Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Chapter 5

Verse 12

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Surely We give life to the dead, and We write down what they have sent before and their footprints, and We have encompassed everything in a manifest Imam. (36:12)

This world is hidden and the Hereafter is visible

The hearts of most of the Meccans were dead.

Surely you do not make the dead to hear, and you do not make the deaf to hear the call when they go back retreating. (27:80)

It means that you cannot make the dead hear anything. Whatever you say or may not say would not make any difference at all. They are not going to believe. It is so in every age. In every city, there are many whom you may frighten with punishment but they will not stop sinning. So who fears ?

Only he fears who follows the admonition.

A verse of Quran that you recite before him creates an effect in him. They say, “He fears God.” Some say, “Secretly” (without seeing God with physical eyes). Such a person (with a live heart) fears God even where there is no one except God. But most of the commentators have said it means covering or veil. So long as one does not die, one is in a covering; that is, there is a curtain between him and God, angels, grave and the other world. When death comes, all this appears before him clearly. So fearing is important only now (while one is alive) and when one does not see the above things. When one dies and actually sees the Divine Kingdom fear is not of any use.

Fearfulness of Yusuf in secrecy

Quran narrates that when Zulaikha caught hold of Yusuf in a closed room, she threw her veil on an idol saying, “It is not proper to commit a bad deed before you.” Yusuf said, “How is it that you are mindful of a lifeless idol while I should not be mindful of the Omniscient Lord?”

O’ the one who keeps other people’s wealth unlawfully! There is no proof against you, but God knows it. Others may not be able to recover these possessions, however, God is able to do it. One who has fear in his heart is alive. Admonishments can benefit him. Those are the true worshippers (who pray and fast during Ramadan).

Fasting is an act purely for God :

…so announce to him forgiveness and an honorable reward…(36:11)

The Arabic equivalent of ‘forgiveness’ above indicates a general or indefinite adjective for magnifying something. It means a great admonition accompanied by a valuable prize. Definitely, God will compensate suitably.

So their Lord accepted their prayer: That I will not waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female, the one of you being from the other; they, therefore, who fled and were turned out of their homes and persecuted in My way and who fought and were slain, I will most certainly cover their evil deeds, and I will most certainly make them enter gardens beneath which rivers flow; a reward from Allah, and with Allah is yet better reward. (3:195)

Tastes ‘Kauthar’ at the last moment and dies

Since you turned towards Him, He would not neglect you, especially with regard to the dear youths in the earlier part of their lives.

At the time of death they would be allowed to taste the water of Kauthar (the Divine delicious stream).

Eat and drink pleasantly for what you did beforehand in the days gone by. (69:24)

They fasted for one whole month. They desired food and drink but refrained for the sake of and to please Only One God. “So now taste this drink at the hand of the King of Guidance, Moon of Guidance, Lion of God, that is, Asadullah al Ghalib Ali bin Abi Talib (‘a).” There are still some believers whose breath has not yet stopped, but who continue to taste from it. There is a narration from Imam Baqir (‘a) wherein he is reported to have said on oath that such noble people will not die until they taste the Kauthar water.

The moment of death is indeed very hard. How can one taste something good at that time? But we should know that once he tastes that divine water offered by the Cup-bearer of Kauthar (Imam Ali) he gives up his life happily.

I know of a man who was on his deathbed. At his last moment, people around him experienced a wonderful fragrance of musk and the departing believer said, “Please leave me alone the Imam is arriving.”

Can one in charge of orphans’ property who due to the fear of Allah did not misappropriate a single penny and gave up everything be like one who usurped the orphans’ rights without any qualms?

Shall We treat those who believe and do good like the mischief-makers in the earth? Or shall We make those who guard (against evil) like the wicked? (38:28)

News of Resurrection is a good tiding for the virtuous and a warning for sinners

This is one of the proofs of Resurrection. Life after death must be true, otherwise it would be against Divine wisdom. One who denies the world of reward and punishment has denied God. The final result of this grand universe would be seen in the form of the Great Grace of God in the Hereafter. Today’s worldly life is an active first phase of sowing the seeds and the time of harvest is the Hereafter, after death.

