PREFACE
بِسْمِ الله الرحمنِ الرَّحيم
قالَ اللّهعزّوجل تَعالى :
... فَاسْأَلُواْ أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ
سورة النحل 16 آية 43 و سورة الانبياء… 21 آية 7
“If you do not know, ask the men of wisdom (among Ummah).”
Sura Nahl, no 16, verse 43, Sura Anbiya, No. 21, verse 7
This holy verse enjoins the believers to refer to the people of dhikr i.e., the men of wisdom and the scholars of Ummah in order to recognize the right from wrong, when they (the believers) encounter with difficulties, because Allah after teaching them knowledge, chose them for that matter. Hence, they are those deeply rooted in knowledge who know how to render the Qur'an.
This verse was revealed in order to introduce Ahlul-Bayt [a.s.], viz, Muhammad [p.b.u.h.], Ali, Fatimah, Hassan and Husayn, who are called the five holy lights known as 'Al-i-'Aba' to whom, there have been added nine other blessed ones from the descendants of Imam Husayn. The Messenger of Allah, in different suitable occasions, introduced them as the guiding Imams, the torches in darknesses, and those deeply rooted in knowledge, upon whom surely Allah (s.w.t.), has bestowed 'the Knowledge of the Book'.
These facts, narrated in repeatedly stated traditions, have been precisely approved by the followers of Prophet Muhammad [p.b.u.h.]from the time of revelation up to now, and some of the scholars and commentators from Sunni school have also confessed in their books that those verses of the Qur'an were revealed about and on the virtue of Ahlul-Bayt [a.s.]. A few of the examples of their books are as follows:
1- Imam Tha'labi in his great commentary book upon the meaning of verse 42 from Sura An-Nahl, No. 16.
2- Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol.2, p. 591.
3- Tals Tabari, vol.14, p.75.
4- Tafsir-i-Alusi, known as: 'Ruhul-Bayan', vol.14, p.134.
5- Tafsir-i-Qartabi, vol.11, p.272.
6- Tafsir-i-Hakim, or Shawahid-ut-Tanzil, vol.1, p. 334.
7- Tafsir-i-Shabistary, or: Ihqaaq-ul-Haqq, vol.3, p.482.
8- Yanani-ul-Mawaddah, by Qanduzi Hanafi, p. 119.
Basing on the very reality, we must approach the Immaculate Household, Ahlul-Bayt, and practice their guiding words to instruct our lives well. In this regard, Imam al-Hadi [a.s.] says:
كَلامُكُم نُورٌ وَ اَمرُكُم رُشدٌ وَ وَصيَّتُكُم التَّقوى
من لا يحضره الفقيه و التهذيب و عيون اخبار الرضا
“Your words of wisdom give light, your administration is guidance (for people), and your recommendation is piety and equity.”
Man La Yahduruh-ul-Faqih, Tahthib & 'Uyun-i-Akhbar-ur-Rida
BEWARE O' DEAR READER!
It is via these blessed ones that the material and spiritual problems of our lives, in this world and the world to come, can be solved.
بِكُم اَخرَجَنَا اللّه مِنَ الذلِّ وَ فَرَّجَ عَنّا غَمَراتِ الكُرُوبِ وَاَنقَذَنا مِن شَفاجُرُفِ الهَلَكاتِ وَ مِنَ النّارِ
It is on account of you that Allah pulls us out of the the lowliness (of infidelity), sets us free from the clutches of hard grieves, and takes us to safety from the precipices of annihilation of the world, and from the Fire of Hell, too.
Man La Yahduruh-uI-Faqih, Tahthib & 'Uyun-i-Akhbar-ur-Rida
بِمُوالاتِكُم عَلَّمَنَا اللّهُ مَعالِمَ دينِنا وَ اَصلَحَ ما كانَ فَسَدَ مِن دُنيانا
It was because of your mastership and leadership that Allah taught us the laws of our religion, put in order what had been spoiled and corrupted in our world. (And He saved us from poverty, degradation and ignorance, then, bestowed us knowledge, honour and dignity.)
Man La Yahduruh-uI-Faqih, Tahthib & 'Uyun-i-Akhbar-ur-Rida
Well, if we leave following those blessed ones, we will fail in all aspects. So, the Prophet [p.b.u.h.]has said:
قالَ رَسُولُ الله صلی الله عليه و آله و سلم :
مَثَلُ اَهلِ بَيتي كَمَثَلِ سَفينَةِ نُوحٍ مَن رَكِبَها فَقَد نَجى وَ مَن تَخَلَّفَ عَنها فَقَد هَلَكَ
The parable of my Ahlul-Bayt is similar to that of Noah's Ark. Whosoever embarks it certainly will get rescued, but the one who opposes the boarding of it, surely gets drowned.”
روى هذا الحديث ثمانية من الصحابة و ثمانية من التابعين و ستين من الحفاظ والعلماء… و اكثر من 90 نفر من مؤلفى اهل السنة راجع مشكاة المصابيح ص 523 عن احمد بن حنبل و فرائدالسِّمطَين ج2 ص242 والصواعق المحرقه ص234 و عيون الاخبار ج1 ص211 و غيرها من مصادرالفريقين وان شئت راجع نفحات الازهار ج4 ص127
This tradition has been narrated by eight companions of the Prophet [p.b.u.h.] and eight persons from the disciples of the companions, and by sixty well-known scholars, and more than 90 authors from the brothers os Sunni school, mentioned in Mishkat-ul-Masabih, p.523, from Ahmad-ibn-Hanbal; Fara'id-us-Simtayn, vol.2, p. 242; As-Sawaiq-ul-Muharraqah, p.234; Uyun-ul-Akhbar, Vol.1, p.211; and others from the references of both schools, which if you wish to refer to, are, mentioned in Nafahat-ul-Azhar, vol.4, p.127.
