Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

.040: The way to keep away from doubtful things and the lower desires of the Soul

Text of the Hadith:

قال رسول الله (صلي الله عليه و آله و سلم): إنما یؤتی الناس عن إحدی من ثلاث: إما من شبه فی الدین ارتکبوها، أو شهوه آتروها، أو عصبیه لحمه

English translation:

The Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said, Surely when the Day of Judgment comes about, everyone will be grouped according to one of three deeds (and put into the hell fire): It may be due to the doubtful things of the faith which they performed; or it may be due to the desires of the lower self which had an effect or it may be due to the prejudice which had been acted upon1. So then if any confusions or doubts come to you in matters of your religion, then remove them through certainty (of faith) and if your lower desires come upon you then stand up to them through asceticism and if anger takes over you, then remove it through forgiveness. Surely the Caller will call out on the Day of Judgment that whoever has any rights upon Allah should stand up and take them back from Him. So then none except those who forgave others (in the world) will stand up have you not heard the words of Allah, the Most High, So then he who forgives and makes correct the relations, so then his reward is with Allah.(2)

Commentary of Hadith:

In this Hadith, the Noble Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has explained to us the way to flee from the lower desires of the soul and doubtful things and has stated that the doubtful affairs are made clear through possessing certainty of the heart. In addition, the lower desires of the soul can be cut off through observing self-discipline. However as for the fire of discrimination any form of discrimination that it may be this must be cooled with the power of forgiveness and it is due to the deeds which have been mentioned in this Hadith that people will enter into the Hell Fire.

However, there are a group of people who are protected when in the presence of sins and are not dragged towards these sorts of deeds. For example, it is impossible to think that a true religious Scholar would may Allah protect us drink alcohol or gamble, however, that young individual who has been placed in a polluted environment in which these sins take place would very quickly be attracted to these things.

In addition, those who are knowledgeable of the religion would not be pulled very easily into doubtful issues whereas this does not hold true for the common people. Sometimes, when the person would want to justify something, he would search through the verses of the Quran and the ahadith and would try and find some ambiguous issue and then would hold firm onto that he would pre-judge something and would bring forth proofs which are weaker than the a spider’s web.

However, we must first see what Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) and the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) have said and must consider ourselves as students of the Quran not teachers of the Quran!

Thus, it is for this reason that the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said that the source of people going to the hell fire are three things: following doubts, discrimination and following the lower desires of the soul.

In continuation of the Hadith, the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has mentioned, On the Day of Resurrection, a caller will proclaim that anyone who has any reward to claim from Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) should stand up. At this point, only those people will stand up who during the time of anger had chosen the path of forgiveness and pardoned his brother in religion.

After this, the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) himself answers the question which was posed that, Why do these people have a right on Allah ? The Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) states that, Have you not heard this verse of the Quran which states:

فمن عفا و أصلح فاأجره علی الله

So then he who forgives and makes correct the relations, so then his reward is with Allah.

Therefore, we too must strive to establish love between the Muslims.

O Allah! You have ordered us to forgive one anther, however You are much more worthy of forgiveness than we are we have committed oppression upon our own souls please forgive us!

1 The word تعصب and the word عصبيت comes from the root wordعصب in the meaning of tape or some connector which joins things which are separated together and then later on, the words Ta`asub and `Asabiyyah were used for any sort of interaction or relation between people, however this word is usually used in the meaning of excessiveness in relations and is not a good term or word to use.

In the Islamic narrations, Ta`asub has been introduced as a despicable ethical trait and has been severely discouraged to such a point that in a Hadith from the Noble Prophet of Islam (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family), we are told that:

من كان في قلبه حبه من خردل من عصبیه، بعثه الله یوم القیامه مع اعراب الجاهلیه

The person who has even the weight of a mustard-seed of nationalism in his heart, Allah will raise him up on the Day of Judgment with the pre-Islamic desert `Arabs.

In another Hadith, this time from Imam Ja`far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) we read that:

من تعصب و تعصب له، فقد خلع ربقه الإیمان من عنقه

The person who shows discrimination or is discriminated against, surely has severed true faith from himself.

From the Islamic narrations, we can deduce that it was Iblis who was the first creation to show discrimination. In the Khutbah known as Al-Qasi`iah (Khutbah number 192), Amir al-Mominin `Ali ibn Abi Talib (prayers be upon him) has mentioned in detail and in complete clarity the issue of nationalism and discrimination of which we quote just an excerpt:

اما إبلیس، فتعصب علی آْدم لاصله و طعن علیه فی خلقته، فقال: أنا ناری و انت طینی

As for Iblis, so then he showed bigotry over Adam due to his origin and challenged him in relation to his creation and had said, I am of fire and you are of the Earth.

