| ORANGES ORANGES ORANGES - WORK OF ART | for everyone |
Orange Festival
| SESAME SEED OIL | for everyone |
PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE YOU ACT
SESAME SEED OIL
Sesame Seed Oil has been used as a healing oil for thousands of years. Sesame oil is mentioned in the Vedas as excellent for humans. It is naturally antibacterial for common skin pathogens, such as staphylococcus and streptococcus as well as common skin fungi, such as athlete's foot fungus. It is naturally antiviral. It is a natural anti inflammatory agent.It has been used extensively in India as a healing oil, including in experiments which showed it was useful in unblocking arteries. In recent experiments in Holland by Ayurvedic physicians, the oil has been used in the treatment of several chronic disease processes, including hepatitis, diabetes and migraines.
In vitro, sesame seed oil has inhibited the growth of malignant melanoma (a skin cancer): PROSTAGLANDIN LEUKATRINES and ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS 46: 145-150, 1992.
Also in vitro, sesame seed oil has inhibited replication of human colon cancer cells: ANTI CANCER RESEARCH 11: 209-216, 1992.
Research shows that sesame seed oil is a potent antioxidant. In the tissues beneath the skin, this oil will neutralize oxygen radicals. It penetrates into the skin quickly and enters the blood stream through the capillaries. Molecules of sesame seed oil maintain good cholesterol (HDL) and lower bad cholesterol (LDL).
Sesame seed oil is a cell growth regulator and slows down cell growth and replication.
In both the small intestine and the colon, some cells are nourished by fat instead of sugar. The presence of sesame seed oil can provide those cells with essential nourishment.
In an experiment at the Maharishi International College in Fairfield, Iowa, students rinsed their mouths with sesame oil, resulting in an 85% reduction in the bacteria which causes gingivitis.
As nose drops, sniffed back into the sinuses, sesame seed oil has cured chronic sinusitis. As a throat gargle, it kills strep and other common cold bacteria. It helps sufferers of psoriasis and dry skin ailments. It has been successfully used in the hair of children to kill lice infestations. It is a useful natural UV protector.
Used after exposure to wind or sun it will calm the burns. It nourishes and feeds the scalp to control dry scalp dandruff and to kill dandruff causing bacteria. It protects the skin from the effects of chlorine in swimming pool water. Used before and after radiation treatments, sesame seed oil helps neutralize the flood of oxygen radicals which such treatment inevitably causes.
On the skin, oil soluble toxins are attracted to sesame seed oil molecules which can then be washed away with hot water and a mild soap. Internally, the oil molecules attract oil soluble toxins and carry them into the blood stream and then out of the body as waste.
Used as a douche mixed with warm water, the oil controls vaginal yeast infections.
Sesame seed oil absorbs quickly and penetrates through the tissues to the very marrow of the bone. It enters into the blood stream through the capillaries and circulates. The liver does not sweep sesame seed oil molecules from the blood, accepting those molecules as friendly.
Sesame seed oil helps joints keep their flexibility. It keeps the skin supple and soft. It heals and protects areas of mild scrapes, cuts and abrasions. It helps tighten facial skin, particularly around the nose, controlling the usual enlargement of pores as skin ages chronologically.
Teen boys and girls have learned, wrongly, that all oil is bad for their facial skin. Heavy oils and toxic oils and creams are bad for all facial skin. But sesame seed oil is the one oil which is actually good for young skin. It helps control eruptions and neutralizes the poisons which develop both on the surface and in the pores. With sesame oil, no cosmetics are needed. The oil will cause young facial skin to have and display natural good health.
Used on baby skin, particularly in the area covered by a diaper, sesame seed oil will protect the tender skin against rash caused by the acidity of body wastes. In the nose and ears, it will protect against common skin pathogens.
For children going to school, who will be in the presence of other children with colds and sniffles, sesame seed oil swabbed in the nose can protect against air borne viruses and bacteria.
When using the oil as a massage oil, stroke the long limbs up and down. Use circular motions over all joints to stimulate the natural energy of those joints"
Ok after reading this I went to the chinessse store and bought the cooking sesame oil,its dark for 2$.
In adittion to the above info I found another site talkign about oil pulling,they reminded that many medicines are suggested to take them by placing the pill below the tongue instead of swalow it. Its said theres a good absortion in that area.
SO I guess anybody can benefit from oil pulling with any oil containing vitamins E etc like olive oil cause the nutrients getsa absorbed but without the fat.
BUT if you read carefully the above article you will realize why Sesame oil si the on recomended for oil pullling and the best for this use.Every oil will pass the nutrients to your body by oil pulling BUT not every oil will clean from toxins and bacterias your body the way sesame oil does.Read above.
So I started oil pulling with sesame oil,also used it topically on my face like the article above suggest.I think Im nto going to use any facial cream ever in my life.I sue it as after sahve,have very sensitive skina nd this is the est Ive tried,figts redness and mostourizes without cloggin pores,good for afacial lines too.Absorbs quicly.I have massage on my knees that usually hurt and instantly feels better
Been oil pulling only for 4 days,not even 20 min everytime,but I feel more energetic and sleep better,and my face shows all that.
I ahve bumps on my back,excess oil I think,tried to dry it with peroxide and clean baking soda but the bumps still remained.I did put sesame oil in my back...yes Oil...I thought I was crazy by doing it and htat my red bumps would become huge.guess what,my back is smoother than ever and bumps smaller after jsut 1 aplication...
Now the thing that lead me to write this article here just 4 days after sart oilpulling cause it jsut amazed me...I was going out yesterday,drank a lot alcohol.I ame back home,slept for 6 hours,woke up like...you an imagine,head ache not clear thoughts red eyes my mouth felt dirty..well all my digestive sistem...you know what IM talking about I was dead lol
Ok I said...hey IM going to oil pull and this time...honestly,Ibeen oil pulling for days but today I started and my saliva organs started to put out stuff on my mouth like...too much.I could feel and taste it coming out while gradually my headache was disapearing,my vision was clearer,my thoughts.I ahd it only for 10min and MAN...i felt clean and new....I ahd never feel something like that and that fast.Usually I take an ibuprofen when I wake up after going out...but I never ahd something working this fast and cleaning my body leaving me awake energetic and clean. So Im writing this in case somebody can believe me since my family doesnt althou I know they would benefit from sesame oil. Im a consumer for life.No wonder anybody can live up to 100 years by oil pulling everysingle day.i really beleive it.Im not constant and Ill skip some days but this is truly a simple health keeper and wonderful beauty aid. God bless you earth clinic.
So my conclusion is..by oil pulling with sesame oil you not just get the benefits from omega and vitamins and minerals contained in many oils,but you clean your body from everything bad.Hope this helps and you give it a try."
| THE COMMON CURRY HAS A MEDICINAL USE | for everyone |
PLS CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE YOU ACT
First, a definition of curry is in order. People are often confused about exactly what curry is. Most often the name 'curry' is given to any spicy dish or blend of spices that has an Indian or eastern flavour. This definition, however, includes too many spicy dishes that taste absolutely nothing like each other. A good rule of thumb is that a curry is a dish containing sautéed garlic, onions (unless religion or culture forbids their use) and varying amounts of most of the following spices: turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, chilli, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, fenugreek, and fennel. Curry dishes are not of Indian or Asian origin but are the invention of curry houses and other restaurants to describe the general flavour of this kind of cuisine (for example, chicken tikka masala is unheard of in India). In fact, the combination of spices in these dishes changes from country to country and even from house to house. Their origin, however, does not diminish their incredible medicinal value.Believe it or not, each ingredient of the common curry has a medicinal use. In fact each ingredient has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments from stomach cramps to throat infections (although some believe curry has caused more stomach cramps than it has cured). Also, be warned, those of European origin whose stomachs are used to tamer cuisine may also experience the laxative side effect of curry. Here are the basic ingredients of curry and each ingredient's medicinal action:Garlic (Allium sativa)
The Egyptians made garlic beer to treat infections. Today we use it to lower cholesterol, as an antibiotic, to rid the body of excess mucus (the sulphur compounds in garlic break up mucus), and to stop platelets in blood from sticking together and creating blockages. Garlic has been used effectively against fungal, yeast, bacterial, and viral infections.
Onion (Allium cepa)
Onions have been used medicinally since the beginning of time. They can be consumed for their antibiotic properties (they are in the same plant family, Allium, as garlic and have most of the same medicinal actions). They can also be cooked and applied to the chest as a poultice for lung congestion.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
Turmeric and several related species have been used in the Indian Ayurvedic medical system to strengthen and warm the whole body. Traditional uses include: digestive aid, analgesic (due to the action of turmeric's main constituent, curcumin), antiseptic, expectorant and anti-inflammatory. This medicinal spice has also been studied for its anti-cancer properties.
Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)
The stems of this plant flavour many Vietnamese dishes and the strong-tasting seed is used in curry and Cajun seasoning. The seeds aid digestion and also relieve flatulence, colic and diarrhoea. The whole plant acts as a tonic and mild stimulant.
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
The root, seed and leaf have all been added to curries. This herb was used in ancient Egypt as an aphrodisiac and as a wine flavouring by the Greeks. It has also been used to ease migraines and for gastro-intestinal complaints. The essential oil of this plant has been used for everything from flavouring toothpaste to medicine.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Ginger has an aromatic rhizome that is essential to almost any Asian dish. The shoots, leaves, and flowers are eaten raw in many dishes but the rhizome (root) is most commonly used. Ginger's strongest medicinal action is to suppress nausea. It has been proven through clinical trials to be more effective than anti-nausea medications. Ginger has also been used to treat indigestion and flatulence and to reduce fever. The essential oil of this plant is a great pain reliever when applied topically.
Chilli (Capsicum spp)
The hot constituent of cayenne is a substance called capsaicin. It has been used as a pain reliever for centuries as well as an aid to increase circulation. Cayenne is also surprisingly effective in the treatment of ulcers and even eye problems. Cayenne, when applied directly to a wound, will almost immediately stop bleeding. It is also suggested that the consumption of hot peppers stimulates the body to produce endorphins. Eating is supposed to be a pleasure, and this could certainly be a contributory factor to our enjoyment of a good curry.
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)
Used in Indian garam masala, Arab baharat, Ethiopian berbere and of course in curry dishes, cardamom not only lends a sweet flavour to these dishes, it also has the ability to stimulate digestion, and is given for fatigue and fever. The essential oil from the ripe fruits of the plant is used in liqueurs and perfumes.
Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)
Stimulates gastric flow, acts as an anti-bacterial agent and helps relieve headaches and diarrhoea. Black pepper, when cooked, can actually be harmful in large amounts because it acts as an irritant to the gastro-intestinal system.
Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum)
Cloves have been used to keep fats from turning rancid and to preserve foods. They are used to flavour everything from pumpkin pie to chewing gum. Medicinally, cloves main action is that of an anodyne (topical pain reliever).
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
This has been used to help relieve digestive cramps, menstrual pain and to reduce fevers. Fenugreek seeds have the unique ability to stimulate breast tissue to lactate (especially when used with blessed or milk thistle). It has also been used to increase breast size (look at the ingredients of most herbal breast enhancement products; it will almost always top the list).
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Fennel is used to allay hunger pain, ease indigestion and as a diuretic. Fennel along with anise is the main flavour in liquorice (liquorice the herb has almost no flavour aside from that of sweet dust).
