Tabarra of words is great, but quite meaningless if it only stays there. The wife of Pharoah, Lady Asiyah (peace be upon her), was a great example to show us how Tabarra should be performed. When she was severely tortured by her tyrant husband for accepting the call of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him), Lady Asiyah's prayer to Allah was:
"O my Lord! Build for me, in nearness to Thee, a mansion in the Garden, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me from those that do wrong." (66:11)
She could have simply asked Allah to save her from the tyrant Pharoah, but instead she desired separation from "his doings" and every type of falsehood and evil. When we do Tabarra, we must exactly do this. The effect of this would be to create within us repulsion towards the actions that made the accursed worthy of Allah's curse.
As we do Tabarra against Yazid, we express disgust towards all his doings, and through our actions, we do nothing that resembles his actions. A person who curses Yazid would not go near alcohol. A girl who really curses Yazid cannot step out of her house without Hijab.
Is Tabarra only towards personalities in the past? Of course not! Tabarra is an always active form of worship that we need to be mindful of every day of our lives. If we are invited to a mixed gathering and we decide not to go, we are doing Tabarra. As we kill our desire for that creamy Frappucino at Starbucks or that cool Motorola Droid cell phone, we are doing Tabarra as we are boycotting Zionist goods. Every step we take against falsehood is Tabbara.
"The curse of Allah is on the wrong-doers." (Quran 7:45
Humility comes from recognizing the Might of God and that all might belongs to Him, His Greatness, and being in awe of His Majesty. The lives of Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) exemplified humility and an awareness and consciousness of God. They associated with the poor and destitute and worshiped God devotedly and steadfastly through times of peril and blessings.
Imam Ali ar-Ridha (peace be upon him) worshiped God so intensely that those around him were naturally curious as to the cause. A companion asked the Imam, "O son of the Messenger of Allah! I fear that you may perish due to excess worship." Imam ar-Ridha replied, "Such a death is everlasting success." The Caliph Ma'mun said, "What sins have you committed that you pray day and night for their forgiveness?" Imam replied, "Not for the forgiveness of sins, it is for the thankfulness of His bounties. It is the demand of my servitude." (Akhlaq al-Aimma)
True humbleness asks that we remember God constantly, thank Him for His countless blessings that He has conferred upon us, use our talents and abilities in the path of God, and consider ourselves superior to no one. Indeed, "Successful indeed are the believers who humble themselves in their prayers." (Qur'an 23:02)
The Holy Prophet advised his followers to humble themselves before God and other Muslims, "And no one humbles himself before Allah but Allah will raise him (in status)." Just as humility can lead us to heaven and join us in the ranks of the Prophets and Imams, arrogance, the antagonistic force of humility, will lead us to the deepest and most dreaded pits of hell-fire.
Arrogance, also known as Ujb, is among the most destructive vices a person can be stricken with. Ujb is a dangerous characteristic, and we pray to the Most-Merciful to remove it from our hearts, because arrogance leads to hypocrisy, and hypocrisy leads to Riyaa (showing off) and a complete elimination of any faith in a human being.
Arrogance is a disease that has destroyed the faith and honor of countless individuals, and both the pious and common people are susceptible to it unless we continuously praise and thank God in humility for the blessings He has provided us.
Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) warns us of the several levels of arrogance "There are several levels of Ujb. One of them is when one's bad actions appear to him as good; he reckons them as good and loves himself, imagining that he is performing virtuous deeds. Another level of Ujb is represented by a person who believes that by having faith in God, he has done God a favor, whereas (in reality) it is God Almighty who has conferred a favor on him (by endowing him with faith)." (Al-Kafi)
Such evil caprices can be defeated through humility and by remembering that all good done on our part, talents we possess, and every good deed and worship we have completed are due to the divine blessings and generosity of God, the most Honorable and Sovereign.
"The servants of the Merciful are those who walk on the earth in humility." (25:63)
Humbleness is an attribute praised by the Holy Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad. In order to be blessed and honored with such virtuous characteristics, we must comprehend the true meaning of humility. In its more pure and pristine form, humility is the awareness and declaration on the part of a believing person that all good qualities held by him/her are granted by God, the Glorious and Merciful, and that all praise and thanks is to Him.
By continuously thanking the Most Beneficent and Merciful for the blessings He has provided us, we avoid becoming arrogant and are able to join the ranks of the true Muslims.