The Imam (peace be upon him) then continues and states:

فان كان لا بى من العصبيه، فلیکن تعصبکم لمکارم الخصال و محامد الأفعال و محاسن الأمور

So then if you are compelled to show discrimination, then let your discrimination be due to righteous etiquette, characteristics and beautified (good) deeds.

In addition, in this Hadith we can clearly see that firmly standing for that which is the truth is something very good, and not only is this act not considered as discrimination, rather, it is through this act that the soul of the person is actually emptied from all the incorrect actions of the ignorant and filled with true faith. And thus, we read in a Hadith from Imam `Ali ibn al-Husain (peace be upon him) that when this Imam was asked about bigotry, he replied:

العصبيه التي یأثم علیها صاحبها، أن یری الرجل شرار قومه خیرا من خیار قوم آخرین، و لیس من العصبیه أن یحب الرجل قومه، و لکن من العصبیه أن یعین قومه علی الظلم

That form of discrimination for which a person is considered as a sinner is when a person sees the worst of people of his nation as being better than the best people of another nation. And discrimination is not that a person loves those of his own nation, rather, discrimination is when he helps and assists his own people to commit oppression.

Notes

1- Tafsir-e-Namuna, Volume 15, Page 354

2 Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 74, Page 180

.041: Five life giving lessons and refraining from doubtful things

Text of the Hadith:

قال رسول الله(صلي الله عليه وآله):ايها الناس ‎‏! لا تعطوا الحكمة غير أهلها فتظلموها، و لا تمنعوها أهلها فتظلموهم، و لا تعاقبوا ظالما فيبطل فضلكم، ولا تراؤوا الناس فيحبط عملكم، ولا تمنعوا الموجود فيقل خيركم، ايها الناس! ان الاشياء ثلاثة:أمر استبان غيه فاجتنبوه،.أمر اختلف عليكم فردوه الي الله

English Translation:

O Mankind! Do not convey wisdom to those people who are not worthy (of receiving such teachings) as you would have done oppression to the wisdom and do not deprive those people who are worthy of receiving such teachings as then you would have done Oppression to them (those people), and do not seek revenge from the person who has oppressed (you) as if you do, you would make your own personal worth and value null and void and do not perform (good) acts for other people to see as through this you would eliminate (the good) of such acts and do not prevent from giving charity as you would reduce the good that is to come to you. O Mankind! Verily things are of three types: some of which whose correctness is apparent for you (to see) so then follow these (and perform them); (the second) are those actions whose incorrectness is apparent for you (to see) so then avoid performing these acts and (the third) are those actions whose performance is of question so then refer the ruling on these to Allah(1)

Commentary of Hadith:

This hadith is comprised of two sections. In the first section, the Prophet of Islam (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has given us five commandments:

1. We must not convey wisdom and knowledge to those people who are not worthy of such teachings as we would have done oppression to knowledge.

2. We must not deprive those people who are worthy of knowledge from our knowledge since if we did this, we would have done oppression to those people.

From the wordings of this part of the hadith, we can deduce that for the student of knowledge, there are specific conditions which must be met - of which the most important is that he must have the ability to accept such knowledge and if this is not within the person, then he is not worthy of acquiring knowledge that knowledge whose attainment has been promised a great reward.

The Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has stated that, If there is a person who is not worthy of gaining a (particular) knowledge, then you must not teach him that knowledge since when it falls into his hands, he will use it in the wrong ways and will lead the world towards destruction. The person who is ignorant and lacks knowledge neither has the power to destroy a land nor to make it habitable.

In the present time, those people who are leading the world to corruption are the ones who are at the head of the governments and who are busy with colonization of the entire world namely their scholars and intellectuals.

When we look at the Quran, we see that it contains very many different expressions such as:

هدي للمتقين

A guidance for those who have consciousness (of Allah)((2))

ان في ذلك لايت لقوم يسمعون

Surely in that (the day and the night) are signs for a people who listen.(3)

And it is phrases such as these that clearly show us that knowledge without spiritual purification bears absolutely no (positive) results.

Thus, it is clear that true guidance is specifically for those people whose groundwork has been previously laid down (that of spiritual purification). It is based on this that we see that in the past, the true Scholars did not give permission to just any student to come and sit in on their classes rather, they tested them in relation to their ethical morals and through this, they wanted to see at what level of piety the students were at.

