Husyan; The Sacrifice For Mankind

Chapter 5: Benefiting from Ashura

According to the Views of Imam Shirazi45 by Karim al-Mahrus46

‘The month of Muharram is one of the months during which the people of pre-Islamic or pagan times prohibited fighting. Later, in the same sacred month, our blood was spilt and our inviolability was violated and our progeny and women were made captive and our tents were put to the torch and our belongings were plundered and no inviolable thing that the Messenger of Allah had in us remained but it was violated. The Day of Husayn has blooded our eyes and let flow our tears and humiliated our beloved. The land of Karbala47 , the land of tragedy and affliction has made us heirs to tragedy and affliction until the last day. So let the weepers weep over the like of Husayn, for weeping over him isa mitigation for grave sins.’

These are the words of Imam ‘Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha alayhis-salam in which he depicts for us the extent of the recidivism of the Ummayad regime and the indelible mark that the slaughter of Imam Husayn alayhissalam left on the people of the Prophet’s household or his Ahl-ul-Bayt alayhis-salam. Such an immense tragedy it was and such a stain on the face of Islam.

However, one of the secrets of the magnitude of the day of Ashura lies in Imam Husayn’s alayhis-salam knowledge of the fate that awaited him and the pure people, his household. He had certain knowledge that he would be martyred and he had alluded to this on many occasions in his sermons and speeches during his exit from Mecca and Medina, stating clearly that he was reconciling himself to meeting Allah and that he was determined to expend his lifeblood in the way of Allah and in the aid of the truth and in reviving the Islamic religion. Through this knowledge and certainty, we can see the secret of the divine protection and concern afforded to this uprising and we can see the greatness of this spirit and the correctness of his reading of the state of the Islamic nation and government.

The Imamalayhis- salam put his hand on the pulse of both the nation and the government and when he found that the government was deviating from the way of the true religion, he took hold of the nation to straighten this deviation. He alayhis-salam said: ‘I have not come forth out of pride or arrogance, nor to cause corruption,nor as an oppressor, but I have come forth to seek the reform of the nation of my grandfather Muhammad. I wish to order the good and forbid the evil and follow the way of my grandfather and my father ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.’

He alayhis-salam also said:

‘Now, I summon you to revive the features of the truth and to slay innovation. If you answer my call then you will be guided to the ways of righteousness.’

He alayhis-salam also said:

‘And I summon you to the book of Allah and to the way of His prophet. If you hear what I say and follow me I will lead you to the path of righteousness.’

In the thought of the supreme religious authority (marji’) Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Husayni al-Shirazi, we can clearly sense today the effects of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn alayhis-salam and the extent of its influence on the survival of the Islamic religion and in protecting it from the guiles of the enemy, all because of the historical stance that he took and the sacrifice he made on the day of al-Taff.48 We can also discern with ease from amongst these effects that the power of government, however great and developed that might be, can never compare with the power of the nation. The power of government is partial and is derived from the power of the nation above which there can be no power as long as the nation remains firmly upon the religion and follows it. The Imamalayhis- salam, alongside his knowledge by divine will of what would happen to him and to his family on the day of Ashura, also knew of the outcome of events and of the future. His uprising did not only uncover the scandals and crimes of the Umayyad regime but there was a mission behind this uprising; namely to make clear the reality of the Islamic religion and to clarify its features for everyone. The result of the battle of Karbala was the uprooting of the Umayyad government despite its tyranny, influence, power, wealth and military might at a time when the society was not even allowing itself to consider the question of overthrowing the Umayyads because of their might and despotism. The events at Karbala renewed life for Islam and corrected the religious beliefsthat had arisen due to the Umayyad’s fabrication of prophetic traditions or hadith and their adoption of ideas from false philosophies. Ideas such as predeterminism (jabr) - the idea that men are compelled by Allah in their actions; delegation (tafwid), and theomorphism (tajsim) - the idea that Allah has a bodily form, and others like them, which served to shore up the pillars of their illegal regime. Hence Islam appeared once again, shining in the true form in which Allah had revealed it to His noble messenger salla-llahu-alayhi-wa-aalih, in the form of the madhhab or school of the Ahl-ul-Bayt alayhis-salam after being cleansed of the detritus of Umayyad falsehood.

This uprising was and remains a model for all other liberationist uprisings in the world against oppressors. This uprising was the ‘big bang’, which prepared the way for a succession of revolutions and motivated those involved in the struggle to defend the sacred values of Islam and taught them the art of combating tyranny and to be steadfast in the struggle until they achieved a life of nobility and freedom. The nation then is a great power, and government has no power if the legality of its existence has not acquired the approval of the sacred law (shari’ah) and the nation. The nation must grasp however, that for the legal government to be righteous the nation must also be righteous. On this note, the renowned scholar Sheikh al-Baha’i says:

‘There is no fault in the religion of Islamitself, rather the fault lies in the Muslims themselves.’

Imam Husayn alayhis-salam, through his uprising, pointed out the way for the future generations and made clear the path to solving the problems of society and attaining the happiness of this life and the nobility of the next.

When Islamic society indeed put into practice some of these Islamic teachings it lived a life of prosperity and nobility as history witnessed in the days of Sayyid al-Murtada and Sheikh al-Mufid and Allamah al-Hilli and Sheikh al-Karaki and Sheikh al-Baha’i and Allamah al-Majlisi (May Allah venerate their souls)49 . Then society was living an honourable life without being afflicted by any of the problems that afflict the Muslims today. On the contrary, it was the enemies of Islam who suffered from these crises since they were drowning in the seas of ignorance and backwardness and the like. ‘Husayn is the lantern of guidance and the ship of salvation,’ as the Messenger of Allah salla-llahu-alayhi-wa-aalih said.

