 |
| Iran and Iraq 2008 |
Monday, December 22, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
SUGAR DISEASE' can be cured by the words of "HOLY QUR'AN"
The patients who are suffering from 'SUGAR DISEASE' can be cured by the words of "HOLY QUR'AN" - Parah No. 15, Surah Bani Israel (17), Ayath 80. Rabbi adkhilni mudkhala sidqiuw wa akhrijni mukhraja sidqiuw wa ajal lee milladunka sultaanan naseera 3 times you have to read this aayath. Before and after this aayath, you have to read "DARUD E SHAREEF" for 3 times and spell on water and drink it. By the grace of "Almighty Allah" SUGAR CHRONIC DISEASE would be cured. And I request you to pass this message to others so that they may get benefit
The Concept Of Nazr: 22 of the month of RAJAB
The word NAZR is an Arabic word which means "an offering," in its verbal form it will mean "to offer" or "to make a spiritual vow."
Note that NAZR is used in Arabic in a totally different meaning also ‑ "to warn," that is not in this context. Therefore, we leave that for the time.
The holy Qur'an has used the word "NAZR" in both meanings. We will only discuss here the first usage, i.e, which is relevant to our discussion here.
Sometimes the word NIAZ is also used in this context. This is a word from Farsi which means "need,” and it is its metaphorical use in the sense of an offering.
The basic concept of NAZR is to offer something less valuable in the hope and expectation of receiving something of higher value. The "value" does not have to be material, it could just be honor and dignity. The examples below will explain this notion further.
1. In 5:27-31 the holy Qur'an tells the story of the two sons of the prophet Adam.
The two sons of Adam (Habeel and Qabeel, Anglicized names: Able and Cain) made an offering to their Lord, one was accepted and the other was rejected. The brother, whose offering was rejected, became jealous of his other brother and in a rage of jealousy and frustration he killed him. For that Qabeel's face was darkened, he went crazy and he will bear the burden of every unlawful murder to the Day of Judgement. Note that the word for offering used in the holy Qur'an in this instance is Q-R-B instead of NAZR.
2. In 3:35 the holy Qur'an tells the story of Maryam’s (Mary of the Christian scriptures) mother.
When a woman of Imran said: My Lord, surely I vow to Thee (rabbi inni nazartu) what is in my womb, to be devoted (to Thy service); accept therefore from me, surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing.
However, when the child was born, it was a girl (Maryam) and the family was puzzled as to how to send a girl to the Temple. But they fulfilled the vow as they had promised their Lord. And, Maryam was dedicated to serving in the Temple under the guardianship of prophet Zakariyya. Later she gave birth to Jesus.
3. In 19:26 the holy Qur'an tells the story when Jesus is born without a father and the Jews are asking of Maryam about such an implausible situation.
So eat and drink and refresh the eye. Then if you see any mortal, say: Surely I have vowed a fast to the Beneficent God (inni nazartu lir-Rahmaani sawman). So I shall not speak to any man today.
4. In the first twelve verses of Sura Dahr (chapter 76) the holy Qur'an tells the story of NAZR by the Ahlul-Bayt (may our salams and Allah's peace be unto them).
The holy Qur'an describes the beginning of man and the attributes of a grateful man in this sura. One of the many attributes of a grateful and faithful person is described in verses 7 & 8:
7.
[76:7] They fulfill their vows, and reverence a day that is extremely difficult.
8.
[76:8] They feed the poor, the orphan, and the captive, out of His love
9.
[76:9] "We feed you for the sake of Allah; we expect no reward from you, nor thanks.
10.
[76:10] "We fear from our Lord a day that is full of misery and trouble."
Because they perform the vow(yufoona bin-nazri) and fear a day whereof the evil is wide-spreading, And feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him.
The hadeeth literature indicates that the Ahlul-bayt (peace be unto them) showed the importance of nazr by their acts more than once. The following story is recorded in many tafseer books about the revelation of these verses of sura Dahr.
Once the Imams Hasan and Husayn, who were at that time 5 and 4 years old, fell ill. When the Prophet of Islam missed them in the mosque, he came to Fatima Zahra's house to inquire about them.. When he was told that they were sick, he suggested that both parents should take a spiritual vow (nazr) for the children's recovery. So both Imam Ali and Fatima Zahra prayed to Allah for the recovery of Hasan and Husayn (peace be unto them all) and took a vow to fast for three consecutive days when their health had improved. The children were soon well again. Both parents set about fulfilling their spiritual vow and fasted. When the children saw that, they also decided to fast with their parents and so did the house-maid, Fiddha. But that day there was no food in Fatima's house even for breaking the fast. So Imam Ali went out looking for work. He could not find any. But he was able to get three kilograms of wool to be spun in exchange of three kilograms of barley. Fatima Zahra spun the wool all day. She was only able to dispense with one kilo of it. So she took only one kilo of barley, ground it into flour and prepared five loaves of bread. While they were all ready to break their fast, someone knocked at the door saying: "O people of the house of the Prophet, I am a poor man and I have nothing to eat, is there anything you could do to feed me." At this Imam Ali stood up, went to the door and gave his loaf to the man. Fatima Zahra did the same. Watching this, both children also gave their loaves and so did the maid. They broke their fast by water and retired. The next day Fatima Zahra spun another kilo of wool. So she separated one kilo of barley, ground it into flour and prepared five loaves once again. As they were ready to break their fast, once again, a voice called out from the door: "O people of the house of The Prophet, I am an orphan, I am hungry, could you feed me?" Hearing this, Imam Ali stood up and gave his loaf to the man, so did Fatima Zahra, the children and the maid. They all, once again, broke their fast by water and retired. Came the third day, Fatima Zahra spun the rest of the wool, took the remaining barley, ground it into flour and prepared five loaves. As they were ready to break the fast, a voice called from the door saying: "O people of the house of the Prophet, I am a prisoner, I am hungry, could you feed me?" Hearing this, once again, Imam Ali stood up and went to the door and gave his loaf away to the prisoner. Fatima Zahra, the children and the maid did likewise. Every time the person at the door would want to express his gratitude for the kindness, Ali would say: "No, no, we are not looking for any reward from you for this act, we are doing it out of Allah's love."
Now the children had just been quite ill. And they had not eaten anything in three days. The Prophet of Islam once again entered the house asking about the children. When he looked at them they were shaking like autumn leaves (those are the exact words in the report). Fatima Zahra told him what had been going on in the family. At that time the archangel Gabriel came down with a gift of Allah to the Prophet. That gift was the verses of Sura Insan or Dahr (chapter 76), which we quote below.
They fulfill vows and fear a day the evil of which shall be spreading far and wide.
And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive.
We only feed you for Allah's sake; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks:
Surely we fear from our Lord a stern, distressful day.
Therefore Allah will guard them from the evil of that day and cause them to meet with ease and happiness.
And reward them, because they were patient, with garden and silk. (Q. 76:7-12)
This story tells us that the Prophet of Islam recommended to any family that if and when you are facing a difficult situation or you are distressed, you should do nazr. In other words, take a spiritual vow that when the problem is over you would offer special prayers or invite friends and relatives for food that has been dedicated to the Ahlul Bayt.
The story is the guiding light for us in our lives. The family of Fatima Zahra (peace be unto them all) fulfilled their nazr, but when a more needy person came they gave away their food to him without any regard to their own needs. Qur'an has made it incumbent upon us to love the Prophet of Islam and his holy family and fashion our lives according to how they lived.
23.
[42:23] This is the good news from Allah to His servants who believe and lead a righteous life. Say, "I do not ask you for any wage. I do ask each of you to love teh QURBA." Anyone who does a righteous work, we multiply his reward for it. GOD is Forgiver, Appreciative.
Say, (O Prophet), I do not ask you any recompense for this (the mission of Islam), except that you would love my near ones(QURBA). (Q. 42:23)
The NAZR of the 22nd day of the glorious month of Rajab is done as a result of this love for the holy Ahlul-Bayt.
There is a hadeeth attributed to our sixth Imam, J'afar as-Sadiq (may our salams and Allah' peace be unto them all). Once the Imam was walking in the streets of Madinah with some of his companions. He suddenly stopped and looked to his companions and inquired about the date. They all said that that was the 22nd day of Rajab.. The Imam then said: "If anyone of you is facing a difficulty of any kind in this world, you should prepare some sweets and set them up in a clay pot (koonday in Urdu) and dedicate that in a NAZR to my person. You should then pray to your Lord using my WASEELA. Allah will, if He wills, remove your difficulty. However, if your problem is not resolved then you would come to me on the Day of Judgement and complain to me."
The concept of WASEELA is also Qur'anic:
35.
[5:35] O you who believe, you shall have Allah's TAQWA and seek the WASEELA (ways and means} to Him, and strive in His cause, that you may succeed.
One other story of NAZR must be told here which will explain another point. It is not mentioned in the holy Qur'an but it is well attested by almost all the historians.
The Prophet's grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib lay asleep once in the proximity of the Kcaba. He had a vision that someone was calling on him to dig up the well of Zamzam which had been buried by a previous tribe of Mekkah in the sand. He woke up and called his friends and relatives to come and help him. People just laughed at his "foolish" plan and refused to help. At that time Abdul-Muttalib had only one son named Harith. So he and his son set upon searching for the well of Zamzam. A point came when they were totally exhausted of thirst and fatigue and were on the verge of dying. Abdul-Muttalib thought to himself that if he had more sons to help him, the situation would not have come to that. He then took a spiritual vow (NAZR) that if he had ten sons, he would offer one of them for sacrifice in the holy House of Allah.
Abdul-Muttalib eventually did have ten sons (actually he had four more after the completion of this story, as follows). He remembered his vow. He discussed it with his sons. The youngest at that time named Abdullah, was only sixteen years old. They all agreed with their father that he must fulfill his vow. Lots were drawn on the sons' names. Abdullah's name came out in the draw. Abdullah forthrightly agreed to become the sacrificial son. But his maternal uncles, when heard of this, ran all the way from Madinah and tried to stop Abdul-Muttalib from the slaughter of his son. Lots were then drawn again, this time against Abdullah's name and some camels. Every time Abdullah's name would come out in the draw until the number of camels was gradually raised to one hundred. Finally Abdullah was ransomed by the slaughter of one hundred camels. The meat was left for the people of Makkah to consume.
Soon after this, Abdullah was married to lady Aminah daughter of Wahb. Abdul-Muttalib also married the same night the sister of Wahb. Lady Aminah conceived our Prophet but before he was born, Abdullah suddenly died. Abdul-Muttalib' s latest marriage also produced a son named Hamza, and later three more[1].
CONCLUSION
NAZR is not a wajib act in Islam, rather it is done when a Muslim feels a need for such a thing.
However, once a spiritual vow is taken by a Muslim, it becomes wajib on him/ her to complete the NAZR if his/her wish is granted by Allah. This is proven by the story of Hazrat Maryam's mother. She had to give Maryam up to the temple even though she was a girl and it was against all accepted tradition to let a girl be a maid at the temple.. Same thing is proven from the story of Abdul-Muttalib and Abdullah. Neither the sons felt any qualms about becoming the sacrificial son nor, the father had any doubts in his mind about his convictions.
Abdul-Muttalib' s stance also tells us that food offered for NAZR is basically for others and mostly for the needy.
Qabeel's story tells us that it is a grave sin not to accept Allah's will in the situation of an offering. Habeels' stance teaches us the great virtue of SABR even if one's personal safety and security is threatened.
KOONDAY
Only the plural of this word is used in relation to the NAZR of the 22nd of Rajab. The singular is not used in civilized conversation. In fact, it is a bad word. But that is only its usage; there is no religiosity in it. It is only cultural.
It is true that this custom is very popular among the Muslims of India and Pakistan. There is nothing wrong in its social aspect.. It is better for good Muslims to meet at a NAZR and talk about Allah and the holy Ahlul-Bayt instead of wasting time on movies (if Indian, they are replete with awkward meaning words and horrible music, if western they are mainly full of sex and violence[2]) or playing cards.
It is this concept which has been twisted into 'the worship of the dead.' Yes, some Muslims do spiritual offerings to Allah for their worldly affairs making the holy spirits as the means to reach Allah. Yes, it is the belief of some the Muslims that the Holy Spirits are not dead, they are living in a higher level of existence in nearness to Allah, but they do not worship them. Like all other Muslims, they only worship Allah.
The social custom of Koonday had brought a lot of pluralism among Muslims. Many Muslism of various different sectarian preferance have come together through this custom. It is only recently that some misguided enthusiasts have found fault in this custom and some have even gone on to label the practice as SHIRK and KUFR. Only Allah is the judge of people's faith. WE, the humans, do not have the right to arrogate that responsibility for ourselves.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
[1] See Ibn Is-haaq and other Seera books
[2] This is a very general comment. There are films which are educational and informative
Note that NAZR is used in Arabic in a totally different meaning also ‑ "to warn," that is not in this context. Therefore, we leave that for the time.
The holy Qur'an has used the word "NAZR" in both meanings. We will only discuss here the first usage, i.e, which is relevant to our discussion here.
Sometimes the word NIAZ is also used in this context. This is a word from Farsi which means "need,” and it is its metaphorical use in the sense of an offering.
The basic concept of NAZR is to offer something less valuable in the hope and expectation of receiving something of higher value. The "value" does not have to be material, it could just be honor and dignity. The examples below will explain this notion further.