However, this does not mean that one has the right to hoard his knowledge - rather, one must only teach such knowledge to those who are worthy of receiving it and it is through the knowledge that one possesses that he must seek to cure the ailments of the people. It does not make a difference if the ailments of the people are in relation to their material life or their spiritual being although we do believe that the spiritual ailments and diseases are much worse than the material or physical sicknesses. We believe this since we accept as truth that Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) will hold a person responsible for his spiritual illnesses just as it has been mentioned in the ahadith that:

ما أخذ الله علي أهل الجهل أن يتعلموا، حتي أخذ علي أهل العلم ان يعلموا

Allah has not taken a covenant from the ignorant people to learn until he has taken a covenant from the Scholars to teach (the ignorant people)(4)

In the religion of Islam, learning as well as teaching are both obligatory (wajib) and these two obligatory acts are not separate from one another since they are the prerequisite and necessity of one another.

3. If a tyrant commits oppression upon you and you take revenge upon him, then your spiritual worth will be removed since you would end up being just like him. Of course this is only applicable in that instance when the oppressor does not take the wrong advantage by you forgiving him and his actions against you nor would it lead to leaving a bad impression on the community on a whole (that oppression should be tolerated).

4. You must perform all of your actions sincerely for Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) and must not entertain the slightest amount of showing off in any of them.

This is a very difficult task to accomplish since showing off in one’s actions is only one of the springs that one can corrupt his good deeds. There are many other things such as: pride, one’s own inner passions and desires, etc that may come into play in harming one’s good deeds, thus spoiling the good work one has performed. For example, sometimes we perform the Salat so that we ourselves become pleased with our own selves and we are not thinking about showing off to other people and this in itself is a form of corrupting our good deeds. Or for example we perform the Salat out of habit or we perform the Salaul Lail just so we can become (spiritually) better than other people or and it is these and other things that can lead to the corruption of our good deeds.

5. If a person wants something from you, then do not be stingy in relation to it since if you do not give it to the person (if you possess that thing), then Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) will cut off the bounties that would come to you since:

كمال الجود بذل الموجود

The perfection in a person is when he gives what he has.

If the host does not offer his guests whatever he has at home (when they come over to his house), then he has done oppression to them and in the same vein, if the guests ask the host for an excess of things (that he has), then they would be counted as oppressors!

The second part of this Hadith is divided up into three sections:

1. Those actions whose correctness is apparent for all to see.

2. Those actions in which the inappropriateness and incorrectness is apparent for all to see.

3. Those actions which are obscure from the point of view of:

a. The subject matter.

b. The Islamic ruling.

This Hadith is in relation to those actions in which the Islamic ruling is one of doubt or obscurity.

In some ahadith, in place of the phrase

ردوه الي الله

Return the (ruling of that particular act) back to Allah.

it has been stated that: In those types of actions where we have a doubt as to its ruling, we must exercise precaution since the questionable actions are the precursor to the forbidden acts.

However there are some people who are habituated in saying:

كل مكروه جايز

All the makruh (reprehensible) acts are permitted to be performed.

To the people who state this, we say to them that: Yes, it is true that we are permitted to act upon the apparent ruling on a particular issue, however when there is clearly a doubt on a particular ruling, and if a person pollutes himself with performing that doubtful action, then slowly the indecency of that particular act would become less in his estimation and thus, he would fall into performing the prohibited acts as well!

When Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) has told us to be careful of the evil footsteps of Shaitan [خطوات الشيطان ], one of the most clear examples of following the footsteps of the Shaitan is to perform the acts in which there is a doubt.

Shaitan (the Devil) misleads the holy salatul Lail performing people in his own special way. He does not come to them and tell them, Go out and drink alcohol. Rather, he starts out by saying, Salatul Lail is not one of the obligatory Balat, go ahead, stop performing it. once the person leaves this Salat, then slowly, Shaitan would approach him in relation to performing the obligatory Balat right when the time sets in and would say to him, It is not a condition of the Balat that you perform it right when the time sets in and he would continue in this way until the person becomes completely detached from Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him).

If a person truly wishes to develop a deep spiritual insight and spiritual pleasure in acts of worship, then he must keep away from doubtful foods, gatherings, and speech and without doubt, in relation to all of the acts that he performs, he must exercise the utmost of precaution in all areas of his life.

