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| LAILATUL QADR - THE NIGHT OF DESTINY -(PART II- SOME MORE DETAILS) | for everyone |
LAILATUL QADR - THE NIGHT OF DESTINY
(PART II- SOME MORE DETAILS)
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has been quoted to have said: " The gates of heaven will be opened during Lailatul-Qadr, every devotee who performs prayers during it will receive a tree in Paradise for each prostration he makes, a tree under whose shade a rider may keep riding for a hundred years without leaving its shade. And he will receive for each ra'kaat a mansion in
Yawaqeet by Abul-Fahdi ibn Mohammed al Harwi)
Al- Dooryasti in 'Kitab al-Husna, relying on the authority of Abu Ja'fer al-Jawad who quotes his forefathers quoting Immam al Baqr (a.s.), The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) is quoted saying
"that whoever spends Lailatul-Qadr adoring his Lord will have all his sins forgiven even if they had numbered as many as the stars in the heavens, the weight of the mountains, or the measures of the seas." Al-Harwi reported a similar tradition, which is recorded in 'Kanz al Yawaqeet'
Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his fathers, is quoted on pg 5351 of Al-Sahih al Jami' citing the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) saying : " Lailatul-Qadr is easy, airy, neither hot or very cold; the sun rises on its morning colored pale red." “At the morning of Lailatul-Qadr, the sun rises without rays, looking like a washbowl, till it is high." This tradition is reported by Muslim and al-Tirmithi. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) is also reported saying: "Lailatul-Qadr is a serene night, neither hot nor cold, and no comet is hurled during it. One of the signs of its advent is that the sun rises without a ray."
Zad al-Ma'ad quotes a few scholars who believe in its perpetuity, indicating that some of them say that it is at the conclusion of the year; therefore, it has to be observed during all nights of the year so that one of them will be it.
Others say that it is the beginning of the month of Ramadan, while others say it is the middle of it; yet others say it is the seventeenth. Still others say it is the twenty-ninth of it, while others say it is the last night of it, and most Sunnis of our time are of the view that is the twenty-seventh. This proves that the reason why it was not determined exactly is due to the purpose of observing entire month.
Do you need any more clues regarding the greatness of Lailatul-Qadr ? It is narrated by the authors of 'Thewab al-A'mal and Bihar al-Anwar have cited the son of Al-Mutwakkil quoting Muhammad al-Attar quoting al-Ash ari quoting Muhammed ibn Hassan quoting ibn Mahran quoting al-Bataini quoting his father quoting Abu Busayr quoting Immam Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq (a.s), the men whose truthfulness is not doubted even by the most skeptic scholar, saying that whoever recites al-Ankabut (The Spider and Surah a-Rum (Romans) will secure admission into Paradise without any exception. On pg.29 vol 94,
WHICH NIGHT???
Is it the 17th or the 19th? Immam Abu Ja'far Muhammed ibn Ali al-Baqir (a.s.) is quoted in Bihar al-Anwar and Da'aim al-Islam as having said: "The 17th Night of the month of Ramadan is when the two parties met, and 19th is when the lists of the Pilgrims is written down, and the 21st is when successors to the Prophets passed away and Jesus Christ (a.s.) was raised to Heaven and Moses (a.s.) passed away, whereas the 23rd is hoped to be
Lailatul-Qadr." Both al'Ayyahsi's Tafsir and al-Majilisi's Bihar al-anwar quote "Amr ibn Sa'eed saying: " A man from Medina disagreed with me regarding the night (Lailatu-Qadr) when the two hosts met, saying that it was the night of the 17th of the month of Ramadan, so I went to see Abu Abdullah (a.s.) and told him about our disagreement, whereupon the Immam
(a.s.) said:
"The man from Medina did not say the truth; I know that you mean it is the 19th when the Commander of the Faithful (Immam Ali a.s.) was wounded, and it is the same night when Jesus son of Mary (a.s.) was raised to Heavens." Both references quote Humran quoting Abu Abdullah Immam Jafar -as Sadiq (a.s.) saying, "The destiny referred to as Lailatul-Qadr is the same destiny referred to in another verse (of Surah al-A'raf) wherein the most Exalted One says: “When their doom is come, they shall not remain behind in the least, nor they will go before."
Or is it the 21st or the 23rd? Al-Hussain ibn 'Ubaydullah according to Majalis al-Shaykt, as quoted on pg. 2, vol.94, of Bihar al-Anwar, quotes Ahmed ibn Muhammed ibn Yayha who in turn quote his father saying " I was in the company of Abu Abdullah (a.s.) when Abu Busayr asked him, ' Which night
is the one when one is to plead to his Lord whatever he wishes to plead?
The Immam (a.s.) answered him by saying, " Either the twenty-first or the twenty-third." He then asked the Immam (a.s.) “What if I have no strength to observe both of them? The Immam (a.s.) said, “How easy it is to observe them when compared to your pleas " ! Abu Abdullah (a.s.) is also quoted in the same volume of Bihar al-Anwar saying, " The twenty-third night of the month of Ramadan is the one when every weighty matter is decided, when trials, tribulations, deaths, and means of sustenance and other matters are determined, and so will whatever Allah decrees to take place for the entire next year; so, congratulations to any one who remains awake during it bowing, prostrating, contemplating upon his sins, weeping on their account, for if you do all of that, God will, you will never be disappointed ". Then he added, "Allah will order an angel to call out during each and every day of the month of Ramadan conveying Allah's message to them thus " Good news, O My servants, I have forgiven your past sins and permitted some of you to intercede on behalf of the rest on Lailatul-Qadr except those who break their fast with an intoxicant or those who bear grudge against another Muslim brother" !
