Manifestations of the All-Merciful

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Manifestations of the All-Merciful

Manifestations of the All-Merciful

Author:
Publisher: www.al-islam.org
English

O Allāh, Fill Our Poverty With Your Needlessness

أََللٌّهُمَّ سُدَّ فَقْرَنَا بِغِنَاكَ

OAllāh, fill (sudda) our poverty (faqranā) with Your affluence (bighināka). This verse does not pertain to the need of the commonly needy individuals, but a need that is shared by every human being, or rather every contingent being1 , which due to the nature of its essence, possesses nothing of its own. Therefore, even the apparently self-sufficient among the created beings are termed poor and needy in this verse. Similarly, ghināka (lit. Your Needlessness) is not the common self-sufficiency shared by some of the human beings, but that which is restricted only to Almighty Allāh. In reality, if one understands the relation between the Creator and the creation, self-sufficiency makes no sense with regard to the creation at all. The Holy Qur’ān alluding to this says:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنْتُمْ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلـى اللٌّهِ وَاللٌّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ

“O mankind! You are the ones who stand in need of Allāh, and Allāh - He is the All-Sufficient, the All-Laudable.”2

لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَإِنَّ اللٌّهَ لَهُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ

“To Him only belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and indeed Allāh is the All-sufficient, the All-laudable.”3

And in his well-known supplication of ‘Arafah, Imām Husayn (as) humbly cries:

إِلٌهِي: أَنَا الْفَقِيرُ فِي غِنَايَ، فَكَيْفَ لا أَكُونُ فَقِيراً فِي فَقْرِي؟‏

“O God, I am the poor in my self-sufficiency; therefore how can I not be needy in my state of need?”

And Imām ‘Alī (as) in his famous whisperings (munājāt) cries:

مَوْلايَ يَا مَوْلايَ: أَنْتَ الْغَنِيُّ وَأَنَا الْفَقِيرُ، وَهَلْ يَرْحَمُ الْفَقِيرَ إِلا الْغَنِيُ؟‏

“My Master, My Master, You are the All-Sufficient and I am the needy; and who other than the All-Sufficient can have mercy on the needy?”

And in the recommended prayer after ‘Asr, we introduce ourselves as:

… لا يَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِهِ نَفْعاً وَلا ضَرّاً وَلا مَوْتاً وَلا حَيَاةً وَلا نُشُوراً …

“…one who does not own any benefit, nor harm, nor death, nor life, nor resurrection…”4

Can we turn into the necessary being?

Faqranā (lit. our poverty) refers to the utterly dependent state of the human being, which in the language of metaphysicians is termed as ‘contingency’ (imkān), and in the vision of mystics ‘manifestation’ (zuhūr). All that exists other than Allāh does not have existence of its own. To come into being and subsist in any state whatsoever requires the Divine Will. The following verse of the Qur’ān expounds the continual process of causation with relation to the creation:

قُلِ اللٌّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَ هُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ

“Say, ‘God is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the All-paramount.’”

It should be noted that Khāliqu in the above verse denotes perpetual creation. This concept is also beautifully expounded by Mullā Sadrā in his philosophical texts, where he intellectually establishes, through his well-known theory of transubstantial motion (harakah jawhariyyah), the fact that every contingent being receives existence every moment. Reflect over the following verses of the Holy Qur’ān:

أَفَعَيِينَا بِالْخَلْقِ الأَوَّلِ بَلْ هُمْ فِي لَبْسٍ مِنْ خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ

“Were We exhausted by the first creation? Rather they are in doubt about a new creation.”5

وَتَرَى الْجِبَالَ تَحْسَبُهَا جَامِدَةً وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ

“And you see the mountains, which you suppose to be stationary, while they drift like passing clouds...”6

The mystics also vision this reality when they behold this universe. ‘Ayn al-Qudāt al-Hamadāni says: “Small children, observing a lamp burning continuously, would naturally think that what we see is one single flame. But the grownups know very well that it is a series of different flames appearing and disappearing moment by moment. And from the viewpoint of mystics this must necessarily be the case with everything in the world except God.”7

Having understood the aforesaid, we ask: Is it possible for the human being to lose his or her contingent identity and become Essential and Necessary in existence? In other words, is it possible for us to change from the utterly poor to the absolutely affluent? Intellectually speaking, such a phenomenon can never transpire for it is evidently impossible. This is because, ‘a Necessary Being’ (wājib al-wujūd) is only necessary and essential when it did not and does not depend on any kind of cause whatsoever. If one says that a certain being was contingent (mumkin) and thereafter turned into a Necessary Being (wājib), this would depict nothing but absurdity. This is because an entity changing from contingency (imkān) to necessity (wujūb) means change of the essence (dhāt) of the entity. This change either was causeless or needed a cause. If we say that it did not require a cause and changed by accident, we have said what is intellectually absurd. If we say it needed a cause, then that would also be incorrect because for something to be necessary no cause is needed whatsoever. A Necessary Being is Causeless. It is never brought about. Hence a contingent being can never turn into a Necessary Being.

Therefore, what exactly do we mean when we utter the above verse of this supplication? What do we actually seek from Almighty Allāh?

One of the Sublime Names of Almighty Allāh is al-Samad. There are several meanings for this name, but they in reality are corollaries (lawāzim) of its exact lexical meaning8 which is: ‘One who is besought and every entity returns to Him for any need.’ One of the corollary meanings of al-Samad is ‘the All-compact (al-musmat).’ Imām al-Husayn (as) is reported to have said:

آَلصّمَدُ: الَّذِي لاَ جَوْفَ لَهُ

“As-Samad is One Who has no hollowness.”

Due to His Infinite Existence, there is no gap of deficiency in any of His perfections. If He is All-Knowing, then there is no perforation in His Infinite knowledge, if He is All-Powerful, there is no kind of power that he lacks… In short, He has no kind of deficiency in the level of His Essence, Attributes or Actions. Mullā Hādī Sabzawārī in his Sharh al-Asmā’ says:

فانّه لمّا كان بسيط الحقيقة واجداً للكمالات والخيرات لا يسلب عنه خير، كان كالمصمّت الّذي لا جوف له - تعالى عن الشبيه و النظير علوّاً كبيراً - فهو بخلاف الممكن الّذي هو الأجوف النّاقص الجائع الفاقد لكلّ كمال، في مرتبة ذاته بذاته

“Because His reality is Simple9 and Non-composite [Basīt al-Haqīqa] and He possesses all the perfections and virtues, and does not lack any goodness (khayr), He is like a compact entity (al-musammat) that does not have any hollowness- highly exalted is He from comparison and similarity- and so He (Allāh) is contrary to a contingent being (al-mumkin) who is hollow (al-ajwaf), imperfect, hungry, and lacks any perfection in the level of his essence…”10

Therefore, every dependent entity is hollow in its reality. Only Allāh is al-Samad. Several parables are given to show this relation. One such relation is that of the ocean and its waves. The waves have nothing of their own yet they seem to be different to the Ocean. Perhaps the best comparison is that of the reflection and the mirror. The creation is like the reflection of Divine Names in the Mirror.

Having considered the aforesaid, what do we mean when we ask Almighty Allāh to fill up our existential poverty with His existential affluence?

