Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Azakhan-e-Zehra (s.a), Hyderabad 2011

Azakhan-e-Zehra (s.a), Hyderabad 2011

Who are Ahlul-Bayt? (Part I)

Introduction

According to most authentic traditions in collections of both Sunni and Shia,Ahlul-Bayt (People of the House) of the Prophet are one of the two most precious Symbols of Islam after the departure of the Prophet (PBUH&HF). There are numerous traditions in the collection of both schools that the Prophet
(PBUH&HF) has reminded us to stick to these two weighty things (al-Thaqalain), namely Quran and Ahlul-Bayt, in order not to go astray after him.The Messenger of Allah also informed us that these two weights are non-separable and are with each other till the day of Judgment. This requires us that for understanding the interpretation of Quran and the Sunnah of theProphet (PBUH&HF) we should refer to those who are attached to it, namely Ahlul-Bayt.

Knowing exactly who Ahlul-Bayt are, thus becomes a very vital matter when one considers the above tradition of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) as well as many othertraditions which unequivocally state that adherence to Ahlul-Bayt is the only way of salvation. This clearly implies that the one who follows a wrong setof Ahlul-Bayt (!!), will be led astray.

Considering the critical importance of the subject, it will not be surprising to see that the Shia differ from some Sunnis in this subject. In fact, the Sunnis do not have one voice in specifying the Members of the House theProphet. Most Sunnis are in the opinion that the Ahlul-Bayt of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) are:

- Fatimah al-Zahra (AS) (the daughter of the Messenger of Allah),
- Imam Ali (AS),
- Imam al-Hasan (AS),
- Imam al-Husain (AS),
- Wives of the Prophet (PBUH&HF)

Others among the Sunnis further include ALL the descendants of the Prophet to the list! Some other Sunnis are very generous and include all the descendants of Abbas (the Abbasid) as well as the descendants of Aqil & Ja'far (the two brothers of Imam Ali) to the list. It should be noted, however, that there have been some leading Sunni scholars who did NOT consider the wives of the Prophet among Ahlul-Bayt. This happens to be consistent with the Shia point
of view.

To the Shia, the Ahlul-Bayt of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) consist of the following individuals ONLY:

- Fatimah al-Zahra (AS),
- Imam Ali (AS),
- Imam al-Hasan (AS),
- Imam al-Husain (AS),
- Nine descendants of Imam al-Husain (AS).

and including the Prophet (PBUH&HF) himself, they will become fourteen individuals. Of course, at the time of the Holy Prophet only five of them (including the Prophet) were living and the rest were not born yet. The Shiafurther assert that these fourteen individuals are protected by Allah from any kind of flaws, and thus worthy of being obeyed beside Quran (the other Weighty Symbol), and they are the only people who have the full knowledge of the interpretation of the Quranic verses.

In this discussion, we would like to explain why the Shia exclude the wives of the Prophet from Ahlul-Bayt, and also we will briefly discuss why Ahlul-Bayt are protected/infallible. (More detailed discussion on the infallibilityis provided in Chapter 2). We base our proofs on:

1. Quran,
2. Traditions from the authentic Sunni Collections,
3. Historical events.


Evidence From Quran

The Holy Book of Allah mentions Ahlul-Bayt and their exceptional virtue in the following verse which is known as "Purification Verse" (Ayah al-Tat'hir):

"Verily Allah intends to keep off from you every kind of uncleanness O' People of the House (Ahlul-Bayt), and purify you with a perfect purification". (Quran, the last sentence of Verse 33:33)

Note that the word "Rijs" in the above verse has got the article "al-" at its beginning which makes the word universal. Thus "al-Rijs" means "EVERY KIND of impurity". Also at the end of the verse, Allah states "and purify you a PERFECT purification." The word "perfect" comes from the emphasis of
"Tat'hiran". This is the only place in Quran that Allah uses the emphasis of "PERFECT purification".