1. In 5:27-31 the holy Qur'an tells the story of the two sons of the prophet Adam.
The two sons of Adam (Habeel and Qabeel, Anglicized names: Able and Cain) made an offering to their Lord, one was accepted and the other was rejected. The brother, whose offering was rejected, became jealous of his other brother and in a rage of jealousy and frustration he killed him. For that Qabeel's face was darkened, he went crazy and he will bear the burden of every unlawful murder to the Day of Judgement. Note that the word for offering used in the holy Qur'an in this instance is Q-R-B instead of NAZR.
2. In 3:35 the holy Qur'an tells the story of Maryam’s (Mary of the Christian scriptures) mother.
When a woman of Imran said: My Lord, surely I vow to Thee (rabbi inni nazartu) what is in my womb, to be devoted (to Thy service); accept therefore from me, surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing.
However, when the child was born, it was a girl (Maryam) and the family was puzzled as to how to send a girl to the Temple. But they fulfilled the vow as they had promised their Lord. And, Maryam was dedicated to serving in the Temple under the guardianship of prophet Zakariyya. Later she gave birth to Jesus.
3. In 19:26 the holy Qur'an tells the story when Jesus is born without a father and the Jews are asking of Maryam about such an implausible situation.
So eat and drink and refresh the eye. Then if you see any mortal, say: Surely I have vowed a fast to the Beneficent God (inni nazartu lir-Rahmaani sawman). So I shall not speak to any man today.
4. In the first twelve verses of Sura Dahr (chapter 76) the holy Qur'an tells the story of NAZR by the Ahlul-Bayt (may our salams and Allah's peace be unto them).
The holy Qur'an describes the beginning of man and the attributes of a grateful man in this sura. One of the many attributes of a grateful and faithful person is described in verses 7 & 8:
7.
[76:7] They fulfill their vows, and reverence a day that is extremely difficult.
8.
[76:8] They feed the poor, the orphan, and the captive, out of His love
9.
[76:9] "We feed you for the sake of Allah; we expect no reward from you, nor thanks.
10.
[76:10] "We fear from our Lord a day that is full of misery and trouble."
Because they perform the vow(yufoona bin-nazri) and fear a day whereof the evil is wide-spreading, And feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him.
The hadeeth literature indicates that the Ahlul-bayt (peace be unto them) showed the importance of nazr by their acts more than once. The following story is recorded in many tafseer books about the revelation of these verses of sura Dahr.
Once the Imams Hasan and Husayn, who were at that time 5 and 4 years old, fell ill. When the Prophet of Islam missed them in the mosque, he came to Fatima Zahra's house to inquire about them.. When he was told that they were sick, he suggested that both parents should take a spiritual vow (nazr) for the children's recovery. So both Imam Ali and Fatima Zahra prayed to Allah for the recovery of Hasan and Husayn (peace be unto them all) and took a vow to fast for three consecutive days when their health had improved. The children were soon well again. Both parents set about fulfilling their spiritual vow and fasted. When the children saw that, they also decided to fast with their parents and so did the house-maid, Fiddha. But that day there was no food in Fatima's house even for breaking the fast. So Imam Ali went out looking for work. He could not find any. But he was able to get three kilograms of wool to be spun in exchange of three kilograms of barley. Fatima Zahra spun the wool all day. She was only able to dispense with one kilo of it. So she took only one kilo of barley, ground it into flour and prepared five loaves of bread. While they were all ready to break their fast, someone knocked at the door saying: "O people of the house of the Prophet, I am a poor man and I have nothing to eat, is there anything you could do to feed me." At this Imam Ali stood up, went to the door and gave his loaf to the man. Fatima Zahra did the same. Watching this, both children also gave their loaves and so did the maid. They broke their fast by water and retired. The next day Fatima Zahra spun another kilo of wool. So she separated one kilo of barley, ground it into flour and prepared five loaves once again. As they were ready to break their fast, once again, a voice called out from the door: "O people of the house of The Prophet, I am an orphan, I am hungry, could you feed me?" Hearing this, Imam Ali stood up and gave his loaf to the man, so did Fatima Zahra, the children and the maid. They all, once again, broke their fast by water and retired. Came the third day, Fatima Zahra spun the rest of the wool, took the remaining barley, ground it into flour and prepared five loaves. As they were ready to break the fast, a voice called from the door saying: "O people of the house of the Prophet, I am a prisoner, I am hungry, could you feed me?" Hearing this, once again, Imam Ali stood up and went to the door and gave his loaf away to the prisoner. Fatima Zahra, the children and the maid did likewise. Every time the person at the door would want to express his gratitude for the kindness, Ali would say: "No, no, we are not looking for any reward from you for this act, we are doing it out of Allah's love."
Now the children had just been quite ill. And they had not eaten anything in three days. The Prophet of Islam once again entered the house asking about the children. When he looked at them they were shaking like autumn leaves (those are the exact words in the report). Fatima Zahra told him what had been going on in the family. At that time the archangel Gabriel came down with a gift of Allah to the Prophet. That gift was the verses of Sura Insan or Dahr (chapter 76), which we quote below.
They fulfill vows and fear a day the evil of which shall be spreading far and wide.
And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive.
We only feed you for Allah's sake; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks:
Surely we fear from our Lord a stern, distressful day.
Therefore Allah will guard them from the evil of that day and cause them to meet with ease and happiness.
And reward them, because they were patient, with garden and silk. (Q. 76:7-12)
This story tells us that the Prophet of Islam recommended to any family that if and when you are facing a difficult situation or you are distressed, you should do nazr. In other words, take a spiritual vow that when the problem is over you would offer special prayers or invite friends and relatives for food that has been dedicated to the Ahlul Bayt.
The story is the guiding light for us in our lives. The family of Fatima Zahra (peace be unto them all) fulfilled their nazr, but when a more needy person came they gave away their food to him without any regard to their own needs. Qur'an has made it incumbent upon us to love the Prophet of Islam and his holy family and fashion our lives according to how they lived.
23.
[42:23] This is the good news from Allah to His servants who believe and lead a righteous life. Say, "I do not ask you for any wage. I do ask each of you to love teh QURBA." Anyone who does a righteous work, we multiply his reward for it. GOD is Forgiver, Appreciative.
Say, (O Prophet), I do not ask you any recompense for this (the mission of Islam), except that you would love my near ones(QURBA). (Q. 42:23)
The NAZR of the 22nd day of the glorious month of Rajab is done as a result of this love for the holy Ahlul-Bayt.
There is a hadeeth attributed to our sixth Imam, J'afar as-Sadiq (may our salams and Allah' peace be unto them all). Once the Imam was walking in the streets of Madinah with some of his companions. He suddenly stopped and looked to his companions and inquired about the date. They all said that that was the 22nd day of Rajab.. The Imam then said: "If anyone of you is facing a difficulty of any kind in this world, you should prepare some sweets and set them up in a clay pot (koonday in Urdu) and dedicate that in a NAZR to my person. You should then pray to your Lord using my WASEELA. Allah will, if He wills, remove your difficulty. However, if your problem is not resolved then you would come to me on the Day of Judgement and complain to me."
The concept of WASEELA is also Qur'anic:
35.
[5:35] O you who believe, you shall have Allah's TAQWA and seek the WASEELA (ways and means} to Him, and strive in His cause, that you may succeed.
One other story of NAZR must be told here which will explain another point. It is not mentioned in the holy Qur'an but it is well attested by almost all the historians.
The Prophet's grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib lay asleep once in the proximity of the Kcaba. He had a vision that someone was calling on him to dig up the well of Zamzam which had been buried by a previous tribe of Mekkah in the sand. He woke up and called his friends and relatives to come and help him. People just laughed at his "foolish" plan and refused to help. At that time Abdul-Muttalib had only one son named Harith. So he and his son set upon searching for the well of Zamzam. A point came when they were totally exhausted of thirst and fatigue and were on the verge of dying. Abdul-Muttalib thought to himself that if he had more sons to help him, the situation would not have come to that. He then took a spiritual vow (NAZR) that if he had ten sons, he would offer one of them for sacrifice in the holy House of Allah.
Abdul-Muttalib eventually did have ten sons (actually he had four more after the completion of this story, as follows). He remembered his vow. He discussed it with his sons. The youngest at that time named Abdullah, was only sixteen years old. They all agreed with their father that he must fulfill his vow. Lots were drawn on the sons' names. Abdullah's name came out in the draw. Abdullah forthrightly agreed to become the sacrificial son. But his maternal uncles, when heard of this, ran all the way from Madinah and tried to stop Abdul-Muttalib from the slaughter of his son. Lots were then drawn again, this time against Abdullah's name and some camels. Every time Abdullah's name would come out in the draw until the number of camels was gradually raised to one hundred. Finally Abdullah was ransomed by the slaughter of one hundred camels. The meat was left for the people of Makkah to consume.
Soon after this, Abdullah was married to lady Aminah daughter of Wahb. Abdul-Muttalib also married the same night the sister of Wahb. Lady Aminah conceived our Prophet but before he was born, Abdullah suddenly died. Abdul-Muttalib' s latest marriage also produced a son named Hamza, and later three more[1].
CONCLUSION
NAZR is not a wajib act in Islam, rather it is done when a Muslim feels a need for such a thing.
However, once a spiritual vow is taken by a Muslim, it becomes wajib on him/ her to complete the NAZR if his/her wish is granted by Allah. This is proven by the story of Hazrat Maryam's mother. She had to give Maryam up to the temple even though she was a girl and it was against all accepted tradition to let a girl be a maid at the temple.. Same thing is proven from the story of Abdul-Muttalib and Abdullah. Neither the sons felt any qualms about becoming the sacrificial son nor, the father had any doubts in his mind about his convictions.
Abdul-Muttalib' s stance also tells us that food offered for NAZR is basically for others and mostly for the needy.
Qabeel's story tells us that it is a grave sin not to accept Allah's will in the situation of an offering. Habeels' stance teaches us the great virtue of SABR even if one's personal safety and security is threatened.
KOONDAY
Only the plural of this word is used in relation to the NAZR of the 22nd of Rajab. The singular is not used in civilized conversation. In fact, it is a bad word. But that is only its usage; there is no religiosity in it. It is only cultural.
It is true that this custom is very popular among the Muslims of India and Pakistan. There is nothing wrong in its social aspect.. It is better for good Muslims to meet at a NAZR and talk about Allah and the holy Ahlul-Bayt instead of wasting time on movies (if Indian, they are replete with awkward meaning words and horrible music, if western they are mainly full of sex and violence[2]) or playing cards.
It is this concept which has been twisted into 'the worship of the dead.' Yes, some Muslims do spiritual offerings to Allah for their worldly affairs making the holy spirits as the means to reach Allah. Yes, it is the belief of some the Muslims that the Holy Spirits are not dead, they are living in a higher level of existence in nearness to Allah, but they do not worship them. Like all other Muslims, they only worship Allah.
The social custom of Koonday had brought a lot of pluralism among Muslims. Many Muslism of various different sectarian preferance have come together through this custom. It is only recently that some misguided enthusiasts have found fault in this custom and some have even gone on to label the practice as SHIRK and KUFR. Only Allah is the judge of people's faith. WE, the humans, do not have the right to arrogate that responsibility for ourselves.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
[1] See Ibn Is-haaq and other Seera books
[2] This is a very general comment. There are films which are educational and informative
But are we with Allah?
“And He (Allah) is with you wherever you may be”. (The Holy Quran 57:4)
Allah is everywhere. No space or time is without Him; yet He is independent of time and space. He is Omnipresent; and His love protects us from harm in this world and in the life hereafter.
But this relationship with Allah should not be one-sided. No doubt, Allah is with us. The vital question is: “Are we with Allah?”
If a grown up son misbehaves and still demands the same parental affection which is enjoyed by his obedient brother, he is just deceiving himself. Likewise, some people fail to realize that there is no such thing as ‘one sided companionship’. And if we want to be sure that Allah is with us, we must be sure that we are with Allah. It means that we have to prove our love towards Allah, if we want to be worthy of the love of Allah. In other words, we must know also our responsibilities towards Allah and His creatures, and try to fulfil them.
As a first step to reach this goal, we must realize that we are too much entangled in our worldly affairs to spare a moment to remember Allah. Sheikh Saduq, one of the greatest Muslim Scholars, has given a very good parable to throw light on this facet of our life.
A man slipped down from the brink of a deep well. Fortunately, a plant had grown in the wall of the well, and while falling down his hands clutched a branch of that plant. After the initial shock, he began looking up and down.
What he saw, was enough to make him scared. A huge serpent, in the depth of well, was waiting for him to fall down. Desperately, he decided to remain where he was; and then saw to his horror, that two mice-one black, another white-were busy cutting the root of that plant. He lost his hope. Then he looked up, and his heart was full of hope. He was not very far from the rim of the well and, by a little judicious effort could reach the safety very easily. Then he saw a beehive in that plant. And forgetting his tragic position, he began eating the honey. Of course, the bees did not like it and began stinging him, but he remained oblivious of all the troubles. A short time after, the mice succeeded in cutting the plant down and he fell in the mouth of the serpent.
We are that man; this world is the well; the plant in the midway is our life; which is being eroded away by every passing night and day-the black and white mice; death is the serpent waiting for us. The honey represents the pleasantries of this world, for which we QUARREL with other people - the bees – and are bitten by them.
What makes our plight more tragic is the fact that rescue is never very far. It just requires a little effort on our part to reach to safety and security provided by the loving care of Allah. We may easily reach Allah and be safe for ever. Or on the other hand, we may be destroyed by death. The choice is ours. Allah is with us. But are we with Allah?
Allah is everywhere. No space or time is without Him; yet He is independent of time and space. He is Omnipresent; and His love protects us from harm in this world and in the life hereafter.
But this relationship with Allah should not be one-sided. No doubt, Allah is with us. The vital question is: “Are we with Allah?”
