Photos Anna Kane, 5, of Alton, Ill. looks down from "The Ledge," the new glass balconies suspended 1,353 feet (412 meters) in the air and jutting out 4 feet (1.22 meters) from the Sears Tower's 103rd floor Skydeck, Wednesday, July 1, 2009 in Chicago. The Ledge will open to public on Thursday.More Photos      
CHICAGO —
Visitors to the Sears Tower’s new glass balconies all seem to agree: The first step is the hardest.
The balconies are suspended 1,353 feet in the air and jut out four feet from the building’s 103rd floor Skydeck. Their transparent walls, floor and ceiling leave visitors with the impression they’re floating over the city. “It’s like walking on ice,” said Margaret Kemp, of Bishop, Calif., who said her heart was still pounding even after stepping away from the balcony. “That first step you take — ‘am I going down?”’ Kemp was among the visitors who got a sneak preview of the balconies Wednesday. “The Ledge,” as the balconies have been nicknamed, open to the public Thursday. Visitors are treated to unobstructed views of Chicago from the building’s west side and a heart-stopping vista of the street and Chicago River below — for those brave enough to look straight down. John Huston, one of the property owners of the Sears Tower, even admitted to getting “a little queasy” the first time he ventured out. But 30 or 40 trips later, he’s got the hang of it. “The Sears Tower has always been about superlatives — tallest, largest, most iconic,” he said. “Today is also about superlatives. Today, we present you with ‘the Ledge,’ the world’s most awesome view, the world’s most precipitous view, the view with the most wow in the world.” The balconies can hold five tons, and the glass is an inch-and-a-half thick, officials said. Sears Tower officials have said the inspiration for the balconies came from the hundreds of forehead prints visitors left behind on Skydeck windows every week. Now, staff will have a new glass surface to clean: floors. “It’s very scary, but at the same time it’s very cool,” said Chanti Lawrence of Atlanta, adding that she’s made her first step toward overcoming her fear of heights. Adam Kane, 10, of Alton, Ill., rushed to the ledge with his friends and siblings, and they each eagerly pressed their faces to the glass bottom. “Look at all those tiny things that are usually huge,” Adam said. The balconies are just one of the big changes coming to the Sears Tower. The building’s name will change to Willis Tower later this summer. Last week, officials announced a 5-year, $350 million green renovation complete with wind turbines, roof gardens and solar panels. With the ledge, visitors like Kemp said the nation’s tallest building has succeeded in creating something they’ve never seen before. “I had to live 70 years for a thrill like this,” she said.
Pardon
Do you like it when people are mad at you for doing something? Don’t you wish they just forgot about it? Well that’s what Islam says to do – pardon those who do wrong.
The Prophet Mohammed was commanded by Allah to have the following qualities: “Unite with whoever breaks with you, and pardon whoever wrongs you; give to whoever is bad to you…”
If someone does something wrong to you, you should pardon them. If you do, you are fulfilling one of the verses in the Holy Quran: “They should pardon and turn away. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is forgiving, merciful.” (24:22)
If you can’t pardon someone, how can you expect Allah to forgive your sins? Don’t just think you are higher than that person is and not pardon his/her wrong. Instead, show yourself as a better example by pardoning that person so that he/she can see that you are truly a better person. If the person truly feels the guilt for doing wrong, then your pardon would effect their future behavior.
Hazrat Muhammed s.a.w says , that Isa (a.s.) shall stand for prayers behind Mahdi (a.s.) and will fight along with him and the fact that Isa (a.s.) shall kill Dajjal in the presence of Mahdi and Mahdi (a.s.) will be having precedence over Isa at the time of prayers are all well-known. similarly, his position is more than Isa at the time of 'Jihad' (the holy war).
Hazrat Imam Al-Mahdi (a.s)
The Prophet (s.a.w) said , Allah will bring out from concealment Al-Mahdi a.s from my family and just before the day of Judgment; even if only one day were to remain in the life of the world, and he will spread on this earth justice and equity and will eradicate tyranny and oppression.
Hazrat Ali (a.s) narrates that Rasulullah (s.a.w) said , Even if only a day remains for Qiyamah to come, yet Allah will surely send a man from my family who will fill this world with such justice and fairness, just as it initially was filled with oppression.
IMAM MEHDI IN SIGHT OF OTHERS IMAMS
MAHDI IS FROM NINTH IMAM (A.S)the author of «yanabi-ul-muwadda» on page 493 narrates from «manaqib» of muwaffaq-ibn- ahmad khawrazmi who narrates from sulaim-ibn - qais hallali who narrates from salman farsi who said: 'i got the honour of visiting the messenger of allah (s.a.w.a.). what i saw was hussein-ibn-ali sitting on his lap and the holy prophet kissing over his eyes and licking his clothes and then saying:
you are a chief, son of a chief and brother of chief. you are an imam, son of an imam and brother of imam. you are a divine proof, brother of a divine proof and father of nine divine proofs, the ninth of them being the «qaem».
the same too can be seen in «uqdud-durar».
in the afore-mentioned book on page 258, the author narrates from the tenth chapter of «mawaddat-ul-qurba» as such:
it has come from salim-ibn-qais hallali that salman farsi said: when i went to meet the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) i saw hussein sitting on his lap and kissing over his eyes and licking his clothes. thereafter the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) said: you are a chief and the son of a chief. you are an imam and the son of an imam. you are a divine proof and the son of a divine proof and the father of nine divine proofs, the ninth of them shall be the qaem.
besides these one, there are still other numerous traditions and allah-willing, we shall soon narrate them.
the author says- it does not seem likely that anyone amongst the muslims is ignorant of these nine personalities and has not known them by name. with this description there is no holding back to mentioning their names out of benediction and remembrance. the first of them is abul-hassan zain-ul-abedeen, followed by his son abu jafar muhammad baqir, followed by his son abu abdulla jafer sadeq, followed by his abul-hassan musa kazim, followed by his son abul-hassan ali ar-reza, followed by his son abu jafar muhammad jawad, followed by his son abul-hassan ali haadi, followed by his son muhammad hassan askari, followed by his son abul qasim muhammad mahdi who is the ninth of them and the «qaem».
mahdi is from the offspring of sadeq (a.s.)the author of «yanabi-ul-muwadda» on page 499 has narrated from «arba'een» of hafez abu na'eem esfahani (which is a collection of forty traditions about mahdi). amongst them is a tradition which he has narrated from 'laghwi' better known as ibn 'kheshab'.
he said: abul qasim thaher-ibn-haroon-ibn-musa kazim narrated for me a tradition from his grand-father who said: my master jafer-ibn muhammad said: 'the pious successor shall be from my progeny and he is the mahdi. his name is muhammad and his agnomen is abul-qasim. he shall emerge at the end of time. his mother is named as nargis and above his head is a cloud which shall provide a shadow for him from the sun. it shall accompany him wherever he goes and will call out in an eloquent voice: this is mahdi, so obey him.'
besides this, there are some other traditions which allah-willing we shall acquaint you with very soon.
ibn-hajar in «sawa'eq» on page 120 says: muhammad-ibn-ali baqer left behind six sons which the most learned and perfect amongst all is jafar sadeq. it was for this reason that he was made as his father's successor and legatee and people have narrated so much knowledge from him that his fame (of excellence) had engulfed all the places.
great sunni scholars like yahya-ibn-sa'eed, ibn-jareeh, malik, sufyanin, abu hanifa, shuaba and ayub bakhtiyani have narrated traditions from him....
under the verse «--» imam fakhr raazi says: 'among the meanings of 'kauthar' (river in paradise) one meaning can be that of 'offspring' because, this sura was revealed in refutation of those who were rebuking the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) for not having a son and then allah provided him a generation which would continue to remain in the course of time. thus, you may see for yourself that how many an offspring of the holy prophet have been killed and yet the world is full of their existence whereas not even one has remained from bani-ummayid. once again, you may see for yourself that those who are from his ahlul-bait like baqir, sadeq, kazim, reza (a.s.), 'nefs-zakiyah' and their likes are great scholars.