It's narrated that Allah Suhbanahu wa Ta'ala wards off evil and sins and all types of trials on the from all His servants who fast and grants them light in their hearing and vision; Paradise is decorated during Lalilatul-Qadar's day and night. The great Sunni scholar ibn Abu-Hadid, in his commentary on Nahjul-Balagha, cites ibn al-Muhallabi quoted ibn al-Kalbi quoting Shaddad ibn Ibrahim quoting 'Ubaydullah ibn al Hassan aal-Fahri quoting ibn 'Aradaah saying: "The Commander of Faithful (a.s.) was once as about Lailatul-Qaadr, and he said, " It is not all improbable that I know which night it is and deliberately hide such knowledge, and I do not at all doubt that Allah hid such knowledge from you only out of His love for you, for if you knew which night it is, you would have honored it and left the others, and I hope you will not err in its regard."
(extracted from the month Jafary Observer December 2001 vol xiv no4.)
(extracted from the month Jafary Observer December 2001 vol xiv no4.)
| LAILATUL-QADAR - (THE NIGHT OF DESTINY) | for everyone |
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said: " Allah has favored Friday all over other days, the month of Ramadan over all other months, and the Night of Destiny (Lailatul-Qadr) over all other nights, and Allah has favored the Holy Quran over all other Books which he revealed."
Ibrahim, one of the companions of Immam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) asked the Immam (a.s.) about how the Holy Quran was revealed during Lailatul-Qadr, knowing that it took more than twenty years to reveal. The Immam (a.s.) answered by saying : " The Holy Quran was revealed as a whole during the month of Ramadan at the Ancient House (the Ka'ba), and then from there it was revealed along the span of (more than) twenty years." Then he cited the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) saying: " The Books of Ibrahim (a.s.) were revealed on the first night of the month of Ramadan; the Torah was revealed on the sixth of the month of Ramadan; the Gospel (Injil, i.e. the Bible) was revealed on the thirteenth of the month of Ramadan; the Psalms (Zabur) was revealed on the eighteenth of the month of the Ramadan, and the Holy Quaran was revealed on the twenty-fourth of the month of Ramadan."(This tradition is recorded in Bihar al-Anwar pg 25 vol 94 and also on pg 80 vol 1, of al-'Ayyashi's Tafsir.)
The name was used for Lailatul-Qadr because Allah, the Almighty determines in it for everyone all what will happen the entire next year. The "Qadar" in this sense means destiny. According to al-Qummi's Tafsir, as explained on pg.432 vol.2, such destiny includes life and death, sustenance, abundance of crops or famine and everything good or bad. This means that Allah the Glorified and Exalted determines in this night each and every event to occur during the next year to any all of His creation.
Al-Majlisi quotes his father who quoted Immam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) saying : " During Lailatu-Qadr, the angels, the spirit, and the trusted scribes all descend to the lower heavens and write down whatever Allah decrees that year, and if Allah wishes to advance something or postpone it or add thereto, He orders the angel to erase it and replace it with whatever He decrees."
One of the companion of Immam Al-Rida (a.s.) asked why the chapter of Qadr was revealed ?
The Immam (a.s.) said: "Lailatul-Qadr is the night when Allah, the most Exalted, the most Great, decrees what will take place from one year to another of life or death, good or evil, or regarding sustenance, and whatever He then decrees is sure destiny".
Immam Ali (a.s.) said: " Once the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) asked me once " O Ali ! Do you know the implication of Lailut-Qadr ? " Allah, the Praised One, the Most Glorified, decreed in it what will take place till the Day of Judgment, and among what He, the most Exalted, the Most Great, decreed was your own Imamate and Wilayat and the Imamate and Wilayat of your offspring till the Day of Resurrection."
" When the Chapter of Qadr was mentioned in the presence of Abu Abdullah Immam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.), he was asked about its merits over the other chapters, and he said " It was revealed with reference to the Wilayat of the Commander of the Faithful (Immam Ali) (a.s.), and it is the night in which the heavens and the earth were determined,and the Wilayat of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) was decreed. "
Lailatul-Qadr it was so named because a Book of Allah, which enjoys greatness of status, was revealed to Prophet who also enjoys a great honour and prestige. The Almighty Allah has addressed His servant and Messenger, our master, Mohammed Mustafa (s.a.w.s.) saying :
" And what will make you comprehend what Lailatul-Qadr is ? Lailatul-Qadr is better than a thousand months, " i.e." How would you know the the greatness, significance, and sanctity of this night which I decreed to be better than a thousand months ?"
