Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Alhassanain (p) Network for Islamic Heritage and Thought

God's Messenger and Message

By: HusseinDargahi

Translated by:Shahram Rajabi

Naba Cultural

www.alhassanain.org/english

IN THE NAME OF GOD

Table of Contents

Life and Life Giver 4

The Right Way of Living 6

Presenting and Protecting the Divine Religion 7

Ways of Communication between 10

God and his messengers 10

Types of Message to the prophet of Islam 10

The Prophet 12

Prophethood and Imamhood :Inseparable 16

Public Invitation * 17

The Historic migration ( Hijrat) 18

The Message 20

Quran , the Miraculous Proof 21

Fammiliarity with the Quran 23

The references : 24

Islam According to Imam Ali 25

cited from : Nahjol Ballaqa by Imam Ali 25

The Quran ; Specifications 26

How to read the Quran 26

The End 28

Life and Life Giver

Any thing in existence is a sign ofit's creator and bears a signature ofit's maker. How can we believe that the dead, unconscious matter could have become alive by itself and without a life-giving source, start living so intelligently, as such inconceivably harmonious beings that our scientists with all their exhaustive research have been able to discover only a few fragments here & there about their hidden harmony and order.

And you can ask yourself: Can you believe a beautiful painting, could have been painted by itself? Can you easily ignore and rule out the need for a creative artist to create that beauty? Can you conceive of poetry with a significant composition of words without a poet!

Or a magnificent edifice without an architect? How can there be music without a musician? A building without a builder and a creation

Without a creator?

* * *

Any creation displays a degree of its creator's power and wisdom. The harmony and integration among the creatures indicates the existence of one unique power dominating the whole universe. And the uniqueness of each creature is in fact the signature of that Unique Creator .The very " Beginning " of creature's " to Be " calls for a "Beginingless Being " to bring them into existence and their mortality is a sign of their creator's immortality. Their weakness and impotence is a sign of His omnipotence and their wants call for His absolute richness

Looking at this majestic creation [with billions of galaxies and an infinity of stars filling the sky with breathtaking beauty and grandeur, the human body withit's sophisticated structure...] will you accept that our whole existence is meaningless, that life may be aimless?

Let's look at ourselves! Do we not seek a purpose and intention byevery thing we do in our daily lives? Don't you always pursue some goal by your thoughts and actions?

While we consider an aimless life, absurd and meaningless how could we conceive that our Wise Creator whose wisdom is evident in each single particle in existence, may have set up this "Edifice of Wonders and Miracles " aimlessly?

If we simply observe people's lives, we will easily find out that each person has a goal and is seeking something near or far away. There is always a goal a dream, a desire for them to go on! Without a goal, life is impossible! That's why people have personal objectives. Though many of us are not aware of the ultimate goal and have no idea about the true destiny of our humanity, at least we know that there must be something as an ultimate destination!

Going through history, studying the well-known biographies shed light on the fact that the inferior and ugly lives have been the result of a deep ignorance of the true goal of life.

* * *

Now to have a goal and to choose a destination, man has to be created as a conscious being with an ability to distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong, beautiful and ugly and a freedom of choice to decide what to do and taste the fruit of his / her deeds fairly. Indeed God leaves everyone responsible for his/her own acts and does not wrong anyone in anyway, since he doesn't need to do any injustice to his servants. One only wrongs others out of weakness and impotence. And God is omnipotent! He is the richest and therefore the most fair.

But this world has been created with certain limitations wherein there is not enough time and space to see the final result and total consequence ofones acts. The wrongdoer may not receive his complete punishment in this world. And the material world is not vast enough to manifest the endless blessings and infinite abundance God bestows on his righteous servants.

Hence our wise creator created another world beyond this world that begins with the end of this world when all the creatures have lived and died. God will raise all his creatures back to life on the Day of Resurrection and summon them all to his final judgment. (The Day of Judgment)

But not all the results will be left to the other world. Part of them we may see in this world. This material world is the soil wherein we lay the seeds of our works and the other world is where we harvest the outcome. In other words, we live in this world for a short time with limited provisions in order to start an eternal life with endless provisions and blessings or sufferings - as a consequence of our own works in this world.

The fact that our happiness or unhappiness in the other internal life depends on what we do in this life manifests the significance of our short lives in this world. Knowing that this life may come to an end at any

Unpredictable moment, shouldn't we live in a way that enables us to face the result of our acts with honor and full responsibility in the other world?

* * *

The Right Way of Living

Our Almighty God is also known as the " Lord of the Universe “. That means to him alone belongs everything in his creation.

The equivalent word for "Lord " in Arabic - the original

Language of the Holy Quran - is "Rabb " which means; the

"Owner" and the "Master”. The Master is the one who guides and advises us, who gives us moment-to-moment growth towards the ultimate perfection of his own.

To enable His creatures to reach that ultimate perfection God has determined for each species a certain way of life in accord with their capacity of understanding. For human beings this certain way of life - social or individual - is known as " Religion ".

Islam [the way of submission to truth] is the religion approved by God and the way he has chosen to guide us towards the ultimate goal f existence where we can reach the infinite divine blessings in eternal peace and bliss. Hence to reach the eternal happiness – in material and spiritual dimensions - we need to understand the divine religion that guides us towards that ultimate goal.

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Presenting and Protecting the Divine Religion

To help human beings understand the divine religion and find the way to higher planes of consciousness God has shown the path of truth to a number of his chosen servants. He has sent down to us the divine teachings as a message through his messengers. These messengers are the ones who know the way to the ultimate truth. The prophets who have come to deliver God's message to us.

The first divine messengerwas"Adam"and the last was the prophetMuhammad.The most prominent among God's messengers were ; Noah , Abraham ,Moses ,Jesuschrist and Muhammad ; the prophet of Islam who was chosen to bring the Final Testament(The Holy Quran) .

No doubt unless the divine instructions have been correctly practiced the divine mission is not yet totally fulfilled. So to carry the mission through , God has assigned a few among people as thesuccessesors of the last prophet to proclaim , protect and observe the practice of the divine religion These chosen individuals are known as " Imams ".