According to the above verse, Allah expresses his intention to keep Ahlul-Bayt pure and flawless/sinless, and what Allah intends it will certainly take place as Quran itself testifies (see 16:40). Indeed, a human can be sinless because he is not forced to commit sin. It is the human's choice to accept the instructions of Allah and get His help to avoid sin, or to neglect Allah's commandments and commit the sin. Allah is advisor, and encourager, and warner. A sinless human is still a human; no doubt about it. Some people assert that in order to be human, one SHOULD have some mistakes. Such claim is unsupported. The truth is that Human CAN make mistakes but he does not have to.

It is the Grace of Allah that attracts His servants towards Him, WITHOUT compelling them any way. This is our choice to pursue this attraction and refrain from doing mistakes, or to turn away and commit the mistakes. However, Allah has GUARANTEED to show the Right Path and to provide a pure life for those who seek it:

Whoever works righteousness man or woman and is faithful, We shall revive a PURE life for him. (Quran 16:97)

And whosoever keeps his duty to Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him. (Quran 65:2)

It is worth mentioning the sentence of Quran in verse 33:33 which is related to purification of Ahlul-Bayt, has been placed at the middle of verses related to the wives of the Prophet (PBUH&HF), and this was the main reason why some Sunnis include the wives of the Prophet in Ahlul-Bayt. However, the sentence related to Ahlul-Bayt (given above) distinguishes itself from the sentences before and after it with a clear distinction. The sentences before and after, use only feminine gender which clearly shows they are addressing the wives of the Prophet (PBUH&HF). However, in contrary, the above sentence uses only masculine gender which is a clear indication that that Quran is
changing the individuals who is referring to.

People who are familiar with Quran to some extent, know that such a sharp change of addressee is not a weird-thing, and it has been applied to several places in Quran. For instance we read in Quran:

"O Joseph! pass this over and (O wife of Aziz!) ask forgiveness for your sin, for truly you have been at fault."(Quran 12:29)

In the above verse, "O wife of Aziz" has not been mentioned and the address to Joseph (AS) looks to continue. However the transition of the address from masculine gender to feminine gender clearly shows that the second sentence is addressing the Aziz's wife and not Prophet Joseph (AS). Notice that both sentences are WITHIN one verse. Also note the immediate change of addressing from Aziz's wife to Joseph and again back to the wife in verses before verse 29 and also WITHIN that verse.

In Arabic language, when a group of women are being addressed, feminine gender is employed. However, if only one man exists among that group, masculine gender is used instead. Thus the above sentence of Quran clearly shows Allah is referring to a group other than the wives of the Prophet,
using masculine gender, and that group includes some male members.

From the verse 33:33 alone, we can not conclude that the wives of the Prophet are not included in Ahlul-Bayt. This latter claim can be proven by the authentic traditions of the Sunnis from Sihah Sittah in which the Prophet mentioned who Ahlul-Bayt are; and also by comparing the specifications of
Ahlul-Bayt given in the verse of Quran with the behavior of the some of the wives of the Prophet mentioned in Sihah Sittah to prove the contrary.

What can be understood from the verse ALONE is that Allah is changing His address (which was exclusively the wives of the Prophet at the beginning of the verse) to some people who include some male members, and may or may not include the wives of the Prophet.

Authentic Traditions

It is interesting to see that both Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Tirmidhi as well as many others confirm the Shi'ite point of view explained above. In Sahih Muslim, there is a chapter named "Chapter of Virtues of the Companions". Inside this chapter, there is a section called "Section of the Virtues of the Ahlul-Bayt of the Prophet". There exists ONLY ONE tradition in this section, and this tradition has no reference to the wives of the Prophet (PBUH&HF). The tradition is known as "The Tradition of Cloak/Mantle" (Hadith al-Kisaa), and is as follows:

     Narrated Aisha:

One day the Prophet (PBUH&HF) came out afternoon wearing a black cloak (upper garment or gown; long coat), then al-Hasan Ibn Ali came and the Prophet accommodated him under the cloak, then al-Husain came and entered the cloak, then Fatimah came and the Prophet entered her under the cloak, then Ali came and the Prophet entered him to the cloak as well. Then the Prophet recited: "Verily Allah intends to keep off from you every kind of uncleanness O' People of the House (Ahlul-Bayt), and purify you a perfect purification (the last sentence of Verse 33:33)."

