ALLAH FORGETS THOSE WHO FORGET HIM

Muhammad b. Muhammad b. `Isam al-Kulayni narrated to us, he said: Muhammad b. Yaqoub al-Kulayni narrated to us, he said: the well-known `Ali b. Muhammad narrated to us, he said: Abu Hamid `Imran b. Musa b. Ibrahim narrated to us, from Husayn b. Qasim ar-Raqaam, from Qasim b. Muslim, from his brother `Abdul `Aziz b. Muslim, who said:

I asked (Imam) Rida [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "They have forgotten Allah, so He hath forgotten them."

He replied: Indeed Allah, Blessed and High is He, does not forget nor does he (accidentally) omit. It is indeed only the produced creation who forgets and omits. Have you not heard the Mighty and Exalted say: "and thy Lord never doth forget" [19:64]. Indeed it is only applicable to those who have forgotten Him (Allah) and have forgotten the meeting (with Allah) on His day (Day of Judgment), just as they have forgotten their souls (nafsuhum). As the Mighty and Exalted has said: "And be ye not like those who forgot Allah. And He made them forget their own souls! Such are the rebellious transgressors!"[59:19], and the saying of the Mighty and Exalted: "That day shall We forget them as they forgot the meeting of this day of their". That is, we will abandon them just as they abandoned the preparation for the meeting of this day of theirs.

ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT THE EARTH WILL BE HANDFUL

Muhammad b. Muhammad b. `Isam al-Kulayni - Allah be pleased with him - narrated to us, he said: Muhammd b. Yaqoub al-Kulayni narrated to us, he said: `Ali b. Muhammad, well-known as al-Kulayni, narrated to us, he said: Muhammad b. `Isa b. Ubayd narrated to us, he said:
I asked Abul Hasan Ali b. Muhammad al-`Askaru [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "On the Day of Judgment the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand" [39:67]
He [a] said: This is Allah, Blessed and High, taunting those who liken Him to His creation. Do you not see that He has said: "And they esteem not Allah as He hath the right to be esteemed" [39:67] when He said that indeed "On the Day of Judgment the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand", just as the Mighty and Exalted has said: "And they esteem not Allah as He hath the right to be esteemed when they say: Allah hath naught revealed unto a man." [6:91] And then immediately the Mighty and Exalted declared Himself free from (having) a handful and a right hand as he said: "Glorified is He and far Exalted from all that they ascribe as partners (unto Him)." [39:67]

Allah, Blessed and High, does not ridicule nor mock nor scheme nor deceive.

 Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. Ahmad b. Younis al-Ma`adhi narrated to us, he said: Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Sa`eed al-Kufi al-Hamadani narrated to us, he said: `Ali b. al-Hasan Fudhaal narrated to us, from his father who said:
I asked al-Rida `Ali b. Musa [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "No indeed; but upon that day they shall be veiled from their Lord" [83:15]
He [a] said: Indeed Allah, the Blessed and High, cannot be ascribed with a place that he settles therein, and is thus concealed in it from his slaves. Instead, the Might and Exalted means by this that they will be concealed from the rewards (thawaab) of their Lord.
And I asked him about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "and thy Lord comes, and the angels, rank on rank," [89:22]
He replied: Indeed Allah, Mighty and Exalted, cannot be attributed with coming or going. (He is) Far above transferring (Himself). Indeed (He) means by this: "and the decree (amr) of your Lord comes, and the angels, rank on rank".
And I asked him about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "Will they wait until Allah comes to them in shadows of the clouds, and angels" [2:210]
He replied: Say: "Will they wait until Allah comes to them with angels, in shadows of the clouds," And this is how it descended.
And I asked him about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, "Allah ridicules them" [9:79], and the saying: "Allah mocks them" [2:15], and the saying: "And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed" [3:54], and the saying: "(the hypocrites) seek to deceive Allah, but it is Allah who deceives them" [4:142]
He replied: Indeed Allah, Blessed and High, does not ridicule nor mock nor scheme nor deceive. Rather Allah, Mighty and Exalted, requites them the requital for (their) ridiculing, and the requital for mocking, and the requital for scheming, and the requital for their deceiving. Far above is Allah from what the unjust say (regarding Him), High and Great.

