Monday, May 17, 2010

Man Kunto Mawla

I find myself too small to write something on as grand as this subject “Man Kunto Mawla ho fa hazaa Ali-un Mawla”. But I do wish to clear certain misconceptions regarding the above Hadees of Rasool (SAW) vide this article. May Allah (SWT) give me enough strength and knowledge to do the justice.

In the Muslim world there are many differences regarding the true meaning of “Man Kunto Mawla…”. There are a few amongst us who claim that “Mawla” stands for a “friend”, while there are many who say “Mawla” means a “Master”. Now, I don’t think any Muslim would want to deliberately create confusion, as we all wish to understand and follow whatever Rasool (SAW) has asked us to do. The entire confusion has occurred since Arabic is a tricky language and the word ‘Mawla’ in Arabic has various meaning one of them is “Friend” and the other is “Master”.

But before I begin my explanation, let me quote you an interesting example. Being a businessman I am always inspired by stories on leadership and I read an interesting book “Straight from the gut” which is a biography of Jack Welch, who is the most admired CEO of the business world and who built the GE Company. In his book he writes that while deciding on his successor he observed many of his juniors, started short-listing them in his mind and eventually decided to give the mantle of leadership to Jeffery Immelt in the year 2000. Though he decided well in advance he was looking for an opportune time to announce his successor and future leader of GE Company. All the major stakeholders, business associates and senior employees were present in the ‘succession ceremony’. Now after the ceremony if I would have asked him that whether the announcement about Jeffery Immelt in front of this large gathering was to tell all of them that he was a well-wisher and a friend of the company or was it to announce him as a future leader? What would be his reply? I think probably he would say:

“What a foolish question to ask. Jeffery Immelt has been a true friend of the company for so many years. He has proved that by serving the company with great commitment. I have full-faith in his capability and that is the reason he is the new leader, who would take the company to new heights. All this pain was to announce him as a leader.”

True Jack, in life there can be hundreds of friend and if on every new friendship we call people and do the announcement, our entire lives will be spent in organizing get-togethers.

Now keeping this in mind, let me come to my topic and let us contemplate on the following aayat.

“Ae Rasool jo hukm tumhare Parvardigar ki taraf se tum per naazil kiya gaya hai pahoncha do. Aur agar tum ne aisa nahin kiya to samjhlo tum ne Us ka koi paigham hi nahin pahonchaya aur tum daro nahin Khuda tum ko logon ke shar se mahfooz rakhe gaa aur Khuda hargiz kafiron ki qaum ko manzil e maqsood tak nahin pahonchata.” –
(Soora-e-Maida, Aayat 67)

This aayat was revealed in Ghadeer-e-Khum, when Rasool (SAW) was returning to Medina after offering his last Hajj (Ref: Tafseer al Kabir by Fakhr al Din Mohammed ibn Umar al razi (1357/1938), Umdatul Qari fi Sharh Sahih al Bukhari - by Al Ayni, Tafsir al Nisaboori, v6 P194)

So we understand from the above aayat that there was one specific “order” which Allah (SWT) had given to Rasool (SAW) much before the revelation of this aayat. And this order was of such a great importance that failing of this may not lead to completion of religion.

At this point Rasool (SAW) announced “Man Kunto Maula fa hazaa Ali-un Mawla” in front of the huge gathering of 120000 Muslims. (Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, V2, P298, Bukhari, V5, Book 59).

Now if I ask Allah (SWT) after this aayat and hadees are revealed, that whether Mawla stands for a “Friend” or a “Master”, Allah (SWT) probably He would tell me that:

“Don’t ask such foolish questions again. Ali is always been a true friend of Islam. Have you forgotten, Badr, Ohad, Khandaq, Khyber….He was always there to serve the religion time and again. This revelation is ofcourse to establish his supremacy above others. We have rewarded him with “leadership” as under him the religion will reach newer heights.”

The logical conclusion which we can derive from above is that by accepting Mawla Ali as our leader after Rasool (SAW) our Islam gets completed. We thus become “True Muslim”

Again Rasool (SAW) has said about Mawla Ali:
• “Ali thoddi tak Iman se labraiz hai” (Ref: Yana ba ul mawwadat, vol. 2, Page 27)
• “Kul ka Kul Iman aaj Kul ke Kul Kufra ka saamna karne nikla hai” (This he spoke when Mawla Ali went to fight with Amr-bin-abadewad in Jung-e-Khandaq Ref: Imam Ahmed bin Hambal & Nisaee, page 8. Ibne Abi Shiba Vol 4, P 326. Kanzul Ammal Vol 6, Page 352, 407)

In the following aayat, Allah (SWT) endorses whatever Rasool (SAW) has said:

“Qasam hai sitare ki jis waqt ke woh utra. Tumhara rafeeq na bhatak gaya hai aur na bahka hai. Aur wo khwahishe nafasani se kuch nahin kehta. Jo kuch woh kehta hai woh nahin hai magar Wahi hai jo uski taraf bheji jaati hai. Usko badi quwwaton waale aur badi aqal waale ne taalim kiya.” - (Soora-e-Najam, aayat,1-5 )

It means that without Allah’s consent Rasool (SAW) would not speak. In this light Mawla Ali is “Kulle Iman” by Allah (SWT) and Rasool (SAW) both; so if we wish that our “Iman” gets complete we should look towards Mawla Ali and try to follow him. Loving and following him will make us “Mukammal Momin.”