Surely We give life to the dead…

“O Muslims! Congratulations to you. We enliven the dead. O disbelievers! Beware!”

When a man dies, his dress changes. He gets a fresh life. Physical body and headaches go away. He gets another body which is fine and without material losses. It is a repose from incompetence. It is the result of a material body. Various kinds of pains belong to the physical body. The Barzakh body needs no doctor or medicine.

Once an old lady came to the Holy Prophet (‘s) and, inter alia, said to him, “Please pray that God admits me to paradise.” The Holy Prophet (‘s) who wanted to bring in some humor said, “There would be no old women in paradise.” The poor aged woman began to weep. The Prophet said, “Old ladies become youthful and then enter paradise.”[14]

Surely We give life to the dead…

Immediately after death, the soul gets connected with the facsimile body, which is exactly like this our present body. The earthen body goes away and a shadowless, fine body takes its place.

…and We write down what they have sent before and their footprints…

Every deed of yours is cognized by the Lord of the Worlds. Every work that you did for God is a great deed. We record it, not only in your scroll of deeds but also in the Protected Tablet (Lauhe Mahfooz). All good and bad deeds are being noted.

Children and everlasting deeds are the imprints we leave at death

…their footprints…

Most commentators say that “…what they have sent before,” means what you sent forth before your death and “…their footprints…” means that which you get after your death. According to some narrations, after death, man is disconnected from all things except, firstly: Children. If possible, train you children nicely with piety and entrust them to the society. Every good deed performed by them would benefit their parents in the other world also.

Second: An everlasting good deed. For example, you published a religious book. You benefit from it even after your death. Charitable trusts too are among the everlasting imprints. If possible, one may spend some of his wealth in the path of God without depriving his children.

Income of a salt mine and mourning for Husain (‘a)

Once the late Al Haajj Shaykh Abdul Husain Tehrani, teacher of Haji Noori, said from a pulpit, “Last night I had a dream. I saw one of the state nobles, Nasiruddin Shah having a huge apartment and he was in a very good condition. I said to him, ‘I have known you when I was in Tehran. I could see that your deeds were not deserving for this present good condition.’ He replied, ‘Yes, but I have been granted this position after my death due to one thing. I had a salt mine in Taliqan. I had willed that its income be sent to Najaf-e-Ashraf during Ashura (First ten days of Muharram) of Husain (‘a) so that people may arrange mourning ceremonies.’”

When the Shaykh said these words, the late Haajj Shaykh Nazar Ali Taliqani spoke up from the base of the pulpit, “I am from Taliqan and I testify that this is a true dream. The salt mine still exists and the aforesaid person’s will is still in force.”[15]

It is mentioned in narrations that, in later ages, the dead will get no benefit from the living. You can see what they are doing to the charities. How much misappropriation is going on? They are actually oppressing the dead.[16] The poor fellows hoped to derive the rewards for mourning of Husain (‘a) and feeding people in his name and for that purpose they bequeathed their property, thus should they be oppressed by misappropriation?

Among the deeds of everlasting benefit are wells, canals and trees. Until they last, they benefit the person who dug such canals or planted such trees.

And the everlasting deeds are better for you.

Hours from man’s age after death

The Holy Prophet (‘s) has given us glad tidings when he said that after death, there is to come an hour when a treasure will be opened so extensively that if it is distributed among all the people of hell they will become happy. That will be due to the hour, which you spent in remembrance of God. There also will be an hour when you will see so much pain and trouble that if that pain is distributed among all the people of paradise they will become gloomy and restless. That is the hour, which you spent in sinning. Do not think that such deeds and misdeeds will go away with the wind. No, they will not vanish or blow away.

An hour is also to arrive which is neither like this nor like that and that is the time, which you spend in lawful activities. Of course, they also cause regret because if you only knew you would have spent these hours also in the path of God.

