Consciousness Explorer

Kullo na Mohammed

2012-01-06T03:34:00.000-08:00

Theworld recently saw the passing away of legendary Steve Jobs - the father ofdigital revolution. At the helm of Apple computers he created innovativeproducts that revolutionized the way we listen to songs, music and much more.

Hehad a very interesting association with Apple computers. He started thiscompany in his parents’ garage along-with couple of friends in the year 1976. In 1985 Jobs was asked to resign fromthe company and thus left Apple computers. Withouthim the company could not do anything worthwhile and he was called back asadvisor in 1996; made interim CEO in 1997 and eventually CEO of the company in 2000. He straight away justified his re-joining thecompany by revolutionizing the music industry with innovative products like iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone, iPad and evencompany’s Apple Retail Stores. Thus he perfected the company andmade it one of the most successfulcompanies of the modern day during his lifetime.

Now,when he is no more the biggest challenge Apple faces is whether it can grow atthe same pace as it used to under Steve’s leadership.

**Point to ponderis that Apple Computers needed SteveJobs for its growth and perfection.Hence Steve jobs himself or only another worthy leader and inheritor of his skills, vision and charactercan guarantee its future growth, in absence of which some skeptics doubtthe very survival of the company amidst the stiff competition that it faces.

True, an inspirationalleader can make a difference to any organization and lead it to perfection. Islamis the greatest religion and like a great organization has spread acrossvarious continents. In this article let us try to find out those leaders under whose able leadership the religion has grown andremained perfect.

So let us first see howthe religion got perfected:

"Aaj Maine tumhare deen kokaamil kardiya aur tum per apnine’mat poori kardi aur tumhare issDeen-e-Islam ko pasand kiya.” – (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 3)

“(This day have I perfected your religion foryou, completed My favour uponyou, and have chosen for you Islamas your religion.)

Theabove ayah was revealed after the announcement of “Man Kunto Mawla ho fa hazaa Ali un Mawla….” by the holy Prophet(SAW) after returning from his last pilgrimage at Ghadir-e-Khum. (Ref: Tafseer Ibn Katheer, volume 2, page14, published in Egypt,Tafseer Durr e Mansoor, Vol 2, P 259, Egypt).

Theholy Prophet (SAW) gave us tauheedand Kalema and after he announced theleadership of Mawla Ali (A.S) the religion got perfected. Thus to have aperfect religion we need to understand theApostleship of the holy Prophet (SAW) along with the leadership and Imamat ofMawla Ali (A.S).

Nowalmost 1400 years after them who would guarantee that the faith which we followis perfect? Thus after the era of Mawla Ali (A.S) in every subsequent era the Islamic world was in need of an ablerepresentative and inheritor of his skills, knowledge and character to guidethe Ummah to perfection of faith.This makes it important for the Ummahto find and recognize these successors and follow them.

**But before we proceed with it let us firstconfirm whether the Quran quotes any incidences that prove the inheritance ofProphets? For this purpose we will see the following ayahs:

“Aur (ilm, hikmat, jaedaad sab mein) SulemanDawood ke waaris hue aur kaha ki logo hum ko (Khuda ke fazal se) parindonki boli bhi sikhayee gayee hai aur (duniya ki) har cheez ataa ki gayee hai issmain shak nahin ki yeh yaqini (Khuda ka) sarihi fazal wa karam hai.” – (Surah-e-AnNamal, ayah 16)

“(And Sulaiman was Dawood's heir, and hesaid: O men! we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been givenall things; most surely this is manifest grace.)”

“Pus Tu mujhko Apni bargaah se ek janashinfarzand ataa farma jo meri aur Yaqub ki nasal ki miraas ka malik ho ae mereParwardigar aur ussko Apna pasandida banda bana.” – (Surah-e-Maryam, ayah 5-6)

“(Thereforegrant me from Thyself an heir, Who should inherit me and inherit from thechildren of Yaqoub, and make him, my Lord, one inwhom Thou art well pleased.)”

Theabove ayahs prove that Prophets do have inheritors of their knowledge,character, property and whatever Allah (SWT) has bestowed upon them. Inheritorof the legacy of Dawood (A.S) was his son Suleman (A.S), while Zakariya (A.S)prayed to have an heir who inherits him and the legacy of his forefathers.

**It seems logical to conclude then that theinheritors of the legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW) and Mawla Ali (A.S) shouldbe their children. But what is the legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW) and MawlaAli (A.S) as per Quran?:

“AurAe Rasool (SAW) Quran se pehle na to tumkoi kitab hi padhte the aur na apne haath se tum likha karte the aisa hotato ye jhoothe zaroor tumhari nabuwwat main shak karte.” – (Surah-e-Ankabut,ayah 48)

“(You were neither readingany book before this, nor did you write one down with your hand. If you haddone so, the followers of falsehood would have had cause to doubt it.)”

BeforeQuran was revealed the world neither saw the holy Prophet (SAW) write anythingnor read any book. That means his knowledge was the divine knowledge of Quranwhich was given to him. And how did he get this knowledge?

“(AurAe Rasool (SAW)) beshak yeh (Quran)saari Khudai ke paalne wale (Khuda) ka utara hua hai jise Rooh al amin(Jibraeel (A.S)) saaf Arabi zabaan main lekar tumhare dil per naazil hue haintaake tum bhi aur paighambaron ki tarah logon ko azab e Khuda se darao.” –(Surah-e-Shaura, ayah 192-195)

“(And indeed this Qur’an has been sent downby the Lord Of The Creation. The Trustworthy Spirit(Jibraeel (A.S)) brought it down. Upon your heart, for you toconvey warning. In plain Arabic language.)

ThisDivine Knowledge was brought down upon the heart of the holy Prophet (SAW) byJibraeel (A.S). This is how Allah (SWT)’s knowledge was delivered to the holyProphet (SAW). Allah thus was a teacher and our beloved Prophet (SAW) was Hisworthy student. As Allah (SWT) further says in the following ayahs:

“Qasam hai sitare ki jis waqt ke woh utra. Tumhara rafeeq na bhatak gaya hai aur na behka 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.” - (Surah-e-Najam, ayah,1-5 )

(“I swear bythe star when it goes down. Your companion does not err, nor does he go astray; Nor does he speak out ofdesire. It is naught but revelation thatis revealed, The Lord of MightyPower has taught him”)

Allah(SWT) granted His Divine Knowledge to the holy Prophet (SAW) and he became thefirst inheritor of it. Hence this Divine Knowledge is the legacy of the holyProphet (SAW).

Apartfrom this Allah (SWT) also granted the following to the holy Prophet (SAW) as apart of His legacy:

" Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) Hum ne tum ko tamamalamon ke liye rehmat hi karke bheja hai". – (Surah-e-Ambiya, ayah107)

(“And We have notsent you but as a mercy to the worlds.”)

Hence thelegacy of the holy Prophet (SAW) includedAllah’s Mercy along with His Divine Knowledge.

The holy Prophet (SAW) passed this DivineLegacy then to his successor and brother Mawla Ali (A.S) in the followingmanner:

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:"O Ali! You are the owner of my stream (Al-Hawd), the holder of my banner, my beloved, my custodian, the inheritor of my knowledge, my successor and the holder of the prophets' inheritances before me. You are the guardian of Allah in His land, the argument of Allah for His creations, the basis of faith and the pillar of Islam. You are the Light in darkness, the guiding light and the raised flag for the people of this world. O Ali! He who follows you shall be saved and who leaves you shall be doomed. You are the apparent path and the right way (Al-Sirat). You are the leader of those who shine with light and the King of believers. You are the master of those who I am a master of; I am the master of every believer (men and women). Only those of pure births love you and only those of births of adultery detest you.” Then he further added that: “Not once did my Lord raise me tothe sky and speak to me without telling me:" O Mohammad, send mygreetings (Peace) to Ali and inform him that he is the Imam of my saints andthe Light of the obedient ones. Congratulations for this virtue of yours , OAli! ""

(Ref: Amali Al-Sadouq p.382, Al-Bihar vol.38 p.100, GhayatAl-Maram vol.3 p.78, Bisharat Al-Mostafa p.95, Al-Bihar vol.40 p.53, Yanabe'aAl-Mawadda vol.1 p.39)

Thusfirstly the holy Prophet (SAW) and then Mawla Ali (A.S) inherited Allah’s DivineLegacy. The way in which Suleman (A.S) inherited the legacy of Dawood (A.S) andYahya (A.S) of Zakariya (A.S), the Divine Legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW) andMawla Ali (A.S) should have been inherited by their children after them.

**Let us now see what Quran has to sayabout the children of the holy Prophet (SAW):

“AeRasool (SAW) Hum ne tum ko Kausar ataakiya, to tum apne Parvardigar ki namaz padha karo aur qurbani diya karo beshak tumhara dushman be-aulad rahega.”– (Surah-al Kausar, ayah 1-3)

“(Surely We have given you Kausar, Thereforepray to your Lord and make a sacrifice. Surely your enemy is the one who shall be withoutposterity)

Most of the Islamic scholars while mentioning theabove ayahs have explained that the word ‘Kausar’ refers to Janabe Fatema (S.A),as it was through her that the lineage of the holy Prophet (SAW) proceeded.

While commenting on the time of revelation of above Surah-al-Kausar, the scholars haveexplained that an infidel denounced the Prophet (SAW) when one of his childrendied and said that he (pbuh) is now without offspring, therefore when he dieshis name will die with him. In order to negate them and give assurance to theholy Propet (SAW) Allah (SWT) revealed this Surah.It is as if to tell the holy Prophet (SAW) that his descendants would remaineven after all other lineages are ended.

In Majma’ al Bayan, Tabarsi has commented on theSurah in the following manner:

· “It was said that Kausar means abundant benevolence, it has also beensaid that it means the multiplicity of a given person; and the descendants ofFatema (S.A) have enormously multiplied in a way that they will exist until theDay of Resurrection.

Even the prominent scholar like Fakhruddin Razihas quoted comments of some scholars while referring to the Surah al Kausar. According to him somescholars have commented in the following manner:

“Since this chapter was revealed to refute theclaim of an infidel who attempted to denounce the Prophet (SAW) for not havingsons, it becomes clear that the meaning given here is that Allah (SWT) gave theProphet (SAW) offspring, which will be everlasting. We must keep in mind that numerous massacres have been committed againstAhl-ul-bait (A.S), yet still the world is full of them; while the Umayyadshave vanished save a few who are worthless. Besides this, prominent scholars have descended from Fatema (S.A)’s sons such asAl-Baqir (A.S), Al-Sadiq (A.S), Al-Kazim (A.S), Al-Reza (A.S), Al NafsAl-Zakyyah and others.”

Thus from the above explanation we can infer thatit is Allah (SWT)’s Will that the lineage of Fatema (S.A) and Mawla Ali (A.S)be the lineage of the holy Prophet (SAW). This makes the Imams – the childrenof Mawla Ali (A.S), as the true inheritor of this Divine Legacy of the holyProphet (SAW). This inference can be further proved by the following ayah:

“Phir jab tumhare paas ilm (Quran) aa chuukaus ke baad bhi agar tum se koi (Nasrani) Isa (a.s) ke baare main hujjat kare tokaho ki achha maidaan main aao Hum apnebeton ko bulaaen tum apne beton ko, Hum apni aurton ko bulaaen tum apniaurton ko, Hum apni jaanon ko bulaaen tum apni jaanon ko, uske baad Hum sabmilkar Khuda ki baargaah main gid gidaaen aur jhooton per Khuda ki la’anat karein..”– (Surah-e-Aale-Imran, ayah 61)

“(…If any one disputes in thismatter with thee, now after (full) knowledge hath come to thee say: “Come! Letus gather together, - our sons and yoursons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves. Then let usearnestly pray and invoke the curse of God on those who lie.)”

When the Christians of Najran contested theProphethood of holy Prophet (SAW), Allah (SWT) instructed the holy Prophet(SAW) to call both the parties to the event for a ‘Mubahela.

As instructed in the verse, each party was to bringtheir women, their sons and themselves. While the Christians brought a greatdelegation of learned scholars, the holyProphet (SAW) summoned Hasan (A.S) and Hussain (A.S) in place of his sons.Janabe Fatema (A.S) represented women of his house and Mawla Ali (A.S) representedpart of his soul. Both the parties then were needed to pray and invoke curse ofAllah on the liars.

This event further substantiates our inference ofImams being children of the holy Prophet (SAW). We will see few more referencesof prominent scholars in this regard now:

· Khawarazmi in Manaqib, p 229 hasnarrated the declaration of the holy Prophet (SAW) in the following words: “SurelyAllah made every Prophet’s progeny proceed from his own loins and made my progeny proceed from Ali’s loins.”

(Ref: This narration was alsoreported by the following writers: Muhib Ad-Din-Tabari in Dhakhaer al-Uqbi,Hamueeni in Faraed As-Semtain, Dhahabi in Mizan al-Etedal, Ibn Hajar inal-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqa p.74, Mirza Hindi in Muntakhab Kanz al-Umal, Zarqani inSharh Mawahib Ladonyyah, and Qandouzi in Yanabi’ al-Mawaddah p.138.)

· Nisaee also mentioned in Khasaes AmirAl-Momineen on the authority of Mohammed Ibn Usama Ibn Zaid that his fathersaid that the holy Prophet (SAW) has said: “As for you Ali, you are my son-in-law and the father of myoffspring; you are from me and I am from you.”

**Thus Hasan(A.S) and Hussain (A.S) inherited their Divine Legacy and after them it wasinherited by Imams from the lineage of Hussain (A.S).

By contemplating on various ayahs we were able toestablish that the true inheritors of legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW) andMawla Ali (A.S) are their children. Our inference was backed by Quranicevidences, logic and few references; let us now further establish the fact bycontemplating on the following ayah which directly supports our inference. Asthe ayah says:

“Aurjin logon ne imaan qubool kiya aur unkiaulaad ne bhi imaan main unka saath diya to Hum unki aulaad ko bhi unkedarje tak pahoncha denge aur Hum unki kaarguzariyon main se kuch bhi kam nakarenge, har shakhs apne a’maal ke badle main girvi hai.” – ( Surah-e-Tur, ayah21)

“(And those whoaccepted faith, and whose descendantsfollowed them with faith – We havejoined their descendants with them, and have not reduced anything for them from their deeds; every soul istrapped in its own deeds.)”

Inthe above ayah Allah (SWT) promises tounite the descendants, who have accepted faith and followed the path taken bytheir believer forefathers with them. In the light of the above ayah it means thatthey will hold the same divine position as their forefathers and will beconsidered similar.

InKarbala, Imam Hussain (A.S) sacrificed his entire family for the sake of Islamand thus helped the cause of holy Prophet (SAW). It is because of this that theholy Prophet (SAW) had said for Imam Hussain (A.S):

· "Iam from Hussain and Hussain is from me" (Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, vol 6, P 307, KanzulAmmal, vol 4, P 221, Masnad Ahmed, vol 4P 972)

Inthe battlefield of Karbala Imam Hussain (A.S) was ably supported by his sonImam Zainul Abedin (A.S) during this Jihadand after his martyrdom Imam Zainul Abedin (A.S) took over the mantle of this divinecause. This lineage continued till the 12^th and the last ImamMohammed Mehdi (A.S) who has inherited this legacy and is currently inoccultation. When the occultation ends following the Divine Orders, he willhold similar authority as his preceding Imams and the holy Prophet (SAW) andhence Mawla Ali (A.S) has said that:

“The first one of us is Mohammed, the lastone of us is Mohammed, the middle one of us is Mohammed and all of us areMohammed. So do not differentiatebetween us. If we will be doing a matter, Allah Wills it and if we dislikeit Allah dislikes it. The Wayl (deepestlayer of Hell) and all its torment is for those who reject our virtues,private matters and what Allah has given us, because whoever rejects anything Allah gave us has rejected Allah’s might andwill within us.” (Ref: Bihar ul Anwar, vol 26, p 1, Mashareeq Anwarul Yaqeen,p 255, Ilzan al Nasib, vol 1 P 32)

In his beautiful work“Stairway to Heaven”, Yousuf N Lalljee, the author has mentioned the following hadithof the holy Prophet (SAW), where he had said that:

“I am the Prince of Apostles, Ali is the Prince of Successors; after me there will be 12 successors, the last shall be Al-Mahdi.”

In the same section Lalljeehas quoted the holy Prophet (SAW) mentioning the position of Imams succeedinghim in the following manner:

“Awwalona Mohammed – The First of us is Mohammed

Ausatona Mohammed– The Middle of us is Mohammed

Aakhirona Mohammed– The Last one of us is Mohammed

KullonaMohammed – Everyoneof us is Mohammed

(Ref:Stairway to Heaven, Yousuf.N.Lalljee, December 1975, Bombay Edition, Page 79-80)

**With the above references and in the light of ayahs which we contemplated inthis article, we need to understand the rights of 12 Imams - the true successorsof the Divine Legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW). By knowing them andunderstanding their position we guarantee perfection of faith and remain truebelievers till we live. And later, about our queries to the happenings afterdeath the Quran replies:

"Uss din ko yaad karo jab Hum tamam logon ko unke Imamon ke saath bulayenge, to jiskanaama-e-aamaal un ke dahine haath main diya jayega to woh log khush khush apnanaama-e-aamaal padhne lagenge aur un per resha barabar zulm nahin kiya jayega.”– (Surah-e-Bani Israel, ayah 71)

"(One day We shall call together all human beings withtheir Imams: those who are given their record in their right hand will readit (with pleasure), and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least.)"

**The above ayah clarifies that if we have followed true Imams we will get the naama-e-aamaal (record of our deeds) undertheir leadership in our right hands guaranteeing salvation. But in case if we havefollowed wrong Imams, we have faltered in our faiths in this world andsalvation cannot be guaranteed. Hence recognizing the true Imams andunderstanding their position is important for us to have a perfect faith which is a certificate for salvation.

Divine Association

2011-10-15T04:52:00.000-07:00

One day while returning from my office I saw a newly opened fast-foodrestaurant in an adjacent complex. I remembered visiting the restaurant inMumbai and hence I went inside to have a look at the menu. I found everything tobe similar to their Mumbai outlet right from the ambience to the prices and thequality of food.

A gentleman came forward and provided me with all the details. And he proudly announced that he was the owner of the shop and it was the franchise of the fast-food company, which he had started. Had he not told me, it would have been difficult to make out that it was not a companyowned outlet but a franchisee.

A franchise is a right grantedto an individual or a group by thecompany to market its product andservices in the specified territory. Thus within this territory the franchise owner is the ultimate authority appointedby the company.

**This franchisee-franchisorassociation has helped various companies promote and trade their productsand services across the world successfully. Let us try to find out through thisarticle that Divine Association whichhas benefitted Islam and made it a successful religion the world over.

We start with Almighty Allah’sfollowing instruction to the holy Prophet (SAW) in Surah-e-Jinn:

“(Ye bhi) kehdo ki main tumhare haq main na burayee ka hi ikhtiyar rakhta hoon aur na bhalayee ka – (Surah-e-Jinn, ayah 21)

“(Say, "Itis not in my power to cause youeither harm or good")

It is only Allah (SWT) – theMost Powerful, the Most Beneficent who can help the mankind and even harm themif needed. Does it mean that the presence of holy Prophet (SAW) in our liveshas not done any good to us?

“Khuda ne to imaandaron per bada ehsaan kiya ke unn ke waaste unheen ki qawm ka ek Rasool (SAW) bheja jo unhain Khuda ki aayatein padh padh ke sunata hai aur unn ki tabiyat ko pakizah karta hai aur unhain Kitab (Kitab-e-Khuda) aur aqal ki baatein sikhaata hai agarche wo pehle khuli hui gumrahi main pade the.” - (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 164)

“(Allah did confer a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a messenger from among themselves, rehearsing untothem the Signs of Allah, sanctifyingthem, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that,they had been in manifest error.)”

When we observe the above ayahwe find that there are so many benefits Allah (SWT) has made us count whilereferring to the holy Prophet (SAW). In fact in the above ayah He says that the holy Prophet’s presence amongst usis His Great Favour. So if there are multiple benefits because of the holyProphet (SAW) why did the first ayah say that it is not in his power to do anygood to us? This needs to be further pondered upon.

“Qasam hai sitare ki jis waqt ke woh utra. Tumhara rafeeq na bhatak gaya hai aur na bahka hai. Aur woh khwahishe nafsaani 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.” - (Surah-e-Najam, ayah,1-5)

“(I swear by the starwhen it goes down. Your companion doesnot err, nor does he go astray; Nor does he speak out of desire. It isnaught but revelation that isrevealed, The Lord of Mighty Power has taught him)”

The above ayahs give us various resultsand provide us clarity on the above point which we were contemplating. The holyProphet (SAW) never errs; hence he is without any flaw. He never goes astray hence he is always steadfast on the straight path. He does not speak anything out of his will anddesire. He only speaks whateverhas been revealed to him. It means whatever he has said in his life isa revelation of Allah. These revelationsare called ayahs in Quran and outside Quran they are called ahadith of the holyProphet (SAW). This is the DivineAssociation our holy Prophet (SAW) has with the Almighty Allah. And this association provides him all the powerto benefit us.

And with the following ayahAllah (SWT) has further informed us on the importance of the presence of holyProphet (SAW) in our lives:

"Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) Hum ne tum ko tamamalamon ke liye rehmat hi karke bheja hai". – (Surah-e-Ambiya, ayah107)

(“And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.”)

Allah (SWT) has created the Sunto provide us with light & warmth in day time. If we avoid Sunlight we willhave to live in darkness and forego many other benefits of it. Hence it isrequired to be under the comfort of Sunlight whenever need arises. Our holy Prophet(SAW)’s presence is similar to this. He is mercy to the worlds; hence theseekers of Allah’s Mercy need to approach the holy Prophet (SAW). Without hisintercession Allah’s Mercy will never reach us.

**Allah’sMercy: In the light of various ayahs we saw divine association our holyProphet (SAW) has with Allah (SWT) and hence the right to bestow Allah’sMercy over the mankind has been granted to the holy Prophet (SAW).

Holy Prophet (SAW) got all hisinstructions from Allah (SWT) and he obeyed every instruction given to him. Hismission was just to convey these instructions to the Ummah and he was not made accountable to ensure whether they werebeing followed or not, which Quran has clarified on various occasions. Let ussee one of such instructions on Jihadin the following ayah:

“Pus (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum Khuda ki raah mein jihad karo aur tum apne nafs ke siwa aur kisi ke zimmedar nahin ho aur imaandaron ko jihad ki targhib do.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 84)

“(Then fight in Allah's cause - Thou art held responsible only for thyself - androuse the believers.)”

Allah (SWT) orders holy Prophet(SAW) to perform Jihad. And alsorequires from him to motivate the believers to do the same, but holds him responsible only for himself (his ‘nafs’) and nobody else; as in Arabic the ayah says ‘IllaNafsaka’ meaning ‘except your nafs’. What does his nafs include let us tryto understand.

Conduct of Mawla Ali (A.S) invarious holy wars fought during the time of holy Prophet (SAW) and the time afterthat is well documented by Islamic scholars and historians and they havevouched for his steadfastness and bravery. He followed the instructions givenby holy Prophet (SAW) to perfection.

Also, on different occasions theholy Prophet (SAW) referred to his relation with Mawla Ali (A.S) as similar tothe relationship of Musa (A.S) with Haroon (A.S), so let us first see an ayahrelated to Musa (A.S) and Haroon (A.S)’s relationship and then we will furthercontemplate on the above point.

“TubMusa (A.S) ne arz ki Khuda wanda Tu khuub waqif hai ke apni zaat khaas aur apne bhai ke siwa kisi per mera qaboo nahinbuss ab hamare aur nafarman logon ke darmiyan judai daal de. “ – (Surah-e-Maida,ayah 25)

“(He (Moses) said: "O my Lord! I have power only over myself and mybrother: so separate us from this rebellious people!")”

The ayah says that Musa (A.S)prayed to Allah (SWT) to protect him and his brother (Haroon (A.S)) from therebellious people as he acknowledged that heonly had the authority over himself and his brother and nobody else. In thelight of this ayah and the holy Prophet (SAW)’s comparison of his relationship with Mawla Ali(A.S) to Musa (A.S)’s relationship with Haroon (A.S) when we observe the ayahof Surah-e-Nisa mentioned above whereAllah (SWT) has instructed the holy Prophet (SAW) for ‘Jihad’ and made him responsible only for himself; it seems that the‘nafs’ or the ‘self’ of holy Prophet (SAW) included Mawla Ali (A.S) as well.

In the battlefield of Ohad, whenthe holy Prophet (SAW) was deserted by his companions and left alone it wasMawla Ali (A.S) who remained with him and helped him. The holy Prophet (SAW)asked him why he not fled with others to which Ali (A.S) replied that he belonged to the Prophet (SAW). Hebeing a believer would not like to turn a disbeliever or an infidel byresorting to flight. (Ref: Tabari; Ibn Athir; Madarij-al-Nabowat, Habib-ql-Siyar;Rawdzat-al-Ahbab.)

In the light of ayahs, hadith and Mawla Ali (A.S)’s conduct in ‘Jihad’ we could infer that Mawla Ali(A.S) was ‘nafs’ of the holy Prophet(SAW) to which Allah (SWT) has referred to in the ayah pertaining to Jihad (ayah no. 84) of Surah-e-Nisa .Let us now see an event mentioned in Quran which will endorse our inference.

When the Christians of Najran contested the Prophethood of holyProphet (SAW), Allah (SWT) instructed the holy Prophet (SAW) to call both theparties to the event for a ‘Mubahela’. Theayah is also called ayah-e-Mubahelafor this reason:

“Phirjab tumhare paas ilm (Quran) aa chuuka us ke baad bhi agar tum se koi (Nasrani)Isa (a.s) ke baare main hujjat kare to kaho ki achha maindaan main aao Hum apne beton ko bulaae tum apne beton ko,Hum apni aurton ko bulaae tum apni aurton ko, Hum apnijaanon ko bulaae tum apni jaanon ko, uske baad Hum sab milkar Khudaki baargaah main gid gidaae aur jhooton per Khuda ki la’anat kare...” –(Surah-e-Aale-Imran, ayah 61)

“(…If any one disputes in this matter withthee, now after (full) knowledge hath come to thee say:“Come! Let us gathertogether, - our sons and your sons, ourwomen and your women, ourselves and yourselves. Then let us earnestly prayand invoke the curse of God on those who lie.)”

As instructed in the verse, each party was to bring their women, theirsons and Anfosana. While the Christians brought a greatdelegation of learned scholars, the holy Prophet (SAW) summoned Hazrat Fatima (S.A) in place of women of his house. Hassan (A.S) and Hussain (A.S) in placeof his sons and Hazrat Ali (A.S) as ‘Anfosana’ meaning part of his ‘nafs’or self. Both the parties then were needed to pray and invoke curse ofAllah on the liars.

TheChristian delegation looking at these five purified souls and their holyspirits quickly conferred amongst them and called off the Mubahela. They agreed not to question the nobility of the holyProphet (SAW) and his mission. (Ref: ImamFakhruddin Razi in Tafseer-e-Kabeer, Vol II, P 73, Allama Zamakhshari inTafseer-e-Kashshaf)

**The holy Prophet (SAW)neither errs nor he goes astray and he does not speak anything but whatever isrevealed to him by the Almighty Allah. While Mawla Ali (A.S) is the part of his‘nafs’ or ‘soul’, thus even he doesnot err, neither he goes astray and his conduct during his entire life is theexample of how the instructions of the holy Prophet (SAW) needs to be followed.And hence his conduct is Allah’s ‘Wahi’ (revelation) in humanform.

Our above inference shows a strongassociation Mawla Ali (A.S) has with Almighty Allah. In the light of an ayahthat showcases status of Mawla Ali (A.S) with respect to Allah (SWT) and degreeof his nearness to the Almighty let us further substantiate this fact:

“Aur logonmein se Khuda ke bande kuch aise hein jo Khudaki (khushnudi) haasil karne ki gharaz se apne nafs tak bech daalte hain aur Khuda aise bandon per badahi shafkat wala hai.” – (Surah-e- Baqra, ayah 207)

“(And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Affectionate to theservants.)”

Imam Ghizali in his Tareekh-e-Khameeswrites that the above ayah of Surah-e-Baqrawas revealed mentioning the sacrifice ofMawla Ali (A.S) when he slept on the bed of the holy Prophet (SAW) during thenight of Hijrat risking his own life tosave the holy Prophet (SAW) and thushelped the cause of Islam. Various prominent Islamic historians, on theauthority of Ibn-e-Abbas, have also documented a similar tradition in theirwork referring to the above ayah with Mawla Ali’s sleep on the bed of the holyProphet (SAW) at the night of ‘Hijrat’. (Ref:In Mustadrak by Imam Hakim, Volume 3 Page 4)

The ayah highlights the sacrifice of Mawla Ali (A.S) by saying that he sold himself to seek the pleasure ofAllah. The ‘nafs’ of Mawla Ali(A.S) was purchased by Allah (SWT) on this night of Hijrat. Imagine if someone helps your cause risking his own lifewhat would you do? Would not you want to help him or reward him to the best ofyour capacity? I would definitely try to do my best to reward such a helper whois ready to risk his life to help me.

Allah (SWT) is Most Beneficent and Merciful, and the Most Powerful. Heis ‘AlaKulle Shayeen Kadeer’. Sowhat would be the level of His reward? As the ayah says that in return of ‘nafs’ of Mawla Ali (A.S), Allah (SWT)granted him with His Pleasure. So whatever pleases Ali (A.S) pleases Allah(SWT) and whatever displeases Ali(A.S) displeases Allah – The Almighty.

And in one of the sermons which he addressed to Hazrat Salman Farsi(R.A) and Hazrat Abu Zarr Ghaffari (R.A), Hazrat Ali (A.S) has narrated therewards he got from Allah – The Most High:

O Salmán! O Jandáb! Verily, Allahhas made me His Trustee over His creations and His Vicegerent on His earth, in His territories, and over His servants. Allah has given me what noartist can depict and no man of understanding can truly comprehend. One, whoknows me in this manner, becomes amomin.”

Then he further continuedin the same sermon:

“When my name was written on the throne of sky, it attained its calmness. When it was inscribed on the mountains, they were upraised. When written on the earth, it became stable. When it was inscribed on the wind, it started flowing….” (Ref: Excerpts from Sermon of Marefat-e-Nooraniyat of Imam Ali (A.S), Nah jul Israr, hubeali.com)

**Allah’s Pleasure: Allah(SWT) has granted Mawla Ali (A.S) with His Pleasure, hence the seeker of Allah’s pleasure now should approach Mawla Ali (A.S)without his intercession it would not be possible to please Almighty Allah.

Mosques are built so that we worship ourLord. Hence Allah (SWT) gives strict instructions on our conduct in Mosques:

“Aur yeki masjidein khaas Khuda ki hain to logo Khudake saath kisi ki ibadat na karna.” -(Surah-e-Jinn, ayah 18)

"(And the places of worship” are for Allah(alone): So invoke not any one alongwith Allah)”

Only Allah (SWT) is to be worshipped and nobodyelse is worth worshipping along with Him otherwise it would lead to ‘Shirk’. ‘Namaz’ is the highest form of worship and hence Muslims everywherein the world throng to Mosques to perform ‘Namaz’.Let us try to understand ‘Namaz’ then.

‘Namaz’ starts with Surah-e-Hamd.It is mandatory to recite this Surahin the beginning of every ‘Namaz’ otherwiseNamaz does not start. The ayahs (6 & 7) of this Surah are the prayer to tread the straight path of those who have beenbestowed by Allah’s Grace. Sa’labi in his tafseer has mentioned a traditionfrom Abu Hureira that the ‘straightpath’ means the path taken by Mohammed (SAW) and the children of Mohammed(SAW). (Ref: Sa’labi in hisTafseer, Waki ibn-e-Jarrah in his commentary).

Again, at the end of every ‘Namaz’ it is mandatory to send ‘durood’and salutations on the holy Prophet(SAW) and his holy Progeny, without which ‘Namaz’ remains incomplete. Thus ‘Namaz’ starts with a prayer to follow the path taken by the holyProphet (SAW) and his progeny and it ends with ‘durood’ on them.

**Itmeans that sending ‘durood’ and salutations on the holy Prophet (SAW) and his holyProgeny and discussing their virtuesamongst ourselves and praying to Allah (SWT) to make us capable enough tofollow their path is an integral part ofour prayers. Thus Zikr-e-Ahl-ul-bait should not be mistaken as ‘Shirk’ but it is an integral partof Zikr-e-Khuda.

Almighty Allah reveals His Glory through Hiscreations. These creations are His Signs to understand His Greatness. As Hesays in the following ayah:

“Kyatumne nahin dekha ke kashtiyan samandarmein Khuda ki ne’mat se chalti hein ke wo apni nishaniyon main se ba’az tumko dikhlade be-shak har sabr karne wale aur shukr karne wale ke liye uss mainbahot si nishaniyan maujood hain.” – (Surah-e-Luqman, ayah 31)

” (Do you not see that the ships sail in the ocean by the grace of God, that He mayshow you some of His glories. Verily there are signs in this for those whoconstantly persevere and give thanks.)”

Whatever happens in this world is because of the Grace of Allah (SWT),as the above ayah indicates that ships sail in the ocean by His Grace. So invoking Allah’s Grace is to get all ourdesires fulfilled.

Keeping this in mind, let us see followingexcerpts from Hadeeth-e-Kisa, thishadeeth is a tafseer of ayah-e-tatheer (Surah-e-Ahzab, ayah 33). Jabir Ibn-e-Abdullah Ansari (R.A)narrates from the authority of Lady Fatema (S.A), the beloved daughter of theholy Prophet (SAW) that:

“Then the Lord, Almighty Allah said: ‘O My Angels! O inmates of the Heavens! I created this solid firmament, well-stretched earth, well-lighted moon, shinning sun, rotating planets, rippling oceans, floating boats, and all other things for the sake and love of these five persons who are inside the cloak.’
At this, the ArchangelJibraeel (A.S) said: ‘O Lord! Who are they inside the cloak?’

