Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Muhammad in the Mirror of Islam

Author(s): William C.Chittick &Seyyed Hossein Nasr

Publisher(s): Free Islamic Literatures Inc Houston

www.alhassanain.org/english

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Table of Contents

Islam and Other Religions: The Shi'ite View 4

The Prime Importance of the Individual from the Point of View of Human Nature 5

The Effect of the World View of the Individual upon his Activity 6

Note 6

The Islamic World View 7

1. The Principle of Equality 7

2. The Principle of Realism 8

3. The Principle of Equilibrium between the Material and the Spiritual 10

4. Knowledge and Wisdom from the Point of view of Islam 12

A Possible Criticism and its Answer 15

The Difference in Means of Expression between Islamic and other Mysticisms 17

Further Consideration of the Islamic Message 18

A Brief Consideration of the Spiritual Path 19

The Superiority of Islam in the Doctrine of Divine Unity 21

Sanctity in God 22

Conclusion 23

Islam and Other Religions: TheShi'ite View

In the Name of God, Most Merciful and Compassionate

Islam is based on two realities: the blessed personality of the Prophet Muhammad, who was chosen exactly fourteen lunar centuries ago to deliver God's message and to be the leader of mankind; and the Qur’an, the Book from God which is the Prophet's enduring miracle and which contains God's words in the form of intellectual and practical teachings of a universal nature.

These two realities must be considered as one of the most important factors in the development and perfection of human life, or rather, they are the most important factor to have manifested itself over the course of fourteen centuries in the faith and practice of hundreds of millions of men, extending its influence deep into every aspect of their society.

It is true that of the world's religions Islam is the youngest and that its followers are fewer in number than the sum of the adherents other faiths, yet Islam is possessed of certain distinguishing characteristics which sets it apart from other religious ways. For example, if we refer to the sacred books of Hinduism, and in particular the Veda, we see that the religious teachings presented there are almost exclusively of an ascetic nature and at the same time that they are directed towards a minority of the religion's followers. Thus, the majority of Hindus are excluded from deriving direct spiritual benefit from these sacred books.

Buddhism and also Christianity display with Hinduism the same exclusively ascetic outlook in their teachings. In the case of Christianity this is obvious from the four Gospels and the other basic religious texts. There are no practical injunctions or social laws and moreover philosophy and rational thought are looked upon with disfavor.

The Divine Sacrifice and the remission of the sins of mankind are doctrines which reduce the relevance of injunctions concerned with this world.

Other religions have either ceased to draw men to themselves, such asSabeanism andManicheanism , or else are limited to a particular race of people, such as Judaism.

Thus it is only Islam which gives first importance to rationally demonstrable beliefs and positive individual and social injunctions, as, it is hoped, the present paper will make clear.

The Prime Importance of the Individual from the Point of View of Human Nature

Human nature seeks no more than to perpetuate as far as possible its own existence and to achieve its instinctive desires. If the first step man takes in his development is to form social groupings, and if he preserves these societies by acting in accordance with their laws-thus surrendering to the same extent a degree of his individual freedom, it is in order that by depriving himself of one portion of his freedom he gain and benefit from another portion by being better able to provide for his innate requirements and his subsistence.

The first goal of creation is the happiness of the individual; the happiness of society follows upon this. In other words the purpose of creation is the perfection of human nature, and this perfection is realized in the being of the individual, not in the shape and form of society. Thus, man is directed towards the formation of social groupings to preserve the individual.

For in order that he may realize the fundamental purpose of life-happiness and well-being-it is necessary that he should follow an orderly system of living, a system which inevitably must be social. He must eat, drink, clothe himself, sleep,rest , wed, bear offspring, secure his needs, and through the use of his mind provide the means of his own subsistence.

The Effect of the World View of the Individual upon his Activity

The form and characteristics of this orderly system which man follows in his life is dependent upon his conception of the nature of the Universe and of himself, who is an inseparable part of that Universe. Thus we see that a group of men do not admit the existence of a creator for the world and imagine that the world came into being accidentally and that man is only this material form which comes into existence at birth and ceases to exist at death.

These men organize their way of life and rules for living with a view to the material needs of their ephemeral earthly existence, and thisalone . They follow a path which can lead to no more than a limited material happiness and well-being.

On the other hand those who accept a creator for the universe and believe that the regulation of the affairs of men and of the world is in the hands of “the gods” do not consider man's life to be just this material existence; they organize their way of living in such a way as to attract the favor of the gods and keep away their anger, and in this manner to achieve happiness in life and remain safe from unpleasant occurrences resulting from gods' wrath.

Again, those who accept the Unity of God and believe that the Universe and all that is in it is governed by One God who is All-Wise and All-Powerful, and that man does not cease to exist at death but lives an eternal life, will organize their lives accordingly, that is, with an eye to assuring felicity in both worlds.

It is thus clear that “religion” is the organization of life, and that life lived according to a program is religion. Those who try to separate religion and life and claim that the first of these is only empty formalism are sadly mistaken. It is in view of this that Islam calls the path one follows in life “religion”, while it calls the true way the “Straight Path” and the false way the “Deviated” or “Crooked Path”. God says:

“The curse of Allah is on evil-doers, who debar (men) from the path of Allah and would have it crooked, and who are disbelievers in the Last Day.” (Qur’an 7: 44-45.) 1

Note

1. This and all subsequent quotations from the Qur’an are from the translation by MohammedMarmaduke Pickthall , The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, New York, 1953.

The Islamic World View

The concept upon which the Prophet of Islam founded his religion is that all of existence has been created by the One God, and that every one of the parts of existence is directed by God towards the perfection and happiness peculiar to that part. Man also, who possesses eternal life, is directed towards the happiness and welfare peculiar to his nature; and this he gains by following the path shown to him by God.

The Holy Prophet addressed his message to natural man, that is, man endowed with human nature and God-given intelligence and will who is not tainted by superstition and blind belief. Such an individual with his God-given primordial nature has the innate capacity and ability to apprehend the above- described world view.

With the slightest reminder he naturally understands that the world in its vastness and grandeur and its perfect arrangement and order is the creation of a transcendent Creator whose infinite Being is the source of every beauty and perfection and who is above all ugliness and evil. Such an individual understands that the creation of the world and its inhabitants was not without meaning and purpose; that the life of this world will be followed by another life, and that the good and bad actions of this world will not go unanswered for.

And as a result he understands that there must be a way of life peculiarly suited to the needs of man which will enable him to live according to his own real nature.

Islam's choice of natural and primordial man as the object of the religious message has several basic results:

1. The Principle of Equality

The Islamic teachings apply to all. There is no distinction between black and white, man and woman, noble and humble, rich and poor, king and beggar, strong and weak, eastern and western, learned and ignorant, old and young, or between those who are present and those who will come in the future, for all of these share human nature and that which it implies in common.

Equality of this sort is limited to Islam; other ways, each in its own measure, have certain discriminatory principles. For example, Hinduism distinguishes fundamentally between Brahmins and non- Brahmins and between man and woman; in Judaism a distinction is made between the children of Israel and the Gentiles, and in Christianity between man and woman.

As for secular social systems, in these there is a distinction between subjects of a country and foreigners. It is only Islam which considers humanity as one and has uprooted completely the principle of distinction and discrimination.

“O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo!the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct.” (Qur’an 49: 13)

“Lo! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or female, to be lost. Yeproceed one from another.” (Qur’an 3:195)

That is, male or female, you are all of the same human status.

2. The Principle of Realism

In view of the fact that man is provided with the instinct of seeking reality and of discerning between the real and the unreal, the laws and injunctions laid down by Islam are based upon a correspondingly realistic view of things.

This can be explained as follows: Although man in his natural activity is stimulated towards his vital goals by feelings and emotions, he in fact sets out after real goals, not illusion and fantasy. The newly born baby who cries in his hunger and reaches for his mother's breast in search of milk desires that which is milk in reality, not the illusion of milk; he cries from real hunger, not from fantasy and imagination.