Seeking the Proximity of Allāh

One of the interpretations of this sacred verse is to seek the state of human perfection through utter submission to Allāh, such that the human being gains sufficiency (ghinā) through the Absolutely Sufficient (al-Ghanī). The following sacred tradition (hadith al-qudsī) refers to this exalted station:

يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ: أَنَا غَنِيٌّ لاَ أَفْتَقِرُ، أَطِعْنِي فِيمَا أَمَرْتُكَ أَجْعَلُكَ غَنِيّاً لاَ تَفْتَقِرْ. يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ: أَنَا حَيٌّ لاَ أَمُوتُ، أَطِعْنِي فِيمَا أَمَرْتُكَ أَجْعَلُكَ حَيّاً لاَ تَمُوتُ. يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ: أَنَا أَقُولُ لِلشَّيْ‏ءِ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ، أَطِعْنِي فِيمَا أَمَرْتُكَ أَجْعَلُكَ تَقُولُ لِلشَّيْءِ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ

“O offspring of Adam, I am the All-sufficient, and will never become needy; obey Me, and I will make you All-sufficient such that you will never become needy; O offspring of Ādam, I am All-living and will never die, obey Me, and I will make you All-living and you will never die; O offspring of Adam, I say [to a thing] be! And it is; Obey Me in what I have commanded you, and I will make you such that when you say be! [to a thing], it would come into being.”11

In order to attain this fundamental level of proximity (qurb), which is the highest point of the first spiritual journey (السير الى الله ) one must rise through the way-stations of human perfection, which are expounded by the experts of gnosis in their manuals of direction. The fundamental stages, however, as we discussed earlier, are yaqzah and tawbah. It should also be understood that for one to maintain himself or herself on the straight path and never divert from it, he or she needs a master of gnosis (‘irfān) who has already traversed the levels of perfection and has the ability to take others as well.

Seeking The Infinite

Another possible interpretation of this verse of the blessed supplication is to seek greater perfection of the Divine attributes one already possesses. The authoritative mystics in their works present different levels12 in the journey of human perfection. One of the basic classifications they propound is that the human being has two fundamental journeys:

Ibn Maytham al-Bahrānī, in his Sharhu Mi’at Kalimah quoting the mystical scholars says:

السَّفَرُ سَفَرَانِ، سَفَرٌ اِلى اللٌّهِ، وَسَفَرٌ فِي اللٌّهِ. وَالأَوَّلُ إِشَارَةٌ إِلـى إِنْتِقَالاَتِ النَّفْسِ فِي مَراَتِبِ السُّلُوْكِ، وَالثَّانِي اِشَارَةٌ إِلـى اِنْتِقَالِهَا فِي دَرَجَاتِ الْوُصُوْلِ

“There are two journeys: journey to Allāh, and journey in Allāh; the first alludes to the transformations of the soul in the different levels of wayfaring, and the second refers to its transformations in the stages of attainment (wusūl)…”13

1. Al-sayr ilā Allāh السير إلى الله (Journey towards Allāh) which culminates with the state of tawhīd when one does not see anything save Allāh.

2. Al-sayr fī Allāh السير في الله (Journey in Allāh) which never culminates, for it has no end. When we say “in God”, one should not conjecture that God is a vessel (‘arf) in which the human being travels. Far is He from any kind of limitation and imperfection whatsoever. Al-sayr fī Allāh means journeying in the Attributes of God, or the continual process of coloring oneself with the Divine Attributes. And because Allāh is al-Samad and Infinite, all His perfect attributes are infinite too. And since the journey from the finite to the Infinite is infinite, the human being, however exalted he may be, is still in need of more and more perfection. The following famous dictum of Imām ‘Alī (as) according to some scholars14 refers to this very journey:

آهِ مِنْ قِلَّةِ الزَّادِ، وَطُولِ الطَّرِيقِ، وَ ُبعْدِ السَّفَرِ …

“O, how little is the provision, and how long the path and distant the journey…!”15

Hence, there will never be an occasion when the human being would be needless of this prayer.

Readers however should note that for the one who has not attained the proximity of Allāh, ‘seeking more’ carries no meaning. He should strive to cover the first journey so that he may be able to swim across the oceans of the different names of Almighty Allāh. Scholars of ethics however advise that in such cases when the supplicant realizes how remote he is from uttering such lofty words, he should pray with utter humility and shame, and while feeling repentant of his state of separation, pin his hopes entirely on the One who can jerk him to start his journey and later have the ability to swim across the vast oceans of His Attributes.

Notes

1. Contingent beings are those that do not exist essentially nor are they impossible to exist. Therefore in order for them to exist, they always need a cause. All the created beings are such.

2. Holy Qur’ān, 35:15

3. Ibid., 22:64

4. Miftāh al-Falāh, v. 1, pg. 198

5. Holy Qur’ān, 50:15

6. Ibid., 27:88

7. Zubdat al-Haqā’iq, pg. 62

8. al-Mīzān, v. 20, pg. 391

9. Here ‘simplicity’ denotes the non-compositeness of God. (Author)

10. Sharh al-Asmā’ , pg. 365

11. ‘Uddat al-Dā’ī, pg. 310

12. It should be noted that the well-known classification, which is not contradictory to what we have mentioned above, is the al-Asfar al-Arb’ah (the four journeys) which Sadru’l Muta ‘allihīn and his school of thought has adopted. We have not mentioned this due to the limited scope of this work.

13. Sharh Mi’at Kalimah, v. 1, pg. 40

14. Āyatullāh Jawādī Āmolī alludes to this point in his lessons on Ibn ‘Arabī’s Fusūs al-Hikam. See also ‘Buhuth Fī ‘Ilm al-Nafs’ [Transcripts of the notes of Sayyid Kamāl al-Haydarī on the section about the human soul from Mullā Hādī Sabzawārī’s philosophical poetry al-Manzūmah, page 298]

15. Bihār al-Anwār, v. 34, pg. 284

O Allāh, Change Our Unpleasant State Into Your Beautiful State

أَللٌّهُمَّ غَيِّرْ سُوْء حَالنَا بَحُسْنِ حَالِكَ

O Allāh, Change Our Unpleasant State Into Your Beautiful State

In order to properly understand the above verse, it is imperative to know the meaning of the word “husn” in the phrase ‘bi husni Hālik.’ According to Rāghib al-Isfahāni, the word husn means:

الْحُسْنُ: عِبَارَةٌ عَنْ كُلِّ مُبْهِجٍ مَرْغُوْبٍ فِيهِ، وَذَلِكَ ثَلاَثَة أَضْرُبٍ: مُسْتَحْسَنٌ مِن جِهَةِ الْعَقْلِ، مُسْتَحْسَنٌ مِنْ جهَةِ الْهَوَى، مُسْتَحْسَنٌ مِنْ جهَةِ الْحِسّ وَالْحَسَنَةُ يُعبّر عَنْهَا عَنْ كُلَِ ما يَسُرُّ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تَنَالُ الإِنْسَان فِيْ نَفْسِهِ وَبَدَنِهِ وَاَحْوَالِهِ وَالسَّيِّئَةُ تضادّهَا

“Husn is every pleasant and desirable thing. And it is of three kinds:

• Pleasant according to the intellect;

• Pleasant according to worldly inclination;

• Pleasant according to sense perception.

And the word al-hasanah is employed to mean every pleasant blessing that the human being attains in his spirit, body or states. And al-sayyi’ah is opposite to that…”1

بحُسْن حَالِكَ The personal pronoun “kāf” here implies that we are after the utter Beauty of Almighty Allāh, who is the Most Pleasant and Beloved2 . We can therefore not limit the extensions of husn to what al-Isfahānī enumerates in his lexicon of Qur’ānic words. The universal sense of the word itself allows every pleasant entity to come under its conceptual umbrella. In addition, the Husnu’l Hāl (the pleasant state) possessed by Almighty Allāh is beyond intellectual and sensory perception.

It should be noted that the main components of husn are ‘mubhij’ (pleasant, delightful, etc.) and marghūb fīh (desirable). This is one key to understanding the various extensions of beautiful entities.

The particle “bi” in the phrase ‘bi husni hālik’ here can have two probable meanings:

(1) It can mean into3 (the same as the particle إلى ilā). Therefore the prayer would read: “O Allāh change our unpleasant state into Your Beautiful State”. This also reminds us of another supplication which is recommended to be recited on the first day of the solar year – Nawrūz:

... حَوِّل حَالَنَا إلى اَحْسَنِ الْحَالِ

…change our state into the most beautiful state…4

(2) It can denote sababiyyah (mediation)5 , and thus the prayer would read: “O Allāh change my evil state by Your Beautiful State”.

