Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Self-Judgment and Self-Control

Self-judgment is to call oneself to account every day regarding the good deeds and wrongdoings. If the scale of acts of obedience overweighs that of acts of disobedience, we must thank God, lest we must discipline ourselves.

Self-control stands for protecting oneself against breach of the obligatory religious rites and the commitment of the forbidden.

It is necessary for the rational to train himself on self- judgment and self-control, since all human souls are susceptible to evil. If they are neglected, they go away from the right, but if they are controlled by means of guidance, they shine with virtues:

“And (I swear) by the soul and that (Power) which designed it and inspired it with knowledge of evil and piety, those who purify their souls will certainly have everlasting happiness and those who corrupt their souls will certainly be deprived of happiness. (91:7-10)”

The Prophet (S) said “Before you do a matter that you intend, you should investigate its end result; if it is good, you then should keep on. If not, you should not do it1 .”

Amirul-Mu'minin (a) related: “When he received the warriors that he had appointed for a campaign, the Prophet (S) said to them: “Welcome to the people who performed successfully the minor jihad. Their mission now is to perform completely the major jihad. The major jihad is self-control. The best form of jihad is to strive one’s desires and whims2 .”

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: “If you want all your supplications to be answered, you should despair of people totally and hope for that which is in Allah’s hands only. When Allah knows that a servant’s intent is totally attached to Him, He will answer all his supplications. You therefore call yourselves to account before others call them. On the Day of Resurrection, there are fifty situations each of which takes one thousand years. This is the meaning of Allah’s saying:

“On that Day (of Judgment), long as fifty thousand years, the angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him (70:4) 3 .

“You have been appointed as the physician of yourself; the malady has been shown to you, the signs of recovery have been shown to you, and you have been guided to the remedy; hence, you should consider how you will treat yourself4 .”

Imam al-Kadhim (a) said: “He who does not call himself to account every day is not one of us. When he does so, he must ask Allah for more if he notices that he has done a good deed, and if he notices that he has committed an evildoing, he must seek Allah’s forgiveness and must repent to Him5 .”

Constitution of Self-Judgment

Ethicists have referred to the constitution of self- judgment in such a detailed method that it might be difficult for some to implement. I, however, can brief the matter in two precise and simplified points:

• First of all, to practice self-judgment properly, one must perform all the obligatory rites, such as the prayer, fasting, hajj, zakat, and the like. If such rites are performed properly, one must then thank God for so and hope for winning the great rewarding that He set for the obedient. If one, on the other hand, neglects such rites, he must remember the painful punishment with which God threatens the disobedient. He must also exert all efforts for settling them.

• Self-judgment must then be practiced on the sins that one committed, by means of severe reproach and censure. Regret and true repentance must then be felt so that they will help in avoiding the commitment of such sins.

The Prophet (S) set the most excellent example of self- judgment:

The Prophet (S), once, resided in a desert during a journey. He asked his companions to fetch firewood. They apologized that they were in a desert, but the Prophet (S) asked them to search and fetch whatever they might find. Hence, they scattered in every direction. Afterwards, each one fetched a small quantity of wood and threw on each other. On that scene, the Prophet (S) commented: “In this very way, sins are gathered. Beware of the insignificant sins, for there is an interrogator for each sin. That interrogator records ‘the deeds of human beings and their consequences. We keep everything recorded in an illustrious Book.’6 ”7

Some disciples practiced appreciative styles in the field of self-judgment. For instance, it is related that Tawba Ibn as-Summah used to call himself to account in most times of his life. One day, he counted his past age, and it was sixty years. As he counted the days, they were about 21500. He then shouted: “Woe unto me! I will meet Malik8 with twenty-one thousand sins.” Suddenly after that, he departed life9 .

Seizure of Life’s Opportunity

If man compares all desires and pleasures of this life to his age, he will find that the latter is more precious. He will also discover that nothing at all can come to the value of his age, since the pleasures of this world can be regained, while the lifetime cannot be elongated or extended to a single moment:

“All people can only live for an appointed time. When their term ends, they will not remain (alive) even for a single hour, nor will they die before the appointed time. (7:34)”

Likewise, it is impossible to regain the time that passes away in any way, including the possession of all the worldly pleasures. Because he is inattentive to his invaluable lifetime, man wastes his age uselessly, ignoring opportunities. For this reason, the Ahlul-Bayt (a) provided a great deal of instructions dealing with the importance of seizing the opportunities of life.

The Prophet (S) said: “Abu Dharr, You must be stingy with regard to your lifetime, not with your dirhams and dinars (i.e. money)10 .”

“Exploit four things before the falling of four: exploit your youth before the falling of your old age, exploit your health before the coming of your illness, exploit your richness before the falling of your poverty, and exploit your lifetime before the coming of your death11 .”