The Lord said: ‘Theyare Ahl-ul-Bait of the Prophet and the assets of the Prophethood. Theyare Fatima (S.A), her father, her husband and her two sons.’

The ayah from Surah-e-Luqman says that whatever happens is due to the Grace ofAlmighty Allah, while in the hadeeth-e-Kisa, Almighty Allah says that Hecreated everything for the sake and love of Fatima (S.A), her father (Theholy Prophet (SAW)), her husband (Mawla Ali (A.S)) and her two sons (Hassan andHussein (A.S)) i.e. family of Fatima (S.A) – The Panjetan Paak (A.S).

Again if we go back to ayah of Surah-e-Hamd (ayah 6 & 7) which is aprayer for us to tread the straight path taken by Mohammed (SAW) and hischildren; who were bestowed by Allah’s Grace it seems logicalthat Allah’s Grace is nothing but in loving them and following them.

**Allah’sGrace: Thusin the light of ayahs of Surah-e-Hamdand Surah-e-Luqman andHadeeth-e-Kisa, Allah’s Grace is the love for family of Fatima (S.A). Ifshe and her family is happy with us Allah’s Grace will always be with us. Withoutthe intercession of family of Fatima (S.A), it is not possible to invokeAllah’s Grace.

Allah (SWT) has created this world with apurpose. In one of the ahadeeth-e-QudsiAllah (SWT) informs the purpose of this world to his first creation Adam (A.S):

“O Adam! Suppose if they (Mohammed (SAW) wa Aale Mohammed (SAW)) had not been there, I would neither have created you, nor would I have given the attire of creation to the Heavens, Hell, Skies and Earth.” (Ref: Ma’ani Al Akhbar, P 124)

The Purpose of Allah creating this world is His lovefor Mohammed (SAW) and his children. And in this love He has concealed HisGrace. He wanted the ‘Ummah’ tounderstand His Purpose and in return He wished to shower us with His Grace andhence Allah (SWT) instructed the holy Prophet (SAW) to ask his ‘Ummah’ to reward him for hismessengership by loving his Ahl-ul-bait in the following manner:

"AeRasool (SAW) tum kehdo ke main apni tableegh-e-risalat ka apne karabatdaron ki mohabbat ke siwa tumse koi sila nahin maangta” –(Surah-e-Shura, aayat – 23)

“(‘Say: I do not ask ofyou any reward for it but love for mynear relatives’)”

Here the love of relatives ofthe holy Prophet (SAW) is love forFatima (S.A), Ali (A.S) and their children Hassan (A.S) and Hussain (A.S). (Ref: Sa’labi, Suyuti, Baidhavi, Bukhari,Muslim, Ahmed ibn Hambal, Allama Zamkhashri Vol 3, P 68).

**Allah’s Purpose: Thus family of Fatima (S.A)is not only Allah’s Grace but they are the Purpose of Allah. And if weremain dedicated to them we ensure that Allah would be pleased with us. Thiswould keep us steadfast on the straight path. Allah’s Mercy wouldbe bestowed upon us and we would always be under His limitless Grace.

So let us along with AlmightyAllah send ‘durood’ and salutations to the holy Prophet (SAW) and his holyProgeny, the way Quran says:

“AeAhl-ul-bait (Nabuwwat) tum per Khuda ki rehmat wa Usski barkatein (naazil ho).”– (Surah-e-Hud, ayah 73)

“(The Mercy of Allah and His Blessings areon you, O Ahl-ul-bait)”

Salwaat…

Identity of a Momin

2011-09-13T05:44:00.000-07:00

A man is hidden behind the following two aspects of his personality:

• His Belief

• His Conduct

His beliefs cannot be seen by the human eye but we can recognize them on the basis of his actions. Thus his conduct is the mirror which reflects his beliefs. Consider this, if I consider myself as your friend, unless I help you when you need me the most, you might not come to know about my feelings. But once I came to your rescue you would know me as your true friend even if I did not acknowledge this verbally. My deed spoke what words had not. But if somebody, after making many false promises fails you; you would not consider him to be your friend any more. Thus here again what mattered was his action and not his promises. That is why the English idiom aptly says ‘Actions speak louder than words’.

 Thus if we wish to know how a person is we need to observe his conduct. It will reveal his true identity. In that sense even in Islam, the parameter of differentiation between a believer (Momin) and a non-believer (Kafir) is the conduct of an individual. His actions speak a great deal about his faith.

With this article we will try to establish this inference. Let us see what Allah (SWT) says about faith in Quran:

• “Kya logon ne ye samajh liya hai (sirf) itna keh dene se ke hum imaan laye, chhod diye jayenge aur unnka imtihaan na liya jayega aur Humne to unn logon ka bhi Imtihaan liya jo unn se pehle guzar gaye garaz Khuda unn logon ko jo sacche hain yaqinan alaheda dekhega aur jhoothon ko bhi zaroor dekhega.” – (Surah-e-Ankabut, ayah 2-3)

“(Do people think that once they say, ‘We believe,’ they will be left alone and not be put to the test? We certainly tried those who have gone before them, so God will certainly distinguish between those who are truthful and those who are lying.)”

Mere verbal acceptance of faith is not considered anything by Allah (SWT) and He puts to test all the people who claim to be believers. He differentiates a believer (Momin) from a non-believer (Kafir) after trying their faiths. Hence Allah (SWT) gives importance to conduct and action instead of words. We will now see the following two ayahs from Surah-e-Tawba:

• “Aur Musalmanon yeh log to Khuda ki qasmein khayenge ke woh tum main hi ke hain halanke woh log tum main ke nahin hain. Magar hain yeh log buuzdil ke agar kahin ye log panah ki jagah (Kila’a) ya chhupne ke liye ghaar ya ghus bhaithne ki koi aur jagah pajayen to usi taraf rassiyan todte hue bhaag jayen.” – (Surah-e-Tawba, ayah 56-57)

“(They swear by God that they are believers like you; but they are not. They are afraid (to appear in their true colours): if they could find a place of refuge, or a cave or any hiding-place, they would run there with frantic haste.)”

The above ayah discusses certain hypocrites who claimed to be believers but they were coward and Allah (SWT) detests their actions. It further substantiates our inference that the believer is judged solely on the basis of his deeds and actions. And a believer (Momin) is brave in his conduct and ready to sacrifice everything for the cause of Allah.

Having inferred this now let us see the life of Abu Talib (A.S). There are differences amongst Muslims related to the faith of Abu Talib (A.S); some people conveniently forget what he did for Islam and the holy Prophet (SAW) and they consider him as a non-believer as they cannot find any documented proof of his reciting ‘Kalema’ on the deathbed. Let us see what Quran has to say on this:

• “Aur Hum ne Bani Israel ko dariya ke uss par kardiya phir Firaun aur uss lashkar ne sarkashi ki aur shararat se unn ka peechha kiya yahan tak ke jab woh doobne laga to kehne laga ke jis Khuda per Bani Israel imaan laaye hain main bhi uss per imaan laata hoon. Uss ke siwa koi Ma’abud nahin aur main farmabardar bandon se hoon. Ab (marne ke waqt imaan laata hai) halaanke isse pehle tu nafarmani kar chuka aur tu to fasadiyon main se tha.” - (Surah-e-Yunus, ayah 90-91)

“(So We brought the Children of Israel across the river. Pharaoh and his troops pursued them arrogantly and aggressively. When he was about to drown, [Pharaoh] exclaimed, ‘I believe that there is no deity save Him in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender themselves to Him!’ ‘Only now? When you had always been a rebel, and a wrongdoer.)”

In his entire life Firaun did everything to oppose Musa (A.S), the prophet of his time. He created hurdles and harassed the Bani Israel and thus he was rebel and a wrongdoer throughout his life. His showcasing faith in Allah (SWT) on his deathbed did not give him any benefit and he remained a ‘Kafir’ and died so.

On the contrary Abu Talib (A.S) did everything to protect Mohammed (SAW) - the last prophet, from the pagans of Arab. He helped the Prophet (pbuh) in his mission and was his guardian. After all his efforts do you still feel that Allah (SWT) would have waited for Abu Talib (A.S) to recite a ‘Kalema’ to accept his faith and services? Did not his deeds speak a lot about his love for the Prophet (pbuh) and his belief in the religion of Islam?

We have understood that Allah (SWT) judges people on the basis of their deeds in the light of various ayahs which we have contemplated upon. Now Let us see those deeds which Allah (SWT) likes the most:

• “Madina ke rehne walon aur unn ke gardo nawah dehatiyon ko yeh jaaiz na tha ke Rasool-e-Khuda ka saath chhod dein aur na ye (jaaiz tha) ke Rasool (SAW) ki jaan se be-parwah ho kar apni jaanon ke bachane ki fikr karein, ye hukm us sabab se tha ke unn (jihad karne walon) ko Khuda ki raah mein jo taklif pyaas ki mehnat ya bhook ki shiddat ki pahonchti hai ya aisi raah chalte hain jo kuffar ke ghaiz or ghazab ka baais ho ya kisi dushman se kuch yeh log haasil karte hain to buss uske aewaz main (unnke nam’ae amal main) ek nek kaam likh diya jayega. Be-shak Khuda neki karne walon ka ajr (wa sawab) barbaad nahin karta.” – (Surah-e-Tawba, ayah 120)

“(It was not proper for the people of Madinah and those desert Arabs around them to hold back from following God’s Messenger, and to prefer their own lives to his life. This is because whenever they suffer from thirst or weariness or hunger for God’s cause, and whenever they take any step which provokes those who deny the truth, or inflicts any loss upon the enemy, it shall be counted as a good deed in the sight of God—God will not deny the righteous their reward)”

Allah (SWT) likes those who are ready to sacrifice their own life for the sake of holy Prophet (pbuh) and his mission. For such people Allah (SWT) has promised great rewards and their good deeds would be accepted by Him. Thus protecting the holy Prophet (pbuh) and being there when he needed is the most rewarding and appreciated virtue by Allah (SWT).

After the holy Prophet (pbuh) began preaching Islam, members of the other Quraishite clans felt threatened and they started pressurizing Abu Talib (A.S) to stop his nephew and control him. Despite all this, Abu Talib (A.S) remained supportive of the holy Prophet (SAW) and defended him from the other heads of Quraish.

Prominent Islamic historians have documented his noble gestures. Ali b. Burhanuddin Shafei in his book ‘Insanul Oyoon’ has described the benevolence of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) towards the Prophet (SAW) as follows:

'Every night Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) would ask the Prophet (SAW) to go off to bed, and when everybody was asleep, Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) would make any one of his sons or brothers or cousins to sleep on his (SAW) bed so that people who intended to attack the Prophet (SAW) could not do so.'

It was during this period that the unbelievers of Mecca tried to trouble the Prophet (SAW) in various ways. All sorts of difficulties and tortures were inflicted upon him. Thinking Abu Talib (A.S) to be old, they threatened him with their plots, but this could neither stop his endeavors nor did it affect his steadfastness.

Thus the deeds mentioned in the above ayah are in sync with whatever Abu Talib (A.S) did for the sake of holy Prophet (SAW); hence it again establishes him as a Brave and Selfless Momin.

In order to further understand this we will see his life in the light of Quran. Mentioning ayahs that indicate the virtues of a Momin we would relate them with his conduct during his lifetime. Let Quran give its own verdict on the faith of Abu Talib (A.S).

As Quran says in the following ayah:

• “Ae Imaandaro agar tum Khuda ke deen ki madad karoge to Woh bhi tumhari madad karega aur tumhain saabit qadam rakhega.” – (Surah-e-Mohammed, ayah 7)

“(O you who believe! if you help (the cause of) Allah, He will help you and make firm your feet.)”

Virtue of a believer is to readily help the cause of Allah, and in return Allah (SWT) promises to make him firm on his feet and thus keep him steadfast on the right path.

Most of the Islamic historians unanimously write that without the help of Abu Talib (A.S) and his son Ali (A.S) it would have been difficult for Islam to get established and gain so much popularity and acceptance among the people. (Ref: Tahzeebul Mateen, Vol 1 P 13, Ibne Abil Hadeed in his work)

Thus Abu Talib (A.S) contributed a lot in the cause of Allah (SWT) and thus to think that he was an unbeliever is contradicting the above ayah and hence a great sin in itself.

Another ayah on conduct of a Momin:

• “Ae Rasool (SAW) unn logon se kehdo ke agar tum Khuda ko dost rakhte ho to meri pairvi karo ke Khuda (bhi) tum ko dost rakhega aur tum ko tumhare gunaah bakhsh de ga aur Khuda bada Bakhshnewala Maherbaan hai.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 31)

“(Say, ‘If you love God, follow me and God will love you and forgive you your sins. God is most forgiving, and most merciful.’)”

A person who claims to love Allah (SWT) should follow the holy Prophet (SAW). If he does so Allah (SWT) would love him in return and would be forgiving and merciful towards him. Thus the parameter for love and belief in Allah (SWT) is a person’s support to the holy Prophet (SAW). When someone is a constant source of support and comfort to the holy Prophet (SAW) and remains his guardian throughout his life, would not he be one of the greatest believers then?

In the presence of Abu Talib (A.S) once the holy Prophet (SAW) was preaching his followers. The apostates of Quraish in order to destroy the mission of holy Prophet (SAW) approached Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) with the demand of surrendering the holy Prophet (SAW) to them right away. Determined Abu Talib (A.S) replied “If a she-camel could surrender its young one to somebody else, then I also will hand over Mohammed (SAW) to you.” (Ref: Minhajun Nabuwwah Muhaddise Dehalvi vol. 2 pg. 77)

In the light of above ayah we can further establish the credentials of Abu Talib (A.S) as a God-fearing, God-loving True Momin.

Let us see the following ayah now:

• “Momineen momineen ko chhod ke kafiron ko apna sarparast na banaaye. Aur jo aisa karega to use Khuda se kuch sarokar nahin magar (iss qism ki tadbiron se) kisi tarah unn (ke shar) se bachna ho to (khair) aur Khuda tumko Apne hi se darata hai aur Khuda hi ki taraf laut kar jana hai” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, 28)

“(Let not the believers take the non-believers for wali (guardian) rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming.)”

Allah (SWT) orders all the believers specifically in the above ayah not to take non-believers as their guardian and if somebody does so he shall not find Allah (SWT) as his guardian. So when an ordinary believer cannot have a non-believer as a guardian, why did Allah (SWT) allow the holy Prophet (SAW) to be guarded by Abu Talib (A.S) had he been a non-believer? Would not it contradict the above ayah? This further confirms that he was a true-believer and Allah (SWT) appointed him as the guardian of the holy Prophet (SAW).

The following ayah endorses his guardianship:

• “Kya Uss ne tumhain yateem paakar panah na di (zaroor di)?” – (Surah-e-Zoha, ayah 6)

“(Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter (and care))?”

In the major tafseer of the holy Quran by Islamic scholars of various sects it is mentioned that the above ayah has been revealed to showcase the protection and shelter provided by Abu Talib (A.S) to the holy Prophet (SAW). Thus his protection to holy Prophet (SAW) was Allah (SWT)’s protection.

Ibn Hajar in his book writes 'When Abdul Muttalib (A.S) expired he wrote in his last will to Abu Talib (A.S) to raise the Holy Prophet (SAW). Hence Abu Talib (A.S) nurtured him (SAW) with lots of love and affection, not even raising his own son Ali (A.S) in the same manner.

And Allah (SWT) confirms that it is He who guides the fathers, forefathers and descendants of his chosen Prophets in the following ayah:

• “Aur Humne Ibrahim ko Ishaq wa Yaqub (saa beta pota) ataa kiya Humne sabki hidayat ki aur unn se pehle Nooh ki bhi Hum hi ne hidayat ki aur unn hi Ibrahim ki aulaad se Dawood wa Sulaiman wa Ayyub wa Yunus wa Musa wa Harun (sabki Hum hi ne hidayat ki) aur nekokaron Hum aisa hi sila ataa farmate hai aur Zakariya wa Yahya wa Isa wa Iliyas (sab ki hidayat ki) aur (ye) sab Khuda ke nek bandon se hain. Aur Ismail wa Yosha wa Yunus wa Lut ki (hidayat ki) aur sabko sare jahan per fazilat ataa ki aur (sirf unhiki nahin balke) unnke baap dadaon, aur unnki aulaad aur unnke bhaibandon main se (bahoteron ko) muntakhab kiya aur unhain sidhi raah ki hidayat ki.” – (Surah-e-An’am, ayah 84-85-86-87)

“(And We gave to him Ishaq and Yaqoub; each did We guide, and Nuh did We guide before, and of his descendants, Dawood and Sulaiman and Ayub and Yusuf and Musa and Haroun; and thus do We reward those who do good (to others). And Zakariya and Yahya and Isa and Ilyas; every one was of the good; And Ismail and Al-Yasha and Yunus and Lut; and every one We made to excel (in) the worlds: And from among their fathers and their descendants and their brethren, and We chose them and guided them into the right way.)”

From the above ayah it is clear that Allah (SWT) guides his Prophets to the right path and not only them He also guides their fathers, descendants and their brethren and keeps them steadfast on the true path.Hazrat Abdul Muttalib (A.S) was the grand-father of the holy Prophet (SAW) and father of Abu Talib (A.S) – the guardian and uncle of holy Prophet (SAW).) They were guided descendants of Ibrahim (A.S) and believers of deen-e-Ibrahim before Islam was revealed. And since they were always on the true-path their reciting ‘Kalema’ or not should not be used as a pretext to claim that they were not true Momins.

Hazrat Abdul Muttalib (A.S) followed the religion of Ibrahim (A.S) and the proof of this is the event of the elephants which Abraha had brought to destroy the Ka’aba. The event also finds mention in Quran in the form of an ayah. Abdul Muttalib (A.S) was the caretaker of Ka’aba and hence prayed to Allah (SWT) to protect the Holy Ka’aba from Abraha. He then approached Abraha and asked him to release his livestock. Abraha got shocked and said “You are the chief of this tribe and I thought you would plead to me to spare the Ka’aba.” To this Abdul Muttalib (A.S) replied “I am the owner of these animals and have therefore come to ask for them. As for the Ka’aba, its Master is there to take care of it.”

Maqatil narrates that Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) made a will to Bani Hashim on his death bed in the following manner:

“O Bani Hashim, if you all obey the holy Prophet (SAW) and if you all believe in his truthfulness you will be guided.”

In Midarajan Nabuwwah (of Mohaddisse Dehalvi) and in Rauzatus Safa vol. 2 the following sermon of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) addressing the people, which also served as his will, has been recorded:

'O Quraish! You are the most pious servants of Allah. I recommend Muhammad (SAW) to you in matters of righteousness and virtue. He is the trusted one of Quraish and the truthful one of Arabia and he possesses all the virtues for which I am making a will to you. He (SAW) has brought such good news, which has been accepted by your hearts, but your tongue has chosen to deny it on account of fear of taunts. On the contrary, I see that the weak and the defenseless have accepted his (SAW)’s invitation and have testified in his Shariat and revere him. Thus they have become the leaders and your chiefs have been humiliated. The proud ones have been humbled and the humble ones have become self-sufficient. Those who distanced themselves from him (SAW) are the unfortunate ones. I can see that the people of Arabia are attached to him (SAW) and have expanded their hearts for his love and have very dutifully and diligently prepared themselves to follow him and serve him. O Quraish! Befriend Muhammad (SAW) and supporters of his group. I swear by Allah those people who do not tread the path shown by him (SAW) will not find guidance, and only they will accept and adhere to his ways and qualities who are virtuous. If death could have been delayed and there would have been some more time left in my life, I would be helping him and as far as possible I would have repelled all dangers from his path.'

Life of Abu Talib (A.S) in the light of Quran has proved that he was a devout Momin committed to protect the holy Prophet (SAW). Let us now see few references about his faith:

• Abu Talib (A.S) supported the holy Prophet (SAW) since he had a great faith in his message being the last and final message from Allah (SWT). The faith of Abu Talib (A.S) was expressed through his sayings which came in the form of poetry as he used to say ‘I verily know that the religion of Mohammed is the best amongst all religions.” (Ref: Tareekh Ibn Katheer 3:42, Fath al-Baari Fi Shar-h Saheeh al-Bukhari 7:153, Al-Isaabah 4:116 and many more)

• Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq (A.S) asked Younus Bin Nabatah: “O Younus, what do people say about Abu Talib?” Younus replied: “People say that he is in a shallow in the fire from which his brain is boiling. Imam al-Sadiq (A.S) said: “The enemies of Allah are lying. Abu Talib (in the paradise) is with the prophets, truthful, martyrs and pious people, who are the best to be with. (Ref: Shaikh al-Abtah 32, al-Hujjah 17, al-Ghadeer 7:394 from Kanz al-Fawaa’ed).

• Imam Ali (A.S) said: “By Allah, Abu Talib was a faithful Muslim (Mo’min), keeping his faith secretly, not to cause to Bani Hashim harm from Quraish boycott. (Ref: Al-Hujjah 24, Al-Ghadeer 7:389, Mo’jam al-Qoboor 1:200).

• Imam Ali (A.S) also said: “By Him who sent Muhammad as a prophet, if my father’s intercession is given to forgive all the sinners on earth, Allah will forgive all of them. (Ref: Tathkirat al-Khawaas 11).

• The reason of the allegation against Abu Talib is clarified by the Prophet (SAW) when he told Imam Ali: “O Ali, you have an example from my brother Isa (A.S); as the Jews hated him, they accused his mother.” (Ref: Kanz al-Ummal by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi)

• It is narrated by Hazrat Abu Bakr that Abu Talib (A.S) did not die but after he said: “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and Mohammad is His messenger.” (Ref: Sharh al-Nahj by Ibn Abil Hadeed 3:312, Shaikh al-Abtah 71, Al-Bidayah wal-Nihayah 3:123, Al-Isaabah 4:116, Dala’il al-Nobowwah by al-Bayhaqi 1:120, Kash al-Ghummah by Al-Sha’rani, 2:144).

After seeing the above references on his faith, let us end the article with few words of Abu Talib (A.S) recorded by prominent scholars which showcase his love for our beloved Prophet (SAW). Mohammed b Ishaaq (author of Seeratun Nabuwwat) has recorded more than 80 couplets long poetry of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) in praise of holy Prophet (SAW).

This was composed when Mecca was under a severe famine. People approached Abu Talib (A.S) as he was Shaikh al Bat’ha and their leader. Abu Talib (A.S) requested the holy Prophet (SAW) to pray for rains and when it rained he praised the holy Prophet (SAW) in the following words:

“O Muhammad! Looking at your luminous face, raindrops fall. Your merciful existence is a refuge for the helpless orphan and a protection for the modesty and chastity of widows.”

 Abu Talib (A.S) was amongst the greatest of Momins. He was chosen by Allah (SWT) to protect the holy Prophet (SAW), which is a great honour in itself. He was the main support to the holy Prophet (SAW) and laid the foundation of ‘Kalema’ during the formative years of Islam. And Allah (SWT) has accepted his services and rewarded him immensely by making the pious progeny of the holy Prophet (SAW); piety of which is testified by Quran (Surah-e-Ahzab, ayah 33), as the Progeny of Abu Talib (A.S).

Kulle Imaan

2011-08-06T04:01:00.000-07:00

Meticulous financial accounting and planning ensures that the said organization grows boundlessly. If companies don’t pay attention to their financials and don’t keep the accounting in order, most of the time they wouldn’t grow and chances are that they might have to close down. Thus the financial planning and management is the backbone of any organization.

Most of the companies take services of reputed Chartered Accountants (CA) for proper guidance in the field of financial accounting and other related activities. These CAs are the most powerful in the organization after the chairman, as they know every minutest financial details of the company.

One of my students recently sent me a mail along with his biodata, requesting me to put forward his candidature to a reputed CA for internship. He claimed that under the guidance of such a CA he would hone his skills of accountancy and create his own reputation in the industry.

 Proper financial accounting and planning is the backbone for any company to survive and grow in the competitive market. This makes CAs most sought after by many companies as they help them strengthen their financial backbone.

Like any organization even Islam is a vast religion and hence in this article we will try to find out the backbone of our religion and the steps we should take to strengthen it. We will start our journey with the following ayah:

•“Arab ke dehati kehte hai ke hum imaan laye ae Rasool (SAW) tum kehdo ke tum imaan nahi laaye balke yun kehdo ke Islam laaye haanlake imaan ka abhi tak tumhare dilon se guzar hua hi nahin….” – (Surah-e-Al-Hujuraat, ayah 14)

“(The Bedouin say, “We have attained to faith.” Say [unto them, O Muhammad]: “You have not [yet] attained to faith; you should [rather] say, ‘We have [outwardly] surrendered’ - for [true] faith has not yet entered your hearts….)”

There is a difference in claiming to have accepted Islam as a religion and in being a true believer. A believer’s heart is filled with faith and he submits himself for the cause of religion. Thus ‘Imaan’ (faith) is the backbone of Islam and if it is lost everything is lost. It is hence important to hold the faith in every situation and strengthen it.

Let us see the following ayah:

•“Yeh log Khuda ko chhod kar aisi cheez ki parastish karte hai jo na unn ko nuuksaan hi pahoncha sakti hai aur na nafa’ aur kehte hai ke Khuda hi ke haan yehi log hamare sifarashi honge. (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum unn se kaho to kya tum Khuda ko aisi cheez ki khabar dete ho jis ko Woh na to aasmanon main kahin paata hai aur na zameen main. Yeh log jis cheez ko uss ka sharik banate hai uss se Woh Paak Saaf aur Bartar hai. – (Surah-e-Yunus, ayah 18)

“(They worship those besides God who cannot do them harm or bring them gain, and say: "These are our intercessors with God." Say: "Do you want to inform God of things in the heavens and the earth He does not know?" Glorious is He, and too Exalted for what they associate with Him!)”

The above ayah mentions a certain section of people who worship those who are not associated with Allah (SWT) and claim that they are the intercessors with Allah (SWT). And Allah (SWT) considers it as ‘Shirk’.

From this we can infer that the intercessors (Wasila) must be closely associated with Allah (SWT); and seeking and asking from those who are not the chosen intercessors is ‘Shirk’. Hence asking from the chosen intercession is asking from Allah (SWT) Himself. So wouldn’t rejecting them lead to ‘Kufr’?

This makes it important to identify the appointed intercession so that we remain free of ‘Shirk’ and ‘Kufr’. One more ayah to go further in this direction:

•“Momineen momineen ko chhod ke kafiron ko apna wali (sarparast) na banaaye. Aur jo aisa karega to use Khuda se kuch sarokar nahin magar (iss qism ki tadbiron se) kisi tarah unn (ke shar) se bachna ho to (khair) aur Khuda tumko Apne hi se darata hai aur Khuda hi ki taraf laut kar jana hai” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, 28)

“(Let not the believers take the non-believers for wali (guardian) rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming.)”

The message is very clear and straight. A believer should take a believer as his guardian (Wali) but instead if he takes the non-believer as his ‘Wali’, he would not be under the guardianship of Allah. It thus becomes mandatory to identify the right ‘Wali’ and follow him to be under the guardianship of Allah. So who is this ‘Wali’?

The following ayah would throw some more light on this:

•“Aur (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum kehdo ke tum log apne apne kaam kiye jaao abhi to Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur Momineen tumhare kaamon ko dekhenge aur bahot jald (Qayamat main) zaahir wa baatin ke jannewale (Khuda) ki taraf lautaye jaoge tab Woh jo kuch bhi tum karte the tumhain bata dega.” – (Surah-e-Tauba, ayah 105)

“(Say, ‘Do as you will. God will watch your conduct and so will His Messenger and the believers. Soon you will be brought back to Him who knows what is hidden and what is manifest: then He will show you the truth of all that you have done.)”

So there are 3 who watch our conduct: Allah – The Greatest, Holy Prophet (SAW) – The Greatest Messenger and a Believer. We all are believers, but you can’t say what I did this morning neither do I know what you have done. We don’t have powers to see and watch each other’s conduct. Thus the appointed Wali (guardian) above us is the Greatest ‘Wali’ and has been given divine powers by the Almighty Allah to watch our conduct. And we would be made accountable to him along with Allah (SWT) and the Holy Prophet (SAW), when we are brought back to The Almighty Allah.

And we find the following ayah which announces the ‘Greatest Wali’:

•“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 Uss 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.” – ( Surah-e-Maida, ayah 67)

(“O Apostle! deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the non-believing people.”)

After the revelation of the above ayah, in front of the huge crowd of around 120000 pilgrims, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) raised Hazrat Ali (A.S) and announced “Man Kunto Mawla ho fa hazaa Ali un Mawla” at Ghadeer-e-Khum. And with this Allah (SWT) appointed Hazrat Ali as Prophet (SAW)’s successor and ‘Wali’ (Guardian) over the ummah. (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Vol 2, P 298, Egypt, Tafseer-e-Fatah ul Qadeer, Vol 2, P 60, Egypt, Tafseer-e-Fatah ul Bayun, Vol 3, P 89, Egypt, Tafseer Mazhari, Vol 3, P 353, Daarul Isha’t Karachi, Sawaiq e Mohraika, P 40 & 120, Sunan e Tirmidhi, Vol 2, P 298 and many more)

Now let us focus on the above ayah and try to find few meaningful inferences. The ayah clearly states that if the message was not delivered by the Holy Prophet (SAW) it was as if no message of Allah (SWT) was ever delivered by him (SAW). Thus Allah (SWT) holds this message as important as Messengership of the Holy Prophet (SAW) itself. Again this message was delivered in front of pilgrims of Hajj and they were all devout Muslims and there was not a single nonbeliever in the crowd, then why did Allah (SWT) say that He will not guide the nonbelievers? Thus rejecting the message of ‘Man Kunto Mawla…” is a ‘Kufr’ and whoever rejects it turns ‘Kafir’ even if he is a Hajj performing, devout Muslim. Lastly with appointment of Mawla Ali (A.S) as the leader over us, Allah conveyed that only He appoints guardians and we don’t have any right in this regard.

Let us see what few of the prominent Islamic scholars have to say about the Ghadeer Declaration:

•Dr. Tahir ul Qadri in ‘The Ghadir Declaration’ page 80 narrates the following tradition:

It is narrated by Ali (A.S) himself. He said ‘On the day of Ghadeer Khum, the holy Prophet (pbuh) had a turban tied round my head (as a symbol of honour) and let the loose end hand down at the back. Then he said: The angels whom Allah (SWT) had sent to help me at Badr and Hunayn were wearing turbans of the same kind. He then added: surely the turban differentiates between belief and disbelief.”

• This tradition is narrated by several other books as well (Ref: Ibn Athir, Asad-ul-ghabah fi ma’rifat-is-sahabah (3:170), Muhib Tabari, ar-Riyad-un-nadrah fi manaqib-il-‘ashrah (3:194) and more)

And Allah (SWT) confirms our above inferences by revealing the following ayah just after the announcement of “Man Kunto Mawla…”

•“Aaj Maine tumhare deen ko kaamil kardiya aur tum per apni ne’mat poori kardi aur tumhare iss Deen-e-Islam ko pasand kiya.” – (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 3)

“(This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.)

Hazrat Abu Sa’eed al-Khidri has narrated that this verse descended upon the Holy Prophet (SAW) on the day of Ghadeer-e-Khum when he declared that Ali was the leader of whomever he was leader. Abu Hurairah has also narrated it and further said that it was revealed on 18th of the month of Dhil Hajj when the holy Prophet (SAW) returned from Hajj al Widah (the last pilgrimage). (Ref: Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Vol 2, P 14, Egypt, Tafseer Durr e Mansoor, Vol 2, P 259, Egypt).

Thus our religion is perfected only after accepting Hazrat Ali (A.S) as a Guardian and a ‘Wali’. Without his love, religion remains imperfect and hence love for him is the backbone of faith. That is why the holy Prophet (SAW) has often referred him as ‘Kulle Imaan.’

Again from the ayah no. 67 of Surah-e-Maeda, we saw that without the successful deliverance of the message of “Man Kunto Mawla…,” the mission of the Prophethood of our Greatest Prophet (SAW) was incomplete. Does the same hold true for other Prophets?

•“(Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) wo waqt bhi yaad dilao)) jab Khuda ne paighambaron se iqraar liya ki Hum tumko jo kuch kitab aur hikmat (waghaira) dein usske baad tumhare paas koi Rasool aaye aur jo kitab tumhare paas hai usski tasdiq kare, to (dekho) tum zaroor uss per imaan lana aur zaroor usski madad karna, (aur) Khuda ne farmaya kya tum ne iqraar liya, tum ne (Mere ahad ka) bojh uthaliya, sab ne arz ki humne iqraar kiya, Irshad hua (achha) to aaj ke qawl (wa qaraar) ke aapas main ek doosre ke gawah rehna.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 81)

“(And when Allah made a covenant through the prophets: Certainly what I have given you of Book and wisdom-- then an messenger comes to you verifying that which is with you, you must believe in him, and you must aid him. He said: Do you affirm and accept My compact in this (matter)? They said: We do affirm. He said: Then bear witness, and I (too) am of the bearers of witness with you.)”

Here, in the above ayah the covenant that Allah (SWT) took from the prophets was of the ‘Wilayat’ of Hazrat Ali (A.S). (Ref: Bisaar-ad-dahrajaat al-Jazahir thaani, pg 93). We also find similar references in various other prominent books:

•Allama Nishapoori has reported the following Hadith of Holy Prophet (SAW) narrated by Abdullah Ibn e Mas’ud in his Tafseer-e-Gharaib al Quran Vol 25:

“When the Chief of Prophets (pbuh) led the prayers and the other Prophets prayed behind him, an Angel descended and said “O Beloved of Allah! Ask these apostles of Allah on what condition they were granted Prophethood.” The Holy Prophet (pbuh) got the following reply when he posed the same question to all other Prophets “That we accept the Wilayat of you and Ali”. (Ref: Tafseer e Gharaib al Quran Vol 25 P 58 published in Egypt (On the border of Tafseer e Ibn e Jareer Tabari)

•In Lisan al Meezan Vol 5 Page 147, Ibn Hajr al Asqalani while writing on ‘Mohammed bin Hameed’ narrates the following from him:

…Hisham bin Abdul Malik summoned from Hejaz to Syria. In a place called Balk I observed something scrawled on a black mountain. When I reached ‘Amr’ I asked if anyone could read what was on the mountain. I was told of an elderly man and I took him to the mountain and showed him the words. He read them, became surprised and said ‘Bring me something so that I can translate it for you.’ I brought something and he translated from the Hebrew:

“There is only One true God, Mohammed is His Messenger, Ali is His ‘Wali’. These words have been written by Musa (A.S) bin Imran.”