Notes:

[14] Safinatul Bihar vol.2 pg. 538

[15] Darus Salam Haji Noori

[16] These lectures were delivered five years prior to the Islamic Revolution of Iran. It is hoped that now charities are operated honestly.

Chapter 6

Verses 13-15

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

And set out to them an example of the people of the town, when the messengers came to it. When We sent to them two, they rejected both of them, then We strengthened (them) with a third, so they said: Surely we are messengers to you. They said: You are naught but mortals like ourselves, nor has the Beneficent God revealed anything; you only lie. (36:13-15)

Arguments and quarrels with Prophets

Allah says, “We have recited verses telling the story of Antioch and of the arrival of three divine messengers. We have spoken about all this either directly or indirectly. It is known that Isa bin Maryam sent two persons. People beat them up and also imprisoned them. Then he sent a third one by the name Shamoon. He brought the two out of prison. Then together they went to the markets and bazaars and invited people towards monotheism of ‘There is no god except God’, towards denial of idols and temples, and called them towards Only One God and instilled the fear of the Hereafter in their hearts.

As reported by some, about forty persons believed in them but all others indulged in arguments and quarrels and then also fought them. In the beginning, their argument that, “You are nothing but humans like us. There is no difference between you and us. On what basis did God give you revelation and send you to us? The Beneficent Lord has not revealed anything on you.”

It is the same argument put forward by ‘Wathniya’ group who said: All men are similar and of one kind. There is no distinction of one from the other. If the call of the prophets is correct, then God should send an angel. The Holy Quran quotes their argument and then refutes it.

God Almighty says in Surah Anam:

And they do not assign to Allah the attributes due to Him when they say: Allah has not revealed anything to a mortal. (6:91)

The implication of these words is that God has left man in ignorance absurdly and did not make them aware of what will happen after their death. Is it proper to put such an allegation upon the Lord of the worlds? If God leaves man in darkness it would be injustice to man. Tomorrow, on the Day of Judgment, all would say, “O God! Why did You not send a Messenger to us so that we would have followed him?”

O our Lord! Why didst Thou not send to us an apostle, for then we should have followed Thy communications before that we met disgrace and shame. (20:134)

Arguments would not have been completed for them with evidence.

Is man’s need of a guide less than the arching of eyebrows?

Shaykh Abu Ali Sina explicates man’s need of prophets. He says, “Man’s need of a divine messenger is greater than the jutting out of eyebrows. Let us try to find even one person whose eyebrows do not jut out. Besides beautification of face, the arching of eyebrows serves as a drain for the forehead perspiration so that there may be no damage to eyes. Moreover, it is a shade, saving eyes from brightness of light (it controls light falling on eyes).” Then he says, “When God does not overlook a need like this, how would He neglect the matter of sending guides for man?”

But if they say an angel should be sent to guide man and that as he would not be a human being, they would follow him without reservations and thus it would be the completion of argument for all, the Quran’s response is as follows:

And if We had made him angel, We would certainly have made him a man, and We would certainly have made confused to them what they make confused. (6:9)

The messenger must be a human being so that he may sit with them and speak to them. If he is not from the human race he will have no resemblance with man. That is why He says, “Had We wished We would have sent an angel as a guide. But then too he would be necessarily sent in the form of a human being and We would have given him a human face and form and dressed him like humans.”

Acceptance without seeing is more important

At another place Allah says, “If We send an angel in his original form and style and appoint him a guide for men, all of them would die.”

And they say: Why has not an angel been sent down to him? And had We sent down an angel, the matter would have certainly been decided and then they would not have been respited. (6:8)

The Unseen World has predominance over this world and the angel is from the other world. The Angel belongs to the world of incorporeal beings. How can he be sent for you? If he comes with the same corporeal attributes to the world then there is no such world. Secondly, if an angel appears here it would be visible. What is needed is that one should put faith in the Unseen.

Of course, Almighty God has, also given him (the Prophet) some distinction so that people may not say that the messenger also is like us. He has knowledge and power with him. He must also have a miracle. So they brought dead persons to life and so on.