This hadith or prophetic tradition depicts the world in the finest of ways in order to bring us closer to understanding the true nature and reality of this world. It likens this world to the dark depths of the ocean from which there is no salvation except by means of a ship and there is no way to escape from its glooms except by a lantern. This is a splendid simile. Man in this world is in need of a lantern to light for him the way otherwise he will be lost in the darkness of ignorance and poverty and illness and will fall into the abysses and will not be able to perceive and hence avoid the wild animals and beasts which seek to prey on him. He is also in need of a ship, which will preserve him from drowning and perishing in the clashing depths of the seas of the world and will take him to the shores of tranquillity in safety and peace. What is it that functions as the lantern to guide mankind in the world and the ship to rescue him from its depths? It is none other than that which was specified by divine revelation and which was pointed to by the Messenger of Allah salla-llahu-alayhi-wa-aalih when he said:

‘The people of my household are as the stars, which ever one of them you seek guidance from, you will be guided.’

He salla-llahu-alayhi-wa-aalih also said:

‘The similitude of the people of my household is as the ship of Noah, whoever boards it will be saved, and whoever tarries behind from it will drown.’

These two descriptors; the lantern and the ship, apply to all the fourteen impeccable personages namely; The Prophet Muhammad salla-llahualayhi- wa-aalih, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib alayhis-salam, Fatima al-Zahra’ alayhas-salam, Hasan al-Mujtaba alayhis-salam, Husayn al-Shahid alayhis-salam, ‘Ali al-Sajjad alayhis-salam, Muhammad al-Baqir alayhissalam, Ja’far al-Sadiq alayhis-salam, Musa al-Kadhim alayhis-salam, ‘Ali al-Ridha alayhis-salam, Muhammad al-Jawad alayhis-salam, ‘Ali al-Hadi alayhis-salam, Hasan al-‘Askari alayhis-salam, and Muhammad al-Mahdi alayhis-salam. The Prophet salla-llahu-alayhi-wa-aalih himself is the greatest lantern and ship. Allah has said: {O you the Prophet, surelyWe have sent you as a witness and a bringer of glad tidings and a warner and a summoner to Allah and as an illuminating lantern}. Humanity, living as it is in the darkness of ignorance and drowning in the depths of chaos, confusion and anxiety, has no cure available to it - if it wants salvation - other than seeking illumination by the light of those pure people and boarding their ship; for they are the complement to the wise book (the Qur’an) as the Messenger of Allah salla-llahu-alayhi-wa-aalih has said:

‘I leave behind me the two weighty things; the book of Allah and my household. As long as you adhere to these two you will never go astray after me ever.’

Thispoints to the fact that without adherence to the household alongside adherence to the book there will be a resultant straying which, in this world means dishonour and ignominy and in the next world means hell and the inferno.

The month of Muharram is the month of the sorrows of the people of the Prophet’s household alayhum-as-salam. It is the month when the religion was renewed by the uprising of the ‘ship of salvation’ and the ‘lamp of guidance’ (i.e. Imam Husayn alayhis-salam). In this sacred month, a strong Islamic nation should derive great benefit from this uprising. The supreme religious authority Ayatollah Muhammad al-Shirazi believes that the benefit of this month has been confined previously to one aspect only; namely to the reviving of religious practises such as establishing prayer, and paying the statutory Khums and Zakat along with other acts of worship, ethical practises and etiquettes, and the building of religious centres in the name of Husayn alayhis-salam and mosques and developing sites of religious interest as well as feeding the poor and providing water and the like. Two other aspects should be added to this, namely:

1. The implementation of the laws and rulings of Islam generally and fully. At the top of whichcomes a system of consultative government through the holding of free and fair elections to set up a government which fulfils the conditions stipulated by Islam. Next come the freedoms that Allah has ordered in saying: {. . and (for the Prophet) to relieve them from the heavy burdens and the yokes that were upon them}, such as the freedom to form Islamic political parties under the supervision of the Islamic religious authorities (maraji’), the freedom to trade, the freedom to manufacture, the freedom to cultivate land, the freedom to build, the freedom to travel and settle in a place, the freedom to print and publish, the freedom of association, the freedom of expression, and all the other freedoms conferred by Islam and mentioned in the Qur’an and the sunnah or traditions and deeds of the Prophet. Next comes the abolition of taxes and customs and excise, and of all the laws that have no basis in the Qur’an and thesunnah or in the consensus of scholars or reason. Thencomes the institution of Islamic unity meaning that no borders will exist between the countries of Islam and no differences small or large will be recognised between nationalities or races. For {The believers are brothers} and in the words of Imam Husayn alayhis-salam:

‘By my life, the Imam is none but one who rules by the book and stands up for justice and equity and follows the religion of Allah and restrains himself for the sake of Allah.’

Imam Husayn alayhis-salam explains his eternal uprising saying:

‘O Allah, you know that what we did was not out of competition for worldly power, nor were we seeking the vanities of this world, but we desired to see the features of your religion and reform in your land and so that the oppressed of your servants might find respite and so that your commands and laws might be carried out.’

2. The propagation of the message of Allah - Islam - to the people of the world as a whole and instilling Islamic values and ideals.

The month of Muharram can become an appropriate starting point for propagating this message and these values and ideals, which were embodied in the goals of Imam Husayn alayhissalam, to a thirsty humanity. This mission can be funded through collections at gatherings and Husayniyas, and forming bodies, which will send missionaries to every part of the world. Benefit may be derived from the gatherings held in remembrance of Husayn in that they stir up deep emotions in the self and the occasion they provide for intellectual direction, which has an effect in changing human behaviour. Speakers should concern themselves in their sermons with showing the way to social responsibility and institutions should be established in every mosque and Islamic centre for the task of fulfilling the material needs of the people according to priorities. These may be funded by donations from charitable people and businessmen and the wealthy. Imam Husayn alayhis-salam said in encouraging donations and expending in the way of Allah:

‘Your wealth does not belong to you unless you spend it in the way of Allah. Therefore do not leave it as a store for those who come after you, when you yourself will be held responsible for it. Know that you will not survive to make use of it and it will not remain for you, so consume it before it consumes you.’