Every individual who strives in the way of achieving his own interests seeks his own real interests, not their mental concept. In the same manner when feelings and emotions present certain desires to man, and without being able to take into account his true best-interest stimulate him toward certain goals, it is the faculty of discrimination or reason which harnesses and modifies these emotions and shows to man that which is in reality the good and the evil and the rightness and the wrongness of his action.

It is reason, moreover, which forbids the sick person from eating harmful foods although he wishes to eat them; it is reason which prevents man from entering upon dangerous activities, hence depriving him of a large part of his freedom of action; it is reason which is man's single superiority over other animals, and his most important faculty for distinguishing the real from the illusory.

The laws and injunctions brought by the Prophet of Islam are based upon a realistic view of things, not upon the whims and fancies of men. That is to say that man must perform that action which is really and truly in his best interest even if it is against his fancy; and he must avoid that action which he feels like performing but which is not in conformity with his real interests.

The case of the religious community is the same: it must accomplish what is truly in its best interest and what is in conformity with its felicity, even though this act may be contrary to its wishes; it must not perform that action which is the wish of the majority of its members but which is contrary to its true interest.

In the language of the Holy Qur’an that which is in conformity with reality or with man's true best interestis called “The Truth” (al-Haqq ). It is the single goal towards which man must direct his endeavor and after which he must strive.

“After the Truth what is there saving error?” (Qur’an 10: 33)

“And if the Truth had followed their desires, verily the heavens and the earth and whosoever is therein had been corrupted” (Qur’an 23: 71).

An almond nut which is placed in the ground under the necessary conditions will after a few days break its skin, and a green shoot will come forth from its kernel as well as a number of roots which are put forth in various directions; by way of the roots the shoot will take continuous nourishment from the ground and will constantly grow and develop until ultimately it becomes a fully grown almond tree with trunk, branches, leaves blossoms and fruit.

The sperm of an animal placed in the womb of the female of the species under particular circumstances will assume the form and shape peculiar to itself and by means of the activity peculiar to its species will day by day become larger and more complete until it reaches the limit of its perfection.

If we investigate in the same manner all of the creatures of the world one by one it will become perfectly obvious that for each of them there is a way peculiar to itself through which it reaches the limit of its own perfection, and that from the first day of its coming into being it is attracted towards its end.

In its development it never goes astray nor does it change its direction, as if, for example, an almond shoot could develop into a horse or a horse could go to sleep one night and wake up the next morning an almond tree. Rather every creature is guided toward its final goal by means of creation itself, and in traversing this path of development it never falls into error.

The path which has been laid out for each creature leading to its final goal is one which is in conformity with the means and potentialities with which it was provided by its own nature. These means allow it to attract what is of benefit and repel what is harmful and threatens its existence. Chickens eat grain, sheep and cattle feed upon forage, and wolves, leopards and hawks hunt for game, for each is equipped with particular digestive systems which are proper only for particular nutritive substances.

In the same way, birds defend themselves with their beaks, sheep and cattle with their horns, scorpions and bees with their stings, lions and leopards with their teeth and claws, and deer by flight, for the defensive equipment of each of them is just this. In summary, each of these creatures moves in its life towards a particular goal and end. It performs actions in which the equipment provided by its very existence guides it, and the nature of which this equipment determines.

This guidance and determination is the same general guidance and determination which the Qur’an has referred to and attributed to the Creator:

“Our Lord is He who gave unto everything its nature, then guided itaright .” (Qur’an 20: 50)

“Whocreateth , thendisposeth ; whomeasureth [i.e.,determineth ], thenguideth .” (Qur’an 87: 2-3).

Obviously, man also, who is one of the species of creation, is not an exception to this general rule. His natural disposition and character show to him the path which he should take in life, and point out and distinguish the duties and responsibilities which he must fulfill.

“From what thing does he create him (man)?From a drop of seed. Hecreateth him andproportioneth him, thenmaketh the way easy for him.” (Qur’an 80: 18-20).

Meditation upon this and upon our previous discussion will show that the result of both of these discussions is the same, that is, that correct actions and deeds (those which are in conformity with man's true best interest)- which man must choose by means of his instinct of discerning between the real and the illusory-are the very same actions towards which the nature of man guides him, endowed as it is with its own peculiar equipment.

It is thus that the way towards which the Holy Qur’an invites man, which it has named “the Religion of the Truth”, which it also refers to as the natural and primordial religion, and attributes it to creation itself.

“So set they purpose (O Muhammad) for religion as a man by nature upright-the nature (framed) of Allah, in which He hath created man. There is no altering (the laws of) Allah's creation. That is the right religion.” (Qur’an 30: 30).

“By a soul and Him who perfected it, and inspired it (with conscience of) what is wrong for it and (what is) right for it. He is indeed successful whocauseth it to grow, and he is indeed a failure whostunteth it.” (Qur’an 91: 7-10).

From another point of view, since creation is the work of God and since every sort of beauty andappropriateness which is observable in it is the result of His Mercy, that which is appropriate to human nature inasmuch as it determines the actions which man must perform is called “the Will of God”.

(This is of course the Will of God in as much as it ordains laws, guides men in his actions, and holds him responsible for these actions; it is not the same as the Will of God inasmuch as it creates-which can never be disobeyed or violated.)

Likewise the duties and rules which result from that which is appropriate to man's nature are called the commands and prohibitions of God.

“The Lordbringeth to pass what Hewilleth andchooseth . They (men) have never any choice.” (Qur’an 28: 68).

Since the religion of Islam consists of duties and commands from God, the Creator, and since the person who follows its doctrinal and practical injunctions has submitted himself to the Will of God, in the language of the Holy Qur’an this religionis called “Islam” (“submission” or “surrender”).

“Lo!religion with Allah (is) the Surrender. (Qur’an 3: 19).

“And whososeeketh as religion other than the Surrender (to Allah) it will not be accepted from him.” (Qur’an 3: 85).

3. The Principle of Equilibrium between the Material and the Spiritual

The third result of Islam's message being directed at natural man, a result which is indeed one of the great achievements of this religion, is that a middle way is taken between materiality and spirituality.

This is in contrast to Judaism, which, as can be observed in its Holy Book, the Torah, is not concerned with spiritual matters, and with Christianity, which on the contrary-according to the explicit sayings of Jesus-is not concerned with the material life of this world.

Other religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism and even Zoroastrianism,Manicheanism andSabeanism , which to one degree or another are concerned with spiritual things, have separated the spiritual way from material life, to the extent that the connection between the two has been totally severed.

It is only Islam which chooses the middle way and bases itself upon the foundation of primordial human nature. towards his God, and include expressions of servitude in the face of His Lordship, poverty and need in the face of His Wealth and Independence, lowliness in the face of His Grandeur, insignificance in the face of His Majesty and Glory, ignorance in the face of His Knowledge, incapacity in the face of His Power, and submission in the face of His Will.

Moreover, to the extent possible these expressions have been given a social character, such as in the case of the groups which gather for the daily congregational prayers, the larger groups which meet for Friday prayers, and the still larger gathering which takes place at the time of the pilgrimage to Mecca.

A second portion of these injunctions concern duties which man has in social surroundings and in relation with his fellow man. Of course in these duties, which are the Islamic laws, the sense of responsibility towards God has been taken into account, for man must surrender only to His Will (that is, the requirements of His creation). In other words, all actions must be performed in the shadow of the three basic principles of Islam: Divine Unity, Prophecy, and the Last Day.

“Say: O People of the Scripture [Jews and Christians]! Come to an agreement between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall ascribe no partners unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside Allah. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him).” (Qur’an 3: 64).

From the previous discussion it has become clear that in the religion of Islam the path to be followed in life has been ordered and arranged in such a way that man's social and material life resembles a cradle in which the spiritual life is nurtured.

