Al Fajr Issue 7 Vol 4

8/14/2019 Al Fajr Issue 7 Vol 4

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n this day and age, when the majority of popular opinion is setagainst Islam and its tenants, and the media is set to underscore Islamas terrorist, it is the perfect opportunity to discuss and invite the

masses to the REAL Islam. The Prophet in this regard was the mostperfect representative of the message of Islam and under worse cir-umstances than those we are experiencing managed to bring out andntroduce to us the purest form of living our lives.

n the previous session, the pioneers of Islam were studied with proofhat Imam Ali (AS) was the very first Muslim followed by the wife ofhe Prophet (P), Khadija. This paper and the following ones will dwell

more on the spread of Islam to the rest of humanity, focussing on theutilisation of the living miracle of the ProphetP), the Quran, in this important task.

The First Public Proclamation

slam, like Christianity is a proselytising re-igion, meaning that it is a religion in whichone of the primary paradigms is that it mustbe spread to those who do not have the guid-ance if guidance has some to its adherents. Its for this reason that from the very begin-

ning of Islam and for the first three years, theProphet was constantly inviting the peoplelose to him, his family and close friends, in

private. Only people who were ready to hearand whose hearts were enlightened wouldeither come to the Prophet (P) themselves inprivate or would be brought to him in pri-vate. After three years, 40 people had em-braced Islam such that the prophet used tohold congregational prayers in his house orwhen the numbers grew, used to travel to the outskirts of Makkah,and pray away from prying eyes. It was then, that Allah revealed tohe Prophet: Proclaim openly that which you are commanded, andurn away from the disbelievers. Truly We will suffice you against thecoffers. [15:94,95].

Upon the revelation of this ayah, the Prophet (P) proceeded to themount of Safa, near Masjid-ul-Haraam and cried .. As was theradition to as a warning of impending attack on the city of Makkah.

Once the people had collected around, he asked them If I told youhat there was an army behind these hills getting ready to attack the

ity, would you believe me?Having never heard a lie from themouth of the Prophet (P) replied to the affirmative. The Prophet (P)hen continued telling them that his position is like that of a warner in

an army, who has gone foreword and is back to warn the army ofmpending danger. He then continued that reminding them that all ofhem shall taste death and after it talked about hell and heaven and

other tenants of Islam and his position as a messenger. As he finishedhis message, his uncle Abu Lahab, began ridiculing him, not allowingthe people to think independently about the message and therefore

the gathering was to no avail.

Begin From Your Tribe

It was at this point that Allah reveled to the Prophet (P): Warn yourtribe of near kindred. [26:214]. to this end, the Prophet invited 40 ofhis near of kin for a dinner. Imam Ali (AS) was in charge of the cook-ing and as he narrates, the only meat that was available was leg oflamb. The imam went to the prophet to inform him that the food will

not be enough for the number of people attendingbut the Prophet (P) told him that trust in Allahand Allah will suffice. Imam cooked the lamb andserved it on the night with some milk. The guestscomplied with the Prophet (P), having seen the

meagre amount of food, but the he asked them toeat to their fill. Amazingly, at the end of the night,afterevery-onehadeatentotheirfill,therewasstill

somemeatre-

maining! Before theProphet had an opportu-nity to speak, Abu Lahabagain ridiculed theProphet saying that hemust have done some sortof magic. The Prophet,realising that the environ-ment was polluted de-cided to postpone thedelivery of the messageand asked his guests tocome the next night foranother dinner.

The same thing with the

(Continued on page 2)

Written By Abidali Mohamedali based on a Lecture by Sheikh Mansour Leghaei

Muhammad (P) A Mercy to The WorldsAn Open Invitation to Islam

An open Invitation to Islam .1

Editorial...... 2

Sadaqa for the Safety of Imam Al Asr

(AJFS) .. 4

Viewpoint:- Everybody wants to be a

somebody .....5

Ziarat Aale-Yaseen.....6

Advice from the Imam of our time 8

Prisoner of Golden chains .8

Tafsir of Surah Muhammad10

Nuwwab al Arba...12

Islamic Calender... 12

DISCLAIMER AND CAUTION

The articles published in this paper arenot the views of Al-Fajr or any particu-

lar Islamic centre but of the Author.Please handle with care as it contains

names of Allah and His Prophet

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food happened the next night but this time,after dinner the prophet (P) gave a short ser-mon saying I invite you to two testimonieswhich are light on your tongue to pronouncebut heavy in your Scale of deeds in the hereaf-terThey are: I bear witness that there is nodeity but Allah and that I (Muhammad) amthe Messenger of Allah. Whoever amongst you

accepts my invitation first shall be my brother,my heir and my successor. Silence fell in theroom as no one responded. Then Imam Ali(AS) stood up and responded to the call of theProphet (P) and the Prophet (P) declared himto be his successor and heir. 90% of all histori-ans including those of the Sunni sect have nar-rated this hadith in this form save a couplewho have perverted only the very last, under-lined portion such as Al-Tabari in his Tafseerhas perverted the narration by quoting: shallbe so and so!There could not be any clearerexample of zealotry and prejudice! Perhaps

Tabari had a valid excuse for this concealmentbut in the contemporary world, the author ofthe book Hayaat Muhammad, Dr. Haykal, de-leted this portion of the narration of the life ofthe Prophet (P) in the SECOND edition of hisbook for reasons that seem that obvious. Aya-tollah Amini in his book Al-Ghadeer has elabo-rated on this issue further and has proven thatthat this hadith is valid except for this deliber-ate concealing of the truth justified by some asfollows All the narrators of this narration areunanimously regarded trustworthy. ExceptAbdul-Ghaffar ibn Qasem with whom somescholars had concern because he was a Shia!

The simple question is that if this hadith is notauthentic, why narrate all of it and leave thevery last and most sensitive portion? If thiseven happened, the whole event happened, ifit id not, then why say so and so? Why per-vert the hadith, let the analysts determine orconclude its meaning.

The Influence of the Noble Quran in At-traction to Islam

It is natural instincts of the human psyche thatif they have or they make something, the wishto share it with all around them especially their

near and dear ones. In the same manner, whenthe Prophet (P) received this exquisite andpowerful message, he could not help but shareit. Sometimes he did not have to even share itfor its radiance and power to be depicted! It isvery unfortunate, that many commentatorshave doubted the authenticity of the Prophetbecause he did not have other miracles (otherthan the Quran) like the other divine Prophets.There are several arguments against this butthere is a reason why we are concentrating onthis particular miracle, and that is because it isliving. No person today can prove that Jesus

made the born blind see again or supposedlyconverted water to wine! If this were told to anon believer, they would ridicule and laugh.The Quran is a living miracle that has neverbeen challenged! Allah calls for the kuffar tochallenge it with a book like unto it, nay a part

like unto it, nay a verse like unto it and yet noone to this date has succeeded! Allah says:But if you do it not, and you can never do it,then fear the Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men andstones, prepared for the disbelievers.[2:24]

Despite the accusations, the fact speak forthemselves, many historians have countedhundreds of miracles attributable to theProphet. One historian has been quoted tohave said Prophet Muhammad (P) had morethan 4400 miracles out of which about 3000 isregistered. [al-Manaqeb vol.1 p.144]. AllamaMajlesi, in his book Bihar Ul-Anwaarmentionsover 300 miracles of the Prophet.

Examples of the People influenced by theQuran

The miracle of the Quran is so powerful that,not only are there numerous historical recordsof its influence, but also to this date and in thehearts of thousands of people the miracle of

Quran is still evident and continues to influ-ence them. The following is a taste of how theQuran has influenced some people either toconvert to Islam or at least have a softer ap-proach to Islam in history and also consist of apractical contemporary example.