قالَ رَسُولُ الله صلی الله عليه و آله و سلم :
يُوشَكُ اَن اُدعى فَاُجيبُ, اِنّي تارِك فِيكُم الثقَلَينِ كِتابَ الله وَ عِترَتي , كِتابُ الله حَبلٌ مَمـدُودٌ مِنَ السَّماءِ اِلَى الاَرضِ وَ عِترَتي أهلُ بَيتي وَ اِنّ اللّطيفَ الخَبيرَ اَخبَرَني أ نّهُما لَن يَفتَرِقا حَتّى يَـرِدا عَلَيَّ الحَـوضَ فَانظُـرُوا بِماذا تَخلُفُونّي وَ في حَديثٍ آخَر: لَن تَضِلّوا ما اِن تَمَسّكتُم بِهِما
The Messenger of Allah said:“It is probable that I be called soon and I will respond. Then, I leave behind me among you two weighty (very worthy and important) things:
The Book of Allah (i.e. the Qur'an), which is a stretched string from the heaven to the earth, and my progeny, my Ahlul-Bait; for verily Allah, The Merciful, the Aware, informed me that never, never, will these two get separated from each other until they meet me at the Houd of Kauthar (the Pond of Abundance). Therefore, be careful how you will treat due to those two in my absence.”
And, in another tradition it is added:“Never, never, shall you get astray if you attach yourselves to these TWO.”
نَقَلَ هذَا الحَديثِ اَكثَرُ مِن عِشرين صَحابيّاً وَ ما يُقارِبُ مِن 185 راوياً مِن رُواة الحَديثِ راجِع كِتاب صحيح مسلم ج 2 ص 238 و مُسند احمد بن حنبَل ج5 ص182-181 و صحيح الترمذى ج2 ص220 وغيرها مِن مصادر الفريقين و اِن شِئتَ راجع نفحات الازهار فى خلاصة عَبَقات الاَنوار ج1 ص210-199
This tradition is narrated by more than twenty persons from the companions of the Prophet [p.b.u.h.] and it is also narrated by over 185 narrators mentioned in Sahih Muslim, vol. 2, p. 238 & Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol.5, p. 181-182; Sahih-i-Tarmathi, vol.2, p.220, and others from the references of both schools which, if you like to see, are mentioned on pp. 199 to 210, vol. 1, in Nafahat-ul-Azhar fi Khulasat-i-Abaqat-ul-Anwar.
Thus, what honour is more excellent than that the Qur'an, the Messenger of Allah [p.b.u.h.], and Ahlul-Bayt [a.s.]be our example, teacher, and leader.
That is why we, with a great mass of sincerity and devotion, say:
We are honoured that we are the followers of a religion whose founder on Allah's direction was Allah's prophet and Amir-ul-Mu'mineen 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the servant of Allah who was himself liberated from all chains and was designated, in turn, as the liberator of Mankind from all chains of slavery (to other than Allah).
We are honoured that Nahjul Balagha, which after the Qur'an is the greatest prescription for spiritual and material life, is the highest book for the liberation of mankind, and its spiritual and political prescriptions are the most valuable for liberation is authored by our Ma'sum Imam (Ali ibn Abi Talib [a.s.]).
We are honoured that Ma'sum Imam from 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib to the liberator of Mankind [a.s.] who with the power of Allah is alive and supervises all affairs, are our Imams.
We are honoured that the supplications, which are called the ascending Qur'an, are from our Ma'sum Imams. We are honoured that the intimate prayers of Sha'baniyyah, the supplications of 'Arafah of Husayn Ibn 'Ali, Sahifah Sajjaddiyah (the psalms of 'Al-i-Muhammad, and Sahifah Fatimah (which is an Allah-inspired Book to Zahra-'i-Mardiyyah).
We are honoured that Baqir-ul-'Ulum, who is the highest personality of history and no one, other than Allah Ta'ala, the Exalted, and the Prophet [S.A.W.A.W.S.]and the Ma'sum Imams, has been or will ever be able to understand his station, is from us.
And, we are honoured that our Madhhab is Ja'fari and that our Figh (Islamic Jurisprudence) which is an infinite sea (of knowledge), is one of his (Imam Sadiq's [a.s.]) contributions. And we are proud of all Ma'sum Imams [a.s.], and we are committed to following them.
We are honoured that our Ma'sum Imams [a.s.] lived in prisons and in exile because they tried to raise the status of the Deen (religion) of Islam and implement (the teaching) of the Holy Qur'an, one of whose dimensions is the formation of the Just Government, and finally became martyrs in attempts to irradicate oppressive governments and Taghut of their own time.
A part of the sayings of Hazrat Imam (May God be pleased) in Sahofah Inqilab.
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Author: Ayatullah Sayyid Kamal Faqih Imani