Siraat in Arabic means a way or a road; according to traditions, it is a bridge or road which passes from the top of Hell.
In a Hadith it is stated that Pul-e-Siraat is a bridge thinner than a hair, sharper than a sword and hotter than fire. In the Hereafter, true believers will pass over it quickly, some will find some difficulty crossing it but will eventually find relief, and others will slip and fall down in the pits of Hell. Shaikh Abbas Qummi mentions in Manazelul Akhera that the likeness of Pul-e-Siraat is of "The Right Path" (Siraat al-Mustaqim) of this world – the path of our Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them); in Sura Fatiha, Siraat al-Mustaqim refers to both these paths: the path of the Ahlul Bayt and Pul-e-Siraat.
Not a single person will be able to escape from walking over this bridge – neither the people of Paradise, nor the people of Hell. Allah says in the Qur'an: "And there is not one of you but shall come to it, this is an unavoidable decree of your Lord. And we will deliver those who guarded (against evil), and we will leave the unjust therein on their knees." (19:71-72) Narrated from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny), this bridge contains seven Passes (Aqabat). There will be stations in each Pass and each station will be 70 Farsakh (1 Farsakh = 5.5 km) long, and 70,000 Angels will be posted at each Pass.
Those who safely pass through all seven Passes will arrive at the Abode of Permanence (Dar al-Baqa), where they will live an everlasting life without any troubles. They will reside in the neighborhood of Allah with the Prophets and the Imams (peace be upon them all), the martyrs and the righteous ones from among His slaves. However, if a person is stopped at a Pass, and neither a good deed of his nor the Mercy of Allah reaches him, he will stumble in his step and be hurled down in the fire of Hell. (E'teqadat al-Imamiyah)
|
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) once asked the students and companions who had gathered around him:
“Who is a ‘youth?”
A person answered, “Someone who is young in age.”
The Imam (a.s.) said, “Despite the old age of the People of the Cave, on account of the faith which they possessed, God has referred to them as ‘youths’. In verse 10 of the chapter al-Kahf, He says: When the youths sought refuge in the cave.
He then continued “Whoever believes in God and observes piety is a youth.”
|
Prophet Musa (a.s.) once requested to God:
“O’ Lord! It is my wish to see that creature of Yours who has purified himself for your worship and who is unpolluted in his obedience towards You.”
He was addressed, “O’ Musa! Go near the shores of such-and-such sea in order that I may showyou what you desire to see.”
Prophet Musa proceeded till he reached near the sea. Looking around, he observed that on a branch of a tree that drooped over the water, sat a bird, engrossed in the dhikr of Allah. When Musa questioned the bird about itself, the bird said:
“From the time Allah has created me, I have been on this branch, engaged in His worship and dhikr. From every dhikr of mine, there branch out a thousand other dhikr, and the pleasure which I derive from the dhikr of Allah, provides me with nourishment.”
“Do you crave anything from this world?” asked Musa (a.s.).
“Yes. I yearn to taste one drop of water from this sea,” replied the bird.
Musa (a.s.) exclaimed, “But there does not exist a great distance between your beak and the water! Why don’t you dip your beak into it and drink it?”
The bird answered, “Out of fear lest the enjoyment derived from the water should make me heedless of the pleasure of the dhikr of my Lord.”
Hearing this, Prophet Musa (a.s.) clasped his head in intense astonishment.
Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "I swear by God that no one but you obeyed God's Prophet of God, and no one but you had enough faith in God. You are dear to Islam. All that is good is due to you. Whoever from among you is patient when he faces trouble will be given the reward of one thousand martyrs. I hope you do not slip when being tested. I heard my father say:
"Our Shiites are free of sin. God sends you greetings, and you are successful due to divine purity. You are the ones who invite the people to obey God. There shall be no reckoning for you, and there shall be no fear or grief for you. You are residents of Heaven, and Heaven belongs to you. Since God is pleased with you, you are pleased with divine destiny. You are the best of the people. Then be patient even if you see things that you dislike. Wait until God's command is issued, and you will find what He has promised you. You believe in the divine Unseen. Your world is Heaven for you and your decisions are a good guard for you. You are created for Heaven, and your path is directed to Heaven. Every day and night you are the master of all creatures. God has granted you a pure life, and you will continue being pure when you die. You will speak according to divine light, while others will talk according to Satan's dictation. Whoever is opposed to you is one of the especial companions of Satan. Your belief in God is so strong that Satan cannot influence you. God has granted you His best traits, and knew this before He created Adam. Your opponents will be more deserving to go into the Fire in the Hereafter. Know that you possess four eyes: two on your face, and two in your heart. Also beware that other people are this way. But God has closed their eyes, and has opened yours."