Notes

1 Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 74, Page 179

2 Surah 2 (Al-Baqarah), Verse 2

3 Surah 10 (Yunus), Verse 67

4 Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 2, Page 80

DEATH: AN UNACCEPTABLE TRUTH

.042: Fleeing from death

Text of the Hadith:

قال رسول الله (صلي الله عليه و آله و سلم: من عد غداَ من اجله، فقد اساء صحبة الموت

English translation:

The Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said, The person who considers tomorrow as being a part of his life shows that he is definitely not pleased with dying.(1)

Commentary of Hadith:

A person must not consider the next day (tomorrow) as being a part of his life and must not sit down and chart out a program (for his future), since this sort of a desire means that he is not pleased with dying and it is this act of not being pleased with death which results in the negligence in the life of this world.2

Of the very important issues which separates those who worship Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) from those who worship the material word is their understanding in relation to the issue of death.

Those who believe in the oneness of Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) recognize death as being a second birth and consider it as being the beginning of a new life and in their point of view, death is nothing but a transfer from one house to another house such that they are then freed from the impediments of this world and are brought into a wide, spacious next world.

However the materialists consider death as being the end of all things and it is because of this fact that they are not ready to sacrifice their lives for the greater worths and purposes or to offer a sacrifice except if it is done under duress and pressure.

However those who sincerely worship Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) have no problem with killing and being killed in the path of Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) as a sacrifice and are ready to offer their life and wealth and only fear Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him).

It is from this point that we can understand that to what extent does faith in the Resurrection play a role in the perfection of mankind. After the belief in the Resurrection, there is no other belief and conviction other than the belief in Tawhid which can play a role in the building of the character of a person and we see that all of the Prophets were sent to invite people to these two issues and this constant reminder of the next life was done for a purpose.

Maybe you have heard this anecdote which people have narrated in relation to Ayatullah al-`Udhma Burujerdi (may Allah be pleased with him) where it has been stated that someone once said about him that, This man had firm belief in the Day of Resurrection. When you first hear these words, they may make you laugh as if it is possible that a Muslim such as Ayatullah al-`Udhma Burujerdi (may Allah be pleased with him) would not have faith in the Day of Resurrection!? However we must look deeper into this lofty statement since the meaning of firm belief is one which plays a role in the life of a person it is a firm belief whose beginnings launch a person to work and perform deeds only to attain the pleasure of Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) and is not the sort of belief that does not have any impact or effect on the soul and life of a person.

In relation to the Day of Resurrection, there are many very important issues and thus because of this, in lectures, writings and classes held in self-building, this issue of the Day of Resurrection must be emphasized. The Muslim who has a firm and deep faith in the faith considers the life of this world as simply being a bridge and introductory place to make his way to the Next Life will rely heavily on the topic of the Day of Resurrection in his own words and thoughts. It may be possible that one of the proofs why we recite the following line ten times per day (a minimum) is so that we do not forget this event.

مالك يوم الدين

Once we keep this event in mind and do not forget it, then our entire presence will becoming enlivened.

Thus, that which we wish to mention is that there are many people who in relation to their theological beliefs are believers in Tawhid and the oneness of Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him), however in relation to the Next life, they are materialists.

In other words, they have firm belief in the beginning and end of all of creations however when it comes to their actions, we see that they are actually afraid of death. It can be said that they feel that death is actually the end of all things and that there is nothing after death. This variance between belief and actions is definitely a great calamity.

When we practically do not believe in the Day of Resurrection, we then do not practice self-sacrifice. It is through our deeds and actions that we show that we do not believe in the following verse of the Quran which states:

و لا تحسبن الذين قتلوا في سبيل الله أمواتا بل أحياء عند ربهم يرزقون

And do not consider those who have been slain in the way of Allah as being dead, nay, rather, they are alive in the presence of their Lord receiving sustenance.(3)

We are so attached to the life of this material world and are so fond of and attached to the lower desires and passions that we have become negligent of the Day of Resurrection. According to the Hadith we started with, that person who has firm belief in the Day of Resurrection is always ready (for death). He does not consider tomorrow as definitely being a part of his life, rather, it is the opposite of this, he supposes that tomorrow his death will come and thus, he makes sure that his accountability and deed of records is clean (of bad deeds) and is prepared and ready to meet death.(4)

In very many verses of the Quran it has been mentioned that on the Day of Resurrection or at the time of giving up one’s life, at this time will a person call out his last request:

حتي اذا جاء أحىهم الموت قال رب ارجعون لعلي أعمل صالحا فيما تركت انها كلمة هو قائها و من ورائهم برزخ إلي يوم يبعثون

Until that time when death comes to one of them the he says, O Lord return me back to the world so that I may work righteous deeds which I left behind in the world. But by no means! These are only words which they say and thus behind them is a partition (Barzakh) until the day when all are raised up.(5)

In all of these instances, the Quran either clearly and explicitly, or through the use of a metaphor or allegorically, answers these protests by one word:كلا which means But by no means.