There are indications that the Holy Quran was revealed as a whole to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.). In the Holy Quran, we read : " Haa, Meem, By the Book that makes (the truth) manifest, surely We revealed it on a blessed night " (H.Q.44:1-3). "Surely We revealed it on Lailatul-Qadr (H.Q. 98-1)
Ibe-Abbas is quoted saying : " The Holy Quran was revealed as a whole from the Safeguard Scroll from the heavens to the lower earth on Lailatul-Qadr, then Gabriel (a.s.) used to reveal it unto Mohammed (s.a.w.s) gradually. It is well known that the Holy Quran was revealed unto the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s) in installments during a period of twenty-three years. The first chapter revealed unto the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s) at the Cave of Hira
" (O Muhammad) Read in the Name of your Lord who created..." (H.Q.96:1), up to the end of the chapter. The last verse of the Glorious Book of Allah revealed unto the Messenger (s.a.w.s) was : " Today have I completed for you your religion, perfected My blessing unto you, and accepted Islam as your religion (H.Q. 5:3). Thus, suffices this blessed night the honour and dignity of being particularly chosed by the Glorified and Exalted One for the revelation of His Glorious Quran which is the shining and guiding light of the religion of Islam and the constitution of its adherents."
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: " Whoever remains awake during Lailatul-Qadr and spends it in adoration will have his penalty postponed till the next year."
Hazrat Moosa (a.s.) once addressed the Almighty saying, " Lord I desire to be near to you."
The Almighty Allah (s.t.) said : " Whoever desires nearness to Me is one who remains awake during Lailatul-Qadr (worshipping Me)". He said , " Lord I wish to earn your Mercy ". The Almighty said : " My mercy is granted to anyone who is merciful to the indigent during Lailatul-Qadr." He said, "Lord ! I wish to pass on the right path. " He said, " This is granted to to anyone who spends alms during Lailatul-Qadr. ".He said " Lord ! I wish to enjoy the trees and fruits of Paradise ". The Almighty said: This is granted to anyone who praises Me during Lailatul-Qadr. " He said: "Lord I wish to achieve salvation from the fire ! " He said : " This is granted to anyone who seeks forgiveness during Lailatul-Qadr." He said: " Lord I wish to achieve Your Pleasure " ! The Almighty said : " I shall be pleased with anyone who prays two (optional) rak-ats during Lailatul-Qadr ".
On Lailatul-Qadr did the night journey (Israa) to heavens take place, and the Almighty Allah raised Isa (a.s.) son of Bibi Maryam (a.s.) to Him. On it, His servant and Prophet Moosa (a.s.) died, and so did Joshua son of Noon (a.s.), the wasi of Moosa (a.s.). Also on it was the Commander of the Faithful Immam Ali (a.s.) was martyred.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) has been asked once about the Night of Destiny (Lailatul-Qadr). So he ascended the pulpit, and, having praised the Almighty (s.t.) the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:
" You have asked me about the Night of Destiny. I have not concealed the knowledge of it from you out of ignorance thereof. Be informed, O people, that whoever during the month of Ramadan is healthy, and he fasts during its days and performs prayers during a portion of its nights and is punctual regarding the obligatory prayers, and makes an effort to attend congregational prayers on Fridays during it and attends the Eid prayers as well, he will then have honored the Night of Destiny duty, and he will receive his reward from the Creator."
Immam Jaf'ar as-Sadiq (a.s.) said : " That whoever recites Surah al-Ankabut (The spider) and al-Rum (the Romans) and (in other tradition also) Surah al- Dukhan (Smoke/Mist) during the nights of Lailatul-Qadr will secure admission into Paradise without any exception. Surely these Chapters enjoy a great status with Allah."
| Taqwa as Immunity | for everyone |
That which is common between a sanctuary and a prison is the existence of a barrier. Whereas the walls of a sanctuary avert dangers, the walls of a prison hinder the inmates from realizing their inner capacities and from benefiting from the bounties of life. Ali (a) clarifies the difference between the two, where he says:
Let it be known to you, O servants of God, that taqwa is a formidable fortress, whereas impiety and corruption is a weak and indefensible enclosure that does not safeguard its people, and does not offer any protection to those who take refuge in it. Indeed, it is only with taqwa that the tentacles of sins and misdeeds can be severed. [5]
Ali (a), in this sublime advice, compares sins and evil deeds which are afflictions of the human soul to poisonous insects and reptiles, and suggests that the faculty of taqwa is an effective defence against them. In some of his discourses, he makes it clear that taqwa not only does not entail restraint and restriction or is an impediment to freedom, but on the other hand it is the source and fountainhead of all true freedoms. In sermon 230, he says:
Taqwa is the key to guidance, the provision for the next world, the freedom from every kind of slavery, and the deliverance from every form of destruction.
The message is clear. Taqwa gives man spiritual freedom and liberates him from the chains of slavery and servitude to lusts and passions. It releases him from the bonds of envy, lust, and anger, and this expurgates society from all kinds of social bondages and servitudes. Men who are not slaves of comfort, money, power, and glory, never surrender to the various forms of bondage which plague the human society.
The Nahj al-Balaghah deals with the theme of taqwa and its various effects in many of its passages; but we don't consider it necessary to discuss all of them here. Our main objective here is to discover the meaning of taqwa from the point of view of the Nahj al-Balaghah, so as to unearth the reason for so much emphasis that this book places on this concept.
Of the many effects of taqwa that have been pointed out, two are more important than the rest: firstly, the development of insight and clarity of vision; secondly, the capacity to solve problems and to weather difficulties and crises.