The inner spiritual light of the practicing Muslim is such that all of his individual and social actions contribute to purifying his soul and strengthening its radiance. Although outwardly he is with people, inwardly he is with God, and although he is in the midst of a crowd, he dwells in the spiritual retreat of the divine secret.

At the same time that he is running here and there in pursuit of material goals, and is undergoing a series of events both bitter and sweet, pleasant and unpleasant, beautiful and ugly, and in general is involved in the events of the tumultuous external world, his heart is free and exists in a world of tranquility in which he sees the Face of God wherever he looks.

“And whither so ever ye turn, there is Allah's countenance”. (Qur’an 2: 115).

A pious Muslim extends his spiritual life into every aspect of his material life. Wherever he is and whatever he is doing he is in contact with God. Everything with which he occupies himself in the material world is a mirror in which he sees God reflected.

On the other hand, non-Muslims who turn towards the spiritual life imagine that their natural and every-day life is a veil between themselves and the Truth they are seeking. As a result they are forced to abandon normal life and to assume an unaccustomed manner of living in their quest after spiritual perfection.

Whatever the advantages of such a way, from the point of view of a person who lives a normal life it is a difficult road to follow and one in which to persevere requires an extreme degree of will power. However, the person who follows the spiritual life according to the directives of Islam knows full well that such a way is easier than that of Islam, for such people, by abandoning every-day life, have taken the easy way out and have fled from the difficulty of continual vigil and effort.

They have set a barrier in the road towards perfection which creation itself and the means it has put at man's disposal have prepared. Such men have set out on a path of their own fancy, and it is questionable whether they will ever reach the goal which creation has determined for them.

In addition, given that the world and all it contains are the creation of God and that the phenomena of the world, each according to the measure of its own existence, are signs of the Truth and mirrors displaying God, and given that man along with the various conditions which mark his primordial nature is one of these signs, then it is necessary that in the spiritual life (the way of knowledge of self and of God) God be recognized in every situation.

All of these mirrors must be utilized in the acquisition of divine knowledge and in the contemplation of God's Beauty, for if this is not the case man will gain nothing more from his labors than an imperfect knowledge or a perfect ignorance.

4. Knowledge and Wisdom from the Point of view of Islam

The person who has made a cursory study of the religions and creeds of the world will have no doubt that the dignity and honor which Islam has accorded to knowledge and wisdom and the extent to which it has encouraged their acquisition is unparalleled in any other religion or ideology, whether revealed or non-revealed. It is the Holy Qur’an which asks,

“Are those who know equal to those who do not?” (Qur’an 39: 9),

and which praises the exalted station of knowledge in the most eloquent manner. And it is the Holy Prophet who has said:

• “The pursuit of knowledge is incumbent upon every Muslim,

• “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave”

• “Seek knowledge, even unto China.”

Again, it is the Holy Qur’an which commands its followers never to stray from the way of knowledge nor to follow what is only supposed or assumed, and never to accept without deliberation what passes before their sight or crosses their minds, for they will be responsible for their beliefs.

“(O man), follow not that where of thou hast no knowledge. Lo!the hearing and the sight and the heart-of each of these it will be asked.” (Qur’an 17: 36).

As has become clear Islam encourages its followers to acquire knowledge with all the powers at their disposal, and in this respect it has designated knowledge of religious jurisprudence or doctrinal sciences, and the injunctions of the religious law (Shari'ah ) as mandatory.

“And the believers should not all go out to fight [in the holy war]. Of every troop of them, a party should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge in religion.” (Qur’an 9: 122).

A point which must be kept in mind is that the capacity of individuals for the comprehension of scientific and intellectual truth varies. There are people who have no talent for logical thought and who, with their simple minds, live in a surrounding of physical labor and on a level of purely material life, where there are others whose thought is logical and who by their very nature take a special joy in comprehending profound concepts and scientific theories.

Still others have cut their attention from both thought and physical labor and, having a special aversion for the dark world of matter and its deceiving beauty and fleeting pleasures, find in themselves a particular attraction towards the transcendent world and a peculiar fascination for its lasting and infinite beauty, of which the beauty of this world is only the reflected image. Such men easily comprehend the verities and mysteries of the transcendent world by means of inner illumination.

It is with a view to this diversity, which is clearly visible among men, that Islam instructs each of these three groups in its own terms and language. One group it has taught by means of the external and formal aspect of religion and a second group by way of intellectual demonstration, while the third group it has instructed to struggle against the carnal soul and to purify the heart. In the same way, in the Qur’an God has struck a similitude about His Own utterances and expressions:

“Hesendeth down water from the sky, so that valleys flow according to their measure.” (Qur’an 13: 17).

The Holy Prophet has said:

“We prophets have been commanded to speak to men according to the measure of their understandings.”

Those among its followers who have not the taste for rational demonstration and who would face the danger of error and deviation if they were to attempt to traverse this path, Islam has charged with no more than the measure of their ability, and beyond the three principles of religion (Divine Unity, Prophecy and the LastJudgement ) it only instills them with simple practical injunctions such as command to do good and prohibitions from committing evil; this type of formulation is found in a great number ofQur’anic verses and in saying of the Prophet and theShi'ite Imams.

Of course in the case of the three principles of religion man in his primordial nature can engage in a simple form of rational demonstration, and hence he will have accepted nothing but definitely proven knowledge. And in fact this method provides him with rational proof of the remaining teachings and injunctions which he has accepted without rational demonstration, for the truth of the principle of prophecy proves in a definitive manner the validity of all of the saying which have reached us from the Prophet.

The way of rational demonstration-Islam teaches those people who are endowed with sound minds and who have the capacity to comprehend scientific theories and intellectual and logical arguments through logical and rational demonstration. In other words, it guides them towards that which their uncorrupted and reality-seeking primordial nature immediately perceives. It does not first impose upon them its doctrines and beliefs and then defend these by reasoning and proofs.

The Book and the Tradition, that is, the verses of the Holy Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet and of theShi'ite Imams-which make clear the meaning and purpose of theQur’anic verses-are full of this type of rational demonstration. In them the Islamic beliefs and doctrines are explained in detail by means of the simplest forms of expression and the most convincing proofs, and likewise, mention is made in them of the general and universal benefits and advantages of the Islamic laws and injunctions.

Obviously, we must not overlook the fact that the meaning of discussion and demonstration of the benefits and advantages of the Islamic laws and injunctions is not that if an individual Muslim or Islamic society in general does not understand a particular injunction, that injunction should be rejected. For as we have already mentioned, these laws were promulgated by means of prophecy, and the proof of the validity of prophecy is a summary proof of the validity of these laws, even if we do not possess the detailed reason for this.

The way of purification of the soul-The third group of men are those who are ready and eager to sever all material attachments and to turn their attention away from the deceiving adornments and illusory desires of this world. Such men are prepared to forget all that is other than God and to close their eyes to every beauty and ugliness and every sweet and bitter experience of this transient and illusory existence.

Opening the eye of discernment towards the eternal world, they are prepared to contemplate without the veil of materiality the radiance of the Majesty and Grandeur of God, to traverse the stages of human perfection which must be crossed upon leaving this fleeting life, and to enter into the Proximity of the Divine. With such men Islam converses secretly of the divine mysteries in a language which they alone understand, and thus it guides them from the depths of ignorance to the pinnacle of knowledge and wisdom.

A Possible Criticism and its Answer

A number oforientalists have said that Islamic mystical and metaphysical doctrines have been borrowed from those of India, for Islam in itself is no more than a series of extremely concrete and simple beliefs and sterile forms of worship. The succinct reply to these claimsis provided nicely by the words of the poet: “O Sweetheart, the difficulty is that you're no judge of words.”