Sunni reference: Sahih Muslim, Chapter of virtues of companions, section of the virtues of the Ahlul-Bayt of the Prophet (PBUH&HF), 1980 Edition Pub. in Saudi Arabia, Arabic version, v4,
p1883, Tradition #61.

Below is the Arabic text of above tradition given in Sahih Muslim: One can see that the author of Sahih Muslim confirms that:

1- Imam Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, and al-Husain are the Ahlul-Bayt,

2- The purification sentence in Quran (the last sentence of Verse 33:33) was revealed for the virtue of the above-mentioned individuals, and NOT for the wives of the Prophet (PBUH&HF).

Muslim (the Author) did not put any other tradition in this section (section of the virtues of Ahlul-Bayt). If the author of Sahih Muslim believed that the wives of the Prophet were included in Ahlul-Bayt, he would have quoted some traditions about them in this section.

It is interesting to see that Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) is the narrator of the above tradition, and she herself is testifying that Ahlul-Bayt are the above-mentioned individuals (i.e., Imam Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, and al-Husain, may the blessing of Allah be upon them all).

Another version of the "Tradition of Cloak" is written in Sahih al-Tirmidhi, which is narrated in the authority of Umar Ibn Abi Salama, the son of Umm Salama (another wife of Prophet), which is as follows:

The verse "Verily Allah intends to ... (33:33)" was revealed to the Prophet (PBUH&HF) in the house of Umm Salama. Upon that, the Prophet gathered Fatimah, al-Hasan, and al-Husain, and covered them with a cloak, and he also covered Ali who was behind him. Then the Prophet said: "O' Allah! These are the Members of my House (Ahlul-Bayt). Keep them away from every impurity and purify them with a perfect purification." Umm Salama (the wife of Prophet) asked: "Am I also included among them O Apostle of Allah?" the Prophet replied: "You remain in your position and you are toward a good ending."
Sunni reference: Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v5, pp 351,663

Here is the Arabic text of above tradition given by Sahih al-Tirmidhi:
As we see, al-Tirmidhi also confirms that Imam Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, and al-Husain are the Ahlul-Bayt, and the purification sentence in Quran (the last sentence of Verse 33:33) was revealed for the virtue of the above-mentioned individuals, and NOT for the wives of the Prophet (PBUH&HF). Also it is apparent from above authentic tradition that the Prophet himself excluded his wives from Ahlul-Bayt. If Umm Salama (RA) was among Ahlul-Bayt, why didn't the Prophet answer her positively? Why didn't he enter her into the cloak? Why did the Prophet tell her that she remains in her own position? If the Prophet (PBUH&HF) would consider Umm Salama among Ahlul-Bayt, he would
surely have entered her to the cloak and would have prayed for her perfect purity as well.

It is also worth mentioning that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) did NOT say: "These are among the Members of my House". He rather said: "These are THE Members of my House" since there was no other member of Ahlul-Bayt who was alive at the time of the Prophet (PBUH&HF). Also notice that Umm Salama (RA) who is the virtuous wife of the Prophet is the narrator of the tradition to his son and
gives the testimony that who Ahlul-Bayt are.

In the tradition of al-Hakim the wording the last question and answer is as follows:

Umm Salama said: "O Prophet of Allah! Am I not one of the members of your family?" The Holy Prophet replied: "You have a good future but only these are the members of my family. O Lord! The members of my family are more deserving."

Sunni reference: al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, v2, p416

Also the wording reported by al-Suyuti and Ibn al-Athir is as follows:

Umm Salama said to the Holy Prophet: "Am I also one of them?" He replied: "No. You have your own special position and your future is good."