mahdi is from the offspring of reza (a.s.)the author of «yanabi-ul-muwadda» on page 448 narrates from the book of «fara'ed-ul-semtain» as such: hassan-ibn-khalid says - ali-ibn-musa reza (peace be upon him) said:- 'the one who does not have (i.e. piety), does not have faith and the most honourable of you before allah is the one who is the most pious. thereafter he said:- verily the fourth from my descendant is the son of a princess of slave-maids who shall cleanse the earth from every cruelty and oppression.
in the afore-mentioned book on page 489, the author narrates from hassan-ibn-khalid who said:- ali-ibn-musa ar-reza (a.s.) said:- 'the appointed time (in quran) refers to the day of emergence of our 'qa'em'. then it was asked from hazrat as to who is the qaem and he replied: 'he is the fourth of my descendant, the son of a princess of slave-maids who shall purify the earth from every cruelty and oppression'.
once again, in the same book on page 454 the author narrates from «fara'ed-ul-semtain» as such: ahmad-ibn-ziad has narrated from de'abel khuza'ee who said - 'i read out my elegy which began with «--» before hazrat reza (a.s.) until i reached to this part of the poem:
that is to say, the emergence of imam and his leadership is a certainty. he shall rise in the name of allah and will be a blessing. he shall separate the truth from falsehood and recompense as per good and evil actions.
hazrat cried bitterly and then said: 'o de'abel, the holy spirit has spoken through your tongue. do you know who this imam is?
i replied: no, i do not know him. but, i have heard that an imam shall emerge from your household, the one who shall fill the earth with equity and justice.
hazrat said: the imam after me shall be my son muhammad and after muhammad will be his son ali and after ali will be his son hassan and after hassan will be his son hujjat al-qaem and he is the awaited one.(45)
ibn-hajjar in his «sawa'eq» on page 122 says: 'when hazrat musa-ibn-jafar passed away, he left behind thirty-seven sons and daughters. amongst them was ali-arreza who was more renowned in name and more manifest in merit than the others. for this reason ma'mun gave him a place in his heart and gave his daughter's hand in marriage to him. he also placed him as his partner in his kingdom and entrusted the affairs of caliphate to him. in the year of 201 hijra, he wrote by his own hand the 'testamental-guardianship' for hazrat and took a large number of people into witness. however hazrat passed away from this world before him as a result of which ma'mun became very depressed and sad. before dying, hazrat had foretold that he would die because of the poisonous effect of grapes and pomegranates and that ma'mun would wish to bury him near his father, rashid's grave, but would not succeed. thus, all that hazrat had foretold did occur.
once hazrat told a person as such: 'o abdulla! be satisfied with what allah wishes and be prepared for that which is inevitable for you to occur. then on the third day abdulla died. this incident has been narrated by hakem. also, he narrates from muhammad-ibn-isa who narrates from abu habib who said: i saw in my dreams that i had visited the holy prophet and greeted him. at that very moment, i saw a tray of saihani dates next to him and he offered eighteen of those dates to me. then i woke up and interpreted my dream in this manner that i would live for another eighteen days. however, after the twentieth day, abul-hassan ali ar-reza arrived from medina and came to the same mosque where i had seen the holy prophet in my dream. people hastened towards him in order to offer their greetings. i too went close to him and saw him sitting in the very place which the holy prophet had sat and besides him was kept a tray of saihani dates, the same tray of dates which i had seen in my dream. later, i greeted him and he called me close to himself and offered me a handful of those dates. when i counted them, i realized that they were exactly the same number of dates the holy prophet had offered me in my dream. i asked for more but he said: if the holy prophet had offered you more than this amount, i too would offer you more.
when hazrat arrived in naishabour he was mounted on a mule and on top of the mule-litter was a cover which was not visible from behind. then two persons from the experts of traditions, i.e. abu zarra raazi and muhammad-ibn-aslam tusi went in his presence along with a large number of scholars. they asked hazrat to disclose his blessed face and narrate for them traditions which he had received from his fore-fathers. then, as per his commands the mule-litter came to a stand-still and his slaves drew back the curtain. when the people's eyes fell on his blessed face they began to rejoice. a group was jubilating while another group was crying out of excessive happiness. yet others threw themselves on the ground and those who were near were seen kissing the hooves of his mule. then the scholars cried out: 'o people, be quiet and listen to what hazrat says'. when the people prepared themselves to listen, hazrat started to deliver this tradition and as the crowd was great in number those too i.e. abu zarra and muhammad-ibn-aslam were calling out hazrat's message to the people. later, hazrat said: 'my father musa kazim narrated to me from his father jafer sadeq who narrated from his father muhammad baqer who narrated from his father zain-ul-abedeen who narrated from his father hussein who narrated from his father ali-ibn-abi talib (may allah be satisfied with him) who said: my dear and beloved messenger of allah (s.a.w a.) said: gibra'eel (gabriel) told me as such:- i heard the exalted lord saying: the words OF is my castle. so anyone who recites it shall enter my castle and the one who enters my castle will be saved from my chastisement.
thereafter, he removed the cover from the mule-litter and moved ahead. about twenty-thousand writers have narrated this tradition.
in another tradition it has come that hazrat said: 'faith' is recognition by the heart, confession by the tongue and action by the limbs. perhaps he said both of them.
ahmad says: 'if this tradition which is having a chain of transmitters is read for an insane person he shall be cured of his madness.'
mahdi is from the offspring of
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| DUTCH LINEAR CLOCK | for everyone |
Dutch Linear Clock
This is a different way to display time on the green time line. It's a really interesting clock! It comes from a Dutch web site. Here is what you will see when you look at this clock:
Don't do anything. It's automatically adjusted to your time zone. Just look at it and study it. It gives you the EXACT TIME of the DAY in seconds, minutes, hours, the day, month and year.
Just read the green line. Everything's there. Study it for a few seconds and it will all become clear to you.
Remember these definitions:
1st Line is Seconds
2nd Line is Minutes
3rd line is Hours.
4th Line is Days
5th Line is Months
6th Line is Years
This is the COOLEST clock I have seen yet!!
(sent by bro Sayed T. Rizvi)
| Dua For Reappearance of our Living Imam (a.t.f.s.) | for everyone |
Imam E Zamana(a.t.f.s.) himself says "Pray more for the reappearance for in it lies your salvation."(Beharul Anwaar, Vol. 53, p 181.)
Imam Ja'far E Sadiq(a.s.) says in a tradition, "When Bani Israel had given up all hope from the oppression of Firaun, they gathered in a Jungleand cried before Allah, seeking a solution to their problem. The result of their prayer was that Allah(the Most High) advanced the birth ofHazrat Musa(a.s.) (who was to be their Saviour) by 400 years."
Then the Imam(a.s.) continued, "My Son will not appear till the time the Shias(of the last period) do not pray for him.(a.s.)"
Supplication is a weapon of the believer through which he repels calamities and encounters difficulties. He attains his desires with its help. The reappearance of Imam E Zamana(a.t.f.s.) and his being safe from all evils and calamities is the heartfelt desire of every believer. One of the rights that He(a.s.) enjoys upon us is that we should pray for him, first and foremost, in our supplications and invocations. Naturally, we always pray for that thing first which enjoys utmost significance in our eyes.
Nobody is greater than Imam E Zamana(a.t.f.s.) nor is anything more Important than his reappearance. It is neccessary that after every Namaz, Our first supplication be in favour of Imam E Zamana(a.t.f.s.). We must begin and end our day with the prayers for the reappearance of our beloved Imam(a.s.). Although there are a number of invocations for Imam-e-Zamana(a.t.f.s) like Doa-E-Nudbah, which should be recited on Fridays, etc. we shall suffice here with only two important supplications for him.
(a) In every namaz, especially in obligatory prayers, we should recited the following invocation in the Qunoot. This is also called as Doa-E-Salaamati.
Allahuma Kulle Waliyyekal Hujjat Ibnil Hasan.........