We, of course, in our answer to this criticism, do not wish to defend Islam from the point of view of its mystics and engage in proving the validity and originality in the face of Indian mysticism of the various ways which they have traversed on the spiritual path. In the same way, in our discussion of rational demonstration we were not concerned with analyzing and proving the validity of all the books on philosophy written by Muslims, and in our discussion of the way of the formal aspects of religion we did not declare as correct the way of the generality of Muslims whatever it might be.

Rather, our goal in this article is limited to a general survey of the original and genuine Islamic sources, that is, the Book and the Tradition, without concerning ourselves with agreeing or disagreeing with the activities and conduct of any particular one of the foregoing classes of men.

The claim of the above-mentionedorientalists is based upon the principle of evolution, according to which the development and perfection of a natural phenomena is explained in a scientific manner. This principle has been generalized to include every sort of happening in whatever sphere, even habits, customs and phenomena of a spiritual nature. Thus the root cause of every event is sought in preceding events. According to the same principle it has been said that Islamic laws were borrowed from those of the Romans and Islamic doctrines from the philosophical ideas of the Greeks.

Theseorientalists have been mistaken in theirjudgement in two respects.First, they have considered what is called “mystical intuition” to be of the same order as normal thought and hence they have imagined that the knowledge gained by purification of the soul is a system of poetical thoughts, much as if a poet with his overflowing and creative imagination and his eloquent means of expression could voice such concepts better than a mystic knower of the divine secrets.

A similar mistake is made in the case of revelation, whichis the celestial perception of prophets and the means of receiving divine sciences and laws. As a result, the basic source of Islamic doctrine and injunctions is represented as being Greek thought and Roman law.

This mistake is perfectly obvious in the discussions carried on about prophecy and the “mode of thought” of prophets. Moreover, the words and utterances which have reached us from the prophets-whether their claim to prophecybe true or not-openly contradict such opinions.

The second mistake is that, even if we accept the theory of evolution as proven and definitely established, this theory must not be taken as providing the reason for the manifestation of an instinctive drive. For, an instinct placed within a species' primordial nature at its creation will be manifested within each individual of that species (provided there be no external impediment), whether or not there is a precedent.

As a case in point it can be said that diversity in foodstuffs and the preparation of sophisticated cuisine was learned by the Arabs from the Persians, but it cannot be said that the Arabs learned how to eat from the Persians. Likewise, it can be said that democratic government with its manifold administrative organizations spread to the East from the West, but this cannot be said about the very art of forming a society and establishing a government.

In our previous discussion it became clear that the way of purification of the soul, that is, the spiritual life and mystical intuition, is innate within the nature of man; once awakened through the necessary groundwork and the removal of obstacles, it will direct man to enter upon the path of spiritual illumination.

Hence, religion, which by its very nature is concerned to one degree or another with the transcendent and eternal world, cannot but cause the appearance of certain among its followers, who, this hidden urge having been awakened within them, will sever all attachments with this fleeting world full of pain and hardship, and with the hope of absolute bliss and serenity will concern themselves with the eternal abode. And in practice also we see that in every one of the world's religions there exists a group enamored of the spiritual life and mystical way.

By comparing the presentation of spiritual matters in the basic texts of the world's religions it can be clearly observed that the texts of Islam have concerned themselves with the description of everlasting felicity and the external world more than the texts of other religions.

Therefore, the appearance of the way of the purification of the soul within Islam is perfectly natural, without there being the need for any relationship as to its origins with India or with any other place. Furthermore, as history is there to prove, a large number of the companions of ‘Ali (the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet and the firstShi'ite Imam) such asSalman ,Kumayl , Rashid,Maytham andUways were under his direct spiritual guidance and instruction at a time when Islam had not yet reached India and when there could be no question of contact with Indian thought.

The fact that the chains of spiritual initiation (silsilah ) of practically all of the Sufi orders in Islam reach back to Ali further corroborates this point.

The Difference in Means of Expression between Islamic and other Mysticisms

The delicate and refined expressions of Islamic mystical doctrine in contrast to the formulation of other mysticisms, and especially to that of the Indians, has the advantage of elucidating mystical verities within the wrapping of formulations of a more general nature. Hence, everyone is able to profit from them, each in the measure of his understanding. Other mystical ways do not possess this distinction.

It is for this same reason that Islam has been saved from the harmful results, which have affected other religions, by presenting mystical truths openly and unambiguously. For example, in the case of Indian mysticism, if we study the Upanishads carefully, we will see that the doctrine presented there is a precise and extremely profound expression of the Unity of God, but at the same time that it is so bold and explicit thatany one who refers to it who is not completely versed in mystical and metaphysical doctrine will consider its marvelously complete formulations as nothing but superstitious prattle, or at the very least he will interpret passages which express the Unity of God in the most sublime manner as being nothing butincarnationism , pantheism and idol worship.

This claim, moreover, is proved by the opinions which manyorientalists who have specialized in Sanskrit have voiced concerning Indian mysticism; for after the tremendous amount of research which they have undertaken in the original Hindu and Buddhist texts they still consider Indian mystical doctrines as nothing but superstition, produced by the minds of men deprived of the advantages of life. And the basic reason for all such opinions on the part oforientalists is the explicitness and the shocking nature of the bold formulations of these texts.

Further Consideration of the Islamic Message

In the same way that God's creation has placed a particular kind of material life within the reach of mankind and has not discriminated among men but has equipped each of them with equal means, it has also placed the spiritual life, which is hidden behind the veil of material life, within the reach of all men.

And in the same way that the perfection of the material life of man lies in the manifestation and actualization of all his positive and negative actions and deeds-which he performs by means of his body-so also creation has extended the perfection of the spiritual life to include all of those actions and deeds.

In harmony with creation, Islam has considered the spiritual life to belong to all men and has made no distinction between them, and likewise it has extended the spiritual life to all the positive and negative aspects of men's lives. It invites men to accept the ties of social life and to act in a positive manner in traversing a determined path. In teaching this way it has had recourse to indications enclosed in the covering of normal and every-day expressions.

This is because our verbal formulations are in case born of the thoughts of the generality of men. We use them in our social and material life in order to facilitate mutual understanding, and by means of them we exchange thoughts and mental concepts. Now mystical and contemplative comprehension, which is rarer than the elixir of life and which throughout history has never found general acceptance, is something completely different from normal human expression.

The person who wants to formulate into concepts the knowledge gained through intuitive and mystical comprehension is like the person who tries to describe by means of words the colors of the rainbow to one blind from birth. And the person who puts contemplative and mystical insights into the mold of words is exactly like the person who carries water from place to place with a sieve.

It is for this reason that Islam has had recourse to symbols and intimations in expressing mystical truths, and has thus remained untouched by the misfortunes which have overtaken other religions.

Surah al-Fath, Verses 17 - 29

Surah al-Fath - Verse 17

لَيْسَ عَلَی الْأعْمَی حَرَجٌ وَلَآ عَلَی الْأعْرَجِ حَرَجٌ وَلَآ عَلَی الْمَرِيضِ حَرَجٌ وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأنهَارُ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ يُعَذِّبْهُ عَذَابًا ألِيمًا

17. No sin is there upon the blind, nor is there sin upon the lame, nor is there sin upon the sick [that they turn away from fighting in Allah’s cause]. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will admit him to Gardens [of Paradise] beneath [whose trees] rivers flow; and whosoever turns back, He will chastise him with a painful torment.

Legislators are supposed to attend to all legal aspects and stipulate specific laws for special cases (e.g. the lame, the blind, and the ailing). The disabled will not be deprived of being admitted to Paradise unless they obey Divine Commands to the best of their abilities.

It is reported on the occasion of the blessed Verse in question that upon being apprised of the order of engaging in jihad, the disabled entertained fear and informed the Noble Prophet (S) of their disabilities to participate in battles together with other believers and they were anxious of their fates.

Thus, the blessed Verse was revealed as per which there is no sin upon the blind, the lame, and the ailing if they fail to take part in jihad.