The rule of perfection does not permit a person to return back to this world and just as the fetus which comes out of its mother, is it possible for it to return back into its mother’s womb!? From the point of view of this spiritual voyage of perfection which mankind is on, it is impossible to return back whether it leaves this world and is born into the next world perfect or with deficiencies.

When we see that this is how the issue is, then should we not pay extra careful attention to the life of this world?

While traversing this path, should we not be strict with ourselves and think more about this issue?

It is because of this that we must think much about the Day of Resurrection and we should not let even a single day pass us by that we do not ponder on death and the Resurrection and if we are able to correctly ponder on this issue and clothe our actions with these thoughts (of the next life), then we would see that our entire presence would be draped in the divine light and purity.

1 Tuhaf al-Uqul

2 Normally, most people are afraid of death and there is only a small group of individuals who laugh in the face of death and eagerly and earnestly welcome it with open arms they trade-in the coarse ornate garment of this life and in exchange, take the perpetual and ever lasting life of the next world. However we should look at why death, its manifestation and even the mention of this word immediately causes trouble to some people:

1. Lack of belief in the life after death: The principal proof which we mention is that these people do not have faith in the life after death - and if they have faith in this, then we see that their faith is not something firmly rooted deep within them and this belief has not taken charge of their thoughts and emotions.

The fear that man feels from destruction and non-existence is natural we see that people are afraid of the darkness at night why? This is so because darkness is the non-existence of light. Sometimes, they fear death why? Since they think that they are traversing the same path of non-existence and annihilation.

However if mankind was to have complete faith and conviction that this material world which we are living in is a prison for the true believer and a paradise for the disbeliever just as the Hadith tells us:

The world is a prison for the believer and a place of paradise for the disbeliever.

الدنيا سجن المومن و جنة الكافر

then he would not have this fear of death.

If mankind was to truly believe that this physical body is actually a receptacle for the soul and when this receptacle is broken, it is only then that the soul will be freed and at that time he will be able to fly and soar with his friends and acquaintances, and if he were to truly believe that The Hijab which covers over the life and realities of a person are due to the dust which makes up his body, the without doubt he would truly wish to be freed and released from this covering!

If one was truly to believe that death is a garden of the higher spiritual realms and is not one for the spiritual beings and that this vessel that he is currently contained within is only good for the proverbial two or three days - truly if the person was to believe these things about death, then he would never fear dying - rather, he would take this world as the path to travel towards perfection.

Thus, in the Hadith of Ashura we read that, As the circle of the enemies grew in force and their pressure intensified around Imam al-Husain (peace be upon him) and his companions, their faces grew more and more illuminated and brighter and even those old men who made up the companions of the Imam (peace be upon him) were seen smiling and laughing on the day of Ashura. When these people were asked why they are acting as they are, they replied,

We are in this mood as in a few hours we shall be blessed to drink from the cup of martyrdom and we will be taking the Hurul `Ain in our arms !

2. Love and attraction to this material world: Another reason why people fear death is that they have an unreasonable love for this material world. They fear that death will bring a separation between themselves and that which they truly love and would cause their hearts to be separated from the beloved and from all of those things which have made their material life easy and full of pleasures and luxuries - and this is something which they can not handle.

3. No good deeds: Since their tray of good deeds is empty and the tray of evil deeds is full, they fear death. We read in the Hadith that, A person once came into the presence of the Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) and asked him, O Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family)!

Why do I not have love for death within me ? The Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) replied, Do you have any wealth ? The man replied, Yes I do. The Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) said to him, Have you sent any good for yourself? The man replied, No. The Prophet then said to him, It is because of this reason that you do not like death (since your book of good deeds is empty).

Another person went to see Abu Dharr and asked him the exact same question as the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) was asked above that why does he feel hatred for death to which Abu Dharr replied, You have a hatred for death since you have made this life habitable and have destroyed your next life. It is natural that a person does not like that he should be transferred from a place which is habitable to a place which has been destroyed.