بحُسْن حَالِكَ Hāl حَال denotes ‘a changing state.’ Due to his imperfect nature, the human being undergoes a movement of perfection and thus “hāl” can be correctly attributed to him or her. But is it correct to employ it for Almighty Allāh? Does His Exalted Essence undergo change? Intellectually speaking, God, Who is Absolutely Perfect, can never undergo change. Change manifests deficiency and imperfection, while Almighty Allāh is Absolutely Perfect. Thus, it would be incorrect to talk about change with regard to His Sublime Essence. In a morning supplication narrated in the prayer manual Balad al-Amīn6 , we glorify Almighty Allāh saying:

ياَ مَنْ لاَ يتغيّر مِنْ حَالٍ إِلـى حَالٍ!‏

“O One Who does not change from one state to another!”

And in one of his sermons, while glorifying Almighty Allāh, Amīru’l Mu’minīn’Alī (as) says:

... الَّذِيْ لا يَحُوْلُ وَلاَ يزولُ وَلاَ يَجُوْزُ عَلَيْهِ الاًفُولُ

“One Who neither changes nor ceases to exist, nor is He transitory.”7

In expounding the meaning of “lā yahūlu” ‘Allāmah Majlisī8 in his remarks says: lā yahūlu ay lā yataghayyaru [lā yahūlu means ‘He does not change.’]

Then what does ‘bi husni Hālika’ mean in this noble supplication? To answer this, we need to understand that the extensions of concepts employed to describe different attributes of contingent entities (mumkināt), are not completely the same as those of the Absolute Perfect Being. When we say that a certain person, for example, is kind and merciful, we mean that he or she has a sense of pity which follows acts of support to others. But we can never conceive the state of pity which is an experience of change in the heart with regard to the Exalted Being. Similar is the case with ‘hāl’ which when employed for Almighty Allāh is not ‘a changing state’ but rather His Exalted Reality of Absolute Perfection that always was and will ever be. Small wonder it is that Imām Abu’l Hasan al-Ridā (as) in one of his debates with a theologian hired by Ma ‘mūn is reported to have employed the word “Hāl” for Almighty Allāh, which of course does not depict “a changing state”. He says:

... لأنَّه لاَ يَكُوْنُ أَنْ يُحْدِثَ نَفْسَهُ ولاَ يَتَغَيَّرُ عَنْ حَالِهِ، تَعالى اللٌّه عَنْ ذٌلِكَ

“…This is because it is impossible that he created Himself, nor does He change from His State, Exalted is Allāh from that…”9

Therefore when we say “bi Husni Hālika” we do not mean “a changing state”, Exalted is Allāh from any deficiency whatsoever.

Physical Extensions of Husnu’l Hāl

Our trend so far has been to consider both the apparent as well as the subtle meanings of this noble supplication. In this verse, however, it is clear that the human being opts for the Infinite Beauty and thus the state of physical beauty is not taken into consideration. Nevertheless, it is important to know what Islam has to say with regard to physical beauty. Does Islam consider physical beauty (whose pleasant (mubhij) state the sense perception admits) as insignificant and trivial? Ample proofs indicate that although physical beauty is pleasant and important it should not be reckoned as a distinction in the absolute sense. Whereas the Holy Qur’ān promises damsels with beautiful features10 for the believing men as well as handsome young men11 for heavenly women, and therefore does not consider physical beauty as insignificant, it warns the believing men and women that even if an unbeliever is so beautiful or so handsome, you are not allowed to marry with him or her. Consider the following verses:

وَلاَ تَنكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكَاتِ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنَّ وَلَأَمَةٌ مُؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشْرِكَةٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ وَلاَ تُنكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنُوا وَلَعَبْدٌ مُؤْمِنٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشْرِكٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ أُوْلَئِكَ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ وَاللٌّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيُبَيِّنُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

“Do not marry idolatresses until they embrace faith. A faithful slave girl is better than an idolatress, though she should impress you. And do not marry [your daughters] to idolaters until they embrace faith. A faithful slave is better than an idolater, though he should impress you. Those invite [others] to the Fire, but God invites to paradise and pardon, by His will, and He clarifies His signs for the people so that they may take admonition.”12

It should not be misconceived that Islam discourages one to marry with the physically beautiful. There are traditions which clearly encourage one to be a companion of one who enjoys beautiful features. Imām Abu’l Hasan (al-Ridā) (as) is reported to have said:

ثَلاثةٌ يَجْلُونَ الْبَصَرَ: النَّظَرُ إِلَى الْخُضْرَةِ، وَالنَّظَرُ إِلَى الْمَاءِ الْجَارِي، وَالنَّظَرُ إِلَى الْوَجْهِ الْحَسَنِ

“Three things enlighten the eye: (1) Looking at greenery, (2) looking at running water, and (3) looking at a beautiful face (al-wajh al-hasan).”13

That which Islam considers wrong is to establish the basis of one’s marriage on material interests. Physical beauty without morality would create nothing but chaos in one’s family life. In addition, purity of descent is also highly significant as spiritual heredity plays a fundamental role in one’s future generation. Imām al-Sādiq (as) is reported to have said:

قَامَ النَّبيّ (ص) خَطِيْبًا فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ! إيَّاكُمْ وَخَضْرَاءُ الدِّمَن. قِيْلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللٌّهِ (ص): وَمَا خَضْرَاءُ الدِّمَن؟ قَالَ: اَلْمَرْأةُ الْحَسنَاء فِي مَنْبَتِ السُّوْءِ

“The Holy Prophet (s) once addressing the people said: O people, beware of the verdure of the dung. He was asked:’O Messenger of Allāh, ‘And what does the verdure of the dung mean?’ The Holy Prophet (s) said: ‘A beautiful woman (al-hasnā)’ from unpleasant roots.’”

Effulgence of the Face!

There is however another group of traditions that talk of spiritual light and the effulgence of the face. They also instruct the aspirants of marriage that the fundamental criteria of spousal selection is ‘the brilliance of the heart which is manifest on the face’. Imām al-Sādiq (as) is reported to have said that the Holy Prophet (s) said:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ (ص): أَفْضَلُ نِسَاءِ أُمَّتِي أَصْبَحُهُنَّ وَجْهاً وَأَقَلُّهُنَّ مَهْراً

“The best of the women of my Nation are the most radiant in complexion and seek the least of dowry.”14

Note that the word أَصْبَحُهُنَّ “asbahahunna” is employed in the above tradition and not اَجْمَلَهُنَّ “ajmalahunna”, which means that the yardstick of excellence and perfection is radiance and luminance of the complexion and not physical beauty.

In short, while Islam encourages physical beauty and reckons it as something good and naturally pleasant, it warns us from bartering our spiritual beauty for physical beauty. There is a prophetic tradition that says:

أللٌّهُ جَمِيْلٌ يُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ

“Allāh is Beautiful and He Loves beauty.”

Beauty appreciated by the intellect likewise is naturally lovable and pleasant. In fact one of the proofs of God’s existence is by appreciating the orderliness of the world of creation through the intellect. The intellect appreciates that we live in the most beautiful system. In religious terminology this world is known as al-nizām al-ahsan (The most beautiful system). The holy Qur’ān terms the entire creation of Allāh as beautiful. Observe the following verse:

أَلَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ

“One Who Made Beautiful every thing that He Created.”15

The beauty of every creature can be well appreciated by intellectually considering the orderliness of its system, and its relation with the rest of the world of creation.