Amirul-Mu'minin (a) said: “This world is only three days: one passed away with all its insides, the second is that you are living in; therefore, you should seize its opportunities, and the third is a day that you do not know whether you will catch it or not. The day that passed must be regarded as wise educator. The day that you are living in must be regarded as a departing friend. Regarding tomorrow, you have nothing of it except hope.”

“Every new day that comes upon man says to him: I am a new day and I will witness you. Hence, you should say only good wording and do only good deeds so that I will testify for your good on the Day of Resurrection, for you will not see me ever again12 .”

Imam as-Sajjad (a) said: “How poor son of Adam is!

Every day, he is inflicted with three misfortunes. Nevertheless, he does learn lessons from any. Had he learnt a lesson, all the misfortunes of this worldly life would have been easy in his sight. The first misfortune is that the day which comes upon him decreases his age. If a decrease occurs to his wealth, he will become so depressed, while he can cover the decrease of wealth, but he cannot regain the decrease of his age. The second misfortune is that he takes the sustenance that is decided for him completely. If he gets it in a legal way, he will be interrogated about it, and if he gets it in an illegal way, he will be punished for it. The third misfortune, which is the most calamitous, is that each day that ends takes him a stage closer to the Hereafter, while he does not know whether his fate will be Paradise or Hell.”

“On the day of his birth, man is the oldest13 .”

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: “Let not people deceive you in matters regarding yourself, because you exclusively will encounter your own matters. Do not spend your days with gossips and nonsense, for there are the angels who accompany you and record all your deeds. Do righteous deeds, because I have not seen anything better in result and remedying than a new good deed after an old sin14 .”

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: “Be tolerant in the acts of obedience to Allah and steadfast against the acts of disobedience to Him. This world is no more than an hour. You will not find the pleasures of what has passed away and you will not be able to recognize what is coming. Be patient in that hour and you will attain bliss15 .”

A wise man said: “Man is like a traveler who has to pass by six stations. He, however, has already passed by three: the first is the transition from nonexistence to his father’s loins and mother’s ribs. The second is the transition to the mother’s womb. The third is the transition from the mother’s womb to the world. The three stations that man has not passed by yet are the grave, the field of the Resurrection, and Hell or Paradise.”

We are now living in the third station whose distance takes our lifetime. Hence, days of our ages are miles, hours are meters and breaths are steps. Some of us have only few miles, others have only few meters, and others have only few steps.

Notes

1. Quoted from al-Wafi; part 3 page 62 (as quoted from al- Kafi).

2. Quoted from Bihar ul-Anwar; 15/2/40, as quoted from al- Amali and Me’aani al-Akhbar.

3. Quoted from al-Wafi; part 3 page 62 (as quoted from al- Kafi).

4. Quoted from al-Wafi; part 3 page 62 (as quoted from al- Kafi).

5. Quoted from al-Wafi; part 3 page 62 (as quoted from al- Kafi).

6. This statement is quoted from the Holy Quran; (36:12).

7. Quoted from al-Wafi; part 3 page 168 (as quoted from al- Kafi).

8. Malik is the angel in charge of Hell.

9. Quoted from Safinat ul-Bihar; part 1 page 488.

10. Quoted from al-Wafi; Part: The Prophet’s commandment for Abu Dharr.

11. Quoted from Bihar ul-Anwar; 15/2/165 (as quoted from as- Saduq’s Kemal ud-Din).

12. Quoted from al-Wafi; part 3 page 63 (as quoted from al- Faqih).

13. This is because every single day that man lives in decreases his age. This nice maxim was not said by anyone before Imam as-Sajjad (a). Quoted from al-Mufid’s Alikhtissas.

14. Quoted from al-Wafi; part 3 page 168 (as quoted from al- Kafi).

15. Quoted from al-Wafi; part 3 page 168 (as quoted from al- Kafi).

Righteous Deed

In the previous discussion we referred to the invaluableness of time and proved that lifetime is more precious than the worldly pleasures. Such being the case, the rational must exploit time properly and spend it with matters that are as precious and significant as the age, such as righteous deeds:

The Prophet (S) said: “The intelligent should not take care for anything except three: seeking the worldly earnings, getting supplies for the life to come, and gaining a legal pleasure1 .”

Because man’s whims prompt him, in nature, towards gaining earnings and tangible pleasures as well as the affairs that preclude him from acting righteous deeds and readying for the life to come, many texts from the Quran and hadith have enjoined him to arrange for his life to come:

“Whoever has done an atom's weight of good, will see it and whoever has done an atom's weight of evil, will also see it (99-8).”

