Id al Gadir
My dear brother, Sheikh Ahmad, Id Al Adha mubarak to you, your family and your people. Not to mention, for your intelligence by which you admitted a right faith, I love you, and I should appreciate you to tell me about Sufism which is based on respect and love for everyone who is a sincere believer and follows the 5 pillars of Islam. But I am sorry to tell you that, as far as I know, this perspective not only is against the teaching of the Quran, if you deeply consider it, but it is very confusing to everyone as well. Since such a bewildering idea of Sufism prevalent today perplexed me tremendously, it forced me to make a special article to tell the truth according to both the traditional sciences of Islam and wisdom. This is because, on the one hand, you tell me your authority comes from a long line of spiritual leaders including Imam Ali (AS); on the other hand, you allege that you are not deeply concerned about who should be the successor of the prophet.
Do you know, according to the Quranic teaching, there are 4 kinds of relationship among human beings? They are as follows: 1) good deed against good deed, 2) evil deed against evil deed, 3) good deed against evil deed, 4) and evil deed against good deed. The first two kinds of theses four don’t drive so much advantages, while the third one is the best, the forth is the worst. Ali (AS) had chosen the third one for advisability of Islam and the prevention of domestic violence. Consequently he was confined to his house for 25 years, and helped Abubakr, Umar and Othman again and again on many occasions. So Umar said, ‘If Ali were not there to solve my wrong judgments, Umar would be perished. Neither existing individuals nor historians with their contradictory records were present at that time to give us authentic facts worthy of trust. But the Prophet, peace and greeting be upon him and his family, had introduced Ali this way, “Ali is the most pious, and most righteous of you, and he is with the truth at any time, as the truth is with Ali at all time, and Ali is always with the Qur'an as the Qur'an is with Ali in every instance. Therefore his autobiography will be the most reliable document deserving for authenticity, respect and trust. In the third sermon titled “Shaqshaqieh” inserted in his sizeable book, known as Nahg- Al-Balaqeh; Ali (AS) has clearly demonstrated why the succession after the Prophet was so important for people on the one side, and on the other side, he stipulated why it was so insignificant is his eyes. In such a unique and reliable document Ali (AS) with such qualifications stated that the first three caliphs were not qualified at all, according to the book of God and the true tradition of the prophet. Accurate attention to the inordinate way of the election of these four successors will clear many things for those with sound judgment. Historically, in a short time after the death of the great leader of Islam, not attending in his funeral, Umar quickly made allegiance with Abubakr and forced others to do the same with threat, while Ali (AS) and his intimate companions were busy with washing, wrapping, and burying of the Prophet. When dying, Abubakr individually did choose Umar as his successor. In his turn, when Umar was in the bed of death, nominated 6 persons to decide who among them should be his successor. After Othman was assassinated, all people got together to choose Ali (AS) as their ruler. Now we turn to the Qur'an to see what has been revealed in this regard.
1-After 100 years being prophet and leaving behind all tests successfully, the Almighty God told Abraham, “I am appointing you as an Imam for people.” 2: 124
واذابتلي ابراهيم ربه بكلمات فاتمهنٌ، قال اني جاعلك للناس اماما.
This revelation stipulates that Imamat (Leadership) after prophecy is necessary, and God Himself must appoint this office.
2-And it is He who made you successor on earth, and He raised some of you above others in ranks in order to test you with what He has given you.” 6: 165
وهوالذي جعلكم خلائف الارض ورفع بعضكم فوق بعض درجات ليبلوكم في ماأتيكم.
3-“And know that the messenger of God is among you, if he obeys you in many issues, surely, yourself will be in difficulty. But God made you love faith and beautified it in your hearts, and made you hate disbelief, viciousness, and disobedience and those are the rightly guided.” 49: 7
واعلمواانٌ فيكم رسول الله لو‘يطيعكم في كثيرمن الامرلعنتمٌ، ولكن الله حببٌ اليكم الايمان وزينٌه في قلوبكم وكرهٌ اليكم الكفروالفسوق والعصيان،اولئك هم الراشدون.
4-The Most High God told the Prophet to say, ‘This is my way, and those who follow me, to invite with insight to the faith in God.” 12:108
قل هذه سبيلي ادعواالي الله، علي بصيره، اناومن اتبعني.
Insight is a due for those who direct to the faith and those who follow them.
5-“Those who believed but not tainted their faith with oppression are in security and rightly guided. These are whom God has guided, follow then their guidance. 6: 82, 90
الذين أمنواولم يلبسواايمانهم بظلم اولئك لهم الامن وهم مهتدون. اولئك الذين هدي الله فبهديهم اقتده.
6-And the All-Wise God has explained that oppression, weather to themselves or others, means nothing but following their own desire without knowledge. 30: 29
بل اتبع الذين ظلموااهوائهم بغيرعلم.
