| UNIVERSAL MUSLIM ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (UMAA) | for everyone |
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UMAA Convention 2011
"The Quran, Ahlul Bayt & Modern Society: A Focus on Identity, Citizenship andCollaboration"
The 9th annual UMAA convention will be taking place in Toronto, Canada!
Friday May 27th - Sunday May 29th, 2011 This year's convention will be one of the most exciting, motivating and spiritually uplifting experiences in North America. World renowned speakers from across the world will speak on issues relevant to the core matters of our existence here in the West. Keep checking back at the UMAA website for details on confirmed speakers as they are uploaded.
Also click here to visit our website and see the video from last year's convention!
This year's convention promises to have a profoundly diverse array of programs with seminars, exciting interactive workshops, religiously supervised matrimonial services, video game tournaments, basketball tournaments, museum exhibits, bazaars, Islamic movie showings and so much more! *This year's convention will particularly be under the guidance, leadership, and supervision of our respected ulema* 
This year UMAA will be taking place at the Hilton Suites Toronto/Markham Conference Centre. Call now to book a room at the subsidized rate of $99/night.
 8500 Warden Avenue, Markham, Ontario, Canada L6G 1A5 Tel: 1-905-470-8500 | |||
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| View email in your browser | Unsubscribe | Update your profile | Forward to a friend You are receiving this message because you subscribed to join the UMAA mailing list. To unsubscribe in one click, simply click the 'unsubscribe' button in this email. Universal Muslim Association of America P.O. Box 313 Burtonsville, MD 20866 Tel: (646)-932-UMAA(8622) Fax: (718)-758-9004 Copyright (C) 2011 Universal Muslim Association of America All rights reserved. |
| DO NOT ABANDON THE DUTY OF BIDING TO GOOD CONDUCT....... | for everyone |
Salvation and prosperity belong to those whose conduct is based on this principle. Commanding others to righteous conduct and forbidding misconduct is an inalienable part of their life's programme. In another verse of the same surah, the highest stations of human nobility and merit are ascribed to people who always practice this principle throughout the various stages of life:
You are the best nation ever brought forth to men, bidding to honour and forbidding dishonour, and believing in God. (3:110)
'Ali-may peace be upon him-said:
Always bid the members of society to virtues and practise them yourself. Beware lest you be one of those who bid others to do good but themselves refrain from it, otherwise the sinfulness of such conduct will overtake you and God's wrath shall seize you. [20]
The Prophet of Islam-may peace and God's benedictions be upon him and his Household-said:
My followers shall live in welfare as long as they do not abandon the duty of bidding to good conduct and forbidding misconduct and co-operate with one another in good works. But when they abandon this programme in life, the blessings will be withdrawn from them and some of them (i.e. tyrants) shall be imposed on the rest. As a result they will suffer, but they will neither find any refuge on the earth, nor any helper will come to their aid from anywhere. [21]
In the civilised world of today some countries have framed and implemented laws resembling the principle of al-amr bi al-ma'ruf wa al- nahy 'an al-munkar with the objective of strengthening the moral foundations of their societies and promoting justice and right conduct. An informed writer says:
It is an undeniable truth that if justice is to be established in society everyone must be committed to its preservation, like the Swiss people in whose constitution these words-which sound like a verse out of some scripture-have been written: "On observing the slightest violation of justice it is the duty and obligation of all individuals not to rest until justice has been restored." [21] This maxim is exactly like the duty that was legislated fourteen centuries ago by Islam for every individual Muslim.
You are the best nation ever brought forth to men, bidding to honour and forbidding dishonour, and believing in God. (3:110)
'Ali-may peace be upon him-said:
Always bid the members of society to virtues and practise them yourself. Beware lest you be one of those who bid others to do good but themselves refrain from it, otherwise the sinfulness of such conduct will overtake you and God's wrath shall seize you. [20]
The Prophet of Islam-may peace and God's benedictions be upon him and his Household-said:
My followers shall live in welfare as long as they do not abandon the duty of bidding to good conduct and forbidding misconduct and co-operate with one another in good works. But when they abandon this programme in life, the blessings will be withdrawn from them and some of them (i.e. tyrants) shall be imposed on the rest. As a result they will suffer, but they will neither find any refuge on the earth, nor any helper will come to their aid from anywhere. [21]
In the civilised world of today some countries have framed and implemented laws resembling the principle of al-amr bi al-ma'ruf wa al- nahy 'an al-munkar with the objective of strengthening the moral foundations of their societies and promoting justice and right conduct. An informed writer says:
It is an undeniable truth that if justice is to be established in society everyone must be committed to its preservation, like the Swiss people in whose constitution these words-which sound like a verse out of some scripture-have been written: "On observing the slightest violation of justice it is the duty and obligation of all individuals not to rest until justice has been restored." [21] This maxim is exactly like the duty that was legislated fourteen centuries ago by Islam for every individual Muslim.
| SYCOPHANCY IS NOT IN A BELIEVER'S CHARACTER | for everyone |
The spirit of encouragement and appreciation arises from personal maturity, self-reliance and a healthy spiritual state, whereas flattery is a sign of low self-respect, baseness, fear, and a decadent personality. Undeserved praise of others is the practice of those who want to compensate for their inadequacies by this means, or are cunningly after their own interests. The compliments paid by self-seeking persons are devoid of any kind of worth, because they are not based on good faith or conviction but are aimed with a particular motive. These self-seeking sycophants are like skilled hunters who set traps of flattery to catch the passing prey.
"Those who exercise their rhetorical skills have often impious intentions in their hearts."
'Ali-may peace be upon him-said:
A compliment that exceeds a person's merit is flattery; if lesser than the merit, it is either due to incapacity or envy. [13]
The Noble Messenger-may peace and God's blessings be upon him and his Household-said:
Sycophancy is not in a believer's character. [14]
Undue praise and compliments give rise to pride, and if the proud person be a man of influence and power, he will not find it easy to listen to sincere advice and exhortations or heed truth and reality.
