MY FAITH MY RELIGION

PEARLS OF GUIDANCE
Volume 2

In view of Quran
Syed Nadeem Ahmed Jafri
7th October 2011

This is an attempt to understand the faith and religion in the light of Holy Quran and ahadith. With the real life examples, I have tried to understand various issues related to faith.

Acknowledgement
I feel fortunate enough to write on this divine subject. My continuous writing is dedicated to my uncle; his guidance and inspiration cannot be expressed in few sentences. His presence has changed my outlook towards religion and life. I also feel indebted to my parents, my family members, my brothers and all my elders for showcasing faith in me and loving me selflessly.

The copyright and the right of translation in any language and adaptation of the contents of this book in any form is owned and reserved by the author. No part of this book and contents hereof may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing of the author.

Introduction 5

Introduction
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. In continuation with the first edition of Pearls of Guidance, I have added a few more articles, based on Quran and ahadith in this volume 2. The holy Prophet (SAW) has stated in his famous hadithe-Saqlain: I will soon be called away and will have to depart from you, but I leave amongst you two weighty things; the book of the High and Mighty Allah and my progeny. The Book of Allah is like a rope which extends from the heavens to the earth, and my progeny are the people of my house (Ahl-ul-bait). The Subtle and Aware (Allah) tells me that the two shall never part from each other until they come to me at the Pool. So, take care how you treat them after me. (Ref: Musnad, Ahmed Ibn-eHambal, Part 3, P 26, Kanz-ul-Ummal, Part 1, P 47, Tirmizi, 5:328, Nisai 96:79, Ibn Atiyyah 1:34, Ibn-eHajar P 89) Keeping this in mind, I have tried to connect with the Ahl ul bait in the light of Quranic ayahs.

6 Introduction My effort with this work is to show the importance of Quran and Ahl ul bait and prove that this is the Straight Path towards Allah (SWT). May Allah (SWT) accept this effort and let this work be a guide for the lovers of Ahl ul bait. Aamin Syed Nadeem Ahmed Jafri

Contents
Acknowledgement ........................................................................ 3 Introduction .................................................................................... 4 Maulood-e-Kaaba ......................................................................... 9 Rope of Allah ................................................................................ 26 Ulul Amr ......................................................................................... 41 Dua A Miracle ........................................................................... 63 Kulle Imaan ................................................................................... 85 Identity of a Momin ................................................................ 106 Divine Association .................................................................. 124 Kullo na Mohammed ............................................................. 142 The Excellence of Durood.................................................. 159 Divine Purpose ......................................................................... 176 Identity of Allah ....................................................................... 191 Intercession: A Divine Favour .......................................... 211 Bibliography .............................................................................. 229

Maulood-e-Kaaba 9

Maulood-e-Kaaba
As an advertising executive I was required to go to Delhi quite often for some or the other official work. During one of such trips to Delhi, one day after I was through with my work, I decided to go sightseeing and have a look at its various prominent places. I requested my Delhi based colleague to be my guide in this little expedition. It was an interesting journey as we saw the places of historical prominence about which I had read in my school days or had seen in films. My friend also took me to a place called Raisina Hills where I saw a beautiful building which was a real architectural masterpiece. My friend told me that it was Rashtrapati Bhavan and obviously only Head of the State The President could stay there. When I asked whether there is any way we could go inside, he told me that for that we should be either a close associate or a relative of the President only then we would be allowed to be in. He further added to my knowledge by saying that it took 4 years of planning and 19 years of construction to get this building completed. During the British period it was palace of the Viceroy of India and later it got converted into Rashtrapati Bhavan after independence.

10 Maulood-e-Kaaba What struck me beside the grandeur of the building was that in the most prominent building like Rashtrapati Bhavan only the countrys most important people like the President can stay. In order to take the advantage of the goodwill which companies generate after years of hard work and commitment they insist on mentioning the companys name prominently in every communication of new product launch. Thus if Tatas launch a new product their advertisements would mention without fail as From the House of Tatas. This small caption is good enough to convince their loyal customers that the new product has the same quality and goodness for which the company stands for. In the light of the above two examples let us try to understand the prominence of Kaaba The House of Allah and Mawla Ali (A.S) The Imam-ul-Muttaqeen in our lives through this article. But before we start let us look at few of ayahs relating to Ibrahim (A.S) as his time was of utmost prominence in the history of establishment of Islam. As the following ayah says: (Ae Rasool (SAW)) kehdo ke Khuda ne sach farmaya to ab tum Millat-e-Ibrahim (A.S) ki pairvi karo jo baatil se katraake chalte the aur

Maulood-e-Kaaba 11 mushrikeen se na the. (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 95) (Say: Allah has spoken the truth, therefore follow the religion of Ibrahim, the upright one; and he was not one of the polytheists.) In the above ayah Allah (SWT) instructs the holy Prophet (SAW) to propagate the religion of Ibrahim (A.S) since that was the foundation of Islam. So whoever was following this religion prior to the revelation of Islam was not a polytheist and in fact he was steadfast on the straight path. Further Allah (SWT) says in the following ayah: Aur kaun hai jo Ibrahim (A.S) ke tariqe se nafrat kare magar jo apne ko ahmaq banaye. (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 130) (No one turns away from Abraham's Tradition except one who makes a fool of himself.) And thus it can inferred that Allah (SWT) liked those who follow the tradition and creed of Ibrahim (A.S) and He terms those people as fools who reject the faith and tradition. Again let us see the following ayah referring to Ibrahim (A.S) and his descendants:

12 Maulood-e-Kaaba Beshak Khuda ne Aadam (A.S) aur Nooh (A.S) aur Aale Ibrahim (A.S) aur Aale Imran (A.S) ko saare jahan se barguzida kiya hai baaz ki aulad ko baaz se aur Khuda sab ki sunta aur sab kuch jaanta hai. (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 33-34) (Surely Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above the nations) The descendants of Ibrahim (A.S) who followed the faith and tradition of Ibrahim (A.S) prior to Islam where surely on the right path and as per the above ayah they were amongst the chosen ones by Allah (SWT). This background is necessary for us to understand few points which I intend to discuss later on. This would help us find out certain answers pertaining to our faith. It was Ibrahim (A.S) who raised the walls of Kaaba centuries before Islam was revealed. And for this Allah (SWT) says: Aur (wo waqt yaad dilao) jab Ibrahim (A.S) aur Ismail (A.S) Khana-e-Kaaba ki buniyaadein buland kar rahe the (aur dua) maangte jaate the ke Ae hamare Parwardigaar hamari (yeh khidmat) qubool kar beshak tuhi (dua ka) sunne wala aur (uss ka) jaanne wala hai. (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 127)

Maulood-e-Kaaba 13 (And remember Abraham and Isma'il raised the foundations of the House (With this prayer): "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing.) The above ayah mentions the commitment and sincere prayers of Ibrahim (A.S) and Ismail (A.S) towards the development of Kaaba. And Allah (SWT) accepted their efforts, as the below mention ayahs confirm this: Baaz ahmaq log ye keh baithenge ki Muslamaan jis Qible Baitul Mukkadas ki taraf pehle se sajda karte the usse dusre qible ki taraf mudjaane ka kya baais hua. Ae Rasool (SAW) tum un ke jawab main kaho purab pachchim sab Khuda ka hai jise chahta hai sidhe raaste ki taraf hidayat karta hai. (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 142) (The fools among the people will say: What has turned them from their Qiblah which they had? Say: The East and the West belong only to Allah; He guides whom He likes to the right path.) Though East and West belong only to Allah, He still changed the Qiblah from Baitul Muqqadas to Kaaba; thus by doing so Allah (SWT) accepted their efforts and listened to their prayers. Allah (SWT) further

14 Maulood-e-Kaaba instructs the Holy Prophet (SAW) regarding Kaaba in following words: Aur (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum jahan se jao (yahan tak ke Makka se to bhi) tum namaz main apna mooh Masjid-e-Haram ki taraf kar liya karo aur (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum jahan kahi hua karo to namaz main apna mooh ussi Kaaba ki taraf kar liya karo (baar baar hukm dene ka ek faayda ye hai taaki logon ka ilzaam tum per na aane paaye magar unn main se jo log nahaq hatdharmi karte hai wo to zaroor ilzaam denge) to tum log unn se daro nahin aur sirf Mujh se daro aur (doosra fayda ye hai) taaki tum per Apni nematein poori kar doon. (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 150) (And (Mohammed (SAW)) from whatsoever place you come forth, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you are turn your faces towards it, so that people shall have no accusation against you, except such of them as are unjust; so do not fear them, and fear Me, that I may complete My favour on you and that you may walk on the right course) The above ayah clearly indicates that only Kaaba is the Qiblah and during our prayers we need to face the direction of Kaaba otherwise our prayers are void. All the mosques are made as a copy of Kaba, and they

Maulood-e-Kaaba 15 should be made in such a manner that they are facing Kaaba so that prayers could be offered in them. Further when we contemplate on the words of Allah (SWT) in the above ayah, He says if we all start facing the Kaba during our prayers He might complete His favours on us. It means He starts bestowing His favours when we start facing the Kaaba in our prayers. Let us now see one more ayah pertaining to Kaba: Logon (ki ibadat) ke waaste jo ghar sab se pehle banaya gaya woh to yaqeenan yahi (Kaba) hai jo Mecca main hai badi (khair wa barkat) wala aur sare jahan ke logon ka rehnuma (Surah-e-Ale Imran, ayah 96) (Indeed the first house that was appointed as a place of worship for mankind, is the one at Mecca (the Holy Kaaba), blessed and a guidance to the whole world) Kaaba was the first house that was appointed as a place of worship for people and it is of course guidance to the whole world of believers. There are many questions which come to our mind then: Why did Allah (SWT) take so long to appoint it as Qiblah?

16 Maulood-e-Kaaba If Kaaba is guidance why did Allah (SWT) not declare it as Qiblah straightaway and waited till Islam was revealed? Was Allah (SWT) waiting for some specific event to take place?

In order to answer these questions let us go to back to the time of Ibrahim (A.S) and contemplate on the following ayah: "Ae Rasool (S.A.W) Bani Israel ko woh waqt bhi yaad dilao jab Ibrahim (A.S) ko unke Parvardigar ne chand baton main aazmaya aur unhone pura kar diya to Khuda ne farmaya Main tumko logon ka Imam banane wala hoon. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) ne arz ki aur meri aulad main se. Farmaya haan magar mere ahad per zaalimon main se koi shakhs faaez nahin ho sakta." (Surah-eBaqra, ayah 124) (And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain commands, he fulfilled them. He said: Surely I will make you an Imam of men. Ibrahim said: And of my offspring? My covenant does not include the unjust, said He.)

Maulood-e-Kaaba 17 The above ayah is referring to the incidence of the sacrifice of Ismail (A.S) which Ibrahim (A.S) had to fulfill. Thus it was a great trial which when Ibrahim (A.S) fulfilled he became Imam. He then wished that there should be Imams from his progeny as well. And Allah (SWT) promised to fulfill his wish provided they should not be unjust. The results which we can derive from the above ayah are: a) The Imams would have to undergo great trials in their lives. b) They would be just and pure in their conduct and would be surely from the lineage of Ibrahim (A.S) only. So if we wish to recognize and identify our Imams, we need to see their lives in the light of above ayah and we would surely find them. The way Allah (SWT) fulfilled prayers of Ibrahim (A.S) by making Kaaba as Qibla, let us see now how Allah (SWT) fulfills his wish to have Imams in his lineage. For this we would see the following ayah: Ae Rasool jo hukm tumhare Parvardigar ki taraf se tum per naazil kiya gaya hai pahoncha do. Aur agar tum ne aisa nahin kiya to samjhlo

18 Maulood-e-Kaaba tum ne Us ka koi paigham hi nahin pahonchaya aur tum daro nahin Khuda tum ko logon ke shar se mahfooz rakhe gaa aur Khuda hargiz kafiron ki qaum ko manzil e maqsood tak nahin pahonchata. (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 67) (O Apostle! deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people.) The above ayah was revealed in Ghadeer-e-Khum when the holy prophet (pbuh) was returning to Medina after offering his last Hajj (Ref: Tafseer al Kabir by Fakhr al Din Mohammed ibn Umar al razi (1357/1938), Umdatul Qari fi Sharh Sahih al Bukhari - by Al Ayni, Tafsir al Nisaboori, v6 P194) After the revelation of this ayah the holy prophet (pbuh) called all the pilgrims for one huge assemblage here. He instructed Salman (R.A) and other companions to make a pulpit of rocks and he then sat on the mimber thus created. In front of this gathering he declared Mawla Ali (A.S) as his successor and announced Man Kunto Mawla fa hazaa Ali un-Mawla. (Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, V2, P298, Bukhari, V5, Book 59).

Maulood-e-Kaaba 19 Thus this way Allah (SWT) fulfilled the wish of Ibrahim (A.S) and first Imam from his lineage was announced. In order to further substantiate this order of Imamate, Allah (SWT) has given His clear instructions to Umah-eMuslema in the following ayah: Ae Imaandaro tumhare malik sarparast to buss yehi hai Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur wo momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai (Surah-e-Maida, Ayah 55) (Verily your leader is only Allah and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish worship and pay the poor-rate while they bow down in prayer.) Apart from Allah (SWT) the Greatest and the Holy Prophet (SAW), there is one more leader of Muslims. He is the one who pays the poor-rate while bowing down in ruku. And this leader and Imam is Mawla Ali who gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in ruku. (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljama Bain-ulSihah-ul-Sittah, Salabi) Ibrahim (A.S) prayed for Kaaba and it became Qibla, he wished to have Imams in his lineage and Mawla Ali (A.S) and rest of 11 Imams were born in his lineage. Is there any other association between Kaaba and Mawla

20 Maulood-e-Kaaba Ali (A.S) apart from the prayers of Ibrahim (A.S)? Can we draw parallels between Kaaba and Mawla Ali (A.S)? The biggest association of Mawla Ali (A.S) with Kaaba is his birth. It was Friday 13th of Rajab 30 Amulfeel, Hazrat Fatima binte Asad (A. S), the wife of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) entered the precincts of the Kaaba, she then touched herself with its wall and prayed in the following words which are recorded in all prominent books of Islamic history: O Allah, I firmly believe in you, your prophets and your books. I bear testimony to my ancestor Ibrahim (A.S)s prophethood. I beseech you through this house of yours, its constructor and the child who is in my womb, make this problem very easy for me. All of a sudden the wall of the Kaaba opened up and she, as if by some unseen force went inside the Kaaba and the wall closed. Ali (A.S) the youngest son of Abu Talib was born inside the Holy Kaaba. She stayed inside for three days. (Ref: Muhammad ibn Talha el-Shafei in Matalib-ussaool, page 11, Hakim in Mustadrak, page 483, Vol. III, El-Umari in Sharh Ainia, page 15, Halabi in Sira, page 165, Vol. I, Sibt ibn al-Jauzi in Tadhkera Khawasil Ummah, page 7, Ibn Sabbagh Maleki in Fusoolul Mohimma, page 14, Muhammad bin Yousuf Shafei in Kifayet al-Talib, page 261, Shablanji in Nurul Absar, page 76, Ibn Zahra in Ghiyathul Ikhtisar, page 97, Edvi in Nafhatul Qudsia, page 41, Mohaddith-e-Dehlvi in Izalatul Kholafa)

Maulood-e-Kaaba 21 This was much before Islam was revealed. It shows that she followed the religion of Ibrahim (A.S) and thus was on the right path. Fatima binte Asad (A.S) was daughter of Hazrat Asad bin Hashim and grand-daughter of Hazrat Hashim bin Abd Manaf, who was the leader of Quraysh and the keeper of Kaaba. Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) was also from the Bani Hashim clan, they both followed the religion of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) and believed and acted accordingly. Thus they were descendants of Ibrahim (A.S) following the religion and creed of the Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) and in the light of the ayahs from Surah-e-Aale Imran (Ayah no. 33-34) they were from amongst the chosen ones of Allah (SWT). Nobody after Fatima binte Asad (A.S) ever entered Kaaba for giving birth to a child and nobody else was born in Kaaba except Mawla Ali (A.S), this was much before Kaaba became Qibla and hence it seems that Allah (SWT) waited till Mawla Alis birth and here He united both the prayer and wish of Ibrahim (A.S) by giving birth to first Imam in Kaaba and then making Kaaba as Qibla for Muslims. In the introductory section we saw that the companies endorse their new product by mentioning their names

22 Maulood-e-Kaaba along with the product name in order to convince the customers about the goodness and quality of their new product. Similarly Imamate was new to Islam after Apostleship. Thus Allah (SWT) has endorsed the Imamate by making it emerge from Kaaba The House of Allah. Also the way Quran is witness to the Apostleship of Rasool (SAW), the Kaaba which bears the birth marks of Mawla Ali (A.S) at the Rukne Yamani corner of its wall till date, has thus became witness to Imamate of Mawla Ali (A.S). Maulana Rume in his Mathnawi has documented Mawla Ali (A.S) association with Kaaba in the following words. He writes: O one who travels to Najaf to visit the tomb of Ali must know the fact that the pearl of the Kaaba lies there to give us security because of our intense love for him.

When the holy prophet (pbuh) did the announcement of Man Kunto Mawla at Ghadeer-e-Khum the following ayah was revealed: Aaj Maine tumhare din ko kaamil kardiya aur tum per apni nemat poori kardi aur tumhare iss Deen-e-Islam ko pasand kiya. (Surah-eMaida, ayah 3)

Maulood-e-Kaaba 23 (This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.) (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Jalalluddin Suyuti, V3, P 19, Tarikh by Khatib al Baghdadi, V8 P 290, 596, Yanabi-alMawaddah from Abu Hureira by Al-Qudoozi Al-Hanafi). On acceptance of Hazrat Ali (A.S) as Mawla and leader, the religion is perfected and Allah (SWT) completes His favours. While when we bow to Kaaba our prayers are perfected and Allah (SWT) starts bestowing his favours as per ayah from Surah-e-Baqra (Ayah no. 150), which has been mentioned in the beginning of this article. Thus in order to have complete favours we need to pray by bowing down to Kaaba with love for Mawla Ali (A.S) in our hearts. Again we have seen in the ayah from Surah-e-Aale Imran (Ayah no. 96) Kaaba is the guidance for believers of the whole world. Now let us see the following ayah: (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum to sirf khauf e Khuda se daraane wale ho, aur har qaum ke liye ek hidayat kar ne wala hai. (Surah-e-Raad, ayah 7)

24 Maulood-e-Kaaba "(O Prophet, surely, you are a warner and for every people there is a guide)". Sa`labi writes in his tafseer on the authority of Abdullah ibn Abbas that when this verse was revealed, the Prophet said that through Ali (AS), Muslims will be guided. It has also been recorded by various authentic sources in other prominent books (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Mulla Jalaluddin Suyuti, Vol 4 Page 45, Ibn-e-Asakir) And the holy prophet (pbuh) has said about Mawla Ali (A.S): Ali is your guide and all of you are to come to me at the Hauz-e-Kausar (Ref: Kanz-ulUmmal Vol2, p. 350)

And because of these parallels of Mawla Ali (A.S) with Kaaba the holy prophet (pbuh) has also said to Mawla Ali (A.S) that: Ali, the pride of your place is like that of House of Allah. People of themselves go to House of Allah; the House of Allah does not go after the people. So when I am no more, if these people of themselves, elect you as their Caliph, do become their Caliph. If they dont approach you, never go to them so long as they themselves do not come up to you.

Maulood-e-Kaaba 25 (Ref: Usd-ul-Ghaba Vol 4 P 31, Kunooz-ulHaqaique P 173) With this beautiful couplet of Mirza Ghalib let us conclude the article: Ghalib nadeem-e-dost se aati hai boo-e-dost Mashghool-e-Haqq hoon, bandagi-e-Bu Turab mein! And may Allah accept our efforts and bless us, so let us pray to Allah in the words of Ibrahim (A.S): Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing. Aamin

26 Rope of Allah

Rope of Allah
Have you ever observed how various products that serve our daily needs come to us from the factory - their point of origin? The manufacturer appoints a distributor, who in turn further carries the products to different retailers and from these retail points we get access to those products which we need on a regular basis. In management terminology it is called Supply Chain or a Value Chain. We can thus say that these products exchange various hands; which are in fact appointed by the manufacturer, before we receive them. Again, in any organization, the review for a promotion of a subordinate is done by his immediate senior. The senior sends his views to his senior for further approval and this chain reaches the final authority who in turn confirms the promotion. These are value chains that connect the consumer to the originator or the subordinate to the ultimate authority. The value chain works wonderfully in the business world. So let us try to find out which is that value chain which works wonderfully in Islamic world?

Rope of Allah 27 Allah (SWT) is such that no vision can ever grasp Him. He is Omnipresent but we cannot see Him. So if ever we want to reach Him what should we do? Let us start with few ayahs which talks about Allah The Originator. (Ae Rasool (SAW)) jab Mere bande Mera haal tumse poochein to (kehdo ki) Main unke paas hi hoon aur jab Mujh se koi dua maangta hai to Main har dua karne waalon ki dua (sunn leta hoon aur jo munasib ho to) qubool karta hoon pas unhain chahiye ke Mera kehna maanein aur Mujh per imaan laayein taake woh hidayat paajaeein. - (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 186) (And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way) The above ayah says that Allah is always with us and when we call Him He responds to our prayers. He promises that if we remain His believers we will always be on the right path.

28 Rope of Allah Then He further says in the following two ayahs: Aur jo kuch aasman main hai aur jo kuch zameen main hai (gharz sabhi) khaas Khuda ka hai aur Khuda to karsaazi ke liye kafi hai. (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 132) (And whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is Allah's, and Allah is sufficient as a Guardian.) Everything belongs to Him, He is the creator of all and He is the sufficient Guardian for all of us. Aur dosti ke liye bas Khuda kafi hai aur himayat ke waaste bhi Khuda hi kaafi hai. (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 45) (Allah is enough for a protector, and Allah is enough for a Helper.) Thus we can say that He is the Guardian, He is the Protector and He is the Helper. There is no one but Him and we should seek whatever we want always from Him. Then He endorses the apostleship of the holy Prophet (SAW) in the following words:

Rope of Allah 29 Aur (ae Rasool (SAW)) Hum ne tum ko logon ke paas Paighamber bana ke bheja hai aur (uske liye) Khuda ki gawahi kaafi hai. (Surah-eNisa, ayah 79) (And We have sent thee as a messenger to (instruct) mankind. And enough is Allah for a witness.) It is Allah (SWT) who sent the holy Prophet (SAW) to this world as His chosen Apostle. And He further says that He is enough as a witness for this and He does not require any other witness in this regard. He is always ready to bestow His mercy over us and hence He says: Aur Khuda se maghferat ki dua maango Khuda bada bakshne wala Maherbaan hai. (Surah-eMuzammil, ayah 20) (And ask forgiveness of Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful). He definitely forgives those who seek forgiveness from Him. Yes, He is the most Merciful and Ever forgiving. From the various ayahs which we saw, we can infer that Allah (SWT) is always with us, He listens to our prayers and guides us to the right path if we remain

30 Rope of Allah steadfast in our belief in Him, carry our matters to Him and seek help only from Him. He forgives our misconduct and sins if we seek forgiveness from Him; as He is the only Creator and Originator of everything. So if He is the only Creator and the Originator of everything and always ready to forgive us, why do we see so many problems everywhere? Why does not He forgive all of us? Has he created any rule which is to be followed if we seek His forgiveness and Mercy? Let us see the following ayah and contemplate: Aur (Rasool (SAW)) jab unn logon ne (nafarmani karke) apni jaanon per zulm kiya tha agar tumhare paas chale aate aur Khuda se maafi maangte aur Rasool (SAW) (tum) bhi unnki maghferat chahte to beshak wo log Khuda ko badaa tauba qubool karne wala Meharbaan paate. (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 64) (If they had come to you after wronging themselves and asked forgiveness of God, and you had also asked forgiveness for them, they would surely have found God forgiving and merciful.) The people would find Allah (SWT) as the Most Merciful and Ever Forgiving, if they come to the holy Prophet (SAW) and seek Forgiveness from Allah

Rope of Allah 31 (SWT). But this is not enough as the ayah further says that Allah (SWT) would only forgive those for whom apart from their prayers the holy Prophet (SAW) also prays. Thus Rasool (SAW) is the appointed authority for Allahs Mercy. And that is why Allah (SWT) has said in the following ayah about the holy Prophet (SAW): "Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) Hum ne tum ko tamam alamon ke liye rehmat hi karke bheja hai". (Surah-e-Ambiya, ayah 107) (And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.) Thus Allah (SWT) is the Originator of Mercy and the holy Prophet (SAW) has been appointed for that purpose. So seeking mercy from the holy Prophet (SAW) is to seek mercy from Allah (SWT) Himself. In Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 45, Allah (SWT) has said that Allah is enough for a Protector and Helper, while in the following ayah He says: (Ae Rasool (SAW)) unn logon se kehdo ke agar tum Khuda ko dost rakhte ho to meri pairvi karo ki Khuda (bhi) tum ko dost rakhega aur tum ko tumhare gunaah bakhsh dega aur Khuda bada

32 Rope of Allah Bakhsh ne waala Meharbaan hai. - (Surah-eAale Imran, ayah 31) (Say: "If you love God then follow me that God may love you and forgive your faults; for God is forgiving and kind.") Thus He has given clear instructions that if somebody wishes that Allah (SWT) loves him and protects him, he needs to follow the holy Prophet (SAW). Without this Allah (SWT) may not love anybody and neither will He protect anyone. Allah (SWT) is the sufficient Guardian for all of us as He has said this in Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 132. But again He says in the following two ayahs from Surah-e-Maeda: Ae Imaandaro tumhare malik sarparast to buss yehi hai Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur wo momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 55) (Verily your leader is only Allah and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish worship and pay the poor-rate while they bow down in prayer.)

Rope of Allah 33 Aur jisne Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) aur unhi Imaadaro ko apna sarparast banaya to Khuda ke lashkar main aagaya aur issme shak nahin ke Khuda hi ka lashkar ghalib rehta hai. (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 56) (And whoever takes Allah and His apostle and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant.) Here by mentioning a specific incident of paying the poor-rate while in ruku, Allah (SWT) has indicated that apart from Allah Himself and the holy Prophet (SAW) there is one more leader and guardian for us and if we wish to be the triumphant party of Allah we need to be under the guardianship of him. Without considering him as our guardian we can never be Allahs party. It was Mawla Ali (A.S), who gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in the ruku which above ayahs have mentioned. (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljama Bain-ul-Sihah-ul-Sittah, Salabi). Allah is the Ultimate Guardian and He has appointed Mawla Ali (A.S) for His Guardianship. Thus Mawla Ali (A.S) is appointed Guardian for all of us. Hence seeking help from Mawla Ali (A.S) is to seek help from Allah Himself.