The need for the presence of such individuals as the guardians of religion is justified when we see the evil disbelievers who oppose the truth never stand aside peacefully to allow God's messengers easily fulfill their mission , since living on the basis of faith in God and the practice of the divine religion does not agree with their egoistic intentions Hence their constant effort to demolish the divine religion by different means of deception to divert people from the right path of life to the ways towards their own sick satisfactions .

Apart from the spitefuldisbelieveres there are those who unintentionally weaken and distort the divine religion out of sheer ignorance Considering these adverse factors threatening the soundness and integrity Of Islam [the religion of submission to truth ] the necessity of a qualified guardian to protect the divine religion against any distortion or destruction , is justified .

Moreover to learn the original teachings of Islam people at any time need a teacher with mastery of all dimensions of the religion whose profound knowledge is free from any trace of ignorance. He must be able to answer all questions regarding the religious concepts, trace and remove any possible misunderstanding or misinterpretation of Islamic teachings among people.

Apart from conceptual questions, to find solutions to practical problems, people need a wise and knowledgeable advisor. A true example of a healthy mind and right manners. An embodiment of virtue, who exhorts people to Godly ethics and morality.

In social life too, people require a Leader A wise person to guide them on a better way of living. Obviously a communities order and discipline depends on its leadership. Therefore a society seeking righteous life needs a Godly governor. Someone who knows the divine precepts and has the capability to put them into effect.

In addition to issuing decrees, it is important how to execute themcorwisely . In fact a decree without due execution is useless. That's why the society requires a competent executive to carry out divine decrees. Amongstrectly and the members of a society at times there might come differences and disagreements, which call for a fair and wise judge to bring justice between the two sides of the argument.

In a community seeking Justice in all social and personal dimensions where no one exceeds his limits to tread on the rights of others, a true guardian of rights and limits is obviously needed.

Therefore, a person who wishes his/her personal and social life to be in accordance with Gods' approval and keep himself / herself pure an away from guilt has to come under the support and supervision of a wise and knowledgeable teacher who knows and speaks the Quran and has the true capability of making infallible judgments. God the most wise approves a leader who’s every act and word.

Otherwise the slightest error in his acts and knowledge will lead astray the people following him. In a word he must be truly " Infallible ". But since such high qualifications cannot reliably be distinguished and recognized by people, God the omniscient, wisest, only decrees the appointment of the Imams. God has chosen and appointed the Imams to meet people's need for " leadership “, " Justice " a " Guardianship " of the divine religion and to carry out other duties decreed by God.

A significant fact to be mentioned here is that the divine religion was proclaimed and presented in its most perfect form with the appointment of Muhammad as prophet. That's why no more prophets and religions were needed after the advent of Islam. Thus the mission of all prophets came to its fulfillment and Muhammad was given the title of the " Last Prophet ". But when the prophet's mission as the delivery of the divine message was thoroughly fulfilled, protection of the message against possible distortions and preference of the divine fulfillment was left to the Imams.

The first Imam after the prophet of Islam was Ali-Ebne -Abitallib who was followed by Imam Hassan-Mojtaba , ImamHossein , ImamSajjad , Imam MuhammadBagher , ImamJafar Saadeq , ImamMussa Kazim , Imam Reza, ImamJavavd , ImamHaadie , Imam HassanAskarie and ImamMahdie the living invisible Imam of all times, ever since.

As a logical conclusion to seek and find:

- " Knowledge free from ignorance"

- "Spiritual, Cultivation free from any deviation or perversion "

- "Expression of truth free from vagueness and obscurity,"

- "Life free from injustice and oppression",

We must consult an infallible Imam appointed by God.

To consult and follow the Imam we have first to know him well. Otherwise a person who doesn’t know the Imam of his time may not be able to live a way of life approved by God and will have no share in the blessings and benedictions of Islam. Such a person will die in ignorance. That is what our prophet Muhammad means when he states:

" He who died not knowing the Imam of his time has died in ignorance ".

In spite of such emphatic statements by the prophet of Islam, people did not generally consult the living Imams of their times. Although the prophet times and times had prophetically introduced the coming Imams after him, that right climate of an Islamic society was never allowed to flourish. Most Muslims did not recognize their Imams and refused to follow them. Hence their social conditions deteriorated day after day to a tragic extent that the twelfth Imam [Mahdie ] could not even live safely in his own place of

dwelling .

Therefore by Gods' leave ImamMahdie conealed himself from the eyes ofpeople.Hence his presence is not perceived and recognized by anyone except those whom he wishes to see him .God has willed him to liveinvisiblly in this world until they day God orders him to appear , rise and revolt against the

oppressive establishments and evil disbelievers Thus he will bring auniv -

ersal revolution thereby the true Islamic way of living will be established all over the world .

* * *

Ways of Communication between

God and his messengers

The holy Quran mentions three ways of contact between God and his messengers , through which they received the divine message .

The first contact is through " Vah-ye " divine revelation or inspiration "Vah-ye " in the Arabic tongue means a secret whisper or talk through codes and indirect indications perceived and understood only by whom they are addressed to. In this way of contact God conveys his wills andinstruc-tions by means of certain secret codes Such contact is made either during the normalstste of waking or while asleep and dreaming .

The second way of contact is through a disguising object In other words from behind a barrier. That 's when God spoke to Moses through a tree on the mount Sinai .

And the third way is sending down an angel to deliver God 's message to his prophet.

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Types of Message to the prophet of Islam

The message conveyed to the prophet of Islam was of two types :

One was that whose meaning and words both came from God .

This type of message formed the divine scripture of Quran .

The second type was that whose meaning came from God but was uttered through the prophet's ownstatements.This type is what is known as "Hadith"quotations from the prophet Muhammador"Sunna " his actions.

The first type of messageie , theQuranic scripture includes the main issues and general principles. Details and specific instructions such as the number ofRak-ats (units of prayers), the words of prayer inRuku (Bowing posture ) andSajdah ( prostration ) , the number of times pilgrims should go around the "Ka'aba " have not been mentioned in theQuran.Therefore the prophet had to explain God's instructions regarding such details in his own words .

The mission of delivering the wholeQuranic message to people was fulfilled by the last year of the prophet's life .Other specific teachings known as the prophet's "Sunna " are in two parts :

One consists of the teachings that applied to the daily affairs ofmuslims during theprophe's life .The instructions issued to meet people's needs in those days .