Looking at the ingredients and their medicinal action, it is easy to see a pattern emerging. These spicy foods have evolved over the ages to relieve common health complaints of the people in the area where they are eaten. This evolution was not conscious, but rather society choosing over a number of years ingredients that make them feel better and rejecting ingredients that have less desirable effects. Curry-like dishes contain elements that aid digestion and ease stomach problems - a common complaint in areas where sanitation issues cause disease. Some constituents of curry are antibiotic (also helpful in developing world countries as both a preservative and to kill harmful organisms), and spicy (hot foods tend to increase the body's thermostat, making you cooler). The same holds true for some Mexican, South American, and African foods that are very spicy and contain related ingredients with the same medicinal actions.
Although spontaneous healings from within curry houses are rare, as you can see, the ingredients are all quite active medicinally. As Hippocrates said:
Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.
| IMAM HASAN (A.S.)- HIS RECONCILIATION TO SAVE ISLAM | for everyone |
In the pre-Islamic period everything had the mark of ignorance; thus the person who used to be most powerful and mighty as well as most artful in deceit and deception, had the full authority and people showed respect and regard out of fear of oppression and tyranny.
In the pre-Islamic period, the leadership of Mecca and Arabian Peninsula was under the control of Abu Sufyan and Umayyad family. Therefore, Muawiah and his brother Yazid the First, Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab and his other supporters, were the in-charge of the affairs in Mecca and other areas of Arab land.
When Islam emerged as a religion and the darkness of Jahilliya (pre-Islamic paganism) receded, everything changed and the values and norms were reversed. The downtrodden gained prominence and the superior and high ranking people lost their hold. The reversal of norms brought about a change in the status of people.
Thus chiefs and lords went into oblivion and everyone who was humane, was promoted to high positions, and became respectable. In this manner, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family), his family and his pious companions ascended the seat of power.
After this massive revolution and after the victory of Allah’s party and true believers, and the downfall of Jahilliyah and polytheism, Abu Sufyan together with Banu Umayya was compelled to accept the leadership of the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him and his pure family) after the victory over the city of Mecca. But the evil aspirations remained in their heart, as did remain their deep enmity against the Prophet, his family members, and believers.
After the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family)
When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) breathed his last and departed from this world, Abu Sufyan with his party of infidels and hypocrites remained calm, as their hypocrisy was safe from being exposed.
They made their best attempts to ensure that the financial and political power should not go into the hands of the People of the House, and they tried that no one should have monopoly over these powers except them. Their efforts bore fruit. Thus, Muawiah alone held his sway over Damascus, Hummus, Palestine and Jordan and amassed wealth and power, becoming famous in the whole of Islamic world.
After Othman’s killing and appointment of Imam Ali, the son-in-law and cousin of the Prophet and father of the two Imams Hasan and Hussain, as Caliph, the hypocrites and proponent of falsity became vociferous about their enmity and differences again and pulled out their swords against Imam Ali (peace be upon him) in the wars of Jamal, Siffin and Nahrawan. These were the occasions when the enemies of Islam, the hypocrite followers and inheritors of Jahilliyah joined Muaawiah bin Abu Sufyan.
Between this ebb and flow of war and the dispute between Ali (peace be upon him) and Muaawiah, a group of fools assembled who thought that they could relieve people of their problem and reform affairs of Muslims, and they concluded that the problem which the Muslims were suffering from was due to a dangerous trinity consisting of Muaawiah, Amr Ibn al-Aas, and Imam Ali (peace be upon him), and there was no solution to save Muslims except getting rid of these three all at once. Due to their evil intentions, Imam Ali (peace be upon him), the just and pious leader, was martyred, and a door of opportunities was opened for others.
Period of Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) In those days, when the leadership and administration was in the hands of Muaawiya’s supporters, Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) assumed the Caliphate. He had to face the worst kind of leaders occupying their offices at that time; most of them from Banu Umayyah who were awaiting these posts for a long time, so that they could usurp the wealth of God like the way a camel eats the spring plants.
During those days, Imam Hasan’s (peace be upon him) Caliphate was spread over a large part of the Islamic world, including Persia, Khurasan, Yemen, Hejaz, Kufa and Iraq. These were territories where the unrest and disturbance prevailed, albeit people there showed allegiance to him.
From the very first day of his Caliphate, the Imam could feel that Muaawiah is harbouring bad intentions for him and preparing for war. He sent a number of his messengers to the governors of cities and states asking them to be prepared for war, as he also sent a letter to Muaawiah, a letter in which he put his argument for him and advised him and made him understand the consequences of his deeds.
He also mentioned in the letter his right and eligibility for the Caliphate. He stated that love of Islam and the unity of Muslims calls for avoiding war and shunning all differences. Here, he also asks him to follow the rule of reason and obligations of allegiance, and warned him from harbouring bad intentions which may lead him to destruction and disorder and differences of the Muslim Ummah.
Finally, he threatened him with war if he did not comply, until Allah decided the matter between them. Alas! How distant Muaawiah was from these suggestions? The man did not conceive anything but being in the authority and power and for attaining that, he could do anything, no matter how wrong his actions were and how far he was from the truth. Instead of paying heed to the Imam’s advice, this dictator secretly dispatched his spy to the governors and leader promising and luring them with wealth and grants, posts and positions, if they deserted the Imam and joined him.
Many prominent people of the time accepted Muaawiah’s offers and temptations and violated their pledges to the legal Imam. Some of them joined Muaawiah’s camp openly, while some others proposed to capture the Imam and made him a captive. But Muawiah who was shrewd and artful, asked them pretend allegiance until the battle begun, and then turn against him and desert him.
Many months passed, during which Muawiaah bought over many tribal leaders by his wealth and gifts, who were used to accepting the wealth and bribes and were always ready to betray their self, religion and conscience. Those leaders felt that the path of Imam was the path of his Father, the Commander of Faithful (peace be upon him) and the other path was the path of booty and huge profit. Thus, they chose him and compromised with their religion for the falsity of this world at the cheapest price!!
The choice between religion and world
Muaawiah moved with a big army towards Kufa, the stronghold of Imam (peace be upon him). The Imam on his part was trying to engage Kufa into Jihad, thus facing all kind of sufferings and problems, as very few people were ready for that and were divided into factions. Each faction had different point of view and opinion and an army of such divided people is an army which cannot participate in a serious war and true Jihad.
The Imam (peace be upon him) appointed his cousin Ubaidullah bin Abbas to lead his army and Ubaidullah being from Quraish, all the commanders of army and leaders of tribes respected him and followed his instructions. He was among the first ones who pledged allegiance to Imam Hasan (peace be upon him). Apart from that, his heart was full of hatred and animosity for Muaawiah who killed his family members.
Imam sent Ubaidullah against Muaawiah with an army that consisted of twelve thousand men. He himself moved with a big army to Madain and set up his camp there as a part of the plan to achieve victory over Muaawiah’s large army.
Muaawiah had not forgotten the bitterness of the Siffin war, and the memories of Imam Ali’s supporters (peace be upon him) with swords sent a chill down his spine. So, he decided to resort to trick and ploy in this war. He sent secretly a delegation to Ubaidullah offering him one million dirham if he accepted to retreat from this war, on the condition that he will get half of the amount in his camp if he goes there and the remaining half in Kufa.
Ubaidullah remained confused for days, as he knew that very few people responded to Imam’s call, while Muaawiah was leading with a huge army and thought that army of Muaawiah was by all means going to win, then why should there be any hesitation? Moreover, the offer was very alluring.
Finally Ubaidullah took a shameful decision and in the middle of that night withdrew with a group of prominent people of the army and its leaders and headed towards Muaawiah’s camp... he chose to sell his God, his Prophet, his Imam and his religion for very cheap price, only to earn a bad name that will remain forever. People gathered for the Dawn prayer and waited for Ubaidullah to lead them in the prayer, as it had been decided earlier that they would move after the prayer for battle, but their waiting was of no avail.
Ubaidullah did not turn up for the prayer... and finally the fact was unveiled. They listened to a person from the camp of Sham telling loudly: O' people, disperse and go back to your homes, as Ubaidullah and his men are in Muaawiah’s camp and they have preferred conciliation over war, there is no good in fighting with brothers.
Ubaidullah was the next man in line after Imam in administering the army and the betrayal of this “great” man and popular “jurist” made the people weak, while many others were deceived by the false call for peace and they started getting dispersed in many directions. A group of Imam’s devoted supporters felt ashamed of the ploy and attempted to bring back the people who were feeling nervous and reunite them, but their efforts failed and a minority with true belief remained firm on its stand and its members presented themselves for death, for the cause of truth and they sent to Imam a message asking him to help them with people.
The weak people, who withdrew from war, were heading towards Madain, spreading rumours on the way that Muaawiah’s army got victory over the vanguard of Imam. This news became a pretext for those who had gone with the Imam hypocritically and unwillingly and an excuse for their withdrawal and return to Kufa. The story repeats itself, the story of Khawarij with Chief of the Believers (peace be upon him), the story of those who not only leave and desert the Imam of their time, but they also kill him.
How surprising then is the fact that they claim that they are the protectors of Islam and truth and whereas in reality they create the opportunity for the enemies of Islam and the truth. The same story repeats itself today... in the form of a greater trial, in which the classification is done accurately. The hypocrites and weak people went back to their homes in an abject condition, while the true devoted friends remained firm with pride and self esteem, and the path of martyrdom before them was clear and straight and direct.
The difficult choice
None but only two options remained with the Imam - either to fight and sacrifice those devoted sincere friends or to submit to the conditions of the agreement and endure the pain – a very hard choice. But this could save those pious people from being useless killed and he (peace be upon him) chose to cease the war on certain conditions - the sons of Ali chose what their father - peace be upon him - had chosen twenty five years back, and unwillingly was forced to abstain from war.
This day was – and truth must be spoken – the most disappointing and bitter day in the history of Muslims. It was very easy for Imam to order to continue the war, to fight with his friends till they were martyred. He was Imam Ali’s son (peace be upon them both) and not the one who feared death.
Yet, he knew quite well that he would not be killed and his family would go before him to be killed, and likewise his family would not be killed as their supporters would embrace death before them. This fighting and killing would be of no use in making the Muslims aware of the real situation, because the true picture of differences between him and Muaawiah was still not clear for many people. This was what Muaawiah was thinking and wishing. During his regime in Sham, he claimed to the people and made them believe that he was the protector of sanctuary of Islam and people believed, as they were still unaware of his betrayal to Islam and Muslims, and the fact that he was trying to ensure his own as well as his family’s interests on the pretext of protecting Islam.
This was the fundamental difference between the two men. Thus, if Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) was killed then, people would never know the fact. In this manner, on the darkest days of Muslims' history, at a time when even the blood of martyrs was of no use in waking up the Muslims from their slumber, Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) accepted the conciliation and gave a chance for another day to come, when people will know the reality of Muawiah and the reality of differences. At that moment, they will be ready for war and martyrdom, and this will happen only after they become aware of the reality.
The Imam accepted the reconciliation after he put Muaawiah under an obligation in which he admitted many realities, which became a source for increasing the awareness among people. This was what Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) was intending.
Muawiah promised that he would not appoint his crown prince, as he does not enjoy this right, and should leave the Shiites on their own and will not harm them or kill them. He will also stop his supporters from abusing Chief of the Believers (peace be upon him) and give Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) the tax which was his right, besides many other things. The agreement was concluded and signed and the war stopped. Imam, his family, and his friends returned to Kufa.
Imam Hasan’s (peace be upon him) friends felt disappointed and frustrated, some of them even wished that they should have died and have not seen this day. Many protested against the acceptance of reconciliation by Imam. Some even used indecent language. But Imam Husain (peace be upon him) was the only one who accepted this reconciliation and never raised any objection, surrendering to his brother Imam’s (peace be upon him) verdict and agreeing to his right action.