Moreover, a discussion of these effects of taqwa here will take us beyond our present aim which is to clarify the true meaning of taqwa. It will not be out of place to call attention to certain profound remarks of the Nahj al-Balaghah about the reciprocal relationship between the human being and taqwa.
| SERMON OF IMAM ALI (A.S.) | for everyone |
- O' people take this saying of the last of the Prophets that he who dies from among us is not dead, and he who decays (after dying) from among us does not really decay. Do not say what you do not understand, because most of the Right is in what you deny. Accept the argument of one against whom you have no argument. It is I. Did I not act before you on the greater thaqal (ath-thaqal al-akbar, i.e. the Qur'an) and did I not retain among you the smaller thaqal (ath-thaqal-al-asghar, i.e. the descendants of the Prophet).
- I fixed among you the standard of faith, and I taught you the limits of lawful and unlawful. I clothed you with the garments of safety with my justice and spread for you (the carpet of) virtue by my word and deed.
- I showed you high manners through myself. Do not exercise your imagination about what the eye cannot see or the mind cannot conceive.
A part of the same sermon, about Banu Umayyah
Till people begin thinking that the world is attached to the Umayyads, would be showering its benefits on them, and lead them to its clear spring for watering, and that their whip and sword will not be removed from the people. Whoever thinks so is wrong. There are rather a few drops from the joys of life, which they would suck for a while and then vomit out the whole of it.
| A TRIBUTE TO OUR BELOVED IMAM ALI (A.S.) | for everyone |
| e |
MASJID-e-KUFA
In His Name, the Lord of the Ka'baa
The GrandSon Of Hazrat Ali (a.s) Imam Ali Ibn ul Husain (a.s) has said that
'' My Grand Father Hazrat Ali Ibn-e-Abi Talib (a.s) has not been killed by the enemies but Of His Justice.''
The tragic days of the 19th and 21st of Ramazaan have once again approached us, the days when the enemies of Allah murdered the Leader of the Muslim Ummah, the Brother of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustufa (S), the Son of the Ka'ba, Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib(A), the first Imam of the Muslims.
From His Martyrdom, we can learn many lessons, as we can learn much from the life of This Great Personality, and it is necessary for us, as believers, as followers of the line of the true Islam, to learn about these Personalities to be able to use them as Role Models who we aspire to be like.
It is well known, that the words that Ali (A) uttered when the poisened sword struck His head while HE was in Prayer, were the now famous: "Fuzto WA Rabbil Ka'bah" - meaning - "By The Lord of the Ka'bah, I have Succeeded"
Here is a Man, who has just been struck by a poisened sword, and the words HE utters are those of thanks, those of someone thankful to His Lord that he has succeeded in achieving martyrdom.? Subhanallah. ? It is necessary for us to reflect on this.
From this statement, we can see clearly that the aim that we should be striving for is very simple, that every thing we do, our actions, our prayers, our intentions, should all be for the sake of Allah (s.w.t) , for the Lord of the Worlds.? Nothing else should cloud our judgement.
With the Shahadat of Hazrat Ali (A), the Muslim Ummah was orphaned, tragically, by a psychotic fanatic, Abdur Rahman ibn Muljim, the cursed murderer of Hazrat Ali (A).? But look at the justice of Hazrat Ali (A), even after HE was struck on the 19th of Ramazaan, and his companions wanted to exact revenge from the killer, Hazrat Ali (A), stopped them, HE told them wait, he is thirsty give him some milk.?
Hazrat Ali (A) then told His companions, that if I should die, then put this man to death in the same way as he has killed ME , by only one strike of the sword, and if he doesn't die by one strike of sword leave him alive but strike him only one sword instead of my death no more, no less.?
When Hazrat Ali (A) attained the lofty position of Martyrdom on the 21st of Ramazaan, the killer, ibn Muljim, was given the justice of Hazrat Ali (A) and sent to Hell where no doubt he will and is accounting for his actions, and their motivations.
We, as followers of the true Islam of Hazrat Muhammad Mustufa (S), the revolutionary Islam of Hazrat Muhammad Mustufa (S), the Islam that liberates the oppressed minds and frees the mournful souls, the Islam that combats all forms of injustice, be they internal or external, local or foreign, individual or collective. The priority that Hazrat Ali (A) had throughout His life, was the implementation of the Justice of Allah (S.W.T) upon the earth, and the pleasure of Allah in everything. And the purpose of killing Hazrat Ali (A) is only His justice because Hazrat Ali (A) never compromised on Justice and Quraan.
LIVE LIKE ALI (a.s) & DIE LIKE HUSSAIN (a.s)
Rabbana Taqabbal Minna Innaka Anta-S-Samee- ul-Aleem.
REQUEST FOR SURAH-E-FATIHA
Please recite Surah-e-Fatiha for Esaal-e-sawaab of all Marhoomeen Momineen & Mominaat who has passed away as well as for the safety of health & Emaan (faith) & tofiqaat-e-khair (ability of doing good deeds) of all Alive & presence Momineen & Mominaat (who will come till Qiyama).
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| Hadees -The Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib | for everyone |
The Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) describes the Qur’an as follows: “Then Allah(Glorified and Exalted is He) revealed to him (the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny)) the Book.
• It is a light whose radiance shall not be extinguished;
• A lamp whose flame shall not die;
• An ocean whose depth shall not be fathomed;
• A path which shall not lead astray;
• A blaze whose brilliance shall not be darkened;
• A criterion whose evidence shall not be suppressed;
• An elucidation whose cornerstones shall not be demolished;
• A cure with which there is no fear of ailments;
• A power whose supporters cannot be defeated;
• A truth whose helpers will not be forsaken.