34 Rope of Allah As per Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 79, Allah (SWT) has confirmed that He Himself is enough a witness for the apostleship of the holy Prophet (SAW) but again He says in the following ayah: Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) kafir log kehte hai ke tum paighambar nahin ho to tum un se kehdo ke mere aur tumhare darmiyan meri risalat ki gawahi ke waste Khuda aur wo shakhs jis ko aasmani kitab ka ilm hai kafi hai. (Surah-e-Raad, Ayah 43) (Yet those who are disbelievers say: "You are not the apostle sent (by God)." Tell them: "God is sufficient as witness between me and you, and he who has knowledge of the Book.") Allah (SWT) is the Ultimate witness of the holy Prophet (SAW)s Apostleship and He has further appointed one more witness for all of us. The chosen witness which the above ayah has referred is Mawla Ali (A.S). It was he who had the knowledge of the holy book. (Ref: Tafseer-e-Suyuti, Vol 4, P 69, Ahteyaj-e-Tabresi, Tafseer-e-Ayashi). Thus in order to understand the greatness of the apostleship of the holy Prophet (SAW); we need to see towards the life of Mawla Ali, the rightly chosen witness by Allah (SWT). As whatever he has said and done is as per Allah (SWT) and the holy Prophet

Rope of Allah 35 (SAW). And that is why he is the chosen guardian and the leader of Ummah. We have seen up till now what are the ways of Allah (SWT) to bestow His Grace and Mercy on us. Let us see what should be our way to reach Him and become eligible for His Grace. In this connection let us see few ayahs that would take us to the logical inference. We will see ayah from Surah-eSaba first: (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum (yeh bhi) kehdo ki (tableegh-e-risalat ka) main tumse koi badla nahin maangta wo tumhain hi mubarak ho, mera badla to bas Allah ke zimme hai aur Wo har cheez se khoob waqif hai. (Surah-e-Saba, ayah 47) Say: The reward I ask is for yourself. My reward is due from none but Allah; and He is witness over everything. It was the hardwork and persistence of our beloved Prophet (SAW) which brought us to the light of guidance from the darkness of misguidance. Still in the above ayah Allah (SWT) has asked the holy Prophet (SAW) to inform us that he is not seeking any reward for his messengership from us. It will be Allah (SWT) who

36 Rope of Allah would reward him the way he should be rewarded. That means whatever he is asking is for our own good. If we follow whatever he has asked we would be rewarded. In the following ayah Allah (SWT) has further clarified: Ae Rasool (SAW) un logon se tum kehdo ke main iss tabligh-e-risaalat per tum se kuch mazdoori to maangta nahin hoon magar tamanna ye hai ke jo chaahe apne Parvardigar tak pahonch ne ki raah pakad le. (Surah-eFurqaan, ayah 57) (Say: "No reward do I ask of you for it but this: that each one who will may take a (straight) Path to his Lord.") We would be duly rewarded by Allah (SWT) if we take the straight Path which reaches Him. We dont see Him so how can we ever reach Him? The following ayah has shown us the way to Him: Ae Rasool (SAW) tum kehdo ke main apni tableegh-e-risalat ka apne karabatdaron ki mohabbat ke siwa tumse koi sila nahin maangta (Surah-e-Shura, aayat 23)

Rope of Allah 37 (Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives) The love for the household of the Prophet (SAW) is the Straight Path that reaches Allah (SWT). By contemplating on the above mentioned 3 ayahs we can infer that in the love for them the great reward from Allah (SWT) has been concealed. So if we wish to be rewarded by Allahs Mercy, Forgiveness and Grace we need to love them. As per the holy Prophet (SAW) his near relatives mentioned in the above ayah are Ali (A.S), Fatema (A.S), their children Hasan (A.S) and Husain (A.S). (Ref: Tafseer-e-Kishaf, Allama Zamkhashri, Vol 3, P 67) Even prominent Islamic researchers like Salabi, Zamakhshari, Suyuti and Baidhavi have recorded that the above ayah was revealed to make the love of household of Mawla Ali (A.S) mandatory on the Muslim world. The similar tradition from Ibn-e-Abbas has also been recorded in Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmed Ibn Hambal and others. Thus Allah (SWT) says this about the Straight Path in the following ayah:

38 Rope of Allah Aur (Ae Rasool (SAW)) yeh tumhare Parvardigar ka banaya hua seedhaa raasta hai ibrat haasil karne walon ke waaste Hum ne apne aayaat ko tafsilan bayaan kar diye hai. Uunke waaste uunke Parvardigar ke yahaan aman wa chaen ka ghar (bahisht) hai aur duniya main jo kaarguzariyan unhone ki thi usski aewaz Khuda uunka sarparast hoga. (Surah-e-Anam, ayah 126-127) (This is the straight path of your Lord. Distinct have We made Our signs for those who reflect. For them is an abode of peace with their Lord. He will be their defender as reward for what they did.) The above ayah confirms our inference that if we remain on the Straight Path, we would be rewarded and find Allah (SWT) as our Guardian and Defender. We would thus be honoured for remaining on the straight path. And we can remain so by loving the household of our beloved Prophet (SAW). And since their love is the Straight Path to Allah (SWT) He says that: Ae Imaandaro Khuda se daro jitna Us se darne ka haq hai aur tum (deen) Islam ke siwa kisi aur deen per hargiz na marna aur tum sab milkar

Rope of Allah 39 Khuda ki rassi mazbooti se thame raho (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 102 ) (O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam. And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves) Here Allah (SWT) has instructed us to remain a believer and not to die except in a state of Islam. But who can ensure that, devil the satan is always looking to pounce on us. How can we save ourselves from him? To this Allah (SWT) has instructed us to hold fast His rope which would ensure that we remain on the Straight Path. It has been recorded by Salabi, Ibn-e-Hajar and others that Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq (A.S) has mentioned that Rope of Allah are we the Ahl ul bait of the holy Prophet (SAW). (Ref: Imam Salabi, Tafseer-e-Kabeer, Sawaiq-e-Mohriqa, Chapter 11, Part 1, Imam Abu Bakr Rishfat-us-Saadi) So if we wish to remain a believer forever and succeed we need to hold on to them since they are the rope of Allah. And here I would like to thus mention a beautiful couplet in this regard:

40 Rope of Allah Lee kham satun utfi beha. Har al wa baa al hatema. (For me there are five with the help of whom, I extinguish the fire of the most lasting calamity.) Al Mustufa (SAW) wal Murtuza (A.S) wab na homa wal Fatema (S.A). (Al Mustafa (SAW), Al Murtuza (A.S), their two sons and Fatema (S.A)) Let me mention here the extract from Dua-e-Kumail and pray for all of us O Allah, assign unto me a place in Thy Presence with the best of Thy servants whose place is nearest to Thee, for verily that position cannot be attained except through Thy Favour. Aamin.

Ulul Amr 41

Ulul Amr
In a recent success of the Indian cricket team a lot of credit had been given to their coach. The world record holder of almost 100 centuries in International Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, attributed his recent batting success to this coach. This shows even he needed somebody to guide him to improve upon his batting performance. In the business world, most of the successful managers after spending many years at the top retire to become business coaches. Their experience and guidance helps small and upcoming businesses to channelize their efforts in a right direction and move ahead on a success path. A bright student apart from attending school, still needs a tutor to make him perform well in his board exams. The expert tips given by his tutor ensure that he shines in exams and comes out with flying colours. Thus in order to make our efforts meaningful we do require guidance and mentoring of an expert coach in various walks of life. These coaches are from the specific field where we need to achieve expertise and they have a successful track record as a proof of their ability. Let us strive with this article to find out the right and chosen guides in our lives who would make our

42 Ulul Amr efforts meaningful to reach the straight path and attain nearness to Allah. As Allah (SWT) says in the following ayah: Aur jo shakhs Khuda ki yaad se andha banta hai Hum (goya khud) uske waaste shaitaan muqarar kar dete hai. (Surah-e-Zakhruf, ayah 32) (And whoever turns himself away from the remembrance of the Beneficent Allah, We appoint for him a Shaitan, so he becomes his associate.) It is thus mandatory for us to remember Allah to be able to save ourselves from the Satan. If we forget Allah, Allah Himself would appoint a Satan and we would get astray. And Allah (SWT) again says in the following ayah: Agaah raho ye log yaqeenan jhoote hain shaitaan ne unn par qaboo paaliya hai aur Khuda ki yaad unn se bhula di hai. Ye log shaitaan ke giroh hai sunn rakho ke shaitaan ka giroh ghaata uthane wala hai. (Surah-eMujadla, ayah 19)

Ulul Amr 43 (The Shaitan has gained the mastery over them, so he has made them forget the remembrance of Allah; they are the Shaitan's party; now surely the Shaitan's party are the losers.) So if we get tempted by Satan and forget Allah, we become part of Satans party of losers. So how should we please Allah (SWT) and avoid getting tempted by the Satan? Let us see the following ayah and contemplate: Aur na kisi imaandar mard ko ye munasib hai aur na kisi imaandar aurat ko jab Khuda aur us ke Rasool (SAW) kisi kaam ka hukm dein to unko apne uss kam (ke karne na karne) ka akhtiyaar ho aur (yaad rahe ki) jiss shakhs ne Khuda aur uss ke Rasool (SAW) ki nafarmani ki wo yaqeenan khulam khulla gumrahi main mubtela ho chukka.- (Surah-e-Ahzab, ayah 36) (No believing men and women have any choice in a matter after God and His Apostle have decided it. Whoever disobeys God and His Apostle has clearly lost the way and gone astray.) Whatever Allah (SWT) has instructed and ordered us and whatever the holy Prophet (pbuh) has ordered us

44 Ulul Amr is to be followed and respected. Failing, we might get tempted by Satan and get astray. That is the reason Allah (SWT) further says: Ae Rasool (SAW) kehdo ke Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) ki farmabardaari karo phir agar yeh log uss se sartaabi karein to (samajh lein ki) Khuda kafiron ko hargiz dost nahin rakhta. (Surahe-Aale Imran, ayah 32) (Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger; but if they turn back, then surely Allah does not love the unbelievers.) Thus in order to be a believer and be loved by Allah it is mandatory for us to not only obey Allahs command but we need to equally obey whatever the holy Prophet (pbuh) has instructed us. Now let us see what the following ayah says: Ae Imaandaro Khuda ki itaat karo aur Rasool (SAW) ki aur jo tum main se ulul amr (sahaban e hukumat) ho unki itaat karo. (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 59) O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those vested with authority from among you (Ulul Amr).

Ulul Amr 45 Again, from the above ayah it seems that there is one more authority from among us which needs to be followed and obeyed the way we obey Allah (SWT) and the holy Prophet (pbuh). If we ponder upon the ayah we will observe that the instruction of obeying the Ulul Amr is unconditional; hence we need to obey them in whatever condition to remain guided and avoid getting astray. So who are they? Allah (SWT) is the Greatest, the holy Prophet (pbuh) is His Greatest Messenger for which Allah (SWT) Himself is the witness; thus two great authorities to be obeyed and followed. Logically it seems that Ulul Amr, the third authority, hence should have the following characteristics: Ulul Amr must be appointed by Allah (SWT) Himself; we dont have any authority in this regard. Like the holy Prophet (pbuh) Ulul Amr must be steadfast on the straight path and similar to him in conduct as duly testified by Quran. They need to be well guided to guide the ummah; hence they need to be infallible.

Keeping this in mind let us further go deep in Quran to find them. The following ayah from Surah-e-Airaf will help us in this regard:

46 Ulul Amr Hud ne jawab diya (ke bas samajhlo) ke tumhare Parwardigaar ki taraf se tum per azaab aur ghazab naazil ho chuuka kya tum mujhse chand (buuton ke farzi) naamon ke baare main jhagadte ho jinko tum ne aur tumhare baap dadao ne (khwamkhwaah) ghad liya hai haalaanke Khuda ne unn ke liye koi sanad nahin naazil ki pus tum (azaabe Khuda ka) intezaar karo main bhi tumhare saath muntazir hoon. (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 71) (He said: "Punishment and wrath have already come upon you from your Lord: dispute ye with me over names which ye have devised - ye and your fathers, - without authority from Allah? then wait: I am amongst you, also waiting.") The above ayah mentions the dispute between Hud (A.S) and his community regarding worshiping and following certain names. He is trying to stop them to do that since there was no authority established by Allah over the genuineness of the names. Hence we can say that only the authority which is duly appointed by Allah (SWT) needs to be followed.

Ulul Amr 47 And in the following ayah Allah (SWT) further declares: Aur tumhara Parwardigaar jo chahta hai paida karta hai aur (jise chahta hai) muntakhab karta hai aur yeh intekhaab logon ke ikhtiyaar main nahin hai.. (Surah-e-Qasas, ayah 68) (Your Lord creates what He will and chooses (for His tasks) whomsoever He will. It is not for them to make the choice.) The ayah has said very clearly that it is Allah and Allah alone who chooses whomsoever for His tasks and we dont have any authority to choose them. If we do that we might lose the straight path. And in the following ayah He says it very explicitly that: (logo) jo tumhare Parvardigar ki taraf se tum per naazil kiya gaya hai usski pairvi karo aur uss ke siwa doosre (farzi) sarparaston ki pairvi na karna. - (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 3) (Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow guardians besides Him, how little do you mind.)

48 Ulul Amr Since it is Allah (SWT) who appoints the authority and guardian above the people to carry His tasks, He reveals and indicates their presence. The above ayah thus orders us to look for them and follow them rather than following people for whom nothing has been revealed by Allah (SWT). Now with this result it is easy to establish that Ulul Amr, as indicated by in Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 59, are duly appointed by Allah (SWT) and there must be indications in form of ayahs regarding them in Quran. Let us try to find out those references regarding Ulul Amr in Quran then: Aur Shaitaan ne apne khayal ko jo unke baare main kiya tha sach kar dikhaya to un logon ne usski pairvi ki magar imaandaron ka ek giroh na bhatka. (Surah-e-Saba, ayah 20) (And certainly the Shaitan found true his conjecture concerning them, so they follow him, except a group of true believers.) The ayah clearly indicates that there was one specific group of believers who did not get lured by Satan but it does not say this for every believer. This group remained steadfast on straight path always and hence

Ulul Amr 49 was sinless and purified. It means that every believer needs to strive to find them and follow them to remain steadfast on the right path. Now let us see the following ayah from Surah-e-Baqra: (Aur) ae hamare paalne wale Tu hamein apna farmabardaar banda bana aur hamari aulaad se ek giroh paida kar jo Tera farmabardar ho. (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 128) (And make us submit, O Lord, to Your will, and our progeny a group submissive to You. Teach us the way of worship and forgive our trespasses, for You are compassionate and merciful) While raising the foundations of the House (Kaaba) Ibrahim (A.S) and Ismail (A.S) used to recite the above mentioned prayer. As per the prayer there is a group from within the progeny of Ibrahim (A.S) submissive to Allah (SWT)s Will and hence steadfast on the straight path. We can infer that this group is the same group which is being referred in ayah 20 Surah-e-Saba which we discussed above. And the following ayah from Surah-e-Aale Imran says:

50 Ulul Amr Tum kya achhe giroh ho ke logon ki hidayat ke waaste paida kiye gaye ho. Tum logon ko achhe kaam ka to hukm karte ho aur bure kaamon se rokte ho aur Khuda per Imaan rakhte ho aur agar ahl-e-kitab bhi isi tarah imaan laate to unke haq main bahot achha hota un main se kuch to imaandar hai aur aksar badkaar. ( Surah-eAale Imran, ayah 110) (You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors.) This group of people is raised for the benefit of mankind. They are best in conduct and character. They guide people to the right path. On the explanation of the above ayah Ibn-e-Abi Hakim has quoted Hazrat Abu Jafar that they are Ahl-ul-bait of Rasool (SAW). (Ref: Tafseer-e-Suyuti, Vol 2, P 64) Thus we can infer that the Ahl-ul-bait are the duly appointed Ulul Amr, and we need to obey them the way we obey holy Prophet (pbuh).

Ulul Amr 51 In the earlier section we had inferred 3 things about Ulul Amr; first that they are duly appointed by Allah which we have already established. Second, that they should be steadfast on the straight path like the holy Prophet (pbuh) and similar to him in their conduct and this needs to be verified now and hence let us see the following two ayahs: (Ae logo) beshak tumhare liye pairvi karne ko achhe se achha namoona khud Rasulallah (SAW) mawjood hai yaani us shakhs ke liye jo Allah aur qayamat ke din ki ummeed rakhta ho aur Allah ki bahot si yaad karta ho. (Surah-eAhzaab, ayah 21) (Certainly you have in the Apostle of Allah an excellent exemplar for him who hopes in Allah and the latter day and remembers Allah much.) Humain seedha raasta dikha, un logo ka raasta jin per Tu ne inaam farmaya (Surah-eFateha Ayah 6-7) (Show us the straight way, the way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace...) The first ayah informs us that the holy Prophet (pbuh) is the great example for us to follow. While the second

52 Ulul Amr ayah from Surah-e-Fateha is the prayer to seek guidance to the straight path the way certain chosen and blessed people of Allah have treaded. From both the ayahs mentioned above, we can infer that the path treaded by these chosen and blessed people and the holy Prophet (pbuh) needs to be same. Thus Quran testifies here about their steadfastness on the straight path and their conduct and character similar to the holy Prophet (pbuh). While commenting on the above mentioned ayah from Surah-e-Fateha, Salabi writes in his tafseer, a tradition from Abu Hureira that the straight path means the path taken by Mohammed (SAW) and the children of Mohammed (SAW). (Ref: Salabi in his Tafseer, Waki ibn-e-Jarrah in his commentary). And that is the reason the holy Prophet (pbuh) has displayed his closeness to Ali (A.S) and Hussain (A.S) in following words: "He created me and Ali from the same light". (Ref: Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Fadail, volume 2, p 663, Tradition #1130, from AbdurRazzak, from Mu'amar, from al-Zuhri, from Khalid ibn Mu'dan, from Zadan, from Salman alFarsi, Mizan Al-Ei'tidal, by al-Dhahabi, v1,

Ulul Amr 53 p235, al-Riyadh al-Nadhirah, by al-Muhib alTabari, v2, p164, v3, p154, History of Ibn Asakir) He has also said that "I am from Husain and Husain is from me" (Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, vol 6, P 307, Kanzul Ammal, vol 4, P 221, Masnad Ahmed, vol 4 P 972) Our third inference was that they need to be infallible to be a perfect guide. Imam Fakhruddin al-Razi, a grand Islamic Scholar writes in his tafseer while referring to ayah 59 of Surah-e-Nisa: The type of obedience that Allah (SWT) has ordered is unconditional obedience. It must relate to that individual who is infallible. If he was fallible and could do mistakes, then would Allah (SWT) be telling us to follow such a person and adhere to him? Allah (SWT) tells us to follow the Ulul Amr unconditionally. He must be infallible, a fact that is testified to by this verse". (Ref: Tafseer al Kabir Volume 3 page 243) And Quran confirms about their piety in the following words: Ae Paighambar ki Ahl-ul-bait Khuda to buss yeh chahta hai ke tum ko har tarah ki burai se door rakkhe aur itna paak rakkhe jitna paak rakhne ka haq hai - (Surah-e-Ahzab, Ayah 33)

54 Ulul Amr (Verily, Verily Allah intendeth but to keep off from you (every kind of) uncleanliness, O ye people of the House, and purify you with a thorough purification.) Thus it is Allahs Will that the people of household (Ahl-ul-bait) remain purified from all kind of uncleanliness and thus they are ofcourse infallible as per the above ayah. (Ref: Tafseer Durr-e- Mansoor, Mulla Jalaluddin Suyuti, Vol 5, P 198-199). We were able to establish all the 3 inferences about the Ulul Amr and we have rightly recognized them now. Let us see few more ayahs that would support and substantiate our claim. In the ayah no. 3 from Surah-e-Airaf which has been mentioned in the earlier section - Allah (SWT) has given clear instructions to follow whatever has been revealed and not to follow other guardians. Now let us see the following ayah and try to contemplate on both the ayahs: Ae Rasool jo hukm tumhare Parvardigar ki taraf se tum per naazil kiya gaya hai pahoncha do. Aur agar tum ne aisa nahin kiya to samjhlo tum ne Us ka koi paigham hi nahin pahonchaya aur tum daro nahin Khuda tum ko logon ke shar se mahfooz rakhe gaa aur Khuda hargiz kafiron

Ulul Amr 55 ki qaum ko manzil e maqsood tak nahin pahonchata. (Surah-e-Maeda, ayah 67) (O Apostle! deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people.) This ayah was revealed at Ghadeer-e-Khum, when the holy Prophet (pbuh) was returning from his last Hajj. (Ref: Tafseer al Kabir by Fakhr al Din Mohammed ibn Umar al razi (1357/1938), Umdatul Qari fi Sharh Sahih al Bukhari - by Al Ayni, Tafsir al Nisaburi, v6 P194) And at this point he announced Man Kunto Maula fa hazaa Ali-un Mawla in front of the huge gathering of 120000 Muslims. (Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, V2, P298, Bukhari, V5, Book 59). The message of Man Kunto Mawla... was revealed to the holy Prophet (pbuh) which was needed to be delivered. Thus Mawla Ali (A.S) is the Ulul Amr and for establishing his authority the ayah was revealed and Allah (SWT) has given lots of indications in Quran in this regard. That is why Allah says in the following ayah:

56 Ulul Amr Ae Imaandaro tumhare malik sarparast to buss yehi hain Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur wo momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 55) (Verily your leader is only Allah and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish worship and pay the poor-rate while they bow down in prayer.) Thus Allah (SWT) confirms that there is the third authority that needs to be followed explicitly in the above ayah. There are various references available of prominent Islamic commentators who are unanimous in their opinion that the above ayah refers to Mawla Ali when he gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in the ruku. (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljama Bain-ul-Sihah-ul-Sittah, Salabi) Tradition from Hazrat Abu Dharr al Ghaffari says that one day he was praying with the holy Prophet (pbuh) when a beggar approached them in the mosque. No one responded to his pleas. Beggar then raised his hands towards heavens and said, Allah! Be a witness that I came to Thy Prophet's mosque and no one gave me anything". At that time Mawla Ali (A.S) was bowing in

Ulul Amr 57 Ruku, he pointed his little finger, which had a ring on it, towards the beggar who came forward and took the ring. The holy Prophet (pbuh) raised his hands towards heaven and prayed then in following words: "O Lord! my brother Moses had begged of Thee to open his breast and to make his work easy for him, to loose the knot of his tongue so that people might understand him, and to appoint from among his relations his brother, as his successor, and to strengthen his back with Aaron and to make Aaron his partner in his work. O Allah! Thou said to Moses, 'We will strengthen thy arm with thy brother. No one will now have an access to either of you!' O Allah! I am Muhammad and Thou hast given me distinction. Open my breast for me, make my work easy for me, and from my family appoint my brother Ali as my vizier. Strengthen my back with him". It is mentioned in the tradition that even before the holy Prophet (pbuh) could finish his prayers the above mentioned ayah was revealed by Gabriel (A.S) establishing Mawla Ali (A.S) as a guardian over the Muslim World. In the beginning of this article we referred ayah 19 from Surah-e-Mujjadala which has said that the party of Satan is the party of losers. Now let us see ayah no. 56 from Surah-e-Maeda, which is a subsequent ayah to the above mentioned ayah which we just discussed:

58 Ulul Amr Aur jisne Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) aur unhi Imaadaro ko apna sarparast banaya to Khuda ke lashkar main aagaya aur issme shak nahin ke Khuda hi ka lashkar ghalib rehta hai. (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 56) (And whoever takes Allah and His apostle and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant.) Along with Allah (SWT) & our holy Prophet (pbuh) if we consider Mawla Ali (A.S) as our guardian we enter Allahs triumphant party. If someone does not follow all of them, he is at risk of joining the Satans party of losers. By pondering upon various ayahs, the holy Quran has helped us in identifying the true Ulul Amr Mawla Ali (A.S) and Ahl-ul-bait. Let us now see some of the hadith and other references by leading Islamic Scholars in this regard: It is narrated by Mawla Ali (A.S) that when he asked the holy Prophet (pbuh) about who were Ulul Amr, the Prophet (pbuh) replied that: "You (Ali) are the first of them". (Ref: Shawahid Tanzil, Vol. 1, p. 148)

Ulul Amr 59 The ayah no. 59 Surah-e-Nisa, referring to Ulul Amr was revealed to establish the authority of Mohammed wa aale Mohammed as per the tradition of Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari (Ref: Rowzatul Ahbab page 134-135, Vol II). The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: "The Ulul Amr from the Ahl-ul-Bait (as) are pure and inerrant. They never disobey any of Allah's (SWT) order and are always guided and supported by Him. Their deeds are free from all forms of deviation, and their feet are firmly planted on His Straight Path. It is through the blessed existence of these great ones that Allah's (SWT) servants receive their sustenance, cities become prosperous, and the rainfall descends. The Ruh-ul-Qudus (A.S) always accompanies them, and there is never any separation between them and the Qur'an". (Ref: Bihar al-Anwar, al-Majlisi, Vol. 23, p. 19.) In the 77th chapter of Yanabi-ul-Mawaddah of alHafiz Sulaiman ibn Ibrahim al-Qunduzi alHanafi, the author quotes many traditions to the effect that the holy Prophet (pbuh) has said: I, Ali, Hassan, Hussain and nine of the descendants of Hussain are pure and sinless. The author in the same book writes that the holy Prophet (pbuh) has told this to Hussain (A.S) that

60 Ulul Amr You are a chief, brother of a chief; you are an Imam, son of an Imam, brother of an Imam; you are Proof (of Allah), son of a Proof (of Allah), brother of a Proof (of Allah), and father of nine Proofs (of Allah), the ninth of whom will be alMahdi." With all the inferences and references we can conclude that Ulul Amr are Mawla Ali (A.S) and 11 other Imams from his lineage. They are the authority above us and we need to follow them to be guided. When we follow the advice of coaches and tutors we improve our performance in that specific field and at times we might attain expertise if we diligently obey them. So let us see what we gain if we follow and obey Ulul Amr? As Quran says in the following two ayahs: Beshak jo log imaan laye achhe kaam karte rahe yahi log bahtereen khalayaq hain. (Surah-e-Bayyina, ayah 7)

((As for) those who believe and do good, surely they are the -best of men.) Khuda un se raazi aur wo Khuda se khush. (Surah-e-Bayyina, ayah 8) (Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him)

Ulul Amr 61 The above two ayahs talk about few chosen believers who are good in their deeds. They are the best people and are pleased with Allah and even Allah is pleased with them. It is mentioned in Durr-e-Mansoor that the above two ayahs were revealed in the praise of Mawla Ali (A.S) and his followers. (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, vol 6, P 379) Thus if we want that our deeds be accepted by Allah (SWT) and wish to seek His nearness we need to follow and obey Ulul Amr Imam Ali (A.S) and be guided the way Allah (SWT) wants us to be. Here I am tempted now to mention a couplet from a wellknown Qawwali written by Hazrat Amir Khusro: Ali imam-e-manasto manam ghulaam-e-Ali (Ali is the master of all, I am the slave of Ali) Hazaar jaan-e-giraami fidaa-e-naam-e-Ali (Thousands lives are to be sacrificed in the name of Ali)

62 Ulul Amr And with the beautiful excerpt of a dua of Sahifa-eKamila, let me pray for all of us : O My Lord! Bless Muhammad (SAW) and his Household with a permanent, ever-growing blessing, whose perpetuity has no cutting off and whose term knows no limit, and make that a help to me and a cause for the granting of my request! Thou art Boundless, Generous Aamin.

Dua A Miracle 63

Dua A Miracle
I still remember it was my first workshop on sales training which I attended while working with a travel agency. A qualified sales trainer was hired for this purpose and all the sales executives were asked to gather in a conference hall of the hotel where the workshop was to be conducted. The aim was to enhance our sales skills and make us efficient in this department. The training was divided into two parts. The first part comprised theoretical question-answer session on the information of various travel packages offered by the company to test our product knowledge. And the second part was the practical sales training to test our negotiation and sales skills by way of mock sales calls. Here, the trainer acted as our prospective customer and we were required to sell him a travel package. After the practical session the trainer gave us individual feedback on our performances and tips to enhance our sales skills. Sales need lots of persuasion and continuous follow up with the prospective customer to convince him and hence in order to achieve miraculous success, our trainer advised us to be:

64 Dua A Miracle Patient in conduct Earnest in intentions Persuasive in efforts Committed in approach

Years later, I practically experienced this when the need arose to replace my R.O System; I looked for the salesman who had approached me in the past for selling it. His earnestness and persuasion convinced me to give him the business. True Patience; Earnestness; Persuasiveness; Commitment are keys to succeed in the field of sales. These virtues help us present ourselves well in front of the prospective customer and create a bond with him. If we wish to create a bond with Almighty Allah we need the help of supplications. Through supplications we can connect with Allah The Most High. Hence let us try to understand the importance of Supplication (Dua) in the light of Quran. As Allah (SWT) says in the following ayahs: Aur tumhare Parvardigar ne farmaya ke tum mujhse dua maango (Main jo tumhare nafaa ki hogi wo) zaroor qubool kar liya karoonga. Yaqeenan wo log jo Meri ibadat karne se akadte

Dua A Miracle 65 hai wo anqareeb zaleel ho kar Jahannum main daakhil honge. (Surah-e-Ghafir, ayah 60) (And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!") In the above ayah Allah (SWT) clearly instructs us to call Him by way of supplication. He also promises to fulfill all our desires which are beneficial to us. (Ae Rasool (SAW)) jab Mere bande Mera haal tumse poochein to (kehdo ki) Main unke paas hi hoon aur jab Mujh se koi dua maangta hai to Main har dua karne waalon ki dua (sunn leta hoon aur jo munasib ho to) qubool karta hoon pas unhain chahiye ke Mera kehna maanein aur Mujh per imaan laayein taake woh hidayat paajaeein. - (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 186) (And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way)

66 Dua A Miracle Allah (SWT) is Omnipresent but unseen through our eyes. Dua gives us vision to feel Him and it is through Dua that we can reach Him. Thus Dua definitely creates a bond with Him. In management parlance it is said that positive thinking gives positive results. A person who is always hopeful remains happy and healthy. And Quran says in the following ayah: Insaan bhalayee ki duaein maangne se to kabhi uuktata nahin aur agar ussko koi takleef pahonch jaaye to (fauran) na-ummeed aur beaas ho jaata hai.- (Surah-e-Haam Mim Sajda, ayah 49) (Man does not weary of asking for good (things), but if ill touches him, he gives up all hope (and) is lost in despair.) Even if ill touches us we need not lose hope and faith in Him. Thus if we wish to seek His nearness by supplications we need to remain hopeful and be positive. There are times when we dont get what we expect and pray for; and that is the test of our faith in Him.