Sunni reference:
- Usdul Ghabah, by Ibn al-Athir, v2, p289
- Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthoor, by al-Suyuti, v5, p198

Also al-Tabari quotes Umm Salama saying:
 
I said, "O Prophet of Allah! Am I not also one of your Ahlul-Bayt?" I swear by the Almighty that the Holy Prophet did NOT grant me any distinction and said: "You have a good future."

Sunni reference: Tafsir al-Tabari, v22, p7 under the commentary of verse 33:33

Beside Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Tirmidhi from which we quoted the Tradition of Cloak on the authority of Aisha and Umm Salama respectively, below are more Sunni references of the Tradition of Cloak who reported both versions of the traditions:

(3) Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v6, pp 323,292,298; v1, pp 330-331; v3, p252;
    v4, p107 from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri
(4) Fadha'il al-Sahaba, by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v2, p578, Tradition #978
(5) al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, v2, p416 (two traditions) from Ibn Abi
    Salama, v3, pp 146-148 (five traditions), pp 158,172
(6) al-Khasa'is, by  an-Nisa'i, pp 4,8
(7) al-Sunan, by al-Bayhaqi, narrated from Aisha and Umm Salama
(8) Tafsir al-Kabir, by al-Bukhari (the author of Sahih), v1, part 2, p69
(9) Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-Razi, v2, p700 (Istanbul), from Aisha
(10) Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthoor, by al-Suyuti, v5, pp 198,605 from Aisha
     and Umm Salama
(11) Tafsir Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, v22, pp 5-8 (from Aisha and Abu Sa'id al-
     Khudri), pp 6,8 (from Ibn Abi Salama) (10 traditions)
(12) Tafsir al-Qurtubi, under the commentary of verse 33:33 from Umm Salama
(13) Tafsir Ibn Kathir, v3, p485 (Complete version) from Aisha and Umar Ibn
     Abi Salama
(14) Usdul Ghabah, by Ibn al-Athir, v2, p12; v4, p79 narrated from Ibn Abi
     Salama
(15) Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, sec. 1, p221
     from Umm Salama
(16) Tarikh, by al-Khateeb Baghdadi, v10, narrated from Ibn Abi Salama
(17) Tafsir al-Kashshaf, by al-Zamakhshari, v1, p193 narrated from Aisha
(18) Mushkil al-Athar, by al-Tahawi, v1, pp 332-336 (seven traditions)
(19) Dhakha'ir al-Uqba, by Muhibb al-Tabari, pp21-26, from Abu Sa'id Khudri
(20) Majma' al-Zawa'id, by al-Haythami, v9, p166 (by several transmitters)
... and more ...


Here is another authentic variation of "The Tradition of Cloak" which is related to Safiyya who was another wife of the Prophet (PBUH&HF). Ja'far Ibn Abi Talib narrated:

When the Messenger of Allah noticed that a blessing from Allah was to descent, he told Safiyya (one of his wives): "Call for me! Call for me!" Safiyya said: "Call who, O the Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Call for me my Ahlul-Bayt who are Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, and al-Husain." Thus we sent for them and they came to him. Then the Prophet (PBUH&HF) spread his cloak over them, and raised his hand (toward sky) saying: "O Allah! These are my family (Aalee), so bless Muhammad and the family (Aal) of Muhammad." And Allah, to whom belong Might and Majesty, revealed: "Verily Allah intends to keep off from you every kind of uncleanness O' People of the House (Ahlul-Bayt), and purify you a thorough purification (Quran, the last sentence of Verse 33:33)".