Irrespective of the occasion of revelation, it is evident that it applies to all religious obligations.

Thus,

“Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger”

refers that believers are supposed to obey God Almighty and His Messenger (S) in all cases, be it concerning jihad or otherwise, and those who are disabled and owing to their disabilities fail to perform a number of their obligations, they shall be rewarded with Divine Bounties so long as they obey Allah and His Prophet (S).

Au contraire, those who are able to obey Allah and His Messenger (S) but they fail to act likewise shall be chastised with excruciating torments.

Surah al-Fath - Verses 18-19

لَقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأنزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأثَابَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا

وَمَغَانِمَ كَثِيرَةً يَأخُذُونَهَا وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا

18. Verily, Allah was pleased with believers when they gave pledge to you under the tree [at Hudaybiyya]: He knew what was in their hearts [of faith and sincerity] and He sent down serenity upon them, and He rewarded them with a near triumph.

19. And abundant spoils that they will capture. And Allah is Ever Omnipotent, All-Wise.

Giving pledge is a religious obligation whose keeping is obligatory and whose breaking is unlawful and entails evil consequences. God Almighty is satisfied with the faith accompanied by loyalty to His Messenger (S). It is noteworthy that religion is not discrete from politics. God is satisfied with the believers pledging allegiance with their Prophet (S) in social and political issues.

The blessed Verses are revealed on the occasion of the allegiance pledged at Hudaybiyya hence its designation bay’a al-ridhwan. Believers gave their pledge to the Messenger of God (S) beneath a tree well-known as the tree of sammara (shajara al-sammara) at the village of Hudaybiyya.

God Almighty was Aware that their pledge was devoid of sincerity and they obey the Messenger of Allah (S) in jihad. Consequently the blessed Verses in question were revealed to bear glad tidings to believers that owing to their pledge four things fell into their share:

1. Obtaining Divine Satisfaction which is the most exalted Bounty.

2. Fortitude and perseverance through which their hearts find confidence and they persevere in their faith.

3. Triumph which will shall into their faith soon, be it in the conquest of Khaybar, or as some maintain the conquest of Mecca.

4. Abundant spoils which fall into their share. God Almighty is Omnipotent and Truthful and He acts upon Wisdom.

Surah al-Fath - Verse 20

وَعَدَكُمُ اللَّهُ مَغَانِمَ كَثِيرَةً تَأخُذُونَهَا فَعَجَّلَ لَكُمْ هَذِهِ وَكَفَّ أيْدِيَ النَّاسِ عَنكُمْ وَلِتَكُونَ آيَةً لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا

20. Allah has promised you abundant spoils that you will capture and He has hastened for you this [the spoils of Khaybar] and He has restrained the hands of men from [inflicting harm upon] you that it may be a sign [and a lesson] for believers and that He may guide you to the Straight Path.

The preceding two Verses bore the glad tidings of early triumph which according to a number of Qur’anic exegets, e.g. Tabari, Shaykh Tusi, Zamakhshari, Maraghi, and Tabarsi, allude to the conquest of Khaybar. The fortress of Khaybar located two hundred kilometers from Medina.

The fortress had lofty fortifications and ten thousand Jews resided in it and were engaged in agricultural activities in its vicinity. This remarkably fortified fortress had an extraordinary and heavy gate which could be moved by forty people.

Since Khaybar had turned into the enemy base and the spy den of the opponents of the Islamic faith, Muslims departed for Khaybar one month following the Treaty of Hudaybiyya. In the outset, Muslims were headed by those who failed to do anything, until the Noble Prophet (S) said that he would give the banner to one who had obtained the satisfaction of God Almighty and His Messenger (S), one who is loved.

He handed the banner to Imam ‘Ali (as) the next day. Imam ‘Ali (as) departed for the colossal fortress of Khaybar with the Muslim army.

A Jew from the top the wall asked him:

“Who are you?”

He replied:

“I am ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.”

The Jew shouted:

“O Jews! You shall be defeated.”

It was at that time that Mirhab, the Jewish castellan proceeded to the gate to fight ‘Ali (as). ‘Ali (as) forcefully dislocated the gate and threw it aside, thus Muslims could enter the castle and conquer it.1

At any rate, the blessed Verse in question is saying that God Almighty has promised to reward believers before long with abundant spoils and impede the enemy from inflicting harm upon them. He made the conquest of Khaybar happen earlier so that believers entertain no doubts as to the words of the Noble Prophet (S) regarding their triumph.

It is definitely a reference to the conquest of Khaybar which occurred prior to the conquest of Mecca in the same year at Hudaybiyya. Further details are to be found in exegetic and historical sources.

The blessed Verse proceeds with two further Bounties:

“That it may be a sign [and a lesson] for believers and that He may guide you to the Straight Path.”

Surah al-Fath - Verse 21

وَاُخْرَی لَمْ تَقْدِرُوا عَلَيْهَا قَدْ أحَاطَ اللَّهُ بِهَا وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَی كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرًا

21. And other [triumphs and spoils] which are not yet within your power [will fall into your share], but Allah compasses them. And Allah is All-Able to do all things.

Promising the achievement of spoils in future rests on Divine Omnipotence and Omniscience. Qur’anic Verses engender trust in God Almighty and educating monotheists.

The blessed Verse in question informs believers that another spoil shall also fall into your share which stays beyond your power at the time or you are unaware that it is encompassed by Divine Omnipotence but its occurrence is predetermined.

What was beyond their power at the time could be the conquest of Mecca or other bounties fallen into the share of Muslims at the lifetime of the Noble Prophet (S). However, the wide application of the Verse and the word “abundant” in the preceding Verse include all the spoils to fall into the share of Muslims to the last day.

Surah al-Fath - Verses 22-23

وَلَوْ قَاتَلَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوَلَّوُا الْأدْبَارَ ثُمَّ لَآ يَجِدُونَ وَلِيًّا وَلَآ نَصِيرًا

سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلاً

22. And if those who disbelieve fight against you [they fail to confront you and] they certainly will retreat and turn their backs. Then they will find neither a protector nor a helper.

23. That [your triumph and disbelievers’ fear of being defeated] has been the Way of Allah with those who passed away formerly and you will not find any alteration in the Way of Allah.

Weak Muslims attained to such might that their enemies could not stand against them. One who is not supported by God Almighty has no helper.

In the prayer of ‘Arafa Imam Husayn (as) thus addresses God Almighty:

“One who has you [as a helper] has everything, but one who does not have you, has nothing.”

In this blessed Verse, God Almighty informs His Messenger (S) that if the disbelievers from Banu Asad and Qatafan intend to wage war with Muslims, He will cast fear into their heart so that they turn away from battle and flee. Disbelievers will be defeated, denigrated, and helpless at all times, since they have neither friend nor helper. It is an allusion to the truth that God Almighty is the only true friend and support.

One who has not entered the stronghold of

“There is no god, but Allah”

has no refuge and may not achieve any success.

Verse 23 is saying that it has always been the Way of Allah that Truth and the followers of Truth are triumphant at all times as it is reflected elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an:

“Indeed, it is I and My Messengers who shall be the triumphant”2 .

It is evident that:

“Verily, falsehood is ever bound to vanish”3 ,

since falsehood disappears before truth and things other than God Almighty and His Signs are false and nothing.

Surah al-Fath - Verse 24

وَهُوَ الَّذِي كَفَّ أيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْ وَأيْدِيَكُمْ عَنْهُم بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ مِن بَعْدِ أنْ أظْفَرَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرًا

24. And He it is Who has withheld their hands from you [at Hudaybiyya] and your hands from them in the midst of Mecca after He had made you triumphant over them. And Allah is Ever the All-Seer of what you do. [All triumphs and progresses are dependent upon Divine Will.]