An aspiring CA sought the internship with a reputed CA so that his financial knowledge, skills and knowhow increases manifolds and he can create his own reputation as a financial expert. We had used this analogy during the introductory section of this article. In this light let us see what happens to those who seek nearness to Hazrat Ali (A.S) – The Greatest ‘Wali’?

•“Aagaah raho uss main shak nahin ke Auliya e Allah (dost) per (qayamat main) na koi khauf hoga aur na wo aazoorda khatir honge.” - (Surah-e-Yunus, ayah 62)

“(Behold! verily on the Auliya (friends) of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve)”

The word ‘Wali’ or ‘Auliya’ used in various ayahs which we referred up till now was to mean ‘Guardian’ over us, which we did prove by reflecting over ayahs and other authentic references; While in the above ayah ‘Auliya e Allah” means friends of Allah for whom there would not be any fear or grief. Now without Mawla Ali (A.S) the faith remains incomplete, hence the ‘Auliya’ of Allah need to be guided by Mawla Ali (A.S) to reach that rank. We will establish this association of ‘Auliya’ with Mawla Ali (A.S) with the help of few references and ayah from the holy Quran.

Farman Ali Saheb in the footnote of his Urdu translation of the Holy Quran, while referring to the above ayah writes:

•“There are various ahadith mentioning presence of certain people in this world, whose silence is ‘Zikr’ and when they speak that is wisdom. Had there been no fixed time for death, their souls would have left their bodies either in fear of punishment or in want of happiness. They are good in conduct and don’t associate themselves with things that are ‘Haram’. They are not concerned with worldly matters and earn ‘Halal’ livelihood and spend on good deeds. They are such that even ‘Ambiya’ and ‘Shaheed’ would be awed by them.”

Dr. Tahir ul Qadri in his Ghadeer Declaration writes on the ‘Wilayat' of Mawla Ali (A.S):

•“The gist of the discussion is that the Prophet’s declaration at Ghadeer Khum proved forever that Ali’s spiritual sovereignty is in fact the Prophet Mohammed’s spiritual sovereignty. Though the door of Prophethood was closed after the Holy Prophet (SAW), Allah opened new avenues for the continuation of the Prophet’s blessings till the Day of Judgment. Some of these avenues were manifest, while others hidden. The hidden avenue led to spiritual sovereignty and Ali al-Murtuza (A.S) was the first person to hold this office. Then this chain of sovereignty passed down to his progeny and finally to the twelve Imams. During this period, many leaders appeared on the spiritual horizon but they all, directly or indirectly, expressed their allegiance to Ali al-Murtuza (A.S). No one was disaffiliated from him and this chain will continue upto the Day of Judgment until the appearance of the last Imam, and he will be Imam Mohammed Mahdi (A.S), the twelfth Imam and the last caliph. (Ref: The Ghadir Declaration, P 15 & 16, Dr. Tahir ul Qadri)

Qazi Mazhari in the second volume of his Tafseer e Mazhari declares Mawla Ali (A.S) as “Qutb e Wilayat” he writes:

•“Ali was the Pivotal point of all the virtues and attributes of Wilayat: The Qutb of Wilayat; All auliya, including the Sahaba were in the rear and subordinate to him in this regard.” (Ref: Tafseer e Mazhari, Vol 6 P 20, published by Daar ul Isha’t Karachi.)

Allama Ibne Hajr Makki in his book Sawaiqe Mohraika has reported from Hazrat Umar:

•He said: “Get to know! No honour reaches the position of excellence without acceptance of Ali as the ‘Wali’ (Guardian). (Ref: Sawaiq e Mohraika, P 176, Egypt)

And Allah (SWT) says in Holy Quran:

•“Ae Imaandaro tumhare wali (malik sarparast) to buss yehi hein Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur wo momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai. “Aur jisne Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) aur unhi Imaadaro ko apna sarparast banaya to Khuda ke lashkar main aagaya aur issme shak nahin ke Khuda hi ka lashkar ghalib rehta hai.”” – (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 55-56)

“(Verily your wali (leader) is only Allah and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish worship and pay the poor-rate while they bow down in prayer. And whoever takes Allah and His apostle and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant.)”

The above verse was revealed when Mawla Ali gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in ‘ruku’ (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljam’a Bain-ul-Sihah-ul-Sittah, Sa’labi)

Thus Allah (SWT) in the above ayahs confirms that it is Mawla Ali (A.S) along with Allah Himself and the Holy Prophet (SAW), as our Guardians and ‘Wali’ and we need to follow him to be in the triumphant party of Allah.

Now if we relate the above ayahs of Surah-e-Maeda with the ayah of Surah-e-Tauba (ayah no. 105) which says that – Allah (SWT), the Holy Prophet (SAW) and Believers watch our conduct, it is clear that the Believer so mentioned in that ayah is the same is our Guardian Mawla Ali (A.S). He has been given Divine Powers to watch our conduct and we would be made accountable to him along with Allah (SWT) and the holy Prophet (pbuh). That is why the Holy Prophet has said in the following hadith that:

•"O Ali, you are the divider of Heaven and Hell" (Ref: Sawaiq-e-Mohraika, P 126, Yanabe-ul-mowaddat, vol 1 P 163)

While referring to Mawla Ali (A.S) the above ayahs have used a plural form as ‘wo momineen’ or ‘those who believe’. Prominent Islamic scholars have given following explanation for this:

•Allama al-Tabarsi, while commenting on this verse in Majma’-al-Bayan states: “The plural form has been used for Ali, Commander of the faithful, in order to express his honour and eminence.”

•Allama al-Zamakshari in his Tafsir al-Kashshaf writes “If you inquire how this plural word is applicable to Ali, may Allah be gracious to him, who is an individual, I shall say that though this verse is about Ali, an individual, the plural form is used in order to persuade others to act similarly and to give alms as readily as Ali did. There is also an implied instruction that the faithful should keep themselves always on the look out for occasions of acts of sympathy, benevolence and charity to the poor and the needy, and readily do the needful without waiting till the completion of even so important a duty as saying a prayer.” (Ref: Tafsir al-Kashshaf, by al-Zamakhshari, v1, p649)

Mawla Ali (A.S) is the Greatest ‘Wali’, his guidance and guardianship ensures that a faithful reaches to the rank of ‘Auliya’ as it is his love which completes the faith and it is a license to enter the triumphant party of Allah (SWT). He is definitely ‘Ameer ul Momineen’.

After mentioning the ayah from Surah-e-Yunus (ayah no. 18) we had inferred that the intercessor is chosen by Allah (SWT) Himself and if we seek from anyone else it would be considered as ‘Shirk’, we had further inferred that then if the chosen intercessor is rejected it would lead to ‘Kufr’. We would establish this now. Let us find out what Allah (SWT) has to say about intercession.

•“Aur Jis shakhs ke liye wo ijaazat ata farmaye uske siva kissi ki sifarish us ki bargaah main kaam na aayegi.”- (Surah-e-Saba, ayah 23)

"(No intercession can avail in His Presence, except for those for whom He has granted permission)”

Apart from the chosen ones of Allah (SWT) who have got His permission no intercession would be beneficial to the Ummah. Yes, intercession does work but the authority has been given to few chosen servants of Allah (SWT). As the following ayah says:

•“Aur logon main se Khuda ke bande kuch aise hai jo Khuda ki (khushnudi) haasil karne ki gharaz se apni jaan tak bech daalte hai aur Khuda aise bandon per bada hi shafkat wala hai.” – (Surah-e- Baqra, ayah 207)

“(And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Affectionate to the servants.)”

The above ayah describes the act of an ardent servant of Allah (SWT), who was ready to sacrifice his life for the Almighty Allah’s cause. This sacrificial act of him got its due appreciation by way of getting Allah’s Pleasure and thus His Permission.

Imam Ghizali in his Tareekh e Khamees writes that the above ayah of Surah-e-Baqra was revealed mentioning the sacrifice of Mawla Ali (A.S), when he slept on the bed of the Holy Prophet (SAW) during the night of ‘Hijrat.’ Similar tradition is also mentioned by Imam Hakim on the authority of Ibn-e-Abbas in his Mustadrak. (Ref: Tareekh e Khamees, Imam Ghizali, Mustadrak, Vol 3 Page 4, Imam Hakim).

Thus Mawla Ali’s ardent love and affection for the Holy Prophet (SAW) and Islam made Allah (SWT) grant him with His Pleasure and appointed Mawla Ali (A.S) as chosen intercession along with the Holy Prophet (SAW) above us.

Let us also establish now whether this chosen intercession if rejected leads to ‘Kufr’?

•“Khuda ko chhod kar jin ki parastish karte hain unko sabko ikattha karo phir unhain Jahannum ki raah dekhao aur haan zara unhain thehrao to un se kuch poochna hai.” – (Surah-e-Sa’affat, ayah 23-24)

“(Gather together those who were unjust and their associates, and what they used to worship besides Allah, and lead them to the Way to the (Fierce) Fire! “But stop them, for they must be asked.)”

In our day to day life whenever we cross the path with disobedient people we ignore them and move ahead. And a place for a disobedient ‘Kafir’ is Hell, but here in the above ayah Allah (SWT) still wants to ask them something specific. The thing which Allah (SWT) wants to ask hence is as important as worshipping Allah (SWT) as One without any ‘Sharik’. Thus it can be inferred that if whatever Allah (SWT) is asking from them is not fulfilled He would consider them a greater ‘Kafir’

Abu Saeed Khudri on the authority of Ibn-e-Abbas has quoted a tradition that Rasool (SAW) has said that on the day of Judgment people would be questioned about Wilaya of Ali Ibne Abi Talib and love for him. (Ref: Sawaiqe Mohraiqa P 503, Allama Ibn-e-Hajar, Riyadh al Nadira Volume 2 page 116, Mohib Tabari).

Shah Ismail Shaheed of the Deobandi Movement in his Mansab e Imamat says: “Imam has such authority in this world and the next that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had said ‘Don’t I have more rights over the people than they have over themselves, to which the people replied in affirmative. The Prophet then said ‘Of whomsoever I am Mawla, Ali is his Mawla.’ And this is why Allah says in the Quran that on the Day of Judgment you will be summoned with your Imam and questioned (Surah-e-Sa’afat) and the Prophet said that we will be asked about the Wilayat of Ali.” (Ref: Mansab-e-Imamat, Page 109-110, Shah Ismail Shaheed).

Thus rejecting Mawla Ali (A.S) as Guardian and intercession is as bad as ‘Kufr’.

But we being the ardent lovers and followers of Mawla Ali (A.S) need not worry as Allah (SWT) promises us:

•“Phir (nuzool e azaab ke waqt) Hum Apne Rasoolon ko aur jo Imaan laye unnko (azaab se) nalwa bacha lete hein yunhi Hum per laazim hai ke Hum Imaan lane walon ko bhi bachalein.” – (Surah-e-Yunus, ayah 103)

“(Then We shall save Our messengers and those who believe. Thus We have made it incumbent upon Ourself to save the believers.)

Allah (SWT) has promised to save all the believers. A person is a ‘Momin’ when he is under the guardianship of Ameer ul Momineen – Mawla Ali (A.S), thus his love is access to Allah’s Help and Protective Care and hence Mawla Ali is “MushkilKusha”.

That is why the holy Prophet (pbuh) has certified that:

•“Followers of Ali would surely succeed” – (Ref: Yanabe-ul-mowaddat, vol 2 P 312, Kareeb Minal lafaz fi tazkirtul khawaas, P 56)

So what are we waiting for? let us say “Ya Ali Madad”.

Dua - A Miracle

2011-07-28T05:21:00.000-07:00

I still remember it was my first workshop on sales training which I attended while working with a travel agency. A qualified sales trainer was hired for this purpose and all the sales executives were asked to gather in a conference hall of the hotel where the workshop was to be conducted. The aim was to enhance our sales skills and make us efficient in this department.

The training was divided into two parts. The first part comprised theoretical question-answer session on the information of various travel packages offered by the company to test our product knowledge. And the second part was the practical sales training to test our negotiation and sales skills by way of mock sales calls. Here, the trainer acted as our prospective customer and we were required to sell him a travel package. After the practical session the trainer gave us individual feedback on our performances and tips to enhance our sales skills.

Sales need lots of persuasion and continuous follow up with the prospective customer to convince him and hence in order to achieve miraculous success, our trainer advised us to be:

• Patient in conduct
• Earnest in intentions
• Persuasive in efforts
• Committed in approach

Years later, I practically experienced this when the need arose to replace my R.O System; I looked for the salesman who had approached me in the past for selling it. His earnestness and persuasion convinced me to give him the business.

 True – Patience; Earnestness; Persuasiveness; Commitment – are keys to succeed in the field of sales. These virtues help us present ourselves well in front of the prospective customer and create a bond with him.

If we wish to create a bond with Almighty Allah we need the help of supplications. Through supplications we can connect with Allah – The Most High. Hence let us try to understand the importance of Supplication (Dua) in the light of Quran.

As Allah (SWT) says in the following ayahs:

•“Aur tumhare Parvardigar ne farmaya ke tum mujhse dua maango (Main jo tumhare nafa’a ki hogi wo) zaroor qubool kar liya karoonga. Yaqeenan wo log jo Meri ibadat karne se akadte hai wo anqareeb zaleel ho kar Jahannum main daakhil honge.” – (Surah-e-Ghafir, ayah 60)

“(And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!")”

In the above ayah Allah (SWT) clearly instructs us to call Him by way of supplication. He also promises to fulfill all our desires which are beneficial to us.

• “(Ae Rasool (SAW)) jab Mere bande Mera haal tumse poochein to (kehdo ki) Main unke paas hi hoon aur jab Mujh se koi dua maangta hai to Main har dua karne waalon ki dua (sunn leta hoon aur jo munasib ho to) qubool karta hoon pas unhain chahiye ke Mera kehna maanein aur Mujh per imaan laayein taake woh hidayat paajaeein.” - (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 186)

“(And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way)”

 Allah (SWT) is Omnipresent but unseen through our eyes. Dua gives us vision to feel Him and it is through Dua that we can reach Him. Thus Dua definitely creates a bond with Him.

In management parlance it is said that positive thinking gives positive results. A person who is always hopeful remains happy and healthy.
And Quran says in the following ayah:

•“Insaan bhalayee ki duaein maangne se to kabhi uuktata nahin aur agar ussko koi takleef pahonch jaaye to (fauran) na-ummeed aur be-aas ho jaata hai.”- (Surah-e-Haam Mim Sajda, ayah 49)

“(Man does not weary of asking for good (things), but if ill touches him, he gives up all hope (and) is lost in despair.)”

Even if ill touches us we need not lose hope and faith in Him. Thus if we wish to seek His nearness by supplications we need to remain hopeful and be positive. There are times when we don’t get what we expect and pray for; and that is the test of our faith in Him.

As the following ayah from Surah-e-Baqra further confirms our above claim:

•“Aur Hum tumhain kuch khauf aur bhook se aur maalon aur jaanon se aur phalon ki kami se zaroor aazmaaenge. Aur (Ae Rasool (SAW) aise sabr karne walon ko khushkhabri dedo” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 155)

“(And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient.)”

When we claim that we are true believers, we will be tried in various ways. During this testing time if we remain patient we are bound to achieve whatever we seek from Him. Thus Patience is the important key for our supplications to be heard by Almighty Allah.

Let us now see the following ayahs from Surah-e-Aale Imran:

•“Aur Khuda apne unn bandon ko khoob dekh raha hai Jo yeh duaein maanga karte hein “Ae hamare Palnewale humto be-tamul imaan laye hain pus Tu bhi hamare gunahon ko bakhsh de aur humko dozakh ke azaab se bacha”. Yehi log hain sabr karne wale aur sach bolne wale aur Khuda ke farmabardar aur Khuda ki raah main kharch karne wale aur peechli raton main Khuda se tauba isteghfar karne wale.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 16-17)

“(Who say: "O Lord, we believe; forgive our trespasses and save us the torment of Hell." They are the patient, the sincere and devout, full of charity, who pray for forgiveness in the hours of dawn.)”

From the above two ayahs Quran has cited the example of those chosen believers of Allah whose supplications are appreciated and liked by Him. They are patient in their conduct and committed to the cause of Almighty Allah. They have set the example which needs to be followed.

Thus it can be inferred that Commitment and sincerity to the cause of Allah (SWT) is as important as Patience for our supplications to be heard by Him.

Earnestness and humility always help us in winning an argument or even proving a point. Would this help in making successful supplications? Let us see the following two ayahs for this:

•“Aur (azaab ke) khauf se aur (rehmat ki) aas laga ke Khuda se duaein maango (kyunke) neki karne walon se Khuda ki rehmat yaqeenan qareeb hai.” – (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 56)

“(Call on Him with fear and longing (in your hearts): for the Mercy of Allah is (always) near to those who do good.)”

•“(Logo) apne Parvardigar se gid gida ke aur chupke chupke dua karo, Wo had se tajawuz karne walon ko hargiz dost nahin rakhta” – (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 55)

“(Call on your Lord with humility and in private: for Allah loveth not those who trespass beyond bounds.)”

Thus the above two ayahs clearly confirm that if we supplicate with fear and humility in our hearts we will be blessed by His Mercy soon. He definitely responds to our earnest calls. Earnestness is again an important virtue for supplications to be heard by Allah (SWT).

Mandatory namaz is the highest form of prayer offered 5 times a day. It is invalid if not offered at its prescribed time and cannot be offered more than 5 times. Keeping this in mind let us see what Allah (SWT) has to say about supplication? What is the time fixed for it? And how many times should He be called through supplications in a day?

In the following ayah Allah has answered our above questions:

•“Aur apne Parvardigar ko ji hee ji main gid gida ke aur dar (dar) ke aur bahot cheekh ke nahin (dheemi) awaaz se subah wa sham yaad kiya karo aur (Uss ki yaad se) ghafil bilkul na ho jaao.” - (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 205)

“(And remember your Lord within yourself humbly and fearing and in a voice not loud in the morning and the evening and be not of the heedless ones.)”

 Whenever we wish and wherever we are, we can always call Him through supplications. It is not time-bound and hence there is no fixed time. Allah (SWT) can be persuaded in mornings and evenings till the time our Dua is not fulfilled. He likes to be Pursued continuously by supplications.

The ayahs which we referred uptill now helped us in understanding the importance of Dua. We also got to know what Allah (SWT) has instructed in this regard. Allah (SWT) fulfills our desires through supplications and hence it is a miracle. Let us look into Quran and try to find out the miracles of Dua in it.

We will see the following ayah from Surah-e-Aale Imran:

•“To usske Parvardigar ne (uunki nazar) Mariam ko khushi se qubool farmaya aur usski nasho wa nuuma (parwarish) achhi tarah ki aur Zakariya ko uunka kafeel banaya, jab kisi waqt Zakariya uunke paas (uunke) ibadat ke hujre main jaate to Marium ke paas kuch na kuch khane ko mawjood paate to poochte ke ae Marium ye (khana) tumhare paas kahan se aaya hai to Marium yeh keh deti theen ke yeh Khuda ke yahan se (aaya) hai beshak Khuda jis ko chahta hai be-hisaab rozi deta hai.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 37)

“(Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty: To the care of Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (Her) chamber to see her, He found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?" She said: "From Allah: for Allah Provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure.)"

Allah (SWT) had assigned the task of protecting and taking care of Bibi Mariam (A.S) to Zakariya (A.S). She used to stay in her chamber alone, where she prayed and lived. Nobody could enter the chamber except Zakariya (A.S). And whenever he entered he would find various kinds of fruits for sustenance kept in front of her. Surprised, he would inquire about the fruits and Bibi Mariam (A.S) would reply saying Allah (SWT) has supplied her with this sustenance. Inspired by this Zakariya (A.S) supplicates and puts forward his desire in the following manner:

•“(Yeh majra dekhte hi) ussi waqt Zakariya ne apne Parvardigar se dua ki aur arz ki “Ae mere Palnewale Tu mujhko (bhi) Apni bargaah se pakizah aulad ataa farma beshak Tu hi dua ka sunne wala hai.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran ayah 38)

“(There did Zakariya pray to his Lord, saying: "O my Lord! Grant unto me from Thee a progeny that is pure: for Thou art He that heareth prayer!)”

Now let us see what happens?:

•“Abhi Zakariya hujre mein khade (yeh) dua kar hi rahe the ke farishton ne uunko awaaz di ke Khuda tum ko Yahya (ke paida hone) ki khushkhabri deta hai jo Kelamatullah (Isa) ki tasdiq karega aur logon ka sardar hoga aur auraton ki taraf raghbat na karega aur nekokar nabi hoga.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 39)

“(While he was standing in prayer in the chamber, the angels called unto him: “Indeed Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya (John), who will confirm a Word (or sign) from Allah, – a leader, always refraining from women, a Prophet from one of Our devoted ones.)”

Before he could finish his supplication angels called him to confirm that his call was heard and he would soon be a father to Yahya (A.S). This miracle surprised him:

•“Zakariya ne arz ki mujhe ladka kyunker ho sakta hai halaanke mera budhapa aa pahoncha aur (uss per) meri biwi baanjh hai (Khuda ne) farmaya issi tarah Khuda jo chahta hai karta hai.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 40)

“(He said: "O my Lord! How shall I have son, seeing I am very old, and my wife is barren?" "Thus," was the answer, "Doth Allah accomplish what He willeth.)” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 40)

Allah accomplishes whatever He Wills. Old age of Zakariya (A.S) and barrenness of his wife did not stop him to be the father of a son like Yahya (A.S). Yes, his earnest supplication did create a miracle in the form of birth of Yahya (A.S).

Thus supplications create miracles. If we seek anything from Allah (SWT) very earnestly & appropriately He fulfills our desire.

Let us see the following ayah from Surah-e-Yusuf now:

•“Aur Yaqub (A.S) ne un logon ki taraf se mooh pher liya aur rokar kehne lage haai afsos Yusuf (A.S) per aur isqadr roye ke aankhein un ki sadme se safed ho gayee wo to bade ranj ke zaabit the.” – (Surah-e-Yusuf, ayah 84)

“(He turned away from them and cried: "Alas for Yusuf!" And his eyes turned white with grief which he bore in silence.)”

When children of Yaqub (A.S), after returning from Misr (Egypt), narrated the story of their brother Benjamin getting detained by the King on the charges of robbery since the lost bowl was recovered from his belongings to Yaqub (A.S), he uttered the above words. This shows that he always missed his lost son – Yusuf (A.S), who got separated from him when he was a child. And he cried so much that he lost his eye-sight. So why did Allah (SWT) take so long to fulfill his wish. Can we claim that for these years his Dua was unheard?

When we look at the sequence of events which happened in the life of Yusuf (A.S) we can see that - As a child he was thrown in the well – Then sold in the market of Misr – Then he was imprisoned. Yaqub (A.S) during this time remembered his son and prayed for his well being. The news of the atrocities in the life of Yusuf (A.S) would have further devastated Yaqub (A.S) and hence during this time Allah (SWT) ensured that no such news ever reaches him and thus saved him from further pain. And when finally Yusuf (A.S) became king of Misr he was re-united with his father Yaqub (A.S). This way his supplications were heard and happiness was doubled.

Thus there are times when our supplications are unheard for many years and that is the time to have faith that whatever Allah (SWT) provides, whenever He provides, shall be more than what we have asked for.

And let us see one more example from Surah-e-Aale Imran:

•“(Ae Rasool (SAW) woh waqt yaad karo) jab Imran ki biwi ne (Khuda se) arz ki ke Ae mere Palnewale mere pait main jo bachha hai (ussko main duniya ke kaam se) azaad karke Teri nazar karti hoon Tu meri taraf se (yeh nazar) qubool farma Tu bada sunnewala aur Jannewala hai. Phir jab wo ladki jani to (hairat se) kehne lagi Ae mere Parwardigar (main kya karoon) main to yeh ladki jani hoon.”) – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 34-35)

“(Behold! a woman of 'Imran said: "O my Lord! I do dedicate unto Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me: For Thou hearest and knowest all things." When she was delivered, she said: "O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!"-)”

The above ayah has indicated the incidence when wife of Hazrat Imran dedicated her - to be born child, for the service of Allah (SWT) thinking it would be a male child. But when she delivered a female child she wondered what she would do. Allah (SWT) accepts her dedication and the child just born is named – Mariam (A.S). Allah (SWT) then appoints Hazrat Zakariya (A.S) as her care taker and protector.

Thus at times we might pray to Allah (SWT) with our own understanding and what we feel is right but since He is All Knowing and All Understanding He might not accept our supplication as it is and instead fulfill it the way He feels is right.

After reading the above incidences some of us might feel that we have discussed about chosen ones of Allah (SWT) and hence their supplications were heard easily. Would it be the same for ordinary people like us?

Let us see the following two ayahs now:

•“Ae Rasool (SAW) tum un ke maal ki zakaat lo aur uss ki badaulat un ko gunahon se paak saaf kardo aur unke waaste dua-e-khair karo kyunke tumhari dua un logon ke haq main itminaan ka baaes hai aur Khuda to sab kuch sunta aur jaanta hai.” – (Surah-e-Tauba, ayah 103)

“(Take alms out of their property, you would cleanse them and purify them thereby, and pray for them; surely your prayer is a relief to them; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing)”

•“Aur (Rasool (SAW)) jab unn logon ne (nafarmani karke) apni jaanon per zulm kiya tha agar tumhare paas chale aate aur Khuda se maafi maangte aur Rasool (SAW) (tum) bhi unnki maghferat chahte to beshak wo log Khuda ko badaa tauba qubool karne wala Meharbaan paate.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 64)

“(If they had come to you after wronging themselves and asked forgiveness of God, and you had also asked forgiveness for them, they would surely have found God forgiving and merciful.)”

Duas of Rasool (SAW) are a great relief for us. The above ayah says that even if someone after wronging himself go to the holy Prophet (pbuh) and ask his intercession for Allah’s mercy, Allah (SWT) promises to forgive him.

It means that during the time of the holy Prophet (pbuh) the call of Dua would have been easily answered. One could have approached the holy Prophet (pbuh) with his desires and through his supplication and intercession Allah (SWT) would have fulfilled his desires. But today, how should one supplicate so that it is heard?

In the starting of this article we saw two ayahs from Surah-e-Aale Imran (ayah nos. 16 & 17) referring to few chosen people whose supplications and conduct is appreciated by Allah (SWT). And we have known now the supplications of holy Prophet (pbuh) are a great relief for us. We can thus infer that these chosen people should be closely associated to the holy Prophet (pbuh) and hence let us try to find them and take guidance of supplication from them:

•“Wo Qandeel un gharon main roshan hai jinki nisbat Khuda ne hukm diya hai ke unki taa’zim kijaae aur unmain Uska naam liya jaae jin main subah wa sham wo log Uski tasbih kiya karte hai.” – (Surah-e-Noor, ayah 36)

“((The Light is lit) in houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and that His name may be remembered in them; there glorify Him therein in the mornings and the evenings)”

The above ayah mentions certain divinely enlightened houses which are exalted by Allah (SWT) Himself. The people of these houses glorify Him mornings and evenings. And how is their glorification that Allah has appreciated so much:

•“Aise log jin ko Khuda ke zikr aur namaz padhne aur zakaat ada karne se na to tijaarat hi ghaafil kar sakti hai na kharid-o-farokht ka ma’amla kyonke wo log us din se darte hai jis main khauf ke mare dil aur aankhein ulat jaeengi Uski ibadat isliye karte hai taake Khuda unhain unke aa’maal ka behtar se behtar badlaa ataa farmaye aur apne fazal-o-karam se kuch aur zyada bhi de aur Khuda to jise chahta hai be-hisaab rozi deta hai.” - (Surah-e-Noor, ayah 37-38)

“(By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of Allah, nor from regular Prayer, nor from the practice of regular Charity: Their (only) fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new),- That Allah may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace: for Allah doth provide for those whom He will, without measure.)”

Their dedication and sincerity in remembering Him and their commitment for His cause is appreciated by Allah (SWT) and thus He has chosen them and has promised to reward them suitably.

Sala’bi has quoted Anas Ibn-e-Malik and Buraida that when Rasool (SAW) recited this verse, Hazrat Abu Bakr stood up and asked pointing towards the house of Ali (A.S) and Fatema (A.S), whether that house was included in the houses which are exalted by Allah (SWT) as referred in the ayah? Rasool (SAW) replied saying “Yes, and it is better than other houses to which this refers.” (Ref: Durr-e-Mansur, Vol 5, P 50)

Thus the house of Mawla Ali (A.S) and Fatema (A.S) is exalted by Allah (SWT), they have prayed the way Allah (SWT) wants and hence if we follow their way of supplications we would be rewarded.

We have seen the miracles of supplications cited in Quran, now let us see a miracle of the supplication given by Mawla Ali (A.S) to one of his follower. It is called ‘Dua e Mashlool’. Manzil Ibn Lahiq, a paralytic was healed by this ‘Dua’.

Fed up with his continuous misbehavior and disobedience, Manzil’s father cursed him that he may be inflicted by paralysis. After a lot of repentance and request, his father agreed to pray for his cure and they started for Mecca but unfortunately on his way his father died and he remained uncured of paralysis. While he was lamenting in front of Ka’aba his cries fell on the ears of Mawla Ali (A.S) and Imam Husain (A.S), who were inside the Harem. When he narrated his tragic tale to Mawla Ali (A.S), he was given this Dua. By the effect of this Dua he was cured miraculously. Imam Hussain (A.S) has said that ‘Dua e Mashool’ contains ‘Ism e Azam’.

Another Dua which Mawla Ali (A.S) gave to his companion Kumayl is famously called as ‘Dua e Kumayl’. Imam Ali (A.S) instructed Kumayl to recite this Dua on the eve of every Friday, if not then once a month and if not then atleast once a year so that he would be protected from the evils of enemies and plots contrived by imposters.

‘Sahifa e Kamila’ is the compilation of supplications by Imam Zainul Abedin (A.S). In the introductory section of the English translation of this book, William Chittick mentions:

•It has been reported that the holy Prophet (pbuh) has said that Allah (SWT) says: “O My servants, all of you are misguided except him whom I guide, so ask Me for guidance, and I will guide you. All of you are poor except whom I enrich, so ask Me for riches, and I will provide for you. All of you are sinners except him whom I release, so ask Me to forgive you, and I will forgive you.”

•The prophet (S.A.W.) and his progeny said: “Supplication is the weapon of the man of faith, the centre-pole (essence) of the religion, and the light of the heavens and the earth.”

And Allama Iqbal has these wonderful words for ‘Dua’:

“Dil se jo baat nikalti hai, asar rakhti hai, par nahin, taaqat-e-parwaaz magar rakhti hai.”

(The word springing from the heart surely carries weight, Though not endowed with wings, it yet can fly in space.)

“Qudsi-ul-asal hai, rif-at pe nazar rakhti hai, khaak se uthti hai, gardoon pe guzar rakhti hai.”

(Pure and spiritual in its essence, it pegs its gaze on high, Rising from the lowly dust, grazes past the skies.)

 Indeed ‘Dua’ is a miracle and it is through these earnest supplications we get our desires fulfilled. So let us supplicate and be grateful to the Almighty Allah for whatever He has given us and whatever He has not given us through the excerpt from the wonderful ‘Dua’ of Imam Zainul Abedin (A.S) in ‘Sahifa e Kamila’:

“O My Lord! Bless Mohammed (SAW) and his holy Household, delight my soul through Thy decree, expand my breast through the instances of Thy decision, give to me a trust through which I may admit that Thy decree runs only to the best and let my gratitude to Thee for what Thou hast taken away from me be more abundant than my gratitude to Thee for what Thou hast conferred upon me! Aamin.”

Ulul Amr

2011-06-03T22:52:00.000-07:00

In a recent success of the Indian cricket team a lot of credit had been given to their coach. The world record holder of almost 100 centuries in International Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, attributed his recent batting success to this coach. This shows even he needed somebody to guide him to improve upon his batting performance.

In the business world, most of the successful managers after spending many years at the top retire to become business coaches. Their experience and guidance helps small and upcoming businesses to channelize their efforts in a right direction and move ahead on a success path.

A bright student apart from attending school, still needs a tutor to make him perform well in his board exams. The expert tips given by his tutor ensure that he shines in exams and comes out with flying colours.

 Thus in order to make our efforts meaningful we do require guidance and mentoring of an expert coach in various walks of life. These coaches are from the specific field where we need to achieve expertise and they have a successful track record as a proof of their ability. Let us strive with this article to find out the right and chosen guides in our lives who would make our efforts meaningful to reach the straight path and attain nearness to Allah.

As Allah (SWT) says in the following ayah:

•“Aur jo shakhs Khuda ki yaad se andha banta hai Hum (goya khud) uske waaste shaitaan muqarar kar dete hai.” – (Surah-e-Zakhruf, ayah 32)

“(And whoever turns himself away from the remembrance of the Beneficent Allah, We appoint for him a Shaitan, so he becomes his associate.)”

It is thus mandatory for us to remember Allah to be able to save ourselves from the Satan. If we forget Allah, Allah Himself would appoint a Satan and we would get astray.

And Allah (SWT) again says in the following ayah:

•“Agaah raho ye log yaqeenan jhoote hain shaitaan ne unn par qaboo paaliya hai aur Khuda ki yaad unn se bhula di hai. Ye log shaitaan ke giroh hai sunn rakho ke shaitaan ka giroh ghaata uthane wala hai.” – (Surah-e-Mujadla, ayah 19)

“(The Shaitan has gained the mastery over them, so he has made them forget the remembrance of Allah; they are the Shaitan's party; now surely the Shaitan's party are the losers.)”

So if we get tempted by Satan and forget Allah, we become part of Satan’s party of losers. So how should we please Allah (SWT) and avoid getting tempted by the Satan?

