Fabric Of Life
My life is an weaving between me and my God.
I may not choose the colors; he knows what they should be.
He can view the pattern upon the upper side, While I can see it only on this under side.
Sometimes he weaveth sorrow; which seems so strange to me.
But I will trust his judgement and work on faithfully. Its he who fills the shuttle; He knows just what is best So I shall weave in earnest and leave the rest with him.
At last… When life ends I shall abide with him
And I shall know the reason why pain was entwined with joy was woven… In the fabric of life that God designed.
The Almighty commanded His Messenger to say to the delegation of Najran: "Come! We will summon our Sons and your Sons, our women and your women; and ourselves and yourselves...."
In compliance with this command, the Prophet brought with him, Al-Hasan and Al-Hussain, because they were the sons of his daughter Fatima, and for this they are his sons. He brought Fatima with him because she represents the women from the members of his House. But why did he bring with him Imam Ali who was neither from the sons nor from the women? Imam Ali has no place in the verse unless he is included in the word "ourselves." Bringing Imam Ali with him indicates that the Messenger of God considered Imam Ali an extension of his personality. By considering him so, he elevated him above all the Muslims. The Messenger said on many occasions: "Ali is from me and I am from him." Hubshi Ibn Janadah reported that he heard the Messenger of God, saying: "Ali is from me and I am from him, and no one represents me but Ali."
The event of the Mubahala is important for the following reasons:
01. It proved to be a silencing lesson for all the Christians of Arabia who no longer dared any competition with the Holy Prophet (S.A.W).02. The invitation of 'Mubahala' was directed by God, and it was in compliance with His Command that the Holy Prophet took his Ahl-ul-Bait along with him to the field of 'Mubahala'. This serves to generalize how affairs pertaining to Apostleship and the religion of God are determined by the Will of God; allowing no margin of interference from the common people (Ummat). The matter of Hazrat Ali's succession followed by eleven Imams to the office of religious leadership should be viewed in this perspective. 03. The indispensability of Hazrat Ali, Janab-e-Fatima, Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain in following the precepts of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) could no longer be disputed. 04. That notwithstanding their childhood, Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain did nevertheless, serve as the active partners of the Holy Prophet in the field of 'Mubahala'. This yields the conclusion that age is no criteria for the greatness of the infallibles (Masoom). They are born adorned with virtues and knowledge. 05. That the Holy Prophet's act of having preferred a few obviously elevates their status above all others. As Islam had emerged triumphantly against Christianity on the occasion of 'Mubahala', this day assumes the significance of an Eid day in Islamic history.
Namaz-e-Jama'atThe Holy Prophet of Islam (saw) said: " The rows of my followers in the congregational (Jama'at) prayer on the earth are like the rows of angels in the sky; and a rak'at of prayer in congregation is equivalent with twenty-four rak'ats, and every rak'at with Allah, Almighty and Glorious, is more beloved than forty years of worship. Therefore, on the Day of Judgement, when Allah gathers all human beings from the beginning to the end for Reckoning, there will be no believer who has attended the congregational prayer but for whom Allah will decrease the grievousness of the Day of Reckoning and after that the one will be told to enter Paradise.Biharul Anwaar, vol. 88 page 6.
Imam Ali (Peace be Upon Him Said) said:
''Any Shia who commits a sin against which we had warned will not die before he is inflicted by a misfortune (punishment), in his fortune, sons, or himself, so that he will meet Allah (on the day of Judgement) guiltless. If such a misfortune does not meet all his sins, death will be very violent for him until all sins are erased.''
virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues."
Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom.
"The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions."
"Where there is great love there are always miracles."
The most successful people on the planet have failed more than ordinary ones.
"Character, the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life, is the source from which self-respect springs."
"Deep down, beneath all our insecurities, beneath all our hopes for and beliefs in equality, each of us believes we're better than anyone else."
Imam Sadeq (AS) has said:
“Surely Prophet Ibrahim (AS) called on God to give him a daughter to weep after his death.”
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
“What good offspring are the girls! For they are kind, obedient, sympathetic and having blessing with them.”
“Whoever curses his child, God will afflict him with poverty.”
Imam Sadeq (AS) has also said:
“Girls are as benefaction but boys are as riches. On the Day of Judgment, there will be reward for the benefaction but riches will be questioned of.”
The holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
"Whoever has three daughters or three sons, paradise is his due.”
It was asked: O Messenger of Allah, how about two? The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:
“The same is true with two.” It was asked: O Messenger of Allah, how about one? The Holy Prophet said: “The same is true with one.” The Holy Prophet (SAW) has also said: “Whoever has three daughters or sisters and is patient in taking care of them until they get married or die he and me are as these two fingers on paradise - at this time, the Holy Prophet referred to his index and middle fingers.” It was asked: O Messenger of Allah, what happens if they are two? The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “The same is true with two.” It was asked, how about one? The Holy Prophet said: “The same is true with one.” A man to whom a baby girl was born and seeing he was angry, Imam Sadeq (AS) said:
"What will you do if God says to you: Shall I choose. The Imam said:
“Now God has chosen a girl for you.
