaries and the spirit of Islam is not dependent on our geographical boundaries or national limitations. So this is what Allah (swt) does again and again, he chose the Jews then he chose the Arabs then when they became lax he chose the Turks and when they became lax another people and so on and this is a continuous process. If you don't do the job, Allah(swt) will chose another people who will. In the world today there are a thousand million Muslim, that is ,one billion we boast! And 90 percent of this one billion happens to be the Sunni branch. We have stopped delivering the goods so Allah(swt) chooses a nation that we have all been looking down upon. The Iranians! The Shias! History has been very unkind to our brethren in Iran that the shah happened to be the ruler, and his name happened to be Muhammad. Imagine, that this mans name happened to be Muhammad and he really wasn't a believer. It's hard for us to imagine today, but once you go to that country and you go into the details and find out what was going on. That this Iranian the shah it seems to be,that he was a foreigner. If Hitler conquered this land and oppressed them, then we could understand. If the Russians conquered the people, we can understand. But here is a man who is an Iranian, speaking Persian, whose name was Muhammad, and look at what he was stooping to. For sixteen years he had forbidden Jummah prayers. Sixteen years. We had been equating Iran with the shah and the shah with Iran. To us they were synonymous terms. But when you go into details we learn that the shah and the Iranian people were both apart. They were in reality foreigners to one another.

Now about this visit of mine to Iran and my impression. Let me begin with the place where I had the first fragrance of this Iranian brotherhood of ours and it happened to be in Rome. First I smelled it, and then some of my companions had smelled it in the Rome airport. We were waiting to get on the plane, and we had some problems with visas and one of our men was given the responsibility of overcoming these problems. So he goes to the Iran air office and he tells our problem to a young lady wearing full Islamic attire with her body well covered. It was Beautiful, Just beautiful to look at. And I mean that when you look at these people in this attire you see that they are beautiful people. So there was a lady in Rome and you brothers should have seen the way she handled these problems. And someone came to me and told me, man if you want to see a real Iranian Muslim girl you should come over and I went and some others went and we saw. And that was the first whiff we had of the Iranian ummah in Rome.

When we landed in Iran, we were taken to a five star hotel which was there before the revolution known as the Hilton hotel but is now known as Hotel Istiqlal. And we were taken around. to places of interest and I will relate to you some of the things we saw and I will try to describe the feelings one has. If I remember correctly, the first thing we visited was the Behesht Zahra cemetery. Behesht means paradise in Persian and Zahra is the title of Fatima Al-Zahra (AS) who was the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (saw). And Zahra means the radiant one. So it was called Radiant paradise. And before arriving in Iran, I had read about the Behesht Zahra cemetery. And I remember when Imam Khomeini had arrived in Tehran he made a trip to the cemetery. And I'm thinking why does one go to the cemetery? To make du'a? Yes. For the departed souls? Yes. And when you think of cemeteries here in South Africa you think of Brookstreet and Riverside. You cant imagine that this cemetery is square kilometers by square kilometers. You Just cant imagine. It is a big open ground where about a million or two million people can be accommodated. And people gathered here because it is the easiest place where people can release their emotional and spiritual baggage because there you have the martyrs. Their were 70,000 or so people who were martyred in this revolution and 100,000 maimed. Unarmed people with only the slogan "Allahu Akbar" as their weapons had toppled the mightiest military force in the middle east. So we went to this cemetery There were about a million people there. There were men and women and children and we were greatly inspired by the enthusiasm and the feeling of our brothers and sisters there. It was mid winter there, and the men and women and children were sitting on the cold ground for hours on end. In mid-winter on the ground with no carpets or chairs! A nation that could endure that discipline for hours on end , you can only imagine what destiny Allah(swt) has planned for them. A day or 2 later on my program I read Behesht Zahra cemetery, again. The first time we went for a lecture, but we had seen the graves people reciting poems of sorrow and reciting dua' and I thought this second visit would be redundant. Why should one go a second time? I've seen what a cemetery is. But all my companions were going and I thought if everyone else was going, it wouldn't be good for me to stay in the hotel relaxing when all my companions are going in these buses to a cemetery. But I went and I became very happy. And the second time I went it was a Thursday afternoon and Thursdays in Iran is like Saturdays for us. And tens of thousands of people were in the cemetery. This was a custom. It was like Eid. Tens of thousands are there, for what else, but to charge their spiritual batteries. It was a constant reminder to not forget. "My son gave his life for Islam" or "my father gave is life for Islam " that they gave their life for Islam. With that kind of system, Every Thursday is a spiritual injection and reminder that they are willing to give their life for Islam.

There was a town hall that accommodated 16,000 people, compared to the biggest town hall in South Africa which is the Good Hope Center in Capetown for 8,000. This was built by the shah to boast his own "Aryan myth". He was boasting not only that he was the shahanshah or king of kings, but also that he was the aryamehr, light of the Aryans. What is this Aryan sickness? Remember Hitler bragging about being Aryan because the Germans are Aryans. And the Hindus boasting we are Aryans. If my people, the Gujarati people, weren't Muslims we'd be boasting about being Aryans as well. The ex shah claimed to be the light of Aryans and he built this monument as a tribute. He built another monument spending millions to commemorate his ancestor Cyrus the great, a pagan, a mushrik and squandering the wealth of this nation for this project. In 1984 he was supposed to have the world Olympics in Tehran to boost his ego even further. In this town hall we saw athletics, gymnastics, acrobatics. Unfortunately we Muslims here in South Africa are like jellyfish, that is we have made ourselves into jellyfish. Our young men do not participate in that kind of activity. Who here does athletics, gymnastics, acrobatics we do not do that here. It's not for us. Who does jogging, You know the young people here, when I meet them I shake hands with them and they are like jellyfish. Almost every young man you meet in Iran appears to be an athlete. They are doing sports on a world standard and it makes one feel so happy because there they are not projecting Iran. They are not talking about Iran "we are Iranians, we are Aryans" instead they are talking about Islam, about Islam, about Islam. There was not one semi-naked girl, not a single girl who was half naked there. If the shah had his way, if he was alive and organized it, there would have been semi-naked girls for everyone to stare at and feast upon.

In Iran everything is Islamic to strengthen the morality of the people, boosting the men and women by the thousands. We were thrilled , we were thrilled to see our children, we felt as if theses were our children, our own brothers and sisters, we were really thrilled. We saw these as things that our children can do. Then we went through a military parade with different groups of Iranian men and there was no shortage of man power. You know, some people want to go and help our Iranian brethren. Alhamdulilah there is no shortage of man power they only want the tools, and the weapons. If the Iranians had the military weapons that the Israelis had, the whole of the middle-east would be free from every kind foreign intervention in no time. This is a nation that can do it. The spirit is there, the spirit of Jihad is there in each and every man and woman in the nation. It seems that the whole nation is involved in promoting Islam. We are talking about 20 million people that they can put into the field. If they had the weapons and the materials, every man woman and child would can go and do jihad.

Then we visited the Iraqi prisoners of war. As you know when this war started Iraq attacked Iran. The whole country was in turmoil. Iraq felt that the Jews did it to the Arabs in 6 days, then they will do it to the Iranians in 3 days and the whole world thought that in one weeks time, Iran would crumble to pieces. And do you know how long it has been now? It's been a year and a half, and even more. And in the beginning there were twenty to one odds against them in men and materials and the Iranians turned the tables and brought the odds to 3 to one still against them. And they were able to push them back. They recaptured all their land and a hill that was named Allahu Akbar. Before I went to Iran Dr . Kalim Siddiqui from the UK jokingly remarked that "you guys have half a chance of becoming martyrs (shahid).." It was a joke and it nearly became true. While we were coming out of a city on the war front there was a field of tanks. And our young men came out of the buses and started to climb onto the tanks taking pictures to show people back home. Then one of the tanks in the courtyard came out for a training demonstration on how it works and suddenly we hear gunfire and in the distance we saw smoke coming from a few places and some of our young men got scared and started hiding behind bushes., and it turns out that we were under attack from the Iraqis. And there were bombs exploding all around us and Allah (swt) saved us. And remember Khaled had said that was half a chance that we would become martyrs, well it almost became a full chance. (laughter).

We visited those wounded in the war and no one was complaining about what had happened to them. One man had his leg amputated, and there were no tears, I never saw a single tear from anyone, and they were asking if it was possible to go back to the front. Their regrets were not about their injuries but why they can't go back to the front to fight and become shahid, this is the ambition of each and every Muslim there. When we visited the prisoners of war the Iranians had captured 7000 prisoners of war and they looked healthy, well clothed, well fed. One of my friends was interested in finding out what the Iraqi prisoners felt about their condition first hand. And anyone he asked said that they were being looked after very well. Then I had an idea. Some were here for over a year and others for a few months and I was wondering how many people had committed suicide. And I asked each group of the prisoners of war and asked each group how many people committed suicide. They said not one. I then asked the next group and so on. Not one single person committed suicide amongst the 7800 prisoners of war. And if we look at our so called civilized western country of South Africa, 46 people committed suicide in our prisons this year alone and they are well fed well clothed have their own cells and 46 committed suicide so far. And if people are not well treated some are going to want to find an easy way out but there was not one single person who committed suicide amongst the 7800 prisoners of war.

We went to visit the Imam, Ayatollah Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini. There were about forty of us who waited for the Imam and the Imam came in and was about ten meters away from where I was, and I saw the Imam. He delivered the Lecture to us for about half an hour, and it was nothing but the Quran, the man is like a computerized Quran. And the electric effect he had on everybody, his charisma, was amazing . You just look at the man and tears come down your cheek. You just look at him and you get tears. I never saw a more handsome old man in my life, no picture, no video, no TV could do justice to this man, the handsomest old man I ever saw in my life was this man. There is something unique to his name, too. First he is called Imam Khomeini. The word Imam is to us a every cheap word. Wherever we go somewhere we ask who is the Imam of the Masjid here. To the Shia there is only one Imam in the world and he is the Twelfth Imam , they believe in the concept of Imamate and that the Imam is the spiritual leader of the ummah. And the first Imam according to the school of Imamate is Hazrat Ali(RA). Then comes Imam Hassan who is the second Imam, Imam Hussein the third Imam all the way until the twelve Imam, Imam Mohammad who disappeared at the age of 5 and they are expecting his return. They use the term "occultation" something like a spiritual hibernation like the Ashab Al-cahf. And that he is expected to come back and he is the only one in the world who can be called Imam. Most of their scholars are called mullah, and Ayatollah means Allamah And Ayatollah Khomeini is called Imam out of respect but they are waiting for the real Imam to come. Ruhollah is the name his father gave him and do you know what it means? Ruhollah means the 'word of God' and this is the title of Hazrat Isa(as) in the Quran. Then he is Ayatollah which is another title of Hazrat Isa(as) in the Quran. Al-Musawi is from the family Musa and from the city of Khomein which is where his last name Khomeini comes from. ...(break in audio at 41: 05 seconds). But they are waiting for the Mahdi, and not Khomeini. They want to clean the stables and make preparations for the Mahdi to come. In the Sunni world we are also waiting for the Mahdi to come but we want him to clean the stables for us, make us masters of the world and to make us sit on the thrones. The Sunni world is just passively waiting. Until then we can carry on with all our petty little squabbles, whatever we are carrying on now. And it is only the Imam Mahdi which can clean the world for us. This is the Sunni line of thinking. Khomeini on the other hand tells his followers that we must help prepare the way so that when he does come everything is already set up for him to act on. While we, the Sunni world are waiting for Imam Mahdi to pull the chestnut out of the fire for us, the Shias are preparing the world for his arrival.

You know there were many people with us from all over the world. And I found types and types and types of sick people, a mental sickness that is. I came across an alim from Pakistan Mauna Sahib and he thought that there was something wrong with our Shia brothers. You see in Iran when someone is lecturing and the name Khomeini is mentioned people stop and everyone says durood on the Prophet(S) three times. But when the name Mohammad is mentioned they send durood once. And this alim from Pakistan says " look at these people just look at them. What kind of Muslims are these people. When the name Mohammad is mentioned they send durood on the Prophet(s) once but when the name Khomeini is mentioned they send Durood on KHOMEINI three times."

I said " What do they say , what do they say in this so called 'durood on Khomeini'. "

He said: Peace be upon Mohammad and the family of Mohammad.

I said " Who is Mohammad? Khomeini? Who named Khomeini as Mohammad. Their durood is on Prophet Mohammad(s) and you say it is on Khomeini."

You know it's a sickness. There are many learned men but their minds are so prejudiced. They are just looking for faults. [1]

Another example is that the Shia brothers when they make salat, they have a piece of clay (turbah) that they do sajjdah on. And he says "see what they are doing here. This is shirk. They are worshipping a piece of clay. " I said why don't you ask them why they place their foreheads on a piece of clay and learn the logic behind this. You see, the first time I experienced this was in Washington D.C., the Iranian students there had invited me to give a lecture there at the university where they were studying in America. At that time, it was time for Isha and we made salat. And everyone was given a piece of clay. I at the time thought it was so funny, so I put it aside and I made my salat with the Iranian students. And after salat I wanted to know about this and I asked them. Why do you carry this clay tablet everywhere you go in your pocket. They said " we are supposed to do sujood on Allah's earth with our foreheads touching the earth. We say "subhanna rabia Allah" three times with our foreheads touching the earth." So the Shia want to actually touch the earth with their foreheads and not a manmade carpet. They want to be true to the expression of praying with the forehead actually touching Allah's earth. You see they don't worship the clay tablet as many wrongly think. And this is always something that we Sunnis are always making fun of and mock the Shia, but on my way out from Tehran across the plane in the aisle were two Shias and when prayer time came one of them took his clay tablet out of his pocket and, Allahu Akbar, performed salat right there on the plane in his seat, and when he finished he gave this to his neighbor and he performed salat. And this may seem like a joke to us. Isn't it? And there were dozens of Sunnis on the plane and out of those dozens of Sunnis only one young man did the salat, and I tell you that young man wasn't me. But we are laughing at the other Guy. He is sitting there and doing something better than we are and we make fun of them and sit in judgement. He may not as polished and refined as we are in South Africa. You know we Muslims in South Africa are very polished and refined in our salat. The Arabs are no match for us, the Iranians are no match for us, the Americans bilalans, the Negroes they are no match to us. With the Arabs you are bowing down in ruku and the guy next to you pushes you aside to make space.(laughter) Who knows brothers, maybe it is valid, we don't know. You know, between the four Sunni mazhabs the Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki and Shafei there are over two hundred differences in salat alone. Did you know that? Two hundred. But we take it for granted. The Shafei says amin loudly and we say it silently, they say bismillah loudly we say it silently and there is there is no problem. A s a child my father would repeat the famous formula that he in turn learned from his father. : "all the mazhabs are equally valid and the truth for them is in the hadith and the Quran." And so we accept it. When it comes to the Shafei, Hanbali, Hanafi and Maliki we are tolerant but when it comes to the Shia you see he is not in the formula that we are taught as a child, so what ever little idiosyncrasies there exists between us and them we cant tolerate and reject we say that he is out because we are programmed to believe in only the four. But we accept the idiosyncrasies between the four.

I say why cant you accept the Shia brothers as a fifth madhab. And the astonishing thing is that he is telling you that he wants to be one with you. He is not talking about being Shia. He is shouting "there is no Sunni nor Shia there is one thing, Islam." But we say to them "no you are different you are Shia." This attitude is a sickness of the devil. He wants to divide us. Can you imagine we Sunnis are 90% of the Muslim world and the ten percent who are Shias want to be partners and brothers with you in faith and the 90% are terrified. I cant understand why should you the 90% be so terrified. They should be the ones terrified. And if you just knew the feelings that they have for you. During Jummah prayers in Iran, there are a million people. And you should see the way they look at you when you pass by, they recognize that you are a foreigner and not one of them and tears start rolling down their cheeks. This is the feeling that they have for you, but you say no, you want to keep they out, afraid that they will absolve you. You can only be absolved if there is something better than what you have. I don't know, maybe some of you think I am a Shia, but I'm still with you all here. What is all this Shia-Sunni tensions? It is all politics. These antagonisms we have are all politics now. If a Sunni brother somewhere does something wrong you say oh the individual is not being very Islamic, he is a kaffir, But if a Shia does something wrong you want to condemn the whole Shia community, the whole nation of millions, and say they are all rubbish just because one Shias actions are not very Islamic. At the same time where we look the other way if one of your relatives does something serious because he is your father or your uncle. One group of Sunnis says to another "you are not a Muslim" another group of Sunnis says "you are not a Muslim you are a kaffir" look that's among us, and we fight among ourselves. And some of us do funny things.

I met one brother who told me when you go to Newcastle go visit Mr. So and so and inshallah everything will be taken care of for you. So I went to the man and exactly as I was told he took me home for lunch and when I'm sitting at the table I see on the wall 'burat' you know what burat is? A donkey like animal with the face of a woman its supposed to provide electrical force. I told him this is not right. Allah(swt) created electrical force, you can not create it with a statue of a donkey with a woman's face. Oh and he was so upset. But he's a Sunni, he was a brother and is still my brother. This Sunni-Shia tensions is the work of the devil to divide us.

