Manifestations of the All-Merciful -O Allāh, Free Every Captive

Mar 1, '13 11:31 AM for everyone

أَللٌّهُمَّ فُكَّ كُلَّ أَسِيْرٍ

O Allāh, Free Every Captive

Meaning of Asīr

The word Asīr originates from al-asr, which means:

الشَّدُّ بِالْقَيْدِ...

“Fastening with a bond…”

Rāghib, the famous lexicographer, in his Qur’ānic dictionary al-Mufradāt says:

One who was tied by fetters was known to be asīr; thereafter, the word was intended for every entity that is seized and bound, even if it was not fettered by anything… for example:

أَنَا أَسِيْرُ نِعْمَتِكَ.

“I am bound to your favor.”

From the abovementioned definition, the comprehensiveness of the concept of the word ‘asīr’ becomes clear. The traditions of the Holy Prophet (s) and his immaculate progeny also reveal this truth. Following are some examples:

a. Imām Abu’l Hasan al-Thālith (‘Alī al-Naqī (as)) is reported to have said:

وَالْجَاهِلُ أَسِيْرُ لِسَانِهِ.

The ignorant one is a captive of his tongue.

b. In a supplication from Yūsha’ bin Nūn (as) we find the following expression:

إِلٌهِي: أَنْتَ مَلِكَ الْعَطَايَا، وَأَنَا أَسِيْرُ الْخَطَايَا.

“O God, You are the Sovereign of bestowals while I am a captive of my faults.”

c. In one Ziyārah of Arba‘īn (40th of Imām al-Husayn (as)) said to be taught by Imām al-Sādiq (as), we address Imām al-Husayn (as) as follows:

أَلسَّلاَمُ عَلى أَسِيرِ الْكُرُبَاتِِ.

“Peace be upon the captive of deep sorrows.”

d. In his well known epistle to Mālik al-Ashtar, Imām ‘Alī (as) says:

...فَإِنَّ هٌذَا الدِّينَ قَدْ كَانَ أَسِيراً فِي أَيْدِي الأَشْرَار؛ يُعْمَلُ فِيْهِ بِالْهَوَى، وَتُطْلَبُ بِهِ الدُّنْـيَا...

“…for surely this Religion was a captive in the hands of the evil folk, for under its pretext they would follow their base inclinations and seek worldly gains…”

e. In Nahju’l Balāgha, while explaining the characteristics of the angels, Imām ‘Alī (as) is reported to have said:

...فَهُمْ أُسَرَاءُ إِيْمَانٍ...

“…for they are captives of faith…”

The word ‘asīr’ likewise has a relative connotation: whereas a group of people may be captives of their vain inclinations but suffer no physical imprisonment, while another group may enjoy utter spiritual freedom, but be in the state of physical captivity.

The Apparent Extension of Asīr

Certainly, this verse is one of the most painful verses of the supplication. Many innocent human beings throughout the world today suffer imprisonment. While a group among them are victims of oppression and breach of man-made law, there is a class whose very innocence has brought them behind bars.

Being behind bars is only one part of the story. The oppression and torture that these innocent captives have to bear is terrible and inexpressible. Such kind of treatment stems from the kind of cruelty possessed by the wardens of the different prisons, who receive the power of discretion from their masters, who in turn possess authority through their respective governments. The following statement from Amnesty International speaks of this reality:

Torture does not happen in a vacuum. The social and political context, and the supply of tools and techniques for inflicting pain rely on a failure of political will. If the governments of the world had the political will to stop torture they could do so.

In order to appreciate the gravity of the matter, one can refer to the relevant texts available on prison torture in the Internet from human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch  and the like. Due to the brevity of this commentary, however, we would only mention a few examples of the situation prevailing on the prisons of the world:

Prisoners Suffering Torture

1. MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN: “… but torture continues and is not confined to military dictatorships or authoritarian regimes; torture is inflicted in democratic states too. It is also clear that victims of torture are criminal suspects as well as political prisoners, the disadvantaged as well as the dissident, people targeted because of their identity as well as their beliefs. They are women as well as men, children as well as adults.”