1- Otba Bin Rabia (one of the chiefs ofQuraysh)

Being one of the leaders of Quraysh, Otba wasa staunch enemy of Islam and the Prophet (P).The narration is such that one day he was sit-ting with the other chiefs of Quraysh and dis-

cussing the spread of Islam and the rise of theProphet (P). Being the uncle of the Prophet,and knowing the Prophet (P) to be a levelheaded person, he nominated himself to speakto the Prophet on behalf of the leaders ofQuraysh. He went to the prophet and began bytelling him how much respect they had for him(a common skill in psychology useful for influ-encing people). He then proceeded to ask theProphet whether his motivation was money, ifso then they would provide it, if the motivationwas fame, they would announce that he wasthe chief of the tribe, or was it that he was in-

sane, even then they would provide the bestphysician. He went on telling the Prophet howhe had divided the community and polarisedopinions which has a destructive effect on thefabric of the society.

Once he had finished his lecture the Prophet(P) sought permission to talk and quoted thefirst 37 ayaat of surah Fussilat (chapter 41)

: ....

..

In the Name of Allah, the Most gracious, the

Most Merciful. Ha-Meem. A revelation fromthe Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A Bookwhereof the Signs are explained in detail-aQuran in Arabic for people who know. Givingglad tidings and warning, but most of themturn away, so they hear not The Prophet

Al Fajr Pg 2(7)4

Salaam Alaykum!

The most beautiful months of the Is-

lamic calendar are upon us. The days of

these months are filled with blessing and

forgiveness and the gates of heaven are

flung open for all those who wish to

make it their abode. It is imperative that

we take advantage of these months not

only to pray and connect with Allah but

to change ourselves and prepare our-

selves for the holiest months of all-

Ramadhan.

In this fast paced world of information, it

is important to take a moment to focus,

to ponder, to think and to reflect not only

on our own lives but also those around

us. The Prophet (P) made use of every

single opportunity to tell people the

truth and we see today, some are so fo-

cused on the outward perceptions of

ourselves that sometimes some feel em-

barrassed at being Muslim or even em-

barrassed at the tenants of their faith.

This reflection, should refocus our efforts

on reality and abandon the intangible

and the illusions and shackles of this

world.

Islam, not only has introduced a robust

system of life to us, it has shown us a

clear way to cope up with this gift of life

so as to utilize it to its maximum poten-

tial. This is a recurring theme in this is-

sue of Al-Fajr and is discussed in numer-

ous perspectives. The cover story dis-

cusses the true value of the miracles of

the Prophet (P) and how he awoke the

minds of the community now and con-

tinues to do so to this age where the

irony of too much information is that

most are still living in ignorance.

We hope you benefit from this issue as

much if not more than we have benefited

from putting it together. If you have sug-

gestions, comments or would like to sub-

mit your viewpoint on any issue or even

request a soft copy of the magazine,

please email us at [email protected].

Wassalaam

Abidali Mohamedali - Editor

Editorial...


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continued till verse 37 where Allah says:And among His signs are the night and theday and the sun and the moon; do not makeobeisance to the sun nor to the moon; andmake obeisance to Allah Who created them,if Him it is that you serve.The Prophet (P)read this verse and the verse after it (whichis a wajib Sajda) and went into sajda.

In the mean time, Otba who was so shockedand awestruck ran away! He went back tothe leaders of Quraysh and asked them todesist in fighting against the Prophet (P)telling them that what Muhammad has isneither prose nor poetry nor is he a magi-cian but had some truth. If others fight himand kill him then you have achieved whatyou wanted and if he succeeds he is one ofyou so be proud of him but declined to bepart of any offensive against Islam!

2.Walid Ibn Moghaira (one of the threemost eloquent Arabs):

Being a well known poet, and having heardof the Prophet (P) and the Quran, Walid andhis colleagues wished to listen to this myste-rious new poetry. They could not do this inthe open due to their status in the commu-nity as idolaters. They used to secretly sneakout in the dark to house of the Prophet, hideand listen to the Prophet (P) reciting theQuran which they enjoyed thoroughly. Oneday, they bumped into each other each oneshocked by the presence of the other but yetknowing why they were there! They de-

cided not to come any more lest the commu-nity find out but the very next night theybumped into each other again!

Walid could not stand the secrecy anylonger and one day when the Prophet (P)was sitting next to Hijr-Ismail and recitingthe Quran to attract the pilgrims asked theProphet (P) to read to him some of hipoems. The Prophet (P) replied that he hadno poems just the Quran! The Prophet beganthe same surah Fussilat from the beginningtill the ayah 13 where Allah says But if theyturn aside, then say: I have warned you of a

scourge like the scourge of Ad and Samood.Walid began shaking and in fear asked theProphet (P) to stop reading and walkedaway. He went back to his friends and told

them that what he had heard was certainlythe truth.

It is recorded that neither Otba nor Walidactually converted to Islam and only Allahknows what became of them and their posi-tion in the hereafter.

3. Sally

An example of the power of the Quran hap-pened much closer to home and very re-cently. In 2003, in the beginning of Ramad-han, Sheikh Mansour received a call from alady who for a few years had been inquiringabout Islam but was undecided and almost alost cause. The lady wished to speak toSheikh urgently, a request he readily agreedto. When she came in, she immediatelywanted to become a Muslim! Upon inquiry,she narrated that she was at home and sud-denly felt like picking up the copy of theQuran that was gifted to her. As she was

reading it she came across ayah 173 of surahNisaa where Allah says So, as for thosewho believed and did deeds of righteous-ness, He will give them their rewards-andmore out of His Bounty. But as for thosewho refused His worship and were proud,He will punish them with a painful torment.And they will not find for themselves be-sides Allah any protector or helper. Shesuddenly realized that he had just beengiven a choice of two paths, one that leads torewards and bliss and paradise and theother full of hardship, pain and hell. The

choice was simple! This lady took the warn-ing of Allah seriously and made the changein her life. Hundreds of such stories exist toattest to the real, living miracle of theProphet (P).

4- Asad Ibn Zorarah (a friend of Otba fromYathrib (the former name of Madinah))

It is narrated that Asad, being from thecommunity of the Khazraj was having sometrouble with the Aws in Yathrib, and trav-elled to Makkah to discuss the problem withhis friend Otba (seen above). Otba toldAsad that he was in a major dilemma of hisown with the problem of this new Prophettaking up all his energy and time. SinceAsad had travelled o far, he insisted that heget an opportunity to meet this mysteriousman. Otba, knowing the power of the Quranflatly refused to allow him to do so. But oninsistence from Asad conceded with thecondition that he put cotton in his ears sothat he cannot hear the Prophet (P) speak!

Asad obliged to his friends request andwent to the Kaaba to perform his umrawhereupon he saw the Prophet again recit-

ing verses from the Quran. Thinking theidea of cotton in his ears was a ridiculesidea, he decided after some deliberation toremove the cotton and speak to the Prophet(P). Good Morning, he greeted theProphet (P). Allah has changed that to the

greetings of the people of Paradise. Say:Assalamu Alaykum, replied the Prophet,already creating a friendly atmosphere.Asad then inquired about the message ofthe Prophet (P) whereupon the Prophet re-plied using selected verses from the QuranI invite people to worship only One God.Respect your parents. Do not kill your chil-

dren. Do not usurp the property of the or-phans. Talk justly even if it were to beagainst your near of kin Asad havingheard this was so awed by the message thatasked the Prophet (P) how he could becomea Muslim. The Prophet (P) told him of theshahadah and Asad said: :

.