Why did they put Ali (AS) under so pressure to take his allegiance with Abubakr? When almost the majority of people had already made their allegiance with him, Ali’s allegiance looked unlikely important, despite this they forced Ali to make his allegiance, because his allegiance alone would be enough to sanction Abubakr’s caliphate. That is why Ali (AS) has severely criticized all thee rulers before himself, and did not make allegiance with Abubakr as far as Fatema (AS) was alive. The prophet, peace and greeting be upon him and his family, fled from Mecca to Medina right after the death of his wife Khadijeh and his grand father, because he had no more strong support in Mecca. Ali (AS) did exactly the same, because when his wife, Fatemah (AS) was killed at the age of 18 years old, Ali (AS) had lost his support without having companion to resist.
The following revelations explain why the doctrine of modern Sufism is inconsistent with the principles of the Qur'an. This is because the perspective of Sufism is on the basis of love and respect for sincere believers and those who fallow the 5 pillars of Islam indiscriminately. But not being deeply concerned about the successor of the Prophet means that Sufism takes such an extremely serious issue too lightly. The strongest revelation that we may find throughout the Qur'an is about the successor of the Prophet. Unfortunately, Sufism looks at it too lightly which is contrary to intelligence and rationality. Let us, for a moment, look at our body. We would realize that the Provider of all means, God, has supplied our body with a brain to adequately filter and adjust the defaults of our senses, and He has designed a heart to properly nourish our body. In fact, the creation and its precautionary measures are all at his hand. How come it is possible that the management of religion has been disregarded?
“O messenger, Fulfill the mission is revealed to you from your Lord, until you do, you have not fulfilled His mission. Make sure that God will protect you from people.” 5: 67
ياايهاالرسول بلٌغ ما‘انزل اليك من ربك، وان لم تفعل فمابلغت رسالته،والله يعصمك من الناس.
As you may know, finding out or proving sincere believers is very hard, because overwhelming Muslims are believers while they follow their own wish. And it is against law to gain information about the faith of others. Beyond that they are not able to gain correct information, because hypocrites are well-experienced in hypocrisy to deceive others. Let us see what Quranic revelation instructs us.
1-“And some of Arabs around you are hypocrites, and so are some city dwellers of Medina who are well-experienced in hypocrisy. You don’t know them but We know them well. 9:101
وممن حولكم من الاعراب منافقون ،ومن اهل المدينه،مردواعلي النفاق،لاتعلمهم نحن نعلمهم.
2-“No matter what you wish, overwhelming people won’t believe. And the overwhelming of them won’t believe, unless they set up associate with God. 12: 104, 106
ومااكثرالناس ولوحرصت بمؤمنين. ومايؤمن اكثرهم بالله الاوهم مشركون.
3-God does never charge any soul beyond it can bear.” 2: 286
لا‘يكلٌف الله نفساالاوسعها.
4-O believers, protect yourself before God as you should do.” 2: 102
ياايهاالذين أمنوااتقواالله حقٌ ‘تقاته.
5-Therefore protect yourself before God as much as you can. 64: 16
فاتقواالله مااستطتم.
In number 4, the quality of devotion is in mind, so devotion is endowed with the truth. In number 5, on the other hand, the quantity of devotion is in mind. As you can see believers can have different grades of devotion, while we are not able to measure them correctly.
6-Say, ‘Everybody works according to his nature, so your Lord knows best who is better guided on the right way. 17: 84
قل كل يعمل علي شاكلته، فربكم اعلم بمن هواهدي سبيلا.
7-Then be patient; indeed, God’s promise is true and let those who are not certain take you too lightly. 30:60
فاصبرانٌ وعدالله حق ولايستخفنٌك الذين لايوقنون.
“Wavering in between, they belong neither to these nor to those.” 4: 143
مذبذبين بين ذلك لاالي هولاء ولاالي هولاء.
“Surely those who cover the truth from God and His messenger, and by drawing a separating line between God and His messenger, they want to say, ‘We believe in some and deny others, they wish to follow a oath in between.” 4: 150
ان الذين يكفرون بالله ورسله و‘يريدون ان‘يفرٌقوابين الله ورسله ويقولون نؤمن ببعض ونكفرببعض و‘يريدون بين ذلك سبيلا.
When the first group dares to deny any truth by the force of sword, gradually its indecency will die down for generations to come. That is why today for a number of Muslims Abubakr or Ali’s instructions do not make difference.
Assuming that the first group of Muslims would accept that the prophet had not introduced Ali as his successor by the command of God, why did they agree upon Abubakr when he elected Umar as his successor? According to the Qur'an, (33: 21) the prophet of Islam is a good role model for every faithful. If he did not choose anybody, then Abubakr should do the same, why was he just opposite him? If the Prophet was not qualified to elect his successor, Abubakr should not be qualified either. Or you may say that the Prophet made a mistake that he did not introduce his successor but Abubakr did not. In that case what can be done with the following two verses revealed to the Prophet at the end of his life? And if these verses are not related to Ali (AS), then for what other purpose they have been revealed?