Attention and concern must be paid to Islamic institutions for they continue to experience two crises; quantitative and qualitative. There is a noticeable lack in the number of Islamic cultural and social institutions and places of worship for Muslims in the Islamic world and for the Islamic communities in other countries. This quantitative lack may be filled by exploiting the occasion of Ashura so that preachers and hosts of gatherings concern themselves with setting up such institutions by encouraging and persuading the people to participate in providing the means and laying the ground work.

In this way and through these gatherings, which are spread throughout the world, we will be able, each year, to establish one hundred thousand institutions of differing types such as schools, mosques, Husayniyahs, libraries, clinics and hospitals, orphanages, radio and television stations, research institutes and newspapers and the like. After fifteen years this would probably equal the number of institutions the Christians have provided in Africa alone where they have founded hundreds of thousands of institutions.

As for the qualitative side, we must attain the necessary administrative and other skills to run these institutions in an organised and lasting manner so that the cultural institutions such as the Husayniyahs and mosques can be a source of thought and awareness including the scientific analysis of the events of Karbala and elsewhere, and linking the past to the present and the future. Without this, society will not be able to combat the dangers that surround it. The intellectual level of the pulpit must be deep so that the youth in particular can be protected from deviancy when it raises its ugly head. Often, it is a low intellectual level that is the cause of the deviancy of the youth and takes them to prisons and detention centres, and to the grave or exile. Hence, those who host gatherings and administrators must exhort the preachers to deliver the best possible psychological, social, historical, doctrinal, and other analyses. The speakers best equipped to carry out this task must be invited and their lectures must be recorded and published and distributed amongst the people to stir their emotions and direct them towards the good and the right and towards reform so that a wealth of information is available in all fields and aspects.

Islam is a world religion for the rescue of all people from darkness. It is not the religion of one thousand million Muslims only. However, this calls for great a deal of support. Is it not a source of regret that there are no more than few hundred Muslim missionaries working outside Islamic countries, whereas statistics show that the number of Christian missionaries in Africa is more than ten thousand and in Asia ninety thousand all equipped with all the aids and technology they need and whose task is to convert the Asians and Africans to Christianity? They have succeeded in converting tens of millions in these two continents.

If we, then, were to take the month of Muharram as a starting point for these three tasks, we will have fulfilled what is incumbent upon us as far as possible, as well as bringing Muslims from slavery to mastery and many non-Muslims from the darkness to the light. This is in reality a world Islamic movement not merely a local or territorial one, which has begun to adopt these three tasks. Our condition today is as that of the person yawning as he is newly awakened from a long sleep. However, this is a sign of the beginning of an awakening rather than a preparation for sleep. The Muslims have slept long enough so that their lands have been divided up, their wealth plundered, their honour torn, and their blood spilt.

Illegal laws have been placed over them and chaos, ignorance, illness, poverty, enmity and sectarianism reign. Now, thanksbe to Allah, they have begun to rise and they are able to make a programme for this rising out of these three aforementioned tasks and starting from this sacred month of Muharram so they might reach their lofty goal if Allah wills.

Among that which Imam Shirazi strongly recommends as part of this programme is:

1. The establishment of an organisation and expanding it to encompass all the lands of Islam so that communication may take place amongst the various wings, on the condition that this organisation includes free and fair elections held for example every two years.

2. The founding of a supreme council for all Islamic organisations to discuss affairs and confirm activities by majority opinion. For Allah has said: {And your affairs are settled by mutual consultation} and Amir-ul-Mu’minin ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib alayhum-as-salam has said:

‘I adjure you by Allah to organise your affairs’.

3. Creating complete awareness by alerting the nation to its points of weakness and strength so that the former may be eliminated and the latter may be benefited from. This calls for millions of books. The Imamalayhis- salam said:

‘He who has knowledge of his times cannot be taken unawares’

4. The adoption of fine morals as in Allah’s words: {You were the best nation brought out for the people, enjoining the good} like adopting reason and critical examination, flexibility, and affability, co-operation, sincerity, consultation, and mutual respect and the like, and {and forbidding the evil} like weakness, cruelty, despotism, sectarianism, hatred and feuding.

5. The organisation should maintain links with the populace and not become isolated from it as can be seen today in some Islamic organisations where pride, conceit and snobbery are present as well as the adoption of innovations and other things that will distance them from the public and will prevent them from being able to attract the people and will lead in the end to their failure.

Imam ‘Ali alayhis-salam said: ‘He who acts despotically on his own opinion will perish.’ Imam Husayn alayhis-salam said: ‘You should know that the needs that the people have of you are among the blessings of Allah upon you.’

6. The following of jurists (fuquha) and authorities (maraji’). Imam Husayn alayhis-salam said:

‘The running of affairs and rulings are in the hands of the scholars of Allah who are certain of that which Allah has made lawful or unlawful.’

If the organisation distances itself from the religious authorities, which have been chosen by the nation, it will fail even if the organisation creates an authority for itself upon whatever pretext or excuse. The nation should follow the true authorities and should not be fooled by falsities.

7. The recruiting of Islamic talent such as scholars, preachers and thinkers, teachers, and staff as well as infrastructure such as publishing houses, libraries, printing presses and schools. All these talents are important in ensuring the arrival at the desired goal, for the seas are made of raindrops and the deserts from grains of sand! If we make the gatherings in remembrance of Imam Husayn alayhis-salam a starting point for building an authentic and true Islamic nation,distinguished by the consultation of the religious scholars and the following of their rulings, and party pluralism, and the just rule of Islamic laws, then we will have conveyed a great deal to Imam Husayn alayhissalam who sacrificed himself, his family and his companions for nothing less than implementing Islam and rescuing the people. In the ziyarat of Imam Husayn alayhis-salam are the words of the Imam alayhis-salam addressing Allah:‘ . . to rescue Your servants from ignorance and the confusion of losing the way.’