There exist in the life of the Prophet (P) hun-dreds of examples of this kind. The moreprominent one being for instance the con-version of Umar bin Khattab who was onceproceeding to take maters in his own hands

and going to kill the Prophet (P). On his wayhe was confronted by some people who sug-gested he solve problems in his own familyfirst. Dumbfounded, he asked what thatmeant and was told that his own sister hadbecome a Muslim! He immediately went tohis sisters house where he heard her recit-ing the Quran. He charged in and violentlydemanded that his sister give him what shewas reading. She refused and Umar almostbegan a fight with his brother in law. Shefinally conceded and read some of the versesof surah Taha which influenced him to pro-

foundly that he converted to Islam.Another prominent example is that of JafarIbn Abu Talib, who was sent to Abyssiniaand convinced the then king Najjashi of theauthenticity of Islam by quoting verses fromSurah Marium. It was that influence whichled to the protection the Muslims receivedthere. The Quran itself is the most powerfuland authentic source to introduce Islam andtherefore should be utilised more often andintroduced to the non-Muslims.

5. Attraction of the Jinn and other crea-tures:

It is an amazing fact that not only humans,but jinn are also influenced by the words ofthe Almighty. Allah says in the Quran: Say:It has been revealed to me that a group ofjinn listened (to this Quran). They said: Ver-ily, we have heard a wonderful recitation.[72:1] Allah in describing the immensepower of this book says in ayah 21 of SurahHashr Had We sent down this Quran on amountain, you would certainly have seen itfalling down, splitting asunder because ofthe fear of Allah, and We sent forth theseparables to men that they may reflect. Ourhearts are not harder than the pieces ofrocks! May Allah grant us the wisdom torecognise this tremendous miracle we holdin our hands and appreciate is grandeur andsplendour.

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In today's world of science and technology,doctors have found solutions to numerousdiseases which were once considered as in-curable and fatal. Inventions of sophisticateddevices and formulation of new life savingdrugs have helped them in their cause. Yet,

we find Muslims who say that a person's lifeand sustenance can be increased and calami-ties averted merely by giving alms.

Sadaqah is derived from the word Sadq i.e.to be righteous, truthful, alms-giving. Wewill focus our attention on its third meaningi.e. alms-giving and discuss about it. Whilegoing through the pages of history - whichare full of incidents about the benefits ofgiving alms - one incident stands apart.

It is narrated that once Hazrat Isa (AS) waspassing by a house along with his compan-

ions. Celebrations were going on in thathouse on the occasion of a marriage. HazratIsa (AS) pointed out to his companions thattomorrow, (the people of) this house willaggrieved. On the morrow, the companionsof Hazrat Isa (AS) informed him that noth-ing like what he had predicted had occurredin that house. Hazrat Isa (AS) decided tovisit that house and find out the reason dueto which the calamity was averted. On in-quiry, the newly married bride of the housespoke about the events of the previous night.She said that last night she had given breadto a beggar who had come to their house.After knowing this Hazrat Isa (AS) lifted thebed and they saw that there was a snakewith a bread in its mouth. Hazrat Isa (AS)showed them that the alms which was givenin the form of bread by the bride had savedthem from death.

The traditions of the infallibles (AS) toospeak about the advantages of giving alms.Discussing all of them is beyond the scope ofthis article. We will restrict our discussion inreviewing only a few of them. It has beennarrated from Imam Baqir (AS) that giving

of alms prolongs one's life and saves a per-son from seventy types of difficulties at the

time of death. (Man la Yahzorohul Faqih p34 H. No. 1729)

Imam Sadiq (AS) says, 'Allah will keepaway all the difficulties which descend fromthe sky in the daytime, if one gives almsearly in the morning. And Allah will keepaway all the difficulties which will descendfrom the sky in the night, if one gives alms inthe early hours of night." (Ibid., H. No. 1733)

Imam Ali (AS) says, "In order to be exon-erated of your sins and be included under thegrace and love of Allah, give alms and ob-serve the bonds of relationship." (GhurarulHekam by Abdul Waahid Aamudi)

A tradition from Holy Prophet (SAW) sum-marises all the benefits of giving alms. He

(SAW) says, 'There is no god except Allah,giving alms saves a person from sickness,plague, fire, drowning, falling and madness."Then Holy Prophet (SAW) counted seventydifficulties from which a person can besaved by giving alms. (Man la YahzorohulFaqih, p 35, H. No. 1734)

Now that we are familiar with the benefitsand effects of giving alms, the questionwhich comes to our mind is , How can thegiving of alms by us be the cause of safety ofour last Imam, Imam-Al Asr (AJFS)? All hu-man relations, actions, etc. are based on the

natural instincts of love and attachment. Thisattachment and love may be for worldlygains or for the hereafter. Islam, the last andthe perfect religion of Allah in based on at-tachment. Thus we find in Quran:"And thosewho believe, love Allah the most." (1:165).

The point to be noted here is that when aperson shows interest or love towards some-thing, then he will show his love and attach-ment for everything related to that particularthing. We see in our daily lives that if a per-son is interested in a particular field ofstudy, engineering for instance, he will not

only be interested in the area of his speciali-zation but he will also be interested in all

those areas which arerelated to it. On thebasis of the above prin-ciple, we know that themost esteemed andhonoured from amongthe creatures, in frontof Allah, the Almighty,are the Holy Prophet(SAW) and the infalli-ble Imams (a.s.). We

see in a tradition fromthe Holy Prophet(SAW) that he said,"The faith of no one isacceptable to Allahexcept for him wholoves me more than

himself, my family more than his family, mydescendants more than his own descendantsand myself more than his own self."

It is crystal clear from this tradition that atrue Muslim is filled with the love of HolyProphet (SAW) and his descendants andespecially in the present age, with the love ofour beloved master, Imam-Al-Asr (AJFS).Also we see a tradition from Imam Mahdi(AJFS) who relates from his father, ImamHasan al-Askari (AS) : "O my son know thatthe hearts of the obedient and sincere peoplewill turn to you as birds turn to theirnests." (Kamaluddin, p. 448)

But, only verbal claim that we love the HolyProphet (SAW) and our Imam (AS) is noproof. Rather, the proof of our love lies inour behaviour, manners, dealings, etc. It is

but natural that a lover likes the safety andsecurity of the one whom he loves. A personcan protect his beloved in two ways, directlyor indirectly. Directly means himself protect-ing and indirectly means by arranging someprotection for the beloved. In our age whereit is not possible for us to phys cally seewhether our beloved master. Imam Mahdi(AJFS) is protected or not (because of thebarrier of occultation) there is no need tolose heart as we can always take the indirectway i.e. giving alms for his safety. A tradi-tion from Ameerul Momineen Alt (a.s.) says(a.s.), "Giving alms dispels calamity."

When we go through the books of history,we realize that the great scholars of Islamhave devoted a lot of pages on this topic.One such scholar is Sayyed Ibne Ta'oos (RA).He is one of the great Shiite personalities of7th century Hijri. He writes in his will to hisson regarding the responsibilities towardsImam (a.s.) that, "Give priority to Imam'sneed before asking your request. Donatealms and charity for his glorious being be-fore you do for your own self or for yourfamily and offer supplications for him beforeremembering yours. In short, in all yourgood and recommended deeds, give priorityto his pious and precious being because thisattracts the attention of Imam (AS) towardsyou and will increase his generosity andkindness upon you."

At this juncture, one question might intrigueyou and that is, "Does Imam (AS), who ishaving all the blessings, knowledge andkindness of Allah need the alms of a fewpennies given by us?"

