Friday, October 17, 2008
SUGAR DISEASE' can be cured by the words of "HOLY QUR'AN"
The Concept Of Nazr: 22 of the month of RAJAB
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?
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
[Note: Sending salutations must be sincere expression, which involves, belief and expression, and not a mere habitual recitation.]
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE VEIL
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Thought of the week
(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
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
"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