In the aforementioned directive, 'Ali-may peace be upon him-writes to Malik al-Ashtar:
Make the people get accustomed to refraining from flattering you and from praising you unduly for something you haven't done, for excessive flattery brings about self-conceit and leads to pride and haughtiness. [15]
Hence if you pay someone a tribute exceeding what he merits and extol him beyond his real worth, you will not only add nothing to his personality but will harm your own personal dignity by your flattery and sycophancy. And if you commend someone with a compliment that falls short of his merit, that is an indication of your weak and unbalanced spirit or envy. But if you honour and praise someone according to his real worth, that preserves both your own personality and his, and, as a result, neither he would fall into the trap of vanity, nor would you compromise your respect and worth. Moreover, as exaggerated compliments are not based on fact and do not arise from within the heart, one cannot depend on someone's hypocritical praise and compliments, for if he praises one in one's presence with a certain purpose he might also indulge, behind one's back, in any kind of backbiting or defamation for some other end of his.
'Ali-may peace be upon him-describes this repulsive characteristic of sycophants in these words:
One who compliments you for some merit that you do not possess will have no qualms blaming you and accusing you of some vice that is not in you. [16]
In the same way as appreciation and encouragement are one of man's psychological needs whose fulfilment leads to progress and development, constant and undue blame and censure produce a detrimental effect on one's psyche and lead into vice and deviance. The Commander of the Faithful-may peace be upon him-said:
Abstain from frequent reproach for such a practice has vicious consequences and makes censure ineffective. [17] Bringing joy to one's children is an effective way of winning their love and is beneficial for strengthening their emotional ties with other people. The Noble Messenger (s) said:
Whenever a father looks lovingly at his child and makes him joyous, he receives a reward from God that is equal to that of setting free a slave. [18]
'Ali-may peace be upon him-said:
A compliment that exceeds a person's merit is flattery; if lesser than the merit, it is either due to incapacity or envy. [13]
The Noble Messenger-may peace and God's blessings be upon him and his Household-said:
Sycophancy is not in a believer's character. [14]
Undue praise and compliments give rise to pride, and if the proud person be a man of influence and power, he will not find it easy to listen to sincere advice and exhortations or heed truth and reality.
In the aforementioned directive, 'Ali-may peace be upon him-writes to Malik al-Ashtar:
Make the people get accustomed to refraining from flattering you and from praising you unduly for something you haven't done, for excessive flattery brings about self-conceit and leads to pride and haughtiness. [15]
Hence if you pay someone a tribute exceeding what he merits and extol him beyond his real worth, you will not only add nothing to his personality but will harm your own personal dignity by your flattery and sycophancy. And if you commend someone with a compliment that falls short of his merit, that is an indication of your weak and unbalanced spirit or envy. But if you honour and praise someone according to his real worth, that preserves both your own personality and his, and, as a result, neither he would fall into the trap of vanity, nor would you compromise your respect and worth. Moreover, as exaggerated compliments are not based on fact and do not arise from within the heart, one cannot depend on someone's hypocritical praise and compliments, for if he praises one in one's presence with a certain purpose he might also indulge, behind one's back, in any kind of backbiting or defamation for some other end of his.
'Ali-may peace be upon him-describes this repulsive characteristic of sycophants in these words:
One who compliments you for some merit that you do not possess will have no qualms blaming you and accusing you of some vice that is not in you. [16]
In the same way as appreciation and encouragement are one of man's psychological needs whose fulfilment leads to progress and development, constant and undue blame and censure produce a detrimental effect on one's psyche and lead into vice and deviance. The Commander of the Faithful-may peace be upon him-said:
Abstain from frequent reproach for such a practice has vicious consequences and makes censure ineffective. [17] Bringing joy to one's children is an effective way of winning their love and is beneficial for strengthening their emotional ties with other people. The Noble Messenger (s) said:
Whenever a father looks lovingly at his child and makes him joyous, he receives a reward from God that is equal to that of setting free a slave. [18]
| ONE WHO DOES NOT APPRECIATE A FAVOR AND KINDNESS IS ......... | for everyone |
There are some people who not only do not express any gratefulness-either in words or in deed-no matter how much help or kindness they may receive, but remain dissatisfied, as if it were the responsibility of others to do them service and to show kindness, whereas their own duty were to be ungratefully indifferent to the rights of others! The reader may have observed this type of persons around him. Their conduct does not conform to any rational, human, or logical norm. 'Ali-may peace be upon him-puts this group of ungrateful persons in the ranks of animals. He says:
One who does not appreciate a favour and kindness is no more than an animal. [9]
Even when someone does not succeed in getting one's work done, one must appreciate his sincerity and disinterested motives when one feels that he has sincerely sought to help one.
'Ali-may peace be upon him-said:
One who does not appreciate the good, unmingled, and sincere intentions of his friend will also not appreciate his services and acts of kindness.
The Eleventh Imam said:
The best of your friends are those who forget your inadequacies but never forget your kindness.
The spirit of ungratefulness brings irremediable harm, for when one denies gratitude and appreciation to others for their service and kindness despite being aware of their significance and the trouble and effort undertaken by them, they would not be disposed to help him out in a hardship next time.
'Ali-may peace be upon him-refers to this kind of loss and deprivation in the following saying One who does not thank for a favour will not find anything except deprivation and disappointment. [10]
In the directive to Malik al-Ashtar he points out the significance and benefits of appreciation:
(O Malik:) Attention to major matters should not make you neglect minor and less important ones, for the people benefit from your trivial services and acts of kindness in their own right, while they cannot do without your major services ...
Hence pay thorough attention to the demands and needs of the people. Pay compliments to those who take pains and do worthy work. For the tribute paid to them for their work gives enthusiasm to the brave and serves as a constant source of their motivation. This practice also helps motivate conservative and timid persons and draws them to the field of battle. [11]
One who does not appreciate a favour and kindness is no more than an animal. [9]
Even when someone does not succeed in getting one's work done, one must appreciate his sincerity and disinterested motives when one feels that he has sincerely sought to help one.
'Ali-may peace be upon him-said:
One who does not appreciate the good, unmingled, and sincere intentions of his friend will also not appreciate his services and acts of kindness.
The Eleventh Imam said:
The best of your friends are those who forget your inadequacies but never forget your kindness.