(b) After Namaz-E-Subh(morning prayers) we must recite Doa-E-Ahad. It is a salutation, a covenant and a supplication, all put together.
It starts with "Allahuma Raban Nooril Azeeme Wa Rabbal Kursiyyar Rafee'e......"
At the End of this Dua we have to hit our hand on our thigh and say thrice: Al a'jal Al a'jal Yaaa Maulaaya Yaa Saahebazzamaan.
Imam Sadiq(a.s.) says, One who recites this Dua for forty days, will be included among the helpers of Hazrat Qaem(a.s.). If he dies before reappearance, the Almighty Allah will make him alive so that he can fight Jihad alongside him(Imam Mahdi a.t.f.s.). For every word of this Dua a thousand Hasanat (good deeds) are written in the scroll of his deeds and one thousand sins shall be erased.
IMAM JA'FAR SADIQ(A.S.) SAYS: "REGULAR RECITATION OF THIS DUA'A FOR 40 DAYS AFTER MORNING PRAYER MAKES ONE ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION AS A COMPANION OF IMAM SAHIBUZ ZAMAN. AND IF THAT PERSON DIES BEFORE THE ZUHUR OF IMAM THEN ALLAH(S.W.T.) WILL RAISE HIM FROM THE GRAVE AND HE WILL BE WITHIMAM MAHDI SAHIBUZ ZAMAN AS HIS COMPANION."
To download text and audio of these and other duas visit www.duas.org
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| DUA AZUMAL BALAA-ATTRIBUTED TO OUR LIVING IMAM (A.T.F.S.) | for everyone |
Kafami says in his book Baladul Amin that if a wrongfully confined prisoner recite this dua'a he will soon be set free.
If a person find himself surrounded by misfortunes or intrigues he must recite this dua'a to come through tight situations, deadlock and crises.
This dua'a is attributed to the living Imam Sahibuz zaman.It brings immediate help from our living imam.
If a person find himself surrounded by misfortunes or intrigues he must recite this dua'a to come through tight situations, deadlock and crises.
This dua'a is attributed to the living Imam Sahibuz zaman.It brings immediate help from our living imam.
BISMILLAHIR RAHMANIR RAHIM
ALLAHUMMA S'ALE A'LAA MUHAMMAD WA AALE MUHAMMAD
ALLAHUMMA S'ALE A'LAA MUHAMMAD WA AALE MUHAMMAD
O Allah, terrible was the calamity, and its evil consequences are visible, the covering has been removed, (all) hopes have been cut off, the (plentiful) earth has shrunk (with very little to spare), the heavenly blessings have been withheld. You alone can help, we refer our grief and sorrow to You, we have full faith in You, in the time of distress, as well as in good fortune. O Allah, send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, whom we must obey as per Your command, through which we become aware of their rank and status, and let there be joy after sorrow for us, for their sake, right away, in the twinkle of an eye, more rapidly than that. O Muhammad, O Ali, O Ali, O Muhammad, Give me enough, because both of you provide sufficiently. Help me, because both of you help and protect.
O our master, O the living Imam, HELP! HELP! HELP!Reach me! Reach me! Reach me! At once, in this hour. Be quick, be quick, be quick, O the most merciful, for the sake of Muhammad and his pure children. |  |
wa barihal khafaa’
wa’n kashafal ghiţaa’
wa’n qaţ’ar-rajaa’
wa dhaqatil ardhu wa muni’atis samaa’
wa-antal musta’anu wa-ilaykal mushtaka
wa-alaykal mu’awalu fee shid’dati war’rakhaa’
allahuma şali’i ‘alaa Muham’madiwn wa-ali Muham’mad
oolil amril ladhina faradhta alayna ţa ‘atahum
wa’ar’raftana bidhalika manzilatahum
fa far’rij ‘an’na bihak’kihim farajan ‘aajilan qareeban
kalamihil basari au huwa aqrab
ya Muham’madu, ya ‘Ali’yu, ya ‘Ali’yu, ya Muham’mad
ik fiyaani fa inakuma kaafiyaani
wansuraanee fa inakuma naasiraani
ya maulana ya Sahibaz zamaan
al-ghauth, al-ghauth, al-ghauth,
adriknee, adriknee, adriknee,
asa ‘ata, asa ‘ata, asa ‘ata, (asa’aa)
al’ajal, al’ajal, al’ajal,
ya Arhamar Raahimeen
bihaki Muham’madiwn wa’alihi ţahireen.
| DUA “Ya man Azhar al-Jamil" | for everyone |
DUA “Ya man Azhar al-Jamil"
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While being happy and having a smile on his lips, Gabriel come down from heaven to the Holy Prophet (SAW) bringing the following Dua saying: God has sent a gift for you. The Holy Prophet said: What is the gift O Gabriel! Gabriel said: Words along with treasures of heaven by which God has honoured you. The Holy Prophet said: What are those words O Gabriel?! Gabriel said: Say:
ya man adh'haral jameel wa sataral qabeeh ya man lam yu'aakhidh bil jareerati wa lam yahtikis sitr ya adheemal 'afwi, ya hasanat tajawuz ya waasi'al maghfirati, ya baasital yadayni bir rahmah ya saahiba kulli najwaa, ya muntaha kulli shakwaa ya kareemas safhi, ya 'adheemal manni ya mubtadi'an bin ni'ami qablas tihqaaqihaa ya sayyidanaa, ya rabbanaa, ya maulaanaa ya ghaayata raghbatinaa, as'aluka ya Allahu an laa tushawwih khalqee bin naar
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“O You who reveal beauty and conceal ugly things! O You who do not take a wrongdoer to task and not tear the veil! O You who are Great Forever! O You who have the great forbearance! O You who have pardon abounding! O You who have opened Your hands for mercy! O Hearer of all whisperings! O You to whom all complaints are made! O Noble face! O Possessor of great favor! O You who give blessings to Your servants when they do not deserve it! O our Master! O our Lord! O our Guardian! O the Goal of our desires! I beseech You O God! not to make my being ugly with Fire.”
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Here the Holy Prophet (SAW) said to Gabriel: What is the virtue of these words? Gabriel said: Far away! Far away! It is something impossible, for if the angels of seven heavens and seven earths gather to describe its virtues till the Day of Judgment, they are not able to describe a single part of it.”
“Therefore when a man says: O You who reveal the beauty and conceal the ugly, God covers up his defects and has mercy on him and makes him look beautiful on the Day of Judgment and covers his defects with a thousand veils in the world and the hereafter.”
“And when he says: O You who do not take the wrongdoer to task and do not tear the veil, God will not take him to task on the Day of Judgment and on the day all veils are torn, God will not tear his veil.”
“And when he says: O You who are Great Forgiver, God will forgive his sins even if they are as much as the sea foam.”
“And when he says: O You are of great forbearance, God will forgive him such sins as theft, drinking wine, and other sins.”
“And when he says: O You who have pardon abounding, God will open seventy gates of Mercy to him in a way that he will be overwhelmed by God’s Mercy till he dies.”
“And when he says: O You who have opened Your hands for mercy, God opens His hands of Mercy to him.”
“And when he says: O Hearer of all whisperings, O You to whom all complaints are made, God will give him rewards as many as given to every afflicted and unaffiliated, every losing and sick as well as destitute and every one affected by calamity till the Day of Judgment.”
“And when he says: O Possessor of great favor, God will make him noble as prophets.”
“And when he says: O You who give blessings to Your servants when they do not deserve it, God will grant him rewards as many as the number of those who have thanked His blessings.”
“And when he says: O our Master, O our Lord, God will say: My angels! Be witness that I forgave him and I will give him rewards as many as those being in paradise and Hell, the seven heavens and the earths, the sun, the moon, the stars, drops of rain, sands mountains, dews and throne.”
“And when he says: O our Guardian, God will make his heart replete with faith.”
“And when he says: O the Goal of our desires, God will give him the love of all creatures on the Day of Judgment.”