“All righteous-doers among the believing male or female will be granted a blessed happy life and will receive their due reward and more. (16:97)”

“Whoever commits evil deeds will be recompensed to the same degree. The righteously striving believer, male or female, will enter Paradise wherein they will receive their sustenance without any account being kept (40:40).”

“One who acts righteously does so for his own benefit and one who commits evil does so against his own soul. To your Lord you will all return (45:15).”

The Prophet (S) said: “Abu Dharr, with the passing of days and nights, your age decreases and your deeds are recorded. Death comes suddenly. One who sows good will soon harvest good, and one who sows evil will soon harvest regret. In fact, each sower will gain that which he sows2 .”

”Qays, with dignity there is certainly humility, with life there is certainly death, and with this world there is certainly the world to come. Likewise, there is an interrogator for everything, there is a supervisor over everything, there is a reward for every good deed, there is punishment for every evildoing, and there is a deadline for every age. Moreover, Qays, there will definitely be a companion who will be buried with you alive and you will be buried with him when you are dead. If he is respectful, he will certainly respect you, and if he is disrespectful, he will certainly disrespect you. He will be resurrected with you and you will be sent with him, and you will be interrogated about nothing but him. Hence, you must make him righteous, because, if he is so, you will find pleasure with him, but if he is ill, you will feel an aversion for him. This is your deed3 .”

“He who acts righteously in the coming of his age will not be punished for his past sins, but he who acts disobediently in the coming of his age will be punished for the past, as well as the coming, sins.”

Amirul-Mu'minin (a) said: “When a servant is on his last day in this world and first step to the life to come, his wealth, sons, and deeds are presented before him. As he turns to his wealth, he says, ‘I was very stingy and niggardly for you, what do you have for me, today?’ His wealth will answer, ‘Well, you can take from me only your coffin.’ He then turns to his sons and says, ‘I have loved you very much, and I have protected you so excessively, what do you have for me, today?’ His sons will answer, ‘Well, we will see you off to your hole to bury you there.’ He then turns to his deeds and says, ‘By Allah, I have neglected you and you were so unwelcome for me, what do you have for me, today?’ His deed will answer, ‘Well, I am your companion in your grave and on the day of your resurrection until you, as well as I, will be stopped before your Lord (for interrogation).’

If that servant has acted righteously in this world and has been one of the disciples of Allah, his deed will come to him in the form of a sweet-smelling handsome man and will say to him, ‘I bear to you the good tidings of enjoying rest, happiness, and the beautiful Paradise, and you are coming to the best abode. When that servant asks about his personality, his good deed will answer, ‘I am your righteous deed, and I will move you from this world to the world to come4 .’”

Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: “As soon as a dead is put in his grave, a person comes to him and says, ‘we were three; one was your sustenance who ceased when your age was ceased. The other was your family who left you. The third was I; your deed, and I will stay with you. Nevertheless, I was the most disrespectful in your sight5 .”

Notes

1. Quoted from al-Wafi part: The Prophet’s Commandments for Imam Ali.

2. Quoted from al-Wafi (within the commandment of the Prophet (S) for Abu Dharr).

3. Quoted from Bihar ul-Anwar; vol. 15 part 2 page 163 (as quoted from Meaani al-Akhbar, al-Khissal, and al-Amali.)

4. Quoted from al-Wafi; part 13 page 92 (as quoted from al- Kafi).

5. Quoted from al-Wafi; part 13 page 94 (as quoted from al- Kafi).

Obedience and God- Fearing

Humankind is a genuine element and distinctive being in this cosmos because of the numerous traits and donations that God has given exclusively to him so as to prefer him to the other creatures:

“We have honored the children of Adam, carried them on the land and the sea, given them pure sustenance and exalted them above most of My creatures. (17:70)”

God appointed human beings as His representatives on the earth and chosen some of them as messengers and prophets whose mission is to convey the codes as well as the principles that organize their lives. Unfortunately, most people are enslaved by illusive whims. They therefore go astray in the lurks of disobedience to God and lose their ways in the glooms of deviation. Afterwards, they suffer horrible sorts of puzzlement and misery. If they respond to the calls of obedience to God and follow the divine regulations, they will certainly win great happiness:

“Had the people of the towns believed (in Our revelations) and maintained piety, We would have certainly showered on them Our blessings from the sky and the earth. But they called Our revelations lies, thus Our torment struck them for their evil deeds. (7:96)”

Because of its submission to God and pursuance to His regulations, this cosmos is working so consistently, its elements are working evenly, and its system is being applied to the millions of generations.

Because they follow the will of God, the lives of all existents on this earth are prospering and settling straight.