Notes

Tafsir-e-Namuna, Volume 24, Page 121

3 Surah Aale Imran (3), Verse 169

4 The following poem describes this:

مرگ اگر مرد است گو نزد من آی تا در آغوشش بگیرم تنگ تنگ

من از او جانی ستانم جاودان او ز من دلقی ستاند رنگ رنگ

.043: Paying attention to those who came before us

Text of the Hadith:

قال رسول الله (صلي الله عليه و آله وسلم):إنما أنتم خلف ماضيين ،و بقية متقدمين كانوا أكبر منكم بسطة ،و أعظم سطوة ،فازعجوا عنها أسكن ما كانوا إليها (و غدرت بهم) و أخرجوا منها أوثق ما كانوا بها ،فلم يمنعهم قوة عشيرة ،و لا قبل منهم بذل فدية ،فارحلوا أنفسكم بزاد مبلغ قبل أن تأخذوا علي فجأة و قد غفلتم عن لإستعداد

English translation:

The Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said, Surely all of you are the remainders of those who have come before you and the remnants of those who have already passed. Surely those before you where much greater in power and superior in strength and greater in authority and thus even though they were at the pinnacle of luxury and comforts and even though they had complete reliance on this world, He (Allah) still took them to the next life (where as) the most powerful people of their group and their tribe were not able to prevent them from leaving (this world) and not even offering all the money that they had in ransom prevented them from being taken from this world. So then before you leave this world without any sort of preparation and while you are in a state of negligence, make sure that you prepare something in great amount (that you will be able to use in that world).(1)

Commentary of Hadith:

This hadith is in relation to paying attention to the history of those who have already passed away and this is also an issue which the Noble Quran has placed emphasis upon and has been alluded to in various verses of the Quran.

This hadith tells us that there were nations in the past who were much greater than us in relation to their wealth, children and power and although they had all of this, it still did not stop the Angel `Izrail (peace be upon him) the Angel of Death - from sparing them, or giving them any respite. Thus, you should fear that you too are not dragged into this same outcome that they were put into and you should fear that you too are not caused to spiritually fall!

History is one of the six sources of knowledge, since first off, we are not the first nation of human beings to inhabit this Earth and who have lived on this planet. Before us human beings were on this Earth in addition, there were other nations that lived here and their remains and effects have stayed behind for us to examine. These effects of theirs which have remained behind are of two types:

1. The physical remnants they left behind.

2. Their historical remains.

1. The physical remnants which they left behind include their historical narratives and works. When a person studies these effects of theirs and sees their eventual outcome, then he would very easily learn lessons from them.

2. Their historical remnants include things such as the cities which they lived in which were destroyed which the Quran has alluded to and in which we are told for example, On your journeys to Sham (present day Syria), you will find the remnants of the destroyed cities of the people of Lut, Ad, Thamud and others such as these nations.

Why is it that we do not hear the message that these destroyed nations are trying to convey to us? Why do we not learn lessons from them? When we walk by a cemetery, why is it that we do not pay attention to the screams and cries of the dead? Look at the palaces and castles that the kings and leaders had which are now ruins. Just look at the remnants that Firawn has left behind those pyramids which were built with millions of stones and which took ten to twenty years to build and in which thousands of workers had a hand in constructing. Till today, not a single person has been able to explain how these huge rocks were gathered and put into place to construct such buildings! In addition, it has been stated that in that part of the world where the pyramids were built there were no large mountains for thousands of kilometres such that it would be possible that they would have been able to procure rocks to make such monuments. And as it is known these huge buildings were built there to act as graves for the Firawn.

All of these things are a lesson for us. With all of the power, supremacy and magic that they possessed, where they able to keep alive for eternity and stand up in the face of death?

These examples are all lessons that we can learn from-and there are many. Even this evil Shah (that ruled Iran) Muhammad Rida it is narrated that upon the roof of his mansion, there were two machines installed that if at night, he wanted to see the sky, he would simply turn a key and the roof would open up (so that he could see the stars) and at that time, this was one of the newest pieces of technology that was available at that time. However in the end where did the Shah reach to with all of his pomp and fanfare? Is it not that at the end, he too was buried under the ground?

The Messengers and Intimate friends of Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) who were as a bouquet of beautiful flowers of creation where not attached to the material pleasures of this life thus, what can be said about others ?

It is for this reason that the Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said, You should fear that you are travelling towards the next world where as you have not yet prepared yourselves for death.

The preparation for death is to turn back towards Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) Tawbah meaning that one must sincerely purify his heart and soul of his sins so that he may be ready to meet death.

Note

1 Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 74, Page 181