“O messenger, fulfill what has been sent to you from your Lord, until you do, you did not fulfill His message, and make sure that God will protect you from people. 5: 67
ياايهاالرسول بلٌغ ما‘انزل اليك من ربك،وان لم تفعل فمابلغت رسالته،والله يغصمك من الناس.
“Today I perfected your religion for you, and completed my blessing upon you, and have chosen Islam as your religion.” 5: 3
اليوم اكملت لكم دينكم واتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم الاسلام دينا.
If you think that these two verses are related to meat prohibition, because meat prohibition is part of the second verse, I should say this thought is absolutely wrong, for meat prohibition had been revealed before. In addition, meat prohibition, like other issues such as alcohol prohibition did not require such a strong and threatening revelation.
My dear brother, whatever question has been raised about the Day of Gadir on which Ali (AS) was appointed by the command of God, as the immediate successor of the Prophet, has been logically answered. But it is up to the fairness, intelligence and impartiality of listeners to admit or decline it. In the mean time, all questions are about the slight difference of meaning of the word “Maula, waly, auliya, wila, and etc.” But the case would be completely different, according to different texts. On that day, for instance, the Prophet said, “Whoever I am his (Maula), this Ali will be his (Maula).”
من كنت مولاه فهذاغلي مولاه.
If you would say (Maula) here means friend not (guardian or master); through many reasons, I would say it means “guardian or master”?
Maula, according to another revelations and this, Ali has the same relation to believers that the Prophet has.
”The prophet is more entitled to the believers than they have to their own selves,” 33: 6
النبيٌ اولي بالمؤمنين من انفسهم.
As a result, Ali (AS) is the guardian to believers. Assuming that, Maula means ‘Friend”. As you know, on that day, no one was introduced but Ali. Should we take a friend as our supervisor, or any one who has not been introduced? If Maula meant friend, why didn’t the Prophet introduce other close companions like Salman, Abazar, Abubakr, Umar, Othma, Talheh, Zobeir, and etc as friends? This is the strongest reason that Maula in here dose not mean friend, otherwise the prophet would introduce other companions. In addition, was it advisable that 12000 Muslims be detained in desert, around Gadir area, for three days to hear that Ali was just a friend? Moreover, why was the Prophet so lingering in introducing Ali as his successor until the last days of his life? When Archangel Gabriel came to him three times in his farewell pilgrimage to introduce Ali as his successor, he avoided and was very reluctant to comply with this command. This was because he knew that how large the number of hypocrites was to refuse his claim and how little the number of the faithful was to admit his request. Beyond all things considered, this revelation makes the clearest meaning about Wali or Maula as guardian not friend. By definition, a friend is a person whom one knows well. Friendship between two persons means peaceful relation, bilateral amity, love and trust. We don’t know God’s nature or His quality. We are not able to see Him, get in touch with Him, or understand Him. There is no bilateral friendship between God and His creatures, even though He loves all His creatures originally. This is because overwhelming creatures don’t love Him to follow His giving-life instructions. When we don’t know ourselves with so many wonderfully concrete things in our body, how can we know Him who looks abstract not concrete? In addition God loves the righteous, the devoted, and those who trust in Him but He does not love unbelievers, those who turn away from Him. Therefore, God wouldn’t be friend of those who do not believe in Him strictly, so He revealed this to the Prophet to promulgate, “Say, ‘If you love God, thus follow me, therefore God will love you and forgive your sins, because God is much Forgiver, Merciful.” 3: 31
قل ان كنتم‘تحبوٌن الله فاتبعوني‘يحببكم الله ويغفرلكم ذنوبكم والله غفوررحيم.
ِAnd He revealed the followings verses to specify His religion for believers:
“Truly absolute devotion is due to God alone.” 39: 3
الالله الدين الخالص.
“Pray to God absolutely and worship none but Him, even if unbelievers dislike.” 21:14
فادعواالله مخلصين له الدين ولوكره الكافرون.
“Yet they were commanded to serve God absolutely and make sincere the faith to none but Him. “98: 5
وماامرواالاليعبدواالله مخلصاله الدين.
“Verily your guardians are nothing but God, His messenger, and those who believed, those who establish prayers and pay poor-rate charity while bowing down in prayer.” 5: 55
انماٌوليكم الله ورسوله والذين أمنواالذين يقيمون الصلوة و‘يؤتون الزكوة وهم راكعون.
In the history of Islam, during the life of the prophet, peace and greeting is due to him and his family, nobody gave poor-rate charity while bowing down in prayer except Ali (AS). Therefore, according to the above revelation, God, His messenger, and Ali are alone our guardians not friend.