If a grown up son misbehaves and still demands the same parental affection which is enjoyed by his obedient brother, he is just deceiving himself. Likewise, some people fail to realize that there is no such thing as ‘one sided companionship’. And if we want to be sure that Allah is with us, we must be sure that we are with Allah. It means that we have to prove our love towards Allah, if we want to be worthy of the love of Allah. In other words, we must know also our responsibilities towards Allah and His creatures, and try to fulfil them.
As a first step to reach this goal, we must realize that we are too much entangled in our worldly affairs to spare a moment to remember Allah. Sheikh Saduq, one of the greatest Muslim Scholars, has given a very good parable to throw light on this facet of our life.
A man slipped down from the brink of a deep well. Fortunately, a plant had grown in the wall of the well, and while falling down his hands clutched a branch of that plant. After the initial shock, he began looking up and down.
What he saw, was enough to make him scared. A huge serpent, in the depth of well, was waiting for him to fall down. Desperately, he decided to remain where he was; and then saw to his horror, that two mice-one black, another white-were busy cutting the root of that plant. He lost his hope. Then he looked up, and his heart was full of hope. He was not very far from the rim of the well and, by a little judicious effort could reach the safety very easily. Then he saw a beehive in that plant. And forgetting his tragic position, he began eating the honey. Of course, the bees did not like it and began stinging him, but he remained oblivious of all the troubles. A short time after, the mice succeeded in cutting the plant down and he fell in the mouth of the serpent.
We are that man; this world is the well; the plant in the midway is our life; which is being eroded away by every passing night and day-the black and white mice; death is the serpent waiting for us. The honey represents the pleasantries of this world, for which we QUARREL with other people - the bees – and are bitten by them.
What makes our plight more tragic is the fact that rescue is never very far. It just requires a little effort on our part to reach to safety and security provided by the loving care of Allah. We may easily reach Allah and be safe for ever. Or on the other hand, we may be destroyed by death. The choice is ours. Allah is with us. But are we with Allah?
A Brilliant Means of Destroying One’ Sins
Imam al-Ridha (‘a) is reported to have said: ‘Man lam yaqdir ‘alaa maa yukaffiru bihi dhunubahu fal yukthir minassalaati ‘ala Muhammadiw wa aali Muhammad fa innahaa tahdimu al-dhuooba hadman (One who cannot do that which expiates for his sins, he should often send salutations to Muhammad and his progeny, for surely that significantly destroys sins [Al-’Aamili, Wasa’il al-Shi’a, v.7, p. 194]
[Note: Sending salutations must be sincere expression, which involves, belief and expression, and not a mere habitual recitation.]
[Note: Sending salutations must be sincere expression, which involves, belief and expression, and not a mere habitual recitation.]
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE VEIL
There are number of health and moral benefits that wearing the veil (Hijab, Hejab) can provide. The moral duty of wearing the veil (Hijab, Hejab) in Islam is an often discussed topic among Muslim women. However, little has been written about scientific reasons that the veil (Hijab, Hejab) is beneficial for society. There are, in fact, a number of health benefits that wearing the veil can provide, as well as many behavioral science studies that suggest that the veil (Hijab, Hejab) is the best attire (clothes) for women.Protecting the head is very important from a health perspective. Results Of medical tests show that 40-60% of body heat is lost through the head, so persons wearing head coverings during cold months are protected about fifty-percent more than those who do not. Chinese and Muslim medical texts take this concept even further. In the Hua Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor's Classic on Internal Medicine), wind is said to cause sudden changes within the body and shaking, swaying and other movements that potentially upset the body's equilibrium; thus, creating bad health.These texts attribute the common cold to wind elements entering the body and causing the typical symptoms of sneezing and a Runny nose. In the traditional Islamic medical texts of Al-Jawziyya, we can find numerous references to the "four elements" of fire, water, air and earth and how these affect the body in adverse ways. In particular, we are advised to stay away from drafts and protect our heads in wind, breezes, drafts and cold weather.All outdoor workers should wear some sort of head covering:For this reason, protecting the head is even more important in warm weather. V.G. Rocine, a prominent brain research specialist, has found that brain Phosphorus melts at 108 degrees; a temperature that can be easily reached if one stays under the hot sun for any length of time without a head covering. When this happens, irreversible brain damage, memory loss and loss of some brain functions can result. Although this example is extreme, Brain damage can still be measured in small degrees from frequent exposure to and overheating of the head. Bernard Jensen, a naturopath and chiropractor states that this is because the brain runs on the mineral phosphorus, which is very affected by heat.Hygienic Purposes:All public should wear a veil (Hijab, Hejab) or head-covering workers serving society to ensure cleanliness and purity. Workers in a number of professions wear "veils" - nurses, fast food workers, and deli Counter workers, restaurant workers and servers, doctors, health care providers and many more. In fact, when we compare the number of workers who cover their heads to the number who do not, we find that more people probably cover their heads than do not.Female Psychological Balance:Covering the hair can also have a beneficial effect on the female psyche as well. Studies of women being interviewed for jobs show that there is a high correlation between what they wear and their perceptions of how successful they will be in their interviews. There are many more examples of how what we wear can influence how we act.Wearing a veil (Hijab, Hejab) can serve to remind women of their religious duties and behavioral expectations. It can also serve as a reminder to women that we are not only individuals, but also representatives and diplomats of our "Ummah."__._,_.___
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Thought of the week
"Throughout every Thursday night, Allah (swt) orders an angel to call on behalf of the Almighty: Is there any believer who calls Me for this world and the Hereafter so that I grant his exigency? Is there any believer who repents of his sins before the sunrise, so that I forgive him? Is there any believer who asks for the abundance of his sustenance, which I have made scanty, before the sunrise, so that I will expand it? Is there any sick believer who asks me to heal him before the sunrise so that I make him well?Is there any jailed believer who asks me to free him before the sunrise, so that I grant him his demand? Is there any oppressed believer who asks me to take revenge from the oppressor, so that I restore his rights? He will keep saying so until dawn."
(Imam al-Baqir, as)Source: Bihar al Anwar: 86/282, chapter 2, radition 27
(Imam al-Baqir, as)Source: Bihar al Anwar: 86/282, chapter 2, radition 27
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The Cure of Hopelessness
1. Power of Allah
Praise be to Allah for His supreme and absolute authority over the vast universe; the earth and the seven skies. He sets the course of the stars and the planets; and not a leaf falls without His permission. He is able to do what He wills. Intellect and reason get bewildered in trying to understand His Might and Greatness. Can such an Almighty be unable to fulfill the meagre needs of his creatures. Certainly not! So how can hopelessness be justified.
2. Personal Experiences
One must ponder upon the various blessings Allah bestowed on us in the past and which we had taken for granted. The Almighty has brought us safely out of the darkness of the womb. He is thoughtful of our needs and He knows them better than our ownselves, and fulfills them without our asking. He has rescued us from many a dangerous situations, disease and calamities. He has bestowed numerous blessings, physical, material, mental, social and spiritual upon us yet we become confident of our standing as individuals. Then why should there be hopelessness? Is He unaware of our condition? I seek forgiveness from the Almighty Allah! Allah is far too exalted.
3.Outward Examples
Let us study the situation of those who were in extremely difficult times but were hopeful of the Lord's Benevolence and Mercy. They continued to entreat Allah till He accepted their prayers and redressed them.
Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s.) and His Male Child
Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s.) was one hundred and twelve years and according to another report one hundred and twenty years. His respected wife Hazrat Sarah was ninety-seven years. They did not have any children. Allah sent to them an Angel to inform them that they would be gifted with a son.
"And his wife was standing (by), so she laughed, then We gave her the good news of Ishaq and after Ishaq of (a son's son) Yaqub.""She said: O wonder! Shall I bear a son when I am an extremely old woman and this my husband an extremely old man? Most surely this is a wonderful thing.""They said: Do you wonder at Allah's bidding? The Mercy of Allah and His blessings are on you, O People of the house, surely He is Praised, Glorious." (Surah Hud 11: 71-73)
In brief, the Mercy of Allah blessed Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s.) and Janabe Sarah with a son, Ishaq, at an age when it could never have been expected.
Hazrat Zakaria (a.s.) and his Son Yahya (a.s.)
The age of Hazrat Zakaria (a.s.) was ninety-nine years and that of his wife eighty nine. Yet, he was hopeful of the Grace of Allah and he prayed with sincerity, "He said My Lord! Surely my bones are weakened and my head flares with hoariness, and my Lord! I have never been unsuccessful in my prayer to Thee: And surely I fear my cousins after me, and my wife is barren, therefore grant me from Thyself an heir, who would inherit me and inherit from the children of Yaqub, and make him, my Lord, one in whom Thou art well pleased."
O Zakaria! Surely We give you good news of a boy whose name shall be Yahya: We have not made before anyone his equal. He said, "O my Lord! When shall I have a son, and my wife is barren, and I myself have reached the extreme degree of old age? He said: "So shall It be, your Lord says: It is easy to Me, and indeed I created you before, when you were nothing."(Surah Maryam 19:4-9)
Thus Allah accepted the invocation of Hazrat Zakaria (a.s.) and Hazrat Yahya (a.s.) was born to him.
If one is suffering from some disease for a long time and there seems to be no hope of curing it, one must consider this disease to be a penalty for his sins (kaffara).
On the other hand if due to his prayers and Sadaqah the disease is cured it becomes a mean of salvation.
Hazrat Ayyub (a.s.) and Tribulations
If one intends to achieve humility and insight, he must study the life of Hazrat Ayyub (a.s.). After being inflicted with a horrible disease for seven years and according to other reports for eighteen years, he prayed to Allah.
"And Ayyub, when he cried to his Lord, (saying): Harm has afflicted me, and Thou art the most Merciful of the Mercifuls." (Surah Anbiya 21:83)Allah responded to his entreaty by curing his malady and also gave him wealth as before.
Ref: Greater Sins, Vol.1
Hopelessness is a Great Sin
Hopelessness is a Greater Sin because it implies negation of the Absolute Sovereignty of the Almighty. A heart illumined with the knowledge that Allah the Creator of all existing things is the best Planner, the best Executor and the best Protector; a person who has the knowledge that it is Allah who bestows a super-abundance of sustenance, security and welfare on His creatures because of His boundless Mercy, limitless Generosity and unsurpassed Knowledge, will be comforted and reassured. The heart of such a person will be calm and peaceful and the question of feeling sorrowful and aggrieved will just not arise. The creator is not unmindful of the needs of a child in its mother's womb. Nourishment is supplied to him through the umbilical cord. When the child is born, Allah provides him through his mother, wholesome and easily digestible milk. Gradually Allah develops in him various capabilities needed for the different stages of his growth.
To ensure the security and happiness of the child Allah creates deep and abiding affection in the heart of the mother for the child; and she is prepared to sacrifice all her comforts and pleasures for the child's sake.
After having the awareness, discussed above, is it possible for one to lose hope in his Lord? No! In fact it makes it easy to repose faith in the Creator and go through all the ups and downs of life with resignation and fortitude.
Hopelessness is a Sign of Disbelief and Lack of Knowledge
Despair is a form of hidden disbelief. It is the result of ignorance about the greatness of one's Lord (Allah). Giving in to despair is equivalent to disbelieving in one's Lord (Allah), which is a Greater Sin. One should therefore be extremely cautious and guard against putting oneself in such a woeful state. The noble Quran explains this in the verse, "... Surely none despairs of Allah's Mercy except the unbelieving people." (Surah Yusuf 12:87)
Hope is Embedded in Human Psychology
The Almighty in His infinite Mercy, has embedded hope in human psychology. Even in the worst of circumstances, there is a faint glimmer of hope in the human heart, and this helps him to overcome his feeling of hopelessness. He therefore turns to his Lord and supplicates for Mercy, forgiveness and redress, and Allah never turns away a supplicant.
Ref: Greater Sins, Vol.1
To ensure the security and happiness of the child Allah creates deep and abiding affection in the heart of the mother for the child; and she is prepared to sacrifice all her comforts and pleasures for the child's sake.
After having the awareness, discussed above, is it possible for one to lose hope in his Lord? No! In fact it makes it easy to repose faith in the Creator and go through all the ups and downs of life with resignation and fortitude.
Hopelessness is a Sign of Disbelief and Lack of Knowledge
Despair is a form of hidden disbelief. It is the result of ignorance about the greatness of one's Lord (Allah). Giving in to despair is equivalent to disbelieving in one's Lord (Allah), which is a Greater Sin. One should therefore be extremely cautious and guard against putting oneself in such a woeful state. The noble Quran explains this in the verse, "... Surely none despairs of Allah's Mercy except the unbelieving people." (Surah Yusuf 12:87)
Hope is Embedded in Human Psychology
The Almighty in His infinite Mercy, has embedded hope in human psychology. Even in the worst of circumstances, there is a faint glimmer of hope in the human heart, and this helps him to overcome his feeling of hopelessness. He therefore turns to his Lord and supplicates for Mercy, forgiveness and redress, and Allah never turns away a supplicant.
Ref: Greater Sins, Vol.1
The Destiny of Man
The spiritual factors which are connected with the hereafter have some causes, the affect of which is kept in abeyance by the Will of Allah. For example those who perform Jehad against their ownselves achieve for themselves a high position in the Hereafter. Those who do not believe in the prophets, the deeds of such people are nullified.
