7- SOME ASPECTS OF THE SHARI‘A
In this section we shall briefly examine some of the lustrous features of theShari‘a
of Islam namely, making oneself pure for worship, the noble sanctuaries, non-ritual prayers, congregational prayers, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is reprehensible,i‘tikaf
, calling to what is good, recalling memorable past events, the utter allegiance to theAhl
al-Bayt
and disassociation from their enemies.
PURIFICATION IN ISLAM:
Question:
What is meant by making oneself pure?
Answer:
Purification in Islam is of four kinds:
1. Purifying the soul from bad tendencies, such as jealousy, miserliness, anger, cowardliness and other base qualities.
2. Purifying bodily parts from things which are incompatible with Islam, as for instance, purifying the eye from treacherous glances, purifying the tongue from idle talk and so on.
3. Purifying the body and its various parts from things which are dirty, because Islam makes it obligatory to clean oneself thoroughly from urine, blood, stools and other impurities. Also Islam commends purifying and cleansing anything which has become dirty or filthy and this does not only apply to the body but to everything with which the Muslim comes into contact in the way of clothes, tableware and cooking utensils, carpets and so on.
4. Cleaning both the body and the soul together in one of the following three circumstances:-
A. Performing ablutions after eachhadath
.
ABLUTIONS (WUDU’)
Question:
What is ahadath
?
Answer:
Ahadath
applies to urinating, making stools, flatulence,sleep
, (for a woman) a minor discharge of blood -istihada
qalila
, and it applies to anything which causes mental confusion such as imbibing alcoholic drinks, fainting and the like.
Question:
How should ablutions be performed?
Answer:
The manner of performing ablutions is as follows:
1. Washing the face from the hairline to the chin.
2. Washing of the right hand from the elbow to the tip of the fingers.
3. Washing of the left hand from the elbow to the tip of the fingers.
4. Wiping the front part of the head with the moisture from the underside of the right hand.
5. Wiping the top surface of the two feet with the moisture from the palms of both hands, respectively.
COMPLETE WASH (GHUSL)
B. A wash of the entire body, which is of two kinds:
1. Obligatory complete wash.
2. Recommended complete wash.
Question:
When is a complete wash obligatory?
Answer:
A complete wash must be taken in the following six instances:
1.Janaba
: that is after the ejaculation of semen or penetration.
2. Menstruation: this is blood which awomen
usually sees being discharged once a month.
3. The discharge of blood etc (lochia
) after childbirth.
4. (For a woman), discharge of blood, other than the monthly menstruation and a minor menstruation - for a full explanation reference should be made to a more detailed volume.
5. Touching a corpse: a complete wash becomes obligatory if one touches the dead body of a human being after it has grown cold and before it has been washed.
6. A dead person: it is obligatory that he or she be given a complete wash.
Question:
What are the recommended complete washes?
Answer:
There are many such as, for instance, the wash on Fridays, Festival Days
and on the nights of the month of Ramadan.
Question:
What is the mode of taking a complete wash?
Answer:
It can be taken in one of two ways:
1. Submersing oneself: plunging oneself once into pure water, which it is legally permissible to use (halal
), in such a way that the water covers the whole body.
2. Washing in a certain order: firstly washing the head and neck, then the right side of the body and, after that, the left side of the body.
However, one who cannot perform ablutions or take a complete wash is required by Islam to dotayammum
.
TAYAMMUM
Question:
What is that?
Answer:
Tayammum
consists of:
1. Striking the palms of the two hands on clean and legally permissible earth, then shaking them and after that wiping the forehead with the two palms, from the beginning of the hairline up to the top part of the nose.
2. Wiping the upper part of the hands with the palms by first wiping the upper part of the right hand with the palm of the left hand and vice-versa.
3. Again striking the palms of the two hands on the earth and wiping the upper part of the hands with them in the way just described.
Clearly these rites of purification have to be done with the intention of seeking nearness to God and consequently they not only purify a person externally but also cleanse him or her inwardly, since seeking to draw close to God necessitates also the cleansing of the soul.