If my dear brother you are not deeply concerned about who should be the successor of the prophet, aren’t you actually concerned about other issues either? Aren’t you seriously interested in which school your children should go? Aren’t you earnestly involved in what you eat? Aren’t you sincerely engaged in your business? Why are you so serious in other issues, yet you look at spiritual guidance so lightly? Going to the supermarket, do you pick up whatever fruit, or by using your intelligence you choose those are grown organically? If a well-informed and wise man who has established a huge power plant to supply electricity for a large city dies, can we appoint any uninformed person to manage such a big plant, can we then expect this plant work properly like before? Do you believe that the Qur'an alone, without right interpretation, is enough for Muslims? Shouldn’t we refer to the true tradition of the prophet? From whom should we learn his genuine tradition? Should we learn them from outsiders, or we should refer to his household? If I want to know about your personal life, is it right to ask from those who are away from you or I should get information from those living with you all the time? The prophet, peace and greeting is due to him and his family said, “I leave two heavy things among you, the book of Allah and my Itrat (Family), if you grasp both of them, you will never go astray. The prophet said, “I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate. Those who want to come into my city must come through its gate. In sacred Hadith of Kissa (clothes) that Allah (SWT) said to the dwellers of the heavens, “I made this world for the sake of these 5 persons sitting under the Kissa, was Ali among them or Abubakr? Do we wish to please people by disregarding God’s command, or we want to stick to this world and forget the eternal life to come? Can we think that parts of the Qur'an are unnecessary, of which we can disregard?
Today all suicide bombers killing themselves as well as many other innocent people are Muslims. Do you believe they faithfully follow the 5 pillars of Islam or they randomly do them? In Addition do you think that the principles duties of Islam merely consist of 5 pillars and there is nothing more there? Other pillars such as exoneration (Tabarra), being away from evil doers and befriending (Tawalla), being with the blessed ones that we ceaselessly ask God in our prayers, are included. To advise each other for doing good, and admonish one another for not resisting against sins stipulated in the chapter the Afternoon are other sections of this pillars, so the pillars of Islam actually consist of 10 sections not 5. And they are as follows:
1) Prayers, 2) Fasting, 3) Poor-rate Zalat, 4) Pilgrimage, 5) Struggle in the way of God, 6) Advice to good deeds, 8) Prohibition from evil, 9) Tawalla, and 10) Tabarra.
Therefore such characters you have mentioned about Sufism wouldn’t be standard criteria upon which you can respect and love sincere believers or true followers of the 5 pillars.
For a proper conduction of a newly established religion after dying its original leader who should be nominated, an old, influential, or wealthy man like Abubakr, or an individual of full knowledge described in the Qur'an?
“And disbelievers say, ‘You are not messenger, Say, ‘God suffices as a witness between me and you as well as him who has full knowledge of the book.” 13: 43
ويقول الذين كفروالست مرسلا،قل كفي بالله شهيدابيني وبينكم ومن عنده علم الكتاب.
If the head of a scientific department dies, don’t you believe that the most knowledgeable person in the field must be appointed? You are telling me that your authority comes from a long line of leaders like Abubakr. Have you ever had any supplication from him handy to fill you with the divine inspiration like the supplication of Kumayl, the supplication for the morning, and the supplication of the lame man? Who would be worthier to tell others how to walk, the one who walks in upside down position, or who is in upright situation?
“Who is more rightly guided, the one who goes groveling on his face, or the one who goes upright on a straight path? 67: 22
افمن يمشي مكبٌاعلي وجهه اهدي امن يمشي علي صراط مستقيم؟
Have you ever had any chance to take a look or study Nahg-Al-Balageh compiled by Imam Ali (AS) during 25 years that he was confined to his house? If you are sincere in your claim that Ali (AS) is really a true leader for Sufi order, you as a sufi should have known his characteristics from the Quran. This is because more than 300 verses from the Qur'an are allocated to Ali (AS), among them is a whole chapter of the human. Yet it is much better not to speak that the Qur'an has any description about Abubakr, because such a drawing is nothing but humiliating him. Abubakr knew that God was protecting the prophet, because ahead of time He had revealed him to put someone in his bed to divert enemies and had advised him to flee secretly from Mecca to Medina. Yet he was scaring while was with the prophet, so the prophet told him, ‘Do not fear, truly God is with us. But Ali (AS) fearlessly, through his trust in God, slept in the prophet’s bed alone.