Husnu’l Hāl - A Unique State of Utter Ecstasy

The contemporary mystic-scholar, Āllāmah Hasan Zadeh Āmolī, may the Almighty Allāh protect his noble presence, in his treatise- Nūrun’Alā Nūr16 , says:

سعى كن تا به آب برسى با اينكه از آب بريده نيستى. و چون به آب رسيده‏اى آن وقت است كه حسن حال دارى و ابتهاج تو به وصف نمى‏آيد. در دعاى مأثور آمده است كه: (اللّهُمّ غَيِّرْ سُوءَ حَالِنَا بحُسْنِ حَالِكَ) پس خداى تعالى حسن حال دارد، آرى اين حسن حال همانست كه شيخ در فصل هجدهم نمط بهجت و سرور «اشارات» فرمود: «أجل مبتهج بشي‏ء هو الاول بذاته». فافهم

“Try to reach the water, although you are not cut off from water. And when you reach the water, you would have husnu ‘l hāl and your joy would be inexpressible. In one of the narrated supplications we read: O Allāh change our unpleasant state into your Beautiful State. Thus Almighty God Has the State of Husnu’l Hāl. Yes, this State of Joy (Husnu’l Hāl) is that very state that Shaykh (Ibn Sinā) speaks about in chapter eighteen of the section on Joy and Happiness of his monumental work al-Ishārāt:

أَجَلُّ مُبْتَهجٍ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ هُوَ الأَوَّلُ بِذَاتِهِ

The Being that has the greatest joy in a thing is the First (i.e. God) as having joy in His Essence.”17

With regard to Almighty Allāh’s sincere servants, the state of Ridā is known to be the state of joy and ecstasy. Shaykh al-Rā’īs also mentions this in section nine of his monumental al-Ishārāt, as follows:

العَارِفُ هَشٌّ بَشٌّ بَسَّامٌ، يُبَجِّلُ الصَّغِيْرَ مِنْ تَوَاضُعِهِ مِثْلَ مَا يُبَجِّلُ الْكَبِيْرَ، وَ يَنْبَسِطُ مِنَ النَّبِيْه. وَكَيْفَ لاَ يَهُشُّ، وَهُوَ فَرْحَان بِا لْحَقِّ وَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ- فَإِنَّهُ يَرَى فِيْهِ الْحَقَّ؟! وَكَيْفَ لاَ يُسَوِّي وَالْجَمْعُ عِنْدَهُ سَوَاسِيَة أَهْلُ الرَّحْمَةِ قَدْ شَغَلُوْا بِا لْبَاطِل؟ !

“The Gnostic (‘ārif) is bright faced, friendly and smiling. Due to his modesty he honors the young as he honors the old. He is as pleased with the unclearheaded as he is with the alert. How could he not be bright-faced when he enjoys the Truth (i.e. God) and everything other than the Truth, for he sees the Truth even in everything other than the Truth. Furthermore, how could he not treat all as equal when, to him all are equal! They are objects of mercy preoccupied with falsehoods.”18

Avicenna’s statement “… for he sees the Truth even in everything other than the Truth” reminds us of the Holy Prophet (s), and the Holy Imāms of the Ahlu’l Bayt (as). Imām ‘Alī (as) is reported to have said:

مَا رَأَيْتُ شَيْئًا إِلاَّ وَرَأَيْتُ اللَّهَ قَبْلَهُ وَبَعْدَهُ وَمَعَهُ

“I did not see anything save that I saw Allāh before it, after it, and with it.”

A similar dictum is reported also from Imām al-Sādiq (as). Some analysts say that the following tradition also alludes to the sublime state of ecstasy and joy of the Leader of martyrs, Imām al-Husayn (as), as he neared his supreme sacrifice, which guaranteed the salvation of Islam forever: Shaykh Sadūq in his Ma’āni al-Akhbār reports Imām al-Sajjād (as) to have said:

لماّ اشتَدَّ الأمر بِالحسين بن علي عليهما الصلاة والسلام نظر إليه من كان معه فإذا هو بخلافهم، لانّهم كلما اشتد الأمر تغيرت ألوانهم، وارتعدت فرائصهم، ووجلت قلوبهم، وكان الحسين عليه السّلام وبعض من معه من خواصه تشرق ألوانهم، وتهدأ جوارحهم، وتسكن نفوسهم

“When the situation became tense for Imām al-Husayn (as) those who were with him looked at him and saw that his state was contrary to theirs, for whenever the situation grew tense they changed color and were shaken and experienced fear, whereas the faces of al-Husayn (as) and some of his companions shone, their bodily members were relaxed and their souls were tranquil…”19

Such is the spirit which is ready to meet his Lord while both he is Pleased with his Beloved and the Beloved is pleased with him. The last verses of Sūratu’l Fajr, because of which the chapter was also known as Sūratu’l Husayn (as), also depicts the state of Sayyid al-Shuhadā:

يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ. ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَرْضِيَّةً. فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي. وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي

“O soul that art at rest! Return to your Lord, well-pleased (with him), well-pleasing (Him), So enter among My servants, And enter into My garden.”20

There is a beautiful statement that Sayyid Haddād al-Mūsawī, a great mystic and contemporary of the late ‘Allāmah Tabātabā’ī, is reported to have said. His disciple, the late Ayatullāh Muhammad Husayn al-Tehrānī in his Rūh-e-Mujarrad quotes him as saying:

صحنة عاشوراء عاليترين مناظر عشقبازي است و زيباترين مواطن جمال و جلال الهي و نيكوترين اسماء رحمت و غضب و براي اهل بيت جز عبور از درجات و مراتب و وصول به اعلي ذروة حيات جاويدان و منسلخ شدن از مظاهر و تحقّق به اصل ظاهر و فناي مطلق در ذات احديت چيزي نبوده است

“The scene of ‘Āshurā is the sublimest expression of love and reveals the most beautiful scenes of Divine Beauty and Glory, and the finest manifestations of the Names of Mercy and Wrath. For the Prophet’s Household it was nothing more than a transition across all the levels and degrees, to reach the highest peak of eternal life, coming off from the ‘manifestations ‘ to realize the Manifesting Principle and to obtain absolute annihilation in the Being of the One.”

Āyatullāh Tehrānī adds saying21 :

تحقيقا روز شادي و مسرت اهل بيت است زيرا روز كاميابي و ظفر و قبولي ورورد در حريم خدا و حرم امن و امان او است. روز عبور از جزئيت و دخول در عالم كليت است. روز پيروزي و نجاح است. روز وصول به مطلوب غائي و هدف اصلي است. روزي است كه گوشه اي از آن را اگر به سالكان و عاشقان و شوريدگان راه خدا نشان دهند در تمام عمر از فرط شادي مدهوش مي گردند و يكسره تا قيامت برپا شود به سجده شكر به رو در مي افتند

“Truly it was the day of joy and delight for the Ahlu’l Bayt as it was a day of success and victory, of reception into the Divine Sanctity and the sanctuary of peace and security. It was a day of rising above particularity and entry into the realm of universality. It was the day of triumph and deliverance, the day of the attainment of the ultimate end and the principal goal. It is such a day that if a fraction of it were shown to the wayfarers and ardent lovers of the path of God, they would swoon with extreme ecstasy until the end of their lives and fall on their faces to remain in prostration of gratitude until Judgment’s Day….”22

In reality, as Āyatullāh Tehrāni later explains in his biographical account of his mentor, the event of Kerbalā’ is like a double sided coin, one side of which is love, zeal, victory and the triumphant attainment of the Imām (as), and the other side is sorrow, grief torment, torture, and mourning. Āyatullāh Tehrānī believes that one can only see its other side (i.e. the side of ‘ishq) after one has seen the sorrowful side and transcended it. He says:

Āyatullāh Tehrānī says23 :

أما ساير افراد مردم كه در عالم كثرات گرفتارند و از نفس برون نيامده اند حتما بايد گريه و عزاداري و سينه زني و نوحه خواني كنند تا بدين طريق بتوانند راه را طي كنند و بدان مقصد عالي نائل آيند...همچنانكه در روايات كثيرة مستفيضه ما را امر به عزاداري نموده اند تا بدين وسيله جان خود را پاك كنيم و با آن سروران در طي اين سبيل هم آهنگ گرديم

“But those who are still captives within the realm of multiplicity and have not emerged from the domain of the self, they should definitely engage in lamentation and mourning, in beating their breasts and reciting elegies so that thereby they may traverse the way and reach the high goal…Accordingly, in a large number of traditions we have been commanded to mourn, so that we may purify our souls by these means and fall in step with those masters in traversing this way.”24

All these radiant narratives demonstrate that the path is open for the faithful believers too. If one adopts the path of Imām al-Husayn (as) and his sincere followers, he can reach the husnu’l hāl that he or she eagerly asks from Almighty Allāh from this noble supplication.