The other part comprises the teachings which had not been introduced in the prophet's era since they would not apply to practical requirements of the day. In such cases the prophet entrusted God's message (regarding the specific cases) to the Imamscceeding him .

Therefore Imam Ali had the responsibility ofintrodcuing those new teachings to themuslims living in his owntime.Others succeeding Imams also had the same responsibilityie to carry on with the teachings of Islam regarding the needs of the contemporarymuslim society.

The result is the invaluable collection of the knowledge conveyed to us by the infallible Imams .The importance and significance of those teachings isspecificly emphasized by the prophet :

"I leave you a couple of invaluable treasures , the divine scripture [ Quran ] and my chosen family members [ to consult and follow ] for as long as you faithfully cling to them will never stray from the right path And the two will remain inseparable till Doomsday when they join me by the side of the pond of "Kawthar ".

Such an emphatic statement clearly advises us to refer to the infallible Imam's exegeses to properly understand thethe holy Quran and the teachings of Islam .

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The Prophet

Our beloved prophet Muhammad was from the "Bannie Haashim " tribe. A tribe well-known for their generosity and honesty among theArabs.To an extent that association with the tribe was a cause for pride and dignity .

In 571 A.D Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca His father was "Abdulallah " a son of "Abdulmutallib " and his mother's name was "Amenah " a daughter of "Wahb ".

Muhammad had lost his father before his birth. So when born , he was in the custody of his grandfather " Abdul -Mutallib " At the early age of six he faced the untimely death of his mother and at the age of eight he lost his grandfather too Then he was placed in the custody of his paternal uncle " Abu -Tallib " .

In his childhood he enjoyed no education and thus was kept away and free from the profane and superstitious training of the so-called teachers of his time In fact from the verybegining he was directly taught and trained by God's invisible angels Regarding the prophet's divine upbringing and training Imam Ali has stated :

" In fact God hadasigned his highest angel to be with Muhammad since the time he was weaned off the milk in order to guide him moment to moment towards honorable manners and to teach him the most beautiful virtues And I followed him [ Muhammad ] like a baby camel after it's mother Thus he showed me each new day a new example of moral beauties and exhorted me to follow ".

With the most brilliant virtues , sound beliefs and faith in God Alone Muhammad lived among ignorant , unscrupulous people who followed superstitions and their own idiotic whims , sunk in bloodshed indulging in plundering , burying their own children alive and other cruel , wrongful acts In such an era of injustice and such a society ruled by idiocy and blindness , Muhammad opened his eyes and rose like the sun revolting against an overwhelming darkness .

He spend his childhood being a shepherd and when reached the age of a young man "Muhammad" worked as a merchant and as abussiness agent of a wealthy woman named "Khaddija ", he went on commercial travels Returning home once from and important business journey to Damascus , Muhammad marriedKhaddija .

Regarding the prophet's biographically important journey to Damascus ImamHaadie has stated :

" When the prophet got through with his business journey toDamascus,he donated the obtained profits to charity in the cause of God "

From then on every dawnMuhammad,the young man would climb up to the peak of the mount "Haraa " where he sat watching the majestic scenes and signs of God's creation in deep prayer and meditation .

He continued to be in suchspirtual states till the mature age of forty when God found his heart mostopen,most humble andobidient before Himself and let the heavenly gates of the divine mysteries open for him and angels descend upon him with blessings from the Lord of the universe and "Gabriel" to inspire and encourage him torise,when he called :

- Read !(O Muhammad)

- What to read ? [asked the prophet in amazement]

" Read in the name of your Lord who created (1) Who created man

from an embryo (2) Read and you Lord , Most exalted (3) Teaches by

means of the pen (4) He teaches man what he never knew (5) "

Thus Gabriel recited the first revelations to the prophet and flew back to heaven Overwhelmed by such manifestation of God's glory and majesty , Muhammad climbed down the mount , shivering with awe , in a state of fever and chill like a diseased man .What filled him with fear and anxiety was the thought of people's denial of his mission who would callhim"crazy " " bewitched" or "inspired by Satan" !

But his past life had proved him the wisest, mostobidient and blessed

by God among people A man who had always kept away from the devil's -temptations .Therefore to fill his heart with courage and strength against the obstinate disbelievers , God ordered the rocks and mountains around to speak to the prophet and call :

" O, Muhammad , Omassenger of God , peace and blessing ,be upon

you ! Good news for youO'messenger ; that your Lord has bestowed

beauties and blessings upon you more that anyone before and after you therefore do notdespaire if people call you crazy ."

Describing the early days of Islam , Imam Ali* tells us :

" In those days , the only home greened and purified with Islam

was the one , the prophet ,Khadijah [ his wife ] and I lived in I

could well see the brightness of divine inspiration in the prophet's

visage and smell the fragrance of God's blessings in his presence .

No doubt I heard Satan moaning when the first divine revelations

came to the prophet. Therefore I asked : O messenger what is this

moan that Ihear?And he answered :" It's The devil moaning with

grief and despair , for not being worshiped ."

Then he added : O Ali, you can hear what I hear and can see

what I see except that you are not a prophet and you are only my

assitant who do not deviate from the right path ."

* * *

In 610 A.D at the age of forty Muhammad was appointed by God as the messenger of Islam. For as long as three years , he did not proclaim his invitation to Islam in public and kept his mission a secret among afew,until the third year when God ordered him to invite his relations to believe in Islam. [the religion ofsubmision to God] It was the time when the revelation came as:

"Now preach to your close relations "

He continued to be in suchspirtual states till the mature age of forty when God found his heart mostopen,most humble andobidient before Himself and let the heavenly gates of the divine mysteries open for him and angels descend upon him with blessings from the Lord of the universe and "Gabriel" to inspire and encourage him torise,when he called :

- Read !(O Muhammad)

- What to read ? [asked the prophet in amazement]

" Read in the name of your Lord who created (1) Who created man

from an embryo (2) Read and you Lord , Most exalted (3) Teaches by

means of the pen (4) He teaches man what he never knew (5) "

Thus Gabriel recited the first revelations to the prophet and flew back to heaven Overwhelmed by such manifestation of God's glory and majesty , Muhammad climbed down the mount , shivering with awe , in a state of fever and chill like a diseased man .What filled him with fear and anxiety was the thought of people's denial of his mission who would callhim"crazy " " bewitched" or "inspired by Satan" !