Balam Baoor and his Eternal Damnation
Balam Baoor had achieved a high stage of perfection. But in order to please the ruler he started opposing the prophet of his time. Consequently he became involved in a life of sin from which it was not possible to extricate himself. He was doomed to Hell, to the seventh stage of the fire that is the worst of the stages of Hell. He is compared to a dog in the holy Quran, "And if We had pleased, We would certainly have exalted him thereby; but he clung to the earth and followed his low desire, so his parable is as the parable of the dog; if you attack him he lolls out his tongue; this is the parable of the people who reject our communications; therefore relate the narrative that they may reflect." (Surah Araf 7:176)
A Warning
Believing people are those who have realised Allah. The believing people should be particularly careful not to confuse the apparent causes as the basis of all phenomena. Inspite of realising the supreme authority of Allah and His creations, a public misconception in this regard can damn them to perdition. They should know that they could be damned to perdition if they depend upon the apparent causes and consider them to be the basis of all phenomena because the centre of all phenomena is Allah. He is capable of making all the causes ineffective.
Beauty of the Hereafter
When all the means of salvation are annihilated, the Almighty Allah creates a cause due to his unlimited Mercy. Numerous traditions report incidents where people who had been involved in calamities and damned for destruction were, in the last moments, saved by Allah. They had been completely lost in the darkness of sins but were summoned towards their Lord by His limitless Mercy. The desolate deserts of their life were once again green and fertile. The bounties of Allah bestowed upon them surprised all the intelligent witnesses of these incidents.
The Magicians of Firon
Magic is a Great Sin and the worst of the professions. A magician is destined to Divine punishment, and Hell will be his abode. The magicians of Firon, were ordered to challenge Hazrat Musa (a.s.) and belittle him. But their wicked craft was of no avail, and they failed miserably. At that moment Divine Grace descended. The magicians intuitively sensed the power of Allah that gave Hazrat Musa (a.s.) superiority over them. Neither the lure of wealth nor the warning of torture and death by Firon could shake their belief. They were redeemed.
"Certainly I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and certainly I will crucify you all. They said: No Harm; surely to our Lord we go back." (Surah Shura 26:49-50)
Asiya was a Believing Woman
Upon whomsoever He wishes, Allah bestows a respectable position in this world, as well as the hereafter. Asiya, Firon's wife was leading a life of affluence and material comforts, when her heart became illuminated by the light of belief. Even though she had to go through untold hardships because of her husband Firon, she did not flinch. She declared her belief in Allah and His Prophet, Musa (a.s.), without any fear. At the time of her death, when she was being martyred, she prayed to her Lord.
"...she said: My Lord! build for me a house with Thee in the Garden and deliver me from Firon and his doings, and deliver me from the unjust people." (Surah Tahrim 66:11)
People of the Cave
The people of the cave whose number is said to be seven were living during the reign of the tyrant king Daqiyanoos. Daqiyanoos had claimed divinity and people used to follow him. But suddenly the hearts of these seven people became illuminated with true belief.
They set aside the false claims of Daqiyanoos and in order to tread the path of true beliefs, renounced the worldly power and headed for the mountains and hid themselves in a cave.
This incident is described in detail in Surah Kahf. Their example is preserved in history till the Day of the Judgement.
Realisation Before Death
It is known that there have been people so much involved in sins that their salvation appeared impossible. But in their last moments, realisation dawned on them and they prayed for pardon. Due to their sincere repentance all their sins were pardoned and the Mercy of the Merciful Allah came to their rescue. Thus, they were able to achieve salvation and happiness in the hereafter. They shall be among the successful ones on the Day of the Judgement.
Immediate Death on Embracing Islam
One such fortunate person was a Jew at the battle of Uhud. His name was 'Makhreeq'. He addressed his tribesmen as follows: "You are not aware that Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) is the truthful and the promised Prophet." They replied, "How do you know we are not aware?" "Then why don't you come for his help?" he asked. The tribe said. "Today is Saturday (sabbath)." He said, "But that was at the time of Hazrat Musa (a.s.), it is abrogated by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and is not acceptable to him." When he did not receive any response from the people of his tribe he went to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and became a Muslim. He was extremely wealthy. He entrusted all his wealth to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and himself entered the battlefield to face the unbelievers. He was soon martyred. It is said that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) often gave charity from the property of Makhreeq, the martyr.
Eternal Bliss
Hur ibn Yazid Riyaahi was the commander of Ibn Ziyad. He had obstructed the way of Imam Husain (a.s.) and forced him to halt at Karbala. This despicable act would have condemned him to eternal damnation. But when he heard the sermon of Imam Husain (a.s.) on the day of Ashura and also his Isteghasa, (call for help) his heart underwent a transformation. The Mercy and the Grace of Allah came to his rescue. He repented sincerely and aligned himself with the martyrs of Karbala. In this way he was able to achieve eternal bliss. In the last moments of his life Imam Husain (a.s.) gave him the good news, "You are 'Hur' (Free) as your mother has named you."
Wise People Never Lose Hope
One should never lose hope of achieving high moral traits and perfection in one's faith. In fact one should not even doubt the possibility of achieving it. Even though this type of deficiency in hope is not totally Haraam, yet the true believer should refrain from it. On the other hand he should not consider his apparent capabilities; like youth, strength, wisdom, capacity to think, ability to work, enthusiasm, love etc. to be sufficient for success in the hereafter
Many a people had lacked the above qualities but when the Mercy and Grace of Allah came to their aid, they were raised to a high position. For example people like Fuzail ibn Ayaz, Imran Sabi, Barham Nasrani and Sahib Riyaz who received the Tawfeeq from Allah when had become weak due to old age and were incapable of hardwork and active life, yet they achieved an exalted position.
Ref: Greater Sins, Vol.1
Saturday, October 4, 2008
How to Prepare for Mahe Ramadan
Making supplications to Allah (SWT) to let you live healthy till the end of Ramadan.
Thanking Allah (SWT) when the month of Ramadan arrives.
Being happy and pleased when the month of Ramadan arrives.
Planning and preparing to make the most out of the month of Ramadan.
Purifying the intentions and being determinant not to waste the month of Ramadan without being one of those that Allah (SWT) will wipe their sins and refuge them from Hell fire.
Learning about fasting, what breaks it, what perfects it, etc.
Asking Allah (SWT) to forgive you, your sins and mistakes, working hard to stop doing any sin, and avoiding doing any bad deeds in Ramadan.
Preparing your self mentally, spiritually and emotionally by reading books and articles and listening to cassettes and other audio materials about the virtues and benefits of fasting.
You can participate in the activities that are held in the Masjid.
You can send small gifts to your friends. You can send some letters to brothers and sisters. You can remind people about the poor and the Muslims who suffer in many places on Earth.
Opening a new chapter with...
Allah (SWT) by repenting.
The Prophet (PBUH) by following his way of life.
The Ahlul Bait (SA) by attaining their Marafat.
The parents, relatives, spouse & children by reconnecting with them.
The community by being active, caring and beneficial.
The Holy Prophet (saw) said: “It is a month in which you have been called to the Banquet of Allāh” al-Iqbāl,vol.1,pg.26
Imām Muhammad al-Bāqir (as) is reported to have said “…The month of Ramadān is the month of Ramadān, and those who are fasting therein are the guests of Allāh…” Fadā’il al-Ashhur al-Thalāthah, pg. 123.
Imām al-Sādiq (‘a) is also reported to have said: “Whosoever prays an obligatory prayer and follows it with another, then he is a guest of Allāh, and it is upon Allāh to venerate(Honour) His guest…” al-Kāfī, vol. 2, pg. 241.
Ibn Fahd al-Hillī in his ‘Uddat al-Dā’ī narrates a sacred tradition (al-hadīth al-qudsī) in which Almighty Allāh tells Prophet Dāwūd (‘a) the following:“The obedient people are My guests…” ‘Uddat al-Dā‘ī, pg. 252.
The Holy Prophet (s) in a sacred tradition is reported to have said: “And surely Allāh, free is He from imperfections, Says: Those who remember Me are My guests” Irshād al-Qulūb, pg. 58.
Rewards of Quranic recitation during this month
Imam Ja'fer al-Sadiq (as), as we are told by Shaykh Taqi al-Deen Ibrahim ibn Ali ibn al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn Salih al-'Amili-al- Kaf'ami, has made the following statement with regard to the merits of reciting chapters and verses of the Holy Qur'an:
One who recites ten verses in one night will never be written down among the indifferent.
One who recites fifty verses will be written down among those who remember Allah often (i.e., thakireen).
If he recites a hundred, he will be written down among those who constantly supplicate (qaniteen).
If he recites three hundred, he will be written down among the winners (faaizeen).
If he recites five hundred verses, he will be written down among those who reach the degree of ijtihad (mujtahideen). And if one recites a thousand verses, he will be rewarded with one kantar which is five thousand mithqals: each mithqal is twenty-four karats the smallest of which [in as far as the weighing in the hereafter is concerned] is as big as the mountain of Uhud , and the largest extends from the earth to the sky.
The Imam (as) has also said, as quoted in the same reference, "If one recites the Qur'an, Allah will let him enjoy his vision, and such recitation decreases the penalty of his parents even if they may be kafirs (apostates)."
NINE Gifts for Eid-ul-Fitr
When Unwan al-Basri, a 94 year old man went to seek counsel from Imam Jaffar Sadiq (as), the Imam replied:
"O Unwan! I exhort you to observe NINE things because these are the things that I advise to those who resolve to seek God and to journey on His path. I beseech God to give you success in acting upon them.
Three of those things pertain to the "Training and Discipline of the Soul".
Three of them pertain to "Forbearance and Patience"
And three of them pertain to "Knowledge and Wisdom".
So, commit them to your memory and be careful lest you should be negligent or lethargic in acting upon them."
Unwan says, "I emptied my mind and my heart so as to dedicate them to receive and practice what Imam said".
"O Unwan! I exhort you to observe NINE things because these are the things that I advise to those who resolve to seek God and to journey on His path. I beseech God to give you success in acting upon them.
Three of those things pertain to the "Training and Discipline of the Soul".
Three of them pertain to "Forbearance and Patience"
And three of them pertain to "Knowledge and Wisdom".
So, commit them to your memory and be careful lest you should be negligent or lethargic in acting upon them."
Unwan says, "I emptied my mind and my heart so as to dedicate them to receive and practice what Imam said".
TRAINING AND DISCIPLINING OF THE SOUL
- You should not eat anything for which you have no appetite because it creates stupidity and foolishness in man.
- Do not eat anything unless you are hungry. Keep 1/3rd of the stomach for food, 1/3rd for water and 1/3rd for breath.
- When you want to eat anything, eat of that which is lawful, taking God's name and remember the tradition of the noble Messenger, because no man has ever filled a vessel worse than his stomach".
FORBEARANCE AND PATIENCE
- If someone were to say to you, "If you say one word, you will have to hear ten". Tell him, "If you say ten words, you will not hear from me even one".
- If anyone should insult and abuse you, tell him, "If what you say about me is right, I pray to God to forgive me. And if what you say is false, then I beseech God to forgive you".
- If anyone threatens to betray and abuse you, reassure him that you will be his well-wisher and mindful of his rights.
KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM
- You should question the learned concerning what you do not know and never ask to confuse or to belittle them.
- Avoid giving legal verdicts (Fatwa) as if you were running away from a lion and do not make your neck a bridge for the people to cross over.
- In the matters of the "Shariah", never do anything in accordance with your own subjective judgment. When you find a way to caution and care, make caution your practice.
EID-UL-FITR MUBARAK
Friday, September 26, 2008
Does Allah speak to You?
A young man had been to Wednesday Night Class of Quranic Studies.The Mualim had shared about listening to Allah and obeying Allah through intuition .The young man couldn't help but wonder, 'Does Allah still speak to people through intuition?' After Lessons, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message.
Several different ones talked about how Allah had led them in different ways and that at the end you'll know it was Allah(SWT) Who has directed you. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home.
Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'Allah...If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.'As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, 'Allah is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk came into his head.'Okay, Allah, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.
As he passed Seventh Street , he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.'This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection.Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street .At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, 'Okay, Allah, I will.'He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around.
He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something, 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. 'Allah, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk.Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay Allah(SWT), if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.'
He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?' The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.'
The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking Allah(SWT) to show me how to get some milk.' His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?'
The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that Allah (SWT) still answers prayers.
NOW HERE'S THE TEST....If you believe that Allah (SWT) answers prayers, send this to everyone you care about and also the person that sent it to you!!!!!!!!!If you do not send nothing will happen to you, but if you send you might just be sending someone hope and belief that Allah (SWT) hears our prayers and give hope to those who have already lost faith considering the situation most people. Sometimes it's the simplest things that Allah (SWT) asks us to do, that enable us to understand His words clearer and better than ever.Please listen, and obey!It will bless you and others
Several different ones talked about how Allah had led them in different ways and that at the end you'll know it was Allah(SWT) Who has directed you. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home.
Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'Allah...If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.'As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, 'Allah is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk came into his head.'Okay, Allah, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.
As he passed Seventh Street , he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.'This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection.Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street .At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, 'Okay, Allah, I will.'He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around.
He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something, 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. 'Allah, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk.Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay Allah(SWT), if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.'
He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?' The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.'
The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking Allah(SWT) to show me how to get some milk.' His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?'
The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that Allah (SWT) still answers prayers.
NOW HERE'S THE TEST....If you believe that Allah (SWT) answers prayers, send this to everyone you care about and also the person that sent it to you!!!!!!!!!If you do not send nothing will happen to you, but if you send you might just be sending someone hope and belief that Allah (SWT) hears our prayers and give hope to those who have already lost faith considering the situation most people. Sometimes it's the simplest things that Allah (SWT) asks us to do, that enable us to understand His words clearer and better than ever.Please listen, and obey!It will bless you and others
Why Forgive others during the Month of Holy Ramadhan?
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: Musa (as), the son of Imran once asked, "Oh my Lord! Who is the most honourable of Your servants? And He replied, the person who forgives even when he is in a position of power."
Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "Whoever wishes that Allah (SWT) may favor him with His blessings and accommodate him in Paradise should refine his morals, behave justly with the people, take pity on orphans, help weak and the helpless and be humble before Allah who has created him."
You know what I'm referring to - those times when you get into an arguments with a family member, friend, boss, employee, coworker, classmate, teacher or whoever. You know your facts are right or that you've been wronged with an insulting remark, sarcastic comment or rudeness.
And so, you choose to hold a grudge. After all, you've got a right to. Nobody should be treated this way. Why should you forgive? You're not the one who started this. You're not the one who doesn't have the facts straight.
True. You may be right. You may be in that position of power mentioned in the Hadith above. But forgiving others, apart from positively affecting our health (less stress) and our minds (one less negative thing to focus on), is a necessary step to closeness to Allah (SWT).
How can we move up the ladder of spiritual development when we hold bitterness and anger towards another person? While we may have been in the right, is it worth sacrificing our energy on a grudge instead of on growth?
Is there not something strange about asking for God's forgiveness of our sins while withholding our forgiveness from someone who has hurt us?
We cannot expect for Allah's forgiveness unless we also forgive those who do wrong to us. Forgiving each other, even forgiving one's enemies is one of the most important Islamic teachings. Allah (SWT) says in Holy Quran: And those who shun the great sins and indecencies, and whenever they are angry they forgive. (al-Shura 42:37)
One of the distinguishing features of Ramadhan is forgiveness. Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) explained in one Hadith:
"Ramadhan is a month whose beginning is Mercy, whose middle is Forgiveness and whose end is freedom from the Hellfire".
This makes it a great time to ask Allah (SWT) for His Forgiveness. It's also a wonderful time to open our hearts and cleanse them of grudges and bitterness by forgiving others. Let us use these remaining days of forgiveness this Ramadhan to open our hearts to those who have wronged us and forgive them as we beg Allah (SWT) to forgive us. Please forgive me; if I have wronged you in anyway!
Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "Whoever wishes that Allah (SWT) may favor him with His blessings and accommodate him in Paradise should refine his morals, behave justly with the people, take pity on orphans, help weak and the helpless and be humble before Allah who has created him."
You know what I'm referring to - those times when you get into an arguments with a family member, friend, boss, employee, coworker, classmate, teacher or whoever. You know your facts are right or that you've been wronged with an insulting remark, sarcastic comment or rudeness.
And so, you choose to hold a grudge. After all, you've got a right to. Nobody should be treated this way. Why should you forgive? You're not the one who started this. You're not the one who doesn't have the facts straight.
True. You may be right. You may be in that position of power mentioned in the Hadith above. But forgiving others, apart from positively affecting our health (less stress) and our minds (one less negative thing to focus on), is a necessary step to closeness to Allah (SWT).
How can we move up the ladder of spiritual development when we hold bitterness and anger towards another person? While we may have been in the right, is it worth sacrificing our energy on a grudge instead of on growth?
Is there not something strange about asking for God's forgiveness of our sins while withholding our forgiveness from someone who has hurt us?
We cannot expect for Allah's forgiveness unless we also forgive those who do wrong to us. Forgiving each other, even forgiving one's enemies is one of the most important Islamic teachings. Allah (SWT) says in Holy Quran: And those who shun the great sins and indecencies, and whenever they are angry they forgive. (al-Shura 42:37)
One of the distinguishing features of Ramadhan is forgiveness. Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) explained in one Hadith:
"Ramadhan is a month whose beginning is Mercy, whose middle is Forgiveness and whose end is freedom from the Hellfire".
This makes it a great time to ask Allah (SWT) for His Forgiveness. It's also a wonderful time to open our hearts and cleanse them of grudges and bitterness by forgiving others. Let us use these remaining days of forgiveness this Ramadhan to open our hearts to those who have wronged us and forgive them as we beg Allah (SWT) to forgive us. Please forgive me; if I have wronged you in anyway!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Types of Fasting
There are three types of fasting:
Considering that each believer possesses a particular degree of faith and piety, it could be said that faith, piety, and fasting have as much as ranks and degrees as there are the number of believers.
Ref: Spiritual journey of the mystics
- The fasting of commons, which is the renunciation of eating and drinking, and observance of other fasting requirements as described in the Books of Jurisprudence.
- The fasting of nobles, which in addition to the above also includes renunciation of sins i.e. controlling eyes, ears, tongue, and other bodily parts from sinning and transgression.
- The fasting of most distinguished nobles which in addition to the renunciation of the above also includes relinquishment of everything, be it permissible or forbidden, which makes mind and conscience negligent from Allah's remembrance.
Considering that each believer possesses a particular degree of faith and piety, it could be said that faith, piety, and fasting have as much as ranks and degrees as there are the number of believers.
Ref: Spiritual journey of the mystics
Classification of Fast observers On the Basis of Their Food Consumption
From the point of view of eating and drinking the fast observers differ as follows:
The fast observers whose eating and drinking is provided through forbidden means are like the ones, who carry the burden of things belonging to others upon their shoulders. The things ultimately reach to their owner and the exhaustion and fatigue remain with these people. The reward of fast of such fast observers is given to the real owners of those eatables or drinks which were illegally consumed by these fast observers, and for them nothing remains except tyranny, wrath, and usurpation of people's wealth. Or they are like those who undertake pilgrimage to Mecca riding upon an usurped animal, in which case the reward of the Hajj pilgrimage reaches to the owner of that animal and exhaustion and fatigue remain for the usurper.
The fast observers whose eating and drinking consist of doubtful material, (i.e. there being lawful (halal)[13] or unlawful (haram)[14] is not confirmed), could be further classified into two groups:
The fast observers, who in their qualitative and quantitative consumption of eatables go further deeper as compared to the previous group, reaching to the level of extravagance. Their situation is similar to those fast observers whose eating and drinking consist of unlawful (haram) means because, lavishness and extravagance is forbidden and is tantamount to a sin. Therefore, it would be more appropriate to consider them as disobedient and sinners, instead of knowing them as obedient bondsman of Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted).
The fast observers whose eating and drinking as well as their level of consumption consist of lawful (halal) and is permissible; are not indulged in any sort of waste and extravagance; neither they fill their tablecloth with colourful delicious dishes nor they practice over-eating and belly-filling; limit themselves to consume only a single food and abstain themselves from eating with the intention of enjoyment; Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), will reward them with best of His bounties; with His infinite generosity will bless them, and no one knows or could imagine what sort of special rewards have been accumulated for them by Him.
[13] Halal: things which are allowable by religious law.
[14] Haram: categorically forbidden by religious law [Tr].
Ref: Spiritual Jouney of the mystics
The fast observers whose eating and drinking is provided through forbidden means are like the ones, who carry the burden of things belonging to others upon their shoulders. The things ultimately reach to their owner and the exhaustion and fatigue remain with these people. The reward of fast of such fast observers is given to the real owners of those eatables or drinks which were illegally consumed by these fast observers, and for them nothing remains except tyranny, wrath, and usurpation of people's wealth. Or they are like those who undertake pilgrimage to Mecca riding upon an usurped animal, in which case the reward of the Hajj pilgrimage reaches to the owner of that animal and exhaustion and fatigue remain for the usurper.
The fast observers whose eating and drinking consist of doubtful material, (i.e. there being lawful (halal)[13] or unlawful (haram)[14] is not confirmed), could be further classified into two groups:
- The first group consists of those fast observers whereby the consumption of such eating and drinking items apparently is lawful (halal) for them.
- The second group consists of those whose consumption of such eating and drinking items apparently is not lawful (haram). These people, with slight variation, are similar to those fast observers whose eating and drinking is provided by unlawful (haram) means.
The fast observers, who in their qualitative and quantitative consumption of eatables go further deeper as compared to the previous group, reaching to the level of extravagance. Their situation is similar to those fast observers whose eating and drinking consist of unlawful (haram) means because, lavishness and extravagance is forbidden and is tantamount to a sin. Therefore, it would be more appropriate to consider them as disobedient and sinners, instead of knowing them as obedient bondsman of Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted).
The fast observers whose eating and drinking as well as their level of consumption consist of lawful (halal) and is permissible; are not indulged in any sort of waste and extravagance; neither they fill their tablecloth with colourful delicious dishes nor they practice over-eating and belly-filling; limit themselves to consume only a single food and abstain themselves from eating with the intention of enjoyment; Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), will reward them with best of His bounties; with His infinite generosity will bless them, and no one knows or could imagine what sort of special rewards have been accumulated for them by Him.
[13] Halal: things which are allowable by religious law.
[14] Haram: categorically forbidden by religious law [Tr].
Ref: Spiritual Jouney of the mystics
Reward of applying perfume at the start of day while fasting
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (a.s) says, "One who applies perfume at the start of a day while fasting, his intelligence won't decrease."
Ref: Sawaabul A'amaal
Ref: Sawaabul A'amaal
Reward of a fast during the last days of one's life
Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s) says, "If the last deed of a person in his life is a fast he would directly enter paradise."
Ref: Sawaabul A'maal
ps: pls recite a surah fatiha for my teacher, Syeda Fatima Rizvi whose last deed in her life was indeed a fast in the holy month of Ramadhan.
Ref: Sawaabul A'maal
ps: pls recite a surah fatiha for my teacher, Syeda Fatima Rizvi whose last deed in her life was indeed a fast in the holy month of Ramadhan.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Reward of a fast during hot days
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (a.s) says, "One who observes fast for a single day during summer and feels extremely thirsty, Allah (SwT) appoints a thousand angels to go to him, move their hands on his face and give him glad tidings. When he intends to end his fast, Allah (SwT) says, 'How good your soul and your smell are! O angels! I hold you witness that I have forgiven this person',"
Ref: Sawaabul A'amaal
Ref: Sawaabul A'amaal
Reward of a fast in the way of Allah (SwT)
The Holy Prophet (saw) said, "One who observes a fast in the way of Allah (SwT) is like a person fasting for a whole year."
Ref: Sawaabul A'amaal
Conditions for fasting as said by Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (a.s)
Regarding fasting, what conditions Imam al-Sadiq [a] considers essential for the authenticity of fasting, some of them would be described here as follows:
"The fast observer should consider himself as Hereafters traveller, should remain in the state of humility, fear, self-degradation, and like a servant fearing his master, should remain afraid of Allah; his heart should remain pure from defects and contamination, and his inner-self should be free from everything except Allah; must sacrifice his entire friendship and intentions for Him and must purify his heart from all other friendships except Allah's; must surrender his eyes and soul to Him; must commit his soul for His remembrance; must utilize his body in Allah's path and must keep it distant apart especially the tongue from all sorts of sins and indecencies. Whoever has observed these limitations had indeed discharged his obligations of fasting properly, and whoever has shown negligence to discharge these obligations has wasted his fast and would not be benefited from its reward."
We must think about musts which Imam al-Sadiq [a] in this narration has considered essential for a fast observer, so that we may appreciate the advantages and blessings incorporated therein. For example, a fast observer who consider himself as a Hereafters traveller - a traveller who is nearing his final destination - obviously will not be interested in worldly allurements, and will not pay attention towards anything except collection of provisions for his eternal journey. Or for example, a fast observer who is in a state of humility and heart-brokenness would not be interested in anything, except attaching himself to Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), and would be pleased with His remembrance.
And the fast observer who has surrendered his body and soul absolutely to Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), wouldn't care for anything except Him, inevitably his soul and body, self and conscience, and his entire existence would be filled with Allah's remembrance, love, worship, and servitude. And the fasting of someone like him is the fasting of favourites. (I swear by Allah in the name of His favourite and friends that may He bless us with the grace of undertaking such a fast at least once in lifetime).
Ref: Spiritual journey of the Mystics
"The fast observer should consider himself as Hereafters traveller, should remain in the state of humility, fear, self-degradation, and like a servant fearing his master, should remain afraid of Allah; his heart should remain pure from defects and contamination, and his inner-self should be free from everything except Allah; must sacrifice his entire friendship and intentions for Him and must purify his heart from all other friendships except Allah's; must surrender his eyes and soul to Him; must commit his soul for His remembrance; must utilize his body in Allah's path and must keep it distant apart especially the tongue from all sorts of sins and indecencies. Whoever has observed these limitations had indeed discharged his obligations of fasting properly, and whoever has shown negligence to discharge these obligations has wasted his fast and would not be benefited from its reward."
We must think about musts which Imam al-Sadiq [a] in this narration has considered essential for a fast observer, so that we may appreciate the advantages and blessings incorporated therein. For example, a fast observer who consider himself as a Hereafters traveller - a traveller who is nearing his final destination - obviously will not be interested in worldly allurements, and will not pay attention towards anything except collection of provisions for his eternal journey. Or for example, a fast observer who is in a state of humility and heart-brokenness would not be interested in anything, except attaching himself to Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), and would be pleased with His remembrance.
And the fast observer who has surrendered his body and soul absolutely to Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), wouldn't care for anything except Him, inevitably his soul and body, self and conscience, and his entire existence would be filled with Allah's remembrance, love, worship, and servitude. And the fasting of someone like him is the fasting of favourites. (I swear by Allah in the name of His favourite and friends that may He bless us with the grace of undertaking such a fast at least once in lifetime).
Ref: Spiritual journey of the Mystics
Advantages of fasting: Explained.
- One can discover with certainty that why Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), treats his guests with hunger. Is not hunger is the best means of attaining His knowledge, nearness, and countenance? Are not Allah's knowledge, nearness and countenance the most dearest and esteemed things?