Dua A Miracle 67 As the following ayah from Surah-e-Baqra further confirms our above claim: Aur Hum tumhain kuch khauf aur bhook se aur maalon aur jaanon se aur phalon ki kami se zaroor aazmaaenge. Aur (Ae Rasool (SAW) aise sabr karne walon ko khushkhabri dedo (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 155) (And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient.) When we claim that we are true believers, we will be tried in various ways. During this testing time if we remain patient we are bound to achieve whatever we seek from Him. Thus Patience is the important key for our supplications to be heard by Almighty Allah. Let us now see the following ayahs from Surah-e-Aale Imran: Aur Khuda apne unn bandon ko khoob dekh raha hai Jo yeh duaein maanga karte hein Ae hamare Palnewale humto be-tamul imaan laye hain pus Tu bhi hamare gunahon ko bakhsh de aur humko dozakh ke azaab se bacha. Yehi log

68 Dua A Miracle hain sabr karne wale aur sach bolne wale aur Khuda ke farmabardar aur Khuda ki raah main kharch karne wale aur peechli raton main Khuda se tauba isteghfar karne wale. (Surahe-Aale Imran, ayah 16-17) (Who say: "O Lord, we believe; forgive our trespasses and save us the torment of Hell." They are the patient, the sincere and devout, full of charity, who pray for forgiveness in the hours of dawn.) From the above two ayahs Quran has cited the example of those chosen believers of Allah whose supplications are appreciated and liked by Him. They are patient in their conduct and committed to the cause of Almighty Allah. They have set the example which needs to be followed. Thus it can be inferred that Commitment and sincerity to the cause of Allah (SWT) is as important as Patience for our supplications to be heard by Him. Earnestness and humility always help us in winning an argument or even proving a point. Would this help in making successful supplications? Let us see the following two ayahs for this:

Dua A Miracle 69 Aur (azaab ke) khauf se aur (rehmat ki) aas laga ke Khuda se duaein maango (kyunke) neki karne walon se Khuda ki rehmat yaqeenan qareeb hai. (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 56) (Call on Him with fear and longing (in your hearts): for the Mercy of Allah is (always) near to those who do good.) (Logo) apne Parvardigar se gid gida ke aur chupke chupke dua karo, Wo had se tajawuz karne walon ko hargiz dost nahin rakhta (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 55) (Call on your Lord with humility and in private: for Allah loveth not those who trespass beyond bounds.) Thus the above two ayahs clearly confirm that if we supplicate with fear and humility in our hearts we will be blessed by His Mercy soon. He definitely responds to our earnest calls. Earnestness is again an important virtue for supplications to be heard by Allah (SWT). Mandatory namaz is the highest form of prayer offered 5 times a day. It is invalid if not offered at its prescribed time and cannot be offered more than 5 times. Keeping

70 Dua A Miracle this in mind let us see what Allah (SWT) has to say about supplication? What is the time fixed for it? And how many times should He be called through supplications in a day? In the following ayah Allah has answered our above questions: Aur apne Parvardigar ko ji hee ji main gid gida ke aur dar (dar) ke aur bahot cheekh ke nahin (dheemi) awaaz se subah wa sham yaad kiya karo aur (Uss ki yaad se) ghafil bilkul na ho jaao. - (Surah-e-Airaf, ayah 205) (And remember your Lord within yourself humbly and fearing and in a voice not loud in the morning and the evening and be not of the heedless ones.) Whenever we wish and wherever we are, we can always call Him through supplications. It is not timebound and hence there is no fixed time. Allah (SWT) can be persuaded in mornings and evenings till the time our Dua is not fulfilled. He likes to be Pursued continuously by supplications. The ayahs which we referred uptill now helped us in understanding the importance of Dua. We also got to

Dua A Miracle 71 know what Allah (SWT) has instructed in this regard. Allah (SWT) fulfills our desires through supplications and hence it is a miracle. Let us look into Quran and try to find out the miracles of Dua in it. We will see the following ayah from Surah-e-Aale Imran: To usske Parvardigar ne (uunki nazar) Mariam ko khushi se qubool farmaya aur usski nasho wa nuuma (parwarish) achhi tarah ki aur Zakariya ko uunka kafeel banaya, jab kisi waqt Zakariya uunke paas (uunke) ibadat ke hujre main jaate to Marium ke paas kuch na kuch khane ko mawjood paate to poochte ke ae Marium ye (khana) tumhare paas kahan se aaya hai to Marium yeh keh deti theen ke yeh Khuda ke yahan se (aaya) hai beshak Khuda jis ko chahta hai be-hisaab rozi deta hai. (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 37) (Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty: To the care of Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (Her) chamber to see her, He found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?" She said: "From

72 Dua A Miracle Allah: for Allah Provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure.)" Allah (SWT) had assigned the task of protecting and taking care of Bibi Mariam (A.S) to Zakariya (A.S). She used to stay in her chamber alone, where she prayed and lived. Nobody could enter the chamber except Zakariya (A.S). And whenever he entered he would find various kinds of fruits for sustenance kept in front of her. Surprised, he would inquire about the fruits and Bibi Mariam (A.S) would reply saying Allah (SWT) has supplied her with this sustenance. Inspired by this Zakariya (A.S) supplicates and puts forward his desire in the following manner: (Yeh majra dekhte hi) ussi waqt Zakariya ne apne Parvardigar se dua ki aur arz ki Ae mere Palnewale Tu mujhko (bhi) Apni bargaah se pakizah aulad ataa farma beshak Tu hi dua ka sunne wala hai. (Surah-e-Aale Imran ayah 38) (There did Zakariya pray to his Lord, saying: "O my Lord! Grant unto me from Thee a progeny that is pure: for Thou art He that heareth prayer!) Now let us see what happens?:

Dua A Miracle 73 Abhi Zakariya hujre mein khade (yeh) dua kar hi rahe the ke farishton ne uunko awaaz di ke Khuda tum ko Yahya (ke paida hone) ki khushkhabri deta hai jo Kelamatullah (Isa) ki tasdiq karega aur logon ka sardar hoga aur auraton ki taraf raghbat na karega aur nekokar nabi hoga. (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 39) (While he was standing in prayer in the chamber, the angels called unto him: Indeed Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya (John), who will confirm a Word (or sign) from Allah, a leader, always refraining from women, a Prophet from one of Our devoted ones.) Before he could finish his supplication angels called him to confirm that his call was heard and he would soon be a father to Yahya (A.S). This miracle surprised him: Zakariya ne arz ki mujhe ladka kyunker ho sakta hai halaanke mera budhapa aa pahoncha aur (uss per) meri biwi baanjh hai (Khuda ne) farmaya issi tarah Khuda jo chahta hai karta hai. (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 40) (He said: "O my Lord! How shall I have son, seeing I am very old, and my wife is barren?" "Thus," was the answer, "Doth Allah accomplish

74 Dua A Miracle what He willeth.) (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 40) Allah accomplishes whatever He Wills. Old age of Zakariya (A.S) and barrenness of his wife did not stop him to be the father of a son like Yahya (A.S). Yes, his earnest supplication did create a miracle in the form of birth of Yahya (A.S). Thus supplications create miracles. If we seek anything from Allah (SWT) very earnestly & appropriately He fulfills our desire. Let us see the following ayah from Surah-e-Yusuf now: Aur Yaqub (A.S) ne un logon ki taraf se mooh pher liya aur rokar kehne lage haai afsos Yusuf (A.S) per aur isqadr roye ke aankhein un ki sadme se safed ho gayee wo to bade ranj ke zaabit the. (Surah-e-Yusuf, ayah 84) (He turned away from them and cried: "Alas for Yusuf!" And his eyes turned white with grief which he bore in silence.) When children of Yaqub (A.S), after returning from Misr (Egypt), narrated the story of their brother Benjamin getting detained by the King on the charges of robbery

Dua A Miracle 75 since the lost bowl was recovered from his belongings to Yaqub (A.S), he uttered the above words. This shows that he always missed his lost son Yusuf (A.S), who got separated from him when he was a child. And he cried so much that he lost his eye-sight. So why did Allah (SWT) take so long to fulfill his wish. Can we claim that for these years his Dua was unheard? When we look at the sequence of events which happened in the life of Yusuf (A.S) we can see that - As a child he was thrown in the well Then sold in the market of Misr Then he was imprisoned. Yaqub (A.S) during this time remembered his son and prayed for his well being. The news of the atrocities in the life of Yusuf (A.S) would have further devastated Yaqub (A.S) and hence during this time Allah (SWT) ensured that no such news ever reaches him and thus saved him from further pain. And when finally Yusuf (A.S) became king of Misr he was re-united with his father Yaqub (A.S). This way his supplications were heard and happiness was doubled. Thus there are times when our supplications are unheard for many years and that is the time to have faith that whatever Allah (SWT) provides, whenever He provides, shall be more than what we have asked for.

76 Dua A Miracle And let us see one more example from Surah-e-Aale Imran: (Ae Rasool (SAW) woh waqt yaad karo) jab Imran ki biwi ne (Khuda se) arz ki ke Ae mere Palnewale mere pait main jo bachha hai (ussko main duniya ke kaam se) azaad karke Teri nazar karti hoon Tu meri taraf se (yeh nazar) qubool farma Tu bada sunnewala aur Jannewala hai. Phir jab wo ladki jani to (hairat se) kehne lagi Ae mere Parwardigar (main kya karoon) main to yeh ladki jani hoon.) (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 34-35) (Behold! a woman of 'Imran said: "O my Lord! I do dedicate unto Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me: For Thou hearest and knowest all things." When she was delivered, she said: "O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!"-) The above ayah has indicated the incidence when wife of Hazrat Imran dedicated her - to be born child, for the service of Allah (SWT) thinking it would be a male child. But when she delivered a female child she wondered what she would do. Allah (SWT) accepts her dedication and the child just born is named Mariam

Dua A Miracle 77 (A.S). Allah (SWT) then appoints Hazrat Zakariya (A.S) as her care taker and protector. Thus at times we might pray to Allah (SWT) with our own understanding and what we feel is right but since He is All Knowing and All Understanding He might not accept our supplication as it is and instead fulfill it the way He feels is right. After reading the above incidences some of us might feel that we have discussed about chosen ones of Allah (SWT) and hence their supplications were heard easily. Would it be the same for ordinary people like us? Let us see the following two ayahs now: Ae Rasool (SAW) tum un ke maal ki zakaat lo aur uss ki badaulat un ko gunahon se paak saaf kardo aur unke waaste dua-e-khair karo kyunke tumhari dua un logon ke haq main itminaan ka baaes hai aur Khuda to sab kuch sunta aur jaanta hai. (Surah-e-Tauba, ayah 103) (Take alms out of their property, you would cleanse them and purify them thereby, and pray for them; surely your prayer is a relief to them; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing)

78 Dua A Miracle Aur (Rasool (SAW)) jab unn logon ne (nafarmani karke) apni jaanon per zulm kiya tha agar tumhare paas chale aate aur Khuda se maafi maangte aur Rasool (SAW) (tum) bhi unnki maghferat chahte to beshak wo log Khuda ko badaa tauba qubool karne wala Meharbaan paate. (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 64) (If they had come to you after wronging themselves and asked forgiveness of God, and you had also asked forgiveness for them, they would surely have found God forgiving and merciful.) Duas of Rasool (SAW) are a great relief for us. The above ayah says that even if someone after wronging himself go to the holy Prophet (pbuh) and ask his intercession for Allahs mercy, Allah (SWT) promises to forgive him. It means that during the time of the holy Prophet (pbuh) the call of Dua would have been easily answered. One could have approached the holy Prophet (pbuh) with his desires and through his supplication and intercession Allah (SWT) would have fulfilled his desires. But today, how should one supplicate so that it is heard?

Dua A Miracle 79 In the starting of this article we saw two ayahs from Surah-e-Aale Imran (ayah nos. 16 & 17) referring to few chosen people whose supplications and conduct is appreciated by Allah (SWT). And we have known now the supplications of holy Prophet (pbuh) are a great relief for us. We can thus infer that these chosen people should be closely associated to the holy Prophet (pbuh) and hence let us try to find them and take guidance of supplication from them: Wo Qandeel un gharon main roshan hai jinki nisbat Khuda ne hukm diya hai ke unki taazim kijaae aur unmain Uska naam liya jaae jin main subah wa sham wo log Uski tasbih kiya karte hai. (Surah-e-Noor, ayah 36) ((The Light is lit) in houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and that His name may be remembered in them; there glorify Him therein in the mornings and the evenings) The above ayah mentions certain divinely enlightened houses which are exalted by Allah (SWT) Himself. The people of these houses glorify Him mornings and evenings. And how is their glorification that Allah has appreciated so much:

80 Dua A Miracle Aise log jin ko Khuda ke zikr aur namaz padhne aur zakaat ada karne se na to tijaarat hi ghaafil kar sakti hai na kharid-o-farokht ka maamla kyonke wo log us din se darte hai jis main khauf ke mare dil aur aankhein ulat jaeengi Uski ibadat isliye karte hai taake Khuda unhain unke aamaal ka behtar se behtar badlaa ataa farmaye aur apne fazal-o-karam se kuch aur zyada bhi de aur Khuda to jise chahta hai behisaab rozi deta hai. - (Surah-e-Noor, ayah 3738) (By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of Allah, nor from regular Prayer, nor from the practice of regular Charity: Their (only) fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new),- That Allah may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace: for Allah doth provide for those whom He will, without measure.) Their dedication and sincerity in remembering Him and their commitment for His cause is appreciated by Allah (SWT) and thus He has chosen them and has promised to reward them suitably.

Dua A Miracle 81 Salabi has quoted Anas Ibn-e-Malik and Buraida that when Rasool (SAW) recited this verse, Hazrat Abu Bakr stood up and asked pointing towards the house of Ali (A.S) and Fatema (A.S), whether that house was included in the houses which are exalted by Allah (SWT) as referred in the ayah? Rasool (SAW) replied saying Yes, and it is better than other houses to which this refers. (Ref: Durr-e-Mansur, Vol 5, P 50) Thus the house of Mawla Ali (A.S) and Fatema (A.S) is exalted by Allah (SWT), they have prayed the way Allah (SWT) wants and hence if we follow their way of supplications we would be rewarded. We have seen the miracles of supplications cited in Quran, now let us see a miracle of the supplication given by Mawla Ali (A.S) to one of his follower. It is called Dua e Mashlool. Manzil Ibn Lahiq, a paralytic was healed by this Dua. Fed up with his continuous misbehavior and disobedience, Manzils father cursed him that he may be inflicted by paralysis. After a lot of repentance and request, his father agreed to pray for his cure and they started for Mecca but unfortunately on his way his father died and he remained uncured of paralysis. While he was lamenting in front of Kaaba his cries fell on the ears of Mawla Ali (A.S) and Imam Husain (A.S), who were

82 Dua A Miracle inside the Harem. When he narrated his tragic tale to Mawla Ali (A.S), he was given this Dua. By the effect of this Dua he was cured miraculously. Imam Hussain (A.S) has said that Dua e Mashool contains Ism e Azam. Another Dua which Mawla Ali (A.S) gave to his companion Kumayl is famously called as Dua e Kumayl. Imam Ali (A.S) instructed Kumayl to recite this Dua on the eve of every Friday, if not then once a month and if not then atleast once a year so that he would be protected from the evils of enemies and plots contrived by imposters. Sahifa e Kamila is the compilation of supplications by Imam Zainul Abedin (A.S). In the introductory section of the English translation of this book, William Chittick mentions: It has been reported that the holy Prophet (pbuh) has said that Allah (SWT) says: O My servants, all of you are misguided except him whom I guide, so ask Me for guidance, and I will guide you. All of you are poor except whom I enrich, so ask Me for riches, and I will provide for you. All of you are sinners except him whom I release, so ask Me to forgive you, and I will forgive you.

Dua A Miracle 83 The prophet (S.A.W.) and his progeny said: Supplication is the weapon of the man of faith, the centre-pole (essence) of the religion, and the light of the heavens and the earth.

And Allama Iqbal has these wonderful words for Dua: Dil se jo baat nikalti hai, asar rakhti hai, par nahin, taaqat-e-parwaaz magar rakhti hai. (The word springing from the heart surely carries weight, Though not endowed with wings, it yet can fly in space.) Qudsi-ul-asal hai, rif-at pe nazar rakhti hai, khaak se uthti hai, gardoon pe guzar rakhti hai. (Pure and spiritual in its essence, it pegs its gaze on high, Rising from the lowly dust, grazes past the skies.) Indeed Dua is a miracle and it is through these earnest supplications we get our desires fulfilled. So let us supplicate and be grateful to the Almighty Allah for whatever He has given us and whatever He has not given us through the excerpt from the wonderful Dua of Imam Zainul Abedin (A.S) in Sahifa e Kamila: O My Lord! Bless Mohammed (SAW) and his holy Household, delight my soul through Thy decree, expand

84 Dua A Miracle my breast through the instances of Thy decision, give to me a trust through which I may admit that Thy decree runs only to the best and let my gratitude to Thee for what Thou hast taken away from me be more abundant than my gratitude to Thee for what Thou hast conferred upon me! Aamin.

Kulle Imaan 85

Kulle Imaan
Meticulous financial accounting and planning ensures that the said organization grows boundlessly. If companies dont pay attention to their financials and dont keep the accounting in order, most of the time they wouldnt grow and chances are that they might have to close down. Thus the financial planning and management is the backbone of any organization. Most of the companies take services of reputed Chartered Accountants (CA) for proper guidance in the field of financial accounting and other related activities. These CAs are the most powerful in the organization after the chairman, as they know every minutest financial details of the company. One of my students recently sent me a mail along with his biodata, requesting me to put forward his candidature to a reputed CA for internship. He claimed that under the guidance of such a CA he would hone his skills of accountancy and create his own reputation in the industry. Proper financial accounting and planning is the backbone for any company to survive and grow in the competitive market. This makes CAs most sought after

86 Kulle Imaan by many companies as they help them strengthen their financial backbone. Like any organization even Islam is a vast religion and hence in this article we will try to find out the backbone of our religion and the steps we should take to strengthen it. We will start our journey with the following ayah: Arab ke dehati kehte hai ke hum imaan laye ae Rasool (SAW) tum kehdo ke tum imaan nahi laaye balke yun kehdo ke Islam laaye haanlake imaan ka abhi tak tumhare dilon se guzar hua hi nahin. (Surah-e-Al-Hujuraat, ayah 14) (The Bedouin say, We have attained to faith. Say [unto them, O Muhammad]: You have not [yet] attained to faith; you should [rather] say, We have [outwardly] surrendered - for [true] faith has not yet entered your hearts.) There is a difference in claiming to have accepted Islam as a religion and in being a true believer. A believers heart is filled with faith and he submits himself for the cause of religion. Thus Imaan (faith) is the backbone of Islam and if it is lost everything is lost. It is hence important to hold the faith in every situation and strengthen it.

Kulle Imaan 87 Let us see the following ayah: Yeh log Khuda ko chhod kar aisi cheez ki parastish karte hai jo na unn ko nuuksaan hi pahoncha sakti hai aur na nafa aur kehte hai ke Khuda hi ke haan yehi log hamare sifarashi honge. (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum unn se kaho to kya tum Khuda ko aisi cheez ki khabar dete ho jis ko Woh na to aasmanon main kahin paata hai aur na zameen main. Yeh log jis cheez ko uss ka sharik banate hai uss se Woh Paak Saaf aur Bartar hai. (Surah-e-Yunus, ayah 18) (They worship those besides God who cannot do them harm or bring them gain, and say: "These are our intercessors with God." Say: "Do you want to inform God of things in the heavens and the earth He does not know?" Glorious is He, and too Exalted for what they associate with Him!) The above ayah mentions a certain section of people who worship those who are not associated with Allah (SWT) and claim that they are the intercessors with Allah (SWT). And Allah (SWT) considers it as Shirk. From this we can infer that the intercessors (Wasila) must be closely associated with Allah (SWT); and seeking and asking from those who are not the chosen

88 Kulle Imaan intercessors is Shirk. Hence asking from the chosen intercession is asking from Allah (SWT) Himself. So wouldnt rejecting them lead to Kufr? This makes it important to identify the appointed intercession so that we remain free of Shirk and Kufr. One more ayah to go further in this direction: Momineen momineen ko chhod ke kafiron ko apna wali (sarparast) na banaaye. Aur jo aisa karega to use Khuda se kuch sarokar nahin magar (iss qism ki tadbiron se) kisi tarah unn (ke shar) se bachna ho to (khair) aur Khuda tumko Apne hi se darata hai aur Khuda hi ki taraf laut kar jana hai (Surah-e-Aale Imran, 28) (Let not the believers take the non-believers for wali (guardian) rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming.) The message is very clear and straight. A believer should take a believer as his guardian (Wali) but instead if he takes the non-believer as his Wali, he would not be under the guardianship of Allah. It thus becomes mandatory to identify the right Wali and follow him to

Kulle Imaan 89 be under the guardianship of Allah. So who is this Wali? The following ayah would throw some more light on this: Aur (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum kehdo ke tum log apne apne kaam kiye jaao abhi to Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur Momineen tumhare kaamon ko dekhenge aur bahot jald (Qayamat main) zaahir wa baatin ke jannewale (Khuda) ki taraf lautaye jaoge tab Woh jo kuch bhi tum karte the tumhain bata dega. (Surah-e-Tauba, ayah 105) (Say, Do as you will. God will watch your conduct and so will His Messenger and the believers. Soon you will be brought back to Him who knows what is hidden and what is manifest: then He will show you the truth of all that you have done.) So there are 3 who watch our conduct: Allah The Greatest, Holy Prophet (SAW) The Greatest Messenger and a Believer. We all are believers, but you cant say what I did this morning neither do I know what you have done. We dont have powers to see and watch each others conduct. Thus the appointed Wali (guardian) above us is the Greatest Wali and has been

90 Kulle Imaan given divine powers by the Almighty Allah to watch our conduct. And we would be made accountable to him along with Allah (SWT) and the Holy Prophet (SAW), when we are brought back to The Almighty Allah. And we find the following ayah which announces the Greatest Wali: Ae Rasool jo hukm tumhare Parvardigar ki taraf se tum per naazil kiya gaya hai pahoncha do. Aur agar tum ne aisa nahin kiya to samjhlo tum ne Uss ka koi paigham hi nahin pahonchaya aur tum daro nahin Khuda tum ko logon ke shar se mahfooz rakhe gaa aur Khuda hargiz kafiron ki qaum ko manzil e maqsood tak nahin pahonchata. ( Surah-e-Maida, ayah 67) (O Apostle! deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the non-believing people.) After the revelation of the above ayah, in front of the huge crowd of around 120000 pilgrims, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) raised Hazrat Ali (A.S) and announced Man Kunto Mawla ho fa hazaa Ali un Mawla at Ghadeer-e-Khum. And with this Allah (SWT)

Kulle Imaan 91 appointed Hazrat Ali as Prophet (SAW)s successor and Wali (Guardian) over the ummah. (Ref: Durr-eMansoor, Vol 2, P 298, Egypt, Tafseer-e-Fatah ul Qadeer, Vol 2, P 60, Egypt, Tafseer-e-Fatah ul Bayun, Vol 3, P 89, Egypt, Tafseer Mazhari, Vol 3, P 353, Daarul Ishat Karachi, Sawaiq e Mohraika, P 40 & 120, Sunan e Tirmidhi, Vol 2, P 298 and many more) Now let us focus on the above ayah and try to find few meaningful inferences. The ayah clearly states that if the message was not delivered by the Holy Prophet (SAW) it was as if no message of Allah (SWT) was ever delivered by him (SAW). Thus Allah (SWT) holds this message as important as Messengership of the Holy Prophet (SAW) itself. Again this message was delivered in front of pilgrims of Hajj and they were all devout Muslims and there was not a single nonbeliever in the crowd, then why did Allah (SWT) say that He will not guide the nonbelievers? Thus rejecting the message of Man Kunto Mawla is a Kufr and whoever rejects it turns Kafir even if he is a Hajj performing, devout Muslim. Lastly with appointment of Mawla Ali (A.S) as the leader over us, Allah conveyed that only He appoints guardians and we dont have any right in this regard. Let us see what few of the prominent Islamic scholars have to say about the Ghadeer Declaration:

92 Kulle Imaan Dr. Tahir ul Qadri in The Ghadir Declaration page 80 narrates the following tradition: It is narrated by Ali (A.S) himself. He said On the day of Ghadeer Khum, the holy Prophet (pbuh) had a turban tied round my head (as a symbol of honour) and let the loose end hand down at the back. Then he said: The angels whom Allah (SWT) had sent to help me at Badr and Hunayn were wearing turbans of the same kind. He then added: surely the turban differentiates between belief and disbelief. This tradition is narrated by several other books as well (Ref: Ibn Athir, Asad-ul-ghabah fi marifat-is-sahabah (3:170), Muhib Tabari, arRiyad-un-nadrah fi manaqib-il-ashrah (3:194) and more)

And Allah (SWT) confirms our above inferences by revealing the following ayah just after the announcement of Man Kunto Mawla Aaj Maine tumhare deen ko kaamil kardiya aur tum per apni nemat poori kardi aur tumhare iss Deen-e-Islam ko pasand kiya. (Surah-eMaida, ayah 3)

Kulle Imaan 93 (This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.) Hazrat Abu Saeed al-Khidri has narrated that this verse descended upon the Holy Prophet (SAW) on the day of Ghadeer-e-Khum when he declared that Ali was the leader of whomever he was leader. Abu Hurairah has also narrated it and further said that it was revealed on 18th of the month of Dhil Hajj when the holy Prophet (SAW) returned from Hajj al Widah (the last pilgrimage). (Ref: Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Vol 2, P 14, Egypt, Tafseer Durr e Mansoor, Vol 2, P 259, Egypt). Thus our religion is perfected only after accepting Hazrat Ali (A.S) as a Guardian and a Wali. Without his love religion remains imperfect and hence love for him is the backbone of faith. That is why the holy Prophet (SAW) has often referred him as Kulle Imaan. Again from the ayah no. 67 of Surah-e-Maeda, we saw that without the successful deliverance of the message of Man Kunto Mawla, the mission of the Prophethood of our Greatest Prophet (SAW) was incomplete. Does the same hold true for other Prophets? (Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) wo waqt bhi yaad dilao)) jab Khuda ne paighambaron se iqraar liya ki Hum tumko jo kuch kitab aur hikmat (waghaira) dein usske baad tumhare paas koi Rasool aaye

94 Kulle Imaan aur jo kitab tumhare paas hai usski tasdiq kare, to (dekho) tum zaroor uss per imaan lana aur zaroor usski madad karna, (aur) Khuda ne farmaya kya tum ne iqraar liya, tum ne (Mere ahad ka) bojh uthaliya, sab ne arz ki humne iqraar kiya, Irshad hua (achha) to aaj ke qawl (wa qaraar) ke aapas main ek doosre ke gawah rehna. (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 81) (And when Allah made a covenant through the prophets: Certainly what I have given you of Book and wisdom-- then an messenger comes to you verifying that which is with you, you must believe in him, and you must aid him. He said: Do you affirm and accept My compact in this (matter)? They said: We do affirm. He said: Then bear witness, and I (too) am of the bearers of witness with you.) Here, in the above ayah the covenant that Allah (SWT) took from the prophets was of the Wilayat of Hazrat Ali (A.S). (Ref: Bisaar-ad-dahrajaat al-Jazahir thaani, pg 93). We also find similar references in various other prominent books: Allama Nishapoori has reported the following Hadith of Holy Prophet (SAW) narrated by Abdullah Ibn e Masud in his Tafseer-e-Gharaib al Quran Vol 25: When the Chief of Prophets (pbuh) led the prayers and the other Prophets prayed behind

