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
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Taazim-e-Rasool (SAW)
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”
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”
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Crisis we face today
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.”
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.”
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Hubb-e-Ali
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.
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.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Zibh-e-Azeem
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”
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”
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Hearty Mart at Juhapura
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.
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.
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