Allah (SWT) has further said in the following aayat:

“Ae Imandaro agar tum Khuda ke deen ki madad karoge to Woh bhi tumhari madad karega aur tumhain saabit kadam rakhega.” - (Soora-e-Mohammed, aayat 7)

By keeping our Islam and Iman intact, we can help Allah’s deen. And that would happen if we follow Mawla Ali and accept him as our leader. In the above aayat Allah has promised that He will help us if we help His deen, so logically when we call for our leader and master by calling “Ya Ali Madad”, Allah (SWT) bestows His limitless grace and help on us as we are protecting our Islam and Iman i.e. our deen.

Ya Ali Madad.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Wasila and Shirk

In my quest for finding the true path which Allah (SWT) has propagated in The Holy Quran, this is my humble attempt to discuss and understand the concept of "Wasila" which most of us mistake it as 'shirk'. We tend to do it as we don't want to get deviated from the true path, as we love Allah and wants to follow Him and obey Him as far as possible.

When we see our lives, we see that we come to this world vide our parents. Allah says that He gives us birth, but we never see Him, instead we see the mother giving birth. Allah says that it is He who raises us but we find that our parents take pains to raise us. Now if we start ignoring our parents and dont look after them by saying that "you did not do anything, it is Allah who has given me birth and raised me". Allah (SWT) will never like this and He will surely punish us. He does not like us to be disrespectful and ignore the 'wasila' which he has chosen for the specific purpose. We see a child demanding many things from his parents. Can this be 'shirk' ? no it cannot be it is a right wasila from which Allah will grant a child whatever he needs. So 'wasila' is chosen by Allah and asking and seeking things vide a wasila is asking from Allah Himself.

Let us understand with one more example. I teach and I am a visiting faculty. Many students look up to me for fulfillment of their knowledge. I become a wasila for their 'ILM". Allah imparts them knowledge and He appoints me to deliver that. Now, if my intentions are good and I am honest with my teaching I will be an expert on the subject. People will praise me and love me. Now can this be 'shirk' no it cannot. It is Allah's will that I get reward for my good "intention" and hardwork.

Again, I cannot be the wasila for subjects other than 'advertising' on which I am not good. I cannot teach engineering nor medical science. So it means that Allah has created me as a wasila for one aspect of knowledge.

Now let us try to understand the importance of Mohammad (SAW) and wa aale Mohammad (SAW) in this light. We will first see the following aayat from Surah-e-Baqra (Aayat 124).

"Ae Rasool (S.A.W) Bani Israel ko woh waqt bhi yaad dilao jab Ibrahim (A.S) ko unke Parvardigar ne chand baton main aazmaya aur unhone pura kar diya to Khuda ne farmaya Main tumko logon ka peshwa banane wala hoon. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) ne arz ki aur meri aulad main se. Farmaya haan magar mere ahad per zaalimon main se koi shakhs faaez nahin ho sakta."


From the above aayat it is clear that Allah (SWT) did aazmaish of Ibrahim (A.S) and when he was successful, Allah made him Peshwa and Imam. He then prayed that his progeny should also be Imam and Peshwa and we know that Mohammed wa aale Mohammed i.e. all 12 Imams and Janaba Fatema (SA) and Huzoor (SAW) are descendants of Ibrahim (AS). So Allah granted his wish.

Again Allah says that he did the aazmaaish of Ibrahim (A.S) and that was the qurbani (sacrifice) which Allah wanted from him of Ismaeel (A.S). We all know the entire incident. It means that Allah does aazmaaish of His chosen servants and then He grants them with his limitless grace.

Now let us see the life of Mohammad (SAW) Wa Aale Mohammed (SAW) and their aazmaaish on various occasions. There are many but I will restrict to the followings:

1) When Huzoor (SAW) was a child and when he became orphan. Hazrat Abu Talib (A S) raised him, supported him and did everything to protect him from his enemies. He was always ready to sacrifice his children to save the holy prophet. During the nights he would exchange the bed on which Huzoor (SAW) would sleep with his child's so that if somebody with ill-intention wants to harm the prophet, he would harm Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) children instead. Allah appointed Abu Talib (A.S) as guardian to the prophet.

2) During "Shab-e-Hijrat" when there was a threat on the life of Huzoor (SAW). Maula Ali came to his help and he slept on Huzoor (SAW) bed for the entire night. If somebody would have attacked on that night, Maula Ali would have got harmed and not Huzoor (SAW). He was ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of Allah.

3) We all know that Imam Husain (A.S) sacrificed his entire family for the sake of Allah. Ibrahim (A.S) was asked sacrifice his one child,which he tried by keeping his eyes closed, while Imam Husain (A.S) sacrificed his entire family in front of his open eyes. Why would not Allah (SWT) then grant them with his "Will" then?

When we look this logically we can understand why Allah said in Surah-e-Ambiya that

" Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) Hum ne tum ko tamam alamon ke liye rehmat hi karke bheja hai".

And Rasool (SAW) has said that "Main aur Ali ek hee noor se hai"

He has also said that "Husain mujh se hai aur main Husain se hoon"

From the above it is clear that in both the worlds (Duniya and Aakherat), Mohammed wa Aale Mohammed (SAW) are the wasila for Allah's Rehmat. So when we seek "rehmat" and "madad" from them we are not doing 'shirk", we are infact going to a right wasila from where things will be granted. So it also means that whoever Mohammed (SAW) wa aale Mohammed (SAW) wishes Allah will bless him. Their wish is Allah's wish.

Since Mohaamed (SAW) and wa aale Mohammed (SAW) had clear intentions and honest with their quest to follow Allah's path, Allah rewarded them with his "Will". And when we praise them, Allah is happy as we are praising Allah by praising His wasila. If I deliver a good lecture and students praise me and that cannot be shirk as Allah has rewarded me for my hardwork, similarly praising Mohammed (SAW) and his progeny cannot be a 'shirk' as Allah has rewarded them for their faithfulness and honesty.