“And when he says: I beseech You O God not to make my being ugly with Fire, God will say: My servant has asked Me to free him from Fire. O My angels! Be witness that I set him, his parents, his brothers, his household, his children and his neighbors free from the Fire and accepted his intercession for a thousand others who deserved the punishment by fire and saved them from it.”
“O Muhammad! Teach this Dua only to men of piety. Do not even teach it to hypocrites, for it is a Dua which God will answer. This is the Dua recited by the men of Beite Ma’moor (an edifice in the fourth or seventh heaven as sacred as Ka’aba) when they circumambulate it.”
“Therefore when a man says: O You who reveal the beauty and conceal the ugly, God covers up his defects and has mercy on him and makes him look beautiful on the Day of Judgment and covers his defects with a thousand veils in the world and the hereafter.”
“And when he says: O You who do not take the wrongdoer to task and do not tear the veil, God will not take him to task on the Day of Judgment and on the day all veils are torn, God will not tear his veil.”
“And when he says: O You who are Great Forgiver, God will forgive his sins even if they are as much as the sea foam.”
“And when he says: O You are of great forbearance, God will forgive him such sins as theft, drinking wine, and other sins.”
“And when he says: O You who have pardon abounding, God will open seventy gates of Mercy to him in a way that he will be overwhelmed by God’s Mercy till he dies.”
“And when he says: O You who have opened Your hands for mercy, God opens His hands of Mercy to him.”
“And when he says: O Hearer of all whisperings, O You to whom all complaints are made, God will give him rewards as many as given to every afflicted and unaffiliated, every losing and sick as well as destitute and every one affected by calamity till the Day of Judgment.”
“And when he says: O Possessor of great favor, God will make him noble as prophets.”
“And when he says: O You who give blessings to Your servants when they do not deserve it, God will grant him rewards as many as the number of those who have thanked His blessings.”
“And when he says: O our Master, O our Lord, God will say: My angels! Be witness that I forgave him and I will give him rewards as many as those being in paradise and Hell, the seven heavens and the earths, the sun, the moon, the stars, drops of rain, sands mountains, dews and throne.”
“And when he says: O our Guardian, God will make his heart replete with faith.”
“And when he says: O the Goal of our desires, God will give him the love of all creatures on the Day of Judgment.”
“And when he says: I beseech You O God not to make my being ugly with Fire, God will say: My servant has asked Me to free him from Fire. O My angels! Be witness that I set him, his parents, his brothers, his household, his children and his neighbors free from the Fire and accepted his intercession for a thousand others who deserved the punishment by fire and saved them from it.”
“O Muhammad! Teach this Dua only to men of piety. Do not even teach it to hypocrites, for it is a Dua which God will answer. This is the Dua recited by the men of Beite Ma’moor (an edifice in the fourth or seventh heaven as sacred as Ka’aba) when they circumambulate it.”
| DUA-E-TAWASSUL | for everyone |
ITS A POWER POINT PRESENTATION
| HUMOR | for everyone |
Tension Relievers... ..
Apni Biwi ko apni 100% kamai dene se 10% Sukh milta hai.
Kisi doosri ko apni kamai ka 10% dene pe 100% sukh milta hai
Paisa apka ... Faisla apka ...
"Funny but true fact !!
Kisi doosri ko apni kamai ka 10% dene pe 100% sukh milta hai
Paisa apka ... Faisla apka ...
"Funny but true fact !!
A woman worries about her future till she gets a husband,
A man never worries about his future until he gets a wife !! ..
A man never worries about his future until he gets a wife !! ..
What do u say????????? ??
A Man before marriage is - Superman.
After Marriage - Gentleman.
5 Years Later - Watchman.
10 Years later - Apne Hi Jaal Mein fasaa hua Spiderman.
Life may hamesha Haste raho, muskrate raho, gaate raho, gungunate raho...
A Man before marriage is - Superman.
After Marriage - Gentleman.
5 Years Later - Watchman.
10 Years later - Apne Hi Jaal Mein fasaa hua Spiderman.
Life may hamesha Haste raho, muskrate raho, gaate raho, gungunate raho...
thaki tumhe dekh kar hi log samaj jaye ki……………
Tum... "KUWARE" ho…..
Wife- agar main kho gayi to tum kya karoge?
Husband - main TV aur newspaper mein Ad dunga ki jaha kahin bhi ho.....
KHUSH RAHO
Wife- agar main kho gayi to tum kya karoge?
Husband - main TV aur newspaper mein Ad dunga ki jaha kahin bhi ho.....
KHUSH RAHO
Wife - Shadi ki raat tum ne jab mera ghunghat uthaya to kaisi lagti thi..
Husband - Mai to mar hi jata agar mujhe dua e yaad hoti..!!
Why love marriage is better than Arranged????
B'coz a "KNOWN DEVIL" is better than an "UNKNOWN GHOST".
Wife: main tumhari yaad mein Bees din mein hi aadhi ho gayi hoon,
Wife: main tumhari yaad mein Bees din mein hi aadhi ho gayi hoon,
mujhe lene kab aa rahe ho? HUSBAND: Bees din aur ruk jaao.
A man gave an add in Matrimonial column "PATNI CHAHIYE"
He got 1000 replies all saying:- "Meri Le Ja...!", ''Meri Le Ja...!''
Husband to Hotel Manager: "Jaldi chalo! meri biwi khidki se kud kar jaan dena chahti hai"
Manager: "What can I do?
Husband: "Kamine, khidki nahi khul rahi hai."
Every person is a FREEDOM FIGHTER ........ Immediately after Marriage!!
Telling a lie is a fault for a little boy, an art for a lover, an accomplishment for a bachelor and a Matter of Survival for a married man.
Good Luck!
A man gave an add in Matrimonial column "PATNI CHAHIYE"He got 1000 replies all saying:- "Meri Le Ja...!", ''Meri Le Ja...!''
Husband to Hotel Manager: "Jaldi chalo! meri biwi khidki se kud kar jaan dena chahti hai"
Manager: "What can I do?
Husband: "Kamine, khidki nahi khul rahi hai."
Every person is a FREEDOM FIGHTER ........ Immediately after Marriage!!
Telling a lie is a fault for a little boy, an art for a lover, an accomplishment for a bachelor and a Matter of Survival for a married man.
Good Luck!
Woh kahte hain ki hamari biwi swarg ki Apsara hai,
Hum ne kaha khushnaseeb ho bhai, hamari to abhi Jinda hai...