Notes

1. Mufradātu Alfāzi’l Qur’ān, pg. 235

2. In his Mufradāt al-Isfahānī has extensively discussed about the etymology of the word إله ‘ilāh.’ He reports different origins for the same. One of these, he says, is وِلاه ‘wilāh’ (passionate love). At the onset it was pronounced as wilāh; thereafter the letter wāw (و ) was changed into the letter hamza (إ ) and it became ilāh. And God was named wilāh because every created being has passionate love for Him. Al-Isfahānī says:

قال بعض الحكماء: الله محبوب الأشياء كلها،‌ وعليه دل قوله تعالى: وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَكِنْ لا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ .

“A certain theosophist is reported to have said, ‘Allāh is the beloved of all things.’ And upon this does the following speech of Almighty Allāh indicate: ‘And there is nothing save that it glorifies Allāh and praises Him, but you do not comprehend their glorification.’” [Mufradātu Alfāzi’l Qur’ān, pg. 83]

3. Dr. Rāmīl Badī ‘Ya’qūb, Mawsū’at al-Nahw wa al-Sarf wa al-I’rāb, pg. 186

4. Mafātīh al-Jinān, v. 1, pg. 299

5. Ibid.

6. Balad al-Amīn, v. 1, pg. 60

7. Bihār al-Anwār, v. 4, pg. 254

8. Ibid., v. 4, pg. 257

9. Ibid., v. 10, pg. 334

10. Holy Qur’ān, 56:22

11. Ibid., 56:17

12. Ibid., 2:221

13. Wasā’il al-Shī’a, v. 5, pg. 340

14. Usūl al-Kāfī, v. 5, pg. 324

15. Holy Qur’ān, 32:7

16. Nūrun ‘Alā Nūr, section 9, pg. 78

17. al-Ishārāt wa al-Tanbīhāt, pg. 350 [trans. By Shams Inati, pg. 78 – Translation]

18. al-Ishārāt wa al-Tanbīhāt, pg. 364 [trans. By Shams Inati, pg. 89 – Translation]

19. Ma’āni al-Akhbār, pg. 288

20. Holy Qur’ān, 89:27-30

21. Rūh-e-Mujarrad, pg. 84

22. Spirit Immaterial, translated by Sayyid ‘Alī Qūlī Qarā’ī, Al-Tawhid Quareterly Journal, v. 12, no.3, pp. 42-43

23. Rūh-e-Mujarrad, pg. 91

24. Spirit Immaterial, translated by Sayyid ‘Alī Qūlī Qarā’ī, Al-Tawhid Quarterly Journal, v. 12, no.3, pp. 52

O Allāh, Enrich Every Indigent (Poor One)

أَللٌّهُمَّ أَغْنِ كُلَّ فَقِيْرٍ

O Allāh, Enrich Every Indigent (Poor One)

The Supplicant’s All-Embracing Spirit

[Allāhumma aghni kulla…]:

One preposition employed in nearly every verse of this supplication is “kull” which means “every”. The supplicant always tries to seek the betterment of every human being. He assumes a Divine spirit throughout the invocation. Egoism no more exists. He frees himself from the shackles of yearning only for the betterment and comfort of his self. The Holy Prophet (s) and his infallible progeny were of such character. They yearned for the betterment and emancipation of all. In order to understand this exalted spirit better, study the following quotations of the Holy Qur’ān and traditions:

1. Almighty Allāh says in the Qur’ān [Chapter al-A’rāf- 7:156]:

وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ

“And My Mercy encompasses all things [i.e. every dependent being].”

2. And in [Chapter al-Anbiyā’- 21:107] addressing His Noble Messenger, He says:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلاَّ رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ

“And we have not sent you but as a mercy for the worlds.”

3. And in [Chapter al-Kahf - 18:6] addressing His Beloved, He says:

فَلَــعَلَّكَ بَــاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ إِنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهٌذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا

“Then it is near that you will kill yourself in grief, for their outcomes, if they do not believe in this announcement.” [MK. Trans.]

4. The following is a radiant verse for the daily du’ā’ of the holy month of Rajab:

يَا مَنْ يُعْطِي مَنْ لَمْ يَسْأَلْهُ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَعْرِفْهُ تَحَنُّـناً مِنْهُ وَرَحْمَةً

“O One Who always gives [even] to one who does not ask Him and who does not (even) know Him, out of His Kindness and Mercy.”

5. Almighty Allāh says in [Chapter Tāhā- 20:2]:

مَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ لِتَشْقَى

“We did not send the Qur’ān so that you distress yourself [in the path of propagation by struggling to force the people towards it].”

6. And in [Chapter al-Fātir- 35:8] He says:

فَلاَ تَذْهَبْ نَـفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَاتٍ

“…And therefore do not consume yourself, in grief for them [due to their unbelief]…”

7. And in [Chapter al-Mumtahana- 60:8] He says:

لاَ يَنْهَاكُمُ اللٌّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللٌّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ

“Allāh does not forbid you from doing good and acting fairly with those who have not made war against you on account of religion nor driven you out of your homes; surely Allāh loves those who act equitably.”

8. In a will1 addressed to his son - Hājj Sayyid Ahmad Khumaynī - the late Āyatullāh Khumaynī says: “…These are the miracles of the Noble Messenger (s)…who, standing at the apex of the peak of human perfection, sees the realities clearly and without any intervening hijāb (curtain). At the same time he is present in all the dimensions of humanity and stages of being, and being the highest manifestation of:

هُوَ الأَوَّلُ وَالآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ

“He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden.” [57:3]

wants all human beings to achieve such a perfection. It was painful for him to see that they failed to achieve such a station, and perhaps the verse:

طه. مَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ لِتَشْقَى

“Tā hā: We have not sent down the Qur’ān to you that you distress yourself.” [20:1-2]

makes an oblique reference to this fact, and perhaps this hadith from him also refers to it:

مَا أُوذِيَ نَبِيٌّ مِثْلَ مَا أُوْذِيْتُ

“No Prophet was made to suffer torment like me.”2

9. Marhūm Amīn al-Islam Tabrasī in his Majma’ al-Bayān narrates the following:

ولبث في قومه ألف سنة إلا خمسين عاماً… وكان يدعوهم ليلاً ونهاراً، فلا يزيدهم دعاؤه إلا فراراً، وكان يضربه قومه حتى يغشى عليه، فإذا أفاق قال: “اللهم اهدِ قومي فإنهم لا يعلمون ”

“Prophet Nūh (as) lived among his people for 950 years…And he would invite them day and night, but it would add nothing in them save repulsion. Sometimes his people would beat him so much that he would fall unconscious, and on regaining consciousness, he would say: “O Allāh guide my people for they do not know.”3

10. Following is the first verse of a beautiful poem attributed to Imām ‘Alī (as)4 :

When he saw Ibn Muljim he recited the following near ‘Amr bin Ma’dikarb:

أُرِيْدُ حَيَاتَهُ وَ يُرِيْدُ قَتْلِي

I seek his life and he wants me to be killed

11. It is narrated that Prophet ‘Isā (as) once said5 :

كُنْ كاَلشَّمْسِ تَطْلَع عَلى البِّرِّ وَالْفَاجِرِ

“Be like the sun; it shines upon the virtuous and sinful.”