To be honest with you, this kind of discussion does never mean that we hate Abubaker and love Ali (AS). It simply means that their weight, scale and measure are by no means the same. So Abubakr should never be compared with Ali (AS), as all organs of our body coming from one fertilized egg are not similar to each other from any consideration viewed and judged. Abubakr died with his natural death and there was no domestic violence against him during his short ruling term. But Ali (AS) was never at peace during his term of 4 ½ years leadership, while he was younger than Abubakr. Ali (AS) was assassinated when he was praying in the mosque prayer niche. Ali (AS) was borne in the house of God, and killed in fighting place (Mihrab) when he was talking secretly with his Lord. Ali (AS) was martyred because he was absolutely just and stood unyieldingly against illegality. When Ali (AS) was ruling, his brother blind of both eyes, Aqil came to him to be helped a little more than other Muslims from public treasure, because he was not able to work and earn money. Ali made an iron rod hot with candle flames and brought it near to his face. Feeling the heat, and felt uneasy with a hot iron rod, Aqil asked, “Do you want to burn me instead of helping me? I didn’t want to burn you, but I had in mind to show that if I help you more than others illegally, just because you are my bother, how can be done with the Fire of the Hell, Ali replied.” Why did Iranians accept Islam very easily under Umar’s caliphate, then they converted to Shiah under Ali’s caliphate? At the beginning of Islam, class distinction was very serious in Iran. A man of a lower class could not marry a woman of a class higher or vice versa. Son of shoe maker, for example, was not allowed to go to school to become a teacher to teach king’s children. When Iranians received the thesis of Islam that there was no distinction between a black and white, a rich and poor, a man and woman but devotion before God, this thesis had made them ready to accept Islam very easily. When Umar attacked Iran, Iranians followed his rules. But when Ali (AS) became ruler of Islam, they noticed that his system was totally different, because it was on the basis of bare justice. Therefore they converted to be his followers.
Let me first bring two events absolutely contradictory from each other from Ali (AS) and Abubakr bring to your attention. Using your conscience, you can then calibrate and judge who would have been appointed as a right successor to save Islam from distortion. Though this issue has been passed all-over, coming back to the household’s teaching would save all Muslims from such humiliating and lowering dignity situation.
Malek Ibn Noveireh, tax collector with the permission of the prophet in his area, did not pay the tax collected to Abubakr, because he did not agree with him as a ruler. Abubakr sent Khaled ibn Valid to collect tax from him. Malek was the head of his people and he had a very beautiful wife. Seeing Khaled has come with a well-equipped army, Malek told him, ‘We are both Muslims, why should we fight against each other and shed blood for nothing? Stand tonight with us as gusts and I will come with you tomorrow to talk with Abubakr in person. If he convinces me, I will pay all collected tax to him. Agreeing with such peaceful proposal, Khaled secretly told to his officers to behead your hosts in their houses during midnight very quietly, and he himself beheaded Malek and committed adultery with his wife right away. Hearing such a criminal, inhuman, illegal and heartless cruelty from Khaled, Umar advised Abubakr and said, “It is much better to punish and dismiss him from army, he is nothing but shame fro Islam. But Abubakr replied, ‘He is sword of Islam and I don’t want to sheathe his sword. Not to mention that, at his turn, Umar sent the very Khaled to Iran for the victory of Islam. It is not unduly that Iranians curse umar, because Khaled ravished a number of girls and women.
In a lasting fight for 1 ½ years known as Saffein, Moavieh circumvented to surround the river between the two armies and avoid Ali’s army to get water from river. Ali (AS) seriously commanded Malek ibn Ashtar, the commander of his army, to set free this river at all cost. After being liberated such a vital issue for those fighting in desert area, overwhelming Muslims came to Ali (AS) by asking him to do the same as Moavieh did. Do we fight for personal idea to retaliate the same? Should we learn the wrong way from them, or they should learn the right path from us? We are fighting to prove which side is on the right path to save those who have been already deceived. And we fight until the truth become clearly visible to the whole world in future. We don’t fight to accumulate wealth or exercise power to control over others but we want all people to know how they should live in comfort until they become ready for the eternal life to come, Ali (AS) replied.”
A few living examples in the real world may help to understand how to get closer to the truth providing recognition plus insight and impartiality help to reach the truth.
1-All fruits in a supermarket seem the same but insight would urge one to choose the organic one if he is conscious for health.
2-All pilgrims with two peaces of white cloth during pilgrimage in the desert of Arafat look quite similar but the All-Wise God makes them differ in terms of their devotion.
3-All plants at the first glance look the same but close attention and their investigation make many things clear to us. Ordinary plants demand many cares to grow, while plants known as green manure like alfalfa, clover, buck wheat, and etc not only grow well with much less care, but they fertilize the land for ordinary plants as well. This is because regular plants with their very shallow root demand more care, while green manures with very deep roots need nothing or a little care. Common plants are short-lived, while green manures live loner over 7 years. The green color of the chlorophyll of the usual plants is light, while that of green manures is very deep green. As a result, the nutritious value of these two groups wouldn’t be comparable, even though most people, for instance, prefer coriander to clover. This is because green manures with their very deep roots have good opportunities to get more minerals from the deep part of the soil, while ordinary plant have no such chance unless green manures make more minerals available to them.