People, likewise, are applying the directions of the inventers of the mechanical devices so that they can guarantee their maintenance. To gain treatment and cure, people submit to the prescriptions of physicians and suffer hardships of treatment.

Why does man, then, avoid acting obediently to his Creator Who has full awareness of the hidden, benefits, and disadvantages?

It is absolutely impossible for man to win his goals by any way other than that of the obedience to God and application of His regulations:

“One who obeys Allah and His Messenger will certainly achieve a great success. (33:71)”

“Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to the gardens wherein streams flow. Allah will make whoever turns away suffer a painful torment (48:17).”

God has made the good of this world as well as the world to come contingent on fear of Him. He has made the dearest hopes dependent on it. Let us refer to some aspects, which God has made contingent on fear of Him:

(1) Love of God:

“God loves the pious ones. (9:4)”

(2) Escape from misfortunes and arrangement of the sustenance:

“God will make a way (out of difficulty) for one who has fear of Him and will provide him with sustenance in a way that he will not even notice. (65:3)

(3) Victory and support:

“God is certainly with the pious and the righteous ones. (16:128)”

(4) Acceptance of deeds:

“Believers, have fear of Allah and speak righteous words. Allah will reform your deeds and forgive your sins. One who obeys Allah and His Messenger will certainly achieve a great success. (33:70-1)

(5) Good tidings at death:

“Those who have faith and fear God will receive glad news both in this life and in the life hereafter. The words of God do not change. This alone is the supreme triumph (10:63-4).”

(6) Salvation from Hell:

“We will save the pious ones from the hell fire and leave the unjust people therein in crowded groups. (19:72)”

(7) Eternity in Paradise:

“Paradise, vast as the heavens and the earth, is prepared for the pious (3:133)”

From the previous, we conclude that God-fearing is a great treasure containing various sorts of worldly and religious expectations.

Reality of Obedience and God-Fearing

Obedience implies submission to God and carrying out His orders. God-fearing implies self-guard against that whichever will cause harm in the world to come:

Imam al-Hasan (a) said: “Work for your world as if you will live forever, and work for your life to come as if you will die tomorrow. If you seek power without the need for a clan and dignity without the need of authority, you should leave the humility of the disobedience to Allah to the honor of the obedience to Him.”

Imam al-Baqir (a) said: “If you want to know whether you are good or not, you should test your heart; if it is inclined to the people of the obedience to Allah and detests the people of disobedience to Him, they you are good, and Allah loves you. But if it (i.e. your heart) hates the people of obedience to Allah and is inclined to the people of disobedience to Him, then you are empty of goodness and Allah hates you. Man, however, will be attached to the one he loves1 .”

“He who disobeys Allah does not know Him. You disobey the Lord and show his love. This is surely strange deed. If your love is sincere, you will obey Him. Certainly, the lover obeys the one he loves”

Al-Hasan Ibn Musa al-Wesha (of Baghdad) narrated: In Khurasan, I, once, was with Ali Ibn Musa ar- Ridha (a) while he was delivering a sermon in a session. Zaid Ibn Musa his brother was attendant, but he was addressing words of pride to a group of the attendants. As the Imam (a) heard Zaid’s words, he turned to him and said: “Zaid, do you, because you have heard my wording in Kufa that Allah forbids Hell to consume the offspring of Fatima (a) since she preserved her chastity, take pride against others? By Allah I swear, my previous wording is peculiar to al-Hasan, al-Hussein, and the other direct descendants of Fatima (a). You are too humble, in the sight of Allah, to be regarded, on the Day of Resurrection, as same as Musa Ibn Ja’far Imam al-Kadhim (a); the father of Imam ar-Ridha and Zaid the addressee who used to spend his days with fasting and spend his night with worship to Allah while you act disobediently to Him. Ali Ibn al- Hussein Imam as-Sajjad (a) used to say, ‘One who belongs to us and does righteously will be rewarded twice as others, and one who belongs to us and acts evilly will be punished twice as others.’”

Imam ar-Ridha (a) then turned towards me and asked about the way we recite Allah’s saying:

“His Lord replied, "He is not one of your family. He is a man of unrighteous deeds. Do not ask me about that which you have no knowledge. I advise you not to become an ignorant person." (11:46)”

I answered that some people recite it in a way showing that son of Prophet Noah was illegitimate, while others recite it in a way showing that he was his son, but he used to act wrongly2 .

The Imam (a) commented: “No, by Allah. That son was Noah’s. But Allah dismissed him from the family of Noah because he acted wrongly. In the same manner, he who belongs to us in family relations but does not obey Allah is not belonged to us. So long as you obey Allah, you are one of us the Ahlul- Bayt3 .”

Jabir related that Imam al-Baqir (a) said to him:

“Jabir, do you think that it is sufficient for those who claim being Shia to say that they cherish us; the Prophet’s household?