Reverting to our discussion, these three persons said,

Our Lord knows that most surely we are messengers to you.

That is Allah knows and He testifies that we are His messengers towards you. Your denial and your giving a lie to us causes no effect on the main point, that is, on our being the Messengers.

And nothing devolves on us but a clear deliverance (of the message).

Our responsibility and duty is no more than to convey His message to you in a clear manner. We are only entrusted by God Almighty to bring God’s invitation to you explicitly. You may accept it or not. We have conveyed the concepts of monotheism and hereafter to you.

The people turn back and utter nonsense:

They said: Surely we augur evil from you; if you do not desist, we will certainly stone you, and there shall certainly afflict you a painful chastisement from us.

Meaning: We think you are inauspicious and a cause of trouble for us. If you do not leave, we will stone you to death. And we will torture you painfully.

A tanner falls unconscious in perfume market

In Tafsir Ruhul Bayan, in explanation of this verse, a story poem is mentioned and we shall quote it here due to its relevance:

It is said that once a tanner, along with a street sweeper (both of whom were accustomed to dirt and bad smell), came to a market and passed by the shops of perfumers. When the fragrance of perfume reached the nose of the poor tanner, he gave a sigh and fell unconscious. The perfume sellers sprinkled essence of rose and other fragrant flowers on his face, which worsened the condition of the poor tanner. When his companion (the sweeper) saw this, he at once understood the matter. He went aside, brought some dirt and put it near the nose of his companion who soon recovered.

People gathered round him and asked, “O competent physician! What is this wonderful medicine that cured this man?”

The sweeper said, “I am neither Plato nor Aristotle. The fact is that our engagement is always with dirt and dirty things. What have we to do with flowers and fragrance and the smell of roses?”

This story hints at the humanity of man and his being conversant with the higher world. O resident of paradise! If you have perfected your job, the name of death should remind you of your original abode (paradise). If during a long journey, you meet someone coming from your hometown, how do you gather round him and seek the news of your country from him? All your liking is about your native place.

O’ the one whose native place or residence is Paradise, a place of everlasting rest and comfort, that place is after your death. It is near God. You are now on earth, the alien country. During nights you pray in Dua Abu Hamza Thumali: O my God! I am an alien in this world, so have mercy on me. The real destination, the true location (Maqad-e-Sidq), where you will never have any discomfort, is paradise.

Three bounties of paradise, which are better than paradise

There are three bounties in paradise, which for the people of paradise, are more precious than paradise itself and more delightful: Firstly, the pleasure of God or the spiritual bliss. Secondly, the neighborhood of Muhammad, Ali and the Ahle Bayt (‘a) and thirdly, the call of a caller who says: O people of paradise! No exit from here forever. Now there will be no death, no annihilation. This bounty of permanent life gives a pleasure more than paradise itself.

Here this world is alien land (Daarul Ghurbaa). The sign of your being lucky is that you should have longing for your original native place, not that you get frightened by the name death and the other world, and imagine it to be inauspicious. Have you not seen some people who do not even utter the word death? Hearing about someone’s death they exclaim, “What happened! Why!”

This is so because they do not belong to the other world. If one becomes an inhabitant of the Hereafter he likes death and is eager to die. He would not be like Jews who claim to be the chosen people but Quran challenges them:

Say: O you, who are Jews, if you think that you are the favorites of Allah to the exclusion of other people, then invoke death if you are truthful. (62:6)

On the other hand the true believers ardently desire to meet their Lord.

Whoever hopes to meet Allah, the term appointed by Allah will then most surely come…(29:5)

If there is one who does not like everlasting bliss and bounties, if one becomes restless at the name of death, it shows that he has not yet become a man of that world. Otherwise he should be happy just by remembering that world.

I don’t know whether you are thinking about tomorrow or not. In what way and in which state do we die? Quran has described two kinds of death. In one case, the one who is dying, at the time of his or her death, he or she rises up happily and with extreme pleasure, accompanied by angels.