The answer is certainly not. But as we haveseen in the foregoing paragraphs, that when

you love someone, that love should be mani-fested in your behaviour, dealings and man-ners. By giving money in charity, we aremanifesting our love towards our Imam (AS)and fulfilling the condition of the tradition of


Sadaqah for the Safety of Imam Al Asr(AJFS)

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the Holy Prophet (SAW) that says, "Thefaith of no one is acceptable to Allah exceptfor him who loves me more than him-self......." And also we have to keep this pointin mind that Imam-Al-Asr (AJFS) himselfsays, "Pray more for my early reappearance.Indeed, in it there is salvation for you."

We find that there are many supplicationswhich have been narrated by our Imams(AS) to pray for Imam Mahdi (AJFS) in the

time of occultation. For more details aboutinvocations refer to the book of Mafateeh-ul-Jinan by Shaykh Abbas Qummi. We also seethat Imam (AS) himself has asked us to prayfor his early reappearance though he is in noneed of our invocations. It (reciting invoca-tion) is a sign and manifestation of our lovetowards him.

Now, after understanding why alms shouldbe given for the safety of Imam (AS), thequestion which arises is "What should we dowith money collected as alms? " The reply to

this lies in a tradition from Imam Sadiq (AS)who says 'If a person is not near and cannotsend his gifts to us, then he should give it toour pious Shias. He will get the same rewardof giving it to us..." (Man la yahzorohulfaqih)

In the end we pray to Allah, the Almighty,to increase our grace and provide us oppor-tunities so that we can manifest our lovetowards Imam al-Muntazar al-Mahdi (AS)by giving alms for his safety and performingonly those deeds which bring us closer

(Continued from page 4)

Al Fajr Pg 5(7)4

Is there any person in this world who does-nt like to be recognized for what they areand what they do? Unfortunately, people areoften judged by their looks, their family,their clothes, and the people they mix with.There is so much emphasis on the externalsuperficial parts of a person that the personhimself is usually left feeling lonely (even ina crowd), misunderstood (even though peo-ple say they love him), and perhaps evenspending most of his life concentrating ondeveloping these external parts of himself soas to be accepted; whereas in reality heknows that the real him is something verydifferent.

How many people leave this world withoutever having been appreciated for their real

selves, without ever having discovered whothey really are and what they are capable ofdoing? What a waste! And the thing is thatwe live our lives making sure that the waywe dress, the place we live, the people wemix with, and even the food we eat areright. Somewhere along the line we forgetto ask ourselves what we like to wear, whatwe like to eat, what we like!

Now comes Ramadan! In Ramadan lifecomes back to basics. We concentrate onremembering Allah the Most High, on fast-ing and thus coming to terms with our

weaknesses, on reading the Quran so as tobe aware of the guidance of Allah to help usachieve success in this life and the next, andon giving to others instead of thinking aboutwhat we are going to get.

In Ramadan we have to live our lives feelinghungry and yet still get on with our dailyroutine and work. We get to appreciate howthe poor people feel every day of their lives.We learn how much strength we actuallyhave inside because we manage to keep go-ing. We may surprise ourselves with thedepth of our perception when we read

Quran and contemplate the meanings. Welearn what it feels like to give to someonewho appreciates what you have doneandso you have the desire to give more.

Really it is up to us how good we feel in life.

As we live our lives we get feelings thatserve as indicators telling us whether we areclose to the truth or far away. Some peopledescribe these feelings as a sense of tranquil-ity when you do what is right, and a sense ofanxiety when you do something that iswrong. Have you ever helped a person inneed and felt bad?

I dont think so! Because most people willsay they felt good after doing a noble ac-tion. Likewise when you sacrifice somethingfor someone else, you feel good; when youtell the truth, you feel relieved; and whenyou pray sincerely, your heart feels at home.

So it is possible to know ourselves and tounderstand the context of our lives despitethe pressures around us and the misconcep-

tions people adopt. I had a friend who toldme that if you help somebody, you cannever be a nobody. Those words stayed withme and I have adopted them as a motto inmy life. I know from experience that when-ever I have felt bad about myself, my life, orthe situation I find myself in, I go out and dosomething for someone else and, inevitably,I feel better.

I saw a film a few weeks ago that reallytouched my heart. It made me think aboutthe worth of every single living person; itwas about the Special Olympics. When I sawthe people who work with those who aresuffering from all kinds of handicaps I feltlike I was witnessing the real courage andspiritual potential that lies in all of us, buttoo often lies dormant for want of use. TheSpecial Olympics is a great chance for peo-ple to discover themselves and how they cansucceed at different things in life. It repre-sents the stamina, determination, and cour-age that should mark our journey throughlife, and the positive and hopeful attitudethat should encompass all that we try to do.The people who help out at such events

revel in the general atmosphere of courage,dignity, and hope, and you can see it ontheir faces. I felt, as I watched the film, thatthe helpers were so very fortunate to be tak-ing part in such an event. I envied the hope

and courage of many of the participants:people who had exerted great effort andachieved.

Here are some quotes from this memorable

film. At the end of the film, a young ladywho won an award said, So here I am! Whowould have thought that so many of mydreams would come true! Im not a hero, Ijust like running.

Someone else said, Let me win, and I if Icannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.Another person said, The courageous spirit,the generous heart is what really matters.

So the message is that we should all takeevery opportunity that life presents us withto develop ourselves. And I dont mean just

developing the superficial qualities or mak-ing more money, but to search our souls andfind our potential and then dedicate ourlives to being the best person we can be. Avery important part of that is reaching out toothers. When we try to help someoneevena strangerour hearts feel uplifted and ourinsight deepens. When we do such thingswith the intention to please the Creator, an-gels will accompany us on our way throughlife and our feelings of mercy and kindnesswill emanate from our countenance, words,tone of voice, and actions until we put our-selves in the position of being eligible toreceive the guidance and forgiveness of Al-lah whose mercy is apparent everywhere welook.

Everybody wants to be a somebody


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Al Fajr Pg 6(7)4

Ziarat Aal-E-YaseenIntroduction:

Ziarat Aal-e-Yaseen is another important Ziarat of Imam-e-Zaman(a.s.). It is actually a Hadith Qudsi (direct saying of Allah(swt)) as re-

ported in Mafatih-al-Jinnan. It is the first Ziarat in Mafatih about Imam-e-Zaman(a.s.) (located some pages before Duaa Nudbeh). According

to the traditions, "Aal-e-Yaseen" is equivalent to "Aal-e-Muhammad (AS)" and is the correct pronunciation (Qira'at) of verse 37:130 of the

Holy Quran. Beside its superb beauty, one of the interesting points about this Duaa is that, in it, we confess all the central beliefs one by one.Lack of any of these elements makes one a disbeliever. It is advisable that it be recited once a day to affirm once pledge to the Imam (AJFS)

and also to affirm ones faith in Islam.

Peace be upon (the) progeny of Yaseen.

Peace be upon you, O the caller of Allah and place of manifestation of

His signs.

Peace be upon you, O the door of Allah and the devout one of His relig-

ion.

Peace be upon you, O the vicegerent of Allah and the helper of His truth.

Peace be upon you, O the proof of Allah and the Guide of His intention.

Peace be upon you, O the reciter of Allah's book and its interpreter.

Peace be upon you in your night and in your day.

Peace be upon you, O the remnant of Allah on His earth.

Peace be upon you, O the covenant of Allah, which He took it and He

fastened it.

Peace be upon you, O the promise of Allah which He guaranteed it.