• Thus, it is the source of faith and its prosperity;
• It is the fountain-head of knowledge and its vastness;
• The meadow of justice and its flowing streams;
• The support of Islam and its foundation;
• The valleys of the truth and its fields;
• An ocean that shall not be drained by those who draw upon it;
• A spring that shall not be exhausted by those who draw from it;
• A watering place that shall not be depleted by those who come to it;
• A station whose road the travelers do not miss;
• A signpost which the wayfarers will always see;
• The hilltops that cannot be bypassed by those who seek them.
• Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has made it the quencher of the thirst of scholars,
• A vernal season for the hearts of the jurists,
• A destination for the path of the righteous,
• A cure after which there is no malady,
• A light which does not alternate with darkness,
• A rope whose knots are firm,
• A stronghold whose peak is impregnable.
• It is power for whoever cultivates it,
• Peace for whoever dwells on it,
• A guidance for whoever follows it,
• A laudable act for whoever embraces it,
• An argument for whoever speaks for it,
• A witness for whoever fights for it,
• A sharp instrument for whoever bases his arguments on it,
• A support for whoever supports it,
• A means of deliverance for whoever employs it,
• A sign for the discriminating, a shelter for whoever seeks healing,
• A source of knowledge for whoever has sense,
• And the best narrative for its transmitters,
• And a means for the one who sits in judgment.”
| A man went to Hazrat Ali bin Abi Talib (as) and asked the answers for the following four questions: | for everyone |
Hazrat Ali bin Abi Talib (as) replied as follows:
1. Obligatory is the obedience of God and most obligatory is to abandon sins
2. Near is the Day of Judgment and nearest is the death
3. Strange is this World and strangest is to love this world
4. Difficult is grave and most difficult is going into it without any preparation
| Apne soye hue qatil ko jagata hai Ali a.s.... | for everyone |
| TRIBUTE FROM THE TEAM OF ABBASALAMDAR.MULTIPLY.COM | for everyone |
TRIBUTE FROM THE TEAM OF ABBASALAMDAR.MULTIPLY.COM
Face Book: Abbas Alam
Momineen(AS).
اللّهُــمّ الْعَــــــنْ قَتَـــــــــلَةَ أَمِــــيرِ الْمُـــــؤْمِنِينَ
| Yad Dila k Zahmi Jabin-e-Ali(AS)-Mujh ko Rula Raha hai. | for everyone |
| Bicha dalo ghar me FARSH E AZA E ALI, | for everyone |
| IBN-E-MULJIM TUJH PER LANAT HO BESHUMAR" | for everyone |
| O Allāh, Fill Our Poverty With Your Needlessness | for everyone |
أََللٌّهُمَّ سُدَّ فَقْرَنَا بِغِنَاكَ
O Allāh, Fill Our Poverty With Your Needlessness
OAllāh, fill (sudda) our poverty (faqranā) with Your affluence (bighināka). This verse does not pertain to the need of the commonly needy individuals, but a need that is shared by every human being, or rather every contingent being, which due to the nature of its essence, possesses nothing of its own. Therefore, even the apparently self-sufficient among the created beings are termed poor and needy in this verse. Similarly, ghināka (lit. Your Needlessness) is not the common self-sufficiency shared by some of the human beings, but that which is restricted only to Almighty Allāh. In reality, if one understands the relation between the Creator and the creation, self-sufficiency makes no sense with regard to the creation at all. The Holy Qur’ān alluding to this says:
) يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنْتُمْ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلـى اللٌّهِ وَاللٌّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ (
“O mankind! You are the ones who stand in need of Allāh, and Allāh - He is the All-Sufficient, the All-Laudable.”
) لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَإِنَّ اللٌّهَ لَهُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ (
“To Him only belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and indeed Allāh is the All-sufficient, the All-laudable.”
And in his well-known supplication of ‘Arafah, Imām Husayn (as) humbly cries:
إِلٌهِي: أَنَا الْفَقِيرُ فِي غِنَايَ، فَكَيْفَ لا أَكُونُ فَقِيراً فِي فَقْرِي؟
“O God, I am the poor in my self-sufficiency; therefore how can I not be needy in my state of need?”
And Imām ‘Alī (as) in his famous whisperings (munājāt) cries:
مَوْلايَ يَا مَوْلايَ: أَنْتَ الْغَنِيُّ وَأَنَا الْفَقِيرُ، وَهَلْ يَرْحَمُ الْفَقِيرَ إِلا الْغَنِيُ؟
“My Master, My Master, You are the All-Sufficient and I am the needy; and who other than the All-Sufficient can have mercy on the needy?”
And in the recommended prayer after ‘Asr, we introduce ourselves as:
…لا يَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِهِ نَفْعاً وَلا ضَرّاً وَلا مَوْتاً وَلا حَيَاةً وَلا نُشُوراً…
“…one who does not own any benefit, nor harm, nor death, nor life, nor resurrection…”
Can we turn into the necessary being?
Faqranā (lit. our poverty) refers to the utterly dependent state of the human being, which in the language of metaphysicians is termed as ‘contingency’ (imkān), and in the vision of mystics ‘manifestation’ (zuhūr). All that exists other than Allāh does not have existence of its own. To come into being and subsist in any state whatsoever requires the Divine Will. The following verse of the Qur’ān expounds the continual process of causation with relation to the creation:
) قُلِ اللٌّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَ هُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ (
“Say, ‘God is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the All-paramount.’”