Kulle Imaan 95 him, an Angel descended and said O Beloved of Allah! Ask these apostles of Allah on what condition they were granted Prophethood. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) got the following reply when he posed the same question to all other Prophets That we accept the Wilayat of you and Ali. (Ref: Tafseer e Gharaib al Quran Vol 25 P 58 published in Egypt (On the border of Tafseer e Ibn e Jareer Tabari) In Lisan al Meezan Vol 5 Page 147, Ibn Hajr al Asqalani while writing on Mohammed bin Hameed narrates the following from him: Hisham bin Abdul Malik summoned from Hejaz to Syria. In a place called Balk I observed something scrawled on a black mountain. When I reached Amr I asked if anyone could read what was on the mountain. I was told of an elderly man and I took him to the mountain and showed him the words. He read them, became surprised and said Bring me something so that I can translate it for you. I brought something and he translated from the Hebrew: There is only One true God, Mohammed is His Messenger, Ali is His Wali. These words have been written by Musa (A.S) bin Imran. An aspiring CA sought the internship with a reputed CA so that his financial knowledge, skills and knowhow increases manifolds and he can create his own

96 Kulle Imaan reputation as a financial expert. We had used this analogy during the introductory section of this article. In this light let us see what happens to those who seek nearness to Hazrat Ali (A.S) The Greatest Wali? Aagaah raho uss main shak nahin ke Auliya e Allah (dost) per (qayamat main) na koi khauf hoga aur na wo aazoorda khatir honge. (Surah-e-Yunus, ayah 62) (Behold! verily on the Auliya (friends) of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve) The word Wali or Auliya used in various ayahs which we referred up till now was to mean Guardian over us, which we did prove by reflecting over ayahs and other authentic references; While in the above ayah Auliya e Allah means friends of Allah for whom there would not be any fear or grief. Now without Mawla Ali (A.S) the faith remains incomplete, hence the Auliya of Allah need to be guided by Mawla Ali (A.S) to reach that rank. We will establish this association of Auliya with Mawla Ali (A.S) with the help of few references and ayah from the holy Quran. Farman Ali Saheb in the footnote of his Urdu translation of the Holy Quran, while referring to the above ayah writes: There are various ahadith mentioning presence of certain people in this world, whose silence is

Kulle Imaan 97 Zikr and when they speak that is wisdom. Had there been no fixed time for death, their souls would have left their bodies either in fear of punishment or in want of happiness. They are good in conduct and dont associate themselves with things that are Haram. They are not concerned with worldly matters and earn Halal livelihood and spend on good deeds. They are such that even Ambiya and Shaheed would be awed by them. Dr. Tahir ul Qadri in his Ghadeer Declaration writes on the Wilayat of Mawla Ali (A.S): The gist of the discussion is that the Prophets declaration at Ghadeer Khum proved forever that Alis spiritual sovereignty is in fact the Prophet Mohammeds spiritual sovereignty. Though the door of Prophethood was closed after the Holy Prophet (SAW), Allah opened new avenues for the continuation of the Prophets blessings till the Day of Judgment. Some of these avenues were manifest, while others hidden. The hidden avenue led to spiritual sovereignty and Ali al-Murtuza (A.S) was the first person to hold this office. Then this chain of sovereignty passed down to his progeny and finally to the twelve Imams. During this period, many leaders appeared on the spiritual horizon but they all, directly or indirectly, expressed their allegiance to Ali al-Murtuza (A.S). No one was disaffiliated from him and this chain will

98 Kulle Imaan continue upto the Day of Judgment until the appearance of the last Imam, and he will be Imam Mohammed Mahdi (A.S), the twelfth Imam and the last caliph. (Ref: The Ghadir Declaration, P 15 & 16, Dr. Tahir ul Qadri) Qazi Mazhari in the second volume of his Tafseer e Mazhari declares Mawla Ali (A.S) as Qutb e Wilayat he writes: Ali was the Pivotal point of all the virtues and attributes of Wilayat: The Qutb of Wilayat; All auliya, including the Sahaba were in the rear and subordinate to him in this regard. (Ref: Tafseer e Mazhari, Vol 6 P 20, published by Daar ul Ishat Karachi.)

Allama Ibne Hajr Makki in his book Sawaiqe Mohraika has reported from Hazrat Umar: He said: Get to know! No honour reaches the position of excellence without acceptance of Ali as the Wali (Guardian). (Ref: Sawaiq e Mohraika, P 176, Egypt)

And Allah (SWT) says in Holy Quran: Ae Imaandaro tumhare wali (malik sarparast) to buss yehi hein Khuda aur uss ka Rasool

Kulle Imaan 99 (SAW) aur wo momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai. Aur jisne Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) aur unhi Imaadaro ko apna sarparast banaya to Khuda ke lashkar main aagaya aur issme shak nahin ke Khuda hi ka lashkar ghalib rehta hai. (Surah-e-Maeda, Ayah 55-56) (Verily your wali (leader) is only Allah and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish worship and pay the poor-rate while they bow down in prayer. And whoever takes Allah and His apostle and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant.) The above verse was revealed when Mawla Ali gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in ruku (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljama Bain-ul-Sihah-ulSittah, Salabi) Thus Allah (SWT) in the above ayahs confirms that it is Mawla Ali (A.S) along with Allah Himself and the Holy Prophet (SAW), as our Guardians and Wali and we need to follow him to be in the triumphant party of Allah. Now if we relate the above ayahs of Surah-e-Maeda with the ayah of Surah-e-Tauba (ayah no. 105) which says

100 Kulle Imaan that Allah (SWT), the Holy Prophet (SAW) and Believers watch our conduct, it is clear that the Believer so mentioned in that ayah is the same is our Guardian Mawla Ali (A.S). He has been given Divine Powers to watch our conduct and we would be made accountable to him along with Allah (SWT) and the holy Prophet (pbuh). That is why the Holy Prophet has said in the following hadith that: "O Ali, you are the divider of Heaven and Hell" (Ref: Sawaiq-e-Mohraika, P 126, Yanabe-ulmowaddat, vol 1 P 163)

While referring to Mawla Ali (A.S) the above ayahs have used a plural form as wo momineen or those who believe. Prominent Islamic scholars have given following explanation for this: Allama al-Tabarsi, while commenting on this verse in Majma-al-Bayan states: The plural form has been used for Ali, Commander of the faithful, in order to express his honour and eminence. Allama al-Zamakshari in his Tafsir al-Kashshaf writes If you inquire how this plural word is applicable to Ali, may Allah be gracious to him, who is an individual, I shall say that though this

Kulle Imaan 101 verse is about Ali, an individual, the plural form is used in order to persuade others to act similarly and to give alms as readily as Ali did. There is also an implied instruction that the faithful should keep themselves always on the look out for occasions of acts of sympathy, benevolence and charity to the poor and the needy, and readily do the needful without waiting till the completion of even so important a duty as saying a prayer. (Ref: Tafsir al-Kashshaf, by al-Zamakhshari, v1, p649) Mawla Ali (A.S) is the Greatest Wali, his guidance and guardianship ensures that a faithful reaches to the rank of Auliya as it is his love which completes the faith and it is a license to enter the triumphant party of Allah (SWT). He is definitely Ameer ul Momineen. After mentioning the ayah from Surah-e-Yunus (ayah no. 18) we had inferred that the intercessor is chosen by Allah (SWT) Himself and if we seek from anyone else it would be considered as Shirk, we had further inferred that then if the chosen intercessor is rejected it would lead to Kufr. We would establish this now. Let us find out what Allah (SWT) has to say about intercession. Aur Jis shakhs ke liye wo ijaazat ata farmaye uske siva kissi ki sifarish us ki bargaah main kaam na aayegi.- (Surah-e-Saba, ayah 23)

102 Kulle Imaan "(No intercession can avail in His Presence, except for those for whom He has granted permission) Apart from the chosen ones of Allah (SWT) who have got His permission no intercession would be beneficial to the Ummah. Yes, intercession does work but the authority has been given to few chosen servants of Allah (SWT). As the following ayah says: Aur logon main se Khuda ke bande kuch aise hai jo Khuda ki (khushnudi) haasil karne ki gharaz se apni jaan tak bech daalte hai aur Khuda aise bandon per bada hi shafkat wala hai. (Surah-e- Baqra, ayah 207) (And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Affectionate to the servants.) The above ayah describes the act of an ardent servant of Allah (SWT), who was ready to sacrifice his life for the Almighty Allahs cause. This sacrificial act of him got its due appreciation by way of getting Allahs Pleasure and thus His Permission. Imam Ghizali in his Tareekh e Khamees writes that the above ayah of Surah-e-Baqra was revealed mentioning the sacrifice of Mawla Ali (A.S), when he slept on the bed of the Holy Prophet (SAW) during the night of Hijrat. Similar tradition is also mentioned by Imam

Kulle Imaan 103 Hakim on the authority of Ibn-e-Abbas in his Mustadrak. (Ref: Tareekh e Khamees, Imam Ghizali, Mustadrak, Vol 3 Page 4, Imam Hakim). Thus Mawla Alis ardent love and affection for the Holy Prophet (SAW) and Islam made Allah (SWT) grant him with His Pleasure and appointed Mawla Ali (A.S) as chosen intercession along with the Holy Prophet (SAW) above us. Let us also establish now whether this chosen intercession if rejected leads to Kufr? Khuda ko chhod kar jin ki parastish karte hain unko sabko ikattha karo phir unhain Jahannum ki raah dekhao aur haan zara unhain thehrao to un se kuch poochna hai. (Surah-e-Saaffat, ayah 23-24) (Gather together those who were unjust and their associates, and what they used to worship besides Allah, and lead them to the Way to the (Fierce) Fire! But stop them, for they must be asked.) In our day to day life whenever we cross the path with disobedient people we ignore them and move ahead. And a place for a disobedient Kafir is Hell, but here in the above ayah Allah (SWT) still wants to ask them something specific. The thing which Allah (SWT) wants to ask hence is as important as worshipping

104 Kulle Imaan Allah (SWT) as One without any Sharik. Thus it can be inferred that if whatever Allah (SWT) is asking from them is not fulfilled He would consider them a greater Kafir Abu Saeed Khudri on the authority of Ibn-e-Abbas has quoted a tradition that Rasool (SAW) has said that on the day of Judgment people would be questioned about Wilaya of Ali Ibne Abi Talib and love for him. (Ref: Sawaiqe Mohraiqa P 503, Allama Ibn-e-Hajar, Riyadh al Nadira Volume 2 page 116, Mohib Tabari). Shah Ismail Shaheed of the Deobandi Movement in his Mansab e Imamat says: Imam has such authority in this world and the next that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had said Dont I have more rights over the people than they have over themselves, to which the people replied in affirmative. The Prophet then said Of whomsoever I am Mawla, Ali is his Mawla. And this is why Allah says in the Quran that on the Day of Judgment you will be summoned with your Imam and questioned (Surah-eSaafat) and the Prophet said that we will be asked about the Wilayat of Ali. (Ref: Mansab-e-Imamat, Page 109110, Shah Ismail Shaheed). Thus rejecting Mawla Ali (A.S) as Guardian and intercession is as bad as Kufr. But we being the ardent lovers and followers of Mawla Ali (A.S) need not worry as Allah (SWT) promises us:

Kulle Imaan 105 Phir (nuzool e azaab ke waqt) Hum Apne Rasoolon ko aur jo Imaan laye unnko (azaab se) nalwa bacha lete hein yunhi Hum per laazim hai ke Hum Imaan lane walon ko bhi bachalein. (Surah-e-Yunus, ayah 103) (Then We shall save Our messengers and those who believe. Thus We have made it incumbent upon Ourself to save the believers.) Allah (SWT) has promised to save all the believers. A person is a Momin when he is under the guardianship of Ameer ul Momineen Mawla Ali (A.S), thus his love is access to Allahs Help and Protective Care and hence Mawla Ali is MushkilKusha. That is why the holy Prophet (pbuh) has certified that: Followers of Ali would surely succeed (Ref: Yanabe-ul-mowaddat, vol 2 P 312, Kareeb Minal lafaz fi tazkirtul khawaas, P 56)

So what are we waiting for? let us say Ya Ali Madad.

106 Identity of a Momin

Identity of a Momin
A man is hidden behind the following two aspects of his personality: His Belief His Conduct

His beliefs cannot be seen by the human eye but we can recognize them on the basis of his actions. Thus his conduct is the mirror which reflects his beliefs. Consider this, if I consider myself as your friend, unless I help you when you need me the most, you might not come to know about my feelings. But once I came to your rescue you would know me as your true friend even if I did not acknowledge this verbally. My deed spoke what words had not. But if somebody, after making many false promises fails you; you would not consider him to be your friend any more. Thus here again what mattered was his action and not his promises. That is why the English idiom aptly says Actions speak louder than words. Thus if we wish to know how a person is we need to observe his conduct. It will reveal his true identity. In that sense even in Islam, the parameter of differentiation between a believer (Momin) and a non-believer (Kafir) is the conduct of an individual. His actions speak a great deal about his faith. With this article we will try to establish this inference.

Identity of a Momin 107 Let us see what Allah (SWT) says about faith in Quran: Kya logon ne ye samajh liya hai (sirf) itna keh dene se ke hum imaan laye, chhod diye jayenge aur unnka imtihaan na liya jayega aur Humne to unn logon ka bhi Imtihaan liya jo unn se pehle guzar gaye garaz Khuda unn logon ko jo sacche hain yaqinan alaheda dekhega aur jhoothon ko bhi zaroor dekhega. (Surah-e-Ankabut, ayah 2-3) (Do people think that once they say, We believe, they will be left alone and not be put to the test? We certainly tried those who have gone before them, so God will certainly distinguish between those who are truthful and those who are lying.) Mere verbal acceptance of faith is not considered anything by Allah (SWT) and He puts to test all the people who claim to be believers. He differentiates a believer (Momin) from a non-believer (Kafir) after trying their faiths. Hence Allah (SWT) gives importance to conduct and action instead of words. We will now see the following two ayahs from Surah-eTawba:

108 Identity of a Momin Aur Musalmanon yeh log to Khuda ki qasmein khayenge ke woh tum main hi ke hain halanke woh log tum main ke nahin hain. Magar hain yeh log buuzdil ke agar kahin ye log panah ki jagah (Kilaa) ya chhupne ke liye ghaar ya ghus bhaithne ki koi aur jagah pajayen to usi taraf rassiyan todte hue bhaag jayen. (Surah-eTawba, ayah 56-57) (They swear by God that they are believers like you; but they are not. They are afraid (to appear in their true colours): if they could find a place of refuge, or a cave or any hiding-place, they would run there with frantic haste.) The above ayah discusses certain hypocrites who claimed to be believers but they were coward and Allah (SWT) detests their actions. It further substantiates our inference that the believer is judged solely on the basis of his deeds and actions. And a believer (Momin) is brave in his conduct and ready to sacrifice everything for the cause of Allah. Having inferred this now let us see the life of Abu Talib (A.S). There are differences amongst Muslims related to the faith of Abu Talib (A.S); some people conveniently forget what he did for Islam and the holy Prophet (SAW) and they consider him as a non-believer as they

Identity of a Momin 109 cannot find any documented proof of his reciting Kalema on the deathbed. Let us see what Quran has to say on this: Aur Hum ne Bani Israel ko dariya ke uss par kardiya phir Firaun aur uss lashkar ne sarkashi ki aur shararat se unn ka peechha kiya yahan tak ke jab woh doobne laga to kehne laga ke jis Khuda per Bani Israel imaan laaye hain main bhi uss per imaan laata hoon. Uss ke siwa koi Maabud nahin aur main farmabardar bandon se hoon. Ab (marne ke waqt imaan laata hai) halaanke isse pehle tu nafarmani kar chuka aur tu to fasadiyon main se tha. - (Surah-e-Yunus, ayah 90-91) (So We brought the Children of Israel across the river. Pharaoh and his troops pursued them arrogantly and aggressively. When he was about to drown, [Pharaoh] exclaimed, I believe that there is no deity save Him in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender themselves to Him! Only now? When you had always been a rebel, and a wrongdoer.) In his entire life Firaun did everything to oppose Musa (A.S), the prophet of his time. He created hurdles and harassed the Bani Israel and thus he was rebel and a

110 Identity of a Momin wrongdoer throughout his life. His showcasing faith in Allah (SWT) on his deathbed did not give him any benefit and he remained a Kafir and died so. On the contrary Abu Talib (A.S) did everything to protect Mohammed (SAW) - the last prophet, from the pagans of Arab. He helped the Prophet (pbuh) in his mission and was his guardian. After all his efforts do you still feel that Allah (SWT) would have waited for Abu Talib (A.S) to recite a Kalema to accept his faith and services? Did not his deeds speak a lot about his love for the Prophet (pbuh) and his belief in the religion of Islam? We have understood that Allah (SWT) judges people on the basis of their deeds in the light of various ayahs which we have contemplated upon. Now Let us see those deeds which Allah (SWT) likes the most: Madina ke rehne walon aur unn ke gardo nawah dehatiyon ko yeh jaaiz na tha ke Rasoole-Khuda ka saath chhod dein aur na ye (jaaiz tha) ke Rasool (SAW) ki jaan se be-parwah ho kar apni jaanon ke bachane ki fikr karein, ye hukm us sabab se tha ke unn (jihad karne walon) ko Khuda ki raah mein jo taklif pyaas ki mehnat ya bhook ki shiddat ki pahonchti hai ya aisi raah chalte hain jo kuffar ke ghaiz or ghazab ka baais

Identity of a Momin 111 ho ya kisi dushman se kuch yeh log haasil karte hain to buss uske aewaz main (unnke namae amal main) ek nek kaam likh diya jayega. Beshak Khuda neki karne walon ka ajr (wa sawab) barbaad nahin karta. (Surah-e-Tawba, ayah 120) (It was not proper for the people of Madinah and those desert Arabs around them to hold back from following Gods Messenger, and to prefer their own lives to his life. This is because whenever they suffer from thirst or weariness or hunger for Gods cause, and whenever they take any step which provokes those who deny the truth, or inflicts any loss upon the enemy, it shall be counted as a good deed in the sight of God God will not deny the righteous their reward) Allah (SWT) likes those who are ready to sacrifice their own life for the sake of holy Prophet (pbuh) and his mission. For such people Allah (SWT) has promised great rewards and their good deeds would be accepted by Him. Thus protecting the holy Prophet (pbuh) and being there when he needed is the most rewarding and appreciated virtue by Allah (SWT). After the holy Prophet (pbuh) began preaching Islam, members of the other Quraishite clans felt threatened and

112 Identity of a Momin they started pressurizing Abu Talib (A.S) to stop his nephew and control him. Despite all this, Abu Talib (A.S) remained supportive of the holy Prophet (SAW) and defended him from the other heads of Quraish. Prominent Islamic historians have documented his noble gestures. Ali b. Burhanuddin Shafei in his book Insanul Oyoon has described the benevolence of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) towards the Prophet (SAW) as follows: 'Every night Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) would ask the Prophet (SAW) to go off to bed, and when everybody was asleep, Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) would make any one of his sons or brothers or cousins to sleep on his (SAW) bed so that people who intended to attack the Prophet (SAW) could not do so.' It was during this period that the unbelievers of Mecca tried to trouble the Prophet (SAW) in various ways. All sorts of difficulties and tortures were inflicted upon him. Thinking Abu Talib (A.S) to be old, they threatened him with their plots, but this could neither stop his endeavors nor did it affect his steadfastness. Thus the deeds mentioned in the above ayah are in sync with whatever Abu Talib (A.S) did for the sake of holy Prophet (SAW); hence it again establishes him as a Brave and Selfless Momin. In order to further understand this we will see his life in the light of Quran. Mentioning ayahs that indicate the

Identity of a Momin 113 virtues of a Momin we would relate them with his conduct during his lifetime. Let Quran give its own verdict on the faith of Abu Talib (A.S). As Quran says in the following ayah: Ae Imaandaro agar tum Khuda ke deen ki madad karoge to Woh bhi tumhari madad karega aur tumhain saabit qadam rakhega. (Surah-e-Mohammed, ayah 7) (O you who believe! if you help (the cause of) Allah, He will help you and make firm your feet.) Virtue of a believer is to readily help the cause of Allah, and in return Allah (SWT) promises to make him firm on his feet and thus keep him steadfast on the right path. Most of the Islamic historians unanimously write that without the help of Abu Talib (A.S) and his son Ali (A.S) it would have been difficult for Islam to get established and gain so much popularity and acceptance among the people. (Ref: Tahzeebul Mateen, Vol 1 P 13, Ibne Abil Hadeed in his work)

114 Identity of a Momin Thus Abu Talib (A.S) contributed a lot in the cause of Allah (SWT) and thus to think that he was an unbeliever is contradicting the above ayah and hence a great sin in itself. Another ayah on conduct of a Momin: Ae Rasool (SAW) unn logon se kehdo ke agar tum Khuda ko dost rakhte ho to meri pairvi karo ke Khuda (bhi) tum ko dost rakhega aur tum ko tumhare gunaah bakhsh de ga aur Khuda bada Bakhshnewala Maherbaan hai. (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 31) (Say, If you love God, follow me and God will love you and forgive you your sins. God is most forgiving, and most merciful.) A person who claims to love Allah (SWT) should follow the holy Prophet (SAW). If he does so Allah (SWT) would love him in return and would be forgiving and merciful towards him. Thus the parameter for love and belief in Allah (SWT) is a persons support to the holy Prophet (SAW). When someone is a constant source of support and comfort to the holy Prophet (SAW) and remains his guardian throughout his life, would not he be one of the greatest believers then?

Identity of a Momin 115 In the presence of Abu Talib (A.S) once the holy Prophet (SAW) was preaching his followers. The apostates of Quraish in order to destroy the mission of holy Prophet (SAW) approached Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) with the demand of surrendering the holy Prophet (SAW) to them right away. Determined Abu Talib (A.S) replied If a she-camel could surrender its young one to somebody else, then I also will hand over Mohammed (SAW) to you. (Ref: Minhajun Nabuwwah Muhaddise Dehalvi vol. 2 pg. 77) In the light of above ayah we can further establish the credentials of Abu Talib (A.S) as a God-fearing, Godloving True Momin. Let us see the following ayah now: Momineen momineen ko chhod ke kafiron ko apna sarparast na banaaye. Aur jo aisa karega to use Khuda se kuch sarokar nahin magar (iss qism ki tadbiron se) kisi tarah unn (ke shar) se bachna ho to (khair) aur Khuda tumko Apne hi se darata hai aur Khuda hi ki taraf laut kar jana hai (Surah-e-Aale Imran, 28) (Let not the believers take the non-believers for wali (guardian) rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard

116 Identity of a Momin yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming.) Allah (SWT) orders all the believers specifically in the above ayah not to take non-believers as their guardian and if somebody does so he shall not find Allah (SWT) as his guardian. So when an ordinary believer cannot have a non-believer as a guardian, why did Allah (SWT) allow the holy Prophet (SAW) to be guarded by Abu Talib (A.S) had he been a non-believer? Would not it contradict the above ayah? This further confirms that he was a true-believer and Allah (SWT) appointed him as the guardian of the holy Prophet (SAW). The following ayah endorses his guardianship: Kya Uss ne tumhain yateem paakar panah na di (zaroor di)? (Surah-e-Zoha, ayah 6) (Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter (and care))? In the major tafseer of the holy Quran by Islamic scholars of various sects it is mentioned that the above ayah has been revealed to showcase the protection and shelter provided by Abu Talib (A.S) to the holy Prophet (SAW). Thus his protection to holy Prophet (SAW) was Allah (SWT)s protection.

Identity of a Momin 117 Ibn Hajar in his book writes 'When Abdul Muttalib (A.S) expired he wrote in his last will to Abu Talib (A.S) to raise the Holy Prophet (SAW). Hence Abu Talib (A.S) nurtured him (SAW) with lots of love and affection, not even raising his own son Ali (A.S) in the same manner. And Allah (SWT) confirms that it is He who guides the fathers, forefathers and descendants of his chosen Prophets in the following ayah: Aur Humne Ibrahim ko Ishaq wa Yaqub (saa beta pota) ataa kiya Humne sabki hidayat ki aur unn se pehle Nooh ki bhi Hum hi ne hidayat ki aur unn hi Ibrahim ki aulaad se Dawood wa Sulaiman wa Ayyub wa Yunus wa Musa wa Harun (sabki Hum hi ne hidayat ki) aur nekokaron Hum aisa hi sila ataa farmate hai aur Zakariya wa Yahya wa Isa wa Iliyas (sab ki hidayat ki) aur (ye) sab Khuda ke nek bandon se hain. Aur Ismail wa Yosha wa Yunus wa Lut ki (hidayat ki) aur sabko sare jahan per fazilat ataa ki aur (sirf unhiki nahin balke) unnke baap dadaon, aur unnki aulaad aur unnke bhaibandon main se (bahoteron ko) muntakhab kiya aur unhain sidhi raah ki hidayat ki. (Surah-e-Anam, ayah 84-85-86-87)

118 Identity of a Momin (And We gave to him Ishaq and Yaqoub; each did We guide, and Nuh did We guide before, and of his descendants, Dawood and Sulaiman and Ayub and Yusuf and Musa and Haroun; and thus do We reward those who do good (to others). And Zakariya and Yahya and Isa and Ilyas; every one was of the good; And Ismail and Al-Yasha and Yunus and Lut; and every one We made to excel (in) the worlds: And from among their fathers and their descendants and their brethren, and We chose them and guided them into the right way.) From the above ayah it is clear that Allah (SWT) guides his Prophets to the right path and not only them He also guides their fathers, descendants and their brethren and keeps them steadfast on the true path. Hazrat Abdul Muttalib (A.S) was the grand-father of the holy Prophet (SAW) and father of Abu Talib (A.S) the guardian and uncle of holy Prophet (SAW).) They were guided descendants of Ibrahim (A.S) and believers of deen-e-Ibrahim before Islam was revealed. And since they were always on the true-path their reciting Kalema or not should not be used as a pretext to claim that they were not true Momins. Hazrat Abdul Muttalib (A.S) followed the religion of Ibrahim (A.S) and the proof of this is the event of the

Identity of a Momin 119 elephants which Abraha had brought to destroy the Kaaba. The event also finds mention in Quran in the form of an ayah. Abdul Muttalib (A.S) was the caretaker of Kaaba and hence prayed to Allah (SWT) to protect the Holy Kaaba from Abraha. He then approached Abraha and asked him to release his livestock. Abraha got shocked and said You are the chief of this tribe and I thought you would plead to me to spare the Kaaba. To this Abdul Muttalib (A.S) replied I am the owner of these animals and have therefore come to ask for them. As for the Kaaba, its Master is there to take care of it. Maqatil narrates that Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) made a will to Bani Hashim on his death bed in the following manner: O Bani Hashim, if you all obey the holy Prophet (SAW) and if you all believe in his truthfulness you will be guided. In Midarajan Nabuwwah (of Mohaddisse Dehalvi) and in Rauzatus Safa vol. 2 the following sermon of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) addressing the people, which also served as his will, has been recorded: 'O Quraish! You are the most pious servants of Allah. I recommend Muhammad (SAW) to you in matters of righteousness and virtue. He is the trusted one of Quraish and the truthful one of Arabia and he

120 Identity of a Momin possesses all the virtues for which I am making a will to you. He (SAW) has brought such good news, which has been accepted by your hearts, but your tongue has chosen to deny it on account of fear of taunts. On the contrary, I see that the weak and the defenseless have accepted his (SAW)s invitation and have testified in his Shariat and revere him. Thus they have become the leaders and your chiefs have been humiliated. The proud ones have been humbled and the humble ones have become self-sufficient. Those who distanced themselves from him (SAW) are the unfortunate ones. I can see that the people of Arabia are attached to him (SAW) and have expanded their hearts for his love and have very dutifully and diligently prepared themselves to follow him and serve him. O Quraish! Befriend Muhammad (SAW) and supporters of his group. I swear by Allah those people who do not tread the path shown by him (SAW) will not find guidance, and only they will accept and adhere to his ways and qualities who are virtuous. If death could have been delayed and there would have been some more time left in my life, I would be helping him and as far as possible I would have repelled all dangers from his path.' Life of Abu Talib (A.S) in the light of Quran has proved that he was a devout Momin committed to protect the holy Prophet (SAW). Let us now see few references about his faith: Abu Talib (A.S) supported the holy Prophet (SAW) since he had a great faith in his message

Identity of a Momin 121 being the last and final message from Allah (SWT). The faith of Abu Talib (A.S) was expressed through his sayings which came in the form of poetry as he used to say I verily know that the religion of Mohammed is the best amongst all religions. (Ref: Tareekh Ibn Katheer 3:42, Fath al-Baari Fi Shar-h Saheeh alBukhari 7:153, Al-Isaabah 4:116 and many more) Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq (A.S) asked Younus Bin Nabatah: O Younus, what do people say about Abu Talib? Younus replied: People say that he is in a shallow in the fire from which his brain is boiling. Imam al-Sadiq (A.S) said: The enemies of Allah are lying. Abu Talib (in the paradise) is with the prophets, truthful, martyrs and pious people, who are the best to be with. (Ref: Shaikh al-Abtah 32, al-Hujjah 17, al-Ghadeer 7:394 from Kanz al-Fawaaed). Imam Ali (A.S) said: By Allah, Abu Talib was a faithful Muslim (Momin), keeping his faith secretly, not to cause to Bani Hashim harm from Quraish boycott. (Ref: Al-Hujjah 24, AlGhadeer 7:389, Mojam al-Qoboor 1:200).