PLACES for WORSHIP
Question:
What do you mean by places for worship?
Answer:
The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) says: “The ground has been made for me a place of prostration (masjid
) and its earth [made] pure for me”
.
Therefore, in the view of Islam the ground everywhere is suitable for worship, and thus worship has no particular place. Moreover, in Islam, there is no place assigned for the worship of one group of people, and another set up for another group. God Almighty states:
“And turn your faces [to Him] in every place of prostration (masjid
)”[
7: 29].
However Islam has established certain places specifically for worship called mosques (masajid
, sing.masjid
) and encourages worship and the gathering of people in them and has promised a great reward for building them, lighting them and looking after their affairs. Praying in a mosque is preferable to praying elsewhere.
Places for worship are divided into:-
1. Places which are in the highest category of importance such as the al-Haram
Mosque atMakka
, the Mosque of the Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) at al-Madina
, the Mosque ofKufa
, (near the city of Najaf), the Mosque of Basra in the city of Basra, and theSakhr
al-Sharif (the Dome of the Rock)
at
Jerusalem in Palestine.
2. Places that are in the second category of importance such as theSahla
mosque near Najaf and theBaratha
mosque
betweenKadhimayn
and Baghdad.
3. Places at the third level of importance whichare
all the other mosques which Muslims have built throughout the world. They vary one from another in status as has been explained in Islamic jurisprudence.
Question:
Are there special injunctions relating to mosques?
Answer:
Indeed there are. For instance, it is forbidden to defile them and arbitrarily to demolish them. It is also forbidden for a person in a state ofjanaba
or a woman in menstruation or who is in a state oflochial
discharge after childbirth to sit in a mosque, and it is forbidden for those in a state ofjanaba
even to pass through the al-Haram
Mosque atMakka
and the Mosque of the Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) in al-Madina
.
HOLY SHRINES
Question:
Which are the illustrious shrines?
Answer:
These are places where the Prophet and the impeccable Imams have been buried namely:
1. TheHujra
of the Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and hisProgeny )
at al-Madina
in the Hejaz.
2. Al-Baqi
‘ cemetery
at al-Madina
which contains the graves of Imam al-Hasan
al-Mujtaba
, ImamZayn
al-‘Abidin
, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir
and ImamJa‘far
al-Sadiq
(peace be upon them all). The final resting-place of Fatima al-Zahra’ (peace be upon her), the best of all women, is also probably in al-Baqi
‘.
3. The shrine of Imam Amir al-Mu’minin
(peace be upon him) in al-Najaf al-Ashraf
in Iraq.
4. The shrine of Imam al-Husayn
(peace be upon him) in Karbala’, Iraq.
5. The shrines of Imam Musa al-Kadhim
and Imam MuhammadJawad
(peace be upon both of them) in al-Kadhimiyya
, Iraq.
6. The shrine of Imam ‘Ali al-Rida
(peace be upon him) in Mashhad inKhurasan
, Iran.
7. The shrines of Imam ‘Ali al-Hadi
and Imam al-Hasan
al-‘Askari
, and the underground vault of Imam al-Mahdi
(peace be upon them) in Samara’ in Iraq.
8. Other shrines approach to some degree the unique status of the above as, for instance, the shrine of al-‘Abbas
(peace be upon him) in Karbala’, the shrine ofSayyida
Zaynab
(peace be upon her) at Damascus, and the shrines of other Prophets like the shrine ofDhu
Kifl
(peace be upon him), and the shrine of Musa(Kalim
- Allah - peace be upon him).
Question:
Do these shrines enjoy a special superiority?
Answer:
Yes, for the reason that the Prophets of God and His deputies (awsiya’uhu
) and those who are near and close to God are buried there.
Question:
Please explain some aspects of this superior status.
Answer:
The special injunctions which apply to mosques (as set out above) also apply to these holy shrines with the addition that supplications are particularly recommended in the mausoleum of Imam al-Husayn
(peace be upon him). The latter is characterized by other privileges as are the rest of the shrines.