4-The deeply-rooted-in-knowledge whom the Almighty God has described them as granted with knowledge in His book are those whom God blessed with His mercy. To make an analogy, it is to say that the clear effect of green manure on regular plants is the same as the inevitable impression of the deeply-rooted-in-knowledge upon lay people. And the following verses will explain more about the granted knowledge.
“Moses and his companion found one of our servants whom we blessed with mercy from ourselves and granted with knowledge from Our presence.” 18: 65
فوجداعبدامن عبادناأتيناه من عندناوعلمنٌاه من لدناعلما.
“O believers! When you are told to make room in your assembly for otherس to come, you should do that until God will make room for you in Paradise. And move up when you are told to move up to make sit available to others. God will raise those who believed among you to a grade and those who are granted with knowledge to higher ranks because God does know what you do.”58: 11
ياايهاالذين أمنوااذاقيل لكم تفسحواٌفي المجالس فافسحوايفسح الله لكم واذا قيل انشزوافانشزوايرفع الله الذين أمنوامنكم والذين اوتوالعلم درجات والله بماتعملون خبير.
Carefully studying the verse of Mobaheleh (imploring to God), revealed in the chapter 3, verse 61, would imply interesting things. Did God reveal to the prophet of whom he should bring for Mobaheleh, or he did by his own authority? Who was the self of the prophet, Ali or Abubakr? When Ali is the same as the prophet except for prophecy, thus Ali (AS) is more qualified than any other companions to be his successor. The prophet alone was absolutely qualified to implore God, wasn’t he? Why then did God (SWT) reveal to him to bring Ali, Fatemah, Hassan, and Hussein with him for imploring? By this means, the Almighty God had willed to practically demonstrated to the people around the Prophet and record into history that after the prophet, only those who were with him were qualified to lead Muslims to the straight path, otherwise the prophet had many close companions and wives but he did not bring any of them, because none of them were qualified.
فمن حاجك فيه من بعدماجائك به من العلم،فقل تعالواندع ابنائناوابنائكم ونسائناونسائكم وانفسنا وانفسكم ثم نبتهل فنجعل لعنت الله علي الكاذبين.
Over100 verses addressing to believers say, ‘O believers do this, do that, don’t do this and don’t do that. It means that believers are not truly faithful.
1-“O believers, do not betray Allah, and the messenger, nor do violate your own trust while you know the evil consequence of treason. And you should know that your wealth and children is a test while God’s reward is great.” 8: 27, 28
ياايهاالذين أمنوالاتخونواالله والرسول وتخونوااماناتكم وانتم تعلمون.واعلمواانمااموالكم واولادكم فتنه،وانٌ الله عنده اجرعظيم.
2-“O believer, do not invalidate your charity by continuous reminding your charity and hurting the feeling of the poor, like those who spend their wealth to show off, while they believe neither in God nor in the Last Day.” 2: 264
ياايهاالذين أمنوالا‘تبطلواصدقاتكم بالمن والاذي كالذي‘ينفق ماله رئاء الناس ولا‘يؤمن بالله واليوم الأخر.
3-O believers! Don’t approach prayer when you are drunk, but wait until you know what you say.” 4: 43
ياياهاالذين أمنوالاتقربواالصلوة وانتم‘سكاري حتي تعلمواماتقولون.
4-O believers! Have true faith in God, His messenger, the book which He has sent to His messenger, and the book He formerly sent.” 4: 136
ياايهاالذين أمنواأمنوابالله ورسوله والكتاب الذي نزٌل علي رسوله والكتاب الذي انزل من قبل.
5-O believers! Be more appropriate in justice and be witnesses for the pleasure of God even though it is against yourself, your parents, or your relatives, whether he is rich or poor, God is more entitled to them. Thus do not follow your desire to deviate, change, or avoid giving witness; truly God is cognizant of what you do.’ 4: 135
ياايهاالذين أمنواكونواقوامين بالقسط شهداء الله ولوعلي انفسكم اوالوالدين والاقربين،ان يكن غنيااو فقيراقالله اولي بهما،فلاتتبعواالهوي ان تعدلواوان تلوااو‘تعرضوافان الله كان بماتعملون خبيرا.
6-O believers! Don’t take your fathers and brothers your friends if they prefer disbelief over belief.” 9: 23
ياايهاالذين أمنوالاتتخذواأبائكم واخوانكم اولياء ان استحبواالكفرعلي الايمان.
7-O believers! Don’t follow the steps of Satan.”24: 21
ياايهاالذين أمنوالاتتبعواخطوات الشيطان.
8-O believers! Don’t set your opinion ahead of that of God and His messenger, and guard yourself before God.”49:1
ياايهاالذين أمنوالا‘تقدموابين يدي الله ورسوله واتقواالله.