Let me say something about Iran. What I found was that everything is islamically oriented. The whole nation is geared towards Islam. And they are talking about nothing but the Quran. I have never had a single experience with an Iranian when the man contradicted me when I'm talking about the Quran. Whereas our Arab brethren again and again you quote them the Quran and they try to contradict you with the Quran. They are Arabs, they are supposed to know the Quran better than us, but the Iranians seem to be on the wavelength of the Quran. Everything he is doing everything he is thinking about is the Quran. You remember Tabas[2] when the American people wanted to free the hostages. The mightiest most technologically advanced nation on earth, a nation that can land a man on the moon and bring him back, a nation which tells you which part of the moon they will land and bring them back, they send mars and Jupiter probes. A nation that warned Pakistan about the tidal wave tragedy and they didn't heed the warning. They warned the Israelis in 1973 that the Arabs were on the move, they didn't heed the warning. That nation couldn't land in Iran. Imagine they went there with their helicopters and crashed them selves and got themselves killed. Imagine. A nation that lands on the moon and comes back cant land in Iran. And the Iranian people were not in any position to do anything to them. The Americans could have gone and done what they wanted to do. I went and saw the American embassy and you think that its just a big building, but man its acres and acres right in the center of Tehran. They could have easily gone in and gotten these people out, even if they lost a few men. They could have achieved their goals. It was very well planned. But you know what happened? Fiasco, retreat failure, the Imam Khomeini is told what has happened. He doesn't say Subhananla, he doesn't say Alhamdulilah, you know what he said. He quotes the Quran : "Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant?" 105:1 These are the words that came out of him. I tell you he is a Quranic computer.

You know what they call those huge helicopters? Jumbo helicopters, and those big planes are called jumbo planes. You know what jumbo means in Swahili, Elephant. It's a Swahili word. That's where they got the name. So these elephant sized helicopters go and the Imam says: "Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the possessors of the elephant? Did He not cause their war to end in confusion," Quran 105:1-2

But we are so skeptical, the Muslim world has become so skeptical we don't believe in the Quran anymore. You don't really believe in the Quran, for most people it is all for entertainment, for the good spiritual feelings that you get when reciting the Holy Quran. But the directives that Allah(swt) gives, nobody seems to care. May Allah (swt) make these brothers of ours, the torchbearers and light of learning today to the Muslim world . And here is a nation geared to do the Job. When you look at them the earnestness that is in them, a nation that is not afraid, when you look at them with the enthusiasm they have. They are not afraid to say "marg bar amrika" death to America.. Then say "marg bar shuravi " death to USSR. Imagine that! (laughter from the audience). And death to Israel." Can you imagine a nation doing that and not in the least afraid. This is not the Islamic spirit that is in us here, but the Iranians are all heart and mind. They don't say "this is an Iranian revolution "or "we are Iranians". They are talking about Islam, an Islamic Revolution. This is not an Iranian revolution but that this is an Islamic revolution. It's a revolution for Islam and little wonder why the nations of the world cant stomach it because it is Islam that they cant stomach. So my dear brothers and sisters I have taken so much of your valuable time already. And with these words I take leave of you to sit down and to take your Questions.

[1] " O ye who believe! if any from among you turn back from his Faith, soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him,- lowly with the believers, mighty against the rejecters, fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the reproaches of such as FIND FAULT. That is the grace of Allah, which He will bestow on whom He pleaseth. And Allah encompasseth all, and He knoweth all things." Quran 5:54

BarakAllahu Feek;
Wassalaamu'alaikum W Rahmatullahi W barakatuhu

Fihi ma Fihi - Difference Between Fiqh Scholar With Sufi Scholar

2008-11-28T09:22:00.003+07:00

Rumi stated: Mohammed, the great Prophet, once said, “The worst of scholars are those who visit princes, and the best of princes are those who visit scholars. Wise is the prince who stands at the door of the poor, and wretched are the poor who stand at the door of the prince.”

Now, taking the outward sense of these words, people think that scholars should never visit princes or they will become the worst of scholars. That is not the true meaning. Rather, the worst of scholars are those who depend upon princes, and who revolve their life and purpose around the attention and favor of princes. Such scholars take up learning in hopes that princes will give them presents, hold them in esteem, and promote them to office.

Therefore, such scholars improve themselves and pursue knowledge on account of princes. They become scholars from their fear of princes. They subject themselves to the princes’ control. They conform themselves to the plans that princes map out for them. So, whether they visit a prince, or a prince visits them, still in every case they’re the visitors, and it is the prince who is visited.

However, when scholars do not study to please princes, but instead pursue learning from first to
last for the sake of truth—when their actions and words spring from the truth they have learned
and put to use because this is their nature and they cannot live otherwise—just as fish can only thrive in water—such scholars subject themselves to the control and direction of God. They become blessed with the guidance of the prophets. Everyone living in their time is touched by them and derives inspiration from their example, whether they are aware of the fact or not.

Should such scholars visit a prince, they are still the ones visited and the prince is the visitor, because in every case it is the prince who takes from these scholars and receives help from them. Such scholars are independent of the prince. They are like the light-giving sun, whose whole function is giving to all, universally, converting stones into rubies and carnelians, changing mountains into mines of copper, gold, silver and iron, making the earth fresh and green, bringing fruit to the trees, and warmth to the breeze. Their trade is giving, they do not receive. The Arabs have expressed this in a proverb: “We have learned in order to give, we have not learned in order to take.” And so in all ways they are the visited, and the prince is the visitor.

The thought comes to me at this point to comment on a verse of the Koran, although it is not related to the present discourse. However, this idea comes to me now, and I want to express it so that it can go on record. O Prophet, say to the prisoners in your hands. ‘If God knows of any good in your hearts, He will give you more than He has taken, And He will forgive you. Surely God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.’

This verse was revealed when Mohammed had defeated the unbelievers, slaying, plundering and taking prisoners, whom he tied hand and foot. Amongst the prisoners was his uncle, ‘Abbas. The chained people wept and wailed all night in their helpless humiliation. They had given up all hope of their lives, expecting the sword and slaughter. Mohammed, seeing this, laughed.

“Look!” the prisoners exclaimed. “He shows the traits of a person after all. This claim that he is superhuman is not true. There he stands looking at us prisoners in these chains, enjoying it. Just like everyone ruled by their passions—when they gain victory over their enemies and see their opponents vanquished to their will, they rejoice and feel happiness.”

“Not so,” answered Mohammed, seeing what was in their hearts. “Never would I laugh at the sight of enemies conquered by my hand, or the sight of your suffering. But I do rejoice, in fact I laugh, because with inner vision I see myself dragging and drawing people by collars and chains, out of the black smoke of Hell into Paradise, while they complain and cry, ‘Why are you pulling us from this pit of self-destruction into that garden of security?’ So, laughter overcomes me. “But since you have not yet been granted the vision to see what I am saying, listen. God commands me to say this to you: First you gathered your forces and mustered your might, trusting completely in your own virtue and valor. You said to yourselves, ‘We will conquer the Muslims and vanquish them.’ But you did not see that One Power more powerful than yourselves. You did not know the One Force above your force. And so all that you planned turned out the opposite. Even now in your fear, you still hold onto your beliefs and do not see the One Reality over you. Rather than facing that Power, you see my power, because it is easier for you to see yourselves conquered by me. “But even in your present state, still I say to you: If you recognize my power, and accept yourselves vanquished to my will in all circumstances, I can still deliver you from this grief.

He, who is able to bring forth a black bull from a white bull, can also produce a white bull from a black bull. Turn away from your former ways, and likewise I will return to you all the property that has been taken from you, in fact many times as much. Even more, I will absolve you of all blame, and grant you prosperity in this world and the world to come.”
“I have repented,” said ‘Abbas. “I have turned from my former ways.”
Mohammed said, “God demands a token of this claim you make, for easy it is to boast of love, but other is the proof thereof.”
“In God’s name, what token do you demand?” asked ‘Abbas.
“Give all the properties that remain to you for the army of Islam, so the army of Islam may be strengthened,” said Mohammed. “That is, of course, if you have truly become a Muslim and desire the good of Islam and Muslimdom.”
“Prophet of God, what remains to me?” said ‘Abbas. “They have taken everything, leaving me not so much as an old reed-mat.”
“You see,” said Mohammed, “you have not yet given up your old ways. You have not yet seen the light of truth. Should I tell you how much property you still have? Where you have hidden it? To whom you have entrusted it? Where you concealed and buried it?”
“God forbid!” exclaimed ‘Abbas.
“Did you not entrust so much property specifically to your mother?” asked Mohammed. “Did you not bury your gold under such and such a wall? Did you not tell your mother in detail, ‘If I return, give this back to me. But if I do not return safely, then spend so much upon such and such an object, and give so much to So-and-So, and so much is to be for yourself’?”
When ‘Abbas heard these words he raised his hand in complete acceptance. “Prophet of God,” he said, “truly, I have always thought you carried the fortune of the old kings, such as Haman, Shaddad, Nimrod and the rest. But now that you have spoken I know this favor is divine, from the world beyond, from the throne of God.”
“Now you have spoken truly,” said Mohammed. “This time I have heard the snapping of the girdle of doubt, that you had within you. I have an ear hidden within my inmost Soul, and with that hidden ear I can hear the snapping of doubt within anyone. Now it is true for a fact that you believe.”
I have told this story to the Amir for this reason: In the beginning you came forward as a champion of Muslimdom. “I ransom myself,” you said. “I sacrifice my own desires, considerations and judgement so that Islam will remain secure and strong.” But because you put your trust in your own plans, loosing sight of God, and forgetting that all things proceed from God, all your intentions have turned out the opposite.

Having struck a bargain with the Tartars, you are unintentionally giving them assistance to destroy the Syrians and the Egyptians, which in the end may bring ruin to the realm of Islam. So God has turned this plan you made for the survival of Islam, into its own destruction.

Turn your face to God, for things are in a dangerous condition. Yet, even in your present state, my friend, do not give up hope, but look to God and give yourself up to Its will. You thought your
own strength of spirit proceeded from yourself, just as ‘Abbas and the prisoners did, thus you have fallen into weakness. But do not give up hope, because He, who can produce weakness from strength, can bring forth an even greater strength from this weakness. Just as Mohammed rejoiced during the prisoners’ grief, so too I find joy in your present embarrassment, because from this weakness and suffering can come something greater than has been lost. Therefore, do not give up hope, for “Of God’s comfort no one despairs, Except the unbelievers.”

My purpose in speaking this way to the Amir was so that he could see the matter correctly, and accept the will of God humbly. He has fallen out of an exceedingly high state into a low state, yet in this way he may grow. Life can show the most wonderful things, but behind all of them lies a trap should we forget the source of this wonder.

God has devised this plan so that we will learn not to claim, out of arrogance and vanity, these ideas and plans as our own. If everything were in truth as it appears to be, Mohammed, endowed as he was with a vision so penetrating, so illuminated, would never have cried,

“Lord, show me things as they are.
You show a thing as fair, and in reality it is ugly.
You show a thing as ugly, and in truth it is beautiful.
Show us everything just as it is,
So that we will not fall into the snare.”

Now, your judgement, however good and luminous it may be, is certainly not better than the Prophet’s judgement. So do not put your trust in every idea and every notion, but only i in God
and Its wisdom.

Discourse On Hubb - The Love

2008-11-28T08:54:00.004+07:00

Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi
(19/02/2004)

You must concentrate very hard. We are going to discuss and examine a subject that is one of the key terms of the Qur’an and therefore one of the key, crucial terms for the Sufis. On it everything revolves and you will see to what an extent this is true. This is the word ‘Hubb’ — love. Hubb is mentioned in the Qur’an and the Sunna as both the privilege of Allah and of the creatures. This is something which is given and which belongs to Allah, and it is also the privilege of created beings. Allah explicitly relates different categories of the loved ones, the mahbubun, and also the condition of those He does not love, and even those who are related to those He does not love. This is very important in the Qur’an. Allah is very specific about it and even categorises the conditions of it, the nature of it and defines it throughout the whole Qur’an. Allah orders His Messenger, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to transmit to us this prescription. A’udhu billahi min ash-shaytanir-rajim. We go to Surat Al ‘Imran, 3:31: “Say: if you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive you for your wrong actions. Allah is Ever-forgiving, Most Merciful.” “Then follow me,” — that is Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. So this is the divine contract with the muminun. Then we come to Surat al-Ma’ida, 5:54, where Allah begins to tell us what the nature of this contract is.

“You who have iman! If any of you renounce your Deen, Allah will bring forward a people whom He loves and who love Him — humble to the muminun, fierce to the kafirun, who do jihad in the way of Allah and do not fear the blame of any censurer.” So Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, says: “Allah will bring forward a people whom He loves and who love Him,” — in other words, people who have held to the contract He has made, and he defines how such people would be — humble to the muminun and fierce to the kafirun. Of course what you find now, especially among the Arab peoples, is that they are humble to the kafirun and fierce to the muminun, but the people whom Allah loves are humble to the muminun and fierce to the kafirun, they do jihad in the way of Allah and do not fear the blame of any censurer. They do it just for Allah and in the way of Allah, in obedience to how war is to be fought as has been defined by Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala. Allah speaks openly of those He loves and we will look at five in a very interesting series of definitions in which we find out who these people are. Look at Surat al-Baqara, 2:222: “Allah loves those who turn back from wrong-doing and He loves those who purify themselves.” It also means that the love of Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, can take someone in the middle of their life, it can take someone at the very last breath of their life if they turn back from wrong-doing. And He loves those who purify themselves, who are clean, and then do the Salat, who worship Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Purification has two dimensions in Islam: one is the purification of water. Then, as Imam Junayd said, “Purify yourselves with the water of the Unseen” — that is, an inward purification which accompanies the purification of the limbs. That is why, from the moment you start wudu, there must be no conversation. Ignore what you see in the mosques, especially among the Arabs, so many of whom have lost the Deen. Wudu is an ‘ibada which takes an equal importance alongside the Salat because there is no Salat without the wudu. Wudu is part of the Salat. When you start the wudu you do not speak to anyone until you have completed the wudu which is part of your ‘ibada which then takes you to the Salat. The next ayat is in Surat Al ‘Imran, 3:159. “Allah loves
those who trust in Him.” Tawakkilin — the people of tawakkul, the people who have trust in Him. The people who have trust in Allah, Allah loves them. This is to be among the beloved of Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala. It is not that you trust in Allah as if it were something thrown out into the void — in the act of your trusting Allah, you are encompassed in the love of Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala. This is the contract with Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Now we look at Surat Al ‘Imran, 3:146. It is very interesting because a lot of these definitions come in these surats, Al ‘Imran and Al-Baqara, these foundational, explanatory surats, you might say, of the Deen. This is considered necessary to the understanding of the Deen of Islam. “Allah loves the steadfast.” Now we go back to Surat al-Baqara, 2:195. “Do good, Allah loves the good-doers.” This is the command to enter into the company of the ones whom Allah loves. “Do good, and Allah loves the ones who do good.” The Muhsin is the standard, it is the definition of the one who is on the Sirat al-Mustaqim. You have got to do good — you enter a situation and you bring the good with you. We will see in a moment the importance of this and also what it means, so that your tawhid is not complete until you have grasped what this contract of love is with Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Now Surat as-Saff, 61:4. This is a very important ayat for the age we live in. Allah tells us something again unexpected. “Allah loves those who fight in His way in ranks like well-built walls.” Fight means fight — it does not mean some interior thing about the nafs. Qatala is to cut, to fight, it is the sword, battle. Allah loves those who fight in His way and the sabil of Allah is according to what has been clearly defined by Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Fighting in the way of Allah is not the same as fighting to defend your home, which you are entitled to do, and it is not the same as fighting just because you are attacked. Fighting fisabilillah, in the way of Allah, is fighting because you have raised high the banner of Islam. This is what fighting in the way of Allah means, and it means that you fight in ranks like well-built walls. In other words, it is not individuals taking on the enemy, it is that the way of Allah is with leadership and the leader leads from the front. He leads the way the Rasul led, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the way the great rulers of the Moghuls and the Osmanli led their men into battle.

What we are witnessing today cannot be connected to this ayat. There must be leadership. His head must be above the shoulders of everyone and he must have raised high the banner of Islam which means he is coming with the confirmation of unity, the completion of the messengership of Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam — he is coming with Salat, he is coming with Sawm, he is coming with Zakat and he is guaranteeing the Hajj — that is the way of Allah and nothing else will do. These are the people Allah loves. It is important that you understand this. When Allah refuses to love those who are disapproved of because of certain characteristics, He makes it clear that they must disappear only and necessarily by the appearance of their opposite. Thus there is not a dualism of good and evil in the universe, but a dynamic reality governed by love. This is very important because, again, in the deviations of the modern world, you hear many people using the terms of the Haqq and the Batil as if there were some kind of duel between the haqq and the batil. This is from the language of the modernists and is an outrage against Islam. Allah makes very clear, as you can see in the ayats that follow, how His rule of love is put into action and that there is not a dualism of good and evil because Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, says: “When the truth comes, the lie has to vanish.” So there can be no way that it can confront it. We are going to come upon what exactly the process is that nevertheless creates a conflict among men that will divide the people who are loved by Allah and the people whom Allah does not love.