| HADEES OF THE HOLY PROPHET (S.A.W.S.) | for everyone |
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| FITNA AND FASAAD | for everyone |
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| Knowing Allah, His Greatness and His Grace | for everyone |
Knowing Allah, His Greatness and His Grace
The Holy Prophet [s] said: "O' people! Verily, there is no prophet after me, nor any Ummah after you (Muslims). So, take care to worship your Lord, perform your five ritual prayers, fast in the appointed month (Ramadan), make pilgrimage to the House of your Lord (Mecca), give the alms of your wealth in order to purify your souls thereby, and obey the Holders of Authority, so that you enter the Paradise of your Lord."Khisal-I-Saduq, p. 152 Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "Having the Greatness of the Creator in your mind would make you realize the insignificance of the creatures in your view." Nahjul-Balagha, Statement 129 Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: " Blessed is he who sincerely devotes the entirety of his actions, knowledge, love, hatred, receiving, relinquishing, speech, silence, deeds, and statements absolutely to Allah." Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 77, p. 289 Imam Sadiq [a] said: "The heart is the sanctuary of Allah, therefore, do not settle therein anything but Allah (The sacred place of the heart belongs to and Him alone. Therefore, keep the love of the world out of it.) Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 25 Imam Sadiq [a] said: "Our true followers are those who, when they are alone, remember Allah abundantly." (That is, they avoid committing vices in private where there is no barrier for them to commit sin by the mere remembrance of Allah.) Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 162 Imam Baqir [a] said: "By Allah, He, the Exalted, expects of people but two traits: that they confess for Him the blessings in order that He increases His bounties for them; and that they make confessions about their evil actions and then He forgives those sins for them." Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 426 Imam Husayn ibn Ali [a] said: "Verily, Allah, the Exalted, has not created human beings except for recognizing Him and worshipping Him as (the consequence of) knowing Him; and when they worship Him they would lack the need of adoring any human being (or things) other than Him because of that worship." Safinat-ul-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 180 The fourth Imam, Ali ibn Husayn [a] said: "There is no destruction (Hell) for a believer having three qualities: Confessing that there is no god besides Allah, the One Who has no partner; the intercession of the Messenger of Allah and the vastness of the Grace of Allah. |
| Recognition of the Imams (as) | for everyone |
Recognition of the Imams (as)
It is related with a sound chain of authority from Salman al- Farsi, ' I visited the Messenger (s.w.a.s.)of Allah (SWT) who looked at me and said, ' "O Salman, Allah (SWT) does not send a Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) or messenger unless there are with him twelve chiefs.""O Messenger of Allah (SWT), I know this from the people of the two books." "O Salman, do you know my twelve chiefs, whom Allah (SWT) has chosen to be leaders after me?" "Allah (SWT) and His Messenger know best." ' "O Salman, Allah (SWT) created me from the quintessence of light, and called me, so I obeyed Him. Then He created 'Ali (a.s.) from my light, and called him, and he obeyed. From my light and the light of 'Ali (a.s.) He created Fatimah (a.s.): He called her and she obeyed. From me, 'Ali (a.s.) and Fatimah (a.s.), He created al-Hasan (a.s.) and al-Husayn (a.s.). He called them and they obeyed Him. Allah (SWT) has named us with five of His names: Allah (SWT) is al-Mahmud (the Praised) and I am Muhammad (worthy of praise); Allah (SWT) is al-'Ali (a.s.) (the High), and this is 'Ali (a.s.) (the one of high rank); Allah (SWT) is al-Fatir (Creator out of nothing), and this is Fatimah (a.s.); Allah (SWT) is the One with Hasan (beneficence), and this is Hasan; Allah (SWT) is Muhassin (the Beautiful), and this is Husayn. He created nine Imams (a.s.) from the light of al-Husayn (a.s.) and called them and they obeyed Him, before Allah (SWT) created either Heaven on high, the out-stretched earth, the air, the angels or man. We were lights who glorified Him, listened to Him and obeyed Him." ' "O Messenger of Allah (SWT), may my father and mother be your ransom! What is there for the person who recognizes these men as they should be recognized?" ' "O Salman, whoever recognizes them as they should be recognized, and follows their example, befriends them and is free of their enemies, by Allah (SWT)! he is one of us. He will return to where we return, and he will be where we are!" ' "O Messenger of Allah (SWT), is there belief without knowing their names and lineage?" ' "No, Salman." ' "Messenger of Allah (SWT), where will I find them?" ' "You already know al-Husayn (a.s.); then there will be the master of the worshippers, 'Ali (a.s.) ibn Husayn (Zayn al-'Abidin); then his son Muhammad ibn 'Ali (a.s.), the piercer of the knowledge of the early and the later Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.)s and messengers (al-Baqir); then Ja'far ibn Muhammad, the truthful tongue of Allah (SWT) (al-Sadiq); then Musa ibn Ja'far, the one who kept his rage silent through patience in Allah (SWT) (al-Kathim); then 'Ali (a.s.) ibn Musa, pleased with the secret of Allah (SWT) (al-Rida '); then Muhammad ibn 'Ali (a.s.), the chosen one from the creatures of Allah (SWT) (al-MukAtar); then 'Ali (a.s.) ibn Muhammad, the guide to Allah (SWT) (al-Hadi); then al-Hasan (a.s.), son of 'Ali (a.s.), the silent, trustworthy guardian over the secret of Allah (SWT) (al-'Askari); then mim ha' mim dal (Muhammad), called Ibn al-Hasan (a.s.), the announcer who establishes the right of Allah (SWT)." ' Salman said, 'I wept. Then I continued, ' "O Messenger of Allah (SWT), let my life be deferred until their time! " 'He said, "O Salman, recite this: When the promise for the first of the two came, We sent over you our servants of mighty prowess, so they went to and fro among the houses, and it was a promise to be accomplished. Then We gave you back the turn to prevail against them, and aided you with wealth and children and made you a numerous band." ' (17:5-6) ' "I wept a lot," said Salman, "and my yearning became intense. I said, ' "O Messenger of Allah (SWT), is it a pledge from you?" ' "Yes, by the One Who sent me and entrusted me with the Message; it is a pledge from me and from 'Ali (a.s.), Fatimah, al-Hasan (a.s.), al-Husayn (a.s.), and the nine Imams (a.s.) descended from the children of al-Husayn (a.s.), to you and those who are with us, and those of us who are wronged. Whoever is truly sincere in his belief, then by Allah (SWT), Salman, let Iblis and his armies come. Whoever has pure disbelief will be punished by retaliation, torture and inheritance (i.e. by others rather than them). Your Lord will not wrong anyone. It is we who are indicated in this verse: We desired to bestow a favour upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the leaders, and to make them the heirs, and to grant them power in the land, and to make Pharoah, Haman and their armies see from them what they feared." ' (28:5-6) Salman said, 'I took leave of the Messenger (s.w.a.s.)of Allah (SWT), completely unconcerned as to how Salman would meet death, or how death would meet him.' " |
| HADEES OF THE HOLY IMAM (A.S.) | for everyone |
Faith in Allah and Attaining his Pleasure
Imam Sadiq [a] said: "My father said to me about his father [a] that a man from Kufah wrote to his father viz. to al-Husayn-ibn-Ali [a] asking him [a] to imform him of the good of this world and that of the next. Then, he [a] wrote (in his reply): 'In the Name Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful'. After that: 'Verily, he who seeks the pleasure of Allah even while displeasing people, He suffices him in his affairs with people. But, he who seeks the pleasure of people while Allah is displeased, he leaves him to people (and he will be far from His Grace), Wassalam'."Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 208 Imam Ali ibn Husayn [a] said: "He who acts according to what Allah has enjoined for him, is of the best people." AI-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 81 Imam Sadiq [a] said: "The one who loves for Allah, hates for Allah, and donates (things) for Allah, thus he is one of those whose Faith is complete." Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 124 Imam Hassan 'Askari, the eleventh Imam, [a] said: "There are no qualities above these two: Faith in Allah and being beneficial to Muslims." Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 17, p.218 MAY ALLAH SUBHANUTALA KEEP US ON RIGHT PATH |
| HADEES OF THE HOLY PROPHET (S.A.W.S.) | for everyone |
HADEETH NO.1
“There will come a time upon people (Muslims) when:
They will not respect their scholars except for their good clothing; they will not listen to the Holy Quran except for the pleasant voice; and they will not worship Allah except during the month of Ramadan.
There will be no modesty (sense of shame) in their women; no patience in their poor people; and no generosity in their rich people.
(courtesy
They will not be contented with little; nor satiated with abundance; they will strive (only) for their stomach; their religion will be their dirhams (money); their women will become direction of their worship; their homes will become their mosques; and they will run away from their scholars just as lambs run away from wolves.
When all these happen, Allah will afflict them with three conditions:
Blessings will be lifted from their wealth; they will be dominated by cruel leaders; and they will leave the world (die) without Imaan (faith & belief)”. (Waqa-iyul Ayyaam)
HADEETH NO.2
“There will come a time upon my Ummah (nation) when:
Their rulers will be cruel; their scholars will be greedy and lack piety; their worshippers will be hypocrites; their merchants will indulge in usury and conceal the defects of their transactions; and their women will be busy with the ornaments of the world.