But his past life had proved him the wisest, mostobidient and blessed

by God among people A man who had always kept away from the devil's -temptations .Therefore to fill his heart with courage and strength against the obstinate disbelievers , God ordered the rocks and mountains around to speak to the prophet and call :

" O, Muhammad , Omassenger of God , peace and blessing ,be upon

you ! Good news for youO'messenger ; that your Lord has bestowed

beauties and blessings upon you more that anyone before and after you therefore do notdespaire if people call you crazy ."

Describing the early days of Islam , Imam Ali* tells us :

" In those days , the only home greened and purified with Islam

was the one , the prophet ,Khadijah [ his wife ] and I lived in I

could well see the brightness of divine inspiration in the prophet's

visage and smell the fragrance of God's blessings in his presence .

No doubt I heard Satan moaning when the first divine revelations

came to the prophet. Therefore I asked : O messenger what is this

moan that Ihear?And he answered :" It's The devil moaning with

grief and despair , for not being worshiped ."

Then he added : O Ali, you can hear what I hear and can see

what I see except that you are not a prophet and you are only my

assitant who do not deviate from the right path ."

* * *

In 610 A.D at the age of forty Muhammad was appointed by God as the messenger of Islam. For as long as three years , he did not proclaim his invitation to Islam in public and kept his mission a secret among afew,until the third year when God ordered him to invite his relations to believe in Islam. [the religion ofsubmision to God] It was the time when the revelation came as:

"Now preach to your close relations "

[Sura 26 - verse ,214]

* Inviting the relations *

The way the prophet invited his relations to Islam was both interesting and mysterious Though it's mystery came to be known later .Regarding the invitation of close relations the Islamic historians andexegetists write :

God ordered the prophet to invite his relatives to the new religion .

So after considering the mission from different aspects the prophet told Ali- who was only fifteen at the time -to prepare a meal and some milk for the guests .Then he invited 45 men of his tribe "Bannie Haashim " to the feast These were the important chief members of the tribe The prophet intended toanounce his mission after the meal was served But unfortunately Abu -lahab - one of the prophet's uncles with his frivolous out-of-place words talkatively ruined and spoiled the whole situation Seeing this , the prophet postponed his plan to a lateroccasio .

The next day he again invited the guests to another feast and began his speech In the name of God with praise and glorification for the Lord of the universe .Then the prophet continued :

" Indeed a true guide will never mislead his followers By God the one Lord of the universe I'm his sent messenger to you and the whole world O my relatives , you will die like falling asleep at night and rise , like waking up in the morning on the Day of Resurrection when you receive the just reward and punishment for your works. There will be the Paradise for therightous and the Hellfire for the evil - doers"..

Then the prophet added :" Nobody ever has brought his people a treasure morevalueable than what I've brought to you .Happiness in this world and in the Hereafter is the gift I bring to you God has ordered me to invite you to his kingdom .Now who among you will give me support and be my brother and successor ?".

When the prophet's statements came to this point a great wave of silence spread all over the atmosphere with every one struck by the divinely assertive statements of the prophet .At this moment , "Ali " who was only a teenager unexpectedly broke that silence When he stood up and said :

" O , Messenger , I'm ready to support you !" but the prophet told him to sit down and then repeated his last question three times ! Again nobody uttered a word in reply except Ali who unashamedly stood up again and asserted his commitment Seeing this the prophet concluded with the historic statement :

" O my people , this young man [Ali] is my brother ,assistant and

my successor among you. You shall listen to him and follow him !"

Prophethood andImamhood :Inseparable

The announcement ofAlis ' appointment as the first Imam succeeding God's messenger in the early days of the prophet's mission in public simply proves thatprophethood andImamhood are inseparable !

The introducing of the divine messenger and his succeeding Imam to the people occurred on a same day! The logical inference is thatprophethood andImamhood are both based on a same foundation .The story also implies the courage and intrepidity of Ali as the first Imam .The question is that how a teenager among the learned elderly chiefs of the tribe could stand up alone and announce his commitment to support a risky cause regardless ofpoltical and security considerations .That was because Ali had lived with the prophet and developed thecapasity to understand and absorb the truth of the divine religion presented by the prophet of Islam while the learned elderly men were hesitant to accept the truth they heard for the first time .

Public Invitation *

After inviting the relatives, the prophet was ordered by God topublicise his invitation and let everyone know " Islam " as the divine religion of submission to God Alone.

But the Arabs' reaction to this gentle public invitation to Islam was very hostile The idiotic disbelievers spitefully showed anunreasonablly , violent and cruel response to the prophet's sincere invitation .They called the messenger of God " Sorcerer ", " Crazy poet " etc and mocked him all the time When he was preaching or praying they would make stupid noises , throw dust and trash over his head from the roofs, cast stones or swear at him .

At other times they would try to bribe him out of his way by offering him political posts and positions or money. But not a single step backwards was taken by the prophet nor did he hesitate to move forwards though at times he felt depressed and sad for the degree of ignorance and obstinacy of his people Therefore times and times God consoled the prophet throughQuranic revelations and enjoined him to refrain from aslighest tendency towards the wishes of the disbelievers.

The ruthless tyrants Mecca would arrest and torture to death anyone who converted to Islam and followed the prophet. Suffering such unbearable cruelties the newmuslims would persistently ask the prophet for permission to rise in a bloody revolt against theprofanc establishment But in reply the messenger would say :

" I have not yet received any instructions from God regarding the issue

therefore we must keep our patience and wait ! ".

Under the pressure of such torturing circumstances somemuslims moved with their families out of the city of Mecca .The brutal disbelievers continued their killing ofmuslims until they decided to put an end to the whole movement bymurduring the prophet himself Informed of this intrigue the prophet was ordered by God the omniscient to leave Mecca over night .