Now we are looking at those whom Allah does not love. We will look at six ayats that explain this and the first is Surat al-Ma’ida, 5:64. “They rush about the earth corrupting it and Allah does not love the corrupters.” This is a very important term because now we have the definition of those people whom Allah does not love — the people of fasad, the mufsidin — the people who actively corrupt, and not only that but they are busy with corruption. You are getting used to opening the Qur’an and moving around in it. This is how you learn. It is not this book which is shut and brought out for deaths. You live by it. Now we look at Surat al- An’am, 6:141. “He does not love the profligate.” Then strengthening this, we get a clear definition in Surat ar-Rum, 30:45. “He certainly does not love the kafirun.” Tough luck on them! There is no way that we can join with them and say that we have unity with them. Whatever they say about this group or
that group and whatever names they give them, the muminun know that these people are not loved. Whatever wrong among our own community there may be now, the truth is Allah does not love these other people so they are finished. Allah certainly does not love the kafirun. They want us to go to the other extreme and take out all these ayats of Qur’an so that we all have tolérance of each other. But this is not possible — Allah does not love them! We did not do it — there is no use us trying to love them, because Allah does not love them. “Innahu la yuhibbul-kafirin,” — that is the truth.

Surat an-Nisa’, 4:148. Another personal aspect of the intimacy of Allah’s dislike is that it affects individuals, not just bodies of people. “Allah does not love evil words being voiced out loud except in the case of someone who has been wronged.” In other words, the one who does this is outside the love of Allah, they cannot enter into this fortress of divine protection. If someone has been wronged then you have to tell something dreadful in order to protect them. That is why the presence of an active shari’at is necessary, because you should not denounce anybody unless the protection is complete — they can be protected by the ‘amr of the ruler. But there is not any shari’at. In this appalling situation in Nigeria where these imams who think that they run things — and our Islam is not about imams, we are not shi’a and our imams do not run things — they find a woman and say that she has committed adultery but none of it fits anything of how these matters are arrived at. They pass sentences of execution, and because the ‘amr is not there all the Muslims are disgraced and then they say how bad we are. The reason that happens is because the judge makes a judgment without an amir. When the qadi gives the judgment the amir says, “Carry out the qadi’s orders,” and then it is complete. When it is complete a totally different social order is established, but if you have a qadi saying, “This person is an adulterer. Execute them. Stone them,” and there is no amir to complete the process, then the whole edifice of Islamic law collapses.

Allah says in Qur’an: “Enter Islam kafah” — completely. You have to take the whole thing. You cannot not have the ‘amr, and this is the responsibility we have to recover in our lifetimes, inshallah. “Allah does not love evil words being voiced out loud except in the case of someone who has been wronged.” We have to create a framework where that can happen. If you voice against someone who has been wronged and there is no judgment and there is no punishment then you have slandered them. You have to come before the qadis with your proofs and a judgment has to be given. Then you can speak out about these things. But the one who says, “He drinks,” or this or that — he is just a slanderer because the process has not been completed. But for the one who has been wronged, that voicing of what is wrong has to be accomplished. This is the rahma, this is the mercy of the shari’at.

Now we look at Surat al-Baqara, 2:190. This is again very relevant to the time we live in, as are many things that you will find as you open the Qur’an. “Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight you but do not go beyond the limits. Allah does not love those who go beyond the limits.” Part of everything we are seeing now in this time is people fighting beyond the limits. They do no know that there are rules. Allah has set down rules about fighting. Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, has set down detailed rules about fighting and we cannot go beyond these limits. When you hear this Indonesian saying, “Oh, I’m sorry that in blowing up these people in Bali I killed eighty one Muslims — it was collateral damage,” this is nothing to do with Islam. Killing eighty one Muslims is collateral damage? This is the language of the kuffar. I cannot find
‘collateral damage’ in Qur’an. “Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight you but do not go beyond the limits. Allah does not love those who go beyond the limits.” In other words, if you fight with a total nihilistic obliteration of people then Allah has put you outside this protected fortress of the ones He loves. The sixth ayat is in Surat Al ‘Imran, 3:32. This, in a way, completes the whole set of ayats we have been looking at. “Say: obey Allah and the Messenger.” This is one of the most important ayats in the Qur’an. “Say: obey Allah and the Messenger:” these two are put together. There is no way you obey Allah if you do not obey the Messenger. “Say: obey Allah and the Messenger. Then if they do turn away, Allah does not love the kafirun.” There is no doubt about this, that Allah has placed His love with the muminun and He does not love the kafirun. The sign of the people who are in His protection of love is that they obey Allah and the Messenger.

What we find from this is very interesting. We find the presence of the Salih is the end of fasad and its way. This is why good is not fighting evil. It is the arrival of the Salih which brings about the defeat and the vanishing of the people of fasad, of the mufsidin. The mufsidin are cast out by the presence and the reality of the Salih. There is no way in which any war against the kuffar is to be seen in terms of the logistics of either dead bodies or destruction. It is the presence of the salihun, it is the reality of the salihun that brings the victory to the Muslims. Sayyiduna ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, radiyallahu ‘anhu, finished the enemy and Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said about him, “O ‘Umar, I could go with you into any valley because shaytan would never follow you.” So the arrival of ‘Umar ibn al- Khattab was the defeat of the shayatin. The creation and the advancement and the leadership of the salihun is what destroys the people of fasad.

We find out from Allah’s explaining about love, that a process is taking place all the time in the world but it is not something the outcome of which is uncertain, it is not good fighting evil in some dualism, there is no dualism, this is tawhid. Allah is in charge. Allah cares for us, and Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, cares for us as we know from Surat at-Tawba: “A Messenger has come to you from among yourselves. Your suffering is distressing to him; he is deeply concerned for you; he is gentle and merciful to the muminun.” Allah has shown us how this love spills out into all the process of living. Look at Surat al-Hujurat, 49:7. “Allah has given you love of iman and made it pleasing to your hearts.” This is how the dynamic of Allah’s love manifests among the creatures. Iman is belief in Allah, His Books, His Messengers, His Angels, the Last Day, the Balance and the Decree. So Allah has given us love of these unseen truths and realities — Allah has given us love of iman and made it pleasing to our hearts. Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, indicated that taking pleasure in wudu is a sign of iman — his pleasure in the act of wudu was the indication of this inner quality.

Now we go to Surat ar-Rum, 30:21. This, again, is about Allah’s outpouring in all the processes of life. “He created spouses for you of your own kind so that you might find tranquillity in them, and He has placed affection and compassion between you.” So this gift of Allah to the couple is part of this transaction of this kingdom of love which is Allah’s domain of the muminun. Mawada and Rahma are two dimensions of love — the Sufis say that mawada is the beginning of love which then becomes richer and becomes love. Rahma is mercy and if mercy is in the heart then that heart is predisposed to love, because it is the motor of love. Now we go to Surat al-Mumtahana, 60:1, “O you who have iman, do not take My enemy as friends showing love for them, when they have rejected the truth that has come to you.” So if you express love to those whom Allah has forbidden from this circle of love, everything is lost. Do not do this when they have rejected the truth that has come to the Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. That is against the contract of love with Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, that He has made with the muminun. “O you who have iman, do not take My enemy as friends, as awliya,” because to us the term ‘awliya’ is used for the ones who love Allah and whom Allah loves. Wilayat is something pure and exalted and to degrade it by saying that the kuffar have wilayat is a betrayal of the contract with Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala.

So it follows from these blessed ayats that Allah has created us for Him alone and not for ourselves. This is what we find out from these ayats — that we were not created for ourselves. For this reason, retribution is tied to the acts that we do for ourselves and not for Him. For the acts that we do for ourselves, there is a price to pay. Our ‘ibada is for Him and not for us, even though the worship is not the act itself. The outward behaviour of the created beings belongs to Him, for He remains the Agent. He is the Agent of action. The perfection of acts is returned to Him because everything comes from Him. So when the act of ‘ibada is perfect, it is actually His. It is not for us and it is not ours. This is Allah’s Hadrat ar-Rabbani, and this is what is happening in all the acts of worship.

Look at Surat ash-Shams, 91:7: “And the self and what proportions it, and inspires it with depravity or taqwa.” This takes us into the secret of tawhid, into the secret of the Qadr, of the seal of the destiny. Allah puts some people on a path of depravity and some people on a path of taqwa. The difference between the people of depravity and the people of taqwa is a matter of knowledge. The difference between the two parties is not that one is doing wrong acts that are not pleasing to Allah and the other is doing good actions that are pleasing to Allah, the difference is that the ones who have taqwa know that the whole process comes from Allah. The whole thing is in Allah’s hands. This changes the people of taqwa. The difference is not their displeasing acts and their good acts but that the people of taqwa know that the whole process is decreed and determined by Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala. This is the point. This is how love flows to those people and it is that love which is knowledge. “Fear Allah and He will give you knowledge.” Then that knowledge is the receptivity of the love flowing from Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, on His slave. It is further confirmed in Surat As-Saffat, 37:96: “Allah created both you and what you do.” The person and the actions cannot be separated. You cannot separate dogginess from the dog. You cannot understand a dog as just a creature with four legs and a tail. Dog is also the one which is faithful, the one which will turn on you, the one which can be used to hunt, the one which is dirty, the one which eats disgusting things — all these things make dog. But so with the human creature. Allah created both you and what you do. These things are not separate. So the first stage of the Sufic path is where grasping comes not intellectually but in the heart — the recognition that Allah is the Creator of us and our actions, that Allah is the Actor in every situation. Allah is the Doer.

All that has been happening at present in the tragic, lost Arab communities is because they have not been taught tawhid. They have not been taught the truth about Allah and so they are going around in circles against things Allah has ordered for them because they do not realise that Allah has created both you and what you do. Now we look at this in Surat al-An’am, 6:102. It is so openly stated in Qur’an. “That is Allah, your Lord. There is no god but Him, the Creator of everything. So worship Him. He is responsible for everything.” When Abu Bakr as-Siddiq had been ill and someone asked him, “Who made you better?” He said, “The same One who made me ill.” “That is Allah, your Lord, your Rabb.” Rabb is Allah’s governance of all the specific details of the created existence. The ayat specifically mentions, “That is Allah, your Rabb.” So the rububiyat, the connected relatedness of all the specific details and contradictory things of the
whole existence — He is the Master of it. “He is responsible for everything.” So the Creator is not like the person who makes a glass and then he has created the glass, no. He is the Creator of everything and that means of events. We live in a world of events. Throughout the Qur’an He tells about the events and how it is Allah who has made and is making them happen. We ourselves are an event of divine creation and Allah is making us happen. That is why the prayer of the muminun is, “O Allah, give us an iman that is lasting. Give us an iman that will take us to the grave so that we die with shahada.”

All kinds of things happen at the last minute with people because it is written. Only the other day, one of our people in Switzerland wanted to marry a man who was not Muslim and she said to him, “I cannot marry you because you are not Muslim. You have to become Muslim.” He became Muslim and on the Monday they were married, and on the Saturday he was dead. Allah had written Islam for him and so the wedding was followed by a funeral in the outward, but in the inward he had gone out from this world and from the Fire, to the Garden. This is the seal of the destiny of Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, “Allah the Mighty and Majestic said, ‘Those who approach me come with acts I love the most, the fara’id, then my servant draws nearer by extra, nawafil acts until I love him. When I love him I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand by which he grasps and his foot with which he walks.’”

In other words, the difference between those who are loved by Allah and those who are not loved by Allah is this knowledge by which we then understand the whole process by which we live our existence. It is by this tajalli, this i’tihad, that tawhid can be sustained. It is by this understanding of what Allah has promised to those who love Him — this is the secret of tawhid. We go to the last reference in the Qur’an in Surat al-Anfal, 8:17. Here, Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, is directly addressing Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. At the Battle of Badr, Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, took a handful of dust and threw it at the kuffar and they lost their place, they became unseated from their horses by this event of the Rasul’s doing this. It tipped the balance. Allah explains to Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “You did not throw when you threw, it was Allah who threw.” Here you see a clear description of this relationship between the creature and the Creator without any incarnation, without any penetration, without any association. The Lord is the Lord and the slave is the slave. Allah explains to the Rasul, “When you threw,” so Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did throw but He says, “You did not throw when you threw. It was Allah who threw.” This is the secret of existence unveiled by the presence of the Rasul, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, bringing wisdom to all the Muslims by it because his action is then explained by Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, in His revelation. It is a tremendous moment, it is like the lifting of a veil to let all the muminun understand. “You did not throw when you threw. It was Allah who threw.”

Thus the maqam of love is an elevated honour and love itself is the ‘asl, the principle of existence itself, of wujud. Shaykh al- Akbar said (ibnu Arabi), “From love we have come, by love we are made, towards love we go, to love we give ourselves.”

Decades ago, when I had just become Muslim, I met a very cultured and educated lady for whom I had great respect, and I told her I had become Muslim. She said, “Oh, that is very beautiful, Islam is a very beautiful religion. There is only one thing, which is that I have read the Qur’an and I found that there is a lot of violence in it.” This disturbed me because I did not know how to answer her. Many years later I was reading Imam al-Ghazali and he says, “When the kafir opens the Qur’an, he finds nothing in it but fighting and battles and blood and the Fire and all the terrible punishments that are due. When the mumin opens the Qur’an he finds gardens under which rivers flow and that Allah loves them. This is the secret of the Qur’an — that it has for its people what it has.” To that we would add that the kafir nevertheless finds in it a warning. Qur’an says in it, “Ya ayuhalladhina amanu,” and, “Ya ayuhalladhina kafiru.” So the kuffar have a warning and the muminun have guidance and we are the people of guidance, and we thank Allah for the gift of Islam, it is enough for us.

Supplication of Imam Ali al Murtaza (as)

2008-11-25T18:51:00.005+07:00

Bismillahirahmaniraheem

Allahuma Salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala Aali Muhammad

O Allah I am asking for your protection against the Day when nothing like wealth or children will be of use and only that person will benefit who will come with a pure heart.

And I am asking you for your protection against the Day when a wrongdoer will be biting the back of his hands in regret and will be saying, 'Oh, I wish I had chosen the way shown by the Prophet (of Allah),"

And I am asking for your protection against the Day when the sinners will be known by their faces, and will be taken by their hair and feet.

And I am asking for your protection against the Day when a father will not serve instead of his son nor will a son be punished instead of his father for anything, since Allah had promised thus and His promise is true.

And I am asking for your protection against the Day when a person will run away from his brother, his mother, his father, his wife, and children. That Day every person will have what he has earned for himself.

I am asking for your protection against the Day when the sinner would wish that he could ransom the wrath of Allah descending on him at that time with his children, his wife, his brother and relatives who gave him shelter and all those on earth, so that he be saved.

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Mighty and I am the low,

and who else can be merciful to low the except the Mighty?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Creator and I am the creature,

and who else can be merciful to creature the except the Creator?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Glorious and I am the miserable,

and who else can be merciful tto tthe miiserablle exceptt tthe Glloriious?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Powerful and I am the weak,

and who else can be merciful to the weak except the Powerful?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Wealthy and I am the Poor,

and who else can be merciful to the poor except the Wealthy?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Bestower and I am the beggar,
and who else can be merciful to the beggar except the Bestower?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Living and I am the dead,

and who else can be merciful to the dead except the Living?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Eternal and I am the transient,

and who else can be merciful to the transient except the Eternal?

My Lord, O my Lord, You
are the Permanent and I am the short-lived,

and who else can be merciful to the short-lived except the Permanent?

My Lord, O my Lord, You
are the Provider and I am the blessed,

and who else can be merciful to the blessed except the Provider?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Generous and I am the miser,
and who else can be merciful to the miser except the Generous?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Free and I am the aflicted,

and who else can be merciful to the aflicted except the Free?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are tthe Great and I am the insignificant,

and who else can be merciful to the insignificant except the Great?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Leading and I am tthe straying,

and who else can be merciful to the straying except the Leading?

My Lord, O my Lord,

You are the Merciful and I am the one shown mercy,

and who else can be merciful to the one shown mercy except the Merciful?

My Lord, O my Lord,

You are the Authority and I am the tried,

and who else can be merciful to the tried except the Authority?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Guide and I am the confused,,

and who else can be merciful to the confused except the Guide?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Forgiver and I am the sinner,,

and who else can be merciful to the sinner except the Forgiver?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Victor and I am the defeated,,

and who else can be merciful to the defeated except the Victor?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Nourisher and I am the nourished,,
and who else can be merciful to the nourished except the Nourisher?

My Lord, O my Lord,
You are the Posessor of every greatnes

and I am the humble, and who else can be merciful to the humble except the the Posessor of every greatnes ?

My Lord, O my Lord, have mercy on me by Your kindness,

and be pleased with me by Your Generosity
and Your Magnanimity and Your Grace,

O the Generous, and Beneficent,

O the Almighty and the Benefactor,

by your Mercy, O the most Kind..

Virtues Of Sayyida Fatima (Alaihi salam)

2008-11-25T18:27:00.002+07:00

The Family of Fatimah ( سلم اللہ عليھا ) is the Ahl-ulbait (People of the House)

Ans bin Malik (RA) narrates that when the Holy Prophet (SAW) used to come out for Fajr (dawn) prayer, as he passed the door of Fatimah ( Alaihi salam ), he used to say, “O ‘people of the house’, perform your prayer” and then he used to recite the following verse from the Holy Quran: “Allah only desires to keep away (all kinds of) impurity from you, O ‘people of the house’! (the Prophet’s family) and to totally purify you,” [al-Ahzab 33:33] (he did this) for six months.