Then the despotic organisations in all their forms will vanish, and power will be distributed amongst all the classes and groups whether thatbe power of governing or arms or knowledge or wealth. Capabilities will appear and bear fruit and the realities of knowledge in the fields of agriculture, manufacture, trade, education, and in the military will be become manifest. The lands snatched from Islam will be returned and their people will be rescued from the claws of colonisers. All this however requires an increase in sincerity of purpose combined with piety in the issues of Imam Husayn alayhis-salam. For Allah accepts the works of the pious as he has said: {Indeed Allah accepts from the pious}. If we do all this, we will have participated in explaining the goal of Imam Husayn alayhis-salam and in continuing on the path he took.

Supplement

That philosophy was admittedly only a set of conjectures - unencumbered with any test or proof; but the Muslim philosophers felt no remorse in treating its views on the system of skies, orbits, natural elements and other related subjects as the absolute truth with which the exegesis of the Qur'an had to conform.

The Sufis kept their eyes fixed on esoteric aspects of creation; they were too occupied with their inner world to look at the outer one. Their tunnel-like vision prevented them from looking at the things in their true perspective. Their love of esoteric made them look for inner interpretations of the verses; without any regard to their manifest and clear meanings. It encouraged the people to base their explanations on poetic expressions and to use anything to prove anything.

The condition became so bad that the verses were explained on the-basis of the numerical values of their words; letters were divided into bright and dark ones and the explanations were based on that division. Building castle in the air, wasn't it? Obviously, the Qur'an was not revealed to guide the Sufis only; nor had it ad- dressed itself to only those who knew the numerical values of the letters (with all its ramifications); nor were its realities based on astrological calculations. Of course, there are traditions narrated from the Prophet and the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt (A.S.) saying for example:

"Verily the Qur'an has an exterior and an interior, and its interior has an interior upto seven (or according to a version, seventy) interiors..". But the Prophet and the Imams gave importance to its exterior as much as to its interior; they were as much concerned with its revelation as they were with its interpretation.

We shall explain in the beginning of the third chapter, "The Family of 'Imran", that "interpretation" is not a meaning against the manifest meaning of the verse. Such an interpretation should more correctly be called "misinterpretation". This meaning of the word, "interpretation", came in vogue in the Muslim circles long after the revelation of the Qur'an and the spread of Islam. What the Qur'an means by the word, "interpretation", is some- thing other than the meaning and the significance.

In recent times, a new method of exegesis has become fashionable. Some people, supposedly Muslims, who were deeply influenced by the natural sciences (which are based on observations and tests) and the social ones (that rely on induction), followed the materialists of Europe or the pragmatists.

Under the influence of those anti-Islamic theories, they declared that the religion's realities cannot go against scientific knowledge; one should not believe except that which is perceived by any one of the five senses; nothing exists except the matter and its properties.

What the religion claims to exist, but which the sciences reject-like The Throne, The Chair, The Tablet and The Pen-should be interpreted in a way that conforms with the science; as for those things which the science is silent about, like the resurrection etc., they should be brought within the purview of the laws of matter;

the pillars upon which the divine religious laws are based-like revelation, angel, Satan, prophet- hood, apostleship, imamah (Imamate) etc.-are spiritual things, and the spirit is a development of the matter, or let us say, a property of the matter; legislation of those laws is manifestation of a special social genius, who ordains them after healthy and fruitful contemplations, in order to establish a good and pro- gressive society.

They have further said: One cannot have confidence in the traditions, because many are spurious; only those traditions may be relied upon which are in conformity with the Book. As for the Book itself, one should not explain it in the light of the old philosophy and theories, because they were not based on observations and tests-they were just a sort of mental exercise which has been totally discredited now by the modern science.

The best, rather the only, way is to explain the Qur'an with the help of other Qur'anic verses-except where the science has asserted something which is relevant to it. This, in short, is what they have written, or what necessarily follows from their total reliance on tests and observations.

We are not concerned here with the question whether their scientific principles and philosophic dicta can be accepted as the foundation of the Qur'an's exegesis. But it should be pointed out here that the objection which they have leveled against the ancient exegetes -that theirs was only an adaptation and not the explanation- is equally true about their own method; they too say that the Qur'an and its realities must be made to conform with the scientific theories.

If not so, then why do they insist that the academic theories should be treated as true foundations of exegesis from which no deviation could be allowed? This method improves nothing on the discredited method of the ancients. If you look at all the above-mentioned ways of exegesis, you will find that all of them suffer from a most serious defect:

They impose the results of academic or philosophic arguments on the Qur'anic meanings; they make the Qur'an conform with an extraneous idea. In this way, explanation turns into adaptation, realities of the Qur'an are explained away as allegories and its manifest meanings are sacrificed for so-called "interpretations". As we mentioned in the beginning, the Qur'an introduces itself as the guidance for the worlds (3:96); the manifest light (4:174), and the explanation of every thing (16:89).

But these people, contrary to those Qur'anic declarations, make it to be guided by extraneous factors, to be illuminated by some outside theories, and to be explained by something other than itself! What is that "something else"? What authority has it got? And if there is any difference in various explanations of a verse and indeed there are most serious differences-which mediator should the Qur'an refer to?

What is the root-cause of the differences in the Qur'an's explanations? It could not happen because of any difference in the meaning of a word, phrase or sentence.

The Qur'an has been sent down in plain Arabic; and no Arab (or Arabic-knowing non-Arab) can experience any difficulty in understanding it. Also, there is not a single verse (out of more than six thousand) which is enigmatic, obscure or abstruse in its import; nor is there a single sentence that keeps the mind wandering in search of its meaning.

After all, the Qur'an is admittedly the most eloquent speech, and it is one of the essential ingredients of eloquence that the talk should be free from obscurity and abstruseness. Even those verses that are counted among the "ambiguous" ones, have no ambiguity in their meanings; whatever the ambiguity, it is in identification of the particular thing or individual from among the group to which that meaning refers.

This statement needs some elaborations:- In this life we are surrounded by matter; even our senses and faculties are closely related to it. This familiarity with matter and material things has influenced our mode of thinking. When we hear a word or a sentence, our mind races to its material meaning.