Let us see the following ayah and contemplate:

•“Aur na kisi imaandar mard ko ye munasib hai aur na kisi imaandar aurat ko jab Khuda aur us ke Rasool (SAW) kisi kaam ka hukm dein to unko apne uss kam (ke karne na karne) ka akhtiyaar ho aur (yaad rahe ki) jiss shakhs ne Khuda aur uss ke Rasool (SAW) ki nafarmani ki wo yaqeenan khulam khulla gumrahi main mubtela ho chukka.”- (Surah-e-Ahzab, ayah 36)

“(No believing men and women have any choice in a matter after God and His Apostle have decided it. Whoever disobeys God and His Apostle has clearly lost the way and gone astray.)”

Whatever Allah (SWT) has instructed and ordered us and whatever the holy Prophet (pbuh) has ordered us is to be followed and respected. Failing, we might get tempted by Satan and get astray.

That is the reason Allah (SWT) further says:

•“Ae Rasool (SAW) kehdo ke Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) ki farmabardaari karo phir agar yeh log uss se sartaabi karein to (samajh lein ki) Khuda kafiron ko hargiz dost nahin rakhta.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 32)

“(Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger; but if they turn back, then surely Allah does not love the unbelievers.)”

Thus in order to be a believer and be loved by Allah it is mandatory for us to not only obey Allah’s command but we need to equally obey whatever the holy Prophet (pbuh) has instructed us.

Now let us see what the following ayah says:

•“Ae Imaandaro Khuda ki ita’at karo aur Rasool (SAW) ki aur jo tum main se ulul amr (sahaban e hukumat) ho unki ita’at karo.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 59)

“O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those vested with authority from among you (Ulul Amr)”.

Again, from the above ayah it seems that there is one more authority from among us which needs to be followed and obeyed the way we obey Allah (SWT) and the holy Prophet (pbuh). If we ponder upon the ayah we will observe that the instruction of obeying the Ulul Amr is unconditional; hence we need to obey them in whatever condition to remain guided and avoid getting astray. So who are they?

Allah (SWT) is the Greatest, the holy Prophet (pbuh) is His Greatest Messenger for which Allah (SWT) Himself is the witness; thus two great authorities to be obeyed and followed. Logically it seems that Ulul Amr, the third authority, hence should have the following characteristics:

•Ulul Amr must be appointed by Allah (SWT) Himself; we don’t have any authority in this regard.

•Like the holy Prophet (pbuh) Ulul Amr must be steadfast on the straight path and similar to him in conduct as duly testified by Quran.

•They need to be well guided to guide the ummah; hence they need to be infallible.

Keeping this in mind let us further go deep in Quran to find them. The following ayah from Surah-e-Airaf will help us in this regard:

•“Hud ne jawab diya (ke bas samajhlo) ke tumhare Parwardigaar ki taraf se tum per azaab aur ghazab naazil ho chuuka kya tum mujhse chand (buuton ke farzi) naamon ke baare main jhagadte ho jinko tum ne aur tumhare baap dadao ne (khwamkhwaah) ghad liya hai haalaanke Khuda ne unn ke liye koi sanad nahin naazil ki pus tum (azaabe Khuda ka) intezaar karo main bhi tumhare saath muntazir hoon.” – (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 71)

“(He said: "Punishment and wrath have already come upon you from your Lord: dispute ye with me over names which ye have devised - ye and your fathers, - without authority from Allah? then wait: I am amongst you, also waiting.")

The above ayah mentions the dispute between Hud (A.S) and his community regarding worshiping and following certain names. He is trying to stop them to do that since there was no authority established by Allah over the genuineness of the names. Hence we can say that only the authority which is duly appointed by Allah (SWT) needs to be followed.

And in the following ayah Allah (SWT) further declares:

•“Aur tumhara Parwardigaar jo chahta hai paida karta hai aur (jise chahta hai) muntakhab karta hai aur yeh intekhaab logon ke ikhtiyaar main nahin hai..” – (Surah-e-Qasas, ayah 68)

“(Your Lord creates what He will and chooses (for His tasks) whomsoever He will. It is not for them to make the choice.)”

The ayah has said very clearly that it is Allah and Allah alone who chooses whomsoever for His tasks and we don’t have any authority to choose them. If we do that we might lose the straight path.

And in the following ayah He says it very explicitly that:

•"(logo) jo tumhare Parvardigar ki taraf se tum per naazil kiya gaya hai usski pairvi karo aur uss ke siwa doosre (farzi) sarparaston ki pairvi na karna.” - (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 3)

“(Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow guardians besides Him, how little do you mind.)”

Since it is Allah (SWT) who appoints the authority and guardian above the people to carry His tasks, He reveals and indicates their presence. The above ayah thus orders us to look for them and follow them rather than following people for whom nothing has been revealed by Allah (SWT).

Now with this result it is easy to establish that Ulul Amr, as indicated by in Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 59, are duly appointed by Allah (SWT) and there must be indications in form of ayahs regarding them in Quran.

Let us try to find out those references regarding Ulul Amr in Quran then:

•“Aur Shaitaan ne apne khayal ko jo unke baare main kiya tha sach kar dikhaya to un logon ne usski pairvi ki magar imaandaron ka ek giroh na bhatka.” – (Surah-e-Saba, ayah 20)

“(And certainly the Shaitan found true his conjecture concerning them, so they follow him, except a group of true believers.)”

The ayah clearly indicates that there was one specific group of believers who did not get lured by Satan but it does not say this for every believer. This group remained steadfast on straight path always and hence was sinless and purified. It means that every believer needs to strive to find them and follow them to remain steadfast on the right path.

Now let us see the following ayah from Surah-e-Baqra:

•“(Aur) ae hamare paalne wale Tu hamein apna farmabardaar banda bana aur hamari aulaad se ek giroh paida kar jo Tera farmabardar ho.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 128)

“(And make us submit, O Lord, to Your will, and our progeny a group submissive to You. Teach us the way of worship and forgive our trespasses, for You are compassionate and merciful)”

While raising the foundations of the House (Ka’aba) Ibrahim (A.S) and Ismail (A.S) used to recite the above mentioned prayer. As per the prayer there is a group from within the progeny of Ibrahim (A.S) submissive to Allah (SWT)’s Will and hence steadfast on the straight path. We can infer that this group is the same group which is being referred in ayah 20 Surah-e-Saba which we discussed above.

And the following ayah from Surah-e-Aale Imran says:

•“Tum kya achhe giroh ho ke logon ki hidayat ke waaste paida kiye gaye ho. Tum logon ko achhe kaam ka to hukm karte ho aur bure kaamon se rokte ho aur Khuda per Imaan rakhte ho aur agar ahl-e-kitab bhi isi tarah imaan laate to unke haq main bahot achha hota un main se kuch to imaandar hai aur aksar badkaar”. – ( Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 110)

“(You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors.)”

This group of people is raised for the benefit of mankind. They are best in conduct and character. They guide people to the right path.

On the explanation of the above ayah Ibn-e-Abi Hakim has quoted Hazrat Abu Ja’far that they are Ahl-ul-bait of Rasool (SAW). (Ref: Tafseer-e-Suyuti, Vol 2, P 64)

Thus we can infer that the Ahl-ul-bait are the duly appointed Ulul Amr, and we need to obey them the way we obey holy Prophet (pbuh).

In the earlier section we had inferred 3 things about Ulul Amr; first that they are duly appointed by Allah - which we have already established. Second, that they should be steadfast on the straight path like the holy Prophet (pbuh) and similar to him in their conduct and this needs to be verified now and hence let us see the following two ayahs:

•“(Ae logo) beshak tumhare liye pairvi karne ko achhe se achha namoona khud Rasulallah (SAW) mawjood hai ya’ani us shakhs ke liye jo Allah aur qayamat ke din ki ummeed rakhta ho aur Allah ki bahot si yaad karta ho.” – (Surah-e-Ahzaab, ayah 21)

“(Certainly you have in the Apostle of Allah an excellent exemplar for him who hopes in Allah and the latter day and remembers Allah much.)”

•“Humain seedha raasta dikha, un logo ka raasta jin per Tu ne inaam farmaya…” – (Surah-e-Fateha Ayah 6-7)

(“Show us the straight way, the way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace...”)

The first ayah informs us that the holy Prophet (pbuh) is the great example for us to follow. While the second ayah from Surah-e-Fateha is the prayer to seek guidance to the straight path the way certain chosen and blessed people of Allah have treaded.

From both the ayahs mentioned above, we can infer that the path treaded by these chosen and blessed people and the holy Prophet (pbuh) needs to be same. Thus Quran testifies here about their steadfastness on the straight path and their conduct and character similar to the holy Prophet (pbuh).

While commenting on the above mentioned ayah from Surah-e-Fateha, Sa’labi writes in his tafseer, a tradition from Abu Hureira that the ‘straight path’ means the path taken by Mohammed (SAW) and the children of Mohammed (SAW). (Ref: Sa’labi in his Tafseer, Waki ibn-e-Jarrah in his commentary).

And that is the reason the holy Prophet (pbuh) has displayed his closeness to Ali (A.S) and Hussain (A.S) in following words:
•"He created me and Ali from the same light".

(Ref: Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Fadail, volume 2, p 663, Tradition #1130, from Abdur-Razzak, from Mu'amar, from al-Zuhri, from Khalid ibn Mu'dan, from Zadan, from Salman al-Farsi, Mizan Al-Ei'tidal, by al-Dhahabi, v1, p235, al-Riyadh al-Nadhirah, by al-Muhib al-Tabari, v2, p164, v3, p154, History of Ibn Asakir)

• He has also said that "I am from Husain and Husain is from me"

(Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, vol 6, P 307, Kanzul Ammal, vol 4, P 221, Masnad Ahmed, vol 4 P 972)

Our third inference was that they need to be infallible to be a perfect guide. Imam Fakhruddin al-Razi, a grand Islamic Scholar writes in his tafseer while referring to ayah 59 of Surah-e-Nisa:

“The type of obedience that Allah (SWT) has ordered is unconditional obedience. It must relate to that individual who is infallible. If he was fallible and could do mistakes, then would Allah (SWT) be telling us to follow such a person and adhere to him? Allah (SWT) tells us to follow the Ulul Amr unconditionally. He must be infallible, a fact that is testified to by this verse". (Ref: Tafseer al Kabir Volume 3 page 243)

And Quran confirms about their piety in the following words:

•“Ae Paighambar ki Ahl-ul-bait Khuda to buss yeh chahta hai ke tum ko har tarah ki burai se door rakkhe aur itna paak rakkhe jitna paak rakhne ka haq hai” - (Surah-e-Ahzab, Ayah 33)

(“Verily, Verily Allah intendeth but to keep off from you (every kind of) uncleanliness, O ye people of the House, and purify you with a thorough purification.”)

Thus it is Allah’s Will that the people of household (Ahl-ul-bait) remain purified from all kind of uncleanliness and thus they are ofcourse infallible as per the above ayah. (Ref: Tafseer Durr-e- Mansoor, Mulla Jalaluddin Suyuti, Vol 5, P 198-199).

We were able to establish all the 3 inferences about the Ulul Amr and we have rightly recognized them now. Let us see few more ayahs that would support and substantiate our claim.

In the ayah no. 3 from Surah-e-Airaf – which has been mentioned in the earlier section - Allah (SWT) has given clear instructions to follow whatever has been revealed and not to follow other guardians. Now let us see the following ayah and try to contemplate on both the ayahs:

•“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.” – (Surah-e-Maeda, ayah 67)

(“O Apostle! deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people.”)

This ayah was revealed at Ghadeer-e-Khum, when the holy Prophet (pbuh) was returning from 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 Nisaburi, v6 P194)

And at this point he 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).

The message of “Man Kunto Mawla...” was revealed to the holy Prophet (pbuh) which was needed to be delivered. Thus Mawla Ali (A.S) is the Ulul Amr and for establishing his authority the ayah was revealed and Allah (SWT) has given lots of indications in Quran in this regard.

That is why Allah says in the following ayah:

•“Ae Imaandaro tumhare malik sarparast to buss yehi hain Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur wo momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai…” – (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 55)

“(Verily your leader is only Allah and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish worship and pay the poor-rate while they bow down in prayer.)”

Thus Allah (SWT) confirms that there is the third authority that needs to be followed explicitly in the above ayah.

There are various references available of prominent Islamic commentators who are unanimous in their opinion that the above ayah refers to Mawla Ali when he gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in the ‘ruku’. (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljam’a Bain-ul-Sihah-ul-Sittah, Sa’labi)

Tradition from Hazrat Abu Dharr al Ghaffari says that one day he was praying with the holy Prophet (pbuh) when a beggar approached them in the mosque. No one responded to his pleas. Beggar then raised his hands towards heavens and said, “Allah! Be a witness that I came to Thy Prophet's mosque and no one gave me anything". At that time Mawla Ali (A.S) was bowing in Ruku, he pointed his little finger, which had a ring on it, towards the beggar who came forward and took the ring. The holy Prophet (pbuh) raised his hands towards heaven and prayed then in following words:

"O Lord! my brother Moses had begged of Thee to open his breast and to make his work easy for him, to loose the knot of his tongue so that people might understand him, and to appoint from among his relations his brother, as his successor, and to strengthen his back with Aaron and to make Aaron his partner in his work. O Allah! Thou said to Moses, 'We will strengthen thy arm with thy brother. No one will now have an access to either of you!' O Allah! I am Muhammad and Thou hast given me distinction. Open my breast for me, make my work easy for me, and from my family appoint my brother Ali as my vizier. Strengthen my back with him".

It is mentioned in the tradition that even before the holy Prophet (pbuh) could finish his prayers the above mentioned ayah was revealed by Gabriel (A.S) establishing Mawla Ali (A.S) as a guardian over the Muslim World.

In the beginning of this article we referred ayah 19 from Surah-e-Mujjadala which has said that the party of Satan is the party of losers. Now let us see ayah no. 56 from Surah-e-Maeda, which is a subsequent ayah to the above mentioned ayah which we just discussed:

•“Aur jisne Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) aur unhi Imaadaro ko apna sarparast banaya to Khuda ke lashkar main aagaya aur issme shak nahin ke Khuda hi ka lashkar ghalib rehta hai.” – (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 56)

“(And whoever takes Allah and His apostle and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant.)”

Along with Allah (SWT) & our holy Prophet (pbuh) if we consider Mawla Ali (A.S) as our guardian we enter Allah’s triumphant party. If someone does not follow all of them, he is at risk of joining the Satan’s party of losers.

By pondering upon various ayahs, the holy Quran has helped us in identifying the true Ulul Amr – Mawla Ali (A.S) and Ahl-ul-bait. Let us now see some of the hadith and other references by leading Islamic Scholars in this regard:

•It is narrated by Mawla Ali (A.S) that when he asked the holy Prophet (pbuh) about who were Ulul Amr, the Prophet (pbuh) replied that: "You (Ali) are the first of them". (Ref: Shawahid Tanzil, Vol. 1, p. 148)

•The ayah no. 59 Surah-e-Nisa, referring to Ulul Amr was revealed to establish the authority of Mohammed wa aale Mohammed as per the tradition of Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari (Ref: Rowzatul Ahbab page 134-135, Vol II).

•The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: "The Ulul Amr from the Ahl-ul-Bait (as) are pure and inerrant. They never disobey any of Allah's (SWT) order and are always guided and supported by Him. Their deeds are free from all forms of deviation, and their feet are firmly planted on His Straight Path. It is through the blessed existence of these great ones that Allah's (SWT) servants receive their sustenance, cities become prosperous, and the rainfall descends. The Ruh-ul-Qudus (A.S) always accompanies them, and there is never any separation between them and the Qur'an". (Ref: Bihar al-Anwar, al-Majlisi, Vol. 23, p. 19.)

•In the 77th chapter of Yanabi-ul-Mawaddah of al-Hafiz Sulaiman ibn Ibrahim al-Qunduzi al-Hanafi, the author quotes many traditions to the effect that the holy Prophet (pbuh) has said: “I, Ali, Hassan, Hussain and nine of the descendants of Hussain are pure and sinless.”

The author in the same book writes that the holy Prophet (pbuh) has told this to Hussain (A.S) that “You are a chief, brother of a chief; you are an Imam, son of an Imam, brother of an Imam; you are Proof (of Allah), son of a Proof (of Allah), brother of a Proof (of Allah), and father of nine Proofs (of Allah), the ninth of whom will be al-Mahdi."

With all the inferences and references we can conclude that Ulul Amr are Mawla Ali (A.S) and 11 other Imams from his lineage. They are the authority above us and we need to follow them to be guided.

When we follow the advice of coaches and tutors we improve our performance in that specific field and at times we might attain expertise if we diligently obey them. So let us see what we gain if we follow and obey Ulul Amr? As Quran says in the following two ayahs:

•“Beshak jo log imaan laye achhe kaam karte rahe yahi log bahtereen khalayaq hain.” – (Surah-e-Bayyina, ayah 7)

“((As for) those who believe and do good, surely they are the -best of men.)”

•“Khuda un se raazi aur wo Khuda se khush”. - (Surah-e-Bayyina, ayah 8)

“(Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him)”

The above two ayahs talk about few chosen believers who are good in their deeds. They are the best people and are pleased with Allah and even Allah is pleased with them.

It is mentioned in Durr-e-Mansoor that the above two ayahs were revealed in the praise of Mawla Ali (A.S) and his followers. (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, vol 6, P 379)
Thus if we want that our deeds be accepted by Allah (SWT) and wish to seek His nearness we need to follow and obey Ulul Amr – Imam Ali (A.S) and be guided the way Allah (SWT) wants us to be.

Here I am tempted now to mention a couplet from a well-known Qawwali written by Hazrat Amir Khusro:

“Ali imam-e-manasto manam ghulaam-e-Ali”
“(Ali is the master of all, I am the slave of Ali)”

“Hazaar jaan-e-giraami fidaa-e-naam-e-Ali”
“(Thousands lives are to be sacrificed in the name of Ali)”

And with the beautiful excerpt of a dua of Sahifa-e-Kamila, let me pray for all of us :

“O My Lord! Bless Muhammad (SAW) and his Household with a permanent, ever-growing blessing, whose perpetuity has no cutting off and whose term knows no limit, and make that a help to me and a cause for the granting of my request!
Thou art Boundless, Generous” Aamin.

Inspiration at its Best

2011-05-31T03:59:00.000-07:00

From:
Anurag Srivastava
...

Sir,

I hereby take this opportunity to thank you for all the support that you gave me which helped me to make an appreciable effort in terms of submitting my assignment.

I would also beg to state that your story has inculcated in me new zeal and ignited my thought process enabling it to think beyond horizons.

I do not promise big but I ensure you that knowledge gained from you will not be wasted from my side.

I am sorry for the hustle bustle as I was engaged between evaluations as well as assignment completion and so could not be with you at ease.

Hoping for long term mentor - menty relationship with you, Sir.

Thank you
Anurag Srivastava
SBS

Rope of Allah

2011-05-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

Have you ever observed how various products that serve our daily needs come to us from the factory - their point of origin?

The manufacturer appoints a distributor, who in turn further carries the products to different retailers and from these retail points we get access to those products which we need on a regular basis. In management terminology it is called Supply Chain or a Value Chain.

We can thus say that these products exchange various hands; which are in fact appointed by the manufacturer, before we receive them.

Again, in any organization, the review for a promotion of a subordinate is done by his immediate senior. The senior sends his views to his senior for further approval and this chain reaches the final authority who in turn confirms the promotion.

These are value chains that connect the consumer to the originator or the subordinate to the ultimate authority. The value chain works wonderfully in the business world. So let us try to find out which is that value chain which works wonderfully in Islamic world?

Allah (SWT) is such that no vision can ever grasp Him. He is Omnipresent but we cannot see Him. So if ever we want to reach Him what should we do?

Let us start with few ayahs which talks about Allah – The Originator.

• “(Ae Rasool (SAW)) jab Mere bande Mera haal tumse poochein to (kehdo ki) Main unke paas hi hoon aur jab Mujh se koi dua maangta hai to Main har dua karne waalon ki dua (sunn leta hoon aur jo munasib ho to) qubool karta hoon pas unhain chahiye ke Mera kehna maanein aur Mujh per imaan laayein taake woh hidayat paajaeein.” - (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 186)

“(And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way)”
The above ayah says that Allah is always with us and when we call Him He responds to our prayers. He promises that if we remain His believers we will always be on the right path.

Then He further says in the following two ayahs:

•“Aur jo kuch aasman main hai aur jo kuch zameen main hai (gharz sabhi) khaas Khuda ka hai aur Khuda to karsaazi ke liye kafi hai.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 132)

“(And whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is Allah's, and Allah is sufficient as a Guardian.)”

Everything belongs to Him, He is the creator of all and He is the sufficient Guardian for all of us.

•“Aur dosti ke liye bas Khuda kafi hai aur himayat ke waaste bhi Khuda hi kaafi hai.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 45)

“(Allah is enough for a protector, and Allah is enough for a Helper.)”

Thus we can say that He is the Guardian, He is the Protector and He is the Helper. There is no one but Him and we should seek whatever we want always from Him.

Then He endorses the apostleship of the holy Prophet (SAW) in the following words:

•“Aur (ae Rasool (SAW)) Hum ne tum ko logon ke paas Paighamber bana ke bheja hai aur (uske liye) Khuda ki gawahi kaafi hai.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 79)

“(And We have sent thee as a messenger to (instruct) mankind. And enough is Allah for a witness.)”

It is Allah (SWT) who sent the holy Prophet (SAW) to this world as His chosen Apostle. And He further says that He is enough as a witness for this and He does not require any other witness in this regard.

He is always ready to bestow His mercy over us and hence He says:

•“Aur Khuda se maghferat ki dua ma’ango Khuda bada bakshne wala Maherbaan hai.” – (Surah-e-Muzammil, ayah 20)

“(And ask forgiveness of Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful)”.

He definitely forgives those who seek forgiveness from Him. Yes, He is the most Merciful and Ever forgiving.

 From the various ayahs which we saw, we can infer that Allah (SWT) is always with us, He listens to our prayers and guides us to the right path if we remain steadfast in our belief in Him, carry our matters to Him and seek help only from Him. He forgives our misconduct and sins if we seek forgiveness from Him; as He is the only Creator and Originator of everything.

So if He is the only Creator and the Originator of everything and always ready to forgive us, why do we see so many problems everywhere? Why does not He forgive all of us? Has he created any rule which is to be followed if we seek His forgiveness and Mercy? Let us see the following ayah and contemplate:

•“Aur (Rasool (SAW)) jab unn logon ne (nafarmani karke) apni jaanon per zulm kiya tha agar tumhare paas chale aate aur Khuda se maafi maangte aur Rasool (SAW) (tum) bhi unnki maghferat chahte to beshak wo log Khuda ko badaa tauba qubool karne wala Meharbaan paate.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 64)

“(If they had come to you after wronging themselves and asked forgiveness of God, and you had also asked forgiveness for them, they would surely have found God forgiving and merciful.)”

The people would find Allah (SWT) as the Most Merciful and Ever Forgiving, if they come to the holy Prophet (SAW) and seek Forgiveness from Allah (SWT). But this is not enough as the ayah further says that Allah (SWT) would only forgive those for whom apart from their prayers the holy Prophet (SAW) also prays. Thus Rasool (SAW) is the appointed authority for Allah’s Mercy.

And that is why Allah (SWT) has said in the following ayah about the holy Prophet (SAW):

•“"Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) Hum ne tum ko tamam alamon ke liye rehmat hi karke bheja hai". – (Surah-e-Ambiya, ayah 107)

(“And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.”)

Thus Allah (SWT) is the Originator of Mercy and the holy Prophet (SAW) has been appointed for that purpose. So seeking mercy from the holy Prophet (SAW) is to seek mercy from Allah (SWT) Himself.

In Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 45, Allah (SWT) has said that Allah is enough for a Protector and Helper, while in the following ayah He says:

•“(Ae Rasool (SAW)) unn logon se kehdo ke agar tum Khuda ko dost rakhte ho to meri pairvi karo ki Khuda (bhi) tum ko dost rakhega aur tum ko tumhare gunaah bakhsh dega aur Khuda bada Bakhsh ne waala Meharbaan hai.” - (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 31)

“(Say: "If you love God then follow me that God may love you and forgive your faults; for God is forgiving and kind.")”

Thus He has given clear instructions that if somebody wishes that Allah (SWT) loves him and protects him, he needs to follow the holy Prophet (SAW). Without this Allah (SWT) may not love anybody and neither will He protect anyone.

Allah (SWT) is the sufficient Guardian for all of us as He has said this in Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 132. But again He says in the following two ayahs from Surah-e-Maeda:

•“Ae Imaandaro tumhare malik sarparast to buss yehi hai Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur wo momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai…” – (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 55)

“(Verily your leader is only Allah and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish worship and pay the poor-rate while they bow down in prayer.)”

•“Aur jisne Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) aur unhi Imaadaro ko apna sarparast banaya to Khuda ke lashkar main aagaya aur issme shak nahin ke Khuda hi ka lashkar ghalib rehta hai.” – (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 56)

(And whoever takes Allah and His apostle and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant.)”

Here by mentioning a specific incident of paying the poor-rate while in ruku, Allah (SWT) has indicated that apart from Allah Himself and the holy Prophet (SAW) there is one more leader and guardian for us and if we wish to be the triumphant party of Allah we need to be under the guardianship of him. Without considering him as our guardian we can never be Allah’s party.

It was Mawla Ali (A.S), who gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in the ruku which above ayahs have mentioned. (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljam’a Bain-ul-Sihah-ul-Sittah, Sa’labi).

Allah is the Ultimate Guardian and He has appointed Mawla Ali (A.S) for His Guardianship. Thus Mawla Ali (A.S) is appointed Guardian for all of us. Hence seeking help from Mawla Ali (A.S) is to seek help from Allah Himself.

As per Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 79, Allah (SWT) has confirmed that He Himself is enough a witness for the apostleship of the holy Prophet (SAW) but again He says in the following ayah:

•“Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) kafir log kehte hai ke tum paighambar nahin ho to tum un se kehdo ke mere aur tumhare darmiyan meri risalat ki gawahi ke waaste Khuda aur wo shakhs jis ko aasmani kitab ka ilm hai kafi hai.” – (Surah-e-Ra’ad, Ayah 43)

(“Yet those who are disbelievers say: "You are not the apostle sent (by God)." Tell them: "God is sufficient as witness between me and you, and he who has knowledge of the Book."”)

Allah (SWT) is the Ultimate witness of the holy Prophet (SAW)’s Apostleship and He has further appointed one more witness for all of us.

The chosen witness which the above ayah has referred is Mawla Ali (A.S). It was he who had the knowledge of the holy book. (Ref: Tafseer-e-Suyuti, Vol 4, P 69, Ahteyaj-e-Tabresi, Tafseer-e-Ayashi).

Thus in order to understand the greatness of the apostleship of the holy Prophet (SAW); we need to see towards the life of Mawla Ali, the rightly chosen witness by Allah (SWT). As whatever he has said and done is as per Allah (SWT) and the holy Prophet (SAW). And that is why he is the chosen guardian and the leader of Ummah.

We have seen up till now what are the ways of Allah (SWT) to bestow His Grace and Mercy on us. Let us see what should be our way to reach Him and become eligible for His Grace.

In this connection let us see few ayahs that would take us to the logical inference. We will see ayah from Surah-e-Saba first:

•“(Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum (yeh bhi) kehdo ki (tableegh-e-risalat ka) main tumse koi badla nahin maangta wo tumhain hi mubarak ho, mera badla to bas Allah ke zimme hai aur Wo har cheez se khoob waqif hai.” – (Surah-e-Saba, ayah 47)

Say: “The reward I ask is for yourself. My reward is due from none but Allah; and He is witness over everything.”

It was the hardwork and persistence of our beloved Prophet (SAW) which brought us to the light of guidance from the darkness of misguidance. Still in the above ayah Allah (SWT) has asked the holy Prophet (SAW) to inform us that he is not seeking any reward for his messengership from us. It will be Allah (SWT) who would reward him the way he should be rewarded. That means whatever he is asking is for our own good. If we follow whatever he has asked we would be rewarded.

In the following ayah Allah (SWT) has further clarified:

•“Ae Rasool (SAW) un logon se tum kehdo ke main iss tabligh-e-risaalat per tum se kuch mazdoori to maangta nahin hoon magar tamanna ye hai ke jo chaahe apne Parvardigar tak pahonch ne ki raah pakad le.” – (Surah-e-Furqaan, ayah 57)

“(Say: "No reward do I ask of you for it but this: that each one who will may take a (straight) Path to his Lord.")”

We would be duly rewarded by Allah (SWT) if we take the straight Path which reaches Him. We don’t see Him so how can we ever reach Him?

The following ayah has shown us the way to Him:

•“Ae Rasool (SAW) tum kehdo ke main apni tableegh-e-risalat ka apne karabatdaron ki mohabbat ke siwa tumse koi sila nahin maangta” – (Surah-e-Shura, aayat – 23)

“(‘Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives’)”

The love for the household of the Prophet (SAW) is the Straight Path that reaches Allah (SWT). By contemplating on the above mentioned 3 ayahs we can infer that in the love for them the great reward from Allah (SWT) has been concealed. So if we wish to be rewarded by Allah’s Mercy, Forgiveness and Grace we need to love them.

As per the holy Prophet (SAW) his near relatives mentioned in the above ayah are Ali (A.S), Fatema (A.S), their children Hasan (A.S) and Husain (A.S). (Ref: Tafseer-e-Kishaf, Allama Zamkhashri, Vol 3, P 67)

Even prominent Islamic researchers like Sa’labi, Zamakhshari, Suyuti and Baidhavi have recorded that the above ayah was revealed to make the love of household of Mawla Ali (A.S) mandatory on the Muslim world. The similar tradition from Ibn-e-Abbas has also been recorded in Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmed Ibn Hambal and others.

Thus Allah (SWT) says this about the Straight Path in the following ayah:

• "Aur (Ae Rasool (SAW)) yeh tumhare Parvardigar ka banaya hua seedhaa raasta hai ibrat haasil karne walon ke waaste Hum ne apne aayaat ko tafsilan bayaan kar diye hai. Uunke waaste uunke Parvardigar ke yahaan aman wa chaen ka ghar (bahisht) hai aur duniya main jo kaarguzariyan unhone ki thi usski aewaz Khuda uunka sarparast hoga.” – (Surah-e-An’am, ayah 126-127)

“(This is the straight path of your Lord. Distinct have We made Our signs for those who reflect. For them is an abode of peace with their Lord. He will be their defender as reward for what they did.)”

The above ayah confirms our inference that if we remain on the Straight Path, we would be rewarded and find Allah (SWT) as our Guardian and Defender. We would thus be honoured for remaining on the straight path. And we can remain so by loving the household of our beloved Prophet (SAW).

And since their love is the Straight Path to Allah (SWT) He says that:

•““Ae Imaandaro Khuda se daro jitna Us se darne ka haq hai aur tum (deen) Islam ke siwa kisi aur deen per hargiz na marna aur tum sab milkar Khuda ki rassi mazbooti se thame raho…” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 102 )

(“O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam. And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves…)”

Here Allah (SWT) has instructed us to remain a believer and not to die except in a state of Islam. But who can ensure that, devil – the satan is always looking to pounce on us. How can we save ourselves from him? To this Allah (SWT) has instructed us to hold fast His rope which would ensure that we remain on the Straight Path.

It has been recorded by Salabi, Ibn-e-Hajar and others that Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq (A.S) has mentioned that Rope of Allah are we the Ahl ul bait of the holy Prophet (SAW). (Ref: Imam Sa’labi, Tafseer-e-Kabeer, Sawaiq-e-Mohriqa, Chapter 11, Part 1, Imam Abu Bakr – Rishfat-us-Saadi)

So if we wish to remain a believer forever and succeed we need to hold on to them since they are the rope of Allah. And here I would like to thus mention a beautiful couplet in this regard:

“Lee kham satun utfi beha. Har al wa baa al hatema.”
(For me there are five with the help of whom, I extinguish the fire of the most lasting calamity.)

Al Mustufa (SAW) wal Murtuza (A.S) wab na homa wal Fatema (S.A).
(Al Mustafa (SAW), Al Murtuza (A.S), their two sons and Fatema (S.A))”

 Let me mention here the extract from Dua-e-Kumail and pray for all of us – “O Allah, assign unto me a place in Thy Presence with the best of Thy servants whose place is nearest to Thee, for verily that position cannot be attained except through Thy Favour.” Aamin.

I seek Thy Wisdom

2011-05-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

It has been almost one year that I have started writing articles in the light of Thy holy book My Lord! Yes, I always wished to write them but never expected that it would happen so fast.

It is all possible because of Thy limitless Grace on me and the blessings of my uncle and parents. My Lord! I want to continue this till my last breath. Bestow upon me Thy Divine Knowledge, purify my bosom so that I can imbibe Thy Knowledge and make my chest a safe for Thy Wisdom and Knowledge.

I am looking for a publisher to publish my compilation of 'Pearls of Guidance: In view of Quran'. Help me so that my search of the publisher is fulfilled and my work gets to see the light which becomes a source of spreading Thy Divine Message for many many generations to come. And I pray to Thee My Lord, that if Thee would help me I shall write volumes on this subject.

Bless my Holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy and pious progeny and fulfill my wish. O My Lord! The Omnipotent! The Omnipresent

Maulood-e-Ka’aba

2011-03-23T02:02:00.000-07:00

As an advertising executive I was required to go to Delhi quite often for some or the other official work. During one of such trips to Delhi, one day after I was through with my work, I decided to go sightseeing and have a look at its various prominent places. I requested my Delhi based colleague to be my guide in this little expedition.

It was an interesting journey as we saw the places of historical prominence about which I had read in my school days or had seen in films. My friend also took me to a place called Raisina Hills where I saw a beautiful building which was a real architectural masterpiece. My friend told me that it was Rashtrapati Bhavan and obviously only Head of the State – The President could stay there. When I asked whether there is any way we could go inside, he told me that for that we should be either a close associate or a relative of the President only then we would be allowed to be in. He further added to my knowledge by saying that it took 4 years of planning and 19 years of construction to get this building completed. During the British period it was palace of the Viceroy of India and later it got converted into Rashtrapati Bhavan after independence.