The blessed Verse in question is saying that He is the One who withheld disbelievers from inflicting harm upon you at the heart of Mecca as he withheld your hands from them after He had made you victorious over them. God Almighty is the All-Seer of what you do.

Indeed, this account was a clear instance of

“manifest triumph”

in Qur’anic terms. A limited number without sufficient equipment entered the land of the enemy who had embarked upon military expedition against Medina and had left no stone unturned to defeat them. However, now that the limited number of Muslims penetrated their land they fearful that offered the peace treaty.

Could there be any more significant triumph that they conquered the enemy without the least bloodshed?

The Treaty of Hudaybiyya was indubitably a defeat for the Quraysh and a triumph for Muslims throughout the Arabian Peninsula since Muslims were able to cast fear into the hearts of their enemies. In other words, withholding from waging war is a reference to the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, since Meccan polytheists had prepared themselves for engaging in war against Muslims and the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) had pledged allegiance with Muslims to stay loyal to him.

Thus both parties were prepared to confront each other.

In the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, God Almighty impeded polytheists from attacking Muslims on the one hand and hindered Muslims from killing polytheists on the other. There were two reasons behind the treaty which were Bounties: preservation of the sanctity of the sacred precinct of Mecca which was not to be defiled by Muslims and the other Bounty was the ten year truce stipulated in the treaty in which the number of Muslims was on the increase.

Since Muslims did not shed the blood of any of the Meccans, they went on pilgrimage the following year and three years after that they gloriously conquered Mecca. These Bounties were all the consequences of the treaty. Had some polytheists been fallen, peace, truce, pilgrimage in the following years, preservation of the sanctity of Mecca, and perhaps the conquest of Mecca would have been impossible.

Consequently, the Treaty of Hudaybiyya has been regarded as

“manifest triumph”

which paved the path of penetration and propagation of the Islamic faith.

Surah al-Fath - Verse 25

هُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَالْهَدْيَ مَعْكُوفًا أن يَبْلُغَ مَحِلَّهُ وَلَوْلَآ رِجَالٌ مُّؤْمِنُونَ وَنِسَاء مُّؤْمِنَاتٌ لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوهُمْ أن تَطَؤُوهُمْ فَتُصِيبَكُم مِّنْهُم مَّعَرَّةٌ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ لِيُدْخِلَ اللَّهُ فِي رَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاء لَوْ تَزَيَّلُوا لَعَذَّبْنَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابًا ألِيمًا

25. They are the ones who disbelieved and hindered you from al-Masjid al-Haram and detained the sacrificial animals from reaching their place of sacrifice. Had there not been believing men and believing women [in Mecca] whom you did not know [owing to the command as to attack], that you may sill them and on whose account a sin would have been committed by you without [your] knowledge [We would have issued the command of waging war and attacking Mecca and confrontation with these disbelievers, but we did not issue such command], that Allah might bring into His Mercy whom He wills, if they [believers and polytheists] had been apart, We truly would have chastised those of them who disbelieved with excruciating torment.

The Arabic word ma’kuf is employed in the sense of an animal kept for sacrifice. The word mu’takif designates someone who makes himself bound to something or a place for some sacred cause. The word ma’arra indicates loss and the verbal form tazayyalu signifies “they had been apart.”

The blessed Verse in question treats of Divine Favors bestowed upon believers such that war and bloodshed were removed from the people of Mecca for the safety of believers.

Thus it is said that though Meccan polytheists prevented Muslims from entering Masjid al-Haram and returned the seventy camels brought by the Noble Prophet as sacrificial animals from the sacrificial place, God Almighty lifted the command of war, since believing men and women lived in Mecca who concealed their belief out of fear and had there occurred a war between Meccan polytheists and Muslims, they would have perished without they being aware of the same and they would have been grieved.

Concerning the reason for accepting the truce with Mu’awiya, Imam Hasan (as) said:

“I avoided war out of discretion and defending their blood.”4

Thus, God Almighty bestowed His Mercy upon Meccan believers and provided them with safety against being killed. It is also worthy of note that the prodosis of the law (“if”) apodosis is deleted, in other words, had it not been for providing Meccan believers with safety against their lives, We would have commanded jihad against Meccans and you would have conquered them.

To lay further emphasis, the blessed Verse in question thus closes:

“Had there not been believing men and believing women whom you did not know, that you may sill them and on whose account a sin would have been committed by you without [your] knowledge, that Allah might bring into His Mercy whom He wills, if they [believers and polytheists] had been apart, We truly would have chastised those of them who disbelieved with excruciating torment.”

The verbal form tazayyalu (“they had been apart”) derives from the root z-w-l (“disperse, scatter, break up, separate”).

Based on numerous traditions cited in Shi’i and Sunni sources concerning the blessed Verse in question, it could be said that there were believers living amongst disbelievers and it was for their safety and God Almighty did not chastise disbelievers.

According to a tradition narrated from Imam Sadiq (as), he was asked:

“Was ‘Ali (as) not mighty and perseverant in God’s religion?”

The Noble Imam replied:

“Yes, he was.”

He was again asked:

“Why did he not destroy disbelievers and hypocrites when he conquered them? What did impede him from doing the same?”

Imam Sadiq (as) replied:

“Owing to one Qur’anic Verse.”

He was asked about the Verse and he answered:

“The Verse in which God Almighty says:

‘if they [believers and polytheists] had been apart, We truly would have chastised those of them who disbelieved with excruciating torment.’”

Then the Noble Imam (as) added:

“There were believers under Divine custody residing with disbelievers and hypocrites and ‘Ali (as) did not intend to kill fathers so that those under custody become apparent … and also our Riser (qa’im) of the Ahl al-Bayt (“the Noble Prophet’s family”) will not rise until such believers under Divine custody become apparent.”5

God Almighty is Aware that a number of their children will voluntarily convert to the Islamic faith and it is for their sake that He exempts fathers from immediate chastisement.

Surah al-Fath - Verse 26

إِذْ جَعَلَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْحَمِيَّةَ حَمِيَّةَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَأنزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَی رَسُولِهِ وَعَلَی الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَألْزَمَهُمْ كَلِمَةَ التَّقْوَی وَكَانُوا أحَقَّ بِهَا وَأهْلَهَا وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا

26. When those who disbelieve had entertained in their hearts pride and arrogance, the pride and arrogance of the time of ignorance, then Allah sent down His serenity upon His Messenger and upon believers [and they prepared themselves for peace] and made them adhere to the truth of fear of God and they were well entitled to it and worthy of it. And Allah is the Omniscient of all things.

The blessed Verse in question treats of the account of the Quraysh whose arrogance and false pride of the time of ignorance and also their hatred against the Messenger of God (S) made them impede the Noble Prophet (S) and his companions who had set to enter Mecca, his hometown, on pilgrimage.

Although it was difficult for the Noble Prophet (S) and his companions, but since it was according to Divine Wisdom they had to tolerate them and their harms until the time of triumph and conquest arrives. Thus, they had to make peace with them and abstain from waging war and bloodshed.

Since it was Divine Wisdom and discretion, God Almighty:

“sent down His serenity upon His Messenger and upon believers”

so that they receive perseverance and serenity and obey Divine Command.

“And made them adhere to the truth of fear of God”

indicates that God Almighty made believers persevere in the fear of God which is

“There is no god but Allah,”

“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,”

or

“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,”

with which the Quraysh failed to be satisfied and desist from entertaining the arrogance of the time of ignorance and disobeying Divine Command, though it was hard for believers to return without having gone on pilgrimage to Mecca.

“They were well entitled to it and worthy of it”

since believers, as required by faith, were God fearing and more entitled or worthy of fear of God Almighty or being granted serenity. Fear of God Almighty, the fruit of faith, had penetrated into their hearts, since whoever is more perseverant in faith entertains more fear of God. The believers accompanying the Noble Prophet (S) at Hudaybiyya persevered in faith and fear of God.