As a matter of fact, many of the people did not consider a vital issue, and that their opposition to Imam was actually the opposition of holy Quran, which informs us about the infallibility of the People of the House (peace be upon them). What they decide about the conciliation or war, or command or prohibition were sacred and preordained matters.
Objection to that was disobedience to the Prophet of Allah, as he says: “Hasan and Husain are Imams whether they stand or sit”. However, people made hasty decisions without vision and thinking. Had they considered it, they would have known that the Prophet meant that Hasan and Husain (peace be upon them) are Imams whether they carry out the revolution and war or abstain from that and reconcile; as standing symbolises revolution while sitting points to withdrawal.
After his success, Muaawiah headed towards Kufa, the stronghold of the Chief of the Believers and his companions. There he stood on the platform of its great mosque, filled with pride and haughtiness, and started using abusive language. Then he chided the heads of tribes by violating the agreement that he signed with them, and began identifying them by name and pointing fingers, leaving them in a state of humiliation and embarrassment.
This is what comes out of betrayal. The people who betrayed Imam (peace be upon him) did not even get the meagre consideration from Muawiah. Imam and his family headed after these incidents towards Yathrib, where they settled down, and Banu Umayyah took over the governance of Kufa. Ziad ibn Abih and later his son assumed Ali’s place and his platform.
Those who cited excuses to justify their stands against the rule of the Chief of the Believers Ali (peace be upon him) and rejected to accept the rule based on justice and godliness of his son after him, were forced to bow their heads to the blood stained swords. They realised, albeit late, the value of the advices they did not heed to. They also realised what problem they have landed themselves into. They were repentant, but delayed repentance was useless.
That deviated lot continued to manifest their disobedience for baseless reasons and frivolous excuses during the five years of Imam Ali’s governance (peace be upon him) and some months of his son’s government. They were now licking their wounds and allowed Muawiah freehand to do whatever he liked, without even a single word of objection.
Hence, no longer did Zubair nor Talha disobey or resort to mutiny, nor Khawarijites incited blind and reckless disturbance and riot. As for the hypocrites, it was a free run to them. In that dark period of history, only the companions of Ali resisted the government of injustice and oppression, and sacrificed themselves for this cause. As for the mercenaries, bribe takers, they crawled prostate while showering praises for the governors, not missing the opportunity to abuse Ali (peace be upon him) and saying words for him which can only come from such people. How easy it is for believers to stand in the face of tyrants of the history, but to stand against a deity who is worshiped by many is extremely difficult.
Breach of Commitment
Finally, when Muawiah realised that his end was near, he feared that after him the Caliphate might go to Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) and all his efforts of the entire life would go in vain when the People of the House would retain their rights. That indeed would be the greatest problem. He decided to poison Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) and executed his plan by killing the Imam who was poisoned by his wife, thus breaching all commitments or agreements he had pledged with him.
Imam’s killing filled the heart of Marwan bin al Hakam al Amawi with joy who was the enemy of Allah and His Prophet. Many others were also overjoyed for example Aaisha bint Abi Bakr bin abi Quhafah. They even did not hesitate from striking his coffin with arrows at the time of escorting him (peace be upon him) to the final resting place.
Subsequently, Muaawiah got engaged in executing his plan and took pledge for his son, Yazid the drunkard, first from the people of Sham and then from people of Mecca and Medina. Thus, he ensured the continuance of the rule of Bani Umaiyyah without any resistance in the name of Jihad with Talha and Zubair’s family.
Doesn’t today resemble that past, as the people came between the Imam and his right today, just as they did in the past with his father? In both instances the fruits borne by their deeds were disgraceful and shameful. Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) made all his efforts to lead them to true path and make them aware, but he knew well the meaning of Allah’s words to his Prophet: “You cannot guide whom you like, but Allah gives guidance to whomsoever He wishes, for He best knows the followers of the right path.”
He knew that Prophet had a mission to complete, and that was to convey the message of his God to people, whether they liked to believe or not. In the similar fashion, Imam also had a duty, and that was to guard the Prophet’s way of life and to protect Islam with appropriate means. This was what Imam (peace be upon him) did; he adopted a way which unveiled the hidden realities to them and mentioned all that the danger to Islam was lying in the delusion of people from false appearances of the governors and leaders, who pretend to follow Islam, but actually did the opposite. He taught them that the protection of Islam and preserving the unity of Muslim require their patience, as he endured many times the usurping of his rights.
He patiently endured excess of his companions who addressed him saying: O degrader of believers; but he bore patiently as he knew that his patience was for the cause of Allah and for the dignity of Muslims, so there was no harm in that as long as it sows the seeds of revolution against oppression, the revolution of his brother Imam Hussain (peace be upon him).
His period and his conciliation was part of the revolution led by Imam Hussain (peace be upon him). The saying of their grandfather, the honest Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) for them is apt for him and his brother (peace be upon them): “Hasan and Husain are Imams whether they stand or sit.”
In the pre-Islamic period, the leadership of Mecca and Arabian Peninsula was under the control of Abu Sufyan and Umayyad family. Therefore, Muawiah and his brother Yazid the First, Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab and his other supporters, were the in-charge of the affairs in Mecca and other areas of Arab land.
When Islam emerged as a religion and the darkness of Jahilliya (pre-Islamic paganism) receded, everything changed and the values and norms were reversed. The downtrodden gained prominence and the superior and high ranking people lost their hold. The reversal of norms brought about a change in the status of people.
Thus chiefs and lords went into oblivion and everyone who was humane, was promoted to high positions, and became respectable. In this manner, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family), his family and his pious companions ascended the seat of power.
After this massive revolution and after the victory of Allah’s party and true believers, and the downfall of Jahilliyah and polytheism, Abu Sufyan together with Banu Umayya was compelled to accept the leadership of the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him and his pure family) after the victory over the city of Mecca. But the evil aspirations remained in their heart, as did remain their deep enmity against the Prophet, his family members, and believers.
After the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family)
When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) breathed his last and departed from this world, Abu Sufyan with his party of infidels and hypocrites remained calm, as their hypocrisy was safe from being exposed.
They made their best attempts to ensure that the financial and political power should not go into the hands of the People of the House, and they tried that no one should have monopoly over these powers except them. Their efforts bore fruit. Thus, Muawiah alone held his sway over Damascus, Hummus, Palestine and Jordan and amassed wealth and power, becoming famous in the whole of Islamic world.
After Othman’s killing and appointment of Imam Ali, the son-in-law and cousin of the Prophet and father of the two Imams Hasan and Hussain, as Caliph, the hypocrites and proponent of falsity became vociferous about their enmity and differences again and pulled out their swords against Imam Ali (peace be upon him) in the wars of Jamal, Siffin and Nahrawan. These were the occasions when the enemies of Islam, the hypocrite followers and inheritors of Jahilliyah joined Muaawiah bin Abu Sufyan.
Between this ebb and flow of war and the dispute between Ali (peace be upon him) and Muaawiah, a group of fools assembled who thought that they could relieve people of their problem and reform affairs of Muslims, and they concluded that the problem which the Muslims were suffering from was due to a dangerous trinity consisting of Muaawiah, Amr Ibn al-Aas, and Imam Ali (peace be upon him), and there was no solution to save Muslims except getting rid of these three all at once. Due to their evil intentions, Imam Ali (peace be upon him), the just and pious leader, was martyred, and a door of opportunities was opened for others.
Period of Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) In those days, when the leadership and administration was in the hands of Muaawiya’s supporters, Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) assumed the Caliphate. He had to face the worst kind of leaders occupying their offices at that time; most of them from Banu Umayyah who were awaiting these posts for a long time, so that they could usurp the wealth of God like the way a camel eats the spring plants.
During those days, Imam Hasan’s (peace be upon him) Caliphate was spread over a large part of the Islamic world, including Persia, Khurasan, Yemen, Hejaz, Kufa and Iraq. These were territories where the unrest and disturbance prevailed, albeit people there showed allegiance to him.
From the very first day of his Caliphate, the Imam could feel that Muaawiah is harbouring bad intentions for him and preparing for war. He sent a number of his messengers to the governors of cities and states asking them to be prepared for war, as he also sent a letter to Muaawiah, a letter in which he put his argument for him and advised him and made him understand the consequences of his deeds.
He also mentioned in the letter his right and eligibility for the Caliphate. He stated that love of Islam and the unity of Muslims calls for avoiding war and shunning all differences. Here, he also asks him to follow the rule of reason and obligations of allegiance, and warned him from harbouring bad intentions which may lead him to destruction and disorder and differences of the Muslim Ummah.
Finally, he threatened him with war if he did not comply, until Allah decided the matter between them. Alas! How distant Muaawiah was from these suggestions? The man did not conceive anything but being in the authority and power and for attaining that, he could do anything, no matter how wrong his actions were and how far he was from the truth. Instead of paying heed to the Imam’s advice, this dictator secretly dispatched his spy to the governors and leader promising and luring them with wealth and grants, posts and positions, if they deserted the Imam and joined him.
Many prominent people of the time accepted Muaawiah’s offers and temptations and violated their pledges to the legal Imam. Some of them joined Muaawiah’s camp openly, while some others proposed to capture the Imam and made him a captive. But Muawiah who was shrewd and artful, asked them pretend allegiance until the battle begun, and then turn against him and desert him.
Many months passed, during which Muawiaah bought over many tribal leaders by his wealth and gifts, who were used to accepting the wealth and bribes and were always ready to betray their self, religion and conscience. Those leaders felt that the path of Imam was the path of his Father, the Commander of Faithful (peace be upon him) and the other path was the path of booty and huge profit. Thus, they chose him and compromised with their religion for the falsity of this world at the cheapest price!!
The choice between religion and world
Muaawiah moved with a big army towards Kufa, the stronghold of Imam (peace be upon him). The Imam on his part was trying to engage Kufa into Jihad, thus facing all kind of sufferings and problems, as very few people were ready for that and were divided into factions. Each faction had different point of view and opinion and an army of such divided people is an army which cannot participate in a serious war and true Jihad.
The Imam (peace be upon him) appointed his cousin Ubaidullah bin Abbas to lead his army and Ubaidullah being from Quraish, all the commanders of army and leaders of tribes respected him and followed his instructions. He was among the first ones who pledged allegiance to Imam Hasan (peace be upon him). Apart from that, his heart was full of hatred and animosity for Muaawiah who killed his family members.
Imam sent Ubaidullah against Muaawiah with an army that consisted of twelve thousand men. He himself moved with a big army to Madain and set up his camp there as a part of the plan to achieve victory over Muaawiah’s large army.
Muaawiah had not forgotten the bitterness of the Siffin war, and the memories of Imam Ali’s supporters (peace be upon him) with swords sent a chill down his spine. So, he decided to resort to trick and ploy in this war. He sent secretly a delegation to Ubaidullah offering him one million dirham if he accepted to retreat from this war, on the condition that he will get half of the amount in his camp if he goes there and the remaining half in Kufa.
Ubaidullah remained confused for days, as he knew that very few people responded to Imam’s call, while Muaawiah was leading with a huge army and thought that army of Muaawiah was by all means going to win, then why should there be any hesitation? Moreover, the offer was very alluring.