What struck me beside the grandeur of the building was that in the most prominent building like Rashtrapati Bhavan only the country’s most important people like the President can stay.

In order to take the advantage of the goodwill which companies generate after years of hard work and commitment they insist on mentioning the company’s name prominently in every communication of new product launch.

Thus if Tata’s launch a new product their advertisements would mention without fail as “From the House of Tatas”. This small caption is good enough to convince their loyal customers that the new product has the same quality and goodness for which the company stands for.

 In the light of the above two examples let us try to understand the prominence of Ka’aba – The House of Allah and Mawla Ali (A.S) – The Imam-ul-Muttaqeen in our lives through this article.

But before we start let us look at few of ayahs relating to Ibrahim (A.S) as his time was of utmost prominence in the history of establishment of Islam. As the following ayah says:

• “(Ae Rasool (SAW)) kehdo ke Khuda ne sach farmaya to ab tum Millat-e-Ibrahim (A.S) ki pairvi karo jo baatil se katraake chalte the aur mushrikeen se na the.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 95)

“(Say: Allah has spoken the truth, therefore follow the religion of Ibrahim, the upright one; and he was not one of the polytheists.)”

In the above ayah Allah (SWT) instructs the holy Prophet (SAW) to propagate the religion of Ibrahim (A.S) since that was the foundation of Islam. So whoever was following this religion prior to the revelation of Islam was not a polytheist and in fact he was steadfast on the straight path.

Further Allah (SWT) says in the following ayah:

• “Aur kaun hai jo Ibrahim (A.S) ke tariqe se nafrat kare magar jo apne ko ahmaq banaye.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 130)

“(No one turns away from Abraham's Tradition except one who makes a fool of himself.)”

And thus it can inferred that Allah (SWT) liked those who follow the tradition and creed of Ibrahim (A.S) and He terms those people as fools who reject the faith and tradition.

Again let us see the following ayah referring to Ibrahim (A.S) and his descendants:

• “Beshak Khuda ne Aadam (A.S) aur Nooh (A.S) aur Aale Ibrahim (A.S) aur Aale Imran (A.S) ko saare jahan se barguzida kiya hai ba’az ki aulad ko ba’az se aur Khuda sab ki sunta aur sab kuch jaanta hai.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 33-34)

“(Surely Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above the nations)”

The descendants of Ibrahim (A.S) who followed the faith and tradition of Ibrahim (A.S) prior to Islam where surely on the right path and as per the above ayah they were amongst the chosen ones by Allah (SWT).

This background is necessary for us to understand few points which I intend to discuss later on. This would help us find out certain answers pertaining to our faith.

It was Ibrahim (A.S) who raised the walls of Ka’aba centuries before Islam was revealed. And for this Allah (SWT) says:

• “Aur (wo waqt yaad dilao) jab Ibrahim (A.S) aur Ismail (A.S) Khana-e-Ka’aba ki buniyaadein buland kar rahe the (aur dua) maangte jaate the ke Ae hamare Parwardigaar hamari (yeh khidmat) qubool kar beshak tuhi (dua ka) sunne wala aur (uss ka) jaanne wala hai.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 127)

“(And remember Abraham and Isma'il raised the foundations of the House (With this prayer): "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing.)”

The above ayah mentions the commitment and sincere prayers of Ibrahim (A.S) and Ismail (A.S) towards the development of Ka’aba. And Allah (SWT) accepted their efforts, as the below mention ayahs confirm this:

•“Baaz ahmaq log ye keh baithenge ki Muslamaan jis Qible Baitul Mukkadas ki taraf pehle se sajda karte the usse dusre qible ki taraf mudjaane ka kya baais hua. Ae Rasool (SAW) tum un ke jawab main kaho purab pachchim sab Khuda ka hai jise chahta hai sidhe raaste ki taraf hidayat karta hai.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 142)

“(The fools among the people will say: What has turned them from their Qiblah which they had? Say: The East and the West belong only to Allah; He guides whom He likes to the right path.)”

Though East and West belong only to Allah, He still changed the Qiblah from Baitul Muqqadas to Ka’aba; thus by doing so Allah (SWT) accepted their efforts and listened to their prayers. Allah (SWT) further instructs the Holy Prophet (SAW) regarding Ka’aba in following words:

• “Aur (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum jahan se jao (yahan tak ke Makka se to bhi) tum namaz main apna mooh Masjid-e-Haram ki taraf kar liya karo aur (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum jahan kahi hua karo to namaz main apna mooh ussi Ka’aba ki taraf kar liya karo (baar baar hukm dene ka ek faayda ye hai taaki logon ka ilzaam tum per na aane paaye magar unn main se jo log nahaq hatdharmi karte hai wo to zaroor ilzaam denge) to tum log unn se daro nahin aur sirf Mujh se daro aur (doosra fayda ye hai) taaki tum per Apni ne’matein poori kar doon.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 150)

“(And (Mohammed (SAW)) from whatsoever place you come forth, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you are turn your faces towards it, so that people shall have no accusation against you, except such of them as are unjust; so do not fear them, and fear Me, that I may complete My favour on you and that you may walk on the right course)”

The above ayah clearly indicates that only Ka’aba is the Qiblah and during our prayers we need to face the direction of Ka’aba otherwise our prayers are void. All the mosques are made as a copy of Ka’ba, and they should be made in such a manner that they are facing Ka’aba so that prayers could be offered in them.

Further when we contemplate on the words of Allah (SWT) in the above ayah, He says if we all start facing the Ka’ba during our prayers He might complete His favours on us. It means He starts bestowing His favours when we start facing the Ka’aba in our prayers.

Let us now see one more ayah pertaining to Ka’aba:

•“Logon (ki ibadat) ke waaste jo ghar sab se pehle banaya gaya woh to yaqeenan yahi (Ka’aba) hai jo Mecca main hai badi (khair wa barkat) wala aur sare jahan ke logon ka rehnuma” – (Surah-e-Ale Imran, ayah 96)

“(Indeed the first house that was appointed as a place of worship for mankind, is the one at Mecca (the Holy Ka’aba), blessed and a guidance to the whole world)”

Ka’aba was the first house that was appointed as a place of worship for people and it is of course guidance to the whole world of believers. There are many questions which come to our mind then:

• Why did Allah (SWT) take so long to appoint it as Qiblah?
• If Ka’aba is guidance why did Allah (SWT) not declare it as Qiblah straightaway and waited till Islam was revealed?
• Was Allah (SWT) waiting for some specific event to take place?

In order to answer these questions let us go to back to the time of Ibrahim (A.S) and contemplate on the following ayah:

•"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 Imam 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." – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 124)

(“And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain commands, he fulfilled them. He said: Surely I will make you an Imam of men. Ibrahim said: And of my offspring? My covenant does not include the unjust, said He.”)

The above ayah is referring to the incidence of the sacrifice of Ismail (A.S) which Ibrahim (A.S) had to fulfill. Thus it was a great trial which when Ibrahim (A.S) fulfilled he became Imam. He then wished that there should be Imams from his progeny as well. And Allah (SWT) promised to fulfill his wish provided they should not be unjust.

The results which we can derive from the above ayah are:
a) The Imams would have to undergo great trials in their lives.
b) They would be just and pure in their conduct and would be surely from the lineage of Ibrahim (A.S) only.

So if we wish to recognize and identify our Imams, we need to see their lives in the light of above ayah and we would surely find them.

The way Allah (SWT) fulfilled prayers of Ibrahim (A.S) by making Ka’aba as Qibla, let us see now how Allah (SWT) fulfills his wish to have Imams in his lineage.
For this we would see the following ayah:

•“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.” – (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 67)

(“O Apostle! deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people.”)

The above ayah was revealed in Ghadeer-e-Khum when the holy prophet (pbuh) 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)

After the revelation of this ayah the holy prophet (pbuh) called all the pilgrims for one huge assemblage here. He instructed Salman (R.A) and other companions to make a pulpit of rocks and he then sat on the ‘mimber’ thus created. In front of this gathering he declared Mawla Ali (A.S) as his successor and announced “Man Kunto Mawla fa hazaa Ali un-Mawla”. (Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, V2, P298, Bukhari, V5, Book 59).

Thus this way Allah (SWT) fulfilled the wish of Ibrahim (A.S) and first Imam from his lineage was announced.

In order to further substantiate this order of Imamate, Allah (SWT) has given His clear instructions to Umah-e-Muslema in the following ayah:

• “Ae Imaandaro tumhare malik sarparast to buss yehi hai Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur wo momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai…” – (Surah-e-Maida, Ayah 55)

“(Verily your leader is only Allah and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish worship and pay the poor-rate while they bow down in prayer.)”

Apart from Allah (SWT) the Greatest and the Holy Prophet (SAW), there is one more leader of Muslims. He is the one who pays the poor-rate while bowing down in ruku. And this leader and Imam is Mawla Ali who gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in ruku. (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljam’a Bain-ul-Sihah-ul-Sittah, Sa’labi)

Ibrahim (A.S) prayed for Ka’aba and it became Qibla, he wished to have Imams in his lineage and Mawla Ali (A.S) and rest of 11 Imams were born in his lineage. Is there any other association between Ka’aba and Mawla Ali (A.S) apart from the prayers of Ibrahim (A.S)? Can we draw parallels between Ka’aba and Mawla Ali (A.S)?

The biggest association of Mawla Ali (A.S) with Ka’aba is his birth. It was Friday 13th of Rajab 30 Amulfeel, Hazrat Fatima binte Asad (A. S), the wife of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) entered the precincts of the Kaaba, she then touched herself with its wall and prayed in the following words which are recorded in all prominent books of Islamic history: “O Allah, I firmly believe in you, your prophets and your books. I bear testimony to my ancestor Ibrahim (A.S)’s prophethood. I beseech you through this house of yours, its constructor and the child who is in my womb, make this problem very easy for me.” All of a sudden the wall of the Ka’aba opened up and she, as if by some unseen force went inside the Ka’aba and the wall closed. Ali (A.S) the youngest son of Abu Talib was born inside the Holy Ka’aba. She stayed inside for three days.

(Ref: Muhammad ibn Talha el-Shafei in Matalib-us-saool, page 11, Hakim in Mustadrak, page 483, Vol. III, El-Umari in Sharh Ainia, page 15, Halabi in Sira, page 165, Vol. I, Sibt ibn al-Jauzi in Tadhkera Khawasil Ummah, page 7, Ibn Sabbagh Maleki in Fusoolul Mohimma, page 14, Muhammad bin Yousuf Shafei in Kifayet al-Talib, page 261, Shablanji in Nurul Absar, page 76, Ibn Zahra in Ghiyathul Ikhtisar, page 97, Edvi in Nafhatul Qudsia, page 41, Mohaddith-e-Dehlvi in ‘Izalatul Kholafa’)

This was much before Islam was revealed. It shows that she followed the religion of Ibrahim (A.S) and thus was on the right path.

Fatima binte Asad (A.S) was daughter of Hazrat Asad bin Hashim and grand-daughter of Hazrat Hashim bin Abd Manaf, who was the leader of Quraysh and the keeper of Ka’aba. Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) was also from the Bani Hashim clan, they both followed the religion of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) and believed and acted accordingly.

Thus they were descendants of Ibrahim (A.S) following the religion and creed of the Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) and in the light of the ayahs from Surah-e-Aale Imran (Ayah no. 33-34) they were from amongst the chosen ones of Allah (SWT).

Nobody after Fatima binte Asad (A.S) ever entered Ka’aba for giving birth to a child and nobody else was born in Ka’aba except Mawla Ali (A.S), this was much before Ka’aba became Qibla and hence it seems that Allah (SWT) waited till Mawla Ali’s birth and here He united both the prayer and wish of Ibrahim (A.S) by giving birth to first Imam in Ka’aba and then making Ka’aba as Qibla for Muslims.

In the introductory section we saw that the companies endorse their new product by mentioning their names along with the product name in order to convince the customers about the goodness and quality of their new product. Similarly Imamate was new to Islam after Apostleship. Thus Allah (SWT) has endorsed the Imamate by making it emerge from Ka’aba – The House of Allah. Also the way Quran is witness to the Apostleship of Rasool (SAW), the Ka’aba which bears the birth marks of Mawla Ali (A.S) at the ‘Rukne Yamani’ corner of its wall till date, has thus became witness to Imamate of Mawla Ali (A.S).

Maulana Rume in his Mathnawi has documented Mawla Ali (A.S) association with Ka’aba in the following words. He writes:

• "'O’ one who travels to Najaf to visit the tomb of Ali must know the fact that the pearl of the Kaaba lies there to give us security because of our intense love for him.”

When the holy prophet (pbuh) did the announcement of Man Kunto Mawla at Ghadeer-e-Khum the following ayah was revealed:

•“Aaj Maine tumhare din ko kaamil kardiya aur tum per apni ne’mat poori kardi aur tumhare iss Deen-e-Islam ko pasand kiya.” – (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 3)

“(This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.)

(Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Jalalluddin Suyuti, V3, P 19, Tarikh by Khatib al Baghdadi, V8 P 290, 596, Yanabi-al-Mawaddah from Abu Hureira by Al-Qudoozi Al-Hanafi).

On acceptance of Hazrat Ali (A.S) as Mawla and leader, the religion is perfected and Allah (SWT) completes His favours. While when we bow to Ka’aba our prayers are perfected and Allah (SWT) starts bestowing his favours as per ayah from Surah-e-Baqra (Ayah no. 150), which has been mentioned in the beginning of this article. Thus in order to have complete favours we need to pray by bowing down to Ka’aba with love for Mawla Ali (A.S) in our hearts.

Again we have seen in the ayah from Surah-e-Aale Imran (Ayah no. 96) Ka’aba is the guidance for believers of the whole world.
Now let us see the following ayah:

•“(Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum to sirf khauf e Khuda se daraane wale ho, aur har qaum ke liye ek hidayat kar ne wala hai.” – (Surah-e-Ra’ad, ayah 7)

"(O Prophet, surely, you are a warner and for every people there is a guide)".

Sa`labi writes in his tafseer on the authority of Abdullah ibn Abbas that when this verse was revealed, the Prophet said that through Ali (AS), Muslims will be guided. It has also been recorded by various authentic sources in other prominent books (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Mulla Jalaluddin Suyuti, Vol 4 Page 45, Ibn-e-Asakir)

And the holy prophet (pbuh) has said about Mawla Ali (A.S):
• “Ali is your guide and all of you are to come to me at the Hauz-e-Kausar…” (Ref: Kanz-ul-Ummal Vol2, p. 350)

And because of these parallels of Mawla Ali (A.S) with Ka’aba the holy prophet (pbuh) has also said to Mawla Ali (A.S) that:

• “Ali, the pride of your place is like that of House of Allah. People of themselves go to House of Allah; the House of Allah does not go after the people. So when I am no more, if these people of themselves, elect you as their Caliph, do become their Caliph. If they don’t approach you, never go to them so long as they themselves do not come up to you. ” (Ref: Usd-ul-Ghaba Vol 4 P 31, Kunooz-ul-Haqaique P 173)

With this beautiful couplet of Mirza Ghalib let us conclude the article:

“Ghalib nadeem-e-dost se aati hai boo-e-dost
Mashghool-e-Haqq hoon, bandagi-e-Bu Turab mein!”

 And may Allah accept our efforts and bless us, so let us pray to Allah in the words of Ibrahim (A.S): “Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing.” Aamin

Ayat-ul-Kubra

2011-02-28T04:10:00.000-08:00

As a child whenever I would come to Dholka, while still in a car I would invariably look for the minarets of Khan Masjid; a historic mosque in the town. These minarets were visible from the highway from a great distance and thus became a prominent landmark for all of us to know that Dholka had arrived. A mere sight of these minarets would make us forget the fatigue of the long journey and we would be filled with enthusiasm of meeting everybody.

The vast city of Mumbai can be represented in a magazine by showcasing just the picture of Gateway of India. Instead of Gateway of India if some other picture is used it would be really difficult as most of the people might fail to recognize it and hence may not relate it with Mumbai unless proper address along with lane number and area is mentioned along with the picture. Similarly Hyderabad can be represented by Charminar and Delhi by India Gate.

 These are the Most Prominent Landmarks of these large cities as each landmark has historical association with its respective city and has represented the city since centuries.

Allah (SWT) is Omnipotent, He is Omnipresent still we are unable to see Him. As the following ayah says:

•“Us ko aankhein dekh nahin sakti na duniya main na aakherat main aur Woh logo ki nazaron ko khoob dekhta hai aur Woh bada bareekbeen wakifkaar hai...” – ( Surah-e-Anam, ayah 103)

“(No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things.)”

It is not possible for mortals to see Him, neither in this world nor in hereafter. So how do we know about His existence? As the Holy Quran again says in the following ayah:

•“Usee ne do dariya bahae jo baham mil jaate hain, donon ke darmiyaan ek hud faasil aad hai jisse tajawiz nahin karte. To ae Jinn-o-Ins tum dono apne Parvardigar ki kaun kaunsi nemat ko jhootlaoge.” – (Surah-e-Rahman, ayah 19-20-21)

“(He has let free the two bodies of flowing water, meeting together: Between them is a Barrier which they do not transgress: Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?)”

Allah (SWT) reveals Himself to us through His creations. As the above ayah says all His creations are His Favours which He has bestowed upon us.

In Surah-e-Rehman after mentioning His Favours He has discussed the conditions of those who would reject them. And the following two ayahs further confirm their conditions:

•“Aur jin logon ne kufr ikhtiyaar kiya aur Hamari aayaton ko jhutlaya to wahi Jahannami aur hamesha Dozakh hi main pade rahenge.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 39)

“(But those who reject Faith and belie Our Signs, they shall be companions of the Fire; they shall abide therein.)”

•“Aur un logon ne qahar-e-Khuda ki taraf palta khaya ye sab iss sabab se hua ke woh log Khuda ki aayaton ka inkaar karte the.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 61)

“(They drew on themselves the wrath of Allah. This because they went on rejecting the Signs of Allah)”

Thus these Favours are the Signs of His Existence. He dislikes those who reject His Favours and they might incur Allah’s wrath in their life and He shall make them companions of Hell Fire after their death.

In the introductory section of this article we established that the manner in which the Gateway of India is a prominent landmark or the greatest sign that depicts the vastness of the city of Mumbai; similarly let us try to find out The Greatest Sign of Almighty Allah which truly depicts His Grandeur.

In order to understand this let us look at the historical journey – Meraj, of our Holy Prophet (pbuh) to the highest point. He (pbuh) began his holy journey escorted by Jibraeel (A.S) from the house of ‘Umm-e-Hani” on his steed al-Buraq.

The Traditions say that Jibraeel (A.S) who was escorting the Holy Prophet (pbuh) till Sidrat-ul-Muntaha was not permitted to go beyond it. It was only the Prophet (pbuh) who was elevated upto the highest horizons. Mentioning this journey the Holy Quran says in Surah-e-Najm:

•“Aur iss haal main ke wo Ufaq-e-Aala per hai. Phir kareeb ho aur aage badha. Phir do kamaan ka faasla rah gaya balke isse bhi kareeb tha. Khuda ne apne bande ki taraf jo wahi bheji so bheji”. – (Surah-e-Najm, ayah 7-10)

“(And he is in the highest part of the horizon. Then he drew near, then he bowed So he was the measure of two bows or closer still. And He revealed to His servant what He revealed.)”

The above ayahs narrate the journey of Rasool (SAW) to the highest horizon (Ufaq-e-Aala). When he reached there he drew closer than the measure of two bows. There are two things worth pondering upon. Firstly, who did he draw closer to as the ayah mentions? Could it be Jibraeel (A.S)? Reasoning says it cannot be him as he could not travel beyond Sidrat-ul-Muntaha. Secondly was it Allah? To think so too would be wrong as Allah is Omnipresent and He is not limited to a specific position. Also, in order to come closer to someone you need to see him, while Allah cannot be seen. Hence it was neither Allah nor Jibraeel (A.S). So who was the prophet (pbuh) coming closer to?

Also the ayah says that Allah (SWT) revealed ‘Wahi’ to Rasool (SAW). Normally whenever any ‘wahi’ was revealed to him it was always in the voice of Jibraeel (A.S), but since here Jibraeel (A.S) was not present then whose voice did Allah choose to reveal the wahi?

Further ayahs from the same Surah might help us in deriving some result:

•“To jo kuch unhonne dekha unke dil ne jhoot na jaana. To kya wo Rasool jo kuch dekhta hai tum log uss main jhagadte ho? Aur unhonne to uss ko ek baar aur dekha hai, Sidrat-ul-Munteha ke nazdeek. Ussi ke paas to rahne ki bahisht hai, jab chhaa raha tha sidra per jo chhaa raha tha. (Uss waqt bhi) unki aankh na to aur taraf maail hui aur na had se aage badhi. Aur unhonne yaqeenan apne Parvardigar ki Badi Badi Nishaniyan dekhi.” – (Surah-e-Najm, ayah 11-18)

“(The heart was not untrue in (making him see) what he saw. What! do you then dispute with him as to what he saw? And certainly he saw him in another descent, At the farthest lote-tree; Near which is the garden, the place to be resorted to. When that which covers covered the lote-tree; The eye did not turn aside, nor did it exceed the limit. Certainly he saw of The Greatest Signs of his Lord.)”

The above ayahs confirm that Rasool (SAW) saw someone which was definitely amongst The Greatest Signs of Allah.

All His creations are His Signs of Existence. And we Humans are the Best amongst His creations (Ashraf-ul-Makhlukaat). Thus the Greatest Sign which Rasool (SAW) saw at the highest horizon must be from the best of creations i.e. must be a human being. Again he should be much higher in stature and closer to Rasool (SAW) and Allah (SWT) than Jibraeel (A.S).

Since Allah (SWT) reveals Himself through His creations He must have surely revealed His Greatest Sign to this world. Let us then try to identify that.

When we look at the life of our holy prophet (pbuh) we find that he trusted Hazrat Ali (A.S) the most from amongst his companions. In every war Hazrat Ali (A.S) remained steadfast and was ready to lay his life for the sake of holy prophet (pbuh) and Allah (SWT).

Following are the rare distinctions which associate Hazrat Ali (A.S) to Allah which no other human being in the entire history had:

•His Name:

Ali is his name and so is the name of Allah

•His Birth:

He was born in Kaaba, the house of Allah. It was Friday 13th of Rajab 30 Amulfeel, Hazrat Fatima binte Asad (A. S), the wife of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) entered the precincts of the Kaaba. Ali (A.S) the youngest son of Abu Talib was born inside the Holy Kaaba. She stayed inside for three days. This incidence is well documented by many Islamic scholars and historians.

(Ref: Muhammad ibn Talha el-Shafei in Matalib-us-saool, page 11, Hakim in Mustadrak, page 483, Vol. III, El-Umari in Sharh Ainia, page 15, Halabi in Sira, page 165, Vol. I, Sibt ibn al-Jauzi in Tadhkera Khawasil Ummah, page 7, Ibn Sabbagh Maleki in Fusoolul Mohimma, page 14, Muhammad bin Yousuf Shafei in Kifayet al-Talib, page 261, Shablanji in Nurul Absar, page 76, Ibn Zahra in Ghiyathul Ikhtisar, page 97, Edvi in Nafhatul Qudsia, page 41, Mohaddith-e-Dehlvi in ‘Izalatul Kholafa’)

And Nuru’ddin Bin Sabbagh Maliki in his work documents birth of Hazrat Ali (A.S) in Ka’ba in following words:

•"No one before Ali was born in the Ka'ba. This was a distinction given to Ali in order to enhance his honor, rank, and dignity." (Ref: Nuru'd-din Bin Sabbagh Maliki in his Fusulu'l- Muhimma, Fasl I, p.14)

•His Help is Allah’s Help:

We would try to establish the above claim by referring few ayahs from the Holy Quran. Allah (SWT) says this to the holy prophet (SAW) in Surah-e-Bani Israel:

“Aur ye dua maanga karo ke Ae mere Parvardigaar mujhe jahan pahoncha achhi tarah pahoncha aur mujhe jahan se nikaal to achhi tarah se nikaal aur mujhe khaas apni bargaah se ek Sultan ataa farma jisse har qism ki madad pahonche.” – (Surah-e-Bani Israel, ayah 80)

“(Say: "O my Lord! Let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honour, and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honour; and grant me from Thy Presence an Authority to aid (me).")”

Allah (SWT) instructs Rasool (SAW) to ask for an Authority (Sultan-un-Naseera) who would help him in every way. It means that Allah (SWT) wanted to help Rasool (SAW) through someone who is the authority duly appointed by Allah, Himself.

Again the ayah from Anfal says:

“Ae Rasool (SAW) wohi to woh Khuda hai jis ne apni khaas madad aur momineen se tumhari taeed ki” – (Surah-e-Anfal, ayah 62)

“(He it is Who strengthened you with His help and with the believers)”

This help of a Believer (Momin) to Rasool (SAW) was actually the help from Allah (SWT) as confirmed by the above ayah.

As per the tradition of Abu Hureira, quoted by Ibn-e-Asakir, Rasool (SAW) has said that it is written on ‘arsh’ that there is no God but Allah, Mohammed (SAW) is My slave and My Rasool and I helped him through Ali. (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Vol 3, P 199, Mulla Jalaluddin Suyuti, Tarkih Ibn-e-Asakir, Zainul falli).

And how did He help Rasool (SAW) through Hazrat Ali? For this Allah (SWT) says:

“Aur Hum hi ne lohe ko naazil kiya jis ke zariye se sakht ladai aur logon ke bahot se nafa ki baatein hain aur taake Khuda dekh le ke be dekhe bhaale Khuda aur usske Rasoolon ki kaun madad karta hai, beshak Khuda bahot zabardast Ghalib hai.” – (Surah-e-Hadid, ayah 25)

“(And We sent down Iron, in which is (material for) mighty war, as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help, Unseen, Him and His messengers: For Allah is Full of Strength, Exalted in Might (and able to enforce His Will).”

Which was the iron sent down to help the holy prophet (pbuh) as mentioned in the above ayah? In the battlefield of Ohad, Jibraeel (A.S), the angel brought down the sword ‘Zulfiqar’ and presented it to Mawla Ali (A.S) by saying: ‘La fataah illa Ali La Saif illa Zulfiqar.’ (Zulfiqar is the only effective sword and Ali the unique champion) (Ref: Habib-al-Siyar; Rawdzat-al-Ahbab.)

Thus with Allah’s Sword in his hand during the battlefield of Ohad he became “Yadullah” (Allah’s hand). And looking at his valour and courage in the battlefield of Khaibar Rasool (SAW) bestowed on him the surname of "Sher-e-Khuda” (Lion of God). (Ref: Gibbon, D.& F. of Roman Empire Vol. V. p. 365).

Mir Ahmad Ali (1988) writes that Ali Ibn Abi Talib is known as mazhar al aja-ib and mazhar al ghara-ib because, as willed by Allah, he used to appear in different forms to carry out divine plans under very special circumstances. These two epithets are exclusively reserved for Ali. Even today the true believers invoke Allah to send him for help.

•His Soul:

Now let us look at the following ayah from Surah-e-Baqra:

“Aur logon main se Khuda ke bande kuch aise hai jo Khuda ki (khushnudi) haasil karne ki gharaz se apni jaan tak bech daalte hai aur Khuda aise bandon per bada hi shafkat wala hai.” – (Surah-e- Baqra, ayah 207)

“(And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Affectionate to the servants.)”

Imam Ghizali in his Tareekhe Khamees writes that the above ayah of Surah-e-Baqra was revealed mentioning this sacrifice of Mawla Ali (A.S) when he slept on the bed of Rasool (SAW) during the night of Hijrat.

Looking at Hazrat Ali (A.S)’s commitment to sacrifice his life and protect the Prophet (pbuh) of His religion; Allah (SWT) also granted Hazrat Ali (A.S) with divine status by purchasing his soul. He thus became ‘Nafsullah’ (Allah’s Soul).

•His Martyrdom:

Mentioning about his martyrdom, S Ockley writes in his famous work the ‘History of the Saracens’ that when Ali (A.S) was leaving his abode for his morning prayers, the household birds began making a great noise. And when seeing this one of the servants attempted to calm them Ali (A.S) said, "Leave them alone, for their cries are only lamentations foreboding my death."

He got martyrdom on the 21st of Ramzan. On 19th Ramzan during his morning prayers while Hazrat Ali (A.S) was in a state of prostration, Abdur Rahman Ibn Muljim (may Allah curse him) gave a blow of poisonous sword causing a deep wound on his head. He survived for two more days after that.

Thus all these events in his life showcase his proximity to Allah which is unique and no other individual had the same distinctions. That is why the holy prophet has said this about Hazrat Ali (A.S) that:

•“Amongst men it is Ali who knows Allah the best.” – (Ref: Selections from Kanz-ul-Ummal, Bahamash Al Masnad, Vol 5 P 32)

 Our reasoning on the basis of above mentioned proofs definitely indicates that beyond Sidrat-ul-Muntaha, on the highest horizon, it must be Mawla Ali (A.S) whom Rasool (SAW) saw. He is surely the The Greatest Sign (Ayat-ul-Kubra) and Divine Proof of Allah (SWT).

In order to further substantiate our above-mentioned result let us contemplate on the following ayah from Surah-e-Ra’ad:

•“Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) kafir log kehte hai ke tum paighambar nahin ho to tum un se kehdo ke mere aur tumhare darmiyan meri risalat ki gawahi ke waste Khuda aur wo shakhs jis ko aasmani kitab ka ilm hai kafi hai.” – (Surah-e-Raad, Ayah 43)

(“Yet those who are disbelievers say: "You are not the apostle sent (by God)." Tell them: "God is sufficient as witness between me and you, and he who has knowledge of the Book."”)

When we observe the above ayah, it says that there are two witnesses to the apostleship of the holy Prophet (pbuh). First one is Allah (SWT) who is Omnipresent, the other witness is the one who has knowledge of the book. All the translators of Quran have invariably used the word ‘witness’ in their translation and the dictionary meaning suggests witness means: to see, hear or know by personal presence. And the other meaning which I found was ‘to be present as a spectator’.

Now the Meraj was one of the most important aspects of Rasool (SAW)’s risalat (apostleship) which is duly testified by Quran. It means that the witness of his apostleship needs to be present at the time of Meraj to testify as per the above ayah. Because if he is not present during Meraj how can he testify and thus it would be against the above ayah.

As per the Islamic scholars and historians the witness mentioned in the above ayah who has the complete knowledge of the book is Hazrat Ali (A.S). (Ref: Tafseer-e-Suyuti, Vol 4, P 69, Ahteyaj-e-Tabresi, Tafseer-e-Ayashi)

The following hadith of the holy Prophet (SAW) further throws some light on this as he says:

•“Ali is the divine proof from his Almighty and I am witness on it.” (Ref: Tarikh Ibn-e-Asakir, vol 43 P 220, Kareeb Minal lafaz fi Yanabe-ul-mowaddat, vol 1 P 293)

It seems that on the highest horizon then Rasool (SAW) became witness to Hazrat Ali (A.S) as being the “Greatest Sign of Allah (Ayat-ul-Kubra) while Mawla Ali (A.S) became witness to the ‘Greatest Journey of the Greatest Prophet to the Greatest Horizon”.

Narrating this Mir Ahmed Ali (1988) writes that when the Prophet (pbuh) returned from his heavenly journey, before he could relate his experiences, Ali (A.S) began giving him the minutest details of the journey, making it quite obvious that Ali (A.S) was with the Prophet (pbuh) throughout his journey.

In the earlier section of this article as per the ayah from Surah-e-Najm, we found that Allah (SWT) revealed His ‘wahi’ to the holy Prophet (pbuh) at the highest horizon in absence of Jibraeel (A.S) and we wondered whose voice it must be?
Faidh-al-Kashani in his famous book Kashful Ghummah narrates a tradition from Hazrat Umar that when the Prophet (pbuh) was asked as to what voice did Allah (SWT) speak to him during Meraj, the Prophet said:

“My Lord spoke to me with the voice of Ali Ibn Abi Talib and said, “O Ahmad! I am an Entity that is not like anything else. I cannot be compared to anything else and I know all the secrets of your heart. With the exception of Ali Ibn Abu Talib, you have no other close friend. Thus, I speak to you with the voice of Ali Ibn Abi Talib so that your heart will be at ease”

 We can thus infer that Allah (SWT) reveals Himself through His creations, all creations are His Signs and amongst them Hazrat Ali (A.S) is the Greatest Sign of Allah (SWT) sent down to help and protect His Greatest Prophet (pbuh) and His Greatest Religion.

With the help of ayah from Surah-e-Rahman and couple of more ayahs from Surah-e-Baqra we understood that Allah’s wrath is incurred upon those who reject His Signs and Favours. Let us now try to further substantiate this with few more ayahs. As the holy Quran says:

•“Aaj Maine tumhare din ko kaamil kardiya aur tum per apni ne’mat poori kardi aur tumhare iss Deen-e-Islam ko pasand kiya.” – (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 3)

“(This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.)

Commenting on the revelation of this ayah, most of the compilers have unanimously said that it was revealed after the holy Prophet (pbuh) announced ‘Man Kunto Mawla’ by holding the hand of Hazrat Ali (A.S) and indicating him to the gathering at Ghadeer-e-Khum.

(Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Jalalluddin Suyuti, V3, P 19, Tarikh by Khatib al Baghdadi, V8 P 290, 596, Yanabi-al-Mawaddah from Abu Hureira by Al-Qudoozi Al-Hanafi).

After this ayah was revealed the holy Prophet (pbuh) said:

•“Allah is Great on the perfection of religion, completion of bounties and Allah’s satisfaction with my messengership and Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a.s.)’s mastership after me.” – (Ref: Tirmizi, Nisaai, Hakim Neshapuri, Ahmad-e-Hanbal, Tabari)

There are couple of things which can be inferred from the above ayah. First is that Islam was perfected on the announcement of Man Kunto Mawla. And second is that Allah(SWT) did complete all His Favours on this announcement. Thus it can be said that Mawla Ali (A.S) is not only the ‘Greatest Sign of Allah’ but Allah’s Favours are incomplete without him.