122 Identity of a Momin Imam Ali (A.S) also said: By Him who sent Muhammad as a prophet, if my fathers intercession is given to forgive all the sinners on earth, Allah will forgive all of them. (Ref: Tathkirat al-Khawaas 11). The reason of the allegation against Abu Talib is clarified by the Prophet (SAW) when he told Imam Ali: O Ali, you have an example from my brother Isa (A.S); as the Jews hated him, they accused his mother. (Ref: Kanz al-Ummal by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi) It is narrated by Hazrat Abu Bakr that Abu Talib (A.S) did not die but after he said: I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and Mohammad is His messenger. (Ref: Sharh alNahj by Ibn Abil Hadeed 3:312, Shaikh al-Abtah 71, Al-Bidayah wal-Nihayah 3:123, Al-Isaabah 4:116, Dalail al-Nobowwah by al-Bayhaqi 1:120, Kash al-Ghummah by Al-Sharani, 2:144).

After seeing the above references on his faith, let us end the article with few words of Abu Talib (A.S) recorded by prominent scholars which showcase his love for our beloved Prophet (SAW). Mohammed b Ishaaq (author of Seeratun Nabuwwat) has recorded more than 80 couplets long poetry of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) in praise of holy Prophet (SAW). This was composed when Mecca was

Identity of a Momin 123 under a severe famine. People approached Abu Talib (A.S) as he was Shaikh al Batha and their leader. Abu Talib (A.S) requested the holy Prophet (SAW) to pray for rains and when it rained he praised the holy Prophet (SAW) in the following words: O Muhammad! Looking at your luminous face, raindrops fall. Your merciful existence is a refuge for the helpless orphan and a protection for the modesty and chastity of widows. Abu Talib (A.S) was amongst the greatest of Momins. He was chosen by Allah (SWT) to protect the holy Prophet (SAW), which is a great honour in itself. He was the main support to the holy Prophet (SAW) and laid the foundation of Kalema during the formative years of Islam. And Allah (SWT) has accepted his services and rewarded him immensely by making the pious progeny of the holy Prophet (SAW); piety of which is testified by Quran (Surah-e-Ahzab, ayah 33), as the Progeny of Abu Talib (A.S).

124 Divine Association

Divine Association
One day while returning from my office I saw a newly opened fast-food restaurant in an adjacent complex. I remembered visiting the restaurant in Mumbai and hence I went inside to have a look at the menu. I found everything to be similar to their Mumbai outlet right from the ambience to the prices and the quality of food. A gentleman came forward and provided me with all the details. And he proudly announced that he was the owner of the shop and it was the franchise of the fastfood company which he had started. Had he not told me, it would have been difficult to make out that it was not a company owned outlet but a franchisee. A franchise is a right granted to an individual or a group by the company to market its product and services in the specified territory. Thus within this territory the franchise owner is the ultimate authority appointed by the company. This franchisee-franchisor association has helped various companies promote and trade their products and services across the world successfully. Let us try to find out through this article that Divine Association which has benefitted Islam and made it a successful religion the world over.

Divine Association 125 We start with Almighty Allahs following instruction to the holy Prophet (SAW) in Surah-e-Jinn: (Ye bhi) kehdo ki main tumhare haq main na burayee ka hi ikhtiyar rakhta hoon aur na bhalayee ka (Surah-e-Jinn, ayah 21) (Say, "It is not in my power to cause you either harm or good") It is only Allah (SWT) the Most Powerful, the Most Beneficent who can help the mankind and even harm them if needed. Does it mean that the presence of holy Prophet (SAW) in our lives has not done any good to us? Khuda ne to imaandaron per bada ehsaan kiya ke unn ke waaste unheen ki qawm ka ek Rasool (SAW) bheja jo unhain Khuda ki aayatein padh padh ke sunata hai aur unn ki tabiyat ko pakizah karta hai aur unhain Kitab (Kitab-eKhuda) aur aqal ki baatein sikhaata hai agarche wo pehle khuli hui gumrahi main pade the. (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 164) (Allah did confer a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a messenger from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom,

126 Divine Association while, before that, they had been in manifest error.) When we observe the above ayah we find that there are so many benefits Allah (SWT) has made us count while referring to the holy Prophet (SAW). In fact in the above ayah He says that the holy Prophets presence amongst us is His Great Favour. So if there are multiple benefits because of the holy Prophet (SAW) why did the first ayah say that it is not in his power to do any good to us? This needs to be further pondered upon. Qasam hai sitare ki jis waqt ke woh utra. Tumhara rafeeq na bhatak gaya hai aur na bahka hai. Aur woh khwahishe nafsaani se kuch nahin kehta. Jo kuch woh kehta hai woh nahin hai magar Wahi hai jo uski taraf bheji jaati hai. Usko badi quwwaton waale aur badi aqal waale ne taalim kiya. - (Surah-e-Najam, ayah,1-5) (I swear by the star when it goes down. Your companion does not err, nor does he go astray; Nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed, The Lord of Mighty Power has taught him) The above ayahs give us various results and provide us clarity on the above point which we were contemplating. The holy Prophet (SAW) never errs; hence he is

Divine Association 127 without any flaw. He never goes astray hence he is always steadfast on the straight path. He does not speak anything out of his will and desire. He only speaks whatever has been revealed to him. It means whatever he has said in his life is a revelation of Allah. These revelations are called ayahs in Quran and outside Quran they are called ahadith of the holy Prophet (SAW). This is the Divine Association our holy Prophet (SAW) has with the Almighty Allah. And this association provides him all the power to benefit us. And with the following ayah Allah (SWT) has further informed us on the importance of the presence of holy Prophet (SAW) in our lives: "Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) Hum ne tum ko tamam alamon ke liye rehmat hi karke bheja hai". (Surah-e-Ambiya, ayah 107) (And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.) Allah (SWT) has created the Sun to provide us with light & warmth in day time. If we avoid Sunlight we will have to live in darkness and forego many other benefits of it. Hence it is required to be under the comfort of Sunlight whenever need arises. Our holy Prophet (SAW)s presence is similar to this. He is mercy to the worlds;

128 Divine Association hence the seekers of Allahs Mercy need to approach the holy Prophet (SAW). Without his intercession Allahs Mercy will never reach us. Allahs Mercy: In the light of various ayahs we saw divine association our holy Prophet (SAW) has with Allah (SWT) and hence the right to bestow Allahs Mercy over the mankind has been granted to the holy Prophet (SAW). Holy Prophet (SAW) got all his instructions from Allah (SWT) and he obeyed every instruction given to him. His mission was just to convey these instructions to the Ummah and he was not made accountable to ensure whether they were being followed or not, which Quran has clarified on various occasions. Let us see one of such instructions on Jihad in the following ayah: Pus (Ae Rasool (SAW)) tum Khuda ki raah mein jihad karo aur tum apne nafs ke siwa aur kisi ke zimmedar nahin ho aur imaandaron ko jihad ki targhib do. (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 84) (Then fight in Allah's cause - Thou art held responsible only for thyself - and rouse the believers.) Allah (SWT) orders holy Prophet (SAW) to perform Jihad. And also requires from him to motivate the

Divine Association 129 believers to do the same, but holds him responsible only for himself (his nafs) and nobody else; as in Arabic the ayah says Illa Nafsaka meaning except your nafs. What does his nafs include let us try to understand. Conduct of Mawla Ali (A.S) in various holy wars fought during the time of holy Prophet (SAW) and the time after that is well documented by Islamic scholars and historians and they have vouched for his steadfastness and bravery. He followed the instructions given by holy Prophet (SAW) to perfection. Also, on different occasions the holy Prophet (SAW) referred to his relation with Mawla Ali (A.S) as similar to the relationship of Musa (A.S) with Haroon (A.S), so let us first see an ayah related to Musa (A.S) and Haroon (A.S)s relationship and then we will further contemplate on the above point. Tub Musa (A.S) ne arz ki Khuda wanda Tu khuub waqif hai ke apni zaat khaas aur apne bhai ke siwa kisi per mera qaboo nahin buss ab hamare aur nafarman logon ke darmiyan judai daal de. (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 25) (He (Moses) said: "O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother: so separate us from this rebellious people!")

130 Divine Association

The ayah says that Musa (A.S) prayed to Allah (SWT) to protect him and his brother (Haroon (A.S)) from the rebellious people as he acknowledged that he only had the authority over himself and his brother and nobody else. In the light of this ayah and the holy Prophet (SAW)s comparison of his relationship with Mawla Ali (A.S) to Musa (A.S)s relationship with Haroon (A.S) when we observe the ayah of Surah-e-Nisa mentioned above where Allah (SWT) has instructed the holy Prophet (SAW) for Jihad and made him responsible only for himself; it seems that the nafs or the self of holy Prophet (SAW) included Mawla Ali (A.S) as well. In the battlefield of Ohad, when the holy Prophet (SAW) was deserted by his companions and left alone it was Mawla Ali (A.S) who remained with him and helped him. The holy Prophet (SAW) asked him why he not fled with others to which Ali (A.S) replied that he belonged to the Prophet (SAW). He being a believer would not like to turn a disbeliever or an infidel by resorting to flight. (Ref: Tabari; Ibn Athir; Madarij-al-Nabowat, Habib-ql-Siyar; Rawdzat-al-Ahbab.) In the light of ayahs, hadith and Mawla Ali (A.S)s conduct in Jihad we could infer that Mawla Ali (A.S) was nafs of the holy Prophet (SAW) to which Allah

Divine Association 131 (SWT) has referred to in the ayah pertaining to Jihad (ayah no. 84) of Surah-e-Nisa . Let us now see an event mentioned in Quran which will endorse our inference. When the Christians of Najran contested the Prophethood of holy Prophet (SAW), Allah (SWT) instructed the holy Prophet (SAW) to call both the parties to the event for a Mubahela. The ayah is also called ayah-e-Mubahela for this reason: Phir jab tumhare paas ilm (Quran) aa chuuka us ke baad bhi agar tum se koi (Nasrani) Isa (a.s) ke baare main hujjat kare to kaho ki achha maindaan main aao Hum apne beton ko bulaae tum apne beton ko, Hum apni aurton ko bulaae tum apni aurton ko, Hum apni jaanon ko bulaae tum apni jaanon ko, uske baad Hum sab milkar Khuda ki baargaah main gid gidaae aur jhooton per Khuda ki laanat kare... (Surah-e-Aale-Imran, ayah 61) (If any one disputes in this matter with thee, now after (full) knowledge hath come to thee say: Come! Let us gather together, - our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves. Then let us earnestly

132 Divine Association pray and invoke the curse of God on those who lie.) As instructed in the verse, each party was to bring their women, their sons and Anfosana. While the Christians brought a great delegation of learned scholars, the holy Prophet (SAW) summoned Hazrat Fatima (S.A) in place of women of his house. Hassan (A.S) and Hussain (A.S) in place of his sons and Hazrat Ali (A.S) as Anfosana meaning part of his nafs or self. Both the parties then were needed to pray and invoke curse of Allah on the liars. The Christian delegation looking at these five purified souls and their holy spirits quickly conferred amongst them and called off the Mubahela. They agreed not to question the nobility of the holy Prophet (SAW) and his mission. (Ref: Imam Fakhruddin Razi in Tafseer-eKabeer, Vol II, P 73, Allama Zamakhshari in Tafseer-eKashshaf) The holy Prophet (SAW) neither errs nor he goes astray and he does not speak anything but whatever is revealed to him by the Almighty Allah. While Mawla Ali (A.S) is the part of his nafs or soul, thus even he does not err, neither he goes astray and his conduct during his entire life is the example of how the instructions of the holy Prophet (SAW) needs to be followed. And hence his conduct is Allahs Wahi (revelation) in human form.

Divine Association 133 Our above inference shows a strong association Mawla Ali (A.S) has with Almighty Allah. In the light of an ayah that showcases status of Mawla Ali (A.S) with respect to Allah (SWT) and degree of his nearness to the Almighty let us further substantiate this fact: Aur logon mein se Khuda ke bande kuch aise hein jo Khuda ki (khushnudi) haasil karne ki gharaz se apne nafs tak bech daalte hain aur Khuda aise bandon per bada hi shafkat wala hai. (Surah-e- Baqra, ayah 207) (And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Affectionate to the servants.) Imam Ghizali in his Tareekh-e-Khamees writes that the above ayah of Surah-e-Baqra was revealed mentioning the sacrifice of Mawla Ali (A.S) when he slept on the bed of the holy Prophet (SAW) during the night of Hijrat risking his own life to save the holy Prophet (SAW) and thus helped the cause of Islam. Various prominent Islamic historians, on the authority of Ibn-eAbbas, have also documented a similar tradition in their work referring to the above ayah with Mawla Alis sleep on the bed of the holy Prophet (SAW) at the night of Hijrat. (Ref: In Mustadrak by Imam Hakim, Volume 3 Page 4)

134 Divine Association

The ayah highlights the sacrifice of Mawla Ali (A.S) by saying that he sold himself to seek the pleasure of Allah. The nafs of Mawla Ali (A.S) was purchased by Allah (SWT) on this night of Hijrat. Imagine if someone helps your cause risking his own life what would you do? Would not you want to help him or reward him to the best of your capacity? I would definitely try to do my best to reward such a helper who is ready to risk his life to help me. Allah (SWT) is Most Beneficent and Merciful, and the Most Powerful. He is Ala Kulle Shayeen Kadeer. So what would be the level of His reward? As the ayah says that in return of nafs of Mawla Ali (A.S), Allah (SWT) granted him with His Pleasure. So whatever pleases Ali (A.S) pleases Allah (SWT) and whatever displeases Ali (A.S) displeases Allah The Almighty. And in one of the sermons which he addressed to Hazrat Salman Farsi (R.A) and Hazrat Abu Zarr Ghaffari (R.A), Hazrat Ali (A.S) has narrated the rewards he got from Allah The Most High: O Salmn! O Jandb! Verily, Allah has made me His Trustee over His creations and His Vicegerent on His earth, in His territories, and over His servants. Allah has given me what no

Divine Association 135 artist can depict and no man of understanding can truly comprehend. One, who knows me in this manner, becomes a momin. Then he further continued in the same sermon: When my name was written on the throne of sky, it attained its calmness. When it was inscribed on the mountains, they were upraised. When written on the earth, it became stable. When it was inscribed on the wind, it started flowing. (Ref: Excerpts from Sermon of Marefat-e-Nooraniyat of Imam Ali (A.S), Nah jul Israr, hubeali.com)

Allahs Pleasure: Allah (SWT) has granted Mawla Ali (A.S) with His Pleasure, hence the seeker of Allahs pleasure now should approach Mawla Ali (A.S) without his intercession it would not be possible to please Almighty Allah. Mosques are built so that we worship our Lord. Hence Allah (SWT) gives strict instructions on our conduct in Mosques: Aur ye ki masjidein khaas Khuda ki hain to logo Khuda ke saath kisi ki ibadat na karna. (Surah-e-Jinn, ayah 18)

136 Divine Association "(And the places of worship are for Allah (alone): So invoke not any one along with Allah) Only Allah (SWT) is to be worshipped and nobody else is worth worshipping along with Him otherwise it would lead to Shirk. Namaz is the highest form of worship and hence Muslims everywhere in the world throng to Mosques to perform Namaz. Let us try to understand Namaz then. Namaz starts with Surah-e-Hamd. It is mandatory to recite this Surah in the beginning of every Namaz otherwise Namaz does not start. The ayahs (6 & 7) of this Surah are the prayer to tread the straight path of those who have been bestowed by Allahs Grace. Salabi in his tafseer has mentioned a tradition from Abu Hureira that the straight path means the path taken by Mohammed (SAW) and the children of Mohammed (SAW). (Ref: Salabi in his Tafseer, Waki ibn-e-Jarrah in his commentary). Again, at the end of every Namaz it is mandatory to send durood and salutations on the holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy Progeny, without which Namaz remains incomplete. Thus Namaz starts with a prayer to follow the path taken by the holy Prophet (SAW) and his progeny and it ends with durood on them.

Divine Association 137 It means that sending durood and salutations on the holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy Progeny and discussing their virtues amongst ourselves and praying to Allah (SWT) to make us capable enough to follow their path is an integral part of our prayers. Thus Zikre-Ahl-ul-bait should not be mistaken as Shirk but it is an integral part of Zikr-e-Khuda. Almighty Allah reveals His Glory through His creations. These creations are His Signs to understand His Greatness. As He says in the following ayah: Kya tumne nahin dekha ke kashtiyan samandar mein Khuda ki nemat se chalti hein ke wo apni nishaniyon main se baaz tum ko dikhlade beshak har sabr karne wale aur shukr karne wale ke liye uss main bahot si nishaniyan maujood hain. (Surah-e-Luqman, ayah 31) (Do you not see that the ships sail in the ocean by the grace of God, that He may show you some of His glories. Verily there are signs in this for those who constantly persevere and give thanks.) Whatever happens in this world is because of the Grace of Allah (SWT), as the above ayah indicates that ships

138 Divine Association sail in the ocean by His Grace. So invoking Allahs Grace is to get all our desires fulfilled. Keeping this in mind, let us see following excerpts from Hadeeth-e-Kisa, this hadeeth is a tafseer of ayah-etatheer (Surah-e-Ahzab, ayah 33). Jabir Ibn-e-Abdullah Ansari (R.A) narrates from the authority of Lady Fatema (S.A), the beloved daughter of the holy Prophet (SAW) that: Then the Lord, Almighty Allah said: O My Angels! O inmates of the Heavens! I created this solid firmament, well-stretched earth, welllighted moon, shinning sun, rotating planets, rippling oceans, floating boats, and all other things for the sake and love of these five persons who are inside the cloak. At this, the Archangel Jibraeel (A.S) said: O Lord! Who are they inside the cloak? The Lord said: They are Ahl-ul-Bait of the Prophet and the assets of the Prophethood. They are Fatima (S.A), her father, her husband and her two sons. The ayah from Surah-e-Luqman says that whatever happens is due to the Grace of Almighty Allah, while in the hadeeth-e-Kisa, Almighty Allah says that He

Divine Association 139 created everything for the sake and love of Fatima (S.A), her father (The holy Prophet (SAW)), her husband (Mawla Ali (A.S)) and her two sons (Hassan and Hussein (A.S)) i.e. family of Fatima (S.A) The Panjetan Paak (A.S). Again if we go back to ayah of Surah-e-Hamd (ayah 6 & 7) which is a prayer for us to tread the straight path taken by Mohammed (SAW) and his children; who were bestowed by Allahs Grace it seems logical that Allahs Grace is nothing but in loving them and following them. Allahs Grace: Thus in the light of ayahs of Surah-eHamd and Surah-e-Luqman and Hadeeth-e-Kisa, Allahs Grace is the love for family of Fatima (S.A). If she and her family is happy with us Allahs Grace will always be with us. Without the intercession of family of Fatima (S.A), it is not possible to invoke Allahs Grace. Allah (SWT) has created this world with a purpose. In one of the ahadeeth-e-Qudsi Allah (SWT) informs the purpose of this world to his first creation Adam (A.S): O Adam! Suppose if they (Mohammed (SAW) wa Aale Mohammed (SAW)) had not been there, I would neither have created you, nor would I have given the attire of creation to the Heavens, Hell,

140 Divine Association Skies and Earth. (Ref: Maani Al Akhbar, P 124) The Purpose of Allah creating this world is His love for Mohammed (SAW) and his children. And in this love He has concealed His Grace. He wanted the Ummah to understand His Purpose and in return He wished to shower us with His Grace and hence Allah (SWT) instructed the holy Prophet (SAW) to ask his Ummah to reward him for his messengership by loving his Ahlul-bait in the following manner: Ae Rasool (SAW) tum kehdo ke main apni tableegh-e-risalat ka apne karabatdaron ki mohabbat ke siwa tumse koi sila nahin maangta (Surah-e-Shura, aayat 23) (Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives) Here the love of relatives of the holy Prophet (SAW) is love for Fatima (S.A), Ali (A.S) and their children Hassan (A.S) and Hussain (A.S). (Ref: Salabi, Suyuti, Baidhavi, Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmed ibn Hambal, Allama Zamkhashri Vol 3, P 68). Allahs Purpose: Thus family of Fatima (S.A) is not only Allahs Grace but they are the Purpose of Allah.

Divine Association 141 And if we remain dedicated to them we ensure that Allah would be pleased with us. This would keep us steadfast on the straight path. Allahs Mercy would be bestowed upon us and we would always be under His limitless Grace. So let us along with Almighty Allah send durood and salutations to the holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy Progeny, the way Quran says: Ae Ahl-ul-bait (Nabuwwat) tum per Khuda ki rehmat wa Usski barkatein (naazil ho). (Surah-e-Hud, ayah 73) (The Mercy of Allah and His Blessings are on you, O Ahl-ul-bait) Salwaat

142 Kullo na Mohammed

Kullo na Mohammed
The world recently saw the passing away of legendary Steve Jobs - the father of digital revolution. At the helm of Apple computers he created innovative products that revolutionized the way we listen to songs, music and much more. He had a very interesting association with Apple computers. He started this company in his parents garage along-with couple of friends in the year 1976. In 1985 Jobs was asked to resign from the company and thus left Apple computers. Without him the company could not do anything worthwhile and he was called back as advisor in 1996; made interim CEO in 1997 and eventually CEO of the company in 2000. He straight away justified his re-joining the company by revolutionizing the music industry with innovative products like iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone, iPad and even companys Apple Retail Stores. Thus he perfected the company and made it one of the most successful companies of the modern day during his lifetime. Now, when he is no more the biggest challenge Apple faces is whether it can grow at the same pace as it used to under Steves leadership.

Kullo na Mohammed 143

Point to ponder is that Apple Computers needed

Steve Jobs for its growth and perfection. Hence Steve jobs himself or only another worthy leader and inheritor of his skills, vision and character can guarantee its future growth, in absence of which some skeptics doubt the very survival of the company amidst the stiff competition that it faces. True, an inspirational leader can make a difference to any organization and lead it to perfection. Islam is the greatest religion and like a great organization has spread across various continents. In this article let us try to find out those leaders under whose able leadership the religion has grown and remained perfect. So let us first see how the religion got perfected: Aaj Maine tumhare deen ko kaamil kardiya aur tum per apni nemat poori kardi aur tumhare iss Deen-e-Islam ko pasand kiya. (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 3) (This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.) The above ayah was revealed after the announcement of Man Kunto Mawla ho fa hazaa Ali un Mawla. by the holy Prophet (SAW) after returning from his last

144 Kullo na Mohammed pilgrimage at Ghadir-e-Khum. (Ref: Tafseer Ibn Katheer, volume 2, page 14, published in Egypt, Tafseer Durr e Mansoor, Vol 2, P 259, Egypt). The holy Prophet (SAW) gave us tauheed and Kalema and after he announced the leadership of Mawla Ali (A.S) the religion got perfected. Thus to have a perfect religion we need to understand the Apostleship of the holy Prophet (SAW) along with the leadership and Imamat of Mawla Ali (A.S). Now almost 1400 years after them who would guarantee that the faith which we follow is perfect? Thus after the era of Mawla Ali (A.S) in every subsequent era the Islamic world was in need of an able representative and inheritor of his skills, knowledge and character to guide the Ummah to perfection of faith. This makes it important for the Ummah to find and recognize these successors and follow them. But before we proceed with it let us first confirm whether the Quran quotes any incidences that prove the inheritance of Prophets? For this purpose we will see the following ayahs: Aur (ilm, hikmat, jaedaad sab mein) Suleman Dawood ke waaris hue aur kaha ki logo hum ko (Khuda ke fazal se) parindon ki boli bhi sikhayee gayee hai aur (duniya ki) har cheez ataa ki gayee

Kullo na Mohammed 145 hai iss main shak nahin ki yeh yaqini (Khuda ka) sarihi fazal wa karam hai. (Surah-e-An Namal, ayah 16) (And Sulaiman was Dawood's heir, and he said: O men! we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given all things; most surely this is manifest grace.) Pus Tu mujhko Apni bargaah se ek janashin farzand ataa farma jo meri aur Yaqub ki nasal ki miraas ka malik ho ae mere Parwardigar aur ussko Apna pasandida banda bana. (Surah-eMaryam, ayah 5-6) (Therefore grant me from Thyself an heir, Who should inherit me and inherit from the children of Yaqoub, and make him, my Lord, one in whom Thou art well pleased.) The above ayahs prove that Prophets do have inheritors of their knowledge, character, property and whatever Allah (SWT) has bestowed upon them. Inheritor of the legacy of Dawood (A.S) was his son Suleman (A.S), while Zakariya (A.S) prayed to have an heir who inherits him and the legacy of his forefathers. It seems logical to conclude then that the inheritors of the legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW) and Mawla Ali

146 Kullo na Mohammed (A.S) should be their children. But what is the legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW) and Mawla Ali (A.S) as per Quran?: Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) Quran se pehle na to tum koi kitab hi padhte the aur na apne haath se tum likha karte the aisa hota to ye jhoothe zaroor tumhari nabuwwat main shak karte. (Surah-eAnkabut, ayah 48) (You were neither reading any book before this, nor did you write one down with your hand. If you had done so, the followers of falsehood would have had cause to doubt it.) Before Quran was revealed the world neither saw the holy Prophet (SAW) write anything nor read any book. That means his knowledge was the divine knowledge of Quran which was given to him. And how did he get this knowledge? (Aur Ae Rasool (SAW)) beshak yeh (Quran) saari Khudai ke paalne wale (Khuda) ka utara hua hai jise Rooh al amin (Jibraeel (A.S)) saaf Arabi zabaan main lekar tumhare dil per naazil hue hain taake tum bhi aur paighambaron ki tarah logon ko azab e Khuda se darao. (Surah-e-Shaura, ayah 192-195)

Kullo na Mohammed 147 (And indeed this Quran has been sent down by the Lord Of The Creation. The Trustworthy Spirit (Jibraeel (A.S)) brought it down. Upon your heart, for you to convey warning. In plain Arabic language.) This Divine Knowledge was brought down upon the heart of the holy Prophet (SAW) by Jibraeel (A.S). This is how Allah (SWT)s knowledge was delivered to the holy Prophet (SAW). Allah thus was a teacher and our beloved Prophet (SAW) was His worthy student. As Allah (SWT) further says in the following ayahs: Qasam hai sitare ki jis waqt ke woh utra. Tumhara rafeeq na bhatak gaya hai aur na behka hai. Aur wo khwahishe nafasani se kuch nahin kehta. Jo kuch woh kehta hai woh nahin hai magar Wahi hai jo uski taraf bheji jaati hai. Usko badi quwwaton waale aur badi aqal waale ne taalim kiya. - (Surah-e-Najam, ayah,1-5 ) (I swear by the star when it goes down. Your companion does not err, nor does he go astray; Nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed, The Lord of Mighty Power has taught him) Allah (SWT) granted His Divine Knowledge to the holy Prophet (SAW) and he became the first inheritor of it.