Those, whom the angels cause to die in a good state, saying: Peace be on you: enter the garden for what you did. (16:32)

Another kind of death is when the angels of death whip the face and back.

But how will it be when the angels cause them to die smiting their backs. (47:27)

Chapter 7

Verses 18-21

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

They said: Surely we augur evil from you; if you do not desist, we will certainly stone you, and there shall certainly afflict you a painful chastisement from us. They said: Your evil fortune is with you; what! if you are reminded! Nay, you are an extravagant people. And from the remote part of the city there came a man running, he said: O my people! Follow the messengers; Follow him who does not ask you for reward, and they are the followers of the right course; (36:18-21)

Attributors of bad omens to others suffer badly

The people of Antioch, instead of considering the messengers of God as auspicious for them, attributed bad omens to them and said, “If you do not stop talking like this, we will stone you and give you a painful torture. Do not talk about God and Hereafter in this town. Get out of here at once.”

The messengers replied, “Your bad omen is with you. Adversity is only with you.” If you are warned about idol making it is not a concocted talk. Is this word of admonition ominous and sinister? Is it a bad word if you are asked to make prearrangement for the next world after death?

You are in abomination yourself from head to toe. Your adversity is the very belief of yours. You think that wood is lucky, which is a calamity, which you yourselves bring upon yourself. Everyone who attributes bad omen to others himself gets its bad result. He is not harmed by outsiders.

By the way, people cast bad omens to others and then get badly affected themselves. This is self-made trouble. For example you come out of house and the very first person you see is a blind person; or you see a dead body. You say, “Alas! What is going to happen to me today?” Or if the eye falls on a sick person, one returns home saying, “Today I will not go to work.” Or, as it used to happen in olden days, when people were preparing to go on a journey. If then a bird moved from their left side, they considered it to be a bad omen and they postponed their journey. Even today, some people think that owl is an inauspicious bird. If it sits on roof they imagine it to be a bad sign. They also regard the crowing of a crow as a sign of bad luck. Likewise, in the night of Wednesday or Sunday, if someone arrives to visit a sick person they regard it a bad omen, whereas, there is no reservation for these two days in this world of existence, rather they are also like all other days of the week. If some think that this visit worsened the condition of the sick person, it is superstition. As a general rule, such bad omens do not have any external harm. The incorrect and superstitious belief itself brings adverse effect. Its misfortune clings to them. This suffering is due to the falseness of belief and due to the sinisterness of that point.

Muhammad (‘s) never made a sortilege

You should be respectful towards the last Prophet, Muhammad (‘s). Throughout his life he never resorted to bad omen and he always hated it. On the contrary, he was pleased with good augury. You too must be like that. For example if you come out of your house and see Mirza Nasrullaah. You can say, “Good, good! Help (Nasr) of God is with us.” God would surely fulfill this.

It is mentioned in the events of the Holy Prophet (‘s) that once, while migrating, a man came to him. The Prophet asked, “What is your name?” The man replied, “Abu Bardah.” The Prophet said, “Our work became cold.” That is it was nice.[17] Then he asked, “To which tribe do you belong?” The man replied, “Bani Aslam.”

The Holy Prophet said, “We are in safety”.[18] This is taking good augury and it is a tradition of the Holy Prophet. Strengthen our hopes with respect to what we encounter. Hope for good results. Thus you have relied on God hoping for good, which you would surely get. If you expect bad as a result of improper belief, coldness from the Grace of God may overtake you. It then is due to inauspiciousness in your own self. You did not see God. Instead you looked at the creation. The adversity of imagining bad omen is by way of polytheism and disbelief whereas hoping for good is through guidance of God.

…what! if you are reminded!

Meaning: If we warn you along with admonitions, should you abuse us? Is the response to admonition hitting with stick and stone? We are your well-wishers. We are showing the path of salvation and to remedy your inner diseases, but:

Nay, you are an extravagant people.