By Allah I swear, our adherents Shia- are only those who fear and obey Allah. Hence, you should fear Allah and work for the cause of obtaining that which He has in possession. There is no relation between Allah and anybody. The most favorable and honorable servants of Allah are the most God- fearing and the most pious.

Jabir, the only means through which a servant seeks to gain Allah’s favor is the obedience to Him. We the Ahlul-Bayt - do not carry a patent for saving from Hell. Likewise, none of you has a claim against Allah. He who obeys Allah is only our disciple and whoever disobeys Him is our enemy. The loyalty to us cannot be gained except by means of diligent work and piety4 .”

Al-Mufaddhal Ibn Omar narrated the following:

“I, once, was with Imam as-Sadiq (a) when our subject of discussion was good deeds. I said, ‘My deeds are very few,’ but the Imam shouted, ‘What is this saying? You should seek Allah’s forgiveness. To have few deeds with God-fearing is better than many deeds that lack it.’ I asked him about the meaning of his words, and he said, ‘A man may serve food (to the poor), act leniently with his neighbors, and receive the guests hospitably, but as soon as a door to a forbidden act is opened before him, he enters there. This is the big deed that lacks God-fearing. Another man may not have such good deeds, but he keeps himself away from plunging in forbidden acts when he faces some. This is the few deed with God- fearing5 .’”

Notes

1. Quoted from Bihar ul-Anwar; vol 15 part 2 page 49 (as quoted from al-Kafi)

2. To elucidate this point, we mention the following: Since the Arabic language depends on the vocalization of words, a change of a single vocality in a word may change the whole meaning and give a totally new one. Moreover, the Quran was written without the vocalization symbols on the letters; therefore, people had different views about definite Quranic words and expressions. This was exactly what happened in the Verse concerned. The word about which people differed is (a-m-l). Some people read it as (amalun). Accordingly, the Quranic text meant that that son was not Noah’s. Other people read it as (amileh), and, accordingly, the Quranic Verse meant that Noah’s son had acted unrighteously; therefore, he was not regarded as one of the family of Prophet Noah. However, the problem of numerous forms of reciting the holy Quran has no longer existed, because all the Islamic sects agree unanimously on a definite form of reciting every single word in the Quran, depending on basic principals and authentic traditions that are related to the Prophet (S), the Ahl ul-Bayt, and the most reliable companions and their followers (a).

3. Quoted from Bihar ul-Anwar; (as quoted from Meaani al- Akhbar and Uyounu akhbar ir-Ridha).

4. Quoted from al-Wafi; part 3 page 60 (as quoted from al- Kafi).

5. Quoted from al-Wafi; part 3 page 61 (as quoted from al- Kafi).

Perseverance on Principles

Regulations and principles play a great role in the lives of societies and nations. The highness of the principles of any nation proves its civilization. Likewise, any feebleness that affects the principles implies the ignorance of that nation. The most favorable principles are those which contribute in normalizing the individuals’ lives and protecting their freedoms and dignities. Nevertheless, principles, no matter how great they are, cannot achieve the expectations of a nation unless there are individuals who embrace, protect, and carry them out in the various fields of life. Otherwise, they become of no value. On that account, perseverance on the principles is the holiest inevitable obligation, since it raises the morale, empowers values, and achieves expectations.

All over history, humankind has never known any principles more perfect than the Islamic, which obtained all virtues of mortality. They are the one and only principles befitting the sound natures and achieving the pleasure of this worldly life as well as the life to come. In a period of less than twenty-five years, the Islamic principles could achieve matters that none else could do, through the conquests of faith and miracles of reformation. They also changed the Arab nation that was sinking in ignorance into the best nation ever seen by humankind in civilization, glory, knowledge, and morality.

Perseverance on principles is the only reason beyond the prevalence of the scientific civilization and leadership of the precedent Muslims who exerted all efforts and lost themselves in their principles. Likewise, the present disasters and incessant collapse of Muslims are the result of the negligence and going astray from their principles.

The holy Quran glorifies Muslims who show perseverance on principles and cling to the high values of faith:

“To those who have said, "Allah is our Lord,” and who have remained steadfast to their belief, the angels will descend saying, "Do not be afraid or grieved. Receive the glad news of the Paradise which was promised to you. We are your guardians in this world and in the life to come, where you will have whatever you call for, a hospitable welcome from the All-forgiving and All-merciful Allah" (41:30-2).

Giving the best examples of steadfastness for the sake of God, the Prophet Muhammad (S) was facing bravely and overcoming the increasing hurricanes of disasters and powers of unbelief. In this regard, he (S) said:

“If the sun is put in my right hand and the moon in the left so that I may leave this matter (i.e. the divine mission), I will not do it until Allah will give me victory or I will die in this cause.”