Sunni references:
- al-Mustadrak by al-Hakim, Chapter of "Understanding (the virtues) of
Companions, v3, p148. The author then wrote: "This
tradition is authentic (Sahih) based on the criteria of
the two Shaikhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim)."
- Talkhis of al-Mustadrak, by al-Dhahabi, v3, p148
- Usdul Ghabah, by Ibn al-Athir, v3, p33
 
Although the majority of traditions on this issue show that the last sentence of the verse 33:33 was revealed in the house of Umm Salama (as quoted earlier), the above tradition implies that it might have been revealed in the house of Safiyya. Based on the opinion of the Sunni scholars including Ibn
Hajar, it is quite possible that the verse was revealed more than once. In each occasion, the Prophet repeated his action in front of different wives so that they all realize who his Ahlul-Bayt are.

The testimony of three wives of the Prophet (Aisha, Umm Salama, and Safiyya) leaves us no room but to believe that the Ahlul-Bayt at the time of the Prophet were no more than five individuals: Prophet Muhammad, Lady Fatimah, Imam Ali, al-Hasan, and al-Husain (Peace be upon them all).

The fact that the gender in later part of Verse 33:33 is switched from feminine to masculine, has led the majority of Sunni commentators to believe that the last part was revealed for Imam Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan and al-Husain, as Ibn Hajar al-Haythami indicated:

Based on the opinion of the majority of (Sunni) commentators, the saying of Allah :"Verily Allah intends to ... (the last sentence of the verse 33:33)" was revealed for Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, and al-Husain, because of the usage of masculine gender in the word "Ankum" and after that.

Sunni reference: al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch. 11, section 1, p220

Although the Shia have great respect for the highly righteous wives among the wives of the Prophet (PBUH&HF), such as Khadija, Umm Salama, Umm Ayman and ... (may Allah be pleased with them) who closely followed the Prophet and his Ahlul-Bayt before and after the demise of Prophet (PBUH&HF), yet we do not include even those respected individuals into Ahlul-Bayt since the Prophet clearly excluded them according to the authentic Sunni and Shi'i traditions.
Ahlul-Bayt have exceptional virtues that no other pious person  after the Prophet would possess them in the world, which are according to Quran: sinlessness, flawlessness and perfect purity. 

-Reference: Shia Encyclopedia

Monday, January 10, 2011

Place of Majalis - as mentioned in Ahle Sunnah books

Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustafā (S.A.W.W) said:

"Those in the skies shall look at the houses in which Allah (swt) is remembered and mentioned. To the angles, they shall appear bright and shining in the same way that the stars appear to those on the earth."


[Reference: Tafseer Durre Manthur Volume 1, page 151;  by Ahle Sunnah scholar Allamah Jalaludin Suyuti]

Importance of Majalis - as mentioned in Ahle Sunnah books


Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustafā (S.A.W.W) said:

"Those who gather at a place in order to please Allah and do His (swt) Dhikr in their speeches, will be addressed by an orator from the skies, who shall proclaim that as soon as they leave that place, their sins shall be forgiven and their bad deeds shall be transformed into virtues."


[Reference: Tafseer Durre Manthur Volume 1, page 151;  by Ahle Sunnah scholar Allamah Jalaludin Suyuti]

A New Year Gained or A New Year Lost?

Zoom! Before we knew it, last year passed by like a flash and the new year is here.

For some people, the beginning of the new year is marked by excited countdowns, popping of firecrackers, partying till the wee hours of the morning and dancing.

And for some, it is a time for somber thoughtfulness and self accountability. Instead of celebrating, they are worried and scared. Instead of partying, they think and reflect. Their hearts tremble and their skins shiver.

Because each year that passes means a year LESS from their lifetime ..... Each year that passes by is bringing them closer to their death .... Because, they know that with each passing year .... each passing month .... each passing day ..... and each passing second ... they are that much closer to that inevitable event when they meet their end, that much closer to their meeting with their Lord, when they will have to stand in front of Him and answer regarding all that they did.

They are aware that whatever time has passed will never come back. They know that if they did not make the most of their time, and if they did not use their time wisely, in the obedience of Allaah, then surely, they are the losers.

That is because, the Prophet (saww) said: "On the Day of Resurrection the feet of the son of Adam (man) will not move till he is questioned about four things: how he spent his lifetime, how he spent his youth, from where he acquired his wealth and how he spent it, and what he did with his knowledge."