It should be noted that Khāliqu in the above verse denotes perpetual creation. This concept is also beautifully expounded by Mullā Sadrā in his philosophical texts, where he intellectually establishes, through his well-known theory of transubstantial motion (harakah jawhariyyah), the fact that every contingent being receives existence every moment. Reflect over the following verses of the Holy Qur’ān:
) أَفَعَيِينَا بِالْخَلْقِ الأَوَّلِ بَلْ هُمْ فِي لَبْسٍ مِنْ خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ (
“Were We exhausted by the first creation? Rather they are in doubt about a new creation.”
) وَتَرَى الْجِبَالَ تَحْسَبُهَا جَامِدَةً وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ (
“And you see the mountains, which you suppose to be stationary, while they drift like passing clouds...”
The mystics also vision this reality when they behold this universe. ‘Ayn al-Qudāt al-Hamadāni says: “Small children, observing a lamp burning continuously, would naturally think that what we see is one single flame. But the grownups know very well that it is a series of different flames appearing and disappearing moment by moment. And from the viewpoint of mystics this must necessarily be the case with everything in the world except God.”
Having understood the aforesaid, we ask: Is it possible for the human being to lose his or her contingent identity and become Essential and Necessary in existence? In other words, is it possible for us to change from the utterly poor to the absolutely affluent? Intellectually speaking, such a phenomenon can never transpire for it is evidently impossible. This is because, ‘a Necessary Being’ (wājib al-wujūd) is only necessary and essential when it did not and does not depend on any kind of cause whatsoever. If one says that a certain being was contingent (mumkin) and thereafter turned into a Necessary Being (wājib), this would depict nothing but absurdity. This is because an entity changing from contingency (imkān) to necessity (wujūb) means change of the essence (dhāt) of the entity. This change either was causeless or needed a cause. If we say that it did not require a cause and changed by accident, we have said what is intellectually absurd. If we say it needed a cause, then that would also be incorrect because for something to be necessary no cause is needed whatsoever. A Necessary Being is Causeless. It is never brought about. Hence a contingent being can never turn into a Necessary Being.
Therefore, what exactly do we mean when we utter the above verse of this supplication? What do we actually seek from Almighty Allāh?
One of the Sublime Names of Almighty Allāh is al-Samad. There are several meanings for this name, but they in reality are corollaries (lawāzim) of its exact lexical meaning which is: ‘One who is besought and every entity returns to Him for any need.’ One of the corollary meanings of al-Samad is ‘the All-compact (al-musmat).’ Imām al-Husayn (as) is reported to have said:
آَلصّمَدُ: الَّذِي لاَ جَوْفَ لَهُ...
“As-Samad is One Who has no hollowness.”
Due to His Infinite Existence, there is no gap of deficiency in any of His perfections. If He is All-Knowing, then there is no perforation in His Infinite knowledge, if He is All-Powerful, there is no kind of power that he lacks… In short, He has no kind of deficiency in the level of His Essence, Attributes or Actions. Mullā Hādī Sabzawārī in his Sharh al-Asmā’ says:
فانّه لمّا كان بسيط الحقيقة واجداً للكمالات والخيرات لا يسلب عنه خير، كان كالمصمّت الّذي لا جوف له - تعالى عن الشبيه و النظير علوّاً كبيراً - فهو بخلاف الممكن الّذي هو الأجوف النّاقص الجائع الفاقد لكلّ كمال، في مرتبة ذاته بذاته...
“Because His reality is Simple and Non-composite [Basīt al-Haqīqa] and He possesses all the perfections and virtues, and does not lack any goodness (khayr), He is like a compact entity (al-musammat) that does not have any hollowness- highly exalted is He from comparison and similarity- and so He (Allāh) is contrary to a contingent being (al-mumkin) who is hollow (al-ajwaf), imperfect, hungry, and lacks any perfection in the level of his essence…”
Therefore, every dependent entity is hollow in its reality. Only Allāh is al-Samad. Several parables are given to show this relation. One such relation is that of the ocean and its waves. The waves have nothing of their own yet they seem to be different to the Ocean. Perhaps the best comparison is that of the reflection and the mirror. The creation is like the reflection of Divine Names in the Mirror.
Having considered the aforesaid, what do we mean when we ask Almighty Allāh to fill up our existential poverty with His existential affluence?
Seeking the Proximity of Allāh
One of the interpretations of this sacred verse is to seek the state of human perfection through utter submission to Allāh, such that the human being gains sufficiency (ghinā) through the Absolutely Sufficient (al-Ghanī). The following sacred tradition (hadith al-qudsī) refers to this exalted station:
يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ: أَنَا غَنِيٌّ لاَ أَفْتَقِرُ، أَطِعْنِي فِيمَا أَمَرْتُكَ أَجْعَلُكَ غَنِيّاً لاَ تَفْتَقِرْ. يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ: أَنَا حَيٌّ لاَ أَمُوتُ، أَطِعْنِي فِيمَا أَمَرْتُكَ أَجْعَلُكَ حَيّاً لاَ تَمُوتُ. يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ: أَنَا أَقُولُ لِلشَّيْءِ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ، أَطِعْنِي فِيمَا أَمَرْتُكَ أَجْعَلُكَ تَقُولُ لِلشَّيْءِ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ.