Abu Saeed Khudri (RA) has said about the verse, “Allah only desires to keep away (all kinds of) impurity from you, O ‘people of the house’!…”, that it was revealed in honour of the following five personalities: the Messenger of Allah (SAW), Ali ( Alaihi salam ), Fatimah ( Alaihi salam ), Hasan ( Alaihi salam ) and Husain ( Alaihi salam ).

Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا ) is the leader of all women
Ayeshah ( رضي الله عنها ) narrates that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said during the illness in which he passed away, “Oh Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا )! Are you not pleased with the fact that you are the leader of the women of all the worlds, the leader of the women of this ummah (nation) and the leader of the women of all the believers.”

Ayeshah ( رضي الله عنها ) narrates, “Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا ) came and her way of walking was just like that of the Holy Prophet (SAW). The Holy Prophet (SAW) welcomed his beloved daughter and seated her on his right hand side or on the left hand side*. Then he whispered something to her which made her cry. So I asked her why she was crying. Then the Holy Prophet (SAW) whispered something to her and she laughed. So I said, ‘I have never seen happiness so close to sadness as I have seen today.’ I asked (Fatimah [ سلم الله عليها ]), ‘What did the Holy Prophet (SAW) say?’ She replied, ‘I cannot disclose the secret of the Messenger of Allah (SAW).’ When the Holy Prophet (SAW) passed away I asked her again (about this incident) and she replied, ‘The Holy Prophet (SAW) whispered to me, ‘Every year Jibraeel recites the whole of the Quran
with me once but this year he has recited it twice. I am sure that the end of my time in this world has come and indeed you are the first from my family who will come to me.’ This made me cry. Then the Holy Prophet (SAW) whispered, ‘Are you not happy with the fact that you are the leader of the women of Paradise or the leader of all Muslim women*.’ To this I laughed.’”

Masruq narrates from the Mother of the Believers Ayeshah ( رضي الله عنها ) that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Fatimah, are you not happy that you are the leader of the women of all the believers or the leader of the women of this ummah.*”

Abu Hurairah (RA) narrates that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “An angel in the skies who had not seen me requested permission from Allah (SWT) to see me (which he was granted); he told me the good news or brought me the news* that Fatimah ( سلم الله عليها ) is the leader of all women in my nation.”

Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا ) is the leader of women in Paradise
Hudhaifah (RA) narrates that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “There is an angel who before tonight had never come down to earth, asked permission from his Lord to offer slam (salutations) to me and to deliver the good news to me that Fatimah (سلم اللہ علیھا ) is the leader of all women of Paradise and Hasan (AS) and Husain (AS) are the leaders of all the youngsters in Paradise.”

Abdullah bin Abbas (RA) narrates that the Holy Prophet (SAW) drew four lines in the ground and asked, “Do you know what this is?” The companions replied, “Allah (SWT) and His Messenger (SAW) know better.” Then the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “From the women of Paradise four are superior to others: Khadijah the daughter of Khuwaylid, Fatimah the daughter of Muhammad, Asiyah the daughter of Mazahim the wife of Pharaoh and Maryam the daughter of Imran (RA).”

Allah (SWT) has forbidden Hell Fire for Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا ) and her family

Abdullah bin Abbas ( رضي الله عنهما ) narrates that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said to Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا ), “Allah (SWT) will not punish you and your children.”

Abdullah bin Masud ( رضي الله عنهما ) narrates that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Indeed Fatimah has protected her honour and purity in such a way that Allah has protected her and her children from the Fire.”

Jabir (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “My daughter was named Fatimah because Allah (SWT) has totally separated her and those who love her from the Fire.”

The mother of Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا ) is the best of all women
Abdullah bin Jafar (RA) narrates that he heard Ali ( كرم الله وجهه ) say that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “The most superior woman from the women of her time was Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (RA) and the most superior woman from the women of her time was Maryam bint Imran.”

Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا ), a part of the Prophet (SAW)
Miswar bin Makhramah (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “Fatimah is a part of me. Therefore, whosoever angers her angers me.”

Muhammad bin Ali narrates that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “Indeed Fatimah is a part of me. Hence, whosoever angers her angers me.”

Imam Ali (AS) narrates, “He was present in the company of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) when the Holy Prophet (SAW) asked, ‘What is best for a woman’ on this the companions remained quiet. When I returned home I asked Fatimah, ‘Tell me what is best for a woman?’ Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا ) replied, ‘It is best for a woman that no men (i.e. outside of one’s immediate family: brothers, father, uncle, husband, sons) see her.’ I mentioned this to the Holy Prophet (SAW) and he (SAW) said, ‘Indeed Fatimah is a part of me.’”

The Holy Prophet (SAW) used to stand up for Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا )
The Mother of the Believers Ayeshah ( رضي الله عنها ) narrates that when the Holy Prophet (SAW) used to see Fatimah coming he would welcome her, then he (SAW) would stand up for her, kiss her, bring her inside by holding her hand and seat her in his (SAW) own place. Whenever Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا ) saw the Holy Prophet (SAW) arrive, she used to welcome him (SAW), stand up for him (SAW) and kiss the Holy Prophet (SAW).

The Mother of the Believers Ayeshah ( رضي الله عنها ) narrates that when Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا ) used to arrive in the presence of the Holy Prophet (SAW), he (SAW) used to welcome her by standing up and used to hold her hand and kiss it then seat her where he (SAW) was sitting.

Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا ): the centre of love for the Holy Prophet (SAW) on earth
Jumai bin Umair Taymi (RA) narrates that he visited Ayeshah ( رضي الله عنها ) in the company of his paternal aunt and asked her, “Who was the most beloved to the Holy Prophet (SAW)?” The Mother of the Believers ( رضي الله عنها ) replied, “Fatimah.” “And who from among the men?” she was asked again. She replied, “Her husband. As far as I know he fasts a great deal and he often stays awake at length during nights in order to worship Allah (SWT).”

Buraidah (RA) narrates that from women Fatimah was the most beloved to the Holy Prophet (SAW) and from the men Ali ( كرم الله وجهه ) was most dear to him (SAW).

The pleasure of Fatimah ( سلم اللہ علیھا ) is the pleasure of the Holy Prophet (SAW)
Miswar bin Makhramah (RA) narrates that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Indeed, Fatimah is my fruitful branch; whatever makes her happy also makes me happy. Whatever hurts her hurts me.”

Saeed bin Aban Qarshi narrates that Abdullah bin Hasan bin Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib (AS), who was still a young boy with his hair reaching his ears, went to Umar bin Abd-ul-Aziz (RA). (On his arrival) Umar bin Abd-ul-Aziz (RA) concluded his meeting and welcomed his guest and fulfilled his needs. He then pressed the stomach of the boy to the extent that the boy felt some pain. Umar bin Abd-ul-Aziz said, “(On the Day of Judgement) at the time of intercession remember this.” On the departure of the boy, the people taunted Umar bin Abd-ul-Aziz and said, “You showed so much respect to a young boy?” On this Umar bin Abd-ul-Aziz said, “I have heard a saying of the Holy Prophet (SAW) from an authentic narrator; it is as though I have heard it directly from the Messenger of Allah (SAW) (saying), ‘Indeed, Fatimah is a part of me and whatever pleases her pleases me.’” (Umar bin Umar bin Abd-ul-Aziz then added), “I am sure that if Fatimah (سلم اللہ علیھا) ) was alive today, she would be happy at the way I treated her son.” Then the people asked, “What is the meaning of your squeezing the boy’s stomach and what did you mean by the word that you said?” To this Umar bin Abd-ul-Aziz replied, “There is not a single person from the clan of Bani Hashim who has not been given the power to intercede. I just wanted to earn the right to the boy’s intercession.”

Allahuma Salli ala Muhammad wa ala Aali Muhammad wa Ashabihil Akhyar

(Transcript from Book Virtues Of Hadhrat Fatima By Dr.Tahir ul Qadri)

Miracle Of The Prophet Saww - Based On Sahih Bukhari II

2008-11-25T18:13:00.000+07:00

SAHIH AL-BUKHARI

Volumn 001, Book 004, Hadith Number 241.

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Narated By 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud : Once the Prophet was offering prayers at the Ka'ba. Abu Jahl was sitting with some of his companions. One of them said to the others, "Who amongst you will bring the abdominal contents (intestines, etc.) of a camel of Bani so and so and put it on the back of Muhammad, when he prostrates?" The most unfortunate of them got up and brought it. He waited till the Prophet prostrated and then placed it on his back between his shoulders. I was watching but could not do any thing. I wish I had some people with me to hold out against them. They started laughing and falling on one another. Allah's Apostle was in prostration and he did not lift his head up till Fatima (Prophet's daughter) came and threw that (camel's abdominal contents) away from his back. He raised his head and said thrice, "O Allah! Punish Quraish." So it was hard for Abu Jahl and his companions when the Prophet invoked Allah against them as they had a conviction that the prayers and invocations were accepted in this city (Mecca). The Prophet said, "O Allah! Punish Abu Jahl, 'Utba bin Rabi'a, Shaiba bin Rabi'a, Al-Walid bin 'Utba, Umaiya bin Khalaf, and 'Uqba bin Al Mu'it (and he mentioned the seventh whose name I cannot recall). By Allah in Whose Hands my life is, I saw the dead bodies of those persons who were counted by Allah's Apostle in the Qalib (one of the wells) of Badr. DUA AGAINST THE QURAISH.

Volumn 004, Book 052, Hadith Number 297.

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Narated By Abu Huraira : We were in the company of Allah's Apostle in a Ghazwa, and he remarked about a man who claimed to be a Muslim, saying, "This (man) is from the people of the (Hell) Fire." When the battle started, the man fought violently till he got wounded. Somebody said, "O Allah's Apostle! The man whom you described as being from the people of the (Hell) Fire fought violently today and died." The Prophet said, "He will go to the (Hell) Fire." Some people were on the point of doubting (the truth of what the Prophet had said) while they were in this state, suddenly someone said that he was still alive but severely wounded. When night fell, he lost patience and committed suicide. The Prophet was informed of that, and he said, "Allah is Greater! I testify that I am Allah's Slave and His Apostle." Then he ordered Bilal to announce amongst the people: 'None will enter Paradise but a Muslim, and Allah may support this religion (i.e. Islam) even with a disobedient man.' THE HOLY PROPHET (Sallalaho Alaihi Wa Aali Wasallam) BEING AWARE OF OTHER PEOPLE’S STATE AND ACTIONS.

Volumn 004, Book 055, Hadith Number 558.

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Narated By Ibn 'Abbas : The Prophet said, "I have been made victorious with As-Saba (i.e. an easterly wind) and the people of 'Ad were destroyed by Ad-Dabur (i.e. a westerly wind)." Narrated Abu Said: Ali sent a piece of gold to the Prophet who distributed it among four persons: Al-Aqra' bin Habis Al-Hanzali from the tribe of Mujashi, 'Uyaina bin Badr Al-Fazari, Zaid At-Ta'i who belonged to (the tribe of) Bani Nahban, and 'Alqama bin Ulatha Al-'Amir who belonged to (the tribe of) Bani Kilab. So the Quraish and the Ansar became angry and said, "He (i.e. the Prophet) gives the chief of Najd and does not give us." The Prophet said, "I give them) so as to attract their hearts (to Islam)." Then a man with sunken eyes, prominent checks, a raised forehead, a thick beard and a shaven head, came (in front of the Prophet) and said, "Be afraid of Allah, O Muhammad!" The Prophet ' said "Who would obey Allah if I disobeyed Him? (Is it fair that) Allah has trusted all the people of the earth to me while, you do not trust me?" Somebody who, I think was Khalid bin Al-Walid, requested the Prophet to let him chop that man's head off, but he prevented him. When the man left, the Prophet said, "Among the off-spring of this man will be some who will recite the Qur'an but the Qur'an will not reach beyond their throats (i.e. they will recite like parrots and will not understand it nor act on it), and they will renegade from the religion as an arrow goes through the game's body. They will kill the Muslims but will not disturb the idolaters. If I should live up to their time' I will kill them as the people of 'Ad were killed (i.e. I will kill all of them)." EMERGENCE OF FITNA FROM HYPROCRITES.

Volumn 008, Book 076, Hadith Number 459.

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Narated By Abu Huraira : By Allah except Whom none has the right to- be worshipped, (sometimes) I used to lay (sleep) on the ground on my liver (abdomen) because of hunger, and (sometimes) I used to bind a stone over my belly because of hunger. One day I sat by the way from where they (the Prophet and h is companions) used to come out. When Abu Bakr passed by, I asked him about a Verse from Allah's Book and I asked him only that he might satisfy my hunger, but he passed by and did not do so. Then Umar passed by me and I asked him about a Verse from Allah's Book, and I asked him only that he might satisfy my hunger, but he passed by without doing so. Finally Abu-l-Qasim (the Prophet) passed by me and he smiled when he saw me, for he knew what was in my heart and on my face. He said, "O Aba Hirr (Abu Huraira)!" I replied, "Labbaik, O Allah's Apostle!" He said to me, "Follow me." He left and I followed him.

Volumn 003, Book 034, Hadith Number 310.

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Narated By Jabir bin 'Abdullah : I was with the Prophet in a Ghazwa (Military Expedition) and my camel was slow and exhausted. The Prophet came up to me and said, "O Jabir." I replied, "Yes?" He said, "What is the matter with you?" I replied, "My camel is slow and tired, so I am left behind." So, he got down and poked the camel with his stick and then ordered me to ride. I rode the camel and it became so fast that I had to hold it from going ahead of Allah's Apostle.(part of a long hadith). THE CAMEL OF HAZRAT SAYIDNA JABIR (Radi Allah Ta’ala Anhu) BECOMES FAST.

Volumn 005, Book 057, Hadith Number 100.

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Narated By Ibn Abbas : Once the Prophet embraced me (pressed me to his chest) and said, "O Allah, teach him wisdom (i.e. the understanding of the knowledge of Qur'an)." DUA FOR HAZRAT SAYIDNA IBN ABBAS (Radi Allah Ta’ala Anhu).

Volumn 005, Book 059, Hadith Number 472.

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Narated By Al-Bara bin Azib : That they were in the company of Allah's Apostle on the day of Al-Hudaibiya and their number was 1400 or more. They camped at a well and drew its water till it was dried. When they informed Allah's Apostle of that, he came and sat over its edge and said, "Bring me a bucket of its water." When it was brought, he spat and invoked (Allah) and said, "Leave it for a while." Then they quenched their thirst and watered their riding animals (from that well) till they departed. MIRACLE OF THE BLESSED SPITTLE.

Volumn 005, Book 058, Hadith Number 199.

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Narated By 'Abdur-Rahman : "I asked Masruq, 'Who informed the Prophet about the Jinns at the night when they heard the Qur'an?' He said, 'Your father 'Abdullah informed me that a tree informed the Prophet about them.'" TALKING TO TREES.

Then he entered the house and I asked permission to enter and was admitted. He found milk in a bowl and said, "From where is this milk?" They said, "It has been presented to you by such-and-such man (or by such and such woman)." He said, "O Aba Hirr!" I said, "Labbaik, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "Go and call the people of Suffa to me." These people of Suffa were the guests of Islam who had no families, nor money, nor anybody to depend upon, and whenever an object of charity was brought to the Prophet , he would send it to them and would not take anything from it, and whenever any present was given to him, he used to send some for them and take some of it for himself. The order off the Prophet upset me, and I said to myself, "How will this little milk be enough for the people of As-Suffa?" thought I was more entitled to drink from that milk in order to strengthen myself, but behold! The Prophet came to order me to give that milk to them. I wondered what will remain of that milk for me, but anyway, I could not but obey Allah and His Apostle so I went to the people of As-Suffa and called them, and they came and asked the Prophet's permission to enter. They were admitted and took their seats in the house.

The Prophet said, "O Aba-Hirr!" I said, "Labbaik, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "Take it and give it to them." So I took the bowl (of Milk) and started giving it to one man who would drink his fill and return it to me, whereupon I would give it to another man who, in his turn, would drink his fill and return it to me, and I would then offer it to another man who would drink his fill and return it to me. Finally, after the whole group had drunk their fill, I reached the Prophet who took the bowl and put it on his hand, looked at me and smiled and said. "O Aba Hirr!" I replied, "Labbaik, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "There remain you and I." I said, "You have said the truth, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "Sit down and drink." I sat down and drank. He said, "Drink," and I drank. He kept on telling me repeatedly to drink, till I said, "No. by Allah Who sent you with the Truth, I have no space for it (in my stomach)." He said, "Hand it over to me." When I gave him the bowl, he praised Allah and pronounced Allah's Name on it and drank the remaining milk. MILK SERVED 70 COMPANIONS OF THE AHL-US-SUFFA.

Volumn 003, Book 038, Hadith Number 505B.

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Narated By Abu Huraira : Allah's Apostle deputed me to keep Sadaqat (al-Fitr) of Ramadan. A comer came and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff (of the Sadaqa) (stealthily). I took hold of him and said, "By Allah, I will take you to Allah's Apostle." He said, "I am needy and have many dependents, and I am in great need." I released him, and in the morning Allah's Apostle asked me, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" I said, "O Allah's Apostle! The person complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so, I pitied him and let him go." Allah's Apostle said, "Indeed, he told you a lie and he will be coming again." I believed that he would show up again as Allah's Apostle had told me that he would return. So, I waited for him watchfully. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, "I will definitely take you to Allah's Apostle. He said, "Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again." I pitied him and let him go.