And we have already seen that rejecting any of Allah’s Favour invoke His wrath. So what happens if “The Complete Favour’ is rejected? The Holy Quran confirms in the following manner:

•“Ek maangne wale ne kafiron ke liye ho kar rahne wale azaab ko maanga jisko koi taal nahin sakta jo Darje wale Khuda ki taraf se (hone wala) tha.” – (Surah-e-Meraj, ayah 1-3)

“(A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall- The Unbelievers, the which there is none to ward off,- (A Penalty) from Allah, Lord of the Ways of Ascent)”

Commenting on the revelation of above ayah Sala’bi writes in his tafseer that the news of Hazrat Ali (A.S.)’s appointment as master and leader by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) on divine command spread everywhere. A person named Haaris Ibn Noman Fehri came to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and said: “You asked us to give two witnesses (of divinity and messengership), we gave. You made prayers, Zakaat and Hajj obligatory upon us, we accepted. Now, you intend to appoint your cousin (Ali) as our master by announcing, “Of whomsoever I am his master, Ali is his master too.” Is this announcement from your side or on divine order?” The Messenger of Allah answered:

“I swear by Allah, except Whom there is no God, this command was certainly divine.”

On hearing this, Haaris stood up and walking towards his camel, grumbled, “O Allah, if this order is from your side, then punish me by raining stones upon me.” He had hardly completed his sentence, when a stone fell from the sky and crushed him to death. At this justice, the Qur’anic verse was revealed: “A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall.” (Ref: Tafseer-e-Sal’abi)

Thus the ayah explains that penalty befell the unbeliever who rejected Allah’s Favour i.e. rejected the leadership of Hazrat Ali (A.S).

I feel like mentioning here a beautiful couplet from a famous Qawwali:

“Shahe Mardaan Shere Yazdaan Quwwate Parwardigar
Lafata illah Ali (A.S) la Saif e illa Zulfiqar”

 And conclude that Hazrat Ali (A.S) is the Greatest Sign and The Greatest Favour of Allah (SWT) and hence Allah has concealed His bounties in the love for Hazrat Ali (A.S)while hatred towards Ali (A.S) invokes His wrath. So let us pray that May Allah give us enough strength to love Hazrat Ali (A.S) and remain thankful to Allah for His limitless Bounties and Favours. Aamin

Quran-e-Naatiq

2011-01-27T02:55:00.000-08:00

After enjoying my favourite songs and music for more than 2 years, recently I gifted the iPod to my children. Initially I was skeptical about my decision, as I felt that this technology based device may be difficult for them to handle and not easy to understand, but my doubts and skepticism proved wrong as within no time of having access to it, they uncovered many things in the iPod, which I could not do for 2 years when it was under my ownership.

While it was with me I perceived it as only a music player. When it moved in their hands it was now more than just a music player with Wi-Fi, games, social networking and chats.

Though less than half of my age and little education compared to mine; they could handle the iPod better than me as they have born in an era which is quite ahead in technology. And in that sense they have inherited the technology.

 The holy Quran is guidance, it is a cure and it is thus a complete book of knowledge. But when we recite it we fail to understand it thoroughly. Our worldly knowledge is not enough to understand the hidden meaning of the book as we are mere followers of the book and not the inheritors.

With this article let us then try to find out the true inheritors of Quran who have been bestowed upon with its complete knowledge.

Let me start with the following ayah from the holy Quran which shows us the way to be guided. It says:

•“Aur jo log uusule din main aqal se kaam nahin lete un hi logon per Khuda kufr ki gundgi daal deta hai.” – (Surah-e-Younus, ayah 100)

“(And He puts doubt in (the minds of) those who do not think.)”

The right approach is to think and contemplate on various religious issues to avoid being misguided. That is what Allah wishes and that is how Quran has informed us. And that is what we intend to do here.

If we ponder upon various ayahs, can we claim that we would always be guided? Let us again refer to the following ayah to understand this:

•“Ae Rasool (SAW) wohi wo Khuda hai jis ne tum per kitab naazil ki uss main ki ba’az aayatein to mohkam hain wahi amal karne ke liye asal buniyaad kitab hai aur kuch aayatein mutshaabe (gol gol jis ke ma’ani main se pehloo nikal sakte hai) pas jin logon ke dil main kaji hai wo unheen aayaton ke peeche pade rahte hai jo mutshaabe hai taake fasaad barpaa karein aur uss khayal se ke unhain apne matlab per dhal lein halaanke Khuda aur un logon ke siwa jo ilm main bade paye per faaiz hai un ka asli matlab koi nahin jaanta wo log yeh bhi kahte hain ke hum uss per imaan laye ye sab mohkam ho ya mutshaabe hamare Parvardigar ki taraf se hai aur aqal wale wahi samajhte hai.” – (Surah-e-Ale Imran, ayah 7)

“(He it is Who has revealed the Book to you; some of its verses are decisive, they are the basis of the Book, and others are allegorical; then as for those in whose hearts there is perversity they follow the part of it which is allegorical, seeking to mislead and seeking to give it (their own) interpretation. but none knows its interpretation except Allah, and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge say: We believe in it, it is all from our Lord; and none do mind except those having understanding.)”

The above ayah says that Quran has a mix of decisive and allegorical ayahs. The decisive ayahs are easy to understand and if we ponder upon and contemplate we may be able to reach the true meaning; while the allegorical ayahs are difficult to comprehend.

Quran further says in the above ayah that these allegorical ayahs are misused by miscreants to create unrest and propagate violence and thus mislead the Ummah.

Lastly the ayah says that the true meaning of these ayahs is only known by Allah (SWT) and His chosen one who are the true custodians of Allah’s wisdom.

Thus in order to have the better understanding of Quran then, I think we need to do the following things:

•Firstly, we need to contemplate and ponder upon the decisive ayahs and try to reach the true meaning.

•Secondly, since Allah (SWT) is the Most Merciful and Forgiving, His words thus propagate mercy and humanity and hence the interpretations of all allegorical ayahs, if presented to us in a manner that they are against the tenets of mercy and humanity; should be avoided and rejected out rightly. If we do this it would help the cause of Islam and humanity.

•Thirdly, we should strive to identify these custodians of Allah’s wisdom which are being referred in the above ayah.

So who are these custodians of wisdom? Has Quran hinted upon their presence? In this connection, we would see the following ayah:

•“Khuda ne jo apne fazal se tum logon ko Quran ataa farmaya hai uske rashk per jale jaate hai to uska kya ilaaj hai, Hum ne to Ibrahim (A. S) ki aulad ko kitab aur aqal ki baatein ataa farmayee hai aur un ko bahot badi sultanate bhi di.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 54)

“(Or do they envy the people for what Allah has given them of His grace? But indeed We have given to Ibrahim's children the Book and the wisdom, and We have given them a grand kingdom)”

As per the above ayah, these custodians of the holy Quran and Allah’s wisdom are from the descendants of Ibrahim (A.S) and they have been given a grand kingdom by the Almighty Allah. They are the inheritors of Quran while rest of the Ummah is the follower of the book.

Let us see one more ayah before we reach any conclusion:

•“Balke wo khuli aayatein un logon ke sinon main maujood hain jin ko ilm diya gaya hai aur siwaye zaalim logon ke Hamari aayaton ka inkaar koi bhi nahin karta.” – (Surah-e-Anqaboot, ayah 49)

“(In fact they are clear verses in the hearts of those who have been given knowledge; and none deny Our verses except the unjust.)”

When we relate the above two ayahs, we can understand that these custodians of knowledge are from the lineage of Ibrahim (A.S) having the verses of Quran in their hearts. It is their bosoms which are Allah’s safe to protect and secure the verses of Quran. Thus they are the protectors Quran and provide safety to Allah’s wisdom.

In this connection let us see few more ayahs:

•“Ae Rasool (SAW)) kya Hum ne tumhara sina (ilm se) kushada nahin kardiya? Zaroor kiya – Aur Hum ne tum per se wo bojh utaar diya jis ne tumhari kamar tod rakkhi thi – Aur tumhara zikr bhi buland kar diya” – (Surah-e-Ash-Sharh, ayah 1-2-3-4)

“(Did We not widen your bosom? And relieve you of the burden – Which had broken your back? And We have exalted your remembrance for you.)”

The holy Quran was revealed in the form of ‘wahi’ to the holy prophet (SAW). And as per the ayah it first found the bosom of our beloved prophet (SAW) to get itself stored. Again as per our above discussed inference the verses of Quran then moved to other custodians of knowledge from the lineage of Ibrahim (A.S).

The Quran which is owned by the Ummah is the copy of original Quran which was revealed to our holy prophet (pbuh). Everyone one of us gives utmost respect to this copy, we kiss it and keep it at the place which is duly purified so that Quran can be kept there. The cloth which is used to wrap the copy of Quran is also purified. The copy of the Quran which we own is printed in some ordinary press on papers made by people like us. Still because of the ayahs the papers become sacred and we don’t dare to show any kind of disrespect to these papers.

Two things need to be understood here from. First of all if we take so much care to purify the place where the copy of Quran needs to be kept; Allah (SWT) must have ensured that the original Quran must be revealed on the purest of bosoms, which is devoid of any kind of sin and filth. And when did Allah (SWT) purify it? When we look back at the birth of Adam (A.S) we find that he was created as a Khalifa of Allah (SWT), he did not require any prayers to reach to that position and years of prayers of angels were no match for him and they were asked to bow down to him and accept his supremacy.

Thus it means that all the prophets and the people who are chosen by Allah (SWT) are created at a different level from normal human beings. They are purified from their birth and they don’t require worldly matters to attain supremacy. This applies to our prophet (pbuh) as well since he was the leader of all prophets.

The second point is, when the man-made paper on which the ayahs are printed becomes so pious and pure, what happens to belongings of those who had the Quran in their bosoms? Would not the association of these things to their owners make them pure and worthy of respect as the paper on which ayahs are printed?

And Quran does support our claim in the following ayah from Surah-e-Yusuf:

•“Yeh mera kurta le jaao aur usko abbajaan ke chehre per daal dena ke woh phir beena ho jaaenge (dekhne lagenge) aur tum apne sab ladke baalon ko lekar mere paas chale aao.” – (Surah-e-Yusuf, ayah 93)

“(Take this my shirt and cast it on my father's face, he will (again) be able to see, and come to me with all your families.)”

It is because of the association of the shirt with Yusuf (A.S) that it gained the power of healing. When it was casted on the face of Yaqub (A.S) he regained his lost eye-sight.

During Meraj when the Prophet (pbuh) reached Sidrat-ul-Muntaha, Jibraeel (A.S) who was accompanying him till this point showed his inability to go ahead any further. He told the Prophet (pbuh) that if he took even a step forward he would burn. An angel of the stature of Jibraeel (A.S) could not go beyond a certain point, while Rasool (SAW) then went ahead on his own. It is also a well-known fact that he was wearing his sandals during Meraj. It is because of the association of the sandals with the feet of Rasool (SAW), they went ahead in Meraj to the point where even Jibraeel could not go without getting burnt.

During Jihad-e-Karbala, after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (A.S) while his beheaded body lay on the battlefield; the head chanted verses of the Holy Quran even as it was raised over arrows and marched across Damascus. It proves that he was amongst the chosen inheritors of the Quran with clear ayahs in his bosom and death could not separate the Quran from the Imam.

It was on the sands of Karbala that the blood of Imam Hussain (A.S) was shed; it is because of this association that the status of this sand got raised from Khak to Khak-e-Shifa.

For these reasons and many more Rasool (SAW) has said:

•"I am from Hussain and Hussain is from me" (Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, vol 6, P 307, Kanzul Ammal, vol 4, P 221, Masnad Ahmed, vol 4 P 972)

With the above mentioned inferences, It is proved that Mohammed wa Aale Mohammed are the chosen slaves of Allah (SWT) upon whom He bestowed His Knowledge and Grace. Let us now try to find out what are His instructions in understanding “Allegorical” ayahs which are difficult to understand by a common Muslim?

Thus Allah (SWT) instructs us in the following manner:

•“To agar tum log khud nahin jaante ho to ahl-e-zikr se pooch kar dekho.” – (Surah-e-Anbiya, ayah 7)

“(Ask the rememberancers (ahl-e-zikr), if you do not know)”

The above ayah says that if we don’t understand certain matters we need to ask Ahl-e-Zikr.

And Imam Sa’labi reports from the authority of Jabir Ibn-e-Abdullah Ansari in his Tafseer that when this ayah was revealed, Mawla Ali (A.S) said, “We are the rememberancers (ahl-e-zikr)”.

Further Mawla Ali (A.S) in one of his sermons in Nahj-ul-balagha says:

•“They (the opposers) have entered the oceans of disturbance and have taken to innovations instead of the Sunnah (the Prophet's holy deeds, utterances and his unspoken approvals), while the believers have sunk down, and the misguided and the liars are speaking. We are the near ones, companions, treasure holders and doors (to the Sunnah). Houses are not entered save through their doors. Whoever enters them from other than the door is called a thief.

The delicacies of the Qur'an are about them (Ahlu'l-bayt, the descendants of the Prophet) and they are the treasurers of Allah. When they speak they speak the truth, but when they keep quiet no one can speak unless they speak” (Ref: Sermon 153, Nah-jul-balagha)

Our inferences till now stand vindicated by the above ayah and Mawla Ali (A.S)’sermon that Mohammed wa Aale Mohammed (SAW) (Ahl-ul-bait) are the true treasurers of Allah (SWT) and Ahl-e-Zikr upon whom Allah has bestowed His knowledge and grace. They are the doors to the Sunnah. Hence the prophet (pbuh) emphasized on following them to follow his Sunnah with perfection.

Uptill now we have applied our understanding and in the light of various ayahs we have reached the conclusion that the Ahl-ul-bait are the chosen guardian of Allah’s treasures and wisdom and they are purified ones. Let us now see the specific ayah which further confirms our conclusion.

•“Ae Paighambar ki Ahl-ul-bait Khuda to buss yeh chahta hai ke tum ko har tarah ki burai se door rakkhe aur itna paak rakkhe jitna paak rakhne ka haq hai” - (Surah-e-Ahzab, Ayah 33)

(“Verily, Verily Allah intendeth but to keep off from you (every kind of) uncleanliness, O ye people of the House, and purify you with a thorough purification.”)

Most of the commentators have unanimously agreed that this ayah is revealed to showcase the ‘piety’ and purity of Ahl-ul-bait (Ref: Tafseer Dhur Mansoor, Mulla Jalaluddin Suyuti, Vol 5, P 198-199).

We may often feel that why so much to them? Why nobody else and only they who are purified? In order to understand this let us take an example. A physician advices people in matters of health and lawyers would give advice regarding legal matters. Now imagine if a physician is corrupt and his reputation is really bad, people may not like to visit him for health tips and may not consult him. They may fear that his advice may harm them. Similarly in case of a lawyer too.

When we appoint somebody for the accomplishment of an important task we appoint the most trusted of our people to execute. Ahl-ul-bait of Rasool (SAW) were custodians of Allah (SWT)’s knowledge and treasures. It is through them that Allah (SWT) has spread His knowledge. Thus it was mandatory on Allah (SWT) to make them pure and keep away from them any kind of uncleanliness.

Now let us take a slightly different approach in understanding the above-mentioned inference. For this we would see the following ayahs from Surah-e-Kahf. It is a conversation between Musa (A.S) and Khizr (A.S):

•“To jahan machhli chhodi thi dono ne Humare bandon main se ek khaas bande (Khizr) ko paya jisko Humne apni bargaah se Rehmat (Wilayat) ka hissa ataa kiya tha aur Hum ne use Ilm-e-Ladunni apne khaas ilm main se kuch sikhaya tha – Musa (A.S) ne un se (Khizr se) kaha kya aapki ijaazat hai ke main iss gharz se aap ke saath saath rahoon ke jo rahnumai ka ilm aapko Khuda ki taraf se sikhaya gaya hai uss mein se kuch mujhe bhi sikha deejye. Khizr ne kaha main sikha to doon magar aap se mere saath sabr na hoga” – (Surah-e-Kahf, ayah 65-66-67)

“(So they found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge (ilm-e-Ladunni) from Our own Presence. Moses said to him: "May I follow thee, on the footing that thou teach me something of the (Higher) Truth which thou hast been taught?" (The other) said: "Verily thou wilt not be able to have patience with me!")”

The above ayah talks about the incident of Musa (A.S)’s meeting with Khizr (A.S). We know that after the meeting he started following Khizr (A.S) and on 3 different occasions he could not hold himself and thus could not keep the promise made to Khizr (A.S) and had to depart ways there from.

When we reflect on the above ayah, we find that Khizr (A. S) was bestowed upon with a little part of ilm-e-Ladunni and some part of Allah’s Mercy. This guided him and gave him the vision to see what was going to happen. He could envisage the future. Musa (A.S) was not part of this knowledge and hence could not foresee what was going to happen and became impatient.

Let us now take one more ayah and reflect on it in the light of above ayahs:

•“Aur ae Rasool (SAW) kafir log kehte hai ke tum paighambar nahin ho to tum un se kehdo ke mere aur tumhare darmiyan meri risalat ki gawahi ke waaste Khuda aur wo shakhs jis ke paas aasmani kitab ka ilm hai kaafi hai.” – (Surah-e-Ra’ad, ayah 43)

(“Yet those who are disbelievers say: "You are not the apostle sent (by God)." Tell them: "God is sufficient as witness between me and you, and he who has knowledge of the Book."”)

Two important results can be derived from the above ayah. There is a witness for Rasool (SAW)’s apostleship who is the most trusted by the Almighty Allah as Allah (SWT) has appointed him as a witness and the other result is that this witness has been bestowed upon with the entire knowledge of the holy book.

The person who has been given “Knowledge” of holy book is definitely Mawla Ali (Ref: Tafseer-e-Suyuti, Vol 4, P 69, Ahteyaj-e-Tabresi, Tafseer-e-Ayashi). Thus Mawla Ali (A.S) is the trusted witness to Rasool (SAW)’s apostleship who is bestowed upon the entire knowledge of the holy book.

From the ayahs of Surah-e-Kahf we found out that Khizr (A.S) was bestowed upon a part of Allah’s mercy and part of ilm-e-Ladunni and this guided him to right decisions. And this knowledge gave him vision to foresee the future.

Our holy prophet (pbuh) is mercy to the worlds and Mawla Ali (A.S) has been given the entire knowledge then imagine what would have been their conduct? What would be the level of their vision? Can’t we say that they could foresee what was going to happen then and act accordingly? Would not each step they took be well guided and on the right path?

Getting back to the example of the physician and the lawyer, let us again try to understand the above mentioned point. A good physician has the knowledge related to health; hence he would not take a step which is unhealthy. His every move would be for the betterment of his health. A lawyer has knowledge related to legal aspects and hence he would not take a step which is illegal.

Mawla Ali (A.S) had the knowledge of Allah’s book. Hence his every step would be as per the book and Allah’s wish. This knowledge gave him the vision and guidance to follow Allah’s Will. This also explains why Allah talks about the piety of Ahl-ul-bait in Surah-e-Ahzab, ayah 33.

So if we wish to know Allah’s Will, we need to look at the lives of Ahl-ul-bait. We by ourselves may fail to understand Quran completely but we can always refer to their lives and teachings to understand it.

Quran further confirms in the below-mentioned ayah:

•“Phir Hum ne apne bandon main se khaas un ko Quran ka waris banaya jinhain (ahl samjhkar) muntakhab kiya kyonke bandon main se kuch to nafarmaani karke apni jaan par sitam dhaate hai aur kuch unmain se neki badi ke darmiyan hai aur un main se kuch log Khuda ke ikhtiyar se nekiyon main auron se goya sabqat legaye hai, yehi intikhaab-o-sabqat to Khuda ka bada fazal hai.” – (Surah-e-Fatir, ayah 32)

“(Then We have given the Book for inheritance to such of Our Servants as We have chosen: but there are among them some who wrong their own souls; some who follow a middle course; and some who are by Allah’s leave, foremost in good deeds; that is the highest Grace)”

The prophet (pbuh) has said this for Mawla Ali:

•“The Holy Quran has outward and inward meanings and Ali Ibne Abi Talib has the knowledge of both. (Ref: Hilyatul Awaliya, Abu Nu’aym, vol 1 P 65)

And Mawla Ali (A.S) says in his sermon in Nah-jul-balagha that:

•By Allah, I have knowledge of the conveyance of messages, fulfillment of promises and of entire expressions. We the people of the house (of the Prophet - Ahlu'l-bayt) possess the doors of wisdom and light of governance. Beware that the paths of religion are one and its highways are straight. He who follows them achieves (the aim) and secures (the objective). And he who stood away from it went astray and incurred repentance. (Ref: Sermon 119, Nah jul Balagha)

Mawla Ali (A.S) and rest of the 11 Imams are the inheritors of Allah’s book. We are the followers of the book and hence when we read the book we fail to understand certain ayahs which are allegorical, while Quran in their hands is entire knowledge. It reveals itself to them.

Whenever we see the land around us we find that it is being owned by one person or the other. And if it is unclaimed it is eventually owned by the government. It means that there is always somebody to take care of the land. Allah (SWT) created this earth and it has also appointed inheritors of this earth to take care of it. So let us try to find them.

In the following ayah Allah (SWT) says:
•“Aur be-shak Zaboor main Hum ne ba’d nasihat ke yeh likh diya tha ke (aakhir main) Mere naik bande zameen ke waaris ho jaaenge” – (Surah-e-Anbiya, ayah 105)

“(Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the Message (given to Moses): My servants the righteous, shall inherit the earth.")

In the Holy Scriptures prior to Quran, Allah did inform the world that at the end His righteous servants shall inherit the earth. It means that the earth would be ruled by those obedient and chosen servants of Allah.

There is similar reference even in Bible. As the Bible says:

•“And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.” (Ref: Genesis 17:20, The Bible, New International Version, NIV)

As per the above mentioned Genesis of Bible, Allah (SWT) promises Ibrahim (A.S) that there would be 12 rulers from the lineage of Ismail (A.S) and He would make them into a great nation.

Thus even in today’s edition of Bible there is a mention of 12 Imams from the lineage of Ismail (A.S) who would be rulers. They are the inheritors of this earth. And that must be the reason that Rasool (SAW) often referred Mawla Ali (A.S) as ‘Abu Turab’.

Again Mawla Ali (A.S) says in Nahjulbalagha that:

•“Where are those who falsely and unjustly claimed that they are deeply versed in knowledge, as against us, although Allah raised us in position and kept them down, bestowed upon us knowledge but deprived them, and entered us (in the fortress of knowledge) but kept them out. With us guidance is to be sought and blindness (of misguidance) is to be changed into brightness. Surely Imams (divine leaders) will be from the Quraysh. They have been planted in this line through Hashim. It would not suit others nor would others be suitable as heads of affairs.” – (Ref: Sermon 143, Nahjul balagha)

The 12 Imams from Bani Hashim are the light of guidance and also the inheritor of this earth. The way Quran would reveal itself, even this earth would reveal its best form during the reign of 12th Imam when he comes out of occultation.

That is why during his lifetime the prophet (pbuh) on various occasions emphasized on the importance of understanding Quran through the guidance of Ahl-ul-bait. He had said in Hadith-e-Saqlain that:

•““I will soon be called away and will have to depart from you, but I leave amongst you two weighty things; the book of the High and Mighty Allah and my progeny. The Book of Allah is like a rope which extends from the heavens to the earth, and my progeny are the people of my house (Ahl-ul-bait). The Subtle and Aware (Allah) tells me that the two shall never part from each other until they come to me at the Pool. So, take care how you treat them after me.” (Ref: Musnad, Ahmed Ibn-e-Hambal, Part 3, P 26, Kanz-ul-Ummal, Part 1, P 47, Tirmizi, 5:328, Nisai 96:79, Ibn Atiyyah 1:34, Ibn-e-Hajar P 89)

The holy prophet (pbuh) has said that Quran and Ahl-ul-bait would never be separated and hence if we wish to be guided by Quran we need to follow Ahl-ul-bait.

So let me conclude with this couplet of Urdu shayri from Bedum Warsi:

“ ‘Bedum’ yahi to Paanch hai Maqsood-e-Kaenat,
Kherunnisa (A.S), Hussain o Hasan (A.S), Mustufa (SAW), Ali (A.S)”

And pray to Allah that “O our Lord! This is our humble effort in Your path to reach You. Accept it and guide us through Quran and Your chosen inheritors of the book and make us steadfast on the right path. Keep us away from things which You dislike the most and give us strength to follow whatever You wish so that we can make this world a better place. Bless us with success in this world and hereafter.” Aamin

Taazim-e-Rasool (SAW)

2011-01-05T04:15:00.000-08:00

I still remember as a school going kid, every morning, it was mandatory for all of us to stand-up and wish our teachers in class. In every school this is a tradition to show respect to the teachers who impart us knowledge and thus help us in making our lives better.

Whenever national anthem is played, it is again compulsory for us to stand-up and show respect for the country where we stay, as it is a constant source of our livelihood and much more. I read a story of a gentleman who forgot to stand up when national anthem was played in the multiplex and thus the newspaper wrote a spicy story on his misbehavior. It means that being disrespectful to the nation, even if by mistake, is such a big crime that it gets reported in a newspaper.

Again when a sportsman achieves something exceptional the audience gives him standing ovation to show respect for his work. Our parents and elders have nurtured our lives and contributed a lot in making our lives better and hence it is mandatory for us to show respect towards them.

 The inference which we can derive is that people are respected across the world, for their achievements, for their contribution, work and the knowledge.

In the history of Islam, there is no individual as great in stature as our beloved prophet (pbuh). It was his divine presence which gave us the Islamic teachings and guided us to the true path to salvation. So let us try to find out what are the Quranic instructions vis-à-vis our code of conduct towards the holy prophet (pbuh).

Let us start with mentioning few ayahs which were revealed to establish the credentials and stature of our holy prophet (pbuh).

•"Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) Hum ne tum ko tamam alamon ke liye rehmat hi karke bheja hai". – (Surah-e-Ambiya, ayah 107)

(“And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.”)

Allah (SWT) is the Most Merciful, while Rasool (SAW) is the mercy to the worlds. It means that without the consent of Rasool (SAW) Allah’s mercy would not be bestowed on anyone. Thus it can be inferred from the ayah that it would be because of intercession of Rasool (SAW) that his Ummah would be blessed by Allah’s mercy and forgiven. He is Rehmat-ulil-aalamin.

•“Aur raat ke khaas hisse main namaz-e-tahajjud padha karo ye sunnat tumhari khaas fazilat hai. Qareeb hai ke Qayamat ke din Khuda tumko maqam-e-Mehmood tak pahonchae”. – (Surah-e-Bani Israel, ayah 79)

“(And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you; may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqam-e-Mahmuda (a station of praise and glory i.e. the highest degree in Paradise!)”.

In the above ayah Allah (SWT) has promised Rasool (SAW) to raise him to the highest glory; a rare distinction and honour which was not given to anybody else before or after him. That is why he is “Habib-e-Khuda”. So if we wish to be loved by Allah (SWT) we need to love and obey the holy prophet (SAW).

•“Aur ye dua maanga karo ke Ae mere Parvardigaar mujhe jahan pahoncha achhi tarah pahoncha aur mujhe jahan se nikaal to achhi tarah se nikaal aur mujhe khaas apni bargaah se ek hukumat ataa farma jisse har qism ki madad pahonche.” – (Surah-e-Bani Israel, ayah 80)

“(And pray: "O my Lord, let my entry be with honour, and let my exit be with honour, and grant me power from You which would help (sustain) me.”)”

Allah (SWT) instructs the holy prophet to ask for divine power in his prayers. That is why he is referred as “Sarwar-e-Qaenat.” If we wish to gain access to divine power, we need to accept him as our lord and a leader.

Apart from the honour and above-mentioned rare credentials of our beloved prophet (pbuh), let us see few more ayahs which were revealed in praise of him. Let us listen to Allah (SWT) and see how He praises his prophet.

•‘Aur tumhare waaste yaqinan wo ajr hai jo kabhi khatam hi na hoga. Aur beshak tumhare akhlaaq bade a’ala darje ke hai. – (Surah-e-Qalam, ayah 3-4)

“(And most surely you shall have a reward never to be cut off. And indeed you possess an exemplary character.)”

Allah (SWT) praises the exemplary character of Rasool (SAW) and promised to reward him continuously. It means that if we follow the instructions given to us by the holy prophet (pbuh) we would also be rewarded continuously.

•“Aur Hum ne tum ko saba’ masaani (Surah-e-Hamd) aur Quran azeem ataa kiya hai.” - (Surah-e-Hijr, ayah 87)

“(We have given thee seven of the oft-repeated (verses) and the great Qur'an)”

•“Iss main shak nahin ke Khuda aur uske farishte paighambar (aur unki aal) per durood bhejte hai to ae imaandaro tum bhi durood bhejte raho aur baraabar salaam karte raho”. – (Surah-e-Ahzaab, ayah 56)

“(Surely Allah and His angels bless the Prophet; O you who believe! call for (Divine) blessings on him and salute him with a (becoming) salutation.)”

Surah-e-Hamd was revealed in praise of the holy prophet (pbuh) and Allah (SWT) also granted him with the holy Quran. Such is his greatness that Allah (SWT) and all His angels bless Him and instructs the believers to do the same.

There is a specific code of conduct everybody needs to follow while dealing with people who are more than us in stature and status. For example many a time on the road we have seen that if a car owned by a prominent government official is passing by, we are required to step aside and allow it to overtake us and proceed. This is a code of conduct we follow. So let us then try to find out the code of conduct which we need to follow while dealing with the greatest human being ever, the holy prophet (pbuh).

Let us take instructions from Quran and hence refer few ayahs.

•“Ae Rasool (SAW) jo log tumko hujron ke bahaar se awaaz dete hai unmain ke aksar be-aqal hain. Aur ye log itnaa ta’amul karte ki tum khud nikal kar unke paas aajaate (tab baat karte) to ye unke liye behtar tha.” – (Surah-e-Hujuraat, ayah 4-5)

“(Surely most of those who call out to you, (O Prophet), from behind the apartments, are devoid of understanding. If they were patient until you went out to them, that would have been better for them.)”

•“Ae Imaandaro jis tarah tum main se ek doosre ko (naam lekar) bulaya karte hai uss tarah aapas main Rasool (SAW) ka bulana na samjho Khuda unn logon ko khoob jaanta hai jo tum main se aankh bacha kar (Paighambar ke paas se) khisak jaate hai – to jo log uss ke hukm ki mukhalefat karte hai unko iss baat se darte rehna chahiye ki (mubada) un per koi musibat aa pade ya un per koi dardnaak azaab naazil ho.” – (Surah-e-Noor, ayah 63)

“(Do not hold the Apostle's calling (you) among you to be like your calling one to the other; Allah indeed knows those who steal away from among you, concealing themselves; therefore let those beware who go against his order lest a trial afflict them or there befall them a painful chastisement.)”

•“Ae Imaandaro Khuda aur uss ke Rasool (SAW) ke saamne kisi baat main aage na badh jaaya karo aur Khuda se darte raho beshak Khuda bada sunne wala wakifkaar hai.” – (Surah-e-Hujuraat, ayah 1)

“(O People who Believe! Do not advance ahead of Allah and His Noble Messenger, and fear Allah; indeed Allah is All Hearing, All Knowing.)”

The stature of Rasool (SAW) is very different from normal believer. As mentioned in the above ayahs Allah detests those who advance ahead of him, who call his name and disobey him by leaving him concealing themselves. So whoever thinks he is like Rasool (SAW) in status is sadly mistaken and trial may afflict him for his misbehaviour.

Uptill now we saw the clear instructions of what we should not do while dealing with our holy prophet (pbuh). Now let us see what instructions Quran gives on what we should do while dealing with the holy prophet (pbuh).

•“Sacche Imaandar to sirf wo log hain jo Khuda aur uss ke Rasool (SAW) per imaan laaye aur jab kisi aise kaam ke liye jisme logon ke jama hone ki zaroorat hai – Rasool (SAW) ke paas hote hain jab tak uss se ijazat na le li na gaye. (Ae Rasool (SAW)) jo log tum se (har baat main) ijazat le lete hai wahi log (dil se) Khuda aur uss ke Rasool (SAW) per imaan laye hain. To jab ye log apne kisi kaam ke liye tum se ijazat maange to tum unn main se jis ko (munasib khayal kar ke) chaho ijazat de diya karo aur Khuda se uss ki bakhshish ki dua bhi karo beshak Khuda bada bakhsh ne wala maherbaan hai.” – (Surah-e-Noor, ayah 62)

“(Only those are believers who believe in Allah and His Apostle, and when they are with him on a momentous affair they go not away until they have asked his permission; surely; so when they ask your permission for some affair of theirs, give permission to whom you please of them and ask forgiveness for them from Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.)”

The above ayah clarifies that Allah likes those people who take permissions from the prophet (pbuh). It was easier for believers to take permission while he was amongst them, in today’s context we need to follow whatever he has given us. Because if we do this it would be as if we have taken his permission and if we take his permission as per the above ayah we all would be forgiven.

Let us see few more ayahs in this context:
•“Jo log Hamare ummi paighambar ke qadam ba qadam chalte hai jis ki bashaarat ko apne haan Taureit aur Injeel main likha hua paate hain wo nabi jo achhe kaam ka hukm deta hai aur bure kaam se rokta hai aur jo paak wa paakizah cheezein to un per halaal aur napaak gundi cheezein un per haraam kar deta hai aur wo sakhat ahkaam ka bojh jo unkee gardan per tha aur wo phande jo un per pade hue the un se hataa deta hai, pas yaad rakho ke jo log uss nabi Mohammed (SAW) per imaan laaye aur us ski izzat ki aur uss ki madad ki aur uss noor ki pairvi ki jo uss ke saath naazil hua hai to yahi log apni dilli muradein paaenge.” – (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 157)

“(Those who follow the Apostle-Prophet, the Ummi, whom they find written down with them in the Taurat and the Injeel (who) enjoins them good and forbids them evil, and makes lawful to them the good things and makes unlawful to them impure things, and removes from them their burden and the shackles which were upon them; so (as for) those who believe in him and honor him and help him, and follow the light which has been sent down with him, these it is that are the successful.)”