The Historic migration (Hijrat )

Thus God informed his messenger , of the disbelievers scheme andordrered him to migrate to the city of " Medina " So the prophet asked his cousin "Ali -Ebne-Abitallib " to stay in his place and left Mecca in the dark of the night passing through the siege of the murderers around his house On the way out of Mecca he ran across " Abu -Bakre " - [ one of his close followers ] who accompanied him on thejourneny . They took shelter in a mountain cave near Mecca where they stayed for three days till the disbelievers lost all hopes of findingthem.Then together they set out on their journey to Medina. The people of Medina whose chief members had already converted to Islam with their relations ,reverently paid the migrant prophet a warm welcome. They sincerely devoted their lives and possessions to the promotion of Islam

Thus the religion of submission to God expandedit's realm among the people .Themuslims under the persecution of theMeccan disbelievers gradually left their homes and migrated to Medina with their families After a while the divine decree for armed battle against the hostile disbelievers was finally issued throughQuranic revelations Therefore themuslims prepared for the " Holy Battle " [Jihaad ] against the disbelievers butrefrianed from initiating the war .

The prophet took over the handling of themuslim's affairs in Medina and thesurronnding territories He concluded agreements and signed peace treaties with the Jewish tribes inside and around Medina and also with the idolwershiping Beduin tribes in the surrounding desserts and thus promoted peace and justice among the friendly Arab tribes .

Battles and Triumph

In the second year after the prophet's migration to Medina a tough war broke out between themuslims of Medina and theMeccan hostile disbelievers in "Badre " a dessert area between Mecca and Medina The war miraculously ended with themuslim's victory , though they numbered three times less than the enemy , whose warrior's equipment was far superior to that of themuslims .But with God's invisible help they gained victory over the disbelievers who fled to Mecca suffering great losses of lives and soldiers surrendered to themuslim forces.

But after ayear,the Meccan hostile disbelievers with an army of 3000 warriors (or ' 5000 according to some historians) galloped to Medina to take theirrevenge.They faced themuslim army outside the city of Medina.

In this war known as the war of "Ohod ",first themuslim army almost defeated thedisbelivers but then due a neglectful mistake of a fewmuslim soldiers,the situation overturned and themuslims were defeated and suffered great losses The prophet was wounded in the face but Imam Ali the great warrior of Islam guarded the messenger of God to the end of the war Finally the dispersedmuslim soldiers gathered around the prophet and the exhausted army of thedisbelievres turned around and headed for Mecca dissatisfied with the result .

Following these two Battles , the prophet fought in many other wars -adding up to 84 wars - against the disbelieving Arabs and some Jewish tribes .The most well-known among these 84 wars were the wars of "Khandaq " , "Kheybar " and "Hanneyn " .

In all these wars the migrants and the prophets comrade's known as "Ansar " made great sacrifices for the promotion of Islam According to a general consensus of reliable historians Ali-Ebne -Abitallib [ the first Imam ] was the Leading warrior of " Islam " in all the wars during the prophet's era For themuslim army Ali's tempered sword was the key to victory !

In the sixth year after the prophet's migration (to Medina) the messenger of Islam sent messages of invitation to the kings and rulers of theneighbouring nations ; the Roman Caesar , the rulers of Egypt and Abyssinia ( today called Ethiopia ) and the king of Persia ( Iran ) .

Two years later - the eighth year after the prophet's migration - as previously promised by Almighty God the city of Mecca was conquered by the prophet's army without a single drop of blood shed on the Holy Land Thus collapsed the center of corruption and conspiracy in the Arabian heartland of "Hijaz ". In a short time the city of "Taa,if " was conquered by themuslim army and the dominion of Islam spread all over the Arabian peninsula .

In the tenth year after the prophet's migration , he made his last pilgrimage of Hajj to Mecca .On this " Farewell pilgrimage " after performing the ceremony of Hajj , the prophet preached his last teachings to themuslims .

On the way back from the pilgrimage , the prophet announced the appointment of Ali-Ebne -Abitallib as the first Imam and guardian of themuslim community , before agatherring of 70,000 ( or 120,000 according to some historians )muslims inQadeera-Khom Not long after his return to Medina the prophet passed away God's peace and blessings be upon his soul !

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The Message

As explained before, the divine messengers have come to teach,civilise andputify humanity in all social and personal dimensions .Achievement of this goal requires the divine teachers Themselves to have been taught and purified by God These messengers must have the divine knowledge and power to guide and help people on the way toGod.They must have certain qualification .

Therefore the best way to recognize the divine messengers is to distinguish their eminent qualities But not all the people have the capability to appreciate the relevant criteria or to verify their authenticity. Hence each divine messenger need to carry some proof perceptible, appreciable and comprehensible to all thepeople,as a sign of histruthfullness.And "Miracle"is the proof !

Every divine messenger have presented certain miracles to his people. Moses for example, had nine miracles one of which was turning his staff into a serpent ! Jesus raised dead people back to life, healed the crippled and the sick by Gods' leave.... and other miracles .

Tawassul to the Dead is Addressing the Non-Existent

Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Wahhab writes:Tawassul to a person who is alive has no objection, buttawassul to the dead is to address the non-existent and is an absurd, ugly and despised act.

Critique

1. This statement is a clear violation of ALLAH (SWT)'s words in the Holy Qur'an:

"Reckon not those who are slain in the way of Allah, to be dead; Nay! They are alive and are being sustained by their Lord." (3:169)

2. It is also in contradiction to the saying of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.A.) as recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and all other authoritative (Sihah) Sunni works. After the Battle of Badr the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) stood near the well of the same name and addressed the dead withayah 46 of Surah al-A'raf. When some of his companions objected that how could the dead hear him, the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) replied: "You are not more hearing than them."[34]

3. It is in opposition to the statements of Islamic intellectuals such as al-Ghazzali who writes in Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din: "Some people think death as extinction and state of non-existent, and those who hold such beliefs have no faith and actually mean to deny ALLAH (SWT) and the Hereafter."