12. Sayyid Radī al-Dīn ibn Tāwūs is one of the great Shī’a scholars whose works enjoy a certain veneration in the scholarly circles. In his well-known prayer manual - Iqbāl al-Ā’māl, which indeed is a masterpiece of devotional supplications, he narrates the following:

كنت في ليلة جليلة من شهر رمضان، بعد تصنيف هذا الكتاب بزمان، وأنا أدعو في السحر لمن يجب أو يحسن تقديم الدعاء له ولي و... فورد على خاطري أن الجاحدين لله جل جلاله ولنعمه، والمستخفين بحرمته، والمبدلين لحكمه في عباده وخليقته، ينبغي أن يبدأ بالدعاء لهم بالهداية من ضلالتهم، فإن جنايتهم على الربوبية والحكمة الإلهية والجلالة النبوية أشد من جناية العارفين بالله وبالرسول (ص)

“Some time after having written this book, during one of the great nights of the holy month of Ramadān, when I was praying at sahar time for those of whom it is compulsory or good to present in prayer and also for myself and… then the following thought crossed my mind: it behooves one to first pray for the guidance of those who deny Allāh and reject His blessings and those who belittle His Sanctity and change His rule [over His servants and creation], because their crime in relation to the lordship of God, Divine wisdom, and prophetic majesty is more grave than the crime of those who know Allāh (swt) and His Messenger (s)…”

Then, after a few lines he says6 :

فدعوت لكل ضال عن الله بالهداية إليه، ولكل ضال عن الرسول بالرجوع إليه، ولكل ضال عن الحق بالاعتراف به والاعتماد عليه. ثم دعوت لأهل التوفيق والتحقيق بالثبوت على توفيقهم، والزيادة في تحقيقهم، ودعوت لنفسي ومن

“So I prayed for all those who have deviated from Allāh to be guided towards Him, and all those who have deviated from His Messenger to return to him, and all those who have strayed from the truth to admit it and rely on it. Then I prayed for the people of Divine succor (ahl al-tawfīq) to be established on their path and for the men of realization (ahl al-tahqīq) to attain greater realization, and [then] I prayed for myself and those…”

Therefore, when reciting the verses of this supplication of the holy month, the supplicant should open his heart for all in unison with the Prophet (s) and his infallible progeny.

Objection

Does the aforesaid mean that we should also pray for the material well-being of every hypocrite and disbeliever, when we know that they are the sources of corruption and mischief in the society? Don’t we know about their evil state described in various places in the Qur’ān? How can we yearn for the material prosperity of such people?

Response

Almighty Allāh wants both the spiritual as well as the physical betterment of every human being. The purpose of human creation according to the Holy Qur’ān, as shall be soon discussed, is not only meant for the believers, but for the entire caravan of humanity. The verses cited above clearly indicate how the Prophet (s) suffered agony due to the adamant stance of the disbelievers. ‘The agony’ was due to the all-embracing spirit that he possessed. He wanted the salvation of every human being.

The supplicant who is submissive to Almighty Allāh should also like the same to be realized for every human being. However, it would be wrong for him to seek their material prosperity for the sake of material prosperity. When seeking the material prosperity of every human being, one must ask Almighty Allāh for that material prosperity that would serve as a means for the goal of human existence. One should desire, for example, that every human being receives food and shelter, so that they can worship Almighty Allāh and attain His proximity.

There are different reasons why some human beings are deprived of basic necessities of life. The fundamental cause of many of the deprivations is the ‘deficiency of the receptacle of Grace.’ Otherwise the Creator’s Grace is abundantly poured down to all. The Holy Qur’ān so beautifully expounds this truth in chapter ar-Ra’d (13), verse 17:

أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَــآءً فَسَالَتْ أَوْدِيَةٌ بِقَدَرِهَا

“He sent down water from the sky, and the channels flowed, each according to its measure…”

Those who consume foods that would ruin their digestive system, for example, create the gateway of deprivation from food themselves. Those who engage in sin, hamper their sustenance themselves. Both material and spiritual prosperity depend on the receptacle. Otherwise the All-Merciful can never be thought to be stingy or subjective. He is always al-Jawād and Open-Handed.

Therefore, clean and pure water descends from the sky, but dirty receptacles always receive dirty water, narrow receptacles always receive less water, perforated receptacles always lose water, etc. This is a universal law that the Qur’ān so beautifully expounds.

It is noteworthy that the word “Rahīm” that we always utter when starting Chapter al-Fātiha does not literally indicate that His ever-rewarding Mercy and Guidance is only reserved for the believers; rather such Mercy is poured down upon all, but only those receptacles who believed in the truth and have the capacity to accept can absorb the same. For a better understanding of this vital truth those who are interested may look at Ādāb al-Salāt of the late Āyatullāh Khumaynī.7

The Benefits of Prayers in Absence

Another very important trend in the supplication is praying for others in their absence. There are several Qur’ānic verses and traditions that lay great emphasis on this and enumerate good reward for the same. Following are examples worthy of consideration:

1. The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said8 :

لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ أَسْرَعُ إِجَابَةً مِنْ دَعْوَةِ غَائبٍ لِغَائِبٍ

“Nothing is accepted as quickly as one’s supplication for another in his absence.”

2. It is reported from Imām al-Sādiq (as) that he said9 :

دُعَاءُ الْمُؤْمِنِ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ يَدْفَعُ عَنْهُ الْبَلاءَ، وَ يَدِرُّ عَلَيْهِ الرِّزْقَ

“The du’ā’ of a believer for another believer dispels calamities from him and showers him with abundant sustenance.”

Absolute Need of the Human Being

In the culture of the Holy Qur’ān every human being, whatever status he may have in this world, is needy. The Holy Qur’ān [35:15] says:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنْتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلـى اللٌّهِ وَاللٌّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ

“O human beings, you are needy to Allāh, and it is Allāh Who is Affluent, the Praised one.”

This verse is in complete harmony with intellectual proof, which considers every dependent being to depend on a source, Which is Independent and Whose existence is Necessary and Essential. Therefore, all human beings together with their possessions as well as all the other dependent entities, entirely stand and subsist by the cause of Divine Grace. We read on Thursday nights10 :

يَا دَائِمَ الْفَضْلِ عَلـى الْبَرِيَّة

“O One Who continuously Bestows Grace on the creation.”

Almighty Allāh is Rabbu’l ‘Ālamīn. The meaning of ‘Rabb’ should not be equated to the word “Lord” as it is normally translated. Rabb - as mentioned by Tafsīr al-Mīzān - means “al-Mālik al-Mudabbir” (The Owner and Manager of affairs), which indicates that Allāh owns every entity in its entirety and manages it by making it subsist and controlling its affairs each and every moment. Thus we should try to remove the irrational thinking of some people who separate God from creation and say that he is resting. Exalted is He, from such limitations.

Therefore if, the soul owner “in the real sense of the word” is Allāh, every human being is poor and indigent.

A Step Towards Eradication of Poverty

On reciting the verse under discussion, the supplicant always imagines, that he or she is praying for all those who are outwardly needy and have no source of stable livelihood. This is also a correct translation of the verse. However, in view of the introduction presented above, we must understand that the dimensions of poverty are not limited to what we normally imagine.

When we pray to Allāh to enrich the poor, we should also have taken a practical step to enrich others to the extent permitted by our limitations. This, as explained previously, is what is required of us.

If we carefully ponder over the verse under discussion, we will realize that the supplicant does not merely seek ‘the temporal satisfaction’ of the needy. Many of us temporarily satisfy the needy in the holy month of Ramadān by purchasing some household necessities, such as food stuffs and clothes, etc. and are pleased for having done something that Almighty Allāh desires. Obviously such acts are highly recommended and carry a lot of benefit, but are different from what we are trying to seek from our All-loving Creator in this particular verse: we are not merely after the temporal satisfaction of the poor; we are praying to Allāh to assist the needy with a permanent source of income. “O Allāh, aghnī (enrich) kulla faqīr (every poor person).

Having realized this subtle point, the supplicant should think of how to play an active role in making the poor affluent. Several examples of how this may be achieved may come to mind. However, each depends on the supplicant’s limitation: one who is extremely rich, may think of supporting the poor to start small businesses of their own and enrich them thereby; one who owns a small-scale business and is need of employees, would employ the poor and thereby help them up to a certain extent. One may also be an employee of someone himself, but due to his acquaintance with other wealthy men, would try to intercede on the poor’s behalf and get them jobs.

The readers will realize the variety of the options in this noble venture. The significant point here is that every one should take “a step” and participate.