Peace by upon you, O the manifested flag and the one who is filled with

knowledge and the help and the far-reaching mercy a promise which is

not a lie.

Peace be upon you while you are standing

Peace be upon you while you are sitting.

Peace be upon you when you are reading and explaining

Peace be upon you when you are praying and supplicating.

Peace be upon you when you are bowing and prostrating.

Peace be upon you when you are saying "There is no God except Allah'

and (when) you are saying 'Allah is greater (than what He is described).'

Peace be upon you when you are praising (Allah) and seeking forgive-

ness.

Peace be upon you when you enter the morning and the evening.

Peace be upon you in the night when it envelops and the day when it

becomes manifest. Peacebe upon you, O the leader, the protected one.

Peace be upon you, O the prior hoped one.

Peace be upon you by the collections of the salutations.

I call you as a witness, O my Master, certainly I testify that there is no

god except Allah, He is alone, there is no partner with Him.


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Al Fajr Pg 7(7)4

And indeed I testify that Mohammad is His servant and His Apostle;

There is no beloved except him and his progeny.

And I call you as a witness, O my Master certainly Ali, the commander of

he believers, is His proof.

And Hasan is His proof. And Husayn is His proof.

And Ali, son of Husayn is His proof.

And Muhammad, son of Ali is His proof.

And Ja'far, son of Mohammad is His proof.

And Moosa, son of Ja'far is His proof.

And Ali, son of Moosa is His proof.

And Muhammad, son of Ali is His proof.

And Ali, son of Mohammad is His proof.

And Hasan, son of Ali is His proof.

And I testify that indeed you are the proof of Allah.

All of you, the first and the last.

And surely your return is a truth, there is no doubt in it.

The day when belief of none will benefit himself who previously

did not believe or acquired a goodness through his belief. And indeed

death is a truth.

And indeed Naakir and Nakeer is a truth. And I testify that indeed the

scattering (stage of Qiyamat) is a truth and the raising is a truth.

And indeed the bridge (over hell) is a truth and the watching place is a

ruth.

And the balance is a truth and the gathering is a truth

And the accounting (of deeds) is a truth and the Paradise

and the hell is a truth. And the promise (of reward) and the threat (of the

punishment) in them is a truth.

O my Master, one who opposes you is unlucky. And one who obeys you is

ucky.

And I am a friend for you, acquitted from your enemy. Then testify what-

ever I made you a witness upon it.

So the truth is whatever you are satisfied with. And the untrue is whatever

you are angry with. And the goodness is whatever you ordered. And the

evil is whatever you have prohibited from.

So lam abeliever in Allah, He alone, there is no partner with Him.

And (I am a believer) in His Apostle and in the commander of the believ-

ers.

And in you O my Master, the first among you and the last among you.

And my help is intended for you. And my love is purely for you. Amen!

Amen ! (Accept! Accept!)


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Al Fajr Pg 8(7)4

Undoubtedly, the most important benefit that can ever be gainedfrom ever having the honour to meet with our present Imam, ImamMahdi (AJTFS) is to attain as much spiritual information that we canfrom his fountain of knowledge, in order to advance in our spiritualjourney to the highest levels possible.

Thus if that blessed day ever arrives when a true devotee of ImamMahdi (AJTFS) has the honour of meeting with him, they should tryand gain as much spiritual guidance and elevation from him as possi-ble.

Ayatollah Najafi Marashi, one of the late marja taqlids1 has beenquoted as saying: A knowledgeable sayyed reported that he had be-gun his journey on foot to visit the grave of Hazrat Sayyed Muham-mad, the son of Imam Hadi (a.s), whose shrine is locate near the cityof Samira, in Iraq. His description of the journey is as follows:I was losing my way to shrine. The heat of the sun was intense and

I felt that I would soon be dying of thirst. I suddenly collapsed onthe ground and felt unconscious. I didnt know where I was, andwhen I finally opened my eyes, I found my head resting upon the

knees of another person, who was pouring water down my throat. Idrank thirstily from that water, which was the sweetest and mostrefreshing water I had ever drunk. The man then opened up his breadsack and handed me a few pieces of bread to eat. O Sayyed, washyour body in this spring so that your body can cool down, he toldme.

But theres no water here, I replied. Otherwise I wouldnt feelthirsty and fall unconscious.

He then replied back by gesturing towards a nice flowing stream,which was only about 2-3 metres away from me. My mind was sud-denly full of questions. I kept asking myself that how come I neversaw this stream when I was so close to dying from thirst.

The man surprised me even further by asking O Sayyed, where areyou planning to go?

To visit the holy shrine of Sayyed Muhammad, I replied. Here ishis shrine, he said as he pointed towards Sayyed Muhammadsshrine, whilst it shouldve been miles away.

As we walked together towards the shrine, I realised that this manwas no other than Hazrat Baqiyatallah (ATFS) and thus I have kept inmind the words of advice and guidance he taught me, which are thefollowing:

Firstly- He kept emphasising that O Sayyed, read the Holy Quranas much as you can and may Gods wrath be upon those who seekto fabricate the Quran and ahadith.

Put an Aqiq (carnelian) gem, with the names of the 14 masumin(infallibles) written on it, under the tongue of the deceased.

Be kind and dutiful to your parents and respect them. And if theyhave passed away, show your love to them by spending in charityfor them.

Visit the shrines of the infallible Imams and pious people as muchas you can.

Respect the Saadaat (descendents of the Prophet of Islam (P)) asmuch as possible.

Never stop performing Salatul-layl (night prayers) and consider itas one of the greatest acts of worship. It is a shame that the educatedpeople, the ones that consider themselves as our devotees arentconsistent with their Salatul-layl.

Always recite Tasbih of Hazrat Fatima Zahra (SA), and performziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s) from near and far.

Read Hazrat Fatima Zahras (AS) khutba (speech), which she gavein the Prophets Mosque, and also the khutba of Imam Ali (AS) andthe khutba of HazratZeinab (AS) in the court ofYazid.

At that moment we hadreached the entrance to theshrine, when all of a suddenthat Hazrat had disappeared

from my sight and I was leftstanding there alone, con-templating on the words ofwisdom that I had just beentaught.2

May Allah (SWT) hasten thereappearance of our presentImam (AJFS) and guide us tobe his true followers anddevotees, Inshallah.

Words of Advice from the Imam of our time (AJTFS) H. Farhoodi

Prisoner of Golden Chains by Ali Al SamailOne day, I heard that somewhere, far awayfrom here, people were imprisoned, thenraped, tortured and dragged around onleashes like animals without any justifica-tion. I felt pain and anger, but I knew I couldchange nothing, so I told the pain to goaway, and told the anger to shut up.

The next day, I heard that a group of kids,somewhere far away from here, werestopped at a checkpoint on their way to

school. Well-trained soldiers could onlycommunicate with these kids by pointingguns at them, so the kids had to sit on thesidewalk and have their class right there. Itmade me want to cry, but I told the tears togo back.

On another day, I saw photos of a familywho lived far away from here. They weresitting on a beach, enjoying an outing, whensuddenly they were attacked, their bodieswere torn to pieces, their heads were cutfrom their bodiesall except one little girls,who cried endlessly, because she was hold-ing in her arms her baby twin brother,whose lives had been stolen even beforethey had properly begun. I jumped up, Iturned away from the screen, I shook my

head, I wanted some way out- but I satdown again, because there was nothing Icould do.

On yet another day, I saw that somewhere,far away, little children had no food to eat

and no clean water to drink. They were sick-dying- their bellies inflated as if to point outsome sick irony in their plight. They camefrom a place whose earth was rich, but eventheir piece of earth had been raped, andonly they had been left on it to rot. But thistime, there were no tears, no anger and nopain. I didnt want to drown in my ownhelplessness. I didnt want to choke on myown weakness, this time, I didnt want toleave any room in my heart for the suffering

someone else was going through.