Finally Ubaidullah took a shameful decision and in the middle of that night withdrew with a group of prominent people of the army and its leaders and headed towards Muaawiah’s camp... he chose to sell his God, his Prophet, his Imam and his religion for very cheap price, only to earn a bad name that will remain forever. People gathered for the Dawn prayer and waited for Ubaidullah to lead them in the prayer, as it had been decided earlier that they would move after the prayer for battle, but their waiting was of no avail.
Ubaidullah did not turn up for the prayer... and finally the fact was unveiled. They listened to a person from the camp of Sham telling loudly: O' people, disperse and go back to your homes, as Ubaidullah and his men are in Muaawiah’s camp and they have preferred conciliation over war, there is no good in fighting with brothers.
Ubaidullah was the next man in line after Imam in administering the army and the betrayal of this “great” man and popular “jurist” made the people weak, while many others were deceived by the false call for peace and they started getting dispersed in many directions. A group of Imam’s devoted supporters felt ashamed of the ploy and attempted to bring back the people who were feeling nervous and reunite them, but their efforts failed and a minority with true belief remained firm on its stand and its members presented themselves for death, for the cause of truth and they sent to Imam a message asking him to help them with people.
The weak people, who withdrew from war, were heading towards Madain, spreading rumours on the way that Muaawiah’s army got victory over the vanguard of Imam. This news became a pretext for those who had gone with the Imam hypocritically and unwillingly and an excuse for their withdrawal and return to Kufa. The story repeats itself, the story of Khawarij with Chief of the Believers (peace be upon him), the story of those who not only leave and desert the Imam of their time, but they also kill him.
How surprising then is the fact that they claim that they are the protectors of Islam and truth and whereas in reality they create the opportunity for the enemies of Islam and the truth. The same story repeats itself today... in the form of a greater trial, in which the classification is done accurately. The hypocrites and weak people went back to their homes in an abject condition, while the true devoted friends remained firm with pride and self esteem, and the path of martyrdom before them was clear and straight and direct.
The difficult choice
None but only two options remained with the Imam - either to fight and sacrifice those devoted sincere friends or to submit to the conditions of the agreement and endure the pain – a very hard choice. But this could save those pious people from being useless killed and he (peace be upon him) chose to cease the war on certain conditions - the sons of Ali chose what their father - peace be upon him - had chosen twenty five years back, and unwillingly was forced to abstain from war.
This day was – and truth must be spoken – the most disappointing and bitter day in the history of Muslims. It was very easy for Imam to order to continue the war, to fight with his friends till they were martyred. He was Imam Ali’s son (peace be upon them both) and not the one who feared death.
Yet, he knew quite well that he would not be killed and his family would go before him to be killed, and likewise his family would not be killed as their supporters would embrace death before them. This fighting and killing would be of no use in making the Muslims aware of the real situation, because the true picture of differences between him and Muaawiah was still not clear for many people. This was what Muaawiah was thinking and wishing. During his regime in Sham, he claimed to the people and made them believe that he was the protector of sanctuary of Islam and people believed, as they were still unaware of his betrayal to Islam and Muslims, and the fact that he was trying to ensure his own as well as his family’s interests on the pretext of protecting Islam.
This was the fundamental difference between the two men. Thus, if Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) was killed then, people would never know the fact. In this manner, on the darkest days of Muslims' history, at a time when even the blood of martyrs was of no use in waking up the Muslims from their slumber, Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) accepted the conciliation and gave a chance for another day to come, when people will know the reality of Muawiah and the reality of differences. At that moment, they will be ready for war and martyrdom, and this will happen only after they become aware of the reality.
The Imam accepted the reconciliation after he put Muaawiah under an obligation in which he admitted many realities, which became a source for increasing the awareness among people. This was what Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) was intending.
Muawiah promised that he would not appoint his crown prince, as he does not enjoy this right, and should leave the Shiites on their own and will not harm them or kill them. He will also stop his supporters from abusing Chief of the Believers (peace be upon him) and give Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) the tax which was his right, besides many other things. The agreement was concluded and signed and the war stopped. Imam, his family, and his friends returned to Kufa.
Imam Hasan’s (peace be upon him) friends felt disappointed and frustrated, some of them even wished that they should have died and have not seen this day. Many protested against the acceptance of reconciliation by Imam. Some even used indecent language. But Imam Husain (peace be upon him) was the only one who accepted this reconciliation and never raised any objection, surrendering to his brother Imam’s (peace be upon him) verdict and agreeing to his right action.
As a matter of fact, many of the people did not consider a vital issue, and that their opposition to Imam was actually the opposition of holy Quran, which informs us about the infallibility of the People of the House (peace be upon them). What they decide about the conciliation or war, or command or prohibition were sacred and preordained matters.
Objection to that was disobedience to the Prophet of Allah, as he says: “Hasan and Husain are Imams whether they stand or sit”. However, people made hasty decisions without vision and thinking. Had they considered it, they would have known that the Prophet meant that Hasan and Husain (peace be upon them) are Imams whether they carry out the revolution and war or abstain from that and reconcile; as standing symbolises revolution while sitting points to withdrawal.
After his success, Muaawiah headed towards Kufa, the stronghold of the Chief of the Believers and his companions. There he stood on the platform of its great mosque, filled with pride and haughtiness, and started using abusive language. Then he chided the heads of tribes by violating the agreement that he signed with them, and began identifying them by name and pointing fingers, leaving them in a state of humiliation and embarrassment.
This is what comes out of betrayal. The people who betrayed Imam (peace be upon him) did not even get the meagre consideration from Muawiah. Imam and his family headed after these incidents towards Yathrib, where they settled down, and Banu Umayyah took over the governance of Kufa. Ziad ibn Abih and later his son assumed Ali’s place and his platform.
Those who cited excuses to justify their stands against the rule of the Chief of the Believers Ali (peace be upon him) and rejected to accept the rule based on justice and godliness of his son after him, were forced to bow their heads to the blood stained swords. They realised, albeit late, the value of the advices they did not heed to. They also realised what problem they have landed themselves into. They were repentant, but delayed repentance was useless.
That deviated lot continued to manifest their disobedience for baseless reasons and frivolous excuses during the five years of Imam Ali’s governance (peace be upon him) and some months of his son’s government. They were now licking their wounds and allowed Muawiah freehand to do whatever he liked, without even a single word of objection.
Hence, no longer did Zubair nor Talha disobey or resort to mutiny, nor Khawarijites incited blind and reckless disturbance and riot. As for the hypocrites, it was a free run to them. In that dark period of history, only the companions of Ali resisted the government of injustice and oppression, and sacrificed themselves for this cause. As for the mercenaries, bribe takers, they crawled prostate while showering praises for the governors, not missing the opportunity to abuse Ali (peace be upon him) and saying words for him which can only come from such people. How easy it is for believers to stand in the face of tyrants of the history, but to stand against a deity who is worshiped by many is extremely difficult.
Breach of Commitment
Finally, when Muawiah realised that his end was near, he feared that after him the Caliphate might go to Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) and all his efforts of the entire life would go in vain when the People of the House would retain their rights. That indeed would be the greatest problem. He decided to poison Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) and executed his plan by killing the Imam who was poisoned by his wife, thus breaching all commitments or agreements he had pledged with him.
Imam’s killing filled the heart of Marwan bin al Hakam al Amawi with joy who was the enemy of Allah and His Prophet. Many others were also overjoyed for example Aaisha bint Abi Bakr bin abi Quhafah. They even did not hesitate from striking his coffin with arrows at the time of escorting him (peace be upon him) to the final resting place.
Subsequently, Muaawiah got engaged in executing his plan and took pledge for his son, Yazid the drunkard, first from the people of Sham and then from people of Mecca and Medina. Thus, he ensured the continuance of the rule of Bani Umaiyyah without any resistance in the name of Jihad with Talha and Zubair’s family.
Doesn’t today resemble that past, as the people came between the Imam and his right today, just as they did in the past with his father? In both instances the fruits borne by their deeds were disgraceful and shameful. Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) made all his efforts to lead them to true path and make them aware, but he knew well the meaning of Allah’s words to his Prophet: “You cannot guide whom you like, but Allah gives guidance to whomsoever He wishes, for He best knows the followers of the right path.”
He knew that Prophet had a mission to complete, and that was to convey the message of his God to people, whether they liked to believe or not. In the similar fashion, Imam also had a duty, and that was to guard the Prophet’s way of life and to protect Islam with appropriate means. This was what Imam (peace be upon him) did; he adopted a way which unveiled the hidden realities to them and mentioned all that the danger to Islam was lying in the delusion of people from false appearances of the governors and leaders, who pretend to follow Islam, but actually did the opposite. He taught them that the protection of Islam and preserving the unity of Muslim require their patience, as he endured many times the usurping of his rights.
He patiently endured excess of his companions who addressed him saying: O degrader of believers; but he bore patiently as he knew that his patience was for the cause of Allah and for the dignity of Muslims, so there was no harm in that as long as it sows the seeds of revolution against oppression, the revolution of his brother Imam Hussain (peace be upon him).
His period and his conciliation was part of the revolution led by Imam Hussain (peace be upon him). The saying of their grandfather, the honest Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) for them is apt for him and his brother (peace be upon them): “Hasan and Husain are Imams whether they stand or sit.”
| Imam Ridha (a.s.)'s Debate with other faiths | for everyone |
When Imam Ridha (Peace be upon Him) came to Persia, the Abbasid ruler Ma'moon tried to embarrass Him, to take Him down a peg or two and to reduce His enormous popularity with the people. He gathered together leaders of religions and of different sects and asked them to engage in debate with the Imam and put pressure on them to beat Him. He thought that the Imam would not have an answer and that the Imam would not be able to withstand all of them because He was nothing but a spiritual man, a worshipper, and an ascetic.
What eluded Ma'moon was that Ali Ibn Musa Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Them both) was an Impeccable Imam who received inspiration from Heaven and was Allah's proof on the earth. So was it possible for anyone to win against Allah's proof?
The debate began amidst a mass gathering mustered in one of Ma'moon's palaces in the Iranian city of Merv and continued for several days. The clear victory achieved by Imam Ridha (Peace be upon Him) in these debates was a reason for Ma'moon's growing angrier because the Imam's popularity with the people increased in an unequalled fashion. The religious leaders who came to engage the Imam in debate were:
1. The head of the Christians.
2. The head of the Jews.
3. The head of the Sabaeans.
4. The head of the Zoroastrians.
5. The head of the atheists.
With each of them were other heads and a group of the most senior members of the faith group and trend. What was amazing was that the Imam (Peace be upon Him) engaged them in discourse using their own scriptures and beliefs, during the course of which he showed himself to be more knowledge than each group about what was in their books and what about what they believed in and that He took the course of rational argument in his debate with them until He proved each of these religions and beliefs to be wrong and forced their representatives to concede.
Before the Imam (Peace be upon Him) headed towards the debating hall, he got up and performed ritual ablutions (wudhu) and then he performed dhikr of Almighty Allah right up until he reached the hall. The first among them to be engaged by the Imam (Peace be upon Him) were the Christians who were represented by the most senior Catholicos (Patriarch) in Persia.
History tells us that when the Imam reached the hall, Ma'moon and all gathered there rose out of respect for Him and then sat back down. Ma'moon turned to the Christian Patriarch and said to him, "Catholicos, this is my cousin Ali Ibn Musa Ibn Ja'far, who is a descendant of Fatima daughter of our Prophet and a descendant of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Allah's Blessings upon both of Them). I would like you to speak with him and engage him in debate but proceed fairly.