You yourselves are extravagants. You are exceeding limits. Whoever crossed limits of moderation, acted absolutely against wisdom in his behavior with God and His creation and even with himself or herself, as well as with spouse, children and relatives is an extravagant. Every extremism is extravagance. To abuse an admonisher is extremism. There are many people who become angry if they are advised.

Supporters of prophets slain

And from the remote part of the city there came a man running,

In this populous town that was twelve miles in length the three sages did not leave a single area without giving people therein an invitation towards Oneness of God and Hereafter. According to some narrations the number of persons who accepted their admonition and put faith in them were not more than forty. Then, one day, the unbelievers caught them all, installed gallows and put the believers to death. They pierced their necks and hanged them on gallows so as to torture them painfully before killing them. While this cruelty was being meted out to good people, its news reached the convent of Habib Najjar at the other extreme of the town.

Habib Najjar rises up to support the messengers

And a believing man who hid his faith said... (40:28)

Habib Najjar had concealed his faith and he apparently worked as a carpenter spending half his income in the path of God (charity) and using half for himself. This sage came out of his monastery and saw that the lives of the messengers were in danger. He tried his best to reach them soonest and save their lives. Almighty Allah, praises the supporter of His Messengers in this verse of the Holy Quran.

Three persons who took lead in putting faith

A narration quoted in the Quranic commentary Durre Manthur says that Habib Najjar was the second of the preceding ones (Sibaaq) among all men.[19] It denotes one who is having great status among people after the messengers. There are three such persons in the nations. The first is the believer of the people of Firaun.

And a believing man of Firon's people who hid his faith said: What! Will you slay a man because he says: My Lord is Allah, and indeed he has brought to you clear arguments from your Lord? And if he be a liar, on him will be his lie, and if he be truthful, there will befall you some of that which he threatens you (with); surely Allah does not guide him who is extravagant, a liar: (40:28)

Whose details are given in Surah “Ha Mim” Fussilat who came in the way of the killing of Moosa (‘a) and prevented Firaun from assassinating him.

Second is the believer of Yasin, the same Habib Najjar about whom the Holy Quran says:

And from the remote part of the city there came a man running…

The third is the king of Wilayat, the Victorious Lion of Allah, Ali bin Abi Talib (‘a) who supported the Holy Prophet (‘s) while no one from the Muslims preceded him in accepting Islam.

Moreover, it is the same person who testified to the Prophethood of Muhammad (‘s) six hundred years before his advent in this world. It is mentioned in books of history that Habib Najjar was one of those who had seen the prophecy of the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (‘s) in the heavenly books and also read about the attributes of the Holy Prophet and had put faith in him.

A sympathetic savant and selfless truth-teller is worth following

This noble man who was a believer in Only One God rushed to the scene and cried, “O people! Follow the messengers.” Obey them who do not want any recompense. This is the proof of Prophethood. O wise people! If someone has three attributes, viz wisdom, selflessness and truthfulness, then reason demands that he must be followed.

Everyone who has wisdom and who also has no selfishness and is also speaking nothing but truth is such that his guidance must be accepted. If there is a doctor, a specialist of some illness and if you know that he has no lust for money and who examines your children without any personal gain, then reason demands that you act upon his instructions. But if he is not knowledgeable or only after moneymaking, then it would not be advisable to act on his instructions.

This noble soul said:

O my people! follow the messengers; Follow him who does not ask you for reward,

Meaning: O People! Follow the messengers who do not ask for anything from you, neither wealth nor kingdom, name or fame in exchange of this guidance. Do they have any material desire? No! Thus this is the proof of their Prophethood.

and they are the followers of the right course;

That is they are rightly guided.

What is wealth? Lure a child with it. Muhammad is aware of the Hourie so how can he overlook the divine invitation for the sake of a woman? And kingdom? It is nothing except adversity. He accepted the hardship and painfulness of Prophethood and suffered tortures inflicted by people.

Messengers never demand compensation for propagation

They never demanded any wages:

Indeed my recompense is upon Allah.