This time, I changed the channel before thepictures had their effect on me, this time, Iignore that newspaper article, this time, I



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Al

switched on my Play station, this time Iturned up my music, this time, I give in tothe pleasurable distractions designed tomake me forget, so that those dying kidswould rot even out of my memory. This timeI followed the mirage that pulled me fromreality and took me to a hollow daydream.This time, I closed my eyes to the world

around me, unaware that soon cruelty wouldknock on my door and take me from the day-dream and into my worst nightmare. Thistime, I killed my conscience, and became azombie- walking and talking, but rottingwith the stench ofdeath

Then the world shook again.

I was shocked back into life. Why did I notcare that my equal in humanity was beingslaughtered, simply because it was out of my

sight? Why did I care more for how many

dollars I saved that week than for how manychildren died in some corner of the Earth?How could I see people consumed and pil-laged by fire, but myself take a tentative stepback, afraid that even a small spark of thatfire may land at my feet? Why did I so muchlove to be deceived, why did love so much tostay in my cocoon and fear whatever came

from outside of it? Why could I not siftthrough the lies to see the truth? Why was Iso weak, why was I a prisoner of goldenchains?

If I stand alone I will change nothing.

If everyone stands together, we can changeanything.

Yet, everyone cannot stand together, unless Imyself stand up- the frustrating paradox didhave a solution.

My tears can change the world, my pain can

move the blind hearts that strangle this

planet, my love and compassion can over-come the greed and ha-tred that divide theworld into oppressorand oppressed.

My freedom must comefrom within, but soar tothe world without, andcarry with it thosearound me and thosewho will come after me.My voice must be heardand my burning desirefor justice must not beput out. The volume oftragedy must not buryme in a heap of despair, the blatancy of theoppression must not make me doubt thetruth, the off-hand reporting of death countsmust not dull my sensitivity. My consciencemust not die, for thenthe world will die.

Prisoner of Golden Chains Contd.

Forgiveness in IslamIn many verses while using different modesof expression, the Holy Qur'an has recom-mended moral issues to us and praised theprophets for possessing such merits as pa-tience, adherence to promises, forgiveness,modesty and good manners.

Forgiveness is an attribute which has re-

ceived due attention in Islam and which hasbeen extensively discussed in the HolyQur'an, and ahadith (Islamic traditions).

Forgiveness signifies overlooking the offenceand sin of a person who has purposefully ormistakenly done you wrong, such as insult-ing you by his words, beating you up or ex-acting your property. Ignoring all these is-sues and not committing this wrong is called"forgiveness".

Forgiveness is of two types:

1. We forgive someone when we are unable

to take vengeance. This kind of pardon is,in fact, tantamount to patience and for-bearance and not to forgiveness. In otherwords, it is a kind of helplessness and de-bility, a kind of tolerance.

2. We forgive someone when we have thepower to take revenge. The forgivenessdesired by Islam and its leaders relates tohis kind.

In the Holy Qur'an Allah has proclaimed thefollowing:"Turn to forgiveness and enjoingood and turn aside from the ignorant

(7:199)"."And if a false imputation from theShaitan afflict you, seek refuge in Allah;surely He is Hearing, Knowing(7:200)"."Those who spend (benevolently) in ease aswell as in straightness, and those who re-strain (their) anger and pardon men; and

Allah loves the doers of good (to others) (3:!34)."

With more deliberation into the meaning ofthe divine verses, we realize that Allah Al-mighty enjoins on His prophets pardon andconnivance.

Allah recommends him to observe good be-

haviour while guiding the people, and keepshim away from getting involved with igno-rant elements. To make His "Messenger"completely successful, Allah warns himagainst paying heed to satanic temptations,which are the biggest barrier before man inperforming good deeds. To save His messen-ger, Allah commands him to seek refuge inHim.

It becomes evident that granting pardon toan oppressor and abstaining from takingvengeance are not so simple tasks. Manneeds a greater spiritual power with whichto kill his carnal desires and sense of venge-ance, and to grant "Pardon" while he has theability to take revenge. For this reason, AllahAlmighty introduces "the restraint of anger"as one of the attribute pertains to people whosuppress their anger and forgive others.

Hence Allah Almighty command:

"Thus it is due to mercy from Allah that youdeal with them gently, and had you beenrough, hardhearted, they would certainlyhave dispersed from around you; pardonthem therefore and ask pardon, for them, and

take counsel with them in the affair: so whenyou have decided, then place your trust inAllah; surely Allah loves those who trust(3:159)".

This Holy verse has been revealed about few

Muslims who violated the Holy prophet'sorder in the Battle of Uhud thus leading tothe defeat of the Moslems. People expectedthe Holy Prophet to strongly punish thoseviolators; however, the following holy versewas revealed:

"...forgive them therefore and ask forgiveness

for them, and take counsel with them in theaffair ... (3:159)"

In addition to calling on people to forgive,our religious leaders have always been theeminent pardoners in the world, and barringthem, no one is capable of such an extent offorgiveness.

The Messenger of Allah said: "The best deedbefore Allah is to pardon a person who haswronged you , to show affection for relativeswho have broken ties with you, and to actgenerously towards a person who has de-prived you ". Thereafter he recited the follow-

ing holy verses: "Turn to forgiveness andenjoin good and turn aside from ignorant(7;199) ".

Imam Ali (A.S), Commander of the Faithful,in his testament addressed to Malik el Ashtarstated: "Fill your heart to the brim withmercy, kindness, and affection towards yoursubjects. Never act like a voracious 'animal'towards them, availing yourself of tearingthem apart, for they are your brothers-infaith or your equals in creation. So grantthem the same degree of pardon and forgive-ness that you hope Allah will grant you, for,

you are above them, and he who appointedyou is above you and Allah is above himwho gave you this position".

The Imam also said: "The most deserving(Continued on page 11)


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Surah Muhammad is the 47th Surah of theholy Quran and is so named as the name ofthe Prophet (P) appears in the second ayahof the surah. It is also referred to as SuratulKitaal or the surah of fighting as the main

concepts expounded in this surah are inregards to fighting and war. In this day andage, when the concept of Jihad has been soperverted by the mass media and some ig-norant Muslims, that it is imperative thatpeople are made aware of the very essenceof this marvelous ideology and understandits limitations and rules. The perfect place tostart this study is no other place than theQuran itself.

Some narrow minded, shallow Muslimswith little knowledge have taken the otherextreme view that jihad is mere self purifica-

tion. In their attempt at seeming moderatemisconstrue the essence of Jihad in order toplease the non-Muslims, in their actions,they abandon seeking the pleasure of Allah!

Merits of Its Recitation

Imam Sadiq (AS) has said Whoever recitesthis surah will never become doubtful abouthis religion; Allah would never test himwith poverty or fear of a tyrant government.He will always be protected against Kufrand Shirk until he dies. When he dies, Allahwill appoint a thousand angels to pray for

him constantly in his grave with him beingthe exclusive recipient of the rewards untilthey take him to a secure place with theAlmighty on the Day of Judgment. He willbe in the amnesty and protection of Allahand His Prophet (P). Many discover theirtrue faith when they have to give anythingfor the sake of Allah (SWT) and the biggerthe sacrifice the more clear the contrast be-tween the hypocrites and the true believersbecomes. The recitation of this surah willstrengthen faith so that one can never be-come a hypocrite.