“Allah is the Omniscient of all things”

indicates that God Almighty is All-Aware of things in the world in terms of betterment and corruption. He was All-Aware that the Noble Prophet (S) and his companions were not supposed to go on pilgrimage to Ka’ba, but it was better for them to depart for Mecca that year and accept the peace treaty as the prerequisite for facile conquest of Mecca to happen in future.

Surah al-Fath - Verse 27

لَقَدْ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ رَسُولَهُ الرُّؤْيَا بِالْحَقِّ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ إِن شَاء اللَّهُ آمِنِينَ مُحَلِّقِينَ رُؤُوسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ لَآ تَخَافُونَ فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا فَجَعَلَ مِن دُونِ ذَلِكَ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا

27. Verily, Allah shall fulfill the true vision which He showed unto His Messenger in very truth. Truly, you shall enter al-Masjid al-Haram if Allah wills, secure, having your heads shaved, and having your hair cut short, entertaining no fear. He knew what you knew not and He granted besides that a near triumph.

Prophets’ dreams are among those which definitely come true. One of the manifestations of the inimitability of the Holy Qur’an is that it was prognosticated that Muslims would enter Masjid al-Haram in security and the same was realized. Man is unaware of the favorable or unfavorable consequences of his deeds; as a consequence of which his should obey God Almighty.

Muslims though about entering Mecca but God Almighty was Aware that the consequences of making peace would be far better. In fact, God Almighty made His Messenger’s (S) vision come true, since it was a true vision rather than a confused dream.

Its postponement was based on Wisdom. One of the reasons lying behind such postponement was to test believers’ perseverance so that perseverant believers be distinguished from non-perseverant ones.

The li- in li-tadkhulunna is an intensifying particle, though a number of Qur’anic exegets maintain that it is employed as a particle of oath indicating by God! God willingly, they will enter Masjid al-Haram the following year in triumph and glory, in which case, li-tadkhulunna is the prodosis.

It is said that

“If God wills”

designates that whoever God wills will enter since a number of companions might decease or there might be some other hindrance for them. Thus, whoever God Almighty wills and obeys the Messenger’s (S) command will be triumphant and will enter in safety with their heads shaved and following performance of pilgrimage rituals.

“If God wills”

may also instruct believers to utter the formula before embarking upon doing anything. God Almighty was Aware of something of which believers were unaware and thereby preordained that prior to the conquest of Mecca there was to precede another triumph which was either the conquest of Khaybar or the Treaty of Hudaybiyya.

Surah al-Fath - Verse 28

هُوَ الَّذِي أرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَی وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَی الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَكَفَی بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا

28. He it is Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the religion that He may make it superior to all religions. And All-Sufficient is Allah as a Witness.

The secret behind the triumph of the Islamic faith is Divine Guidance and Truth;

(“He it is Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the religion”).

Conquering falsehood by Truth is an ideal which may solely be realized by God Almighty. It is attested many a time in the Holy Qur’an that Islam is superior to all religions.

The superiority may indicate Islam’s superiority in terms of scholarship, logic, and argument which has always been so, or it may also make a reference to the future when the Islamic faith will encompass the world over, when the inheritors of the earth will be righteous servants of God Almighty as the sovereignty of Islam wielded its sway in a vast area in the latter half of the first/seventh century.

The pronoun huwa

(“He”)

in the blessing Verse in question refers to Divine Truth and Simple Essence, in other words, God Almighty is He Who sent down His Messenger (S) with the means of Guidance, i.e. many a miracle, the Inimitable Qur’anic Verses, and manifest religion and laws and made him conquer disbelievers so that the religion of Truth, i.e. the Islamic faith, be manifest to all peoples and followers of different religions and they recognize that the religion of Truth is the Islamic faith and there exist no doubt for anyone as to its Divine Truth.

“And All-Sufficient is Allah as a Witness”

reflects that the Pure Essence of God Almighty is sufficient to bear witness to His Messenger’s (S) Prophethood and Truth in his words and deeds.

Qur’anic exegets disagree on the manner of the superiority and triumph of the Islamic faith over all other religions. Some maintain that the superiority lies in logical and argumentative aspects saying that such superiority has realized since in terms of logic and argument, the Islamic faith is superior to all other religions.

Some other Qur’anic exegets hold that superiority (li-yudhirahu) is employed in the outward sense of the word since it is attested in the same sense. thus, it may be said that many a vast area throughout the world are within the territory of Islam and in modern times, more than forty Muslim countries with a population of approximately one billion are under the banner of Islamic faith, but a time shall arrive in which all the world hold the same banner and it will attain to perfection through the Rise of Mahdi (as).

According to a Prophetic tradition,

“There will remain no house made from stone and mud, nor do tents made from wool and hair unless Allah makes the name of Islam enter them.”

The eminent scholar Tabarsi in his Majma’ al-Bayan cites a tradition from Imam Baqir (as) which is an interpretation of the blessed Verse in question, saying:

“The Promise given in this Verse shall realize at the Rise of Mahdi (as) from the family of the Noble Prophet (S). On that day, there shall remain no one on the face of the earth but those who acknowledge the Truth of Muhammad’s (S) Prophethood.”6

On the interpretation of the blessed Verse in question, Shaykh Saduq in his Ikmal al-Din narrates a tradition from Imam Sadiq (as), saying:

“By Allah! The meaning of the Verse is yet to realize and it shall solely realize when the Riser rises. Upon his Rise, there shall be no one denying belief in God Almighty throughout the world.”

The traditions concerning the Rise of Mahdi (as) are such that no Muslim scholar from any denomination may deny their consecutive transmission (tawatur). Many a book have been written in this respect whose authors have unanimously acknowledged the reliability of the traditions concerning the reformer of the world, Imam Mahdi (as).

These traditions are attested in many a well-known Islamic source including sunan, ma’ajim, and masanid books among which mention may be made of the following: the Sunan compiled by Abu Da’ud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja, Ibn ‘Amr al-Dani; Masanid compiled by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ibn Ya’la, Bazzaz; Hakim’s Sahih; Ma’ajim (Kabir and Mutawassit) compiled by Tabarani, Ruyani, Dar Qutni; Abu Nu’aym’s Akhbar Mahdi; Khatib’s Ta’rikh Baghdad; Ibn ‘Asakir’s Ta’rikh Dimashq.

It is worthy of note that a number of Muslim scholars have written books devoted to such traditions, e.g. Abu Nu’aym’s Akhbar Mahdi; Ibn Hajar Haythami’s al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi ‘Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadar; Shukani’s al-Tawdhih fi Tawatur Ma Ja’a fi al-Muntadar wa al-Dajjal wa al-Masih; Idris ‘Iraqi Maghribi’s al-Mahdi; Abu al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Mu’min al-Maghribi’s al-Wahm al-Maknun fi al-Radd ‘ala Ibn Khaldun.

A number of earlier and later scholars have also explicitly mentioned that the traditions narrated concerning Mahdi (May God Almighty Hasten His Rise) are indubitably consecutive in their chains of transmission, e.g. al-Sakhawi in Kitab al-Fath al-Mughith; Muhammad ibn Ahmad Safawini’s Sharh al-‘Aqida; Abu al-Hasan al-Abri’s Manaqib al-Shafi’i; Ibn Taymiyya’s Fatawi; Suyuti’s al-Hawi; Idris ‘Iraqi’s al-Mahdi (as); Shukani’s al-Tawdhih fi Tawatur Ma Ja’a fi al-Muntadar; Muhammad Ja’far Kinani’s Nadm al-Tanathur; Abu al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s al-Wahm al-Maknun.

The aforesaid traditions are cited in most of Shi’i tradition compendia and Qur’anic exegetic works under the blessed Verse in question.