In the final days of the Prophet’s life some people assembled and said among themselves, “Muhammad (‘s) has to entertain many guests. His expenditure is high. Let us give him some money as he has many rights over us. The following verse was revealed:

Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives; (42:23)

You intend to compensate Muhammad (‘s), but it is only God Who will do this. If you so desire, then do one thing: as a token of recompense of his messengership, be kind and behave nicely with his household, which is also for your own good.

Say: Whatever reward I have asked of you, that is only for yourselves; my reward is only with Allah, and He is a witness of all things. (34:47)

It is clearly mentioned in the Holy Quran that what I asked from you in the form of friendship and ‘Khums’ is also for you and only for your benefit.

Notes:

[17] In Arabic “Barada” means cold - Tr.

[18] In Arabic “Salama” means ‘Safety’

[19] Tafsir Noorus Thaqalain vol. 4, pg. 384

Chapter 8

Verses 20-21

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

And from the remote part of the city there came a man running, he said: O my people! follow the messengers; Follow him who does not ask you for reward, and they are the followers of the right course; (36:20-21)

As we have said, when they wanted to kill the messengers, the man of God, Habib Najjar, who was living at the farthest end of the town, swiftly rushed to help the religion of God and to assist the messengers. He said, “O my people! Follow the messengers. Obey them who do not ask for any remuneration from you and who themselves are rightly guided.”

We have also said that there are two proofs of messengership. Wisdom and intelligence demand that if one has these two virtues then his word must be accepted. Firstly, he should be well informed and rightly guided. He must have walked on the path and then should give news of it.

Who is more fit for being a guide worthy of obedience, the one who shows the right path or the one who is unaware of the path and himself in need of a guide?

Say: Is there any of your associates who guides to the truth? Say: Allah guides to the truth. Is He then Who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who himself does not go aright unless he is guided? (10:35)

If one who is ignorant and unaware says, “Follow me,” then obeying such an ignorant person is not correct. It is not proper for one to go after every voice, to follow every group or party. Incorporate the whole and entire divine law in your life schedule.

If somebody asks you to follow him, you should see whether he himself is following and obeying the truth? May be he is on the wrong side.

Cheaters talk of reforms in deceitful words

The second condition is that one should not be selfish. Making a show of sympathy, cheaters attract me with various talks. They talk of reforms and claim to be reformers. They feign sympathy of workers and poor whereas they are very fond of status and always desire coming to power or have a lust for wealth.

Just see what is their aim in talking like this? All false groups do like this whether communists or Christians. For example, take the institution of Pope. They run hospitals in various cities while propagating Christianity undercover. What is their intention behind these hospitals? Why have they embraced Christianity? If one leaves monotheism and adopts trinity does he become rightly guided? No, rather they want to increase their numerical strength and then exploit the people.

Refer to Anisul A’laam of Late Fakhrul Islam. He has exposed these facts. They have nothing to do with religion, reform and morality. If they talk about these things, it is for exploitation. They have material aims and interests, which are not heavenly or divine in any way.

Dawood earned his livelihood by making armors

A narration from Imam Sadiq (‘a) is found in the book Man laa yahzuruhul faqeeh according to which Dawood (‘a) received a revelation from God, “O Dawood! Your every deed is good except that is you do not know any craft and therefore live off the public treasury.”

Dawood (‘a) appealed to God, “O Lord! Grant me a skill that I may not have to take anything from the public treasury.” Thus God made iron soft for his hand.[20] Then he began to make amours and sell them for three hundred dirhams each. He spent half that amount in the path of God and the remaining half on his needs so that people may know that he had no eye on public treasury and then they may believe in what he says to them.

Ali (‘a) worked on plantations so that people may rest assured that he had no lust for money and position. He used to carry dates on his shoulders and sowed them with his own hands. After taking all this trouble and after taking so much pain, when the fruits arrived he sold the produce for twelve thousand dirhams and gave away all of it to the poor without taking a dirham home.

One day he ascended the pulpit and announced, “O People! Prepare for your journey to the Hereafter. Fear God’s anger.” They now understood that Ali (‘a) tells the truth; that he has no self interest and he desires neither wealth nor rulership.