As per the above ayah successful believers are those who not only believe in Allah, but also believe in the prophet (pbuh). Quran is the instructions and way of life, but only Quran is not sufficient, we are also required to follow the instructions given by the holy prophet (pbuh). That is the doctrine for success.

 From the worldly perspective it is understood that a person with higher authority has been given special privileges and power by the supreme authority of that specific department, which he needs to exercise above his subordinates so as to bring out the best result. Our holy prophet (pbuh) is the maximum authority over the ummah, as we just established vide various ayahs. Let us then try to find out what are the powers and privileges given to our beloved prophet (pbuh) by the Supreme Authority, Allah (SWT).

•“Ae Rasool (SAW) tum un ke maal ki zakaat lo aur uss ki badaulat un ko gunahon se paak saaf kardo aur unke waaste dua-e-khair karo kyunke tumhari dua un logon ke haq main itminaan ka baaes hai aur Khuda to sab kuch sunta aur jaanta hai.” – (Surah-e-Tauba, ayah 103)

“(Take alms out of their property, you would cleanse them and purify them thereby, and pray for them; surely your prayer is a relief to them; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing)”

•“Aura e Rasool (SAW) tum kehdo Parvardigaar Tu meri ummat ko bakhsh de aur taras kha aur Tu to sab rahem karnewalon se behtar hai. – (Surah-e-Momineen, ayah 118)

“(And say, (O Muhammad): "My Lord, forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of those that are merciful.")”

As per the above ayah, it is because of Rasool (SAW) that ummah would be cleaned and purified. And it would be because of his prayers that the ummah would be forgiven. It means he has been given the powers to purify us and forgive us.

Allah (SWT) is the most forgiving but unless the holy prophet (pbuh) prays for us we would not be forgiven. And he would only pray for our forgiveness if we follow him and love him and the people whom he loved the most.

Being respectful and obedient to the holy prophet (pbuh) is the recipe of success; we have logically understood this in the light of various ayahs. It can be inferred then that being disrespectful and disobedient to him is being unsuccessful in all the aspects. But let us prove this inference again in the light of few more ayahs.

Let us first see the ayah related to disobedience of Iblis the Satan vis-à-vis Aadam (A.S).

•“Aur uss waqt ko yaad karo jab Hum ne farishton se kaha ke Aadam (A.S) ko sajda karo to sab ke sab jhuk gaye magar Shaitan ne inkaar kiya aur ghuroor main aagaya aur kafir ho gaya.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 34)

“(Remember, when We asked the angels to bow in homage to Adam, they all bowed but Iblis, who disdained and turned insolent, and so became a disbeliever.)”

Here, in the above ayah Allah (SWT) says that Iblis became Satan as he did not bow down to Aadam (A.S). Allah (SWT) has also referred to Iblis as Kafir, though he always believed in oneness of Allah (SWT) and prayed to Him.

When we try to contemplate on the above ayah we would understand that Allah (SWT) does not like that somebody is being disrespectful to his chosen representative (Khalifa). Satan thought that he was much better than Aadam (A.S) and hence he lost everything.

One more thing, related to this incident, worth pondering upon is that Aadam (A.S) had just come into existence; there was no history of his credentials and prayers that would have convinced the angels about his supremacy. Still they had to follow the orders and bow down to Aadam (A.S) and accept his supremacy. It also means that people who are appointed by the Lord as His khalifa and representatives, they are so by birth and they are not dependent on worldly knowledge and prayers. Iblis failed to understand this and hence became a Kafir.

Now let us relate this with our holy prophet (pbuh). Quran has established his credentials of being mercy to the worlds, being raised to Maqaam-e-Mehmood and all the other ayahs which testified about his exemplary character and unique status. After all this if somebody still feels that he is as good as the holy prophet (pbuh), then in the light of above ayah and the incidence I think like Iblis he is risking his belief and faith. And God is his only saviour.

Let us see one more specific ayah in this respect.
•“Aur jab unn se kaha jaata hai ke aao Rasulallah (SAW) tumhare waaste maghferat ki dua karein to wo log apne sar pher lete hain aur tum un ko dekhoge ke takkabbur karte hue mooh pher lete hain, tum un ke liye maghferat ki dua maango ya na maango un ke haq main baraabar hai.” – (Surah-e-Munafequn, ayah 5-6)

“(And when it is said to them: Come, the Apostle of Allah will ask forgiveness for you, they turn back their heads and you may see them turning away while they are big with pride. It is alike to them whether you beg forgiveness for them or do not beg forgiveness for them; Allah will never forgive them; surely Allah does not guide the transgressing people.)”

Thus being disrespectful to the holy prophet (pbuh) is such a big crime that even the prayers of Rasool (SAW), who has been given all the rights and power vis-à-vis his ummah would not save the culprit let alone his own prayers.

 So if we come across such a person who in the garb of guiding us to the right path is being disrespectful to our beloved prophet (pbuh), he is the one who is the most misguided. Whatever may be his prayers and knowledge and however impressive he seems, we need to guard ourselves lest we may be misguided by him. We should remember that Iblis before becoming Satan was tutor of all the angels and had unique position amongst them.

In English language there is a very prominent idiom “Action speaks louder than words.” It means that whatever people do is more important than what they say. People can promise many things but if they fail to deliver, they have actually not done anything worthwhile. While on the other hand without any tall claims if you continuously deliver, your work would speak about you.

During the formative years of our holy prophet (pbuh) and the initial years of Islam, it was the constant help and support of Abu Talib (A.S) that made things comfortable for him. Abu Talib (A.S) was not an ordinary person in the history of Islam. He rendered great sacrifices during his lifetime to protect the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his mission. Ibn Abil-Hadeed, a prominent Islamic scholar writes “If Abu Talib and his son Ali were not there, the religion of Islam would not have been successful. Abu Talib supported and protected the Holy Prophet (SAW) in Makkah and his son Ali (A.S) dived in the whirlpools of death in Yathrib for him.”

Abu Talib (A.S)’s action spoke a lot about his commitment, love and will to sacrifice for the sake of holy prophet (SAW) and Islam.

Thus the holy Quran says:
•“Jis ne Rasool (SAW) ki ita’at ki to uss ne Khuda ki ita’at ki aur jis ne roogardani ki to tum kuch khayal na karo kyunke Hum ne tumko kuch paasbaan muqarar kar ke to bheja nahin hai.” – (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 80)

“(Whoever obeys the Apostle, he indeed obeys Allah, and whoever turns back, so We have not sent you as a keeper over them)”

With helping and supporting the holy prophet (pbuh), Abu Talib (A.S) and Mawla Ali (A.S) helped the cause of Allah (SWT) and this was then taken forward by holy Imams like Imam Hussain (A.S) in Karbala and later on other Imams from his lineage.
Now let us consider what we would get in bargain if we obey our prophet (pbuh)?

Holy Quran says in the following ayah:
•“Ae Imaandaro Khuda se daro aur uss ke Rasool (Mohammed (SAW)) per imaan laao to Khuda tum ko apni rehmat ke do hisse ajr ataa farmaega aur tum ko aisa noor inayat farmaega jis ki roshni main tum chalo ge aur tumko bakhshish bhi dega aur Khuda to bada Bakhshne wala Maherbaan hai.” – (Surah-e-Hadeed, ayah 28)

“(O ye that believe! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger, and He will bestow on you a double portion of His Mercy: He will provide for you a Light by which ye shall walk (straight in your path), and He will forgive you (your past): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful

There are limitless gains which we might get if we obey our prophet (pbuh). We would be bestowed by double portion of Allah’s mercy and all our sins would be forgiven. But the question is what is the right way of obeying our prophet (pbuh), who would guide us in doing so?

Mawla Ali (A.S) and his household have shown us the way in which we can obey the prophet (pbuh) in the best possible manner. Hence, merely claiming that we love Rasool (SAW) and respect him is not enough, if we really wish to respect our prophet(pbuh) we need to follow the example set by Mawla Ali (A.S) and his household. And if we do this we are successful in true sense.

At this point I feel like mentioning the couplet from famous qawwali ‘Shiwa Jawabe Shikwa’ written by Allama Iqbal:

“Ki Muhammad say wafa tunay, tou hum teray hain, Yeh Jahan cheez hai kya Loho Kalam teray hain”

 And there is a beautiful prayer written by Yousuf lalljee in his book “Stairway to Heaven”, so let me quote that prayer and pray for all of us.

‘O Beloved Prophet! You will always come first in our lives – and it is only through the Mercy of Allah that you were sent to us, and it is through you that we received Islam as our Religion – and it is through you that we have come to know your beloved Successor Hazrat Ali and your Ahl-ul-bait. We can never forget this obligation as long as we live for you left these Stars to guide us through the darkness of this world and thank you once again O our Beloved Prophet, and may Allah shower blessings on you and the Holy members of your Household. Aamin”

Crisis we face today

2010-12-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

First of all thank you very much for being so encouraging about my efforts so far. I take this opportunity to present my views, thoughts and hence the perspective of the crisis which are facing as Muslims today.

Today, definitely our religion is the most hated one in this world and being a Muslim it hurts more and we feel sorry for the fellow Muslim who has to go through all this now. Having said that I would also like to add here that most of the problems which we face are self-invited as we have never bothered to look deep into our religion and understand the philosophy well.

This humiliation is because the religion which we received through the presence of holy prophet is not the religion which is being followed everywhere. There is a huge gap between what was given and what the ummah has taken. We never bother to read the holy Quran and ponder upon the ayahs. In order to understand the philosophy in fact most of the Muslims, and for that matter, even the educated Muslims are dependent on Maulvis and clerics.

Muslims today want to follow the religion to perfection, but because of lack of guidance they don’t have the understanding. This I believe is the root cause of terrorism, as clerics or a maulvis can easily make them their prey and misguide the youth through distorting and misrepresenting the verses of Quran, the way it happened at Hotel Taj in Mumbai, where the terrorist was a young boy of 17. This does not mean that one should not read it and ponder upon the ayahs. In fact I feel that if we strive on our own and try to read and ponder upon the ayahs we can develop the understanding and guide youth of the Muslim world. That would be a great service.

Yes, we claim that we love the holy prophet, but our actions speak otherwise. We have chosen the wrong leaders who misguide ummah and that makes things even worst. If we compare ourselves with the rest of the world, we would find that Muslims, no matter in which part of the world, want to practice their religion well. That is our faith and I think it should be that way. But in the process if we are misguided, then even if we don’t wish we could do more harm than good. In such a case a good religious awakening is the need of the hour.

The word Jihad has been used in Quran for 44 times, and it means striving but which is always misunderstood and misrepresented. The best example of Jihad was given by the household of holy prophet when Imam Husain (A. S) was martyred in Karbala. It gives the lesson of patience, love and compassion. In his army there were Hindu Brahmins (Ref:“The Vision of India”, Historian Sisir Kumar Mitra, P 183) and even Christian who lost their lives protecting the religion. This gives the message of humanity and universal brotherhood. But again nobody knows this and the worst part is that Muslims have reduced Karbala as a political war.

How I hope that Muslims understand what Jihad means by reading more about Karbala and that way many would be saved from getting astray.

Our holy prophet (pbuh) has said that for the sake of education go as far as China if needed. He also said that he is the city of knowledge and Ali is the gate. Thus he has shown the importance of gaining knowledge but the saddest part of our religion is the people have forgotten this and Talibans have got all the power to destroy schools which imparts knowledge to girls. Yes, Talibans are the problem, if we educate the youth in understanding what the holy prophet (pbuh) and Ali (pbuh) has said we may create some difference here.

The household of prophet (pbuh) is the knowledge centre so if we follow their teachings we can make our world a much better place and hereafter would also be good. Yes I agree that want for a good hereafter in isolation without working for a successful and meaningful world is a wishful thinking. If we understand the religion from the right source we can do well for our both the worlds.

The problems which the Muslim world is facing today like Feudalism, Child abuse, atrocities towards girls and more, were prevalent in Arab world in the pre-Islamic era; In fact the religion was revealed to fight this menace out of the society. We feel really sorry that we have not imbibed the true teachings of religion i.e. Quran and Sunnah and we are merely claiming that we love prophet (pbuh). If we really love him things would change in the Muslim world.

The problem of corruption and bad governance is prevalent everywhere in Muslim world. And it is an irony that a UN Secretary had shown us, the Muslim world, how the good governance can be conducted by citing Hazrat Ali (A.S) words. Mr. Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary has said ‘The words of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, “O Malik! The people are either brothers in religion or your equal in creation” must be adhered to by organizations and it is a statement that all humanity must embrace.’

In fact UN Legal committee members voted that the order of Hazrat Ali (A.S) to Malik al Ashtar (Ref: NahjulBalagha, letter 53) should be considered as one of the sources of International Law.

My idea of this series of articles is to bring in-front, with logical reasoning and authentic hadiths, the true meaning of the book. I know that people might agree might not agree with whatever I am saying. But if I am able to inspire them to start pondering over the teachings and ayahs; I think a good awakening can be created. I feel that Islam cannot be removed from the heart of a Muslim and hence it is important for him to understand the religious philosophy well, failing which we might prove Mr.George Bernard Shaw right as he has famously said “Islam is the best religion but the Muslims are its worst followers.”

Hubb-e-Ali

2010-11-30T07:36:00.000-08:00

It requires just one good spell of rains to change the otherwise pale and dull environment into a lush green one. One is motivated to go for a long drive and enjoy the beauty around.

On one such day I decided to take a drive along the nearby highway and enjoy the scenic beauty. I found many agriculture fields full of greenery but I also found certain fields which were not as green as the others. There were also some non yielding patches of land.

In a discussion with an agriculturist friend of mine I learnt that there are 3 categories of land.
• A fertile land has the ability to cultivate crops on its own. It just requires water to harvest the crop.
• A semi-fertile land needs soil treatment based on the characteristics of the soil along with water and once it is treated it can become fertile.
• A non-fertile land is full of rocks and sand and whatever treatment you do on it, it would not yield any harvest.

This explains that though the same amount of rain was received; the land behaved differently based on its own ability.

We have received the philosophy of Islam through the holy presence of Rasool (SAW) and The Holy Quran. The same message was conveyed to all but still based on personal abilities each one has a different understanding and a different level of faith. Like a fertile land whether we have the ability to harvest the crop of faith within us needs to be understood? We would thus refer the holy book in this regard.
Let me refer the following ayahs from the holy Quran:

•“Aur tum teen giroh ho jaaoge. Pas daayein taraf waale kya kehne daayein taraf walon ke. Aur baayein taraf waale phoot gaye naseeb unke baayein taraf waalon ke. Aur aage badhne waale wo to aage hi badhne waale hain.” – (Surah-e- Waaqia, ayah 7-8-9-10)

“(And you shall be three sorts. Then (as to) the companions of the right hand; how happy are the companions of the right hand! And (as to) the companions of the left hand; how wretched are the companions of the left hand! And the foremost are the foremost.)”

The above ayah divides people into 3 different categories based on their level of faith; the companions of the right hand, the companions of the left hand and the foremost. The ayah further says that the companions of the right hand would remain happy while the foremost are the people who would remain ahead of everybody else. They are ahead in faith and conduct. They have a fertile heart which nurtures the harvest of faith.

With reference to the above ayah, Allama Ibn-e-Marduiya has quoted a tradition from Ibn-e-Abbas and according to it ‘the foremost’ are Yousha bin Nuon, Momin Aal-e-Yaseen and Ali Ibn-e-Abu Talib (A.S) and amongst them Ali (A.S) is the best. (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Vol 6, P 154).

Imam Fakhruddin Razi has mentioned a similar tradition in his Tafseer-e-Kabeer that mentions Mawla Ali as the best amongst ‘the foremost’. And that is why Rasool (SAW) has often referred to Mawla Ali (A.S) as Kull-e-Imaan (Complete in faith).

In order to understand the faith and conduct of Mawla Ali, let us look at the battle of Ohad. On the 7th of Shawwal 3 A.H, Rasool (SAW) reached Ohad. Here, the Meccan forces were ready to advance for the battle. The ring wing of the cavalry was led by Khalid bin Walid. In the fierce battle around nine or ten standard bearers were slain by Mawal Ali (A.S)’s sword.

Mawla Ali (A.S) along with Muslim champions like Abu Dajana’ Mos’ab b. Omeir and Sahel b. Honeif then broke the ranks of the enemy and gained their camp. This made the enemies flee. But the eagerness of Muslims for spoil turned the tide of victory. The archers deserted the post and thus gave Khalid bin Walid ample opportunity to strike back. In this attack Mos’ab b Omeir, the champion warrior, who bore great resemblance to Mohammed (SAW) fell dead. Taking advantage of this Ibn-e-Soraqa proclaimed aloud that Mohammed (SAW) was slain. Most of the Muslims including many of the companions of Rasool (SAW) took to flight and deserted him.

In the following ayah from Surah-e-Aal-e-Imran, Allah (SWT) has mentioned the flight of Muslims from the battlefield of Ohad.

•“(Musalmanon tum) uss waqt ko yaad karke sharmao jab tum (badhawaas) bhaage pahad per chale jaate the. Pas (choonke) Rasool (SAW) ko tum ne (aazurda) kiya Khuda ne bhi tum ko (iss) ranj ki sazaa main (shikast ka) ranj diya taaki jab kabhi tumhari koi cheez haath se jaati rahe ya koi musibat pade to tum ranj na karo aur sabr karna sikho aur jo kuch tum karte ho Khuda uss se khabardaar hai.” – (Surah-e-Aal-e-Imran, ayah 153)

“(Remember, as you were rushing up (the hill) without turning back to look, though the Prophet was calling you from the rear, He requited you with anguish for an anguish that you do not fret for missed opportunity and what befell you, for God is aware of all that you do.)”

This ayah clearly addresses to those people who deserted Rasool (SAW) and fled from the battlefield. It was Mawla Ali (A.S) alone who stood with him and helped him. Rasool (SAW) then inquired as to why did he not flee with others, to which Ali replied that he belonged to the prophet (pbuh) and had no business with others and he being a believer would not like to turn a disbeliever or an infidel by resorting to flight.

Again in the following ayah The Quran says:

•“Aur Yeh (ittefaqi shikast issliye thi) taaki Khuda sacche imaandaron ko zaahiri muslamanon se alag dekhle aur tum main se baaz ko darja-e-shahadat per faayaz kare aur Khuda (hukm-e-Rasool (SAW) se) sartaabi karne walon ko dost nahin rakhta. Aur ye (bhi manzoor tha) ke sacche imaandaron ko (saabit kadmi ki wajah se) nira khara alag karle aur naafarmaanon (bhaagne walon) ka matiya mait kar de.” – (Surah-e-Aal-e-Imran, ayah 140-141)

“(And that Allah may know those who believe and take witnesses from among you; and Allah does not love the unjust. And that He may purge those who believe and deprive the unbelievers of blessings)”

Here, in the above ayah Allah (SWT) has clarified that the defeat of the battle of Ohad was to differentiate between a believer from a non-believer. By remaining steadfast on the battlefield, Mawla Ali (A.S) remained a believer during the testing time and proved that he is Kull-e-Imaan in a true sense which Quran testifies.

Mawla Ali (A.S)’s steadfastness, courage and commitment to Rasool (SAW) was appreciated by Allah (SWT) as in this very battlefield ‘Zulfiqaar’, the sword was sent down for Mawla Ali (A.S). The holy Quran refers to this in the following manner:

•“Aur Hum hi ne lohe ko naazil kiya jis ke zariye se sakht ladai aur logon ke bahot se nafa ki baatein hain aur taake Khuda dekh le ke be dekhe bhaale Khuda aur usske Rasoolon ki kaun madad karta hai, beshak Khuda bahot zabardast Ghalib hai.” – (Surah-e-Hadid, ayah 25)

“(And We sent down Iron, in which is (material for) mighty war, as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help, Unseen, Him and His messengers: For Allah is Full of Strength, Exalted in Might (and able to enforce His Will).”

The above ayah refers to a specific Iron which was sent down. In the battlefield of Ohad, Gabriel, the angel brought down the sword ‘Zulfiqar’ and presented it to Mawla Ali (A.S) by saying: ‘La fataah illa Ali La Saif illa Zulfiqar.’ (Zulfiqar is the only effective sword and Ali the unique champion). Allah (SWT) thus gave Ali (A.S) the sword and made him the leader of His army.

In order to validate the above result let me quote the following ayahs from Surah-e-Maida:

•“Ae Imaandaro tumhare malik sarparast to buss yehi hain Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur woh momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai. Aur jisne Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) aur unhi Imaadaro ko apna sarparast banaya to Khuda ke lashkar main aagaya aur issme shak nahin ke Khuda hi ka lashkar ghalib rehta hai.” – (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 55-56)

“(Verily your leader is only Allah and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish worship and pay the poor-rate while they bow down in ruku. And whoever takes Allah and His apostle and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant.)”

Here, the believer who pays the poor-rate while bowing down in ruku is Mawla Ali. The ayah is referring to the incident where he gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in the ‘ruku’. (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljam’a Bain-ul-Sihah-ul-Sittah, Sa’labi).

Thus it is clear that the leader of believers is none but Mawla Ali (A.S) as seen on various occasions. And it was Mawla Ali (A.S) alone for whom Allah (SWT) sent down the sword and appointed him as Amir-ul-Momineen.

Are there any more references of Mawla Ali’s faith and commitment apart from the holy wars in the Holy Quran? Let us see the following ayah for this purpose:

•“Aur logon main se Khuda ke bande kuch aise hain jo Khuda ki (khushnudi) haasil karne ki gharaz se apni jaan tak bech daalte hain aur Khuda aise bandon per bada hi shafqat wala hai.” – (Surah-e- Baqra, ayah 207)

“(And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Affectionate to the servants.)”

The above ayah mentions the event of Hijrat when Mawla Ali (A.S) slept on the bed of Rasool (SAW) during the night. The situation was dangerous and Rasool (SAW) had planned to go to Yasreb. He asked Mawla Ali (A.S) if he would sleep on his bed covering himself with his cloak.

Unlike any other person who would have been concerned about his own safety, Mawla Ali (A.S) inquired if this act would insure the safety of Rasool (SAW)’s life. When Rasool (SAW) answered in the positive Mawla Ali (A.S) thanked Allah and slept on the bed of the holy prophet (pbuh) covering himself with his cloak. Thus he was ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of Rasool (SAW) and hence he sold his soul to Allah (SWT).

Imam Husain (A.S), son of Mawla Ali (A.S) was praying for forgiveness of Umah of Rasool (SAW) rather than safety of his own household even as he offered his last ‘sajda’ on the day of Ashura. We have seen in the holy Quran that Allah (SWT) promised safety to His prophets and their households from atrocities; thus Nuh (A.S) prayed to Allah (SWT) to save his son and Yaqub (A.S) constantly prayed for the safety of Yusuf (A.S), but here Imam Husain (A.S) had submitted himself to the Will of Allah in a manner that surpassed the manner of the prophets.

Thus Mawla Ali and his household displayed a different level of faith and willingness to submit themselves to Allah’s Will.

It was 18th Zil Hajj, 10 A.H at Ghadir-e-Khum, the point on the journey from which the various pilgrims would disperse to their respective destinations, after performing his last pilgrimage Rasool (SAW) called all the pilgrims for one huge assemblage here. He instructed Salman (R.A) and other companions to make a pulpit of rocks and he then sat on the ‘mimber’ thus created. In front of this gathering he declared Mawla Ali (A.S) as his successor and announced “Man Kunto Mawla fa hazaa Ali un-Mawla”. (Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, V2, P298, Bukhari, V5, Book 59).

At this point Allah sent down the following ayah:

•“Aaj Maine tumhare din ko kaamil kardiya aur tum per apni ne’mat poori kardi aur tumhare iss Deen-e-Islam ko pasand kiya.” – (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 3)

“(This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.)

It has been mentioned by compilers that this ayah was revealed after the announcement of “Man Kunto Mawla” at Ghadir-e-Khum. (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Jalalluddin Suyuti, V3, P 19, Tarikh by Khatib al Baghdadi, V8 P 290, 596, Yanabi-al-Mawaddah from Abu Hureira by Al-Qudoozi Al-Hanafi).

This was the revelation of commencement of Imamate in the house of Ahl-ul-bait. Thus it can be inferred that by acknowledging Mawla Ali (A.S) as the successor of Rasool (SAW) and our Imam, our religion is perfected failing which we are at a risk of getting an imperfect religion.

If we see the life of Mawla Ali (A. S) during Rasool (SAW)’s time we would find that Allah (SWT) did test him on various occasions be it holy wars or Rasool (SAW)’s bed on the night of Hijrat. After proving to the world his steadfastness and submission to Divine Will, Allah sent down the sword, made him the ‘Commander of Faithfuls’ and ‘Imam-e-Muttaqeen’ and perfected the religion on these acknowledgments.

It seems then that Allah (SWT) has made it mandatory for the Umah of Rasool (SAW) to acknowledge the status and stature of Mawla Ali to be a true-believer. Let us see the following ayahs for confirmation on the above inference:

•“To Jab farishte un ki jaan nikalenge uss waqt un ka kya haal hoga ke unke chehron per aur unki pusht per maarte jayenge. Ye iss sabab se ke jin cheezon se Khuda na khush hai uss ki to yeh log pairvi karte hai aur jis main Khuda ki khushi hai uss se bezar hain to Khuda ne bhi un ki karastaniyon ko akaarat kar diya” – (Surah-e-Mohammad, ayah 27-28)

“(So how (dreadful) will it be when the angels remove their souls, striking at their faces and their backs! This is because they followed the matter which displeases Allah, and they disliked what pleases Him – He therefore squandered away all their deeds.)”

Here, the above ayah is mentioning the state of a specific group of people on their death-bed. It would be a dreadful death for them as the angels would remove their souls by striking at their faces and backs, a rather scary and unfortunate thing.

The subsequent ayah further clarifies that since they disobeyed Allah by following whatever was disliked by Him and did not follow what pleased Him; they were meted with such a treatment.

While commenting on the above ayah Ibn-e-Marduiya and Ibn-e-Asaker have quoted a tradition from Abu Saeed Khudri that ‘Munafikeen’ would be recognized by their animosity for Mawla Ali (A.S). Also, Ibn-e-Masood has quoted a tradition that during the time of holy prophet (pbuh), we would identify a ‘Munafik’ due to his hatred for Mawla Ali (A.S). (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, vol 6, P 66).

Thus it is the dreadful state of ‘Munafik’ on his death-bed which above ayah mentions. He gets the treatment for his hatred and disloyalty to Mawla Ali, which displeases Allah. Their hearts are like the non-fertile land from which a crop of faith cannot be nurtured.

Let us see one more ayah related to death in Quran:

•“Yeh woh log hain jinki roohain farishte iss haalat main qabz karte hain ke woh (najaasat-e- kufr se) paak-o-pakizah hote hai to farishte unse (nihayat tapaak se) kehte hai salaam-un-alay kum jo naikiya duniya main tum karte the uss ke sile main Jannat main (be-takalluf) chale jao.” – (Surah-e-Nahl, ayah 32)

“(When the angels receive the souls of those who are blameless they will say: "Peace on you. Enter Paradise as recompense for what you did.)”

Now, when we contemplate on the above ayah, we would understand that there are the groups of people who are blameless and who would get the reward of Paradise on their death-bed. There is no long wait till the Day of Judgment for them to enter the comforts of Paradise and thus they are successful in true sense.

The ayah also mentions that they are rewarded for whatever they did in this world. That means that whatever they did Allah has liked and appreciated it. In the previous ayah from Surah-e-Mohammed we found out that It is hatred for Mawla Ali (A.S) that Allah dislikes the most. That means that Love for Mawla Ali (A.S) is the quality He likes the most.

That is why the holy Prophet (pbuh) has said this for Love for Mawla Ali (A.S):

•As per the order of God, I give these tidings that your friends will be rewarded in Heaven and your enemies are doomed for Hell.” - (Ref: Yanabi-al-Mowaddat (Bombay Edition, P 107)

 Thus Hub-e-Ali (Love for Mawla Ali) is the doctrine to be successful on the death-bed and get rewarded by the limitless bounties of Paradise then and there while animosity against Amir-ul-Momineen results in painful death and gloom of Hell.

Just as the semi-fertile land needs an appropriate treatment so that it becomes fertile, there is a section of people if well-guided, can have the fertile hearts which can nurture faith. Let us see few ayahs in this connection.

•“Tum kya achhe giroh ho ke logon ki hidayat ke waaste paida kiye gaye ho. Tum logon ko achhe kaam ka to hukm karte ho aur buray kaamon se rokte ho aur Khuda per Imaan rakhte ho aur agar ahl-e-kitab bhi isi tarah imaan laate to unke haq main bahot achha hota un main se kuch to imaandar hai aur aksar badkaar”. – ( Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 110)

“(You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors.)”

The above ayah is addressed to the best of the people, who are born to guide the mankind and help it differentiate between right and wrong. Ibn-e-Abi Hakim has quoted Hazrat Abu Ja’far that this group of people are Ahl-ul-bait of Rasool (SAW). (Ref: Tafseer-e-Suyuti, Vol 2, P 64)

Thus it is Ahl-ul-bait who can guide the mankind. Now let us see one more ayah from Surah-e-Tur:

•“Aur jin logon ne imaan qubool kiya aur unki aulaad ne bhi imaan main unka saath diya to Hum unki aulaad ko bhi unke darje tak pahoncha denge aur Hum unki kaarguzariyon main se kuch bhi kam na karenge, har shakhs apne a’maal ke badle main girvi hai.” –( Surah-e-Tur, ayah 21)

“(And those who accepted faith, and whose descendants followed them with faith – We have joined their descendants with them, and have not reduced anything for them from their deeds; every soul is trapped in its own deeds.)”

The above ayah says that the faithful descendants of faithful forefathers would join them and thus Allah (SWT) shall increase their stature and rank in that sense.

We just saw that Ahl-ul-bait are the best people created to guide mankind. Later on their descendants (Saiyeds) in form of Pirs and Sufis successfully carried the mission of spreading the perfect religion.

And by doing this they increased their rank and stature in Allah’s court. The religion is perfected by way of acknowledging the leadership of Mawla Ali and hence these Sufi saints propagated Hubb-e-Ali (Love for Mawla) and induced Mawla Ali’s love in the hearts of their followers and strengthen their faiths.

So while Mawla Ali is ‘Mushkil Kusha’ Hazrat Khwaja Moinnuddin Chisti (R.A) is ‘Gharib Nawaz’. Again Mawla Ali (A.S) is ‘Kull-e-Imaan’ then Hazrat Hasan Kabir-ud-din (R.A) is ‘Kufra-Shikan’. Lastly, while Rasool (SAW) is ‘Habib-e-Khuda’, Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Auliya (R.A) is ‘Mehboob-e-Ilahi’.

I would like to end my article with the famous ‘Munajaat’ by great Sufi Lal Shahbaaz Qalandar displaying his love for Mawla Ali (A.S):

•Haiderium Qalandaram Mastam Banda-e-Murtuza Ali Hastam
Peshwa-e-Tamaam Rindaanam Ke Sag-e-koo-e-Sher-e-Yazdaanam

( I am Haideri (a follower of Haider), I am a Qalandar and I am intoxicated (with inspiration).I am a servant of Ali Murtaza (aka Ali ibn Abi Talib)
I am leader of all saints, Because I am a dog of the lane of "Allah's Lion" (referring to Ali Murtaza))

O Our Lord! We have found the perfect religion and doctrine of salvation. Give us enough strength so that we hold onto this tightly as it is a great favour which You have bestowed on us. And include us in Your successful servants.” Aamin.

Zibh-e-Azeem

2010-10-22T04:38:00.000-07:00

When we look around and contemplate on various incidences that occur in our daily life we can understand the philosophy of Islam in a much better way. That is why perhaps Islam is also known as ‘Deen-e-Fitrat’. Allah (SWT) has instructed us in Quran itself to ponder upon and contemplate on various ayahs so that we might get a better understanding of the purpose of life; mere recitation of Quran may not be so beneficial in that sense.

A few days back, on one of the online news portals, I came across the news regarding the ceremony which Mr. Ratan Tata, the TATA Group Chairman organized in memory of the employees who died fighting the terrorists on the dreaded 26/11 attack on Taj hotel, which is owned by the Group.

The ceremony was organized on the first anniversary of the attack and there were more than 1000 guests who had assembled for a multi-faith prayer meeting in the hotel. They were witness to an emotionally choked Tata talk about the attack. The Chairman of Tata group also unveiled a 12-foot high memorial, engraved with names of employees and guests killed by terrorists in the three-day long siege on the iconic hotel.

When the Taj was attacked it was the brave employees of the hotel, who under the leadership of Mr. Karambir Kang – the general manager, took up the mission of rescuing the guests. Mr. Kang was busy saving guests on the ground floor, even as his own wife and two children were trapped in fire—and later found dead—in their top-floor room.

Needless to say that his dedication and commitment for his duty won him several awards like Forbes: Person of the year 2009 and Corporate Citizen of the year award. And above all he won over many hearts.

 If we discuss the gesture of Mr. Tata with people irrespective of their religion or social status we might get a feedback that whatever Mr. Tata did was an acknowledgment by the Head of the organization to his dedicated employees for sacrificing themselves in saving the hotel. And the memorial is the remembrance for their selfless sacrifice.

The biggest terrorist attack which Islam faced was during the reign of Bani Umayyad when Yazid was the ruler. It was great sacrifice of Imam Husain (A.S) which saved Islam. As a memorial to this great sacrifice a procession of Tazia is carried out across the World and people mourn and cry and show their love for the great sacrifice of household of the great Imam on the day of Ashura the 10th Moharram.

In this article in the light of various ayahs we would try to understand the Jihad-e-Karbala. Holy Quran is a complete book which guides us through and helps us in understanding the great sacrifice.

When Yazid came to power he started demanding the oath of allegiance (bay’ah) from everyone using unfair and forceful means. During those days it was a well-known practice in the Arab world to pay allegiance in important matters like rulership and authority.