THE MEANING OF SEPARATED LETTERS

I said to Ja`far b. Muhammad b. `Ali b. al-Husayn b. `Ali b. Abi Talib, peace be upon him,: O' son of the Prophet of Allah, what is the meaning of the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted,: "Alif Lam Meem" [2:1, 3:1, 29:1, 30:1, 31:1, 32:1] and "Alif Lam Meem Sawd" [7:1] and "Alif Lam Ra" [10:1, 11:1, 12:1, 14:1, 15:1] and "Alif Lam Meem Ra" [13:1] and "Kaf Ha Ya `Ayn Sawd" [19:1] and "Ta Ha" [20:1] and "Ta Seen" [27:1] and "Ta Seen Meem" [26:1, 28:1] and "Ya Seen" [36:1] and "Sawd" [38:1] and "Ha Meem" [40:1, 41:1, 43:1, 44:1, 45:1, 46:1] and "Ha Meem Seen `Ayn Qaf" [42:1-42:2] and "Qaf" [50:1] and "Noon" [68:1]?

He, peace be upon him, replied: As for the Alif Lam Meem in the beginning of Baqarah (Surah 2), its meaning is: Ana aLlaah al-Malik (I am Allah, the King).

As for the Alif Lam Meem in the beginning of Aal-e-Imran (Surah 3), its meaning is: Ana aLlaah al-Majeed (I am Allah, the Glorious).

And (as for) Alif Lam Meem Sawd, it means: Ana aLlaah al-Muqtadir as-Sadiq (I am Allah, the Determiner, the Truthful).

And (as for) Alif Lam Ra, it means: Ana aLlaah ar-Ra'ouf (I am Allah, the Clement).

And (as for) Alif Lam Meem Ra, it means: Ana aLlaah al-Muh'yi al-Mumeet ar-Razzaq (I am Allah, the Giver of Life, the Taker of Life, the Sustainer).

And (as for) Kaf Ha Ya `Ayn Sawd, it means: Ana al-Kafi al-Hadi al-WaliY al-`Alim as-Sadiq al-wa`ad (I am the Sufficient, the Guide, the Master, the Omniscient, the Truthful in Promise).

And as for Ta Ha, it is a name from among the names of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his progeny, and its meaning is: ya Talib al-Haq al-Hadiy ilayh (O' seeker of the truth, the guide to it), "We have not sent down the Qur'an to thee to be (an occasion) for thy distress" [20:2], rather (we have sent it down) so that you become happy by it.

And as for Ta Seen, it means: ana al-Talib as-Samee` (I am the Seeker, the Listener)
And as for Ta Seen Meem, it means: ana al-Talib as-Samee` al-Mubdi' al-Mu`eed (I am the Seeker, the Listener, the Originator, the Restorer to life)   
 
And as for Ya Seen, it is a name from among the names of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his progeny, and its meaning is: Ya Ayyuha as-Sami` al-Wahiy  (O' hearer of the Revelation) "By the Qur'an, full of Wisdom, Thou art indeed one of the apostles, On a Straight Way." [36:2-36:4]

And as for Sawd, it is a spring that flows from beneath al-`Arsh (the Throne), and this is that which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his progeny, performed wudu` (ablution) with when he ascended to it (during the mi`raj - the Night of Ascension). And every day Jibra`il, peace be upon him, enters it (the spring) diving therein, and then emerges from it and shakes his wings. And there is not a drop that drops off his wings except that Allah, Blessed and High, creates therewith an angel who glorifies Him, sanctifies Him, declares His greatness, and praises Him til the Day of Judgment.

And as for Ha Meem, it means: al-Hameed al-Majeed (The Praised, The Glorious).

And as for Ha Meem `Ayn Seen Qaf, it means: al-Haleem al-Mutheeb al-`Alim al-Samee` al-Qadir al-Qawee` (The Forbearing, The Granter of Rewards, The Knower, The Hearer, The Powerful, The Possessor of Strength).