Jabir ibn Yazeed said that he asked Imam Sadiq (a.s): "Has God given the people assurance of certain forgiveness?" Imam Sadiq (a.s) replied: "No, except for our followers whom God will forgive."
Muhammad ibn Marvan said that he asked Imam Sadiq (a.s) about God's statement:
"Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?" It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition!" [The Holy Quran: Zumar 39:9]
Imam Sadiq (a.s) replied: "We are the ones who know, and our enemies are the ones who do not know, and our Shiites1 are those who are endued with understanding."
Abdullah ibn Soleyman narrated that after Imam Baqir (a.s) recited the following verse: "Now hath come unto you an Apostle from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that ye should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the Believers is he most kind and merciful." [The Holy Quran: Tauba 9:128], he said:
"This means that whatever bothers you is hard for us to stand, and we are eager to see you in comfort. He is ardently anxious over your comfort, and is kind and merciful to the Believers, that is our Shiites."
|
Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "Once a group of people started walking behind Ameer al-Momineen (a.s). He asked them who they were. They said that they were his followers. He asked them why they did not have the signs of his followers. They asked him what the signs of the Shiites are. He said: "Paleness due to shortage of sleep, being slim due to fasting, dried lips due to extensive praying and humbleness."
Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "Ali's follower is one who is careful about what he eats and guards his honor, is hard-working, works for his Creator and expects his rewards from Him, and fears His chastisement. When you see such people, they are my followers also."
The Blessed Musa ibn Ja'far (a.s) said: "Three acts perfect good deeds: rushing in performing them, hiding them, and not making a big deal out of them. Good deeds are pleasant if done fast. They are important if one does not make a big deal out of them. They are perfect if they are done in secret."
Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "There are some servants of God on the Earth who struggle to fulfill the needs of other people. They will be saved on the Resurrection Day."
Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "How good it is for an eloquent person to be silent! There are instances of slip of the tongue in talking that might cause one's failure."
Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "There are some servants of God who are eloquent, wise and knowledgeable but their hearts are filled with the fear of God and have stopped talking. They compete with each other in doing good deeds to approach God. They do not overestimate their deeds, and do not get pleased with the small amount of good deeds that they perform. Although they are intelligent and good people, they consider themselves to be wicked people."
Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "God will humiliate anyone who humiliates a believer due to his being poor. He will remain in such a state until he repents." He also said: "On the Resurrection Day believers will be proud."
It has been narrated that the Prophet of God (a.s) entered the House of God accompanied by Fazl ibn Abbas and Usamat ibn Zayd the year he conquered Mecca. When he left that House, he held the door knob in his hands and said:
"Praise be to God who fulfilled His promise and acknowledged His servant, and conquered all the parties alone. God removed all the Arab's hatred and arrogance due to their lineage. You are all the children of Adam, and Adam was made of clay. The noblest one among you is the most pious one."
Imam Baqir (a.s) asked Jabir:
"Does it suffice for one who claims to be our follower to just express his friendship with the members of the Holy Household? I swear by God that no one is our true follower unless he fears God and obeys Him. Our followers are known for their humbleness and frequent remembrance of God; fasting; praying; helping the orphans, the needy, the ones in debt and needy neighbors; reading the Quran; and talking properly with the people. They have always been trustworthy in their tribes."
Jabir asked: "O' Grandson of the Prophet! I do not know anybody with these traits." Imam Baqir (a.s) said: "O' Jabir! Do not let the various sects affect you. Do you think that it suffices for one to say that he likes Imam Ali (a.s) and he is his follower, but does not do anything to support his claim? Or he says that he likes the Prophet, who is even better than Imam Ali (a.s), but does not take his example and follow his deeds and act according to the Prophet's tradition.
Just having love for the Prophet (a.s) is of no use for him. Therefore fear God, and act in such a way as to attain what is near God, since there is no relation of kin between God and anyone. The one most loved by God is the one who is the most pious, and the noblest one is the one who fears God and obeys Him.