Noteworthy points from the life of Muhammad(‘s)

Books of narrations have recorded all the specialties of the Holy Prophet’s ways of eating, dressing, living and socializing. Among those books is Tabarsi’s Makarimul Akhlaq also, wherein all such things are recorded. In the chapter of food it is mentioned that Anas says, “I prepared food for the Holy Prophet for nine years. There was a she goat in the Prophet’s house that I mulched. Ladies in the holy house made barley bread. Sometimes there were dates and salt to eat with bread.”

Ayesha said, “During the Prophet’s lifetime sometimes no food was cooked for forty days at a stretch. Prosperity started after his passing away.”

Biharul Anwar mentions about the Prophet’s clothes that once people brought a piece of cloth for him. It was fourteen meters long. Then they doubled it and put it under the Prophet as a mattress. When he used to get up he used to put it on his shoulder like a cloak.

During the last two or three years of his life, the Prophet’s body weakened to some extent and he used to say, “Surah Hud made me thin, old, and weak.” In some other narrations it is mentioned that Surah Naba and Surah Hud made the Holy Prophet weak. The wives said, “Make his mattress four fold as his body has become very weak.” That night he slept a little more and woke a little late at dawn. Looking at the softness of mattress he said, “You have done injustice to me. The earlier state was better.”

House of the Holy Prophet and returning of trusts at the time of his passing away

From the viewpoint of living - It was in this very place where his holy grave is now situated. There were nine rooms plus one room for Zahra (s.a.). But what a strange house! In fact it was a small cottage having mud walls and its roof was made of bamboo.

Ghazzali has quoted one of the teachers that it would have been better had the residences of the Holy Prophet (‘s) been kept in their original condition so the coming generations might have been impressed by the Prophet’s piety and austerity. Had he wished, he could have constructed a house with gold and silver bricks. But he used to say, “I like to live like the poorest people of my community.”

Thus was the lifestyle of our Prophet. It is written in Naskihut Tawarikh that at his last moments the Holy Prophet (‘s) called Imam Ali (‘a), handed over a purse containing some dirhams to him and said, “O Ali! Give this to the poor.” Then, addressing himself, the Prophet said, “O Muhammad! What will you do if this money remains with you at the time of your death?”

This is the lifestyle of one about whom God said:

He does not demand any recompense from people.

He himself is rightly guided and he has no self-interest at all and only such a personality is a divine guide.

Selfless Jurist and instructions without wages

Now behold! From Shia viewpoint, the Imam’s representative and a religious jurist (Marjaa-e-Taqleed) should also be one without desires and lusts. He himself must be a strong believer with certainty, he must have no material interest and he also should never wish that more and more people follow him.

Therefore, guidance in lieu of wages is invalid. Some have created doubtful variations. They say the topic is not guidance. It is not Amr Bil Maroof and Nahy Anil Munkar (Ordering good and prohibiting bad things), but that it applies to deputyship of the founder for quoting traditions or making people weep etc. People come and go. It is necessary that someone makes them active. This is the way of reasoning from pulpits nowadays.

Ibne Ziyad also was deceived by his own words

Ibne Ziyad also once tried to put in motion the problem of Kerbala. Deceiving words came from pulpits. After prayers he ascended the pulpit, gave a sermon and said, “Is revolt not a bad thing? Of course it is bad. Well, now Husain has revolted so let him be removed.”

No one got up to say, “You have raised a revolt, you created anarchy in peaceful Kufa, how much blood did you spill?”

Had Husain (‘a) any lust for luxuries and comforts of this life or had he any desire for rulership and kingdom, he would have joined Yazid soon after the death of Muawiyah. But, then Husain (‘a) is the son of Ali (‘a) who said, “O world! You may fool others except me.” Ali (‘a) is not your buyer; that is, your buyer is Muawiyah.

Well, can one who has recognized Husain (‘a) have any doubt about his truthfulness and the correctness of his claim?

Note:

[20] Surah Saba 34:10