“O offspring of Adam, I am the All-sufficient, and will never become needy; obey Me, and I will make you All-sufficient such that you will never become needy; O offspring of Ādam, I am All-living and will never die, obey Me, and I will make you All-living and you will never die; O offspring of Adam, I say [to a thing] be! And it is; Obey Me in what I have commanded you, and I will make you such that when you say be! [to a thing], it would come into being.”
In order to attain this fundamental level of proximity (qurb), which is the highest point of the first spiritual journey (السير الى الله) one must rise through the way-stations of human perfection, which are expounded by the experts of gnosis in their manuals of direction. The fundamental stages, however, as we discussed earlier, are yaqzah and tawbah. It should also be understood that for one to maintain himself or herself on the straight path and never divert from it, he or she needs a master of gnosis (‘irfān) who has already traversed the levels of perfection and has the ability to take others as well.
Seeking The Infinite
Another possible interpretation of this verse of the blessed supplication is to seek greater perfection of the Divine attributes one already possesses. The authoritative mystics in their works present different levels in the journey of human perfection. One of the basic classifications they propound is that the human being has two fundamental journeys:
Ibn Maytham al-Bahrānī, in his Sharhu Mi’at Kalimah quoting the mystical scholars says:
السَّفَرُ سَفَرَانِ، سَفَرٌ اِلى اللٌّهِ، وَسَفَرٌ فِي اللٌّهِ. وَالأَوَّلُ إِشَارَةٌ إِلـى إِنْتِقَالاَتِ النَّفْسِ فِي مَراَتِبِ السُّلُوْكِ، وَالثَّانِي اِشَارَةٌ إِلـى اِنْتِقَالِهَا فِي دَرَجَاتِ الْوُصُوْلِ...
“There are two journeys: journey to Allāh, and journey in Allāh; the first alludes to the transformations of the soul in the different levels of wayfaring, and the second refers to its transformations in the stages of attainment (wusūl)…”
1. Al-sayr ilā Allāh السير إلى الله (Journey towards Allāh) which culminates with the state of tawhīd when one does not see anything save Allāh.
2. Al-sayr fī Allāh السير في الله (Journey in Allāh) which never culminates, for it has no end. When we say “in God”, one should not conjecture that God is a vessel (‘arf) in which the human being travels. Far is He from any kind of limitation and imperfection whatsoever. Al-sayr fī Allāh means journeying in the Attributes of God, or the continual process of coloring oneself with the Divine Attributes. And because Allāh is al-Samad and Infinite, all His perfect attributes are infinite too. And since the journey from the finite to the Infinite is infinite, the human being, however exalted he may be, is still in need of more and more perfection. The following famous dictum of Imām ‘Alī (as) according to some scholars refers to this very journey:
آهِ مِنْ قِلَّةِ الزَّادِ، وَطُولِ الطَّرِيقِ، وَ ُبعْدِ السَّفَرِ…
“O, how little is the provision, and how long the path and distant the journey…!”
Hence, there will never be an occasion when the human being would be needless of this prayer.
Readers however should note that for the one who has not attained the proximity of Allāh, ‘seeking more’ carries no meaning. He should strive to cover the first journey so that he may be able to swim across the oceans of the different names of Almighty Allāh. Scholars of ethics however advise that in such cases when the supplicant realizes how remote he is from uttering such lofty words, he should pray with utter humility and shame, and while feeling repentant of his state of separation, pin his hopes entirely on the One who can jerk him to start his journey and later have the ability to swim across the vast oceans of His Attributes.
Notes:
Contingent beings are those that do not exist essentially nor are they impossible to exist. Therefore in order for them to exist, they always need a cause. All the created beings are such.
It should be noted that the well-known classification, which is not contradictory to what we have mentioned above, is the al-Asfar al-Arb‘ah (the four journeys) which Sadru’l Muta ‘allihīn and his school of thought has adopted. We have not mentioned this due to the limited scope of this work.
Sharh Mi’at Kalimah, v. 1, pg. 40
Āyatullāh Jawādī Āmolī alludes to this point in his lessons on Ibn ‘Arabī’s Fusūs al-Hikam. See also ‘Buhuth Fī ‘Ilm al-Nafs’ [Transcripts of the notes of Sayyid Kamāl al-Haydarī on the section about the human soul from Mullā Hādī Sabzawārī’s philosophical poetry al-Manzūmah, page 298]
Bihār al-Anwār, v. 34, pg. 284
iltemase dua.
| Ziarat flyer | for everyone |
O my Allah, the honour of being Your servant is sufficient.
I am proud of the fact that You are my Lord.
You are just as I want, so make me just as You like me to be. الهي كفى بي عزّا أن أكون لك عبدا ، وكفى بي فخرا أن تكون لي ربّا
I am proud of the fact that You are my Lord.
You are just as I want, so make me just as You like me to be. الهي كفى بي عزّا أن أكون لك عبدا ، وكفى بي فخرا أن تكون لي ربّا
... أنت كما أُحبُّ ، فاجعلني كما تحبُّ
اللهم عجل لوليك الفرج يا الله
اللهم عجل لوليك الفرج يا الله
“Whenever you recite “Dua”, have this impression that what you
want is at the door.”