When we hear, for example, the words, life, knowledge, power, hearing, sight, speech, will, pleasure, anger, creation and order, we at once think of the material manifestations of their meanings. Likewise, when we hear the words, heaven, earth, tablet, pen, throne, chair, angel and his wings, and Satan and his tribe and army, the first things that come into our minds are their material manifestations. Likewise, when we hear the sentences, "Allah created the universe", "Allah did this", "Allah knew it", "Allah intended it" or "intends it", we look at these actions in frame of "time", because we are used to connect every verb with a tense. In the same way, when we hear the verses:

and with Us is more yet (50:35), . We would have made it from before Ourselves (21:17), . and that which is with Allah is best. . (62:11), . and to Him you shall be brought back (2:28, etc.).

we attach with the divine presence the concept of " place", because in our minds the two ideas are inseparable. Also, on reading the verses: And when We intend to destroy a town (17 :16), And We intend to bestow a favour . (28: 5), And Allah intends ease for you (2:185), we think that the "intention" has the same meaning in every sentence, as is the case with our own intention and will.

In this way, we jump to the familiar (which most often is material) meaning of every word. And it is but natural. Man has made words to fulfill his social need of mutual intercourse; and society in its turn was established to fulfil the man's material needs. Not unexpectedly, the words became symbols of the things which men were connected with and which helped them in their material progress.

But we should not forget that the material things are constantly changing and developing with the development of expertise. Man gave the name, lamp, to a certain receptacle in which he put a wick and a little fat that fed the lighted wick which illuminated the place in darkness.

That apparatus kept changing until now it has become the electric bulb of various types; and except the name "lamp" not a single component of the original lamp can be found in it. Likewise, there is no resemblance in the balance of old times and the modern scales -especially if we compare the old apparatus with the modern equipment for weighing and measuring heat, electirc-current's flow and blood-pressure.

And the armaments of old days and the ones invented within our own times have nothing in common, except the name. The named things have changed so much that not a single component of the original can be found in them; yet the name has not changed. It shows that the basic element that allows the use of a name for a thing is not the shape of that thing, but its purpose and benefit. Man, imprisoned as he is within his habitat and habit, often fails to see this reality.

That is why al-Hashawiyyah and those who believe that God has a body interpret the Qur'anic verses and phrases within the fame-work of the matter and the nature. But in fact they are stuck with their habit and usage, and not to the exterior of the Qur'an and the traditions. Even in the literal meanings of the Qur'an we find ample evidence that relying on the habit and usage in explanation of the divine speech would cause confusion and anomaly. For example, Allah says:

Nothing is like a likeness of Him (42:11); Visions comprehended Him not, and He comprehends (all) visions; and He is the Knower of subtilities, the Aware (6:73); glory be to Him above what they ascribe (to Him) (23:91; 37:159).

These verses manifestly show that what we are accustomed to cannot be ascribed to Allah. It was this reality that convinced many people that they should not explain the Qur'anic words by identifying them with their usual and common meanings. Going a step further, they sought the help of logical and philosophical arguments to avoid wrong deductions. This gave a foot-hold to academic reasoning in explaining the Qur'an and identifying the individual person or thing meant by a word. Such discussions can be of two kinds:

i) The exegete takes a problem emanating from a Qur'anic statement, looks at it from academic and philosophical point of view, weighs the pros and cons and with the help of the philosophy, science and logic decides what the true answer should be. Thereafter, he takes the verse and fits it anyhow on that answer which, he thinks, is right. The Muslim philosophers and theologians usually followed this method; but, as mentioned earlier, the Qur'an does not approve of it.

ii) The exegete explains the verse with the help of other relevant verses, meditating on them together-and meditation has been forcefully urged upon by the Qur'an itself-and identifies the individual person or thing by its particulars and attributes mentioned in the verse. No doubt this is the only correct method of exegesis. Allah has said:

and We have revealed the Book to you explaining clearly everything (16:89).

Is it possible for such a book not to explain its own self? Also He has described the Qur'an in these words:

a guidance for mankind and clear evidence of guidance and discrimination (between wrong) (2:185);

and He has also said:

and We have sent down to you a manifest light (4:174).

The Qur'an is, accordingly, a guidance, an evidence, a discrimination between right and wrong and a manifest light for the people to guide them aright and help them in all their needs. Is it imaginable that it would not guide them aright in its own matter, while it is their most important need? Again Allah says:

And (as for) those who strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide them onto Our ways (29:69).

Which striving is greater than the endeavour to understand His Book? And which way is more straight than the Qur'an? Verses of this meaning are very numerous, and we shall discuss them in detail in the beginning of the third chapter, The Family of 'Imran. Allah taught the Qur'an to His Prophet and appointed him as the teacher of the Book:

The Faithful Spirit has descended with it upon your heart that you may be of the warners, in plain Arabic language (26 :193-4);

and We have revealed to you the Reminder that you may make clear to men what has been revealed to them, and that haply they may reflect ( 16: 44);... an Apostle who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom (62:2).

And the Prophet appointed his progeny to carry on this work after him. It is clear from his unanimously accepted tradition:

I am leaving behind among you two precious things; as long as you hold fast to them you will never go astray after me: The Book of Allah and my progeny, my family members; and these two shall never separate from each other until they reach me (on) the reservoir.

And Allah has confirmed, in the following two verses, this declaration of the Prophet that his progeny had the real know- ledge of the Book:

Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanliness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying(33:33);

Most surely it is an honoured Qur'an, in a Book that is hidden; None do touch it save the purified ones (56 :77-79).

And the Prophet and the Imams from his progeny always used this second method for explaining the Qur'an, as may be seen in the traditions that have been narrated from them on exegesis, some of which will be quoted in this book in appropriate places. One cannot find a single instance in their traditions where they might have taken help of an academic theory or philosophical postulate for explaining a verse.