In the morning Allah's Apostle asked me, "What did your prisoner do." I replied, "O Allah's Apostle! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free." Allah's Apostle said, "Verily, he told you a lie and he will return." I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, "I will surely take you to Allah's Apostle as it is the third time you promise not to return, yet you break your promise and come." He said, "(Forgive me and) I will teach you some words with which Allah will benefit you." I asked, "What are they?" He replied, "Whenever you go to bed, recite "Ayat-al-Kursi"... 'Allahu la ilaha illa huwa-l-Haiy-ul Qaiyum' till you finish the whole verse. (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no satan will come near you till morning. " So, I released him. In the morning, Allah's Apostle asked, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" I replied, "He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will benefit me, so I let him go." Allah's Apostle asked, "What are they?" I replied, "He said to me, 'Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat-al-Kursi from the beginning to the end... Allahu la ilaha illa huwa-lHaiy-ul-Qaiyum.' He further said to me, '(If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Satan will come near you till morning.' (Abu Huraira or another sub-narrator) added that they (the companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet said, "He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Abu Huraira?" Abu Huraira said, "No." He said, "It was Satan." INFORMING OF SATAN AND HIS DECEPTION.

Volumn 005, Book 059, Hadith Number 371.

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Narated By Al-Bara bin Azib : Allah's Apostle sent some men from the Ansar to ((kill) Abu Rafi, the Jew, and appointed 'Abdullah bin Atik as their leader. Abu Rafi used to hurt Allah's Apostle and help his enemies against him. He lived in his castle in the land of Hijaz. When those men approached (the castle) after the sun had set and the people had brought back their livestock to their homes. Abdullah (bin Atik) said to his companions, "Sit down at your places. I am going, and I will try to play a trick on the gate-keeper so that I may enter (the castle)." So 'Abdullah proceeded towards the castle, and when he approached the gate, he covered himself with his clothes, pretending to answer the call of nature. The people had gone in, and the gate-keeper (considered 'Abdullah as one of the castle's servants) addressing him saying, "O Allah's Servant! Enter if you wish, for I want to close the gate." 'Abdullah added in his story, "So I went in (the castle) and hid myself. When the people got inside, the gate-keeper closed the gate and hung the keys on a fixed wooden peg. I got up and took the keys and opened the gate. Some people were staying late at night with Abu Rafi for a pleasant night chat in a room of his. When his companions of nightly entertainment went away, I ascended to him, and whenever I opened a door, I closed it from inside. I said to myself, 'Should these people discover my presence, they will not be able to catch me till I have killed him.' So I reached him and found him sleeping in a dark house amidst his family, I could not recognize his location in the house. So I shouted, 'O Abu Rafi!' Abu Rafi said, 'Who is it?' I proceeded towards the source of the voice and hit him with the sword, and because of my perplexity, I could not kill him. He cried loudly, and I came out of the house and waited for a while, and then went to him again and said, 'What is this voice, O Abu Rafi?' He said, 'Woe to your mother! A man in my house has hit me with a sword! I again hit him severely but I did not kill him. Then I drove the point of the sword into his belly (and pressed it through) till it touched his back, and I realized that I have killed him. I then opened the doors one by one till I reached the staircase, and thinking that I had reached the ground, I stepped out and fell down and got my leg broken in a moonlit night. I tied my leg with a turban and proceeded on till I sat at the gate, and said, 'I will not go out tonight till I know that I have killed him.' So, when (early in the morning) the cock crowed, the announcer of the casualty stood on the wall saying, 'I announce the death of Abu Rafi, the merchant of Hijaz. Thereupon I went to my companions and said, 'Let us save ourselves, for Allah has killed Abu Rafi,' So I (along with my companions proceeded and) went to the Prophet and described the whole story to him. "He said, 'Stretch out your (broken) leg. I stretched it out and he rubbed it and it became All right as if I had never had any ailment whatsoever." HEALING OF THE BROKEN LEG.

Miracle Of The Prophet Saww - Based On Sahih Bukhari I

2008-11-25T18:02:00.003+07:00

SAHIH AL-BUKHARI

Volumn 001, Book 004, Hadith Number 194.

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Narated By Anas : It was the time for prayer, and those whose houses were near got up and went to their people (to perform ablution), and there remained some people (sitting). Then a painted stove pot (Mikhdab) containing water was brought to Allah's Apostles The pot was small, not broad enough for one to spread one's hand in; yet all the people performed ablution. (The sub narrator said, "We asked Anas, 'How many persons were you?' Anas replied 'We were eighty or more"). (It was one of the miracles of Allah's Apostle). FLOWING OF WATER FROM BLESSING HAND.

Volumn 001, Book 007, Hadith Number 340.

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Narated By 'Imran : Once we were travelling with the Prophet and we carried on travelling till the last part of the night and then we (halted at a place) and slept (deeply). There is nothing sweeter than sleep for a traveller in the last part of the night. So it was only the heat of the sun that made us to wake up and the first to wake up was so and so, then so and so and then so and so (the narrator 'Auf said that Abu Raja' had told him their names but he had forgotten them) and the fourth person to wake up was 'Umar bin Al-Khattab. And whenever the Prophet used to sleep, nobody would wake up him till he himself used to get up as we did not know what was happening (being revealed) to him in his sleep. So, 'Umar got up and saw the condition of the people, and he was a strict man, so he said, "Allahu Akbar" and raised his voice with Takbir, and kept on saying loudly till the Prophet got up because of it. When he got up, the people informed him about what had happened to them. He said, "There is no harm (or it will not be harmful). Depart!" So they departed from that place, and after covering some distance the Prophet stopped and asked for some water to perform the ablution. So he performed the ablution and the call for the prayer was pronounced and he led the people in prayer. After he finished from the prayer, he saw a man sitting aloof who had not prayed with the people. He asked, "O so and so! What has prevented you from praying with us?" He replied, "I am Junub and there is no water. " The Prophet said, "Perform Tayammum with (clean) earth and that is sufficient for you."

Then the Prophet proceeded on and the people complained to him of thirst. Thereupon he got down and called a person (the narrator 'Auf added that Abu Raja' had named him but he had forgotten) and 'Ali, and ordered them to go and bring water. So they went in search of water and met a woman who was sitting on her camel between two bags of water. They asked, "Where can we find water?" She replied, "I was there (at the place of water) this hour yesterday and my people are behind me." They requested her to accompany them. She asked, "Where?" They said, "To Allah's Apostle." She said, "Do you mean the man who is called the Sabi, (with a new religion)?" They replied, "Yes, the same person. So come along." They brought her to the Prophet and narrated the whole story. He said, "Help her to dismount." The Prophet asked for a pot, then he opened the mouths of the bags and poured some water into the pot. Then he closed the big openings of the bags and opened the small ones and the people were called upon to drink and water their animals. So they all watered their animals and they (too) all quenched their thirst and also gave water to others and last of all the Prophet gave a pot full of water to the person who was Junub and told him to pour it over his body. The woman was standing and watching all that which they were doing with her water. By Allah, when her water bags were returned they looked like as if they were more full (of water) than they had been before (Miracle of Allah's Apostle) Then the Prophet ordered us to collect something for her; so dates, flour and Sawiq were collected which amounted to a good meal that was put in a piece of cloth. She was helped to ride on her camel and that cloth full of food-stuff was also placed in front of her and then the Prophet said to her, "We have not taken your water but Allah has given water to us." She returned home late. Her relatives asked her: "O so and so what has delayed you?" She said, "A strange thing! Two men met me and took me to the man who is called the Sabi' and he did such and such a thing. By Allah, he is either the greatest magician between this and this (gesturing with her index and middle fingers raising them towards the sky indicating the heaven and the earth) or he is Allah's true Apostle."

Afterwards the Muslims used to attack the pagans around her abode but never touched her village. One day she said to her people, "I think that these people leave you purposely. Have you got any inclination to Islam?" They obeyed her and all of them embraced Islam. FLOW OF WATER FROM BLESSED HAND

Volumn 001, Book 008, Hadith Number 454.

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Narated By Anas bin Malik : Two of the companions of the Prophet departed from him on a dark night and were led by two lights like lamps (going in front of them from Allah as a miracle) lighting the way in front of them, and when they parted, each of them was accompanied by one of these lights till he reached their (respective) houses. MIRACLE OF THE TWO LIGHTS

Volumn 002, Book 017, Hadith Number 126.

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Narated By Sharik bin 'Abdullah bin Abi Namir : I heard Anas bin Malik saying, "On a Friday a person entered the main Mosque through the gate facing the pulpit while Allah's Apostle was delivering the Khutba. The man stood in front of Allah's Apostle and said, 'O Allah's Apostle! The livestock are dying and the roads are cut off; so please pray to Allah for rain.' " Anas added, "Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain!' " Anas added, "By Allah, we could not see any trace of cloud in the sky and there was no building or a house between us and (the mountains of) Sila." Anas added, "A heavy cloud like a shield appeared from behind it (i.e. Sila' Mountain). When it came in the middle of the sky, it spread and then rained." Anas further said, "By Allah! We could not see the sun for a week. Next Friday a person entered through the same gate and at that time Allah's Apostle was delivering the Friday's Khutba. The man stood in front of him and said, 'O Allah's Apostle! The livestock are dying and the roads are cut off, please pray to Allah to with-hold rain.' " Anas added, "Allah's Apostle I raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Round about us and not on us. O Allah! On the plateaus, on the mountains, on the hills, in the valleys and on the places where trees grow.' So the rain stopped and we came out walking in the sun." Sharik asked Anas whether it was the same person who had asked for the rain (the last Friday). Anas replied that he did not know. DOING DUA FOR RAIN IN DROUGHT.

Volumn 003, Book 034, Hadith Number 337.

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Narated By Jabir : Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Haram died and was in debt to others. I asked the Prophet to intercede with his creditors for some reduction in the debts. The Prophet requested them (to reduce the debts) but they refused. The Prophet said to me, "Go and put your dates (In heaps) according to their different kinds. The Ajwa on one side, the cluster of Ibn Zaid on another side, etc... Then call me." I did that and called the Prophet He came and sat at the head or in the middle of the heaps and ordered me. Measure (the dates) for the people (creditors)." I measured for them till I paid all the debts. My dates remained as it nothing had been taken from them. In other narrations, Jabir said; The Prophet said, "He (i.e. 'Abdullah) continued measuring for them till he paid all the debts." The Prophet said (to 'Abdullah), "Cut (clusters) for him (i.e. one of the creditors) and measure for him fully." INCREASE IN DATES.

Volumn 005, Book 058, Hadith Number 208.

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Narated By Anas bin Malik : The people of Mecca asked Allah's Apostle to show them a miracle. So he showed them the moon split in two halves between which they saw the Hiram' mountain.SPLITTING OF THE MOON.

Volumn 004, Book 056, Hadith Number 783.

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Narated By Ibn Umar : The Prophet used to deliver his sermons while standing beside a trunk of a date-palm. When he had the pulpit made, he used it instead. The trunk started crying and the Prophet went to it, rubbing his hand over it (to stop its crying). CRYING OF THE TRUNK.

Volumn 001, Book 008, Hadith Number 410.

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Narated By Abu Huraira : Allah's Apostle said, "Do you consider or see that my face is towards the Qibla? By Allah, neither your submissiveness nor your bowing is hidden from me, surely I see you from my back." THE HOLY PROPHET (Sallalaho Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam) BEING AWARE OF OTHER PEOPLE’S STATE AND ACTIONS.

Volumn 002, Book 023, Hadith Number 428.

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Narated By 'Uqba bin 'Amir : One day the Prophet went out and offered the funeral prayers of the martyrs of Uhud and then went up the pulpit and said, "I will pave the way for you as your predecessor and will be a witness on you. By Allah! I see my Fount (Kauthar) just now and I have been given the keys of all the treasures of the earth (or the keys of the earth). By Allah! I am not afraid that you will worship others along with Allah after my death, but I am afraid that you will fight with one another for the worldly things." ABLE TO SEE THE KAUTHAR (BLESSED POOL).

Volumn 001, Book 012, Hadith Number 712.

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Narated By Asma' bint Abi Bakr : The Prophet once offered the eclipse prayer. He stood for a long time and then did a prolonged bowing. He stood up straight again and kept on standing for a long time, then bowed a long bowing and then stood up straight and then prostrated a prolonged prostration and then lifted his head and prostrated a prolonged prostration. And then he stood up for a long time and then did a prolonged bowing and then stood up straight again and kept on standing for a long time. Then he bowed a long bowing and then stood up straight and then prostrated a prolonged prostration and then lifted his head and went for a prolonged prostration. On completion o the prayer, he said, "Paradise became s near to me that if I had dared, I would have plucked one of its bunches for you and Hell became so near to me that I said, 'O my Lord will I be among those people?' Then suddenly I saw a woman and a cat was lacerating her with it claws. On inquiring, it was said that the woman had imprisoned the cat till it died of starvation and she neither fed it no freed it so that it could feed itself." WITNESSING PARADISE AND HELL.

Volumn 004, Book 054, Hadith Number 414.

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Narrated 'Umar: One day the Prophet stood up amongst us for a long period and informed us about the beginning of creation (and talked about everything in detail) till he mentioned how the people of Paradise will enter their places and the people of Hell will enter their places. Some remembered what he had said, and some forgot it. INFORMATION OF KNOWLEDGE FROM BEGINNING OF CREATION TO END.

On spiritual death

2008-11-24T18:32:00.001+07:00

The Fourth Teaching
From Futuh al Ghayb

When you are dead to the creation, it will be said to you: "May God have mercy on you," and God will make you die out of the desires of the flesh. And when you die out of the desires of the flesh it will be said to you: "May God have mercy on you."

Then He will give you death in your will and desires; and when you are dead in your will and desires it will be said to you: "May God have mercy on you," and He will restore you to (a new) life.

Then you will be given a life after which there is no death, and you will be enriched with a wealth after which there is no poverty. And you will be awarded a gift after which there will be no obstruction, and you will be made happy with a happiness after which there will be no sorrow and misery, and you will be blessed with a blessing after which there will be no adversity; and you will be equipped with a knowledge after which there will be no ignorance; and you will be given a security after which there will be no fear; and you will be made to prosper so as not to be unlucky; and you will be honoured so as not to be dishonoured; and you will be made near (to God) so as not to be kept away; and you will be exalted so as not to be lowered; and you will be honoured so as not to be abused; and you will be purified so as not to be polluted any more.

Then the fulfilment of all hopes and the (flattering) remarks (of people) will assume reality in your case. You will then become the philosopher's stone so much so that you will elude being recognised (in your elevated position), and you will be so exalted that you will have no like of yourself, unique so that you will have no peer and no equal. You will become unique and peerless, most hidden and most secret.

You will then become the successor of every messenger and prophet of God and every truthful man {siddiq). You will become the finishing point of all saintliness {wilayat) and the living saints will flock to you. And through you will difficulties be solved and through your prayers will the clouds, rain and the fields yield harvest; through your prayers will be removed the calamities and troubles of the rank and file of people (in the country) — even of those living in the frontiers, of the rulers and the subjects, of the leaders and the followers and of all creatures. So you will be the police officer (so to speak) for cities and people.

The people will traverse distances and hasten towards you and they will bring gifts and offerings and render you service, in every condition of life, by the permission of the Creator of things. The tongues of people will (at the same time) be busy everywhere with applause and praise for you. And no two persons of faith will differ with regard to you. 0! the best of those who live in populated areas and those who travel about, this is the grace of God and God is the Possessor of mighty grace.

The way of love

2008-11-24T18:13:00.002+07:00

From about the thirteenth century onward, few themes play
as important a role in Sufi teachings as love. Historians have
commonly spoken of a gradual development of Sufism that
begins in a mysticism of asceticism and fear, slowly changes to
an emphasis on love and devotion, and then turns to stressing
knowledge and gnosis. Some have suggested that these three
ways of approaching God correspond with the three basic
Hindu paths – karma yoga, bhakti yoga, and jnana yoga.
Whatever the heuristic value of such schemes, there can be no
doubt that from earliest times Muslims who strove to gain
nearness to God did so through activity, love, and knowledge.
Any close reading of the Koran will make clear that it prefigures
the diverse possibilities of the soul’s unfolding. And any close
reading of Sufi literature will reveal sophisticated insights into
the soul’s complexity at every period.
It might be argued that Islam is built on karma yoga, since
everyone without exception must observe the Sharia, which
sets down the path of conforming to God’s will through activity.
One can also argue that Muslims and Sufis stress jnana yoga,
because, generally speaking, they place a higher value on knowledge
than do Jews or Christians. Nonetheless, Sufism gives a
certain pride of place to love. In what follows, I want to make a
few brief suggestions as to the significance of love as expressed
in the two great watersheds of the tradition, Rumi and Ibn
Arabi. I do not wish to suggest that either neglected the paths of
knowledge and activity, and indeed, in the case of Ibn Arabi, a
strong argument can be made that he gave priority to knowledge.

Rather, I simply want to bring out the basic Sufi under-standing of love’s reality, given that love is so often the central concern of the texts. Although love is rarely emphasized in the earliest expressions of Sufism, the Koran speaks of love in a number of key verses that clarify its essential role. We have already discussed one of these verses, which tells us that God’s love for people grows up in keeping with their success in conforming themselves to the Prophet’s example. Although this verse speaks of love for God as a precondition for receiving God’s love in return, all the great lovers recognized that what stirs up love for God in the first place is God’s love for human beings.