Question:
Does merely being present at these shrines also carry reward and recompense?
Answer:
Yes, for Islam has highly recommended that the Muslims visit the graves of the Prophet, his Daughter and the impeccable Imams (peacebe
upon them all) since such visits will receive an abundant reward in the hereafter. Moreover Islam has specified particular occasions which are preferable to other times for such visits.
If in today’s world we see that the tomb of the Unknown Soldier has become a spot to visit, thus encouraging people to defend their homeland and as a mark of esteem for the soldiers who are killed on the battlefield, so in Islam there are well-known leaders and if people only were to follow them they would acquire blessings in this world and happiness in the world to come.
Therefore we see that the shrines of the Prophet and the impeccable Imams are as a torch for Islam and the source of abundant happiness.
In particular the prayers for visiting the Prophet and the Imams are in themselves lessons and a method for right belief. For example, in one of the prayers written for the visit to the shrine of Imam Amir al-Mu’minin
(peace be upon him), ‘Ali is extolled as the one who is, “Just with the peopleparcelling
out justice with impartiality”.
From this sentence we glean the principle of justice and the need to be impartial when dealing with the rights of others.
In one of the prayers written for the visit to the sanctuary of Imam al-Husayn
we read:
“I bear witness that you are purity, pure and made pure and that you are from the offspring of purity, the pure and those who have been made pure. You yourself are pure and so through you the land was purified, the earth in which you lie is pure because of you, and your sanctuary is pure.”
We learn from this that it is incumbent upon man to make his heart, body and everything with which he comes into contact pure and to makepure
the land in which he dwells. Should not the pilgrim follow the example of Imam al-Husayn
(peace be upon him) through whom the land was purified?
Question:
Are there other advantages for visiting the shrines on special occasions?
Answer:
Yes, the same benefits that were mentioned for the Hajj, since during the special occasions for visiting the shrines of the impeccable Imams, people come together from every place and so the benefits that are obtained from the Hajj (already listed above) are obtained from these visits too.
SUPPLICATION
Question:
What are meant by supplications
and why should we make them?
Answer:
Supplication is tantamount to the words man utters to his Creator in which he asks God for a need, expresses a grievance, praises his Lord, enumerates the blessings and benefits bestowed upon him or seeks His guidance concerning something which either he is inclined to do or has an aversion from doing.
The benefits of supplication consist in:
1. Man linking himself with the Creator of the universe.
2. Strengthening the soul since if man realizes that he is bound to God the Mighty, his soul gains strength and the strength of the soul is the source of courage and fearlessness.
3. Bringing about serenity and inner peace, for serenity diffuses happiness.
4. Instilling what is good in the soul and keeping the believer from bad things due to the inspiration which is got from making supplications.
5. Leading the supplicant toa recognition
of what is good and what is evil since prayers elucidate this.
Identification of good and evil, for invocations always contain this.
6. Moreover, God Almighty replies to supplication, just as He says in the Holy Qur’an:
“And your Lord said: Pray to me and I will answeryou ”
[40: 60]
and
so the needs of a believer for this world and the hereafter are fulfilled.
In short, Islamic supplications are a perpetual source of learning the like of which is not found in any other faith or religion, and from which man benefits, beginning from his earliest days until the last moments of his life.
Question:
Please give an example of a supplication.
Answer:
We will mention here, as an example, parts of the supplication of Imam al-Sajjad
(peacebe
upon him) from his prayer to acquire “The most beautiful virtues”
:
“O God extend your sustenance upon me and do not try me by my looking at [what other people have got]; give me strength and do not afflict me with arrogance; make me Your slave and do not spoil my worship by my becoming absorbed with myself; cause me to be a means of doing good for others; do not blot out my good deeds because of my making others feel that they are indebted to me; grant that I treat others in the noblest way and protect me from self-congratulation”
“O God pour out Your blessings upon Muhammad and his Progeny and guide me that I combat one who has cheated me, with kindness; that I reward the one who has decided to have nothing to do with me, with munificence; that I remunerate one who has deprived me, with generosity; that I requite one who had cut off any association with me, by visiting him; and oppose one who had spoken behind my back, by speaking well of him; and may I be grateful for anyfavour
[shown to me] and overlook anything done against me.”