- It also becomes clearly explicit that fasting is not a divine obligation, rather is a invitation for attaining divine ceremonies, whose requirement is a divine Grace bestowed upon us for which we must be thankful to Allah. Awareness of this point makes clear the divine proclamation in the following verse:
"O' ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may ward off (evil)."
- Holy Qur'an (2:183)
is a proclamation, extremely honourable, esteemed, distinguished, and sweet, because, it is an invitation to sit upon the table full of His generosity and to attain the sacred spiritual station of His union (wasal) and countenance (laq'a). - Realization of the fact that the wisdom behind the indispensability of fasting that is less eating, is to weaken the sinful sensual passions; therefore, we should not indulge in over-eating and consuming more food than the daily requirements after fast-breaking (iftar), thus, in this manner making the fasting and hunger of the whole day as useless.
- Awareness about the merits and advantages of fasting would reveal that in order to observe it properly with devotion, we must make our best efforts so that we are not deprived from utilizing its vast benefits.
- Pondering about the indispensability of fasting would reveal things, which enhance the value and worth of fasting, things which decrease its worth, and things which contradict and oppose fasting. It is from these considerations that the meanings of the following tradition can be appreciated, which says:
"Fasting is not only renunciation of food and drink, while observing fasting your flesh, eyes, tongue, and in accordance with certain traditions even skin and hairs must observe fasting and must remain pious and ascetic."
The above explanation would also reveal that our aim and objective for fasting should not be either for the sake of freedom from Hell's punishment or for receiving the bounties of Paradise, even though both of these objectives are achieved through fasting. Rather our aim and intention from fasting should be that this deed would make us closer to Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), thus, helping us attaining union with Him. It would lead a human being farther apart from bodily sensual desires and would make him closer to angelic and spiritual virtues. - Pondering about the above-mentioned explanation would reveal that, since Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), has invited us for His benevolence, any sort of talk, action, and behavior which would make us farther away from divine presence, would be indicative of negligence on our part, and would not be complimentary to that. Therefore, from these considerations we should not like and approve it, because, sitting in this state upon the table of blessing of the One who has invited us and is knowledgeable about all our thinking, thoughts, and plans while He is caring about us and we are naive towards Him, He is remembering us while we are negligent towards Him, and He is looking towards us while we are turning our faces away from Him, of course, would be impolite and rude, and no wise person would tolerate such behavior from any of his friends.
However, on the other hand, His great devoted servants don't allow themselves to behave in this manner with their Lord, rather in every deed whether compulsory or forbidden, act in a manner which suits with their servitude and bondage as well as is decent enough for the Divinity and Splendour of their Lord, and those who show negligence in this path, and do not care about the rights of their bondage and the divinity of their creator are regarded by them as damned and destitute.
Ref: Spiritual journey of the Mystics
Physical advantages of fasting
The learned scholars of moral ethics have described numerous advantages for hunger, some of them will be mentioned here as follows:
- One of the effect of less eating is purity of heart and insight, because, over-eating and fullness creates a state similar to drunkenness within a human being which slows down his sense of perception, reducing his power of quick grasping, thus, ultimately resulting in his heart's blindness. Opposite to that, hunger results in the mind becoming sharp, bestows comprehension upon conscience, thus, making the heart readied for enlightenment. In this regard the following tradition has been narrated from the Holy Prophet [s]:
"Whoever keeps his stomach hungry his thinking culminates to the highest level, thus, making his reflections stronger." - The other effects of less eating are humility, hospitality, self-breaking, earthiness, and freedom from arrogance, egotism, and haughtiness, because these are the by-products of transgression, rebellion, and ill-servitude towards Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted). The one who frees himself from these calamities through hunger will also make himself readied for humility, obedience, and surrender before the Lord.
- The other effects of less eating are lowering of intensity of sensual passions and other such motivations which invite a human being towards sinning and other deviations. As we know in most of the cases sins and transgressions are committed as a result of passionate talks and other sensual motivations, therefore, controlling these passions through hunger might free us from getting entrapped into many dangerous situations.
- Another effect of less eating is less sleeping, we know that oversleeping is one of the most important factor of wasting of our age which is the precious sum at our disposal for our hereafter's affairs. But hunger reduces sleep, thus, providing opportunities for night vigil, the source of all blessings and bounties, and helps a human being in worshipping and supplications which is the ladder for his attaining the most desirable spiritual station (Maqam-e-Mahmud).
- Another effect of less eating is the ease of worshipping rather servitude, because, the one who is used to less eating will save a lot of time which otherwise must have been spent for making arrangements, purchasing, cooking, consuming, and relieving, as well as time spent for medical treatment, since in many cases the sickness is the cause of over-eating. Therefore, he will utilize all this available time in worship and servitude; in addition to that he will free himself from the hardships of arranging good foods and medical treatments, which means that he will be having more free time as well as more ease and comfort.
- Another effect of less eating is the financial ability of a person to spend for charity, benevolence, pilgrimage, and other acts of worship which require expenses, because, a lot of expenses spent only for providing unnecessary food items or for medical treatment as a result of over-eating, could be utilized for the above-mentioned worships. The advantages described are so vast in scope that the faculty of reason is helpless to describe their profundities.
- Especially, the prime advantages are purity of heart, sharpness of mind and thinking, because, thinking is tantamount to ultimate result while our other actions and deeds are tantamount to preliminaries. Even thinking or meditating in itself is spiritual journey while the other actions and deeds constitute the preliminaries and background of this spiritual journey. It is in this background that the narration says:
"Meditating for even a single second is better than worshipping for seventy years."
Effects of Fasting and Hunger
Tolerance of hunger, the most obvious part of fasting, earns plenty of advantages for a devoted wayfarer journeying towards Allah's path from the point of view of enlightenment and knowledge of Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), as well as his advancement in attaining spiritual perfection. This has been emphasized in plenty of narrations, and therefore it would be appropriate to quote first an example and later on to discuss about its wisdom. The Holy Prophet [s] has narrated:
"Engage yourself in self-struggle (Jihad-e-Nafs) through the means of hunger and thirst, whose reward is equivalent to the reward of those who participated in the armed struggle for Allah's sake. There is nothing more superior before Allah's sight than tolerating hunger and thirst during fasting."
Also said:
"The one who tolerates more hunger as well as ponders deeply about Allah as compared to others, will be assigned higher Exalted positions before their Lord on the Day of Judgement."
Also, he said to Asma:
"O' Asma! If you may act in a manner that when the angel of death approaches you, he should find you hungry and thirsty. If you do it you will attain the most Exalted spiritual position, will join the ranks of prophets, will make the angels happy, and will earn the divine salutations for yourself."
And said:
"Keep your stomachs hungry and thirsty, and make your bodies used to hardships, perhaps your hearts will then have a chance of seeing Allah's glory."
Also, in the narration of Prophet's heavenly journey (Me'raj) the following have been narrated:
"O' Ahmad! Do you comprehend the outcome of fasting? 'No.' Replied the Holy Prophet [s]. 'The outcome of fasting is less eating and less talking.' Replied Allah, then explained the outcome of silence and less speaking as follows:
'The result of silence is wisdom; the result of wisdom is enlightenment; the result of enlightenment is certainty; and when a person attains the Exalted spiritual position of certainty, then he does not care how does he start his day, whether with ease or hardship, and tragedy or comfort. Such is the state of those who have attained the position of content, and whoever attains this position acquires three inseparable characteristics: thanks (shukr) not contaminated with ignorance, invocation (dhikr) not mixed with forgetfulness and love not mixed with the love of others.'
'Whoever loves Me in this manner does not intermingle the love of others with My friendship; I too love him and make others to love him; would make his heart's eyes opened, so that he could witness My Splendour and Majesty; would not deprive him from the knowledge and enlightenment bestowed by Me upon others; in the midst of night's darkness as well as during the brightness of the day would whisper and communicate with him, so that he becomes disgusted with other's company; would have him listen to My speech as well as the speech of My angels; My secrets which I keep hidden from others would become manifested upon him.
'Would saturate his wisdom with My enlightenment (ma'refat) and would sit Myself in place of his wisdom; would make the pang of death and its hardships easier for him so that he would enter Paradise with ease and comfort. When the angel of death would descend upon him would speak to him:
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Allah is anxiously waiting for you.'
The narration continues:
At this point Allah would speak to him: 'This is My Paradise, make yourself at home, and this is My neighbourhood in which you would be dwelling forever.' Then the soul would say: 'O' my Lord! You have introduced Yourself to me and after identifying You I became detached with Your entire creation. By Your Splendour and Majesty I swear that in order to earn Your pleasure if I have to be slaughtered seventy times with extreme suffering and torture, even then Your consent would have been the most dearest and desirable thing for me.'
At this point Allah would speak to him: 'I swear with My Splendour and Majesty that from now on there will never be any veil between Me and you, that you may see Me whenever you desire so; that is the way I treat my friends.'"
Ref: Spiritual journey of mystics
"Engage yourself in self-struggle (Jihad-e-Nafs) through the means of hunger and thirst, whose reward is equivalent to the reward of those who participated in the armed struggle for Allah's sake. There is nothing more superior before Allah's sight than tolerating hunger and thirst during fasting."
Also said:
"The one who tolerates more hunger as well as ponders deeply about Allah as compared to others, will be assigned higher Exalted positions before their Lord on the Day of Judgement."
Also, he said to Asma:
"O' Asma! If you may act in a manner that when the angel of death approaches you, he should find you hungry and thirsty. If you do it you will attain the most Exalted spiritual position, will join the ranks of prophets, will make the angels happy, and will earn the divine salutations for yourself."
And said:
"Keep your stomachs hungry and thirsty, and make your bodies used to hardships, perhaps your hearts will then have a chance of seeing Allah's glory."
Also, in the narration of Prophet's heavenly journey (Me'raj) the following have been narrated:
"O' Ahmad! Do you comprehend the outcome of fasting? 'No.' Replied the Holy Prophet [s]. 'The outcome of fasting is less eating and less talking.' Replied Allah, then explained the outcome of silence and less speaking as follows:
'The result of silence is wisdom; the result of wisdom is enlightenment; the result of enlightenment is certainty; and when a person attains the Exalted spiritual position of certainty, then he does not care how does he start his day, whether with ease or hardship, and tragedy or comfort. Such is the state of those who have attained the position of content, and whoever attains this position acquires three inseparable characteristics: thanks (shukr) not contaminated with ignorance, invocation (dhikr) not mixed with forgetfulness and love not mixed with the love of others.'
'Whoever loves Me in this manner does not intermingle the love of others with My friendship; I too love him and make others to love him; would make his heart's eyes opened, so that he could witness My Splendour and Majesty; would not deprive him from the knowledge and enlightenment bestowed by Me upon others; in the midst of night's darkness as well as during the brightness of the day would whisper and communicate with him, so that he becomes disgusted with other's company; would have him listen to My speech as well as the speech of My angels; My secrets which I keep hidden from others would become manifested upon him.
'Would saturate his wisdom with My enlightenment (ma'refat) and would sit Myself in place of his wisdom; would make the pang of death and its hardships easier for him so that he would enter Paradise with ease and comfort. When the angel of death would descend upon him would speak to him:
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Allah is anxiously waiting for you.'
The narration continues:
At this point Allah would speak to him: 'This is My Paradise, make yourself at home, and this is My neighbourhood in which you would be dwelling forever.' Then the soul would say: 'O' my Lord! You have introduced Yourself to me and after identifying You I became detached with Your entire creation. By Your Splendour and Majesty I swear that in order to earn Your pleasure if I have to be slaughtered seventy times with extreme suffering and torture, even then Your consent would have been the most dearest and desirable thing for me.'
At this point Allah would speak to him: 'I swear with My Splendour and Majesty that from now on there will never be any veil between Me and you, that you may see Me whenever you desire so; that is the way I treat my friends.'"
Ref: Spiritual journey of mystics
13th may 2008 ziyarate
ws,
alhamdulillah... ziyarate was good. with every year, going for ziyarate is becoming more n more easier n comfortable for ppl coming from all corners of d world.
Mashad, Iran - Imam Reza (a.s) shrine still under heavy comstructions. the main entrace gate, opp to gate 8 which leads to hotel khorasan (khorasan street) n other surrounding hotels had been brought by d haram n will soon be part of d huge courtyard. inside of d shrine needs some serious repairs as well. doing ziyarate at d zari is still a struggle, espcially for d old n children.
Qum, Iran - as beautiful as ever.
Najaf, Iraq - city still recovering. Imam Ali (a.s) shrine - d most simpliest of all d shrines i have visited. for a minute u r sadden by d sight.... the Ameer of d world n d hereafter n his shrine in such a state... but thn dats Maula Ali, who always lived a simple life.... n dat simplicity captures ur heart.
wadi-us-salam - mostly damaged.
Kufa, Iraq - masjid-e-kufa, masjid-e-Sahla - in its simple close to original form. although house of imam ali has been beautified n lost its original charm.
masjid-e-hannana and mazar of hazrat Kumail - is closed for construction..
Hazrat Hurr - shrine is being comtructed over his grave. open for ziyarate.
Sons of Hazrat Muslim - Shrine under contruction. open for ziyarate.
Karbala, Iraq - alhamduillah beautiful shrines of Imam Hussain (a.s) n Hazrat Abbas (a.s). developed city. well maintained. very tight security.
Kazmain, Iraq - very very tight security... but easier to visit for ziyarate.
Iraq is very muuch safe n peaceful at d this time for visiting, although very tight security n through checking at every km. didnt have much trouble at d borders either. looks like within next 10years, iraq will be quite developed n a beautiful country inshallah. lots of contruction work at every mazar, it wont be long before we can fly direct into iraq n do d ziyarates to our hearts content, inshallah.
alhamdulillah... ziyarate was good. with every year, going for ziyarate is becoming more n more easier n comfortable for ppl coming from all corners of d world.