9-O believers! Fear God and let every soul look what it has sent ahead for tomorrow, fear God, because He is truly cognizant of what you do. And don’t be like those who forgot God, so He made them forget themselves. These are evil doers.” 59: 18, 19
ياايهاالذين أمنوااتقواالله ولتنظرنفس ماقدمت لغد،واتقواالله ان الله خبيربماتعملون.ولاتكونواكالذين نسواالله فانسيهم انفسهم اولئك هم الفاسقون.
10-O believers! Why do you say what you never do? The most disgusting thing in the sight of God is to say what you never do.” 61: 2, 3
ياايهاالذين أمنوالم تقولون مالاتفعلون؟كبرمقتاعندالله ان تقولوامالاتفعلون.
According to these verses and many others, all believers are not true believers to love them indiscriminately, meanwhile we are neither able to distinguish their faith nor are we in the position to judge them according to their belief. Therefore, neither sincere belief nor practicing the 5 pillars of Islam can be the basic principle of Sufism for loving those who are endowed with these characters. In addition, none can be more merciful than God. In fact, Rahman, means God is merciful to everyone whether he is believer or unbeliever in this world. But it does not necessarily mean that He loves everyone indiscriminately without punishing evildoers in this very life and in the hereafter, because He is All-Just and All-Wise to punish those who deserve to be punished timely and properly.
“Didn’t We destroy the ancients, then follow the moderns after them? This the way we do with the criminal. Woe to deniers on that day.” 77: 16-19
الم‘نهلك الاولين، ثم‘نتبهم لأخرين،كذلك نفعل بالمجرمين، ويل يومئذللمكذبين.
“And whoever disregards My message not only will have a narrow life, but We resurrect him on the Day of Judgment blind as well. He will say, ‘My Lord why did you resurrect me blind, while I used to be clear sighted? God will reply, ‘because you forgot Our revelations when they came to you, so you are forgotten today. We thus reward whoever exceeds and refuses to believe in his Lord’s revelations. This is because the punishment of the life to come is more terrible and more lasting.” 20: 124-127
ومن اعرض عن ذكري فانٌ له معيشه ضنكاونحشره يوم القيمه اعمي، قال لم حشرتني اعمي وقد كنت بصيرا،قال كذلك اتتك أياتنافنسيتها،وكذلك اليوم‘تنسي،وكذلك نجزي من اسرف ولم يؤمن بأيات ربه،ولعذاب الأخره اشدٌ وابقي.
Original honoring and loving others is one of the specifications of Islam, it is not related to Sufism only, and it would be effective as far as others do not take advantage of such behavior, otherwise any Muslim is authorized to do exactly the same as he receives. You must not, for instance, kill your enemy in the Sacred House of Allah, but if he tried to kill you in sacred place, you have a full right to defend and kill him in the same area.
Let me bring to your attention, for example, two other issues among others, about them overwhelming Muslims make mistake. Many issues invented after the death of the prophet, peace and greeting be upon him and his family, are still current because they were blindly followers of their forefathers without thinkung actively.
1-At the end of Quranic recitation, instead of saying “The Most High and the Exalted God said the truth”, they say, “The Exalted God said the truth”. This habit is absolutely against the tradition of the Qur'an. This is because we can never find throughout the Qur'an that God has described Himself less than two attributes. Why should they do against its custom without thinking that it is right or wrong or when they recite the Qur'an think deeply about they read? The Almighty God has described Himself at least with two of His attributes or more than that. Please look at the following verse which consists of the attributes of God only.
هوالله الذي لااله الاهو الملك القدوٌس السلام المؤمن المهيمن العزيز الجباٌر المتكبر،سبحان الله عما‘يشركون.
2- Abubakr has a misnomer known as “Seddiq”. This word actually implies to an absolutely truthful person who never lies because he follows the truth all the time. For taking Fadac from Fatema (AS) by forth, Abubakr told her that the prophet said, “We prophet never give inheritance.” Fatema (AS) replied, “Did you hear from my father alone, while I heard nothing from him in this regard. If he said so to you, why didn’t he declare it openly? You are nothing but a liar to take Fadac from me by lying. In addition, according to the Qur'an, David inherited Solomon. Beyond that when I, as his daughter, am still alive, how come his wife, your daughter can inherit him but I cannot? If it was against the Devine decree, my father wouldn’t do that. Above of all, if what you said to me was right and my father did not make it known officially and, he must be guilty before God. Please deeply study chapter 59, the resurrection to become shameful of your act and see why my father gave Fadack to me as heritage.
The description of the condition of such people is exactly similar to those whom the Almighty God has described in His Qur'an.
“When they are told, ‘come to what God has revealed and revealed to the messenger of tradition, they replied, ‘What we found with our fathers is sufficient for us. Despite their fathers knew nothing and were not rightly guided.” 5: 104
واذاقيل لهم تعالواالي ماانزل الله والي الرسول،قالواحسبناماوجدناعليه أبائنااولوكان أبائهم لايعلمون شيئاولايهتدون.