People could not love God if He did not already love them. The Hadith of the Hidden Treasure makes precisely this point – God created people out of love for them. The most often cited Koranic proof text for this hierarchy of love is the verse, “He loves them, and they love Him” (5:54). First God loves human beings, then human beings love God. Once they come to love Him, His love for them will increase to the extent that they follow the Prophet, purify and cultivate their souls, remember God ceaselessly, and become perfect human beings.

Whether or not love is mentioned, the earliest expressions of Sufism’s reality tend to take the form of pithy sayings touching on a great variety of topics having to do with the path to God. Two or three figures appear who are looked back upon as exemplars of the life of love, like Rabi’a and Hallaj. But from the eleventh to the thirteenth centuries – the fifth to the seventh Islamic centuries – a number of extremely important authors appear who map out a detailed psychology of love.

The famous Ghazali sometimes writes about human and divine love, but his less well-known brother, Ahmad Ghazali (d. 1126), devotes most of his relatively short Persian work, Sawanih, to love as the underlying, unitive reality of the soul. This work then provides inspiration for dozens of later treatises. Ahmad’s disciple Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani (d. 1131) played an important role in formulating a psychology and metaphysics of love. Perhaps most profound and original in approach – in a period of many great masters – was Ahmad Sam’ani (d. 1140), even though he has remained almost completely unknown to modern scholars.

Somewhat later appeared the great Persian poet Attar (d. 1221), whose works mapped out all the themes of love. Despite the large number of authors who wrote on divine and human love, Ibn Arabi and Rumi can be considered the two greatest masters of the tradition. Ibn Arabi was born in Murcia in Spain and died in Damascus in 1240. He wrote prolifically in Arabic and came to be considered the foremost Sufi theologian and philosopher. In later centuries, his name became almost synonymous with the expression wahdat al-wujud, “the Unity of Being,” a doctrine that was often taken as encapsulating his perspective. He composed more than five hundred prose works, some of them enormously long. He also wrote something like twenty thousand verses of poetry.

His younger contemporary, Rumi, was born in Baikh in present-day Afghanistan and moved in his youth to Anatolia, eventually settling in Konya in present-day Turkey, where he died in 1273. He composed about sixty-five thousand verses of breathtaking Persian poetry along with three short prose works. The Persianate world, from Turkey to India, looks back upon Rumi as the greatest spiritual poet of history, just as the whole Islamic world considers Ibn Arabi the greatest Sufi theoretician.

Ibn Arabi and Rumi belong to two different strands of Sufism. Each in his own way marks the high point of the tradition. Most formulations of Sufi teachings after them are inspired to some degree by the writings of one or both. Their perspectives differed in many ways, but they also share numerous common themes, especially on the issue of love. In what follows, I will illustrate how Ibn Arabi explains something of love’s reality and offer a few appropriate examples of Rumi’s poetical expressions of the same ideas.

From Sufism - A Beginner Guide

Dhikr - Remembrance Of Allah

2008-11-24T18:12:00.000+07:00

Spiritual Advice Of Imam Ja'far Shadiq

Kitab Lantern Of The Path - Imam Ja'far Shadiq

(Translated By Shaykh Fadhlullah Haeri)

He who truly remembers Allah (SWT) is the one who obeys Him: whoever forgets is disobedient. Obedience is the mark of guidance, disobedience the sign of misguidance. The root of both states lies in remembrance (dhikr) and forgetfulness. Make your heart the focal point of your tongue, which should not move unless the heart indicates, the intellect agrees and your tongue accords with belief. Almighty Allah (SWT) knows what you conceal and what you reveal.

Be like someone who has shed his soul from his body, or like someone who is attending the great parade on the Day of Reckoning, not distracting yourself from the obligations which your Lord has laid on you in His commands and prohibitions, His promise and His threat. Do not be occupied with yourself rather than with the duties laid down for you by your Lord. Wash your heart clean with the water of sorrow and fear; make remembrance of Allah (SWT) part of His most glorious remembrance of you. He remembers you, but He does not need you. His remembrance of you is more glorious, more desirable, more praiseworthy, A more complete and more ancient than your remembrance of Him.

The knowledge you obtain by His remembrance of you will beget you humility, modesty and contrition, which will in turn be the cause of your witnessing His nobility and previous, overflowing favor. The latter will then belittle your obedience in your own eyes, however copious it may be as a result of His favors; and you will be sincerely devoted to Him. But your consciousness and esteem of your own remembrance of Him will lead to showing off, pride, foolishness and coarseness in your character, for it means attaching too much importance to your obedience while forgetting His overflowing favor and generosity.

It will only make you more distant from Him, and all that you will acquire with the passing of the days is alienation. There are two sorts of remembrance: sincere remembrance with which the heart is in harmony, and remembrance which arises through banishing any remembrance of other than Allah (SWT).

As the Messenger of Allah said, 'I cannot do justice in properly praising You as You praise Yourself.' The Messenger of Allah did not set any limit on remembering Allah (SWT), since he knew the truth that Allah (SWT)'s remembrance of His bondsman was greater than the bondsman's remembrance of Him. Thus it is even more fitting that whoever comes after the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) should not set any limits, and whoever wants to remember Allah (SWT) should know that as long as Allah (SWT) does not remember the bondsman by granting him success in remembering Him, that bondsman will not be able to remember Him.

Thankfulness

2008-11-24T18:10:00.000+07:00

Spiritual Advice Of Imam Ja'far Shadiq

Kitab Lantern Of The Path - Imam Ja'far Shadiq

(Translated By Shaykh Fadhlullah Haeri)

Very few of my servants are grateful. (Q. 34:13)

On Knowledge

2008-11-24T18:09:00.000+07:00

Spiritual Advice Of Imam Ja'far Shadiq

Kitab Lantern Of The Path - Imam Ja'far Shadiq

(Translated By Shaykh Fadhlullah Haeri)

Knowledge is the basis of every sublime state and the culmination of every high station. That is why the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, 'It is the duty of every Muslim, man and woman, to seek knowledge,' that is, the knowledge of precaution (taqwa) and certainty. Imam 'Ali (peace be upon him) said, "Seek knowledge, though it be in China,' meaning the knowledge of gnosis of the self, in it is contained knowledge of the Lord. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, 'Whoever knows his own self knows his Lord; more over, you should acquire that knowledge without which no action is correct, and that is sincerity ... We seek refuge with Allah (SWT) from knowledge which has no benefit', that is, from knowledge which is contrary to actions performed with sincerity.

Know that a small amount of knowledge requires a great deal of action, because knowledge of the Hour' requires the person who has such knowledge to act accordingly during his entire life. 'Isa (peace be upon him) said, 'I saw a stone on which was written, "Turn me over", so I turned it over. Written on the other side was "Whoever does not act by what he knows will be doomed by seeking what he does not know, and his own knowledge will be turned against him." '

Allah (SWT) revealed to David, 'The least that I shall do to someone with knowledge who does not act by his knowledge is worse than the seventy inner punishments which result in My removing from his heart the sweetness of My remembrance.' There is no way to Allah (SWT) except via knowledge. And knowledge is the adornment of man in this world and the next, his driver to Paradise, and by means of it he attains Allah (SWT)'s contentment with him.

He who truly knows is the one in whom sound actions, pure supplications, truthfulness and precaution speak out; not his tongue, his debates, his comparisons, assertions or claims. In times other than these, those who sought knowledge were those who had intellect, piety, wisdom, modesty and caution; but nowadays we see that those who seek it do not have any of these qualities. The man of knowledge needs intellect, kindness, compassion, good counsel, forbearance, patience, contentment and generosity; while anyone wishing to learn needs a desire for knowledge, will, devotion (of his time and energy), piety, caution, memory and resolution.

On Walking

2008-11-24T18:06:00.000+07:00

Spiritual Advice Of Imam Ja'far Shadiq

Kitab Lantern Of The Path - Imam Ja'far Shadiq

(Translated By Shaykh Fadhlullah Haeri)

If you are intelligent, then you should be of firm resolution and sincere intention before you set out for any place, for surely the self's nature is to overstep the bounds and encroach on the forbidden. You should reflect when you walk, and take note of the wonders of Allah (SWT)'s work wherever you go. Do not be mocking, or strut when you walk; Allah (SWT) said,

Do not go about in the land exulting overmuch. (Q. 31:18)

Lower your gaze from whatever is inappropriate to faith, and remember Allah (SWT) frequently. There is a tradition which savs that those places where, and in connection with which, Allah (SWT) is mentioned will testify to that before Allah (SWT) on the Day of Judgement and will ask forgiveness for those people so that Allah (SWT) will let them enter the Garden.

Do not speak excessively with people along the way, for that is bad manners. Most of the roads are the traps and markets of Satan, so do not feel safe from his tricks. Make your coming and your going in obedience to Allah (SWT), striving for His pleasure, for all your movements will be recorded in your book,' as Allah (SWT) said,

On the day when their tongues and their hands and their feet shall bear witness against them regarding what they did, (Q. 24:24)

We have made every man's actions to cling to his neck. (Q. 17:13)

On Lowering the Gaze

2008-11-24T18:04:00.000+07:00

Spiritual Advice Of Imam Ja'far Shadiq

Kitab Lantern Of The Path - Imam Ja'far Shadiq

(Translated By Shaykh Fadhlullah Haeri)

There is nothing more gainful than lowering one's gaze, for the sight is not lowered from things, which Allah (SWT) has forbidden unless the witnessing of majesty and glory has already come to the heart. The Commander of the Faithful was asked what could help in lowering one's gaze. He said, 'Submission to the power of Him Who is aware of your secret. The eye is the spy of the hearts and the messenger of the intellect; therefore lower your gaze from whatever is not appropriate to your faith, from whatever your heart dislikes and from whatever your intellect finds repugnant.'

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, 'Lower your eyes and you will see wonders.' Allah (SWT) said,

Say to the believing men that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts. (Q. 24:30)

'Isa (peace be upon him) said to the disciples, 'Beware of looking at forbidden things, for that is the seed of desire and leads to deviant behaviour.'

John the Baptist (peace be upon him) said, 'I would prefer death to a glance which is unnecessary.'

'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said to a man who had visited a woman while she was ill, 'It would have been better for you to lose your eyes than to have visited your sick person.'

Whenever the eye looks at something forbidden, a knot of desire is tied in the person's heart, and that knot will only be united by one of two conditions: either by weeping out of grief and regret in true repentance, or by taking possession of what one desired and looked at. And if a person takes possession unjustly, without repentance, then that will take him to the Fire.

As for the one who repents of it with grief and regret, his abode is the Garden and his destiny is Allah (SWT)'s favor.

Mahabba - Divine Love

2008-11-24T17:51:00.002+07:00

Written by Fethullah Gülen

Monday, 17 September 2001 16:43

Mahabba means fondness, tender and kind feelings, inclination, and love. Love that affects and invades one's feelings is called passion; love that is so deep and irresistible that it burns for union [1] is called fervor and enthusiasm. Sufis have defined love as the relation of the heart with the Truly Beloved One, the irresistible desire felt for Him, the struggle to comply with His desires or commandments in all acts and thoughts, and the state of being enraptured and intoxicated without "sobriety" until the time of union or reunion. These definitions can be summed up as "standing" in the Presence of God, as being freed from all transient relationships and worries.

True love means that a lover is set wholly on the Beloved, is always and inwardly with Him, and always has no other desire and wish. The heart of a person who has such a degree of love always beats with a new consideration for the Beloved at every moment. His or her imagination always travels in His mysterious climate, his or her feelings receive new messages from Him at every moment, his or her will takes wings with these messages, and he or she passionately desires to meet Him.

While a lover who transcends his or her self with the wings of love and reaches the Lord at the points of passion and enthusiasm, and in such a condition carries out his or her responsibilities toward the King of his or her heart, that same heart is set on His vision. Such a believer's nature is "burned" with the light of Divine Grandeur, and lost in wonder and amazement. With the cup of love on one's lips, while the veils of the Unseen are lifted one after the other, he or she becomes intoxicated with studying the meanings coming in rays from behind those veils, and is enraptured with the pleasure of watching the scenes behind them. One's walking and stopping occur at the command of God, speech is no more than the inspirations coming from Him, and silence, when observed, is done in His name. At various times he or she journeys toward Him in "His company" or is occupied with communicating His message to others.

Some have defined love, in the context of God's love of His distinguished servants, as doing good, and as obedience, devotion, and unconditional submission in the context of a servant's love of God. The following couplets of the female Sufi saint Rabi'a al-'Adawiya are significant in expressing this meaning:

You talk about loving God while you disobey Him;
I swear by my life that this is something very strange.
If you were truthful in your love, you would obey Him,
For a lover obeys whom he loves.

Love is based on two important pillars: that which is manifested by the lover's acts (a lover tries to comply with the Beloved's desires), and the lover's inner world (a lover should inwardly be closed to anything not related to Him). True men and women of God mean this when they talk about love. According to them, emotional concern with or love of any kind of pleasure, including spiritual ones or interest, cannot be called "love" in its true sense. It can only be figurative love.

Every lover cannot feel the same degree of love for the Beloved, for love varies according to the lover's spiritual and emotional depth, the degree of consciousness of and care in obedience to the Beloved. For example, the love felt by those beginning the way is not established and constant. They dream of acquiring the rank of perfect goodness and, at times, receive signs of the Knowledge of God, thrill at the twinkle of the "light" appearing on their horizon, and vaguely feel amazement and wonder.

On the other hand, those who have made much progress fly in the heaven of love toward the highest point. They live in the bright climate of the Qur'an as embodiments and examples of the good morals of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. While trying to represent his good morals, they expect no material or spiritual reward and demand no pleasure. Even at the summit of this holy representation, like fruit-bearing trees whose branches bend with the weight of their fruit, they lower their wings of humility and always mention the Beloved. If they are shaken with a fault or error, they severely criticize and fight with their selves.

And finally, those most advanced in the love of God are like rain clouds in the "heaven" of Islam. They feel existence by Him, live with Him, and see and breathe by Him. In a never-ending cycle, they are filled with pangs of separation (from Him) and desire to meet Him; when relieved or emptied, they mount on a beam of light and descend to Earth to embrace the whole of existence.

One who turns to Him with heartfelt desire and sincere enthusiasm, regardless of the degree of love, receives a reward according to the depth of feeling and concern for Him. The first group of people mentioned above receive special favor and mercy. The second group of people reach the horizon of per-ceiving the Attributes of Grace and Majesty and are freed from defects of character. Those of the third group are illumined by the light of His Being, awakened to the reality of things, and are in touch with the dimension of existence behind veils. That is, the Almighty manifests the light of His Grandeur to burn up the corporeal attributes of those whom He loves and elevates them to the realm of Divine Attributes, such as the All-Seeing and All-Hearing. He awakens them fully to the fact that they are poor and helpless before Him, and fills their hearts with the light of His existence.

One whose love has reached this degree, and who is rewarded with so much Divine favor, attains an eternal life beyond existence or non-existence. Like a bar of iron put into fire and thus appearing as a bar of fire, such a lover may be unable to distinguish the Divine Being and His manifestations, and therefore express feelings and experiences in terms associated with such false beliefs as incarnation and union (with God). In such circumstances, one must consider the Sunna's established criteria.

The expressions uttered by profoundly spiritual individuals lost in love of God and intoxicated with love cannot be used as criteria by which to judge them. Otherwise, we may feel enmity toward such friends of God, who are favored with His continuous company according to the Prophetic Tradition: A man is with him whom he loves, [2] and, as declared in the hadith qudsi: Whoever becomes an enemy of My friends has waged war on Me. [3]

[1] "Union" in Sufi terminology, should not be confused with communion with or participation in the Divine Being, as in some philosophies or mistaken Gnostic traditions. The fundamental relation between God and humanity, regardless of whether that person is the greatest of humanity, namely, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the relation of the Creator to the created. In the Sufi context, union means coming together again after parting. The world is the realm of separation for humanity, and all men and women burn inwardly with the desire to return to their true home. This return will be realized when the person dies, for that is the beginning of his or her passage into the other world. Although a Sufi finds God in his or her heart while in this world, true re-union will only take place in the Hereafter in Paradise.

[2] Al-Tirmidhi, "Zuhd," 50.

[3] Al-Bukhari, "Riqaq," 38.

Jul 1991, Vol 13, Issue 150

'Ashq (Passion or Intense, Ecstatic Love)

2008-11-24T17:50:00.000+07:00

Written by Fethullah Gülen

Monday, 17 September 2001 16:44

'Ashq means intense love of and fondness for perfection, beauty, or physical charm. Sufis usually call this sort of love figurative or metaphorical love, such as love for the opposite sex. Real love, the love of the Eternal Monarch, is felt for His Grace and Beauty manifested within His Majesty, and for His Majesty manifested within His Grace and Beauty. The real, intense love felt for God is a wing of light granted to us by Him so that people can use it to reach Him. Feeling such love can be described as the spirit being like a moth drawn toward the Light, the essence of existence. This intense love is the most basic and mysterious cause of the universe's creation. God has created the universe in order to be known and loved, and so that those souls awakened to truth would feel and manifest a deep interest in His Essence, Attributes, and Names.