Mashad, Iran - Imam Reza (a.s) shrine still under heavy comstructions. the main entrace gate, opp to gate 8 which leads to hotel khorasan (khorasan street) n other surrounding hotels had been brought by d haram n will soon be part of d huge courtyard. inside of d shrine needs some serious repairs as well. doing ziyarate at d zari is still a struggle, espcially for d old n children.
Qum, Iran - as beautiful as ever.
Najaf, Iraq - city still recovering. Imam Ali (a.s) shrine - d most simpliest of all d shrines i have visited. for a minute u r sadden by d sight.... the Ameer of d world n d hereafter n his shrine in such a state... but thn dats Maula Ali, who always lived a simple life.... n dat simplicity captures ur heart.
wadi-us-salam - mostly damaged.
Kufa, Iraq - masjid-e-kufa, masjid-e-Sahla - in its simple close to original form. although house of imam ali has been beautified n lost its original charm.
masjid-e-hannana and mazar of hazrat Kumail - is closed for construction..
Hazrat Hurr - shrine is being comtructed over his grave. open for ziyarate.
Sons of Hazrat Muslim - Shrine under contruction. open for ziyarate.
Karbala, Iraq - alhamduillah beautiful shrines of Imam Hussain (a.s) n Hazrat Abbas (a.s). developed city. well maintained. very tight security.
Kazmain, Iraq - very very tight security... but easier to visit for ziyarate.
Iraq is very muuch safe n peaceful at d this time for visiting, although very tight security n through checking at every km. didnt have much trouble at d borders either. looks like within next 10years, iraq will be quite developed n a beautiful country inshallah. lots of contruction work at every mazar, it wont be long before we can fly direct into iraq n do d ziyarates to our hearts content, inshallah.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Merits of reciting Surah Ankabut, Rum and Dukhan
(i) Sura Ankabut: when recited with understanding brings about an increase in faith and sincerity in actions.
These two effects of the sura have an impact on a believers life and help make him/her steadfast on the path of Allah (swt) as this sura mainly talks about:
§ The trials of a believer and the distinguishing factors of a hypocrite, in difficult times the real believer can be separated from the hypocrites.
§ Narrations of the previous prophets and the opposition faced by them so as to inspire the believers to face troubles and obstacles in the way of Allah (swt)
§ Oneness of Allah (swt) and the signs of Allah in HIS creation.
(ii) Sura Rum: One of the important topics discussed in this sura is the PROOF OF THE CREATOR present in the many wonders of creation of Allah.
The wisdom behind the systems and the power and mercy of Allah which is so evident everywhere.
§ This sura INVITES one to ponder over these signs, to gain a firm and undoubtful Faith in the Creator.
§ It ends describing the fate of such skeptics on the day of judgment and warns
Believers to be affected by them in the world.
(iii) Sura Dukhan: It derives its name from verse 10 which warns of a clearly visible smoke descending on the unbelievers, some commentators
believe it refers to the smoke which envelop the world before the day of judgment. (one of the signs before the advent of Imam Mahdi (atfs).
In the first 6 ayah of the sura, an indirect reference is made to the night of laylatul Qadr and its blessings.
It ends with a mention of the Qur’an as a reminder for the people.
These two effects of the sura have an impact on a believers life and help make him/her steadfast on the path of Allah (swt) as this sura mainly talks about:
§ The trials of a believer and the distinguishing factors of a hypocrite, in difficult times the real believer can be separated from the hypocrites.
§ Narrations of the previous prophets and the opposition faced by them so as to inspire the believers to face troubles and obstacles in the way of Allah (swt)
§ Oneness of Allah (swt) and the signs of Allah in HIS creation.
(ii) Sura Rum: One of the important topics discussed in this sura is the PROOF OF THE CREATOR present in the many wonders of creation of Allah.
The wisdom behind the systems and the power and mercy of Allah which is so evident everywhere.
§ This sura INVITES one to ponder over these signs, to gain a firm and undoubtful Faith in the Creator.
§ It ends describing the fate of such skeptics on the day of judgment and warns
Believers to be affected by them in the world.
(iii) Sura Dukhan: It derives its name from verse 10 which warns of a clearly visible smoke descending on the unbelievers, some commentators
believe it refers to the smoke which envelop the world before the day of judgment. (one of the signs before the advent of Imam Mahdi (atfs).
In the first 6 ayah of the sura, an indirect reference is made to the night of laylatul Qadr and its blessings.
It ends with a mention of the Qur’an as a reminder for the people.
Call it 'Mahe Ramdhan'
It has been narrated from the Commander of the Faithful Imam 'Ali [a] that:
"Don't say Ramadhan because, you don't know what Ramadhan is. Whoever says so must pay charity and must offer an atonement fast, instead of saying Ramadhan, say the way Allah has called it the Month of Ramadhan."
"Don't say Ramadhan because, you don't know what Ramadhan is. Whoever says so must pay charity and must offer an atonement fast, instead of saying Ramadhan, say the way Allah has called it the Month of Ramadhan."
Ref: Spiritual Journey of the Mystics
Reward of a fasting person who is abused but responds: I am fasting; peace be upon you
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (a.s) narrates from his father that the Holy Prophet (saw) said, "There is no man fasts and is abused and in response he says: I am fasting, peace be upon you, but that the Lord, The Blessed and The High says to His angels: 'My slave took refuge with his fast from this person, you save him from My fire and make him enter My paradise'."
- Sawaabul A'amaal
Sometimes Worship Leads the Worshipper to the Fire (Of Hell)
Abu Basir has narrated from Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) that he said, "On the Day of Judgement a person would be brought forward. He had performed namaz in his life. He would be told that you have prayed but your intention had been to show-off, so that people may appreciate your worship. This person would be cast into the fire. Then a reciter of the Quran would be brought. He would be told, 'at the time of reciting the Quran, your intention had been to exhibit your sweet voice so that people may appreciate your tone.' This one shall also be tossed into the fire. The third person to be presented shall be one who had died a martyr in Jihad. He would be told that, 'Your intention while fighting was to make a show-off your strength and valour." He shall also be led towards the fire. The fourth person had been a charitable man. He would be told, 'your intention in giving charity was that people may call you generous.' Then he would also be led towards Hell.
(Layali Akhbaar).
Numerous traditions confirm that the Riyakaar person is a Mushrik. This is sufficient for the believing and the thoughtful people.
(Layali Akhbaar).
Numerous traditions confirm that the Riyakaar person is a Mushrik. This is sufficient for the believing and the thoughtful people.
Friday, September 12, 2008
The Deceitful Person Deceives Himself Alone
Someone enquired from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) as to how could salvation be attained on the Day of Judgement? He replied, "It could only be possible if one does not deceive Allah. Certainly if anyone tries to deceive Allah he is himself deceived by Allah (i.e. he is repaid for his deceit) and Allah takes away belief from him. If he possesses reason he should know that in trying to deceive Allah, he is only deceiving himself."
"How can Allah be deceived and defrauded?" a person asked. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) continued, "The person fulfills all his religious obligations but his aim is to please someone other than Allah. Fear Allah and restrain from 'Riyah'. On the Day of Judgement the deceiver (Riyakaar) will be addressed by four titles, 'O Kafir, O Sinful, O Crafty one, O Loser, your deeds are nullified and the reward of your deeds is lost. Today you have no worth whatsoever. Go and seek the reward of your deeds from those, to please whom you performed your acts.' (Muhajjatul Baidha, Behaarul Anwaar)
"How can Allah be deceived and defrauded?" a person asked. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) continued, "The person fulfills all his religious obligations but his aim is to please someone other than Allah. Fear Allah and restrain from 'Riyah'. On the Day of Judgement the deceiver (Riyakaar) will be addressed by four titles, 'O Kafir, O Sinful, O Crafty one, O Loser, your deeds are nullified and the reward of your deeds is lost. Today you have no worth whatsoever. Go and seek the reward of your deeds from those, to please whom you performed your acts.' (Muhajjatul Baidha, Behaarul Anwaar)
Outward Piety (Riyah) is the Lesser Shirk
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, "Certainly what I fear for you most is the lesser shirk."
Someone enquired, "O Prophet (s.a.w.s.), what is meant by lesser shirk?" He replied, "It is Riyah when Allah would reward His creatures for their deeds on the Day of Judgement He would address those who committed Riyah thus, 'you approach those, to please whom you had performed all the deeds in the world. And obtain your rewards for your deeds from them.' (Behaarul Anwaar).
Is it possible to receive rewards from them? Absolutely not!
Ref: Greater Sins Vol.1
Someone enquired, "O Prophet (s.a.w.s.), what is meant by lesser shirk?" He replied, "It is Riyah when Allah would reward His creatures for their deeds on the Day of Judgement He would address those who committed Riyah thus, 'you approach those, to please whom you had performed all the deeds in the world. And obtain your rewards for your deeds from them.' (Behaarul Anwaar).
Is it possible to receive rewards from them? Absolutely not!
Ref: Greater Sins Vol.1
One Who "Shows-Off" is a Mushrik
It is concluded from the authentic traditions that one who tries to show-off in religious matters is a mushrik and a hypocrite. He is inevitably condemned to Divine punishment. It is one and the same whether his show-off concerns the obligatory acts or the recommended acts.
Similarly he may simply exhibit outward piety or his aim may be to acquire honour and respect among the people. Even if he has a dual aim (of showing off and fulfilling his obligation) his act is classified as shirk.
A few Quranic verses are quoted for the benefit of the readers:
1) "Surely the hypocrites strive to deceive Allah, and He shall requite their deceit to them, and when they stand up sluggishly; they do it only to be seen of men and do not remember Allah save a little. Wavering between that (and this), (belonging) neither to these nor to those." (Surah Nisa 4:142)
2) "So woe to the praying ones, who are unmindful of their prayers, who do (good) to be seen." (Surah Maoon 107:4-6)
Similarly he may simply exhibit outward piety or his aim may be to acquire honour and respect among the people. Even if he has a dual aim (of showing off and fulfilling his obligation) his act is classified as shirk.
A few Quranic verses are quoted for the benefit of the readers:
1) "Surely the hypocrites strive to deceive Allah, and He shall requite their deceit to them, and when they stand up sluggishly; they do it only to be seen of men and do not remember Allah save a little. Wavering between that (and this), (belonging) neither to these nor to those." (Surah Nisa 4:142)
2) "So woe to the praying ones, who are unmindful of their prayers, who do (good) to be seen." (Surah Maoon 107:4-6)
Spiritual Food
These examples inform us that Allāh’s (SwT) special invitation does not always concern material satisfaction. The food that Allāh (SwT) serves in the aforementioned specific invitations are spiritual. In fact in some traditions the word ‘ta’ām’[39] is translated as spiritual food. Consider the following:
In chapter ‘Abasa [80:24], Almighty Allāh says:
)فَلْيَنْظُرِ الإِنْسَانُ إِلـى طَعَامِهِ (
“Then let man look at his food.”[40]
Under this holy verse, the Shi’ite exegete Sayyid Hāshim Bahrānī, in his Tafsīr al-Burhān quotes a tradition narrated by Thiqat al-Islam al-Kulaynī in al-Kāfi [v.1, p.39, tr..8] from Imām al-Sādiq (‘a) as follows:
Zayd al-Shahhām asks Imām (‘a) what “man’s food” stands for in the verse above. The Imām (‘a) responds saying:
عِلْمُهُ الَّذِي يأْخُذُهُ عَمَّنْ يَأْخُذُهُ.
“It refers to the knowledge that he acquires, and its source.”
The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said:
أَبِيتُ عِنْدَ رَبِّي، يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْـقِيـنِي.
“I spend the night near my Lord, and He feeds me and quenches my thirst.”
Commenting on this prophetic tradition, Sayyid ‘Alī Khān al-Madanī in his magnum opus, Riyād al-Sālikīn says:
ومعلوم أنّ طعامه (صلّى اللّه عليه وآله) عند ربّه ليس من جنس أطعمة الحيوانات اللحميّة، ولا شرابه من جنس هذه الأشربة، وإنّما المراد طعام العلم وشراب المعرفة.
“And it is known that the Prophet’s food near his Lord is not of the kind of animal food, nor is his drink like the drinks that we see before us. Indeed what is meant here is only the ta’ām (food) of knowledge and the sharāb (drink) of gnosis (ma’rifah).[41]”
‘Allāmah Majlisī also, commenting on this tradition says in his Oceans of Lights:
....ولا شك أن ذلك الشراب ليس إلا عبارة عن المعرفة و المحبة والإستنارة بأنوار عالم الغيب...
“…and undoubtedly that drink is nothing but Divine gnosis, love, and seeking illumination through the lights of the hidden realm…[42]”
The infinitive noun ‘shurb’ also, which is commonly translated as ‘drinking’ does not literally mean ‘to drink’. Drinking is only a material extension of ‘shurb’- which literally denotes “to convey to one’s inside”[43] be that by drinking[44] or otherwise.
The Holy Qur’ān for example, uses shurb for the polytheists who inclined to the worship of a cow after Prophet Mūsā (‘a) went to be the special guest of Allāh (SwT), in the following way:
)وَأُشْرِبُوا فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ بِكُفْرِهِمْ (
“…and their hearts had been imbued with [the love of] the Calf, due to their faithlessness.”[45]
Observe that the word ‘ushribū’ is employed which does not connote any kind of material intake of drink.
Imām al-Sajjād (‘a) in his supplication against Satan says:
أَللٌّهُمَّ وَ أَشْرِبْ قُلُوبَنَا إِنْكَارَ عَمَلِهِ وَالْطُفْ لَنَا فِي نَقْضِ حِيَلِهِ.
