Guiding others through the Holy Quran - Imam Sajjad (a.s.)

Jan 5, '13 12:29 PM for everyone

‘Ibaad Basri met Imam al-Sajjad (as) on the way to Makkah and said,

“O Ali Ibn al-Husayn! You have left the difficulties of Jihad and have taken up Hajj – an easy course of worship although in the Holy Quran, Allah (SWT) says: “Indeed Allah has bought from the faithful their souls and their possessions for Paradise to be theirs: They fight in the way of Allah, they slay and they are slain. A promise binding upon Him in the Torah and the Evangel and the Quran. And who is truer to his promise than Allah? So rejoice in the bargain you have made with Him, and that is the great success””. (9:111)

Hearing this verse, Imam (as) said, “You must recite the complete verse and not half”. Then the Imam (as) recited the remaining verse: “(The faithful are) penitent, devout, celebrators of Allah’s praise, wayfarers (or those who fast), who bow (and) prostrate (in prayer), bid what is right and forbid what is wrong, and keep Allah’s bounds – and give good news to the faithful”. (9:112)

The Imam (as) then added: “When we find the people with attributes described in the Holy Quran, then performance of Jihad will be better than Hajj”. (Al-Kaafi)

The following are some of the quotations from the sermons and sayings of Imam al-Sajjad (as) in which he (as) has given references to the Holy Quran:

“Beware, O people, of sins and acts of disobedience (to Allah) against which Allah has warned and exhorted in the truthful Book and the articulate rhetoric. When Shaytan urges you to enjoy the transitory passions and pleasures of this world, do not feel secured (in succumbing to him) from the retribution and punishment of Allah. Allah says: ‘When those who are Godwary are touched by insinuation of Satan, they remember (Allah) and, behold, they perceive’. (7:201) Take God-fearing as the slogan of your hearts and always remember that Allah promised you of the good rewarding and warned you against the painful anguish when you will be returned to Him. He, who fears something will certainly beware of it, and he who is beware of something will desert it…” (Tuhaf al-‘Uqool)

“By Allah I swear, examples were cited for you and a variety of evidences is shown to the heedful ones. O Believers! Join yourselves with the heedful ones. All power belongs to Allah. Abstain from the transitory pleasures of this world from which Allah has ordered you to abstain. He, the most truthful says: ‘The parable of the life of this world is that of water, which We send down from the sky. It mingles with the earth’s vegetation from which humans and cattle eat. When the earth puts on its luster and is adorned, and its inhabitants think they have power over it, Our edict comes to it, by night or day, whereat We turn it into a mown field, as if it did not flourish the day before. Thus do We elaborate the signs for a people who reflect’. (10:24)”. (Tuhaf al-‘Uqool)

Abdul-Malik bin Marwan, the oppressive Umayyad ruler came to know that Imam al-Sajjad (as) possessed the sword of the Holy Prophet (saww). He therefore sent some people to fetch it from him but the Imam (as) declined to give. Thereupon Abdul-Malik sent a threat letter to Imam (as) in which he stated: ‘I will deny you your share from the public treasury’. In response to this, Imam al-Sajjad (as) wrote: “Know that Allah has kept an outlet from all problems for those who are wary of Him and He has taken the responsibility of their sustenance. The Holy Quran states: ‘Indeed Allah does not like any ingrate traitor”. (22:38) Now let us wait and see who is who? (Godwary and traitor)”. (Manaqib Aali Abi Talib)

Ayatullah Shaykh Ali Karimi states that:

When the Imam (as) referred to Allah (SWT) keeping an outlet from all problems and providing sustenance to Godwary people, this is stated in the following verse: ‘…And whoever is wary of Allah, He shall make a way out for him, and provide for him from whence he does not reckon’.
(65:2) As for the verse he (as) quoted (to Marwan), the complete verse reads as follows: ‘Allah indeed defends those who have faith. Indeed Allah does not like any ingrate traitor’. (22:38) (Quran-o-‘Itrat)

It is reported that whenever Imam al-Sajjad (as) recited the verse: “If you enumerate Allah’s blessings, you will not be able to count them”. (14:34) 

He (as) said, “All praise be to Him who has not enabled anybody to acknowledge all His favours except through the acknowledgement of the failure to acknowledge them properly…” 

He (as) also said, “All praise be to Him who has regarded the acknowledgement of His favours as praise. All praise be to Him who has regarded the acknowledgement of the failure to thank Him properly as showing Him gratitude”. (Tuhaf al-‘Uqool)