The Catholicos replied, "Commander of the Faithful, how do I debate with a man who relies on a book which I reject and on a Prophet in whom I do not believe?" Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said to him, "Christian, would you agree to my engaging you on the basis of your Gospels?" The Catholicos replied, "Can I reject what the Gospels said? All right. I swear by God that I acknowledge it whether I like it or not." Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said to him, "Ask what you like and understand the answer."
The Catholicos said, "What do you say about Jesus' prophethood (Peace be upon Him) and His Scripture? Do you reject any of it?" Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said, "I acknowledge Jesus' prophethood, His Scripture and the Glad Tidings He brought to His Umma which the Disciples acknowledged and I am an unbeliever in any Jesus who does not acknowledge the prophethood of Muhammad (Allah's Peace and Blessings upon Him and His pure Family) and His Scripture and who did not bring glad tidings to his umma about Him.
The Catholicos said, "Is it not true that you are only persuaded beyond reasonable doubt by two just witnesses?" He said, "Yes." He said, "So call two witnesses whom the Christians do not reject – from outside your faith group – to the prophethood of Muhammad, and ask us to do the same from outside our faith group. Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said, "Now you have brought fairness [to the proceedings], Christian. Will you not accept from the best just witness in the sight of Jesus Christ Son of Mary?"
The Catholicos said, "Who is this just witness? Tell me his name." He said, "What do you say about John the Dailamite?" He said, "Bravo! Bravo! You have mentioned the person loved most by Christ." He said (Peace be upon Him), "I swear to you, do not the Gospels say that John said, 'Christ told me about the religion of Muhammad the Arab and passed on the Glad Tidings of Him to me. He said that He would come after He did. I passed the Glad Tidings on to the apostles and they believed in Him?"
The Catholicos said, "John said that on Christ's authority and He brought Glad Tidings of the prophethood of a man and about his household and his heir and he did not say when that would be and he did not give us his people's name for us to know him." Al-Ridha said (Peace be upon Him), "If we were to bring you someone who recites the Gospels and he were to read out to you the reference to Muhammad, His Household and His people would you believe it?" He said, "Absolutely."
Al-Ridha said (Peace be upon Him) to Qustas the Byzantine, "How well have you memorised the third book of the Gospels?" He said, "How well I know it!" Then he turned to the Exilarch (the head of the Jews) and said to him," Do you not read the Gospel?" He said, "Yes, upon my life." He said, "Go to the third book. If there is a mention of Muhammad and His Household and His people (Allah's Peace upon Them) then testify on my behalf and if there is no mention do not testify on my behalf."
Then He recited (Peace be upon Him) the third book until He reached the point just before the Prophet (Allah's Peace and Blessings upon Him and His pure Family) is mentioned and paused. Then He said, "Christian. I ask you by Christ and His Mother do you understand that I know the Gospel?" He said, "Yes." "Then he read out to us the reference to Muhammad, His Household and His people."
He then said, "What do you say, Christian? This is what Jesus Son of Mary said. If you were to reject what the Gospels say you would be rejecting Moses and Jesus (Peace be upon Them) and if you were to deny this reference you would have to be killed because you would have become an unbeliever in your Lord and your Prophet and your Scripture." The Catholicos said, "I do not deny what has become clear to me in the Gospels and I affirm it."
Al-Ridha said (Peace be upon Him), "Bear witness to his affirmation." (This means that the version of the Holy Book which was around at that time in Iran contained explicit or near explicit mention of the Greatest Prophet and the People of His Household (Peace be upon Them).
Then the Imam (Peace be upon Him) said, "Catholicos, ask what you like." The Catholicos said, "Tell me about Jesus Son of Mary's apostles. How many of them were there? And about the Bible scholars…how many of them were there?" Al-Ridha said, "You have encountered one who knows. As for the apostles, they were twelve men and the best and most learned among them was Luke.
“As for the Christian scholars, they were three men – John the Elder in Aj, John in Circesium and John the Daylamite in Zajan and according to him there was mention of the Prophet (Allah's Peace and Blessings upon Him and His pure Family) and mention of the People of His Household and His People and He is the one about whom Jesus' people and the Sons of Israel spread glad tidings.”
Then He said (Peace be upon Him), "Christian. I swear by Allah that we believe in Jesus who believed in Muhammad (Allah's Peace and Blessings upon Him and His pure Family) and we do not hold anything against your Jesus except his weakness and how little he fasted and prayed!"
The Cathilicos said, "By God, you have undermined your argument and weakened your position and there I was thinking you were the most learned among the people of Islam!"
Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said, "How is that?" The Cathilicos said, "From your saying that your Jesus was weak and rarely fasted and rarely prayed when in fact Jesus did not once break His fast during the day and did not sleep at all at night and He fasted all His life, and stood in prayer all night."
Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said, "For whose sake would He fast and to whom would He pray?" The Cathilicos went silent and broke away! It was natural that the Cathilicos should fall silent because the Imam (Peace be upon Him) had embarrassed him with this question because he acknowledged that Jesus (Peace be upon Him) would pray and fast and so he would have to have a Lord to whom to pray and for whose sake to fast.
In view of the fact that Christians believe that Jesus (Peace be upon Him) is God and the Son of God for whose sake would He fast and to whom would He pray?) Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said, "Why do you deny that Jesus would only raise the dead with the permission of Allah the Mighty and Majestic?
The Cathilicos said, "I deny that for reason of the fact that whoever raises the dead and heals the blind and the lepers is Lord and is worthy of being worshipped.” Al-Ridha said (Peace be upon Him), "Elisha had done the same as that which Jesus had done – he walked on water and raised the dead and healed the blind and the lepers but His people did not take Him to be a Lord and no one worshipped Him instead of Allah Great and Mighty. Ezekial the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) did as Jesus Son of Mary (Peace be upon Him) did and raised thirty five thousand men sixty years after their death.”
Then he turned to the Exilarch (the Chief of the Jews) and said to him, "Exilarch, do you find in the Torah those among the Israelites' young people whom Nebuchadnezzar picked out from the Israelite prisoners when he attacked the House of the Holiness (Jerusalem)? He then went off with them to Babylon and God Almighty Powerful and Majestic sent him to them to raise them from the dead? This is in the Torah and no one except an unbeliever amongst you would reject it." The Exilarch said, "We have heard this and we know it."
He said, "You speak the truth." Then He said (Peace be upon Him), "Then go, Jew, to this book of the Torah.” Al-Ridha recited for us some verses of the Torah. The Jew began to rock to and fro at his recitation and showed his amazement. Then He turned towards the Christian and said, "Christian, did these people come before Jesus or did Jesus come before they did?" He said, "They came before He did."
Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said, "The Quraysh gathered before the Messenger of Allah (Allah's Peace and Blessings upon Him and His pure Family) and asked Him to raise their dead. He sent Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Peace be upon Him) with them and said to Him, "Go to the cemetery and call out at the top of your voice the names of this band whom they are asking about and say, 'So and so and so and so and so and so, Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (Allah's Peace and Blessings upon Him and His pure Family) says to you, "Get up with the help of Allah, Powerful and Mighty."
They got up; shaking the dust off their heads and Quraysh went up to them and asked them how they were. They then told them that Muhammad had been sent as a Prophet and they said, 'We would like to see Him and believe in Him. He healed the blind, lepers and the insane and animals, birds, jinn and shaytans speak to him. We have not taken Him as a Lord instead of Allah, Great and Mighty and we have never denied to any of these men their merit.
When you took Jesus as a Lord, you could have taken Elisha and Ezekiel as Lords because they also did something similar to what Jesus did in raising the dead and so on. An obedient Israelite community fled from their lands. There were thousands of them. They feared death and Allah killed them in a single hour and the people of that village undertook to erect a fence around them, where they remained until their bones were eaten away and they grew rotten. One of the Israelite Prophets passed by them and was astonished by them and by just how many rotten bones there were. Allah Great and Mighty revealed to Him, "Would you like Me to raise them for you so that you can warn them?" He said, "Yes, Lord."
Allah Great and Mighty revealed to Him: "Call out to them." He said, "You rotten bones. Get up with the help of Allah Great and Mighty." They all got up, living, and shook the earth from their heads. Then [there was] Ibrahim (Peace be upon Him) the dear friend of the Most Merciful when he took the birds and cut them up into lots of tiny pieces and then placed one piece from each of them on each mountain. Then he called out to them and they came rushing towards Him.
Then [there was] Musa Son of Imran and His companions and the seventy whom he chose who made their way with Him towards the mountain and they said to Him, "You have seen Allah, may He be praised so show us how you saw Him." He said to them, "I did not see Him." They said, "We will not believe until we see Him clearly.
Then a thunderbolt struck them and burned them up entirely and Musa was left on His own. He said, "Oh Lord, I chose seventy men from the Israelites and I took them with me and I am returning on my own. How will my people believe me when I tell them about it? If you had willed you could have destroyed them before, and will you now destroy me just like these stupid people?' So Allah raised them after their deaths.
"You cannot reject any of this that I have told you, since the Torah, Gospel, Psalms and Furqan have declared it. So if all who have raised the dead and healed the blind, lepers and insane are to be taken as Lord besides God, then take all these as Lords. What do you say, Christian?" The Catholicos said: "What you say is unanswerable. There is no god but Allah".
What eluded Ma'moon was that Ali Ibn Musa Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Them both) was an Impeccable Imam who received inspiration from Heaven and was Allah's proof on the earth. So was it possible for anyone to win against Allah's proof?
The debate began amidst a mass gathering mustered in one of Ma'moon's palaces in the Iranian city of Merv and continued for several days. The clear victory achieved by Imam Ridha (Peace be upon Him) in these debates was a reason for Ma'moon's growing angrier because the Imam's popularity with the people increased in an unequalled fashion. The religious leaders who came to engage the Imam in debate were:
1. The head of the Christians.
2. The head of the Jews.
3. The head of the Sabaeans.
4. The head of the Zoroastrians.
5. The head of the atheists.
With each of them were other heads and a group of the most senior members of the faith group and trend. What was amazing was that the Imam (Peace be upon Him) engaged them in discourse using their own scriptures and beliefs, during the course of which he showed himself to be more knowledge than each group about what was in their books and what about what they believed in and that He took the course of rational argument in his debate with them until He proved each of these religions and beliefs to be wrong and forced their representatives to concede.
Before the Imam (Peace be upon Him) headed towards the debating hall, he got up and performed ritual ablutions (wudhu) and then he performed dhikr of Almighty Allah right up until he reached the hall. The first among them to be engaged by the Imam (Peace be upon Him) were the Christians who were represented by the most senior Catholicos (Patriarch) in Persia.
History tells us that when the Imam reached the hall, Ma'moon and all gathered there rose out of respect for Him and then sat back down. Ma'moon turned to the Christian Patriarch and said to him, "Catholicos, this is my cousin Ali Ibn Musa Ibn Ja'far, who is a descendant of Fatima daughter of our Prophet and a descendant of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Allah's Blessings upon both of Them). I would like you to speak with him and engage him in debate but proceed fairly.
The Catholicos replied, "Commander of the Faithful, how do I debate with a man who relies on a book which I reject and on a Prophet in whom I do not believe?" Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said to him, "Christian, would you agree to my engaging you on the basis of your Gospels?" The Catholicos replied, "Can I reject what the Gospels said? All right. I swear by God that I acknowledge it whether I like it or not." Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said to him, "Ask what you like and understand the answer."
The Catholicos said, "What do you say about Jesus' prophethood (Peace be upon Him) and His Scripture? Do you reject any of it?" Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said, "I acknowledge Jesus' prophethood, His Scripture and the Glad Tidings He brought to His Umma which the Disciples acknowledged and I am an unbeliever in any Jesus who does not acknowledge the prophethood of Muhammad (Allah's Peace and Blessings upon Him and His pure Family) and His Scripture and who did not bring glad tidings to his umma about Him.