Yazid was fully aware of the stature and place of Imam Husain (A.S) in Khilafat and in order to give credibility to his ideology he desperately wanted allegiance of Imam Husain (A.S) and sent him the messages in this connection. Acknowledging Yazid’s authority by the Prophet’s [PBUH] grandson at this point would have meant confirmation of his evil deeds and Khilafat. For Yazid, Imam Husain’s (A.S) seal of approval was thus the one most needed.

At this point let us see the following ayah from Surah-e-Mohammed and contemplate on that:
•“Ae Imandaro agar tum Khuda ke deen ki madad karoge to Woh bhi tumhari madad karega aur tumhain saabit qadam rakhega.” - (Surah-e-Mohammed, ayah 7)

“(O you who believe! if you help (the cause of) Allah, He will help you and make firm your feet.)”

The ayah says that whoever would help the cause of Allah, he would be helped by Allah (SWT) in return and He would make firm his feet. Now let us relate this with Karbala and see it in this perspective.

Imam Husain (A.S) in Karbala remained firm on his feet and did not pay allegiance to Yazid. It was a battle of the truth against the falsehood, righteousness against evil and justice against corruption. He stood in scorching heat of Karbala along with his companions. He was devoid of water and food but determined. His loved ones, including his six month old son Ali Asghar, were martyred but it did not deter him and he remained steadfast. His love for the religion and Allah (SWT) gave him the strength to bear the atrocities.

The importance of this Jihad-e-Karbala has been mentioned in various books by prominent compilers. Abul Hasan Ali bin Husain Mas’oodi in his Muroojuz Zahab wa ma’adinul Jawahir reported,

•“Whoever accepted the slavery of Yazid by swearing fealty at his hands was spared, otherwise he was subjugated. Thus the meaning of allegiance to Yazid was not merely the acceptance of a new caliph, but it meant to sell one’s Religion and faith in slavery to a tyrant.”

Imam Husain (A.S) was the custodian of Allah’s religion and how could he allow this to happen? One of those who fought the battle of Karbala against him says:

•“I have never seen a person bereaved of his sons, menfolk and his companions more Lion-hearted than him.” (Ref: Ibne Aseer, Tareekh Kamil)

This speaks a lot about his firmness and steadfastness during the battle of Karbala and thus his willingness to help and serve Islam and Allah’s cause.

Let us again refer the holy Quran and try to find-out few more ayah in this connection:

•“Jin logon ne Khuda ki raah main apne des chhode phir shaheed kiye gaye ya mar gaye Khuda unhain zaroor umda rozi (aakherat main) ataa farmaega.” – (Surah-e-Al Hajj, ayah 58)

“(Those who leave their homes in the cause of Allah, and are then slain or die,- On them will Allah bestow verily a goodly Provision: Truly Allah is He Who bestows the best provision.)”

Imam Husain (A.S) had left Medina, his home, for the cause of Allah and had come to Karbala. He had 72 companions for this noble cause along with him including children and women of his household. On the fateful Friday, the 10th of Moharram 61H, he was brutally martyred alongwith his companions. The women and children were made captives.

When we contemplate on the above ayah, it seems that it is indicating the battle of Karbala and the sacrifice of Imam Husain (A.S). Here, Allah (SWT) has promised that He would bestow His limitless grace and provisions on all of them who were martyred in Karbala along with Imam Husain (A.s). So when Allah (SWT) Himself remembers and acknowledges the great sacrifice, I am sure He would expect the same from us. Why would not we remember the great sacrifice every year then?

Whenever there are atrocities afflicted upon people we love we tend to cry that is a psychological process, a natural instinct. And Islam is also known as ‘Deen-e-Fitrat’, so crying for Imam Husain (A.S) is natural and very much as per the tenet of Islam. But still let us try to find out whether there is any mention of mourning and crying in Quran?

Let us see the following ayah from Surah-e-Yusuf:

•“Aur Yaqub (A.S) ne un logon ki taraf se mooh pher liya aur rokar kehne lage haai afsos Yusuf (A.S) per aur isqadr roye ke aankhein un ki sadme se safed ho gayee wo to bade ranj ke zaabit the.” – (Surah-e-Yusuf, ayah 84)

“(He turned away from them and cried: "Alas for Yusuf!" And his eyes turned white with grief which he bore in silence.)”

Here, in the above ayah Quran says that Yaqub (A.S) cried a lot as he was missing his son Yusuf (A.S), and he cried to such an extent that his eyes turned white and he lost his eyesight.

It is thus allowed in Quran to cry for someone you love and remember. All the Saiyeds are descendants of Imam Husain (A.S), it was their household which was attacked in Karbala, so when they cry they remember the grief and sorrow of their forefather Imam Husain (A.S) and pay tribute to him. Rest of the Muslim world shows its gratitude to the household of Imam Husain (A.S) for their great sacrifice in saving Islam by crying and mourning during the month of Moharram.

Now again going back to the above ayah let us see how did Yaqub (A.S) get back his eyesight? For this I would like to quote the following ayah again from Surah-e-Yusuf:

•“Yeh mera kurta le jaao aur usko abbajaan ke chehre per daal dena ke woh phir beena ho jaaenge (dekhne lagenge) aur tum apne sab ladke baalon ko lekar mere paas chale aao.” – (Surah-e-Yusuf, ayah 93)

“(Take this my shirt and cast it on my father's face, he will (again) be able to see, and come to me with all your families.)”

In the above ayah Yusuf (A.S) instructs his brothers to take his shirt with them and to cast it on Yaqub (A.S)’s face so that he would get back his eyesight. There is no doctor or a hakim to cure Yaqub (A.S)’s blindness, it was just a shirt, which because of its association with Yusuf (A.S) got the power to heal the blindness.

This clarifies why most of our desires are fulfilled on Tazias during Moharram. It gets the power of desire fulfillment because of its association with Imam Husain (A.S).

Apart from the above example of Yaqub (A.S), is there any other example in Quran which mentions crying and mourning? Let us see the following ayah from Surah-e-Dukhaan:

•“To unlogon per aasmaan wa zameen ko bhi rona na aayaa aur na unhain mohlat hi di gayee.” – (Surah-e-Dukhaan, ayah 29)

“(The sky nor the earth cried for them, nor were they given respite.)”

The above ayah refers to the army of Pharaoh when it was doomed and got drowned in Nile river. The ayah explains that though they were destroyed neither sky nor the earth cried for them as such was their conduct. It can be inferred from this that since Quran is mentioning about sky and earth’s crying, sometime in the history of mankind it must have happened or it might happen later on. So when did this happen?

It is mentioned in the tafseer of this ayah in Sahih-e-Muslim that when Hussain (A.S) was martyred on his martyrdom even sky shed tears and cried and its crying was to turn red in colour. (Ref: Sahih-e-Muslim)

A similar tradition has been mentioned by Allama Ibn-e-Hajar in Sawaiqe Mohraika that much before the incident of Karbala took place, once Imam Ali (A.S) was passing by Karbala when he reached near the place of grave of Imam Husain (A.S), he said “This is the same place where our camels must rest and we can keep our belongings here. This is the place where our blood would be shed. Few people from the Ahl-ul-bait of Rasool (SAW) would be martyred here and on them sky would shed tears and even the earth would cry.” (Ref: Sawaiq-e-Mohraika, Ibn-e-Hajar)

Imam Ali Zain-ul-Abedin (A.S) says that:

•Every Momin, whose eyes shed tears upon the killing of Husain ibn' Ali (A.S) and his companions, such that the tears roll down his cheeks, God shall accommodate him in the elevated rooms of paradise. (Ref: Yanaabe'al Mawaddah, p. 419)

 So when sky and earth can cry why can’t we? Thus crying is to showcase our solidarity and commitment for Islam and its preachings, as it was Imam Husain (A.S)’s sacrifice that saved it.

Now let us move further and find out what Quran has to say about this great sacrifice and its importance? The following ayah from Surah-e-Sa’afat says:

•“Us main shak nahin ke ye yaqeeni bada sakht aur sarihi imtihaan tha aur Hum ne Ismaeel ka fidya ek zibhe azeem (badi qurbani) qaraar diya. Aur Hum ne unka achha churcha baad ke aanewalon main baaki rakkha hai ” – (Surah-e-Sa’afat, ayah 106-107-108)

“(Most surely this is a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a Feat sacrifice. And We perpetuated (praise) to him among the later generations)”

Allah (SWT) tried the willingness of Ibrahim (A.S) for sacrificing his son Ismail (A.S) in His path and once He was convinced He postponed it and exchanged it with a much greater sacrifice (Zibhe Azeem) for a later generation.

This great sacrifice which is mentioned in the above ayah and which was postponed for later generation is the sacrifice of Imam Husain (A.S) and his household at the battlefield of Karbala. (Ref: Merajjunnabuwat, P 35)

If Imam Husain (A.S) has given such a great sacrifice for the cause of Allah that Quran testifies, then as a Head of both the worlds, what has Allah (SWT) promised to Imam Husain (A.S)?

In the following ayah from Surah-e-Fateh, Allah (SWT) promises:

•“Aur jisne us baat ko jis ka us ne Khuda se ahad kiya hai pura kiya to us ko anqareeb hi ajr-e-azeem ataa farmaega.” – (Surah-e-Fateh, ayah 10)

(“Those who fulfill their promise to God will receive a great reward.)”

By not accepting allegiance to Yazid and in the process sacrificing himself and his entire household, Imam Husain (A.S) kept his promise to Allah (SWT) in the best possible manner. And Allah (SWT) has hence blessed him and his household with the great reward for their deeds. Now when we love Imam Husain (A.S) we are amongst the people who fulfill their promises to Allah (SWT), as by loving him we have rejected Yazid and his ideology, and hence Allah blesses us with a great reward.

Even in today’s modern world people do remember this great sacrifice. Is there any indication of this in Quran? Let us find out:

•“Aur Hum ne un ka zikr khair baad ke aane walon main baaqi rakkha ke har taraf se Aal-e-Yaseen per salaam hi salaam hai” – (Surah-e-Sa’afat, ayah 129-130)

“(And We perpetuated to him (praise) among the later generations. Peace be unto the Aal-e-Yaseen.)”

Allah (SWT) sends His salams and salutations to “Aal-e-Yaseen” and promises that their deeds would be remembered by the later generations; it means that till the time the world lasts whatever ‘Aal-e-Yaseen’ has done would be praised and remembered.

Ibn-e-Abi Haatim and Ibn-e-Marduiya have quoted Ibn-e-Abbas that Aal-e-Yaasin in the above ayah refers to Aal-e-Mohammed (SAW) i.e. household of Mawla Ali (A.S) and Imam Husain (A.S) (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, vol 5, P 286)

Thus we find many people of this modern world from different faith and religion still remembering Imam Husain (A.S) and take inspiration from his great sacrifice. It is Allah’s promise and it is bound to remain so till this world lasts.

Prominent people from various walks of life and different parts of the World have paid their tribute to Imam Husain in the following words:

•“Imam Husayn uprooted despotism forever till the Day of Resurrection. He watered the dry garden of freedom with the surging wave of his blood, and indeed he awakened the sleeping Muslim nation. Husayn weltered in blood and dust for the sake of truth. Verily he, therefore, became the bed-rock (foundation) of the Muslim creed; la ilaha illa Allah (There is no god but Allah).”—Sir Muhammad Iqbal

•“In a distant age and climate, the tragic scene of the death of Husain will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.”—Edward Gibbon

•“I learned from Hussain how to be wronged and be a winner.” —Mahatma Gandhi

Before I end my article, it is worth mentioning here an interesting history of the day of Ashura the 10th Moharram, the day Imam Husain (A.S) was martyred:

•It is mentioned in Sahih-e-Muslim that Ashura is a day of great historical significance as on this day Adam (A.S)’s repentance was accepted by Allah (SWT); Nuh (A.S) and his companions were saved in the ark; Allah extinguished the fire in which Ibrahim (A.S) was thrown by Nimrod. On 10th of Moharram Ayub (A.S) got relief from his illness; Musa (A.S) got the Commandments. Yusuf (A.S) got re-united with his father Yaqub (A.S). Yunus (A.S) was taken out from the belly of the fish. On this day Nile river was divided and Pharaoh along with his army drowned. Isa (A.S) was raised to the sky and Sulaiman (A.S)’s kingdom was restored. (Ref: Sahih-e-Muslim)

From above we can understand the importance of this day as Allah (SWT) chose this day to grant relief to his chosen prophets from their individual atrocities.

So while Allah (SWT) helped His prophets on this day, it was Imam Husain (A.S) who came forward to help Islam; Allah (SWT)’s religion to relieve it from the clutches of Yazid and thus resurrected the religion and gave it a new life.

Allama Iqbal, a prominent urdu poet who is also known as ‘Shayar-e-MashriK’ praises the contribution of the sword of Mawla Ali (A.S) and the sajda of Imam Husain (A.S) in restoring Islam in following words:

•“Islam ke daaman main bas iss ke siwa kya hai, Ek Sajda-e-Shabbiri Ek Zarb-e-Yadullahi.”

”We are lovers of Imam Husain (A.S) who helped Your religion, so O our Lord! Bestow Your limitless grace on all of us and spare us from every grief or sorrow other than the sorrow of Imam Husain (A.s) and his household. Aamin”

Hearty Mart at Juhapura

2010-10-21T03:58:00.000-07:00

Juhapura, a Muslim dominated area lies on the western outskirts of Ahmedabad near Sarkhej in Gujarat. It is situated along the National Highway 8A that goes towards Saurashtra and Kutch. Previously it used to be known as Jivapura and also as Sankalitnagar.

In order to rehabilitate the 1972 flood victims, a colony of 2,248 homes was developed; this was known as Sankalitnagar and around this colony then Juhapura developed. It was a small suburb with a small population until the early '90s. And as late as 1992, a large number of Hindus mainly from Dalit, Bhoi and Thakore communities lived here.

Most of the Hindus moved out of Juhapura after the communal violence that broke out post the Babri Masjid demolition in the year 1992. Jeevan Bhoi was one of those who lived in Juhapura till 1992. "After that it was frightening to live there," he says. "Many of my Muslim friends assured me that nothing would happen, but as I could not be at home for most part of the day, it worried me about my family's safety," he adds.

Again, the communal riots of Gujarat in 1992-93 and especially after the 2002 communal riots, large numbers of Muslims migrated to Juhapura from Hindu-dominated areas of Ahmedabad for a safe-haven. For a decade of 1992-2002, Juhapura largely remained an area which was considered as riot prone and downtrodden. It was deprived of basic amenities and though it became a pre-dominantly Muslim ghetto it was avoided by effluent Muslims.

Post 2002 communal riots even the effluent Muslims shifted their base and moved to Juhapura. This changed the social dynamics of the area and it started getting all the due attention from various corners. This migration of Muslims with deep pocket caused a construction and housing boom in the area with housing prices skyrocketing.
With a booming real estate the area promised development but still it remained devoid of basic amenities like a proper organized retail outlet which can provide convenience of purchase to the residents. Adanis had opened their supermarkets across Ahmedabad but for an obvious reason avoided Juhapura.

It was in this gap we found a huge opportunity to start an organized food-grocery store in the area in early 2004. Vishala Circle was the fastest developing area within Juhapura, as it was not cramped unlike other parts of the area and we could speculate a good growth of the area in near future.

With the vision of bringing convenience to the locality, we started Hearty Mart in February 2004. It was modeled as an ideal neighbourhood store and positioned as ‘Sabse Khass Ghar ke Paas’. As it was a store which was equipped to cater to all their basic needs. A store which was positioned as a convenience store and wanted to establish itself as a one-stop-solution for the daily needs of groceries, cosmetics, food grains etc. Thus was destined to bridge the gap between demand of daily needs and the options of supplies available.

It is said that one problem leads to another; even we faced certain problems which we could never speculate while we were deciding to open our shop here. The negativity attached with the area made the business operation really difficult. We realized that it was not at all conducive for a smooth operation as the vendors and suppliers were reluctant to support us and give merchandise on credit. In order to win their trust we organized get-together with them to break the ice and also paid them with advance cheques and even in cash till the time we had not win them over.
Even the residents were reluctant to purchase and we found meager footfalls in the first year. The problem was that:

• Most of them had migrated from other areas and they preferred to go back to the retailers from their old area to purchase. There was no shop patronage for Hearty Mart.
• There was lots of skepticism and suspicion on the future of Hearty Mart since they were well aware about the area and its image.

The immediate remedy of the above situation was to work in such a manner that they start patronizing the shop. As a strategy we undertook the following measures:

• We launched schemes like free-gifts and discounts on purchase of more than Rs. 1000/-.
• On completion of 100 days, a packet of 500 gms sugar with a personalized letter was sent to all the prominent customers. This was unique to the area.
• We started taking their specific orders for specific merchandise even when there was no demand for the overall product category. This made the customers felt special.
• Introduced loyalty cards and home-delivery. Again it was new to the area as there was no proper organized player who could provide them with such promotional offers.

Our faith in business and our efforts helped us gain their confidence. We slowly found that more and more residents became our patrons and it was their support which helped us in the most testing initial phase of the business. The footfalls started increasing day in and day out and we got the steady customer base.

The success of Hearty Mart at Juhapura broke the myth that the area was not conducive for business and no business can flourish here. Many entrepreneurs after closely watching the success started entering the area with their businesses and some of them are really successful. The development of the area post Hearty Mart is as follows:

• Hearty Mart is a prominent landmark of Sarkhej-Juhapura road.

• A good organized neighbourhood store in the area promises a convenient abode for the residents. Presence of Hearty Mart at Elecon Tower, ensured that all the flats of the 10 floor high-rise building were sold at a premium; which the builder could not sell before as people were reluctant to purchase an apartment in a high rise after the earthquake.

• Though now across India Subhiksha has closed down; it was success of Hearty Mart that encouraged Subhikhsha to set-up its shop in Juhapura. First national brand to open its shop here.

• A Private bus-stop has developed just before Hearty Mart.

• Lots of media coverage of Hearty Mart brand has perhaps inspired a leading Mumbai based non-veg restaurant to open its outlet here.

• Axis bank has opened its ATM in the premises of Hearty Mart. We have rented them 100 square feet for the ATM as a shop-in-shop concept. This has been accepted well by our customers as it adds to their convenience.

• Radhe Developer has announced 3 BHK premium apartment scheme ‘Imperial Heights’ bank opposite Hearty Mart. It would be having all the modern facilities for the lifestyle seeking residents. Again a unique residential scheme for the area which no-body would have thought of before.

Today almost 4 lacs Muslim live in Juhapura and that is why perhaps it has been termed as the largest Muslim neighbourhood in Gujarat. Contrary to its image of being crime-ridden and riot-prone it has been a preferred area off-late by Muslim professionals, artists, government officers of IAS and IPS ranks and businessmen. It is needless to say that they have contributed in the development of the area in their own special way.

Sirat-e-Mustakim

2010-09-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

I took up a job with a media company to start my professional career after I had finished my management studies. During my first interaction with my seniors I was assigned a specific target to achieve in the span of one year.

My manager informed me that if I successfully achieve my targets in that year, I would get the confirmation in the organization and may get good appraisal.

This made me really work hard and I almost achieved my targets. I was happy and satisfied by my achievements and was pretty sure of getting a good appraisal.

At the end of the year I was called to the head-office for review and appraisal. In my review meeting with the directors I presented my working and the results I had achieved. After my presentation the directors told me that though I had almost achieved the targets I did not work the way they had wanted me to work. Somehow they were not convinced with my working style as they felt that I did not follow their work-philosophy in executing my job.

My performance did not get the due appraisal and all my efforts were wasted. Had I known exactly what the management wanted from me I would have definitely worked in that direction and this way my efforts would not have gone to drains.

This world is a place where we have been sent to perform our duties. On the Day of Judgment, Allah (SWT) would appraise our worldly performance and we would be duly rewarded then. So it is important for us to know what Allah (SWT) expects from us? Whether the duties which we are currently performing are enough and as per His wish? Because if we fail to understand whatever Allah (SWT) is expecting from us then all the good deeds and duties which we have performed may not be useful to us on that day.

Let us then begin our research with the following ayah from Surah-e-Baqra:

•“Neki kuch yehi thodi hai ke namaz main apne mooh purab ya paschhim ki taraf kar lo balke neki to uski hai jo Khuda aur roze aakherat aur farishton aur Khuda ki kitabon aur paighambaron per imaan laye aur uski ulfat main apna maal karabatdaron aur yatimon aur mohtajon aur pardesiyon aur maangnewalon aur laundi ghulam (ke gulu khalasi) main sarf kare aur pabandi se namaz padhe aur zakaat deta rahe aur jab koi aehed kiya to apne qawl ke poore hain aur fiqr-o-faaqa wa ranj-o-sakhti aur ghutan ke waqt saabit qadam rahe, yehi log parhezgar hai .” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 177)

“(Virtue is not in this that ye turn your faces toward the east and west, but virtue is of him who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the prophets: and giveth of his substance, for love of Him unto kindred and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for redeeming necks, and establisheth prayer and giveth the poor-rate and is of the performers of their covenant when they have covenanted; and is of the patient in adversity and affliction and in time or violence these are they who are proven true, and these they are God-fearing.)”

In the above ayah Allah (SWT) has given us the clear definition of good virtues. If we follow them we would be considered virtuous by Him. But to be a virtuous person is the only thing which He expects from us?

Now we will see the ayah from Surah-e-Furqaan:

•“Aur un logon ne duniya main jo kuch nek kaam kiye hai Hum un ki taraf tawwajjo kareinge to Hum us ko goya udti hui khaak bana kar barbaad kar denge.” – (Surah-e-Furqaan, ayah 23)

“(We shall call their deeds into Our presence and scatter them into the air as dust (turn them devoid of all virtue).”

Here, Allah (SWT) promises that He is surely going to destroy the good deeds of certain people and turn them devoid of all virtues. It means Allah (SWT) is looking for something much beyond the good virtues as indicated in the ayah of Surah-e-Baqra.

So if we want to be considered amongst the successful at the Day of Judgment and wish that all our good deeds like our prayers and charity get accepted and are meaningful in the court of Allah (SWT); we need to find that “Precise thing” which He is looking for in us.

Let us again turn to the Quran for this. In the following ayah from Surah-e-Fussilat, Allah (SWT) says:

•“Ae Rasool (SAW) tum kehdo ke imaandaro ke liye to yeh Quran az sartapaa hidayat aur har marz ki shifa hai aur jo log imaan nahin rakhte unke kaanon ke haq main giraani aur behrapan hai aur wo Quran un ke haq main nabinaee ka sabab hai.” – (Surah-e-Fussilat, ayah 44)

“(Say: "It is a Guide and a Healing to those who believe; and for those who believe not, there is a deafness in their ears, and it is blindness in their (eyes))”.

Allah (SWT) says that the same Quran which is a guide and a healing for a believer; is a deafness and blindness for a non-believer. Now, we know that whoever believes in Allah (SWT) is a believer and whoever does not believe in Him, he is a non-believer. But if a person is a non-believer of Allah then why would he recite Quran? And if he is not reciting Quran then why did Allah (SWT) say in the above ayah that Quran is deafness and blindness for a non-believer. This means that Allah (SWT) is referring to those people who though believe in Him and recite Quran but still are considered as non-believers. So who are those unfortunate ones?

Rasool (SAW) in the following hadith says:

•“Ali is with the Quran and the Quran is with Ali, and these two will never be separated from each other until they reach me at the Hauz-e-Kausar!” (Ref: Jam’a Sagheer, p 56, Kanz-al-Ummal p 30, Izalut-ul-Khifa Maqsad 2, p 279)

Mawla Ali and Quran are inseparable and thus in the light of this and our pondering upon the above-mentioned ayah, it can be inferred that if somebody separates Mawla Ali (A.S) from Quran, he is a non-believer as per Allah (SWT) and thus Quran would no-longer guide him and instead he could be misguided as he would fail to understand Quran in the right perspective. Thus love for Mawla Ali (A.S) is a parameter which would separate a believer from a non-believer and it is a doctrine to understand Quran.

In this regard let us focus on one more ayah:

•“Aur us waqt Rasool (SAW) bargaahe Khuda wandi main arz karenge ke ‘Ae mere Parvardigar meri qaum ne to Quran ko bekaar bana diya’.” – (Surah-e-Furqaan, ayah 30)

“(The Prophet will say: "O my Lord, my people had fettered the Qur'an.")”

There are many great Islamic scholars who have translated the holy book in various languages, it seems that they have really contributed to propagate Quranic knowledge and philosophy, so why would Rasool (SAW) say that his people have fettered the Quran, when we find many great scholars who have learnt Quran by heart and can discuss the ayahs at length with their listeners?

We have got Quran through the holy presence of Rasool (SAW), it was revealed in the form of ‘wahi’ to him on different occasions. He is then the best judge to decide whether we are doing justice with the book or not. And I am sure he must have given us clear instructions which if we follow, we would do justice to our Quranic recitation and be well-guided.

The following hadith of Rasool (SAW) instructs us in this direction. This is also known as Hadith-e-Saqlain, where Saqlain stands for two weighty things:

•“I will soon be called away and will have to depart from you, but I leave amongst you two weighty things; the book of the High and Mighty Allah and my progeny. The Book of Allah is like a rope which extends from the heavens to the earth, and my progeny are the people of my house (Ahl-ul-bait). The Subtle and Aware (Allah) tells me that the two shall never part from each other until they come to me at the Pool. So, take care how you treat them after me.”

This is a very prominent hadith whose reference can be found in different books of Islamic scholars. It is well-recorded by Imam Ahmed (Ibn-e-Hambal) from the tradition related by Abu Sa’eed-al-Khudri in (Musnad, Ahmed Ibn-e-Hambal, Part 3, P 26.) and also recorded by Ibn-e-Abi Shaiba, Abu Ya’li and Ibn-e-S’ad from Abu Saeed (Kanz-ul-Ummal, Part 1, P 47).

The same tradition is also mentioned in the books of prominent Islamic historians and commentators. (Ref: Tirmizi, 5:328, Nisai 96:79, Ibn Atiyyah 1:34, Ibn-e-Hajar P 89)

When we focus on above ayah, we understand that it is Allah’s wish that the Quran and Rasool (SAW)’s progeny would never part. And if somebody tries to separate them, then he is working against the Will of Allah (SWT) and might incur Allah’s wrath.

The progeny of Rasool (SAW), which is in fact the household of Mawla Ali (A.S) is as important as Quran in our lives and if we wish that Quran be a guide and a healing we need to recite it in the light of their love.

The important result which can be derived here is that however impressive a Quranic interpreter and a scholar we come across, unless he has the understanding of the status of progeny of Rasool (SAW) he can never guide anybody as he has not followed Rasool (SAW)’s instructions. His learning Quran by heart would not yield him any benefit as he has disobeyed Allah’s Wish. And if we get impressed by such an orator of Quran and follow him we are taking a big risk as we might get misguided by him.

It was the sacrifice and hard-work of our holy Prophet (SAW) which brought us from the darkness of illiteracy to the light of Islamic philosophy. He guided us and thus he has maximum right on our lives after Allah (SWT). That is the reason Allah (SWT) in the following ayah asks Rasool (SAW) to seek the compensation of his efforts in the following manner:

•“Ae Rasool (SAW) un logon se tum kehdo ke main iss tabligh-e-risaalat per tum se kuch mazdoori to maangta nahin hoon magar tamanna ye hai ke jo chaahe apne Parvardigar tak pahonch ne ki raah pakad le.” – (Surah-e-Furqaan, ayah 57)

“(Say: "No reward do I ask of you for it but this: that each one who will may take a (straight) Path to his Lord.")”

If we really wish to show our gratitude to Rasool (SAW) we should take a straight Path that reaches Allah. That is what Allah wants and that is the wish of Rasool (SAW) as well. At the starting of the article we saw the ayah where Allah (SWT) has defined the good virtues and He expects us to have them, but again we saw in one of the ayahs He said that He would discard the good deeds of certain people. The inference we can take from this is that along with good virtues we should be on the straight path that reaches Him. And once we travel this path we are sure that our good deeds would be accepted by Him and it would make Him happy. So how should we locate this path? Is there any indication in Quran for this?
Let us see one more ayah which is much similar to the above one and it would help us find the way:

•“Ae Rasool (SAW) tum kehdo ke main apni tableegh-e-risalat ka apne karabatdaron ki mohabbat ke siwa tumse koi sila nahin maangta” – (Surah-e-Shura, aayat – 23)

“(‘Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives’)”

While the ayah of Surah-e-Shura has explained us what Allah (SWT) and Rasool (SAW) want from us, the above ayah of Surah-e-Furqaan clearly indicates how we can be on the Straight Path that reaches Him; it is in the love for Rasool (SAW)’s relative. If we love them, we would remain on the straight path. So let us see who are they?

When the above ayah was revealed somebody asked Rasool (SAW) that who are they, whose love has been made mandatory on us? To which he replied it is Ali (A.S), Fatema (A.S), their children Hasan (A.S) and Husain (A.S). (Ref: Tafseer-e-Kishaf, Allama Zamkhashri, Vol 3, P 67)

Sa’labi, Zamakhshari, Suyuti and Baidhavi have recorded that the above ayah was revealed to make the love of household of Mawla Ali (A.S) mandatory on the Muslim world. Even prominent Islamic authorities like Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmed Ibn Hambal and others have recorded traditions to this effect by quoting Ibn-e-Abbas.

In order to further substantiate our above inference, let me quote here Rasool (SAW)’s hadith:

•“No one shall be able to move from his place of reckoning on the Day of Judgment until he has stated four things: how he spent his life and his wealth, and where he got it from --- and he shall also be asked about the love of the Ahl-ul-bait.”

This tradition has been recorded by Tabrani from Ibn-e-Abbas and from him Allama Suyuti and Nabahani in their Ehya-ul-Maiyyit and Arba’een and many other Ullema have also recorded it.

Logically it seems now that apart from good deeds like prayers and charity, Allah (SWT) would definitely ask us about our commitment and love for Ahl-ul-bait. This is Sirat-e-Mustakim, the straight path which reaches Him and if somebody found faltering with that, his good deeds may not give him any benefits.

Let us now focus on the following ayah in this connection:

•“To tumhare paas jo wahi bheji gayee hai tum uuse mazboot pakde raho iss main shak nahin ke tum sidhee raah per ho.” – (Surah-e-Zukhruf, ayah 43)

“(Therefore hold fast to that which has been revealed to you; surely you are on the right path.)”

If we focus on the above ayah it seems that there was a specific message which Rasool (SAW) was asked to hold fast. Here, the message which Rasool (SAW) was asked to hold tightly and convey was of the ‘wilaya’ of Mawla Ali (A.S). That is the right path as mentioned in the above ayah. (Ref: Manaqib – Ibn-e-Maghaazali, Faqeea, Sha’fei).

That is the reason Rasool (SAW) has said about Mawla Ali (A.S) that:

•“Ali, had I not been afraid that the Muslims would start regarding you as Christians regard Christ, I would have said things about you which would have made the Muslims venerate you and to consider the dust of your feet as something worth venerating; but it will suffice to say that you are from me and I am from you; you will inherit me and I will inherit you; you are to me what Aaron was unto Moses; you will fight for my causes, you will be nearest to me on the day of Judgment; you will be next to me on the fountain of Kausar; enmity against you is enmity against me; a war against you is a war against me; your friendship is my friendship; to be at peace with you is to be at peace with me; your flesh is my flesh; your blood is my blood; who will obey you will obey me; truth is on your tongue, in your heart and in your mind. You are a door to me. As per the order of God, I give these tidings that your friends will be rewarded in Heaven and your enemies are doomed for Hell.” - (Ref: Yanabi-al-Mowaddat (Bombay Edition, P 107)

Allah (SWT) has granted a cult status to Mawla Ali (A.S) and He has promised glad tidings to the people who be-friend him and his household and they would be rewarded in Heaven and his enemies would be punished in Hell. It is thus love of Ahl-ul-bait that Allah (SWT) wants his people to have to be successful.

When we see around we find that nothing holds us back from offering regular namaz, paying zakat, going for Hajj and performing rozas. Everyone from us at the end wants to be successful and be a chosen servant of Allah (SWT), but when it comes to recognizing the status of Ahl-ul-bait and loving them we tend to hold ourselves back. Why is it so? When so much has been promised by Allah (SWT) and Rasool (SAW) to us in this regards, why we are so reluctant?

Let us see the Quran again for the answer:

•““Khuda ne farmaya ke yehi raah sidhi hai ke mujh tak pahonchti hai. Jo mere mukhlis bande hai un per tujhe kissi tarah ki hukumat na hogi magar haan gumraahon main se jo teri pairvi kare usper tera zor chal jaaega aur haan ye bhi yaad rahe ke un sab ke waste aakhri wada buss Jahannum hai.” – (Surah-e-Hijr, ayah 41-43)

(“Lord said: This is a right way with Me: Surely. as regards My servants, you have no authority, over them except those who follow you of the deviators. And surely Hell is the promised place of them all”)

The above ayah is the reply which Allah (SWT) gave to Satan, when he said that he would lure mankind to deviate from the right path. Allah (SWT) confirms to Satan that people who tread the right path would never deviate and Satan would not have any authority over them. When we contemplate on the above ayah further we can infer that it is Satan’s duty now not to allow us to reach the straight path. He thus works full-time to hold us back from reaching the Sirat-e-Mustakim; that is to have love for Ahl-ul-bait.

Before I end my article, let me quote a famous couplet from a qawwali:

“Basad talash na kuch wus’atay nazar se mila. Nishane manzil-e-maqsood raahbar se mila.
Ali mile to mile Khana-e-Khuda se hamein, Khuda ko dhundha to wo bhi Ali ke ghar se mila.”

We all are amongst the fortunate ones who understand the status and importance of Ahl-ul-bait and love them immensely. This love is a great honour which Allah (SWT) has bestowed on us so let us pray to Him that “O Our Lord! Do keep us steadfast on Sirat-e-Mustakim and give us enough strength to overpower Satan and bestow Your limitless grace, mercy and glad tidings on us in this world and hereafter. Aamin.”