148 Kullo na Mohammed Hence this Divine Knowledge is the legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW). Apart from this Allah (SWT) also granted the following to the holy Prophet (SAW) as a part of His legacy: "Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) Hum ne tum ko tamam alamon ke liye rehmat hi karke bheja hai". (Surah-e-Ambiya, ayah 107) (And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.) Hence the legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW) included Allahs Mercy along with His Divine Knowledge. The holy Prophet (SAW) passed this Divine Legacy then to his successor and brother Mawla Ali (A.S) in the following manner: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "O Ali! You are the owner of my stream (Al-Hawd), the holder of my banner, my beloved, my custodian, the inheritor of my knowledge, my successor and the holder of the prophets' inheritances before me. You are the guardian of Allah in His land, the argument of Allah for His creations, the basis of faith and the pillar of Islam.

Kullo na Mohammed 149 You are the Light in darkness, the guiding light and the raised flag for the people of this world. O Ali! He who follows you shall be saved and who leaves you shall be doomed. You are the apparent path and the right way (Al-Sirat). You are the leader of those who shine with light and the King of believers. You are the master of those who I am a master of; I am the master of every believer (men and women). Only those of pure births love you and only those of births of adultery detest you. Then he further added that: Not once did my Lord raise me to the sky and speak to me without telling me: "O Mohammad, send my greetings (Peace) to Ali and inform him that he is the Imam of my saints and the Light of the obedient ones. Congratulations for this virtue of yours , O Ali! "" (Ref: Amali Al-Sadouq p.382, Al-Bihar vol.38 p.100, Ghayat Al-Maram vol.3 p.78, Bisharat AlMostafa p.95, Al-Bihar vol.40 p.53, Yanabe'a AlMawadda vol.1 p.39) Thus firstly the holy Prophet (SAW) and then Mawla Ali (A.S) inherited Allahs Divine Legacy. The way in which

150 Kullo na Mohammed Suleman (A.S) inherited the legacy of Dawood (A.S) and Yahya (A.S) of Zakariya (A.S), the Divine Legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW) and Mawla Ali (A.S) should have been inherited by their children after them. Let us now see what Quran has to say about the children of the holy Prophet (SAW): Ae Rasool (SAW) Hum ne tum ko Kausar ataa kiya, to tum apne Parvardigar ki namaz padha karo aur qurbani diya karo beshak tumhara dushman be-aulad rahega. (Surah-al Kausar, ayah 1-3) (Surely We have given you Kausar, Therefore pray to your Lord and make a sacrifice. Surely your enemy is the one who shall be without posterity) Most of the Islamic scholars while mentioning the above ayahs have explained that the word Kausar refers to Janabe Fatema (S.A), as it was through her that the lineage of the holy Prophet (SAW) proceeded. While commenting on the time of revelation of above Surah-al-Kausar, the scholars have explained that an infidel denounced the Prophet (SAW) when one of his children died and said that he (pbuh) is now without offspring, therefore when he dies his name will die with

Kullo na Mohammed 151 him. In order to negate them and give assurance to the holy Propet (SAW) Allah (SWT) revealed this Surah. It is as if to tell the holy Prophet (SAW) that his descendants would remain even after all other lineages are ended. In Majma al Bayan, Tabarsi has commented on the Surah in the following manner: It was said that Kausar means abundant benevolence, it has also been said that it means the multiplicity of a given person; and the descendants of Fatema (S.A) have enormously multiplied in a way that they will exist until the Day of Resurrection.

Even the prominent scholar like Fakhruddin Razi has quoted comments of some scholars while referring to the Surah al Kausar. According to him some scholars have commented in the following manner: Since this chapter was revealed to refute the claim of an infidel who attempted to denounce the Prophet (SAW) for not having sons, it becomes clear that the meaning given here is that Allah (SWT) gave the Prophet (SAW) offspring, which will be everlasting. We must keep in mind that numerous massacres have been committed against Ahl-ul-bait (A.S), yet still the world is full of them; while the Umayyads

152 Kullo na Mohammed have vanished save a few who are worthless. Besides this, prominent scholars have descended from Fatema (S.A)s sons such as Al-Baqir (A.S), Al-Sadiq (A.S), Al-Kazim (A.S), Al-Reza (A.S), Al Nafs Al-Zakyyah and others. Thus from the above explanation we can infer that it is Allah (SWT)s Will that the lineage of Fatema (S.A) and Mawla Ali (A.S) be the lineage of the holy Prophet (SAW). This makes the Imams the children of Mawla Ali (A.S), as the true inheritor of this Divine Legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW). This inference can be further proved by the following ayah: Phir jab tumhare paas ilm (Quran) aa chuuka us ke baad bhi agar tum se koi (Nasrani) Isa (a.s) ke baare main hujjat kare to kaho ki achha maidaan main aao Hum apne beton ko bulaaen tum apne beton ko, Hum apni aurton ko bulaaen tum apni aurton ko, Hum apni jaanon ko bulaaen tum apni jaanon ko, uske baad Hum sab milkar Khuda ki baargaah main gid gidaaen aur jhooton per Khuda ki laanat karein.. (Surah-e-AaleImran, ayah 61) (If any one disputes in this matter with thee, now after (full) knowledge hath come to thee say: Come! Let us gather together, - our sons and your sons, our women and your women,

Kullo na Mohammed 153 ourselves and yourselves. Then let us earnestly pray and invoke the curse of God on those who lie.) When the Christians of Najran contested the Prophethood of holy Prophet (SAW), Allah (SWT) instructed the holy Prophet (SAW) to call both the parties to the event for a Mubahela. As instructed in the verse, each party was to bring their women, their sons and themselves. While the Christians brought a great delegation of learned scholars, the holy Prophet (SAW) summoned Hasan (A.S) and Hussain (A.S) in place of his sons. Janabe Fatema (A.S) represented women of his house and Mawla Ali (A.S) represented part of his soul. Both the parties then were needed to pray and invoke curse of Allah on the liars. This event further substantiates our inference of Imams being children of the holy Prophet (SAW). We will see few more references of prominent scholars in this regard now: Khawarazmi in Manaqib, p 229 has narrated the declaration of the holy Prophet (SAW) in the following words: Surely Allah made every Prophets progeny proceed from his own loins

154 Kullo na Mohammed and made my progeny proceed from Alis loins. (Ref: This narration was also reported by the following writers: Muhib Ad-Din-Tabari in Dhakhaer al-Uqbi, Hamueeni in Faraed AsSemtain, Dhahabi in Mizan al-Etedal, Ibn Hajar in al-Sawaiq al-Muhriqa p.74, Mirza Hindi in Muntakhab Kanz al-Umal, Zarqani in Sharh Mawahib Ladonyyah, and Qandouzi in Yanabi al-Mawaddah p.138.) Nisaee also mentioned in Khasaes Amir AlMomineen on the authority of Mohammed Ibn Usama Ibn Zaid that his father said that the holy Prophet (SAW) has said: As for you Ali, you are my son-in-law and the father of my offspring; you are from me and I am from you.

Thus Hasan (A.S) and Hussain (A.S) inherited their Divine Legacy and after them it was inherited by Imams from the lineage of Hussain (A.S). By contemplating on various ayahs we were able to establish that the true inheritors of legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW) and Mawla Ali (A.S) are their children. Our inference was backed by Quranic evidences, logic and few references; let us now further establish the fact

Kullo na Mohammed 155 by contemplating on the following ayah which directly supports our inference. As the ayah says: Aur jin logon ne imaan qubool kiya aur unki aulaad ne bhi imaan main unka saath diya to Hum unki aulaad ko bhi unke darje tak pahoncha denge aur Hum unki kaarguzariyon main se kuch bhi kam na karenge, har shakhs apne amaal ke badle main girvi hai. ( Surahe-Tur, ayah 21) (And those who accepted faith, and whose descendants followed them with faith We have joined their descendants with them, and have not reduced anything for them from their deeds; every soul is trapped in its own deeds.) In the above ayah Allah (SWT) promises to unite the descendants, who have accepted faith and followed the path taken by their believer forefathers with them. In the light of the above ayah it means that they will hold the same divine position as their forefathers and will be considered similar. In Karbala, Imam Hussain (A.S) sacrificed his entire family for the sake of Islam and thus helped the cause of holy Prophet (SAW). It is because of this that the holy Prophet (SAW) had said for Imam Hussain (A.S):

156 Kullo na Mohammed

"I am from Hussain and Hussain is from me" (Ref: Sahih Tirmizi, vol 6, P 307, Kanzul Ammal, vol 4, P 221, Masnad Ahmed, vol 4 P 972)

In the battlefield of Karbala Imam Hussain (A.S) was ably supported by his son Imam Zainul Abedin (A.S) during this Jihad and after his martyrdom Imam Zainul Abedin (A.S) took over the mantle of this divine cause. This lineage continued till the 12th and the last Imam Mohammed Mehdi (A.S) who has inherited this legacy and is currently in occultation. When the occultation ends following the Divine Orders, he will hold similar authority as his preceding Imams and the holy Prophet (SAW) and hence Mawla Ali (A.S) has said that: The first one of us is Mohammed, the last one of us is Mohammed, the middle one of us is Mohammed and all of us are Mohammed. So do not differentiate between us. If we will be doing a matter, Allah Wills it and if we dislike it Allah dislikes it. The Wayl (deepest layer of Hell) and all its torment is for those who reject our virtues, private matters and what Allah has given us, because whoever rejects anything Allah gave us has rejected Allahs might and will within us. (Ref: Bihar ul Anwar, vol 26, p 1, Mashareeq Anwarul Yaqeen, p 255, Ilzan al Nasib, vol 1 P 32)

Kullo na Mohammed 157 In his beautiful work Stairway to Heaven, Yousuf N Lalljee, the author has mentioned the following hadith of the holy Prophet (SAW), where he had said that: I am the Prince of Apostles, Ali is the Prince of Successors; after me there will be 12 successors, the last shall be Al-Mahdi.

In the same section Lalljee has quoted the holy Prophet (SAW) mentioning the position of Imams succeeding him in the following manner: Awwalona Mohammed The First of us is Mohammed Ausatona Mohammed The Middle of us is Mohammed Aakhirona Mohammed The Last one of us is Mohammed Kullona Mohammed Everyone of us is Mohammed (Ref: Stairway to Heaven, Yousuf.N.Lalljee, December 1975, Bombay Edition, Page 79-80) With the above references and in the light of ayahs which we contemplated in this article, we need to understand the rights of 12 Imams - the true successors of the Divine Legacy of the holy Prophet (SAW). By

158 Kullo na Mohammed knowing them and understanding their position we guarantee perfection of faith and remain true believers till we live. And later, about our queries to the happenings after death the Quran replies: Uss din ko yaad karo jab Hum tamam logon ko unke Imamon ke saath bulayenge, to jiska naama-e-aamaal un ke dahine haath main diya jayega to woh log khush khush apna naama-eaamaal padhne lagenge aur un per resha barabar zulm nahin kiya jayega. (Surah-eBani Israel, ayah 71) One day We shall call together all human beings with their Imams: those who are given their record in their right hand will read it (with pleasure), and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least. The above ayah clarifies that if we have followed true Imams we will get the naama-e-aamaal (record of our deeds) under their leadership in our right hands guaranteeing salvation. But in case if we have followed wrong Imams, we have faltered in our faiths in this world and salvation cannot be guaranteed. Hence recognizing the true Imams and understanding their position is important for us to have a perfect faith which is a certificate for salvation.

The Excellence of Durood 159

The Excellence of Durood

There are two ways in which one school is usually differentiated from the other: By School Uniform By School Mandates

A school uniform helps a school to identify its students; thus it is a mark of identification of its students. While school mandates are the guidelines which would help to groom a student. A student wearing an untidy uniform at school premises might get punished and would earn a bad name for himself, but a student who disobeys school mandates is removed or rusticated from his school as his behaviour could harm other students and also earn a bad name for the school.

It is important for a student to follow the school

mandates with perfection so that he is loved by the authorities and can become a good ambassador of his school.

160 The Excellence of Durood When we relate this with Islam there are again two ways a Muslim can be differentiated from other fellow Muslims: By his Prayers

By his willingness to obey the Quranic Mandates A Muslim who prays regularly is identified as a devout Muslim. Thus it is a mark of identification of his devotion. Let us see what Quran says regarding our prayers: Aur Maine jinnon aur aadmiyon ko issi gharaz se paida kiya ki wo Meri ibadat karein. (Surah-e-Adh Dhariyat, ayah 55) (I have not created the jinns and men but to worship Me) The objective behind the creation of Jinn and Men is to worship Allah (SWT). When we worship Him we are united with Him and fulfill the objective of our existence. Again He further says in the following ayah: Aur jo shakhs (ibadat main) koshish karta hai to bas apne hi waaste koshish karta hai (kyunke) usmain to shak hi nahin ke Khuda saare jahan ki

The Excellence of Durood 161 ibadaton se beniyaaz hai (Surah-e-Ankabut, ayah 6) (And whoever strives hard (in prayers), he strives only for his own soul; most surely Allah is Self-sufficient, above (prayers of) the worlds.) The above ayah says that Allah (SWT) is above all the prayers of the worlds. He is self-sufficient and hence independent of our prayers. Our prayers are for our own good. If we pray regularly we ourselves would be benefited. And if we dont pray the loss is our own. But when we reflect back on the first ayah that says Allah (SWT) has created Jinn and men to worship Him we are forced to contemplate that there must be a specific prayer which if offered would unite us with Him and fulfill His objective of creating us. Before we proceed with identifying such a prayer let us stop here and try to focus on a few Quranic Mandates that would help us groom ourselves and make us a good ambassador of the religion and be loved by Allah (SWT). For this let us see the following ayahs from Surah-eFateha; this Surah is mandatory to be recited in the beginning of every namaz.

162 The Excellence of Durood Humain seedha raasta dikha, un logo ka raasta jin per Tu ne inaam farmaya (Surah-eFateha Ayah 6-7) (Show us the straightway, the way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace...) Invariably every Muslim recites the above lines and thus prays to be guided on the straight path which is treaded by the selected few who are bestowed by Allah (SWT)s limitless Grace. If we follow the path shown by them we would be groomed to be a good ambassador of our religion and be worthy of Allah (SWT)s limitless Grace. Salabi in his tafseer quotes a tradition from Abu Hureira which says that the straight path mentioned in the above ayah of Surah-e-Fateha is the path taken by Mohammed (SAW) and the children of Mohammed (SAW). (Ref: Salabi in his Tafseer, Waki ibn-e-Jarrah in his commentary). Thus the Quranic Mandate to become a good Muslim is to follow the path taken by the holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy Progeny (pbut). Again the importance of above mandate can be best understood by contemplating on the following ayah from Surah-e-Shura:

The Excellence of Durood 163 Ae Rasool (SAW) tum kehdo ke main apni tableegh-e-risalat ka apne karabatdaron ki mohabbat ke siwa tumse koi sila nahin maangta (Surah-e-Shura, ayah 23) (Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives) In the above ayah Allah (SWT) instructs the holy Prophet (SAW) to ask the Ummah to love his near relatives in lieu of the hard-work which he undertook during his Prophethood of 23 years. The near relatives mentioned in the above ayah refer to Ali (A.S) & Fatema (A.S) and their children. (Ref: Salabi, Suyuti, Baidhavi, Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmed ibn Hambal, Allama Zamkhashri Vol 3, P 68). The reward of the Prophethood is the love of Ahl-ul-bait. It can be hence further inferred that if someone is not giving heed to the above ayah he is risking his faith and dishonoring the Prophethood. And he may not remain in Islam; that is why the holy Prophet (SAW) has said that: In the love for my Ahl-ul-bait lies the foundation of Islam (Ref: Selections from Kanz-ul-Ummal, P 94).

164 The Excellence of Durood Thus the Quranic Mandate to remain in Islam and be a true ambassador of the religion is to love the Ahl-ulbait. By loving them and getting inspired by their lives and teachings we remain on the straight path. Let us shift our focus back on prayers now. We will see the following ayah on namaz, which is mandatory for any Muslim to offer 5 times a day: To un namaziyon ki tabahi hai jo apni nanaz se ghafil rehte hain jo dikhane ke waaste karte hain aur roz marra ki mamooli cheezein bhi aariyat nahin dete. (Surah-e-Maun, 4-7) (So woe to the praying ones, Who are unmindful of their prayers, Who do (good) to be seen, And withhold the necessaries of life.) Though it is the highest form of prayer Allah (SWT) disapproves those who display their namaz in such a manner that it becomes a showoff. Thus Allah (SWT) likes that namaz which is subtle and offered only for the purpose of pleasing Him and Him alone. Keeping this in mind let us see the following ayah now: Iss main shak nahin ke Khuda aur uske farishte paighambar (aur unki aal) per durood

The Excellence of Durood 165 bhejte hai to ae imaandaro tum bhi durood bhejte raho aur baraabar salaam karte raho. (Surah-e-Ahzaab, ayah 56) (Surely Allah and His angels bless the Prophet; O you who believe! call for (Divine) blessings on him and salute him with a (becoming) salutation.) The ayah says that Allah (SWT) and His angels bless the holy Prophet (SAW) by way of sending durood on him. Allah (SWT) further orders the believers to send durood and salams to the holy Prophet (SAW) in return. While we ponder upon the above ayah we can infer that to send durood and salutations on the holy Prophet (SAW) is the work of believers as the ayah has been addressed to them; whoever does so qualifies to be a Momin; he becomes a true believer. Thus the way offering namaz is the identification of a Muslim, offering durood is the identification of a Momin. Again, while offering namaz we need to be subtle without showoff, but durood is offered a loud in public. Allah (SWT) has not kept any restrictions in the way we offer durood. In fact it is the only form of prayer where Allah (SWT) joins us in offering durood while for other prayers He is above them.

166 The Excellence of Durood When this verse was revealed, someone asked the Holy Prophet (SAW) as to how i.e. in what words should the believers recite Salawat or Durood to him. He said: O Lord! Bestow Thy Mercy and Grace upon Mohammed and the Progeny of Mohammed as Thous didst bestow Thy mercy and blessings upon Ibrahim and the progeny of Ibrahim, verily Thou art the Most praised and the Most Glorious One. So whenever durood is sent on the holy Prophet (SAW) it includes his holy Progeny (pbut) as well. That is why the following ayah says that: Aur Hum ne un ka zikr khair baad ke aane walon main baaqi rakkha ke har taraf se Aal-eYaseen per salaam hi salaam hai (Surah-eSaafat, ayah 129-130) (And We perpetuated to them (praise) among the later generations. Peace be unto the Aal-eYaseen.) Allah (SWT) sends His salams to Aal-e-Yaseen appreciating their good deeds and He promises that their deeds would be perpetuated among the later generations. So when we praise their good deeds we are obeying

The Excellence of Durood 167 Allahs Wish and thus take a step further in grooming ourselves. Ibn-e-Abi Haatim and Ibn-e-Marduiya have quoted a tradition from the authority of Ibn-e-Abbas that Aal-eYaseen in the above ayah refers to Aal-e-Mohammed (SAW) (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, vol 5, P 286) Fakhruddin Razi writes that the Ahl-ul-bait are at par with the Holy Prophet (SAW) in five things: Firstly in salutation, for Allah said, Peace be unto thee, O Prophet, and He also said Peace be unto the Aal-e-Yaseen. Secondly in invoking the blessings of Allah during prayers, after each tashahud. Thirdly in their purity, for the Almighty said unto the Prophet Ta Ha (Surah 20) and He revealed the verse of Purification (33:33) for the Ahl-ul-bait. Fourthly in the Sadaqa being forbidden. Fifthly in love, for Allah says that we should follow the Prophet and he would make Allah love us. He also said, Say, I ask of you no reward except that you love my kindred.

168 The Excellence of Durood

- (Ref: Stairway to Heaven, Yousuf.N.Lalljee, December 1975, Bombay Edition, Page 38) The above mentioned ayahs are not the only occasions when Allah (SWT) has sent His salutations on Ahl-ulbait. He again sends His Mercy and Blessings in the following ayah: Ae Ahl-ul-bait (Nabuwwat) tum per Khuda ki rehmat wa Usski barkatein (naazil ho). (Surah-e-Hud, ayah 73) (The Mercy of Allah and His Blessings are on you, O Ahl-ul-bait) Whenever the holy Prophet (SAW) visited Mawla Ali (A.S)s house, he would hold the door and say Assalam-alaykum Ya Ahl-ul-bait. (Ref: Durr-eMansoor, Mulla Jalaluddin Suyuti, Vol 5, Page 198-199) By showering His Mercy, His Blessings and His Grace on the Ahl-ul-bait on various occasions in Quran and also ordering the believers to send their salutations on the holy Prophet (SAW) and his Progeny (pbut), Allah (SWT) has shown us the importance of this Mandate. Shafei has further confirmed the above Quranic Mandate

The Excellence of Durood 169 in the following words which showcases the importance of loving Ahl-ul-bait and sending durood on them: O Ahl-ul-Bait of Allahs Messenger, your love is a duty imposed upon us in the Holy Quran. It is enough among your great privileges that whoever does not bless you, his prayer is void. - (Ref: Ibn-e-Hajars Sawaiq-e-Mohriqa, P 88, Nabahanis Sharaf-ul-Moabbad; Imam Abu Bakr Shahabuddeens Rishfat-us-Saadi)

On one hand Allah (SWT) says that He has created Jinn and Men to worship Him; on the other He says that He is above all our prayers; then again He joins us in sending durood on the holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy Progeny (pbut). If we contemplate on this Act of Allah (SWT) we can infer that Allah (SWT) has created Jinn and Men to send salutations and durood on the holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy Progeny (pbut). Namaz remains void and incomplete without the mention of durood at the end. It is a right given to them by the Almighty Allah for the sacrifices and hardships they have borne in propagating Islam. When we look at the lives of Imams from the household of the holy Prophet (SAW) we would understand this better. Their lives where full of atrocities and all the 11 Imams (except the 12th Imam Mehdi (A.S), who is in occultation), were brutally martyred. They have been created as a role model for the Ummah and durood on the holy Prophet

170 The Excellence of Durood (SAW) and his pious Progeny (pbut) is a protocol which we need to follow to remain in the good books of Allah (SWT). At the end of the first section we did infer that if we follow the Quranic Mandate of loving them and following them we would be groomed to be a good ambassador of Islam and Allah (SWT) would also love us. The love and attitude of people of other religions towards us is the measure of how good an ambassador of our religion we have become, but how do we measure Allahs love for us? Let us try to find the answer from Quran again: Wohi to hai jo Khud tum per durood (rehmat) bhejta hai aur usske farishte bhi taake tumko kufr ki tarikiyon se nikaal kar (imaan) ki roshni main le jaaye aur Khuda to imaandaron per bada maherbaan hai. (Surah-e-Ahzab, ayah 43) (He it is Who sends His blessings on you, and (so do) His angels, that He may bring you forth out of utter darkness into the light; and He is Merciful to the believers (Momineen)) Before contemplating on the above ayah, let us go back to the ayah 56 from Surah-e-Ahzaab, in which Allah (SWT) and His angels send their durood and salutations

The Excellence of Durood 171 on the holy Prophet (SAW). We have already seen that Allah (SWT) further addresses the believers in that ayah and also orders them to do so. Now let us contemplate on the above ayah. Here, again Allah (SWT) and His angels send their durood (blessings) on the believers to bring them into the light of guidance from the darkness of ignorance. The ayah further says that Allah (SWT) is Merciful to the believers. There is a difference in both forms of durood. The durood by Allah (SWT) and His angels on the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his Progeny (pbut) is their Right while the durood (blessings) of Allah (SWT) and His angels on the believers is Allahs Mercy on the believers. When a believer completes the right of durood on the Ahl-ul-bait, Allah (SWT) and His angels send their blessings on him, they purify him and thus he becomes worthy of Allahs Love. The magnitude of purification a believer attains can be best measured by the following words of our beloved Prophet (SAW): Whoever dies for the love of Aal-e-Mohammed shall be a martyr; and behold, whoever dies for the love of Aal-e-Mohammed shall die as one whose sins have been forgiven.

172 The Excellence of Durood He has further added that And behold that whoever die for the love of Aal-e-Mohammed, Allah shall make his grave the visiting place of the Angels of mercy. (Ref: Zamakhshari in his Tafseer, Imam Salabi in Tafseer-e-Kabeer) By contemplating on various ayahs we have understood the importance of following the Quranic Mandate of durood and love of Ahl-ul-bait in our lives. Every act which is important has various benefits attached to it. Let us see the benefits we get while we fulfill the act of durood. In Aasare Haideri, Page 348-349 (Tafseer on Quran by 11th Imam Hasan Askari (A.S)) the following sermon of the holy Prophet (SAW) is mentioned addressing his Ummah on the importance of recitation of durood in their lives: O the Ummah of Mohammed Beware! When there are sorrows and hardships you too keep mentioning Mohammed wa Aale Mohammed so that Allah the Almighty for this discourse would let your angels be helped & gain victory over the satans at the door of your trouble and with each one of you there is an angel to your right who keeps recording your good deeds and there is an angel to your left who records your evil deeds. And with each one from Ibleess side

The Excellence of Durood 173 also there are two satans who try to take him astray by creating unrest in his heart, he should take the name of Allah and recite La haul wa la kuwwata illa billa hil aliyeel azeem wa sallalaho ala Mohammediw wa aalehitayabeen By this the two satans get rebuked and return to Iblees laeen and complain that we are fed up regarding this persons matter so help us through a few more satans. Then he, the rejected one (mardood), helps them to the extent that through such an exchange a thousand helpers are dispatched and they get together and come towards this slave of Allah and when they plan to act he recites the name of Allah and sends durood on Mohammed wa Aale Mohammed and because of this those evil ones cannot find a way and they are unable to overpower him. Then our holy Prophet (SAW) says that if you desire to always keep Iblees suffering from sore eyes and wounds then keep yourselves engrossed in obedience of Allah and in mentioning His name and send durood on Mohammed wa Aale Mohammed and if you ignore this then you will be a prisoner of Iblees and a few of his notorious deciples shall always ride your back. In Mishkaat a tradition is recorded from the authority of Hazrat Anas, as per him the holy Prophet (SAW) has

174 The Excellence of Durood shown the importance of reciting durood in following manner: He who reads a single Durood upon me, Almighty Allah blesses him ten times, ten of his sins are forgiven, and he is increased ten times in stages.

In Sahih-e-Tirmizi from the authority of Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Masud the following hadith of the holy Prophet (SAW) is mentioned. On the Day of Qayamat, the closest to me from among the people will be those who have read the most amount of Durood Shareef.

In Sahih-e-Bukhari the importance of durood is mentioned as below: When a prayer is made to Allah (SWT) it is never accepted unless praise of Allah Taala and durood on the holy Prophet (SAW) is first of all recited.

Let Allah (SWT) always guide us to fulfill the rights of sending durood on the holy Prophet (SAW) and his pious Progeny (pbut) and bless us with His limitless Grace in both the worlds for this act of ours. I would like to pray for all of us with the following prayer from Sahifa-e-Kamila and end my article:

The Excellence of Durood 175

"O Allah, O He who singled out Muhammad (SAW) and his Household for honour, showed favour toward them with Messengerhood, specified them for the mediation, appointed them the heirs to the prophets, sealed with them the executors and the Imams, taught them the knowledge of what has been and what remains to be, and made the hearts of the people incline toward them! Bless Muhammad (SAW) and his Household, the pure, and act toward us with that of which Thou art worthy in religion, in this world, and in the next world!

Thou art powerful over everything. Aamin

176 Divine Purpose

Divine Purpose
A tourist who wishes to go to a hill station to spend his holidays after reaching his destination is happy to be there. His purpose is fulfilled and hence he enjoys every moment he spends there. In contrast if a business manager is taken forcibly to a beautiful tourist destination which offers every luxury which he seeks, may not enjoy anything since he is worried about a missed business opportunity. His purpose is not solved and hence he considers the time spent there as a waste. We walk in the morning to burn calories. We go to office or do some work to earn our livelihood. Every action of ours is based on a specific purpose and thus a welldefined purpose gives meaning to our lives. With commitment to purpose comes honour and recognition. Dont we often read in the newspapers that a certain person was conferred with Padmashri or a similar award for his consistent outstanding contribution in his specific field.