Imam Sadiq (AS) said: "God grants seven hours to repent to any believer
who commits a sin. If he repents in that period, nothing will be recorded
in his letter of deeds, but if he does not, then the sin will be recorded."
Shaikh Sadooq narrates from Imam Ali-ar-Reza (AS) that if a person does
not have the means to lessen the stock of his bad deeds, he should send
Salawaat and Salaam on Mohammad (SAWW) and His Progeny (AS)
bundantly, doing so will decrease (the weight of ) his sins.
According to Imam Jafar bin Mohammad as Sadiq, to remove worries
recite (i) al Kaafiroon (ii) al Ikhlas (iii) al Falaq (iv) an Naas three times
daily. After which recite "Allahumma adfa annil balaa" 3X.
Whoever recites a hundred verses from any Quranic Chapter and then
says: Ya Allah! Seven times, his Dua is answered and God will make rocks
clave for him."
To get a dua accepted quickly, recite each of the 4 Quls-5X each, this
makes over 100 verses, then say 7X-Ya Allah and ask for your dua. Recite
3X-'Allahumma adfa annil balaa' to keep away worries and anxiety. One
can do this as many as necessary during the day or even after each salaat.
If you wish to be removed from this mailing list, please let me know.
iltemase dua.
iltemase dua.
(sent by sis Mariam R. Jiwa)
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Check out our Wiki| CLOSER TO ALLAH (S.T.) THRU REMEMBRANCE | for everyone |
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1. Hope and Feeling of Love:
Anyone who knows that all his deeds are accounted for, and that his efforts do not go in waste, and also that Allah rewards him for his actions and deeds with Paradise, though He by His benign Mercy sometimes bestows upon him rewards for his good intentions too, he then leads his life with his love for Allah in a state of cheerful hopefulness.
2. Abstains from Corruption:
Such a man abstains from treachery, meanness, and hypocrisy. Anyone who considers himself to be ever-present before Allah and considers Allah as Omniscient can never practice deceit and hypocrisy.
3. Preserves His Self-respect:
He, who has submitted himself to the Will of Allah and truthfully obeys His commands, can never bow down before anyone in authority, status and power. He considers everybody as he himself is.
4. He is Never in Loss:
Since the man of faith benefits by his timely deed and receives an everlasting reward from Allah and pins his hopes only on Allah, he never sustains any loss at all.
5. Tranquility:
If we look into the following causes of fear and restlessness, we find that faith in Allah provides a complete peace, satisfaction and a state of tranquility Causes of Fear and Worries
(a) Sometimes past lapses and bad deeds are the causes of one’s fears and worries but the remembrance of Allah changes this state of mind into that of peace and tranquility because Allah is Merciful and Benevolent and He forgives sins and accepts one’s repentance.
(b) Sometimes loneliness and the very thought of helplessness leads to fears and worries but the faith that Allah is Omnipresent and Omniscient changes this state of mind into that of peace and tranquility. The man believes that Allah is not only our Companion and Compassionate but He hears us, sees our deeds and bestows His blessings on us.
(c) Sometimes the aimless life and the sense of lethargy make one’s mind restless but the faith in Allah removes all such fears and worries as Allah has created every thing in this world with a purpose by His Wisdom in a definite quantity and number within a specific sphere.
(d) Sometimes a man gets worried that he has not been able to please everybody, and he broods over the thought that he annoyed or provided the cause of displeasure to a particular person or a group of persons, but the faith in Allah that one should only try to please Allah as honor and disgrace only come from Him removes that state of restlessness. And it is confirmed by the Holy Qur’an which says:
Remembrance of Allah certainly brings comfort to all hearts. (13:28)
Signs of Dishonesty
He who does not have faith in the real cause of the Creation, that is Almighty and All-Wise Allah, is a person, who finds himself shaky, aimless and lonesome and concerns himself like animals and birds with the enjoyment of the comforts of worldly life only; who acts only under the pressure of the society; who considers death the last thing in life, and does not have the belief in the life after death as he does not believe in the immortality of soul; who surrenders his life to be dominated by external powers and his personal desires; who is beset with vague ideas and notions, deprivation, faults and lapses as his article of faith has not been guided by the infallible Prophets and Divine revelations, who is completely unaware of the very purpose of life. He does not know as to why he has come to this world and why he is departing from this world. His only line of thinking is as to how his life should be spent? He does not realize the very purpose of life. He is devoid of the Divine Approach to Universe and Islamic faith.
In short, one can detect faith from the face of those who have belief in Allah and of those who have no belief in Allah.
| IMAM ALI (A.S.) THE COMMANDER OF FAITHFUL | for everyone |
| HADEES-IMAM ALI (A.S.) | for everyone |
CARRYING A HEAVY LOAD
Imam Ali (a.s.) bought dates from the mart of Kufa putting them in a corner of his cloak. People rushed to him to carry the dates, but he refused, saying:
"ONE WHO HAS A WIFE AND CHILDREN IS MORE DESERVING OF CARRYING THEM"
ALI (a.s.) would walk bare-footed holding his sandals in his left hand on five occasions:
Feast of fast-breaking (Idd al-Fitr), Feast of Sacrifice (Idd al-Adha), Fridays on visiting the sick, and during funeral service. He would say,"
THESE FIVE OCCASIONS ARE THE PLACES OF ALLAH AND WOULD LIKE TO BE BARE-FOOTED THEREIN
posted by ABBAS ALAM @ 04:08
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