The Catholicos said, "Is it not true that you are only persuaded beyond reasonable doubt by two just witnesses?" He said, "Yes." He said, "So call two witnesses whom the Christians do not reject – from outside your faith group – to the prophethood of Muhammad, and ask us to do the same from outside our faith group. Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said, "Now you have brought fairness [to the proceedings], Christian. Will you not accept from the best just witness in the sight of Jesus Christ Son of Mary?"
The Catholicos said, "Who is this just witness? Tell me his name." He said, "What do you say about John the Dailamite?" He said, "Bravo! Bravo! You have mentioned the person loved most by Christ." He said (Peace be upon Him), "I swear to you, do not the Gospels say that John said, 'Christ told me about the religion of Muhammad the Arab and passed on the Glad Tidings of Him to me. He said that He would come after He did. I passed the Glad Tidings on to the apostles and they believed in Him?"
The Catholicos said, "John said that on Christ's authority and He brought Glad Tidings of the prophethood of a man and about his household and his heir and he did not say when that would be and he did not give us his people's name for us to know him." Al-Ridha said (Peace be upon Him), "If we were to bring you someone who recites the Gospels and he were to read out to you the reference to Muhammad, His Household and His people would you believe it?" He said, "Absolutely."
Al-Ridha said (Peace be upon Him) to Qustas the Byzantine, "How well have you memorised the third book of the Gospels?" He said, "How well I know it!" Then he turned to the Exilarch (the head of the Jews) and said to him," Do you not read the Gospel?" He said, "Yes, upon my life." He said, "Go to the third book. If there is a mention of Muhammad and His Household and His people (Allah's Peace upon Them) then testify on my behalf and if there is no mention do not testify on my behalf."
Then He recited (Peace be upon Him) the third book until He reached the point just before the Prophet (Allah's Peace and Blessings upon Him and His pure Family) is mentioned and paused. Then He said, "Christian. I ask you by Christ and His Mother do you understand that I know the Gospel?" He said, "Yes." "Then he read out to us the reference to Muhammad, His Household and His people."
He then said, "What do you say, Christian? This is what Jesus Son of Mary said. If you were to reject what the Gospels say you would be rejecting Moses and Jesus (Peace be upon Them) and if you were to deny this reference you would have to be killed because you would have become an unbeliever in your Lord and your Prophet and your Scripture." The Catholicos said, "I do not deny what has become clear to me in the Gospels and I affirm it."
Al-Ridha said (Peace be upon Him), "Bear witness to his affirmation." (This means that the version of the Holy Book which was around at that time in Iran contained explicit or near explicit mention of the Greatest Prophet and the People of His Household (Peace be upon Them).
Then the Imam (Peace be upon Him) said, "Catholicos, ask what you like." The Catholicos said, "Tell me about Jesus Son of Mary's apostles. How many of them were there? And about the Bible scholars…how many of them were there?" Al-Ridha said, "You have encountered one who knows. As for the apostles, they were twelve men and the best and most learned among them was Luke.
“As for the Christian scholars, they were three men – John the Elder in Aj, John in Circesium and John the Daylamite in Zajan and according to him there was mention of the Prophet (Allah's Peace and Blessings upon Him and His pure Family) and mention of the People of His Household and His People and He is the one about whom Jesus' people and the Sons of Israel spread glad tidings.”
Then He said (Peace be upon Him), "Christian. I swear by Allah that we believe in Jesus who believed in Muhammad (Allah's Peace and Blessings upon Him and His pure Family) and we do not hold anything against your Jesus except his weakness and how little he fasted and prayed!"
The Cathilicos said, "By God, you have undermined your argument and weakened your position and there I was thinking you were the most learned among the people of Islam!"
Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said, "How is that?" The Cathilicos said, "From your saying that your Jesus was weak and rarely fasted and rarely prayed when in fact Jesus did not once break His fast during the day and did not sleep at all at night and He fasted all His life, and stood in prayer all night."
Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said, "For whose sake would He fast and to whom would He pray?" The Cathilicos went silent and broke away! It was natural that the Cathilicos should fall silent because the Imam (Peace be upon Him) had embarrassed him with this question because he acknowledged that Jesus (Peace be upon Him) would pray and fast and so he would have to have a Lord to whom to pray and for whose sake to fast.
In view of the fact that Christians believe that Jesus (Peace be upon Him) is God and the Son of God for whose sake would He fast and to whom would He pray?) Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said, "Why do you deny that Jesus would only raise the dead with the permission of Allah the Mighty and Majestic?
The Cathilicos said, "I deny that for reason of the fact that whoever raises the dead and heals the blind and the lepers is Lord and is worthy of being worshipped.” Al-Ridha said (Peace be upon Him), "Elisha had done the same as that which Jesus had done – he walked on water and raised the dead and healed the blind and the lepers but His people did not take Him to be a Lord and no one worshipped Him instead of Allah Great and Mighty. Ezekial the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) did as Jesus Son of Mary (Peace be upon Him) did and raised thirty five thousand men sixty years after their death.”
Then he turned to the Exilarch (the Chief of the Jews) and said to him, "Exilarch, do you find in the Torah those among the Israelites' young people whom Nebuchadnezzar picked out from the Israelite prisoners when he attacked the House of the Holiness (Jerusalem)? He then went off with them to Babylon and God Almighty Powerful and Majestic sent him to them to raise them from the dead? This is in the Torah and no one except an unbeliever amongst you would reject it." The Exilarch said, "We have heard this and we know it."
He said, "You speak the truth." Then He said (Peace be upon Him), "Then go, Jew, to this book of the Torah.” Al-Ridha recited for us some verses of the Torah. The Jew began to rock to and fro at his recitation and showed his amazement. Then He turned towards the Christian and said, "Christian, did these people come before Jesus or did Jesus come before they did?" He said, "They came before He did."
Al-Ridha (Peace be upon Him) said, "The Quraysh gathered before the Messenger of Allah (Allah's Peace and Blessings upon Him and His pure Family) and asked Him to raise their dead. He sent Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Peace be upon Him) with them and said to Him, "Go to the cemetery and call out at the top of your voice the names of this band whom they are asking about and say, 'So and so and so and so and so and so, Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (Allah's Peace and Blessings upon Him and His pure Family) says to you, "Get up with the help of Allah, Powerful and Mighty."
They got up; shaking the dust off their heads and Quraysh went up to them and asked them how they were. They then told them that Muhammad had been sent as a Prophet and they said, 'We would like to see Him and believe in Him. He healed the blind, lepers and the insane and animals, birds, jinn and shaytans speak to him. We have not taken Him as a Lord instead of Allah, Great and Mighty and we have never denied to any of these men their merit.
When you took Jesus as a Lord, you could have taken Elisha and Ezekiel as Lords because they also did something similar to what Jesus did in raising the dead and so on. An obedient Israelite community fled from their lands. There were thousands of them. They feared death and Allah killed them in a single hour and the people of that village undertook to erect a fence around them, where they remained until their bones were eaten away and they grew rotten. One of the Israelite Prophets passed by them and was astonished by them and by just how many rotten bones there were. Allah Great and Mighty revealed to Him, "Would you like Me to raise them for you so that you can warn them?" He said, "Yes, Lord."
Allah Great and Mighty revealed to Him: "Call out to them." He said, "You rotten bones. Get up with the help of Allah Great and Mighty." They all got up, living, and shook the earth from their heads. Then [there was] Ibrahim (Peace be upon Him) the dear friend of the Most Merciful when he took the birds and cut them up into lots of tiny pieces and then placed one piece from each of them on each mountain. Then he called out to them and they came rushing towards Him.
Then [there was] Musa Son of Imran and His companions and the seventy whom he chose who made their way with Him towards the mountain and they said to Him, "You have seen Allah, may He be praised so show us how you saw Him." He said to them, "I did not see Him." They said, "We will not believe until we see Him clearly.
Then a thunderbolt struck them and burned them up entirely and Musa was left on His own. He said, "Oh Lord, I chose seventy men from the Israelites and I took them with me and I am returning on my own. How will my people believe me when I tell them about it? If you had willed you could have destroyed them before, and will you now destroy me just like these stupid people?' So Allah raised them after their deaths.
"You cannot reject any of this that I have told you, since the Torah, Gospel, Psalms and Furqan have declared it. So if all who have raised the dead and healed the blind, lepers and insane are to be taken as Lord besides God, then take all these as Lords. What do you say, Christian?" The Catholicos said: "What you say is unanswerable. There is no god but Allah".
| A MOVIE ON EID-E-MUBAHILA | for everyone |
http://shiavideo.com/media/568/Eid-e-Mubahila/
(A small movie on Eid-e-Mubahila)
This movie tells the story of Eid-e-Mubahila with pictures and quranic references.
| A WORK OF ART- FLOWERY CARTOON CREATIONS- | for everyone |
Flowery Cartoon - Cute Colorful Creations
| THE MEANING OF SEPARATED LETTERS | for everyone |
I said to Ja`far b. Muhammad b. `Ali b. al-Husayn b. `Ali b. Abi Talib, peace be upon him,: O' son of the Prophet of Allah, what is the meaning of the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted,: "Alif Lam Meem" [2:1, 3:1, 29:1, 30:1, 31:1, 32:1] and "Alif Lam Meem Sawd" [7:1] and "Alif Lam Ra" [10:1, 11:1, 12:1, 14:1, 15:1] and "Alif Lam Meem Ra" [13:1] and "Kaf Ha Ya `Ayn Sawd" [19:1] and "Ta Ha" [20:1] and "Ta Seen" [27:1] and "Ta Seen Meem" [26:1, 28:1] and "Ya Seen" [36:1] and "Sawd" [38:1] and "Ha Meem" [40:1, 41:1, 43:1, 44:1, 45:1, 46:1] and "Ha Meem Seen `Ayn Qaf" [42:1-42:2] and "Qaf" [50:1] and "Noon" [68:1]?
He, peace be upon him, replied: As for the Alif Lam Meem in the beginning of Baqarah (Surah 2), its meaning is: Ana aLlaah al-Malik (I am Allah, the King).
As for the Alif Lam Meem in the beginning of Aal-e-Imran (Surah 3), its meaning is: Ana aLlaah al-Majeed (I am Allah, the Glorious).
And (as for) Alif Lam Meem Sawd, it means: Ana aLlaah al-Muqtadir as-Sadiq (I am Allah, the Determiner, the Truthful).
And (as for) Alif Lam Ra, it means: Ana aLlaah ar-Ra'ouf (I am Allah, the Clement).
And (as for) Alif Lam Meem Ra, it means: Ana aLlaah al-Muh'yi al-Mumeet ar-Razzaq (I am Allah, the Giver of Life, the Taker of Life, the Sustainer).
And (as for) Kaf Ha Ya `Ayn Sawd, it means: Ana al-Kafi al-Hadi al-WaliY al-`Alim as-Sadiq al-wa`ad (I am the Sufficient, the Guide, the Master, the Omniscient, the Truthful in Promise).
And as for Ta Ha, it is a name from among the names of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his progeny, and its meaning is: ya Talib al-Haq al-Hadiy ilayh (O' seeker of the truth, the guide to it), "We have not sent down the Qur'an to thee to be (an occasion) for thy distress" [20:2], rather (we have sent it down) so that you become happy by it.