I swear by God that it is not possible to get close to God unless by His obedience, and we do not hold the key to relief from the Fire of Hell, and no one has any authority over God. Whoever is obedient to God is our friend, and whoever disobeys God is our enemy. No one can attain our friendship unless by having nobility and piety.
One of the companions of Imam Sadiq (a.s) said that he once asked the Imam (a.s) who the most respectable person in the sight of God is. The Imam (a.s) replied: "The one who remembers God the most, and is best known to serve Him is the most respectable person near God."
Ameer al-Momineen (a.s) said: "There are two types of remembrance: remembering God during times of calamities, and even better is remembering God when you are about to do what God has forbidden. This form of remembrance will cause you to abandon forbidden acts."
God the Almighty said: "Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me and reject not Faith." (The Holy Quran: Baqara 2:152). And He also said: "O' ye who believe! Celebrate the praises of God, and do this often." (The Holy Quran: Ahzab 33:41).
He also said: "For men and women who engage much in God's praise, for them has God prepared forgiveness and great reward." (The Holy Quran: Ahzab 33:35).
He also said: "Therefore do thou give admonition, for thou art one to admonish. Thou art not one to manage (men's) affairs." (The Holy Quran: Ghashia 88:21-22)
The Noble Prophet (a.s) said: "O' Ali! The following three are one's noblest characteristics: being fair, treating others as equals, and remembering God the Blessed, the High in all situations."
Imam (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.
Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "Those who possess knowledge are the ones who are trustworthy. The pious people are the ones who strictly guard the religion, and the ones who act according to religious decrees are the masters of religion."
Imam Sadiq (a.s) quoted on the authority of God's Prophet (a.s): "Whoever recognizes God and His Grandeur will shut his mouth up. He will neither talk nor eat. He will fast and stay up at night to pray." They asked him: "O' Prophet of God! May our parents be your devoted servants! Are they God's saints?" He said: "God's saints are quiet, and their silence is in remembrance of God. They look, and their looking is to learn a lesson. They talk, and their sayings are words of wisdom. They walk around, and their walking is a blessing for the people. If their life was not predestined for them, their souls would leave their bodies from the fear of divine chastisement and the eagerness for receiving divine rewards."
Imam Zayn al-Abedin (a.s) said: "Ameer al-Momineen (a.s) said his morning prayer, sat in his place of prayer and waited until the sun started to rise. Then he faced the people and said: "I swear by God that I saw some people who stood up in prayer and prostrated in God's worship all night long, and pressed their knees and foreheads against the floor as if they heard the blazing Fire of Hell, and would shake like trees whenever they were reminded of God, as if they had been in ignorance." Imam Zayn al-Abedin (a.s) continued: "Then Ameer al-Momineen (a.s) stood up and was never seen to laugh again until he died."
Imam Baqir (a.s) said: "The true followers of Imam Ali (a.s) are those who donate from their wealth to each other due to our friendship; become friends with each other due to our friendship; do not act oppressively if they get angry; do not waste things when they are pleased. They are blessings for their neighbors; and are a source of comfort and convenience for their associates."
Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "Do you want me to inform you about the hardest duties God has made incumbent upon His servants?" He then discussed three duties, the third of which was to always remember God, whether we are rushing to obey Him, or we are committing sins."
Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "Remembering God often is one of the most important acts that God has made incumbent upon His servants." He then added: "Beware that by this I do not mean just reciting the praises of God the Almighty. Rather I mean remembering what God has allowed, what He has forbidden, obeying God and abandoning sins."
Imam Baqir (a.s) said: "There are three groups of people: those who are quiet; those who remember God; and those who say things to cause discord among the people."
Luqman said to his son: "O' my dear son! Be careful when you enter a gathering to sit with those who are remembering God. This way your knowledge will increase if you are knowledgeable, and you will become knowledgeable if you are ignorant. There is hope that God will spread the shade of His Mercy upon them, and you may benefit from His Mercy, too. But if you see some people who do not remember God, do not sit with them since you will not gain any knowledge if you are knowledgeable, and you will be more misguided if you are ignorant, and God may encompass them with the shadow of His Chastisement in which case you will be chastised too."