In the light of above explanation it seems appropriate

to say that when Allah (SWT) created this planet and the universe He may have created this based on a specific Purpose. And it is important for us to try to identify His Purpose so that we can make our lives meaningful and

Divine Purpose 177 do not waste it while we are alive. And if we remain committed to His Purpose we are entitled to be honoured and rewarded accordingly. As Allah (SWT) says in the following verse in Holy Quran that: Aur Maine jinnon aur aadmiyon ko issi gharaz se paida kiya ki wo Meri ibadat karein. (Surah-e-Adh Dhariyat, ayah 55) (I have not created the jinns and men but to worship Me) Allah (SWT) created mankind and Jinns so that He is worshipped by them. So if we worship Allah (SWT) the way He wants us to worship Him, we would fulfill the purpose of our creation. The Prophets who came to earth with Allahs Message strived in this direction and hence Allah (SWT) has appreciated their efforts in the following manner: Ke saari Khudai main (har taraf se) Nooh per salam hai. Hum neki karnewalon ko yun jazaye-khair ata farmate hain. Iss main shak nahin ke Nooh Hamare (khaalis) imaandar bandon se the. (Surah-e-Saaffat, ayah 79-81)

178 Divine Purpose (Peace and salutation to Nooh among the nations. Thus do We surely reward the doers of good. Surely he was of Our believing servants.) Ke (saari Khudai main) Ibrahim per salam (hi salam) hai. Hum yun neki karnewalon ko jazaye-khair dete hain. Beshak Ibrahim Hamare (khaas) imaandar bandon main se the. (Surah-e-Saaffat, ayah 109-111) (Peace be on Ibrahim. Thus do We reward the doers of good. Surely he was one of Our believing servants.) In the above ayahs Allah (SWT) is rewarding Nooh (A.S) and Ibrahim (A.S) for their good work which they had undertaken during their lifetime and sends His blessings on them. In the light of above ayahs let us now see the following ayah: Aur Hum ne un ka zikr khair baad ke aane walon main baaqi rakkha ke har taraf se Aal-eYaseen per salaam hi salaam hai (Surah-eSaaffat, ayah 129-130)

Divine Purpose 179 (And We perpetuated to them (praise) among the later generations. Peace be unto the Aal-eYaseen.) Allah (SWT) sends His salams on Aal-e-Yaseen appreciating their good deeds and He promises that their deeds would be perpetuated among the later generations. Ibn-e-Abi Haatim and Ibn-e-Marduiya have quoted a tradition from the authority of Ibn-e-Abbas that Aal-eYaseen in the above ayah refers to Aal-e-Mohammed (SAW) (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, vol 5, P 286) Fakhruddin Razi has also quoted a similar tradition which says that Aal-e-Yaseen means Aal-e-Mohammed (SAW). In Maani Al-Akhbar there is a tradition from the authority of Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq (A.S) from his forefathers that Imam Ali (A.S) has said Yaseen means the holy Prophet (SAW) and Aal-e-Yaseen are we Imams from his household. The holy Quran got completely revealed over the span of 23 years of the Prophethood of our beloved Prophet (pbuh). During the later years of his Prophethood, from Aal-e-Yaseen (Aal-e-Mohammed (SAW) only Imam Hasan (A.S) and Imam Hussain (A.S) were there and that too in their childhood; the world had not witnessed

180 Divine Purpose their valour and martyrdom yet. Still in the above ayah Allah has praised them and sent His blessings with a promise to perpetuate their praise among the later generations. Here Allahs praise for them has preceded their actions. While in case of the ayahs referring to Nooh (A.S) and Ibrahim (A.S) Allahs praise has followed their actions. The only explanation to this is that they had existed before the creation of this world and here Allah is referring to those actions of the Ahl-ul-bait which were done before their coming to this earth. In order to understand this let us go back to the Quran and try to find out a proper evidence of our above inference. We will start with the creation of Aadam (A.S) and his subsequent elevation as a Khalifa over all the angels. As Allah (SWT) says in the following ayahs: Aur Aadam ko sab cheezon ke naam sikhadiye phir unko farishton ke saamne pesh kiya aur farmaya ki agar tum apne daawe main ke - hum mustahaqe khilafat hain sachhe ho to Mujhe inn cheezon ke naam batao. (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 31) (And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform Me of the names of these, if ye are truthful).

Divine Purpose 181 When the angels objected on Aadam (A.S)s superiority over them Allah (SWT) taught Aadam (A.S) all the names; this knowledge of names gave him superiority above the angels since they were ignorant of these names. Then Allah (SWT) ordered Aadam (A.S) to disclose the names taught to him in the following manner: (Uss waqt Khuda ne Aadam ko) hukm diya ke Ae Aadam tum inn farishton ko unn sab cheezon ke naam bata do bas jab Aadam ne farishton ko unn cheezon ke naam bata diye to Khuda ne farishton ki taraf khitab kar ke farmaya: kyon, Main tum se na kehta tha ke Main aasmanon aur zameenon ke chhipe hue raaz ko jaanta hoon, aur jo kuch tum ab zaahir karte ho aur jo kuch tum chhipate the (wo sab) jaanta hoon. (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 33) (He said: O Adam! Inform them of their names, and when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I not tell you that I know the secret of the heavens and the earth? And I know that which ye disclose and which ye hide.) In the above ayah after the names were disclosed by Aadam (A.S) to angels, Allah (SWT) reaffirmed His superiority to the angels saying that He had always told them that it is He who knew the secret of the heavens and the earth which they were unaware of. We can thus

182 Divine Purpose infer that the names disclosed by Aadam (A.S) to the angels were the part of this Divine Secret that Allah (SWT) had kept to Himself and not disclosed even to His angels including Iblees the Satan though they existed much before the creation of Aadam (A.S). All the angels are created by Light while Aadam (A.S) was created by Clay yet he was made Khalifa above them by virtue of his knowledge of these names. The authentic research work by great Islamic scholars have mentioned that the names which Allah (SWT) taught Aadam (A.S) were of Mohammed (SAW), Ali (A.S), Fatema (S.A), Hasan (A.S) and Hussain (A.S) (Ref: Durr-e-Mansoor, Kanz-ul-Ammal, Yanabe-ulMawwadah, Riaz al Nuzra and Arjah al Mutalib) Imam Hasan Askari (A.S) in his tafseer says that: "When Allah Almighty created Aadam, he taught him the names of everything and presented them to the angels. He placed the five spirits (Panjetan Pak) of Mohammad, Ali, Fatima, Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein (pbut) in Aadam. Their lights brightened the horizons of the skies, Al-Hojob, the heavens, the Chair and the Throne. Allah Almighty ordered the angels to prostrate to Aadam in order to glorify him because he has been chosen to be the holder of these spirits whose lights had spread throughout the horizons. Thus, they all prostrated except Iblees (the Devil) who refused to be humbled to the glory of Allah's Greatness and to our

Divine Purpose 183 (Ahl-ul-bait)s lights. All the angels were humbled to them (the lights), yet he stood with arrogance and refused to do so and because of his rejection and arrogance, he was one of the disbelievers. (Ref: Tafsir Al-Imam AlAskari p.219, Bihar Al-Anwar vol.26 p.326, Ta'weel AlAyat al-Zahira vol.1 p.44, Qasas Al-Anbiaa p.43 Lisan alMizan v. 3, p. 346 ) Thus before the creation of Aadam (A.S) the light of Panjetan Paak (A.S) existed. It was this knowledge which gave Aadam (A.S) superiority over all other creation of Allah (SWT) including angels. The ignorance of Iblees and his subsequent rejection of prostrating to Aadam (A.S) who was the carrier of the light of Panjetan Paak (A.S) made him a disbeliever. Mir Seyyed Ali Hamdani Faqih Shafi'i in his Mawaddatu'l-Qurba, Mawadda VII, has recorded a report from third Caliph Uthman Bin Affan who said that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, "I and Ali were created from one light 4000 years before the creation of Aadam. When Allah created Aadam, He deposited that light into Aadam's loins. We remained as one light until we were separated in Abdu'l-Muttalib's loins. Then I was endowed with Prophethood and Ali with Vicegerency." Many prominent Islamic scholars have recorded the similar hadith in their work. (Ref: Sharh-e-Nahju'lBalagha, vol.II, p.450 (printed in Egypt), Manaqib of Ibn Maghazili Shafi'i, Yanabi-ul-Mawwada, Manaqib of Khawarizmi)

184 Divine Purpose

From the above references which we have gone through and the tafseer of Imam Hasan Askari (A.S) we can conclude that Panjetan Paak were created 4000 years before the creation of Aadam (A.S). They were the first creation of Allah (SWT) and were His well kept Divine Secret which got revealed with the birth of Aadam (A.S). So during this period of 4000 years between their creation and the creation of Aadam (A.S) what did these holy spirits do? In Basar-e-Anwar Hazrat Salman (R.A) and Hazrat Abu Dharr (R.A) asked Imam Ali (A.S) about the true nature of his Noor as a reply to their question he delivered the sermon which is called Marefat-e-Nooraniyat. Let us see the excerpt from this sermon: Salmn! we are those Secrets of Allah (SWT) that will not remain hidden. We are His light that can never be extinguished, And we are His those bounties which can never be matched. Among us, our first is Muhammad, our median is Muhammad, in fact, we are all Muhammad!. He who recognised us in this manner, surely, attains Faith. In the same sermon he further adds: Salmn, and O Jandb! Muhammad (SAW) and myself were the one-Noor that was voicing forth the divine eulogy (tasbee) before any

Divine Purpose 185 other reality started to praise Him. We were the cause of illumination unto all creation. This oneNoor was then divided by Allah into two portions, the Chosen "Mustafa" (SAW) and his Vicegerent, "Murtaza" (A.S), and made compulsory (vouchsafed) unto His creation. Allah (SWT), exalted be His Glory, said to each half, "Be Muhammad!", "Be 'Al!" It is thus that the Prophet (SAW) had said: "I am from Al and Al is from Me. None can propogate Divine Message but Myself and Ali. - (Ref: Nahjul Israr, P82, http://hubeali.com/khutbat/The Sermon RecognitionofNoor) The above sermon confirms our inference that Panjetan Paak are the Divine Secrets of Allah (SWT) who praised Allahs Greatness, exalted Him and voiced forth the divine eulogy before any other creation. They were first to offer prayers to Allah (SWT) when even time and space were not created. Today, when we pray to Allah (SWT), our eulogy is to seek His favours and fulfill our wishes. We ask for good health, livelihood, prosperity, children, better worldly life and salvation for hereafter from Him. And He fulfills most of our wishes. In our lives of 70-80 years we pray to Allah (SWT) in this manner and feel that we have been devout in our prayers throughout our lives and remembered Him every moment.

186 Divine Purpose But when Panjetan Paak prayed to Allah (SWT) they did not ask anything for themselves as Allah (SWT) had not created anything else. Hence their eulogy for Allah was pure without any materialistic expectations and personal desires. And they worshipped Him and exalted Him in this manner for 4000 years till Aadam (A.S) was created. In the beginning of the article we had seen the ayah (Surah-e-Adh Dhariyat, ayah 55) which says that Allah (SWT) created Men and Jinn to worship Him. Thus the right of Worshipping Him has been fulfilled by Mohammed (SAW) wa Aale Mohammed when they exalted and worshipped Allah (SWT) selflessly for 4000 years. Thus they fulfilled Allahs Purpose. Again in the initial section we had seen the ayah (Surah-eSaafat, ayah 129-130) where Allah sends his blessings and peace on Aal-e-Yaseen it is appropriate to infer that in this ayah Allah (SWT) is referring to their selfless commitment of worshipping Him and fulfilling His Purpose before the birth of Aadam (A.S) and hence He had sent His peace and blessings on them much before any other action which they did in this world. Not only this, Allah (SWT) has also exalted their position and praised their worshipping again in following manner: Wo Qandeel un gharon main roshan hai jinki nisbat Khuda ne hukm diya hai ke unki

Divine Purpose 187 taazeem kee jaae aur unmain Uska naam liya jaae jin main subah wa sham wo log Uski tasbih kiya karte hai. (Surah-e-Noor, ayah 36) ((The Light is lit) in houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and that His name may be remembered in them; there glorify Him therein in the mornings and the evenings) In the above ayah Allah (SWT) appreciates certain houses in which His name is remembered and glorified mornings and evenings. He has permitted them to be exalted. Salabi has quoted Anas Ibn-e-Malik and Buraida, that when the holy Prophet (SAW) recited this verse, Hazrat Abu Bakr stood up and asked pointing towards the house of Ali (A.S) and Fatema (A.S), whether that house was included in the houses referred to? The holy Prophet (SAW) replied saying Yes, and it is better than other houses that are referred. (Ref: Durr-eMansur, Vol 5, P 50) In this world it is often observed that if we remain committed to whatever purpose assigned to us we are rewarded by the concerned authority and our efforts are recognized. So when the holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy Progeny (A.S) remained committed to Allahs

188 Divine Purpose Purpose what reward did they get from the Almighty Allah? After creating Aadam (A.S) Allah (SWT) spoke to him in the following manner: O Adam! Suppose if they (Mohammed (SAW) wa Aale Mohammed (SAW)) had not been there, I would neither have created you, nor would I have given the attire of creation to the Heavens, Hell, Skies and Earth. (Ref: Maani Al Akhbar, P 124, Hadeeth-e-Qudsi)

Allah (SWT) created everything for the sake of Mohammed (SAW) and his holy Progeny (A.S). Had He not created them He would not have created anything. Thus all other creations of Allah (SWT) are the gift which He bestowed upon them. We can further understand this in the light of Hadeethe-Kisa (The event of blanket). This hadeeth is a tafseer of ayah-e-tatheer (Surah-e-Ahzab, ayah 33) narrated by Jabir Ibn-e-Abdullah Ansari (R.A) from the authority of Lady Fatema (S.A), the beloved daughter of the holy Prophet (SAW). The excerpt of the hadeeth is as follows: Then the Lord, Almighty Allah said: O My Angels! O inmates of the Heavens! I created this

Divine Purpose 189 solid firmament, well-stretched earth, welllighted moon, shinning sun, rotating planets, rippling oceans, floating boats, and all other things for the sake and love of these five persons who are inside the cloak. At this, the Archangel Jibraeel (A.S) said: O Lord! Who are they inside the cloak? The Lord said: They are Ahl-ul-Bait of the Prophet and the assets of the Prophethood. They are Fatema (S.A), her father, her husband and her two sons.

It is for the love of the holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy Progeny (A.S) that Allah (SWT) had created everything. Their love is the Purpose of creating this planet, universe and all other creations of the Almighty Allah (SWT) and hence as a final message He instructed the holy Prophet (SAW) to inform the Ummah about this Divine Purpose i.e. the love of Ahl-ul-bait as a reward of his messengership in the following ayah: Ae Rasool (SAW) tum kehdo ke main apni tableegh-e-risalat ka apne karabatdaron ki mohabbat ke siwa tumse koi sila nahin maangta (Surah-e-Shura, ayah 23)

190 Divine Purpose (Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives) The love of the relatives of the holy Prophet (SAW) is love for Fatima (S.A), Ali (A.S) and their children Hassan (A.S) and Hussain (A.S). (Ref: Salabi, Suyuti, Baidhavi, Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmed ibn Hambal, Allama Zamkhashri Vol 3, P 68). So let us conclude the article that Allah (SWT) created Men and Jinn to worship Him. For 4000 years till the creation of Aadam (A.S) Panjetan Paak worshipped and exalted Allah selflessly without anticipating any personal gain. Their pure devotion was so appreciated by Allah (SWT) that for the sake of their love and to reward them He created all other creations. Thus now His Purpose of creating everyother thing is for the love of Ahl-ul-bait and hence if we pray to Allah (SWT) and worship Him with love of Ahl-ulbait in our hearts we are fulfilling the purpose of our creation. In case we worship Allah (SWT) and remain indifferent with the love of Ahl-ul-bait we are forgetting His Purpose and our prayers might not be accepted.

Identity of Allah 191

Identity of Allah
The sky is one and vast and it is spread over us so when two faraway friends staying in separate countries look at the sky at the same time they would see the same sky. Also it would be equidistant from both of them. For example suppose a person in India looks at the sky and at the same time his friend in Iran also looks in the same direction, they both would see the same sky and it would be equally near or far from both of them. Now if they are asked to describe the shape of the sky; whether it is circular, square or rectangular? What would be their response? I think they would say that it is difficult to guess the shape of the sky since it is spread all over us and our vision cannot grasp its shape. In the light of above example let us try to understand the Vastness and Limitlessness of Allah (SWT). Let us turn towards the Quran and try to understand this Divine Phenomenon of Allahs Greatness: Us ko aankhein dekh nahin sakti na duniya main na aakherat mein aur Woh logon ki nazaron ko khub dekhta hai aur Woh Bada bareekbeen wakifkaar hai... ( Surah-e-Anam, ayah 103)

192 Identity of Allah (No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things.) We have a limited vision and just as we cannot see the shape of the sky it is difficult for us to see Allah (SWT) with such limitations. He is spread all around us and hence it is difficult for our eyes to grasp His Vastness. He is above all comprehension but He sees His creations and He is all knowing. So where is He? The Quran explains this as follows: (Ae Rasool) jab Mere bande Mera haal tum se poochhen to (kehdo ki) Main unn ke paas hi hoon. (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 186) (When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them)) Allah (SWT) says He is very close to all of us. But how close? Aur Hum to usske shehrug se hi bhi zyada qareeb hain (Surah-e-Qaaf, ayah 16) (For We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein.) Allah (SWT) indicates in the above ayah that He is even closer than our jugular vein.

Identity of Allah 193 Hence let us understand this Divine Phenomenon now: Allah (SWT) is difficult to be seen because He is limitless and cannot be confined to a specific shape and size. Thus He is beyond our vision. The way sky is equidistant from the people across the globe, Allah (SWT) is closer to the jugular vein of every person on this earth.

So if He is Unseen but nearer than our jugular vein how do we recognize Him? Has He created His Identity which can be seen and understood by us? We would try to find out as we go further with this article, but before this let us try to focus on the following point. We just saw that it is difficult to limit Allah (SWT) in a specific shape and size. And if somebody does it he becomes a non-believer of Allahs Omnipresence. With this in mind let us contemplate on the following ayahs: Jo (Makhluq) zameen per hai sab fanaa hone wali hai aur sirf tumhare Parvardigar ki zaat jo azmat aur karamat wali hai baaqi rahegi. (Surah-e-Rehman, ayah 26-27) (All that is on earth will perish: But will abide (for ever) the Face of thy Lord, - full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour.)

194 Identity of Allah

The above ayah says that everything on this earth would perish except the bountiful, majestic and honourable Face of Allah ( .) But Allah (SWT) does not have any shape and hence to think that He is having a Face is to give Him a shape and confine Him which contradicts the phenomenon of His Omnipresence and Limitlessness. Then why did the ayah has said so? Let us see one more similar ayah and then we would ponder upon this aspect. Usski zaat ke siwa har cheez fanaa hone wali hai. (Surah-e-Qasas, ayah 88) Everything (else) will perish save His Face. The ayah from Surah-e-Rehman says that all that is on earth would perish except Allahs Face which would remain forever, while the above ayah from Surah-eQasas says that everything else would perish except Allahs Face ( ;) it does not mention the word earth in this ayah. There are three inferences which we can draw from here. 1) Allah (SWT) cannot be confined and hence there must be someone created by Allah (SWT) who represents His Face and who is Wajahullah. 2) Along-with Allahs other creations Face of Allah is also present on this earth. 3) Except Allahs Face every other creations of Allah (SWT) which

Identity of Allah 195 are on earth and otherwise would perish. Thus whoever is Wajahullah would remain when everything else would perish. Now let us contemplate on the following ayah: Aur unn logon ne Khuda ki jaisi qadradani karni chahiye thi Uss ki (kuch bhi) qadr na ki haalanke (Wo aisa Qadir hai ki) Qayamat ki din saari zameen usski muthi main hogi aur saare aasman Uss ke dahine haath main lipte hue hain jise yeh log Uss ka sharik banate hain woh usse pakizah aur bartar hai. (Surah-e-Az Zumr, ayah 67) (And they have not honored Allah with the honor that is due to Him; and the whole earth shall be in His grip on the day of resurrection and the heavens rolled up in His right hand; glory be to Him, and may He be exalted above what they associate (with Him)) As per the above ayah on the day of resurrection the whole earth shall be in Allahs Grip and the heavens would be rolled up in His Right Hand. One of the inferences which could be drawn from the above ayah is that the word Grip and Right Hand used by Allah (SWT) are to showcase His control on that day. But Allah (SWT) is always in total control of everything

196 Identity of Allah which He has created and He is not dependent on the day of resurrection for His Power and Control; Allah (SWT) holds the same Power and Control even now over His Creations. Thus it further forces us to infer that there must be an appointed authority representing Right Hand of Allah (SWT) which would be given powers to control the proceedings of that day. And this authority cannot be different from Wajahullah (Face of Allah). Allah (SWT) has kept Himself away from our eyes and vision. He is Unseen and He does not hold any shape and size. But He has created His Countenance (Wajahullah) as His Identity and Sign. Knowing and understanding this Face of Allah would help us improve our faith and understand Allahs Greatness. And rejecting and ignoring His Countenance would definitely lead to kufr and punishment. Hence it is important for us to take strides in this direction to find Allahs Countenance. In order to understand this let us take the help of the following ayah from Surah-e-Saad: Khuda ne (Iblis se) farmaya ki ae Iblis jis cheez ko Maine apni khaas kudrat se paida kiya (bhala) uss ko sajda karne se tujhe kisi ne roka kya tune takabbur kiya ya waqayee tu Alin main se hai? (Surah-e-Saad, ayah 75)

Identity of Allah 197

(He said: O Iblis! What hindereth thee from falling prostrate before that which I have created with both My hands? Art thou too proud or art thou one of the Alin (Mighty one). The above ayah refers to the incidence where Iblis the Satan refuses to prostrate in sajda before Aadam (A.S). This act of pride and refusal makes him the rejected one and he ultimately becomes Kafir though he still believed in Allahs Oneness and Greatness. When we observe the later part of the above ayah we find that Allah (SWT) is questioning Iblis on his not prostrating to Aadam (A.S) by asking whether he has turned arrogant or does he think he is from amongst the Alin? This shows the presence of Alin - the mighty ones even before the creation of Aadam (AS). And they were made superior to Aadam (A.S) in their position by Allah (SWT). We can further infer that Allah (SWT) dislikes arrogance and pride and He equally dislikes someone who compares himself to these mighty ones since in the above ayah Allah (SWT) has specifically questioned the Satan on these two aspects. If someone still thinks that he can match them and be like them in position, he is following the footsteps of the Satan and such a person is at a risk of losing everything which he has earned in his lifetime and it would lead him to

198 Identity of Allah Kufr; though he still might be a believer of Allahs Oneness and Greatness. This shows that Alin are the Greatest Signs of Allah and to accept their superiority is key to enhance our faith. The other thing worth knowing is that the word Alin is the plural form of Ali in Arabic. The following excerpts from the tafsir of our beloved Imam Hasan Askari (A.S) would help us identify them and their greatness: Imam Hasan Askari (A.S) has reported from his forefathers (pbut) that RasoulAllah (pbuh&hp) said: "When Allah created Adam and Eve (Allah's peace be upon them), they strutted around Heaven, then Adam told Eve:" Allah hasn't created any beings better than us." so Allah sent this revelation to Jibriel (A.S): Bring me my servant who is in the higher Paradise. Then when they entered the paradise, they saw a female servant sitting on one of Heaven's carpets. She had a crown of light on her head and on her ears, she had earrings of light. The heavens had brightened from the beauty of her face?! So he (Jibriel) said: This is Fatima (pbuh) the daughter of Mohammad (pbuh); a prophet who your descendants will begat at the end of time. So he said: What is this crown on her

Identity of Allah 199 head? He said: Her husband Ali (pbuh) son of Abi Talib, he said: And what are those earrings on her ears? He said: Her sons Al Hasan (pbuh) and Al Hussein (pbuh). He said: My beloved Jibriel! Have they been created before me? He said: They existed in the obscure knowledge of Allah Almighty, before you were created in four thousand years. (Ref: Tafsir Al-Imam Al-Askari p.219, Bihar AlAnwar vol.26 p.326, Ta'weel Al-Ayat al-Zahira vol.1 p.44, Qasas Al-Anbiaa p.43) This clarifies that the Alin so mentioned in ayah of Surah-e-Saad are Mohammed (SAW), Ali (A.S), Fatema (S.A), Hasan (A.S) and Hussain (A.S). They have been created four thousand years prior to Aadam (A.S) and they are superior to all other creations. Loving and accepting their superiority is enhancement of faith and would lead to salvation. Iblis could not understand this and became Satan while Aadam (A.S)s mistake was forgiven when he accepted their superiority. As Quran says: Phir Aadam ne apne Parvardigar se (Mazerat ke chand alfaaz sikhe), pus Khuda ne un alfaaz ki barkat se Aadam ki tauba qubool kar li beshak Wo bada maaf karne wala Maherbaan hai. (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 37)

200 Identity of Allah (Then Adam received (some) words from his Lord, so He turned to him mercifully; surely He is Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful.) Allah (SWT) in order to forgive Aadam (A.S)s mistake, taught him some words and when Aadam (A.S) recited these words Allah (SWT) turned to him mercifully and his mistake was forgiven. The commentators have agreed that these holy words mentioned in the above ayah which Aadam (A.S) recited to invoke Allah (SWT)s Mercy are the names of Mohammed (SAW), Ali (A.S), Fatema (S.A), Hassan (A.S) and Husain (A.S). (Ref: Durr-eMansur, Suyuti, vol 1 P 16). From the above contemplation we can conclude now that Allah (SWT) created the holy Prophet (pbuh) and his holy Progeny (pbut) superior to his every other creations and termed them as Alin- The Mighty Ones and made them His Greatest Signs as submitting to their superiority is faith and rejecting to accept them as leaders is Kufr. They are so purified that only through their intercession Allahs Mercy can be invoked and would He listen to our prayers and forgive our sins. So if they are Alin, the mighty ones and Allahs Greatest Creation it is logical to infer that they are Wajahullah and His Right Hand as discussed earlier. Let us now prove this in the light of Quran.