'Ashq, which the spirit feels without the intervention of free will, cannot be controlled by the person so affected, for its real source is God, Who loves Himself in a way special to His Sacred Essence and is essentially independent of the created. In addition, it is essentially different from the love felt by the created for the created or the Creator. This sacred, essential love of God for Himself, including His Attributes and Names, is the reason why He created the universe and why He caused humanity to appear in the world. It is also this love that manifests itself in human beings as love of God, as the most essential center of humanity's relationship with God.

'Ashq is the final step leading to God, and a lover who has reached it has no further steps to take. God manifested Himself first as this sacred, essential love required by His being God. This love must not be confused with the love a person feels for either the created or the Creator Himself. As there is no other word more appropriate to express it, I feel obliged to use "love."

Some tend to describe Knowledge as this first manifestation of God, which is regarded as God's condescension to be known. This condescension is called "Knowledge," being God's manifestation of His Knowledge; "Sacred Love," being God's loving to observe and to be "observed;" "the Tablet," comprehending or containing all of existence; and "the Pen," handling all things in existence in all their details. Jabarut (the highest, immaterial empyrean) and the Truth of Ahmad (the Prophet's Name mentioned in the original copy of the Gospels and in the heavens) are other titles of this condescension or God's first manifestation.

Sacred Love is a mystery special to the Divine Essence. Other Attributes of His are appended to or dependent on this love. It is for this reason that those who fly with the wings of 'ashq reach directly to the Divine Essence and attain to amazement, whereas others have to pass through the intermediate realms of the worlds of things and Names.

* * *

The ways leading to God are almost beyond number. Sufism, the science of truth, contains the food, light, and other necessities travelers need for the journey, and the (spiritual) orders (tariqas) are the ports from which they set out, or the schools in which the principles of the journey are taught.

The ways to the Truth can be divided into two main groups. The first is the way in which the wayfarer is offered or taught such principles as eating less, drinking less, sleeping less, increasing contemplation, and refraining from unnecessary social intercourse. Almost all Sufi orders are based on these practices. The main invocations recited by followers of this way are the Seven Names: There is no god but God, God, He, the Truth, the All-Living, the Self-Subsistent, the All-Overwhelming. By reciting these Names, one seeks to pass through the carnal soul's seven steps: the Evil-Commanding Soul, the Self-Condemning Soul, the Soul Having Inspiration, the Soul at Rest, the Soul Well-Pleased (with however God treats it), the Soul Pleasing (to God), and the Purified or Innocent Soul. To these seven Names, some add such Names of Majesty as the All-Powerful, the All-Strong, the All-Compelling, the Master, and the All-Loving; others add such Names of Grace as the Unique, the One, the Peerlessly All-Single, and the Eternally Besought-of-All.

The second way is based on strict adherence to the Qur'an and the Sunna, and the encouragement of certain recitations. Those who follow this way strive to comply with the Sunna in whatever they do. Rather than reciting certain Names, they follow the methods used by God's Messenger to worship, invoke, and pray; meditate on His acts and creatures; and mention Him with all of His Names. Joining these activities with a meticulous following of the commandments of Shari'a, they are firmly attached to their guides or teachers and abandon themselves to the tides of 'ashq and (spiritual) attraction toward God.

Once they have attained 'ashq and attraction, existence with its outer dimension vanishes from their sight. They annihilate their selves and begin to feel and observe the absolute Divine Unity. At this point, they immediately come to their senses without being confused and going to extremes in the relationship between the Creator and the created. In such a manner do they complete their journey.

The basic principles of this second way are regular worship, love, spiritual attraction toward God, regular recitation, and the companionship of one's guide or teacher. In this context recitation, in addition to mentioning God with all of His Names, involves study or attending classes in whatever leads one to God. This is what the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, meant when he described those with whom God is pleased: They study together.

At times, a lover finds himself or herself in the stream of joyful zeal and yearning, which can be regarded as another dimension of 'ashq. Aug 1991, Vol 13, Issue 151

Bondage ('ubudiyah)

2008-11-24T17:44:00.003+07:00

Spiritual Advice Of Imam Ja'far Shadiq

Kitab Lantern Of The Path - Imam Ja'far Shadiq

(Translated By Shaykh Fadhlullah Haeri)

The roots of conduct have four aspects: conduct with Allah (SWT), conduct with the self, conduct with creation (i.e. people), and conduct with this world. Each of these aspects is based upon seven principles, just as there are seven principles of conduct with Allah (SWT): giving Him His due, keeping His limits, being thankful for His gift, being content with His decree, being patient with His trials, glorifying His sanctity, and yearning for Him.

The seven principles of conduct with the self are fear, striving, enduring harm, spiritual discipline, seeking truthfulness and sincerity, withdrawing the self from what it loves, and binding it in poverty (faqr).

The seven principles of conduct with creation are forbearance, forgiveness, humility, generosity, compassion, good counsel, justice and fairness.

The seven principles of conduct with this world are being content with what is at hand, preferring what is available to what is not, abandoning the quest for the elusive, hating overabundance, choosing abstinence (zuhd), knowing the evils of this world and abandoning any desire for it, and negating its dominance.

When all these qualities are found in one person, he is then one of Allah (SWT)'s elite, one of His close bondsman and friends (awliya').

Spiritual Advice. 2

More on Bondage

Bondage is an essence, the inner nature of which is lordship (rububiyah). Whatever is missing in bondage is found in lordship, and whatever is veiled from lordship is found in bondage. As Allah (SWT) said,

We will soon show them Our signs in the universe and in their own souls, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not suffilcient as regards your Lord that He is a witness over all things? (Q. 41:53)

This means He exists both in your absence and in your presence. Bondage means ridding oneself of everything, and the way to obtain this is to deny the self what it desires and to make it bear what it dislikes. The key to this is abandoning rest, loving seclusion and following the path of recognition of the need for Allah (SWT).

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, 'Worship Allah (SWT) as if you see Him. Even if you do not see Him, He sees you.'

The letters of the Arabic word for 'bondsman'('abd) are three; 'ayn, ba' and dal. The 'ayn is one's knowledsge ('ilm) of Allah (SWT). The ba' is one's distance (bawn) from other than Him, and the dal is one's nearness (dunuw) to Allah (SWT) with the restriction of neither contingent qualities nor veil.

The principles of conduct have four aspects, as we mentioned at the beginning of the first chapter.

On the Characteristics of the Number Forty in the Development of Human Potentialities

2008-11-24T17:13:00.004+07:00

Some Teaching From Risaleh‑ye Sayr wa Suluk

Allamah Sayyid Mahdi Bahrul Ulum

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All praise and eulogies belong to the Mainspring of Being. And may benedictions be upon him who stands in the stations of epiphany [1] and upon his Progeny, the Trustees [2] of the Worshipped One.

O fellow travellers of the realm of felicity and purity! O comrades on the oath of sincerity and fidelity!

Wait! I perceive a fire on the mountain side. Perchance I will bring you a brand or a faggot from it, that haply you may warm yourselves. [3]

It has been narrated with several chains of authorities from the Master of the Apostles and the Guides of the Godward oaths (that he said) :

Whoever dedicates himself to God for forty days, will find springs of wisdom sprout out of his heart and flow on his tongue. [4]

The wordings of the narrations differ but their meaning is the same.

We have seen clearly [through direct experience] and known through the statements [of the sages] that this noble instance from among the instances pertaining to numbers has a particular significance and a special effectiveness in the development of inner potentialities and the perfection of enduring qualities and in covering the stages and traversing the phases [of wayfaring]. [5]

Though the stages on the way are manifold, but every stage has a goal. And though the phases should be innumerable, with every phase that you enter you pass across a world.

The fashioning of the clay (tinat)of Adam, the father of mankind, was completed in forty mornings:

And I fashioned Adam's clay with My Hands in forty days. [6]

In this number [of days] he crossed a world from among the worlds of potentiality, and, according to a tradition, his body lay for forty years between Makkah and Madinah and the rains of divine mercy poured upon him so that in this number [of days] he became capable of receiving the Holy Spirit. [7]

The duration of the promised meeting (miqat)of Moses, may Peace be upon him, was completed in forty nights, and his people were delivered from their wanderings after forty years.

The Seal of the Prophets (s) rose for service after forty years and was dressed in the robes of prophethood.

The period of the journey through the realm of this world, from the first manifestation of potentiality to the end of its completion in this world is forty years, as it has been narrated that the human being's intellect attains maturity in forty years, everyone according to his capacity. [8] He grows from the outset of his entry into this world until the age of thirty years, and thereafter for ten years his body is remains in a halted condition. And at forty years [9] he completes his journey through the world of nature (tabi`at)[10] and commences the journey towards the world of the Hereafter. Thereat every day and every year he is engaged in packing up to make the departure from this world. His strength diminishes year after year, and his eyesight and hearing are on decrease. The corporal faculties are on decline and the body in a process of wasting away, for the period of his journey and sojourn in this world is over in forty years.

And it is for this reason that it has been said:

One who reaches forty years and does not take up a staff has surely disobeyed.

That is because the staff is a sign of a traveller and it is desirable for the traveller to carry a staff. And when forty years are over, it is the time for journey, and the taking up of the staff signifies preparation for the journey of the Hereafter and collecting oneself for departure (and whoever does not carry a staff is neglectful of the impending journey). Similarly, the body attains maturity at this age and so also do the ranks of felicity or wretchedness. And for this reason it is mentioned in hadith that Satan strokes a face that does not achieve salvation by the age of forty years, and says:

May my father and mother be ransomed for the face that shall never prosper. [11]

And adds, "Your name has been enlisted in the register of my troops." And that which is stated in a tradition, that one who assists a blind man for forty steps becomes worthy of entering paradise, it literally means someone who lacks eyesight, and its interpretation (ta'wil) is someone who is blind due to the lack of inner sight, because the blind man lacking eyesight does not reach actuality from potentiality after completing forty steps, though he may come near it, and if left to himself he would return to his earlier state And the completion of spiritual excellence (ihsan)and the attainment of guidance is realized on completion of forty [steps] and in this respect results in worthiness for paradise.

Similarly, it has been mentioned in a hadith that everyone's neighbourhood extends until forty houses in the four directions, [12] and beyond that number it is as if they belong to separate worlds. Its interpretation, in respect of neighbourhood and affinity, pertains to the faculties [13] (quwa) which are those of Imagination (wahmiyyah), Appetite (shahwiyyah), and Anger (ghadabiyyah), [14]and whoever does not draw away forty stages from the stages of these faculties has not left their worlds and is still in their neighbourhood.

Hence if the neighbourhood and vicinity relate to the faculty of the corporeal (mulki) intellect, they describe for one another their circumstance:

O neighbour, we are strangers here, And every stranger has a kindred in another.

And if the neighbourhood should be one of the satanic, predatory and bestial faculty of Appetite, they address one another with this song:

Neighbour!

Calamities come down,

Yet I shall stand ground as long as

mountains (reading Asib for `ashib)stand. [15]

In fine, the property of the number forty in manifesting actuality and developing capacity and potentiality and in the attainment of enduring habit (malikah) is something which has been clearly stated in the verses of the scripture and the traditions and tested by the experience of the people of esoteric knowledge and secrets. That is the reason why the noble tradition informs us about the attainment of the marks of sincerity (khulus)at this stage, as it is the source of the spring of gnosis and wisdom. And there is no doubt that every fortunate person who resolves to traverse these forty stages will find the mainspring of gnosis gush forth from the ground of his heart after he has developed the capacity of khulus to the point of actuality.

These forty stages belong to the world of khulus and ikhlas and the destination and end of these stages is a world above the world of the mukhlasin, [a world described by the Prophet in the words]:

I spend the night with my Lord, and He feeds me and gives me to drink. [16]

As the Divine the food and drink [mentioned here] are the higher teachings (ma`arij)and the infinite true sciences.

And that is why the feast given to the Seal of the Prophets (s) on the night of the Ascent (mi`raj)has been described as "milk and rice," [17] for milk in this world stands for the true sciences in the realm of immateriality, and that is why milk seen in dreams is interpreted as knowledge.

The wayfarer of these stages reaches his destination when his journey takes place in the world of khulus, not that he obtains khulus in these stages. For that which has been said is:

Whoever dedicates himself to God for forty days . . . .

Hence, in these forty stages, the stage of khulus must have been reached already. Therefore the world of khulus is the beginning of these stages, not that the door of gnosis is opened to everyone who practices austerities for forty days or that he may obtain khulus in forty days. Hence the traveller in the world of this hadith cannot do without certain things: [18]

First: A non‑detailed, overall knowledge of the destination, which is the world of manifestation of the springs of wisdom. For so long as one does not have any notion of the destination, one cannot make any effort to seek it.

Second: Entry into the world of khulus and its gnosis.

Third: Journey through the forty stages of this world.

Four: Traversing the several worlds that precede the world of khulus, so that he may enter the world of khulus after having traversed them.

Notes:

[1]. Indeed he saw him another time, by the Lote‑Tree of the Boundary.(53:13)

then he approached and drew closer, two‑bows'‑length away or nearer.(53:8)

And We bring thee as a witness over these. (4:41)

[2]. See al‑Ziyarat al jami'ah:

By the right of Him who made you trustees of His secret and appointed you guardians over His creation.

[3]. This sentence does not occur with such a wording in the Glorious Qur'an. However, in three places in the Glorious Qur’an there are passages with a similar wording:

Hast thou received the story of Moses? When he saw afire, and said to his household, 'Tarry you here; I observe a fire. Perhaps I shall bring you a brand front it, or I shall find at the fire guidance.'(20:10)

When Moses said to his household, I observe afire, and will bring you news from it, or I will bring you a flaming brand, that haply you may warm yourselves.'(27:7)

So when Moses had completed the term and departed with his household, he observed on the side of the Mount a fire. He said to his household, 'Tarry you here; I observe a fire. Perhaps I shall bring you new from it, or fagot from the fire, that haply you may warm yourselves.'(28:29)

As can be seen, this passage does not occur in any of the three Qur’anic verses mentioned above, although it bears a correct sense. Perhaps the author, may God elevate his station, did not intend to give a 'citation from the Qur'an but wanted to compose a sentence in his own fine style by drawing on all the three verses with some additions.

[4]. Narrations concerning the emergence of wisdom from the heart and upon the tongue are recorded in three Shi`i sources of hadith, firstly in 'Uyun akhbar al‑Rida ('a), p. 258, secondly, in 'Uddat al‑da'i, p. 170, thirdly, in Usul al‑Kafi, vol. 2, p. 16. It has been reproduced in the Biharal‑anwar from 'Uddat al‑da’i (vol. 15, juz' 2, p. 85) and again from the 'Uddah (ibid., p. 87) and al‑Kafi (p. 85). The 'Uyun narrates the tradition with its isnad from Darim ibn. Qabisah ibn Nahshal ibn Majma'al‑Nahshali al‑San`ani at Surra Man Ra'a: (Samarra'):

He said: "Narrated to us Ali ibn Musa al‑Rida, from his father, from his grandfather, from Muhammad ibn Ali, from his father, from Jabir ibn Abd Allah, from ‘Ali, that he said: `The Messenger of Allah (s)said: "A servant does not dedicate himself to God for forty days without springs of wisdom flowing from his heart on his tongue." "'

However, the wording mentioned in the Bihar, and also Safinat al‑Bihar, is:

As to the narration of Uddat al‑da'i, it is cited as a mursal tradition (i.e. a tradition without a connected chain of authorities) from the Messenger of Allah (s) that he said:

Whoever dedicates [himself] to God for forty days, God makes springs of wisdom flow from his heart on his tongue.

As for the narration of al‑Kafi, it is given with an isnad from Ibn `Uyaynah, from al‑Sindi from Abu ja`far (`a) that he said:

A servant does not foster pure faith in God for forty days... (or he said) A servant does not refine his remembrance of God for forty days without God making him detached toward the world and granting him the vision to see its ills and their remedies and establishing wisdom in his heart and making his tongue speak with it...

As can be seen, though the wording is different the meaning is the same. As to the books of the Sunnis (Ammah), it is mentioned in the Jhya'al‑ ‘ulm, vol. 4, p. 322:

The Messenger of Allah said: `No servant performs his works purely for God's sake for forty days without the springs of wisdom emerging from his heart on his tongue.

On page 191 the following is mentioned in the gloss:

Should one who renounce the world for forty days and perform worship therein with complete dedication, God will make springs of wisdom flow from his heart on his tongue.

In the Awarif al‑ma`arif printed on the margins of Ihya' al‑'ulum, vol. 2, p. 256, it is mentioned:

A statement of the Messenger of Allah: `Whoever dedicates [himself] to God for forty days, God makes springs of wisdom flow from his heart on his tongue.'

[5]. Manazil is plural of manzil (lit. stopping place), which is a place where the travellers halt to relax, and as the halt for resting is made mostly after four parasangs, the distance of four parasangs (which is the same as the barid)is called a manzil.

Marahil is plural of marhalah which is a day's journey, and that consists of two manzils or two bands. The author, may God's merry be upon him, has likened the worlds to marahil so that the covering of one marhalah and entry into another consists of passage through one world and entry into another, and he has likened the stages within the worlds to manazil so that covering a manzil and reaching another manzil is like arriving at a stage.

[6]. Ihya'al‑'ulam, vol. 4, p. 238 cites the following tradition of the Messenger of God (s)

Verily, God leavened Adam's clay with His two Hands for forty days.