“O God pour out Your blessings upon Muhammad and his Progeny and I beseech You that I may not be oppressed, since you have the power to defend me; that I do not oppress [others], since you have the power to restrain me; that I am not led astray, since you are able to guide me; that I shall not be in need, since my well-being is in your hands; and that I do not maltreat [others], since any power I have is from You”.
Anyone who scrutinizes the supplications of the Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) and the Imams, some of which have been included in the volumes called al-Qur’anwa-’l-du‘a
’ in Bihar al-anwar
, or inMafatih
al-jinan
or al-Sahifa
al-Sajjadiyya
will realize that supplications are indeed a great treasure that can be used to make man happy both in this life and the hereafter.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER (SALAT AL-JAMA’A)
Question:
What is meant byjama‘a
?
Answer:
This is congregational prayer. Islam encourages Muslims to offer together their five daily prayers in congregation behind an imam, on condition that he is just, which means that he must be someone sincere in his religion. Throughout the Islamic World from the time of the Prophet, who was the one to establish congregational prayers, until today Muslims have gathered early in the morning to pray together the dawn prayer, at noon for the noon and afternoon prayers and at sunset for the sunset and early evening prayers.
They usually gather in specific places, such as the shrines of the Imams and in mosques, and prayer behind one of the Muslims whom they know to lead a good and upright life and they perform their obligatory prayers doing what he does in the way of standing, sitting, bowing and prostrating.
Question:
What do we gain from praying together?
Answer:
The benefits of congregational prayer are many and they include:
1. Unifying the Muslims in a practical way: every day a Muslim with great responsibilities stands next to a subordinate, a white Muslim next to a black one, a rich Muslim next to a poor one and so on, all before the one Lord, no one being distinguishable from another. At these times all share similar sentiments. Class and other distinctions disappear and from this can come nothing but good.
2. Cooperation will occur when Muslims meet together, since everyone will get to know each other individually, friends will then help each other when help is needed and there will be general concern if someone is absent or going through difficult times.
3. Inculcating discipline in the hearts of those who are praying, for congregation is one of the best forms of discipline. If it becomes ingrained in the character of a Muslim he will be organized in all his doings.
4.Benefiting
from homilies and guidance which are given to the congregation before the prayers or, as is usually the case, afterwards. Muslims in these congregations are made aware of the calamities that beset the Muslims throughout the world so as to get them to participate, not only with their hearts in the grief of those who have been afflicted, but also to participate by doing something practically. Therefore we notice that those who are in the habit of praying together are highly informed about religion and we also notice that, as a consequence of the sermons and homilies which are delivered on these occasions, those who pray congregational prayers are more upright and scrupulous than others in the various fields of life. The benefits accruing from praying in congregation continue to this day.
ENJOINING WHAT IS GOOD and FORBIDDING WHAT IS REPREHENSIBLE
Question:
What does this mean?
Answer:
Islam enjoins what is good, whether it is to make something obligatory or to cause something to be recommended. The good which Islam enjoins is calledma‘ruf
.
Similarly, it also forbids what is reprehensible, either by causing certain things to be absolutely forbidden or by saying that certain actions are best kept away from. Bad things are calledmunkar
.
Consequently Islam has ordered Muslims to enjoin what isma‘ruf
(good things) and forbidmunkar
(bad actions). Thus, with this law the deviations in any community are set straight, people are guided towards correct Islamicbehaviour
and they are saved from evil things and crimes.
In the Qur’an, God says: “You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind, you enjoin what is good and you forbid what is reprehensible”[
3: 110].