Historical Examples

The life history of our Holy Prophet (s) and the infallible Imāms (as) are a practical translation of this verse of the du’ā.’ Many examples can be cited, but due to the brevity of this work, we shall only mention a few:

1. Historians have narrated how Imām Hasan al-Mujtabā (as) in all his greatness and magnanimity would help the needy with large amounts of money in one go. It is also narrated of him that thrice during his lifetime the Imām (as) spent half of his wealth on the needy. [Tārīkh al-Khulafā - Suyūtī]

2. Farazdaq is a well-known character to the lovers of the Ahlu’l Bayt (as). When the Ummayad governer of the time – Hishām bin ‘Abdul Mālik tried to belittle Imām Zaynu’l ‘Ābidīn (as) by asking about his identity, Farazdaq recited a beautiful couplet about the exalted character of the Imām (as). This made Hishām very angry and he terminated the continuous help that he used to give Farazdaq and he imprisoned him as well. Imām (as) sent a good amount of money to him in prison, but Farazdaq did not accept it at first. Then the Imām (as) insisted and he finally accepted. Later with the prayer of the Imām (as), when he was released, he informed the Imām (as) of how he was regularly paid by Hishām and that his name was afterwards deleted from Hisham’s payroll. Imām (as) thereupon gifted Farazdaq an amount of money that would suffice him for 40 years. Farazdaq’s life too extended for another 40 years. [al-Manāqib]

3. In his Manāqib, Ibn Shahr Āshūb narrates that Imām Zaynu’l ‘Ābidīn (as) took the responsibility to cater for 100 needy families. [al-Manāqib]

Therefore, we should try, through our sadaqāt, to ‘eradicate’ poverty. One of the best methods of doing so is to gather even very small amounts of support from those who would like to eradicate poverty and use the same for this sublime purpose.

Enriching the Motive of Our Action

There is another significant issue, which must be inculcated in this holy month of grace. When we ask Almighty Allāh to ‘enrich all the poor’, we should do so because “we ourselves desire it”. That is, our untainted disposition yearns for it. At times someone does something and gets happy thereby due to the reward that awaits him. However, sometimes the act in itself is enjoyable for the person. Salāt, for example, to those who are not humble before God is burdensome and difficult. The Holy Qur’ān [2:45] says:

وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلاَةِ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلاَّ عَلى الْخَاشِعِينَ

“And take recourse in patience and prayer, and that is indeed hard except for the humble.”

But one who has cleaned his heart and loves to whisper to the Only Beloved says:

قُمْ ياَ بِلاَلُ فَأَرِحْنَا باِلصَّلاَةِ

“Stand O Bilāl, and make us happy with prayer.”11

And says:

قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلاَةِ

“The delight of my eye (qurratu’aynī) is in prayer.”12

There is a vast difference between those who tire themselves in anticipation of Divine reward and those who tire themselves because they highly enjoy praying to the only Beloved.

Therefore, let us struggle to become “extinct in the spirit of Allāh,” and practically try to enrich the poor because we naturally enjoy the same; and because it is “our need” and “our concern”. Let us remove the specks of “anticipation” of reward.

Readers however should not be led to believe that those who expect reward are sinners. No; rather they enjoy a lower stage, but are good doers and must be encouraged as well. All of us start from this lower step and by Divine succor ascend slowly and gradually. We may easily claim to have ascended to the higher level, but between ‘contention’ and ‘reality’ there can be utter remoteness.

Notes

1. Jelwehāye Rahmānī, Translated by Al-Tawhīd Journal, v. XI, Nos. 3&4 pg. 68

2. Kanzu’l ‘Ummāl, v. 11, tradition no. 32161

3. Tafsīr Majma’ al-Bayān, v. 4, pg. 866

4. Minasha’r al-Mansūb ila ‘l Imām al-Wasiyy ‘Alī bin Abī Tālib, pg. 64

5. Iqbāl al-Ā’māl, v. 1, pg. 385

6. Iqbāl al-Ā’māl, v. 1, pg. 384

7. Tafsīr Surat al-Hamd, pg. 23

8. Mīzān al-Hikma, v. 2, pg. 887, tr. 5730

9. Ibid.

10. Misbāh al-Kaf’amī, section 46, pg. 647

11. Mīzān al-Hikma, new ed., v. 1, pg. 62

12. Bihār al-Anwār, v. 82, pg. 193

O Allāh, Satisfy Every Hungry Person

أَللٌّهُمَّ أَشْبِعْ كُلَّ جَائِعٍ

Experiencing Hunger

One of the philosophies behind fasting in the holy month of Ramadān is to experience hunger and thereby understand the situation of those who are hungry and cannot afford to feed themselves properly. The following tradition quoted by Mawlā Fayd Kāshānī from Man Lā Yahduruhu’l Faqīh, speaks of the same: in an authentic narration, Imām al-Sādiq (as), whilst explaining the philosophy of fasting, says:

أَرَادَ اللٌّهُ عَزَّ وجَلَّ أنْ يُسَوِّيَ بَيْنَ خَلْقِهِ، وَأَنْ يُذِيقَ الْغَنِيَّ نَيْلَ الْجُوْعِ وَالأَلَمِ، لِيَرِقَّ عَلى الضَّعِيفِ وَيَرْحَمَ الْجَائِعَ

“Allāh, the Exalted and Glorious, desired to maintain equality between His creatures and make the rich person experience hunger and pain so that he may have pity on the weak and mercy on the hungry one.”1

Causes of Hunger

Hunger is a widespread problem in today’s world and has several causes, which may be classified into two kinds: self-related and external. The source of the self-related causes is the sufferer himself, whereas external causes stem from the society and other natural phenomena. To discuss both these kinds of causes is beyond the scope of this limited commentary.

It is important however to study the limitations of these causes so that we may be able to attempt to avoid or eradicate them altogether. The verse under discussion, as can be observed clearly, is also closely related to poverty.

We had earlier mentioned the fact that every dependent thing stands by Allāh’s permission. Hence, if Allāh (swt) does not want one to encounter disasters or be affected by them nothing would happen to him. This universal law, as pointed out earlier, is not only presented by revelation, but also established by reason.

Ensuring Sustenance

Having realized this important truth, let us now look at the following verses of the Holy Qur’ān:

1. Chapter al-Ā’rāf - 7:96:

وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالأَرْضِ

“And if the people of the towns were to believe and observe piety, surely we would have opened to them the blessings of the heaven and the earth…”

2. Chapter al-Talāq - 65:2-3:

وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللٌّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا. وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَحْتَسِبُ

“And whosoever is God-wary (observes piety) He would make for him a way out [from difficulties] and Bestow on him sustenance from whence he expects not…”

3. Chapter Nūh - 71:10-12:

فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا. يُرْسِلِ السَّمَآءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِدْرَارًا. وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ أَنْهَارًا

“Then I said: seek forgiveness from your Lord, [for] indeed He is the Most-forgiving; He would send down abundance of rain upon you; and aid you with wealth and sons; and make for you gardens and make for you rivers.”

These verses inform the human being about the best path of ensuring sustenance and avoiding the calamity of hunger. If the culture of taqwā and istighfār (in its various manifestations and dimensions] were to prevail, hunger would no more be a predicament save in cases of Divine trial.

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ

“And We would certainly try You with somewhat of fear and hunger…”2

We also have many traditions that guide the hungry and the destitute, as well those who would like to disseminate the culture of independence, about the ways of achieving sustenance. Following are some examples:

Increasing Sustenance

1. Imām al-Sādiq (as) is reported to have said3 :

إِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَزِيدُ فِي الرِّزْقِ

“Indeed, virtuousness increases sustenance.”

2. Imām al-Sādiq (as) is reported to have said4 :

حُسْنُ الْخُلْقِ يَزِيدُ فِي الرِّزْقِ

“Good behaviour (akhlāq) increases sustenance.”

3. The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said5 :

دُمْ عَلى الطَّهَارَةِ، يُوَسَّعُ عَلَيْكَ فِي الرِّزْقِ

“Always be in the state of tahāra (purity) and your sustenance shall be increased.”

Therefore, the duty of those who sincerely utter this verse of the supplication, besides actively supporting others, should be to educate them to realize the direct causes of hunger.

The esteemed author of Mir’ātu’l Kamāl, the late Āyatullāh al-Shaykh Māmaqānī has filled six pages full of reasons that cause poverty and hamper one’s sustenance. References have also come in the gloss of a later edition of this three-volume opus of devotions. Those interested can look at pages 569-583. Here, however, we would like to suffice ourselves with mentioning only a few of them:

Causes that Hamper Sustenance

Expression of greed, sleeping between maghrib and ‘ishā prayers’, sleeping between fajr and sunrise, severing relationship with near relatives, sleeping naked for long durations, cursing one’s children, eating in the state of lying down, abandoning prayers for one’s parents, backbiting, isrāf (over eating, extravagance, etc.), seeking the faults of people, eating while walking, urination and sexual intercourse while facing qibla, urinating on water, laughing excessively especially near graves and gatherings of the learned, not lending money to one who is need, expression of poverty to one who possesses wealth, and excessive sleep.