Hence, at this time, the most vicious of them will dominate over them; and their good doers will invoke (pray) but they will not be answered”. (Bihar al-Anwaar)
HADEETH NO.3
“There will come a time upon my Ummah (nation) when they will love five things whilst neglecting the other five:
They will love the world and forget the Hereafter; they will love wealth and forget (its) accounting; they (the men) will love corrupt women and forget the Houries (of Paradise); they will love the palaces and forget the graves; and they will love their selves and forget the Lord. (Ithnay-‘Ashariyyah)
SUMMARY
Love of the world will be at its climax, as people will consider wealth as their religion. Worship of Allah will only be in the month of Ramadan. And those who do worship apparently will do so for the people’s admiration.
Scholars will be judged by their clothing and not by knowledge.
People will run away from pious scholars who will be reminding them of Allah (SWT); their responsibilities towards Him and about the accounting in the Hereafter. Instead they will prefer greedy and impious scholars who will compromise the divine laws for making others happy in return for worldly favours.
People will not honour the Holy Quran, listen and understand its commands. They will only derive pleasure in listening to recitation of the Holy Quran in pleasant voice.
Men will forget generosity; indulge in forbidden things such as fornication and adultery, usury, and cheating in transactions. Greed for material wants will have reached at its height as the poor will lack self-respect and the rich will not be satiated with abundance.
Women will lose sense of modesty and shame; they will become the direction of worship for men; and they will indulge themselves in the ornaments of this world.
When all these happens:
- Blessings from the wealth will be lifted.
- People who have no compassion will dominate Muslims.
- Prayers of the good people, who did not enjoin good and forbid evil, will not be answered.
- Such people will die with no faith in Allah (SWT)
(courtesy Mulla Mujahidali Sheriff)
| WHY DO WE MOURN???? | for everyone |
It is asked that if Imam Hussain (a) was victorious why do we cry? Why don’t we hold a celebration? Is it suitable to cry so much over a victory?
Those who make this criticism do not understand the philosophy behind mourning. They mistake the tears that the mourners of Imam Hussain (a) shed with the weeps of weak individuals.
There are four types of crying or tears:
1. Happy tears; for example the tears of a mother who has just found her child years after he went missing or the tears of a lover who has just gained the satisfaction of the loved after years of struggle.
2. Compassion tears; tears which stem from a healthy heart, not a heart that is as hard as a rock. These tears show the levels of compassion that a human has; for example they are the tears that flow when one sees an orphan freezing in the cold and crying because he was separated from his father, or the tears that are seen when one witnesses the murder of an infant, such as the murder of the infant at Karbala.
3. Tears of success; sometimes one cries when he reaches his goals. In regards to Karbala, these tears are the tears that announce one’s loyalty to Imam Hussain (a) and his companions; that announce one’s loyalty to the struggle against oppression. Are such tears possible without knowing what the goals of Imam Hussain (a) were?
4. Tears of defeat; these are the tears of weak individuals who did not reach their goals and who do not have the motivation to continue. Never shed such tears for Imam Hussain (a) because he despises such tears. If you cry make sure the tears you are shedding are happy tears, compassion tears, or tears of success.
But, knowing what Imam Hussain (a) and his companions stood for is more important than mourning. Practically aligning oneself with those goals is also more important than mourning.
Source: Islam Times. Originally published under the title: 'Why Imam Hussayn (a) is not forgotten'
(courtesy Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi)
| THE PAINFUL CONSEQUENCES OF BREAKING FAMILY TIES | for everyone |
The intense slandering with respect to Imam Musa Ibn Jafar (a.s) that reached the ears of Haroon al-Rashid, the Abbasid caliph, provoked him to say: 'Present before me someone from the descendants of Abu Talib so that I can become aware of his (a.s) activities.'
Haroon's minister, Yahya Barmaki, and some others suggested the name of Ali Ibn Ismail - the Imam's (a.s) nephew.
Upon Haroon's orders, a letter was dispatched to him asking him to present himself before the Caliph in Baghdad. When the Imam (a.s) came to know of this, he called for him and questioned: “Where do you intend to go?”
Ali Ibn Ismail answered: “Baghdad.”
The Imam (a.s) inquired: “For what purpose?”
He replied: “I am burdened by great debts.”
The Imam (a.s) said: “I shall repay your debts and arrange for your expenses”, however Ali Ibn Ismail refused the offer and instead, said: “Advise me!”
The Imam (a.s) said: “I advise you that you do not associate yourself in shedding my blood and do not make my children fatherless.” Repeating this three times, he (a.s) presented him with three hundred dinars and four thousand dirhams.
Later, when Ismail had left, he (a.s) said to those around him: “His slandering and vilification shall contribute to my murder.”[1]
Arriving in Baghdad Ali Ibn Ismail went to Yahya Ibn Khalid Barmaki. That night Yahya said to him: “Tomorrow, in the presence of the Caliph, when you are questioned about Musa Ibn Jafar (a.s), you must say: 'I have never witnessed two caliphs exercising authority at one time - you, in Baghdad and Musa Ibn Jafar (a.s), in Madinah. He is about to incite the people into rebelling against you!!'”
The next morning, arriving in the presence of the caliph, Ali Ibn Ismail maligned and slandered the Imam (a.s) as much as he could. In the course of his talks he even said that people from distant places brought money for him and armed him with weapons, and that he was taking the pledge of allegiance from the people and intended to establish a separate state and government.
Hearing this, Haroon appeared to have been jolted out of sleep; he dismissed him from his presence and sent a sum of four thousand dirhams (or twenty thousand dirhams according to another report) for him to the place where he had been staying.
When the money was brought before him, an intense pain rose up inside his throat and he died then and there - a consequence of having severed the bond of kinship with his uncle - Musa Ibn Jafar (a.s).
The bags of money were carried back to Haroon's coffers while sorrow and regret was the only thing that Ismail carried to his grave.”[2]
Notes:
1. Muntahal Amal, vol. 2, pg. 213
2. Jame al-Nurain, pg. 24
Haroon's minister, Yahya Barmaki, and some others suggested the name of Ali Ibn Ismail - the Imam's (a.s) nephew.
Upon Haroon's orders, a letter was dispatched to him asking him to present himself before the Caliph in Baghdad. When the Imam (a.s) came to know of this, he called for him and questioned: “Where do you intend to go?”
Ali Ibn Ismail answered: “Baghdad.”
The Imam (a.s) inquired: “For what purpose?”
He replied: “I am burdened by great debts.”
The Imam (a.s) said: “I shall repay your debts and arrange for your expenses”, however Ali Ibn Ismail refused the offer and instead, said: “Advise me!”
The Imam (a.s) said: “I advise you that you do not associate yourself in shedding my blood and do not make my children fatherless.” Repeating this three times, he (a.s) presented him with three hundred dinars and four thousand dirhams.
Later, when Ismail had left, he (a.s) said to those around him: “His slandering and vilification shall contribute to my murder.”[1]
Arriving in Baghdad Ali Ibn Ismail went to Yahya Ibn Khalid Barmaki. That night Yahya said to him: “Tomorrow, in the presence of the Caliph, when you are questioned about Musa Ibn Jafar (a.s), you must say: 'I have never witnessed two caliphs exercising authority at one time - you, in Baghdad and Musa Ibn Jafar (a.s), in Madinah. He is about to incite the people into rebelling against you!!'”
The next morning, arriving in the presence of the caliph, Ali Ibn Ismail maligned and slandered the Imam (a.s) as much as he could. In the course of his talks he even said that people from distant places brought money for him and armed him with weapons, and that he was taking the pledge of allegiance from the people and intended to establish a separate state and government.
Hearing this, Haroon appeared to have been jolted out of sleep; he dismissed him from his presence and sent a sum of four thousand dirhams (or twenty thousand dirhams according to another report) for him to the place where he had been staying.
When the money was brought before him, an intense pain rose up inside his throat and he died then and there - a consequence of having severed the bond of kinship with his uncle - Musa Ibn Jafar (a.s).