The Prophet Muhammad (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) likened enjoining good and forbidding what is reprehensible to a person in a boat who, while at sea, starts making a hole in it. If the other passengers grab hold of him, he and they will be saved but if they leave him to carry on, both he and they will perish Imam Amir al-Mu’minin
(peace be upon him) said: “See to it that you command what is good (ma‘ruf
) and forbid what is reprehensible (munkar
) otherwise the evil amongst you will surely gain the upper hand, whereupon you will ask God to help you but your prayers will not be granted”
.
I‘TIKAF
Question:
What isi‘tikaf
?
Answer:
I‘tikaf
consists of staying in the mosque for a period of three days or more during which the Muslim fasts in the daytime and refrains from doing many things which would be incompatible with achieving nearness to God, and also does not leave the mosque except for the performance of necessities.
Question:
What is the benefit ofi‘tikaf
?
Answer:
Its benefit is to raise the soul upwards to spiritual things and to break the individual from those physical attachments which smear clear thinking. It is a time of recuperation and rest so as to cleanse the body and purify the soul.
At the present day we see that people, even the heads of governments, withdraw from their work for a period of recuperation, so that they may have an opportunity for relaxing and reflecting. They go to a house in the country or to the seaside and elsewhere in order to regain their energy and think about their problems away from the hubbub of life.I‘tikaf
is better than doing this because:
1. While doingi‘tikaf
you are fasting, some of the benefits of which have already been mentioned.
2.I‘tikaf
involves focusing oneself on God who is the source of every good and the inspiration of every serenity and inner peace.
3.I‘tikaf
is carried out in a mosque which is in itself a place of obedience, worship, truthfulness and purity, free from transgressions and evil acts.
It has been scientifically demonstrated that place influences the human spirit and can, according to what sort of place it is, be a positive influence for good or for evil.
PROPAGATING GOOD
Question:
What is meant by propagatinggood
?
Answer:
Islam has named every noble action “good” (khayr
) and has enjoined people to invite others towards goodness. God Almighty says, “Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good”[
3: 104], just as He enjoined people to do good things themselves.
Indeed in Islam, in addition to this, there is a reward for someone who guides to what is good exactly as there is for one who actually performs that act himself for as the Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) says, “He who points the way to something that is good is as if he performs [the good action himself]”
.
Goodaction are
divided into two categories:
1. Good deeds that Islam has specifically designated such as prayers, coming to the aid of the needy and feeding the hungry.
2. Good works which are covered by the general principleslaid
out by Islam, even if Islam has not made a specific stipulation for them, such as building schools and hospitals, establishing charities for providing clothes and food for the needy, facilitating marriage contracts and so on.
Therefore in the view of Islam, a Muslim is a person who doesgood
and at the same enjoins good to the extent that the Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) says:
“Removing something from the road that might cause injury is a good deed”
.
Surely if human beings would act upon the directions of Islam in doing good and propagating what is good, no one would be in need and the world would be changed into a paradise of wellbeing where goodness, prosperity and friendship would prevail throughout the earth.
COMMEMORATIONS
Question:
What is meant by commemorations?
Answer:
Islam has made the holding of celebrations and commemorations in memory of the Prophet and the impeccable Imams, whether it is for happy events, like their birthdays, or for sad ones, like the days on which they died, something that is recommended and highly desirable. In ahadith
it is related that, “Our followers are from us, they are joyful in our joy and are grieved in our grief”
Question:
What benefit do these commemorations have?
Answer:
The many benefits they haveinclude
:
1. Encouraging the good. If people see that the good and upright are the object of respect then their souls are inclined towards good, so that they in turn may also generate respect. Just as these commemorations are an encouragement towards good and laudable deeds so they also arouse an aversion to what is bad and reprehensible 2.Creating role models.
If man has a personal esteem for someone, he will take him as a role model and will try to make his own life conform to the qualities ofwhom
he is in awe. This is because in man’s character there is a tendency towards spiritual advancement and the raising of oneself towards the ranks of those who are at the peaks of humanity and at the highest level of nobility and virtue.
3. Appreciating those who are concerned with the betterment of society. Such people are by right the object of respect, be it during their lifetime or after their demise.