And as for Ta Seen, it means: ana al-Talib as-Samee` (I am the Seeker, the Listener)
And as for Ta Seen Meem, it means: ana al-Talib as-Samee` al-Mubdi' al-Mu`eed (I am the Seeker, the Listener, the Originator, the Restorer to life)
And as for Ya Seen, it is a name from among the names of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his progeny, and its meaning is: Ya Ayyuha as-Sami` al-Wahiy (O' hearer of the Revelation) "By the Qur'an, full of Wisdom, Thou art indeed one of the apostles, On a Straight Way." [36:2-36:4]
And as for Sawd, it is a spring that flows from beneath al-`Arsh (the Throne), and this is that which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his progeny, performed wudu` (ablution) with when he ascended to it (during the mi`raj - the Night of Ascension). And every day Jibra`il, peace be upon him, enters it (the spring) diving therein, and then emerges from it and shakes his wings. And there is not a drop that drops off his wings except that Allah, Blessed and High, creates therewith an angel who glorifies Him, sanctifies Him, declares His greatness, and praises Him til the Day of Judgment.
And as for Ha Meem, it means: al-Hameed al-Majeed (The Praised, The Glorious).
And as for Ha Meem `Ayn Seen Qaf, it means: al-Haleem al-Mutheeb al-`Alim al-Samee` al-Qadir al-Qawee` (The Forbearing, The Granter of Rewards, The Knower, The Hearer, The Powerful, The Possessor of Strength).
And as for Qaf, it is a mountain that surrounds the earth, and the greenness of the sky is due to it, and by it Allah has held the earth lest it should shake with its inhabitants.
And as for Noon, it is a stream in Paradise. Allah, Mighty and Exalted, said to it: "Congeal", so it congealed and turned into Ink. Then the Mighty and Exalted said to the Pen: "Write", so the Pen wrote down on the lawh al-Mahfooz (the Protected Tablet) what has occurred and what will occur till the Day of Judgment. And the Ink is of Light (noor), and the Pen is the pen of Light, and the Tablet is the tablet of light.
And Sufyan (the narrator) said: I said to him: O' son of the Prophet of Allah, explain to me the affair of the Tablet, and the Pen, and the Ink with excess clarification, and teach me what Allah has taught you.
So he replied: O' son of Sa`eed, had you not been worthy of the answer, I would not have answered you. So Noon is an angel that leads to the Pen, who is (also) an angel. And the Pen leads to the Tablet, who is an angel. And the tablet leads to Israfeel, and Israfeel leads to Meeka'eel, and Meeka'eel leads to Jibra'eel, and Jibra'eel leads to the Messengers and the Prophets, blessings of Allah be upon them all.
(The narrator) said: Then he said to me: Get up, O' sufyan, (explaining further is) not safe for you.
He, peace be upon him, replied: As for the Alif Lam Meem in the beginning of Baqarah (Surah 2), its meaning is: Ana aLlaah al-Malik (I am Allah, the King).
As for the Alif Lam Meem in the beginning of Aal-e-Imran (Surah 3), its meaning is: Ana aLlaah al-Majeed (I am Allah, the Glorious).
And (as for) Alif Lam Meem Sawd, it means: Ana aLlaah al-Muqtadir as-Sadiq (I am Allah, the Determiner, the Truthful).
And (as for) Alif Lam Ra, it means: Ana aLlaah ar-Ra'ouf (I am Allah, the Clement).
And (as for) Alif Lam Meem Ra, it means: Ana aLlaah al-Muh'yi al-Mumeet ar-Razzaq (I am Allah, the Giver of Life, the Taker of Life, the Sustainer).
And (as for) Kaf Ha Ya `Ayn Sawd, it means: Ana al-Kafi al-Hadi al-WaliY al-`Alim as-Sadiq al-wa`ad (I am the Sufficient, the Guide, the Master, the Omniscient, the Truthful in Promise).
And as for Ta Ha, it is a name from among the names of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his progeny, and its meaning is: ya Talib al-Haq al-Hadiy ilayh (O' seeker of the truth, the guide to it), "We have not sent down the Qur'an to thee to be (an occasion) for thy distress" [20:2], rather (we have sent it down) so that you become happy by it.
And as for Ta Seen, it means: ana al-Talib as-Samee` (I am the Seeker, the Listener)
And as for Ta Seen Meem, it means: ana al-Talib as-Samee` al-Mubdi' al-Mu`eed (I am the Seeker, the Listener, the Originator, the Restorer to life)
And as for Ya Seen, it is a name from among the names of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his progeny, and its meaning is: Ya Ayyuha as-Sami` al-Wahiy (O' hearer of the Revelation) "By the Qur'an, full of Wisdom, Thou art indeed one of the apostles, On a Straight Way." [36:2-36:4]
And as for Sawd, it is a spring that flows from beneath al-`Arsh (the Throne), and this is that which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his progeny, performed wudu` (ablution) with when he ascended to it (during the mi`raj - the Night of Ascension). And every day Jibra`il, peace be upon him, enters it (the spring) diving therein, and then emerges from it and shakes his wings. And there is not a drop that drops off his wings except that Allah, Blessed and High, creates therewith an angel who glorifies Him, sanctifies Him, declares His greatness, and praises Him til the Day of Judgment.
And as for Ha Meem, it means: al-Hameed al-Majeed (The Praised, The Glorious).
And as for Ha Meem `Ayn Seen Qaf, it means: al-Haleem al-Mutheeb al-`Alim al-Samee` al-Qadir al-Qawee` (The Forbearing, The Granter of Rewards, The Knower, The Hearer, The Powerful, The Possessor of Strength).
And as for Qaf, it is a mountain that surrounds the earth, and the greenness of the sky is due to it, and by it Allah has held the earth lest it should shake with its inhabitants.
And as for Noon, it is a stream in Paradise. Allah, Mighty and Exalted, said to it: "Congeal", so it congealed and turned into Ink. Then the Mighty and Exalted said to the Pen: "Write", so the Pen wrote down on the lawh al-Mahfooz (the Protected Tablet) what has occurred and what will occur till the Day of Judgment. And the Ink is of Light (noor), and the Pen is the pen of Light, and the Tablet is the tablet of light.
And Sufyan (the narrator) said: I said to him: O' son of the Prophet of Allah, explain to me the affair of the Tablet, and the Pen, and the Ink with excess clarification, and teach me what Allah has taught you.
So he replied: O' son of Sa`eed, had you not been worthy of the answer, I would not have answered you. So Noon is an angel that leads to the Pen, who is (also) an angel. And the Pen leads to the Tablet, who is an angel. And the tablet leads to Israfeel, and Israfeel leads to Meeka'eel, and Meeka'eel leads to Jibra'eel, and Jibra'eel leads to the Messengers and the Prophets, blessings of Allah be upon them all.
(The narrator) said: Then he said to me: Get up, O' sufyan, (explaining further is) not safe for you.
| All things will perish | for everyone |
My father - Allah have mercy on him - narrated to us, he said: Sa`d b. `Abdullah narrated to us, he said: Ahmad b. Muhammad b. `Isa narrated to us, from Muhammad b. Isma`il b. Bazee', from Mansoor b. Younus, from a friend of Abi Hamzah, from Abi Hamzah who said:
I spoke to Abi Ja`far (al-Baqir) [a] regarding the saying of Allah, the High,: "Everything will perish save His face" [28:88].
He [a] said:All things will perish, and what will remain is His face. Indeed Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, is far greater from being attributed with (having) a face, but the meaning thereof is that every thing will persish except for His religion and the countenance that has been provided from Him.
I spoke to Abi Ja`far (al-Baqir) [a] regarding the saying of Allah, the High,: "Everything will perish save His face" [28:88].
He [a] said:All things will perish, and what will remain is His face. Indeed Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, is far greater from being attributed with (having) a face, but the meaning thereof is that every thing will persish except for His religion and the countenance that has been provided from Him.
| Allah, Blessed and High, does not ridicule nor mock nor scheme nor deceive. | for everyone |
Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. Ahmad b. Younis al-Ma`adhi narrated to us, he said: Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Sa`eed al-Kufi al-Hamadani narrated to us, he said: `Ali b. al-Hasan Fudhaal narrated to us, from his father who said:
I asked al-Rida `Ali b. Musa [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "No indeed; but upon that day they shall be veiled from their Lord" [83:15]
He [a] said: Indeed Allah, the Blessed and High, cannot be ascribed with a place that he settles therein, and is thus concealed in it from his slaves. Instead, the Might and Exalted means by this that they will be concealed from the rewards (thawaab) of their Lord.
And I asked him about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "and thy Lord comes, and the angels, rank on rank," [89:22]
He replied: Indeed Allah, Mighty and Exalted, cannot be attributed with coming or going. (He is) Far above transferring (Himself). Indeed (He) means by this: "and the decree (amr) of your Lord comes, and the angels, rank on rank".
And I asked him about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "Will they wait until Allah comes to them in shadows of the clouds, and angels" [2:210]
He replied: Say: "Will they wait until Allah comes to them with angels, in shadows of the clouds," And this is how it descended.
And I asked him about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "Allah ridicules them" [9:79], and the saying: "Allah mocks them" [2:15], and the saying: "And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed" [3:54], and the saying: "(the hypocrites) seek to deceive Allah, but it is Allah who deceives them" [4:142]
He replied: Indeed Allah, Blessed and High, does not ridicule nor mock nor scheme nor deceive. Rather Allah, Mighty and Exalted, requites them the requital for (their) ridiculing, and the requital for mocking, and the requital for scheming, and the requital for their deceiving. Far above is Allah from what the unjust say (regarding Him), High and Great.
| ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT THE EARTH WILL BE HANDFUL | for everyone |
Muhammad b. Muhammad b. `Isam al-Kulayni - Allah be pleased with him - narrated to us, he said: Muhammd b. Yaqoub al-Kulayni narrated to us, he said: `Ali b. Muhammad, well-known as al-Kulayni, narrated to us, he said: Muhammad b. `Isa b. Ubayd narrated to us, he said:
I asked Abul Hasan Ali b. Muhammad al-`Askaru [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "On the Day of Judgment the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand" [39:67]
He [a] said: This is Allah, Blessed and High, taunting those who liken Him to His creation. Do you not see that He has said: "And they esteem not Allah as He hath the right to be esteemed" [39:67] when He said that indeed "On the Day of Judgment the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand", just as the Mighty and Exalted has said: "And they esteem not Allah as He hath the right to be esteemed when they say: Allah hath naught revealed unto a man." [6:91] And then immediately the Mighty and Exalted declared Himself free from (having) a handful and a right hand as he said: "Glorified is He and far Exalted from all that they ascribe as partners (unto Him)." [39:67]
I asked Abul Hasan Ali b. Muhammad al-`Askaru [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "On the Day of Judgment the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand" [39:67]
He [a] said: This is Allah, Blessed and High, taunting those who liken Him to His creation. Do you not see that He has said: "And they esteem not Allah as He hath the right to be esteemed" [39:67] when He said that indeed "On the Day of Judgment the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand", just as the Mighty and Exalted has said: "And they esteem not Allah as He hath the right to be esteemed when they say: Allah hath naught revealed unto a man." [6:91] And then immediately the Mighty and Exalted declared Himself free from (having) a handful and a right hand as he said: "Glorified is He and far Exalted from all that they ascribe as partners (unto Him)." [39:67]
| ALLAH FORGETS THOSE WHO FORGET HIM | for everyone |
Muhammad b. Muhammad b. `Isam al-Kulayni narrated to us, he said: Muhammad b. Yaqoub al-Kulayni narrated to us, he said: the well-known `Ali b. Muhammad narrated to us, he said: Abu Hamid `Imran b. Musa b. Ibrahim narrated to us, from Husayn b. Qasim ar-Raqaam, from Qasim b. Muslim, from his brother `Abdul `Aziz b. Muslim, who said:
I asked (Imam) Rida [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "They have forgotten Allah, so He hath forgotten them."