“O Allāh, saturate our hearts with the rejection of his works and be gentle to us by destroying his stratagems![46]”
And in his supplication of ‘Arafah he (‘a) says:
وَأَشْرِبْ قَلْبِي عِنْدَ ذُهُولِ الْعُقُولِ طَاعَتَكَ.
“Drench my heart with Your obedience when intellects are distracted…[47]”
And Imām ‘Alī (‘a) is reported to have said:
إِنَّ لِلٌّهِ تَعَالـى شَرَابًا لأَوْلِيَائِهِ إِذَا شَرِبُوا (مِنْهُ) سَكِرُوا، وَإِذَا سَكِرُوا طَرِبُوا، وَإِذَا طَرِبُوا طَابُوا، وَإِذَا طَابُوا ذَابُوا، وَإِذَا ذَابُوا خَلَصُوا، وَإِذَا خَلَصُوا طَلَبُوا، وَإِذَا طَلَبُوا وَجَدُوا، وَإِذَا وَجَدُوا وَصَلُوا، وَإِذَا وَصَلُوا اتَّصَلُوا، وَإِذَا اتَّصَلُوا لاَ فَرْقَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ حَبِيـبِهِمْ.
“Indeed Allāh has a wine for His friends, which if they drink, they get intoxicated, and when they get intoxicated, they get overjoyed, and when they get overjoyed they get pleasant, and when they get pleasant, they melt down, and when they melt down, they get pure, and when they get pure, they seek, and when they seek, they find, and when they find they reach, and when they reach, they unite, and when they unite there is no difference between them and their lover.[48]"
Ref: A short Treatise on Divine Invitation
Notes:
[39] The verb ta‘ima literally stands for ‘he tasted’.
[40] Holy Qur’ān, 80:124.
[41] Riyād al-Sālikīn, vol. 1, pg. 280.
[42] Bihā r al-Anwār, vol. 6, pg. 208.
[43] al-Tahqīq fī Kalimāt al-Qur’ān al-Karīm, vol. 6, pg. 30.
[44] EW Lane, EW Lane Arabic-English Lexicon, see under the root word shīn rā bā.
[45] Holy Qur’ān, 2:93.
[46] Imām al-Sajjād (‘a), Sahīfat al-Sajjādiyyah (Eng. Edition), sup. 17, pg. 63.
[47] Imām al-Sajjād (‘a), Sahīfat al-Sajjādiyyah (Eng. Edition), sup. 47, pg. 185.
[48] This tradition has been narrated by many authorities in mysticism such as Mullā Hādī Sabzawārī in his Sharh al-Asmā’ (pg. 534), Ayatullāh Hasan Zadeh Amulī in his Nūr ‘alā Nūr (pg. 89), Mawlā Narāqī in his Jāmi‘ al-Sa‘ādāt (vol. 3, pg. 152).
In chapter ‘Abasa [80:24], Almighty Allāh says:
)فَلْيَنْظُرِ الإِنْسَانُ إِلـى طَعَامِهِ (
“Then let man look at his food.”[40]
Under this holy verse, the Shi’ite exegete Sayyid Hāshim Bahrānī, in his Tafsīr al-Burhān quotes a tradition narrated by Thiqat al-Islam al-Kulaynī in al-Kāfi [v.1, p.39, tr..8] from Imām al-Sādiq (‘a) as follows:
Zayd al-Shahhām asks Imām (‘a) what “man’s food” stands for in the verse above. The Imām (‘a) responds saying:
عِلْمُهُ الَّذِي يأْخُذُهُ عَمَّنْ يَأْخُذُهُ.
“It refers to the knowledge that he acquires, and its source.”
The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said:
أَبِيتُ عِنْدَ رَبِّي، يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْـقِيـنِي.
“I spend the night near my Lord, and He feeds me and quenches my thirst.”
Commenting on this prophetic tradition, Sayyid ‘Alī Khān al-Madanī in his magnum opus, Riyād al-Sālikīn says:
ومعلوم أنّ طعامه (صلّى اللّه عليه وآله) عند ربّه ليس من جنس أطعمة الحيوانات اللحميّة، ولا شرابه من جنس هذه الأشربة، وإنّما المراد طعام العلم وشراب المعرفة.
“And it is known that the Prophet’s food near his Lord is not of the kind of animal food, nor is his drink like the drinks that we see before us. Indeed what is meant here is only the ta’ām (food) of knowledge and the sharāb (drink) of gnosis (ma’rifah).[41]”
‘Allāmah Majlisī also, commenting on this tradition says in his Oceans of Lights:
....ولا شك أن ذلك الشراب ليس إلا عبارة عن المعرفة و المحبة والإستنارة بأنوار عالم الغيب...
“…and undoubtedly that drink is nothing but Divine gnosis, love, and seeking illumination through the lights of the hidden realm…[42]”
The infinitive noun ‘shurb’ also, which is commonly translated as ‘drinking’ does not literally mean ‘to drink’. Drinking is only a material extension of ‘shurb’- which literally denotes “to convey to one’s inside”[43] be that by drinking[44] or otherwise.
The Holy Qur’ān for example, uses shurb for the polytheists who inclined to the worship of a cow after Prophet Mūsā (‘a) went to be the special guest of Allāh (SwT), in the following way:
)وَأُشْرِبُوا فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ بِكُفْرِهِمْ (
“…and their hearts had been imbued with [the love of] the Calf, due to their faithlessness.”[45]
Observe that the word ‘ushribū’ is employed which does not connote any kind of material intake of drink.
Imām al-Sajjād (‘a) in his supplication against Satan says:
أَللٌّهُمَّ وَ أَشْرِبْ قُلُوبَنَا إِنْكَارَ عَمَلِهِ وَالْطُفْ لَنَا فِي نَقْضِ حِيَلِهِ.
“O Allāh, saturate our hearts with the rejection of his works and be gentle to us by destroying his stratagems![46]”
And in his supplication of ‘Arafah he (‘a) says:
وَأَشْرِبْ قَلْبِي عِنْدَ ذُهُولِ الْعُقُولِ طَاعَتَكَ.
“Drench my heart with Your obedience when intellects are distracted…[47]”
And Imām ‘Alī (‘a) is reported to have said:
إِنَّ لِلٌّهِ تَعَالـى شَرَابًا لأَوْلِيَائِهِ إِذَا شَرِبُوا (مِنْهُ) سَكِرُوا، وَإِذَا سَكِرُوا طَرِبُوا، وَإِذَا طَرِبُوا طَابُوا، وَإِذَا طَابُوا ذَابُوا، وَإِذَا ذَابُوا خَلَصُوا، وَإِذَا خَلَصُوا طَلَبُوا، وَإِذَا طَلَبُوا وَجَدُوا، وَإِذَا وَجَدُوا وَصَلُوا، وَإِذَا وَصَلُوا اتَّصَلُوا، وَإِذَا اتَّصَلُوا لاَ فَرْقَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ حَبِيـبِهِمْ.
“Indeed Allāh has a wine for His friends, which if they drink, they get intoxicated, and when they get intoxicated, they get overjoyed, and when they get overjoyed they get pleasant, and when they get pleasant, they melt down, and when they melt down, they get pure, and when they get pure, they seek, and when they seek, they find, and when they find they reach, and when they reach, they unite, and when they unite there is no difference between them and their lover.[48]"
Ref: A short Treatise on Divine Invitation
Notes:
[39] The verb ta‘ima literally stands for ‘he tasted’.
[40] Holy Qur’ān, 80:124.
[41] Riyād al-Sālikīn, vol. 1, pg. 280.
[42] Bihā r al-Anwār, vol. 6, pg. 208.
[43] al-Tahqīq fī Kalimāt al-Qur’ān al-Karīm, vol. 6, pg. 30.
[44] EW Lane, EW Lane Arabic-English Lexicon, see under the root word shīn rā bā.
[45] Holy Qur’ān, 2:93.
[46] Imām al-Sajjād (‘a), Sahīfat al-Sajjādiyyah (Eng. Edition), sup. 17, pg. 63.
[47] Imām al-Sajjād (‘a), Sahīfat al-Sajjādiyyah (Eng. Edition), sup. 47, pg. 185.
[48] This tradition has been narrated by many authorities in mysticism such as Mullā Hādī Sabzawārī in his Sharh al-Asmā’ (pg. 534), Ayatullāh Hasan Zadeh Amulī in his Nūr ‘alā Nūr (pg. 89), Mawlā Narāqī in his Jāmi‘ al-Sa‘ādāt (vol. 3, pg. 152).
On being an obedient servant of Allāh (SwT)
The Holy month of Ramadān is a month of becoming ‘Abdullāh (an obedient servant of Allāh (SwT)). It is a month of adopting the etiquette of Allāh (SwT) in the language of tradition or adopting the Divine Color in the language of the Holy Qur’ān. The Holy Qur’ān says:
)صِبْغَةَ اللٌّهِ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللٌّهِ صِبْغَةً وَنَحْنُ لَهُ عَابِدُونَ (
“Allāh’s Color; and whose color is more pleasant than Allāh’s; and He alone do we worship.[55]”
And the Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said:
تَخَلَّقُوا بِأَخْلاَقِ اللٌّهِ.
“Adopt the etiquette of Allāh.[56]”
In fact one of the wonderful supplications taught to us by Imām Bāqir al-‘Ulūm (‘a) is Du’a al-Mubāhilah, in which what we seek are the Beautiful Attributes of Allāh.
‘Allāmah Tabā’tabā’ī, the mentor of leading contemporary authorities in ‘irfān, would highly emphasize on reading this du‘ā, ‘for,’ he would say, ‘there is no mention of Paradisal men or women in it.’ Observe the following verses of this radiant supplication:
أَللٌّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ بَهَائِكَ بِأَبْهَاهُ وَكُلُّ بَهَائِكَ بَهِيٌّ… أَللٌّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ عَظَمَتِكَ بِأَعْظَمِهَا وَكُلُّ عَظَمَتِكَ عَظِيمَةٌ، أللٌّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِعَظَمَتِكَ كُلِّهَا…
“O Allāh I seek from You the kind of Your Brilliance (bahā’ikā) which is the Most Brilliant, and every Brilliance of Yours is Very Brilliant; O Allāh I ask You by Your Brilliance in its entirety….O Allāh I seek from You the kind of Your Greatness which is the Greatest, and every Greatness of Yours is very Great; O Allāh I ask You by Your Greatness in its entirety…”[57]
Ref: A short treatise on Divine invitation
Notes:
[55] Holy Qur’ān, 2:138.
[56] Sharh Du‘ā’ al-Sabāh, pg. 87.
[57] Mafātīh al-Jinān, pg. 184.
)صِبْغَةَ اللٌّهِ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللٌّهِ صِبْغَةً وَنَحْنُ لَهُ عَابِدُونَ (
“Allāh’s Color; and whose color is more pleasant than Allāh’s; and He alone do we worship.[55]”
And the Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said:
تَخَلَّقُوا بِأَخْلاَقِ اللٌّهِ.
“Adopt the etiquette of Allāh.[56]”
In fact one of the wonderful supplications taught to us by Imām Bāqir al-‘Ulūm (‘a) is Du’a al-Mubāhilah, in which what we seek are the Beautiful Attributes of Allāh.
‘Allāmah Tabā’tabā’ī, the mentor of leading contemporary authorities in ‘irfān, would highly emphasize on reading this du‘ā, ‘for,’ he would say, ‘there is no mention of Paradisal men or women in it.’ Observe the following verses of this radiant supplication:
أَللٌّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ بَهَائِكَ بِأَبْهَاهُ وَكُلُّ بَهَائِكَ بَهِيٌّ… أَللٌّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ عَظَمَتِكَ بِأَعْظَمِهَا وَكُلُّ عَظَمَتِكَ عَظِيمَةٌ، أللٌّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِعَظَمَتِكَ كُلِّهَا…
“O Allāh I seek from You the kind of Your Brilliance (bahā’ikā) which is the Most Brilliant, and every Brilliance of Yours is Very Brilliant; O Allāh I ask You by Your Brilliance in its entirety….O Allāh I seek from You the kind of Your Greatness which is the Greatest, and every Greatness of Yours is very Great; O Allāh I ask You by Your Greatness in its entirety…”[57]
Ref: A short treatise on Divine invitation
Notes:
[55] Holy Qur’ān, 2:138.
[56] Sharh Du‘ā’ al-Sabāh, pg. 87.
[57] Mafātīh al-Jinān, pg. 184.
Seven Excellences of Mahe Ramazan Fasting
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) has stated: There is no Mu'min, who fasts for a day in the month of Ramazan with the intention of attaining its rewards, except that Allah, The Exalted, grants him seven excellences:
1. The forbidden food that had entered into his body melts away.
2. He moves closer to the Mercy of Allah, The Exalted.
3. Allah expiates his sins.
4. Allah reduces for him the agony of death.
5. Allah protects him from the hunger and thirst of the Day of Judgment.
6. He is granted pardon from the fire (of Hell).
7. Allah provides him the good and pleasant food of Paradise.
Mustadrak al-Wasaail al-Shia'h, vol. 7, pg. 395
1. The forbidden food that had entered into his body melts away.
2. He moves closer to the Mercy of Allah, The Exalted.
3. Allah expiates his sins.
4. Allah reduces for him the agony of death.
5. Allah protects him from the hunger and thirst of the Day of Judgment.
6. He is granted pardon from the fire (of Hell).
7. Allah provides him the good and pleasant food of Paradise.
Mustadrak al-Wasaail al-Shia'h, vol. 7, pg. 395
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