About the boy whom Khidr killed as mentioned in verse 81 of the Quranic Chapter, the Cave:
“So we desired that their Lord might give them in his place one better than him in purity and nearer to having compassion.”
Imam Sadeq (AS) said instead of that son God gave them a daughter from whose generation, seventy prophets came.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said: “I recommend ties of kinship to those who are present or absent and every one of my Ummah being in the loins of men and wombs of women till the Day of Judgment even if there is a gap as long as a year between them, for ties of kinship is part of religion.”
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has also said:
“One side of Sarat (bridge which the righteous only can cross on the road to paradise) on the Day of Judgment is trustworthiness and the other is ties of kinsfolk. One who has been trustworthy and has observed ties of kinsfolk, crosses the bridge and goes to paradise, however, one who breaches the trust and is heedless of relatives can not cross the bridge, for his other deeds will not avail him and Sarat will throw him.
I asked Aba `Abdillah Ja`far b. Muhammad [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted,: "He whom Allah guideth, he indeed is led aright, and he whom He sendeth astray, for him thou wilt not find a guiding friend." [18:17] He replied: Indeed Allah, Blessed and High, sends astray the unjust on the Day of Qiyamah from His House of Honor, and He will guide the people of faith and righteous deeds to Heaven, just as Allah, Mighty and Exalted, has said: "and Allah sends wrongdoers astray. And Allah does what He wills." [14:27]. And He has (also) said: "Those who believe, and work righteousness,- their Lord will guide them because of their faith: beneath them will flow rivers in gardens of bliss." [10:9] I said: (What about) His, Mighty and Exalted, saying, "and my success (in my task) can only come from Allah." [11:88], and His, Mighty and Exalted be He, saying, "If Allah helps you, none can overcome you: If He forsakes you, who is there, after that, (that can help you?)" [3:160] He said: When a servant acts in obedience upon what Allah has commanded him, then his action is in accordance to the command of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, and this servant is named "Muwaffiq" (successful). And when a servant desires to enter a thing from (the acts) of disobedience, (then) Allah, Blessed and High, comes in between him and the (act of) disobedience, so he (the servant) leaves it, and this abandoning of it was by the success of Allah, the Most High. And when He (Allah) withdraws from between him (the servant) and the (act of) disobedience, He does not come between him and it until he commits it (the act of disobedience), so indeed (Allah has) abandoned him, and did not help him, and did not grant him success.
Hazrat Muslim had taken with him his two sons Muhammad and Ibraheem.After Muslim was killed, Muhammad and Ibraheem were also arrested and put into a dungeon. It is said that Muhammad was just ten years old and Ibraheem was eight years old.
On the 20th of Dhul-Hajj in 60 Hijrah, when the jailer came to give the children their evening meal, he saw them saying their prayers. The jailer waited. When the boys had finished their prayers, he asked them who they were. When the jailer learnt that they were the sons of Muslim Ibne Aqil and the grandsons of Hazrat Ali, he let them escape. The children came out of the prison. It was a dark night. Their first thought was to go to Imam Hussain and warn him not to go to Kufa. Everywhere they went, they found the roads blocked by Ibne Ziyad soldiers. It was impossible to get out of Kufa. Now it was almost day-break. Where could these two young boys go? They found themselves by the side of the river Euphrates. They drank some water from the river and then went up a tree to hide for the day. Just then a woman came to the river to get water. She saw the two young boys and asked them who they were. Ibraheem said, "We are two orphans, could you please leave us alone and not tell any one that you have seen us?" The woman asked them to accompany her to her mistress who would help them. The woman's mistress was a kind lady. After talking to the boys for a while she realized who they were. She gave them food and said to them, "You can spend the day here and I will try to help you. Unfortunately my husband Harith is working for Ibne Ziyad. He is out at the moment. You can rest in the spare room but make no noise otherwise when he comes back, he will find out you are here". The children said their prayers and went to sleep. In the evening Muhammad woke up and started crying. Ibraheem asked him why he was crying. Muhammad said "I saw our father in a dream. He was calling out for us". Ibraheem said, "Brother, be patient. I also saw our father in a dream beckoning us to him". They both started weeping. Harith, who had come back, heard the children crying. He opened the door and asked the children who they were. On learning they were the sons of Muslim Ibne Aqil, he tied both the boys to a pillar. Harith's wife tried to stop him, but he beat her up. Harith wanted to collect the reward which Ibne Ziyad had offered to anyone capturing the children. The children spent the whole night tied to the pillar. In the morning Harith dragged them to the river-bank. He took out his sword. Ibraheem asked him, "Harith, are you going to kill us?" Harith said "Yes!" Ibraheem said, "In that case give us time to finish our morning prayers". The two boys said their prayers. They raised their hands and cried out "Inna Lillaah wa Inna Ilay-hi Rajeeoon! O Allah we are coming to you. Give our mother courage when she hears of our death and judge between us and our killers!!" The sword came down! There were splashes in the water. Two young bodies were seen floating away in the waters of the river Furaat.