The spirit of ungratefulness brings irremediable harm, for when one denies gratitude and appreciation to others for their service and kindness despite being aware of their significance and the trouble and effort undertaken by them, they would not be disposed to help him out in a hardship next time.
'Ali-may peace be upon him-refers to this kind of loss and deprivation in the following saying One who does not thank for a favour will not find anything except deprivation and disappointment. [10]
In the directive to Malik al-Ashtar he points out the significance and benefits of appreciation:
(O Malik:) Attention to major matters should not make you neglect minor and less important ones, for the people benefit from your trivial services and acts of kindness in their own right, while they cannot do without your major services ...
Hence pay thorough attention to the demands and needs of the people. Pay compliments to those who take pains and do worthy work. For the tribute paid to them for their work gives enthusiasm to the brave and serves as a constant source of their motivation. This practice also helps motivate conservative and timid persons and draws them to the field of battle. [11]
| TEACHINGS OF ISLAM- BE GRATEFUL OF THE BOUNTIES OF ALLAH (S.T.) | for everyone |
One of the precious teachings of Islam is that Muslims should be grateful for the boundless bounties of God. In reality, the feeling of gratitude arises from an inner freedom, which is something mysteriously united with the human essence.
Emotional motivation and encouragement is a useful means for the propagation of human virtues in society. Should the people reward good- doers and punish those guilty of misconduct by means of their appropriate reactions, society would move steadily towards health and growth. For when the feelings of reprobation for offenders and admiration and appreciation for the pious and virtuous are alive amongst the people, society naturally inclines towards piety and human merit and the ideals of moral rectitude and virtue come to prevail. The moral worth of everyone becomes distinct and the qualities of the pure and the polluted become distinguished.
'Ali-may peace be upon him-in his historic directive addressed to Malik al-Ashtar, says:
(O Malik:) The good and the wicked must not be equal in your eyes, for otherwise it would discourage the good from good-doing and encourage the wicked in their misconduct. Treat them in accordance with the kind of conduct he has chosen for himself. [5]
Emotional motivation and encouragement is a useful means for the propagation of human virtues in society. Should the people reward good- doers and punish those guilty of misconduct by means of their appropriate reactions, society would move steadily towards health and growth. For when the feelings of reprobation for offenders and admiration and appreciation for the pious and virtuous are alive amongst the people, society naturally inclines towards piety and human merit and the ideals of moral rectitude and virtue come to prevail. The moral worth of everyone becomes distinct and the qualities of the pure and the polluted become distinguished.
'Ali-may peace be upon him-in his historic directive addressed to Malik al-Ashtar, says:
(O Malik:) The good and the wicked must not be equal in your eyes, for otherwise it would discourage the good from good-doing and encourage the wicked in their misconduct. Treat them in accordance with the kind of conduct he has chosen for himself. [5]
| Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised | for everyone |
The followers of the path towards perfection from the beginning of their journey until the point where they reach final peace witness a great deal which must remain hidden from the eyes and hearts of the earth-bound inhabitants of the material world, and a consideration of these states and stations would be beyond the scope of the present article. What is important here is the question of sanctity in God (wilayat-i ilahi).
When the travellers on the spiritual path reach the stage of Divine Unity and enter into the proximity of God, they let go totally of what they had possessed up to that time, for they have come to know that everything belongs to God. They give up the false claim of "owning" things and of being independent in this ownership. It is then that an indescribable tranquility and repose comes over them and they are released absolutely from all pain, fear and sorrow.
"Lo! those who say: Our Lord is Allah, and afterward are upright, the angels descend upon them saying: Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised. We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter." (Quran XLI, 30-31). Lo! verily the friends of Allah [those who possess sanctity, wilayah] are (those) on whom fear (cometh) not, nor do they grieve." (Quran X, 63).
It is at this point that worldly joys, sorrows, successes and failures appear to them as all the same, and having found a new existence they view the world and all that it contains in a new light. His he who was dead and We have raised him unto life, and set for him a light wherein he walketh among men, as him whose similitude is in utter darkness?" (Quran VI, 123). And in the end they and everything they possess belongs to God, and God to them: 'Whoso is near to God, God is nigh unto him."
When the travellers on the spiritual path reach the stage of Divine Unity and enter into the proximity of God, they let go totally of what they had possessed up to that time, for they have come to know that everything belongs to God. They give up the false claim of "owning" things and of being independent in this ownership. It is then that an indescribable tranquility and repose comes over them and they are released absolutely from all pain, fear and sorrow.
"Lo! those who say: Our Lord is Allah, and afterward are upright, the angels descend upon them saying: Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised. We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter." (Quran XLI, 30-31). Lo! verily the friends of Allah [those who possess sanctity, wilayah] are (those) on whom fear (cometh) not, nor do they grieve." (Quran X, 63).
It is at this point that worldly joys, sorrows, successes and failures appear to them as all the same, and having found a new existence they view the world and all that it contains in a new light. His he who was dead and We have raised him unto life, and set for him a light wherein he walketh among men, as him whose similitude is in utter darkness?" (Quran VI, 123). And in the end they and everything they possess belongs to God, and God to them: 'Whoso is near to God, God is nigh unto him."
| "Therefore remember Me, I will remember you" (Quran II, 152) | for everyone |
The travellers on the spiritual path, who as a result of their natural and primordial readiness have surrendered their hearts to the infinite Beauty and Perfection of the Truth, worship God only out of love, not out of hope for reward or fear of punishment, for to worship Him in order to gain Paradise or to avoid hell is in fact to worship that very reward and punishment in place of God.
As a result of the divine attraction which has engulfed their hearts, and more particularly as a result of having seen that God has revealed the verse "Therefore remember Me, I will remember you" (Quran II, 152) and hundreds of other Quranic verses where the remembrance of God is spoken of, wherever and in whatever state they happen to be the mystic travelers are occupied with His remembrance: *Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting and reclining." (Quran III, 191).