Like the Prophet (S), Amirul-Mu'minin (a) was the ideal in the field of perseverance on principles. When the leadership was given to him provided that he would follow the Book of God, the Prophet’s Sunna, and the way of the two Sheikhs1 , he ejected because he adhered to his lofty opinion and genuine principle. He said:

“No, I rule on the bases of God’s Book, the Prophet’s Sunna, and my own elicitations.”

As some of his retinue, on another occasion, suggested to him importunately to ‘give some of these treasures exclusively to the celebrities of the Arabs and the Koreishites as well as every person that you anticipate he will leave you and join the camp of Muawiya,’ Amirul- Mu’minin refused their suggestion out of his perseverance on the principles and said:

“Do you command me that I should seek support by oppressing those over whom I have been placed? By Allah, I will not do so as long as the world goes on, and as long as one star leads another in the sky. Even if it were my property, I would have distributed it equally among them, then why not when the property is that of Allah2 .”

This unparalleled ideality crept into his choice friends to change them into nonesuch models of perseverance on principles in spite of suffering various sorts of terror and persecution:

One day, al-Hajjaj Ibn Yousuf ath-Thaqafi3 said that he would like to arrest one of the companions of Abu Turab4 so that he would seek nearness to God through shedding his blood! The attendants said, ‘As much as we know, Qanbar the servant had spent the longest period with Abu Turab.’ Hence, al-Hajjaj ordered to arrest Qanbar.

When Qanbar was brought before him, al-Hajjaj asked: “Are you Qanbar?”

He answered: “Yes, it is I.”

Al-Hajjaj asked: “Are you called Abu Hamdan?”

He answered: “Yes, I am.”

Al-Hajjaj asked: “Ali Ibn Abi Talib was your master, was he not?”

Qanbar answered: “God is my Master and Ali was my benefactor.”

Al-Hajjaj then asked Qanbar to declare his disavowal of the religion of Imam Ali (a), but Qanbar asked: “If I do, will you find me a religion better than his?”

Out of his anger, al-Hajjaj told Qanbar that he would kill him and that he might choose the kind of killing that he would inevitably encounter. Qanbar said: “I give you this right of choice. You should choose for me.”

Al-Hajjaj wondered: “Why is that?”

Qanbar answered: “That is because I will certainly kill you in the same way you are going to kill me. Amirul- Mu'minin foretold me that I will be slain wrongfully.”

Hence, al-Hajjaj ordered to slay him5 .

To Abu al-Aswad ad-Du’ali6 , Muawiya sent candy as a present so as to make him leave the wing of Amirul-Mu'minin (a) and join his. A little girl of Abu al- Aswad took a bite from that candy and swallowed. His father shouted at her to throw that bite away, and told her that candy was poison sent to them by Muawiya to take them away from their love and support for Ali Ibn Abi Talib and the Ahlul-Bayt (a). The little girl tried her best to vomit that bite until she could. She, then, said: “God may condemn Muawiya. Does he want us to leave the purified master through sending us such saffroned candy?

Woe to him who sends and who will eat such candy.”

She then composed:

Son of Hind7 , is it by means of saffroned candy You want us to sell our religion and Islam to you? God forbid it! This will never occur so long as our master is Amirul-Mu'minin

Rashid al-Hajari was one of the intimate friends of Imam Ali (a). Ziyad the cursed (the governor of Kufa in the reign of Yazid Ibn Muawiya; the second Umayyad caliph) ordered to arrest him. When he was brought before him, Ziyad asked: “What did your friend (i.e. Amirul-Mu'minin) foretell you regarding our deed to you?”

Rashid answered: “He foretold that you would cut my hands and legs and would crucify me.”

Ziyad said: “By God, I will belie this foretelling.”

Hence, he ordered them to set Rashid free.

When Rashid was about to leave, Ziyad shouted: “Take him back to me. The best thing that I see as punishment for him is that which was foretold by his friend. This is because he will not stop doing evil to us so long as he is alive.”

They took Rashid and cut his legs and hands. However, he did not stop declaring the right of Amirul-Mu'minin (a); hence, Ziyad the cursed ordered to be crucified8 .

Let us now listen to the magnificent words of the companions of Amirul-Mu'minin (a) that express their great love for him, perseverance on their principles, and losing themselves for his sake.