2. WOMEN: “Amnesty International (AI) has documented countless cases of women being tortured in custody. In its coverage of armed conflicts, it has reported the systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.”

3. CHILDREN: “The fact that children could suffer torture at all should come as a terrible shock. Their dependency and vulnerability should render them immune from the atrocities adults inflict on one another. Their very innocence should put them beyond reach.

Yet violence against children is endemic: children are tortured by the police or security forces…

Methods of Torture

The survey showed that beating is by far the most common method of torture and ill-treatment by state agents today, reported in over 150 countries. People are beaten with fists, sticks, gun-butts, makeshift whips, iron pipes, baseball bats, electric flex. Victims suffer bruises, internal bleeding, broken bones, lost teeth, ruptured organs and some die.

Rape and sexual abuse of prisoners is also widespread. Other common methods of torture and ill-treatment include electric shocks (reported in more than 40 countries), suspension of the body (more than 40 countries), beating on the soles of the feet (more than 30 countries), suffocation (more than 30 countries), mock execution or death threat (more than 50 countries) and prolonged solitary confinement (more than 50 countries).

Other methods include submersion in water, stubbing of cigarettes on the body, being tied to the back of a car and being dragged behind it, sleep deprivation and sensory deprivation…

The most common forms of judicial corporal punishment include amputation and flogging. Some forms such as amputation and branding are deliberately designed to permanently mutilate the human body. However, all of these punishments can cause a range of long-term or permanent injuries.

The attitude of Islamic law, however, whose source is the Creator of human being himself, is greatly different. Browsing through the history of Islamic leadership from the time of the Holy Prophet (s) until now, we come to understand the verity of this contention. Following are examples:

1. The first war that the Muslims valiantly fought was Badr. Overwhelming the disbelievers, the Muslims apprehended many nonbelievers and took them as captives. However, the Prophet (s) considered the ‘captives’ as human beings and believed that they too had certain rights. No one was allowed to maltreat them. Instead ways of letting them free were suggested to them. Accordingly many were set free with a ransom fee. History tells us that:

وَكَانَ يُفَادِي بِهِمْ عَلَى قَدْرِ أَمْوَالِهِمْ.

“And the Prophet (s) took a ransom fee from them according to their financial state.”

Some of the captives had no wealth, but knew the art of writing. The Prophet (s) would tell each of them to teach ten men from Medina as a ransom.

2. It is reported that after Ibn Muljim struck the fatal blow on Imām ‘Alī (as), the Imām addressing his two sons (as), said:

إِحْبِسُوْا هٌذَا الأَسِيْرَ وَأَطْعِمُوْهُ وَاسْقُوْهُ وَأَحْسِنُوْا إِسَارَهُ.

“Imprison this captive, and give him food and drink, and deal with him in a good way in his captivity.”

And in another tradition he says the following about Ibn Muljim:

إِنَّهُ أَسِيْرٌ؛ فَأَحْسِنُوْا نُزْلَهُ، وَأَكْرِمُوْا مَثْوَاهُ. فَإِنْ بَقِيْتُ، قَتَلْتُ أَوْ عَفَوْتُ. وَإِنْ مِتُّ، فَاقْتُلُوْهُ قَتْلَتِي، ) وَلاَ تَعْتَدُوْا إِنَّ اللٌّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِيْنَ (

“Indeed he is a captive; therefore give him good food and a nice place; then if I were to remain alive I would either kill him or forgive him; and if I die, then kill him the way he struck me [with one blow] and do not transgress the limits, for verily Allāh does not love those who transgress the limits.” [2:190]

This practical encounter of Imām ‘Alī (as) in those sensitive moments exemplifies the outlook of the teachings of Islam. Grudge and revenge does not remain in the heart of ‘Alī (as), for every element of his body is the instrument of Allāh (swt).