And when they hear the messages of the Beloved, "Lo! in the heavens and the earth are portents for believers" (Quran XLV, 3), "And there is not a thing by hymneth His praise" (Quran XVII, 44), and "And whither so ever ye turn, there is Allah's countenance" (Quran II, 115), they understand that all existent things are mirrors, each displaying the unique Beauty of the Truth in accordance with the possibilities of its own being. Other than their quality of being mirrors they have no existence in themselves. Hence such men look to every phenomenon with love and eagerness and have no object other than to contemplate the Beauty of God.
And when they hear God's messages "O ye who believe! Ye have charge of your own souls. He who erreth cannot injure you if you are rightly guided (Quran V, 105) and "Thou, verily, O man, art working towards thy Lord a work which thou wilt meet (in His presence)" (Quran LXXXIV, 6), they understand that by the nature of creation itself they are bound within the framework of their own souls, and other than the way of their souls there is no road open to them to reach God. Whatever they see or find in the expansiveness of the world they see and find in themselves. It is here that man understands that in fact he is cut off from all places and things and other than he himself and his God there is no one else.
Even if such a person is in the midst of a hundred thousand people he is alone, and if others see him in the midst of a crowd, he sees himself in a spiritual retreat far away from everyone else, no one being with him but God. It is then that he looks at himself and sees all things within himself, and he understands that he himself is also only a mirror in which the unique Beauty of God is manifested, and that he has nothing but God.
As a result of the divine attraction which has engulfed their hearts, and more particularly as a result of having seen that God has revealed the verse "Therefore remember Me, I will remember you" (Quran II, 152) and hundreds of other Quranic verses where the remembrance of God is spoken of, wherever and in whatever state they happen to be the mystic travelers are occupied with His remembrance: *Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting and reclining." (Quran III, 191).
And when they hear the messages of the Beloved, "Lo! in the heavens and the earth are portents for believers" (Quran XLV, 3), "And there is not a thing by hymneth His praise" (Quran XVII, 44), and "And whither so ever ye turn, there is Allah's countenance" (Quran II, 115), they understand that all existent things are mirrors, each displaying the unique Beauty of the Truth in accordance with the possibilities of its own being. Other than their quality of being mirrors they have no existence in themselves. Hence such men look to every phenomenon with love and eagerness and have no object other than to contemplate the Beauty of God.
And when they hear God's messages "O ye who believe! Ye have charge of your own souls. He who erreth cannot injure you if you are rightly guided (Quran V, 105) and "Thou, verily, O man, art working towards thy Lord a work which thou wilt meet (in His presence)" (Quran LXXXIV, 6), they understand that by the nature of creation itself they are bound within the framework of their own souls, and other than the way of their souls there is no road open to them to reach God. Whatever they see or find in the expansiveness of the world they see and find in themselves. It is here that man understands that in fact he is cut off from all places and things and other than he himself and his God there is no one else.
Even if such a person is in the midst of a hundred thousand people he is alone, and if others see him in the midst of a crowd, he sees himself in a spiritual retreat far away from everyone else, no one being with him but God. It is then that he looks at himself and sees all things within himself, and he understands that he himself is also only a mirror in which the unique Beauty of God is manifested, and that he has nothing but God.
| ISLAM ENCOURAGES ITS FOLLOWERS TO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE | for everyone |
It is the Holy Quran which asks, "Are those who know equal to those who do not?" (Quran XXXIX, 9), and which praises the exalted station of knowledge in the most eloquent manner. And it is the Holy Prophet who has said "The pursuit of knowledge is incumbent upon every Muslim, *Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave" and "Seek knowledge, even unto China.
" Again, it is the Holy Quran which commands its followers never to stray from the way of knowledge nor to follow what is only supposed or assumed, and never to accept without deliberation what passes before their sight or crosses their minds, for they will be responsible for their beliefs. "(O man), follow not that where of thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart-of each of these it will be asked." (Quran XVII, 36).
As has become clear Islam encourages its followers to acquire knowledge with all the powers at their disposal, and in this respect it has designated knowledge of religious jurisprudence or doctrinal sciences, and the injunctions of the religious law (Shari'ah) as mandatory." And the believers should not all go out to fight [in the holy war]. Of every troop of them, a party should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge in religion. (Quran IX, 122)
" Again, it is the Holy Quran which commands its followers never to stray from the way of knowledge nor to follow what is only supposed or assumed, and never to accept without deliberation what passes before their sight or crosses their minds, for they will be responsible for their beliefs. "(O man), follow not that where of thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart-of each of these it will be asked." (Quran XVII, 36).
As has become clear Islam encourages its followers to acquire knowledge with all the powers at their disposal, and in this respect it has designated knowledge of religious jurisprudence or doctrinal sciences, and the injunctions of the religious law (Shari'ah) as mandatory." And the believers should not all go out to fight [in the holy war]. Of every troop of them, a party should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge in religion. (Quran IX, 122)
| DO NOT HELP WHO NEGLECT PRAYERS | for everyone |
Many traditional reports mention terrible consequences for those who help and assist the people who neglect prayer.
As mentioned by the Messenger of Allah (S), “One who helps the neglecter of Prayer by giving him food or cloth acts as if he has murdered 70 prophets, the first of whom being Adam (a.s.) and the last Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (S).” (Layalul Akhba-r Vol. 4 page 51)
He (S) also said, “One who gives a draught of water to the neglecter of prayer, acts as if he has made war against me and battled with all the prophets.” (Layalul Akhba-r page 395)
The Holy Prophet is also reported to have stated, “One who laughs with the neglecter of prayer, it is as if he has demolished the Ka’ba 70 times.” (Layalul Akhba-r Page 395)
Obviously the general implication of these traditions is that if help and assistance given to a person, who neglects prayers, makes him complacent about his lapse and he continues to neglect his prayer; or if this assistance encourages him to be even more neglectful, then such help should not be given. And indeed whenever helping the sinner induces him to sin more, it is absolutely Hara-m. And from the point of view of Nahy Anil Munkar it is obligatory not to render such a person any help.
It may also be that helping or not helping does not have any effect on the person who neglects prayers. In this case it is not clear whether one should withhold help. There is a possibility that some assistance may in fact encourage a person to start praying or to stop sinning, in which case, needless to say, helping becomes obligatory.