Hafiz al-Nawawi in al-Majmu' fi Sharh al-Muhadhdhab which says that while standing beside the tombs of Prophets, especially the shrine of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.A.), it is recommended to request them to supplicate to God for our needs, since they are alive and as the Holy Qur'an says: "are being sustained by their Lord." (3:169)[35]

Shaikh Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri who states his fatwa and that of 75 'ulama' of different Islamic lands as follows: In our view, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.A.) is alive in his holy tomb and his life is similar to worldly life but without its duties. 'Allamah Jalal al-Din Suyuti writes in his book Anba' al-Azkiya' bi-Hayat al-Anbiya' on the authority of Shaikh Taqi al-Din Subki that the proof of the life of Prophets and martyrs in their graves is the prayer offered by Prophet Moses in his own tomb as mentioned in a hadith. In this regard Shaikh Shams al-Islam Muhammad Qasim has written a booklet titled Ab-i Hayat.[36]

4. Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab in answer to Shaikh Ja'far Najafi said that seeking help from the dead is an absurd act. But how could this be called shirk since there is no connection between absurdity and polytheism? And iftawassul with fellow humans is considered shirk, then how could the difference betweentawassul to the living andtawassul to the dead, be ascertained?

5. Here Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab has contradicted his own opinion, since as we saw earlier in this article he believed that Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.A.) is alive in his tomb and said that this state of life of the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) is superior than the life of the martyrs. Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab also said that the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) hears the voice of those who send blessings on him.[37]

6. Farid Wajdi mentions in his encyclopaedia:

In our era God has opened two of the windows of knowledge for us and the proof of this two windows confirms beyond an iota of doubt that man has a soul, which without the need of the physical body can lead its own independent life.[38]

From the 19th century onwards the science of spiritism or contacts with the souls of the departed has been discovered and developed upon by the world's researchers after precise study and experiments in this regard. In the US and Europe, the summoning of the souls of the departed is part of the world of science.[39]

The information which modern scientists have discovered after witnessing the summoning of souls, is yet another instance of the fact that the human being has an independent soul outside the physical body that does not perish with death. The connection of the souls of the departed with the living is the finest proof of the independence and immortality of the soul, and most of its capability concerning many works is with the permission of Almighty God.[40]

The souls of the righteous and pious persons, which have been released from the mortal world, have acquired superior perception and consciousness and in their ascendant journey are free of the limits of time and space. They penetrate with ease the skies and the depths of the oceans to observe the grandeur of God's creation.

Blocking of Means (Sadd-i Dhara'i')

Some of the Wahhabi 'ulama' such as Dr. Muhammad bin Sa'd Suway'ir who is one of the deputies of Shaikh Bin Baz, say thattawassul and tabarruk are permissible for 'ulama' who are cognizant of the essence of faith, but this is forbidden for the common people, who are prone to drift towards polytheism and who might gradually start believing in the personal influence of the Prophet and saints in the granting of boons and prevention of the detrimental things. Therefore, it is obligatory to stop them fromtawassul and tabarruk in the name of Blocking of Means.

Critique

Ayatollah Wa'iz-Zadeh rejecting the Wahhabi theory againsttawassul says:

When the permissibility or recommendation for this act has been confirmed with rational proof, it is not permissible to prohibittawassul for such unfounded fears that the ignorant might give it the color of polytheism. If such were the case, the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) himself would have prohibited people as a precaution from seeking blessing, visiting the graves or kissing the sacred black stone (Hajar al-Aswad) at the holy Ka'bah. On the contrary, judicious measures for checking possible deviation are for the 'ulama' to exercise greater control.[41]

Takfir of Shi’a for Tawassul

Ibn Taymiyyah, despite his extreme and biased approach for prohibitingtawassul , has admitted:

This is a controversial issue and to accuse of heresy those who maketawassul isharam and is a sinful act, since no one has said that a person makingtawassul to the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) after his death is a kafir. This is an ambiguous issue and there are no certain proofs in this regard. Kufr is confirmed when a person rejects any of the tenets of faith deliberately and being fully aware. Therefore, those who accuse a person of heresy for makingtawassul deserve the most severe punishment.[42]

It is unfortunate that the blind prejudice which the colonial powers had skillfully exploited to create differences among Sunni Muslims as a result of the Wahhabiyyah opposition to the issue oftawassul , has been widened to sow discord between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims and to label the Shi’a as kafir (infidel) or mushrik (polytheist) on the allegation that they seek their requests from other than God. To quote Ayatollah Wa'iz-Zadeh, those who do not permittawassul and tabarruk are only a fraction of a minority among the 'ulama' of the Muslim world, and despite their efforts over the past seven centuries, have not been able to convince the upholders oftawassul .[43]

Thus, as should be clear, according to the statement of Ibn Taymiyyah the issue oftawassul is a moral one and does not concern the principles of faith, since a kafir is the one who rejects any of the tenets of Islam.

Extreme Form of Tawassul among the Ahl al-Sunnah

It is a common sight in many countries to see the Ahl al-Sunnah approach the graves of pious persons to pray and supplicate for their needs. In Egypt, Iraq and Turkey, and many other lands --India, Pakistan, Syria, Central Asia, and North Africa-- it is an accepted practice by the masses to visit the tombs of saints and holy personages to maketawassul and seek blessings. Dr. Mustafa Mahmud writes that people in Egypt flock to the tomb of Rifa'i and Ibrahim Dasuqi and cry loudly with such phrases as: Madad Ya Rifa'i (help me O Rifa'i), Shifa' bi-Yadika Ya Sayyidi Ibrahim Dasuqi (In your hands lie the remedy, O my Lord Ibrahim Dasuqi).[44]

The Egyptians also visit the tomb of Shafi'i, the founder of the Shafi'ite sect, fortawassul , while in Baghdad, the Hanafis do the same at the tomb of Abu Hanifah. In Turkey, the people seek their needs at the tomb of the Prophet's eminent companion Abu Ayyub Ansari. It is also a habit among people in Egypt and other places to send written petitions to the tomb of Shafi'i, and wail and cry at the graves of pious persons for things which none except the Almighty God has the power to grant.

When Wahhabi 'ulama' come across such scenes among the Ahl al-Sunnah they brand these Muslims as polytheists and follow the same assumption against the Shi’a, concerning whom they have little or no information, and sometimes go to extreme by labeling them apostates who should be killed.