Āyatullāh Māmqānī mentions about 175 causes in his manual.

Therefore, it is essential for us to propagate the culture of taqwā in those poor societies, which can absorb the teachings of Allāh (swt). Taqwā in every dimension of life enables one to experience happiness in this world as well as the Hereafter.

A Deeper Consideration: Another Extension of Food

Food in Qur’ānic terminology does not always refer to material food. Rather, there are clear references made by the Imāms of the Ahlu’l Bayt (as) who are the most authoritative commentators of the Qur’ān, that ta’ām (food) in the language of the Qur’ān, sometimes refers to knowledge. It refers to the food of the soul, and not only that of the body. The following verse is an example:

In chapter ‘Abasa [80:24], Almighty Allāh says:

فَلْيَنْظُرِ الإِنْسَانُ إِلـى طَعَامِهِ

“Then let man look at his food.”

About this holy verse, the Shī’ite commentator Sayyid Hāshim Bahrānī in his Tafsīr al-Burhān quotes a tradition narrated in al-Kāfi [v.1, p.39, tr.8] from Imām al-Sādiq (as) as follows:

Zayd al-Shahhām asks Imām (as) what “man’s food”6 stands for in the verse above. The Imām (as) responds saying:

عِلْمُهُ الَّذِي يأْخُذُهُ عَمَّنْ يَأْخُذُهُ

“The knowledge that he acquires; from whom does he acquire it?”7

Therefore, if hunger means lack of knowledge many of us are indeed hungry. A scholar who has spent years in acquiring knowledge would also pray to Allāh to bestow on him more and more, for there is no limit to the acquisition of knowledge. The Holy Prophet (s) himself used to seek more knowledge by the following supplication that Almighty Allāh taught him in the Holy Qur’ān [20:114]:

وَقُلْ رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

“And say: O my Lord increase me in knowledge.”

And saying:

مَا عَرَفْنَاَكَ حَقَّ مَعْرِفَتِكَ

“We have not known your reality completely.”

The solution to this hunger too is taqwā. The following two verses clearly prove this contention:

1. Chapter al-Baqarā: 2:282:

وَاتَّقُوا اللٌّهَ وَ يُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللٌّهُ

“And adopt taqwā, and Allāh will teach you.”

2. Chapter al-Anfāl: 8:29:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تَتَّقُوا اللٌّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ فُرْقَانًا

“O believers, if you be God-wary (observe piety) Allāh shall enable you to distinguish the truth from the falsehood.”

Hunger from A Mystical Dimension:

The late mystic-scholar as well as teacher of Āyatullāh Khumaynī, Āyatullāh Malikī Tabrīzī in his well-known manual of devotions “al-Murāqibāt” explains the ample benefits of hunger for the spiritual traveler by mentioning some of the following traditions:

1. The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said:

أَفْضَلُكُمْ عِنْدَ اللٌّهِ مَنْزِلَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، أَطْوَلكُمْ جُوْعَاً وَتَفَكُّراً فِي اللٌّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ

“The best of you in terms of rank near Allāh on the day of Judgment is the one among you who experiences hunger and engages in contemplation about Allāh, the exalted, for the longest period.”8

2. The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have told Usāma:

إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكَ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ وَبَطْنُكَ جَائِعٌ، وَكَبِدُكَ ظَمْآن فَافْعَلْ، فَإِنَّكَ تُدْرِكُ بِذٌلِكَ أَشْرَفَ الْمَنَازِلِ، وَتَحُلُّ مَعَ النَّبِيِّينَ، وَتَفْرَحُ بِقُدُوْمِ رُوْحِكَ الْمَلائِكَةُ، وَ يُصَلِّي عَلَيْكَ الْجَبَّارُ

“If it is possible for you to encounter the angel of death while you are hungry and thirsty, then do so, for by that you would experience the noblest of stations and reside in the company of the Prophets, and the angels would rejoice in the arrival of your spirit, and God would send His Blessings on you.”9

3. The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said:

أَجِيْعُوْا أَكْبَادَكُمْ وَأَعْرَوا أَجْسَادَكُمْ، لَعَلَّ قُلُوْبُكُمْ تَرَى اللٌّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ

“Keep your stomachs hungry and afflict your bodies; perhaps [by doing so] your hearts would see Allāh, the Exalted and Glorious.”10

4. The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said:

مَنْ أَجَاعَ بَطْنَهُ عَظُمَتْ فِكْرَتُهُ

“Whosoever keeps his stomach hungry would attain sublimity of thought.”11

5. The Holy Prophet (s) during his mi’rāj (his ascent to the proximity of God) asks Almighty Allāh:

يَا رَبِّ: مَا مِيْرَاثُ الْجوْعِ؟

“O Lord what does hunger inherit?”

Almighty Allāh says:

الْحِكْمَةُ وَحِفْظُ الْقَلْبِ

“It inherits wisdom and the protection of the heart…”12

Therefore, “hunger” has a fundamental role to play in elevating the human being spiritually. However that should not be taken to mean that ‘hunger’ is recommended for all and sundry, including those who cannot withstand it and may fall sick or die. If we look at the book of Islamic laws13 at our disposal, we would find that one of the etiquettes of consuming food is to take two meals a day: one meal in the earlier part of the day and the other in the earlier part of the night. The gap between these two meals should not be filled with any other kind of food. Many of us do have the potential to have such a diet, but the forces of desire never allow us to practice it. There are people however, who need more intake of food, and such a diet is out of question for them. Obviously, that does not mean that they are not religious or pious. It is by the intake of food that they can practice their devotions and perform deeds of virtue and live their lives according to the dictates of Divine law.

There comes a time in the life of one who has purified his soul and attained the proximity of Allāh, when he has the ability to withstand hunger not only for short periods but also for unusual intervals. This contention may sound absurd in the language of science and experiment, but the experts of Islamic esotericism believe that as the spirit of man strengthens, such phenomena are feasible. Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā), the great Shī’ite philosopher, who is also known as Sayyid al-’Uqalā’ (the doyen of intellectuals) in his monumental “Ishārāt wa al-Tanbīhāt” says:

إِذَا بَلَغَكَ أَنََّ عَارِفاً أَمْسَكَ عَنِ القُوْتِ الْمَرْزُوءِ لَهُ مُدَّةً غَيْرَ مُعْـتَادَةٍ، فاسْجَحْ بِالتَّصْدِيْقِ، وَاعْـتَبِرْ ذٌلِكَ مِنْ مَذَاهِبِ الطَّبِيعَةِ الْمَشْهُوْرَة

“If you come to know that a Gnostic (‘ārif) has refrained for an unusual interval from consuming the little food he has, graciously assent and consider this among the well-known principles of nature.”14

Therefore, hunger for those who are not deprived of sustenance and are able to withstand it is highly recommended due to the reasons mentioned above.

Notes

1. al-Mahajjat al-Baydā’, v. 2, pg. 124

2. Holy Qur’ān, 2:155

3. Mīzān al-Hikmah, v. 2

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.

6. This interpretation is very apt and accurate, for the reality of the human being is his spirit. Necessarily then, his food would be uniform with his spirit. And this food can be nothing but knowledge.

7. al-Burhān Fī Tafsīri’l Qur’ān, pg. 214

8. al-Murāqibāt, pg. 154 - New ed.

9. Ibid.

10. Ibid.

11. Ibid, pg. 156

12. Sirru’l Isrā’, v. 1, pg. 13

13. Tawdīhu’l Masā’il of Āyatullāh al-’Uzmā Sayyid ‘Alī Sīstānī, pg. 495

14. al-Ishārāt wa ‘ l-Tanbīhāt, v. 4, pg. 111


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