He (S) also said, “One who gives a draught of water to the neglecter of prayer, acts as if he has made war against me and battled with all the prophets.” (Layalul Akhba-r page 395)
The Holy Prophet is also reported to have stated, “One who laughs with the neglecter of prayer, it is as if he has demolished the Ka’ba 70 times.” (Layalul Akhba-r Page 395)
Obviously the general implication of these traditions is that if help and assistance given to a person, who neglects prayers, makes him complacent about his lapse and he continues to neglect his prayer; or if this assistance encourages him to be even more neglectful, then such help should not be given. And indeed whenever helping the sinner induces him to sin more, it is absolutely Hara-m. And from the point of view of Nahy Anil Munkar it is obligatory not to render such a person any help.
It may also be that helping or not helping does not have any effect on the person who neglects prayers. In this case it is not clear whether one should withhold help. There is a possibility that some assistance may in fact encourage a person to start praying or to stop sinning, in which case, needless to say, helping becomes obligatory.
| Terrible Consequences in the life and the Hereafter for those who neglect prayer | for everyone |
The Messenger of Allah (S) says that a person who neglects prayer and is lazy in its fulfilment is punished with fifteen calamities by Allah. Of these, six are related to this life, Three are with regard to the time of death, Three occur in the grave and Three calamities strike him in Qiya-ma. That is when he will emerge from his grave (for the final accounting). The six calamites with regard to this life are:
1. The Almighty Allah reduces his life span.
2. And He terminates his sustenance.
3. He makes the signs of righteousness to disappear from his face.
4. None of his good deeds will be accepted and he will not be rewarded for them.
5. His invocations will not be accepted.
6. The supplications of righteous people will not benefit him.
The Three calamities to befall him at the time of death are:
1. He will die a death of degradation and disgrace.
2. He will die in hunger
3. He will die in a state of such a terrible thirst that even if he were todrink all the streams of the earth his thirst will not be quenched.
And the Three punishments that he will suffer in the grave are:
1. An angel will be appointed over him to give him squeeze and chastise him.
2. His grave will be made narrow.
3. His grave will be dark and horrifying.
And the Three calamities with regard to Qiya-ma are asfollows:
1. The angel will be dragging him for accounting in such a way that other people will be a witness to it.
2. His accounting will be very strict.
3. The Almighty Allah will not look at him with mercy, will not purify him and there is a terrible punishment for him.
| THE GREATER SIN IS TO OMIT PRAYERS INTENTIONALLY | for everyone |
The greater sin is to omit prayer intentionally. The traditions of Imam Taqi (a.s.), Imam Rid(a (a.s.) Imam Mu-sa Kadhim (a.s.) and Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) (mentioned in Abdul Azi-m’s Sahifa) support this view.
This fact is also confirmed by the tradition of Amir ul-Mu’mini-n (a.s.). In Islam prayer is an obligatory duty which has to be performed without fail. Anyone who does not offer prayer considering it non-obligatory is an infidel and outside the pale of Islam. To deny prayer is to deny the Holy Prophet (S) and to deny the Holy Qur’an and such a person is an unbeliever. Many traditions have been recorded in this connection (Layali al-Akhba-r page 394, Sala-t & Za-sail)
Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says, A person came to the Holy Prophet (S) and begged him for a moral lesson. The Messenger of Allah (S) said, “Do not omit prayer intentionally because whoever leaves prayer voluntarily has exited from the pale of Islam. (Sala-t, Wasa’il ul-Shia Vol. 3 page 29) The Messenger of Allah (S) says: “The thing that turnsa Muslim into Kafir is to omit prayer intentionally or to offer prayer considering it insignificant and unimportant.” (Wasa’il ul-Shia Vol. 3 page 29)
The Holy Prophet (S) also says, “There is no difference between faith and infidelity except the omitting of prayer (Wasa’il ul-Shia Vol. 3 page 29) Allamah Majlisi (r.a.) writes in the commentary of al-Ka-fi that some of these traditions emphasise that to omit all or some obligatory acts is infidelity. This itself is one of the connotations of ‘Kufr’ as recorded in ayats and traditions. It is mentioned, ‘One who intentionally omits prayer is a Kafir, one who doesn’t pay Zakat is a Kafir one who omits Hajj is a Kafir.’
Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says, A person came to the Holy Prophet (S) and begged him for a moral lesson. The Messenger of Allah (S) said, “Do not omit prayer intentionally because whoever leaves prayer voluntarily has exited from the pale of Islam. (Sala-t, Wasa’il ul-Shia Vol. 3 page 29) The Messenger of Allah (S) says: “The thing that turnsa Muslim into Kafir is to omit prayer intentionally or to offer prayer considering it insignificant and unimportant.” (Wasa’il ul-Shia Vol. 3 page 29)
The Holy Prophet (S) also says, “There is no difference between faith and infidelity except the omitting of prayer (Wasa’il ul-Shia Vol. 3 page 29) Allamah Majlisi (r.a.) writes in the commentary of al-Ka-fi that some of these traditions emphasise that to omit all or some obligatory acts is infidelity. This itself is one of the connotations of ‘Kufr’ as recorded in ayats and traditions. It is mentioned, ‘One who intentionally omits prayer is a Kafir, one who doesn’t pay Zakat is a Kafir one who omits Hajj is a Kafir.’
| ISLAMIC INFORMATION CENTER | for everyone |
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| Parts of the body that are in charge of remembrance of God... | for everyone |
Either Imam Sadiq (a.s) or Imam Baqir (a.s) has been narrated to have said:
"There are seven things in the body in charge of remembrance of God:
the tongue,
the soul,
the spirit,
the intellect,
the wisdom,
the head,
and the heart-
either of which needs to persevere.
The tongue's perseverance is attained through honesty in uttering words.
The soul's perseverance is attained through presence of one's mind.
The spirit's perseverance is attained through sincerity in repentance.
The heart's perseverance is attained through properly begging for pardon.
The intellect's perseverance is attained through properly learning from one's mistakes.
The wisdom's perseverance is attained through proper pride,
and the head's perseverance is attained through awareness of the secrets of the world.