And as for Qaf, it is a mountain that surrounds the earth, and the greenness of the sky is due to it, and by it Allah has held the earth lest it should shake with its inhabitants.

And as for Noon, it is a stream in Paradise. Allah, Mighty and Exalted, said to it: "Congeal", so it congealed and turned into Ink. Then the Mighty and Exalted said to the Pen: "Write", so the Pen wrote down on the lawh al-Mahfooz (the Protected Tablet) what has occurred and what will occur till the Day of Judgment. And the Ink is of Light (noor), and the Pen is the pen of Light, and the Tablet is the tablet of light.

And Sufyan (the narrator) said: I said to him: O' son of the Prophet of Allah, explain to me the affair of the Tablet, and the Pen, and the Ink with excess clarification, and teach me what Allah has taught you.

So he replied: O' son of Sa`eed, had you not been worthy of the answer, I would not have answered you. So Noon is an angel that leads to the Pen, who is (also) an angel. And the Pen leads to the Tablet, who is an angel. And the tablet leads to Israfeel, and Israfeel leads to Meeka'eel, and Meeka'eel leads to Jibra'eel, and Jibra'eel leads to the Messengers and the Prophets, blessings of Allah be upon them all.

(The narrator) said: Then he said to me: Get up, O' sufyan, (explaining further is) not safe for you.

Too Much Hygiene May Affect Immune System

Study Suggests

Antimicrobial used in many products such as soaps, toothpaste tied to raised allergy risks in kids

Children and teens who are overexposed to antibacterial soaps that contain the chemical triclosan may be at increased risk for hay fever and other allergies, a finding that suggests that being too clean can actually make people sick, researchers say.

The study also found that exposure to higher levels of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) may weaken an adult's immune system.

Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent widely used in products such as antibacterial soaps, toothpaste, medical devices and diaper bags. BPA, which is used to make many types of plastics and other consumer products, is believed to affect human hormones.

In this study, researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health analyzed data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They compared levels of triclosan and BPA in the urine with cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody levels and diagnosis of allergies or hay fever in adults and children over age 6.

"We found that people over age 18 with higher levels of BPA exposure had higher CMV antibody levels, which suggests their cell-mediated immune system may not be functioning properly," study first author Erin Rees Clayton said in a university news release.

The investigators also found that children and teens with higher levels of triclosan were more likely to have been diagnosed with hay fever and other allergies.

The study findings are published in the Nov. 30,2010 online edition of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

"The triclosan findings in the younger age groups may support the 'hygiene hypothesis,' which maintains living in very clean and hygienic environments may impact our exposure to microorganisms that are beneficial for development of the immune system," principal investigator Allison Aiello, an associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said in the news release.

Aiello noted that triclosan may change the microorganisms to which people are normally exposed in such a way that children's immune system development is affected.

"It is possible that a person can be too clean for their own good," Aiello suggested.

CAN ONE LIVE WITHOUT PRAYERS?