Purity of Monotheism in Shi’a Supplications

The prayers and acts of worship among the Shi’a have the purest form of monotheism derived from the guidelines of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.A.) and the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.). For instance, Shi’a do not put their forehead during prostration on carpet, cloth, plastic or synthetic material, since Imam Ja'far al-sadiq (A.S.) has said:

Worldly people are slaves of victuals and clothing, hence it is not right for a person who is in the act of offering his prayer to ALLAH (SWT) to place his forehead on the deity of the worshippers of the world.[45]

Likewise, Shi’a Muslims recite the supplications taught by the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and his Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.) in which all requests are directed to Almighty ALLAH (SWT). The Infallible Imams (A.S.) have also dissuaded people from being distracted by external appearances and losing sight of the reality and substance of the supplications.

Shi’a 'ulama' have strived to preserve the path of the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and his Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.). Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Hussein Burujirdi was averse to prostration being made on a clay tablet having the outlines of a dome or structure. In their jurisprudential manuals, both Ayatollah Burujirdi and Imam Khomeini have the following to say concerning prostration at holy shrines:

It isharam to prostrate to anyone except ALLAH (SWT). If the act of prostration in front of the shrines of the Infallible Imams (A.S.) is a form of thanksgiving to God, there is no objection, otherwise it isharam .[46]

A Glance at the Supplications of the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.)

As acknowledged by the prominent Sunni scholar Mahmud Alusi in his exegesis on the Holy Qur'an, in none of the supplications that have been taught by the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.), there istawassul to the person of the Prophet.[47]

If we go through the books of supplications of the Shi’a such as Mafatih al-Jinan, we find that all supplications of the Infallible Imams (A.S.) are directed solely at God, and all addresses begin with Allahumma, Ya Allah, Ya Rabb, and other attributes of God such as Ya Rahman, Ya Rahim, Ya Dhu al-Jalal wa al-Ikram, etc.

Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Musawi, writing on the famous Du'a'Tawassul , which is directed at the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and the Infallible Imams (A.S.), says:

The purpose of tawassul to the pious believers is that they are being requested to supplicate to ALLAH (SWT) to deliver the person in need from his affliction, since the supplication of these saintly figures is accepted by ALLAH (SWT). [48]

The Du'a'Tawassul , which is found in Mafatih al-Jinan, is the same supplication oftawassul , which all Sunni narrators of hadith unanimously regard as sahih (authentic) and relate that the Prophet taught it to a blind man who recovered his eyesight by reciting it.[49]

Conclusion

Therefore, in conclusion we can state with authority the following points, sincetawassul is an accepted principle in the life of a sincere and God-fearing Muslim, and whatever disputes that have been fanned are due to bigotry and lack of proper understanding of Islam:

1.Controversy over the issue oftawassul is not a matter of discord between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims, but it is a difference of opinion between the Salafiyyah sect and the rest of Muslims.

2.Most of the differences of the Salafiyyah Wahhabis are with the extremist Sufis who believe in reincarnation, and with the Sunni masses who often make emotionaltawassul at graves and seek their needs from the departed such as Abu Hanifah (and 'Abd al-Qadir Gilani) in Baghdad, Shafi'i, Rifa'i, Dasuqi and others in Egypt, Idris in Morocco and Abu Ayyub Ansari in Turkey - as well as Khawajah Mu'in al-Din Chishti and numerous others in India, and Data Ganj Bakhsh and Sufi saints in Pakistan.

3.In fact, the Salafiyyah and the Wahhabis have the least differences with Shi’a Muslims since Shi’a recite the supplications of the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.) which contain the purest form of monotheism. However, because of their non-familiarity with the Shi’a they accuse them of polytheism and in their ignorance brand them infidels.

4.In all the supplications of the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.) the addressee is Almighty ALLAH (SWT) alone, even in the famous Du'a'Tawassul , which the Sunnis say with unanimity was taught by Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.A.) to a blind person who subsequently regained his eyesight.

5.Du'a'tawassul , where devotion is expressed to the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and his Infallible Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.), is not exclusively meant for the Shi’a but was widely popular among the Sunnis until Ibn Taymiyyah and later Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab came on the scene with their weird interpretation. For instance, the poetical composition oftawassul to the 14 Infallibles found in the works of prominent poets of the Ahl al-Sunnah such as the Persian poet Shaikh Sa'di and the Sufi Khalid Naqhsbandi -- as well as the famous Spanish Muslim Gnostic and philosopher Shaikh Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-'Arabi.

6.As part of their misinformation campaign againsttawassul , the Salafiyyah attempt to exploit certainAyah s of the Holy Qur'an which refer to the polytheists who worship idols instead of the One and Only God and who seek their wants from these lifeless man-made objects. However, it is clear that equating those who seektawassul to the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) with the polytheists and infidels is an erroneous idea, sincetawassul -seekers, unlike the idolators, address the Almighty Creator and seek their needs from Him by making the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) awasilah for acceptance of prayer. On the other hand, the idols have no connection with God and are nothing more than inanimate objects made by man, while Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.A.) is the manifest sign of ALLAH (SWT), the Messenger of ALLAH (SWT) and Mercy to the creation. ALLAH (SWT) has also given him power, both in this world and in the next, to supplicate and intercede for his true followers. The Wahhabi contention of the period of Barzakh of the

Prophet (S.A.W.A.) lacks any rational explanation and is against the view of the 'ulama' of all other sects of the Ahl al-Sunnah.

7.Those who wish to make the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) the intercessor without being obedient to the Holy Qur'an and the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.), have been likened by Shi’a 'ulama' such as 'Allamah Tabataba`i, to a wishful person who wants to become the sage of the age without learning or studying anything.

Notes:

[1] Refer to the Arabic lexicons Lisan al-'Arab, Asas al-Balaghah and Tartib al-Qamus al-Muhit for meaning of wasala.

[2] Alusi, Ruh al-Ma'ani, vol. 6, p. 124-128.

[3] Tabrisi, Majma' al-Bayan, vol. 6, p. 86; Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, p. 289.

[4] Nida'-i Wahdat, Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab's treatise to Shaikh Ja'far Najafi.