The children stood up in prayer, their eyes welling with tears, sighing and lamenting. When they finished their prayers they raised their heads towards the sky and supplicated the following dua:
"Oh the Alive, O the Self Subsisting, O the forbearing One, O the Wise, O the Best Judge, you yourself makes the right judgment between this man and us." Harith heard the dua and laughed in mockery. He charged towards the sobbing and trembling Ibrahim with his sword. Muhammad then said, "O Harith, my brother is younger than me and I am responsible for him. Therefore, it would be better if you killed me first." "Alright, it does not make any difference to me. Sooner or later I will have to finish my work. It appears to me you want to die first. I have no objection to that." Within a few minutes, Harith concluded his task. He severed the heads of the two children and threw their bodies in the river Euphrates where they flowed with the water. He cleansed the blood from the head and faces of the children and went on his way to meet Ubaidullah. Ubaidullah ibn Ziyad was seated on his throne in his palace in kufah with an heirloom in his hand. People were seated on both sides of his throne. Harith was present too and with a single gesture of Ubaidullah he came forward and greeted him. From beneath his arms, Harith produced a bundle wrapped in cloth and place it on the table facing ibn Ziyad. He untied the knot and seeing the contents in the cloth the whole crowd stood baffled and dumbfounded. On catching sight of the two heads Ubaidullah rose from his throne and sat again repeating this act three times. Ubaidullah regarded Harith and asked him, "While you were killing them did they say something to you?" "Yes, they begged me not to kill them for the Prophet (s.a.w.)'s sake, instead to sell them in the market or to bring them to you alive. They said they were only little children and that I should feel pity on them and set them free. But I told them that God did not grant me a soft heart. I granted just one wish of theirs. "Good and what was their wish?" "They wanted to pray two rak'at namaaz. I told them they could pray as much as they liked to ease their pain. I stood behind them listening and after their namaaz they started reciting a prayer. I heard them say "Oh Allah, you are the ever living; you make the judgment between this man and us." Ameer intervened, "Prayer? What prayer? What did the children say?" "Nothing important, oh ruler." Ubaidullah insisted, "Tell me what did they say." "Well they said, "O the Alive, O the self subsisting, O the Forbearing one, O the Wise, O the Best judge, you yourself make the right judgment between this man and us." On hearing this Ubaidullah got up from his throne hitting the heirloom on Harith's head, "Incidentally, this prayer is very important because taking this name is very helpful and their prayers are surely answered." Ubaidullah ordered his executioner, "Oh Jallad, come here at once." A strong and powerful man came forward with large arms and a pink mask on his face. With a heavy sword he came swiftly to Ubaidullah bowing and saluting. "I am at your service, master." "Take this man to the same place where he killed the two children and kill him but make sure his dirty and contaminated blood does not mix or mingle with their pure blood. Now go!" Harith's face turned deathly pale and his body began to tremble and he cried and begged, "Oh Ameer, what wrong have I done? I thought I was doing all this to please you. Please have mercy on my wife and children." Ubaidullah answered, "Coincidently, I am an example of yourself. God has not placed an iota of mercy in my heart." Meanwhile Harith was dragged out of the palace by the executioner and a couple of other soldiers. Before it was time for the Azan, Harith was beheaded and his head was kept on a sword and was moved around in the whole of Kufah. Little children pelted the head with stones shouting, "This is the head of the killer of the Prophet (s.a.w.) of Islam's offspring."
Bismillah Arrahman Arraheem
Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustafā (S.A.W.W) said:
"Knowledge is divided in five parts. Four of those parts are given to ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (a.s.) and the last part is shared among all people. I swear to Allāh who sent me as a Prophet, that ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (a.s.) is more knowledgeable than all people, even in relation to the one part (of Knowledge) that is given to them"
[References: Ghayatol Maram Page 512, Hadees 21; Bihar Vol 27 Page 117 Hadees 96]
Bismillah Arrahman Arraheem
Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustafā (S.A.W.W) said:
"O ‘Alī', your virtues cannot be counted. I swear to Allāh, who created the seeds and created people, if all creatures would concede to loving you and understanding your true status, Allāh would not have created Hell"
[References: Ghayatol Maram Page 45, Hadees 48; Ehqaq Al Haq, Vol 4 Hadees 331]
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A humble request
Please do pray for earliest restoration of Jannat al-Baqi; protection of Mausoleum of Sayyidah Zaynab bint ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (a.s.) and Sayyidah Ruqayyah/Sakina bint Hussain (a.s.) & early re-appearance of Imam-E-Zamana (atfs)
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