Du’a is not just a request directed to Allah by a person, but rather more it is a fundamental pillar of a person’s life. It feeds the human spirit hope and encourages patience and endurance, establishes good behavior and morals and leads to perfection, while also saving from the perils and horrors in this life, leading to happiness in the hereafter. It is a balsam for the wounded, provides security from all fears, offers relief from distress, enriches the poor person, and assists the needy. Du’a is a fundamental pillar of human life, and one of the natural needs in human life. It is known that those who devoted themselves to prayer are more emotionally stable than others, even if the catastrophe strikes. Even with all this material progress in the western world, which allows the individual to live in finest luxury compared to the other peoples of the world, one still suffers from a deep crisis and suffers from serious problems, mostly those linked to the soul, spirit and morals. Statistics indicate that the West has the highest suicide rates per year and if one searches for the reason one finds only trivial ones or no compelling reason at all! Citizens in the West enjoy security, freedom, equality, welfare, social security and the rule of law and everything that provides stability, so how is it conceivable that in light of all this bliss, such a huge number of people consider suicide every year?! Questionnaires show that the majority of citizens in Western nations suffer from nervous tension and psychological discomfort. The fault lies in making the material values more important than the moral and spiritual values to the extent that they become almost absent from the awareness of Western man, due to the loss of an essential pillar of stability on which psychological, moral and spiritual values is founded on: Supplication. It is obvious that the major social problems faced by the West are due to the absence of moral and spiritual values, since there is little to prevent a person turning into a criminal, such as scruples? As the person is able to escape accountability and legal punishment, and does not believe in punishment from God, there is little to stop him turning into a criminal. Religion, spiritual values and morals preserve society and prevent social ills, as prayers are the spiritual link that connects a person to his Creator. Supplication is protection from the evil of Satan, and encourages the condemnation of sins. Supplication is the protector of the community from delinquency, crime, corruption and different kinds of degradation. No community has the same amount and kinds of supplication as the Shia community, with its tremendous heritage which is missing in the rest of the religions and denominations and other sects. Many of these have not been formulated by normal human beings, but by the Prophet and the Imams (Peace be upon them all). Various rivers originated from the fountain of Ahl ul-Bayt (Peace be upon them), such as that of science, religion, civilization, ethics, management, education, economics, etc.; Prayer was an essential feature of their teachings to educate their followers, providing the blessings of belief and knowledge about the unseen and the afterlife. Indeed, we are still failing to realize the great heritage of prayers of the household of infallibility and purity (Peace be upon them all), which could benefit hundreds of thousands if not millions on the matter of worship and conduct. Ayatollah Mohammed al-Husseini Shirazi, adhering to these supplications, also mentioned their importance in his numerous publications. The Messenger of Allah (Blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) said: "Prayer is the weapon of the believer and the support of the faith." The fact is that prayer is a pillar of religion and a fundamental and indispensable need. As for it being a weapon this refers to it being a personal weapon against those who are against the believers, and is in fact one of the strongest types of weapons and most deadly! How can tyranny confront the power of God and his strength?! Thus, prayer is of the strongest of weapons, and a weapon of faith in the face of false religions and doctrines, making it upon those loyal to the infallible household (Peace be upon them) to invest in such a weapon to prove that Shia-Islam is the true Islam, not others. We challenge those of other sects, proving that Shia-Islam is the true faith with its great prayers and the content they carry, asking people of other sects and denominations: Is there a match?! Many people chant the words: "We pray and pray, but nobody answers us!" They never realize for what reason their prayer was not responded to.  Sometimes one engages in sin which could be a reason for the lack of a response. One’s evil can also delay the fulfillment of a prayer. Allah loves the sound of the believer’s supplication and delays his response as the more the person prays, the higher status he receives in the afterlife. God can also hate the sound of the non-believer and gives him an immediate response of his requests, as he does not want him to enjoy this place in the Hereafter. The person who complains about the lack of response to his prayer does not understand that the response can be delayed for various reasons, some even related to his own personality. The other problem is that many people only pray when calamity and hardship hits them! They do not think of forgiveness or atonement for sins during their daily life, rather more only when caught in a crisis! The usual distance of a person from his lord can be another reason for prayers not being answered. Praying and supplicating only in times of need without considering the imbalance between not praying before the crisis, and abundant prayers during it, may also not lead to the answering of prayers. Then there are also those who say they never have time for supplications and are always busy, as if they are the most important person around, never opening the supplication book even once. Dedicating oneself merely to the prayers on Friday, while neglecting the activities of the remainder of the week, is a further cause of the non-fulfillment of wishes and prayers. A book called "Keys of heaven" is widespread due to it containing a unique selection of prayers and Ziyyarrahs, serving as a daily devotional program of every believer, recommending a scheduled routine of worship in the daily life of every believer in order to stay in constant contact with the Lord Almighty. Can we count on the number of people who benefit from the book "Keys of heaven" and how many times they look at it and read it?! They are in the millions, and if one considers all the ages and time periods, then they are in the hundreds of millions! This book is passed from hand to hand, from generation to generation. How many of these good deeds are credited daily to the account of Sheikh Abbas al-Qomi, the author and compiler of this book? Supplications are important and essential, with the great importance being attached to the true intentions. They bring us closer to Allah, and should be a regular element of our daily lives.