Thus the remembrance of God is equal to:
uttering praises of God for the tongue;
struggling and hard work for the spirit;
fear and hope for the soul;
honesty and sincerity for the heart;
exaltation and shyness for the intellect;
submission and contentment for the wisdom;
and witnessing to and approaching God for the head."
--
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."
“The person whose tree of existence has soft wood will grow many thick
flourishing branches”. -Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) -Nahjul Balagha (Peak Of
Eloquence), Short Saying 214
(sent by sis Mariam R. Jiwa)
| Nails in the Fence | for everyone |
There was a little boy with a bad temper.
His father gave him a bag of nails, and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.
Then it gradually dwindled down.He discovered it was easier to hold his temper, than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.
He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.
He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence.
The fence will never be the same.
When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.
You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there.
A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
(sent by bro Najmuddin)
| TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT | for everyone |
"Treat the people with respect. Be kind and considerate with them. Meet them cheerfully. Be fair, just and impartial in your dealings so that even the influential persons may not dare take undue advantage of your leniency and the commoners and the poor people may not be disappointed in your justice and fair dealings". (Letter—27, Peak of Eloquence)
It is narrated that whenever the Holy Prophet talked with his companions he used to glance over to them equally in a just manner without ignoring anyone of them. (Wasa'ilush Shi'ah, vol. VIII, p 499)
In this regard Islam takes special care so much so that it emphasizes that if in a feast the host starts the washing of the hands of his guest from the right side before the meals begin the reverse process should be adopted i.e. washing should be done from the left side after the meals have been taken so that the man, who washed his hands first before the meals, should be the last one after finishing his meals. Such a great care and attention would never be found in any other code of ethics.
Imam Ali in one of his circulars to his officials wrote as follows: "Sharpen the tip of your pen. Do not leave much space between the lines. Avoid writing in an ornamental style and observe brevity so as to save paper. The paper belongs to the Public Treasury and the Public Treasury cannot afford any wasteful expenditure". (Biharul Anwar, vol. XLI, p. 105)
The pronouncement of Imam Ali on the importance of administering justice and of avoiding oppressive actions is very interesting. (Vide. Sermon—228, Peak of Eloquence). In this very sermon the Holy Imam further says. "I bear Allah as my witness that I prefer to pass sleepless nights over the sharp thorns of prickly plants or to suffer from the worst form of injury and insult than to meet my Lord and the Holy Prophet on the Day of Judgement as a tyrant who has persecuted any person or as a usurper who has wrongfully seized the property of somebody else.
It is narrated that whenever the Holy Prophet talked with his companions he used to glance over to them equally in a just manner without ignoring anyone of them. (Wasa'ilush Shi'ah, vol. VIII, p 499)
In this regard Islam takes special care so much so that it emphasizes that if in a feast the host starts the washing of the hands of his guest from the right side before the meals begin the reverse process should be adopted i.e. washing should be done from the left side after the meals have been taken so that the man, who washed his hands first before the meals, should be the last one after finishing his meals. Such a great care and attention would never be found in any other code of ethics.
Imam Ali in one of his circulars to his officials wrote as follows: "Sharpen the tip of your pen. Do not leave much space between the lines. Avoid writing in an ornamental style and observe brevity so as to save paper. The paper belongs to the Public Treasury and the Public Treasury cannot afford any wasteful expenditure". (Biharul Anwar, vol. XLI, p. 105)
The pronouncement of Imam Ali on the importance of administering justice and of avoiding oppressive actions is very interesting. (Vide. Sermon—228, Peak of Eloquence). In this very sermon the Holy Imam further says. "I bear Allah as my witness that I prefer to pass sleepless nights over the sharp thorns of prickly plants or to suffer from the worst form of injury and insult than to meet my Lord and the Holy Prophet on the Day of Judgement as a tyrant who has persecuted any person or as a usurper who has wrongfully seized the property of somebody else.
Why should I tyrannize or exploit somebody to provide comfort and ease for my body which will shortly be destroyed and decayed and which will lie in the grave for a long period. By Allah, if all the seven continents with all that they contain are offered to me as a remuneration or bribe for depriving an ant of the husk of a grain of barley carried by it, I will never do it. This world to me is even more worthless than the small bit of a leaf chewed by a locust.
Ali has no interest with mortal luxuries, wealth, ease and comforts of this world. I seek His Protection and Help from negligence of my duty and from being wicked and vicious".
Ali has no interest with mortal luxuries, wealth, ease and comforts of this world. I seek His Protection and Help from negligence of my duty and from being wicked and vicious".
| CRITICISM BY TALHA AND ZUBAYR AGAINST THE HOLY IMAM ALI (A.S.) | for everyone |
Talha and Zubayr believed in giving special treatment to the companions of the Holy Prophet. Therefore, they used to criticize Imam Ali for his dealing with the Public Treasury as well as other matters. Once they objected to the Holy Imam saying: "Why do you not consult us? '
Imam Ali after telling his promptness, ability, justice and modus operandi said: "By Allah, I never craved for rulership or caliphate for its sake only. All of you invited me to accept it and I accepted. And when I accepted it and became a ruler I started to rule according to the dictates of the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah (traditions) of the Holy Prophet. In following the commandments of the Holy Qur'an and the Holy Prophet, I never needed either your help nor that of anybody's else. If I feel ever in need of advice, I shall most certainly consult you as well as other Muslim brethren.
So far as your complaints about equal distribution of wealth are concerned, I want to tell you that here too I am strictly following the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. This theory of equal distribution of the wealth was revealed to the Holy Prophet by the Merciful Allah and he had taught us, you know this and so do I. So, what Allah had commanded should be accepted by you and as well as by me. Therefore, you and your friends are not justified in blaming me for this". (Sermon—210, Peak of Eloquence, ISP, 1984)149
Imam Ali after telling his promptness, ability, justice and modus operandi said: "By Allah, I never craved for rulership or caliphate for its sake only. All of you invited me to accept it and I accepted. And when I accepted it and became a ruler I started to rule according to the dictates of the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah (traditions) of the Holy Prophet. In following the commandments of the Holy Qur'an and the Holy Prophet, I never needed either your help nor that of anybody's else. If I feel ever in need of advice, I shall most certainly consult you as well as other Muslim brethren.