So they take account of themselves and their deeds at the end of a year .... and at the end of a month ..... and at the end of a day. They are not heedless of the passage of time or day. They are conscious of every second of their lives and how important it is to spend it usefully.

You see, your life is like the pages of a calendar. As the months go by, you flip its pages, never to flip the pages back. Those months that have passed will never come back. Similarly, as the days and weeks and months of your life go by, they too, will never come back. What is gone, is gone.

That is why the righteous believers were so careful about their time and how they spent it. They made sure that no time, however short it was, passed without doing something useful, like acquiring useful knowledge, doing good deeds, helping others, or advising the Ummah.

Describing the righteous believers care for time, Hasan al-Basri said: "I saw those people and how they were more careful about their time than about their Dirhams and Dinars (meaning, their money).

Regarding one righteous scholar, someone said: "It is unbelievable! I have never seen him laughing loudly at all. He was always busy explaining hadeeth, praying, reading or praising the Lord. This is how he spent his day." And:" If you were to tell him, 'You are going to die tomorrow', there would be nothing he could add to what he is already doing."

Subhaan Allaah! What consciousness of the value of time!


It is said: "The year is like a tree, months are its branches, days are the branch sticks, hours are its leaves, and the breaths are its fruits. Therefore, if one's breaths are in obedience [to Allah and His Messenger], the fruits of his tree are good. If they are in disobedience, his fruits are bitter. The harvest is on the Appointed Day, when one's fruits are found out to be either good or bitter."
 
The Prophet (saww) said: “Make the most of five things before five others: life before death, health before sickness, free time before becoming busy, youth before old age, and wealth before poverty.”

This Hadeeth, like so many other ahaadeeth of the Prophet (saww), is brief, yet it is so comprehensive and loaded with meaning. Not only does it point out the value of time, but it also points out the importance of its proper utilization during our youth, and health. It urges us to take the initiative, and not to delay good deeds.

And what a good advice one Imam gave to his followers: “Whatever good you are able to do then do it- perhaps you will not be able to tomorrow. And do not postpone today's deeds for tomorrow, perhaps tomorrow will come and you are deceased”.

Thus, we see that the righteous believers were not only careful about not wasting their time; rather they would compete with one another in doing good deeds.

And Allaah says: "So race in goodness." (Surah Baqarah: 148) 

Some ‘Ulamaa while commenting on the above verse said: “Whoever beats others to the righteous deeds in this world will be the foremost on the Last Day and the foremost people are the highest in position.”
 
Dear brothers and sisters, man's life is not free from impediments, obstacles and calamities, which can prevent him from accomplishing what could have been done earlier. However, wise are those who grab available opportunities before being handicapped by obstacles.
 
Let us leave those people moving aimlessly in their fake pleasures and ponder over a better and sublime competition ....... a competition that is encouraged by the Glorious Qur'aan.

It is a race towards the Pleasure of Allaah and Paradise .... a competition in the field of righteous deeds. It is a competition in which the participants are wise people who are aware that this live is short hence they compete with one another in investing their lives in acts of obedience to Allaah.

"Therefore, race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden as wide as heaven and earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. Such is the Favor of Allah; He gives it to whom He will. Allah is the Owner of great favor." (Surah Hadeed: 21)

By Asma bint Shameem

Monday, January 3, 2011

The Clemency of Imam Ali for the Tear of Imam Hussein

 One day Sheikh Bahjat talked about the generosity of the Imams (a.s) saying:
'In Iraq, there is a small town near the place where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet called al-Musayyab. A Shia man used to pass by this town from time to time whenever he went to perform the ziyara of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (as) in Najaf. A Sunni man, too, was residing in this same town.
The latter quite often used to make fun of the Shia man whenever he saw him going to visit the shrine of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (as), so much so that he dared once to speak ill of the Holy Imam (as).
The Shia was very angry and he complained about this matter to the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (as) during one of his visits. During that night, he saw the Imam (as) in his vision and once more complained to him about this matter.
 