Tafsir/TaweelAllah in the first few ayaat of this surah, laysthe groundwork to discuss the topic of jihad.Allah says:

(As for) those who disbelieve and turn awayfrom Allah's way, He shall render their

works ineffective.

In this world there are two broad categoriesof people those who are sincere, may they beknowledgeable or ignorant of the truth.These are the ones who, when confrontedwith the truth are submissive and accepting

of it. The second category are the kaafir(from the root ka-fa-ra meaning to concealor cover), who when they are confrontedwith the truth, reject it or cover it. They cre-ate obstacles for the truth to be heard by thefaithful people, who perhaps may be igno-

rant. The kaafir media has created a cultureof fear against Islam, so as to deter themasses, who by in large are faithful, fromaccessing the Truth about the reality of thisworld and of Islam. The strategy is to turn

away the people from Islam before theyeven have an opportunity to gain the truth.The background of this ayah originates fromthe time in the history of the Muslimswhereby they were engaged in multiplebattles. Abu Sufyan, slaughtered numerouscamels and distributed the meat ashumanitarian aid in order to earn thehearts of the people so they could fight forhim. The uncanny parallels drawn by thishypocritical action of his are apparent andrampant in todays world. In Africa, hun-dreds of humanitarian organizations give

conditional aid to the needy procuring theirown interests and perverted goals of intro-ducing their form of democracy andcivilization. Although it is a trait of everyhuman feel indebted for any assistance hemay receive, it is the responsibility of thegiver to be sincere. Even though a disbe-liever may give charity, the intention of hisgiving can never be sincere as the most sin-cere intention is that only for the sake of theAlmighty, all they do is waste their moneyand effort. Allah then continues on to say:

And (as for) those who believe and do good,

and believe in what has been revealed toMuhammad, and it is the very truth fromtheir Lord, He will remove their evil from

them and improve their condition.

Here Allah clearly mentions that belief andaction are not the only vessels of salvation,but the Belif in the Prophet is so interwovenwith the belief in the Almighty that theycannot be separated. The believers will havetwo special rewards, the first has 2meanings, the first being that Allah makesthe sins they have committed as non exis-tent, while the second and more preferred

meaning is that Allah makes an obstacle orcovering between the person and his sinsuch that he no longer gets associated withit. Most scholars believe that, sins are onlydismantled or covered such that there is no

effect of that sin, but it does still exist. Thesecond reward is that meaning thatAllah will make their important affairs goodor others have suggested that it means thatAllah will make their heart responsive to thetruth and therefore good. Allah gives thereason as to why this is so:

That is because those who disbelieve followfalsehood, and have given them their dow-ries, taking (them) in marriage, not fornicat-ing nor taking them for paramours in secret;and whoever denies faith, his work indeed isof no account, and in the hereafter he shall

be one of the losers.

Having laid the foundation, that of reaffirm-ing that whatever the concealers of the truthuse, it will be of no benefit or will not availthem whatsoever, Allah dwells into the veryrules of warfare:

So when you meet in battle those who dis-believe, then smite the necks until when youhave overcome them, then make (them) pris-oners, and afterwards either set them free as

a favor or let them ransom (themselves)until the war terminates. That (shall be so);and if Allah had pleased He would certainly

have exacted what is due from them, butthat He may try some of you by means ofothers; and (as for) those who are slain inthe way of Allah, He will by no means al-

low their deeds to perish.

Numerous non-Muslim and anti-Muslimauthors have falsely used this ayah to justifytheir preconceived ideas of what Islam islike, whereby one must smite the necks ofthe unbelievers! This could not be furtherfrom the truth, there is no evidence fromeither the Quran or the ahadith to back up


Surah Muhammad Verses 1-8Presented by Sh. Mansour Leghaei written by Abidali Mohamedali

Al Fajr Pg 10(7)4


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such a claim that Muslims are encouragedto kill all non-Muslims. Their interpretationis a clear example of tafsir-bir-ray or inter-pretation according to their own whim anddesire. On the contrary, none of the wars ofthe Prophet were initiated by him. In allcases they were imposed wars where theMuslims were forced to defend. These arethe people Allah has promised who will bedestined to dwell in hell. Allah in this ayahis specifically referring to killing the enemywhen they attack because otherwise, youare bound to be killed! But Allah here spe-cifically condones massacre, expressly in-structing the Muslims only to weaken theenemy enough to be able to subdue themthen take them as prisoners.

The very first option Allah gives is that theybe freed without a ransom! With the condi-tion they do not come and fight the Muslimsagain. Only if that is not desirable, they

could be asked to give a ransom to freethemselves. There exist some ahadith thatsuggest a third temporary option, that oftraining them and rehabilitating them tounderstand the real beauty of Islam. In

short, Allah does not support GuantanamoBay like unfair indefinite detentions, nortorture.

The final message that is portrayed is that ofan understanding that if Allah so desired,He could have destroyed them even beforeany fighting. The sole reason HE did not do

this was to try the people and to expose thehypocrites. The hypocrites at the time of theProphet (P) were spreading doubt to hinderothers from giving for the sake of Allah. ButAllah reassures the believers that none oftheir good deeds will be wasted. Its cer-tainly true that if it were not for the thou-sands of martyrs of Islam, we would not beable to hold The truth in our hand today.Not only will they be rewarded in the nextworld, they will be rewarded in this one too.The kuffar, having no belief in divine justiceor in the day of judgement have only the

shallow worldly excuses to go into battleand hence are the cruellest but yet the mostcowardly.

Allah then in the next few verses, describesthe rewards fro those who sacrificed for thesake of Allah:

He will guide them and improve their condi-tion.

Allah uses the words meaning thatHe will fix their important affairs or affairsof the hereafter. Other mufassireen havesuggested that it means that their faults will

be cleared. Allah then continues:

And cause them to enter the garden whichHe has made known to them.

Here Allah uses the words meaning

either that He will let them enter into theparadise he has already introduced to themin this world through the Quran and HisProphet (P) or alternatively, the world theroot of the word arrafa is al-irf meaning anice smell. This could mean that they will begreeted in such a way that all their senses

would acknowledge heaven. Allah thencontinues:

O you who believe ! if you help (the causeof) Allah, He will help you and make firm

your feet.

Any sincere intention to do anything purelyfor the sake of the Almighty, in addition tothe reward of paradise, He will rewardthem with courage and steadfastness. Asimilar prayer of Taluut to his followers,found in the Quran is recommended to berecited where he says And when they wentout against Jalut and his forces they said:

Our Lord, pour down upon us patience, andmake our steps firm and assist us againstthe unbelieving people (2:250)

And (as for) those who disbelieve, for themis destruction and He has made their deeds

ineffective.

Allah here uses the word meaningliterally as if one who slips and falls on theground face down. Even though they mayhave the most advanced technologies andthe most powerful armies or the most de-ceptive propaganda, at the end of the day,

none of it shall avail them. Events off late inLebanon and numerous events in historycontinuously affirm this paradigm. This initself is a source of courage and steadfast-ness.

Al Fajr Pg 11(5)4

person to pardon others is the one who ismost powerful in punishing others". "Subdueyour anger and forgive a guilty person whileyou are in power".

Examples of Remission

In the battle of Siffin, Moavia, the son of AbuSufyan, prevented the flow of water and thusdid not allow the troops of Imam Ali todrink. Imam Ali (A.S) delivered a lecturefollowing which his troops seized the sourceof water from the army of Moavia, and droveit to the desert. The companions of the Imamsaid: "Let us now deny them access to thewater, so that they would die of thirst andthere would be no need to do battle withthem. Imam Ali (A.S) noted: "By Allah, I willdo no such thing. I deem my sword sufficient

for achieving my ends". He then orderedthem to reopen the flow of water on Moaviasarmy, so that, it too can meet its needs.