So far as your complaints about equal distribution of wealth are concerned, I want to tell you that here too I am strictly following the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. This theory of equal distribution of the wealth was revealed to the Holy Prophet by the Merciful Allah and he had taught us, you know this and so do I. So, what Allah had commanded should be accepted by you and as well as by me. Therefore, you and your friends are not justified in blaming me for this". (Sermon—210, Peak of Eloquence, ISP, 1984)149
| ON PRINCIPLE-NEVER COMPROMISE | for everyone |
A theft occurred in the house of a Muslim in Madina. Two persons were charged with theft. One was a Muslim and the other a Jew. Both of them were brought before the Holy Prophet. The Muslims became worried that if the Muslim was proved guilty of the charge they will be humiliated before the neighboring Jews. Thus the people came to the Holy Prophet that the honor of the Muslims was at stake and hence it was desirable that the Muslim might be acquitted of the charge. But the Holy Prophet considered an unjust decision a disgrace for Islam. The people further argued that since the Jews had perpetrated cruelties on them, it was of no significance if one of their men was unjustly punished for the crime. The Holy Prophet said: "Justice and honest decision have nothing to do with past sufferings". At last the Holy Prophet examined the case impartially and against the wishes of the Muslims set the Jew free. This example of justice humiliated the Muslims of that time but in reality it immortalized the justice and high ideals of Islam. We should therefore, adhere to our principles and should not make innovations in them for the sake of pleasing others.
| THE HOLY IMAM ALI (A.S.) AND HIS JUSTICE AND EQUITY | for everyone |
When the people objected to Imam Ali's equitable distribution of wealth he replied:
(i) If the wealth had belonged to me even then I would have distributed it equally among the people but this wealth belongs to Allah and is meant for distribution among the people and therefore everybody has his right in it.
(ii) To distribute wealth among those who do not deserve it amounts to squandering the wealth. The Holy Qur'an also says. Do not squander your wealth wastefully. The squanderers are indeed Satan's brothers and Satan is ungrateful to his Lord. (Surah Bani Isra'il, 17:27)
(iii) The inequitable and unjust distribution of wealth results in the formation of a group of greedy persons who surround the people and extract money from them through flattery and undue praise and thus makes them ashamed in the eyes of the law of Divine Justice.
Furthermore, Imam Ali says: "Unjustifiable and undeserving donations may enhance the status of a man among his worldly surroundings but he is sadly humiliated in the eyes of Allah. One who spends his wealth in evil ways and on wrong persons, is deprived, by the Lord, of the gratitude of those over whom he had spent; these undeserving beneficiaries usually turn against him and at the time of distress and need he finds them as his worst enemies, censuring his actions and blaming him for his lavish grants". (Sermon—129, p. 322, Peak of Eloquence)
(i) If the wealth had belonged to me even then I would have distributed it equally among the people but this wealth belongs to Allah and is meant for distribution among the people and therefore everybody has his right in it.
(ii) To distribute wealth among those who do not deserve it amounts to squandering the wealth. The Holy Qur'an also says. Do not squander your wealth wastefully. The squanderers are indeed Satan's brothers and Satan is ungrateful to his Lord. (Surah Bani Isra'il, 17:27)
(iii) The inequitable and unjust distribution of wealth results in the formation of a group of greedy persons who surround the people and extract money from them through flattery and undue praise and thus makes them ashamed in the eyes of the law of Divine Justice.
Furthermore, Imam Ali says: "Unjustifiable and undeserving donations may enhance the status of a man among his worldly surroundings but he is sadly humiliated in the eyes of Allah. One who spends his wealth in evil ways and on wrong persons, is deprived, by the Lord, of the gratitude of those over whom he had spent; these undeserving beneficiaries usually turn against him and at the time of distress and need he finds them as his worst enemies, censuring his actions and blaming him for his lavish grants". (Sermon—129, p. 322, Peak of Eloquence)
| THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HOLY PROPHET (S.A.W.S.) | for everyone |
One of the duties and responsibilities of the Prophets of Allah that the Holy Qur'an has mentioned is the instituting of social justice. We, therefore, give below a short list of the achievements and accomplishments of the Holy Prophets:
(i) Inviting the People Towards Allah Inviting the people to worship Allah and preventing them from obeying the despots and tyrants and to remain aloof from them. The Holy Qur'an says:
To every nation We sent a Messenger (saying): 'Worship Allah and shun the Devil'. (Surah an-Nahl, 16:36)
(ii) Giving Warnings and Bearing Good News The Holy Qur'an says:
We have sent you (Muhammad) for a genuine purpose to proclaim glad tidings and warnings. You will not be blamed for the dwellers of blazing Hell. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:119)
(iii) Teaching and Imparting Instructions The Almighty Allah sent the Prophets towards the people so that they might give them training and tell them those things which they needed. The Holy Qur'an says:
It is He who has sent to the illiterates a Messenger from among their own people who recites to them His revelations, and purifies them. He will teach the Book to them and others who have not yet joined, and He will give them wisdom. Before this they had been in plain error. (Surah al-Jumu'ah, 62:2)
(iv) Opposing Oppressive Laws To eradicate all sorts of social taboos and customs as well as tribal prejudices and savagery based on superstitious ideas. The Holy Qur'an says:
He (the Messenger)enjoins them to do good and forbids them to do all that is unlawful, makes lawful for them all that is pure and unlawful that is filthy, removes their burdens and entanglements in which they are involved. (Surah al-A'raf, 7:157) (v) Exposing the Futility of False and Evil Things To expose the wrong ways of the false gods and despotic rulers and disgrace them. The Holy Qur'an says:
Thus, do We explain our revelations so that the sinful ways can be plainly discerned. (Surah al-An'am, 6:55)
(vi) Establishing a Society Based on Justice The Prophets founded a society in which the people should establish justice and treat others without any consideration of caste, creed, political or economic differences. The Prophets' main function was to inculcate in the people's heart a firm belief in Allah and the Day of Judgement and to create in the individual and the society such moral standard and Divine thinking as would arouse in them the spirit of justice and equity towards their fellow beings. The Holy Qur'an says:
We sent Our Messengers with clear evidence (to support their truthfulness), and sent with them the Book and the Balance (criteria of right and wrong) so that people would maintain justice. We sent down iron, in which is a vital war material and which benefits the people, so that Allah would know who would help Him though unseen, and His Messengers. (Surah al-Hadid, 57:25)
Since a just society depends on spiritual as well as material power, the above-mentioned verse points out to both the powers that is the Book and the Balance. And each one of them is necessary for establishing justice. The mentioning of iron in the verse points to material strength so that the transgressor may note that if they violate justice they will be crushed with an iron hand. Thus, one of the main duties of the Holy Prophets was to establish social justice.