Addressing to Amirul-Mu'minin (a), Amr Ibn al- Hamq said:

“By God I swear, Amirul-Mu'minin, I have loved you and declared allegiance to you, not because of a family relationship that links me to you, or because of expecting a fortune that you would confer upon me, or because of expecting a leading authority that you would give to me. I have loved you for five traits: you are the cousin of the Messenger of God, the first man who believed in his mission, the husband of the mistress of the women of this umma; namely, Fatima the daughter of the Prophet (S), the successor of the Prophet, the father of the Prophet’s progeny that remained among us, the foremost to Islam, and the best mujahid among Muhajirs. Even if I move the unshakable mountains and dry out the oceans so that I may achieve a matter that contributes in strengthening one of your disciples or humiliating one of your enemies, I will not consider myself I have fulfilled my obligations towards you.”

Having listened to these words, Imam Ali (a) supplicated to God: “O Allah, illuminate his heart with piety and guide him to Your straight path. Had I had one hundred soldiers like you9 !”

It is related that Amirul-Mu'minin (a), one day, asked Hijr Ibn Edi at-Taee: “What will you say if you are ordered to disavow me?”

Hijr answered: “By God I swear, Amirul-Mu'minin, if I am torn to pieces by swords and thrown in flaming fire I will prefer so to declaring disavowal of you.”

Amirul-Mu'minin (a) answered: “Allah may lead you to every good matter and reward you on behalf of the Ahlul-Bayt with good10 .”

Hashim al-Mirqal, who was the commander of the left wing of Amirul-Mu'minin’s army during the battle of Siffeen11 , said:

“By God I swear, I do refuse to have in possession this earth along with all that which is on its surface and the heavens with all that which is under them if this leads me to support one of your enemies or antagonize one of your supporters.”

As an answer, Amirul-Mu'minin (a) supplicated God to bestow upon him with martyrdom for His cause.

It is related that a black man confessed before Amirul-Mu'minin (a) that he had committed larceny.

Imam Ali (a) tried to provide excuses that may exempt him from the punishment of larceny. But, the black man insisted and confessed completely; hence, Amirul-Mu'minin (a) had to subject him to the doctrinal provision, which was cutting of the hand.

In his way back, that black man was murmuring, “My hand has been cut by the commander of the faithful believers, the leader of the pious, the chief of the white-forheaded honorable, the master of the religion, the head of the prophets’ successors” As al- Hasan and al-Hussein heard these words, they conveyed them to their father, who summoned that black man to ask him about that praise. The black man said:

“Amirul-Mu'minin, you have purified me. Your love has been mixed with my flesh and blood so composedly that it cannot depart my heart even if you cut me into pieces12 .”

In the same field of perseverance on principles, Imam al-Hussein, his noble family members, and his decent companions elevated to the highest peak in spite of the criticality of their situation and the sufferance of the grossest disasters and terrors.

On the day of Ashura13 , Imam al-Hussein, while was surrounded by thirty thousand warriors intending to humiliate and kill him, stood so bravely and shouted in their faces with that great reverberating cry, declaring his disdain and highness, through these everlasting words that are still rattling in the hearing of time and still adopted as a thriving constitution by the disdainful and free individuals:

“The bastard, son of the bastard, has forced me to choose one of two things either the religion or ignominy. Ignominy is impossible for us. Allah, His Apostle, the (faithful) believers, chaste laps, jealous noses individuals-, and noble souls personalities- refuse for us to prefer the obedience to the mean to the death of the honorable.”

Preferring killing and sacrifice for the sake of the principles to the life of humility, Imam al-Hussein (a) said:

“By Allah I swear, I will not give you with my hand like the humble, and will not submit to you like slaves.”

“In my sight, death is only pleasure, while the life with the wrongdoers is only misery.”

Like their leader, the companions of Imam al-Hussein (a) provided the most ideal examples of steadfastness and perseverance on principles when they sacrificed their souls for their leader.

With a splendid wording of love, admiration, and pity, Imam al-Hussein (a) addressed a speech to his companions:

“So then, I have never known any companions more loyal or favorable than my companions are, and I have never known any family members more regardful and pious than my family members are. Allah may reward you in the best manner on behalf of me. I am sure that we will face these enemies very soon, and I permit you all to leave me and I release you from your obligations towards me. This night has covered you; therefore, you may use it as screen and each of you may put his hand in the hand of one of my household, then you can reach your hometowns until Allah relieves this ordeal. These people want me in particular, and if they can capture me, they will not pursue anyone else.”

Muslim Ibn Awsaja stood up to answer these words of the Imam (a). He said:

“How is it that we leave you alone? What is the excuse that we will provide justifiably before God with regard to the fulfillment of your right that is imposed upon us if we leave you? No, by God, I will not leave you before I stab my spear in the chests of the enemies and strike them with my sword so long as I can catch something in my hand. Even if I have no weapon to fight them with, I will throw stones at them. By God I swear, we will never leave you alone so that God will know that we have respected your representation of the Messenger of God (S). By God I swear, if I am foretold that I will be killed, then revived, then killed, then burnt, then scattered in the wind, then the same thing is redone to me seventy times, I will not leave you before I face death for your sake. I will surely face death for your sake when it is only a single time of death followed by the grandest never-ending honor.”