3. If one were to study carefully the rights of prisoners according to Islam, he would realize how far apart man made law is from Divine law. Shaykh Najm al-Dīn Tabasī in his Mawārid al-Sijn [Occasions of Prison] enumerates some of the rights of prisoners as follows:

“…believing prisoners can attend Friday and ‘Īd Prayers under surveillance, and then return immediately to their cells, prisoners may meet with their near ones and are free to receive food and clothing from them too, prisoners should be imprisoned in a healthy environment and allowed to go out under surveillance during a particular time, one who is ill should not be imprisoned, the support that the prisoner gives to his family, must be drawn from the public treasury (baytu’l māl) of the Muslims, etc...”

The above however should not lead one to believe that prisoners should be left without interrogation or motivation to repent. The prisoner is dealt according to the crime that he or she has committed. Political prisoners are also dealt with in a different way. However, the prisoner is not treated like an animal or tortured or raped or even psychologically threatened or intimidated. These are against the dictates of the Islamic Sharī‘ah. Rather, they are dealt with as human beings and no one is allowed to transgress the limits laid by Almighty Allāh. Hence, should we hear or observe inhuman behavior from the prison wardens of a so-called Islamic state, we must not be led to think that that is what Islam believes. There is a vast difference between the criteria being ‘Islam’ and the criteria being ‘the deed of a non-practising Muslim ruler.

Look at the following traditions carefully:

Imām Ja’far al-Sādiq (as) is reported to have said:

إِنَّ عَلِيّاً (ع) كَانَ يُطْعِمُ مَنْ خُلِّدَ فِي السِّجْنِِ مِنْ بَيتِ مَالِ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ.

“Surely, ‘Alī (as) would feed the captive who served life imprisonment from the treasury of the Muslims.”

Imām ‘Alī (as)is reported to have said:

إِطْعَامُ الأَسِيْرِ وَالإِحْسَانُ إِلَيْهِ حَقٌّ وَاجِبٌ، وَإِنْ قَتَلْتَهُ مِنَ الْغَدِ.

“Feeding the captive and doing good to him, is a compulsory right, even if you were to kill him [in accordance with the penal laws of Islam] the following day.”

Hawā al-Nafs: One of the Most Destructive Kinds of Captivity

1. The Holy Qur’ān [Sūrat al-Qasas 28:50] says:

) وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِنَ اللٌّهِ (

“…and who is more stray than he who follows his low desires without any guidance from Allāh?”

2. Imām ‘Alī (as) is reported to have said:

كَمْ مِنْ عَقْلٍ أَسِيرٍ عِنْدَ هَوَىً أَمِيرٍ.

“How great a number are there intellects under the captivity of dominant inclinations!”

3. Imām ‘Alī (as) is reported to have said:

إِنَّ أَخْوَفَ مَا أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ إِثْنَتَانِ: اتِّبَاعُ الْهَوَى وَطُوْلُ الأَمَلِ.

“Surely there are two things that I fear most from you: following your vain inclinations and having forlorn hopes.”

One of the most destructive extensions of captivity is the captivity of the soul by base inclinations. In the language of the Qur’ān, it is called “al-hawā”. It is a great hurdle on our way to God. Nearly every world problem today stems from this very element of destruction. Rather, the entire history of creation is replete with examples that show how destructive this kind of captivity has been: due to this very captivity, Satan did not prostrate before Adam although he was commanded to do so, Cain was led to kill Abel despite the latter being his own brother, Noah’s (as) son left his father although the latter was a prophet of Allāh (swt), and the list goes on. Study the causes of the different wars and conflicts of the past and present and you would realize that the root cause is this very kind of captivity. When a president suffers such captivity, he kills many innocent civilians; when a minister of finance is shackled by such captivity, he embezzles millions of dollars; when an irreligious and aimless human being suffers such captivity, he engages in different kinds of evils. In short, whosoever enjoys more power affects mischief accordingly.