The Prophet has said in a sermon: "Therefore, when mischiefs come to confuse you like the segments of darkened night, then hold fast to the Qur'an; as it is the intercessor whose intercession shall be granted; and a credible advocate; and whoever keeps it before him, it will lead him to the Garden; and whoever keeps it behind, it will drive him to the Fire; and it is the guide that guides to the best path; and it is a book in which there is explanation,

particularization and recapitulation; and it is a decisive (world), and not a joke; and there is for it a manifest (meaning) and an esoteric (one); thus its apparent (meaning) is firm, and its esoteric (one) is knowledge; its exterior is elegant and its interior deep; it has (many) boundaries, and its boundaries have (many) boundaries; its wonders shall not cease, and its (unexpected marvels shall not be old. There are in it the lamps of guidance and the beacon of wisdom, and guide to knowledge for him who knows the attributes.

Therefore, one should extend his sight; and should let his eyes reach the attribute; so that one who is in perdition may get deliverance, and one who is entangled may get free; because meditation is the life of the heart of the one who sees, as the one having a light (easily) walks in darkness; therefore, you must seek good deliverance and (that) with little waiting .

'Ali (a.s.) said, inter alia, speaking about the Qur'an in a sermon: "Its one part speaks with the other, and one portion testifies about the other."

This is the straight path and the right way which was used by the true teachers of the-Qur'an and its guides, may Allah's blessings be on them all! We shall write, under various headings, what Allah has helped us to understand from the honoured verses, by the above- mentioned method. We have not based the explanations on any philosophical theory, academic idea or mystical revelation.

We have not put into it any outside matter except a fine literary point on which depends the understanding of Arabic eloquence, or a self-evident or practical premises which can be understood by one and all.

Supplement 2

From the discussions, written according to the above- mentioned method, the following subjects have become crystal-clear:

1. The matters concerning the names of Allah, and His attributes, like His Life, Knowledge, Power, Hearing, Sight and Oneness etc. As for the Person of Allah, you will find that the Qur'an believes that He needs no description.

2. The matters concerning the divine actions, like creation, order, will, wish, guidance, leading astray, decree, measure, compulsion, delegation (of Power), pleasure, displeasure and other similar actions.

3. The matters concerned with the intermediary links between Allah and man, like the Curtain, the Tablet, the Pen, the Throne, the Chair, the Inhabited House, the Heavens, the Earth, the Angels, the Satans, and the Jinns etc.

4. The details about man before he came to this world.

5. The matters related to man in this life, like the history of mankind, knowledge of his self, the foundation of society, the prophethood and the apostleship, the revelation, the inspiration, the book and the religion and law. The high status of the prophets, shining through their stories, come under this heading .

6. The knowledge about man after he departs from this world, that is, al-Barzakh.

7. The matters about human character. Under this heading come the various stages through which the friends of Allah pass in their spiritual journey, like submission, faith, benevolence, humility, purity of intention and other virtues. (We have not gone into details of the verses of the law, as more appropriately it is a subject for the books of jurisprudence.) As a direct result of this method, we have never felt any need to interpret a verse against its apparent meaning. As we have said earlier, this type of interpretation is in fact misinterpretation.

As for that "interpretation" which the Qur'an has mentioned in various verses, it is not a type of "meaning"; it is something else. At the end of the commentaries, we have written some traditions of the Prophet and the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt ( a.s.), narrated by the Sunni and Shiah narrators. But we have not included the opinions of the companions and their disciples, because, first, there is too much confusion and contradiction in them; and second, they are not vested with any authority in Islam.

On going through those traditions of the Prophet and the Imams (peace be on them all!), you will notice that this "new" method of exegesis (adopted in this book) is in reality the oldest and the original method which was used by the Teachers of the Qur'an (peace of Allah be on them all!).

Also, we have written separately various topics - philosophical, academic, historical, social and ethical- when there was a need for it. In all such discussions, we have confined our talk to the basic premises, without going in too much detail. We pray to Allah, High is He, to guide us and keep our talk to the point; He is the Best Helper and the Best Guide.

(Allamah Tabataba'i, Al-Mizan, p. 3-16).

Reading through The Glorious Quran Noor al-Qur'an

Sura Al-Fatihah

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful Contents of the Sura The Holy phraseIn The Name of Allah,The Beneficent,The Merciful' / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / is, in fact, mentioned both at the onset of the Qur'an and at the beginning of every Sura, except Sura 9, (Sura Taubah - Repentance).

And, since the purpose of Allah's Word, i.e. the whole Qur'an, is to guide people; as Sura Al-Ma'idah, No. 5, verses 15-16 say : "...Indeed, there has come to you a light and a clear Book from Allah ", " With it Allah guideth him who follows His pleasure to the ways of peace and safety ..."; therefore, this guidance, being a grant and a fundamental principle, begins with Allah's Holy Name.

This Sura, among all Suras of the Qur'an, has an extraordinary radiance which originates from the following merits : 1. The Tone of the Sura : This Sura, The Opening, in comparison with other Suras of the Qur'an regarding its tone and melody, has a particular style which is clearly different and extraordinary.

The other Suras contain instructions from Allah, Who gives commands and admonishments to His servants, but, in this Sura, His words are uttered on behalf of the servants. In other words, in this Sura, Allah has taught His servants how to supplicate and speak to Him, simply and without a mediator.

2. Al-Fatihah, the Basis of the Qur'an :

It is narrated that the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) has said : " By the One, in Whose hand is my soul, Allah has not sent down a similar Sura to this Sura (Al-Fatihah), neither in the Turah, nor in the Gospel, nor in the Psalms, nor even in the Qur'an, and it is Umm-ul-Kitab ";(1) which means that it is the basis and origin of all excellence.

In fact, besides referring to the Resurrection, this Sura presents facts concerning the Unity of the Divine Essence, Unity of Attributes, Unity of Divine Acts, and Unity of Worship. It is the essence of the whole meaning of the Qur'an.