Identity of Allah 201 In the following ayah Allah (SWT) defines Himself: Khuda to saare aasman wa zameen ka Noor hai, uske Noor ki misaal aisi hai jaise ek taak (sina) hai jismain ek roshan charaagh ho aur charaagh ek shishe ki qandeel main ho aur qandeel apni goya ek jagmagata hua roshan sitara (wo charaagh) zaitun ke aise Mubarak darakht (ke tael) se roshan kiya jaae jo na purab ki taraf ho aur na paschim ki taraf balke bichobich maidan main uska tael aisa shafaaf ho ke agar che aag uuse chuae bhi nahin taahum aisa malum ho ke aap hi aap roshan ho jaeega gharaz ek Noor naihin balke Noor Ala Noor (Noor ki Noor per joat pad rahi hai) Khuda apne Noor ki taraf jise chahta hai hidayat karta hai aur Khuda logo ke samajhane ke waste mislain bayaan karta hai aur Khuda to har cheez se khoob waqif hai. (Surah-e-Noor, ayah 35) (Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to

202 Identity of Allah His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things.) While explaining the above ayah prominent scholars like Hasan al-Basri, Abdul Hasan Maghazil and Shafei have mentioned that the Niche mentioned in the above ayah refers to Janab-e-Fatema (S.A), the Lamp means her two sons - Hasan (A.S) and Hussain (A.S). Blessed Tree is the lineage of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) through which the holy Prophet (pbuh) and his holy Progeny (pbut) descended. Light upon Light (Noor ala Noor) alludes to one Imam succeeding the another Imam and Allah doth guide who He wills to His Light means that Allah (SWT) instills love for the descendants of Mawla Ali (A.S) and Fatema (S.A) in the heart of a person whom He wishes to guide. In the light of the above ayah it can be inferred that Allah (SWT) defines Himself by defining the light of the holy Prophet (pbuh) and his holy Progeny (pbut). And since Allah (SWT) has identified Himself with them; the holy Prophet (pbuh) and his holy Progeny (pbut) are therefore Allahs Identity. The prominent commentators have mentioned the following sermon of the holy Prophet (pbuh) on the authority of Imam Zainul Abedin (A.S), which further endorses our above mentioned inference:

Identity of Allah 203 Imam Ali Bin Al-Hussein (pbuh) said: "My father narrated to me that his father narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuhp) said: "O servants of Allah. When Adam saw the Light shining from his seed, for Allah had transferred our spirits from the topmost of the Throne to his seed, he saw the Light but he didn't see the spirits so he said: "O Lord! What are these Lights?!" Allah the Almighty said: "They are Lights of spirits whom I transferred from the most honorable place in My Throne to your seed and for that purpose I have ordered the angels to prostrate themselves for you because you were the holder of those spirits." Hence, Adam said: "O Lord! Would you show them to me?" Allah the Almighty said: "Adam, look at the topmost of the Throne." He looked and the Light of our spirits fell from Adam's seed to the topmost of the Throne and then the images of our spirits' Lights that are in his seed were printed and reflected on it as someone's face reflects on a clear mirror. Hence, he saw our spirits and said: "O Lord! What are these spirits?" Allah, the Most High, said: "O Adam, these are the spirits of my greatest creations and servants.o This is Mohammad and I am AlMahmoud Al-Hamid (The Most

204 Identity of Allah Thanked) for My actions, I derived this name for him from My Name. o This is Ali and I am Al-Ali Al-Athim (The Most High and the Greatest), I derived this name for him from My Name. o This is Fatima and I am (Fater) the Originator of the skies and earth; I am the One who shall deprive my enemies from My mercy on the day of My judgment and protect my saints from what may harm them; hence, I derived this name for her from My Name and o These are Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein and I am Al-Mohsen Al-Mojmel (The Most Charitable and the Most Generous); I derived their names from My Name. These are My most virtuous creations and My most dignified servants. By them, I give. By them, I punish. By them, I reward. Therefore, plead by them, O Adam, and if you face a hardship, let them be your interceders. For, I swore to Myself indeed to never disappoint anyone who hopes mercy by them and never refuse anyone who asks a request by them." Thus, when he (Adam) did a mistake, he pleaded

Identity of Allah 205 Allah the Almighty by them; hence, He accepted his repentance and forgave him." (Ref: Bihar-ul-Anwar, P 327, V 26, P 150, V 11, Tafseer-e-Imam Hasan Askari (as) P 219, Tafseer-e-Saafi, V 1, P 115, Yanabe-ulMawadda, V 1, P 288) There is one more similar hadith by Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq (A.S) on the creation of Panjetan Paak (A.S): Imam Al-Sadiq (A.S) said: Allah, the Most High, has been before anything existed. He created five ones from the Light of His Majesty and gave a name for each of them from His revealed names; for He is Al-Hamid and He named (The Prophet) Mohammed; He is AlAala and He named Amir Al-Momineen Ali and the Greatest Names are for Him so He derived Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein from them and He is the Originator so He derived for Fatima a name from His names. Therefore, when He created them, He let them be in the Covenant; hence they are on the Right Side of the Throne. (Ref: Tafseer Forat p.56, Al-Bihar vol 37 p. 62)

In the light of the above ayah from Surah-e-Noor, the subsequent sermon of the holy Prophet (pbuh) and the

206 Identity of Allah hadith of Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq (A.S) we can say that Allah (SWT) created them before any other creation, made them superior to all His Creations and thus made them His Identity. In the earlier part of this article while contemplating on the ayahs from Surah-e-Rehman and Surah-e-Qasas, wherein they have mentioned about Face of Allah, we inferred that since Allah cannot be limited to any shape and size the Face of Allah is created by Allah (SWT) to represent Him. While in the light of above analysis of Surah-e-Noor and other reference we have concluded that the holy Prophet (SAW) and his Progeny (pbut) is Allahs Identity. And a person is always identified by His Face therefore the holy Prophet (pbuh) and his holy Progeny (pbut) are the Face of Allah. Thus we can further infer that our 12th Imam Mohammed Mehdi (A.S) who is in Occultation represents Face of Allah which would remain when everything else would perish. Now let us see few more references in this regard: It is narrated by Mohammed Ibn Yahya from Ahmed Ibn Mohammed Ibn Isa from Mohammed Ibn Sinan from Abu Salam al-Khannas from some of our people that Imam Mohammed Baqir (A.S) has said that:

Identity of Allah 207 "We (family of Prophet Muhammad) are the al-Mathani (one of two) that Allah gave to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.). We are the Wajhullah (face of Allah, meaning a certain aspect of Allahs relation with people) that move among you on earth. We are the eyes of Allah (overseers or observers from the side of Allah) in His creatures. We are the hands of Allah that are open with blessings for His servants. Those who wanted to know us have known us. There are people who are ignorant about us they are ignorant of us and of the leadership of the pious people." (Ref: Kitab al-Kafi, Book # 3, Chapter 23, Hadith # 3) It is narrated in Tafsir-e-Safi on page 485, quoting from Tafsir-e-Qumi that Imam Zainul Abedin (A.S) has reportedly said that: We are the Face of Allah by means of which Allah is recognized and by whose means every command of Allah is reached. It is mentioned in Al Manaqib with reference to Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq (A.S) that while explaining

208 Identity of Allah the verse: There remaineth but the Countenance of thy Lord of Might and Glory he said, We are the Face of Allah. (Ref: Kazimi Sayyid Imdad Hussain, Al-Quran-ul-Mubin, Lahore: Himayate-Ahl-e-Bayt (waqf), nd, P. 692) Imam Ali (A.S) has said that I am the face of Allah in the heavens and on earth. (Ref: Ibid p. 206) And since he is the Face of Allah, the holy Prophet (pbuh) has praised Mawla Alis face in the following manner in the below mentioned hadith: Looking at the face of Ali (AS) is Ibadat. (Ref: Sayyid Muhammad Sleh Kashf, Kaukab-iDurr f fazil-i Ali, Lahore, Imamiyya Kutub Khna, 1963, p.161) In the earlier section we had also pondered upon the ayah 67 from Surah-e-Az Zumr, which mentions that the on the day of the resurrection the heavens would be rolled up in Allahs Right Hand and the entire earth would be in His Grip. We had inferred that Allahs Right Hand refers to the appointed authority which would be given powers and control to take care of proceedings of that day. Also our conclusion

Identity of Allah 209 was that Allahs Hand cannot be different from Wajahullah. Now we know that Mawla Ali (A.S) and other Imams from his lineage are Wajahullah and hence they are Allahs Hand. Allama Ibn Hajar has mentioned a tradition according to which the holy Prophet (pbuh) has said: O Ali you will be the distributor of Heaven and Hell- you will say to Hell: This one is for thee and that one for me. The holy Prophet (pbuh) has reportedly said that He alone will cross the bridge of Sirat whom Ali permits. So Mawla Ali (A.S) is not only Wajahullah (Face of Allah) but he is the appointed authority and the distributor of Heaven and Hell and hence He is Yadullah (Allahs Hand). Let us come to our conclusion. The Sky is invisible in absence of Sunlight, and during day time it is visible only due to Sunlight, at Sunset the Sky goes in darkness until Moon and Stars appear; similarly Allah (SWT) is Unseen from our eyes and it is because of the guidance of the holy Prophet (SAW) that we became aware of Our Creator and became His Believer. And after the holy Prophet (pbuh) the guidance from Mawla Ali

210 Identity of Allah (A.S) and all Imams from his lineage would make us understand Allahs Greatness in a way it should be understood since they have been created superior to all, they are Allahs Face, His Identity, our guide and the duly appointed authority of Allah above us.

Intercession: A Divine Favour 211

Intercession: A Divine Favour

A birth of a child can explain to us many things. A child is born through his mother and for the initial 2 to 3 years of his life remains in her protective care. A child cries if he is taken away from her, thus his mother is the constant source of security for him. She protects him and feeds him when he is unable to even speak or express himself. Thus a mother provides security to her child and she is the means for her child to reach Allahs Mercy and Care. Once the child is around 4 to 5 years of age, his parents send him to school so that he acquires education and knowledge. Here, the parents decide which school is best for their child as they are the best caretakers appointed by Allah for him on this earth; while the school is the means for a child to acquire education and knowledge. Once he grows up he earns his livelihood by using the knowledge and education which he has acquired. His occupation becomes the means for him to earn his livelihood.

Thus it can be said that a child without his mother

remains deprived of Allahs Mercy in his childhood. If he is unable to attend school he remains deprived of knowledge and education. Without knowledge and

212 Intercession: A Divine Favour education he is unable to earn and hence remains deprived of a healthy livelihood which Allah has promised. Thus to have access to Allahs Mercy or to gain knowledge or to earn livelihood there are separate means which should be approached otherwise a person remains deprived of them. Without approaching the right means nothing can be gained; this is a universal truth which is applicable in every aspect of life. That is why Quran instructs us to strive in this direction and says: Ae Imaandaro Khuda se darte raho aur Uss ke (takarrub (kareeb hone) ke) zariye ki joostaju main raho aur Uss ki raah main jihad karo taake tum kamiyab ho jao. (Surah-e-Maida, ayah 35) (O ye who believe! Do your duty to Allah, seek the means of approach unto Him, and strive with might and main in his cause: that ye may prosper.) The above ayah instructs us to constantly strive to seek the means of approaching Him. It means that though Allah (SWT) is Omnipresent He is not accessible without approaching the right means. And if we dont do this we might never be able to please Him and would remain unsuccessful in this world and hereafter. In order to further understand the importance of this let us see one more ayah:

Intercession: A Divine Favour 213 Ae Rasool (SAW) un logon se tum kehdo ke main iss tabligh-e-risaalat per tum se kuch mazdoori to maangta nahin hoon magar tamanna ye hai ke jo chaahe apne Parvardigar tak pahonch ne ki raah pakad le. (Surah-eFurqaan, ayah 57) (Say: "No reward do I ask of you for it but this: that each one who will may take a (straight) Path to his Lord.") As per the above ayah the best reward the Muslim Ummah can give to our beloved Prophet (pbuh&p) for his hard work of 23 years is to take the path that reaches Allah (SWT). The ayah of Surah-e-Maida instructs us to seek the means of approaching Allah (SWT) while in the ayah of Surah-e-Furqaan Allah (SWT) instructs our holy Prophet (SAW) to ask us to take the path that reaches Allah (SWT) as a reward of his Prophethood. Both the ayahs convey similar messages. This explains that Allah (SWT) must have created a right path that reaches Him. And if we wish to be successful in a true sense we need to find it. The pious presence of our beloved Prophet (SAW) has guided us to the light of tawheed and has given us the holy Quran. And thus the holy Prophet (SAW) is the right means that has enlightened us by Allah (SWT)s message and made us true believers. So let us understand his importance in our lives. As the Quran says:

214 Intercession: A Divine Favour "Aur Ae Rasool (SAW) Hum ne tum ko tamam alamon ke liye rehmat hi karke bheja hai". (Surah-e-Ambiya, ayah 107) (And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.) Allah (SWT) has created our holy Prophet (SAW) as a mercy to the worlds. A person who wishes to seek Allah (SWT)s Mercy should come to the holy Prophet (SAW), ignoring he would remain deprived of the Divine Mercy. Thus the holy Prophet (SAW) is the means that needs to be approached to seek Allah (SWT)s Mercy. The above result can be explained further in the light of the following ayah from Surah-e-Nisa: Aur (Rasool (SAW)) jab unn logon ne (nafarmani karke) apni jaanon per zulm kiya tha agar tumhare paas chale aate aur Khuda se maafi maangte aur Rasool (SAW) (tum) bhi unnki maghferat chahte to beshak wo log Khuda ko badaa tauba qubool karne wala Meharbaan paate. (Surah-e-Nisa, ayah 64) (If they had come to you after wronging themselves and asked forgiveness of God, and you had also asked forgiveness for them, they would surely have found God forgiving and merciful.) Here the above ayah has shown us the method of invoking Allah (SWT)s Mercy and Forgiveness. As per

Intercession: A Divine Favour 215 the ayah the Muslims who wronged themselves if they wished to seek Allah (SWT)s Forgiveness and Mercy needed to approach the holy Prophet (SAW) and pray to Allah (SWT) for His forgiveness. But Allah (SWT) still did not guarantee His Forgiveness to them unless the holy Prophet (SAW) also wished so. This clarifies that in order to reach Mercy of Allah (SWT) intercession of the holy Prophet (SAW) is required without which Allahs Mercy can never be invoked. Does this mean that the holy Prophet (SAW)s intercession would work for Muslims in every situation? Let us see the following ayah: (Ae Rasool) khwah tum unn (munafiqon) ke liye maghferat ki dua maango ya unnke liye maghferat ki dua na maango (unnke liye barabar hai) tum unnke liye sattar bar bhi bakhshish ki dua maango ge to bhi Khuda unko hargiz na bakhshega ye (sazaa) iss sabab se hai ki unn logon ne Khuda aur usske Rasool ke saath kufr kiya aur Khuda badkaar logon ko manzil e maqsud tak nahin pahonchaya karta. (Surah-e-Tawba, ayah 80) (Ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them; even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them; this is because they disbelieve in Allah and His Apostle, and Allah does not guide the transgressing people.) The above ayah refers to the hypocrites who accepted Islam in public but remained infidel in their hearts. Allah

216 Intercession: A Divine Favour has denied them with His Mercy since they disbelieved in Allah and the holy Prophet (SAW). And the ayah further says that even if the holy Prophet (SAW) interceded on their behalf for 70 times Allah would not forgive them. This shows the amount of dislike Allah has for the hypocrites (Munafiq). During the time of the holy Prophet (SAW) the Munafiq led a life of a normal Muslim in public and followed Islamic rituals, in such a situation it became difficult to identify him and separate him from a true believer. But it was important to recognize him and hence the holy Prophet (SAW) has given us a parameter to recognize and identify him which can be implemented even today: He has said: Ya Ali your love is Imaan and your hatred is Nifaaq.

Mawla Ali (A.S) has further explained the above hadith to separate a Munafiq from a Momin. He has said that: By the Lord who created! no doubt Prophet made an oath that none will love me except a Momin; and none will have grudge for me except a Munafiq. (Ref: Sahih Muslim narration 240, Sunan tirmidhi; 849/3736, Sunan Nisai; 8/116/5033, Masnad Ahmed; 1/83/642 and 95/731 and 128/1062; and 6/292/27040, Mishkaat; 2/503/6088 and many more)

Jabir and Abu Dharr, the well known companions of the holy Prophet (pbuh), used to say:

Intercession: A Divine Favour 217

"During the lifetime of the Prophet we used to distinguish a Munafiq by his enmity to Ali." (Ref: Ibn Abd Al Bir: "al Istiab Part 2, pp 474, 477. Ahmad Ibn Hanbal: Al-Musnad Vol 1, pp 54, 77, 138 Vol 5 , pp 350, 366. Sawaiq Al Mohriqa, Chapter 9, Fasl 2. Yanabi al Mawadda Chapter 6 P 74. Kanz Al Ummal Vol 6 P 390) Thus the enmity towards Mawla Ali (A.S) is the parameter to identify a Munafiq from a Momin. It means that however devout a Muslim seems to be if he hates Mawla Ali (A.S) he would never be considered as a Momin and would be deprived of Allahs Mercy forever. Allah (SWT) would bestow His Mercy upon a Muslim only if the holy Prophet (SAW) also wishes so but in every situation Allah (SWT) would keep the hypocrites (Munafiq) deprived of His Mercy. The hypocrites can be identified by their hatred towards Mawla Ali (A.S), thus we can say that Allah (SWT) would never forgive those who hate Mawla Ali (A.S). Hence love for Mawla Ali (A.S) is the path to reach Allah (SWT)s Mercy. We just saw that love for Mawla Ali (A.S) is the path to reach Allah (SWT)s Mercy. This means that Mawla Ali (A.S) can also intercede and be a means for our salvation. Let us confirm this with Quran. We would see the following two ayahs for this purpose:

218 Intercession: A Divine Favour Aur Jis shakhs ke liye wo ijaazat ata farmaye uske siva kissi ki sifarish us ki bargaah main kaam na aayegi.- (Surah-e-Saba, ayah 23) "(No intercession can avail in His Presence, except for those for whom He has granted permission) As per the ayah Allah (SWT) would not consider any intercession valid except of those who are granted permission to intercede by Him. In the light of the above ayah let us contemplate on the following ayah from Surah-e-Baqra: Aur logon main se Khuda ke bande kuch aise hain jo Khuda ki (khushnudi) haasil karne ki gharaz se apni jaan tak bech daalte hain aur Khuda aise bandon per bada hi shafqat wala hai. (Surah-e- Baqra, ayah 207) (And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Affectionate to the servants.) The ayah from Surah-e-Saba talks about those who are given permission of intercession while the above ayah from Surah-e-Baqra is referring to an individual who has sold himself to purchase Allah (SWT)s Pleasure ( and pleasure. When you permit someone it is a command and is always conditional; a person would have to follow the rule and regulations and would have

.) There is a huge difference between permission

Intercession: A Divine Favour 219 to behave according to the permission granted. But when you are pleased with someone the pleasure is unconditional and you are happy about his actions in totality. Imam Ghizali in his Tareekh-e-Khamees writes that the above ayah of Surah-e-Baqra was revealed appreciating the sacrifice of Mawla Ali (A.S) when he slept on the bed of the Holy Prophet (SAW) during the night of Hijrat. Similar tradition is also mentioned by Imam Hakim on the authority of Ibn-e-Abbas in his Mustadrak. (Ref: Tareekh e Khamees, Imam Ghizali, Mustadrak, Vol 3 Page 4, Imam Hakim). The selflessness of Mawla Ali (A.S) and his loyalty towards Islam and the holy Prophet (SAW) was so appreciated by Allah (SWT) that Allah gifted Mawla Ali (A.S) with His Pleasure. So whatever pleases Mawla Ali (A.S) pleases Allah (SWT). By contemplating on both the above mentioned ayahs we can infer that the power of intercession would be given to a person whom Allah (SWT) permits but Mawla Ali (A.S) owns Allahs Pleasure hence not only Mawla Ali himself but even a person whom Mawla Ali permits would be able to intercede successfully. The holy Prophet (SAW) has been created as Mercy to the Worlds and Muslim Ummah would be bestowed upon with Allah (SWT)s Mercy because of the holy Prophet (SAW)s intercession. Mawla Ali (A.S) has got Allah (SWT)s Pleasure so this Mercy would be

220 Intercession: A Divine Favour bestowed upon only those whom Mawla Ali (A.S) allows. The household of the holy Prophet (SAW) is purified by Allah (SWT) as per the ayah (33:33) and the holy Prophet (SAW) has said that in the love for Ahlulbait lies the foundation of Islam. So let us see an ayah which refers to this exalted household: Wo Qandeel un gharon main roshan hai jinki nisbat Khuda ne hukm diya hai ke unki taazim kijaae aur unmain Uska naam liya jaae jin main subah wa sham wo log Uski tasbih kiya karte hai. (Surah-e-Noor, ayah 36) ((The Light is lit) in houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and that His name may be remembered in them; there glorify Him therein in the mornings and the evenings) In the above ayah Allah (SWT) says that His Light is lit in certain houses where His name is glorified mornings and evenings. He appreciates the inhabitants of these houses and has liked the way they have glorified Him so much so that He has permitted these houses to be exalted. Salabi has quoted Anas Ibn-e-Malik and Buraida, that when the holy Prophet (SAW) recited this verse, Abu Bakr stood up and asked pointing towards the house of Ali (A.S) and Fatema (A.S), whether that house was included in the houses referred to? The holy Prophet

Intercession: A Divine Favour 221 (SAW) replied saying Yes, and it is better than other houses that are referred. (Ref: Durr-e-Mansur, Vol 5, P 50) Allah (SWT) has appreciated the selfless devotion of the family of Mawla Ali (A.S) and Janaba Fatema (S.A) in the above ayah and hence He has also permitted their house to be exalted. Their house is the best which has glorified Allah (SWT). Now let us see the following ayah and in the light of the above mentioned ayah we would then contemplate on both these ayahs: Us din kisi ki sifarish kaam na aayegi magar jis ko Khuda ne ijazat di ho aur us ka bolna pasand kare. (Surah-e- Taha, ayah 109) (On that day shall no intercession avail except of him whom the Beneficent Allah allows and whose word He is pleased with.) The above ayah says that no intercession would work on the day of Judgment except of those who are allowed by Allah (SWT) and He is pleased by their words. Now in the previous ayah from Surah-e-Noor Allah (SWT) has acknowledged the glorification and selfless prayers of the family of Mawla Ali (A.S). Thus He has liked their prayers and hence we can say that their words of glorification are appreciated by Him. Allah (SWT) has also allowed their house to be exalted

222 Intercession: A Divine Favour which shows His love for them. Hence we can infer that the intercession of the family of Mawla Ali (A.S) i.e. of Mawla Ali (A.S) himself, Janaba Fatema (S.A), Imam Hasan (A.S), Imam Hussain (A.S) and their other chidren and Imams from their lineage is valid and would hold true on the day of Judgement. That is the reason our beloved Prophet (SAW) has said: Acknowledgment of Aal-e-Mohammed (the children of Mohammed (SAW)) means salvation from the Fire, and love of them is a passport for crossing the Bridge of Sirat and obedience to them is a protection from Divine Wrath. (Ref: Shifa by Qazi Ayaz, Part 2, Pg 40)

The Holy Prophet (SAW) is Mercy to the worlds. Mawla Ali (A.S) has earned Allah (SWT)s Pleasure and Panjetan Paak (A.S) are the valid intercession on the day of Judgment. If we love them we can be assured of our salvation. We have seen earlier in the article that Munafiq are kept away from Allah (SWT)s Mercy and no prayers for their forgiveness would ever be accepted by Allah. Faithful Momins are the one Allah (SWT) loves and He would definitely hear their prayers so let us see now what Allah (SWT) says about Momins:

Intercession: A Divine Favour 223 To phir samajhlo ke Khuda ke siwa koi Mabud nahin aur (Hum se) apne aur Imandar mardon aur Imandar aurton ke gunah ki maafi maangte raho aur Khuda tumhare chalne phirne aur thaharne se (khub) waqif hai. (Surah-eMohammed, ayah 19) (Know then, therefore, there is no God but He, and ask forgiveness for your sins and those of believing men and women. God knows your wanderings and your destination.) In the above ayah Allah (SWT) has ordered a believer to pray for his forgiveness along with the forgiveness of fellow believer men and women. This clearly means that in this world Allah (SWT) has not only accepted intercession of believers for their believer brothers and sisters but instructed them to do so regularly. So when He has considered intercession of a Momin valid for the other Momins in this world can we say that same would hold true on the Day of Judgment? Now Mawla Ali (A.S) is Amir-ul-Momineen (Commander of Faithfuls) and from various ahadith we have known that a Momin cannot be defined other than his love for Mawla Ali (A.S).That is the reason the holy Prophet (SAW) has said that:

224 Intercession: A Divine Favour The preface of a Momins treatise of deeds is the ardent love for Ali (A.S). (Ref: Sawaiqa Mohraika, P 120, Tarikh ibn-e-Asakir, vol 42, P 7, Tarikh al Baghdad, P 177)

When we relate the above hadith with the above mentioned ayah we can infer that a true believer is the lover of Mawla Ali (A.S) and his prayers seeking forgiveness for the other believers is accepted by Allah (SWT) in this world. And if that is the case then can the lover of Mawla Ali (A.S) and Imams from his lineage intercede on behalf of other Momins for their salvation on the Day of Judgment? Would this intercession be accepted by Allah (SWT)? Us din yeh (gunehgaar) log sifaarish per bhi qadir naa honge magar haan jis shakhs ne Khuda se sifaarish ka iqraar le liya ho. (Surah-e-Maryam, ayah 87) (They shall not control intercession, save he who has made a covenant with the Beneficent Allah.) The above ayah says that no one would be able to control intercession except a few who have made a covenant with Allah (SWT). This further confirms that there would be people on the Day of Judgment whose intercession would provide salvation to others.

Intercession: A Divine Favour 225 The prominent Islamic commentators have written that Made a Covenant with Allah is The Promise of loving and following the Imams from the household of the holy Prophet (SAW) which believers have made with Allah (SWT). (Ref: Tafseer Dhur Mansoor, Vol 4, Sawaiq-e-Mohriqa and many more) A true believer is the one who loves and follows Mawla Ali (A.S) and Imams from his lineage. This love for the Imams is the covenant he has made with Allah (SWT) and in return of this covenant Allah (SWT) has granted a believer to control intercession on the Day of Judgment. Yes, a believer can also provide salvation to other believers on that day. In the initial section of this article we went through the ayah where Allah (SWT) has ordered us to seek the means that approaches Him. In another ayah from Surahe-Furqaan, as a reward for the holy Prophet (SAW)s Prophethood Allah (SWT) wants the Muslims to take the Path that leads to Him. We then also inferred that loving the holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy Progeny (pbut) is the covenant we have made to Allah (SWT) and hence they are the means of salvation and through their intercession only we can expect to get rewarded. It means that they are the means to approach Allah (SWT) and they are the path that reaches Him.

226 Intercession: A Divine Favour Thus the best reward a Muslim can give to the holy Prophet (SAW) is to take the path that reaches Allah (SWT) in the light of earlier discussed ayah of Surah-eFurqaan (ayah no. 57) and this path is the love for the holy Prophet (SAW) and his Progeny (pbut). And that is why the Quran says: Ae Rasool (SAW) tum kehdo ke main apni tableegh-e-risalat ka apne karabatdaron ki mohabbat ke siwa tumse koi sila nahin maangta (Surah-e-Shura, ayah 23) (Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives) By consensus of opinions of prominent commentators and writers the above-mentioned ayah refers to the Prophets kith and kin and the word al qurba refers to Ali (A.S) & Fatema (A.S) and their children (Ref: Salabi, Suyuti, Baidhavi, Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmed ibn Hambal, Allama Zamkhashri Vol 3, P 68). The holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy Progeny (pbut) are the Divine Favour Allah (SWT) has bestowed upon us as they are the valid intercession and path for us to approach Allah (SWT) and seek salvation. In order to better understand this let us see the hadith of Imam Jafare-Sadiq (A.S) before we finally conclude the article:

Intercession: A Divine Favour 227 Imam Al-Sadiq (PBUH) said: "Allah created us in beautiful forms. He created us to be His Eye on His servants, His Spoken Words to all mankind, His Giving Hand that bestows mercy and sympathy upon His servants, His Face by which He is worshiped, His Gate that leads to Him and His treasurers on earth and in the skies. By us, trees gave its fruits, crops were harvested and rivers flowed. By us, skies rain and seeds grow. By our worshiping, Allah is worshiped and if it wasn't for us, Allah would have never been worshiped."

(Ref: Al-Kafi Vol 1 Page 144, Al-Mohatazir Page 154, Al-Tawheed Page 151, Al-Bihar-ul-Anwar Vol 24 Page 197, Al-Saqlain Noor Tafseer Vol 1 Page 650) Thus coming to the conclusion we can say that Allah (SWT) has created the holy Prophet (SAW) as mercy to the worlds. Hence his presence in our lives is similar to the presence of a caring mother. When a child obeys his parents and goes to a school he gains knowledge and education but if he disobeys he remains ignorant (Jahil) similarly if a Muslim does not obey the holy Prophet (SAW) and does not love his Progeny (pbut) he remains

228 Intercession: A Divine Favour ignorant and deprived of salvation. The above conclusion can be substantiated in the light of the hadith of the holy Prophet (SAW) which is recorded in the prominent books like Sahih Bukhari, Musnad Ibn Hambal and others, which says He who dies without knowing the Imam of his time dies the death of (the days of) ignorance (Jahilya). But we dont have to worry as we are fortunate that Allah (SWT) has guided us to His true path. So let us thank Him and pray to Him that may He always keep us steadfast and bless us with successes of both the worlds. Aamin

Bibliography 229

Bibliography
The Holy Quran The Quran: Translation by Maulana Farman Ali Saheb (Urdu) The Quran: Translation by Maulana Maqbul Ahmed (Urdu) The Quran: Translation by Shakir (English) The Quran: Translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali (English) The Quran: Translation by Asad (English) The Quran: Translation by Ahmed Ali (English)

Other References: Strairway to Heaven by Yousuf N. Lalljee Ali the Magnificent by Yousuf N Lalljee The Ghadir Declaration by Tahir ul Qadri

Websites: www.tanzil.net www.al-islam.org www.imamreza.net www.hubeali.net