This verse would imply two crucial things, the tradition of the prophet revealed separately by God, and following others blindly. When a blind man follows another blind or a blind man follows another who is insightful but not rightly guided. According to this and many other revelations like this, Muslims should follow those who are rightly guided. Therefore, Muslims should insightfully follow those who are rightly guided.
A brief report covering the main points
When one keeps something crucial out of his mind on purpose, it is very unlikely to accept it even others try to convince him with their logical proofs unless he earnestly asks God to put it back into his mind. Let us see what the Holy Qur'an has revealed in this regard.
1-“If We had revealed this Qur'an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humble and split asunder for fear of God, and We set forth these examples for people that they may reflect.” 59: 21
لوانزلناهذاالقرأن علي جبل لرايته خاشعامتصدعامن خشيه الله وتلك الامثال نضربهاللناس لعلهم يتفكرون.
2-Had it been possible for the Qur'an to make the mountains move, or the earth tear apart, or the dead speak (They wouldn’t believe); because all things are truly subject to the will of God.” 13: 31
ولوانٌ قرأنا‘سيٌرت به الجبال او‘قطعٌت به الارض او‘كلٌم به الموتي، بل لله الامرجميعا.
3-Thus when they deviated, God let their hearts be diverted too, because God does not guide distorted people.” 61: 5
فلماٌزاغواازاغ الله قلوبهم،والله لايهدي القوم الفاسقين.
4-Don’t be like those who forgot God, so God made them forget their own selves, they are diverted.” 59: 19
ولاتكونواكالذين نسواالله فانسيهم انفسهم، اولئك هم الفاسقون.
5-If We had sent down the angels to them, and even if the dead were to speak to them, and even if We summoned every miracle before them; they wouldn’t believe unless God would it. 6: 111
ولواننانزلنااليهم الملائكه وكلٌهم الموتي وحشرناكل شيئ ‘قبلا ماكانواليؤمنواالاان يشاء الله.
In our daily prayers, we routinely state something but not whole-heartedly because practically we don’t pay attention to what we state, or even we don’t want to accept or hear about them from others.
When at least 10 times a day we regularly say, “You alone we worship, and you alone we ask for help”, it really means that we don’t follow our whim or others but your will alone, and since we are not able to fulfill this request, we ask You to help us for the fulfillment of that. And we say then, “Guide us to the right path, the path of those whom you have blessed, not the path of those who are the object of your anger, nor the path of those who have gone astray.” We know that by praying we are already on the right path, why then should we ask Him to guide us to the right path? We pray in terms of the tradition of the Prophet who is himself on the right path; consequently we are automatically on the right path.
“Y.S. I swear by the Qur'an, full of wisdom, Indeed you are one of the sent, on the right path.” 36: 1-4
يس والقرأن الحكيم، انك لمن المرسلين، علي صراط مستقيم.
This type of question actually means to raise us to the higher level of the faith of those whom you have already blessed, because they are excellent companions such as prophets, those who are strictly truthful, witnesses, and those who are merited to receive your reward.
Our beloved Prophet said, “All of you are shepherd, and all of you are responsible for your obligations.”
The Holy Qur'an has revealed this way: I swear by all times that human beings are truly at lost, unless the well-experienced faithful advise one another to do nothing but the truth, and advise each other to patiently persevere, that is, not commit sin seriously, be persistent in faith, and endure hardship without complaint.
والعصر، ان الانسان لفي خسر، الاالذين أمنواوعملواالصالحات وتواصوابالحق وتواصوابالصبر.
Let us make a short but an earnest pray.
1-O God! Purify my heart from hypocrisy, my deed from dissimulation, my tongue from lie, my eyes from treason, and my thought from lip-service, indeed you know eye-service and what is concealed in our chests, while you know what is in our minds and cognizant of what is in our innermost.
2-O God! Inspire us to obey you, keep us away from disobeying you, make easy for us attaining your pleasure, make us descend in the middle of your Garden, drive away the cloud of suspicion from our insight, remove the films of doubt and all veils from our heart, destroy falsehood from our minds, and fix the truth in our secret thoughts. Indeed, suspicion and assumption pollinate all temptations and tarnish the serenity of all kinds of kindness and grants.
3- O God! Make me wish the truth, tell the truth, and act with the truth until you guide me to the truth.
4-O God! Let me have a light in my eyes, insight in my faith, certainty in my heart, sincerity in my action, soundness in my soul, expansion in my livelihood, and thank you for my health.
And 3 brief but great phrases from Imam Ali (AS)
5-O God! Honor will suffice to me to be your servant, and pride will suffice to me that you are my Lord; and you are the one just as I like you, thus make me just as you like.
His peace and greeting be upon those who follow the right guidance.
Add your content here