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says:
"When Qiyamat occurs an announcer will call: Where are the unjust, the helpers of Unjust and those like the Unjust? So much so that even if one has procured merely pen and ink for the oppressor to write the order of oppression; all these people would be bundled up in a cage of iron and thrown into Hell.
The Messenger of Islam (s.a.w.s.) says:
"If a person even hangs up a cane for the tyrant king so that he can beat the oppressed one, Allah will change that cane into a snake, seventy thousand yards long and place it in the Hell fire (to torment him)."
(Wasaelush Shia)
"Those who take the affairs of oppressors in their hands and help him in oppression will, at the time of death, be conveyed the Divine curse and news of Hell fire by the angel of death. And Hell is an evil resort. One who guides the oppressor will be considered at par with Hamaan (the minister of Firon). And the punishment of those who help the unjust and the oppressors themselves will be more grievous than other punishments of the inmates of Hell. And if a person backbites about his believing brother to the ruler, and even though the Muslim may not have to suffer any injury from it, the backbiter will have all his good deeds nullified. However, if the Muslim had to suffer oppression at the hands of the ruler, the back-biter will be kept by Allah in that section of Hell where Hamaan will be confined."
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says:
"One who likes the oppressors to continue (to live) likes the disobedience to Allah (to continue) on this earth."
(Wasaelush Shia)
While explaining the Quranic verse,
"... and do not incline to those who are unjust, lest the fire may touch you."
(Surah Hud 11:113)
Imam (a.s.) says,
"If a person comes to a ruler and wishes for him to live if only for as long as it would take for him to put his hand inside his money bag and give some amount."
Wishing for the life of an oppressor even for a moment is the same as being inclined towards him.
Helping an oppressive person who is not an habitual oppressor
To help a person, who is not always oppressive, but occasionally happens to commit oppression, is also absolutely Haraam. If one knowingly helps a person in a situation where he oppressing another, one commits a Haraam action and a Greater Sin and will be punished as promised in Quran:
"Surely We have prepared for the iniquitous a fire, the curtains of which shall encompass them about; and if they cry for water, they shall be given water like molten brass which will scald their faces, evil the drink and ill the resting place."
(Surah Kahf 18:29)
Oppressing and helping someone in oppression is one and the same.
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has remarked:
"The oppressor, the one who helps an oppressor and the one who is satisfied with it, are all partners in oppression."
(Wasaelush Shia)
It means all three of them are equally responsible.
A similar tradition has been narrated from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) who says that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:
"One who breaks allegiance to the Imam, or raises a standard of misguidance or conceals a piece of knowledge which is obligatory to be imparted or usurps some property or helps an oppressor knowingly; then he has deserted the religion of Islam."
(Mustadrakul Wasael)
On the night of ascension (Meraj) the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) saw the following inscription on the door of Hell:
"Allah degrades the one who insults Islam, the one who insults the Holy Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) and the one who helps an oppressor in oppression."
In this way the Quranic verses and traditions prove the seriousness of oppression and helping an oppressor as a Greater sin. Moreover, one who helps an oppressor has also acted against the Divine commandments of forbidding evil. He is actually a hypocrite because he has in fact encouraged an evil and this is one of the characteristics of a hypocrite. As the Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:
"The hypocritical men and the hypocritical women are all alike; they enjoin evil and forbid good..."
(Surah Tauba 9:67)
Preventing oppression is necessary
If a Muslim sees an oppressor trying to oppress someone and if he is in a position to prevent him it is obligatory on him to do so.
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) says:
"Help your Muslim brother whether he is an oppressor or the oppressed one."
People asked, "O Messenger of Allah! We shall help the oppressed ones but how is it possible to help the oppressor?" He replied,
"Hold both the hands of the oppressor so that he cannot oppress. If you do it, it is as if you have helped him and such an action is a help to your brother (in faith)."
Bismillah Arrahman Arraheem
Imām `Alī ibn Husayn (A.S.) said:
"“I swear by God who has established Muhammad to admonish the people and to give them glad tidings that the good people among us are members of the Holy Household and their Shiites are similar to Moses and his followers. And our enemies and their followers are similar to Pharaoh and his followers.”
[Reference: MISHKAT UL ANWAR SECTION 2 On Shiites: Their Signs, and Manners Chapter 5 On the Status of Shiites N.453]
-----
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)
Iltemase Dua
| |