It is narrated from Hadrat Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) that :

" All secrets of Allah are in Divine Books; and the contents of all those Divine Books are comprised in the Qur'an;and what is found in the Qur'an is condensed in Sura Al-Fatihah, and what is in Al-Fatihah is gathered in /bismillah /, and what is in / bismillah / is concentrated in /b/, (the first letter of Bism-il-lah ' )..."(2) Based on the entirety of great commentators' statements, it is understood that this tradition indicates clearly the importance of both the Holy Qur'an and /bismillah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim/ in which science and knowledge, from the beginning to the end, is comprised. The interpreter and elucidator of these sciences is the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.), and after him there are his true vicegerents including Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.).(3) . Al-Fatihah, Magnificent Honour of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) :

Sura Al-Fatihah, more so than the other Suras in the Holy Qur'an, was revealed to the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) as a great bounty. It stands on a par with the whole Qur'an. The seven verses in the Sura sum up the whole Qur'an : " And We have bestowed upon thee the Seven Oft-repeated (verses) and the Grand Qur'an ", ( Sura Al-Hijr, No. 15, verse 87 ).

This meaning is also referred to in a narration from Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) quoting the Prophet's (p.b.u.h.) tradition who said :" Verily, Allah, the Exalted, has bestowed (His) favours on me particularly for The Opening ' (Al-Fatihah) and has positioned it on a par with the whole Grand Qur'an, and surely Fatihat-ul-Kitab (the Opening of the Qur'an) is the dearest (item) in the treasures of the Arsh, (Throne of Heaven) ".(4) . The Importance of its Recitation :

The recitation of this Sura, because of its extreme importance, is frequently emphasized in Islamic traditions and narrations.

As for its virtue, it is narrated from the holy Prophet(p.b.u.h.) that: " The reward of any Muslim who recites the Sura Opening ', is like that of a person who has recited two thirds of the Qur'an, and so much reward would he receive as if he has given every believing Muslim, man or woman, a free will offering ".(5) . The Titles of the Sura :

There are ten titles given to this Sura, as taken from Islamic narrations and commentary books, thus: Fatihat-ul-Kitab, Umm-ul-Kitab, Umm-ul-Qur'an, Sab-ul-Mathani, Al-Wafiyah, Al-Kafiyah, Ash-Shafiyah, Al-Asas, As-Salat, and Al-Hamd. (6)

* * * Sura Al-Fatihah (The Opening) No. 1 (Verses 1-7)

1. " In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful."

2. " (All) praise is (only) Allah's, the Lord of the Worlds."

3. " The Beneficent, The Merciful."

4. " Master of the Day of Judgement."

5. " Thee (alone) do we worship and of Thee (only) do we seek help."

6. " Guide us (O' Lord) on the Straight Path."

7. " The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy bounties,

not (the path) of those inflicted with Thy wrath, nor (of those) gone astray."

1. " In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful." Commentary :

It is a custom among most people of the world to recite the name of one of their great and very beloved personalities that the worthiness of their work might be elevated. That is, they relate that work to that personality from the very beginning of their endeavour.

Among all beings, the One Who is eternal is only Allah, and, therefore, everything and every activity should begin with His Holy Name. It should be enveloped in His Light, and help should be always asked only from Him. So, in the first verse of the Qur'an, we recite Bism-illah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim', ( In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful ).

This action should not be done only with the tongue, but it should be done truly and meaningfully, because this kind of connection with Him sets work in the right direction and keeps it far from any deviation. For this very reason, such a work will certainly be successful and blessed.

The holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.), in a tradition, has said : " Any important work that begins without mentioning / bismillah /, will remain invalid. "(7) After narrating this tradition, Hadrat Aeir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) added: " For every action that a person wants to do, he/she should recite / bismillah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim /, which means that he/she begins the action with the Name of Allah, and every action that begins with the Name of Allah is blessed. "(8) On the excellence and importance of / bism-il-lah /, it is narrated from Ali-ibn-Musa-r-Rida (a.s.), who has said thus: "

(The holy phrase) Bism-il-lah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim' is closer to the Exalted Name of Allah' than the pupil is to the white of the eye ".(9) Again, Ibn-Abbas narrates from the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) thus:

"As soon as a teacher tells a child to say Bism-il-lah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim' and the child says it, Allah records immunity (from fire) for the child,his or her parents and the teacher".(10) Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has said: " No Holy Book ever came down from heaven but that it began with Bism-il-lah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim' ".(11) In Khisal' by Shaykh Saduq it is cited that Imam Baqir (a.s.) has said: "... When we begin an action, great or small, it is appropriate to recite /bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim/ and that action may be blessed ".(12) In short, the stability and permanence of an action is due to this very relation to Allah.

The phrase / bism-il-lah / at the start of the Sura, teaches us to seek the help of Allah from His pure perfect Essence when we begin any action. That is why Allah, the Exalted, in the first verses revealed to the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) instructed him to ِ initiating the proclamation of Islam ِ perform this great task with the Name of Allah: " Proclaim in the Name of your Lord...",( Sura Al-Alaq, No.96, verse 1 ); and the words of Noah (a.s.) to his followers, at the time of the Flood are: " So he said: Embark ye on the Ark, in the Name of Allah, whether it moves or be at rest! " ( Sura Hud, No. 11, verse 41 ).

Again, Soloman's letter to the Queen of Sheba begins, thus: " It is from Soloman, and is (as follows):In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful' ", ( Sura An-Naml, No. 27, verse 30 ).

Based on the same principle, all of the Suras of the Holy Qur'an, (except Sura At-Taubah, No. 9) begin with /bism-il-lah/(13) in order to pursue the essential aim of guiding man and leading him to prosperity with success, far from getting a taste of defeat.

In any event, when we begin our work with reliance upon the Supreme Power of Allah, Whose Power is above all power, we feel, psychologically speaking, far more powerful; therefore, we may be more confident. We may try more, be more persevering, and more courageous in challenging with difficulties, more hopeful, and, similarly, our intentions and the essence of our actions may be more purified. At the time of beginning any affair, reciting the Name of Allah is the secret to its success.

To whatever extent we further explain this verse, it will still be seen insufficient, because, according to a narration, Hadrat Ali (a.s.), regarding the commentary of the verse, talked to Ibn-Abbas from the beginning of a night until the next morning, but it was only for the commentary of /b/, the first letter of /bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim/.