[5] Sharh al-Mawahib, vol. 8, p. 304; al-Majmu', vol. 8, p. 274; Ibn 'Abidin, vol. 5, p.254; al-Fatwa al-Hindiyyah, vol. 1, p. 266 and vol. 5, 318; Fath al-Qadir, vol. 8, p. 297, 298 and al-Futuhat al-Rabbaniyyah 'ala al-Azkar al-Nabawiyyah, vol. 5, p. 36.

[6]  Sharh al-Mawahib, vol. 8, p. 304-5; Wafa' al-Wafad, vol. 4, p. 1371; al-Qawanin al-Fiqhiyyah, p. 148; and Sharh Ibn al-Hasan 'ala al-Risalah al-Qirwani, vol. 12, p. 478).

[7] Al-Majmu', vol. 8, p. 274; Fayd al-Qadir, vol. 2, p. 134; I'anah al-Talibiyyin, p. 315.

[8] Al-Mughni ma' al-Sharh, vol. 3, p. 588; al-Sharh al-Kabir ma' al-Mughni, vol. 3, p. 494.

[9] Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazzali', Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din, vol. 1, pp. 258-261.

[10] Al-Mausu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah, section 14, p. 160.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Tafsir Ruh al-Ma'ani, vol. 6, 128.

[13] Shaikh Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, 'Aqa'id Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah fi radd al- Wahhabiyyah wa al-Bid'ah, translated into Persian by 'Abd al-Rahman Sarbazi, p. 86.

[14] Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 6, p. 328-332.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Refer to Shaikh Aqa Buzurg Tehrani, al-Dhari'ah ila Tasanif al-Shi’a, vol. 25, p. 69-92.

[17] Tafsir al-Mizan, vol. 11, p. 15 (Dar al-'Alami print, Beirut).

[18] Ibn Taymiyyah, Qa'idah Jalilah fi al-Tawassul wa al-Wasilah, pp. 63, 64 & 95, as cited in al-Mausu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah.

[19] Muhammad Rashid Rida, al-Manar, vol. 6, pp. 369-377.

[20] Bayhaqi, Dala'il al-Nabuwwah, vol. 5, p. 489 (Dar al-Kitab al-'Ilmiyyah print, Beirut), cited from al-Mausu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, vol. 24; al-Mustadrak, vol. 2, p. 615, Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Fatwa, vol. 1, p. 150, Jalal al-Din Suyuti, Tafsir Durr al-Manthur, vol. 1, pp. 142-149 (Dar al-Fikr print, Beirut, 1983).

[21] Al-Tabarani, al-Mu'jam al-saghir, vol. 1, p. 183, (Maktabah al-Salafiyyah print) cited in al-Mausu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, vol. 24.

[22] Al-Mausu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, vol. 7, p. 263; Qa'idah Jalilah, p. 1.

[23] 'Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Musawi, Nida' Wahdat, pp. 260-261.

[24] Al-Mausu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, vol. 14, p. 160.

[25] Manawi, al-Fayd, vol. 3, p. 540; Hasan bin 'Ali Saqqaf, al-Tandid bi-man Addada al-Tawhid, pp. 30-40.

[26] Tafsir al-Jalalayn; Baydawi, Anwar al-Tanzil, vol. 2, 270

[27] Tafsir al-Manar, vol. 1, p. 59.

[28] Ibn ''Abd al-Wahhab, Risalah Kashf al-Shubahat, cited in al-Rasul Yad'ukum, p. 295.

[29] Risalatan Bayn al-Shaykhayn al-Ustadh Muhammad Wa'iz-Zadeh Khurasani wa al-Ustadh 'Abd al-'Aziz bin 'Abdullah bin Baz, pp. 32-33.

[30]'Allamah Tabataba`i, Majmu'ah-yi Maqalat, pp. 313-317.

[31] Risalatan Bayn al-Shaykhayn, p. 41.

[32] Dr Buti, Ramadan, Fiqh al-Sunnah, tenth edition, p. 355.

[33] Hasan bin 'Ali al-Saqqaf, al-Ta'liq 'ala Risalatayn, Risalah at-Taqrib Quarterly, No. 17, 1418 AH, p. 69.

[34] Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 14, p. 111, Dar Ihya' al-Turath, Beirut; Sahih al-Muslim, chapter 51, pp. 76-77; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol. 1, p. 26 & vol. 2, pp. 31 & 131; Musnad Tiyalisi, hadith 403.

[35]Al-Majmu', vol. 8, p. 274, chapter on manners of pilgrimage.

[36] Shaikh Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, 'Aqa'id Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah fi radd al-Wahhabiyyah wa al-Bid'ah, translated into Persian by 'Abd al-Rahman Sarbazi, pp. 82-88.

[37] Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, Risalah Kashf al-Shubahat, cited in al-Rasul Yad'ukum, p. 295.

[38]Da'irah al-Ma'arif Qarn al-'Ishrin (20th Century Encyclopaedia), under the topic of 'Ruh' (Soul), vol. 14, p. 365.

[39] Refer for details to Leone Danny's "World After Death", pp. 78-82.

[40] Dr. Bi-Azar Shirazi, 'Abd al-Karim, Gozashteh va Ayandeh-ye Jahan, pp. 96-101.

[41] Risalatan Bayn al-Shaykhayn, p. 17.

[42] Majmu'ah Fatwa Ibn Taymiyyah, vol. 1, p. 106, as cited in al-Mausu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, vol. 14, pp. 163-164.

[43] Risalatan Bayn al-Shaykhayn, pp. 17-18.

[44] Mustafa Mahmud, Asrar al-Qur'an, Dar al-Ma'arif, second edition, p. 77.

[45] Shaikh Hurr al-'Amili, Wasa'il al-Shi’a, vol. 3, p. 591.

[46] Ayatollah Burujirdi, Tawdih al-Masa'il, p. 172; Imam Khomeini, Tahrir al-Wasilah, vol. 1, p. 150, and also in Risalah-ye Novin, vol. 1, p. 148.

[47] Ruh al-Ma'ani, vol. 6, p. 128.

[48] Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Musawi, Risalah dar Kitab wa Sunnat, Majmu'ah Maqalat, Kitab Nida'-e Wahdat, Tehran, Chehel-Sutun Publishers, p. 259.

[49] Sunan Tirmidhi, vol. 5, p. 569, Matba'ah al-Halabi, Egypt, cited in al-Mausu'ah