He replied: Indeed Allah, Blessed and High is He, does not forget nor does he (accidentally) omit. It is indeed only the produced creation who forgets and omits. Have you not heard the Mighty and Exalted say: "and thy Lord never doth forget" [19:64]. Indeed it is only applicable to those who have forgotten Him (Allah) and have forgotten the meeting (with Allah) on His day (Day of Judgment), just as they have forgotten their souls (nafsuhum). As the Mighty and Exalted has said: "And be ye not like those who forgot Allah. And He made them forget their own souls! Such are the rebellious transgressors!"[59:19], and the saying of the Mighty and Exalted: "That day shall We forget them as they forgot the meeting of this day of their". That is, we will abandon them just as they abandoned the preparation for the meeting of this day of theirs.
I asked (Imam) Rida [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "They have forgotten Allah, so He hath forgotten them."
He replied: Indeed Allah, Blessed and High is He, does not forget nor does he (accidentally) omit. It is indeed only the produced creation who forgets and omits. Have you not heard the Mighty and Exalted say: "and thy Lord never doth forget" [19:64]. Indeed it is only applicable to those who have forgotten Him (Allah) and have forgotten the meeting (with Allah) on His day (Day of Judgment), just as they have forgotten their souls (nafsuhum). As the Mighty and Exalted has said: "And be ye not like those who forgot Allah. And He made them forget their own souls! Such are the rebellious transgressors!"[59:19], and the saying of the Mighty and Exalted: "That day shall We forget them as they forgot the meeting of this day of their". That is, we will abandon them just as they abandoned the preparation for the meeting of this day of theirs.
| ALLAH THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN AND THE EARTH | for everyone |
My father - Allah be pleased with him - narrated to us, he said: Sa`d b. `Abdullah narrated to us, from Ya'qoub b. Yazeed, from `Abbas b. Hilal who said:
I asked (Imam) al-Ridha [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth" [24:35]
He replied: (He is the) Guide for the people of the heaven, and (He is the) guide for the people of earth.
And in the narration of al-Barqiy: "(He has) Guided those in the heavens, and (He has) guided those on earth."
I asked (Imam) al-Ridha [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth" [24:35]
He replied: (He is the) Guide for the people of the heaven, and (He is the) guide for the people of earth.
And in the narration of al-Barqiy: "(He has) Guided those in the heavens, and (He has) guided those on earth."
| THE FIRST AND THE LAST | for everyone |
1 - Muhammad b. Musa b. al-Mutawakkil -Allah be pleased with him - narrated to us, he said: `Ali b. Ibrahim b. Hashim narrated to us, from his father, from ibn Abi `Umayr, from ibn Udhaynah, from Muhammad b. Hakim, from Maymoon al-Baan who said:
I heard Aba `Abdillah (al-Sadiq) [a] when he was asked regarding the saying of the Mighty and Exalted "He is the First and the Last" say: (He is) the First such that there was no first before Him, and nothing began before Him. And He is the Last but without an end (to Him) as is understood of the attributes of creation. Rather He has ever been First and Last, who has not passed away nor will pass away, without a beginning nor an end. Incidents don't occur to Him, nor does he change from state to state, (He is the) creator of all things.
I heard Aba `Abdillah (al-Sadiq) [a] when he was asked regarding the saying of the Mighty and Exalted "He is the First and the Last" say: (He is) the First such that there was no first before Him, and nothing began before Him. And He is the Last but without an end (to Him) as is understood of the attributes of creation. Rather He has ever been First and Last, who has not passed away nor will pass away, without a beginning nor an end. Incidents don't occur to Him, nor does he change from state to state, (He is the) creator of all things.
| HELPING THE NEEDY | for everyone |
The Holy Prophet [s] said: "Ask (questions from) the learned, speak with the wise, and associate with the poor."
Tuhaf-ul-'Uqul, p. 34
Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "The cause of the cessation of (one's) wealth is leaving the needy heedless."
Ghurar-ul-Hikam, vol. 4, p. 190
Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "The Holy Prophet [s] narrated from Allah, the Exalted, on the night of ascent, Who said: 'O' Ahmad, My love is the loving of the poor. Bring the poor nearer to yourself and situate them close to yourself in order that I approach you..."
Al-Hayat, vol. 2, p. 51
Imam Sadiq [a] said: "Whoever satiates a hungry believer so that the one is satisfied fully, neither a human being among people nor a near-stationed angel nor a divine Messenger knows how great his reward is in the Hereafter except Allah, the Lord of the Worlds." Then, he added: "Feeding a hungry Muslim is from among the means of forgiveness." After that he recited the word of Allah, Almighty and Glorious: "Or the feeding on a day of hunger, of an orphan near of kin, or to the indigent (down) in the dust." (Sura Balad, No. 90, verses 14 to 16).
Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 201
| BACKBITING AND FAULT FINDING | for everyone |
The Holy Prophet [s] said: "Slander acts quicker against the faith of a Muslim believer than leprosy does against his body."
Usul-I-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 257
Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Mi [a] said: "The listener to backbiting is the same as the backbiter."
Ghurar-ul-Hikam, p. 307
The Holy Prophet [s] said: "The abandoning of backbiting is more valuable to Allah, Almighty and Glorious, than the performance of ten thousand rak'at of recommended prayers."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 75, p. 261
'Abd-ul-Mu'min-il-Ansari said that once he himself arrived in the presence of Imam Abil-Hassan Musa ibn Ja'far [a] where Abdillah-il-Ja'fari had attended and Abdul-Mu'min smiled at him. Then he [a] inquired whether Abdul-Mu'min liked Abdillah Al-Ja'fari when he replied to the Imam [a] that he did not like him ('Abdillah) but on his account (the seventh Imam). Then Imam [a] said: "He is your brother, and a Muslim believer is the brother of another Muslim believer though their fathers are not the same. Hence, cursed is he who accuses his (Muslim) brother, cursed is he who deceives his (Muslim) brother, cursed is he who does not advise his (Muslim) brother, and cursed is he who slanders his (Muslim) brother."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 75, p. 262
Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "The most vicious person is he who looks for other people's defects while he overlooks his own faults."
Tara'if-ul-Hikam, p. 176
Imam Kazim [a] said: "Cursed is the one who backbites against one's brother (fellow Muslim)."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 74, p. 232
| HADEES | for everyone |
Imam Sadiq [a] said: "He who seeks the company of those who insult the lovers of Allah has surely disobeyed Him, the Sublime."
Usul-i-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 379
Imam Sadiq [a] said: "When you are informed of a fellow companion committing an evil action, then go to him and tell him: 'O so and so! Either refrain from committing this sin or keep away from us'; then, avoid him unless he does so."
Wasa'il-ush-Shi'ah, vol. 16, p. 146
Imam Sadiq [a] has narrated from his father Imam Muhammad Baqir [a] who said his father Ali ibn Husayn [a] stated: "O' my son! Beware of five (groups) and do not seek companionship with them, do not speak with them, and do not make friends with them on (the) way."
Then, Imam Baqir [a] asked his father who they were and might he introduce them to him. He responded:
- "Beware of and do not associate with the one who tells lies. He is as a mirage which makes near for you what is far, and makes far to you what is near."
- "Beware of and do not associate with an immoral person, because he will sell you at the price of a morsel or less than that."
- "Beware of and do not associate with a miser because he will deprive you of his wealth when you are seriously in need of it."
- "Beware of and do not associate with a fool, because he wants to be of avail to you but he harms you."
- "Beware of and do not associate with the one who disregards his kinfolks, because I found him (such a person) cursed in the Book Allah, Almighty and Glorious, in three occurrences."
They are: (Sura AI-Baqarah, No.2, verse 27; Sura Ar-Ra'd, No.13, verse 25; and Sura Muhammad, No.47, verse 22).
Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 641
Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "O' Kumayl! Say what is just in any condition. Be friends with the righteous and avoid the evil doers, stay away from the hypocrites and do not accompany the treacherous."
Mustadrak-ul-Wasa'il, vol. 12, p. 197
| ON MAKING PEACE | for everyone |
The Holy Prophet [s] said: "To make peace between two individuals (in comparison) is worthier than one's entire prayers and fastings."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 76, p. 43
Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen [a] said: "If a person thinks well of you, make his idea hold true."
Nahjul-Balaghah, p. 511, saying No. 248
The Holy Prophet [s] said: "He who leads (others) to piety (will be rewarded) the same as the doer of that good action."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 96, p. 119
Imam Sadiq [a] said: "There are six things that a Muslim believer can be profited by after his death:
- A righteous child who seeks forgiveness for him.
- The Holy scripture which will be recited from.
- A well which he had dug (for the benefit of people).
- The tree which he had planted.
- The charity of water that he had caused to flow.
- A good tradition which will be followed (by people) after him."
Khisal by Saduq, p.323
The Holy Prophet [s] said: "If it were not hard upon my Ummah, I would enjoin them to brush (their teeth) with every prayer."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 76, p. 126
| CAN ONE LIVE WITHOUT PRAYERS? | for everyone |
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| Another Binge Drink in a Can?- Be Aware | for everyone |
Alcoholic Whipped Cream: Another Binge Drink in a Can?
Four Loko is so last season. There's a new faddish booze-infused product whipping up interest from public health experts: alcoholic whipped cream.
According to a report in the Boston Herald, products like Cream and Whipped Lightning are appearing on liquor store shelves all over the country. They look innocent enough: they are canisters of whipped dairy, like the Reddi-wip used on top of ice cream sundaes and waffles. But unlike the standard variety, the alcohol-charged "whipahol" Cream packs a 30-proof wallop. That's 15% alcohol by volume, containing about as much or slightly less alcohol as drinks like Bacardi Mojito and Bailey's Irish Cream. Another brand, Whipped Lightning ranges from 16% to 18% alcohol by volume, equivalent to the alcohol contained in three or four beers — that is, if you ingest the entire canister.
Although alcoholic whipped cream isn't likely to get kids as wasted as quickly as Four Loko did — not without first causing a stomachache — public health experts fear that the boozy whip targets young consumers. It comes in flavors like chocolate, raspberry, orange and cherry. Cream's MySpace page recommends adding the product to drinks like Jell-O shots — a staple at college parties.
Compared with the alcoholic energy drinks that were recently declared illegal by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), however, whipahols are somewhat less accessible to underage drinkers: for one thing, it costs about $13 per canister and it is sold in liquor stores, rather than convenience stores. Whipahol is not considered a food and is thus not regulated by the FDA; as a result, manufacturers are not required to reveal nutrition information on the packaging beyond alcohol content. The Herald reports:
"They can get a significant amount of alcohol in one shot," Dr. Anita Barry, a director at the Boston Public Health Department, said of drinkers who consume the boozy topping.
Barry said alcohol-infused whipped cream needs to be monitored for potential abuse. One of the big worries is whether canisters prominently mention that the product contains high alcohol levels, she said.
Still, my guess is that flavored alcoholic whipped cream is less a harbinger of booze-induced problems in teens and more a sign that the culinary tastes of the nation's food manufacturers need a serious reboot.
posted by ABBAS ALAM @ 08:25
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