Imam Ali (as) said, 'He [the Sunni man] has done us a favor, and we cannot punish him in the life of this world no matter what sins he commits.'
The Shia asked, 'What favor is it? Did he do you a favor when he dared to speak ill of you?'
The Imam (as) said, 'No, but he was sitting one day at the meeting place of both rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, and he was looking at the Euphrates. He remembered the story of Kerbala and the thirst of Imam al-Husain (as), so he said this to himself:
'Omer ibn Sa'd was wrong when he killed Imam Hussein (as) and his followers as they were thirsty, and it was better for him to give them water before killing them.'
A tear trickled down his eyes out of grief for Abu Abdullah Al-Hussein (as); therefore, it became mandatory on us never to punish him in this life.'
 
The Shia says, I woke up from my sleep and returned to al-Musayyab and met the Sunni man on the road. He said to me in ridicule: 'Did you visit your Imam, and did you convey our message to him?!'
I said, 'Yes, I conveyed your message to him, and I carry his message to you.'
The man laughed and said. 'What is this message which you carry to me?'
narrated to him the incident from beginning to end. The Sunni man lowered his head to the ground and kept thinking: 'O Lord! Nobody at that moment was near me, and I did not talk about this incident to anyone; so, how did Imam Ali (a.s) become familiar with it?'
Then he said, 'I testify that there is no God save Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and that Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, is a friend of Allah and the Wasi of the Messenger of Allah.'
Uswat al-Arifin

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Refraining From Sins is Genuine Worship

"Abstaining from sins is the basis of religion. Hence, refrain from sins in order to become the most pious worshipper. Adorn yourself with piety. Do not perform a single good deed without piety. Surely that deed is most acceptable by Allah which is accompanied by piety, even though it may be trifle. As Allah says, "Allah accepts the good deeds only from the pious people."
(Iddatud-Dai)

The Reality of Taqwa

The word 'Taqwa' is derived from the root 'waqaya' which means 'to safeguard' or 'to abstain'. In the Islamic terminology it is defined as the action of restraining oneself from disobeying the commands of Allah. When Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) was asked to elaborate on the meaning of the word, 'Taqwa' he replied, "Submit to the command (of Allah) and do not go near the prohibited." It means that one should endeavor to fulfill all the commands of Allah and abstain from the prohibited things. On the basis of this, Taqwa is classified into two types:
The first type of Taqwa consists of compulsory obedience to Allah in fulfilling the compulsory duties (wajibaat) and not leaving even a single duty unperformed. The obligatory commands (wajibaat) are those which, if not carried out, invite the wrath of Allah. Also, as far as possible one should try not to forgo the recommended acts (Mustahabbaat). The recommended acts are those, which if performed earn blessings but if not carried out do not make one liable for punishment. 


-Reference: Greater Sins, Vol.1 

Reward of Ziyarat of Imam Hussain (a.s)

1. Imam Reza (a.s) says, "A person visiting the grave of Imam Hussain (a.s) near Euphrates is like a person who visits Allah near the Divine throne."

2. Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s) says, "One who goes for Ziyarat of Imam Hussain (a.s) knowing his right, Allah writes it among AA'la-e-Illiyeen."

3. Imam Reza (a.s) says, "One who goes for ziyarat of Imam Hussain (a.s) knowing his right, the Almighty Allah forgives all his sins from beginning till the end.

4. A shia man asked Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s), "What is the reward of Ziyarat of Imam Hussain (a.s)?" Imam (a.s) replied, "It is equal to that of one Umrah."

-Reference: Sawaabul Amaal.

Muharram 1432 | December 2010

 
Bibi ka Alam at Baitul Qayam (Hyd) on Roz-e-Ashur, December 2010

When will Deliverance Take Place?


It has been narrated by Jabir Jaufi that: I asked Imam Muhammad Baqir (as) about Imam Mehdi (as)’s reappearance that when will ‘Faraj’ deliverance take place?
 