The bags of money were carried back to Haroon's coffers while sorrow and regret was the only thing that Ismail carried to his grave.”[2]
Notes:
1. Muntahal Amal, vol. 2, pg. 213
2. Jame al-Nurain, pg. 24
| HARDSHIP-CAUSE OF AWAKENING - | for everyone |
Those who are drunk on the arrogance of power and success and who have totally forgotten humane ethics because of the seduction of their soul and their senses will sometimes find, in various corners of the world, that the occurrence of unpleasant events makes them open to fundamental changes and developments that tear away from them the veils of forgetfulness. They may even be guided to a path leading to some degree of moral perfection and a future more fruitful than their present They are people in whom misfortune has induced a profound transformation.
Considering the harmful effects of neglectfulness and the intoxication of arrogance, on the one hand, and the numerous moral lessons taught by misfortune, on the other, it can be said that failure and misfortune are relative insofar as they contain great blessings; they contribute fruitfully to the building of man's awareness and will.
Hardship is, then, the preliminary to higher, more advanced states of being; it prepares man for the recompense that awaits him, and from his response to it, it becomes apparent whether he has attained the lofty degree of sincerity and devotion or is sunk in decay.
The Quran says: "We have created man in the embrace of hardship." (90:4) Or, again: "We test you with fear, hunger, the loss of wealth and possessions, death, and the loss of the fruits of your toil . Give glad tidings to those who struggle manfully on this path that those who say when afflicted with calamity and pain, 'We are from God and to Him we return on our path to perfection,'-that it is they who receive kindness and mercy from their Lord together with their suffering, and they it is who are truly guided."(2:155-57)
Without doubt, God could have created a world without hardship, pain and misfortune, but that would have meant His depriving man of freedom and choice; he would have been let loose in the world as a creature without will or the power of decision, just like any other creature lacking perception and awareness, formed exclusively by nature and totally obedient to it. Would he then have deserved the name of man?
Having paid the heavy price of losing all his innate capacities and freedom, his most precious resource, would he have advanced toward perfection, or decayed and declined? Would no t the world, too, have lost all goodness and beauty, these being comprehensible only in terms of their opposites?
It is plain that the power to distinguish and discriminate makes possible the existence of good and evil, of beauty and ugliness. By giving man the inestimable blessing of freedom and the ability to choose, God, whose wisdom is manifest throughout creation, wished to display fully His ability to create phenomena bearing witness to His wisdom and power.
He placed within man's being the possibility of doing both good and evil, and although He compels him to do neither, He always expects him to do good. God does not approve of evil; it is righteous conduct that meets with His approval and, in exchange for which He provides abundant, unimaginable reward. God warns man against following the path of evil and threatens him with punishment and torment if he does so.
Thus, by using the power of choice that God has bestowed on him, man can act as he should, conforming both to divine guidance and to his own conscience.
But, if occasionally his foot should slip and he should commit some sin, the path remains open for him to return to purity and light, to God's favor and mercy. This is in itself a further manifestation of God's generosity and all-embracing justice, one more of the blessings He bestows on His servants.
Were God to give immediate reward to the virtuous for their righteous conduct and acts, they would not in any way be superior to the corrupt and the sinful. And if the evil in thought and in deed were to be always met with instant punishment and retribution, virtue and purity would not enjoy any superiority in this world to vice and impurity.
The principle of contradiction, is, in fact, the basis of the created world; it is what enables matter to change and evolve so that God's grace flows through the world. Were matter not to take on different shapes as a result of its encounter with various beings and were being unable to accommodate new forms within itself, the differentiation and advancement of being would be impossible. A stable and unchanging world would resemble stagnant capital that produces no profit For creation, change is the capital that brings about profit It is, of course, possible that the investment of a certain portion of capital should result in loss, but the constant motion of matter as a whole definitely results in profit The contradiction that takes place in the forms of matter results in the advancement of the order of being toward perfection.
There is some question as to whether evil exists in the world in the real sense of the word. If we look carefully, we will see that the evil of things is not a true attribute; it is a relative one.
Firearms in the hands of my enemy are an evil for me, and firearms in my hands are an evil for my enemy. Setting aside me and my enemy, firearms are in themselves neither good nor bad.
The course of nature can be said to be mathematical; that is, its system has been established in such a way as no t to answer all of our needs. We, however, wish to fulfill all our uncountless desires without encountering the least hindrance, and the forces of nature do not answer the limitless wishes we cherish, wishes which are in any event worthless from the point of view of our essential nature. Nature pays no attention to our desires and refuses to submit to our wants. So when we encounter unpleasantness in our lives, we become unjustifiably upset and we term the causes of our discomfort as "evil."
If someone wants to light his lamp when there is no oil in it, he will not start sighing and complaining or curse the whole universe!
Creation is constantly advancing toward a clear goal, through unceasing effort and striving. Specific causes determine each step it takes, and the changes and development it undergoes are not designed to meet men's approval or satisfy their desires.
It should be accepted that some of the occurrences of this world will not correspond to our wishes, and we ought not to regard as injustice things we experience as unpleasant.
Ali, peace be upon him, the Commander of the Faithful, describes the world as an abode of hardship, but nonetheless a good place for the one who knows it properly. Although he encountered himself all kinds of hardship and unpleasantness, he constantly drew men's attention to the absolute justice of God.
Another important point which must not be overlooked is that good and evil do not represent two mutually exclusive categories or series in the order of creation. Goodness is identical with being, and evil is identical with non-being; wherever being makes its appearance, non-existence is also implied.
When we speak of poverty, indigence, ignorance or disease we should not imagine that they have separate realities: poverty is simply not having wealth, ignorance is the absence of knowledge, and disease is the loss of health. Wealth and knowledge are realities, but poverty is nothing other than the emptiness of the hand and the pocket, and ignorance, the absence of knowledge. Hence poverty and ignorance have no tangible reality; they are defined through the non-existence of other things.
The same is the case with calamities and misfortunes that we regard as evil and the source of suffering. They, too, are a kind of loss or non-being, and are evil only in the sense that they result in the destruction or non-existence of something other than themselves. Apart from this, nothing, insofar as it exists, can in any way be called evil or ugly.
If calamities did not entail sickness and death, the loss and ruin of certain creatures, thus preventing their capacities from unfolding, they would not be bad. It is the loss and ruin arising from misfortunes that is inherently bad. Whatever exists in the world is good; evil pertains to non-being, and since non-being does not form a category independent of being, it has not been created and does not exist.
Being and non-being are like the sun and its shadow. When a body is turned to the sun, it casts a shadow. What is a shadow? The shadow has not been created by anything; it consists simply of the sun not shining in a given place because of the existence of an obstacle; it has no source or origin of its own.
Things have a real existence by virtue of having been created without reference to things other than them; in this sense, they are not evil. For a worldview derived from belief in God, the world is equivalent to good. Everything is inherently good; if it is evil, it is so only in a relative sense and in connection with things other than itself .The existence of every thing is unreal for other than it self, and untouched by creation.
The malarial mosquito is not evil in itself. If it is described as such, it is because it is harmful to man and causes disease. That which is created is the existence of a thing in and of itself, which is a true existence; speculative or conditional existence has no place in the order of being and is not real. We cannot, therefore, ask why God has created relative or conditional existence. Conditional or abstract entities are inseparable from the real entities that give rise to them; they are their inevitable concomitants and do not partake of their being. One cannot then speak of conditional entities having been created.
That which is real must necessarily derive its being from the Creator. Only those things and attributes are real that exist outside the mind. Relative attributes are created by the mind and have no existence outside it so one cannot go looking for the creator.
Furthermore, that which has the potential to exist is the world as a whole, with all the objects it contains and the attributes that are inseparable from it; the world represents an indivisible unit. From the vantage point of God's wisdom, either the world must exist on the pattern that is peculiar to it, or it cannot exist at all.
A world without order or lacking the principle of causality, a world where good and evil were not separate from each other, would be an impossibility and a fantasy. It is not possible to suppose that one part of the world should exist and another should not. Creation is a whole, like the form and figure of man, and its parts are inseparable from each other.