Surah al-Fath - Verse 29

مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أشِدَّاء عَلَی الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاء بَيْنَهُمْ تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا سِيمَاهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِم مِّنْ أثَرِ السُّجُودِ ذَلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِي الْإِنجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أخْرَجَ شَطْأهُ فَآزَرَهُ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوَی عَلَی سُوقِهِ يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنْهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأجْرًا عَظِيمًا

29. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down in prostration, seeking Bounty and Satisfaction from Allah. The mark of them is on their faces from the traces of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. But their description in the Gospel is like a [sown] seed which sends forth its shoot, then makes it strong and becomes thick and it stands straight on its stem, delighting the sowers, that He may enrage the disbelievers with them. Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous good deeds, forgiveness and a mighty reward.

Muslims need to be severe, decisive, and firm against enemies;

(“And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers”).

The blessed Verse in question presents a clear depiction of the Noble Prophet’s (S) companions, adherents, and those who followed him illustrating it with expressions from the Torah and the Gospel which is a source of glory and pride for those who persevered at Hudaybiyya. It also provides Muslims of all ages with a lesson.

The blessed Verse opens with:

“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

It does not matter whether men of insignificance like Suhayl ibn ‘Amr like it or not or hide themselves from the sun shining on the entire world. God Almighty bears witness to His Prophethood and believers who are aware of it bear witness to the same. The blessed Verse then proceeds to present a depiction of the Noble Prophet’s (S) companions and followers.

Thus it depicts their outward and inward characteristics and also their thoughts, emotions, and deeds by enumerating five attributes.

Firstly,

“Those who are with him are severe against disbelievers.”

Secondly, they are

“merciful among themselves.”

Believers are like a hearth of emotions and love for their brethren, friends, and co-religionists and they are similar to a blazing and burning fire and a solid and hard wall against enemies.

In fact, their emotions may be summarized in their love and wrath; however, the existence of the twain is by no means inconsistent with each other, nor do their wrath against enemies and their love for their friends make them leave the path of Truth and Justice.

The third attribute treats of their deeds:

“You see them bowing and falling down in prostration.”

The expression of serving and worshipping God Almighty is depicted by the two main pillars of

“bowing”

and

“falling down in prostration”

as their permanent states. Such worship reflects submission to Divine Command and negation of arrogance and false pride.

The fourth characteristic reflects their sincere intention:

“seeking Bounty and Good Pleasure from Allah.”

They neither resort to pretension nor do they expect people to reward them, but they are solely attentive toward Divine Satisfaction and Bounty. It constitutes their only incentive in their lives.

The expression:

“Divine Bounty”

reflects their confession to their faults and regarded their deeds less worthy of Divine Reward.

Despite making efforts, they still say:

“O God! Woe unto us if you do not bestow Your Bounty upon us!”

The fifth and the last depiction treats of their fair-seeming appearance:

“The mark of them is on their faces from the traces of prostration.”

The Arabic word sima literally denotates

“mark”

be it on the face or other parts of the body. The word, however, is employed in modern Persian in the sense of “appearance.” In other words, their “appearance” clearly reflects that they are humble people before God Almighty, right, law, and justice and it is not only reflected on their faces, but also all their being and life indicate the same.

It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (as) regarding the interpretation of the blessed Verse in question that the mark of their faces indicates:

“wakefulness at night for establishing prayer”

whose marks are visible on their faces during the day.7

It is worthy of note that these meanings and interpretations are all consistent.

Following such depictions, the Holy Qur’an adds:

“That is their [the Noble Prophet’s companions] description in the Torah.”

This truth is already mentioned in the Scriptures revealed more than one thousand years ago. However, it should be borne in mind that the expression:

“those who were with him”

refers to those who stood with the Noble Prophet (S) in terms of thought, beliefs, ethics, and practice, rather than his contemporaries some of whom differed with him in the aforesaid terms.

The Holy Qur’an proceeds to treat of their description in the Gospel, saying:

“Their description in the Gospel is like a [sown] seed which sends forth its shoot, then makes it strong and becomes thick and it stands straight on its stem, delighting the sowers.”

The Arabic word shat’a denotes “sprout; chicken” but the word ad hoc signifies offshoot. Azara derives from ‘-z-r (“support, back up”). The verbal form astaghlada derives from gh-l-d (“become strong”).

The clause istawa ‘ala suqihi means “It is so strong that it stands on its own,” though the word suq indicates “stem, stalk.” The expression yu’jab al-zura’ signifies that fast growth and abundant sprouts and crops are to such an extent that even farmers who are at all times engaged in such things are perplexed.

Such people with these descriptions never cease for one single moment, but they always grow, sprout, and bear crops. They propagate the Islamic faith at all times throughout the world through their words and deeds and add to the number of the Muslim community each and every day. They never stop, but they always proceed and despite being pious, they are warriors too.

Despite being warriors, they are comely both outwardly and inwardly. They have vigorous emotions and pure intentions. They represent Divine Wrath in the face of enemies and reflect Divine Mercy and Favor before the friends of God Almighty.

The blessed Verse in question proceeds to say that such exalted characteristics, fast growth, and blissful movement serve as a source of encouragement for friends, but at the same time, enrages disbelievers;

(“He may enrage the disbelievers with them”).

Thus the blessed Verse in question closes:

“Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous good deeds, forgiveness and a mighty reward.”

It goes without saying that the characteristics mentioned in the opening of the blessed Verse encompassed faith

and righteous good deeds. Thus, reiteration of these two characteristics makes a reference to its continuity. In other words, God Almighty has solely promised those among the Noble Prophet’s (S) companions that they remain in his line and perpetuate faith and righteous good deeds; otherwise, those who were among his friends and companions one day and left him the day after proceeding another path contrary to his will never be rewarded by God Almighty.

It is also worthy of note that the clause

“And those who are with him”

does not indicate physical association and companionship with the Noble Prophet (S), since hypocrites associated with him, but “with him” definitely indicates being with him in terms of faith and fearing God Almighty. Thus, we may never make use of the blessed Verse in question to come to a conclusion regarding all the contemporaries and companions of the Noble Prophet (S).

It is interesting, however, that modern Muslims have distanced from the impressive guideline of the Verse and the descriptions provided in it regarding true believers and the companions of the Noble Prophet (S) and at times enter into such conflicts with one another, entertain hatred, and embark upon bloodshed and the enemies of the Islamic faith have never embarked upon the same!

At times, they establish such friendly ties with disbelievers that it sounds as if they are brothers descending from the same forefathers. Such bowing and prostration, sincere intentions, desire for Divine Bounty, reflection of the marks of prostration on faces, growth, sprouting, invigoration, and standing on one’s feet are not visible.

It is also noteworthy that the more we have distanced from these Qur’anic precepts, the more we have entangled ourselves in pain and humility; but we are unaware of the sources of blows inflicted upon us. False pride and arrogance of the time of ignorance impedes thinking, revision, and return to the Holy Qur’an.

O Lord! Awaken us from such perilous and deep sleep!

Notes

1. Ibn Athir, al-Kamil, vol. 2, pp. 216-221. Besides Ibn Athir, the well-known Sunni historian, all Shi’i and Sunni historians and Qur’anic exegets have reported the account with minor alterations in details.

2. 58:21

3. 17:81

4. Ibn Athir, Kamil, vol. 3, p. 205, apud Imam dar ‘Iyninnat Jami’a, p. 128; see also Tafsir Burhan; Tafsir Safi; Majma’ al-Bayan under the blessed Verse in question.

5. Tafsir Nur al-Thiqalayn, vol. 5, p. 70. Numerous traditions are cited in this respect.

6. Majma’ al-Bayan, vol. 5, p. 25; Tafsir Qurtubi, under 24:55, vol. 7, p. 4692.

7. Man la Yahdhuruhu al-Faqih and Rawdhat al-Wa’idhin, apud Tafsir Nur al-Thiqalayn, vol. 5, p. 78.