Our fifth Holy Imam (as) replied: “Alas! Alas! There shall be no Faraj until you all become a mesh (he repeated the sentence three times), the impure believers are exterminated and only the pure believers remain!”
 
Almighty Allah (s.w.t) says in the Holy Quran: “Do men think they will be left alone on saying – we believe; and not be tried?”
 
Sheikh Saduq (May Allah elevate his position) has recorded this event in the book – ‘Kamaluddin’ from Sadir Sairafi who was bestowed with the honor of visiting our 6th Imam (as) along with Mufazzal bin Umeir and Abu Baseer.
We asked the son of the Messenger of Allah about Qaem (as). Imam Jaffer Sadiq (as) replied: “The characteristics Allah assigned for his Prophets have been assigned for our Qaem (as) too. Just as Prophet Isa (as) went away into occultation from his people, similarly Allah Almighty has ordained that our Qaem (as) shall also go away into occultation from his people. His occultation shall be lengthy such that the deviators shall deny him.
 
The delay of our Qaem (as) is like the delay of Prophet Nuh (as). Nuh (as) had asked Allah to punish the disbelievers and requested salvation for the believers.
 
Allah informed Nuh (as): “Plant these seeds because you will attain salvation and deliverance after they become trees and bear fruit. Give glad tidings about this matter to your followers.” Prophet Nuh (as)  followed the orders of Almighty Allah.
 
When after a long time the seeds turned into strong trees possessing branches, leaves and dates; Prophet Nuh (as) asked Allah to fulfill his promise.
For the second time Allah ordered Nuh (as) to sow fresh date seeds yet again. Allah ordered Nuh (as) to adopt patience and inform his believers. When Prophet Nuh (as) informed his people - three hundred of his believers turned apostates; doubting the Prophet Hood of Nuh (as) and Allah’s promise.

Once again the seeds turned into strong trees bearing dates Prophet Nuh (as) asked Allah for deliverance. And yet for the third time Nuh (as) was ordered to follow the same instructions as before; and on informing his followers a greater number of his believers turned away from him. They turned away from Allah’s representative and Allah’s promise.
 
Now the number of Nuh (as)’s true believers remained seventy in number. And here Allah revealed to Nuh (as): “The brightness of dawn has obviated the darkness of night since truth has been established and faith has been purified. My promise was salvation and deliverance for the believers. I was aware of the shaky faith and evil nature of those among your followers who later turned apostates. Now by our command, you may start building the ship; for those who remain are the ones whose monotheistic belief is based on sincerity and they have clung to the rope of your Prophet Hood. My promise is to make them vicegerents over the earth, give strength to their religion and turn their fears into tranquility.”
 
Imam Sadiq (as) said: “The same condition shall prevail for our Qaem (as). The period of occultation will be a long one until absolute truth appears and faith gets clearly distinguished from the evils of discord; so that any of the Shia who are evil in nature and have feelings of discord will exit from religion. “

These are the ones about whom our Masumin (as) have foretold that faith shall depart from them just as a knife slices easily through butter.
 
Conclusion
 
Al Imam Mahdi (as) is the Imam through whose obedience we should be upright. Imam e Zamana (as)  is the channel between us and Allah. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w) repeatedly emphasized to hold on to the Holy Quran and the Holy Ahlul Bayt (as). Holding on to them does not mean we have to catch hold of their hands; rather it means we have to act upon their sayings and follow their path. This is feasible and possible for each and every person. Therefore there cannot remain any excuse and none can say: “The Twelfth Imam (as) was hidden so we could not hold on to him.”
It is not obligatory on Imam (as) to approach us; rather it is obligatory upon us to approach His Excellency. And the best way to do this is by sincerely following the commands of Allah and Ahlul Bayt (as); protecting the Ahlul Bayt (as); warding off their enemies; increasing our love for the Masumin (as) and deeply hating their enemies.