God is absolutely free of all need, and one consequence of this is that He freely bestows being, like a generous man whose largess expects no return, or like a skilled artist who is constantly busy with the creation of new forms. Such abundant generosity and creativity define the essence of the Lord Whose signs are manifest and evident in every phenomenon.
Source: Divine Justice by Dr. Hamid Algar
Considering the harmful effects of neglectfulness and the intoxication of arrogance, on the one hand, and the numerous moral lessons taught by misfortune, on the other, it can be said that failure and misfortune are relative insofar as they contain great blessings; they contribute fruitfully to the building of man's awareness and will.
Hardship is, then, the preliminary to higher, more advanced states of being; it prepares man for the recompense that awaits him, and from his response to it, it becomes apparent whether he has attained the lofty degree of sincerity and devotion or is sunk in decay.
The Quran says: "We have created man in the embrace of hardship." (90:4) Or, again: "We test you with fear, hunger, the loss of wealth and possessions, death, and the loss of the fruits of your toil . Give glad tidings to those who struggle manfully on this path that those who say when afflicted with calamity and pain, 'We are from God and to Him we return on our path to perfection,'-that it is they who receive kindness and mercy from their Lord together with their suffering, and they it is who are truly guided."(2:155-57)
Without doubt, God could have created a world without hardship, pain and misfortune, but that would have meant His depriving man of freedom and choice; he would have been let loose in the world as a creature without will or the power of decision, just like any other creature lacking perception and awareness, formed exclusively by nature and totally obedient to it. Would he then have deserved the name of man?
Having paid the heavy price of losing all his innate capacities and freedom, his most precious resource, would he have advanced toward perfection, or decayed and declined? Would no t the world, too, have lost all goodness and beauty, these being comprehensible only in terms of their opposites?
It is plain that the power to distinguish and discriminate makes possible the existence of good and evil, of beauty and ugliness. By giving man the inestimable blessing of freedom and the ability to choose, God, whose wisdom is manifest throughout creation, wished to display fully His ability to create phenomena bearing witness to His wisdom and power.
He placed within man's being the possibility of doing both good and evil, and although He compels him to do neither, He always expects him to do good. God does not approve of evil; it is righteous conduct that meets with His approval and, in exchange for which He provides abundant, unimaginable reward. God warns man against following the path of evil and threatens him with punishment and torment if he does so.
Thus, by using the power of choice that God has bestowed on him, man can act as he should, conforming both to divine guidance and to his own conscience.
But, if occasionally his foot should slip and he should commit some sin, the path remains open for him to return to purity and light, to God's favor and mercy. This is in itself a further manifestation of God's generosity and all-embracing justice, one more of the blessings He bestows on His servants.
Were God to give immediate reward to the virtuous for their righteous conduct and acts, they would not in any way be superior to the corrupt and the sinful. And if the evil in thought and in deed were to be always met with instant punishment and retribution, virtue and purity would not enjoy any superiority in this world to vice and impurity.
The principle of contradiction, is, in fact, the basis of the created world; it is what enables matter to change and evolve so that God's grace flows through the world. Were matter not to take on different shapes as a result of its encounter with various beings and were being unable to accommodate new forms within itself, the differentiation and advancement of being would be impossible. A stable and unchanging world would resemble stagnant capital that produces no profit For creation, change is the capital that brings about profit It is, of course, possible that the investment of a certain portion of capital should result in loss, but the constant motion of matter as a whole definitely results in profit The contradiction that takes place in the forms of matter results in the advancement of the order of being toward perfection.
There is some question as to whether evil exists in the world in the real sense of the word. If we look carefully, we will see that the evil of things is not a true attribute; it is a relative one.
Firearms in the hands of my enemy are an evil for me, and firearms in my hands are an evil for my enemy. Setting aside me and my enemy, firearms are in themselves neither good nor bad.
The course of nature can be said to be mathematical; that is, its system has been established in such a way as no t to answer all of our needs. We, however, wish to fulfill all our uncountless desires without encountering the least hindrance, and the forces of nature do not answer the limitless wishes we cherish, wishes which are in any event worthless from the point of view of our essential nature. Nature pays no attention to our desires and refuses to submit to our wants. So when we encounter unpleasantness in our lives, we become unjustifiably upset and we term the causes of our discomfort as "evil."
If someone wants to light his lamp when there is no oil in it, he will not start sighing and complaining or curse the whole universe!
Creation is constantly advancing toward a clear goal, through unceasing effort and striving. Specific causes determine each step it takes, and the changes and development it undergoes are not designed to meet men's approval or satisfy their desires.
It should be accepted that some of the occurrences of this world will not correspond to our wishes, and we ought not to regard as injustice things we experience as unpleasant.
Ali, peace be upon him, the Commander of the Faithful, describes the world as an abode of hardship, but nonetheless a good place for the one who knows it properly. Although he encountered himself all kinds of hardship and unpleasantness, he constantly drew men's attention to the absolute justice of God.
Another important point which must not be overlooked is that good and evil do not represent two mutually exclusive categories or series in the order of creation. Goodness is identical with being, and evil is identical with non-being; wherever being makes its appearance, non-existence is also implied.
When we speak of poverty, indigence, ignorance or disease we should not imagine that they have separate realities: poverty is simply not having wealth, ignorance is the absence of knowledge, and disease is the loss of health. Wealth and knowledge are realities, but poverty is nothing other than the emptiness of the hand and the pocket, and ignorance, the absence of knowledge. Hence poverty and ignorance have no tangible reality; they are defined through the non-existence of other things.
The same is the case with calamities and misfortunes that we regard as evil and the source of suffering. They, too, are a kind of loss or non-being, and are evil only in the sense that they result in the destruction or non-existence of something other than themselves. Apart from this, nothing, insofar as it exists, can in any way be called evil or ugly.
If calamities did not entail sickness and death, the loss and ruin of certain creatures, thus preventing their capacities from unfolding, they would not be bad. It is the loss and ruin arising from misfortunes that is inherently bad. Whatever exists in the world is good; evil pertains to non-being, and since non-being does not form a category independent of being, it has not been created and does not exist.
Being and non-being are like the sun and its shadow. When a body is turned to the sun, it casts a shadow. What is a shadow? The shadow has not been created by anything; it consists simply of the sun not shining in a given place because of the existence of an obstacle; it has no source or origin of its own.
Things have a real existence by virtue of having been created without reference to things other than them; in this sense, they are not evil. For a worldview derived from belief in God, the world is equivalent to good. Everything is inherently good; if it is evil, it is so only in a relative sense and in connection with things other than itself .The existence of every thing is unreal for other than it self, and untouched by creation.
The malarial mosquito is not evil in itself. If it is described as such, it is because it is harmful to man and causes disease. That which is created is the existence of a thing in and of itself, which is a true existence; speculative or conditional existence has no place in the order of being and is not real. We cannot, therefore, ask why God has created relative or conditional existence. Conditional or abstract entities are inseparable from the real entities that give rise to them; they are their inevitable concomitants and do not partake of their being. One cannot then speak of conditional entities having been created.
That which is real must necessarily derive its being from the Creator. Only those things and attributes are real that exist outside the mind. Relative attributes are created by the mind and have no existence outside it so one cannot go looking for the creator.
Furthermore, that which has the potential to exist is the world as a whole, with all the objects it contains and the attributes that are inseparable from it; the world represents an indivisible unit. From the vantage point of God's wisdom, either the world must exist on the pattern that is peculiar to it, or it cannot exist at all.
A world without order or lacking the principle of causality, a world where good and evil were not separate from each other, would be an impossibility and a fantasy. It is not possible to suppose that one part of the world should exist and another should not. Creation is a whole, like the form and figure of man, and its parts are inseparable from each other.
God is absolutely free of all need, and one consequence of this is that He freely bestows being, like a generous man whose largess expects no return, or like a skilled artist who is constantly busy with the creation of new forms. Such abundant generosity and creativity define the essence of the Lord Whose signs are manifest and evident in every phenomenon.
Source: Divine Justice by Dr. Hamid Algar
posted by ABBAS ALAM @ 03:33
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