When it was his turn to speak, Zuhair Ibn al-Qain said:

“By God I swear, I wish I would be killed, then revived, then killed, then the same thing is redone to me thousand times, if it is that God will save you as well as these youths from your household from death.”

All the other companions spoke alike wordings. They said:

“We, by God, will never leave you alone. We sacrifice our souls for you. We will protect you with our necks, foreheads, and hands, so that we, if we are killed, will prove our being loyal to you and will fulfill the rights that are imposed upon us concerning you.”

We, Muslims of today, are in urgent need for learning lessons of jihad from such great personalities and pursuing their examples in the fields of clinging to the religion and perseverance on principles as well as self- denial for the sake of supporting the right, so that we will be able to regain our seized rights and our usurped dignities, and will be able to save ourselves from the humility of the scandalous defeats and frequent losses.

Notes

1. The two Sheikhs, in this regard, are Abu Bakr and Omar ibn al-Khattab.

2. Quoted from Bihar ul-Anwar; vol. 9 page 533.

3. Al-Hajjaj ibn Yousuf ath-Thaqafi (born in 661 in at-Ta'if and died in June 714, in Iraq), was the most despotic personality all over the history of Islam. In the reign of Abd ul-Melik ibn Marwan, the Umayyad caliph, he was appointed as the governor of Iraq, because this province was known of the frequent movements of rebellion against the Ummayads. He exceeded all the limits in persecuting and mistreating the people of Iraq. Unfortunately, some modern writers honor and regard him as an administrative personality in the history of Islam. As a proof on the excessive criminality of al-Hajjaj, Omar ibn Abd ul-Azeez; the fair Umayyad caliph said about him: “If every nation in this world presents the most criminal person for competition of criminality, we will certainly overcome when we present al-Hajjaj.”

4. Abu Turab (father of dust) is one of the names of Imam Ali (a). The Prophet (S) used this name for him because, as traditionists said, he found him taking dust from the earth to disperse on his head, out of his fear of God, as he was acting a rite of worship.

5. Quoted from Bihar ul-Anwar; vol. 9 page 630.

6. Abu al-Aswad ad-Dauali is the originator of the syntax of Arabic. He was famous grammarian, poet, and man of virtue. He was one of the intimate companions of Amir ul-Mu'minin (a).

7. Hi Hind (the daughter of Utba) was the mother of Muawiya. She was one of the well-known most notorious prostitutes in Mecca. In the battle of Uhud, she tried to swallow the liver of Hamza ibn Abd ul-Muttalib (a), out of her rage and malice, after she had given a great prize to a slave if he would kill him.nd (the daughter of Utba) was the mother of Muawiya.

8. Quoted from Safinat ul-Bihar; vol. 1 page 522.

9. Quoted from Bihar ul-Anwar; vol. 8 page 475.

10. Quoted from Safinat ul-Bihar; part 1 page 226.

11. When Muawiya, governor of Syria, refused to recognize Imam Ali (a) as the new caliph, calling instead for vengeance for the blood of his murdered kinsman, the third caliph, 'Uthman, Imam Ali (a) responded by invading Syria. The two armies met along the Euphrates River at Siffin (near the Syrian-Iraqi border), where they engaged in an indecisive succession of skirmishes, truces, and battles, culminating in the appearance of Muawiya's troops with copies of the Qur'an impaled on their lances--supposedly a sign to let God's word decide the conflict.

12. Quoted from Safinat ul-Bihar; part 2 page 716.

13. Ashura: The tenth of Muharram, celebrated as a day of mourning (the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Al- Hussein (a).)

Section Two: Rights and Obligations

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful

Amirul-Mu'minin Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a) said:

“Right is the most comprehensive in description and the narrowest in equity; whenever it be for the good of somebody in a situation, it will surely be against him in another, and whenever it be against somebody in a definite situation, it will be for his good in another. If it incessantly flows in the good of somebody, that somebody must have been exclusively Allah, not any of His creatures, because Allah is All-powerful over His servants and just with all those upon whom His acts are imposed.

But He has made His right, which is imposed upon His creatures, is that they must obey Him, and made the requital of that obedience as duplicated rewards, out of His grace and large favor that He is worthy of. He, the Praised, then made some of His rights imposed on some people for others; hence, He made them equivalent in their aspects, and made them necessitate each other, and made the obligation of some depend totally upon others.”