(i) Inviting the People Towards Allah Inviting the people to worship Allah and preventing them from obeying the despots and tyrants and to remain aloof from them. The Holy Qur'an says:
To every nation We sent a Messenger (saying): 'Worship Allah and shun the Devil'. (Surah an-Nahl, 16:36)
(ii) Giving Warnings and Bearing Good News The Holy Qur'an says:
We have sent you (Muhammad) for a genuine purpose to proclaim glad tidings and warnings. You will not be blamed for the dwellers of blazing Hell. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:119)
(iii) Teaching and Imparting Instructions The Almighty Allah sent the Prophets towards the people so that they might give them training and tell them those things which they needed. The Holy Qur'an says:
It is He who has sent to the illiterates a Messenger from among their own people who recites to them His revelations, and purifies them. He will teach the Book to them and others who have not yet joined, and He will give them wisdom. Before this they had been in plain error. (Surah al-Jumu'ah, 62:2)
(iv) Opposing Oppressive Laws To eradicate all sorts of social taboos and customs as well as tribal prejudices and savagery based on superstitious ideas. The Holy Qur'an says:
He (the Messenger)enjoins them to do good and forbids them to do all that is unlawful, makes lawful for them all that is pure and unlawful that is filthy, removes their burdens and entanglements in which they are involved. (Surah al-A'raf, 7:157) (v) Exposing the Futility of False and Evil Things To expose the wrong ways of the false gods and despotic rulers and disgrace them. The Holy Qur'an says:
Thus, do We explain our revelations so that the sinful ways can be plainly discerned. (Surah al-An'am, 6:55)
(vi) Establishing a Society Based on Justice The Prophets founded a society in which the people should establish justice and treat others without any consideration of caste, creed, political or economic differences. The Prophets' main function was to inculcate in the people's heart a firm belief in Allah and the Day of Judgement and to create in the individual and the society such moral standard and Divine thinking as would arouse in them the spirit of justice and equity towards their fellow beings. The Holy Qur'an says:
We sent Our Messengers with clear evidence (to support their truthfulness), and sent with them the Book and the Balance (criteria of right and wrong) so that people would maintain justice. We sent down iron, in which is a vital war material and which benefits the people, so that Allah would know who would help Him though unseen, and His Messengers. (Surah al-Hadid, 57:25)
Since a just society depends on spiritual as well as material power, the above-mentioned verse points out to both the powers that is the Book and the Balance. And each one of them is necessary for establishing justice. The mentioning of iron in the verse points to material strength so that the transgressor may note that if they violate justice they will be crushed with an iron hand. Thus, one of the main duties of the Holy Prophets was to establish social justice.
| JUSTICE IS UNIVERSAL | for everyone |
Allah has endowed man with the knowledge of right and wrong things and their resultant results. The Holy Qur'an says:
And We inspired the soul with knowledge of evil and piety. Those who purify their souls will certainly have ever lasting happiness and those who corrupt their soul will certainly be deprived of happiness. (Surah ash-Shams, 91:8-10)
Take an example of a child who kept his apple with you. After a while he comes back and he finds that you have eaten a small portion of it. He becomes displeased and looks at you with an accusing eye as if he is saying that you are guilty of a breach of trust. This is certain that even a child knows about injustice even though he may not tell you so with his tongue. Therefore, misappropriation is an evil which is teacher need not teach a child. It is but natural that man considers misappropriation as a bad thing.
Similarly justice is a thing which man considers by himself considers it a good thing and its proof is that the oppressor himself justifies his action by saying that he has not been unjust!
Sometimes several people commit theft jointly but when the question of distribution of the booty comes they talk of making a just and equitable distribution. Such a thing does happen and the fact that consciously or subconsciously they mean equitable distribution. And if anyone of the group wants to take the lion's share, the other partners become annoyed.
Its has been a general rule that whenever a person is killed while safeguarding his rights and upholding the cause of social justice or takes a firm stand against the tyrants he is praised by the people in general. It is in human nature that man supports the cause of injustice and wages war against injustice.
And We inspired the soul with knowledge of evil and piety. Those who purify their souls will certainly have ever lasting happiness and those who corrupt their soul will certainly be deprived of happiness. (Surah ash-Shams, 91:8-10)
Take an example of a child who kept his apple with you. After a while he comes back and he finds that you have eaten a small portion of it. He becomes displeased and looks at you with an accusing eye as if he is saying that you are guilty of a breach of trust. This is certain that even a child knows about injustice even though he may not tell you so with his tongue. Therefore, misappropriation is an evil which is teacher need not teach a child. It is but natural that man considers misappropriation as a bad thing.
Similarly justice is a thing which man considers by himself considers it a good thing and its proof is that the oppressor himself justifies his action by saying that he has not been unjust!
Sometimes several people commit theft jointly but when the question of distribution of the booty comes they talk of making a just and equitable distribution. Such a thing does happen and the fact that consciously or subconsciously they mean equitable distribution. And if anyone of the group wants to take the lion's share, the other partners become annoyed.
Its has been a general rule that whenever a person is killed while safeguarding his rights and upholding the cause of social justice or takes a firm stand against the tyrants he is praised by the people in general. It is in human nature that man supports the cause of injustice and wages war against injustice.
posted by ABBAS ALAM @ 06:39
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