4. In addition, these commemorations usually involve people gathering together and the holding of seminars and lectures and so there accrue from them benefits for the community, some of which we have already mentioned with regard to the Pilgrimage toMakka
and praying in congregation. Moreover these gatherings are usually not simply commemorations but also contain aspects of guidance and admonition so that the benefit is two-fold: the benefit from the actual event and the benefit obtained from spiritual instruction.
5. If such a gathering is accompanied bycolourful
decorations when celebrating a joyful occasion and by black ones for sorrowful commemorations, this will have a greater impact because then the eye participates with the ear in the quest for understanding and inspiration and so the response to what is good and the aversion to what is bad will be stronger.
Question:
Can you give some examples of commemorations?
Answer:
For instance:
1. The Birthday of the Holy Prophet, of Fatima al-Zahra’
and
the 12 Imams (peace and blessings be upon them all).
2. The Festival (‘Id) of al-Mab‘ath
when the Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) was told by God to commence his Prophetic Mission to the people - on 27th Rajab
.
3. The demise of the Prophet, Fatima al-Zahra’, and 11 of the impeccable Imams (peace and blessings be upon them all).
4. The Festival ofGhadir
(‘Id al-Ghadir
) when at a place calledGhadir
Khumm
the Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) appointed ‘Aliibn
Abi
Talib
as hiskhalifa
(successor) over the Muslims - on 18thDhu
’l-Hijja
.
5. The Islamic festivals of ‘Id al-Fitr
(breaking of the fast)
on
1st Shawwal
and ‘Id al-Adha
(the festival of Sacrifice) on 10thDhu
’l-Hijja
.
6. One of the days of grief is theArba‘in
, the fortieth day of mourning for Imam al-Husayn
, on the 20th Safar
.
TAWALLI and TABARRI
Question:
What is the meaning oftawalli
andtabarri
.
Answer:
If a person loves someone he will become close to him, and when he becomes close to someone then he will follow his example in his deeds and words. Similarly if he hates someone he will keep away from him and when he shuns him he will also oppose and be different from him in what he does and says. Thus love and taking someone as an example to be followed are calledtawalli
(amity), and dislike and keeping distant from someone are calledtabarri
(hostility).
Question:
To whom should we display real friendship and to whom should we display hostility?
Answer:
We ought to show amity towards God, His Prophets, the Imams and the God-fearing, and hostility towards the enemies of God, of His Prophets, the Imams and those closest to Him. We should do this because one who truly loves God will become nearer in his heart and in his actions to the pious, will obey them, and in so doing will gain well-being in this world and success in the hereafter.
Similarly, if one displays hostility towards the enemies of the God-fearing he will also keep himself away from them, have nothing to do with them and contradict them in his actions and in all his doings. Consequently he will not be made wretched like those people. Moreover, man must satisfy inevitably his inner instincts which include love and aversion, for there are three categories of people:
1. Those among God’s servants who truly fear Him.
2. The enemies of God and the enemies of the God-fearing.
3. Those who are neither with God or with His enemies, like the ignorant who are incapable of distinguishing truth or some of those who live in remote villages or desert places.
If man wants tofulfil
his instinct for love he should channel it towards someone who is of beautiful character, whose friendship is beneficial, and if he wants tofulfil
his instinct for enmity he should direct that towards someone who is of ugly nature with whom to make friendship would be dangerous and harmful.
Therefore, as we have outlined, adopting amity and hostility is, firstly, the way to satisfy these instincts which have to be expressed and, secondly, one will obtain benefit from such a stance in this world and in the hereafterQuestion:
Can instincts be fulfilled?
Answer:
Any instinctbe
it love, hate, grief, joy, courage and so on has, like the stomach, to be satisfied. Islam has made clear whatis the best nourishment for these instincts
so that man will be aware of what makes him happy and what causes him distress and thus he will follow what is beneficial and discard what is harmful.
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Author: Ayatullah Seyyed Muhammad Shirazi