Freedom from such captivity, however, is in our hands. Almighty Allāh has given us the keys to the door of the prison and advised us to leave, but the attraction of the amenities of the prison, it seems, has kept us from moving.

Hawā al-Nafs Lowers One to the Example of a Dog!

The Holy Qur’ān [chapter 7, verse no. 175-176] says:

) وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِي آتَيْنَاهُ آيَاتِنَا فَانْسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْـبَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ. وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلٌكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلـى الأَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِنْ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثْ (

“Relate to them the story of the man to whom We sent Our Signs, but he passed them by: so Satan followed him up, and he went astray. If it had been Our Will, We should have elevated him with Our Signs; but he inclined to the earth, and followed his own vain desires. His similitude is that of a dog: if you attack him, he lolls out his tongue, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls out his tongue.”

This verse, according to a tradition quoted by ‘Allāmah Tabātabā’ī in his al-Mizān and narrated by Tafsīr al-Burhān, talks about Bal‘am bin Bā’ūrā. He was a man who lived during the time of Prophet Musa (as) and enjoyed a high spiritual state, for according to a tradition reported from Imām al-Ridā (as) he knew the ism al-a‘zam (the Great Name of Allāh). Later, due to his base inclinations, he became a supporter of Fir‘awn and became spiritually ignoble. Imām al-Ridā (as) is reported to have said “Surely Bal‘am bin Bā’ūrā was given the Great Name of God and whenever he would pray with the same, his supplication would be accepted. Then he inclined towards Fir‘awn. Once when Fir‘awn was after Prophet Mūsā (as) and his followers, he met Bal‘am and said: ‘Pray to Allāh to throw Mūsā (as) and his followers into our trap.’ Subsequently, he climbed his donkey to set out for searching Mūsā (as) and his companions. The donkey, however, did not move. So he began hitting it. Thereafter Allāh (the Invincible and Exalted) enabled it to speak and [addressing Bal‘am] it said: Woe unto you! For what are you hitting me? Do you want me to accompany you so that you pray against Prophet Mūsā (as), the Prophet of Allāh and the believing nation? Bal‘am [paid no attention] and continued hitting the donkey until he killed the animal. Thereupon Bal‘am forgot the great Name of God.”

This verse is a lesson for all those learned folk who have attained a degree of piety. If one is not steadfast in his war against his base soul, there is a risk of him falling into a state of degradation and spiritual destruction. We seek refuge in the All-Merciful Lord from every kind of ignominy that separates us from His Neighborhood.

Verse no. 176 considers the example of Bal‘am as the example of a dog:

) فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِنْ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثْ ذٌلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (

“So his parable is as the parable of a dog; if you attack him, he lolls out his tongue; and if you leave him alone he lolls out his tongue; this is a parable of those who reject our signs; therefore relate the narrative so that they may reflect.”

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The likeness of this world is as the water of the sea....

Mar 1, '13 11:27 AM for everyone

The seventh Imam, Musa-ibn-Ja`far (a.s) said:

" The likeness of this world is as the water of the sea. However much (water) a thirsty person drinks from it, his thirst increases so much so that the water kills him."Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 78, p. 311

Imam Hadi, the tenth Imam, (a.s) said:
" People are respected in this world for possessing wealth and in the Hereafter for possessing righteous deeds."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 78, p. 368

Imam Hassan-ibn-Ali (a.s) said:
" I wonder about the person who contemplates about his nutrition but he does not consider (the food of) his intellect. Thus, he avoids of what hurts him in his stomach but he lets his mind to be filled with what destroys him."
Safinat-ul-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 84
(Greed and Futile Hopes ) 
Imam Sadiq (a.s) said:

" If a son of Adam possessed two vast valleys wherein gold and silver flowed, he would still wish to search for the third one."Man la Yahduruhul Faqiu, vol. 4, p. 418

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said:
" He who devotes his heart to this world will be subjected to three conditions: endless grief, unquenchable desire, and futile hope."
Usul-i-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 320