(14) * * * Explanation : Is the Phrase Bism-il-lah' a Part of Each Sura ? Almost all Islamic scholars unanimously hold the opinion that / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim/ is, as was stated before, a part of Sura Al-Fatihah and, also, of the other Suras of the Qur'an (except Sura At-Taubah, No. 9). In essence, the inclusion of /bism-il-lah/ at the beginning of all Suras of the Holy Qur'an, except the above mentioned one,is a vital piece of evidence bearing witness to this very fact, and the belief is so firm that no change has been made in the Qur'an and nothing has been added to it since it was revealed to the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.).

Muawiyat-ibn-Ammar, one of the companions of Imam Sadiq (a.s.), said that he had asked the Imam whether he should say /bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / at the beginning of Sura Al-Fatihah when he stood for prayer, and he (a.s.) replied: " Yes ". He had questioned him (a.s.), again, as to if he should recite /bism-il-lah/ when Sura Al-Fatihah ended and before reciting the next Sura.

Then, Imam Sadiq (a.s.), again, answered: " Yes ".(15) Dar Qutni, a Muslim learned researcher, according to a sound document, narrates from Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) that someone asked him (a.s.):" What is As-Sab-al-Mathani (Seven Verses)?" " It is Sura Al-Hamd ",he (a.s.) answered. The man said: " Sura Al-Hamd consists of six verses ". He (a.s.) replied: " Bism-illah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim ' is also one verse. "

(16) Moreover, Muslims have always preserved the practice of reciting / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / at the beginning of every Sura ( except Sura 9 ) when reciting the Holy Qur'an, and it has been proven, on numerous accounts, that the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) used to recite it, too.

It has been said that Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) was asked to say whether / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / was a part of Sura Al-Fatihah. He (a.s.) answered: " Yes, the Messenger of Allah used to recite it and considered it one verse (of the verses) of the Sura, and he said that Fatihat-ul-Kitab (The Opening) is the same as Sab-al-Mathani ' (seven verses) "

(17) Allah, the Most Inclusive Name of God The term / ism / in the phrase / bism-il-lah /, as men of letters in Arabic literature say, is originally derived from / sumuww / with the meaning of height, elevation'. The reason why any noun' is called by an appellation ' is that after choosing to call a noun' by the particular given name' (ism), the hidden meaning of the expression appears, and the sense of the name' is elevated, therefore forsaking meaninglessness.

In the phrase / bism-il-lah /, the word Allah is the most complete and comprehensive name among the Lord's many names. This is because each of Allah's names, which are found in the Holy Qur'an, as well as in other Islamic sources, truly reflects one particular aspect of Allah's Attributes. In other words, the only name that refers to all of His Attributes of Glory and Beauty, is Allah. That is why other names are often used as modifiers for the word Allah'.

For example, " Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful",(Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2,verse 226), refers to Allah's forgiveness; " ...Allah heareth and knoweth all things ", (No. 2, verse 227) shows His being well-acquainted with what is audible and what comes to pass, respectively; " And Allah sees well all that you do", (Sura Al-Hujurat, No. 49, verse 18) states that He has information on every thing that is done by anyone; " Surely Allah is He Who gives (all) sustenance, the Lord of Power, steadfast (for ever) ", (Sura Ath-Thariyat, No. 51, verse 58) points to His giving sustenance to all creatures and, at the same time, discloses that He is powerful and firm in His actions.

And, finally, Sura Al-Hashr, No. 59, verses 23,24 reveals some other Attributes of Allah. The terms Creator ' and Evolver ' are suggestive of His creativeness and inventiveness, and Bestower of Forms ' indicates His giving shapes: " Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god; the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme (in creating all creatures)...."

He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms, to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names... ." Another piece of evidence which is a clear indication that this Name, Allah, is all-inclusive is that the acceptance of Faith, in Islam, is possible only by reciting the sentence: / la ilaha illalah / " There is no god, but Allah "; and each of the other phrases such as: All-Knowing ' or Creator ', or Bestower of Sustenance ', and the like, alone, is not sufficient enough to proclaim as evidence of Monotheism in Islam.

And, that is why in religions other than Islam, the God of Muslims is referred to as Allah ', because it is only Muslims who use Allah ' to refer to what they do worship. * * * Allah's General and Specific Mercy:

The words ar-Rahman' (The Beneficent) and ar-Rahim' (The Merciful) are adjectives, both derived from ar-Rahmah' (Mercy).

The former word, the Beneficent, as it is popularly recognized among some commentators, refers to the General Mercy of Allah which is bestowed upon all creatures, among them are the believers and the disbelievers, good-doers and evildoers. And, as we can see, the Divine bounties of life are distributed everywhere and all human beings enjoy the endless merits therein. This is their sustenance. They draw it out of the abundant blessings encompassing the whole world of existence.

The word ar-Rahim' (The Merciful) refers to that Specific Mercy that is endowed upon the believing, obedient servants alone. The believers, because of their true belief, good actions, and faithful active obedience, deserve this special, exclusive mercy, of which the disbelievers are deprived.

The particular fact ratifying this topic is that the word Rahman is always used in the Qur'an with the meaning of an infinite form of mercy, which is a sign of its generality, while the word Rahim is sometimes used with the meaning of a finite form, which is a sign of its specificity such as: "... And He is full of Mercy to the Believers ", (Sura Al-Ahzab, No. 33, verse 43). And it is sometimes used in an infinite form such as in Sura Al-Fatihah.

A narration from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says: " Allah is the God of all things and is Beneficent to all His creatures, and He is Merciful, especially to the believers."(18) Therefore, at the moment that we initiate any action, when we begin with the Name of Allah, we must seek His Mercy, General and Specific Mercy, both.

It is interesting to note that this power, which has a broad concept much the same as gravitational pull, and has the ability to draw hearts closer together, is the very Attribute of Mercy. This Attribute of Mercy is the very means by which men can attain a close relationship with the Creator, also.