The Mirsad al‑ibad, p. 38, and Risaleh ye 'ishq, p. 83, cite the following tradition:

I leavened the day of Adam for forty days with My Hands.

In the Awarif al‑ma'arif, printed on the margins of Ihya'al‑'ulum, vol. 2, p. 260, it is stated:

. . . so He fashioned him from clay and leavened his clay for forty days, so as to remove with a forty‑day leavening forty veils that conceal the Divine Presence. Every veil is a property impressed in him wherewith he is afforded to foster his worldly interests, but which separates him from the Divine Presence and the abodes of Divine Proximity.

[7]. This is referred to in the following verses:

And when we appointed with Moses forty nights.(2:51)

….. so the appointed time of his Lord was forty nights.(7:142)

Said He: 'Then it shall be forbidden them for forty years, they shall wander in the earth.(5:26)

[8]. As stated by God, the Exalted, in 46:15: Until, when he is fully grown, and reaches forty years, he says, "O my Lord, dispose me that I may be thankful for Thy blessing wherewith .Thou hast blessed me . . . .

Accordingly, the maximum power of the intellect is at the age of forty years, and the common notion that the human being's intellect grows at forty is erroneous. This misconception arises because after this age man acquires greater experience and his judgement is more often correct due to this accumulated experience; however, its accuracy is due to greater experience and not due to the actual power of the intellect, so if supposedly one had this experience at forty years one would make that accurate rational judgement at that time, that is, at the age of forty.

[9]. In the second part of Usul al‑Kafi, p. 455, the following marfu` tradition, without a continuous chain of authorities, is cited from Hadrat Abu Jafar ('a):

When a man enters his fortieth year, it is said to him, "Now be careful, because (henceforth) you will not have any excuse.

[10]. The following traditions are reported in Saduq's al‑Khisal, p. 545, from Imam Sadiq (‘a):

Verily, a man has an amplitude [of freedom] until forty years; but when he reaches forty, God, the Almighty and Glorious, reveals to His angels, "Verily, I have made My servant come of age, so now be strict and severe with him and record and write down his every action, whether it is a minor one or a major one, and whether his works are abundant or sparse."

When a servant reaches thirty‑three he comes of age, and when he reaches forty years, he attains to his ultimate maturity. Hence as he enters forty‑one his powers are on decline, and it is befitting for one at fifty to consider himself like someone in his death throes.

In Jami' al‑akhbar, fas 76, p. 140, it is reported from the Prophet (s) that he said:

Persons of fifty years are like a field ready for harvest.

And Safinat al‑Bihar, p. 504, cites the following narration:

When a man reaches forty years without penitence, Iblis strokes his face and says, "May my father and mother by your ransom, a face that will not prosper!"

There are many traditions which mention the number forty, such as the one recorded in the Bihar, vol. 14, p. 512:

Verily, if one recites the Surat al‑Hamd forty times on water and pours it on someone suffering from fever, God shall cure him.

And in al‑Kafi, vol. 6, p. 401, there is a tradition from Hadrat Baqir ('a)that he said:

The prayers of someone who drinks wine are not reckoned as such for forty days.

The Jami' al‑akhbar, fasl 109, p. 171, narrates the following tradition from the Messenger of God (s)

For forty days and nights, God, the Exalted, does not accept the prayers and fasts of someone who backbites a Muslim man or woman unless that person pardons him.

In the Bihar, vol. 13, p. 245, the following sentence occurs in a noble message (tawqi) [of the Imam of the Age]:

For forty days the earth complains to God on account of the urine of the uncircumcised man (that falls on the ground.)

In al‑Khisal, p. 538, al‑Saduq narrates with his continuous chain of authorities:

When a believer dies and forty men from among the believers attend his funeral and say, "O God, we know nothing about him except goodness, and You know him better than we do." God, the Exalted and the Blessed, says, "Your testimony suffices Me, and I forgive him what I know of things that you do not know.

And in 'Uddat al‑da'i, p. 128, "bab du`a li al‑ikhwan wa iltimasihi minhum," the following tradition is reported on the authority of Ibn Abi `Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim from Abu Abd Allah ('a):

If someone brings forward forty believers and makes a prayer, his supplication is answered.

In Bihar al‑anwar, vol. 18, p. 204, "kitab al‑jana'iz," there is a section (bab) entitled "bab shahadat arba'ina li al‑mayyit," where the following tradition is cited from 'Uddat al‑da'i from Hadrat Sadiq ('a):

There was a devout person amongst the Children of Israel about whom God had informed David ('a) that he was hypocritical in his piety When he died, David ('a) did not attend his funeral. Then forty persons from the Israelites stood up and said, "O God, we know nothing about him except goodness and You know him better than we do, so forgive him." When his body had been washed, another forty came forward and said, "O God, we know nothing about him except goodness and You know him better than we do, so forgive him." When he was laid in his grave another forty stood up and said, "O God, we know nothing about him except goodness and You know him better than we do, so forgive him." Then God, the Exalted, revealed to David ('a), "What kept you from making prayer over him?" David ('a) said, "That which You had told me." Thereat God revealed to him, "Verily, a group of people bore witness (in his favour). I accepted their witness as sufficient and I forgave him what I knew and that which they did not know"

And in 'Uddat al‑da'i p. 201, the following remedy is suggested for the removal of illness and disease:

Thirdly (one should recite), "Bismillah al‑rahman al‑rahim. Al‑hamdu lillahi rabb al‑'alamin. Hasbunallah wa ni'm al‑wakil, tabarak Allahu ahsan al‑khaliqin. La hawla wa la quwwata ilia billah al‑'ali al‑'azim." He should recite this forty times in a supplication following the dawn prayer and then stroke the sick person. Whatever be his affliction, especially if it were an open wound it will be cured with the permission of God. This (formula) has been tried and cure has been obtained through it.

Again in `Uddat al‑da'i, p. 94, it is stated:

. . . and one who prays for forty of his brothers, mentioning their names and the names of their fathers. And one who has a ring in his hand studded with turquoise or carnelian . . . .

In Bihar al‑anwar, vol. 14, p. 551, it is stated on the authority of the Shahid:

The remedy of fever by pouring water (on the sick person) has been narrated; but if that is difficult let him put his hand in cold water. For one who has severe pain al‑Hamd should be recited forty times over a pail of water which is put on the sick person who is made to sit up, assisted by the helper with his hand, and told to pray, whereat he will be cured.

And in the Iqbal al‑a'mal, p. 589, it is stated [by Ibn Tawus]: "I have narrated a tradition with my isnad from Abu Ja`far al‑Tusi, my grandfather, which he has narrated with his isnad from our master, al‑Hasan ibn A1i al‑Askari, may God's blessings be upon him, that he said:

The signs of a believer are five: performing fifty‑one rak'ahs of prayer, making the ziyarah of arba'in, wearing a ring in the right hand, placing the forehead on dust [during prostration], and saying "Bismillah al‑rahman al‑rahim" aloud.

In al‑Khisal, p. 541, it is narrated from Hadrat Amir al‑Mu'minin ('a)that he said:

The Messenger of Allah said: "One who preserves for the sake of my ummah forty traditions relating to their religious needs, God shall raise him as a learned scholar on the Day of Resurrection.

In Bihar al‑anwar, vol. 5, p. 43, a tradition is cited from An ibn Ibrahim's Tafsir, from Hadrat Sadiq ('a)that he said:

. . . so for forty days Adam remained in prostration, weeping for the loss of paradise.

And in Ikmal al‑Din, p. 13, it is narrated from Hadrat Abu ja'far (`a) that he said:

Adam wept for Abel for forty nights.

On page 86 it cites a tradition of Hadrat Sadiq ('a)from Ali ibn Ibrahim's Tafsir that he said [concerning Noah's flood]:

So for forty days water continued to pour from the heaven and to stream out from the earth.

Baydawi in his commentary on the verse “Until, he is fully grown. . . " (46:15)says:

His mature age is that after which there is no further growth, and that is from thirty to forty years; for it is then that the intellect becomes perfect. And it has been narrated that there has been no prophet whose ministry did not start at forty, which is the time when body and mind attain maturity.

In al‑Khisal, p. 539it is narrated from Hadrat Baqir ( `a) that he said:

Between the two words God, Almighty and Glorious, gave a forty year respite to Pharaoh . . . . Then God seized him for the punishment of the world and the Hereafter . . . . And there passed forty years from the time when God, Almighty and Glorious, said to Moses and Aaron, "Indeed, I have answered your prayer" until the time when God drowned him. . . Gabriel said, "I pleaded with my Lord strongly in the matter of Pharaoh and I said, `O Lord, do You leave him while he says, "I am your supreme lord"? He said, "He is only saying it. He is also a creature like you."

Then in an explanation of this tradition Majlisi, may God's mercy ‑be upon him, says:

Perhaps that which is meant here by `the two words' is the statement of God, the Exalted, "I have answered your prayer," and His drowning Pharaoh (in the sea) or the utterance of Pharaoh "I do not know that you have any god except I" and his saying, ”I am your supreme lord.”

In Bihar al‑anwar, vol. 5, p. 433, there is a report that a group of Jews came to Abu Talib and said:

"O Abu Talib, your nephew claims to receive communications from the heavens and we will him certain questions. Should he answer them we would know that he is truthful and if he does not we would know that he is a liar." Abu Talib said, `Ask him whatever you wish." So they asked him concerning three matters. The Messenger of Allah (s) said to them,"I will inform you tomorrow," and he did not say "God willing." Therefore, revelation (wahy) was withheld from him for forty days, as a result of which the Prophet (s) was distressed and his Companions who had believed in him fell into doubt.

Bihar al‑anwar, vol. 6, p. 117, cites a tradition from the book 'Udad by Shaykh Radi al‑Din Ali ibn Yusuf ibn Mutahhar al‑Hilli, brother of Allamah Hilli, concerning the birth of Hadrat Fatimah where it is said:

When Gabriel descended m his mightiest form, he opened his wings until they extended from the east to the west. Then he called, "O Muhammad, the Highest and the Supreme gives you salam and He commands you to refrain from Khadijah for forty days .... That was hard upon the Prophet (s) for he loved her tenderly Then for forty days the Prophet (s) would fast during the days and spent the nights in worship.

With this end our citations from narrations mentioning the word arba'in (forty).

[11]. This tradition is cited in Safinat al‑bihar, vol. 1, p. 504; in Ihya'al‑'ulum, vol. 3, p. 25 it is cited as follows:

When a man reaches forty years without ever repenting, Satan strokes his face with his hand and says, "May my father be your ransom, it is the face of one who will not prosper!"

[12]. There are four narrations related to this tradition cited in Wasa'il al‑Shi'ah, "kitab al‑hajj." "ahkam al‑`ishrah," bab 90. The first of them is from Kulayni who reports with his isnad from Hadrat Baqir ('a)that he said:

The limits of neighbourhood extend to forty houses in every direction, to the front, to the rear, to the right, and to the left.

The second one is also one narrated by al‑Kulayni with his isnad from Hadrat Sadiq:

The Messenger of Allah (s) said, "All the forty houses to the front and the rear, to the left and to the right are neighbours."

The third one is from Shaykh Saduq in Ma'ani al‑akhbar, narrated with isnad from Hadrat Sadiq ('a):

Mu'awiyah ibn Ammar asked the Hadrat, "May I be made your ransom, what are the limits of neighbourhood?" He replied, " Forty house in every direction."

The fourth one is from 'Uqbah ibn Khalid from Hadrat Sadiq ('a)from his ancestors:

The Commander of the Faithful ('a) said, "The holy precincts (harim) of a mosque extend up to forty houses, and neighbourhood extends up to forty houses in the four directions."

[13]. What is meant by the author is that man is captive to the fourfold powers (quwa)of the intellect ('aql), imagination (wahm), anger (ghadab)and appetite (shahwah), and until he distances himself from them to the extent of forty stages he would not attain to the station of annihilation (fana)in God. Withdrawal from one stage of appetite, for instance, does not liberate man from that stage completely, because the reality of that stage of appetite is still latent in him, and so long as he does not recede forty stages from the first stage its effects do not disappear completely. Accordingly, if we suppose the domain of appetite, for instance, to consist of several stages, man is liberated from one of its stages only when he has emancipated himself from all its forty stages, otherwise mere departure from one stage does not liberate him from it, and it is possible that some accident may bring him back to the first stage. The same applies to the domains of the intellect, anger, and imagination. Accordingly, one is truly liberated from the first stage of anger only when he has departed from its fortieth stage, and one is liberated from the fifth stage of the intellect only when he has departed from its fortieth stage, and so on and so forth. Hence for liberation from any of the stages one must leave all the forty stages in order to achieve complete emancipation from that stage.

However, there is a difference between the malakuti power of the intellect and the other three powers, as the intellect is a guide and in conflict with the other three powers. The other three powers are in perpetual conflict with the intellect. Hence, from among the forty stages of the intellect, every two stages the distance between which is less than forty are sympathetic neighbours, as they are strangers in the world of nature and victims of the powers of Appetite, Anger and Imagination, and every stranger is sympathetic towards another stranger. But each of neighbourly stages belonging to the other three powers, as they find themselves to be under the attack of the forces of the‑intellect, collaborate to put up resistance and conspire together not to yield in the face of difficulties and to bear consecutive hardships with fortitude.

[14]. It is probable that the power of the intellect has been omitted here due to a slip of the pen.

[15]. According to Jami' al‑shawahid, these verses are by Imr' al‑Qays al‑Kindi in which he addresses a dead woman:

That was when he was at Naqrah (?), where he saw a grave and inquired about it. He was told that it was the grave of a stranger, a woman. Thereupon he said:

O neighbour of ours, calamities descend,

And yet I stand firm like the mount of Asib.

O neighbour of ours, we are strangers here,

And every stranger has a kindred in a stranger.

So should you join us, there is a kinship between us,

And should you desert us, then a stranger is after all a stranger.

Then the Jami' al‑shawahid remarks that khutub is plural of khatb (calamity or mishap) and tanub is in the sense of descending. Muqim means `steadfast' in bearing hardships and al‑Asib is the name of a mountain. Accordingly, the correct word is Asib as mentioned in some manuscripts, and 'ashib is apparently incorrect, for it means a ground covered with grass.

[16]. In Man la yahduruh al faqih, vol 2, p. 111, "bab al‑siyam," it is narrated from Mu'awiyah ibn Ammar that he said:

I asked (the Imam) concerning fasting during the days of Tashriq. He replied, "The Apostle of Allah (s) only forbade fasting on these days at Mina, but there is no impediment to fasting at other places. The Apostle of Allah (s) forbade unbroken fasting, while he himself would fast continually. When asked about it he said, `I am not like any of you. I am continually near my Lord who feeds me and gives me to drink."'

The same tradition has been cited in Mahajjat al‑bayda' from Man la yahduruh al faqih. In marhum Sayyid Ali Khan's Sharh al‑Sahifah al‑Sajjadiyyah, as cited in Talkhis al‑Riyad, vol. 1, p. 37, the word is abitu (instead of azillu)and the Prophet is cited as having said:

This was from the viewpoint of Shi`i traditions. However, in the narrations of the Ahl al‑Sunnah the expression 'inda rabbi does not occur, but in some of them the wording has abitu and in some others azillu.

As to the first type, there is a tradition narrated in al‑Bukhari's Sahih, "kitab al‑tamanna," vol. 4, p. 251, with isnad from Abu Hurayrah that he said:

The Apostle of Allah (s) forbade connecting one fast with another, so they said to him, "Indeed you connect your fasts." He replied, "Which one of you is like me. Indeed at nights my Lord feeds me and He gives me to drink."

In Muslim's ,Sahih, "kitab al‑siyam," vol. 3, p. 133, there are two traditions narrated with isnad from Abu Salamah ibn Abd al‑Rahman, from Abu Hurayrah, and another from Abu Zur`ah from Abu Hurayrah, from the Messenger of God with a wording exactly as cited from Bukhari. Malik in Muwatta', "kitab al‑siyam," p. 280, narrates with his isnad from Araj, from Abu Hurayrah that:

The Apostle of Allah (s) said, "Refrain from connecting your fasts! Refrain from connecting your fasts!" They said to him, "O Apostle of Allah, indeed you fast on without breaking your fast." He said, "I am not like you. At nights my Lord feeds me and He gives me to drink."

As to the second version, the following tradition is narrated in Bukhari's Sahih, "kitab al-tamanna”, vol 4 p 251 with isnad from Anas:

The Prophet fasted on without breaking his fast at the end of the month and some of the people also did that. When the Prophet (s) heard about it he said, "Had the month been made longer for me I would have fasted on without breaking the fast so that those who plunge in these matters would leave oft' their plunging. Indeed I am not like you. I am continuously fed by my Lord and given to drink.

There is another tradition narrated in "kitab al‑sawm," vol. 1, p. 329 with isnad from Abd Allah ibn `Umar:

In Muslim's,Sahih, "kitab al‑siyam," p. 134, the tradition is cited with the wording:

[17]. That which is mentioned in the traditions is `milk' and I have not seen the expression `milk and rice' in any narration. When I asked my teacher Allamah Tabatabai about it, he said that he too had not come across any such tradition although he had made a search to find it.

[18]. That is, journey through the worlds preceding khulus, the world of khulus, then the fourfold stages of the world of khulus, and the world of manifestation of the springs of wisdom.