It must be noted that remission has been rec-ommended, as the personal right of everyMuslim, upon being with authority, should

forgive those who oppress him and trampleupon his rights. He should not think of tak-ing revenge, so the grudges and animositiescould be uprooted in the world and the for-bearing person, too, could receive a good

reward from the Lord of the worlds.

As far as the rights of the society are con-cerned, "remission" results in the escalationof corruption and appearance of chaos. Atsuch a time, social security will be jeopard-ised and the property, life and reputation ofthe people would remain immune from theaggression of the corrupt and wicked per-sons. For this reason, Islam has attachedmore importance to carrying out religiouspenance than to granting "remission".

Imam Mohammad Baqir (AS) has noted:

"Allah Almighty has not left out anythingwhatsoever that His servants might needuntil the day of Resurrection, except that Hehas revealed it in a book and expressed it toHis prophet. He has maintained a "limit" foreverything and brought proof for it. For those

who exceed the bounds, Allah the Almightyhas fixed a "religious penance and punish-ment".

This precious statement of Imam Muham-mad Baqir (AS) clearly indicate that"religious penance" has been allowed in or-der to prevent the transgression of the ag-gressor; furthermore, it serves to preserveAllah's equitable criteria in the world; toeradicate disorder, oppression, extortion, andobstinacy; to enable the society, with all itsclasses, to live in welfare and security underthe light of Islamic justice; and to safeguardhuman honours and values against the en-croachment of capricious and spiteful per-sons. Likewise, in the Islamic jurisprudence,it is stated that if three people bear witnessconcerning the religious penance for adultery

without the presence of a fourth witness, allthree just witnesses will be penanced becauseof marring the reputation of a person withoutthe existence of religious conditions.


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1) 'Uthman ibn Sa'id 'Umari: This honourable figure was not only a deputy (na'ib) of Imam-e Zaman but he was also a representative(wakil) of Imam Hasan al-'Askari (a.s.) and Imam 'Ali an-Naqi (a.s.) He settled and organized many affairs of the Shi'ites The Tenth Imam(al-Hadi -a.s ) said to his followers regarding him:"This Abu 'Umari is a reliable and trustworthy person. Whatever he says to you he saysso on my behalf, and whatever he does he does on my behalf."

This representation continued till 254 A H when Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) died. Then, the Eleventh Imam is reported to have praised the characterof Abu 'Umari as having his high esteem in his address to his Shi'ites, saying:"This Abu 'Umari is a reliable and trustworthy person. He hadthe confidence of the preceding Imam, and has also my confidence in my lifetime and after my death. Whatever he says to you he says so on

my behalf, and whatever he does he does on my behalf."

Likewise, with this certificate of admiration, he became the deputy (Na'ibu 'l-Imam) of the Twelfth Imam after the demise of Imam Hasan al-'Askari ( a s ).On the death of Abu 'Umari, the Lord of the Age (Sahibu 'z-Zaman) himself sent condolences to his son, Muhammad ibn'Uthman saying:"Verily, we belong to Allah and verily to Him shall we return We submit to His command and are pleased with His decree.Your father has lived in good fortune and has died with dignity. May Allah's mercy be upon him, he has joined his friends and masters. Hewas always endeavouring to search for whatever would bring him near to Allah and His friends. May Allah make strengthen his counte-nance."

2) Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn 'Uthman: This man was the second special deputy of Imam-e Zaman He was also a deputy of the Elev-enth Imam, about whom the latter said:"The greatness of his dignity and the exaltation of his status among the Shi'ites is so famous thatthere is no need to explain or dispute it." Regarding him and his father, 'Uthman ibn Sa'id, Imam Hasan al-'Askari (a.s.) said to one of hiscompanions:"'Umar and his son are both trustworthy Whatever they do they do on my behalf, and whatever they say to you, they say so onmy behalf Therefore, listen to their words and obey them, because both of them are reliable and trustworthy to us." And Imam-e Zaman

himself said about him: "He is my confident, and his letter is of the same status as mine."

3) Abu 'l-Qasim Husayn ibn Ruh Nawbakhti: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn 'Uthman, the third deputy of Imam-e Zaman, said abouthim:

This Husayn ibn Ruh ibn Abu Bahr Nawbakhti is my successor. He is a reliable and trust worthy envoy and deputy between you and theSahibu 'l-Amr (the Master of the Authority). Therefore, in your affairs and important tasks refer to him and trust him. I was given this task;and I have announced it."

Shaykh Tusi said about him:"Abu 'l-Qasim Husayn ibn Ruh was regarded by his friends and opponents as the most learned man among thepeople." The integrity of Husayn ibn Ruh's deputyship was acknowledged by his opponents too. Shalmaghani, who was one of the pseudo-claimants to the deputyship, had to confess his falsity when Imam-e Zaman ordered Husayn ibn Ruh to expose him. He (Shalmaghani)said:"It is not right between me and Allah to say anything in the affair of Husayn ibn Ruh other than the truth. Although his crime towardsme is a big one, yet this man was appointed by Imam-e Zaman for the task. The Shi'ites should not turn away from him."

4) Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali ibn Muhammad Simmari: This honourable figure was the last special deputy (Na'ibu 'l-khass) of the Holy Imam-eZaman. His death, coincided with the 15th of Sha'ban 329 A.H. Husayn ibn Ruh introduced him as the deputy of the Imam. The last letter ofImam-e Zaman (the Lord of the Age) to the four special deputies was addressed to this honourable man. In this order the Imam announcedthe death of 'Ali ibn Muhammad and the end of the deputation:"In the name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful You are going to die insix days, may Allah grant patience to your brothers in faith on your departure So, be prepared, but appoint no one in your place, becausefrom the day of your death the period of my major occultation (ghaybatu 'l-kubra) will begin. Henceforth-, no one will see me, unless anduntil Allah makes me appear My reappearance will take place after a very long time when people will have grown tired of waiting andthose who are weak in their faith will say: 'What! Is he still alive?' When men will become cruel and inconsiderate, and the world will befull of injustice and violence. Very soon some men will claim to have seen me. Beware! Anyone who makes such a claim before the comingout of Sufyani and the sound from heaven announcing my reappearance, is a liar and an impostor. There is no might nor strength except inAllah, the Magnificent."

As can be seen from this, it is the last order, in which the door of spe-cial deputation is closed by the death of Ali ibn Muhammad; hence,

anyone who claims to be a mediator, or claims that the Imam can beseen, is a liar. In the period of the major occultation no - one has madethe claim that he has been in the presence of the Holy Imam-e Zaman.

The people would not accept the deputation of the four special depu-ties unless they had been shown the miracles of the Sahibu 'l-Amr toverify their truthfulness and accuracy, although they acknowledgedthem as reliable and trustworthy and had not the smallest doubt intheir piety, faith and knowledge.

The Four deputies, who were at the highest level of faith and confi-dence for many years, were the blessed mediators between the Imamand the people till in the year 329 A. H., when this deputation wasclosed, and on the basis of the Divine Will the major occultation of

Imam-e Zaman commenced. This was the very occultation which wasprophesied a long time previously by the Holy Prophet and the Shi'itesImams; and Muslims keep patient in this period of test, till by the or-der of Almighty Allah, the Awaited Imam will appear and the DivineAim will reach its fulfilment.

Nuwwab Al Arba - The Deputies of Imam Al Faraj during Minor Occultation

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Al Fajr Issue 7 Vol 4